As seems customary, the blogging side of the equation has a tendency to slip away after a while; this might be a good time to head over there and leave a good word or two.
Last week I came across this site, which documents the initial move of THR reporter Kevin Gleason to the Powerlifting scene. The lifting bug has clearly bitten, and from recent correspondence it seems that Kevin is still spending a good deal of time at the gym (though not with a particular competition in mind).
As seems customary, the blogging side of the equation has a tendency to slip away after a while; this might be a good time to head over there and leave a good word or two.
I hate to admit it, but this week I seem to have joined Steph in the world of slackness - at least as far as weight training is concerned. It's incredible how slothful you can feel following a week without deadlifting; only sporadic bodyweight sessions kept things from getting completely out of hand.
Time to crank up the volume and get back into it...in the meatime, here are a couple of pieces which appeared during the week :
Converting to Sumo Deadlifting: How I Made It Work for Me
Marc Bartley
This is an excellent look at how short arms and a long torso are not the ultimate weapons in the deadlift. South Carolina Barbell's Marc Bartley discusses the differences between US and European pulling styles, kettlebell training for the deadlift, and adjusting the sumo stance a little. Overall, a great read.
Barefoot and Sledgehammer training
Martin Rooney
We train the hands, so why not the feet? According to the Parisi Speed School's Martin Rooney, the feet are just as - if not more - important. In this audio interview (.mp3, 5.7 mb) he details exactly why.
The interview also touches on the topic of sledgehammer training for athletes, and how Rooney uses it in similar ways to modern Clubbell routines.
21st century eating
Dave Barr
Strength athlete and coach Dave Barr explains why eating every 3 hours is so last century.
I hate to admit it, but this week I seem to have joined Steph in the world of slackness - at least as far as weight training is concerned. It's incredible how slothful you can feel following a week without deadlifting; only sporadic bodyweight sessions kept things from getting completely out of hand.
Time to crank up the volume and get back into it...in the meatime, here are a couple of pieces which appeared during the week :
Converting to Sumo Deadlifting: How I Made It Work for Me
Marc Bartley
This is an excellent look at how short arms and a long torso are not the ultimate weapons in the deadlift. South Carolina Barbell's Marc Bartley discusses the differences between US and European pulling styles, kettlebell training for the deadlift, and adjusting the sumo stance a little. Overall, a great read.
Barefoot and Sledgehammer training
Martin Rooney
We train the hands, so why not the feet? According to the Parisi Speed School's Martin Rooney, the feet are just as - if not more - important. In this audio interview (.mp3, 5.7 mb) he details exactly why.
The interview also touches on the topic of sledgehammer training for athletes, and how Rooney uses it in similar ways to modern Clubbell routines.
21st century eating
Dave Barr
Strength athlete and coach Dave Barr explains why eating every 3 hours is so last century.
Brian Starr has just released a book on the ancestry of those saints who left descendants. With over 110 saints discussed, this is essential reading for anyone researching a possible saintly connection.
Brian Starr has just released a book on the ancestry of those saints who left descendants. With over 110 saints discussed, this is essential reading for anyone researching a possible saintly connection.
The closer I get to relocation, the more hectic the weeks seem to become. A large part of this is the mad rush to see and do as much as possible prior to departure (which I should probably have been doing in any case, but no-one ever does). Still, sporadic deadlift and bodyweight sessions kept things ticking over nicely. Not to mention a ridiculous amount of walking.
Also this week...
Fat-melting lasers
On Monday the BBC reported of a series of experiments at the Massachusetts General Hospital involving pig fat, skin and a laser. The aim was to demonstrate the plausibility of remotely melting away the fat, without harming the skin.
Although the tests were successful, it could be several years before similar studies are done on human volunteers.
How to make a sandbag
This is definitely on the to-do list for shortly after I relocate. Alberto pointed me recently to the Ultimate Sandbag (recently reviewed on T-nation); but at $70 I'll probably end up making my own. It's more fun that way in any case.
When it comes to the home-made variety, there's no shortage of available instruction. The first I came to was that by Ross Enamait (.pdf, 424kb), which includes links to suppliers of the bags involved and photos illustrating the various stages of construction.
Cosgrove strikes again
Alwyn Cosgrove is fast getting a reputation for writing exercise routines that don't look too threatening at first, but are utterly brutal when attempted. His latest piece on T-nation is no exception.
The closer I get to relocation, the more hectic the weeks seem to become. A large part of this is the mad rush to see and do as much as possible prior to departure (which I should probably have been doing in any case, but no-one ever does). Still, sporadic deadlift and bodyweight sessions kept things ticking over nicely. Not to mention a ridiculous amount of walking.
Also this week...
Fat-melting lasers
On Monday the BBC reported of a series of experiments at the Massachusetts General Hospital involving pig fat, skin and a laser. The aim was to demonstrate the plausibility of remotely melting away the fat, without harming the skin.
Although the tests were successful, it could be several years before similar studies are done on human volunteers.
How to make a sandbag
This is definitely on the to-do list for shortly after I relocate. Alberto pointed me recently to the Ultimate Sandbag (recently reviewed on T-nation); but at $70 I'll probably end up making my own. It's more fun that way in any case.
When it comes to the home-made variety, there's no shortage of available instruction. The first I came to was that by Ross Enamait (.pdf, 424kb), which includes links to suppliers of the bags involved and photos illustrating the various stages of construction.
Cosgrove strikes again
Alwyn Cosgrove is fast getting a reputation for writing exercise routines that don't look too threatening at first, but are utterly brutal when attempted. His latest piece on T-nation is no exception.
This week's weather seemed to mirror the constantly changing mix of photography and weight training. As far as the weight training went, the rack sat gathering dust whilst I squeezed in any exercise I could.
Bodyweight blend
As much as possible, I train in the afternoon. Those who believe in the intricacies of workout timing may see the benefits of peak strength and a greater pain threshold; it just happens to coincide with my available free time. Plus the fact that I've been awake for several hours, and have eaten a few times.
For one reason or another, this just hasn't been possible over the past week. To partially combat this I've been doing impromptu sets of familiar bodyweight exercises - a set of 50 pushups here and 100 hindu squats there. It adds up.
Over the next couple of days (weekends are always great for this sort of thing), I'll work out a structured routine - mainly focused on bodyweight stuff for now (more boxes in the garage - the rack is still accessible, but only just). Probably along the lines of my travel routine.
Grip training with a sled
The current backyard covers all of about 2 metres before a change in level (plus a brick wall, rocks or some other obstruction); so the art of sled dragging will have to wait for a larger space. In the meantime, I noted an idea from Bud Jeffries on combining grip training and sled dragging.
Pull the sled with a towel. Nothing more sinister than that (although I immediately began thinking of using rope, which would also have a great impact on grip). By varying the length/type/folds of the towel, as well as the numerous ways to drag the sled, a surprising variety of exercises appears. Yep, a sled is on the list of toys to get once I have somewhere to test them out.
Reactivation
The world of Dave Tate - at least the public side of it - is beginning to become clear. The latest set of major changes began with the article Gluteal Amnesia - The Dave Tate Story, which told the tale of the state in which Tate found himself after 23 years of competitive powerlifting. Suffice to say it was far from ideal.
Fast forward to John Berardi's recent revelation that he's helping Tate clean up his diet (also in a sorry state). What prompted these changes? Tate's latest article on EFS explains it all.
The upshot is that everyone gets to watch a fairly radical transformation take place, courtesy of the re-activated Dave Tate Training Log. Not to mention the numerous benefits that Tate himself will no doubt reap from the process.
This week's weather seemed to mirror the constantly changing mix of photography and weight training. As far as the weight training went, the rack sat gathering dust whilst I squeezed in any exercise I could.
Bodyweight blend
As much as possible, I train in the afternoon. Those who believe in the intricacies of workout timing may see the benefits of peak strength and a greater pain threshold; it just happens to coincide with my available free time. Plus the fact that I've been awake for several hours, and have eaten a few times.
For one reason or another, this just hasn't been possible over the past week. To partially combat this I've been doing impromptu sets of familiar bodyweight exercises - a set of 50 pushups here and 100 hindu squats there. It adds up.
Over the next couple of days (weekends are always great for this sort of thing), I'll work out a structured routine - mainly focused on bodyweight stuff for now (more boxes in the garage - the rack is still accessible, but only just). Probably along the lines of my travel routine.
Grip training with a sled
The current backyard covers all of about 2 metres before a change in level (plus a brick wall, rocks or some other obstruction); so the art of sled dragging will have to wait for a larger space. In the meantime, I noted an idea from Bud Jeffries on combining grip training and sled dragging.
Pull the sled with a towel. Nothing more sinister than that (although I immediately began thinking of using rope, which would also have a great impact on grip). By varying the length/type/folds of the towel, as well as the numerous ways to drag the sled, a surprising variety of exercises appears. Yep, a sled is on the list of toys to get once I have somewhere to test them out.
Reactivation
The world of Dave Tate - at least the public side of it - is beginning to become clear. The latest set of major changes began with the article Gluteal Amnesia - The Dave Tate Story, which told the tale of the state in which Tate found himself after 23 years of competitive powerlifting. Suffice to say it was far from ideal.
Fast forward to John Berardi's recent revelation that he's helping Tate clean up his diet (also in a sorry state). What prompted these changes? Tate's latest article on EFS explains it all.
The upshot is that everyone gets to watch a fairly radical transformation take place, courtesy of the re-activated Dave Tate Training Log. Not to mention the numerous benefits that Tate himself will no doubt reap from the process.
