Deload workout

A little lighter workouts this week, recover, lots of mobility work and enjoy. Be prepared for a kick ass cycle next week.

Keg clean and press 5x5

Kettlebell windmills 3x5-8

Sandbag get ups 5 minutes of work, switching sides as necessary

Chat with Chip

Chip Conrad
Me
Him

Matt Wichlinski July 8 at 7:48pm

i was just interested in what gives you ideas to write about. I've never been much into writing articles, but am finding it more compelling and even necessary to get my name and business out there. But more so, I have ideas I would like to share that i feel are helpful and useful that others really aren't touching on as I see it. Where did you start? What gives you ideas? Any info would help. Do you just write about experiences of yours or what?

Chip Conrad July 8 at 8:55pm

Here's a secret... I hate writing. But something in me needs to do it. Ya ever watch Dexter? Writing is my "dark passenger."

But you are astute in your observation of the necessity of writing to promote yourself. I started years ago with a crappy little newsletter that I published that I'd hand out to people at the crappy little gym I worked at. I typeset it by hand and photocopied it on my gym's xerox.

Then this world wide web thing started growing. Mel Siff had a wonderful online forum which I participated in, and that got my feet wet (and my ass handed to me... his forum was full of folks with more brains and experience than I had, and if you weren't prepared to fully support everything you stated, they were quick to educate you. Folks like Louie Simmons, Dr, Verkoshansky, Dr. Michael Yessis and a bunch of other folks with more titles and initials after their names than I'd ever had were regular contributors, not to mention Mel Siff himself, the reigning king of Physiology and Biomechanics at the time). Then other forums followed, and although the intellectual sparring wasn't near the level of Siff's forum, at least I could hone my skills and sharpen my ideas.

Eventually my own forum began, and my newsletters went digital. About 7 years ago I started collecting some of my writing together, improving on it and then putting it together in my first book. Since then there has been the blog world, and many websites have taken notice and asked me to write for them.

Now I blog weekly and am almost done with my second book, for the same reasons you find the need to write. It helps spread the gospel of your philosophy, and there might be some stuff that needs saying. My gym is built on a philosophy that was created, tested and shared from my writings. As my tribe grows, so does the need to keep the information flowing, but frankly, as mentioned earlier, I dislike the process. But the brain needs a vent, so I write.

My first breakthrough idea was when I asked myself and the universe why am I doing all of this? Why am I hoisting around heavy toys and straining myself to limits I didn't understand? Starting like most folks, it was to get bigger and look better, but after a couple of years of that, it seemed silly. What's the point? Any goal based on external feedback exclusively is shallow, or at least lacking in true empowerment.

That got the words flowing, figuring out what the purpose of strength and fitness truly was. I'm still figuring it out almost 13 years later.

I don't know if that helps at all, but that's the genesis of my writing. Being an avid reader helped too, and reader other iron heads who are superior writers... Dave Draper, Krista Scott Dixon, Dan John... always keeps the flame stoked.

chip

Chip Conrad is the owner of Bodytribe Fitness in Sacramento and I've been a huge fan of his for a long time, but this is the first contact I've had with him. Awesome dude. Learn a little more from an older interview he did with Jim Wendler from EliteFTS.com.

MG-W8D2

Yoana Snideman of Revolution Fitness exemplifies fantastic athletic mobility

1.) Barbell Power Jerk 4x3

2A.) Barbell Incline Bench Press 8x3 (ascending)

2B.) Weighted Pull Ups 8x5-6

3A.) 1 Arm DB Bench Press 3x8-10

3B.) 1 Arm Bent Over Row 3x10-15

4A.) Weighted Back Extension 3x10-15

4B.) Weighted GHB Situps 3x10-15

MG-W8D1

Erik Power Clean
Matt and Nik sandbag front squat

1.) BB Power Clean

Work up to heavy single, then do 80-85% of that by 5 singles

2.) Front Squat 8x3

3.) Reverse Hypers 3x10

4A.) Good Morning 3x8-10

4B.) Bulgarian Split Squat 3x8-10 (L/R)

5.) Ab Rollouts 4x10-15

MG-W7D3

Happy 4th of July! Freedom ride today, baby. Enjoy your training and everything else that brings you joy, peace and happiness. I got crazy love for all you badass, hardcore, heavy lifting, weirdo training sickos! Be safe and don't drink too much.
1.) Power Snatch Build up to a heavy single, then 80% of that x 5 singles

2A.) Sumo Deadlift 6x4

2B.) GHB Sit ups 6x10

3.) 2 KB Swings 4x10-15

4.) Walking Lunges (Heavy) 3x8-10 L/R

5.) Farmers Carries 3-5 x Max Distance

MG-W7D2

Discuss how these pictures and their respectful topics could possibly benefit you and your performance

1.) Barbell Incline Bench Press 6x4 (ascending)

2A.) DB Bench Press 3x8-10

2B.) Weighted Pull Ups 3x8-10

3A.) Weighted (if possible) Ring Dips 3x10

3B.) Bent Over/Inverted Row 3x10

4A.) Weighted Back Extension 3x10-15

4B.) Weighted GHB Situps 3x10-15

Questions and comments, athlete feedback...

Setting the record (straight)

Matt,

My report on the last 6 weeks.

I've worked hard at changing what I eat. I snack on walnuts and fresh fruit, and forego sandwiches at lunch for salads and fish (on most days). Dinner is whatever the wife makes (which on most days is well balanced). I don't bother counting calories. I am just focusing on eating better, and think the change in diet and increased activity will be enough in the long-run. As for an exercise routine, I have been doing a lot of experimenting. Your posts have been very helpful here. You discuss quite a few exercises I had never heard of, providing plenty to research, which usually expands into a entirely new area of fitness for me (example, muscle-ups).

My favorite from your catalog is the Bulgarian Training Bag. Your dyi version was very cool, but I opted to meet with Greg Maurer at the Hockessin Athletic Club to get a hold of the original design. I dug it, and ordered one for my own (26 lbs.). This thing kills me in less than 20 minutes.

My current routine is:

D1 (Saturday) - Run/walk Alapocos Run. Can't run the whole thing yet so I do what I can and walk the rest. I change this up freely with uphill sprints, which are brutal on this trail. Appreciate your thoughts on running more than 400m and think this is a fair compromise. I enjoyed running distance in the past, and would like to regain that experience eventually.

D2 (Monday) - Gym: squats 3x15 with in between sets of pull-ups; bench press3x15 (both squats and bench turn out to be 2x15 with muscle failure on the last set, once I get to ten reps on the last set I bump-up the weight. I am leaving weight off here because it’s a little embarrassing, give me some time).

D3 (Tuesday or Wednesday) - 30 minutes w/Bag

D4 (Thursday or Friday) - 30 minutes w/Bag

I'd like to change this up to include another day at the gym, but it will have to wait until after July 9. My Bag days are work-out at home days. I plan to incorporate pull-ups, some ab work, and other body-weight exercises on these days, but haven't gotten around to hanging a pull-up bar. All in good time. Overall, I am feeling much better and am 12 lbs lighter than the last time I emailed you. Weight loss is not a huge priority for me, but it is a favorable metric right now so I'll use it.

Still working on defining goals, and still thinking about how to change-up my weight-lifting routine when the time comes. You do a lot of Olympic style lifts that I understand are best for strength building. But I would need to invest the time to learn them and develop good form. On my own that could be challenging. That's a few months down the road though. As always, thoughts, comments and criticism are welcome.

Talk to you soon,

Cuba Gooding Jr

Thanks for the update, Cuba, its great to hear how well you're progressing. The beauty of your situation is that at one time, you were in the military and fit, by general standards. Therefore, your body recognizes that and it is easier to get back to that state of well being than it would be for someone who was never there before. And still, because of your fitness hiatus, you are training as a beginner. When beginners train, every single thing they do works, unfortunately, it will not work forever. Our bodies adapt to everything. I choose to work hard on a few things at a time, then switch every 4-8 weeks before things get stale, yet I have benefitted from the gains I made while on the program. Other programs like CrossFit, for example, are constantly varied and change daily, so many people never really get to benefit from a particular exercise because they may not repeat it again for a very long time. All this depends on the programming at the particular institution, not CF in general. My primary goal is increased strength, not endurance, so I focus my energy that way. I also feel that strength will have more carry over to all facets of fitness more so than any other aspect such as flexibility (yoga lovers), endurance (runners and bikers), agility or what have you. Strength can enhance all these other attributes more so than they can enhance strength. So, one thing I like to do in a training program is perform regular maximum effort exercises. Rotate the exercises regularly. The best exercises to choose from are squats, deadlifts, presses and pulls. Add in some unilateral training and you got a great start.

Using things like the Bulgarian Training Bag are a great way to enhance your mobility, cardio and stamina, but anything you can do for more than a few seconds won't help your strength much beyond beginner levels. For a new trainee not sure where to begin, a great 2 day split to use goes something like this for the primary exercises.

Day 1

Squats 5x5

Pull ups 5x submax

then whatever else you want to do that keeps you happy, this assistance work could vary greatly depending on the athletes needs.

Day 2

Deadlift 5x5

Bench 5x5

Then trails or BTB or anything else that provides joy and excitement, see above.

This is very simple, and can be used whether you train heavy 1, 2, 3, or 4 times a week. If you train once a week, you would do workout 1 this week, then workout 2 next week. If you train heavy twice weekly, you could do W1 on Tuesday, then W2 on Friday or Saturday. Three times goes W1, W2, W1 one week, then W2, W1, W2 on week 2, rinse and repeat. Four times a week goes W1, W2, W1, W2 on something like Mon, Tues, Thurs, Fri. I would even change the reps from 4-6 on Mon and Tues to 8-10 on Thurs and Fri. Beginners need not get too crazy and sexy, just add weight and reps and get really good at the basics. Then you will progress to intermediate status quicker and will only then need more detail and variety in training.

The olympic lifts are not for everyone, but with sufficient strength can be a wonderful tool for power development. I recommend seeking professional guidance when starting to incorporate the quick lifts. If you are not relatively strong, the quick lifts may be a waste of time and can be potentially dangerous. So have fun, keep asking questions and seeking out new information, I'll be here for ya.

Train to win,

Matt

MG-W7D1

Ab Crawl (oven mitts to protect from heat only, not hard, rocky ground. If ground is cool I don't use gloves to toughen and condition skin)
KB 2 Hand Backward Overhead Throw
Pistol
DB Push Throw
Ab Crawl

1.) 2 DB Power Clean 4x5

2A.) Front Squat 6x4

2B.) Reverse Hypers 6x8

3.) Good Morning 3x8-10

4.) Bulgarian Split Squat 3x8-10 (L/R)

5.) Ab Rollouts 4x10-15

Feel free to sub ab crawls for the rollouts. You can use a wheel, but I like to use a basic piece of wood. You put your feet on it, and drag it for distance. Try 3-4 sets and beat your best distance every time you try. Shoot for 100 meters. Enjoy.

MG-W6D2

I understand not everyone has the same goals at the same time, if anyone has any questions about their training, post em up.

1.) Swiss Bar Floor Press 5x5

2A.) Incline DB Press 3x8-10

2B.) Weighted Pull Ups 3x8-10

3A.) Weighted (if possible) Ring Dips 3x10

3B.) Bent Over/Inverted Row 3x10

4A.) Weighted GHB Situps (SLOW) 3x10-15

4B.) Weighted Back Extension (SLOW) 3x10-15

MG-W6D1

Billy vs. the Beast
Mikey on the Fat Bar


Post deload, back at it again...

1.) 2 DB Power Jump 3x6

2A.) Front Squat 5x5

2B.) Reverse Hypers 5x10

3.) Good Morning 3x10

4.) Bulgarian Split Squat 3x8-10 (L/R)

5.) Ab Rollouts 3x15

Deload workout

A little extra rest should have you feeling well. Now we'll do a deload workout to get the weight off the spine and lots of mobility work to get the body primed for some more heavy lifting in a few more days.

2 Kettlebell snatch 15/15 x 10 minutes

15 seconds on 15 seconds off. This is 20 total sets, shoot for 5 reps each set for 100 total reps.

Spend a good amount of time performing samson stretch's, scorpions, sitouts, iron cross's, hindu push ups, cossack squats, and hip circles.

MG-W4D3

1A.) Double Kettlebell Power Jump 3x5

1B.) Box Jump 3x5

2A.) DB Bench Press 5x5-8

2B.) Bent Row 5x8-10

3.) Double Kettlebell Clean & Press 3 x 8-10

4A.) Ring Dips 3 x Submax (weighted)

4B.) Hanging Leg Raise 3 x 10-15

4C.) Chin Ups 3 x Submax (weighted)

-Don't rush these sets, if you are trying to gain strength or mass stay heavier, keep a faster pace if you want better conditioning

5.) Reverse Hypers/Back Extensions 3x10 (Light for Recovery)

MG-W4D2

Work on that back!

After performing a proper warm up, the following workout should take no longer than 45-60 minutes. An example of an adequate warm up can be found here.

1.) BB Deck Snatch - 3-3-2-2-1-1-1 ascending

2A.) Trap Bar Deadlift - 4-6 x 3-4

-ascending, no rest

2B.) Box Jumps - 4-6 x 4-6, mid-thigh to hip height, full rest

3A.) Weighted Pull Ups - 4x8-10

3B.) Weighted Dips - 4x8-10

trying to use at least the same weight as last weeks 6-8 reps

4A.) Good Mornings, barbell & light/mini bands with necessary weight- 3x8-10

4B.) Bent Over Rows - 3x12-20

5A.) Elbow Plank (weighted) - 3 x max time (find a weight that challenges you for a minute or so)

5B.) Rope/Towel Hangs - 3 x max time

MG-W3D3

6 eggs, lots of peppers, onions, mushrooms and kale cooked in coconut oil, some black beans, salsa, a banana, and a handful of nuts for breakfast.1.) Seated Box Jumps x15-20

2A.) Bench Press 6x4

2B.) Bent Row 6x6-8

3.) Double Kettlebell Clean & Press 3 x 8-10

4A.) Close Grip Push Ups 3 x Submax (weighted)

4B.) Hanging Leg Raise 3 x 10-15

4C.) Supine Row 3 x Submax (weighted)

Preferably with thick rope or towel

5.) Reverse Hypers/Back Extensions 3x10 (Light for Recovery)

MG-W3D2

1.) Double KB Snatch 3 x 8-10

2A.) Deadlift 6x3

-ascending, no rest

2B.)Banded KB Swings 6 x 6-8, full rest

3A.) Weighted Pull Ups 4x6-8, rest 30 seconds

3B.) Weighted Dips 4x6-8, rest 60-90 seconds

4A.) Reverse Hypers light/recovery 3x8-10

4B.) Fat BB or DB Power Curls 3x8-10

MG-W3D1

Big weights and big food...
Great Mustache and lots of milk from the guys at 70's Big, which is a great site by the way, check it out

1.) Clean Grip Power Snatch + Hang Power Clean 6x2

2.) Squat - 6x3

3.) Push Press - 5x4

4A.) Weighted Pistols - 3x4-6 R/L

4B.) Handstand Press - 3 x Submax

5A.) Sled Drive - 5x100' Heavy

5B.) Double KB Swing 5x10

MG-W2D3

Ideas for a homemade prowler...
1.) Box Jumps x 15-20

holding small DB's

2.) Bench Press 8x3

3.) Bent Row 4x6-8

4A.) Close Grip Push Ups 3 x Submax (weighted)

4B.) Hanging Leg Raise 3 x 10-15

4C.) Supine Row 3 x Submax (weighted)

Preferably with thick rope or towel

5.) Reverse Hypers/Back Extensions 3x10 (Light for Recovery)

MG-W2D2

1.) Power Snatch + Snatch x 8-10

2.) Deadlift 6x3

-ascending

3A.) Weighted Pull Ups 4x6

3B.) Weighted Dips 4x6

4.) Banded KB Swings 3 x 10-15

5A.) Reverse Hypers light/recovery 3x8-10

5B.) Fat BB or DB Power Curls 3x8-10

MG-W2D1

These guys know a thing or two about a powerful sled drive.

1.) Power Clean + Clean + Push Jerk - x5-6 sets

2.) Squat - 6x3

3.) Push Press - 5x4

4A.) Weighted Pistols - 3x4-6 R/L

4B.) Close Grip Push Ups + Chains - 3x12

5.) Sled Drive - 5x10 seconds (Heavy)

MG-W1D3

Sorry, ex-callous, I'm starting over new.Hanging leg raise

1.) Box Jumps x15-20

-Trying to jump as high as possible while coming down onto the box, not snaking feet around the top of it.

2.) Bench Press 6x4

3.) Bent Row 3x8-10

4A.) Close Grip Push Ups 3 x Submax (weighted)

4.B) Hanging Leg Raise 3 x 10-15

5.) Reverse Hypers/Back Extensions 3x10 (Light for Recovery)