I can't wait for this day to get started! Alex and I are going to Morgantown, West Virginia, to attend the WVU Strength Clinic on Saturday, the 27th of February. My son, Alex, has always had an interest in strength and conditioning, and there is no better way to fuel that interest than to expose him to a top-notch university program. I am also looking forward to spending that quality father-son bonding time, that only a three and a half hour ride to Morgantown will allow.
This clinic is for all fitness and health professionals.
Where: Morgantown, West Virginia / WVU / Milan Puskar Stadium
When: February 27th, 2010 / 8:00am to 3:00pm
Speakers: Mike Joseph - Director of Strength and Conditioning
Mike Gittleson - Former Strength and Conditioning Coach for Michigan
Al Johnson - Former Director of Strength and Conditioning at WVU, Orioles
Corey Twine - Assistant Director of Strength and Conditioning at WVU
Nettie Freshour - Dietitian for the WVU Athletic Department
Contact number: 304.293.4459
Friday, February 26, 2010
Thursday, February 25, 2010
"Lower Body Strength / Power"
Deadlift: 10x 8x 8x 6x / 90 seconds rest between sets
Dumbbell hang clean to press: 5x 5x 5x 5x / 60 seconds rest between sets
Dumbbell step-ups: 8x 8x 8x / 60 seconds rest between sets
RDL: 10x 10x 10x / 70 seconds rest between sets
Core:
Reverse crunches: 75x
Toe touches: 75x
Russian twist: 75x
Dumbbell hang clean to press: 5x 5x 5x 5x / 60 seconds rest between sets
Dumbbell step-ups: 8x 8x 8x / 60 seconds rest between sets
RDL: 10x 10x 10x / 70 seconds rest between sets
Core:
Reverse crunches: 75x
Toe touches: 75x
Russian twist: 75x
"Bigler's Gym"
In addition to the high school weight room, Dave Rudy and I trained in some gyms that have left lasting memories with me. The first gym was Dave's basement.He had a York Barbell set with an adjustable weight bench. The bench had that narrow rack, so when you took the weight off the rack or reracked the weight, you never quite knew where to put your hands. There were plenty of smashed fingers between the two of us. This York Barbell weight set came with weighted shoes for doing leg extensions. Once we started to grow out of the beginner weight set, we would hang those weight shoes on the ends of the bar to squeeze every bit of weight out of that York set.
Everyone knows that the music selection has a lot to do with the success of your weight lifting program. Dave and I listened to three different eight tracks... Yes, I said eight tracks. Led Zeppelin, The Doobie Brothers and Van Halen were our music of choice.
Good times!
Even though all we did was bench and curls, those times training in Dave's basement, helped to solidify our strong interest in strength and conditioning. Eventually we grew out of that beginner weight set, and Dave and I started to train at "Bigler's Gym" in Millersville, PA. Sam Bigler was a student at Millersville University in the early 70's, where he earned four NCAA weightlifting championships. In 1976, he was a member of the USA Olympic Weightlifting Team. Sam placed tenth in the 182 pound class, with a combined snatch, clean and jerk, of 677 pounds. Not too shabby! Sam was inducted into the Millersville Hall of Fame in 1995.
Sam Bigler's gym was amazing. It was a turn of the century barn, located in Millersville. Every piece of Olympic weight lifting equipment that you could imagine was jammed into this incredible training facility. There were no frills, no windows, no air-conditioning, and no heat. I remember training there in the middle of winter, with the only heat coming from a small space heater in the center of this huge barn. When we came in from the outside, you just kept your jacket on and trained. What an incredible experience. When you became a member of Sam's Gym, he would give you the combination to the lock on the barn door. You could train there any time of the day or night.
These are great strength training memories.
Let me know about the weight rooms you trained in and the lasting memories that these gyms have left with you.
Everyone knows that the music selection has a lot to do with the success of your weight lifting program. Dave and I listened to three different eight tracks... Yes, I said eight tracks. Led Zeppelin, The Doobie Brothers and Van Halen were our music of choice.
Good times!
Even though all we did was bench and curls, those times training in Dave's basement, helped to solidify our strong interest in strength and conditioning. Eventually we grew out of that beginner weight set, and Dave and I started to train at "Bigler's Gym" in Millersville, PA. Sam Bigler was a student at Millersville University in the early 70's, where he earned four NCAA weightlifting championships. In 1976, he was a member of the USA Olympic Weightlifting Team. Sam placed tenth in the 182 pound class, with a combined snatch, clean and jerk, of 677 pounds. Not too shabby! Sam was inducted into the Millersville Hall of Fame in 1995.
Sam Bigler's gym was amazing. It was a turn of the century barn, located in Millersville. Every piece of Olympic weight lifting equipment that you could imagine was jammed into this incredible training facility. There were no frills, no windows, no air-conditioning, and no heat. I remember training there in the middle of winter, with the only heat coming from a small space heater in the center of this huge barn. When we came in from the outside, you just kept your jacket on and trained. What an incredible experience. When you became a member of Sam's Gym, he would give you the combination to the lock on the barn door. You could train there any time of the day or night.
These are great strength training memories.
Let me know about the weight rooms you trained in and the lasting memories that these gyms have left with you.
Tuesday, February 23, 2010
"LA Fitness Strength Endurance"
A couple of fantastic trainers at the LA fitness, Dulles Town Center, took me through a grueling workout that left me completely exhausted, I loved it! Joe and Katie set up an upper body, high volume, super circuit. Here is the routine, give it a try and tell me what you think.
90 seconds rest between each mini-circuit:
Standing overhead barbell press: 4x15
Pull-ups, overhand wide grip: 4x20
Dips: 4x30
Dumbbell row: 4x10
Dumbbell incline press: 4x15
Push ups: 4x30
Machine low row: 3x12
Machine seated row: 3x12
Machine High row: 3x12
Use EZ curl bar, "don't let the bar touch the floor"
Bicep curl: 4x12
Reverse grip overhead press: 4x12
Upright row: 4x12
Decline curl: 4x12
Alternating hammer curl: 4x20
Tricep rope push down: 4x20
You must keep a good pace, and set challenging weights for the reps prescribed.
This workout will leave you blown out! Let me know what you think, and send me your latest workout.
90 seconds rest between each mini-circuit:
Standing overhead barbell press: 4x15
Pull-ups, overhand wide grip: 4x20
Dips: 4x30
Dumbbell row: 4x10
Dumbbell incline press: 4x15
Push ups: 4x30
Machine low row: 3x12
Machine seated row: 3x12
Machine High row: 3x12
Use EZ curl bar, "don't let the bar touch the floor"
Bicep curl: 4x12
Reverse grip overhead press: 4x12
Upright row: 4x12
Decline curl: 4x12
Alternating hammer curl: 4x20
Tricep rope push down: 4x20
You must keep a good pace, and set challenging weights for the reps prescribed.
This workout will leave you blown out! Let me know what you think, and send me your latest workout.
"Doggie Wrangler"
I spent so much time in high school lifting weights and reading "Muscle And Fitness," that my father pleaded with me to spend my time more judiciously. "Spend your time working at something you can make a living at", he would say. After taking a lengthy test to determine what careers would suit me best, the high school guidance counselors concluded I should be a doggie wrangler.
...a what?
After my parents were given the news of my potential doggie wrangling career, they became very supportive of my decision to make a living counting reps. The lesson I learned at the ripe age of 18 is to find something that you are passionate about, no matter what it is, and pursue with all your being. And if you are fortunate enough to make a living pursuing your passion, there is no better way to spend your days.
Not enough can be said for having a strength training partner that you can count on. Someone to help hold you accountable when your not quite feeling like moving that weight. Someone who is just as passionate about strength and conditioning as you are, and ideally, someone who is stronger and more fit then you. There is no challenge in training day after day with someone that will not require you to put that extra 45lb plate on the bar, or run that extra 100 yard sprint. If you want to get strong, train with stronger people.
That person for me is Dave Rudy. He and I shared the same passion for strength and conditioning all through high school and into our adult years. Dave has continued his passion for strength and conditioning by becoming an avid triathlete, even completing a few Iron Man Triathlons. Dave has also fed his passion for life long fitness by opening a "Snap Fitness Center" on Duke Street in Old Town Alexandria,VA. You should stop by and check his place out. The gym is the epitome of a neighborhood gym. The atmosphere is incredibly positive, which translates into great results for its participants.
I want to hear about your first training partner, the one that pushed you beyond your self-imposed limitations and out of your comfort zone.
...a what?
After my parents were given the news of my potential doggie wrangling career, they became very supportive of my decision to make a living counting reps. The lesson I learned at the ripe age of 18 is to find something that you are passionate about, no matter what it is, and pursue with all your being. And if you are fortunate enough to make a living pursuing your passion, there is no better way to spend your days.
Not enough can be said for having a strength training partner that you can count on. Someone to help hold you accountable when your not quite feeling like moving that weight. Someone who is just as passionate about strength and conditioning as you are, and ideally, someone who is stronger and more fit then you. There is no challenge in training day after day with someone that will not require you to put that extra 45lb plate on the bar, or run that extra 100 yard sprint. If you want to get strong, train with stronger people.
That person for me is Dave Rudy. He and I shared the same passion for strength and conditioning all through high school and into our adult years. Dave has continued his passion for strength and conditioning by becoming an avid triathlete, even completing a few Iron Man Triathlons. Dave has also fed his passion for life long fitness by opening a "Snap Fitness Center" on Duke Street in Old Town Alexandria,VA. You should stop by and check his place out. The gym is the epitome of a neighborhood gym. The atmosphere is incredibly positive, which translates into great results for its participants.
I want to hear about your first training partner, the one that pushed you beyond your self-imposed limitations and out of your comfort zone.
Monday, February 22, 2010
"Lower Body Strength"
Cable hip extension: 3x12 60 seconds between sets
Dumbbell lateral step-ups: 3x8 60 seconds rest between sets
Squat: 2x8 2x6 2x4 2 minutes rest between sets
RDL: 3x10 70 seconds rest between sets
Walking lunges: 3x 30 steps 90 seconds rest between sets
Calf raise: 3x12 70 seconds rest between sets
Dumbbell lateral step-ups: 3x8 60 seconds rest between sets
Squat: 2x8 2x6 2x4 2 minutes rest between sets
RDL: 3x10 70 seconds rest between sets
Walking lunges: 3x 30 steps 90 seconds rest between sets
Calf raise: 3x12 70 seconds rest between sets
Squat: Cornerstone For Football Strength Program
I have some incredible memories of strength training during my high school years. I graduated from Manheim Township High school, Lancaster Pa. in 1982, where along with school work, I played high school football.
Football demands some form of physical development and sets the stage for further exposure to strength and conditioning. Squat and bench were the exercises of choice for our high school football program and the staple for most programs during the late 70's and early 80's. Along with squat and bench we always did a series of isometric exercises where we would push or pull for 30 seconds against a stationary object. For the isometrics we would use the jungle gym adjacent to our football practice field. We would line up 5 guys across the bottom bar of the jungle gym and for 30 seconds try to pull the play ground equipment out of the ground. High school strength and conditioning programs have changed drastically over the past 30 years, just like most everything else. The one exercise that has stood the test of time is the squat. The squat is and should be the cornerstone for all football strength programs.
The squat has been called the king of all exercises. This movement requires a tremendous amount of muscle coordination and muscular involement to complete successfully. Along with the obvious development of your lower body musculature, quads, hamstrings and glutes, the squat also targets the muscles of your back and core. The muscles of your back and core are responsible for creating a stable platform, allowing you to complete the squat successfully. A strong back gives you the foundation to transfer force generated by the muscles of your lower body and direct that force through the bar.
Football requires a tremendous amount of lower body strength and power, and your ability to transfer that power through the length of your body. Squats should be the cornerstone of your program!
Football demands some form of physical development and sets the stage for further exposure to strength and conditioning. Squat and bench were the exercises of choice for our high school football program and the staple for most programs during the late 70's and early 80's. Along with squat and bench we always did a series of isometric exercises where we would push or pull for 30 seconds against a stationary object. For the isometrics we would use the jungle gym adjacent to our football practice field. We would line up 5 guys across the bottom bar of the jungle gym and for 30 seconds try to pull the play ground equipment out of the ground. High school strength and conditioning programs have changed drastically over the past 30 years, just like most everything else. The one exercise that has stood the test of time is the squat. The squat is and should be the cornerstone for all football strength programs.
The squat has been called the king of all exercises. This movement requires a tremendous amount of muscle coordination and muscular involement to complete successfully. Along with the obvious development of your lower body musculature, quads, hamstrings and glutes, the squat also targets the muscles of your back and core. The muscles of your back and core are responsible for creating a stable platform, allowing you to complete the squat successfully. A strong back gives you the foundation to transfer force generated by the muscles of your lower body and direct that force through the bar.
Football requires a tremendous amount of lower body strength and power, and your ability to transfer that power through the length of your body. Squats should be the cornerstone of your program!
Saturday, February 20, 2010
"Trash Can"
Description: Timed Circuit
Exercise Reps/dist/Time Weight Sets
Treadmill Walk 1 Min 12 incline 4 MPH 4Sets
KBDB Swings 20 swings 70 lbs 4Sets
Dips 30 reps 25 lb Weight Vest 4Sets
Bear Crawl 40 yds 25 lb Weight Vest 4Sets
Supine Body row 20 reps 25 lb weight Vest 4Sets
Squat Thrusters 20 reps 30 lb DBs 4Sets
Russian Twist 40 reps 20 lb Med Ball 4Sets
Can you complete this in less then 30 minutes?
Post your times for "Trash Can"
Post a workout for the C3I Sports Performance group to try!
Description: Timed Circuit
Exercise Reps/dist/Time Weight Sets
Treadmill Walk 1 Min 12 incline 4 MPH 4Sets
KBDB Swings 20 swings 70 lbs 4Sets
Dips 30 reps 25 lb Weight Vest 4Sets
Bear Crawl 40 yds 25 lb Weight Vest 4Sets
Supine Body row 20 reps 25 lb weight Vest 4Sets
Squat Thrusters 20 reps 30 lb DBs 4Sets
Russian Twist 40 reps 20 lb Med Ball 4Sets
Can you complete this in less then 30 minutes?
Post your times for "Trash Can"
Post a workout for the C3I Sports Performance group to try!
Fifteen Pound Sand Dumbbells
After an episode of AIH that left me frail and weak my parents gave me a pair of ten pound sand filled dumbbells and a copy of "Muscle And Fitness". My passion for strength development was ignited. I haven't put those dumbbells down in thirty plus years. The strength that I developed with those fifteen pound dumbbells along with and more importantly the physical and emotional well being that accompanies strength training, gave me an overwhelming sense of calm wrapped in a blanket of invincibility. After finishing a grueling body building routine spelled out by the legendary Frank Zane on the pages of "Muscle and Fitness", I felt I could handle any and every challenge the day could present.
I want to hear from you! It's your turn to share. I want to hear about the first time you stepped into a gym or picked up your first dumbbell. I want to know how that first workout made you feel. I want to hear about first experience with strength training and the impact the experience has had on your life.
I want to hear from you! It's your turn to share. I want to hear about the first time you stepped into a gym or picked up your first dumbbell. I want to know how that first workout made you feel. I want to hear about first experience with strength training and the impact the experience has had on your life.
Friday, February 19, 2010
Let's Start The Conversation
I am tremendously excited about opening a forum on all that is involved in the art of strength and conditioning. No matter how simple or complex the topic, I want to discuss and open up the floor to anyone and everyone who has a passion for developing and improving human performance. I want to reach out to the weekend warrior, the professional athlete, the strength and conditioning coach, and anyone who has an interest in advancing human performance.
Everybody that has an interest in their own fitness, or the fitness of others, has a defining moment in their lives that leads them on this journey to find the best way to achieve a level of fitness that allows them to feel their absolute best.
My journey started at age fourteen when I was diagnosed with a chronic illness. The disease decimated me physically. I was diagnosed with chronic autoimmune hepatitis. The long and short of this disease is that your own immune system targets your organs as foreign and tries to destroy them. It is a slow moving, yet devastating disease. It was an illness that was pivotal in defining who I was to become.
Everybody that has an interest in their own fitness, or the fitness of others, has a defining moment in their lives that leads them on this journey to find the best way to achieve a level of fitness that allows them to feel their absolute best.
My journey started at age fourteen when I was diagnosed with a chronic illness. The disease decimated me physically. I was diagnosed with chronic autoimmune hepatitis. The long and short of this disease is that your own immune system targets your organs as foreign and tries to destroy them. It is a slow moving, yet devastating disease. It was an illness that was pivotal in defining who I was to become.
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