5 Minute Shoulder Mobility Warm-up

by Mike Hanley

In this day and age we have such busy lives and schedules that it is crucial to make the most out of our time in the gym.  Many times we often forget the most important aspects of training and just go in and start throwing weights around.  In the long run this causes more problems than it saves time.  I get asked quite often how to get in all aspects of training with very limited time to do so.  When we think about training we think about strength, conditioning, flexibility,  mobility in that order when in fact it needs to be the complete opposite to stay in the game.  Mobility and flexibility of the joints, muscle tissue, ligaments and tendons surrounding those joints is crucial for maintaining a healthy body that can withstand heavy loads year in and year out.

Here is a great upper body warm up that incorporates dynamic warm-ups, mobility and muscle activation to prep our shoulder girdle, thoracic spine and rotators in 5 minutes.  It is a simple, quick and effective warm-up for upper body days.

Objective

To warm up and activate the muscles in  the shoulder region, upper back and thoracic spine.  Properly prepare our tendons, ligaments and muscle for the task to come and to improve joint integrity of the shoulder and thoracic spine.

Bodyparts Involved

Shoulder muscles including the all rotator cuff muscles, teres major and minor,  rhomboids and thoracic spine.

Warm-up

1.    Unilateral External Circular Rotations – 10x each arm
2.    Unilateral Internal Circular Rotations – 10x each arm
3.    Bilateral External Circular Rotations – 10x
4.    Bilateral Internal Circular Rotations – 10x
5.    Corkscrew Shoulder Twists – 20x
6.    Squat Position Unilateral Thoracic Mobility Reach – 10x each side
7.    Band Shoulder Dislocates – 10x
8.    Band Diagonal Shoulder Dislocates – 5x each way
9.    Band Pull Aparts – 10x
10.  Diagonal Band Pull Aparts- 10x each way

Give this warm-up a try on your upper body days or even on a squat day if your shoulder are tight.  It will help alleviate some tightness in the shoulder while squatting with a bar on your back.  Many times our shoulders get just as beat up on a squat workout as they do on a bench day.

This warm up is quick and it works.  If you are pressed for time it will take 5 minutes and your shoulders will feel like a million bucks

Author’s Bio

Check out Mike and his killer blog at http://www.hanleystrength.com .  He has a massive free report, you better go pick it up!

Extreme Hamstring Training

How to Build Big, Powerful Legs

by Jim Smith, CSCS

It is true that there must be a balance with all training.  Unfortunately, the “go” muscles of the posterior chain are most often neglected in strength programs.  Lower back issues, hamstring strains and unrealized strength potential are just some of the everyday issues you will face if your training programs don’t include unilateral training AND strengthening the posterior chain (lats, erectors, glutes, hamstrings, gastrocs, soleus).

Powerlifters, athletes, strength enthusiasts, meat heads, weekend warriors and everybody else must incorporate exercises that target the posterior chain in their lower body training days.  Not only for increasing your lower body strength potential and reducing your risk for injury but making sure you don’t end up looking like a lightbulb (big upper body and no legs).

The Big Posterior Chain Movements

• Chin-ups / Pull-ups
• Squats – all variations
• Deads – all variations (*really like snatch grip deads from deficit)
• Bent Over Rows
• Good Mornings
• Zercher Back Extensions
• RDL’s
• GHR
• Hip Thrusts – all variations (Contreras)
• Jump Training / Plyometrics
• Sprinting

FREE EBOOK WITH OVER 199 + MUSCLE BUILDING EXERCISES

In today’s article we are going to specifically talk about developing the hamstrings and the exercise we are going to focus on (and modify) is the glute ham raise or GHR.  Muscle strength ratios are important and many researchers have attempted to define the exact percentages required for each kinetic segment.  It is very difficult because these ratios “not only vary with joint angle, joint velocity and type of movement, but also with muscle group and the type of athlete. (i.e. knee extension strength vs. knee flexion strength:  60:40 ratio)” (Reference 6, Siff and Verkhoshansky)

Regardless of the exact percentages, we need to understand the basics.  The surrounding, supportive, antagonistic muscle groups for each kinetic segment must be developed to ensure the integrity of the engaged joint.  That is the basics, bottom line.  Simple, right? 

Elevated Glute Ham Raises [VIDEO BELOW]

In this article we are showing an advanced version of GHR’s.  Instead of overloading GHR on a GHR bench, we are going to increase the intensity by elevating the back end of the bench with a box.

Why do this?

Because at this angle, there is constant tension on the hamstrings and there is no release of the tension. Also more of the lifter’s bodyweight is being utilized.  These are no joke, trust me!  Try them out and let me know in a comment below.

Which muscles are engaged with GHR’s?

“The erector spinae are active, primarily isometrically; the glutes and hamstrings raise the upper body to parallel; the glutes maintain isometric activity, and the hamstrings contract further and raise your body higher by flexing the knees; the gastrocs press against the foot plate, contracting isometrically.  A glute/ham/gastroc raise lets you use the muscles of extension of the lower body one at a time.” (Reference 2, Kreis)

Alternatives

Many people don’t have access to a GHR bench.  If you don’t, you can perform natural glute ham raises.  This is a glute ham raise performed on the ground with someone holding (anchoring) your feet.  You definitely want a pad underneath your knees for this one.  They are much harder than GHR performed on the actual GHR bench.  As always, these too can be progressed if you are super strong.  Check out the variation below.

Natural Glute Ham Raises

A partner will hold the lifter / athlete’s feet while they perform GHR’s.  This variation is much tougher than the variation done on an actual GHR bench because momentum and pad angle plays a huge role in the moment arm and percentage of the lifter’s bodyweight that is utilized.

Advanced Natural Glute Ham Raises

This variation is done on a decline sit-up bench.  Because of the angle the intensity and strength requirement is off-the-charts.  Only your elite athletes will be able to do this.  As always, to aid in the concentric phase of the exercise, a plyometric push-up done off the bench can be incorporated.

The Programming

When do you use GHR’s?

They should be used in conjunction with squats (all variations), deadlifts (all variations), kettlebell swings, barbell hip thrusts, sprinting, etc… on your lower body days.

Volume for GHR’s on GHR Bench:

Bodyweight Only – typically 3-4 sets x 12-20 reps

Weighted (weight vest, chains, bands) – typically 3-4 sets x 8-12 reps

Volume for Natural or Advanced Natural GHR’s:

Bodyweight Only – typically 3-4 sets x 8-12 reps

Weighted (weight vest, chains, bands) – typically 3-4 sets x 6-8 reps

Resources

1.  Horrigan, Joseph M., IRONMAN Magazine, August 1995 (updated 2007)

2.  Kreis D.A., E.J., Speed-Strength for Football, Taylor Sports Publishing, 1992.

3.  Baechle and Earle, Essentials of Strength and Conditioning 3rd Edition, NSCA, June 2008

4.  Schache AG, Crossley KM, Macindoe IG, Fahrner BB, Pandy MG.,  Can a clinical test of hamstring strength identify football players at risk of hamstring strain?, http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20697691, Aug, 2010.

5. Silder A, Thelen DG, Heiderscheit BC., Effects of prior hamstring strain injury on strength, flexibility, and running mechanics., Department of Biomedical Engineering, Aug, 2010

6.  Siff and Verkhoshansky, Supertraining - 6th Edition, UAC, 2009.

GHR With Back Elevated

Big Arm Workout

Mass Building Workout for Arms

Here is a muscle building workout for big arms.  There are some unique volume combinations we will use for both biceps and triceps.

Exercise 1:  Chin-ups, Ladders, 1 Time Through

Perform 8 reps, 8 breaths rest (rest only the time it takes to take 8 slow breaths)

Perform 7 reps, 7 breaths rest

Perform 6 reps, 6 breaths rest

Perform 5 reps, 5 breaths rest

Perform 4 reps, 4 breaths rest

Perform 3 reps, 3 breaths rest

Perform 2 reps, 2 breaths rest

Perform 1 reps, 1 breaths rest

Perform 2 reps, 2 breaths rest

Perform 3 reps, 3 breaths rest

and so on…

then try and work your way back up to 8 reps, see how far you get!  This is a max effort attempt.  Your goal is to try and start at 8 reps, go down to 1 rep and back up to 8 reps.

*Note:  if you can’t perform 8 reps, start with a lower number, try starting at 6 reps for the first set.  On the other hand, if you are strong at chin-ups, add additional weight with a dip belt.

HOW TO DO CHIN-UPS VIDEO – CLICK HERE

Exercise 2:  Tricep Press Downs, Ladders, 1 Time Through

For the tricep ladders, we will do something a little different.  Pick whatever attachment you want; a tricep rope, v-handle or straight handle.  Get on the cable stack and use the heaviest weight you can do for 1 rep.  If you can do the whole stack no problem and for multiple reps, overload the movement with an elastic band.

Heaviest weight, 1 rep, drop pin to next lighter weight, no rest

Next weight, 2 reps, drop pin to next lighter weight, no rest

Next weight, 3 reps, drop pin to next lighter weight, no rest

Next weight, 4 reps, drop pin to next lighter weight, no rest

Next weight, 5 reps, drop pin to next lighter weight, no rest

Next weight, 6 reps, drop pin to next lighter weight, no rest

Next weight, 7 reps, drop pin to next lighter weight, no rest

Next weight, 8 reps, drop pin to next lighter weight, no rest

now try to work your way back up!  After your 8 rep set, ADD 10 lbs and perform 7 reps.  Keep going back up (adding 10 lbs each progressive set) toward the 1 rep weight, until you can’t perform the required number of reps with good form.

HOW TO DO TRICEP EXTENSIONS – CLICK HERE

Exercise 3:  Seated Dumbbell Curls

4 sets x 12 reps

Exercise 4:  Diamond Push-ups

4 sets x 25 reps

2 Insanely Effective Mobility Exercises for the Lower Body

Here are two exercises I just filmed on my alternative YouTube channel (Muscle VIP).    Both are highly effective for increasing the mobility of the hips, dynamically stretching the hamstrings and warming-up the entire body for a training session.

Spiderman Crawls (with Rotation)

Coaching Cues:

• Stay low to the ground
• Keep a neutral torso and head position
• Try and lay forearm to ground on initial movement
• Rotate toward the forward leg
• Watch hand during rotation
  

Squat to Stand

Coaching Cues:

• Grab under foot and hold throughout
• Drive hips upward straightening knees, dropping the head (dynamic stretching of hamstrings)
• Swing hips through while pushing chest through and upward
• Head should be in neutral
• Drive knees outward with elbows
  

Essential Exercise Index

The RIGHT EXERCISES Done the RIGHT WAY

After years of filming exercise videos and putting them on both of my YouTube channels:

Athletic Training, Muscle Building, Strength Training Videos

http://www.youtube.com/thedieselcrew

How to Perform Exercises the Right Way

http://www.youtube.com/musclevip

I came to the realization that I have a HUGE exercise index.  I wanted to compile this list for you and put it all in one comprehensive ebook.

You can use this ebook:

• for your own personal use to help you learn how to perform these exercises
• to choose the right exercises for your workout program
• as an accompanying reference for the AMD (muscle building / strength training) program
• or you can give the ebook away on your blog to help build your list (as long as you don’t modify it)

Hope you enjoy it!  Please pass it to your friends, coaches, trainers and family.

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