Day 61 of 365: IF You're Feelin' SPICY...

I've got a special "treat" for you guys today! 

One that will change everything you thought you knew about "training hard".  

What I'm about to share with you will, quite possibly, be one of the hardest, most diabolical methods of training that you'll experience.  It is also one of the most effective methods by which to generate ridiculous power output and receive amazing returns in the areas of speed and conditioning....

all while transforming you into a F*#king MACHINE!!!

If I haven't scared you away, and you're still reading this, this is exactly what you need to add to your training!  

You ready?

BAND-RESISTED SPRINTS

B-R Sprints are a potent exercise that not only deliver on all of the previously mentioned benefits, but they cause a pukie sensation that is unmatched as far as I'm concerned.  The only drills that can come close are steep hill sprints and prowler sprints. 

 These are excellent options if you don't have a "buddy" to dig your ass into the ground.  

With that being said, whatever you do - you MUST start adding this to your training!!!  

Just be sure that you are smart about the volume.  Don't hit this stuff everyday and expect to see massive gains in speed and strength.  You'll most likely wear yourself out and possibly sprint your way straight to the point of overuse injuries.  I recommend getting one good day of sprinting in at least every two weeks.  Some do it more often, but I have found that my athletes work extremely hard on each sprint when it is more spaced out.  And, as you can imagine, max effort output is the name of the game when talking about any form of sprint work, but especially when hitting Band-Resisted Sprints.

Now, the question is: 

"Are you tough enough to do something that you KNOW will suck...BIG TIME?"

If you are, welcome!  

You are one of the few that works under the HARD ROUTINE mentality....and you are my family!  Go Get It!!!

Day 60 of 365: Take This SWOD For a Spin!

What's up guys

I've got a spicy SWOD for y'all to take on! 

This was actually a warm up that I put my Strictly Strength athletes through every once in a while, but as I've already discussed with you:

THE WARMUP IS YOUR WORKOUT!!!  

This SWOD is a great example of the new idea.  

To prove it,  I want you all to knock this one out and see for yourself what a true warmup should feel like and accomplish.

Also, if you read yesterday's post, you now have an understanding of how to perform a technically-sound shoulder press.  Remember, there is untapped power and strength hidden in the details of the press.  If you dial all the small pieces in, you'll find your press creeping up and up!  

During this video, you'll see Strictly Strength athlete, Ashok performing a rock-solid press - one that you can model yourself.  

Check it out! 

Day 59 of 365: Pressing The Pressing Issue

This week at CrossFit Central, our athletes are crankin' on the CrossFit Total. 

If you don't already know, the CrossFit Total is comprised of 3 lifts:  The Back Squat, the Shoulder Press, and the Deadlift. 

  

In each of the lifts, the athlete is attempting to set new 1RM maxes that will be summed and Totaled (Get it?) for a resulting score equal to the pounds lifted.  The Total is the way we test an individual's overall strength, which I'm sure you probably guessed by the selection of the exercises, right?

It's funny, though.  As I watched my athletes take on each lift, I realized that the lift that  they were having the most trouble with was the the shoulder press - by far the most simplistic lift...on the surface, but we are about to dive a bit deeper to uncover why the press is the hardest movement to improve on.  You ready?

Alright. So to start us off on the right foot here, I am going to show you a video.  This is pretty much the way I teach the press, minus a couple points that we will hit a bit later.  Watch this and you'll be up to speed.

 Seems pretty straight forward, right?  Well, let's quickly make a checklist of the basics:

1. Grip right outside of shoulders(make sure it's symmetrical)

2. Unrack the bar by creating a platform with your anterior delts(front of your shoulders)

3. Set your feet at hip-width, squeeze your butt, quads, and abs as tight as possible.  This creates a rock-solid foundation to press from.  VERY IMPORTANT!!!

4. Lift your elbows so that your forearm is completely vertical.  Basic rule here is that your forearms need to point in the direction you want the bar to go; straight up and slightly back.

5. Take a quick, deep breath just before initiating the press.

6. Drive the bar straight up keeping it close to your face and forehead.

7. Once the bar has cleared your forehead, press slightly backwards while also driving your upper-body under the bar.

8. Lock the B#tch out!!!

So now that we have a basic understanding of what needs to happen to succesfully perform a quality press, here's the one major idea that I want you to grasp:   

BARBELL SPEED!!!

We have discussed this before, but when performing any lift, the athlete has a specificed timeframe in which he or she can make the lift.  Any slower and the bar will stop dead in it's tracks and leave you in no-man's-land, wondering what the hell just happened.

Here's the deal.  Once you have set up and you are rock-solid in that position, you must maintain it as you punch that bar towards the ceiling...making it a point to keep the bar path as close to your face as possible!  This deliberate effort to move quickly will ensure that that nasty little thing called GRAVITY doesn't catch hold of that bar - closing that window of possible PRs.

So, next time you hit some presses, focus on the details of your setup, the bar path, and especially your speed!!!  You will find that the press, when done with these things in mind, is not as simplistic as you originally thought....BUT, you will also realize that there is a ton of POWER and STRENGTH hidden in those details!!!

GO GET IT!!!

Day 57 AND 58 of 365: Do You REALLY Get JACKED UP!?!

If you didn't notice, I did not make a post for yesterday.  I know, I know....I messed up, but it was for a good reason.  Yesterday was my girlfriend's birthday, so the two of us and some friends went up to a cabin just south of Lampases for Friday evening, night and Saturday evening where we soon made our way downtown!  As you can imagine, it was a pretty eventful, jam-packed weekend.  So with that being said, I want to first apologize for missing a day.  

So in order to set it straight, I am writing a post with a dual-purpose!

As you can tell from the title, this is all about getting yourself amped up to do some serious damage to anything from a PR deadlift to a heavy workload this week.  My point here is this:  If you approach every aspect of you life in the same way you get pumped for a big lift, you may find that the end result is a powerful one.  

Think about it.  

What is it that you are actually doing when you are getting yourself "pumped up"?  You are creating a new, high-energy stimulus that your body reacts to in a beneficial manner.  It increases the levels of adrenaline and other high-intensity promoting hormones - all to boost the body's ability to DO WORK!!!

  

In the video that I'm about to show you, I want you to notice a couple things:

1.  He is a massive human being!

2.  He is NOT deadlifting in F#@king running shoes!

3.  He "primes" his body/Central Nervous System(CNS) for the work that is about to be done.

4.  Before he even approaches the bar, this lift has already been done!  The decision has already been made to make this shit happen....THEN, he does not mess around.  He attacks it(albeit with a bit of a tip-toe-sneak approach). 

5.  No Hesitation

p.s.  That "warmup" lift was 858lbs!!!  Not sure what the 2nd attempt was, but the bar nearly snapped, so....Yeah.

Some of the very same tactics will work wonders for preparing yourself for the week ahead.  Get EXCITED about the work you have to get done this week!  It is a challenge, and challenges only make you stronger....I

t's that why you read this blog?  

To increase STRENGTH?

Thought so.  

Attack this week with focus and commitment to excellence.

Then, be sure you CELEBRATE the accomplishment!!!

Celebration is our way of saying to ourselves, "OUTSTANDING job!!! You have earned this!!!"

It keeps us coming back for more...

It keeps us pushing ourselves for the BIGGER & BETTER.

It is what drives a POWERFUL, FULFILLING LIFE!

Day 56 of 365: "The Equalizer": Post Turkey Day SWOD.

YO!!!

I'm guessing that you all had a ton of great food yesterday, and that maybe, just maybe, you're not feeling so hot today?  Especially since all you've eaten is the leftovers, right?  

Well, I've got the answer to solve all of your GI disscomforts, your hindered self-image, and your lethargic-ass tendencies!

From this...

"The Equalizer"

3 Rounds NFT:

Max Effort Shoulder Press For Reps @ 55% of 1RM

  20 Heavy Russian KB Swings

15 Bent-Over BB Rows @ Same Wt. As Above

To THIS!!!

It brings you back to a state of confidence and strength, and gives your body the kick it needs to make use of all the shit you just ate.  

It does all of this without being too much to handle.  

I highly recommend you give this one a go and see how great you feel after bustin' it!

Here is one of my athletes performing one round of this 3 round SWOD...

CHECK IT!

Day 55 of 365: GRATITUDE

Happy Thankgiving!!!

I hope that everyone is having an amazing day with family and friends!

On Tuesday morning, I polled my TTh 7am Strictly Strength athletes to see if they wanted to hit a SWOD on Thanksgiving day, and of course, they were all about it!  So, today I was lucky enough to spend the morning with my CrossFit Central/RedBlack Gym family and friends as they cranked out a badass SWOD and then followed it with a 5K fun run.  Honestly, I can't think of a better way to spend the day...I guess the only way it would have been better is if my actual family came down from Wyoming to be a part of the CC community.

It's funny.  This week, as it led up to this day, I found myself wondering why it is that we don't have Thanksgiving on every single day of our lives?  No.  I am not talking about the extreme portions of food, although, that wouldn't be so bad either.  I am talking about GRATITUDE for what we have received in our lives.  Our bodies and the amazing potential it holds....The people and the relationships that shape us....The opportunities that arise and offer us the chance to be GREAT! 

  

My point here is that  the GRATITUDE that we celebrate on one special day of the year can be recreated every day to build a beautiful, powerful life! 

Doesn't that sound EXTRAORDINARY!?!

So, in the spirit of Thanksgiving Day, and the many days after it, I have put together a quick video that I would love to share with you!  

Check it out and see what thoughts and feelings it may spark.

All I can say is that we truly have a lot to be grateful for.

 

Day 54 of 365: Another Angle

Hey Guys!!!

Just a quick post tonight.  It's episode #2 on the deadlift and sumo deadlift, just from another angle. 
If you remember from yesterday's post, I said that I like to give you small bits of information so that you can absorb and apply it, piece by piece.

On that note...oncne you watch this video, combo it up with the first, and read my previous posts on the deadlift, you should be ready to rock'n'roll on this shit!  

Let me hear how it all goes.