Two X-Cross Knee Wrap Video

On This Day In Strength History

Oct. 7, 1989 - Marvin Eder received the Association of Oldetime Barbell & Strongmen Highest Achievement Award. Eder’s feats of strength include a 515-pound bench press, squatting 550-pounds for 10 deep reps, 12 one-arm chins and a 365-pound overhead press. At the 1951 Pan-American Games tryouts, he surpassed the world record in the press with 337 at a bodyweight of 192.

On This Day In Strength History

Walter Podolak was born September 19, 1909.
The Golden Superman Walter Podolak made some very fine lifts as a super strongman. He pulled six cars with his teeth; lifted over 500 pounds in the teeth lift; one arm military pressed 131¾ pounds with a dumbell; bent pressed 305; back somersaults with a 50 pound dumbell in each hand; alternate pressed 100 pound dumbells for 42 reps, and was one of the first men to clean & jerk over 300 pounds.

On This Day In Strength History

September 16, 1926 Doug Hepburn was born in Vancouver, BC.
He won the gold medal at the 1953 World Weightlifting Championships in Stockholm, Sweden.

On This Day In Strength History

John Davis, of the United States, on September 13th, 1949 was the 2nd person to lift the Apollon Wheels. Davis was also a World Champion Weightlifter and was the first man to Clean and Jerk 400 pounds under official meet conditions.

On This Day In Strength History

September 8, 1900 George Lurich set a world record in “belly toss” of 443 pounds.
(The "belly toss" was done while laying flat on the ground, arching during the lift the way a wrestler bridges. This movement began with the back and leg arching maneuver to get the bar started.)

On This Day In Strength History

On September 6th, 1953 at a Strength and Health Picnic in YORK PA. Marvin Eder benched 480lbs in strict style, no arching or bouncing and just failed with 500lbs.

SUPER NUTRITIOUS FOOD: Sweet Potatoes

SUPER NUTRITIOUS FOOD: Sweet Potatoes

Sweet potatoes are rich in complex carbohydrates, dietary fiber, beta carotene (a vitamin A equivalent nutrient), vitamin C, and vitamin B6. In 1992, the Center for Science in the Public Interest compared the nutritional value of sweet potatoes to other vegetables. Considering fiber content, complex carbohydrates, protein, vitamins A and C, iron, and calcium, the sweet potato ranked highest in nutritional value. Orange-fleshed sweet potatoes may be one of nature's unsurpassed sources of beta-carotene. Several recent studies have shown the superior ability of sweet potatoes to raise our blood levels of vitamin A. It's important to have some fat in your sweet potato-containing meals if you want to enjoy the full beta-carotene benefits of this root vegetable. Recent research has shown that a minimum of 3-5 grams of fat per meal significantly increases our uptake of beta-carotene from sweet potatoes.

There are a surprising number of nutrient categories responsible for the health benefits of this underappreciated tuber. Among these categories are antioxidants, anti-inflammatory nutrients, and blood sugar-regulating nutrients. Each category brings with it valuable health benefits. Recent research has shown that particularly when passing through our digestive tract, sweet potato cyanidins and peonidins and other color-related phytonutrients may be able to lower the potential health risk posed by heavy metals and oxygen radicals. That risk reduction is important not only for individuals at risk of digestive tract problems like irritable bowel syndrome or ulcerative colitis but for all persons wanting to reduce the potential risk posed by heavy metal residues (like mercury or cadmium or arsenic) in their diet. Anthocyanin and other color-related pigments in sweet potato are equally valuable for their anti-inflammatory health benefits. What's equally fascinating about color-related sweet potato phytonutrients is their impact on fibrinogen. Fibrinogen is one of the key glycoproteins in the body that is required for successful blood clotting. With the help of a coagulation factor called thrombin, fibronogen gets converted into fibrin during the blood clotting process. Balanced amounts of fibrinogen, thrombin and fibrin are a key part of the body's health and its ability to close off wounds and stop loss of blood.

When choosing sweet potatoes in the store select sweet potatoes that are firm and do not have any cracks, bruises or soft spots. Avoid those that are displayed in the refrigerated section of the produce department since cold temperature negatively affects their taste. Sweet potatoes should be stored in a cool, dark and well-ventilated place, where they will keep fresh for up to ten days.

From a nutrition standpoint, there are a number of good options for cooking sweet potatoes. Options include steaming, boiling, stir frying and baking. Steaming is probably the best option.

Information compiled by

Keith Payne

Functional Strength Systems

References:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sweet_potato#cite_note-23#cite_note-23

http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=64

http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=nutrientprofile&dbid=128

Bengtsson A, Brackmann C, Enejder A et al. J Agric Food Chem. 2010 Oct 1. [Epub ahead of print] 2010.

Failla ML, Thakkar SK and Kim JY. J Agric Food Chem. 2009 Nov 25;57(22):10922-7. 2009.

Mei X, Mu TH and Han JJ.. J Agric Food Chem. 2010 Jun 23;58(12):7305-10. 2010.

Mills JP, Tumuhimbise GA, Jamil KM et al. J Nutr. 2009 Jan;139(1):44-50. Epub 2008 Dec 3. 2009.

On This Day In Strength History

Kurt Saxon died Sept 5, 1952. He was a member of the famous Saxon Trio. They were strongmen and circus performers from the late 19th century into the early 20th century.

On This Day In Strength History

On September 3, 1949, Frank Spellman took 1st Place in the 165 Class at the North American Weightlifting Championships in Montreal, Canada. 255 - 255 - 320 = 830
The year before Frank won the Olympic Gold Medal in London England.

Book Review: Steroids Kill

A few comments about the book STERIODS KILL by Tom Ciola.
This book gives a great historical view of the origin of Steroids. It describes the effect Steroids have had and are having on sports today. Ciola explains the psychological dilemma caused by steroids. He explains it is very hard to stop taking steroids after you achieve increased size and strength. He states many athletes don't understand when you stop taking steroids your body will start to loose size and strength. Also, your body becomes accustom to steroids and it takes more and more to get the job done as time goes on.
Ciola talks about the side effects and negative results of taking Steriods. He interviews many people about their experiences with this drug. The book encourages you to be the best you can be without the use of drugs. Cioli outlines drug free training alternatives.
I would recommend this book to anyone who wants to learn more about steroids or is thinking about using them.
Keith Payne

On This Day In Strength History

September 1,1932 Hermann Goerner curled 110 l/4 pounds in each hand.

On This Day In Strength History

Bert Assirati, one of history’s greatest strength athletes and wrestlers died of cancer of the bladder on August 31, 1990. Bert did a straight arm pullover of 200 with ease. He could curl 200 pounds and squat for reps with 550 when a 400 pound squat was regarded as extraordinary. He also did a single-legged squat with 200 pounds.

On This Day In Strength History

On August 30, 1953 Norbert Schemansky set a world record in the Clean and Jerk of 181kg in the middle heavyweight division at Stockholm. During his lifting career he set an amazing 75 US National, World and Olympic records, while winning nine National and four World championships--and four Olympic medals in four Olympic Games.

Strength Training 101: Overtraining Syndrome

Overtraining could be defined as a point reached between the stress of training and inadequate recuperation. At this point the athlete feels fatigued or tired even after recovery periods. Some common symptoms include:

• Diminished desire to train.
• Lack of appetite.
• Persistent muscle soreness.
• Insomnia
• Irritability
• Chronic fatigue.
• Strength loss.
• Weight loss.
• Tendency to abandon the struggle or in other words “quit”.
• Increase in recovery time.
• Elevated resting heart rate.
• Depression
• Loss of motivation.
• Over sensitivity to criticism.

So, avoiding the Overtraining Syndrome is the trick. Making sure we recover from our workouts is most important. Identifying reasons for overtraining is vital for prevention. Possible causes for OS include:

• Recovery time is insufficient.
• Training is too intense in relationship to current physical condition.
• Excess training volume.
• Poor nutrition.
• Too many competitions and/or too many maximum reps in training.
• Use of alcohol, nicotine and other chemicals.
• Excessive fluctuation of Body Weight.
• Difficult personal relationships.
• Stress

Simply put, if an athlete fails to have sufficient recovery time after training sessions he will eventually feel fatigued and have symptoms we have described. To avoid the overtraining syndrome you can take the following actions.

• Schedule recovery time just like you would your training sessions.
• Increase training loads gradually.
• Utilize the principle of Periodization. Alternate high intensity days and light intensity days.
• Monitor workouts. Always keep a training log.
• Monitor resting heart rate.
• Always eat well. Good nutrition is a big key to recuperation.
• Insure calorie intake matches calories burned.
• Utilize nutritional supplements if needed.
• Keep sufficiently hydrated.
• Use post workout recovery techniques. (contrast showers, ice, stretching, “active rest”, Deep-tissue massage)

Pay attention to early warning signs of overtraining. Prevention is always the best way to go. Being a little undertrained is probably better than being overtrained in most cases. Always remember you get stronger when you are away from the gym.

Keith Payne

Functional Strength Systems