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Cardio that Rocks

3/29/2011

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While many people still slave away on ellipticals and stair steppers for hours every week boring themselves half to death and making no progress/even regressing progress (getting through a book doesn't count as progress, sorry:) , many other people are doing "cardio" that is actually fun, effective and helps with fat loss and performance with more results in a quarter of the time.  The following are some of my favorite tools for conditioning and energy system development.

Sled Dragging
Sled dragging is one of the most versatile and effective tools that you can use. You can drag for time, for strength, do intense intervals, speed, agility; you can go forwards, backwards, crossover, side to side, upper body, lower body and you name it, the sled can do it.  Not only are you getting the cardiovascular benefit, but you are also building strength in your legs and can focus on developing proper locomotive patterns.  I loooove forward sled dragging for runners w/ knee pain who need to develop better locomotive patterns.  With the sled, I can strengthen weak muscles in their hips, develop appropriate movement and keep impact stress off of their joints at the same time.  Oh yea, I can build up whatever energy system they need to work on at the same time. Score! My favorite standard dragging modalities are the following. For fat loss, doing 3-6 rounds with moderate weight at the end of a workout with about 45-60 seconds rest between rounds.  The rounds usually last about 30-40 seconds. For aerobic training/extra workouts on days off from lifting, some clients will drag a light weight for time anywhere from 20 to 45 minutes.  This is just the tip of the iceberg of what can be done with a sled.

The Prowler
The prowler is feared by even the bravest souls on either side of the world.  Ok so thats pushing it but the prowler is one heck of a conditioning tool.  It dishes out easily one of the hardest workouts that you will experience.  It is especially effective with intense anaerobic intervals.  Its great to build leg strength as well.  This piece of equipment will work wonders for fat loss and performance.  I generally use this for intense anaerobic intervals at the end of a workout or heavier at the beginning of a workout.  For intervals, we will load it up with a moderate weight and push it hard and fast.  Anywhere from 3-5 rounds are used with anywhere from 1-3 minutes rest between depending on how hard someone is going.  Heres a video of a couple of my baseball guys (state champs, 2 leading hitters on the season, and winning state champ pitcher)  and a couple of my fat loss guys going at it back to back.  What a great training experience to get in a killer workout like this with others who are serious about their training!!

Here is a great alternative for those who don't have access to the real thing

Kettlebell Swings
While the kettlebell has a great many uses, for the average person, swings are going to be the easiest and most effective conditioning exercise for them to do.  This is a great exercise to develop proper hip movement, annihilate the glutes (and the rest of the body at that), and develop power endurance.  It will give you an amazing cardiovascular workout and can be used in a variety of ways (for time, intervals, reps, etc.).  The swing is an exercise that is often  performed wrong by trainees and even by many trainers.  To perform it properly, you need to hinge through the hips rather than squat or dip forward through the knees.   Some different ways to use swings follow:  30-60 sec rounds w/ 45-90sec rest between rounds;  Rounds of 15-20 swings with 45-60 sec rest between;  Swing for time such as 5-10 minutes straight w/ a moderate weight;  10 swings on the minute for a specified number of minutes.  Again, the tip of the iceberg.
Battle Ropes
Battle ropes are an AMAZING conditioning tool.  They will get you in shape, plain and simple.  They work your entire body as a whole and can be used in a variety of ways.  I like doing them for 20 to 30 second intervals going hard or going lighter for time.  Rest is going to depend on the person and the fitness level you are dealing with.  With the ropes, you can go double arm straight up and down, side to side, alternating arms, add in squats, side to side movement and the list goes on; great great tool. 
Circuits
I love using all different circuits to either finish workouts with or to do as extra workouts.  There are an unlimited number of exercises that can be used to make a killer circuit.  Here are a couple of examples.
Quick Steps, Med Ball Slams, Farmers carries
10 per leg,   10-20 slams,     semi heavy weight for 1-2 trips
3-5 rounds as a finisher or 15-20 minutes straight on an off day

Bodyweight Squats, Kettlebell Swings, Cable or Sled Drags
20 reps fast,           20 swings,              30-40 seconds
Rest as long as needed then repeat




Tabata Front Squats or Kettlebell Swings
With the tabata protocol, you pick a compound movement and perform as many reps as possible in 20 seconds, rest for 10, and repeat for 4 minutes or 8 rounds.  Dan John talks about how he loves front squats for these in his book and I agree 100%.  I also love kettlebell swings for these.  Many people abuse the true tabata protocol.  The exercise and rest intervals need to be exact and the trainee has to be pushing as hard as they can.  When done correctly, this will take the body past limits.  It is brutally hard but will do more for fat loss in 4 minutes than many traditional "cardio" practices will do in 40 minutes. 

Airdyne Intervals
Hop up on an airdyne bike and get to work.  These get your whole body moving and you control how hard you go.  I generally will use rounds of 20-60 seconds with 60sec-2min rest depending on the goal at hand and the person doing them.  Amazing fat loss and performance tool!

Regular Sprints
If your body is functioning properly and is healthy, straight up sprints are great for body comp and performance.  Great workout for anyone in shape to do them.   If you have any issues with imbalances, pain, being overweight, etc. you should not be doing running of any kind.

As you can see, the possibilities really are endless when it comes to energy systems training and conditioning.  I could go on much longer but these are some of my favorite forms of conditioning that I often use with clients of all varieties from athletes to fat loss.  Specific modalities will always vary based on the goal or task at hand and the individual doing them.  "Cardio" doesn't have to be boring, dragging, muscle wasting, repetitive and ineffective after 2 weeks (i.e., elliptical, treadmill, stair stepper, etc.)  With all of these amazing tools at our exposal, it can be functional, fun, build muscle, promote more fat loss and build lean, mean bodies for everyone from high level athletes to fat loss clients who want to get in awesome shape.  Give some of these a shot if you haven't already!
1 Comment

This is How We Train!!

5/12/2010

1 Comment

 
Circuits are a great way to finish up workouts or a great tool for extra workouts.  Cardiovascular training combined with strength training; it doesn't get any better.  Get some music going and train.  Check out Penny straight killing the end of her workout.  Who said nurses don't train hard?!!
Wanna get in shape? Gotta work for it people! Too many people make excuses and constantly try to find an easy way out.  Guess what.  If you want a great body and want to be in great shape, you have to put some work in.  You can try the latest gimics or the newest diet all you want, but the fact of the matter is these ridiculous wastes of money will never help you.  So regardless of what the dumbbell shaker's genius creators or the sketcher shapeup's brilliant creators told you, quit wasting your time and money on that kind of crap and start training with proven and effective methods. (Just to be sure we're on the same page, the genius and the brilliant were completely sarcastic :) ) 

Its nothing new and nothing secret.  Strength train and train your different energy systems with a properly designed program, eat the right foods frequently, be consistent and work hard.   Also, do yourself a huge favor and let an expert help you. (No, the makers of the dumbbell shaker or anybody associated with it in anyway are very very far from being experts.  And if you have a trainer who makes you do anything as ridiculous as a dumbbell shaker, run away and run fast.) 
1 Comment

Running to Get in Shape or Getting in Shape to Run?

2/24/2010

1 Comment

 
Is this guy heading towards great shape or a great amount of pain?
Ok, I gotta break this down because I see people everyday running who simply have no business running.  One of the first things a ton of people seem to do when they decide that they are going to get in shape is run.  I'm talking long distance, slow and steady running. There is really no rhyme or specific reason for it, most people in America simply think that running is the way to get in awesome shape.  Why? I don't know, wish I did.  Heck, I've even had some athletes who used to run a mile to warmup before their lifting sessions.  Why? I doubt that their coaches would have a good answer if you asked them.

Don't get me wrong, running can be a great form of exercise IF you are ready for it and IF it is used at the right time.  I used to run all the time (and ended up with stress fractures because I wasn't ready for the amount I was doing and didn't have a proper understanding of what I was doing, back in high school) and still do on occasion.  Every time your foot strikes the ground during a run, you are putting multiple times your bodyweight of force through your joints.  Add up each of those foot strikes during an entire run and you end up with A LOT of stress going through those joints.  Now, if you do not have sufficient muscular support to help absorb that force, then you are asking for a world of hurt my friend.  Not only that, but if you have any kind of muscular imbalance in your hips, thighs, back, etc.  then you are asking for an injury and a whole list of problems. 

I glanced over at the treadmills the other day and noticed a girl running who had some nasty things going on in her hips and it was clear she had a major imbalance between each side.  I guarantee that if she doesn't already, she's bound for unilateral knee pain. 

So, if you want to run and insist that it is the exercise form of your choice, please do yourself a favor and make sure that you are in shape to run.  Most people simply are not.  Besides, if your goal is to lose fat and simply get into great shape, building muscle is the most important thing to do.  So lift some weights first and foremost, do some form of energy systems work that isn't murder on your joints like running is, and go from there.  Be sure to check out earlier posts about fat loss training and comparisons of different conditioning protocols if you want to know more.
1 Comment

Too Cold to Drag? I Think Not!

12/21/2009

0 Comments

 
With cold weather here, its hard to get outside for sled dragging (If you want to know more about sled dragging, check out earlier posts).  Therefore, I have created a way to do some dragging inside (I don't have access to a turf field or anything like that right now).  I took a dipping belt, looped the chain through some plates, grabbed on to the end of the belt and started rollin.  Don't use to the cold as an excuse to slack on your conditioning. Check out Mark finishing up his workout!  Disregard the music,  it was not my choice. :)
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