Over the next few days, I will be posting some of my Health Habits approved™ holiday gift giving solutions for those near and dear to your heart.
Today, I am starting with one of my favorite fitness training books.
Never Let Go by Dan John
In the world of strength training, Dan John is a breath of fresh air.
Where other strength gurus design overly complex training programs in an attempt to impress their peers, Dan writes programs that are simple enough for a beginner to understand.
But, don’t let that simplicity give you the wrong impression.
While they are easy to understand, Dan’s training programs are based upon the best combination of old-school know-how and bleeding edge exercise science.
And it’s that blending of the new & the old that sets Dan apart from his peers.
So, if there is someone on your holiday shopping list who is trying to get stronger, faster or just plain fitter…pick them up a copy of Never Let Go.
BTW, Dan was the guy that introduced Tabata training to the non-scientific world.
Occasionally, I still design training programs for Strongman and Powerlifting competitors.
And the hardest thing about designing those programs is that these guys never, ever want to do anything except train for strength.
No rehab/prehab work, no HIIT, no flexibility/joint mobility work and certainly no cardio.
They are all too afraid that if they do any of that stuff, they will lose strength.
Arggghhhh!!!
No matter what I say, they don’t want to listen.
So, when I read the excerpt to this study, I actually laughed out loud….and then sent out a bunch of emails beginning with “I told you so”.
The Study
Researchers compared a traditional resistance training program designed to increase strength with a CrossTraining style of program that combined strength & endurance training.
The study lasted 16 weeks and was tested on 38 sedentary, apparently healthy males (25 yr +/- 8 mo).
Subjects were age matched and assigned to 1 of 3 groups.
A control group (Con)
A resistance training group (Res)
A crosstraining group (Cross)
After 16 weeks, no changes were found in the strength of the subjects in the Con group .
But surprisingly, after 16 weeks, researchers found that both the Res group & the Cross group were equally effective at “eliciting improvements in strength”.
They concluded that “concurrent resistance and endurance training (CrossTraining) does not impede muscular strength gains and can be prescribed simultaneously for the development of strength in sedentary, apparently healthy males and thus may invoke all the physiologic adaptations of resistance and endurance training at once.
So, for all of those guys who think that doing some HIIT or (shudder) cardio is going to steal all of your strength…RELAX
Samson and Delilah - Peter Paul Rubens
CrossTraining (done properly) can give you the best of both worlds.
The other day on my blog, I introduced you to the Healthy Irishman and his plans to transform his body. Here is a link to that post.
Today, I will be outlining his program.
PROGRAM GOALS
The client want to add approx. 10 lbs of lean muscle.
Improve definition.
Improve fitness
Doesn’t want to look like a bodybuilder…more like LL Cool J or Jason Statham
PROGRAM OVERVIEW
This program is designed to:
provide maximum hypertrophy stimulus, while
supercharging anaerobic fitness and overall athleticism
In short, this program is going to make the Irishman bigger, stronger, faster, more flexible and hopefully reverse some of his dysfunction in his left shoulder.
THE WARM-UP
Unlike most programs, the warm-up doesn’t just get the Irishman ready for the workout, it is part of the workout.
I have designed two separate warm-ups that he will perform on alternate days.
Each warm-up is designed to dynamically stretch his joints, increase muscle temperature & elasticity, prime his anaerobic energy system as well as get his mind laser focused on the remainder of the workout
WARM-UP #1
Barbell Snatch x 8 reps
Barbell Overhead or Front Squat x 8 reps
Back Squat x 8 reps
Barbell Good Morning x 8 reps
Barbell Bent-Over Row x 8 reps
Barbell Deadlift x 8 reps
Hip Flexor Stretch x 8 reps
Repeat as many times as possible in 10 minutes (no rest between exercises – 30 sec. rest between supersets)
Note – You NEED to get through this at least 3 times in 10 min.
WARM-UP #2
Goblet Squat (DB) x 8 reps
Push-Up x 8 reps
Body Weight Row x 8 reps
Shuffle Lunge x 30 reps
Ab Wheel Roll-Outs x 8 reps
DB Swings x 20 reps
Hip Flexor Stretch x 8 reps
Repeat as many times as possible in 10 minutes (no rest between exercises – 30 sec. rest between supersets)
Note – You NEED to get through this at least 3 times in 10 min.
By the end of the 10 min. warm-up, the Irishman should be sweating hard and gasping for breath.
Take 5 min to get ready for the “real” workout
THE WORKOUT
The key to the success of these workouts is intensity.
I don’t care about the amount of weight lifted or how many reps. What I care about is effort. If you push harder than you thought you could ever push yourself, this workout will reward you with truly impressive results
For example, I tried this workout on a personal training client with amazing results
He is/was a tall (6′5″) guys with little muscle
In 9 weeks, he added 13 lbs of muscle and if his impedance scale is accurate, his BF has dropped from 23% to 14%
WORKOUT BASICS
Each workout will consist of 3 supersets
Each superset will consist of 2 exercises
Each superset will last 10 minutes
The reps performed per exercise will be modified by yours truly to maximize results.
The weight selected per exercise will also be modified by yours truly.
Intensity level HAS to be 100%
Simple…but not easy
SAMPLE WORKOUT
Superset #1
Alternate between exercise #1 and #2 for 10 minutes
No rest between sets
Exercise # 1
Goblet Squat
Choose a weight that would allow you to perform 20 quality reps (doesn’t have to be exact, weight selection will improve with experience)
Perform a maximum of 10 reps per set (at first, this will seem very easy..don’t worry, after 10 minutes you legs will be dying)
Exercise # 2
DB Lateral Raise / DB Bent-Over Lateral Raise
Choose a weight that would allow you to perform 20 quality reps (doesn’t have to be exact, weight selection will improve with experience)
Perform a maximum of 10 reps per set (by the end of 10 min, you may only be getting 1 or 2 reps per set, but remember 100% intensity)
Alternate between shoulder exercises - ie Goblet/Laterals/Goblet/Bent-Over Lateral/Goblet/Lateral/Goblet/ Bent-Over Lateral…
5 Minutes rest between supersets #1 and #2 – Use that time to set up for superset #2
Superset #2
Alternate between exercise #1 and #2 for 10 minutes
No rest between sets
Exercise # 1
Swing Snatch
Choose a weight that would allow you to perform 40 quality reps
Perform a maximum of 20 reps per set
Exercise # 2
Cable Straight Arm Pushdown (aka the Vertical Woodchop or Hi-Lo Slam)
Choose a weight that would allow you to perform 20 quality reps
Perform a maximum of 10 reps per set
Be explosive with these
Superset #3
Alternate between exercise #1 and #2 for 10 minutes
No rest between sets
Exercise # 1
1 Arm Kneeling Pulldown (or 1 Arm Alternating Standing Pulldown if 1 arm is n/a)
Choose a weight that would allow you to perform 20 quality reps
Perform a maximum of 10 reps per set
Exercise # 2
Shuffle Lunge
Bodyweight
30 reps per set
Focus on speed…shuffle those feet
Okay, that’s it for this intro post.
Tomorrow, I will be posting the Healthy Irishman’s first workout (just in case anyone wants to join in) .
Enjoy fellas.
A few weeks ago, the Healthy Irishman asked me to help transform himself from being merely healthy into something super-human.
And, considering how many posts he has written for Health Habits, I figured I owed him.
So, I put together a particularly nasty workout, beta tested it on one of my guinea pigs, and voila…starting Monday, the Irishman and his visiting younger brother will be putting on a freak show at the Venice Beach Gold’s Gym.
I will be posting the workouts here as well as on this Posterous website.
(FYI – with Posterous, The Irishman will be able to view his workouts (with video) off of his smartphone at the gym – just like an iPhone app, except the workout won’t suck)
For those of you who might be interested in following the Irishman’s progress (or joining in), feel free to sign up for email updates. Also, you should probably sign up for the Health Habits feed as well.
Here’s a brief outline of Gavan’s (the Irishman) current fitness routine
he trains 5 x per week
Mon to Fri
at 4:15 am (not a typo)
he workouts at Golds Gym – Venice (so he has access to every workout toy imaginable)
His current workout is based on a 2 exercise/10 set per bodypart workout based on a 5 day split
Yesterday, I met with new client for the first time.
Over the past 30+ years, this woman has tried and failed to lose 20 pounds and get into “shape”
She has consulted with doctors and trainers and nutritionists and naturopaths.
She has bought books and magazines and dvds and subliminal audio programs.
She has starved herself of calories and fat and carbs.
She has run and jumped and stretched and lifted and sweated…a lot.
She has taken thousands of pills and potions.
She has rubbed on various creams and lotions.
In short, she has done just about everything that every popular health/fitness/weight-loss expert has told her to do.
And yet, she has never really come close to achieving her health & fitness goals.
And she blames herself.
And so do the experts.
They told her that their program was guaranteed to work…but only if she followed their instructions with perfect compliance.
So, when the program failed, it was because she broke the rules. It was her fault.
What a load of B.S.
They are supposed to be the experts.
They promise a solution.
She pays them large amounts of money for that solution.
And yet they take no responsibility for their part in the process
The nutritionist/dietitian gave her a meal plan, but never told her how to cope with the cravings and hunger pangs that came along with it.
The trainer billed her $120 per session but never taught her the hows and whys of an effective training program.
The weight loss doctor gave her a diet and some B12 injections and then yelled at her when she broke her 1000 calorie / no-carb diet.
.
So, why is it that after 30+ years of listening to the experts and spending thousands and thousands of dollars, this woman is still fatter and weaker and less healthy than she wants to be?
In most of my clients, I see the unfortunate combination of weak yet chronically tight psoas (hip flexors).
So, for this muscle group, I like to combine strength training with an aggressive flexibility routine.
So, if you are going to train your hip flexors with this program, you NEED to balance it with some flexibility work.
Heavy Partial: N/A
Isos: Flexing your hip, push your knee/thigh into an immovable object and hold for 2-5 seconds per rep for 3-8 reps. Options include the underside of a table with your upper-body weight pushing down on the tabletop, or leaning against a wall & driving your knee into a stability ball placed against the wall, or this supine method shown in the video
Plyos: N/A
Vibrations: High Knees - 3-8 reps per leg
Immediately after completing the wake up exercise, proceed to a set of heavy/explosive Hanging Leg Raises – 3-8 reps
Glutes/Hams
Hip Extension
Heavy Partial: Partial Deadlifts or Good Mornings out of a Power Rack – 3-8 reps
Isos: Using the same Power Rack, grab an unloaded barbell and Deadlift or Good Morning the bar up into the Power Rack pins. It’s your muscular force pulling up into an immovable object (the power rack) (see the iso bicep curl video for reference) – 3-8 reps
Plyos: Broad Jumps – 3-8 reps
Vibrations: Bodyweight Hip Thrusts - 3-8 reps – move as quick as possible
Immediately after completing the wake up exercise, proceed to a set of heavy/explosive Hip Thrusts or Deadlifts or Good Mornings – 3-8 reps
Hams
Knee Flexion
Heavy Partial: Partial Glute-Ham Raise (holding DB or band resistance) – 3-8 reps
Isos: Partner assisted Isometric G-H Raise or Leg Curl (have a partner resist your movement) – 2-5 sec hold for 3-8 reps
Plyos: N/A
Vibrations: Seated Band Leg Curls - 3-8 reps per leg – move faster than the big fella in the video
Immediately after completing the wake up exercise, proceed to a set of heavy/explosive Glute-Ham Raises – 3-8 reps
Quads
Heavy Partial: Partial Squats out of the Power Rack – 3-8 reps
Isos: Iso Squat out of the Power Rack (barbell or hip squat belt) – hold each rep for 2-5 seconds per rep for 3-8 reps.
Plyos: Depth Jumps – 3-8 reps
Vibrations: Jumping Squats – Bodyweight only - 3-8 reps
Immediately after completing the wake up exercise, proceed to a set of heavy/explosive Squats, Front Squats, Zercher Squats, Bulgarian Squats – 3-8 reps
Calves
Gastroc
Heavy Partial: Partial Standing Calf Raise (Machine)
Isos: Using a barbell & a Power Rack, set the rack pins so that you can calf raise up into the pins (just like the iso bicep curls) 2-5 seconds per rep for 3-8 reps.
Plyos: Ankle Bounces – 3-8 reps
Vibrations: Light weight Calf Raises - 3-8 reps
Immediately after completing the wake up exercise, proceed to a set of heavy/explosive Standing Calf Raises – 3-20 reps
Calves
Soleus
Heavy Partial: Partial Seated Calf Raise (Machine)
Immediately after completing the wake up exercise, proceed to a set of heavy/explosive Seated Calf Raises – 3-20 reps
.
Alright, that’s it for Part 4 of the Deadpool Mega Muscle Mass Workout
In Part 5, I will wrap this series up by showing you how to put together your own workout as well as introducing you to the Deadpool Getting Ripped Workout
Heavy Partial: I don’t like partial reps for any rowing exercises
Isos: Isometric Row – Grab hold of an immovable object (ie. heavy barbell, cable stack, piece of equipment, flagpole, etc and try to pull it towards you using a rowing motion. Neither you nor the object should move. Hold for 2-5 seconds per rep for 3-8 reps
Plyos: N/A
Vibrations: Using a light weight (dumbbells, barbell, bands, etc..), perform 1 or 2 handed speed rows as fast as possible. I prefer the bands for this…less chance of injury Remember, think hummingbird wings - 3-8 reps
Immediately after completing the wake up exercise, proceed to a set of heavy Barbell/Dumbbell/Cable Rows – 3-8 reps
Upper Back
Vertical Pull
Heavy Partial: Partial Chin-Ups with added weight, Partial Pull-downs – 3-8 reps
Isos: Attempt to Chin-Up or Pulldown a weight that is too heavy to be moved – Hold for 2-5 seconds for 3-8 reps
Plyos: N/A
Vibrations: Using a light weight (dumbbells, barbell, bands, etc..), perform 1 or 2 handed speed rows as fast as possible. I prefer the bands for this…less chance of injury Remember, think hummingbird wings – 3-8 reps
Immediately after completing the wake up exercise, proceed to a set of heavy Barbell/Dumbbell/Cable Rows – 3-8 reps
Lower Back – Core
Spinal Extension
Heavy Partial: N/A
Isos: N/A
Plyos: Overhead Medicine Ball Tosses to the rear – 3-8 reps
Vibrations: Band Triple Extension or Swing Snatches (light weight) – 3-8 reps
Immediately after completing the wake up exercise, proceed to a set of heavy Swings or Good Mornings or Deadlifts – 3-8 reps
Chest
Heavy Partial: Partial Bench Press in the power rack – 3-8 reps
Isos: Isometric Bench Press – Push the bar into an immovable object (ex. Power Rack) - Hold for 2-5 seconds for 3-8 reps
Plyos: Medicine Ball Chest Throws (lying or standing)
Vibrations: Band Chest Press for speed
Immediately after completing the wake up exercise, proceed to a set of Chest Presses for 3-8 reps
Abs – Core
Spinal Flexion
Heavy Partial: N/A
Isos: N/A
Plyos: Medicine Ball Slams – 3-8 reps
Vibrations: Standing Band Crunch – 3-8 reps
Immediately after completing the wake up exercise, proceed to a set of Standing Cable Crunches (just like the band crunch except using a pull-down cable machine) – 3-8 reps
Obliques – Core
Spinal Rotation/Lateral Flexion
Heavy Partial: N/A
Isos: N/A
Plyos: Rotational Medicine Ball Slams – 3-8 reps
Vibrations: Band Wood Chops – 3-8 reps (move faster than the girls in the video)
Immediately after completing the wake up exercise, proceed to a set of Standing Cable Woodchops – 3-8 reps
Very Fast Concentric & Eccentric Muscular Contractions - like a hummingbird flapping it’s wings
After waking up the fast-twitch fibers, we hit them with…
Slightly Less Intense Concentric Muscular Contractions…through a full range of motion and performed as fast as possible. Think explosive bench presses.
Slightly Less Intense Eccentric Muscular Contractions….but we drastically increase the time under tension. Sloooowwww negatives on those bench presses.
With no pause at the top or bottom of the lift. The muscle is always under tension.
Today, I am going to give you some of my favorite Wake-Up Exercises and show you how to pair them with the traditional lifts to get the best results.
Wake-Up Exercises
For convenience, I am going to shorten my descriptions of the 3 style of wake up exercises.
Very Intense Concentric Muscular Contractions will be called “Heavy Partial Lifts” or “Isos”
Very Intense Eccentric Muscular Contractions will be called “Plyos”
Very Fast Concentric/Eccentric Muscular Contractions will be called “Vibrations”
I have broken the list of wake up exercises down by body part and/or body movement.
Hopefully, it is easy enough to follow, but if there’s a problem, please comment and I will update the post.
Here we go….
Traps
Vertical Shrug Movement
Heavy Partial: N/A
Isos: Isometric Shrug – Grab hold of an immovable object (ie. heavy barbell, pins in a power rack or even sit on a bench and grab the underside of the bench) and try to shrug it. The weight should not move. Hold for 2-5 seconds
Plyos: Slam Shrugs – Set up a power rack with the pins slightly lower than your shrug lockout height. Grab your barbell and position it beneath the pins. Then, shrug the bar HARD into the pins. Repeat for 3-5 reps
Vibrations: Using a light weight (dumbbells, barbell, bands, etc..), perform 5 shrugs as fast as possible. Remember, think hummingbird wings
Immediately after completing the wake up exercise, proceed to a set of heavy Barbell Shrugs – 3-8 reps
Horizontal Shrug Movement
Heavy Partial: N/A
Isos: Iso Face Pulls into the floor – Just like a regular standing cable face pull, except you are lying on your back and pushing your elbows back into the immovable floor – Repeat for 3-8 reps holding each rep for 1 sec.
Plyos : Reverse elbow strikes into a heavy bag – 3-8 reps per arm
Vibrations: Face Pulls using a Jump Stretch band – 3-8 reps – as fast as possible
Immediately after completing the wake up exercise, proceed to a set of Standing Cable Face Pulls – 3-8 reps
Shoulders
Overhead Pressing Movement
Heavy Partial: Standing or Seated Partial Shoulder Press out of a Power Rack
Isos: Isometric Shoulder Press – Shoulder Press into an immovable object - Hold for 2-5 seconds for 3-8 reps
Plyos: Medicine Ball Shoulder Press Throws- Repeat for 3-8 reps – think speed!!!
Vibrations: Shoulder press using bands – 3-8 reps – moving as fast as possible. Remember, think hummingbird wings
Immediately after completing the wake up exercise, proceed to a set of heavy Shoulder Presses – 3-8 reps – using either barbells or dumbbells
Lateral Raise Movement
Normally, I wouldn’t use this technique for an isolation exercise such as this, but feel free…
Heavy Partial: N/A
Isos: Isometric Lateral Raise – Lateral Raise into an immovable object (ex. Power Rack) - Hold for 2-5 seconds for 3-8 reps per arm
Plyos: N/A
Vibrations: Super-speed Lateral Raises using bands – 3-8 reps – moving as fast as possible. ala Speedy Gonzales
Immediately after completing the wake up exercise, proceed to a set of heavy Lateral Raises – 3-8 reps – using either barbells or dumbbells
Reverse Lateral Raise Movement
Normally, I wouldn’t use this technique for an isolation exercise such as this, but feel free…
Heavy Partial: N/A
Isos: Isometric Lateral Raise – Reverse Lateral Raise into an immovable object (ex. Power Rack) - Hold for 2-5 seconds for 3-8 reps per arm
Plyos: N/A
Vibrations: Super-speed Reverse Lateral Raises using bands – 3-8 reps – moving as fast as possible. ala Speedy Gonzales
Immediately after completing the wake up exercise, proceed to a set of heavy Lateral Raises – 3-8 reps – using either barbells or dumbbells
Biceps
Heavy Partial: Cheating Bicep Curls or Partial Range Bicep Curls – 3-8 reps
Isos: Isometric Bicep Curl – Curl a barbell into an immovable object (ex. Power Rack) - Hold for 2-5 seconds for 3-8 reps per arm
Plyos: Drop & Catch Bicep Curls – Start by holding a barbell at the top position of a bicep curl. As you start to lower the barbell, let it drop and catch it while your elbows are still bent. This will take some practice. You don’t want to drop the barbell. – 3-8 reps
Vibrations: Super-speed Bicep curls using bands – 3-8 reps – moving as fast as possible. ala Speedy Gonzales
Immediately after completing the wake up exercise, proceed to a set of heavy Bicep Curls – 3-8 reps – keep the form strict…not like the cheat curls
Triceps
Heavy Partial: Partial Dips, Partial Close Grip Bench Press or Partial Pushdowns- 3-8 reps
Isos: Isometric Close Grip Bench Press or Iso Pushdown- Your tricep force vs an immovable object (ex. Power Rack) - Hold for 2-5 seconds for 3-8 reps
Plyos: Close Grip Plyo Push Ups – 3-8 reps
Vibrations: Super-speed Pushdowns – 3-8 reps – moving as fast as possible.
Immediately after completing the wake up exercise, proceed to a set of heavy Dips, Close Grip Bench or Pushdowns – 3-8 reps – keep the form strict.
Okay, that’s enough for today. This post is too long already.
Did you know that it’s only 32 days until Christmas, 23 days until Hanukkah and 30 days until that most glorious of holidays…Festivus?
Occasionally, I still design training programs for Strongman and Powerlifting competitors.
