 When developing strength & athleticism, there are certain muscle groups that deserve more attention than others. Sure, we want to be strong top to bottom with no weak links, but not all muscles are created equal. The two groupings that usually need the most attention are the abs and the ass, guts and butts. The glutes are the largest single muscles in the body and, as the primary hip extensors, are the driving force behind nearly all athletic movements. Stronger glutes help you run faster, jump higher, hit harder, and on a side note, can improve your sexual performance. The glutes however, cannot function optimally if the pelvis isn't correctly positioned and stabilized, which is predominately controlled by the abs. Weak abs usually allow a prominent anterior pelvic tilt, while adequate ab strength and control will ensure that forces around the hip and lower spine are properly controlled and will allow for the glutes to do their job. Improper strength and control of the trunk muscles can also lead to back and knee pain or injuries. Similarly, weak and poor functioning glutes have been linked to low back pain.
Thus, getting these muscle groups working properly is of prime importance for health, fitness, sexual and athletic performance enhancement. Improving yourself physically isn't just about making time to get to the gym. It's about making it a part of your lifestyle. There are tons of things you can do at home, during quick breaks at work or in any time crunch that can improve your situation. If you're serious you'll make time, not excuses. Below is quick video of my favorite things to do anywhere, anytime, with no equipment, to strengthen, stabilize and mobilize your gut and glutes, which improves the functionality of your hips, which will make you more awesome.
Performing these exercises is a good idea, but don't forget the main point here is to strengthen and improve mobility and stability in the muscles around your hips. There are many ways to achieve this, this video is just the tip of the iceberg. Bodyweight Training is awesome and can be performed almost anywhere with minimal equipment, but my biggest passion still lies in the iron. Feel free to share your favorite hip and ab strengthening and mobility drills below. Many others are sure to benefit from your knowledge. Also, NEW Consummate Athlete T-Shirts are available now. Click on any pic below to get yours today!
Here's a little motivation to get you rockin some presses and get moving & groovin everywhere and anywhere you go. No excuses for no time to hit the gym, just get inverted and get your upper body strong. I have a ton of progressions for bodyweight pressing from beginner to advanced, but the most important thing to remember is, you'll never get better or stronger if you don't practice all the damn time. Step number one for a stronger upper body using bodyweight only is: spend some time on your hands. Until you get that through your thick skull, don't even think about step two. This video is just about getting out and having some fun. With all the intense training you do, you have to make time to play. Bodyweight Training is, in my opinion, the best way to get your upper body stronger, healthier, more impressive looking and more useful. I'm always including some form of it in my training programs. Sometimes its bodyweight only, other times I use is as assistance for weightlifting. Either way, it rocks. If you're interested in a done-for-you program that works, and is guaranteed to get you insane results of increased strength and usefulness, not to mention a much more impressive physique, you'll want to check out Zach Even-Esh's Bodyweight Bodybuilding. This is an awesome resource that eliminates any excuse for not having the time to train or hit the gym and get great results. Check it out HERE.
 When I decided to hold my first kettlebell and bodyweight training seminar, I knew I would have a few hours to teach several people the very basics of the style of the training I use with high frequency in my daily life. Being a busy man with a schedule that has me traveling regularly, with limited time to get to the gym as much as I would like, and having limited equipment while on the go, I knew there was a way for me to keep things simple and brutally effective to get amazing results with a minimalist approach. Even if I am not traveling, I regularly use bodyweight training because it makes me feel good, increases my relative strength and dramatically enhances my mobility. This, in turn, reduces any pain I might be experiencing from the rigors of daily life. Spending long hours in bad positions with poor posture can cause anyone serious body pains in their back, hips, neck and shoulders. But a few minutes of strategic bodyweight movements can help strengthen the body and reverse the pains and issues that we put ourselves through. I regularly travel by car, so bringing a bunch of gym equipment is not an option, and finding a gym on the road is a guaranteed hassle I don't want to deal with. As long as you have your body, you have the very best piece of equipment ever invented. And anyone can throw a kettlebell in the back seat to add some external resistance as well. Get videos now
In my personal training, nothing gets my conditioning to higher level than some bodyweight drills combined with high intensity kettlebell training. The problem most people make with this type of training is not having good technique with a single movement or lift, then doing it for high repetitions. This not only will give you minimal results, but can also have detrimental effects in the long run of your training.
A major, and often overlooked, aspect of fitness and strength training is alignment and positioning. If your body is in poor alignment while moving heavy loads or performing many reps, you are unnecessarily risking injury, as well as cheating yourself better results from your training. Putting your body in the best position possible allows for enhanced strength, better health and increased fitness, which is what we all want anyway...better results.
The specifics of the workshop weren't primarily geared towards crushing people with high rep bodyweight conditioning workouts. It was, however, focused on learning and teaching the fundamentals of kettlebell lifting technique and proper progressions to gain strength with bodyweight movements from beginner to advanced level athletes.
There is something for everybody, regardless of your fitness level. I show how to do beginner pushups to advanced level one arm variations, and everything in between to prevent plateaus from occurring. The same goes for other basic movements like squats, pullups, and myriad other less common bodyweight strength training movements to add to your arsenal for athletic domination.
Once you learn exactly how to do the movements with sound technique, you have infinite different programs and systems you can use to enhance your current training and athleticism. Don't continue training with horrible form and sweating through ugly reps. Take the time to learn proper technique and watch your performance skyrocket in no time. Stop skipping steps in your bodyweight strength training and continue climbing the hill instead of spending most of your time on a plateau.
To be completely honest about the videos from the workshop, they are not the highest quality. If you have seen my YouTube videos, it is very similar, and was recorded with the same camera. There are times in the video when the audio isn't very great, and there are times when I stutter, because I am not the greatest speaker. It is what it is, you will, however, get some really great audio of some of us farting and burping pretty loud as we train for a few hours. I didn't edit out all the weird stuff, it's in there. I only edited out the resting. So, if you are a TSS fan, like our style of training, and have trained for a while yourself, you know what goes on in a home or garage gym. Shit happens, you laugh it off, and continue to get strong as hell. My intentions were to put on a great seminar for those that attended. They were not intended to create a top selling DVD. But I was asked by many who could not attend if I would record it, so by popular demand, here is what I got. In the future, I will have million dollar cameras and fitness models in bikinis demonstrating exercises while I yell like Gilad, but for now, this video set is me and a few athletes training in a garage, getting strong and learning some damn good training techniques. I hope you enjoy.
The Strength Shop Kettlebell and Bodyweight Training Workshop
A comprehensive and progressive approach to increased bodyweight strength training and kettlebell lifting technique for improved posture, fitness and athleticism.
Available soon:
When I decided to hold my first kettlebell and bodyweight training seminar, I knew I would have a few hours to teach several people the very basics of the style of the training I use with high frequency in my daily life. Being a busy man with a schedule that has me traveling regularly, with limited time to get to the gym as much as I would like, and having limited equipment while on the go, I knew there was a way for me to keep things simple and brutally effective to get amazing results with a minimalist approach.
Even if I am not traveling, I regularly use bodyweight training because it makes me feel good, increases my relative strength and dramatically enhances my mobility. This, in turn, reduces any pain I might be experiencing from the rigors of daily life. Spending long hours in bad positions with poor posture can cause anyone serious body pains in their back, hips, neck and shoulders. But a few minutes of strategic bodyweight movements can help strengthen the body and reverse the pains and issues that we put ourselves through.
I regularly travel by car, so bringing a bunch of gym equipment is not an option, and finding a gym on the road is a guaranteed hassle I don't want to deal with. As long as you have your body, you have the very best piece of equipment ever invented. And anyone can throw a kettlebell in the back seat to add some external resistance as well.
In my personal training, nothing gets my conditioning to higher level than some bodyweight drills combined with high intensity kettlebell training. The problem most people make with this type of training is not having good technique with a single movement or lift, then doing it for high repetitions. This not only will give you minimal results, but can also have detrimental effects in the long run of your training.
A major, and often overlooked, aspect of fitness and strength training is alignment and positioning. If your body is in poor alignment while moving heavy loads or performing many reps, you are unnecessarily risking injury, as well as cheating yourself better results from your training. Putting your body in the best position possible allows for enhanced strength, better health and increased fitness, which is what we all want anyway...better results.
The specifics of the workshop weren't primarily geared towards crushing people with high rep bodyweight conditioning workouts. It was, however, focused on learning and teaching the fundamentals of kettlebell lifting technique and proper progressions to gain strength with bodyweight movements from beginner to advanced level athletes.
There is something for everybody, regardless of your fitness level. I show how to do beginner pushups to advanced level one arm variations, and everything in between to prevent plateaus from occurring. The same goes for other basic movements like squats, pullups, and myriad other less common bodyweight strength training movements to add to your arsenal for athletic domination.
Once you learn exactly how to do the movements with sound technique, you have infinite different programs and systems you can use to enhance your current training and athleticism. Don't continue training with horrible form and sweating through ugly reps. Take the time to learn proper technique and watch your performance skyrocket in no time. Stop skipping steps in your bodyweight strength training and continue climbing the hill instead of spending most of your time on a plateau.
To be completely honest about the videos from the workshop, they are not the highest quality. If you have seen my YouTube videos, it is very similar, and was recorded with the same camera. There are times in the video when the audio isn't very great, and there are times when I stutter, because I am not the greatest speaker. It is what it is, you will, however, get some really great audio of some of us farting and burping pretty loud as we train for a few hours. I didn't edit out all the weird stuff, it's in there. I only edited out the resting. So, if you are a TSS fan, like our style of training, and have trained for a while yourself, you know what goes on in a home or garage gym. Shit happens, you laugh it off, and continue to get strong as hell. My intentions were to put on a great seminar for those that attended. They were not intended to create a top selling DVD. But I was asked by many who could not attend if I would record it, so by popular demand, here is what I got. In the future, I will have million dollar cameras and fitness models in bikinis demonstrating exercises while I yell like Gilad, but for now, this video set is me and a few athletes training in a garage, getting strong and learning some damn good training techniques. I hope you enjoy.
The Strength Shop Kettlebell and Bodyweight Training Workshop
A comprehensive and progressive approach to increased bodyweight strength training and kettlebell lifting technique for improved posture, fitness and athleticism.
TESTIMONIALS:
My roommates and I were supposed to get picked up by one of our teammates to go train tonight. Last minute change of plans kept the ride from coming and I had to find a way to get my training in. The plans called for deads and presses, so I just kept it to bodyweight drills. I subbed headstand leg lifts for the deads, which do a great job hitting the spinal erectors, as well as several other muscles, and I subbed strapped headstand push ups for the presses. I also added in some "Y" pulls on the strap to 1.) hit the back of the shoulder after all the anterior delt work with the presses and 2.) spend some time on my feet, because two inverted movements makes my head want to explode. Here you go...
I just created a quick video about an advanced technique you can use to develop a stronger inverted bodyweight press. From beginner to advanced, it shows the path. This is the type of information that I present in my bodyweight training DVD that will be out soon. I will get that info to you soon. I use chains to add resistance, you could use a weighted vest if you like, but we don't all have a good fitting vest that will stay put during this exercise. Enjoy the video, hope you can benefit from it. Remember, add weight slowly and watch your strength grow.
I put together a video last week of a workout I did using kettlebells and bodyweight, it felt great to move around a lot and essentially hit the whole body. I tried to balance my pushing and pulling exercises, as well as hit a good amount of power and stability. Sometimes people neglect certain aspects in their training, but this is a good way to cover the bases. Let me know what you think in the comments and I will explain the exercise selection if necessary.
1.) KB clean and push press 12-10-8-6
-increase weight, use DB's if necessary
2a.) Bench Press 4x1-1-1
2b.) Face pulls + scarecrows 4x8-10
-use rings or suspension trainer
3a.) Ring pushups x minimum 80 total reps in as few sets as possible
3b.) Pullups x minimum 80 total reps in as few sets as possible
-after every broken set, switch exercises
-if you do a set of 30, then 22, then 18, for a total of 70, don't just do 10 more and quit, give it your best effort on your last set and every set
3-5 rounds
4a.) Double Unders x 30 seconds
- rest 30 seconds
4b.) KB Swings x 30 seconds
- rest 30 seconds
4c.) Burpees x 30 seconds
- rest 30 seconds
Count total reps of each
Don't forget our kettlebell and bodyweight workshop is coming up on the 6th of November! Get on board! E-mail me today!!
There are obviously several different ways to achieve this elusive status. But quite possibly my favorite way to become a badass is to perform tons of clean and jerks, and all the variations. If you don't have a barbell, flip a tire. No tire? Find a big rock or log, pick it up and throw it. This will not require nearly as much technique, but you will get dirty points, and that counts for something. I got away from all heavy lifting for a little while, but I am making a comeback. Here is my first attempt at moving any weight in over a month. My form is sloppy, try to find my faults. Its like a Where's Waldo? poster with 88 Waldo's! Nonetheless, I felt great with some weight in my hands, lots of recovery work to follow. My favorite recovery methods are the proper use of kettlebell and bodyweight mobility drills. These things keep me healthy and able to perform at a high level of performance.
On another note, there have been a few spots already taken for the TSS Kettlebell & Bodyweight Workshop on 11/06/10, which is exciting! There are still a few spots left at the discounted rate. Don't wait, take action now. We will be covering kettlebell basics for beginners and progress to the level of attendees in addition to a ton of bodyweight drills and mobility work. It is going to be a lot of fun and very exciting, I can't wait to hit the mats with some of you guys. Email me for info on the workshop.
matt@tssathletics.com
This is going to be a very exciting workshop geared towards learning the basics of kettlebell and bodyweight movements and several progressions and regressions to maximize your training and coaching. Lots of people "do kettlebells" these days, but not everyone uses proper mechanics and trains optimally with this incredible tool. I have decided to have this workshop to help athletes and coaches learn the basics and a few variations to enhance their training and coaching style. I tell people frequently that kettlebells are kind of like a sports car, driving one can be very fun, but driving it the wrong way can be very dangerous. Don't jeopardize your health and performance. Learn the proper technique and watch your performance skyrocket. The most functional tool we all have available to us is our own body. Combining our natural bodyweight movements with kettlebells is an amazing way to have a lot of fun and blow your old training program through the roof.
Why train with kettlebells?
Kettlebells are a very functional tool that allow your body to move freely through space without restrictions. You can generate tons of force for power production and athletic enhancement, as well as burn a ton of calories in a short period of time for fat loss. Whatever your goal, there is a way that kettlebells can help you be successful.
When is the workshop?
It is going to be held on Saturday, November 6th, 2010 at 11:00 am EST - about 3:00 pm. If more time is necessary, I will stay and make sure you learn what you need.
Where is the workshop going to be?
The Strength Shop
2424 Castleton Commerce Way Unit 1111
Virginia Beach, VA 23456
I'm new to kettlebells, is this for me?
The workshop is based off of beginners movements and their progressions and regressions. There will be tons of stuff for beginners and seasoned athletes and coaches.
I can't do a pullup, is bodyweight training for me?
There will be lots to learn from the regressions and systems taught at the workshop.
I kill pullups, I can do like 100 in a row, what am I going to learn?
Awesome, Dude, you're the man! Now come learn advanced bodyweight progressions and get crazy strong!
How much is this amazing workshop going to cost?
Only $97 for the first 6 signups, then the price goes up to $127 for the next 6 signups. We are capping the attendance to 12 people.
Times are tough, I want to come, but can't afford it. Is there something you can do?
There will be only 1 scholarship available to the person who best writes about why they would benefit from this engaging learning experience from The Strength Shop K & B Workshop! So get crackin, let me know why you're the one, drop a paragraph in the comments before Friday 10/15 at noon, and let's get strong and ripped up like Rambo. I'll announce the winner on Saturday the 16th.
How do I sign up?
Email me at matt@tssathletics.com for payment details via paypal. Act now, the first 6 spots get the discount.
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