Monday, February 25, 2013
Thursday, October 25, 2012
WEBER STRENGTH T-SHIRTS ARE HERE!!!
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- ALL PROCEEDS DONATED TO THE ORANGE COUNTY MAKE-A-WISH FOUNDATION
Thursday, March 29, 2012
Saturday, March 3, 2012
Saturday, January 7, 2012
HOW TO SQUAT LIKE A BEAST!!!!
There's no too many things in the gym that impress me these days. When I look across the gym floor however, there's usually one particular lift that grabs my attention, the squat. When I see a guy throw on 2, 3, and 4+ plates, at that moment I usually become pretty pessimistic. I immediately assume that they are going to do a partial rep, and 99% of the time i'm right. BUT, every so often I come across a guy who surprises me, makes me do a "double-take" and verify the exact amount on the bar. Most of the time it's not even that much weight, maybe 225 and up... but they're TECHNIQUE impresses me. Good depth, good flexibility, flat back. I've given more compliments to guys correctly squatting 225 than anybody doing any other lift or weight in the gym. Why? Because it takes practice. I know this isn't their first time in the gym... I know that in order to develop a good squat, it takes determination and consistency. A good squat is an immediate right of passage into the "bro-code" of weightlifting.
Luckily I was able to get some tips from my good friend and fellow WeberStrength Athlete, Bryan Nhan. Bryan holds a personal best of 720 lbs in the squat, and this picture shows that he's spent some time under the bar. Have you ever seen this many people stop and stare at a guy bench pressing? I didn't think so...
Bryan's top 3 tips for improving your squat:
1) Do things standing up. i.e. instead of seated overhead press, do it standing to increase trunk strength and stability. Many lifts can have a crossover effect to other lifts if you do them correctly.
2) Do similar movements. Front Squat/Lunges/Split Squat, etc. "Leg" training doesn't only have to be squats 1 day per week.
3) Do it right. A good population of the world does partial squats, which is great for getting past sticking points but you need to finish the movement in order to maximize gains.
Try to implement these training tips into your program and maybe you'll be the guy in the picture someday!
Monday, January 2, 2012
Avoiding the Post-New Years Crowd
So the first of the year is upon us, and any regular gym-goer knows that January is National Newbies Get in the Way month at your local gym. Not cool for us regulars. But here's a few tips on avoiding the holiday crowd, because as we all know, they'll be gone in a month :)
1) Be creative
Now is a great time to check out alternate modes/styles of exercise. If you've never tried a bodyweight circuit before, if you've never hopped on the rower before, or tried to write up an entire workout using 1 pair of DB's... try it out. Usually I start the year with some corrective exercises/flexibility/conditioning anyway.
2) Change your split
Most weight training programs are written as chest on Monday, back on Tuesday, etc. On a Monday, all the bench press racks and flat benches are going to be swarmed on like Justin Beiber at a high school prom. I always do this, but switch your leg day to a Monday, and you'll be pleasantly surprised that the squat rack is empty... that is unless it's being used for curls :(
3) Avoid prime-time
5-7pm is by far the worst time to get a great workout in. Avoid this time like the plague. Remember, it's a small price to pay for getting a better workout in!
6-8am is generally more crowded as well, but these newbies usually are hitting the snooze button anyway after a week or two.
Monday Tuesday and Wednesday are the busiest days. Thursday Friday and Sunday are not. I suggest moving your rest days to Monday and Tuesday for a couple weeks.
4) Can't get on a Treadmill?
Go outside. Jump Rope. Shovel snow. Ever try to do jumping jacks for 20 minutes? NOT EASY.
5) Make Friends
If all else fails, ask someone if they wouldn't mind if you worked in with them. I've never said no to this, in fact it helps me avoid resting too much between sets, and gives me a spotter if need be. Anyone who says no to this probably hasn't been in the gym too long, and probably isn't lifting as much weight as you anyway :)
1) Be creative
Now is a great time to check out alternate modes/styles of exercise. If you've never tried a bodyweight circuit before, if you've never hopped on the rower before, or tried to write up an entire workout using 1 pair of DB's... try it out. Usually I start the year with some corrective exercises/flexibility/conditioning anyway.
2) Change your split
Most weight training programs are written as chest on Monday, back on Tuesday, etc. On a Monday, all the bench press racks and flat benches are going to be swarmed on like Justin Beiber at a high school prom. I always do this, but switch your leg day to a Monday, and you'll be pleasantly surprised that the squat rack is empty... that is unless it's being used for curls :(
3) Avoid prime-time
5-7pm is by far the worst time to get a great workout in. Avoid this time like the plague. Remember, it's a small price to pay for getting a better workout in!
6-8am is generally more crowded as well, but these newbies usually are hitting the snooze button anyway after a week or two.
Monday Tuesday and Wednesday are the busiest days. Thursday Friday and Sunday are not. I suggest moving your rest days to Monday and Tuesday for a couple weeks.
4) Can't get on a Treadmill?
Go outside. Jump Rope. Shovel snow. Ever try to do jumping jacks for 20 minutes? NOT EASY.
5) Make Friends
If all else fails, ask someone if they wouldn't mind if you worked in with them. I've never said no to this, in fact it helps me avoid resting too much between sets, and gives me a spotter if need be. Anyone who says no to this probably hasn't been in the gym too long, and probably isn't lifting as much weight as you anyway :)
Sunday, December 18, 2011
EXCEPTIONS TO THE "RULES" OF FITNESS
If you've read any fitness book lately, chances are it has laid out the "blueprint" for everything from muscle gain, fat loss, and nutrition. Now, i'm not talking about a random internet website, periodical, or magazine. I'm talking about BOOKS, written by experts who compile their information from peer reviewed journals and personal studies. It is these books that have established many of the household "rules" or strong guidelines we use today in the fitness industry. Although these books are probably the most valuable tool a trainer or coach can have in order to develop a strong foundation of fitness, they also lack specificity and diversity. Or as I like to call "exceptions to the rules." When I first started started in this industry, I admit I was guilty of following the rules too closely. Everything I did was by the book because I assumed it was the only way. It has to be the only way or else it wouldn't be in the book right? Wrong. The following are the top rules to fitness, and the exceptions to these rules that I've come to learn over the years.
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