Friday, May 24, 2013
W.O.W. # 8: Barbell Complex
Bent-over Row x 8 reps
Cleans x 8 reps
Front Squat x 8 reps
Military Press x 8 reps
Back Squat x 8 reps
Romanian Deadlift x 8 reps
* Men: 95 - 115 lbs Women: Bar - 65 lbs
* As you start the complex above, you are not allowed to put the bar down until you're done.
* Rest 2 min in between sets
* Finish 4-5 sets
Friday, May 17, 2013
W.O.W. #7: General Physical Preparedness (GPP)
- Full-body GPP workout for time:
- 4 One arm Snatches (2 each arm - use a kettlebell if you want) - pick a 4 RM weight
- + 5 Pull-ups
- + 10 Push-ups
- + 20 Bodyweight Squats
- = 1 circuit.
*NOW DO THAT AS MANY TIMES AS YOU CAN IN 30 MINUTES!
*RECORD THE NUMBER OF CIRCUITS YOU FINISH IN 30 MINUTES.
Friday, May 10, 2013
W.O.W. #6: Get in the Gym!
Round 1
1 push-up
1 Burpee
1 Ankle grab
1 Squat jump
1 Sprint (down and back)
* for round 2 do 2 of each, for round 3 do 3 of each. Continue this way through round 10 where you'll do 10 each
* record the time it takes you to finish all 10 rounds
Friday, May 3, 2013
W.O.W. # 5: Lactic Acid Training
Lactic Acid Training
Make sure you do 10-15 mins. of dynamic warm-up before starting this workout.
12 squats (at 12RM)
Rest 60 seconds
12 chin-ups (at 12RM)
Rest 60 seconds
12 deadlifts (at 12 RM)
Rest 60 seconds
12 dips (at 12 RM)
*rest 2 min
*do 3-4 sets
*write down how many pounds you lifted in the Squats and Deadlifts
*write down how many pounds you lifted in the Squats and Deadlifts
Friday, April 26, 2013
W.O.W. #4: 100 DB Complex
100 Dumbbell Complex
10 Snatch Left
* use a weight in which you can do 10 reps with the Snatch and use that weight for the rest of the exercises.
* do 3-4 rounds
* record the time it takes you to finish each round
* rest 3 minutes between rounds
Make sure you eat a big breakfast!
10 Snatch Left
10 Snatch Right
10 Swings Left
10 Swings Right
10 DB on Left Shoulder Lunges
10 DB on Right Shoulder Lunges
10 Bent-over Row Left
10 Bent-over Row Right
10 Push-ups (Left hand on Dumbbell)
10 Push-ups (Right hand on Dumbbell)
* use a weight in which you can do 10 reps with the Snatch and use that weight for the rest of the exercises.
* do 3-4 rounds
* record the time it takes you to finish each round
* rest 3 minutes between rounds
Make sure you eat a big breakfast!
Friday, March 22, 2013
W.O.W. #3
25 min Finisher
Squat
Overhead press
Deadlift
Pull down (15 rep max weight)
Swissball pikes
The chore is to do ten reps back-to-back of each of the five lifts, then start again doing nine, then eight, then seven... and, again, you see where this is heading!
One rule, you have to finish in 25 minutes. I insist you use weights that are so light in the squat, press, and deadlift that you're embarrassed to begin the workout.
End with that, I bid you au revoir!
Friday, March 15, 2013
W.O.W. #2: The 300 Workout!
Congratulations to last week's winners: Brad and Anita.
And now on to this weekend's challenge. Be warned: this is not for the faint of heart!
"300 Workout"
100 Reps Back Squat
Men: 185 lbs Barbell Squats
Women have 2 options:
-Freemotion Squat Machine for women not familiar with barbell squats (@ 120 lbs)
-If you're experienced with Barbell Squats, do them @ 115-135 lbs
*Perform deep squats by letting your hamstring go past parallel to the ground as you squat down.
100 Push-ups
Men: 35 lb plate on back
Women: bodyweight
*Let chest touch the ground and lock elbows at the top when performing push-ups.
100 Pull-ups
Men: Bodyweight
Women: set up machine weight to where you can do 12 pull-ups only (12th rep is the last you can do and no more)
*From the hang position, pull self up and let chin pass above the handles and lock out elbows at the bottom.
*I suggest breaking up each exercise into 10 sets x 10 reps (10 squats, 10 push-ups, 10 pull-ups and keep moving until you've completed 10 sets)
*Record the time it takes you to finish 300 Reps
Who can beat my time? 18:29
Friday, March 8, 2013
It's Time!!!
It's that time... the much anticipated:
Workout Of the Weekend! (W.O.W.)
You work hard at the gym all week. I see you. I know you do. But then it's the weekend. Ahhh. Sit back. Relax. Eat some chips. Watch some TV. Right?
Well, those days are over, my friends! It's time for a little friendly competition. Let's get off the couch, get moving, and earn ourselves some bragging rights!
Here's how this will go down. Every weekend from now until Memorial Day (a.k.a. the official start of swimsuit season), I'll be posting a W.O.W. Check in here. Do the workout. Stop back in and record your time. Yes, post it publicly! Accountability is one of our greatest motivators!
Ready? Okay, here is our first W.O.W.
"Spring Training"
1-Arm Dumbbell Snatch - 8 ea. arm
Men 45-50 lbs
Women 20-25 lbs
Renegade Row - 12 ea. arm
Men 30-35 lbs
Women 20-25 lbs
Medball/Sandbell Slams - 20 Slams
Men 30 lb Sandbell /20 lb Medball
Women 16-20 lb Medball
Quarter Mile (.25) run
Treadmill on 2% incline
*Time starts as soon as you do the first exercise.
*Do 4 Rounds. Don't stop timer until you've finished all 4 rounds!
*Record your time and post it here or on Facebook as soon as you finish all 4 Rounds.
Saturday, March 2, 2013
Coming Soon: W.O.W.
In January, we talked briefly about a 52-week plan for maintaining motivation while you work toward your fitness goals.
Coming soon: I am about to unleash a plan to bolster motivation and accountability, to keep us on track for the remaining 43 weeks of this year.
Be sure to check in here next Friday, March 8th, to see what W.O.W. is all about. And have your gym shoes ready!!!
Coming soon: I am about to unleash a plan to bolster motivation and accountability, to keep us on track for the remaining 43 weeks of this year.
Be sure to check in here next Friday, March 8th, to see what W.O.W. is all about. And have your gym shoes ready!!!
Monday, January 21, 2013
New Year's Resolution... How's That Going?
The New Year. Excitement. Celebrations. Goals and motivation. This year will be different. This year I will accomplish X, lose Y pounds, visit Z. You name it, we've all thought it. And we really meant it. Three weeks ago.
But that was then. This is now.
We're suddenly 3 weeks into the new year, and many of us find ourselves back to our everyday routine. We didn't intentionally decide that our goal is no longer important to us. Because really it is. It's just that little by little, our pre-holiday commitments and schedules creep back into our post-holiday lives, and unless we wrote it down and proclaimed it to the world (or an accountability group), resolutions gradually fade from consciousness.
That's how it has gone for many years for me, and probably for you, too. So let me share with you a concept I picked up just before the new year this year: 52 Mondays.
52 Mondays is a life-changing book, written by Vic Johnson. Inspiring. Right from the outset, Johnson challenges readers with this question:
He goes on to explain:
Wow! Where could I be now, if I had spent 2012 working weekly towards my goals?
I realize that fitness goals will never be reached with just one Monday work-out per week. But we can use the concept of 52 Mondays to attain our fitness resolutions, just by thinking of our main goal as a series of 52 weekly accomplishments. Perhaps this week you resolve to find a work-out partner. Next week to try a new class, or to venture to a new area of the gym to incorporate free-weights (gasp!). The next week resolve to meet with a nutritionist, and the following week to implement her meal plan. You get the idea.
If your fitness resolutions for 2013 have already started fading away, would reframing your goals as a series of 52 weekly accomplishments get you back on track?
Where will you be in January 2014?
But that was then. This is now.
We're suddenly 3 weeks into the new year, and many of us find ourselves back to our everyday routine. We didn't intentionally decide that our goal is no longer important to us. Because really it is. It's just that little by little, our pre-holiday commitments and schedules creep back into our post-holiday lives, and unless we wrote it down and proclaimed it to the world (or an accountability group), resolutions gradually fade from consciousness.
That's how it has gone for many years for me, and probably for you, too. So let me share with you a concept I picked up just before the new year this year: 52 Mondays.
52 Mondays is a life-changing book, written by Vic Johnson. Inspiring. Right from the outset, Johnson challenges readers with this question:
If you had started something new and worked on it every week since one year ago, what might you have been able to accomplish?
He goes on to explain:
If you had written 1,000 words every week, you'd be close to completing a novel.
If you had taken in one music lesson per week, you might be approaching a level of proficiency.
Etc. Etc.
Wow! Where could I be now, if I had spent 2012 working weekly towards my goals?
I realize that fitness goals will never be reached with just one Monday work-out per week. But we can use the concept of 52 Mondays to attain our fitness resolutions, just by thinking of our main goal as a series of 52 weekly accomplishments. Perhaps this week you resolve to find a work-out partner. Next week to try a new class, or to venture to a new area of the gym to incorporate free-weights (gasp!). The next week resolve to meet with a nutritionist, and the following week to implement her meal plan. You get the idea.
If your fitness resolutions for 2013 have already started fading away, would reframing your goals as a series of 52 weekly accomplishments get you back on track?
Where will you be in January 2014?
Saturday, January 5, 2013
More on the Core
Hopefully we're all on the same page now, with a good understanding of the relationship between core strength and core stability. I assume everyone now knows that core stability refers to the stability of the spine, NOT to the stability of the muscles themselves. And remember that core stability is attained through the strength and endurance of the muscles of the core. In other words, core strength allows for core stability.
"What? What are you talking about, 'stabilizing my spine?' I thought core exercises were meant to give me a good 6-pack."
Good question: why do we need to have a stable core, a.k.a., stable spine? Having the strength to stabilize your spine is vital because on its own, the spine is inherently unstable. As a complex of vertebrae and intervertebral discs, the spine would buckle under compression loads of as little as 2 kg. So you can see that a strong and stable core is vital for more reasons than having a good 6-pack.
Okay, so we've moved beyond the infomercials' emphasis on the aesthetics of the core. I can only assume that means you want to know more about the "real" core, right? Here is a basic overview:
The core musculature can be generally defined as the 29 pairs of muscles that support the lumbo-pelvic-hip complex in order to stabilize the spine, pelvis, and kinetic chain during functional movements. A stable core can be considered the foundation of all limb movements.
The Inter-related Subsystems of the Core
The core can be thought of as 3 inter-related subsystems: passive, active, and neural. (We will not address the neural system today, as more research is needed to determine how to best train neural involvement.)
The Passive Subsystem
The "passive" core is made up of the vertebrae, intervertebral discs, joints, and ligaments, all structures which have no ability to act.
The Active Subsystem
The "active" core includes the muscles and tendons surrounding and acting upon the spinal column. The active core can be divided into "local" muscles and "global" muscles. Let's look a little deeper here, as local vs. global will come into play in program design (which means in your training!).
Active "Local" Muscles
The local muscles (primarily the transverse abdominus and multifidi) activate approximately 100ms prior to limb movement to stabilize the spine for that movement. The local core muscles do not create movement, although they likely contribute secondarily to the movement of the spine.
Active "Global" Muscles
Global core musculature, on the other hand, produce movement and torque in (and secondarily stabilize) the core. Global muscles include the rectus abdominus (muscles of the 6-pack), lateral fibers of external obliques, psoas major, and erector spinae.
Implications for Training
Now that we understand the subsystems of the core, we can talk training. Functional progression is the most important aspect of the core strengthening program. Progression of training of core musculature works from the inside out. You may have guessed that that means from the local to the global system.
Core training generally optimizes function of the local system before emphasizing movements that utilize the global system. Specifically, trainers might begin with local system exercises that involve little to no motion through the spine and pelvis, low resistances, and slow movements.
Examples: prone bridge, side bridge, side bridge abduction
Because most isolation (local) exercises are in nonfunctional positions, exercise training must shift to more functional positions and activities, which is, of course, the global system. These exercises emphasize movement of the spine, and involve more dynamic eccentric and concentric movement of the spine through a full range of motion. These will be done with rapid movement and higher resistance.
Examples: T rotation, twist on ball, cable wood chop
In addition to all this strength talk, there is growing evidence in the research to support that endurance may be the more important training variable when it comes to the core musculature. You should expect your trainer to include longer, less demanding exercises to target core endurance.
Feeling a lot more motivated about doing the plank now? Good, me too!
Faries, M.D., and M. Greenwood. Core Training: Stabilizing the Confusion. Strength and Conditioning Journal. 29:10-22. 2007.
"What? What are you talking about, 'stabilizing my spine?' I thought core exercises were meant to give me a good 6-pack."
Good question: why do we need to have a stable core, a.k.a., stable spine? Having the strength to stabilize your spine is vital because on its own, the spine is inherently unstable. As a complex of vertebrae and intervertebral discs, the spine would buckle under compression loads of as little as 2 kg. So you can see that a strong and stable core is vital for more reasons than having a good 6-pack.
Okay, so we've moved beyond the infomercials' emphasis on the aesthetics of the core. I can only assume that means you want to know more about the "real" core, right? Here is a basic overview:
The core musculature can be generally defined as the 29 pairs of muscles that support the lumbo-pelvic-hip complex in order to stabilize the spine, pelvis, and kinetic chain during functional movements. A stable core can be considered the foundation of all limb movements.
The Inter-related Subsystems of the Core
The core can be thought of as 3 inter-related subsystems: passive, active, and neural. (We will not address the neural system today, as more research is needed to determine how to best train neural involvement.)
The Passive Subsystem
The "passive" core is made up of the vertebrae, intervertebral discs, joints, and ligaments, all structures which have no ability to act.
The Active Subsystem
The "active" core includes the muscles and tendons surrounding and acting upon the spinal column. The active core can be divided into "local" muscles and "global" muscles. Let's look a little deeper here, as local vs. global will come into play in program design (which means in your training!).
Active "Local" Muscles
The local muscles (primarily the transverse abdominus and multifidi) activate approximately 100ms prior to limb movement to stabilize the spine for that movement. The local core muscles do not create movement, although they likely contribute secondarily to the movement of the spine.
Active "Global" Muscles
Global core musculature, on the other hand, produce movement and torque in (and secondarily stabilize) the core. Global muscles include the rectus abdominus (muscles of the 6-pack), lateral fibers of external obliques, psoas major, and erector spinae.
Implications for Training
Now that we understand the subsystems of the core, we can talk training. Functional progression is the most important aspect of the core strengthening program. Progression of training of core musculature works from the inside out. You may have guessed that that means from the local to the global system.
Core training generally optimizes function of the local system before emphasizing movements that utilize the global system. Specifically, trainers might begin with local system exercises that involve little to no motion through the spine and pelvis, low resistances, and slow movements.
Examples: prone bridge, side bridge, side bridge abduction
Because most isolation (local) exercises are in nonfunctional positions, exercise training must shift to more functional positions and activities, which is, of course, the global system. These exercises emphasize movement of the spine, and involve more dynamic eccentric and concentric movement of the spine through a full range of motion. These will be done with rapid movement and higher resistance.
Examples: T rotation, twist on ball, cable wood chop
In addition to all this strength talk, there is growing evidence in the research to support that endurance may be the more important training variable when it comes to the core musculature. You should expect your trainer to include longer, less demanding exercises to target core endurance.
Feeling a lot more motivated about doing the plank now? Good, me too!
Faries, M.D., and M. Greenwood. Core Training: Stabilizing the Confusion. Strength and Conditioning Journal. 29:10-22. 2007.
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