Starting Sandbag Exercises

                     

Sandbag training is an amazingly versatile tool. They're unique in their feel, and some very different types of drills can be performed within sandbag training. The number one question that people ask me is "what are the best drills to perform in sandbag training?" While that depends on various factors (i.e. goals, training level, etc.), there are some foundational drills that make sandbags very distinct.

Shoulder squat to opposite side press

Until I come up with a better name for this drill, I'll name it after the movement performed. This may simply be one of the best hybrid drills to use in sandbag training. You perform all of the important aspects of lifting-the pull, squat, and press. However, you do all of them to one side of the body. Resting the sandbag on the shoulder is very different from using kettlebells or even dumbbells. By actually placing the load on the shoulder, the body is truly forced to stabilize across all planes of the movement. This also greatly challenges the core in the most functional way (resisting movement and maintaining posture). Lastly, the pressing movement performed in this series can't be done with any other implement. Your center of gravity changes drastically, and you aren't in the most advantageous position to press. In other words, a whole lot of fun!

Shoulder Sandbag get-up

Great exercises like get-ups are no longer forgotten drills thanks to Pavel Tsatsouline's reintroduction of the kettlebell. Using a kettlebell, dumbbell, or even barbell, in this drill, the challenge is to stabilize the shoulder joint while you move. However, using sandbag training, the shoulder isn't the primary focus, but rather more intensity is placed through the torso. This means you can add more load to the trunk, and the dynamics of the movement change greatly. The ability to be fluid and mobile while holding a 100-lb plus sandbag not only builds a solid core, but also improves your strength-flexibility.

Half-moon snatch

Of course, the snatch exercise is nothing new. With most implements, this drill is performed with the weight in front of the body. This can also be performed using a sandbag, but for a twist, we actually perform more of a side bending version. Since most injuries occur in the planes of motion that we don't train, this is a very helpful drill for improving the hips and torso. By keeping the weight of the body by the bag, you explode and lift the bag up and over the head to the other side. You'll find that the drill must be done by driving the hips into the ground, not trying to lift the bag with the back. The half-moon snatch is amazing for all athletes, especially combative athletes.

Overhead sandbag lunge

Some aren't big fans of overhead lifting. While we could argue all day the validity of such an idea, we can probably agree that some level of overhead strength is necessary for all individuals-athletes and non-athletes alike. A very simple and safe way to start building overhead shoulder stability is to perform the overhead lunge. For some, this won't seem like a new lift because it has been commonly performed using barbells and dumbbells in the past. However, sandbags add a new dimension. Because of the non-conforming nature of sandbags, it's a greater challenge trying to keep the weight perfectly balanced overhead. The bag will slightly shift on every repetition causing the lifter to stabilize not only the shoulders, but the trunk and hips as well. You'll be amazed by how many people's entire body shakes while performing this drill.

Sandbag takedowns

This is a very unique drill. I wanted a drill that could be performed using the whole body with explosive rotational power. That's where this drill was born. By using a jump stretch band and attaching it to the handles of the sandbag, you can create a rotational drill with a very "live" feeling.

Hopefully, this opens your eyes to some of the amazingly effective drills you can create with one of the world's oldest tools-sandbag training!

Josh Henkin is the creator of the Ultimate Sandbag Training programs one of the most dynamic and highly sought out functional fitness programs. Find out how sandbag training can accelerate your fitness programs.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/expert/Josh_Ari_Henkin/1176430

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Video:

https://www.youtube.com/user/mountainathlete

The 7 Most Important Kettlebell Exercises.

                     

Step away from the dumbbells and barbells because the kettlebell is here to stay in terms of improving your functional training capabilities and fitness levels. Functional training is a method that is being discussed on many internet fitness forums and there is a lot of 'Bro-Science' being bandied around by some of these websites. Therefore, this article will cut the wheat from the chaff, discussing what actually functional fitness is and how can training with kettlebells help to improve it. Please read on!

Functional Training

Over the past decade, there has been a shift in making training more functional. The revolution started with physical therapists and filtered its way into personal training and coaching. Functional fitness involves training for activities that we perform in our daily tasks, and simulating the common movements that are performed at work, home or in sports. The functional exercises have been designed to develop your strength which makes it easier/safer to perform everyday activities without getting injured. Below are some examples of some of the activities that are simulated when functional training:

· picking things up off the floor e.g. clothes and shopping

· putting things away over your head e.g. putting shopping away in cupboards over your head

· carrying items e.g. bags of shopping

· squatting down e.g. DIY

· reaching and rotating e.g. gardening and DIY around the house

Therefore, each exercise focuses on more than one body part, instead of using one muscle e.g. the bicep curl, all of the muscles work together to produce more compound movements e.g. the kettlebell bicep curl with a step up onto a box. This is an important concept because all our muscles depend on each other and they also work together during daily activities. Thus, by using more compound movements during the kettlebell session; your daily movements will become more energy efficient by using less energy and reducing stress placed on your body. The List below is an example of how kettlebells can be applied to a variety of functional movements:

Exercise

Snatch - Pushing

Military press - Pushing

Floor chest press - Pushing

High pull - Pulling

Bent over rows - Pulling

Sumo high pulls - Pulling

Russian twists - Twisting

Wood choppers - Twisting

Ballet twists - Twisting

Squats - Bending

Lunges - Bending

Side bends - Bending

# Please note there may be some cross over in exercise and their primary movement categories e.g. front squats where you bend your knees to power up through your heels and then you push the kettelebell/s above your head.

The Benefits of Functional Training

Resistance type exercises that only use one muscle are important for building muscle mass but unfortunately they can cause 'disproportion'. By adding functional exercises with kettlebells into your exercise routine, your balance, coordination and core stability will work together as a bodily unit, thereby enabling you to perform daily tasks a lot more efficiently. This will lead to the following health and fitness benefits:

· It makes daily tasks and activities a lot easier because the body is more conditioned

· Improves the overall musculoskeletal and joint function within the body

· Reduces your risk of injury and falling

· Enhances your quality of life

· Enhances stability, coordination and balance

· Develops strength in your muscle stabilizers e.g. shoulder, hip and core

· It boosts physical endurance

· Increases your resting metabolism because resting muscle requires more energy to function than fat

· Improves your posture by strengthening the lower back and core

· Helps to eliminate arthritic pain, back pain, upper extremity pain and joint pain e.g. the knee

· Improves range of motion at the joints e.g. the shoulder and hips.

The impact of functional training with kettlebells

Functional training with kettlebell/s works on different bodily movement planes e.g. frontal, sagittal and transverse, hitting different angles, recruits the muscle stabilisers as well as using the main muscle groups and the core. The kettlebell also has a unique design and it has a centre of gravity that is around 6-7 inches outside of your hand grip and this actually duplicates the forces used in daily activities such as carrying the shopping. It also improves your grip strength because of the increased activation of your forearm muscles.

In addition, the shape of the kettlebell allows positioning of the weight to be above your centre of gravity. This has a positive effect in that it permits you to keep your arms/wrists in a neutral position and it is that concept that allows you to perform a greater range of functional moves for a longer period of time. Therefore, you can perform a larger amount of functional moves; this increases your functional fitness and its associated benefits a lot quicker than using dumbbells and/or barbells.

Kettlebell training also works all planes of your body unilaterally and this ensures that all of the major muscle groups are worked and there are no imbalances in the kinetic chain. An advantage of using kettlebells is that they engage the posterior kinetic chain and the muscles activated include the hamstrings, glutes, calfs and the core. For example by strengthening your glutes will prevent your erector spinae from overcompensating when performing functional every lifting movements.

Back pain is a major cause of absenteeism in the work place and one of the main benefits of functional training with kettlebell is that it strengthens your back in a variety of ways. Firstly, it helps to increase your hip flexibility; this produces a pelvic tilt and reduces the load on your lower back. The next key benefit is that strengthens the erector spinae and multifidus muscles which are important for posture and spinal stability. Last but by no means least it helps with bracing which is another important factor in spinal stability, good back health and injury prevention.

http://www.troyvanspanje.com. For a functional kettlebell workout https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U-iO7pHqpJo. Troy van spanje is a Personal Trainer and Kettlebell expert

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/expert/Troy_Van_Spanje/2018021

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Video:

https://www.youtube.com/user/RdellaTraining

Functional Training - Is it doing things differently?

                      

It isn't rocket science or a strange secret society, functional movement, functional training, you do functional movement everyday without thinking about it.

The term functional training was coined when trainers happened upon a concept used by Physiotherapists and rehabilitation trainers was used by them to describe and retrain people to go about or improve their daily tasks/lives. Since then it has evolved in many ways and forms and be used in every aspect of the fitness industry from personal trainers to strength coaches. The various forms are vast and varied and who is to say what or which one is right or wrong, the common denominator is that all methods agree on the improvement of a person or athlete in or on all planes of human movement; whether this be the retraining of a stroke victim to walk or an athlete to re balance instabilities in a movement the goal is the same FUNCTIONAL MOVEMENT improves all aspects of movement (if trained correctly)

The dictionary defines functional training for sport as

Functional training for sports

Functional training may lead to better muscular balance and joint stability, possibly decreasing the number of injuries sustained in an individual's performance in a sport The benefits may arise from the use of training that emphasizes the body's natural ability to move in six degrees of freedom. In comparison, though machines appear to be safer to use, they restrict movements to a single plane of motion, which is an unnatural form of movement for the body and may potentially lead to faulty movement patterns or injury.

In 2009 Spennewyn conducted research, published in the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research which compared functional training to fixed variable training techniques; this was considered the first research of its type comparing the two methods of strength training. Results of the study showed very substantial gains and benefits in the functional training group over fixed training equipment. Functional users had a 58% greater increase in strength over the fixed-form group. Their improvements in balance were 196% higher over fixed and reported an overall decrease in joint pain by 30%.

In addition, a recent study of the effectiveness of sandbag training on athletic conditioning, found that training with a variable load has significant cardiovascular benefits over conventional methods. The study compared subjects doing exercise with a sandbag, a kettlebell and battle ropes for 5:44 seconds each. The study concluded that sandbag training burned 24% more calories over the other methods.

Consideration when implementing a functional programme This can go either way dependent on many factors inclusive of your experience, knowledge and understanding of the concept. One key factor to consider when implementing a programme for an athlete or the general public is every session is an EVALUATION, from the minute they walk through the door to the minute they disappear from view.

Other key factors for consideration are

• Plan

• Management timing in relation to the plan

• Liaison with other agencies involved with the athlete

• Define objectives

• Clearly defined executions of delivery for said objectives

• Always work efficiently and effectively (quality before quantity)

• Workouts should be creative and challenging

• EDIPP principle is paramount in delivery

• Both athlete and coach must be prepared for the long haul

• Consistency within the programme (one step at a time) e.g each session should concentrate on one aim not multiple goals

• Play as you train, train as you play, remember competition is the outcome of training

other factors can affect your plan and also need to be considered especially in relation to performance factors.

Sports performance factors

1. Power

2. Strength

3. Speed

4. Coordination

5. Flexibility

6. Quickness

7. Muscular endurance

8. Cardio capacity and endurance

However firstly it is important that you understand the needs of the sport, you may not be familiar with a sport or at least not all of the demands for the sport. Most sports can be broken down into four basic categories

• Sprint

• Intermittent sprint

• Transitional

• Endurance

Thereafter you need to look at the athlete

o Understand their position within the sport

o Analyse the qualities of the athlete

o Understand the most common injuries to the sport

o Impact factors on the athlete and injuries

Hopefully this article will allow you to understand a little more about the need for sports functionality.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/expert/Brian_Fernie/130007

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What's stopping you trying your first CROSSFIT COMPETITION?

                        

Competition in life makes you a better person, it is what the American society, and the world thrives best on. If you are trying to better yourself than it is most likely because you are trying to be the best YOU. It's time we stop giving out participation medals, and seeking goals that are difficult to obtain.

Eagerness to not fall behind: Are you going to suck at first, of course. You can't learn how to play chess first try. But if you do everything you can to get yourself "up to par", you will grow much faster in your gym. No one wants to look like an idiot, and this drive to make yourself "one of the guys" will force rapid improvement.

CrossFit gyms always have Others to Push You: Take it from someone who owns a CrossFit gym. I push myself as hard as I can so that I will have the top-score, but I am thrilled if someone can beat me. I will demand it out of my students. I don't want it to be easy for me to be beaten, but that's the point. Anything that's hard is worth having, right? Members at CrossFit gyms are just like that. They want to push themselves past the next person, but if someone passes them, they want to get a better time to keep pushing themselves and the others in the gym.

Competition in the CrossFit gym, makes you better at life: Think about your days back in high school, where you wanted to be the best quarterback or wrestler or jeez, tuba player. We live in a competitive society, and this is ingrained into our social consciousness. It's time you embrace this. Find someone who is a little bit better than you in the gym... or life... and try to make your time (abilities) better than theirs. This won't be easy, because they will be improving to, but if you have benchmarks and goals, than obtaining them is so sweet!

CrossFit gyms give you a Better Knowledge of What the Body is Capable Of: Look around the gym, do you think there is any way YOU will be capable of pulling off the feats you see from the others during the day's CrossFit WOD. Guess what, when they walked in on Day 1, they look just like you! Their CrossFit technique was terrible, trust me! I own a CrossFit gym, and while some learn faster than others, everyone looks like a goof on day 1. No one is judging you, because they looked like you their first day.

CrossFit is Healthy and not unsafe: Not only will you be competitive in the gym, thus making you more physically fit. But those around you will be transforming the physical appearance, and their mental attitudes. You will see them going through the transformation and you will do whatever you can to transform with them. It's a team atmosphere, and everyone is their to health. You'll improve your mental health by having more friends, releasing natural endorphins and pushing yourself past limits you only dreamed of. You will improve your physical health because you will be increasing your strength and stamina, and will be surrounded by a crowd who eat right with the paleo diet.

CrossFit competition is Fun: It just is! For all the reasons listed above. If you took state in high school, it was probably one of the greatest moment of your life, and if you didn't take state, but strived towards that goal, than you know that it was A) Fun to chase that goal and B) Made you a better person. Don't coddle yourself, embrace how fun the CrossFit lifestyle can be, and push yourself like you didn't know possible.

Not wanting to lose to a CrossFit girl: CrossFit girls are awesome! They are tough, competitive and just plain "one-of-the-guys". The chances of you losing to a girl your first time in the gym is likely. Don't worry, they are used to this and won't make you feel inadequate. Your goal will now be to push yourself to at least their level and beyond. If you can catch them, they will respect you for it. Plus, CrossFit girls are so hot!

Philip Gephardt is a professional fighter and owner/founder of Factum CrossFit and MMA in Utah. Phil was a nationally ranked wrestler before switching sports and focusing on a professional mixed martial arts career turned gym owner.

To see more of his musings by visiting the Factum CrossFit and MMA blog

Article Source: https://EzineArticles.com/expert/Philip_Gephardt/1703787

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Do you need heavy weights to train?

   

Suspended Body Weight Training with FK Pro.

Suspended Bodyweight Training is a form of body weight resistance training performed on a portable device (F K Pro) that can be attached to a frame, rig or even a tree. It consists of straps that are adjustable to suit a particular exercise.

This lack of stability provides a multi-planar opportunity to perform movements that you are not capable of doing on most other equipment.

                    

F K Pro is the number one British product for Suspended Bodyweight Training.

There are so many training techniques that you can do with F K Pro that you just cannot do with any other type of training.

Take for instance the simple exercise of pressing.

The F K Pro teaches you instantly how to use your upper extremity in a self-limiting way.

The movement will feel awkward at first until your body understands the proximal (close to the mid-line) to distal (away from the mid-line) transmission of stability into strength.

You are not fixed like you would be on a machine.

As consequence you will have to use multiple components of fitness including balance and proprioception.

At Bulletproofbodies we don’t use machines, we help build them.

Check out the F K Pro website below and order yours today:

       http://www.fkpro.co.uk/

Use the Bulletproofbodies discount code:

DJW10

Check out James Haskell’s Youtube page on the link below:

https://www.youtube.com/user/TheJameshaskell

James Haskell, the Bulletproofbodies Team Salute you.

Functional Training - From JP's Ultra Spiritual Life

Are you tired of Functional Fitness Gurus telling you what to do?

No?

Didn’t think so!

Check out this video from JP’s Ultra Spiritual Life:

                       

This guy cracks me up!

"When I see people in the Gym not doing functional exercise, I criticise them in a very educational way. Because I care!"

We all love Functional Training but sometimes we need to look at ourselves in a light-hearted way.

This video makes us reflect on the fact that for our modern sedentary life we don't actually need a high level of fitness to do our 'first world' jobs anymore.

However, what is important is achieving our human potential, especially in the physical realm.

We can't achieve our physical training goals at work.

We can't achieve our full potential if we sit down for 8 hours a day!

So what's the answer?

A sit to stand desk.

We at Bulletproofbodies have been using a standing desk for ages now and the difference to our energy levels and productivity is significant.

Not to mention that we don't get that "I've been sat down all day" feeling that we used to get.

Look at it as training inbetween training sessions.

So check out which desk is best for you by visiting Sit to Stand .com:

https://sit-stand.com/

Use the Bulletproofbodies discount code:

DALE*5

https://sit-stand.com/

Subscribe to JP’s channel:

https://www.youtube.com/user/AwakenWithJP

Functional Training = I'm Awesome

JP the Bulletproofbodies Team salute you.

Bulletproofbodies & the Purpose of CrossFit

Today I was training with an ex-Commando buddy of mine who's now in the Police.

He invited me to a very nice David Lloyd Health Club.

The facility was amazing with more kit than I have seen in any gym for a long while.

I used to love these health clubs, but these days I just compare it to CrossFit.

So we went to the Olympic lifting platforms and started doing some lifting.

We went through some OLY basics then we moved onto some body weight exercises, followed by some kettle bell work.

I was surprised at how much mobility my friend had lost and how much I have gained.

The difference was simply CrossFit.

He started asking me about the the purpose of CrossFit, so I talked about High Intensity, Constantly Varied, Functional Movement and working out in a community rather than doing my own thing with head phones on.

But to really answer the question I needed a video of the man who revolutionised the Fitness Industry forever, Coach Greg Glassman:

Check out more videos from the CrossFit founder:

https://www.youtube.com/user/CrossFitHQ

Coach Glassman, the Bulletproofbodies Team salute you!

How can we be aware of the Bear if we don't know it's there?

Injury can sneak up on you, sometimes you will never know how close you came!

If we can't see it and it didn't get us then does it really matter?

Check out this video of a Snowboarder who does not realise at the time how close she came to be attacked by a Bear.

Injury is a bit like this video.

Sometimes you might be doing an exercise in training and your technique is dangerous.

You might get away with it sometimes.

But if you keep being chased by bears, eventually they are going to get you.

You have only got to watch Leo in the Revenant to discover what happens when the bear gets you:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QhDinIBETiI

So by reminding ourselves of the consequences of injury, a small investment in injury prevention seems like time well spent.

It is not just about the Gym but what we do with the rest of our time that also counts.

Bullet Points:

1. Check your technique

2. Value quality over quantity - Have the moral courage to no rep yourself!

3. Stretch, Mobilise, Foam Roll and move on a daily basis

4. See a Physiotherapist if your pain persists

5. Don't sit down all day. Move for 5 minutes every hour (get a standing desk)

6. Go one step further and get a Treadmil desk:

https://sit-stand.com/

Use my discount code:

DALE*5