Nathan's Fitness and Russian Kettlebell Blog

Friday, November 13, 2009

Functional Strength?

Today is a rest day for me so instead of posting another awesome workout of mine (kidding), I thought I would post some thoughts and a motivational video for you.

A lot of people talk about functional strength, they are almost invariably skinny and small of course. They proudly state how many push-ups they can do, or pull-ups, or pistol squats like any body cares. They are speaking about their relative strength, and I get that. But if you are an athlete, or if you just want to be able to kick some ass when you have to, then you still need to be STRONG. You need to be able to put some real weight on the bar and move it around in good form. Do not rely on funky bosu ball or stability crap to get "functional". You want to teach your body about stability? Clean and press 200 lbs over your head. That crazy sensation running through your body is your nervous system trying to "stabilize" your body. Start with some body weight drills, keep them in your aresenal as a base, but then learn to handle a fully loaded bar.

On the other hand, really big guys who can't do shit with their own body weight are not much better. Just because you weigh over 200 lbs doesn't mean you are too jacked to do push-ups, pull-ups or unilateral leg drills. In fact, the heavier you are the more you will get out of body weight drills. Adding these drills into your routine will improve your health, mobility and dare I say, "functional" strength.

As Dan John often says, he rarely meets an athlete that wouldn't improve in their sport by doing more pull-ups and front squats.

Think you are functionaly strong, or too big to do body weight drills? Check out this amazing video from the late, great Jesse Marunde.

Found a great training article!

T-Nation is my home away from, here is a great article I read today, In The Trenches, Volume 2.

Thursday, November 12, 2009

Kettlebell Workout of the Day

Joint Mobility
Dynamic Warm-UP (reverse lunges with twist, side lunge, inch worm, Russian twist, t-push-up)
Glute Work (bridge, bird dog, single leg bridge, clam shell)
Kettlebell Swings x 200 total in under 10 minutes

Pull-ups, 10 sets of as many reps as possible
Cleans 4 x max
Flex Band Pull-Aparts (grab a band in each hand and pull it apart by contracting your rear delts)

I really can't say enough good things about pull-ups. They will make you functionally strong, improve your physique, and keep your shoulders very healthy. If they aren't a staple in your training then I would have to question why that is. And don't tell me you do lat pull-downs instead, I weight 225 lbs with big heavy legs. Pull-ups are not easy for me but they do great things so I work hard at them!

Pull-ups don't have to be boring either, check out what these Bartendaz guys are doing!

Monday, November 9, 2009

Kettlebell Workout of the Day

Joint Mobility Work
Dynamic Warm-Up (reverse lunge with twist, side lunge, inch worm, Russian twist, t-push-up)
Glute Work (bridges, bird dog, single leg bridge, clam shell)
Kettlebell Swings x 200
Kettlebell Complex

High Pull
Press
Clean
Rack Squat
Rack or Suitcase Lunge
Row
Stiff Leg Deadlift

Pull-Ups (optional)

Alwyn Cosgrove, Soccer? To burn fat?

Hey guys, here is another great little newsletter from Alwyn Cosgrove that I wanted to share.

Check out this study that Craig Ballantyne forwarded to me:

Recreational soccer is an effective health-promoting activity for untrained men

Krustrup et al.

British Journal of Sports Medicine 2009;43:825-831

36 healthy untrained men were randomised into a soccer group, a running group and a control group.

Training was performed for 1 hour two or three times per week for 12 weeks; at an average heart rate of 82% of HRmax for both training groups.
During the 12 week program, the soccer group improved maximal oxygen uptake (a measure of aerobic fitness) 62% more than the running group. The soccer group also lost an average of 50% more fat than the running group (6lbs vs 4lbs).
The soccer group had an increase in lean body mass of 3.75lbs, an increase in lower extremity bone mass, a greater decrease in LDL-cholesterol and an increase in fat oxidation during running at 9.5 km/h. The running group saw none of these changes.

The number of capillaries per muscle fibre was also almost 50% higher in the soccer training group than in
running. Both groups reduced blood pressure equally.

The researchers concluded that participation in recreational soccer training, has significant beneficial effects on health profile and physical capacity and in some aspects it is superior

to frequent moderate-intensity running.

What does this tell us?

Well, think about soccer. The difference is more than adding a ball while running.

Soccer (I mean FOOTBALL) is essentially a form of interval training (although the work and recovery periods are randomized - CHAOS training as my friend Robert Dos Remedios calls it).

It's also multi-directional, multi-movement (jumping, heading, running, sprinting, kicking, tackling, with contact) and multi-planar.

Basically this study shows that open interval training, using multiple movements and directions is superior for conditioning, muscle building and fat loss when compared to the same intensity of running.

I just wish they'd discovered that watching soccer was just as good.....
--
AC
PS - I hate calling the game "soccer".... it's FOOT-ball. Played with your feet....

AlwynCosgrove.com
24420 Walnut street
Newhall, CA
91321
US

Saturday, November 7, 2009

Max Effort Bench Press Workout

Floor Press, work up to a max single, then drop it down for a heavy triple
Weighted Dips paired with Weighted Pull-ups, total of 50 pull-ups
Kettlebell Swings x 200 (part of the November Challenge)

Only do the kettlebell swings if you are doing the November Challenge, otherwise you can do a bit of rear delts or some bi's and tri's to finish off.

Friday, November 6, 2009

Burpee Power Snatches

I am always looking for new and challenging exercises to do with a kettlebell. Surfing youtube I found a cool compound exercise of burpees and snatches. In this video they use a barbell, but you could just as easily use a kettlebell, or ever dumbbells.

Or you could try a different variation with a kettlebell.

Here is an older video of me doing kettlebell pukers (burpee into clean and press).

Compound exercises will get your heart rate up and are great for improving your conditioning or burning fat. You will get tired really fast though so be sure to take care of anything else you need to do first, then use this as a finisher or as the only exercise in the workout.

Thursday, November 5, 2009

Kettlebell Workout of the Day

Joint Mobility Drills
Dynamic Warm-Up (reverse lunge and twist, side lunge, inch worm, Russian twist, t-push-up)
Glute Work (bridge, bird dog, single leg bridge, clam shell)
Kettlebell Swings x 200 total reps
Barbell or Kettlebell Complex, 4 rounds total, 6-10 reps per drill, 3-4 minute rest between rounds