A Peek Into A Fighter's Routine

So far this is how my training is set up. Nothing is taken to failure. I make every rep and slowly progress each week. You can always progress slow over time rather than push it too fast and get stuck too quickly. I get up at 5:30 each morning to head to work so attempting to get enough rest each day is a challenge. So far I’ve been progressing nicely. If my progress peaks, I’ll decrease the weight and slowly work up again.

Monday: Strength (A, Heavy)

Tuesday: Muay Thai, Jiu Jitsu

Wednesday: Strength (B, Light)

Thursday: Muay Thai, Jiu jitsu

Friday: Strength (A, Medium)

Saturday: Freestyle, Greco Roman

Sunday: Rest day/Sleep in like a lazy bastard

My strength training looks like this:

Workout A:

Main:

Hang Cleans

Squats (front squat until it gets too heavy and change to back squat…usually last set)

Bench Press

Supplementary:

Incline press

Dumbbell rows

Romanians

Workout B:

Main:

Hang Snatch

Front Squats

Close Grip Bench

Supplementary:

Overhead press

Chin-ups

Plyo’s

The rep schemes change each week for the main exercises. My main goal is to maintain strength so I cycle through 4 week strength phases. The first phase cycles through reps of 3-5, starting high and working low. The second phase works in the 2-4’s. Then I repeat back to the first strength phase. I’ll keep the singles for pre-competition when I get to that point. Maintaining strength is key! A good strength to weight ratio in MMA, like any sport, is very important…lose that and you are sure to lose in competition.

I really listen to my body. If I don’t have the gas I just get the main lifts in. As long as I progress on those I’m happy. The Supplementary lifts are done for 3 sets of 8-10 (except plyos), and done just to add a little hypertrophy. Nothing intense, I’m not too worried if I progress too quickly with those.

You might be wondering where the conditioning is? I’m a big believer in using your sport and practice as a mode to improve your conditioning. Any extra conditioning would be overkill. If 2-3 hours three times a week of intense practice doesn’t increase your work capacity, something is definitely wrong.

If you had extra time throughout the week (aka you don’t have a job or you aren’t going to school) I would add sprint work and med ball tosses in the mix during the mornings on practice days. If I ever get enough time I’ll be doing this, but for now I’m keeping to what is absolutely necessary. I might even add it in during pre-competition instead of the assistance hypertrophy work I’m doing at the moment.

I May Know Squat! But I'm Learning!

Everyone has hopefully been drilled left-right-and-center about the importance of the basic compound lifts. As I've mentioned before I'm a big proponent of keeping things simple, and getting proficient (and hopefully destructively strong) on such lifts as the squat, deadlifts, pushes, and pulls, and the olympic lifts.

I'm going to keep this as short as possible (yea right!) and just focus on some new ideas (at least to me) I've learned from some of the best in the Strength and Conditioning field. These are not my ideas. I've just eaten them up and am about to regurgitate these tasty morsels for all of you hungry chickadees...wtf is wrong with me.

So anyways. Like any strength coach, I've evolved over time. I've realized that there have been ideas I strongly believed in without so much as a question. Sure enough, over time I have been made to question these ideas and realize that maybe I was wrong. Such an example is the old debate about unilateral or bilateral leg training. Lots of people have jumped on the Mike Boyle band wagon and cursed all bilateral training like your mutated brother you leave in the basement (hi guuuys! (Sloth Voice).

pimp pimping his pirate threads boy!

While I never went that far, I did spend a decent amount of time on unilateral training as an accessory lift. I still believe that unilateral exercises like Bulgarian split squats, lunges, and step-ups have a place in order to provide some secondary hypertrophy, flexibility (in hip flexors), and some muscular balancing in the adductors, glutes, and VMO. Although, I argued for years (along with many other strength coaches) that in nearly every sport, most of the game is played on a single leg at any given time...so why wouldn't you train as such. I even got into heated debates with more "traditional" minded powerlifters about this matter...sorry Tom Horlitz I think you might have been right (one hell of a beast by the way if you get a chance to ever meet him).

See the problem is people are trying to make exercises "specific" by mimicking exercise to sport. Sure you spend most of your time on one leg in nearly every sport...so "If it looks like a sport action...then it's probably good for the athlete". To the naked eye maybe...but biomechanically this couldn't be further from the truth.

Look at this photo

A cutting motion in sport is a universal move and arguably one of the most important not to mention most physically demanding move you can do. You need to completely change your momentum and direction which was originally going in one direction and cut explosively to another. In such a movement you are generating forces on the ground equalling 2-3x your bodyweight. If you aren't explosive, have no eccentric strength, and simply aren't strong enough...your cutting ability will be compromised. Sure this movement is done on one leg, but look at the angle of the leg and foot position. Foot is slightly turned out. The foot isn't directly under the body as in a lunge or step up, it's to the side...good luck performing this one with weight at the gym on one leg. But wait a minute! that position looks an awfully lot like something I've seen before!

There it is!

Foot slightly turned out...check. Foot off to the side of the body...check. Centre of gravity between feet...check. Loads 2-3x your bodyweight....CHECK! (if you aren't a weak bastard!)

This was a big eureka moment for me after watching a phenomenal presentation by Loren Chiu, an assistant professor at the University of Alberta. Not only does this guy do amazing research, have a PhD, has his CSCS, but he is a mean weightlifter and has competed as a heavy weight. If you get a chance to see him talk don't miss it!

So what does his research show? Does the unilateral exercises mimic the forces in the cutting motion biomechanically? Not at all! Does the bilateral squat mimic it? Nearly perfectly through the ankle, knee, and hip joint!

What type of squat where they using for the research? A full olympic style squat (both front and back). Not only are you getting significant activation of all leg musculature, you are also strengthening the muscles and joints through a full range of motion. Not everyone is ready for a full squat, probably due to issues with flexibility and no not everyone can squat 2-3 times their body weight. Although, you can become a better athlete by focusing on your flexibility and eventually working your way up to being able to squat like a beast.

Put simply...if you don't have the flexibility to perform full squats, focus on that first. Don't skip it and pull a high school numb nuts muscle head move and just add weight on the bar while your squat height gets worse and worse. Swallow your ego and get it done. If you don't skip steps, somewhere on the path to strength, power, and flexibility you will become a better athlete. If you do skip steps you will become injured and cut your career short.

How often should an athlete be squatting? well according to two of the best strength coaches I've ever met Derek Hansen (strength coach for SFU's athletes), and Al Vermeil (the only strength coach to have won championships in both the NBA with the Chicago Bulls, and NFL with the San Francisco 49ers) 2-3 times per week depending on what part of the season you're in.

You can perform back squats on two of those days and a front squat on one. You can reverse the order depending on your needs. Or probably the simplest and smartest idea (Thanks Al Vermeil!) perform front squats until the weight is too much and switch to back squats and continue. Neurologically the front squats will prime you to stay more upright and allow you to get lower when you switch to the back squats. Give it a try! It really works!

So the take home message. Sometimes strength coaches and regular folk get caught up on things that seem to mimic a sport without really looking at the biomechanics of that activity. Choose exercises that are more closely biomechanically equivalent...not the one that looks pretty and seems to look like the exercise.

Back To The Battle Grounds!

After taking 3 weeks off to let my body rest, I've had enough! It's time to reenter the battle grounds! My main focus is to reintroduce my body to the weights using basic movements, lots of unilateral lower body work and dumbbell work for the upper body. I'm slowly increasing the volume and intensity as time goes on. I'm also trying to keep my routine as balanced as possible.

If you aren't custom to making your routine's "balanced" then I suggest taking a look at this article by Leith Darkin on DieselCrew.com

Anyways this is how I've set up my split:

-4 days: squat training, overhead pressing and chin-ups (aka vertical push/pull), deadlift training, bench and row training (aka horizontal push/pull)

-I only train 3 times a week with an extra vanity or conditioning day done on the weekend (not done heavy. This day should not interfere with recovery and the week to come) so the cycle looks like this:

Week 1

Monday: Squat training

Tuesday: off

Wednesday: Vertical push/pull

Thursday: off

Friday: Deadlift training

Saturday: optional

Sunday: off

Week 2

Monday: Horizontal push/pull

Tuesday: off

Wednesday: Squat training

Thursday: off

Friday: Vertical push/pull

Saturday: optional

Sunday: off

So there is always an extra day that carries over to the next week. If you've used Jim Wendler's 5/3/1 routine then you probably recognize the layout (eventually I'll be getting into a modified version of Jim's routine).

So My first day of training was for the squat. This being the first day back in a while I took it easy and kept lots of reps in the tank. The workout looked like this:

Day 1:

A1: Front squat 3x5

B1: Split squats 3x10

B2: Elevated hip thrusts 3x10

C3: TRX body saw/knee tuck 3x10 (third variation on video)

Believe it or not I was sore as hell starting about 2 hours after this session up until my warm up for my deadlift training day! Damn...hopefully doesn't take long to get back into the swing of things

Day 2: Vertical push/pull

A1: 1 arm dumbbell push press (clean off of ground on first rep) 3x5ea

B1: Standing dumbbell military press 3x10

B2: Chin-ups 3x10

-Shoulders were pretty sore after this. Could tell my elbows need some time to get use to the forces put on them during pressing motions.

Day 3: Deadlift training

A1: deadlift 3x3

B1: deadlift 4x8

B2: back lunges 4x10 ea

C1: TRX Side bridge 3x10 ea (first video on video)

-Holy Crap! back and ass were sore as hell! Love it!

Day 4: horizontal push/pull

A1: Dumbbell press 3x5

B1: Incline dumbbell press 3x10

B2: Dumbbell row 3x10 ea

C1: 50 reps each TRX push ups and inverted rows. Timed for conditioning

That pretty much caps it off. No extra workout was done on the first week. I'll update you guys on my second cycle through once I'm done it. I'll be adding in a little bit more volume and increasing the weights slowly. That's it for now! Good luck on all your Fitness goals and adventures!

Strength And Conditioning: The Real Deal

I just recently turned 25. I’ve been in the fitness industry for nearly seven years. In respects to most strength and performance coaches or personal trainers, I’m just a baby. And in the industry sense, I may be just barely growing one sweet ass prepubescent porn-stache. Nonetheless, I have developed a profound ability beyond my years to sniff through the crap and find what’s real.

I’ve seen many cookie cutter trainers emulating routines from bodybuilding magazines, while their clients really have no clue that they are being swindled. People assume if they are paying an “expert” they are getting “expert service”. Over time I’ve only met a select few warriors and bringers of truth who can actually deliver above and beyond what people want (and need).

I’m very excited to let you know that a colleague of mine, who is one of those select few that provide an outstanding service, will be opening up a new personal training facility!

This is not an advertisement. It’s my duty as a lover of training and the truth to tell you what’s the real deal. Just in time for the new years, Isaac Payne, is opening Pure Payne Strength And Conditioning.

Whether you’ve finally decided to put in the work to reach your 2010 fitness goals, or you have already begun the battle to a better you, I know Isaac will get you where you want to be and beyond.

To give you a taste of what’s to come at Pure Payne Strength And Conditioning, Isaac has agreed to answer some of my questions.

Iron Athletics: Tell us a little about yourself? What sparked your passion for training?

Payne: Well, I'm not quite sure how or when exactly I decided that I wanted to work in the fitness industry but I knew that I always enjoyed playing sports, being active and simply looking good and feeling good. Right out of high school, I went into a Business Administration program (which probably would have served me well today) and flunked out. From there, I decided to take some Human Kinetics courses. I knew that I was on the right path when I started getting better grades and really enjoying what I was learning. From there, my passion just grew as I started getting my feet wet working as a trainer part time throughout school and learning how to put together programs for different types of clientele.

IA: Ah yes, business administration would have been good to study for myself as well! Where is your facility located?

Payne: My facility is located inside of Razor Fitness at 6351 Westminster Hwy in Richmond.

IA: Besides the usual, what type of equipment do you use?

Payne: As far as equipment goes, I have a lot of great stuff. I have kettlebells, tires, slideboards, sleds, bumper plates, glute/ham raise, and lots of open space to run wild!

IA: My favorite thing! Open spaces to run wild in. The next question isn’t necessarily a direct question about your training facility, but rather to give people an idea of your views. What do you think of the Vancouver fitness community? What’s Missing? And what are you bringing to the table that separates you from the rest of the pack?

Payne: I think the Vancouver fitness community is pretty good compared to other major cities. Vancouver is a very active and health conscious community. I think what is missing to get people to really achieve their goals is more education and a higher standard of service from fitness professionals. There seems to be too much variance in the level of knowledge and experience among trainers and other professionals. The media doesn't help either by deceiving people into thinking they can get great results with little to no effort. What separates me from other trainers I feel is that I am always making a conscious effort to stay on top of what is the most current and effective methods to help people achieve their goals. That includes training methods as well as nutrition because we all know the gym and the kitchen are inseparable. Too many people underestimate the impact of their diets on their overall success. Aside from that, I think I really make it a priority to build a strong rapport with all of my clients since they rely on me to keep them motivated and consistent with their program.

IA: How would you explain your training?

Payne: I guess I would explain my training as intense yet effective. It provides a lot of variety, which keeps people interested (and nervous at times), but it also makes it fun so their workouts don't feel like a chore or a job.

IA: Oh I’ve seen the cold sweats your clients experience when you walk in the room. Kidding aside, what can people expect the moment they step into Pure Payne?

Payne: People can expect to get thorough and intense workouts that are polar opposite to any traditional gym program they have ever participated in. No machines, no long, slow cardio, no isolation movements, just good old fashion training that will leave you feeling like a new person after every workout.

IA: Could you give the IA readers an example training session someone might go through at Pure Payne?

Payne: A typical training session might look something like this:

warm-up

1a) 2 arm kb swing 15

1b) swiss ball ham curls 15

1c) swiss ball mtn climbers 10ea

3 sets

workout

2a) sumo deadlifts 8/8/5/5

2b) walking sled rows 20 meters

4sets

3a) tire flips 8

3b) glute/ham raises 10

4 sets

and a conditioning set to finish

4a) box jumps 10

4b) mb twist 20

as many sets in 5 mins

IA: Could you give us some closing thoughts, advice, or encouragement you’d like to give to the people reading

Payne: At the end of the day, people need to take a look in the mirror and ask themselves if they are happy with the progress they are making with their training program. Regardless of whether your goals are weight loss, strength, speed, or conditioning, you have to ask yourself are achieving success and if you're not then something has to change. Too many people fall into a "comfort zone" and never really improve upon themselves. People need to be more conscious of what they're eating and increase the intensity and efficiency of how they train. I guess easier said than done, but nothing in life worth having ever comes easy.

IA: Finally how can people contact you?

Payne: I can be reached at 604-764-7467 or email at sizemicstrength@hotmail.com. Purepayne.ca coming soon!

There it is gym-lovers. 2010 is here and I’m sure your scheming ways to reach your goals. All in all, best of luck and keep your head up in these rainy days to come. In the end, it’s so worth it.

15 Things I've Learned In Life And In The Gym In 2009

1. Recovery! I’m learning to incorporate it rather than fight it

2. The City makes me bitter! To the people who live in the city: How many random people on the street have said happy new years to you? How many random people have you said happy new years to? Not many if any. Now I’ll ask the same to people who live in a small town? Big difference I’m sure.

3. Turns out, I love to work; every day I’m not working I miss it and act like a crazy person.

4. I still have a lot to learn, especially from those who are doing things right.

5. Nothing comes easy. I use to think if I tried hard enough 95% of the way something (call it divine interventions…or whatever you want to call it) would help me out the other 5%. This isn’t the case…you have to go all the way.

6. Vancouver really lacks a good bar! If anyone knows of one please let me know! Cause I’m yet to experience it.

7. I need to get to bed at a good time so I stop fucking sleeping in.

8. Family is #1. With them you can get through anything

9. I spend too much damn useless time on the computer

10. As much as I love to train hard in the gym, sometimes you have to stay away from it. I hadn’t taken any substantial time off from training in over a year and nagging injuries started to show up. I thought I just needed to do more work on prehabing weaknesses. It wasn’t until I was talking to a veteran of the weight game that it clued in. He said “I know this sounds crazy to you right now…but have you ever thought of taking time off?” I thought about it…thought it was crazy, but ultimately decided to give it a shot. By the end of the 3-week lay off I felt great!

11. My body gets the best results on the simplest routines. Every time I try something new and crazy I get disappointed and get back to the bread and butter of compound lifts, a couple accessories, and maybe a couple conditioning drills. Cutting the Crap makes your workouts WAY more productive.

12. There are very few people in this world that are ready and willing to get shit done…are you one of them or are you just talking out of your ass?

13. I need to stretch more and drink more damn water!

14. If you take lower body training serious, it’s really fucking hard to find good jeans that won’t crap out on you in 3 months. All I see is damn skinny jeans…are you kidding me!? I’m not that big, but that shit won’t even go past my knees.

15. In business people all of a sudden become two-faced. Words all of a sudden take double meanings. Sincerity and good ol’ honesty don’t seem to get you far.