TRX and Kettlebell - Functional Synergy

Functional movement in a nutshell is training that causes your body to move in patterns similar to those required in life, work, or sport. The old paradigm of isolation training in the frontal or sagittal plane to pump up your chest or increase you biceps has it's place, but not for today's elite athlete. We need to work on compound movements in the transverse plane to provide core stability and develop "functional" strength. And so we shall - the video below is the tip of the iceberg, Filipe got a taste of TRX at our seminar - check it out.

Captain's log - 12-27-08

Training today – Saturday December 27, 2009 – 1530 hrs – Fire Station #2

TRX – Suspension training system

• 1 min – TRX deep squats – wide stance
  
• 30 sec of front press – lunge position – alternating between low and high hand positions
  
• 1 min – TRX deep squats – medium stance
  
• 30 sec – TRX row – feet together, elbows at sides, 45, and 90
  
• 1 min – TRX deep squats – narrow stance – feet together
  
• 30 sec of front press – lunge position – alternating between low and high hand positions
  
• 30 sec – TRX row – feet together, elbows at sides, 45, and 90
  
• Step back lunge – 10 each side, step back balance lunge – 10 each side
  
• Marry straps – TRX alternating rotational single arm cross press – 10 reps
  
• TRX transverse plane single arm rows – 5 right, 5 left
  
• Single arm press – 5 right, 5 left, neutral stance – feet shoulder width apart
  
• TRX single arm rows – 5R/5L – shoulder width stance
  
• Repeated cross press, T-rows, single press, single row circuit 2 more times
  

Kettlebell/Squat Training – Gym Boss Timer set for 30 sets, 30/15 sec work/rest intervals

• Box squats – wide stance, medium stance, narrow stance, feet together – (4 sets)
  
• Box squats with 16 kg kettlebell – clean, rack, squat –switch –(2 sets)
  
• S/A – swing, clean, front squat, switch, repeat, (2 sets)
  
• Single arm – swing, clean, high pull, switch – (10 sets)
  
• Alt swings – x1, Alt clean, x1, Alt. high pulls x1 – repeat 2 x (6 sets)
  
• 2 hand swings – x1, alt. swing x1, alt clean x1, alt high pull x1 (4 sets)
  
• Alt swings – x1, Alt clean, x1, Alt. high pulls x1 – repeat 2 x (2 sets) – total 30 sets
  
• Turkish Getups – no weight – 3 x each side
  
• TGU – 12 kg – left side – full x2 – ¼ right side
  
• Shoulder stability – 12 kg – 3x both sides
  

So what did you do today?

Filipe and I spent the day hanging around in NYC - literally. We attended a TRX training seminar - a functional movement training system that involves "suspension" training. The seminar - which lasted from 9-5, was extremely intense - very core intensive - body weight training while hanging from nylon webbing. So if you are looking for things to include with your list to Santa - I have a few suggestions - start with a gymboss timer - 19.95 from gymboss.com. then add a foam roller from performbetter.com - http://www.performbetter.com, you can get the 6" diameter in the 1 foot length for 10.95 (on sale now) and the 3 ft version for 21.95. If you are looking for some good reading material - try: Enter the Kettlebell - and/or "The Naked Warrior" available at dragondoor.com - or maybe some big box stuff - the TRX suspension training system (available at http://www.fitnessanywhere.com/) or a 24K Russian kettle bell - available from russiankettlebell.com (I recommend the Russian Red 24K). I will be posting some video's we took at the seminar - very cool stuff. Be safe on your journey home. Capt

Team Sea-Men Workout for WED DEC 3

Post Season Training Update

Gentlemen:

As you know we hit a speed bump with regard to our FMS screening. NCAA rules prevent direct coaching or contact, but allow me to prescribe work outs and monitor your progress. This will prove an ideal field test for the training that will make or break our season next year - SUMMER TRAINING.  For all practical purpose, especially with the prospect of a trip to Portugal in the spring - we can treat this as the real deal.  For the next few weeks I am going to be sending you work outs designed to impove your core stablity, flexibiity, and balance.  I need you to practice the Turkish get up every day - it can be used as work out in itself if done with your KB, or  after each training session as a structured cool down with body weight.  The most important thing we need to do is develop the feedback loop.  Your team blog needs to contain every work out - if you do not have a team blog then sign up to the SHU Soccer Strength as a team member and post your work out there.  It takes 30 days to develop a habit - let's start  now, make our training and blog entry a habit - if you miss a work out - put that down - and why - " missed my pt today - sick - cold, no time"  We can work with known variables, we cannot work with apathy or laziness. 

General Training Concepts - training done during this cycle should be light weight, moderate reps (8-15), unilateral (single arm or leg), involve rotational movement and full range of motion.  Dual adjustable cable machines, dumbbells, kettle bells, bodyweight, Swiss balls, medicine balls, tubing, bands.  No heavy stuff -no bench, squats, dead lifts, leg press - limited isolation exercises - no leg extension machine or leg curl machine, calve raises are good, some biceps and triceps work is ok, try standing on one leg while doing dumbbell biceps curls - do your triceps presses on the Swiss ball.  PULL UPS - we need to do pull ups - proper form, no kipping, squeeze the bar, zip up, and drive your elbows to your sides - one or two reps, do something else, one or 2 reps - Grease the groove - do  a couple of pull ups between every 3rd or 4th set of other exercises.   Farmers walks - pick up 2 very heavy dumbbells and take a walk - put them down when you get tired, do a couple of push ups, pick them up and and start walking again - Try it for 5 min.  Minimalist but very effective.

Cardio - mix it up - some studies on the treadmill indicate that too much tread mill training can create a hamstring imbalance - the pull back aspect of the running movement is being done by the machine - the quad fires but not the hamstring - so variety is the key word in cardio - bike, row, elliptical, jump rope, step ups, trail running, vary your cardio and keep it fresh.  Interval training - after a 5 minute warm up introduce sprint intervals - example - 30 seconds of high intensity followed by 1 min of moderate pace - shoot for 8 sprint intervals in each cardio work out.  Spice it up - try hands free on the elliptical or even better, try holding a pair of 5 lb dumbbells while you are using the elliptical - great for arms and core - vary your stride length - on the elliptical the stride length usually adjusts from 18 to 24 - start with 18 - work up to 24 - try and do your sprint intervals with different stride lengths.   

If you are recovering from an injury the physical therapist or your trainer rules - they determine your function level and your training protocol.  Ask them what you can do to supplement your therapy or if you have any restrictions.

TEAM CHALLENGE II - EURO SHU won the first challenge - the next challenge is very similar - the prize will be a SPARQ Swiss Stability Ball - criteria will be blog content, work out entry and consistency - prize will be awarded  next Wednesday - Dec. 10.  Good luck.  

Got to run, will be sending out another work out later in the day - so far you should have received the soccer stability and the primary  movement work outs - the next will be a soccer balance work out - alternate between the 3 and then take a day off = stability, primary, balance, off.  If you do something different make sure to log it.  If you are actively working towards a goal there is no complete wrong,  only varying degrees of better.  That's it for now.

Take care,

Capt

ps - team EURSHU - contact me for your gymboss timer -

FMS Cancelled

Functional Movement Screens scheduled for this week have been canceled.

Team Challenge winner - EuroSHU-Strength

Congratulations to our team challenge winner -
Team EuroSHU - Strength. http://euroshu.blogspot.com/
Excellent job on the blog, work out journal and FMS scheduling. Enjoy the gymboss interval timer - it will change the way you train. Capt