Information in this week's blog
- Dryland call format
- Week 7 expectations and workout
- Determining 75% 1RM
- Exercise videos
- Form tips
Dryland Call Format
Week 7 Expectations
We are beginning our maximum strength section this week. Maximum strength work requires using heavier weights/resistance. There are videos below with tips on how to create more resistance if you do not have hand weights.
Strength training is affected by the rate of speed used to contract and elongate a muscle. For maximum strength we want a fast, explosive contraction and a slower elongation. If you were doing a bicep curl, you would explosively contract your muscle and bring your hand up to your shoulder (called the concentric phase), and then slowly bring your arm back down which is the eccentric phase of the movement. The eccentric phase should take 3 counts and the concentric phase should take 1 count. In a squat, you spend three counts going down and one count extending up.
We are performing 3 reps so you need to have a heavy enough weight to make the movement effective.
Please review all of the information provided and plan how you will have your equipment staged so you can move between exercises smoothly.
Click here to print the workout
New Exercises - New How To Videos
with PatEach of the exercise titles below links to a video showing how to perform the exercise with different weight options. Test yourself to see how much weight and which form options work for you. We ask that during an individual workout you pick a form of the exercise and do all sets with the same form. You only have a few reps of each exercise, use as much weight as you can while maintaining correct form and timing.
What 75% of max load feels like..
If you were using weights for example you would do a shoulder press with weights that you could only do only one rep of. Two dumbbells@20# ea. equals 40#. Take your 40# total and times by 75%. You get 30#. That means the dumbbells should now be 15# ea to create 75% of your max load. Your 3 reps should be challenging, but doable, unlike the 1 rep max that should feel like it was all you could do at that weight. Figuring out bands are a little more challenging. I would start with resistance that you can't quite get 1 rep with and work down to your 1 rep. Remember it should feel challenging, it's only 3 reps. As you get stronger your 1 rep max load will increase. Then you will adjust your 75% to meet that load.
Pat made an excellent video on how to make homemade weights if you do not have any dumbbells or you would like a variety for different exercises. As Pat demonstrates in the videos ahead each of the new exercises we will be doing use make sure to try them with increased resistance in order to meet the 75% load of your max. We will only be doing 3 reps. Make each one count.
Yes we have been doing squats and we are doing more squats! Pat shows how you can make that squat a little bit more challenging.
If you have not been using a loop or a band you will be challenged by using the band for your squats, Watch Pat's placement of the band, foot and hand position, and the placement of the band coming up your back. That is perfect form. Pat gives you alternative ways to do your squat , a wider stance is one option. The band offers resistance going down and up in the squat position.
The suitcase squat is having the weights coming down the side of your body to the outside of your pinky toe as you squat, (butt back and slight bend in the knee with your chest and eyes forward).Watch how Pat only goes low enough to continue to have good form. Once your knees track over your toes or you begin to lower your eyes and chest you have broken form. Over time you will be able to increse your squat capability.
The goblet squat is done with a weight held in front of your body at chest level. This is a challenging position as Pat stated because your body wants to lean forward. A tip for keeping form is to look slightly up with your eyes. This will encourage your chest to stay forward and glutes to move down toward the ground.
Overhead squats are possibly the most challenging of the squats. I personally love the overhead squat. It challenges not only form as a squat, but balance and muscle contraction control are so important. As Pat demonstrates, the OH(overhead) squat is bringing a pvc pipe(or a broom, mop, paddle, band, weighted or not into the OH position with a slightly wider stance than a regular squat for balance. Your lats(the muscles you feel when we are doing the W warmup), are in a locked position over your traps(the meaty part of your upper back). To break that down, your hand position on the pvc should be spread far enough apart to fully extend your arms. This gives you the needed position in order to lock out(contract) your lats. If you feel you can master that position add weights as Pat did. She shows a great OH position to follow. Keep your core engaged to control your form. If you lack shoulder mobility the OH squat will be challenging. Keep doing OH stretching to open up your shoulder girdle.
The straight leg seated body row is targeting our upper and mid back, particularly the lats and rhomboids. It also engages your hamstrings because of the straight leg position. Pat shows the starting position with the band looped around your feet, arms straight out from your chest, palms of your hands facing each other, and keeping your back flat as you slightly hinged back from the hips. From there you pull your arms back as you keep your hands in the same plane and distance apart while squeezing your scapula into your spine. This is utilizing the same muscle group as in our bent over row with a variation in body positioning while adding more core and traps. As Pat demonstrates you can also add weights to the band or just weights. It doesn't take much to increase load to this exercise.
Chest Press
The chest press is a slight variation to our pec fly. You change the direction of your palm to facing away from you,(Pat says toward your feet) instead of toward each other. This position should allow to increase your work load, use more weight than you did with the pec fly. FYI, the pec fly primarily strengthens the pec minor muscle group which is located on the upper ribs 1, 2, and 3, where the chest press strengthens the pec major muscle group, located on the clavicle and the sternum down to the tip of the xyphoid. process. As the names imply, pec major is larger than pec minor, thus you should increse your load. Tips for getting the most of your reps, breath in while bringing your arms down to start position and explode and breath out while pressing over your chest as you squeeze at the top of the rep and return to start position making sure the back of your arms touch the floor before beginning your next rep.
Chest Press View 2 - Put the Band with the Hand Weight
Added weight for more resistance.
Scapular retraction, as Pat said, is what we have been doing in our warmups as t's, but now loaded with a band or a band with weights. Tip-keep arms at 90% and squeeze open through your upper back.
Elevated Cruches
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