Tuesday, July 20, 2010

Summer Circuit Exercise 17 (Burpee/Deadlift Combo) www.youtube.com/dl215

Hey Folks Check out my youtube videos!

The following is a quick step by step instruction on how to perform burpees, the burpees are the first part of the video.

Burpees:

Step 1

Stand with your feet hip width apart. Extend your arms toward the floor and quickly jump down into a squat, landing with your knees bent and hands on the floor.·

Step 2

Plant your hands firmly on the floor shoulder width apart. Kick your legs out behind you while supporting your body on your arms and land in a push-up position.

· Step 3

Perform one push-up. Bend your arms to lower your body toward the ground and push back up.

· Step 4

Jump your feet back to your chest. Pull your knees to your chest and plant your feet under you.

· Step 5

Jump up. Push off the ground with your hands and simultaneously quickly jump to a standing position.



Check out the youtube folks!
www.youtube.com/dl215





Summer Circuit Series Exercise 15 (Bulgarian Bag Upright Rows)

Sup folks, back again this video post will be one of my exercise in my summer circuit, in this video I am performing some Bulgarian Bag Upright Rows. Here is a quick description of what a Bulgarian Bag is and the benefits using this particular piece of equipment:


Burlgarian Bag - The Bag strengthens and increases your muscular endurance of your grip, wrists, arms, shoulders, back, legs, rotational muscles, core musculature, coordination, proprioceptive and overall shoulder and joint mobility. Sandbags, rice, bales, sacks loaded with hemp, heavy stones and war clubs were all used for the development of strength by wrestlers and combat athletes long before the invention of the iron barbell. Bulgarian Training Bags are small to extra large sized, manufactured with pride in Bulgaria and built with the toughness and durability to handle everything you can throw at them. Most, if not all, of the exercises that can be performed with Kettlebells, dumbbells or barbells can be performed with the Bulgarian Training Bag. Athletes of every sport can benefit from the unique training techniques and solutions, which can be offered by training with these training Bags.


Well, folks, Im leave it on that note, but expect more posts and look out for the other videos, also I will also show you more exercises you can perform with the Bulgarian Bag!


Also, check out for more videos on my youtube channel at:

www.youtube.com/dl215







Saturday, July 3, 2010

Deadlift weak links



Find the Weak Link and Fix it!
Your deadlift will always be limited by a particular weak link, but if you’re able to hone in on what that is, you can strengthen it and make it a “strong link.” A weak link could be related to a weak muscle, immobility, or improper motor patterns. If squatting and deadlifting were the end-all-be-all, there wouldn’t be any weak links—the body would simply get stronger and more mobile in proper proportions. This is rarely the case, which is why we need assistance exercises to shore up our weak links.
But how do you determine what your weak link is? I’ve got a cool list for you below. Go through it and be honest with yourself – it’s the only way to address the problem and get you stronger.
You have weak glutes if you:
• Round your low back during deadlifts to make the back conduct the lift rather than the hips and legs.
• Round your upper back during deadlifts. This can be acceptable, though…many strong powerlifters do this because they can’t push their conventional deadlift max up further if they kept their upper back arched.)
• Let your hips rise first in the squat thereby turning the lift into a “squat morning”.
• Suck at locking out your deadlifts.
• Stop short or hyperextend the low back during the deadlift lockout.
• Don’t have much power out of the hole when squatting.
• Let your knees cave inward during squats or sumo deads.
• Suck at hip thrusts, glute bridges, and pull-throughs and feel them all in the low back and hamstrings.
• Have minimal glute hypertrophy.
• Never feel your glutes turn on or don’t feel soreness in them from squats or lunges.
You have weak hamstrings if you:
• Have trouble sitting back in a squat.
• Don’t have good starting strength in the deadlift, where the most difficult part is getting it off the floor.
• Suck at arched back good mornings, RDLs, back extensions, 45-degree hypers, and reverse hypers.
• Sink like a ship during Russian leg curls and find yourself cheating like crazy during glute ham raises.
• Try to “squat” the weight up when doing rack pulls rather than “stiff leg deadlifting” the weight up.
• Are much better at trap bar deadlifts than conventional deadlifts.
• Can raw squat more than you can conventional deadlift.
• Can sumo deadlift way more than you can conventional deadlift.
You have weak quads if you:
• Turn every squat into a “squat morning,” especially as the weight gets heavy (this could also be due to weak glutes and/or weak thoracic extensors).
• Suck at front squats, Olympic high bar full squats, barbell Bulgarian squats, barbell step-ups, and barbell lunges
• Can stiff leg deadlift pretty much the same weight as you can conventional deadlift.
• Can conventional deadlift way more than you can squat.
You have weak thoracic extensors if you:
• Have trouble keeping the chest up during squats and good mornings.
• Suck at thoracic extensions.
• Kick ass at movements that isolate the hips and legs, such as belt squats or hip thrusts, but suck ass when the bar is on your back or in your hands.
You have weak abdominals if you:
• Round your low back during deadlifts (this could also be weak glutes and poor hamstring flexibility).
• Experience your abs literally caving in when you deadlift heavy (which can be seen when you deadlift with your shirt off).
• Suck at ab-wheel rollouts, weighted planks, side planks, straight leg sit-ups, side bends, landmines, and hanging leg raises.
• Can squat way more when you wear a belt than when you don’t wear one.
You have weak forearms if you:
• Perform a heavy deadlift with sub-maximal acceleration because you know it will slip out of your hands if you rise too fast.
• Chalk up for every upper and lower body pulling exercise.
• Can deadlift much more when you wear wrist straps than when you don’t wear them.
• Suck at masturbating (ok, I made that one up).

Deadlifting Muscles



Deadlifting multiple plates just looks goddamn impressive
Deadlifting Muscles
Although all of the muscles involved in deadlifting are generally active throughout the full range of motion, certain muscles are more active during different parts of the exercise. It’s important to strengthen all of the deadlifting muscles and in proper proportions with one another. The following is not a ranking, just a list.
Erector spinae - The low back musculature needs massive amounts of isometric strength in order to maintain an arch throughout the deadlift. Failure to possess this strength will inevitably lead to low back injury. Depending on your form, the thoracic extensors need considerable amounts of isometric or concentric strength as well (upper back rounders use concentric strength while upper back archers use isometric strength). In order to prevent injuries in the training process, the low back also needs tremendous levels of stamina. My EMG experiments have shown that the entire musculature of the back, including the erectors, lats, rhomboids, and traps, are highly activated throughout the deadlift.
Hamstrings/Adductors - The hamstrings are the most important muscle group down low. Strong hamstrings equal great starting strength and excellent acceleration off the floor. Down low, the adductors serve as hip extensors and contribute considerably to starting strength. The hamstring part of the adductor magnus is a powerful hip extensor through a larger range of motion.
Glutes - The glutes are the most important muscle group up high. Strong glutes equal great finishing strength and lockouts and are also the secret to great form.
Abs/Obliques - Strong abs and obliques brace the core to protect the low back and help prevent the low back from caving in during the lift, which is highly dangerous.
Forearms - Many great deadlifters have been limited by grip strength. Put simply, you can only pull as much as you can grip. Having incredible grip strength aids in acceleration as a weak grip will force a slow deadlift.
Quads - The quads are important for proper form because they help to ensure that the knees move in synchronicity with the hips and shoulders.

Best deadlift assistance exercises



Best Deadlift Assistance Exercises
Without further ado, let’s list the best deadlift assistance exercises!
The Glutes
Best Exercises that Work the Glutes in a Stretched Position:
1. Full Squats
2. Front Squats
3. Zercher Squats
Best Exercises that Work the Glutes at End-Range Contraction:
1. Barbell Glute Bridges (see video)
2. Barbell Hip Thrusts (see video)
3. Pull-Throughs
Other Great Glute Exercises:
1. Pendulum Donkey Kicks (see video)
2. Seated Abduction (see video)
3. Band Hip Rotation (see video)
4. Weighted Bird Dogs (see video)
5. Elevated Lunges
6. Bottom Up Single Leg Hip Thrusts (see video)
The Hamstrings
Best Exercises that Work the Hamstrings in a Stretched Position:
1. Deficit Deadlifts
2. Good Mornings
3. Snatch Grip Deadlifts
Best Exercises that Work the Hamstrings at End-Range Contraction:
1. Weighted Back Extensions
2. Reverse Hypers (see video)
3. 45-Degree Back Raises (see video)
Other Great Hamstring Exercises:
1. Dimel Deadlifts (see video)
2. Glute-Ham Raises (see video)
3. Russian Leg Curls
4. Gliding Leg Curls (see video)
5. Standing Single Leg Pendulum Leg Curls (see video)
6. Rack Pulls
The Erector Spinae and Upper Back
1. Thoracic Extensions (see video)
2. Front Squats (possibly the best and most overlooked upper back strengthener?)
3. Safety Bar Upper Back Good Mornings
4. Seated Good Mornings
5. Bent Over Rows
6. T-Bar Rows
7. Shrugs
8. One Arm Lever Rows (see video)
The Abs/Obliques
1. Ab Wheel Rollouts (see video)
2. Straight Leg Sit Ups
3. Hanging Leg Raises
4. Side Bends
5. Weighted Front Planks (see video)
6. Suitcase Holds (see video)
7. Band Anti-Rotary Hold (see video)
8. The Grappler (see video)
The Quads
1. Leg Press (yes, the leg press is great for deadlifting & quad strength off the floor)
2. Full Squat, Parallel Squat, Half Squat
3. Hack Lift
4. Bulgarian Split Squat
5. Forward Front Lunge
6. Low Barbell Step Up
7. Front Squat Harness Squat (see video)
8. Pendulum Donkey Kick
The Forearms
1. Deficit Deadlift (longer TUT)
2. Rack Pull (heavier load)
3. Deadlifts against Bands (accommodating resistance)
4. Barbell Shrugs
5. One Arm Lever Rows
6. Mixed Grip Static Holds