STS 2-12-09 & The Triple Extension

"There is no substitue for athletics." - Robert Francis Kennedy

- The reason why you train for power & explosiveness.

That is simply a product of his training. If he can do that at his weight, why can't you?

The most important thing to notice about the video is his Triple Extension. The Triple Extension is explosive extension of the hip, knee, & ankle joints, in any direction. The T.E. is involved in every single explosive lower body sports movement, so your training should emulate as such. (You know it when you see it on the field, the receiver "loads" his jump and springs through the air, extending through all 3 major lower-body joints) When training, every single lower body exercise you perform should involve the Triple Extension, as explosive as possible (once you've perfected proper form, of course).

Here's a solid article on the Triple Extension and the benefits of training for power. You can skip the parts on the Clean & the Snatch if you don't already know them. While the clean & Snatch are phenomenal ways to train the body & the Triple Extension, they take a legitimate 6 weeks to master safely. And in the 6 weeks it's take to learn them you could also learn 35+ other different full-body athletic movements that would train the T.E. & body as effectively. The Clean is awesome, but it's not your only option.

Workout

Warmup

Med-ball Warmup consisting of continuous movement on the "power pads" (just bouncing on the toes like jump-roping) while moving through every type of standing, twisting and 1 leg throws. Also mixed in lots of shuffles, backpedals, and some pushups-to-sprints.

Lunge Complex
W/40lb Bar. Nothing hits the entire hip complex top to bottom like it.

1A: Forward lunge with simultaneous overhead press w/50lb bar (step back to standing, bar comes back down to shoulder position) 12 reps
1B: Backward lunge with simultaneous overhead press (step back to standing, bar comes back down to shoulder position) 12 reps
1C: Backward lunge with simultaneous overhead press then step through (bar comes back down to shoulder position) with same leg into forward lunge with overhead press (step back to standing, bar back to shoulders) 10 reps.

Cable Sequence

10 minutes of Cable work, lots of cable squat rows, lunges w/punch, backwards lunge w/row. Just training the entire body as one single unit with the core as the center of the action moving with Flow. All pillar strength (shoulder, hip, & core stability) all the time.

2: Crossover Step-Ups 2 sets of 12

Same as the video (notice the awesome Triple Extension) but with a nice lil' added proprioceptive aspect. Instead of just going straight up-n-down, start with right foot on the left side of the plyo box. Step up properly with strong knee drive and then step over with the left foot now landing on the right side of the plyo box and then step back down with right foot. Repeat, crossing over every step. Really hits the outer & inner hips muscles while challenging your balance & stability.

3: Deadlift-to-Snatch. See previous post for beginner & advanced descriptions. 4 sets of 6 as explosive as possible with Flow.

4: 1-leg squats on calf machine. Instead of using this machine for just your calves (laaame) you might as well get some Triple Extension & unilateral training action in. Remember: you dictate the movements...not the machine. Put the height all the way at the bottom, use a light weight, and start with your right leg with left leg locked out in front of you in dorsiflexion. Flow through 1/4 squats on 1 leg, do 20, then switch. Really feel that T.E. and power from each leg. I also call these bad boys "knee savers".

Stay Frosty,
#40

STS 1-28-09

"There were probably about five games in my career where everything was moving in slow motion and you could be out there all day, totally in the zone, and you don't even know where you are on the field, everything is just totally blocked out." - Lawrence Taylor

"I played one game, and one game played me." - Lawrence Taylor

More Scary Fitzgerald. His ability to time his jump so that he catches the ball at it's highest point is uniquely superior. Little known fact about him is that he was the ball boy for the Viking's when Chris Carter and Randy Moss were both playing for them. (It was Randy's rookie year). You think he picked up a thing or two from one of the surest hands in the game (Carter) & the 2nd most athletic receiver ever?

Workout

Had to fit in a quick but deadly workout today.

Dynamic warmup- 5 minutes

Lunge Complex:

1A: Forward lunge with simultaneous overhead press w/50lb bar (step back to standing) 12 reps
1B: Backward lunge with simultaneous overhead press (step back to standing) 12 reps
1C: Backward lunge with simultaneous overhead press then step through with same leg into forward lunge with overhead press (step back to standing) 10 reps. These are so dirty.

Cable Sequence:

10 minutes of Cable punches w/lunges mixed in with Cable Squat Rows (see previous post for example). Finished with 2 sets of Cable Squat Rows as heavy as possible for 20 reps moving as fast as possible with consistent pace & form. (i.e. moving with Flow)

2: Box Jumps w/weight: 3 sets of 12+ jumps w/20lb dumbbells in each hand landing on box and standing tall.

3A: RDL's - 12 reps moving with Flow, on the last rep clean the bar up to Front-squat position and immediately transition.
3B: Front-squat

2 sets with no rest in between exercises.

4: Deadlift to Hang Clean to Push-Press: Transition fluidly from one movement the next as explosively as possible. Explosive with proper form is the key, use a weight you can explode fluidly with. I use 95lbs and if done right it's more than enough. 3 sets of 6 reps.

Advanced Progression: Start in Hang Clean position (standing tall, bar just above knees), drop into bottom of a deadlift, let the weight lightly touch the ground, then explode straight up bringing bar all the way to overhead (standing tall with locked arms) in 1 fluid movement (move the bar as close the body as possible, just like a full snatch except without the super-wide grip & catching in a full squat). So awesome.

Out of the gym in 40 minutes hitting every muscle in the body equally & explosively in all 3 planes of movement with the core as the center of the action.

Tempe is this weekend and ZippO is back and gunnin' for the 3-peat. I'll be missing most of the Saturday's game to watch the Phoenix Open from the suites just off the 16th hole, then we'll be bringing the rain to the desert on Sunday. Phoenix Open + NYF + Super Bowl= yet another awesome weekend o' sports.

Stay Frosty,
#40

Back in Black & Back to the Beach

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

Scary Fitzgerald. Dopest catch of the year?

Back at this thing after a lil' break. I definitely miss playing Ultimate but have been having a blast with football season. Last week our team entered a crazy but fun 4x4 flag football tourney. 40 yard field (split into two 20yard sections) with only 3 downs to get 20 yards. Legal handoffs, 7 seconds to throw, and 30 minute games or first to 28 points wins all added to the ridiculousness. I thought beach ultimate was the most offensively advantageous sport ever invented till I played this. Essentially, to win all you needed to do was win the coin toss and stay on serve, or hope for at least 1 stop. Only 3 downs meant that you couldn't make 1 mistake or you buried yourself into a tough deep look. Extra points (5 yards out for 1, 8 yards for 2) also were huge difference makers. Football is crazy like ultimate in that a good pass and a good route will beat a good defense every time. We played 6 games to get the Finals, but lost the game on a questionable OB call by the ref as we lost the race to 28. Still a bunch of fun though.

One of my focuses on the off-season has progressing on cable movements. Especially after reading from T.O.'s trainer how he does an hour-long cable workout every morning (before practice & weights), and it's been truly enlightening. Like the medicine ball, you can manipulate the cables to train the entire body as a single unit, with the core as the center of the action.

The most effective cable station at my gym is the FreeMotion, with adjustable arms sticking away from the machine. This is great because it allows for freedom of movement, exactly what we want. I put the arms down at the bottom, sticking out just a bit to the sides. I can do a 100+ different full-body exercises on this machine alone, all sport-specific and proprioceptively challenging. Walmart also sells a home/portable version for cheap for you non-gym people. (I loathe walmart but unfortunately nobody sells them cheaper. Believe me, I checked).

Basic Movement: Cable Squat Rows

Use this as a starting point. When your form is perfect you can progress to moving as fast as posssible with Flow opening up your elastic/reactive musculature. You can keep the weight light, or go heavy as well for different options.

2nd progression: from the squat explode the arms up like a jumping jack and pause at the top, standing up tall with true Pillar Strength. Oh look. Now you just hit every muscle in the body explosively in a different way than the row and re-created the exact movement path of jumping for a disc. Remember, it's all about Pillar Strength (hip, core, and shoulder stability). Train for that in every movement.

Cable Split-Squats- This is as close to them as I could find. But instead of keeping your feet in the same place think about starting with feet together (back to machine) stepping out into a deep lunge (or split squat, try 'em both) then back to feet together. Alternate legs. Now instead of just keeping your hands in the same place try extending them into a punch explosively as you land in your lunge with proper form. Now you've got an active, but stable, core and all 4 appendages moving explosively and independently.

2nd progression: Step out with your right leg into full deep lunge and explode with a punch with left arm. Step back to feet together and step left leg and punch right arm. Move with Flow. Bring martials movements into the weight room. It worked for Bruce, it might work for you.

Other types:

- Backward lunges w/cable row
- forward lunges with uppercut punch
- Forward lunge with butterfly punch. Just like the swim technique. Bring the pool into the weightroom.

You need to manipulate all planes of movement to become a true 360 degree athlete, capable of moving in any direction equally and explosively.

For other cable ideas I turned to The Man Himself: Mark Verstegen. (Know that name if you don't already). You can't do all these exercises on the same machine like he is doing, but you can sure get close. This is what it's like to train for power. And yes, this is also what a true 360 athlete looks like.

More Mark in action:

-X-Pulls- think about doing standing, add in a squat and make them explosive.

-Push-Pull

- Just to show you where you could progress given the right equipment.

Workout:

Lots of jump-roping to warm up mixed in with bodyweight squats, lunges, step-ups, handstand pushups, etc

1A: cable squat rows (12)
1B: Forward cable lunges w/punch (12)

No rest between, moving immediately from the squat movement to the lunge.

5 sets of that mixing in all the variations listed above. Also mixed in some footwork drills intermittently.

2A: RDL (12)
2B: Front Squat (10-12)

2 Sets

On your 12th RDL clean the bar straight up into the front squat position and move immediately into the front squats. SO dirty.

3A: Hang Snatches
3B: 1 leg squats

2 sets. Put a box behind you and do 1 leg box squats if you need to. Most people will, I still do some days. Add a weight overhead (bar or plate) for further core/upperbody focus.

Leiout is upon us again. My absolute all-time favorite tourney outside of the series. 70 degrees in perfect sunny Santa Monica, dead next to the world-famous pier, plus LA eye-candy up n' down the boardwalk. Suck it Wildwood, NO way Jersey compares to LA in anything. Except for maybe Soprano's backdrops. You win that one.

Carbomb! will once again be wrecking teams & livers in a flurry of delicious deliciousness from the 'bu to the beach and beyond. Stop on by if you get a chance, and if you say the right things you might just find yourself dropping drinks in drinks and drinking those drinks.

Stay Frosty,
#40