Chest Day Madness, Explosive Movements.

Today we will be making use of our explosive strength and focusing on our chest and upper body. We could also be focusing on muscular endurance, also flat our strength. But today will be explosive day because that is how i want to start out my week. Tomorrow will be our prison arm day (AKA no standard weights). Anyways, The first time i ever came across a workout like this was ages ago and it was the simple clapping pushing up. I have grown a lot since then and have learned so much more. It's time to share some of these movements with all of you.

Dec 1st, 2014, Explosive Chest

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We will warm up with you laying flat on your stomach on the ground (bottom of the push up position), push yourself up AS FAST AS POSSIBLE and then sprint 50M. Turn around, lay down, go back. take 5 - 10seconds rest at the bottom of the pushup position but don't lay down, keep yourself an inch or 2 off the ground.  

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Wide stance pushups/feet elevated

Normal stance pushups/feet elevated

Diamond pushups/feet elevated 

Do each set to failure, serious failure (AKA another rep is IMPOSSIBLE).

Go thru this routine twice and then stretch out.

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Weighted Explosive Pushups. FAST pushup, slow negative to the ground. 3 sets of 15. 

Plyo pushups onto elevated position (boxes, chairs, book). Start at bottom of pushup

on the ground, explode up and instead of clapping, move hands to elevated surfaces. Do a full pushup in elevated position, and then drop back down to start. 

2 sets of standard pushup to failure to finish off chest workout. 

Gym Without The Gym, Chest Workout Included for Today

Hello all you wonderful motivated individuals. Life is full of over coming obstacles and achieving your best form. I will let you take that as you will. Recently i have moved and i have decided to forgo the gym and strive for my best form by using a form of training called grinding. Named due to the workouts being performed on blacktop/the ground and grinding away at them until finished. I will still use all my tricks and skills as well as work on new skills. So here is a workout for you all to do without equipment at all. Just use your force and hard work.

Nov 25th, 2014: Chest Grinder

Wind Stance/grip Push-ups 33reps - 5sets, (Rest 45seconds)

Feet elevated (Normal) Push-ups. Max Rep - 3 sets, With weighted pack.

Skill Work,

1Arm Push-ups, Work on Negative rep to the floor. (10minutes)

Diamond pushups 20reps x 5sets (30seconds rest)

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Handstand Holds/Pushups (Max time holds,Max Reps)

Follow up by Dive Bombed Push-ups.

Do the above grouping  5 sets of 20reps each.

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Core Work, L-Sit holds using chairs.

Max time planks, 3 Sets.

If you can still do a single push up with decent form, make a note

of it on this workout, and I will be sure to make next week even harder.

Get after it everyone. SISU

 

Which Exercise is the Best?

Today while training i had a client ask me, "If i was asked to bench press a few months down the road, however, leading up to that day i don't have access to a bench press, would i be in trouble", great question. Lets break this down.

Flat Bench Press - moderate strength, moderate stability. As a movement it is a (no pun intended)  bench mark exercise. But could you go thru life never having access to a flat bench for bench press? Or  get everything you need out of a gym that doesn't have a bench press?

The answer is simply yes.

By breaking down the movement of the bench press and finding the strength and stability in other movement, you could become successful in achieving a decent bench press.

Smith Press - Using the smith press with a flat bench to achieve the movement of a bench press is strictly a strength movement and little to no stability. Remember that the bar is counter balanced and doesn't way 45 pounds by itself. Using this machine to train your chest for the strict movement of a bench press will have its benefits, but if faced with standard 45 pound bar that isn't restricted in its movement, you might find some issues with stability.

Machine Chest Press - The machine in the gym that you put the pin in the weight stack and continue until you can no longer lift anymore. This machine is a classic in a machine based gym. The movement isn't that natural and it won't prepare you by itself for a standard bench press.

Dumbbell Chest Presses -  You will find yourself doing this workout at some point and it will be harder that you think. You can no longer rely on a controlled weight stack or smith press. You now have to control the weight in the x,y and z axis with no assistance. But slowly but surely over the months you will find yourself putting up more and more weight. As you get stronger, without even knowing it, your shoulder stability and control of the weight becomes more and more efficient in the movement itself. But you won't get up the amount of weight you will find in a standard bench press.


Putting them all together. By using specific movements for their strongest traits, smith press for the movement, machine press for the strength, and dumbbells for its stability; you will be in good shape with enough training for any old school bench press. If you can do 70 pound dumbbell flat bench presses, you will be able to do 200 pounds or more on a flat bench.

Workout 6/21/2013

Walking lunges 20 lunges on each leg

rest 30 seconds

3 rounds

30 air squats

25 Max distance forward jumps

20 push ups

15 mountain climbers

10 burpees 

 rest 30 seconds

50 sit ups