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How to Be Able to Play More Angry Birds

Jedd Johnson — Thu, 05 May 2011 20:18:59 +0000

As my obsession with Angry Birds gets stronger and my ability to manage time gets weaker, I find myself with less and less time to train.

However, limited time to train has not hurt my training progress, as it has forced me to quit screwing around while I am in the gym and pack a ton of quality, hard, and serious work into my training sessions.

Most days, I will train between 3 PM and 5 PM so that I am able to help out with feeding my daughter JayCee, giving her a bath, and teaching her how to play Angry Birds.

This lady gets as vicious as an Angry Bird when she is hungry.
Here, she tries to bust rip her crib apart, demanding some mushed peas…

Training at this time (3 to 5 PM) was a must during the winter months, also, because it enabled me to get downstairs and get going while the sun was still up. For whatever reason, I train better and feel stronger when the sun is out. I guess nobody can accuse me of being a vampire…

Where did my Gripper go???

Here is a rough break-down of what my training sessions have been looking like lately.

Part I – Warm-up

:05 Hard Cardboard Pipe Roller
(Foam does absolutely nothing for me. My hips actually move after using my Pipe Roller)
:10 Dynamic Flow Warm-up
(Adaptation of stuff from Scott Sonnon’s Flow & TacFit stuff and Smitty’s/DeFranco’s Amped Warm-up)
:02 – :05 Gym Movement Protocol Grip Strength Testing
(Seeing good results form this. Controversial or not, I think it is something to consider)

Part II – Primary Lift

:20 – Big Movement
This is usually Log Press, a Deadlift, a Squat, a Pull-up, or some other multi-joint movement
(I get on this stuff right away. They require more energy, so I do them early, plus, I find by doing big, fast movements early that my CNS is better charged)

Part III – Smaller Movements

:30 – Rest of Body Lifts
I split my training sessions up by Upper Body Days and Lower Body Days. I usually do 2 or 3 other movements related to my big movement. This is where I put more focus on volume, getting a pump, and taking advantage of the fact that I train by myself. I often will go look at myself in the mirror in between sets, pretend to talk to other people at the invisible water cooler, check my text messages, and on at least a weekly basis perform some sort of bicep curl in or near the squat cage, as you will see in the video at the bottom of this post.
(These are just estimates. As you’ll see, I have been able to not just whittle, but hack off huge blocks of this time using my Back-to-Back Movement Strategy, shown below. By cutting out as much time as possible in this section, I can have more time for Grip Strength Training)

Part IV – Grip

Better part of an hour
Usually whatever tested best on that day, I will proceed to slaughter it and other movements very similar to it.

Back-to-Back Finishers – Killer Results and Time Savers

As I pointed out above, I have been able to cut out a lot of time from Part III of my workouts by lining up two movements back-to-back for a finisher.

In no way am I claiming to have invented this type of training. I think I saw it every bodybuilding magazine I read from 1995 to 1999, back when I wasted my precious time reading them, back before Angry Birds was invented.

However, I do think this type of training will be a staple for me for quite some time, since it gives me more time to train Grip, and since I just found out yesterday that there is an Angry Birds Seasons that I have to dominate as well.

So, what I did recently was 5 sets of 20 reps with 405-lbs in the Shrug followed by Hammer Curls with a Black Jump Stretch Band.

Pure Evil. Check it out…

I have done this specific movement combination three times in the last 6 weeks. I have also coupled the Mini-Band Curls with other movements. I love them! Give them a try, Diesels.

(If you want to see the Finisher I posted a few weeks ago it is right here: Finisher for Big Chest, Shoulders and Triceps. )

Like I said, I like this type of training a lot. You can squeeze a lot of reps into a very small time segment of your workout, so if you are a busy person, you might want to try this one out.

As I continue to experiment, I will continue to bring you the information that seems beneficial to you and leave the less impressive stuff out.

When Angry Birds attack, you better have a strong grip!

I’d love to hear any feedback you might have on this type of training. I grow more and more jealous of other people’s sites because they get like a million comments, while the most I ever get is like 5, and half of them are me responding to someone. Boo Hoo.

All the best in your training!!!

Jedd

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Diesel Spotlight: Nutritional Practices for Athletes

Jedd Johnson — Thu, 07 Apr 2011 02:29:42 +0000

The Importance of Nutrition for Athletes
A Guest Post by Strength Coach, Joe Meglio

Let’s face it, many athletes struggle with their nutrition.

I often ask my high school athletes what they ate on that day so far and I usually get answers like pop tarts, a bowl of cereal, a wrap or sandwich and other highly processed food that comes out of a box or wrapper.

Not only are they eating crappy food, but they are barely eating! The problem with poor nutrition is that an athlete cannot expect to perform at their best if they are not feeding their body the proper nutrients it needs to achieve maximum performance. You are what you eat! If you eat like crap, you are going to feel like crap, recover slowly and have low energy levels.

Nutrition Made Simple

The biggest challenge for most athletes is being consistent and making the right food choices. In order to solve this problem, the best approach is to make nutrition as simple as possible. This means don’t complicate it by counting calories and other macronutrients. Instead, athletes should focus on eating nutrient rich foods.

If you are eating nutrient rich foods you will be taking in all the proteins, carbs and fats you need to succeed. Man made food isn’t meant for human consumption. These types of foods contain ingredients that are inflammatory and toxic to the body. A great rule of them is if a caveman wouldn’t eat it, neither should you!

What Foods Should You Eat?

Athletes should focus on eating mostly fruits and veggies, nuts and seeds, beans and legumes, and whole unrefined grains like brown rice, quinoa, oats, sweet potatoes. Free range chicken and eggs, grass fed beef and wild caught fish are also excellent choices.

Below is a sample meal plan. When it comes to meal frequency, I recommend you eat when you’re hungry. It really is as simple as that. Don’t worry about eating 5 or 6 whole food meals a day. I used to be a huge proponent of eating every 2-3 hours but when you do this for an extended period of time you start to realize that this lifestyle does not agree with your digestive system.

The simplest approach is to eat 3 whole food meals a day (breakfast, lunch, dinner) and eat small snacks or a smoothie in between meals to keep you satisfied. You should not plan your life around your next meal. Athletes I’ve talked to either eat way too much or not enough at all. It’s all about finding balance.

Meal 1: Breakfast

Muscle Building Smoothie – Put all ingredients into a blender and blend until you get desired texture

1-3 scoops of Sun Warrior Protein
1 frozen banana
1 cup of frozen strawberries
½ of frozen spinach
8 ounces of almond milk

Meal 2: Mid Morning Snack

1-2 handfuls of cashews and an apple

Meal 3: Lunch

Grilled chicken spinach salad w/ chopped almonds

Meal 4: Dinner

6 ounces of salmon
1 sweet potato
Grilled veggies

Meal 5: Still hungry?

Eat leftovers from dinner

If you haven’t been eating for performance, now is the time to start.

Remember the keys to achieving optimal health and maximum performance are consistency and making the right food choices.

Ask yourself how many games in your life have you missed or not performed at 100% because you were sick, sore or not feeling right?

Once you start eating nutrient rich foods you will recover faster than ever, have more energy and get sick less just to name a few benefits.

How About Supplements?

Supplements are one of the most controversial topics for athletes. While I am not a huge fan of supplements and certainly don’t think they are necessary, certain supplements can be beneficial to overall health and performance. When it comes to choosing a company make sure you do your research. There are only a handful of companies I will purchase products from.

Supplements I recommend

Probiotics & Digestive enzymes by NOW Foods
Raw Vegan Protein by Sun Warrior
Creatine Micronized Monohydrate by Biotest
Super Omega 3 by Life Extension
Ideal Whey, Focus Food & Ideal Pump by GI Nutrition (use promo MEGLIO to receive 10% off)

Other supplements to consider are BCAAs, omega 3 fish oil and a multivitamin…

Remember that the bulk of your vitamins, minerals and other nutrients should be coming through whole foods. Supplements are meant to “supplement” your diet, not be the focal point of it.

If you really want to find out what nutrients you are deficient in consider getting blood work done by your doctor. This is the best way to tell what vitamins and nutrients you are deficient in.

About Joe Meglio

Joe Meglio is a strength & conditioning coach at the Underground Strength Gym in Edison, New Jersey. He is mentored by one of the brightest minds in the strength and conditioning industry, Zach Even-Esh. While Joe has worked with various athletes at the high school, college and professional level, Joe specializes in the training of baseball players. Aside from being a strength coach, Joe competed in his first powerlifting meet on December 11, 2010 and set the NJ state squat, deadlift and total records in his weight class and division. He will be graduating from Fairleigh Dickinson University in May of 2011 with a BS in Entrepreneurial Studies and is captain of the FDU Devils baseball team. For more information on Joe Meglio and his unique training methods please check out MeglioFitness.com

Friend Joe on Facebook
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FREE eBook Performance Nutrition Manual for Athletes

Need More Info on Metabolic Meals?
Check out Metabolic Cooking

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20 Awesome Warm-up Exercises, Shawn Phillip’s AMPED Warm-up Routine

Jedd Johnson — Mon, 11 Oct 2010 02:57:37 +0000

We have discussed the importance of warming up many times here on Diesel.

Essential Hip Mobility

3 Insanely Effective Upper Body Warm-ups

Ultimate 2 Minute Shoulder Warm-up

Ultimate Shoulder Rehab Video

and this is only a couple of the cool videos on my Youtube: TheDieselCrew

Why is a Good Warm-up Important?

You also know that I just released the best selling warm-up system this year with Joe Defranco, called AMPED Warm-up.

With all this attention to warming up, do you think it might be an important component of a good workout?

For years I went into the gym, put plates on the bar and started hitting reps. Years later I couldn’t jump, I couldn’t squat full range and both shoulders felt horrible.

Over the last two years, both Joe Defranco and I have been really focusing on the warm-up, activation exercises and mobility. It is now a staple in all of our programs. That is the truth. It is that important.

Today I can honestly say I am more mobile, agile and hostile. I can jump again, squat again and hit any exercise I want to hit. Working out is supposed to get you stronger and more explosive. It isn’t supposed to make you less flexible, hurt your joints and injure you.

If you make the warm-up a focus in your workout, you will be rewarded immediately AND be able to lift virtually injury free for as many years as you want.

I recently got a note from Shawn Phillip’s who got a copy of AMPED. He let me know that he really liked the program and has been using it for his workouts. I decided to do a special new warm-up routine and name it the Shawn Phillip’s Warm-up Routine.

There are over 90 exercises in AMPED and literally 100′s of different warm-up routines you can create for any sport, any workout or any program. These are just a small few that I’ve demonstrated! Now if you use AMPED along with AMD (complete muscle building / strength training system) you’ll not only have all the warm-ups you need, you ‘ll have 16 weeks of killer workouts AND you learn how to create your own routines!

“Joe and Jim have done the unthinkable The Amped book and DVD are a must-have for people who want to be strong and
injury-free throughout their training careers. Every move and technique
you’d ever need is in here, along with plenty of sample routines so you
never get bored. I can’t wait to “Bitch Slap My CNS” next workout!”
-Sean Hyson, C.S.C.S., fitness editor for Men’s Fitness magazine

Shawn Phillip’s AMPED Warm-up Routine

20 Awesome Warm-up Exercises

PRINT THIS OUT AND TAKE WITH YOU TO THE GYM

Shawn Phillips, 10 minute AMPED Warm-up Routine

Jumping Jacks, 20 reps
Seal Jumps with Leg Switches, 20 reps
Full Body Circles, 5 each way
Arm Circles, 10 reps each arm, forward and back
Elbows Circles, 10 each arm, forward and back
Wrist Circles, 10 reps
Shoulder Twists, 5 reps each way
Bodyweight Squats, 8 reps
Squat to Stand, 8 reps
Push-up Plus (Level 1), 8 reps
Push-up Plus (Level 2), 8 reps
Push-up Plus (Level 3), 8 reps
Push-up Plus (Level 4), 5 reps each arm
Cobra, 5 reps
Striders, 5 reps each leg
Striders with Rotation, 3 reps each side
Hamstring Stretch / Hip Flexor Stretch, 3 reps each side
Band Pull Aparts, 10 reps
Band Dislocates, 5 reps
Backward Rolls into Hamstring Stretch, 5 reps
Backward Rolls into Glute Stretch, 5 reps each arm
Squat to Forward Lunges, 3 reps each leg
Standing Glute Stretch, 5 reps each leg
Cradle Walks, 5 reps each leg

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7 Keys for Solid Workouts If You are Cramped for Time

Jedd Johnson — Tue, 17 Aug 2010 04:44:44 +0000

I meet people all the time who want to get started training and building muscle, but they think that it takes too much time.

The fact is, you can get a lot of good quality results from brief workouts, if you keep the rest intervals low and hit the weights hard when you are working out.

Short and intense workouts have been my focus for quite some time now because it seems like there is more and more going on all the time. If it’s not one thing it’s another: People showing up to visit the baby, laptops crapping out, power outages, phone line is dead, septic system is all screwed up, and the list goes on and on.

Unfortunately a lot of people will see these things taking place and then just forget the workout and do something else. This is the worst mistake you can make.

Even if you are cramped for time, you can get a really good workout it. The key is that you have to plan. If you are just walking into the gym with no idea what the hell you are going to do, you are shooting yourself in the foot.

What’s crazy is, back when I had more free time, that is pretty much what I did, but now that time constraints are different, I can’t afford to do it anymore.

There are many things I do to plan my workout so even if I am limited on time I still get good quality work in. Now, keep in mind after all of this full body work, I also have a full Grip routine that I do in order to stay in top form for the next upcoming contest. Because I have to maintain that, I have to be even more concise with my full body workout on a day-to-day basis.

How to Plan Your Workout

1. Warm-up
No matter how cramped for time you are, you have to get a good warm-up. This is something I got away from for a while and injuries were hanging around too much for my liking. I feel better and can work out harder with a solid warm-up.

I roll out and do some mobility stuff prior to each workout, while also working with some light bands and low intensity TacFit stuff prior to every workout. I am usually sweating pretty good before I get into my session. I do not do stuff like jogging or bike prior to a workout. That stuff does nothing for me.

2. Write Your Workout Plan Down
Some people like to plan out a program for weeks, if not months ahead of time. This is a great way to stay on track and be able plan your training and monitor your progress. I don’t do this however…

Instead, I take a small pad of paper or fold up a piece of paper and stick it in your pocket and take it with me wherever I go. Either by my work station or in my car. If I have an idea of something new I want to try or maybe something new I see in an article or something like that, I make sure to jot it down, because I know there is no way in hell I am going to remember that lift by the time it is time to train. I am always writing stuff down.

3. Have a Goal
I don’t know about you, but I like to set a PR every time I lift, and I prefer those PR’s to be big singles. In the video clip I have for you, my focus for this particular routine was a PR in the Double Overhand Deadlift.

As I move through the session, all my warm-up sets are done with that end goal in mind. This keeps me motivated and keeps me pounding away for the next set.

On this day, I did not set a new PR, but each repetition I did felt great. For whatever reason my Grip wasn’t there at the beginning of the workout, but my hands felt great. My technique might have been off, might have been a bit dehydrated, who knows what the issue was, but I know what I want to do next time it’s time to pull.

4. Short Rest Periods
If you’re cramped for time the absolute worst thing you can do is monkey around between sets. You have to keep moving. I like to keep my rest periods limited to a minute at the most. Usually it is just getting a sip of water, re-chalking, and then I am back on the platform or in the cage to lift. Whatever you do, don’t mess around with endless rest periods. It robs you of productivity.

5. Keep the Lifting Area Clear
It may not always look it from my videos, but I try to keep the walk-way between stations and from the lifting area to the bathroom open so I am not tripping on stuff. Believe it or not, I am actually pretty short-tempered, and if I step on something sharp or stub my toe (I lift in just socks a lot of the time), it pisses me off and I get distracted and lose my momentum.

To continue to increase my productivity in my workouts, I just re-arranged my gym tonight so that there is more room and I can keep things more organized. I can’t wait to train tomorrow night in the “new environment” because I think things are going to be really smooth.

6. Super Sets / Giant Sets
Setting up two or even three movements in a row enables you to get more work done in a short amount of time. In the video below, for instance, you’ll see me hit some Shrugs followed immediately by High Pulls. My traps felt like they were going to pop and bleed out after that combination, so I definitely want to do that again.

7. Movement Testing
For the multi-joint movements, I still test my Range of Motion with the Biofeedback protocol. This takes less than two minutes to test a half dozen or so movements that I want to choose from. Some might say this doesn’t “save” time. I guess not, but what it does do is it helps me figure out what is working well for me on that given day, and since starting to do it I have not had my back seize up on me. Just something to think about for those who have nagging injuries.

To wrap things up, here is a video of a recent Back workout I did. These were the lifts, all of which I planned ahead of time with a Deadlift and Trap Focus:

This workout took me about 45-minutes, after the warm-up. I think if I had not been going for a Double Overhand PR, I would have been even quicker, but I stretched out the rest periods a bit to chalk up really good.

If you are cramped for time, don’t think you need to skimp on your workout. If you plan right, you can get a lot of work done in a short time. Go into it with the right mindset and you should be able to get some serious work done.

A lot of you guys are probably already doing this kind of stuff to stay organized and productive in your workouts, but I know some people get side tracked. Hopefully this post has been helpful if the latter describes you.

Thanks and all the best in your training.

-Jedd-

P.S. Check out Smitty’s AMD program for more info on shorter workouts, especially if you find yourself cramped for time due to your day-to-day grind = > Accelerated Muscular Development.

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Strength Training – Rest, Recover and Get Stronger

Jedd Johnson — Mon, 15 Feb 2010 00:17:21 +0000

Strength Training Deload

Leave a comment about your favorite deload workout or tell us how your deload!

What is one of the biggest mistakes strength coaches, personal trainers, athletes and lifters make?

They never deload. In fact, they come in for weeks and weeks on end and train their asses off. That is good and bad.

Good in the fact that they are trying to build muscle, get stronger and get faster. They are trying to get more mobile, more explosive and get better for their sport(s).

AWESOME ARTICLE AFTER THE JUMP

BUT

With all of this training, you must build times into your program to recovery. And I’m not talking about a one recovery session. I am talking about a week long cycle, getting your body ready for the next intense 3-4 week training block.

This is called a deload.

What is a Deload?

A deload is a series of sessions where you focus on all of the following and reduce multiple factors of intensity:

mobility
SMR – soft-tissue work
flexibility
active recovery
weaknesses
rehab
strength training form
conditioning
breathing
kinetic stability
skill work
review game footage

Factors of Intensity

When you’re in a deload week, you’ll want to lower the intensity of the session. This is what allows your body to recover, regenerate and become stronger for the next cycle.

Factors of Intensity include:

sets
reps
rest periods
load (weight lifted)
speed of movement
duration of total session

If you can schedule these series of training sessions after a 3-4 week, 6-8 week training block, you’ll be adhering to the Law of Supercompensation.

Law of Supercompensation

Image Reference (1)

As you can see from the Law of Supercompensation and from this post , strength training has an effect on the body. It breaks it down and makes it weaker! This microtrauma and effect, after recovery and regeneration, creates an adaption; more strength and more muscle (if the right intensity and parameters are engaged).

Now, if the proper “amount” of rest and recovery strategies (SMR, good nutrition, stretching, massage, rest, etc.) are not employed or the next training session’s intensity is appropriate AND occurs at the right time after the last session, then the lifter / athlete does not fully recover to the baseline level prior to the training session. If this is repeated over and over this could lead to injury and over-training.

But, if there is appropriate rest and deloads are scheduled periodically, then a super compensation where the lifter / athlete recovers to a baseline GREATER than their previous level is achieved.

Signs You Need to Deload

increase in resting heart rate
weight feel “cold”
you never get warmed up
nervousness
crankiness
lifts are not improving
eye sensitivity to light
you’re dreading going into the gym

Simple Points to Follow

Schedule deload weeks where 3-4 subsequent training sessions focus on recovery and factors above
The more frequently you engage in deloads, the less you’ll need in a row, ie. if you deload every 8 weeks, your deload could be 3-4 sessions, if you deload every 4-5 weeks, you might only need 2-3 sessions, this is all part of auto-regulation
Bodyweight exercises are great for these sessions
Think of these sessions as preparation for the next intense sessions
Make your deload sessions focused and short in duration. Get in and get out of the gym.