Without question frontal plane hip stabilization weakness is the #1 thing that I see every day in the clinic or in my bootcamps. As a result we have made frontal plane hip stabilization a regular routine in camp.
About 6 months ago I got tired of the hip training bands that were on the market for several reasons.
1. The thin ones broke within a month of using
2. The ones with the ankle cuff don’t allow me to shorten the lever arm
3. The ones that allow you attach to your thigh slide up and down not to mention it tears up your thighs
4. The tubular ones roll up your legs
So I created my own.
The dynamic stabilizer eliminates all of those issues but that is my opinion.
Take a look and let me know what you think.
Training Beyond the Bar
Dave Schmitz
If you interested in picking up a New Dynamic Stabilizer, I am including in any band package until 11:59pm Wednesday night. All you have to do is mention you read it in the this blog when you order.
In honor of my 47th birthday today, I decided to go back into the video achieves and share with you a fountain of youth secret I discovered at age 37.
As I moved into my 30’s and continued to be (in my own mind) a great athlete LOL, I suddenly realized I had lost my ability to move.
As a physical therapist, fitness enthusiasts and athlete want-a-be, I should have realized that joints that are stiff, muscles that are tight and fascia that is bound down, is not good for your body and definitely does not enhance function.
As a result I started to bend, stretch, elongate, and actively move in directions that were not part of my normal daily movements. One the key things I implemented into my new program was resistance band stretching for my hips.
Within 2 months of daily band stretching, I had eliminated nagging low back pain, was back on the track doing sprint works and could do workouts with my athletes 10 years younger than me.
Also as a bonus:
I had 10 times more energy to do daily task
Experience no more cracking and groaning getting out of bed in the morning
The ability to do real athletic based workouts was back
The respect from clients and athletes that I did what I taught became a great marketing tool
I had a niche to what had now become an incredibly fun and exciting career not just a hobby
I acquired a cool nickname… “The Band Man”
The ability to run with my 3 amazing children everyday
It was easy to motivate others and let them know they can get back what they lost
As we age we are going to lose mobility. Sometimes as a result of instability but mostly as a result of soft tissue shortening.
We all have physical activities in life that Jack us up and provide a sense of physical accomplishment. Doing repeat 100 meter sprints at age 47, full out and fast, is what gets me jacked.
So today’s First 2010 RBT Live episode is my gift to you on my birthday. Here is your RBT Fountain of youth Secret…. Good luck and trust me if flexibility is your issues, resistance band stretching will work it just takes a commitment to keeping what you got or getting back what you like to do.
Training beyond the Bar
Dave “The Band Man” Schmitz
Make sure you Check out my Birthday Special Below!!!
Band Training for Rotational Strength… Tapping into our power center
Your body loves to rotate and by now you know that this is your body’s power center. What is funny to me is that very few people every work rotational running or rotational pulling. It’s always in the same old straight plane. This has alot to do with our medical profession and the old fitness approach we got growing up. Machines were the best.. Wrong.
As for the medical field, they would rather we just avoid the issue by not rotating. Well try avoid rotating all day. Good luck…. It will not happen.
But I am not suppose to “twist”!! Thats right.. Twisting is rotation without using your whole body.. especially your hips. Twisting will crush your low back and knees. Rotation will not. Most people twist.
It has never made sense to me knowing that our power comes from our ability to rotate. If you don’t use it you lose it. Interestingly, I think this also is why we lose our balance and why falling is a big problem, especially in our senior population.
So it’s time to start looking at how you are going to start training the rotational plane.
Let me get you started.
Reactive Training.. Powerful Results
Dave Schmitz
PS… With the Total Fitness package you get my 4 week Beginner workout which has several rotational based workouts. Keep that in mind if you struggle figuring out how to use your bands to train rotation
Band Training for Shuffle strength… do you work on it??
Our body was designed to primarily to move forward which is why we can run the fastest in a forward direction. Ok now that I have enlightened you with that wisdom… Did you know that in order to be powerful forward we must be incredibly stable side to side.
Yep, we lose power forward when we have to spend time working so hard on stabilizing in the frontal plane. It’s called having a frontal plane force leak.
How do you correct it??
Start strength training and running sideways as well as forward.
Have you ever done a high speed shuffle workout?? or all your strength training in a sideways direction??
I have and continue to do this often with bands. It’s the easiest way to get cardio in and work on dynamic lateral stabilization at the same time. Now add a little pulling or pushing action with this and you can really rock your frontal plane stabilizers.
As promised a frontal plane cardio-strength workout. I hope you get a little laugh from the screen shot.
Now I know that the real benefit of resistance band training in the way the band man does it is its ability to integrate multiple force vectors and planes of movement with any given exercise.
This allows for greater muscle activation which leads to greater calorie burn and thus greater fat loss.
But sometimes you just want to work your arms and that’s it… and I get that.
I mean we all have an area of our body that we just like to attack and then show off in the hours between workouts, right
And for me, like most guys, that area is my arms.
Whenever I feel like hitting my arms after completing my strength training (10-15 minutes) and total body metabolic training (20-30 minutes) components, I add in a little 4-minute 20-10 Tabata finisher performing band drop sets.
Here’s how it works:
I select 2 movements, one that works my biceps and one that works my triceps.
Then I perform 4 consecutive sets of one exercise, starting with the highest band tension I can handle for at least 8-10 reps and then dropping band tension from set to set.
I then immediately repeat this process for the second exercise as outlined below:
Set 1- Band Shoulder Presses- Green XLarge Band
Set 2- Band Shoulder Presses- Purple Large Band
Set 3- Band Shoulder Presses- Black Medium Band
Set 4- Band Shoulder Presses- Red Small Band
Set 5- Band Curls- Green Band
Set 6- Band Curls- Purple Band
Set 7- Band Curls- Black Band
Set 8- Band Curls- Red Band
Band training allows you to very quickly and easily move up and down in resistance without needing much space.
I use 20-10 interval workout music powered by Workout Muse to get the job done. I just press play and the music tells me exactly what to do so I can focus on getting nasty with my bands.
Check out the video below to see me crank out this awesome arms workout:
BJ Gaddour is not only a tremendous friend but also an outstanding fitness professional. His revolutionary ideas using workoutmuse have not only impacted my workouts, but have made my bootcamps using bands unmatched by my bootcamp competitors. Bands and Workoutmuse can give your bootcamps a definite market abvantage.
All the workouts found in the FitnessBandBootCamp are set up to be used with exclusive Resistance Band Training Workoutmuse sound tracks that come with the entire kick . Bands and workoutmuse will not only jump start your workouts but now it can jump start your camps.
Our extremities are designed and neurologically wired up to alternate. Running, walking, crawling and swimming are all movements that implement some form of alternating motions. When you look at our body and watch how it moves, you will quickly notice that functionally it is driven by alternating forces of the arms and legs and not by voluntary muscle contraction. By getting the arms and legs alternating in an integrated fashion, the body is able to functionally perform at an incredibly high level of power and efficiency.
Not only that, here are some other benefits that occur as a result of alternating movements
1. Increase abdominal activation
Extremities are attached onto the trunk so needless to say when the legs and arm start swinging the trunk is going to get really busy.
2. Increase rotational power
Our power production comes from our ability to rotate. Alternating arms and legs allow us to rotate aggressively and produce great force production which in turn makes us faster and more powerful
3. Improved balance by implementing an reciprocal counter balance
Our body uses alternating movements to counter balance our body and keep our center of gravity well positioned. Without alternating movements, our body would always be overloaded to one side.
4. Improved dynamic flexibility
One of the easiest ways to get the body to relax is to train or activate rotational movements. This is seen in physical therapy all the time with many of our activation techniques we use. As a result if we maintain rotation and improve our rotational control, we maintain our ability to keep moving freely and safely. The cool thing is all alternating movements use rotation.
5. The ability to handle unilateral forces on the body
Alternating movements make our body learn how to handle being overloaded to one side. This becomes important when you look at all the unilateral loading activities we do every day. Teaching unilateral control goes a long way in preventing injury.
The goal of this blog is not to go into extensive detail on how these benefits occur. The goal is to make you aware of how important it is to strength train your body using alternating movements and to show you how to do this easily with resistance bands.
When training alternate movements, most people typically only make on side of the body work at a time by placing the non-working side in a resting lengthened position. To optimize recover between reps this would make the most sense unless the goal was to improve core stability and metabolic output.
In this case you want to maintain a stabilizing contraction on “non-moving” side while the other side goes through a full range of motion movement. Interestingly, this enhanced stabilization will not only increase core activation but it will also help with opposite side power production which you will feel when you try it.
Once again, seeing and trying is believing. Bands make this form of training so easy to do especially in the horizontal plane which is where most of us really lack stabilization strength.
This week’s RBT live is all about how to train the entire upper body using alternating movements that emphasize stabilization as much as dynamic movement.
Enjoy and please shoot me your comments. I want to know your thoughts
Reactive Training …. Powerful Results
Schmitty the Band Man
PS… When I created the Fitness Band Boot Camp my goal was to build in as much alternating workouts as possible. I honestly feel is the number 1 reason my bootcamps become so functionally strong and balanced. You just can simulate this type of training with other tools, especially in the horizontal and rotational vectors.
One of the things I really love about band training is how easy it is to partner up. I don’t know about you but I crank up the intensity when I am being challenged by a partner. Especially when that partner is getting after it.
Attachment Free Exercises - Stationary Partner Holding - Dynamic Partner Holding or Combo Band Drills. I go over all of these in the new Partner Band Training DVD.
Combo band training allows each partner to be connected up into a linked band set up so you are getting the horizontal vector impact while also performing another exercise. This could require using another tool like a sandbag or kettlebell or just using another band like I am about to show you.
Regardless how you set it up, this is like doing a Super - Super band set.
A few suggestions before you get after this awesome Partner Band Training option.
1. Make sure you have mastered the exercises individually first
2. Make sure you have a willing partner
3. Give yourself at least 10-15sec to transition (30s is ok as well)
4. Choose easier exercises at first
5. Make sure you know how to hold
6. Keep band strength low and train high reps first
7. Use time based sets not rep based sets… However you can challenge your partner to match reps with you if you like a little competition.
These are great workouts for fat loss, building strength endurance, improving metabolic workload or just making it fun for your bootcampers.
Here is a run - push combo that I just recently did using 50-10 Workout Muse Interval. Enjoy the video and make sure you shoot me questions and comments you have about RBT Partner based training. Also let me know how RBT is going for you.
If you have bands and are not using partner based training, give it a try. I promise you clients will love it.
Repeat sets are one of the Partner Band Training options I will often implement within my bootcamp setting.
It provides me a way to effectively manipulate the workout in 3 different ways
1. Allows me to push clients into using heavier bands to train with. The powerlifting community taught me this concept of using several low rep sets to increase work volume with heavier loads. Most people can do 2-5 reps vs. concerning themselves with 8-10 reps.
2. Repeat sets is an easier way to bring new campers into partner band training without the initial concern with holding. All the new camper has to be concerned with is performing the exercise which I as an instructor can easily monitor. It also teaches stabilization in between sets which preps them for partner holding.
3. It allows you to do more total body exercises or teach more advanced variations of exercises to specific groups. Example being.. split squats with or without an overhead press. High pulls with or without a step.
Heres a simple Repeat Set Partner Band Training Workout
Push Press
Split Squat Left
High Pull
Split Squat Right
Squat Pull
Repeat sets are an outstanding way to get bootcampers rocking with a bigger band.
Let me know what you think
Training Beyond the Contraction
Dave Schmitz
Repeat sets is just one of several Partner Band Training concepts available on the new Partner Band Training DVD and manual. For more information on how to get Partner band training started click HERE!!
I recently did a video on training in the ring and after I completed it I realized I needed to cover more about RBT in the Ring.
Here are 5 things you need to have in place before you attempt to training in the ring
1. You must have XXL Blue Strong Bands to create the ring. My recommendation is that any ring training over 6 people should use 3-4 Blue bands or 2 Grey bands as the center ring ( Never use any type of hard structure within the ring… only large bands)
2. Your clients should have mastered all the drills you want to perform in the ring well before you attempt training in the ring. If people do not know the ring they will become intimidated and struggle with the heavier level of training which will create a unsuccessful training experience. Also holding is done by 4-5 individuals working as a team.
3. As the trainer you must personally have trained in the ring so you can cue and lead others. Don’t just throw people in the ring because it looks cool.
4. Map out exactly what drills you are going to use and what your work to rest ratio will be. My suggestion is to use exercises that allow clients to visually see each other.
5. Are you going to train in alternate groups or simulaneously?? If alternate is the choice how are you going to instruct members to hold?? Are you going to control the cadence or let them go free??
Simple Rules to follow when training in the Ring
1. Do not do blind drills. Make sure all ring members can see each other as they train. Blind Drills are very advanced training
2. Start in small group rings first. 3 and 4 are the best. I do not recommend linking 4 bands together without a middle ring band. This results in over stressing the bands if you do not stay closely connected with your
campers
3. Start with simple drills that everyone knows. Don’t get fancy and over demanding. The anxiety of training in the ring will be a fatigue factor by itself.
4. As a leader you need to initally set the cadence. Don’t let campers go as they want. It will create to much uneven resistance.
5. Always use extra strong bands in the ring. Don’t go small and over tax the bands in the ring. You do not want that group of bands breaking.
6. Use linked band set ups and avoid using handles at first. This will make training easier and allow greater distance between campers.
If you are interested in knowing what it take to set up a ring here is what you will need in bands for a 10 person ring
swimming are all movements that implement some form of alternating motions. When you look at our body and watch how it moves, you will quickly notice that functionally it is driven by alternating forces of the arms and legs and not by voluntary muscle contraction. By getting the arms and legs alternating in an integrated fashion, the body is able to functionally perform at an incredibly high level of power and efficiency.
