Training the kinetic chain part 3: Lift awkward objects

This article will be the one that most people will have contention with. All of the technique gurus will make the argument about injury and performance and motor recruitment patterns and they are right however, lifting awkward objects is king when it comes to brute core strength and a necessary supplement to developing real world strength in conjunction with the traditional barbell lifts. Training proper technique with barbells develops the kinesthetic awareness for the two most important absolutes of lifting: midline stability and posterior chain engagement. A fixed and supported spinal position wedded to the pelvis allows for an efficient transfer of power along with the engagement of the most powerful primary movers in the body is a formula for success when it comes to throwing around weight. Once these concepts have been mastered with a barbell it is time to put them to the test. Remember most acts of athleticism in sports and in life do not involve a barbell therefore the more diverse you can make your lifting implements, the fitter you will become. Some common awkward objects used in training are atlas stones, sandbags, kegs, tires and logs.
Here is why these objects have a tremendous training effect on the core. With the majority of traditional barbell movements the bar is supported over the mid foot, in the frontal plane with half of the lifters mass in front and behind the bar. This is the safest most efficient way to lift and the barbell is an ideal implement for that. Awkward object often have to be held ahead of the frontal plane due to the fact that they are larger and there is not enough room between the body and the mid foot. With the weight pulling slightly in front the spine is highly loaded and grabbing like hell to maintain a fixed position. Again the same concept (midline and pce) are being trained, but the positioning is not ideal. It is f-ing hard and once you train with these things and go back to a barbell it will seem easier. Conversely pressing awkward objects overhead holds the same challenges. Often times in an effort to bring the object over the mid foot while in the racked shoulder position, the lifter must lean back and tighten the rectus abdominus, transverse abdominus and internal obliques on the anterior side of the body to create a stable midline in another compromised position. "We tend to fail at the margins of our experience." Training with perfect mechanics is great but how many times do you see a wrestler throw with an erect spine, a fireman lift a victim, or mother pick up a baby off the floor for
that matter. If you want to be athletic you must prepare athletically to a diverse and unpredictable world.

"Fate rarely calls upon us at a moment of our choosing." -Optimus Prime

Day 76
315
405
455
475

Day 77
315
455

400m
75 du
50 ghd back x

3 rounds: 13:44

Day 78
315
405
455
475
500

Tabata pull ups
8 low

Day 79
315
405
455

Ring work

Day 80
315
455
475

Day 81
Front
315
405
455
475

High hang pc
225
245
265
275

Day 82
315
455

100 burpees 5:04

Read about Amanda at amandaredmiller.blogspot.com

Kinetic Chain Part 2: The Valsalva Maneuver - A Side Effect of Sitting on the Toilet

Creating inter-abdominal pressure is a key component of holding a rigid fixed position of the spine while lifting loads. The Valsalva maneuver is an essential breathing technique when lifting heavy. Here is a brief overview of what the Valsalva maneuver is:

The Valsalva Maneuver is any attempt to exhale with the mouth and nose closed. Named after the Italian physician and anatomist, Antonio Maria Valsalva (1666-1723), it is also known as Valsalva's Test and Valsalva's Method.

The maneuver is commonly used during some activities:

* Straining to have a bowel movement

* Blowing a stuffy nose

* Certain medical tests or exams

* As a pressure equalization technique by scuba divers, sky divers and airplane passengers

The effect is a drastic increase in the pressure within the thoracic cavity. The Valsalva maneuver is performed by forcible exhalation against a closed airway, usually done by closing one's mouth and pinching one's nose shut. A modified version is done by expiring against a closed glottis.



Soon we will have commemorative 365 days of squatting tee shirts with a tribute to the memory of Amanda Miller on them (courtesy of Again Faster). The shirts are pretty bad ass and the proceeds will go to the American Melanoma Foundation. A great way to show support and get involved on this. I'll keep you posted with the details as they come.


Day 70
315
405
455

10 rounds of 10 thruster(95)/ 10 ring pushups:
9:56

Day 71
Front Squat
315
405
455
475

Push Jerk
255
275
295
315
325
340

Day 72
315
405
455

weighted pullups
125
135
150
155
160
165

Day 73
315
405
455

Day 74
315
405
455

Rope climb x2
10 clap pushups
10 hang power cleans 155
10 wall ball
10 cal on row

20 min for rounds: 5 rounds

Day 75
315
405
455

Box jumps for height
36"
44"
52"
60"
64"

Read about Amanda at amandaredmiller.com

Development of Your Kinetic Chain Part 1

Many people talk about training "the core" as if it is some ancillary supplement to your "meat and potatoes" training. Those of us who understand anatomy of functional movement recognize that everything is core. Moving large loads, long distances quickly requires multi- joint, proximal to distal motor recruitment patterns. Power generated from the center is translated outward to produce movement. It is called our kinetic chain, and the stronger your chain, the greater your ability to create power. I like to use this comparison to illustrate this. Picture a tennis racket. You swing the racket and force is translated through the handle, up a light and rigid graphite shaft and finally accelerates the head with a big whoosh! Now picture that same swing except the shaft of the racket is made of a wet sponge and not rigid graphite. Did you loose the whoosh? You betcha! Do you think the ball you hit was gonna go very far?...Hell no! Why?...Because all the force you created was absorbed and not translated. So what's the point? The core is not something..it is everything with regard to your training and ability to perform athletically. During this series of lectures I will discuss ways to turn your core into that light rigid shaft.


Soon we will have commemorative 365 days of squatting tee shirts with a tribute to the memory of Amanda Miller on them (courtesy of Again Faster). The shirts are pretty bad ass and the proceeds will go to the American Melanoma Foundation. A great way to show support and get involved on this. I'll keep you posted with the details as they come.

"Character is, for the most part,
simply habit become fixed."
C. H. Parkhurst



Day 65

315
405
455
475

High Hang Squat Clean
135
185
225
255
265

Day 66
315
405
455

5x 200m shuttle run (15 sec rest)

Day 67
Front squat
315
405
455

Day 68
315
405
455

1 mile run 6:15

Day 69
315
405
455

Snatch balance
135
185
235
265
295

Hang Power Snatch
135
155
177
199

Read about Amanda at amandaredmiller.blogspot.com

Tee Shirts are Coming!

Soon we will have commemorative 365 days of squatting tee shirts with a tribute to the memory of Amanda Miller on them (courtesy of Again Faster). The shirts are pretty bad ass and the proceeds will go to the American Melanoma Foundation. A great way to show support and get involved on this. I'll keep you posted with the details as they come.

Day 62

Front squat
315
405
455
475

5 squat clean thruster/10 chest to bar
5 rounds for time: 3:59

Day 63
315
405
455

1k row 2:57

Day 64
315
405
455

Hang Power Clean
265
285
295

"When you feel like giving up, remember why you held on for so long in the first place."

Read about Amanda at amandaredmiller.blogspot.com