Warm-up: 5-10 minutes using your warm-up method of choice.

Workout: Follow the workout below, as closely as possible. Make interval mode substitutions where needed (example: If you don’t have a VersaClimber, use a rower instead)

This is one of the best in-the-gym workouts you will ever try. I use this style of training a lot with my clients who want to get in super shape in minimum time. When done right, this style of training will really drive the metabolism and maximize calorie expenditure.

Warm-up: 5-10 minutes using your warm-up method of choice.

Workout: Follow the workout below, as closely as possible. Make interval mode substitutions where needed (example: If you don’t have a VersaClimber, use a rower instead)

Rest: Rest as little as possible. Usually just the amount of time it takes to walk to the next station and or set up the next strength exercise.

Progress: Be sure to write down exercise, weight used, repetitions, and most importantly note your total workout time. You will want these for comparison in the future and to help you choose more accurate weights each time you do this workout.

Volume/Intensity: Do one set of each strength exercise. Choose a weight you feel will cause you to reach momentary muscular failure at the desired rep range. This means that you choose something challenging that just barely allows you to finish the prescribed number of repetitions.

Do not stop and re-load if you slightly underestimate the resistance level. If you guess wrong and the weight is too easy ignore the prescribed reps and continue lifting for as many reps as possible.

Exercises

• Overhead Press: 10-14 reps

• Pull-Down / Pull-up: (Dead Hang) 10-14 reps

• Rowing Machine: 30 seconds work / 30 seconds rest, x6
• Chest Press: 10-14 reps
• Seated / Bent Over Row: 10-14 reps

• Stationary Bike: 1-minute work / 30 seconds rest, x4
• Multi-Joint Leg (Squat or Leg Press variation): 12-16 reps
• Hamstring Exercise (machine curl or straight-legged deadlift, etc): 10-14 reps
• Step Mill or other Step Machine: 20 seconds work / 20 seconds rest, x8
• Push Press: 8-12 reps
• High Pull: 8-12 reps

• Box Jump (18-24 inch box): 8-12 reps
• VersaClimber: 10 seconds work / 20 seconds rest, x8
• Push-ups: 6-10 reps – add weight to increase difficulty
• Inverted Row: 6-10 reps – add weight to increase difficulty

• Hanging Knee Raise: As many reps as possible in 2:00

Build your own

Use these steps to create your own version of this awesome workout:

• Plug in a strength exercise, and an interval mode of your choice for each category.
• Create desired rep range(s), and interval work/rest ratios (or use those listed).
• Attempt to complete the entire workout in the least amount of time possible.

Get more workouts from Liam “Taku” Bauer.

The post The Holiday Turkey Gut Buster Workout appeared first on Breaking Muscle.

It is not unusual to find the strength training community divided when it comes to what style of training is best or how and when to employ the many training techniques and variables available. One of the most classic battles is methodology is the one between the proponents of High Intensity Training (HIT) and those coaches and athletes who seem to prefer Olympic-Style Weightlifting (OSW). I personally have never really understood the almost religious fanaticism with which some may argue for or against their preferred approach to getting stronger.

For years I have been a fan of brief, intense, and infrequent training. Having tried just about every one of the recognized (as well as the obscure) training programs that have come along in the last twenty years, I can honestly say this preference is still true today. My goal has always been to find the precise amount of volume, frequency, and intensity that will allow me to reach my goals with maximum efficiency and minimum downtime. With years of trial and error, creative experimentation, and hard work under my belt I have discovered a few combinations that seem to produce consistent results.

Now counter to the notion of this brief, intense, infrequent style of training, often referred to as HIT, I am also a fan of Olympic-style weightlifting. For many this might seem odd. For some it may seem the two styles are not compatible with one another. I assure you it is not odd and they are very compatible.

Olympic-style weightlifting is very technical. The movements are often difficult to master and some of the positions may cause a great deal of discomfort in the early stages of learning. I guess that is one of the reasons I enjoy Olympic-style weightlifting, the focus, and attention to detail required to attain a sense of mastery is a lifetime journey. Almost anyone can learn to work hard on a basic movement such as a lat pull-down or a seated row, but to truly master the snatch or clean-and-jerk requires far more patience and dedication.

Now don’t get me wrong, I am all about hard work on the basics when it comes to efficient strength training. I am not one of those coaches who feels Olympic-style weightlifting is required for athletic success (unless of course, you are an Olympic weightlifter). But I do enjoy it and that is why I often include some Olympic-style weightlifting movements in my personal training plan.

Which brings us back to the dilemma at hand, how to combine HIT with OSW.

One way to combine the more classic HIT style of training with OSW is as follows:

1. Start with a basic O-lifting routine (see below). Practice this routine in a strict order of exercises, as well as a certain and consistent amount of sets, reps and rest periods.
2. For your HIT training days create short routines which are made up of basic pushing, pulling, and squatting movements along with some assistance exercises. Perform these in a classic High Tension/Low Force manner with an emphasis on slow, controlled movement.
3. Workout roughly every other day alternating one of these basic HIT routines with the OSW routine.

In this way you will perform both the OSW and HIT routines three times every two weeks. Use the O-lifting days as technique polishing opportunity and active recovery days. Still train hard and heavy, however, do not train to failure and strive to always leave a few reps in the tank. On the HIT days perform single sets to failure of a handful of movements and strive to take each set to the limit. This can be an excellent way to combine these two styles of lifting, reaping the maximum benefit each has to offer while maintaining a balance between stimulus and recovery.

If you have always been a practitioner of either one or the other of these two styles of lifting perhaps now is the time to try something new. If you have never tried OSW then I recommend you find a qualified coach for your initial instruction as this style of lifting is quite technical. With HIT, if you have rarely if ever trained to momentary muscular failure then ease into it as the muscular soreness sometimes associated with this style of training can be quite intense.

Give this HIT/OSW combination a try and I think you may find it to be a fun and effective way to reap the rewards each of these styles of training has to offer.

(Source: Bev Childress)

Example HIT/OSW Hybrid

For the O-lifts I tend to stick with each routine for 12 workouts. Following the above described pattern that has me changing things up about every eight weeks or so. On the HIT days I get a little more creative, varying the order of the exercises, reps, and rest intervals, as well as employing advanced overload techniques when my energy and recovery allow.

Keep in mind the following routines are just a few examples of thousands you could employ.

Sample Olympic Weightlifting Workout

(Courtesy of Jim Schmitz)

Sample H.I.T. Workouts

Workout 1 – (A.J. Classic)

Workout 2

Workout 3

The post High Intensity Training vs. Olympic Weightlifting: How to Have Both & Get Strong appeared first on Breaking Muscle.

To do this workout:

1. Use your bodyweight for all strength exercises (i.e. if you weight 185lbs, the bar should weigh 185lbs). Set up more than one bar to insure you can quickly move from exercise to exercise.
2. On the chin-up and dips no additional weight is necessary, since you are moving your own entire bodyweight. Do all reps of chin-ups and dips slowly, with no kip, and with a 1 second pause at the top and bottom of each.
3. Attempt to achieve the recommended number of repetitions per exercise.

Warm-Up:

5-10 minutes, your method of choice.

Workout, Part #1:

After your warm-up, get on the Versa-Climber, and climb 1500 feet, as fast as possible.

Once you mount the VC, do not dismount until you have reached 1500 feet.

You may rest for up to 5 minutes following the VC climb.

If you do not have a Versa-Climber you can substitute with a 1.5 mile run, 2000m row, or 3 mile cycle.

Workout, Part #2:
Next, see how many times you can proceed through the strength circuit in 20 minutes.

EXERCISE:

1. Barbell Back Squat X 20
2. Overhead Barbell Press X 10
3. Chin-up X 10
4. Dip X 10
5. Barbell Bent Over Row X 10
6. Barbell Bench Press X 10
7. Barbell Straight Legged Dead Lift X 15

Reverse workout order, every other workout.

Post time for VersaClimber and number of rounds completed on the strength circuit to comments below.

The post The Stocking Stuffer Workout from Taku appeared first on Breaking Muscle.

Check out what Coach Taku put on HIS wish list this year!

Taku’s Holiday Wish List

We know how hard it is to holiday shop, so we thought we would help you out with ideas AND let you get to know all of us at breakingmuscle.com a bit better. We asked our writers, featured coaches, and guest contributors if they could pick ANY 10 fitness/sports/health related items to put on a Holiday Wish List, what would they pick?

Check out what Coach Taku put on HIS wish list this year!

Taku’s Holiday Wish List

My wish list was not created in any particular order. I would love to have all of these items for one reason or another. One thing I did do, however, was divide my list evenly between nutrition-based items and fitness-based items.

1. VersaClimber Sport Model – $4,395.00

I chose the VersaClimber because I have always been a fan of machines that can work the entire body at one time. These machines are awesome, providing tons of training options with a small footprint and a relatively “bullet-proof design.

2. Pendulum 5-Way Neck Machine – $2,900.00

I feel neck training is a priority for all combat athletes. This may include, but is not limited to, individuals who participate in sports such as boxing, Judo, MMA, football, rugby, wrestling, and ice hockey. In truth I feel everyone would benefit from strengthening the muscles of the neck and surrounding areas.

3. Power Lift Trap / Deadlift Bar – $649.00

Deadlifts, in all their many variations, are probably my all time favoroite exercise. This bar is second to none in its design. Get one for your gym; you’ll be glad you did.

4. ROM Machine – $14,615

This machine has always intrigued me. Like the VersaClimber, it has been designed to work the entire body through maximum ranges of motion, with no impact, and in minimal time. The science behind it is valid, the design is exquisite…and it has just always seemed a bit pricey. But hey, this is a WISH LIST!!!

5. Alpha Strong Sand Bags, 3 bags of various sizes – $359.85

I like using sand bags more than any other tool. I use them for dynamic movements, such as throwing, pulling, dragging, loading, and slamming, and even for variants of the Olympic style lifts. These sand bags are well made and worth the money.

6. Brandon Beef Alpine Meadows Club – $540.00

You are what you eat…and I want my meat to be as good as it can be. So that’s why this grass-fed beef is on my list. I want to join the club and receive 9-10lbs of beef each month in the form of steaks and/or ground beef.

7. Dr. Mercola Pure & Clear Whole House Water Filtration Unit – $1,092.00

Clean water is the most important thing you can drink. But it’s not just the water you drink, it’s also the water you bathe in, wash with, and cook with. That’s why I would love to have this whole-house filtration system.

8. Dr. Mercola Healthy Chef Ceramic Cookware – $566.00

Good pots and pans are worth the money. Too much low grade stuff is out there leaching crap into my healthy meats and veggies. Well, not anymore!

9. Dr. Mercola Omega Juicer – $235.00

I am a fan of fresh fruit and vegetable juice blends. You can not get any fresher than when you make them yourself. Get a good juicer and have at it.

10. Dr. Mercola Healthy Chef Aroma Turbo Oven – $84.95

Let’s face it, sometimes you want to cook your food as fast as possible. Microwaves are not only bad for you, but they make almost everything taste like crap. Now I can cook fast and not compromise my health or the flavor of my food. Awesome!

The post Holiday Wish List – Coach Liam “Taku” Bauer appeared first on Breaking Muscle.

1. Clean Width Deadlift & Shrug
2. Front Squat
3. Glute-Ham Raise
4. One Arm Pull-down
5. Standing Press
6. One Arm Row
7. Towel/Board Bench Press
8. Land-Mine Anti-Rotation
9. Plank to Pike Up + Static Hold

Movement 1: Perform 3-4 sets of 2 reps each, rest 90-120 seconds between sets
Movements 2-7: Perform 1-3 sets of 3 reps each, rest 90 seconds between sets
Movements 8-9: Hold for 60-90 seconds each

For each strength exercise, choose a weight that you feel will allow you to barely complete the recommended number of repetitions.

Post numbers of sets and weights used to comments below.

The post Strength & Conditioning – Liam “Taku” Bauer: Week 4, Day 4 appeared first on Breaking Muscle.

Run 200 yards x 4

Run 100 yards x 8

Run 50 yards x 6

Rest intervals should be 3x the time it took you to complete the prior run.

As you progress from day one, all of your sprinting is done on the football field. This is done so that you have an accurate way to measure the distances.

Post times to comments below.

The post Strength & Conditioning – Liam “Taku” Bauer: Week 4, Day 3 appeared first on Breaking Muscle.

1. Snatch Width Deadlift & Shrug
2. Back Squat
3. One-Legged Back Ext (on Glute Ham Devloper)
4. Alternating Dumbbell Bench Press
5. Ring Row
6. One Arm Dumbbell Shoulder Press
7. Chin-Up/ Rings Chin-Up (Dead Hang)
8. Torture Twists
9. Side Bridge with Rotation and Arm Tap

Movement 1: Perform 3-4 sets of 2 reps each, rest 90-120 seconds between sets
Movements 2-7: Perform 1-3 sets of 3 reps each, rest 90 seconds between sets
Movements 8-9: Hold for 60-90 seconds each

For each strength exercise, choose a weight that you feel will allow you to barely complete the recommended number of repetitions.

Post number of sets and weights used to comments below.

The post Strength & Conditioning – Liam “Taku” Bauer: Week 4, Day 2 appeared first on Breaking Muscle.

Run 300 yards x 4

Rest intervals should be 3x the time it took you to complete the prior run.

The best way to perform the 300 Yard Shuttle Runs is on a High-School Football field. Set up on one side of the field, and plan on running 3 laps covering the width of the field. Each lap is there and back which = 100 yards, so the total for the three laps = 300 yards. Time yourself on each effort and strive to lower the time as you progress through the weekly workouts.

Post times to comments below.

The post Strength & Conditioning – Liam “Taku” Bauer: Week 4, Day 1 appeared first on Breaking Muscle.

1. Clean Width Deadlift & Shrug
2. Front Squat
3. Glute-Ham Raise
4. One Arm Pull-down
5. Standing Press
6. One Arm Row
7. Towel/Board Bench Press
8. Land-Mine Anti-Rotation
9. Plank to Pike Up + Static Hold

Today is a strength workout from our featured coach, Liam “Taku” Bauer. We are featuring four weeks of workouts from Taku. To learn more about him and his workouts, read our feature interview.

1. Clean Width Deadlift & Shrug
2. Front Squat
3. Glute-Ham Raise
4. One Arm Pull-down
5. Standing Press
6. One Arm Row
7. Towel/Board Bench Press
8. Land-Mine Anti-Rotation
9. Plank to Pike Up + Static Hold

Movement 1: Perform 3-4 sets of 5 reps each, rest 90-120 seconds between sets
Movements 2-7: Perform 1-3 sets of 8 reps each, rest 60 seconds between sets
Movements 8-9: Hold for 60-90 seconds each

For each strength exercise, choose a weight that you feel will allow you to barely complete the recommended number of repetitions.

Post number of sets and weights used to comments below.

The post Strength & Conditioning – Liam “Taku” Bauer: Week 3, Day 4 appeared first on Breaking Muscle.

Run 200 yards x 4

Run 100 yards x 8

Rest intervals should be 3x the time it took you to complete the prior run.

As you progress from day one, all of your sprinting is done on the football field. This is done so that you have an accurate way to measure the distances.

Post times to comments below.

The post Strength & Conditioning – Liam “Taku” Bauer: Week 3, Day 3 appeared first on Breaking Muscle.

This circuit is comprised of six different exercises done in the same order every time. The goal is to finish three total circuits as fast as possible.

The six exercises are as follows:

1. Half Squat Jumps: Crouch until your knees are at 90 degrees. Then drive up off the ground as high as possible. Land in an athletic jump stance. Repeat.
2. Push-Ups: I will not bother explaining this one as it is such a classic.
3. Cobra Raises: Lay prone with your hands out in front (like Superman) or clasped behind your head. Lift your shoulders and chest off of the ground as far as possible, Lower slowly, repeat.
4. Squat Thrusts: Starting from a standing position, squat down and place your hands flat on the ground. Thrust your feet back into a push-up position, jump back to a crouch, and then stand erect. Repeat.
5. Sit-ups: Any sit-up variation will do. I like elbows to knees. Lay on the ground with the knees up at 90 degrees. Place the palms of your hands on your forehead. Bring your elbows towards your knees, without pulling your knees closer to your torso. Repeat.
6. Ten-Yard Shuttle Run: Sprint between two markers set ten yards apart, bending to touch the marker at each end as you turn.

To help make the training a little more specific to each individual’s fitness level, I recommend the following steps:

Begin with a pre-test to determine the correct amount of work to be done during each circuit. The pre-test itself is quite simple – go one time through the circuit and make your best effort on each exercise for 60 seconds.

After that, when you do the workout you should do 50% of your pre-test number on each exercise in each of the three circuits. For example, Athlete A completed 30 pushups in 60 seconds. For the workout athlete A would then do 15 push-ups in each of the three circuits for a total of 45 push-ups in that workout.

Once the pre-test has been completed you should attempt to complete three circuits three times a week for three weeks. After three weeks, take 3-5 days off and then re-test to establish new work loads.

This is a great workout for younger athletes as well as anyone looking to build a solid fitness base. As you progress in your fitness ability other tools may be added to make this workout more challenging such as medicine balls, resistance bands, weighted vests, sandbags etc.

Give it a try and let us know how it goes!

For more from Taku, check out his four weeks of programming and read his feature interview.

The post A Walk In the Park: Taku’s Equipment-Free Workout appeared first on Breaking Muscle.

1. Snatch Width Deadlift & Shrug
2. Back Squat
3. One-Legged Back Ext (on Glute Ham Devloper)
4. Alternating Dumbbell Bench Press
5. Ring Row
6. One Arm Dumbbell Shoulder Press
7. Chin-Up/ Rings Chin-Up (Dead Hang)
8. Torture Twists
9. Side Bridge with Rotation and Arm Tap

Movement 1: Perform 3-4 sets of 5 reps each, rest 90-120 seconds between sets
Movements 2-7: Perform 1-3 sets of 8 reps each, rest 60 seconds between sets
Movements 8-9: Hold for 60-90 seconds each

For each strength exercise, choose a weight that you feel will allow you to barely complete the recommended number of repetitions.

Post number of sets done and weights used to comments below.

The post Strength & Conditioning – Liam “Taku” Bauer: Week 3, Day 2 appeared first on Breaking Muscle.