Legs are back!

Man it feels good to get back under the bar pain-free. It seems like injuries have been a common theme of my last 6 months. I have taken some time off from compound movements with my lower body and finally feel able to start getting back in a squat rack.

Around Thanksgiving I couldn't even do a rep with 275 without my back feeling like a gnashing of my teeth. Seriously, I tried multiple times to do 275 and was so beaten by not even being able to do one rep with what I used to use for a set of 12 for a warmup. Progress is to be made on this, but I am encouraged by my last two leg days.

1/14/2011
Back squat
the bar x 10
135 2x12
185 2x10
225x6
275x6
315 x 4,1

I felt like myself again. I had my max squat PR in March 2010 at 445lbs, obviously raw.

I felt so good I did squat again on the following Monday. I am going to continue the really low volume leg days and continue to inspect my form to make sure it is flawless. As my confidence increases, so will the volume.

1/17/2011
135 2x10
185 x 10
225 x 10
275 x8
315 x6
345 x 1-----> could have gotten more but wanted a heavier set
355 x 2

I am really pleased with my legs coming back and even happier about the soreness in my quads.

what are you currently working on? how are those resolutions going?

MOTIVATION TO EXERCISE WHEN BUSY

YOU MUST LEARN TO TRAIN THROUGH ADVERSITY

For the past couple weeks I have been preparing for student move in, getting all of my employees back into payroll, training the graduate assistants, helping students move in to campus, help'n people move, and getting some high school students ready for the upcoming year. BUSINESS IS GOOD. I have still been training, and once I figure out my new phone, I should be able to expedite the process of uploading videos.

I have sent a couple clients back to Florida with a new-found vigor for health and five weeks worth of workouts. I was approached by Transylvania University about conditioning their athletes in the off-season... I am supposed to start next week and AM STOKED!!!

I have to be able to stay focuswed on training with a job and a half, family, and church responsibilities. You can sleep when you're dead, right?

what are roadblocks to your training program? have you figured out ways to overcome them?

Strength Challenge Pics

Two of my desk workers modeling the free t's and their guns!

Above is a 10lb personal record (pr) for me on squat, 445! Below is a 5lb pr on bench at 375!

Below is Luke Beggs killing 480 on squat, another pr!

Biggest pull of the night is below, Luke got 525. Luke's total was 1325lbs and he also won the percentage total. He is a beast.

Jake Beggs benched 345 for a pr and got the biggest percentage of bodyweight on bench press. He weighed in at 185lbs.

Below is a picture of me dieing under 380. Didn't get it, maybe later this year...

We don't have a picture of the top of this lift, and his form might not be flawless, but Clay Brady pulled 470lbs and only weighed 171lbs... that won the percentage on deadlift at a ridiculous 274%!!!

Jake pulling 495, one last pr for the day! FIVE BIG PLATES!!!!!!!!!!

YEA BUDDY! LIGHT WEIGHT!

Underground Strength Challenge 2010

Thanks to Luke and Jake Beggs for the solid design above. We had the Inaugural Strength Challenge at the Underground Fitness Center last night. Participants were weighed in and then attempted one repetition maxes on squat, bench, and deadlift. Each participant was allowed three attempts for all three lifts. Then each person then could see how many FULL bench press repetitions they could accomplish with their bodyweight. The last event was a grip test for MAN HANDS with 315lbs on our fat bar with a double overhand grip.

We had the following 11 competitors: Clay Brady, Mike Spitnale, Luke Beggs, Andrew Lewis, Rob Sinnott, Luke Ranta, Tyler Brewer, Brett Borders, Jake Beggs, Derrick Bellmann, and Nic Norwood. Here are the results (all weights are in pounds):

Heaviest Lifts

Squat

Luke Beggs 480

Rob Sinnott 445

Tyler Brewer 410

Bench

Rob Sinnott 375

Jake Beggs 345

Luke Beggs 320

Deadlift

Luke Beggs 525

Tyler Brewer 505

Brett Borders 505

Jake Beggs 495

Heaviest Total

Luke Beggs 1325

Rob Sinnott 1295

Jake Beggs 1225

Strongest Pound-for-pound- compared weight lifted to competitor's bodyweight

Squat

Luke Beggs 242%

Tyler Brewer 212%

Jake Beggs 207%

Bench

Jake Beggs 186%

Nic Norwood 179%

Rob Sinnott 163%

Deadlift

Clay Brady 274%

Jake Beggs 267%

Luke Beggs and Nic Norwood 265%

Highest Percentage Total

Luke Beggs 669%

Jake Beggs 660%

Nic Norwood 644%

Most Bench Press Repetitions with Bodyweight

Nic Norwood 27 reps at 140lbs

Jake Beggs 25 reps at 185lbs

Luke Beggs (200lbs) and Rob Sinnott (230lbs) tied with 17 reps each

MAN-HANDS GRIP

Luke Beggs 33.62 seconds

Tyler Brewer 27.3 seconds

Rob Sinnott 24.9 seconds

Awesome event, a bunch of Personal Records (PR) were made!!!!!!!!!! Thanks to every one that came out.

Box squats with chains

This exercise is necessary in your program, regardless if you are going for strength, hypertrohpy, or *cough* endurance *cough*. Box Squats ensure that you are getting adeque depth and when done right can give you gains in strength, size, and stamina. I added two 20lb chains for kicks, but I believe they are just as effective as bands.

Perfect Finish to Chest, Shoulders, and Tricep day

Sorry you have to have taco neck to watch this... but for most of you, that will be a good stretch.
Enjoy the second of my five sets of dips supersetted with pushups with two 20 lb chains.

Back Squat versus Front Squat

I was doing some random searches on research engines through UK's library today and I came across some pretty useful information comparing front squat and back squat. (Pictures from http://www.stadion.com/)

Both are very useful in building knee and hip extensor muscles (quadriceps and glutes) as well as strengthening your core muscles. However, "performing back squat results in a higher amount compressive forces on the spine and knee extensor movements" according to Gullet et al in this study.

A higher amount of compressive forces could possibly be harmful in the long run, with a higher probability of spine or disc problems in someone with incorrect form. Gullet et al (2009) found no substantial difference in the amount of shear forces generated in either variation of the squat. Shearing force is physical stress that is perpendicular to the horizontal surface of an object where compressive force is the amount of force running down through an object.

(above) Compressive Force (http://www.back.com/)

Shearing Force-->

Gullet et al found that "front squat was as effective as the back squat in terms of overall muscle recruitment, with significantly less compressive forces and knee extensor moments... the results suggest that front squats may be advantageous compared with back squats for individuals with knee problems such as meniscus tears, and for long-term joint health."

However, in a study by Yetter and Moir (2008) that examined front and back squat's ability to improve 10 through 40m sprint times they found that the heavy back squat group not only had significant increases in speed time found when compared to the control group for the 10 and 20m distances... BUT the heavy back squat group also had significantly better sprint speeds times than heavy front squat at the 40m distance. Nonetheless, I would have liked to have seen a higher number of subjects than 10. Yetter and Moir's study.

For functional ability as far as strengthening your knee and hip extensor muscles as well as your core I would prescribe a person to participate in both front and back squats, as long as their form is correct. For any one with meniscus tears, bad form that has yet to be corrected, or previous back problems, I would recommend front squat. For an athlete I would throw into their program some front squat early in the off-season to continue to confused their muscles and give their backs a different type of force to deal with while still training the same muscles. Once the pre-season approached I would transition the athlete back to back squat.

STAY HUGE

References

Gullett, J., Tillman, M., Gutierrez, G., & Chow, J. (2009). A Biomechanical Comparison of Back and Front Squats in Healthy Trained Individuals. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, 23(1), 284-292.

Yetter, M., & Moir, G. (2008). The Acute Effects of Heavy Back and Front Squats on Speed during Forty-Meter Sprint Trials. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, 22(1), 159-165.

Progression to Standing Stability Ball Rollout- giving you what you want

So a while back I asked you all in a poll about some exercises that you all wanted to see... I also noticed that a standing stability ball rollout isn't really on youtube.... so I have a some progression for stability ball rollout exercises.

Kneeling Stability Ball rollout




Stability Ball Plank




Standing Stability Ball Rollout



I know you love the khaki shorts

Nothing to do with fitness- Meathead Bachelor Party

So last Saturday a couple of my friends helped me move into my new place and also threw me one hell of a bachelor party.

Beer, intense yelling outbursts, steak, burgers (seasoned with some ridiculously good steak rub), fries, vegetable ka-bobs, and more yelling... i mean i couldn't ask for more to walk out on the single life. I also got a shirt from Cook that read GAME OVER and had a happy bride standing next to a sad face groom with a ball and chain on his foot that I got to wear to the bar that night.

We were able to watch a perfect pre-bar movie (300) and listend to a perfect pre-bar song, which is below.



So by this point, the 1000lbs of meatheads that were pacing around my buddies apartment was ready to power walk around the bar. the night included a slightly buzzed irish jig from me and amon to the song below, a couple bottles thrown, and an overall unmatchable experience.



no one got arrested, puked, got in a fight, or broke anything of value... solid night

Directing a Facility

I just started a new job at the University of Kentucky this week. I am the Director of the Underground Fitness center and our attendance is mainly from campus housing. Since 99.3% of campus housing has deserted Lexington, we are left with very few attendees per day. Now the normal, lack-luster human being would take this time to relax, maybe sleep, and add adipose tissue to his body... just happy that he has a job that has a relatively slow start.

I would call the normal, lack-luster human being a lot of things, but mainly smile because he can't keep up in a workout. I'm going to find ways to occupy my time. Reading articles, perfecting my for on various exercises, learning about nutrition and injury prevention, setting new goals, etc.
It doesn't matter if you know me or not, 10 seconds into a conversation (assuming you will meet me) with me and I can guarantee to energize you. I'm like that oxy-clean guy, but for fitness.



this guy could sell somebody cancer. I feel that enthusiasm, intensity, and speaking in a yell at all times are the only way to talk about lifting while lifting. now you can approach me when I am sitting in my office, increasing my knowledge by reading articles through the library database or at www.t-nation.com and I probably won't start a conversation by yelling... but don't put it past me. I can have an intelligent argument with you, but if you repeatedly say ignorant things with nothing to back up your argument except "It's true, Jillian said it." my responses are going to be laced with reasons why everything you just sputtered out to me is wrong.

And lastly, a ridiculous show of human strength is on the video below... for those of you that follow milder sports like cross country, golf, or olympic jump-roping, lifting raw means that the lifter is not wearing a bench press shirt and is only equiped with MASS. check it out

Dedication Statement Concocted Post-Lift

After I hit the weights... this definition of dedication hit me. I immediately put it in my phone's notepad to save my exact thoughts.

Some call it an addiction when act differently without your "fix." Others call it an unhealthy obsession when you have a consistent routine that trumps every other activity. Some people even term it the Adonis Complex or Muscle Dysmorphia when you are completely focused on gaining muscle mass, even though you know that you can never have enough muscle. The true lifter calls these thing dedication.

Muscle is like money... you can never have enough

Importance of Unilateral Training

Uni-what? Unilateral training is a particular way to exercise one group of muscles on one side of your body. Any exercise that does not utilize either arms or both legs or utilizes dumbbells so the movements of both limbs are separate is unilateral training. Unilateral training increases strength of the weaker limb, which leads to an overall heavier lift and a more balanced body. Some examples of unilateral exercises are dumbbell bench (incline, decline, or flat), one-arm dumbbell bench (any variation listed before), step ups, one-legged leg curl, one-legged RDLs, one-arm dumbbell shoulder press, dumbbell row, one-arm lat pull down, etc.

Unilateral training allows for a person to notice strength deficiencies. We have all heard of some one that says their left leg is stronger than their right leg or seen some one on bench press that consistently has the bar concentrically moving up first on the left and the right follows. Even some one that is trying to push evenly on both sides will push more from their stronger side.

Bilateral training would be back and front squat, barbell bench (incline, decline, or flat), barbell shoulder press, etc. Bilateral training is used exclusively in strength competitions because who care how much a person can press with just one arm or leg. However, strengthening your weak points by utilizing unilateral training will help increase you weights for bilateral movements.

End of an Era... On to a Salary

I recently (7:30 this morning) passed my oral exit exam and have a job all but locked up. I will finish my graduate degree in Exercise Physiology in about three weeks. I have worked with faculty and staff through my graduate assistant position; doctors, students, aspiring doctoral candidates, and a couple masters students through my personal training at the University of Kentucky; I worked with a professor's research study focusing on the strength and conditioning of fire fighters; I have sat through hundreds of hours of classes (some I enjoyed, others the opposite); I completed a 300-hour internship at a corporate wellness facility; and last, but not least, I added ten pounds to my max bench and 60 pounds to my max squat.

I have said the wrong thing and learned how to be more politicaly correct. I have said the right thing to the wrong person and stood by it. I have rubbed off on my peers and tried to absorb as much useful knowledge from intelligent people that I could during my two years at UK.

Now I am on to direct a gym. I am able to master as many exercises as I can and learn new ones, better my knowledge base through research that I want to read, help fitness professionals that have what it takes succeed, and see my friends be placed in jobs across the country. I am looking forward to the day when I can help out a colleague that I have studied with, shot the shit with, and experienced, and more importantly, endured the masters program here.

I am not the same student, person, or worker that I was when I came to UK two years ago. I talk a lot about bettering myself physically, but I have been challenged mentally and met the task head on throughout this masters program. I did not graduate from an easy program. There are things that I need to do more research on and need to buckle down and figure out the concepts of certain things, but I do not mind bettering myself.

I don't mind asking questions, I just choose the right people to ask. I don't mind debating theories or processes to get other people's opinions or improve my own vision of either.

I spoke with my lifting partner about putting a book together. It is going to happen. I am a do-er. A compilation of thoughts about certain subjects, people, exercises, programs, or completely random happenings that have occured in both of our lives over the past two years. A publication of some of the points of view that you should read and consider for your own... Haha, or to just consider.

Enough of this novel, go get better.

Incline Update

If you take a look at a couple of my messages ago, you will notice that I want to improve my incline bench press strength... mostly because it is pathetic, but partially because I want better overall development in my chest.

I completed 235 for 4 sets of 5, 245 for a set of 4 (I was shooting for five, but failed), and 240 for a set of 5.

I think I started doing 5 sets of six with 215 on incline a couple of weeks ago so I feel pretty good about my progress.

My better is better than your better. Keep up.

Evaluation of Personal Trainers

I have noticed several people doing exercises incorrectly. Pretty much any one that can read would say where there is a gym, there are people that perform exercises wrong. Whether it is improper technique, they make up their own WAY COOL exercise, they believe everything should be done with full body swing, etc... they do something or a lot of things wrong.

My concern is when it is the personal trainers doing these exercises wrong. This is comparitive to a history teacher not recognizing the Declaration of Independence, a guy at Valvoline not knowing how to check your oil, a pilot that can't fly a plane... do you see where I am going?

I have seen various personal trainers that have done the following:
-Overhead squats in which GUY came up on his toes and his knees were wobbling all over the place
-The outstanding exercise (WACK) of side bends done with a dumbbell in each hand (I call it the teeter totter)
-Deadlift to a front raise to a incredibly slow snatch

I am not claiming to know everything and do every exercise perfectly, but I know that shoulder press doesn't work the chest. I talked with some people at the gym where these "professionals" work and it was decided that every trainer would be evaluated.

About time.

I think every one will get great feedback on parts of their knowledge base that need a software upgrade. This is a university gym... take a class if you are ridiculously ignorant in physiology, anatomy, exercise testing, strength and conditioning, or some other area. Why wouldn't you want to? Would you really want people staring at you in a gym laughing at your uneducated techniques or methods? I would assume a great trainer wants to know how to more effectively train his/her clients.

Better yourself...I'm going to.

High Fructose Corn Syrup= Body Sludge

After reading Dr. Lowery's article on HFCS (http://www.t-nation.com/free_online_article/sports_body_training_performance_nutrition/thank_you_for_guzzling_corn_syrup), or body sludge as I'm going to call it, doing a little of my own research, and talking with another educated individual... I will not buy another thing with that ingredient in it.

I feel like I eat pretty well most of the time, but after reading and researching and talking to some people I wanted to take a look at what I had in my apartment. I wanted to know if my fuel at home is contaminated with the body sludge.

I have a lot of stuff (I wouldn't even call it food now) to throw away. Breakfast stuff, what I used to call snacks, "health bars", etc all had body sludge in them. I am going to get rid off all that crap and find healthier alternatives that my body can use as fuel without the detrimental health affects.

I love knowing smart people, especially when their knowledge makes me healthier.

DO YOU HAVE PROGRAMMING A.D.D.?

I was talking to a member of one of the gyms I work at and he is constantly changing his program. I usually recommend that people change their program every 4-6 weeks to avoid plateauing and prevent boredom. He varies his program too often. He want to be huge one week... then he wants to be lean... then he wants to get stronger... then he wants to just do arms one day.. and so on. I am sure that most of you know some one that can't stick to a program for longer than a week and a half.

You can have the best program written down and if you aren't consistent and don't really focus on the goal you set (weight loss, hypertrophy, strength) you aren't going to improve. Not giving the program you are doing a chance is similar to not having a program at all. Would you get directions off mapquest and then throw them out the window once you started driving to your destination?

Pick a goal. One specific goal and focus on it. You can vary the periodization of your program to have a hypertrophy phase, then strength building, then back to hypertrophy... or you can stick with the same rep and set numbers, just pick different exercises. Sticking with a goal doesn't mean you have to do the exact same workout. You are just doing the workouts for the same purpose.

Incline Bench Press Needs improvment

I am ok with my bench max, the weight i work out with, etc. It is only going to increase and I would be pissed beyond measure if my numbers went down, but when compared to my incline... I look like two different people.
I will do four sets of 6 on flat bench with 270... and get all but one or two reps.
On incline I can only push 215 for all four sets of six. In my mind that is too big a difference. I started a new microcycle this week that includes incline barbell bench. I am hoping to be working out with closer to 240 on incline. I feel like I have the strength there, I just haven't spent enough time working on that particular exercise.

That is definitely going to change and in five weeks I'll let you know what my current workout weight on incline is. I'm all about self-improvement

Speaking of pushing weight...

A buddy of mine beat my max bench by 5 pounds the other day... and I couldn't be more pumped.

1...2....3 a couple of grunts and the bar moved down and then he pushed through his sticking point and reracked it. 340, done. I got 335 last December and I plan on reclaiming the title in May

Sacrifices for Results

A ton of people mean well by setting goals. Too many of those people don't fully apply themselves to achieving their goals. A good percentage of those people reach a short-term goal, become complacent and never achieve their long term weight loss, strength gain, marathon performance, etc.

My training partner (http://www.swonkdiesel.blogspot.com/) wants to gain weight. Being strong will be amplified with more weight as his base.... he is currently shooting for 190lbs. Some of you reading this might gauk, giggle, or some other g word about 190 lbs. Some of you want to get DOWN to 190.

He is a classic hard-gainer. Eats and eats, drinks liters of protein drinks. He wants to be healthy, gain good weight, and not trash his body so he is willing to try any educated way to gain weight. We read somewhere that taking shots of olive oil (that's right, read it again) three times a day would boost his daily total calorie consumption by around 900 calories. He tried it yesterday. He also gave it up yesterday.

Nay-sayers might call him a chump for giving it up after one day. Go take a shot of oil and get back to me. He did not give it up without adopting another clean way to gain weight. Eating two teaspoons of peanut butter three times a day will account for about as many extra caolories... and the big thing is IT IS DO ABLE. Adopts a method to get to a goal and will achieve his weight gain goal

Maybe some of you that are trying to lose weight should exhaust any and all possibilities to achieve your goal. How important is achieving your goal to you??? Adopting a healthier lifestyle so you live past 45 years old sounds worth it to me.

I had a buddy tell me he quit smoking 7 times, so it would be easy to do it again... I feel like people that set a weight loss goal without completely applying themselves to it are similar to my chainsmoker friend. They say things without being completely behind their goal.

Say what you mean, attain your goal.

Easy

Maxed Out

I set a goal of 415 to max out on squat by May and took another step toward my goal by getting 405 today. I took the worst way to get it though. I grabbed somebody to spot me that was out of the norm so that distracted me a little... mentally to get into the 400 pound club was more of a challenge than I thought it was going to be. I warrmed up with 135, 225, and 315. Since 315 was around 77% of my hopeful max of 405 I figured it was a solid last step before trying my max.

I tried 405 the first time and wasn't warm enough because I dropped it... pretty much called out by the people watching me... they didn't have to say a word, but when they looked away after I fell that was enough of an insult.... I waited around two minutes after putting the weight back on the rack. I felt much better getting under the weight.

I got under it and all I had to do was stand up. down and up. 405 without hitting a sticking point. it was heavy but I didn't slow down.
I glanced at my spotter and since I had already failed once and then got into the 400 pound club by getting 405, I figured I would go ahead and try 415, you know, get a feel for it. dropped with that weight as well. I got 405 today and have my sights on 415 for May.

my biggest competition is the bald guy looking back at me in the mirror.