Exercises You Should Try

Do me a favor and WARM UP first!
-start with some foam rolling over the major muscle groups and then get a movement warm up like shown in the video in.



Snatch grip dead lift:
the grip comes from the olympic lift "the snatch" it is a very wide grip in which you would use in the snatch or over head squat. You must use a double over hand (pronated) grip. Keep this a heavy lift in which you attempt to move the weight with as much force as possible. This outta be performed at the beginning of a workout since it is highly demanding of the central nervous system. Keep it under 6 reps, some examples would be: 4 sets of 6 reps, 5 x 5, 6 x 4, 8 x 2, etc... Rest for at least 2 minutes between sets. Keep the shoulder blades pulled down and together, chest high, weight on your heels and power it up with your butt and hamstrings.



Face Pulls:
attach a rope to a cable stack. take a few steps back, lean back, with your arms fully extended with a neutral spine and big chest pull the weight towards your face while pulling your shoulder blades down and together. This will strengthen the generally weak and underused lower traps and generally undertrained rotator cuff. This will help with stabilization of the scapula which will pay big dividends to your bench and squat set up (and jack up your upper back in the mean time).



Neutral Grip Chins:
Grab a pull up bar with your palms parrallel to each other. Hang in a fully extended position, pull yourself up as high as you can go, return the the fully extended position, you just did a chin up. If chins or pull ups aren't a part of your program, why NOT?



That's it for now, I wanna hear about some people APPLYING information... get it done!

Answering an "Age Old Question"

No it's not "how much do ya bench bro?"

It's the other fan favorite: "dude what do you take?"

I'll list my basics and give you the rundown on why the hell I consider these important.

1.) Chelated Multi-Vitamin
2.) Fish Oil, from a quality source
3.) Magnesium Glycinate Chelate
4.) Chelated Zinc

Anything else is just wasted money on quality food... Or not, but most people are buying bull shit like N O xplode or Ass Mass.

Why Chelated Vitamins & Minerals?: In the chelated version, they are at their purest form and it can be absorbed you're "getting what you paid for" so to speak.

Why Zinc?:

-Zinc is present in every part of the human body
-about 60% is found in muscle, 30% in bone, and the remaining found in our skin
-The body does not have zinc storage sites and it only contains about 2-3 grams on average at one time, hence a continual intake of foods containing zinc or a zinc supplement are of importance
-Zinc is especially important for males because: there is 100 times more zinc in the semen than in the blood in males. It is very important for male reproductive health and/or the weekend warrior looking to boost their test levels.
-Not much zinc is absorbed by the body with the modern human diet containing grain and processed products (see my old post on grains/ phytic acid) so again, supplementation is of importance
-Zinc plays a major role in protein and dna synthesis
-Improves liver function and insulin activity

How do you know if you're zinc deficient?

-duh duh diarrhoea, fatigue, delayed wound healing, under performing immune system, skin problems, sleep disturbances, etcetera

Magnesium, Why dude?:

-Helps make up our bones and is found in all body cells.
-On average humans contain about 25 grams of magnesium. Most of it is found in our bones and is essential for the normal metabolism of calcium AND potassium
-It is ANTAGONISTIC to calcium, even though these calcium commercials are probably government B.S. we can still improve our calcium levels by keeping magnesium levels sufficient.
-Magnesium activates a TON of enzymes in the body, helps with sugar metabolism
-Reduces catecholamines (calms us down by brining down stress hormones, this has helped my sleep quality tremendously)

CHELATED Multi Vitamin, why?

-For many of the same reasons as the last supplements.
-Chelated because you can ensure that you're using most of the vitamins that claim to be in the product
-with the modern day poor quality of food and high levels of toxins everywhere, this is a fair insurance plan.

Fish Oil, Why? Hasn't this been put to rest yet?

Here's what Strength Coach Charles Poliquin has to say about it:

1. Cell membrane health: EPA and DHA insure that cell membranes remain healthy. This means that the membranes are flexible and contain larger numbers of insulin receptors that are more receptive and responsive to circulating insulin. This results in decreased fat storage in the adipocytes (fat cells).

2. Fish oils turn on the lipolytic genes (fat burning genes).

3. Fish oils turn off the lipogenic genes (fat storage genes).

4. Fish oils diminish C-reactive proteins, a newly identified risk factor associated with various inflammatory diseases, including atherosclerosis, angina, coronary heart disease, heart attack, stroke, congestive heart failure, and diabetes. The DHA fraction of the fish oil seems to be one most responsible for that protective effect. DHA also has the best ability to reduce blood pressure.

5. Increase utilization of fat stores from the adipocytes.

6. Preferential utilization for energy production once stored in the adipocytes.

7. Reduced inflammation from physical training.

8. Pain management from the reduced inflammation.

9. EPA regulates blood supply to the brain which is essential in maintaining focus in weight training sessions. DHA is important in brain membranes, memory, and cognitive function.

10. Fish oils increase serotonin levels (the happy neurotransmitter). Therefore, fish oils will decrease incidence of depression, anxiety, panic attack, and reduce carbohydrate cravings.

11. Fish oils will improve your cardiovascular risk profile by lowering VLDL, triglycerides, homocysteine, fibrinogen, and increasing HDL levels. Combining fish oils with plant sterols will improve lipid levels even more than either alone.

12. Fish oils can also decrease blood pressure by several mechanisms. These include increases in the vasodilatory compound, nitric oxide, reducing vascular inflammation, blocking the constrictive elements in the vascular wall such as the calcium channels reducing blood viscosity, and inhibiting a blood vessel constrictor (thromboxane). Lipoprotein (a) is another CVD predictor that can be lowered by fish oils (a 19% reduction was seen with natural, stable fish oils and just 4% with a highly purified fish oil).

13. Fish oils are a great stress fighter. Supplementation with n-3 fatty acids inhibits the adrenal activation of steroids, aldosterone, epinephrine, and norepinephrine (catecholamines) elicited by a mental stress, apparently through effects exerted at the level of the central nervous system. Therefore, for the same amount of stress, one will produce fewer stress hormones if consuming fish oils on a regular basis.

12 grams or so a day should be a good start

Where can you find these products:

Jonny Bowden comes through once again:
http://www.jonnybowden.com/vitamins-supplements.html

"I'm Thinkin..."

Random thoughts, all regarding to this particular realm.

1: The "80/20" rule. With training 20% of your lifts/drills will account for about 80% of the results. I've cycled countless assistance/ fad exercises into my programming but I've only gotten stronger, more conditioned, or leaner (these are all at separate times respectively) when I based my programming around squat and dead lift variations, bench presses, over head presses, pull ups and heavy rows. Worry about the basics first.

2: When training to lose body fat, pair a compound lower body exercise (front squat, lunge) with one for the upper body (presses, pull ups, rows) and use moderately heavy weights (8-10 reps maxes) and perform multiple to a few sets with a minute or less rest between sets. The rest period is the key to fat loss. I'll have some videos of this next week.

3: If you think your technique is perfect on a lift it's not. Technique can always get better. Have someone video tape your lifts so you can pick apart any flaws. Even if you're not a power lifter or strongman, this can go a long way in preventing muscular imbalances and future injury.

4: Only wear a lifting belt for the REAAALLLY heavy shit. For myself I never put it on unless it is a squat or dead lift over 85% of my max. By adhering to this rule over a few years, I've developed a pretty strong set of spinal erectors and abdominal muscles. If you rely on a belt to create maximal tension in these areas, how are you going to get as strong as possible? When you wear a belt, wear it a notch loose and push your belly out against it (by sucking air DOWN into your belly). Push out against the belt on the concentric portion of the lift (i.e. coming up for a squat or dead lift). I believe Eric Cressey said something along the lines of "wear a belt to win a competition, not to train for the competition" (not exact words but something close).

5: Stop prioritizing on exercises that don't have a great ROI (return on investment)! Stop stressing over cable flyes and focus your efforts on bringing up your incline bench press or some other big pressing movement. (another example: focus on squatting over leg extensions if you want some tree trunks in your landscape.
Stop doing 20 minutes of crunches and "core" work if you're not: front squatting, over head squatting, good mornings, prowler pushes, glute ham raises.


6; And if you're going to do some "core work" go do some anti-rotational movements instead of crunches. I know I sound like one of those "core" haters and that some people think that you can't just train the "core" with squat variations, etc.. but I beg to differ. In the last body building show I competed in I had one of the most jacked sets of abs out there and what did I do for them? front squats, overhead squats, barbell rows, weighted chins, etc. No "core" work at all. Now for you people saying "well that's just for appearance, you have to train the "core" for performance." Well, I beg to differ again. How in the heck could I hold 555lbs on my back at a body weight of 198lbs in a power lifting contest? Had to be from extra "core work" right? Nope. Just a lot of heavy ass box squats, band resisted dead lifts, front squats, good mornings, glute ham raises. "Well you're not working anti-rotation", well yeah I am: Tell me that when Walking Out 500 plus lbs from a squat rack that there aren't any rotational forces you have to resist.

How I developed my "core strength"



-get under a bar!

-as you can tell I hate the word "core" as it's thrown around like the girls that get with Bret Michaels. But believe it or not, I do have some "core" exercises I think are pretty badass
-med ball slam (as seen in the outdoor condtioning videos)
-cable wood chops
-garhammer raise (check Chris Grayson's youtube for this)
-roll outs

7: Meats, nuts, vegetables, water. All I need and all you need.

8: Well.... I lied, this concoction is like candy to me. Try it out:
-2 cups of Fage Yogurt
-Jam a bunch of frozen blueberries in it
-Douse with cinnamon
-mix it all around
-enjoy it

9: Train FOR something, i.e.
-Athletic reasons (not to gas out in mma, be able to deliver blocks for 4 quarters)
-Fat loss goal (drop 4% body fat in 1 month)
-Muscle mass goal (gain 15 pounds of lean mass in the body building off season)
-Power lifting total (add 15 lbs to your squat and dead lift and 10 to your bench by the next meet)
-GPP (get yourself in shape for the following training cycle of whichever sport you train for)
-Health (have a plan to drag the sled for 30 minutes every other day to help bring blood pressure down)
-Many more...

10: Better quality food isn't too expensive. It's just that you spend too much money on meaningless bull shit such as: the bar, fast food, trendy clothes, an over priced car, a girl friend/boyfriend (HAH, crack myself up), trendy supplements, etc... Sit out a friday night at the bar and save yourself $50 for a purchase from tallgrassbeef.com.

That's it for now, digest this and apply it... I dare ya!

Get Outside and COMPETE!

Most people I talk to are bored to death with their "training". I won't go off on a rant but most people confine themselves to what they hear is correct by the so called "fitness experts". Obviously I'm referring to the middle aged guys who are walking their lives away on the treadmill bored outta their skull thinking that their athletic/ competitive days and juices are looonnnnggg gone. Also steering away from lifting heavy because you're "supposed" to get weaker as you age. Same goes for the women. Women have a primal and competitive edge to them as well. So why are the pink dumbbells and bosu balls being used as staple pieces of equipment? So how do we avoid being bored out of our minds and unleash the competitive spirit that seems to be lost in most us now of days?

Get some big toys and set them up outside
such as:
- A prowler
- Kettlebells or Dumbbells
- Resistance Bands
- Jump Rope
- Weight plates
- Dragging Sled
- Sand bags

You can replicate any in the gym workout with the afforementioned tools. Don't believe me, here are two examples

example 1: full body "max effort" lift
Lift A: Low handle prowler sprint: work up to a 4 step max in weight
Lift B1: Kettle Bell Clean & Press: 4 x 6 rest: 1:30
Lift B2: Backward Sled Dragging: 4 x 6 steps per leg, rest: 1:30
Lift C1: Kettlebell Swings: 3x12 rest: 60s
Lift C2: Push Ups against light band: 3 x 15 rest: 60s

example 2: full body conditioning workout (anaerobic lactic capacity)
A1:kettlebell front squat: 10 reps
A2:kb row: 10 reps
A3:kb lunges: 10 reps
A4:kb push press
A5:kb swing
rest: 2 minutes after A5, repeat 4-5 times

B1:sprint 60 yards to 2 kettlebells
B2: pick up kb's and over head walk them back to the start
repeat twice

Let's get away from hanging out on the treadmills, doing curls in the mirror and waiting for "your song" to come on your ipod to do your cable crossovers. Grab dirty/heavy shit and get to work.

Still don't understand, check this out...










P.S. I'm guessing everyone thinks I don't train inside anymore. I just haven't brought my camera inside recently. I'll have some "in the gym" stuff shortly (snatch grip deads, front squats, weighted chins, etc.)

Short on Time, High in Body Fat?

Well let me help ya out. The battle on body fat shouldn't make you have to spend countless hours on cardio equipment each day. We all have responsibilites like work, school, families, etc. and being on a treadmill for an hour a day is just downright not practical (or the best tool for body fat reduction).

There's plenty you can do without cardio machines. Everything from:
Body weight circuits, interval circuits, sprints, prowler pushing, sled pulling, loading odd objects, etc... You can use just about whatever tool you can think of just so you implement the work periods to rest periods properly and manage the intensity of the work out.

Here are a couple examples of 10-20 minute fat loss work outs:





If you don't have access to any of these tools, NO BIG DEAL! like I said there are many household items/ body weight exercises that you can use for this type of training. Let me know what you have access to and I'll get you lean and mean!

Stick To The Basics Series Videos