A NEW VISION ON TRAINING by Coach Jim Massaro
Training has always been something that I looked forward to. Most of my thoughts throughout the day would be on what to do in the weight room for that day. Sometimes I would leave work early to get to the gym. I have tried all the various modes of training utilizing boards, rubber bands, boxes and balls. One of my favorites is the use of chains, which I have been doing a lot of experimenting with lately. Soon I will be able to share some new uses with them to help with your training sessions. Over the last three months my eyes have been opened to a whole other area of training. Since hooking up with the Renegade I have been able to add three new weapons to my arsenal.
The first month I was introduced to the kettlebell. Man, a cannonball with a handle on it! Just looking at it gets you fired up. As my training session went on for the day I was surprised by the way my body was reacting to the workout. Thinking that after all these years of heavy training hey I could do anything. So I could not wait for the challenge that this 36lbs. kettlebell had to offer. I was not disappointed. After the first series of simple kettlebell swings I realized how I had very little movement in my hips. Next we went to the K-bell cleans and snatches and realized not only bad hips but my wrist strength needed to be improved upon. Since incorporating the K-bell into my routine and that of my clients there has been improvement in both areas. There you have it: Weapon #1.
Month two rolls around. Next up: Clubbells. Simply put, they look like black iron bowling pins-heavy. The clubbells that we used were 15 lbs. Seems easy enough? Again let's get the hips moving. These clubbells are great for working on circular strength. After years of weight training, my grip strength was really put to a test doing these. Another weakness found. After learning the movements of the c-bells and going through the workout, I could not believe the feeling in my forearms, shoulders and triceps. Not to mention the affect the workout had on my cardio. I was huffing and puffing. Now I add this 20-minute clubbell routine into my daily GPP. I have noticed a tremendous improvement in my grip strength, along with increases in circular strength. Hey, let's face it, they're also a hell of a lot of fun. Weapon # 2
Now it's month three and I'm back to New Jersey for a new adventure: the Indo-Board. I always thought that if I had been brought up in California instead of da Bronx I would have been a surf boy. The challenge of balancing on an Indo-board will probably be the closest I'm ever going to get. Balance: the major component to athletic training. How often do you hear an announcer at a sporting event comment on the balance the athlete had during a particular movement. After watching Coach Davies and Grant mount their Indo-boards, it was my turn. They had me mount it inside of a power rack. Good thinking boys. This way I could not fly off it and break my neck. After about 10 minutes of staying on and falling off, the legs were beginning to shake. And the sweat was starting to run. Damn! This was frustrating, not being able to stay on the board! After being up and down on the board for nearly half an hour, Coach said "Lets take a break!" Fewer words never better spoken. Whew! He asked me how I felt and I could not believe it. It was as if I just completed a heavy leg workout. Having practiced on the board every day now for about two weeks I can feel my balance improving. I don't have that holiday feeling anymore of sitting at the kid's table. That's right, I'm out of the power-rack and out in the open. Though I must admit I have fallen off and busted my ass a few times. There you have it: Weapon #3.
Needless to say the last 3 months have been very exciting. The extent to which we can take our athletic training has increased by leaps and bounds. With the use of the k-bells, clubbells and Indo-Boards we can constantly push the bounderies of athletic conditioning. In order to achieve the title of champion you must be willing to out work your competition. You cannot be afraid to experiment with new or radical training methods. Let's not look at the weight room as the only place to improve your game. Always remember that there is someone out there trying to beat you, so never let them outwork you. I've heard people say that winning isn't everything. Well, I guess that's because they like second place. Huh??? The bottom line is that if you don't come in first, you've lost. You can prevent this from happening by establishing a great work ethic, an immeasurable dedication to your sport. Also be willing to expand out of the ordinary means of training to accomplish your dreams and goals. You now have 3 new weapons in your arsonal lock and load and get ready to become a Champion.