STS 3-24

"75 percent of the world is covered by water. The rest is covered by Smoot." --Fred Smoot, Washington Redskins cornerback


Here's a great video on overhead split-squats:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_I1YI2y-W4M

And a great article on overhead squats and how important they are to training the shoulder girdle. (not to mention that whole core thing)

http://www.crossfit.com/journal/library/67_08_Overhead_Lifting.pdf

And yet another split-squat article of awesomeness. Check out these lifts for some great ideas. I already planned my next workout with the examples from these. Such smart athletic movements.

http://www.t-nation.com/article/performance_training/split_stance_lifting_for_athletes&cr=performanceTraining

Workout:

Movement Prep: standard ciruit. Added 50 double-unders and step-ups w/mini bands also.

Jump Training:

1A: sitting box jumps
1B: full-body plyo pushups (both feet and hands leave the ground and land in unison)

1A: box march w/mini bands
1B: jumping tuck pullups

Functional Lifts:

Hang Cleans- 6,4,4,4,2

Front-squats- 8, 6, 4, 4. If you're having trouble with the front squats try putting 2.5lb plates behind your heels. This puts your foot in a sprinter position, eliminating any calf flexibility issues (which forces your upper body forward) and allows you to really sit back deep into the squat. A simple thing that can make a big difference.

Romanian dead-lifts- 8,8,8. Great for the P-chain, you really feel it in the hammys.

http://www.exrx.net/WeightExercises/OlympicLifts/RomanianDeadlift.html

1-arm Snatches: 2 sets of 8 each arm. Love these mofos, they just crush.

This week:

Monday: Weights
Tuesday: heavybag work and sprint/agility training/throws
Wednesday: Weights
Thursday: Plyometric/field work/medicine ball/throws
Friday: Recovery
Weekend: Fools West

#40

Hill Runs & Heavybag

"You are how you train" - Vern Gambetta

Everyone should go back and re-read the article Vern posted on developing an aerobic base, then share it with someone it might help (link on the right). There's no "easing into" sprinting, it just doesn't work like that. That might be tough news to hear for some of you, but if you're going to do something, might as well do it right and get the absolute maximum benefit from it.

Heavybag Work:

5 rounds with 1 minute rest in between.

1 round=

- 1 minute power punches
- 1 minute speed combos
- 2 minutes jump-rope
- 30 kicks each leg- 10 roundhouse, 10 straight-kicks, 10 side-kicks
- Ab wheel- 10 reps

There was a study published in the UK about a year ago on the effects kicking a heavybag had on soccer players. Surprise surprise, those who kicked a heavybag 3x's a week had a lower % of injury, and stronger quads. I'm definitely no karate kid but kicking the bag sure does have a great affect on my legs. A heavybag is a staple to any home gym, they're not that expensive for the life you get out of them and the fitness possibilities are endless.

Hill Sprints:

Set 1: 10 x 10 seconds sprints with no rest. As soon as you finish the run walk backwards (for further posterior chain stabilization) down the hill to your starting place and repeat immediately. Focus on proper sprinting technique, hip-pocket-to-eye-socket with the arms in your 90-90's. You should be anaerobic as long as possible.

Set 2: 10 x 10 seconds backpedaling. Same concept, no rest till the 10 are finished. As soon as you're done walk forwards back to your starting spot and repeat. These killed me.

Set 3: 6 x 10 seconds forward sprints. Shoulda done more but punked out. This is where I really need a training partner to push me that extra distance. Hill runs by myself aren't exactly my favorite.

Finished with 2 rounds of:

- 2 minute speed & power punches
- 45 kicks each leg- 15 of each type

Finished in just under an hour and each movement was explosive, full body & core initiated. As it should be.

Off to Vegas for the Madness of March tomorrow. F yeah. 24 hours from now we'll be poolside care-free and drink-heavy watching UCLA take the title home yet again.

Vegas baby,
#40

STS 3-18-08

"The harder I practice, the luckier I get." - Gary Player

The following chart is the program for the U of Oregon athletes. This was designed by Jim Radcliffe, the Head Strength and Conditioning Coach who is also regarded as the "Father of Plyometrics." If you've done any kind of plyometric/jumping program (air alert, etc) the concepts behind it all flowed from him. For years he has been challenging new progressions of sports movements and showing the world just how explosive and fast-twitch the human body can be with the right training and the proper biomechanics.

Take a look at the breakdown on this. Right away you'll notice the two largest pieces of the pie: Weight training and movement specifics. As if you needed further confirmation that proper weight training is an absolutely critical part of your training program. Sorry it's a little blurry but the original chart is on the U of O strength & conditioning website if ya need a better copy.

Quick bio on Jim Radcliffe:

http://www.goducks.com/ViewArticle.dbml?SPSID=3376&SPID=233&DB_OEM_ID=500&ATCLID=217975&Q_SEASON=2007


Here's a great article on the P-chain and the importance of glute activation:


http://stronglifts.com/how-to-optimize-posterior-chain-power-glute-activation/


Workout:

Movement Prep: circuit of jump-rope, bodyweight squats, split-squats, side lunges, step-ups, handstand pushups, inchworms, and mini-band shuffles.


Plyometric Training:


-Box march w/mini bands: 2 sets TF


http://www.exrx.net/Plyometrics/BoxMarchHigh.html


- Sitting Box Jumps: 2 sets x 10. Sit on medium plyo box, explode up and land on top of box in 1/4 squat with proper landing mechanics. If you don't land correctly it's now an exercise in reactive strength, bounce out of the landing in control back onto the ground. Resume sitting on box and repeat.


Functional Lifts:


- Hang Cleans: 2 sets x 6. Nothing prepares your body for front squats like a hang clean.


- Front Squats: 8, 8, 4, 3, 3. Went heavy as I could on the last two.


- Overhead split-squats: 4 x 8. Alternated legs each time and sets 1 & 3 were moving forwards, sets 2 & 4 were moving backwards.


- Overhead 1 leg (pistol) box squats: 3 x 8 each leg. Put the medium plyo box behind and just worked on sitting back and standing up with proper glute/core activation. Such a great exercise.


- Hang Snatches: 3 x 8. This exercise is sick because it trains the exact movement your upperbody, core, & arms make when reaching up for a disc during a jump. The more explosively you can reach upwards to your fullest extension could be the difference maker in getting to the disc first in the air and making the grab or getting sky'd yourself.


Here's a decent Xfit video showing the motions. Would be nice if they provided some commentary to go with it, but so it goes.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pXg3O-uU0Jw


Core Circuit: finished with a core circuit that consisted of decline situps, jumping tuck pullups, core twists w/medicine balls, & dips-to-knee raise. Twice through resting only between circuits.


#40

STS 3-12-08

"Dont look back. Something might be gaining on you" -Satchel Paige

Vern does it again. The article by Jack Blatherwick on developing an aerobic base should be should passed around to pretty much everyone, everywhere. Like the man says "you are how you train."

http://www.functionalpathtraining.blogspot.com/

Check out this link for more great ideas. Take the concepts from some of these examples and apply them to ultimate.

http://www.t-nation.com/article/performance_training/50_more_tips_for_serious_athletes&cr=performanceTraining

Workout:

Movement Prep: Usual mixture of bodyweight squats, pushups, jump rope, step ups, split-squats and inchworms. I'm completely convinced now that nothing warms you up better than jumping rope. It's control at it's finest, both postural and plyometric.

Medicine Ball:

1A: Front-squat throw x10
1b: mini-band shuffle, mini band skip

2A: sumo-squat backwards toss x10
2b: mini-band shuffle, mini band skip

Functional Lifts:

1: Hang Cleans-4 sets of 6,4,2,2 went as heavy as I could on the last two sets. If you've never done hang cleans now is a good a time to start as any. Grab the bar and work on your form. Just practicing it with light weight is a great warmup.

2: Tried the split-squat presses from the 50 tips link above and they were awesome. 3 sets of 8. Start with bar in push-press position, drop into a proper split-squat (not a lunge, there should be a line from the bottom of the knee of your back leg and the top of your head. All the weight should be on the back leg, ready for a push movement; not a pull movement from your front leg) while the bar extends overhead. Pop back up into push-press position and alternate legs. Same motion as the quick drop, except a split-squat landing and the bar starts in front. I started with 1 leg in front of the other, but still underneath my body. Seemed to work the same, at least until I get the hang of it. Check out the link above for a visual display.

3: Deadlifts 6 sets of 6,4,4,3,2,1 , went as heavy as I could just to see what would happen. I felt great and wanted to see where the line was. The result was that I went a lot heavier than I've ever attempted before, and it wasn't nearly as impossible as I anticipated. Lesson: your body is most definitely stronger than your mind thinks it is. Once you're confident in your form, try and push your weight a bit, you might surprise yourself. Just keep that form rock solid and see what you're capable of.

This week:
Monday: Weights
Tuesday: Off
Wednesday: Hill runs, heavybag
Thursday: Weights
Friday: Elliptical intervals, core work
Saturday: football game
Sunday: heavybag in the morning, pickup ulty in the afternoon.

Daylight savings is finally back and that means field work is back on during the week. Definitely gonna make that tire sled from the link above, that should make a nice addition to the ol' sprint training. We'll see how that goes.

#40