As I've mentioned many times before I have a few different programs i try to follow and adapt the training methods to my own situation...here is a great article that gives an overview of what I aspire to on a much abbreviated level...and given my penchant for good food/drink I've long ago given up on having my 6 pack back!
www.menshealthsa.co.za/index.php
Thanks for that article! The paragraph about body rotation helped me instantly start to fix a problem that I've been having with my left arm pull. It made me realize that I have really crappy rotation to my left.
The power in your stroke comes out of the rotation and the arms merely direct where you’re going.I've always tried to generate most of my power from the lats and across my back, instead of focusing more on using my abs and hips to do so. After reading the article, I put on the snorkel yesterday and this morning and really worked on getting a good balanced roll. Then I did a set this morning, sans snorkel, trying to maintain that and found that I was able to maintain a good pace (for me, ~1:15/100 Y for a broken 1650) with less fatigue.
I think it's going to make a big difference for my freestyle. I still have a lot of work to do on it, though. Now, I need to focus on keeping my head from waggling around while maintaining the same hip rotation.
It's too bad margaritas aren't particularly good for the immune system.
But 1-2 glasses of red wine still has health benefits.
To get back on topic, there is an interesting YouTube video of Troy Polomalu (Steeler) working out. The trainer, Marv Marinovich, stressed explosive movement exercises, to simulate the action that football players would experience. A normal power lifting routine would make you stronger, but not as powerful for quick movements.
Yes, and that is major reason why free weights are far superior to machines. You not only have to lift/move the weight, you have to stabilize it too.
Paul
A friend just told me about "slosh pipes". The Youtube videos look like it'd be great core work. Oh great, something else to injure myself with.
Check it out.
Rich
A friend just told me about "slosh pipes". The Youtube videos look like it'd be great core work. Oh great, something else to injure myself with.
Check it out.
Rich
So the water sloshes around in the pipe? That's cool. Instability is a great tool for building strength, because it increases the difficulty without increasing stress on the joints.
Tom, anything new can be a bit scary...especially lifting free weights. A clarification, when i say that I believe in lifting "heavy" its VERY relative. Being an old fart and not wanting to risk injury the amount of weight i use is a joke to someone like PW or JH...BUT it worked very well for both Laura and I this past spring and were doing the 12 week program again for Portland. Today is the 4th of 4 workouts done every 3 days:
This am (takes about 25 minutes):
- Deadlift: 2 sets 5-7 reps, 1 set 12-15, 3 minutes res between each
- Romanian Deadlift: 2 sets 8-10 reps, 2 minutes rest
- Standing Dumbll shrug: 2 sets 10-12, 2 minutes rest
- Swiss Ball crunch: 2 sets 20-25, 1 minute rest
- Plank held for 2 minutes
- Seated Russian twist; 2 sets 15-20 reps, 45 seconds rest
- Plank held for 2 minutes
Noon recovery swim:
- will be about 20 minutes of sculling and underwater work
Romanian Deadlift: 2 sets 8-10 reps, 2 minutes rest
Most awesome exercise! I started doing these about 6 weeks ago after a 10 year hiatus from them. I'd do them before squats, and while my squat initially went down, it was worth it. I've now switched back to doing squats first and was able to do 405 nice and controlled.
Good mornings are also good for hips, lower back, and hamstrings.
I am also in agreement of mixing things up - reps, exercises, order of exercises, amount of rest between sets, d-bell vs. barbell, etc. Helps to take the edge off the boredom factor.
:bouncing:
One thing that made me laugh: when I first started lifting, back in high school (long long ago), our coach drilled the 8-12 rep range as the optimal range...and it is missing from your chart! But that was, as I said, long ago.
I do have one question about your table. I know you gave all kinds of caveats and that this is a simplification -- maybe an oversimplification. And you clearly know much more about this than I do.
But I do have a hard time completely buying the fact that going from #1 to #2 can have such a stark effect, going from mostly adding strength to mostly adding bulk. There just doesn't seem to be such a huge difference (2 reps) between the two types of exercises.
Chris
True it is VERY simplified and you are right there is not much difference between the 2 but the difference is in HOW much weight you use and how much rest you give between sets.
But it might be better stated that #1 is 3-5 reps as opposed to 4-6 but I have found that with 3-5 reps too many people use a weight that is too heavy and end up _just_ getting that 5th rep with poor form and defeating the purpose. but also remember that if you can do 3 sets of 6 reps, then the weight is too light so in reality, it is closer to 4-5 reps.
Paul
Paul
