Endurance - Part 3
October 1, 2012
by Stephen R. Santangelo
Here is a great study which truly depicts the necessity for endurance training. This applies to the 99% of us who haven’t been blessed with incredible genetics to be among the 1% of elite athletes...Read More
Endurance - Part 2
September 17, 2012
by Stephen R. Santangelo
Beginning with the statement, below, will be the premise for our discussion.
"Strength endurance is the specific form of strength displayed in activities which require a relatively long duration of muscle tension with minimal decrease in efficiency" (Stiff 2000).
To dissect this further, let’s take …long duration of muscle tension….Read More
There’s Never Any Excuse Not to Train
August 29, 2012
by Stephen R. Santangelo
This has been my motto for years & years and at my age I can say decades!
I have heard every excuse; I’m too busy, My day just fell apart, The kids drove me crazy, Things just didn’t go right today, I don’t have the time, It’s just not practical, It’s too hard, It’s too cold, It’s too hot and so on and so on...Read More
Endurance - Part 1
August 27, 2012
by Stephen R. Santangelo
Endurance is absolutely necessary for optimum performance in sport, in everyday life and for health.
Everyone must train for developing high level endurance.
There has been a lot of bad publicity regarding endurance by the mongrel dogs of strength training and in the health & fitness arena in general...Read More
Why I Don’t Like Stair Steppers
August 15, 2012
by Stephen R. Santangelo
As you know from previous articles regarding fancy chrome gym equipment, I have real issues with commercial gyms and infomercials pushing their clever conniving marketing schemes for better health.
Granted, most of the time doing anything is better than doing nothing!...Read More
5 Components to Athletic Development
July 9, 2012
by Stephen R. Santangelo
Strength, Endurance, Speed, Mobility & Flexibility.
Strength is the ability to apply maximum force under resistance.
Endurance is the ability to train or perform under an extended time period with optimum results...Read More
Flexible Strength
July 5, 2012
by Stephen R. Santangelo
Flexibility and strength are 2 components which work in unison for optimum athletic performance.
That sounds rather cliché; however, let’s take a closer understanding of how these 2 important training methodologies work.
The number 1 mistake in any stretching routine regardless if it’s static stretching or dynamic is the missing component of strength. Most training programs use stretching simply to warm up prior to a workout or cool down after a workout. These of course are good actions. What is most needed in a general dynamic warm up is to strengthen the muscle while it is being stretched...Read More
What Are the Benefits of Conditioning?
January 31, 2012
by Stephen R. Santangelo
If you’ve been an avid reader of PrimalFitness-Systems.com, you know I’m big on “conditioning”.
To quickly refresh your memory, conditioning is a program which enhances sport specific and task specific skills & performance.
It’s not teaching technical applications such as swinging a bat, throwing a ball, different stages of the 100m sprint or swimming efficiency.
Conditioning is elevating the body’s ability to be stronger, faster, quicker recovery and developing co-ordination...Read More
Are Crunches Good For You?
January 24, 2012
by Stephen R. Santangelo
NO! NO! NO!
Don’t do sit-ups, crunches or any related abdominal curling exercise.
Believe it or not they make your stomach bigger, not smaller; just as any exercise does to any muscle.
These exercises will interfere with lean muscle gains because the stress which the abs incurs, negatively, shocks the nerves in the solar plexus. This negative impact forces your hormone levels to dramatically drop and negates muscular gains...Read More
Transitioning from Trail Running to Snowshoeing
December 5, 2011
by Stephen R. Santangelo
As trail running season comes to an end, fall forward to snowshoeing. Trail runners have long pounded the wilderness with miles and miles of long runs. By the time the season has ended much of the strength has been lost in favor of long aerobic workouts. Mid and late fall is the time to restore the body, rest the central nervous system and rebuild muscular strength; muscular strength as it applies to endurance athletes, not gym goers...Read More
How do I know if my Exercise Program is Right?
November 2, 2011
by Stephen R. Santangelo
There are 2 important aspects to every exercise regimen; knowing what to do & knowing what not to.
Primal Fitness Systems provides numerous amounts of information on training programs for beginners as well as elite athletes. A great deal of information is based upon common sense and practicality.
In many cases it is wise to follow what not to do, especially, when orthodox theories present themselves as absolute. Remember, if something works well for one individual, it does not mean it’s going to produce the same results for someone else...Read More
From Conventional Training to Unconventional Training
February 7, 2011
by Stephen R. Santangelo
While the British army was stationed in India, Indian Club exercises became a part of the military PT (physical training) regimen.
Indian Clubs have been around for centuries as a primary training implement for the military and for combat athletes; especially, the Indian wrestlers...Read More
The Hise Shrug- Part 2
June 13, 2011
by Stephen R. Santangelo
http://www.primalfitness-systems.com/articles/archives/2011/exercises/the-hise-shrug-pt2.html
In The Hise Shrugs Part 1, I discussed the basic application of the Hise Shrug exercise. The emphasis of this exercise was for strength athletes. Endurance based athletes such as triathletes, biathletes (summer & winter), trail runners, adventure racers and cross country skiers can benefit greatly from this exercise as well.
Think of how many times, in training and competition, you may have had a severe neck cramp or a long, nagging ‘pain in the neck’ causing a great deal of muscular fatigue draining your energy...Read More
Xtreme 1 Arm Back Lift
May 23, 2011
by Stephen R. Santangelo
Muscles Activated: Full body with emphasis on posterior chain.
As the name implies this is a back exercise, not a squat.
Start by standing parallel to the barbell...Read More
The Hise Shrug - Part 1
May 16, 2011
by Stephen R. Santangelo
Muscles Activated: Traps
The Hise Shrug was developed by old time strongman Joseph Curtis Hise.
This is the ultimate in trap training because it eliminates all of the assistant muscles.
To begin the movement, get under the bar just as if you’re getting ready to do a back squat.
Keep the bar high up on the traps, not low as in powerlifting...Read More
Xtreme Arch Floor Press
April 25, 2011
by Stephen R. Santangelo
Conventional Bench Press with dumb bells & barbells is an effective exercise for upper body pushing strength.
The Floor Press is one of the best conditioning exercises for big numbers in the bench. An Xtreme method of performing the floor press is to use a firm foam roller under the lumbar and use a Pro Athletic Resistance Band.
The purpose of the foam roller is to teach the athlete to create a huge arch in the low back for developing stability & flexibility in the lumbar...Read More
More Crazy Bodyweight Training Pt. 3
April 20, 2011
by Stephen R. Santangelo
All athletes & fitness enthusiasts must incorporate bodyweight exercises into their training programs.
The greatest advantage to bodyweight exercises is that the entire body must work in unison to complete each given task. The more muscles being stimulated the faster the results are for performance in strength, speed, endurance and fat loss...Read More
Xtreme Foward Bend
March 28, 2011
by Stephen R. Santangelo
All yoga poses serve specific purposes for athletic cool downs , prehab & rehab functions.
In this pose, Alyssa, a professional aerialist & stage performer, demands great flexible strength.
Though, not all athletes and fitness enthusiasts will ever achieve this level of flexibility, it is important to achieve maximum flexibility based upon the demands of your for sport for optimum performance and muscular health.
I've been asked why static stretching and yoga is considered to be part of a conditioning program when one is not huffing & puffing while gasping for air...Read More
Extreme Floor Press
March 7, 2011
by Stephen R. Santangelo
Muscles Activated: Full Body
Extreme training brings extreme results.
This is an adaptation from the conventional floor press.
Before removing the bar from the rack be sure to get the body into the proper position.
Squeeze the traps hard to build a solid platform. Do not rest on your neck.
Thrust the hips upward to create a strong arch...Read More
Should I Do Sit Ups?
February 28, 2011
by Stephen R. Santangelo
Sit Ups have long been a staple in exercise programs for decades. In the late 70’s sit ups suddenly became the evil of mankind regarding ab exercises and the crunch took over. Crunches dominated the 6 pack ads with misguided information for nearly 30 years.
Orthodox thinking (not logic) convinced us that having your legs straight or with bent knees and the feet on the ground was bad for the back. Hence, the crunch was developed. Elevating your knees does absolutely nothing to take the strain off your back. The flexion of the trunk is still doing the exact same movement as it would with the legs down; nothing gained.
Nowadays crunches are considered to be a thing of the past and the bridge is the new king along with balancing acts on unstable surface, the latter one being the biggest joke of all...Read More
Stretching Muscles With Resistance Bands
February 24, 2011
by Stephen R. Santangelo
Stretching a muscle with resistance, as with Pro Athletic Bands, creates elastic energy in the muscles and tendons.
This energy is stored until your next set.
When you begin your next set of reps, the energy will be released and propel you upward or outward depending upon how the band was applied to the muscle.
Forward Pulls
February 7, 2011
by Stephen R. Santangelo
Forward walking while pulling any weighted object is a very challenging exercise.
This method of conditioning works the entire body with emphasis of the posterior chain.
Dragging heavy objects uphill bumps up the level of intensity.
Pulling odd objects, in the snow, in sub freezing temperatures at elevations in excess of 8,400 ft. becomes far more demanding than any sled exercise...Read More
Knee Band Squats
January 24, 2011
by Stephen R. Santangelo
Every variation of squatting must be a part of every sport specific training regimen as well as every conditioning program.
Knee band squats are at the top of my list when it comes to squatting.
This particular exercise has many more applications than any other squat exercise. It can be used for power athletes, endurance athletes, body builders, fitness contestants, pre-hab & rehab, joint stability, lower limb mobility, flexibility, speed development and many others.
Learning the knee band squat is quite easy...Read More
Trunk Stability & Strength
January 17, 2011
by Stephen R. Santangelo
I prefer to make reference to the mid section as the ‘trunk’ rather than the ‘core’. Too many trainers like to use ‘core’ simply because it’s a great buzz word in the fitness industry.
The drawback to mid section training is regardless of what word one chooses, it always seems to go back to the same useless exercises such as crunches, sit ups and similar exercises. Research by the renowned Dr. Stuart McGill has shown that the aforementioned exercises load the spine with 340 kg. of compressive force per rep! That’s well over 680 lb of negative force/compression which none of us need. If you’re doing a 100 rep crunch session, simple math tells us you have just placed over 68,000 lb of spine destroying pressure on your back!..Read More
Strength & Bodyweight
January 10, 2011
by Stephen R. Santangelo
There are 2 types of strength which are an absolute necessity regarding athletic development; absolute and relative.
Absolute strength is the maximum weight that a person can lift for one repetition.
Relative strength in the maximum amount of weight an athlete can lift relative to bodyweight.
Athletes who need to move their body from point A to point B as fast as possible (AFAP) or who use an implement to move their body from point A to point B, such as cyclists or rowers, must develop relative strength to a high degree.
Strength athletes who need to move as much weight as possible from point A to point B, such as power lifters and Olympic weightlifters must develop absolute strength as their priority...Read More
Snowshoe Athletes Get Down and Dirty With Dead Lifts
December 13, 2010
by Stephen R. Santangelo
Every athlete must do dead lifts and snowshoe competitors are no exception. For details on the dead lift and its variations, refer to my articles on Deadlift Training.
Snowshoe athletes have a unique circumstance, in their training, which requires specialty wear, snowshoes.
Performing DLs in snowshoes and in the snow, positions the body in a more biomechanical specific position which will build specific strength for enhancing snowshoe performance.
Dead lifts are designed for increasing maximum strength; therefore, several sets for 1-3 reps work well to optimize this particular exercise...Read More
Why I Use Swivel Bells™ Part 5
December 6, 2010
by Stephen R. Santangelo
Here are 3 very important factors regarding the benefits of Swivel Bell training which makes it a superior implement for all athletes and fitness enthusiasts:
Applying force into another object
SB’s teach the muscles to fire in multi-functional balance
Cross body force transfer
Most any implement can be used to achieve 1 or more of these anatomical functions. The uniqueness of the SB allows you to develop all 3 principles at one time and to a much greater degree. I have written extensively about centripetal and centrifugal forces. These are very important principles to understand and implement into all training regimens.
Centripetal force is proportional to the square of the velocity. Simply stated, doubling the speed at which the SB...Read More
How Do I Continue To Get Stronger? Part 3
December 1, 2010
by Stephen R. Santangelo
Goal setting and mental attitude are key aspects for continued gains in strength. Without this thought process success will never happen.
Setting short term goals, seasonal goals, annual goals and life goals are the basis for achieving everything we want. Not every goal will be met on a regular basis. We’ll always have set backs. The important part is not to allow these set backs to become failures. As long as we continue to forward more often than backwards, we’re achieving success and progression...Read More
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