First, you need to understand that when a study is done on health or fitness the amount of people which they use is very small compared to the general population.  Second, these studies don’t take into consideration the stresses and trials of real life.  Third, they are looking at one aspect and are not getting a broader picture of how the thing they are studying affects other aspects of your health.

Basically studies are a guide or warning of what could happen.  Take for example eggs, do they raise cholesterol do they have no effect.  I don’t know, but I do know I had four grandparents who lived to 89 or above and they ate eggs at least 5 days per week for 70 plus years.  Looking at this example you can see studies don’t always give the answer to your questions.

Really all you can do is take in the information given to you and find what works best for you.  This doesn’t mean giving up because it’s easy it means actually trying different things a finding out what works best.  So stay strong and give it some time and you will get the answer you are looking for.

To you success

Blaine

Below is an example of a great way to build upper body strength and core stability.   These exercises are the precursor to a hand stand and a handstand push-up.  By adding these to your workouts you will see a huge difference in you stability and strength levels in your shoulders.

Now get to work and add these into your workout.  Try using them in your warm-up or as a way to superset with abs or legs.

Stop Sittin, Start Doin

Blaine

So being the guy I am, I decided to see how a couple of my athletes stacked up to his.

The Challenge

Pull-ups, Squat Jumps, Push-ups, Lunges Jumps no rest reverse ladder 10,8,6,4,2 for time.

Now the guys you see below, hit the challenge after a triset of double DB Cleans, 1 arm DB snatchs and V-ups repeated 3 times.

So if you want a challenge get warmed up properly and try the challenge.

Stop Sittin, Start Doin

Blaine

This video is not for the weak at heart.  And most of you won’t be able to most of the things you see here.

But instead of using that as an excuse use it as motivation to work for something.

Stop Sittin, Start Doin

Blaine

Remember there are precursors to using such a lift.  First off you will need to be able to Clean at least 150 lbs.  Second, you will need to be able to Push Press 150 lbs.  Third you will have to be able to Clean the tank.  Now proceed at your own risk.

Stop Sittin, Start Doin

Blaine

Stop Sittin, Start Doin

Blaine

Oh no, not more bad news. You guys are going to hate
all of this reality therapy. I guess if you get sick of me …
I’ll keep on writing anyway.

I had a horrific experience the other day. It was awful. Like
a bad movie playing over and over. For the first time in years,
I went to a regular gym and worked out.

I realized one thing. In spite of all the articles and books
people like Mark Verstegen and I have written, based on
what I saw, very few people have read them, or if they
did, they are clearly ignoring us.

I spent an hour exercising, and the painful truth is that in
the one hour I was in the gym, I did not see too many people
exercising correctly. I felt like I was in the gym in 1980.
Exercise after exercise done with no attention to detail or
technique.

There’s even a bigger problem. Gym-goers have fallen in
love with all the wrong exercises.

Let’s start with one basic concept:

If you work a desk job, the three worst exercises you can
do are bench presses, curls, and stationary cycling.

I know what you’re thinking. “But that’s my whole workout.”

Sadly, a lot of people go the gym, do a few sets of bench, a
few curls, and hop on the bike. What’s wrong with this?

The truth is that working all day in a seated position results
in short hip flexors, short pecs, and short biceps. This is due
to the posture adopted while seated. This is also why
Americans suffer from so much neck and back pain.

Just look at what comprises seated posture in front of a
computer. The hips are flexed, the arms are bent, and the
shoulders are forward. If you are going to the gym, your
objective should be to reverse the effects of hours of
seated posture not magnify it. Instead we go to the gym
and magnify the problem. Bench presses further shorten
pecs, curls reinforce the flexed arm position, and 30
minutes on the bike further shortens the hip flexors.

What we really need to do are exercises that strengthen
the muscles that keep our shoulders back, not the ones
that pull them forward. We need more rowing-type
exercises to strengthen the muscles that pull the shoulder
blades back, not more pressing to pull them forward.
Secondarily we need to stretch the hip flexors. Third we
need to make sure that all arm work is done through
the full range of motion to not reinforce adaptive
shortening. The forward head and rounded shoulders
that come with aging are not an accident. They are the
result of the way we live and work.

One of the goals of any exercise program should be
to reverse the effects of aging.

The fact is that most people are not going to stop bench
pressing, curling, or riding a stationary bike. With this
in mind, think rows and scapula-control exercises. Make
sure you do one rowing set for every set of bench press,
close-grip bench press, or incline press you do.
Get off the bike and start walking instead, or when you
finish your ride, spend time stretching out your hip flexors.

The real key is understanding that the muscles you can’t
see in the mirror (the ones in the back) are the ones
responsible for making sure that you don’t end up looking
like grandma or grandpa.   

Regards,

Mike Boyle
http://www.FunctionalStrengthCoach3.com

1. Trap Bar Deadlifts are a great way to build yourself up to regular deadlifts with out the injury potential regular deadlifts have for the untrained individual
2. Trap Bar Deadlifts are a wonderful way to strengthen the legs and break squatting plateaus
3. Trap Bar Deadlifts give you a great way to build posterior chain strength 
4. Trap Bar Deadlifts are a great way to get grip work in
5. Trap Bar Deadlifts are a great exercise to include in a conditioning circuit due to the ease of teaching the lift

Get it!!!

 Now this doesn’t mean you have to load the bar up with a great deal of weight or even use a bar at all.  You just need to perform some type of squat movement with all your workouts.  A squat is one of the best exercises you can use.  So why aren’t you squatting? 

 Most people don’t squat for 4 reasons.

1. They don’t know how to squat properly – this leads to pain while performing the movement
2. They have been told by so called experts that the squat is bad for your knees or back or what ever – WRONG
3. They are injured and can’t perform a squat – Justified
4. They don’t know any better – Now you do

 Looking at the reasons why most don’t include squats in their workouts, do any of these sound familiar?  Now, only one of the previously listed reasons is justified, injury.  Even though not performing squats do to injury is justified, I would bet that most of these so called injuries are mental or just plain laziness. 

 Now for the other 3 reasons, they are just excuses.  You have the world at your finger tips to answer any question you want answer it just might take some work to find it.  So if you didn’t know that squats are good for you now you do and as far as form well you will have good examples of how to learn the squat in the near future. 

To Your Success,

Blaine