Rock Around the Clock - An OUTSTANDING Upper Body Workout
By now most of you know that I am a minimalist when it comes to my strength training program prescriptions. My goal is to find the least amount of volume that will trigger the maximum growth response. This must be determined on a case by case basis as no two individuals are exactly alike with respects to recovery ability, health, nutrition, injury status etc.
Some of the workouts I create appear quite simple on paper but as many have come to find out, looks can me deceiving. After all it is not the weight you lift but how you lift the weight which determines your ultimate outcome from any training program. When you give your all to a handful of sets you will quickly find that no more is needed.
Today I am going to outline a brief but challenging upper body workout. It is comprised of five pairs of opposing push-pull exercises. that’s ten total sets for your entire upper body. There is no direct arm work but believe me your arms will get plenty of stimulation from this program.
The exercises are as follows:
1. Upright Row - Dips
2. Low Cable Row - Decline Bench Press
3. Horizontal Row - Flat Bench Press
4. High Cable Row - Incline Bench Press
5. Chin-up - Standing Press
You may begin with any paring as long as you proceed from that point in the workout forward. There are two ways in which to begin this program. First; you can start with a paring that has movements that are challenging for you or which represent areas of your musculature that you feel need work*. Second; you may start with a different paring every workout. This will allow for longer periods of progression with less likelihood of adaptation plateaus (provided you are recovering fully).
The entire workout should take approximately 16 minutes to complete if you are working hard. This assumes that each set will take roughly 60 seconds to complete and that you will rest 90 seconds after each pairing. I suggest that you do all of your warm-up work before hand and then proceed through the bulk of the workout using maximum resistance for each movement pairing.
Choose a weight or resistance level that you feel would be challenging to perform 6 repetitions with. Then do your best to achieve 8-10 repetitions on each set. Do not terminate the set at an arbitrary number, continue until no further repetitions can be completed with perfect form. Besides the 90 seconds rest intervals between parings, strive to keep rest to a minimum and move quickly from one exercise in a pair to the next. Write down your start and finish times (excluding warm-ups) as well as the repetitions completed and the resistance levels used for each movement. When you can complete 10 reps or more with perfect form then bump up the resistance by 5%.
PAU for NOW
TAKU
*If you do this I recommend that you still switch the order every 3-4 weeks or so to avoid adaptation plateaus.
Exercise of the Week: Towel Pull Ups
Here’s a great variation on a classic exercise. Pull ups are still one the best ways to develop overall back strength and definition. There’s lots of pull up variations, each working the body a little differently. Towel pull ups are fairly unique, though.
Here’s what they look like: (click for a larger view)
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By gripping the towel during the exercise, you also develop outstanding forearm and grip strength, which can be a great asset for many sports, including wrestling and rock climbing, along with combat sports such as judo, jiu jitsu and others. Pull ups are also a great bicep conditioning tool. Just think, arms and back of STEEL!
To get started, try a simple pull up pyramid. Start with 1 pull up, then take a 15 second break. Grab the towel and try 2. Take another break. Continue adding a rep each time until you can’t go up in reps anymore. Take a 60 second break and work your way back down.
Trust me when I say your back, arms and shoulders will be on FIRE!
If you’re not able to do a standard pull up with the towel, you can still develop back, forearm and grip strength by working negatives. To do a negative, stand on a bench or stool and grab the towels. Slowly step off the bench while holding tightly on the towel. Lower yourself down as slowly as possible, so that your arms are fully extended…bend your knees if you have to. Quickly step back onto the bench and repeat for another repetition. Negatives can help you quickly develop the strength it takes to do regular pull ups.
As with any type of training or conditioning, you must have consistency to see results. If you stay diligent with this and other exercises, you will get stronger.
Give the towel pull ups a shot and let us know how you do.
Keep training hard!
Jason K.
Hybrid Fitness
www.hybridfitness.tv
3 Great Bodyweight Exercises Everyone Can Do
You see and read these types of articles and posts everywhere. “3 Secrets For The Best Body Ever” or “Top 5 Exercises to Make You a Better Athlete”. The truth is, some exercises are better than others, but to pick a few and say call them “the best” is pretty ridiculous.
The bottom line is, people tend to over think fitness. To get in shape doesn’t take the newest trend or some new product. It just takes diligence. In fact, most new products and exercises are just the basics, but repackaged to give you the appearance of something new.
Which leads me to my list of 3 great bodyweight exercises anyone can do anywhere. Notice I said “3 great bodyweight exercises” not “the 3 greatest”. What are they? Simple..and you’ve probably seen them many times over.
1.) Pushups
2. )Pullups
3.) Squats
What makes them so great is they take almost no equipment (except for a bar or stable structure to pull yourself up on) and can be done in virtually any space. Plus, each one has modifications so you can still get the benefit of training without risking injury or exacerbating an existing one.
Pushups:
Pushups are excellent exercises for developing strength and endurance in the chest, arm and shoulders.
Here are three pushup examples showing progression and modification. The first is a standard pushup. To vary the intensity, speed up or slow down the movement. The second is a medicine ball stability pushup. The idea is to balance on the medicine ball during the “up phase” of the movement. It is considerably more difficult and requires more strength and control than a standard pushup. The third picture is a modification for someone who can’t do a regular pushup and wants to avoid using their knees. This is a sportband assisted pushup. The band reduces the effect of gravity on the body, allowing you to perform the movement with proper form. As you get stronger, the size of the band can be reduced, lessening the assistance it gives. Eventually, you’ll progress in strength so that no band is needed.
Pullups:
Pullups are great for developing back and arm strength. All you need to perform them is a bar. Look around and you’ll find them almost anywhere…a park or playground for instance. Any jungle gym will likely have something suitable.
The first picture shows a standard pullup grip. The second picture shows a reverse grip, commonly referred to as a “chin up”. A reverse grip pullup is typically easier to perform because you have much more assistance from the biceps. The third picture is simply a towel slung over a bar. This is one progression you can make to really challenge the body. By gripping the towel with both hands and pulling yourself up, the exercise becomes much, much more challenging. Try it and you’ll see. In addition, you work the forearm flexors, which often give out in certain exercises long before the other muscles do. This is a great exercise for martial artists or any sport where a strong grip is essential.
Squats:
Squats are an outstanding exercise overall. They incorporate many different muscles and muscle groups and, best of all, burn a lot of calories. There are so many squat variations, it would take me forever to detail them all. Visit www.hybridfitness.tv for a better understanding of all the squat variations, including pictures.
Here are some squat examples:
The first picture is of Wayne “Scrapper” Fisher performing a bodyweight squat. It’s very simple and, when done correctly, very effective at promoting strength, power and endurance in the entire lower extremity. The second picture is Liam “Taku” Bauer performing a bleacher squat. This move can be done a couple different ways. Regardless, it’s still a bodyweight exercise but you ultimately end up forcing one leg to do all of the work. In a nutshell, a simple variation makes the movement considerably more challenging and effective.
For anyone with knee and/or joint issues, simply limit the range of the exercise to something that doesn’t aggravate the issue. This is true for pushups, pullups and all other movements.
So keep these exercises in mind and remember, fitness doesn’t need to be fancy, but you do need to work. Visit our website for more information, programs, workouts and videos.
