20% Sale on AMD 2.0 is Almost Over

Right now I am offering my AMD 2.0 system for 20% off and the sale ends Friday at midnight.

Is AMD right for you?  Check out these FAQ’s.

ACCELERATED MUSCULAR DEVELOPMENT –> MORE INFO

AMD FAQ’s

1. What is the AMD 2.0 and how is it different to other program out there?

AMD 2.0 is not just a program, it is a system.  It shows you the perfect template that you should utilize for every workout.  It has every essential component that you need to prepare for the workout and to eliminate all of the negative effects from the 23 hours of the day you are not in the gym.  Even though there are 24 weeks of workouts and 2 separate workout paths, the goal of the AMD 2.0 system is to teach you how to create your own programs so you never have to rely on clueless trainers again. I still get emails everyday from people who tell me they feel better, move better and have been getting stronger every workout as a result of applying the AMD method consistently in their training.

2. How do you KNOW these workouts actually burn fat and build muscle?

Because I’ve used these workouts with my clients and athletes and gotten amazing results.  Over the years this has allowed me to tweak and perfect the AMD 2.0 template to what it is today.  Fast and highly effective workouts that can be done in under an hour and leave you feeling better than you have in years.  The AMD 2.0 system has 2 – 12 week workouts, one for building muscle and losing fat and the other for building muscle and getting strong.  In fact, I just used the fat loss component to lose over 35 lbs myself and I feel great.  I’ve actually started jumping again after struggling with a bad knee for the last 20 years.

3. What if I’m a relative beginner?  Can I still use this program?

Definitely!  In fact, that is exactly who the BM/LF program is for.  The person who is new to the gym and wants to get started the RIGHT way.  And if you are a beginner, you can learn how to do the right exercises, the right way.  The key mobility, activation and warm-up movements that most lifters never learn about, will already be in your program.  So you don’t have to make the same mistakes I made when I started lifting.

4. I’m not a young guy, will this program still work for someone who is older?

If you are older, you have to use this program.  Trust me, I know.  As we get older we lose mobility, we lose muscle mass and we become more susceptible to injuries. The structure in the AMD program will bring back balance into your program and help reduce those every day aches and pains. You’ll feel better, move better and that makes all the difference.

5. Does this program work for women as it does for men?

I’ve used this same template and these same workouts for my female clients as well.  Issues like knee stability, upper back strength, posture and fat loss can all be overcome with a comprehensive program done consistently.   In my experience women are very tenacious and love when they start seeing results.  That is why I’ve received so much positive feedback from women who have applied AMD to their workouts.

6. What if it doesn’t work for me?

I have included an 8 week money back guarantee that after you try the program,  you’ll love it.  Give AMD an honest effect and be consistent on the program as it is layed out and you will get results and feel better.  If you don’t, you can email me directly and I will refund your purchase price.

7. When can I get my hands on AMD 2.0?
The system will be available on tonight (Monday, December 6th) at midnight.  I am offering AMD 2.0 at a 20% discount (and with some awesome bonuses) and will return the package back to the normal pricing soon.  I truly believe in the program and it has changed countless lives. I hope you’re ready to change yours. If you are all you have to do is click the link below:

ACCELERATED MUSCULAR DEVELOPMENT –> MORE INFO

What Do You Get With AMD 2.0?

• AMD Quick Start Guide
• AMD Essential Exercise Video Index
• AMD Primary Exercise List
• AMD AER (Recovery) Exercise List
• AMD Power CORE Exercise List
• AMD 2.0 Main Manual
• AMD Essential Recovery (AER) Manual
• AMD Power Core (CORE) Manual
• AMD Explosive Fat Loss Manual
• AMD Deadlift Manual 101 (Bonus)
• AMD Upper Body Fat Loss Workout Video
• AMD Lower Body Fat Loss Workout Video
• Deadlift 101 Instructional Video

As you can see, I try to over deliver with all of my products.  In fact, it took a solid 3 years of writing, testing and tweaking the AMD system to come out with the new 2.0 version.  Each manual and each exercise list has its purpose and fits perfectly into the AMD template.  This template is the model for all good workouts and it must be followed.  I also show you how to fit any program you are currently on, into the template.

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Hardest Core Exercise – Part II

Dragon Flags with Bruce Lee Son!

by Jim Smith, CSCS, RKC

In the first installment of Hardest Core Exercise Ever, you’ll remember we setup a sit-up to press on the GHR bench with two kettlebells.  This variation provided a high intensity, powerful contraction of the rectus abdominis and hip flexors, as well as engagement of the lats.  A contralateral torque was also was also overcome by the internal / external obliques and TA.  More so when the kettlebells were pressed independently.

In this next installment, we will target the same musculature with another high intensity exercise.  It is not called the Hardest Core Exercise Series for nothing!

For our next exercise, we’ll give a shout out to the guy with one of the best known six-packs in the biz – Bruce Lee.  No one can deny his world-class physique.  But unlike most guys, he was not only ripped, he was strong.  And one of the reasons for his strength was some of the advanced bodyweight exercises he used in his training.  One such exercise was the Dragon Flag.

Oh you’re still not convinced, let me throw in Rocky from Rocky IV (even though Rocky III was the best one!)  Sly was at his peak and wanted to show how hard he was training to conquer the evil Russian.  So again, the Dragon Flag was pulled out.

Dragon Flags

Dragon Flags are performed by bracing hard on a bench or hard surface, while locking your arms in a fixed position.  The legs are driven up as if you are performing a reverse crunch.  From there, the lifter will lower themselves down not allowing any part of their body to touch the bench except for their upper back.  This is an important form cue.  This makes the exercise so much harder.  The lifter lowers their body until it is right above the bench.  The other important coaching cue is to make sure when the lifter raises back up, they do NOT bend at the waist, but rather raise their entire body as it was lowered, in a straight line.

Why Are Dragon Flags Good?

Dragon Flags entire the entire torso.  The entire torso is (and should be considered) the core.  Isolated movements attempting to target one muscle group are not effective in the real world.  More torso rigidity for squats, deads, bench press, clean & press, sporting events, athletes, power development, etc…you name it, is developed with Dragon Flags.  Long duration tension (static and engaging strength training movement patterns) along with a full body engagement will always be preferred in the long run.

Where to Incorporate Dragon Flags?

We typically engage them after the workout.  We know that the athletes are warmed up by that time and also that none of their primary lifts will be affected by the recovery from doing the Dragon Flags.  They are a seriously powerful movement and full recovery between sets is a must in order to give an all out effort with each attempt.

If I Can’t Do a Dragon Flag, What Do I Do?

You can modify the Dragon Flags to make them easier if you can’t perform them right away.  It took me a long time to be able to start hitting them on a regular basis.  You can just perform negatives.  Lower as slowly as possible and then drop your feet onto the bench and drive back up to the starting point.  You could lower slowly as far as you can and then tuck your knees to your chest instead of raising back up and keeping your body straight.  This would be considered then next level up.  If you can hit the knee tucks AND control the negative to a stopping point above the bench and with your body in a straight line, you can then move to the full execution.

Dragon Flags

As you’ll see in the video, I hit 5 reps on the first set.  I think I could have hit a couple more with good form.  In the second set, I throw on ONE 10lb ankle weight and try it again.  You’ll have to check out the video to see how I did!

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By: Chris Kelly

“Plank routines are dull, unsexy, and I don’t feel the burn” is the gist of the response I typically receive from most clients when explaining my approach to core training—and I can understand their frustration.

After all, when it comes time to train there are few things as boring as holding still when you could be going to war with sit ups and crunches.

But after hundreds of hours working toward a better stomach, I have either prescribed or witnessed every crunch, leg lift and torso twist variation known to man. And though some worked better than others in “feeling the burn”, one conclusion I quickly reached is that banging out several hundred at a time is more likely to lead to a bad back then six pack abs.

My beef is not with crunches themselves, but any exercise which does not result in maximal return on investment. And much like the plank, this approach amounts to a long duration, low load stress being placed on the torso.

The difference is that much of this stress is directed toward the spine versus the abs– probably not the best idea for those already hunched over a computer several hours a day!

While neither exercise fits the bill alone, the missing link for building a ripped and functional torso is understanding how to condense sufficient intensity and density (amount of work performed) in to a routine which does not jack up the spine.

In this article, I will address the problems associated with both the plank and crunch and explain how to incorporate each exercise in to a routine which will challenge even the strongest stomach while busting your ass in the process—all in around five minutes.

Overcoming Misconceptions

While planks are intended to provide a sustained, low load contraction to build endurance in the abdominals, the static variety clearly falls short when it comes to abdominal development.

That being said, everything changes when we incorporate movement of the arms and legs. Specifically, this is done by performing moves such as crawling and stepping in a plank position while maintaining a flat back and abdominal brace.

Suddenly, this exercise becomes infinitely more difficult and offers several benefits:

• While crunches primarily target the upper portion of the rectus abdominus (six-pack or beer gut) only, planks can be utilized to systematically hit every area of the stomach to address muscle imbalances commonly seen in the lower abdominals and external obliques (side abs).
  
• While an excess of crunches creates or reinforces a kyphosis posture (or a hunch back), plank variations have a positive impact shoulder and upper back stability by forcing the user to stabilize the trunk with the arms and/or elbows.
  
• By training torso stability while moving the arms and legs, plank variations positively impact athletic performance and weightlifting by enhancing the efficiency of force transfer from the lower to the upper body.
  

Incorporating Intensity

Especially when combined with a high stress stimulus, dynamic planks suddenly become the ultimate accessory exercise by providing prolonged time under tension for the abs while limiting spinal stress.

This is accomplished by pairing low rep exercises which involve torso flexion with planking movements to increase time under tension. The decision on which exercise to use comes down to the area of the stomach you intend to target.

In a recent article on the Best Exercises for Abdominal Activation, strength coach Bret Contreas lists several choices for each area of the stomach:

• Rectus Abdominis- Chin Up, Hanging Leg Raise, Ab wheel rollout Swiss Ball Crunch
  
• Internal Oblique- Ab Wheel from Feet, Ab Wheel from Knees, Bodysaw, Tornado Ball Slam
  
• External oblique- Ab Wheel from Feet, Hanging Leg Raise, Bodysaw, Turkish Get Up
  

Picking Your Planks

After determining the target area of the stomach, the next step is exercise selection. The idea is to choose one core strength exercise followed by two plank variations performed back to back to prolong time under tension.

While Bret’s article offers a comprehensive selection for strength exercises, we want to choose plank variations which incorporate limb motion in the particular area we wish to develop.

For the rectus abdominus and anterior external obliques, this would include two frontal plank variations which involve the arms and legs. For the lateral external obliques’, this would mean two side plank variations.

We will divide these two areas in to anterior core (front of stomach) and lateral core (side abs) for simplicity.

Sample Workout #1- Anterior Core focus

This workout is intended to target the lower rectus abdominus.

In order to do so, we have chosen an exercise involving leg lowering followed by two frontal planking exercises which utilize the arms and legs.

Because the rep ranges are kept fairly low, it is important to move slowly enough to maintain an abdominal brace and build optimal fatigue

1. Stability ball leg lower — 5 reps

2. Stability ball push out — 8 reps

3. Stability ball knee tuck — 8 reps

Video example: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eTdrbgv2VEU

Sample Workout #2- Lateral Core focus

The half get up is a favorite of mine for targetting this area while also promoting stability of the shoulder.

We follow this up with two weighted side plank variations which will the sides of the stomach. While each of these movements can be made progressively heavier, they do not require much weight to be effective (10-20lbs works well for most) and should also be performed with slow and controlled movement.

1. Half get up — 5 reps

2. Weighted side plank pulse — 8 reps

3. Side plank row— 8 reps

Video example: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4-ujk4RBBUs

Time is of the Essence

One thing you will notice from the above is that we did not include sets with our rep ranges. In our system, this is mainly due to the issue of time.

Because our clients are often faced with time constraints and short attention spans, our solution has been to incorporate timed circuits popularized in Charles Staley’s Escalating Density Training to really ramp up the intensity.

This can be done by simply setting a clock for 5-7 minutes and performing as many rounds as possible with proper form. Ideal for the time challenged trainee, this approach is also a great finisher after your strength training or conditioning work.

Putting It All Together

With a solid core (I couldn’t resist) of planking know-how, this sequence of exercises is all you will ever need to build superior strength and definition in your torso. Simply pick one strength exercises which directly targets your chosen area of the core followed by two supplementary plank movements from the list provided below.

Because the abdominals recover quickly, training for these muscles should be performed 4-5 times per week. Generally, we will rotate exercises and/or target areas of the stomach every two to three weeks.

But while more advanced trainees may benefit from a split which targets one area of the stomach only, a solid split for most beginners is devoting one day to both anterior and lateral core for overall development.

Sample split:

Mon: Anterior Core
Tues: Lateral Core
Wed: off
Thurs: Anterior Core
Fri: Lateral Core
Sat: Off
Sun: Off

Conclusion

For anyone doubters on the effectiveness of the plank, I challenge you to sample the workouts above and prepare for the plank beat your abs (and ass) in to submission!

Exercises

1. Lower extremity frontal plank examples: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EKbcUeFfjF8

2. Upper extremity frontal plank examples: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zQE8dVMChdM

3. Side plank examples: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=snAVWltGpKM

About the Author

Chris Kelly is a strength coach, fitness writer and educator based in T
ampa Florida. He specializes in innovative strength, conditioning and core training solutions for athletes, models, actors and figure competitors preparing for show. Check out his blog at http://modelfit1.blogspot.com

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Powerful Lower Body Domination for Explosive Athletes

by Jim Smith, CSCS

As we transition from the foundation (strength / hypertrophy) block of their strength training, the MMA fighters move into their explosive phase.  In the previous video we were allowing them to get acclimated to absorbing the impact from jump training, drilling proper landing mechanics and preparing them for the full execution of more complex plyometric exercises.

As proficiency their increased, you will now see much more complex exercises.  And the end of the phase, even depth jumps are performed after a strength movement, i.e. complex training promoting post-activation potentiation.

* SPECIAL NOTE – explosive training should be done early in the workout and after a very thorough and complete warm-up.

Complex Jump Training (end of block)

Athlete 1:

Exercise 1:  Sandbag Zercher Squats

Loading anterior (with additional chains) to promote proper squat mechanics, overload the spinal erectors and force powerful torso bracing

Exercise 2:  Depth Jump into Deep Squat Landing

Promotes explosive lower body power, reactiveness, deceleration and proper landing mechanics.

Exercise 3:  Band Sprints

Promotes stride frequency, arm swing and leg drive

Athlete 2:

Exercise 1:  Sandbag Zercher Squats

Loading anterior (with additional chains) to promote proper squat mechanics, overload the spinal erectors and force powerful torso bracing

Exercise 2:  Depth Jump into Split Squat Landing

Promotes explosive lower body power, reactiveness, deceleration, balance, kinesthetic awareness and ankle/knee/hip stability and proper landing mechanics.

Exercise 3:  Band Sprints

Promotes stride frequency, arm swing and leg drive

UFC, MMA LOWER BODY STRENGTH TRAINING

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Explosive Lower Body Training for Strength and Power

As we move from the strength phase of our training it becomes necessary to start incorporating movements that build strength endurance and stability. We must also engage in exercises that allow us to transition to more dynamic movements; such as submaximal plyometrics.  This is in preparation to handle the ballistic forces in the upcoming explosive / jump training phase.

Dynamic Isometrics

It is true that isometric exercises strengthen +/- 15-20 degrees of the joint angle being engaged (2).  What happens if we incorporate isometrics all along the strength training movement pattern through the eccentric (lowering / yielding) phase.  We get dynamic isometrics.

Benefits of Dynamic Isometrics:

• serious strength endurance
• improve deceleration proficiency
• reinforce landing mechanics
• improve torso rigidity, bracing proficiency
• tendon / ligament density

Secrets of Russian Sports Fitness and Training states the following:

“Dynamic isometrics is now known as explosive isometrics. “  The explosiveness comes from the fact that after the isometrics are engaged, compensatory acceleration (CAT) is attempted.  CAT is taking the weight and moving it as hard and as fast as you can (think tempo “x”).

As you can see in these images and this video, we utilize a giant cambered bar for our squats.  This is essential when working with all athletes to prevent shoulder irritation and gain a proficient squat while you are still working to improve thoracic mobility.

Each position is held for 3 seconds and there are 3 position for each repetition.  Approximate time under tension (TUT) is around 30 seconds each set.

Dynamic Isometrics – Position 1 (45 degrees)

Dynamic Isometrics – Position 2 (Parallel)

Dynamic Isometrics – Position 3 (Full)

Altitude Drops

An altitude drop is a abbreviated form of a depth jumps (Verkhoshanksy).  You step off of a box and land and stop the movement as quickly as you can.  We do NOT ask the athlete to reverse the movement, ONLY absorb. Remember, we are using this submaximal plyometric to prepare for the next phase which will include the full execution of the depth jump AND many other upper and lower body explosive movements.  In our example, we are also modifying it slightly to increase its benefit for the athlete.

Benefits of Altitude Drops

• develops eccentric (yielding) strength (2)
• dynamically stretches the hips and ankles
• drills landing mechanics
• strong excitation of CNS (2)

As you can see in the pictures and video, I modified the altitude drops two ways and improved its base benefit profile.

1.  I did not have the athletes stop immediately on the landing.  We are still in preparation mode for our plyometric phase and the athletes are still learning to land proficiently.  So we want to reinforce the landing mechanics and develop the eccentric strength to absorb the impact.  We ask the athletes to land softly.  This is a great transition to the full execution of the movement.

2.  I also did not start the movement just by dropping off the box.  I added specificity to the altitude drop by preceding it with a dynamic step up.  The goal was to get the knee higher than the hip to promote not only hip mobility but strength mobility (ie. strength in this new ROM).  This is an amazing modification.

Depth Drops Preceded with Dynamic Step-up 1

Depth Drops Preceded with Dynamic Step-up 2

Depth Drops Preceded with Dynamic Step-up 3

SPECIAL NOTES:

You can also see the movements were performed in bare feet and the athletes were landing on a soft platform, ie. a wrestling mat.  The athlete must possess a solid strength foundation before attempting either dynamic isometrics or shock training.  Finally, volume is of concern for both of these heavily CNS intensive exercises, so monitor carefully.

VOLUME

Dynamic Isometric Squats, 3×3

Altitude Drops (with Diesel modification), 3×5 each leg

REFERENCES:

1. Secrets of Russian Sports Fitness and Training

2. Supertraining

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