I've been keeping this under my belt for a while so I could do lots of studying and practicing. Kettlebells. The new HOT strength training method. And I LOVE IT! It's not huge right now, but I predict it's going to be. Pavel Tsatsouline brought the method over from Russia about a decade ago and it's just grown from there. Apparently he ran some tests on two study groups. One group preformed and trained specifically for several track and feild events. The other group trained soley on kettlebells. Test day came and the kettlebell study group scored higher in every competition. One reason that I really love it is because it uses kenetic strength movements or dynamic strength movements...which I've written before, could be my number one get in shape and work your best/smartest training. You can buy kettlebells online or in stores. Hopefully your gym has them cause they're kind of spendy. I've also used just dumbells for a few moves and it works okayish. Kettlebells are best though.
Here's a little preview clip.
Showing posts with label strength training. Show all posts
Showing posts with label strength training. Show all posts
Saturday, August 2, 2008
Tuesday, May 13, 2008
Superset System
Out for a morning run.
Supersetting. Ever heard of this term? It's really cool gym talk for this:
1. alternating two exercises for the same body part (giant sets)
2. alternating two exercises for different body parts (compound sets)
The traditional description of supersetting is that two anatomically antagonistic movements are alternately performed and each movement is repeated alternately for the required number of reps.
There is no rest between the two exercises comprising each super set. Do all repetitions back to back. Here's an example you can try:
Superset #1
1. Bench Press (Pectoralis)
2. Bent Rows (Rhomboids)
121212
Superset #2
3. Crunches (Abdominals)
4. Back Raises (Erectors)
343434
Superset #3
5. Partial Dumbbell Presses (Deltoids)
6. Pulldowns (Latissiums)
565656
Superset #4
7. Side Bends left (Right Obliques)
8. Side Bends right (Left Obliques)
787878
Superset #5
9. Triceps Extensions (Triceps)
10. Biceps Curls (Biceps)
910910910
Superset #6
11. Leg Extensions (Quadriceps)
12. Leg Curls (Hamstrings)
11 12 11 12 11 12
Although there is no rest, you should perform reps slowly and in control to allow cardiovascular (CV) benefits.
And WHY should you perform supersets?? Antagonistic exercises alternating back and forth in the manner described will do two things. First, it will ensure that the blood supply is confined to a relatively small anatomical area, rather than having to alternately traverse the length of the body. This facilitates speedy recovery of the protagonist while the antagonist is working and vice versa. Second, by exercising the muscles on both sides of the joint, normal flexibility will be maintained, owing to a balance in the resting strength between each (which means you won't be walking weird with biceps that are too big and puny triceps).
And there you go...now you can superset and be cool.
Monday, March 17, 2008
Muscles to move
Why do we strength train?
It may be to look better or have a greater competitive edge, but hopefully we're also thinking about the ways it can benefit us in everyday life. For example, making it easier to carry the groceries up to a 3rd floor apartment or having more endurance to chase after a toddler. HOWEVER, the way sooo many people train in the weight room has very little to do with the way the body works in the real world. ex: laying the body out over a supportive pad while bicep curling. Do you think you'll ever find a situation outside of the gym where you'll have to lift something with your right bicep only and not have to engage your core muscles, your triceps, and may stabilizing muscles? Probably not!
Paul Scott, author of "Outside Fitness", puts it well when he says, "Strength is a more sustainable goal when you detach it from thinking about body parts and think instead about movements" (p. 32).
This is why you've probably heard a lot of pro's for free weights. They allow you to use a better range of motion while being more realistic as far as "out of the gym" strength. Beginners are fine starting off on machines and padded equipment, but if you want to advance, start thinking in terms of movements: push, pull, bend, rotate (or throw), squat, and step. We also preform these basic movements on multiple planes...so what we want is multi joint, multi planar movements.
Paul Scott bullet points these things to think about:
*Strength is manifested in movements
*Strength is manifested in the use of multiple joints in succession
*Strength is manifested in three planes of movement in off-balance and upon unstable settings
*Strength is manifested in different rates of force production or speed
Okay, so how can you use this? I'll give you some helpful hints, you use your noggin and think of everyday uses for your muscles, and then add weight!
Let's use PUSHING to get us started.
Types of Pushing movements:
1. Forward Pushing
2. Upward Pushing
3. Downward Pushing
1. take your bench press and turn it into a bench press with dumbbells and on a ball or a chest press standing with cable.
2. take your seated dumbbell press and seat yourself on a ball instead or stand on one leg while pressing overhead.
3. take your dumbbell tricep kickback and turn it into an overhead tricep extension from a prone position on ball.
You'll notice that we take the movement off of a stable, padded environment and add an element of instability (often in the form of a ball) to advance your strength training movement.
So, continue thinking of real-life ways to make your strength training more valuable. One I thought of today I'll call the Kayak. This one is good for the core and arms. Sit on top of a ball and lift a bar out in front of you. Make the motion as if your were paddeling a kayak down the river, moving the bar from side to side...make sure your core muscles are engaged and supporting the movement. We may not all be kayaking today...but maybe you have to move your heavey stack of books from one side of the desk to the other...do the Kayak!
It may be to look better or have a greater competitive edge, but hopefully we're also thinking about the ways it can benefit us in everyday life. For example, making it easier to carry the groceries up to a 3rd floor apartment or having more endurance to chase after a toddler. HOWEVER, the way sooo many people train in the weight room has very little to do with the way the body works in the real world. ex: laying the body out over a supportive pad while bicep curling. Do you think you'll ever find a situation outside of the gym where you'll have to lift something with your right bicep only and not have to engage your core muscles, your triceps, and may stabilizing muscles? Probably not!
Paul Scott, author of "Outside Fitness", puts it well when he says, "Strength is a more sustainable goal when you detach it from thinking about body parts and think instead about movements" (p. 32).
This is why you've probably heard a lot of pro's for free weights. They allow you to use a better range of motion while being more realistic as far as "out of the gym" strength. Beginners are fine starting off on machines and padded equipment, but if you want to advance, start thinking in terms of movements: push, pull, bend, rotate (or throw), squat, and step. We also preform these basic movements on multiple planes...so what we want is multi joint, multi planar movements.
Paul Scott bullet points these things to think about:
*Strength is manifested in movements
*Strength is manifested in the use of multiple joints in succession
*Strength is manifested in three planes of movement in off-balance and upon unstable settings
*Strength is manifested in different rates of force production or speed
Okay, so how can you use this? I'll give you some helpful hints, you use your noggin and think of everyday uses for your muscles, and then add weight!
Let's use PUSHING to get us started.
Types of Pushing movements:
1. Forward Pushing
2. Upward Pushing
3. Downward Pushing
1. take your bench press and turn it into a bench press with dumbbells and on a ball or a chest press standing with cable.
2. take your seated dumbbell press and seat yourself on a ball instead or stand on one leg while pressing overhead.
3. take your dumbbell tricep kickback and turn it into an overhead tricep extension from a prone position on ball.
You'll notice that we take the movement off of a stable, padded environment and add an element of instability (often in the form of a ball) to advance your strength training movement.
So, continue thinking of real-life ways to make your strength training more valuable. One I thought of today I'll call the Kayak. This one is good for the core and arms. Sit on top of a ball and lift a bar out in front of you. Make the motion as if your were paddeling a kayak down the river, moving the bar from side to side...make sure your core muscles are engaged and supporting the movement. We may not all be kayaking today...but maybe you have to move your heavey stack of books from one side of the desk to the other...do the Kayak!
Thursday, February 21, 2008
Get over it
Never say "abs" again! Appearently we all (myself included) need to get over 'abs' and start thinking core or pillar strength to include the stomach, hips and shoulders...according to one of my new reads Core Performance.
"[There] is a tendency to think of movement as starting from the limbs...Uncountable exercise programs promise bigger arms or sexier legs as a primary benefit. Movement, however, starts from the very center of the body, the core area of the torso...we refer to the torso as the pillar..." The way we maintain that pillar and its alignment and function directly correlate to the health of our organs and the rest of our bodies"(p.27)
Further reading points out that by simply strengthening and perfecting the pillar we can improve all other aspects of our training, including injury prevention, power, flexablility and endurance.
The first step to this is posture. Begin each strength training movement with good posture, work on it and soon maintain it throughout the entire day.
Perfect Posture:
Shoulder blades pulled back and down
Tummy drawn up and in
Ears should be in line with your shoulders
Hips in line with knees
Knees in line with ankles
-if seated, ears in line with hips
Here are some more Core Strengthening moves that I'm dying to have you all try out! A few are probably old news, but there are probably some new cool ones that you can try.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
