Strength

Some really good athletes are really bad at doing pull-ups. Can you recommend some exercises to improve pull-up performance?

Boost Pull-Up Performance: Exercises & Techniques for Success!

Some exercises to improve, Pull Up Performance. When I think about the pillow performance, I think about the ranges of motion, you're going to hit when you do it, getting your chin up over the bar and then getting fully extended at the bottom. So you can start with isometric, holds holding your chin up over the bar, you could drop to 90 degrees holding your body halfway down to pull up. You can go to 120 degrees where your arms are almost straight. You can even do dead, Hanks, just building endurance in the different positions that you're going to do during a pull-up. It's a good place to start and then you could do e Centrex where you start standing on a box with your chin up over the bar, you lower 45 seconds to start, maybe do a couple reps of that then you lower for 10 seconds see if you can do a couple reps of that. Once you've done isometrics any Centrex, then you could do some assisted, you could use a band to help you get more reps of the pull up with concentric and eccentric. And then if you can't do many, but you can do a couple pull-ups, you could do accumulating pull ups where I say, you do three or four pull ups in a row for range of motion. You're getting good quality pull-ups and then you can't do anymore. So you take a 10 or 15 second break and then maybe you do two or three pull-ups, take another 10 or 15 second break and maybe you do one or two. So you can start to accumulate the Reps on top of each other for a set. So this is some basic ways. You can improve your pull-up performance. I hope that helps

To improve pull up performance, start with isometric holds, eccentric and concentric exercises, assisted reps with a band, and accumulating pull-up reps with a set amount of rest in between.

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To improve pull-up performance, there are several exercises you can try. Start with isometric holds, where you hold your chin above the bar, at 90 degrees, or at 120 degrees to build endurance in different positions. Dead hangs are also beneficial for building strength and endurance.

Next, incorporate eccentric exercises. Use eccentric pull-ups by starting with your chin above the bar and lowering yourself down slowly for 45 seconds or 10 seconds per rep. This helps build strength during the lowering phase of the pull-up.

Assisted pull-ups can be done using a band to provide support and help you perform more reps with both the concentric and eccentric phases.

If you can do a few pull-ups, try accumulating pull-ups. Perform three or four pull-ups in a row with good range of motion, take a short 10-15 second break, then do two or three more, and repeat. This allows you to accumulate reps while maintaining quality form.

These exercises provide a solid foundation for improving pull-up performance. Give them a try and see how they work for you!

What are some recommendations for exercises to strengthen connective tissue?

Maximize your connective tissue strength with these exercise tips!

If you're trying to strengthen connective tissue before you exercise, or work out, have some collagen protein and have it with some vitamin C, so it helps absorb better. And if you can take it within 30 to 45 minutes before your workout, it should help get into your tendons and connective tissues more. So than if you just drink it in the morning and work out in the afternoon, so start with that. And then when you exercise, no matter what exercise it is, just try to increase the time. Your attention. So if you can do isometric, pauses if you can hold different positions. If you can have partial reps when you exercise, if you can pause at the bottom. If you can do, if you can do a little quarter rips at the bottom or quarter rips at the top or pause numerous times as you lower and then explode up. So start with increasing time under tension, add isometric, pause ozs go slow on the way down. Go slow on the way up. All of those will Target connective tissues strength. Then once you have good strength, built you have good eccentric strength, you can pause anywhere. You have good con Centric strength, then you can start adding some depth drops. You can start adding some things where you have to stick certain positions, come in from a fast speed and then you can do more plyometric work. So increase your time under tension, add in partial reps, adding Is isometrics to increase your time under tension and strengthen your connective tissue. And then once it's stronger, then you can do more explosive work. More kind of depth drop quick stabilizing work and then do those into explosive plyometric movements and all of those should be a very good recipe for strengthening connective tissue.

To strengthen connective tissue before exercise, have some collagen protein with vitamin C 30-45 minutes beforehand. Increase time under tension by doing isometric pauses, partial reps, and going slow on the way down and up. Once you have built strength, start adding depth drops and plyometric work.

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To strengthen connective tissue, there are several recommendations. Before exercising, consume collagen protein along with vitamin C to enhance absorption. Ideally, take it within 30 to 45 minutes before your workout to allow it to reach your tendons and connective tissues more effectively.

During your exercise routine, focus on increasing time under tension. Incorporate isometric pauses and hold different positions. Implement partial reps, pausing at the bottom or top of the movement. Slow down the tempo during both the eccentric (lowering) and concentric (lifting) phases. These techniques specifically target connective tissue strength.

Once you have built good strength and eccentric control, you can progress to more advanced exercises. This includes adding depth drops and movements that require sticking certain positions. Gradually introduce plyometric work, which involves explosive movements.

By increasing time under tension, incorporating isometrics, and gradually progressing to more explosive exercises, you can effectively strengthen your connective tissue.

When is static stretching most effective?

Unlocking the Power of Static Stretching: Effective Strategies Revealed

I'm glad you asked about static stretching because static stretching gets a bad rap. Sometimes it is very effective as long as you use it appropriately. You're not going to use that expression before you're going to lift, heavy weights, or before you're going to go do something explosive. But I'm, I'm all for doing some foam rolling before you work out doing some static stretching after your foam rolling and then doing some activations to turn that tissue on to activate it. NN ranges and to get it firing. Once you've lengthened it so static stretching can be good before a workout. If you turn it on afterwards and if you do a warm-up and then get into whatever it is, you're trying to achieve that day. But static stretching can also be very effective at the end of your workout when you're trying to restore length. When you're trying to promote recovery, it can be very good on a recovery day two, we could ride the bike, get some blood flow, to a bunch of static stretching, maybe do some core work and it can Be a good recovery tool and then it's also really good right before bed, again, to create length to kind of calm down your nervous system and to help promote recovery right before you're going to go to sleep and length and relax tissues. So, those are some ways that I think static stretching is most effective.

Static stretching can be effective both before and after a workout as well as on recovery days and before bed. It is important to use it appropriately, such as foam rolling beforehand and activating afterwards. It can help promote recovery and relaxation.

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Static stretching can be effective when used appropriately. It is not recommended before engaging in activities that require heavy lifting or explosive movements. However, it can be beneficial when incorporated into a warm-up routine after foam rolling and followed by muscle activation exercises.

Static stretching can also be effective at the end of a workout to restore muscle length and promote recovery. On recovery days, incorporating static stretching along with activities like cycling and core work can aid in promoting blood flow and relaxation.

Additionally, static stretching before bedtime can help create length in the muscles, calm the nervous system, and facilitate recovery during sleep.

By using static stretching strategically in these ways, it can be a valuable tool for improving flexibility, promoting recovery, and enhancing overall performance.

What do you consider to be your actual purpose in life?

Uncovering Life's Purpose: A Journey of Balance, Growth, and Leading by Example

Now this is a question that I never thought I would be answering here. What do I consider to be my actual purpose in life? If you ask me when I was in college, it would have been to play baseball and be really good at it and do it as long as I could, and help people along the way. If you would have asked me when I first started training athletes, it would have been to build big, strong athletes, and get the most out of them and just dedicate myself to training athletes. Making them better. If you'd asked me a few years ago, it would have been to have more balance in my life and to show people that it's not just about working hard and grinding because that's good and and that can lead you to a lots of good things in your life. And it's great to have that work ethic. But to show them that it's not about glorifying the grind. It's about putting in good work and getting done everything you need to and going above and beyond. But also dedicating time Time to your family and your friends and fulfilling other purposes in your life to not just work and now it's a lot more than just about me and what I'm doing. So kind of finding structure in my priorities. I guess, and making sure I'm actually prioritizing what I'm saying. I'm prioritizing not just saying Family First and finding balance but To make sure that I'm doing things that I'm preaching. And I also think that I don't know where my life is going next. I think I know what I'm good at and I know what I'm trying to do, but you just never know what people have in store for you. So I think it's more about my mindset and how I treat people, and what I'm trying to kind of do an all aspects of my life and carrying that approach into anything that I do in life. If so I think it's just trying to be a good person and leading by example and making sure that I'm actually doing what I'm preaching to people and what I'm teaching doing that myself. So great question.

My purpose in life is to prioritize what I'm saying and make sure I'm actually doing it. To lead by example and be a good person in all aspects of my life, while striving to reach my goals.

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What I consider to be my actual purpose in life is a question that has evolved over time. In college, my purpose was to excel in baseball and help others along the way. When I started training athletes, my purpose shifted to building strong individuals and maximizing their potential. A few years ago, I sought more balance in life and aimed to show others the importance of not just working hard, but also dedicating time to family, friends, and other aspects of life.

Now, my purpose extends beyond myself. It involves finding structure in my priorities and ensuring that I prioritize what I preach. It's about being true to my values and making sure my actions align with my words. I also recognize that life is unpredictable, and I don't know what lies ahead. Therefore, my purpose lies in my mindset, how I treat others, and the approach I bring to all aspects of my life.

Ultimately, I believe my purpose is to be a good person, lead by example, and genuinely practice what I teach and preach. It's about carrying this mindset into everything I do and making a positive impact on those around me.

How can I loosen up my groin muscles before running?

Unlock Your Groin Muscles: Loosen, Stretch, Activate for Better Runs

I've said this in a lot of my answers so I'm sorry if it sounds redundant. But how can I loosen my groin muscle before? Running lots of times, you see that groins are overactive and glutes, are under active or quads, and groins are tight, glutes, and hamstrings are under active. So I would stick with foam rolling to start or some kind of soft tissue release. If you can smash it with a barbell more power to you, if you can find something to soften the tissue, Get some blood in their release, some trigger points, or some adhesions that are causing that groin, to not be loose when you run. So, first started doing that and then after that, you can't just go run. Once you have softened your your groin muscle or loosened it, you then have to stretch it to get some length in that tissue. That you just freed up in gave more elasticity to you, then have to lengthen it, so that it stays loose. And then after that, you have to activate So if you do some kind of frog, scratch frog stretch where you squeeze your knees together. So you activate it at an end range or if you squeeze a physio ball between your knees. So it's a little shorter range of motion or if you line your side and just lift your bottom leg up and down. So you turn on your groin in that range or there's lots of other ways you can activate to. But my point is, you have to soften the tissue. You have to stretch the tissue Then you have to activate the tissue and if you can do that with anything but especially you're growing, it should should help you feel more loose before you run. If you have the time and the ability, once you've done all that for your growing, try to do the same for your glutes. If you can go through a quick foam roller your glute piriformis, and then if you can stretch it and then activate it, get your glutes turned on that should take stress off your grown as well when you're running. So hopefully that helps

Start with foam rolling and soft tissue release to loosen your groin muscle before running. Then, stretch and activate the muscle in order to keep it loose while you run. Additionally, if you have the time, foam roll, stretch and activate your glutes as well to relieve stress from your groin.

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To loosen up your groin muscles before running, it's important to follow a three-step process: softening, stretching, and activating the muscles.

Start by using a foam roller or another soft tissue release technique to loosen the groin muscles. This can involve applying pressure with a barbell or using a tool to release trigger points and adhesions that may be causing tightness.

After softening the muscles, proceed with stretching to increase their length and elasticity. This helps maintain the looseness you achieved through softening. You can perform stretches such as the frog stretch, where you squeeze your knees together, or use a physio ball between your knees for a shorter range of motion. Another option is lying on your side and lifting your bottom leg up and down to activate the groin muscles in that range.

Remember that it's essential to not only soften and stretch the groin muscles but also activate them. This can be done through various exercises, such as the frog stretch or using a physio ball. Activation helps engage the muscles and prepare them for running.

If time permits, it's beneficial to apply the same softening, stretching, and activating techniques to your glute muscles as well. Foam roll the glutes, stretch them, and activate them to alleviate stress on the groin muscles during running.

By following these steps, you should be able to loosen up your groin muscles before running and improve your overall flexibility and performance.

Do you think calisthenics are a good way to develop strength in middle school-aged kids?

Unlocking Strength: The Power of Calisthenics for Middle Schoolers

I think the calisthenics are great for middle aged Middle School, aged kids, but depends upon what kind you're doing. If you're doing some body weight squats, walking lunges, push-ups some things where you hinge from your hips, yeah, that's that's really good. And it can develop strength and middle school age kids, so that would be great. But if you're just doing more active stretching, you may not be developing strength, but they are still really good for range of motion and athleticism. Kind of total body movement. Sinking rotations with squatting. Another movement patterns multi-directional submaximal. Loading is really good for Middle School aged kids, but just make sure if you're trying to develop strength with it, you're actually doing movements where they manage their own body weight, and they can develop strength playing squats, push-ups lunging, variations, that's all very good. But if you're just doing kind of active stretching, Arm circles. Like swings that kind of stuff. Maybe your calisthenics won't develop as much strength.

Calisthenics are a great form of exercise for middle school aged kids, as long as it includes body weight squats, walking lunges, push-ups and other movements that hinge from the hips. It can help to develop strength and range of motion, but if you are just doing active stretching and arm circles, it won't develop as much strength.

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Calisthenics can be a great way for middle school-aged kids to develop strength, depending on the type of exercises they are doing. Bodyweight squats, walking lunges, and push-ups are examples of exercises that engage multiple muscle groups and can effectively build strength in this age group. These movements involve hinging from the hips and are beneficial for developing overall strength.

However, if the focus is more on active stretching exercises like arm circles or swings, the emphasis may not be on developing strength but rather on improving range of motion and athleticism. While these exercises are still valuable for total body movement and flexibility, they may not contribute as much to strength development.

To ensure that calisthenics are effective for building strength, it's important to incorporate movements where kids manage their own body weight. Exercises like squats, push-ups, and lunges variations are particularly beneficial. By engaging in these movements, middle school-aged kids can develop strength and reap the benefits of calisthenics.

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Matt Eiden is a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist (CSCS) and Registered Strength and Conditioning Coach (RSCC) with 14 years of experience. He was a strength coach for the Washington Nationals from 2009 to 2022. He is also Functional Range Conditioning (FRC) certified. After graduating from St. Mary's with a BS degree in Sports Management in 2008, he played two professional seasons of independent baseball before joining the Nationals as an intern in 2009. In 2016, he was promoted to Head MLB Strength and Conditioning Coach. During the off-season, he resides in Hilton Head, SC with his wife, Ashley. His hobbies include golf, basketball, reading, and spending time with his wife and family. Matt believes that moving well is essential and coaches must be able to connect with athletes to help them work toward the greater goals of the player and team.

Neither AnyQuestion nor its Experts provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment or otherwise provide professional healthcare services.