Pull, Push & Squat.....Body Weight Simplicity

Body Weight training has and always will be at center of any well rounded and serious strength training program. As you know, at Steelfit, we fanatically sing the praises of our favorite BW variety; the pull up.

Everyone should be able to remember those days in school when your gym teachers made you do push-ups, pull ups, sit-ups and climb ropes? It went a step further on those dreaded Presidential Physical Fitness Tests, which required you to run different distances for time? It was the 600 yard dash in my day. In fact, my boys just came home from school this week with pride on their times from the "mile" run that they use today for testing. But what happened to the rest of that old school training?

By no means is this my first collection of thoughts on the merits of body weight training. When compared to modern day gym training there is no question in my mind that it is an extremely effective and proven way to build real, functional and supreme strength. In fact, the argument has been made that dumbbells, barbells and all weight machines are nothing more then modern day obstacles. While free weights and machines can make you stronger and add mass, they often target single muscles rather than movement; using only one joint as the resistance is moved away from or toward the body using freely movable limbs.

By comparison, most body-weight training exercises use multiple joints as the resistance is moved away from or toward an anchored body part. The result is a series of exercises that are more functional and result in better muscle activation and strength performance. You end up looking better, feeling better and performing better on and off the athletic field.

For me, its also the simplicity. Body Weight training is portable and requires less motivation since its available everywhere your body is. This week was a rough one overall at the day job. Time was at a real premium, but I desperately needed to get real work done. With my need to keep it quick and simple, Body Weight work ruled ..........my favorite of the week was the following 30 minute routine:

30 Rounds, on the minute:

5 Pull ups
10 Push Ups
15 Squats

I was able to maintain a pace of about 35 to 38 seconds for all of the sets, but was really gassed and fatigued for the last ten. My butt and quads were ridiculous for three days following;taking me a bit by surprise.

As I have chronicled in the past, BW work won't ever be exclusive for personally. It's a nice balance between, cardio work, body weight exercises and functional weight training that makes the most sense for me.

This past week however was about keeping it simple.......pulling, pushing and squatting in this case!

"Pulling" for Personal Goals

Today was the 5th Annual Nation's Triathlon in Washington DC. Over 5200 people showed up on a VERY soggy day to tackle this Olympic Distance Tri in our Nations Capital. Swimming the Potomac, biking along the C&O Canal up the Parkway and running in the streets past monuments (and right through a political rally today; only in Washington!!!)......always a blast in DC despite the not so perfect weather today.

As I look back on the day, the most impressive part about it was the achievements of so many. Personally, I know several people who participated in the full event or as a part of a relay team. Each and every one of them had a "story"..............a goal to run the 10K as a way of getting back into shape after giving birth, learning to swim and competing in the first Triathlon, or losing 15 pounds and tackling the bike in the relay as a payback to a bet. There were so many personal goals set by so many and so many achieved.

For me, my overall time was almost dead even with last year's results. However, I beat my swim time (my definite weakness) by over 4 minutes and ran a much stronger finish this time out. After a year that has been really challenging to stay motivated and in the gym, not losing ground from last year was a personal achievement in itself.

So, another major race is in the books. The personal goals set, achieved and now in the books are history. For me, it's back to "pulling" on the bars and a dedicated effort on strength training in the coming months.

Labor Day "Pulls"

REALLY nice weekend in the Mid-Atlantic after the affects of Earl blew through off the coast on Friday night. The balance of the weekend has been blue skies, cool air and absolutely perfect.........perfect for outdoor work outs.

With lots of obligations carting the kids from one soccer field to the next and other family obligations, it was killing me to see such a gorgeous weekend fly by, so I had to carve some time out for outdoor fun. Did a "brick" this morning in preparation for a Triathlon next weekend; had a nice long bike ride in the country and an equally great run over a hilly course. But it was the Commando Pull ups under the deck yesterday that were the real stand-out of my outdoor work this weekend.

Attached to the underside of the floor joists are some 2"X4" attached on a diagonal. While I use them fairly often for pulling, this morning I wanted to do some straight pulls. I was focused on just getting max reps in each of 10 sets. But instead of strict overhead pulls, the orientation of the bar forces me to grip it hand over hand in what is really a more natural commando position.

I have written about the Commando Pull-up before and have mentioned it as an alternative to the strict overhand pull up. With focus now on the chest in addition to the arms and lats, Commandos are harder than regular strict pull ups and definitely forces you to engage muscles in ways that they are not usually worked.....I love them.

The grip is important to perform the Commando correctly and in the case of my "under the deck" environment, I was standing underneath the 2"x4" (not facing the beam, but looking down along the beam) and placed my hands one in front of the other. Then its all about pulling yourself up and lowering yourself down. You pull yourself up and slightly to the side of the beam (without banging your head) to the side of the hand that's forward and on the next set, switch hands, and pull to that side.

The shape and width of the 2"x4" added some extra fun and challenge to the grip!

So, it was the beautiful weather this Labor Day Weekend that got me outside to get some work done. But, it was the Commandos that made the morning that much more! Hope everyone had a great weekend too!

Steel Shop Fun

The Steelfit Showroom is literally INSIDE a massive Steel fabrication shop. The cavernous space includes sky high ceilings, cranes, lifts, trucks, machinery and steel EVERYWHERE.

Steel Beams, Channels, Rods, Pipe and steel everything for as far as you can see. After getting some work done in the studio where the Steelfit equipment is produced, I love to take time to venture away to explore to see what type of "steel" trouble I could get into.

Now, I know lots of guys that would have an absolute field day exploring the shop in general....but my favorite finds are almost always in the SCRAP barrels; that is where it gets really fun. This is where odd pieces end up as by-products of other jobs in progress. What I find there is is always a bonanza, with dozens of toys the result.

I-Beam pieces of varying weights and widths are perfect for doing farmers walks, weighted pull ups or walking lunges. There are almost always solid rods and pipes of all sizes to experiment with overhead squats, snatches, pressing and all sorts of "body bar" type moves. Then there was the plates, channels and large pipes..........varying sizes and weights; for pressing, cleans and you name it; so much fun.

You may recall the saying, "one man's junk is another man's treasure". for Steelfit, the scrap barrel in the steel shop is it: Steel Shop Fun for sure!

Extra Pounds......Extra Effort

My workouts have been consistent and remain fairly vigorous; in fact, I have been working pretty hard as of late.

However, one must always remember that exercise is only half the battle. Balancing a clean diet with time in the gym, pool and elsewhere is the real key. I can't say that my diet choices have been horrible........but have definitely fallen a little weak when it comes to late night snacking and some indulgences that should simply invoke a quick NO. The result; a softer middle than I would like and about 5-8 extra pounds.

So, what's the big deal right? Most people wouldn't notice the extra baggage, but the sure fire test came for me this past week on the pull up bar.

We can all remember facing the pull-up bar at some point in our training evolution. I have often chronicled how much fun it is to see improvement in strength gains over time with hard work, variety and some sweat. After all, pull ups are the ultimate test of upper body strength as you lift and lower your entire body weight. Success takes consistent practice and requires that you never stray too far from the bar.

Now, add 6-8 pounds of weight (or more) to the equation and things start to change. The more you weigh, the more you have to lift. If you suddenly add extra girth due to a slump and some bad choices, athletic performance is going to suffer. An increase in your Body Mass Index will likely result in a decrease in pull up performance. While not rocket science for sure, we can sometimes lose sight of the physics involved.

Two less strict hang pull up reps this week than I would have expected woke me up to the softness in my middle and the need to get it corrected ASAP. Besides needing to get into my wet suit for an upcoming Triathlon, going backwards on anything (and especially pull ups) puts me and many others in a really bad mood.

So the extra pounds are what they are, but the effort to "right" the situation is a choice, just like the one's that resulted in the situation to begin with. Extra Pounds....Extra Effort; making the right choices is key.

Just Pulls

Found a CrossFit WOD that sounds so innocent on paper (don't they all)and thought it would be perfect for Steelfit to tackle. After all, it is ALL about pulls.....and nothing but pulls; perfect right? The plan was to get the work in this week, but with a heavy travel schedule again, creativity had to prevail to get something done while on the road.

10 Rounds for Time

Each round consists of:
3 Weighted pull ups (prescribed at 45 lb, but NOT happening for me).... 20lb or 25lb instead.
5 Strict pull ups
7 kipping pull ups

The goal is for each round to be completed without letting go of the bar. After the weighted pulls, you drop the dumbbell and keep going with the strict pulls.

On a workout like this, it is so important to have given that special attention to GRIP development along the way. Half of the battle is going to be keeping your hands glued to the bar, especially after you drop the extra weight.

This week for sure, with a brief update next week on the results: nothing but pulls!!!