LIFT HEAVY

You should be lifting the amount that’s right for you today. In your next workout you should be trying to lift more (even if you can’t do more weight, try doing one more rep, or with less rest between sets) than you did last time.

I LOVE Weightlifting

Weight lifting has definitely changed my life. Ask any person who has taken up weight lifting and you will get the same response. I guarantee it.

Powerlifting Competition

1st Place Finish @ Pure Health Performance Super Total Lift-off.

Back Squat 525
Bench Press 345
Deadlift 610

 

Hitting the Weights gives you Energy!

Weight lifting gives me so much energy. Energy to go the extra mile. Energy to take the weights to the next level. Energy to accomplish my goals. Energy to do anything I wish. You can literally feel the energy coursing through your veins throughout the day. It’s a great feeling. It’s like igniting jet fuel. It’s that good.

Deadlift Heavy

Some will tell you to just pull the weight. And some Deadlifters do manage to pull heavy weights with bad technique. But they’re the exception, not the rule. The best Deadlifters usually have the best technique. And the people who try to “just pull the weight” often round their lower back and hurt it. Don’t muscle up the weight like a caveman. Use your brain, lift with proper form and your Deadlift will increase.

Downtown Duel #3 (The CrossFit Total)

Saturday, October 10th 2015 (4:00-7:00PM)

The CrossFit Total is the sum of the best lift of each of the following; the Back Squat, the Strict Press, and the Deadlift, in that order. Athletes will be given 30 minutes at each lift, with a 30 minute rest before moving on to their next lift. (ex. Athlete has 30 minutes to Back Squat, 30 minutes to rest, 30 minutes to Strict Press, 30 minutes to rest, 30 minutes to Deadlift).

Progressive Overload

Progressive overload is a simple concept, simply meaning that with each successive workout you increase the demands placed on the muscles. You do this by increasing the amount of weight lifted or by increasing the number of reps in the set. You have to convince the body that it NEEDS to build muscle. To do this, you have to continuously push the envelope. Doing 25 push-ups a day for a year is NOT encouraging the body to build muscle. It is instead encouraging the body to condition the muscle it already has in place. To get muscle growth you have to progressively increase resistance.

Strength Training Excuses

So many people are concerned with how strength training will impact their body shape. Most common excuses for avoiding strength training are:

1. I don't want to get big and bulky.
2. I need to lose weight and burn more calories.
3. (from women) I don't want to get "manly".


Endurance Athlete: athlete who competes in sports where the length of physical exertion is greater than 10 minutes continuously without a re-set or break. Examples: Road cyclists, marathoners, triathletes


Strength  Athlete: athlete who competes in sports where the length of physical exertion is less than 10 minutes continuously without a re-set or break.  Examples: Weightlifting, Sprinters, Volleyball, Boxing, Football, Track cyclists.

Mark Rippetoes Starting Strength

Strength and Powerlifting Workout
Days Per Week: 3
Difficulty: Beginner
Designed By: Starting Strength
Reference URL: http://startingstrength.com/
Workout Goal: Increase Strength
Features: Full Body Workout

This is proven and very effective program that I have used and will put size on any person. If someone does this as a skill after a warm-up and before a CF WOD. Mark Rippetoes Starting Strength is one of the best programs for gaining strength and build muscle. It is especially great for new lifters since it provides an easy to follow template with only a few exercises per week.

Starting Strength Workout Overview
Here is the workout routine you will follow 3 days per week. You will be alternating the workouts week by week:

Week 1

Monday – Workout A
Wednesday – Workout B
Friday – Workout A
The following week

Monday – Workout B
Wednesday – Workout A
Friday – Workout B
Repeat the workouts week by week following the above example. Do not add more workouts during the week. You will be lifting heavy compound lifts that will workout your whole body each week. Your body will need the extra days to recover.

The Exercises
Workout A
Exercise Sets Reps Rest
Barbell Squats 3 5,5,5 90+ seconds
Bench Press 3 5,5,5 60-90 seconds
Deadlift 1 5 90+ seconds
Dips 2 5-8 60-90 seconds

Workout B
Exercise Sets Reps Rest
Barbell Squats 3 5,5,5 90+ seconds
Overhead Press 3 5,5,5 60-90 seconds
Power Clean 3 5,5,5 90+ seconds
Chin-ups 3 8,8,8 60-90 seconds

Assistance Work
You may be asking yourself where is the isolation or arm exercises in this workout. Since you are doing compound exercises, all muscles will be hit during the workouts. There is no need for any assistant or additional exercises.

Do not Change the Workout or Customize It!

Too many people like to change or customize a workout because they think it will work better for them. The starting strength workout has been tested with great results, so there is not need to change something that works!

Abdominal work is ok to perform. Hanging leg raises and weighted sit-ups would be recommended.

Weights to Use:
Be consistent with the weight you use each set. Do the same weight for each set. So if you do 100 lbs for the first set, do it on sets 2 and 3.

Every week make increase your weights by 2.5%. So if you do 200lbs during week one. you would do 205 lbs the next week.

Warm up Sets:
Be sure to do 3 warm up sets before your first exercise. You do not need to do warm ups for every exercise. Warmups should be about 50% your max and work your way up to your working set weight.

Example for working out using 200lbs as the working set:

100, 135, 165, then 200lbs

Dedication to Showing Up

Dedication to your workout schedule is to simply just show up. The biggest thing I’ve discovered so far is that actually dragging your butt into the gym is much harder than getting through an actual workout. Put 100% of your effort into simply showing up at the gym. Once you’re there, you’ll want to work out – trust me.

Yoga + Weight Training

I get emails all the time from different people asking great questions. Here is one about weight training and Yoga.

I am 29 yr old fairly fit guy who has recently taken up Ashtanga Yoga. Previous to doing Yoga I lifted weights three times a week (not huge amounts of weight I'm a fairly slim athletic build). I find now that the weight lifting interferes with my Yoga as my muscles haven't recovered enough so I stopped lifting a few weeks ago. Do you have this problem?

If you find weight training to inhibit your yoga practice it may simply be how you are weight training. Yoga should compliment your weight routine. Yoga can help with stretching and fluid movement. This is something that pro athletes have found to work wonders when used in combination with weights. Yoga and weight training offer a complete and balanced program for total fitness of body and mind. This will give you a better outlook on life and improved confidence in every aspect of living.

Yoga & Weightlifting

I get emails all the time from different people asking great questions. Here is one about weight training and Yoga.

I am 29 yr old fairly fit guy who has recently taken up Ashtanga Yoga. Previous to doing Yoga I lifted weights three times a week (not huge amounts of weight I'm a fairly slim athletic build). I find now that the weight lifting interferes with my Yoga as my muscles haven't recovered enough so I stopped lifting a few weeks ago. Do you have this problem?

If you find weight training to inhibit your yoga practice it may simply be how you are weight training. Yoga should compliment your weight routine. Yoga can help with stretching and fluid movement. This is something that pro athletes have found to work wonders when used in combination with weights. Yoga and weight training offer a complete and balanced program for total fitness of body and mind. This will give you a better outlook on life and improved confidence in every aspect of living.

Want to get Stronger?

1)    Lift heavy- more weight means more results
2)    5-3-1 reps per set or 5x5 at least 5 times per week
3)    Training to failure is not necessary to get big (just do work)
4)    Eat a meal as soon as possible after training and every 3 hours
5)    Plan rest days

3 year old power lifter

 It is better to light a candle than to curse the darkness.

All things at first appear difficult

Anarchy in OK Event #5

Thruster @ 285lb

 

 

With a 6 Minute Time Cap choose A or B:
Choice A:
1 Minute Max Rep Thrusters (95/65)
then...
5 Minutes to establish 1RM Thruster

Choice B:
5 Minutes to establish 1RM Thruster = 285lb
then...
1 Minute Max Rep Thrusters (95/65) = 36 reps

GET STRONG!

 

Use free weight exercises. Exercises which use free weights (barbells and dumbbells) activate more muscle fibers and are more transferable to real world activities. For this reason you will want to make these the staples of your program.

The Bear Complex

This is one rep:
1. Power Clean
2. Front Squat
3. Push-Press
4. Back Squat
5. Push-Press

Do that seven times for one round.

Do 5 rounds total working up to your max.

You can rest in between rounds.

 

I ran @ Turkey Mountain early this morning 4 miles with some friends. Then in the afternoon Denver & I did the Bear Complex. This is a beast of a workout. Warm-up 95lb, 155lb, 185lb, 185lb, 195lb, 135lb DONE

My New Training Tool (CHAINS)

I ordered some collars from Amazon and bought 2 (5') chains from local supply.Chains provide resistance through the weight of each link. As they hang off the bar and lay on the floor, the only extra weight they provide is from the links between the bar and the floor. As you lift the bar higher, more links come off the floor and add weight to the bar. I can deadlift, squat, and bench press with these 3/4" 30lbs each. PERFECT!