Welcome to the Gymchats IV : 137 - 156

posted by Scott Andrew Bird
Filed in : Gymchats (formerly twitterchats)
Tags : Google+

Over the past few months we've had some superb discussions on Google+ : thank you all. It really is fantastic to hear your ideas and techniques on such a wide variety of training topics.
I've outlined the most recent conversations (the weekly Gymchats) below. First though, if you're not sure what they are (and how to take part in one), here's a quick summary :

The Gymchats are a mix of discussion and interview; looking at a different training-related topic each week. To take part, just add a question or comment to the main discussion thread (and the thread is announced in the newsletter, the forums and on Google+ itself - wherever you are, you'll see it).

NB : if you're a professional trainer, coach or athlete - and would like to share your experience with the fantastic audience here - I'd love to hear from you. Just post a comment below, or contact me privately.

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Heavy Duty by Mike Mentzer...is it the Holy Grail?

posted by Maik Wiedenbach
Filed in : Articles
Tags : bodybuilding, fitness, Mike Mentzer, muscle

Anyone who has been in gyms long enough has come across Mike Mentzer's system of heavy duty training at some point. Mike Mentzer, Mr. America, Mr Universe (with perfect score) was an extremely talented, massive and yes, and intelligent bodybuilder.
During his early career, he followed the school of Schwarzenegger and Weider, which was a high volume approach. This way of training brought him an immense amount of mass and density, as seen in the photo. After the infamous 1980 Mr. Olympia, Mike retired from competing and started researching training and nutrition.

In the late 70s /early 80s it wasn't uncommon to train 4 hours a day and consume 500 grams of protein a day (yes, I did follow this routine when I was 17...hey, I lived in rural Germany and there was no internet, so please forgive me). Unsatisfied with the gains of the average non-steroid assisted trainee, he became convinced that the majority of people were over trained and drastically shortened his and his clients workouts. In conjunction with Arthur Jones, he created his system of High Intensity Training or HIT. Basically, the trainee trained infrequently, 3-4 times every 2 weeks and did only one set beyond failure. He also added drop sets, negatives, partials etc.

There are many variations of heavy duty training. Dorian Yates, who is said to have been a heavy duty trainee, used in fact a much higher volume than Mike Mentzer ever prescribed.

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How To Do The Clean Pull

posted by Jason CSCS
Filed in : Articles
Tags : exercises, Olympic Weightlifting

The clean pull is a variation of the Olympic lift. It starts out identically, but doesn't have the same finish. With the clean pull, you don't take it overhead like you do with the clean and jerk or snatch exercises. Instead, the lift finishes around your mid section or chest area. It looks like a deadlift playing in fast forward.

Why Include the Clean Pull In Your Program?

Aside from being a fun lift, there are a few other reasons you will want to include this lift in your workout.

If you are looking to develop maximal power, I don't think you can find a weighted exercise to beat the clean pull. It is fast, fun, explosive, and works all the major muscles that help you jump higher and be more explosive. Training your explosive strength also trains your muscles to more readily activate the higher-threshold motor units. If you want to lift heavy, you are going to need them.

This one exercise can dramatically improve your power output giving you a greater ability to exert force at higher speeds. It teaches you to be explosive, working on the powerful triple extension of the hips, knees, and ankles.

This increased power is invaluable to every athlete, providing the explosiveness necessary to gain that important half step on the competition.

Athletes and non athletes alike will also benefit from:

• increased balance


• speed development


• increased coordination


• improved flexibility


• improved concentration and coordination

There is also the benefit of added muscle mass. The clean pull works every muscle in your posterior chain adding a great deal of upper body thickness, especially through the upper back and shoulders. This is perfect for both bodybuilders and athletes.

And of course there is the issue of safety. This is an extremely safe lift. There isn't an eccentric component, but because of the incredibly fast bar speed, you can't handle the same load as a deadlift or squat. Never will you have to strain to finish the lift like you would with the squat, bench, or deadlift. All in all, the clean pull has an extremely low injury rate.

How to Do It

Just like with every other exercise, there are going to be some differences and variations with technique. But what I have outlined here is a great starting place. Follow the instructions below and you'll have a solid foundation to build upon, plus you'll have a safe and effective workout.

Set Up

This may be the most important part of the lift because without a good starting position it's extremely difficult to adjust during the lift to get a good rep. Without the proper setup, you are doomed before the bar leaves the floor.

The setup for the clean pull is a lot like a deadlift, but with a few subtle variations. Let's get started. Since there's no better starting point than the ground, we'll start with the feet and work our way up.

Feet

Your feet will be flat on the floor about shoulder width apart, in the same position they would be if you were about to do a vertical jump. Your weight is evenly distributed throughout the entire foot.

With the bar resting against your shins, firmly grasp the bar with an overhand grip just outside your shins. When standing and still holding the bar, your hands will be on the outside of your thighs, just missing them.

Grip

There are two grips that you can use...

1. regular clean grip


2. wide or snatch grip

The 2 grips are very similar. The only real difference is how far apart your hands are.

The snatch grip is the wider of the two. Because it is so much wider, it requires more flexibility and will reduce the amount of weight you can lift. For simplicity, let's stick with the regular clean grip. It's the more common of the two. After you master the clean grip, the snatch grip will be an easy transition.

Straps are something to avoid at all costs, so adopting a hook grip will become essential if you want to move big weight. You might as well get started now while the load is light. It's going to be uncomfortable at first, so get use to it with light loads. Taping your thumb will help somewhat, and is totally acceptable.

To do a hook grip, you are going to take an overhand grip. First, you're going to wrap your thumb tightly around the bar. Then you will grip the bar and your thumb with the rest of your hand. Depending on the size of your hand and your comfort level, you may only get one finger around your thumb, but shoot for getting your first 2 fingers around your thumb, your trigger, and middle fingers.

Now that you have a firm grip on the bar, rotate your elbows outwards so they are in line with the bar. Picture your elbows pointing out towards the weights at the end of the bar.

Torso Position

The set up for the clean pull is a lot like the deadlift. The major difference is in your shoulder position. In the deadlift, your shoulders are either directly over the bar or slightly behind it. In the clean pull, your shoulders are in front of the bar. There are different schools of thought on this approach, the Chinese go with the frog stance so their shoulders aren't as far over the bar. I don't recommend this for anyone but the competitive Olympic lifter. Instead, you will want your shoulders to be well in front of the bar. Make sure to keep a flat back and your chest up.

Before you pull, take a deep breath. Make sure your shoulder blades are pulled back and your chest is nice and high. You are set, ready to begin the first phase of the pull.

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How I Started in Weight Training and Bodybuilding

posted by 'Captain' Kirk
Filed in : Articles
Tags : bodybuilding, history

For as long as I can remember, I loved how the body functioned to keep us alive and read books in reference to this subject. I become self educated at a early age on how my body works. Therefore I became proficient in basic anatomy and physiology, biology, life sciences and also zoology. Then when I entered high school I became interested in how bodybuilders and weight lifters enhanced their physiques.
I started reading all the old physique magazines and focused on the life of the Austrian Oak, Arnold Schwarzenegger and the fellow bodybuilders that he competed against. His friend and fellow rival on stage, Franco Columbu became my role model. I am a natural ectomorph, small boned and short which was similar to Franco's measurements when he start weight training and bodybuilding.

I started lifting weights at the high school gym on a old Universal multi-station machine with my high school buddy. We also exercised in his attic with a plastic weight set with a basic weight bench.that you buy at the local department store. Unknowingly we were working out almost everyday of the week for 2-3 hours. Can you believe that?

I continued weight training with my buddy until I graduated and went to the Marines where I "sowed my royal oats", meaning I decided to start acting wild and careless - not focusing too much on weight training. My day consisted of my 8-5 job as a Motor Vehicle Operator (2.5ton military trucks) for carrying cargo and military personnel when training in the field.

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Where It All Began

posted by Scott Andrew Bird
Filed in : Articles
Tags : history

Today marks the 8th anniversary of Straight to the Bar (the first post was Re-Entering the World of Fitness), and to say I'm grateful is an understatement. Thank you for all of the comments, techniques, ideas and inspiration.
As examples of all of the above (and to show just how transformative a regular dose of training can be), here are just a few of the many stories we've shared here over the years. How the journey really began.

• The Road to Strong (Davie Easton)
• My Weight Success Story (Dan Hardisky)
• Strength Training Changed My Life (Joe Hashey)
• A New Beginning (Kevin 'Sgt Sweaty' Miller)
• From Losing to Lifting (Marla Laubisch)
• How & Why I Train (Robert Lucarelli)

as well as a brief look at my own transformation.

Want more? No problem. We'll be publishing a few more of these stories over the next few months (and if you'd like to add yours, just let me know); a spot of inspiration for everyone who's just getting started. And if you are, welcome.

It really will change your life.

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The Power of Transformation

posted by Scott Andrew Bird
Filed in : Articles
Tags : giving

If you've been training for a while, gradually cleaning up your diet, no doubt you've experienced the amazing power of transformation. It's a tremendous feeling.
Combined with that feeling is the the incredible satisfaction associated with helping someone else - whether that's in the form of financial assistance, giving them a hand overcoming a particular hurdle, or simply showing them a new way of doing something. Anything at all.

A few of the ways I like to blend these are the ones I mentioned in 'Giving it Away' and 'Giving it Away II' : essentially donating pre-loved training equipment to those without any of their own. I'd love to kick that up a notch (particularly at this time of year), and add some other forms of assistance to that list. First cab off the rank is my favourite micro-lending service, Kiva.

I first came across Kiva back in 2006, after reading about Matt Frame's 'handcuffed swimming in Cambodia' record. It's a service which let's you invest a relatively small amount of money (typically $25, which is still $25, but is small for a business loan) in a business somewhere in the world. I say 'invest' because it's a loan - you'll generally receive the money in full, several months later.

If you've got an extra dollar or two and would like to check out the details of what they do (and how), come and join me at :

http://www.kiva.org/team/straighttothebar

And thank you. Watching someone transform their life is truly incredible.

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Developing your Own Training Routine for Mixed Martial Arts

posted by Brett Kasa
Filed in : Articles
Tags : MMA

Mixed Martial Arts is such an intensive fitness activity in terms of both physical and mental exhaustion that one has to train extensively in a number of areas in order to be adequately prepared. One has to have incredible endurance, enough at least to stay up and alert at all times. Being able to aptly utilize brunt force is also a huge advantage, so one has to be able to strengthen his body to such a level that he can draw said force, and not only that, but he must learn to concentrate well enough to focus that force on a particular target. If you're enticed by the allure of Mixed Martial Arts and want to prepare yourself for the action by following an all-inclusive regimen to get your body up to speed, you'll need to do more than just train for the matches themselves. You'll need to amplify the strength and durability of your own body and mental state, and to do that you'll have to incorporate several different strategic areas into your training routine.

Run (Again and Again)

Anyone with severely restrained stamina is going to struggle performing moves in Mixed Martial Arts. The amount of physical strain placed on the body is intense, so much so that someone ill-equipped to endure such repetitious strain can be endangering his own health and well being by putting himself in the action front and center. Unless you're willing to improve upon your body's endurance, you won't be able to stay standing for very long, and it's quite difficult to accomplish anything with your back pressed down against the floor. To stay up and about, you'll need to endure some intensive cardiovascular workouts.

Running is the simplest, most straightforward way to periodically increase your body's ability to endure physical strain over long periods of time. If you're unaccustomed to running for long periods of time unbroken by rest, you'll need to build your stamina up slowly at first before really pushing yourself hard. Start by running a mile or two every day until you're able to do so without ending up severely out of breath, panting, etc. Pushing your body further initially when it can barely tolerate a couple of miles of continuous running isn't going to do you or your training routine any favors. Once you've built up your endurance and can last for several miles rather well at a decent pace, you can begin pushing yourself harder.

Focus on running for as long as possible, as opposed to running really fast but only for a limited set of time. You're not training to break a marathon time record here, you're training to endure the tests required of mixed martial artists. If you wanted to break the world record at the Boston Marathon, your pacing is essential to follow and tweak, but here it is the strict amount of time you're able to last on foot that is of greater urgency. Pacing is important only insomuch as to not have your routine thrown out of whack (dramatically shifting speeds while running can cause your body unnecessary extra exhaustion). Using a treadmill can help you maintain a strict speed pace (as you can set controls on the machine to follow your directions). Running outside is fine too, but many people, especially novice runners, can find it difficult to maintain their speed consistently over several miles. Run often, at least 4 days a week, until you've felt your endurance has improved to a point where you can switch over to other stamina-testing cardio activities, such as stair climbing, bike riding, etc. Then, you can choose more of your own preferred activities over running alone.

Punch It Out

Even when you don't have a sparring partner, you'll need to work on your punches and kicks with something weighted enough to compare to an actual human competitor. By utilizing a heavy punching bag, you can test your might against a weight level sufficient enough to not warrant needing a sparring partner all too soon. If you're training on your own, a heavy punching bag can be an effective tool, especially with repeated use. After you've built up your endurance enough, you should be able to take on a punching bag at full force and endure long term tests of your jabbing ability without having to worry about an overly exhausted partner.

Eventually, however, the punching bag will become more of a complementary tool that you use in conjunction with a sparring partner. Having another person around is a huge help, particularly because there is so much unpredictability in fighting an actual person. When facing a boxing bag, you are jabbing a stationary object that's only similarity to people is its weight. When facing a sparring partner, you're honing in closer to what actually occurs in Mixed Martial Arts (needless to say, there is no master champion punching bag out there you're going to meet up for a challenge one day).

Take advantage of facing off against a sparring partner as frequently as possible, as it will help you with predictive strategies (knowing when to throw a punch or kick, as well as knowing when to hold back and when to dodge). Though a punching bag can technically last longer in the ring, which makes it a vital tool to have, it can't help you with fighting strategy nearly as well.

Calling It Quits

Knowing how far you can push yourself before your body gives out might be among the most critical pieces of information you need to discover during your MMA training. Having this knowledge available to you in advanced can help you with in-fight strategy, as you'll need to ration out your energy and strength at crucial times, which is tremendously difficult if you don't have any clue how much left your body can take. Boxing, wrestling, and MMA are much the same in this regard, as you're effectively taking yourself out of a match if you overdo it way too quickly and give out before the long haul part of the match even kicks in. Failure to accurately judge your own give-out point can be your own undoing as a professional MMA fighter.

Calling it quits doesn't have anything to do with long-term cessation of your fighting practice. It simply means knowing when to hold back a punch or kick that doesn't need to be thrown, saving every last bit of energy until it is absolutely needed. Throwing a punch that's very likely to get blocked can be a waste of energy late in the game, when you may need to draw from your energy reserves minutes later just to stay up and alert. Learning to ration out your energy, to pace yourself properly, and to withdraw when you're severely endangering yourself will help you master the finer points of MMA fighting. Be sure to have help around when testing your limits, in case you need medical assistance or some other help at an unexpected moment. After all, it's hard to rely on your own devices if you've fallen to the floor and can't get up.

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Transcript of Gymchat 148 - Training for Football II

posted by Scott Andrew Bird
Filed in : Articles
Tags : google+, gymchats

This was a fantastic discussion, taking a close look at the training required for this wonderful sport. Thanks Justin, appreciated.

For the people who missed the conversation, here's the transcript (as a free PDF) :

Gymchat 148 - Training for Football II

And to find out the details of upcoming discussions, just subscribe to the weekly Strength & Fitness Newsletter. Again, absolutely free.

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Welcome to the Gymchats III : Using Google+

posted by Scott Andrew Bird
Filed in : Articles
Tags : Google+, Gymchats

I love Google+. It's proven to be a great place to share article links & commentary, photos and research from both the fitness and medical worlds. It's also ideal for the Gymchats.

For those who are new to these conversations, a quick definition : the Gymchats are weekly discussions (currently held on Google+) on a variety of fitness-related topics. Everything from nutrition to competition; if it relates to training, we'll be talking about it.


To give you an idea of what these look like, the most recent Gymchats have been listed below :

Gymchat 145 - Running
Bill Long
Conversation on Wed Nov 23, 9pm EST (2am GMT)

Although I've sampled a number of forms of strength-training, running isn't one of them. Yet.

This week we're taking a look at this enigmatic activity, and finding out just what I'm missing out on. How to train for it and how it helps with other forms of
your training (and overall condition). Fantastic.


Gymchat 144 - Training at Home
Jackie Burgmann
Conversation on Wed Nov 16, 9pm EDT (1am UTC)

I love the home gym - everything's always ready to go, set up exactly the way I like. Adjust weights, add bands/chains/other fun things and dive in. Perfect.

This week we're returning to our conversation on Training at Home - equipment & space required, sharing progress and getting feedback. The many ways to make the most of what's available. Fantastic.


Gymchat 143 - Strength Training Over 40
Raymond Ho, interviewed by Kirk Fontaine
Conversation on Wed Nov 9, 9pm EST (2am GMT)

A little over a year ago we first looked at the idea of training longevity; specifically Strength Training Over 40. Time to revisit some of those ideas, from a slightly different angle.

This week we'll be returning to our discussion, looking at the nutritional, recovery, injury and equipment considerations related to training at this age. Everything that will help make sure you're stronger, healthier and in generally better condition in your 40s (and onward) than you are/were in your 20s.


Gymchat 142 - Fitness & Autism
Eric Chessen, interviewed by Kirk Fontaine
Conversation on Wed Nov 2, 9pm EST (2am GMT)

Good afternoon or evening Plussers I will be hosting a gymchat with Eric Chessen of Autismfitness.com who is speaking on autism and fitness. We will be discussing how health and fitness principles are used in helping autistic people. Jump in the discussion to chat and ask questions concerning this issue.
Gymchat 141 - Stretching & Warming Up
Kirk Fontaine, interviewed by Derek Peruo
Conversation on Wed Oct 26, 9pm EST (2am GMT) When you work out, do you warm up at all? Stretch perhaps? Or do you dive straight in? This week we'll be discussing the benefits of warm-ups and stretching - how, and when. Fantastic.
Gymchat 140 - How Do You... III
Everyone
Conversation on Wed Oct 19, 9pm EDT (1am UTC) One of the many fascinating aspects of strength-training is that everyone has a slightly different approach; based on their own goals, available equipment and information. Love it.

This week we'll be returning to our discussion on training approaches, focusing on the many aspects of fitness other than the lifting itself. What's your current diet like, and do you take any supplements? What sort of music do you listen to whilst training, or do you prefer to lift in silence? Other than getting a good nights' sleep, how do you recover after a heavy session?

However you train, we'd love to hear about it.


Gymchat 139 - Hand Strength II
Lane Hagen
Conversation on Wed Oct 12, 9pm EDT (1am UTC)

I love challenging the hands. Fingertip push-ups, climbers' chins, TTK work and a whole lot more. Good fun.

This week we're continuing our discussion on Hand Strength, focusing on the Grip Training side of things. What it is, why it's important and how to go about it. Fantastic.


Gymchat 138 - Hand Strength
Lane Hagen
Conversation on Wed Oct 5, 9pm EDT (1am UTC)

I love challenging the hands. Fingertip push-ups, climbers' chins, TTK work and a whole lot more. Good fun.

This week we're taking an in-depth look at all aspects of Hand Strength. What it is, why it's important and how to train for it. Fantastic.


Gymchat 137 - Grip, Clubs & Health
Ryan Pitts
Conversation on Wed Sep 28, 9pm EDT (1am UTC)

I'm a huge fan of hand and forearm strengthening. Serious grip training, and all kinds of leverage work.

This week we're taking a look at this superb partnership, particularly when it comes to using equipment such as clubs. Beautiful things.

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A Critical Analysis: Reaction Ball

posted by Justin Andrushko
Filed in : Reviews
Tags : equipment

There are several reaction balls on the market today that all do the same thing, however, I have chosen the most commonly known one for the analysis.

"Designed to improve your hand-eye coordination, reaction time, depth perception and first-step acceleration, the Nike SPARQ eyeReact Ball is a performance-enhancing super-tool that will benefit athletes of all sports." (Nike Store, n.d.)

The SPARQ eyeReact Ball is a tool used to help athletes improve their ability to detect an unpredictable stimulus due to the ball's unknown bounce pattern, and react to it in an organized and efficient movement pattern. This develops what we call "Human Information Processing". First the person is exposed to a stimulus, in this case the SPARQ eye React Ball, then the individual proceeds to Response Selection where translation occurs. The person chooses how to respond to the stimuli, in this case depending on where the ball bounces the person makes a choice to step in that direction, possibly with a specific foot leading, and reaching with a specific hand, while maintaining a low athletic posture. After the response selection has been identified the next step is Response Programming where the central nervous system organizes an appropriate response and begins the movement. The purpose of using this SPARQ eyeReact Ball is to successfully develop an appropriate, and time efficient; stimulus identification, response selection, and response programming. This is called Reaction Time.

The type of reaction time used while training with the SPARQ eyeReact Ball is called Choice Reaction Time. Choice Reaction Time is very receptive to improvements if practiced. This makes the use of this training tool effective in aiding athletes in their training. The use of this tool in the development of Human Information Processing as mentioned earlier supports Nike's claims of improving reaction time and first step acceleration.

However, Nike's claim to improve depth perception is not entirely valid. As stated in the journal article Training Perceptual Skill by Orienting Visual Attention (Hagemann, N., Strauss, B., & Cañal-Bruland, R., 2006). The benefits of training programs that claim to improve general abilities such as depth perception, visual acuity, and peripheral vision lack empirical confirmation and the benefits of such programs are doubtful. In fact in a comparison between novice and expert athletes it was found that there was little to no difference in those general skills listed above. The major contributing factor to experts performing better was in their ability to better anticipate and react to given stimuli (Hagemann, N et al., 2006). Hand-eye coordination and depth perception are not actually motor skills, but hand-eye coordination can improve from improved Human Information Processing (Aparo, L. ,n.d.).

Hand-eye coordination is a task that requires accurate judgement of timing based on what the person interprets from the visual stimulus and translates that to an appropriately timed response. For example: a football player reaching out to catch a football moving at a very fast velocity with proper placement of his hands to successfully catch the ball. Improving choice reaction time allows the player to see the football (stimulus identification), select when to reach out for the ball and how to place his hands (response selection) and have the central nervous system organize the information and begin the action (response programming). Hand-eye coordination first starts by the detection of the stimulus. As mentioned already visual acuity cannot be improved however, effective anticipation can drastically reduce the time it takes to process the stimulus and give the athlete more time to be accurate with hand-eye coordination. Spatial anticipation can be improved through practice and when used effectively makes a big difference in both hand-eye coordination and information processing. (Bredin, D. S., 2011)

Therefore it can be concluded that the Nike SPARQ eyeReact Ball can effectively improve Human Information Processing, which results in improved choice reaction time. Developing a fast choice reaction time directly supports Nike's claims to improving first step acceleration and hand-eye coordination based on a faster response to the stimulus. However, the claim to improve depth perception is not directly benefited through the use of this training tool.

Aparo, L. (n.d.). Influence of Sport Stacking on hand-eye. soeedstacks.com. Retrieved October 5, 2011, from http://www.speedstacks.com/groups/benefits/thesis_luca_aparo.pdf

Bredin, D. S. (Director) (2011, September 20). Information Processing Parts 1 & 2. Class Lecture. Lecture conducted from Dr. Shannon Bredin, Vancouver

Bredin, D. S. (Director) (2011, September 29).Information Processing Expert vs Novice. Class Lecture. Lecture conducted from Dr. Shannon Bredin, Vancouver

Hagemann, N., Strauss, B., & Cañal-Bruland, R. (2006). Training Perceptual Skill by Orienting Visual Attention. Journal of Sport & Exercise Psychology, 28, 143-158.

NikeStore. (n.d.). NikeStore. Shop the Official Nike Store for Shoes, Clothing & Gear. Retrieved October 3, 2011, from http://store.nike.com/us/en_us/?l=shop,pdp,ctr-inline/cid-1/pid-304449/pgid-304449#l=shop,pdp,ctr-inline/cid-1/pid-304449/pgid-304449

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Return of the Magnificent Seven

posted by Scott Andrew Bird
Filed in : Articles
Tags : conditioning, grip, Old-Time Strength, sleep

I'm on vacation for a few weeks (New Zealand's South Island - I'll be posting plenty of photos shortly after I return); back on November 16th. In the meantime, here are some gems from the archives.
A little over a year ago I posted The Magnificent Seven, a short list of my favourite articles from Straight to the Bar. There have been a number of outstanding pieces since then - accordingly, here's an updated list : the Return of the Magnificent Seven.

Enjoy.

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3 Things You MUST Know About Sandbag Training

posted by Josh Henkin
Filed in : Articles
Tags : conditioning, sandbags

I've never heard a Powerlifter speak about how they were going to hit barbell training for their workout that day. At the same time I've never heard an Olympic lifter talk about their success in barbell lifting. While both use barbells the emphasis is not on the barbell rather how and why they lift them in the context of optimizing their training.
Novel idea, but we should have that thought process with all training tools we utilize in our training programs. When I first began using sandbags I made the mistake most people make. I used sandbags primarily because they were awkward and difficult to lift. I really didn't think why or how what I was doing was really impacting my overall training other than I might be hitting stabilizers or strengthening my core.

In the last seven years of using sandbags I have found they can be one of the most powerful training tools in increasing performance, mobility, strength, and conditioning. The trick is you have to understand why and how you use them to maximize their benefits. Creating a systemized approach changed the way I saw "sandbag lifting" and just as Powerlifting, Bodybuilding, and Olympic Lifting have definitive methods and techniques I believe sandbag training deserves the same : more accurately it'd be getting away from "sandbag lifting". Let's change what the implement is and focus more on what we are trying to achieve; thinking in terms of Dynamic Variable Resistance Training (DVRT) helps us get started.

Rule 1: How you hold the sandbag means EVERYTHING!

Watching most programs and videos of people lifting sandbags, I know they have never given thought to the impact holding the sandbag has on the exercise or performance of the movement. However, determining how you hold the sandbag dictates everything in regards to what you wish to accomplish by performing the movement.

The barbell has four standard positions (possibly 5 for some of the odd lifts), kettlebells are similar, but sandbag training in the DVRT system has NINE! This means we can manipulate how the body perceives a weight, stability, and challenge both at once if we want.

Looking at the first three positions in sandbag training (Bear Hug, Zercher, Shoulder) they are significantly different upon their use and effects. The Bear Hug position aligns the weight with the lifter's center of gravity making it the easiest position to add load upon. The Bear Hug position can also be seen as the basis for teaching correct movement patterns as the weight of the sandbag will act as a counterbalance allowing for a more upright position and deeper squat position. This equals less unnecessary stress upon the low back and the deeper squat position allows for maximizing glute and hamstring activation while opening up the hips as well. All of a sudden what appears to be a simple exercise can be a foundational lift of any program.

The Bear Hug Squat :

Because sandbag training does not lend itself to incremental loading we first change the holding position of the sandbag and then change body position. Moving from Bear Hug to Zercher changes the center of gravity and creates more stress upon the trunk and upper back; providing what can be perceived as a larger load even if the actual weight of the sandbag has not been altered. Looking more deeply at the movement we see that the Zercher Squat in sandbag training not only is more difficult but becomes a powerful trunk anti-flexion exercise. You can see the similarity of the Zercher position and the common plank exercise, except now we are adding motion to the plank!

The third sandbag training holding position is Shoulder. Unfortunately, this is the very place that most people begin! If the Zercher position is related to the front plank Shouldering is closely related to side plank. The stress of large frontal plane loads make the Shoulder position the most challenging to move while maintaining correct posture alignment. The Shoulder position in our DVRT system is known as one of the most difficult asymmetrical loading postures. Experts agree that asymmetrical loading is one of the most important "unused" aspects in training.

"The longer I'm in this industry and the more people I train, the more emphasis I seem to place on asymmetrical loading. For decades, we worked to get people off machines and into doing more free weights because of the stability benefits they afford."
- Eric Cressey

Like many misunderstood aspects of sandbag training, the value of sandbag shouldering in providing asymmetrical loading is very undervalued; especially with the load being applied directly on the body, causing more of the smaller stablizers of the spine and trunk to be active then more common variations of holding a weight to the side of the body. If we understand the role of these patterns then we can also create proper progressions and regressions so we can see continual progress in the training.

The Shouldering position is also ideal because we can use it as an assessment for core and pelvic stability. As one performs a more stable lift (eg. Shoulder Squat) we can watch for movement of the hip and body towards one side or the other during the exercise. This tells us a compensation pattern and inability to stabilize by the lifter is causing such negative movement. We know as coaches now about how to then regress the lifter so we can fix those instabilities and make them a better athlete, lifter, or flat out just healthier.

Asymmetrical sandbag loading :

Rule #2: Role of Body Position

Understanding the role of body position while performing sandbag training is vital in increasing performance. Because sandbags never will (and shouldn't) come close to the loads of a barbell we can make lighter weights feel heavier by changing body position. This accomplishes several goals.

Because sandbag training does not lend itself to incremental loading, we can alter body position to make a lighter weight feel heavier as a form of progressive training of heavier sandbag loads. Sandbag Training should be more about maintaining posture under unstable loads and unstable positions. This ensures more strengthening of the more commonly missed stabilizers and patterns. The result? Such training can enhance strength and stability in the more common gym lifts, but the reverse isn't true!

We can more accurately identify weak links because in these more unstable environments we see true movement skills.

Such training involves progressively moving to more single leg stances. Not just doing single leg exercise in their normal setting, but trying to produce power and resist load and movement in these positions.

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Psychological Training in the Gym Part 2

posted by Justin Andrushko
Filed in : Articles
Tags : sports psychology

This article is kind of the second step in mental training for competition in sport or anything you pursue. In my first article I touched base on how to train your mind through the use of training spaces. This practice eventually conditions the mind to amp up to optimal intensities in whatever setting you train it to be active in. Once you learn to achieve this first step you can learn to apply it to any scenario in life. Also in order to build off of this I will now introduce you to the mind set and belief of mental and physical excellence. The principle sounds simple, you have probably heard it a million times before, but not many people buy in and choose to actually believe and live in this power.

We are physically capable of amazing things; it is our mind that sets limits to what we can achieve.

With that in mind let's take a moment to look at ourselves and others in competition and training. How often do we hear excuses like "I am too tired", "I am a little bit sore today", and "I didn't get enough sleep"... and the list goes on and on. By creating and believing these statements we say to ourselves and the public around us we buy in and set limits to what we can do.

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Ultimate Masters World's Strongest Man 2011

posted by Davie Easton
Filed in : Articles
Tags : strongman

This past weekend I was lucky enough to travel to Belfast to watch the Ultimate Masters World Strongest Man competition. This took place at the same venue as the Ultimate UK Strongest Man - organised by The Daddy Glen Ross, the World famous Irish strongman.

I work for Strength Shop UK and we were one of the main sponsors of the competition - supplying circus dumbbells which were used in the Junior Strongman event , and the massive 110kg log which was used by the Masters. Travelling over on Sunday , we had a ringside seat to watch Ken Nowicki from Scotland be crowned as Junior UK Strongest man after also competing in the Open event and finishing second.

The Masters event had a fantastic line up -

1. Torfi Olafsson - Iceland
2. Rene Minkwitz - Denmark
3. Simon Flint - England
4. Wout Zijlstra - Holland
5. Odd Haugen - Norway
6. Stuart Murray - Scotalnd
7. Bernie - Ireland
8. Glenn Ross - Ireland

The head referee was none other than former Worlds Strongest man Magnus Samulesson, winner in 1998.

I have never been to a Strongman competition before and being in the presence of so many huge men was a bit of an eye opener - Im a tall guy but I felt like a little kid beside these guys.

The day had 6 events with 3 head to head events. They were -

12 Tonne Truck Pull, 20 metres, old style harness only, 90 secs x 2 competitors

Flag Hoist, 5 flags, timed, 2 x competitors

Strength Shop Timber Log Lift for maximum weight , x1 competitors

Squat 320kg for reps, 90 secs timed, x 1 competitors

Human Wheelbarrow, 20 metres, 90 secs timed, 1 competitor

Stones of Strength, 5 stones, 100kg - 160kg, 90 sec timed, x 2 competitors

The Masters started with the truck pull - a head to head competition with two massive men pulling to massive trucks

Photo - Davie Easton

Having never seen the flag hoist before, I was intrigued to see how this event worked. It was similar to the Fingals Finger but in reverse, instead of pushing the pole up it had to be pulled up.

Photo - Denise Hunt

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Welcome to the Gymchats

posted by Scott Andrew Bird
Filed in : Articles
Tags : Gymchats

I love these discussions. They started back in February 2009 as a way to share, debate and learn a wealth of training-related information. In that time we've heard numerous ideas, tips and suggestions; and been pointed to some fascinating sites, apps, podcasts, books and equipment.

Thanks to everyone who's taken part - it really is appreciated.


Still, it always frustrated me a little that there's no easy way to point people to previous discussions. Unless you were there at the time, there wasn't a lot you could do.

Accordingly, we'll be moving these conversations to a platform that makes this sort of thing nice and painless : Google+.

Google+ (or just G+) offers a lot of advantages, both for the people who are there and those that can't make it at the time. Specifically :

• Each post on G+ has a permalink, so you can point people to previous discussions. This is just the same as any other URL, so you'll be able to share it in the usual ways.
• The questions/answers can be as long as you like - no more 140 character restriction. It's still a good idea to keep them reasonably brief (so people can read and absorb them in time), but you're not limited at all.
• Posts and comments can be edited if necessary. If you spot a glaring mistake somewhere (in one of your own points), you can go back and fix it.

And seeing as we're moving to Google, a new name is in order. I'll be running with 'Gymchats', as it isn't too much of a change and makes the subject matter pretty clear. The topics themselves will be exactly the same.

Incidentally, if you haven't used Google+ before and would like an invitation, I have a few left. Otherwise, swing by my profile and add me to one of your circles.

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Mizuno Wave Enigma Running Shoes Review

posted by Bill 'Body By Long' Long
Filed in : Articles
Tags : running

I've been gone training for a while but I've got a great new pair of shoes for you guys to try out if your in to running. I got a pair of Mizuno's brand new line of shoes the Wave Enigma.
These shoes are the newest member of Mizuno's neutral collection and are Smooth Ride Engineered with a blown rubber forefoot outsole design for cushioning and flexibility. These just came out July 5th and I have been using them since. I have a gait that makes me land midsole of my foot and I've been running a lot lately at long distances in an attempt to run my first competitive half marathon. I must say I was skeptical of the amount of cushion on this shoe since I have been running in my Nike Free 7.0 and my Vibram 5 finger's. I've never even owned a pair of Mizuno running shoes! But I decided why not try out these state of the art cushioned shoes and run 13+ miles in them and see how I feel.

I eased into them by first running 3 miles the first day in them. Felt a little stiff, but not to bad. Then as the days continued I ran further with 5, 7, 10 miles on them I began to feel them break in nicely after about 2 weeks of running in them. I then picked up the amount of miles I ran in them to 30 and 40 miles a week. I mostly ran on hard ball roads (concrete) but did manage to venture off the beaten path and run some trails in them. My first thought was the amount of cushioning may cause me to roll an ankle on the uneven terrain, but things went just fine and felt great!

The science behind the shoe is that it is for the neutral gait runner and is able to go high mileage without losing support. The Enigma's have a full length Parallel Wave Plate, AP+ and a blown rubber forefoot. The upper part of the shoe wrapping around the foot and ankle area is soft and has breathable mesh to allow your feet to stay dry on those high mileage hot runs! With the flexible rubber and breathable mesh the shoe flexes and moves the way your foot moves. So you don't have to worry about the Wave Enigma causing you to run like you have bricks on your feet!

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30 Day Challenge : Becoming a Morning Person

posted by Scott Andrew Bird
Filed in : Articles
Tags : 30DC, routines, sleep

Long-term readers of this site may recall the switch to a Biphasic Sleep routine, which was not only extremely successful; it's a highly recommended routine. Details here.

Whilst I maintained the somewhat uncommon sleep routine, I completely overlooked the process of switching to it in the first place. It was my initial 30 Day Challenge.

In fact, it wasn't until I saw this talk (the video below) by Google's Matt Cutts that I really thought about the power of these challenges to bring about lasting lifestyle changes. Almost immediately I began analysing various aspects of my life to find things that I'd like to change.

This is the first of those.

Why would you want to do this?

Firstly, a bit of background. For as long as I can remember, I've been a night person. I've always been far more productive at midnight than at 10 in the morning.

Consequently, 5 years ago when I made the switch to a Biphasic Sleeping routine, I decided to take my nap in the early evening, and my 'core sleep' a number of hours later - in the early morning.

This worked extremely well, and I followed the same routine - unchanged - for almost 5 years. In fact, the only change during that time was the frequency of adherence.

When I first made the transition, I would have a night of monophasic sleep every month or so; depending on my schedule. Sometimes a biphasic routine just isn't possible, or even desirable (for example, if you're dining with friends during your usual nap time).

This occasional night of monophasic sleep gradually became a couple of nights, then a few; and eventually moved to a week or more. Particularly when travelling, when it was only possible to see/do things at certain times.

For this experiment, I decided to push the monophasic sleep period to an entire month. If successful, I'd return to a biphasic schedule at a slightly earlier time than before. Perhaps something like 4:30pm - 6:00pm for the nap, and 10:00pm - 4:00am for the core sleep.

As for the question of 'why?', there are a couple of reasons. The first is simply that it provides a different set of things to photograph; think of sunrise, frost and early morning light. These are all things that I very rarely see on a late night schedule.

The second - and perhaps more important change - is an anticipated increase in productivity. This is based on anecdotal evidence from those who've made similar changes, notably Steve Pavlina [1] and Leo Babauta [2].

Whilst this increase is perhaps more hoped for than expected, the important point for me is that starting the day earlier isn't likely to reduce productivity at all. Not in the long term, anyway.

How Have I Done This?

First, let me point out I elected to break my own cardinal rule for these challenges (and for many transitions, actually) : to only change one thing at a time. As this one involved a major lifestyle shift, I decided to adjust several things at once.

These were :

Increasing Sunlight in the Morning, Reducing it in the Afternoon

This idea stems directly from the Horizon documentary noted below [3], specifically the comments made by Dr Michael Hastings, Prof Debra Skene & Prof Till Roenneberg. The idea is that the amount of light your body receives at different times of day can impact the timing of your body clock.
To speed up your body clock (and spend more time awake in the mornings, less in the late evening), simply increase the amount of light you get in the mornings, and decrease the amount in the afternoon. In the mornings, go out in the sun, switch a bright light on, work outdoors if possible - whatever fits in to your current schedule. In the afternoon, stay in a slightly darkened room, wear sunglasses - again, whatever ties in to your routine.

The point is simply to increase morning light, and decrease afternoon light.

NB : to do the opposite (if you need to spend more time awake in the evenings), just reverse this. Less light in the morning, more in the afternoon and evening.

Taking Vitamin Supplements at Different Times

Although I hadn't seen any information on this, I decided to switch my Vit D supplementation to the mornings for the same reasons as those above. To make things easier, I took my other vitamin supplements at the same time.

Previously they were all taken just after my last large meal, typically around midnight.

Allowing for 8 Hours' Sleep

Although I rarely get anything approaching 8 hours of sleep with a biphasic routine, as I'd switched back to monophasic for this challenge I was typically sleeping around 7.5 hours a night. I allowed myself at least 8 hours per night - giving myself a small buffer zone of at least half an hour, just in case. This usually meant going to bed around 11:30, and waking up a little after 7.

Setting the Alarm as a Backup, Slightly Earlier Each Week

As a second line of defence - just in case the half hour buffer was not quite enough - I set an alarm to go off about 10 mins afterward. This time gradually came down week per week : just after 8 (the alarm isn't all that accurate, it's within about 10 mins), just before 8, about quarter to, about 7:30. I moved my bedtimes forward slightly to line up with these changes.

NB : this half hour buffer proved to be useful, at least at the beginning. Gradually my sleep time came down (by a minute or two each day), and now I regularly wake before the alarm goes off.

Improving Sleep Hygiene

When I initially changed over to a biphasic routine, I didn't pay a great deal of attention to sleep hygiene (removing distractions, light sources etc). This time around I eliminated objects, light sources, sound and activities - as much as possible - from the area in which I sleep.

It's now quite a dark, simple room; and falling asleep within minutes is almost inevitable.

Watching Podcasts, Movies etc Earlier in the Day

This lines up with the sleep hygiene improvements. Wherever possible, I now watch podcasts, movies etc slightly earlier in the day. Preferably not whilst sitting in bed, using a laptop (which was the norm previously).

Greatly Reducing Coffee Consumption

Although I wasn't entirely sure that this was related to being a morning/evening person, I felt that this would be a good opportunity to make the transition. After all, it does have an impact on how alert you feel at various times (up for a few hours, followed by a slight - or severe, if you drink a lot in a short period - crash).

How much? Over time, I gradually reduced it from 8-10 cups per day to 1 cup per day. I've been on that quantity for more than a year now.


For this experiment (and it's a permanent change) I cut this back to 1 cup per week; replacing the other cups with green tea. Accordingly, I never missed the 'hot drink on a cold day' feeling. And the once per week thing ensured that occasionally when I found myself in a cafe or with friends who always drank coffee, I could still enjoy one.

All-in-all, it was much easier than I expected it to be. Nice and painless.

Eating Large Meals Earlier

As I mentioned above, prior to this change I usually ate a large meal a couple of hours before sleeping, which usually equated to somewhere around midnight. One of the things I noticed immediately was that by starting the day earlier, I was hungry a lot earlier. I switched to having a large breakfast almost immediately.

And yes, that replaced the meal at midnight. I eat a lot, but not quite that much.

Changing Workout Times

As with the 'timing of large meals' change above, this was one that just felt right, and began a couple of days into the experiment.

I still have the 'light session in the morning, heavy session in the evening' routine, I've just brought both workouts forward a bit. A few hours.

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Australian Strongman Don Athaldo

posted by Scott Andrew Bird
Filed in : Articles
Tags : Old-Time Strength

Walter Joseph Lyons (better known as Don Athaldo) was an Australian Circus Strongman in the 1920s and 1930s. Although he published several books, it was his The Athalding System mail-order offering that helped give him lasting fame.
Lyons was born to Queensland carpenter Frederick Horace George Lyons and his wife Elizabeth on 26 November 1894 at Condobolin, New South Wales [1, 7]. Named Walter Joseph, he was constantly ill, asthmatic [9] and could not walk well until aged 5. At Fitzgerald Bros' Circus he saw the strongman 'Dr Gordon', became inspired and began reading about ancient Greece and taking correspondence courses in physical culture to build himself up [1].
Apprenticed to a blacksmith for five years, in 1915-16 he served as a shoeing-smith corporal with the Australian Naval and Military Expeditionary Force at Rabaul, New Britain. In 1916-17 he twice enlisted in the Australian Imperial Force, only to be discharged both times as medically unfit. Rejoining the A.N. and M.E.F. in November 1917, he returned as a shoeing-smith corporal to Rabaul where, after briefly being discharged in 1919, he served until 1921. On 22 August that year he married Vera Elizabeth Stewart at the Warren Methodist Church, Marrickville (a Sydney suburb) [7]. He resumed blacksmithing at Leichhardt (also a Sydney suburb), as well as becoming involved in numerous sports (he boxed for a time as a light-welterweight).
Adopting the name 'Don Athaldo' (*), he won acclaim as a circus strongman; cementing his reputation through spectacular demonstrations of strength and a flair for showmanship. Among his best-known feats were the Human Link, Bending & Scrolling, and Horse-Lifting (involving a harness lift of sorts). Topping the list : pulling a touring car with six passengers an incredible 805m (more than half a mile) up the hill of William Street, Sydney. If you've ever run the Sydney City to Surf half marathon, you know this hill. Insanely steep.
In 1932 he authored Health, Strength & Muscular Power, a booklet detailing his Athalding System [3]. This was followed in the early 1940s by Meet Don Athaldo and Muscular Strength. In the early 1950s he wrote The Athalding Course, a 3-part series of lessons detailing his own approach to training and nutrition [3]. Heavily influenced by Charles Atlas' Dynamic Tension course [4], it was Athaldo's The Athalding Course that helped cement his long-term fame.

Athaldo's philosophy combined the idealized man of action with ideals of health, masculine beauty and virility. Rejecting the notion of 'abnormal development' fostered by weight-lifting, he stressed diet, fresh air and 'dynamic tension'. 'The Athalding System', he claimed, would overcome bad breath, bad habits, cancer, stammering, brain fag, virile weakness and pimples, while developing a pleasing personality and the Oriental secret of calmness [1].

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The Bulgarianization Experiment

posted by Al Heinemann
Filed in : Articles
Tags : Olympic Weightlifting, powerlifting

Recently a very strong and more importantly very promising and dedicated client of mine was going to take a holiday weekend in Las Vegas. She was not happy to be missing training. Nor was she actually interested in Vegas. She is someone who wants to train as frequently as possible and since I had watched some interviews with John Broz and read a bit on his site, I suggested she pay a visit to his gym.

Little did I know that she would follow through with my suggestion. And little did I know how spending two days with Broz would change her and profoundly influence how I coach my athletes.

From what I garnered from my client (I will call her G.), as soon as she stepped to the platform Broz knew that her challenges were going to be psychological and not physical. He had a heart-to-heart talk with her about her aspirations and insisted that she decide upon lifetime goals as soon as possible. Apparently he demands this of all his athletes and made no exception for someone whom he would only be seeing for a day or two. In the time we had worked together G. had always been very timid when approaching the bar. She possessed little confidence in her abilities to perform the required task. Yet, as the bar got heavier, she without exception pulled performances out of herself that I and bystanders in the gym found no less than ferocious and astonishing. Without digressing too much Broz made an estimation of what she needed within minutes of making her acquaintance and proceeded to provide her with some tools to rectify it. He then took her far out of her comfort zone and got her to pull a deadlift PR of something in the order of twenty pounds. I am sure it wasn't pretty but it served as a kind of limit experience and showed her what she is capable of.

When G. returned and related her experiences I immediately began to compare my own more conservative and protective practices as a coach to what Broz was doing. I grasped how good at psychology Broz was and realized that, though I have very good reasons for being more conservative in my own approach, it was time for me to start pushing out at the edges a little harder and see what would come of it. For me as a coach the Broz experience served as a lesson in how we must pay as much attention to mental development as physical. I feel that though Broz is getting more exposure of late for his approach to programming we must not overlook how his approach and the "Bulgarian" approach more broadly both requires and develops a very courageous attitude towards ones training.

Alongside a shift in attitude, G.'s visit to Average Broz Gym is also having a large impact on how I have been training my athletes. This influence I am calling The Bulgarianization Experiment. I consider it an "experiment" because I am both enthusiastic and skeptical. Skeptical because so many of my influences and mentors advocate heavy training no more than two or three times weekly and because of the claims that daily (or several times daily) squatting and training to a maximum only works with those of a very high genetic suitability and with the use of anabolics and other PEDs. Enthusiastic because Bulgarian-inspired training seems to be working for many of the top weightlifting clubs in the US, and these clubs are subjected to very rigorous drug-testing. This approach to training is refreshing compared to the three-days weekly regimes most popular amongst strength coaches in North America. Bulgarian lifters are exciting to watch and have been inordinately successful on the international stage. I doubt that the drugs they had access to were better than that of their competitors. Finally I have a number of athletes who wish to train near daily. Training in a Bulgarian-influenced style has allowed me to give them serious hard training as often as they are able to come into the gym. I have been able to dispense with upper/lower splits and excessive accessory exercises which I never really felt convinced by in the first place. Indeed it is both possible and useful to squat everyday.
I have been using Bulgarian Training-Lite and Bulgarian influences with three types of athletes.

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7 Health & Fitness Monitoring Devices

posted by Scott Andrew Bird
Filed in : Articles
Tags : conditioning, fitness device, sleep

This week we'll be holding part II of the 'Future of Fitness' twitterchat (if you missed Part I, there's a brief summary here).
Ahead of the discussion - which will be featuring the insights of Personal Trainer Kirk Fontaine - I've compiled a list of several relevant gadgets that are currently on the market. I invite you to leave a comment below, and tell us about your own experiences with them (and any others that you've come across); and to join us for the twitterchat. Really looking forward to it.

In the meantime, here's a brief look at 7 Health & Fitness Monitoring Devices.

Nike+ GPS

The original Nike+ was essentially a wireless pedometer, specifically designed for running enthusiasts. Embedded in the shoes, it passed information to an iPod or iPhone which was worn by the runner.

The Nike+ GPS uses the phone's GPS to provide similar information - quite accurately - with your own choice of footwear.


Note that if you're not using an iPhone, you're limited to the original Nike+ system (using an iPod as your display), with much the same information being tracked - running duration, distance, calorific expenditure and so on.

Runkeeper

RunKeeper provides similar information to the Nike+, again using the 'phone's GPS. This includes the distance run, time taken and average speed; with the whole lot plotted on a map.


And as with the Nike+ offering, your daily running details can be tracked in your profile; and shared with your friends.

FitBit

FitBit is a small clip-on device, based around an accelerometer, that monitors your physical movements throughout the day. This data is used to provide feedback on your sleep patterns, exercise habits and a whole lot more.


The FitBit is wirlessly linked to a USB basestation, and whenever you're within range (currently about 15') it'll upload your latest data to an online profile. This lets you see long-term trends, and make adjustments accordingly.

What's more, it's deeply integrated with some of the other products listed here; particularly RunKeeper. And a freely available API will doubtless see many others following shortly.

Jawbone's 'Up' Wristband

Although it won't be released until next year, Jawbone's 'Up' Wristband looks to provide similar functionality to the FitBit. No screens, wear it all day - nice and simple.

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GripWalking

posted by Dan Hardisky
Filed in : DIY
Tags : GripStrength

I think I've discovered a new word for Webster's Dictionary: GripWalking. My word processor doesn't like it. Well for a number of years carrying small (or large) weights for distance has been used by strength enthusiasts. The "Farmers Walk" is a familiar strongman (300+ lbs) exercise, although I have heard of carrying a "Fat Man" Blob (end of a 100 lb Roundhead 50+ lbs) about 91 feet. As hunter-gatherers 50,000 yrs ago we certainly carried spears and rocks as weapons, so we're made to do this.

That's a bit much for my term GripWalking. I'm talking about < 15 lbs in one hand at a time, switching hands, and walking a couple of miles. Small dumbbells <5 lbs have been used to walk with, although they are held in the usual fashion not requiring a persistent grip effort.

The most common form is to carry 1 or 2 lbs in each hand, not much for gripping. If you bump up the weight (5 to 10 lbs), use a round object that requires grip effort, now you're talking about GripWalking. I've started this after training with many grip tools: hand crushers up to 250#, Blobs, plates sideways, and balls 3" to 5". Various GripWalking objects are seen in this photo:

The steel ball bearings are what I use but are somewhat pricey. They are also used for massage of sore muscles. I started with a 3.5" ball bearing @ 6.4 lbs and have worked up to a 4" @ 9.5 lbs. I have a 5" @ 18.5 lbs, but can't hold it long enough, establishing my limits for GripWalking. Here's what I do normally:

• Carry 4" ball bearing in one hand, switching as needed.
• Carry a knapsack with water, towel, cell phone, etc.
• If you get tired put the weight in the knapsack for a while.
• I do this about 3 x per week although it varies.
• Careful at first, it does more than you think for walking and grip.

Other round objects that are cheap to make (see photo):
• Small Blobs (Ends of 15 or 20 lb used dumbbells)
• 2.5 lb plates 5" grip, on a short 3/4" iron pipe or bar.
• 3" to 4" Wooden balls with a hook (or bolt) for plates.
• Old neoprene coated 10 lb Kettlebell, carried upside down. (can be loaded with plates).

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Psychological Training in the Gym Part 1

posted by Justin Andrushko
Filed in : Articles
Tags : sports psychology

The gym can be more than just a place people go to get big and strong, the gym is as good of place as any to train the mind to achieve greatness. I once heard a quote "lead with the mind, and the body will follow"... I will be honest I don't know who said it but none the less the statement stands true. As athletes we must learn to control the mind to be successful.

How many times have you been on a team or watching a sport as a fan and seen that one crazy guy on the sidelines hitting his head, yelling, jumping, and basically hyperventilating, getting pumped up for the game? What we must understand is that there is a right and wrong time to turn on this high intensity and a right and wrong time to turn it off. When we are in this high intensity state like the person I described we are exerting a lot of energy, this is wasted energy and often causes the person to burn out before that energy is really needed. We need to know how and when to turn it on, and just as quickly turn it off. Taking a look at Football, the game is made up of lots of extremely high intensity, short bursts. During the play the athlete needs to be in this high intensity state of mind, but as soon as the play ends he needs to turn it off and conserve his energy for the next play.

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UK Strength and Power Series

posted by Davie Easton
Filed in : Articles
Tags : Strongman

On Saturday 16th July, I took an 8 hour drive to compete in the UK Strength and Power Series meet in Cardiff, Wales. This is a grassroots strongman competition that I first competed in last year when the competition was set up slightly differently - a one day competition with 7 events. This year sees the competition consist of 3 heats, 3 weight categories and the top 2 from each category going through to the final in October.

I had entered the South West meet as it was being hosted by my good friend Andy McKenzie from Ironmac Fitness. Andy is a tremendous strength and conditioning coach who won the lightweight category last year and had kindly agreed to programme for me leading up to this competition.

Also heading down with me was my friend and sometime training partner Louise Mather from the band Any Color Black and her sister Gillian. Louise was competiting in the competition too in the ladies middle weight category.

The drive down was long but filled with chat, laughter, no music ( stereo was broken ), eggs, dark chocolate and traffic jams.

After arriving in Cardiff to drop the girls off, heading back to Newport to stay and Andys, I eventually got to sleep.

Nervousness and a body clock set for early mornings due to my year old baby meant that I woke up at the crack of dawn. I got showered, fed and prepped with coffee and eggs. We set off for the short drive to Dragon CrossFit, venue for the fun and games ahead. This is a tremendous strength and conditioning facility that is located in a large industrial area.

After weighing in, and meeting a few faces that I remembered from last years competition and a few faces I wasnt expecting (my buddy form back home had travelled down with his girlfriend to cheer me on and hadnt told me they were coming), the main organiser of the event , Chet Morjaria, gave us the welcome speech and gave us a run down on the first two events of the day.

Event 1 would be circus dumbbell form ground to over head for as many reps in 75secs. Heavyweight men would be using the 53kg dumb bell

Event 2 would be the Conans Wheel, with 120kg on it for us big lads.


Due to company I work for, Strength Shop UK supplying some of the equipment for the competition, I was probably only one of a few people who had used one of these huge dumb bells on a regular basis as part of my training so I was feeling great going into this event. In training I had managed 15 reps so I was looking to get there or maybe a couple of more reps.

I managed to crank 15 reps again, which I was happy about but unfortunatley this was only good enough for 3rd place as 2 guys managed 17 reps.

The second event was something I dont think anyone had done before. As I had finished 3rd in the first event, I was 3rd last to go in this so it gave me a chance to see how some of the others attacked his piece of equipment. When my turn came around I picked up the arm and set off on what would end up puting me in 2nd place. This I was very happy about, but that really, really hurt!

After this event, we had an hour for lunch so I tried to eat and drink to fuel up for the afternoon. After lunch, Chet announced what the next two events would be.

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GET Brick'd

posted by ManTis
Filed in : Articles
Tags : alternative fitness, fit for free, total body strength, usajunglegym

That's right!, get yourself brick'd. Today's workout was nothing short of D&D. Death and Destruction, and it was all about the BRICK. Hell , with the energy level on HIGH, had some one shouted out some shit while Digger and I were tearin' the local park up, why, they would have been pulling the brick out 'der mouth.

You get your weight set. We'll get the BrIcKs. Mad apparatus skillz by Mantis and Digger using their GFA (Gorilla Fitness Arsenal) to zero in on some extreme exercises.
Here's the video;
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hbVJErIYM7Q&feature=channel_video_title

USAJunglegym. Open the cage door and see what happens.

Phase 1
75yd Single arm carry of the Shield of Faith @ 65lbs. ( 3 Rounds)

75yd Extended-Overhead carry of the Shield fo Faith (2 rounds0

Phase 2
15yd Weighted Hangman's Carry

40yd Weighted Hangman's Carry

75yd Weighted Hangman's Carry

Phase 3
Cinder Block Reverse Throw x3 -runback- throw x3 more ( 3 rounds)

Phase 4
Cinder Block Tossover the swingset x 4block (3 rounds)
-pullups engaged in between-

Phase 5
Jump overs 15 into 10 Jump Ups (outdoor rock) (1 Round)

Phase 6
Multiple Pullup variations on the branch with hang time 1 (round)

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Letter to the Editor

posted by ManTis
Filed in : Articles

Letter to the Editor
22 June 2011

Sent to USAJG from MsSteve8890:

"I have watched every single video you guys have posted. They're all awesome... just straight f$cking FIRE! I am no where near as in shape as some of you guys are, .. these workouts are hard and intense! But more importantly they are basic... they're primitive.. Paleo!! Yes Dinosaur! It's a straight up hunter gather workout. "take this rock and move it 10 times over..Pick up this log an throw it ten times over. It's f$cking fun man! I'm doing this training from here on out!

I have had a gym membership and I'm sick of it. 'Guys come in all the time smelling like a bottle of cologne, walking around with a towel , wiping the sweat off the bench they just worked out on. F-that. Take any of these dudes an have them do some front squats with and oddly shaped bolder. The won't or they can't. It ain't about being "big". Health is all in endurance, agility and stamina. Its about beng a freaking machine; sprinting thru the dense forest as fast as you can, never stopping.

I have been a carpenter for 15 years now and I am 31 now. The things you guys use is just genius. You got me thinking of ideas of my own now. Maybe making some concrete dumbells and a pull up station outta a 4x4 frame. I don't have the luxury of trees in my yard, so i'll have to make a few things. I can't wait to start!

I'm gonna get the word out for you guys. Society is so f$cked up nowadays it will be hard to actually get people to understand what you guys are doing...You're no crazier than the asshole who goes for weekly manicures or tanning every week. Funny how that kinda shit s accepted. Society got it's shit backwards. Hope people see the genuiness and possibilites of what you guys got going on.

I'm seriously amped up! I went in my garage and couldn't believe the shit in there I can use to a workout with. I got full bucket of spackle and some 60lb stones laying around. I'm going primative, I'm gettin' gorilla man! I gotta keep up with you beasts! Hope to meet you guys this summer! Great f%cking job! Keep it going!!"

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Lift Fast, Lift Strong

posted by Justin Andrushko
Filed in : Articles
Tags : psychology

There is a common debate among regular gym goers. How fast should we lift? I am going to outline both sides of this debate and leave you with my thoughts and philosophy on the subject, which by the title of the article I am sure you can tell where I stand.


Reasons for Lifting Slow:
When we are lifting weights and moving through the range of motion slowly we are putting the muscle under more stress through a longer contraction. This prolonged contraction on both the eccentric and concentric motions of a lift causes the most muscle hypertrophy due to more micro tears in the muscle. The main basis behind slow lifting is based on studies that have found the greatest amount of tissue damage resulting in muscle hypertrophy can be created through the eccentric (muscle lengthening) motion of a lift.

Reason for slow lifting = increased muscle mass

Reasons for Lifting Fast:
For every movement we make no matter how big or small our nervous system sends a signal to the muscle that we want to contract, allowing it to contract. Simply put the speed in which our nervous system communicates can actually be trained to respond faster or slower depending on how we train. Also, muscles are like elastics in the sense that they store elastic energy, the greater the speed of the muscle lengthening, the greater the speed and force of the contraction. This principle of elastic potential also needs to be practiced and trained. The combination of these two principles creates faster and more powerful movements.

Reason for fast lifting = increased; response time, speed, strength, power

What are we training for?
In the end you need to ask yourself what your goals are and what the purpose of your training is. As a body builder you would benefit from a slow tempo, but as an athlete there really isn't much room for a training program based on slower temp lifts. The fact of the matter is hypertrophy can still be gained through increasing the volume (more sets and reps) in a fast lifting program.

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Road to Strong

posted by Davie Easton
Filed in : Articles
Tags : strongman, training

"Its only 110kg per hand...."

That's all I could hear in my head "Its only 110kg per hand. Christ, that's more than I weigh!". The voice had started, but I knew I could shut him up.

I just took a breath, gripped the handles, picked them up and walked the 10m.

Now, that isn't a lot to do on farmers walks. Hell, we have a guy in our crew that did 150kg per hand. But for me that was a huge weight. And I did it!

My road to strong has been a long one that is only now starting to take me towards my goal - be strong. The road began 12 years ago when my wife joined a local gym and asked me a long to keep her company. I was overweight, had just stopped smoking, liked a drink and could eat junk food for Scotland. But I went along, and fell in love with exercising.

At the beginning, I took part in every kind of fitness class that the gym had to offer - aerobics, spin, circuits etc. I loved it. My weight started to go down, my fitness started to go up and my interest in working in the fitness industry took hold. Our local college was my first port of call to do a basic course in health and fitness followed by a more in depth course after this first one was completed. This then led to a couple of recognised qualifications and my first job as a fitness instructor.

All through my time at college and at the gym I would do the usual kind of weight training that most people begin with - split routine, 2 body parts, lots of exercises, some cardio. Then around the end of 2004 I found Crossfit and became hooked. I would try and get people to come and train with me but no one was interested - so I had to travel to train with friends I had made on forums, travelling from Glasgow down to London, Manchester and Newcastle. I was a CrossFit junkie, i travelled to California to do the level 1 cert in the days before they offered it in the UK. I was the first in the UK to open up a dedicated Crossfit box and ran it for 2 years. I was following the main page workouts from www.crossfit.com and getting very, very fit but not very strong. This addiciton to Crossfit lasted till around 3 years ago when I changed my training and got more into strength training by following the CrossFit Strength Bias system then Jim Wendlers 5/3/1. These systems helped me to get stronger but I didn't have anything to focus my training on. I don't play any sports so I just train because I enjoy it.

At the beginning of last year I decided to enter a CrossFit/ Strongman competition at CrossFit Reading, UK which was organised by my good friend Chet Morjaria and his functional fitness website www.funckey.co.uk . My plan was to enter the over 90kg weight category and I did this with ease on a diet of cheesecake and Guinness, weighing in on the day at a whopping 106kg with a lovely power belly.

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Welcome to Google+

posted by Scott Andrew Bird
Filed in : Articles
Tags : google, technology

Over the past week or so I've been exploring Google's new social service, Google+ (thanks Adam). Absolutely fantastic.
There's already been a lot written on what it is, what it's likely to become, how to use it and so on (I've listed a few of my favourite resources below). In the meantime though, a quick question :

Who'd like an invite? Just let me know your email address, or head over to my profile page, sign in, and follow the links.

See you there.

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Part 3: Kettlebell, TRX, & Ultimate Sandbag Exercises for Healthy Shoulders and Happier Hamstrings

posted by Troy Anderson
Filed in : Articles
Tags : kettlebells, TRX

In part 3 of this article series I am going share with the other 3 exercise videos described in Part 1, plus I am going to add in a bonus video of and movement that very helpful for those with hip 'tightness' issues (Hint: it is great for mobilizing the hips across at least 2 planes of motion and even a really great precursor to movements like the kettlebell windmill).

The picture above is of our team on the training ground with Brett Kirk, Sydney Swans Hall of Famer; as we kicked off our second 1/2 of the 2011 season.

Of course we do off field strength and conditioning work too; which led me to the following point that I think many, many athletes and strength, conditioning and fitness professionals either don't get or complete under-value.

That while we may be talking in the context of shoulder and hamstring repair in this article series, the important point is:

1) The tools do matter because they allow access to a true integrated program instead of being segmented, into warm-up, activation, mobility, rehab, strength, energy system work, recovery, you can actually have an integrated program that implements all parts synergistically as long as you are willing and able to program appropriately.

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The Dragon Flag

posted by Al Kavadlo
Filed in : Articles
Tags : bodyweight

Savvy fitness enthusiasts know that doing endless amounts of crunches isn't the smartest way to build a strong midsection. Planks and side planks are the most fundamental exercises to develop your core, but if you want to work toward advanced exercises like levers and human flags, the dragon flag can help you get there.
Though best known as a trademark move of legendary martial artist Bruce Lee, the dragon flag has become a popular training tool amongst anyone who is serious about calisthenics and bodyweight training.

A dragon flag is typically performed lying face-up on a bench or on the ground with your hands grasping a sturdy object behind your head for support. From here, the objective is to lift your entire body up in a straight line, stacking it vertically over your shoulders in the top position.

Here's a quick video demonstration :

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Part 2: Kettlebell, TRX, & Ultimate Sandbag Exercises for Hurt Shoulders and Pulled Hamstrings

posted by Troy Anderson
Filed in : Articles
Tags : conditioning, kettlebells

Part 1 of this series about using kettlebells, TRX, and ultimate sandbags for recovering from shoulder and hamstring injuries, gave you a general overview of the movements and some of their applications.

In part 2 and the up coming Part 3 I wanted share with the videos demos of all the movements mentioned in part 1, plus 1 bonus video.

Something that I may not have been made clear on before and that is part of the beauty of using these tools; is that they can easily be inserted into your actual program, if you are not in an acute phase of recovery from a hamstring or shoulder injury.

Thus elminating the need to feel like you are solely spending/wasting time do pre-rehab exercise(s), that often just don't get done. Now you can easily insert these 8 movements into any full-body program and not only will you be armor plating your shoulders and hamstrings, you'll be have a time effective workout too.

Enjoy!

Exercise #1

Exercise #2

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Thomas Topham : The First Modern Strongman

posted by Scott Andrew Bird
Filed in : Articles
Tags : bending, Old-Time Strength

Long-term readers of Straight to the Bar may recall this image of 18thC Strongman Thomas Topham, conducting a harness lift with 3 barrels of water weighing a superb 1,836lb ¹. Just one of the many strength feats he was regularly performing for a London audience, decades before this was consistently done elsewhere.

This article outlines the life of this incredible Strongman, the many feats he performed, and a little more on the harness lift depicted. Let's dive in.

Thomas Topham - known as 'the strong man', and later 'the British Samson' ² - was born in London about 1710 ¹, the son of a carpenter. Although he was brought up as a carpenter's apprentice, he eventually found himself as the landlord of a small pub, the Red Lion Inn near the old St Luke's Hostpital (now in Fitzroy Square, Marylebone).

Here he discovered that although he was a poor businessman (as far as the pub was concerned), he was able to entertain the patrons by performing various feats of strength. Ultimately this would become his routine - crowds would gather not just to drink, but to see him perform (at 1s each, no less).

Feats of Strength

Thomas Topham regularly performed many strength feats which can still be seen in Strongman shows today. His first public exhibition - sometime around 1733 - consisted of him pulling against a horse while lying on his back with his feet against the wall dividing Upper and Lower Moorfields ¹. He later performed this feat held back by wooden stakes driven in to the ground ⁶.

On 10 July 1734, a concert at Stationers' Hall was given for his benefit, and included several of his strength feats. The woodcut on the performance's programme (now in the British Museum) shows Topham lying extended between two chairs, with a glass of wine in his right hand, and five men standing on his body.

In 1737 Topham performed in Ireland and Scotland; and at Macclesfield in Cheshire he impressed the corporation to such an extent that they gave him a purse of gold and made him a free burgess. At Derby he rolled up a pewter dish of seven pounds 'as a man rolls up a sheet of paper'; twisted a kitchen spit round the neck of a local shopowner who had insulted him, and lifted the 27 stone Vicar of All Saints with one hand, he himself lying on two chairs with four people standing on his body. He further entertained the crowd with a rendition of 'Mad Tom' (Tom O' Bedlam), though in a voice 'more terrible than sweet' ¹.

These feats were documented by several people, most notably Dr John Theophilus Desaguliers; a French Natural Philosopher and member of the Royal Society of London. Desaguliers lived nearby, and took a strong scientific interest in Topham's abilities. In his writings (notably System of Experimental Philosophy) he described his various skills : ⁶:

• Having rubbed his fingers with coal-ashes to keep them from slipping, he rolled up a very strong large pewter plate ⁶.
• Having laid seven or eight short and strong pieces of tobacco-pipe on the first and third fingers, he broke them by the force of his middle finger ⁶.
• He broke the bowl of a strong tobacco-pipe placed between his first and third fingers, by pressing his fingers together sideways ⁶.
• Having thrust another such bowl under his garter, his legs being bent, he broke it to pieces by the tendons of his hams, without altering the bending of his leg ⁶.
• He lifted with his teeth, and held in a horizontal position for considerable time, a table six feet long; with half a hundred weight hanging at the end of it. The feet of the table rested against his knees ⁶.
• Holding in his right hand an iron kitchen poker three feet long and three inches round, he struck it upon his bare left arm, between the elbow and the wrist till he bent the poker nearly to a right angle ⁶.
• Taking a similar poker, and holding the ends of it in his hands, and the middle against the back of his neck, he brought both ends of it together before him, and he then pulled it almost straight again ⁶.
• He broke a rope about two inches in circumference, which was partly wound about a cylinder four inches in diameter, having fastened the other end of it to straps that went over his shoulder ⁶.
• He lifted an 800lb "rolling stone" off the ground using only his hands, taking hold of a chain that was fastened to it, whilst standing on a platform above ⁶. Topham himself only weighed 200lb.

Dr Desaguliers would take the young Topham regularly to perform at meetings of the Royal Society ¹⁰; where there was considerable interest in human physiology. Desaguliers also invited Thomas to act as his bodyguard on various Masonic travels, and he encouraged Topham to hold public demonstrations at each location. This not only proved to be a handsome source of income, it helped make Topham famous both nationally and abroad.

He Could Also Sing

In addition to his freakish strength, Thomas Topham could also sing; he was a soloist for St Werburgh's Church in Derby ⁷. Though his basso profundo was said to be so deep and resonant that it was scarcely human ⁷.

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Top 7 Hamstring and Shoulder Injury Recovery Exercises

posted by Troy Anderson
Filed in : Articles
Tags : injury, kettlebells, rehabilitation

It's inevitable, when it comes to playing sports; it is not IF you get hurt, it is more a matter of WHEN.

It starts with a 3 step progression.

1) A 'crunching' or 'pop' sound or possibly just a 'twinge'

2) Next is the sinking feeling in your gut. Confirming that it is game over, at least for the time being

3) Then the question: Will I be ready for the next game?

If we use just a tiny bit of common sense we would easily understand that sport is the ultimate 'pattern overload' program; thousands and thousands of reps over the course of a career, executed with extreme force and velocity.

While injury is inevitable the athlete forges forward practicing and training hoping to never experience or undergo any type of catastrophic injury like broken bones, torn ligaments, or other major injuries.

There not much we can do about these 'big boys'; but the holy grail that many athletes spend much of their non-sport training lives pursuing is the prevention of the 'little injuries' like separated shoulders and pulled hamstrings.

There is another question that comes after "Will I be ready for the next game?"

And it is:

"How can I train to prevent this injury from ever happening again?"

While they are 'small' injuries, they are very common and are responsible for a lot of games lost in a variety of sports.

So I thought I would share a few tips that I have accumulated that work very well in answering the question:

"How can I train to prevent this injury from ever happening again?"

The 2 main areas that these 'little injuries' seem to turn up the most are:

-- Hips, Hamstrings, Groin
-- Shoulders

Unfortunately I have had to earn some of this knowledge the hard way, through my own injuries.

Through my experience I have been able to hone it on what really works; and following two considerations or the base principles I use to program.

Consideration 1: Is Accessibility of the exercise, can the athlete perform some kind regression/progression of the desired movement even when acutely injured, will the movement cause further damage, and will it lead a faster more complete recovery.

Consideration 2: Is Integrity does the exercise promote/improve the movement pattern integrity, does athlete lack the ability to integrate proper musculature to produce the desired movement, and does the selected movement enhance movement integrity.

Accessibility and Integrity are two of the base components to my A-DIS³C Movement Matrix; but we'll save the details of the matrix for another article.

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Dan Hardisky : My Weight Success Story

posted by Dan Hardisky
Filed in : Articles
Tags : history

I guess the old saying "98 lb weakling" is true to some extent, as least for me. In school, (60's) I was underweight and didn't play any sports. Most of the kids were more mature than me, although I could match them academically.

Up the street from me was an Italian family I was friendly with. One of the three brothers took up weight training and developed a pretty good physique. This was my inspiration to buy a set of weights and start training, hopefully to gain weight and look normal. I also learned about York Barbell and the "champs" of weights. It worked, and over the years some people did think I played sports. This had a great psychological boost for me.

I got married and had two children - a son & daughter - in the 70's. I always impressed upon them the importance of weight training as the fastest way to keep in shape and boost your morale. In the 80's & 90's I returned now and then to weights even visiting York Barbell and meeting Bob Hoffman before he passed away. My son started weight training and played varsity football. He still lifts. My daughter also uses weights and kettlebells. My influence worked!

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Sgt Sweaty : A New Beginning

posted by Kevin 'Sgt Sweaty' Miller
Filed in : Articles
Tags : bio

It all started way back when...

Okay, not really that long. I had always been a pretty skinny, weak chump for my younger years, but come freshman year of high school I decided to do something about it.

I had goofed around with weights a couple years prior to get stronger for ice hockey, but it wasn't until that one fateful year that the bug had officially bit me. It wasn't until - believe it or not - I went on the internet, and for whatever reason did a search for weight lifting (I don't remember the exact term), but I started looking around at what came up and stumbled across a forum dedicated to strength and bodybuilding. It was here that I discovered how strong the Average Joe actually could be, without pharmaceutical assistance. I was benching about 135lbs at the time, and these guys were benching 315+ for countless reps. I started looking for ways to achieve this great strength, and well the rest is history.

Ever since then I've been hitting the heavy squats, deadlifts, benches, rows, overhead presses, all the movements that anyone should be doing in their quest to become abnormally strong.

Everything was going great (for the most part), but then my love for the game basically tripled when I discovered the awesomeness of strongman. Lifting big ass rocks like a caveman, walking with 800lbs on your back, moving tires the smart way (flipping them, rather than rolling them), all gave me the biggest rush imaginable, along with a fresh new incredibly fun variation of the traditional barbell squat.

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DIY : How to Build Your Own Tire Sled

posted by Matt Hunt
Filed in : Articles
Tags : conditioning, DIY

Having trouble coming up with the money to buy a metal/steel sled offered by many retailers in the fitness industry these days? Need something to take your leg development to a new level? Looking to improve your conditioning? Well I have a very inexpensive way to build a good quality sled that will help you achieve all of the goals listed above!

To build this sled, you will need to a few items that you may even have lying around your garage or hanging out in your basement under some laundry!


You will need:

• A car or tractor trailer tire (the bigger, the better IMO)
• An eye hook/ carriage bolt
• Some washers
• 1 nut

Tools needed:

• 1/2" drill (preferably corded)
• drill bit

This is all you need to make this functional piece of equipment!

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Facebook Helps You Lose Weight? What!?!

posted by Ferris Stith
Filed in : Articles
Tags : conditioning, event, fat loss, goals, motivation

Ok well Facebook doesn't actually have any part of helping you lose weight, but last year, my best friend and I created a game that's grown into somewhat of a movement within the social networking site and we think it's pretty cool! It's called Bikini Challenge 2011!

It all started last year when my best friend, Tara and I were looking for a way to really motivate us to lose weight and feel great in our bikinis. We had always tried to create games and challenges against each other, but nothing ever really stuck (we have the worst discipline), so we came up with a genius idea that we knew we'd never back down on... what was this genius idea you ask? It's pretty simple actually.

In February 2010, we created a Facebook event (we called it Bikini Challenge 2010) and invited several of our friends who we knew wanted to lose weight as well. The challenge didn't consist of much. Participants had until June 21st (the first day of Summer) to get fit, lose weight, etc. Then at midnight on D-Day (June 21st) each participant had to post a full length shot of them in their bikini and use it as their default pic on their Facebook profile for 24 hours. We also had the participants post the shots on the wall of our fan page. Anyone who didn't post the bikini pic by 12:15 would have to pay $100 which would go into a pot and be split up evenly between all the participants who did post their pic. Since no one wanted to pay the $100 and no one wanted to post a "fat" bikini pic, the motivation was, well, pretty intense!

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70 of the Best : 7 Years of Straight to the Bar

posted by Scott Andrew Bird
Filed in : Articles
Tags : 7 years, bending, diet, DIY, Old-Time Strength, paleo, recovery

This site - Straight to the Bar - has been around for an incredible 7 years (the first post was on Jan 17th, 2004), and to say I'm grateful is a gross understatement.

Thank you.

There have been some superb articles in that time (my favourites are listed below), as well as training logs, product reviews, forum discussions and of course the twitterchats. It's really been (and continues to be) an incredible ride.

Before we dive in to the list itself, a quick word on the content : while it's quality stuff, there's a lot of it. Feel free to pick out your favourites, bookmark them, add them to Instapaper/Evernote/Pinboard; Stumble them and share them with your friends. Dive in.

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Odd Object Training

posted by Kevin 'Sgt Sweaty' Miller
Filed in : Articles
Tags : grip, odd object training, strongman

NB : This article is from the ebook Sgt Sweaty's Old School Training Course, available for free at sgtsweaty.com.
There is no doubt that barbells are a supreme tool of building overall body power, but there is a certain type of strength that they do not build. You see, barbells are well balanced objects. Many things in life though, are not. Very few things would be as perfect as a barbell, so your body isn't fully suited to control awkward, unwieldy objects. How do you go about building this odd strength? Through the use of things that are very difficult to lift, such as sandbags, kegs, rocks, chunks of steel; whatever you can think of. Training in this manner is taking the blunt but impressive K.A. Bar from barbell training, and sharpening it and getting its maximum potential out of it through the use of odd objects.

While they're meant to give you that razor's edge of strength, if you don't have a barbell then they are still a fantastic overall strength building tool that you can train with. It's much better to lift only odd objects and still get pretty damn strong than to do nothing.
Using these monsters will work the hell out of your body's stabilizing muscles, the ones you never knew you even had. You're working them much harder in completely different ways from how a barbell ever could because it's so perfectly balanced, and they don't work the all-important stabilizers.

Your stabilizers do just that, they stabilize. They contract isometrically to support your body under a load. This is why manual laborers can be so strong, because they work the heck out of their muscles and stabilizers the way barbells can't. An opposing lineman in the sport of football isn't going to push against you in a perfectly balanced fashion like a barbell will; they're going to be fighting you in all different directions. Lifting odd objects will give you advantage over any Joe who only lifts barbells, no matter who you are.
To round out your training, in addition to barbells you must train with odd objects, such as rocks, sandbags and kegs. These are very awkward objects to train with, so your body will adapt as so. Use of them will also help to improve your grip strength tremendously.

Lifting a barbell isn't nearly the same thing as trying to shoulder a 200lb sandbag or pressing a beer keg that's half filled with water. They're unbalanced objects that shift around, fighting you every step of the way. Almost as if it were alive. You have to do so by sheer power and control, because there isn't any comfortable way of balancing with each object, because you have to do that yourself. They'll keep shifting around, making themselves nearly impossible to control. If you can't clean and press that sandbag, then you can't do it. There is no bouncing or cheating, just pure grit and determination. Odd objects are a terrific solution on how one can go about building farm boy, pig wrastlin' strength that allows you to move damn near anything you want.

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How to Build Your Own Sandbag

posted by Derek 'D-Rock' Peruo
Filed in : Articles
Tags : DIY, DIY equipment, grip

Sandbags are incredibly versatile tools; and loyal readers of Straight to the Bar know how much we love our versatile tools! We like our tools simple, portable, and easy to repair. And if the tool looks right at home among tractor tires and sledgehammers, it's a sure winner. Not only do sandbags meet all the above criteria, but they are easy to incorporate into any program. If you're not using sandbags in your training, you should.

In this half of a two-part series, I'm going to look at some simple ways to build yourself a sandbag using cheap supplies and an afternoon of labor. Part two of the series will discuss training philosophy, technique and program design.

Stuffing Options

What you fill your sandbag with will determine its final weight and dimensions. I recommend sticking with the Big 3: Sand, Stones, and Shot.
Lead shot and small stones or pebbles will produce a very dense bag. Small bags are great for speed and power development, so this is definitely an option to look into. Plus, if the bag breaks, cleaning up lead shot or small stones is much easier than cleaning up sand.

Sand is still the classic option for filling a bag, and it is easy to find when you need more. The trade off is clean up, which can be a hassle if the bag breaks. You will need a large volume of sand to make a very heavy bag, but that's not a big deal. When I built my home-made sandbag, all I did was go down to the beach and swipe some. Didn't spend a dime.

Shell Options

You should always have two shells: an inner shell (or multiple inner shells) to hold the sand and an outer shell designed to take a beating. The outer shell should also have handles or grips of some sort. For my project, I used old duffel bags I had lying around.
Individually, each duffel bag was flimsy, so I placed one inside the other to minimize escaping sand. Ignore the sack of cocaine duct taped at the center of the photo; we'll discuss that later.

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Why Bending Steel Could Be the Best Thing that Ever Happened to Your Kettlebell Snatch or Deadlift

posted by Jedd 'Napalm' Johnson
Filed in : Articles
Tags : bending, grip, kettlebells, Old-Time Strength

Hi, my name is Jedd Johnson, and I bend steel with my hands.

That's right, I take steel bars, wrap them in suede to prevent a cut to my hands, and bend them into a U-shape.

"Why the hell would he want to do that?" you might ask...

I'll tell you straight up...

Because it makes me feel like a friggin' animal.

It makes me feel like I am a 800lb rainforest gorilla that can destroy anything put in front of me.

And I like that feeling...

Maybe that description is too wild, and you can't identify with it, so let me describe it a little differently...

A PR Bend is like adding 50 lbs to your deadlift, and holding it there while you scream before dropping it back to the platform like a bomb from an airplane.

Completing a bend you never were able to do before is like hitting 100 snatches in 5 minutes for the first time ever, and letting out a warrior cry because it took so much hard work and determination to get there.

Much like the landmark feats described above, I love taking a perfectly good nail or bolt and making it completely useless.

Some people think this is ignorant, but they don't realize that BENDING IS THE PERFECT COMPLEMENT to movements such as the kettlebell snatch and the deadlift...

Now, you're probably thinking: What!?!? How in the world could bending steel complement my snatch and deadlift work?

The answer is the principle of Antagonistic Balance.

"Antagonistic" means opposite, against, contra-indicative.

Think of a Broadway Play. The agonist is the main character and the antagonist is the character that plays opposite him or her. Many times these two are enemies, or their views are somehow contra-indicative of one another - they are opposites; they disagree.

So what is Antagonistic Balance, then?

Well, your body works the best, improves its performance, and is at its healthiest when the antagonistic muscle groups in the joints and opposing sides of the body are within a reasonable balance.

Think of the shoulder. If you do too much bench pressing and not enough rowing, pull-ups, retractions and other opposite movement patterns, you can really do harm to your shoulders, messing up the posture, pinching off nerves, and thus ruining progress on the bench.

You've heard of this before probably a hundred times and you are well aware of it in your training, right?

And you know, if you do too much pushing and not enough pulling, you could be setting yourself up for a serious fall down the line.

Now, where does this come into play with respect to the relationship between steel bending, the kettlebell snatch and the powerlifting deadlift...?

To fully understand this, let's look at the movement patterns of these movements individually.

KETTLEBELL SNATCH

The Kettlebell Snatch is marked by Extension throughout the body.

The athlete starts in a flexed position with the knees, and hips bent. The bell is swung back through the legs, loading the hamstrings.


The momentum of the bell is reversed with controlled violence and then extension begins throughout the body. The hips and knees extend to give momentum to the bell. The spine is lengthened.


And finally, the arm punches itself into a straight, extended position.


DEADLIFT

The Deadlift is very similar.

The lifter starts out in a crouching position, grasping the bar as it sits on the floor.


From there, the lifter pulls the weight up along the body, extending the knees and the hips.


Once the bar is pulled to its highest point, the lifter further extends himself, pulling the shoulders back into a position of pride.


COMMON THREADS

Upon analyzing both of these movements, the action that is repeated time and again is extension: extension in the knees, hips, shoulders and arms.

So, what is the natural antagonistic balancing action for the movement pattern of Extension?

There has to be some kind of contra-indicative movement pattern that essentially will negate these two big lifts, right?

The answer is Flexion.

To repeat, we are looking for an antagonistic, or opposite movement pattern, and we already said that KB work and Deadlifts involve a lot of force into extension, so the natural antagonistic movement pattern would be flexion.

BUT WAIT - I thought that, just like the ghost busters crossing the streams, having your "body in flexion" was bad!?!?

Sure, sitting at your desk all day in flexion is BAD. It can have a huge toll on your body over the years, so let's try to avoid that...

How about Crunches?

SCREW THAT! BORING!!!

There has to be some other exhilarating strength training practice that involves flexion, while also requiring the same level of dedication, the same level of discipline, and the same level of technical precision in order to succeed that the Kettlebell Snatch and the Deadlift require. But what is it???

The answer - STEEL BENDING.

Don't believe me? Let's look at steel bending, now, and the movement patterns involved.

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Finding Your Fitness In The Least Common Places

posted by Tamara Wysell
Filed in : Articles
Tags : conditioning, sprinting



I have been working out since I was ten. I was not necessarily lifting weights or doing 100 crunches a day. I kicked a soccer ball around Indoor, outdoor, at specialty camps all year long for four years. Then I found track and field in junior high and kept it up through high school. Who knew I, with the body of a shot putter, was a pretty good sprinter? Then I found basketball, which was probably my favorite part of high school. I think I was the only person who enjoyed sprinting down the court. It made for a super fast Center and kept me in shape for track season. Finally, I found rowing in college. Actually it found me. A coach saw and encouraged me to join. I rowed for Purdue University and enjoyed (almost) every moment of it. Besides being pushed to my extreme limit for the first time of my life and many times thereafter, I learned skills that would help me long after my athletic career came to an end.







After rowing for four years in undergrad, I came up to Michigan to coach rowing. I was the big bad athlete who knew everything about everything. Not really. I learned that teaching one to become an athlete is more challenging than actually being an athlete. Training isn't just sitting on a machine and lifting random weights just as swimming isn't jumping in a pool and flailing around. There are many methods that can make working out a brilliant experience. Proper techniques can minimize time spent in the gym, maximize a workout, minimize injury, and maximize the quality of life. Rowers, basketball players, runners, and all athletes need strength training. No matter how talented someone is, strength training helps increase your endurance and protect your body. Ask any coach or trainer.







I've known that since I was ten. I also knew that I couldn't just tell rowers, I had to show them. As a result, I broke things down to help explain what different exercises do for their bodies. Crunches can flatten a tubby tummy. Lifting makes for a solid set of guns (arms). But doing that in combination with cardiovascular workouts can make that flat tummied, arms fully loaded individual better off in the long run. This is what I would tell anyone who bothers to listen:



Find five to ten different types of crunches. For instance try a combo of leg lifts, regular crunches, bicycle, push-ups, and ball exercises. Most exercises that you can do on the floor you can also do on a strengthening ball. The ball is a great way to keep your core engaged. An engaged core equals supported back and a more effective workout. Modifications are necessary for individuals with lower problems (like me). For instance, with the leg lifts, only go down until your back begins to lift up off the ground. Then bring them back to perpendicular to the ground and continue your workout with this limitation. If you don't, you put your back under unnecessary pressure. Check out the snazzy video.

There are many other ab workouts there too. The key is to do all of these in a row. Maybe do 15 reps or 30 seconds of one, take a 15 second break, then do another until you have finished them all. Take a 2 minute break and repeat. The point is to work up a sweat and keep your heart pounding faster. It's an excellent form of strength training.

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How and Why I Train : Robert Lucarelli

posted by Robert Lucarelli
Filed in : Articles
Tags : DIY, DIY equipment, grip, history, wrist strength

I started training for full contact sports when I was in Jr. High School, and Wrestling was the first sport I trained for. The exercises I did specifically worked the muscles I would be using in wrestling matches. I would train the back/neck by performing rolling neck bridges. I would roll to my nose in a back bridge for 15-20 reps and hold it in a static hold for 30-60 seconds. When rolling to the nose you elevate compression stress on the cervical region of the neck. This exercise strengthens the neck and back muscles. It helps you to escape precarious positions such as the pin or possible submission holds. I also worked on the forward rolling Neck Bridge. I would flip the bridge doing a head summersault transitioning from forward to backward bridging; I would also work my neck from side to side while in the forward neck bridge position. Rope climbing was what strengthened my grip and upper body. When it comes to wrestling, being able to pull your body weight up a rope is imperative for upper body and grip strength. 500 Hindu Squats and 250 Hindu Push Ups were also a wrestling staple. Low squats build the posterior chain muscles (hamstrings and lower back) which is needed when lifting an opponent off the ground. The squats also build great muscular endurance and lung stamina. I learned the squats from the English Shooter, "The Man Of A 1000 Holds" - Billy Robinson. In order to be conditioned for wrestling I recommend 250 Hindu Push Ups, 5 sets of 50 reps and 500 Hindu Squats, 10 sets of 50 reps. I also recommend rolling neck bridging, 15-20 reps with a 30-60 second hold at the end, and rope climbing several times up the rope. All exercises are done 3-5 times a week.

Boxing requires the ability to withstand body punishment. Take a 12-15 pound medicine ball and have someone deliver a body blow with the same form the individual would deliver a shovel hook but with the medicine ball delivered full force to your abdominal region. Do not hit the individual in the Liver, Heart or Kidneys when doing this exercise. Make sure to tighten your abdominal muscles and blow out air from your lungs when the ball makes contact with your abs. Skipping rope for 3-5, 3 min. rounds conditions the legs, along with 3-5 miles of road work done 3x a week. Punching power can be developed on a 150-200 pound Heavy Bag. Double End Bag develops punching accuracy. Sparring is important for learning how to gage distance and timing. I recommend 3-5, 3 min rounds of shadow boxing, Sparring and bag work following that order 3 times a week. Boxing requires Quad strength, and sand bag quarter squats and half squats give the legs a good workout. I recommend 3 sets of 50-100 sand bag squats performed 3 x a week, for boxes. Boxers can also benefit from wrist strength which improves punching power and neck strength which will strengthen the neck and allow the neck to act as a shook absorber when receiving blows.

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7 Years of Straight to the Bar : Contest Sponsors

posted by Scott Andrew Bird
Filed in : Articles
Tags : 7 Years of Straight to the Bar, bending, competition, contest, diet, grip, Old-Time Strength

Straight to the Bar will be turning an incredible 7 years old in a couple of weeks (Jan 17th - here's the first post). To everyone who's written, read and commented on the numerous articles, photographs and ideas - thank you all sincerely. It really is appreciated.
I'm also incredibly grateful to the support of our sponsors. These companies are all hand-picked and makers of things I actually use myself, in my training, diet and fitness education. Thank-you to all of them.

Many of them have contributed to the 7 Years of Straight to the Bar contest, donating some incredible equipment, nutritional products and books. Whether you're just beginning your fitness journey, or have been doing this for years, these will help out in no small way. For the contest itself, the full prize list is :

The Rotater (review)

Following years of shoulder abuse and injury, I was more than a little keen to try out The Rotater. And I have to say, it easily exceeded expectations.

Love it.

Follow The Rotater on Twitter : | Facebook

StrongerGrip Loadable Club

I'm a big fan of leverage training in any form, especially things like the Loadable Clubs from StrongerGrip.

Beautiful things.

Follow StrongerGrip on Twitter : | Facebook

NSD Powerball

This is an excellent way to get a little wrist training in - the NSD Powerball.

Love it.

Follow StrongerWrist on Twitter : | Facebook

The Diesel Crew's Nail Bending DVD
If you're new to the world of nail bending, this is the perfect DVD to get. It'll show you the exact techniques you'll need to get started right away. Created by world-class bender Jedd Johnson.

Follow Jedd on Twitter : | Facebook

AtLarge Nutrition's BCAA+

Much, much more than a protein shake.

Beautiful stuff.

Follow AtLarge Nutrition on Twitter : | Facebook

Gymboss

Ever tried interval work with a stopwatch, or by counting out the time? Grab a Gymboss.

The perfect way to time your fat-shedding sessions.

Follow Gymboss on Twitter : | Facebook

The Primal Blueprint & The Primal Blueprint Cookbook

If you're ready to take your health seriously and make the most of all your work in the gym, these two books are essential reading.

I can quite honestly say that my life changed (very much for the better) after discovering the work of Mark Sisson. Superb.

Follow Mark on Twitter : | Facebook

Mini Pinch Plate from Submit Strength
19 pounds of pure grip-training joy.

Love it.

Follow Submit Strength Equipment on Twitter : | Facebook

Straight to the Bar 'Got Yoke?' T-shirt (review)
What's black, comfortable and helps you out in the gym? A Straight to the Bar T-shirt of course.

Follow Scott on Twitter : | Facebook

As well as several bonus items. More on that over the next week or so - suffice to say that you'll want them. Seriously.

Thanks once again to all of the sponsors listed above - the equipment, nutritional products and books really are appreciated. And as they're all things I use myself, I know that the contest winner will be receiving some top-notch gear. More than $500 worth.

NB : if you're a an equipment/product maker or author and would like to add your name to the list above, send me an email. Look forward to hearing from you.

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7 Years of Straight to the Bar : The Contest

posted by Scott Andrew Bird
Filed in : Articles
Tags : 7 Years of Straight to the Bar, bending, competition, contest, grip, Old-Time Strength

Straight to the Bar will be turning an incredible 7 years old in a couple of weeks (Jan 17th - here's the first post). To everyone who's written, read and commented on the numerous articles, photographs and ideas - thank you all sincerely. It really is appreciated.
By way of a thank-you we'll be - together with our fantastic sponsors, all of whom are hand-picked and makers of things I actually use myself - giving away some fantastic equipment to a lucky forum member. Details below.

NB : if you haven't already registered on twitter, there's still time. It's free, nice and quick, and definitely recommended. There's some fantastic information on there.

Contest Details

This contest is open to anyone who's interested in the world of strength training. Whether you're a beginner just dipping your toes in the water, or a professional athlete who's been training hard for years; this is for you.

All you need to do is to hop onto twitter, and :

1. Follow our sponsors at twitter.com/scottbird/sttbsponsors. They share some fantastic information.
2. Tell your friends about the contest with a quick tweet :

   'Win $500 worth of fitness gear : 7 Years of Straight to the Bar ( bit.ly/fXDA1g ). Just follow @scottbird/sttbsponsors . #7yearsofSttB'

That's it.

At the end of the month we'll be selecting one of the posts at random, and sending that person some incredible prizes. A Rotater, a Loadable Club from StrongerGrip, the Nail Bending DVD, a tub of AtLarge Nutrition's BCAA+, a Straight to the Bar t-shirt and much, much more. There's a full list of all the sponsors and prizes here.

Deadline

The closing date for entries is the end of the month, midnight on Jan 31st 2011. That's midnight in your local timezone, if you're a last-minute kind of person.

And thank-you again. I really am grateful for all the support, and wish you all the best in your own training.

Keep Lifting,

Scott

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Strength Training Changed My Life

posted by Joe Hashey
Filed in : Articles
Tags : history

Strength training has been one of the largest influences on my life over the last decade. It has built me up....and humbled me all in the same sessions. Without training, things would be A LOT different.

First, I have a confession - looking back at my high school I largely consider myself a waste of talent. I was blessed with size and athleticism, but I threw them away by never getting serious about training. I am still disappointed to this day.

I attended a small Catholic high school in Binghamton, New York which was not known for its sports programs. I enjoyed sports, playing football, basketball, and baseball. Unfortunately, all I did was dabble with strength training.

We did not have any organized lifts at the high school to speak of, but my dad had a few friends that used to play big time college football. One offered to pick me up each morning and take me to the gym before school.

I loved it....but still didn't get any stronger.

Honestly, I had no idea what to do at the gym. One day I would do all hammer strength machines, other days I would just bench and call it a day. Chin ups were too hard...never really did any of those.

Despite my lack of results at the gym, I was fortunate enough to get recruited as an offensive lineman and baseball pitcher. I decided to attend Colgate University and play football, but I still didn't "get it".

What do you think would happen to someone that was weak and taking the pounding of year round football program? You guessed it, I got injured. I went to all weight training sessions (mandatory), but still didn't get many results. It wasn't the programs' fault, it was my lifestyle. Before I knew it I had gone under the knife 4 times for knee injuries.

I was at a cross roads. At 6 foot 5, 310 lbs, I had two choices. Continue living a lazy lifestyle or make a change. I finally "got it". That summer between sophomore and junior year I lost 55 lbs on eating right and training hard. Working in a sheet metal shop making square pieces of metal out of flat ones all day with a hammer certainly helped as well!

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Motivation for Training

posted by Dean Coulson
Filed in : Articles
Tags : motivation

This is an accompaniment to Twitterchat 99 - Motivation Enjoy.
How motivated we are has a direct bearing on what we can achieve; the bigger the motivation, the better chance we have at achieving what we desire. However there are many factors that can stifle this motivation. As human beings we are creatures of emotion and that can have a big impact on the things we do in everyday life.

External factors play a major part in how we feel and how we react to them will determine whether we are successful in what we are about to do. From a training perspective all manner of things can and will try and stop you doing what you want to do, whether that is a gym session or competing. Your inner voice will try and convince you that doing anything that makes you uncomfortable (training in winter, doing a heavy squat session) is a waste of time and will try anything to stop you.

There are things that can combat that:

• ignoring it and thinking about other things (but going to the gym anyway) will help calm the chatter, it sounds crazy but can work.
• music that gets you so pumped up you want to bend bars (a favourite of mine)
• shouting at the top of your voice before you start a training session (another favourite) gets the adrenaline pumping and can make you focus on what you want to do
• Positive affirmations about what you want to do. Pick positive words about what you want to be and repeat them like a mantra.

We are all affected by many things in our lives, but remember, it is our
reaction them that determines how we get past them and stay motivated on our
goals.

The only limits are those that we impose on ourselves, so don't impose
limits, find your motivation and stick to it.

Resources

Web sites

• www.allroundathlete.com - My blog which covers all aspects of training, including motivation
• www.geoffthompson.com - A world renowned martial artist and an award winning author with many books written on self improvement.
• www.Rosstraining.com - Ross Enamait is known by many as a fantastic athlete and coach, who posts excellent articles that inspire and motivate.

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Five Reasons to Start Bending Nails

posted by Jedd 'Napalm' Johnson
Filed in : Articles
Tags : bending, grip, Old-Time Strength, wrists

Hi, my name is Jedd Johnson. I am a CSCS through the NSCA, an RKC through Dragondoor, and am co-founder of DieselCrew.com. Our website is dedicated to exploring the development of strength and conditioning for all athletes in all sports.

Over the years, my favorite facet of strength training has been Grip Strength and I compete in several competitions every year. Grip Competitions involve Crushing, Pinching, Support lifting and other forms of hand and lower arm strength.

One of the coolest parts of the sport of Grip is Nail Bending. Bending nails, spikes, bolts, steel stock, drill rod, and other things is one of the most exciting and obsessive types of strength training you can do.

Up until now, Nail Bending might be one of the last things you would ever think of doing in your program, but there are actually a ton of benefits that you can get from Bending. Check these out :

1. Forearm size

Nail Bending involves a great deal of tension in the hands, wrists and forearms which leads to major forearm muscle development. Often, forearm work at the gym involves movements like wrist curls and other simple variations.

While wrist curls and similar classic forearm exercises bring about results, they pale in comparison to the bulk built by bending. The sustained tension of nail bending causes growth in both the flexor side of the forearm and the extensor side of the forearm, creating an impressive look of balance and control.

In short, your forearms will probably BLOW UP!

2. Mental and Physical Toughness

Bending nails, bolts and other items involves taking a perfectly good nail and twisting it into a shape that makes it completely useless for any of its normal industrial applications. You're doing something that was never meant to be done, and to do this requires you to focus all of your strength and your mental power into the bend. A lack of commitment from either end of the spectrum will end up in your inability to finish up the bend.

When you become proficient in harnessing your mind's and your body's power in nail bending, imagine the results you will see in your other lifts or in the sport you play. You'll be unstoppable compared to everyone else who has never truly tested themselves in the ways you have after taking on the challenge of bending.

3. Make an Impression!

Take Note: Nail bending is NOT some form of trickery or sleight of hand like magic is.

However, it DOES bring about much the same reaction from a crowd.

Imagine talking about this new sort of strength training you are doing and when they ask you to show them, you bust out a nail, wrap it in a towel and bend it right before their eyes.

How awesome will that be?!?!

You could use this classic feat of strength of Bending to set yourself from everybody else at school, at the gym, or at your place of work. Instead of just blending in with the rest of the people, you will automatically be set apart from everybody else.

Instead of just somebody in the crowd, you'll become the Strong Guy/Gal (Yes, ladies bend too!!!), or The Nail Bender.

Every time people see you, even if it's only occasionally, you'll be burned in their mind as somebody with a strong grip - nobody to mess with, that is for sure.

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The Pistol Squat

posted by Al Kavadlo
Filed in : Articles
Tags : bodyweight, kettlebells

The first time I ever tried to do a pistol squat, I remember thinking it seemed impossible - my leg quivered, my abs hurt, even the other leg hurt just trying to keep it in the air! There were a lot of reasons why I couldn't do it right away, but regardless of the fact that my legs were too weak and my core stabilization was sub-par, the bigger problem was that I lacked the proper neurological capabilities. I know I might be starting to lose you there, but stay with me.

You probably don't remember what it was like when you were first learning how to walk, but I'm sure that at some point you've watched a baby try to. They really have to concentrate and even then they always wobble and fall down a lot in the beginning. This was like me trying to do that first one legged squat. This is how you'll probably feel the first time that you try it too. However, just like that baby who eventually learns to walk, if you keep at it, one day you will able to do a one legged squat relatively easily.

The reason for this, as I mentioned earlier, is as much about your brain as it is about your body. Whenever you try to get your body to do something that it isn't used to doing it has to build a new neurological pathway to make it happen. Your brain has never had to send that specific message to your muscle before so it must blaze a new trail in order to arrive there. It is also psychological in the sense that you might be a bit intimidated by the exercise itself. If this is the case, hopefully you can avoid falling into the "I can't" trap. Don't defeat yourself before you've even tried - when you believe, you can achieve!

However, before you start working on learning the pistol squat, there are a few prerequisites that you ought to have out of the way to ensure a solid foundation. You should be able to perform a proper two legged squat with resistance that is equal to your body weight (ladies this goes for you too!), or if you aren't into going for one rep maxes, you should be comfortable squatting at least 65% of your body weight for multiple reps.

Additionally, maintaining good posture, keeping your knee (on the squatting leg) from tracking forward in front of your toes, and achieving parallel depth are all essential components of any safe, effective squat - regardless of if you're using one or both legs.

Now that we've gotten that taken care of, there are a few ways to approach training your body to do a one-legger. One method is to start from the bottom up. While sitting down on a bench, lift one foot off the ground. Lean forward and use the heel of your other foot to push into the floor while squeezing your abs tight, puffing your chest out, and reaching your arms out in front. Once you get to the top, try to lower yourself slowly and repeat. You will likely lose control during the lowering phase and wind up plopping down onto the bench at the bottom. That's fine for now. In time your control will improve to the point where you no longer need to sit on the bench.

Another method to employ while practicing towards doing a one legged squat is to practice from the top down. Stand on a bench, a bit off to the side with one foot hanging off the edge. Squat down so that one leg drops below the level of the bench. Make sure you stick out your hips and butt, and lean forward a bit - otherwise your balance will be off. If you are having a hard time balancing with this, hold onto something to guide you. A resistance-band that is securely in place or a cable machine balanced with a full weight stack are great options. A broom handle works well too if you are doing these at home. If you have a training partner, have them assist you by either holding your hand or standing right by you so that you can grab them if you lose your balance. This is an exercise that I will literally hold my client's hand through the first time they try it!

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Training the Trainer : MMA Workout

posted by Al Kavadlo
Filed in : Articles
Tags : MMA

Everybody needs training - even me.

Luckily, I got to be on the other end of a training session recently - with Matt Ruskin, an MMA fighter, ex-marine, and all around badass.

Matt took me a bit out of my element by giving me an MMA (mixed martial arts) style workout. As he points out, "MMA training challenges your equilibrium by constantly making you switch from being on the ground to being on your feet."

The exercises we did all involve explosive changes in direction, and when all was said and done, I was pretty beat.

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Double Kettlebell Workouts: For the Best of Both Worlds

posted by Yael Grauer
Filed in : Articles
Tags : diet, interview, kettlebells

This is an interview with Strength Coach Troy Anderson. Enjoy.
1. How did you develop an interest in kettlebells?

Truth be known, for at least a few months there early on I was an anti-kettlebell person; buying in to the bullshit that you can just use a dumbbell. How wrong I was.

My ultimate interest in kettlebells has always been the access they give to people to perform movements that they never would have in a normal environment; whether it is an athlete or some just looking to lose a few pounds. It is all about having the accessibility to the fastest journey from point A to point B and kettlebells provide that.

2. Most programs are written specifically for strength or specifically for fat loss. How do you program for both?

I think people used to think that they could not do both; but there is a trend out there that that is starting to insert heavier loading into fat loss programs. I think most of us would agree a large degree of fat loss is changing what goes into your mouth.

Strength and fat loss actually go quite well together, although we have been conditioned to think otherwise. When you think about it with pure strength work you should use relatively low volume work and with a restricted fat loss diet you don't want to expend too much energy.

Here's a personal example : I did the better part of a train-up for a strongman contest while using something called the velocity diet (fairly restrictive fat loss protocol) and it did not effect performance at all.

3. Why use kettlebells for strength and fat loss when you can use other tools?

Ultimately it is accessibility. If you are a pretty decent coach and your client has the physical ability with kettlebells the door is wide open.

It's really as simple as this - the vast majority of people can't squat or deadlift worth a damn, and we can get proficient at that stuff quickly with a kettlebell. There is no psychological 'hang-up' of having to 'address a big weight' and that is beyond value. Not only in long term movement quality but in regard to fat loss too they use more of the 600 principle as my friend Dax Moy likes to call it; in short they are using more of their 600 muscles and that is a good thing when it comes to fat loss.

Not to mention we can progress them to things like swings, snatches, get-ups and flowing complexes.

For athletes it is sad to say but most of them are pretty strong but move like shit, it allows the access again to refine some movement and coordination and then put the foot on the pedal and go into advanced movements again while having a very short learning curve, it's very powerful.

When were are honest about things we need athletes in & out fast with high impact results, not spending a ton of time teaching minutiae or refining technique.

Kettlebells are the perfect blend of a tool that provides diversity, and accessibility to many different populations; whether it is performance strength work, metabolic work, or even mobility work with just a couple kettlebells. As someone who needs their 'tools' to make money, that is invaluable.

4. Why double kettlebells?

Well as you may have figured I am not much of a 'load nazi', that is the apparent thing that the double kettlebell provides and for most people and athletes that is enough.

With the kettlebells we are allowed the opportunity to move relatively heavy weight fast, and this very good for developing athleticism and even better for fat loss.

There is another component and this something I call integrity; basically when someone is forced to hold the kettlebell(s) in the rack position regardless of the movement it just brutalizes the core in a good way, in other words it keeps people from being lazy and at the same time slips in a sneaky little bit of core work.

5. Can you describe a sample workout?

We have a variety of signature workouts from Big Iron Burn (BIB), Chaos Method (CM), and Smoke Session (SS). Things that make our program a bit different from purely the exercise standpoint.

We have a 'pick your own ending' style with the chaos method that switches things up everyday or Big Iron Burn which is a primary movement plus a burn circuit that supports the movement developed in the big iron portion.

Then we have the metabolic Smoke Session. Ultimately the programming is set up to sustain progress whether you are a kettlebell newbie or a fitness enthusiast so you will be able to step in and get kickass results.

Since most people want to feel like they worked out here's an example of a workout that I shot this fall with a football theme.

If you would like to check out all our other free workouts and videos go to: www.kettlebellworkoutvideos.com

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Do You Believe in the Human Potential?

posted by Karsten Jensen
Filed in : Articles
Tags : Goal Setting

I am sure you have heard people say things like:

"You can't run below 10.40 in the 100 without drugs."

"Show me an Olympics track and field athlete who is not on drugs and I will show you the one who is last!"

In the powerlifting world, Louie Simmons is known for claiming that steroids are necessary to become "as strong as possible".

It has become a common belief that all high performers in power sports are on drugs. Repeated drug charges of famous athletes in sports like baseball and track and field, and recent movies like "Bigger, Stronger, Faster" only support this contention.

Since I was a young boy I have believed that we, as human beings, possess an unlimited potential.

Emerson said:

Wealth is moral. The only sin is limitation.

Cutting edge researchers like Bruce Lipton and Gregg Braden have written books with statements such as:

"Our genes are controlled by our beliefs."

"We are not bound by the laws of biology as we know them today."

I believe that we are about to see a BIG CHANGE in the methods used in strength and conditioning. The best coaches and athletes will start to pull in methods from outside our field and start applying within our field. A common denominator for these methods is that they will embrace the human being as an energy being (this is fact - check your physics book) rather than a collection of bones and flesh.

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Primero BJJ

posted by Yael Grauer
Filed in : Articles
Tags : combat, MMA

Which would you choose? Would you rather train at a gym with world class instructors even if it had a bad vibe? Or would you rather train in a gym with instruction that's less-than-stellar, but where you felt right at home?

I asked Shawn Tompkins, head MMA trainer at TapouT Training Center in Las Vegas, the same question. He said he'd pick the gym with the better atmosphere. "If you don't enjoy what you're doing, what's the point?" he asked.

I'd like to point out that this is coming from the guy who's coached MMA superstars Wanderlei Silva, Randy Couture, Dan Henderson, Mark Hominick, Vitor Belfort, Mark Coleman and more. A coach who is driven and passionate and worked tirelessly to perfect his own coaching style over the years. He'd pick the gym with the best vibe over the one with the best coaching.

Tompkins isn't the only person with that opinion. Many coaches have pointed out over the years that all the credentials and knowledge will not replace a good gym vibe or culture. Although it sounds like nails on a chalkboard to goal-centered athletes, the process really does matter as much as the destination. Create an atmosphere where everyone feels valued and respected, and that's where they'll really shine.

The best gym I've ever had the pleasure of training at was Primero BJJ in Tucson, Arizona. I can't say that I could differentiate between the good vibe and good instruction. Good instruction is part and parcel, really, but perhaps it is the atmosphere that makes students more receptive to it. Qualified instructors are a dime a dozen, but safe and positive environments? From my experience, they are deceptively hard to find.

The gym atmosphere permeates into every aspect of training. Good instruction is of paramount importance for those who are solely focused on training, and Primero had some of the best with the combined talents of Richard Bueno, Brian Ogule and Joe Solorio. And instruction is the first place where gym vibe is important, if you want to create an atmosphere where students feel safe enough to take risks, be creative, ask questions and try new things. I'd go to Primero for the conditioning; when I decided to get serious about getting in shape it was heavy lifting and Primero that got me there. This is another place where gym culture is important. How many athletes would go to a gym with a rotten vibe when they've had a bad day or are stressed out for other reasons? Much easier to talk yourself out of it, but a gym with a good culture has the opposite effect: students are more likely to attend under negative personal circumstances.

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The Human Flag

posted by Al Kavadlo
Filed in : Articles
Tags : bodyweight

The Human Flag is one of the greatest bodyweight challenges of all time. When someone can hold a full human flag, it always attracts the attention and admiration of onlookers. It's one thing to be strong - it's another thing to be a human flag! However, brute strength is not the secret to success with the human flag.

Like most things in life, being aware of the subtle nuances of the human flag is the key to performing it skilfully. Most people assume it's strictly an issue of upper body strength, but there are other things to consider when training for the human flag. I believe that achieving a full human flag begins by having a thorough understanding of these considerations. From there it's simply a matter of practice, dedication, and patience.

A lot of people ask me how long it takes to learn to do a human flag. It's natural to ask this question but I think the best way to approach training to do a flag is not to think about the end result. It is a long road to the human flag and people who go in expecting a quick fix will likely be disappointed. It takes a lot of practice - even if you're already fit. However, if you focus on the process rather than the end result, I think you'll find it a more rewarding experience. It also helps to set small bench marks along the way by using easier variations to build your way up to the full human flag.

The key to gradual progression is to practice similar positions where you'll have better leverage. Part of what makes the full human flag so challenging is that you're using a relatively short lever (your arm) to hold up a very long object (your body). Since you can't really make your arms longer, you need to find ways to make your body shorter in order to make the flag more manageable.

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Progressive Distance Training

posted by Karsten Jensen
Filed in : Articles
Tags : grip, periodisation

This article is an excerpt from the book: The Flexible Periodization Method. Enjoy.
The main purpose of Progressive Distance Training is to improve 1RM in lifts such as squats, deadlifts, bench press or military press.

Progressive distance training has been used by legends like Paul Anderson, Peary Rader and Bob Peoples. Progressive distance training is related to supra-maximal eccentric training, in the sense that supporting structures of the body, like grip, core, bones and tendons get exposed to loads beyond 1RM. Unless specifically addressed, a weakness of progressive distance may be a lack of stimulation of strength in the bottom position of a movement (typically the most challenging part).

By nature, progressive distance should be a 6-week cycle (or longer) to allow the athlete to adapt to the given settings. Due to the short range of motion (ROM) initially, the rep number is a little higher and tapers down as ROM increases.

A power rack with solid safety pins is needed for this MV.

Day 1	? x 5-1
Day 2	? x 3-6	(55-75% 1RM)
Day 3	? x 6-3
Day 4	? x 6-3

As mentioned in Appendix 6, the range of motion is related to the tension on the muscle and thus, intensity. The ROM is waved down and up from workout to workout and week to week using the following sequence. (Setting 1 should allow for about 1-inch of movement. Subsequent settings are counted based on setting number 1).

Variation in placement (setting) of safety pins.

	Week 1	Week 2	Week 3	Week 4	Week 5	Week 6
Day 1	1	2	3	4	5	6
Day 3	3	4	5	6	7	8

The goal of the system is to progress to full ROM. You can shorten or lengthen the progression (fewer or more settings than 8) if full ROM for the athlete/client corresponds to a number different from 8.

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Jumping Rope for Conditioning

posted by Al Kavadlo
Filed in : Articles
Tags : conditioning

Did you know that jumping rope is a plyometric exercise?

Well, if you haven't jumped rope since you were a kid, you might be surprised by how challenging it can be.

In fact, I think it's one of the best forms of cardio conditioning out there - way better than the eliptical trainer.

You can probably expect to get winded and feel uncoordinated the first time you try jumping rope for cardio, but after a few sessions you will start to get the hang of it.

The Basics

Start by just practicing the standard two foot jump. It might take a little patience to get the timing right, but after a little while this should become relatively simple for most people.

Once you get that move down, you can move onto alternating feet (skipping), and then work on doing double skips.

Harder Moves

When you get comfortable with the basics, try doing a crossover or a double-under. Crossovers involve switching your hands to the opposite side and then back. Double unders are when the rope goes around twice during one jump. Both of these moves take some practice to get the hang of, but challenges are what makes life exciting!

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How to Get Your Gym on the Map

posted by Yael Grauer
Filed in : Articles
Tags : gym owner, new clients

It's always nice to get web traffic. Regularly updating your gym's website with useful content, kick-ass videos and a smattering of photos will often attract readers from around the world. But how do you gain traction on that by actually getting new clients to descend upon your doorstep? That's the question I posed to SEO expert Troy Lerner of Booyah Advertising, an online ad agency. He pointed out that a map listing would be particularly effective for increasing foot traffic.

A map listing is what shows up when you enter the word "gym" (for example) and the city and state. If you've ever looked up a business in your city, you probably already know that having your gym feature prominently on the map is extremely helpful for web users.
How do you get your gym on the map? First, go to places.google.com and verify that your business' information (address, phone number, hours, etc.) is accurate. Next, make sure your business is also listed on all of the major directories online. These include yahoo, bing, yellowpages, citysearch and local.com, as well as hotfrog and goguides. Okay, now open your browser to google and type in "gym" and your city. A bunch of maps will show up. Check out your competitors' listings - not their actual websites, but the reviews they get. Now start making a list of the sites that reviewed your competition.
Check those sites to make sure your gym is also listed and that your information (again, business name and address and phone number) is accurate. And if your gym is not listed, see if you can rectify that.

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The Top 5 Mistakes to Avoid When You Create a Periodized Training Program

posted by Karsten Jensen
Filed in : Articles
Tags : program design

This article is an excerpt from the book: The Flexible Periodization Method. Enjoy.
How do I know that these are the Top 5 Mistakes? I know that these are the Top 5 Mistakes, because I and many other trainers and coaches I have conferred with have made them! Mistakes are a natural part of learning and only count as true mistakes if you keep repeating them.

Legendary Danish physicist, Niels Bohr, was known for saying that "an expert is someone who has made all the mistakes that can be made in a narrow scope of practice".

I will assume that you are currently creating your long-term training plan based on some form of periodization model (linear, non-linear, conjugate, block etc). If you are ahead of your game, you might even have my book "The Flexible Periodization Method".

(Not everyone is comfortable with "periodization" and find the concept to be confusing and too theoretical. If this describes you, I recommend that you initially focus on the most basic definition of periodization -"a division into periods".)

Programmes that follow the principles of periodization have been proven to yield better results than programs that do not follow principles of periodization (Study "Designing Resistance Training Programs", by Fleck and Kraemer to learn more).

If you are not basing your long-term training programs on a clear, effective periodization model, then that is 'the mistake of all mistakes!" Let's dive into it!

Mistake #1

Creating a great training program with the wrong goals. Just because there is jumping in a sport does not mean that the athlete should perform jump training, if jumping ability is not the weak link for that athlete!!! The Mantra is: Spend the time focusing on the components of training that will affect the athlete the most - whatever that is.

A great macrocycle plan is based on asking the athlete and or coach about the weak link in training or competition. I have written elsewhere about the 7 categories of weak links, but here they are listed for your convenience

1. Increased daily energy or vitality
2. Prevent repeated injuries and/or rehabilitate an injury.
3. Improve the ability to perform a high amount of sport specific practice with high quality .
4. Improve the ability to repeat current peak performance in selected elements of the performance or game.
5. Improve peak performance in selected elements of the performance or game.
6. Improve performance in prolonged or repeated competitions.
7. Change body composition

Mistake #2

Not enough time assigned to each mesocycle. Would an athlete improve muscle mass after one training session geared towards improving muscle mass? Obviously not!

What ever physical capacity the athlete is aiming to improve, the training program to address this particular capacity must be trained for a sufficient number of weeks so that useful training adaptations are created.

The sufficient number of training weeks ranges from 3 to 12 depending on the capacity to be improved, how strongly that capacity is emphasized in the program and the training age of the athlete or client.

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Specific Method Variations for the Early Phase of a Macrocycle

posted by Karsten Jensen
Filed in : Articles
Tags : periodisation

Here is an exerpt from my book: The Flexible Periodization Method; covering specific methods to use in the early phases of a macro cycle. Note how the optimal use of combination exercises can give a unique combination of medium-high loads and long duration sets.

MV 1: ? sets x 10-12+10-12+10-12 reps / Tempo: 502 / RI: 60 sec
Start with a 3-4/5 RPE load for 10 reps. Progress on load when 12 reps are completed in all segments in at least one set. Progress on nr sets from week to week.

(RI = Rest Interval, RPE = Rate of Perceived Exertion)

MV 2: ? sets x 8-10+8-10+8-10 reps / Tempo: 502 / RI 60 sec
Start with a 3-4/5 RPE load for 8 reps. Progress on load when 10 reps are completed in all segments in at least one set. Progress on nr sets from week to week.

MV 3: ? sets x 3-5 reps with an unilateral exercise alternating left and right for 4-8 minutes without rest / Tempo 502 / RI: 60 sec if more than one set is used.
Start with a 3-4/5 RPE load for 90 sec constant work. Progress on load, when at 2 min of unterinterrupted work can be performed. Increase nr of minutes from week to week.

MV4: 1 set x 100-200 reps / Tempo: m0m0 / RI: na

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Training for the Planche

posted by Al Kavadlo
Filed in : Articles
Tags : bodyweight

The planche is an advanced body-weight challenge that requires strength, balance and stability.

While it's commonly seen in competitive gymnastics, few people are familiar with the planche and even fewer have thought to try it themselves. I'm hoping to change that!

The textbook planche position is almost the same as the push-up position - except your feet are not touching the ground!

There are several positions to practice while building up towards this, such as headstands, handstands and the crow (aka frogstand). It's also helpful to practice planche variations with bent arms and/or legs, as these are typically easier.

Before working on the planche, you should establish a solid foundation of core strength as well as upper body strength, through doing exercises like planks, push-ups, and dips.

The full planche is still a work in progress for me but after months of practicing, I can get my body mostly straight when my arms are bent.

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How to Add 20+ Pounds to your Deadlift

posted by Yael Grauer
Filed in : Articles
Tags : sandbags

It was a sunny day in Phoenix, and I was lucky enough to spend the morning working out with Josh Henkin. Best known for implementing sandbags and sandpacks into training, Henkin has always been quick to tell me that he's not married to any one particular methodology.
Sure, sandbags, the TRX system, bands, etc. can be very helpful tools, but only when used appropriately to solve specific problems rather than trying to squeeze clients into a pre-existing ideology.

I asked Henkin to take a look at my deadlift, which is probably my best lift. It took me 16 weeks to get from 175 lbs. to 200, and I was convinced that my newfound 1RM wasn't going to change any time soon. Twenty minutes with Henkin proved me wrong, and I walked out with a new 1RM: 220 lbs. But probably even more important (if you're of the belief that anything's more important than a PR), I walked away with a greater knowledge of my own muscle imbalances and movement patterns that need work, and some great ideas to help me get there.

Since these problems aren't particularly uncommon, I thought I'd share some of what we worked on to activate my posterior chain - particularly the glutes and hamstrings, with an emphasis on proper hip extension.

The problem

I knew that I wasn't using my body as a complete unit in my deadlift because my glutes were never ever sore, not even on 1RM days, but even a single (unweighted, partial) pistol would do the trick. And I'd been told by my training partner that I did in fact round my back a teeny bit when I got to the higher weights, and was not extending my hips all the way up top.

It's worth noting that these patterns didn't come out until I started putting real weight on the bar. This is particularly useful information for new coaches: watching someone lift an easy weight for them will not necessarily help you correct their form, so pay close attention when they are at or near their max or are slightly fatigued.

Here's some of the exercises Josh and I used between sets to get my glutes and hamstrings activated and improve my hip movement. These obviously also work as stand-alone exercises, and could even be incorporated in a warmup.

1. Internally Rotated X-Band Walks

Just like a regular x-band walk, you step on a resistance band, twist it into an X-shape and walk sideways. But in this case, you make sure your feet are inverted - that is, your toes are facing each other. If connected, they would form a V. This activates the glutes as you do your penguin waddle sideways.

Josh Henkin's explanation: "By internally rotating the feet you minimize the use of the dominant external rotators. This may sound contradictory, but you actually stimulate more of the stabilizers such as the gluteus medius. If the smaller muscles learn to fire better it will provide a better environment to have the prime movers more effectively perform their job."

2. TRX Hip Bridge

Simply put your feet up on the TRX and use your core and hips to complete a series of bridges, holding position at the top.

"The TRX provides a few different functions", Henkin explains. "For one, having the feet in the cradle allows the lifter to focus on "driving into the heels" which is a main cue for performing any bridging movement correctly. Secondly, we can slowly change the load by changing the body position on the height of the foot cradle."

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How to Become a Better Armwrestler

posted by Scott Latella
Filed in : Articles
Tags : grip

So you want to beat your buddy armwrestling but all he ever does is smash your arm thru the kitchen table. Well I'm here to help.

I've been a professional armwrestler for 20 years now, but it didn't start out all trophies and gold medals. My first 2 years I struggled to just win a single match in the amateur class until I learned the sport specific training needed to become a better armwrestler.

In this article I'm going to give you the 3 basic points you need to work on to get your self ready for an armwrestling match.

Point 1

Hand & Wrist: Yes it's called armwrestling but it should really be called handwrestling since who ever controls the hand and the wrist in the match wins 95% of the time. You need to build up great strength in your hand and wrist so that you can defend against an opponent's move and also enforce your move onto him. Heavy grippers can help some, in armwrestling you need more open hand and flat finger strength. Rolling thunder lifts, Flat finger chins, Dumbball curls and my favorite the metal gyro wristball will not only increase your power but also your holding endurance. I hit hand & wrist training 4-5 times a week and will mix it up to keep the workouts fresh.

Point 2

Pulling: If you go to an armwrestling tournament or maybe watch some matches on YouTube you will notice people calling matches pulls or hear armwrestlers being called pullers. Why?? Well the best basic move in armwrestling is to first pull your opponent's arm back to you before trying to press sideways for the pin. Armwrestling is a leverage sport; gain that advantage and your chances of winning skyrocket. So when getting your grip focus on a nice tight grip, tighten your whole arm so it stays super tight at a 90% angle and then when the ref (or 3rd buddy) says go, yank his arm straight back to you (aim for your nose). If he is not ready for this his arm will open up and you will have a great leverage advantage. At this point you go for the pin and thrust sideways. Can you say winner??

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Suspension Training 101

posted by Derek 'D-Rock' Peruo
Filed in : Articles
Tags : DIY, suspension training

If you're not using suspension straps in your workout program, you should be. Their portability and functionality make them ideal for home gyms and training while on the road. And while there are numerous variations of the suspension trainer, the most popular has become the TRX Pro from Fitness Anywhere. Setting up the TRX is super easy and its versatility is limitless. This article will break down the basics of setting up the suspension straps and incorporating the movements into your workout program.

WHAT IS TRX?

TRX was developed by Randy Hetrick, a former U.S. Navy SEAL, as a mobile training platform for soldiers on the front lines. The light-weight design of the TRX made it easy to transport, set-up, and break-down, so it could be taken practically anywhere soldiers were stationed. There are several different kinds of suspension trainers, but none seem to have as large a mainstream following as TRX. In response to their customers' demands, a lot of commercial gyms have purchased one or two of these yellow TRX straps for their personal trainers to use with clients and chances are, if your gym doesn't have one, they will soon.

Of course, if your gym doesn't have a set of straps, you can always bring your own and freak out the training staff with your mad skills.

SO WHY WOULD I USE IT?

The TRX (or any suspension trainer for that matter) is designed as a stand-alone piece of workout equipment. You shouldn't need anything beyond the straps and a solid anchor point about 7 feet off the ground (squat racks, door jams and tree limbs all work great for this). By adjusting your sets, reps, tempo, range of motion, and rest periods you can design a program to train practically any facet of physical fitness. Endurance, strength, power and flexibility can all be trained using suspension straps.

Beyond portability, suspension straps also allows you to quickly adjust the difficulty of each exercise simply by changing the angle of your body in relation to the anchor point: If an exercise is too challenging, move your center of gravity closer to the vertical line under the anchor point and widen your base of support ("feet apart"); If an exercise is too easy, move your center of gravity away from the vertical line and make your base of support smaller ("feet together").

HOW DO I USE IT?

Setting up the TRX is stupid simple: Just wrap it around any solid, stable object above your head. There are fancy, specially designed anchor points to do this, but I recommend just using one of the exposed beams in your basement or garage. Once you find an anchor point, drape the main strap over the object and latch the suspension trainer to itself. Do NOT attach the suspension trainer directly to your anchor point using the carabiner; the equipment is not designed to work that way. If you attach it correctly, the straps will look something like this:
Once your anchor point is secure, use the adjustment tabs and cam buckles to increase and decrease the length of the straps according to your needs. Always keep the handles centered on the main loop, and never ever let the handles slide back and forth while supporting weight: This causes friction and will degrade the equipment very quickly.
There are a bazillion exercises you can do with suspension straps, including stretches and balance/coordination drills, and my video below only demonstrates a handful of the more common movement patterns you might encounter. Don't be afraid to experiment and get creative.

Squat / Pistol

These are pretty easy movement patterns, and everyone should be familiar with the proper form. Keep your hips back and really pop them on the way up. Just remember that this movement can cause more shear force on the knees than a traditional barbell squat due to increased quadriceps activation. Limit the range of motion if you have knee trouble, or make damn sure you're activating those glutes!

Glute Bridge

A fantastic alternative to the squat discussed above, glute bridging eliminates most (if not all) quadriceps activation. But they do require a high degree of stability through the core, especially if you're doing a single-leg variation. If you find your hamstrings firing more than your glutes during a bridge, place a resistance band around your knees as you perform the movement, and keep the band taught.

Supine Leg Curl

This is similar to the supine hip extension/leg cure performed with a stability ball, and should dynamically activate the knee flexors (mainly the biceps femoris, semitendinosus and semimembranosus. The popliteus, proximal gastrocnemius, distal sartorius and distal gracillis will also activate). Keep your glutes tight to maintain the proper straight line between your shoulders, hips and knees at all times.

Triple Extension / Sprints

Every sport requires its athletes from time to time to extend fully at the hips, knees and ankles simultaneously. This move is called the triple extension, and is the foundation for effective running, throwing and jumping mechanics. Oftentimes, olympic-style lifts are used to train this movement pattern; but the variations I demonstrate in the video will work just fine. Focus on minimizing ground contact time and getting your knees into your chest as quickly as possible between repetitions.

Plank / Pike / Mountain Climbers / Knee Tucks

It's core work. It's good for you. Do it.

Push-ups

This is my personal favorite. It activates all those little tiny stabilizer muscles you forgot about, and will bring even the biggest guy to his knees (literally). Maintain proper push-up form throughout the movement.

Row / 1-Arm Row

I cannot stress enough the importance of squeezing your shoulder blades together during these movements. It's very easy to cheat and use your biceps to pull yourself up, but doing that will counterproductive to what we're trying to accomplish here. Each repetition should initiate from low between the scapula: maybe T6 or T7 or T8. Initiate the movement too high and you involve the traps more than you should. "Start low, then go."

Dips

Perhaps even more demanding than the push-ups, doing dips on a suspension trainer can quickly become torturous. I recommend them highly.

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Kipping Pull-ups

posted by Al Kavadlo
Filed in : Articles
Tags : bodyweight

Sometimes a straight line isn't the fastest way to get from point A to point B.
While Pull-ups are typically performed by going straight up and down, the kipping pull-up creates an arc, rather than a straight line, as a means to quickly propel the body upward.

In sports, there are rarely slow controlled movements like conventional pull-ups; real life activities typically involve using the body as a whole. Kipping pull-ups are an explosive, dynamic exercise, turning the pull-up into more of a full-body exercise as opposed to just working the upper body.

Utilizing the kipping technique for pull-ups usually allows for more total reps, which is why some gym rats have referred to it as "cheating." But I think that's somewhat of a juvenile attitude.

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Why Conditioning is King

posted by Dean Coulson
Filed in : Articles
Tags : conditioning, kettlebells, recovery

A lot of people have their own idea about conditioning, the word is pretty generic and as a result conditioning for one person can have a completely different meaning to someone else. Some may class a casual jog as conditioning; however that doesn't ring true to me.

Is cardio conditioning?

From my point of view, when people use the term cardio is it is being referred to as low intensity steady state aerobic (with oxygen) exercise such as running or stationary bike and has no place being called a conditioning program. To me conditioning is an intense anaerobic (without oxygen) training experience and I feel a lot of people are misguided. I thought I would put the record straight.

Bring the Intensity

A conditioning program consisting of high speed and high intensity exercise will certainly keep you fit whilst preserving your strength and mass. It will also make your body more efficient at burning fat by increasing your metabolic rate for up to 36 hours after you have finished your training. The other benefit is that you can complete your conditioning session in less time.

Your A Game

The most important thing you can bring to a conditioning program is you. That is, if there is a lack of effort put in then the program will suck. As the saying goes, you can lead a horse to water, but you cannot make it drink; well this holds true here. You can have the best conditioning program in the world, but if you don't show up with your A game and give it all you have got, then you may as well forget it. You get out what you put in, anyone can jog, but how many people can do hill sprints at top speed without keeling over?

Remember - Knowledge is power only if the knowledge is applied.

Motivation

Fatigue makes cowards of us all - Vince Lombardi

Conditioning workouts hurt, there is no getting around it. Lactic acid sets in and then your mind is against you trying anything and everything to make you quit. If you train intensely then you will meet fatigue, fatigue is unavoidable. However, the body can be trained to minimise its effects or at least delay them.

You have got to be motivated to train through fatigue. Intense conditioning will challenge you, but motivation will allow you to achieve your goals through hard physical and mental activity, giving you the ability to push through fatigue.

The body has more potential than most people realise, however conditioning is not just about the physical training; mental training is just as important and that will come about by hard physical effort, pushing through fatigue. Mental conditioning plays a pivotal role if peak physical conditioning is to be realised.

Energy Systems

Were you aware that we have 3 energy systems? Without getting too technical, the 3 energy systems our body uses are:

Aerobic : This is used primarily for steady state cardio, burning calories whilst doing the exercise but very little if any afterwards. Training too much with this system can reduce muscle mass, speed and power (e.g. marathon runners).

Anaerobic : Has 2 energy systems (ATP-PC and Glycolytic). These energy systems are used during high speed/high intensity conditioning.

ATP-PC is stored in the muscles and is the energy system for power. However we only have a finite amount and is quickly used.

Glycolytic : This energy system derives its energy for glycogen stored in the muscles or liver, this is what the body uses during intense exercise once ATP stores have been depleted.

Training in this manner will still provide cardiovascular benefits but will also keep strength gains and well as providing effective fat loss. This is due to the increase in your metabolic rate post exercise, which allows the body to burn calories long after you have finished training.

Having good aerobic fitness is still important, but you do not have to do steady state cardio to achieve it. Anyone who has tried a high intensity program, which uses energy without oxygen will still be breathing heavy afterwards. This is because the body still has to utilise oxygen to help remove lactic acid and replenish energy stores.

A good conditioning program will enhance all three energy systems.

Quality or Quantity

There are times when I see people in a gym on recumbent bikes or stationary bikes for quite literally hours reading magazines. This will get you nowhere, burn very little fat and will not even tax your aerobic capacity and do nothing for your conditioning.

Let's get something straight. You do not need to spend hours in a gym, the maximum time you need to spend conditioning is 30-40 minutes and this can be realised by high intensity conditioning. In fact if you have limited time to train you can fit a ball busting conditioning session in 20 minutes, ever tried to do 20 minutes of burpees straight? I rest my case!

General Physical Preparedness

GPP is the way whereby an athlete can improve his/her work capacity (the amount of work a body can produce) by using a variety of conditioning exercises, designed to improve Aerobic Endurance, Anaerobic Endurance, Recovery, Strength and Coordination. Everyone should aim to improve their GPP, through high intensity conditioning.

The systems

There are several methods that can be used to create a complete all round conditioning program; the following are the ones I primarily use:

Interval Training

Interval training consists of periods of high intensity conditioning with periods of rest or active rest in between as a recovery.

There are several options that lend themselves particularly well to interval training:

• Running
• Punching/kicking a heavy bag
• Skipping rope
• Rowing machine

Rest or active rest could be walking or jogging or jumping jacks, depending on what you are doing.

A punching drill on a heavy bag is a great example of interval training. Plan out 8-12 1 minute rounds with 1 minute rest in between rounds. These 1 minute rounds have to be really taxing and you have to be able to go all out until the minute is up. This is extremely difficult but extremely rewarding.

Circuit Training

Circuit training is a great way to conduct your conditioning routines, it is similar to interval training but can be for time or for repetitions or both. Circuits are performed at a fast pace and can concentrate on upper body, lower body or be combined to provide full body conditioning. There are no rules as to how circuits are constructed. It could be just bodyweight or other modularities can be used including dumbbells, barbells, sandbags, medicine balls, kettlebells, heavy bags, skipping rope etc.

Circuit training is tough and is designed to force you to dig deep and push through fatigue.

Density Training

Simply put, how much of a particular exercise you can do it a defined amount of time. Your goal is to increase the amount of work performed in a time period.

Great examples I use are:

• Pull-ups/chin ups/burpees/push ups in a 10, 15 or 20 minute time limit

Tabata Intervals

An excellent protocol for conditioning, this involves 8 rounds of exercise with 20 seconds of intense activity, followed by 10 seconds of rest.
Tabata Intervals are one of my favourite protocols for an excellent conditioning session. You can either pick one exercise such as squats or pick multiple exercises, performed one after the other.

• 20 seconds of squats, 10 seconds rest x 8 rounds

Or

• 20 seconds push ups, 10 seconds rest
• 20 seconds pull ups, 10 seconds rest
• 20 seconds Burpees, 10 seconds rest
• 20 seconds Squats, 10 seconds rest

Complete this tabata circuit for 8 rounds WITHOUT stopping

Finishers

Finishers are a great way to round off your training, whether it was a strength or conditioning session. They will test your mental toughness and push your physical ability to the limit. From a strength point of view it is a great way to get a conditioning routine in and from a conditioning point of view a great way to teach your body to push through fatigue and increase your GPP.

Farmers walks, tabata intervals, bodyweight or density training are great examples of finishers.

Don't forget strength training

A common mistake a lot of people make is that they view strength and conditioning as two entities. Sure as far as the training goes they are, but they should never be separated. They go hand in hand in my book, on a day when I am not training for strength, I will be conditioning and vice versa.
From a strength point of view, training for conditioning will:

• enhance all three of your energy systems - anaerobic (both ATP-PC & glycolytic) and aerobic
• increase General Physical Preparedness (GPP)
• Help preserve strength and mass

All of these are essential for maintaining good work capacity for strength training. The benefits of this include allowing more intensity and volume to your strength workout, quicker recovery times between sets and between workouts. By having increased recovery allows you to handle bigger workloads.

Of course you still have to train smart and not let the conditioning detract from your strength training if strength is your focus. Getting DOMS for days after a conditioning session will not help your strength training.

I see these all as equal and strive to be as strong and as conditioned as possible. I am not too concerned about bulking up as long as the functional strength is in place.

Everyone has their own goals, but no one should neglect either strength or conditioning.

Have a plan

Always plan your activities and log everything. Improvements can be made easier if you know what you did in your last training session. Lay out a week of activity and stick to it. A typical week for a general strength and conditioning program could consist of the following:

• Monday: Strength Training + finisher
• Tuesday: Conditioning Training
• Wednesday: Strength Training
• Thursday: Conditioning Training
• Friday: Strength Training + finisher
• Saturday: Conditioning Training (or day off)
• Sunday: Rest

The strength training could go Maximal Upper, Lower, Upper and then the following week reverse it so that it is Lower, Upper, Lower.

Another strength-focussed week could be Full Body Strength on Monday, Day Off on Wednesday as recovery and then an Explosive Strength day on the Friday.

The point is is that as long as you have a plan, you can track your progress to make sure you can get the training in and know what you need to do week on week.

I always recommend backing off every 8th week with a program like this to allow your body to recover. This would entail less volume of training.

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Five Exercises To Build Grip Strength for Jiu Jitsu

posted by Yael Grauer
Filed in : Articles
Tags : grip, grip strength

The first time I competed in a jiu jitsu tournament, I managed to get a collar choke sunk in and held onto it for dear life. Although I won my first match due to an advantage point I received from the unsuccessful submission attempt, my forearms were pretty much shot for quite a while. Don't let this happen to you!

First Things First

Before we get into some approaches to building grip strength for jiu
jitsu, I wanted to go over a couple of things. First of all, part of
grip burnout in a jiu jitsu tournament has to do with the lovely
cocktail of fear, adrenaline and technique that isn't exactly
thoughtful. To avoid burning out your grip before you even have a
chance to get started, you might consider not grabbing the gi from the
get-go but working some other type of takedown. Feel free to ignore
this advice if it's not your style (or if you're a judo player), but
if you're a wrestler grabbing the gi from the beginning does little other
than burn your grip and hurt your takedown attempt. You can also have
a light grip or use a no-gi approach where you grip the actual arm
(for example) rather than the gi to avoid killing your forearms before
you even have the chance to get started. Just something to think about
and possibly discuss with your coach and team.

Secondly, make sure you don't go nuts with the grip training. It is
very easy to overtrain, so make sure to either incorporate it as a
small part of your overall strength and conditioning program or, if
you're using a more intense approach, to take two weeks off every
month or so in order to prevent overtraining or injury.

Having said that, here's some approaches to strengthen the grip for jiu jjtsu.

1. Use the gi, son.

Throw a gi over your pullup bar and do some pullups grabbing onto
that. If you're still doing jumping pullups or body rows, use a gi for
those instead. If you didn't bring your gi to the gym, you can use a
towel in a pinch.

2. Fat bars.

Wrap a towel around your bar to make it nice and fat, and kill your
forearms by doing your pull-ups on that. You can also use a fat bar
for your barbell lunges, or fatten up your dumbbells for your one-arm
rows.

3. Another reason to deadlift

One simple way to work your grip strength is by lifting heavy things.
Take the lifting gloves off, use some chalk if necessary and work your
deads.

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Blast from the Past : The Forgotten Lifts III

posted by Scott Andrew Bird
Filed in : Articles
Tags : Forgotten Lifts, Old-Time Strength

Over the past six years this site's amassed an enormous amount of content. To help you find the highlights, I'll be taking a wander through the archives from time to time.
This week - The Forgotten Lifts III.

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As you're probably well aware, I absolutely love sampling some of the older, less common exercises on a regular basis.

Some of these are still ideally suited to my training, and get used frequently; others are just fun to challenge yourself with. Whichever way they're used, here are a few more of The Forgotten Lifts :

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10 Questions With Greg Everett

posted by Yael Grauer
Filed in : Articles
Tags : interview, olympic weightlifting

Greg Everett wears many hats. He's the owner and program director of Catalyst Athletics, a gym in Sunnyvale, California. He is the editor-in-chief of the Performance Menu: Journal of Health and Athletic Excellence. And he's the author of what's been called 'the best book available on Olympic weightlifting', Olympic Weightlifting: A Complete Guide for Athletes & Coaches.

Following Scott's lead, I asked Greg 10 questions to dig below the surface.

1. Tell us a bit about yourself. Where did you grow up and how did you develop an interest in Olylifting?

I grew up in the southwest San Francisco Bay Area, which is were my gym is now. I learned the lifts in high school, although not well by any means. I didn't have any real guidance or exposure to actual weightlifters, so to me at that point, they were just some other barbell exercises that I didn't use much.

As soon as I could afford it, which was maybe 15 years old, I bought a power rack, a real bar and as many plates as I could for my garage to upgrade from the junk weights I'd be using for the previous few years. That went with me when I moved to Arizona, Chico and southern California. I still have the rack and plates - not sure what happened to the bar.

So I was always lifting weights, but not weightlifting. I wish I had better exposure to the sport at an earlier age. When I was in Chico, I was given a partnership in NorCal Strength & Conditioning. Finally I had access to bumpers and bars that actually spun a little, and immediately weightlifting became my primary interest although I was still doing conditioning work and training BJJ. Eventually I quit doing anything but lifting.

Shortly thereafter I sold my house, sold my third of the gym to my two partners, and moved to southern California to lift with Mike Burgener. I wanted to take some time without the responsibilities of gym ownership, without having to spend the entire day training clients, and just have a chance to train myself. It was the best decision I've made. I was able to be coached by one of the best out there and be in an environment of serious lifters. Burgener's gym is just a two-car garage at his house with four platforms smashed together, a lot of bars and weights, and a lot of love for the sport. I continued training private clients in the garage and coaching lifters with Burgener, learning as much as I could.

2. When did you decide to focus on coaching instead of just lifting?

Pretty much from day one. I've never been anything more than mediocre as a lifter, and I've always put myself in a position to prioritize others' lifting over my own. I don't mean that to say I'm extraordinarily selfless and charitable; I've just recognized that I can do more as a coach than an athlete. I derive enough satisfaction with my own training whether or not I'm competing, so it's not much of an issue. Fortunately, I think not being a great lifter has made me a better coach because I've had to get creative and think my way through progress.

3. Tell us about the Catalyst Athletics WODs (workouts of the day).

First, I want to acknowledge the shortcomings of an online training program: I can't program specifically for any of the participants, although I do keep an eye on comments and try to adjust accordingly. There are a number of things I do in that program that are specific to this essentially unknown group of athletes based on assumptions I've made about them and their needs. So far it seems to work well - we get a lot of comments and emails about peoples' success.

CrossFit had a daily conditioning workout posted; Mike Burgener had a daily weightlifting workout posted. I just happened to be in a position that people contacted me a lot about combining lifting and conditioning. I initially didn't want to post a daily workout because of the problems inherent with such a thing, but there was enough of a demand and I like programming so I figured I would do it. So the point is that it filled the gap in the existing workouts and provided what is basically a weightlifting program that accommodates a bit of conditioning work for people who want to get stronger, improve their Olympic lifts, and not turn into fat slobs.

4. In addition to being certified as a USAW coach you're also an RKC Kettlebell instructor and of course an NSCA CSCS. Why did you decide to focus primarily on Olylifting?

Weightlifting is the only thing that keeps my interest as a coach and an athlete. In terms of training in general, I like pretty much everything out there, and I like using as many tools as possible. I like interacting with all the different people and learning what they have to teach. It doesn't mean I'm going to do exactly what they do the way they do it, but there's no one you can't learn something from, even if it's what not to do. With regard to actual certifications, I've had all kinds, but they don't mean much. The only ones I maintain are the USAW and CSCS. I don't pursue higher USAW certs because I have no compelling reason to. I'd rather stay in my own gym, coach, train and work - having a different classification on my USAW card doesn't affect what I do, and I have no interest in coaching international teams, so it doesn't matter.

5. Do you think Olylifting is for everybody?

I think weightlifting should be accessible to everyone, but that doesn't mean it's appropriate, beneficial or necessary for everyone. If it's not done well, there are definitely unnecessary injury risks, and that's my biggest concern with the growing popularity of the lifts not matched by growing numbers of competent coaches. In other words, the more people doing the lifts improperly, the greater number of them who will get hurt, and the more we will start hearing that weightlifting causes injury.

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Gym Marketing Lessons From Your Favorite Sex Shop

posted by Yael Grauer
Filed in : Articles
Tags : fitness marketing, kettlebells, the perfect gym

Whether you're a gym owner, a male fitness fanatic wanting to lift weights with your girlfriend, or a fit woman trying to find other ladies to work out with, you might find yourself wondering why are there so few women in the gym. Is it possible that the gym you own or work out at is as repelling to women as the seedy sex shop they wouldn't be caught dead in? And if so, what can you do to turn this around? What marketing strategies can you learn from the non-creepy sex shops that are always, always crowded?

I'm not saying your gym should be filled with half-naked women
sporting novelty items. What I am saying is that you could take a hint
from nice, clean stores which revolutionized the way many women looked
at sex shops and tapped into a whole new market. What separates stores
such as Good Vibrations or Fascinations from the XXX Adult Store even the bravest women won't venture near? Read on.

1. They're clean and well-lit.

Very few women like to shop...or work out... in a dungeon. Granted,
gyms are not always the cleanest of locations. People work out hard.
They sweat. We get that. But seriously, gym owners - clean up your
shit. Your mom doesn't work here. Make sure your bathrooms and
changing works have working locks, soap and toilet paper. Pick up the
pile of sweatshirts on the floor. Clean the floor. Pick up the piles
by the reception desk. And change the light bulbs. And if you're
looking for a gym you hope your lady friend will like, just
remember - an unlit and filthy gym is not attractive to women.

2. Greet every (potential) client or customer.

The problem with the creepy, smelly sex shop is that it attracts
creepy, smelly people. What's the best way to prevent this? Shine a
light on it. This strategy is actually used in convenience stores to
prevent shoplifting. And it has the added benefit of making people
feel welcome. Even if people keep to themselves during their actual
workout, nobody wants to be ignored. Create a pleasant and friendly
environment and you'll build customer loyalty.

3. Something for everyone.

A good sex shop has something that meets the comfort and tolerance
level of a wide variety of of customers. Not looking for hardcore
porn? Massage oil is pretty sweet and innocent. As are Halloween
costumes. Whether someone's looking for bachelorette party favors or
items to stockpile in their dungeon (er, basement), they can find what
they need in the good, well-lit sex shop.

How would this work for your gym? Simple. Make sure your offerings are
acccessible for the diverse needs of your client base. What does this
look like? Dumbbells that start at lower weights. Cardio machines and
even weight machines for people who will not be weaned off of them
quite yet. Kettlebells, TRX systems and bumper plates for your
hardcore clients. And a wide range of classes for all skills and
levels.

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Giving it Away II

posted by Scott Andrew Bird
Filed in : Articles
Tags : charity, donation, giving, used strength-training equipment

We first looked at the idea of donating your used strength-training equipment more than a year ago, and a lot of people shared stories of how they did just that. Thank you all, sincerely.

This time we're taking a look at a few of the other ways of helping out various health & fitness charities; through one-time events, book/DVD/t-shirt purchases and direct financial donations. Let's get started.

Donating Equipment

Last time we looked at several ways of donating your old equipment, books & clothing; ranging from Shoe 4 Africa to the Salvation Army. This time I'd like to add another category, electronic gadgets.

If you're the type of person (and I'm definitely in this group) that loves to listen to some hard-hitting music during a workout, this may be one for you. In my case - and I suspect I'm not alone in this - the tunes come via an iPod which I wear throughout the session. It's a great way to help block out the world around you, and focus on the task at hand.

What happens when you get a new mp3 player, or similar device? Do you slowly build up a collection of things that are just sitting in a drawer?

If that's the case, swing by Gazelle. They'll buy these older devices from you, taking away a lot of the 'will I, won't I' debate each time a new iPod comes out. Great company.

One-Time Events

There are many, many fitness-related fundraising events on the calendar each year. These offer a unique way to donate money, as typically you sponsor one of the athletes or teams involved. Examples include the MS Mud Run, the OXFAM Trailwalker and the Alzheimer's Society Himalayan Trek.

For details of all of these, and many more fitness-related events, head over to the calendar.

Product Purchases

This falls into the category 'help them while you help yourself', and is a superb way to help out a charity or three. Typically the products are books, DVDs or CDs; such as liftStrong.

Good stuff.

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Three Technique Corrections for Tearing Your First Deck of Cards

posted by Jedd 'Napalm' Johnson
Filed in : Articles
Tags : bending, card tearing, Feats of Strength, grip, Old-Time Strength, tearing, technique

Hello. My name is Jedd Johnson. I compete in grip strength competitions and enjoy performing feats of strength.
One of the misconceptions about feats of strength is the level of strength needed for these feats.

While it is true that feats of strength do require strength in order to complete them, there is also a great deal of technique that is involved as well.

There are many people out there who have tried tearing cards only to give up thinking they weren't strong enough just because they could not do it the first time they tried it.

Because feats of strength like card tearing are so beneficial for building strength, getting mentally strong, having fun, and being healthier, it is a shame to have people lose interest after failing the first time.

I failed the first time I tried to tear a deck of cards. In fact, it took me many days of trying before I was ever able to finish off a deck. I talk about this in my Card Tearing eBook.

What I want to do today is let everyone know that it does take some time to adapt to the card tearing learning curve, but you can make that learning curve much shorter by employing a few easy technical tweaks. By making these few technique improvements, tearing a deck of cards can be "within your grasp". Sorry for the bad pun...here are the technique tweaks.

Tweak #1 - Squeeze tight with the fingers

The number one thing that makes it difficult to tear a deck of cards is the outside cards splitting. Once they split it becomes even harder to tear the deck. To prevent this, squeeze as tight as you can with the fingers over the edge of the cards. This keeps the cards pressed together and formed in one unit. This way the outside cards you are gripping won't end up sliding around, and the split on the side of the deck will break all the way through allowing you to attack the deck's weakness.

Tweak #2 - Squeeze your thumb

Many people fail to realize the importance of the thumb in tearing a deck of cards and barely engage it. The thumb can be used to secure the deck of cards in your hands by pressing hard against the side of the deck. The thumb can also be used to wrap over a fingertip or two to increase your crimp grip power on the outside cards.

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Checklists and Complex Problems

posted by Adam Stoffa
Filed in : Articles
Tags : diet, recovery, twitterchats

The ideas below flow from four seminal works :

The Checklist Manifesto by Atul Gawande
Strategic Negotiation by Brian Dietmeyer
The Cathedral and the Bazaar by Eric S. Raymond
and
Blink by Malcolm Gladwell


I have borrowed heavily from each for key concepts and examples and wish to give the works and their authors full credit for anything beneficial that you derive from this article. If you find this article at all interesting (which I hope you do), then I recommend that you review the above texts, as they are all excellent reads. Also, I am indebted to those that participated in Scott Bird's Twitterchat #69. The generosity of the participants in sharing their best practices and personal experience helped me to refine my thinking and encouraged me to follow-up with this article.

Checklists: A Strategy for Managing the Complex Problem of Improving Physical Performance

During the last century, the world's greatest achievements came from solving complicated problems. For example, splitting the atom and putting a man on the moon, required multiple people and teams with specialized expertise. Unanticipated difficulties were frequent and timing and coordination of the work was critical. However, as experience was gained, we were able to repeat and refine the process, until it was nearly perfect.

Encouraged by our success, we entered an age of specialization. This is no less true in the strength and fitness world, where we now have a panoply of experts from science, medicine, and coaching focused on particular and specialized aspects of exercise, nutrition, and recovery. There are experts, including entire sub-specialties for doctors, physical therapists, kinesiologists, and dietitians and technical experts, who can be certified generally (e.g. CSCS for strength training and conditioning) or specifically (e.g. particular training methods like kettle bells). Professional athletes now assemble teams of experts to help with their training. Amateur athletes and serious exercise enthusiasts have access to physicians, personal trainers, nutrition professionals, and various therapists to help with recovery, not to mention the wealth of information and data that can be pulled from the Internet.

Unlike building a rocket ship, maximizing individual athletic performance includes variable factors that are different every time. These factors differ between athletes and even within the same athlete (training methods change as athletes age, are injured, gain strength, improve skills, etc.). It is this variability that makes training a complex problem.

So, what is a complex problem? Well, complex problems are not simple problems. Simple problems are best managed by following an established set of actions with little or no variation in technique. Think of baking a cake from a mix. If you are careful and follow the instructions, you will successfully bake a cake.

Complicated problems like building a rocket ship and sending it to the moon and back, cannot be accomplished by following a recipe. Complicated problems require multiple people or teams with specialized expertise. Unanticipated difficulties are frequent and timing and coordination of work is critical. But, with complicated problems, you can repeat and refine the process, until it is nearly perfect.

Complex problems, like raising a child, helping a client manage a lawsuit, or maximizing athletic performance include variable factors that are different every time. Expertise as a parent, attorney, or trainer is valuable, but not sufficient to adequately address complex problems, because their outcomes remain highly uncertain.

This does not mean that acceptable outcomes for complex problems cannot be achieved or are merely the result of good fortune. Rather, there are certain strategies that greatly enhance the probability of achieving acceptable outcomes. As our awareness and understanding of complexity improves, it becomes clear that the job of a professional is not just to be an expert in a particularized field, but to become a team member actively engaged in achieving an acceptable outcome.

As an attorney, the most important question that I can ask a client is, "What do you believe is an acceptable outcome?" Notice the term acceptable. Perfect outcomes are not achievable. A client that is hoping for a perfect outcome to a complex problem is sure to be disappointed, as trade-offs become necessary, when responding to unexpected problems.

Determining an acceptable outcome is really a matter of negotiating. On the one hand, there is the wish list that defines a perfect outcome. After clients have brainstormed or told me about everything that they would like to achieve, we put those interests in rank order. Then, we turn and consider competing interests. These often include incompatible goals, conflicting obligations, the interests of other parties, and limits on time and resources (this by no means exhausts the list of potential competing interests). Comparing the two lists helps define an acceptable outcome and determines where efforts can be focused to achieve the greatest results.

When dealing with a complex problem, any plan for achieving an acceptable outcome must include a list of necessary tasks and a plan for maintaining communication. The task list insures that routine steps are not missed. The communication list guarantees that everyone talks through and contributes to resolving the unexpected and hard problems.

Properly formulated task focused checklists are very good at reducing the probability that a key step will be skipped or missed, because they engage the thinking part of the brain. In the field, key steps are not so much consciously skipped, as much as they are missed due to environmental distractions. By creating an agreed upon checklist of action items, you decrease the risk that you, your client, or another member of the team will skip a key step due to distractions. The checklist serves as a cognitive safety net, making it easy to embrace the project at hand, without skipping simple steps.

An example from training might be properly warming up. Everyone knows it's foolish to engage in physical training without warming up first, but with time pressure, competing interests, or environmental stress, this step occasionally gets skipped. The risks associated with skipping this step, are significant. Pulled muscles are a major setback to a training program. When you balance the interests involved, saving a few minutes versus suffering a major setback, the risk associated with skipping this key step is unacceptably high. Therefore, item number 1 on your checklist could be:

1. Complete Warm Up Exercises

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The Magnificent Seven

posted by Scott Andrew Bird
Filed in : Articles

Over the years this site's showcased some truly incredible articles from a range of authors looking at a variety of strength training approaches. Although trying to produce any list of favourites is a bit like trying to choose between your own children, I've selected a few that'll help get the ball rolling.

A gathering of articles that will give you an idea of the incredible range of training styles and approaches available. The Magnificent Seven.

Enjoy.

NB : if you like these articles (and I've no doubt that you will), a simple way to show the author appreciation is by voting on it. You'll see links for Digg, Twitter and Facebook next to each one.

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Evolution of Sandbag Training Part 2

posted by Josh Henkin
Filed in : Articles
Tags : conditioning

So sad, so sad that most of our training is limited to what we are familiar training with. Often ideas are restrained to the capabilities of the equipment we choose to utilize in our training. That is a big reason that I am often saddened seeing how people incorporate sandbag training into their routines.

There are those that like to use sandbags because they are a nice "change of pace" or some other misguided souls use them because they want to be "hardcore". Neither of these reasons are good enough to justify the use of sandbags in one's training programs.


Using any type of training method or tool should be the result of problem solving one's training needs. Whether this is to enhance a specific fitness quality or to help an old injury, or to hit angles and movements that are not possible with other means. In a lot of ways my system was the result of trying to solve these issues in my own training and those of my clients.

Instant Corrections

Too many coaches look at sandbag training as a means to look tough during training. No one ever won anything based upon how they looked while they trained. It is only the result one achieves through their training that is truly meaningful.

I have found sandbags to help in some unexpected ways. For example, athletes and non-athletes alike often struggle to perform a great squat. I am referring to an Olympic style that not only gets you stronger, but mobile as well. All too many times coaches abandon squats or use a lesser variation to get around their weaknesses and flexibility issues. Often this results in injury or lack of transfer.

In order to solve this problem I often recommend implementing bear hug squats for those lifters that have a problem with excessive forward lean. The bear hug squat is a great drill because not only can you load the exercise to appreciable levels, but the counterbalance of the sandbag keeps the lifter far more vertical often curing at least 90% of the lifter's forward lean issues.

By using this position as well, the lifter can go deeper into the squat training more of the hamstrings and glutes. The bear hug has additional value in isometrically training the upper back and arms, two areas that many athletes forget to train in this manner that result in poor performance. In MMA many athletes fatigue after trying to execute an intense choke or submission. Largely this is left untrained in strength and conditioning.

To see how to solve other squatting issues see the video below:

Sandbags additionally can provide a remedy in improving pressing strength and shoulder health. Because of the constant shifting of sandbags, the smaller stabilizers are trained in the shoulder girdle. This means the support of the joint improves over time. Yet, we don't have to neglect performance. Using specific sandbag drills we can teach the body important lessons of stability and building a solid foundation by still training. All too often coaches feel frustrated as they try to find cues that teach lifters these same principles.

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Evolution of Sandbag Training

posted by Josh Henkin
Filed in : Articles
Tags : grip, kettlebells

Results! That is the one thing that all of us care about, whether as a coach, athlete, or fitness enthusiast. This is a large reason that so many people have turned away from the supposed "high-tech" training tools and have sought out some of the time tested training that the strongest humans in the world used. This has given rise to grip training, stones, logs, kettlebells, extreme bodyweight training, and most recently sandbag training.

As a strength coach for the past fifteen years I have found myself in a similar position as many who want to find the fastest ways to strength. This led me down the road of examining many different training methods, and one that has always intrigued me was sandbags.

For years sandbags were used by athletic programs that simply could not afford to supply large amounts of athletes with strength training tools. Tell an athlete they have to lift a sandbag and they already know it is going to be more difficult than a bar or dumbbell, their heads sink as they know they are just flat out hard! Yet, even if something is difficult, it doesn't automatically make it beneficial.

I found it intriguing that sandbags had no definitive system of training. It appears that EVERYTHING from medicine balls, body weight, to kettlebells have a system of training. Having a system is important in developing meaning behind training and exercises, without it things remain random and training is stagnant and without purpose.

Why sandbags? Having competed in team sports for over a decade, and iron sports such as Strongman and Olympic lifting, I found sandbags provided some unique benefits for all types of athletes.

The Bridge into Strongman

Having lifted stones, logs, and lots of odd implements, sandbags still remain one of the most challenging implements to train with because of the constantly shifting load that makes sandbags so difficult. I first used sandbags when access to standard Strongman tools were impossible. It just seemed obvious that sandbags hit the body in a different way than your standard weight room tools, it was as though sandbags hit all our weak links. Then when I actually got to train with Strongman tools and events, nothing compared with the challenge that lifting heavy sandbags provided on the back, hips, arms, legs, and abs...YES, truly the whole body! There seemed to be something there that could be more applicable to people beyond Strongman, but what was it?

Strongman is known for lifting odd objects, but the angles and movements that could be created even go beyond the standard Strongman protocols. One of my greatest disappointments with the renewed excitement of sandbag training is the lack of innovation people are using in their training.

Olympic Lifting Excuses

Hang around strength coaches long enough and you will undoubtedly get into the "should or should not" Olympic lift argument. For those that are typically in the "do not" camp, it is the fact that Olympic lifting is a very specific sport and technique is challenging to pick up. Some coaches are fearful they will spend more time teaching technique than receive the benefit of Olympic lifting.

Sandbags remove that concern as cleaning, jerking, and other Olympic "style" lifts can be performed quite easily so more time is spent training than practicing. Some may argue that kettlebells do the same, however, kettlebells are different as they typically don't hold true to the triple extension that occurs in Olympic lifting which is what makes it such a powerful training tool for athletes. Sandbags do hold true to the triple extension and offer more variety in exercises that can be created that can replicate the unpredictable nature of sport itself. We now can not only perform the standard pulls and explosive exercises but perform them in rotation and other angles that happens in many sports!

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Diesel Steel Bending Basics

posted by Jedd 'Napalm' Johnson
Filed in : Articles
Tags : bending, grip, Old-Time Strength

There are many benefits to bending steel.

First off, bending steel is extremely fun. Many athletes who take up bending literally become obsessed with it and bend multiple times a week.

Another benefit from bending steel is the physical result of bigger and stronger muscles. Straining against the steel requires a great deal of time under tension which results in increased strength and bigger muscles, especially in the upper and lower arms.

Next, bending increases your mental toughness. While the first couple of times you bend you may fail at a particular attempt, if you resolve to focus mentally and continue to hone your ability to do this, after a short time your mental toughness will enable you to blow past previous plateaus and climb the bending ladder.

Finally, there are certification systems out there that you can strive for and get recognition and your name 'up in lights' for the efforts you put into bending. Unfortunately, jumping right to the steel that you get certified on can leave you highly disappointed and possibly even injured.

This article serves as a guide of how to get started with bending and how to gradually climb the ladder safely and steadily.

TYPES OF STEEL TO BEND

There are a lot of options out there for you to start bending. Getting started can be as easy as heading to the hardware store. This is what you can pick up when you go there to get some beginner level nails to bend

Coiled Nails: Many nails are not straight the whole way down their shaft, but rather have a coiled design to them.

This coil makes the shaft of the nail thinner and less strength is required to bend them, a great option for people starting out with bending.
Ungraded Bolts & Screws: There are many different types of ungraded bolts and screws at hardware stores. Lag screws are one example, pictured here. Take a tape measure with you to the store and look for screws and bolts that are about 6 inches long 1/4 inch in diameter, more or less. These should be good selections for beginning benders.
One thing to take note with bending bolts and screws is that if they are threaded in the middle of the shaft, they will be easier to bend. Try to find un-threaded ones if you can for a more easily predictable bend, other wise you may want to go with a thicker diameter.

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Jaw Lifting : What, Why and How

posted by Ryan Pitts
Filed in : Articles
Tags : bending, grip, jaw lifting, Old-Time Strength