Tag: strength training

Deadlift Back Pain | HFS + Strength | Trigger Point Fix [ASK ERIC]

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

What excercises do you recommend to strenghten the core when you have a herniated disc.

Thank you.

Luis Licea, Alhambra, CA – USA [1:16]

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I have really been struggling with lower back pain over the last few weeks.

Mainly following deadlifts but it’s rolling into session two/three days later.

Could there be a potential injury or is it something I can fix with more mobility work?

Ross Perry, St Helens, Merseyside – England [1:26]

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I just started your Hip Mobility Program and have also started a new strength program that includes deadlifts, bench press, overhead press, squats, and bent over rows.

Should I avoid any of these exercises (or modify them) until my hip is stronger & more flexible?

Or is it best to do these programs in conjunction with each other?

Kim Guthrie, Midway, Utah – USA [4:26]

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I was just wondering, do you have any tips for planning a good conditioning regimen for someone trying to get back into martial arts?

Currently with my schedule, I can’t take any martial arts lessons.

But soon once it clears up I plan to start back up, but I want to make sure to be in shape so I can keep up.

Thanks for any info you can provide!

Chris Walker, Camp Pendleton, CA – USA [5:47]

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I have levatar scapular / trap muscle problems.

I’ve been trying the neck stretch from last Q&A, but my problem is more in the shoulder area. (like a golf ball in my back)

Any ideas for stretches?

Jesse Bull, Moncton – Canada [6:16]

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In one of your videos you mentioned that you shouldn’t hold a neck stretch for more than 15 seconds.

What is the ideal hold time for stretches?

Does it differ from body part to body part?

Ravikumar Sundaram, Chennai – India [7:49]

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.

February 27, 2015
Low Back Stretching | 1 Strength Session/Week | Fitness Trackers | [ASK ERIC]

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

What are some good ways to stretch your lower back?

– Jesse Davila, San Antonio USA [00:29]

If you have only time to do one strength training session a week (besides all the MMA skill and conditioning work), which exercises would you include when the focus is building general strength?

– Alex Poppeck, Dachau Germany [03:02]

Hey Eric, With the slew of fitness trackers out there, push, omsignal, fitbit, etc… Have you tried any ? With yourself or clients ? Would you recomend any ?

– Sergio Pichardo, Calgary Canada [06:12]

Have you trained any one with a heart condition? I love the martial arts. I am a blue belt in Karate and was just told i will not advance to purple or brown or even get a shodan. Is there any option or is my martial arts training done? Thanks for your time.

– Joe Wurzee, Ketchikan USA [09:00]

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.

January 30, 2015
Strength vs. Endurance for MMA

Like many of you, I’ve had some drunken grappling matches with my buddies.

They used to happen in University quite a bit but not so much anymore…

For me, it usually happened after a night that included serious amounts of Vodka.

I don’t know what it was but maybe the spirit of Fedor got into me that made me feel unstoppable.

Before I had any skills, I would use my general athleticism and strength to fight.

But there’s one opponent that you might’ve come across that was difficult to deal with…

(more…)

October 18, 2010
How to not get bulky lifting weights, Part 2

From my previous post, you learned that to get a ripped, athletic looking body instead of the big, bulky, blown-up bodybuilder physique, you need to focus on compound movements instead of isolation exercises.

These are exercises like squats, deadlifts, lunges, chinups and bench presses. Now, in Part 2 of ‘How to not get bulky lifting weights’, we’re going to talk about how to setup your actual workouts.

Tip #2 – Use (mostly) full body routines.

With respect to isolation exercises, I said to minimize them, not eliminate them completely.

That doesn’t mean you do NO bicep curls, it just means your workout doesn’t consist of 8+ sets of bicep curls, like most people’s do!

So with respect to program design, you want to use mostly full body routines. Split routines are beneficial in some cases, but you have to know why you’re using them.

If you want to put on some muscle mass, then split routines can contribute to that goal.

BUT – out of a year, I would spend maybe 3 months on a split routine, the remaining 9 months being on some sort of full body routine. That’s because my goal is strength, power, athleticism, and leanness, not never-ending hypertrophy (muscle building).

Now what exactly is a full body routine? Here’s an example:

1) Squats
2) Chinups
3) Lunges
4) Bench press
5) Prone bridge

This routine is using every muscle in your body, for what your body was designed for – movement and core stability.

Compare this to your traditional ‘Chest + Biceps’ workout:

1) Bench press
2) Incline dumbbell press
3) Flys
4) Standing barbell curls
5) Hammer curls
6) Preacher curls

Let’s do a little visualization exercise here – I want you to picture the human body, and picture that the muscles
working are all turned red.

Now compare what the guy in the first workout looks like versus the second – he looks like he’s on FIRE compared to
the other guy!

Well that’s exactly what happens to your metabolism – it turns into a raging fire, helping you melt body fat all
over your body.

So that concludes Part 2 of my series on ‘How to not get bulky lifting weights’ where we look at the actual workout.

Part 3 is going to put what you learned in Part 1 and 2 all together for you.

Stay tuned,

Eric Wong, BSc, CSCS
MMA Performance Coach

January 22, 2009