A few weeks ago, I had the privilege of presenting four workshops at the AFPA Sports & Fitness Conference in Myrtle Beach SC. The event went great and all the fitness professionals who attended came with great energy and a fantastic willingness to learn.
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Out of the four workshops I taught, my favorite was the Strength Training For Fat Loss workshop. Simply because it was a topic that everyone seems interested in, regardless of training specialty. In fact, I feel luck enough to say that I got present this workshop ion front of the largest audience of the entire conference.
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I understand that no all of you nicktumminello.com readers could attend this conference. So, I asked my wonderful girlfriend, Alli Mckee, to video some clips for your viewing pleasure.
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Speaking of Alli, her figure show is just a few weeks away. So, be sure to check out her blog as she shows you how she and I have been getting those few fat percentages down while keeping her strong and muscular and ready for the stage.
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If you liked this video, you will absolutely love the next one because the next clip is of the audience I doing the practical exercise portion of Strength Training for Fat Loss workshop. So, stay tuned for that.
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Also, don’t forget that 1.) the Strength Training For Fat Loss DVD is available on the products page and 2.) I’d love to hear your thoughts on this video clip so please leave your comments!
One of the exercises I found myself using less and less of these days is the conventional back squat.
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No, I don’t think its a bad exercise and still use it. I just use far less often than I once did. I will get into the specifics as to why I have changed my mind on squatting in a future post.
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That said, its nice to know that other, well respected coaches feel that same way as I do.
It just goes to show that regardless of your experience and knowledge, there is always time to rethink what you think you know and try to make your training safer and more effective.
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And, that exactly what Mike Boyle is talking about in this video.
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Go here to watch this video now!… It just may change your entire view of squatting forever!
MY good friend and World Class Strength Coach, Mike Boyle just released his newest resource, Functional Strength Coach 3.0 – A Joint by Joint Approach to Training.
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As many other coaches do, I’ve been following (and stealing from) Mike Boyle for as long as I’ve been coaching. His information is just that good.
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So that fact that he’s putting out a program with his latest training concepts tells me one thing…
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I need to get it in my hands as soon as possible. And so do you.
I’m not going to waste a bunch of space breaking down the details of what’s covered in Functional Strength Coach 3.0. Click on the above link to get the details.
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But I do know this: It’s a rare occasion that a program comes out that you can call a ‘Game Changer’.
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But this is one of those programs that you *know* every coach and trainer worth their salt is going to be using and talking about, myself included.
The concept of muscles balance and correcting muscular imbalances is one of the hottest topics in both the fitness and S&C industry today. As well it should be…
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However, many coaches and trainers have different approaches when it comes to the assessment, correction and prevention of muscle balances. Many of these approaches require a multitude of complex postural and movement assessments as well as an encyclopedia of corrective exercises.
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Although many “hard cases” do require an in-depth knowledge of assessment and corrective protocols. Most cases can be handled in a much simpler, straight forward manner.
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The goal of this 3 part post series to is to provide you with first, an understanding of some lesser considered points on muscle imbalances and second, to give you the simplest and most powerful ways to alleviate current muscle imbalances and design and more comprehensive program that will promote muscle balance.
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Now, before we can properly deal with real muscle imbalances that lead to dysfunction, We must understand a few aspects of imbalances are not bad. In fact, are quite natural and part of how we as humans function.
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Muscle Balance is Misunderstood
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Before I get into a few specific training concepts in a later post in this series, I wanted clarify a myth about muscle balance in general.
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Many professionals have a misunderstanding that each, opposing muscle should have equal strength. In other words, some folks think the flexors of joint A, should posses the same strength as the extenders of Joint A.
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This is simply FALSE!
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To understand why this belief is just plain false and simply unrealistic, we can look at the flexors and extendors of the ankle joint.
I won’t beat around the bush on this one. There is no way that the much smaller muscles on the front of the shin area can possibly create as much force during ankle doris-flexion as the muscle of the calf that create ankle plantar-flexion.
The funny thing is that we all already know this is impossible because we would never ask an athlete use the same amount of weight while doing an ankle dorsi-flexion exercise like this…
Over an ankle planter-flexion (calf raise) exercise like this…
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So why then are we trying to make our flexors an extendors equally strong when we already know its no possible nor remotely realistic?
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With this above example in mind, its easy to see why the human body keeps functional balance by maintaining certain strength imbalances.
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Now, heres the real important question. What do you think will happen to optimal function when you attempt to balance a necessary imbalance like the one at the ankle complex?
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The answer is simple. You get less than optimal function and increased risk of injury!
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Final Thoughts
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This goes to show something that all us coaches and fitness professionals need to realize. It shows us that no matter how much we read and educate ourselves, we will never be smarter than the human body.
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It also goes to show that just because something seems to make scientific sense doesn’t mean it makes common sense. And, if it doesn’t make both scientific and common sense, it usually means it’s nonsense!
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Next time…
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If you liked what you learned in this post, I’ve got plenty more coming at you on the next time around. This is just part 1 or a 3 part series so stay tuned and don’t forget to comment!
There is a multitude of great exercises out there. But, few as simple, effective and versatile as the Push-Up.
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Here at Performance U, we use some form of Push Ups to develop strength, power, muscle size, endurance and even core stability, spinal health and postural awareness.
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In this post, I’d like to show you a push up drop set I developed to accommodate the needs of my physique and strength athletes.
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The Push Up drop set in the video is one version we commonly use on high rep days for both our male and female athletes. That said, this drop set is also great for the folks or want to increase their relative body strength or get to the 100 push up mark.
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That said, for the folks who just like a new challenge or love to feel a killer pump, this drop set delivers big!
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As you will see in the video below, Alli Mckee is wearing a 20lb weighted vest. Alli is very strong and needs the additional load to challenge her on her higher rep days which see discusses more in-depth here.
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Don’t forget to check Alli’s Blog for more real world figure and physique training information.
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For those who are not as strong on the push up as Alli. Simply perform the same drop set with out using additional load.
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There is no set rep range for this drop-set. We simply crank out reps until your pace slows significantly and you only have 2-3 reps left before failure. At this point, you switch to the next, easier push up variation as you will see on the video.
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In my next post, I will hit you with another killer push up drop set that will humble even your biggest, strongest male athletes.
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Plus, this next push up sequence is great to use in your quest to increase that Bench Press max!
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Stay tuned!
As part of its series of 30 films to commemorate its 30-year anniversary, ESPN tonight (and a few more nights) is presenting The Band That Wouldn’t Die, a documentary by Oscar-winning director and Baltimore native Barry Levinson. The film is about the Baltimore Colts marching band, which didn’t skip town when the rest of the team moved to Indianapolis in 1984. The band kept on playing for the dozen years their city was football-less.
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“When I came across the story of the Baltimore Colts Marching Band, and how it continued to march despite the loss of its team, I found something uniquely Baltimorian about it,” Levinson says on a Web site about the film. Here was a band that played on without a team, marching at civic events, Thanksgiving Day parades, and half-time shows for other NFL teams, keeping football alive in Baltimore. None of them were paid, yet the band held a membership of 150 strong for the 12 years Baltimore didn’t have an NFL team.”
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It should be a fascinating story of interest to people who might not even like football. Almost everything Levinson makes is great (see: Rain Man), and his films about Baltimore are top-notch (Avalon, Liberty Heights).
The Band That Wouldn’t Die airs tonight at 8 p.m. on ESPN and ESPNHD.
It will also air on multiple time which can be found here. You can also view a preview of the Documentary here.
Photo: Barry Levinson. (Kris Connor/Getty Images Entertainment)
Shogun Fights would not be possible if it weren’t for the tireless efforts of past Pro MMA fighter, John Rallo. John is a BJJ Black Belt under Renzo Gracie and is one the most legitimate combat coaches here in the Baltimore area. Armed with his passion for the sport, his connections to both local baltimore celebrities and politicians, and the will to invest thousands of dollars of his own money. John, after three years of tireless lobbying, has successfully gotten the sport of MMA legalized in the State of Maryland.
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MMA aside, we could all learn from John’s passion, persistence and willingness to do whatever it took to get what he wanted. Just think, if we all put forth half as much effort in our own lives as John did to make Shogun Fights possible, I’d bet we would all be in better place than we are now!
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All that said, I’ve had the pleasure of working with John Rallo as his Strength and Conditioning coach since 2001. Since that time, John no longer fights. Now, he focuses on his MMA school, Ground Control, which has developed an amazing stable of fighters and MMA enthusiasts. In addition to running team Ground Control and putting together Shogun Fights, John also find the time to bodyguard for such celebrities as Tommy Lee and Sly Stalone.
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You can read more about John Rallo and the roots of team Ground Control in this Baltimore Sun article.
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On top of all this, John is a hell of a nice guy who has done allot for me over the years. For that I try to return the favor by getting his fighters into the sickest shape possible.
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I can’t guarantee that every fighter who works with me will win. But, I can guarantee that if they loose, it will NOT be due to a lack of conditioning.
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In this post, I’m giving you the rare opportunity to see what I’m talking about for yourself.
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I’ve included three videos below. Each video represent a round that Pro fighter, Ryan Mackin is using to prepare for his fight at Shogun.
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This is a “fight specific” circuit that is designed to get a fighter in the same physical shape needed to compete in the ring/cage, without getting them the bumps and bruises of live sparring. This circuit is NOT designed to improve strength, improve technique, develop power or anything else of the sort.
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The circuit has one goal and one goal only – to develop fight specific conditioning and help the fighter get comfortable with being uncomfortable. Okay, thats two goals.
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Ryan performs the same circuit each round. You will watch that his overall movement and technique actually improve from round 1 to round 2. A good fighter who is in good shape will usually “settle in” and move cleaner in the second round as Ryan displays. The third round is a different story.
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MMA Fight Specific Circuit – Round 1
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MMA Fight Specific Circuit – Round 2
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MMA Fight Specific Circuit – Round 3 (Final round)
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Now, I will admit that when training my MMA guys, we do a wide variety of things. The above videos are by no means an exhaustive display of how I train my MMA athletes. What you have seen is simply a component to the training.
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Additionally, I’m aware that there are many approaches to training combat athletes just as there are many approaches to doing just about anything in life. I’m sure there will be folks who love what they see above and other who disagree completely. That’s okay!
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As they say “everyone is an expert!”.
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In reality, there are no experts, there are just people who have found what works for them, in their setting, using their methods with their clients and athletes.
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I’m by no means here or in any other post trying to tell you how you should train or saying that my methods are the best. Far from it!
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I’m simply showing you how I do things. Whether you like it or not, it works for me! It has for sometime now. So, I’m unlikely to change it.
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However, I’m always up to hear how others do things and get new ideas and training concepts. Please comment below and tell me and the rest of the readers your thoughts on MMA conditioning…
My apologies about the background noise. As I mentioned in the first video post, this interview was not pre-planed. MArk and I were talking shop at the bar and told him we should get some of what we were saying on camera to benefit you viewers.
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Unfortunately, the hotel lobby was the best place we could find to record our conversation. So, thats the reason for all the external commotion. Regardless, you can still hear us fine if you listen close enough. Plus, you can always hit rewind if you missed something.
As many coaches are aware these days, stretching the posterior shoulder capsule is crucial to maintaining the shoulder health in certain athletes. Especially overhead athletes like tennis players, baseball players and quarter backs. Weight lifters can also benefit from this protocol as well.
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There are many sites that discuss the sleeper stretch. But, in my opinion, Dan Blewett has by far the best and most thorough description of how to safely and effectively stretch the posterior shoulder capsule using the sleeper stretch.
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Go here to check out Dan’s coaching tips on performing the sleeper stretch.
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In addition to Dan Blewett’s post on the best way to perform the sleeper stretch, check out the video below and discover a simple method I use to test if an athlete actually has a tight posterior capsule.
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There is one key point to understand about the sleeper stretch as it relates to the above test.
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Even if you don’t test “tight”, but still experience restricted limited ROM while performing the sleeper stretch. It still may be important for you to use the sleeper stretch protocol as described in Dan’s blog.
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Your restriction may simply not be related to the posterior shoulder capsule. But, rather be related to other shoulder structures be it passive or active. Regardless the sleeper stretch can still benefit you and improve the functional ability and overall health of your shoulders.
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