• Holtrain – Strength & Conditioning Guide for Judo

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  • September 10th, 2009 - Posted by Administrator

  • judo


    Judo was founded in the late 1800’s by Jigaro Kano who combined
    elements from ancient Japanese battlefield techniques to create a
    dynamic sport that combines the elements of takedowns, throws and
    grappling. It was made an Olympic Sport in the mid-1900’s, and has
    been used to teach physical education to kids in many schools
    throughout the world.

    Many physical aspects of athleticism come
    into play in this sport including:
    • Balance
    • Timing/Reaction
    • Strength/Power
    • Flexibility
    • Anaerobic Endurance

    Even past these physical aspects is the mental aspect. This is the
    most important aspect of the judo game. Your skills and the
    confidence at which you apply them define you as a judo player, and
    all of this falls outside an athletes physical qualities.
    The mechanics behind judo will allow for a much smaller athlete to
    completely dominate a much larger, stronger opponent if he applies
    his techniques properly and with confidence. Properly manipulating
    leverage, balance, and timing will make throwing much larger
    opponent seemingly effortless.

    Read the entire program @ Holtrain – Strength & Conditioning for Judo

    Holtrain – Science > Fitness > Performance
    Houston, TX


  • Basic Yoga Warmup-Cooldown Routine

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  • September 4th, 2009 - Posted by Administrator

  • HoltrainLOGO


    Follow this routine or a variation during warm up and cool down routines in order to ensure your muscles and joints are activated. This is a simple routine that you can turn into great results over time.

    Learn new movements from the Holtrain Yoga Section and challenge yourself to learn new positions and work these poses into your own training sessions.

    yoga

    Holtrain – Science > Fitness > Performance
    Houston, TX


  • The Top 10 Excuses for Not Working Out

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  • September 1st, 2009 - Posted by Administrator

  • HoltrainLOGO


    All of us at some point in time look for an easy way out of training. Pick any excuse out of the book and we will somehow find a way to justify it!

    This list focuses on the most common excuses people face when trying to talk themselves out of working out.

    Bottom Line….If you want any respect from a fellow training partner, please avoid these excuses!!!

    1. “I’m Too Tired” – Get Rest! Sleep is crucial in the recovery between hard training sessions. We don’t grow when we train, we grow when we rest! We actually have more energy when we are in shape.

    2. “I’m Too Busy” – Just like anything of worth you have to plan and make time for the things that will give you long term benefits. Dedicating time to fitness and nutrition in your life is definitely a long term investment worth making.

    3. “I’m Going to Start on (Insert Day)” – Carpe Diem! The time is now! What is your reason for not starting today?

    4. “I’m Already in Good Shape” – This excuse implies you are some kind of superhuman who stays in shape without working out! hmm…

    5. “I Can’t Afford a Membership” – No equipment is needed to workout at home or outside in a park. Bodyweight exercises and calisthenics are great for training the body. Yoga and martial arts also provide great workouts with minimal to no equipment or gym memberships.

    6. “I’m Too Old” – Would you mess with Randy Couture or Clint Eastwood….enough said!

    7. “I Hate Working Out” – Find what you love to do and make it part of your lifestyle. Sports, Weight Lifting, Running, Martial Arts….the options are endless. This is often one of the most important pieces of the puzzle.

    8.“I’m Too out of Shape” – Probably the worst excuse in the book! Do not quit before you even begin!

    9. “I Have No Idea What to Do” – Well…you are in a good place to start learning! Check out some of my links for some credible training resources. Don’t be afraid to ask questions!

    10. “I’ve Tried Everything, and get no Results” – The first problem here is that you quit what you were doing. If you haven’t found what works for you yet, it does not mean it does not exist!

    Find what makes exercising something you look forward to, whether by hiring a trainer, working out with a partner, or finding an activity that keeps you active on a regular basis.

    This is a lifestyle, not a trend.

    Ask me a question: holtrain@gmail.com

    Holtrain
    Science > Fitness > Performance
    Houston, TX


  • Power Training 6-12-09

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  • June 13th, 2009 - Posted by Administrator


  • 061209
    Power/Power Endurance
    Dynamic Warmup

    Bar Warmup(Deadlift/Row/FrontSquat/Press)
    Clean & Jerk 3×5 1×3

    Rest

    Circuit x 3 w/ 40lb Vest
    Inverted Row x 8-12
    Dips x 8-12
    Squat Jumps x 3
    Turkish Getup w/ Kettlebell x 3ea
    DB Row/Curl/Press x 5ea
    3 – Way Crunch x 6

    Cooldown
    Stretch

    Holtrain
    www.holtrain.com
    Houston, TX
    holtrain@gmail.com

  • Training for Peak Power

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  • June 8th, 2009 - Posted by Administrator


  • Power is simply force / time. Basically how hard and fast can you accomplish your task whether striking with a punch or kicking the ball. Power and Power Endurance are usually what draw the line with two athletes with similiar levels of skill.

    The rate at which your muscles can produce force (rate of force development – rfd) is crucial factor to acheiving high amounts of power for a task. This measurement coupled with the amount of force your muscles can synchronously acheive are of great importance here.

    Strength training does have merit in that it allows your muscles to produce greater forces for a given movement. This type of training properly mixed with peak power training has been shown to increase power for a given movement or task.

    Moving from a strength phase to a peak power phase before an event or competition is an excellent way to fine tune your explosive ability when you will need it the most.

    Power Endurance cannot be over looked, as the main advantage of this type of training is being able to perform at a higher level for the full extent of your game or competition.

    Complex Training is a fusion of low rep strength training combined with super sets of high speed/power movements. The strength movements activate large amounts of motor units that can be transferred in the super set of plyometric movements, almost as if you are priming the pump.

    Normal lifts can be performed @ around 70% of Max, to allow for the speed of contraction to be increased. Remember in most competition the first force to overcome is your own, so the speed at which you can move your own bodyweight is crucial.

    This lifting cycle can be coupled with conditioning circuits, and sport skill pre-competition training to peak your power and explosive movements.

    Sample Peak Power Lifting Cycles:

    5 Sets +/- of Each Exercise:

      Complex Training (Push-Pull-Legs)

    Incline Bench x 5 (Heavy) s.s. Plyo Pushups x 5 (Max Power)
    Bent Row x 5 (Heavy) s.s. Pullups x 5 (Max Speed)
    Back Squat x 5 (Heavy) s.s. Depth Jumps x 5 (Max Power)

    5 Sets +/- of Each Exercise:

      Weightlifting (Push-Pull-Legs)

    Bench Press x 5 @ 70% of Max (Lift for Power) and/or Plyo Pushups w/ Weighted Vest
    Weighted Pullups (Max Power) and/or Barbell Rows @ 70% of Max
    Squats or Deadlifts @ 70% Max and/or Lunge Circuits w/ 40lb Vest (Light Plyo)
    Clean & Jerk / Snatch @ 70-80% (Speed and Execution)

    5 Rounds +/- :

      Power Conditioning Circuit w/ 40 lb Vest (Push-Pull-Legs-Core)

    Ring Pushups (Speed)
    Inverted Rows (Speed)
    Lunge Matrix (Light Plyo)
    Pullups (Speed)
    Dips (Speed)
    Squat Jumps (Height)
    Ab Exercise x 50 (Speed)

    Todd Holt B.S., C.S.C.S.
    www.holtrain.com
    Houston, TX
    holtrain@gmail.com


  • Low Impact Cardiovascular Conditioning

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  • May 24th, 2009 - Posted by Administrator


  • Use these methods for a low impact approach to specific body parts or for the body as a whole. This type of workout will ease the stress on the joints and still allow you to acheive high heart rates and put your cardiovascular system and major muscle groups to work. This is great for recovery workouts as it provides your body the circulation it needs to flush out immflamtion and allows you to get some good work in while you let your joints rest for competition and training.

    Good Times for this type of Training:
    – Peaking for a Performance or Competition
    – Use to Compliment High Impact training sessions to avoid overtraining and joint stress
    – Perform for Post Injury Conditioning
    – Use for Recovery Training Sessions

    Total Body Circuit:

    This sample circuit combines a total body movement (rowing), a lower body movement (cycling), and a upper body movement (arm-bike). During this circuit you are training the body both as a whole and isolating the lower body and upper body to complete the circuit.

    – Rowing (1000 meters)
    – Bike (1.5 Miles)
    – Upper Body Ergometer (5 minutes)

    Low Impact Conditioning Exercises Include:

    – Swimming (Total Body)
    – Elliptical Machine (Lower Body)
    – Cycling (Lower Body)
    – Upper Body Ergometer/Arm-Bike (Upper Body)
    – Rowing (Total Body)
    – Stair Climber (Lower Body)


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