Results matching “Bird”

Former US Olympic Weightlifting coach Jim Schmitz talks about the origins of the Romanian Deadlift (RDL) - at least by that name.


Dragomir Cioroslan (a Romanian weightlifting coach at the time) described the exercise as follows :

1. Start in the completed deadlift position.
2. Bend the knees slightly.
3. Lower the bar by pushing the hips back.
4. Lower the bar below the knees but not to the platform. Tension must remain on the muscles . Stand on blocks if you want to get lower.
5. The position should be, "SHINS VERTICAL, HIPS BACK, and BACK STRAIGHT".
6. The movement should not be fast but steady and under control all the way.
7. The back must remain straight. The movement is from the hips. The arms remain straight throughout.
8. Breathing: Take a deep breath at the start of the movement and keep the chest up throughout. Hold your breath as you lower and exhale as you complete the movement.
9. Start light to develop the technique and "feel" of the movement.

Pictured demonstrating the exercise is Nicu Vlad, once coached by Cioroslan.

Whilst mulling over my current one-armed push-up quest (more on that in a minute) I came across the Beast Skills site, via a link on Lean and Hungry Fitness. Beast Skills has tutorials for handstands, one-armed chin-ups and other fun things; as well as information on training (looks like a great mix of traditional free-weights, kettlebells and bodyweight exercises). Very good stuff.

For a look at some of the historical feats of strength in this vein, check out John Gill's superb Historical Performances in Chin-ups, Pull-ups, Levers, and Crosses. As you'll see from the table, John is no slouch himself.

Now to the one-armed push-ups. I'm still several inches away, but gradually becoming more solid at some of the exercises listed in the progression (such as Offset push-ups and the one-handed Total Gym work). I imagine that once I can perform sets of 10 in these exercises, the one-armed push-up should be achievable.

Via a link on Ross Enamait's blog (a great read in itself), comes the extraordinary story of Kyle Maynard. From Kyle's site :

Kyle was born March 24, 1986 with a rare disorder called, "Congenital Amputation." This left Kyle with only three major joints: a neck and two shoulders. Despite his physical differences, Kyle was one of the top wrestlers in Georgia in his senior year. His visit to the 2004 Georgia State Wrestling Championships left him with an impressive record of 35-16. Continuing his amazing career, Kyle is now wrestling at the University of Georgia and has begun training in Jiu-Jitsu and competing in the sport of submission wrestling.

The line that really struck a chord is the one at the top of each page :

It's not what I can do; it's what I will do.

Definitely one to remember.

It seems Mr Smith has finally gone 3D.

This article on the Sport Fitness Advisor site briefly looks at some of the research performed on the effects of concurrent strength and endurance training. This is timely as I consider ways in which to mix various elements into a solid routine.

Thanks Jim. The incredible video of circus artist Dominic Laclasse is just one of many on his site (personal favourites: filmyamakasi2.wmv and yamakazedoom.wmv). He almost makes Jackie Chan seem slow and cumbersome.

Another circus artist well worth watching is Dominique Major (often known simply as 'the wheel girl'); currently taking part in Cirque du Soleil's world tour. If you can't get to a show, you'll find a couple of videos on her site.

If you want to see more urban acrobatics, take a look at the videos here or on the Screw Gravity Parkour site.

Bud mentioned yesterday that he'd like to hear more about my current training - which is anything but structured at the moment. With the rack + weights expected to arrive by the end of next week, I've decided to hold off on purchasing a short-term membership to any of the local gyms (although I'm still keen to head over to Sydney Uni and check out the ScrumTruk) and instead have contented myself with a combination of bodyweight, Total Gym and kettlebell work.

Although I'm not following any particular routine (that situation will change once I add the free weights to the mix next week), the exercises I do are generally taken from the following lists :

Bodyweight
Isotonic
Bathiaks (Hindu squat) (sumo)
Dands (Hindu push-ups)
Push-ups (standard, decline, fingertip)
Wall squats
Step-ups
Pistols
Handstand push-ups
One-armed push-ups (see progression)

Plyometric
Clap push-ups
Push-overs (see Ross Enamait video [.wmv, 5.1mb])
Burpees
Various jumps (including Catching Air - also on abovementioned video)

Total Gym
Front pressing (2 hands, 1.5 hands, 1 hand)
Behind-the-neck chin-ups
Pull-up (2 hands, 1.5 hands, 1 hand)
Seated rows (unilateral and alternating)
Pullovers (unilateral and alternating)
Leg raises

kettlebell
Swings (2 hands, 1 hand)
Side bends
Compound stiff-legged deadlift
Squats (Pistols, Goblet, Overhead, Front)
Turkish get-up
Overhead presses (lying, seated, standing)

Stretching
Various hip and shoulder stretches (I realise I should be doing a lot more, but it's a start).

Note that these lists are constantly evolving, but will settle a little once a solid routine is in place. For now though, they seem to be doing the job.

I've compiled the Moyle data from comments on this site (notably from this entry) into a gedcom file (.ged, 4kb). Feel free to grab it and make any corrections/additions you see fit (I'd appreciate any feedback on changes).

I've compiled the Moyle data from comments on this site (notably from this entry) into a gedcom file (.ged, 4kb). Feel free to grab it and make any corrections/additions you see fit (I'd appreciate any feedback on changes).

Interval training with kettlebells for combat sports [.pdf, 54kb] is an article by long-time wrestling coach (recently retired) David Morgan with a couple of very interesting points. These include a synopsis of why kettlebells are increasingly used in the training of combat athletes, and a sample workout illustrating their use.

David's blog on Enhanced Fitness is also well worth a read.