Start off w/ some foam rolling and hip mobility drills.
Next:
10 Walk outs or Inch Worms
10 Burpees
1 hand high pull (dumbbell or kettlebell) 3 x 8-12 reps w/ each arm
1 hand overhead squat (dumbbell or kettlebell) 3 x 8-12 reps w/ each arm
1 leg 2 hand dumbbell or kettlebell over head press. 3 x 8-12 reps w/ each leg
3 X 20 walking lunges
80 pushups in as many rounds as it takes.
Caterpillar or Walkouts: 10 X 1
Burpees: 10 X 2
Figure 8 to a hold: 20 X 2
Swings (1 arm kettlebell) 20 X 3
Bent over Rows 10 X 3
Bodyweight squats 20 X 3
Push ups 15 X 3
Overhead Press 15 X 3
From a question the other day on how to perform a proper one-arm kettlebell front squat. The video above is a good example of the proper technique.
In any squat movement hip and hamstring flexibility along with trunk strength are important and weaknesses will be exposed.
The technique for a one armed kettlebell squat begins with the above and moves to the rack of the kettlebell. The grip is like an ok sign w/ the thumb against the sternum. Elbow will be resting on the iliac crest of the hip. Next, unlock hips and proceed through a proper squat.
Spring is here and it’s a great time to get outside and exercise. This video gives you some great bodyweight exercise ideas that wil jump start your day or throw a wrinkle into your training. The kangaroo workout in the video shows several plyometric moves and multi joint exercises that will improve strength, cardio vascular fitness, and flexibility. Get outside, enjoy the weather, and try a few or all of these.
Back problems, joint pain, lack of flexibility, and poor excuses are too often reasons for not squatting. The truth is squatting is not bad for your back or knees. The facts are it can do wonders for curing these ailments.
Lack of depth and an inability to squat properly is often the result of any one or more of the following: improper technique, lack of hip flexibility, and or lack of core stability. In some cases there maybe be some structural imbalances, but in most cases practice and time will improve. Hip mobility, foam rolling, and dynamic flexibility exercises are great places to start. Variations of the squat (front, single leg, bulgarian, and overhead squats) will expose and develop weakness and imbalances in technique. Take the time to squat at a proper depth with little or no weight. Put the misinformation you’ve been told aside and stop worrying about how much weight is on the bar. In a short amount of time you’ll feel better, be stronger, more mobile/flexible, and more fit.
Make sure your approach to training and exercise are aligned w/ your goals. What are your goals? Do you want to improve your health and fitness, or are you training for a specific sport/ competition? How long has it been since you set goals? Do you have a clear picture of what you are trying to achieve?
Assess your priorities regularly. Through a lifetime your goals change, and so should your exercise and nutrition plan. Take a step back, look at what you are trying to accomplish. Make sure that how you are training and eating is going to get you there. If what you are doing isn’t helping you achieve your goal, it’s time to make a change.
Old running shoes + imbalanced training = shin splints or worse.
Remember that your injury has a root cause and treating the site of pain is only a temporary fix. Identifying your pain is only the beginning. Successful rehab and injury prevention begins with a balanced and “holistic” approach. More stretching, running, crunches, and a few pushups alone will not get it done. An outside look at your technique, body type, training, and equipment (shoes) are places to look at and address to avoid nagging discomfort and injury. Discomfort and pain that can be a result of a chain reaction that starts with compensating or lagging bodyparts, poor technique, and/or an imbalance that manifest somewhere down the chain.
Runners often change shoes at 300 miles or 3 months to avoid problems. Barefoot training is also a great way to bring your body and technique into balance.
Shoulder problems can be a result of imbalanced training. Many athletes love to press (bench press, pushups) but don’t pull enough to fully develop the entire shoulder girdle and muscle. For every press exercise done, match it with a pull (pullups, rows).
Despite popular belief lower back pain is not always the result of weak abdominals.
Balancing your body and preventing injury is not a quick fix. Injury prevention and rehab requires discipline and consistency. Adding overhead squats, pullups, one-legged exercises, tumbling, olympic lifts, foam rolling, stretching and other complex movements are some good places to start for a better body, better health, and better way to stay in the game.
Strong shoulders are built with the overhead press, and three variations (overhead press, push press, and push jerk) are the place to start and finish.
The overhead press – begin with the bar at the clavicle or collar bone and press the bar directly overhead. Grip is close to shoulder width with feet in an athletic stance (feet around shoulder width).
A strong leg drive to start is used in both push press and push jerk.
Push Press- after the leg drive, you finish with a pressing of the shoulders. Your feet don’t leave the start position and your legs are straight.
Push Jerk - after the leg drive, you have to catch the bar with the arms locked. There is no pressing of the shoulders. In order to meet the bar with locked arms, you will have to dip your legs a bit. If you have to dip deep to catch or ride the weight into a squat, it is a squat jerk.
A split jerk is after the leg drive, you split your legs to catch the bar in the overhead position with straight arms. No pressing out of the bar is allowed.
Practice, practice, practice to hone in technique and to become more explosive.
Seems like Albert Haynesworth is catching a lot of flack for not passing the conditioning test required by most NFL teams. If you are one of the brave souls who wants to attempt the conditioning test for yourself, you need to keep in mind that the requirements are determined by position: “skill guys” (running backs, receivers, def. backs) have less time to complete the test. The other factor is some coaches require you touch the line with your hand on the turn.
From my own experience in passing the 300 yard shuttle in college, I’ll pass on a few coaching points that helped me. Our test was 3X 300 yard shuttles (6X 50 yard sprints) in under 60 seconds (lineman time). I was so slow that coaches used to time me with a sun dial, so I had to pretty much sprint the whole thing. Some guys are just good athletes and could strap up and go, but I on the other hand had to train in order to pass. Here are some tips:
• Run in a straight line. No wasted motion- pick a spot on each end and stick to it.
• Sprint into and out of the turn. The turns are where you lose the most time. I found that if I exploded into the touch and turn and jumped out of it, I could save some valuable time.
• Train for the test. Practice will improve conditioning and will build your confidence going into the test. A confident competitor is a less anxious one. Being well prepared for this or any test is always a great idea.
• Don’t eat like an idiot before your test. As a returning sophomore in college I ate 6 chocolate doughnuts a couple of hours before the conditioning test. I was so hungry and needed my strength. I passed the test but lost the doughnuts…all over the field. Not a good idea. So Albert, if you need some training I know somebody that can help.
Could you pass an NFL conditioning test? A D.C. reporter comes close to passing the Redskin’s conditioning test that Albert Haynesworth failed twice. Pretty embarrassing if you ask me, that a professional athlete can’t show up to camp in proper condition.
The test: 6 X 60 yard sprints in under 70 seconds. Rest 3.5 minutes, and another 6x 60′s at 73 seconds or less. The reporter missed the second round by 8 seconds.
This is pretty close to the last test we had in college. Ours was 3 rounds of 6 x 50′s in 60 seconds or under for lineman with a 3.5 minute rest in between. It was brutal at 100 plus degrees in the August Texas heat, at 300 lbs. Easily one of the most miserable experiences of my life. But I passed the test and crossed the finish line at just under the mandatory time, needing about 30 minutes to recover and see straight. I remember landing in a pile of my teammates whi had finished the test and saying to them, “I can’t see! My eyes are open but I can’t see anything!” My teammate responded, “Me either!”
So Albert, I feel your pain. Nobody had more anxiety about Fall camp or conditioning tests than me, but I didn’t have millions of dollars to soften my landing after I collapsed across the finish line.
If you are looking for a challenge, or just need a quick conditioning workout give one of these a try. Hopefully you won’t lose your vision like I did. Send us your times and see if you can beat this reporter and Albert Haynesworth. Who knows, maybe the ‘Skins will sign you instead.