5/3/1

(Post by Julia)

If you haven't been checking out my training log over at EliteFTS, shame on you! As mentioned yesterday, we've got a big move ahead of us. So in the midst of my busy schedule, training by myself on some days, and trying to put back on some muscle, I've decided that something simple is going to be the best for me right now.

If you haven't checked out Jim Wendler's 5/3/1 book, you're missing out. While it's nothing mind-blowing or innovative, it outlines a great way to build up some raw strength and put on some muscle. If you don't want to have to think (which, sometimes, let's be honest, it's nice not to think) then this is for you.

So far, it's been going well. Having 2 kids in less than 2 years, training has been a bit sporadic. My bench strength has remained relatively the same, but my lower body work suffered. So, I'm interested to see how this will help build my raw strength and add some muscle back on to my quads, hamstrings and glutes.

Also, if you missed the EliteFTS twitter chat we had last week... whew! You missed out. Several of the EFS team members answered questions (Live) from readers. If you want to read back on some of that chat, you can go to Twitter.com. In the search box enter #EliteFTS. The post will read backwards, but we talked about some great things. So be sure to check it out. And if you did miss it, then you missed out on a chance for some free EFS t-shirts.

Stay tuned because we'll be having another one sometime in the near future.

Inside Out & Magnificient Mobility

We've been very busy over here at the Iron Edge. We'll be moving in 2 weeks, so needless to say, we've got alot to do. In the meantime, Mike Robertson (a friend of mine from college) is having a huge sale on some of his products that he created with Eric Cressey and Bill Hartman. They have a new product coming out soon, so they are discounting their Magnificent Mobility and Inside Out stuff. If you haven't seen any of these products yet, check them out. Well, worth it!

Go to Mike's product page and enter FALL09 in the checkout code box and you'll get 30% off!

The Rotater: Review

Shoulder injuries are common in any sport. Whether it's powerlifting, baseball, football... you name it.

Enter: The Rotater

The Rotater's creator is Scott Kay. After several motorcycle racing accidents and three shoulder surgeries, Scott came up with this.

This device can be used for stretching (both internally and externally) and even strengthening. By attaching the strong arm kit, you can also perform internal and external strengthening exercises.

I've been using it for the past week and I love the strengthening part of it. I use it as a warm-up on my upper body days. Personally, I've never had tight shoulders, but I can definitely see how this can stretch and alleviate some of those tight spots.

This is a great tool to be used in conjunction with your physical therapy program. It allows you, the patient, to stretch at home and strengthen when you need to. Check out the Rotater's blog for more info on shoulder rehab and performance. You can also follow him on Twitter @TheRotater.

Be Strong,

Julia

The Tao of B - A Short Book review

I will start by saying you should have this book in your library. Glen " Power B" Buechlein is a great story teller and enjoys his fair share of hard work. I would generally consider Power B a bench press specialist but he offers much more than that. His wit and humor makes this a very easy read and also provides a number of different ways to torture your body into submission.

Here are a few things he covers.

* Bench Press technique

* Max Effort Training

* Repetition work (some really different ideas on this one!)

* Triceps/Lockout work (Triceps Death, Beekers, Triceps Death variations, etc.)

* 10 week training program for the bench press

* Insane training for the back

* Strongman training

* Conditioning work that you have never thought of or seen

* Odd lift training

* Bench Press challenges

* Kettlebell challenges


My training partners and I have put into practice a few ideas from this book and they will be staples in our program for a long time to come. If you enjoy pushing yourself physically and mentally through workouts, or need some different ideas for training, it's a great book. This is for sale at Elitefts.com in e-book version or hardcopy.

If you are not sold yet here are a few other articles by Power B to get you started. Some of the articles are also in the book so you will get an idea of what you are getting.


The Voyeur

Keepers and Thowbacks

The Glass is Half Full

Just Do It

Digit Ratios and a Predisposition to Strength

Pop goes the Weasel

Beserker Workouts

Wanted


If you do pick up the book or have read it before, leave a comment and let me know what you think.

Julia's Bench Meet

Julia competed in a bench meet this past weekend.

Opened with 215.
Took 240 on a second- missed.
Took 240 again on a third and got it.

Update

We were gone on vacation for a bit, hence, the lack of posting.

Julia has a bench meet coming up August 1st. Her first meet since April of '08. 6 months post-pregnancy too!

Matt is training for a full meet in October. Training is going well for him and he's been experimenting with some different things.

Interview with Julia at The Training Talk

Julia recently did an interview with Rick Hochfeld over at The Training Talk. Take a moment to head over there and check it out.