Nathan’s Athletic 9mm’s

January 17, 2012 – 04:18

Nathan’s Athletic 9mm’s


Couple years back I read an article by Matt “Wiggy” Wiggins called Athletic guns. It really is an ingenius program when you look at it and add in some factors. Using Chad Waterbury’s Anti-Bodybuilding method of 10 sets of 3 to maximize strength while maintaining high volume. So in this context our best bet is to use 3 reps times the 20 minutes, which oh by the way is along the line of Escalating Density Training(EDT) by Charles Staley. Hmm see the connections coming.


For the second workout, I used my kettlebell cause that’s just a more natural clean, plus I could do it outside the office during lunch instead of having to go to the gym. Probably the only time you can be hanging out outside with a pair of Addidas shoes no top or hat and an MP3 plugged in with high ranking cats all over the place and them not saying a word. Nobody messes with the kettlebell guy. They just stare and keep walking by scared of what might happen if they ask what it is.


But I digress. The above is what intrigued me. I started using the kettlebell clean+thruster(squat combined with a push-press) all the time. I could carry the kettlebell almost everywhere and knock out a workout in 20 min. I even did it on lunch break during a snowstorm once. When Matt says this will skyrocket your conditioning, he wasn’t kidding. Between a couple of these sessions a week combined with MMA class couple times a week, I was unstoppable. When I went to my fire academy, I was running circles around guys ten years younger. Doing 100M sprint/jogs X10 was almost easy.


Another workout this lead to was the barbell version. 3 reps every minute on the minute for 20 minutes. Don’t overload this or you won’t complete all 20 rounds on time. 65 pounds is a good start. I usually leave with blood on the barbell and dripping down my shins, breathing hard and alot of funny stares from the ‘pump-seekers’ and cardio queens. Blood, sweat and hard work tends to get that.


Back to the original article. I’m a naturally long skinny limbed guy, so some beef on the arms is always good, but only if it’s functional. These program worked for me in spades. I may not have cannons yet, but I like 9mm. It’s small, powerful, high capacity and a properly placed shot will still end an aggressor the same as a Daisy Cutter.


Give Athletic Guns a try. And if you need work on your conditioning, try the kettlebell version that you can do virtually anywhere, including Viking stylez in a snowstorm ;)


The original program calls for


Workout #1


-Steep 14″ Incline Bench Press

-(Weighted) Curl-Grip Chins


*alternate x 20 minutes


-DB or Hammer Curls: 2-4 sets x 8-15 reps


-Pushdowns or Lying Triceps Cross Faces: 2-4 sets x 8-15 reps


Workout #2


-1 Arm DB Clean & Front Squat x 20 minutes

By Nathan | Posted in training | Comments (0)

Pull-up Strength 2.0

January 10, 2012 – 04:16

Pull-up Strength 2.0-More ways from Zero to Hero


Since the premiere of the Zero to Hero, it has been the most popular article on the site. The original article utilised grease the groove during the period of your entire day. Some of you don’t have the time and resources or are looking for a way to improve pull-ups during your regular workouts. Below are some new tips and idea’s to toss into you regimen to help you blast out of that plateau.


First off we need to decide the goal of your workout. Is it a conditioning workout or strength based? If you are following a cookie cutter program and don’t know here’s an easy approximation. If the workout calls for more than 20 reps, in general it’s probably gonna be more of a conditioning effect. Under 20 reps is strength based. These are just approximations. If you’ve been a gymnast for several years or are a light weight and have a high level of relative strength, these may shift up slightly.


The following learning progressions may apply to both categories depending on your current level.


Strength based-



  • Start with negatives- slowly lowering yourself as described in the original article,beware eccentrics will cause more muscle soreness

  • Progress to mixed grip- one palm facing you, one facing away, switch hands between sets

  • Then chins- palms facing you

  • Pull-ups- palms facing away 

  • Finally weighted versions of all the above

  • You may also use a band of partner to assist on any of the unweighted progressions.

Conditioning based-



  • Jumping pull-ups- jump up, then lower yourself under control, but not slow like the strength based negatives. These are an excellent conditioner at any level if done with a good speed

  • Mixed grip kipping- Same as strength based but this time use a kip to get a rhythm and speed

  • Chin grip kipping- Same as strength based but this time use a kip to get a rhythm and speed

  • Full kipping pull ups- Same as strength based but this time use a kip to get a rhythm and speed

You can use the conditioning based progressions to assist in advancement instead of a partner or band. Perfect if you train by yourself with limited equipment. On the weighted exercises, a vest, kettlebell or dumbbell and special pull-up/dip belts work best. Use the vest or air pack for the ballistic conditioning exercises. I’ve found a dumbbell between the feet or calves(depending on height to work well in the gym as you can just let it go and get another rep if needed. Kettlebells on the foot works off the same principle in an austere environment given enough height. Another option is a medicine ball between either feet or knees. Between knees will also help strengthen your guard squeeze.


Learning the kip takes time. Some of my fellow soldiers with less efficient nervous systems took upwards of a month to learn it. Took me about 3 workouts to perfect consectutive kips, I could kip once the first time but took awhile to get a rythm. So it all depends on your learning curve. Best resource is the Crossfit Video’s. The one’s by Annie and Adrian are very good instruction.


The following two videos are excellent instruction and trouble shooting the kip. They look much better in full size HD, just right click the title under the video, open in new page or tab.



The Kipping Pullup – Part One from Patrick Cummings on Vimeo.



The Kipping Pullup – Part Two from Jon Gilson on Vimeo.


Instead of a specific program, we can again grease the groove on a daily basis but instead of spreadout, just a simple couple min and your done. You can practice them as your warm up. 2-3 sets of 5 reps in a productive warm up circuit will do. For example 5 pull ups(of your level, either conditioning or strength, conditioning will be less fatiguing for your coming workout if you keep the volume low enough) 10 pushups, 15 squats. Couple rounds of that along with some overhead squat practice and you should be warmed up well. Toss in the harder ones for your actual pull up workout days.


Hope this update has answered some questions and given you some new ideas on how to expand your pull up performance. Leave comments and question on the blog Nathan’s Training Corner


 


 


 

By Nathan | Posted in training | Comments (0)

What’s In My Kitchen Part 2: The Cupboards

January 5, 2012 – 03:37

What’s In My Kitchen Part 2: The Cupboards
by Dr John M Berardi, CSCS


If you’ve read my theoretical nutrition articles you’ve likely familiarized yourself with the macronutrients, when they should be eaten, etc. However, it’s easy to talk the nutritional talk — the question is, do you walk the nutritional walk?


By offering you a glimpse at the contents of my kitchen, I hope to give you the opportunity to check your own practical nutrition habits against my own, and see how nutrition theory is put into practice. So let’s go through a tour of my cupboard, covering both pantry items and supplements. By the end of this article, you should see that good nutrition practice involves limits and discipline, but not the austerity that most people assume it does.


Pantry Items:



Rolled Oats
Quantity: 3 lb. bag

Mixed Nuts
Quantity: 2 lb. bag


Mixed Beans
Quantity: 1 lb. bag


Dried Fruit Mix (no added sugar)
Quantity: 1 lb. bag


Legumes
Quantity: 2 x 2 lb. bags (1 bag lentils, 1 bag mixed beans)


Quinoa
Quantity: 1lb. bags


Whole Wheat Pasta
Quantity: 2 x 2 lb. bags


Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Quantity: 1 bottle


Canned Tomatoes
Quantity: 3 cans


Canned Beans
Quantity: 3 cans


Flax Seeds
Quantity: ½ lb bag


Miscellaneous Grains
Including oat bran, wheat bran, oat flour


Green Tea
Quantity: 2 boxes of 20 packets each


Spices
Salt, pepper, fresh garlic, basil, oregano, chili powder, onion powder, and cinnamon are a good start. Seasoning mixes are also handy and take the guesswork out of flavoring. For example, right now I have Italian, Indian, Mexican, and Thai mixes in my cupboard.


*Note: the pantry is where the average kitchen goes horribly awry. Cookies, crackers, potato chips, baking supplies, and other hydrogenated and over-sweetened junk, all perched high above on a shelf, ready to snipe away at your hard-earned health and body composition.


If this is your kitchen, carefully position a large trash receptacle directly beneath said shelf. With a smooth sweeping motion, use your forearm to plow these enemies into the abyss below.


The items above are most likely the only ones you need since most of your nutrition should be coming from fresh, perishable foods – those listed in my previously published article discussing what’s in my fridge.


Supplements



Biotest Metabolic Drive (Protein Supplement)
Quantity: 2 x 2lb. containers


Biotest Surge Post-Workout Drink (Workout Drink)
Quantity: 2 x 1lb. containers


Prolab Creatine (Basic Creatine)
Quantity: 1 300g container


Concentrated Enteric-Coated Fish Oil (Fish Oil)
Quantity: 3 x 50 capsule bottles


Genuine Health Greens+ (Green Food Supplement)
Quantity: 1 x 2lb. container


Biotest ZMA (Zinc-Magnesium)
Quantity: 1 90 capsule bottle


*Supplementation should be determined by your training goals and your resources, both time and money. Other than your post-workout drinks, fish oil caps, the occasional scoop of protein or a MRP, and perhaps some necessary micronutrients, no supplement should be taken year-round. And while it should go without saying that supplements should supplement and not replace a solid training and nutrition program, this is one of the most common mistakes I see, even in intermediate trainees. This is an example of my list based on my goals.


In the end, if you wish to expedite the process of reaching your goals, you’ll do the following:



Perform an inventory of all the food in your house, excluding nothing. Everything goes on the list, even if you didn’t buy it and don’t intend to eat it. If it’s in the house, either you, someone you love, or someone you marginally tolerate will eventually eat it, so everything is fair game.


Compare your list to mine (both the items on this list and the items in my fridge article).


See how close you’ve come. If you’re close (on both the items to have and the items not to have), keep up the great work. If not, round up all the offending grub, and give it a warm send off as it pulls away in the back of a garbage truck.


For those who think it would be more charitable to drop it all off at a food bank, I have news for you: the poor don’t want your mother’s half-empty box of Ho-Ho’s either. If you really want to help, make a donation, drop off some good food, or volunteer your time.


Populate your kitchen with the foods above, and you will have built the foundation for nutritional success.



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By Nathan | Posted in Nutrition | Comments (0)

Westside for 220th Skinny Bastards

January 3, 2012 – 04:15

Westside for 220th Skinny bastards


Warning: This program will make your clothes fit tighter, draw attention from really hot girls and become freaky strong. You’ve been warned!


Those of you not familiar with Joe Defranco, you’ve been missing out. The program that follows is from his WS4SB (WestSide for Skinny Bastards) series. Specifically I pulled the template from part III. It’s a journey of myself and some fellow squad members that delved into this program and made some dramatic gains. We utilised the Strength & Speed template.


 Don’t even tell me you wouldn’t wanna work with these guys!



 The above trailer is from Joe’s documentary movie Strong available at www.strongmovie.com There will be a review of it as soon as I get my copy. I’m expecting very good things from it.


 


 


Below I’ve highlighted what we did in the last two weeks of our WS4SB. This is not the extensive list from the original article as there is only so much the overseas gyms have available. There were a couple options in various sections in case the equipment was being being breathed on by the mouth breathers that aren’t breathing through their mouth because they’re working hard. Where there are two highlighted, it would alternate depending upon equipment. For the full list of templates and exercises, go to Joe’s site.


 


WestSide for 220th Skinny Bastards


Strength & Speed Template


 


A-  Max Effort Upper Body


1. A. Incline Barbell Bench Press-Work up to 2 max sets of 3 Reps


B. Flat Dumbbell Bench Press- 2XAMRAP(As Many Reps As Possible)


Approximately 15-20 Reps, 3-4 Min  Rest


            2. A1-Dumbbell/Barbell Rows/Cable Rows


                A2- Rear Delt Flyes/Scarecrows/Face Pulls/Seated DB “Power Cleans”/Band Pull-aparts


                3-4 SetsX8-12 Reps Supersetted


 


           3. Dumbbell/Barbell Shrugs    3-4SetsX8-15 Reps


 


            4. Dumbell/Barbell/Hammer Curls      3-4SetsX8-15Reps


 


B-   Speed Training


1.      General Warm-up/Movement Skills (5-15 minutes) Increase core temperature by performing basic movement skills and calisthenics (Ex. Bodyweight Squats, Jumping Jacks, Skipping, Back Pedaling)


 


2. Ground Based Mobility (5-15 minutes) (Sample mobility drills: Roll-overs into V-sits, fire hydrant circles, mountain climbers, groaners, etc)


 


3. Frequency Drills (2-3 minutes) 1 or 2 drills to excite the CNS. 5-10 secondsX2-3sets (Ex. Low pogo jumps, wideouts, ankling, etc.)


 


4. Speed Training


            A. 10-Yard Starts/Sprints-10 sprints with 1 minute rest


            B. 20-Yard Shuttle/Sprints-6 sprints with 2 minutes rest


            C. 3-Cone Drill/40-Yard Sprints-4 sprints with 4 minutes rest


 


C-   Max-Effort Lower Body & Conditioning


1.      Box Squat- Work up to 2 max sets of 3 Reps(The gym surprisingly had a box. I’m sure it was probably requested for step-ups, but it worked)


 


2.      Hip Extension- 45 degree back raises/Pull-throughs 3X10


 


3.      Sprinter Sit-ups- 3X20


 


4.      Conditioning Finisher- Chose One(We alternated both)


Farmers Walk- 4-6X40-60 Yards 1-2 minutes rest(kettlebells carried in deep gravel)


Forward or Backward Sled Drags- 4-6X30-50 Yards 1-2 minute rest(kettlebells pulled by leather jump rope in deep gravel)


 


D-  Repetition Upper Body


1.      Dumbbell Flat/Incline/On Swiss Ball/Floor Press or Push-up/Chin-up Variations


3SetsXAMRAP or 4X12-15


 


2.      A1-Lat Pulldown/Chin-ups/Straight Arm Pulldowns


A2- Rear Delt Flyes/Scarecrows/Face Pulls/Seated DB “Power Cleans”/Band      


Pull-aparts


3-4X8-12 supersetted


3. Dumbbell Lateral Raises/Military Press/Side Press(slight learning curve if you’ve never performed these. Refer to Power to the People by Pavel)


      4X8-12


 


4.   A1- Dumbbell Shrugs 3X8-10


      A2- Hammer Curls 3X8-10/Dumbbell Tricep Extension 3X10-15/Pushdown 3X15-25


 


5.      Weighted Abdominals- Chose one 4X10-15


DB side bends


                  Barbell Russian Twists


                  Hanging leg raises


                  Weighted Swiss ball Crunches


                  Spread Eagle sit-ups with DB over chest


 


E-Conditioning/Strongman/Sports


1.      General Warm-up/Movement Skills (5-15 minutes) Increase core temperature by performing basic movement skills and calisthenics (Ex. Bodyweight Squats, Jumping Jacks, Skipping, Back Pedaling)


 


2. Ground Based Mobility (5-15 minutes) (Sample mobility drills: Roll-overs into V-sits, fire hydrant circles, mountain climbers, groaners, etc)


 


3.      Frequency Drills (2-3 minutes) 1 or 2 drills to excite the CNS. 5-10 secondsX2-3sets (Ex. Low pogo jumps, wideouts, ankling, etc.)


4.      Conditioning


Option 1- Benchmark WOD roughly 15-20 minutes


Option 2- Sport-Play a pick-up game for fun


Option 3- General Conditioning


      Sample:


1.      Mountain climbers into 10-Yard sprint-8 sets, 30 seconds rest, rest 1-minute before 2nd exercise


2.      Wideouts into 15-Yard sprint-Wideouts for 5 seconds then sprint 15 yards on command. 6 sets with 45 seconds rest, rest 2 minutes before 3rd exercise


3.      60-Yard Shuttle- 4 shuttles with 45 seconds rest, rest 1 minute before 4th exercise


4.      Illinois Drill- 3 sets with 1 minute rest


 


 



Explainations


A. Max Effort day- Pretty self explainatory


B. Speed training- Sprint training not only make your assault techniques more effective, but it trains your nervous system to fire faster. Just like lifting fast and olympic lifts creates nervous system improvements. You should be working in either O-lifts, fast weighted lifts or some other type of speed training to enhance your muscle firing rates and coordination.


C. Max Lower Body and Conditioning- Again pretty self explainatory


D. Repetition upper body day- This is where the beef is built. The high volume stimulates muscle growth and helps flush the muscles to assist in recovery. If you are trying to maintain a lower weight, drop this day from your program.


E. Conditioning/Strongman/Sports(Optional)- Utilize this day for additional conditioning, lifting heavy stuff cause you feel like it(strongman type stuff) or play a pick up game of a sport. Depends on your goal, but the sport option has a definate mental and physical break and is much more fun.


Results


After one month of training following the templates laid out in part III of WS4SB, all of our lifts went up by 30-50 pounds(I’ll find my notebook again one of these days in between moving). I personally had a bodyweight shift from 177 to 189, appeared to be less fat as well, but being in a combat zone I didn’t care to actually measure all that. I gained another 5 or so in the next month. I had to have my ma send me new boxers so the legs would fit!! I had to cut the sides on all the rest. Be warned, you’ll need to get some Hane’s comfort band boxers. They tend to fit better in the legs while maintaining the same waist. T-Shirts fit tighter, I actually filled the arms up for once haha. People started mentioning how beefy and ripped all of us looked. But enough about my panties.


If you’re looking for a program to get you beefy, but still athletic and more functional, I highly reccomend any of the Templates. Even if your a fat bastard, you’ll still get freaky strong, and with ensuring proper conditioning, the fat should come off fast as well.


If you’re in a tactical enviroment, I would give a strong look at the ‘In-Season’ template. Combined with the conditioning methods mentioned in the Deployment Fitness Guide, you’ll be set without burning your nervous system out. The gist of the In-Season template is to design a Max-Effort Upper Body session and a Max-Effort Lower Body session approximately four days from each other. Combine this with some conditioning as outlined in the Deployment Field Guide and you should be set pretty well.


As as side note, I was talking to my friend Nate Morrison the other day. He mentioned they experienced dramatic improvements in ruck times by utilizing sprinting. I would strongly encourage looking into sprint training like the above no matter what your job or sport. Many benefits will come, mainly from getting the nervous system fired up. Speed is king.


 


In the end, I may be a skinny bastard. But like many of Joe’s clients, those of us that went through the adventure are now bigger and stronger skinny bastards.


 


By Nathan | Posted in Military, training | Comments (0)

Fat Loss GPS 2012

December 27, 2011 – 10:26
This may not sit well with you, but it’s something that you need to know, and so I’m just
going to come out and say it.
See, the way I see it they’re insulting your intelligence.
Who are “they”?
THEY are the talking heads you see on TV and hear on the radio. And I’m convinced
they’re trying to make you fatter.
Every year at about this time all you see, hear and read about are people making the big
three New Year resolutions – more money, quit smoking, and losing weight.
Now, I don’t know the success rate of the first two, but as a fitness expert and someone
who has helped dozens and dozens of folks lose weight and get in better shape, I can tell
you (and statistics prove) that most people who resolve to lose weight in the New Year
are doomed.
In fact, an article I just read on CNN.com said that most people who have a New Year
resolution to lose weight will fail.
In the same article, clinical psychologist Mark Crawford of Roswell, Georgia said that one
reason people fail is because they sabotage themselves.
I believe this to be true.
I’ve seen it myself.
You’ll start off in mid to late December telling yourself that you will commit to losing
weight starting the New Year. Over the weeks building up to the New Year you formulate
a plan of sorts… to eat less, make better choices, exercise more, and pick up better
habits.
And that’s the EXACT roadmap to failure!
And that’s why I’m writing you today – to warn you of this impending doom IF YOU’RE
ABOUT TO MAKE THIS “NEW YEAR RESOLUTION” MISTAKE.
Here’s what I mean.
Look, I’m going to be brutally honest with you, because I can’t see the “media” telling you
this truth any time soon.
The reason most people fail at losing weight in the New Year is because…
1. Your goals are probably unrealistic and so you’re already setting yourself up for
failure.
2. You’re unprepared. Sure you have a general idea that you want to lose weight,
but you most likely do not have a game plan.
3. Your goals are unclear.
4. You lack support. Because the going WILL GET TOUGH and your support system
is what will see you through to your goal.
Imagine going to another country you’ve never been in before. Now imagine if I handed
you a GPS but didn’t give you an address (a goal). You’d probably fail at getting to your
destination, wouldn’t you?
Now imagine if I said your destination was a house about 150 miles north. Well, you now
have a general idea, but you’ll still never get to your destination and therefore fail.
Get the picture?
Now imagine if I handed you a GPS AND gave you the address of the house you needed
to end up at.
Once you type your goal destination into the GPS, it will give you VERY specific turn by
turn directions AND a very realistic timeline in which you’ll arrive.
Duh!
Makes sense, right?
Yet, nearly 96% of all people who set weight loss goals for the New Year don’t know how
much they want to lose.
And if they can pin point a number they want to lose – they still don’t have a “turn by
turn” game plan to get there.
Now the reason I’m on this soapbox and having this rant is because I’m sick and tired of
good people being misled and being told half‐truths.
Frankly, I hate the idea of a “New Year’s resolution”. That’s just way too much pressure
on anyone. PLUS, the way I see it, you can do anything you want, anytime you want.
You don’t need to wait till the New Year. If you’re the type of person that I think you are,
I’m willing to bet that you can do anything you put your mind to and you can do it
whenever you want.
Now, if when you want is now, then start now.
And if when you want is in the New Year, fine with me, start then. But do it because you
made the decision to do it and not because the talking heads on TV and radio influenced
you to do it.
And now that you know how NOT TO FAIL, you can achieve whatever goal it is that you
want to achieve.

I believe in you!

Nathan, Head Coach

Download and use your Fat Loss GPS below to help clarify and refine your goals for 2012

Fat Loss GPS

By Nathan | Posted in Bootcamp, Fat Loss | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Comments (0)

Plyometrics-What They Are

December 27, 2011 – 04:14

Plyometrics-what they are By Danny O’Dell


In a nut shell plyometrics are activities commonly seen on most elementary school yards through out the civilized world. These include the running, jumping, skipping, and hopping movement’s children do every day during recess. Athletes use plyometrics for an altogether different purpose and that is to become stronger and more explosive in their sport.


The former Soviet Union and Eastern block countries made tremendous competitive strides when national level master coach Professor Verkhoshansky began incorporating specialized high intensity plyometrics into their athletes programs. He noticed that when an individual wound up or violently prestretched before performing an explosive jump or throw, the power output from that athlete was multiplied several fold depending on the conditioning of the athlete.


This phenomenon, known as the stretch shortening cycle, takes advantage of the natural elasticity of the ligaments, tendons, muscles, and skin to resist the initial stretch. By utilizing a complicated combination of nerve transmissions and muscle responses your body automatically increases the power of the subsequent concentric contraction. The stretch shortening cycle (SSC) plays a prominent role in all of this.


Defined briefly, the SSC is a process muscles go through when moving a limb or an external load such as a dumbbell or barbell. Three phases generally describe the actions of the muscles during this time, eccentric-muscle lengthening, amortization-reversal of movement and the concentric phase with the muscle fibers shortening while moving the bony levers of the body. During the concentric portion the muscles are responding to the stored elastic energy that has been accumulated in the prior two phases.


Plyometrics takes advantage of this stored energy and increases the strength of the subsequent movements. However, just because this energy is present doesn’t necessarily mean that the athlete can use it. If this stored energy is not used quickly, it rapidly dissipates as heat. Elite athletes are able to retain this stored potential longer than many of us, some say up as long as two to four seconds.


 


If the energy is not used before it’s turned into heat then the effects of the plyometric exercise is lost. Plyometric training seeks to train the athlete how to take advantage of this physiological reflex to make an athlete stronger, faster, and more powerful.


 


Stay strong mentally and physically, and remain passionately committed to your hearts chosen path.

Danny M. O’Dell, MA. CSCS*D

Phone: 509.991.6833


 


Sign up for Danny O’Dell’s Explosivelyfit Strength Training News here http://www.Explosivelyfit.com

By Nathan | Posted in training | Comments (0)

Method Behind the Madness- The Mitochondria Workout

December 25, 2011 – 14:38

The Mitochondria Workout

Your muscles are composed of both fast-twitch and slow-twitch muscle fibers. Fast-twitch fibers are your biggest and strongest muscle fibers with the greatest growth potential. These fibers are best worked in the following two ways:

1.) Using strength training exercises like squats, deadlifts, rows, and presses using heavy loads performed at slow, controlled tempo. These exercises are best performed in rep ranges of 1-6 reps or work periods of 20-30 seconds.

2.) Using power training exercises like swings, cleans, snatches, and jumps using moderate to heavy loads performed at an explosive tempo. These exercises are best performed in rep ranges of 3-10 reps and work periods of 5-15 seconds.

In general, maximum fast-twitch fiber muscle activation and metabolic acceleration occurs when you perform the concentric (lifting) portion of an exercise as fast as humanly possible. Studies show that it’s this explosive intent that’s most important. In addition, fast-twitch fibers require more energy to contract than their slow-twitch counterparts.

Furthermore, fast-twitch fibers are more anaerobic in nature and rely more on phosphagens (ATP-PC) and muscle glycogen (sugar) for energy.

Slow-twitch fibers are your smaller, more endurance-based muscle fibers. They are more aerobic in nature in rely on oxidation (or burning) of fat for fuel. Thus, you need to hit these fibers too if you’re goal is to enhance direct total body fat-burning.

But what if I told you that you could employ a simple exercise tweak to burn more total calories and melt more ugly, unwanted body fat?

Enter this killer fat-burning exercise secret I picked up from world class strength and performance enhancement coach Bill Hartman, PT, CSCS, co-owner of Indianapolis Fitness and Sports Training (iFAST).

Read More »

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Tabata’s: What the hell are they?

December 20, 2011 – 04:13

Tabata’s: What the hell are they?


Tabata’s aren’t some silly Italian bread or a some dirty street cat. They are a very effective method to improve both aerobic AND anaerobic capacities. Not only that but they blow torch fat off like white phosphorus and challenge your mental capacities to the limit. All in four minutes….


 


First an overview from fellow coach Ross Enamait over at Rosstraining.com


Tabata Intervals by Ross Enamait


Ross has a program there similar to what I have been doing recently. It is pure hell for the entire time.


The most common protocol is doing air squats for the 4 minutes. Watch a video over on Crossfit. Scroll down to Tabata Squat. There are some other tabata video’s there as well. Just don’t slip too hard in the Kool-Aid while venturing around. I digress, moving on.


Another program by acclaimed coach Dan John


The Tabata Method- Fat Loss in Four Minutes by Dan John(Link to T-Nation)


 


Tabata intervals should consist of compound movements but without too much complexity. Umm what? Basically if you do small exercises, you’ll get virtually nothing. It has to tax as much muscle as possible while not being so complicated that you can’t do it with decent speed. You can also do it with typical endurance type activities for sprints. Bike, skates, rollerblades, running, etc. But I’m warning you, Tabata sprints are no joke. You’ll be breathing hard. The goal of each Tabata interval regardless of exercise is to go as fast as you can with proper form. Even if Lance Armstrong did this on a bike, he would be sucking too. There is no “getting better” at Tabata’s. Sure you’ll improve your score, but it sucks every time. If you’re going hard and fast enough that is.


So each rount you count your number of reps or distance. The lowest of all 8 rounds is your Tabata score. The next time you of course try to beat that lowest score for all your rounds. DON’T game play this!! In other words don’t shoot only for getting minimum, fast as you can every round, no matter what. This is a challenge of your mental fortitude!


Everybody has their own style….



 


 A sample workout you can toss at the non-believers is Burpee’s. Burpee Tabata’s will probably make you burp up lunch.


A simple bodyweight full workout four minutes just isn’t enough pain for you. Take 1 min between exercises, 8 rounds each. Complete each exercises 8 rounds before moving to the next. This one will help improve your PT score as well. Remember 20 sec work, followed by 10 seconds rest for all 8 rounds of Mountain Climbers, take a minute off. Then repeat for the other three exercises.


Mountain Climbers


Jumping squats


Sit ups or crunches if you test has crunches


Pushups or pullups if your test has pullups


You can also do pullups instead of the situps or crunches. Make sure on the pullups they are either jumping or kipping. You have to move the entire 20 seconds at a fast pace. I’ve done regular pullups and ring dips, although they pumped you up, they don’t quite stimulate the lungs. So adapt to what your goal is.


 


There you have it, a simple, easily done anywhere on the planet workout that will not only maintain your conditioning but improve your VO2 max!

By Nathan | Posted in training | Comments (0)

T-mag Hale interview

December 13, 2011 – 04:12

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Testosterone Magazine interview with Coach Hale


Q: Why train with a sledge hammer? What benefits does this offer me that I can’t get from standard gym training? Train with a sledge because it is the ultimate conditioning tool. Keep in mind, this is not a new training method as Strongmen, military personnel, and combat athletes have used this tool for years. This type of training is also popular among javelin throwers and shot putters. Lately, sledge training has re-emerged as it can be cited as used by a wide variety of athletes and coaches. A renowned Sports Conditioning coach I recently spoke to stated that if your conditioning coach is any good at all he will be familiar with this sledge training. There is no work you will do in the gym that is as metabolic taxing as sledge training. In my programs I incorporate numerous types of swings, sets, reps and speed protocols.

Sledge training offers the following benefits.

- Rotational Strength and Power

- Core strength

- Increased dynamic range of motion

- Coordination

- Learn to transmit force from the ground up through the arms (key quality in most sports)

- Enhanced work capacity

- Mental toughness

- Restoration

- Wrist and forearm strength

- Multi-planar movement patterns

- Selective tension (learning when to tense and relax muscles)

Q: What kind of results are your athletes seeing from this type of training? (Real world examples) I use this method with most of my athletes and that includes general fitness enthusiasts and bodybuilders. This movement requires a significant amount of muscle tissue as well as offering the benefits mentioned above. Recently I introduced Sledge work to a pro boxer that was visiting my facility for a day. After performing 2 two-minute rounds he said he felt more fatigued than he did after 12 rounds of boxing. As you can see even for a well-conditioned athlete this type of training can be very intense. All of my combat athletes emphasize Sledge training as a key component of their conditioning. My amateur boxers have shown tremendous improvements in power and endurance after significant use with this method of training. The intensity varies accordingly. I have a client who is 50 yrs old who has been using the sledge for about 2-3 weeks and has already seen substantial improvements in his anaerobic endurance, range of motion, recovery ability, core strength and mental toughness. I also have a mountaineer I recently trained who just climber Mt. El Dorado. She thanked me on numerous occasions for introducing her to sledge work as she felt it played a key role in preparing for the harsh conditions of Mt. El Dorado. She said when it became hard she just thought to herself nothing is as hard as that sledge work coach Hale made me do.

Q: Let’s say a guy couldn’t care less about performance or functional strength. He just want to look good. Should he try sledge training?

Yes I think he should. The benefits I mentioned above can be beneficial to anyone. With increased work capacity and restoration the athlete’s ability to sustain higher volumes of training increases markedly. The metabolic cost of intense sledge training is very high which obviously enhances ability to burn body fat. Everyone needs a certain level of GPP (general physical preparedness).

Q: Why a special sledge just for this type of training? Why not just use one from the hardware store?

Hardware store sledgehammers were not designed for this type of activity. There are problems that exist with these hammers such as heads fly off, grip slippage, handles split, in most cases a 12lb sledge is as heavy as you will find, and they are very rough on the hands.

Why The Steel Sledge?

Finally a hammer that the head won’t fly off (lasts a lifetime)

The Steel Sledge comes in two types of designs. Steel sledge design (20&30lb) and the Urethane head design (20lb).

3 inch steel mass head with flat machine bottom for ease of parking after use.

Handle 11-gauge steel, 1.5-inch diameter (great for grip)

Entire hammer has a military crinkle black finish for grip durability and a look unparalleled.

Handle has 3/16 inch steel cap slug welded to it for grip location during intense workouts.

Easy on the hands.

Urethane head Sledge designed to reduce impact shock during striking contact.

Urethane head Sledge molded after original pounding mallets of days gone by.

Generally speaking a 12-16 lb sledge is about as heavy as you will find. With the Steel Sledge we offer a 20 and 30lb sledge.

Steel sledge offers a commercial friendly appearance.

Q: Can you give T-mag readers a quick sample sledge program?

The most basic swing is the Foot forward diagonal swing- one-foot forward, standing in a stance similar to a boxing or fighting stance. Be sure to rotate out of the feet and hips as you perform the backswing and the downswing (lack of feet and hip rotation result in excessive sheering force in the knees and lower back). The hand on top will slide closer to the head on the back swing and closer to the end of the hammer on the down swing. This usually occurs naturally with out any thought. Below is a very basic beginner workout.

Foot forward diagonal swing (30 seconds)

Alternate foot forward diagonal swing (30 seconds)

Rest 1 minute. Perform movements 2-3 rds.

The Foot Forward Diagonal Swing is the first swing that I usually teach with sledge training. Different movements patterns are introduced in a very progressive manner. Other swings include diagonal swings, vertical swings, low swings, figure 8’s, half moon swings, and horizontal swings. I also like to combine sled pulls with sledge training.

Q: Does 24hr Family Fitness Center offer sledges or sledge-cardio classes? (Joke, but you may want to use it as a chance to explain how and where most guys use this kind of training – at home on an old tire etc…)

Probably not. Although they should. Hopefully with my gym friendly Steel Sledge facilities will realize the significant benefits this tool will offer. At my facility we go outside and perform our strikes on a tire or mats. We also perform numerous movements that do not require us to strike anything. Occasionally I will place mats in the gym lay the tires on the mats and perform the swings. Wooden blocks, sand boxes and hillsides can also be used. Keep in mind; some people do not realize how easy it is to get a tire. Simply call a tractor supply, junkyard, or tire shop. They are always looking to get rid of tires. Sometimes they will pay you to take the tire. You do not have to have a huge tire either.


Read more about Coach Jamie Hale at www.torqueathletic.com


Read his bio

By Nathan | Posted in training | Comments (0)

Alcohol and Fat Loss- What You Need to Know

December 11, 2011 – 13:01

Alcohol And Fat Loss – What You Need To Know

One question that often presents itself to many dieters who are trying to shed the excess weight that has accumulated over time is whether or not alcohol can be included in their diet plan.

Alcohol is something that most adults do like to indulge in from time to time – some more often than others.

So what’s the real deal about alcohol and your progress? Is this something that you can make room for in your diet or is it something that you need to give the boot?

Alcohol And Calories

The very first thing that you need to take note of is how many calories are found in alcohol. Alcohol itself contains seven calories per gram, whereas both proteins and carbs contain just four. Fat comes in at the highest calorie value per gram at nine, which places alcohol right in the middle.

But what’s often worse is what the alcohol is mixed with. If you’re drinking your alcohol with high calorie or fat mixers such as cream, sodas, or sugary mixers you could easily end up with a drink that packs in well over 300 calories per serving.

If you take in three or four of these over the course of the night, it’s really going to add up.

Alcohol And Fat Metabolism

The second important thing that you need to note is the impact that alcohol consumption will have on your fat metabolism. The minute that you put alcohol into your body, all fat burning is going to come to a halt.

Your body views alcohol as a toxin and as such, as soon as it comes in, it’s going to do everything it can to rid itself of this alcohol. No further fat will be burned off until it’s out of your system.

Only then will you start burning up body fat again. So if you consume quite a bit of alcohol one night, you can expect to see your rate of fat loss drop off for a more significant period of time.

Alcohol And Your Recovery

Finally, the last important thing to note about alcohol consumption is the impact it will have on your recovery rates.

In addition to putting the breaks on all fat burning taking place in the body, the second thing that alcohol is going to put the breaks on is protein synthesis.

This means that no further lean muscle tissue will be built up as long as that alcohol is in the body.

Again, you can imagine what this is going to do to your workout goals.

So as you can see, if you want to be truly successful with your fat loss and workout program, it’s best if you can forgo alcohol for the time being. One drink every now and then may not hurt all that much, but if you’re taking in any more than this, it will definitely hinder the progress that you see.

Comitted to your health and fitness goals,

Nathan

By Nathan | Posted in Fat Loss, Nutrition | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Comments (0)
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