FREE WORKOUT!!!

Well, they're all free. It just sounded very promotional.

Sunday September 2
Episcopal Track
1:15pm
Episcopal is in the Woodland Ridge subdivision off of South Harrell's Ferry Road. Go all the way down Woodland Ridge Blvd past the bridge and the school is on the right. Turn right onto the street immediately after the school and make another right into the parking lot. You'll see the football field (and track) off to the side. The pull-up bars are magnificent!
Call me @288-7208 or email me @ tpgbr1@yahoo.com if you need better directions.

8/29/07

5 rounds for time

4oom run
40lb dumbbell thrusters X 15

Dwayne, Butch, Peggy, Stephen, Christina, Josh, Jarvis, Charles

8/27/07

Tabata intervals(:20 on :10 off X 8) of the following:

55lb dumbbell swings
push-ups
sit-ups
squats

then...

4 directional static holds

It's Ab Day!

A number of recent conversations have gotten me thinking (dangerous, I know) about the infatuation our culture has for visible abdominal muscles. Sandwiched somewhere between celebrity gossip and the iphone is a really profitable industry catering to the abdominally challenged. While I have no idea how much Suzanne Somers or any of her cronies make off of the abysmal waste of perfectly good plastic they hock on late night TV (that would require research), I bet it's a lot! Let's take a look at why we have abdominals and, if you are so inclined, how to get everyone else to see that you have abdominal muscles.

The main purpose of the abdominal musculature is to stabilize the spine, thus facilitating our ability to walk upright. With regard to functional exercise (the stuff we do), the abdominals act as stabilizers, many times under heavy loads or for longer periods of time under sub maximal loads. Understanding this is paramount. Once you understand what they do, it becomes obvious how to train them.

I am not a proponent of training muscle groups. I think that, and the fake tanning industry, are the two worst things to come out of the bodybuilding culture. When you train basic human movement patterns (squatting, picking stuff up, pushing stuff, pulling stuff, etc.) you train the abs because YOU CAN'T DO THESE THINGS WITHOUT THEM! When you perform the above movements under heavy loads, or fast, or a combination thereof, or hold the body in a mechanically "underprivileged" position, you're training the abs. Even better, you're training the abs in a functional way because they are working in tandem with the other parts of the body (as they are meant to).

This brings us to the erroneous assumption that the rectus abdominus, transverse abdominus and obliques, which makeup the abdominal musculature, are anomalies in the muscle world and are developed by doing 14,000 crunches while watching "Desperate Housewives." Negatory, good buddy. Work 'em like everything else, loaded, with a big range of motion and with mechanically difficult positions (i.e. static holds). Here's a list of some movements that do the trick--

deadlift
squat (all varieties)
big sit-ups (especially glute ham)
hanging leg raises
static holds
the wheel
presses while standing
cleans and snatches
running (not jogging)
jumping
throwing
push-ups/pull-ups/dips
playing

That's enough for now. In a future post, I'll delve into how to make certain that everyone knows you have abs. Until then, the next time someone asks you how much longer you'll be in the squat rack because they've got to use it to do the 27 sets of curls prescribed in the Scandinavian arm and hair volume training method, just tell him "Buzz off, I'm blasting my abs!"

8/22/07

the rx--
2 rounds for time
55lb goblet squat X 30
sit-ups X 30
walking lunges X 30
handstand push-ups X 30
L pull-ups X 30

Dawn, Danielle, Angelle, Judy, Peggy, Butch, Steven, Josh, Jordan, Michael, Charles

8/20/07

5 rounds for time

run 400 meters
burpees X 15
pull-ups X 17

Peggy, Josh, Dawn, Judy, Steven, Danielle, Charles

8/15/07

back squat 5 X 3

dumbbell overhead press 5 X 3

sit-ups and other stuff
1:00 @ each station
knees to elbows
plank
decline sit-ups
glute ham sit-ups
back extensions

Steven, Dawn, Sally, Judy, Peggy, Charles

8/13/07

for time

run 400m
35lb dumbbell clean and jerk X 21
burpees X 21
pull-ups X 21
run 400m
35lb dumbbell clean and jerk X 15
burpees X 15
pull-ups X 15
run 400m
35lb dumbbell clean and jerk X 9
burpees X 9
pull-ups X 9

Steve, Sally, Judy, Charles

8/8/07

20 rounds for time--

55lb dumbbell swing X 5
push-ups X 10
squats X 15

Dawn, Steve, Bill, Danielle, Adelaide, Judy, Charles

NO CLASS MONDAY 8/6/07

I have written a workout for your enjoyment in my previous post. See you Wednesday.

8/6/07

Workout for Monday

5 X 3 of overhead press

(That means 5 sets of 3 repetitions. 90 seconds in between sets.)

then...

tabata squats
Squat (no weight) as fast as possible for 20 seconds, then rest for 10 seconds. Repeat this sequence 8 times. DON'T pace yourself (unless it's your first time). I'll see you Wednesday!

8/1/07

max rounds in 20:00

run 300 meters
7 burpees
14 pull-ups
21 sit-ups

Bill, Kelly, Dawn, Judy, Danielle, Steve, Michael, Brock, Charles

REMINDER-- NO CLASS MONDAY 8/6/07

7/30/07

deadlift
3-2-1-1-1

split jerk
3-3-3-3-3

Judy, Barry, Michael, Jay, Dawn, Charles