Great Picture

I wanted to post this picture, because of the prospective you get of the bar position over head.  If you trace the path to the floor, you notice that it is a plumb line directly over his ankles.  As I continually say, all pulling, squatting and pressing is strongest from this position.  Keep the bar plump over the ankles for maximal strength position.  The picture is from the Chinese Olympic Training Center

 

Maybe the smartest posting about exercise ever.

Vern Gambetta has been at the athletic performance enhancement game for a very long time.  His approach is non-fluffy, big picture type training.  He recently posted this article on his blog, I couldn't agree any more.

http://www.functionalpathtrainingblog.com/2010/02/functional-training---where-to-start.html

Unbelievably scary statistic

According to the National Wildlife Federation, the average American child spends between four and seven minutes playing outside each day.

Here is how they are trying to fix the problem:

http://www.nwf.org/Get-Outside/Be-Out-There.aspx

Warm Up 2-24-10

We did this little warm up today, it went rather well, so I thought I would share,

 

8 rounds

250 m row sprint AFAP coupled with:

30 seconds AMAP Bicycle Crunches and 30s of front pillar/plank/bridge (which ever you call it)

Squat for Mobility, Deadlift for Strength

While cruising through the strength and conditioning blogs and forums I frequent, I happened upon a discussion sparked by an article/video published by physical therapist Gary Cook.  The premise of the piece was that babies and toddlers get into a squat position as a means to move themselves closer to the ground, but when they pick something up they shift into a deadlift position.  The discussion continued into whether or not athletes should forgo the bilateral squat as a strength exercise and use it as a mobility assistance movement for the deadlift, as a prime exercise.  I am going to have to ponder on that one for a while.....In the mean time, here is a video by Gary Cook, PT explaining the deadlift

Vacation Workout 3

Last but not least:

db's equaling 12% body weight

10 upright rows

10   burpees (yes with the dumbbells)

10 alternate bent rows

10 jump squats

10 push ups (on the dumbbells)

10 curls

then 9/8/7/6/5/4/3/2/1 of each exercise as fast as possible with perfect form.

Vacation workout 2

Db squat x10
Db squat + shoulder press x10
Renegade rows x10
Db jump squatsx10
Db lunges x 10 ea leg
Db RDL x 20
Db curlsx 10
Db Jump squats x 10

Start with dumbbells equaling 10 rep max db curls.

When you pick the dumbbells to start each set, you can't put the dumbbells down until the circuit of exercises is complete.

3-5 sets

Vacation workouts

Back squat x10
Hang clean x10
Military press x10
Bent row x10
Front lunges x 10 ea leg
RDL x 20
Front squat x 10
Jump squats x 10

Start at 40% bodyweight on a bar, add 10 pounds to the bar each set if you can perform all exercises in the circuit with perfect form.

When you pick the bar to start each set, you can't put the bar down until the circuit of exercises is complete.

Somewhere in China an 8 year old is warming up with your max.....

No really, this is video of an 8 year old Chinese boy clean and jerking 165 pounds!

Why?

This goes under the heading, "just because you can doesn't mean you should!"  At some point you have to question why you are doing what you are doing.  Just coming up with craziness just too push the envelope and make a youtube video won't be as cool to you if you end up paralyzed from the neck down from falling on your head doing some stupid crap like this.  Consider what you are trying to accomplish, and accomplish these goals in the most productive manner possible.