CST Free Weight Exercises By Scott Sonnon

Recently I have received numerous emails regarding the new CST IC Online Prep Course. One of the most frequently asked questions is whether or not this course is only for those who wish to become instructors.
“I’m not interested in becoming a CST Instructor. Can I still participate in the CST IC Online Prep Course?”
The [...]
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“… Tao is often referred to as ‘the nameless’, because neither it nor its principles can ever be adequately expressed in words.”
Aw, what the hell, we’ll give it a shot.
No questions, no time limit, and no stone unturned. Training? Nutrition? A little piss and vinegar? It’s all here.
The following is what happens [...]
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A couple of weeks ago I mentioned this book which had been mentioned by Frank Forencich.

The book came to me from Amazon a week or so ago and I’ve been skimming it before reading through properly. It is about the way in which exercise improves your mental performance, memory and psychological well-being.

The focus is on aerobic exercise - because that is where the research is - but he does mention benefits from resistance training.

Anyway, what I found interesting was Ratey’s prescription for exercise, which is pretty similar to Art Devany’s position or indeed to the routine that Nassim Taleb wrote about.

This is what Ratey says in his chapter “The Regimen”:

Today, of course, there’s no need to forage and hunt to survive. Yet our genes are coded for this activity, and our brains are meant to direct it. Take that activity away, and you’re disrupting a delicate biological balance that has been fine-tuned over half a million years……The ancient rhythms of activity ingrained in our DNA translate roughly to the varied intensities of walking jogging, running and sprinting. In broad strokes then I think the best advice is to follow our ancestors’ routine:

• walk (or jog) everyday;
• run a couple of times a week; and
  
• then go for the kill every now and then by sprinting.
  

That is a pretty good pattern, similar also to Mark Sisson’s blueprint with respect to exercise:

• Move around a lot at a slow pace
• Lift heavy things
• Run really fast every once in a while.

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What’s inside the mind of a fighter? I’ve trained many but the true inner life remains locked private.Within my heart I wonder: what if this were my final competition? How would I be remembered? Would I fight with honor; with valor; with integrity and dignity? Would I be worthy of remembrance?

Some have called me a [...]
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1. I’m headed to Florida later today to speak at a seminar and then get in a mini-vacation with my wife-to-be.  So, I have lots of packing and programming to do before I take off, but thought I’d throw a little content and some videos up here to get you all through the weekend.
2. Check [...]
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Now this is absolutely fascinating. You can improve at a skill through mental visualisation - that has been shown before, but here is a new study. Mental imagery training can make you more flexible.

mental imagery training resulted in selective increased flexibility, independently of stretching ….

Psychological and physiological effects of motor imagery could explain the increase in range of motion, suggesting that imagery enhances joint flexibility during both active and passive stretching.

The mind is so important to the body! We are back to Z again maybe.

Does motor imagery enhance stretching and flexibility?

Although several studies have demonstrated that motor imagery can enhance learning processes and improve motor performance, little is known about its effect on stretching and flexibility. The increased active and passive range of motion reported in preliminary research has not been shown to be elicited by motor imagery training alone. We thus compared flexibility scores in 21 synchronized swimmers before and after a 5-week mental practice programme that included five stretching exercises in active and passive conditions. The imagery training programme resulted in selective increased flexibility, independently of the stretching method. Overall, the improvement in flexibility was greater in the imagery group than in the control group for the front split (F(1,18) = 4.9, P = 0.04), the hamstrings (F(1,18) = 5.2, P = 0.035), and the ankle stretching exercises (F(1,18) = 5.6, P = 0.03). There was no difference in shoulders and side-split flexibility (F(1,18) = 0.1, P = 0.73 and F(1,18) = 3.3, P = 0.08 respectively). Finally, there was no correlation between individual imagery ability and improvement in flexibility. Psychological and physiological effects of motor imagery could explain the increase in range of motion, suggesting that imagery enhances joint flexibility during both active and passive stretching.

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We deal with 5-45lbs club swinging because that’s about the maximum range for our purposes: “tactical fitness” - the ability to adapt to one’s environment with ease and imagination.
Tactical fitness differs from functional fitness. The latter - functional training - makes its intention the ability to move with effectively through all ranges of motion. The [...]
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Most people, myself included, spend about 3-4 weeks eating higher calories than normal during the holidays. I am not just talking about on the actual day of the holiday. I had at least 10-12 days in December where I really just sat back and enjoyed a large quantity of really good food. Don't feel bad [...]
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Another great guest post from Matt Blake today.  A quick thanks go out to Chad Rodgers, Shawn Haviland, and Tim Collins for their help in demonstrating the drill for this blog.

I hope you all have been able to get through the holiday madness and kick off your 2010 with all sorts of new resolutions that [...]
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So if you are dehydrated - 3% body mass loss - there will be:

• impaired resistance exercise performance,
• decreased repetitions,
• increased perceived exertion, and
• hindered HR recovery.

Makes water into a performance enhancer!

Impact of dehydration on a full body resistance exercise protocol

This study examined effects of dehydration on a full body resistance exercise workout. Ten males completed two trials: heat exposed (with 100% fluid replacement) (HE) and dehydration (~3% body mass loss with no fluid replacement) (DEHY) achieved via hot water bath (~39°C). Following HE and DEHY, participants performed three sets to failure (using predetermined 12 repetition maximum) of bench press, lat pull down, overhead press, barbell curl, triceps press, and leg press with a 2-min recovery between each set and 2 min between exercises. A paired t test showed total repetitions (all sets combined) were significantly lower for DEHY: (144.1 ± 26.6 repetitions) versus HE: (169.4 ± 29.1 repetitions). ANOVAs showed significantly lower repetitions (~1–2 repetitions on average) per exercise for DEHY versus HE (all exercises). Pre-set rate of perceived exertion (RPE) and pre-set heart rate (HR) were significantly higher [~0.6–1.1 units on average in triceps press, leg press, and approached significance in lat pull down (P = 0.14) and ~6–13 b min−1 on average in bench press, lat pull down, triceps press, and approached significance for overhead press (P = 0.10)] in DEHY versus HE. Session RPE difference approached significance (DEHY: 8.6 ± 1.9, HE: 7.4 ± 2.3) (P = 0.12). Recovery HR was significantly higher for DEHY (116 ± 15 b min−1) versus HE (105 ± 13 b min−1). Dehydration (~3%) impaired resistance exercise performance, decreased repetitions, increased perceived exertion, and hindered HR recovery.

Results highlight the importance of adequate hydration during full body resistance exercise sessions.

Of course this doesn’t mean you need to go mad with water. I’ve posted before that the 8 glasses a day thing is a myth - there is lots of water in food which people forget about. The guide is to drink enough not to be thirsty - which sounds sensible!

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