Plyometrics are commonly used with athletes in power sports such as American Football and Rugby. Crossfit athletes also apply simple plyometrics to their WODS. Plyometrics are basically powerful movements where you tend to shift your own body weight forcefully. Bounding and jumping are two examples of using your body weight in a powerful movement. We are going to mix it in with some kettlebell exercises like “The Manmaker!” This is a demonstration of the kettbell man maker:
If like me you really enjoy getting a sweat on in a short and intense session this is an obvious way to do it. Very often we get too used to running, rowing and doing weight based exercises in an interval format. However, give this workout a try to get a functional and tough workout. I am mixing it in with some kettlebell exercises and calisthenics. All you need is a box(24″/20″), a 24kg kettlebell (16kg for women) and your own body :
Round 1
20 x burpees
20 x swings
10 x drop lunges per leg
10 x pullups
10 x single leg box jumps per leg
1 minute rest
Round 2
20 x box jumps
20 x clap pushups
10 x kettlebell snatch per arm
5 x kettlebell man makers
20 x air squats
1 minute rest
Round 3
10 x broad jumps
15 x kettlebell jerk per arm
15 x tuck jump
10 x kettlebell snatches per arm
20 x box jumps
5 minute rest
Finsher
5 Rounds for time
15 x burpee box jump
20 swings
This should should really challenge everybody this week. Each week I have stepped up the intensity of the programme so far and plyometrics really should challenge your whole body. Functional fitness at its best! Whether you play rugby, MMA or are a crossfit athlete this may be something different you could enjoy in your training.
Whether you are training your athletes, clients or yourself it is important to always be measuring results. This could be through a couple of “benchmark WODS” if you do crossfit, max rep pressups, 1RM lifts or a 5km time. There are plenty of ways to measure improvement or set goals. On the TRX there are some excellent ways to do this. As you know with clients I am a fan of suspension training as I am a believer in being able to master your own bodyweight. In terms of measuring upperbody bodyweight endurance the TRX Upperbody 40/40 challenge is a simple and effective way to do this.
Funnily enough, in this video I actually did the exercises the wrong way round! However, it is relatively unimportant as long as you test it the same the next time. This was a year ago and I just failed the 40 on the Low Row, however,I have now scored 42/50 (Low Row,Atomic Pushup). This workout is easily recordable and engages the chest, upper back, chest and torso. If you can match 40/40 (number of reps per exercise) you are are considered a “world class athlete” by the programmers at TRX.
There is also a lower body TRX 40/40:
This is tecnhincally 40/40/40, allowing for both legs on the lunge. Another great way to test bodyweight muscular endurance with the suspension trainer. My only criticism of the two programmes is that I think the leg workout is much harder. I managed 40 on all of the exercises (only done it once when I was 8kg heavier than now) and 40 x hip press is a lot tougher than 40 x atomic pushup. That is just my opinion some people may find it easier on the legs.
Give this a try in your next TRX workout. Doing these two tests and maybe a core workout is more than enough for one session. This will create some lactic acid build up!
In the last 5 months I have properly taken up Crossfit. What I mean by this is I was not doing the occassional “benchmark” WOD in a globogym anymore I went down and joined Dragon Crossfit in Cardiff.This had led me to have a far greater understanding behind the principle that is Crossfit. I am now waiting until next month to complete my Level 1 Crossfit Qualification. With this in the last few months I have also ascertained two qualifications with Optimal Life Fitness. Their Advanced Strap Training Instructor and Olympic Weightlifting Qualification also.
Since starting doing proper Olympic Lifts and crossfit all facets of my fitness have improved. I am lighter, quicker, stronger- you see where I am going… This is something I now want to unleash on my clients, hence, the course next month. If you do not know much about it this is an excellent video to get you motivated!
Since starting Crossfit I have gotten stronger on all my lifts. I considered myself strong before Power Clean 90kg x 5 and 210kg deadlift x 5. Back then I was doing everything I was ever taught regarding nutrition and weight training. Crossfit has challenged this and certainly in my case beaten it on every level. Instead of doing a session of 5 sets of deadlifts before getting into the leg press machine and so on I now go into the gym lift hard and heavy for 3 or 4 sets on low reps and then do a met con. I now Deadlift 260kg x1 and Power Clean 125kg x1 I probably deadlift once a week heavy rather than twice and the same with all the other powerlifts and Olympic Lifts. Oh and by the way, at a bodyweight of 92kg, run a kilometre in under 4 minutes, climb rope and can now do a muscle up. Something tells me Crossfit is not a fad and will be around alot longer than Zumba!
In the last couple of months I have competed in the UK Strength and Power Series and the Divided We Fall Games at Crossfit Velocity in Swansea, UK. I competed in the UK SPS within two weeks of starting crossfit and next year I would like to do much better!
competing at DWF Games
Here is a little workout for you to try today:
20 x 24″ box jumps
5 deadlifts at 70% 1RM
200m run
5 rounds for time…
Finally, the thought that doing crossfit I would actually get stronger did not occurr to me. I took it for granted I would get fitter, more mobile and lose weight but being someone I considered to be strong already I did not think it would but 50kg onto my deadlift in 4 or 5 months! Try the WOD and post your time in the comments.
This week my programme is a Metabolic Condition Circuit putting you through a total body session. The kettlebell swing is the fundamental exercise of kettlebell training as the hip “snap” is a vital component of other exercises ,like, the kettlebell snatch and clean and jerk. In “Enter The Kettlebell” by Pavel Tsatsouline it mentions that “Steve Maxwell has flat-out stated that doing the perfect kettlebell swing alone is superior to 99% of the sophisticated strength and conditioning programmes out there.” By this he means that for athletic purposes the swing is an excellent move. The use of the hips, legs, torso and lower back make it relevant to almost all of the functional movements we do. Think of a boxer who needs to punch with strong hips, back, abdomen and legs. He will be aided in strength and power endurance by doing a kettlebell swing variation. A rugby player can be greatly aided from this exercise also with the powerful movements they have to perform. The one point I haven’t mentioned yet is they are fantastic for a cardiovascular workout. Granted, a rugby player may not use a kettlebell and swing for absolute power, he may do cleans and box jumps for this, but as a total body conditioning exercise it should be in his or her programme.
This is a great beginner workout to overload the lower back and hamstrings and practice this exercise. We will also add in some double kettlebell swings. This is a demonstration from Steve Cotter:
The format of the session is a kettlebell exercise and a plyometric exercise supersetted to constantly work the body. Here it is:
Men use 20kg and Women use 12kg (grade if needed).
Round 1
20 x burpees
20 x double kettlebell swing
10 x Clap Pressups
10 Clean and Jerk per arm
20 x Box jumps 24″
Round 2
10 x Goblet Squats
10 x Jerk per arm
10 x Burpee Tuck Jump
20 x Kettlebell Swing (single kettlebell)
Round 3
20 x Double Kettlebell Swing
20 x Snatch Per Arm
10 x Broad Jumps
10 x Snatch Per Arm
10 x Jerk Per Arm
A2 minute recovery between rounds should be sufficient. This workout should only be done 3 x maximum next week along with your other training. Doing too much of the plyometrics exercises can lead to over training the muscles. As a finisher complete this little circuit:
Men use 12kg on this and ladies 8kg. 3 Rounds for Time:
10 x Kettlebell Thrusters (Kettlebell in each arm)
3 x Get Up Per Arm
Let me know how you get on with this workout. I hope you are all becoming lean, mean and most importantly enjoying getting results!
With the tradition of New Year Resolutions and a “fresh start” mentality each year millions of people try to get fit or lose weight in January. Along with quitting smoking this is probably the main resolution that people have. Unfortunately, the vast majority of people fail in their worthwhile endeavour of getting back to a “healthy” weight or getting fitter. Many of the reasons for this are:
poor changes to their diet
quick decline in motivation
no proper education on how to achieve their goal
poor advice from areas of the industry i.e “gimmicks”
many people can “start too hard”
Help!
I am going to give you 10 tips on how to become healthy and avoid these mistakes. Losing weight can be as hard or easy as you make it. All it takes is following good advice, some common sense and will power.
Information- do not walk into the gym on the 1st of January and have no idea what you are going to do! Read upon how you are going to eat better and the sort of programme you are going to follow. If you are clueless book a few session or join classes with the BEST trainer in your gym.
Try some quality classes- Find out some of the best classes near you. Whether it be a kettlebell class, bootcamp or crossfit this will be an excellent way to train hard, effectively and help build muscle and burn fat. Also, give yoga a go to improve mobility as you get fitter- it is an important aspect of fitness.
Healthy diet- Personally, I would encourage you to follow the Paleo Diet as it is a healthy way to lose weight all over the body. Along with a quality fitness regime the paleo diet will get you in excellent condition whilst never going hungry. I tend to have allow myself one meal a week, usually on a Saturday, where I can eat what I want and maintain my low body fat levels by following the paleo lifestlye the rest of the time.
Weigh weekly- Weigh yourself every Monday morning before you eat or drink to get a true reflection of your weightloss. Weighing yourself too regularly can be a poor tool for motivation. Even if you train well and eat well constantly your weight loss is not always a constant and can lead you to make silly and knee jerk reactions about your diet and programming.
Do not starve yourself!- If you follow a healthy diet you should be eating plenty of protein and healthy fats without leaving yourself craving foods. Being hungry for long periods will lead to you eventually quitting and having a food binge. Be sensible and the weight will come off at a healthy pace.
It is not a race!- If you are 3 stone overweight and start dieting and training well do not feel pressured to have it come off immediately. Use your common sense and realise that you are not eating healthily and exercising and this will lead to you being a fitter, healthier person who is not overweight. Does it really matter whether it takes 3 months or 5 months for you to get to target weight? As long as you get there that is what counts. Remember, many people (maybe you) spent years eating and drinking badly so you cannot expect your body to change back to how it should be in days of weeks. Be patient.
Try a new sport- After a few months of training and the sign up sheet for the office basketball or fun run comes around sign up. Trying different things outside the gym will make you appreciate how far you have come.
Keep a training diary- Write down what you did in your first session and compare your times and results a month in and see how much you have improved. You will surprise yourself! Maybe take a photo of you before you started training to look back on and see how far you have come.
Community- If you join a crossfit box or a bootcamp etc get involved and make friends. These people will be a positive reinforcement on your new healthy lifestyle and will make it just a bit more enjoyable.
Long term- Be patient you will not become Rich Froning Jr or look like a fitness model overnight buy just continuously try your best and you will feel so much better about appearance and your general health levels!
Now I have given you these pointers you have NO EXCUSES! I hope this was useful and best of luck in 2012!
First of all, Happy Thanksgiving to my readers from the USA. Second of all, this is not a complete workout. These are 3 mini metabolic conditioning circuits that you may like to try after your workouts during the week. As I often say the suspension trainer is a very effective training tool and great for all types of athlete so it would be great to put these into your workout after some deadlifts, for example. However, I never use it as a sole training device. Barbells, rowing, TRX, kettlebells, plyometrics and running are all great ways to train and I believe the key is often to place them efficiently together.
If you train 3 times a week add these to the end your workout and see how you get on. This will hit every muscle in the body throughout the week with functional exercises. So put down the dumbells and forget doing your Lat Raises and try this!
Power Circuit:
Single leg squat (foot in TRX) 15 reps each side and if possible add a hop
TRX Ice Skaters with hop x 30
TRX Grappler x 10 each arm
10 burpees
Repeat for 3 rounds
Core Finisher:
TRX Saw x 15
TRX Atomic Pushup x 20
TRX Pendulum x 20
2 rounds
There are many great TRX exercises you can do. People think it is just a glorified version of gym rings but research some other functional exercises to put into your workouts. Here is a great video of some of the best TRX exercises from Fitness by AJ:
Final little circuit will be including a kettlebell 16/12kg:
5 Min Amrap:
10 x Goblet Squat
10 x Low Row
10 x Snatch Per Arm
10 x Chest Press
These are some great little “Finishers” you can put into your workouts to really get the heart and muscles going this week. Let me know how you get on.
This is going to be an overview of how my training was let down by poor advice from a relatively young age of 16 when playing rugby to a fairly high standard. The general purpose of this is to not believe everything you are told and not to be naive if you are young and starting in the gym. I made the mistake of being a bench monkey and thinking this would help me achieve athletic excellence.
At the age of 16 I moved to Scotland to a well known rugby school George Watson’s College and quickly was in the 1st XV squad and teams (several years younger than many team mates and opposition). Of course this led to representational honours and “excellence” squads where we were given what was believed to be some of the best strength and conditioning programmes for young athletes. We were a good team touring a great rugby playing country South Africa and winning 5 out of 6 games against strong opposition. We had two squash courts converted into gyms with weight training and cardio equipment. Also, with other members of “excellence” squads in Scotland we would be expected to train at the SRU gym at Murrayfield. It all sounds like we had a great pathway to becoming top semi pro or even professional players. It all sounds too good to be true. Absolute perfect setup. WRONG!!! (To be fair several people I played with at Edinburgh and school level are now professionals but they were excellent rugby players and I think they may have pushed on in spite of this rather than because of it!)
At one Murrayfield strength testing session I was one of only 3 players to be able to accomplish more than the “standard” 4 pullups. After being able to do 4 pullups you would move on to weighted pullups. WHY??? I still do not understand this. No matter what position on the rugby pitch being able to shift your bodyweight in a pullup more than 4 times can only be a benefit.
Also, we had no mobility workouts at all. Considering we were playing rugby 25 games a season for the school alone and 3 training sessions a week we really did need this. I was stiff as a board when I quit rugby and have only addressed this recently.
Our routine would consist of leg press, should press, bench press, curls, tricep presses and, sometimes lunges. What a shoddy routine to give to a bunch of guys who really did care about training and diet (which we were given little guidance on). I was never once taught how to deadlift properly. Once I was told by a “fitness assistant”, who was an old pupil, to get leg pressing heavier because I was squatting poorly due to mobility issues I had at the time!
Looking back I bought into the idea that lifting heavy was all important with no explanation on why we were using any of these exercises.
It has to be noted though that I do think that our conditioning was good and at that level is very important. In Summer, some of our running drills were tough enough that some advanced fitness enthusiasts would struggle with them. However, if we were to be taught strength training at all it should have been done right.
I believe, now remember this is for rugby, the exercises we should have been taught were squat variations, power cleans, overhead squats, deadlifts, jerks and overhead presses, bench press, pullups and box jumps/plyometrics. I believe a simple programme with these fundamental exercises would have done us the world of good. An exercise, such as, the back squat or power clean do not need to be heavy at first. The fact that you are getting a youth rugby player to properly move from point A to B in the exercise is a great thing. Remember, we were 16 and big for our age in many cases as we were rugby players. For example, within weeks of squatting with poor technique I had 110kg on my back for 5 reps. What a pointless exercise. The coaches and I would have been far better off putting 80kg on my back going through full ROM and on my heels. Rather than with a bit of wood under my heels to balance.
Now my rant is over! That was just my way of telling you, with many examples, of how you can be coached wrong during your early days in the gym. It makes me wonder if I had been taught to do power cleans and overhead squats back then if I would have been any better but I guess I will never know!
Here is an example of a simple regime I wish we had been given:
Monday Morning:
Power Clean 3-3-3
Front Squat 5-5-5
Bench Press 5-5-5
Met Con-
2 rounds of:
20 box jumps
30 Pushups
40 burpees
Wednesday Morning
Deadlift 3-3-3
Back Squat 5-5-5
Max Rep pullups x 3
Push Press 5-5-5
Thurday Morning
Max Height Box Jump x 5
Overhead Squat 10-8-5
Jerk 2-2-2
Met con:
Burpee tabata
As I stated previously, we had some good conditioning sessions on a Tuesday night and also on a Saturday morning if our game had been called off. This is a basic programme that I am suggesting should have been given to us as beginners. None of the weights would have been done maximally until we could competently complete the moves. This would have put us in a good programme with a 4 or 5 month build up of strength and power so we could go into some really heavy lifts and then gain mass.
Any young athletes out there please ask a local coach on how to complete these moves appropriately. Just because your 19 year old cousin is benching 100kg for 10 reps and is an awesome sportsman does not mean you have to rush to get there. Spend several months getting the basics right building good technical lifts and working on mobillity and come the age of 18 or 19 you will be a high performance and functional athlete.
Since starting Crossfit some 5 months ago now my lifestyle and fitness have improved dramatically. I trained hard before and felt strong and my diet was ok. I was eating the certain carb/protein ratios prescribed for bulkling and cutting. Loosely counting my calories dictated by which programme I was doing at the time.
I had researched the paleolithic diet before by reading The Paleo Diet. I understood the fundamentals of eating how we ate hundreds of years ago. For example, our dinner would consist of chicken and vegetables not of pizza and crisps. Of course, having read the book I thought the science behind it was sound and made sense. However, for year or so I never fully went with it until starting crossfit. Coach Andy at Dragon Crossfit suggested I do it properly. Along with the improvements I have made in my training with crossfit (see previous blogs) the paleo diet helped me cut fat straight away and gave me enough energy to complete my workouts efficiently.
I would like to point out I haven’t dieted when doing this. I have adopted a lifestlye. I tend to stick to this eating plan most of the week but may have popcorn at the cinema or desert at Sunday lunch once a week. It is the vast majority of the time I am eating and training well causing me to lose unecessary “bulk” weight and fat.
Here are my 5 reasons you should try going paleo:
Stop craving sugary food!- When we eat healthy vegetables, proteins and fruits our body is satisfied with the nutrients we have taken in and our energy levels. Therefore, we will not get an overwhelming hunger urge leading to an eating binge.
Lose weight- Fish, Meat, fruits and vegetables are not what make you gain weight! The idea that people are becoming obese and getting diseases because they eat too much beef is ludicrous. Krispy Kreme’s, McDonald’s, Coca Cola etc are to blame for this! We have been eating meat for 1000′s of years without this obesity epidemic so it seems this new fast food culture is more of a likely cause.
It makes you feel great and more balanced- After eating certain foods like breads and sugars we have an insulin spike or “sugar rush” which then also has a come down making you feel sluggish. Stay alert all day by keeping your sugar levels relatively low and healthy throughout the day by following this meal plan.
Forget counting calories- When you eat these nutritious healthy foods you don’t get bloated and your body tells you when it has all the nutrients and energy you need. When you feel full and don’t need anymore food that is the healthy amount of food we need to eat. For example, if you have been sat down all day and you get 3/4 way through your steak and veg you may not need the rest and feel full. If you have just been playing sport for an hour you may need an extra helping of vegetables.
Enjoy it!- Some of the paleo meals from some great online sources of books, such as, The Paleo Diet Cookbook have some really tasty meals in. It doesn’t have to be mince meat and brussel sprouts day in day out. Get organised and enjoyed.
I hope some of you take this up and enjoy the healthy eating lifestyle this encourage. Lose fat and weight while feeling brilliant.
I am not telling most of you gym goers anything new when I say the deadlift is one of the keys to functional strength and fitness. Whether you are a Strongman, Hockey player or gym enthusiast looking for fat loss a variation of the deadlift has to be in your training regime. Of course, with the appropriate rep ranges.
Along with another powerlift, the squat, deadlifts are important for total body power and strength. The deadlift is a compound exercise using many major muscle groups in your body and, when performed correctly, are key for to building muscle mass to burning calories.
Essentially, the deadlift measures how strong you are in the movement of picking something from the floor to hip level. Like picking up a box, luggage and many other examples which I am sure you can think of. How often do you bicep curl in your daily life? Especially considering drinking or eating isn’t a bicep curl! We deadlift all the time in our lives without realizing so why not make life easier and safer for ourselves? It is a movement that we can and should all have relative strength with.
Why?
Using your torso, back, legs, forearms, traps and hips it demands every muscle to work hard. As we know the more muscles you use in the body the more calories you can burn if you are interested in fat loss and the more testosterone you release creating an anabolic reaction (muscle building) in your muscles.
I have explained before about why for the average person it is a good exercise for picking up suitcases etc. However, it is even more important for the athlete. Why as an athlete would you do several different isolation exercsies for your traps, arms, back, torso and legs when you can do all of this in several sets with one exercise. By utilising your big compound movements like deadlift, jerk squats etc then you can hit your whole body much more functionally and EFFICIENTLY! I think of the deadlift as a good “more bang for you buck” exercise.
If you are like me and you just want to be strong and fit it is one of the greatest exercises you can do. The deadlift is my greatest (and favourite) exercise as I can lift 3 x my bodyweight which is a fair achievement. Here is a clip of my 270kg deadlift the other day:
This is a video of a MAXIMAL lift. There is a video further on illustrating technique I would like you to apply. My technique is ok in the video but remember I was lifiting as heavy as possible so form can go slightly out of the window.
As stated in my previous blogs I am training using the crossfit method. I am happy with my mass and body composition so I am not training for fat loss or hypertrophy just to be “crossfit” and strength is a key component of this. Just imagine how much easier picking up a suitcase or boxes at work could be if you get deadlifting or improve your current record. As we all know lower back problems happen to many people in their early 40s and onwards. With correct technique and sufficient mobility work doing an exercise like the deadlift can keep these problems at bay. Having a strong midsection to your body is very important.
Here is a good video illustrating the proper technique for a deadlift:
Remember, it is not a race to getting as heavy as you can. Lift hard and heavy without putting yourself in danger of injury. Happy lifting folks!
I will be doing weekly TRX and/or Kettlebell demonstration videos and programmes to follow each week.
From athletes to begginers in the gym the TRX suspension system and kettlebells are two of the most effective for overall fuctional strength, endurance and for keeping body fat levels low. By the nature of the movements we perform with these pieces of equipment they are high in repetitions and can be made explosive. With clients, especially beginner clients, I very often use these two methods of training and mix them into tough circuits. By utitlising the TRX and Kettlebells at the same time you can easily make the workout challenging for the whole body and burning plenty of calories whilst improving power, mobility and proprioception.
This is an exercise called the single leg power squat. Essentially, with one foot in the TRX I sink all the way to the floor, similar to a sprint start position, and just jump. Trust me this is a great way to develop single leg explosiveness:
So this is a circuit you are going to complete:
Round 1:
10 burpees
20 x 24kg or 16kg Kettlebell Swings
10 x TRX Single Leg Power Squat per leg
20 x TRX Low Row
20 x Tuck Jumps
Round 2:
10 x 24kg or 16kg Snatches per arm
20 x Tuck Jumps
20 x TRX Chest Press
10 x Piston Squats per leg
10 x TRX Single Arm Row per arm
20 x Burpees
Round 3:
Repeat Round 1.
This is the TRX Low Row an excellent TRX exercise:
This workout, challenges the body with plyometrics, kettlebells and suspension training. Give it a go and give me some feedack…if you aren’t sweating work harder!
