De vuelta a los dias de gloria con De Franco

DeFranco's Training Rules for Washed-up Meatheads  by Nate Green

Dear Washed-up Meathead,

Look, I've got nothing but respect for you. You gave me Playboy, bourbon whiskey, and barbells. You taught me how to pick up girls, when to flip the burgers, and why I should always wash my hands immediately after using Icy Hot. (Worst ball scratching experience ever.) You took me to the gym, handed me a program, and told me to bust my ass. And it worked. Over the years, I've gotten bigger, stronger, and more confident. 

But then I noticed something. I noticed you're still doing the very program you handed me years ago. Well, let me tell you, sir, it's gone stale. You've gone stale. You may be a washed-up meathead, but that doesn't mean you should be doing a program that doesn't hold water. 

So I've decided to pay you back. I want you to be in the best shape of your life. I want you to grow some bigger muscles, shed some fat, and start performing like the badass you once were. That's why I contacted self-proclaimed washed-up meathead Joe DeFranco to help whip you into shape. He's got five rules for writing your own badass program and even included a sample program at the end of the article. You can thank me later.

Sincerely,

A Young Punk

  

A quick note from DeFranco

"I've received a lot of hate mail over the past few years from the 30 and older meathead crowd. 'Your programs are just for athletes,' they say. 'I don't have time to do all that stuff.' And I know how they feel. You get older and take on more responsibilities. You have a career. Your joints hurt. The days of college, eating shit foot, getting hammered, sleeping for a few hours, and waking up refreshed are over. You don't want to train six days per week.

The guys who email me or show up to my gym have been lifting weights their whole lives. It's nothing new to them. And that's the main problem. Without variety, you won't gain muscle. But really, what good is gaining muscle if your joints hurt all the time or you can't even wipe your own ass?

What these washed-up meatheads need is functional muscle. No, I'm not talking about any bullshit Bosu balls. I'm talking about benching heavy weight without your shoulder hurting. I'm talking about coaching your son's football team and running a few pass patterns to show the little suckers how it's done. I'm talking slabs of muscle, no fat, with lungs of steel.

I've got five rules for these guys. And if they follow them, I have no doubt they'll be built like a badass."

DeFranco's 5 Rules

  

Train Three Days Per Week

"Recovery is the key to strength and looking good," says DeFranco. "You can't come into the gym sore because you won't have the strength or endurance you need for the workout." But is three days really enough? "If you're busting your ass and doing the right things, it is. Even if I had a guy who won the lottery and told me he could train as much as I wanted him to, I'd still keep him on the three-day schedule." Here's how DeFranco sets up his training week:

Monday — Upper Body
Wednesday — Lower Body
Friday — Upper Body

Why only one lower-body day?

"You'll get enough muscle stimulation from that one day to carry you through to next week," says DeFranco. "Besides, I've got some fun "finishers" that'll hit your legs, too."

Use the Max-Effort Method (With a Few Slight Twists.) 

Yeah, you probably know the old-school Westside max-effort method. Well, DeFranco has made a few alterations. "First off, squat and deadlifts are interchangeable," he says. "We're not gonna force-feed these guys."

According to DeFranco, both of these exercises will accomplish the same thing, more or less. "All we need is a main lower body exercise that you can go heavy on. Some people are built to squat because they have the right leverages. Some guys like to pull heavy stuff off the ground. Doesn't matter to me."

And it's not like you're replacing squats with leg extensions.

"We're definitely not letting them cop out," says DeFranco. "But I want to give them something to look forward to. My favorite moment is watching my guys come in to look over the logbook with the day's training. They're nervous and excited, like 'Oh, shit, what do we have to do today?' That's how it should be."

Next, of course, is the bench press. "What washed-up meathead program would be complete without it?" asks DeFranco. "Guys like to see how much they can bench. They like to brag about it. And, hell, they're gonna do it anyway even if I don't recommend it. We might as well program it effectively."

Fair enough.

Now here's the interesting part: DeFranco includes the chin-up in his max-effort work.

"It's key. Not only is the chin-up a great upper back exercise to counteract the bench press, it's the relative strength exercise that will make you clean up your diet."

What's that mean? "Well, if your bench and squat are going up it doesn't mean much other than you're getting stronger. That's cool, but you could still be a fat-ass, you know? But if your chin-up strength is still the same or going down, it means you need to get some conditioning in and keep your freakin' hands off the Haagen Dazs because you're getting too fat to pull yourself up."

One last point about the max-effort work: DeFranco is a huge proponent of using percentages of your one-rep max. "I'm all about steady progress," he says. That means you actually have to test all three of your lifts. Testing your bench press and squat or deadlift is straightforward—just load a bar with 60 percent of your "perceived" 1RM and build up from there.

To test your chin-up, grab onto the bar with an underhand grip and do as many as you can with perfect form for one set. That's your max. You'll see how DeFranco programs it in a bit.

Your training week should now look like this:

Monday — Bench Press
Wednesday — Squat or Deadlift
Friday — Chin-up

The purpose of the max-effort work, explains DeFranco, is to ramp up the nervous system. "After the first exercise you should be fired up and ready to train," he says. "That's because it's either going to be a heavy movement or a jump (on lower-body days), which will excite the nervous system." The stimulatory effect is nice, but the key point DeFranco makes is that by exciting the nervous system, you'll be able to recruit more muscle fibers in the exercises that follow. Which brings us to our next rule.

  

Use Bodybuilding Methods

If the first exercise is neural, the second one is "muscular." "I like to get into some high-volume work for the guys so they can build some muscle," says DeFranco. While he usually recommends between six and twelve reps, he sometimes gets into the very high-rep sets. "I like to bump it up to 20 or 25 reps every now and then," he says. Hello, lactic acid. But what's the point? "I don't feel there's too much correlation between getting a pump and gaining muscle, but let's be honest, it's fun as hell," he says. "Why not get a pump while your nervous system is jacked up? The more blood that floods into your muscles, the more nutrients you get. It's a great environment for growth."

DeFranco likes to divide his bodybuilding methods into movement planes that correspond with the max-effort exercise for that day. So if you did the bench press, you'd do other horizontal plane work like dumbbell presses and rows. If you did chins, you'd do some overhead pressing and lat pull-downs. If you did legs, you'd do, well, more legs. One thing DeFranco is adamant about is not doing forced reps or going to complete failure. "Always leave a little something in the tank," he says. "No one wants to pull a bar off you."

Use "Finishers" 

This is both "show" and "go.""Too many guys avoid any type of cardio, but it's usually the finishing touch that can really burn some calories and strip the extra fat," says DeFranco. Another reason, naturally, is to increase your athleticism. And since DeFranco is best known for his work with college and pro athletes, he knows a thing or two about conditioning. "Look, every guy should be doing barbell complexes, push-up and squat ladders, jump rope, or at least be able to run a mile. They act like it'll kill them or they'll lose all their muscle mass. Bullshit."

Warm-Up, But do it Quickly

Yeah, he saved this rule for last since he knew most of you would skip right over it if it were at the top.

DeFranco has a simple warm-up routine dubbed The Agile Eight. "It's helped powerlifters, washed-up meatheads, and other anti-mobility dudes really feel better," he says. The Agile 8 will make you sweat, prepare your joints, stretch your muscles, and best of all, it'll only take ten minutes. "Hell, I even do it on the days I don't train," says DeFranco.

The Agile 8 

1. Foam roll your IT band — Start just below your hip and roll up and down to your (outer) mid-thigh ten to fifteen times, focusing on any tight spots. Then perform ten to fifteen "rolls" starting at your (outer) mid-thigh and rolling all the way down to the outside of your knee. Again, focus on the tight areas.

2. Foam roll your adductors — Start just below the crease of your hip and roll up and down your (inner) mid-thigh ten to fifteen times, focusing on any tight spots. Then perform ten to fifteen "rolls" starting at your (inner) mid-thigh and rolling down to the inside of your knee. Again, focus on the tight areas.

3. Glute/piriformis myofacsial release with a tennis ball — Take the tennis ball and sit on one your left butt cheek with a slight tilt. Cross your left leg. Roll for 30 seconds or so. Switch cheeks and repeat. Feel free to cry.

4. Rollovers into "V" sits — Perform ten reps.

5. Fire hydrant circles — Perform ten forward circles and ten backward circles with each leg.*

6. Mountain climbers — 20 total reps.

7. Groiners — Perform ten reps. Hold the last rep for ten seconds. Make sure to push your knees out with your upper arms while dropping your butt down.

8. Static hip flexor stretch — Perform 3 sets of 10 seconds on each leg. Complete all three sets on one side before moving to the other. 

You've read the rules, but now it's time to see what the program looks like with everything in order.

DeFranco's Sample 3-Day Program

Monday — Upper Body

Max-effort
1) Bench Press: 72.5% of your 1RM x 8, 77.5% x 6, 82.5% x 4 or more
Bodybuilding
2) Flat DB Press: 2 x Max Reps using the same weight for both sets. (Choose a weight that you can get around 20-25 reps with on the first set.)
3A) Seated Overhand-Grip Cable Rows: 4x15
3B) Cable Triceps Pushdowns (straight bar): 4x15
4A) DB Shrugs (2-second hold at the top): 3x15
4B) DB Lateral Raise: 3x15
Finisher
5) Barbell Complex (Deadlift, Bent-over Row, Hang Clean, Push Press, Back Squat) — Do two sets of 10 reps on each exercise. Rest 90 seconds between sets.

Wednesday — Lower Body

Excite the nervous system
1) DB Squat Jumps, holding 10-pound DB's: 4x6
Max-effort
2) Squat or Deadlift: 72.5% of your 1RM x 8, 77.5% x 6, 82.5% x 4
Bodybuilding
3A) 45-Degree Back Raises (hold weight plate over chest): 3x15
3B) Seated Medicine Ball Twists (feet off ground): 3x20 each side
Finisher
4) Timed one-mile run: You can do this on a treadmill or outside on a track. If you're unable to run due to injuries, you can substitute this with two miles on the exercise bike or elliptical. Whatever you choose, make sure you try and complete the distance in the least amount of time. Record your time!

Friday — Upper Body

Max-effort
1) Chin-ups (total reps) — Chin-up max + 50%
Note: If you got 20 reps when you tested your chin-up max, you would take 50 percent of 20 (10 reps) and add that to your total to make it look like this:
20 reps (max) + 50% (10 reps) = 30 total reps of chin-ups.
Break it into as many sets as you need but make sure every rep is perfect.
Bodybuilding
2A) Lat Pull-down (Wide, overhand-grip): 2 x Max Reps using the same weight for both sets. (Choose a weight that you can get around 20-25 reps for your first set.)
2B) Standing DB Military Press: 2 x Max Reps using the same weight for both sets. (Choose a weight that you can get around 15-20 reps for your first set.)
3A) "Rolling" Triceps Extensions — 4x8
3B) Hammer Curls (both arms same time) — 4x8
4) Core Circuit: x 2

a. 20 Toe Touches
b. 30 Bicycles
c. Side Plank x 30 seconds each side

Finisher
5) 100 push-ups as fast as possible. Record the time it took you to complete all 100.

Wrap-up 

To DeFranco, the term "washed-up meathead" isn't derogatory. "It just means you've been around the block a few times," he says. "It's a sign of respect. It means you've put in the work, gained some serious muscle, and know your way around the weight room." It also means you're probably a little stuck in your ways. "The older meathead guys are stubborn," says DeFranco. "I should know because I am one. Still, one of the best things you can do for you body is surprise it. And this is the best way I know how."

Now get to work, sir.

Drill for Skill

Drill for skill fue un proyecto en línea que tuvo (o tien) Bas Rutten en su Sitio, aki les dejo 2 excelentes joyas de artículos que descargue en su momento de Drill for Skill

Self-Efficacy

In last week’s article, it was discussed that one aspect of a fighter’s desire to compete is based on internal and external rewards, or motivators.  There are several other components involved in competition and training, not the least of which is a person’s feelings of self-efficacy or self-confidence.  If we believe we will be successful at something in life, we are more likely to participate.  For those of you who teach, consider when you first began teaching.  You were probably nervous, felt unsure of yourself, and didn’t know if you were up to the task you had agreed to complete.  Whether you covered this up by being very aggressive, or acting nonchalant, or if your nerves were out there for everybody to see, the base feeling was that you were not confident.  Think about how you feel now when you teach.  It’s a non-issue, it’s easy, it’s fun, it’s a paycheck; of course, good instructors will take time to think about and plan their classes, but that’s not about confidence.  It’s the same thing when fighters fight in an organized event for the first time- they aren’t sure they’re ready. Self efficacy is defined as a judgment about one’s capability to perform a task at an advanced level, with certainty, repeatedly over time.  It relates to your perception of your ability to perform specific skills and abilities, or take advantage of opportunities.  But self-efficacy doesn’t make you sit on your butt because you think, “I’ve got this,” like Rocky in Rocky III.  Athletes with higher self-efficacy try harder, persist longer, feel less nervous, and choose greater challenges.  True overconfidence, the kind that makes you not train, eat right, or take your opponent seriously, is so rare that some sports psychologists don’t even think it should be a concern.  Often, people with the biggest bravado, those who do the most trash-talking, do not have true feelings of self-efficacy. High self-efficacy can overcome very significant motivation killers.  Think about how long it really takes to become an NFL player, never mind winning a shot at the Super Bowl, or how many hours in the gym it takes to get a fight in the UFC.  While our “sport” is arguably a lot smaller than others, think of all the people who train in kickboxing, jiu-jitsu, and MMA.  Think of the odds of one of those people becoming a professional fighter…not good, right?  But spending time envisioning yourself as successful (as a result of high self-efficacy) is sometimes just what you need to remain motivated.  If Chuck Liddell, at the beginning of his career, sat down and thought about the odds of him becoming the successful fighter we know today, and considered every step it would take, he probably would have put on his headphones, gone home, and started studying for a career in architecture.  But by keeping his focus on the belief that he could do it, this carried him forward into the manifestation of that very belief. High self-efficacy is key to sustainability, which is the type of motivation that allows you to stick with something long-term.  The other important factors that tie into sustainability are task-mastery orientation and ego orientation.  People with task mastery orientation take pride in their improvement over past performances, like runners who are trying to beat their old times.  Many of us who train but do not compete are sustained by task mastery orientation; we think about how silly we felt when we first started training, and compare it to now when perhaps our striking is clean and strong, or our jiu-jitsu is beginning to flow.  Or, those of us who were out of shape think about being winded after two minutes of jumping rope, whereas now we can do five.  People with ego orientation are focused on demonstrating their superiority over others and are motivated by social comparison.  Many fighters fall into this category; think of Ken Shamrock as a good example.  I think this is also the “ego” that everybody dreads when they enter a MMA gym for the first time. When a sport situation doesn’t match an athlete’s orientation, his/her interest wanes.  Your orientation is probably the reason you are interested in the sports you are interested in, in part, and also will likely dictate whether you like to train alone, with other people watching, whether your goal is to compete or not, or whether or not you jealously guard your informal position as demonstrator in class.  But every sport has aspects that appeal to both types of orientations; the trick is finding out what aspects will appeal to your orientation as an athlete.  Examples of ego orientation are replete in MMA; think of every time someone calls the person with the belt out.  But there are also examples of task mastery orientation; think about when commentators remark that a certain fighter has been working to improve his ground, stand-up, etc. So, how can this help you? 1.  Consider which aspects of your training you feel effective at, and identify them.  Is it a given to you that you’ve got a great left hand?  That’s a feeling of self-efficacy.  Identify those aspects of your training that you don’t feel you are as good at, and make a plan to improve them, whether it’s supplemental training, working the Bas Rutten tapes, conditioning, etc.  Now:  stop telling yourself that you suck at these things.  Stop making a face or inwardly groaning each time your instructor/trainer announces that you will be working on them.  Instead, turn it around into an opportunity to improve in these areas.  By avoiding them and not wanting to do them, you won’t get better, and you’ll continue to avoid and not want to do them! 2.  Determine whether your tendency is to task mastery or ego motivation.  Are you always comparing yourself to someone in class?  Do you hear yourself telling friends you could “take” Georges St. Pierre?  (Right).  Then you are ego oriented.  Do you think about how far you’ve come?  Is it rewarding to hear your instructor say you’ve improved?  Do you often think about “then” and “now?”  You are task mastery oriented. 3.  Identify ways to facilitate your orientation in your training.  If you are ego-oriented, you’ll be happy with people watching, on the busiest nights at the gym; maybe you could even select someone as an “opponent,” someone to become better than.  If you are task-mastery oriented, start keeping a training diary.  Have someone film you and analyze your solid areas, and your areas of desired improvement.  Track your development.

Motivation

Motivation.  It’s what makes disciplined fighters like Randy Couture and Tito Ortiz excel in their cardio, technique, and skill.  Motivation is what gets you to the gym on rainy, snowy days, and it’s what makes you do one more round, one more combination, one more rep when you feel as if you are at failure.  As important as it is, motivation is one of the hardest things to grasp and maintain in any sport; we’ve all heard stories of fighters and other athletes who seemed to be unshakable but somewhere along the line lost their spirit.  I’m not going to name any names, but a couple Brazilian fighters come to mind.  Why are some of the most readily available motivators, like prize money or belts, ineffective long term? The most successful fighters not only have good physical genetics- strength, size, good reflexes, and so on, but also good mental genetics, such as high pain tolerance, natural inclination toward aggressiveness, initiative, attraction to challenges, and inner determination.  Towards the end of a fight, fatigue, thirst, and pain begin to override these natural tendencies, and a fighter’s system can work to put the goals of rest, hydration, and healing above those of winning, competitive drive, and fighting well.  As you can see, environment has a strong impact on motivation; however, we can all identify situations in which we ignored our biological drives and acted contrary to them- like when we wake up at 5 a.m. to work out, or delay eating because we have work to do.  Humans have free will, and regardless of the influences surrounding us, we choose our actions, interpretations, focus, and attitude. Essentially, sports psychology recognizes two types of motivation, intrinsic and extrinsic.  §                       Intrinsic motivation comes from inside the athlete- when he fights or trains because doing so is inherently pleasurable, because it is based on the enjoyment of competition, excitement, or improvement.  §                       Extrinsic motivation comes from outside the athlete and includes things such as belts, money, and fame.  It’s important to realize that neither type of motivation is superior to the other; they complement each other, and most athletes fight because of a combination of both.  Interestingly enough, however, research has demonstrated that athletes who are motivated intrinsically lose some of their enthusiasm when extrinsic incentives are added.  Which is weird, right?  Because most of us who train started out training because it interested us; then, those of us who were talented, had the time, and enjoyed it decided to try taking it to the next level by maybe doing a charity fight, a local tournament, or perhaps by becoming an instructor.  The research has shown that when athletes view their training or competing as external to themselves (i.e. when they believe that a sponsor or manager is calling the shots), they feel a lessened sense of determination (remember, we said earlier that all good athletes have inner determination), and their will to train and compete drops off. But didn’t we just say that extrinsic motivation was not inferior to intrinsic?  Yes.  It’s just appropriate for different things.  For example, anybody who’s ever tried to make weight (hell, anybody who’s ever been on a diet) knows that it’s not fun.  And there are other aspects to training that aren’t fun, that we wouldn’t do purely for the pleasure of it (in my case, this includes sprawling drills).  But, we realize these things are a part of the sport; if we want to be in better condition, we might need to change our diet to include more protein and less ice cream, or we might have to do wind sprints or plyometrics.  For unpleasant modes of training, research has demonstrated that extrinsic rewards increase motivation. How does this apply to me, and how can this help me improve my training? §                       Take a few moments to identify why you train or fight.  Many of us have automatic answers we give people like, “to keep in shape,” or “because I love it.”  Think about why you love it; think back to your best moments in training or competition- why were they your best?  What did they give you?  Think physically, mentally, and emotionally.  Was it the adrenaline high?  Or was it a feeling of success after you finally mastered how to execute a perfect triangle? §                       Now, consider what you don’t like about it.  The runs on off days?  Focus mitt work?  Think about what you can add as an incentive to improve your outlook on these things.  If you’re not trying to cut weight, allow yourself some of your favorite food on the days you do your least-liked activity.  By countering something negative with a primary positive reinforcer, like food, you send your brain a powerful message about motivation.  An extrinsic motivator can also be something like keeping track of, let’s say, how long it takes you to do 20 jump squats, 20 squat thrusts, and 20 squat thrust jumps.  Seeing your improvement in black and white is highly motivating.  One thing to note- your extrinsic reinforcer should be something you can give yourself that day; i.e. don’t save up your “positives” to buy that rash guard you’ve been wanting.  The key between pairing the negative and positive to improve motivation is immediacy. Jennifer Predolin has a Master’s Degree in Psychology, and is currently in her third year of doctoral training.

Preguntas y Respuestas con Coach Staley

Sports-Specific Training Questions and Answers

By Charles Staley, B.Sc, MSS Director, Staley Training Systemshttp://www.staleytraining.com

Got something a little different for you this week! I've put together 5 sport-specific questions that I've received along with my answers to those questions. If you're a coach or athlete, this is really informative stuff that can really help you improve performance.

QUESTION: Dear Charles, My football coach will not let us do curls he says they have no place in training, but I say they do. The biceps must be there for a reason, right?

 

ANSWER: Since the biceps is often thought of as a "show" or "beach" muscle, bicep training is often over-worshiped by young male trainees, but also excessively discouraged by well-meaning coaches. To say, as many coaches do, that the biceps has no function for a football player demonstrates a basic lack of understanding. I understand your coach's sentiments — he's just trying to emphasize function over aesthetics. However, it's kind of like telling school kids not to read the latest controversial book— it’s the best way to guarantee that they will! The biceps plays a pivotal role in the function of the shoulder and also in the articulation of the hand. It also balances the forces created by the triceps at the elbow joint.

So I hope your coach will someday take less of an "extremist" position about this issue, but in the mean-time, see if he'll allow you to perform more chins— a great bicep movement, but just tell him you are doing it for your back strength!

QUESTION: Charles, I'm a 17 year old varsity wrestler. I want to strength train, but cannot outgrow my weight-class. Can I get stronger without gaining any weight?

ANSWER: If you're trying to get stronger without a weight gain I would recommend relatively heavy explosive weight training with very little emphasis on the eccentric portion of the lifts.

You obviously should not train the same way a bodybuilder does (unless you want to increase your bodyweight). However, if you do realize a weight gain from low-rep strength training, you probably are headed in that direction anyway. What I mean by this is that if you gain weight as an adaptation to low rep, high intensity work, it tells me that you are already neurally efficient as you are going to be at that weight and can only see physical (as opposed to technical) improvement with a bit more muscle on your frame. This commonly happens in boxing where a fighter gradually finds it harder and harder to make it down to their weight class, and then must make the move up to the next class. At your age, this scenario is inevitable, it just a question of how long it's going to take before you have no choice but to move up.

QUESTION: I am a young personal trainer that works with high school athletes. I find my athletes get bored with the routine of sets and reps without a lot of change. I do change up exercises as often as I can but some things stay the same because they are effective. I am wondering, what kind of things you tell your athletes to keep them motivated? I would really like to know what you say to an athlete when you are first starting with them? 
Most of the athletes that stick with me will stay motivated by the results but it's hard to keep an athlete with me sometimes because I put them on a workout that seems boring to them. I do plyometrics, speed training, and the strength training progresses but I believe its just the routine that bores them and not the actual exercises. So when you give an athlete a workout, how do you prevent them from giving up too early?

ANSWER: Great question Nick, and thanks for your kind words. Motivation is a "lost art" among trainers. Actually, that's being too kindm I suppose, since many trainers never "find" that art in the first place! I place a lot of value on connecting with each client personally— in both formal (interview) and informal situations. And very simply, ASK the client, in a sincere way, what they're hoping to accomplish. Then (and here's the important part) LISTEN. 

Your client may have a strong passion to (for example) lose bodyfat, gain upper body strength, overcome an injury, or he may want faster sprint times. As your client talks, take note of their body language and vocal tone. If your client becomes excited and animated as he explains his passion to squat 405 pounds, it's a message you need to pay attention to. Then, in subsequent workouts, when the going gets tough, link the current task back to the passionate goal: "Listen Salvatore, I know this exercise is difficult, but trust me, this is the price that needs to be paid for that 405 squat you're looking for!"

Finally, it's important that YOU are motivated! Not in an insincere way (which is almost a hallmark of bad trainers everywhere!), but in a sincere way. Nothing is more motivational than your client sees that his coach is genuinely interested in his accomplishments. Thanks for the great question!

 QUESTION: Charles: Most people say you can improve your tennis game with strength training; however, I see few top-notch pros with physiques that are above average. Is strength training harmful for tennis players?

ANSWER: It’s true, few elite male tennis players possess the muscular physiques often seen in other anaerobic strength endurance sports such as baseball, basketball, football, etc... Even more perplexing, some top female tennis players, such as Venus Williams do possess superior levels of muscularity compared to their male counterparts.

Is there an ideal level of hypertrophy for male or female tennis players? I don’t think so. I suspect that tennis, the quintessential gentleman’s sport, may have dodged the no- so-gentlemanly iron a little longer than other sports and is just now catching on. There’s no reason that strength training would improve physical capacity in other games but not in racquet sports. Michael Chang, who champions the case study supporting strength training with his well-developed lower body, developed a hard-hitting baseline game despite a lack of advantageous height. Tennis requires high levels of starting strength, agility, strength endurance, and flexibility. All of these qualities improve with a properly executed strength training program. Let’s look at them one by one:

Starting Strength

Starting strength, or the ability to recruit as many motor units (all the muscle fibers controlled by one motor nerve) as possible in an instant is required from the first swing of the racquet. It is technically considered a component of speed strength.

It should be obvious that 80-140 MPH serves and furious sprints to the ball are not performed without quickly accessing high-threshold motor units. Of course, muscle fibers usually remain somewhat dormant until presented with tension that "recruits" them in order to overcome the resistance.

This challenge can easily be provided in the form of a well-designed resistance training program. Once the motor units have been trained, it becomes much easier to access them for tasks that require acceleration against small resistances, i.e., the racquet.

Explosive Strength

Explosive strength is the ability to keep muscle fibers activated once they have been innervated— it is the second component of speed strength.

Explosive strength is required for sprinting after a return, or generally, any rapid accelerative movements. This presents the most obvious need for strength training which can be developed in the weight room very easily and safely.

Remember not to mistake strength training with bodybuilding. The development of force can be greatly increased without significant gains in mass. Athletes are recognizing the need for strength training in tennis at a very rapid rate.

Agility

Agility is the ability to integrate starting strength, explosive strength, and balance within a single movement or movement pattern.

A common tactic employed in tennis is to physically and neurally exhaust an opponent by constantly firing cross-court shots, forcing repeated and rapid directional changes, debilitating the opponent’s energy stores and strength levels.

Because it is a complex quality, agility is a trainable characteristic. A strength training program won’t make a player look like Flex Wheeler, but the improvement in agility will save him in the late sets.

Strength Endurance

Strength endurance is the ability to perform sub-maximal efforts over a duration of time.

Tennis matches often endure for four or more hours. Increased levels of maximal strength provide a strength reserve so that, for example, repetitive tasks which used to require say, 21% of a player’s maximal strength might now require 17% of maximal strength. This is what improves the player’s ability to remain effective for a longer period of time.

Flexibility

A great concern among tennis coaches and players is that resistance training will decrease an athlete’s range of motion (ROM). Although resistance training without stretching might limit an athlete’s ROM, performing regular stretching exercises will prevent a loss of flexibility.

Although many athletes believe they are better or healthier athletes when they are more flexible, there is such a thing as too much flexibility.

Limit your flexibility training to ROM development specific to performing your sport, with a bit of room to spare for unforeseen events, such as slipping into a partial split position as you reach for a long ball.

Two things scare me (and Austin Powers): nuclear weapons and carnies! Please don’t show me your contortionist act, save it for the circus.

QUESTION: Hi, I'm 25 years old and I've been climbing for two years now, and have been lifting for three years. I've been off the climbing crag for about a month, and just started EDT this week— I wanted to ask you how can I can mix the EDT with the climbing (giving more importance to EDT). I usually climb two to three hours, three times a week. Thanks in advance.

 

ANSWER:Thanks for writing! First, EDT is a great way to improve muscular endurance for climbing, or any other sport which requires muscle endurance. The trick is to develop a schedule that allows you to lift and climb in a way that helps your performance. After all, if you can't recover from your workouts, your fitness levels will decline instead of improve. In this case, you have two choices: Either perform EDT on "non-climbing" days, or perform EDT on climbing days. In the latter case, you have the additional choice between lifting and climbing in the same workout, or in different workouts (in the same day).

There are a few different ways to arrive at the best decision:

1) If climbing is your primary training concern, and you wish to use EDT mostly to help your climbing, I'd suggest positioning your workouts in such a way that you're most recovered prior to climbing sessions, as opposed to lifting sessions. This can be accomplished by placing your EDT workouts soon after your climbing sessions, to allow for maximum rest until your next climbing session. This arrangement poses an obvious problem however— EDT is difficult enough, without having to do it right after a climbing workout!

2) If you wish to give equal importance to climbing and lifting, I would simply alternate between climbing workouts and EDT workouts, separating each workout by at least one, but perhaps as many as three days— whatever is required to facilitate adequate recovery.

There are a few other "tricks" that you might also consider:

1) Climbing is stressful to the hands and fingers — try to choose resistance-training exercises that are gentle on your hands, and/or use lifting straps to reduce the load on these tissues.

2) Skilled climbers rely mostly on lower body strength, whereas novice climbers tend to over-rely on their upper body to scale their climbs (many years ago I did some climbing for a short while, and I was in the latter category!). In either case, leg training should be emphasized in EDT workouts. For climbers, I like pistols, step-ups, and lunges.

3) Since climbing is an endurance-oriented event, target maximal strength in your EDT workouts: Instead of 10RM weights, use 6RM loads and start your PR Zones with sets of 3, working down to doubles and singles as you begin to fatigue.

About The Author

Charles Staley...world-class strength/performance coach...his colleagues call him an iconoclast, a visionary, a rule-breaker. His clients call him “The Secret Weapon” for his ability to see what other coaches miss. Charles calls himself a “geek” who struggled in Phys Ed throughout school. Whatever you call him, Charles’ methods are ahead of their time and quickly produce serious results.

Click here to visit Charles' site and grab your 5 FREE videos that will show you how to literally FORCE your body to build muscle, lose fat and gain strength with "Escalating Density Training," Charles' revolutionary, time-saving approach to lifting that focuses on performance NOT pain.

http://www.staleytrainingprograms.com

Estrategias Correctivas para atletas de poder.

Corrective Power Lifting
"Getting Jacked, Without Getting Jacked Up"
by Elliott Hulse, CSCS

Like you, I love slapping more heavy plates onto a barbell, as I progressively get stronger. When it comes to adding size and strength to my frame, I throw all caution to the wind and pour every ounce of piss and vinegar into each set I perform. If the thought of injury crosses my mind, I dismiss it immediately. I don't want that shit in my mind any more than I want salad touching my plate at supper.

Like you, I would also like to continue to get stronger year after year and to compete at a high level of performance well into my Geriatric Years. There is nothing worse than a 'has-been' athlete; a washed up meat head that is no longer of any use to himself or anyone else. I'd imagine that the same feeling that possesses an old race horse on his way to the glue factory is similar to that experienced by a power lifter or strong man that can no longer perform a single push up due to over use injuries.

In the proceeding paragraphs you will discover a simple technique that I call Corrective Power lifting. It is not the typical physical therapy stuff that you'll read about on "PtonTheNet", I will not advise you to breathe through "pursed lips" or to "draw your belly button in". But I will challenge you to take a career-defining look at your physical structure and program design. If remaining strong and injury free is important to you (not to mention maximizing your performance), you WILL read and take heed.

#1. Assessment - "Show me what you're working with?"

I hate generalizations, but I've discovered that there are "generally" 3 areas of the body where most people have landmines (injury potential). Also, athletes with a landmine in one of these 3 areas generally have one in the other 2 as well. In fact, one usually causes the others to appear. 

a. The Shoulders / Neck - The most common landmines in this region looks like this: 

TIGHT - Cervical Extensors (back of the neck); sides of the neck; Upper Traps; Pec Minor

WEAK - Deep Cervical Flexors (front of the neck); Scapular Adductor Muscles; Rhomboids (upper - middle back) 

b. The Hips - The most common landmines in this region looks like this:

TIGHT - Periformis (deep glute muscles); Posas (hip flexors) OR Upper Hamstrings; QLO (sides of the hips); IT bands (sides of the thighs) 

WEAK - Glute Maximus (superficial butt muscles) "Big Ass = Strong and Fast"; Abdominals

c. The Ankles - The most common landmines in this region looks like this:

TIGHT - Soleus (Achilles tendon); Flexors of the foot

WEAK - Anterior Tibialis (shins); Extensors of the foot 

"How do I know if I have a land mind in any of these areas?"Simple, stretch the muscles under the tight category and if it feels tight… then guess what? Also, there are common postural issues associated with each landmine. For example, someone with a shoulder landmine may have rounder shoulders and a forward head (head juts forward). So, if that's you… be afraid, very afraid!

"Damn Elliott, what the hell do I do now?" Great question, this leads us to… 

#2. Corrective Stretching & Strengthening 

I know what you are thinking, but please understand… I hate physical therapy exercises too! Also, the name of this article is Corrective Power lifting not corrective therapy. Below I am going to give you some tools that will clean up your exercise form, relieve pain and get yo

jacked at the same time… so bear with me.

Shoulder Land Mine - The shoulder landmine is usually most evident during the squat. Guys with this issue cant seem to get their neck and shoulders comfortable with the bar on the back. They usually have a very rounded upper back and seem to be jamming the bar into their neck with the elbows pointed straight back. Here is what you will do to correct this issue:

a. Stretch - the sides of your neck by pulling your head to the side; stretch the back of your neck by pulling your head forward with your chin to your chest; stretch your pec minor in a door jam and stretch your lats by holding an upright and leaning your chest down.

b. Strengthen - your deep cervical flexors by keeping the tongue on the roof of your mouth when doing crunches (if you do crunches); your rear delts by doing rear DB flyes and Crows; your middle back by doing bend over rows, seated rows, face pulls and DB rows.

Hip Land Mine - This is usually associated with low back or hip pain. The problem with the hip land mine is that it comes in two forms. The first being associated with tight hip flexors and the second tight upper hamstrings, very rarely will someone have both… but it can happen. But since most athletes that I train have tight hip flexors I will describe this land mine and its corrective measures.

a. Stretch - your hip flexors buy getting on one knee and leaning your hips forward; stretch your piriformis or deep glutes by laying on your back and pulling your knee into your chest while pulling it towards the center line of your body; foam roll your IT bands.

b. Strengthen - your glutes by performing deep squats while shoving your ass out; your glutes by doing high box step ups; your glutes by doing glute-ham raises; your glutes by doing hip extensions.

Ankle Land Mine - This is usually associated with back pain and shoulder pain. Every thing moves from the ground up, so if your feet are screwed up so will everything above it. These guys love getting on their toes when they squat and will even place boards under their heels instead of stretching.

a. Stretch - your Achilles tendon by standing with one foot half way off of a block and the other on top of it. The knee of the foot that you are stretching should be slightly bent; your feet… I like to sit on the floor and just pull my toes towards me with my hands, you can also perform a standard calf stretch

b. Strengthen - your shins by sitting straight legged on the floor with your feet together, pull your toes towards your face and hold it there for timed sets. There are also devices that are designed to strengthen these muscles also.

Getting stronger year after year takes a combination of several modalities and patience. But this is only accomplished if you remain injury free. If you hate prehab but want to avoid rehab use my approach and perform Corrective Power lifting. 

Elliott Hulse CSCS trains athletes and "Regular Joe's" to get stronger and faster so they can play harder. Find out how at: http://www.StrengthCamp.com

Conozcan a la MAQUINA!!!!!

Mike "The Machine" Bruce es un hombre excepcional, Strongman professional y modelo para la juventud su vida es un ejemplo de fe y perseverancia, este artículo losextraje de su blog es podrosos se los comparto...

Si quieren saber mas de la MAQUINA visiten: http://www.mikethemachine.com/

La maquina doblando una barra con la poderosa fuerza de su cuello!!!!

With Success comes s***t  from others:

Let me lay a little preaching on ya brutha.....pay attention because I know first hand.

When you get success many who are not confident will look at you as egotistical and they will become jealous. Many of them hate where they are at in life and thus just go through day in and day out settling for the same thing but never wanting to change their situation.

Brothers like you and I make things happen, we step out of the box and thus those weaker minded people can't understand that so we are viewed as cocky. But in reality all we are doing is what God asked of us.

And that is to grow fruit and continue to make it produce. That right there brother is taking a step for what and where we want to be in life, never accepting the norm and becoming one of the few.

I'll never let myself be average, heck bro I was a skinny abused, big eared pipe cleaner looking kid that always walked with my head looking down at the ground and who later tried to MASK who I really was by acting tougher than I was. I

 

'm now known worldwide as "The Machine" professional performing strongman and motivational speaker whose neck is so big I can never look down again because my neck won't allow me to and all I can do is look up! You have just been given the word on this beautiful sunday morning.

Keep The Faith, I got to get out of here before I start to really go off and start preaching baby. WHEW!!!!

 

 

FUERZA TOTAL!!!!

Strength Training Methods 

It is helpful to trainers and trainees if strength training is classified according to methods of attaining maximal muscular tension (ref 1). There are three primary ways to achieve muscular tension:

1. Lifting a Maximal Load – Max effort method (this post).

2. Lifting a Non Maximal Load Until Failure – Repetition Effort.

3. Lifting A Non Maximal Load at The Fastest Speed Popular – Dynamic Effort.

Keep in mind this is a discussion of “Strength Training Methods.”  You can certainly lift submaximal weights for warm up or recovery, but we aren’t going to classify those as strength training.  Also the submax effort method is a supplement to the primary categories above.

Max Effort Method

The central nervous system (CNS) adapts to the load placed on it.  Max Effort method uses heavy loads to yield the largest adaptations in strength.

To perform the max effort method progress to heavy weights for 1 to 3 repititions per set. The heavy load (near max weight) recruits the most motor units. The lifter will learn to fire these motor units in a more efficient and improve motor coordination (your body’s “wiring” for using muscle). During max effort we are primarily training muscles rather than movement. I will clarify. The purpose of an agility ladder is training a movement. Heavy squat is for training muscles.

Limitations of Max Effort

Despite what I’ve seen on some funny YouTube videos – heavy squats won’t cure cancer, poverty, or anything else like this.

Also, more seriously, the max effort method is not for beginners.  Instead, they should start with General Physical Preparedness. Beginners will not have the technique, required muscle strength, or the muscle coordination to perform the lifts.  The side effect of using the max effort method too early will be a high risk of injury. So, for all the young lifters here, make sure you complete your GPP and basic training BEFORE you even attempt max effort lifts.  Not only is there a high risk of injury, but you will not see the gains since the lifts will not be performed efficiently.

I see people looking for “beginners weight training programs” all the time in forums, and other new people recommending heavy deadlifts and so forth.  Dangerous and inefficient…but I digress.
For more advanced lifters, the Max Effort method is very fatiguing both mentally and physically which may lead to burn out.  This is common when Max Effort is used too much (daily).
This also depends on which Max Effort lifts are used – a power clean or snatch is more fatiguing than the bench press.  Take this into account when creating your program.

Sample Max Effort Workout

Try this workout on for size your next lower body day!  The primary lift represents the max effort movement, while the rest is repetition and GPP.

1.  Deep Squat 4 x 3, 2 x 2
2. Romanian Deadlifts 4 x 6
3. Split Squat to RDL 3 x 12 (Video)
4. Core Bridge Series (30 sec middle, 30 left, 30 right x 3 sets w/ no rest)

Only 3 leg exercises?  Yes, Max effort workouts are especially taxing during the primary lift.  Notice that is 6 sets so do not just look at the number of lifts, but at the volume of sets and reps.

Conclusion:I find Max Effort essential for strength development in both athletes and for real world strength development.  This method must be used properly to see continuous results as fatigue or form issues could become limiting factors.

Repeated Effort  

Now I’m talking about the submaximal and repeated effort methods.  I am putting these two together, as Zatsiorsky writes “the stimulation of muscle hypertrophy is similar in the two methods.”

The difference is submaximal refers to lifting a load less than the maximal weight for reps.  Repeated effort refers to lifting that same weight to failure. Both methods are used for gaining muscle size. Additionally the submaximal method is good for muscle coordination.  Example:  Submaximal lifts for 10 reps with each rep taking (for example’s purpose) 1 second each. Every rep will “educate” the muscles on how to fire.  The muscles don’t learn this coordination when lifting for 1 rep. Compared to the Max effort method, these two methods have a lower chance of injury. Ready to get grow your muscles with these methods?  Hold your horses…

Here’s The Catch

Working out until failure has an issue – “overexertion.”  Scientifically speaking a person can develop rhabdomyolysis or the break down of muscle fibers into the blood stream if the repeated method is over used.

But here’s the good news.  I doubt you are anywhere close rhabdomyolsis, so don’t panic.  However, pay attention to your overall volume in the strength program as well as the reps for each individual lift.
What qualifies as lifting until failure? Lifting until failure is both a physical and MENTAL feat.  I have seen very few people that have been able to flip the mental switch, truly blast through that wall, and work until true failure.  This is rare.  More likely, a person lifts with too high of a training volume and the overall workout is what causes over training, not just a single set.

Also, these workout methods involve the later sets to be performed fatigued, which will have a diminished training effect.

Lifting to Failure – Yes or No? 

Lifting to failure will have benefits for muscle hypertrophy and often over looked, mental strength.I do have the athletes occasionally perform sets to failure.  Here are some guidelines that I like to follow:

• Do not perform multiple sets of the same exercise to failure back to back.  For example, I do not have them perform 5 sets of push ups until failure at the start of a workout
• Do not finish EVERY exercise in a workout to failure. 
• Keep in mind the other training methods and avoid performing back to back workouts with similar exercises until failure. 
• When using the submaximal method, pay attention to the rep speed and have them performed at a similar pace. 
• Listen to the athletes.  If they are beat down, don’t make it worse.

“No pain, no gain.”  “Perform that exercise to failure and then perform three more!” These sayings have a time and place, but not for well trained athletes in an effective workout program.   The above guidelines will help maximize your gains while using the repeated effort and submaximal effort methods – and avoid over training.

Dynamic Effort Explained

Dynamic effort lifts involve moving a submaximal weight with maximal speed.  The percentage of your 1 RM used for dynamic effort workouts depend on how trained and experienced you are with the dynamic effort method.

With this method of strength training, as with all methods, lifters should keep good for for maximum results and safety. Example of a dynamic effort set:  Bench Press 8 x 3.  Lower the weight quickly to right above the chest, reverse directions and press it to lock out as fast as humanly possible.  If the lifters 1Rm is 400 lbs example sets could be 185 x 3 sets, 200 x 3 sets, 225 x 2 sets.  Increasing weight is not as important as increasing speed and rate of force development.

Benefits of Dynamic Effort Training

The Dynamic Effort Method primary benefits:

• Increased maximal strength
• Improve the rate of force development
• Improve explosive strength

When you properly, the lifter will increase how fast they can move the weight (rate of force development).  Not only will this have carry over to max strength, but dynamic strength is CRUCIAL for athletes!

Ever see an athlete that looks like they can barely move with their arms that can’t touch their sides and walking with stiff legs?  Chances are they never performed the dynamic effort method correctly (or proper mobility drills).

Dynamic Effort Lifts

Part of the beauty of the dynamic effort method is that it can include almost any barbell exercise and a lot of bodyweight vartions.  Here is a partial list of exercises that can fit into the dynamic effort category WHEN PERFORMED WITH THE PROPER WEIGHT.

• Bench Press
• Deadlift
• Squat
• Olympic Lifts
• Box Jump and variations
• Broad Jump
• Throwing (tire, keg, med ball)
• Med ball passes
• Light tire flips  

Coach’s NoteA few things to remember BEFORE trying the dynamic effort method.  This is NOT a beginners method.  Proper general physical preparedness must be completed prior to any of these strength training methods.  

I haven’t read this many places online before, so please pay attention to this tip!  An lifter must be able to decelerate weight before they can accelerate it.  Here’s what I mean.  An athlete needs to know how to land before they can jump.  Deceleration jumps and GPP are a great idea to specifically prevent knee injuries. Lastly, the DE method is often performed incorrectly based on the number of reps that people choose.  LOW REPS should be used so fatigue does not largely effect the movement.  A HUGE mistake is when people think more is better and perform 3 x 25 box jumps for example.  Not good for dynamic strength.

Conclusion:Use all three methods of strength training for your program.  Alternating lifts, speed, and reps will help your body from accommodating and will continue adaptation.

GET DYNAMIC.