Finally, I have been getting some serious questions about a power cage. You may hear them called racks or lifting cages also. At any rate, they are the most important and economical piece of equipment that you can own. If I told you that I can show you about 100 different exercises that you can perform using this piece, you may not believe me.
Why?
Because when you see them in your local gym, they have not been innovatively adapted. Watch this first video to give you an idea of lots of mainstream (and maybe some not so mainstream) ideas.
I have at least another two more videos coming, that hopefully will convince you. Parents, if you're worried about safety because your daughter or son lifts alone, you must watch the video, and the others to come.
Sunday, 24 June 2012
Monday, 18 June 2012
Do something scary
I saw an interesting, and motivational statement on a co-worker's water bottle the other day that really got me thinking. I immediately applied it to myself, my family, and of course, my workouts. I sort of always did, but I probably needeed a refresher.
"Do one thing every day that scares you." That's what it said.
I thought that this was even appropriate for my workplace. I now make a real effort to try to do things that I know kind of make me feel uneasy. I'm trying to tackle more challenges outside of my workouts, and reminding myself of this statement helps.
Now, back to physical things. I was somewhat scared to run my 400 metres yesterday. I hadn't done it for probably 35 years, with an actual timing. But like I say to everyone, be innovative. Try new things, and tie them in to your total plan. My family was timing me, and I didn't want to appear soft. Half of me could have given in, but no way.
My point is, think about that statement. Are you scared to try to clear the pond on that approach shot? Are you rationalizing your fear of failure by thinking that the safe way around the pond is better? The answer is probably yes for both. That's OK, we all get uneasy. But why not go for it the odd time.
Are you scared to carry the puck down the ice, go wide, and drive the net? Are you thinking that if you get stripped of the puck, it could result in an odd man rush the other way? Are you worried about your plus/minus? I would say that the answer is yes to all three.
I'll never forget the look on my daughter's face when she finally really pushed and glided. "Daddy, I did it". Now she can skate. She was frustrated and scared to fail for a while. That's understandable. Was I angry? Of course not. I was just waiting for her to do that one thing that scared her. Once she did it, the pressure rolled off her back.
I'm now waiting for one of my students to really face his challenge. He is so talented, strong, and a great young man. Once he realizes what he can do, it will become a regular thing.
Everyone out there, try to face things that scare you a bit everyday. Don't let anyone tell you how to do it or how you should feel. This is about you. Get strong, get conditioned, get brave, and go for it.
Good Luck.
"Do one thing every day that scares you." That's what it said.
I thought that this was even appropriate for my workplace. I now make a real effort to try to do things that I know kind of make me feel uneasy. I'm trying to tackle more challenges outside of my workouts, and reminding myself of this statement helps.
Now, back to physical things. I was somewhat scared to run my 400 metres yesterday. I hadn't done it for probably 35 years, with an actual timing. But like I say to everyone, be innovative. Try new things, and tie them in to your total plan. My family was timing me, and I didn't want to appear soft. Half of me could have given in, but no way.
My point is, think about that statement. Are you scared to try to clear the pond on that approach shot? Are you rationalizing your fear of failure by thinking that the safe way around the pond is better? The answer is probably yes for both. That's OK, we all get uneasy. But why not go for it the odd time.
Are you scared to carry the puck down the ice, go wide, and drive the net? Are you thinking that if you get stripped of the puck, it could result in an odd man rush the other way? Are you worried about your plus/minus? I would say that the answer is yes to all three.
I'll never forget the look on my daughter's face when she finally really pushed and glided. "Daddy, I did it". Now she can skate. She was frustrated and scared to fail for a while. That's understandable. Was I angry? Of course not. I was just waiting for her to do that one thing that scared her. Once she did it, the pressure rolled off her back.
I'm now waiting for one of my students to really face his challenge. He is so talented, strong, and a great young man. Once he realizes what he can do, it will become a regular thing.
Everyone out there, try to face things that scare you a bit everyday. Don't let anyone tell you how to do it or how you should feel. This is about you. Get strong, get conditioned, get brave, and go for it.
Good Luck.
Here is dedication
I saw the Mother of one of my young football playing members on Saturday, which reminded me of when they used to come to my gym.
I would usually wrestle with whether I wanted to do group lessons or not. Most of the groups that I trained were hockey teams, and without fail, the coach would force these training sessions on them. Problem was, without fail, at least 70% of the players didn't want to be there. It was ultimately a waste of their time and money.
But for some reason the stars must have been aligned properly one day. The President of the local football association was really interested in seeing if there was any interest in off-season training. These kids ranged from 9 to 13 years- old, and when all was said and done, I had a group of 11-13 kids.
The first night I met these young guys, I was looking at them and thinking that I should just do an evaluation, and maybe even try to scare some of them, because I didn't want anyone there who didn't want to be. I was at the end of my road with the team training situation. If the kids didn't want to come back, that was just fine. I really only wanted the guys who wanted to learn, concentrate, put forth an effort, and then see the results.
As mentioned earlier, the stars must have been aligned that day.
I couldn't get rid of these guys. It went from a once/week situation, to twice/week. But I never said a word. It was all them.
The amazing thing was that the range of physical capabilities in the group didn't stop anyone. I would always tell them not to worry about what everyone else was doing. Do what you can do, as hard as you can.
Once a month we would do our quantitative testing. The 20 yd. shuttle, the standing long jump, the vertical jump, and the deadlift. By month three, the numbers started indicating huge positive changes. Not only that. Some extra, unwanted bodyweight was disappearing, and strength levels and self esteem were going through the roof. The boys were starting to wear proper shoes now, with the laces tightened up. Properly fitted sweat shirts, and shorts were replacing baggy rags. Heck, they were asking to use my rosin bag for their deadlift grip. This was now serious.
They lasted a full seven months, and then it repeated the following year. I had no idea who these young men were when they first walked into my gym. But they were exactly how I envisioned my gym to be, and how I know that I was when I was their age. When can you ever hear a pin drop between sets, in a 1000 square foot room? When can you go into a team training session, and hear a radio playing quietly? When can you go into a team training room and see everyone going to failure, and grunting and groaning through each set.
WOW.
These guys were doing exactly what I knew had to be done. These guys were the most dedicated group of young men that I have ever worked with. By the end of year 2, I was treating them like 22-year-old pro hockey players. These guys probably don't know it, but they were my pride and joy members.
The day that I told them that my gym was closing, most of them started to tear up, then I followed. I'm just sorry that I couldn't have found 50 more people out there like them. These guys made my life crazy, hectic for 3 hours a week: trying to spot five guys at once, and barking out orders to the other six. But these guys made me feel proud about what I was doing, and I wouldn't change that craziness for a second.
I know that some of you guys are reading this. Please don't ever be afraid to contact me, ask me for help, or just say hello when you see me. I will never forget our time together.
You guys were great.
Until next time.
I would usually wrestle with whether I wanted to do group lessons or not. Most of the groups that I trained were hockey teams, and without fail, the coach would force these training sessions on them. Problem was, without fail, at least 70% of the players didn't want to be there. It was ultimately a waste of their time and money.
But for some reason the stars must have been aligned properly one day. The President of the local football association was really interested in seeing if there was any interest in off-season training. These kids ranged from 9 to 13 years- old, and when all was said and done, I had a group of 11-13 kids.
The first night I met these young guys, I was looking at them and thinking that I should just do an evaluation, and maybe even try to scare some of them, because I didn't want anyone there who didn't want to be. I was at the end of my road with the team training situation. If the kids didn't want to come back, that was just fine. I really only wanted the guys who wanted to learn, concentrate, put forth an effort, and then see the results.
As mentioned earlier, the stars must have been aligned that day.
I couldn't get rid of these guys. It went from a once/week situation, to twice/week. But I never said a word. It was all them.
The amazing thing was that the range of physical capabilities in the group didn't stop anyone. I would always tell them not to worry about what everyone else was doing. Do what you can do, as hard as you can.
Once a month we would do our quantitative testing. The 20 yd. shuttle, the standing long jump, the vertical jump, and the deadlift. By month three, the numbers started indicating huge positive changes. Not only that. Some extra, unwanted bodyweight was disappearing, and strength levels and self esteem were going through the roof. The boys were starting to wear proper shoes now, with the laces tightened up. Properly fitted sweat shirts, and shorts were replacing baggy rags. Heck, they were asking to use my rosin bag for their deadlift grip. This was now serious.
They lasted a full seven months, and then it repeated the following year. I had no idea who these young men were when they first walked into my gym. But they were exactly how I envisioned my gym to be, and how I know that I was when I was their age. When can you ever hear a pin drop between sets, in a 1000 square foot room? When can you go into a team training session, and hear a radio playing quietly? When can you go into a team training room and see everyone going to failure, and grunting and groaning through each set.
WOW.
These guys were doing exactly what I knew had to be done. These guys were the most dedicated group of young men that I have ever worked with. By the end of year 2, I was treating them like 22-year-old pro hockey players. These guys probably don't know it, but they were my pride and joy members.
The day that I told them that my gym was closing, most of them started to tear up, then I followed. I'm just sorry that I couldn't have found 50 more people out there like them. These guys made my life crazy, hectic for 3 hours a week: trying to spot five guys at once, and barking out orders to the other six. But these guys made me feel proud about what I was doing, and I wouldn't change that craziness for a second.
I know that some of you guys are reading this. Please don't ever be afraid to contact me, ask me for help, or just say hello when you see me. I will never forget our time together.
You guys were great.
Until next time.
Wednesday, 13 June 2012
Advice for hockey and football players
Hopefully your off-season training is moving along well. It's at this time in the summer that I always have to break the good.....and bad news to my students.
The saying that you can do anything in life, unfortunately, is wrong. And worse yet, this silly, idealistic statement sets many of us up for failure, and a feeling of uselessness.
Let me explain.
If I load my bar up with 1000 pounds and try to either squat, deadlift, or bench press this, it just won't, and never will happen. Saying that I will be well over 6 feet tall when I'm 50 years old won't happen either. For someone who, at the age of 16, has a standing long jump of 50 inches, the dream of being an Olympic track star won't happen.
See what I mean? There are a thousand other examples that we can use here. I'm sorry. One of my most difficult tasks as a coach of a Junior hockey team, or the teacher of young athletes in my gym, was to break this news to young men and women. For four summers in a row, I would see the same young man come into my gym. This guy was great. A great, personable, hard-working football player. But the problem was this: his 40 yd. time was in the 5.7 second range as a 17-year-old, and by the time he was done with me, 4 years later, it had dropped to 5.2 ish seconds. Some might say that I didn't know my stuff and was to blame. Maybe. But he also went to University sprint camps. And guess what they would guarantee? Like all other cash grab programs, they guaranteed to shave a second off his time.
Really? No, it's a lie. This was too good of a kid to let this happen to, and let fail. As I became closer to him, I could have personal, serious talks with him. I eventually gave him my thoughts. He played some University ball, but then stopped to pursue his studies. I'm proud to say that he is at a prestigious University studying business, and all is good. He always wanted that 4.6 ish time. But it just wasn't going to happen.
You've now been told all about the things that you can't do.
But here is the good news. What if you put together a complete, intense, off-season program, and stick to it? What if you truly give 100% of your mental and physical resources to it? What if you go into camp knowing that you have done everything in your power to prepare?
And let the cards fall where they may.
As I have said before, it's great to see some numbers, and to have some goals. But make sure that those goals are attainable. Remember, you can't do anything you want in life. That's just the way it is sometimes. However, what you can always do, is try to make the most of what you have been given.
As a parent, I always stress effort. After that, everything will find it's way.
Try your hardest. Then you can say that you can try to do anything in life, and be proud.
Get training everyone. Camps are quickly approaching.
The saying that you can do anything in life, unfortunately, is wrong. And worse yet, this silly, idealistic statement sets many of us up for failure, and a feeling of uselessness.
Let me explain.
If I load my bar up with 1000 pounds and try to either squat, deadlift, or bench press this, it just won't, and never will happen. Saying that I will be well over 6 feet tall when I'm 50 years old won't happen either. For someone who, at the age of 16, has a standing long jump of 50 inches, the dream of being an Olympic track star won't happen.
See what I mean? There are a thousand other examples that we can use here. I'm sorry. One of my most difficult tasks as a coach of a Junior hockey team, or the teacher of young athletes in my gym, was to break this news to young men and women. For four summers in a row, I would see the same young man come into my gym. This guy was great. A great, personable, hard-working football player. But the problem was this: his 40 yd. time was in the 5.7 second range as a 17-year-old, and by the time he was done with me, 4 years later, it had dropped to 5.2 ish seconds. Some might say that I didn't know my stuff and was to blame. Maybe. But he also went to University sprint camps. And guess what they would guarantee? Like all other cash grab programs, they guaranteed to shave a second off his time.
Really? No, it's a lie. This was too good of a kid to let this happen to, and let fail. As I became closer to him, I could have personal, serious talks with him. I eventually gave him my thoughts. He played some University ball, but then stopped to pursue his studies. I'm proud to say that he is at a prestigious University studying business, and all is good. He always wanted that 4.6 ish time. But it just wasn't going to happen.
You've now been told all about the things that you can't do.
But here is the good news. What if you put together a complete, intense, off-season program, and stick to it? What if you truly give 100% of your mental and physical resources to it? What if you go into camp knowing that you have done everything in your power to prepare?
And let the cards fall where they may.
As I have said before, it's great to see some numbers, and to have some goals. But make sure that those goals are attainable. Remember, you can't do anything you want in life. That's just the way it is sometimes. However, what you can always do, is try to make the most of what you have been given.
As a parent, I always stress effort. After that, everything will find it's way.
Try your hardest. Then you can say that you can try to do anything in life, and be proud.
Get training everyone. Camps are quickly approaching.
Saturday, 9 June 2012
Follow-up on the 50 game
Sorry folks. I do have a confession to make. But I did it on purpose, to see if any of you out there have actually tried what I suggested.
I called the game 50 right? And I also said that I range between 70%-85% for my working weights right? If any of you have tried to pull this off at 85% of 1RM, and have made it, with the rest format that I have suggested, you are a far stronger human being than I have ever known.
I was purposely waiting for someone to email me and say that I'm nuts. At 85%ish of 1RM, I don't think you will ever get close to that 12-16 rep range for that first set, if you have truly found your 1RM.
Hint: If you want to work heavier like I do, take your 85% of 1RM, and play 25. Your first set will probably be in that 6-10 range. Believe me, this will crush you. But going to 50, won't probably happen. If you want to lighten up a bit, stay in that 70%ish range, and play 50. Your first set will probably be in that 12-16 range.
Sorry for deceiving you, but there was a scientific method to my madness. Try it, you'll see.
Let me know some results. Come on, you bench press guys out there, I'm curious.
Until next time.
I called the game 50 right? And I also said that I range between 70%-85% for my working weights right? If any of you have tried to pull this off at 85% of 1RM, and have made it, with the rest format that I have suggested, you are a far stronger human being than I have ever known.
I was purposely waiting for someone to email me and say that I'm nuts. At 85%ish of 1RM, I don't think you will ever get close to that 12-16 rep range for that first set, if you have truly found your 1RM.
Hint: If you want to work heavier like I do, take your 85% of 1RM, and play 25. Your first set will probably be in that 6-10 range. Believe me, this will crush you. But going to 50, won't probably happen. If you want to lighten up a bit, stay in that 70%ish range, and play 50. Your first set will probably be in that 12-16 range.
Sorry for deceiving you, but there was a scientific method to my madness. Try it, you'll see.
Let me know some results. Come on, you bench press guys out there, I'm curious.
Until next time.
Wednesday, 6 June 2012
Have you ever played 50?
As a follow-up to my last post about numbers, I'm now going to help you to actually set something up. This is obviously only a suggestion, like always. But over the years, I have found this to work. It's quantitative, will increase your single rep max (1RM), will be fun, and crush you at the same time.
But understand, this is only to be done as a barometer, unless of course, you enjoy training this way, and want to implement it a bit more frequently.
Let's call it 50.
The first thing that you must do is take a day to get a true idea of your 1RM. If you really don't want to, make sure that you are truly in the area of it, so that you can accurately estimate it.
But 1RM of what right? Deadlift, squat, and bench press. YES, deadlift, squat, and bench press. But don't worry, you may never need to go there again, just please try to follow this.
Now that you have your 1RM determined, (and have something quantitative) you need to decide what weight that you will use, and rest periods. I usually train in the 85% range on my deadlift, but about 75%ish on the bench and squat. But this is about you, not me. The key is trying to find something workable. Why? Because your rest periods are only allowed to be 2-2:30 mins. long. 70%ish will usually get your first set in the area of 12-16 reps. Anything under 12 on the first set, usually doesn't work. It's too aggressive. Anything much more than 16 reps on the first set will be too soft.
But this is where you have to decide where you are at, because now the fun starts.
Try to get out 50 reps in total. But stay strict on your rest periods. That is a key. Stop when your sets drop below 4. That's just the rules of the game. When you get your 50, it's time to change something. You will, no doubt become more anaerobically fit, and may want to drop a few seconds off your rest periods. Or you may want to bump the weights slightly.
This is a very scientific way to train. The good thing is, you will have some numbers, without lifting brutally heavy. Over my 3 decades of training myself and others, I truly believe that if you are training to failure, that's right, failure, with 70%-85% of your 1RM, you will get stronger. By trying the 50 game though, because of the rest period that must be adhered to, you will quickly find your sets falling through the floor.
I just went through this with one of my students. I am not going to tell you his numbers, because everyone has to find their own way.
His bench press was, set 1, 16 reps, set 2, 10 reps, set 3, 7 reps, set 4, 5 reps, set 5, 2 reps. DONE
His squat was 11, 7, 5, 4. DONE
Rest periods on the bench press were 2 minutes.
Rest periods on the squat were 2:30 minutes.
That, by the way, was his workout. we'll revisit this in 3 weeks time.
Guess what? He felt awful, but asked me if we can do deadlifts next. He also had a smile on his face, and can't wait to get going on all the other innovative chain, band, and board exercises that we will now get back to doing.
We have now entered a new phase of training. He can now start to enjoy the fruits of his non-quantitative training labours.
I know this may be confusing. If you need help, just ask.
Hope this works. Stay strong.
But understand, this is only to be done as a barometer, unless of course, you enjoy training this way, and want to implement it a bit more frequently.
Let's call it 50.
The first thing that you must do is take a day to get a true idea of your 1RM. If you really don't want to, make sure that you are truly in the area of it, so that you can accurately estimate it.
But 1RM of what right? Deadlift, squat, and bench press. YES, deadlift, squat, and bench press. But don't worry, you may never need to go there again, just please try to follow this.
Now that you have your 1RM determined, (and have something quantitative) you need to decide what weight that you will use, and rest periods. I usually train in the 85% range on my deadlift, but about 75%ish on the bench and squat. But this is about you, not me. The key is trying to find something workable. Why? Because your rest periods are only allowed to be 2-2:30 mins. long. 70%ish will usually get your first set in the area of 12-16 reps. Anything under 12 on the first set, usually doesn't work. It's too aggressive. Anything much more than 16 reps on the first set will be too soft.
But this is where you have to decide where you are at, because now the fun starts.
Try to get out 50 reps in total. But stay strict on your rest periods. That is a key. Stop when your sets drop below 4. That's just the rules of the game. When you get your 50, it's time to change something. You will, no doubt become more anaerobically fit, and may want to drop a few seconds off your rest periods. Or you may want to bump the weights slightly.
This is a very scientific way to train. The good thing is, you will have some numbers, without lifting brutally heavy. Over my 3 decades of training myself and others, I truly believe that if you are training to failure, that's right, failure, with 70%-85% of your 1RM, you will get stronger. By trying the 50 game though, because of the rest period that must be adhered to, you will quickly find your sets falling through the floor.
I just went through this with one of my students. I am not going to tell you his numbers, because everyone has to find their own way.
His bench press was, set 1, 16 reps, set 2, 10 reps, set 3, 7 reps, set 4, 5 reps, set 5, 2 reps. DONE
His squat was 11, 7, 5, 4. DONE
Rest periods on the bench press were 2 minutes.
Rest periods on the squat were 2:30 minutes.
That, by the way, was his workout. we'll revisit this in 3 weeks time.
Guess what? He felt awful, but asked me if we can do deadlifts next. He also had a smile on his face, and can't wait to get going on all the other innovative chain, band, and board exercises that we will now get back to doing.
We have now entered a new phase of training. He can now start to enjoy the fruits of his non-quantitative training labours.
I know this may be confusing. If you need help, just ask.
Hope this works. Stay strong.
Friday, 1 June 2012
Sometimes you need numbers
I had a very interesting week. Watching the video, you will see that two of my students faced two different situations. One was discouraged by his numbers on the bench press and the squat. The other individual is hitting a plateau. This person is intelligent, enthusiastic, and has great vision. Having said that, I don't believe he is using any quantitative exercises in his routine, to really measure his progress.
Be careful that numbers don't rule your life. However, it is always nice to feel like something positive is happening. As I have said from my first post, sometimes you just have to bend over and pick up that bar. (Or maybe a standing long jump may work)
School's in. Watch the video, and if you come up with any of your own quantitative measurements, please email me. I am always willing to learn.
Be careful that numbers don't rule your life. However, it is always nice to feel like something positive is happening. As I have said from my first post, sometimes you just have to bend over and pick up that bar. (Or maybe a standing long jump may work)
School's in. Watch the video, and if you come up with any of your own quantitative measurements, please email me. I am always willing to learn.
Try This for a Leg Workout!
Have you ever tried duck-walking up a set of stairs? Stay low, really low and up on your toes so that you don't fall backwards. See if you can do it. And maybe get someone to walk up behind you to catch you if needed. Or be ready to grab the railing if you need to, otherwise you may just fall backwards like one of my students did.
Not at a fitness store
Just got home, and must share a frustration. My daughter (who decided on the title of this post) and I were trying to find a simple rolled pad for my 7 foot bar, and her 3 foot squat bar.
Should be easy right? If you think yes, you're wrong.
We visited many places that I thought would have this simple item. Most places looked at me like I was crazy. The last place was a major Canadian retailer that had 2 huge rows of accessories.
Yoga mats, push-up bars, chin-up bars, tummy trimmers, hand weights, and every DVD available to mankind. All the DVDs showed groups of people doing these exciting step movements. They all had beautiful headbands on, along with very fashionable outfits. The titles were all either numbers, or some state of mind. And the accessories themselves all showed pictures of tanned, shaved, clean-cut models.
Now you know that I love all the alternative methods of training. I'm called Innovative Workouts right? But nothing hardcore or innovative is ever shown on these DVDs.
And when I try to find something involved with lifting weights, if it's not actual weight plates, forget it!!!!!! What a soft, marketed industry.
Don't fall for it folks. Get your own gym going, where you can do yoga, but also do chain work, band work, and slider board exercises. Then to add to everything, why not actually try to lift some weights. Wow.
Anyways, you want innovative? We bought a swimming noodle with a larger hole diameter. Came home and cut it to length. I then slit it, and there you have my roll pad. My daughter's bar is thinner, so the pad just slides on. She loves it. I'm happy. And I have had a chance to vent my frustrations, yet again, on an industry that is brainwashing millions of people. It's not going to get me, or my family.
Untll next time.
Should be easy right? If you think yes, you're wrong.
We visited many places that I thought would have this simple item. Most places looked at me like I was crazy. The last place was a major Canadian retailer that had 2 huge rows of accessories.
Yoga mats, push-up bars, chin-up bars, tummy trimmers, hand weights, and every DVD available to mankind. All the DVDs showed groups of people doing these exciting step movements. They all had beautiful headbands on, along with very fashionable outfits. The titles were all either numbers, or some state of mind. And the accessories themselves all showed pictures of tanned, shaved, clean-cut models.
Now you know that I love all the alternative methods of training. I'm called Innovative Workouts right? But nothing hardcore or innovative is ever shown on these DVDs.
And when I try to find something involved with lifting weights, if it's not actual weight plates, forget it!!!!!! What a soft, marketed industry.
Don't fall for it folks. Get your own gym going, where you can do yoga, but also do chain work, band work, and slider board exercises. Then to add to everything, why not actually try to lift some weights. Wow.
Anyways, you want innovative? We bought a swimming noodle with a larger hole diameter. Came home and cut it to length. I then slit it, and there you have my roll pad. My daughter's bar is thinner, so the pad just slides on. She loves it. I'm happy. And I have had a chance to vent my frustrations, yet again, on an industry that is brainwashing millions of people. It's not going to get me, or my family.
Untll next time.
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