Posts Tagged ‘power’

Check out this video of some high school football players and MMA athletes taking care of business in the gym.

These guys are on the right track and doing the necessary things in order to get stronger faster and more explosive for their sport. It takes and iron mind and determination to go through workouts like this, but only the strong survive.

I’ll go on to say that, “The Difference Between A Successful Person And Others Is Not A Lack Of Strength, Not A Lack Of Knowledge, But Rather A Lack Of Will.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

What’s up warriors!

 

The post today is about the female athlete and how they can become strong and explosive.

A lot of the time the girls don’t get enough credit so I’m going to change that a bit.

All female athletes are welcome in our gym.

As long as you’re ready to go and put in a lot of hard work.

Trust me it will pay off during game time.

The series of exercises in the vid are designed to develop strength and explosiveness.

Trav and I are constantly telling our athletes to explode.

Being explosive while maintaining technique develops the true athlete.

You’ll see box jumps, pushups, trx work back extension and some strong man work.

Yep I said it, “strong man or should I say strong woman”.

 Being strong allows you to become more powerful.

This one’s for all the girls out there who wish to become better.

Stay Forged Strong!

- Joe -

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Guys-

Thought I would put together a quick vid on whats been going on in the gym lately.

There have been a ton of goodprogressions with our athletes.

It’s awesome to see how powerful the mind is when your focus is directed to whatyou want.

It’s said that whatever you focus on is what you get in life.

For myself I know this to be true.

Stay Forged Strong!

- Joe -

 

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Hey people of strength!

Hope all is well and you’re kicking ass!

If not, work harder and push yourself beyond your limits.

Don’t find excuses and NEVER settle for less!

Find what it is that you need to work on and zero in on it like your life depends upon it!

You need to find your weak points!

All athletes have weak points.

For most its their backside.

The hamstrings, lower back, mid back, and upper back.

The main reason most athletes have weak backsides is because they can’t see them.

A lot of athletes train just their “mirror” muscles.

Curls, bench presses, tricep extensions, and lots of quad work make up a typical routine.  This routine is familiar to athletes that simply don’t know any better.

I was a victim of this!  I fell into the trap of training just what I could see.

I did bench, all the presses, squats, lunges, curls, and tricep work.  I also did do a ton of pulling movements as well but manly with the upper body.

This was largely due to the fact I was a wrestler and I did pull ups and peg board about every day.

If I could go back and do it over again I would’ve focused tons more time and energy in on the DEADLIFT,  KB swings, RDL’s, glute ham raises, and all the different variations of the good mornings.

Lets not forget about prowler and sled work!  That’s a must!

These string of exercises are CRUCIAL to help athletes build up explosive power and speed.

I was always under the misconception that my quads were what made me fast.  I was mistaken due to the whole “mirror muscle” thing.

Boy if I could go back and train like I do today or do what I know to do today!

Sub 4.3 40 yard dash perhaps??    Or even a 40+ vertical easy!?

I was edging on those number training the wrong way!!!

I would love to know BUT that’s not possible.

What is possible is YOU, reading this now, can train smarter and better.

Attack your backside for maximum strength, power, and speed development!

It’s the KEY!

I’ve got a killer backside workout and video for you below.

I love training my backside.

Here’s my backside focused training day:

1A) Speed Deadlifts w/ bands 8 x 3, 6* (*last set, without bands x 6)

2A) Sandbag Squats  4 x 8-12

2B) Mixed Grip Pull Ups and Reclined Rows  4 x Submax

3A) KB Complex – Alternating KB Clean x 6/arm + Double KB Swings x 12  x 3 rounds

3B) Weighted Back Extensions 3 x 12

4A) TRX Ab Circuit (Knee Tucks, Pike, Pendulum Swings)  3 x 12/movement

4B) Grip Work – Plate Pinches, KB Towel Farmer Walks  3 x Max Time/Distance

5A) 1 max Set of Pull Ups (this was killer, grip and back were fried!)

Roll out like a mo fo and stretch!

That’s it!

Attack the backside!

Make sure you’re adding in a lot of hip extension type exercises in your routine to hit the weak areas of your body!

Until next time,

Get Forged Strong!

Travis

PS – Leave your comments and questions if you got em!

Believe-

            I wanted to write this post to those of you who wake up in the morning feeling depressed or emotionally drained. Your beliefs during this time of year can determine how your day week and month is. Let’s examine!

 So what is the definition! Belief is the psychological state in which an individual holds a proposition or premise to be true. Yes! I took that from the dictionary.

 So what we believe in is what we become. So if you think negative your going to be negative. Thinking positive makes you positive. In my world failure is not an option. I will flex and bend, but will not break. 

I’ve gone through some tough times just as you have. From what I read and experience, the people who go through struggles and succeed end up being some the happiest people in the world.

They appreciate what they went through and become grateful instead of resentful.  It also seems to me that people who are handed everything don’t feel this way.  

They go through the motions and let other people dictate their  life. I don’t want to be this way and I know you don’t. Lets take a look at what your beliefs can do if you focus and really BELIEVE. Lets hit it!

Joe

 

p.s. If you think that your life is hard there is always someone who has it harder. I have much respect for a man like this.

 

What up people!

I’ve been hearing a lot about The Men’s Health “Spartacus Workout” Challenge lately and how it’s all this and that.

I will attest to this and say it’s a solid workout and it will crush you if you’re not in good condition.

There’s almost another “300″ craze going on again with this whole spartan training thing.  I like it!

You should always train with a warriors mentality!  It’s like I say – IT’S ALL OUT WAR when you train!

Something about this program that you need to know is that it WILL NOT get you stronger and more explosive and here’s why:

When you do sets of exercises for longer periods of time, like 60 secs with this workout, you’re body produces tons of lactic acid.

This is great for wrestlers and other athletes that need HUGE levels of work capacity, but if you’re trying to get strong, you need to lift heavy weights!

This workout will crush your lungs and give your muscle a burn like no other.

Don’t confuse this with “cross fit” as it’s not.

I like to use this style of training to build strength endurance and work capacity.  It’s also very good for cutting weight and body fat as well.

I’m currently throwing it in to my routine as I’m in a deload week using lots of bodyweight and high reps.  Next week it will be back to crushing the heavy work sets and big lifts.

You can check out the original “Spartacus Workout” HERE to see the ten exercises Men’s Health had in the plan.

I put my own twist on it to make it more my style.  Here it is:

The Spartacus Workout – Forged Style

Perform 10 exercises in the circuit @ 60 secs of work with 15 secs of rest with a 2 min break in between rounds.  Repeat for 3 rounds.  I did 2…

1A) Sandbag Front Squats

1B) TRX Knee Tucks

1C) 1 Arm Kettlebell Swings

1D) 1 Arm Push Ups

1E) Sandbag Front Lunges

1F) Kettlebell True High Pulls

1G) Sledgehammer Swings

1H) Rope Recline Rows

1I) Sandbag Power Press

1J) Sandbag Get Ups

This is a killer group of exercises!  It will crush YOU!

Try it out and let me know what you think!

Check Part 1 of the video here:

Stay tuned for part 2!

PS – Leave you comments if you have any!

Hey what up!

Hope everything is going strong for you with any and all adventures you may be embarking on.

I’ve been really hammering the pulling movements hard in my workouts lately.

One of my main objectives is to be able to hit 5 good single arm pull ups on each side.  Right now I can only manage just one.  That’s on a good day.

I’ve got to say that to be able to do a single arm pull up, you’ve got to build up some serious strength from your head all the way down to your toes.

It takes so much more than to just pull yourself up over the bar.

Obviously you need to have serious upper back and lat strength to pull yourself over the bar.  Your shoulders much be strong enough to stabilize your whole body and keep it straight.  To aid in your stability, you must have an extremely strong core to stay tight to prevent from swinging.  Grip strength is crucial and is the link between you and the bar.  Without a tight grip, your pull up will be non existent.

On top of all these qualities, you must be lean and in good shape.  If your fat and flaccid, you’ll have a lot of extra weight you’ll be trying to pull up over the bar.  This is just another reason why you need to eat clean and stay lean.

I’ve always had a love for pull ups ever since grade school.  I was one of the few students who could actually do pull ups back in elementary P.E. class.   I was one of the few that could climb the rope and ring the bell.  I had a peg board my father had build in my garage I would regularly climb.  My wrestling club had a 60 ft long jungle gym latter hanging from the ceiling we would have to climb around on at practices.

Pulling is such an overlooked movement with many athletes today.  Too many athletes focus on presses, curls, and tricep extensions.  Too many mirror muscles being used.

The back is the key to a lot of an athletes overall strength.  It supports most movements and is a HUGE part of the core.  It serves for good posture, stability and power development.

If you’re an athlete or avid strength trainee, you need to be incorporating pulling movements into your program.

Some guidelines when it comes to pulling abilities I like to go by when training my athletes are these:

• 6+ bodyweight pull ups
• 15+ reclined rope rows
• 10+ hanging Leg raises
• BW x 1.5 deadlift x 5

These are just a few of movements to require a strong back with all of the other qualities I talked about earlier.  Obviously, there are people of there that can’t perform these standards and with anything, you have to start somewhere.  With everything, there comes progression and regression.

I’m about to give you a few ways to increase your pulling abilities.  Try throwing these 2 exercises into your regimen as much as possible to increase your pulling strength.

1)      Reclined Rowing – This is using your own bodyweight but isn’t limited to this.  You can add chains and weighted vests to this movement to add resistance.

If you have blast straps or a TRX, you can use these easily to perform reclined rows.  You can also use a racked barbell or smith machine and simply set the bar at about hip height and walk your legs underneath to where you can pull yourself up.  I would build yourself up to being able to perform 20+ reps with added weight.  If you’re eating clean and dropping body fat, you should be able to move on to pull ups.

2)      Negative Pull Ups – This is basically taking your pull ups and cutting out the actual pulling part.  To do this, grab a bench and set it up near a pull up bar.  Jump up and squeeze your back as tight as you can while having your chin over the bar.  From here lower yourself as slow as humanly possible.  Repeat for 8-10 reps or until you can’t hold on any longer.  This is great to add eccentric strength.  You add good stability to your pull and in time should be able to perform good regular pull ups.  Its all about being consistent.

From this point on, its all about progression.  Once you can do 1-2 pull ups do multiple sets.  I like trying to get anywhere from 25-50+ total reps of that movement.  If you can only get 1 good pull up, split it up into 50 sets.  Throw in a set in between your other exercises while you rest.  Soon you’ll be able to perform 3, 4, 5+ pull ups in a set and it all just keeps goes up from there.  Just stay consistent and the results will come.

For me, the most I’ve ever done in a set was 34 good pull ups.  To increase this number I’m going to focus on single arm pull ups.  I’ll do weighted 2 arm pull ups, rows, and obviously throw in every different style of grip I can to keep increasing the bottom line.

I figure if I can get myself to 5 good 1 arm pull ups per side, my overall strength will go up in my pulling abilities and I’ll tear up my total reps of pull ups.  I’ll be also focusing on high reps work every now and then while I’m doing this to make sure and keep my strength endurance to perform lots of reps.

The main reason for this post is to get you focused on how important pulls are in your training.  If you’re not currently pulling more than your pushing, make the change.  I guarantee your results will go up!

Get Forged Strong!

Travis

Yo!

I hope all is well and you’re kicking ass!

With the end of the year steadily approaching, you know that it’s time the “amateurs”  to start popping their heads out from under their rocks and start thier fitness kicks.

This makes me so sick.  There should NEVER be a time where you say “OK, now since it’s the 1st of the year, I can start off new and start living a healthy, strong, and active life.

This is a full time gig.

If you wanna be strong, fast, athletic, and powerful – its A FULL TIME JOB.  It you know this – you’re a warrior.

Warriors don’t take breaks, vacations, or certainly don’t start over on Jan 1st.  That’s what “amateurs” do

If you’re one of these “amateurs” that don’t realize this then you need to make sure you make a change.  Make that change NOW – not on Jan 1st!

You’re journey on becoming a warrior must start NOW.

What I’ve learned over the years is that it’s never the “right time”.  The ONLY right time is NOW.

If you keep waiting for the right time to change or set a goal or do this or do that, you’ll be waiting forever.

Unless of course you’re looking for excuses.  Amateurs look for excuses.

So, stop making excuses for yourself and start making goals.

Plan or plan to fail as they say.

Don’t wait till Jan 1st to make a change.  Do it after your done reading this post.  If you’re a true Warrior, you will.  And you’ll stick to it.

What I want to hear from you is what you’re going to be doing differently starting now.

Where do you want to be.

Just know this – it’s hard to really say where you will be because life will throw a ton of sh*t you’re way that you weren’t expecting.  But that’s the beauty of it all isn’t it?

That’s why you have to be a warrior.  A warrior that’s able to make changes on the fly, and to make sacrifices, and to have discipline.

Be honest to yourself – WHAT DO YOU WANT TO CHANGE NOW???  Can you become a warrior starting NOW???

Leave a comment on this post and let me know what you want to change and how you’re going to do it NOW.

How are you going to become a warrior?  Or, are you going to stay an amateur?

Get Forged Strong!

Travis

Out of all the workouts and programs out there, this one may take the cake when it comes to putting your body through a taxing workout.

I’ve taken the “pyramid’ loading concept and added my own little spin to it.

What I’ve done is take three of the best exercises I can think of that all work different movements and designed a pyramidal type circuit.

The movements I included are the deadlift, pull up, and the dip.

What you will do is start off each movement at 10 reps. You will cycle through each movement in what ever order you choose.

I go with deads first, dips second, then finish with pull ups. Rest as much as you need to, then repeat.
After you hit 10 reps of each you’ll cycle back through with 8, then 6, 4, 2, then hit a heavy single of each.

Rest about 3 mins or less then climb back up the ladder.

This is BRUTAL!

You get the best of both worlds with the reps scheme. Power and strength.

I focus on being able to lift the weight as fast as humanly possible in each set. The only set I really focus on a maximal load is the single rep set. This load should be somewhat slow but still try to make it as explosive as possible.

You can pick any movements you like but make sure them big time movements.

I’ve done another version with military presses, RDL’s and bent barbell rows.

As always, you can throw sandbags or kettlebells in the mix to really crank it up.

I threw some single arm db snatches in to start off the workout just for some explosive work.

BEWARE – This is not a workout for the faint of heart.

You must attack it! Try to finish in less than 45 mins.

Go to battle with the iron and take no prisoners!

Here’s the actual workout I did:

1A) 1 arm DB snatch 3 x 5, 2 x 2 (went real heavy here)

2A) Deadlifts x 10, 8, 6, 4, 2, 2, 4, 6, 8, 10 for all exercises in circuit
2B) Weighted Dips
2C) Weighted Pull Ups – switch grip every set

Kill it and Get Forged Strong!

Travis

Yo dudes!

Do you still do circuit training?

I bet you still think that’s for mostly women who go to the circuit training classes at the local commercial gym right?

WRONG – circuit training can still give you want you need!

I use workout muse for my circuit training.  It’s the best and ONLY audio interval soundtrack system of its kind.

It kicks total ass and I love it to death!

It totally automates my workouts when I want to train with circuits for speed and power endurance, and work capacity.  I really like crankin’ intervals on my de-load weeks when I hit up a lot of bodyweight movements.

I feel that if you’re a fighter, wrestler, or any sort of combat athlete, you need to have circuit training as a part of your training arsenal.

There’s lots of  intervals you can choose from.

The best and most popular is probably the Tabata Protocol – 20/10′s x 8 total rounds.  Great for everything especially work capacity and power endurance.

I really enjoy 30/30′s which are good for strength and work capacity.   You can see this in the video below ==>

Some other options you have are 50/10′s which are specifically for work capacity and endurance.  Then you also have 40/20′s which are also great for strength and power.

Overall, intervals  are a bad ass way to train.

You options are limited by only your imagination.

Here’s the workout I crushed in the video (Thanks to Workout Muse for the audio track!):

I did 3 total rounds of 30/30′s (F-ing brutal, I wanted to die at the end!)

1A) Sandbag cleans

1B) L seat rope climbs

1C) Handstand Push Ups

1D) Shoulder Loaded Sandbag Lunges R/L

1E) Opposite Shoulder Loaded Sandbag Lunges R/L

1F) Blast Strap Push Ups w/ Feet Elevated

This is a killer circuit for any combat athlete or athlete in general lookinig to increase power endurance, strength endurance, and work capacity.  It’s NOT EASY!

This makes it easier to go to war with your workouts!

Get out there and blast thru some circuit!

Till Next Time

Get Forged Strong!

Travis

PS – Let me know what your favorite circuit is of all time and why!!