Health and Fitness

Charlie Francis' Weight-Lifting Methods

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 10 Aug 2012 18:54:00 +0000

Since everybody is riding on the Olympic Hype, anyone want to run faster for the 100m?

Legendary sprinting mind who also assumed the position of coach of Ben Johnson, 9.79 sprinter at the 1988 Seoul Olympics, Charlie Francis, states that athletes should aspire for a more developed somatotype before any maximal method/power (plyometric exercise) is done. Francis recommends athletes to do medicine ball work prior to explosive track work/heavy lifting.

Francis also states that there are 2 types of CNS output: General (Rate Coding) and Specific (Intramuscular Coordination). This can come to the conclusion that one can increase their bench press via sprinting and vice versa. Rate coding is responsible for the frequency and magnitude of neuro-muscular output. Intramuscular coordination is the strengthening of the muscles involved in a movement. Intermuscular coordination refers to co-contraction ability in a movement. This improved movement efficiency CANNOT be transferred to any other movements as it is specific.

Example: Bench Pressing 2x3: Stimulates CNS Rate Coding significantly therefore your CNS is improved. Your CNS is responsible for every muscle contraction and movement in your body, hence improving the CNS will improve everything. General Method.

Bench Pressing utilizing chains/bands/lockout/supra-maximal methods: Trains the movement specifically. Improves the bench number not because of augmented CNS characteristics but because of better movement efficiency. Does not translate for sprinting performance. Specific Method.

Take home message of the day: for your strength training keep your exercise/rep schemes tailored to your sprinting needs. Don't do exercises that cannot translate to your sprinting performance!

Guess how much Ben Johnson bench presses?

430lbs.

2012 London Olympics - The Irresistible Aura of the 100m

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 10 Aug 2012 18:49:00 +0000

Know this man?

With the London 2012 Olympics ending in 2 days, Health and Fitness decided it would be a good afternoon to summarize its thoughts on the Athletes competition at the Summer Games. Also it would like to post some brief information regarding the 100m, so stay tuned for that at the end.

Undoubtedly the most electric event of the entire competition was the 100m. There is simply no doubt to that. The man/woman who wins the 100m finals are declared officially as the Faster Person In the World, a very attractive title.

The reason why the 10 second event is so dramatic and eclipses every other discipline is because of one fact - everyone in their lifetime has sprinted! For us humans to comprehend how difficult a task is, we must first try it. The quote "Walk a mile in their shoes" is perfect for this. Not everyone has did synchronize swimming or something as hard as the 800m so they can easily point and say "That's easy." But in the 100m, they have all tried it so they really do understand how difficult it is at the Olympic level. That is also why everyone loves the 100m.

Usain Bolt dramatized this year's Summer Games by false-starting last year in the Daegu Championships. Everyone was really surprised. If anyone did it, it couldn't have been Bolt. So I guess that is why everyone was anticipating the 100m Final this year. Another note to mention is that Yohan Blake, the "Beast", beat Mr. Lightning at the Jamaican Trials.

The results of the final? You know it, I know it, we all know it. Bolt ran in a very fast time of 9.63 breaking his 4 year-reigning Olympic Record. He then at the 200m final, breezed through with a time of 19.32. Congratulations to Jamaica for their podium sweep.

Health and Fitness - How They Affect Cancer

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 25 May 2012 05:18:00 +0000

Health and Fitness- How They Affect Cancer - written by David Haas

No one wants to hear the news that they have cancer and surely no doctor wants to give it. But unfortunately, many patients are diagnosed every day; however, cancer does not define those with the illness. Being diagnosed does not mean you have to surrender all feelings of control and happiness. In fact, having such a condition can make you a stronger person and introduce you to a healthy and more fulfilling lifestyle.

Many people fighting illnesses take up hobbies or an active lifestyle in order to sustain a good quality of life. Think about it; giving into the negative aspects of cancer is another way the illness takes over your life. In truth, you have no need to feel helpless and alone, and there is absolutely no reason for you to let sickness be your life. You are and always will be a strong person.

Focusing on health and fitness is a great way to maintain a wonderful life. Doctors who teach and guide patients after notifying them of cancerous tumors (i.e. mesothelioma diagnosis and other cancer conditions) recommend a regular healthy eating and exercise regime. Understanding your personal health will help you become more aware of what’s good for your body and what’s not. Be patient and slow down your busy days. Take the time to think about how you feel eating certain things or exerting energy in different ways. Just thinking about your health and trying to help your body through a positive spirit is a great way to begin a healthy lifestyle.

When it comes to exercise, all cancer doctors recommend physical activity as a way to fight against cancer. However, recommendations for workouts are different for those in all stages of cancer, whether they have been just diagnosed, receiving treatment, or in remission.

Aerobic
Aerobic exercise is what many call cardio. Cardio includes running, walking, biking, swimming, dancing, and many other activities. Aerobic exercises help the body build lean muscle mass, all while burning excess fat and greatly increasing metabolism. Doctors state that a regular aerobic routine will give patients more energy during tiring times of treatments.

Balance
Balance exercises assist patients receiving treatment by increasing their skill in balance. This is needed due to the fact that cancer treatments can leave many feeling dizzy. You can practice balance exercises by simply doing that- balancing.

Strength
During various stages of cancer, patients are vulnerable to the quick loss of muscle mass, which can leave them feeling weak. Strength training assists patients by building strong muscle mass. A regular strength-training regime will help that muscle remain.

Exercising and eating healthy have been medically proven to assist immune systems during times of illness. Some of those with cancer swear that embracing a healthy lifestyle has helped them have more strength during treatment and quickened the process that lead to remission. Medical professionals also say that continuing to exercise and eat healthy during remission is a great prevention method to keep cancer from coming back. It’s not a definite cure by any means, but it’s one of the best ways to regain control of your life.

Standing Vertical Jump

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sat, 31 Mar 2012 14:27:00 +0000

Recently I have been aware of the fact that Stefan Holmes, a man who owns a 2.40m in high jump, only has a standing vertical of 23 inches! How is that even possible?

There are so many factors that are housed in the vertical jump: Rate of Force Development, Starting Strength, Absolute Limit Strength... and all those other useless science terms you won't see in a day-to-day situation. But the Two that stand out the most are Strength, and Plyometric Strength.

Strength by definition is how much force the muscles are able to output. For example, Athlete A who squats 300lbs has more strength than Athlete B, who can only squat 250lbs. In athletic endeavors, Relative Strength is typically more important than Absolute Limit Strength.

Plyometric Strength refers to that bouncy feeling, being able to utilize the stretching-shortening cycle very efficiently. When you watch the long jumpers, high jumpers, they look very plastic, like a rubber band. Stefan Holmes is a great example for this.

Why can he SVJ so little yet jump so high?

Because he is in an event where plyometric strength dominates.

The standing vertical jump test, like mentioned before, is heavily governed by two major factors, strength and plyometric strength. People who have high verticals ( 40 inches + higher). Generally have a well-balance of strength and that bouncy feeling. But in high jump, strength does not matter as much as plyometric strength.

A more accurate way to measure Stefan Holme's vertical jump would be to get him to land off a box around 26 inches high, and tell him to immediately jump as high as can off the ground. Since this pre-stretches his muscles, we get a more accurate way to measure his vertical.

Here is a video with Bryan Clay, Beijing 2008 Olympics Decathlete Champion, demonstrating a 43 inch vertical. Notice how he does not look nearly as "bouncy" as Stefan. We can say that Bryan has more strength than Plymoetric Strength. And that strength gives him a more explosive look.

Everyone in the industry has witnessed this video and its amazing feat. Stefan is jumping very high hurdles with a normal run-up. Stefan has a very skinny built, which corresponds to an athlete who generally has more plyometric strength, as opposed to Bryan who has a very powerful built. He can jump very high here because he is running.

The more plyometric strength you have, the more significant your running jumps will be when compared to the standing jumps.

The more strength you have, the more significant your standing jumps will be when compared to the running jumps.

If you are training for standing vertical jump (prima donna in athlete measurements), then see which one you are lacking in and work on it harder. This will keep that fair balance and you can ALWAYS improve as long as you have a deficit. But for high jump, athletes with better plyometric strength are going to be the ones with the medals.

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sat, 18 Feb 2012 09:10:00 +0000

Great advice.

People are always looking for that perfect program, that perfect way to get bigger, and etc. You're far better off just getting under the iron and lifting something because a sporting career (and life) is too short to waste training days.

-Man O' War

Some Training Tips

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sun, 12 Feb 2012 03:00:00 +0000

#1 - When you are lifting very heavy, think Maximal Effort method, you can hold your breath to make the lift (easier). When you hold your breath, you increase the tension in your thorax and abdomen muscles. Also, blood pressure in the carotid artery increases, which is believe to increase motor unit recruitment. Tensing of the muscles allows your body to move on a more stable and stronger foundation. The breath can only be held around ~2.5seconds until it becomes unsafe. This is called the Val Salva Manoeuver, which is named after an Italian anatomist.

#2 - Any athlete looking forward to competing seriously should start their weight room work with bodybuilding training. This adheres to the maxim, "a bigger muscle is a stronger one". It also creates more growth in tendon attachments and bone dimensions. This is an important milestone to many young athletes because any type of maximum strength work in the future will be very dangerous if not for the improved qualities. Plyometrics have a very high loading so the augmented tendons, bones, muscle will handle the landing/loading better.

On Why Training for Endurance is Important for Power Athletes

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 04:02:00 +0000

If you've strolled around in the iron game long enough, you probably have brief knowledge on the benefits and hindrances of the different rep ranges. But do you know how to manipulate your training regimen to fit all rep ranges AND make you more powerful?! Let's scrutinize on the subject a bit today.

If you have not read my previous articles on CNS efficiency, I strongly suggest you to do so. In the mentioned article, I outlined out how lifting heavy loads with low volume provides great stimulation for your strength. But is that the only way to gain power? Please remember that Power is affected by two factors, force and time.

You can lower the time aspect many ways, which results in a higher power output. You can do this by doing rate of force development work, which increases the speed of which muscular cells contract. But this is not what the article is about. The sweet thing that I'm going to point out here is the use of endurance(aerobic) work to improve contraction speed and contraction force.

How?

When you do aerobic work, you generate more heat around your motor neurons. Your ability to do so increases as you become better, therefore generating more heat. When more heat surrounds the motor neurons, electrical resistance is lowered. So, more current is now transferred through the motor neurons, allowing the contraction signal becoming STRONGER and FASTER! Talk about hitting two birds with one stone; striking both the FORCE and TIME aspect of power.

Another Tip:

The rep range that is associated with endurance is most popularly seen as 20 reps or more. Any mindless power athlete would not even look into this kind of training. They are right in a sense. The information out there states that high reps with endurance causes fast twitch muscle fibre to be transitioned into slow or slower

twitch muscle fibre. There is some truth to that too. Let's not worry about the don'ts right now, and start worrying about the do's.

How does lifting in the 20's rep range help me get more powerful?

Whenever you are doing an exercise, think barbell bench press, your weight is mainly limited by 3 things.

- Technique/Form

- Muscular Cross-Sectional Area

- CNS efficiency

When your technique/form is not good, your exercise weight is limited. In a nutshell, bad technique starts to breakdown not letting you do another rep when your muscles are still intact and barely fatigued.

A way to get rid of faulty habits in technique for exercise is the introduction of high reps with low weight. They strengthen your technique. So it means that anyone with bad form can benefit greatly from high reps, in particular beginners.

Summary:

Do aerobic work in the sake of improving the time aspect of Power.

Do high rep work(endurance) to improve technique so that it does not limit how much weight for the exercise you can do. Therefore stressing other factors without technique being a burden.

Why do Olympic Weightlifters lift the bar slowly off the floor in the beginning part of the lift?

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Tue, 11 Oct 2011 04:30:00 +0000

Thought this would be a great addition:

"A good weightlifter imparts the greatest effort to a barbell, trying to accelerate maximally, when the bar is approximately at knee-joint height. There are two reasons for this. First, at this position the highest forces can be generated. Second, the force decreases when the movement velocity increases (parametric force-velocity relation). The barbell must approach the most favored body position for force generation at a relatively low velocity to impart maximal force to the bar. This two-phase technique is used by all elite weightlifters except the lightweight categories. These athletes are short (below 150cm), and the bar is located at knee-joint level in the starting position before the life. This is an example of how two extrinsic factors of force generation (force posture and force velocity) are combined to develop maximal force values."

- Science and Practice of Strength Training, Second Edition by Vladimir Zatsiorksy and William Kraemer

Attacking Training In All Directions II (Bodybuilding)

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Tue, 04 Oct 2011 02:18:00 +0000

Classic bodybuilding rep schemes such as 8-12, work because the intensity is high enough and long enough to allow structural adaptaion in the muscles. The "Bodybuilding Rep Range" mostly stimulates sarcoplasmic hypertrophy. Sarcoplasmic hypertrophy generally leads to increase in the sacroplasm; training using this rep range leads to the swelling of it. That is why Bodybuilders have that soft, squishy look, as opposed to athletes who have that hard look(myofibrillar hypertrophy). Using this Rep Range( 8-12 ), is only one direction. One should incorporate lifting heavy(90-100% of the 1RM).

Why?

Like previously mentioned, the CNS becomes more efficient and stronger FASTER when doing high intensity weights. With this in mind, one can only conceive that incorporating both heavy(1-3) and moderate(8-12) can lead to one being bigger and stronger. The fact is that, when you become stronger, you can lift heavier, obviously. Ask yourself this question: What can produce more gains in muscle, 300lbs x 5 squat, or 320lbs x 5 squat? If you chose the latter, you are correct. A higher muscular tension(320x5) will always produce better structural adaptations than a set that has less intensity, if the rep range is equal.

Another benefit with lifting heavier is that one can acquire that hard, dense muscle look. When you lift heavy, you develop myofibrillar hypertrophy. This means that the tendons, joints,etc become bigger and stronger, as opposed to when you hypertrophy the sarcoplasm, which does nothing for strength. Incorporating both rep schemes will get you better results. If you only peak one type of hypertrophy, you would not be as big as you would be than if you were to peak both muscular hypertrophies.

Ronnie Coleman has both the squishy and dense look. He is also big. Put 2 and 2 together, what do you get?

Dorian Yates, he was know for training both heavy and moderate. He has shredded hardness, and the first bodybuilders to step the size game up.

Conclusion, if you want to maximize the muscle on your frame, lift heavy (CNS, Myofibrillar), and Moderate (Sarcoplasmic). You'll be 300lbs 6% body fat in no time.

MR. OLYMPIA 2011

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 30 Sep 2011 03:03:00 +0000

The bodybuilding industry was not surprised when Mr. Phil Heath took the crown for Mr. Olympia 2011. He did so by beating his mentor, Jay cutler. Heath is still 31 years old, whereas the other top 2 Bodybuilders, Kai Greene and Jay Cutler are nearing their 40th year.

Health is nicknamed "The Gift". This is a very suiting term for the Olympia Champion. He has demonstrated in the past his amazing ability to put on pounds of muscle and even become more conditioned! Comparing his pictures to that of one of the most genetically gifted bodybuilder, Flex Wheeler, you can see the similarities in muscle bellies/muscle shape.

This physique is considered the holy grail of bodybuilder. I think the most mesmerizing part of the physique are his Delts. Even with a physique so symmetrical and balanced, his round, popping Delts are what leaves a memory in my mind. Phil Heath has very similar forearms, bone structiure, quads, arms, chest. But I think the Gift has beaten the man who placed second only after the GOAT.

Phil Heath's arms are at a ridiculous size and its condition is stepping on the fine line between cartoons and real life.

I've always though the best picture of triceps in bodybuilding is that of Lee Priest with Tom Platz standing behind him. The horseshoe shape and condition is what motivates me for the narrow grip bench press. But when I saw this picture of Phil Heath's triceps, my mind was shattered. The condition is that of cartoon characters and the size is just ridiculous. I believe Phil Heath's arms has already surpassed the GOAT in Bodybuilding, Ronnie Coleman.

Attacking Training In All Directions

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 09 Sep 2011 00:09:00 +0000

If you wanted to get a girl, you'd buy her flowers, pay for dinner, walk her home. The principle is very same in training too. If you want to train for explosiveness/absolute voluntary strength/muscular hypertrophy, you've got to stimulate your body by doing low reps/medium reps/high reps/cardiovascular strengthening.

Doing Low Reps with high intensity(percentage of 1RM) guarantees Central Nervous System(CNS) efficiency to rise through the roof. Sports like Powerlifting, Olympic Weightlifting require high levels of efficiency; this type of training can increase your voluntary strength without gaining a single pound. This works because the CNS of an average Joe can only recruit 30% of the motor units(bundle of muscle fibres), leveling the CNS efficiency can recruit up to ~90% of the motor units. CNS efficiency is best trained by using low reps, 1-5 Reps.

Low reps are the easiest to train the CNS; it can also be trained by Bodybuilding rep schemes such as 8-15. However, when one uses 8-15 reps with moderate intensity, only the last few reps have a chance in significant CNS stimulation. An example of a CNS intensive workout would be 2x3reps using 95% of the 1RM on the Back Squat.

Intense CNS workouts should be performed with caution as the Central Nervous System cells require a longer recovery than those of muscles; CNS cells require roughly 6x more rest than a muscle cell. A person with great CNS efficiency should only have 1-2 intense CNS sessions a week, 3 is pushing the envelope. A good example of understanding CNS training frequency can be learned from Ben Johnson, Canadian Sprinter who ran 9.72 in Seoul, Korea. Charlie Francis, Ben Johnson's Coach, says in his book "Charlie Francis Training System" that Ben would rest 10 Days if a PR performance was ran. Whereas an average Joe with a weak CNS could run PR's on back-to-back days. Charlie Francis suggests that a person should always rest a minimum of 48 hours.

Liao Hui, an Olympic Weightlifter from China.

Liao demonstrating great CNS efficiency as he prepares his pull.

Dexter Jackson

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 01 Aug 2011 09:01:00 +0000

strong vagina

Deadlift for that huge back - Franco Columbu

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 20 Jul 2011 18:53:00 +0000

Franco Columbo Deadlifted over 700lbs, he had the genetics to go for that V Taper and low lats (just like Kai Greene).

Listen to the results, shut up and lift things up and put them down!

Olympic High Bar Squat

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sun, 26 Jun 2011 05:33:00 +0000

I watched a lot of Olympic Weightlifting videos the other day. I come from a Chinese background, so logically, I would watch the vast array for Chinese Olympic Weightlifters. My favourite would have to be Liao Hui. He competes professionally in the 69kg weight class, and holds the Clean and Jerk world record for that class. It's really motivational when you see what people in the same ethical group as you achieve something way beyond your reach. When I finished the videos on Youtube, I wanted to Snatch a bus and overhead squat it!

Liao Hui - 69KG

On another occasion, I was fortunate to see a video of "Ivan Charkarov" demonstrating a No-No-No Squat for a Triple. It was the first time I've heard of the sequence; it means:

No Belt
No Wrap
No Spotter

The form was incredible, hitting ATG on every rep and keep the body as upright as possible. Not to mention it was for a whopping 270KG!

But Louie Simmons, a powerful figure in Powerlifting also said that...

"powerlifting coach Louie Simmons would say that just by looking at Chakarov, he could tell that Chakarov didn't know how to squat right - because his quads were too big"

It makes me really insecure when these situations pop out of the blue. As an athlete striving for a successful career, it is my best interest to find out as much as I know. When these situations come, I don't know which side to lean on, should I still squat ATG, or parallel? But after all, Louie Simmons is a POWERLIFTING coach, and has less carryover to athletic prowess. Contrast to Chakarov, an Olympic Weightlifter, group of genetic superior men who has a higher vertical, and can win the first 30m of a 100m race when compared to Track athletes.

Alpha

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sun, 24 Apr 2011 01:52:00 +0000

Luke Guidan

-"Oh that heavenly blessed beauty"

"Mirin":

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sat, 12 Feb 2011 00:00:00 +0000

I want these...

Lee Priest, U-Shaped, Horseshoe Triceps

Dorian Yates, Lower Back Striations, "Christmas Tree"

Dorian Yates, V-Taper, Rear Lat Spread

Arnold Schwarzenegger, 22" Bicep Peak

Lee Priest, "Popeye" Forearms!!!

Greasing the Groove

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sat, 08 Jan 2011 09:41:00 +0000

Greasing the Groove, or "GTG" is when you do your exercises "fresh" every time.

Normally, an active athlete who weight trains every week about 2-3 times, would lift, rest, and lift. As opposed to someone who does GTG, they do a few reps each time in a more frequent time period. For example, Doing Press Ups every hour or so, just a few each time, not going all the way to failure. This, as statistic reports show, increased one strength more than weight training. But building strength this way neglects both Endurance, and Muscle Hypertrophy.

What are the benefits?

For powerlifters, athletes who mimic dinosaurs and lift a load of weight, GTG would be perfect for them. Have you ever wondered why you're stronger when you're faced against a life threatening situation, emergency? It's because adrenaline is rampaging in your body, and your muscles contract deeper and harder; usually, your muscle fibers lock up this potential due to it's very dangerous nature, but against a situation, it gets unlocked. Greasing the Groove exactly mimics that. Since your muscles are getting used to high resistance but low repetition, it absolutely is a sweet way to develop strength.

Time Requirements?

You can also use this technique to get out of that excuse, "I have no time to train!" With this way, you'll need no longer than a minute each time. A very popular rep scheme for Greasing the Groove is 3-5 reps, since you're doing high resistance, you won't need that much time anyways. Doing it multiple times a day, every time you feel "fresh". Never do it to failure, as this defeats the purpose against doing it frequently. This way isn't training to tire the muscles, it's unlocking the muscle fibers to contract deeper and harder.

Critique

This is what I've used to get the most out of results that I see right now. This can also be used with weights and calisthenics. Some popular exercises for calisthenics would be Pull Ups and Push Ups. (That's why when you Google Greasing the Groove, pull ups and push ups follow respectively) Some people report results as increasing their bench press by at least 30 pounds in just under a few months, why not try this method?

The Forgotten Muscle - Forearms

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sun, 02 Jan 2011 08:10:00 +0000

Forearm is probably one of the more functional muscle, only paired with it's usefulness to develop an all around physique.

Forearm is the muscle that makes your hand strong, as well all know, the hand grips. Now, there are three types of grips:

- Crush Grip - the grip where you apply force by squeezing, trying to make an object deform, for example, would be giving a firm handshake, that represents a good crushing grip

- Support Grip - the grip that holding an object, for prolonged periods of time. an example would be deadlifting with only one hand, a strong body is necessary to lift the weight, but without a strong support grip, one wouldn't even be able to balance the weight off the floor.

- Pinch Grip - as the name suggests, it is when you press your thumb against your other fingers to hold things, holding a bottle, a drink, would be a simple metaphor for a simple pinch grip.

As to why I say that it helps with overall development of the body, when it only works the hand.. When you see people, mostly powerlifters, they lift with something called wrist straps around them, wrist straps help with the grip. When they lift over 700+ lbs on deadlifts, squats, bench, most can't keep up with their grip, and they're grip becomes a limiting factor on developing the whole mass. But if their grip was strong enough to hold on the weight, developing the body wouldn't be limited by a atrophied grip.

There are many ways to improve a grip, one of the easiest ways to improve the grip, is to abandon straps. As they weaker the grip and don't provide much growth to the forearms and wrists, once they're abandoned, the forearms will develop, and holding on the the bars will be easy as pie.

The other way, which is literally fun itself spelled backwards, and a sport in its own regard, are hand grippers. The most popular series of grippers, Captains of Crush, are employed by many strongman, most notably Magnus Sammuelson. Whose crushing grip is strong enough to open a can of soft drink just by squeezing. Taming the grip of a Captain of Crush are alone physical feats already. There are originally 5 in the series :

Trainer - The easiest of the original series, but now due to addition of CoC's, is the third easiest of the series. Most people should start off with this level. People with under-developed grips should start with this level, yet, this still proves a challenge for most beginners.

#1 - People that have been lifting for quite a time now should start with this level, even though it is only a step up from the trainer level, the difficulty is increased ungodly.

#2 - This should only be started if severe grip training has been previously done, as it is no longer just a physical feat, but also a mental challenge. Being able to close a #2 Captain of Crush gripper, is like a Bench Press of 2x Bodyweight.

#3 - This is where it gets official. Since #3 is HARD HARD HARD HARD HARD! Ironmind, the company which makes CoC's allows people who can close the #3 to get certified. To understand how hard this is, a little over 100 people in the world can close it. Even Mr Olympia, Ronnie Coleman wasn't able to close it, thought, he didn't set it. If he did set it, doing a #3 would be a walk in the park for Big Ron. LIGHTWEIGHT!

#4 - The final, gate to conquering these devil grips is near. Only 5 people in the world have closed this gripper. But those were the days when a credit card set was not necessary for the official certification. I, also someday hope to be able to decorate the official certification list with my name.

Accompanied with my horrible description of the hand grippers, their difficulty is way harder than the way I described it. A youtuber once commented on a video of Magnus Sammuelson closing a #3 gripper - "With Captains of Crush #5, they just start mailing you coal and you have to crush them into diamonds."

As you can see, the line of Captains of Crush are very beneficial for the grip. The conclusion, train your grip to become an all round person! Cheers!

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Common Stereotype, Fat People are Strong

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 21 Apr 2010 01:46:00 +0000

So, have you're watching the Olympics, powerlifting to be exact. You look at that powerlifting, he lifts more than your entire body weight, but, he's fat? You may have wondered before, people that are fat, have access to a much higher energy source, why is this, you ask?

1. They eat WAY MORE than you, therefore, they absorb way more nutrition, more than the rest of is, one the nutrition is protein, which is one of the primary factors to building muscle.

2. Think, they are way heavier than us, therefore, all the running, jumping, all physical activities, they perform that with a much higher resistance, allowing their muscles to skyrocket in building potential. So, active fatties will have higher strength.

3. Some physical activities that measure strength, such as a dead lift; people that are "fat" have short arms, therefore, when lifting, they don't lift as much as those who has long arms, seemingly performing much more repetitions which make them "strong"

4. If they're naturally fat, they might belong in the somatotype group, Endomorph. Endomorphs are naturally blessed with strength, this might explain why people that are fat, are stronger than those that belong in Mesomorphs, or Ectomorphs. ( Click Here for the Body type post )

5. People that are "fat", don't do as much as the type of exercise, Cardio. Cardio, is usually done to the point where the individual gets tired, a lot. The more we humans get tired in the exercise, the less we're working on our fast-twitch muscles, the type of muscle that gives it a WAY BIGGER volume. This doesn't give it overall more strength, it just makes it visually bigger, so, since people that are fat, don't do Cardio, they're working on they're fast-twitch muscles. That's why they look way bigger, when they actually have approximately the same muscle mass as us. Which would disguise the fact that some of us are not really weaker than the fatter people.

   They're not all fat, think about it. Just because they're fat in some places that are socially unacceptable, an example would be the stomach, doesn't mean they're fat everywhere. They only have their stomach fat, the slang term would be a pot belly, they can still have extremely muscular arms, or any other body organ.

   And, muscle is layered UNDER fat, fat is OVER muscle. No matter how big your muscles are, if you have fat, this will make it lose the muscular tone, it's just like trying to see the definition of bricks if a thick blanket is over it. So, just because they look fat, this is nowhere akin to the augmented muscles they have underneath. You have to understand that under all that fat they seem to have, there would still be a high amount of muscle there. So not, all that size you see are fat, there's also that size, the muscles contribute to.

   Hope this explains why people who are fat, or not at that case, possess the access to a that much greater energy source.

The Truth to Misaligned Abs

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sat, 20 Mar 2010 23:40:00 +0000

Been to Youtube lately? There was a Kpop phenomenon regarding the former 2PM member, Jay Park. On March 15th, he dominated the Most Popular widget on Youtube, taking up to 3 places. And sustained there for 2 days, why am I posting this? Well, I post about information relevant to Health & Fitness, but, there was this moment where I find really informational. @0:58 , Jay lifted up his shirt, and flashed us his abs. (Look at the image for reference) His abs are misaligned, questions will start appearing in your head, well, today, I'm here to explain this.

The occurrence of misaligned abs is called, " Assymetrically Arranged Segments". You may have heard of this medical terminology before, the sole region where this is visible is on Wikipedia. When you search, "Rectus Abdominis", the paired muscle running down the Abdominal Region, you will scroll down and see the term, Assymetrically Arranged Segments.

Cause? The indentations of "Abs" are caused by a fibrous structure known as Linea Alba/White Line that appears on the abdomen. Ironically, the true colour of this structure is also white, because it is composed of Collagen Connective tissue. However, the genetics of an individual can alter the composition of these structure, which may lead to some sort of deformation, Assymetrically Arranged Segments is a prime example. It can also be originated from a slightly curved spine, but, 100% of this is caused by genetics. If you're born with it, it will shadow your entire life, if not, you will never get it.

Drawbacks? Absolutely, 100% none. A person that does not have this, will be the same as one who has it, in the area of abilities. The visual appeal, would probably be different, but, some may find this "unique".

Because this is not common, there is not a lot of information on this. So, it might not be dead accurate, I've only found another example. There definitely are some people with it, but not a lot .

For the right image link's original channel whom I ripped the images from, Click Here , where you can see Assymetrically Arranged Segments in action !

For Jay's video, watch here! (I even made it so that it plays when he shows his abs!)

3 Main Body Types

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 03 Mar 2010 02:10:00 +0000

         So, have you ever figured that are only some ways to call a person, it's either "Fat, Muscular, or Toothpick".

          Well, actually these atributes are all retained in the area on Somototype. Somatotype means the structure of a build of an individual, an example would be fat.

   These are 3 main body types, Ectomorph, Mesomorph, and Endomorph. Now, let's describe each one seperately.

Ectomorph - Long thin muscles, low collection of fat, and is difficult to gain muscle mass. Referred as Slim

Mesomorph - Muscular, Medium-Height, Thick body/skin, Easy Tan, Gains Fat/Muscle easily. Referred as Buff

Endomorph - Round body, Short limbs without any form of Tapering, Stores fat well. Reffered as Fat

However, most people aren't 100% of a single type, they can be a combination of both, or even all the types. An example would be "ecto-endomorph"

This Constitutional theory was developed by William Herbert Sheldon in the 1940's. And, he was American.

(the 3 examples of somatotypes)

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 26 Feb 2010 23:37:00 +0000

Reasons the brain loves it when we exercise

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 11 Feb 2010 03:02:00 +0000

Ever wondered why you go in a gym, come out looking dead, and have never felt better?

Well today, I'll explain this confusing situation. There are several ways to make one's body feel good, one of that is Exercising. Below are some analogies of how Exercising benefits and revs the brain's performance.

Pituitary Gland, Hypothalamus, And Frontolimbic Region
Running pumps out endorphins in brain areas associated with emotion, the endorphines make you feel good.

Dentate Gyrus
Working out triggers an action called Neurogenesis - birth of new brain cells - in the Dentate Gyrus, an area in the brain which is responsible for memory and verbal learning.

Frontal, Parietal, and Temporal Cortexes
Studies have shown that regular aerobic activity slows the loss of gray matter in the brain that starts at the age 30.

Frontal Lobe
White matter, a conduit for messages between areas of gray matter, which like gray matter, decreases starting at the age of 30; exercises can minimize the shrinkage.

Cerebral Cortex and Hippocampus
Exercise increases levels of Brain Derived Neurotrophic Factor (BDNF), a protein that protects injury delivered towards neurons.

Hippocampus
Exercise sometimes contain the possibility to reduce depression by increasing levels of BDNF, deficiencies of BDNF is relevant to mood disorders.

Note: The bolded ones above are part of the brains that receive the most benefit from exercise

After reading this, you should exercise more often. Because of the studies, a stereotypical concept should be changed, jocks shouldn't be stupid. In fact, there really are no dumb jocks.