Fitness
STRENGTH
The Unstoppable Force
What differentiates Shaq from Yao Ming is this: You won't see Shaq get blocked by a midget. Size doesn't always mean strength. Exhibit A: Charles Barkley, one of the most dominating forwards in the NBA and yet he was only 6'6”. Exhibit B: Shawn Bradley, stood 7'6” and famous for being posterized by people 10 inches shorter than him. Pure strength comes if you learn to tap the full capacity of your muscles. Aenlle provides tips on how you can become a dominant force in any sport.
Shore up your core
"Everything we (SMC-RP team) do is a core workout," says Aenlle. With a weak core, you have less energy. He likens the core to the hub of a bicycle wheel. The spokes of the wheel, he says, source energy from the hub. The upper and lower limbs, likewise, obtain energy from the core. Aenlle recommends this four-point stabilization program to strengthen your core. First, do the supine (glute) bridge. Lie on the floor with your knees bent, and your arms on the side. Lift your butt off the ground and squeeze your glutes (butt) for 15-45 seconds. Keep your shoulders, hips and thighs in line while doing it. Then proceed to the side (lateral) bridge. Lie on your side with your forearm on the ground. Lift your hip off the ground by pushing your forearm away from your body. Keep your head in line with your spine and hold for 15-45 seconds. Repeat on the other side. Then, do the prone (front) bridge. Get into prone pushup position, keeping your body straight while only your toes and forearms rest on the floor. Push your chest as far away from the ground as possible and hold for 15-45 seconds. Repeat all the exercises for a total of 2-5 sets.
Mix up the basics
For Aenlle, training for strength can basically be done through push, pull, squat, and rotation exercises with limitless variations. From the most basic program, you can do pushups, pullups, front squats, but getting creative with each exercise is a big booster. You can do elevated leg pushups or stability ball pushups, with inverted rows or bent-over rows, plus split or one-leg squats. Feel free to try different combinations.
Superset gives super strength
Aenlle recommends this circuit workout with minimal rest in between exercises to boost your strength. Do front squats with a weight load that you can do 6-8 reps. Then do 15 stability ball pushups, your toes on the stability ball while keeping your core tight throughout. After that, proceed to one-leg Romanian deadlifts, doing eight reps per leg. Do your maximum reps of basic pullups. Next would be dumbbell push jerk. Do eight reps per arm. Afterwards, do one-leg, one-arm bent-over rows. Perform eight reps per arm. Finish the set with medicine ball parallel throws—stand facing a wall and do six reps per side. Rest for 2-3 minutes and do two more sets.
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Men's Health Philippines - July 2007 Issue
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Asi Taulava
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