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".

Working out is safe right?

Found this on youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SiMtypKJQ9I
and part 2 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L1IS0hslZns be sure to check out the last two minutes on this one...ouch!

Things to try

Many coaches argue whether kettlebells or barbells are better. Both have their strengths and weaknesses. Why not take advantage and combine them? If you have access to both, try this for explosive power.

Try super setting the same exercise with each tool for three rounds. For example:

1.Kettlebell snatch x 3 followed immediately by barbell snatches x 3

2.kettlebell cleans x 3 followed immediately by barbell cleans x 3

3.kettlebell high pulls x 3 followed immediately by barbell high pulls x 3

for power endurance:

1.barbell snatches x 5 followed by high rep kettlebell snatches(15-20)

rest 60-90 seconds between rounds do as many rounds as you can in 15 minutes

take a 4-5 minute rest then proceed to circuit 2

2. barbell power cleans x 5 followed by ketllebell high pulls x 20

same rest periods as above. Again for 15 minutes the goal here is to race the clock.

Simple yet effective. Man up and get to work

Burpee challenge

Got ten minutes to spare? Try doing ten minutes of burpees. The preferred method of punishment by high school football coaches everywhere. An excellent exercise to condition the lungs and the legs. You will not be able to go for ten minutes straight, take as many breaks as you need. Set a number goal and try to add five more each time you try this. Good would be 100, great would be 150. Start by squatting down, put your hands on the floor. Thrust your legs back so your in a push up position. Jump your legs back up to your hands and jump straight up in the air. See video below...ENJOY!

Those that can do. Those that can't coach

lessons learned this past weekend

1-it pays to be a local guy, the rules do not apply to them.

2-strongman really does build character.

3-practice with the implements before hand. learning on the fly will cost you a trophy.

All in all a great experience. Myself, Sean and Matt did very well for our first competition. Matt even managed 2ND place. Here is how thing went down.

The first event was the log clean and press. Matt and i tied for first place and Sean cleaned and pressed the 200lbs log. Narrowly missing 210lbs, not bad considering he was the lightest competitor but 25lbs.

The second event was the fat bar dead lift. As many reps as you can in 90 seconds. The first man out got 18 reps. I set a goal that i would get at least the same or more. I did 18 reps before time ran out, I was announced as 16 reps? no reason was given, this became a tone fore the day. Matt was up and delivered 19 reps. He was announced as 17 reps? Again we weren't local boys. The 18 rep winner was however(side note he was a great guy, not his fault, that's how the judges are sometimes.)

Time for the yoke walk. I would like to tell you this went great but i completely blew it. We were not prepared for how much it moved, wobbled and twisted. I placed dead last in this event! My misfortune was Matt's and Sean's gain. I learned how to control the yoke with ten seconds left, not enough time for me to do much but I made sure they didn't suffer the same fate.

Fourth event the farmers walk. Time to redeem our selves. Matt missed first by 1 half second, I finished Fourth by 2 seconds and Sean tore a callus of his hand the size of a quarter...OUCH!

Final event the tire flip, our best event since it's the only implement we actually had to train with. the course was 100 feet. We were told if we make it all the way down to turn and flip it back. Most flips in 60 seconds wins. Matt and I finished 1 and 2 in this but couldn't figure out how we went the exact same distance(all the way down 1 flip back) and were given 2 different scores. Like I said it was the tone of the day for many competitors.

If your wondering about this blogs title that is how i spent most of the day. Rather than sulk about my poor yoke performance I did everything in my power to help my boys Matt and Sean.

I couldn't be prouder of them.

It builds character!

Well i weighed in tonight for the strongman competition. While leaving I met a woman named Pam who said she was the only woman competing. So why compete I asked? "it builds character" she said. A perfect example of commitment. Set goals achieve them...nuff said!