I have never achieved a one-arm chin-up, it’s a huge goal, but even if you never reach it these methods will increase your pulling strength ten fold. There are a lot of good tips performing one arm chin training, but these are the methods I have discovered and others have use to get that legendary one arm chin: 1. Pull-up with two arms, go down with one: This might be a good approach, but I never could do this in the past (some years ago). To do this you […]
A Brief History Of Kettlebells
From Circus Tricks To World Championships: A Brief History Of Kettlebells The word girya( kettlebell) was first published in the Russian dictionary in 1704. Back then, kettlebells were used as scale weights to measure goods at the market, but farmers would sometimes swing and press the bells to show off their strength. After a while, kettlebells became commonplace at festivals, fairs, and circuses with various motions and juggling becoming popular acts. Since those early circus days, rivalry with kettlebells has continued to evolve, so let’s talk a […]
The Posterior Chain – Muscles of Power and Performance
So what exactly is the posterior chain and why is it so important? The posterior chain refers to a group of muscles that run down the back of the body. The primary muscles involved in this chain include the glutes, hamstrings, the lower back and also the calves to a certain extent. Sitting on your backside for the most part of your day leads to the glutes losing their primary function of hip stabilisation and extension. Even if you have an active lifestyle, if your training program […]
Age Is Just a Number – It’s Never Too Late To Start
Original Article 12/1/13 by Aaron Ellis Robert, first congratulations on your journey your before and after pictures are truly inspiring. In today’s world, people make excuses for not being able to workout. Age is often one of those excuses, you are 64-year-old, right? [Robert] Yes I’m 64 years young. How old were you when you started working out and what motivated you to make a lifestyle change? [Robert] I was 57 yrs old. In poor health and getting around with the use of walker and canes […]
Treating Kyphosis – Rounding of the Upper Back
It’s true that people get shorter as they age, have you ever thought why? One of the causes of this decrease in height is thoracic kyphosis, also known as a rounded upper back. What Is Kyphosis? Kyphosis occurs when there is the excessive curvature of the spine, eventually causing a hump-like appearance in the upper back. Between 20 and 40 percent of elderly adults experience kyphosis. The greatest change in the thoracic curve occurs in women between the ages of 50 […]
Joint Health & Mobility
An important factor for overall health Joint Mobility is the ability to move a joint throughout its entire range of motion with control. Strength and fitness are great, what’s not great is having a beat-up body with stiff joints due to not putting all the joints in your body through their entire range of motion every other day. Sport, recreational activities, and even your work environment can limit your joint range of motion. Repetitive movements and lack of movement (standing and sitting) impact the health of the joint […]
Power Breathing and Growth Hormone
There has been a lot of talk of late about power breathing and its effect on strength. Power breathing is performed by taking a slow deep breath through the nose about 75% of your lung capacity. Breathe into the stomach using the diaphragm don’t just raise the chest. Exhale through the mouth plugging your teeth with your tongue and hiss while tensing the abs until a full contraction has been obtained. Rest and repeat up to 5 sets of 5. I also recommend contracting […]
Power Breathing Training: Oblique Power Breathing Drill
Everybody should know the benefits of power breathing. If you don’t read my previous article here https://www.dragondoor.com/articles/power-breathing-and-growth-hormone/ Well here is a little variation I came up with that focuses in on the obliques. Take the same stance as if you were going to do regular power breathing take a breath (about 75% is the recommended amount). Tense your glutes, pull your rectal sphincter up and tense your abs as if you were going to take a blow to the midsection. This is where the drill changes slightly. Instead […]
What Kettlebell Size and Weight Should You Start With?
Kettlebell workouts ARE the answer to maintaining and transforming your body into a fitness machine at home without the need for having an expensive club membership. We know that kettlebells develop superior fitness fast. What benefits does kettlebell training have for the average woman or man? And what size do you start with? I will answer both of these questions and get you started with your kettlebell workouts. The kettlebell trains the body to work as a complete unit and as a result creates […]