Morning Juice

carrot, apple, greens, cucumber, celery

On This Day In Strength History

Elise Gillaine Herbigneaux (Miss Apollina), was born in Tongrine, Belgium on March 30,1875. Apollina toured London and the other cities showcasing her feats of strength. In her stage performances, she would engage local wrestlers to raise audience excitement and regularly wrestled men.

Stay with it!

He Who Can Endure the Grind....Wins

On This Day In Strength History

In Munich, Germany on March, 27th, 1954 Adolf Grenzebach lifts a 508 pound stone during a contest for the strongest man of the Bavarian capital.

FSS at Live Fit in Belmont for Bench Night

Have You Heard About This Awesome New Exercise?

Have You Heard About This Awesome New Exercise?

I am often amused by the infatuation that many lifters have toward all the “new” training exercises that continuously pop up in the strength training world. It seems many lifters are looking for that new magical exercise that will somehow propel them into elite lifter status. For example:

This is an excerpt from an article Charles Smith wrote back in 1949.

“The Barnholth method is strictly for lifters. The exerciser takes the weight in the usual manner, across the back of the shoulders, and SITS on a small BOX or chair so that the thighs are level or parallel with the floor. He stands up from the box and then either returns to a sitting position and repeats or else stands upright and returns to that position using the box only to ensure that he does not go below the parallel position. The great advantage of this form of the deep knee bend is that it is very effective in developing a powerful jerk. In jerking a weight, the lifter must make certain that he does not dip too low or too fast. Squatting from a box ensures that the lifter develops strength well within the range of muscular contraction encountered in jerking a weight from the shoulders”.

The Smith article was written more than 30 years before the BOX SQUAT craze surfaced around the late 1980’s and 1990’s. Obviously the box squat had been around for a long time before then. But all of the sudden the box squat had taken the powerlifting community by storm. Many lifters saw box squatting as this “new” magical exercise that would take their squat to the next level. (Unfortunately in my opinion for many lifters what took their squat to the next level had more to do with armor plated squat suits and monolifts but that is another subject altogether.) Although I think box squatting certainly has its benefits, in the past few years many powerlifters have stopped box squatting and moved on to the next “new” thing.

 

The box squat is just one example among many that shows essentially there is very little new under the sun when it comes to strength building exercises. Just because someone starts promoting a certain exercise and you haven’t heard of it doesn’t mean it’s new.

 

Point is lifters should be far more concerned about training philosophy and putting together tried and true exercises that work for them and less concerned with so-called new exercises. There is no one magical exercise. If you research exercises there are plenty of “old” ones out there that can help you build extraordinary strength. You don’t have to chase the next “new” exercise that comes around. If you do, you may find out the “new” exercise has been around for a thousand years.

 

Likewise, items like chains, bands, boxes, boards, specialty bars and dumbbells, etc. have been used by strongmen longer than you have been alive. They are just tools that can enhance the exercises that have been around for hundreds of years. There is nothing new or magical about them. As I said, there are very few new things under the sun. Just build a training philosophy with exercises that work for you. Coupled with hard work and consistency you will achieve your goals. Don’t be one who is constantly searching for some new fangled Johnny come lately exercise. It’s most likely already been invented.

 

Keith Payne

Functional Strength Systems

 

Often Overlooked Bench Press Training Exercise

Often Overlooked Bench Press Training Exercise

Over the years I have had the opportunity to know quite a few lifters who preferred to compete in the bench press (only). Many do not squat or deadlift for whatever reason. Some of them have physical ailments such as lower back or knee problems. A number of them just participate in the bench press because that’s all they want to do. Regardless of reason, I have noticed benchers tend to utilize the same basic training techniques. It seems, for example, most benchers do a combination of the following exercises. (Supine pressing movements, over-head presses, a variety of pulling or rowing movements, shrugs, lockouts and board presses, various shoulder related movements and an array of exercises for arm development, etc). I’m sure everyone is very familiar with the traditional bench press training exercises we are talking about.

When coaching bench only competitors I have noticed many of them are lacking in upper back strength, especially in the trapezius area. The common prescription for this problem would be to do shrugs. Shrugs are a great exercise that all benchers should utilize but I think there is movement that is superior. This exercise is frequently used by “full power” lifters but is scarcely used by bench only competitors. The “high pin” RACK PULL is a tremendous upper back as well as upper body strength builder! With a 2” to 4” range of motion, a huge amount of weight can be utilized in this exercise which places stress on the muscle tissue and nervous system that can’t be duplicated with other exercises. Rack pulls allow you to pull heavy weight from an angle that is rarely employed (other than relatively “light” shrugs) by bench only competitors. The pulling movement combined with its static characteristics (I recommend holding the weight at the top for a few seconds before returning the bar to the pins.) under a heavy load will help build the upper back and core strength that it takes to handle heavy weight in the bench press without flattening out. With increased upper back strength, you will be able to maintain your optimal bench press “setup” throughout the movement. We all know what happens when you get flattened out during a maximum weight bench press attempt.

Add rack pulls to your bench press training regimen and let me know how it works for you.

Keith Payne

Functional Strength Systems

 

Functional Strength Systems and the contributors to FSS's website are not engaged in rendering medical advice, and the contents of FSS's website are not intended to take the place of such advice. Please consult a physician or physical therapist before using any of the information, advice or any of the services on our website. This includes all resources on this website.

On This Day In Strength History

March 17. 1900  D. P. Willoughby was born.

In his day, David Willoughby was the world’s foremost historian of the Iron Game.

You are what you eat ...

On This Day In Strength History

March 11, 1896 Hans Beck won European lifting championships.

Strength Lies In The Tendons

Strength Lies In The Tendons

Images portrayed in the “muscle” magazines and on the internet frequently expose us to heavily muscled bodybuilders. I think exposure of this type misleads many athletes to believe big muscles equal great strength. If you are only interested in the cosmetic benefits of resistance training then don’t bother reading any further. On the other hand, if you are a strength athlete let me assure you acquiring great strength is not confined to building big (steroid like) muscles.

During my school years I participated in several arm wrestling events that were school sanctioned and some that weren’t. I had been strength training since I was 13 years old and was always attracted to strength sports. I will always remember my first experience in arm wrestling. I was challenged by a guy one day when I was in high school. He was an older bodybuilder who had huge arms. He had heard that I had done some strength training and since he was an experienced arm wrestler wanted to show me a thing or two. At the time I was certainly not an arm wrestler. I was impressed by the size of his arms knowing that my arms were not nearly as big. I didn’t see how I could beat this man but my pride wouldn’t let me back down. Turned out I won easily. I have always believed that the way I trained allowed me to be stronger than he was. I went on in my college years to defeat many (heavily muscled) arm wrestlers. I didn’t tell that story so you would know what a great arm wrestler I was. Fact is I lost several times to stronger quicker guys who had better technique. The point is I learned a long time ago that it doesn’t matter how big your muscles are if your tendons aren’t strong as well.

The value of strong tendons has been known by strength athletes for many, many years. Back in 1924 strongman Alexander Zass wrote “strength lies in the tendons” when he was explaining the difference in training methods between physical culturist and strongmen. He stated he “aimed first to develop the underlying connective tissues rather than the superficial muscles”. When speaking of his own training he said “I developed tendon strength”.

Why are tendons so important? Well, the tendon connects the ends of the muscle to the bone. In simple terms the tendons must grow along with muscle tissue for us to gain great strength. At the very least the tendon has to be as strong as the muscle.

It has been proven that tendon tissue will strengthen when a heavy progressive weight training regimen is applied with very heavy partial movements. Short range movements such as rack pulls and lockouts will promote tendon strength. These partial (approximately 5 inch range of motion or less) movements should be done with 110% to 150% of your maximum full range of motion for any given exercise. Obviously, this kind of training is very stressful and should be carefully done under the guidance of a trained professional over a time period which allows recovery and growth to take place.

 If I could tell adult powerlifters and strength athletes’ one thing about gaining strength it would be don’t worry as much about the size of your muscles. Concentrate on building tendon strength. As already stated, muscle size doesn’t necessarily translate into great strength. Zass wrote “a large biceps is no more a criterion of strength than a swollen abdomen is of digestion”. Don’t worry; strength training (which includes tendon building) will produce ample size in the muscle also.

Keith Payne CPT, YFS

Functional Strength Systems

Functional Strength Systems and the contributors to FSS's website are not engaged in rendering medical advice, and the contents of FSS's website are not intended to take the place of such advice. Please consult a physician or physical therapist before using any of the information, advice or any of the services on our website. This includes all resources on this website.

 

FSS's website and its contents are made available without warranties or guarantees of any kind. FSS disclaims any liability for injury or damage resulting from the use of the FSS website or any information, advice, services, or other resources that may be mentioned or made accessible through our website or by our instructors, trainers or representatives of FSS. FSS further disclaims any liability for injury or damage personal or otherwise resulting from the actions or advice of the instructors certified by FSS in the performance of their duties.

 

On This Day In Strength History

Alois P. Swoboda was born on March 8, 1873. Charles Atlas was quoted as saying that "everything he knew he learned from A.P. Swoboda.

On This Day In Strength History

March 6,1894 Eugen Sandow performed for Edison’s motion picture.

Live Fit Health Club

Timothy and I had the opportunity to visit Jonathan Logan at Live Fit in Belmont, NC yesterday. I'll have to say we were very impressed. Check Jonathan's website out at:
http://livefithealthclub.com/

On This Day In Strength History

Professor Adrian P. Schmidt was born March 4, 1872.

Please visit and "LIKE" our new FSS FACEBOOK page.

Please visit and "LIKE" our new FSS FACEBOOK page.

FSS FACEBOOK PAGE

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Functional-Strength-Systems/352044054894627?ref=hl

On This Day In Strength History

Other than Apollon himself, the first to lift the Apollon Wheels was Charles Rigoulet on March 3rd, 1930. Rigoulet, a Frenchman, was a World Weightlifting Champion and is credited with the first 400 pound Clean and Jerk in history!

10 Ways Flax can help Fight and Prevent Diabetes:

Flax seed is a low glycemic food and helps stabilize blood sugar levels for longer.

  Flax is a whole grain.

  Flax is an excellent source of fiber -helping your feel fuller longer.

  Flax has Omega 3 -which makes your brain feel satiated and helps stop cravings!

  Protein in flax helps the body get nutrition that takes longer to digest and process helping provide more nutrition for longer.

  Flax hull lignans help heal the body lessening or preventing complications from diabetes.

  Flax prevents spikes in blood sugar and keeps blood sugar levels more stable for longer.

  Research has shown that flax for diabetes as part of a daily diet can help lower and stabilize blood sugar levels.

  Flaxseed is an easy thing to add as part of a balanced diet and can make dramatic differences in your blood sugar as well as overall health.

  Many of our own customer's have told us stories of how they have tried flax for diabetes and of the successes they have had in lowering and stabilizing blood sugars.

Read more: http://www.ellies-whole-grains.com/flax-for-diabetics.html#ixzz2M84uwaLZ
Under Creative Commons License: Attribution Non-Commercial Share Alike

On This Day In Strength History

February 16, 1936    John Grimek was the first to lift the Rolandow dumbell overhead in the bent press style.

Strength History

Came across this pic a few days ago. Thought it was interesting...

Protein Shake Recipe

Protein Shake/ smoothie I had today.
1/2 cup of greek yogurt
tablespoon almond butter
1/2 banana
1/3 cup blue berries
cup skim milk
scoop whey protein
1/2 cup oatmeal
Used as a meal replacement. Makes two servings. Give it a try....

8 TIPS TO BOOST YOUR METABOLISM

8 TIPS TO BOOST YOUR METABOLISM

 

 

By: Rob Wess: cpt, csct, csn

 

For: www.functionalstrengthsystems.com

 

 

 

WHAT IS YOUR METABOLISM?

It is the energy or calories required for maintenance of the body while it is at rest.

As we age our metabolism slows down. Our natural aging process causes the body to become less efficient at burning calories. This can be counter balanced by good nutrition, staying active and participating in a regular fitness program.

 

The body is constantly in a state of homeostasis (trying to keep things in balance). This includes how the body burns calories and how efficiently nutrients are absorbed from the three macro nutrients: Carbs, Fats and Proteins. This is why regular exercise, good food choices and a balanced, nutritious diet, along with plenty of water and rest is the best approach for long term health. It simply allows the body to perform its job more efficiently.

 

Here are eight tips to help boost your metabolism:

 

Eat Breakfast

While sleeping, your body has been without any nutrition, usually for approx. 6-10 hours. The effect is no different than going for hours during the day without eating. Doing so puts your body in starvation mode, at which time the body actually stores fat and only burns calories necessary to keep things working. Starting the day off with a good wholesome breakfast revs up the metabolism and gets the calorie burning process in high gear while providing mental and physical fuel.

 

Build Muscle

Muscle burns more calories than fat. So the more muscle you have the more calories your body burns. You don’t have to be a bodybuilder, but a regular strength training program along with regular cardio exercise is the first step in getting your metabolism revved up.

 

Get Enough Calories

You have to take in enough calories to fuel your daily activities. When calories are too low, the body reacts as if it is in starvation, buy slowing down its energy expenditure (metabolism) thus conserving body fat.

 

Good Food Choices

Calories are burned during digestion. Some foods require more calories to digest than others. Lean protein burns the most during digestion followed by complex carbohydrates. Refined sugars and flour are low in nutritional value and burn the least amount of calories. They should be avoided as much as possible.

• Protein choices should include turkey, skinless chicken, lean beef, fish, egg whites, skim milk, Greek yogurt and low-fat cottage cheese.
• Include Carbohydrates from dark green leafy vegetables, sweet potatoes, oats and brown rice as well as apples, pears, grapefruits and berries.
• Don’s skimp on the Fats! Include essential fat choices from olive oil, nuts, flax seed, flax oil, fish oils and yes…a little fat from meat, eggs and dairy products too.

Including a source from each of these macro groups with each meal provides a wholesome, balanced meal that will aid in loosing body fat.

 

Eat Less & More Frequently

Eating smaller more frequent meals helps maintain a constant blood sugar level, which helps minimize blood-sugar swings that may cause cravings and overeating. These larger, less frequent meals makes the body think it may be some time before the next meal is available, causing it to conserve and store fats. Smaller meals trick the body into thinking an abundance of food is available so the metabolism speeds up.

 

Drink Plenty of Water

The body is made of approx 70% water and blood plasma is about 90% water, so drinking plenty of water helps the body metabolize fat more efficiently by increasing blood volume, which in turn delivers more nutrients and oxygen to the cells and tissue of the body. This allows the body to expend more energy and function more efficiently overall.

 

Get Enough Sleep and Reduce Stress

Get enough sleep…seven or eight hours every night and keep stress levels to a minimum. Both lack of sleep and stress interfere with hormone production which disrupts the metabolism.

 

Tap Into Your Internal Energy

Qigong, Tai Chi and Yoga are healing arts that use soft flowing movements to open up the energy meridians of the body. Practice of these arts improves flexibility, internal energy flow, as well as reducing stress and tension, which helps bring the digestive processes back in balance.

 

 

Rob Wess is a Certified Personal Trainer, Strength & Conditioning Trainer and Sports Nutritionist with over 25 years experience in the fitness industry, including extensive involvement in amateur bodybuilding and power lifting as a drug free competitor. Rob’s best lifts include a 450 squat, 290 bench press, 490 deadlift in the 148 lbs. weight class at age 45. Currently serving as the IBP N.C. chairman (Iron Boy Powerlifting). Rob can be reached at: 1getfit@gmail.com

 

More Pics from last weeks FSS seminar.

More pics from  FSS Powerlifting Seminar

On This Day In Strength History

Jules Bacon died on January 13, 2007 at the age of 89. He was 1943 Mr. America.

FSS Powerlifting Seminar Yesterday

We had a wonderful time yesterday. Would like to thank everyone who came out and participated in the seminar. Hope the information was beneficial.

Pictures on Facebook

FSS Powerlifting Seminar

Looking forward to seeing everyone. Flex Gym and Functional Strength Systems have donated some great door prizes. Y'all come out to the gym at 2pm Saturday!

FSS POWERLIFTING SEMINAR

On This Day In Strength History

Dr. George Barker Windship was Born Jan 3, 1834. He held several lifting equipment patents in the late 1800's. He made a dumbbell that could be adjusted in half pound increments from eight pounds to one hundred and one pounds. He invented the forerunner of the Universal Machine.

This is a lifting apparatus designed and built by George Barker Windship, MD. It was patented in 1893, and is a forerunner of the Universal Machine.


www.functionalstrengthsystems.com

On This Day In Strength History

Dec 24, 1924 Charles Rigoulot weighing 192.25 lbs cleaned and jerked 336.25 lbs; he was age 21.

On This Day In Strength History

December 19, 1936 Sig Klein bent press the Cyr dumbell.
The 273 lb. dumbell, a huge thick handled one, was lifted to the shoulders with two hands, before the single handed overhead move.

On This Day In Strength History

Roy Hilligen was born November 15, 1922.   He was 1951 Mr. America.  Roy was on the covers of all the muscle magazines of the time (some several times), he was arguably the strongest man in the world for his size. Weighing 173, he equaled the world record in the Clean & Jerk with a lift of 375 pounds.

On This Day In Strength History

October 30, 1892 Charles Atlas (Angelo Siciliano) was born.

Jason Gouge at the IBP NATIONALS

Get It Done....

Well done is better than well said.
Benjamin Franklin

On This Day In Strength History

www.functionalstrengthsystems.com

Ron Walker died Oct 25, 1948. He held no less than 21 British Heavyweight records. This included One Hand Snatches of over 200lbs, and most importantly today, a Two Hands Snatch of 297½lbs.

This Snatch of 135kg in December 1936 was the first ever World Record on one of the Olympic Set performed by a British lifter.

On This Day In Strength History

October 23, 2010 Warren Lincoln Travis was inducted into the  Association of Oldetime Barbell & Strongmen Hall of Fame.Warren Lincoln Travis was perhaps America's first famous strongman. Emerging on the strength scene near the turn of the 20th century, Travis become famous for back lifting and other feats with massive weights that had been made popular by some of the great European strongmen. Based in Brooklyn, he traveled the country, and even outside the US, displaying his strength and challenging all to try to duplicate a combination of ten feats that Travis preferred. He became truly famous after winning jewel encrusted belt offered by the Police Gazette, then the most widely read sporting publication in the US. He died when he was in his 60's, shortly after performing on on his beloved Brooklyn stage.

On This Day In Strength History

Vic Boff was born on October 22, 1917, in Red Lion, PA.He was the founder of the Association of Oldetime Barbell & Strongmen. Renowned for his encyclopedic memory regarding the Iron Game, Vic was consulted by anyone interested in Iron Game history.

On This Day In Strength History

 

 

www.functionalstrengthsystems.com

OCT 19, 1940 Tony Terlazzo, at 148 lbs, pressed 250 pounds, snatched 245 pounds and cleaned and jerked 330 pounds.

On This Day In Strength History

 

 

www.functionalstrengthsystems.com

Louis Uni (Apollon) died October 18, 1928.

ON THIS DAY IN STRENGTH HISTORY

John Davis set a world record on10/15/1950 with a Total of 462.5 kg in the Super Heavyweight class at Paris.

On This Day In Strength History

October 14, 1954 Norbert Schemansky cleaned the Apollon wheels on his first attempt and jerked them three times.

On This Day In Strength History

In 1955,Bernarr MacFadden developed a urinary tract blockage which he attempted to treat by fasting. October 7, unconscious and near death, he was taken by ambulance to a hospital, but doctors could do nothing to save him. He died Oct. 12, 1955.

Bernarr Macfadden (1868 - 1955), the "Father of Physical Culture"
Bodybuilder, Health Advocate, Nutritionist,
Teacher, Author, Publisher, Resort Owner,
Founder of Physcultopathy

On This Day In Strength History

Louis Cyr was born on October 11th 1863 in St. Cyprien, near Montreal, Quebec, Canada.
In 1886, Cyr competed against his rival Michaud for the Canadian title of strongest man. Lifting a 218-pound barbell with one hand he won the title of Canada's Strongest Man.
During this time Cyr was considered by many to be the World's Strongest Man.
 

On This Day In Strength History

Oct. 5, 1996 - Norb Schemansky, George Paine, Malcolm Whyatt received the Association of Oldetime Barbell & Strongmen Highest Achievement Award.

On This Day In Strength History

Dudley Allen Sargent born on September 28, 1849.  Professor Dudley Allen Sargent was a physical culture pioneer who turned Harvard's Hemenway Gymnasium into the center of the training world in the late 1800's.
His motto was "mens sana in corpore sano" or a sound mind in a strong body.

IBP SC POWERLIFTING CHAMPIONSHIP RESULTS

http://www.ironboypowerlifting.com

Timothy Payne squat video.

On This Day In Strength History

Jack Delinger was born on June 22, 1926 in Oakland, California. Jack won the AAU Mr. America in 1949.

Special Olympians Compete at the IBP SPRING FLING

It was wonderful to see the Special Olympics youngsters lift at the meet in Marion. I want to congratulate Nelda Newton on the great job she did training these lifters. The time Nelda has spent with these kids in the gym certainly paid off. Congrats Nelda

Congrats to Nelda Newton and Josh Ingram

Nelda Newton and Josh Ingram represented FUNCTIONAL STRENGTH SYSTEMS at the IBP RAGE IN THE CAGE PUSH PULL last weekend in Marion, NC by winning Outstanding Lifter awards. We would like to congratulate both of them.