Why Train with Chains?

I’ve had a few people ask me recently about the benefits of training with chains.  I think chains are a great tool for developing strength and power, and not only because it looks cool.  For those that have spent some significant time on solid weight training programs using strictly straight weight, incorporating chains into their regimen can help push their performance to another level.

A Teaching Tool

I think chains are a great teaching tool, but not necessarily for technique purposes (If technique is an issue, make that the priority and reserve the chains for another week, month, or year).  I’m talking about teaching people how to be FAST and accelerate the load through the range of motion.  Adding chains to barbell movements is one of many forms of accommodating resistance.  This basically means that throughout the concentric portion of the movement, as the leverages improve, the resistance increases.  Take benching with chains for example.

When the bar is touching the chest the weight is deloaded because most of the chain weight is sitting on the floor.  As you press the weight towards lockout the links come off the floor, making the load heavier with each inch of concentric range.  So imagine that the weight on the bar is 135 pounds, and we added 80 pounds of chain weight.  At the bottom of the bench press, if you used the minimal amount of effort needed to press 135 pounds, the chains will reveal themselves to you during the lift as if to say, “nope.”  This is when the learning occurs, and you know that you need to drive hard and fast into that 135 pound bar touching your chest because it is going to grow into a 215 pound load at lockout.

Overload Stimulus

The chains as accommodating resistance will also allow you to use greater loads than you may be used to at the end range of a movement.  You can get a similar overload stimulus by using partial movements, such as rack pulls for deadlifts, but with chains you can overload while still practicing the full range of the exercise.

Recovering from an Injury

Often times the bottom of a movement is when some of the joints are the most vulnerable.  Those who are recovering from a grouchy lower back can benefit from the decreased load at the bottom of squats and deadlifts while building their strength back up.  Similarly, those making a comeback from a shoulder issue can start progressing into bench and board press variations with chains to add a little more security.

Convenience

Chains are also an extremely useful mode of resistance for more than just barbell movements.  Throw them across your hips during glute bridges, drape them across your back for push-ups and planks, or around your neck for pull-ups, dips, and lunges. Obviously it’s of the upmost importance to look hardcore and throw a bunch of chalk covered chains onto a barbell, but they should not be used haphazardly.

If you don't have access to chains don't stress it, straight weight should make up the meat and potatoes of your program anyway.  However if you have been training for a while and have access to them they can be a great addition to your toolbox and provide you with a cool new stimulus.  Try them out!

Body-Mind Connection

You have heard it before.  Your mind has a huge impact on your body.  Our decision-making and free will dictates our eating and exercising habits, which have a great impact on our overall health.  This is nothing new.  We know our mind determines how motivated we are to act, which fluctuates just like our overall health. While the mind-body connection is often talked about in this very space, the body-mind connection has also been making recent news.  This article talks about how exercise can help prevent Alzheimer’s disease.  Dr. Cyrus Raji conducted a study on the power of exercise amongst the elderly.  Raji found that calories burned greatly impacts the amount of gray matter in the hippocampus, which effects memory.  Raji even goes as far as to say, “No pharmaceutical drug on the market has been shown to have these effects on the brain -- not a single drug,”

So while we often talk about the mind-body connection, let’s not ignore the body-mind connection.  What shape our body is in can often determine how strong our mind is.  Make sure your body and mind are active and don’t let either become complacent.  They are depending on each other.

10 Uncommon Rowing Variations that Don't Require Dumbbells or a Cable Column

It's no secret that a sound strength and conditioning regimen should be buttressed by a healthy dose of rowing. I don't care if you're training for powerlifting, athletic performance, fat loss, or for post-rehab purposes, you've got to include your rowing.

It's borderline ironic then that rowing exercises are one of the toughest to employ when either:

A) Traveling, or B) On a tight budget

The most common tools to use for rows are dumbbells and cable columns, and guess what are also extremely difficult to travel with, and cost a boatload of cash? Yep, dumbbells and cable columns.

When traveling, it's super easy to make do with the innumerable pushup variations at your disposal, or to include glute+hamstring work that can be accomplished with the simple addition of furniture sliders.

If you train in your garage, a squat rack and barbell will fit virtually all your needs for upper body pressing and for all essential lower body training. So, how do you achieve your rowing quota for the week in if all you have access to is a barbell (and is not your standard bent-over barbell row), and are divested of any remaining cash to spare?

Fortunately for you, we at SAPT are the kings and queens of training with minimal equipment. One of the first things people ask when they enter our facility for the first time is, "Where are are the dumbbells? Wait, what about your cable columns? Where are those?"

We've been using the dumbbell-less and cable-less rowing variations below for a number of years with our athletes, clients, and in our own training. While far from an all-inclusive list, I hope they can get you started in the right direction:

Dumbbell Row Substitutes: "Landmine" Rows

You can easily use a barbell to sub in for a number of common dumbbell variations. The following five exercises depict this.

1. Bent-Over Landmine Row

2. Bent-Over DEADSTOP Landmine Row

3. 3-Point Landmine Row

4. 3-Point DEADSTOP Landmine Row

5. 2-Point Landmine Row 

Cable Column Substitutes: Band Rows

In a number of ways I actually like band rows better than cable rows. They add a really intense contraction at the top, right when your scapular stabilizers are working on overdrive.

6. Seated Band Row, Neutral Grip

7. Seated Band Row, Neutral Grip with Towel

Use this one if you don't have an actual V-handle, or if you just want to fry the grip for masochistic purposes.

8. Seated Band Row, Pronated Grip

We initially used a dowel rod for the handle on these, but then there lies the risk of the handle snapping on you mid set. You can use a barbell instead, which also adds a unique challenge for the shoulders.

9. 1/2 Kneeling Band Row, Neutral Grip

Other Odds and Ends

10.  T-Bar Landmine Row with Towel

While not technically a dumbbell or cable substitute, here's one that combines a core stability element with heavy grip demands:

11 (Bonus): Make Your Own Suspension Trainer

Finally, you can make your own suspension trainer, which will open the door for a host of other rowing possibilities, be it for travel or for home purposes.

Heck, even if you DO have easy access to dumbbells and/or cable stacks, I recommend giving these a shot as you'll definitely notice a slightly different (and fun) training stimulus, and may decide to keep a few in your permanent rowing repertoire.

Sneaky Brownies: Healthy Fats and Fiber Right Here!

I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving! We had a great time with lots of fabulous food and fantastic family time. My family has a tradition, it's the tradition of Pie. Every year, the main even at Thanksgiving is not the turkey (we had 3...) not the side dishes (not even the whipped-with-real-cream mashed potatoes) but it's, really, about the pies.

This year, the 23-pie selection included pumpkin, pecan, key lime, S'mores, chocolate creame coconut, a General Pie-treas (my witty brothers' pie) and numerous fruity variations. Delicious!

However, I don't like pie.

I made a Not-Pie instead. Also, being the nutrition nut that I am, I made a healthy Not-Pie and I thought I would share the recipe so this holiday, there can be some desserts that are not an insulin coma waiting to happen. Here's the link to the original recipe (I love Cara's site!), and below is my not-following-the-recipe version:

- 1 can black beans, drained and rinsed

- 1/2 fairly ripe avocado

- 3 eggs

- 4 Trader Joe 100 calorie 70% dark chocolate bars, mostly melted (they were cheaper than other chocolate options...)

- About 2 Tbs of agave nectar (honey works too)

- Heaping tablespoon of Hershey's Dark Chocolate cocoa powder (yuuuummmm)

- 2 TBS stevia powder (or until it tastes good to you) I actually don't have sugar in my pantry, much to my tea-drinking mother's distress.

1. In a food processor, blend the eggs, beans and avocado until smooth. It will look like dark poop.

2. Pre-heat your oven to 350-ish (I always forget to to this first and since I'm relating how I made this delicious chocolaty goodness, I'm trying to stay true to my actually cooking technique.)

3. Melt the chocolate bars in the microwave (or stove if you have a double boiler) until their mostly melted. I'm impatient so I didn't wait for them to melt all the way. Add them into the black bean goopy-goop. Also add in the cocoa powder and agave nectar. Pulse until well blended.

4. Add stevia (or whatever sweetener you prefer) until it tastes good to you. Mine were not super sweet (like traditional brownies) but still maintained the bitter characteristic of dark chocolate. And sweet enough not to taste the black beans too.

5. Pour mixture into pan of choice; since I was making a Not-Pie, I used a circular pan, but I'm pretty sure that a rectangular pan will make no difference in taste. Cara suggests using an 8 x 8 pan and she's pretty smart.

6. Bake about 30-ish minutes or until you can poke the middle and the poker comes out clean. They'll be more fudge-like than cake-like.

Ta-daa!! Pretty easy huh? So, why should you make these this holiday season (and risk 5-year olds telling you they don't like your pie? (True story)). Reasons are as follows:

1. The recipe offers up a healthy dose of fiber, which we know is a good thing for our bodies and can be scarce during the holiday meals. Also, the fiber helps prevent blood sugar spikes and the ensuing insulin spikes, keeping a steady blood sugar level in the blood (and NO sugar crashes). The fiber also helps fill you up so you eat less.

2. There are healthy monosaturated fats in the avacado (the ones doctors are ga-ga about for healthy hearts). These fats are incorporated in cell walls (helping keep cells healthy, happy and young).

3. There is a good dose of protein from the beans and eggs (woefully lacking in most sweet things)

4. Avocado and black beans provide multiple beneficial compounds like luetin (prevents macular degeneration), vitamin E  and glutothione (both helps fight against disease and sickness, like colds, keeping you healthy during the festivities),  both contain multiple flavonoids that have anti-inflammatory properties. My favorite fact, black beans have molybdenum which is a trace element which breaks down and detoxifies the body from sulfites, compounds found in wine and salad dressing, and while only some people are sensitive to them, they can't be great to have floating around your body.

5. This is more of a personal benefit, but because they're not as sweet as most desserts, I feel less sluggish after having some.

6. The feeling of smugness knowing what is in them when people are enjoying your delightful brownies.

Pre-Thanksgiving Madness

It’s that time of year to appreciate all that we’re thankful for, spend time with friends and family, eat a lot of good food and lift a bunch of weight!  Since we are going to soak our cells in calories anyway, why not get a good strength training session in before the feast?  Do a few sets of squats, presses, and pull-ups, and your body will likely be a little less willing to store all the calories as adipose tissue.

But for those of you who really want to turn it up a notch and do something borderline insane, here’s a few physical challenges that will push the limits of your body and mind.

20-Rep Squat

The 20-rep squat, aka The Widowmaker was an infamous old-school way of packing on mass and showing the world that you’re tougher than Chuck Norris.  The objective is fairly simple: load the bar up with a weight that you could hit a challenging ten reps with, and do twenty.  How!?!?  Get under the bar and start squatting.  You will probably blast through the first half of the reps smoothly.  When you feel like you want to rack it, stay disciplined and keep the bar on your back while forcing yourself to take several deep breaths.  Then perform another rep.  Then breathe again, and do another rep.  Repeat until you hit twenty reps. Yes, this one set of 20 will take forever, and no, it will not be pleasant.

Triceps Death

All the bench press heroes will like this one.  You’ll need a bunch of boards, a spotter, and another friend to hold the boards.  Set up as if you were doing a close grip bench to a 1-board.  You’ll do five reps to the one board, and right after your last rep dgfev online casino your friend will switch it to a 2-board.  Do another five reps and have him/her switch to a 3-board and do another five.  If you have a 4 and a 5-board handy throw those in the sequence too.

Kroc Row

Popularized by powerlifter Matt Kroczaleski, this exercise will really smoke your grip and upper back.  Grab the heaviest dumbbell or kettlebell that you can pick up with one hand, and row it for as many reps as possible.  Whether you choose to do a 3-point row or a row on the bench with your hand and knee supported is up to you.  Chalk up and bang out as many reps as you can, rest a bit, and match the reps with the other side.  I should add that a little common sense is in order here, and when the movement starts to resemble a series of mini seizures more than row, it’s time to put it down and walk away.

Strip Sets

This is a great way to deplete your muscle glycogen levels so you can fill them back up with pumpkin pie and mashed potatoes.  Although you can apply a strip set to almost any exercise, I’ll use push-ups against chains as an example.  Set up in a push-up position and have a friend throw chains on your back (let’s say you use 4 chains).  Start doing as many push-ups as you can.  When you are a rep or two shy of failure, have your friend take off two chains and immediately continue with your push-ups.  When you come close to failing again have your friend remove the last two chains and do bodyweight push-ups until your triceps explode.  Then go to your knees and do a few more.  Then do an iso-hold at the bottom.  This example may have gone a little further than I intended at first but whatever, it’s Thanksgiving!

Conditioning Challenges

You can be creative with this one.  Load up the prowler and go for a max effort trip, or load it up lighter and get as many trips as possible in a specific window of time.  You can push it, pull it, drag it, even use a harness and bear crawl with it.  You can also use the implements and do farmer’s walks for distance or again go for a super heavy 1-trip max.

Keep in mind that these challenges should be used once in a blue moon, and not as a staple in most of our programming.  It’s fun to step away from your regular program once in a while and do something a little more on “the wild side,” but remember that real progress comes from consistency and adhering to a well-designed training plan.

But it’s the holidays so enjoy yourself, move some heavy things around and eat up!  Stay safe and I hope to see you all out at the Thanksgiving lift tomorrow!

Know Your "Why"

What do you spend most of your day doing?  Do you know why you do what you do?  If you’re an athlete, why do you play your sport?  Motivation can determine effort, resiliency, and ultimately have a profound impact on performance. Maslow’s Hierarchy of needs (see the pyramid below) speaks to why we act the way we act.  Our needs vary, but our self-actualization and esteem needs are greatly in our control, and vary from person to person.  However, if we recognize our motivation and why we desire certain things, then we are able to feed our motivation rather than starve it.

Take a look toward the top of the pyramid and determine why you do what you do.  That explanation should be embedded into you and be a constant reminder when the going gets tough.