How to Be Stronger ASAP

One of the methods I've used the most over my 15-plus years of training is "pyramiding".


With pyramiding, I can work on strength, overall work capacity, some muscular and
strength-endurance, and even put some muscle on.

A pyramid is a set/rep scheme in which you increase the weight and decrease the reps done per set. There are various types of Pyramids: 10-8-6-4-2; 5-4-3-2-1; and how most of you might attempt a 1RM are all types of pyramids.

How I do mine is a little bit different.

First, you do a set with just the bar for 10-15 reps. You might even want to do another one. Add a small amount of weight to the bar, but not too much. Crank
out 10 reps or so. Add a little more weight to the bar (but again, not too much). Crank out 4-6 reps. This should all be VERY easy.

At this point, you drop down to sets of one rep. Add weight in increments that make you feel comfortable. This could be as little as 20 lbs. for an exercise like presses, and as much as 90 lbs. for exercises such as squats or deadlifts.

When it starts to get heavy, add weight in smaller increments. What you are doing here is basically going for your 1RM. When you get close to it, how you proceed from that point will really depend on whom you're working out with.

If you train by yourself, then just go for the 1RM. Once you hit that 1RM, repeat it. Do it for anywhere from 2-5 sets, depending on how strong you feel. Be sure to rest plenty (at least 2 minutes) between sets. After that, go back down the pyramid...

More on that in a minute.

If you've got a training partner or somebody to spot you that you trust, you can go into "helping mode."

This starts maybe a set or two before you would hit that 1RM set. What ends up making you fail on a 1RM attempt is a "sticking point." This is the point at which you just can't get past.

Your sticking point is usually not just a point, but rather a short ROM (Range of Motion).

For example,let's say that you're bench pressing and you get stuck about three inches off your chest. Now, let's say that if you could get it past that point, and to the point where it was six inches off your chest, you could complete the rest of the rep yourself.

Many times you're just missing your lift and hitting that sticking point. Say you could take just a pound...maybe two...off the bar, you could blast the entire rep
yourself.

Well, that is what you're training partner is going to do.

These are called "forced reps." Essentially, what your partner is going to do is give you JUST ENOUGH help to get through your sticking point, but NO MORE.

If all you need is just a touch, then all he gives you is just a touch. I'm not talking about him grabbing the bar and doing most of the work while you hold on for
the ride - I mean just that little bit you need.

And he shouldn't wait until the bar stops moving before he helps out, either. His job is to not only give you that little bit of help, but to keep the bar moving in
a smooth motion - as if he wasn't even there.

You see, while he is helping you through that sticking point, you're still doing the work through the rest of the rep. You're still exerting force and still getting stronger.

What eventually happens is that sticking point gets smaller and smaller. We said that a sticking point might be the 3-6 inch ROM off the chest.

Over time, the sticking point might be the 3.5-5.5 inch ROM, then the 4-5 inch ROM, then maybe just the 4.5 inch spot itself.

Then, BOOM - the sticking point is gone, and you're doing the entire rep (at that weight) yourself with no help.

But, by this time, if you're still increasing the weight, your partner is still helping you at that 3-6 inch ROM, because it's still your sticking point - just with a heavier weight.

Your partner can help on 2-4 sets, depending on how much he has to help.

After you hit the "peak" on the pyramid, time for a few sets on the way down. Strip off some weight and do a set of 6-8, 8-10, and 12-plus. These are just guidelines,
there is nothing "hard and fast" about these rep ranges. These sets shouldn't be to failure, rather just a rep shy.

Three total back-off sets should be enough, but if you want to add another set in there at one of the ranges, that's fine.

Rest periods should be anywhere from 1-3 minutes, depending on where you are in the pyramid. Your first few sets you should only need a minute or so. The heavier ones maybe a little longer. The heaviest longer still. Your back-off sets should be done with no more than 90 seconds rest between sets.

How many times per week could you do a pyramid workout? When I designed "Working Class Fitness - The Programs", I made pyramids an integral part of Program #4. Pyramids are done only two workouts per week.

Obviously, you can't do this kind of workout forever. Go for a hard 3-4 weeks, take a week off and do something different if you're not changing exercises.

Try it, and let me know what you think.

Train Hard, Rest Hard, Play Hard-
Matt "Wiggy" Wiggins
http://www.workingclassfitness.com

TOOOOOOOOOOOOO complicated...

Ever hear of the old 80/20 rule?

It's pretty simple - it means that 80% of our results come from 20% of our efforts, and the last 20% of our results need other other 80% of our time and energy.

In other words - the basic part of our workout programs get us most of our gains. This is the "easy" part.

However, to achieve greatness, we must go above and beyond "basic." The return we get on our training may be much smaller, but it is just that much more important.

It is this extra dedication that make the difference between "champions" and "also-rans."

However, too many fighters get caught up in that "extra dedication". They lose sight of the fact that 80% won't win a fight. 20% won't win a fight.

Only 100% will win a fight. So 100% is what you have to train for.

The "basics" will give us 80% of our results. It's what everything else (what gets us the other 20% of our results) is based on, and what you generally have to come back to when making changes. Because we don't (usually) have to spend a whole lot of time on the basics, they can seem unimportant.

Don't let that fool you, though - the basics can never be ignored or forgotten.

Basics training isn't fancy. Basic S&C just isn't exotic when compared to the many different specialized training programs, equipment, and systems out there. So, it's usually the specialized stuff that gets all the attention. It's also specialized
training that continues to evolve, getting more even more "specialized."

The problem with this, though is that because all this specialized stuff looks neat and fun.. Then you want to focus on this specialized stuff, when you don't have a solid foundation yet.

I've seen and gotten questions from people that completely have the wrong focus in their training. I've seen trainees ask about plyometric drills that couldn't even squat their own bodyweight yet. If you can't squat your bodyweight, you've got no
business hopping around.

Don't put the cart before the horse.

Now, I'm not saying specialized training doesn't have a place - because it does. Like I said, it ultimately is what determines champions. Just be sure that you get - and keep - the basics down first.


Train Hard, Rest Hard, Play Hard-
Matt "Wiggy" Wiggins
http://www.workingclassfitness.com

PS - If you know you need to get the basics down,
but aren't sure how to get started, CHECK THIS OUT.

Can You Move Your Body?

How well can you throw your weight around?

Yeah, sounds like kind of a dumb question, but bear with me for a minute.

MMA (like most combat sports) is a game of weight classes. That means that on fight night, when you climb into the cage, you're gonna be going up against somebody roughly your own size. Even if you cut a lot to make weight, chances are that so does your opponent.

(Does anybody really think that GSP walks into the cage at 170, or that Tito walks in at 205?)

When putting together your MMA workouts, this should be a major consideration - how much you weigh. You see, you want to be as strong, powerful, conditioned, etc. as you can at your weight - that's a given.

But a truly overlooked factor is a fighter being able to truly manhandle his own bodyweight. Because that's what you're going up against, right?

Somebody that weighs roughly the same as you. If you're a LHW, being able to toss around a 155-pounder won't do you a whole lotta good. At the same time, a WW doesn't (necessarily) need to be able to handle a dude like Roy "Big Country" Nelson, either.

Think of it this way: if you have the power and conditioning to dominate your bodyweight – to manhandle anything that weighs as much as you do, isn't that just another tool you've got in your favor?

We've all seen highlight-reel slams by Rampage, Matt Hughes, and Sean Sherk. They get stuck in a bad position, and somehow, they just pick their opponent up like a bag of laundry. They walk across the cage, and SLAM them down to the mat. They have this weird kind of power that makes them ALWAYS a threat to pick you up and throw you into next week.

Now, when I say “bodyweight,” I'm not necessarily talking about your body. This isn't about a regular bodyweight workout (i.e. - calisthenics...though they make up a big part of the programs I design). This is about taking any object that weighs as much as you do – a barbell, two dumbbells or kettlebells, a sandbag, a barrel, a grappling dummy, a training partner, etc. - and being able to inflict your will upon it as you see fit.


Take that object and pick it up. Hold it. Slam it. Flip it. Knock it into the 2nd row.

You get the idea...

There's another element to this, though. Having the power to dominate your bodyweight is one thing, but what about your conditioning? You've just fought for a good, hard 12 minutes. Do you still have the power to do it then? Are you sucking too much wind because your cardiovascular system isn't in as good of shape as it needs to be?

What about your body itself? How is your muscular conditioning? Have you spent a bunch of time jockeying for position on the ground, and now your muscles burn and ache so bad that even if you had the wind, you couldn't move your opponent?

Here's a little test for you. Next time you're at the gym or dojo, find a partner that weighs roughly the same as you. See what you can do with him (or her). I don't mean just simple take downs or grappling drills. Pick him (or her) up. Throw them over your shoulder. Heck, even see if you can put them over your head.

Now go do some heavy metabolic conditioning work – do some sprints, run a hard couple miles, or grapple/spar a few hard rounds. What can you do with your partner now?

And remember, when you're in the cage or ring, you won't be up against a limp body. You'll be up against not only somebody who weighs as much as you do, but somebody who is resisting against and trying to counter everything you do. So, now you have that to contend with...

This is the kind of power conditioning I'm talking about. Once you get to the point that you can dominate bodyweight is any way imaginable, and do it regardless of how tired you are, you'll have a decided advantage over any opponent you come up against.

That's why I designed "Working Class Fitness - The Programs" - to help you dominate your bodyweight. There are six different MMA workouts included, and the very last one - the one you really want to build up to, is all about testing (and building) the power conditioning needed in MMA to manhandle anything that weighs as much as you do.

(And it's cheap as heck!)

CHECK IT OUT HERE.

Train Hard, Rest Hard, Play Hard-
Matt "Wiggy" Wiggins
http://www.workingclassfitness.com

PS - That link again was HERE.

How to Have Quicker Takedowns

Now and then I get emails asking me if my workout programs will work for combat sports *other* than MMA (boxing, kickboxing, BJJ, wrestling, etc.)

The answer is blunt - damn straight.

There's a couple reasons for this. First, because my workout programs are kick-ass. (Hey - I've had enough people tell me! ;-) Second, because while the programs I design *are* kick-ass, they are designed for "general" strength & conditioning goals - not specific ones.

S&C training is really just what's called GPP - General Physical Preparedness. In other words, how "ready" are you physically? How strong are you? How fast are you? How is your endurance? What about your agility? What about your work capacity? (And the list could go on.)

There is nothing about GPP that makes it specific to MMA. That's why it's called "general".

Think of it this way - say you're trying to build a building that is very tall. GPP is part of that foundation. The higher you build that foundation, the taller your building can be. Well, the better your GPP, the better it can make your MMA.

We've all heard the debates of "strength vs. technique." The whole idea that it has to be one or the other is stupid. Why not have BOTH?

Say you're rolling with a your physically average dude, and it's his first day training. He's nothing extraordinary, and isn't a natural athlete. In other words, his technique sucks, and he's not in great shape. You're likely not gonna have any trouble tapping him.

Instead, let's say you're rolling with multi-time World's Strongest Man, Mariusz Pudzianowski. Do you think you're going to go right in and armbar him? Nope. The guy is just too damn strong. Now, can you roll with him enough so that he gasses and let's you sink in an armbar? Sure. But even then, with how strong Pudz is, your technique better be up to snuff to tap a dude that big and strong.

Now, let's say that you could magically make yourself 3x as strong as you are now. Everything else (technique, conditioning, etc.) all stays the same. Think you'd have an easier time tapping Pudz? Sure - your technique now has 3x as much strength to put behind it.

Remember here - we're not talking any kind of specifics here. We're talking about just getting you into overall better shape.

Say you can put 50 lbs. on your squat. This will make your legs stronger, and likely more powerful. This takes your relative strength and power (remember relative strength from the last email?), and increases it, which should mean you can move your body quicker. This might not instantly mean quicker takedowns, but with a little drilling, your shots should be faster than ever.


Apply that same principle across the board, and you've got yourself in a much better position for MMA success.

And that's what the "Working Class MMA Workout Program" can do. It was specifically designed to get you stronger, more powerful, and shoot your conditioning through the roof, so that when you're preparing for your next fight, that your gas tank will never be an issue. And your skills are just that much more devastating.

Because who can't use more powerful strikes, quicker takedowns, more wind, and better ground control? The "Working Class MMA Workout Program" can help you get there. And if you CLICK HERE, you can save 40% on it.

The deal might not be around forever, though, so you might wanna get to steppin'...

Train Hard, Rest Hard, Play Hard-
Matt "Wiggy" Wiggins
http://www.workingclassfitness.com

Keeping It All Relative...

My dad was a hot rodder back in the "golden age" of hot rodding - the '60s. Gas was cheap, rock and roll was on the radio, and Detroit was pumping out factory muscle cars.

"Souping up" a car and making it go fast was pretty different animal then than it is today. These days, you've got computerized fuel injection and ignition, high-revving small blocks, and crazy researched aftermarket parts. Heck, you've got guys with chipped, twin-turbo Supras making 500+ horsepower like it's nothing.

Back then, the best way to go fast was to find the biggest and most powerful motor you could find (usually out of a big sedan or station wagon or maybe out of a wrecked factory muscle car) and figure out a way to shoehorn it into the smallest, lightest car you could.

That's what my dad did. He had a 1957 T-bird that he somehow got a 406 cubic inch (in today's measurements, that'd be an engine close to 7 liters) with three carbs on into.

Big cubic inches + small, light car = good power to weight ratio.

Good power to weight ratio = go fast.

There's a very important lesson that today's MMAists should learn - especially as it applies to strength & conditioning. And that's the idea of Relative Strength.

Relative Strength is really just a measure of how much force one can produce at a given body size. Put simply, it's how strong you are at your current bodyweight. Get stronger while keeping your bodyweight the same, and your relative strength goes up. Keep your strength the same while dropping a weight class, and your relative strength has gone up again.


Relative strength is one of the most important types of strength in MMA, MMA is now made up of weight classes. As long as you and your opponent weight roughly the same (even if you both cut weight, you'll both come into the cage weighing roughly the same), if you're stronger than he is, you're one-up on him.

With many strength training styles, gaining strength means gaining muscle. For the MMAist, this can cause some major problems. First, there are the weight classes we just talked about. Gain a bunch of weight (even if it is muscle), and that means that you're gonna either have to move up a class (meaning you're gonna be at the light end of the class, which means you're fighting even BIGGER guys), or you're gonna have to do some pretty drastic cutting to make weight. Neither are good.

Then there's the fact that even if you're a lot stronger, if you're a lot bigger, you're likely gonna lose at least a little speed. Bigger dudes just don't move as quick. Brock Lesnar and Randy Couture are darn good wrestlers, but neither have a shot as quick a Sean Sherk. And that's just b/c Sean can move his body quicker. And that's because he's lighter.

All in all, gaining weight - even if it's muscle due to a good strength program - can mean bad things for fighters.

But that's where relative strength comes in.

To gain relative strength, you have to focus more on not gaining weight, rather than just gaining strength. The best way to do this is to just keep your diet in check. As long as you're not taking in too many calories, you're not gonna gain weight (fat or muscle).

The next thing you can do is improve body-composition. If you can lose 10 lbs. of fat, and gain 5 lbs. of muslce, you're losing weight in the end, but give yourself a better chance to increase strength.

Just be sure that you go on a kickass strength building program (if you need a good program, then check THIS out). B/c even if you keep your diet and weight in check, if you're not training right, you ain't gonna get any stronger...not to mention more powerful, have better endurance, etc.

Most of all, though - and this is the key thing to take away from this, keep your diet in line. Like I said, you won't gain any extra weight without extra calories. And more strength at the same weight means more relative strength. More relative strength means a bigger advantage for you in the cage.

Train Hard, Rest Hard, Play Hard-
Matt "Wiggy" Wiggins
http://www.workingclassfitness.com

PS - If you know you can keep your diet right, but still need a little direction on a kickass MMA workout program, then CLICK HERE.

WTF is KISMIF?

One of my most memorable classes in high school was Physics - mainly because of the teacher. Physics can be a pretty tough subject to understand with its different laws, theories, equations, and stuff like that.

However, this class wasn't like that at all - in fact, it was a bunch of fun! Why? Because of my teacher believed in the principle of KISMIF - "Keep it Simple, Make it Fun."



Instead of sitting around reading textbooks and memorizing equations, we took field trips and performed experiments so that we actually understood the principles behind Physics.

The result?

A classroom full of kids that not only learned a lot, but had a ton of fun doing it.

Exercise is the same way. I don't have to tell you how the fitness industry tries to push everybody into overly complicated routines. There has long been this underlying idea that a complicated routine is a successful routine. And the vast majority of the time, this just isn't the case.

So, what should you do if you want to design a routine that you will stick with, produce results, be simple, and enjoy? Simple - KISMIF.

Keep it Simple, Make it Fun.

First of all, figure out your goals (what it is you want or need to accomplish).



From there, outline something that will fit your schedule.

Next, pick exercises/movements that are not only result producing, but you simply just enjoy performing (I feel enjoyment is an often overlooked factor when it comes to exercising - it is much easier to "stick to" and get motivated for a routine that you enjoy than not).

Lastly, don't get *too* crazy. You don't need to do every exercise in the book, so feel free to just pick a few. Not only will you have a more simple workout, but you will leave some of those "fun" exercises in the bag for the next time you overhaul your training plan.

Did you know that when I put together "Working Class Fitness - The Programs", I put together almost an entire year's worth of training (over 210 separate workouts), but only used a grand total of NINE different pieces of equipment to accomplish it all? It was nothing fancy - in fact, most of

The workouts were rather simple (esp when compared to other programs designed to accomplish similar goals).

But I've had people all over the world use these workouts, and get into the best shape they've ever been in...and they've had a bunch of fun along the way. (Though, they *did* work their asses off to do it! ;-)

And it was all based on KISMIF - Keep It Simple, Make It Fun. You can do the same in your workouts.

Train Hard, Rest Hard, Play Hard-
Matt "Wiggy" Wiggins
http://www.workingclassfitness.com

PS - To get more info on "Working Class Fitness - The Programs", go here.

Sometimes More *Is* Better

All the fitness gurus always tell you that "more" isn't always "better". Well, sometimes they're wrong. Read more in my new article at EliteFTS.com.



CLICK HERE

Train Hard, Rest Hard, Play Hard-
Matt "Wiggy" Wiggins
http://www.workingclassfitness.com

PS - If you're not sure if you're doing enough or not, then just GO HERE and get rid of the guesswork...

Building More Than Just Strength...

Back last summer, I posted a copy of Henry Rollins' article entitled "Iron". If you haven't read it, I highly suggest you go read it now.

There is so much in this article that just speaks to me, and that's a little of what I wanna talk about today. Mainly, I wanna talk about why weights and working out are such a big deal to me - why they're such an important part of my life. Specifically, strength training and getting stronger.

It was my dad who got me into lifting weights when just before I hit my teens. Actually, I don't think I started actually using weights until I was roughly 13 or so, but he had me doing pushups, situps, and the like long before that. I still remember cranking out Roman Chair Situps when I was just a tyke - probably no more than 3-4 years old. I'd sit in my dad's lap, wrap my legs around his waist (he'd hold on to make sure I didn't fall), and I'd just crank out situp after situp after situp...giggling the entire time.

As I got older, he taught me what he knew of strength training, working out, and getting stronger. It took a little while for the iron 'bug' to bite, but once it did - oh man.

I devoured magazines, books, articles, videos - whatever I could find about working out. I'd hit the iron sometimes 3x/day, 5-6 days/week. I worked and worked and worked. I spent countless hours during my formative teenage years in the pursuit of getting bigger and stronger.

I learned a lot during that time, but the most important lesson had nothing to do with workouts, sets, reps, or which exercises were best. It had nothing to do with getting bigger, getting stronger, or losing fat.

You see, the iron can build strength. It can build size. It can build power. But the most important thing it builds is character.

You can't get a stronger body without a stronger will. That's the great thing about iron. It's not like many other forms of exercise that you can just "dead-head" and go through the motions. You can lift that way, but spend the next 3 months training half-assed like that, and see if you're any stronger.

Ain't gonna happen.

It takes courage, willpower, and determination to put weight on that bar. It takes perseverance. It takes control. It takes gumption. It takes heart.

In short - it takes character. And that's what iron builds.

You can' put a new maximum weight on that bar, and unrack it without character. Well, you can...but don't be surprised if the weight buries you. It's character that gives you the confidence to hoist that weight you've never lifted before. It's character that gives you the heart to keep pushing. It's character that gives you the desire to put in the time, effort, hard work - only to come back and do it again.

It's character that kicks in when you're holding that heavy weight...you've done 8 reps...your body aches...your muscles scream...every fiber of your being tells you to put it down...

It's character talking when you say "NO WAY! I CALL THE SHOTS HERE!!!"

...and you do another rep. And then one more to make it an even 10...

...just to show who's boss.

See, here's the thing about iron - there is no right or wrong. No politics. No opinions. No best friends. No social circles. No nothing.



It's just weight. It doesn't give a damn who you are, who you know, or what your reputation is supposed to be. All it knows is that either you can lift it, or you can't.

And it's character that takes you down the road, enduring the journey to go from "I can't" to "I sure as hell can".

The character you build, though, isn't just in the weight room. It pervades your entire life. Go get strong, and see if you're not a different person. You'll have a new self-confidence. You'll have more control. You'll have more pride.

There is something to being able to walk into a room, look at every guy in there, and be able to say to yourself, "Yeah - I'm stronger than all of them."

It's not ego, though. It's just...character. It's a knowledge of knowing what you can do and can't do. And when you're strong...well...there's a lot you can do.

Getting strong and spending hours upon hours with the iron has done tremendous things in my life. The character it's helped me build has helped me not only become stronger physically. It's helped me be a better father, a better provider, a better friend, a harder worker.

It's helped give me that character that allows me to encounter ANY obstacle...

...and even if I'm outmatched right now, when all is said and I done, I'm gonna kick its ass.

Trust me - you don't build that kind of character spending countless hours doing mouse-wheel cardio in your local globo-gym.

Go out and lift some heavy weight. Grunt. Yell. Work hard. Get sore. Do something your body isn't expecting...then take it another rep or two further.

Then rest up, and come back to do it again. Repeat for the next 6 months.

See if you aren't a better man because of it.

Train Hard, Rest Hard, Play Hard-
Matt "Wiggy" Wiggins
http://www.workingclassfitness.com

PS - If you're ready to become a better man, go here.