strength & conditioning in Kiama Archives

Tri Set Strength & Conditioning in Kiama

Chin Ups

Chin ups work a range of muscles, the major ones including the lats, biceps, rhomboids and your abdominal muscles. One of the best tests of upper body strength, it can be a difficult movement to perform but one worth persevering with.

One way to assist with chin ups is to use a resistance band, the thicker the band the more assistance it provides. The band is looped around the bar and then around one knee, or foot. There is more assistance with putting your foot in the band and less with the knee. If you don’t have access to a resistance band you can still master a chin up by training eccentrically (lowering) by starting at the top of the chin up above the bar and controlling the downward descent.

The safest way to perform chin ups long term and stay injury free is to use a neutral grip (thumbs facing you). The standard close grip (palms facing you) will place too much stress on the wrists, elbows and shoulders. Wide grip chin ups (palms facing away from you) are also tough on the shoulder joints long term. Hence the Neutral Grip recommendation.

How to perform chin ups:

1. Hang from the bar with your arms fully extended.

2. Tighten your lats and your abs, puff out your chest and keep your head still.

3. Melt the bar in your hands. Grip strength is important in performing a chin up.

4. Imagine pulling your armpits downwards to the floor and your chest upwards into the chin up bar to initiate the movement.

5. Pull yourself up to the bar until your chin is over the bar, keep that chest puffed out then slowly lower to the starting position. Make sure to keep your head still and don’t hyper-extend your neck in trying to clear the bar.

6. Repeat for reps.

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Honest reps

Use a full range of motion with the exercise! I see far too many people people performing too many half repetitions and progressing too quickly. Chin Ups are a tough exercise so remember that and remind yourself that it’s ok if you need a resistance band at first.

Do it the right way, be honest with yourself and you’ll progress faster with less likelihood of injury. There’s no use jumping ahead to the next level of resistance bands or attaching extra weight until you can comfortably complete your desired reps with a full range of motion for every rep.

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Crank the volume up to 200

After getting started with some lower volume work last week, Spartans have now adjusted to the new exercises and combinations in their Spring program. That means this week the volume has increased from 3 Sets of 4/6/8 Reps to 4 Sets of 4/6/8 Reps.

That might not sound too bad but it’s taken the session tally to a whopping 200 reps and that doesn’t include the Finisher. Another Tri-Set routine which sizzles the shoulders with 20 seconds of Front Raises, Side Raises and Shoulder Presses twice through.

There’s still another 4 weeks to go after this week and we’ll be adjusting the amount of weight lifted, the number of total sets and a few other variables to ensure we continue improving. The key is progression not perfection.

With some lofty targets set and a real focus on Nutrition with our 21 Day Spring into Shape Challenge, these Spartans are leading the way for strength & conditioning in Kiama.

If you need to get fit for Summer, click here and you can get 2 weeks for FREE!

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Back taking shape

One of my Long Term Goals is to improve the “V” Shape of my body by increasing the size of my Lats/Shoulders and tapering the waist. I’ve always tended to have a stronger lower body so I find things like Squats, Deadlifts etc a bit easier to get through than some of the guys. It’s pleasing to see though that the Chin Ups, Rows TRX Pull Ups and Military Presses are slowly starting to pay off. I have a long way to go but I’m in this for the long haul so I know I’m gunna get where I want to be. Plus I’m grumpy $hit when I don’t train so I have to keep it up 🙂

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Fit Chicks Club enter new season of strength & conditioning in Kiama

Chin Ups

How to perform chin ups:

1. Hang from the bar with your arms fully extended.

2. Tighten your lats and your abs, puff out your chest and keep your head still.

3. Grip the bar like you mean it. Grip strength is important in performing a chin up.

4. Imagine pulling your armpits downwards to the floor and your chest upwards into the chin up bar to initiate the movement.

6. Repeat for reps.

Honest reps

Use a full range of motion with the exercise! I see far too many people (guys and girls) performing too many half repetitions and progressing too quickly. Chin Ups are a tough exercise so remember that and remind yourself that it’s ok if you need a resistance band etc.

Low volume technique week

The transition this week to a low volume de-load week is a welcome change for everyone. The girls have pushed hard through Winter with 3 short intense programs. Basically from session 1 it was full volume, full intensity all the way but its important to realise that nobody can train that way all the time. Alternating periods of high and low volume is the best way to structure your strength & conditioning in Kiama.

This week is the start of a new 6 week program that will see Fit Chicks Kiama performing 5 sets of 5 reps on a series of Supersets. However Week 1 of a program is usually a lower volume effort as the girls adjust to new exercises, combinations sets and reps. This also represents a great week to reset technique and perform a strong 3/4 effort with moderate-heavy weights.

Carolyn off to a cracking start

Carolyn Francis only started Fit Chicks Club in August and after only one month this little pocket rocket is getting up to speed fast. Pairing up with our most experienced FitChick Leanne Williams is only going to fast-track her progress and she’s certainly not afraid of a challenge, as can be seen here elevating her feet on the diffcult TRX Pull Up.

Normally a fairly active woman, Carolyn has spent most of this year out of action (much to her frustration) after shoulder surgery. Now she’s back into a routine with regular exercise signing up to our 6am FitChicks crew for the next 12 months and adding high intensity Conditioning sessions to her weekly routine. Over her first month this has resulted in her losing 1cm off her abdominals and 3cm off her already slim waist. Great work Carolyn!

FitChicksClub Kiama is a family affair

Incline Bench Press

The Incline Bench Press is one of the primary exercises for working the upper chest. Some people have a hard time getting results from this exercise…oftentimes getting tired triceps and sore shoulders. If that’s been you, I’ve got the solution for you. It’s a very simple adjustment to the setup for how you perform the exercise.

One problem I’ve encountered with clients over the years is the tendency for the chest and rib cage to flatten out during the exercise, which takes the tension off the chest and puts it on the shoulders and triceps instead.

In order for the pecs to get a good contraction, the shoulder blades need to be tight in together behind your back with the shoulders back and chest/rib cage expanded.

Here’s a trick to get that right…grip the bar and pull your torso just slightly UP off the bench like you’re doing a pull-up. When your torso is up off the bench, pinch your shoulder blades together behind your back (just like with a row), puff and expand your rib cage up to meet the bar, then set your torso back down on the bench. Notice how your shoulders are back, and your chest feels tighter?

THAT is the correct position to perform the incline bench press so now you’re ready:

Hold the barbell with a medium to wide grip lifting it straight up so your arms are fully extended.
Bring the weight down to your upper chest without bouncing the weight, pause, then press it back up to the starting point.
Use a full range of movement.
Note the eccentric (down-phase) should be roughly twice as long as the concentric (up-phase).
Repeat for reps.

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30-45 degrees maximum incline

Remember that the incline bench press works the upper chest. Set the bench to an angle of between 30 and 45 degrees. Anything higher than that will start to use your shoulder muscles too much and shift the emphasis of the chest muscles we want to target.

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Young gun leading the way

Jess Williams is the youngest Member of our community and she continues to impress taking out the Oxygen Member of the Week this week. Jess took on the challenge of FITCHICKS in April and has really surprised herself and others with some impressive strength.

Just this week she conquered a 38kg incline press! She squats 50+kg, deadlifts 60+ kg and is executing great technique and improved strength at her chin ups. Although a quietly spoken girl, Jess is always polite, thankful and friendly. Find me another 15 year old who’s like that at 6 o’çlock in the morning!

Leanne betters her best

Leanne Williams (yes mother of Jess above) is one of our original FitChicks that started way back in January 2013. She had been a Member of Oxygen prior to that since October 2011.

Although she has never had a problem with her weight, Leanne was never passionately into fitness prior to that, particularly strength training. With a stressful job, young family and a husband who regularly pushes his limits, Leanne took on the challenge of FitChicks.

She has since become known in the Oxygen community as one of, if not the strongest and fittest FitChicks we’ve ever had the pleasure of working with.

At a bodyweight of around 53kg, she needs to attach around 5kg to herself to make chin ups more challenging but some of her other stats include a 68kg squat, 70kg deadlift and, like daughter Jess a 38kg Incline Press. Big numbers for a little chick.

This focus on resistance training has laid the foundation for a strong injury free body, which has not always been the case for Leanne as she has nursed different injuries with her lower back, hips and piriformis muscle. As well as investing in her health by the way of regular massage and “adaptive” physiotherapy work, Leanne has been able to train for the upcoming Gold Coast Half Marathon in just over a week’s time. All reports are that she will do it in QUICK time!

What a fantastic role model for not only daughter Jess, but women everywhere.

Good luck Leanne, we know you will smash it!

Honest reps

Crank the volume up to 200

Back taking shape

FitChicksClub Kiama is a family affair

Incline Bench Press

30-45 degrees maximum incline

Young gun leading the way

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