the joy of strength training

Gubernatrix

Currently browsing posts found in November2007


How-to: One-arm dumbbell swing

» by November 29th, 2007 at 1:11 am » Comments (13)

Explosive strength is often neglected in the gym. If you think dumbells are only good for arm and shoulder exercises, think again. The swing is superb for leg strength and hip extension. Do something different in the gym today! What is the dumbbell swing? The dumbbell swing is an ‘old school’ exercise. It is similar […]



My deadlift: the quest for form continues

» by November 28th, 2007 at 12:58 am » Comments (7)

I’ve had some useful comments on my deadlift form, on this blog and elsewhere. Today was another deadlift day and I tried to put this advice into practice. Here’s a clip of my first set today, lifting 60kg. The issues I am addressing are: Back angle – i.e. the angle my back makes with the […]



How-to: One-arm dumbbell snatch

» by November 24th, 2007 at 3:36 am » Comments (53)

Learn the one-arm dumbbell snatch to develop explosive power and speed. Step-by-step instructions, photos and videos.



How to be hard as nails

» by November 22nd, 2007 at 12:47 am » Comments (17)

Ten ways to be the toughest girl or guy in town: 1. Train outdoors in all weathers. Rain, wind, snow, hail. Train when other people just stay in bed. 2. Add a ‘finisher’ to your workouts. Train your socks off, until you are lying on the floor, literally unable to do anything more. Then do […]



Free weights and machines: the debate

» by November 15th, 2007 at 12:22 am » Comments (13)

You will often hear or read people debating the merits of training with free weights or machines. Most people seem to fall into one camp or the other. A lot of it comes down to individual circumstances: the purpose of one’s training, a bad experience with one method, or simply a personal preference. I am […]



Leave your ego at home: lifting safely

» by November 14th, 2007 at 12:51 am » Comments (9)

I admit I am sometimes guilty of ‘ego lifting’, i.e. lifting more than I can manage with perfect form just to be lifting heavier. You see it in every gym in the land but it’s a bad thing to do in the long run. After all, how cool is it to pop a disc in […]



Do your workouts scare you?

» by November 10th, 2007 at 5:05 pm » Comments (3)

Mine do! I was thinking about this today as I was on my way to the gym to make another attempt on Ross Training’s 100 burpee challenge (that’s burpees with press-ups, of course). I know that it’s going to hurt, I know that it’s going to make me feel nauseous and I know that it’s […]



What’s in your gym bag?

» by November 10th, 2007 at 12:55 am » Comments (4)

This post was inspired by a conversation on another site about how much stuff people have to carry around with them in the gym. I flout all modern gym health & safety rules by taking my little rucksack around with me – there’s no way I’m going to carry this stuff around individually. There’s a […]



Types of strength

» by November 10th, 2007 at 12:14 am » Comments (10)

If you are after all-round strength, it’s important to understand the different types of strength – or even that there are different types of strength. It will help you to pin down what kind of training you need to do to reach your goals. It will also help you to cut through the crap when […]



Hassle me to go to the gym!

» by November 7th, 2007 at 11:58 pm » Comments (4)

Ever needed motivation to go to the gym? Wish someone would give you a prod every time you think about giving training a miss? Well, you could always try Hassle Me, a service that sends you an email on a regular basis to remind yourself to do something. Or better yet, add a friend’s email […]