IGNITE - strength & conditioning

Typhoon Megi update!!!

2010-10-21T00:03:00.000-07:00

Typhoon Megi on it's way. Not that it will be an excuse not to train. Of course not... even super typhoons won't deter us! We'll have to see what madness we can get up to during the typhoon. Though as of now it's very much the calm before the storm. Nothing more than heavy wind warnings. The Philippines got battered by this one and Hong Kong is pretty much right in it's path... Typhoon Megi... BRING IT!!!

Variable stability workout

2010-08-04T08:45:00.000-07:00

I'm all about training with whatever you have at hand. I heard every excuse in the book not to train and one of the most common excuses for not training and conditioning is 'I don't have XYZ piece of gear'... well that doesn't wash. Not for second. Here are a bunch of fun drills on the Repulse Bay waterfront here in Hong Kong. A bit of chain, some stairs, a few posts... what more do you need to get a good workout in?!

The press ups with variable stability challenge the nervous system and the shoulders ability to stabilize itself. Great workout for the core as well. Uneven press ups cause the central nervous system and musculature to have to rethink the classic press up. I try to get a bit of glutes into every workout so I've thrown in the mule kicks as a way to really engage the glutes... as you can see they hit a lot more than just the glute. ATG squat hops really get the heart going and are a good explosive movement to throw into any workout!

There you have it... no kit needed.. and no excuse not to get a session in!

Beach sand bag workout 1

2010-08-04T07:41:00.000-07:00

Ok here goes the first of a series of drills that are designed for the beach environment. The around-the-world movement is one that can be done with many different types of kit... but why haul all that stuff around when all you need is a bag that can hold sand?

I've added some key points to end of this video. It's important to start slow and light on this movement. Momentum makes this movement a whole lot tougher than it looks. What starts out light will gain a bit of weight once it gets some momentum so don't underestimate this drill!

Chueng Sha beach sandbag workouts!!!

2010-07-25T20:56:00.000-07:00

Hitting the beach to get in the Monday sandbag workouts in!
I'll bring the bags... the sand is provided for us. Will post up the vids of the session - The weather is brilliant so should be a killer session!

Monkey Pickers - a hanging compound movement

2010-07-13T23:46:00.000-07:00

Ok here's goes a move that's as fun as it can be challenging.

Inspired by my daily walks through the zoo here in Hong Kong where I get to see the large numbers of buff-cheeked Gibbons moving with a grace that we humans rarely achieve. Primates will hang from a tree or a branch and reach down and pick up something off the floor to inspect it or pass it on to another member of their tribe in a way that I thought... really they're pulling off an inverted compound movement. Only they do it because they're hardwired to do it and thus they do it instinctually. We humans however need to work a bit harder to achieve anything near the same level of gracefulness and agility.

So... despite the difference in anatomy and musculature between us and our simian cousins... the result is today's movement. Monkey Pickers. Challenging core strength and grip strength. Continuous movement and conscious breathing are a big part of these drills. So important to work on every component of the moves to achieve a fluid and graceful conditioning movement. Give them a go!

Press up with a 2 sec. contralateral raise and hold

2010-07-11T22:30:00.000-07:00

Here's a new move for you. Again exploring ways to graft new stabilization movements onto existing exercises for more challenge. One that I've come up with is by combining a press up with a contralateral raise and hold for two seconds.

Contralateral means simply opposite sides. So if we are going from our left shoulder to our right hip we are moving contralateraly. If we are doing crunches and we brinng that right elbow to our left knee... we are doing a contralateral movement. Contralateral is about opposites. One side of the body working towards the other side of the body.

This new drill requires you to use good balance and begin to test your proprioception. It's a great way to further develop your core strength and stability. They do look deceptively easy and the really work your sense of balance. Give them a go and let me know how you go!

IGNITE SC - shadow box & bodyweight circuit

2010-07-05T13:40:00.000-07:00

Here's a new circuit shadow boxing and bodyweight circuit give a go! Some good press up variations in here... the FROG PRESS UP makes it's appearance as does the SINGLE LEG PRESS UP! Tougher than they look and great for the shoulders and triceps. I've worked in some good stuff for the core with STAR FISH KICKS and TABLE TOPS. And because because balance is an acquired skill I've included a deceptively hard contra-lateral motion in this workout... the CROSSOVER TOE TOUCH... hitting these straight after a round of shadow boxing is much harder than it first appears. I want you people shadow boxing and moving!!! Remember the stationary target gets hit... so move around and get it goin' on!

IGNITE SC - lizard walks

2010-06-28T12:10:00.000-07:00

Ok here's your Monday movement people!

Lizard walks... good movement for you straight out of the primordial soup. Continuing with the contra-lateral theme in many of my movements... this one is more challenging than it looks. What Komodo dragons make look easy... we as humans find challenging... so get to it and knock out a few sets for time or distance!

IGNITE SC - double helix

2010-06-25T23:42:00.000-07:00

Here's an excellent compound movement that I want to share with you. It has a lot in common with a woodchopper movement... but you get to go more vertical. The internal rotation of the knee in the picking phase of the movement massively loads the supporting leg and glute. A good range of rotational motion through the entire torso is key to making the most of this powerful movement.

It's important to start out at body weight and understand the movement before you progress to even light weight. It's a very dynamic rotation movement. Also notice the rotation on the balls of the feet to facilitate the turn through the hips and the driving with the quads and the glutes.

IGNITE SC - zig zag ATG squat hops

2010-06-21T00:52:00.000-07:00

Here you... pretty self explanatory. Just hard work.

IGNITE SC - dynamic warm up and stretch

2010-06-19T07:01:00.000-07:00

Here's a good component for a dynamic warm up and stretch. You're moving on this one so it's not a deep held stretch... this is a pre workout stretch to get you going and limbered up before going into dynamic movements that involve the hip flexors and the hamstrings. Don't be in a big hurry to push your leg up as high as you can... just let it takes it natural course and get the muscles and tendons working and switched on. It will take you several steps to find your rhythm. Once you have it go for anywhere between 10-12 reps per leg.

More dynamic warm up videos to come. As you can see... even typhoon weather didn't get in the way of getting the vid out for my people!

IGNITE SC - horizontal rows

2010-06-18T10:00:00.000-07:00

Here's a drill with a pulling movement that works as a counter balance to all the pushing movements that dominate more workouts. People often neglect this one because you don't normally stand in a mirror trying to flex your rhomboids/lats/traps. But if you want strong upper and middle back and good posture then you'll get a lot out of this drill.

A great exercise for improving strength while clinching in Muay Thai. The movement is one of the keys to develop a strong middle/upper back and it also gives a dose to the biceps as well. Because you work to keep your body rigid through the pull - your core gets a good workout because it's recruited as a stabilizer.

Horizontal rows can be done just about anywhere you can grip an edge and get your feet under... I'll post up more of the many variations on the horizontal row in up coming videos... but for now you've got no excuse for not rocking them out!

IGNITE SC - around the world

2010-06-16T01:12:00.000-07:00

Here's one of my favorite strength and conditioning movements. With it's history firmly rooted in Persian and Hindu wrestling... and a staple of Olypmic wrestlers today. A great workout for shoulder mobility, core strength and coordination.

It can be done with any object... start light to get the movement down. Really important to develop a good level of shoulder mobility at light weights with this movement before progressing to heavier objects. Here a broken concrete paver works a treat to show off the motion. Give it a go!

IGNITE - mixed grip towel chins

2010-06-15T13:38:00.000-07:00

Here's a fun variation on the traditional chin up. The mixed grip towel chin employs a vertical grip and the traditional palms facing away chin up grip. It hits the core in a different way than a regular chin and places more load on the horizontal grip side while massively working the grip on the vertical grip side.

The vertical grip on the towel side also recruits through the bicep alot more than you'd get in a traditional chin up. As always we go for variation to keep the body guessing and adapting and the mixed grip towel chin is a great way to do that!

As always try to work a full range of motion... from dead hang moving smoothly and controlled as you come up as high as you can. Focus on nice controlled lowering out of the top position... come down gently to a full dead hang... your shoulders are in a delicate position at the bottom of the movement so control the movement and don't slam down into the bottom portion of the movement.

Give 'em a go and let me know how you do!

IGNITE - crossover chins

2010-06-15T09:21:00.000-07:00

A great movement that hits a lot of muscle groups - the crossover chin. You won't see many people doing it... this is one I've come up with myself! Remember you saw it here first... now give it a go!

IGNITE SC - dynamic wood choppers

2010-06-13T21:34:00.000-07:00

IGNITE strength & conditioning video series is here!

From time to time I will be posting short videos with new movements for you to try. Here is the first... a dynamic wood chopper movement. It's being done using a resistance band rated at 25lbs or resistance. You can try it with any level of resistance. You'll notice that this movement is far more dynamic when done with resistance bands than with a weight stack on a machine in the gym.

The movement should be kept dynamic... so that means at speed. Torquing the hip and dropping the knee... as if you were throwing someone over your shoulder with 110% commitment! Balance will be key here so you really need to be aware of where you are and the range of motion. The movement incorporates a level change and rotation through the core... Work through it nice and slow a few times to get a feel for it!

IGNITE strength & conditioning launches by helping others

2010-05-07T22:17:00.000-07:00

IGNITE Strength & Conditioning chose to make it's launch in Hong Kong by a donation of time and effort to a very worthy cause!

We have donated 5 full one hour training sessions at the Angels ROCK! 2010 event!

Held at club PRIVE in Hong Kong the glamorous night saw a bidding frenzy with people reaching deep into their pockets to help out the children of Cambodia!

One generous person will out bid all the others to walk away with over $5,000. dollars worth of personal training or boxing sessions with IGNITE Strength and Conditioning!

All proceeds go directly to help the Sunrise Children's Village in Cambodia!