I've been training hard for the last 7 months, and just a few weeks ago decided to sign up for a powerlifting meet at Apollon Gym in Edison, NJ December 11, 2010. It'll be my first meet and I'm really excited for it. I plan on hitting some serious PRs that day. Here's a glimpse of a circuit I perform after deads on my Deadlift day. I use Jim Wendler's 5/3/1 program, and if you're not familiar with it, you should absolutely buy it.
The videos show the first and fourth rounds of the circuit. It consists of:
Safety Squat Bar Good Mornings x 10reps (alt. btwn wide and narrow stances)
Walking DB Lunges x lap around gym
Squat Jumps holding KB x 10
KB Side Bends x 12-15/side
It's an ass-kicker!
In this 2nd video you can see I can't even walk correctly and the stance is much narrower on the GMs. The Good Morning is primarily a lower back, glutes, and hamstrings exercise, but with the safety bar it forces you to keep your upper back tight and it rocked my Abs hard.
Stay tuned for more posts on the topics of Nutrition, Recovery, Health, and how I train my clients and myself.
Peace!
Wednesday, November 17, 2010
Friday, May 7, 2010
Are you sick?
Yup, a blog post. Now that the semester is over and I actually have energy again, these will be coming alot more frequently. Sorry about the crappy audio and that you can hear the TV in the background. Won't let that happen again.
Tons and tons more to come!
Tons and tons more to come!
Wednesday, April 14, 2010
Special Guest Post
My friend and co-worker Joe Meglio wrote an awesome article you guys should read if you're looking to get cut up. Great ideas and tips for getting the body that you want in as little time as possible. Joe's got plenty of other great articles over at his blog. Read and take notes.
So You Want to Get Ripped?
*Joe Meglio is a strength and conditioning coach at the Underground Strength Gym in Edison, New Jersey. He specializes in the training of baseball players. When he is not training athletes at the Underground Strength Gym, Joe runs his training business in Staten Island, New York. Currently, he attends Fairleigh Dickinson University-College of Florham where he is a member of the FDU baseball team. To learn more about Joe and his methods check out www.nystrengthcoach.blogspot.com*
Enjoy your hump day!
So You Want to Get Ripped?
*Joe Meglio is a strength and conditioning coach at the Underground Strength Gym in Edison, New Jersey. He specializes in the training of baseball players. When he is not training athletes at the Underground Strength Gym, Joe runs his training business in Staten Island, New York. Currently, he attends Fairleigh Dickinson University-College of Florham where he is a member of the FDU baseball team. To learn more about Joe and his methods check out www.nystrengthcoach.blogspot.com*
Enjoy your hump day!
Tuesday, April 13, 2010
An Inconvenient Truth
Different people exercise for different reasons. I personally derive great pleasure from nailing a heavy set of squats and feeling like I gave it everything I have. Others do it to take out aggression, some do it to clear their heads, and some do it because they want to look good nekkid. There's no right or wrong answer as to "why?". For me, I know that exercising keeps the body healthy, and by this I mean that exercise improves my body's ability to perform necessary functions that keep my organs and complex systems working their best. This means longevity, and honestly, I want to live to be over 100 years old and still look young. (It's a lofty goal but I'll do my damnedest to achieve it). I also believe in the "sound body, sound mind" theory. Even Thomas Jefferson advocated exercising 2 hours per day in order to keep the mind sharp. This seems a bit excessive, and most people don't have 2 hours to devote to exercise each day, but you get the point. However, exercise isn't the only factor in the quest for health and longevity. In fact, just as important (if not more) is proper nutrition. Here's just a few things to think about: stored fat releases toxins into the bloodstream; chemicals in foods that are consumed everyday can cause brain cells to kill themselves; and many chemicals found in water, food, and objects that we consume or surround ourselves with every single day are linked with cancer. I don't know about you, but I don't want cancer. So I think it's pretty obvious that living a healthy lifestyle, which involves consuming health-promoting foods and avoiding health-degrading products, as well as being involved in regular exercise that promotes over-all health (including joint health, a.k.a. training smart), will lead to a healthier, happier, longer, and more productive and rewarding life. But the question becomes "Do we as Americans, or more generally, as residents of Earth, have the option of consuming the health-promoting products?" My answer to that is "PROBABLY NOT."
This is just a taste of what's to come. My research has been opening up to me much larger problems and issues. These ideas are going to take some time to develop fully. Also, I don't want to publish garbage with incorrect information and half-truths. Stay tuned for updates!
This is just a taste of what's to come. My research has been opening up to me much larger problems and issues. These ideas are going to take some time to develop fully. Also, I don't want to publish garbage with incorrect information and half-truths. Stay tuned for updates!
Wednesday, April 7, 2010
Update
I'm now about 17 days out from my first bodybuilding show. Crazy crazy times. For the next 2 weeks I'll be posting just one new blog post each week. Once the show is over I'll have plenty more time though. So far things are going pretty well. Leaner than I've ever been. Starting to get tan. Working on poses. Diet isn't easy but ya gotta do what ya gotta do to be competitive. Here's some more cool videos:
That's all for now. Stay Strong, and Improve every single day!
That's all for now. Stay Strong, and Improve every single day!
Friday, April 2, 2010
A Conditioning/Fat Loss Vid
I hope this first Friday in April finds everybody doing well. Hopefully you're all making great progress towards whatever goals you've set for yourself, whether its weekly, monthly, or yearly goals. Another quick post today. I'll be hitting up a Strongman Seminar tomorrow up at CrossFit Relentless in West Hartford, CT and I'm sure I'll get tons of great knowledge to bring back and share with everyone. Remember when I posted sample fat loss workouts and said I've used them all personally? Well here's a video shot probably 2 months or so ago of me cranking one of them at full speed. It was brutal but awesome and deadly effective. Enjoy:
It's supposed to be beautiful this weekend so get outside and do some barefoot training in the sun. It's always good to get back to our roots and train like our ancestors. (it's also a good idea to eat the way they did, but that's for another time). Take care and have a fun, active weekend!
It's supposed to be beautiful this weekend so get outside and do some barefoot training in the sun. It's always good to get back to our roots and train like our ancestors. (it's also a good idea to eat the way they did, but that's for another time). Take care and have a fun, active weekend!
Wednesday, March 31, 2010
Insanity
Things are pretty insane right now between dieting, lifting, cardio, work, and school. The seminar I attended on this past Saturday was great. Louie Simmons of Westside Barbell (www.westside-barbell.com) spoke about training athletes to improve speed. It was incredibly educative and I know I will absolutely apply what I learned to the training of my own lifters/athletes, as well as myself. Here's a few videos of Louie and the training that goes on at Westside.
I threw in Chuck Vogelpohl at the end because he is a BEAST!!! And he used to train at Westside. Enjoy your Hump Day.
I threw in Chuck Vogelpohl at the end because he is a BEAST!!! And he used to train at Westside. Enjoy your Hump Day.
Friday, March 26, 2010
Using the Kettlebell Lifts
A few days ago I gave showed technique for the 3 fundamental Kettlebell lifts: the Swing, the Clean & Press, and the Snatch. Many lifters focus their training solely on the KB lifts and their variations. While this is understandable for those who compete in Kettlebell sports, the non-competitive population that uses this method is missing out on serious muscle, strength, and power.
Recall from the last KB article that I said the 'bells were not the single greatest tool, and that, in fact, there is no such thing as a perfect or greatest tool. KBs should be used in conjunction with a program that includes barbell lifts, dumbbell lifts, varied set/rep range, and varied intensities. So today I will give to you three sample training sessions that are well-rounded and incorporate different tools. There will be an Upper Body session, a Lower Body session, and a Full Body session. These are just examples. Different individuals have different needs and these should not just be followed blindly. Hopefully, though, they will give you a nice frame of reference for how to train to become all-around strong and powerful.
Upper Body
1. Bench Press 5 x 5
2A. Chin Ups 4 x submax
2B. KB Military Press 4 x 5-10
3A. Chest-Supported KB Rows 3 x 6-12
3B. Ring Push Ups 3 x submax
4A. Biceps (some added work for the guns)
4B. Triceps(same as above)
Lower Body
1. Barbell Squat 5 x 5
2. Walking Lunges 4 x 100'
3A. DB Step Ups 3 x 6-12
3B. KB Swings 3 x 10-15
4. Sleds/Prowler x 5 trips
5. Abs x 5 sets
Full Body
1. KB Snatch 5 x 8/side
2A. DB Bench Press 4 x 6-12
2B. Recline Rows 4 x submax
3. Split Squat 4 x 6-10/side
4. Sled/Prowler x 5 trips
5. Grip/Abs x 4 sets each
(Split Squat Technique)
Once again, these are just examples. You can set up your training however you like, but the point is to make use of different tools to develop a well-rounded base of strength. Kettlebells are great at producing athleticism and speed. Remember, you can't snatch slow. Any questions, hit me up! Have a good weekend.
P.S. - I'll be listening to Louie Simmons of Westside Barbell (the strongest gym in the world) speak at a seminar here in Jersey. Whenever Louie speaks, you listen. So I'll definitely come back with some awesome info for you guys. Stay Strong!
Recall from the last KB article that I said the 'bells were not the single greatest tool, and that, in fact, there is no such thing as a perfect or greatest tool. KBs should be used in conjunction with a program that includes barbell lifts, dumbbell lifts, varied set/rep range, and varied intensities. So today I will give to you three sample training sessions that are well-rounded and incorporate different tools. There will be an Upper Body session, a Lower Body session, and a Full Body session. These are just examples. Different individuals have different needs and these should not just be followed blindly. Hopefully, though, they will give you a nice frame of reference for how to train to become all-around strong and powerful.
Upper Body
1. Bench Press 5 x 5
2A. Chin Ups 4 x submax
2B. KB Military Press 4 x 5-10
3A. Chest-Supported KB Rows 3 x 6-12
3B. Ring Push Ups 3 x submax
4A. Biceps (some added work for the guns)
4B. Triceps(same as above)
Lower Body
1. Barbell Squat 5 x 5
2. Walking Lunges 4 x 100'
3A. DB Step Ups 3 x 6-12
3B. KB Swings 3 x 10-15
4. Sleds/Prowler x 5 trips
5. Abs x 5 sets
Full Body
1. KB Snatch 5 x 8/side
2A. DB Bench Press 4 x 6-12
2B. Recline Rows 4 x submax
3. Split Squat 4 x 6-10/side
4. Sled/Prowler x 5 trips
5. Grip/Abs x 4 sets each
(Split Squat Technique)
Once again, these are just examples. You can set up your training however you like, but the point is to make use of different tools to develop a well-rounded base of strength. Kettlebells are great at producing athleticism and speed. Remember, you can't snatch slow. Any questions, hit me up! Have a good weekend.
P.S. - I'll be listening to Louie Simmons of Westside Barbell (the strongest gym in the world) speak at a seminar here in Jersey. Whenever Louie speaks, you listen. So I'll definitely come back with some awesome info for you guys. Stay Strong!
Tuesday, March 23, 2010
Training Considerations for Lacrosse Pt. 1
This article will be somewhat of an overview of special considerations for the training of lacrosse players based on the specific demands of the sport. In general, all athletes in any sport could train using similar protocols. However, as easy as such a program would be to implement, it would not be the most effective way of maximizing the potential of each individual based on that player's position. An obvious example would be in the sport of American football: a quarterback has different demands placed on his body than an offensive lineman; therefore, these two players would do best training in slightly different ways. In outdoor lacrosse, goalies, defensemen, attackmen, and midfielders all have different demands placed on them. Unique qualities must be enhanced for each position, but strength should be the primary focus of any program for all of these athletes. (If you need to ask why strength is most important, read previous articles of mine but definitely read anything by Mark Rippetoe or Bill Starr at startingstrength.com.)
Let's begin with midfielders. This is quite possibly the most demanding position on the field, as middies play both offense and defense. It involves the ability to move short distances laterally and linearly, as well as moving longer distances (50 yards or more) linearly. The middie must be able to accelerate and change directions quickly, but must also have stamina and be able to run at full speed for longer distances than any other position on the field.
Attackmen need to be extremely quick and agile in order to dodge defensemen and cut to get open for the ball. Lateral speed and agility is paramount and attackmen also need powerful hips to dodge and shoot at top speeds. Unlike middies, attackmen will not often have to run long distances linearly, but they also get less time off the field than midfielders and thus must be able to execute with quickness and agility many times throughout the game.
Defensemen must be able to move quickly laterally and backwards. Acceleration is crucial since defensemen must slide to an attackmen if another defender gets beat. Due to longer, heavier sticks and the need to push out against attackmen and throw hard checks, defensemen need to have very healthy and conditioned shoulders (as does any other player on the field). Goalies need incredibly fast reflexes and reaction time and the ability to move quickly away from attackmen in order to clear the ball after a stopped shot.
Once again, it is important to note that overall high levels of strength are the most important aspect for a winning team. Stronger players means faster, more explosive players with the ability to move, throw, and shoot better. In coming articles, I will discuss specific training considerations for each of the positions previously mentioned.
Let's begin with midfielders. This is quite possibly the most demanding position on the field, as middies play both offense and defense. It involves the ability to move short distances laterally and linearly, as well as moving longer distances (50 yards or more) linearly. The middie must be able to accelerate and change directions quickly, but must also have stamina and be able to run at full speed for longer distances than any other position on the field.
Attackmen need to be extremely quick and agile in order to dodge defensemen and cut to get open for the ball. Lateral speed and agility is paramount and attackmen also need powerful hips to dodge and shoot at top speeds. Unlike middies, attackmen will not often have to run long distances linearly, but they also get less time off the field than midfielders and thus must be able to execute with quickness and agility many times throughout the game.
Defensemen must be able to move quickly laterally and backwards. Acceleration is crucial since defensemen must slide to an attackmen if another defender gets beat. Due to longer, heavier sticks and the need to push out against attackmen and throw hard checks, defensemen need to have very healthy and conditioned shoulders (as does any other player on the field). Goalies need incredibly fast reflexes and reaction time and the ability to move quickly away from attackmen in order to clear the ball after a stopped shot.
Once again, it is important to note that overall high levels of strength are the most important aspect for a winning team. Stronger players means faster, more explosive players with the ability to move, throw, and shoot better. In coming articles, I will discuss specific training considerations for each of the positions previously mentioned.
Monday, March 22, 2010
Kettlebell Basics
So if you've read any of my posts, you know I'm a big fan of using Kettlebells in my own training and in the training of clients. Kettlebells are not the greatest of all strength & conditioning tools, but no one object is. KBs are simply one more awesome tool to have at your disposal in your quest for achieving your strength and fitness goals. The three most common and effective KB exercises are the swing, the clean & press, and the snatch. As promised, I've made a video demonstrating proper technique for the safe execution of these lifts. Watch the video and listen to the commentary. After the video I'll break each lift down in writing and then you can go back and watch again. (NB: The best way to learn a new exercise is to have a coach teach you in person. These videos should help your technique, but don't hesitate to seek out a qualified coach if you are unsure of how to perform the exercises correctly and/or safely.)
For the swing, set up in a squat stance (feet slightly farther than shoulder width apart). It is important that your lower back never rounds over. You want to keep your low back flat or arched and your shoulder blades pulled back. Deadlift the weight up with a tight grip. Bump the KB forward with your hips and allow the momentum to carry it backwards between your legs. Let it travel far enough back so that another person would be able to easily grab it from your hands. At this point, explosively snap your hips forward, squeeze your butt, and lock out your hips and knees. You want to move your hips forward with enough force that the KB travels to roughly chest height. Keep your heels planted throughout the entire movement and do not use your upper body to pull the weight up to chest height. Let the momentum of the KB pull it back down between your legs and repeat.
For the clean & press, the set-up is identical to that of the swing. However, only one hand is holding the KB. Make sure that your thumb is pointed between your legs as this helps to ensure that you do not curl the weight up. Once again snap your hips forward, but also shrug your shoulder. Try to keep your elbow glued to your side and do not swing the 'bell outward. Once at the rack position (i.e., on your chest) dip down about 2 inches and explode the KB straight overhead to lockout. Make sure the KB is deep in your palm so that your wrist remains completely straight, and squeeze the handle tightly. Your bicep should be right next to your ear at lockout. If it isn't, you need to work on your shoulder mobility. Once locked out, PULL the weight back to the rack position and reverse the clean motion. It's important to pull so that your lats are active and getting stimulation.
The snatch begins just as the clean & press does, but once you bump it through your legs, you must pull your elbow high. You want your palm facing your body. A good way to think of it is that you're pulling the KB right over your head. It's important to generate enough force that the momentum of the KB carries the 'bell to the lockout position. The added punch at the end ensures that your shoulder does not get pulled backwards (very ugly and risky) and that your elbow does not "snap" into lockout. Be sure to pull the KB as close to your body as possible and to pull it high. Once at the lockout position, pull the KB down just as in the clean & press and reverse that clean motion discussed in the previous paragraph.
I hope this has helped many of you. I know that Kettlebells are not something that too many trainees come across on a regular basis. However, it is important that if and when you choose to use them, you do so with as little chance of injury as possible and with the greatest return-on-investment. If you have absolutely ANY questions regarding the use of KBs, where to purchase them, or any other info, don't hesitate to ask it in the comments section below, or Facebook message me, or shoot me an e-mail at steveriz@eden.rutgers.edu. Go kick some serious ass!
For the swing, set up in a squat stance (feet slightly farther than shoulder width apart). It is important that your lower back never rounds over. You want to keep your low back flat or arched and your shoulder blades pulled back. Deadlift the weight up with a tight grip. Bump the KB forward with your hips and allow the momentum to carry it backwards between your legs. Let it travel far enough back so that another person would be able to easily grab it from your hands. At this point, explosively snap your hips forward, squeeze your butt, and lock out your hips and knees. You want to move your hips forward with enough force that the KB travels to roughly chest height. Keep your heels planted throughout the entire movement and do not use your upper body to pull the weight up to chest height. Let the momentum of the KB pull it back down between your legs and repeat.
For the clean & press, the set-up is identical to that of the swing. However, only one hand is holding the KB. Make sure that your thumb is pointed between your legs as this helps to ensure that you do not curl the weight up. Once again snap your hips forward, but also shrug your shoulder. Try to keep your elbow glued to your side and do not swing the 'bell outward. Once at the rack position (i.e., on your chest) dip down about 2 inches and explode the KB straight overhead to lockout. Make sure the KB is deep in your palm so that your wrist remains completely straight, and squeeze the handle tightly. Your bicep should be right next to your ear at lockout. If it isn't, you need to work on your shoulder mobility. Once locked out, PULL the weight back to the rack position and reverse the clean motion. It's important to pull so that your lats are active and getting stimulation.
The snatch begins just as the clean & press does, but once you bump it through your legs, you must pull your elbow high. You want your palm facing your body. A good way to think of it is that you're pulling the KB right over your head. It's important to generate enough force that the momentum of the KB carries the 'bell to the lockout position. The added punch at the end ensures that your shoulder does not get pulled backwards (very ugly and risky) and that your elbow does not "snap" into lockout. Be sure to pull the KB as close to your body as possible and to pull it high. Once at the lockout position, pull the KB down just as in the clean & press and reverse that clean motion discussed in the previous paragraph.
I hope this has helped many of you. I know that Kettlebells are not something that too many trainees come across on a regular basis. However, it is important that if and when you choose to use them, you do so with as little chance of injury as possible and with the greatest return-on-investment. If you have absolutely ANY questions regarding the use of KBs, where to purchase them, or any other info, don't hesitate to ask it in the comments section below, or Facebook message me, or shoot me an e-mail at steveriz@eden.rutgers.edu. Go kick some serious ass!
Wednesday, March 17, 2010
Update: Diet, Training, Life
Today I'll give you an update of where I'm at in a few different things. First I'll start with diet.
I've been dieting down for 10.5 weeks now for my upcoming show and it still isn't easy. I'm lucky that I have a strong will power, but sometimes things get really tedious. For the first 10 weeks I was using the Carb Cycling method. Things started slowing down, so I've switched to a Ketogenic diet. That means it's meat (chicken or beef in my case) plus nuts (almonds and cashews are my favorites) plus fish oil and borage oil. I also eat some broccoli or cauliflower once a day. I like the foods I'm eating, but it's pretty monotonous. Only a few more weeks though.
As far as my training is going, until yesterday I hadn't lifted in 7 days because I strained a muscle in my neck a few weeks ago. Any heavy lifting would cause a CRAZY headache, but I've been going to an awesome chiropractor (Dr. Shapiro in Old Bridge, NJ) and things are getting better. Cardio is up to an hour and a half some days per week but due to Rutgers fitness centers being closed most of spring break(this week), Friday was the last time I did the steady-state cardio. I do drag sleds though and later today I'll be doing 21 sled drags because I turned 20 yesterday(1 for good luck). Hopefully by Monday I'll be able to return to doing upper body lifts and I'll definitely be hitting the cardio very hard.
This past weekend I felt like absolute shit. I don't know if it was the weather or the fact that I couldn't lift for a few days because of my neck, but it was bad times (sluggish, lack of motivation, tired, my legs felt like bricks). Whatever, that's over with. Maybe I was just beat up, but the time to Kick Ass is now and I'm feeling ready to conquer the world. As far as this site's content goes, I still owe you guys Kettlebell demos. Those will be up once I'm cleared to lift heavy again. Now this may sadden some of you, but the "WTF?!?!" series will be discontinued. I'd rather spend my time trying to educate than bitch about trivial shit(check out the article on fats though because it's definitely worth the read). Instead, I'll be focusing at least one day a week on training specifically for lacrosse. It's a sport I played for 5 years and still love it. This spring especially I've been getting huge urges to play lax and I think the players deserve a solid resource to find out how to improve their level of play.
That's all for now. Hopefully you've been enjoying the content on this site and if there is anything you'd like to know more about, drop a comment below, e-mail me, or facebook me and I'll definitely post info on here. Stay Strong!
I've been dieting down for 10.5 weeks now for my upcoming show and it still isn't easy. I'm lucky that I have a strong will power, but sometimes things get really tedious. For the first 10 weeks I was using the Carb Cycling method. Things started slowing down, so I've switched to a Ketogenic diet. That means it's meat (chicken or beef in my case) plus nuts (almonds and cashews are my favorites) plus fish oil and borage oil. I also eat some broccoli or cauliflower once a day. I like the foods I'm eating, but it's pretty monotonous. Only a few more weeks though.
As far as my training is going, until yesterday I hadn't lifted in 7 days because I strained a muscle in my neck a few weeks ago. Any heavy lifting would cause a CRAZY headache, but I've been going to an awesome chiropractor (Dr. Shapiro in Old Bridge, NJ) and things are getting better. Cardio is up to an hour and a half some days per week but due to Rutgers fitness centers being closed most of spring break(this week), Friday was the last time I did the steady-state cardio. I do drag sleds though and later today I'll be doing 21 sled drags because I turned 20 yesterday(1 for good luck). Hopefully by Monday I'll be able to return to doing upper body lifts and I'll definitely be hitting the cardio very hard.
This past weekend I felt like absolute shit. I don't know if it was the weather or the fact that I couldn't lift for a few days because of my neck, but it was bad times (sluggish, lack of motivation, tired, my legs felt like bricks). Whatever, that's over with. Maybe I was just beat up, but the time to Kick Ass is now and I'm feeling ready to conquer the world. As far as this site's content goes, I still owe you guys Kettlebell demos. Those will be up once I'm cleared to lift heavy again. Now this may sadden some of you, but the "WTF?!?!" series will be discontinued. I'd rather spend my time trying to educate than bitch about trivial shit(check out the article on fats though because it's definitely worth the read). Instead, I'll be focusing at least one day a week on training specifically for lacrosse. It's a sport I played for 5 years and still love it. This spring especially I've been getting huge urges to play lax and I think the players deserve a solid resource to find out how to improve their level of play.
That's all for now. Hopefully you've been enjoying the content on this site and if there is anything you'd like to know more about, drop a comment below, e-mail me, or facebook me and I'll definitely post info on here. Stay Strong!
Friday, March 12, 2010
Treat Yourself
Going hard and heavy all the time can beat you up eventually. Sometimes, you need to give yourself time to recover physically and also recover mentally. This weekend, treat yourself to something that will help body and mind recover so that you can keep going hard and heavy for as long as possible.
Get a massage. Not some cheap 10 minute thing at the mall or other place(happy ending?). Get to a chiropractor and get yourself worked on. If possible, try to get some ART (Active Release Techniques). This will keep your bones, joints, and muscles healthy, which will allow you to train hard with a great reduction in your chance for injury.
Buy yourself a foam roller. This is kind of like a massage, but one that you can perform on yourself at any time, any day of the week. It will loosen up muscles and connective tissue. Remember, a healthy lifter is a happy lifter.
Plan a Deload week. Some people can go months without needing a deload. Some can't go 3 weeks without one. It's a very individual thing, but a good rule of thumb is to have some form of a deload every 4th week. These lighter weeks will help your body to overcompensate for the "damage" you've been doing to it and help you to grow bigger and stronger.
Have a "reward" meal. If you're on a strict diet, don't think of it as cheating. Think of it as something you've earned. As an added benefit, it might help boost your fat-burning hormones that can e down-regulated when your body is deprived of calories. Just don't go overboard. Eat slowly and only until you're full. Then go right back to eating clean that same day.
Do something you love. Haven't done something you love to do lately? It could be any activity you want (as long as it's not hazardous) and it will give you a nice boost after a week that might have been tiring.
Hard work is absolutely paramount to any success in life. Sometimes you need a break or a pick-me-up. It's not an excuse to not work hard or too be a pansy. It's just a little something to keep you healthy and sane. Make the most of this weekend!
Get a massage. Not some cheap 10 minute thing at the mall or other place(happy ending?). Get to a chiropractor and get yourself worked on. If possible, try to get some ART (Active Release Techniques). This will keep your bones, joints, and muscles healthy, which will allow you to train hard with a great reduction in your chance for injury.
Buy yourself a foam roller. This is kind of like a massage, but one that you can perform on yourself at any time, any day of the week. It will loosen up muscles and connective tissue. Remember, a healthy lifter is a happy lifter.
Plan a Deload week. Some people can go months without needing a deload. Some can't go 3 weeks without one. It's a very individual thing, but a good rule of thumb is to have some form of a deload every 4th week. These lighter weeks will help your body to overcompensate for the "damage" you've been doing to it and help you to grow bigger and stronger.
Have a "reward" meal. If you're on a strict diet, don't think of it as cheating. Think of it as something you've earned. As an added benefit, it might help boost your fat-burning hormones that can e down-regulated when your body is deprived of calories. Just don't go overboard. Eat slowly and only until you're full. Then go right back to eating clean that same day.
Do something you love. Haven't done something you love to do lately? It could be any activity you want (as long as it's not hazardous) and it will give you a nice boost after a week that might have been tiring.
Hard work is absolutely paramount to any success in life. Sometimes you need a break or a pick-me-up. It's not an excuse to not work hard or too be a pansy. It's just a little something to keep you healthy and sane. Make the most of this weekend!
Thursday, March 11, 2010
Hardcore Training for Marines
Everybody knows Marines are some of the baddest mofos around. Yesterday afternoon I had the privilege of training 12 USMC officers at the Underground Strength Gym. I figured these guys might be a little crazy, but they completely blew me away with their hard work and positive attitudes. We put them through the following workout:
1. Sandbag Shouldering- 5 sets x 3reps/side
2. Tire Flips- 5 sets x 2reps w/ 250 lb or 450 lb tire
3A. Bodyweight Push 3 sets x max reps
3B. Bodyweight Pull 3 sets x submax reps (but these guys went all out!)
4. Conditioning Medley (3 groups of 4 Marines)
- Prowler x 3 plates x 3 min
- KB Farmer Walks x 53s x 3 min
- Sled x 5 plates x 3 min
(As many rounds as possible at each station for 3 min, then move to next exercise)
These guys did not drag ass for even one second. They all cheered each other on and strived to be their very best. Each one of them gave 110%. When it got tough, they just worked even harder. They showed absolutely no fear. Even if a weight was hard, they'd go heavier the next set just to push their own limits. Now that's BADASS! These guys know the value of hard work and they know that sometimes you gotta really kick your own ass to be the best. It was an honor for me to coach them and I hope to see them at the Underground again. Get out there and get a little crazy. KICK ASS!
1. Sandbag Shouldering- 5 sets x 3reps/side
2. Tire Flips- 5 sets x 2reps w/ 250 lb or 450 lb tire
3A. Bodyweight Push 3 sets x max reps
3B. Bodyweight Pull 3 sets x submax reps (but these guys went all out!)
4. Conditioning Medley (3 groups of 4 Marines)
- Prowler x 3 plates x 3 min
- KB Farmer Walks x 53s x 3 min
- Sled x 5 plates x 3 min
(As many rounds as possible at each station for 3 min, then move to next exercise)
These guys did not drag ass for even one second. They all cheered each other on and strived to be their very best. Each one of them gave 110%. When it got tough, they just worked even harder. They showed absolutely no fear. Even if a weight was hard, they'd go heavier the next set just to push their own limits. Now that's BADASS! These guys know the value of hard work and they know that sometimes you gotta really kick your own ass to be the best. It was an honor for me to coach them and I hope to see them at the Underground again. Get out there and get a little crazy. KICK ASS!
Wednesday, March 10, 2010
Hump Day
It's Wednesday, right in the middle of the work week. It's a good day to do a little reflecting on how the week has gone so far and where you want the rest of the week to go. Let's start with goals. Do you have goals set for this week? Maybe you have goals set for each day. Maybe you have monthly goals, or yearly goals. Have you set any goals at all?
If you answered "no" then you can't wonder why you're not going anywhere. You need to aim for something. It could be fitness goals, or goals for your personal relationships, or business goals. It could be anything, but you need to know what you want in order to ever get it. The best way to go about this is by physically writing down your goal(s). You can keep your goal(s) private, but you want to make sure you'll be able to see it written down at any time, so keeping a list in your wallet may not be a bad idea. A trick I use is every night I write down a list of things I need to accomplish the next day. These things could be as simple as "cook chicken" or "class @ 10:55." They're just reminders of things I need to do. Goals (whether daily, weekly, monthly, or yearly) should be written down the same way so that you never forget about doing things that will lead you one step closer to achievement.
Unfortunately it's not enough to just write down your goal and expect to achieve it. You need to have a feasible plan that will get you there. For instance, if your goal is to bench press 350lbs, but your current press is 150lbs and you have no plan or timetable for getting to 350, it's going to be very very very hard to achieve this. Little goals can add up to bigger goals, but like I said, there needs to be a plan of action that can begin immediately. If your goal is to get a job making 100k per year, but you don't have a plan of getting there, do you think it's just going to fall into your lap? Maybe it will for some, but that's an incredibly small percentage. Goals could require plans that take years, but the point is to get your plan together and start taking steps in the right direction. Sitting around hoping and wishing something happens for you just isn't going to work.
So the two questions you have to ask yourself are:
What do you want? What are you willing to do for it?
Get out there and get things going!
If you answered "no" then you can't wonder why you're not going anywhere. You need to aim for something. It could be fitness goals, or goals for your personal relationships, or business goals. It could be anything, but you need to know what you want in order to ever get it. The best way to go about this is by physically writing down your goal(s). You can keep your goal(s) private, but you want to make sure you'll be able to see it written down at any time, so keeping a list in your wallet may not be a bad idea. A trick I use is every night I write down a list of things I need to accomplish the next day. These things could be as simple as "cook chicken" or "class @ 10:55." They're just reminders of things I need to do. Goals (whether daily, weekly, monthly, or yearly) should be written down the same way so that you never forget about doing things that will lead you one step closer to achievement.
Unfortunately it's not enough to just write down your goal and expect to achieve it. You need to have a feasible plan that will get you there. For instance, if your goal is to bench press 350lbs, but your current press is 150lbs and you have no plan or timetable for getting to 350, it's going to be very very very hard to achieve this. Little goals can add up to bigger goals, but like I said, there needs to be a plan of action that can begin immediately. If your goal is to get a job making 100k per year, but you don't have a plan of getting there, do you think it's just going to fall into your lap? Maybe it will for some, but that's an incredibly small percentage. Goals could require plans that take years, but the point is to get your plan together and start taking steps in the right direction. Sitting around hoping and wishing something happens for you just isn't going to work.
So the two questions you have to ask yourself are:
What do you want? What are you willing to do for it?
Get out there and get things going!
Tuesday, March 9, 2010
Walking Around with Weight
When you bring a bag of groceries from your car into your house, what are you doing? If you have a young kid, what are you doing when you are bringing him/her anywhere with you in your arms? When you're throwing out trash, cleaning out the garage, or moving furniture, what are you doing? The answer is you're moving around with weight in your hands. Whether it's hanging at your sides, above your head, or at chest level, humans move objects from place to place pretty often.
What's my point? Well, walking around holding weight is actually an awesome workout and taxes your entire body. At the Underground Strength Gym we often have our athletes walk with kettlebells as part of their warm up, as part of the training session itself, or as extra-credit the athletes can choose to do on their off days or at the end of sessions. The variations are immense. For example, you could walk with a weight locked out overhead with one arm or two arms; you could walk with weight at chest level with one arm or two arms; and you could walk with a weight hanging at your side with either one or two arms.
Choosing to use only one arm in any of these variations will rock all of the muscles around your midsection, including your abs, lower back, and obliques. With the weight overhead, shoulder stability is increased, as is shoulder and triceps strength. Holding weight(s) at chest level or at your sides will require strong abs and will jack up your upper back and traps.
We often use kettlebells for these walks, but any implement can be substituted. Examples include dumbbells, farmer walk handles, a barbell, sandbags, a slosh keg/pipe(this is when a keg or PVC pipe is filled half way with water so that it moves around while you are moving. CRAZY effective for abdominal stability), stones, or any other object that can be picked up and moved somewhere else. Not only will these movements help to bulletproof your abs, lower back, and shoulders, they're also great for conditioning. Try picking a weight and walking with it at various positions for a set time. See how far of a distance you can go in that time and then next time try to get more laps or a farther distance, or a heavier weight. You might be shocked by how unstable your body is, but after a few weeks your core will be much stronger and your risk of injury will have decreased significantly. Just make sure that you stand up tall with your perfect posture at all times.
These movements have a great carry-over to sports since athletes are often not in a position of balance and symmetry. However, performing these movements will also make everyday tasks for the non-athlete seem much easier and will very very greatly decrease the chance that you will get hurt moving something in your house or at work. So try them out and don't be surprised if you're humbled at first. Start light and work your way up. Stay STRONG!
What's my point? Well, walking around holding weight is actually an awesome workout and taxes your entire body. At the Underground Strength Gym we often have our athletes walk with kettlebells as part of their warm up, as part of the training session itself, or as extra-credit the athletes can choose to do on their off days or at the end of sessions. The variations are immense. For example, you could walk with a weight locked out overhead with one arm or two arms; you could walk with weight at chest level with one arm or two arms; and you could walk with a weight hanging at your side with either one or two arms.
Choosing to use only one arm in any of these variations will rock all of the muscles around your midsection, including your abs, lower back, and obliques. With the weight overhead, shoulder stability is increased, as is shoulder and triceps strength. Holding weight(s) at chest level or at your sides will require strong abs and will jack up your upper back and traps.
We often use kettlebells for these walks, but any implement can be substituted. Examples include dumbbells, farmer walk handles, a barbell, sandbags, a slosh keg/pipe(this is when a keg or PVC pipe is filled half way with water so that it moves around while you are moving. CRAZY effective for abdominal stability), stones, or any other object that can be picked up and moved somewhere else. Not only will these movements help to bulletproof your abs, lower back, and shoulders, they're also great for conditioning. Try picking a weight and walking with it at various positions for a set time. See how far of a distance you can go in that time and then next time try to get more laps or a farther distance, or a heavier weight. You might be shocked by how unstable your body is, but after a few weeks your core will be much stronger and your risk of injury will have decreased significantly. Just make sure that you stand up tall with your perfect posture at all times.
These movements have a great carry-over to sports since athletes are often not in a position of balance and symmetry. However, performing these movements will also make everyday tasks for the non-athlete seem much easier and will very very greatly decrease the chance that you will get hurt moving something in your house or at work. So try them out and don't be surprised if you're humbled at first. Start light and work your way up. Stay STRONG!
Monday, March 8, 2010
Eat Big to Get Big
This saying has been around for a very long time, and in that time fads and trends have come and go. What hasn't changed though is the fact that to pack on alot of muscle, you really do need to eat big. Before you go out and spend your money on supplements and things you think might help you get stronger and put on muscle fastest, think about the primary fuel you are giving to your body. Do you really give your body enough of the food it needs to build muscle? Are those food choices the best for your goals? Here's a list of foods you NEED to be consuming in large quantities if you want to really pack on the muscle and get your lifts to skyrocket.
1. Whole Milk. You've no doubt read this one before on this site, and for good reason. When nature gives you such a calorie-filled, protein-packed, and delicious drink, why would you ever want to waste it? It's responsible for making babies grow and it'll help you grow too! I recommend a gallon per day for skinnier guys, and at least a half gallon per day for bigger guys.
2. Whole Eggs. This egg white crap has got to stop. The yolk is where all the B-Vitamins and healthy fats are. If you're trying hard to put on muscle, you absolutely need the calories and fats contained in the yolk. I don't know about you, but egg whites just aren't that tasty to me. Whole eggs, on the other hand, are versatile and incredibly delicious. I'd recommend 6-12 whole eggs per day.
3. MEAT. Any kind. Beef, pork, lamb, venison, chicken, turkey, duck. You name an animal, you should probably eat it. Don't overdo the very fatty cuts of meat, but when it comes right down to it, you need calories and eating tons of different types of meats will provide them. Eat some meat with every meal.
4. Peanut Butter. Chunky is best, and if you're trying to put on weight it doesn't matter if it's "natural" or not. PB is filled with healthy fats and alot of protein. A combination perfect for getting you strong and big. For skinny guys, I'd say a jar per day. For bigger guys, at least a few heaping spoonfuls per day. Also, eat as many handfuls of all kinds of nuts/legumes as possible.
5. Potatoes. These are grains more than they are vegetables in my opinion. Either way, having a few potatoes everyday will give you vitamins and complex carbs needed to refuel your muscles.
6. Berries, Apples, and other fruits. These fruits contain a solid amount of fiber and taste damn good. The anti-oxidants will also help to repair the damage done to cells in your body and will lead to overall healthiness. They'll also provide you with energy and tons of vitamins. Have at least 4 servings a day.
7. Veggies. They're not too calorically dense, but health is just as important as getting yoked. Have a few servings everyday, but don't fill up on them because you need to have enough room for your gallon of milk, your jar of PB, and your side of beef.
If you're trying to lose fat, this list isn't intended for you. If you're trying to go from 135lbs soaking wet to a functioning member of the male side of the species, load up on all of these foods. If your training sessions consist of curls and kick-backs, this list isn't really for you either. These foods need to be consumed along with a huge dose of squats, deadlifts, chin ups, and presses, all done with heavy weights. That's how you pack on the muscle. EAT BIG, LIFT BIG, GET BIG!
1. Whole Milk. You've no doubt read this one before on this site, and for good reason. When nature gives you such a calorie-filled, protein-packed, and delicious drink, why would you ever want to waste it? It's responsible for making babies grow and it'll help you grow too! I recommend a gallon per day for skinnier guys, and at least a half gallon per day for bigger guys.
2. Whole Eggs. This egg white crap has got to stop. The yolk is where all the B-Vitamins and healthy fats are. If you're trying hard to put on muscle, you absolutely need the calories and fats contained in the yolk. I don't know about you, but egg whites just aren't that tasty to me. Whole eggs, on the other hand, are versatile and incredibly delicious. I'd recommend 6-12 whole eggs per day.
3. MEAT. Any kind. Beef, pork, lamb, venison, chicken, turkey, duck. You name an animal, you should probably eat it. Don't overdo the very fatty cuts of meat, but when it comes right down to it, you need calories and eating tons of different types of meats will provide them. Eat some meat with every meal.
4. Peanut Butter. Chunky is best, and if you're trying to put on weight it doesn't matter if it's "natural" or not. PB is filled with healthy fats and alot of protein. A combination perfect for getting you strong and big. For skinny guys, I'd say a jar per day. For bigger guys, at least a few heaping spoonfuls per day. Also, eat as many handfuls of all kinds of nuts/legumes as possible.
5. Potatoes. These are grains more than they are vegetables in my opinion. Either way, having a few potatoes everyday will give you vitamins and complex carbs needed to refuel your muscles.
6. Berries, Apples, and other fruits. These fruits contain a solid amount of fiber and taste damn good. The anti-oxidants will also help to repair the damage done to cells in your body and will lead to overall healthiness. They'll also provide you with energy and tons of vitamins. Have at least 4 servings a day.
7. Veggies. They're not too calorically dense, but health is just as important as getting yoked. Have a few servings everyday, but don't fill up on them because you need to have enough room for your gallon of milk, your jar of PB, and your side of beef.
If you're trying to lose fat, this list isn't intended for you. If you're trying to go from 135lbs soaking wet to a functioning member of the male side of the species, load up on all of these foods. If your training sessions consist of curls and kick-backs, this list isn't really for you either. These foods need to be consumed along with a huge dose of squats, deadlifts, chin ups, and presses, all done with heavy weights. That's how you pack on the muscle. EAT BIG, LIFT BIG, GET BIG!
Friday, March 5, 2010
WTF?!?!
Low-fat diets. Yes, they're still out there, and the American Dietetics Association probably still thinks they're great (but then so do the corn lobbyists. And I can't for the life of me understand how the USDA can put olive oil in the same group as donuts, but I digress). Let's start off with some fundamental nutritional info that too many people don't know.
Protein and carbohydrates each contain 4 calories/gram. Fat contains 9calories/gram. By looking at this one might say, "Oh, fat is more calorie-dense, I shouldn't eat too much." The logic here is not flawed, but it's based on the notion that fat-loss is based on calories-in vs. calories-out. That's where the mistake occurs. The gross simplification that fat-loss is just a matter of expending more energy than you take in (calories = energy) is a big problem. Certainly the "calories-in vs. calories-out" model works well for weight-loss, but weight-loss and fat-loss are not interchangeable terms. The weight you lose could be just as much muscle and/or water as it is adipose tissue(fat). Maybe the number on the scale got lower, but if you still look like crap and your body performs like crap, have you really made an improvement?
So the focus should obviously be on losing fat, not weight. Unfortunately throughout the decades, the myth has been perpetuated that eating fat will make a person gain fat. Once again, this is a prime example of a gross over-simplification that does not take into account the myriad of complex metabolic processes and pathways contained within the body. To explain in detail all of these processes and pathways is far beyond the scope of this article, so I'll focus more on the practical side of things rather than the scientific.
It is true that carbohydrates are the body's main source of energy and that fat is not as readily used to fuel the body. This could lead one to think, "Okay, carbs are my fuel source, so I should eat them more often than fat, because the fat I eat won't be burned for energy." Again, the logic doesn't seem bad on the surface, but yet again we see a lack of understanding. The importance of the role of fats is often understated in the information to which most Americans have access. I'll list a few of the key functions of fats that we consume:
- hormone production
- combating inflammation
- slowing digestion
- mobilizing stored fat
It's very difficult for the body to produce hormones that aid in fat loss and muscle gain when it's deprived of the raw materials to do so. Moreover, it's tough to perform grueling workouts and lift heavy(2 essentials for losing fat while retaining muscle) if a person's joints are so inflamed that pain-free lifting has become a foreign concept. Insulin spikes (excluding post-workout) make it easy for the body to store fat. Consuming fat helps to reduce the glycemic impact of meals because of the extra time needed in the digestive system to break down the fat. Lastly, certain fats will actually trigger your body to free up some of the fat already stored within it. On top of this, if your body isn't taking in any fat, and knows that it can fulfill all of its energy needs from the carbs and protein you would be ingesting while on a low-fat diet, it sees no need to unbind these stored fats and burn them for energy.
These are just some reasons for not depriving your body of the vital fats it needs to thrive. Of course, I would be at fault if I didn't point out that not all fats are created equal. For instance, no good can come of consuming trans fat. It can be stored directly as adipose tissue and is incredibly unhealthy for the heart. Saturated fats have gotten a bad name, but actually some are quite healthy. Coconut Oil, for instance, is a saturated fat, but its health benefits are numerous. And by now almost everyone has been convinced of the healthiness of Omega-3 fats. Basically, things are not just black and white. Generalizations about whether fats are good or bad, or about what types of fats are good and bad are being refuted more and more often these days. This just goes to show the complexity of the human body and the way it processes the nutrients we give to it. This article wasn't intended to show the best diet plan or eating routine, etc... It is just meant to show that low-fat diets are dumb and generally are not the healthiest route to take in achieving a great physique or in achieving a healthy-functioning body. Always remember that fat-loss and weight-loss are not the same thing and that the goal of any fat-loss diet and exercise program should be to burn bodyfat, not lose the muscle you've worked hard to gain.
I hope you've enjoyed reading this and perhaps gained a bit of insight. Like I mentioned earlier, much of the science is outside the scope of the article, as is my recommendations for a proper fat-loss diet(that would be a whole series of articles I'm sure). But if you enjoyed this, feel free to drop a comment below about fat-loss or health myths. Also, let me know what you would like me to cover in upcoming articles. Topics could be diet or training related, or even a "WTF?!?!" occurrence that you have witnessed or would like me to rant about. Enjoy the weekend and KICK ASS!
Protein and carbohydrates each contain 4 calories/gram. Fat contains 9calories/gram. By looking at this one might say, "Oh, fat is more calorie-dense, I shouldn't eat too much." The logic here is not flawed, but it's based on the notion that fat-loss is based on calories-in vs. calories-out. That's where the mistake occurs. The gross simplification that fat-loss is just a matter of expending more energy than you take in (calories = energy) is a big problem. Certainly the "calories-in vs. calories-out" model works well for weight-loss, but weight-loss and fat-loss are not interchangeable terms. The weight you lose could be just as much muscle and/or water as it is adipose tissue(fat). Maybe the number on the scale got lower, but if you still look like crap and your body performs like crap, have you really made an improvement?
So the focus should obviously be on losing fat, not weight. Unfortunately throughout the decades, the myth has been perpetuated that eating fat will make a person gain fat. Once again, this is a prime example of a gross over-simplification that does not take into account the myriad of complex metabolic processes and pathways contained within the body. To explain in detail all of these processes and pathways is far beyond the scope of this article, so I'll focus more on the practical side of things rather than the scientific.
It is true that carbohydrates are the body's main source of energy and that fat is not as readily used to fuel the body. This could lead one to think, "Okay, carbs are my fuel source, so I should eat them more often than fat, because the fat I eat won't be burned for energy." Again, the logic doesn't seem bad on the surface, but yet again we see a lack of understanding. The importance of the role of fats is often understated in the information to which most Americans have access. I'll list a few of the key functions of fats that we consume:
- hormone production
- combating inflammation
- slowing digestion
- mobilizing stored fat
It's very difficult for the body to produce hormones that aid in fat loss and muscle gain when it's deprived of the raw materials to do so. Moreover, it's tough to perform grueling workouts and lift heavy(2 essentials for losing fat while retaining muscle) if a person's joints are so inflamed that pain-free lifting has become a foreign concept. Insulin spikes (excluding post-workout) make it easy for the body to store fat. Consuming fat helps to reduce the glycemic impact of meals because of the extra time needed in the digestive system to break down the fat. Lastly, certain fats will actually trigger your body to free up some of the fat already stored within it. On top of this, if your body isn't taking in any fat, and knows that it can fulfill all of its energy needs from the carbs and protein you would be ingesting while on a low-fat diet, it sees no need to unbind these stored fats and burn them for energy.
These are just some reasons for not depriving your body of the vital fats it needs to thrive. Of course, I would be at fault if I didn't point out that not all fats are created equal. For instance, no good can come of consuming trans fat. It can be stored directly as adipose tissue and is incredibly unhealthy for the heart. Saturated fats have gotten a bad name, but actually some are quite healthy. Coconut Oil, for instance, is a saturated fat, but its health benefits are numerous. And by now almost everyone has been convinced of the healthiness of Omega-3 fats. Basically, things are not just black and white. Generalizations about whether fats are good or bad, or about what types of fats are good and bad are being refuted more and more often these days. This just goes to show the complexity of the human body and the way it processes the nutrients we give to it. This article wasn't intended to show the best diet plan or eating routine, etc... It is just meant to show that low-fat diets are dumb and generally are not the healthiest route to take in achieving a great physique or in achieving a healthy-functioning body. Always remember that fat-loss and weight-loss are not the same thing and that the goal of any fat-loss diet and exercise program should be to burn bodyfat, not lose the muscle you've worked hard to gain.
I hope you've enjoyed reading this and perhaps gained a bit of insight. Like I mentioned earlier, much of the science is outside the scope of the article, as is my recommendations for a proper fat-loss diet(that would be a whole series of articles I'm sure). But if you enjoyed this, feel free to drop a comment below about fat-loss or health myths. Also, let me know what you would like me to cover in upcoming articles. Topics could be diet or training related, or even a "WTF?!?!" occurrence that you have witnessed or would like me to rant about. Enjoy the weekend and KICK ASS!
Thursday, March 4, 2010
Sled: Lifter's Best Friend Part 2
Okay everybody, here's a video of how to make your own sled. It's pretty simple, costs barely anything, and will help you increase your strength and conditioning levels.
I'm not sure why it sounds like I have a lisp, but whatever. At the end of that video you'll see me doing face pulls and chest presses. These are examples of recovery work you can do with the sled. Since there is no portion of these exercises where you have to lower the weight, they will not lead to soreness. This is perfect for those days when you are sore and/or tight and need to get blood to the muscles.
Other options would be rows, all kinds of shoulder raises, triceps extensions, and even bicep curls. A more thorough list of possibilities can be found in the Exercise Index at www.elitefts.com. You'll also notice that after dragging the sled (either forward or backward), I hand-over-hand pull the tire to myself. This is great for both pulling and grip strength, two things that anyone could and should get stronger at.
If you're looking to get your own tires to turn into sleds, just go to your local body shop. It costs them money to dispose of the tires, so they'll just give them to you for free, and that's pretty damn sweet. And if you don't want to do that, just keep your eyes peeled for old tires on the sides of roads, highways, and parking lots. If you can't find a tire with the rim still attached, you can just stuff the tire with heavy cinder blocks. You could also drill a piece of plywood over the top and load weight onto that. Don't let a lack of facilities or money get in the way of your pursuit of strength. There's plenty of things you can make for yourself using relatively inexpensive (or even free) objects. Get out there and drag some heavy shit around, just make sure it's not your own gut!
I'm not sure why it sounds like I have a lisp, but whatever. At the end of that video you'll see me doing face pulls and chest presses. These are examples of recovery work you can do with the sled. Since there is no portion of these exercises where you have to lower the weight, they will not lead to soreness. This is perfect for those days when you are sore and/or tight and need to get blood to the muscles.
Other options would be rows, all kinds of shoulder raises, triceps extensions, and even bicep curls. A more thorough list of possibilities can be found in the Exercise Index at www.elitefts.com. You'll also notice that after dragging the sled (either forward or backward), I hand-over-hand pull the tire to myself. This is great for both pulling and grip strength, two things that anyone could and should get stronger at.
If you're looking to get your own tires to turn into sleds, just go to your local body shop. It costs them money to dispose of the tires, so they'll just give them to you for free, and that's pretty damn sweet. And if you don't want to do that, just keep your eyes peeled for old tires on the sides of roads, highways, and parking lots. If you can't find a tire with the rim still attached, you can just stuff the tire with heavy cinder blocks. You could also drill a piece of plywood over the top and load weight onto that. Don't let a lack of facilities or money get in the way of your pursuit of strength. There's plenty of things you can make for yourself using relatively inexpensive (or even free) objects. Get out there and drag some heavy shit around, just make sure it's not your own gut!
Wednesday, March 3, 2010
Get Shit Done
I must apologize. The weather here has been crappy the last 2 days meaning the footage of sleds that should have been posted today looks like garbage. So what I'm going to do is re-film everything tomorrow (hopefully it's sunny) and I will try to have it up as early as possible tomorrow afternoon/evening.
Today I'll just try to give you a few words of encouragement. Everybody knows deep down what they should be doing. By this I mean there's a driving force inside of you that is trying to lead you somewhere in life. Some people call it passion, others call it destiny, some call it Personal Legend. No matter what you want to call it or how you want to define it, it's there. The problem is that too many people don't listen. They follow a path in life that isn't their own. It might be because their parents are pushing them one way, or maybe they are just in a really shitty situation and don't know how to get out of it. Here's my advice: go after it! Whatever that path is that the voice deep down is trying to take you on, go down it. It might not be an easy road to walk, it might even be tough as nails. But in the end you're gonna be happy and content knowing that you did what you've always known you should be doing. Don't settle for being someone you don't truly want to be. There's a whole hell of alot more to it than all this, but every realized dream starts with one thing: the first step. Don't be the guy or girl who's too afraid to take that first step and then live in regret. In three words: GET SHIT DONE
Now here's a few badass videos:
Today I'll just try to give you a few words of encouragement. Everybody knows deep down what they should be doing. By this I mean there's a driving force inside of you that is trying to lead you somewhere in life. Some people call it passion, others call it destiny, some call it Personal Legend. No matter what you want to call it or how you want to define it, it's there. The problem is that too many people don't listen. They follow a path in life that isn't their own. It might be because their parents are pushing them one way, or maybe they are just in a really shitty situation and don't know how to get out of it. Here's my advice: go after it! Whatever that path is that the voice deep down is trying to take you on, go down it. It might not be an easy road to walk, it might even be tough as nails. But in the end you're gonna be happy and content knowing that you did what you've always known you should be doing. Don't settle for being someone you don't truly want to be. There's a whole hell of alot more to it than all this, but every realized dream starts with one thing: the first step. Don't be the guy or girl who's too afraid to take that first step and then live in regret. In three words: GET SHIT DONE
Now here's a few badass videos:
Tuesday, March 2, 2010
Sled: Lifter's Best Friend
Anyone familiar with the sport of powerlifting might envision big fat men who can barely breath while walking up a flight of stairs, yet they can squat over 1000 lbs. Although this was once the norm, things have changed in recent years. No longer is carrying excess bodyfat thought to be necessary for the greatest level of performance in the sport. Just look at guys like Matt Kroczaleski who are ripped up even with a grand on their backs.
It should be pretty obvious that in other sports, dragging around extra weight in fat just won't help you to perform as well as a guy or girl who is built solidly with muscle. Enter the sled. Whether you want to use the Prowler or a regular dragging sled, pushing and pulling weight around for time or distance is a great way to condition your body (and we all know by now that the Prowler is awesome for losing fat).
Not only will dragging a sled or pushing the Prowler help your body composition, but also it will jack up your legs and definitely help you to run faster. There are people out there who don't support athletes running while dragging weight. They claim that this will mess up running mechanics. Although I can see how a person could come up with this argument, dragging a sled and sprinting in a game or competition are two different activities. The sled's purpose is to expose the legs (and really the entire body, e.g. musculoskeletal system, circulatory system, endocrine system, etc...) to a new and challenging stimulus. This makes the sled an invaluable tool for people who may not have access to a barbell with which to squat and perform other lower body exercises.
Performing conditioning work with a sled will greatly increase an athlete/lifter's work capacity, which is the ability to keep going (running, lifting, rowing, etc...) for longer periods of time and with minimal rest. This is more commonly known as being "in good shape." You can pull a sled many different ways. You can back-drag it, forward-drag it, or you could attach a long rope and do hand-over-hand pulls. The possibilities are nearly endless and the benefits are extremely numerous. The guys who lift at Westside Barbell, the strongest gym in the world, will drag the sled in tons of different ways. They do it either to warm up, or for conditioning, or for strength, or even for recovery purposes. Athletes will benefit hugely from dragging a sled in that they will put on muscle in their legs, which will in turn make them faster; and, they will be more capable of moving at top speeds for longer periods of time.
Tomorrow I will post some video(s) of how you can make your own sled, as well as tons of different ways to use it. What's even better is that the weather is getting nicer so there's absolutely no excuses for not getting your ass outside and dragging that sled all over town! Peace!
It should be pretty obvious that in other sports, dragging around extra weight in fat just won't help you to perform as well as a guy or girl who is built solidly with muscle. Enter the sled. Whether you want to use the Prowler or a regular dragging sled, pushing and pulling weight around for time or distance is a great way to condition your body (and we all know by now that the Prowler is awesome for losing fat).
Not only will dragging a sled or pushing the Prowler help your body composition, but also it will jack up your legs and definitely help you to run faster. There are people out there who don't support athletes running while dragging weight. They claim that this will mess up running mechanics. Although I can see how a person could come up with this argument, dragging a sled and sprinting in a game or competition are two different activities. The sled's purpose is to expose the legs (and really the entire body, e.g. musculoskeletal system, circulatory system, endocrine system, etc...) to a new and challenging stimulus. This makes the sled an invaluable tool for people who may not have access to a barbell with which to squat and perform other lower body exercises.
Performing conditioning work with a sled will greatly increase an athlete/lifter's work capacity, which is the ability to keep going (running, lifting, rowing, etc...) for longer periods of time and with minimal rest. This is more commonly known as being "in good shape." You can pull a sled many different ways. You can back-drag it, forward-drag it, or you could attach a long rope and do hand-over-hand pulls. The possibilities are nearly endless and the benefits are extremely numerous. The guys who lift at Westside Barbell, the strongest gym in the world, will drag the sled in tons of different ways. They do it either to warm up, or for conditioning, or for strength, or even for recovery purposes. Athletes will benefit hugely from dragging a sled in that they will put on muscle in their legs, which will in turn make them faster; and, they will be more capable of moving at top speeds for longer periods of time.
Tomorrow I will post some video(s) of how you can make your own sled, as well as tons of different ways to use it. What's even better is that the weather is getting nicer so there's absolutely no excuses for not getting your ass outside and dragging that sled all over town! Peace!
Monday, March 1, 2010
Make the Most of Monday
Alliteration aside (couldn't help that one), I'm pumped because I've got for you the first video post! Enjoy it.
Don't be the guy or girl who drags ass on Monday just because the weekend is over. Attack the week! Get done what needs to be done and accomplish all the goals you set for yourself. Stay Strong!
Don't be the guy or girl who drags ass on Monday just because the weekend is over. Attack the week! Get done what needs to be done and accomplish all the goals you set for yourself. Stay Strong!
Friday, February 26, 2010
WTF?!?!
Victim: Gym Cell Phone Talker. Really? No, seriously, really? You're gonna talk on your phone in the gym? Are you kidding me?
I've written so much about how the gym is a place where like-minded people can go to improve themselves physically and mentally. It's a place where limits should be pushed and records should be broken. Total focus and attention needs to be given to the task at hand: kicking ass. But, this guy(it's usually a man) thinks it's okay to give his attention to whoever is on the other end of that call. Maybe that's why this guy has been benching 185x5 for the last 3 years. Maybe that's why this guy hasn't lost in his gut even though he's been "working out" for 3 years. If mediocrity is his goal, let's all congratulate him on his achievement.
There's no way you can talk or text and still give 100% in the weight room, just ain't gonna happen. It just shows your lack of mental toughness; it shows that you can't fully commit yourself to something. And that something is the most important aspect of life: personal growth. Sure, personal growth doesn't only occur in the gym, but it's a damn good place to start! Even if everything else in your life is falling apart, you can walk into that squat rack and take out all of your anger, frustration, insecurities, etc on that weight. You wage war on it, and in the end you come out as the victor, as a stronger person not just physically, but also emotionally. If you can't spend your 45 minutes of gym time attacking the iron without talking on your phone or texting somebody, than you've got a serious weakness.
On top of all this, nobody else in there wants to hear your stupid fucking conversation about how shitty your day has been or some other garbage. Nobody gives a fuck, stop trying to get every one's attention. Use half of the energy your mouth is wasting blabbering incessantly to actually move a heavy weight and maybe you'll see some results. It's pretty pathetic when your mouth and your thumbs are the strongest parts of your body. There are people in the weight room trying to concentrate on making themselves better and they don't need you as a distraction. Worse yet would be if you came up to somebody to try to give some advice. My advice to you is to get a vasectomy so that the world will be free of another generation of asshole. Get off your phone or get out of the gym, period!
P.S. - I got a little fired up there so excuse the language. Drop a comment below to tell any bad gym experiences with people on their phones or doing other dumb shit. Getting it out helps with the frustration. Also, use this snowstorm to do some shovelling for conditioning. Just make sure your lower back stays flat. Enjoy the weekend!
I've written so much about how the gym is a place where like-minded people can go to improve themselves physically and mentally. It's a place where limits should be pushed and records should be broken. Total focus and attention needs to be given to the task at hand: kicking ass. But, this guy(it's usually a man) thinks it's okay to give his attention to whoever is on the other end of that call. Maybe that's why this guy has been benching 185x5 for the last 3 years. Maybe that's why this guy hasn't lost in his gut even though he's been "working out" for 3 years. If mediocrity is his goal, let's all congratulate him on his achievement.
There's no way you can talk or text and still give 100% in the weight room, just ain't gonna happen. It just shows your lack of mental toughness; it shows that you can't fully commit yourself to something. And that something is the most important aspect of life: personal growth. Sure, personal growth doesn't only occur in the gym, but it's a damn good place to start! Even if everything else in your life is falling apart, you can walk into that squat rack and take out all of your anger, frustration, insecurities, etc on that weight. You wage war on it, and in the end you come out as the victor, as a stronger person not just physically, but also emotionally. If you can't spend your 45 minutes of gym time attacking the iron without talking on your phone or texting somebody, than you've got a serious weakness.
On top of all this, nobody else in there wants to hear your stupid fucking conversation about how shitty your day has been or some other garbage. Nobody gives a fuck, stop trying to get every one's attention. Use half of the energy your mouth is wasting blabbering incessantly to actually move a heavy weight and maybe you'll see some results. It's pretty pathetic when your mouth and your thumbs are the strongest parts of your body. There are people in the weight room trying to concentrate on making themselves better and they don't need you as a distraction. Worse yet would be if you came up to somebody to try to give some advice. My advice to you is to get a vasectomy so that the world will be free of another generation of asshole. Get off your phone or get out of the gym, period!
P.S. - I got a little fired up there so excuse the language. Drop a comment below to tell any bad gym experiences with people on their phones or doing other dumb shit. Getting it out helps with the frustration. Also, use this snowstorm to do some shovelling for conditioning. Just make sure your lower back stays flat. Enjoy the weekend!
Thursday, February 25, 2010
Supplements
It seems every 16 year old kid with a newly purchased gym membership feels that in order to make any gains, he has to buy the newest designer supplement, because it's "what the pros use." In fact, I know of plenty of cases where teenagers won't even go to the gym if they've run out of whatever product they're using, because then the session "won't be worth anything." This really pisses me off. Hard work is the only supplement you need, and if you're gonna skip a training session because you don't have your special lifting juice, you're a fuckin pussy! Okay, mini-rant over.
The purpose of supplements is exactly what the name implies: to supplement an already appropriate diet and exercise program. Certainly supplementation does have its merits; however, before deciding to use any, a lifter/athlete should be eating a diet rich in whole milk(organic or raw if possible), lean meats, nuts, vegetables and fruits. The lifter/athlete should also be training for strength and performance, but if you're reading this you probably already know that or have heard me say it a thousand times.
So, for the sake of argument, let's say you train hard and heavy and you're eating pretty good (an occasional crappy diet choice happens, but remember that mental toughness is even more important than physical toughness. What supplements could you take to maximize your gains and progress as quickly as possible?
1. Vitamin D - This won't really be necessary for those of you drinking your gallon of milk a day because milk is fortified with D. But for those of you who can't tolerate milk, this is a must. Vitamin D has been shown to be involved in so many bodily processes that you can't afford not to take it, especially in the winter. On cloudy days I take up to 5000 IU. Speaking from personal experience, if I ever forget to take my Vit. D in the morning, I can tell by 2pm when I'm sluggish and don't feel good.
2. Fish Oil - This could be tied for first with D, but whatever. Fish Oil should be used by everyone everywhere. The Omega 3 fatty acids are anti-inflammatory meaning they could help with arthritis pain or any other inflammation you may be experiencing. They are great for your heart health, your skin, and have been shown to help with symptoms of depression. They also help your body to utilize fat for energy. I don't trust all fish oil products though. I stick with Costco's brand and Biotest's Flameout. I HIGHLY recommend Flameout and its counterpart FA3. These products are pure and incredibly potent. You can get them at www.biotest.net
3. Acidophilus - This is a probiotic. Take it with meals (1-3 times per day) and it will help straighten out your gut problems. A big issue today is that gut health is very low among Americans. What this means is that alot of people can't even absorb the nutrients they put in their bodies. Eating 200g of protein a day don't mean shit if your body can't absorb it. Not to mention the fact that a huge portion of your immune system is located in the digestive tract. Acidophilus will help to strengthen your gut's ability to absorb nutrients and protect you from sickness.
That's all I'm going to list for you. Protein powders are good if you can't eat meat throughout the day. Certainly a peri-workout shake with a 2:1 ratio of carbohydrates to protein will help muscles recover. But if you just drink alot of milk, you'll recover just as much. Don't waste money on NO products and most "super-huge-mega-protein-jacked-intense-hardcore-professional" supplements (you know the ones I'm talking about) are just shitty quality products marketed to people who don't know what they're doing, but see some roided-out bodybuilder claiming that it helped him put on 91 lbs of pure muscles in just 3 weeks. Don't fall for the hype, stick to the basics. Enjoy the snow (sarcasm) and don't let it be an excuse to not train! Go KICK ASS!
The purpose of supplements is exactly what the name implies: to supplement an already appropriate diet and exercise program. Certainly supplementation does have its merits; however, before deciding to use any, a lifter/athlete should be eating a diet rich in whole milk(organic or raw if possible), lean meats, nuts, vegetables and fruits. The lifter/athlete should also be training for strength and performance, but if you're reading this you probably already know that or have heard me say it a thousand times.
So, for the sake of argument, let's say you train hard and heavy and you're eating pretty good (an occasional crappy diet choice happens, but remember that mental toughness is even more important than physical toughness. What supplements could you take to maximize your gains and progress as quickly as possible?
1. Vitamin D - This won't really be necessary for those of you drinking your gallon of milk a day because milk is fortified with D. But for those of you who can't tolerate milk, this is a must. Vitamin D has been shown to be involved in so many bodily processes that you can't afford not to take it, especially in the winter. On cloudy days I take up to 5000 IU. Speaking from personal experience, if I ever forget to take my Vit. D in the morning, I can tell by 2pm when I'm sluggish and don't feel good.
2. Fish Oil - This could be tied for first with D, but whatever. Fish Oil should be used by everyone everywhere. The Omega 3 fatty acids are anti-inflammatory meaning they could help with arthritis pain or any other inflammation you may be experiencing. They are great for your heart health, your skin, and have been shown to help with symptoms of depression. They also help your body to utilize fat for energy. I don't trust all fish oil products though. I stick with Costco's brand and Biotest's Flameout. I HIGHLY recommend Flameout and its counterpart FA3. These products are pure and incredibly potent. You can get them at www.biotest.net
3. Acidophilus - This is a probiotic. Take it with meals (1-3 times per day) and it will help straighten out your gut problems. A big issue today is that gut health is very low among Americans. What this means is that alot of people can't even absorb the nutrients they put in their bodies. Eating 200g of protein a day don't mean shit if your body can't absorb it. Not to mention the fact that a huge portion of your immune system is located in the digestive tract. Acidophilus will help to strengthen your gut's ability to absorb nutrients and protect you from sickness.
That's all I'm going to list for you. Protein powders are good if you can't eat meat throughout the day. Certainly a peri-workout shake with a 2:1 ratio of carbohydrates to protein will help muscles recover. But if you just drink alot of milk, you'll recover just as much. Don't waste money on NO products and most "super-huge-mega-protein-jacked-intense-hardcore-professional" supplements (you know the ones I'm talking about) are just shitty quality products marketed to people who don't know what they're doing, but see some roided-out bodybuilder claiming that it helped him put on 91 lbs of pure muscles in just 3 weeks. Don't fall for the hype, stick to the basics. Enjoy the snow (sarcasm) and don't let it be an excuse to not train! Go KICK ASS!
Wednesday, February 24, 2010
The Olympic Lifts
There's been ALOT written lately on use and implementation of the Olympic Lifts, i.e. snatch, clean, clean&jerk. In the realm of athletic performance, the O-lifts are a hot-button issue. Every one's got an opinion, and many of these opinions are very polarized. Either you love 'em or you hate 'em. Well, even though I'm more or less an all-or-nothing kind of guy, my opinion is pretty much dead center: yes, the O-lifts are awesome...sometimes.
In most football weight rooms at one time or another, you'll see the athletes performing a power clean with a barbell. Just as often, the football coach (possibly even the strength coach) really has no idea how to teach this movement properly. Now I'll be the first person to tell you that my power clean technique is not good. I've never been coached in it, and do my best to perform it well, but at this point I know I won't be rising to any national level in the Olympic lifts. However, I would never have a 15 year old kid with no prior weightlifting experience clean a barbell from the floor without alot of coaching. In fact, there are much more efficient and effective ways to utilize the O-lifts, and that's exactly what I'll touch on in this article.
The correct execution of a barbell snatch or clean is a very technical process, one that cannot possibly be taught in a day, never mind the 40-60 minutes an average strength coach has his athletes for each day. BUT, the snatch, clean, and clean & press can be taught much more quickly and easily when NOT using a barbell. By simply changing the training implement, one can learn pretty decent technique quickly. This means that the athlete would be able to reap the benefits of the exercises with a greatly reduced risk of injury and without spending countless hours practicing techniques with weights not heavy enough to produce a strong training effect.
So, what are these implements? I'm glad you asked. The easiest and most readily available is the dumbbell. By using a DB one arm at a time, the shoulders and arms are not locked into a position in which they could possibly suffer injury. Moreover, if the technique fails during the execution of a lift or something else goes wrong, the dumbbell is much easier to "bail out" from than a barbell.
Now let's talk some basic technique for the DB Clean & Press. Begin with the DB on the ground between your legs and grab it with an overhand grip. With a flat or arched back and hips pushed back (like a squat), raise your chest, pull with your elbow, and shrug your shoulder up. Make sure your hips do not raise up before your chest, as this reduces your leverage and compromises your back. Pull the elbow high enough and with enough force that the DB moves to the rack position, which is chest/shoulder height. From here you can add a press by dipping down about 2 inches and then exploding the weight overhead. This will require you to use your shoulders and triceps, but you want to make sure energy is transferred up from the ground through your legs and midsection into the dumbbell. Make sure you press straight up and that your bicep is right next to your ear at the top position. From here, feel yourself pulling the weight back down to the rack position. Then simply lower the weight back down to either the ground or mid-shin and repeat.
The DB Snatch starts off exactly the same way. However, you will need to pull your elbow and shrug your shoulder up with more force. Think of it as if you are trying to pull the weight over your head. You need to pull with enough force so that momentum will carry the DB all the way above your head. Add a slight punch at the top to ensure that your shoulder does not get pulled backwards. From here, once again pull the weight down and repeat. It's important that you pull the weight down because the tension developed will help strengthen your lats and will give you a firm "shelf" to press from when doing any sort of overhead press.
Other implements that can be used for the O-lifts include sandbags, kettlebells, and heavy medicine balls. These are all slightly harder to teach, but are all safer and less technically demanding than using a barbell (but perhaps more physically demanding).
The O-lifts are taught in weight rooms because they improve explosive power. Yes, this can be done by performing high speed squats and benches with lighter weights, and will have just as much effect. However, the Olympic lifts are a great and highly valuable tool to have in your arsenal. You do not have to use them at every workout or every training cycle, but when used correctly and with easy-to-teach implements, they are an incredible asset to have in the weight room.
For those not competing in sports, the O-lifts are crazy effective for conditioning. High rep sandbag or KB clean & presses will rock your body in a way you may have never experienced before. Lord knows i use 'em when I'm leaning out. Give it a shot, but remember that safety and technique are more important than the weight lifted. An injured trainee is an ineffective one. Stay STRONG my friends.
In most football weight rooms at one time or another, you'll see the athletes performing a power clean with a barbell. Just as often, the football coach (possibly even the strength coach) really has no idea how to teach this movement properly. Now I'll be the first person to tell you that my power clean technique is not good. I've never been coached in it, and do my best to perform it well, but at this point I know I won't be rising to any national level in the Olympic lifts. However, I would never have a 15 year old kid with no prior weightlifting experience clean a barbell from the floor without alot of coaching. In fact, there are much more efficient and effective ways to utilize the O-lifts, and that's exactly what I'll touch on in this article.
The correct execution of a barbell snatch or clean is a very technical process, one that cannot possibly be taught in a day, never mind the 40-60 minutes an average strength coach has his athletes for each day. BUT, the snatch, clean, and clean & press can be taught much more quickly and easily when NOT using a barbell. By simply changing the training implement, one can learn pretty decent technique quickly. This means that the athlete would be able to reap the benefits of the exercises with a greatly reduced risk of injury and without spending countless hours practicing techniques with weights not heavy enough to produce a strong training effect.
So, what are these implements? I'm glad you asked. The easiest and most readily available is the dumbbell. By using a DB one arm at a time, the shoulders and arms are not locked into a position in which they could possibly suffer injury. Moreover, if the technique fails during the execution of a lift or something else goes wrong, the dumbbell is much easier to "bail out" from than a barbell.
Now let's talk some basic technique for the DB Clean & Press. Begin with the DB on the ground between your legs and grab it with an overhand grip. With a flat or arched back and hips pushed back (like a squat), raise your chest, pull with your elbow, and shrug your shoulder up. Make sure your hips do not raise up before your chest, as this reduces your leverage and compromises your back. Pull the elbow high enough and with enough force that the DB moves to the rack position, which is chest/shoulder height. From here you can add a press by dipping down about 2 inches and then exploding the weight overhead. This will require you to use your shoulders and triceps, but you want to make sure energy is transferred up from the ground through your legs and midsection into the dumbbell. Make sure you press straight up and that your bicep is right next to your ear at the top position. From here, feel yourself pulling the weight back down to the rack position. Then simply lower the weight back down to either the ground or mid-shin and repeat.
The DB Snatch starts off exactly the same way. However, you will need to pull your elbow and shrug your shoulder up with more force. Think of it as if you are trying to pull the weight over your head. You need to pull with enough force so that momentum will carry the DB all the way above your head. Add a slight punch at the top to ensure that your shoulder does not get pulled backwards. From here, once again pull the weight down and repeat. It's important that you pull the weight down because the tension developed will help strengthen your lats and will give you a firm "shelf" to press from when doing any sort of overhead press.
Other implements that can be used for the O-lifts include sandbags, kettlebells, and heavy medicine balls. These are all slightly harder to teach, but are all safer and less technically demanding than using a barbell (but perhaps more physically demanding).
The O-lifts are taught in weight rooms because they improve explosive power. Yes, this can be done by performing high speed squats and benches with lighter weights, and will have just as much effect. However, the Olympic lifts are a great and highly valuable tool to have in your arsenal. You do not have to use them at every workout or every training cycle, but when used correctly and with easy-to-teach implements, they are an incredible asset to have in the weight room.
For those not competing in sports, the O-lifts are crazy effective for conditioning. High rep sandbag or KB clean & presses will rock your body in a way you may have never experienced before. Lord knows i use 'em when I'm leaning out. Give it a shot, but remember that safety and technique are more important than the weight lifted. An injured trainee is an ineffective one. Stay STRONG my friends.
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