why oh why

a bit more of a rant this time

i love sharing my training knowledge. i'm one of those guys who's mind is constantly on how to enhance current training or fix physiological problems. i walk down the road and see an interesting natural geographical configuration and my brain floods with ideas about how i can use that phenominon to break away from conventional training but still generate amazing results by going back to basics with the environment i find myself surrounded by.

it really gets under my skin if i ask a client to try something and they refuse because its awkward for them. if something is awkward, then its probably exactly what you need. easy stuff, things that you already excell at you can do on your own and won't give you as much of a training stimulous. thats why you hire me, to get the best out of you so why would a client shirk whats asked of him. your paying me for my knowledge and experience so when i give it to you don't ignore it. At PRIOMORDIAL ATHLETICS hard work is one of the biggest requirements. i'm generous to a fault and will go above and beyond to help you (because i love this stuff and get a huge kick out of seeing you succede) but you've got to bring in the effort.

if somethings are unusuall and embarassing because they are not what your used to seeing in the traditional chromeplated machine loaded gyms, well, i'm usually the first one down there with you doing the exercise; because it works. If you feel awkward because you're not already proficient in the movement, well, work at getting proficient at it, so we can move on to the next thing that your not so great at and watch your athleticism grow and improve.

if you truly desire to become great then it won't matter what onlookers think, how will you get better than the crowd if you do the same as the crowd. leaving your comfort zone builds character; mentally and physically.

sand bag front squats

Front squats with a sandbag.

The front squat is a dynamic addition/variation/substitution for normal squats. It targets all the same musculature but with different leverages, enhancing quad recruitment, hip flexibility, lower back stability, core activation and shoulder girdle strength.

To do the front squat the load should be chambered across the shoulders, the hands a bit wider than shoulder width and the elbows pointed up. From there the body drops strait down, ‘into the hole’.

One of the difficulties of this exercise is wrist flexibility, however there are ways to work around this. The weight should be supported by the shoulders, the hands (finger tips) wresting on the bar, most people grip the bar and the bar is held in an top curl or beginning military press position. I suggest continue working on the wrist flexibility.

Picture of proper front squat : note the angle of the legs, the kness go past the feet which is contrary to most teaching.

An often used variation is the crossover grip favored by bodybuilders, but I personally find that this forces too much forward lean. Too much stress across the lower back, and a tendency for the weight to roll down the shoulders as the exercise set progresses.

body builders front squat

Now, when we throw in a sandbag, well it’s a whole new world. Just the act of getting a sand bag into position from the ground can be a work out in itself.

The offset weight and odd size changes the center of gravity and feel of the load. In other words, requires more work and I find a lot more core involvement.

Sand bag front squat

You must continue to carry the weight across the shoulders, elbows high, or the exercise evolves into a zercher squat.

　

　

training journals

fitness training journals.
most people don't bother with a journal/diary. they just come into the gym and go through their routine. usually the latest routine from which ever periodical they follow.
A training journal has a very important purpose for the trainer though. It allows you to keep an accurate record of where you've been.
why is that important.
well, it eliminates the guess work. you don't have to try and figure out what kind of load you need from the previous training sessions or this session because its already written down. you know the load and intensity previously used and can begin this session with a clear idea of where you are and what you need. it keeps the guess work out.
you can also keep track of nagging injuries and sore bits. if somethings been bothering you and you can see its been an issue for 3 months (because you've looked back through your journal and tracked it ) then you know, maybe, you need to have it seen too.
with a journal you can plan, you can keep an eye on your goals and monitor your progress and know if your plan (towards your goals ) needs some work.
you can also make notes about what is affecting you and where your mental and physical states are at.
with a journal you can keep track of what training sessions (and protocals ) are awesome and need to be kept within your mix and which ones are lousy and need to be left by the wayside.
keeping a journal is one of the habits of a champion.

squats so bad

it just drives me crazy. i turned on the local morning the program (the other morning) and the shows 'fitness star' was giving a demonstration on squats. first it made me sick, then it made me mad. here is theis person of authority , demonstrating a great exercise , completely wrong and giving to all her viewers a useless variation and if they pick it up , the'll be waisting so much time trying to follow her advice.
squats so bad:
squats are a great exercise. if you worked them properly you could get great results just from doing them. they are a multi-jointed exercise that requires great physical adaptation to continue to improve in them (wether improvement means increasing load or increasing duration). please, squat before aerobics (tae bo, zumba, swissball balance protocal, etc. ad nosium) if you want some real metabolic changes.
so our lady of the moment tells her audience, dont let your butt go below your knees. in otherwords , quarter squats. why, thats not even a squat.
there a lots of squat variations but we will go over just a basic squat.
you want your feet to be shoulder wide or just a bit wider if that is more comfortable. feet just barely pointing out wards, then lower your body between your legs. as straight as possible. keeping your back straight. just like a baby. how many toddlers get rushed to the hospital because of bad knees from squating below parallel??????


bad squats, ouch. wow, perfect squats. no back pain no knee injury.


now heres some squats with weight, hard to argue with this one.

two lessons here, squat, squat low, squat well and beware your local tv fitness celebrity

so bad squats

the price of a smoke

its amazing to me how resistant people are to spend money on the things that matter most. i can't think of too many people that don't have sky tv or cable, but can't afford the rent. i can't count the kids i've seen dirty and ill fed outside the gambling dens waiting on their parents to come out with their new fortune which never comes. Not too many people go without their take away dinners, cigarettes or weekend drinking sessions.
When i drop my kids off at school, I literally can't count the number of fat, out of shape kids. I see kids that a wonder if they'll make it past their 20's due to the sickness and affects of obesity. how sad that fat has become the norm and socially acceptable. how ironic that for the price of a pack of cigerettes that child could be put into a program that could literally save his life. everyone loves their children, they just don't love them enough to save their lives.
I know that is a harsh statement, but really, i've heard so many times, "it cost's too much". Too much money to sign your child up into a fitness program, that will provide him with exercise and education towards a new healthy life style. literally the price of a pack of cigerettes. A lot less than the price of weekend drinks. no where near as much as the huge medical and sickness related bills looming ahead in his future.