Bros and hose

Sorry about the title I couldn't resist. In strength and conditioning circles climbing ropes have been used for years. Recently two have been anchored together to create an exercise called "battling ropes". A unique exercise that challenges grip, lats, legs, chest and abs. It is also brutal on your lungs. Here at UFC we like to take it to the next level. Enter the battling fire hose.

Heavier than the ropes, harder to grip and best of all you can get them FREE! You read that right. Go to a fire station and ask them for an old fire hose, they regularly replace the old tattered ones. saw off the end caps and get to work. Start with 30 second rounds with 60 second rest intervals. Do it!

The onion circuit

Why is it called the "onion circuit"? Because it can make grown men cry.

Here it is:

heavy sledge hammer hits

sled drags backwards and forwards 100 ft

farmers walk 100 ft

yours in strength

Trevor Jaffe

Protein

The International Society of Sports Nutrition issued a position stand on protein and exercise. Based on on a large body of research, they concluded:

• exercise increases the daily protein requirement.
• increased protein intake, when part of a balanced diet, does not impair kidney function.
• protein supplements are helpful for supplying daily needs.
• consuming protein before and after training promotes recovery, boosts immunity and increases lean body mass
• specific amino acids supplements, such as branched-chain amino acids and leucine, may improve performance and recovery.
• and finally active people should consume a minimum of 1.4gm to 2gm of protein per kilograms of body weight.

So if you weigh 130lbs divide your weight by 2.2 to get your weight in kilos. (59.1) then multiply by 1.4 and 2 and we get 83gm to 118gm.

Exercise of the week 9/6/08

In the first installment of "Exercise of the week", I'm going to teach you the plate pullover and press. T he pullover and press is an old school exercise with many variations. Using a weight plate in stead of a barbell or dumbbell allows for more range of motion and less discomfort on your wrists and elbows. To begin lay down on a flat bench with a weight plate held out at arms length. Slowly lower the plate to a comfortable level behind your head. Do not over stretch, follow a natural range of motion. Bring the plate all the way up, then lower to your chest and press.

At Ultimate Fitness and Conditioning we use this as both a warm up and a strengthening exercise depending on the clients strength level. Here is a video of me using it as a finisher to my upper body workout.

Hardcore Cardio

Do you hate treadmills and stationary bikes? I don't blame you, spending a half hour on them and going nowhere doesn't thrill me either. Go to the amazon search feature on this blog and look for sledge hammers. there a great way to strengthen your core, back and arms all while challenging your cardio. Start with an 8lbs hammer, when you can do a minute straight at full power move up to the 12lbs hammer. There are many exercises that can be done with sledge hammers but to start we will stick swinging. Always master basics first. Her is a video of olympian Adler Volmar getting ready for the Judo U.S Open.

What are you waiting for? Get to work!

Creative conditioning

"if the only tool you have is a hammer, everything looks like a nail." I don't know who originally said that but I understand it's meaning. In my facility everything available is used, even the 5 gallon water jugs. there great for:

swings
snatches
cleans
throws and catches
shouldering
farmers walks
dead lift varieties
presses

the list is endless and transitions are easy for conditioning.
here is a video showing how they can be combined with kettlebells.

Strange Brew

The most important aspect of building muscle is recovery. After all, Your muscles don't grow in the gym. They suffer myofibular damage(micro trauma) and need to repair. Everybody by now should know the importance of a post workout recovery meal, but have you ever tried a recovery drink during your workout? With every rep you will force vital nutrients into your muscle cells jump starting the repair process.

Try this drink mix for a few weeks and let me know how it goes.

Mix 1 scoop of
Accelerade
10 grams of B.C.A.A powder
5 grams of glutamine
5 grams of creatine
sugar free crystal light for flavor, unless you like things that taste sour.

My training partners and I have nicknamed this "strange brew".