Results matching “Bird”

Kodak Zi8 - Camera Collection

I love this camera.

I use it as a 'just in case' device - the camera I take everywhere. Nice and compact, both video and stills, and an external microphone jack. Incidentally, that last point is one of the key differences between this and something like the Flip. If you care about audio, it's a must.

Great little thing.

Monday, 19 Jul 2010 - Issues

This Week on Straight to the Bar

I'm constantly amazed at just how much my training is influenced by the people on this site. Whether you're looking for a new piece of equipment, an unusual exercise variation or just an idea of how others approach things, you'll enjoy these :

Ready to add your own opinion, workout log or training article? Just head over to the Forums, Training Logs, or swing by the Article Submissions page. They're fantastic ways to share your ideas.

NB : if you enjoy the articles, show the authors your appreciation by voting (using the Like, Digg and Retweet icons). Cheers.


Video : Brad Pilon - 6 Meals per Day

No doubt you've heard the '6 Meals per Day' advice at some point. But just what qualifies as a meal? You may be surprised.

Over to Brad.




Deal of the Week : TRX Kettlebell - Iron Circuit Conditioning


A blend of kettlebell and TRX goodness - fantastic.


Coming Events

Twitterchat 75 - Incorporating Strongman Training

I've been a fan of Strongman training for as long as I can remember; the beautifully simple idea of 'picking up something heavy, and putting it down somewhere else'. Love it.

This week we're taking a close look at the world of Strongman, specifically at how to integrate it with your existing training. No matter whether you're a professional athlete or just someone who loves taking care of themselves.

Helping us explore this fascinating topic is none other than The Strength Doctor, Tim Hull (@THull); a man who's been exploring the possibilities of Strongman work in his own training. Fantastic.


Details -

Who : Strength-training fans
Topic : Incorporating Strongman Training
When : Wed Jul 21, 9pm EDT (1am UTC)
How : Include #sbgym in your tweets.

To see when it's on in your timezone, head over to the twitterchat calendar.

See you there.

NB : If you'd like to be a guest on a future twitterchat, let me know. It's great to hear how other people are training.

Quick update on last week's twitterchat : Thanks once again to Robert DeCillis (@CombatTrainer) and everyone else who took part in the discussion on Conditioning. Some superb ideas in there.

For those who missed out on the conversation, I'd love to hear your thoughts. What sort of conditioning do you favour, and in what form? How do you measure your progress?


Getting Ready For : Super Human Training

Super Human Training is a series of interviews (one per week) with some of the strongest guys around.

Hosting the discussions is none other than Logan Christopher (certainly no slouch himself in the arena of Strongman). And to give you an idea of just how cool this is, here are a few of the guys you'll be learning from :

And many more. Fantastic.


Exercise of the Week : Lever Side Bend

This is one of the many superb exercises detailed in Adam's brilliant Leverage Lifts article; definitely a keeper. Dive in, and enjoy.



Monday, 12 Jul 2010 - Issues

This Week on Straight to the Bar

I'm constantly amazed at just how much my training is influenced by the people on this site. Whether you're looking for a new piece of equipment, an unusual exercise variation or just an idea of how others approach things, you'll enjoy these :

Ready to add your own opinion, workout log or training article? Just head over to the Forums, Training Logs, or swing by the Article Submissions page. They're fantastic ways to share your ideas.

NB : if you enjoy the articles, show the authors your appreciation by voting (using the Like, Digg and Retweet icons). Cheers.


Video : Kettlebell Sit-up and Press on GHR

This is the first exercise in the Diesel Crew's Hardest Core Exercise EVER series - the Kettlebell Sit-up and Press on GHR. Good stuff.




Deal of the Week : APT Heavy Duty Adjustable Pulley Straps


APT are currently giving away their Adjustable Pulley Straps (pictured) - one per order. Anyone here tried them? Would love to hear your thoughts.

Oh, and to grab one for yourself, head over to prowriststraps.com and enter the coupon code AdjustStrap when you're checking out. Good stuff.

Want more? As a bonus, they're also knocking 15% off the price of your order. Perfect.

Coming Events

Twitterchat 74 - Conditioning

I love a dose of conditioning work, especially the outdoor varieties. Sandbags, tyres, ropes and so on.

This week we're taking a close look at the world of Conditioning- everything from 'what it is' and 'the benefits it can bring' to the many, many great ways to get a dose in your own training. Helping us explore this fascinating topic is certified strength and conditioning coach Rob DeCillis, better known as Combat Trainer (@CombatTrainer). Fantastic.


Details -

Who : Strength-training fans
Topic : Conditioning
When : Wed Jul 14, 9pm EDT (1am UTC)
How : Include #sbgym in your tweets.

To see when it's on in your timezone, head over to the twitterchat calendar.

Quick update on last week's twitterchat : Thanks once again to Ryan Pitts (@strongergrip) and everyone else who took part in the discussion on Training with Clubs. Some superb ideas in there.

For those who missed out on the conversation, I'd love to hear your thoughts. Are clubs a part of your current training? Fixed-weight, or the loadable variety?


Reading : The Big Book of Clubbell Training

There were several great books mentioned during last week's discussion on Training with Clubs, but one we didn't get to was Scott Sonnon's The Big Book of Clubbell Training. I'm about to dive into it here, and would love to hear your own thoughts.

Anyone read it? What did you think?


Exercise of the Week : GHR Variations

While you're using the GHR, try a few of these : several great GHR Variations from the guys at Octogen. Nice one.



Monday, 5 Jul 2010 - Issues

This Week on Straight to the Bar

I'm constantly amazed at just how much my training is influenced by the people on this site. Whether you're looking for a new piece of equipment, an unusual exercise variation or just an idea of how others approach things, you'll enjoy these :

Ready to add your own opinion, workout log or training article? Just head over to the Forums, Training Logs, or swing by the Article Submissions page. They're fantastic ways to share your ideas.

NB : if you enjoy the articles, show the authors your appreciation by voting (using the Like, Digg and Retweet icons). Cheers.


Video : Speed, Quickness, Reactive Drills for Athletes

How do you train for speed and reaction times? Over to Smitty.




Coming Events

Twitterchat 73 - Training with Clubs

I absolutely love leverage training, especially with clubs. Superb things.

This week we're taking a close look at the Club Training world - everything from 'what they are' to the many, many great ways to put them to work. Helping us get a handle on these great tools is none other than StrongerGrip's Ryan Pitts (@strongergrip), certainly no slouch when it comes to a dose of club work himself. Fantastic.


Details -

Who : Strength-training fans
Topic : Training with Clubs
When : Wed Jul 7, 9pm EDT (1am UTC)
How : Include #sbgym in your tweets.

To see when it's on in your timezone, head over to the twitterchat calendar.

Quick update on last week's twitterchat : Thanks once again to Karsten Jensen (@CoachKarsten) and everyone else who took part in the discussion on Periodization. Some superb ideas in there.

For those who missed out on the conversation, I'd love to hear your thoughts. How are you making use of periodisation in your own training? Which form are you currently putting to work?


Reading : Supertraining (6th Edition)

Several great books were mentioned during last week's discussion on Periodisation, including the superb Supertraining. During the week I was fortunate enough to get my hands on the latest incarnation (6th edition), which looks very promising indeed.

Really looking forward to diving in.


Exercise of the Week : Kettlebell Juggling for Two

Now here's my idea of a good time - grab your training partner and toss a kettlebell their way.

Kettlebell Juggling for Two.



The ideas below flow from four seminal works :

The Checklist Manifesto by Atul Gawande
Strategic Negotiation by Brian Dietmeyer
The Cathedral and the Bazaar by Eric S. Raymond
and
Blink by Malcolm Gladwell


I have borrowed heavily from each for key concepts and examples and wish to give the works and their authors full credit for anything beneficial that you derive from this article. If you find this article at all interesting (which I hope you do), then I recommend that you review the above texts, as they are all excellent reads. Also, I am indebted to those that participated in Scott Bird's Twitterchat #69. The generosity of the participants in sharing their best practices and personal experience helped me to refine my thinking and encouraged me to follow-up with this article.

Checklists: A Strategy for Managing the Complex Problem of Improving Physical Performance

During the last century, the world's greatest achievements came from solving complicated problems. For example, splitting the atom and putting a man on the moon, required multiple people and teams with specialized expertise. Unanticipated difficulties were frequent and timing and coordination of the work was critical. However, as experience was gained, we were able to repeat and refine the process, until it was nearly perfect.

Encouraged by our success, we entered an age of specialization. This is no less true in the strength and fitness world, where we now have a panoply of experts from science, medicine, and coaching focused on particular and specialized aspects of exercise, nutrition, and recovery. There are experts, including entire sub-specialties for doctors, physical therapists, kinesiologists, and dietitians and technical experts, who can be certified generally (e.g. CSCS for strength training and conditioning) or specifically (e.g. particular training methods like kettle bells). Professional athletes now assemble teams of experts to help with their training. Amateur athletes and serious exercise enthusiasts have access to physicians, personal trainers, nutrition professionals, and various therapists to help with recovery, not to mention the wealth of information and data that can be pulled from the Internet.

Unlike building a rocket ship, maximizing individual athletic performance includes variable factors that are different every time. These factors differ between athletes and even within the same athlete (training methods change as athletes age, are injured, gain strength, improve skills, etc.). It is this variability that makes training a complex problem.

So, what is a complex problem? Well, complex problems are not simple problems. Simple problems are best managed by following an established set of actions with little or no variation in technique. Think of baking a cake from a mix. If you are careful and follow the instructions, you will successfully bake a cake.

Complicated problems like building a rocket ship and sending it to the moon and back, cannot be accomplished by following a recipe. Complicated problems require multiple people or teams with specialized expertise. Unanticipated difficulties are frequent and timing and coordination of work is critical. But, with complicated problems, you can repeat and refine the process, until it is nearly perfect.

Complex problems, like raising a child, helping a client manage a lawsuit, or maximizing athletic performance include variable factors that are different every time. Expertise as a parent, attorney, or trainer is valuable, but not sufficient to adequately address complex problems, because their outcomes remain highly uncertain.

This does not mean that acceptable outcomes for complex problems cannot be achieved or are merely the result of good fortune. Rather, there are certain strategies that greatly enhance the probability of achieving acceptable outcomes. As our awareness and understanding of complexity improves, it becomes clear that the job of a professional is not just to be an expert in a particularized field, but to become a team member actively engaged in achieving an acceptable outcome.

As an attorney, the most important question that I can ask a client is, "What do you believe is an acceptable outcome?" Notice the term acceptable. Perfect outcomes are not achievable. A client that is hoping for a perfect outcome to a complex problem is sure to be disappointed, as trade-offs become necessary, when responding to unexpected problems.

Determining an acceptable outcome is really a matter of negotiating. On the one hand, there is the wish list that defines a perfect outcome. After clients have brainstormed or told me about everything that they would like to achieve, we put those interests in rank order. Then, we turn and consider competing interests. These often include incompatible goals, conflicting obligations, the interests of other parties, and limits on time and resources (this by no means exhausts the list of potential competing interests). Comparing the two lists helps define an acceptable outcome and determines where efforts can be focused to achieve the greatest results.

When dealing with a complex problem, any plan for achieving an acceptable outcome must include a list of necessary tasks and a plan for maintaining communication. The task list ensures that routine steps are not missed. The communication list guarantees that everyone talks through and contributes to resolving the unexpected and hard problems.

Properly formulated task focused checklists are very good at reducing the probability that a key step will be skipped or missed, because they engage the thinking part of the brain. In the field, key steps are not so much consciously skipped, as much as they are missed due to environmental distractions. By creating an agreed upon checklist of action items, you decrease the risk that you, your client, or another member of the team will skip a key step due to distractions. The checklist serves as a cognitive safety net, making it easy to embrace the project at hand, without skipping simple steps.

An example from training might be properly warming up. Everyone knows it's foolish to engage in physical training without warming up first, but with time pressure, competing interests, or environmental stress, this step occasionally gets skipped. The risks associated with skipping this step, are significant. Pulled muscles are a major setback to a training program. When you balance the interests involved, saving a few minutes versus suffering a major setback, the risk associated with skipping this key step is unacceptably high. Therefore, item number 1 on your checklist could be:



  1. Complete Warm Up Exercises

Monday, 28 Jun 2010 - Issues

This Week on Straight to the Bar

I'm constantly amazed at just how much my training is influenced by the people on this site. Whether you're looking for a new piece of equipment, an unusual exercise variation or just an idea of how others approach things, you'll enjoy these :
  • Mike 'The Machine' BruceMy friend The Human Vice.
    Nice piece on a seriously strong guy - Pat 'The Human Vice' Povalitis.
  • Scott Andrew BirdThe Magnificent Seven
    There have been some truly incredible articles on this site over the years; here are a handful of favourites. 7, to be exact.

Ready to add your own opinion, workout log or training article? Just head over to the Forums, Training Logs, or swing by the Article Submissions page. They're fantastic ways to share your ideas.

NB : if you enjoy the articles, show the authors your appreciation by voting (using the Like, Digg and Retweet icons). Cheers.


Video : AntiGravity Obstacle Course

If you've ever thought about building your own obstacle course, here are a few ideas. Nice one.




Coming Events

Twitterchat 72 - Periodisation (or Periodization if you prefer)

I'm fascinated by the various ways in which people adapt their training in order to suit long-term goals. Everything from a specific challenge or competition to a simple 'I want to pull x lbs by the end of the year'. Good stuff.

This week we're taking a look at one of the many kinds of physical preparation available, Periodisation - itself having a variety of uses and implementations. Helping us peek into this fascinating world is Strength Coach and 'Trainer of Trainers' Karsten Jensen (@CoachKarsten), himself a long-time adherent to a structured, cycled training approach.

Should be a fantastic discussion.


Details -

Who : Strength-training fans
Topic : Periodisation
When : Wed Jun 30, 9pm EDT (1am UTC)
How : Include #sbgym in your tweets.

To see when it's on in your timezone, head over to the twitterchat calendar.

Quick update on last week's twitterchat : Following the discussion on Training Whilst Travelling there have been a number of superb videos showing various DIY and travel-ready pieces of equipment.

Of these, my favourite is the setup shown in this video - an inexpensive suspension training system which is perfect for both indoor and outdoor sessions while you're on-the-road. Nice one.


Getting Ready For : SELECTED!

There's an enormous stack of training books & DVDs sitting beside my desk here (it's amazing just how much arrived while I was in Townsville), and I'm diving into it at every available opportunity. There's some great stuff in there.

Among them is Josh Henkin's new SELECTED! DVD, which outlines a series of workouts based on those used with US Army Special Forces candidates. I have to say, it looks fantastic.

Full review shortly; in the meantime, swing by Josh's site and check it out. Good stuff.

NB : as I mentioned above, there's a stack of great material here. If you're interested in reviewing any of it, drop me a line or grab me on twitter. Look forward to it.


Exercise of the Week : Kettlebell Snatch

Here's a brief tutorial on a kettlebell staple - The Snatch. Good stuff.



Monday, 21 Jun 2010 - Issues

This Week on Straight to the Bar

I'm constantly amazed at just how much my training is influenced by the people on this site. Whether you're looking for a new piece of equipment, an unusual exercise variation or just an idea of how others approach things, you'll enjoy these :

Ready to add your own opinion, workout log or training article? Just head over to the Forums, Training Logs, or swing by the Article Submissions page. They're fantastic ways to share your ideas.

NB : if you enjoy the articles, show the authors your appreciation by voting (using the Like, Digg and Retweet icons). Cheers.


Video : Sandbag TGU Variation

Here's a subtle variation of the Turkish Get-Up. Note that Josh is using a sandbag here, but the same idea applies to whichever form of resistance you're using. Good stuff.




Deal of the Week : %30 Discount on StrongerGrip Thick-Handled Clubs

These are awesome.

I love a dose of club training, and the StrongerGrip thick-handled clubs are a clear favourite. Challenging, loadable and beautifully made. Brilliant things.

As a bonus for readers of this newsletter, Ryan has agreed to offer a discount on these superb training tools. The first 20 people to order one of the StrongerGrip thick handle grip clubs will receive a tasty %30 discount - just enter STTB at checkout.

Perfect.

NB : thanks to everyone who grabbed one of the StrongerGrip Monster Sledges we offered a couple of weeks ago. Based on the rate that they disappeared, well, get in quick.


Coming Events

Twitterchat 71 : Training Whilst Travelling

As I've been on-the-road for the past two weeks (just got back this evening), I've been doing a lot of thinking & experimenting on this : the best way to train while you're travelling.

This week will be be an open discussion on this very subject, with a few key questions at its core - how do you train when you're on-the-road? Is it a matter of maintaining strength, seeing what's available, or simply taking a break?

How about diet; nice and strict, make a few allowances, or just eat whatever's available?

Should be a good one.


NB : a huge thanks to the guest moderator for the past two discussions - The Fight Geek (@thefightgeek). Much appreciated.


Details -

Who : Strength-training fans
Topic : Training Whilst Travelling
When : Wed Jun 23, 9pm EDT (1am UTC)
How : Include #sbgym in your tweets.

To see when it's on in your timezone, head over to the twitterchat calendar.



Getting Ready For : Ultimate Forearm Training for Baseball

As I mentioned briefly above, I just got back this evening and am preparing to dive into a pile of training-related books and DVDs over the next few days.

One of these is Jedd Johnson's new one - Ultimate Forearm Training for Baseball - which looks fantastic. Full review shortly.


Exercise of the Week : Inverted Rope Climb

Looking for a challenge? How about some Inverted Rope Climbing. Good fun.



Monday, 14 Jun 2010 - Issues

This Week on Straight to the Bar

I'm constantly amazed at just how much my training is influenced by the people on this site. Whether you're looking for a new piece of equipment, an unusual exercise variation or just an idea of how others approach things, you'll enjoy these :

Ready to add your own opinion, workout log or training article? Just head over to the Forums, Training Logs, or swing by the Article Submissions page. They're fantastic ways to share your ideas.

NB : if you enjoy the articles, show the authors your appreciation by voting (using the Like, Digg and Retweet icons). Cheers.


Video : Parkour Marathon

How does a 1,000 mile Parkour Ultramarathon sound? Incredible.

Over to Johnny 'Sticky' Budden.




Coming Events

Twitterchat 70 - Underground Strength & Fitness (Part II)

What's your own training area like - a room in your house, a local hardcore gym, a rented garage perhaps?

This week Kira Robert Clarke - better known as The Fight Geek - continues the discussion on Underground Strength and Fitness, taking a close look at the 5 types of 'Underground' gyms. Good stuff.


NB : As I'm still enjoying the endless beaches and crystal-clear waters of northern Queensland, Kira (@thefightgeek). will once again be the guest moderator for this one. Fantastic.


Details -

Who : Strength-training fans
Topic : Underground Strength and Fitness
When : Wed Jun 16, 9pm EDT (1am UTC)
How : include #sbgym in your tweets.

To see when it's on in your timezone, head over to the twitterchat calendar.



Getting Ready For : Ultimate Forearm Training for Baseball

As I mentioned briefly above, I'm still on-the-road for another week; and stockpiling a number of training-related books for the return.

One of these is Jedd Johnson's new one - Ultimate Forearm Training for Baseball - which looks fantastic. Full review in a bit over a week.


Exercise of the Week : Burpee Bonanza

Love the humble burpee? Try these variations. Good fun.



NB : looking for more? Have a go at these.

Enjoy.

Monday, 7 Jun 2010 - Issues

This Week on Straight to the Bar

I'm constantly amazed at just how much my training is influenced by the people on this site. Whether you're looking for a new piece of equipment, an unusual exercise variation or just an idea of how others approach things, you'll enjoy these :

Ready to add your own opinion, workout log or training article? Just head over to the Forums, Training Logs, or swing by the Article Submissions page. They're fantastic ways to share your ideas.

NB : if you enjoy the articles, show the authors your appreciation by voting (using the Like, Digg and Retweet icons). Cheers.


Video : Mason Doherty - Pull-up Variations

Love pull-ups - on a bar, tree branch, wall - whatever's available. Mason Doherty demonstrates several variations of this great exercise.

Enjoy.




Deal of the Week : %20 Discount on StrongerGrip Monster Sledge

I love hammer work.

Adam Glass first put me on to the StrongerGrip grip tools a couple of years ago now (cheers Adam), and it's abundantly clear that they're built by someone who actually trains with them. Not only are they exceedingly tough (virtually indestructible, really); they feel 'right' when you're training with them.

Beautiful things.

When Ryan created the larger, loadable line of sledgehammers - particularly the Monster Sledge - I can't tell you how excited I was. Whether you use it for strength or conditioning work, if you enjoy a solid dose of hammer work, the Monster Sledge is ideal.

Up to 50lb of shot-loading sledgehammer goodness. Perfect.

NB : want to save some cash? How does a 20% discount sound?

When you're grabbing your Monster Sledge, enter the coupon code 'STTBMS' at checkout. The first 15 purchasers will receive a tasty %20 discount.

Beautiful.


Coming Events

Twitterchat 69 - Managing Training Complexity

A couple of questions for all the coaches and trainers out there - what type of information do you provide to new clients, and in what form? How do you tackle the subtle variations between requirements?

This week we're taking a look at the many approaches to Managing Training Complexity, from both the trainer's and client's point of view. Addressing the needs of everyone involved in the most efficient way possible.

Helping us navigate this fascinating area is none other than SEE's Adam Stoffa, a man who defines both inspiration and creativity. Fantastic.

NB : As I'll be on-the-road (doing a little family history research) during the discussion, I've arranged a guest moderator for this one. Get ready for the enigmatic Fight Geek (@thefightgeek).
Details -

Who : Strength-training fans
Topic : Managing Training Complexity
When : Wed Jun 9, 9pm EDT (1am UTC)
How : include #sbgym in your tweets.

To see when it's on in your timezone, head over to the twitterchat calendar.

See you there.

Quick update on last week's twitterchat : Following the discussion on Fitness & Health Gadgets there have been several new devices and services noted; particularly iPhone and iPad applications.

With so many fantastic apps appearing all the time, I'd love to know - which is your favourite?

NB : If you'd like to be a guest on a future twitterchat, let me know. It's great to hear how other people are training.


Getting Ready For : The Flexible Periodization Method

As I mentioned briefly above, I'll be on-the-road for the next couple of weeks; and am taking several training-related books to keep me off the streets at night.

One of these is Karsten Jensen's new one - The Flexible Periodization Method - which looks fantastic. Full review in a fortnight or so.


Exercise of the Week : Sledgehammer Vertical Tyre Slam

Looking for a few ways to put your sledgehammer to work? Here's a great one - the Vertical Tyre (or Tire) Slam. Good fun.



Following on from his highly successful first book, Training for Warriors, Martin Rooney has delivered another informative and useful training resource for fighters - Ultimate Warrior Workouts.

The premise of the book is simple - Martin set out out on a world-wide trek to investigate and document the strength and conditioning practices of the most influential martial arts that are used in MMA. He travelled to the birthplaces of these martial arts and trained his ass off with their elite practitioners. Great idea, huh?


The fight-styles that Martin focuses on in the book are BJJ, Muay Thai, Wrestling, Boxing, Kickboxing, Judo, Sambo and Karate. It's easy to see the logic behind these choices - the first four are obvious--techniques from these disciplines make up the majority of the MMA technical syllabus. And the later four have been used successfully by a number of MMA champions.

With this book Martin set himself a number of goals ...


  1. To record and preserve the physical training techniques of MMA's component martial arts for future fighters.

  2. To briefly outline the history and philosophies associated with each martial art.

  3. To demonstrate specific training exercises that are used by their top practitioners.

  4. To provide strength and conditioning benchmarks specifically tailored to the needs of fighters.

  5. To outline a comprehensive training program to help fighters achieve (and surpass) these benchmarks.


Did he achieve all of these goals? Yes :)

Now rather than go into a detailed account of the structure and content of Ultimate Warrior Workouts, I'll take a look at my four favorite features of the book - the Warrior Challenges, style-specific exercises, exercise variations and partner drills.

Warrior Challenges

An underlying premise of Ultimate Warrior Workouts is that there are certain levels of fitness and specific physical requirements for each martial art. With that in mind, Martin provides a set of exercise tests, that he calls 'Warrior Challenges'. Along with these challenges, he outlines a set of benchmarks that can be used to rate your strength and fitness progress. Each challenge has ten levels (starting at minimal physical requirements up to elite level status). The challenges themselves revolve around various bodyweight exercises done for time along with three max strength exercises (deadlift, bench press and weighted pull-up). So the goal is to achieve 10th level status on all the challenges, and consequently develop a 'well rounded' strength and conditioning base to power your specific fighting skill-set.

Each challenge 'favors' a particular martial art. Taken as a whole, the full set of Warrior Challenges provide a simple and effective way to pinpoint the 'gaps' in a MMA fighter's strength and conditioning. For example, I'm into Muay Thai, so it's no surprise that I scored very highly on one of the challenges geared towards muay thai conditioning (a speed kicking drill). However, when it came to a more BJJ-oriented challenge, I scored MUCH lower. No prizes for guessing what I'll be emphasizing in my training over the next few months, eh?

I actually think portraying strength and fitness benchmarks as 'Warrior Challenges' was a stroke of genius. A fighter is a highly competitive animal. By issuing a 'Warriors Challenge', Martin Rooney is basically waving a red flag at a bull. Challenges motivate fighters! So bringing measurable and graduated strength and fitness challenges into the gym is a great strategy to keep fighters motivated and hungry for training :)

Style-based Exercises

Another great feature of the book is the insiders-look at how other martial art styles' train! As mentioned, I come from a Muay Thai background, so I was familiar with most of the exercises Martin outlined in the Muay Thai section. However, I've had very little exposure to wrestling or Sambo, so I was fascinated to read about the exercises and strategies utilized by them.

Indeed, a key lesson we can learn from this book - and Martin's whole approach to training - is to be willing and open to learn from others. Fighters must be willing to learn from other fighters, other styles, and other training methods. Does that mean boxers should implement every exercise a kickboxer uses? Or a BJJ fighter should utilize every training tool a muay thai fighter uses? No. But we should be open to learn from others, and be prepared to adopt and adapt any relevant concepts, strategies, tools or exercises that can potentially enhance our own training.

  1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60 61 62 63 64 65 66 67 68 69 70 71 72 73 74 75 76 77 78 79 80 81 82 83 84 85 86 87 88 89 90 91 92 93 94 95 96 97 98 99 100 101 102 103 104 105 106 107 108 109 110 111 112 113 114 115 116 117 118 119 120 121 122 123 124 125 126 127 128 129 130 131 132 133 134 135 136 137 138 139 140 141 142 143 144 145 146 147 148 149 150 151 152 153 154 155 156 157 158 159 160 161 162 163 164 165 166 167 168 169 170 171 172 173 174 175 176 177 178 179 180 181 182 183 184 185 186 187 188 189 190 191 192 193 194 195 196 197 198 199 200 201 202 203 204 205 206 207 208 209 210 211 212 213 214 215 216 217 218 219 220 221 222 223 224 225 226 227 228 229 230 231 232 233 234 235 236 237 238 239 240 241 242 243 244 245 246 247 248 249 250 251 252 253 254 255 256 257 258 259 260 261 262 263 264 265 266 267 268 269 270 271 272 273 274 275 276 277 278 279 280 281 282 283 284 285 286 287 288 289 290 291 292 293 294 295 296 297 298 299 300 301 302 303 304 305 306 307 308 309 310 311 312 313 314 315 316 317 318 319 320 321 322 323 324 325 326 327 328 329 330 331 332 333 334 335 336 337 338 339 340 341 342 343 344 345 346 347 348 349 350 351 352 353 354 355 356 357 358 359 360 361 362 363 364 365 366 367 368 369 370 371 372 373 374 375 376 377 378 379 380 381 382 383 384 385 386 387 388 389 390 391 392 393 394 395 396 397 398 399 400 401 402 403 404 405 406 407 408 409 410 411 412 413 414 415 416 417 418 419 420 421 422 423 424 425 426 427 428 429 430 431 432 433 434 435 436 437 438 439 440 441 442 443 444 445 446 447 448 449 450 451 452 453 454 455 456 457 458 459 460  

Pages

Powered by Movable Type 5.2.7