Exercise of the Week: Single Arm DB Floor Press

Floor presses are a nice exercise to add into your training program as an alternative for some horizontal pressing work, an alternative for some triceps work or if coming back from a shoulder injury.  The shortened range of motion is going to cause less stress on the shoulder and place more emphasis on the triceps.  You could perform barbell floor presses, dumbbell floor presses or even kettlebell floor presses.    But why would I perform single arm floor presses?  Two reasons.  One is the offset loading that is going to require more core stability demands especially when the weight is cranked up.  The second reason has to do with the weight being cranked up.  Getting into and out of position when weight starts going up with a bi-lateral dumbbell floor press can be pretty difficult.  I find it much easier to get into and out of the position with the single arm version once the weight in each arm starts going up.  You are able to use your free arm to get into and out of the racked position almost like you would if you were doing a Turkish Get Up.



One more thing....have a happy and healthy new year.  Make 2014 your year!!

It's Not Just a Reach

Exercise of the Week: Medial & Lateral Hurdle Hops

Medial and lateral hurdle hops are exercises that are used early on in the lateral plyo progression.  The concern really isn't how high the individual is hopping.  The concern here is how the individual controls the landing from the hop.  Once the individual shows the ability to control the landing in both directions, medially and laterally, then we'll move onto an exercise that is going to have more power emphasis such as Heidens.

Exercise of the Week: Val Slide Reverse Lunge w/Press Out

Women vs. Men

I've been training since 1999.  In that fourteen year period I've learned  a lot,  I've seen a lot and I have been amazed a lot.  One thing I picked up on  and continue to see is the difference between women and men when it comes to training, nutrition and even the clothes they work out in.  Here are some of my observations:

• Women do not know that a rest period should exist from time to time. Women just want to know what the next exercise is.  Rest periods do not exist for them.  Men on the other hand are hoping for a rest period between exercises and they want to know what the exact rest period is.    
• If a woman can not do a chin up it is usually because she is not strong enough.  If a man can not do a chin up it is usually because he is not lean enough. 
• Women have nice workout clothes and are willing to send some decent money on their workout clothes at places such as Lululemon.   Guys do not care about their workout clothes, will not spend money on their workout clothes and if they do buy workout clothes they buy them at TJ Maxx.
• Women would not be caught dead in tube socks.  Men have no problem wearing tube socks no matter the color, how many stripes are on them or whether they are "quitters".
• Women are too focused on whether a food is low fat or not.  Men do not think enough about fat in their diets.
• Women want a pizza with vegetables.  Men want to know how many combinations of meat they can put on their pizza.
• Women love to count calories.  Men have no idea how many calories they are taking in on a daily basis.
• Women love their egg whites.  Men love eggs.....and bacon...and sausage.
• Women are focused on three areas when it comes to training: core, glutes and arms.  Men are focused on three different areas when it comes to training: chest, abs and bi's.
• Women who are afraid of being big bulky from strength training have been mislead through years of weightlifting mythology.  Men who are afraid of getting big and bulky have no chance of getting big and bulky in the first place.

• Women care what they look like when they work out.  Men have no idea what they look like when they workout.
• Woman do not work on push ups because they have been told for years they should do "girl" push ups.  Men do not work on push ups because they would rather bench press.
• Women think "cardio" can not be anything less than 60 minutes.  Men think "cardio" is anything over five minutes.
• Women are not focused enough on protein intake.  Men are too focused on protein intake and not enough on vegetable intake.
• Women like to do what's trendy....hot yoga, ballet barre, spin fusion (Does spin fusion exist?)  Men like to do what they were doing in the high school weight room twenty years ago.
• Woman want more exercise variety in their training and are more susceptible to exercise ADD.  Men would bench press and do biceps curls every day of the week for months on end if you told them to do so.
• Women need to be pushed to lift heavier weights.  Men need to be told to back off on the weight and be coached up on their form.
• Women have a right to wear spandex to the gym.  Men never have a right to wear spandex to the gym.
• Women are too focused on flexibility work especially if they are already flexibile or mobile.  Men are not focused enough on flexibility work especially if they are not flexibile or mobile.
• Women are more open to working with a personal trainer.  Men think only women work with a personal trainer.

Want to add anything to the list?

Exercise of the Week: Lateral Bound w/Rebound

Before we take a look at this week's exercise of the week let's get one thing out of the way.  I'm getting old.  I'm getting slow.  I'm getting less powerful.  So if you're looking for me to jump across or out of the room in the following video it's not going to happen.  And since I am getting old and slow I make sure to keep up with my power training whether it be medicine ball throws, plyometrics, kettlebell swings or dynamic exercises such as deadlifts or bench presses for speed.

Onto the lateral bound with rebound.  This exercise is part of a lower body lateral plyometric progression.  A typical progression may look like:

1. Lateral and medial hops to a box
2. Lateral and medial low hurdle hops 
3. Lateral Bounds with a stick (meaning sticking the landing)
4. Lateral Bounds with a rebound 
5. Lateral Bounds with a rebound to a 10yd sprint

Here's the lateral bound with a rebound.

Exercise of the Week: Dead Stop SLDL

Most variations of the SLDL (single leg deadlift) have to do with changing the way the exercise is loaded.  For instance, you can use an off-set load, you can place a kettlebell or dumbbell in each hand and use a bilateral load or you can use a barbell to load the exercise.

Another variation of the SLDL has to do with changing the tempo of the exercise by using a dead stop in the bottom position.  And more than just for variety sake the dead stop SLDL is particularly useful in two situations:

1. Introducing the exercise to someone for the first time.  Slowing down the tempo of the SLDL with a dead stop will give you an idea of how the exercise is supposed to feel and look.
2. To overload glutes.  After you come to a dead stop position it's going to be awfully hard to get that weight off the floor without a solid contraction of the glute.