STS 8-20-08 & The Bolt

"Three words Gentlemen: Tempo, Tempo, Tempo." - Godfather, Generation Kill

If anything was going to topple the hysteria & mystique of Phelps, the Bolt of Lightning just did it. Simply jaw-dropping. I hope people recognize what occured these past few days, Bolt winning like he did is the equivalent to Tiger Woods winning the masters by 12+ strokes. He might be the guy to finally make Track & Field cool again. The craziest thing to me when watching the 200 was he easy he made it look. Michael Johnson made it look like work when he was flying, Bolt makes it look fluid & effortless. He's so fast his 200 times would translate over to a 3.53 40-yard dash. Marinate on that for a second. a 3.53 40. He set the 200meter world-record time for his age when he was 15 (a 20.5) , 16, and 17. He's now 22 and we'll probably be watching him break 19 for the next 2 olympics.

Yup. Here it is again. Don't static stretch before sprinting. It has a negative effect.

Static stretching before sprinting resulted in slower times in all three
performance variables. These findings provide evidence that static stretching
exerts a negative effect on sprint performance and should not be included as part of the preparation routine for physical activity that requires sprinting

I don't care that it feels good (of course it does! putting your muscles to sleep should feel good.) Yes, of course flexibility is a crucial part of athleticism, but that's most effectively obtained through dynamic stretching and a static stretching regimine post-workout. Nothing is more ridiculous to me than watching people train to be faster for months and then undercut all their progress by temporarily disabling the elasticity in their muscles right before they step onto the field and put all that work into use. It might be time for you to get over your stretching-I-need-it-mentally-thing and use that time instead to get some more throws in before you play. Just sayin'.

Here's a fantastic article from Alwyn Cosgrove on Metabolic Training. Couldn't find it in link form so here it is in full. He always does a great job of linking movements that complement each other and every thing he does has a purpose. Like always, it's a great framework. You can tweak it around how you see fit to work on your own specific weaknesses if need be. Remember, these movements are about developing your "Pillar Strength" i.e. your hip, core, and shoulder stability. Pillar Strength is the building blocks of your fundamental movement skills, you need a strong base if you ever want to truly improve athletically. Alwyn's program combines that with a metabolically-taxing tempo & linkages of movements so it'll improve your work capacity base as that same time, which is exactly what you want. If this workout looks daunting then try to remember that your brain is 10x's weaker than your body. So test your mettle & push past what you think you can do. You might just surprise yourself.

Metabolic Acceleration Training: A better way

I'm a huge believer in using the "alternating set" system when training. For time management reasons, I tend to do exercise one for a set, rest 60 seconds or so, do exercise two for a set, rest 60 seconds or so, and continue. This allows me to increase work density while still getting "true" rest.

In other words, I perform a set of squats, rest 60 seconds, perform a set of push-ups, rest 60 seconds, and repeat. So in effect, I've almost tripled the rest period between squat sets (60 seconds plus the time taken for push-ups plus 60 seconds) as opposed to using a straight set system. And for fat loss training, it's unparalleled.

However, the biggest problem or complaint I get from clients who use commercial facilities is that it's really hard for them to tie up two pieces of gym equipment at peak hours. I have my own facility, but I realize this can be a real problem elsewhere. So I started experimenting with a few things--doing dumbbell lunges and push-ups for example or step-ups and dumbbell bench presses where I could use one set of dumbbells and one piece of equipment.

It was an okay compromise, but it started to somewhat limit my exercise selection. And to be honest, it still had the issue of people working in and possibly disrupting your rest periods.
So I went a step further. What if I created a fat loss or conditioning program based around one piece of equipment where you stayed in the same spot, using the same load for the entire duration. So I tried it. At first it was awkward, but after reading Istvan Javorek's work and talking with über strength coach, Robert Dos Remedios, I started to implement different variations of combination lifting.

I just hoped that it would work as well as alternating sets for fat loss and conditioning or at least close enough that it wasn't too much of a tradeoff. As it turns out, it worked better! In fact, it worked so well that it became a cornerstone of my conditioning programs with several athletes.
Part twoPart two of the evolution of our fat loss programs came shortly after. I have always recommended interval training as a superior form of fat loss over steady state cardio. Interval training is essentially periods of hard work alternated with easier periods of work using a cardio exercise.

The problem--running a mile doing intervals involves about 1500 repetitions. For someone looking to cut body fat, and hit total body weight training two to three times a week, that is a lot of extra volume and potential joint stress. So I started thinking. Interval training is similar to weight training in that it involves sets (and reps) followed by a rest period (albeit active). What if I used a lighter version of traditional strength training and created metabolic circuits?

Timed sets

This is the simplest variation of metabolic work. Pick a load that is about 80% of your 10RM. Perform as many reps as possible at a constant tempo for a period of time (e.g. 60 seconds) and try to perform as many repetitions with as good form as possible. Rest for 15-30 seconds and perform another exercise.

Example #1

Barbell reverse lunge, left leg, 60 seconds Rest 15-30 seconds
Barbell reverse lunge, right leg, 60 secondsRest 15-30 seconds
Barbell push press, 60 seconds Rest 15-30 seconds
Repeat three times for a 12-minute routine.

Example #2

Kettlebell swings, 30 seconds Rest 15 seconds
Push-ups/burpees, 30 seconds Rest 15 seconds
Prowler push, 30 secondsRest 15 seconds
Repeat for five rounds for a 12-minute finisher.

Metabolic density training

This is a modified version of EDT as popularized by Charles Staley. However, Charles recommends two exercises performed as a superset for 15 minutes. In this case, we are going to use three exercises and work for ten minutes.

Example #1

Dumbbell bench press
Alternating lunges
Swiss ball crunch

In this method, select a load that will allow 10-12 reps and perform sets of 6-8. There is no rest between exercises. Work continuously for ten minutes moving from one exercise to the next. The alternate version is to perform five rounds of 6-8 reps of each as fast as possible.

Complexes

Be warned, these are pretty grueling. Perform the complexes at the beginning of your workout when you're fresh. They'll elevate your metabolism beyond anything you've ever experienced before. The most frequently asked question about complexes is how much load to use. Remember, it's a metabolic stimulus, not a strength or hypertrophy stimulus so be conservative. Now, don't go too light either. A good "Cosgrove rule of thumb" is that if you're not questioning why in the hell you're doing these exercises or convincing yourself that twice around is enough, you're not going heavy enough.

Let's get into it. Perform each complex once per week for four training sessions per week. Use the following progression:

Week one: 4 sets of 5 reps of each, 90 seconds rest
Week two: 5 sets of 5 reps of each, 75 seconds rest
Week three: 5 sets of 6 reps of each, 60 seconds rest
Week four: 6 sets of 6 reps of each, 45 seconds rest.

Then puke.

Complex A

Bent over barbell row
Hang clean
Front squat and push press hybrid
Jump squat (bar on back)
Good morning

Complex B

Romanian deadlift
Hang clean and front squat and push press (combination lift, perform one rep of each in series)
Reverse lunge (alternate legs)

Complex C

Deadlift
High pull (onto toes)
Squat clean (clean the bar from the hang and then drop into a full squat on the catch)
Military press (strict)
Jump lunges (switch legs)
Insert my evil laugh here!

Complex D

Jump squat
Squat
Squat and hold for 10 seconds
Military press
Push press
Squat and press (combination lift, perform one rep of each in series)

Note: Try to work all exercises at a speed of 1-2 reps per second.

Tabatas

A Tabata protocol is a very high intensity anaerobic interval program that involved eight rounds of 20 second work periods at 170% of your VO2 max with a negative recovery period of 10 seconds. The best way to use these with strength training exercises is to alternate one upper body with one lower body exercise. The second progression we used is to vary the work to rest ratio.

Beginner: 10 seconds work, 20 seconds recovery
Intermediate: 15 seconds work, 15 seconds recover
Advanced: 20 seconds work, 10 seconds recovery

A great pairing is squat jumps and running push-ups (a single push-up and two reps of mountain climbers in alternating fashion) in pairs.

Medley conditioning

This is similar to the other methods in that we are working for time, but we will use 15 seconds on and 15 seconds off and perform multiple rounds with different pieces of equipment. For example, an MMA fighter competing in five-minute rounds may use four exercises in a circuit and perform multiple rounds until the five-minute period is up.

Example #1
Prowler push15 seconds, rest 15 seconds
squat jump15 seconds, rest15 seconds,
sledgehammer or medicine ball chops15 seconds, rest15 seconds,
kettlebell swing15 seconds, rest 15 seconds
Keep working through the medley until the five-minute period is up.

Finishers

Finishers are just short body weight or single piece of equipment only, 3-5 minute routines at the end of each workout.

Screamers:

3 push-ups,
1 tuck jump
6 push-ups,
2 tuck jump
9 push-ups,
3 tuck jumps
12 push-ups,
4 tuck jumps
15 push-ups,
5 tuck jumps

Continue to add three push-ups and one tuck jump to each set until you miss a rep. Then climb back down the ladder.

Leg Matrix:

24 squats
12 lunges each leg (alternating)
12 lunge jumps each leg (alternating)
24 squat jumps(If you can complete this in under 90 seconds, do two rounds with no rest.)

Squat series:

20-second squat jump
20-second squat
20-second isometric squat
Repeat for three rounds with no rest.

Countdowns

Select two exercises (e.g. kettlebell swing and burpees or squat jumps and plyometric push-ups).
Perform 10 reps of each, nine reps of each, eight reps of each and so on.
Each week start with one set of one more rep than your top set (e.g. 11 reps, 10 reps, 9 reps, etc.).

A final warning

This isn't for the faint hearted or de-conditioned. They are not beginners' routines. If you're coming back from injury or illness, don't try this program yet. It's brutal. However, if you follow this routine for four weeks, you'll see a very significant improvement in your conditioning and a massive drop in your body fat!

This article originally appeared at EliteFTS.com

Workout

Movement Prep

Shot hoops for 15 minutes, lots of lateral movement off the dribble and pulling up for the J. I'm totally gonna bring back the mid-range jumper.

Med-Ball Work

Did everything today 1 handed, just for fun.

1 arm rotational tosses against wall w/catch - 15 each arm
1 arm sumo-squat toss (start in full squat with ball next to ankle on the outside) - 15 each arm
1 arm split-squat vertical toss w/jump (hold ball just under chin like shot putter, throw ball up as you switch legs in the air) - 12 each arm
1 arm toss to sprint- 8 each arm

Cable Work

Tons of cable chops, cable punches, squat-to-cable punch, and push/pulls (like these, but with a cable in both arm so you truly get the push/pull action)

Functional Exercises

1A: OH Squat- 30 seconds moving as fast as possible with proper form.
1B Jumping pull-up w/tuck

2x's through

2: Hang clean

2 sets

3A: Hang Snatch
3B: 1 Leg'd squats

2x's through

Core Circuit

3x's through resting only when possible.

Decline situps
Standing twists w/weight
Floor wipers

This Week:

Monday: Recovery
Tuesday: Yoga (am), Field work w/sprint mechanic emphasis (pm)
Wednesday: Workout above
Thursday: Field work w/lateral agility emphasis
Friday: Heavybag work & throwing practice
Saturday/Sunday: Practice, practice, practice

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