I really like the L-sit rope pullup!

I like anything that taxes the grip and core!

The real kicker with using the rope in this movement is the range of motion (ROM) of the shoulder and length of pull if one is able to perform them correctly.

Note the first photo and my hand position…unfortunately I already started my pull in this photo (I’ll work on a better shot soon)…but what I actually do on the bottom is stretch into an active shoulder with my hands turned out. I start the pull by shrugging my scapula down and rotating my hands in.  Note the position of my hands in the second photo. I continue to rotate my hands all the way to the top and this final pull really taxes the biceps…the forearms also get a good thrashing throughout.

Now personally I don’t give a rat’s ass about 6-pack abs and ripped arms…they do however suddenly appear by chasing Peak Athletic Performance and by including a daily diet of full ROM functional movements. Don’t get me wrong, I understand the innate desire to chase these popular ideals…I suppose my rant stems from the new flood of internet fitness gurus espousing their Golden Goose AB Program all based on their own transformation.  Why did a fitness professional have to transform?  Will they have to do it again when they need to market their next Golden Goose?

HA!  Now I’m havin some FUN!

So todays Golden EGG is L-sit Rope Pullups…

A nice couplet of L-sit Rope pullups and either Handstand pushups or the already mentioned ring dips will have you on the straight and narrow to all the great core strength and conditioning gains you strive for…it’ll also give ya some strong arms and abs!

In Strength,

Jerry

P.S Want a hardcore no-nonsense guide to Spartan Strength?  Zack Even-Esh is a strength coach who personally walks the walk and trains athletes daily:

The Underground Strength Manual
Want a more mainstream gym program that still has an edge of some hardcore movements?  Mike Geary is your man:No Gimmicks…rock solid advice and core strengthening movements.

 

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I’ve recently placed ring dips into the workout rotation on a more consistent basis. I’m strong enough to do these with the rings turned out so I thought I’d see where I can go with this.

The difference between ring dips and regular bar dips is an eye-opener. The difference between ring dips with arms leaning on the strap verse having the rings turned out and arms off the strap is even more profound!

It is so much more taxing on the triceps!

It’s also more of a challenge to stay balanced so the Abs get a lot of extra work in also…gotta love more core strength!

On the early reps I get the rings turned out on the bottom and keep them that way throughout, this takes some good upper body strength in the chest, shoulders, and triceps.

I’m simply having some fun on them right now so I played around with some weighted ring dips last week and compared them to a stricter rings turned out version today…WOW!

I managed a few reps with an extra 70lb Kettlebell last workout…
This week with NO weight and rings turned out on bottom and throughout I managed the same amount of reps…Ouch!

I coupled the ring dips with some weighted Chin-ups. Like I said, I’m playing around a bit with these, no concrete goals yet.

I do have some goals for Handstand pushups and L-sit rope pull-ups, that’s the circuit I hit before this one. You can see the set up I have in the background of the picture. I’ll talk about those on another day…

Hey, it’s Winter…A good time to get stronger!

In Strength,

Jerry

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This is an early morning picture of my Girlz and I on my 41st Birthday last December!

Since having kids my personal routine has changed quite a bit. Those long hours in the gym are no more; short tough workouts are in order so I have more time and energy to run the little ones around!

Since this is my new fitness blog I’d like to not only share my coaching tips but also some of my own workouts; past and present. I’d also like to dive into all things fitness; Nutrition, Mindset, Goals, Motivation, Inspiration, and more…

While my role as a Dad, Husband, and Coach is so important in my life so is my continued personal pursuit of fitness! With time constraints a lot of my training today is on based on the biggest bang for your buck exercises.

One of my current circuits includes 3 classic barbell lifts;
Deadlift
Front Squat
Strict Front Press

I’ll attack this circuit with varied intensity levels; Heavy, Medium, and Moderate.

“Pareto’s Principle: Barbells”
10 rounds for total time:
Deadlift 2 x bodyweight 3-5 reps
Front Squat bodyweight x 3-5 reps
Strict Front Press x .75 bodyweight x 3-5 reps

This is a Heavy Day, I’ll hit 5 reps if I feel good and slept a little bit. I wake up at 0400, (that’s 4:00 AM) to workout and usually have 20-30 minutes to get this in before I start coaching. If other factors are involved I’ll scale back to 3 reps. 10 rounds is a good challenge for me.

I’d like to hit this in 20 minutes, that’s a set every 40 seconds, I’m not there yet. I’ll state that this will happen before March 1st.

Will ya hold me to it?

A Medium day would be 90% of each movement for 4-5 reps, 10 rounds.

A Moderate day 80% of each movement for 5 reps, 10 rounds.

I’ll post up some loads and progress down the road.

In Strength,
Jerry

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When Squatting…

Should we sit back?
OR
Should we sit down?

Leg and Core Strength Yes; but is a solid Thruster also about creating vertical force?

Time to Dial in on our Thruster and it starts with an efficient squat:

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I’m going to get this blog rolling!
First step is to centralize content…then on to some new information!

The Muscle-up is the Gold Standard for upper body strength.
It’s also one heck of a conditioning tool.

We use Elite Rings in our training; they are portable and easy to set up. I’ve used them in commercial gyms by hanging them from the smith machine, power rack, or cable crossover (could get ya in some trouble!). I’ve hung them in austere environments from tree branches, pipes, and backboards (could get ya in some more trouble!). Full benefits from the powerful muscle-up is tough to get without them so wanted to let you know how easy of a tool they are to implement…we have 5 sets in our facility.

Here are some coaching tips on how to achieve your first muscle up:

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I’ve decided to start this blog to share insight and coaching tips from my daily and lifelong experience.

The following is more about me:

Fitness is my passion, and it has been for twenty six years. At the age of fourteen, exercise intrigued me beyond mastering a basic level of competency. Even at that early age it struck me that if I could become stronger and faster and develop more endurance, then I would be able to play harder. Play being the operative word in the latter sentence.

I do find exercise synonymous with fun.

Of course, my definition of play is a bit different than others’…

…even my own meaning of it has changed over the years. I’ve moved from the kid on the playground scaling jungle gyms to a competitive athlete and a United States Marine, to my current roles as a coach, trainer, husband, and the father of two young girls. As I passed through each stage, fitness has always enhanced my life, and it has been the key to my continued desire to push my potential for peak performance.

Having met with great success in my fitness pursuits, I found myself asking, “What is it about my approach to exercise that makes it so inherent to me, so centering in my daily life…

…and how can I teach others to know gratification from their fitness…to experience the rush of peak effort and the thrill of optimal performance?”

In answer to this question I discovered CrossFit; a grassroots conditioning program that’s strength lies in it’s ability to deliver elite fitness and forge community rich with integrity, honor and courage.

All of this has lead to the creation of the CrossFit Challenge here in Old Town Alexandria. My passion is my vocation allowing me to share the knowledge I’ve gained though my pursuits and provide others with the tools necessary to achieve lifelong results from their fitness.

Oh…CrossFit is also a great way to play hard!

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