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Renegade Training is primarily known for its role in developing
athletes and enhancing sports performance on the field of
competition. My style of training is also known for its "old
school" methodologies and a ruthless approach to attaining
the objective at hand. While my work has been typically outside
the realm of bodybuilding, the ol' coach has a thing or two
to say about bodybuilding pursuits and how to apply a Renegade
approach for astonishing results. Yes, here comes Renegade
Bodybuilding!
As I look at bodybuilding I tend to think about its rich
history, not today's competitors. Not to cast disparaging
words about present-day bodybuilders but it's hard to compare
today's bodybuilders against the legends of the past. Bodybuilding
for me conjures up images from the great Muscle Beach days
and the likes of Steve Reeves, Joe Gold, Charles Atlas, and
John Grimek. I also think of legends like The Blond Bomber,
Dave Draper, from the 1960's.
These greats were "total" bodybuilders, aspiring not only
to attain the ultimate male physique but also possessing many
extraordinary talents in gymnastics and acrobatics. Through
the 1930's into the "golden era" in the 1960's, bodybuilding
grew until it exploded into what it's become today - a culture.
Yet since that time much of its original goals and judging
standards have changed and quite obviously so has the overall
physique of the competitive or aspiring bodybuilder.
When looking at bodybuilders of yesteryear, you see a well-defined
mixture of size, symmetry, and proportion, all surrounded
by a healthy lifestyle. Many of the great builders of the
past where extraordinary all-around athletes and were pursuing
a look reminiscent of the perfect male physique of ancient
Greece. Few exercise enthusiasts these days are training for
the stage, and most would prefer to live a healthier lifestyle
than today's professional bodybuilders; therefore, I tend
to think they have a lot more in common with the legends of
the past than the competitive bodybuilders of today.
Of course, those who simply want to get "as big as a house"
will consider a lot of these niceties as immaterial. And since
one of my opening comments to my athletes is "victory is the
only option," I have to agree. When you get down to it, results
are where it's at. I receive many requests from lifters
who'll never compete but who want to get big and ripped. We
definitely attack that goal just like we do on the gridiron.
Unfortunately, like many of this generation, they've been
indoctrinated into a soft training culture that desperately
wants to convince them not to "overtrain" and will whine at
the sheer mention of a hardcore Renegade session. Seems to
me that most training protocols (but not all) look like a
damn science experiment! Sure you need proper mechanics, tempo
and exercise selection, but when the hell did the weightroom
become such a tepid, estrogen-rich environment? What's needed
is a ferocious attitude and an understanding of what made
the legends of the past so great.
But enough of this rhetoric; let's get back to the real world.
Sometime ago, one of my Renegade coaches, Joey Williams of
The Fitness Academy of Pacifica, CA, undertook the training
development of two young junior-level bodybuilders. After
I designed a special bodybuilder's program, these men began
their arduous journeys to their first competitions. The work,
as you may have guessed, was hard, totally void of modern
equipment, and brought back an old-time approach to bodybuilding.
Each of these bodybuilders made tremendous strides as they
were victorious in local through State competitions and are
advancing radically in the early stages of their career to
national and natural competitions.
The work is decidedly simplified with core and often multiple-joint
movements utilized to further enhance long term mass development.
For some reason, present day bodybuilders have shied away
from movements like these but nothing can beat their ability
to kick-start some serious growth. You'll notice the ever
present GPP (General Physical Preparation) of Renegade Training,
in both non-weighted and weighted fashion. This is done to
further enhance work capacity and assist in muscular recovery
from the tough training.
For a little added "fun" and to make this completely old
school, our workouts start the same way those greats from
Muscle Beach started their workouts - with some basic tumbling
and hip-mobility drills. The workout is concluded with an
aggressive stretching program.
First I'll describe some of the exercises below, then at
the end of this article I'll lay out an entire program for
you to follow.
Stand in a low
parallel squat position, feet shoulder width apart and holding
dumbbells parallel to the ground with palms facing in. Move
arms out away from you sides in a giant "T" as you stand upright.
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One of the most basic yet exhausting complexes that I employ.
From a starting squat position with the bar resting on your
shoulders, squat down to "basement." As you begin, drive upward
and push the weight up off the shoulders such that at the
top of the squat the bar is locked-out overhead. With the
bar locked out, lower the weight to your shoulders but do
so in a seamless-fashion so you immediately drop into low
squat position.
?
I prefer to
use the Olympic front squat style with the bar held in what's
termed "the rack." However, it's very common for bodybuilders
to use the crossed-arms style with the bar resting on your
delts. Use the most comfortable set-up for you.
With elbows held high, squat down to rock-bottom depth with
the weight centered over your feet and knees. Foot spacing
should be roughly shoulder-width apart; however, without satisfactory
flexibility you'll need to use a wider spacing to accommodate
a lower depth.
Position yourself
in front of a loaded barbell. With your feet about shoulder
width apart, reach behind you and firmly grasp the barbell.
With your back straight and shoulders pinched back, drive
from the heels. Maintain an angle of ascent with the bar near
the calves. As the weight nears your hamstrings, punch the
hips forward. Return the weight to the floor by reversing
the motion.
The bent press
is one of the great classic lifts made famous by iron legend
Eugene Sandow. It can be performed with either a barbell,
dumbbell or kettlebell. Each implement offers its own particular
"feel" (read punishment).
To perform the bent press, you lift the weight with one hand
over your head by slowly "corkscrewing" yourself underneath.
It's extremely draining and the lifter needs to really concentrate
when performing the movement. In the setup of the lift, position
the feet roughly 18 inches apart with the foot on the side
that you're holding the weight turned in slightly and the
opposite foot turned approximately 90 degree to the side.
As the lift begins, the weight is held in such a fashion
that it's directly under the hip and you basically turn into
it and lower yourself under the bar. As you continue to corkscrew
under the bar, your off-side knee bends forward and the opposite
knee approaches the ground which assists in stabilizing the
balance of the bar. With the arm completely extended, you
simply drive off the hip and extend upward. Maintain eye contact
with the weight throughout the lift.
One of my favorites. Another seemingly simple
exercise that jumps up and bites back at you. The exercise
can be performed with virtually any form of resistance so
equipment should never be a problem.
The movement starts with the weight held at chest/shoulder
level and palms facing towards you (like an Arnold press).
As you raise your one hand, twist it inwards while simultaneously
bending from your hip to your opposite side. With the weight
fully extended and you bent over, begin the movement to the
other side. A powerful exercise of yesteryear that will thicken
the torso-up. For those who enjoy the side press this will
take it to the next level.
Standing
upright with a barbell handing straight down. Hold it with
a shoulder width grip and arms locked and riase the the weight
up away from your thighs without unlocking your arms. Raise
weight directly above your head and then back down.
Standing
to the side of barbell resting on the ground, grasp weight
directly in the center. Drop into a low deadlift position
and drive off as with a standard deadlift but with particular
emphasis of pushing off the obliques.
Grasp
the bar precisely in the middle (remember, balance is key!)
Drop into a "neutral" position with the buttocks pushed back
and the back tight at roughly a 30 to 45 degree angle. From
this position the lift commences by driving the hips through
powerfully and hoisting the bar upward.
As the hips come through, the weight continues upward and
has a feeling of "unloading" with the momentum it generates.
As the hand begins to rise above the head, begin to dip under
the bar slightly, "punch" the hand through to straighten out
the arm, and finally stand up. (Note:
To read my whole article on this movement, click
here.)
A simple
barbell curl with a modest variation - perform one-handed.
Grasp the bar precisely in the middle and curl in strict fashion.
Keep the elbow in tight to your side and curl the bar straight
up.
I use a
slight variation that's very similar to the Paul Dix press.
Laying flat on a bench with a barbell in a shoulder width
grip, lower the weight until the elbows make firm contact
with lat shelf. Once they hit this, begin to rotate the bar
down to the throat and rotate elbows up and out. From a low
position of the bar at the throat, reverse the movement in
the same pattern.
Using a cable
machine with a rope attachment, set machine at its highest
level. Grasp the rope in an overhand grip with one foot in
front of other for better stability. Pull back the weight
to eye level with the elbows above shoulder level.
I perform
this one with a slight variation. From a seated position,
hold dumbbells in each hand with your shoulders rotated forward.
Commence lift by rotating the shoulders back and pinching
the rear delts. Lift weight up such that the shoulder to elbow
joint is parallel to the ground and the elbow to wrist is
perpendicular.
This is a great option to calf training without fancy machines.
From a standing squat position with a barbell on your back,
perform a standard calf raise, but as you return your feet
flat to the ground raise the toes off, hence "rocking back."
Now a word of caution to those over-zealous types: perform
with caution and get the feel of the exercise as tempo should
be slow with total control.
An old-time
favorite that's definitely ignored. Stand underneath a high
pull-up bar, grab the bar so that your feet are off the ground
and, well, hold on. That's about it!
Holding
a high bar with your body outstretched completely, raise your
legs up and touch your feet to the bar. Keep legs as straight
as possible.
Holding
high bar and outstretched completely, raise bent legs up until
knees touch chest.
Lying flat
on your back, feet pointed straight up, lift your right knee
up to meet your chest, which should also be coming up at the
same time. Allow torso and leg to return to the ground, then
repeat with your left knee coming to meet your chest. Keep
your arms straight and glued to your sides during execution
of the movement.
Basically
a simple "boxer" type of movement where you keep your hand
on your hips and shuffle the feet back and forth in quick
fashion with movement being generated from the hips.
Depending on
where you're from, this is also referred to as a "squat thrust."
From a standing position, jump as high as possible and land
down on your haunches with your hands on the ground. Kick
your feet back (for a moment you'll be in a push-up position)
and jump back up again as fast and as high as possible.
From a push-up position with butt slightly higher than normal,
climb/jump quickly, bringing knees up to chest and back. Work
in quick fashion.
A
staple of Renegade Training. With wheelbarrow loaded with
weight, walk for prescribed time [Editor's
Note: If for some strange reason the staff
at 24 Hour Fitness doesn't provide a wheelbarrow to their
members, you could substitute farmer's walks. Simply grab
two of the heaviest dumbbells you can find and take a stroll.]
While
there's some controversy to this exercise, I've found it to
be a fun addition to training. Named after Czech exercise
physiologist, Dr. Vladimir Janda, this is one of the most
challenging sit-up variations as it completely isolates the
rectus abdominals by eliminating the hip flexors.
The performance of this exercise is done by sitting in a
normal sit-up position, feet flat on ground but vigorously
tightening
hamstrings and glutes. This will cause the hip flexors to
be inactivated in a process called reciprocal inhibition,
which basically means that opposite muscles to the contracted
ones will relax. The exercise can be done using a dedicated
apparatus, having a workout partner exert pulling pressure
on your calves (while you maintain your feet on the ground)
or wrapping your legs over barbell and pulling back. As you
begin the exercise, fill your lungs with air and in a slow
(three to five second count) ascent, slowly exhale. Seems
simple, but go ahead try it!
Now
in this setup we're lucky because we have the benefit of a
dedicated machine. For those without a machine, try facing
backwards on a Roman chair. I've even had my athletes perform
them using a pick-up truck as the apparatus! See pics below
for another no-machine version of the lift:
If you do have a machine, position it with knees resting
just at the padding with the feet flat on the toe-plate. Start
the movement lying flat out on the machine with the legs straight.
Begin pulling up, keeping the body straight and hips forward
by using flexed hips, hamstrings, and glutes. Push against
the toe-plate with the gastroc until upper knee joint to upper
torso is perpendicular to the machine.
Simple
forearm curls performed with barbell. Grasp the bar with a
shoulder width grip, palms facing down. Raise the bar up by
pulling with the forearms only, being careful not to rock
back. Keep your elbows glued to your sides.
There
are numerous options for this exercise and I'd suggest changing
methods periodically to avoid adaptation. The simplest method
is to lay flat on the bench with the shoulder to elbow joint
held perpendicular throughout the movement with the weight
held such that palms face one another. Lower the weights until
the dumbbells reach shoulder level. This can also be performed
with a barbell with the weight being lowered to shoulder region
or higher to head level ("skull-crushers"). Another great
option is to perform them on a decline bench to isolate the
triceps even more.
Upon the
completion of all training sessions, I use the following pattern
of stretches with 45-second static holds.
Sets: 3
Reps: 10
% of 1 RM (rep max): 60% for the first 2 sets, 75% for last
3
Sets: 5
Reps: 10
Tempo: 301 (See FAQ section if you aren't
familiar with tempo prescriptions.)
Rest: 60 seconds
Note: Perform
in one and one-half style: Descend all the way down, come
halfway up, go back down, then come all the way up. That's
one rep.
% of 1 RM: 60% for the first 2 sets, 75% for last 3
Sets: 5
Reps: 10
Tempo: 501 tempo
Rest: 60 seconds
% of 1 RM: 75%
Sets: 3
Reps: 10
Tempo: 311
Rest: 60 seconds
% of 1 RM: 60% for the first set, 75% for last 3
Sets: 4
Reps: 16 on the first set, 12 on the last
3 sets
Tempo: 422
Rest: 60 seconds
Jumping Jacks
Shuffle Splits
Burpees
Mountain Climbers
Wheelbarrow Walk - Six total minutes
% of 1 RM: 75%
Sets: 4
Reps: 25
30 seconds, 3 sets
Sets: 2
Reps: 8-10
Sets: 2
Reps: 8-10
30 on each side
% of 1 RM: 60% for the first two sets, 75% for last 3
Sets: 5
Reps: 10
Tempo: 301
Rest: 60 seconds
% of 1 RM: 75%
Sets: 3
Reps: 10
Tempo: 301
Rest:60 seconds
% of 1 RM: 80%
Sets: 3
Reps: 6
Tempo: X0X (as fast as possible)
Rest: 60 seconds
% of 1 RM: 75%
Sets: 3
Reps: 10
Tempo: 201
Rest: 60 seconds
% of 1 RM: 75%
Sets: 3
Reps: 10
Tempo: 301
Rest: 60 seconds
Sets: 3
Reps: 5
Tempo: 505
Rest: 60 seconds
On this day, you'll only perform a light active rest with
warm-up and cool-down routine. In other words, jump rope,
ride a stationary bike, chase naked women around the couch,
etc, for 15 to 30 minutes.
Sets: 3
Reps: 3 (Note: Total circuit counts as one
rep)
Rest: 60 seconds
% of 1 RM: 60% for the first two sets, 75% for last 3
Sets: 5
Reps: 10
Tempo: 301
Rest: 60 seconds
Sets: 2
Reps: 6
Tempo: 301
Rest: 60 seconds
Note: Alternate
hands
Sets: 3
Reps:10
Tempo: 301
Rest: 60 seconds
Note: Alternate
hands
% of 1 RM: 75%
Sets: 3
Reps: 10
Tempo: 301
Rest: 60 seconds
% of 1 RM: 75%
Sets: 3
Reps: 10
Tempo: 201
Rest: 60 seconds
% of 1 RM: 75%
Sets: 3
Reps: 10
Tempo: 301
Rest: 60 seconds
Do 5 "rounds."
Jumping Jacks
Shuffle Splits
Burpees
Mountain Climbers
Wheelbarrow Walk - 8 total minutes
% of 1 RM: 75%
Sets: 4
Reps: 25
30 seconds, 3 sets
Sets: 2
Reps: 8-10
Tempo: 101
Rest: 60 seconds
Sets: 2
Reps: 8-10
Tempo: 101
Rest: 60 seconds
% of 1 RM: 60% for the first 2 sets, 75% for last 3
Sets: 5
Reps: 10
Tempo: 301
Rest: 60 seconds
% of 1RM: 75%
Sets: 3
Reps: 10
Tempo: 301
Rest: 60 seconds
% of 1RM: 75%
Sets: 3
Reps: 10
Tempo: 201
Rest: 60 seconds
% of 1RM: 75%
Sets: 3
Reps: 10
Tempo: 301
Rest: 60 seconds
% of 1RM: 75%
Sets: 3
Reps: 10
Tempo: 301
Rest: 60 seconds
% of 1RM: 75%
Sets: 3
Reps: 10
Tempo: 301
Rest: 60 seconds
Note: Can also
be performed laying on decline bench.
Sets: 3
Reps: 5
Tempo: 505
Rest: 60 seconds
So there you go, time-warp training with a little Renegade
flair! Have some fun and go out and crush the competition!
Coach Davies is a regular contributor to T-mag
and has just returned home after a four month tour, training
athletes, holding seminars and just having a little too much
"Renegade" fun. His first book, Renegade Training for Football
has continued his remarkable sales and is becoming a new
reference guide for sports performance development. He is
presently working on a new book for the Xtreme Sport athlete.
For more information on this, other questions or heck, just
to go snowboarding, please contact him at CoachDavies@RenegadeTraining.com.
And as always you can find the ol' coach lurking on the T-mag
forum.
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