RichRuff Training Exercise of the Week: DB Decline Press w/Neutral Grip

It's hard to tell from the video, but my client is actually working on a bench here that is set up at about a 10-15 degree incline. This gym does actually have a decline bench, but the manufacturer's design is really poor. If you're over 5'5", you're out of luck unless you want to perform some isometric neck holds while pressing the weight. So here, I just found a Reebok step and a couple of risers and planted them under one end of a flat bench.

I like to throw in some decline pressing from time to time in order deload or take some stress off the shoulders for a bit. Further enhancing the deload on the shoulders is performing this exercise with a neutral grip. Take a look:

Random Thoughts....

....from the first couple of days of the Olympics.

• Can just one of the gymnastics girls smile? I know this is serious stuff and I know this may be the only shot at a medal for some of them, but is it that hard to show just a tiny smile? It might even help their marketability after the games. Who knows?
• What is in the pool water over in Beijing? It seems like during every race a new world record is set. Five teams broke the old 4x100 meter freestyle relay record the other night!! Five!! Imagine breaking a world record and finishing in fifth place. Is there really such a thing as fast water?
• I actually thought China might have a chance against the U.S. mens basketball team the other day, considering the United States poor showing at the last Olympics. I guess not. May be this "Redeem Team" is actually taking this Olympic thing pretty seriously.
• Can't wait for the track & field to start. That's what the Olympic games are really about. Not archery, water polo or synchronized diving.
  
• Back to the gymnasts. It makes me cringe every time I watch them perform a landing. To me it just seems like such a violent act on their knees, ankles or any joint through the lower body.
  
• I guess softball will no longer be an Olympic sport after this year. That's only to bad if Jennie Finch planned on playing four years from now. She's the only reason I knew it was even an Olympic sport in the first place.
  

• I don't think that there will be any question once these games are over, that Michael Phelps will go down as the greatest U.S. Olympic athlete ever. How old is he again?
• The I.O.C has the toughest drug policy in the world. I think. So it amazes that any athlete would test positive for a banned substance. Can you be that ignorant? I read in the paper today that a cyclist tested positive for EPO. Have a half a brain, will ya?
  
• Didn't watch the opening ceremonies and sure won't watch the closing ceremonies.
  

RichRuff Training Exercise of the Week: Standing Single Arm Row

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How'd That Happen?

I actually amazed myself in the gym today. Probably for the first time and quite possibly the last. I didn't have much time to get in a a workout so I put a brief upper body workout today.

1. Chin ups: 3 sets of as many reps as possible
2. DB Row: 2 sets of 10
3. Suspended Push Ups: 2 sets of as many reps as possible
4. Knee on Elbow DB External Rotation: 2 sets of 12

Not impressive, but I didn't have much time and just felt like I needed to get a workout in. So after about 5 minutes of some foam roller work and another 5 minutes of a dynamic warm up for the upper body, I hop up to the chin up bar and do something I haven't done in years. In fact, I don't know if I've ever done it. I knocked out 15 chin ups on my first set. "Who cares?", I'm sure most of you are saying. But this is important to me for a few reasons:

1. Like I said before i don't think I've ever gotten 15 chin ups in one set. I'm a fast twitch guy and as soon as my reps go over 10 or so, my performance just crashes.
2. With the exception of doing 4 sets of 5 reps of weighted chin ups one day last week, I haven't done a chin up in the last 12 weeks or so. All of my back or pulling work has consisted of mostly rows or any other type of horizontal pulling work.

So I'm left trying to figure out what happened today. One, I think my bodyfat percentage has gone done over the summer by doing more track work. Less fat to pull equals better performance. Two, I think all the rowing work I've done has helped tremendously with my chin up performance. So there are ways to improve performance in one lift by improving performance in other lifts. Third, since I've been doing more deadlifting and rowing than I've ever done before, I think my grip strength and endurance has improved leading to a better performance with my chin ups. The grip is usually the first thing to go with a higher rep set.

16-18 chin ups next week?

Nike Shox

Yeah, I guess they look cool. And when they first came out they even sounded cool, making that "Boing" noise. Or were mine the only ones that did that? But besides their look there is really nothing cool about these sneaks. First, they're over priced. Second, every pair I've ever had (and it's been a couple of years) has broken down so fast. Put my first two points together and that doesn't make any sense. A high priced sneaker that breaks down pretty fast. Makes you want to go out and get a pair, right?

But the real issue with these sneakers isn't the price or how much wear and tear you get out of them. The issue with these sneakers is the biomechanical problems they can cause. Take a look at a pair. It's basically a sneaker with heels, right? Would you ever workout in a pair of heels? I'm actually afraid to ask the question because I'm sure some ladies would say yes. Anyways, you always hear how heels are terrible for your feet and how they can cause problems up your entire kinetic chain. Not only foot problems from shortened calves and Achilles tendons, but also knee, hip and low back problems. Plus having your heels raised causes a forward weight shift and more problems for your lower back. And then think about how we evolved. Mr. Neanderthal Man wasn't chasing down buffalo in a pair of Nike Turbo Shox. He was in bare feet. Watch the track and field events at upcoming summer Olympics. From the sprinters all the way up to the distance runners, they're basically wearing slippers on their feet. Their heels aren't elevated.
They're practically running in bare feet. And some therapists today would even suggest training barefoot to solve some of your joint mobility and stability issues.

So my suggestion to you is not to get sucked in by Nike's fantastic marketing campaigns that have you running out to get the latest pair of Shox. Especially if you're struggling with some foot or low back issues. I was one of those people a couple of years ago. But after realizing how lousy these sneakers can actually before you, I'll never wear another pair.

Stop Sweating the Small Stuff

• "When should I being doing my cardio? Early morning?"
• "What fruits should I not be eating"
• "How can I isolate my upper pecs?"
• "What's the best time for me to exercise?"
• "What supplements can I use to help burn some bodyfat?"

These are some of the questions I get from people who are always sweating the small stuff. And these are the same people who a good majority of the time do not have any of the basic principles in place. They are:

1. Not doing any cardio at all.
2. Not eating any fruit at all.
3. Not able to even perform 10 quality push ups.
4. Not getting any exercise in at all.
5. Not even following a good nutritional plan.

And these people are always getting no where with their results. They are always stuck in neutral. They'd be much better off if they stopped talking about the best strategies are and started getting 3-5 hours of exercise in per week and cut all the crap out of their diet. Are you one of these people? Stop sweating the small stuff and take a look at the big picture.

RichRuff Training Exercise of the Week: Standing Face Pull

This exercise would fall into the category of horizontal pulling or rowing. And more rowing equals less shoulder problems, making this exercise a great shoulder saver. In order to perform this exercise:

1. Attach a triceps's rope to an adjustable pulley and adjust the height of the pulley so it is above eye level.
   
2. Grip the rope with an externally rotated grip (palms facing each other ) and take a few steps back, getting into a split stance. It's okay to have a bit of a backward lean in order to counteract the weight being used.
   
3. Initiate the pulling movement by thinking about bring your shoulders back and down.
4. Your elbows should go out and your hands should finish right around your ears.

Take a look at the video for a better idea.







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