Thursday, December 29, 2011

I Didn't Get What I Wanted:Gift Idea 3


This gift idea is great because there is no assembly required. Mobility and tissue quality is something people neglect far too often. Stretching will help somewhat but you guys need more than that. Self-Myofascial Release (SMR) can be what you've been looking for.
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Personally I roll on PVC and Lax Ball before EVERY training session and incorporate it into the warmup. Balance the body part while laying on the ground and roll back and forth. Need a quick reminder on where to find the PVC look here. This is my last lower body one before my honeymoon.

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PVC Roll x 10 passes each
Hamstring
Glute
Piriformis
Quadricep
IT Band
Low Back
Upper Back
Latissimus

Lacrosse Ball x 10 rolls
Glute
Piriformis
Back

Chin Ladders

Kneeling Tire Jumps

Neck Flexion 4 x 25

The SMR was 2x through with chins, jumps and neck. The last of the warmup was 2 more sets of chins, jumps and neck.

Not having a pre-training routine is asking for trouble. It is a ritual for me and prepares the body for lifting physically and mentally. Help yourself out and buy something that will last forever. The PVC is about $7 and lax ball will set you back about $3. For about 10 bux you can help start off each training session the best way possible.

What do you like to do before training? Let me in on your top warmup secrets NB Strength Coach Fan Page.
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Wednesday, December 28, 2011

I Didn't Get What I Wanted:Gift Idea 2

In Part 1 of gift ideas for those that didn't get what they wanted we tackled bench press boards. For a measly 5 bucks there was an opportunity to make a home made implement that would help increase your bench press as well as changing up an exercise.

The next idea I have in store can cause cursing and thanking at the same time.

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For those that can't see the price it is $3.62 for a 50 lb. bag of gravel. How much do weights cost? Searching around I didn't find anything cheaper than $1 per pound for brand new plates. Having a loose 45 lb. plate won't help much because the exercises that can be performed is limited due to the round shape. For less than $4 someone just got a new tool for their training. Things that are possible with the sandbag are not limited to Front Squat, Front Lunge, Back Lunge, Shoulder Squat, Shoulder Lunge, Ground to Shoulder, Good Morning, Power Clean, Clean to Squat, Clean to Press, Squat to Press, Bent Row, Back Squat, Bear Hug Carry and a bunch of others that take some imagination to concoct.

You can even throw it!

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Remember this was cheap so throwing it won't be any skin off your hide and is easy to replace. Try throwing that brand new 45 lb. plate. If you plan on throwing it or would like to have an extra layer of protection head over to the section where garbage bags are kept.

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Contractor bags are thicker, heavy duty trash bags. Buying these will cost little more but can help keep gravel in the bag. Double up the bag for more protection but there's only 12 that come in a box so don't waste them. Don't open the gravel bag unless you plan to have different sizes other than 50 lbs. Just keep in it's original bag put into a contractor bag, duct tape it and that's it.

This gift idea is my personal favorite because of the versatility and variety it adds to a training session. In an upcoming post I will detail exactly how to construct a sandbag that will endure the most grueling workout. Until then let me know how you enjoy then ideas at the NB Strength Coach Fan Page.
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Monday, December 26, 2011

I Didn't Get What I Wanted:Gift Idea 1

The holidays have come and gone so hopefully you had a great time with your family. Getting presents shouldn't been the focus of the holidays but if your lucky enough to receive gifts then it's always cool to get some good ones. If not, I am here to help. There might not be too much money in your bank account so the gifts to yourself will be cheap.

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The Bench Press is a worldwide favorite exercise of nearly everyone that steps into weight room. Have you seen an open bench press on a Monday afternoon? I think not. You'll still be able to do the beloved bench press but will add board presses to the menu. Boards can improve weak points from the chest to lockout depending on the thickness of the board.

To make the boards you start off some 2x4 from the local home improvement store.
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At Lowes for $5.67, you will have a piece of lumber that is 2x4x16 which is roughly about 192 inches of material. This should be enough for a 2, 3, 4, and 5 board. The bottom base board will be longer in order to have a handle. I would make the handle board 14 inches and any other board will be 12 inches.
  • 2-Board-14 inch plus 12 inch=26 inches
  • 3-board-14 inch plus (2) 12 in=38 inches
  • 4-board-14 inch plus (3) 12 in=50 inches
  • 5 board-14 inch plus (4) 12 in=62 inches
Comes out to 176 inches with some leftovers for screwups. Be careful cutting the boards it might be a good idea to have them cut at the store. Screw or glue them together and take some time no on likes going back to Lowes to restart. If you don't know how to use boards than start here.
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Saturday, December 10, 2011

December Training Tunes

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Another installment of my favorite training tunes that cranked on the iPhone. I have never been able to lift with out some music and I'd like to keep it that way.

Prince-I Would Die For You

People like him because he doesn't give a damn what you or anyone else thinks. C'mon if he can wear a blouse and still pull wool he must be doing something right. Give his philosophy a shot where applicable and allowable. I'm not saying go to work and start doing your own thing unless you have something else lined up. Try it next time your in the gym. Instead of blasting your arms, back or any other single body part try something different.
Here's one
Big Three
  1. Bench-5x10
  2. Squat-5x10
  3. Dead-5x10
You will have to figure a good working weight for you but remember this is to be a challenge. I would also make this easier on myself and use the same weight for each exercise. The first 2 sets would be warm-up sets and the last 3 are the working sets. You could use 135, 185 to warm-up and 225 for work. Do not rest between exercises and determine rest upon completion of 1 round. Keep it moving. Where's the ab work? You'll get it with the squat. What about my bi's, brah? The deadlift will help there. The bench press is in there for your precious pecs. Do everyone a favor and try to do this where each "station" is close to one another. No one likes the guy that's spread out over the entire gym. Do the 3 lifts 5 times then leave. If that doesn't say "I don't give a damn."

Elvis-In the Ghetto

I don't have many Elvis songs on my playlist but this is favorite. It is simple, just Elvis and a guitar. Little bit of a change up here. What I like about the song is that it's not everyday hear a white guy talking about the ghetto. It feels like 50 Cent should have written this song. It allows for you to listen. Jacked up stuff happens all the time and some things never change. Don't let it get you down.

Lamb of God-Again We Rise

I like Lamb of God. Its very technical almost as if you have to a be a fine connoisseur of metal to appreciate such instrumentals. Again We Rise takes more than half a minute to get to the lyrics. This allows for your ears to embrace the full assault. Lamb of God is at the top of my list to start the warmup.
Upper-PVC Roll, Mobility x 20, Neck, Shoulders, Hips, Knees, Ankles, Wrists, Chin Ladders, Push-Up, Neck (Harness, Flexion, Extension).
Lower-PVC Roll, Mobility x 20, Kneeling Jumps, Blast Straps Push-Ups and Scarecrows, Neck (Harness, Flexion, Extension).

The above video shows how incorporate chin/pull-up into my routine. Laddering my chins increases the volume as well as quality reps. Perform 1 reps, rest 10-15 seconds perform 2 reps, rest, then 3 reps and so on until you reach your set reps in the extended set. Give it a try and your max reps should go up.

Looking for some tunes for your next lift. Start with something that will get the blood flowing then mellow it out to bring it home. I don't know about anyone else but I can't crank hard, face melting metal the whole time. You get to worked up and fry yourself. Who should I be listening to? Comment on your current most played list?

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