Everyone’s Doing Squats!

Hey Everyone:

I found this fitness video on YouTube and thought I’d share it with you all.

Enjoy!

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Taku’s Intervals for the VersaClimber

At the IHRSA 2009 show this year, we had a chance to reconnect with the team from VersaClimber.  We’ve used and recommended their equipment for years because the VersaClimber is one of the most challenging and effective training tools on the market and it continues to get better and better.

At Hybrid Fitness, we’re working with VersaClimber to develop a series of intense, ultra-effective interval training protocols.  The first is one you may already be familiar with.  We took the Taku’s Intervals program and specified it to the VersaClimber.  The e-book is posted on the VersaClimber website and you can download it for free.   http://www.versaclimber.com/combat_training.htm

This exact conditioning program is used by numerous amateur and professional athletes and fighters, including UFC legend Chuck Liddell.  It works exceptionally well for skyrocketing your endurance in a short amount of time.  Trust me when I tell you it will help you get lean and conditioned more effectively than anything else you’ve experienced.

Visit the VersaClimber site, download the Taku’s Intervals e-book and let us know what you think.  In the meantime, we’ll keep you posted on all the new developments.

Keep training hard!

Jason
Hybrid Fitness

Six-pack with a Barbell?

Want to bring out the six pack?  Ditch the crunches for a few workouts and throw some Full Contact Twists into your workout.  Honestly, they are one of the most challenging exercises you’ll ever do for the abs.  Try it and you’ll immediately know what I mean.  Here’s how to do it and how it looks.

• Place weight on one end of a barbell.

• Place the barbell so that one end is anchored on the floor in a position where it will not slide and the  weighted end is up in the air.

• Grasp the barbell with both hands close together (one directly above the other) approximately 12′ from the bar end.

• The bar should be at a 50-60 degree angle.

• Keeping your arms straight, slowly lower the bar to one side, twisting your body and allowing the foot (opposite the side you’re twisting towards) to pivot.  Slowly rotate the bar back to the start position and lower it to the opposite side.

• Continue this motion for the desired number of repetitions.

Here’s how it looks on one side:

START:

FINISH:

And of course, we have a custom video to go along with it.

http://www.hybridfitnessvideos.com/showPlaylist.php?1241474942
Give this movement a try and see what you think.  Post you comments below.

Thanks everyone – keep training hard.

Jason
www.hybridfitness.tv

Step up to the Bar

Part Two: Adding Conditioning Drills to your basic plan

In part one of this article I outlined a very basic strength training plan, using a barbell as your only tool. Now we are going to step it up a notch and turn this simple workout into an intense Strength and Conditioning plan. In keeping with our low-tech tools for high-performance results concept, the only thing we are going to do for conditioning is run.

When I say run I don’t mean go for a leisurely jog in the park. I mean go to your local high-school track and run some 400’s. Or get out on the football field and do a series of 40’s – 50’s, or maybe a few 300 yard shuttle runs. You can also run stadium bleachers (if you are lucky enough to have a stadium near by). Or go out in the woods and run a little cross country. Just be sure to keep things interesting by mixing short and long intervals, fartlek runs and continuous runs using various running speeds, distances, volumes and work-to-rest ratios.

Let’s add those two days a week of varied conditioning drills and see how our program looks.

Conditioning Workout 1. (Monday)

Warm-up: 5-min walk, then 6 x 1min jog, 1min walk
4 x 200m*
8 x 100m
10 x 50m
Cool-down: 5-min jog

Strength Workout 1. (Tuesday) 3 sets of 6-8 reps. Rest 90 seconds between sets

Squat
Bench Press
Bent-Over Row
Calf Raise
Full Contact twists

Conditioning Workout 2. (Thursday)

Warm-up: 5mins walk, then 6 x 1min jog, 1min walk
1 x 400m*
1 x 200m
1 x 100m
1 x 50m
10 x 80m
Cool-down: 5-min jog

Strength Workout 2. (Friday) 3 sets of 6-8 reps. Rest 90 seconds between sets

Dead-lift
Standing Press
Shrug
Close Grip Bench
Standing Curls

*For the sprints, rest three times the length of time it took you to sprint. For example if you ran your first 400 in 60 seconds, you should rest 180 seconds.

So that’s all there is to it. It does not get more straight forward then that. If you are wondering what you should do on the other days, I’ll tell you… Nothing! Rest, eat, sleep and hit your training days hard.

Stick to this plan for the next 3-5 months and see what kind of progress you can make. Remember you can vary your sets, reps and the version of the recommended exercises. Don’t forget to change up your running drills as well. I would say change things up every 4-6 weeks or so. Right everything down, keep accuarate records and you will soon learn which combination produces the best results for you.

In the old days there were really only two choices for strength and conditioning, barbells and running. Well, that’s really all you need.

Now get to it!

PAU for NOW

TAKU

www.hybridfitness.tv