Ben Seath's Youtube Channel (5/3/1)

I'm currently following 5/3/1 by Jim Wendler for the second time and seeing good results.  I am following the template for the main lifts, and doing 'Boring But Big' (5 x 10 reps at 50-60%) after the main lift. 

In my search for information on other accessory work to complement 5/3/1, I came across the youtube channel of Ben Seath.

Ben Seath's Youtube Channel

Ben is a raw powerlifter and at around 300lbs has a total of 2041lbs!  He's currently running 5/3/1 in his training and this is what his videos focus on.

See the following video of the lifts making up his 2041lb total:



I've found Ben's channel really useful.  As well as posting his main lifts, he video blogs about his diet, his technique, and also his accessory lifts after his main lift.  His method is to work on what was weak within his top set on the main lifts, so if he found his triceps were the weak link on his overhead press, he would target triceps in his accessory work.

I hope Ben continues to post great videos as he has done - I'll certainly be watching and looking forward to learning more in my quest to get stronger.

In training
Schwinners

"Why our food is making us fat"

Over the past few days I've seen the following article shared on a lot of websites, so I thought it should be shared here as well:

Why our food is making us fat (Guardian.co.uk)

It discusses how sugar is the real culprit of the obesity problem we are facing, and is an interesting read.

Homemade Training Equipment Blogs

If like me you like building things, check out the following two blogs full of homemade training equipment guides:

DIY Strength Training Gear
Homemade Strength

Also check out some of the homemade equipment on our website and forum.

Happy building!

In training, Schwinners

Irish Gymnast Kieran Behan

Having been lucky enough to get tickets to the Gymnastics at London 2012,  I was reminded of a story I read earlier this year about Irish Gymnast Kieran Behan, who qualifed for London 2012.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/eleanoroldroyd/2012/01/kieran_behan_overcomes_adversi.html

A truly inspirational story.

Posture

A few weeks ago I posted a link to MobilityWOD.com about a great resource for the area of mobility.

There's a good series of articles on T-Nation about posture called Neanderthal No More which is a guide to what causes bad posture and how to correct it.  It's quite in depth in places but is a highly rated series of articles on T-Nation that are worth finding the time to read, especially if like me you spend all day sat at a desk at work.

MobilityWOD.com

When it comes to training, an often neglected area is mobility.  MobilityWOD.com is a great, free resource from Kelly Starrett.  He posts videos most days addressing mobility issues and how to correct them.  The videos are very informative by showing what to do to resolve the issues, but also often explaining how resolving the issues will help with training.

One of the first posts on MWOD was about one of the most common mobility issues - tight hips.  It shows a couple of great exercises that can be used to open the hips and reverse the issues caused by sitting around all day.



Get mobile!

In training, Schwinners

5/3/1 by Jim Wendler

My current training is biased towards strength, and my training method of choice is 5/3/1 by Jim Wendler. Jim is a powerlifter and is very strong, so a great person to learn from. Check out this video of him squatting 540lbs x 7 - that's almost 250kg!



I will not try to explain 5/3/1 in this post so check out the following article on T-Nation where they interviewed him. Compared to some other methods, 5/3/1 does not yield fast gains in strength, however what it does yield is small consistent gains which over time accumulate into big gains. Plus the changes in reps over the cycle keep things fresh and reduces monotony.

Get strong!

In training, Schwinners

What is Crossfit?

In order to open the vault of Crossfit-inspired greatness, I have to introduce Crossfit itself. Its "guru," the "Coach" - Greg Glassman explains it thus:

"World-Class Fitness in 100 Words:

Eat meat and vegetables nuts and seeds, some fruit, little starch and no sugar. Keep intake to levels that will support exercise but not body fat.

Practice and train major lifts: Deadlift, clean, squat, presses, C&J and snatch. Similarly, master the basics of gymnastics: pull-ups, dips, rope climb, push ups, sit-ups, presses to handstand, pirouettes, flips, splits and holds. Bike, run, swim, row, etc hard and fast.

Five or six day per week mix these elements in as many combinations and patterns as creativity will allow. Routine is the enemy. Keep workouts short and intense.

Regularly play and learn new sports."

In practice, how does this look? Please view video:

Crossfit can be done in your garage or a gym. It now markets itself as the "Sport of Fitness" and is  very poular in the USA. Hundreds of "boxes" (Crossfit term for gym, also termed an affiliate) have appeared all over the USA and we even have about a dozen or so in the UK now.

Class based gym instruction is the norm, with the emphasis on community, competition and a healthy team spirit. The evolution of Crossfit is very interesting with many different experts being involved in its progress. There has also been the advent of the Crossfit Games to find the "fittest on the planet."  

A recent affiliation to Reebok has turned Crossfit into a corporate force, a long way from the garage-gym based movement of the first years. The 2012 Crossfit Games will offer $250,000 to the male and female winner. Its evolution will continue to be very interesting for strength and conditioning enthusiasts.

Train Smart, Charlie.

Blair Morrison - Anywherefit

Anywherefit is another blog I follow closely. Blair Morrison trains anywhere and is a master at using his environment to create challenging workouts. There really are no excuses and the video above is testament to that.

"I am dedicated to the pursuit of the physical challenges our bodies were built to face, and the mental fortitude that comes from the ability to overcome them. "

He'd fit right in at WT... (Lewismansell "isometric squat" - Western Heights WW2 artillery positions, Dover 2010)

Train Smart, Charlie.

Ross Enamait - Rosstraining.com

Ross Enamait (www.rosstraining.com) is one of the great inspirations for Warrior Training. His "low tech-high effect" training has been part of our forum members' make up since WT's inception.
Take a look at this Rosstaining video to see that Ross definitely walks the walk:



A retired boxer turned strength and conditioning trainer, Ross provides training advice for anyone. His methods are cost effective and simple. The Rosstraining blog and forum are a great source of information and guidance. His books are chock full of great training information and sold at a very reasonable price. He has also written some great articles.

Personally, this is where I started my journey towards training enlightenment. I have all of his books and can attest to his methodology. Whenever I need to light a fire under my training, I reach for one of Ross's books.

Ross is also a damn nice guy, always replies to emails and as video shows he test drives his ideas himself. Truly a WT hero.

Train Smart, Charlie.