like your user title hahaha. you like rosie o'donnell at a bisexual bridal showa.
that video is so funny.
ya that vid is on GOAT status..
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yeah, i don't know what's going on with my legs, they're just a damn mess. left big toe will need surgery eventually, right ankle mildly sprained (again), right hamstring strained or irritated or whatever the hell it is... i'm debating for the first time whether to just take a break from ultimate. not just until my ankle is kind of healed but for a year or something. really focus on getting my legs healthy, getting my vert up, and getting fit. no decision one way or the other yet but the thought had not occurred to me before.
ya man, dno, you definitely seem to really be getting injured alot lately.. taking a break from ultimate might be necessary.
Alright well, this article will cover the exercises I find very important at firing up your CNS during training. Too often, people just half-ass a warmup then get right into lifting or whatever it is they are doing that day. Sure, that'll work, but if you want to be firing on all cylinders, you usually need a bit more than a half-assed warmup & some work-up sets.
This article will cover:
short sprints
plyometrics & explosive exercises
medicine ball throws
stiff leg ankle hops
ISO EXTENSION STIM
Caffeine
Seizure hops
Active-dynamic warmup
High protein lower carb diet on training days
WAKEUP: Short Sprints
This is probably the most effective of all exercises at firing up your cns, since the intention is to recruit muscle mass as fast as possible at a very high rate. No matter what your goal (lifting, jumping, boxing training etc), short distance maximal intensity sprinting is extremely effective at firing up your nervous system. In my experience, ~20 yard sprints work best. The easiest way to incorporate this would be to perform it after an active-dynamic warmup. For example:
Example workout: - Active-Dynamic warmup prehab/activation - 20 yard sprints from 2or3point stance: Light, ~30% effort, 3 - 5 sprints - 20 yard sprints from 2or3point stance: medium, ~60% effort, 2 - 3 sprints - 20 yard sprints from 2or3point stance: Hard, ~90% effort, ~2 sprints - 20 yard sprints from 2or3point stance: Maximal, 100% effort, 2 or more sprints - jump, lift, shadow box, whatever - ... - Cooldown: stretch post workout nutrition
The workup sets of sprints can be done rather quickly, for example, sprint at X intensity coast out the decel walk back reset repeat. For the maximal sprints of 20 yards, full recovery is advise, so about 2 minutes between each maximal 20 yard sprint.
I find short sprints to be extremely beneficial prior to: - performing broad jumps - performing explosive exercises or heavy lifting - performing shadow boxing or activities that require high levels of limb quickness (basketball dribbling etc)
Now you should be fired up & ready to go.
WAKEUP: Plyometrics & Explosive Exercises
There's this debate going on among the diehard s&c addicts/athletes, are plyometrics even needed? In my opinion, of course, but their place within a training program varies. So, without getting into all that, I'll settle the "are plyometrics even needed" from another angle.
Plyometrics and explosive exercises are possibly the very best way to warm up for heavy squatting, lunging, and deadlifting. Done. The end. Next.
Having now stated that for the world to see, I do not ever want to hear someone whine about how plyometrics or explosive exercises are useless, and how people should "just jump and squat".
In my experience and that of people I have trained (online and in the field), plyometrics & explosive exercises have always enhanced a strength session. The reason why is because their is heightened nervous system activity as well as decreased inhibition by the nervous system, for example:
Some of the underlying mechanisms of these strategies include increased motor unit recruitment, increased muscle spindle firing, increased activity of the synergist musculature, reduced inhibition of the Golgi tendon organ and a phenomenon called postactivation potentiation (Hilfiker, Hubner, Lorenz & Marti, 2007).
The best results, in my experience, occur using: - Depth jumps before squats - REA squats before squats - Jump squats before squats - Depth jumps before REA squats before squats - Jump squats before REA squats before squats - Bounds before lunges - REA lunge (or weighted quick lunges) before lunges - Multi Response Hurdle leaps for distance before squats - REA pushup before bench press - REA pullup before pulls * note, the plyometric/explosive exercises can yield a benefit for pretty much any major multi joint exercise, not confined to squat/lunge
For sets and reps, I like to use:
Depth jumps: 2x10 from 18 inches or 2-4x5 from 24 inches, ~15-30 seconds rest between reps, ~5 minutes rest between sets
Jump squats: 3-5 x 3 or 3 x 5 @ 25-40% of 1RM, rest between reps (15-30s re-rack) OR reset with bar on back, ~3-5 minutes rest between rets
REA squats: 3-5 x 3 @ 30-70% of 1RM, 3-5 minutes rest between sets
Bounding: ~5 bounds each leg for 3-5 sets, full recovery between sets of each leg (~2-4 minutes)
REA lunge: 3 x 3 or 3 x 5 each leg (alternating) @ 20-50% of 1RM, 3-5 minutes rest between sets
Multi response hurdle leaps: Work up to a max distance between hurdles with ropes, 3-4 hurdles, full recovery between sets
REA pushup: 3 x 3, bodyweight or vested, dropping from hands on boxes or plates, ~3 minutes between sets
REA pullup: 3 x 3, bodyweight or weighted, ~3 minutes between sets
Well, there you go, that should end that discussion. Here are a few examples:
Example workout: - Active-Dynamic warmup prehab/activation - Sprint warmup - Depth jumps: 2 x 10 from 18 inches - REA squat: 4 x 3 @ 40% of 1RM - Squat: work up to 3x5 - ... - Cooldown: stretch post workout nutrition
Example workout: - Active-Dynamic warmup prehab/activation - Sprint warmup - Bounds: 5 each leg - Barbell lunges: work up to 4 x 3 each leg (alternating) - ... - Cooldown: stretch post workout nutrition
Example workout: - Active-Dynamic warmup prehab/activation - Sprint warmup - Jump squat: 4 x 3 @ 30% - Squat: Work up to a heavy 5RM - ... - Cooldown: stretch post workout nutrition
WAKEUP: Throws
Throws (medicine ball etc) can be very beneficial to plyometric exericses, jumps, leaps, and sprints. I prefer scoop throws for distance or scoop tosses for height. Throws incorporate the entire body, including powerful use of the shoulder extensors/flexors, which is what you get in ballistic movements with arm swing or arm split.
I prefer: - Scoop toss or scoop throw: 3 x 3-5 or 5 x 2-3, full rest between sets
MB Scoop toss (Scoop Toss (Height).MOV) would be most beneficial prior to exercises with a more vertical emphasis, such as vertical jumps, depth jumps, and other reactive exercises.
MB Scoop throw (10-18-2007 medicine ball throws) would be most beneficial prior to exercises with a more horizontal emphasis, such as broad jumps, multi response hurdle leaps, etc.
Both would be fine prior to sprinting.
Example workout: - Active-Dynamic warmup prehab/activation - Sprint warmup - MB Scoop toss : 3 x 3 - Standing vertical jumps: 4 x 2 - ... - Cooldown: stretch post workout nutrition
Example workout: - Active-Dynamic warmup prehab/activation - Sprint warmup - MB Scoop throw : 3 x 3 - Broad jumps: 4 x 2 - ... - Cooldown: stretch post workout nutrition
WAKEUP: Stiff leg ankle hops
Sometimes you go out to do your dunks, test on a vertec, etc, and you just don't have that pop. Well, you could utilize some of the other tricks in this article, such as performing some med ball throws after some short sprints while ingesting caffeine ginseng and hour before workout, or, if you don't want to do all that, you could perform a few sets of stiff leg ankle hops (SLAH). SLAH helps really wake up the plantar flexors, quads (vmo especially) and glutes. They can be done before any activity that requires explosive triple extension, namely vertical jumps, sprints, plyometrics, etc. I like to perform them maximally, not rep them out for high volume.
Caffeine can be extremely effective at improving arousal levels, strength, reaction time, focus, and endurance. Kelly Baggett turned me on to this a few years ago. Once I tried "caffing up" for a jump workout, I hardly ever went a week without dosing high on caffeine for a jump workout. I would only dose up on caffeine once per week on a very important jump session. It worked its magic pretty much every time. By utilizing caffeine, he overall consistency & volume of my jumps was always improved, at times even setting PR's.
A stimulant free stack you can try may consist of:
acetyl-l-carnitine: 1000 mg l-tyrosine: 3000 mg
Add 200 mg caffeine for enhanced effectiveness.
I've never actually used that formula, instead, i've simply used starbucks prebottled coffee's arizona green tea (with ginseng) packets in water. I normally drink one starbucks coffee, but sometimes I'll go two (one in the afternoon, the other ~1-1.5 hours prior to jumping). I also take 1-2 of those arizona green tea ginseng packets, usually one in the afternoon and another a few hours prior to jumping.
So in general: - down your caffeine 1-1.5 hours prior to training - don't do it more than twice a week so not to build tolerance
WAKEUP: Seizure Hops
Self explanatory, this'll wake you up.. 1-2 sets of 6-10 seconds
Active-dynamic warmup
There exist all types of warmups, sometimes just playing a game of basketball won't cut it or isn't an option. For more information on active-dynamic warmups, check this article:
When it comes to power/speed training, many times it's best not to rely too heavily on carbohydrate based meals. In this way, using a diet that contains higher protein and lower carb, will help keep you alert, keeping you away from that insulin fatigue. Carbohydrate intake would be lower than "normal" prior to training, but it would then of course not matter after training. For example:
- Monday: rest day: carbohydrate intake high, protein intake high, fat intake moderate - Tuesday: power/speed day: carb intake lower protein intake high prior to training, carb protein high after training - Wednesday: light day: carb intake moderate, protein intake high, fat intake moderate - Thursday: lifting day: carb intake moderate, protein intake high, fat intake moderate - Friday: power/speed day: carb intake lower protein intake high prior to training, carb protein high after training
So what is "low carb" prior to training? Well, instead of a whole bowl of pasta, we're looking at a portion of fruit, 2 slices of bread on a thick chicken sandwhich, steak & bowl of oatmeal, etc.. stuff like that.
Another nice trick is to throw in some spices such as lightly cooked jalepeno's onto that sandwhich, steak, etc..
So my general rule has become: - Eat big, yet clean, the day prior to speed/power training - Eat light (higher protein lower carb low to moderate fat) on training days prior to the speed/power session - Load up after that session
ok at this point im tired of typing, which should be obvious by my last section haha, so hope that helps.
Question 1 : Whats the best timing for a jump/dunk session after those kind of workouts? I mean i know im fresh all week with them, but when is the max stim effect? 48 or 72 hours later?
A & C would be best with 1-2 days of full rest before jumping.. B would definitely need 2 full rest days imo.. so with A & C i would play it by feel a bit, C would definitely be the one i'd go 1 day rest with.. so do it like this:
i'm fallen into a major GPP phase so i don't expect to be jumping good right now..
workout #1: - went to bball court for like 30 minutes, only had 30 minutes had to go somewhere - some jumps off 1-2 step lead ins, like 30 max - quads were dead
went out, had philly cheese steaks + ice cream
workout #2: - felt real tired.. woke up a bit after jumps were done - 3 20 yards sprints mixed in while walking to bball court - 4 x 5 EACH (left right plant then right left plant) jumps from 1-2 step lead in, in track flats - got 30" (10'6) or so max on LR, 10'3 or so max on RL - happy about the RL plants, thats probably the highest ive had in a while - most of my LR's were 28-29" though, didnt care though
- back to sprinting: ~3 x ~40, ~2 x ~60, ~2 x ~100 - i pulled my adductor on my second 100, which was intended to be my last sprint.. bleh shit is mad tight.. which reminds me, i need to somehow get very flexible without hurting myself...................... heh
- walking lunges: a ton.. hurt real bad on my adductor at first (~first 30 reps each leg or so), then it started loosening up..
stretching the rest of the night
i can barely move my hams/glutes/quads/adductor are pulsating.. lol
so ya i have to get more flexible without ripping a damn tendon.. so this was a good thing to happen in all honesty.. i stopped sprinting (well i decel'd) as soon as i felt it.. have to get more rom though!
and im slacking on the AD warmup and the core stuff...
warmups are intended to fire you up more so that you dont have to 'fire yourself up later' as you workout.. also they help you get loose (get the blood flowing) to help you avoid injury etc.
core work is mainly intended to help you on your lifts and stabilize the pelvis during dynamic movements.
im feeling good right now. nothing aching anywhere in fact! if i really stretch out my arms, the sides of the chest still a tad sore, but nothing major like previous times. couldnt rep out as much on those dips and pullups ytd tho.
ytd on those squats was a different story haha. a few reps i didnt quite manage to explode up.
don't feel sore or anything now, but ytd i felt my hips tho. muscles all feel fine. wonder if im doing somethin stupid, like not loading or using the muscles properly to lift the weights.
no aches/soreness is what we want.. we want to feel fres pretty much all weak..
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i think partially why i havent seen much gains in my vert is due to the fact that despite all the work i put in inside the weights room, i hardly actually ever go out and do the actual jumping. hhahaha! sure hope things change, and i hope i'll be able to dunk off a lob, on that lower rim this weekend, or 2 weeks later, when the last game of the season is.
right that's why thurs/sat are so important.. you've missed some jump sessions but, those days are intended to really get all of your jump volume in.. that's when you should be jumping best based on mon workout and thurs workout #2.. so if you miss those it definitely messes with things a bit, because that jumping needs to be there! hehe
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after that, it'd be another month or so before the next one starts, so i'll be needing ur help once again adarq!
glad i got that 90 on the bench, wanted it for a long time already. but all my reps on the bench, no matter the weight, nv touched my chest. all were abt 2 inches above. this is cause i train alone, and the rack's safety bars with the bench height made benching to chest, while still having safety in case of failure impossible. haha, had an accident with the bar before with the bench press as well, pinned under the bar till someone saved me.
HAHHA, i think i got myself into accidents for each of my lift at one time in time or another.
damn, for the depth jumps, i do them off stacked up aerobic steps, but the max height i can get is around 24", no more steps around. maybe i'll stack them on some plates or something... :/
nice work on the bench man, and those squat singles!
no need to go above 24" for now, so just keep it there..
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