Training Updates, a Cry for Help and FREE Met Con Circuits You Can Use NOW
So this week was a test week of sorts. I worked up to doubles on the squat and bench. On Monday I hit a fairly easy 425 that moved very fast and decided to shut it down there. My hip was virtually pain free and I was happy with that number.
Powerlifting: Choosing Openers
Let me begin the real point of this article by pointing out a few things. Most of which have been written about ad nauseum.
No one cares what you open at but you.
Your opener is a lift to get you in the meet.
Your opener should/could be considered your last warmup.
Opening too heavy will cause you to bomb out of the meet.
My opinion is that your opener should be something you can smash for at least a double, maybe a triple. I mean smash.
The Press, Why It's Awesome and How to Do It
Oh and on October 17th and 18th we are hosting the TPS/RPS Power Challenge at the Everett Rec Center. We have over 200 lifters registered over two days. We are raising money for the Everett Pop Warner Football program too. We need an army of spotters and loaders to help us out. Getting volunteers is not a problem for our annual Strongman show, but for this, it seems everyone in the gym is lifting.
TPS News and My Top 5 Exercises That Carry Over to Everything
I am now going to lay down my Top 5 Exercises That Carry Over to Everything.
These are exercises that build strength that carries over to just about anything you are doing and can be worked into any training program regardless of goals. They help powerlifters, strongmen, Crossfitters, people who are interested in getting more fit and jacked and athletes of all types.
This is a list of stuff you should be doing no matter what your goal. I am intentionally omitting the obvious ones like Squats and Deadlifts.
How to Not Kill Yourself In the Gym
Murph is the founder and owner of Total Performance Sports. He is a multiple award-winning trainer and serves on the Advisory Board for Men’s Fitness magazine and Muscle and Fitness magazine. Murph has over twenty years in the industry and trains numerous championship-winning amateur and professional athletes.
Top 5 Stupidest Exercises Ever
I love giving articles names like this, must be from writing for the fitness magazines for so long. It gets your attention and makes you want to read it to see if you are doing stupid exercises.
Let me begin by saying a stupid exercise is better than sitting on the couch, maybe. In reality, all exercises have some benefit but I look at the risk versus reward to determine stupidness.
Top Secret Deadlift Assistance Exercise + TPS Updates
So now that we have that over with, let’s talk about the Top Secret Deadlift Assistance Exercise.
I call these Koklayev Deadlifts because I learned them from Mischa Koklyaev when he was here for the Russian Strength Seminar with Boris Sheiko.
They're Called Wrist Wraps-How to Wrap Your Wrists Properly for Big...
As many of you know I am a gear whore, not like Jo Jordan, but a gear whore nonetheless. I want to get the most out of my gear and I want you to as well so here is the problem:
They are called wrist wraps, not forearm wraps.
Floor Press Tips to Smash More Weight on the Bench Press
Everyone wants a bigger bench right?
Who doesn’t?
Communists that’s who.
Strongman, Strongman, Strongman
We are proud to host the 13th annual North American Strongman Mass. State Championships to benefit the Chelsea Soldier Home. We have been doing this for a long time and look forward to it all year.
Why don’t you wash your hands? + Training Journal Tips
I was in the men’s room a few minutes ago and as I was washing my hands I saw a guy come out of the poop stall and totally bypass the sink.
I know he wasn’t changing in there. He was making his business and did not wash his hands.
Really?
Did we learn nothing form the Dark Ages?
Does he no care about pink eye?
Time for Something New + Deadlift Suit Tips AND a Sample Week of the New...
I am changing up the team’s training a little this cycle to see if it works better.
We normally follow a Squat, Bench and Deadlift program with squat assistance on Squat day and Bench assistance on Bench Day, and finally Deadlift assistance on Friday with a fourth day of pressing and upper body bodybuilding movements.
So far it has worked very well.
Since I am never satisfied with our progress, I am trying a new twist.
Steven Segal was Hard to Kill, I Am Not
I get up at the same time every day, I go and eat breakfast with the same bunch of guys every day, I go to work and have a routine. I go home at the end of the day and repeat it all the next day.
It works for me so if you were trying to kill me I am an easy target
Powerlifting Experience 2 Wrap Up and Some Thoughts Geared Lifting
I had the honor and pleasure to be invited to coach at the EliteFTS Powerlifting Experience 2 last week.
I have been to the compound to coach and speak many times and each time I am honored, awed, humbled and excited at the prospect of doing this.
What a Father's Day Weekend You Missed.
When we got in I figured since the boy always falls asleep during the headline acts second or third song, I better get some caffeine in him. I paid about $8.00 for a Diet Coke and $14.00 for a can of Bud.
I don’t know about you but if I am paying $14.00 for a can of Bud, I want four or five girls dancing on the table in front of me.
OH NO! I did it again + Free Training Template
The session went really well, I was toast after and I started on my recovery work.
It’s pretty standard for me. Roll, stretch, dip, eat.
Top 5 Exercises You are Not Doing
Writing articles with catchy titles like “Why you suck” or “How to get jacked”, or “Top 5 Exercises You are Not Doing” is good because everyone wants to know why they suck, or how to get jacked right?
Well, the thing that is even better is that you may actually pick up a good exercise or tip in one of these that will help you.
Top 5 Assistance/Accessory Exercises for the Deadlift
Back in the day I had a pretty good pull, 710 with just a belt. Now, not so much but I still love it. The Deadlift for me is the most mental and the most satisfying lift of the three contested lifts. It’s you, the bar and no stretch reflex. It takes speed, strength, ball and an assload of mental focus and toughness. It’s easy to bail on a heavy pull, it takes balls to finish one.
Top 5 Assistance/Accessory Exercises for the Bench Press
I am dealing, as I said in the last article with primarily RAW lifters these days and I would list different exercises for geared lifters. I can also tell you that my opinions may change on this subject.
As a matter of fact, narrowing it down to only 5 is really tough, so I am sure once I post this I’ll smack myself in my fat bald head and think I should have listed different ones.
Top 5 Assistance/Accessory Exercises for the Squat
Let’s start off with a description of what the difference between assistance and accessory exercises are.
This is easily confused and may be semantics, but go with me here.
Assistance exercises for one of the main lifts are those that build the lift and add strength in 3 planes of movement. They are big, compound exercises.
FREE 12 Week Powerlifting Program
This could have easily been an EBook for sale, but in the spirit of Live, Learn and Pass on, I am giving it to you free.
In exchange for the FREE program I ask that you leave a comment and let me know what you think and what you would like me to write about to help you.
Internet Trolls
Let’s begin this log with me stating that like that girl you met on Tinder that says I never did this before, I really never do this.
What do you do when life kicks you in the jimmies?
Well, you can't beat a man who will never give up, so that makes me unbeatable.
Fixing Squat Problems-Female Quad Dominance
Have you ever seen someone squat and when they get to the bottom they slide off the heels and the knees cave in and all of the weight goes to the mid foot and toes? I call this the Quad Slide.
The value of high volume training explained
High volume training has its place as does backing off and lowering the volume. So why would you add high volume work into your training cycle?
Riddle me this: What do Sheiko, Koklyaev, Hatfield and Bryant have in co...
Next Saturday, April 18th, Dr. Squat-Fred Hatfield and Josh Bryant (of TeamEliteFTS) are coming to TPS to do a FREE to our members and friends seminar on getting brutally strong and fast.
RPS Meet Report for Team TPS
My team of lovely ladies in the TPS Method for Powerlifting competed this weekend in Connecticut at the RPS New England Revolution.
What do you do the week before the meet?
There are as many different approaches for what to do before a meet as there are coaches and I’ll tell you what our lifters do.
The Big Meet is Two Weeks Away
My lifters in the TPS method for Powerlifting are smashing PR's left and right.
They are not hitting 1 rep maxes, but rep PR's. Almost every one of them is hitting prior maxes in the Squat, Bench and Deadlift for doubles and triples.
This is obviously due to my incredibly superior programming.
Or is it?
Explanation of Volume and Intensity Waves
There were lots of gamers having a good time and I was looking forward to seeing lots of hot cosplay girls. Sadly there were not many.
Who has time to write these things?
I used to be able to empty a full mag and shoot a 1" group from leather at 20 yards in about 4 seconds, and now I can't see the target. Forget about the tiny letters on my screen.
How Does RPE Work?
As coaches we need to watch and coach. Sometimes this means suggesting more weight, sometimes less and sometimes it is a technique cue. Our concern was that since beginners make so many gains strength wise in the first few weeks/months that it would not be accurate from week to week, but it is.
Why is RPE superior?
We've been running an Rate of Perceived Exertion (RPE) system on the main lifts (Squat, Press and Deadlift) in the Total Performance Method for almost 8 months and it is working.
What am I doing now? Not sure if I know.
I got really bored doing Met Con stuff and not being strong. I've been getting massage and Graston/ART on a regular basis and feel pretty good so a few months ago I started getting on the Strong(er) train.
Snow Updates, Training Updates, Lifter Updates
So, it's been a while since you all last heard about my training.
The last time was in the 44 and Broken series.
I hope this works out!
I am proud that EliteFTS has selected me to help the site with a coaching log.
WTF is Post-Rehab Training?
Murph gives you program ideas on how to recover from surgery and get you back in the gym.
How many members/clients a gym can support?
There are formulas but I have found they are not 100% accurate. I have used a few and sometimes I am in the $$ and sometimes not.
How Many Members Can A Gym Support?
There are formulas but I have found they are not 100% accurate. I have used a few and sometimes I am in the $$ and sometimes not.
Low Carb vs. No Carb
I followed all of the rules and got huge. It was more fat jacked than truly huge.
Get Strong and Conditioned for Life
Stick with a basic routine, and you will get to where you want to be.
Hitting Goals in the New Year
Are your goals realistic and attainable? Murph recently gave his advice to this Q&A post.
44 and Broken, Part 9
It’s done and in the books. I competed at the 16th annual RPS Power Challenge on October 21, 2012.
44 and Broken, Part 7
I’m coming to the end of the training cycle, and the meet is only a few weeks away.
44 and Broken, Part 5
I’ll need to learn how to either let go of the past (misses) or to re channel the energy into something positive and EAT.
44 and Broken, Part 4
I’m half way through the training cycle for my meet. I almost forgot how hard training for a meet is on your body.
44 and Broken, Part 3
I’m three weeks into my journey to return to competition after a six-year layoff. So far I have received a lot of positive feedback for putting my quest out there.
44 and Broken, Part 2
I’m 44, have a list of injuries that keep me from walking, never mind lifting, but I’m not done yet.
44 and Broken, Part 1
When I was younger, I read about Hatfield’s 1000-pound squat and said to myself, “I will do that someday.” That day never came.
What Programs Will Get You Brutally Strong?
So, to sum up: pick a program you believe in, work HARD at it and get brutally strong.
Setting Up a Strongman Program
Setting up a strongman program is no different than any other type of program.
Everyone Needs One of These...
I’m sure that if I stay on my PC for a while longer, I could come up with more reasons, but here's what immediately comes to mind...