Speed Training

Among my many athletic exploits has been a series of potential career ending injuries that, in many ways, can be considered a blessing in disguise. Learning through survival and return, I first hand have understood the notion that “adversity is something you overcome”. While the stories of my injuries, much-less the journey of how they occurred is a book in itself, one of the great legacies is the need to develop unique methods to navigate around severe problems and rehabilitation approaches.

Of particular interest, the development of RED² occurred during the early phase of producing DMC™ to serve as a conduit to “re-educate” proper movement patterns. DMC™ is a
unique dance based paradigm that can serve the most fundamental user in their earliest stage to the most advanced. From the earliest static holds, the movements quicken to a rapid action more reminiscent of folk or urban dance. Though that is the briefest of summaries for a nine-stage program that will take three quadrennials of dedication training, the earliest stages represent a massive hurdle as the individual must be “re-wired” to moving properly, with a mixture of fluidity, power and grace.

This realisation, along with generalized rehabilitation concerns created RED², again a broad based program that for the
first three-plus levels works with DMC™ before merging into the system when overall tempo and syncopation increases. What athletes, many who consider themselves upwards of “elite level”, realise quickly with RED² is that their projection of movement has been less than optimal and after re-tooling overall explosive speed and power dramatically rises.

The factors why RED² has such dramatic impact is far and wide, though I feel it deals primarily with poor overall foot strength, gait, a lack of hip and hamstring flexibility, weakness in the
core and posterior chain of muscles, inadequate muscular endurance and work threshold as well as basic issue of carrying too much bodyweight. While each of these issues should be dealt in separate, RED2 serves as a perfect addition to every training regime or goal, can be performed anywhere, requires no specialized equipment.

From an obvious observation the earliest stages of the overall program sees DMC™ as a floor-based system, whereas RED2 is upright. In the first stage of RED2 presented below, extreme care
must be taken that movements are performed correctly to finite level. Failure to do so and further stages, that include very progressive
actions such as “flares” will not be possible and the individual will need to address weak spots from the start. In every aspect, the individual must remain focused during training but equally fluid and relaxed to condition them to the eventual extremely rapid beat, reflective of the musicology of the regime.

The latter aspect is likely one of the most challenging and best served with a forthcoming book but the entire DMC™ and system is developed within musical notation. The early cadence of RED2 is without question a march, with particular action on a "true" lunge where you step out and not slide. At all times the individual should be able to maintain body position under duress and virtually be able to stop and hold the move for extended periods.

In this brief look at the first stage of RED² the plan contains five basic lunges:

• Forward
• Forward with twist
• (repeat above backwards)
• “Toy Soldier”
• Side

Each commences with high knee lift, as in Rx1, without shifting of the overall body, plant legged locked and movement projected in the big toe driving into the ground.

After a period of accommodating to the workout, perform each movement such that the entire RED² section is three to five, six-minute segments.

prepared by John Davies
photos credit: John Davies in the DVD "Pink, les séances de Paris" from Renegade Style Productions scheduled for release in late 2011.

John Davies is available on his personal page on Facebook , Renegade Training™’s, Google+, Renegade Training™ on Google+ as well as or Twitter.

John’s present supplement stack starts daily with the “athlete’s advantage”, Modern, Super Cissus, PowerFull and Prime, along with additional use of Recreate, Yok3d, Anabolic Pump and Pink Magic depending upon his training cycle (workout log 1, 2, 3, 4).

Disclaimer
The information provided in “Instant Training Improvement Tips”, as well as this web-site blog is intended for informational and educational purposes only and should not be interpreted as medical advice for any condition. Always consult a qualified medical professional before beginning any nutritional program or exercise program. By reading this disclaimer, you hereby agree and understand that the information provided in this column is not medical advice and relying upon it shall be done at your sole risk.

In examining the “Renegade Fundamentals of Resistance Training”, understanding the entire order prescribed in training is crucial to success, as you will not derive the same benefit from the system if you utilize bits and pieces.

Opposed to compliance of training, diet and the like which can me complex, resistance work is extremely “simple” from technical structure so do not glorify or over-complicate it.

Recalling the Renegade Concepts of Training™, consider the overall movement of the exercise (“movements not musculature”) and utilize a weight that allows you to execute the lift properly.

Complicate it all you wish but all weight-training is basically pushing, pulling and squatting with proper postural alignment and generating movements in the manner it is intended.

While this may be misleading or at least sounds confusing, with “total body” movements, even though the weight is in your hands, the explosion of the movement comes first from powerful leg drive. The peculiar twist of this notion is that as the lower body is emphasized in training the upper-body benefits from a super-compensatory effect on being forced to accommodate to a greater training loads.

For greater muscular growth both upper and lower body, this must be understood as a key determinant and therefore the basics of Pushing, Pulling, Squatting and Pressing is the “focus” of training.

If you are going to excel, you need to start first with the basics.

Push, Pull, Squat, Press

Renegade Training™ utilizes a very strict orderly approach within the resistance training section of the total program. By doing such, issues of compliance, management and program analysis are simplified and following an orderly developmental plan.

Resistance training is divided into two major sections of lifts in which total sets per section are equal (twelve sets per Focus and Supplement lifts each).

• Focus Lifts; based upon the classic Olympic lifts of Snatch, Clean, Push Press / Push Jerk, Squat as well as Deadlift’s and Bench Press. These lifts are the most effective route in resistance training to promote teaching the body to move as a single harmonious unit within a time sensitive manner. While some coaches will defer in their use, complaining of complexity, the problem lays not within the athlete but the quality of teaching as Olympic lifts are ostensibly quite simple technically in comparison to any on-field sport skill.

• Supplemental lifts. Supplemental lifts are broken into
  • Olympic hybrid /derivative lifts and
  • pre-habilitation movements from the Renegade FIX™ program.

prepared by John Davies
photos credit: John Davies, photo credit Ar'Shaun Johnson of arshaunjohnsonphotography.com copyright protected
Disclaimer
The information provided in “John Davies Workout Log”, as well as this web-site blog is intended for informational and educational purposes only and should it be interpreted as medical advice for any condition. Always consult a qualified medical professional before beginning any nutritional program or exercise program. By reading this disclaimer, you hereby agree and understand that the information provided in this column is not medical advice and relying upon it shall be done at your sole risk.

The idea of a “focal point” whereby you use a spot in the distance to assist finding equilibrium is constant in many sporting activities. This is particularly visible in activities with twisting actions in the air (i.e. diving, gymnastics), as well as technical aspects in Fencing (i.e. within the “Magic Circle”) but with mainstream exercise it is rarely discussed. For the purposes of weight training, particularly with explosive exercises (i.e. Squats, Power Clean / Snatch or Jerk) using a “focal point” will have an immediate impact on improving performance, resulting in a greater weight used.

To do so, pick a spot, roughly head high and focus intensely on it as you begin the movement and “lock into” throughout the exercise. This "hidden gem" may seem difficult to understand but it is key ingredient in sports mastery as it leads to a deeper level of concentration and ultimately sees the individual perform in a more relaxed statement, to which level of play raises significantly.

While there are many approaches, I use a multi-step process with resistance training starting with a visualization technique. To start, with eyes closed briefly I visualize the lift done perfectly the split second before performing. Then and remember this is a very quick action, I eliminate all distractions and focus on a spot and "repeat" the exercise as visualized. Use this tip and you will notice your level of performance increases quickly.  This applies immediately within resistance training if you wish to require to lift a greater weight immediately or within sporting activities that require intense concentration such as seeing seeing the rotation of a ball as it approaches as you mentally "slow" play down and see it in greater detail.

prepared by John Davies
photos credit: Shawn Moody with Steve Jury and John Davies in Renegade Style Production DVD "Speed, part 3" © copyright protected

Disclaimer
The information provided in “Instant Training Improvement Tips”, as well as this web-site blog is intended for informational and educational purposes only and should it be interpreted as medical advice for any condition. Always consult a qualified medical professional before beginning any nutritional program or exercise program. By reading this disclaimer, you hereby agree and understand that the information provided in this column is not medical advice and relying upon it shall be done at your sole risk.

They are “Squat Racks” and definitely not “curling stations”. If you are serious about putting on muscle mass, there are few exercises that will have as much as impact as Squats. Unfortunately, few know how to perform, much less teach, Squats correctly and do not receive their great benefit or ultimately avoid them because of discomfort. Squats performed correctly are a healthy, safe and effective movement that should be in all exercise programs as they will develop not only the legs but have impact upon the entire body. Performing Squats gives rise to an interesting paradox as for those looking to add musculature to the upper body the movement will have a super-compensatory effect on your entire development. Simply, if you want greater muscle mass, Squat.

To perform a standard squat properly, follow these instructions in “The All Around Athlete, part six”.

prepared by John Davies
photos credit: John Davies in Renegade Style Production DVD "Feel the Force" © copyright protected

Disclaimer
The information provided in “Instant Training Improvement Tips”, as well as this web-site blog is intended for informational and educational purposes only and should it be interpreted as medical advice for any condition. Always consult a qualified medical professional before beginning any nutritional program or exercise program. By reading this disclaimer, you hereby agree and understand that the information provided in this column is not medical advice and relying upon it shall be done at your sole risk.

“Sat celeriter fieri quicquid fiat satis bene” (whatever is being done well enough, is being done soon enough) Augustus (63 BC – AD 14) first ruler of Roman Empire.

The paradox of the modern health and fitness sector is while supplementation and diet have made enormous advancements, exercise has offset those with steps backwards. While never has a society existed that has spent more funds on health, it grapples with runaway obesity problems. Though the problem is far more complicated that simply one sector, the “iron game” of the present era needs to share the blame, even if it has a tinge of innocence to it.

Yet as blame is laid on the modern iron-game is must come with a few riders attached because societal changes far outside its realm have changed how exercise is perceived. Not only has the shift away for manual labour and basic household chores made “general passive work” in our daily lives more rare but lowering recreational activities growing up has created a generation of adults with little experience being active. This might be the most peculiar twist of them all because for the majority of the mainstream, exercise is drudgery and "something you do in a gym".

For myself this is one of the most foreign concepts I need to consider with every aspect of the marketplace. As a competitive athlete who still wonders, is a run at an Olympic qualifying out of my reach, I could not put a pure time on how much I “train” because exercise is "fun" and second nature to me, whether it is choosing to walk any distance if it is under an hour or participating in random pick-up sports. Yet, like others who are very active in sport, we must realise the vast public considers exercise as something completely different and something they begrudge doing. For the exercise world, this means training intensity and complexity is lowered to suit poor levels of conditioning and must “entertaining” to keep their attention.

This further gives rise to the publics need for an immediacy of results and misses the great adage that good thing take time. Patience truly is a virtue and with the training sector, if you apply yourself with determination, the impact throughout your lifetime is extraordinary. Within exercise, the notion of “patience” should be developed as it will enhance all aspects of life as well as being a key to physical development.

This lack of exercise, both passive and active, is shown in countless areas within physical development but one unique area is how the movement of the bar is generated within resistance work or for that matter, rarely done with the "power base" of the legs and hips. Inactivity has in essence caused a generation or more to lack in the "power base" of the lower body and hips.

This works against goals of strength development as the oddity of multiple joint lifts is that movement of a weight, held in your hands, is generated through the action of the lower body. To understand, if not "feel" this aspect of weight training, it takes time and patience because you need both the experience with the bar but the proper physical development to execute the movements correctly.

This notion of "lifting with your legs" not only goes against a basic, untrained glance of a movement but general training approaches that shift the balance of work towards isolationist exercises and upper body work. Furthermore, while you may be only as strong as your weakest link, you will also generate power from your strong suit (i.e. if your focus is on upper body, within multiple joint lifts you will "pull" from there). The proof in this easily seen with younger athletes, full of vigour and intent but their Power Cleans as an example is effectively upper body movement (i.e. “cheat reverse curl”) with little hip, leg and hamstring involvement. This shows immediately with the lower weight used and the only way to generate greater power is invert the focus of upper body to lower. This gives rise to the yet another unique development because as focus is on the lower body, the upper body is forced to accommodate to the greater loads and ultimately enhances hypertrophy. Therefore, by focusing on your lower body, in multiple-joint lifts, in time your upper body will grow exponentially because of the additional weight moved by your legs and hips.

Now this is the ultimate of points for the professional coach because as you invert the individual’s physical make-up to lower-body dominance, you develop an athlete of significantly greater upside potential. Naturally, this requires that all aspects of the “Wheel of Conditioning” to be trained properly but if followed correctly, goals will be a great deal closer.

For the exercise enthusiast, non-competitive athlete, Power or Weightlifter, novice or even ambitious bodybuilder, this has some startling implication because large-scale muscle mass development becomes tremendously more straightforward when power comes via the glutes, hips and hamstrings. Interestingly enough, as while I have mentioned these measures for mass training and athletic development, many of the same protocols are used, in most situations, to alleviate back pain.

Whether for athletic purposes, to feel healthier or simply aesthetic reasons, the power base of this region unlocks your potential. To do so is no simple feat but in the next of series, we will examine how to begin expanding range of motion in the region as well as develop extraordinary strength. From a selection of movements, ranging from tumbling, hurdle drills and the RED2 program as well as edgy resistance measures, such as the Russian Split Jump and variations of Good Morning, the Power Base will be developed.

Within the "power base" of the lower body it is important to remember these two crucial points:

• the movement of a weight, despite being held in your hands, is generated through the action of the lower body

• when the focus is on the lower body, the upper body is forced to accommodate to the greater loads and ultimately creates a super-compensatory effect which enhances muscular growth
  

prepared by John Davies

photo supplied from "More Than a Game" by John Davies, 2006 Renegade Style Productions