Tuesday, August 16, 2011

FUN

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DO SOMETHING FUN







Conan didn't just lift heavy things Over and over and Over and Metcon every day. No he went out and tried new things mixed it up, fought some giant snakes and stuff , so you should too.

Ok seriously though. Mix up your training, throw in some weird stuff, movements from other sports, strongman, gymnastics, soccer, football. you get the idea. Training should be fun, you should look forward to it and count down the hours in between you sessions. I think a vital key is mixing it up and having fun.
Recently a buddy of mine and I  decided to just mix it up so we created a WOD using my car, and a 90 pound vest and a parking lot.
It was push my car 100yds, then run 200 yds w the 90 lb vest, then push the car 100 yds again and then run 200 yds with the vest yet again, do this for a total of three rounds. And you know what, It was FUN, fun as heck, in fact it was awesome. It was something fresh something new, and it broke up the normalcy of our routine forced us to think outside teh box a little and just unwind.
So I encourage you to be like CONAN go be a badass and have some fun. Create some clever and exciting workouts that push you mentally and physically. And leave me a post so I know what you created , always looking for ideas..
Peace out my Friends...
Now go do Awesome....

Friday, August 5, 2011

ASSISTIVE EXERCISES

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Part 1. Techniques For Improving the Pullup



That's right, I threw in a picture of Chuck Norris in a sweet jacket just because.. What you gonna do about it.. NOTHIN..................

What is an assistive exercise?:
An assistive exercise helps you to develop the musculature, and technique, required to perform a certain movement or movements.
What are they?:
They are movements focuses on specific muscle groups, or movements that help you either learn or improve upon a lift or crossfit movement.
How often should I do them?:
It will vary depending on the movement or lift but a good habit is to try these 2-3 times a week at the end of your normal WOD or on your rest day as they dont usually wear you out like a normal WOD, but again it really depends on what you are doing.


PART 1- Assistive Exercises for Strengthening the Pullup or Improving the Kipping Pullup

If you do crossfit for any amount of time you will come to quickly learn that the pullup is not only an integral part of crossfit, but its an extremely important movement for building strength, especially in your back and shoulders. Now the exercises Im going to go over will help you to build necessary strength in your shoulders and lats to aid in the pullup, they will also help you to develop kipping form which is crucial to performing well in a Crossfit WOD.


Exercise1: Hanging LAT Pulls. This will help build the necessary musculature to perform a pullup. Perform this exercise by hanging in a pullup position, start with no weights, and simply pull your body up a couple inches, : NOTE: your not doing a deadhang pullup::::::::::::: you should feel your LATS contract hold for a second then release. Do 5 , then start adding weight. I like to hold a Dumbell between my feet. Perform 5 more reps and keep increasing the weight until you can no longer do 5 reps. A good rep scheme is 5 set sof 5

Exercise 2.MORE DIFFICULT ( Hand releases). :: NOTE::: this requires some introduction to the Kipping Pullup swing, if you do not know what this is please watch the attached video for a demonstration,::: In this exercise you will start the kipping swing then simply let the momentum carry your hands off the bar, this help you to get used to the PULL portion and the SWING portion of the kipping pullup. 5 sets of 5 again. You will have to pull slightly at the top to release your hands but you should let the momentum of the swing really drive the hands up, NOTE this will be on the BACK portion of the swing.

Exercise 3. GRIP strength. If you cant hold the bar you wont be able to do pullups well.                         Standing Dumbell- Hold. Nice and simple. Grab a dumbell in each hand and hold on as long as you can. Increase the wight if you can hold it for more than 2 minutes. This will strengthen the forearms and you grip so that youl be able to grasp the bar and not fatigue as quickly.

Try these out let me know if you have any questions. Also Im always open to new training ideas if you have some exercises that you like let me know. Peace out.. Go do something Awesome today

Pullup Tutorial


http://journal.crossfit.com/2011/02/tuckerkip1.tpl

Tuesday, August 2, 2011

HTFU

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Harden The F$%K Up


We have all heard the saying " what doesn't kill us makes you stronger" we all nod our heads and say yeah that makes sense. But . How many of us seem to forget that during our WODS, when your lungs are burning and your muscles are tired and the thought of another rep seems insane.

Wellllll, I have a mantra that Ive been using ever since I head my friend Pete M utter it. HTFU, Harden the F*&k up.

Thats right No BS no excuses, One more rep will NOT kill you, you've already done 5 so another 5 is not going to be any easier. NO you will not pass out or die, it just feels like it. KEEP moving, cause guess what. There will come a time when you don't have the option to quit, when you cant stop and take 5 and catch your breath, you may have to keep going and going.
So HTFU. Try it and let me know how it works