Swinging a dead lift? Let me explain.

Enduring 1,000+ swings a day for 10 days forces you to do a couple of things:

1. learning to explode with the hips
2. forcefully contracting the glutes
3. keeping a tight core
4. making sure the lats and upper back were tight and engaged
5. breathing
6. hands and arms were only hooks to the weight

I learned a few things during the heavy swing days, and one of the lessons came while doing box squats during that cycle: hip and Glute focus during box squats, helps move more weight faster.

I started looking at my old dead lift technique, and decided that even though I had all the right set up cues, and positioning, I was focusing in the wrong ways. With what I have learned from swings, my whole performance with dead lifting has changed.

From the outside, the set up looks the same (aside from me doing several air swings to make sure my mind was cued in on my hips and glutes)- a conventional dead lift. But when I begin the pull, I “swing” the weight. What I mean by “swing” the weight, is this:

1. exploding with the hips
2. forcefully contracting the glutes
3. keeping a tight core
4. making sure the lats and upper back were tight and engaged
5. breathing
6. hands and arms are only hooks to the weight

The bar path is still the same.

What I have noticed recently with this new focus:

• Bar speed has increased dramatically
• Almost no soreness in the lower back
• More weight moved faster
• Better technique

I never really enjoyed the KB swing. It was a boring exercise, and I always preferred the more dynamic KB snatch, but no longer. The 48kg KB has become my new friend as well. 8 sets of 25 reps with the 48kg, following 20×225 full squats gave a whole new meaning to “pain in the ass”.

Till next time, take care, and good lifting,

Tim

Well, I am still here, just tired and focusing on work. It has been a very busy last month or so, and did I mention that I’m tired.

PT, gym time, and any training for that matter, has been sporadic to non existent. To make up for it, I use the weekends for catch up by hammering down on as much volume as possible, and then use the week as recovery. This has helped, but seeing how physical training is my only therapy, it really doesn’t do much for my mental health. Add to this the beginning of what may be called a “mid life crisis” style look at my life so far, and I am getting grumpy.

It hasn’t been all bad though. The last few months of planning PT, implementing the plan, and seeing the results the guys I train have had, and experienced myself, really has taught me a lot about planning a long term physical training program. I have found planning ideas, exercises, and principles and been able to implement the m in a progressive manner and see the results. I have come away with a blend of my old workouts, and added new ideas that work for me and with proper coaching, work for others as well. What to do now?

I am going to try something new, and learn from it. I never liked doing anything I didn’t plan or come up with. That did change last year when I gave the 20 rep squat program a shot, and several programs from Military Athlete a go as well. 10,000 swings in 10 days was another eye opening experience. So, starting Monday, I am going to give SealFit a try for the next 8 weeks.

It’s already planned out for me. The goals of the program work very well with my line of work. It will make me do things I normally don’t like doing when I plan my own workouts. Just like Military Athlete ‘s Big24 program, I will have to step outside my comfort zone and learn new things.

Till next time, take care,iv>
Tim