Tire Patch Training Part 3: Ghetto Hip Flexor Stretch

You may find yourself in another training dilemma, (once again) not having access to everything you need to get the job done in your training.
Take flexibility for example. You and your training partners' Hip-Flexors are so knotted up that you need the nearest stretch table for relief. Unfortunately, your gym is cheaper than McDonald's .99 cent menu. There is no stretch table in sight other than a Physical Therapy office down the road. What should you do?
What a "Tire Patch" is to a tire (which is a quick fix to get you going again), all you need is something to get the job done for your training.

Check Out this two part video series which gives you another inside look with our Gladiator Athletes and how we perform the "Ghetto Version" of the partner Hip Flexor Stretch.

Video 1 gives a quick demo of what the stretch is, how we improvise, and how to do it. Video 2 demonstrates two athletes learning this stretch for the first time. Hey, It's not a stretch table and it certainly isn't a massage table (No massage tables for Sal..!), but the way we use these mats gets the job done.

For an in-depth write up on these videos, including the importance of stretching the Hip Flexors, go to BoxingPerformance.com.

Part 1:

Part 2:

2009 NJ Golden Gloves Champion "Jade"

152 lb. N.J. Golden Gloves Champion

These past couple of months have been a killer. It's that time of year where a large portion of our athletes go off to test their skills.Was all that "Sacrifice For Reward" and "Putting The Hustle Behind The Muscle" just a bunch of catch phrases for the business, or do they really mean something? Part of my job is to prove to my athletes every day that it is not. They know that it isn't all hype, as we transform doubters into true believers. A true belief that self sacrifice in the gym pays off and there truly is a reward and feeling of accomplishment when the season starts and the fight nears.

I can go on and on and take you through the list of athletes who I train and show off the text messages that I receive from them about how they improved from training with us, but I would rather keep those for me.

What I do want to share with everyone is someone who I am proud of beyond belief. He is a 19 year old kid who has only been boxing for about seven months. He has an amazing fight coach, a good group of friends for support, and of course an unbelievable performance trainer (wink,wink).

These are only some of the ingredients that make up this athlete's success, as his ability to win or lose is truly up to him. He is the one that has to get in the ring (alone) and stands toe to toe with someone who, if given the opportunity, would rip his head off. Not his boxing coach, not his friends, and not me! This kid chooses to win. This is the choice he has made. If your not a fight fan, you may not realize that this is one of the greatest accomplishments that a boxer at this level can achieve.

Take a look at Jade winning the New Jersey Golden Gloves Semi-Finals and Finals in these videos below:

A Great Boxing Coach

A Great Group Of Support And Yes, All These Guys Fight

A Side Note:

Remember I said that I believe you can "Will On" anything in life? Jade did. He won most of his fights with a busted hand! No excuses. More to come so keep checking back.

Teaching The Sledge Hammer

Here is an inside look on how we teach our fighters how to execute this particular sledge hammer hit variation. The Sledge Hammer is one of the many tools that we use to increase grip strength, power production, quick hands, and blast the appropriate energy system conductive to Boxing, MMA, and similar gladiator sports. If you're wondering, getting your "Chops" busted comes with the territory! Check this video out below:


A Side Note:

If you break up concrete for a living like I once did, then I would leave the sledge hits out of the training!

Questions & Answers: 3-30-09 (Foot & Ankle)

Question:
First I'd like to thank you for taking the time to read my question. I play college basketball and my leg strength is really sub par. I am very flat footed, I have no arch at all. I know that squatting would help me be more explosive and stronger. Any advice you could give me would be great.
M.C.

Answer:

M.C., no problem. I'm not exactly sure if there was a direct question in there, but I will give you some of my thoughts on strength, squatting for athletes, and flat feet. Although It might take some time to answer questions that are submitted to me through this blog (I am, in fact, in the trenches training athletes. Sometimes seven days per week while traveling to support my fighters at their fights and preparing to open up our facility next year), I would not do it if I did not enjoy helping others with their own training. The fact that I can have a positive influence on someone else's training is what it is all about for me. It has been so from the very beginning. Enough with the B.S. and lets get on to your question.

Coming from a strength stand point, there is no doubt in my mind that a college basketball athlete needs to be strong and explosive. Every athlete needs to be strong and explosive to some degree. This is the ultimate goal and should be the big picture in your training. If you have weak legs then you are limiting your ability to be powerful (You can not be truly powerful if areas of your body are weak and underdeveloped).

Like someone who I admire very much once said: "You can't flex Bone!" I am using this quote to hammer home a point. Like a strong grip in relation to a strong upper body, strong feet have a direct relationship to a strong lower body. You need to build muscle and get stronger from the ground up. As a basketball athlete, your feet are the only direct link to the ground. If your feet are weak and are unable to properly support the rest of your body (flat feet and no arch is a good indicator for a weak foot and ankle complex) then you are holding yourself back from building the strength and explosiveness that you need as an athlete. Plus, I have found a direct correlation to weak flat feet and ankle sprains! Try getting stronger when you are injured. It's not happening. Basketball athletes and ankle sprains go together more than any top entree cooked up in Hell's Kitchen!

I'm Telling 'Ya That This Guy Was One Of My Little League Baseball Coaches

You need to build muscle and strength in the foot and ankle complex just like the hand and grip. When the grip is strong and stable, so is the wrist and forearms. When the feet are strong and stable, so are the ankles. Look at it as Injury Prevention 101.

This is a very situational topic as a lot of athletes will become stronger in their feet just from squatting properly all while making adequate strength gains within their training (Squatting ques such as Spreading The Floor and Pushing The Feet Out while have appropriate weight on your back can build the feet up as long as you can maintain those postures while doing so). If you have flat feet and collapsed arches, and experiencing shin and knee pain from overpronation of the foot and ankle, then it will take a bit more special attention then squatting ques like the ones I just mentioned.

In my opinion, Squatting and Deadlifting (With all of their variations) is the superior way to build strength and power. This can all be attained and manipulated through training the Max Effort Method (Maximal Strength) and the Dynamic Effort Method (Moving Submaximal Weight Fast). I respectfully think you must be full of shit if you are a performance coach or an athlete who disagrees! On that note, none of this can be trained optimally if you have a severe weak link such as flat feet or collapsed arches of the foot. Again, "You are only as strong as your weakest link". This may be where you need to take a few steps back in your training so you can take a bunch of steps forward.

Yeah, That's Him

Before I tell you what to do, I am going to explain some of the reasons why athletes and people in general have weak and flat feet. Again, this is in no specific order:

Genetics play a role in the way you are structurally built (put together). You just have to thank your parents for this one! Good or bad, genetics are in no way an excuse to fall back on because no body is created perfect. If you fall back on excuses then you are holding yourself back on reaching your full potential whether in life, the gym, or on the basketball court. If we fell back on excuses, then I believe nobody would be great in life. What is great about the weaknesses of our bodies and our lives is that we can work on them and build them up and make them our greatest strengths. Like I tell all of my athletes, "All you have to give yourselves is time, 100% effort, and consistency. It is then when you see things come together and develop."

Not enough time walking around barefoot. There are strength coaches who believe their athletes should train barefoot all the time! Although I have mixed feelings about this (what if you have no feet or what if you are training in a complete shit hole for a place and you wouldn't use some one else's feet to train barefoot with) as barefoot training may be too much when done all the time and safety can be an issue in the weight room with certain training regiments, walking around your house barefoot is the first step. What does this mean? Clean your dirty floors, take off the socks,flip flops, and shoes and walk around. It may be the next best thing to being naked if your are not use to having anything on your feet. It also is the first step in building strength, balance, and stability of the foot and ankles.

Wearing the wrong footwear. Throw away the Man Heels! In the case for female athletes, high-heels aren't helping you either. Guys, it really isn't cool to be wearing sneakers or shoes with a three inch lift in the back. It's not productive for performance because it screws with your posture, desensitizes your feet, and has you walking around like a runway model. A great solution for shoes to train with would be Converse's Chuck Taylors for weight room training or you can go with the high bread route and train with Adidas Sambas. Adidas Sambas are great for weight room training and give good enough support for speed and agility training. These two training shoe choices will not only put the masculinity back into your training, but will provide appropriate foot and ankle support and also help in winning the fight against the desensitisation of athletes feet.

Athletes, Just Say No!
Men, It's Just Not Good For Posture

Overlooking the importance of foot strength for over all injury prevention and lower body health is a big mistake. I believe it is well established in the training community and athletic sports world on the importance of a strong grip and grip training. The same should go for the foot as they are structurally similar. You obviously are not going to be swinging from the trees with your feet like monkeys and won't be deadlifting weight off the floor with your feet, but you need to train the feet directly at times. Collapsed arches and severe ankle sprains should be considered one of those times to start training them! This leads me into the last and maybe most important reason because it will pertain to most athletes regarding the foot and ankle.

Not enough unilateral training with a full range of motion is a huge reason athletes suffer injury at the foot and ankle (besides the knee, groin, and hip). Single leg squats, step ups, lunges, and deadlifts not only build leg strength, but they challenge an athletes balance, mobility, and creates the ultimate enviorment for stability in the ankle and foot to be enhanced. I can spot weak ankles and feet as soon as an athlete attempts to perform unilateral training. Especially if it's for the very first first time. I can't count how many times I see an athlete with weak feet and ankles not be able to hold their balance while performing body weight single leg squats. How funny is it though that over time, balance issues go away when they become stronger in their unilateral training. It's not a coincidence! Stronger feet and ankles equal better balance. It's that simple. Although this may not be the end all be all for correcting flat feet and weak ankles for everybody, it has been a huge help with enabling an athlete to become stronger in the foot complex while still squatting (it's still a form of squatting even though it's with one leg) for increased leg strength. Check this video out below:

This is a Single Leg Squat progression that we have our athletes perform with no shoes for an improved arch of the foot. The only way this will work is if you force the foot that is in contact with the floor to arch ("Crunch Your Toes" is the que) the entire time while performing the Single Leg Squat. You have to maintain the arch so grip the hell out of the floor. It will make the bottom of your feet burn like nothing else because you are training the muscles of the foot. Those muscle are weak and inhibited. This is why you need to train them. Stick with your own body weight to start. Shoot for 4 sets of 8-12 reps with no weight. If you can perform the full 4 sets of 12 reps without loosing your arch and balance, then add some weight. I would make this the first exercise for leg day. Isolate to integrate is what you are doing here. Train the hell out of this movement until you can get stronger in your feet and ankles to integrate this back into Squatting and Deadlifting. Again, you are taking a step back in your training to correct a weak link so you can become injury reduced, stronger, and more powerful in the future. Kiss B.S. ankle sprains good bye. As you are able to maintain a forced arch of the foot, add in some foam so the foot can grip for increased foot strength. The foam will challenge the foot and ankle to a greater degree. This is the next step from the floor. This is one of our "Go To" movements for our athletes with flat feet and weak ankles. Keep in mind the progression here: Body weight for 4 sets of 12 controlled reps to adding weights for 4 sets of 12 controlled reps. When adding in the foam, do the same. Body weight for 4 sets of 12 controlled reps followed by adding in weight. We only perform the stuff that works!

If It Moves, Then It Can Be Trained,

Joe Rossi

A Side Note:

If you can add up the amount of years that you have been walking around with flat and weak feet (or any posture due to weakness), you will then realize how long it will take you to truly correct this problem. I am not going to B.S. you into thinking if you do A,B, and C then you will be completely restored and cured. As athletes, we all have our weak links that develop over time and some we are just born with. It takes a conscious decision to always attack weak areas in your training even if it means performing the shit we do not like to do. The greater good is feeling and performing better. If you think this is a bunch of fluff then don't do it. If you think there is some truth to what I am saying then give it a try. It will only make you better.

Questions & Answers: 1-19-09

Question:

I have been lifting weights for a long time and recently my wrists just started hurting. I have been doing more weight on my bench press and was wondering if this may be increasing the tension on my wrists. The thing is I don't really feel pain when I am benching, it is more when I am doing barbell curls. I was wondering if adding wrist curls into my workout would benefit me in any way. If you have any suggestions I would greatly appreciate it. I don't wanna have to take time off. Thanks in advance.

Brian G.

Wrist and Forearm Inspiration

Answer:

Brian,
Send in some video of you Benching and performing Barbell Curls so I can actually see what is going on. Seeing you in action can tell me a lot. Make sure you angle the camera so we can see what the upper body and wrists are doing. Until then, I will take a swing at what could be going on just from my own personal experiences.
Remember that increased weight on any given lift is more load and stress placed on the body. It's only a good thing if the body is ready for it. It doesn't matter if it is a Bench Press or a Barbell Curl. It has been in my experience that pain can stem from these four things in no specific order:

1. Lack of Strength
2. Poor Technique
3. Overuse
4. Poor Programming

Lack of Strength is simple. You may be using a load or a certain amount of weight that is too much for you. The weight is just too heavy even if you can lift it. If you have your training structured around a main lift like the Bench Press (if it is your main lift then it should be the first lift performed on that training day) by the time you get to the end of your workout, you are going to be a lot weaker so you may need to kick back on the amount of weight you use for the Barbell Curls. You can still make progress with the Curls at lighter loads and you shouldn't be going to failure on an accessory lift such as that. Remember, "Slow and Steady Wins the Race".

Poor Technique could be the reason why you are feeling pain. A lot of guys I come across never keep a 'neutral' or 'close to neutral' wrist when performing Bicep Curls or Tricep Extensions. While performing lifts like these, it is important to maintain the wrist's integrity so you can keep any type of compensation down to a minimum. Simply put, next time you try to perform Curls, keep your wrists straight and squeeze the hell out of the bar. If you can't, then the weight is too heavy or you may not be squeezing the bar enough. If the grip is loose, then tighten it up so the wrists remain tight and flexed. This will lead to less unwanted movement in the wrist joint which can possibly decrease any pain you may be feeling.

Overuse symptoms such as pain, inflammation, mental staleness during training, physically becoming weaker in lifts and degressing opposed to progressing in training, weakened immune system which can lead to increased colds. These are all symptoms of overuse or overtraining. You may need to Deload and take a day, few days, or even a week off of training. Give the wrists a break. This is important so the body can rest and recover. Recovery is a huge role in progress and production in your training. Listen to your body. Your wrists may be at the point that nothing will help them other then some recovery time, time off.

Poor Programming is the case most of the time. Even in my own training because the Ego can sometimes be your worst enemy. More often then not, we want to train how we want to train despite the fact that it may not be good for us. Where a lot of people fail with putting together a good training program is their inability to include movements and exercises that will address the weak areas of their body. "You are Only as Strong as your Weakest Link". How many times have you heard this? I can not stand to repeat this phrase, but it's important! If your wrists are not strong enough to perform certain lifts correctly, then you need to attack this weakness and make it a strength, otherwise it will spill over into other areas of your training and hold you back. "Isolate to Integrate". Train the shit out of the grip and wrists with various weighted timed holds, holding barbells, dumbbells, barbell plate weight. Work on your crushing grip with Captains of Crush hand grippers. Keep your wrists straight while you perform this type of training. Work on wrist flexion! Wrist flexion as in Dumbbell, Barbell, Cable Wrist Curls. Incorporate Fat Bars for added grip work. 99% of the time, I see people's wrists hyperextended during bench pressing and bicep curls. Bring balance to the wrist and work on flexing the hell out of them! Take a look at the video below:


These are Standing Dumbbell Wrist curls. 3 sets of max reps with a weight heavy enough to complete at least 20 or more reps total. This is a great hand/wrist/forearm strengthener for athletes who may be experiencing a weak grip. Many indicators for a lack of hand/wrist strength can be pin pointed in training when you are unable to maintain a stable wrist during bench pressing, overhead pressing, bicep curls, etc. This is also a great counter exercise for those experiencing soreness in the elbows due from too much wrist and forearm extension. Increasing your strength in this exercise will have a positive effect on bat/racket speed, ball control (gripping a baseball, football, and basketball), punching, and anything else you can think of that involves the hand and forearm musculature. Try it out and let me know what you think.

A Side Note:

Certain lifts just never seem to work, but that does not mean you have to give up. That's why EZ Curl Bars were invented. Switch to an EZ Curl Bar to keep the Barbell Curls in your training. The bend in the bar will change the angle of the wrists a bit which may solve any type of wrist/elbow dilemma. Either that or stick with Dumbbells.

Another Side Note:

Some times it is really as simple as "If It Hurts, Then Don't Do It!"



If it moves, then it can be trained!

Joe Rossi

The YESS GYM Part: I

My e-mail address has recently been flooded with inquiries about our location, training program, and other training related questions. It's a great thing and I'm very happy. I hope this write-up answers some of your questions. YESS Training isn't going anywhere and I believe we have proven that we are here to help anyone who wants it. The word is starting to get out that we are a serious training gym dedicated toward training fighters and we gets results.

We have a couple of huge announcements about YESS Training, one of them being about our new training gym that will continue to cater to fighters/warriors and it will be open to the masses! It will be the next step in our forever growing pursuit to prepare gladiator athletes in a superior way. Until we unveil the rest of the details about our new gym, I wanted to talk about where a lot of our training has been taking place in the meantime. Bare with me for a minute while I share with you a few of the details. This is the honest truth.

Like many of the top training coaches who started their careers out of a storage closet, truck, studio, or basement, I started out of the Police Athletic League Boxing Gym and three other gyms. Out of these four places, I would have to personally pay money to each gym for every athlete that I would train, in return for the usage of their gym. This made it extremely difficult because I would have to work 3x as hard to establish a proper training environment (there is only so much I can control in a gym I do not own) and make enough money to financially grow to the next level (a fee to pay for every athlete that I train adds up to a lot of money lost, including travel expenses going from gym to gym). This created a stale mate scenario where I was over worked and underpaid. Although I couldn't move ahead I was still happy because I was doing what I loved to do (training fighters), but my goal of opening my Rocky Balboa Gym was still a ways off.

Notice the Chuck Taylors and Heavy Dumbbells?

There had to have been a better way. I did not want to partner up and open a gym with someone who did not truly share my vision (it's like being married to someone with money, but you don't love each other) and I was not going to sell out and work for a gym where I would make great money and benefits, but never live the dream I envisioned for myself (I would never truly be living the life I wanted). Not to mention that this was all happening at a time where I was getting married to a women I do love. Then it hit me and it hit me hard. I made the greatest decision of my life. Ready for this??

Kind Of Felt Like This

I completely moved 109 miles away, out of the area where I was building my reputation for training fighters. How is that one for ya! Surprised? This is like business suicide. I was well aware of this, but I said screw it. I know my shit enough that if you were to drop me off on an island with only tribes inhabiting it, I would have them training before I sought out shelter!

That Is Not Me In This Photo

I was now ready to work 4x as hard and make even less money. Do you think I am nuts? I am, but that's besides the point. I was going to do what ever it takes to get what I want. Even if it meant changing the rules of the game and taking a few steps backward.

They Would Be Squatting Though

When I moved into my current house, it wasn't about how big the master bedroom was, if it had granite counter tops for our kitchen, or if there were two bathrooms. It was about finding a detached garage that would become the YESS Training Gym, the best damn training gym in the area! It was about the fighters that were to eventually come and provide them with everything they needed in their training to be great. And it was about me not giving in to something I don't want.

Although I moved away almost four years ago, The YESS Training Garage Gym has officially been up and running for the last year or so. Past athletes who have the means to travel actually take the 109 mile drive to train with me (this speaks volumes about their character), while new athletes (new area) have joined up to gain the competitive edge over their competition! There is a new record board with a lot of records to be set (new gym, new board, new records-that's the way it is), but more importantly a place for personal challenges, personal growth.

Besides the fighters that I train, One of our athletes who is a high school sophomore baseball player is about to hit a 410 lb. Trap Bar Dead Lift for reps. We also have a high school junior female softball athlete training at the YESS Garage who is going to hit a 135 lb. Barbell Box Squat (parallel) for a 5 rep max. Not impressed? Mind you that both of these kids never trained in a weight room before prior to training with us. Still not impressed?? This has all been accomplished with a little over a year of serious training under both of these kids belts. All while taking completely off from their training during the baseball and softball season!!! Preparedness does not go away completely!

What's crazy about all this is that we have done so well in such a short time, that we are about to move out of the garage and into that Rocky Balboa Gym I mentioned. Funny how things happen when you go with your instincts.

Sacrifice For Reward

Not bad for a converted 500 Sq. Ft. detached garage off of my residence. It's now the best training gym for athletes in our area!!!! Wait to you see the new gym and what's to come. Trust Me. Just stay tuned for the YESS Gym Part: II.!.!

Questions & Answers: 12-31-08

Question:

I noticed some of your 5x5 workouts. Can you tell me what your actual schedule is for that type of training?? I'm very interested in gaining size and strength.

Timebomb

Answer:

Timebomb,
In the training world, the 5x5 System has been around for a long time and is credited for producing gains both in muscular size and strength. It was popularized by old time Meat Heads, I mean Body Builders as far back as Reg Park.

Reg Park: 'Old Time Meat Head'

Most of our beginner athletes will start with the 5x5 system which is simply a set/rep scheme (5 sets of 5 reps). Take the WS4SB (West Side for Skinny Bastards) program for example. Instead of working up to a 1,3, or 5 rep max in the first exercise on a Max –Effort Day, (with an athlete who is not ready for that type of neurological demand placed upon their body because of a lack of weight training background), we will simply warm up to a weight that the athlete will use for 5 sets of 5 reps.
Simply put, warm up to a weight that you will only be able to handle for 5 sets of five reps. Your fourth and fifth sets should be the hardest of the sets and you should really have to grind it out on the final set.

This type of set and rep scheme is good to use for the first exercise for a beginner because there is a lot of volume with enough intensity to build muscle, as well as learning how to execute the proper lifts (Barbell Bench, Deadlift, Squat, etc.) which will eventually become their Max Effort lifts as they progress in the training program.

This leads me to another way that the 5x5 system can be used. Work up to a five rep Max in your first exercise. Again, working up to a five rep Max will only be good for beginners because the stronger you become in the weight room, you will need more warm-up sets than just four to complete your five rep max. This would be one way beginners can learn how to strain for one heavier set of five reps. Working up to a five rep max in the Barbell Bench Press within the 5x5 system will look like this:

Set 1: Barbell x 5
Set 2: 95x 5
Set 3: 135x 5
Set 4: 155x 5
Set 5: 185x 5

Once again, the stronger you become, the more warm- up sets you will need which will take you out of the 5x5 set and rep scheme for your first lift. This doesn’t mean you can not use it as an intermediate or advanced lifter. What was once useful becomes useless and eventually becomes useful again! See how that can go? I like to throw 5x5’s into a training program to get away from a 4 sets of 10 or 12 rep schemes. This would be done with supplemental or accessory exercises such as Dumbbell Presses, Dips, Dumbbell Rows, etc. This is done on occasion to switch things up from time to time. It’s a way to decrease the volume and increase the weight.

Like your favorite toilet seat, a good set and rep range will stand the test of time, but don't misuse it, or it will end up exactly what a toilet seat is meant for! To ( ), well, you can fill in the blank space!

Happy New Year from New Jersey!!!