Archive for the ‘Workouts’ Category
July 12th, 2011
Words from the Coach
First let me say I’m sorry for us getting this post up in the evening instead of our early morning newspaper style timing. You can rests assured that we are aware of the anticipation of our morning blog posts and we will deliver in the clutch!
Now, back to business. We rarely if ever, do a write up on the abdominal muscles. To tell you the truth, we do address the midsection, but in the form of core exercises. Today we are going to break the subject of six packs, keep it general and keep it as real as we can for you. Next week we will move into specifics, upper, lower and their different uses as well as specific exercises to workout these areas of your abs.
The Keys To The Game
Don’t be alarmed, everyone has abdominal muscles, and to some extent, you have developed a strong core or average core strength to get by. It’s getting these abs to show that becomes the biggest issue for most. This is due to the fact that most of us tend to store our body fat, at least partially, in the abdominal region. This is also one of the most stubborn places to lose fat.
Today’s Chalkboard Highlights
- Everyone has uniquely shaped abs
- Diet, the single most important factor for getting more definition out of your midsection.
- Specific abdominal exercises are going to bring them out
- Cardio Cardio Cardio
Team4orce Genetic Factor
First things first, everyone has their own uniquely shaped abs. Randomly selecting a picture out of some men’s or women’s magazine saying that’s what you want your abs to be like could be slightly self-defeating, because even if you did get your body fat levels low enough, your abs may not be genetically shaped in a similar way, therefore, the appearance of your abs will still be different.
Recognizing that this factor is out of your control and not getting hung up on it is one step forward on your quest to get ripped abs. If you are unable to do this, you’ll only become more frustrated as time progresses, which is a serious motivation killer.
Rest assured, though, that if you can get your body fat levels low enough and perform correct, targeted exercises for this muscle group, your midsection, its show time.
Team4orce Food Factor
Next comes the diet aspect of the equation. As we all know, or should know, abs are made in the kitchen, and that’s a real as it get! As stated, everyone has some ab muscles, but most have a layer of body fat hiding them. Removing this layer is going to be about 90% dietary effort and 10% exercise effort when it comes right down to it. Get a grip on the food you put in your mouth and the goal of abdominal dominance is yours!!!!
Team4orce Exercise Factor
There are so many ab exercises, and so little time, mainly because you also have to make time for your other body parts, cardio and other types of training. So, with the abundance of variations of exercises, and the different approaches and philosophies to strengthen and defining the abdominal muscles, where do you start? Well, we decided to start with the Team4orce favorite, Doc. Stoppani. He will breakdown the angles of the abdominal biz.
The Film Room
In this episode of M&F Raw! Pulled straight from the pages and as seen in the September issue of M & F, “Working all the Angles”, Jim Stoppani PhD took some time to show you how to change up the routine and give you some MAJOR Helpful tips on how and why you too should Work all the angles with your next ab routine.
watch video here
The Pre Game Analysis
The popularity of alternative training, weather it be mixed martial arts training, cross fit, or even Kettle Bells (KB Strong Style), has risen over the years. For people that don’t like the gym, or the popular core and muscle confusion based workout videos, seeking an escape from the norm, cross fit has finally got its just due.
Today we are going to take this effective and exciting style of training and introduce you to an even more inventive form, the sport specific CROSSFIT FOOTBALL strength and conditioning program. After one look at their website and what they’re all about, lets not forget their kick ass logo, we had to give them some Team4orce support!
THE BREAKDOWN
“Every football player needs to be strong in mind, heart and body. He needs to be fast and explosive. He needs to be able to perform when tired and exhausted. This applies to NFL players the same as it applies to Pop Warner.
CrossFit Football meets these needs, for all players.”
WHAT IS CROSSFIT FOOTBALL?
CrossFit Football is a strength and conditioning program designed for football players and participants in contact sports.
We use organic functional movements performed at high intensity to simulate the demands placed on an athlete during a football game. Football is a game of seconds and inches. CrossFit Football knows the demands placed on players during the game and the distances they will have to travel. With this in mind, we can replicate the stresses and situations a player will face on the field. By combining high intensity movements with a comprehensive strength and speed program, the result is a training program that is unparalleled in the industry.
How do we know CrossFit Football’s programming works? Because it has been designed by NFL players and some of the top coaches in the world. Not only have top athletes created it, but also, it has been used to compete at the highest levels of professional sports. The utility of this program is not theoretical; it has not been designed by someone that thinks it might work, but by athletes and coaches that have dominated at the highest levels of competitive athletics.
The CrossFit Football program is designed to work for all players regardless of age or experience. The loads, distances, times, intensity, and programming can be scaled, and the program has been designed to meet the needs of athletes at all levels of training advancement.
CROSSFIT FOOTBALL NUTRITION
The CrossFit Football Diet plus Dairy: the simplicity of the diet blends optimum performance and health. We can’t say it any simpler than this…Eat meat, fish, seafood, eggs, vegetables, roots, tubers, bulbs, herbs and spices as well as animal fats, olives & olive oil, coconut and dairy.
The goal is to consume 1 gram of protein per lb. of body weight. The way to maximize muscle growth is to provide the body with adequate protein for growth and recovery, hormonal control for better body composition…and improved growth and recovery!
One gallon of whole Milk contains 2400 calories. This is an excellent source of proteins, carbohydrates and fat. Dense calorie sources are a must, like whole milk and meats.
There is growth potential beyond calories by consuming whole milk. Increased IGF, hGH, insulin, testosterone come from drinking whole milk. These are all potent growth promoters. Whey Protein acts similar to milk. It is a fast acting protein and a good supplement when trying to achieve 1 gram of protein per lb. of bodyweight.
For most Football players there is no calorie restriction. 4 to 6 meals per day is the goal.
Post workout or practice meals should contain proteins and carbohydrates. Whole milk and whey protein are ideal and a non-insulin mediated glucose transport takes place. So take advantage of growth and recovery potential post-workout by making sure to eat a protein and carbohydrate meal with 1 hour of working out.
Film Room
THE PRE GAME PEP TALK
PED’S is a one of those acronyms that is taboo around the fitness community, usually standing for Performance Enhancing DRUGS, we’ve decided to take a familiar negative and turn into to a new positive; hey, when life gives this team lemons, we turn into tasty sugar free crystal light!!!! PERFORMANCE ENHANCING DETERMINATION, its really what will allow you to stay focused, fight through fatigue and feel the burn. It’s the midpoint of your workout, halftime, almost home. This is the point of the lift were we can really change our bodies, if we push through our plateaus we can develop a particular body part, smash a personal best, breakdown the body to rebuild it bigger, better, stronger.
PRACTICE MAKES PERFECT
Lets get down to business now and talk about how our performance enhancing determination will be coming into play today. I’m sweating, as I even think about it, pre-exhaust by way of super-setting.
The Workout:
Pre-exhaustion is probably the best-known and most effective type of superset of all. A pre-exhaust superset is performed by choosing two exercises for the same muscle group; an isolation exercise first, followed by a basic, compound movement.
Here’s how this works: Suppose you are doing a set of leg extensions for your thighs and you push yourself until you can’t do another rep. Most people think their legs are finished at this point and that they couldn’t go further if they tried.
The quadriceps muscles may indeed be completely exhausted – you couldn’t do another leg extension if you tried – but by walking over to the squat rack, you’ll find that you are still able to do squats (albeit with a lighter poundage than usual).
Why? Because even though the quadriceps reached total failure on the leg extension exercise, other lower body muscles that are used in a squat are still fresh and strong (glutes, hamstrings, adductors and different sections of the quadriceps group).
By “pre-exhausting” the target muscle with an isolated movement, you can then continue to blast the fatigued muscle even further with the help of the assisting muscles in the compound movement.
PRE-EXHAUST SUPERSETS
Isolation Exercise (1st) Compound Exercise (2nd)
(1) Leg Extension (2) Squat
(1) Leg Curl (2) Stiff Leg Deadlift
(1)Dumbell Pullover (2) Reverse Grip Lat Pulldown
(1)Tricep Pushdown (2) Close Grip Bench Press
(1)Dumbell Flyes (2) Bench Press
(1)Dumbell Side Laterals (2)Military Press
(1)Barbell Curl (2)Curl Grip Pullups
Word to the wise:
Make sure to stay determined as you push through these types of workouts.
A word of caution about pre exhaust and compound supersets: If your second exercise is a compound free weight movement that requires a great deal of neuromuscular coordination or is the type of exercise that requires a spotter, pay extra attention to your form. When your prime movers are fatigued from the first exercise, you may feel “wobbly” and your form is much more likely to break in the second exercise.
ABSTRACT=
A quick response…. the kettlebell swing is a POSTERIOR chain exercise. all muscle on the back from upper trapezius down to the soleus have a function. Its focus is on the gluteus maximus a muscle that most people do not know how to engage. It even activates deep intrinsic core muscles to stabilize the spine, hence turning it into a great full body exercise. A good kettlebell swing will even give you better posture once you have been doing it properly executed for a while.
WHO CAN SWING?
We have clients at SWing This Studio that are as young as 10 years old up to as YOUNG as 70 . The benefit of a properly executed swing is there is very low impact involved . Even people with knee problems can train their legs using this exercise as it has minimal knee flexion and extension. Here is a small list of MAJOR muscles that are activated in the lower body… the list is WAY longer but ill leave that for the exercise physiologists to write ….
HIP supporting muscles
- Glute medius and maximus
- Quadratus Lumborum
- Spinal Erectors
- Piriformis and other hip rotators
- sartorius and TFL
Knee Supporting muscles
- Hamstrings
- quadriceps
Ankle supporting muscles
- anterior and posterior tibilais
- soleus and gastrocnemius (calf)
- peroneals
The Swing is great for athletes and general trainees alike as it teaches to fire the glute/ hip complex for power and strength. Great for explosiveness off the line for sprinters/ football lineman, and endurance for hikers/ bikers. Great for the average person to strengthen glutes so the lumbar area doesnt do all the work.
WHERE CAN I SWING?
The BEst part about the swing is you can do it any where . all you need is at least a clear space at least 4 x 6 foot . A living room, basement, outdoor park, garage, advanced trainees can even use the soft surface challenge of sand or gravel. With a kettlebell you are not tied down to being in the same spot all the time. I bring mine to the regular gym since they dont have any. If I m training with heavy barbells, i use my kettlebell for warmup or activation of certain muscles also for endurance and cardio in between sets or afterwards. Heck ive even walked on a stairmill with my kettlebell.
WHAT CAN I SWING?
A kettlebell can be used in almost any way that a dumbell can plus more variations and grips. a two handed swing between the legs with a dumbbell is near impossible unless you hold it by one end and that can get dangerous due to the fact of the grip wears out and its very slippery. I do not suggest this to beginners yet i see trainers showing them this all the time due to not having Kbells. A one arm swing can be used effectively though with a DB although much more likely to hit the inner leg/ knees due to the width. And forget about swinging that way with a 120 lber…… Sandbags , slosh bags , the Kamagon ball and apparently some of my clients have used their little kids to swing with ..( although i dont recommend that last one either…..)
WHY SHOULD I SWING?
Why NOt?? while some people with herniated or bulging discs should be careful, the majority of peoply can really benefit from the hip and core strength they will gain . Kettlebell Swings increase flexibility and body/spatial awareness. it trains your body on multiple planes and challenges your nervous system in ways a barbell cannot. Range of Motion can be improved as well as getting your body to understand acceleration/ deceleration and weight transfer. The Kettlebell swing is what i consider the base for all kettlebell moves as it teaches hip drive and possiblly triple extension in the lower body which is beneficial for sprinting , jumping and lower body pressing activities. It slos needs to be learned for many other kettlebell exercises such as the clean, snatch and high pull. PErfect for sports. and everyday life. and it is INCREDIBLE CARDIO RESPIRATORY AND PULMONARY conditioning!!!! Bodybuilders with an open mind and an ego that isnt inflated can use a bell that weighs less than what they can bicep curl in one hand to increase weight on their squats, cleans and deadlifts. and we all know what happens with increased weight on those exercises…. MORE DENSE MUSCLE!
HOW SHOULD I SWING?
With INTENSITY. While that is one way for increasing hip power, kettlebell swings can be used to train for strength, endurance, power, flexibility and stability. You can count reps, seconds or minutes. Heck even dome world class kettlebell athletes train with just the swing for over 30 minutes at a time!!!! You can use double to quadruple bells for grip strength. You can swing while moving laterally or forward and backward, you can stay in the same spot , you can rotate on the transverse plane like a clock, you can swing low or HIGH like an American swing or Crossfit style Swing. We have even used added resistance bands and partner drills at Swing This Kettlebell Studio. Alternating hands to flipping quick hands and hand /eye coordination drills. It is all possible . Your mind is the limit. BUt a warning Just for all you Traditionalists out there….. dont try it with a barbell………………
heheehh.
A few words of advice though.. Learn from a professional. Just because a person is a certified trainer or and exercise physiologist doesnt mean they have EXPERIENCE with kettlebells. Kettlebells can be MORE dangerous to your surrounding gymgoers and furniture…. A dropped dumbbell can bounce a few feet. Ive personally seen a kettlebell roll and bounce over a whole room until the wall stopped it. There is a totally different technique to kettlebell lifting and alot requires stable and quick reacting feet. Dont learn form someone who is not an expert themselves. There are several good certifying agencies that put on multi day, hands on certification courses such as the IKFF , the RKC and the WKC just to name some of the large ones. This will ensure that your trainer has the proper HANDS on experience it takes to show you the correct and SAFE way to train with kettlebells.
With that , enjoy your new found FUN way of exercising .
p.s. remember DONT LIFT WITH YOUR ARMS!!!! USE YOUR BUTT! Use it or LOSE IT!
Source:
Sincerely,
Joe Daniels,
Swing This Kettlebells and Daniels Fitness Training, LLC
HOW TO SWING A KETTLEBELL
Source: Joe Daniels Fitness Training
PRE GAME BREAKDOWN
Statistically speaking, a man works out his chest in his quest for muscular development more then any other body part. Multiple angles, overload training, volume training are all utilized to create maximum muscle fatigue with a focus on rapid repair and growth!
If you follow our blog you know that one of our most biggest hero’s is respected science guru is Dr. Jim Stoppani of Muscle and Fitness Raw. He will be breaking down an article on the simple flip of the wrist and the grip on the incline and flat bench press movements. Now we have attempted this exercise and its definitely tough at first since it feels
KEYS TO THE GAME
Incorporate this exercise at the very beginning of the workout.
Lower the weight with the conventional overhand grip then switch to the reverse grip.
Your grip should be placed outside your shoulders width.
THE FILM ROOM
Click here to see the video
