Just found this video and thought I’d share it with you.

Weight Lifting Bloopers

This is a great example of professional weight lifters and amateur weight lifters making mistakes.

Some are quite bad and show the complexities of doing Olympic lifting, whilst others show idiots who really should get some professional fitness training assistance.

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It is important to stress, that this program is for some one
who is an elite athlete rehabbing from a long term (18 months plus)
hamstring injury.

Eccentric training programs are only ever conducted with
people that are experienced in all types of training and all types of
exercise lifts.  In my eyes someone does not automatically become
advance after 18 months of training (although this should
be used a s a benchmark) but when they can execute all the
exercise with correct form and proper technique.

If you’re wondering on how you do things correctly then
check out my 10 trial of my Weight Training Technique Program.

So here are the exercises:

Resisting Partner Pushing – as your partner pushes you
backwards for 10-12 reps on each leg.  It is your job to slow them
down and resist the backwards movement (the partner
should offer medium to high resistance as you warm up and get
used to the process – I’ll hopefully be recording all the exercises soon.

Partner Pulling – this time wrap a towel or strap around your partner,
stand face to face and try and pull them backwards for 10-12 reps
on each leg.

Stiff Leg Deadlift/Romanian Deadlift – use a stiff leg technique for the
downward eccentric phase, lowering the weight down in about
8-10 seconds.  Bend the legs and complete a concentric
Romanian deadlift to return the bar to waist height. 4-10 depending
on load.

Split Squat Lunge Drop.  Starting in a split lunge position, raise up on
your toes and then rapidly drop your heels to the ground and dropping
into a deep lunge, slowing the acceleration as the back knee drops
to the floor.  Allow the backknee to come to rest on the ground before
standing back up.  5-8 each leg depending on load.

Eccentric Split Zercher.  Although have made a small change in this case and
allowed the back leg to stay on the floor – due to including two other
exercise next, the basic premise of the exercise has stayed the shame – you
cansee this exercise in the post I did here
- http://alexpoole.tv/blog/zercherzercher

Single Leg Romanian Deadlift – technique on WTT site.

Single Leg Stiff Leg Deadlift – technique on WTT site.

Single and two legged box drops.  Stand on a box and jump off controlling the
landing and slowing the deep squat to focus on the hamstring breaking potential.
20-30cm single leg and 40-60cm two legs – 10-12 each.

So there it is, I am not in a position to share the actual
make up of the program yet until I have completed the 12 week exercise
protocol, butI will share in the end my overall periodization and use of the
superstition of training effects to elicit the greatest potential for improvements.

Until next time, train hard, train smart, make every rep count.

Alex

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A couple of weeks ago I told you about some great new
research I was looking into that advocated the use of eccentric training protocols
for rehabilitating or helping prevent hamstring injuries.

Now know piece of research will be able to prove that this
reduces injury in any one individual, but what they do say is that the reoccurrence
rate and incidence rate drop significantly in soccer teams over a number of
seasons.

What this means is that the teams that used eccentric training
exercises had far less hamstring strains than in pervious seasons and in
relation to teams that didn’t implement the eccentric training protocols.

So in the video below you will see the Zercher Romanian
Deadlift, I actually do it through one leg and the most important part is the
eccentric part where I fight the body being taken slowly forward.

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So as promised here’s a sneak peek at some of my own training.

My goal is to shift about 18lbs of fat in as short a space of time as possible.

To enable me to do this I have started some high intensity training that will definitely burn up fat. My fat burning workout looked like this:

Warm up 5 min cycle.

A) Kettlebell Swing – 2 hands, x10 – 2 sets, 30secs rest

B) Kettlebell Swing – single arm, x10 left & right (LR) – 2 sets, 30 secs rest

C1)* Lat Pulldown – wide overhand, x 10 – 2 sets, 15 secs rest
C2) Barbell Bent Over Row – wide under hand, x 10 – 2 sets, 30 secs rest

D1) Barbell Stiff Leg Deadlift – snatch grip, x10 – 2 sets, 15 secs rest
D2) Single Arm Horizontal Biceps Curl, x 10 – 2 sets, 15 secs rest
D3) Single Arm Triceps Press down – reverse grip, x 10 – 2 sets, 30 secs rest

Bike sprints, 30 seconds at RPE (get a full RPE explanation by downloading my fitness foundations manual by entering you name and email above) – 9 followed by 30 secs RPE 5 – five minutes total.

Cool down 5 mins.

Total workout time less than 30 mins!

You can see me doing the exercises in the video below, but unfortunately exercises D1-D3 didn’t come out very well, so I didn’t add them and will record them again.

See my ‘Fat Burning Results Workout’ here on my YouTube channel

*NB. Exercises that have a letter followed by a number means that you do the A1 followed by A2 before returning back to A1 for the described number of sets.

Let me know what you think?

Alex

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Today’s training went really well on my 9 week half marathon programme.

It was time to repeat the resistance programme I did on day 9.

It took me less than 40 minutes to complete (about 39:45 to be precise).

I warmed up for 3 minutes on the treadmill.
Completed a 3 minute foam rolling session (see my video at the end for details of what is involved).
Then completed the three circuits of my resistance programme with a perfect 90 seconds rest between each set.
Finally I had time for a really quick three minute cool down on the treadmill before jumping in the shower (I often save some time and stretch in the shower – but I’m a bit odd like that!)

Tomorrow is back to the non running interval programme.

Here’s my video explaining the benefits and my favourite 5 foam rolling exercises.

Don’t forget you can still download your own free half marathon programme by **clicking here**

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Below you’ll find one of the videos for my Weight Training Technique site.

It’s quite an aggressive stretch, but great for those individuals who are tight behind the knee from having a tight calf (gastrocnemius) and/or a tight hamstring.

This is not the only stretch for ankle flexibility or knee flexibility but one I recommend people put in to their programs.

If you like this stretch I have 54 other videos of weight training technique exercises that you can get here: ** Click for Weight Training Technique Pre Launch**

You’ll find a full list of the 55 correct weight training exercises on this post:

** Click Here **

Enjoy the stretch!

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Alwyn Cosgrove, so called worlds leading fat loss expert and program design coach absolutely blew my mind when I heard him speak at the

FitcomXpo the worlds largest online fitness xpo for professional trainers.

Coach Cosgrove just tells it so straight. His presentation on 21st Century Program Design was fantastic to listen to.

Here’s one of the key things he said:

“Research has shown that the intensity required by a sedentary person who is trying to improve their cardiovascular fitness, might create an excessive muscular overload (jogging?)

Jones et al, noted that in the initial 6 weeks of training there was a 50-90% injury rate. This occurred in training programs specifically designed to minimize risk of injury

BOTTOM LINE : the musculoskeletal system is very easily OVERTRAINED when it is de-conditioned”

I also had the pleasure of being asked to be one of the expert presenters and did a presentation on utilizing biomechanics for maximum fitness results which I teach to my staff members and those professionals who come and serve an internship with me, but there were all sorts of online lectures from fat loss results to gaining muscle.

I have compiled 55 of my top exercises and turned them into video clips you can download to your PC or as iPod videos.

I talk you through every aspect of performing the correct technique.

** Click Here to buy them now**

Here’s a list of every exercise you get:

1 Step up Knee up

2 Step up with weight

3 Step up with knee up and weight

4 Hamstring Theory

5 Swiss Ball Hamstring Curl

6 Swiss Ball Single Leg Hamstring Curl

7 Single Leg Bridge – Floor

8 Single Leg Bridge – Bench

9 Romanian Deadlift Principles

10 Romanian Deadlift (RDL)

11 Single leg RDL

12 Single leg RDL – bench support

13 Single leg RDL – no support

14 Stiff Leg Deadlift

15 Dead Lift

16 Single Leg Hack Squat – smith mach

17 Swiss Ball Single leg hack squat

18 Bent over Row

19 Single Arm Row

20 Lat Pulldown

21 Seated Mid row

22 Single arm Single leg cable Row

23 Single arm Single leg low cable Row

24 Full bodyweight chins

25 Modified chin

26 Modified chin – adv

27 Assisted chins

28 Assisted dips

29 Bench Press

30 Press ups

31 Shoulder Press

32 Biceps Curl

33 Triceps press down

34 Calf Wall Stretch

35 Glute Figure 4 stretch

36 Hip Flexor Quad Stretch

37 Backward Lunge

38 Forward Lunge

39 Stationary Lateral Lunge

40 Dynamic Lateral Lunge

41 Bulgarian Split squat

42 Bulgarian Split squat – extended

43 Squat

44 Over head Squat

45 Leg Press on 45 deg

46 Straight Leg Calf Raise

47 Bent leg calf raise

48 Plank

49 Single Leg Plank Pose

50 Side Plank

51 Swiss Ball Half Jack Knife

52 Swiss Ball Single Leg Half Jack Knife

53 Single Arm Press up Bridge – beginners

54 Single Arm Press up Bridge – intermediate

55 Single Arm Press up Bridge – adv

** Click Here to buy them now**

This all started for me when I was working with a client 18 months ago. I was coaching Kevin through some squats and deadlifts and wanted him to see what I was seeing. So I filmed him using the video on my phone. He loved the feedback and could really see the difference between reps that he got right (and felt the most when doing them) and the ones he did incorrectly.

Later I was playing with my phone (trying to avoid writing some programmes probably) and found I could put them on my iPod. One thing lead to another and Kevin ended up with them on his video iPod. The improvements he made whilst using the video clips were massive, he even got his friends to video him at alter date so he could compare and see if he was doing right.

I actually first had a basic idea for a website that could teach people remotely about 8 years ago (I only now remember this as I type it) when I was only a couple of years into the industry. It’s not until technology has become available that this happened to stumbled into my life again.

When the optimal and correct weight training technique is used the most amount of work has to be done and therefore the big target muscles have to contribute more.

If you want to gain strength, bulk up or shed fat then you need to maximally adapt the nervous system and muscles. That happens by putting the muscle fibres and the nerves, which make them work, under specific strain. If you are using an incorrect technique you will probably be doing less work than is possible and optimal in order to get results.

Remember, the quality of the technique will determine the results you get regardless of the program.

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I am often asked about the correct technique for Olympic lifting.

I don’t have the correct equipment or access to the best lifters to video this type of technique coaching.

Recently I have found a website that answers so many of my readers questions.

If you want to know how to do the Olympic lifts, (clean & jerk and snatch) then you must visit this site and make it one of your favourites.

Iron Maven

Everything you find on that site is of the highest quality and I highly reccomend it.

Until next time, train hard, train smart, make every rep count.
Alex

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This is a debate that has raged among fitness professionals and keen gym goers for many years.

Now a number of people will tell you that if you don’t go below parallel then you’re not squatting correctly.

Here’s where I have a problem with that advice.

1. They never quantify what they mean by parallel is it the top or bottom of the thigh?
2. They do so with out looking at the individual and what that individual can do.

This is the more important of the two and the part which I am going to discuss further.

I mean if someone cannot squat down to parallel is it because they are not strong enough or because they lack flexibility in certain areas?

In fact both cases can be true.

Increasing the strength levels will allow the body to recruit more nerves and more muscle fibres which will indeed allow for greater depth to be reached.

The more important one to look at though is the flexibility needed to perform a deep squat and where and why people find it hard to do.

In order to complete a deep squat you need to have a number of areas of the body with good flexibility.

If any one point in the body is unable to give enough flexibility to the movement then the movement should be compromised in depth and range.

For instance if the muscles in the calf that cross the ankle are tight then the correct amount of movement around the foot and shin will not be possible and the body will have to compensate by rounding the lower back in order to still complete the specified movement range.

To my mind this is ridiculous, the last thing you want to be doing with a big heavy load on your back is rounding out the lower back.

What happens here is the discs of the spine are put under an enormous amount of stretch and pressure (not in a good way) that generally leads to injury.

At best you may well just tweak the ligaments in the worst cases you may well damage the disc so badly that you are unable to perform daily tasks such as walking, sitting, standing and climbing stairs.

I remember watching a programme on the BBC about the UK wheelchair basketball team’s training in readiness for the Athens Olympics.

One of the featured players was in fact almost a professional basketball player for real.

Unfortunately he explained in the show that he was squatting in the gym one day and had an accident whilst squatting with a heavy weight and going into a ‘deep’ squat.

The resultant spinal injury left him unable to pursue his career as an able bodied basketball star and meant he had to convert to wheelchair basketball as he could not run or jump any longer.

I have put together a YouTube video showing you how to complete the squat with the ideal alignment for the knees, low back and many other key points.

You’ll find it here:

Squat Video

I have had quite a few emails commending me and others telling me I don’t know jack about squatting as the video shows a far from perfect and in fact ‘shallow’ squat.

The video depicts a friend of mine who has had reconstructive surgery on both knees (twice on the left) and has a plate in his ankle from a fracture dislocation (which basically means his foot was facing the wrong way – pointing backwards).

He is a professional rugby player and someone who is incredibly strong and powerful for his size. He is unable to go the ‘full’ depth because of the above mentioned reconstructive surgery.

The problem as I mentioned at the start is the inexperience or misunderstanding of many trainers and gym goers that unless you are squatting fully you aren’t squatting at all.

If he was to squat to a deep position he would actually lose his low back position putting him at a greater risk of injury. At least this way he gets to squat and still play sport at a professional level, unlike the poor basketball player.

The take home message is this.

You should only squat to a depth where you can maintain ideal alignment. Any deeper will lead to stresses being placed upon the weakest and potentially most injurious of places. This may lower your level of sport performance or curtail it completely.

Finally, ignore anyone who tells you are not squatting correctly if they can’t help you pin point where your weakness or lack of flexibility is coming from.

Remember train hard, train smart, make every rep count.

Alex

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One of the most common mistakes I see people making is with this key exercise.

In most cases the person doesn’t actually dead lift (combined knee and hip extension) but does a combination movement that is mainly made up of knee extension and lumbar spine extension.

One particular professional rugby player sticks in my mind. This gentleman had a history of hamstring tears and low back pain. After he finished his treatment, with one of my physiotherapists, I sat down and took a look at his programme design.

No real problems there.

So I had a look at what sort of weights he was lifting.

That’s when I saw it. He was dead lifting 185kg (c. 405lbs) for reps of about 4 to 6.

Now before you start shouting at your computer screen ‘That’s not all that much’ this guy was only about 13 stone (182lbs) and looking at his physique there was no way he could be lifting that sort of weight with ‘good’ technique.

So I got him to demonstrate it for me. That’s when I saw the mistake. He was doing it just as I described above – knee extension and lumbar spine extension.

When I quizzed him about his technique he told me that they had a great strength coach at the club, “He’s an ex commonwealth power lifter” he told me.

Ah ha! That’s the problem.

Now, again, before any power lifters out there start cursing and abusing me, I am in absolute awe of what these guys can do. The problem is that all a power lifter is really worried about is ‘how much’ weight he can move from point A to point B.

Yes they have great technique and excellent power generation (actually it’s more like force generation as peak power outputs usually occur at 30-50% 1RM) but they have probably had the advantage of years of conditioning for that one movement.

This is not the goal of dead lifting for an athlete who plays a running based game. These guys need ultra stable hips and pelvis in order to fully generate maximal speed and changes of direction, for their sport.

No wonder he kept on tearing his hamstrings, he never had strong enough glutes. This meant his hamstrings were doing the glutes job as well as their own. He was basically overloading them.

We dropped him right back to 85kg and worked on his technique – hey presto no more hamstring tears (well after a hell of a lot of work).

The problem was brought about because the exercise was taught as a ‘heavier weights are better’ goal based movement rather than for the actual movement and needs of the player concerned.

The key is, ‘form and function’ should always be the most important concern of a particular lift or training programme. Unless you compete in strong man or power lifting events make sure you are working the body in the way it is designed to move and control motion.

Concentrate on form and function and aesthetics will follow.

See more videos at the Weight Training Technique site

Remember, make every rep count.
Alex

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