Update: here’s another blast from the past. Dating back to November 2, 2007, this was one of my first posts on overhead presses and it still rings true.
The four most important exercises for any serious weight lifter to obsess about are the squat, deadlift, bench press, and overhead press. Today, I am going to discuss how to properly perform a standing overhead press (aka shoulder press or military press), and a push press. Both motions are obviously used to push objects overhead. Clearly, overhead pressing is not only extremely functional but is fundamental in helping to build a firm athletic base regardless of your fitness goals.
I am going to be using a barbell in this explanation, but it can be performed with any reasonable object. First of all, load a bar appropriately and bring the weight to the front your shoulders. You can either clean the weight from the floor like an Olympic weightlifter or you can load the bar at the desired height in a squat rack. (more…)
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Wall Balls is a silly name for an exercise, I know, but that’s what you get when you borrow exercises from Crossfit. In fact, Wall Balls are a great conditioning exercise that builds full body stamina and endurance. It will also make you sweat.
This is an exercise that integrates perfectly into a high intensity interval training (HIRT) circuit, and can also be used to build high intensity interval training (HIIT) sessions, but do not translate that well into Tabata training.
Wall Balls also can be used separately as a full body conditioning exercise by attempting to complete X reps as fast as possible, or by attempting to complete as many reps as possible in a set time limit. Either way, it burns!
Medicine Ball Training
Medicine ball training has been around for a long time, and in fact they were used frequently at gyms back in the 18th and 19th centuries. Ancient (3000+ years ago) wrestlers and other athletes used to train with various sand-filled implements, which evolved over time into the medicine ball.
The standard medicine ball is a weighted rubber ball measuring roughly 14 inches in diameter, although sizes vary greatly nowadays as you can get a medicine ball from the size of your fist to the size of your body.
Used in a wide variety of fitness programs, medicine balls can be benched, rowed, curled, pressed, squatted, tossed, caught, bounced, squished, and generally manhandled all for the sake of fitness.
Yes it is true, I have joined my local Crossfit. They call themselves The Savage Society, and they are based out of Manchester, NH.
Why Join Crossfit?
Crossfit is a place we can go to use revolutionary exercise ideals to create an elite level of fitness. This is not so much about strength and size, as it is fitness, which is a goal that I think has been lost to the majority of gym goers nowadays.
Rather than paying $10 a month for access to treadmills, ellipticals, and some free weights, with virtually no help or planning unless you pay $100s for a trainer, Crossfit has a formula to help you attain your personal fitness goals with workouts of the day and special routines to help you. It takes some of the thinking out of designing the perfect routine.
This will definitely be a new, positive experience, and I will probably end up getting Crossfit certified myself some day.
A single vertical jump for maximum height is one of the most intense exercises you can do.
Why? Because it requires you to utilize your entire lower body chain in a maximal effort contraction, to produce a maximal amount of force in a split second.
The important aspects of training to work on, to increase your vertical leap include:
Squatting strength – Maximal leg strength transfers directly to a vertical jump. A strong 1 rep max = a big jump.
Squatting speed – The faster you can squat, the more power you can generate, the higher you can jump.
Squatting power – Tied in directly with speed and strength, squat heavier and squat faster and you will jump higher.
Acceleration – You want to continue accelerating out of the hole all the way through the top of your jump.
Single leg strength – To eliminate strength imbalances and to improve neuromuscular coordination, train your legs individually.
Calf strength – Your calves are used at the end of the jump, so max calf strength can mean an extra inch on your vert.
Sprint speed – Sprinting trains the Type-II Fast Twitch muscle fibers, which are what you need to attain your highest jump. Acceleration applies here as well.
Hip drive – Your hips are responsible for a significant portion of jumping power from a parallel squat position to standing.
Glute activation – Your glutes are responsible for driving you out of the hole at the bottom of a squat or jump.
At a body weight of 180 lbs, Willie Albert of Iron Will Strength and Fitness in Ottawa Ontario Canada performs 10 total rounds of barbell back squat with 445 lbs, standing military press with 135 lbs, and barbell deadlift with 425 lbs. He was attempting to complete this circuit for time and finished in 4:35.
For all you math geniuses, that would be a total of 10500 lbs of work in less than 5 minutes. He’s not lifting elite powerlifting numbers, but to complete 10 rounds of this in 4 and a half minutes is impressive to me. I bet if he were going for a 1 rm, he’d be squatting and pulling in the 600s, and would be shoulder pressing 200+.
So apparently Bob Greene is Oprah’s personal trainer. He is credited with giving Oprah an exercise and nutrition plan that has actually helped her maintain a healthy weight.
** Comment on this post to qualify to win a free copy of this DVD. **
Obviously you must know by now that Oprah started off huge, lost a ton of weight, ballooned back up again, lost it again, gained it all back, etc… But from what I understand, thanks to Bob Greene’s workout plan and nutrition tips, she is finally maintaining a healthy weight.
Free Product Alert!
Allow me to announce Project Swole’s most recent free giveaway: Bob Greene’s Total Body Makeover DVD.
I haven’t watch this, nor will I, but I can tell you what it says on the DVD package.
An 8-Week Program for Maximum Results in Minimum Time
8 Express Workouts on 1 DVD – Customized for Every Level
Originally posted: 1/27/10
Updates:
2/1/10 updated routine, added Excel spreadsheet workout logs)
3/8/10 added example HIIT routines for days 2, 4, and 6.
We are integrating 3 full body training sessions with 3 HIIT routines and taking the 7th day off. Since the goal is fat loss, we are striving to add some muscle mass, maintain strength, and burn as many calories as possible.
This is accomplished by staying in a slightly higher rep range than we would normally use for strictly strength training, while using super-sets for most of our exercises. We add an optional set to the end of each workout in case you are able to finish the workout early.
Major compound exercises are rotated to prioritize a different muscle group on each of the 3 training sessions each week.
Originally posted: 1/26/10
Updates:
2/1/10 updated routine, added Excel spreadsheet workout logs)
3/8/10 added example HIIT routines for days 2, 4, and 6.
We are integrating 3 full body training sessions with 3 HIIT routines and taking the 7th day off. Since the goal is fat loss, we are striving to add some muscle mass, maintain strength, and burn as many calories as possible.
This is accomplished by staying in a slightly higher rep range than we would normally use for strictly strength training, while using super-sets for most of our exercises. We add an optional set to the end of each workout in case you are able to finish the workout early.
Major compound exercises are rotated to prioritize a different muscle group on each of the 3 training sessions each week.
Special Project Swole discount:
Use coupon code HCCT to get 15% off the cover price! Click here to order.
I will actually be reviewing this book in a couple days. It seems pretty good so far.
Lose that Holiday Weight Gain, the Circuit Training Way!
By: Chohwora Udu & Jim McHale
Overindulging during the Holiday season is all too easy, we know from experience! Even the best intentions can get forgotten amongst all the different parties and generous portions.
So what happens in January when you want to shed those extra pounds? Back to the same old gym routine? Why not start the New Year with a new training philosophy – high intensity circuit training.
This contest is now over, and as a result of a random drawing, the winner is…
Todd!
Congratulations Todd, I will be in touch to ask you where I should ship your Powerhouse Hit The Deck.
Original Post:
Do you want to win a fitness game?
Apparently you just set a timer, draw a card, and do whatever exercise is on the card until the timer goes off. Then draw another card and do it again.
I’ve never used this, but if you want to win one for free, just leave a comment at the bottom of this post. I will choose a winner at random on Monday December, 14 2009. I will just need an email address, which won’t be posted, to contact you if you win, at which time I’ll need a name and shipping address.
Need another reason to add either HIIT or HIRT into your workout routine?
A university study has concluded that a combination of cross training and strength training produces the same strength adaptations as strength training alone, while also eliciting the wonderful benefits of cardiovascular conditioning.
what are the best exercises? Answer: view my series of best exercises posts.
how long should I workout? Answer: HIIT: 20 mins, Weightlifting & Endurance Cardio: 45 mins
how many sets should I do? Answer: That answer is going to require a dedicated post, so I’ll get to that shortly.
how many reps should I do? Answer: read on and find out…
There are 3 main kinds of repetitions (reps) when it comes to weightlifting; certain rep and set schemes are used depending on your goals. Let’s examine scheme #1:
Here we have what is essentially bodyweight circuit training, but using a pumpkin for resistance. You might laugh, but pumpkins can weigh 10-20 pounds if they’re big enough. I don’t know that this is a ‘good’ idea, but at least it demonstrates how to think outside the box.
Repeat the 4-minute workout below, 4-5 times for a Halloween-themed 20 minute fat burning workout.
Now check out these other Halloween themed workouts by The Workout Muse.
This guest article was written by Adrienne Carlson, who regularly writes on the topic of pharmacy technician certification. Adrienne welcomes your comments and questions at her email address: [email protected]
I enjoyed going for a jog early each morning, for about a month or so that is.
When it started to become boring and monotonous, I discovered interval training. So I varied my routine to sprint and then jog for 300 meters and 100 meters respectively.
It kept me going for a while, but then, I began to lag and find excuses not to go.
There’s no doubt that it’s one of the best ways to lose weight and improve fitness, but if you want to stay the course with interval training, you must find ways to make it more interesting.
And to that end, here’s what I did (and what you can do too) to make interval training more interesting and more effective:
Everyone knows how to jump rope. Hold the two ends and whip over your head, under your feet, back over your head, and so-on.
This great exercise is an awesome fat burner, but it can also pretty boring. That boredom must be overcome through, as jump rope is one of the greatest inventions ever for fitness enthusiasts and athletes.
Jumping rope is excellent for conditioning the anaerobic and aerobic energy systems, making it perfect for HIIT training. Check out this video of a dude jumping rope specifically for a HIIT workout.
Use some of the techniques listed below to make your jump rope sessions more challenging. Use the highest intensity techniques for your HIIT training.
You also benefit from jumping rope by strengthening your rotator cuffs and shoulders, increasing power in your lower body, developing your calves, and much more.
Most people don’t jump rope because all they just repeat the same tempo and style over and over. Not only is that tiring, it gets boring and then you just don’t want to do it because you feel the boredom is not worth the benefit.
That would be a big mistake. Get yourself a rope, read this article, and you will be in better shape than anyone not jump roping.
In the spirit of Project Swole’s recent focus on HIIT training, Jim Stoppani, PhD, Senior Science Editor for Muscle & Fitness Magazine and author of Encyclopedia of Muscle & Strength teaches you how to maximize the benefits of high intensity interval training (HIIT).
Some of his ideas differ from what my research and experience has turned up in my post describing how to use HIIT, but the video is still a great tutorial with some exercise examples.
One difference you might notice, is that Stoppani advocates a 2:1 interval to rest ratio, while my research shows a 1:9, 1:6, and 1:3 interval to rest ratios are optimal.
His ratio would mean 2 minutes of sprints to 1 minute of rest, while my ratio would mean 20 seconds of sprints to 60 seconds of rest for an intermediate HIIT routine.
While I am sure Stoppani is an intelligent guy, I still definitely favor more rest as it helps your energy systems to recover when you are truly training at maximal intensity.
Yury Tikhonovich, a circus performer can. This is an example of the sweet stunts you can pull off with a background in gymnastics. Man oh man, do I wish my parents got me into gymnastics when I was but a kid.
Heck, I just wish I could do a backflip. I suppose it is possible for a 31 year old man to learn how to do a backflip… isn’t it?
Here are some great ideas for putting together some serious conditioning workouts in your backyard:
Tire / Sled Drags – You can run backward and forwards; you can use your legs, arms, back, or chest to pull.
Tire Flips – Use large heavy tires.
Tire Throws – Use smaller tires. You can throw the tires forward or toss them over your head like a strongman keg toss.
Sledgehammer – Pick a heavy one and hit the tire with it.
Tire Jumps – Jump over the tire, jump into the tire, jump through the tire… be creative and just jump.
Various Shoulder Exercises – Press and rotate various objects above, behind, and in front of your head.
That is a very limited list of the things you can do in your backyard, but gives you some great ideas to start with. Variations of these ideas can be seen in the two demonstrational videos below.
I came across this video, which depicts the type of training I do in my thai kickboxing class and in the MMA class held right after my class. You can use these ideas to create your own conditioning program.
Everyone knows how to jump rope. Hold the two ends and whip over your head, under your feet, back over your head, and so-on. 
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