Resolutions - beware

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HAPPY NEW YEAR

That is the nice and friendly bit. Now sit down as we need to talk.

So it is 12 hours before the clock strikes and 2012 fades into 2013. This also signals a fresh start for many people as they finally decide that this magical day will be the one that starts their journey of success, achievement and fulfilment.

STOP

OK, put the kettle on and then come back in a few minutes as we need to get serious

Ready?

Good!

Being as nice as I possibly can without clumping you around the head with a radish the fact that you even entertain resolutions tells me something very powerful about you and hopefully I can offer some help to fix this. We could trawl through all the quotations in the world and fancy statements that make you feel good (for 30 seconds) and then realise that normal life just kicks right back in and we revert to being us. The danger of the resolution is that the idea of empowering a single day on the calendar with the ability to "fix" aspects of your life that you have either neglected for many years or avoided doing is a recipe for failure for many people. You almost end up playing resolution Groundhog Day. If it is not this year then it will certainly be the next one!

One thing you need to understand is that there is no right time and there will never be a right time until you realise that NOW is where everything happens and always will. We have a constant choice nearly every minute of every day to continue as we are, grabbing random moments of happiness, suffering the rest of the time and trying to keep it all together. This is until we realise that within us is the capacity to be truly amazing. Consider the people that you look up to in any areas and then ask yourself what stops you being exactly the same? When you realise that they are just people that had a dream, set a journey to achieve it and then rolled their sleeves up and consistently chipped away until they arrived you can put the whole thing in perspective. Life goals are exactly the same. As a fitness professional I can only really speak for my own field. However, having studied psychology, philosophy and qualified in NLP you realise that the situation is not what is important, it is the individual and their relationship to it. Therefore you realise that it is really all the same. You either do or you do not do. So from the industry I am sure you can appreciate that literally millions of people worldwide will hope that 2013 will be the year where they become healthier, go to the gym and get in shape. The problem inherent in this resolution is that if you do not nail it down with coherent steps and a game-plan to achieve it, failure is imminent. For example, if you tell me you want to get in shape or lose weight I should chase you around for a few hours with a pointed stick. Not to help you get fit, but to help you realise that this non-specific half-arsed, vapour of a goal is what is causing all the problems in the first place. If you go for a random walk with no particular aim or destination you can probably appreciate you might not get there. If that lost you then see what the mind has to deal with when you state non-specific and wishy washy goals such as "I want to get in shape". You already have a shape and it is not one that you can either get in or out of - it is you. Now, should you want to change that you have to set a specific journey with measurable gaols that you alone are answerable to. Something like -

I want to lose 3 stone and I am planning on 2kg each month by going to the gym and changing my diet and I will monitor this every week and check my progress.

You could even post this as a training thread on a forum and make yourself socially accountable - nothing like peer pressure and accountability to nuke your comfort zone!

That is specific and can be nailed down. It is tangible and has progressive steps that are both visible and can be realistically achieved. A note of caution is that in the deep recesses of your grey matter are all the promises you have ever made and all the things you were going to do. The brain makes no distinction and files them all away. However, those that are not achieved reside in the subconscious and poke you forever more. This is not a good way to ensure mental health. You must be willing to do whatever it takes and this is more apparent the more times you have previously tried this resolution and failed. The day is not important. What you are willing to give in order to achieve is the deciding factor. If you complain about your weight yet have a poor diet, do not exercise and watch TV for 3 hours every evening then you should realise that you are your own problem. No-one ever wished they had spent more time in front of the TV when the family gather around them to say their last goodbyes. People wish they had achieved more, taken more risks, had more fun, told people they loved them and kicked the clowns and time vampires out of their life. It may be that you need to change more than just going to the gym. They say we are the sum total of the 5 people closest to us - if that is the problem - change them as well. The only thing you have to lose is your total future happiness and achievements so maybe 3 hours of TV every night and the pub every weekend are the best options. I can't do it for you. I can only poke you a few times and hope the bubble bursts. You have a choice and that choice is to accept that the rest of your life will be exactly the same as all that has passed, or you can choose to join those that have woken up and are sick and tired of playing the game and conforming. The warriors that will not accept anything less than success, regardless of what they have to do, who they have to say no to and how tough the journey ahead may get.

Every year that passes is not another opportunity, it is another sacrifice that has been thrown away.

Do it now, do it once, do it with conviction and a sledge hammer - be amazing being you!

Beginners Guide To Sandbag Training - Matt Palfrey

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In strength and conditioning, we can all be found guilty of over complicating our programming from time to time. With the vast array of options available to us itʼs hard not to get overwhelmed with what is right for us and our goals. The sandbag is proudly lowtech but high on results. And when you see what it can do for you it may just become your new favourite training method...

Sandbag Training History

Sandbag training has undoubtedly been around for a long time, but itʼs perhaps only in the past century when it has been recognised as a legitimate form of strength and conditioning. There are certainly numerous records of the sandbag being used for structured training as far back as the 1890ʼs, most notably by Indian Wrestlers. They continue to be used by combat athletes today but more and more people, irrespective of any sport specific benefits, are recognizing the sandbag as a serious strength and conditioning tool.

I have only been training with sandbags for 3 years or so and they have transformed the way that I approach my programming.

I train exclusively with the Brute Force Sandbag but itʼs entirely possible to develop your sandbag training program with a homemade bag. The important message here is that you neednʼt let your budget dictate your potential results. As a strength coach, this is one of the reasons that I am so passionate about sandbag training - anyone can start right now with the very minimum of investment. I started with an old duffel bag and 100lbs of sand that cost me less than $5.

No matter what type of sandbag you use, the basic qualities remain the same:

• Sandbags are tough to work with. While you can certainly develop a more efficient lifting style with practice, the sandbag will always punish poor technique. Itʼs awkward and has a constantly shifting load - this adds up to a serious challenge, even for advanced lifters.

• The sandbag is a real life object. It can be used as a representation of another person -

this is perfect for anyone involved in contact sports and those in the armed forces, police, firefighters and many more occupations.

• You cannot lift a sandbag without working your grip. In fact, this is what many new trainees notice first. Any sandbag workout is also a grip workout. This further adds to the functional nature of the sandbag as a training tool.

• Training with sandbags develops mental conditioning as well as physical strength. There are few tools that can break an athlete as quickly as a sandbag. In fact, just getting the sandbag into position or transitioning between exercises is a challenge in itself. This builds serious mental toughness.

• Itʼs important to develop strength and competency throughout all three movement planes (sagittal, frontal and transverse). This is an important facet of training for sports and daily  life but also as a means to prevent injury and maintain general structural health. Besides movement in these planes of motion, itʼs also important to consider the practice of “stressing” these planes. The sandbag and its permanently off-centre load automatically stresses the body in a true multi-planar fashion.

The Sandbag Trained Athlete

While body type, diet and a range of other factors will dictate what an individual looks like, there are a number of key competencies that athletes who train with sandbags exhibit.

• An Iron Grip. Holding onto a sandbag develops an amazing grip, especially if you utilize an “handleless” bag. And grip isnʼt just reserved for the hands, wrists and forearms - bear hug, shoulder and zercher grips develop a whole range of “gripping” muscles. If your sport or daily life requires a strong grip then you need to train with sandbags.

• Brute Strength. Strong legs, shoulders and backs are an unavoidable result of sandbag lifting. It is possible to develop an efficient sandbag lifting style but it will never be an olympic or power lift. The sandbag just wonʼt allow you to apply the same biomechanical principles. When things start getting tough youʼre going to need to dig in and work hard.

• Serious Stabilizers. Lifting a constantly moving object like the sandbag requires and develops your stabilizing muscles like few other things. You simply cannot underestimate the balance and control required to lift a heavy sandbag overhead. Regular sandbag lifting builds a strong, stable musculoskeletal system.

The Sandbag Lowdown

Like most training tools, you can use the sandbag as a substitute weight for traditional resistance options like barbells, dumbbells or kettlebells. You can follow standard strength programs like Starting Strength or Wendler 5-3-1 with a sandbag. The sandbag works perfectly well for Deadlifts, Squats, Cleans and Presses. But if this is all you ever do with your sandbag then you are missing out on some of the key benefits to this method. The sandbag is an unstable, awkward load with “built in” instability. The further away from your center of gravity that load is, the harder you will have to work to stabilise it. So exercises like the sandbag deadlift donʼt have that inherent instability factor. My advice is to focus more heavily on a range of “unique” sandbag exercises - things that just arenʼt as effective with traditional resistance tools. For me, that means lots of overhead work and utilizing a range of different grip positions. The key exercises that you need to follow in any sandbag training program are:

• Sandbag Shouldering.

• Sandbag Clean and Press.

• Sandbag Bear Hug Load Carry.

• Sandbag Overhead Press.

These fundamental movements will give you a strong foundation of strength and conditioning. Furthermore, they all combine some of the best that the sandbag has to offer. For more experienced sandbag trainees, the following advanced exercises will further develop your skill with the bag. And regular practice will build brute strength, agility and an iron grip.

Some advanced sandbag exercises to try:

• Sandbag Overhead Walking Lunge.

• Sandbag Windmill.

• Sandbag Get Up.

• Sandbag Bear Hug Squat.

You can learn technique tips for many of the key sandbag exercises here:

Beginner Sandbag Workouts - taken from The Complete Guide To Sandbag Training

Beginners Workout 1: Sandbag Basics

800m run

30 Sandbag Clean and Press

800m run

Complete as fast as possible. Men aim for a 60lb sandbag; women aim for 35lbs.

Beginners Workout 2: Jump, Pull, Press

25 Box Jumps

25 Sandbag High Pulls

25 Sandbag Push Press

25 Sandbag Shouldering (alternate shoulders)

Complete 3 rounds as fast as possible. Men should aim for a 60lb sandbag; women aim

for 35lbs.

Beginners Workout 3: The Sandbag Milo Protocol

This training protocol is inspired by and named after Milo of Croton. A greek wrestler from the 6th century BC, Milo was famed for lifting a calf daily until it reached maturity. This was perhaps the first recorded instance of a linear progressive resistance training program. Take a handleless sandbag and fill it with between 25-50% of your bodyweight in sand. Perform a single ground to overhead lift. This is probably best achieved as a clean and press.

To get an idea of how sandbag training works check out the video below -

Repeat this daily, adding 1-2lbs of sand before each lift.

Advanced Sandbag Workouts - taken from The Complete Guide To Sandbag Training

Advanced Workout 1: Legs On Fire

100m Sandbag Bear Hug Load Carry

10 Burpees

10 Box Jumps

Complete 10 rounds as fast as possible. Men should aim for a 100lb sandbag; women aim for 60lb.

Advanced Workout 2: Boulder Shoulders

100 Sandbag Overhead Presses. Take a 100 Skip penalty for every rest that you need to

take.

Complete as fast as possible. Men should aim for a 80lb sandbag; women aim for 45lb.

Advanced Workout 3: The Centurion

100 Sandbag Push Presses

100 Sandbag Zercher Squats

100 Sandbag Get Ups

Complete as fast as possible. Men aim for a 80lb sandbag; women aim for 45lb.

Summary

The sandbag is an exceptional strength and conditioning tool that, when used effectively, will help you to develop great strength and conditioning. Take a structured approach to its use and include a wide variety of standard lifts (like Deadlifts and Squats) alongside a range of other “unique” lifts like Bear Hug Squats and Shouldering.

To book yourself on to the UK sandbag masterclass with Matt click HERE

To check out Matt's website click HERE

To buy pro grade sandbags click on the image below -