Raw Strength

This is part 1 of a series of articles giving modern updates to tried and tested and AWESOME OLD SCHOOL methods of strength and muscle building. Part One: Super Squats (Information from the book ‘SUPER SQUATS’ by Randall J. Strossen Ph.D.) The ‘super squats’ or ‘squats and milk’ program is famed for its ability to pack on muscle, quickly, and also infamous for its intense and difficult workouts! It has to be the BEST example that “simple does not necessarily mean easy!” Method: Super Squats proposes to help you quickly gain muscle and strength by completing the following: Pick a weight for squats that you can lift for ten reps and no more Do one set of 20 reps without putting the bar down Seems impossible! But there lies the biggest, perhaps only theory on how this program will increase muscle mass…. DOING TEN MORE REPS THAN YOU THINK YOU CAN DO, WILL MAKE YOU GROW There is also a basic program in the book which I probably can’t share here completely due to copyright laws but...

Today's society is cursed with several postural issues, mainly due to being seated for the majority of the day at a desk, car, breakfast table or watching tv. How long do you spend each day seated compared to standing or moving around? I’m willing to bet most of your time is in a seated position. Sitting down and constantly rounding your back as you lean forward creates what is called a ‘KYPHOTIC POSTURE’. Which is essentially a rounding of the upper back and can cause a whole bunch of other problems in the body. Imagine the body as a chain, and the head as the first link in that chain. The chain follows that first link! And if the head is out of line due to bad posture it can lead to hip and lower back problems as the rest of the body compensates the forward lean of the upper spine with a backward tilt of the lower spine. Naturally, if the spine is tilted the wrong way at both ends you end up with WEAKER MUSCLES! BAD TIMES So how do we sort our broken bodies out? Here are...

This is a HUGE deal, so pay attention! Especially if you don’t ‘believe’ in the benefits of resistance training. SO many times I’ve been into gyms, and worked within clubs, and seen athletes training for their sport using the wrong methods! I’d typically see bodybuilding style training…or training for ‘the pump’…which will NOT benefit sports performance as much as training for strength. STRENGTH training is the basis of any good strength and conditioning program and will enable you to turn that strength into superior performance in competition. Training to get stronger makes you a BADASS! Here are my top 5 reasons to be strong: 1) Greater Endurance: If you need endurance in your sport you gotta be strong! (This means football and rugby players too!) Gains in strength in the RELEVANT muscles for your sport will improve movement efficiency and therefore expend less energy. For example, lets say you have 80 units of strength in your body, and to go for a run this requires 40 units ...

When all else fails, turn the tunes up and lift some heavy stuff! The only way to guarantee victory is to TRAIN HARDER than your opponents…check out the vid below. The second guy in the video is Jacob (Warrington RUFC Under 15s), with his first EVER flip of the heavy tyre. Just shows the faith I had in his strength by filming the attempt!   Join the #1 program for young athletes at rawstrength.co.uk   ONLY SERIOUS ATHLETES NEED APPLY Anthony Shaw Raw Strength   Technorati Tags: gym , strength , conditioning , coach , personal , trainer , warrington , Liverpool , Manchester , rugby , football , young , athlete , sport , raw , north , west , Anthony , shaw , workout , training , weight , lifting , lunge , tyre , sled , drag , finisher

Don’t be one of those people that rushes straight into a workout/sport without proper preparation, warming up correctly will benefit you in the following ways: A Focused Mind– It will help you set your mind to the task at hand, you can frame your challenges in a positive way – one step at a time - without them seeming too difficult as you’ve broken them into small pieces in your mind. Increased Strength – By gradually warming up and stimulating the central nervous system, you can generate more force Increased Flexibility – You know when you wake up in the morning and you feel all tight? You gotta stretch and mobilise the joints! The body won’t do it for you!  Better Technique – Practising your lifting technique, or your sporting movements (passing, catching etc.) with a slower/lighter intensity than when competing or training will benefit technique as you can run through the finer points without the stress of a heavy weight on your back or someone running at ya! Increased En...

With all the great info out there regarding ways to get bigger/stronger/faster, there is a proportionally smaller amount of info on recovery methods. As we all know, you grow OUTSIDE of the gym. Here are a few great ways to recover, relax and improve as an athlete: Sleep At least 8 hours per night, uninterrupted. Simple but effective. Ban or Limit Alcohol Consumption Alcohol dehydrates you and takes away from your kidney and liver function. You NEED your vital organs to be healthy when you’re resting as they clean the blood, burn fat and a whole bunch of E.S.S.E.N.T.I.A.L stuff that will keep you healthy. Everyone knows this to be true, but how many of you actually limit alcohol? Plan Recovery Have light weeks, light workouts, easy days, cool downs, once a week go to the gym just to stretch. Plan it and you’ll do it, and vice versa! Focus on Diet Diet plays a HUGE part in training. I summarised the top ten diet rules previously on this blog. Read them, use them. Eat well, rec...

Training is hard, understanding how to stay motivated and never give in is one of the greatest challenges of the sporting world! It is a war , and EVERY workout is a battle. If you win the battles, you’ll win the war. But how do you stay motivated? As in the Buddhist practice of Zen, “ THE ONLY TIME IS NOW”. Read it until it’s ingrained in your mind. During training your mind will play tricks on you. Don’t let it. Most commonly you will find yourself thinking, “I’ll do this set then leave it there, the next set will kill me! I don’t feel up to it today”, or something similar. STOP . Remember that the only time is now. Do your set and focus on it with everything you have! Thinking of the future will not help you. You should find training more enjoyable and that extra set or exercise won’t seem as daunting because it won’t be hanging over your head the entire time you’re in the gym! Here are a few ways to focus on “the now” in your training: Focus on one rep at a time, perfe...