Exercise of the day: Good Mornings

The good Morning is an exercise that works glutes and hamstrings. I don't see many people performing this exercise in my gym although it's a great lower body exercise.

Starting with the barbell on your shoulder like back squat position, you start to bend forward extending the hips backward and keeping your back straight. When the hips reach their maximum point of extension, the glutes and hamstrings should be recruited to the maximum. You will start to contract the glutes to bring the hips forward and return your body to the standing position again.

Contrary to what people say, you don't have to keep your legs straight the entire movement. Bend your knees slightly if your flexibility won't allow you to keep them straight, this will also relieve unnecessary stress placed on your lumbar spine.

Notice that your mid point will depend on your flexibilty. Start with a light weight and don't push yourself more after feeling the tension in your glutes and hamstrings, just give it a little stretch then stop and contract your glutes to get back as mentioned before.
It's important to remian your chin upright to prevent a round back which may cause injury. In order to do so you can focus your eyes on a spot at about belt hight during the movement.

Here's a video showing a proper form of good mornings.

 

Benefits of Good Morning exercise:

 

1)It targets hamstrings and glutes. Hamstring strength is importat in many sports and activities because it supports all movements across the knees.

 

2)It increases the lower back strenght which reduces injury possibilities in other exercises.

 

3)It helps with flexibility progress by stretching hamstrings.

 

 

 

Saftey:

 

I don't prefer to go heavy performing Good Mornings, I'd rather go with a light-medium weight and seek progress gradually.

As long as you perform the movement properly keeping your back straight, you will prevent injury and you will strengthen your lower back.

 

So, give it a try and fit it in your next leg day and perform with caution.

 

Thank you

IR.

 



Exercise of the day: Muscle Ups

A muscle up is a combination move between pull ups and dips, so performing muscle ups engages almost all your upper body muscles.

In order to try performing a muscle up, you should master performing strict pull ups and parallel bar dips. I mean you should be able to do 15 consecutive pull ups and 20 consecutive dips.

Videos demonstrating bar muscle ups technique on YouTube mentions mainly the false grip and the swing to perform the move.

The false grip - in which you grab the pull up bar from the above making your palm facing the ground - will help you during the transition from pull up to dips.

 False grip on bar

False grip on ring

While the swing will help you get as high as possible pushing your body away from the bar for easier transition.

Of course I see people who can perform strict bar muscle ups, I mean without any swinging but that's just not the case for me yet. Swinging really helps me perform the movement.


This is one of the videos on YouTube demonstrating how to do bar muscle ups.

Ring muscle ups is another form of muscle ups which is widely performed by gymnasts and is also a basic crossfit movement along with bar muscle ups.

Here's a video of Camille Leblanc Bazinet doing ring muscle ups.

At last, muscle ups exercise is one hell of an exercise.

Thank you
IR.

Snatches + bodyweight workout

This is a workout I put and did at home few days ago.

Here it is:

A)10 minutes to get 5 reps of power snatch as heavy as possible (AHAP)

B)Superset ladder workout for time
(10-1) Pull Ups
(1-10) Handstand Push Ups (HSPU)

It may seem easy but it's not, and that was my second workout that day.

For part A, you will not do a certain number of sets. You will do the first set with 10 reps then you will increase the weight every set later untill you reach the weight with which you can perform only 5 reps, then you perform the following sets with the same weight of 5 reps.

So, as for part B, you will perform 10 reps of pull ups and 1 rep of HSPU, then 9 reps of pull ups and 2 reps of HSPU and so on untill the last set you perform 1 rep of pull up and 10 reps of HSPU. That's a total of 55 reps each.

Come on guys, get up and do your workout.
Let me know what you think.

Thank you
IR.

Exercise of the day: SQUATS

Squat is the foundation of all fitness program, so it is one of the most essential exercises any athlete should do  for working quads and glutes. 

Benefits of squats:

1. Increased hormone release
2. Enhanced core strength
3. Improved flexibility
4. Reduced chance of injury
5. Stronger lower body
6. Increased vertical jump
7. Improved workout efficiency

So, when you have one of those days when you feel a big weight on your shoulders, DO SQUATS.

Here are different types of squats, watch the videos for proper form for each.

1) Back squats
The most popular squat exercise among all athletes, bodybuilders, oly lifters and fitness models.

2)Front squats
Another squat exercise that is popular among athletes and crossfiters, it engages your core in the movement.

3)Zercher squats
This is an advanced form of front squats that engages your core even more.

4)Overhead squats
One of the hardest forms of  squats that engages more muscles of your body.

5) Body-weight squats
A calisthenics squat exercise that you should do once in a while with the famous ass to grass technique.

6)Jump squats
A great squat exercise to put in a HIIT session or as a burn out in the leg day.

7)Bulgarian squats
This exercise will really make your hips and glutes sore.

8)Goblet squats
This exercise is great to perform a squat properly.

Now, get up and do your SQUATS.

Thank you
IR.

Back and triceps workout + wod

I usually mix split workouts with crossfit WOD's.
Back and triceps day may look something like this.

Part 1: Back



Pull Ups

Weighted Pull Ups 5 sets * 10,8,6,6,6 reps
BB Bent over rows 4 sets * 8-10 reps
Behind the neck Lat Pull Down 4 sets * 8-10 reps
DB One hand rows 4 sets * 8-10 reps
Deadlifts 4 sets* 10,8,5,5 reps

Deadlift



Diamond Push Ups



Part 2: Triceps

Skull Crushers 4 sets *  8-10 reps
Cable push down 4 sets * 8-10 reps
DB one hand Over Head Extension 3 sets * 8-10 reps
Diamond Push Ups 3 sets untill failure (feel the burn)




Part 3:Crossfit WOD
13.2 WOD
Complete as many rounds and reps as possible in 10 minutes of:
115/75 pound Shoulder to overhead, 5 reps
115/75 pound Deadlift, 10 reps
15/75 Box jumps, 24"/20" box

13.2 WOD

* 115/75 = weight for men/weight for women
   24"/20" = height for men/height for women



What do you think?

Thank you
IR.

Thoughts Thursday

This article was posted by Heather Waghorn in Health, wealth and wellbeing.

 

10 fitness thoughts and quotes to start your day

 

Some of these are my own creation, some I’ve just heard and have stuck in my mind, and others come from books and the internet. All of them make me smile and give me inspiration in different ways and hopefully will do the same for you.

 

1) The smug feeling you get after a workout is far better than the guilty feeling you get if you’ve given exercise the cold-shoulder.

2) “Running is a big question mark that’s there each and every day. It asks you, ‘Are you going to be a wimp or are you going to be strong today’. ” Peter Maher, Canadian elite marathon runner

 

3) Exercise is like mouthwash. If you can feel the burn, it’s working!

 

4) “Apart from the survival advantage when escaping a sinking ship in a cold ocean, being too fat has nothing but downsides.” Mike Stroud, Survival of the Fittest

 

5) “Think of it like sex or a tax rebate. A little is always better than nothing. If all you have is 17 minutes to fit in a run, then run for 17 minutes.” Runner’s World.

 

6) Every morning in Africa, a gazelle wakes up. It knows that it must outrun the fastest lion or it will be killed. Every morning in Africa, a lion wakes up. It knows that it must out run the slowest gazelle or it will starve. It doesn’t matter whether you are a lion or gazelle. When the sun comes up you had better be running!

 

7) Conditions are never just right. People who put off doing things until all factors are favourable, achieve nothing.

 

8) Sweat cleanses from the inside. It comes from places a shower will never reach!

 

9) Force yourself outside the door, once your out, that’s the hardest bit of the workout over and done with.

 

10) The more “buts”, the bigger the BUTT!

 

So that’s the motivational bit, now get out there and train!

 

Thank You.

IR.
 

Full Body workout

I started to do full body workouts after I began to get bored of doing split workouts. One advantage of full body workouts over split workouts that you can go to the gym only two times a week if you are really busy for some time.

What I do now is that I go for full body workouts for few weeks then I go back to the split workout routines and I put some bodyweight workouts, crossfit workouts and HIIT sessions in between.

When you do a full body workout you perform only one or two exercises for every muscle group and you go heavy. Each exercise is 3 sets * 6 to 8 reps with 45 seconds to 1 minute rest in between sets.

A friend of mine perform two exercises for each of legs, chest, back, shoulders and one exercise for each of biceps, triceps and abs. Each exercise is 3 sets * 8,6,4 reps. So he performs the first set with a heavy weight for 8 reps then goes heavier in the second set with 6 reps and finishes with a third set of 4 reps as heavy as he can. The most imprtant thing that this works for him, I mean you can try and see what works for you, you will feel it.

Another friend goes full body on two days, the first day is for the front body, training chest, shoulders, biceps, abs and quads. While the other day is for the back body, training rear shoulders, back, triceps, glutes, hamstrings and calves. This is the only person I know that splits his workout that way but I thought to share.

As for myself, I found a workout program on the internet that I will share in a moment, this program works really good for me. An advantage of this program is that it mixes heavy weight lifting with body weight training, HIIT and HIRT. You can't get bored of this program.

It's called werewolf training and it alternates upper body training days with lower body training days.

The program is as the following:

Acronym Key:

• BB – barbell
• DB – dumbbell
• OH – overhead
• HIIT – high intensity interval training
• HIRT – high intensity resistance training
• AMAP – as many as possible

The Routine

• Workout 1
• BB bench press – 4 x 5
• DB one arm rows – 3 x 8
• DB incline bench press – 3 x 10
• a) Body weight or assisted pull ups – 3 x 12
• b) DB standing alternating shoulder press – 3 x 15
• a) DB standing alternating bicep curl – 3 x 12, 8, 5
• b) DB standing two hand OH triceps press – 3 x 8
• Optional HIRT cardio for those wishing to minimize fat gain: Complete the following superset as fast as possible, 3 times without any rest and record your time:
  a) 20 push ups
  b) 100 jump rope jumps
  c) 20 inverted rows


• Workout 2
• BB back squats – 4 x 5
• a) BB alternating lunges – 3 x 8
• b) Seated calf raises – 3 x 10
• Box jumps – 2 x 50 for time
• a) BB good mornings – 3 x 12
• b) Standing calf raises – 3 x 15
• Optional Tabata Body Weight Squats – 5 sets – AMAP in 20 secs, rest 10 secs, repeat. Record # of reps.
• Abdominal giant set
  a) Reverse crunch – 3 x AMAP
  b) Fold ups – 3 x AMAP
  c) Russian twist w/ medicine ball – 3 x 15


• Day Off

 

• Workout 3
• BB bent over rows – 4 x 5
• DB bench press – 3 x 8
• Weighted or assisted chin ups – 3 x 10
• a) Standing OH press – 3 x 8
• b) BB standing bicep curl – 3 x 12
• a) Dips – 3 x 8
• b) DB side raise – 3 x 12
• Optional HIRT cardio for those wishing to minimize fat gain: Complete the following superset as fast as possible, 3 times without any rest and record your time:
  a) 20 kipping pull ups
  b) 10 squat thrusters
  c) 5 BB hang snatch with 25% of your max bench


• Workout 4


• BB deadlift – 4 x 5
• a) BB jump squats w/ 33% of 1 rep max – 3 x 10
• b) BB shrugs 3 x 12
• Glute-ham raises – 3 x AMAP
• a) Step ups holding DBs – 3 x 12
• b) Seated calf raise – 3 x 5
• Optional HIIT Session: Overhead Squats w/ 20% 1 rep squat max – 4 sets – AMAP in 20 sec, 60 sec of wall sits, repeat
• Abdominal giant set
  a) Windshield wipers – 3 x AMAP
  b) Ab wheel roll outs – 3 x AMAP
  c) Situps w/ medicine ball on chest – 3 x 8


• Day Off
• Optional Day Off #2
• Workout 5


• BB incline bench press – 4 x 5
• Neutral grip t-bar or cable rows – 3 x 8
• Standing OH press – 3 x 10
• a) Weighted or assisted pull ups – 3 x 12
• b) DB bench press – 3 x 15
• a) DB one arm concentration curls – 3 x 12, 8, 5
• b) Skull crushers – 3 x 12, 8, 5
• Optional HIRT cardio for those wishing to minimize fat gain: Complete the following superset as fast as possible, 3 times without any rest and record your time:
  a) 20 wall balls – medicine ball toss and catch
  b) 10 squats thrusters
  c) 5 BB hang cleans with 33% max bench


• Workout 6
• BB back squats – 4 x 5
• a) Single leg stiff leg deadlift holding DBs – 3 x 8
• b) Seated calf raises – 3 x 12
• DB walking lunges – 3 x 10
• a) BB Romanian deadlifts – 3 x 15
• b) Standing calf raises – 3 x 5
• Optional Tabata Body Weight Squats – 5 sets – AMAP in 20 secs, rest 10 secs, repeat. Record # of reps.
• Abdominal giant set
  a) Vertical leg raise or captain’s chair – 3 x AMAP
  b) Bicycle maneuver – 3 x AMAP
  c) Ab wheel roll outs – 3 x AMAP


• Day Off
• Workout 7
• BB bent over rows – 4 x 5
• DB incline bench press – 3 x 8
• BB shrugs – 3 x 10
• a) Body weight or assisted chin ups – 3 x AMAP
• b) DB reverse flyes – 3 x 12, 8, 5
• a) Dips – 3 x 5
• b) DB standing alternating bicep curl – 3 x 12, 8, 5
• Optional HIRT cardio for those wishing to minimize fat gain: Complete the following superset as fast as possible, 3 times without any rest and record your time:
  a) 10 handstand push ups (or military press)
  b) 20 diamond push ups
  c) 50 jumping jacks


• Workout 8
• BB deadlift – 4 x 5
• a) BB front squat – 3 x 8
• b) Toe push on sled – 3 x 12
• BB side lunges – 3 x 10
• a) Pistol squats – 2 x 12
• b) One leg curl – 2 x 12
• Optional HIIT Session: Sumo Deadlifts w/ 20% 1 rep deadlift max – 4 sets – AMAP in 20 sec, 60 sec of wall sits, repeat.
• Abdominal giant set
  a) Medicine ball sit up toss – 3 x 20
  b) DB side bends – 3 x 12
  c) Flutter kicks – 3 x AMAP


• Day Off
• Optional Day Off #2
• Workout 9


• BB bench press – 3 x 5 (120% of 5 rep max)
• Weighted or assisted chin ups – 3 x 5 (120% of 5 rep max)
• DB one arm clean and press – 3 x 8
• a) DB one arm row – 3 x 12
• b) Explosive push ups w/ clap if possible – 3 x 7
• a) Tricep cable push downs – 3 x 12, 8, 5
• b) Hammer curls – 3 x 12, 8, 5
• Optional HIRT cardio for those wishing to minimize fat gain: Complete the following superset as fast as possible, 3 times without any rest and record your time:
  a) 20 inverted rows
  b) 20 mountain climbers
  c) 10 medicine ball smash (throw to ground)


• Workout 10


• BB deadlift – 5 x 5,2,1,1,1
• a) Donkey calf raises – 3 x 8
• b) BB Shrugs – 3 x 7
• BB squats – 5 x 5,2,1,1,1
• Glute-ham raises – 3 x AMAP
• Optional Tabata Body Weight Squats – 5 sets – AMAP in 20 secs, rest 10 secs, repeat. Record # of reps.
• Abdominal giant set
  a) Ab wheel roll outs – 3 x AMAP
  b) Reverse crunches – 3 x AMAP
  c) Fold ups – 3 x AMAP


• Day Off
• Workout 11


• BB bent over rows – 3 x 8
• DB bench press – 3 x 8
• Body weight or assisted chin ups – 3 x AMAP
• Standing OH press – 3 x 10
• a) Dips – 3 x 8
• b) BB standing bicep curl – 3 x 8
• Optional HIRT cardio for those wishing to minimize fat gain: Complete the following superset as fast as possible, 3 times without any rest and record your time:
  a) 5 hang cleans w/ 25% of 1 rep bench max
  b) 5 push press w/ same weight
  c) 5 squats w/ same weight


• Workout 12


• BB deadlift – 3 x 8
• a) BB front squats – 3 x 8
• b) Standing calf raise – 3 x 10
• One leg curl – 3 x 10
• BB jump squats w/ 20% of 1 rep max – 2 x 20 for time
• Abdominal giant set
  a) Windshield wipers – 3 x AMAP
  b) Sit ups w/ medicine ball or plate – 3 x 8
  c) Bicycle maneuver – 3 x AMAP


• Day Off
• Optional Day Off #2
  

Read more: http://www.projectswole.com/weight-training/werewolf-training-a-weightlifting-routine-to-gain-muscle/#ixzz19nAi72TM

 

Once again, I found this workout program on the internet and I wanted to share it with you, and I want to thank whoever designed this brilliant program.

 

 

 At the end it depends on you and on what works for you. You can try and you will feel if it works for you or not.

Thank you.
IR.