SCT: Superset Conditioning Training

 When it comes to a top level favorite of workouts, working with Supersets ranks right up there. For those who've been living under a rock, Supersets are taking two exercises and doing them back to back for a certain number of reps or sets. You mostly see this in gyms where someone would do a set of let's say Bench Press & Curls back to back for one set without stopping, resting and repeating. In that instance, some will do lighter weight or mix it up doing heavy with one exercise and lighter with the next or do heavy with both. It's a style where it gives off more of the pump along with certain cardiovascular effects.

The style I like to do is take two exercises and do them back to back without stopping for a certain period of time. I set my watch to some arbitrary number like 10 min, 15, 20 or an hour. Keep at a good pace where I'm not moving like Speedy Gonzales on a Coke binge but I'm not moving so damn slow the Mars Rover is outpacing me. I use this purely for strength and conditioning purposes mainly in the realm of carrying an object and doing Step Ups. I've done supersets of Push-ups & Squats in the past or do Bear Crawls one way and do Duck Walks going back as part of a sequence. The carrying and step ups provides the idea of using real world application. 

With these workouts, the idea is to rest extremally little or none whatsoever. This teaches your body and mind to keep going even when it gets tougher. Carrying something like a 50 lb Sandbell a couple times and then straight to step ups may not sound tough but over a period of time without stopping, it becomes something more than you would expect. One of the crazy workouts of this magnitude would be to Carry a Sandbell for ten yards on one shoulder, drop and carry 10 yards with the other shoulder, 20-30 step ups (10-15 per leg) and repeat that for an hour straight. That sounds more like a Tri-Set but to me, carrying something one shoulder at a time is one set. I did this workout for 46 supersets without a break (920 Step Ups and Carrying 4600 lb for a total of 920 Yards). 

You can do whatever exercises you want to do, the objective is to keep going. If you're a bodyweight maniac, set a timer for 15 minutes and do 25 Squats and 10 Push-ups without stopping. Micro Workouts are great for this kind of thing. You can also do Isometric type training where let's say you do a 30 second Horse Stance and then go into a 30 second Fist Plank and keep repeating that for as long as you can. If you absolutely need a break, take it between supersets until you're ready for the next set but for the most part, if you need a break than you're exhausting yourself too soon. Utilize a pace where it's not so easy but it's not going slow you down either and you can go without having to stop. 

Supersets are awesome for building high levels of conditioning and fat burning effects. If you really want to take it to the next level and shed fat faster than butter in a pan, do Sprints and Circuits as a hybrid superset where you sprint for let's say 10 seconds, walk back and do a series of Push-Ups, Squats, Jumps, Burpees or whatever a circuit may be and than rest for as long as needed. Repeat for a few rounds and that's it. This is more of a HIIT type of workout where even 3x a week might be pushing it so don't do workouts anymore than that, 1-2x a week is ideal. I did something similar to this for 6 weeks and dropped a considerable amount of bodyfat, lowered my blood pressure by a huge margin and was leaner despite only losing a few pounds. That's going hardcore and not a beginner type level of training. 

Another great workout would be doing Farmer's Carries and Step Ups or Squats. Example would be to carry a kettlebell in one hand for x amount of yards, switch hands and carry the same amount of yards and then do step ups or squats. Repeat this for as long as you wish or can handle. Some would take two exercises and do them with deck of cards to really up the ante like Hindu Push-Ups & Hindu Squats, work your legs hard with just Step Ups & Hindu Squats or whatever you choose to do. 

This type of training is very effective and goes beyond just working muscles, you're working your cardiovascular system, you're testing the mental aspects and training muscle groups that are often ignored. Make it work for you and be sure to recover efficiently. If you're into weight training, do supersets that work opposing muscles like a Chest & Back Exercise or Tris and Bi's, Thighs & Hamstrings or Mix and Match. It's not complicated, it's very simple and as long as you stick to the basics, you're golden.

Train hard, recover just as hard and keep up your conditioning so you can last when it counts. Keep being amazingly awesome.

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Hitting 1000 Even Faster In Step Ups

Yesterday, I attempted to do 1000 Step Ups again just to see where it went. Recently for Step Up Workouts, I would go for 30 min or more non stop. Never counted how many total, just set my timer and went at it doing 12-15 per leg repeatedly. I have tested myself to see how fast or consistent I can do a certain amount of reps per minute, my fastest is 30-33 within a minute, at a decent clip for pacing it's around 24 per minute, so for a 30 minute workout that means I'm ranging around 650-720 reps. 

If you hear someone say Step Ups are a lazy man's form of leg training, they're talking out of their ass and have no clue how tough that exercise can be, he's feeding you bullshit for something else in order to make a buck. Last time I did a thousand was about a couple years ago or so and managed to complete 1000 reps in 50 minutes. That to me was beyond crazy and I didn't think I would go any lower than that. This was using a deck of cards and just going with the numbers you would do for each suit. This time, I used a deck of cards again and something incredible happened, I went even faster.

Now when I did the amount in 50 minutes, I was using a 14 inch step stool which was relatively difficult and I was feeling it in my hips, lower back and knees. Since then I changed it to a 12 1/2 inch stool which is only an inch and a half difference so nothing huge in terms of a matter of speed and consistency. This height is perfect for me when it comes to consistency and keeping pace without feeling discomfort in my hips and knees along with the low back. This time, I not only went faster, I shaved off a ton of minutes. I finished 1000 reps in 41:23, nearly 8 min and 40 seconds were sliced off. That was fucking incredible and it's an awesome feeling.

There were times where I was practically sprinting and other times keeping a solid pace. Around 3/4 of the way I wanted to quit and just say fuck it and call it a day but I felt something encouraging me to keep going and telling me I got this. For some reason, I kept hearing Bud Jeffries in my head and he wouldn't have let me stop. I know that sounds New Agey and full of shit when it comes to the paranormal stuff but it was weird that I felt his presence and just felt like I couldn't let him down, so I kept going. I don't know maybe it was the endorphin high, the heavy breathing, the mental state I was in or whatever but it was surreal and I couldn't stop to let it sink in, I had to fight a bit but I made it and I did it.

Doing that many reps in that span of time was on another level of fierce will and determination along with mental toughness and the ability to push through even when it got hard. I have no fucking clue where that puts me in the realm of fitness nor do I really care, I just wanted to see if I can do it again and god damnit I did and it was absolutely glorious. You have no idea how it feels to do that many until you've done it yourself. You can talk shit all you want and contradict what the idea is but that means you couldn't possibly fathom the mentality and the physicality to push that hard with such a simple exercise. I don't know if I'll do it again any time soon or even go past 1000 for that matter but I can say I did it and I was cruising through that shit with the spirit of a dear friend encouraging me and the will to make it happen even when I was fighting myself. 

When you take on a challenge, you may completely know what the outcome is or where that challenge will lead you. A challenge is more than just attempting something physical, it's a challenge to your mind, the heart you have and the fire that burns within in order to accomplish that challenge no matter what it is, so big you can see it through space or so damn tiny it's barely microscopic. There's a time and a place where you push yourself to limits that most people would fear for their life. It doesn't have to be all the time, you're not setting world records in your workouts, but it is important to have that curiosity and see what you are capable of. If it's with a friend or a workout partner that's great but also when you're by yourself and there's no one to help you, you have to dig deep into the very depths of your soul and there's no one to blame if you fail. 

1000 reps in anything whether it be push-ups, squats, pull-ups, step-ups or moving weight over a period of time or in one workout is a feat for anybody. If you do it consistently, you're in far better shape than the highest majority of the population. No matter what your challenges are, face them and find out what you can do. You may fail quite a bit but sometimes those challenges can make you succeed and you're putting in the fight to succeed. Don't be afraid to fail yet make your successes as pieces of a puzzle that is your journey. There's always a piece that fits, question is, how many pieces does it take for you to get to the big picture?

Kick ass everyone and I wish you all the successes you make, if you fail, pick yourself back up and keep fighting whether it's right there or at another time. Keep being amazingly awesome.

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Step Ups & Minor League Baseball

It's interesting how you find certain exercises you wouldn't expect to find in certain areas of sports let alone in fitness. Step Ups is one of those exercises that gets pushed back by the wayside because there are fancier and cooler looking exercises that make this exercise look "inferior" or as one jackass likes to call them the Lazy Man's Leg Training. It's actually far from inferior than people are led to believe. Even the legendary powerlifter and strength historian Terry Todd believed in the benefits of the Step Up.

I found an article recently on how Minor League Baseball players would train with Step Ups to keep up with their strength and stamina since most teams don't have the million dollar facilities and access to elite coaches in the Majors. The article is a little over 5 years old but it still holds true to the extent that you won't always have the best of the best when it comes to equipment and getting coached by the masters of strength and conditioning so you go back to the basics. 

It does take a solid level of conditioning to play the game if you want to rise to the top. If you want to give a full on analysis on players that play at the very best in their field, you have to look at the conditioning and longevity of Rickey Henderson. This was a guy that could do just about anything on that field and his statistics at the plate and on base was a once in a lifetime sight. I've seen this guy during my childhood steal bases like it was nothing to him, nobody could catch him and was the most powerful leadoff hitter in history with nearly 300 homeruns. What was his conditioning method? Basic push-ups, sprints, squats and sit-ups. Guys in the locker room hated yet admired what he was capable of and rarely ever saw him move weight.

What does this have to do with Step Ups and the Minors? The main reason is because even at the major league level, it's still important to understand that you don't need a million dollar facility or access to elite coaches to get in top condition. You can't completely get elite base stealing speed from heavy squats and sure as hell won't hit jaw dropping homeruns from a 500 lb bench press. Step Ups give the legs a different output to say bodyweight squats but both have the ability to give the legs incredible strength and stamina. The Step Ups will always be an underrated Leg Exercise and yet it's variations can take your conditioning to another level.

I love the game of baseball ever since I was little watching the likes of Henderson, Barry Bonds, Barry Larkin, Albert Bell and pitchers like Greg Maddux, Roger Clemens, Mariano Rivera and Rob Nen. These were some of the greatest the game ever had and yet only 3 of these men are in the Hall Of Fame. I even love the stories of the dead ball era and the dominance of Babe Ruth in the roaring 20's, the history of the Negro Leagues and how one of the last players ever was a hero to my father in his childhood. In the old days (I'm talking from Christy Matthewson, Ty Cobb, Honus Wagner to Cool Papa Bell and Satchel Page), fancy equipment didn't exist much in their day and the hard travels in buses, trains and lemon cars made them tough bastards. They didn't do a ton of "conditioning" per se and did what was possible with what they had and just played the game hard. 

Whether a little leaguer or a Major League legend, basic exercises will get the job done and being in top condition can be practiced anywhere if you know what to look for and have the knowledge. The Step Up is just one of those bad ass movements that can turn you into an elite machine and who knows, maybe one day if you're ambitious for the Big Leagues you could hit like Wagner, Run like Henderson, have the quickness of Brooks Robinson or Ozzie Smith or have the legs of Willie Mays. Try your hand at Step Ups and see the benefit of having powerful but durable and well conditioned legs. 

Train well, little by little reach your goals and be amazingly awesome.

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The One Hour Superset Broadway

 When you get an idea in your head and act on it, sometimes it turns out exactly like you thought of and other times it looks good on paper but it becomes more when it actually happens. Yesterday's big workout not only was an ass kicker but was also one of the craziest workouts I've ever done. For an hour nonstop, I went back and forth carrying a 50 lb sandbell and 20 step ups. I don't think I've ever gone that long without ever resting.

My goal was to do at least 40-44 sets in that period of time and managed 46. Throughout, I was going faster and was in such a zone that nothing else around me mattered and focused on one thing only. So think about this for a second, 46 times I carried that sandbell 20 yards (shoulder carried 10 yards each side) and did 20 step ups (10 each leg) which comes out to carrying 4600 lbs (2.3 tons) over a period of 920 yards and managed 920 step ups. Weird thing was, I didn't feel tired or sore. When it was over and the endorphins kicked in hard, it was like a wave of positive energy and one of the most relaxing things I've ever felt. 

This was a big test for me when it comes to conditioning and mental toughness. I wasn't expecting to move that efficiently and never once thought about quitting. It was like a part of me just shut down and let something take over. I don't know if it was some kind of trance or a level of stamina I didn't think I had but I kept going and nothing was going to stop me. That kind of workout is on another level of insanity and it's like that governor we have in our minds like a Jiminy Cricket guiding you and telling you when to stop just went out the window and kept the doors shut. It felt like I was the only person in the world in that moment.

That hour at times felt the longest in my life and as the workout progressed, it felt like the easiest thing ever yet it's one of the most challenging anyone can do. It felt effortless but I assure you, it wasn't easy. As I woke up today and already shoveled snow twice starting at around 415 in the morning, I didn't feel sore whatsoever, no pain, no concerning stiffness and just had a pretty good level of energy. Being out in 15 degree weather, just by myself and listening to the wind and the quietness around me, it felt peaceful. I'm going to be shoveling probably 2-3 more times today minimum and that's ok, just part of life and doing what you can. 

Workouts today might be more Micro Style like Isometrics or Chest Expander work but it's still a way to keep active and keeping the joints loose throughout the day. Just wanted to share my 60 minute Broadway training session and that it was intense but a great way to test myself physically and mentally. Will I do it again? Most likely not anytime soon but you never know. 

Give yourself a challenge today whether big or small and see what you're capable of. Don't hurt yourself or force anything. Make it worthwhile but not so hard that it's going to injure you. Be safe out there and keep being amazingly awesome.   

Are Step Ups The Lazy Man's Equivalent Of Leg Training?

I saw this recently and it kind of made me laugh and just thought "wow, what kind of bullshit is this?" Now granted, Step Ups don't get as much attention as Squats and other forms of Leg work such as Sprints, Lunges and others but in reality, they're one of the key ingredients to building some crazy conditioning. Just ask Bob Backlund, think he's lazy?

Step Ups have been used for a very long time and they're a simulation of what people do everyday such as climbing stairs or going on rugged terrain, going up a ladder, hell if you're really ambitious you may find a tree to climb the branches. One of the things it was used for from a Fitness standpoint was to test students at Harvard to determine how their heart rate was after a 3 min set. Hence the name, the Harvard Step Test. Ever see those delivery boys going up and down those stairs in apartment buildings in New York or Chicago? You'd have to have some good legs in order to keep that job and some of those guys can haul ass. Doesn't sound lazy to me?

Bob Backlund, in my eyes was the man when it came to Step Ups. He started doing them sometime either during or after his reign as world champion before Vince Jr. took over the WWWF and made it the phenom today. After years of running jarred his knees and needed something to keep his legs strong yet durable and conditioned, he found out about the Harvard Step Test and since then, he's probably done more reps in more sessions than some of the greatest athletes before or since. He was still capable of doing high level reps in squats, push-ups, burpees and other exercises but he still believed the Step Ups made him the most conditioned he ever felt.

It really is a phenomenal exercise and many athletes and everyday people use it to help with building strength and stamina in the legs. Some have used it to train for long hikes or expeditions, others such as pro baseball players use it to help with their speed and strength throughout games. It's one of my personal favorites and have found them to be better than squats in many ways, not to say squats aren't good, they're awesome but Step Ups just have a better feeling and they're just different.

I've done hundreds of reps with both Squats and Step Ups and in comparison, Step Ups don't ever make me feel sore. On about 2-3 occasions I've done 1000 Step Ups and the fastest time was 50 minutes using a deck of cards and have done 1000 Squats twice ever and that fastest time was 33 minutes. These days if I did squats, it be around 100-300 and it's been a while since I did 500 in a row but during my circuit workouts, I would do them in sets of 10-20 depending on the circuit and the amount of squats in that circuit. For the Step Ups, around the same amount of reps either in a row or in a circuit. My favorite workout is to do a Superset of Step Ups & Shoulder Carrying my 50 lb Sandbell. Set a timer for let's say 20 min and just go back and forth with those exercises and I'd do around 10-15 reps per leg and carry the sandbell twice (once on each shoulder) for ten yards each without a rest. For circuits, I don't rest on those either. I have tested myself in doing 500 Step Ups and my time was just under 22 min (21:52 to be exact) and feel really proud of that.

Doing this exercise may not be the most spectacular looking, but it does work wonders beyond what some shmuck thinks it does or doesn't do. Take a step stool of about 12-15 inches in height and have at it. Some stools hold up to 300 lbs or more and others lower but for most people, as long as it's sturdy you're good to go and there are some that are foldable so you can store it easier. It gets you into pretty damn good condition if you're consistent with it. Be sure to understand your leg to step ratio because if you have a step up that's too short, it won't do a whole lot for you but also don't use a step that is too high for your legs or you'll overextend the hip joint and put more stress on your knees than you need to. I work with a 14 in stool from time to time and was my primary step stool until I started noticing some weird things in my hips and hamstrings so I switched to a 12 1/2 inch step stool and that felt just perfect for my leg to step ratio and can get in workouts that are challenging but it's not going to hurt my joints in the long run. 

You work with what's best for you and make it your strength. It's all about progressing and finding the right niche in your arsenal to where you're kicking ass but also being safe on your joints as well. I don't even really count reps much these days in this exercise mainly because I've set my goals to do as many as I wanted to test myself with and just make it more of a "moving meditation" type exercise where I set a timer and just do the amount of reps I want per leg and keep going until the timer runs out. Some like to count and time, others may have a goal in mind and go as much as they can, it's up to you and have fun with it. 

So is the Step Up the lazy man's exercise of training the legs? Hell no and whoever says it is, is either trying to sell you the illusion of something else pr bullshitting his way into some form of training that is superior. That's not the true way to train. What is superior is what gives you the best chance at being fit and continue doing it for a long time with very little chance at getting injured and creating challenges that are interesting to you. If Squats are more your thing, that's awesome and I hope you succeed at them, if they worked for the Great Gama and Jaromir Jagr, I have no doubt they can work for you, if you prefer Step Ups, have at it and make it the best damn exercise you can do because it keeps you wanting to come back to it. Now if you're one of those crazy bastards that has a mind for both, well bro, you've got some serious shit going on and I hope it gives you the most bad ass set of legs ever. 

Be strong, get conditioned, be safe and keep being amazingly awesome. 

Side Note......

Stay safe this holiday season and don't get trampled today for Black Friday. Be with your families and shop with better intentions than to try to go to the stores to get hurt over a damn TV. Here are some cool Black Friday Sales you can check out for your early Xmas Shopping. Happy Holidays and be good to each other. 

Amazon Black Friday Sales

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Check out some cool stuff at Onnit Fitness for equipment, programs and supplements to help your journey. 

500 Hindu Squats Or 500 Step Ups? Which One Is Better For You?

The numbers game in fitness and Physical Culture for that matter has been a standard for more than a century sense the time of the Mail-Order Courses. Setting a goal to hit a certain number in an exercise or set of exercises has worked for many but others got stopped in their tracks for whatever reason as well. When you hit a certain number, what's next after that? Going for more sets, more reps, greater tempo, what's the endgame here?

One of the gold standards for numbers in exercises (Push-ups, Squats, Powerlifting) has been the number 500. Who in their right mind came up with that specific number? Why is it a gold standard in powerlifting to have a 500 lb Bench or Deadlift or Squat? What about 500 Push-ups or 500 Hindu Squats? Why does that number have significance? It isn't a knock to it or anything, more of a curiosity in something so arbitrary that was made up by someone or a group of people to sell the idea that it is the real number to tell someone how strong or fit they are. 

The number 500 is a good number and many people have done far more than that in many exercises especially in Powerlifting. After all, isn't it just a number? Does it have any real historic significance especially since that number has been surpassed more times than I care to count. One of the first guys to Bench 500 was I believe the legendary Bodybuilder Reg Park whom by all accounts was one of the last generation of Bodybuilders to train as naturally as possible before Steroids became the staple of Bodybuilding. When Hindu Squats became popular around '99-2000, 500 Hindu Squats was the gold standard to test a person's conditioning. Matt Furey popularized it but the standard itself was "patented" by Karl Gotch that set the tone for a wrestler's test of stamina and physical/mental conditioning which gave the idea of doing 250 Hindu Push-ups, 500 Hindu Squats and a 3 min Bridge to even get in the door as a wrestler. 

Don't get me wrong, I've done 500 Hindu Squats many times from doing a countdown based method, to the 80/20 Protocol (80 Squats, 20 Jumpers) for 5 sets without a break and doing it using a Deck Of Cards that I picked up from an article I read where Catch Wrestler Billy Robinson mentioned the idea of using cards to help with reps. Unless you're a fan of the exercise or want to stay in relative condition for daily life or in sports, it isn't that magnificent of an exercise. It has it's perks and I'll do reps from time to time but after doing 500 so many times, it became boring and it didn't have that spark of excitement to do that many anymore. A few hundred sure, but I don't need some standard to tell me how fit I 'am. If you don't feel a spark or excitement when you exercise, you're just going through the motions and it becomes typical and tedious.

Now on the idea of 500 Step Ups? When it comes down to it, the exercise itself is just like any other that has its perks and drawbacks but for some reason I'm far more drawn to it than the Hindu Squats. Do I think it's better than the squats? Both yes and no. The yes part because I've gotten more out of it than I ever did with the squats and it gives me an opportunity to work one leg at a time which the squats don't. The no part is because in reality, it's just an exercise that I happen to like better, it's not mystical or magical, it's just different. Personally, I'd rather do 500 total reps with Step Ups because it just feels right and gives me a better sense of cardio. I've done 1000 on several occasions (fastest time being 50 minutes) and after hitting that number, it just got boring so whenever I do circuits, I add in those in substitute for squats and would total in most workouts around the 200-300 mark and I'm good. I would also just go for time (10, 20, 30, an hour whatever) and work on sets of 10-20 per leg. 

In reality, 500 of anything is really just a number and it's a great one to set a goal for. If you're into numbers like that, that's awesome and if it makes you happy and keeps you strong and fit, keep doing it. What suits you better, 500 Squats or 500 Step-Ups? The real question is, which one better suits your goals and needs? They both work very well and either one will get in you amazing shape so it's not like one or the other are terrible for you, one just suits better than the other according to a person's fitness and possible interests. With the Squats, you can virtually do them anywhere you want cause all you need is the ground. With Step Ups, since it's in the name (no shit sherlock), you'll need something to step up on like a stool, a log, stairs, rock or whatever but you can find those in most places so it's not like you can't find a place to do them. There's also no reason you can't do both, I've done a workout or two using both myself. 

Use what works for you and harness the enthusiasm and love for them. Sometimes you may hate them because they're tough to do but yet very simple exercises but in the end, love your exercises even if they're hard because the real benefits is what you get out of them both physically and mentally. Train awesomely everyone and have fun. Training is meant to be an adventure, not a chore or something that will make you feel bored.