Coach Giz Blog

Developing Explosive Hips

2011-01-16T07:27:00.000-08:00

This is a slight variation on a fundamental ancillary lift - The Split Hang Clean Pull provides a stable platform to develop explosive hips along with a staggered stance to accelerate the transferability from training into the real world

The idea here is to show three separate videos and focus on a positive and also an area we'd like to improve upon. As you can see there are multiple things during each rep that each athlete is doing well and not so well. These are variations of movements that are Olympic sports - in other words... strive for perfection with the intension of achieving excellence. My cues are based on what I think would be most vital to improving technique and the subsequent transferability to high performance for sport (in this case rugby). So, don't get all miffed by trying to correct everything for every lift - pick one facet, just one small area you'd like to improve; and focus on one cue that can help you do it better.
I trust these short clips will help you cue yourself or athletes you train to get 1% better everyday!

Ankle Health

2011-01-06T12:46:00.000-08:00

Whether to prevent a sprain or perfect your ability to cut on a dime - use this series of exercises to optimize your ankles

This a very easy to follow corrective exercise protocol to keep your ankles healthy. And with healthy ankles comes increased stability, mobility, and productivity. Improve your lateral movement as well as your ground based strength and power. Follow these simple exercises in order to get the most our of this key joint:
Check the video for more details:
1. Self Myofascial Release or what we at ZoneReady call Self Care: Hit the outside part of your calf on each side for about 90seconds.
2. Active/Isolated Stretching of the outside of your calf. Hold each rep for 2seconds and then release for 15reps on each side.
3. Ankle Js with your feet elevated. Do both at the same time for 20 reps each - isolate the movement at the ankles, don't let the hips get involved.

Deadlift Anywhere

2011-01-04T06:59:00.000-08:00

Sometimes you gotta grab onto something heavy and just pull - make sure your core is the strong link!

Nothing too detailed here, just a healthy reminder to:
a.) Create tremendous intra-abdominal pressure when you lift. This is the appropriate breath hold in combo with the tightening of inner and outer unit musculature to create optimal torso rigidity. In short: hold your lungs at 75% capacity, fight your abdominals out like a sneeze, and GO! (Please make sure you get a yearly physical). I teach this concept with all the teams and groups I work with and go into extreme detail during 1on1 sessions. I apologize for cursing over it today - keep checking in and I'll continue to drop some nuggets as '11 rears on!
and...
b.) Remember "functional training" is only that, if it empowers you to do something that you want to do. Keep on with your deadlifts, cleans, thrusters, zercher squats, 1-arm alternating kettlebell split snatches, etc. There is a time for focused skill and strength gains in one area and a time to expand your ability to harness generalized motor programs that keep you strong and athletic for the real world. To truly master both - realize that all training is functional in the long run. More on my thoughts on this in the future.
CV

Clean Ancillary - Hang Clean from Mid-Thigh on Boxes

2010-12-08T10:00:00.000-08:00

Create a more sudden 2nd pull by using plyo boxes as a starting point for your hang clean

Use the Hang Clean from Mid-Thigh on Boxes if you have the following issues:
1. Start bending your elbows prior to 2nd pull.
2. As you explode - your back extends before your hips, knees and ankles do.
3. Lacking optimal aggressiveness at GO time!

This lift is awesome for athletes who want to have explosive legs and hips and subsequently fast hands. It's important not to rip the bar off the boxes. Instead, let your hips and legs do the work by initiating and moving the bar as far/fast as possible. Then, get lightening quick and get yourself underneath everything to finish.

Beginners... use light weight and strive for near perfection in your posture. Be patient with your rack, get your hips to extend completely. 95-135lbs (40-60kg) of 3-4 sets for 5 reps is a winner.
Advanced... You'll probably start counting working sets around 65-75% of your clean max. Use it like any other ancillary lift to increase bar speed and improve technique.

Increase Overhead Squat Performance

2010-11-29T11:34:00.000-08:00

Increase your stability in the bottom position for your Snatch and Overhead Squat

Here's a little twist on a strength and conditioning stand-by: the Overhead Squat. And by twist, I'm talking about ensuring the rock solid position necessary to lock-out, bottom-out, and finish your snatch or overhead squat. Twisting, bending, wobbling, etc. are the enemy of any successful lift and a sure fire way for an athlete to get hurt or have little to no transferability from the gym to the arena.
Having a partner provide slight rotational force on a dowel while in the overhead squatting position is what we term as rhythmic stability. This is about finding the "middle way" - the route that ensures balanced contraction from both sides and from all angles. This simplified definition asks one thing from the athlete and one thing from the partner.

- Athlete must keep proper posture for the entire exercise. Never sacrifice technique or structural integrity for achievement.
- Partner must only provide enough force to ensure that the athlete can be challenged and still maintain posture.
Both must work together - no job trumps the other; just accept that this is not a "tug-o'-war" - it's about teamwork.

Doing this exercise correctly yields multiple benefits:
1. Decreased stress on our skeletal system as well as on tendons, ligaments, and joints. The muscles have to contract appropriately, especially those small stabilizer muscles that then allow the big muscles to move the big weight and apply explosive force into the ground.
2. Improved respiration while performing intra-abdominal contraction - this will improve transferability to real life. The training for this exercise extends as your ability to perform it improves - endurance is the key. Stop counting reps - improve performance by extending time under tension with excellent form. This is priority for preventative maintenance exercises as they help our major lifts and improve functional strength and power. By increasing the length of the set and breathing more efficiently you promote transferability to the real world where counting reps is obsolete and respiration is essential.
3. Improved compliance to high performance training... we need variety, altered demands, and interaction with our friends, teammates, etc. The timing and force vectors for this exercise is always different/changing, and there is just something to be said about resisting and fighting against good ole fashioned man (or woman) power.

Clean Ancillary - Hang Clean Pull

2010-11-24T10:45:00.000-08:00

Own your 2nd pull... and have a little extra pop in your hips for anything life throws at you

I can't get enough of triple extension... it is needed in nearly every sport and there are so many great ways to train it. The Hang Clean Pull is just one of the many exercises we do with our athletes to bring out the animal in their glutes and high hammies. I love the clean pull off the ground that USAW showcases... the ZR Hang Clean Pull version is easier to learn, more specific for sport specific lifting, and just as beneficial.
I cover a lot of details in the video, but here's a quick list of the benefits and the applications-->

Benefits:
1. Simplify the hip extension movement which is so valuable to moving big weight or doing big things in most sports.
2. Teach young athletes and reaffirm to ole salty vets the reason why we are doing cleans to begin with - technique + assertiveness = success.
3. Build confidence... you can rep out 125% plus of your clean max for this lift.

Applications:
- Perform a set or two prior to doing clean for strength or power development - this will excite your nervous system and get you ready to rock.
- Hit a rep before each full clean or power clean rep - this is an "on-th-spot" self coaching tool, great to ensure your moving the bar with your hips before your arms.
- Hit 3-5 sets of 2-5 reps of big resistance (90-125% of your clean max) on days after you hang clean or on days you're only snatching.

Squatting Below Parallel

2010-11-16T15:38:00.000-08:00

Get your squat grooved just right to reap the maximum benefits (and stay in one piece)

Two issues that every coach and athlete must face when it comes to the squat:
1. Maintaining posture throughout an entire squat, especially at the end range/bottom position.
2. Maintaining the necessary intra-abdominal pressure to keep the pelvis and trunk connected.

Losing either of these battles leads to a shortened career squatting, due to lack of performance and/or injury. For this video, I really want to dial into grooving that ideal squatting motion or hip hinge. All the while keeping the low back with an acceptable lordosis. You'll find your spine staying healthier, your hamstrings and gluteals being utilized more (thanks for the feedback 2nd day DOMS), and an improved endurance for stabilizing your core. My focus will be on addressing issue #1 for this blog, my application will be the air squat.

Dial in and get these 5 things done to improve your below parallel squat:
1. Claw the ground with your toes
2. Spread the earth without letting your feet move
3. Initiate the downward motion by pushing your hips back smoothly
4. Allow the knees to bend
5. Keep your bodyweight on your heels

Remember...
- Aim your butt BACK & DOWN - use a box or a bench as a target and kiss it with your cheeks.
- Hold onto a stable structure while air squatting to put more stretch on the hamstrings and elicit more from your posterior chain.
- Increase your range just like you would increase your strength; gains are made over time with consistency and dedication.

Transferability

2010-11-15T07:47:00.000-08:00

We all love to train and work hard, but do we want more than just a "good workout" from our hour or two in the gym?

I always enjoy meeting up with my former coach and current good friend and colleague Mark Lovat. We have engaging conversations that range from the technical applications of our craft to the personal growth that comes from fortifying the mind-body connection. Human performance coaching and training is a engaging business and when done right can lead to a lifetime of fulfillment for both the coach and the athlete.
Currently, Mark is in charge of the strength and conditioning for the Packers. He was the assistant during my playing days, but now he is the head honcho and is making the most of his well deserved opportunity. As a player, I admired Mark's broad scope of knowledge - he knew his shit and had a passion to learn more. But as strong as his brains were; Mark's gut (his instincts) were even better. Coach Lovat had a knack for getting the best out of everyone, myself included. I highlighted best for a reason, because we typically think that we have to give our "most" when it comes to training. And as Coach Lovat taught me: your "most" isn't enough, you must give your best for this training thing to work. Follow me on this...
I was the typical blue collar, midwest, linebacker, wrestler type of athlete. If it didn't hurt then I didn't want to do it; I felt I needed to bleed for every victory. I would lift to failure, run to exhaustion, vomit, cramp, tear my hands open, rinse, and repeat. It bordered on self-flagellation - and it started to cost me. Injuries, less than optimal results, burn-out, etc. were starting to get my attention - what more do I need to do?!? I wanted results for the football field first - I needed to get stronger, bigger, faster, more explosive, and more resilient against injuries. What I was doing was closer to the opposite, I was breaking myself down and spinning my wheels too often. Fortunately, I took a deep breath and began the process of learning that there was a better way to train. But when you get some good results from "hammering down" and "sucking it up" it is tough to shift the paradigm. And... sometimes more importantly - your confidence is tied completely to this "what you put it in is what you get out" mentality.

Like I was saying, my eyes started to open a bit - I was blessed with some awesome coaches along the way. Learned some amazing things that transcend what they print in the books and some fun applications that create very dramatic training effects. This stuff was great, but what I learned from Coach Lovat was novel. At this same time, I also started to notice it was standard operating procedure amongst the NFL elite.
What was finally coming to light for me was that my "most" wasn't getting it done! I had to do my best and I had to do it everyday. I saw the salty vets doing it... Darren Sharper, William Henderson, Donald Driver, etc. And I noticed how Mark would elicit the best from other players as well. He had a knack for mixing in what guys needed to do in order to perform and still maintain their confidence and fill their need for an exercise fix (getting a "good workout"). Too often the idea of "training smart" is associated with sub-maximal exercises, active recovery, technical learning - in short, necessary but less than demanding applications or "entertainment training" as it is commonly referred to in training circles. This isn't the case with the pros baby! Training smart means training hard at the right time - but it's all about putting it out on the field, to get it to transfer and transfer consistently. It was a revelation for me and took my training to a whole new level.
I got stronger, faster, leaner, faster, more whatever-you-need-to-play-better-er! I wish I just learned it sooner.
All training is cumulative, the wears and tears from the sins of my youth led to some surgeries and permanent structural changes. But no fear here, I continue to learn and practice what I preach - my body is as healthy and fit as ever. Mark found a way to convince me along with many other players from varying backgrounds, training histories, and work ethics to have our cake and eat it too. Getting training to transfer demands science, it also demands that the athlete trusts the system. The coach's job is to gently merge the two, sometimes unbeknownst to the target (athlete). In time, a mature athlete will accept a better way - the paradigm will shift and so will his/her results.
As a coach, what can we do to help our athletes ease this transition. Maybe you're competing or maybe you just want a healthy lifetime of fitness. Regardless, here's a few pointers that can help:

- Mix corrective exercise throughout a workout. Sometimes a full 15minutes of necessary (but boring) injury prevention exercises can dull the mood and athletes lose their drive. Get the essentials in the beginning to ease into the warmup, and save the ancillary correctives for select times to use as a rest between more demanding efforts. Check out this workout we call 60in60 for an example of strategic applications of injury prevention and variable energy eliciting efforts sprinkled though out a workout. For exercise videos that coincide with the workout, check: http://zoneready.net/FunctionalTraining.asp

- Layout the yearly plan so the athletes see where they are going and how you'll help them get there. If you're making up workouts as you go along, you're just filling the hour and you know it! True training requires the ability to work from goal achievement back to through to where you're at now. See the big picture in your mind and on paper before you start applying paint to the canvas.
- Measure a few things and do so consistently. Testing maxes, PRs, times, circumference or goniometric measurements, etc. every 4-6weeks does three things... 1. Let's you know what you're doing is having an effect (now, just make sure you're measuring the right stuff, more on that another time!); 2. Keeps the athlete's confidence high - crucial for buy in and compliance; 3. Prevents most occurrences of overtraining which means less injuries and more fun.

This is one of the more fascinating topics in our industry - would love to hear your thoughts or share your story, coaches and athletes alike.

Long Lasting Grip Strength

2010-11-11T16:21:00.000-08:00

Keep your grip healthy so it can get stronger and stay that way for years to come

We are "training" our grip strength on a daily basis. The good news is that the musculature and tendons in our forearms and hands are built for this kind of abuse. If you're into training - then you're guilty of overdoing it from time to time. Furthermore, if you live in anything but a 3rd world country then you make your living operating a computer and/or mobile device to varying degrees. Grabbing, crunching, pinching, squeezing, holding, plunging, gouging, typing, tapping, texting and so forth are part of your life and will continue to be for some time to come. Our paws were built to last, but the volume and continuous stress may be more than we can get our hands around.
Give yourself an opportunity to sustain this abuse - hit the stretches and a couple of easy exercises in your spare time. The stretches will relax and lengthen the overused tissue - typically associated with all the grabbing, crunching, etc. movements that are common place. The corrective exercises will strengthen the small hand movements that don't necessarily get trained. Together, you can extend the life of your hands, wrists, and elbows.
For the stretches... Perform 1-2sets and hold for 15-30sec each paw. Or perform the active-isolated version by holding a gentle stretch for 2sec and then releasing for a sec, repeating for 10-20reps each.
For the exercises... 2-3 sets on each side. Spreading the fingers begs for about 30 reps for some smoke, 50reps for the fire - work up to that. The manual resistance finger extensions will need 15-20reps at a slow pace. Make sure either exercise takes 30-60sec to complete on each side.

Essential Fats

2010-11-10T08:25:00.000-08:00

A quick skinny on getting the right source of fats in your high performance diet

I was stuck - in a pinch - no opportunity to escape. I was stuck watching the weight-loss phenomenon known as "The Biggest Loser" and I feared I'd lose an hour of my life never to be seen again. In short, I'm not a big "appointment TV" watcher and engineered drama is completely wasted on me. Nevertheless, I was gonna make the most of it and learn something... anything.
Here's what I learned - the public is becoming educated on the terms saturated and trans fats. In the same breath they are feeling encouraged to consume the "good fats" as part of a healthy diet. It wasn't too long ago that those inclined to achieve aesthetic perfection avoided fat of any kind. The belief that nutritional fat was/is/becomes body fat - and that the consumed fat source would bypass the digestive track and attach to the seemingly unsightly fat deposit area on the body. Some still abide by this belief - but thanks to Jillian this wive's tale seems to be dying.

This is not a good source of Omega 3s

If the public opinion is shifting in the right direction, then as high performers we should definitely keep up and more often stay ahead of the power curve. The training and execution of a program seems to be our first love. We can be neglectful, I'm as guilty as anyone. I've had stints where my type-A nature goes 100mph, my nutrition gets "dialed in," and the results are plentiful. I've also had spells where I ate whatever and lucked out or didn't set myself too far back. Either way, I learned from the process. Now, as I 'm older and hopefully a little wiser, I strive to find a more sensible - easy to follow - and results producing plan... Thanks Jenn Reed!

This is more like it!

Back to chewing the fat... let's make this simple. Let's AVOID and let's INGEST the following fat sources. Combined with the right macro-nutrient breakdown (Protein-Carbs-Fats), finding room for fats in our diet is essential. Benefits are tremendous on our long term health - reduced cholesterol, lowered blood pressure, decreased body mass index, defuse any blood sugar level abnormalities, and ease on the digestive system. For the high performer who wants tangible output and wants them now, avoiding and ingesting from the following suggestions will:
1. Improve work capacity via enhancing metabolic pathways (how efficiently your body can use its energy stores).
2. Accelerates the recover process, especially assisting in delaying the negatives affects of overtraining.
3. Increased cognitive performance, especially when under duress.

AVOID	INGEST
- Hydrogenated oils (aka - Crisco)	+ Avocado and olives
- Soft butters and all margarines	+ Canola, olive, flax seed oil
- Hard cheeses	+ Corn, soy, safflower or sunflower oil
- Anything packaged or processed	+ Coconut oil and milk
- Anything fried When in doubt...read the label...	+ Salmon, mackerel, tuna, trout, herring or sardines
...and be weary of saturated and trans fats	+ EFA supplements with a 3:1:1 Omega-3 to Omega-6 to Omega-9 ratio
	+ Butters or nuts: macadamia, walnuts, almonds, pecans, sunflower seeds and a few cashews and peanuts

Healthy Hips

2010-11-08T08:42:00.000-08:00

Some active stretches to increase ROM and recoverability for your hips - but your low back, knees, and ankles will thank you too

I get asked a lot by folks about great stretches for the hips. Usually, the inquisitor has nagging symptoms or some acute trigger that shows itself in a specific movement pattern, like squatting below parallel. And just as often, the question comes more specifically out as a need to stretch the internal and external rotators of the hip (femur). Always obliging, I share the active isolated stretches as shown above. Here's why these four stretches are winners:
- These stretches allow you to articulate the joint at different angles promoting increased adaptability and eventually transferability to your endeavor.
- Allowing the head of the femur to break free from its routine range of motion reduces toxic buildup in the joint and is a useful tool to promote learned and not rigid hip ranges and stability (more on attractor wells another time).
- In a more relaxed position (lying on your back) there is a greater opportunity to allow any inhibiting spasms in the area to dissipate which in turns allows the muscles that you are targeting to stretch. If the compensating muscles or prime movers are locked as to protect the joint and more than likely part of a dysfunctional motor recruitment program, they will prevent the smaller internal and external rotators from experiencing the stretch they need.
- The active-isolated stretching mechanics demands as much from the targeted (agonist) lengthened muscles as it does the opposite (antagonist) shortened muscles. This improves your motor learning and promotes a long term relationship between muscles on opposite side (or at least in opposite roles) around a joint. To put it another way, you won't get that deadened feeling in your muscles after doing this stretch - it really will warm you up.
- They don't take long to do and you can do 'em cold - that get's you up and going after the fun part of the workout!
- Increased hip mobility also improves articulation and joint health in the surrounding joints - back, knees, and ankles. Our bodies are just one long chain, don't let there be a weak link.
If you want to know more - just shoot a comment below and I'll get back to you.

Execution...
Perform 1-2 sets of 15reps on each leg of each of the four stretches shown. Hold each stretch for only 2seconds to get the benefit of the active isolated stretching concept, longer is not better! You can get a towel or stretch rope or even do with a partner.
Have at it and keep that whole chain healthy and swinging!

Core Training

2010-11-04T08:19:00.000-07:00

Build an athletic "core" and keep low back and knee injuries away at the same time

Core training is so much more than sit-ups, side crunches, and back extensions. All of the aforementioned are fine exercises - but they're limited in their ability to transfer into the real world. And sometimes, if you saturate your program with exercises that lack transferability - it can actually deaden your ability to perform. Ask the crunch and sit-up aficionados to run with appropriate forward lean and optimize their hip extension in the drive phase. No chance... you'll get someone who is hunched over thinking he's staying low and short stepping his acceleration because his hips and adductors are too tight and his glutes are latent.
All this to prove my point - train your core to deliver on "Gameday."
- If you like to lift big weight, train your ability to maintain an abdominal brace.
- If running's your thing, teach your core how to remain engaged while respirating naturally.
- If your changing directions and reacting in your sport, then get your core trained to be able to transition it's ability to stabilize and mobilize within those various demands.
Here's the good thing about the above video... it's good for all the demands listed above! Furthermore, it isolates motion within the transverse or rotational plane. Better yet, it teaches you how to decelerate in that plane. Highly needed since upwards of 90% of all back and knee injuries typically happen as we try to decelerate or slow down within this transverse plane of motion.
Hit the Rhythmic Stability exercise before, during or after any type of training. It works for everyone, regardless of sport. Just start controlled and slow - learn it, own it, then condition it!

Clean Ancillary

2010-11-01T14:55:00.000-07:00

To bump up your clean…improve hip extension on your 2^nd pull with the hang clean frommid-thigh

Is your clean not climbing likeit used to? Are you constantlybeing cued to get better extension through your hips and frustrated that intensionis not turning into positive action? Do you want an exercise that highlights the essence of explosiveness andis more transferable to real life that any other Oly lift?

Any "Yes-es?"
Then let’s start doing HangCleans from the Mid-Thigh!

This exercise forces you toextend from the hips in order to move the bar. Two big positives that you’ll get…
1. Increasedability to explode from a stationary position – in other words, break inertia like ahorse out of the gate.
2. Gainawareness of the difference between hip extension and back extension – crucialif you want to lift big and stay healthy.

Follow the tips and cues in thevideo – some things to keep in mind:
   - Startwith body weight into the heels more than the toes.
   - Keepchest up, avoid doing a “power back extension"
   - Nomovement before you hit this movement – leave momentum and any bad habitsbehind.

Beginner’s…

Start very light and work onyour bar speed. This has moreto do with learning a skill than it does with having you sweat and get a “good”workout. Start by doing thingsright and develop champion habits; build a foundation for a mansion not an outhouse – comprende? Guys stick with between 40-50kg(90-110lbs), gals use 20-30kg (45-70lbs). 3-4sets of 5reps with 90sec rest in between will do ya good!

Advanced…

Keep your arms out of this asbest you can. Remember, the reasonwe’re doing HCs is because we’re probably “muscling” our clean – let the hipsdo all the work. Set your acute variables like you would any other platform exercise, just take your resistancedown 10% to accommodate the hang clean from mid-thigh starting position. Lowering the bar and catching inbetween reps is feasible for warm-ups and lighter efforts, but for your workingsets - drop from the racked position and reset for each rep.

The starting position is key - Get that nailed down then get aggressive!

Pain Relief and Active Recovery for Your Legs

2010-10-29T10:18:00.000-07:00

Maintain your training volume and intensity

SMR or self myo-facial release... we've all heard it thrown around in the gym, box or otherwise, but how can it really help us AND is 3-5 minutes of rolling around on the ball really going to make us bigger, faster, and stronger? There is a lot of things we can do in 5 minutes, including a shit-ton of entire WOD's, so why spend the time? After all, we've got photos to post...

Here's why:
Have you ever felt your IT Band? Do you really know what it does and why we should keep it healthy?
While seated, probe and feel the outside of your legs. Now, stand up and tap it with a couple fingers. Kinda feels like a long skinny trampoline, doesn't it? Well, that trampoline can get wound a little too tight sometimes from repeated use; inhibiting it's ability to act as a shock absorber for your knees and hips. This can cause limited range of motion and quickness, as well as leaving you increasingly susceptible to more acute injuries... and some nice "recovery" time.

But there is a help! Using self myo-fascial release (aka "rolling out") along with appropriate stretching and timely devised corrective exercise can really make a difference.

Here is the Rx to running faster and jumping higher:

If you can take the pain... do one set on each side and either roll on it for 30seconds or find the most tender point and flex and extend your knee for 20-25reps. Do this daily before training, strength, MetCon or otherwise...
If you need an easier route... use a softer medball or foam roller and perform for at least 90seconds on each side. Combine rolling and pausing for that entire duration because you should feel less pain and sensitivity with repeated application.

...To your happy release!

Squatting Alternative

2010-10-28T05:08:00.000-07:00

Increase starting strength on one leg

Back squatting, front squatting, and other ground based movements are a must for any athlete serious about getting stronger. If your an athlete that needs to run/sprint/jump/changing direction than you must also make time and energy for some uni-lateral exercises and lifts too. The neuro-muscluar benefits are all there, plus it can add years to your low back and hips.
I really committed to more one legged and split squatting after I popped a high hammy back way back when. The Bulgarian Suspended Split Squat is more on the advanced side of uni-lateral squatting movements - but if you maintain slow tempo and stay conservative on your range of motion, even a beginner can enjoy this exercise. This version is nice as a specific warm-up exercise, use in a circuit or for strength and power development for the more experienced lifters.

For Warm-up do 1-2sets of 8-12reps on each leg using only body weight. Rest as needed. Tempo: first set slow up/down, second set slow going down and a little more explosive coming up)
For Beginners during a workout do 3 sets of 15 reps on each leg again with only body weight. Rest 1min rest between sets. Tempo: keep it slow there rookie - if you want it tougher, then go down reeeeeeeeeeeeealy slow)
For the Advanced athlete during a workout - let's plan for 5 total sets in a modified pyramid.
   Set #1 - 8reps each leg @ body weight. Rest 1min. Tempo: 2210
   Set #2 - 6reps each leg @ 15% of back squat max. Rest 90s. Tempo: 2211
   Set #3 - 6reps each leg @ 25% of back squat max. Rest 90s. Tempo: 2011
    Set #4 - 4reps each leg @ 35% of back squat max. Rest 2m. Tempo: 20X1
     Set #5 - 3reps each leg @ 40% of back squat max. Rest= Stretch glutes/hammies. Tempo: 20X1
BTW: if you don't understand the Tempo #s than you're not advanced yet, get after that beginner workout!

Speed Ladder... Animal Style

2010-10-26T19:07:00.000-07:00

Get your quickness training to transfer

Fast, low, nasty and just slightly outta control - that's how I coach the speed ladder. None of this packaged, technique, fluffy stuff that in no way resembles how an athlete really moves. I'm all in favor of learning how to do things correctly and gaining confidence and establishing rhythm - but when that's on the level, hammer down baby!

FAST - Get through the drill with break-neck speed. This ensures that your arms are moving quick. And when arms move quick, your feet (via the legs) move quick!
LOW - Barely get your feet over the ladder/web. This ensures they get down quick and you can push to redirect. If you're teaching high knees in the ladder - then you've got the wrong piece of equipment, get the hurdles out instead. For the ladder, focus is on frequency as it relates to your ability to interact with the ground. The feet hug the ground and push in with appropriate and necessary force to get the job done. The best athletes do this when reacting and changing direction.
NASTY - Get aggressive and chew the earth and equipment up. When did touching a ladder with your foot signify performance failure? I'll tell ya when, when a lazy coach didn't feel like resetting the equipment - that's when! Think about it - do you stop competing when you trip, stumble, or even get knocked on your ass? That's a rhetorical question - "train the way your going to fight" and Charlie Mike ("complete the mission") as we say at the Academy.
SLIGHTLY OUTTA CONTROL - Just short of creating a complete yard sale - progress thru these drills with borderline reckless abandon. You should be falling forward with your feet forced to catch up to your body. This is where and when the actual transferable training effect occurs.

Here's a 1min demo - Never Stop...

Gym Etiquette

2010-10-25T18:45:00.000-07:00

What to do in the gym, weight room, box, dojo, etc. to keep yourself welcome

Some folks just don't get it. There's just something about them that makes their presence just a little off-putting. At their best, they mark their territory (don't worry it's only sweat) and at their worst they outright give people the creeps. A small percentage of this group are inconsiderate DBs. However, most offenders are just making honest mistakes. For whatever reason, they never learned from any parental modeling or had no high school sports experience whatsoever. No judgement here - but let's help them out without singling them out. Hate the sin, not the sinner.
For added measure let's ensure these guidelines get deep into the brains. So instead of telling people NOT to do something, I will (hopefully clearly) tell them what TO DO instead. Because as we all know, the subconscious mind only remembers in the affirmative. And - I also like putting my own "shoe up the ass" sort of spin on things too. Here goes...

1. Return all equipment back to where you found it
Race all equipment back to the place you found it immediately after you're done with an exercise. All plate trees, dumbbell racks, medball shelves, band hooks, even the corner that acts as a hangar for the kettle bells are finish lines for an secret society of an underground racing league. You've seen "Fight Club," "Eyes Wide Shut," and "The Skulls" - amateurs compared to these badasses. Don't believe me - that's fine, you wouldn't have been able to hang anyway.
2. Clean up your sweat
Human sweat futures have risen consistently over the last few years despite all other economic hardships - collect it in bunches while the gettin's good. Exercise and training just seem to pull it right out of ya - sure you'll go nuts trying to grab every drop, but keep your attention on large pools that seem to accumulate underneath you and especially on equipment you have just used. Vacating without sopping up and you run the risk of the next person stealing your precious crystal-clear gold. Stay vigilant instead and protect your investment.
3. Respect others' training space and focus
Stay out of reach of anyone who is lifting, jumping, running, or doing any type of exercise for that matter. The same goes for direct line of site and being within hearing range of anything over 70 perceivable decibels. Research shows that performance gains increase by over 33%, body fat decreases by around 28%, and mating opportunities nearly tripled for both the exerciser and (strangely enough) for all persons abiding by this "halo" rule. I'll avoid scratching your back if you avoid scratching mine.
4. Training comes 1st; being a nuisance comes... never
Staring at others working out can make you go blind. Little known fact, but it does appear to be true. Everyone checks a glimpse of his or her mates from time to time - nothing wrong with that, in fact that is encouraged. What's dangerous is the long, nearly unwavering glare - this is the cause of the problem for certain. It must be the same phenomenon that is responsible for causing four uninterrupted hours of hiccups after being over-complimentary to someone's physique whom you barely know or when your stool turns green after asking another relative stranger to write a workout for you. Crazy shit, right!
5. Kindly leave the high traffic areas when you're finished
Your mate, kids, friends, pets, TV all miss you very much - stop standing around idling after your workout and get your butt home to enjoy the other good things in life. Avoid rushing or hurrying, but strive for quickness. There's no need to hold up a wall, occupy dead space, or fog up the glass anymore today; fear not - the next group's got it covered.

CV
Coach Giz