powerDOJO

Category: Training

  • DO NOT turn weaknesses into STRENGTHS

    DO NOT turn weaknesses into STRENGTHS

    I was at the boxing gym the other day watching a coach work with his pupil.

    They were working the pads and the boxer was firing off various combos…

    1-2-3-2…

    1-1-2-3…

    1-2-5-2…

    … and so on.

    When the buzzer went off signaling the end of the round, I overheard the coach mention to his athlete, “Your right hand is great but your jab isn’t very good, so we’ve gotta keep working it and turn it into your strength.”

    And it’s not the first time I’ve heard this before, nor will it be the last, as I feel it’s one of those sayings that gets passed down from generation to generation without a second thought.

    Well here’s the second thought:

    Trying to turn a weakness into a strength is an uphill battle and ultimately is an inefficient use of your time and energy.

    Here’s why:

    Let’s say you’re a gifted painter.

    The first time you picked up a paintbrush, you created something that surprised people when they heard that you were the one who created it.

    But you suck at math (you must not be Asian).

    So your parents, with the best of intentions, decide to enroll you in math lessons everyday so you don’t flunk out.

    Unfortunately, this means you have to give up your painting lessons.

    Now, not only will you be going against your natural talents, being a naturally more right-brained and creative individual, you’re forced to focus on something you suck at and don’t even enjoy.

    The result is frustration at your lack of performance, a blow to your self-confidence and possibly hating life.

    But what if you were encouraged
    to focus on your innate gifts?

    You’d be able to spend most of your time doing something you’re already great at and love, which can only result in joy and fulfillment, increased self-confidence and a greater love of life.

    And because you live in this left-brain dominant world, you’d get a little bit of extra math help, but only on those areas that are absolutely necessary so you don’t fail at life (I still have not used Calculus in the real world).

    So my advice to you is to instead, focus and nurture your STRENGTHS while making sure your weaknesses don’t hold you back.

    If you’ve got sick striking but you’re terrible on the ground, keep working your striking game but make sure nobody can get you down or at the very least, you’re the slickest mofo at getting back to your feet.

    If you’re strong as an ox, then get as strong as you can while making sure you don’t become so tight and inflexible you can’t scratch your own back.

    If you’re logical and solution-oriented, make sure you develop enough sensitivity to hear and accept emotion without trying to be someone you’re not (personal experience here).

    If you feel better when things move at a fast pace, don’t try to become a buddhist monk but do remember that slowing down and recharging allows you to keep your fast pace going.

    Develop your strengths and don’t allow
    your weaknesses to hinder you.

    We’ve all got things we’re naturally better at and gravitate towards so be the best you that you can be and part of that is making sure you’re not held back by those areas you’re not so good at or don’t enjoy.

    That’s my message to you today.

    Do with it what you will.

    PEACE~

    Eric

  • Maximize Power Ground Up Transfer (and activate your serratus anterior)

    Maximize Power Ground Up Transfer (and activate your serratus anterior)

    You might start getting more videos from me shot in my basement workout corner.

    My 6 month old baby girl Livia is the cutest thing ever and I enjoy working from home more so I can bug her often throughout the day. 🙂

    Because of this, you’ll be getting more corrective/patterning/activation drills that I do because I typically do these at home versus at the gym.

    In today’s video, I reveal one of the techniques that I’ve integrated into my upcoming Shoulder Flexibility Solution, which is about 57% done.

    [BTW – I’m definitely going to include much of the feedback I got from the survey responses, so thanks again for taking the time to respond if you in fact did respond]

    Poo poo to the rest of ya bums 😉

    In today’s video, you’re going to see how to train the skill of transferring force from the ground up through to your hand, like you want to do if you enjoy throwing really powerful punches.

    In fact, after learning this skill, you may be able to punch so hard, you could punch down a 100 oak tree from its base.

    I’m not exaggerating.

    On top of that, I also show you how to activate the serratus anterior, with important coaching cues that many don’t know.

    A sleepy/weak serratus anterior can result in:

    [+] Pain and tightness between your shoulder blades (due to compensatory action from the rhomboids and middle traps)

    [+] Decreased ability to transfer maximum force from the ground through to your hand

    [+] A tight pec minor or a pec minor that won’t release even fromthe most aggressive stretching and treatment regimen

    This last point is uber-important because a lot of guys have tight PEC MINORs and this limits flexibility and increases anterior shoulder pain and can create nerve impingements.

    Yikes.

    You’re getting a lot of bang from your buck in this vid ONLY if you put it to work for you.

    Best part is all you need is a wall or something you can push up against with your hand, so NO EXCUSES.

    Give it a go and make sure you tell me if you felt the serratus activate and if you became aware of any “force leaks” in your body when driving through the ground.

  • 2 New KETTLEBELL Exercises for KO Power

    2 New KETTLEBELL Exercises for KO Power

    If you’re a boxer or mixed martial artist and you throw punches, you’ve gotta start doing these new kettlebell exercises as I guarantee they’ll help you generate more power in your hands.

    Your sparring partners won’t appreciate it but you’ll be feeling more powerful than ever.

    And if you don’t throw punches, give these a shot too because they train the neglected transverse (rotational) plane of motion that is important to fully developing the muscles of your core, especially your obliques, as well as your hip rotators, which are equally neglected.

    IMPORTANT NOTE: the Kettlebell Cross and Jab Clean are not meant to replicate exactly a punch – they’re designed instead to teach you to generate power from the ground up and throw your shoulder into the punch.

    So don’t go and try to throw a technically proper punch or you’ll mess yourself up – just follow the instructions in the video and you’ll be golden.

    What do you think of these 2 new exercises?

    Let me know in the Comments (and hit that ‘Like’ button on the way down)!

    Coach E

  • Heavy Bag at Home | Hernia | CAGE Cardio Progression [ASK ERIC]

    Heavy Bag at Home | Hernia | CAGE Cardio Progression [ASK ERIC]

    In today’s QnA video, I answer the following questions:

    I have a heavy bag at home and would love to be able to do 30 mins in the morning before I go to work. Do you know of any help I could get with technique training? – Ryan Hassell, UK [01:34]

    Do you have to stick to one specific A+A circuit for a few weeks and work through the progression to get the full effect or can you get equal results by changing the exercises in the A+A circuit every workout? – Mike Ross, Ontario [02:32]

    I need to strengthen both tendons and ligaments to help prevent dislodging my bones from “the sockets” as I “overpower” according to the chiropractor. – Mary Russo, Goose Creek, SC, US [05:18]

    When I go heavy on my deadlifts I feel a pain in my lower right abdomen. Is this a hernia? I worry about tearing something. Any modifications? – Jon Fisher, Atlanta, GA [08:28]

    If you’ve got a question about training for MMA or martial arts, nutrition, injuries or anything else that you’d like me to answer in a future QnA video, submit it here.

  • Shoulder Flexibility Solution Survey

    Shoulder Flexibility Solution Survey

    Due to many requests from customers of my Hip Flexibility Solution, I’m about 40% into creating the Shoulder Flexibility Solution and I’d love YOUR INPUT to make sure I include EVERYTHING you need to make this an amazing and complete program.

    So please answer the following 3 questions and I’ll be sure to integrate and address everything I can.

  • The SPLIT Snatch (Olympic lifting exercise variation)

    The SPLIT Snatch (Olympic lifting exercise variation)

    This is a variation of the traditional Snatch exercise that I learned when I took a 2 day workshop on the Olympic lifts.

    It’s a great variation in general and also for those unable to due the traditional Squat Snatch because of mobility issues.

    Check it out:

    With this variation, the Snatch is now available to everyone.

    That sounded funny.

    If you don’t have the mobility to do the Squat Snatch, the key areas to hit are the hips and the shoulders, so get working on them so you can unlock this other great exercise and in the meantime, work the Split Snatch to develop your full body speed.

    And of course, if you’re not doing the Olympic lifts yet because you don’t know how, then check out my Olympic Lifting Mastery Course HERE.

  • 1 Tip to Quickly Add 10 Pounds to Your Clean and Jerk

    1 Tip to Quickly Add 10 Pounds to Your Clean and Jerk

    True power comes from your ability to quickly go from rest to max force and back and forth and the Olympic Lifts are amazing at training your ability to execute this important skill.

    You don’t need to lift a lot of weight to benefit from the Olympic lifts, but you do need to perform them properly, or you won’t get the full benefits.

    Watch the video for a tip I recently implemented that helped me add 10 pounds to my Clean and Jerk.

    Before doing this, I’d get stuck on the Jerk above 165 lbs, but after I added this technique, I hit 175 lbs no problem.

    That’s the power of proper technique – you become more efficient and can do more with the same amount of energy or do the same amount with less energy.

    The Olympic Lifts are all about efficiency, which is why at the elite levels, athletes are lifting double their bodyweight (and more)  in both the Snatch and Clean and Jerk.

    I suggest that everyone training for performance learn the Olympic Lifts and continue to refine their technique.

    So whether you want to start them or improve what you’re already doing, check out this article where I give you 3 Tips to Mastering the Olympic Lifts.

  • Best cardio for FAT LOSS?

    Best cardio for FAT LOSS?

    I was skimming through the never-ending pile of emails in my Inbox and after the excitement of reading a status update on my new project from my manufacturer (sample is READY) I saw this question from Jeremy in response to the last few emails I’ve sent regarding conditioning and cardio:

    “Eric, I’m not a fighter but I like training like one. My main goal is fat loss. What’s the best type of cardio workout for fat loss?”

    If you pose this question to a dozen different experts, you’ll get a dozen different responses…

    And I think my response is different than ALL those different responses.

    [Tell me if you agree after reading it, ok?]

    First, let’s not talk nutrition, even though it’s a more powerful lever when it comes to losing fat, so we can focus our conversation.

    Now, fat loss is not all about training in the “fat-burning zone” or the “afterburn” effect (EPOC)…

    It’s not about “tricking” your body into fat burning mode or “hacking” your way to a faster metabolism.

    It IS about 2 things:

    Consistency + Adaptability

    Consistency does not get the attention it deserves.

    It’s like the good looking tom boy in high school who played sports and had a great sense of humour but couldn’t get a date to the prom.

    Without consistency, you have nothing.

    You have WASTED time and energy.

    And it’s not just about the action of making a training schedule.

    That’s just the surface…

    It’s more about the things that will help you stick to that schedule.

    Things like:

    • Training with proper technique
    • Choosing the right intensity and volume so you don’t get overtrained or injured
    • Taking care of yourself by sleeping and eating well so your body has the capacity it needs to change itself into its new leaner form
    • Etc…

    Got it?

    Cool – NEXT:

    Adaptability is another bastard child forgotten by the hucksters selling the latest tricks and magic pills.

    They say, “Oh, just do 4 minutes of this ancient Japanese doctors magic interval formula and you’ll have a body that’s 3.4% fat… in just 7 days!”

    Sure…

    The thing is, no matter how effective the protocol is at the beginning, your body will ALWAYS adapt to it so it becomes less effective over time.

    That’s just what your body does.

    To combat this, you can do 2 things (I recommend you do them both):

    • Maintain technique while continually pushing the intensity level at which you execute the workout
    • Progress the workout so it’s harder in some way via more work (more reps, sets, exercises) and/or less rest

    This is how you systematically progress a workout to the point where it’s returns diminish, which takes around 4 weeks, before changing the workout up completely.

    Here’s an example of a progression plan for a workout from CAGE Cardio Bodyweight:

    Pay attention to the progression of sets and rest periods – this forces your body to continue to adapt, which will keep conditioning AND fat loss moving in the right direction.

    Does this make sense?

    If it does, reply and just say “yeah buddy” just so I know I communicated my message clearly, because it’s important you get this.

    Best thing about Consistency and Adaptability is that they’re fundamental PRINCIPLES, not “tricks” or “hacks” and they can be applied to improve ALL the training you do.

    “Give a man a fish, feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish, feed him for life.”

    Principles are how you learn how to fish and is what I want for you.

    But if you are a bit hungry right now, here’s the fish on a silver platter that will help you do exactly what I’ve taught you here as if you were one of my athletes.

  • Counter-intuitive tip for GREATER stamina

    Counter-intuitive tip for GREATER stamina

    I was talking to a supplier for a new project I’m working on (it’s gonna rock) via Skype last night and as I was busy asking for all the changes I wanted, I catch my wife staring at me from the hallway.

    When we make eye contact, she raises both hands in front of her, palms facing down and makes the universally accepted motion for “calm down”.

    I then realized that my shoulders and neck were all tense, my head was jutting forward like a Tyrannosaurus Rex and that area between my eyebrows was scrunched tightly together like I was trying to crack a nut in there.

    And I was holding my breath.

    After I calmed myself and took a deep breath, my whole energy level changed and the rest of the call finished off as well as it would’ve had I been all tense, probably better.

    This is why when I’m coaching athletes through tough exercises or circuits or even intervals, the most common thing I say is, “Relax. Breathe. Stay loose.”

    While staying relaxed, breathing and loose might seem counter-intuitive to what you need to do when it feels like you’ve got to bite down and grind, it is EXACTLY what Doctor Wong ordered if you want to push your limits.

    You see, when your neck muscles and traps are all tight, it slows blood flow.

    Slowed blood flow means delayed delivery of fresh oxygen and delayed removal of waste products of metabolism.

    Not good.

    Plus, it takes energy for tight muscles to be tight, thus taking energy away from what you actually need to do.

    After all, you’ve only got so much energy to play with. Better put it all towards what you want to accomplish, not unnecessary tension.

    And when you breathe shallow (or hold your breath) you’re not getting any new oxygen in or getting rid of all the CO2 you’re generating.

    Again, not good.

    Finally, tensing that little area between your eyebrows makes it look like you’re taking a poo, and didn’t your mother teach you to keep your poo face to yourself?

    This is a skill to practice and continually develop.

    I continue to develop my ability to relax what I don’t need tight and breathe deep while pushing myself to the limits every day.

    This is one tip that you likely won’t hear anywhere else that really will make a huge difference in your conditioning.

    That’s why you’re such a smart cookie for being here. 🙂

    So the next time you get on the treadmill, hit the heavy bag, push through a killer bodyweight circuit or even carry a heavy load of groceries from the car to your kitchen, practice what I’ve taught you here.

    The best workouts to practice this tip are tough bodyweight circuits, particularly NRG System Complexes, since rapidly changing exercises challenges your neuromuscular system and you’ve got to quickly activate certain muscles while relaxing others due to the different movements.

    Click here for a collection of bodyweight circuits designed by yours truly that will get you in elite fight shape that include a few of these killer complexes.

  • Jack of all trades. Master of NONE.

    Jack of all trades. Master of NONE.

    The quote from the title came to my head as I was reading through some questions I got last week.

    I interpret the quote to mean that the higher the level of mastery you desire is, the more time and energy you must dedicate to it.

    Logical.

    That also means that the fewer things you’ve got going on, the more time and energy you can dedicate to mastery of what it is you want to master.

    So, the question that spurred my thoughts came from my man Jacob from the US of A about my CAGE Cardio Bodyweight program:

    “Does the program help develop muscle and strength on top of the cardio?

    It looks like a great program:-)

    I’m in the process of moving my family so the short bodyweight workout sounds perfect.

    Especially because all my weights will be in storage for a bit.”

    It’s a good question because whenever you see workout and fitness advertising and marketing, the descriptions often say things like:

    Build Muscle! Burn Fat! Increase
    Strength, Power, Cardio AND Speed!
    Improve Your Math! Make Your Dog
    AND Woman Finally Listen To You!

    Look familiar?

    Here’s the thing – these claims are TRUE…

    For BEGINNERS.

    When you’re all rosy-cheeked and new to training, you can build muscle, burn fat, increase your strength, power and cardio all at the same time.

    When you first start acting more confident, both your dog and woman will take notice and take you more seriously.

    [As for the math thing – unless you’re Asian, work with what god gave you. ;)]

    However, once the honeymoon period is over (anywhere from 4-10 months of consistent training), doing all-in-one workouts with no clear focus will bring your gains to a screeching halt.

    So the answer to Jacob’s question is simple…

    CAGE Cardio will help you improve your cardio and build muscle and gain strength…

    If you’re a beginner.

    But once you pass that stage of your training life, the program is designed specifically to drastically improve your conditioning especially for MMA or any martial art and that’s my promise to you.

    I don’t market my programs to beginners using all the hype and claims that many others do.

    I market my programs to those who appreciate the fact that I respect their intelligence and want to follow a scientific approach without needing a university degree in science to understand it.

    So if you follow what I write and publish, that says a lot about you and YOU are who I like to work with.

    The rest of the sheep are free to buy into the hype and fluff and try all the new tricks while going nowhere.

    We’ll just continue to be patient and do our thing and make consistent, measurable progress.