It was a very busy year from returning from the Middle East to getting certified as a personel trainer as well as a Crossfit trainer and building my gym and business. I want to thank everyone that believed in me and was invovled in the process from the start. 2009 is going to be an even bigger year for us!
Starts today! Great combination of deadlifts and burpees, heavy and fast!
Training: Deadlifts x 5 Burpees x 10 5 rounds for time
Thanks to Crossfit
Training: 1 arm push-ups practice for 30 minutes Start by doing these modified i.e with your knees on the ground, legs spread wide. Work to lower your chest and shoulders to the ground evenly and to push-up evenly. Keep your body as tight as possible.
3 degrees outside, sweating and working inside the gym. We are getting some great results utilizing workouts that cram alot of work but are smashed through in about 10-15 minutes and under. I am going to be coupling this with "heavy" conditioning, heavy conditioning is simply a heavy load bearing movement coupled with a fast bodyweight or a smaller load movement. This is going to drive strength gains and conditioning at the same time and I am really excited about this.
Training: 50 sit-ups 15 thrusters 20 pull-ups 12 thrusters 15 pull-ups 9 thrusters 10 pull-ups 50 sit-ups For time Loading on the thruster is 65 lbs, and 95 lbs
Training: Elevated push-ups = feet higher than hands Start a stop watch then perform 1 elevated push-up the 1st minute, 2 the 2nd minute, 3 the 3rd minute and so on until you are unable to complete the push-ups in that minute. How long can you go?
What Favre did: 45 lb dumbell hang squat cleans + thruster Pull-ups 21-15-9 For time Massive forearm work on this holding the dumbells through an explosive movement
Friday, December 26, 2008
10 lunges 10 push-ups 10 jump-squats 7 rounds for time
This is what my oldest daughter told me when she saw a slimmer Santa at a Christmas party we attended recently. Maybe he wouldn't need as many reindeer to pull him if he trimmed up some.
Training: 21-18-15-12-9-6-3 Pull-ups Push-ups Sit-ups Squats For time
Athletic, explosive, and powerful, movements don't get better or more functional than the push-jerk. The biggest loads will be lifted and multiple skills and adaptations will be learned. This lift utilizes the most favorable mechanics to move and stabilize large loads overhead and once learned correctly the athlete will use the same motions in everyday life whenever something needs to be placed overhead. Maybe those Christmas decorations I may eventually take down and put away?
Training: Push-jerk 6x3
What Favre did: 5 muscle-ups 10 overhead squats at 95 lbs 5 rounds for time
Work hard and realize your dreams. Photo courtesy of Diana
We are hitting the final couple of days before Christmas. And apparently from the news reports from around the nation, it's a good thing we have built lots of strength and conditioning to fight off the hordes while some of us finish the panic shopping.
Training: 5 x turkish get-up left arm 5 x turkish get-up right arm 10 x push-ups Max rounds in 20 minutes
It is with a very heavy heart that we say good bye to an strong athlete and an even better friend and person. Diana's first training session was August 4th 2008 where she performed her first training session of 1 pull-up, 2 push-ups, and 3 squats, for max rounds in 20 minutes. She did 45 rounds and I was impressed! Hardly missing a training session she continued to work hard and motivated and inspired the other athletes around her, including myself. D has an inner strength that few possess and always strives to perform better and better. Her smile and energy always provided a bright spot in my day. Her drive, passion and strength will carry her to success and I feel blessed to have had her in my gym and life, even for just a short amount of time. You will be greatly missed Deelicious!
Big D 2.0: Tire flip x 3 push-up x 6 Swings x 9 Max rounds in 3 minutes Rest 1 minute Repeat for 5 "rounds"
My athletes know that I believe in them and that I believe in what they can do and how they can perform while training. I believe in what they tell me what they want to do in life and that they can accomplish whatever goal they set for themselves. However no matter how much I believe, if they don't have the same belief in themselves it may be too short of a journey. Build that belief in yourself, look at where you started and see how far you have come during training. Remember how awkward those first squats were and how impossible any sort of pull-up felt. Now correct squats are second nature and pull-ups are used as warm ups! You can do it, I know it and now start believing it.
Kristy: 100 rope turns 10 burpees 15 push-ups 20 squats 10 rounds for time
Honestly I'm not going to post a video or picture but I am going to say this workout has to be one of the most demanding and intense training sessions I and my athletes have done to date.
The morning crew did 1 version of this workout and then the afternoon crew did version 2. I wanted to see the difference in time and try a gauge intensity. Version 2 moved much faster through the rounds which I like but version 1 did take longer and was a little physically tougher during the calisthenic part of the training session. Both quality and both elicited a great metabolic response.
Training version #1: Jump-rope 100 turns Push-ups+mountain climber Squat+jumping lunges 2-4-6-8-10 4 rounds for time
Version 2: Jump-rope 50 turns Push-ups+mountain climber Squat+jumping lunges 2-4-6-8-10-8-6-4-2 For time
When the weight on the dumbell snatches starts to get heavy it's time to learn to drop back under the weight to ensure the arm is locked to support the weight. The movement is meant to be explosive from start to finish, which means not pressing the dumbell out at the top. The dumbell snatch is a great, athletic, explosive movement.
Training: Dumbell snatch x 8 Dumbell snatch x 8 Burpees x 10 5 rounds for time.
The increased strength built with the front squats along with core strength, balance, flexibility and coordination is truly functional strength.
Training: Front squats 5x5
This is NOT functional training in the least. This is stupid circus shit that will not help us in our fitness goals or apply to everyday life. Again the swiss ball stuff is feaking stupid. Want functional, then lets hit some deadlifts and burpees!!
Ok say they may not be super fun but they are very effective building the increased work capacity the athletes are chasing. I lowered the weight slightly on the swings to drive a faster time and drill correct technique. Now as the athlete gets fatigued and is racing the clock, technique will suffer to varying degrees. This is fine and expected and me as the Coach is there remindeing the athletes to maintain that correct technique. It may not be perfect but they will still try.
Training: 21,18,15,12,9,6,3 Swings Pull-ups For time
I love the basics, my favorite movements to train are the basics. Athletes cannot go wrong with heavily emphasizing the basics in their training. The basic build a strong foundation that can be built apon for the rest of their lives and once the basics are mastered any exercise can be learned and applied.
Training: Back to Basics 80 squats 2 pull-ups 60 squats 4 pull-ups 40 squats 8 pull-ups 20 squats 10 pull-ups
Everyone has bad days in the gym and it's OK. Sometimes everything feels weird and you can't focus and the weight you have smoked before now feels heavy. These days are normal. The best thing to do is to move on and look to the next training session. Also bad days happen for a variety of reasons, diet, stress, life just kicking you in the tenders. Hows this for a bad day, coming in last at a base strongman competion when you trained and you know you are stronger than most, but I wasn't that day and my last place finish showed it. Shit happens and you say fuck it and move forward.
Training: Press 5x5
Training: Weighted pull-ups-work up to a max single
Another athlete, Tracy, completed her goal of running a mile without stopping, so in the tradition of the gym a workout was created! This is one of my favorite parts of being a trainer, seeing the athletes progress and complete goals. She worked hard so here she is:
Goblet squats are a great learning tool to teach the correct positions of a weighted squats. It is easier to maintain the lumbar curve and knees out position while in the botton of the squat as well as pushing with the hips and staying upright.
I wanted to make sure the pre-Thanksgiving training session would get the athletes fully prepared for all the delicious foods they would be eating on the holiday!
Training: The Gobblah Burpees x 60 seconds Pull-ups x 60 seconds Squats x 60 seconds Push-ups x seconds
Burpees x 45 seconds Pull-ups x 45 seconds Squats x 45 seconds Push-ups 45 seconds
Burpees x 30 seconds Pull-ups x 30 seconds Squats x 30 seconds Push-ups x 30 seconds
Burpees x 15 seconds pull-ups x 15 seconds Squats x 15 seconds Push-ups x 15 seconds
1 of the most brutal workouts from Crossfit. Fran is short and extremely intense, the metabolic hit is absolutly incredibly and will humble the most elite athlete.
Training: Fran Thrusters (65 lbs, 95 lbs) Pull-ups 21-15-9 For time
The aim of our focus can be the deciding factor if we finish or struggle through a round or set. When the athletes mind is completely focused on the task at hand they will always be successful. Conversely if the athlete is letting her mind wander and become distracted even the easiest weight can prove impossible. As one of the athletes discovered tonight anger and aggression can be very powerful aids in the success of the task. But I want to give a word of caution here, I do not want my athletes constantly going to a place of anger and aggression for motivation as it can be poison for the soul. That being said if someone happens to be having a difficult week or month, I encourage them to have it out in the gym. Abuse the weights and exhaust yourself and know you are building yourself stronger.
Training: Press 5x5
This is a tribute video to my favorite modern day Strongman Jesse Marunde who over a year ago died unexpectedly
A mountain climber push-ups is a push-ups followed by however many mountain climbers. Today I kept all the mountain climbers at 4 and increased the push-ups. next time I am going to increase the mountain climbers with the push-ups.
Training: 150 rope turns 2-4-6-8-10 push-ups followed by 4 mountain climbers 4 rounds for time
Going from the Press to the Push-press and finally the Push-jerk is a very logical training program. Each lift builds on the next and each is valuable in any strength and conditoning program. Typically an athlete will get a 30% increase from the Press to the Push-press and 30% from the Push-press to the Push-jerk. The Push jerk is the most athletic and powerful lift of the 3.
Training: Technique training Press Push-press Push-jerk
Constantly varied functional movements are extremely easy to implement with a stop watch and a deck of cards! Assign whatever movements you want to each card and have at it, face cards count for 10, ace's are 1 and have fun with the jokers. I suggest 20 burpees for the jokers.
Training: Deck O cards Clubs-Pull-ups Spades-Squats Diamonds-Thrusters Hearts-Push-ups Joker-20 burpees Play for 20 minutes
Now I could go with a low ball joke about the snatch and my athletes and how nice and fast they are but I am going to take the high road and leave you with this video!
Training: Dumbell snatch left arm x5 Squats x 10 Dumbell snatch right arm x5 Max rounds in 10 minutes
True core strength comes from handling heavy weights through a full range of motion utilizing a compound movement. Front squats fit the bill well, if at anytime the athletes midline stability begins to relax the squat will fail and more than likely sending the weight and the athlete forward.
Another technique day but I introduced and focused on the sumo deadlift high pull or SDHP. This movement is a gateway move to the more technically exacuted olympic lifts, the snatch and clean and jerk. Also the movement is great in everyday life for when someone has to pick something fairly heavy off the ground and put it up somewhere. The key points I want my athletes to focus on is proper starting positions and reaching full extension before pulling the bar to the chin.
Did lots of practice with the pvc pipe to learn proper overhead press technique. Remember to keep the weight as close to the midline of the body as possible as this is the most efficient path for the bar to follow. And at the top lock out fully and shrug those traps hard.
Upright and elbows high, if you think your elbows are high enough then try to get em higher! maintain an active lumbar arch in your spine and drop below parallel. If your ass is sore the next day then you know you were going to proper depth.
Training: Front squat 5x3
Tuesday, November 11, 2008
MHT Training: Run 400 meters 50 squats 4 rounds for time
Coach Greg Glassman is rallying the fitness community to help raise money so every Marine gym can be properly equipped with equipment to be a fully functional Crossfit style training facility. Please go here http://operationphoenix.myshopify.com/ to help out, there are some great t-shirts and like the site said every penny goes to the Marines
Training: 100 rope turns 20 jumping lunges 20 crunches 4 rounds for time
The troops hit squats and the athletes hit the push presses. Strength and power were both worked today and the results are still getting better and better.
Training: Push press 8x3
On the road training: Feeling stressed or tight from a long road trip? Try this: 200 squats 100 push-ups 75 crunches 50 burpees For time
Tiff: 5 thrusters (75 lbs, 205 lbs) 10 pull-ups 15 burpees 10 rounds for time
MHT Training: The official warmup: 10 squats 10 push-ups 10 Air Force crunches 5 pull-ups (do 10 if your strong) 3 rounds Sampson stretch 30 seconds each leg once
Then
Overhead press 5x5 Bar to shoulders after every rep.
The kip is not a cheating pull-up! The kipping pull-up allows more work to be done in less time and trains the fast twitch muscle fibers in the back. Proper kipping technique also trains the hips to open and close explosivley, which is a very important skill in life and sport.
Training: Learn the kip
Then
10 situps 10 burpees Max rounds in 12 minutes
MHT Training: 400 Meter run 4 rounds
Rest 2 minutes between rounds
If this was easy for you then you didn't run hard enough.
I am proud to say I am finally a Crossfit level 1 certified trainer! This is very exciting for me and I really love to learn and apply fitness concepts in my athletes and my own training. I met lots of great people and had a great time soaking up all the info I could. Training: Fix squat flaws and introduce the front squat and overhead squat.
Fuck off Favre The name of this workout pretty much says it all, there is more of it but that part will be added in later.
Training: 10 swings x 1 burpee 10 swings x 2 burpees 10 swings x 3 burpees 10 swings x 4 burpees 10 swings x 5 burpees 10 swings x 6 burpees 10 swings x 7 burpees 10 swings x 8 burpees 10 swings x 9 burpees 10 swings x 10 burpees
MHT Training: Warmup: 6 pull-ups 8 situps 10 squats 4 rounds Sampson stretch Then Partner running: Partner up and while run partner runs the other simply holds the top portion of a push-ups until the run is done. Partner run 400 meter run max push-ups hold 5 rounds for time
Since the athletes make the effort to get up early on a Saturday I really want to make it worthwhile. So they got the beastly workout BIG D! I'm thinking these ladies are going to be ready for a strong women contest next season!!
Training:
BIG D Farmers walk 100 meters 6 tire flips 8 burpees Max rounds in 20 minutes
The athletes are noticing that the warm ups are getting a little more extensive, this because they are simply getting in much better shape. Their work capacity has greatly improved and they are ready to be able to work other skills during the warm up. This serves to build a more efficient nervous system and motor pathways which will of course lead to even more improved fitness.
The thruster or squat push press is an absolutly nasty, brutal, and an incredably effect exercise to build fitness. Plug this bad boy into a conditioning workout and enjoy the pain!
Jumping pull-ups are the next progression from ring pulls on the road to full pull-ups. This type of pull-up has the effect of all of a sudden the athlete is doing full pull-ups before they know it. This is also a great time to teach the kip near the top of the pull and the athlete usually will naturally develop the entire kip from top to bottom.
Tabata intervals are simply 20 seconds of work followed by 10 seconds of rest for 8 intervals or 4 minutes of work. Your stop watch at the end will reflect 3:50.
Here is the first workouts I have named after one of my athletes. She was the first to accomplish one of her goals, 100 burpees in 10 minutes. So in Diana'a honor I give you "Big D"!
Farmers walk 100 meters 6 tire flips 8 burpees Max rounds in 20 minutes
This is a brutal workout and she deserves it! So who is next?
20 minutes would feel far tool long on a training session like todays, form would break down very fast and an injury will likely occur. But with the turkish getup 15 minutes is plenty of work, especially when it is coupled with the squat.
Training: 5 turkish getups left arm 5 turkish getups right arm 10 squats Max rounds in 15 minutes
MHT training: 100 squats Run 400 meters 75 squats Run 400 meters 50 squats Run 400 meters 25 squats Run 400 meters
Scale as needed, either cut all the squats reps in half and ending with 15 squats or cut them by 3/4, but leave the run the same do not sclae that back.
Evidence has since proven that a spotter helping the lifter finishing a rep does NOT help build more strength and muscle. The proper role of a spotter is for safety reasons and giving a lift off to the lifter. If weights are prescribed over a set period of reps and sets, they are to be with out any help. If you happen to miss or the spotter helps you get that last rep then the weight cannot be counted and were too heavy to begin with. Be smart with your weight selection and be patiant, the nature of the programming calls for weight increases. Pick smartly and work hard but do it yourself, you will become stronger faster.
Here it is video of Scott Medelson benching 715 lbs, notice the spotter gives a lift off and then everyone takes a safety role and not an assisting role.
Partner up as best as possible and while your partner is running you are holding a pushup plank for the duation of the run. But if your running don't leave them hanging cause when they get back you are switching!
Easy coaching cue to help the athletes learn to be aggressive and to explode to move the weight over head! The push press is another one of those functional movements that is emulated daily from putting groceries away to playing with the kids.
If you deadlifted yesterday and also did the farmers walk then todays training session was not a walk in the park by any stretch of the imagination! Yes the athletes lower backs took a beating but so did their abs and shoulders and lungs. But don't be worried we have 3 days of deload for the rest of the week to look forward to!!
Training: Run 400 meters 21 swings 12 thrusters 3 rounds for time
Training: Partner training Run athlete rows while the other athlete runs 400 meters then they switch
Hitting the Horsetooth Hang today in Fort Collins. Should be an interesting day of climbing! We should be pretty smoked after this and Sundays are great recovery day in the fall filled with football. Hope everybody has a good weekend and get ready for another productive week of training.
Yes everyone gets frustrated when they are jumping rope and hit their feet or trip up a little bit. This is OK!! We are building a new skill and there is always a curve that needs to be navigated before mastering the skill. So just relax and focus and before we know it we will be jumping like champs. One of the common problems and why the rope gets caught at the feet is a slow rope turn. Even when fatigued, focus on a fast rope and the rest will take care of its self.
3's are a great rep scheme when power is being trained. This is because it is easier to keep a high power output going while keeping the reps low. Weighted power training does not lend it's self well to higher reps as staying fast and powerful will quickly end and the point of the training session will be diminished. Now we do train power endurance but that leans further towards the conditioning side of the spectrum but is no less important in all around development.
Training: Dumbbell push press 8x3 1 arm over head squats 3x8 Farmer walks 6 100 meter trips
Starting together and ending together and picking one to set the pace for the workout. When the athletes know other athletes are relying on them to get through the training session in an efficient manner the pace is quikened. Also I tried a workout from Mark Twight called the "vomit comet". It is no joke, I did not vomit but I sure was pushed very close to it.
Training: Pushups 1-10 Situps 1-10 Burpees 1-10 Swings 1-10 Pushups 1-10 Jumping lunges 1-10 For time
Training: 20 sandbag thrusters 70 lb bag 15 kettlebell swings 55 lb 12 pullups 8 burpees 3 rounds for time
Great strength can be built with our own bodyweight but a common aruement is that it is difficult to progress in a manner to overload our system to spur strength gains. I disagree with this as many people can take themselves through progressively difficult varitions to consistantly build strength. As an example today instead of standard push-ups or even push-ups with weight on the back, all I need an athlete to do is to elevate their feet. More resistance and no additional weight added. Training: Squat 5x5 Push-ups 4 x quality set Training: Deadlift 5x5 Weighted push-ups 4 x quality set Training: Squats 5x5 Power overs 3x12
Building lasting power and team work during todays power endurance training session. There is too much mis-information out there today on what true functional training is. Functional training invovles big lifts and the whole body combined in a strength, power and conditioning session and training this way is far more productive and fun than what the muscle mags attempt to tell people.
Training: 5 Tire flips 15 burpees 5 rounds for time
Or just a simple manipulation of training intensity to keep everyone feeling fresh and still improving. Plus it's always fun and rewarding to see an athlete gain a new skill.
Training: 150 rope turns Run 400 meters 75 rope turns Run 400 meters 50 Jumps Run 400 meters
Finishers and weighted walks are easy to coach and easy to implement and very fun to tack on the end of a training session if time allows. All an athlete has to do is pick up something fairly heavy and walk for a period of time or distance.
Everyone is now allowed to leave comments! I changed the settings so if you have questions or something to say please leave it in the comments section. I will do my best to answer questions within 24 hours.
Training: Squats 5x5 push-ups 4 x quality set
Training: Deadlift 5x5 Weighted push-ups 4 x quality set
Originally discovered by Dr. Tabata these interval sessions have been found to burn as much fat as 30 minutes of traditional cardio. These are done with 20 seconds of work followed by 10 seconds of rest for 8 total rounds or 4 minutes. Athletes usually agree it's the longest 20 seconds ever and the shortest 10 seconds.
There is nothing like taking a former high level gymnast, a roping cowgirl, and a Air Force NCO and training them in such a way that an observer would swear there were 3 fighters training! There is nothing wrong with taking a page out of a boxers training book and applying that to a range of athletes at different fitness levels. Work capacity and conditioning is built and everyone is having a great time!
The theory I have on effective grip training is this, it is better and more effective to train grip strength in the main context of the training session than isolating it at the end of the session. My reasoning is when my grip is really needed in day to day life I am already using my entire body, so why not tie it all in together? I am not saying that extra grip should not be done but I believe the bulk should be worked during the main session utilizing deadlifts, pull-ups, kettlebells and all the other fun movements we do.
Today's training session was just as much a mental workout as physical. This training session is in the more of the realm of a challenge as it takes longer and has a much more brutal level of movements. These challenge workouts don't come up too often because of how exhausting they are and should only be taken on a couple times a month to stave of burnout and avoid injury. But when you are finished you get a tremendous sense of accomplishment!
Training: Run 400 meters 25 burpees 18 pulls 4 rounds for time
Competition is a very motivating dynamic to instill in a training session. It will drive athletes harder and further for those couple of extra seconds or to finish those last rounds. This is why I post all the completion times and results of all the training sessions for the athletes to see. It gives everyone a bench mark for the day to try and achieve or exceed. The flip side to this is that in reality you should only be in competition with yourself. You should strive to beat your previous times and strength numbers. If you focus on this aspect and continually best yourself then your body composition and performance goals will soon be a reality. Now look at that board and kick some ass!
Training: Squat 5x5 Push-ups 4x quality set
Training: Goblet squats 4x8 push-ups 4x quality set
Training: Squat work up to a heavy set of 5 Plyo-pushups 4x10
Nothing will wake you up like high intensity conditioning will! The 1 arm thruster brings alot of core stability and over all body conditioning to the table and the pull-ups are just plain fun. Couple it with the most primitive form of exercise and survival the run and we are ready to earn our calories for the weekend.
Training: Run 400 meters 5 thrusters left arm 5 thrusters right arm 30 pulls Run 800 meters 30 pulls 5 thrusters left arm 5 thrusters right arm Run 400 meters For time
Training: Burpee ladder-start a clock, on the first minute do a burpee, rest until minute number 2 and do 2 burpees, rest until minute 3 and do 3 burpees, continue as long as possible, as soon as you cannot finish the number of burpees during the given minute the workout is done.
The weather is definitaly on the down slope as we get later in the year but luckily this will not slow down our conditioning! The more we use the jump rope the more I see it as one of the top tools for building conditioning. More demanding and skill intensive than running and utilizing a small amount of space, we will be jumping our way to higher levels of fitness as the weather outside is frightful.
Training: 100 rope turns 10 burpees 10 push-ups 10 squats 8 rounds for time
Training: Bench press work up to a heavy single Broad jumps 3x10
These are fanatstic at teaching the correct body position throughout the entire range of motion for a properly performed squat. This squat drill teaches a fairly up right torso, sitting back and down while staying on the heels, and the elbows help to remind the athlete to keep the knees pushed out. After a couple reps and some instruction the athlete gets a feel for the squat and requires little coaching in the future.
The fatigue set in really fast today and this is a direct result of the nature of the movements. The dumbbell snatch is a explosive movement which means it utilizes the fast twich muscles in our bodies. The fast twich type IIb are responsible for explosive movements are among the strongest and have the most potential for growth. The downside is these muscle fibers get tired really fast. So when the dumbbell snatch is programmed into a high intensity interval training session the result is a brutal conditioning session with outstanding results. Power and muscle are built and the more muscle that our bodies build the more fat we burn throughout the day.
Training: 5 dumbbell snatches right arm 5 dumbbell snatches left arm 10 squats max rounds in 15 minutes
Teaching the basic barbell squat is probably my favorite lift to teach as a trainer. Theres just something about taking someone who has never correctly done the exercise right, and watching them develop the correct technique in a short amount of time. The strength days have also evolved, After a lower body strength day such as today I have paired a upper body strength movement. This will usually be something unconventional such as weighted push-ups or on an upper body strength day a sandbag lift. Of course these are only a few of the options to chose and I have an arsenal of many, many movements to pull from. So far so good, I hope to see continued gains.
Think you can get a quality conditioning session with just one dumbbell that weighs under 50 lbs? Absolutly you can! By racing the clock and pairing movements together that are full body and hence very taxing to perform. If you are unprepared physically for a training session like this, one a 20 lb dumbbell can quickly wear you out. Also a training session like this is very effective at building power endurance or the ability to be explosive over and over again.
Training: 5 dumbbell snatches per arm 5 dumbbell swings per arm 10 burpees rest 1 minute 5 rounds for time
The gym sounded like an old school boxing gym today with all the rope skipping going on! Just a piece of advice when sizing a rope to ensure it is the proper length for you, the handles should come up to or just short of your armpit while you are standing with one foot in the middle of the rope. Also even if you cannot jump rope for 100 jumps cause you are getting tripped up, just reset yourself and continue.
Training: 100 rope turns 50 squats 4 rounds for time
After a strength base has been built the athlete is ready to begin working on explosiveness. This can be done in a number of ways from olympic weightlifting and medicine ball work, but my favorite is plyometrics. Plyometrics utilize the athletes own body to get faster and more powerful. Right now I have plyo's divided into 2 days, 1 upper body, and 1 lower body. Plyo's are easier to coach than the olympic lifts or their variations and in my opinion can be just as effective, especially when paired on a strength day. SO when put on a strength day the athletes are training with compound movements and heavy weights and then switching gears to a fast bodyweight only powerful movement. This is very effective at building strength and power.
Training: Bench press 5x5 Pulls 4x quality set
Training: 1 arm pushups 5x8 1 arm pulls 4x quality set Broad jumps 3x10
This type of training is really coming to the forefront of the fitness world in a big way. From Ross Enamait and Zach Evan-Esh to Crossfit and Gym Jones and myself, the best are mixing strength with conditioning and sometimes throwing a little bit of everything into training sessions. More recently the New England Sports Medicine publications have researched interval training extensively and have found that it build more fitness and burns more fat much faster than traditional long distance cardio sessions. Short answer for why this happens is this, intervals quickly burn the muscle glycogen away the body then turns to fat for fuel. However this does not mean that every once and a good while a longer distance conditioning session may pop up as a training session!
Training: courtesy of Crossfit Run 400 Meters 21 swings 12 pulls 3 rounds for time
I like to teach the full athletic squat after a cycle of deadlifts with beginners for a couple of reason. Reason number is the deadlift builds strength in the whole body and more specifically the low back, glutes, and hamstrings. After building strength here the squat becomes easier to learn and do. Reason number two is much more weight can be used in the deadlift therefore building more overall strength as well as a strong base for the lighter loading of a squat. The full squat is actually a whole body lift bringing elements of the core back and all the leg musculature into play, this lift is extremely important in building muscle and bone mass.
it can be very interesting when you let the universe decide what workout you perform. Just by rolling a dice you can put together an infinite number of exercise combinations that may never repeat. And to add in a little extra bit of fun and pain, burpees was added in twice!
Training: 1. situps x 20 2. pushups x 20 3. squats x 20 4. burpees x 12 5. swings x 20 6. burpees x 12
Roll a dice twice and the corrosponding number is the exercise you perform As many rounds as you can in 20 minutes
kept it really simple today but extended the effort out on all training sessions. The runs were longer and the jump rope rounds longer and more of them. Yet again I'm working to encompass a broad range of fitness for the athletes and pushing conditioning efforts out brings some different stress to the body. Doing this also helps to strengthen the athletes mind as dealing with an extended conditioning effort is much different mentally than dealing with a set of heavy deadlifts.
The chase has seriously begun for the challenging 1 arm chin. Building the required strength to perform this movement will be a slow yet very rewarding goal. Just to name a couple of aspects of the 1 arm chin include, whole body tension, a very strong grip, mind body coordination, and a massive amount of limit and mental strength. The whole body must remain tight and work in harmony with it's self to perform this impressive display of strength. The work will be challenging but the rewards great!
Training: Bench 5x5 Push-ups 4x quality set Pulls 4x quality set
Training: Press 5x5 Push-ups 4x quality set Pulls 4x quality set
Training: Press 5x5 1 arm recline rows 4x quality set Knees to elbows 5x10
Training: Modified 1 arm push-ups 5x5 1 arm recline rows 4x quality set Knees to elbows 5x10
Man did everyone just smash todays training session! I am really impressed and very proud of all the athletes I train! And I hope you are proud of yourselves as you should be, everyone continues to improve performance and body composition wise so please keep up the kickass work!!
As always we are looking to incorporate the entire body during and exercise as much as possible. And the turkish getup get definitely fits the bill. Hailed as a core movement, it ties the entire body together in order to properly execute a successful getup. As a point of safety ensure the athlete looks at the dumbbell through the entirety of the movement.
First off I would like to congratulate Diana and Tiffany for flipping the big tire! Useing proper technique and never letting go they were able to drive through and lift the tire! There aren't many movements that teach drive and agrression like the tire flip, plus it's pretty badass the first time you do it!
Training: Sledge swings x 20 seconds High pulls x 20 seconds Push press x 20 seconds Sledge swings x 20 seconds High pulls x 20 seconds Push press x 20 seconds
We took the training today old school with some rope skipping. Jumping rope has been around since people starting training and some of the worlds greatest athletes have used this simple tool to build high levels of conditioning. Athletes include Muhammad Ali and Bruce Lee to super stars like Michael Jordan and Tiger Woods. Skipping rope builds much more conditioning, while training the athlete must maintain focus to time the jumps and use good hand foot coordination to keep the rope turning and not get tangled in the athletes feet. And when fatigue sets in the athlete has to dig deep mentally and physically to complete the training session. More challenging and fun than running and the pay back is tremendous.
Training: Jump rope 90 seconds Over head squats x 15
5 rounds for time
Training: Deadlift 185 lbs Thruster 65 lbs
21-15-9 for time
Training: Courtesy of Crossfit 50 Pull-ups, ring dips 40 30 20 10
The afternoon crew is just in their second week of standing over head press or just press for short. I like to start new athletes with 1 arm lifts as it challenges their non-dominate side much more than a 2 arm lift. Also some may notice that on the accessory movements we took them to failure instead of stopping short of failure. I don not do this often but do throw it in sometimes as a new challenge and stimulus for the athletes.
Training: Bench press 5x5 Push-ups 3x max reps Recline pull-ups 3x max reps
Training: Press 5x5 Push-ups 3x max reps Recline pull-ups 3x max reps
Normally minute drill are used to train fighters and build elite levels of conditioning. The drill is easily manipulated and timed for rounds, doing this can mimic what a fighter has to prepare for prior to fight night. Say a boxer knows he will be fighting 4 rounds which are 3 minutes a round, well then the times and number of rounds can be modified to exactly how long the fight is. But these drills are also very valuable to the everyday athlete or weekend warrior as they build muscle and conditioning while burning fat, plus it is a fun challenging workout!
