Tag Archive | "strength"

woman push ups

Ladder training for muscular endurance

woman push upsMany muscular endurance and conditioning workouts require high volumes of work which, for neophytes and the de-conditioned achieving these numbers, may seem like a very distant goal.

How do you go from only being able to perform a couple of press ups or dips to completing the 100 reps required by some coaches or workouts?

 

Strength training, like gymnastic training, is part physiological adaptation and part neurological adaptation – by which I mean in many cases the limiting factor is not the size of your muscles but the nervous supply to those muscles.

As strength training is in part a skill, we need to perform repeated movements with sufficient volume to allow the body to learn how to perform the exercises in a skillful coordinated way.

Here in lies the problem – the best was to get better at pull ups is to do lots of them, but if you cant do many in the first place, how do you achieve sufficient volume to get really good at the exercise?

Luckily, the conundrum has a solution – and that solution is called “ladder training”

In a normal workout, our neophyte trainee may manage for example an initial set of 7 pull ups, a second set of 5 and a final set of 3 to give him/her a total workout volume of 15 reps. More volume (repeated efforts) is required to improve the skill of the pull up but insufficient strength makes this a difficult task.

In many strength training circles this principle of repeated efforts to improve specific exercise performance is called “greasing the groove”.

By applying ladder training to our trainees pull ups, our newbie will be doing more volume and therefore more practice and soon be on their way to improving their pull up numbers to a level which was previously an impossible dream!

Ladder Training Protocol.

  • Perform 1 rep of the given exercise
  • Rest a few seconds
  • Perform 2 reps of the given exercise
  • Rest a few seconds
  • Perform 3 reps of the given exercise
  • Rest a few seconds
  • Perform 4 reps of given exercise
  • Rest a few seconds etc.

(Note that rests are intuitive and should only just be long enough to allow the trainee to reach the next rung of the ladder)

Keep adding one rep and resting a few seconds until you are unable to continue i.e. you mange 5 reps, rest a few seconds but cant then manage 6. This is the end of the first set.

Using our previous trainee as an example again, our beginner client manages to ladder up to 5 reps in the first set – giving a rep total for that set of 15 (which is normally the total for their whole work out.)

After 90 seconds rest, they perform ladders again and reach a high of 4 reps – giving a rep total of 10 reps and on their final set managed 3 reps giving a rep total for that set of 6 reps.

So, in total, our trainee will have completed 31 reps of pull ups – 16 reps more than they could normally have achieved!

Ladder training is an excellent tool for increasing overall training volume which can be applied to pretty much any exercise and provides a great way of exposing the trainee to a much higher volume of work than would normally be possible training in a more traditional way. It works very will with  “easy” exercises like bodyweight pull ups, press ups and dips, as well as with traditional resistance exercises like squats, bench press and deadlifts – particularly when utilizing a substantial load. 

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WoW – Monday’s Workout 26/11/12

Ascending/descending conditioning circuit

The beauty of this workout is that, once you have reached half way, it only gets easier! This is both mentally and physically refreshing. Perform the number of reps indicated in the exercise descriptions. On reaching the last exercise, work back up the list until you have completed all of the exercises twice (except the 500 meter run/row). Try to complete the workout as fast as possible. Taking small pauses during exercises is acceptable if it allows the completion of the target reps although every effort should be made to complete all reps in one go.

1) 5 x pull ups

  • With a shoulder width overhand grip, hang from a sturdy overhead bar
  • Without swinging your hips, use your arms to pull yourself up so that your chin is above the bar
  • Pause for 1-2 seconds in this most contracted position before lowering under control back into the starting position

2) 10 x plyo press ups

  • Assume a press up position
  • Bend your arms and drive up explosively to jump your body into the air
  • Land and immediately ‘explode’ into another jump
  • Keep your body in alignment throughout
  • Do not perform this exercise if you have weak/damaged wrists and shoulders

3) 15 x burpees

  • Stand with feet shoulder width apart and hands by your sides
  • Squat down so that your hands are on the floor outside of your feet
  • Jump feet back into the press up position
  • Jump feet back under your body
  • Dynamically leap into the air
  • Land on your forefeet, bend knees and place hands on floor
  • Repeat
  • For a more advanced version of this exercise, add a press up

4) 20 x alternating lunges

  • Stand tall and take a large step forward with your left leg into a lunge
  • Bend the knee to so that your upper thigh lowers to a near parallel to the ground position
  • Push back to the start position and repeat to the right side
  • Each time you lunge with the left leg equals 1 rep

5) 25 x rubber band rows

  • Using 2 strong exercise bands, attached to a sturdy anchor at approximately chest height
  • Grasp a band in each hand and step backwards keeping the arms extended
  • Keep the spine upright and the torso still
  • When then tension in the bands is sufficient pull the arms into the body
  • The arms should extend past the torso and the hands should come into the hips
  • Slowly release the tension in the bands and return to the starting position before repeating

6) 30 x step ups

  • Leading with your left leg, step onto a suitably strong and high platform                that enables you to achieve a 90-degree angle at the knee joint
  • Bring your right leg up to join it
  • Keep your chest up and look forward throughout (don’t ‘sag in the middle’, keep your abs tight)
  • Step back to the floor with the left leg
  • Step up with the other leg
  • 1 rep equals 1 step up with each leg

7) 35 x press ups

  • Assume a prone position with your body supported through your arms and toes – there should be approximate straight line from your heels, through the top of your butt and shoulders and back of your head
  • Bend your arms to lower your body
  • Extend your arms to lift your body
  • Keep your core tight throughout this exercise
  • Press ups can be performed on the knees instead of the toes for an easier option

8) 40 x bicycle crunch

  • Lie flat on an exercise mat facing the ceiling
  • Extend both legs and lift them slightly off the ground
  • Place your hands next to your head, fingers lightly touching your temples
  • Draw your left leg towards you and simultaneously sit up and twist your torso so that your right elbow touches your knee
  • Without pausing, extend your left leg whilst at the same time drawing your right leg towards you and twisting your body so that your left elbow touches your right knee
  • Try to establish a steady rhythm and maintain it for the duration of the exercise
  • Each “cycle” of left and right equals 1 rep

9) 45 x jumping jacks

  • Stand with your feet together and your hands by your sides
  • Jump your feet out wide whilst simultaneously raising your arms out to the side to shoulder level
  • Immediately jump your feet back together whilst lowering your arms
  • Repeat

10) 500 meter run or row

  • Run or row 500 meters as fast as possible before working back up the list of exercises

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WoW – Thursday’s Workout 15/11/12

Cardio ab training

As losing fat is a big part of revealing your six-pack, this program is a great way to cut fat while strengthening that all important rectus abdominus. To keep your spine balanced; this workout also includes exercises to strengthen the muscles of your waist.

Warm up for three to five minutes by performing some light cardio and dynamic stretches and then perform two to four laps of this workout according to your fitness levels. Go from the cardio section straight to the sequence of ab exercises with as little rest as possible; rest for 1-2 minutes between circuits. Use any cardio exercise you like including treadmill, stair climber, rower or even jumping rope.

Cardio 1) 3 minutes cardio (one minute slow, one minute medium, one minute fast)

  1. 12 hanging leg raises
  2. 30 second side plank – left
  3. 30 second side plank – right
  4. 12 repetitions incline bench crunches – hold a weight if necessary

Cardio 2) 3 minutes cardio (one minute slow, one minute medium, one minute fast)

  1. 60 second regular plank
  2. 12 cable Russian twists – left side
  3. 12 cable Russian twists – right side
  4. 24 bicycle crunches

Cardio 3) 3 minutes cardio (one minute slow, one minute medium, one minute fast)

  1. 12 V sit ups
  2. 12 dumbbell side bends – left
  3. 12 dumbbell side bends – right
  4. 12 ab wheel/barbell rollouts

Perform this workout in place of your regular cardio and ab work and, so long as your diet and activity levels are dialed in, you should start to develop an impressive six-pack!

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Press ups – clap

Bodyweight Exercises

Press ups - clapHave you ever noticed the physiques of top-class gymnasts? They look amazing! Well defined muscles, very strong and also extremely flexible. Gymnasts, as a rule, seldom lift weights but they do a large amount of bodyweight training which is often referred to as calisthenics.

Although bodyweight training fell out of vogue in recent years because of the popularity of weight training machines, it’s making a comeback as more and more people rediscover the benefits of working out without the use of fancy gym equipment.

 

A routine of push ups, squats, chin ups and lunges using nothing more than your bodyweight can build an impressive figure or physique for anyone dedicated enough to persevere. Even though these exercises don’t use any adjustable weight training equipment they can be made as hard (or as easy) as is required and adapted to suit almost any individual fitness level.

The military has long been a supporter of callisthenic exercises. Because they don’t require access to expensive or cumbersome gym equipment soldiers can stay in shape wherever they are. Martial artists and boxers have used bodyweight exercises for years to get into great shape for their sport. If you are creative with your programme design and dedicated in your approach to training, you can develop a great figure or physique without the use of weights. A well equipped gym will make your exercise selection easier BUT focusing on bodyweight training means no more gym fees, no waiting in line for the machine you want to use and being able to train at home or anywhere else, whenever you want. To quote a famous equipment manufacturer…your body is your gym!

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chinup assisted

Getting Better at Pull Ups

Pull-ups, performed with an overhand grip, are an upper body body-weight exercise that challenges your biceps at the front of your upper arm and your latisimus dorsi muscles of your back. Pull-ups also put significant stress on the muscles between and below your shoulder blades: your rhomboids and mid-trapezius muscles. Performing pull-ups also requires a strong grip as you will have to support your body weight with your hands. Pull-ups are a demanding exercise and there are a number of assistance exercises you can perform to improve your pull-up ability.

Lat Pull Downs
Lat pull downs use the same muscles as the pull-up so if you lack the strength to perform pull-ups; this exercise is a suitable alternative. To perform the lat pull down, adjust the leg restraint so that it rest across your thighs. Sit down and lean back slightly and using a shoulder-width overhand grip, pull the bar down to the top of your chest. Keep your elbows directly below your hands and try to keep your chest lifted. Slowly return to the starting position and repeat.

Body Rows
Sometimes called inclined pull ups, Australians, or reverse press ups, body rows are an excellent alternative for regular pull ups, a great exercise in their own right and also a useful preparatory exercise when trying to develop your pull up ability. To perform a body row, set the bar on a Smith machine or squat rack to around hip-height. Lie beneath the bar and grasp it with an overhand, shoulder-width grip. Extend your legs and lift your hips so that your weight is supported by your hands and heels only. Bend your arms and pull your chest up to the bar. Slowly return to the starting position and repeat. When you get more proficient with this exercise, try raising your feet to increase the load on your arms. The more horizontal your body, the more demanding the exercise.

Body row 4

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Band Assisted Pull-ups
You can use a strong exercise band to help you perform pull-ups. Secure the band (or bands) to your pull-up bar and place your feet the band loop. The band will provide assistance, especially at the bottom of the pull-up movement. You can use strong bands initially and progress to weaker bands as your pull-up ability improves. 

 

 

Negative Pull-ups
Negative pull-ups take advantage of the fact that you are stronger when your muscles are lengthening than they are when they are shortening. To perform negative pull-ups, use your legs to help your climb up to the top position of the pull up and then, using only your arms, slowly lower yourself under control to until your arms are fully extended. Repeat until you are no longer able to control your descent. You will find that negative pull-ups will quickly increase your strength with will transfer to your ability to perform regular pull-ups

Isometric Pull-ups
Your muscles can generate more force when they are static than they can when they are moving. This is called isometric strength. To perform isometric pull-ups, hand form the bar but hold yourself so that you are mid-way up and your arms are bent at 90 degrees. Hold this position for as long as you can before resting and repeating. You can target specific joint angles using isometric pull ups by holding your position at different points. If you feel you are weaker near the bottom of the pull up, perform isometric hold in the lower range of movement or if you find the getting your chin up to the bar is the hardest part of the exercise, perform isometrics in the upper range of movement.

Copy of Combo 7

Rest-Pause Pull-ups
Once you can perform one or two pull ups, you can start to group repetitions together into sets. One way to do this is to perform your repetitions using rest-pause technique. Rest-pause means that you perform one or two reps, rest for up to 15 seconds, perform another one or two reps and continue until you reach your target e.g. eight reps. As you get stronger you will have to rest less and will soon be able to perform larger groups of reps until eventually you manage your full eight reps.

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Mag. 7

WOW – Mondays Workout 11/06/2012

Mag. 7

The Magnificent 7 is one of my favorite films and coincidently one of my favorite do-it-all workouts. Leaving no muscle untrained, this workout gets everything done in 30 minutes or less and is ideal for when you are up against it and short of time for working out.

Duration: 30 minute approximately
Equipment: Barbell, free weights, cable machine, squat rack, kettlebell or dumbbell
Perform 3 sets of each of the following exercises as a circuit or as straight sets. Aim for 12 to 20 repetitions of each exercise, depending on your preference.

 

 

 

1) Alternating lunges – hold weight above your head for increased core activation

2) Dead lifts – barbell or dumbbell, bent leg or straight leg

3) Single arm cable chest press or single arm DB bench press on stability ball

4) Bent over rows – barbell or dumbbell

5) Squats – back squat or front squat

6) Wood chop – cable or medicine ball

7) Overhead press – seated or standing, dumbbells or barbell

Finish off with a good stretch to minimize adaptive shortening and muscle soreness.

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powerlifter

WOW – Mondays Workout 28/05/2012

Power Lift Pyramid
Duration: 30 minutes
Equipment: Squat rack, bench press station, barbell, free weights

Method: The power lifts (those used in competition) are the squat, bench press and dead lift. Power lifters compete to see who can lift the most weight in these exercises. The totals are then added up and the winner is the one who has lifted the greatest combined load. For this workout you aren’t going to attempt any one rep max efforts as there is a lot of risk associated with 1RM performance but at the end you could plug your results into a calculator to estimate your 1RM and then your power lifting total…

1) Squats
Perform a 10 minute pyramid of barbell squats, increasing the weight and reducing the reps set by set until you run out of time. Make sure you use a spotter or a squat rack to minimise the risk of injury.

2) Bench press
Perform a 10 minute pyramid of barbell bench presses, increasing the weight and reducing the reps set by set until you run out of time. Make sure you use a spotter or a power rack to minimise the risk of injury.

3) Dead lifts
Perform a 10 minute pyramid of barbell bent legged, increasing the weight and reducing the reps set by set until you run out of time.

On completion use the calculator http://www.exrx.net/Calculators/OneRepMax.html to workout out your 1RM for each exercise and then add the score for each exercise together to give you your power lifting total.

 

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WOW_Background

WOW – Mondays Workout 23/01/2012

deadliftPowerlift pyramid

Warm up thoroughly before performing this or any workout!

The powerlifts (those used in competition) are the squat, bench press and dead lift. Powerlifters compete to see who can lift the most weight in these exercises. The totals are then added up and the winner is the one who has lifted the greatest combined load. For our workout today we aren’t going to attempt any one rep max effors as there is a lot of risk associated with 1RM performance but at the end you could plug your results into the calculator provided to estimate your 1RM and then your powerlifting total…

 
1) Squats
Perform a 10 minute pyramid of barbell squats, increasing the weight and reducing the reps set by set until you run out of time. Make sure you use a spotter or a squat rack to minimise the risk of injury.

2) Bench press
Perform a 10 minute pyramid of barbell bench presses, increasing the weight and reducing the reps set by set until you run out of time. Make sure you use a spotter or a power rack to minimise the risk of injury.

3) Dead lifts
Perform a 10 minute pyramid of barbell bent legged, increasing the weight and reducing the reps set by set until you run out of time.

On completion use the calculator http://www.exrx.net/Calculators/OneRepMax.html to workout out your 1RM for each exercise and then add the score for each exercise together to give you your powerlifing total. Post your scores below!

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barbell

Workout Variety and Progress

barbellIf you want to make improvements in your fitness or strength, you have to give your body a reason to adapt. Doing the same workout with the same sets, reps and weights every week is not sufficient stimulus to make your body change. On average, it takes around 6 weeks for your body to get used to as new workout. During the initial weeks of a new training programme, your body feels “threatened” by the routine and adapts by getting stronger and fitter. Once the perceived threat has been overcome, no further adaptations will occur until a new threat is introduced. In fitness terminology, this halting of progress is called “the plateau” and is often the reason people are unsatisfied with the fitness even though they go to the gym regularly.

To avoid hitting the plateau, it is important to make regular changes to your exercise routine. The best way to do this is by manipulating the training variables listed below. There is no need to change everything every time your train…just pick 1 or 2 things to change per week to keep your workout fresh and consider starting a new workout every 6-8 weeks – you should see your fitness levels rise steadily over time as a result.

The training variables…

  • Increase your weights – small regular increases win every time and will make you stronger
  • Increase the number of sets your perform per exercise – more work = greater benefits
  • Perform more reps – adding a rep a week whilst keeping the weights the same is a great progression
  • Reduce your rest time between sets – knock off 5 seconds a week to increase the intensity of your workouts
  • Choose different exercises – bored of the chest press machine? Try the bench press
  • Change the order of your exercises – if you always do legs last, try putting them first in your workout
  • Use more complex exercises – squats are harder than leg presses, chin ups are harder than lat pull downs
  • Try split routine if you are doing whole body workouts or vice versa
  • Incorporate a training system like drop sets or supersets into your programme for variety
  • Use a Swiss ball, medicine ball, Bosu or TRX to spice up your workout

Make some changes and mix things up – the only thing you’ve got to lose is your previous fitness levels!

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weights

All About Strength Part 1

weightsStrength is defined as the ability of a muscle or muscle group to exert maximum force and is an essential quality that most recreational sports people need to develop. Combined with a well rounded conditioning programme, strength training can have a huge impact on playing performance including increasing speed, reducing the likelihood and severity of injures and making players more resistant to fatigue. In this article, we’ll explore just how to set about gaining some strength for your sport…

Firstly, it’s worth mentioning that training for strength is very different from the bodybuilding type training that many people engage it. Bodybuilding workouts utilise relatively light loads, short rests, and multiple exercises per muscle group and are all about creating bigger muscles (correctly termed hypertrophy) whereas strength training focuses almost exclusively on increasing performance. Bodybuilders, while often very big, are generally not as strong as smaller athletes who focus on strength training. Strength training will cause some hypertrophy but it is a by-product of training as opposed to the aim. The hypertrophy caused by strength training can best be thought of as “functional” or, in other words, not only will the muscles look bigger, they will also be much better suited to the demands of your chosen sport. The muscle developed by strength training will be useful rather than “all show and no go” which is more likely to be the case with bodybuilding training.

To develop strength, exercises must be selected that allow a significant amount of weight to be lifted. Exercises such as squats, dead lifts and bench press are the cornerstone on which to build an effective strength training programme. These compound or multi-joint exercises provide plenty of “bang for your buck” and will allow you to get the most from your training time. Isolation exercises such as dumbbell flies and tricep extensions are not ideally suited to the development of strength as they don’t permit large loads to be used safely. Don’t worry if you have no idea about how to go about designing an effective training programme as later in this article we’ll provide you with a basic strength training workout to get you started.

The chart below shows the difference between hypertrophy, general strength and maximal strength training.

  Hypertrophy Strength – general Strength – maximal
% of 1 rep max 67-84 85-92 93-100
Reps 6-12 3-5 1-2
Rest 30-90 seconds 3-5 minutes 3-5 minutes

 

As you can see, heavy weights, relatively low reps and longer rests are the parameters for strength training – it’s all about quality as opposed to quantity and each work set should be performed with near a high degree of focus and intensity. Maximal strength training is suitable for those who already have a history of working out with heavy weights and want to specialise it strength sports such as weight lifting, power lifting or highland games whereas general strength training is more suited to field sports such as rugby, Gaelic football and sports where strength is just one element of the physical characteristics needed for success.

Because of the near maximal effort required during strength training, it’s important to warm up thoroughly prior to exercising. Once a general warm up of light cardio and dynamic stretching has been completed, it’s time to do a more specific warm up for the exercises to be done on that particular training day. The best way to get ready for a strength training workout is to perform a couple of light to moderate sets of each exercise before piling on the weight. This gives you the opportunity to practice the exercises in question and also assess your strength on that particular day. Only after you have completed 2-3 “warm up sets” should you start working with weights closer to your 1 repetition maximum (1RM). This practice will reduce the likelihood of suffering injury and also make the work sets more effective as your muscles are more likely to be working optimally after a few specific warm up sets.

Once you are fully warmed up and ready for your working sets, you may want to consider using a pyramid approach and increasing the weight slightly set by set – this practice reinforces your warm up and allows you to ease into your workout.

For example:

1st Set – 5 reps at 65kg
2nd Set – 4 reps at 70kg
3rd Set – 4 reps at 75kg
4th Set – 3 reps at 77.5kg
5th Set – 3 reps at 80kg

To keep improving your strength, it’s vital that you keep striving to lift progressively heavier weights. If you lift the same weights week after week, month after month, your strength levels are very likely to remain the same. Regular increases in the weight lifted or the number of repetitions performed will ensure you keep making progress with your strength training.

In part 2, we’ll provide you with a simple strength training programme that will fit into your regular weekly workout schedule.

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