Wednesday, April 22, 2009

Dos Remedios' Power Training

Stepping out of the box a little bit here and working on a new program. I was really enjoying the power lift exercises like the hang clean and high pull move which I learned through Turbulence Training...the cleans, jerks and snatches I learned in Rosstraining and Hybrid Lifts I learned in Chris Lopez's Programs - but again if there ever was one exercise I will never get tired of would have to be the deadlift (sorry had to bring that move up again! hahaha!)

Seriously though, as much as I enjoy doing these guys' programs throughout the year (and really: I can switch from these guys programs on a month to month basis and not get bored ever) - I stumbled across a book at Barnes and Nobles on my birthday back in January and as a treat purchased Dos Remedios' Power Training Book at a mall. Flipping through the pages I didn't realize that there was so much more exercises out there that I have never tapped into. I was really training hard recently during my 12 week transformation at Turbulence Training...recently took a well deserved break trying to figure out where I wanted to go with this the next few months through the summer. So since January till my week off from training, I was also reading Dos' book - trying to understand his philosphies to see if this would meet some of my own goals.

I learned so much from that book. Just like Rosstraining (another great fitness book)...I'll admit: it's a valuable book based on his principles. But learning the philosophy is one thing...applying it takes alot more.

If there's one thing I always wanted to do was to be good at from the start was program creation i.e. utilizing sound exercise principles to achieve a certain goal be it fat loss, conditioning, strength, mass building. But experience was the best teacher for me and I'm finally able to recognize where my niches are now and not be lost in space with my workouts any more. I was lost and mislead so many times in the past from fitness magazines - to be able to do solid, legitimate programs like Turbulence Training, Rosstraining and Fitandbusydad's - really opened my eyes even wider. I'm far from being a personal trainer but I'm smart enough to know what works for me and what doesn't to reach my own goals.

Dos Remedios' Power Training could be another one for me here.

What I really enjoyed here these past months of reading his book was the other benefits of the barbell - which is more than just a piece of gym equipment to do presses on a flat bench (the most overrated exercise I think in gyms these days and the most prone to injury as well). Just like the Kettlebell...the Barbell was something that drew my interest this past year in it's uses once again. I was like "Wow..it is just more than just flat bench presses". You can do anything from a wide variation of squats, variation of deadlifts, goodmornings, shrugs, rows, presses...barbell complexes to hybrid lifts - you name it. It can definitely be done with this potent piece of gym equipment! I was always intimidated by it since my friend suffered a complete tear of his pectoralis tendon almost a year ago today.

So these past few months of reading Dos' book and learning new things along the way -I've decided to give his Power Training philisophies a good honest spin. Only did 2 routines this week so far which have been really fun and challenging. To actually go through Dos' routines these past few days made me appreciate just how effective they are not only for developing strength and power for sport as well as functional strength but also to work on that athletic look that I like.

This should be fun!

Learn new things in fitness - it's good for you!

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