Sprint: Rediscover the Most Essential Lower Body Exercise
http://bit.ly/2VTbya0 The fitness industry has fully embraced Georges Hebert’s adage: Be strong to be useful. CrossFitters celebrate the life preparation component of their adaptable approach and, more than ever, women are beginning to embrace strength training as essential to living well. Yet, we rarely ask our body to bridge the gap between that strength and real-world activity.
Strength and endurance are the essential foundation, but occasionally these need to be ramped up, lest we lose essential capacities. Sprinting, max-effort jumps and three-dimensional agility are very human skills that enhance our life—and which we should be ready to call upon if the moment requires.
Today, I’ll focus on regaining the confidence to sprint at max effort. In childhood, this capacity was constantly called upon without a moments notice. We were like the wild lion who never has occasion to warm-up. But sometime between then and now we fell away from the joys of running as fast as we could. Contrary to popular norms, there is no reason that humans should not be able to sprint hard throughout their adult years.
We spend a lot of time talking about how essential squatting is, but sprinting is truly the most fundamental high-intensity lower body movement. The body synchronizes all efforts into one beautiful max intensity concert. Still, it might not be as simple as just adding sprints back into your workouts. For most adults, the trademarks of youth experience are the first casualties of a life away from sport. As effortless and natural as sprinting to get open for a hail-mary once was, now might sideline you for weeks, or longer. If there is anything we want to avoid it is an injury that precludes essential training and invites further decay.
As with all training, there is a need for progression. Max effort sprinting is far more intense than any general run. In fact, even our most conditioned Olympic 100 meter sprinters are starting to decelerate before the end of 100 meters. The human body simply cannot maintain absolute max speed for long.
Prior to any sprinting, or the jumping and agility, I’ll discuss in my next piece, you’ll want to make sure that you have a strong, balanced foundation in resistance training and that you can jog reasonable distances. You have to jog before you sprint. I recommend taking this outside and focusing on a mid-foot to forefoot strike. The longer it has been since you trained, the longer this basic preparation phase will be. If you are just returning to fitness, plan on at least eight weeks of training on a progressive strength program prior to adding sprints or jumps.
Sprint Specific PreparationEven if you have trained for years, there is still sprint specific preparation you may want to do prior to signing up for the Olympic trials. If this seems like a lot of work, take heart, you’ll only have to do it once and you’ll pick up a lot of neat exercises along the way.
Sprinting is just a series of single leg jumps, so start with basic jumping and ground reaction drills. Try inserting these into your warm-up or weekly routine:
Additionally, you’ll want to do some hamstring eccentric work, but never prior to your sprint specific training. Try:
I also recommend sprinting with modalities that moderately insulate your body from the full force of free-sprinting. Try any or all of the following:
Sprinting against the weight of a sled is a great transition because it forces your body into proper acceleration mechanics while requiring no eccentric breaking from the hamstrings. Therefore, sleds will never make you sore, but they are still one heck of a workout.
Lastly, I recommend all people sprint against a vertical slope. Like the sleds, this is safer because there is less eccentric breaking. There is probably no better workout for lower body power, so even after reincorporating sprints, I would prioritize these:
Programming SprintsFinally, you are ready to sprint—but don’t rush out to test your 40 time. Start with distances of 15 yards where the first five yards are a very gradual build-up and the last ten are max effort sprints before a long deceleration. I recommend doing these a couple of days per week, probably prior to high-intensity resistance training.
After three weeks, take the 5-yard build up off and just do ten-yard sprints. From there you can begin to add 5 yards total every few weeks, gradually building up to a greater total distance. Before sprinting in any work-out make sure you are very warm. I usually do a short jog, a full warm-up, and a couple of heavy 10-yard sled pushes or stair sprints first.
While it may be fun to test your 40 again, I would caution against frequently sprinting such a long distance (again note the difference between a normal run and a max effort sprint). In planning your future work-outs I’d prioritize sprint distances of 20 yards or less. The important thing is to keep them in the program. This may require you to rethink some of your training to get outside the gym. You’ll love it!
Consider the following, carry prevalent workout requiring one kettlebell or dumbbell:
Then:
And:
Regardless of how you work it in, just remember some variation of sprinting is really the most important lower body exercise.
Fitness via Breaking Muscle http://bit.ly/1hdUh1E April 19, 2019 at 10:46AM
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MFP: Mind, Focus, Precision
http://bit.ly/2Vb1XOB We must understand that if our mind, focus, precision, and power are not firing on all cylinders, then most likely we will be out of balance and won’t be able to achieve the level of power it takes to go to the next level. We should analyze how these components are essential to focus our intent in order to achieve insurmountable levels of success in any endeavor.
The mind is powerful beyond measure, and whatever we put into our mental computer is what will come out. The mind is the part of the brain that creates thought. Thoughts are energy, and energy put in motion stays in motion. This essentially means that literally what we think about will only have to be manifested into our physical reality because it's already part of our mind. Everything that exists in our reality first started and was made from thoughts. Although thoughts are invisible, this doesn’t mean they are less energetic. That’s why we have to be extremely careful about what we think about. If we want to achieve power, we have to first hone in on the vast and unlimited knowledge of the mind.
The Role of the MindThe answers that we often seek are part of the mind, and once we are able to tap into this, we can do whatever we want and be whatever we want to be. This thought process is only surface level thinking for most, but when you really are able to wrap your mind around how deep this concept is, you will be on the path to enlightenment. Taking the red pill isn’t for everyone and most will likely stay with the blue pill way of life; but if you really take the red pill path, be prepared to have a life that is endless and unbound by the laws of the natural world. You will be able to achieve levels that were once thought you weren’t able to achieve.
The mind is the key, and it is the mind that sets the ball in motion. It is the catalyst of another concept called intent. Intent, or better yet, intention is where the mind flows and your energy follows. In simple terms, what you think about is what you will eventually act on. This is powerful in that your thoughts are things.
Think of your thoughts as packaged energy that sets out in motion and will stay in motion until manifested in reality. This should be a really scary concept because you have to be careful about what you think about or put out into the universe because that energy is neither created nor destroyed; it is only transformed or transferred. Everything in this world is pure energy. Therefore, everything in this physical world that exists started from a thought. Thoughts are things, and even though they are non-physical in nature doesn’t mean that they are any less of a reality.
Change comes through focused energy. In short, this means focusing your thoughts on an objective. This is the essence of intent. Essence and how it relates to intent is another topic altogether. Actually, essence means potential, which is really what is related to intent. Most things formed or created come out of potential or the intent of someone’s thoughts transformed into physical reality. You can think of thoughts as mini action potentials.
The next part of this acronym MFP is actually the P; not for potential, which we talked about briefly, but for precision. None of these things can flow together without precision. Precision is related to be understanding the “why” of your thoughts. Knowing your why will direct your thoughts and therefore your actions to exactly what you want or you are trying to do.
Photography by Bev Childress of Fort Worth, Texas
Being precise in your thinking and knowing exactly what you want will give you the best outcomes for the objective you are trying to obtain. Many successful individuals throughout time all have things in common with each other. Most, if not all, were very methodical when it came to their craft. Not to say you can’t have artistic freedom in any endeavor you are a part of, but what I am saying is that when it came down to the gist of things, these successful individuals were very much focused on the goal and being as precise as humanly possible in obtaining the goal as efficiently as possible. Precision like a laser (or an eagle’s eye) is what you should picture in your mind. Visualize what you want to have and maintain that focus. Act as if it’s already done and with that kind of focus what you want to happen will most definitely come into manifestation.
Apply These PrinciplesKnowing these principles will allow you the skills to make possibilities in your life become real. This is my interpretation of how to create real power. Power is a state of mind. If you change your thoughts, you can change your state. If you change your state, you can change your reality. After all, reality is individual and can change once you make the decision to make up your mind.
Fitness via Breaking Muscle http://bit.ly/1GxgPEe April 19, 2019 at 09:42AM
Get the May 2019 Issue of ‘Muscle & Fitness’
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Spring is here, and the May issue of Muscle & Fitness is right on cue with the workout tips, muscle-building recipes, and motivation you need to start crafting your dream physique for the summer months ahead. Our cover star is a legend who needs no introduction. Arnold Schwarzenegger graces the May issue, and the seven-time Mr. Olympia kicks off our “Blockbuster Muscle” cover story, featuring detailed workout routines from The Rock, Gal Gadot, Dave Bautista, Hugh Jackman, Brie Larson, and more. This month’s spring training guide will kick your body into high gear by focusing on functional strength, mobility, and overall explosiveness with a rowing exercise that can help ease back pain, tips on warming up the “right way,” a chest press that mobilizes your hips, and more on the power of sweat. You’ll never hit your goals with a shoddy diet, no matter how good your workout routine. This month we deconstruct (and healthify) an Asian-style chicken cheeseburger, show you everything you need to whip up a Soyrizo-stuffed burrito for Cinco de Mayo, and five ways to cook zucchini. Additionally, we give you a look into the Whole30 diet and how it can help you eliminate the bad stuff and clean up your act in the kitchen. UFC fighter Jessica Eye, All Elite Wrestling’s Brandi Rhodes, and WNBA analyst Candace Parker are just some of this month’s featured “Women of Action,” who are breaking new ground in some typically male-dominated fields. And since Muscle & Fitness includes FLEX, you'll find even more training and diet tips to help you make serious gains in the gym. In this issue, we spotlight the 10 best arms in Mr. Olympia history, help you get your triceps blasted with some old-school bodyweight moves, and share the lifting methods of six-time Olympia Dorian Yates. GET THE NEW ISSUE OF MUSCLE & FITNESS ON NEWSSTANDS NOW!
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7 Training Rules You Shouldn't Break
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Ditch the Bands
http://bit.ly/2Is4TAA Stop the resistance band insanity! The Instagram famous fitness models will show you plenty of exercises using a resistance band and tell you that it will tone your body parts. Can we check their credentials first and see if they are even educated enough to know what they are talking about?
After 16 years in the fitness industry, I have seen some crazy things that make no sense but that doesn’t mean they were useful or necessary. The problem I have now is the number of people that use these asinine bands because someone “fit” on Instagram told them to.
Do not mistake my disdain of bands at the local gym over the prescribed therapeutic practice by a trained physiotherapist or athletic trainer. My highly educated athletic trainer friend Kathey uses them for her patients in cases like shoulder rotation rehab. So, if someone exceptionally smarter than I agrees with me in their usage, that works for me.
It Matters How Bands Are UsedIn my personal training practice and years of teaching yoga, I have used bands for assisted stretching both for the muscular benefits and to help with certain yoga poses. You are going to ask me about using them for assisting with pull-ups, aren’t you? Well, bands have a use for that too, but in moderation. It’s easy to start off with them and work the form and muscles of a pull-up when you are brand new to pull-ups. But what happens when you have been doing them for months and can’t figure out why you aren’t progressing in your pull-ups. The band is keeping you from getting better.
There are other ways to build the strength for unassisted pull-ups. Try jumping pull-ups in the early stages and whenever you have high reps to do at your CrossFit box. Pull-up negatives are a fantastic way to engage the lat muscles and build crazy strength but don’t be discouraged when your negative hold is only for 0.00001 of a second. Don’t forget your supplementary weight lifting exercises to build your back strength.
Now, let’s discuss the reason why you think you need to use them besides to look like you are up to date with the latest fitness trend. Please keep in mind that you can’t spot reduce those pesky saddlebags so sidestepping with them around your thighs will only create a tightening of the gluteus medius and/or IT band. There’s a potential injury from an excessive tight muscle waiting to happen. But wait, you could develop those muscles and make that area even bigger than you think it is now! I have never known anyone that will compliment you on how big your outer thighs are.
Some of the other moves I have seen defy logic considering that they decrease the range of motion of the muscles they are supposed to be strengthening or they are completely useless for the exercise that you are doing. Not to mention the fact that you get inconsistent tension using a band to actually build strength.
There Are Better OptionsThere is a reason that dumbbells, cables, and bodyweight exercises have been around for eons and are still used today—they work. So, ditch the bands before you realize they aren’t doing what you want and that the Insta-fit culture is just out to chase followers and likes. And don't forget to choose your fitness professional by their education, experience, and sound advice.
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5 Killer Cardio Options
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7 Things You Need to Know About CBD
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6 Keys to Warming Up Properly
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Olympia Weekend and Wings of Strength Agree to Major Sponsorship Deal
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Joe Weider’s Olympia Fitness & Performance Weekend continues a run of growth and momentum. The fitness industry’s showcase event has agreed to a presenting sponsorship with Wings of Strength, an Arizona based company devoted to providing opportunities for bodybuilders and physique athletes competing throughout the fitness industry. While specific terms of the agreement have not been disclosed, the deal is one of the largest sponsorship commitments in the 55 year history of the event. Jake Wood, President of Wings of Strength, explains, “This is a landmark achievement for Wings of Strength. We started our company because of a genuine passion for bodybuilding, providing opportunities for female bodybuilders and anyone who shares our love for this incredible sport. Over the years we have grown in many different ways.” Wood continues, “The chance to be a part of bodybuilding’s most prestigious event and one of the world’s biggest media companies, is the next step in our evolution.” Wings of Strength has expanded its industry-wide footprint by producing NPC and IFBB Professional League events in cities throughout the world, including the Rising Phoenix World Championship, the most prestigious title in the world of female bodybuilding. Chief Olympia Officer Dan Solomon adds, “The commitment Wings of Strength had made to this year’s Olympia is historic. It’s a true demonstration of their overall dedication to bodybuilders and fitness athletes all over the world.” As part of this deal, Wings of Strength will have a significant presence throughout Olympia Weekend. Keep an eye out for a series of feature stories in the pages of Muscle & Fitness Magazine spotlighting the remarkable growth of one of the fitness industry’s most unique companies. For more information about Joe Weider’s Fitness & Performance Weekend, including tickets, please visit MrOlympia.com.
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Actor Tom Hopper's Advice for Looking and Feeling Better Than Ever
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