3 Ways to Build Crushing Grip Strength
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The Best Performance Socks and Insoles: Spring 2018
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Fitness via Muscle & Fitness https://ift.tt/2zjtGBz May 30, 2018 at 04:43PM
The Upgraded 'Dirty Diane' CrossFit WOD for Bodybuilders
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Edgar Artiga
CrossFitters have a simple, elegant, and highly taxing WOD in “Diane”: three rounds of 21, 15, and 9 reps of deadlifts (225 pounds) and handstand pushups (HSPUs). But for the gym guy who wants to gain lean mass, Diane is good, but she lacks some muscle. So we challenged Mike Dewar, C.S.C.S., founder of the Barbell CEO (thebarbellceo.com), to give the WOD a hypertrophy-focused makeover. His version and the explanations for his changes are below. [RELATED1] The Move: WIDE-GRIP PULLUP“These make the WOD a complete total-body workout with a high emphasis on back and lat strength,” Dewar says. “The deadlifts will pre-exhaust the back, and the wide-grip pullups will build slabs of muscle onto the frame. Most people will need to break up the reps. This turns the workout into a great rest-pause-style session.” The Move: DEADLIFT“Using 60% of your max ensures the weight is sufficient to cause a neurological stimulus to increase hormone output. Break up the rounds of 21 and 15 into smaller sets of six to 10 reps.” The Move: BURPEE“Take the burpees slow, working methodically,” Dewar says. “They’re there to help you breathe and relax—crazy, right?—rather than speed through and get back to the deadlifts completely annihilated.” The Move: DB Z PRESS“The Z press is a great swap to help lifters get a serious shoulder pump while also activating the core and lats.”
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Fitness via Muscle & Fitness https://ift.tt/2zjtGBz May 30, 2018 at 12:41PM
Michael Bisping Retires From MMA: 'You've Got to Know When to Walk Away'
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Chris Brunskill / Zuffa LLC / Getty
Former UFC middleweight champ Michael Bisping has officially retired from mixed martial arts, he announced Monday on his Believe You Me podcast with Luis J. Gomez. Bisping has been open about considering retirement in the past, and continuing issues with his eyes were the catalyst in his final decision to take a step back from MMA, he revealed. He suffered a detached retina back in 2013, but following his recent bout against Kelvin Gastelum, he began having trouble with his "good eye." It's not another detached retina, but a vitreous detachment, "The Count" explained. Understandably concerned about his health, he decided to end his storied MMA career for good. “It ain’t worth it. I mean, what else am I going to do? I’ve won the belt, I’ve had tons of wins, I’ve done everything that I set out to achieve," Bisping said. "What’s the point in flogging a dead horse? Not that I’m a dead horse, but what’s the point? I’ve done everything I set out to achieve, and fortunately now I’ve used my platform to open other doors. You know, you’ve got to know when to walk away. I’m almost 40 years old, the time is now." The 39-year-old fighter is hanging up his gloves with a 30-9 MMA record, as well as various distinctions in the UFC's history—he's tied with Georges St-Pierre and Donald Cerrone for the most wins of any UFC fighter, tied with Jim Miller for most bouts of any UFC fighter, and has clocked the second-most total fight time in the UFC with 6:05:33. [RELATED1] "It's great, it's been better than I ever imagined. But yeah...time to move on," he said. With his MMA career out of the picture, it's safe to assume he's looking to shift to acting full-time. (Yet another great reason to keep his eyes healthy.) Bisping confirmed his plan to become a Hollywood action mainstay in an interview with TMZ Sports on Tuesday. "I'm taking over Hollywood, so I gotta look good!" he told TMZ. Bisping has been dabbling in acting for years now, and it's undeniable that he's perfect for the sort of gritty action films he's been drawn to. He's appeared in xXx: Return of Xander Cage alongside Vin Diesel, Den of Thieves with Gerard Butler and Curtis "50 Cent" Jackson, and will presumably kick ass in the upcoming Triple Threat, starring Scott Adkins. Check out the video below for his full announcement on Believe You Me. [RELATED2]
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Fitness via Muscle & Fitness https://ift.tt/2zjtGBz May 30, 2018 at 11:59AM
WWE 'SmackDown' Recap: Samoa Joe Defeats Big Cass and Daniel Bryan to Qualify for 'Money in the Bank'
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Courtesy of WWE
After Daniel Bryan triumphed over Jeff Hardy last week, WWE fans eagerly awaited this week’s promised matchup on SmackDown: Daniel Bryan vs. Samoa Joe. This would be Bryan's second chance at getting into the Money in the Bank match, and Joe, who recently moved to SmackDown as part of the “Superstar Shake-up,” has been eager to show his opponents why he thinks he's the best competitor in the WWE.
Joe opened the show with some good old-fashioned trash talk, snapping that Bryan would have to run back to his wife (Brie Bella) and child (Birdie) once he’d gotten done with him. Bryan quickly entered the ring to defend himself, but there was a surprise third guest: Big Cass. [RELATED2] Cass, who was reportedly out of commission after Bryan attacked him two weeks ago, declared that he should have his originally scheduled match against Joe for the Money in the Bank qualifier as soon as he's cleared. Cass’ next declaration: He’d already been cleared, setting him up for a clash that very minute. Cass, Joe, and Bryan all crashed into a demolition derby, each delivering brutal blows to each other. After the smoke from the brawl had dissipated, SmackDown General Manager Paige announced that with Cass officially cleared, the main event of the night would be Big Cass, Samoa Joe, and Daniel Bryan competing in a Triple Threat match to qualify for Money in the Bank.
Daniel Bryan appeared to be the early favorite to win the match, easily handling Cass and Joe despite being far smaller than his hefty opponents. While trying to get the winning pin on Big Cass, however, Joe launched a surprise attack on Bryan from behind, trapping Bryan in the devastating Coquina Clutch. Bryan tried his best, but eventually had no choice but to tap out. Having taken down two of the biggest threats on the Smackdown roster, Samoa Joe has proven himself to be a force to be reckoned with. The only thing that would make him more dangerous is a Money in the Bank briefcase. We'll see if he gets one in a few weeks. [RELATED1]
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Fitness via Muscle & Fitness https://ift.tt/2zjtGBz May 30, 2018 at 11:16AM
Personalize Your Snacks with DIY Protein Bar Kits
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In an increasingly health-conscious world, the landscape of on-the-go snacks is changing. Instead of grabbing chips, sugar-laden granola bars, or other pastry-like snacks, people are instead opting for healthier alternatives like protein bars. The protein bar market has come a long way since the rock-hard, often poor-tasting protein bars first introduced to consumers. Now bars come in different textures (soft and crunchy) and an assortment of delicious flavors (everything from birthday cake to key lime pie).
However, accompanying these new textures and flavors comes a long list of ingredients that are hard to decipher, let alone pronounce. And while they are pitched as a nutritious alternative to traditional snacks, protein bars may not always be as healthy as claimed. Many of the most popular protein bars are filled with sugar alcohols and fiber substances that can cause stomach discomfort—making these snack alternatives potentially harmful for some people. The ability to choose healthy ingredients and avoid unwanted ones makes the “build-your-own” option appealing for those who want more control.
Bake Your Own BarsBakebars are do-it-yourself protein bar kits—the meal service subscription equivalent for protein bars instead of meals. Each box comes with pre-portioned ingredients, so all you have to do it simply mix everything together and pop it in the oven to create a week's worth of healthy, protein-filled snacks. Additionally, Bakebars pride themselves on using all-natural, plant-based ingredients. There is no whey protein, processed fiber ingredients, or sugar alcohols. Instead, they use ingredients like natural nut butter, oat flour, plant-based proteins and natural sweeteners like honey. Bakebars are also gluten, soy, and dairy-free, making them diet-friendly for everyone.
Each box makes ten bars and comes in four flavors: peanut butter crunch, chocolate chip, peanut butter chocolate chip, and oatmeal raisin. Making the bars is as simple as mixing the ingredients, adding water and popping in the oven for about 20 minutes. Each kit contains all of the ingredients you need: you simply have to supply the mixing bowl, oven, pan, and water. Combining some of the ingredients (the nut butter and honey) can require a little bit of elbow grease, but there are instructions included to gently heat the nut butter to make it easier to mix.
Nutritionally, these bars are on par with other standard protein bars. Each bar (54g) contains 230 calories, 10g of fat, 25g of carbohydrates (6g of fiber and 9g of sugar), and 12g of protein. Once baked, they can be stored in the fridge for up to two weeks or in the freezer for up to five months. My Bakebar ExperienceI tried two different flavors: peanut butter chocolate chip and oatmeal raisin. Both have an undertone of “earthy” flavors, but this is typical of bars containing all-natural ingredients. As I mixed the ingredients I would periodically taste the dough at different stages (because who doesn’t lick the bowl when they bake?). I was surprised how much I disliked the peanut butter that was included in the peanut butter chocolate chip kit. It was very salty with almost zero sweetness. The taste got a lot better, however, once the honey was added. Once combined, the mixture actually became quite tasty.
I enjoyed the oatmeal raisin flavor the most. The cinnamon was the star of the show in this kit, and if you’re a fan of cinnamon then this flavor will be your favorite, too. Along with the other nuts and seeds that are often included in the kit, the entire experience reminded me of eating a cinnamon-based granola. (Yum!)
The bars can be stored in either the refrigerator or freezer. Storing and eating them directly from the freezer makes them crunchier—most similar to traditional crunchy granola bars. Eating them from the fridge, or letting them sit out awhile at room temperature, softens the bars. However, if you let them soften too long they will lose their integrity and won’t stay intact. (This could be a perfect way to use them as a mix-in for a parfait.)
The two biggest concerns I have about Bakebars is the fact that they need to be kept cold to stay together, and (possibly as a result of being kept cold) they can sometimes feel pretty dry when you eat them. One of the huge benefits of protein bars, in general, is their convenience. Because packaged protein bars are shelf-stable, you can keep them in the car, at the office, or even in your bag in case you need a quick snack on-the-go. While you could easily store a Bakebar in your bag on the way to the office, leaving it there for an extended period of time will turn it into a granola crumble.
Good for Quality, Not for PortabilityOverall, these DIY protein bar kits are a good option for anyone who likes to pay attention to the quality of ingredients that go into their food, anyone following a mostly plant-based diet, or for anyone with gluten, soy, or dairy sensitivities. The price per bar is right around what you would expect for other store-bought protein bars (about $2.50/bar). If you’re looking for an all-natural snack option to keep handy around the house or at your office, then these bars make a healthy, filling option.
Fitness via Breaking Muscle https://ift.tt/1hdUh1E May 30, 2018 at 08:54AM
Avoiding the Rounded Shoulder Chain of Pain
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Upper Cross Syndrome (UCS) is initially seen as a forward head posture with rounded shoulders, even while attempting to stand tall. Before you WebMD yourself crazy, let me shed some more light on this particular posture predicament.
This less than ideal head position stems from poor sitting posture, over/under-active muscles, previous injury, bad movement habits, and ultimately, results in a muscular imbalance between the front (anterior) and back (posterior) musculature of the upper body, becoming either short and tight or weak and long.
Before moving on, the cervical muscles are most pertinent to correct, because they are most responsible for all of your potential head movement, both on intentionally and our of reaction. Which, by the way, your head weighs about 7 pounds so it would be in your best interest to make sure the muscles keeping it supported are up to the task!
What Does This Look Like?The three most prominent postural symptoms of Upper Cross Syndrome are:
Forward rounded shoulders (internally rotated) lead to a roundness of the upper back (kyphosis). Once the upper spine (cervical vertebrae) are exposed to prolonged tension in the wrong structural position, or out of ideal alignment, gravity packs a punch in pressing your head forward and down to follow where the rest of your spine is directed. Over time, this is what leads to a hunch back and a host of other shoulder/neck related injuries.
When your chest (pectoral) and neck (cervical) muscles become overworked and tight, it causes significant postural changes to occur because the muscles actually shorten in length; not permanently, but the longer it occurs, the more difficult it becomes to counteract. When the shoulders are rounded forward, the shoulder blades (scapulas) are pulled up and away from their ideal position.
Postural changes often cause a significant shift in the position and angle of the shoulder joint. If the joint is out of place, it cannot move properly. If the joint cannot move properly, you will lose out on potential strength, mobility, and in time it can lead to very serious injuries anywhere from your nose to your toes.
Your level of priority to assess, review, and reverse postural issues should be high. You won't explode from UCS, but if unresolved, be ready for a host of chronic stress and overuse injuries. I won't dive into those here because it is out of my professional scope of practice, but let that be enough of a kick in the butt to get checked by a professional.
Self Analysis: Do I Have UCS?Find a perfectly vertical line. This can be a door frame, broomstick, piece of tape, basketball hoop pole; anything that you can stand next to and set up a camera (or have a helping hand). I personally use video, that way you can just pause and then screenshot the frames that matter (it is much easier than having to take one picture, go check how it came out, try again, etc). Once the camera is set, take 3-5 full and deep cycles of breath to relax into a natural, resting standing posture. Don't try and do anything fancy here, just simply stand like you would while in line at the DMV—we all have some great practice in that hell hole of a building. Luckily, I am spoiled and happen to have an align-mat handy (and decided to tape it to the wall). Your shot should appear like this:
Although my posture is not "perfect", whatever that means, I would deem myself not having the symptoms of Upper Cross Syndrome. However, what I do see is a slight forward round in my shoulders, and a forward (anterior) tilted pelvis. Now that I can see it, I can take the necessary steps in correcting this imbalance. A picture can tell you a thousand words, but if you pay attention to the few words that matter, then you can begin to make big lifestyle changes.
Prevent UCS in Your FutureLet's face it, your cell phone and sedentary activities are not going to disappear anytime soon. Luckily, there are many ways to strategically strengthen the muscles responsible for restoring ideal posture, as well as release tension from the others. I recommend seeking a qualified physical/physiotherapist to properly diagnose UCS. Otherwise, a combination of specific strength, stretch, and myofascial release tools can definitely pave the way towards a more comfortable and optimal tomorrow.
Fitness via Breaking Muscle https://ift.tt/1hdUh1E May 30, 2018 at 08:54AM
Getting Your Success in 2019 Means Starting Today
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Watching the CrossFit Regionals you might be sitting at home wondering, “Hey, I didn't get there or I really want to make it to that level next year, I want to do better on the Open.” If you want to do better next year then it's time to get started now. Being better at the Open means different things to different people. For example, I worked with obstacle course racing (OCR) champion Hunter McIntire. Sure he was trying to go to the Regionals but he uses the Open as a gauge to see where he stands in terms of his fitness and then he still goes and wins a bunch of OCR races. He can be a champion athlete in one sport, possibly be a champion athlete in CrossFit. Then there’s another trainee I work with, she just wants to do the Open just to see if she's better than last year. Her goal may just be to do her first pull up. It’s complete opposite sides of the same spectrum.
Ultimately, what’s cool about the Open is that it does measure fitness. If you can’t do the workouts as recommended, you can do the scale division and it’s just a basic set of fitness challenges you can do to measure yourself against people like yourself around the world. If you’re to be doing any personal training, any type of fitness work, you should be able to do basic functional fitness challenges like a clean. It’s picking up something off the ground and putting it up on the counter. Farmers carries is carrying your groceries in the door. What I'm trying to emphasize is that the Open is a great fitness benchmark and something that you can set as a goal for year round motivation.
Not Doing Things You Normally DoThe workout of the day at my gym recently was a 25 minute AMRAP:
40x Burpees 100x Double Unders 800m Run
A guy doing it comes up to me and says he can go to a 24 Hour Fitness and walk in the door, put on his headphones, do bench presses and all that usual stuff. He tells me he comes to do CrossFit with me because I am going to make him do things he would never ever do on his own. And if you're going to go to a CrossFit gym that's going to be well rounded, you're going to do things that you wouldn't normally do. The Open is a way to test yourself doing things you wouldn't normally do but you can prepare for anyhow. There are people who can make it through to Regionals but right next to them are people who are just pushing themselves out of their comfort zone and trying to better themselves.
Training is Year RoundLike I said, now is the time to start training for next year’s Open. For my gym, I have everyone on 40 weeks of 8-week cycles getting ready for next year. And next year will be very different than what we have come to expect from Opens in the past. I have been looking at the programming of events this year and I think there are a lot of challenges waiting for athletes next year, challenges that require preparation over the course of the coming year because you won’t be able to just gut your way through those future workouts. You have to build skills that are new to you and you are going to have to be stronger than this year demanded and have more endurance. Expect the unexpected but be prepared for the inevitable.
It’s All in the HandsGymnastics-like movement is going to become more of a factor in future Opens. The organizers definitely want to see you be proficient on your hands, so start working on handstand walks now. Being able to do those 25-foot increments or, at least, 5-foot increments, is important. Rope climbs were introduced in the online qualifiers this year so, you're probably going to have to go climbing in next year’s Open. Rope climb efficiency, specially being able to get down that rope fast, is something you have to work on. I'm going to start teaching my gym how to do a handstand walk with various progressions over the next 12 to 36 weeks.
Strength Routines Are KeyStrength has become a component, however, it hasn't become a component where it's going to make or break you. If they come out with a max lift, again, you need to be strong enough to do well enough in the lift segment. My gym is weak in the upper thoracic area, so I'm going to spend more time building up their max lifts in that area. From there, I'm also going to start building more of my trainees’ core stability because I'm thinking that there's going to be a lot more overhead work in general. I am going to build up shoulder endurance because I shoulder work plus endurance was there for everyone to see in WOD 18.3. That means that I'm going to start having my athletes do overhead squats and variations. We saw in this year’s competition that a competitive enough lift was right around 320 pounds for the men and for the women it was about 215 to 220 pounds. These aren’t trivial numbers. Your max lifts should be solid and at levels that can safely keep you in these ranges for competition. And remember that all of your lifting is done under fatigue. In WOD 18.3 and online qualifiers they had you doing double unders and wall balls followed by those overhead squats. So, it’s literally a line in the sand, you have to be strong under stressed and fatigue situations.
Jump Rope and Jump Rope OftenFrom what I can see, you're now being asked to do somewhere between 400 and 800 double unders in a workout. That means that I have to increase my athletes’ capacity for doing double unders and if my athletes are doing it then, you should be, too. CrossFit does an amazing job of evolving every single year and if you're not evolving with it, you're going to fall behind. When they introduced handstand walks over obstacles, the organizers took it to another level and that means that they want to make sure that you do, too.
Energy EfficiencyYou need to be working your energy systems efficiently. So many CrossFitters are just staying in that 10 to 15-minute range and they’re not expanding their fitness. They're not going out there and running and swimming and biking and doing triathlons and doing other things, playing sports. They're just doing CrossFit 15 minute workouts because they're fun. Well, sometimes the stuff you need to do isn’t fun.
For example, you really need to add more rowing repeats, that’s sprint repeats like 400m and 800m. A lot of people in WOD 18.1 did not do well enough because they couldn't row at a high enough calorie per hour and it had nothing to do with their overall endurance, they just didn't do enough row repeats in their training. As a result, they lost precious time on that rower.
So, the repeats, gymnastics under extreme fatigue, higher up double unders, getting stronger, it's all going to be needed. Also, just fixing those small things, fix any technical glitches in your handstand push-ups, your handstand walk, getting down the rope climb with a speed descent. You should see next year's Open as a way not to keep the status quo in your training. If you failed to meet your goals this year, you're going to be outside looking in again next year if you don't take things to another level. For coaches like me, this is the time when we have to also say that we can't keep our programming as status quo for next year. Now is the time to change and prepare, and with 5 training cycles left until next year's Open, you may think you have a lot of time but you're going to be working across such a range of movements and on so many different things, like strength and endurance, that it's not really that much time at all.
Fitness via Breaking Muscle https://ift.tt/1hdUh1E May 29, 2018 at 04:28PM
Working Out While You're Young May Keep You Healthy Later in Life
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James Farrel
You already know that regularly hitting the gym keeps you looking and feeling your best. But the tough workouts you do in your youth could also help you stay healthy later in life, according to a new study published in the journal Menopause. Researchers found that one of the factors in height loss after menopause—a common occurrence, but one that's been connected to a higher risk of disease and death—is the amount of exercise women got when they were teenagers. Women who did strenuous workouts regularly when they were young lost less height than those who didn't, the study found. “Having done strenuous exercise regularly, at least three times a week, in their teens was protective for later life height loss in our study,” SUNY professor and study senior author Jean Wactawski-Wende, PhD, said in a press release. [RELATED1] Researchers measured the heights of more than 1,000 women, then measured them again five years later. The women lost an average of 0.4 inches over the five-year period. The 70 women who lost over an inch of height were older, weighed more at baseline, and took more corticosteroids, which are known to cause osteoporosis. The connection between physical activity and height after menopause is likely the fact that exercise helps build stronger bones, according to the press release. "Although this study was done on postmenopausal women, there is a key message for younger women: strenuous exercise in teenage years has lasting effects on your bones later in life," says Wactawski-Wende. [RELATED2]
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Fitness via Muscle & Fitness https://ift.tt/2zjtGBz May 29, 2018 at 03:35PM
5 New Training Shoes for Every Goal: Spring 2018
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