tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-69841264868775378872024-02-19T01:45:09.806-08:00Max's BlogMy thoughts on athletic development, health, nutrition, and overall well-being.Max Holmgrenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02164859258886880647noreply@blogger.comBlogger34125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6984126486877537887.post-16043027489341347632008-08-22T07:37:00.000-07:002008-08-22T07:41:08.389-07:00Check It Out!<table id="HB_Mail_Container" height="100%" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" width="100%" border="0" unselectable="on"><tbody><tr height="100%" unselectable="on" width="100%"><td id="HB_Focus_Element" valign="top" width="100%" background="" height="250" unselectable="off"><p><br />You can check a pic of my home gym and where I train over at John Wood's great site Functional Hand Strength!<br /><br /><a href="http://www.functionalhandstrength.com/garage_gyms.html" target="_blank">http://www.functionalhandstrength.com/garage_gyms.html</a><br /><br />Mine is the first pic. </p><p><br /><br />- Max<br /></p></td></tr><tr unselectable="on" hb_tag="1"><td style="FONT-SIZE: 1pt" height="1" unselectable="on"><div id="hotbar_promo"></div></td></tr></tbody></table>Max Holmgrenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02164859258886880647noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6984126486877537887.post-83837778316897503792008-08-20T21:49:00.000-07:002008-08-20T22:01:47.623-07:00Vertical Jump Advice from Dave Lemanczyk<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjyipdZ2y2QxIlDBT01bO4aEaPa2RN3XwZrCCBwMrq0VsjF8JChPk_wDc1IUgjxNCEKJUC47bi0pWd2p7YexdrrOLy0Ui9F783TtrsdhsstUpVtw_Q0pFa3hAlBiQ98IN2GZNtUlKqntLP/s1600-h/madrise-784598.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5236830491073125986" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjyipdZ2y2QxIlDBT01bO4aEaPa2RN3XwZrCCBwMrq0VsjF8JChPk_wDc1IUgjxNCEKJUC47bi0pWd2p7YexdrrOLy0Ui9F783TtrsdhsstUpVtw_Q0pFa3hAlBiQ98IN2GZNtUlKqntLP/s200/madrise-784598.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><table id="HB_Mail_Container" height="100%" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" width="100%" border="0" unselectable="on"><br /><tbody><br /><tr height="100%" unselectable="on" width="100%"><br /><td id="HB_Focus_Element" valign="top" width="100%" background="" height="250" unselectable="off"><br /><div>Here's some solid advice from a guy who knows what's what when it comes to basketball and overall athletic development (he played professionally overseas and can still get up now at a solid 240 lbs. - see above): </div><br /><div></div><br /><div></div><br /><div></div><br /><div><strong>What I am going to tell you today will change the way you look<br />at vertical leap training. In itself, vertical leap training is a complete<br />fad. Plyometrics in itself simply means jump training and nothing<br />more. Sports science can determine the stretch shortening and<br />lengthening cycle but it's still jump training.<br /><br />Many people are all caught up in how high they can jump off of<br />the ground. This measurement is the be all end all for some folks.<br />Honestly, it doesn't mean that much.<br /><br />How doesn't vertical leap mean that much?<br /><br />Well, for starters the game of basketball is played above the rim,<br />especially at the higher levels. At the lower levels it is still played<br />above the ground. When the game is played in the air, the only<br />thing that really matters is how high you can reach. Think about<br />that...<br /><br />Does the measurement of your jumping ability off of the ground<br />matter as much as how high you reach? What do you think?<br /><br />Being able to stretch your body to reach higher will help you a lot<br />more than destroying your knees with silly nonsense and not to<br />mention way overpriced jump specialty programs. This comes<br />from a guy who can hop a little bit too as you know!<br /><br />I personally didn't care how high I jumped off the ground as long<br />as my hands we above the rim when I was taking a shot. Every<br />time I took a jump shot, I was above the rim. Every hook shot,<br />above the rim. Every single strong to the hoop move, you guessed<br />it, above the rim.<br /><br />I practiced my swamp lunges over and over until they were perfect.<br />In time, I got the results I earned and was extremely patient in<br />recieving them. I knew anything gained quickly was lost just as<br />quickly. Common sense isn't always common!<br /><br />Next time someone tries to sell you some nonsense vertical jump<br />training, you'll have ammunition to protect yourself against a rip off.<br /></strong><a href="https://exchange.its.bethel.edu/owa/redir.aspx?C=772b5093bc504387a406042f4b4d5126&URL=http%3a%2f%2fwww.basketballstrength.com" target="_blank"><strong>http://www.basketballstrength.com</strong></a><strong> </strong></div></td></tr><br /><tr unselectable="on" hb_tag="1"><br /><td style="FONT-SIZE: 1pt" height="1" unselectable="on"><br /><div id="hotbar_promo"></div></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Not what you were expecting to hear? Dave's advice can have that effect on people....and that's what makes it good.<br /><br /><br />- MaxMax Holmgrenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02164859258886880647noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6984126486877537887.post-49166785513968111392008-08-19T15:07:00.000-07:002008-08-20T08:09:20.206-07:00New Updates!<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXa7w_C1VXlyBqNA8QW3sOmJeTgUaFGGXMUtcn5U6cIv3aNr1-jjtTjOPN8wmE66Ycr8D7-PkWB8RYoIQB520-4pYh-zHdZwFNM5Hd2QRB_XUoCm10V2ffHgqTW6319dZ42E6IeeqGMxpT/s1600-h/18update.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5236617192920694706" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXa7w_C1VXlyBqNA8QW3sOmJeTgUaFGGXMUtcn5U6cIv3aNr1-jjtTjOPN8wmE66Ycr8D7-PkWB8RYoIQB520-4pYh-zHdZwFNM5Hd2QRB_XUoCm10V2ffHgqTW6319dZ42E6IeeqGMxpT/s200/18update.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGrfsMZ8u2TmYC_axsBibgmGq8EeWCMNuSDiRVLd0NWbrjt24m3TTUv6EGjzx1q9mlGzEseQN5XjAO_N2MAfFZ1rOr0SnVnsqpoTNHAPh6e3iK_vY6dv8uouL7dRsY0RNh5_Wn1QVoIxpy/s1600-h/18update.jpg"></a><br /><br /><table id="HB_Mail_Container" height="100%" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" width="100%" border="0" unselectable="on"><br /><br /><tbody><br /><br /><tr height="100%" unselectable="on" width="100%"><br /><br /><td id="HB_Focus_Element" valign="top" width="100%" background="" height="250" unselectable="off"><br /><div>As you can tell, I've changed things up a bit. Here's what has changed:</div><br /><br /><div></div><br /><br /><div>1) I changed the title of my blog (originally called Max's Guide to Higher Hops). My posts were becoming less and less concerned with vertical jumping and more with overall athletic development, health, etc. I'm also less obsessed with attaining a high vertical jump than I was when I started this blog (although I'm still striving to improve). I'm now focusing more on ALL athletic traits (conditioning, flexibilty, strength, stability, etc.) in my training. Thus, I figured it was time to change things up. </div><br /><br /><div></div><br /><br /><div>2) You can now subscribe to this blog. Look underneath the title where it says 'Subscibe'. You would receive an email whenever I update with a new post.</div><br /><br /><div></div><br /><br /><div>3) Go ahead and leave me any comments you would like by clicking 'comments' at the bottom of each post. Any input would be greatly appreciated.</div><br /><br /><div></div><br /><br /><div>4) I've added a bunch of new links on the right under 'Helpful Links'. Check 'em out!</div><br /><br /><div></div><br /><br /><div>Thanks for reading!</div><br /><br /><div></div><br /><br /><div></div><br /><br /><div>- Max</div></td></tr><br /><br /><tr unselectable="on" hb_tag="1"><br /><br /><td style="FONT-SIZE: 1pt" height="1" unselectable="on"><br /><br /><div id="hotbar_promo"></div></td></tr></tbody></table></div>Max Holmgrenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02164859258886880647noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6984126486877537887.post-26059727119258235342008-08-14T22:05:00.000-07:002008-08-14T22:20:36.309-07:00The Future of Fitness and Four Great Workouts by Josh Henkin<p> </p><table id="HB_Mail_Container" height="100%" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" width="100%" border="0" unselectable="on"><tbody><tr height="100%" unselectable="on" width="100%"><td id="HB_Focus_Element" valign="top" width="100%" background="" height="250" unselectable="off"><p>Here's a great article by Strength and Conditioning Coach, Josh Henkin. He's known making sandbags popular again, but clearly uses many tools to get the job done. These workouts are money.<br /><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><strong>The Future of Fitness And Four Great Workouts </strong><br /><br /></span><strong>By Josh Henkin<br /><br />Those that read this are already ahead of so many people trying to improve their fitness, health, and sporting performance. Why? You have already filtered through the garbage information that so many of us are fed through mainstream media. The marketing of unrealistic physiques, unsafe reality programs, and drugged up celebrities has led most people down a path of confusion to how to be fit and healthy.<br />Before the internet, Youtube, cell phones, and mass media, the greatest exposure of fitness and health was through magazines. Yes, before they were “Flex”, “Men’s Health”, and others, there were classics such as “Strength & Health” and “Ironman”. These magazines were written by true strength athletes that were covering strength, wellness, and physique development that were never thought of separately.<br />Our modern version of the old time was truly resurrected by the reintroduction of kettlebell training. Since then people have begun to see what was missing since the classic days of true strength training. Often I explain my form of training to be “athletic based fitness training”, that is to develop all the physical attributes of sport. Of course, some may say they don’t play a sport and just want to be fit. These principles are the same, as the most fit people are generally those that regularly participate in athletics. This is true even if you just want to be a more fit parent!<br />My L.I.F.T. (loaded integrated functional training) system is based around four implements that are truly unique and fit the criteria that I just explained above. These four implements are kettlebells, sandbags, suspension training (typically using the Jungle Gym) and bands (most often we use the versatile TNT cables). Using these four implements in a systemized manner can deliver very powerful results in fitness and sports performance training.<br />These implements are unique in their feel and versatility. They are perfect for individual or team training, beginner or advanced, integrated with existing programs or used as a stand alone system. These four implements can not be replicated by other tools either. I selected them just because of these reasons.<br />Below I am going to list a few of my favorite routines that work the body from head to toe, strength to cardiovascular training, fat burning to increasing functional muscle mass.<br /><br />Workout 1:<br />A1. Kettlebell Clean and Jerk x 5<br />A2. Sandbag Zercher Squats x 10<br />Repeat series 4-5 times with a 60 second rest interval between sets.<br />B1. Band Rows for 30 seconds<br />B2. Suspended Leg Curls x 15<br />Repeat series 3-4 times with 30 second rest interval.<br />C1. Sandbag Shoulder Get-ups x 3 each side<br />C2. Suspended Fall Outs x 10<br />Repeat series 2-3 times with 30 second rest intervals.<br /><br />Workout 2:<br />A1. Sandbag Snatch to Overhead Lunge x 3 each leg<br />A2. Jungle Gym Chin-ups x 5<br />Repeat 4-5 times with 90 second rest interval<br />B1. Kettlebell Floor Press x 8<br />B2. Sandbag Half Moon Snatch x 10 each side<br />Repeat 3-4 times with 60 second rest interval<br />C1. Band Resisted Runs x 30 seconds<br />C2. KB Janda Sit-ups x 6<br />Repeat 3-4 times with 30 second rest intervals<br /><br />Workout 3:<br />A1. Kettlebell Snatch Left x 10<br />A2. Kettlebell Snatch Right x 10<br />A3. Suspended Body Rows x 12<br />Repeat 3-4 times with 30 second rest intervals<br />B1. Band Push Press x 30 seconds<br />B2. Sandbag Shoulder Lunge Left x 10<br />B3. Sandbag Shoulder Lunge Right x 10<br />Repeat 2-3 times with 45 second rest intervals<br />C1. Suspended Side Plank Right x 15<br />C2. Suspended Side Plank Left x 15<br />Repeat 2-3 times with 30 second rest intervals<br /><br />Workout 4:<br />A1. Sandbag Squat Clean x 6<br />A2. Kettlebell Clean and Press x 5<br />Repeat 3-4 times with 60 second rest interval<br />B1. Kettlebell Single Leg Deadlift Right x 8<br />B2. Kettlebell Single Leg Deadlift Left x 8<br />B3. Suspended Push-ups x 15<br />Repeat 3-4 times with 45 second rest interval<br />C1. Band Twists Right x 10<br />C2. Band Twists Left x 10<br />C3. Sandbag Around the World x 30 seconds each side<br />Repeat 3-4 times with 30 second rest intervals<br /><br />As you can quickly see these workouts have great variety, training methods, and are very powerful with their effectiveness. I recommend doing the above four days a week. To see more of these workouts sign-up for our free newsletter at </strong><a href="http://www.sandbagexercises.com/"><strong>http://www.sandbagexercises.com/</strong></a></p><p><strong><br /><br /></strong>I'm definitely drawn to these type of workouts more than I used to be. I used to have the "go heavy or go home" attitude. I know barbells are useful (depending on your goals), bit lately I've been rethinking my views on this after reading Dave Lemanczyk's work. Especially for basketball players. Something to think about....<br /><br />- Max<br /></p></td></tr><tr unselectable="on" hb_tag="1"><td style="FONT-SIZE: 1pt" height="1" unselectable="on"><div id="hotbar_promo"></div></td></tr></tbody></table>Max Holmgrenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02164859258886880647noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6984126486877537887.post-56529452812514579852008-08-14T22:02:00.000-07:002008-08-14T22:05:42.138-07:00Self Improvement-10 point plan<p>A simple plan from the infamous Jack Lalanne:</p><p>1.Exercise</p><p>2.Nutrition</p><p>3.Positive thinking</p><p>4.Good habits</p><p>5.Grooming</p><p>6.Smile</p><p>7.Posture</p><p>8.Help others</p><p>9.Relaxation</p><p>10.Faith </p><table id="HB_Mail_Container" height="100%" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" width="100%" border="0" unselectable="on"><tbody><tr height="100%" width="100%" unselectable="on"><td id="HB_Focus_Element" valign="top" width="100%" background="" height="250" unselectable="off"><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />There's a few I could improve on....How about you?<br /><br />- Max<br /></td></tr><tr unselectable="on" hb_tag="1"><td style="FONT-SIZE: 1pt" height="1" unselectable="on"><div id="hotbar_promo"></div></td></tr></tbody></table>Max Holmgrenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02164859258886880647noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6984126486877537887.post-34413654466074486452008-08-13T21:04:00.000-07:002008-08-13T21:06:06.268-07:00Today's Quote<table id="HB_Mail_Container" height="100%" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" width="100%" border="0" unselectable="on"><tbody><tr height="100%" unselectable="on" width="100%"><td id="HB_Focus_Element" valign="top" width="100%" background="" height="250" unselectable="off"><br />"Success means doing things that others don't." - Motivational Speaker Rory Vaden<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Are you?<br /><br />- Max<br /></td></tr><tr unselectable="on" hb_tag="1"><td style="FONT-SIZE: 1pt" height="1" unselectable="on"><div id="hotbar_promo"></div></td></tr></tbody></table>Max Holmgrenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02164859258886880647noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6984126486877537887.post-15906244365036248752008-08-05T11:44:00.000-07:002008-08-05T12:08:20.700-07:00Check Out This Blog and Websites<table id="HB_Mail_Container" height="100%" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" width="100%" border="0" unselectable="on"><tbody><tr height="100%" unselectable="on" width="100%"><td id="HB_Focus_Element" valign="top" width="100%" background="" height="250" unselectable="off"><br />Check out Dave Lemanczyk's <a href="http://www.blogger.com/www.basketballstrength.com/blog">blog</a> when you get a chance. He hasn't updated it in a while, but go back through the archives and read his previous posts. He's a guy who knows what he's talking about. He played profressional ball overseas, so yeah I'd take his advice pretty seriously. How many other former professional athletes have websites where they give out fee advice on how to make it? WARNING: Dave tells it like it is and doesn't make up fancy crap to try and attract more people. He did VERY basic stuff (which works, it's just that everyone thinks you need something 'special') and just busted his tail. Here's his other websites:<br /><br /><a href="http://www.blogger.com/www.basketballstrength.com">Basketball Strength</a> (I don't often promote products from the internet, and believe me I own quite a few - most are crap, but this is probably the best product I've ever seen. Don't expect anything flashy or fancy from this guy. If you have $50 I'd HIGHLY recommend it)<br /><br /><a href="http://www.blogger.com/www.kegconditioning.com">Keg Conditioning</a> (If this product is up to the level of his other one, it's probably pretty dang good as well. Both are excellent if you're sick of the typical gym scene and want something better)<br /><br />Even if you don't want to buy these (which is fine, I'm not getting anything for promoting them), sign up for his "newsletter/tips" on each website. He sends them out almost daily and I've learned A TON from him so far. Great stuff.<br /><br />Train hard. Don't let your lack of equipment or money be an excuse. All you need is yourself.<br /><br />- Max<br /></td></tr><tr unselectable="on" hb_tag="1"><td style="FONT-SIZE: 1pt" height="1" unselectable="on"><div id="hotbar_promo"></div></td></tr></tbody></table>Max Holmgrenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02164859258886880647noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6984126486877537887.post-32698433460590167032008-08-04T17:44:00.000-07:002008-08-05T12:10:09.990-07:00I Walk the Line<table id="HB_Mail_Container" height="100%" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" width="100%" border="0" unselectable="on"><tbody><tr height="100%" unselectable="on" width="100%"><td id="HB_Focus_Element" valign="top" width="100%" background="" height="250" unselectable="off"><br />There is no ONE best way to achieve results. Get that in your head. Every method, program, system, etc. has it's drawbacks. The truth, is usually somewhere in the middle, not on the EXTREME right or EXTREME left side of the road. Sure, some are better than others, but even the "perfect" workout program you stumbled upon DEFINETLY has it's pro's and con's. In the training world, it seems everyone has to pick one side of the road. Whether it's plyometrics, HIT, powerlifting, bodyweight training, kettlebells, exercise bands, explosive lifting, olympic lifts, machines, strongman equipment, etc., there is NO ONE WAY. All of these things can be useful at times, but none of them are perfect and depending on your goal, should probably not be use exclusively. There's a saying that goes, "It's not WHAT you do, it's HOW you do it." Read that again. Guess what? People have have increased their vertical leap, athleticism, and speed with all of those things. Would some of them have been better off taking a more balanced approach, considering over-use injuries, training their weaknesses, blah, blah, blah? Maybe, but I guarantee they had two things going for them:<br />1) Hard work. Anyone who's achieved a respectable goal will tell you that they busted their butt everyday.<br />2) Consistency. They stuck with it. They kept improving no matter what. No excuses. Stop worrying if your doing the right thing, get off the couch and actually DO. Stop thinking, planning, resting, and whattever else and TAKE ACTION. As Nike says, "just do it". If you actaully have common sense, this isn't a bad motto.<br /><br />You can have the best program in the world, written bt the top trainer in the world, SPECIFICALLY for your needs....and if you don't WORK at it CONSISTENTLY, you'll get crap results. Take that same person and have them just do push-ups and bodyweight squats, but have them do it like THEIR LIFE DEPENDED on it and they will become a stud. There's nothing magical about kettlebells, box jumps, squattin' heavy, olympic lifts, weighted vests, etc. They are just TOOLS. Really, all you need is your body and desire....and you can get AMAZING results with anything fitness related. Ok, to recap:<br />1) Effort - Work your butt off. Recover. Repeat.<br />2) Consistency - Work your butt off. Recover. Repeat. Your body can't adapt to whatever it is you're trying to achieve if you train once every three weeks.<br /><br />Pretty simple, eh? Stop wondering, worrying, complaining, thinking, and just DO.<br /><br />And don't think this just applies to fitness, either.<br /><br />"IT'S NOT WHAT YOU DO, IT'S HOW YOU DO IT."<br /><br />- Max<br /></td></tr><tr unselectable="on" hb_tag="1"><td style="FONT-SIZE: 1pt" height="1" unselectable="on"><div id="hotbar_promo"></div></td></tr></tbody></table>Max Holmgrenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02164859258886880647noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6984126486877537887.post-45659307608353925662008-06-30T15:20:00.000-07:002008-06-30T16:24:29.717-07:00Fun in the SunSo far, I've been lovin' summer and about 95% of my training has been outdoors. I've been doing mostly kettlebell stuff for a quite a few weeks now, and I can definitely tell my body is ready for some heavy iron again. Since I've been enjoying working out in the sunshine and fresh air so much, I decided to bring my crappy, home barbell set outside and do some damage. I don't own enough plates for me to max out on squat or deadlifts, so I decided to go with some <a href="http://www.exrx.net/WeightExercises/OlympicLifts/HighPull.html">High Pulls</a>. I used density training (setting a time limit & seeing how much you can get done in that amount of time) for the high pulls and then finished normal. The time limit was 15 minutes. I started with 3 reps and kept going until fatigue set in, and then obviously lowered the reps until the time was up. This is a backward approach to how most people train (which is why I like it), similar to Charles Staley's EDT method of training or Wake Forest's Strength Coach, Ethan Reeve's take on density training.<br /><br />Here's what it looked like:<br /><br /><br />- 10 min. Joint Mobility warm-up w/ some tumbling drills<br /><br />A1. (EDT - 15 min.) Barbell High Pulls x 3, 3, 3, 3, 3, 2, 2, 2, 2, 1, 1, 1, 1<br />B1. Heavy Sandbag Squat x 4, 3, 3<br />C1. Light Sandbag Lunge Matrix (forward/side/reverse) x 2 ea. leg ea. direction x 2<br />rest: 30 sec.<br />C2. Kettlebell Swing w/ band 2 x 8<br />rest: 60 sec.<br />D1. Barbell RDL's 2 x 10<br />D2. Sandbag Pistol Squat 2 x 2 ea. leg<br />rest: 45 sec.<br />E1. KB Windmill 3 x 3 ea. side<br />E2. Sandbag Rotational Throw 3 x 2 ea. side<br />rest: 45 sec.<br /><br />Time (not including warm-up): 43 min.<br /><br />After I finished I cooled down with some advice from Eric Cressey I read. He says sometimes, instead of static stretching at the end of his athlete's workouts, he'll just have them run through some more mobility/dynamic flexibility drill and just have them hold each position longer than usual. I liked it a lot...nice way to cool down.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />- MaxMax Holmgrenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02164859258886880647noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6984126486877537887.post-52403636051262448172008-06-13T19:23:00.000-07:002008-06-13T19:47:51.631-07:00The Step-up : a real squat alternative?<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVtpG4P-nI465Q9JzspeSr1SaRuAUFzo9AtE21NqA9o64UoqFFsBIUSlCQwKvQ939YvlpRzN6aGqbwgBmtA3J_I_QIaS7dvQ6D_sJhvASzQISyOtCDTF6rHYF6fY-03425WsYWtVQU_SUX/s1600-h/060904_stepup.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVtpG4P-nI465Q9JzspeSr1SaRuAUFzo9AtE21NqA9o64UoqFFsBIUSlCQwKvQ939YvlpRzN6aGqbwgBmtA3J_I_QIaS7dvQ6D_sJhvASzQISyOtCDTF6rHYF6fY-03425WsYWtVQU_SUX/s200/060904_stepup.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5211563422532074498" border="0" /></a><br /><br />I'm a big fan of squats, especially box squats, but very few people (at least at my gym) squat correctly. No wonder everyone thinks they're dangerous and hurt your knees. To quote <a href="http://danjohn.org/">Dan John</a>, "Squats don't hurt your knees. The way YOU squat hurts your knees."<br /><br />Heavy Step-Ups might be a great alternative to squats. Read this great <a href="http://www.straighttothebar.com/2006/09/the_stepup_a_real_squat_altern.html">article</a> on them over at <a href="http://www.straighttothebar.com/">Straight to the Bar</a>. Not saying you should give up squatting all together. Keep working on your form with bodyweight squats or try box squats. You could also do some heavy squat variation once a week and some heavy step-ups on another day or do a three week cycle of squats followed by a three week cycle of step-ups. This would be a nice way to keep punishing those legs while taking stress off your back and letting your CNS recover.<br /><br />I think heavy unilateral work (one limb) is HIGHLY underated. Everyone's in love with heavy squats and deadlifts (me included), but have you ever tried HEAVY <a href="http://youtube.com/watch?v=qq6GkSqRowQ">step-ups</a>, <a href="http://youtube.com/watch?v=pFAq4piErv4">split squats</a>, <a href="http://youtube.com/watch?v=SiARmAGKnVs">bulgarian split squats</a>, <a href="http://youtube.com/watch?v=EZNZgLcj7Tk">lunges</a>, and <a href="http://youtube.com/watch?v=IDo_LQPHEcE&feature=related">pistols</a>??? Not easy at all.......<br /><br />Don't give up the basics. They work. Always have, always will. Just don't be afraid to substitue heavy unilateral work for a few weeks to give your body a break once in a while.<span style="text-decoration: underline;"></span>Max Holmgrenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02164859258886880647noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6984126486877537887.post-54637627239270145532008-06-06T15:20:00.000-07:002008-06-06T15:25:34.077-07:00The Top 10 Mistakes When Training For Vertical Jump<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPPcxXv-C-NgB4muIO8GUi26RvvN0xZ1uWeMzXl-E1FSSoS_DsL9pijU3Xpwf_dl7qUrEcfKrgHvUYeoBBobllv9XZy_OjdHsuicrh1koJTNkaaP99MOEwQntrAuqIA3SOA45PCduK-sYD/s1600-h/07SF_JumpTouch.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPPcxXv-C-NgB4muIO8GUi26RvvN0xZ1uWeMzXl-E1FSSoS_DsL9pijU3Xpwf_dl7qUrEcfKrgHvUYeoBBobllv9XZy_OjdHsuicrh1koJTNkaaP99MOEwQntrAuqIA3SOA45PCduK-sYD/s200/07SF_JumpTouch.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5208898083182265954" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br />Kelly Baggett gives us another great <a href="http://www.higher-faster-sports.com/vjmistakes.html">article</a>...<br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Where do you fall in the list?<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />- MaxMax Holmgrenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02164859258886880647noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6984126486877537887.post-73468204383330798312008-06-05T11:43:00.000-07:002008-06-05T11:54:57.170-07:00A Primal Blueprint<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBQFE7qOGyeslvKq5e7c9URDKCDwn6DlUi6867er4ExBg-PeoLx5iIvBPH45QVCaLTijaWjYgS5IV4ntkhx4nkgqAxiT8luOS9hADFxpBwhg8RZ0PsZoD4dtxl1tgfYMSM30nouY3b9lKA/s1600-h/universalmanblue12.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBQFE7qOGyeslvKq5e7c9URDKCDwn6DlUi6867er4ExBg-PeoLx5iIvBPH45QVCaLTijaWjYgS5IV4ntkhx4nkgqAxiT8luOS9hADFxpBwhg8RZ0PsZoD4dtxl1tgfYMSM30nouY3b9lKA/s200/universalmanblue12.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5208470900591972802" border="0" /></a><br />Mark Sisson wrote a great post on his blog <a href="http://www.marksdailyapple.com/">Mark Sisson's Daily Apple.</a><br /><br />He discusses how our ancestor's lived thousands of years ago and how we should be living today......think the blueprint is much different?<br /><br />If you're interested in how to eat better, feel better, perform better, and become just plain healthier, I highly recommend you check out his <a href="http://www.marksdailyapple.com/">blog</a>.Max Holmgrenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02164859258886880647noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6984126486877537887.post-61698156589830556492008-06-04T13:05:00.000-07:002008-06-04T13:56:01.514-07:00It's Time to Try Something New<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfso8OrD_gHnQEf8FVylDxXaFgpO4lMnNspzLUvcXOxrGd9_eTrvQYeeSBxCF8vRBUjUxdo_n4U0_iad1XtplcUltzDCx2Up7LKWlGUVLw595EfEJt_lhhFPlaq-wOpc6MAPItZ8P2dupm/s1600-h/aistopngo.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfso8OrD_gHnQEf8FVylDxXaFgpO4lMnNspzLUvcXOxrGd9_eTrvQYeeSBxCF8vRBUjUxdo_n4U0_iad1XtplcUltzDCx2Up7LKWlGUVLw595EfEJt_lhhFPlaq-wOpc6MAPItZ8P2dupm/s200/aistopngo.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5208132628967739826" border="0" /></a><br />This guy knows how to stay low.....<br /><br /><br />Here's a great read from Eric Cressey on why kids get injured so much these days....<br /><br /><a href="http://www.ericcressey.com/newsletter113.html">Newsletter 113<br /><br /></a><br />I have to say, I totally agree. I played several different sports throughout the year up until I was in 5th grade. From then on, I concentrated only on basketball. I played roughly 100 games per year from then until my senior season was over. Throw in some open gyms, pick-up games at random places, and just practicing on my own most days out of the week and that's A TON of basketball!! Looking back, I would have been much better going out for track and field in the spring, playing football in the fall, and just focusing on the weights in the summer, and not on playing so much. Were those extra 50 to 60 games in the spring, summer, and fall (yes, there are fall AAU leagues) really helping that much?? I would have moved much better/efficiently, experienced less injuries/pain, had much more desire to play/practice HARD, and just been a better all-around athlete. You could make the argument that someone wouldn't be as good at their sport, but are all those hours of just light practicing because your knees are killing you really doing anything? Playing one sport year round obviously leads to overuse injuries and a limiting range of motion. I don't care if you've practiced 10x more than your oppenent. If he is able to stay lower than you (there obviously will be exceptions, but if you're on the same playing level), he is a) going to be quicker and b) going to drive past you and score. He probably will have less joint pain throughout the season. Like I said, there are exceptions, but don't under appreciate the value of <a href="http://youtube.com/watch?v=hhDBSYJok1A&feature=related">staying low</a>.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br />I'm not saying playing your sport isn't valuable...but would you be better off being a better all-around athlete. Yes, even if you don't want to go out for other sports, spend less time playing competetively and more time learning a new skill that will help you in your given sport (lifting weights through a full range of motion, learing some gymnastics/bodyweight movements, wall climbing, flag football, etc.). Anything that has you moving in a different way and developing other athletic qualities will help you become more aware of your body and reduce your chance of injury.<br /><br />So, how can you improve in this area?<br /><br />Helpful Videos:<br /><br /><a href="http://youtube.com/watch?v=P0DGcohMqVw">Wall Hip Mobility 1</a><br /><br /><a href="http://youtube.com/watch?v=SQ9y-eH0KA4&feature=related">Wall Hip Mobility 2</a><br /><br /><a href="http://youtube.com/watch?v=tiA0-IatUrY&feature=PlayList&p=D816703ABECA342A&index=1">Hip Mobility 3</a><br /><br /><a href="http://youtube.com/watch?v=vxr9-IB0Rr4">Ankle Mobility</a><br /><br />don't forget to do a: <a href="http://youtube.com/watch?v=tk05msJu5ec">Dynamic Warm-up</a><br /><br />Helpful articles:<br /><br /><a href="http://www.t-nation.com/readArticle.do?id=1856085&cr">The 3rd World Squat (a great article!)</a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.t-nation.com/readArticle.do?id=1778726">The Essential 8 Mobility Drills</a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.t-nation.com/readArticle.do?id=1874788">The Mobility Complex</a><br /><br />It takes discipline to do this stuff. Make it a habit. I think that you'll find that you perform much better both on the court and in the weight room.<br /><a href="http://www.t-nation.com/readArticle.do?id=1874788"><span style="font-weight: bold;"></span></a><br /><br />- MaxMax Holmgrenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02164859258886880647noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6984126486877537887.post-40737307526605653922008-05-26T21:04:00.000-07:002008-05-26T22:23:47.705-07:00Searching for Deadlifts.....*sigh*<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpQzk5uEIhROBGOcgk9PPkqz27PVyNSzeqKrSo7dwz7__HpasG8mFaC-6F_48-rLkAoiymrTxYx_f076NbDQGWwriKlhlug5Dnd1CotE9LEMwVhESMhE3g-GWCJNDRaivzsEYZF309AFf-/s1600-h/22969465.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpQzk5uEIhROBGOcgk9PPkqz27PVyNSzeqKrSo7dwz7__HpasG8mFaC-6F_48-rLkAoiymrTxYx_f076NbDQGWwriKlhlug5Dnd1CotE9LEMwVhESMhE3g-GWCJNDRaivzsEYZF309AFf-/s320/22969465.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5204917102917341602" border="0" /></a><br />This weekend I was away from home for a few days. Naturally, today I got a bad hankering to do some deadlifting. My freind gave me a pass to a new commercial gym that had recently opened in their town. I thought I'd try it out. I went in the gym and immediately they had me fill out an information packet. Next, one of the employees had me go over to her desk and sit down for a questionare. The conversation went something like this:<br /><br />Employee: So, what are you hoping to get out "___ Gym"?<br /><br />Me: Uh, just looking for a place to deadlift.<br /><br />Employee: Oh, what is that?<br /><br />Me: (with puzzled look on my face) Where you lift weights off the floor....<br /><br />Employee: Oh, sure..... So, would you describe your current fitness training?<br /><br />Me: Well, basically I deadlift, squat, press, and row. I do bodyweight stuff, sled dragging, sandbag work, jumping, climbing rope, hill sprints, car pushing, and jump rope. Um, let's see..yeah I've done all that in the past few months.<br /><br />Employee: (staring at me)<br /><br />Me: Oh, yeah. I forgot, I love kettlebells, too. Swings, snatches, turkish get-ups, you know....the usual.<br /><br />Employee: (not sure what to write)<br /><br />(awkward silence)<br /><br />Employee: ....... Well, ok..... On a scale of 1 - 5 how would you rate your knowledge on our new, state of the art cardio machines ?<br /><br />Me: .......1?<br /><br />Employee: Really?<br /><br />Me: Well, I'm sure I could get them to work....if I had to.<br /><br />Employee: Would you like me take you over and show you how to use all of them?<br /><br />Me: (shifting uncomfortably in chair) ...No, thanks.<br /><br />Employee: (puzzled look on face) Uh, ok. How would you rate your knowledge on resistance training from 1-5?<br /><br />Me: 5, I guess.<br /><br />Employee: Ha, all of the men always say "5" on that one. So, you know how to use all our resistance machines?<br /><br />Me: (getting annoyed) No, I know how to deadlift and squat.<br /><br />Employee: (awkward smile)<br /><br />Me: (silence)<br /><br />Employee: Well, uh, let's go to the next question. How would you describe your current eating habits?<br /><br />Me: In one sentence?<br /><br />Employee: Well, what foods do you normally eat?<br /><br />Me: Meats, fruit, vegetables....and water. Sometimes I have cake.<br /><br />Employee: Ooook....What goals are you hoping to achieve at "____ Gym"?<br /><br />Me: I'm just looking for a place to deadlift.<br /><br />(silence)<br /><br />Employee: And what would say are your main fitness goals? Toning up, getting a good pump, losing weight?.....<br /><br />Me: To get as strong as humanly possible.......And to touch the top of the backboard.<br /><br />Employee: (writes "strength?")<br /><br />Employee: Alright, well let me just bring this over to my manager.<br /><br />Me: (looking around) Do you guys even have a squat rack?<br /><br />Employee: (walking away and yells) Yeah, we have 7 smith machines!<br /><br />Me: (vomits in mouth)<br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Long story short, I ended up training outside and relying on my trusty one-stop-gym-in-a-trunk. In my car's trunk I currently have:<br /><br />2 kettlebells<br />a 20 ft. thick rope<br />70 lbs. sandbag<br />20 lbs. weighted vest<br />tire sled w/ weights<br /><br />The moral of the story is: DON'T LET ANYONE OR ANYTHING GET IN THE WAY OF YOU HAVING A PRODUCTIVE TRAINING SESSION. It's just not worth it, in my opinion. You only have so many hours in a week and so much physical/mental stress your body can handle. If your not having fun and getting results from your current training, then what are you doing? Life's too short. Don't let negativity in any form stand in the way of your goals. If your gym doesn't allow you to do the things you know you need to do to achieve your athletic goals, then get out! Work at at home, at a playground, find a new hardcore gym, buy some weights for your own, or whatever it takes! Don't pussyfoot around and waste your valuable time. Figure out how to get the most "bang for your buck".<br /><br />After I left the gym I found a nice spot outside and did the following:<br />practice dunking with weighted vest (15 lbs) until noticeable power decrease<br />box jumps 2 x 5<br />kettlebell snatches 5 x 5<br />kettlebell swings 4 x 20<br /><br />When I finished I was a happy camper. Although I was pissed off about they gym's sassy attitude and lack of power racks, I didn't let that stop me from getting in a short, solid workout.<br /><br /><br />- MaxMax Holmgrenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02164859258886880647noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6984126486877537887.post-11198742988043430752008-05-22T19:01:00.000-07:002008-05-22T19:37:26.557-07:00The Plague of The Mediocre Athlete: No Glutes = No Results<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgbNajJUGDA0ultwWnpD0Ubak41oeq3rkRPEk5omrKyK1Y66vGeI0saJibqCCX-G6VWSOZ29s0_88M_lLEV647TrLrBakEM3CCrArOKL3WEeQOHVzFFGfVmj-nfz9LwxGP7RDlBXHGqMUC/s1600-h/kelly20c.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgbNajJUGDA0ultwWnpD0Ubak41oeq3rkRPEk5omrKyK1Y66vGeI0saJibqCCX-G6VWSOZ29s0_88M_lLEV647TrLrBakEM3CCrArOKL3WEeQOHVzFFGfVmj-nfz9LwxGP7RDlBXHGqMUC/s320/kelly20c.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5203396401026716050" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br />Here's a great article by Kelly Baggett, <a href="http://www.higher-faster-sports.com/noglutes.html">No Glutes = No Results</a>. I think this is a big problem with athletes, especially skinny basketball players like myself. While going to this extent may not be neccesary for some of you, for others it might be your missing ingredient.<br /><br />Evem if you don't need/want to follow this program, I hope you realize the importance of not only having strong, but properly functioning glutes. At the very least, I hope you start including glute activation drills in your warm-ups. Doing this along with some good joint mobility drills will only take you an extra 10 minutes and will go a long way in helping you stay injury free and get more out of your training. If you can't achieve proper form when lifting do to inactive muscles and lack of mobility/flexibility, how do you expect to get anything out of them?<br /><br />On a seperate note, if you haven't already read all of Kelly's articles that pertain to you and your sport, DO SO NOW. This guy really knows his stuff and gives out a lot of great FREE info on his site.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br />- MaxMax Holmgrenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02164859258886880647noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6984126486877537887.post-33430827435274060712008-05-22T11:34:00.000-07:002008-05-22T12:23:43.145-07:00Let's talk feet.....<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZCMpXCuqrNYc3pPjCj1oKmLlAWxRoHDO7QBQNfnvxXB6228Qi4ku76xA6n6GLovL6HPf9nWGgoosUSucefXA2yJmngkEfHlH1S_bGufH1w5f6YTrQ4edn70HPVqkNlwplvjdtWktREdmq/s1600-h/vibram_fivefingers_4.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZCMpXCuqrNYc3pPjCj1oKmLlAWxRoHDO7QBQNfnvxXB6228Qi4ku76xA6n6GLovL6HPf9nWGgoosUSucefXA2yJmngkEfHlH1S_bGufH1w5f6YTrQ4edn70HPVqkNlwplvjdtWktREdmq/s320/vibram_fivefingers_4.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5203275282948968818" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Well, I haven't posted in quite a while. Don't worry though, I'm back. I have a lot on my mind so I'll be trying to post quite often so be sure to check back every couple of days.<br /><br />Now, let's talk feet. If you haven't read either of these articles, I HIGHLY RECOMMEND IT.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=89830802">Feet Hurt? Stop Wearing Shoes.</a><br /><br /><a href="http://nymag.com/health/features/46213/">You Walk Wrong.</a><br /><br />Hopefully, after you look those articles over, you'll understand why I hate most shoes and think people should stop wearing them. You'll also understand why I spent $80 to buy a pair <a href="http://www.vibramfivefingers.com/">Vibram Five Fingers</a>.<br /><br /><br />Yesterday was the first day I wore them. Here's a few things I noticed:<br />1) Walking without shoes all day is hardwork. Today my feet and lower legs are sore. This is no surprise seeing how feet are probably the weakest part of most people's body.<br />2) My heels became very sore if I didn't make sure to walk correctly. Most of us bang our heels on the ground because of years of conventional shoe wearing.<br />3) I felt more energetic. I know it sounds weird, but being in contact with the ground of the earth gives you a sort of an energy. Some people might call this "chi". I don't. It's hard to explain, so I guess the only way to understand is to go barefoot all day outside or start wearing Five Fingers.<br />4) My joints felt much better throughout the day. It's very rare that I go the entire day without some discomfort.<br />5) I felt loose and relaxed. I was sitting down for much of the day, but I never felt tight or stiff as I normally do when sitting for long periods. This doesn't mean you should sit around all day. Get up and move.<br /><br />Wow, that's a lot to notice after just one day of use. Besides the benefits of going barefoot or wearing Five Fingers listed in those articles, you might be wondering, "Max, what do you specifically hope to accomplish by wearing those weird slipper things?" Good question. Here's what I hope to accomplish:<br /><br />a) I have weird, nasty feet. There I said it. I attribute this to years of wearing shoes that were too big for me. Some of it might be genetic, too. My toes clawed at the sole of the shoe to try and stay balanced. Now, well for some time now, I have what's known as Hammer Toes. It's not a pretty sight. Add on to that the fact that I have EXTREMELY high arches and that I'm also a <a href="http://www.steenwyk.com/pronsup.htm">supinator</a>, and you have a recipe for disaster. It's no wonder that I have a history of ankle sprains and foot problems. I hope to correct these problems and return to the state of how God made us: barefoot.<br /><br />b) I also have some other physical ailments that I hope going barefoot will correct. These are moslty lack of mobility in the ankles and hips. This doesn't mean I still won't be working directly on my mobility in these areas. I'm probably better than most, but still not at the level I want to be at. If you didn't already know, having optimum mobility paired with being strong leads to being able to stay low, jump high, run fast, and be explosive. Just in case any of those things are important to you.<br /><br />So, there you have it. Even if you don't decide to wear Five Fingers, try going barefoot whenever you can. Around the house, when you work out, mowing the lawn (watch those toes), etc. I hope you've changed your mind on the facny new shoes with shocks and pumps you just got. We were made to be barefoot, just like we were made to eat earth-grown foods, lift heavy stuff, and move everyday. Something to think about. Well, I'm off to go deadlift at my gym while wearing my Five Fingers. I expect to get some looks.<br /><br /><br /><br />- Max<span style="text-decoration: underline;"></span>Max Holmgrenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02164859258886880647noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6984126486877537887.post-84447942589598657282008-04-14T10:58:00.000-07:002008-04-14T11:02:29.113-07:00Jump Training BlogHere's a <a href="http://jumpcoach.blogspot.com/search?updated-min=2008-01-01T00%3A00%3A00-08%3A00&updated-max=2009-01-01T00%3A00%3A00-08%3A00&max-results=7">link</a> to another cool blog dedicated to jump training and improving overall athleticism. This guy is more of a track person, but he still knows his stuff.<br /><br /><br />Enjoy.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />- MaxMax Holmgrenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02164859258886880647noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6984126486877537887.post-89481254100276250152008-04-09T11:09:00.000-07:002008-04-14T11:22:50.024-07:00Switching to a Full Body Training SplitFor some time now (at least a year) I've been usually following a 4 x week training template with an upper/lower blody split. For most of that time I was using Joe DeFranco's <a href="http://www.defrancostraining.com/articles/articles.htm">Westside for Skinny Bastards</a> program (or least something pretty similar) and it definitely has worked. Lately, I've been a little frustrated with my lack of improvement (especially with gaining size) and I've just been a little bored in general with my training. The more I read about ectomorphs (those with thin bone structure and long limbs), which I am, the more I'm starting to think I might do better with a 3x a week full body split. I've noticed that I tend to gain more mass with more frequent training, as opposed to going 3-4 days before I work the same muscles again. I 'm still going to have a specific emphasis on each day (max effort, dynamic effort, repitition effort) like WSFSB did. Here's what the basic layout for each day would look like:<br /><br />1. Explosive Movement<br />2. Squating Movement (inculdes single leg variations like step-ups, lunges, etc.)<br />3. Horizontal Press/Pull or Vertical Press/Pull superset<br />4. Posterior Chain/Hamstring Movement<br />5. Abs/Grip Circuit<br /><br />And here's what a typical week of training might look like:<br /><br />Day 1 - Max Effort:<br />Dynamic warm-up/Joint Mobility drills<br />1. 1 arm DB Snatch 8 x 2<br />2. Box Squat (heavy) 6 x 3-5<br />3A. DB Bench Press (heavy) 5 x 5<br />3B. 1 arm DB Row (heavy) 5 x 5<br />4. Barbell Goodmorning 3 x 10<br />5A. DB Farmer's Walk 3 x distance<br />5B. Back XT 3 x 10-12<br />5C. Ground Ab Circuit 3 rounds<br /><br />Day 2 - Repetition Effort/Accesory<br />Dynamic warm-up/Joint Mobility drills<br />1. Barbell Hang Clean 5 x 2<br />2. DB Bulgarian Split Squat 2 x 10<br />3A. Chin-up (medium) 4 x 8<br />3B. 1 arm DB Military Press (medium) 4 x 8<br />4. 1 leg DB RDL's 2 x 10<br />5A. DB Hex Holds 3 x 10 sec.<br />5B. Woodchoppers 3 x 10<br /><br />Day 3 - Dynamic Effort and Rep. Effort<br />Dynamic warm-up/Joint Mobility drills<br />1. Box Squats w/ Bands (speed squats w/ heavy band tension, light weight) 10 x 2<br />2A. Push-up Variation (light) 3 x 10<br />2B. Inverted Row (light) 3 x 10<br />3A. Rack Pulls 6 x 2, 1 x 15<br />3B. Deadlifts w/ added ROM 2 x 3<br />4A. Farmer's Walk 2 x distance<br />4B. Back XT 2 x 8<br />4C. Ab Plank Variations 1 x each variation as long as possible<br /><br />I'll try this for 3-4 weeks and let you know how it goes. My diet will stay the same so I know how well I respond to this type of training. Everyone needs to switch it up every so often... Remember that your body adapts to anything in a few or even a couple of weeks. With WSFSB, I was switching up the volume every week and changing exercises every 2-3 weeks depending on how I was feeling. I never though of changing the number of days I lift a week.<br /><br />Always try to improve. Never become satisfied.<br /><br /><br /><br />- MaxMax Holmgrenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02164859258886880647noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6984126486877537887.post-12330798141134773552008-04-05T23:02:00.000-07:002008-04-05T23:16:33.929-07:00Playgrounds, Kettlebells, and Stones...Oh My!Since the weather was nice today, I hit up the local playground to get some work done. Here's what my training looked like:<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Upper Body Rep. Effort </span>- I hit all these in circuit style fashion, resting about a min. between rounds<br /><br />1A. Pull-up variations x 6, 5, 4<br />1B. Push-up w/ feet elevated x 18, 15, 12<br />1C. Kettlebell Snatch x 6 l/r, 7 l/r, 8 l/r<br />1D. Stone Military Press x 10, 10, 10 (I found a nice heavy one @ my house and brought it with)<br />1E. 1 arm Recline Body Rows x 8, 6, 6<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Conditioning </span>-<span style="font-weight: bold;"> </span>3 rounds <span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /><br /></span>2A. Bear Crawl x 100 ft.<br />2B. Jump Rope x 100<br />2C. KB Swing x 25<span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: bold;"></span><br />And for good measure:</span><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /><br /></span>3. KB Swings x 100<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Train outside when you can. Just be resourceful and use your imagination. Bodyweight training can be brutal and there are thousands of variations of basics...<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Train hard. Be creative.<br /><br />- Max<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"></span>Max Holmgrenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02164859258886880647noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6984126486877537887.post-43615957604632924512008-04-04T21:47:00.001-07:002008-04-04T21:51:54.428-07:00Contrast ShowersIf you've read my past posts, you know that I'm a big fan of Contrast Showers (Hot/Cold Showers) or baths. As far as I know, scientific research isn't conclusive on these as far as how much they help with recovery. All I know is that when I utilize them, I feel great.<br /><br /><a href="http://naturalhealthbuilding.blogspot.com/2008/01/hot-cold-showers.html">This guy is also a fan.</a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Train Hard. Recover Hard.<br /><br /><br />- MaxMax Holmgrenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02164859258886880647noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6984126486877537887.post-46693648307018799122008-04-04T21:19:00.000-07:002008-04-04T21:35:45.471-07:00Today's TrainingI was feeling a little under the weather for a couple days this week, so I decided to make up for it with a little higher volume than usual today...<br /><br /><br />Dynamic Warm-up and Mobility drills<br /><br />1A. 1 arm DB Snatch 70lbs x 2, 75lbs x 2, 80lbs x 2, 85lbs x 1 (all reps with each arm)<br />1B. Broad Jump/Vert. Jump 4 x 2/2<br /> Rest: 60 sec.<br />2A. Box Squat Pistols (with DB's) 40lbs x 8, 70lbs x 8, 80lbs x 6<br />2B. Back XT 45lbs x 8, 50lbs x 8<br /> Rest: 60 sec.<br />3A. Barbell RDL 135 x 10, 135 x 10<br />3B. 1 leg Back XT BW x 5, BW x 6 (with each leg)<br /> Rest: 60 sec.<br />4. Ab Circuit - Sprinter Sit-ups, Toe Touches, Hip Thrusts, V-ups all x 10 for 2 rounds<br /> Rest: 30 sec.<br /><br /><br />Later:<br /><br />KB Swings x 200 no restMax Holmgrenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02164859258886880647noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6984126486877537887.post-47604360308260559582008-03-19T17:30:00.000-07:002008-03-19T17:51:47.358-07:00Kettlebells!I've been on a kettlebell kick and have been using them more than usual lately. I like kettlebells for several reasons:<br />a) They teach you to explode through the hips, which is possible the single most important factor in all athletic endeavors. Explosive hip drive is something a lot of athletes lack and can have a hard time learning through traditional barbell lifts. Not to mention, the kettlebell version of the classic olympic lifts (clean, snatch, jerk) is much easier to learn. Pretty much every kettlebell exercise out there is a full body lift, which if you haven't learned by know, is a good thing.<br />b) They are great for conditioning OR power development. As far as conditioning goes (they're tremendous for power/anaerobic endurance, which is they energy system primarly used is basketball), there is many ways to train for power/anaerobic endurance (hill sprints, stair sprints, killers/suicides, etc.), but kettlebells can be much easier on the joints.<br />c) You can train pretty much anywhere with a kettlebell (especially outside) versus traditional gym equipment.<br />d) I would say it's hard to find an exercise that mimics the vertical jump better than the kettlebell swing.<br /><br /><br />Now, after saying all that....Kettlebells are just a tool. They are not the magic training equipment that many make them out to be. You'd be a fool to use only kettlebells in your training. But, they are a great instrument and if you can afford them, why not? For beginners, they recommend men start out with a 35 lbs. kettlebell and women 15 to 25 lbs. It will seem much heavier than 35 lbs though. There are a lot of great sites to order them through and they are also at places like Dick's Sporting Goods and Sports Authority.<br /><br />Here are some great articles on how to use kettlebells for power and explosiveness:<br /><br /><a href="http://www.dragondoor.com/articler/mode3/311/">How to Combine Kettlebells and Bands for Explosive Sports Performance</a><br /><br /><a href="http://kettlebell-athletics.blogspot.com/2007/12/how-to-improve-your-vertical-jump-with.html">How to Improve Your Vertical Jump With Kettlebell Training ?</a><br /><br />- MaxMax Holmgrenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02164859258886880647noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6984126486877537887.post-39805512320562490882008-03-13T12:18:00.000-07:002008-03-13T12:37:19.661-07:00How to Make Progress Every Time You TrainThe reality of life is some days you just feel like crap. So how do you make progress week after week, even when your feeling down or just having "one of those days"? I discovered this simple chart as a way to easily moniter (besides just listening to your body) how hard you should go that day:<br /><br />1) How Do You Feel?<br /> - Fantastic: +4<br /> - Good: +2<br /> - Average: 0<br /> - Bad: -2<br /> - Awful: -4<br />2) Are You Motivated to Train?<br /> - Beyond Belief: +4<br /> - Yes, I'm Psyched: +2<br /> - I Wanna Go, But That's It: 0<br /> - Do I Have to?: -2<br /> - I Really Don't Want to: -4<br />3) How Did You Sleep?<br /> - Great Night: +4<br /> - Pretty Good: +2<br /> - Average: 0<br /> - Had Trouble Sleeping: -2<br /> - Barely Slept: -4<br /><br />Add up your score and use this chart to see how you should train today.<br /><br />Interpretation Chart:<br />> 10 to 12: Increase daily training load a lot (intensity and volume)<br />> 6 to 9: Increase daily training load (volume only)<br />> 0 to 5: Stay with planned training load<br />> -6 to -1: Decrease daily training load (volume or intensity)<br />> -12 to -7: Skip it<br /><br /><br />Hopefully you are are following some sort of program or have an idea of what you want to do throughout the week. This chart will help you make progress even if your having a rough week or not feeling your best. There's no point in pushing yourself when you just don't have it....and if you feel great, there's no point in holding yourself back just because that's what your program says to do.<br /><br />Happy training.<br /><br /><br />- MaxMax Holmgrenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02164859258886880647noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6984126486877537887.post-5717140494406970902008-03-12T13:46:00.000-07:002008-03-12T14:09:27.843-07:00More on ankles......Sorry I haven't posted in a while.<br />Here's a few more drills you can do to strengthen your ankels and literally make them un-sprainable.<br /><br />1. 747's - This is a quick drill that you can do anywhere, anytime. Stand on one leg (keeping it as straight as possible) while putting your hands out to the side (that's why they're called 747's - you'll look like an airplane). First lean as far forward as possible, bending as the waist and keeping the balancing leg straight. Hold this position for 30 seconds. Now repeat this with the other leg. You'll repat this in each direction (lean forward, left, right, and backwards) with both legs, holding it for 30 seconds each way. It should be challenging to stay balanced (if it's not, you need to lean farther) and it's ok if stumble a few times. You'll feel a nice burn in the lower leg, around the ankles. This is a quick and very effective drill.<br /><br />2. Toe Raises - As Jimmy Smith talked about in my previous post, most athletes have WAY stronger calves than they do shins. Beleive it or not, strenghtening your shins will not only strengthen your ankles, prevent shin splints, and balance out your lower leg musculature....but they probably will improve your vert! Shins are arguably even more important than the calves in jumping (not to mention running, cutting, deccelerating, etc.). Toe raises are pretty much the opposite of calf raises and, again, can be done pretty much anywhere. Just find a stair or ledge with something to hold on to for balance. Simply stand with your heels on the edge of the stair and lift your toes as high as you can and the down as low as you can, trying to go throught a full range of motion. Just try to do as many as you can while keeping good form.<br /><br />3. Heel Walks - These are very similar to the toe raises (strengthens your shins). Just walk backwards and forwards, taking small steps and staying on your heels (pull your toes upward as hard as you can the whole time). Try walking 10 -20 steps forwards and backwards to start out.<br /><br />Use these drills 3 - 5 times a week, along with some of the ones from my previous post and you'll be on your way to ANKLES OF STEEL.<br /><br />- MaxMax Holmgrenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02164859258886880647noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6984126486877537887.post-63702133428427888572008-02-26T11:30:00.000-08:002008-02-26T12:01:46.346-08:00Prevent Ankle Sprains: the Smart Way.The ankle sprain. If you're a basketball player, you've most likely tweaked your ankle in some way or another in your playing career. For some, the frquency of your sprains gets so bad that you have to stop playing all together or for large periods of time....only to sprain it again as soon as you step back on the court. This is especially true for supinators (those, like myself, who walk on the outside of their feet....only about 2% of the population are true supinators though).<br /><br />Believe me, I feel your pain (literally...in the summer of '05 I nearly broke my ankle and it still looks like a weird meatball). There's got to be a way to got out this horrible cycle, right? Guess what? The answer doesn't rely on more ice, braces or *gasp* taping! Read over this <a href="http://www.t-nation.com/article/most_recent/the_ankle_paradox_building_indestructible_ankles&cr=">article</a> by Jimmy Smith, a former college basketball player and nationally recognized trainer.<br /><br /><br />Doing these drills religiously will not only improve ankle stability and prevent sprains, it will make you a better athlete. Basketball players usually have horrible ankle mobility due to excessive taping, braces, and the dredded Nike Shox (heel lift = bad). Improving ankle mobility will most likely alleviate the pain in that knee that's been nagging you all season.<br /><br />Ankle mobility will also help you vert. The foot/ankle is the first part of your body that makes contact with the ground as you jump and if your range of motion is limited you won't be able to apply maximum force into the ground. When you load up like a coil to jump, the force you apply to the ground travels from your foot/ankle all the up to your head and back down again before take-off. Basically, you might gain a few easy inches if you work on ankle mobility (don't forget the hips either).<br /><br /><br />- MaxMax Holmgrenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02164859258886880647noreply@blogger.com2