the joy of strength training

Gubernatrix

Currently browsing posts found in March2008


How-to: Push press

» by March 30th, 2008 at 11:37 am » Comments (22)

Overhead pressing is not often seen in gyms but it is a valuable and functional skill. The popularity of the bench press has made lifting a weight overhead while standing on your own two feet a rare event outside of olympic weightlifting. Let’s bring it back! What is the push press? A push press is […]



Something for the weekend

» by March 28th, 2008 at 10:07 am » Comments (3)

It’s about time I shared some more great links with you, to give you both food for thought and entertainment. Today I’m introducing a new forum, a video series, some great blogs and a fab free training guide. You can always check out my Links page anytime as well. Funckey forum – This new forum on all things […]



How-to: Overhead squat

» by March 25th, 2008 at 12:27 am » Comments (30)

The overhead squat is one of the most challenging lifts in weight training, short of the olympic lifts themselves. If you want to try something a bit different, give it a go. You’ll soon find out what real core stability is! What is the overhead squat? The overhead squat is a deep squat performed while […]



How do workouts make you feel?

» by March 19th, 2008 at 12:27 am » Comments (18)

I suspect all of us have emotional routines attached to our training sessions that play a big part in the training process. I often feel nervous before a workout, but at the same time I know this is a good thing. If I don’t feel nervous, a little voice in the back of my head […]



Chin-up tips

» by March 15th, 2008 at 12:05 pm » Comments (14)

I went for a max chin-up attempt the other day and got 11 good reps with the form I was aiming for. Going over 10 reps was a milestone for me as I was stuck on around 7 or 8 for ages! However, once I had broken through that particular plateau, progress was faster and […]



Indoor rowing training

» by March 12th, 2008 at 12:46 am » Comments (102)

Joining a club is a great way to train for a new sport because you can rely on the club to set your training sessions and you get the opportunity to test your progress in competition settings. However, you might not always have access to an indoor rowing club and you have to plan your […]



What is ‘functional strength’ anyway?

» by March 7th, 2008 at 2:06 pm » Comments (15)

I’ve seen some valid criticisms of the notion of “functional strength” or even “functional fitness”. After all, strength is itself functional, however it is developed. The “functional strength” crowd doesn’t have a monopoly on whole body or compound exercises. These are used across the strength disciplines by powerlifters, bodybuilders, martial artists and so on. I […]



Muscle-up and ring training guide

» by March 5th, 2008 at 12:47 am » Comments (16)

The Ring Training Guide has now been superceded by the Elite Fitness Manual. Click here for details. The muscle-up is one of the most challenging tests of strength for the amateur trainee. If you’ve mastered dips and pull-ups and you are looking for your next challenge, add the muscle-up to your arsenal. If you want […]



Indoor rowing technique

» by March 1st, 2008 at 6:34 pm » Comments (53)

Indoor rowing is one of the most misunderstood exercises in the gym. This is partly because indoor rowing is somewhat counter-intuitive: it looks like a machine where you just pull on the handle as hard as you can. Few people really think that going on a treadmill and running flat out for as long as […]