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Nuts and Bolts, Part 2
(Formerly Exercises You Should Be Doing...But Probably Aren't) The Windmill A versatile exercise that can be done using a kettlebell, barbell, dumbbell, child, warhammer, etc; the windmill has fallen out of favor with modern fitness enthusiasts due to its challenging nature and the incorrect perception that it is damaging to the spine. Just like any movement that involves movement and the hip and loading of the spine, the windmill could potentially be injurious, but only if done recklessly, with poor form and too much weight. When done with proper technique, the windmill is an invaluable movement for spinal strength and hip/lower back flexibility. Let's do it. 1. The windmill ...Add Comment -
Exercises You Should Be Doing...But Probably Aren't
The deadlift. One of the central "slow lifts" and a mainstay in powerlifting and strongman competitions. You're probably already familiar with this movement, but we're going to break it down in a little more detail, pointing out some common mistakes, and get you pulling more than you ever imagined. -
An Interview with Chip Conrad
Chip Conrad is the owner and head trainer of Bodytribe, a Sacramento-based gym specializing in progressive, full-spectrum fitness. He has been active in the strength and conditioning world for over 15 years and has trained with such Physical Culture luminaries as the late Dr. Mel Siff, Dan John, Tommy Kono, Dave Tate, amongst others. He regularly blogs at his own website www.physicalsubculture.com and has written articles for www.wannabebig.com, www.elitefts.com and more. His book, Lift With Your Head and DVD Strength Rituals are available on his website or at Amazon.com . He is currently filming for his next DVD entitled Brutal Recess. USCS: Tell us a little about your gym, Bodytribe, and ... -
The Mental Game of Strength & Conditioning
Fitness is sorely lacking in a cerebral component. For some reason the physical has become disconnected from the mental – except, perhaps, in the most banal and superficial ways possible (“it’s all in your head” or other such painful clichés). Mass-market fitness focuses entirely on appealing to the visceral, foregoing any pretense of intellectualism and reducing its opinion of the public to a horde of slobbering idiots. Truth be told, you don’t have to be a scholar of any discipline to be fit, but it doesn’t hurt. At times it seems an impossibility to rectify strength and conditioning with intellectual pursuits, but this week we’ll talk about how it might be possible to be both the brains a... -
Setting Proper Goals
Recently we’ve been talking a lot about WHAT to do and HOW to do it. I thought that this week we’d take a bit of a break and dig a little bit deeper, instead discussing WHY we train and what drives us to succeed, or causes us to fail. Central to this discussion is the question of goals: what are they, how can we use them and why do we need them? It seems much simpler to walk into the gym, perform our movements of choice and leave, foregoing larger structure and pursuing the moment. Many of us train in this fashion – day in and day out, chasing some vaguely defined notion of what we want to achieve, working more on the struggle of getting into the gym, without really even considering what “th... -
Creating a Solid Workout Program Part Duex
OK, so let’s say you’ve followed my advice and developed a solid base – that is, you’re inury-free, have decent alignment, motor co-ordination and balance – all the components of a good fitness foundation. You’ve prepared the body through GPP (General Prepared-ness), addressed muscular weaknesses and imbalances, and are for all intents and purposes, physiologically sound. For some, this set of circumstances is a given, due to a history of athletics, structured fitness programming or plain old genetic luck. It’s possible that you may fall into this category, but even more likely that you have over-estimated your foundation and are in need of some corrections (a common mistake of the ego that ... -
Creating a Solid Workout Program Part 1
One of the most prevalent and pervasive issues in fitness is short-sightedness. All too many trainees view fitness as an end, not an ongoing process. The logic is thus: “If I just work hard for a little while, THEN I’ll be in shape.” This is a short term goal, viewed as a destination instead of a continuing journey, as opposed to a series of long-term goals. The unfortunate truth (for those looking for a shortcut, at least) is that fitness/strength/improved body composition is not something that can be simply acquired once and for all. It requires dedication, continual progression and variation in order to be maintained. Whether your goal is aesthetic or practical in aim, you must consta... -
3 Quick Fitness Myths (or Why You Aren't on the Cover of a Muscle Magazine)
It is undeniable that we live in an age of boundless information: the internet allows us access to resources beyond our imagination and we are assaulted by a seemingly infinite amount of data on a daily basis. Unfortunately, this plethora of information leaves us with mountains of garbage to search through before we find anything of value. There are scores of fantastic sources, for sure, but the combination of the vast, wholly unregulated wasteland of the internet with the stunning pseudo-science and falsities of the mainstream fitness industry creates an arduous journey to discover any manner of truth about fitness. This week's column will address a few of what I consider to be a few o... -
Proper Warm Up Techniques
The primary misconception regarding warming up truly is its purpose. Is it to prepare the muscles, the mind, the nervous system, the heart and lungs? And how is this to be accomplished? Do a few swings of the arms and a couple hops do the trick? Or how about five minutes on the treadmill – is that sufficient? The intent of the trainee when warming up is, first and foremost, preparation for the activity at hand. If the task is grappling, then movements that simulate the movement patterns of grappling are ideal. The same thing stands for kickboxing, weight training, running, etc. This article will focus primarily on warming up for strength/cardio training. The best warm-up for a sport is an ac... -
Strength and Conditioning for Combat Sports Volume 1
The issue of writing on fitness for combat sports is a complex one: I could wow you with cutting edge techniques, boggle your mind with science and biomechanics, champion lost methods of yore, or just latch on to the current fad. It’s easy to say “Well, this works for my team,” or “He’s the champ, so his method is obviously the best.” That doesn’t necessarily translate into success for you, the reader, though. Unfortunately, if you or me had the genetic predisposition to be “The Champ” you’d probably already be there. That’s not to say you can’t be strong(er), fast(er) or (more) successful – you can. But those very few who are blessed with world class natural ability tend to discover this ...
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