After my post about a training week in Missy and My life, someone asked about the conditioning aspect. While we train with a work to rest ratio that allows for a strong conditioning and cardio-pulmonary adaptation, we do throw in some strict conditioning training as well. At the current moment, that type of training is in the form of finishers. We usually throw them in at the end of the workout somewhere between 1 and 4 times a week. Here's a great example of one that'll give you a killer cardio-pulmonary building, body fat burning session.
After a really hardcore strength training session, take 10 minutes for the following. (Oh yeah, when I say sprint I mean a 99--100 percent all out effort for the duration of the sprint)
30 seconds of wall drive sprints
30 seconds of rest
30 seconds of medicine ball slam sprints
30 seconds of rest
30 second of rope skip sprints
30 seconds of rest
30 seconds of medicine ball footwork sprints
30 seconds of rest
30 seconds of wall drive sprints
30 seconds of rest
30 seconds of medicine ball slam sprints
30 seconds of rest
30 seconds of rope skip sprints
30 seconds of rest
30 seconds of medicine ball footwork sprints
30 seconds of rest
30 seconds of wall drive sprints
30 seconds of rest
30 seconds of medicine ball slam sprints
Throw that in a couple of times a week and you'll see your conditioning really take off.
Talk with you more later.
Yours in strength and health,
Brett Stepan
Tuesday, October 16, 2012
Wednesday, October 10, 2012
Upcoming Seminars:
A quick list of the upcoming seminars. Feel free to contact me here, on facebook or by email at bolerobrett@aol.com for more information and to register:
Friday, November 2nd at 6:30pm:
The Equilizers: Self-protection 102:
Alright, you find yourself in the middle of an assault and you grab a bottle. Now what? This exciting seminar will show you what to do. Learn how to use edged and blunt weapons; either improvised or designed; to stop an attack. We'll focus on knives, combs, toothbrushes, credit cards, screwdrivers, files, batons, sticks, rolled up magazines, bottles, pool sticks, books and more. Learn how to quickly incapacitate an attacker in a non-lethal way, and then how to get away.
Saturday, November 10th at 3pm:
The Power of Softness: Self-protection 103:
There's a reason why so many martial arts emphasize a soft movement. From Aikido to Baugua, and from Systema to Gracie Jiu-jitsut, the power of softness has been proven to be effective in real situations. Learn how to use it to stop a streetfighter, gangbanger, wrestler, boxer, or martial artist. We'll be covering the use of relaxed and soft energy for defending oneself against standing and ground attacks and against un-armed and armed attacks.
Saturday, November17th at 3pm:
Women's Olny Self-protection:
Let's face it, there are a number of situations that women may find themselves in that men may not; and vice versa. Learn how to deal with various assaults from the guy who gets a little too handsy to the groper to someone trying to rape you. Learn how to respond properly to both standing and ground assaults and how to escape and survive.
Saturday, December 1 at 3pm:
Countering Grabs, Holds, and Grapples: Self-protection against the grabber.
Most martial arts address sometype of defense against grabs, holds, take downs and ground attacks; but most don't address them in a realistic way. Learn how someone will actually try to use grabs and grapples against you and what to do to effectively and efficiently defend yourself against these attacks.
I"m looking forward to helping you all learn how to be safe and secure. Feel free to contact me at facebook or by email at bolerobrett@aol.com for more information and to register.
Yours in strength and health,
Brett Stepan
Friday, November 2nd at 6:30pm:
The Equilizers: Self-protection 102:
Alright, you find yourself in the middle of an assault and you grab a bottle. Now what? This exciting seminar will show you what to do. Learn how to use edged and blunt weapons; either improvised or designed; to stop an attack. We'll focus on knives, combs, toothbrushes, credit cards, screwdrivers, files, batons, sticks, rolled up magazines, bottles, pool sticks, books and more. Learn how to quickly incapacitate an attacker in a non-lethal way, and then how to get away.
Saturday, November 10th at 3pm:
The Power of Softness: Self-protection 103:
There's a reason why so many martial arts emphasize a soft movement. From Aikido to Baugua, and from Systema to Gracie Jiu-jitsut, the power of softness has been proven to be effective in real situations. Learn how to use it to stop a streetfighter, gangbanger, wrestler, boxer, or martial artist. We'll be covering the use of relaxed and soft energy for defending oneself against standing and ground attacks and against un-armed and armed attacks.
Saturday, November17th at 3pm:
Women's Olny Self-protection:
Let's face it, there are a number of situations that women may find themselves in that men may not; and vice versa. Learn how to deal with various assaults from the guy who gets a little too handsy to the groper to someone trying to rape you. Learn how to respond properly to both standing and ground assaults and how to escape and survive.
Saturday, December 1 at 3pm:
Countering Grabs, Holds, and Grapples: Self-protection against the grabber.
Most martial arts address sometype of defense against grabs, holds, take downs and ground attacks; but most don't address them in a realistic way. Learn how someone will actually try to use grabs and grapples against you and what to do to effectively and efficiently defend yourself against these attacks.
I"m looking forward to helping you all learn how to be safe and secure. Feel free to contact me at facebook or by email at bolerobrett@aol.com for more information and to register.
Yours in strength and health,
Brett Stepan
Tuesday, October 9, 2012
A Brett and Missy Training Week!
Today I thought I'd give you all a little example of Missy and my current training schedule. Here you go:
Monday:
Morning: Joint Mobility Drills and Qi Gong
Evening:
1.) Barbell Power Snatch from the hang 5 sets with 5-3-1 Protocol
2.) Barbell Power Jerks 5 sets with 5-3-1 Protocol
3a.) Barbell T-bar Rows 5 sets of 10
3b.) Double Kettlebell Military Press 5 sets of 10
Tuesday:
Morning: Joint Mobility Drills and Qi Gong
Evening:
1.) Conventional Deadlifts 5 sets with 5-3-1 Protocol
2a.) Reverse Hyper-extensions 5 sets of 10
2b.) Standing Abdominal Roll-outs 5 sets of 10
Wednesday:
Morning: Joint Mobility Drills and Qi Gong
Evening:
25-30 Minutes of Prasara Yoga Flowing
15-20 Minutes of Qi Gong
Thursday:
Morning: Joint Mobility Drills and Qi Gong
Evening:
1.) Barbell Power Cleans from the hang 5 sets with 5-3-1 Protocol
2.) Bottom Position Barbell Bench Press 5 sets with 5-3-1 Protocol
3a.) Lying Rear Delt Flies 5 sets of 10 per side
3b.) Kettlebell Crush-Grip Push-ups 5 sets of 10
Friday:
Morning: Joint Mobility Drills and Qi Gong
Evening:
1.) Back Squats 5 sets with 5-3-1 Protocol
2a.) Front Squats 5 sets of 10
2b.) 1-Leg Hip Thrusters 5 sets of 10 per side
Saturday:
Morning: Joint Mobility Drills and Qi Gong
Evening:
10 minutes of Double Clubbell Swipes
20-25 minutes of Eischen's Yoga
10-20 minutes of Qi Gong
Sunday:
Morning: Joint Mobility Drills and Qi Gong
Evening: 10-20 minutes of Tension Based Flexibility Work
There you have it, the current cycle for both Missy and myself. Talk with you all later.
Yours in strength and health,
Brett Stepan
Monday:
Morning: Joint Mobility Drills and Qi Gong
Evening:
1.) Barbell Power Snatch from the hang 5 sets with 5-3-1 Protocol
2.) Barbell Power Jerks 5 sets with 5-3-1 Protocol
3a.) Barbell T-bar Rows 5 sets of 10
3b.) Double Kettlebell Military Press 5 sets of 10
Tuesday:
Morning: Joint Mobility Drills and Qi Gong
Evening:
1.) Conventional Deadlifts 5 sets with 5-3-1 Protocol
2a.) Reverse Hyper-extensions 5 sets of 10
2b.) Standing Abdominal Roll-outs 5 sets of 10
Wednesday:
Morning: Joint Mobility Drills and Qi Gong
Evening:
25-30 Minutes of Prasara Yoga Flowing
15-20 Minutes of Qi Gong
Thursday:
Morning: Joint Mobility Drills and Qi Gong
Evening:
1.) Barbell Power Cleans from the hang 5 sets with 5-3-1 Protocol
2.) Bottom Position Barbell Bench Press 5 sets with 5-3-1 Protocol
3a.) Lying Rear Delt Flies 5 sets of 10 per side
3b.) Kettlebell Crush-Grip Push-ups 5 sets of 10
Friday:
Morning: Joint Mobility Drills and Qi Gong
Evening:
1.) Back Squats 5 sets with 5-3-1 Protocol
2a.) Front Squats 5 sets of 10
2b.) 1-Leg Hip Thrusters 5 sets of 10 per side
Saturday:
Morning: Joint Mobility Drills and Qi Gong
Evening:
10 minutes of Double Clubbell Swipes
20-25 minutes of Eischen's Yoga
10-20 minutes of Qi Gong
Sunday:
Morning: Joint Mobility Drills and Qi Gong
Evening: 10-20 minutes of Tension Based Flexibility Work
There you have it, the current cycle for both Missy and myself. Talk with you all later.
Yours in strength and health,
Brett Stepan
Tuesday, October 2, 2012
Does Your Trainer or Coach Suck?
This past August marked my 18th year as a professional in the fintess industry. In that time (and before it) I've had the privelage to seek out and learn (and continue to study and learn from) some of the most amazing people in the world of fitness, strength and conditioning, health and longevity and nutrition. In that time I've met amazing coaches and trainers that have my absolute respect and admiration. Alos, I've met plenty of shitty trainers and coaches that have no business working with anyone. The unfortunate thing that I've found is that the shitty far outnumber the awesome. So, how can you tell if your trainer or coach sucks? Let's take a look at some sure fire signs:
1.) They don't teach you the basics:
It's pretty simple; much like you can't build a building on a crappy foundation, nor can you build a body on a crappy foundation. This is why the basics are sooooo important. Not only do they build a strong and healthy foundation, they also give you the most bang for your buck, they'll help you to reach all of your goals, they'll optimize your hormones, they'll keep you resilient and healthy, and they'll teach you how to move correctly. And, even if you stray from the basics for a short period to sophisticate your movements, you'll always come back to them.
So, what are the basics?
For barbells they're the sqaut (both front and back), the bench press and floor press, the bent row, the deadlift (both sumo and conventional), the overhead press (standing of course), the push press, the jerk, the clean and clean grip high pull, the snatch and snatch grip high pull, and the clean and jerk/ clean and press.
For bodyweight training they are the free squat and Hindu squat, the push-up (even though it's one of the most basic movments I hardly ever see anyone performing it with good technique), the pull-up/chin-up, body/recline rows, l-sits and their variation, bridging and handstand work.
For kettlebells it would include the 2-hand swing, the 1-hand swing, the clean, the high pull, the snatch, the overhead press, the push press, the jerk, the clean and press/clean and jerk, the bent row, the windmill, and a variation of the get-up.
It's safe to say if you don't know or havne't been shown these movements, your trainer or coach sucks!
2.) They plop you down to work on the machines:
Now, I could go off on a huge rant about open kinetic chains versus closed kinetic chains, how machines only allow you to work in a single plane of movement which leads to muscular imbalance and injury, how mahcines don't allow you to work your stabilizer muscles which leads to injury, how machines were created to follow the path of the "normal" persons movement and no normal person actually moves through the path that machines force you to follow and how that leads to injury and more; but let's just boil it down to this. In 95 percent of all cases, machines suck. Learning to use your own bodyweight and learning how to use free-weight based movements are much better. If your trainer or coach is putting you on the machines it means they either a.) don't care if you get results b.) don't care about your health and longevity or c.) have no idea how to train you for real so they plop you down on the machine because it's easier for them to kill the hour that way. Or, of course all of the above. Either way, it means your trainer or coach sucks!
3.) They try to get you to focus on the "cardio:"
If you follow the actual medical and scientific research as well as the real-world cases you'll see that all of the aerobic and "cardio" exercise out there pretty much stinks. It causes oxidative stress to your tissues which will lead to heart disease, strokes, cancer, and more. It causes your body to burn muscle tissue while preferentially holding on to stored body fat. It shuts down the production of healthy hormones. It stimultes your body to produce excess cortisol. It weakens and shrinks your heart and lungs leading to "Jim Fixx" syndrome (this is the syndrome where advanced marathoners, runners, bikers, etc. die of a heart attack in their 40's or 50's while out for their daily jog, bike, etc.). It wears out your joints and causes repetitive stress injuries. It slows your metabolism. And more.
Yes, your heart and your lungs are important. But guess what? Cardio-pulmonary health and endurance based fitness are not the same thing. You're much better off hitting some hard core sprint intervals to build up your cardio-pulmonary strength, power, recovery ability and reserve capacity while also building muscle, burning fat, and stimulating good hormone production.
Also, if "cardio" and aerobics are so good for burning fat, why is it that all of the long distance athletes that I know have skinny bird-like arms and legs and a fat, albiet small, tummy. They don't have ripped abs, built up pecks and shoulders, defined backs, chiseled arms and legs, or the like. But, all of the sprinters I know look like freakin' Adonis?
If you're coach or trainer is forcing you on the treadmill-to-nowhere, trust me, they suck!
4.) The are constantly nagging you to starve yourself:
In some of the earlier posts I've talked about how I've personally dropped over 20 pounds while adding 500-1000 calories a day to my eating. And I've had the same results from my clients. It's not how many calories you take in that count, it's what those calories are that does. Mix in some good nutritional timing and your pretty much home free.
If your coach or trainer is trying to get you to starve yourself, they have no idea what thery're doing and they suck!
Well, there you have it. Four pretty straight forward and simple ways to know if your trainer or coach suck. If they do, why are you giving them your hard earned money and your time. Get rid of them and find a coach or trainer that's awesome. I'll talk with you all later.
Yours in strength and health,
Brett Stepan
1.) They don't teach you the basics:
It's pretty simple; much like you can't build a building on a crappy foundation, nor can you build a body on a crappy foundation. This is why the basics are sooooo important. Not only do they build a strong and healthy foundation, they also give you the most bang for your buck, they'll help you to reach all of your goals, they'll optimize your hormones, they'll keep you resilient and healthy, and they'll teach you how to move correctly. And, even if you stray from the basics for a short period to sophisticate your movements, you'll always come back to them.
So, what are the basics?
For barbells they're the sqaut (both front and back), the bench press and floor press, the bent row, the deadlift (both sumo and conventional), the overhead press (standing of course), the push press, the jerk, the clean and clean grip high pull, the snatch and snatch grip high pull, and the clean and jerk/ clean and press.
For bodyweight training they are the free squat and Hindu squat, the push-up (even though it's one of the most basic movments I hardly ever see anyone performing it with good technique), the pull-up/chin-up, body/recline rows, l-sits and their variation, bridging and handstand work.
For kettlebells it would include the 2-hand swing, the 1-hand swing, the clean, the high pull, the snatch, the overhead press, the push press, the jerk, the clean and press/clean and jerk, the bent row, the windmill, and a variation of the get-up.
It's safe to say if you don't know or havne't been shown these movements, your trainer or coach sucks!
2.) They plop you down to work on the machines:
Now, I could go off on a huge rant about open kinetic chains versus closed kinetic chains, how machines only allow you to work in a single plane of movement which leads to muscular imbalance and injury, how mahcines don't allow you to work your stabilizer muscles which leads to injury, how machines were created to follow the path of the "normal" persons movement and no normal person actually moves through the path that machines force you to follow and how that leads to injury and more; but let's just boil it down to this. In 95 percent of all cases, machines suck. Learning to use your own bodyweight and learning how to use free-weight based movements are much better. If your trainer or coach is putting you on the machines it means they either a.) don't care if you get results b.) don't care about your health and longevity or c.) have no idea how to train you for real so they plop you down on the machine because it's easier for them to kill the hour that way. Or, of course all of the above. Either way, it means your trainer or coach sucks!
3.) They try to get you to focus on the "cardio:"
If you follow the actual medical and scientific research as well as the real-world cases you'll see that all of the aerobic and "cardio" exercise out there pretty much stinks. It causes oxidative stress to your tissues which will lead to heart disease, strokes, cancer, and more. It causes your body to burn muscle tissue while preferentially holding on to stored body fat. It shuts down the production of healthy hormones. It stimultes your body to produce excess cortisol. It weakens and shrinks your heart and lungs leading to "Jim Fixx" syndrome (this is the syndrome where advanced marathoners, runners, bikers, etc. die of a heart attack in their 40's or 50's while out for their daily jog, bike, etc.). It wears out your joints and causes repetitive stress injuries. It slows your metabolism. And more.
Yes, your heart and your lungs are important. But guess what? Cardio-pulmonary health and endurance based fitness are not the same thing. You're much better off hitting some hard core sprint intervals to build up your cardio-pulmonary strength, power, recovery ability and reserve capacity while also building muscle, burning fat, and stimulating good hormone production.
Also, if "cardio" and aerobics are so good for burning fat, why is it that all of the long distance athletes that I know have skinny bird-like arms and legs and a fat, albiet small, tummy. They don't have ripped abs, built up pecks and shoulders, defined backs, chiseled arms and legs, or the like. But, all of the sprinters I know look like freakin' Adonis?
If you're coach or trainer is forcing you on the treadmill-to-nowhere, trust me, they suck!
4.) The are constantly nagging you to starve yourself:
In some of the earlier posts I've talked about how I've personally dropped over 20 pounds while adding 500-1000 calories a day to my eating. And I've had the same results from my clients. It's not how many calories you take in that count, it's what those calories are that does. Mix in some good nutritional timing and your pretty much home free.
If your coach or trainer is trying to get you to starve yourself, they have no idea what thery're doing and they suck!
Well, there you have it. Four pretty straight forward and simple ways to know if your trainer or coach suck. If they do, why are you giving them your hard earned money and your time. Get rid of them and find a coach or trainer that's awesome. I'll talk with you all later.
Yours in strength and health,
Brett Stepan
Monday, October 1, 2012
A Personal Update
As many of you that read this blog on a regular basis know, a few months ago I weighed in at a lean and powerful 191.5 pounds. Currently, I weigh in at a ripped and powerful 168.2 pounds. That's a difference of 23.3 pounds, with about 90 percent of that weight loss being from body fat.
That's a pretty good loss in anybody's book, but even more so when you look at the fact that I haven't been trying to lose weight. I've added between 500 and 1,000 calories to my daily eating; I haven't been doing any type of "cardio" training. My training has been exclusively made up of powerlifitng and bodyweight training. Yet, while flying in the face of conventional "wisdon" I've dropped more than 23 pounds in a very short period of time.
So, again people, it's not the amount of calories that you put into your mouth that count and it's not hours of slaving away on the treadmil-to-nowhere that are going to make the difference. It's timing your nutrients correctly and making the proper food decisions mixed in with good strength training that's going to allow you the ability to change your body.
Starting this week, it's time for me to shift gears and go back to some serious mass building. Talk with you more later.
Yours in strength and health,
Brett Stepan
That's a pretty good loss in anybody's book, but even more so when you look at the fact that I haven't been trying to lose weight. I've added between 500 and 1,000 calories to my daily eating; I haven't been doing any type of "cardio" training. My training has been exclusively made up of powerlifitng and bodyweight training. Yet, while flying in the face of conventional "wisdon" I've dropped more than 23 pounds in a very short period of time.
So, again people, it's not the amount of calories that you put into your mouth that count and it's not hours of slaving away on the treadmil-to-nowhere that are going to make the difference. It's timing your nutrients correctly and making the proper food decisions mixed in with good strength training that's going to allow you the ability to change your body.
Starting this week, it's time for me to shift gears and go back to some serious mass building. Talk with you more later.
Yours in strength and health,
Brett Stepan
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