Fitness Friday - Fitness News You Can Use

We start this week's Fitness Friday with a sports story that exemplifies fitness. Yesterday, in Switzerland, 43-year-old Jens Voigt broke the Hour Record, becoming the oldest man to hold the record. He rode 51.115 km in the 60 minutes of pain, topping the previous record by more than a kilometer. AND he did this as the last race in his long career, having announced his retirement earlier this season. Hats off to one of the great cyclists of his generation.

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Okay then, back to the usual format. This week we have a research study suggesting cardio BEFORE weights offers a better hormonal response, a primer of squat patterning from Tony Gentilcore, some fire-breathing finishers from Eric and Ryan Johnson, and some excellent kneeling exercises from Brett Contreras (the later two articles come from T-Nation).

First up, from Breaking Muscle:

Cardio Before Strength Elicits Better Hormonal Response

Doug Dupont
Contributor - Health and Fitness News, Reviews

 

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Conclusion

The most common wisdom in the gym is to perform strength training before cardio. However, evidence is mounting that cardio first is a superior approach. While we need more research to be certain, we now have good reason to try out new methods. 

References:
Claudio Rosa, et. al. (2014). Order effects of combined strength and endurance training on testosterone, cortisol, growth hormone and IGFBP-3 in concurrent-trained men. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research. DOI: 10.1519/JSC.0000000000000610

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From Tony Gentilcore (scroll down past the stories of his European Adventure):

Squat Patterning 101: How to Clean Up Your Squat. Like a Boss

Just so we’re clear: I think the squat is a basic movement pattern that everyone should be able to perform. I’m not insinuating that everyone should be able to walk into a gym on day #1 and drop it like it’s hot into a clean, deep squat and/or be able to load it to a significant degree.

Not everyone can (or should) squat deep. I’ve written on the topic several times, and for those interested you can go HERE and HERE.

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The next 2 articles are from T-Nation:

4 Fire-Breathing Finishers 

by Eric Johnson, Ryan Johnson | 09/16/14


Here's what you need to know...

• Developing the ability to control your breathing will allow you to deliver more oxygen-rich blood to your muscles, efficiently lower your heart rate and blood pressure, maintain optimal conditions at the biochemical level, and most importantly, kick some butt.
• These combinations were designed to optimize breathing in a stressed state. Each of them will teach your body how to respond in the absence of oxygen so that you can keep your composure, perform at your highest levels, and come out victorious.

Walking back to your corner, your lungs feel like they're on fire. Your heart rate is racing towards unknown territories. You only have sixty precious seconds to lower your heart rate, catch your breath, and resume the battle.

You look across the ring at your opponent. He resembles a lion patiently waiting to attack his prey – cool, calm, and collected. In this moment, he's gained the advantage over you.

The question is, why aren't you cool, calm, and collected? Why didn't you develop the ability to control your breathing, to switch your nervous system from a state of fight or flight to a parasympathetic one? This would have allowed you to deliver more oxygen-rich blood to your muscles, efficiently lower your heart rate and blood pressure, maintain optimal conditions at the biochemical level, and most importantly, kick some ass.

Before the next time, you should practice these four fire-breathing finishers that were designed to leave you gasping for air. These combinations were designed to optimize breathing in a stressed state. Each of them will teach your body how to respond in the absence of oxygen so that you can keep your composure, perform at your highest levels, and come out victorious.

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There are some excellent exercises in the post from Brett Contreras, especially like the half-kneeling overhead press (did it yesterday with the trap-bar after reading the article). If you try these, do NOT load up the bar with weights you might be more familiar with - start light and get a feel for the exercise first.

A lot of the half-kneeling presses are excellent if you have access to a landmine anchor in your gym, or a solid corner to plant the end of the bar.

13 Exercises That'll Floor You 

by Bret Contreras | 9.18.2014

Here's what you need to know...

• Don't roll your eyes. These aren't wimpy rehab exercises. There are several difficult kneeling exercises that will challenge even the most advanced lifter.
• The half-kneeling cable anti-rotation press is one of the most underestimated core exercises in existence.
• Louie Simmons uses heavy loads on the kneeling squat to target the glutes of certain powerlifters.
• The Nordic ham curl is an incredible hamstring exercise. Highly advanced lifters can do these without the use of their hands to reverse the direction at the bottom of the movement.
• The half-kneeling overhead press is an amazing shoulder exercise that transfers well to the military press, spares the spine, and allows for sound levels of balance and stability.

Get ready for some challenging new exercises that'll leave you floored... literally. Here are 13 different movements performed from a kneeling position that are worth including in your program from time to time.

 

Robert King - 6 Ball-Busting Finishers (T-Nation)

Finishers are a new component of weight training, an after-the-strength-portion of the workout calorie burner and metabolism booster. I don't know if these are the "magic bullet" that some people (who sell finishers as a workout time-saver and super-fat-burner) claim they are, but they can be fun if you enjoy the sensation of your heart trying to jump out of your chest.

Seriously, finishers are a GREAT way to add cardiovascular conditioning (metabolic conditioning) to a serious weight session without resorting to the treadmill or elliptical.

6 Ball-Busting Finishers

by Robert King
T-Nation | 2/07/14

Here's what you need to know...

•  Getting in better shape typically requires some form of cardio work, but that doesn't mean hours on a treadmill or elliptical machine.
•  A finisher is a short burst of high intensity performed at the end of a workout designed to speed up fat loss, boost recovery, and build conditioning.
•  Finishers are elegantly simple, with most requiring very little specialized equipment – just a bar, dumbbells, and your own bodyweight.

You want to get lean, fast, but the thought of getting on an elliptical or treadmill makes your testicles crawl up inside you. You're not alone. So let's save you the torture of treadmills with TV's and offer up some finishers that will help you lose fat and feel awesome – without taking more than 10-15 minutes to complete.

What's a Finisher?

A finisher is a short burst of high intensity performed at the end of a workout designed to speed up fat loss, boost recovery, and build conditioning. Most require very little specialized equipment – just a bar, dumbbells, or even your own bodyweight.

To get you acquainted with this hyper-efficient exercise modality, here are five finishers designed to take your fat loss efforts and conditioning to another level.

1. Pyramid Training

Pyramids are great finishers. They only take 10 minutes to perform and help stimulate recovery after a hard and heavy lifting day. The concept is simple. Pick an exercise, pick a rep number, and start counting backwards.

For example, let's pick a 135-pound barbell squat. I know, that's not heavy at all, but remember the goal is to get your heart rate up and sweat.

Set 1: 135 x 10 reps
Rest 30 seconds
Set 2: 135 x 9 reps
Rest 30 Seconds
Set 3: 135 x 8 reps
Continue until you reach 1 rep

It becomes even more fun when we pair exercises together. Let's look at a push/pull upper body finisher.

Exercise A: Dumbbell Bench Press
Exercise B: Dumbbell Rows (two-arms at once)

Set 1
Dumbbell Bench Press x 10 reps
Rest 30 seconds
Dumbbell Rows x 10 reps
Rest 30 seconds
Dumbbell Bench Press x 9 reps
Rest 30 seconds
Dumbbell Rows x 9 reps

Continue until you reach 1 rep. Be forewarned, even though it's a finisher, the pump from combined pyramids is sick.

Below is a strength pyramid incorporating the dumbbell bench press, weighted carry (using the Dead-Squat™ Bar, and deadlifts. Here you'd start at 5 reps and work your way down to 1 rep.

2. Bar Complexes

It's amazing what you can do with a straight bar and some basic movements done at a high speed. With a bar complex you select six exercises. Be sure to think about the flow of the exercises as ideally they should segue into each other. Remember, speed is the key with bar complexes.

An example of a bar complex could be:

A1 Stiff Leg Deadlift
A2 Clean
A3 Military Press
A4 Good Morning
A5 Squat
A6 Jump Squat

The goal is simple. Do 10 reps of each exercise, AFAP (as fast as possible), with good form, and watch the clock for your time. These are intense – most bar complexes only last from 45 seconds to 90 seconds. Oh, and watch for the puddle of sweat and your heart beating out of your chest when you're done.

To make these even more intense, record the time from set 1 and then try to beat your time in set 2. Continue to do so for a total of 6 sets.

You have considerable options in terms of exercise groupings, so have fun and get creative. Remember though, bar speed is priority number one.

3. Timed Challenges

As a finisher, it doesn't get much simpler than this. Pick a basic exercise, such as a conventional deadlift. Pick your weight, set up the bar, and set a timer for a certain time, say 5 minutes.

Now start deadlifting. Get as many reps as possible in 5 minutes. Rest only as needed and make sure to maintain perfect form. The goal here isn't to lift heavy, but to push yourself as much as possible.

Once the timer is up, record your reps. Try to beat your reps the next time you do it. Keep the exercises basic. Deadlifts, squats, and bench presses all work well.

4. Body Weight Challenge Workouts

These are fun and make you feel amazing. Pick a rep target (500 in this example) and choose 5 exercises:

Push-Ups x 100
Jump Squats x 100
Knee Grab Sit-Ups x 100
Pike Push-Ups x 100
Lunges x 100 (50 per leg)

Set the timer and get after it. The exercise order can change but you have to get in every rep.

The nice thing about bodyweight workouts is that they require very little space and no equipment. You can do these anywhere. Shoot for a time of less than 15 minutes.

5. Weighted Carries

At my gym, we do a number of weighted carries as our daily finishers. Here are a few of my favorites: 

Timed Carries

Set a timer for a specific amount of time (I'd suggest starting at 2-3 minutes), push start, grab a set of dumbbells, and start walking.

The goal is simple – don't drop the weight. If you do have to drop the dumbbells, rest as little as possible and then go again until the timer reaches zero. You can make this harder by adding more weight, increasing your time, or both.

A few guys at our gym do 5 minute weighted carry challenges – this will test your mental toughness as much as your physical capacity. 

Distance Carries

We have 15-meter lanes in my gym so it works great, but if you don't have lanes or turf simply find any straight space and start walking.

Grab a weight, start your carry, and record how many times you walked that distance without dropping the weight. These carry challenges can be done in about 5-10 minutes maximum.

6. Weighted Stair Climbs

You rarely see anyone doing weighted stair climbs anymore. I think the main reason is because they're so damned hard. I used to do these years ago when I was training for the Fire Fighter Combat Challenge (the hardest 2 minutes in sports).

It's very simple. Grab a set of dumbbells and walk up the stairs as fast as you can. When you get to the top, walk back down. Rest as needed and go again. Repeat until your heart explodes out of your chest, your lungs collapse, or your legs give out. Whatever comes first.

It's simple, yes, but easy? Don't kid yourself. I promise you that after 5-10 minutes you'll be done.

Finito

There's a reason gym owners have a lot of cardio machines. They're basically idiot proof and keep the members occupied for half an hour or more. All you need to do is plug them in and presto, instant "training."

You can do better. Take some of these finishers out for a test drive. You'll be pleasantly surprised, not to mention thoroughly exhausted.