Archive for January, 2009
HFL’s WEIGHTLESS LEG WORKOUT:
Back in the 1980’s there was a fitness company called Health for Life. The company was started by Jerry Robinson who graduated from Stanford with a degree in Biomechanics. Health for Life or HFL as it came to be known; was a company ahead of it’s time. They produced many books and videos which applied current science to strength training and conditioning. Some of their most well know programs include the titles “Legendary Abs”, “Power Forearms” and “Synerstretch”.
I was always a fan of the HFL courses and still own every book they ever produced. Below is an excellent bodyweight leg training program which comes from one of the lesser known HFL titles, “The Weightless Workout”. I have used this program extensively both personally and with my clients. Give it a try, I am sure you will find it very effective.
1. One-Legged Squats @ 8-10 reps each leg
2. One-Legged Hamstring Bridges @ 8-10 reps each leg
3. Sustained Tension Side Leg Raises @ 8-10 reps each leg
4. Modified Russian Lunges @ 6-8 reps each leg
5. Running Stairs @ 10-20 Floors
The Basic introductory level is: one set each of the first three movements only.
Level (1) is: 2 sets of the first three movements and 1 set of the fourth.
Level (2) is: 4 sets of movement 1, 3 sets of movement 2, 2 sets of movement 3, 3 sets of movement 4, plus the stair running.
Each series should be done with no rest between exercises.
Stay on a level as long as it is challenging. You can do all the sets of one exercise and then move on to the next or do one leg all the way through the series before returning to do the other side.
Exercise descriptions:
1. ONE-LEGGED SQUATS: Stand perpendicular to a wall, about arms length away from it. Extend your arm out to the side and place your palm against the wall at just under shoulder height. Angle the foot farthest from the wall out ward 45 degrees. Bend the other leg (non-weight-bearing) back. Keeping your body upright, lower yourself until the non-weight-bearing knee is close to (but not touching) the ground. Support yourself by leaning against the wall. Press yourself back up to starting position. Repeat for desired number of reps, and then repeat with other leg.
2. ONE-LEGGED HAMSTRING BRIDGE: These are killers if you have never tried them look out! Lie on your back with one leg extended, heel on the ground. Hold the other leg up off the floor (as if you just threw a knee). Pushing through your heel, flex your hamstrings to lift your body (imagine you are pulling your heel in to your butt but it doesn’t move so your hips lift up instead). Lower and repeat for desired number of reps. Repeat on other leg. You can control the resistance and the degree to which the Glutes contribute by changing the distance you place your heel relative to your buttocks. The greater the distance, the greater the stress on the hamstrings. The lesser the distance, the greater the Glutes contribute to the movement. For most, only the position with the legs almost fully extended will offer sufficient resistance to make the exercise effective.
3. SUSTAINED TENSION SIDE LEG RAISES: support your self by holding onto a fixed vertical pole. A fence post or lamp will do, as will the edge of an open door. Position your self, sideways to the pole. Angle the foot closest to the pole as if you were doing a classic side-kick. Raise your leg straight out to the side as high as it will go. Don’t worry if it won’t go up very high. Your foot should be parallel to the floor. You should be able to draw a straight line through your shoulder, hip, and ankle. If you bend forward at the waist, or twist over so you are facing down, rather then sideways, you decrease the stress on the target muscles. Slowly lower your leg from the raised position, but only by a foot or so. Then reverse direction and go back up. (Don’t bounce as you change direction.) Repeat up and down never touching your foot to the ground, for the desired number of reps. Repeat on other leg. Add ankle weights when it gets to easy in the standard version.
4. MODIFIED RUSSIAN LUNGES: Begin in lunge position, bent at the waist, with your weight over your toes of the front foot and your rear leg extended behind you, slightly to the outside. Your chest should nearly rest on your forward thigh. Slowly push yourself up about 6-8 inches; you should also travel slightly forward. Lift your rear foot off the ground as you push your self up. The angles at your hip and waist must not change during the exercise-in other words; your chest should remain in the same relation to your thigh throughout the movement. Lower and repeat for the desired number of reps. Repeat on the other leg. When done right these are felt in the Glutes a great deal. Tweak until you know you are hitting the right position.
5. RUNNING STAIRS: Try doing 10-20 one-story sprints, preferably two stairs at a time. Work up to that number slowly! Also be careful to keep one hand on the stair rail to catch yourself if you lose your balance. To limit the aerobic component run up and walk back down in between sprints. To increase resistance add a weighted vest or a backpack full of heavy books or sandbags.
This workout is excellent for soccer players or any athlete looking to maximize performance using no extra equipment. Give it a try and let me know what you think.
PAU for Now
TAKU
www.hybridfitness.tv
The 3X3 Routine: (The hardest nine sets you will ever do)
This style of workout has probably been around in one form or another for quite some time. I first heard about it when doing some research on the work of Matt Brzycki, Coordinator of Health Fitness, Strength and Conditioning at Princeton University. Along with his duties at Princeton, Brzycki is a prolific author whose many works are focused on safe, rational and efficient training methods.
A 3×3 Workout is basically a multiple-joint hip movement followed by a multiple-joint chest movement followed by a multiple-joint upper back movement and repeated two more times with as little rest between exercises as possible.
Sequence one: You should reach muscle failure at about 20 reps for the hip exercise, 12 for the chest exercise and 12 for the upper back exercise.
Sequence two: Repetition goals would be 15 for the hip exercise, 10 for the chest exercise and 10 for the upper back exercise.
Sequence Three: Repetition goals of 12 for the hip exercise, 8 for the chest exercise and 8 for the upper back exercise.
A typical exercise selection for a 3X3 workout might be:
1. Squat - Bench Press - Barbell Row
2. Leg Press - Dip - Chin
3. Deadlift - Standing Press - Pull-down (palms in)
When doing the 3X3 routine it’s critical that you perform every set to muscle failure. It’s also important that you move quickly between exercises with as little rest as possible. The length of the recovery between exercises will depend upon your present level of metabolic conditioning.
If done properly you should be able to finish an entire 3X3 workout in about 10-15 minutes. Doing these types of workouts gives you the total package: strength, endurance and mental toughness.
WARNING: these workouts are much harder then they may appear. Only attempt them if you have a great fitness base and are used to workouts with a high anaerobic output and minimal rest periods.
PAU for NOW
TAKU
www.hybridfitness.tv
For Brzycki’s Ideas on H.I.T., go here:
For a list of Brzycki’s books, go here:
Interview at Maxcondition.com
Hey Everyone:
I recently did an interview with Coach Hale at www.maxcondition.com. Please take a moment to check it out.
http://www.maxcondition.com/page.php?120
That’s all for now. Thanks and please feel free to post any comments on the article.
Pau for now.
Taku
www.hybridfitness.tv
