Sunday, December 30, 2012

Jump Into the New Year

The Christmas Season has calmed down and now its time to buckle down and get ready for the New Year.  You need to have some goals lined up for the New Year to make this one the best one ever. Hopefully you received all the gifts you wanted and if not here is a cheap addition to buy with your leftover gift $.

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Now keep in mind most of my suggestions are entry-level equipment that won't dent your wallet.  This is a small price to pay for a powerful, portable conditioning tool that blends easily with other movements.  I like to use Jump Rope as a warm-up, coupled with a basic movement or a conditioning complex.

*Warm-Up

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After Foam Rolling and mobility, I add jump rope in a Tabata Format
20 Seconds On (Work), 10 Seconds Off (Rest)-8 Rounds.

*While Lifting

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Add a certain amount of Jumps in between the working sets of any lift.
Dead Lift x 5,5,3,,5,5,5
Jump Rope x 50 reps
Do the jump rope as your rest.

*Conditioning

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After the main lift you can have a conditioning session.  Mix and match as many different exercises as you want.  Be careful too many and the focus is on remembering what to do.  
Sled Drag-Forward, Backward, Side x30 seconds
Tabata KB Swing & Jump Rope-20 Seconds of Swing or Rope, 10 second rest and change.

3 quick ways to add Jump Rope to your workouts for less than 3$ in 2013.  Add it in and give me some feedback at NB Strength Coach Facebook
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Saturday, December 22, 2012

Knee Slapping Myths

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Do anything for a while and you are bound to come across some nonsense being spewed.  If you sit and actually listen to some it gets pretty comical.  This happens daily in regards to Strength and Conditioning.  Do this.  Don't do that.  Try this.  Take that.  There is so much to take in one can get lost with all the information.  Today we'll tackle some of the most common myths that paralyze beginners from making any gains.

1.  Females Should Train Differently.

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Like how?  Sorry guys, but females endure one of the toughest times possible in giving birth.  Not everyone has had a baby but its safe to say they are better equipped.  I get asked all the time "How do you train females."  Easy.  The same way I train everyone else.  The weights might be lighters for some things but the intensity is still there.  I would focus on Lower Body and Full Body sessions paying close attention to unilateral leg strength due to the abundance of knee injuries.  Girls, take it to the limit you weren't made to gain freaky mass so not to worry.

Joy Byxbee is ridiculous and doesn't think being strong is wrong.

2.  I Don't Train Lower Body.

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Because...  I hurt my back...  Because they get enough work when I run...  Because I don't know what to do...  Training the Lower Body can be a painful and rewarding experience.  When I train people the greatest gains I see are increases in strength, power, and size in their lower body.  Not only because its a larger muscle group but most haven't done what is necessary to make progress.  Attack your lower body with explosive movement, basic strength exercises, challenging auxiliary work and see growth you never thought possible.  A bare bones outline would be a form of jump, squat or dead lift variation and finish with some high rep unilateral or hypertrophy leg work.
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3.  I Need To Max Out All The Time To Get Stronger.

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This belief comes from beginners who achieve some success and the attitude of "more is better."  I've done it too.  When I first got into the weight room I started with arms EVERYDAY.  I figured it was important to so I'll start off with it.  Things were good until overuse injuries crept up.  In that instance I wasn't max weight but max overuse.  A well thought out training regimen revolving around Press, Dead, Bench, Squat based on a "Training Max" not a true balls to the wall max.  I'd stay away from 1-Rep maxes until you get proficient around a weight room.  Too much too soon and you'll be down before you even got started.  My first suggestions is to learn how to take a sub-max weight past what is normally comfortable.  10, 15, 20 reps?  As long as they are clean and under control.  Leave a couple reps undone.  When a lifter learns to get uncomfortable and still be under control, doors start opening.  
6 weeks later...
Any other myths stopping you?  Make sure to share them at the NB Strength Coach Fan Page.
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Saturday, December 15, 2012

Try this...


Day in and day out income across people who are very critical.  Criticism has its place but the "critic" better have experienced some things first.  As a teacher and a coach, I make sure I've done everything I ask of them. Projects, homework, tests? Did them. Football practice, animals walks, heavy weights. Check.  It is hard to ask someone to do something you can't do or haven't done. 
To me, nothing is more annoying then when someone criticizes another without experiencing. As a coach, this happens all the time. That kicker sucks, the offense line needs to block, run the ball harder, he should've caught that and on and on.  Few people have actually done what they are so quick to judge others on. 

Recently, I've noticed a change of critics tune to question people's heart. Wussification of America as they call it.  But when you get down to it, most have never attempted it. "That kid on the football field has no heart. He's a wuss.  What happened to the good ole days?"  Has this person experienced that level of competition? Played that position? Understood the preparation? In my research, they have no room to talk.  Don't be one of those guys.

1.  Experience as much as you can.

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Not so you can criticize others, but you can appreciate their struggles.  What have you always wanted to try?  What has been holding you back?  I know you can't try everything but let's broaden our horizons

2.  "Quick to judge, quick to anger, slow to understand."  

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Take a step back.  Are you overweight and out of shape talking trash about those who are moving in the right direction.  Been stuck in the same job and not moving up the ranks, but ripping those on top?  C'mon man...

3.  Can you give some solid advise?

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One of the best ways to help a person is give them some advise from your experiences.  When they ask for it.  Do you have some tips on a certain exercise or lift?  Nutrition tricks they might not heard of?  Sometimes hearing one things can lead to changes that make all the difference in the world.  

Now that you have done more, try helping more.  No one has ever done much complaining from the sidelines.  Help one person do something they thought was impossible and see how it goes.

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