Go Take a Hike!!

Take it easy - I'm not trying to tell you off, haha. I'm trying to tell you to actually go for a hike...or at least a long walk.

Walking is about the most basic form of transportation known to man. Aside from crawling and rolling around on the ground, it's about the first real mode of getting from "here" to "there" we ever learn. And unfortunately, it's one we all but abandon as we age.

Either we "don't have time" for walking (we park our car closer to the door, take the elevator, drive down to the corner store, or ride the moving sidewalk at the airport - of which are much quicker than walking), or we don't think it's "intense" enough (which is where running, sprinting, spinning, calisthenics, etc. all come in).

I think we should get back to walking - for a variety of reasons.

1. It Doesn't Take a Toll

By now you know the differences between different types of conditioning (esp if you've been reading my articles - if not, get to http://www.workingclassfitness.com/articles.shtml and study up). You know that for cardiovascular conditioning, you can go hard or go long, but you can't go both. Most of the cardiovascular conditioning I recommend is of the short, intense, interval variety.

While interval conditioning is highly beneficial, it also can be kinda tough on the body. Being an intense exercise, it can take a toll on the joints, and work muscles as hard as any weight training workout.

It can also take quite a toll on your CNS (Central Nervous System). This won't cause physical fatigue, per se, but rather mental fatigue. This is the kind of fatigue that can lead to overtraining pretty quickly if you're not careful.

Walking, on the other hand, is easy on the body (unlike interval's high-impact style, walking's impact is very low). You're not gonna hear about somebody having sore knees, ankles, hips, etc. from walking (unless they're seriously overweight and out of shape, but that's another story).

And because walking isn't that intense, it's also very easy on the CNS. You'd have to try pretty hard to overtrain or burn yourself out by walking. Ever have a day that you just didn't feel like going balls out? You'd have to be pretty lazy to have a day that you didn't feel like going for a walk.

The great thing about walking is that you can add it to your current activity level (even if you're already pretty active), and don't really have to worry about it affecting your other workouts/activities.

2. It's Good For Recovery and Heart Health

In addition to the points above, walking can get the blood flowing through the body. This will facilitate recovery from your more intense training sessions. It's also a great form of cardiovascular activity to keep your heart healthy. Studies have proven this a bunch of times - go google it.

3. It'll Help Burn Off a Few Pounds

Walking at a decent, brisk pace can actually help you burn calories. Did you know that the average 200 lbs. man, walking at roughly 4 mph (that's a brisk walk a little faster than average) could put on a 20 lbs. weight vest and burn roughly 250 calories in 30 mins? Sure, it's not a crazy amount, but it's 250 calories you hadn't burned before, right? And it sure beats sitting on your ass in front of the TV for an extra 30 mins. Walking up hills, going at a little faster pace, or walking over rougher terrain (say in the woods) ups the calorie usage quick.

4. It's Good For the Mind

I like walking because it gives me a chance to think. I use my walks as a time to contemplate my next business decision, upcoming articles/products/workouts, think about my family, pray and meditate...all things we don't do when we're "plugged in" to normal life. I can feel like crap, and be unsure of what to do in a situation, yet after a good, vigorous 3-4 mile walk, will end up back at the house refreshed, recharged, and will know exactly which direction I want to go in.

If you can take a spouse, loved one, child, good buddy, etc. with you, it can also be a good time to just talk and spend time with somebody that means something to you.

Go for a walk now and then - I guarantee you'll feel better when you're done.

For more tips like this, workout plans that will help you achieve physical domination over your life, be sure to check out http://www.workingclassfitness.com

Train Hard, Rest Hard, Play Hard-
Wiggy

Hard Work + Great Programming = AWESOME Success

I keep saying that the best workout programs in the world won't do you any good, if you don't put the work in to actually do them. I got more "real-world" proof of this in my inbox:

"Matt, I’m an ex Football player turned Motocrosser. I have been working out since 1990 and have done the same old thing for ever. I purchased your program and am very impressed. I’m currently on program 3 week 7 and haven’t missed a day. I love this thing. I love the variety of exercises and they way it is put together. I have seen about a 10-15 lb drop in my weight and have lost about 4” in my waist. Oh ya I’m a hell of a lot stronger now. In 2 weeks I was dead lifting about 50 lb over my max when playing college ball. The best part is the guys at the gym just get tired watching me work out. The dirt bike is just a warm up now. I just don’t get tired.

I have been a huge fan of MMA for a while and this is how I discovered your program. My brother and I have even considered going into jits. I want to test this out and see how fun it can be to throw dudes around. I just wanted to thank you for such a great tool. It truly has changed my body and my focus on physical fitness. I look forward to the pain to come in the following programs. I do have to say that I love the tire. It just feels great to get a workout and pull 2-3 of the neighborhood kids around at the same time.

Thanks again Matt

Aaron"

See the part in bold? That kind of commitment, when coupled with a kick-ass program, is GUARANTEED to get results.

Think you can put in the same effort Aaron does? Then hop on the bandwagon and get with the best workout plans you can get, and start getting the amazing benefits for yourself.

Wiggy

Why Muscle is Necessary When Losing Weight

I recently got an email from a reader that was thinking of picking up my "Working Class Fitness - The Programs". He liked my ideas on "mastering bodyweight" (check this article for some ideas on this), but wasn't sure that all the strength training was necessary.

He said:

"I like the idea of being able to master my bodyweight, but wouldn't just losing weight (esp fat) and getting your bodyweight as low as possible be the easiest way to do this? Couldn't I do this with just cardio conditioning?"

You could lose a lot of weight by just adjusting diet and doing cardiovascular activity (be it of the LSD, HIIT, MFD, or Density Conditioning variety (see this article for a quick rundown on these methods). But you still wouldn't have any muscle.

I don't want to use the whole "sprinter vs. distance runner" story here, b/c it's been done a bunch of times already. But look at most long distance runners - most have little muscle tone, aren't strong, and are "skinny fat" (i.e. - their skinny and weigh little, but many still have guts).

Why would you not want to be strong? Powerful? Explosive? For the most part, just plain cardiovascular activity won't get you that way...esp not over you entire body. Now, you could do Density Conditioning running hills, and that would get your legs in shape, and bodweight circuits could get your upper body in shape, but that wouldn't really be just cardiovascular activity anymore.

Need another reason? When losing weight, building muscle is actually one of the BEST things you can do. Why? Because muscle burns more calories at rest to simply maintain than fat does.

How many more? One pound of fat burns roughly 3-5 calories per day to maintain. One pound of muscle needs roughly 50 calories per day. So, if you could simply replace 10 lbs. of fat with 10 lbs. of lean muscle, you'd burn up roughly an extra 500 calories per day - with no other changes to your bodyweight, schedule, workout programs, or anything else.

Now do you wonder why I have so much strength training in my workout plans?

Wiggy

Japanese Govt. *FORCES* Weight Loss?

Take a look at this video over on CNN.com a friend emailed me. It might sound crazy, and I'm not sure we could ever have such a thing happen in the States (it would infringe on too many people's "rights" to be lard-asses and would make people "feel bad" for being fattys), but I can't say it might not be a bad a idea.

I mean, imagine a company (b/c it's scared of govt. fines) enforces guidelines on how big your waist can be, offers exercise breaks at work 2x/day, and tells its employees to use the stairs instead of the elevator?

http://www.cnn.com/video/#/video/health/2008/06/23/kyung.fat.busters.cnn

Let me know what you think.

Wiggy

New Article up at MMA Weekly

My new article, "Generally Speaking", is up at MMA Weekly.

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I recently received an email from a trainee who had bought my workout programs. He wanted to know if the workouts I'd designed would help him increase his kicking and punching power, as he trained in only kickboxing. (He's from Holland, and there isn't much, if any, MMA to be had there.)

The answer to his question was pretty simple, "Absolutely they'll help you increase your kicking and punching power."

Now, the reason for this is two-fold.

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Check out the rest of the article here:

http://www.mmaweekly.com/absolutenm/templates/dailynews.asp?articleid=6598&zoneid=13

Wiggy

New Article Up at MMA Training.com

My new article, "Strength Work is Not Skills Work", is up at MMA Training.com. Check it out and let me know what you think:

http://www.mmatraining.com/fitness/strength-work-is-not-skills-work.php

Wiggy

Today's Run (Interval Training From a Bruce Lee Workout)

Got a new set of shoes this past weekend, and went for a good run today to break them in. It was sort of a longer interval run. I actually got the simple circuit from a book about much of Bruce Lee's training programs:

-jog x 60 secs
-sprint x 30 secs
-walk x 60 secs
*repeat x 2.2 miles, finishing off the last 1/4 mile running as hard as possible

Great workout, had the heart pumping really hard, didn't take that long. This would be a great run to use in your Density Conditioning sessions, and would be great to use in your workouts from "Working Class Fitness - The Programs."

Wiggy

More Articles Up at Another New Site

If you're on the east coast, there is a new source for all your MMA needs. Check out Atlantic MMA - http://www.atlanticmma.com

I've got two new conditioning articles up at Atlantic MMA - check them out:

"Conditioning...Is Not Just Cardio"

http://www.atlanticmma.com/2008/06/20/conditioning-is-not-just-cardio

"Good Power to Weight Ratio = Go Fast: Relative Strength and MMA"

http://www.atlanticmma.com/2008/06/20/Good%20Power%20to%20Weight%20Ratio%20=%20Go%20Fast:%20%20Relative%20Strength%20and%20MMA

Wiggy

High School Wrestling Coach Needed!!!

Recently, my son's high school wrestling team lost their wrestling coach. Thus far, the search for a new coach has been fruitless.

If anybody knows of somebody that might be interested in being a High School wrestling coach (the person must also teach high school courses), and lives near Spring Lake, NC, please pass this onto them.

Any interested parties can contact Overhills High School at 910-436-1436 and ask to speak to the principal re the head wrestling coach position.

Or, you can contact me via my site, and I will do whatever I can to link the interested party up with the appropriate people at the high school.

Please pass this on! If the team can't find a coach, then Overhills High will have no wrestling team next year!

Wiggy

New Article at MMA Weekly

My new article - "Pull Yourself Together" is up at MMA Weekly.com. Check it out:

http://www.mmaweekly.com/absolutenm/templates/dailynews.asp?articleid=6398&zoneid=13

Wiggy

AWESOME Story

I got this email today, and just had to share:

hey wiggy

today i got all the stuff to make a sandbag. later this week i will use it to work out with a kid i am mentoring (kind of like a big brother, big sister program we have in jacksonville, fl). the point is that you making that available to me for free("how to make a sandbag") is not only a blessing in my life, it is a blessing in that kid's life.

he is in some group home right now (long story, i wont go into detail but it was court ordered for the time being and i'll leave it at that). kid dreams about making his 9th grade football team. he is from the hood (in other words no money) but thanks to sites like yours, i am gonna be able to teach and educate my kid about how to get into phenomenal shape without having any money.

long story short, you RULE!!!! i love your site and i'm tryin to spread the love homie!!! =-)

many blessings to you brother.

Blake
via myspace

I love getting emails like this - where folks decide they want to make a change in their life, and they go out and do it.

This just goes to show what can be done if you have the desire. You don't need fancy gyms or expensive equipment. You just have to have the desire to get better, and the work ethic to make it happen.

What's even better about this story is that Blake is unselfishly helping others. By putting in the work himself, he's helping kids achieve their dreams - and ones that might not otherwise get a chance.

Kudos to you Blake - keep kicking ass and taking names. Be sure to let us all know when the boy you're training makes the team, and how well he does!!

Wiggy

Ab Wheel Progression Tip

Recently over at mixedmartialarts.com, a poster asked about how to progress on ab wheel rollouts. The question was about how to progress from kneeling rollouts to standing rollouts, but this tip can be applied to even getting to full extension on kneeling rollouts.

Here was my response:

Position yourself facing a wall so that the wall is just far enough that you can roll out and touch it before you fail. e.g. - say you can roll halfway out before you fall, position yourself so that you roll out halfway before the wheel runs into the wall.

Train at this position and creep your way out away from the wall over time as you get stronger.

Let me know how it works out for you.

Wiggy

Best. Snack. Ever.

Ok, we all know that eating healthy can not always be the most enjoyable thing. Usually, good for you doesn't usually equate to tasty. (I'll never forget being a kid, watching the cartoon "Muppet Babies", and Baby Rowlf saying something along the lines of, "Why is it that when food looks ugly and tastes like dirt, grown-ups say it's good for you!?" hahaha)

Well, I have something you're going to like. It's not a complete solution, but man, you're going to like it.

A good diet will be high in protein, with low to moderate amounts of carbs and healthy fats. A good source of protein is non-fat cottage cheese. One serving has roughly 13 grams of protein, only 4 grams of carbs, and no fat. The problem is that a lot of people don't like cottage cheese - they just don't like the taste.

Well, this will change everything.

Go out and get a large container of non-fat cottage cheese. Add in a package of Fiesta Ranch salad dressing mix (the powder). Mix well.

Voila! You've got one of the best snacks you're ever gonna find. Personally, I can it just like that with a spoon, no problem. But you can use it all kinds of ways - toss some on some lettuce or spinach for a good salad (add a can of water-packed tuna, and you've got a GREAT high protein, low-calorie meal that will fill you up and get plenty of roughage into your system). Spread some on organic bread for a good sandwich. Or use it as a dip for veggies or (as long as you can restrain yourself) your favorite baked snack cracker.

And the whole thing won't cost you but a couple bucks.

Go to the store and get some now. You won't be sorry.

Wiggy

ALWAYS Find a Way to Win

Man, I had a GREAT workout planned for today. Was gonna do some hard conditioning. Start off with a decent warmup, then some DB Snatches and DB Swings. After that, this 20-Minute Workout. Then, depending on how I felt, either a hard one-mile run, or an easy two-mile jog.

The workout started off good. Got through the warmup, and a few sets into some Snatches and Swings. Was finishing off a set of Swings when...

AAAARRRRRGGGGHHHHHHH!!!!!

Something in my left lower back had tweaked.

I immediately dove to the floor. I could feel my lower back tightening up. Not good.

I knew it was nothing major - I hadn't injured myself, but something sure wasn't right.

I lied there for a minute or two, catching my breath (I was still sucking wind from the Swings). My back was still tightening up.

I knew I'd better get to stretching it, so I eased into a few real basic stretches and yoga poses. This lasted probably 15 minutes.

After that, it was feeling loose, so I got up and started moving around. I knew I wanted keep moving - at least for a little while. The more it tightened up now, the worse off I was going to be later.

I did some calisthenics (pushups, squats, and even a few squat thrusts - those might not have been the greatest idea...d'oht!) and kept doing some stretches and yoga poses. Then it was outside where I jumped gingerly on the kids' big trampoline. I was feeling good now. I could still feel the back...it wasn't terrible, but wasn't good, either. But, I knew I still had to get some activity in.

So, the course I had planned to jog (a little over two miles), I ended up walking instead. It was a very brisk walk - just shy of "power-walking."

By the time I was done, I was feeling pretty good. I had gotten a decent workout in, and my back felt Ok. It's a little tight now, and I've got ice on it (BBBRRRRR!!!!), but I'll be fine. Some more stretching and yoga poses are in store for later this afternoon.

What's my point in all this? ALWAYS find a way to win.

I could've stopped, given up, and said "no more today." Instead, I used my head. I knew I had to get some work done, yet I didn't want to risk injuring myself. So, I figured out a way to make it happen.

Ever have one of those days where you just don't feel like doing your scheduled workout? Maybe you're supposed to do some complexes for conditioning, but would rather just lift heavy instead. Or maybe you're supposed to run, when you'd rather do some calisthenics. Or maybe, instead of 2-4 different back exercises, you'd rather just do a whole crapload of pullups.

Guess what? There's nothing wrong with that.

Sometimes you're body needs something different - you need to learn to listen to it. Your body is a lot smarter than you think it is - most times it'll tell you what it needs, and when it needs it.

Now, don't confuse this with laziness. Just b/c you don't feel like working out one day, doesn't necessarily mean you shouldn't. Yeah, you might need a day off. Or, you might just need to do a different type of workout that day. I've had plenty of days where I've hit the weights, felt weak as could be, decided to make it a volume day (instead of a heavy day) and came away having a GREAT workout, being more pumped than ever to hit the weights the next day.

Don't do anything stupid so you'll get injured. I could've gone back to lifting today, and that would've been one of the dumbest things I could've done. But, do find a way to still get something done.

Just use your head, and know the difference between what your body needs and what your mind wants.

Wiggy

New Article at New Site!!

I've recently been asked to start writing for a (relatively) new MMA site - http://www.mmatraining.com

My first article - "Philosophy, Complexity, and the 'Regular Joe'" has just been posted. Check it out:

http://www.mmatraining.com/fitness/philosophy-and-complexity.php

Stay tuned for more of my articles at MMA Training.com, in the near future!

Wiggy

New Article at MMA Weekly

My new article, "Quit Being So Lazy!" is up at MMA Weekly. Check it out:

http://www.mmaweekly.com/absolutenm/anmviewer.asp?a=6257&z=13

Wiggy

New Articles + Some Great Testimonials

Been getting some GREAT testimonials for "Working Class Fitness - The Programs" as of late.

Here are a couple that really stand out that I've gotten recently:

"I just wanted to thank u for all your help with the programs my training went awesome for my fight. I was strong As A MOOSE!!!...i came out and was kicking his ass thanks to my new found super strength...everybody asks me how Ican be so strong at 185 and i refer them to you!"
Adam Rothfelder, professional MMAist
(on his S&C training using workouts directly out of "Working Class Fitness - The Programs")

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"I am training for MMA, I wanted to get into shape for it. I ran into this and I couldn't pass it up! To sum it up, BEST MONEY I EVER SPENT! Case closed! I just finished Program #1 - before, I couldn't even power clean 135, couldn't even bench 135, couldn't deadlift 315! After this program I can easily clean my bodyweight (170)! I can bench 185! I can even DB Push Press a 95 LBS. dumbbell! I can deadlift 445! I mean these are new strength gains too! But if your an ordinary guy who wants to be fit, or training for MMA, Wrestling, whatever your sport, this is for you! The workouts are fun and creative too! I cannot wait to see what gains I get using these programs in the future!"
Novecek
novacek04@*********.net

Just goes to show what a lot of hard work can do when it's applied properly. I get SO EXCITED when I think of what others can do on these programs!

Here are a few more...

"I just read your latest column at mmaweekly I want to compliment you on passing on such a simple yet brilliant point. Having trained a lot of collegiate and professional athletes in my previous career as an Athletic Trainer and Strength Coach it illustrates a great tip to use in making a work out super efficient...Your column also got my mind going as a chiropractor (my new career). The idea of alternating obviously works well in my mind b/c it allows for both sides of the body to get in a similar work out. I also really like the idea of how this simulates the nervous system especially proprioceptors in the muscles and also mechanoreceptors in the individual joints. I think this would be a huge added benefit and will probably be a great form of preventive medicine. I was also thinking that the short break it takes to change hands would also mimic fighting since you seem to quite often have a brief rest while you change posture or set up your next attack or defense. Thanks for stimulating my brain with your tip. I enjoy and share your philosophies when it comes to functional training, hard intelligent work and most importantly proper rest. All the best,"
John
trainerjl@********.com

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"Hey man wuz going on??? Well my name is Travis Oliver right out of Newport News, VA And I'm training to become a MMA fighter!!!! Im 6-1 in submission grapplin and I'm 0-1 in mma. I lost cuz I was not in shape. Every since I lost that fight I been trying to find a good work out program, then I came across your web site and I have to say your program is the sh!t!!!"
Travis Oliver
via myspace

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"Thanks, just finished printing it. Very nice. This is the best program I have ever seen. The detail is amazing. I love having everything all planned out for me. All I have to do is put in the work. I look forward to killing myself soon. Thanks again."
Aaron Bonafede
the951bonafedes@**********.net

I just updated my Articles page with a bunch of columns I'd written for MMA Weekly. Posted over 15 articles just today. Did the same thing a couple weeks back. If you ever missed an article, go HERE to check it out.

Got plenty more good stuff in the works. Stay tuned...

News, Rumors, Updates, and Other Good Stuff...

Hey Folks,

Yeah, I know - it's been a while since I posted here. Sorry about that. Life has been sort of a whirlwind the past few weeks. I know, I know - it's no excuse, but it is what it is. Anyway, let's get to some good stuff!!

-I'm home from Iraq - FOR GOOD!!. WOOOOO-FREAKIN'-HOOOOO!!!! Yeah, I'm no longer working for the govt. contractor in Iraq. The job was Ok, and the money was good, but enough was enough. It's time for me to be home with my family. I was out there off and on for roughly 2.5 years - the wife and kids really wanted me home, and I really wanted to be home. You never know how much you miss little things until they're just not there, or you just can't do them.

It was kinda funny, actually. I'd only been home for a couple weeks, and a job recruiter called me up, offering me a very similar job (only in a managerial role!) doing contract work. Though this work wasn't going to be going overseas - it meant going to Iowa (and I live in North Carolina). I contemplated it, but in the end, turned it down. If I was going to do something along those lines, I might as well have stayed in Iraq...

Either way, it's GREAT to be home!

-Training has been going, well...spotty. Coming back home for good has meant certain adjustments, and I've been having a hard time getting into a good "groove" for training. That's all behind me, though - I've got a good plan now, and things are going GREAT!!!

-"Working Class Fitness - The Programs" has been doing very well. (If you haven't checked it out yet, you'd better get your kiester over to HERE and check it out!) I've been getting some GREAT testimonials from people using the programs - I'll be putting some up in the coming days.

-While I was in Iraq, I came up with a new method of laying out workout plans. Out of all the stuff I've done or put together, I think this is going to be the best. This wouldn't replace something like my 8-week workout programs, rather would be a huge complement to them. More on this in the very near future.

-I've had a chance to do some more of the whole "myspace" thing since I've been back. It's pretty cool. If you've got a myspace page, look me up - http://www.myspace.com/workingclassfitness. We can be "friends" - LOL.

-Keep your eyes peeled to my site, this very blog, and my myspace page - some HUGE changes coming - also in the very near future.

-Want to pass on this little tip for you - when you're doing your Over-Head Pressing work with Dumbbells (this could be presses, pushpresses, jerks, whatever), keep the DB in a neutral position. This means that instead of having the handle along your body (in an "east-west" position, if you facing forward="north"), it's in the "north-south" position. This brings the triceps a little more into play, but it keeps your elbows in front of you during the movement. Keeping the elbows in front of you keeps your shoulder in a more advantageous position, and keeps your shoulder in a much SAFER position. This will be much easier on your shoulder girdle over the long haul.

Well, that's it for now. More coming VERY soon, though.

Train Hard, Rest Hard, Play Hard-

Wiggy

Let's Talk Muscular Endurance

If you peruse my blog now and then, you probably know that if I get into good discussions at forums, I like to cut and paste some of the discussion(s) here. Well, recently, there was a great discussion about Muscular Endurance and how it applies to MMA over at mma.tv. Here is some of what I posted:

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-In regards to sports specific skill, is there a difference between learning to control fatigue/tension/force exerted and muscular endurance? Yes and no. Yes in that I don't believe the two are the same thing. No, in that the net result ends up being the same.

Slightly different viewpoint - a baseball player is taking batting practice. His hitting coach comes over and has him slightly adjust is swing. He now gets more power on the ball, and can hit further. Can he hit further? Yes. Is he a more powerful hitter? Not necessarily. He's just as powerful as he was when he stepped into the batting cage - he's just now better at harnessing said power. He's a more efficient hitter.

Now let's say the same hitter, instead of tweaking his swing like his coach says, keeps his swing the same. But this time, it's the off-season, and he hits the weights real hard (and knowing MLB, probably the 'roids, too LOL). He come back in a couple months with the same exact swing. However, b/c he's put on 25 lbs. of muscle, and the increased strength/power to go with it, he's hitting the ball further. He has extended his limits b/c of his newfound strength/power. Balls that were fly-outs to left-center now fly over the left field fence. Can he hit the ball further? yes. Is he a more powerful hitter? Yes. Is he a "better" hitter? Not necessarily. He can just "muscle it" further.

The same principle (IMO) applies to muscular endurance and comparing it to improving technique. Say a fighter works on his mental game, staying more relaxed on the mat. Therefore, he conserves energy. Does that give him more endurance? No. But it does allow him to work longer.

Same result. Different paths.

So, the next question that brings up is which is more important to work on? Muscular endurance or managing technique? And of course, there is no hard and fast answer. It depends on the fighter, how he fights (style-wise), and his current abilities (in both technique and S&C). After a thorough assessment of everything, those kinds of questions can be answered. Why do you have to pick one over the other? Why not learn to manage technique AND increase muscular endurance? Well, that would be one of the most optimal choices for this situation, but given the trainee can only do so much (and given that MMA is probably one of, if not THE most demanding sports from such a wide variety of skills necessary perspective), he has to pick and choose his battles (so to speak).
Shifting gears...

In the 1st thread, it was mentioned (more or less) that complexes don't get the heart going like sprinting can. I agree (and Chad and I have traded emails about this) that running as fast as you can for as long as you can will keep your heart beating as fast as possible. However, many people don't have the lower body muscular endurance (i.e. the ability to keep contracting the musculature of the hips/legs) to keep up the kind of pace necessary. Something like complexes, however, can allow the trainee to keep working, allowing some muscle groups to actively rest while others work, all the while the cardiovascular system keeps getting taxed.

And for many, this is all they'll need. However, I do believe that once a trainee gets themselves in pretty good shape, and has a good amount of work capacity built up, complexes will then start to diminish in ability to keep heart-rate up. To do so, it's been my experience, the trainee has to significantly increase the weight, making the amount of force that has to be exerted that much more. But if you start to go too heavy, you start running into the area of strength development, as well as what I call strength-endurance (the ability to perform a given activity with a given percentage of one's 1RM - not just the ability to contract repeatedly...I think it was said before that this was Relative Endurance).

Now, this isn't necessarily a *bad* thing, as I believe having higher Relative Endurance (w/higher % of 1RM in both the strength and power depts.) is a good thing. IMO, fighters need to be strong at the end of the fight - not just at the beginning. (And as RIPLEY pointed out, many are weak then, too.) But it's a different question.

There's also the idea that efficiency and maximum ability and/or capacity aren't necessarily the same thing.

One of the things that I see/hear over at Crossfit (I'm not trying to bash these guys - just making a point) is that they want to find more efficient ways of doing movements, so that more work can be done. I don't necessarily agree with this.
Think of it this way - say as a part of a Crossfit metcon circuit, you had to jump over a cone X number of times, and this cone was 12 inches high. In Crossfit fashion, you take the most efficient route, and jump just high enough to get over the cone - say 12.25 inches. Your work output is high, in that you're moving your bodyweight X number of reps over the requisite 12 inch cone, and since you're going *just* high enough to clear the cone, your time is as fast as it can be. IMO, this would be a case of maximizing efficiency.

Now let's say that instead of jumping just high enough to clear the cone (12.25 inches), you jump a full 20 inches over the cone, clearing it by 8 inches with each jump. IMO, this would b a case of maximizing ability/capacity.

Now the question that gets raised in my mind, is which of the two have more carryover? The increase in efficiency, or the increase in ability/capacity? It depends on what the test is. If the test is the workout itself (as is the case w/Crossfit most times), it's the first. However, if the test is a totally unrelated activity (say barbell complexes or sprinting and wrestling), then I'd say the second.

In this sort of instance, you'd learn how to maximize efficiency with your skills training. Maximize your ability/capacity with your S&C training. ***********************

Wiggy

New Article at MMA Weekly - "Raising the Bar"

My new article, "Raising the Bar" is up at MMA Weekly. Check it out:

LINK

Wiggy

20 Minutes + 2 Exercises = Your Ass Kicked

If you want a great workout in 20 minutes, have no equipment (but a little bit of room), and don't mind huffing, puffing, sweating, and overall kicking your own ass, here is a great workout for you.

Set a stopwatch (or just look at a clock - one with a sweeping second hand would work best) and every minute, on the minute, do a set. Alternate between Burpees and Jumps. Repeat for 10 rounds. 10 rounds = 20 minutes.

Each "even" minute (0,2,4,6,8,etc.) is a set of burpees. Each "odd" minute (1,3,5,7,9,etc.) is a set of jumps. At the end, you'll have done 10 sets of each.

The burpees are in "traditional" format - squat down, thrust feet out, do a pushup*, thrust feet back under you, and stand up (we won't use a jump with these burpees). Burpees are done in sets of 10. When that gets easy, bump it up to 12, then 15. If you want to substitute Squat-Thrusts (same movement minus the pushup), you can, but start with a minimum of 12 reps. Then 15, then 20.

(*To make the burpees harder, thrust the feet out and do the lowering portion of the pushup in one motion, so that for a second or so, your hand are supporting your entire bodyweight.)

For the jumps, just get an object that is roughly 18-24" high, and jump over it facing forward. Turn around, and jump back. Repeat until you've done 10 reps. Jumps can be done all forward, forward and back, side to side, etc. - mix it up. Make sure your object is something that can easily be knocked over, you won't get hurt on, and that you won't damage should you not make the jump or trip.

The first few rounds will seem easy. Don't let that fool you. Somewhere around 6-7, you'll suddenly realize that you're working a lot harder than you were in the beginning, and this is harder than you thought it was gonna be. Did anybody get the number of that truck? :-)

This is the exact workout I did today. I did Squat Thrusts for 15, and Jumps (over a box roughly 20" high) for 12. 10 rounds later, I had done 150 Squat Thrusts, and 120 Jumps. I was toast. I finished up with a slow 5 mins jog to cool down.

25 minutes and I was in and out.

For those of you that are looking for some variety in your Density Conditioning, (esp. when using it in Working Class Fitness - The Programs), try giving this a shot. Do more reps and rest less to make the workout more "dense".

Let me know how it goes.

Wiggy

New Article at MMA Weekly - "Are You A Strong Man?"

My new article, "Are you a Strong Man?" got up at MMA Weekly yesterday.

If you haven't already, check it out:

LINK

Wiggy

New MMA Weekly Article - "1 Left + 1 Right DB Clean & Press"

My new article, "1 Left + 1 Right DB Clean & Press" is up at MMA Weekly. Check it out.

LINK

Wiggy

New Article at MMA Weekly - "1 Left + 1 Right = Kick-Ass Reps"

My new mini-article/tip, "1 Left + 1 Right = Kick-Ass Reps" is up at MMA Weekly.

Check it out:

LINK

Wiggy

New MMA Weekly Article - "Resolutions or Excuses?"

New new article, "Resolutions or Excuses?" is up at MMA Weekly. Check it out:

LINK

Wiggy

Losing Fat While Lifting?

Over at the S&C forum at mma.tv, forum member "JudoKid21" asked the following question:

Hey Guys,

I have a question. I weigh 186 lb and will start lifting on Monday of next week. I will lift four days a week, do judo four days a week, and try to run three days a week. I would like to be at about 165-167 by March 1st. I have about 18% body fat. Is this possible while lifting? The weight lifting will be mostly circuit style.

Thanks!

Here was my response:

The first thing you're going to have to do is get your diet in check. Weight gain/loss is all about calories in vs. calories out (there are other factors, but that's the main deal). You can have the best workouts in the world, but if you're eating like crap, you're not going to lose the weight you want.

2nd of all, you have to consider how important your Judo is. You can concievably lose more weight by doing more S&C activity, but your Judo will ultimately suffer, as your energy and recuperative abilities won't be there for your Judo when you need it. You'll also open yourself up to burnout and overtraining.

All that said...

There are two ways you could go about your S&C training. You'll want to do some basic strength training. When in a caloric defecit, your body will be turning on itself for energy. In this case, muscle breaks down quicker/easier than fat does, so your body will want to attack it first. A basic strength training program (coupled with appropriate protein intake) will ensure that your body burns primarily fat. You can never lose all fat (and no muscle), but this will minimize your muscle loss.

For your conditioning (cardiovascular, muscular, and strength), there are two options - either traditional "cardio" options (running, rowing, versaclimber, etc.) or circuit-training. If you go the former, then most would argue that HIIT is a better alternative. For fat loss it is, but just know that for it to be effective, it has to be sufficiently intense, which can also end up leading to CNS burnout - so you have to watch for that. LSD can also be used, and is easier on the CNS, but takes a lot more time, and can drain your recurperative abilities. (For another idea, check out the "Cardio Workouts" thread on the UG, where I describe MFD - Medium Fast Distance).

On the other hand, instead of "traditional" cardio, you could go circuit/complex training route. This is where you string together multiple exercises with little to no rest in between. Circuit training got a bad rap in the '80s when people started doing half-assed sets on machines and getting no results. Well no kidding - you weren't putting in any effort! When done correctly, circuit/complex training can be *very* demanding - it can work not only your cardiovascular conditioning, but also total-body muscular endurance and even (if you go heavy enough) strength endurance.

There are two ways I would setup workouts - if you go the "cardio" route, do a basic strength program 3x/week (full body) or 4x/week (upper/lower split). If you're set on running 3x/week, alternate LSD and HIIT each session so that you do each 3x over 2 weeks. Or you could try doing MFD 3x/week (just watch out for overtraining - MFD might be better done with an upper/lower split).

If you go the circuit/complex training route (which would probably be better for your Judo training), do a very basic/abbreviated strength training program (a push, a pull, and a squat/DL). Then follow it up with circuit/complex training. Examples could include Randy Couture's complexes, the ones Martin Rooney put together for Renzo's guys, Javorek complexes, John Davies Bear (one of my favorites), or the ones I put together in "Working Class Fitness - The Programs".

If I were you, I'd probably go the latter route. It'd be better for your Judo, get you the fat loss goals you want, and drastically reduce your number of training sessions/week (a total of 7 S&C and Judo versus the 11 you described above). If you have extra energy or want to do some more work, go for a jog, ride a bike, play a pickup game of football, or the like - do something physical for enjoyment, mental relaxation, and active recovery.

When I put together "WCF - The Programs", I put together an entire program like this. Others of it were very similar, utlizing sandbag workouts as well.

Hope this helps.

Wiggy - MMA Workouts

Back in Iraq + Yesterday's Workout

First of all, I hope you all had a great Christmas and New Year. I had an absolute BLAST at home back in the States - it was the best R&R I've ever had. But alas, all good things must come to an end, and now I'm back at my govt. contractor job in Iraq. It's Ok, though - I waited a while to take my first R&R, so I get to take my next one pretty quick. I'll be back in the States in just 55 more days...WOO-HOO!!!!

Now let's get to important stuff...yesterday's workout.

DB Clean & Press - 8 sets of 6 reps (each side)

I did a full clean and press with each rep. Due to past shoulder issues, I keep my palms in a nuetral position throughout the entire rep. I tried to really snap the hips with each clean - sometimes the DB would come up so fast it's almost hit me in the chin! Good stuff! Then I’d pop the DB up overhead with just a slight dip – almost like half of a push-press.

I rested only about 45-50 secs between each set. This workout felt real good – the next one I’ll probably amp it up a notch and do it in “1 Left, 1 Right” fashion (keep your eyes peeled to MMA Weekly for a short article about “1 Left, 1 Right”).

After that, it was a short 5 mins jog to cool down.

All in all, a great workout – strength, strength/cardiovascular/muscular endurance, work capacity, and power all worked hard – and done in roughly 20 mins. Can’t beat it.

ON MY WAY HOME!!! + workouts

Well, after 5+ months in the Middle East and 160+ days away from home, I'm finally on my way back home from Iraq for Christmas R&R. I left Camp Echo in Diwaniyah, and am temporarily at Camp Adder in Tallil. I leave here on Wednesday, to go to Dubai (our "official" point of departure), and will in turn fly back home to the good ole' U.S. of A. early Thursday morning.

I can't freakin' wait!

I've been here for a few days, with really nothing to do, which has been GREAT. I've been catching up on a lot of sleep, conversing with buddies here going out on R&R as well, and just generally resting.

But don't think that's been keeping me from working out!

Most of my workouts have been simple, but hard - Burpees and Running. :-) Today's workout looked like this:

-Burpees: 20 sets x 8 reps (did 8 reps on the minute, every minute - this was more controlled...wanted to get the volume in)
-Burpees x 50 reps (all in a row - good "finisher"...totalled 250 Burpees in all)
-Medium-paced jog x 20 mins

A great workout - simple and effective. It's just past noon now, I've gotten my workout in the for the day, I'm about to go grab some chow, and catch a nap this afternoon. Combine that with the fact that this time in 3 days I'll be on my way home, and life is REALLY good. :-)

Wiggy

AWESOME Bo Jackson Article

I'll always remember that fateful Monday night when Bo Jackson plowed over Brian Bozworth.

I've always been a big Bo Jackson fan - here is a really good article on where he is now:

LINK

Wiggy

New Article at MMA Weekly

In case you haven't seen it, my new article, "Have More Gas in Your Tank" is up at MMA Weekly. Check it out.

LINK

Wiggy

Happy Thanksgiving

I just want to wish all my readers - whether you're from America or not - a very Happy Thanksgiving.

I hope you have a kick-ass workout in the morning, then spend the rest of the day watching football, eating some great food, and spending time with love ones.

Be safe, be happy, and be thankful.

Wiggy

New Article at MMA Weekly

My new article, "You Can't Do it All" is up at MMA Weekly. Check it out:

LINK

Wiggy

ALWAYS Find a Way to Win

If you’ve read some of my posts below, you know that I’ve been getting my workouts (and kick-ass workouts at that!) in at lunchtime. Well the company I work for decided that the little gym I go to was no longer necessary, and the equipment would be better served being sent to another site. (In case you didn’t know, I work for a govt. contractor in Iraq.)

It was pretty messed up, actually. Sunday, I had gotten a GREAT workout in (15 intense minutes on the Concept 2 Rower followed by 5 even more intense minutes on an elliptical trainer – all MFD style). Everything seemed normal. Monday at lunchtime, I was walking back to my hooch to change for my workout. There was a big connex (the steel containers they use for shipping – imagine the containers you see being transported on cargo ships – that’s a connex) in front of the gym. As I walked by, I comically thought to myself, “Man, that would be messed up if I got to the gym, and they’d taken everything out of there – hahaha.” I got changed and hit the gym. The place was EMPTY.

NNNNNOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!

To say I was pissed off would be an understatement. It’s hot out here, you work all the friggin’ time (average of 84+ hours/week), you can’t see your friends and family, the food sucks, I could go on – one of the things that keeps me going is working out.

It’s not like there isn’t another gym on the camp, because there is. It’s not *that* far away, but it’s a good 10-12 min. walk from my hooch. That basically cuts out any chance of a lunchtime workout (I can’t afford to be gone for 1-1.5 hours at lunch – I’ll explain why later).

If I go at the end of the day when I get off work, the place is insanely busy (it’s just not big enough). And when you do workouts filled with stuff like snatches, burpees, dumbbell swings, and the like, well, there just isn’t room. Not to mention you end up getting a bunch of questions on “what muscle does that work?” (Once I had a gym attendant ask me to quit doing dumbbell snatches because others saw me doing them and were attempting them when I wasn’t around, and he didn’t want anybody getting hurt – because he didn’t know how to do them and couldn’t show them proper form!!)

I could go in the afternoon (my boss would probably let me have the time), but as the earliest I get off now is 7:30-8:00pm (I get into the office at 7:00am), if I take 1-1.5 hours in the afternoon for a workout, that puts me in the office until 9:00pm or later. That makes for a mighty long day. And since I’m going to be in this office every day for the next two months (been here for three already) before I go home for a couple weeks on R&R at Christmas, I need to keep a close eye on the “burnout” factor. Staying in the office until 9:00pm or later every night is gonna take that burnout factor and shoot it through the roof. The same goes for getting up a couple extra hours early to workout in the morning.

Running still wasn’t a real good long-term option, because our uniform posture keeps changing – that means that one day we might be able to come and go as we please. The next we might be able to during the day, but have to wear our flak vests and helmets at night. The next we might have to wear them whenever we’re outside – regardless of the time of day. Ugh.

The thing that really had me pissed off was that I had been making such good progress as of late – I’d been getting some real kick-ass workouts in. And now my momentum would be messed up…

So what to do?

Well, the first thing I did was to decide that I wasn’t going to let this little setback beat me. Nothing ever has before, and I sure as hell am not going to let this.

The first day was all bodyweight exercises is circuits – burpees, dive bombers pushups, situps, different kinds of jumps, etc. The next day, I had a brilliant idea. I’ve got a trunk I used for bringing my things out here (used it as a suitcase). I put a couple cases of water in it, totaling around 60 lbs. or so. It’s pretty big, but I can use it for cleans, deadlifts, rows, presses, etc. My next workout was more circuits – burpees, jumps over the trunk, cleans with the trunk, suitcase deadlifts with the trunk, etc. Then, I got with a guy out here that works for the MWR. I won’t get into it all, but let’s just say that when all was said and done, I had a pair of 50 lbs. dumbbells, and one 60-pounder to take back to my hooch to use. ;-)

Now, I can do bodyweight exercises, I have the trunk, and some dumbbells. With just that stuff, I can create workouts that would make many men cry – and do it all in my hooch, no less. My last two workouts were dumbbell snatches: 15 sets x 6 reps each side, and another circuit workout: dumbbell clean & press x 10 reps (each side), burpees x 10, walk 30 yards (my hooch is roughly 5 yards long – just walk from one end to the other and back). Get as many rounds in as possible in 20 minutes.

What I’m trying to get at is this – sometimes life throws you a curve ball. When it does, you can either let it keep you down, or you can take your lumps, and come back stronger. It’s kind of like the line from “Rocky Balboa”:

Let me tell you something you already know. The world ain't all sunshine and rainbows. It's a very mean and nasty place and I don't care how tough you are it will beat you to your knees and keep you there permanently if you let it. You, me, or nobody is gonna hit as hard as life. But it ain't about how hard ya hit. It's about how hard you can get it and keep moving forward. How much you can take and keep moving forward. That's how winning is done! Now if you know what you're worth then go out and get what you're worth. But ya gotta be willing to take the hits, and not pointing fingers saying you ain't where you wanna be because of him, or her, or anybody! Cowards do that and that ain't you! You're better than that!

Now go find a way to win…

Wiggy

PS – Don’t forget about the $10 Deal.

Discussion - Complexes & Overtraining

There was some good dialogue over at mma.tv. It started with the posting of a circuit workout done by former UFC Welterweight Champion George St. Pierre. Here was the workout posted:

GSP circuit workout:

In his video, He claims he does this full workout 2-3 times a week, intermixed with fight training every day, as well as HIIT sprints 2x/wk. All circuits are 4X10, 1 min active rest between each.

Chest:

Bench Presses
Swiss ball pushups
Dumbell flys
Bent over barbell rows

Legs:

Barbell squats
Dumbell lunges (5 forward, 5 backward)
Swiss ball leg extensions
Squat jumps (jumps as high as he can)

Core:

Circular back extensions
Twisting double crunches
Bent dumbbell rows (10 each side)
Swiss ball crunches

Shoulders/Arms:

Seated dumbbell presses
Barbell Clean & Press
Barbell bicep curls
Barbell tricep extensions

Enjoy! Train hard!

**************************

After that, I posted my thoughts and was asked subsequent questions, which led into the topic of overtraining. The questions will be in italics and my responses in bold.

If you decide to do something like this, just be sure to start off with VERY light weights - you'll burn yourself out in a hurry if not. Martin Rooney does complexes similar to this (as opposed to Randy's circuit which is more along the lines of a Javorek complex) with the guys at Renzo's, and IIRC, they'll do five rounds with only up to 75 lbs. or so...

wiggy, what are the pros/cons to this type of circuit as opposed to a javorek complex? is this circuit geared more towards explosiveness/speed as opposed to strength?

The difference between this type of complex/circuit and the Team Quest/Randy/Javorek type complexes is that these involve more "traditional" (for lack of a better term) type exercises. While TQ/Javorek complexes are made up of primarily squat/lunge variations, vertical pulling exercises, and the occasional vertical push, these will have more horizontal plane movements, more isolation exercises (curls, triceps, etc.), etc.

Javorek type complexes (depending on exactly which exercises are chosen) can generally be done with a little more weight. The limiting factor (as far as weight goes) in these type of circuits is your weakest exercise. In a Javorek type complex, it's usually an upright row. Here on the other hand, it might be a curl or the like.

I wouldn't say *any* of these types of programs are for strength, in that you have to use such light (comparitvely overall) loads to complete them. Javoreks are good for overall body conditioning, muscular/strength endurance, as well as cardiovascular fitness. Rooney's complexes are generally longer in that they consist of more exercises, though with the lighter weights, the overall work (in terms of pounds lifted) will probably be pretty close to a Javorek complex. GSP's circuit (as listed) would have it's main benefit in specific muscular endurance (as you're putting so much training at one time into specific muscle groups rather than training the entire body).

Personally, while GSP's program obviously works great for him, and I wouldn't tell him to change it, for us regular folk, I'd recommend a Rooney or Javorek type of complex instead.

In my Program #1 of "Working Class Fitness - The Programs", I actually designed a good overall strength/power program combined with a good set of complexes that are (what I feel) the best of both worlds. For what that's worth...

aren't you typically suppposed to just work out each major muscle group once a week?

^^Too broad of a question. You have to take into account what is the goal of training, type of training being used, the experience of the trainee, etc.
It's an extreme example, but Bulgarian Olympic lifters are known to workout up to 3x/day with near maximal loads, 4-6 days/week. And they're some of the best O-lifters in the world. Of course they've been in a nationalized training program forever, are almost assuredly (sp?) "enhanced" etc., but just throwing it out there...

I see. I just keep getting told that overtraining is worse than undertraining and that your muscles generally need at least 48 hours to rest between workouts. Obviously everyone is different and there are exceptions, but I always believed this was the general rule for any type of weightlifting.

While overtraining is a valid condition, I wouldn't worry about it as much unless you're doing a lot of work overall (complete strength program, conditioning, MMA a few times/week, etc.).

Overtraining was pushed really hard back in the '80s by the supplement industry in the bodybuilding magazines. They were pushing very volume-heavy training routines that “regular folks” couldn’t really make gains on. When they did start overtraining, instead of just dropping training volume, it was b/c the trainee wasn’t recovering. And how do you recover better/quicker? By taking XYZ supplement.

For many of us, overtraining is more a case of resting/recovering too little (which can be affected by not just training volume, but lack of sleep, high stress lifestyles, etc. – I actually wrote about this in my own training recently on my blog) rather than training too much.

In fact, overtraining some is actually good for you. Push into the basic area of overtraining a little, then backoff. This will train your body to be able to handle more work. When overtraining becomes a real problem is when you stay in that overtrained state for a continued period of time…

**************************

Wiggy

PS - Don't forget about the $10 deal...

Running My Tail Off....

That's what I've been doing as of late, anyway. :-)

The past few weeks have been pretty hectic out here in Iraq. I mean, work is usually somewhat hectic, but the incoming IDF has been worse. That means more time in the bunker (esp at night) and less sleep. They've also installed a new security systems that warns us of pending incoming IDF. They're having trouble with though, as we're getting a lot of false alarms. Better than the real thing, but still wreaks havoc on sleep.

That said, I've drastically altered my workout plan.

Waiting until after work to get my workouts in just wasn't cutting it anymore. I was getting too tired, and couldn't put the "oomph" into them I knew I needed to. However, at the same time, I didn't want to be doing too much work overall, as I knew that stress levels overall were kinda running me ragged, and even though intense exercise helps me lower/work off stress, there is a fine line between working stress off, and still burning yourself out from simply having just too much on you.

So, as of about 16 days ago (I started when I was 80 days out from going home for Christmas - now I'm at 64 WOOHOO!!!), I started just working out at lunch. Workouts are usually no longer than 20 mins in length - 25 at the most. This is, if for no other reason, that I don't have that long for lunch, and with a small gym near my hooch, I can leave the office, get to the hooch, change clothes, hit the gym and workout, back to the hooch for a quick shower, and back to the office in about 40 mins.

I've dropped most of my strength training altogether. I've got plenty of strength, and gain it back pretty quick when I start focusing on it again. I don't like to neglect areas of training, but given my situation, something had to give - and this was it. I'll do strength work at most once a week or so.

What my workouts have been are hardcore conditioning - based on my MFD (Medium Fast Distance) and/or "Density Conditioning" principles. Each day changes - some days it's incline interval sprints on a treadmill. Some days it's 15 mins. "balls to the wall" on a Concept 2 rower followed by 5 mins. even more "balls to the wall" on an elliptical trainer. Some days it's bodyweight circuits a la Program #5 from Working Class Fitness - The Programs, or the complexes out of Program #1.

I train everyday, taking a day off when I need to - usually once every 3-4 days. This ends up being 5-6 days of hard training per week.

Doing this type of training is doing wonders not only for my conditioning, but as I'm varying the type of movements, and still using (many times) some sort of resistance-based exercise, muscular and strength-endurance is going sky high. And work capacity feels GREAT.

I've also reduced my diet a little - a smaller breakfast (usually a couple cold cuts and some mixed nuts - maybe a piece of fruit). No lunch (too busy training). By the time dinner comes around, I'm one hungry dude. So I eat what I want. I try to keep sweets out of the picture (have them maybe once-twice/week - not ideal, but again, out here, sometimes something just has to give). I eat mostly meats, but don't eliminate carbs totally. And most of the stuff out here is fried (nobody ever said DFAC food was healthy). A typical dinner for me might be buffalo wings, onion rings, a grilled chicken breast, and half of one of those small frozen pizzas. If I get hungry in the afternoon (which happens a lot), I'll graze a little on sunflower seeds in the shell. If you saw my last newsletter, you'll know I'm a big fan of them and why.

Not even close to being considered a "good" diet, right? Results so far? I'm down ~15 lbs. in 16 days. I plan to drop even more by the time I get home. I'll let you know how muc it ends up being.

I must be doing something right. :-) Imagine if things were a little more low-key, and I could give full-effort to Program #5 (the bodyweight program)? Or better yet, Program #6 (the overall program for mastering bodyweight)?

I'm telling you - the workout programs I design work. And I'm living proof. All it takes is hard work.

Wiggy

PS - If you're a newsletter subscriber, the $10 deal still goes. Wanna get Working Class Fitness - The Programs for $10? Click HERE to find out how...

New MMA Weekly Article

In case you didn't see it, my new article "Working Smart or Working Hard" is up at MMA Weekly. Check it out.

LINK

Wiggy

PS - Don't forget the deal I'm running - get Working Class Fitness - The Programs for ONLY $10! Just go to www.paypal.com and send $10 (USD) to sales@workingclassfitness.com

Ok, I'll Just Post It...$10

If you get my Working Class Fitness Newsletter (the link to subscribe is over on the right side of the page), you know about the deal I've been offering on Working Class Fitness - The Programs. You can get it for $10. Yep - that's right. TEN BUCKS. That's almost 75% off.

The response via the Newsletter has been AMAZING so far. I want to tell even more folks about it, so I figured "What the hell - I'll just post the deal on the blog."

So here is what I sent out in the newsletter...

**********************

Well, let's get into the deal I have for you. Trust me when I say this is probably the best deal I've ever offered.

You know how above, I was talking about Instinctive Training, and how sometimes you have to go with that "gut feeling?" There might not be a rhyme or reason to it, but you just know that you're supposed to do something?

Well, for the past few days, I've had a gut feeling about a few things - and doing this is one of them. I'm not sure why I'm supposed to do this, but I just am - so, I'm going to.

I've been extremely fortunate in areas of my life as of late, and I want to "spread the wealth" (for lack of a better term). So, that's why I'm offering up my best-selling "Working Class Fitness - The Programs" at a HUGE discount.

Normally, "Working Class Fitness - The Programs" goes for $39 - and it sells like hot-cakes...as it should - that's a helluva deal. But I won't get into all that - you can read my ad copy on www.workingclassfitness.com for that.

Here is what I'm going to do - I'm not going to offer it for 25% off. Not for 30%. Not even for 50% off. How about ALMOST 75% OFF!!!!

Yeah, you read it right - ALMOST 75% OFF!!

For a limited time (and I don't know how limited) you can get "Working Class Fitness - The Programs" for $10.

Yeah, you read that right, too - only TEN BUCKS.

Like I said, though - the offer is going to be limited. I'm not sure how limited, though. It could only be a day, it could be until this weekend, it could be a week - I just don't know. So you'd better jump on this one RIGHT NOW!!

Why am I doing this? Again, because something in my gut is telling me to. I want EVERYBODY to be able to get into great shape. My programs can help them. And at $10, there's no reason not to. If you say you can't afford the $10, then it's *you* who is choosing not to do it.

As great of a deal as this is, you *do* have to do a little work for it. I don't have any sort of fancy order page, or specialized form for this deal. If you want the deal of a lifetime, all you have to do is go to www.paypal.com, and send $10 (USD) to sales@workingclassfitness.com

This is for Working Class Fitness Newsletter subscribers only though, so when you make the payment, make sure you put "Newsletter Special" in the little comments section.

This deal is only available through PayPal - if you don't have a PayPal account, or don't want to use PayPal, then I'm sorry. I guess you're outta luck. But for the PHENOMENAL DEAL you're getting, isn't it worth getting over yourself just for a few minutes?

Like I say, go to www.paypal.com, and send $10 to sales@workingclassfitness.com

You'll spend more than $10 on a lot less usefull things - and probably today. Why not get something that will help you get into the best shape of your life?

**********************

So that's the deal. PayPal $10 to sales@workingclassfitness.com and you'll get Working Class Fitness - The Programs.

But don't mess around - I probably ain't gonna be doing this much longer...

Wiggy

Last Night's Workout - "Get Stupid"

Every now and then I decide to just have a real kick-ass workout, and just get kinda crazy. These workouts usually just kick my tail up, down, left, right, and everywhere in between. When I do these workouts, I calling them "getting stupid."

Well, last night, I decided to "get stupid." :-)

I wanted to do some bodyweight/circuit type stuff before some conditioning, so here is what I did.

-Burpees Plus* x 50 (not sure how many sets - 6 total, I think - rest was no more than 30-40 secs between sets)

*What I'm calling "Burpees Plus" are probably called other names around the internet. Each rep started standing holding a pair of 35 lb. DBs. Squat down, put DBs on floor, and kick feet back into wide stance. Do a pushup holding onto DBs. Then Renegade Row each DB once. Kick feet back forward to outside of DBs. Thrusting with the hips, clean both DBs to shoulders. Lower DBs to waist. This all = 1 rep.

After resting a couple minutes, I some conditioning:

-MFD on elliptical trainer x 20 mins

I'm not sure how fast I was going in terms of MPH or anything along those lines. I just put the resistance level on "4" (not overly hard, but not easy either - kinda like running in sand a couple inches deep) and kept RPM at 75+.

By the end I was beat, but felt great. Today I'm not sore, but have that kinda "tingly" feeling all over - I know I worked every muscle last night. :-)

Tonight it'll be strength work followed some more conditioning.

Wiggy

PS - I'm thinking of switching up my workouts a little to a slightly modified version of Program #6 from Working Class Fitness - The Programs. What's Working Class Fitness - The Programs? Just the most kick-ass workout programs you're ever gonna find. Want to master your bodyweight? This is the way. Go to www.workingclassfitness.com to find out more.

New Edition of "Working Class Fitness Newsletter"

I just sent out the new edition of the "Working Class Fitness Newsletter." In this issue, I discuss Instinctive Training, why Sunflower Seeds can be a great diet snack, and how to get almost 75% OFF of Working Class Fitness - The Programs.

Yeah, I said almost 75% off. No catch. It's just what I "had to do." Better hurry, though, if you want to take advantage.

Not a subscriber? Sign up link is just to the right. I'll make sure you get a copy ASAP.

Wiggy

Is Strength Overrated?

About a week or so ago, there was a thread over at the mma.tv S&C forum where somebody asked what a good strength-training program would be for wrestlers.

Another forum member then posted the following:

I've recently been told that "limit strength", aka the amount one can lift for 1-3 reps, is vastly overrated for grappling/fighting. From what these guys say, Metcon workouts, i.e., Javorek complexes, kettlebell workouts, and Crossfit-type workouts are more beneficial for developing the energy sytems and strength used in wrestling/grapppling/fighting.

Here was my response:

"I've recently been told that "limit strength", aka the amount one can lift for 1-3 reps, is vastly overrated for grappling/fighting."

I'm SOOOOOOO tired of hearing this.

Yes, conditioning (as is overall conditioning - cardiovascular/cardiorespiratory, muscular, strenth/power-endurance, etc) is more beneficial than limit strength.

HOWEVER, if your limit strength levels are way under par - i.e. you simply aren't strong enough to compete, then you'd better do some strength work. I'm not saying it's all you should do, but the trend/tendency I'm seeing is to shy away from limit strength work altogether - which is just as foolish as doing nothing but limit strength work.

Two different forum members later posted:

Wiggy, I'm just as tired about people talking about how much they bench. The vast majority of guys ignore the conditioning part of S&C, that's why there is so much talk about how limit strength is overrated.
[Edit: I'm not disagreeing with you, I'm just venting]

and

A nice article, and it applies just as well to MMA. The skill portion trumps all. Both strength and cardio are only necessary at the minimum levels. There's no point in spending ,ore time on conditioning and strength than you absolutely need, when your skills are so critical. Just look at Rich Franklin vs Anderson Silva....
http://www.higher-faster-sports.com/speedtraining.html

Now the rest of this article might seem to contradict what I'm about to say but I'm gonna say it anyway. I know a lot of people reading this are gonna be football players who want to get faster and there's nothing wrong with that. I'm gonna talk about getting fast. Yet before I begin, I want to say that I believe a lot of people would be better off paying more attention to their game instead of obsessing so much about their "40 times" and all these other "measures" of athletic ability. If you want to be a football player then be a football player. Learn the ins and outs of the game of football and learn to play your position with technique. There are 2 speeds in the game of football. Fast enough and too slow. Either you're fast enough to play or you aren't. Same goes for size and height. Either you're big and tall enough to play at a certain level or you're not. At each level the minimum requirements increase. Yet as long as you meet the minimums for speed, height, and weight, the rest is about football.

There are damn good running backs in the NFL like Priest Holmes who ran 4.75 over 40 yards and other guys that ran 4.2s. That's a pretty wide range. There are "smallish" all pro cornerbacks running "slow" 4.65s. Any improvements you can make in your football playing technique and knowledge will improve your game speed just as much if not more then improving your straight ahead sprinters speed will.

Double post, but basically you only realy need to depend on strength training if you're being overpowered. Basic lifts work just fine. In Rippletoe's programming book, he makes the point that very few athletes need super specialized programs. After all, most of them don't focus on strength training year round.

Super specialized kettlebell/olympic specialization/reverse wave cycling periodization/whatever super advanced technique mainly returns the most to the professional athlete who gets paid enough that the investment is worth it financially...

To which I replied:

Todd,

I agree with you, but it just seems to be one extreme or the other. People go from "how much can you bench?" to "you don't need to do strength work." It's neither one - you actually *need* to do both.

I guess it kinda goes back to an article I had published not too long ago at MMA Weekly about "fanboys" - I'm tired of people jumping on a bandwagon, and thinking that all they have to do is "this" or "that" or they never have to do "this" or "that." It just kinda grinds my gears...

manfromyard,

I agree with what you're saying, but unfortunately, football ability isn't the only factor(s) considered when getting into the NFL, or these days, a good college/university scholarship. Guys can go to the combine, score really well on test that really don't have much (if any) bearing on how they play the game of football, and it can (in the case of the pros) make them millions of dollars. That is why there is so much emphasis on many of these things as it relates to football - not b/c it can make you a better player, but it can make you money (either pro or in the form of a scholarship).

You do bring up a good point though - many coaches discuss speed (I see this with a few EliteFTS coaches) as the ability to run fast. That, IMO, is only one component of speed. Take a boxer - you can't sprint/run fast, as there isn't anywhere to run to! But you can be quick to avoid getting hit, and hitting your opponent. Now, I realize that a lot of this might be reaction time (as opposed to power induced speed), but if you can't move your body, you can see something coming all day long - you still won't get out of the way.

*shrug*

To boil it all down - you can't depend on just strength, just endurance, just cardiovascular conditioning, or "just" anything else. You need to be complete in order to compete.

Wiggy

PS - If you wanna be "complete" then be sure to check out the workout programs that will help you master bodyweight like you never thought you could...

Last Night's Workout + Thoughts on Program Design

Had a KICK-ASS workout last night:

Strength Work:

-Weighted Dips x 25 reps (as many sets as needed - in this case 3)
-Bent Rows x 25 reps (2 sets - REALLY strong tonight)
-DB Snatch x 15 reps (2 sets)
-Tuck Jumps over a bench x 10 reps (1 set)
-DB Curls x 20 reps (3 sets)

Conditioning:

-MFD on Elliptical x 20 mins

***************************

These simple, yet hard workouts are going great. I'm currently using a 2-day split. Day 1 is Strength + Conditioning, as in the above. Day 2 is Circuits/Complexes + Conditioning in the form either MFD again or intervals.

I'm using the 2-day split basically b/c work is so hectic and erratic. I never know when I might have to work OT, and seeing as how I'm working 12 hours (don't leave the office until 7:30-8:00 pm EVERYDAY) as it is, OT = late. And if we get IDF in the middle of the night and have to go to the bunker, well, that means little sleep.

A 2-day split is good b/c I just keep going until I need a day off. And if I can't get to the gym or a day or three, then I'm never getting "behind." Rather, if I was working on let's say a 4-day rotation, I might be constantly getting behind, doing workouts when they're not scheduled, etc.

For example, if you take a look at the Sprinting Program in Working Class Fitness - The Programs, the lower-body strength work was designed to be done so many days after the sprint work. This is for maximum recovery for both.

Well, in my case, I can't always stick to a certain program like that. So, the 2-day split I have put together lets me never really get "behind." There are more effective ways to train, but this is going great for me in the circumstances I'm in.

And as far as choosing how to put the program together, I sort of merged principles of Programs #5 and #6.

Wiggy

PS - If you want Workout Programs that make what I'm doing look like crap, then be sure to hit up my site and see what Working Class Fitness - The Programs is all about, and why people all over the WORLD are mastering their bodyweight like they never thougth possible!

Last Night's Workout

Didn't really feel like working out last night (haven't been sleeping well as of late), but knew I had to get *some* work in, so I went in to just do some easy conditioning. After I got started/warmed up, I ended up feeling pretty good. Just goes to show that you have to really pay attention to yourself - there is a big difference between needing a day off, and just being lazy. Had I really needed the day off (which I knew I didn't), I've been training enough to know that soon after getting started, my body would've told me "Nope - this is a no-no. Take it easy today." And it didn't tell me that.

Conditioning on Treadmill

-5 min easy warmup

-Intervals: 40 secs sprint, 20 secs rest
*Repeat 10x

-5 min cool down

Then I did 3 rounds of a workout called "The Magic 50" from Ross Enamait:

-Burpees x 10
-DB Snatch x 5 (each side)
-DB Swing x 5 (each side)
*Repeat 3x

Ended up having a great workout!

Wiggy

New Article at MMA Weekly...

My new article, "Russian Mumbo Jumbo?" is up at MMA Weekly. Check it Out.

LINK

Wiggy

Life Imitates Art? + Last Night's Workout

You know how when a movie is made, and then something in real-life happens that is very similar, they say that "life is imitating art?" Well, that sorta happened to me yesterday.

You know how I'm always saying that for us "regular folk," you never know when physical challenges might arise, and you have to be in shape to meet them? Well, I like to not to only be able to meet them, but crust them like an ant, but that's another story... ;-)

Well, yesterday (and I won't bore you with the long story as to why/how), I ended up on "sandbag detail" here in Iraq. Basically, we're hauling and stacking sandbags for Force Protection reasons. Now, these sandbags aren't heavy (probably between 10-15 and 35-40 lbs. each, depending on how much sand was put into a bag.

The way it worked was simple, there would be a pallet of sandbags, and we'd line up, handing them from one person to another assembly-line style, until it got to the end of the line, who did the stacking. The work wasn't "hard", but it was hot out, and it was fairly consistent. Keep the bags moving, keep the bags moving...

If you weren't in shape (and there were a few guys out there who weren't!), you'd get winded pretty quick, and tire easily. Not me though - I felt great. I look at this sort of stuff as a workout - and always try to outwork everybody there. In fact, I started "talking trash" to the other guys to see who could keep up!

We only ended up being out there for an hour, but some of the guys were toast. I've seen one or two today, and they're tired and sore. Not me though - I felt great and was "itching" for more! In fact, it seemed to tune me up for the night's workout!

A couple hours later, here is what I did:

Strength Work:
-Weighted Dips x 25 reps (as many sets as needed - 3 sets)
-DB Snatches x 25 reps each side (4 sets)
-DB Curls x 20 reps each side (4 sets)

Conditioning:

-MFD on Elliptical Trainer x 25 min

Prehab:

-Band Cuban Presses: 2 sets x 12 reps

Got done, took a shower, and felt AWESOME! I'll be back out there loading sandbags today - can't wait! ;-)

Wiggy

Personlized Programs

I'm thinking of taking a couple of online personal training clients.

If you'd be interested in having my personally designing your fitness program, let me know. Send me an email - wiggy [at] workingclassfitness.com

Price and how many clients I'll take on is TBD, depending on how much interest there is.

Wiggy

Last Two Workouts

Here's my last two workouts:

Monday - 03-Sept-07

Strength Work:

-Weighted Dips x 25 reps (as many sets as needed - in this case 4 sets)
-DB Rows x 25 reps each side (4 sets)
-Snatch Grip DL x 25 reps (5 sets)

Complex (a DB version of John Davies' Bear Complex):
-1 DB Snatch/Front Squat: 3 x 1/2 (each side)
-1 DB Snatch/Front Squat: 3 x 2/1 (each side)
-2 DB Front Squat/PushPress: 3 x 1/2
-2 DB Front Squat/PushPress: 3 x 2/1
-1 DB Snatch/PushPress: 3 x 1/2 (each side)
-1 DB Snatch/PushPress: 3 x 1/2 (each side)

Conditioning Finisher:

-Elliptical x 10 min @ *easy* pace

Tuesday - 04-Sept-07

Conditioning on Elliptical Trainer:

-5 min warmup

-1 min VERY hard pace
-4 min medium pace
* Repeat 5x

-5 min cooldown

This will be the type of workout program I'll be on the for the next few months - probably until I come home for R&R just before Christmas. Basing it on my Program #1 from "Working Class Fitness - The Programs", I like the 2-day split, as it gets a lot done quick, is easy to focus on, and if I have to skip a day here or there for whatever reason (you can never totally depend on any schedule out here), then I'm not "behind" or out of order - I just pick up where I left off.

Like I said in my last post, I'll be doing some traveling soon, and am not sure of whether or not I'll be able to hit the gym while doing so, so I'll be hitting this hard until I leave.

Wiggy

Updates

Man, what a week or so. First I was supposed to travel for some short-term work to another site. After roughly 36 hours of last-minute plans, changes, updates, and hurrying, I was right back at my desk at my current site - gone nowhwere and got nothing done. ;-) My trip has actually been re-schuduled, so I'll be traveling soon to work a few days at another site.

Then I tweaked the @#$% out of my lower back, and had a hard time even walking for about 4 days. I'm not sure what I even did - I just woke up one day and I was twisted up like a pretzel. I'm not much on taking medicine if I don't have to, but I gotta say, I was eating motrin like peanuts, lol!

Well, now I'm better, and got back to working out a couple days ago. Check my next entry (which will actually be above this one) for my last couple workouts. As I probably won't be able to workout while I'm traveling (at least I won't be able to hit the gym, I'll crank out some basic squats, pushups, and such in I have some space in wherever living quarter they set me up in), I'll be hitting the workouts really hard the next few days.

I was sorry to hear that Arthur Jones recently passed away. I don't necessarily agree with everything that Jones espoused, but I give the guy credit for the guts to buck the status quo, and drive forward with what he believed in. And the guy made a bunch of coin in the process.

106 more days before I'm back in the States for R&R. It's still a little way off, but the end is in sight... ;-)

Wiggy

*This* is Mastering Bodyweight...

I've been out of the loop since leaving the States for the Middle East, so I'm just now finding out about this.

Y'all know I'm a big "Ninja Warrior" fan on G4. Well, I guess G4 is sponsoring a contest to send somebody from America to Japan to compete in "Sasuke" (as "Ninja Warrior" is known in Japan).

Here is an entry video from Bryant P. of Waipahu, HI.

I've talked about "Mastering Bodyweight" a number of times - this is a PERFECT example.

Enjoy!



Wiggy

New Edition of "Working Class Fitness Newsletter"

I've just sent out a new edition of my "Working Class Fitness Newsletter" entitled "Are You A Hero?"

If you're not on my newsletter list, click on the newsletter link at the right, and I'll make sure you get a copy ASAP.

Wiggy

Last Night's Workout - 22-Aug-07

Last night's workout was a combination of strength training and "Tonnage Training." Here is how it looked:

Strength Work:

-Bench Press: 8 sets x 1 rep
-DB Rows: 8 x 1 (each side)
*alternate sets of each exercise

Tonnage Training:
-Behind Neck Press (Snatch Barbell into position, and then press) x 10
-Curls x 10
-Hang Clean x 10
-DB Triceps Extensions x 10 (each side)
-Sumo Deadlift High Pulls x 10
-Tuck Jumps x 10
*Rest 30-45 secs between exercises. Entire circuit was performed 5x. Tuck Jumps were done with just bodyweight (no external resistance). DB Triceps Extensions done with 30 lb. dumbbell. All other exercises done with 105 lb. barbell. Each rep done as explosively as possible on the exertion part of the rep, w/controlled negative. Figuring a resistance of roughly 60% of bodyweight on Tuck Jumps (don't want to get liberal and over-estimate), Total Tonnage moved = 31,400 lbs.

Conditioning:
-15 minutes @ medium pace on elliptical trainer

Wiggy

New MMA Weekly Article

My new article, "All the 'Cool Kids' Are Doing It!" is up at MMA Weekly. Check it out:

LINK

Wiggy

Last Night's Workout - 15 August 2007

Here was last night's workout:

-Barbell Bench Press: 5 sets x 1 rep, 1 set x 10 reps
-DB Rows: 5 x 1, 1 x 10 (each side)
*alternate sets of Bench Presses w/sets of Rows, resting ~30 secs between sets

-Rear Delt Work: 3 x 8

-EZ-Bar Curls: 3 x 8
-Body Tricep Extensions: 3 x 8
*alternate sets of each exercise

Complex:
-Double DB Swing x 6
-1-Arm DB Snatch x 6 (each side)
-Squat Press x 6
-Bent Raise/Rows x 6
-Jump Squats x 6
*Repeat x 3

-Finished up with 15 decently paced mins. on the elliptical.

Wiggy

More Thoughts on Conditioning...

In keeping with my recent trend in cross-posting thing I've posted at other forums, here are some thoughts I recently posted on conditioning, how it applies to MMA, and the differences between "conditioning" and "cardio."

"I've said this before, and maybe it's just a semantics game, but I don't feel that "cardio" and "endurance" (or "conditioning" for that matter) are the same thing.

To me, "cardio" refers to the ability of your heart to pump blood thorought your body, and you lungs to take in enough oxygen - esp while under duress and/or over the long term. "Endurance" (or "conditioning" as I usually call it) is about the ability to perform over the long term. This entails not just cardio, but also muscular conditioning, as well as strength/power-endurance.

To try to illustrate, here is an example I like to use for beginners:

Let's say you're a sedentary person and decide to start jogging 1 mile 3x/week. When you first start, you're pretty out of shape, and you're breathing so hard after your first 1/4 mile or so, that you have to stop and walk some, b/c you can't get enough air. This would be a deficiency in cardio.

But then, after a few weeks, you've brought your cardio up so that you can run much further without having to stop for air. However, you're now stopping to walk around the 1/2 mile mark, not b/c you can't get air, but b/c your legs are burning so bad that you need to give them a slight rest. This would be a deficiency in muscular conditioning.

In MMA, it is "conditioning" that is king - not cardio. All the cardio in the world won't do you any good if you're still not quick (and therefore powerful) at the end of your fight, or if your muscles hurt too much to hold onto a sub attempt.

One of the things that I feel "conditioning" work has going for it is that when you do "conditioning," you'll improve "cardio." However (depending on how you train), when you do "cardio," you won't necessarily improve "conditioning."

Of course, much of this *could* be explained by the mental toughness that was discussed above. LSD - esp long LSD - builds a mental toughness that most other forms of exercise don't. Not only to get through the LSD, but to actually get out and get started. It can be pretty daunting to know that you're going for a 3-5 mile run, and won't get to stop for the next 20-50 minutes (depending on how far/fast you run). While sprints can be much harder, you also get to rest, which can be easier on the psyche. *shrug*

I also think that each person is different. For myself, I've gone plenty of LSD, plenty of interval training, and plenty of complex/circuit training in my day. For fat loss (though it's against much of what we read), LSD has always worked best for me. However, I usually feel slower. If I'm crossing the street, and a car is coming, I can't just quickly dart out of the way - I feel like I have to get moving, and *then* I can run out of the way. Complex/circuit training, on the other hand, takes my conditioning (and work capacity) *and* my cardio, and shoots it through the roof. But it's done little for me in the way of fat loss in the past. However, what I've found to be a good combination is to do complex/circuit training for a few weeks to bolster conditioning and cardio, and THEN focus on LSD (b/c I can go longer due to the previous complex/circuit training) for fat loss. I went through a period last year where I was alternating days of some basic strength work and hard complex training, with days of LSD on a Complex 2 Rower and/or Treadmill. But this is just one example, and is just me.

The two things I think we need to remember in all of this are that:

1. Like we always say, build well-rounded program. Just like we wouldn't tell somebody to do only striking or only grappling, don't do only cardio or only strength training.

2. Like the old saying goes, some things work for all people, and all things work for some people, but not all things work for all people. Just b/c a fighter does a certain kind of training and is successful, that doesn't mean you'll be successful if you do it. It *also* doesn't mean that, as mentioned, the whole "they succeed in spite of - not b/c of - their training" is in effect, either. If Rocky Marciano, Tito Ortiz, George Foreman, Mike Tyson, Matt Hughes, Sean Sherk, etc. all did LSD in their training, and were all fairly dominating champs in their own rights/times, then they must have been doing *something* that worked for them. Try to learn why others are successful before you tell them how much better they could be if they knew what you knew.

As usual, just my two cents...

Wiggy - MMA Training"

Nothing But Deadlifts?

Well, since I've been cross-posting so much from what I post over at mma.tv, I might as well keep on, right? Just this morning, I saw a post where somebody said they were going to ditch all their weight training, and do nothing but deadlifts for the next six weeks.

Here was my response.

If you're just going to go with one exercise, I would go with Clean & Press or Clean & Jerk instead.

You obviously won't be using as heavy of weights as you might with a deadlift routine, but since you'll be pulling much faster, you'll be generating as much - if not more - power (it would all depend on how much weight you're using in each exercise and how fast you perform each one).

The Clean portion will thoroughly tax your posterior chain as deadlifts would, however, with the Press (and lesser extent Jerk) you are now also working the entire shoulder girdle as well - something pretty much avoided when doing strictly deadlifts (DLs will tax your traps and rear delts, but emphasis on your medial/frontal delts, pecs, and triceps is minimal). If you add a Front Squat or do Squat Cleans, you're now also getting all the leg work you'll need.

Plus, C&P - when done for reps - involves a *serious* conditioning component, much akin to the complexes mentioned above. For even more conditioning, do Dumbbell C&P instead, one arm at a time.

Just my two cents...

Wiggy - MMA Training

In looking back over it, another suggestion - if you weren't that good at the "catch" portion of the Clean - could be to do two exercises. First, do heavy High Pulls from the floor. Then follow it up with Presses or Jerks out of the rack. That would give you about everything you need. Toss in some Chins and some Jump Squats (with Dips now and then), and you'd be even better.

Wiggy

To Bench or Not to Bench...

A few days ago, a thread was started over at mma.tv about Bench Pressing. The basic question (and I'm paraphrasing) the poster had was that he had seen a lot of people that claim the Bench Press was a good strength-building exercise, but he had also seen a lot of people in the fight game trash the Bench, and wanted to know if it was really a good exercise or not.

Here is what I posted:

My thoughts:

-Benching (w/a barbell) in and of itself is not a bad exercise. It is not necessarily the most "useful" exercise, as the chest doesn't (necessarily) play a large role in striking/grappling.

-Benching is not exclusively a chest exercise. Depending on your grip width and your Range of Motion, it also GREATLY bring the frontal deltoids and the triceps into play.

-Benching can wreak havoc on your rotator cuff if done too much, too heavy, and/or too long. However, you can say this about many exercises - not just Bench. You also need to make sure that you do rotator cuff prehab, and keep it strong (something a vast majority DON'T do). Also, elbow positioning can take much of the stress off the rotator cuff.

-People who say that Benching will make you inflexible are just plain mistaken. While it may not necessarily not have the greatest/longest Range of Motion, it is not responsible for you losing flexibility. Overworking the Bench, without equal amounts of work on the back's horizontal pulling muscles can result in lack of flexibility. And a lack of stretching/flexibility training is an even bigger cause of a lack of flexibility.

-Also, people who say that they lost a lot of endurance b/c they started to Bench are also mistaken. They may have lost endurance when they started Benching, but the Benching itself more than likely wasn't the reason. It was *how* (i.e. - set/rep scheme) the Benched that resulted in a lack of endurance.

-Too many people think the Bench is the measure of all that makes you a man - how good of a fighter you are, how strong you are, how well you can score with chicks, etc. And this is just plain wrong. However, as in vouge as it is in many circles to want to praise the Bench, it is just as in vouge in other circles to criticize the Bench and those who do it. It's kind of like Bodybuilding - people are either for it or against it, but either way, they're completely over the top about it.

-Benching is LIKE ANYTHING ELSE. It can be a good and integral part of an OVERALL strength, conditioning, and flexibility program. It just isn't the entire program.

Wiggy - MMA Training

My next article for MMA Weekly will discuss exercises/methods - such as the Bench Press - that are "popular" to trash or look down upon. This happens not necessarily because the exercises/methods are that bad (they might not be optimal, but they're not useless), but because it's "cool" to trash them. Examples other than the Bench Press would include curls/biceps training, certain isolation movements, and bodybuiding training.

Got anything else that you think should be on that list? Leave a comment.

Wiggy

New MMA Weekly Article

My new article, "Randy Couture is a 'Complex' Fighter" is up at MMA Weekly. Check it out:

LINK

Wiggy

Row, Row, Row Your Boat...

Man, I'm one happy dude. There is a small MWR close to the LSA I stay at. In laymen's terms, there is a small gym and TV/game room close to the series of hooches us contractors stay in. I was in there a couple days ago, checking the place out. The weight room is small, but very doable (besides, there is a bigger gym just a few minute's walk away). Then I noticed a little room off to the side with the door closed. I opened the door to see what was in there.

What did I find? In the small room, all by itself, in all its glory - a Concept 2 Rower!!

*key the choir*

HALLELUJAH!!

I had used a Concept 2 quite extensively when I spent my year in Basrah, and couldn't wait to jump back on one. I decided I should get re-acquainted with the Concept 2 with the quickness. Two nights ago, I rowed 3500m, and last night, it was a 5k. My times weren't staggering, but MAN, what a good workout.

I love that thing. It's going to be an exclusive part of my conditioning while I'm in Iraq.

Good thing I was nosy enough to see what was in that room! HA!

Wiggy