Week 2021.06.21

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Reminder: Please note that the gym will be closed this Saturday, 06/26/21, as we are hosting the annual Testify Strongman Summer Showdown.

This Week’s Conditioning

Option 1
Sled Pyramid – 4, 5, or 6 tiers
Go up and down a 4, 5, or 6 tier “sled pyramid” – rest as needed. The distance for each round is 80 m indoors (a down-back on the 40m course) or 200 ft outdoors (2 down-backs on the 50 ft course). Rest as needed.

For example, Bob does the following (4 tiers):
Round 1: Empty sled
Round 2: 25#
Round 3: 50#
Round 4: 75#
Round 5: 50#
Round 6: 25#
Round 7: Empty sled

Compare to 2021.04.19.

Option 2
Bike/row:
8 x 30 sec on/2:00 off

Score = least distance covered in any 30 second interval

Compare to 2021.03.29.

Option 3
Outdoors:
5-10 rounds:
50 yd sled push (25 yd down-back)
50 yd farmer carry (25 yd down-back)
Rest 1 min

Indoors:
5-10 rounds:
100 yd sled push (50 ft down-back)
100 yd farmer carry (50 ft down-back)
Rest 1 min

Compare to 2021.03.01.

Option 4
Row 10 x 100m
Rest 1 min between sprints. Your score is your slowest time.

Compare to 2021.02.22.

Setting Down the Deadlift

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(A Blast from the Past article originally posted on 06/19/19)

When you take your stance for the deadlift, you do so in a position that places the bar directly over the middle of your foot, i.e., with your shins about an inch from the bar. This is all well and good for that first rep, but you also want to pull every subsequent rep from that same midfoot position. It is not uncommon to see lifters set the bar down well in front of the midfoot (and yes, sometimes even behind the midfoot), and they then have to spend extra time and effort at the bottom of the deadlift getting the bar back to the proper position for the next pull.

Let’s fix this.

When you lower the deadlift, you do so by bending primarily at the hips first - reaching back with your hips and sliding the bar down your thighs by bending at your waist - and bending at the knees second. If you do this, you stand a very good chance of setting the bar down right where you picked it up in the first place - over your midfoot. However, if you find that you still struggle to put the bar down in the right spot, try this: look right at the middle of your foot as you set the bar down.

If you look at the middle of your foot, tell yourself to set the bar down RIGHT THERE, and keep looking at the middle of your foot as you lower the bar, I bet you’ll find that your body takes care of the rest, and magically, that bar will be in the right spot for your next pull. If you find yourself constantly setting the bar down in the wrong spot, give this a try for a few sessions and see if it doesn’t fix the problem.

Week 2021.06.14

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This Week’s Conditioning

Option 1
Sled
Outdoors:
10 rounds of:
Push sled 100 ft
Pull sled 100 ft (hand over hand)

Indoors:
20 rounds of:
Push sled 50 ft
Pull sled 50 ft (hand over hand)

Compare to 2021.04.12.

Option 2
Bike/row:
4 x 800m

Rest 3 minutes between each round. Score = slowest time.

Compare to 2021.03.22.

Option 3
1st: 5 x 50 ft seated sled pull. Add weight each round. Rest as needed.
2nd: 5 x 100 ft duck walk. Add weight each round. Rest as needed.

Compare to 2021.02.22.

Option 4
Outdoors
4 rounds:
50 yd farmer carry
80 m sled drag
Rest 2 min

Indoors
4 rounds:
100 ft farmer carry
100 ft sled drag
Rest 2 min

Compare to 2021.02.15.

Hot Tips for Warm Weather Training

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(A Blast from the Past article originally posted on 06/09/19)

Summer has arrived, and it is certainly getting warm in the gym. With this in mind, here are a couple of tips for training when it’s hot:

  • Bring a towel. Not a washcloth. A towel. You’ll appreciate it.

  • Cotton t-shirts are always a lifter’s best friend, but in the summer, some of you may want to bring more than one. One shirt to squat, and then one for the rest of the training session. Some of you may need three shirts!

  • Tank tops are excellent when you want to show off your sculpted gunzz, but they are terrible for squatting, benching, and cleaning (the olympic version - you can vacuum and dust in a tank to your heart’s delight). Tank tops leave your shoulders bare, and you want fabric in contact with the bar or the bench, not sweaty, oily human skin. Gross. Just gross.

  • If you don’t typically train with a water bottle, now is a good time to start. Gatorade or a similar sports drink works well also.

  • Headbands are not only stylish - they keep sweat out of your eyes.

Also, as a bit of a housekeeping follow-up to the tips above, please remember to do the following:

  • Spray and wipe down your bench when you’re finished benching.

  • Grab a nylon brush (we have 4 of them at the gym) and brush down your bar before you take it back to the storage area.

Some people like training when it’s hot while some would choose a chilly day every time, but whether you love it or hate it, you can still train productively when it gets hot. A little preparation goes a long way, and you’ll find that you can adapt to the warmer weather just fine. After all, you’re an athlete.

Week 2021.06.07

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This Week’s Conditioning

Option 1
Sled
Outdoors:
10-20 x 25 yds EMOM at a weight of your choice

Every minute, push the sled 25 yards, i.e., if pushing the sled takes 20 seconds, then you have 40 seconds to rest. Perform 10-20 rounds.

Indoors:
10-20 x 100 ft EMOM at a weight of your choice

Every minute, push the sled 100 feet, i.e., if pushing the sled takes 20 seconds, then you have 40 seconds to rest. Perform 10-20 rounds.

Compare to 2021.04.05.

Option 2
Bike/row:
4 x 3 minutes

Rest 3 minutes between each round. Score = lowest distance.

Compare to 2021.03.15.

Option 3
1. Work up to a heavy single on the axle clean-and-press (i.e., ground to overhead).
2. 5 x 100 ft Zercher carry (50 ft down-back). Add weight each round. Rest as needed.

Compare to 2021.02.15.

Option 4
Outdoors:
5 rounds:
15 cal row
50 yd sled push, 100#/50#

Indoors:
5 rounds:
15 cal row
100 ft sled push, 250#/125#

Push sled slow for recovery. Score is slowest row.

Compare to 2021.02.08.

The Clean: Landing Positions

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A couple of weeks ago, we covered the three landing positions for the snatch. There are also three landing positions for the clean, and as with the snatch landing positions, each has its own advantages. Let’s briefly cover them here:

Maddie performs a power clean.

Maddie performs a power clean.

Power Clean
Landing Position: Partial squat (i.e., partial-depth front squat)
Advantage: The power clean is the simplest to learn as your feet do not travel far from their original pulling position. It also doesn’t require learning how to perform a front squat as in the . . .

Maddie performs a clean.

Maddie performs a clean.

Clean (AKA full clean or squat clean)
Landing Position: Front squat (i.e., full-depth front squat)
Advantage: Of the three landing positions, the full clean allows lifters to lift the heaviest weights as this lower receiving position means the bar doesn’t have to be lifted as high before racking it on the shoulders.

Maddie performs a split clean.

Maddie performs a split clean.

Split Clean
Landing Position: Split stance - nearly identical to the split jerk stance, but the split is often even longer and deeper.
Advantage: The split clean allows the lifter to drop further under the bar than the power clean without requiring the ability to drop into an front squat position as in the full clean. For this reason, the split clean  - although potentially useful at all ages - is especially well-suited to older lifters.

You’ll notice that the word “hang” - as in hang clean or hang power clean or hang split clean - is conspicuously absent in this discussion. This is because “hang” refers to a starting position, not a landing position. If “hang” is added as a prefix, then the lift simply starts with the bar hanging in the hands (usually at about mid-thigh height) as opposed to starting with the bar resting on the floor.