Click the ATP logo to view the listed set of exercises.
The first exercises covered in the EMERGE instructional video series are:
1) the barbell deadlift
2) the hang clean
3) the jumping shrug
4) the barbell squat
5) the barbell lunge
1) The cable wood chop
2) The reverse crunch
3) The ball crunch
4) The plank
5) V up dumbbell rotation
1) The dumbbell stool up/down plank
2) The kettlebell Hitch
3) The ball russian twist
4) The ball pike
5) The jumping RDL
Randy’s workouts have a focus on “function.” Functional training is simply training for use in an athletic environment or even just in an everyday life environment. Gains and improvements in functional exercise have a high transfer to gains and improvement in the ring, field, court, or even just functioning in the everyday world. It’s taking “gym strength” and making it usable outside the gym. Randy’s functional training program is designed for ring performance, primarily. Program variables include:
1) Core Strength and Stabilization
2) Postural correction through corrective exercise (flexibility, muscle activation, and muscle inhibition)
3) Multi Planar training on all 3 planes of motion at once, mimicking the demands of his sport.
4) Activation and integration of underactive muscle (waking up sleeping muscle and allowing it to communicate with other muscle)
5) Power (speed) training in multiple planes at once
6) Hypertrophy (keeping the size of the muscle fibers BIG)
The first workout was as follows:
Lower ab activation- 3 sets- 12 reps- a simple reverse crunch, focus on lower back flat against floor, rolling hips back, not lifting through the hip flexors (not a leg lift, a pelvic rotation)
V Up Incline Barbell Press- 3 sets- 12 reps- Sitting in a “v” position, feet off ground, hips flexed, abs flexed, making your body into your own “incline bench” while incline pressing weight
Kettlebell Lateral Squat-Walk with an Extended 35 pound Kettlebell (strength band around ankles)- 3 sets- 10 steps each direction- Primarily for activation of glute medius with and emphasis on core stability
Push Pull Rotate Extend- 3 sets- 6 each side- Working the deep abdominal tissue (TVA) in a plank to start, pushing up into a row, into a rotation and an arm extension all in one quick movement. Full body multi-planar movement with a high core involvement. Brutal.
Waterball Twist and Slam- 3 sets- 15 reps- A small swiss ball with 3 pounds of water gripped tight- Starting in a “v” position rotate from the TRUNK, not arms, and slam the waterball into the ground. The water will move and will attempt to pull you out of your path of motion. Oblique focus with core stability.
Weighted Ball Crunch- 3 sets- 10 reps- FULLY extended over a ball with a 30 pound weight just below chin. Flex neck forward first then follow by lower spine without the ball moving. No hips, just UPPER abs. We will integrate the much stronger hip flexors in later.
Randy has a list of exercises specific to him for movement prep ( before every workout) and a dynamic warmup on the turf as well.
Updated workouts to come!
Matt Pirtle, MA, CSCS
In athletic training, it’s vitally important to define, exactly, what you are attempting to achieve out of an exercise program. Just “lifting weight” and running will not produce the same results as a structured exercise regimine designed to attain a specific goal.
With that said, one of the main misconceptions in athletic training is the distinction between strength training and power training.
Without going into deep detail, the force-velocity curve is a graph that illustrates that as force production goes up, speed will go down. For example, an athlete maxing out with a 1 rep 315 pound bench press is creating a lot of force, but very little speed. If that same athlete dropped the weight to 185 and pressed with max effort, the total force would be less (dictated by the smaller weight) but the speed of the movement would rise dramatically.
Power production is a key component to almost all sports, especially basketball, volleyball, football, baseball, golf, tennis and many more. To train your body to move powerfully on the field or diamond or court, you have to train that muscle with high velocity in the weight room.
To be clear, strength is an important element in these sports as well, but a year-round strength training program with low regard to power with leave an athlete performing below their potential during the season.
A perfect example is the ever-popular “big four” lifts seen so often in high school weight rooms. The big four consists of the barbell deadlift, barbell squat, barbell power clean, and the barbell bench press. These exercises are typically performed with 1-5 reps. Besides for being a non-functional way of training for athletics, these slow grinding movements with max weight DO NOT train an athlete to move powerfully. The athlete may be able to move a mountain from a to b, slowly, but they won’t be trained to move quickly (which is generally the more important aspect of most sports).
Make sure you understand what your training regimine is attempting to achieve, and time-out the program so that you are moving optimally with speed just before the season so you can realize the benefits of those changes when it most matters.
Matt Pirtle, MA, CSCS
Emerge Fitness Training
Likely to be the most common movement impairment syndrome is the Upper Crossed Syndrome. You can see evidence of this impairment in almost everyone, to varying degrees. The UCS is characterized by a forward head position, a hyperextended (bowed) lower back, and forward tilted hips. (See picture). This posture can be caused by many things, most notably sitting in a chair or desk for long periods of time (especially with a computer) and resistance training the front side of the body disproportionately to the back side (very common, also known as working “mirror muscle” only).
The static posture observed in this picture indicates a few things. There are several OVERACTIVE and tight muscles pulling the posture forward, and several UNDERACTIVE or weakened muscles allowing this to happen. For the most part, the OVERACTIVE muscles are in the front, and the UNDERACTIVE muscles are in the back. The following is a list of those muscles:
OVERACTIVE:
Pectorals (Chest)
Upper Traps and Levator Scapula (Neck)
Hip Flexors
UNDERACTIVE:
Lower and Middle Traps
Rhomboids (Upper back)
Rectus Abdominus (abs)
Deep neck flexors (front of neck)
This posture can lead to pain, faulty and inefficient movement mechanics, and a BIG decrease in performance (dance, sports, LIFE!)
Correcting this posture is a simple matter of knowing what to work, what to stretch, and what to inhibit (foam roll).
In general, stretch and roll the OVERACTIVE muscles, and stregthen the weakend muscles with resistance.
For more specific exercises or stretching/inhibitory techniques, contact an Emerge Fitness Trainer via phone or email.
Matt Pirtle, MA, CSCS
Emerge Fitness Training
There is no shortage of definitions for the word “fit.” Being fit for some is being lean and attractive, for some it is the ability to run (or just finish) a marathon in a short period of time. Lifting heavy loads, jumping with a 30″ vertical, and/or adhereing to a strict organic diet can all be definitions of the word “fit.”
Personally, I have seen clients who are 50 pounds overweight do some pretty incredible things in the Emerge facility, consistently.
To get to the point, there is a never ending list of reasons why someone may be deemed fit.
One very important addition to that list (that rarely gets added or even involved in a fitness conversation) is posture.
Rarely do people comment on the perfect alignment of themselves or another, but possessing this trait WILL help a person perform much better, move more efficiently, look better, and avoid injury (which keeps a person from fitness related activities).
Posture and functional efficiency (the ability of the neuromuscular system to recruit the correct muscle groups, at the right time, and with the appropriate amount of force) is more than just sitting up straight and pulling your shoulders back.
As a matter of fact, there is a long list of human movement impairment syndromes that effect all areas of the body, from ankle to neck. Further, if you are suffering from an impairment in one area, you are most likely being effected in another are above or below. This is because the body works together in and inter-related chain, where no one muscle works independently.
Who is effected by these impairments? Nearly everyone. I have NEVER had a client in front of me that was in perfect alignment from head to toe. What this means is that whatever that persons goal (looking better, feeling better, performing better) you are not maximizing the benefits of their fitness routine due to the limitations of the impairment. Many go for years without knowing this.
The first step is identifying the impairment, then implementing a PLAN to correct it. The plan includes a series of exercises to inhibit (SMR or foam rolling) stretching, strengthening, then re-educating the entire system to work together again. I can understand why most people ignore this part of fitness.
It’s boring.
The benefits are worth the relatively small amount of time it takes to correct these impairments, however.
To sum it up. correcting a movement impairment that you most likely DO have will absolutely allow you to expereince faster and more noticeable gains in whatever fitness goal you may have.
Next submission I’ll go over the basics of one of the most common impairment, the upper crossed syndrome (affecting the shoulders, neck, back directly) and EVERYTHING else indirectly.
Stay tuned.
Matt Pirtle, MA, CSCS
Emerge Fitness Training
One of the most misunderstood and poorly trained areas of the body are the muscles known collectively as the “CORE”. Because CORE training is a complicated subject involving exercises that isolate muscle and exercises designed to integrate muscles with differing rep ranges and rest times, only a few points of CORE training will be covered in this blog.
Point 1: There are 29 muscles comprising the CORE, not just the upper abs or six pack. These muscles run from the hip to the chest in the front and the hip to the shoulder in the back. All of these muscles function to stabilize the spine and also may perform movement specific to that muscle. The point is, it takes more than a crunch to complete your CORE training.
Point 2: If you are dedicating an entire training session to the CORE, exercise order is key. In general, the order should be lower abs, deep abdominal tissue (TVA), obliques, then the upper abs. Because of the mental focus and the greater “neural drive” required to work muscles like the lower ab, these exercises should be performed early in the workout. Working them later will invite unwanted help from other muscles. The upper abs are the easiest to activate and should be worked last.
Point 3: In CORE training as in ALL resistance training, spend time “activating” the desired muscle but performing slow, controlled, mentally focus movements. The neuromuscular control of these muscles has to be reestablished first. If this is ignored, muscle synergists (helper muscles) that are already over-used will be recruited to do the work. Take time to “turn on” the desired CORE muscle to be used before increasing speed and resistance.
Point 4: Give your CORE muscles equal time, and give them rest. ONLY working your upper abs to achieve a six pack will pull you forward into an uncomfortable and unsightly posture. Work BOTH sides of the body, and give the same rest to the CORE musculature as you would give any other muscle of the body, it’s working for you all day long.
Hopefully these pointers will be helpful in your approach to CORE training. More CORE training info to come.
Matt Pirtle, MA, CSCS
Emerge Fitness Training
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