Thought the trap bar was only used for lower body strength exercises? Think again.

With my article on the 5 Trap Bar Exercises You’re Not Doing, I already gave you a taste of how the trap bar can be used to push your gains to the next level. But, as I’m sure you noticed, all of the exercises discussed were lower body and core focused. Not that focusing on core strength is a bad thing (as it will assuredly do much more for your body composition and athletic performance than endless bicep curls do) but pigeonholing the trap bar doesn’t do justice to its versatility.

Check out the exercises HERE Also check out at the end of the article the TRAP BAR WORKOUT!

http://www.oneresult.com/articles/training/upper-body-trap-bar-exercises

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The Ultimate Playground Workout

In the training world at some point you will run into an individual that tells you, one of the following things…

• I don’t have the time to train
• I don’t have the money to train
• I don’t have a good trainer/facility near me to train

Well I am here to tell you those are all just excuses.  Everyone can find a place to train and time to train if they plan accordingly and get a little creative. I got a great this idea from good friend and mentor Zach Even Esh for hitting the playground for a workout.

Over the summer I took some of my older athletes for an extra workout at a nearby playground. It was a nice break from some of the traditional stuff we normally do and the kids got a great workout and had lots of fun. The playground is a great place to train if you are pressed for time or just want to try something different.  Every playground is different, but almost every one I have been to has a swing set. The swing set can provide a highly effective full body workout in a short amount of time. Here are some ideas on how you can utilize the swings in your training.

Try these two full body circuits for 3-5 sets of 6-8 reps of each exercise for an amazing strength and conditioning workout!

A1) Swings Bulgarian Split Squats

This is a great exercise to help strength your quads, work your core and help improve hip mobility all at the same time.

A2) Swing Atomic Push Ups

This exercises will work your core, upper body pushing muscles and hip flexors all at the same time. This is a great way to make the push up more challenging and work multiple muscles all at once.

A3)Swing Roll Outs

You can utilize the swing the same way you would like an ab wheel. I prefer to do these with a neutral spine and come out as far as you can under control and hold each reps for 10 seconds in the bottom position.

Next you can do the following

B1) Swing SHELC (Supine hip extension leg curl)

This is a great exercise to work both functions of the hamstring (hip extension and knee flexion). The goal of this exercise is to hold glute isometrically the whole time and then contract the hamstring second. If this exercise is too diff cult the athlete can try the swing body curl instead as shown below and still get the same benefits.

B2) Mixed Body Weight Pulling (Swing Rows and Pole Pull Ups)

Depending on your strength level mix in some pole pull ups with some swing rows. The swing rows and pole pull ups will also work the muscles of the grip. The thick pole will be much harder to hold onto than a normal pull up bar so this will challenge an athlete’s open hand strength. The swing rows will challenge the athlete’s pinch grip and work the thumbs much more than a normal inverted row.

B3) Swing Body Saw

This is a great core exercise that will build a rock solid stability. This exercise can be done from push up or plank positions (on elbows or hands as shown above It is important to try to keep a neutral spine the whole time and really squeeze the abs and glutes hard in order to maintain proper position.

There you have it! The Ultimate playground workout.that can be done in about 20-30 minutes, so if you are in a rush and can’t get to your gym or personal trainer, you have no excuse for missing your workout! Get a little creative and hit the playground!

Here are some other ideas if you playground has monkey bars or parallel bars available. Of course any body weight training exercises can be added to the routine as well.

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Enjoy!

Interested in learning more about the methods and exercises used by Gaglione Strength?
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The bench, squat, and deadlift are some of the best exercises to perform for both size and strength for all athletes. Unfortunately most the time people don’t know how to perform these exercises properly. In order to get the most benefit out of each exercise it is important to learn the proper techniques to execute each lift. Here are three posts I did for Lighthouse wrestling on how to perform the BIG THREE.

http://lighthousewrestling.com/2011/04/09/teaching-drills-for-improving-the-big-three-part-1-squat-drills/

http://lighthousewrestling.com/2011/04/18/teaching-drills-for-improving-the-big-three-part-2-bench-press-drills/

http://lighthousewrestling.com/2011/04/25/teaching-drills-for-improving-the-big-three-part-3-deadlift-drills/

Interested in learning more about the methods and exercises used by Gaglione Strength?
Check out this exclusive offer for the Gaglione Strength Seminar HERE

http://www.gaglionestrength.com/2011/08/31/huge-annoucement-if-you-are-looking-to-dominate-the-competition-you-need-this/

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Educate, Motivate, Dominate
-Coach Gaglione

5 Trap Bar Exercises You’re Not Doing

Maximizing your core strength begins with a trap bar, a level of determination, and these five exercises.
The trap bar is a great tool for anyone looking to build strength, whether an athlete or just someone working to get stronger and look better. It can be used for a variety of exercises, as its unique design allows for a natural, and shoulder-friendly, position that places much less stress on your spine than a straight bar does (as the trap bar enables you to get directly in the center of the bar). So while you may have never done the exercises below, trying them will give you a taste of just how effective the trap bar can be for building strength and putting on lean muscle mass.

Check it out here

http://www.oneresult.com/articles/training/5-trap-bar-exercises-you%E2%80%99re-not-doing

Interested in learning more about the methods and exercises used by Gaglione Strength?
Check out this exclusive offer for the Gaglione Strength Seminar HERE

http://www.gaglionestrength.com/2011/08/31/huge-annoucement-if-you-are-looking-to-dominate-the-competition-you-need-this/

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Educate, Motivate, Dominate
-Coach Gaglione

Make your Goal Setting SMARTER

by John Gaglione

“You got to be careful if you don’t know where you’re going, because you might not get there.”

YOGI BERRA

People want to get stronger, leaner, faster, but often times they do not have a goal in mind. Let me ask you something, would you go on a trip without a destination? Would you travel  somewhere without a map, GPS, or directions? If you do not no where you are going then it is impossible to get better and reach your goals.

In order to get better you need a PLAN of attack. You need to write down you goals. By writing down your goals this makes the task real and tangible. Before you write it down the goal is just a thought, an idea a dream. Make the goal real by writing it down and put the goal some place where you can see it every day in order to remind you of what it is you are working on.

Make your goals specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, timely. I will give an example of a goal I had of squatting 675 pounds at my last power lifting meet, but the information in this article can be applied to any goal.

Specific

I wanted to squat at least 675(which is 7 plates on each side on a normal 45lb bar). My goal was not to simply squat more, I had a specific number in mind for a specific competition.  A person may want to lose 10% body fat or 15 pounds. These are all numbers than can be quantified and measure in a certain amount of time. Specific really entails of the other elements as well.

Measurable

Make sure the goal is measurable. I wanted to squat 675 at my last powerlifting competition. The way I measure the goal is by going to the meet and getting on the platform in front of three judges. The judges will make sure my form is good and I make good depth. If I don’t do a squat according to the rules the lift will not count.

If someones goal is fat loss they should know how much they want to lose. Numbers and units help us quantify what we are doing. I want to look better is not a good goal, because better is very vague. I want to lose 15 pounds in 3 months is a good goal because it is something we can measure with a scale. Some people may not care how much they weight, but they want a six pack. There will be certain weight and body fat percentage that will give them that look and that number should be their goal.

Attainable

Goals should be realistic. I squatted 690 in training, but it was a little high and my form was a little off. In a competition if you are a little high the squat will not count. Even though my depth was questionable I was confident that I had the strength to squat at least 675 to proper depth. I also had a plan of attack to reach my goal. I trained with several powerlifters who were better than me. Many of the people I had trained with squatted more than, 700, 800, and even 900 pounds. I surrounded  myself with good people and I got better as a result. I was in a realistic setting for reaching my goal. I was consistently pushing to have better form and work harder each and every workout. The other thing that helped a lot is I saw many people squat in excess of 700 pounds every week so in my brain I knew I could eventually do it too.

The environment you are in is crucial for success. If you want to lose weight you should be around people who support your goals. If you want to become a better wrestler you should wrestle with people who have more experience and better technique than you. People need to get out of their comfort zone and be challenged in order to get better.

Relevant

Many times people ask me why do I compete in powerlifting? As a an athlete growing up I always went 100% in every drill and in every training session in order to get better. I learned as an athlete that the harder your work the better you will get, but you also need to work intelligently as well.  Now I am a strength coach and a trainer I want to continue to get stronger and smarter in order to help myself as well as my clients. If I wasn’t constantly trying to get stronger why should anyone listen to me about strength. I will constantly push myself  to my body’s limit, the same my I expect my athletes and clients to do. I strive to not only “talk the talk” , but more importantly “walk the walk.” I want to be a role model for my athletes/clients, inspire them to do better and achieve their goals.

Make sure your goals have meaning to you. Why do you want to get leaner, jump higher, or run faster? Make sure these goals are relevant to your life and have meaning. I know when I played sports I learned many life lessons about team work, work ethic, sacrifice, and goal setting. Training for sports taught me so much about life and helped prepared me for the real world and molded me into a better coach and trainer as a result.

Timely

Make sure you have a time frame for each goal and set mini goals along the way. I knew in order to squat 675 at some point I would have to squat 600 first, then 650 and so forth. My goal was to squat 675 on August 7th 2010, which goes back to being very specific. Make sure you have enough time to complete your goal and don’t be afraid to re-adjust your time frame if you don’t make it.  Constantly log your progress in order to see if you are approaching your goal. I keep track of my lifts in an exercise journal on my computer to track my progress and to see if I am getting stronger. This also helps me see what assistance exercises are working for me.

If you are trying to get leaner keep a food journal. Keep track of what your are eating. Many times just by writing the food down will help you eat better since you are more conscious of how much you are eating and what you are eating. You should also weigh yourself once a week at the same time in the same clothes in order to monitor progress for weight loss.

I hope these tips will inspire you to have SMART goals for the rest of the year. And in case you are wondering I did get a 675 squat at my meet and I already have my goals written down for the next one!

Work hard and work SMART and you will achieve all of your goals whether it be in fitness or just in life!

Interested in learning more about the methods and exercises used by Gaglione Strength?
Check out this exclusive offer for the Gaglione Strength Seminar HERE

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Educate, Motivate, Dominate

-Coach Gaglione

The Best Posterior Chain Exercises For Athletic Performance

It’s the muscles you can’t see that will make you a better athlete. Here are the best ways to train them properly.

The strength of an athlete’s posterior chain is of paramount importance. Most only focus on the “mirror” muscles, often times neglecting both their glutes and hamstrings. Big mistake, especially when these muscles play a role in any athletic movement you’re looking to perform (running, jumping, throwing, etc).

Check out the BEST single leg hip dominant exercises for improving athletic strength and performance.

http://www.oneresult.com/articles/training/best-posterior-chain-exercises-athletic-performance

Educate, Motivate, Dominate
-Coach Gaglione

Why do you TRAIN?

It seems like a simple question at first, you might say to be healthy, be better at your sports and many other responses, but why do you do those things. I want to spread the question again and I WANT YOU TO ANSWER THE QUESTION. Really think about it.

This is a post I did for Elite a few months ago and I think is worth a read again if you need to ready to TRAIN!

Check it you HERE

http://articles.elitefts.com/articles/training-articles/why-do-you-train/

Interested in learning more about the methods and exercises used by Gaglione Strength?
Check out this exclusive offer for the Gaglione Strength Seminar HERE

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Educate, Motivate, Dominate
-Coach Gaglione

The Best Knee Dominant Single Leg Exercises for Athletic Performance! My first article with OneResult! Check it out and let me know what you think. http://www.oneresult.com/articles/split-squats/best-single-leg-exercises-athletes

Leg strength is vital to develop in any sports performance program. It’s why squats, deadlifts, cleans, snatches, and more recently weighted hip thrusts are all used to increase strength, power, and agility. But while squats and deadlifts have for years been the foundation of my programs, the downside is they never work one leg at a time.

So what’s the big deal about single leg training? Well, for athletes, and even those simply trying to look better, it will help improve any asymmetries you have while developing strength in more sport specific positions. Activities like running, hopping, bounding, cutting and penetration steps, and throws for combat sports all require single leg strength and stability.

http://www.oneresult.com/articles/split-squats/best-single-leg-exercises-athletes

Interested in learning more about the methods and exercises used by Gaglione Strength?
Check out this exclusive offer for the Gaglione Strength Seminar HERE

http://www.gaglionestrength.com/2011/08/31/huge-annoucement-if-you-are-looking-to-dominate-the-competition-you-need-this/

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Educate, Motivate, Dominate
-Coach Gaglione