1 Piece of Kit, Unlimited Awesome Potential.

5 04 2013

I was supposed to write you an awesome blog post for today, I had planned to get it done this morning before the day kicked off with training people, but Son #1 had other ideas.

And when it comes to answering your questions on strength, fitness, awesomeness and the like or answering his question on why worms have that fat bit in the middle.
Well he wins!

So, the fat bit on an earthworm is called the Clitellum and it’s where the worm keeps its eggs.
Cool eh?

jim0817

But after we spent the morning googling earthworms, I left for Wild Geese to spend the day helping a variety of people develop beast like levels of strength and conditioning for their sports, or simply for their daily lives. Many if my crew follow their bespoke programmes but most of the guys looking for general fitness simply follow the daily workout on the wall. End result, it’s now late in the evening and you’re going to read this tomorrow instead.

However…..

Today was largely considered to be a tough session.

Every now and then I like to throw out what we call a “Complex”

Complex training is nothing new, it’s simply a string of exercises performed back to back with a single piece of kit. The weight of choice is not to be set down untill the entire complex is complete.
This means that you are under tension for an extended duration, even though you are hitting different movements, the entire system is under load until the sequence is finished.

It’s circuit trainings evil little brother!

SumoWrestler

This style of training has been very popular with combat athletes, particularly wrestlers since the dawn of strength training.
It is as close to being in a fight as you’ll get, without being in a fight.

You can build a complex with pretty much any kit you have to hand, be it a barbell, dumbbells, Kettles or a sandbag. Naturally, we tend to use kettles the most. I like the fact that the limbs are working independently  which isn’t practical with the sandbag or bar. I also really like the way they sit in the rack position, compressing the chest and restricting breathing, much like it would be in a grappling scenario.

Randy "The Natural" Couture used complexes throughout his incredible career

Randy “The Natural” Couture used complexes throughout his incredible career

Thought must be put into how you create the complex, each exercise must flow into the next.
The simplest example would be to Clean/Squat/Press. Three moves, each starts where the last one finishes.

Today’s workout was as follows:

1A: Push Up/Renegade Row combo
1B: Deadlift
1C: Cleans
1D: Thrusters
1E: Front Squats
4-6 reps per drill, 4-6 rounds

You can see how they transition smoothly from one drill to the next covering the entire body, hitting the main movement patterns. At no point in the series do you need to let go or change your grip on the bells.

This was done for 4-6 reps per drill, this meant the lads could go somewhat heavy. But the rep range you choose should be commensurate (that’s your word of the day, you must use it in conversation at least once today!) with your training goals.
If you’re looking for fat loss or conditioning, up the reps, try 8 – 12 (just keep a bucket handy)
If you’re looking for mass, the 4-6 range is ideal.
For power, drop to 1-5 reps and ensure the each rep is performed explosively.

Back in my competitive days I used to use a barbell complex once per week which sucked.
It’s a series that’s been around for ever and goes:

1A: Deadlift
1B: Romanian Deadlift
1C: Bent Over Row
1D: Hang Clean
1E: Press
1F: Back Squat
1G: Reverse Lunge

What made this particularly rough was the reps and loading scheme used.
On the first round I’d do 10 reps per drill. On each subsequent round I’d add weight and drop a rep until I was simply doing singles.
After a few weeks, I was unstoppable. I hated life, but I could kick serious arse!

Here’s a couple of guidelines to develop your own complexes:

  • Choose 3 or more exercises or exercise combinations. Don’t get carried away, less is very often more
  • Arrange the exercises in a logical order so that they flow with no grip changes needed.
    If using a bar, it should only pass over head once, ie finishing a press and moving to a back squat.
  • Use big compound movements and hit all the primary movement patterns of:
    Upper body Push/Pull
    Hip Hinge
    Squat
    Single leg (if appropriate)
  • Ensure you are competent with the exercises as fatigue will kick in!

So there you go. A guide to building serious fitness, strength and even mass with only a single piece of kit and a tiny bit of floorspace.

Enjoy

Dave
http://www.wg-fit.com

 

 

 





Develop Cat Like Agility with Animal Movements

27 11 2012

Last week I asked my facebook members what they would like to work on in their training.
I was pleasantly surprised by the amount of people who included Agility as one of their answers.

Too many attend gyms, lift weights, get stronger and leaner and in doing so become locked into the movement patterns they train the most. It’s not just the gym population but runners, cyclists and even many martial artists.

People become locked into the movements that they train in the gym at the expense of all other natural movements.
Hence we have cyclists who can’t run or jump. We’ve Judo/Jiu Jitsu players who walk around hunched over, we have strength athletes that can’t lift their arms over head and so on, so forth.

So to hear people recognising that agility is an important part of fitness makes my heart sing!
If you play a “chaotic” sport, such as rugby, Mixed Martial Arts and a few others that require constant changes in posture, changes in direction, height changes, speed & power generation in a variety of directions, then you’re probably going to be fairly agile already. But most sports are becoming more and more contrived, meaning the people that play them are becoming more and more locked into certain movement patterns which leads to losses in mobility and as a result agility.

And that’s those who play sports. What about those that simply lift for general fitness/aesthetics?
I was at another friends gym a while ago and was surprised at her own lack of athletic movement even though her I highly rate her strength training routines and the aesthetic results they give.

But without an athletic outlet, you simply end up looking good while standing still.  For me, that’s just not good enough, we need to look good in motion. We need fluid, cat like movements, not stiff muscle bound actions.

And the best way to do this?
With animal based bodyweight drills.

Animal movements have been a staple of traditional martial arts conditioning since day dot. And for good reason.
Animals run, jump, crawl, roll and simply enjoy their bodies. Animals don’t “train” they play.
And while, yes, we do need progressively programmed training, we must never forget to spend time playing.

Animal movements invite us to get on all fours and crawl, to roll, to spin, to jump and to flow.
and while they are doing so they train the body to move in various directions, not just the saggital plane.
They are joint mobility, they are asking for strength and power to be produced in unusual directions, re wiring the nervous system, developing coordination, endurance and with gentle persistence, agility.

During this Sundays bodyweight workshop I’ll be sharing a host of animal based drills taken from the Asian martial arts that ask you to roll, crawl and jump, forwards, backwards and with a little imagination can be combined into universal patterns.
All while having a bit of fun.

There are still a few places available.

Event: Bodyweight Workshop – Equipment free strength & fitness from the martial arts and more.
Location: Wild Geese, Magennis Place, Pearse St, D2
Times: 1000 – 1600
Cost: €50pp
To Book: email info@wildgeesema.com

Regards

Dave
http://www.wg-fit.com





Short Circuit – Fast fat loss & intense conditioning

22 10 2010

Circuit training has been around for as long as the hills. It’s a favourite method of training here at Wild Geese.

Beyonce - Built by circuit training and hill sprints

The format is simple, lay out a series of exercises and go from one to the next until all have been completed for the desired reps / time. Rinse and repeat.
Go to any gym and you’ll probably see something like this going on. Although in most gyms it’s usually run by an aerobics instructor……

For an athlete looking to build strength, power and endurance, even those looking to burn fat, circuit training is a one stop shop, if done right.

Here are a few simple guidelines to adhere to when creating your circuit:

  • Know what you’re trying to achieve.
    Don’t just throw out random drills and random times / rep brackets. Have a plan; this is the most important guideline.
  • Balance the circuit.
    Most people want a full body workout, so ensure that this is addressed. There’s little point having 4 stations of pressing if there are only 2 pulling and 1 leg station.
    Even if you’re creating a more specific circuit, such as a finisher for a lower body training session, keep it balanced, use knee dominant moves, hip dominant moves, single leg work, even some plyometric type moves.
  • Use exercises that complement each other, not compete.
    You can put squats and lunges together if you like, but will this be to the athlete’s benefit or is causing fatigue for fatigues sake?
    If you do put two similar exercises together, make the focus of the exercise different, for example a heavy lift followed by an explosive or endurance lift. I often put pull ups and hang cleans together, both work the back and big pulling actions, but the direction is different, as is the focus. A heavy press can be paired with a clapping push up for some nasty contrast training.
  • Keep it simple
    Complex drills or drills that require a lot of setting up have no place in a circuit, especially a group setting. A bench press, while a great drill, is awkward as the bar needs changed for varying athletes and time is lost in setting up, unracking and of course, the need for a spotter, better option may be a dumbbell floor press or push up variation.
  • Control the rest periods
    This one will depend almost entirely on the plan. A well balanced circuit has “rest” built in, i.e. you won’t repeat a particular exercise until the next round, but there is no true rest. If you’re working conditioning or fat loss, keep the rest periods to a minimum, if your focus is on strength, then a longer rest will be needed between stations and indeed rounds.
    As I deal mostly with fighters, we often use the boxing format of 2 – 3 minute rounds with a minute off, 4-6 drills maybe performed each round, depending on the focus.

 

This mornings Boot Camp performed the following series of “mini” circuits:

Short Circuit - Made a man out of this robot

Circuit 1 – Burpee / Pull Up
Circuit 2 – Sandbag clean & press / Renegade Row
Circuit 3 – Thrusters / Plank (with arm excursions)
Circuit 4 – Kettlebell swings / Sledgehammer slams

Each mini circuit consisted of 4 x 30 seconds alternating between the two drills, with 10 second change over’s. This gave two minutes of work. The athletes then took a minute break before moving to the next exercise pairing.
To finish we did a single lap of all the exercises in a standard circuit format using the Tabata timer.
This Mini Circuit format is fantastic for both fat loss and for conditioning.

Try it for yourself.

The Boot Camp manual is starting to take shape and will include many of the circuits we actually use with our fighters, as well as the guidelines and rational behind how we put these circuits together, as well as the hows and whys of each of the other training days.

Regards

Dave

www.wg-fit.com

Next Kettlebell Workshop:
7th November – Level 4, Double Kettlebells, includes the Long Cycle and more.

Next Boot Camp commences 15th November – This will be the last Boot Camp until February 2011 and it’s already filling up fast.

Email for more details (info@wildgeesema.com)





Putting The Boot In

18 06 2010

I WISH the military looked like this

I have been known, on many occasions to stand and take the piss out of these “military” bootcamp classes that are all the rage right now.
I find the marketing and hype far outstrips the actual quality of training, and as for any resemblance to actual military training…. Lets not even go there!
So I find it slightly embarrassing to announce that I will be running a Bootcamp of my own.

I’m not embarrassed by the training on offer, or the fact it will be an early morning group program. I’m embarrassed to call it a bootcamp, but as that is what the market wants, it’s what the market gets.

Why a Bootcamp?
One of the Wild Geese kick boxers has been asking me to give him extra conditioning training for some time now, but he could never get to any of my classes and was too busy to make a private slot. So he chatted to a few people, including other kick boxers and came up with the Bootcamp idea.
And here we are.

What to expect
Because a fighter asked for this, it is built around the fighters needs. But what does that mean for a non combat athlete?
It means, that if you are willing to work hard and push yourself, you will be trained as fighter is trained. The advantage of this is simple, you will never find a more well rounded and complete athlete, someone who is strong, powerful, explosive, enduring and agile. Someone with a body that can not only deliver devastating power, but also absorb it. A body that remains powerful even when pushed to extreme fatigue.
And because form follows function, it will look lean and powerful. It will move smoothly, cat like, ready to explode into action at a moments notice.

The 4 week program start on the 28th June, all payments must be in by the 25th (1 week from today). The camp will run on Monday, Wednesday and Friday mornings from 7am. You will be done by 8am, sometimes earlier.
The camp intensity will build to a crescendo in week 3 and then taper down in week 4 as a few of the participants have a fight booked on the 24th July.

If you wish to experience the training needed to step into a ring, or if you are looking for a serious kick up the arse with your training, then here’s what you must do:
Email me (info@wildgeesema.com), phone me (087 672 6090) or message me on facebook (www.facebook.com/wgma.dave) to register your interest.

You will then need to pay, all payments will be taken in advance, the only refund opportunity will be if you are injured, in which case you will get 100% back. If you quit or get kicked out, you get nothing.
The cost for the 4 week (12 sessions) is €147. This works out at €7 per session.
Existing, regular, Wild Geese members receive a 33% discount.
Wild Geese Fighters with a date coming up train for free.
If you are not a Wild Geese Fighter, but have an event (doesn’t have to be a fight) on the horizon and wish to add this camp to your preparation, come in and talk to me.

This is NOT a military style bootcamp.
This is a training program for highly motivated individuals.

Wild Geese is an Attitude, if you have it, you will survive, if you don’t, don’t bother showing up at all.

Regards

Dave
www.wg-fit.com
www.wildgeesema.com/bootcamp.html





Strength Training for Fight Training

31 03 2010

Recently some of the Wild Geese Kickboxers have been coming to me asking for advice on getting stronger.

And I have to admit, I’m delighted.

Right from its inception, Wild Geese have been offering conditioning training for its fighters. But various coaches are a little set in their ways and the lads often think that what they do in class is enough.

The coaches I can understand. They’ve done what they’ve done for years and have gotten great results, why change?

Simply since the rise and rise of MMA and the UFC franchise, conditioning has become ever more apparent. The old adage in the martial arts that strength doesn’t matter has been thrown out the window. On the TV show “Ultimate Fighter” you see the contestants go through rigorous conditioning sessions as well as their actual Martial arts training.

And very often, the man who works harder at getting stronger off the mat is the victor on it.

This trend has been noted by other martial artists now and it’s creeping into the wider world.
I see this as a good thing.
For years I’ve been advocating strength training for martial arts. Those around are just starting to listen.

So what do I recommend?

Well that depend on the fighter and the fight.
But nearly always I see weaknesses in fighters backs and hips. Hours and hours of crunches, stretching and cardio often leave them with weaknesses here.
This leads to power leakages when they strike and a greater potential for injury. The answer is simple, Deadlifts for strength and Kettlebell Swings for power endurance.

The strength coach must be carefull to ensure that the conditioning training doesn’t take away from the fighters technical training. They must be fresh enough to work with complicated techniques and combinations, yet building the ability to do these techniques in a fatigued state.

Some method of periodisation then is necessary.
I’m about to put a fighter on a low rep strength program. He has little need for extra conditioning, I’ve seen him knock out around 300 pressups in sets of 50!
Obviously he has endurance.

His 6 pack maybe impressive but his back is weak, therefore his core, as a unit is weak. Which means that whatever power is being generated by his hips isn’t necessarily getting through to his shoulders for that knock out punch.

For this individual a low rep heavy training scheme could be the answer. Build that dense muscle, train the body to function as a unit and build the absolute strength that so often serves as a foundation for both power and endurance.

He is merely one example.
Other fighters, especially if their fight is still a few months out would benefit from building strength and endurance at the same.
Here’s a cracking circuit I perform some days, particularly when short of time:

Perform the following exercises back to back:

1 rep Deadlift
15 Rep Kettlebell Jerk (each arm)
20 Rep Sledgehammer slams into a tyre (alternate left and right)

Take a minute break, add weight to the deadlift and repeat. I usually work towards 5 rounds, with the 5th round being just shy of my 1 RM deadlift (fatigue prevents a true 1 RM)

This one circuit trains all aspects of the fighter, max strength and hip extension through the deadlift, transferring power from lower to upper body via the jerk and then some abdominal work on the tyre.

Play around with it, it’s only one example.
There are many other exercises you could choose.

The key is to work the whole body through a variety of rep ranges in a variety of angles.

Careful dieting and mobility work will keep the body within its ideal weight category and ready to fight at a moments notice.

If strength turns out not to be an issue, I also have a foolproof method of building non stop conditioning and will power, using only One Exercise.
But more on that another day.





Last Night’s Kettlebell Class, Level 2 Kettlebell Workshop and a New eBook

19 03 2010

Lots happening here at WG HQ.

Don’t really know where to begin.

So lets start with last night’s Kettlebell Fitness class and work backwards….

The gang last night all came in fresh from whatever they got up to over Paddy’s day. I informed them that today will be snatch day. Due to my own shoulder injury, I’ve avoided snatching for the last couple of weeks, so I haven’t had my class doing it either.
That was all about to change.

I decided to do a short “RKC” style snatch test. 5 minutes, change hands as often as you like.
I told the lads that they had a minimun 16kg limit and glared hard at the experienced lads untill they put the 16′s back in the rack and took out heavier….

Every one of them got near the 100 reps mark, some just below others way over. Even the newer people in the group were getting 90+
Over the coming weeks and months as their form improves I’d expect to see them hit 100+ then step up to a heavier bell.

We then hit the front squats using the ladder protocol.
All in a great session.

How are my injuries today?
Fantastic, I feel great.

Yeah the shoulder is a little tight, the old injuries in the low back seem to be relaxing again, and all is well.

So that was just yesterday!

In other news, there will be  a Level 2 Kettlebell Workshop on the 28th March, 12-2pm.
As with the previous two Level 1′s, the money will be donated to the Lia Stem Cell Fund.

What is covered in the Level 2?
We introduce one of the finest full body conditioners I’ve ever come across, the Turkish Get Up. This is a must for any fighter, it stabalises the shoulder, strenghens the entire core and moves nearly every joint in the body while under load. A real corker.

You will also advance on the Swing and Press that was learned in Level 1. These will be brought into the Push Press and the Clean.

So by the time you have completed the Level 2, you will be proficient in the following:

Front Squat
Swing
Clean
Strict Press
Push Press
Turkish Get Up

All with a single kettlebell.

With those movements alone you can forge a phenonemal physique as well as take your athletic performance to a whole new level!
I am also just about to start work on the accompanying workshop manuals. These will take a little time as I’m still putting the finishing touches to a different project named 1 Exercise Fat Loss and Conditioning.

“1 Exercise” is a new eBook that I’ve been working on, it’s currently being proof read by a few of my peers, hopefully I’ll have it up for sale on the site this time next week.

Whats special about “1 Exercise”?
It answers probably the most common question I get asked:

“Whats the best exercise for loosing this?” asked as the questioner pats their belly.

When I answer I always get one of two reactions
1 - A blank look, or
2 – Shock and horror

Number 2 is my favorite.

So I sat down and wrote out a manual on what I consider to be the best exercise for fat loss. It just also happens to be the best conditioning exercise for my combat athletes.

And that’s all I’m going to say on the matter untill I get it back from the proof readers…

Untill next time

Dave





Why use Kettlebells for Brute Strength and Toughness?

10 09 2009

Here’s a guest post from the Under Ground Strength Coach, Zach Evan-Esh.
Zach has built a reputation for producing strong, athletic and enduring athletes using no bull training methods. Here he is talking about Kettlebells, and he describes a few training methods that members of the Wild Geese Kettlebell Fitness group are already familiar with.

Read and enjoy
————————————————————————————————————————————

I’m here in Louisville, and on the way out here I stopped through Ohio to meet some friends of the iron game, took a trip through Westside Barbell club & recorded 15 minutes of it for Underground members.

Spent a few hours in the Elite FTS Compound with Jim Wendler and AJ Roberts.
We unleashed hell on how to get stronger, bigger, faster, develop mental toughness, how to optimally train athletes, how to train as you get older, avoiding injuries and tons more. 

It was pure gold and I LIVE for that stuff. 

Read the rest of this entry »





Combat Core coming to DVD

15 06 2008

I have talked about Jim Smith’s recent masterpiece, Combat Core, Advanced Torso Training for Explosive Strength and Power

It’s now about to be released on DVD. I haven’t seen it yet but here is the trailer for it:

I have however read the book cover to cover and back again, I’ve added some of to my own training and made some of my studnts/clients do some of the drills. They are fun, effective and uncomfortable, but by god do they work. I’m hitting harder than ever and I’m almost completely pain free from my lumbar disk injuries.

The book comes recommended, I expect no less from the DVD, I’ll be getting it, expect a review on here when I do.

Wild Geese
http://www.WG-Fit.com
http://www.WildGeeseMA.com
any cause but our own





Wild Geese @ The Martial Arts Academy

5 06 2008

Wild Geese Martial Arts and our newer Personal Training and fitness wing will now be operating full time out of Dublin’s Martial Arts Academy.

At the academy we run regular Filipino Martial Arts, Anti Stab knife defence and Control & Restraint classes and courses.

We also have a selection of basic strength equipment, Barbells, plate loaded dumbells, a selection of kettlebells as well as some of the best conditioning tools ever invented, skipping ropes and punchbags.

So if you fancy training in a non conventional gym under the watchful eye of a qualified and experienced trainer using the types of methods used by fighters and old time strong men to forge physiques like stone and near legendary conditioning levels.

We offer Personal Training, Semi Private training and Supervised training.
Personal Training – You, Me and your personalised program, be it Martial Arts, Self defence, strength, weight loss and fitness. This runs at €50/hr
Semi Private – Bring a friend, up to a maximum of 6. You will then help and hinder each other to accelerate the results in the field you choose, strength, fitness or fighting. We charge €70/hr for the first 2 people with an extra €10 per person up to a max of 6.
Supervised Training – Come in and do your own training under our watchful eye for a nominal fee. Simply €10/hr or €50 per month.

You may combine packages to suit, and if you block pay for classes you can use them as you wish.
For example pay €100 and get 1 hr personal training and 1 month supervised training
or
Pay €100 and get 1 month supervised training and jump into 5 scheduled Wild Geese Martial Arts classes

For a map to our location click here:

http://maps.dublinbynumbers.com/visiting-dublin-map-gyms.html#

We are number 19. Alternatively visit our websites listed below.

Regards

Dave
Wild Geese
http://www.wg-fit.com/
http://www.wildgeesema.com/
any cause but our own





Sweep the leg. Do you have a problem with that?

31 05 2008

It’s on TV now, I’m sat here mucking around online while the missus is sat flicking through TV channels, guess what she found, hang on it’s the final……..

……………Go on Danny Laruso!! That’s right, The Karate Kid!

Anyway back to the point, 21 years ago I was sat on the sofa, aged 10 watching this same film. Within the month I was training. I had joined the local karate school (St Martins Jnr Karate Club, under Sensei Jack Parker) and finally started something.

This had a major effect me. Karate was one of the few things I really stuck at as a kid. As I grew up, all the other lads grew out, I was a beanpole. While I cycled everywhere, I wasn’t strong. Around the time I was 16/17, Jack turned to me and said that if I wanted to continue improving to black belt standard and to stand a chance in the tournaments.

As a result I asked my mates on the school rowing squad if I could join their gym sessions, they asked their coach and a new era started.

We had two gym sessions per week, the lads obviously had other sessions out on the water, I ran and practiced karate. Plus we’d meet once or twice a week for a session on the ergo’s (what we called the concept 2 rowers, still my machine of choice)
One session was “light day” consisting of Pyramids, the other session was “Heavy day” using 3×10. The exercises were always:
Leg Press, Bench Pull, Power Cleans and bench press. I think that was all, there were certainly no isolation’s!

It’s the warm ups i really liked though. A 20 minute circuit that would make Steve Maxwell blanch, then onto the weights.

Now, I realise it wasn’t the most scientific training we could have done, but we got results!
I put on a little weight, but got much much stronger with conditioning to match, got my black belt and fought for my country. The rowing squad were in the top 15 in the country.

When I need to train up for something these days, I always look back to those days, my first gym experience. Although I know much more now, it was the heart and soul we put into the training, it was the basic exercise selection, it was the high intensity circuits.

I look around the Gym I work in and see the girlie boys spending over an hour trying to get from a b cup to a c cup while I’m in and out in less than an hour, full body done, heavy weights moved and heart in the mouth intense cardio ( I like to finish with a 4 minute tabata after a strength workout). I could never get my head around bodybuilding.

I got into training to improve my martial arts, I continue training to improve not only my martial arts but everything else I do. If strength isn’t functional can it truly be called strength?

Fuck it, the sun’s shining, the Karate Kid won his fight and I’m in the mood to get out into the garden and do some training of my own. Bodyweight only, cos I took my Kettlebells to the gym.

Lets go

Dave

Wild Geese
http://www.wildgeesema.com/
http://www.wg-fit.com/
any cause but our own








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