Unpopular Opinion: Why I'm Not A Big Fan Of Olympic Lifting

Olympic lifting is popular, and that's an understatement. Everywhere you look at the moment, it seems like everyone from athletes to grandparents are incorporating it into their training. It looks cool, it's got a ton of hype behind it, and coaches everywhere love to discuss the benefits of this training style. 

But ... I'm not a big fan of Olympic lifting. 

In fact, I would go as far as to say that I don't think it's smart or necessary for the "everyday person" to be training using Olympic lifting. 

Now, before you shit down my throat, I did title this piece as an "unpopular opinion". It's my opinion, I understand that it's not one shared by the mainstream fitness community, and I know it's going to make more than a few people a little bit ... butt hurt. 

Before I jump into the reasons why I don't really like Olympic lifting as a form of fitness for the general public, know this. I am not saying that you should stop Olympic lifting if you enjoy it. I'm not saying that no one should do Olympic lifting. I'm not saying that it's not impressive or bad ass. What I will do is bring up some of my thoughts on this training style and why I'm not into it, and maybe they'll be some things you haven't thought to consider. 

Olympic Lifting is a sport, one that's not designed for everyone. 

 Olympic lifting, like every single sport, is more suited towards a certain body type. In fact, in many countries Olympic Lifters begin their training when they're children - after they've been inspected by coaches to see if they have the body type suitable for the sport. 

 Coaches will look for kids with stocky builds - broad torso, short limbs, and not very tall. They must also possess a decent amount of mobility through the shoulders, ankles, knees, hips, and thoracic spine. These attributes are suited towards being successful in Olympic lifting. 

 Not everyone is built to perform Olympic lifting, and that's ok. It's a sport after all, and one that's technically demanding, highly physical, and dangerous. 

Olympic lifting is a high risk training style.

Olympic lifting is a sport. Sports are exciting because they're crazy displays of unusual athleticism. All sports have a certain amount of risk and danger involved, some have more than others - Olympic lifting is no exception to this rule. 

If you're an Olympic Lifter, one who competes, I'm sure you're aware of the dangers involved in your sport - and you've come to terms with the fact that you could easily injure yourself while performing your chosen sport. That's ok, it's a the natural risk you take as an athlete looking to be the best in your chosen sport. 

 However, if you're a regular person (like 95% of the population) who doesn't get paid as a professional athlete - you should be using the safest training methods possible. Your training should be low risk and high reward. This means using exercises that mimic daily movements, are easy to learn, easy to progress or regress, and are not highly technical. 

 Olympic lifts are highly technical, not suited for everybody type, and require special coaching. It also involves literally throwing weight over your head and dropping yourself underneath that weight while fully squatted and arms extended fully overhead. I hopefully don't have to go into detail about how that could go wrong and how there's a high degree of risk for injury involved there. 

But Olympic lifting trains the hinge & athletic position?

Ok, yeah Olympic lifting trains the hinge and the athletic position. But so do tons of other exercises, in much safer, less complex, and more general ways. If you want to train your hinge try any of these exercises ... 

- Deadlifts (barbell, kettelbell, dumbbell, bands, pulleys)

- Swings (dumbbell, kettlebell) 

- Pull throughs (bands, pulleys)

- Standing Hip Thrusters (bands) 

- and more ... 

 All of those are easier to learn, lower risk than Olympic lifting, and most can even be performed from a single leg stance (unilateral) in order to increase their carry over to sports and athletics. There's no reason you have to perform Olympic lifting to train the hinge or athletic position. 

But what about improving explosive power? Sprint speed? Or jump height? 

One of the biggest reasons people train Olympic lifts, is that they're said to improve explosive power, top sprint speed, and jump height. Well, that maybe be true to a degree - I still don't think its a necessary (or smart reason) to be Olympic lifting. 

Yes, Olympic lifts have been shown in tests to help improve jump height, but so did squatting and dead lifting. In fact, the Olympic lifts only were only showed to be marginally (very small) more effective at improving sprint speed and jump height than squatting and dead lifting. The kind of difference that doesn't matter, unless you're a paid athlete looking for a competitive edge. 

When it comes to sprint speed, plenty of exercises have been shown to help improve top sprint speed and they're much safer than Olympic lifting. For example, hip thrusters have been proven more effective than squats at improving top sprint speed by a long shot. The hip thruster also doesn't compress the spine like the squat. It also doesn't involve hucking weight over head and dropping under that loaded bar, like Olympic lifting. Much safer! 

If you're a regular person (by that I mean not a paid athlete) who's looking to perform a training program that improves your explosive power, ask yourself why? What do you need to be more explosive for? And if you do need to be more explosive, do you really feel it's necessary to perform Olympic lifts - lifts that are highly technical and high risk - to get similar results that could be achieved by performing safer and less technical lifts such as squats or dead lifts? 

But I really want to be more explosive, wont Olympic lifts to that for me?

Not exactly. 

We're all born with a certain amount of slow twitch and fast twitch muscle fibres. People with more slow twitch muscle fibres tend to do well in endurance based athletics - think marathon running. Those born with more fast twitch muscle fibres excel in more explosive types of activities - think sprinter. 

Olympic lifting is an explosive sport. People with more fast twitch muscle fibres will perform better in this sport than those with more slow twitch fibres. Through training, both types of people can become more explosive. However, the person with more fast twitch muscle fibres will always be, due to genetics, more explosive than the person who was born with more slow twitch muscle fibres. 

No amount of training can increase your fast twitch muscle fibres. 

Also, as I had already stated above, you can train your explosive power in a safer manner, with similar results that would be achieved with Olympic lifting, by using traditional lifts such as dead lifts, squats, hip thrusters, or kettlebell swings. 

What do I mean by all of this?

Basically, what I'm saying is this. 

Benefits from Olympic lifting can be produced through safer, less complex, and more general training/exercises. Every form of training has risk involved, but the risk is much higher with Olympic lifts than more basic forms of exercise. There are also no real studies that prove beyond any doubt that Olympic lifting improves over all athleticism. There's nothing that proves it can make you become a better athlete in any sport - other than Olympic lifting. It won't turn you into a super athlete, it's not meant for every body type, and in my opinion - it's not the smartest method of training for the general public. The only real reason anyone needs to be training using Olympic lifting - is if you want to compete in Olympic lifting. 

BUT!

I'm not your mom, I can't tell you what to do. 

If you enjoy Olympic lifting, go ahead and continue doing it - please be sure to have the best coaching possible. 

- Tim 

www.TimothyBellFitness.com 

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Anytime, Anywhere: 4 Minimalist Hinge Exercises

 My latest article for BreakingMuscle.com is up and it's all about the hinge! I love bodyweight training, but there's one problem with it - there's no great way to train the hinge. In this article I will detail 4 ways you can effectively train your hinge with just a few resistance bands! Click here to read my latest article! 

- Tim 

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Best Bodyweight Exercise You're Not Doing!

 I'm often asked about lower body exercises to use in a minimalist/bodyweight training program. Most people have an idea of basic squats and lunges, they may even have an idea of a few progressions to make each of those harder or easier ... but that's about it! While squats and lunges are a great place to start, and they do have their place, they're certainly not the only exercises available for building lower body strength on a minimalist training program! One EXCELLENT exercise that you can add to your training program, starting to day, is ...

The Hip Thruster! 

  For a variety of reasons, the hip thruster is an exercise that has become a staple in most of my programs. First off, the hip thruster improves stability and athleticism. 

 The hip thruster helps develop glute strength (specifically glute max) and hip drive. The glutes play an integral roll in all athletics, core strength, as well as stabilizing the hips and lower back! In fact, glute inactivity (glute amnesia) is a common cause of lower back issues for many people! Having strong and functional glutes is a must for anyone, regardless of whether or not you're an athlete or office worker. Along with squats and lunges, the hip thruster is a terrific exercise to do just that! 

 Hip drive is important in just about any athletics, the ability to drive forward and explode from the hips is a must in any sport. The hip thruster can help improve your hip drive, which will translate well to things such as faster sprinting speeds! Hip drive and thrust is also important at home ... in the bedroom ... with your partner. If you catch my drift! 

  The hip thruster is an excellent functional movement, but in terms of aesthetics, it's also fantastic for developing a great looking butt! I say it all the time, the beautiful looking body is a by product of your functional fitness and diet. There's no need to put aesthetics over function. Functional movements will help provide you with the aesthetics you desire, along with the ability to move well during everyday life or athletics! The hip thruster is a great example of this. 

How To Hip Thrust

 Finding a set up to hip thrust isn't hard, you can do it just about anywhere! This is just another reason I enjoy it. In the video I'm using my living room couch, but you can use anything from chairs, gym benches, park benches, picnic tables, or even tree stumps/logs to lay your upper back across. The possibilities  are endless, be creative and you'll find something to use. 

 Tips When setting up the hip thruster ... 

- The bench rests just under your shoulder blades

- Weight is placed through the heels (not the toes)

- Keep the knees from caving inward

- Neck remains neutral throughout the movement, don't tuck your chin at the top

- Glutes should remain tense throughout the movement. Think of them pulling you down and pressing you upward.

-  The glutes should be squeezed hard at the top of the movement

- Your shins should run vertical at the top of the movement, not on an angle. 

In the  video below I demonstrate (along with my assistant) 3 hip thruster variations. They're placed in order of difficulty, the easiest comes first. If  the first one is too difficult for you I suggest getting comfortable with glute bridges first and then move onto hip thrusters. Now, take a look at the video and get those hip thrusters into your bodyweight training program! 

- Tim 

www.TimothyBellFitness.com 

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Beach Body Coach Bull Shit!

  If you're easily offended by strong language, DON'T watch this video. This is how I feel about "Beach Body Coaches" and other salesmen who market themselves as fitness experts.  Enjoy!

- Tim

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Moving Meditation Through Fitness

 The benefits of regular mediation have been talked about for centuries. A regular practice can help reduce stress/anxiety, improve mental clarity/focus, and maintain cognitive function into later years. It's no secret that some form of meditation would be a great addition to most people's daily routine! Lucky for you, there's no shortage of methods to choose from. You only need to do some research or take a class, practice it often, and see if it's right for you. Simple, easy, and in most cases won't break the bank! 

 Meditation can come in many forms and styles. Popular ones include guided meditation, mindful meditation (popularized by Shaolin Monks), and transcendental mediation (popularized by Hindu Yogi's). Most of these methods involve sitting, kneeling, or laying down in a calm space of your choosing. Their focus can range from channeling your attention on one word/phrase, simply observing your thoughts as they pass though your mind, or even clearing the mind. Not every method of mediation is right for everyone, the one that works for you will be unique to your personality type. 

 That being said, these calm methods of meditation don't always jive with every ones personality.  

 Yes, it takes practice to learn how to sit still and adapt to your meditation practice. It would be worth giving a calm practice a try for a while before you decide if working or not. But what if you've been trying for a while and it's just- not- working? Don't worry, there's another way to get that meditation done without sitting still. 

Moving Meditation 

 The mind and the body are "one", in my opinion for them to function at a high level they must be trained together. This is why I often opt for moving forms of meditation in my daily life instead of tradition calm methods. We've all felt the calm/high state felt after a quality workout, it's almost zen like, and people have known about this forever! This isn't a new phenomenon, we can see many examples of this "moving meditation" throughout history. 

 Shaolin Warrior Monks have practiced this for centuries through Qi Gong. Their practice of Qi Gong allowed them to connect their breath, mind, and movement together in one action; improving the well being physical body as well as their mind. Samurai would train with laser focus on improving sword techniques, hand to hand combat, and even art. Their single minded purpose/focus through their physical practice allowed them to reach a high level of zen; even without sitting for hours each week meditating. It's quite obvious that Yoga is a powerful form of moving meditation! Do I even need to go into more detail on that ... I didn't think so! 

                                       

                                          

  Even though they're all fun, you don't need to specifically practice Qi Gong, Kendo, or Yoga to work on moving mediation.  It can be as simple as taking a long walk and simply observing your surroundings, calming the mind, and allowing you to recharge. You can also get a quality moving meditation practice through your own training program! Today I'm going to outline my favourite method of moving meditation, achieved through minimalist training. 

Moving Meditation Workout

 The method I'm about to describe is simple, after all, I'm all about bodyweight and minimalist approach to training! You won't need much equipment, just a pull up bar or a suspension trainer/gymnastics rings and your own bodyweight. The goal during this workout is to not count your reps. You can throw the rep counting out the window! I want you to only focus on your form and your breathing. You need to be mindful about the exercise you're performing, focusing only on that movement at that time. It's a high intensity method that will produce a deep level of muscular fatigue, push your heart rate up, and get you breathing hard. Trust me, it's a great workout that will build that "zen" state we talked about earlier.  Here's how to put it together ...

- Choose a variation for each exercise that you can complete at least 10 reps.

- Perform the exercises back to back, in the order listed, with 15 seconds of rest between exercises

- Perform each exercise at a pace of 4 seconds up and 4 seconds down, with a 1 second pause at the top and bottom of the movement.

- Perform as many reps as you can possibly complete with perfect form, at the tempo described!

- Once the form as broken down, or you can no longer move at the temp described, move onto the next exercise.

- Once you completed all the exercises, rest for 1-2 mins and repeat the whole "circuit" again 1-2 more times depending on your fitness level. 

1.) Bodyweight Row or Chin Up/Pull Up variation 

2.) Push Up variation 

3.) Squat variation

 Give this a try and I'm sure you'll find it produces a great calming effect, not only for the body but also the mind. 

- Tim 

www.TimothyBellFitness.com 

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Paleo Cacao Nib & Date Cereal!

 This might just be my new favourite breakfast ... or one of my favourites of all time. I'm not even over hyping this, it just might be your new favourite too. 

Said in my best Ron Burgundy "question" voice: This paleo cereal is so easy ... a caveman could do it? Yes, the pun was intended - bite me.

 This breakfast can be thrown together in seconds, no real need for measuring cups. I know I didn't use them! I guess it goes without saying, this recipe is going to be a little loose with the measurements. I was just too excited to get it out to you, I couldn't bother with the measurements. 

Anyways ... make it, love it, tell your family and friends! 

Here's What You'll Need:

- Dry dates 

- Pecans (crushed or whole)

- Cacao nibs

- Almond milk or coconut milk 

Here's How To Put It Together:

- Grab a hand full of pecans and place them in a bowl

- Cut up 6 pitted dates (or more) and throw them on top of your pecans

- Sprinkle a liberal amount of cacao nibs on top of your pecans and dates

- Top with almond or coconut milk, stir everything 

- Eat and have your mind blown away

 Thank me when you're done! 

- Tim

www.TimothyBellFitness.com 

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1 Easy Way To Open Tight Hip Flexors

The Hip Flexors 

  Tight hip flexors are a common problem for a lot of new and even seasoned trainees. If you have a job that requires you to sit for most of the day, chances are your hip flexors are tight. This happens because sitting puts the hip flexors in relaxed and shortened position, they don't get stretched out and eventually they become tighter. 

 Another culprit, when it comes to tight hip flexors, are inactive glutes. When you're glutes aren't doing the brunt of the work during activity the majority of the stress is placed on the hip flexors and lower back. They over work and become tighter over time.

  Tight hip flexors aren't just a problem for inactive people, they can also occur in very active people! Lots of running, biking, and traditional abdominal exercises can lead to tight hip flexors. A combination of no stretching/mobility work, lack of a proper warm up, or an imbalanced program can all attribute to tighter hip flexors. 

 Tight hip flexors can cause both anterior (front of the body) hip pain and lower back pain as well. They can also inhibit sport performance and every day activities. If you're hips are tight, you need to start working towards opening those suckers up! 

 So just how to you go about opening up those hips?

 Well the first step I would suggest is a simple combination of glute activation and hip flexor stretching. This is called "reciprocal inhibition". Such a fancy word, but all it means is that we're going to activate one muscle group to help alleviate the opposing muscle group. 

 Think of it like this, your muscles work like a pully system. When one muscle group contracts (shortens) the opposing muscle group lengthens. Your hip flexors are primarily used to bring the knee towards the chest. Your glutes are used primarily for hip extension, thrusting your hips away from the body. Those are opposing movements. When we work the glutes, we help relax the hip flexors. 

With that in mind

Let's take a look at the 2 exercises you'll need!

 First we get the glutes turned on with some bodyweight glute bridges. They're a simple exercise that requires no equipment at all.

  

Glute Bridge Tips:

- Lay flat on your back, bend the knees and place your heels directly under the knees, hip width apart

- Squeeze your glutes, drive through the heels, and press the hips up towards the sky

- Don't allow your knees to open up outward, keep them hip width apart

- If you feel this in your lower back, only go as high as you can without the lower back being involved

- Don't arch the back

- Keep the pressure in the heels and slowly lower down to the starting position 

- If you want to give the glute bridges a little extra kick, you can wrap a resistance band around the knees and fight it's pressure. 

Then we get the hips stretched out with a basic lunge stretch. This isn't the only stretch for the hip flexors, but it's a basic one that can be done anywhere. 

Lunge Stretch Tips: 

- Don't arch your back and don't round your back, keep the spine neutral

- Squeeze your glutes (reciprocal inhibition) this will help get into the hip flexor 

- If you only feel this in the quads, try using some fascial release with a foam roller or lacrosse ball before hand

- To increase the stretch raise the arm, on the side of the outstretched leg, over head as if your were reaching for the sky. 

How to put it together

- Perform this sequence daily, multiple times a day, or before your workouts. 

- Exercises are performed back to back with no rest

- Perform 1-3 rounds as needed

1 Round:

- 10 glute bridges (lift into position, squeeze and hold the top position for 10 seconds, and return to the starting position. That's one rep)

- 10 Lunge Stretches per leg (move into the lunge stretch, hold for 5-10 seconds, relax and repeat. That's one rep) 

This is just one of many ways to help open up the hip flexors and prevent them from being tight. Give it a try and you should find it helpful in relieving those tight hips! 

- Tim 

www.TimothyBellFitness.com

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5 Beginner Core & Abdominal Strengthening Exercises

 My latest article for BreakingMuscle.com is up and it's all about core strength! You'll learn what your core muscles are, how they're misunderstood, and 5 of my favourite core strengthening exercises for beginners! Don't let that fool you though, even if you're a seasoned trainee these exercises might just be a challenge to you as well. The full article is here on BreakingMuscle.com (click here to read)

- Tim 

www.TimothyBellFitness.com 

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Do You Really Need To Be A Circus Performer?

 Gymnastics and "movement" based programs are really popular right now! Even I've been known to do handstands, back bridges, and LSits from time to time. I've been doing full splits for years, something I worked towards as a teen when I was still competing in Karate tournaments. I enjoy watching others perform the breath taking stunts and tricks that these programs helped them develop. I know the months or years it takes in order to be able to perform front levers, press to handstands, and various flips. I respect the dedication it takes to develop a body that can withstand the demands that these movements place on your joints.

 But, in NO WAY do I believe these movements are essential, basic, or necessary for the average person.

 I know I'm going to catch some heat for this post, but hang in there with me and I'll do my best to explain!

 Gymnasts are basically super humans! They're strong, agile, flexible, and they have outstanding physiques. They can do just about anything you can do, but you can't do what they can do. It would seem to make sense to base your training around what ever they did to become so fantastic. Well ... not so fast.

 Unlike most sports, professional gymnasts begin their training at a very, very young age. Many top competitors started their training around ages of 3-5 years. Children are much more flexible and pliable than adults. They're also much more resistant to injury and recover faster than adults. They grow up through years of rigorous training, meticulous planning, and high level coaching in order to achieve their superhuman skills and physiques. They also weren't just doing this in the name of fitness, they were also doing it in the name of athletics! Gymnastics is a sport, and a demanding one at that. These athletes careers are short lived and littered with injuries. Most retired gymnasts are loaded with nagging issues left over from their professional career, even with all of that superior training and years of preparation.

 For the regular person, you really need to look at the risk to reward ratio. You're better off doing basic movement patterns such as squats, lunges, pulling, pushing etc. than working on handstands and other tricks. You're far more likely to get injured practicing one arm hand stands than you would with push ups. Basic movements are easier to learn, safer to perform, and have a much greater carry over into your every day life.

How often do you have to squat? EVERY-SINGLE-DAY!

How often do you have to single leg squat, with your leg behind the supporting leg, and touch your toe to your forehead? FUCKING NEVER!

 The more complex and skill based a movement is, the less carry over it has into your every day life. There comes a time where the strength, mobility, and skill require to perform the exercise/trick exceeds the capacity required for anything you'll face in real life. At that point you're basically only training a movement for the sake of being able to perform this trick.

 It takes a lot of time and training volume to be able to be able to form a front lever pull. Most people would be better off learning how to perform bodyweight rows, and adding additional weight as needed. Not only would it take less time to achieve substantial pulling strength, but the risk of injury is lower with the bodyweight row. Not to mention, some tricks are just never going to be a reality for some people. Differences in our body shapes, sizes, and limb length play a huge roll in what you'll be able to achieve. A 6'7" basketball player may be a beast on the court, but good luck ever getting him to be able to bang out human flags!

 There's nothing wrong with wanting to be able to perform a cool party trick, just don't fool yourself into thinking that it's essential, functional, or even a smart idea. Remember, "risk to reward"! No one ever said that sports, tricks, and stunts were safe or smart. We love them because they're spectacular and out of the ordinary.

 In reality, unless you have a job that requires these skills (dancer, gymnast, wushu performer etc.), or if you just want to be able to have a cool "pet move" to show off in videos, you're time would be better spent on more traditional movements. I bet you need little more flexibility or mobility. Yes, you probably need a little more strength. Sure, your balance could use some work. But just how much do you really need? What are you training for and will learning tricks really help? Are you prepared to face the repercussions that can come along with training for stunts rather than focusing on basic human function? Is your ego getting the better of your training decisions? Only you can decide the answers to the questions asked.

- Tim

www.TimothyBellFitness.com 

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Working Out While You're Sick

There are a lot of different opinions when it comes to training while you're sick. Here's how I feel about it. 

- Tim 

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Honey Citrus Salad

This just might be one of the best summer salads I've ever made. It's simple, made up of things you might have in your fridge right now, and doesn't take much time at all to make! The dressing is tasty and best of all it's home made so you know you're not eating any nasty oils or preservatives. 

Here's What You'll Need:

- Hand Full of Pecans

- 3 Clementines 

- 2-3 tbsp Goat Cheese

- 2-3 thin whole slices Red Onion

- Romaine Lettuce 

- 1/3 cup  Olive Oil

- 1/4 cup Balsamic Vinegar

- 1 tbsp honey 

How To Put It Together:

Salad:

- Lay the bed of cut up romaine lettuce on your favourite plate

- Top the lettuce with goat cheese, pecans, one clementine pulled apart, and onion slices

Dressing:

- In a blender (food processor, magic bullet etc.) add your honey, olive oil, balsamic vinegar, and 2 clementines

- Blend until smooth

- Pour into small separate bowl or dressing container

- Add your desired amount to your salad and enjoy! 

- Tim 

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3 Exercises To Eliminate Wrist Pain

 Wrist pain is one of the most common issues that I run into with clients on a daily basis. I would honestly say that 1 out of 4 people that I've worked with have an issue with their wrists. Most of the time they experience wrist pain or discomfort during any sort of exercise that causes extension and weight baring. This means push ups, mountain climbers, burpees, crawling, and a handful of other exercises all aggravate their issue.

 If this sounds like you, don't worry! You don't have to stop doing any of the above exercises. Wrist pain doesn't have to prevent you from getting a great workout, and the steps to help ease or eliminate it are quite simple! Today we'll take a look at 3 simple exercises to help you eliminate your wrist pain.

These exercises are for those of you who I assume haven't had any type of wrist injury. If you have, be sure to check with a doctor before performing any of the exercises below.


 1. Wrist Mobility Routines

 Many people have tight muscles and fascia. Guess what, if you're hamstrings feel tight, your calves are tight, your shoulders are tense ... your forearms and wrists are most likely tight as well. This means you need to be addressing that issue and opening them back up! I always recommend that everyone perform a daily fascial release routine (foam rolling, using a lacrosse ball etc.) and a stretching/mobility routine for their whole body. Working on your posture, opening up tight areas of the body, and strengthening the weaker muscle groups is a must! Your wrists are no different. For starters, try using this wrist mobility routine in your warm ups and every morning.

2. Try Using Your Fists 

 If push ups, mountain climbers, and other exercises that force you to put weight on your extended wrists cause you pain, try performing them on your fists. When you do these exercises using your fist as the base it will align the wrist with the forearm and eliminate any extension. Most people find this stops their wrist pain and discomfort immediately! If you're on a hard wood floor you might want to use a towel or mat under your fists. Check out a much younger me in this early video describing how this is done!

3. Hang & Build Your Grip Strength

 Grip strength is an often over looked aspect of training. Not only is grip strength functionally useful on a day to day basis (carrying groceries, opening up jars etc.) it's also been tied to longer life expectancy. By strengthening the muscles and tendons that surround the wrist you'll be creating a more stable joint. Many people find that this was actually the problem all along! I've written an entire blog piece on how to build some serious grip strength, you might want to take a look. But, one of the easiest methods for creating basic grip strength, and improving shoulder health/mobility, is the passive hang! The passive hang is simple, find something to hang on, grip it around shoulder width apart, palms facing outward, and hang! Let your shoulders relax and "hug" your ears. Let your body hang loose. Try hanging for as long as possible! Do this multiple times throughout the day, time yourself each time, and try to work up to 4-5 mins throughout the day. You could also throw them into the end or beginning of your workouts and do 3 sets of hanging for as long as you can. Rest 30 seconds between sets.

 Give these 3 simple wrist exercises a try, and watch your pain disappear! For some of you it could minutes, others it might take weeks or longer, but hang in there. Before you know it, you're tight and weak wrists will be a thing of the past!

- Tim

www.TimothyBellFitness.com 

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Why Your Workout Sucks!

The workout that you're following might be doing you more harm than good. You can find out why in the video above!

- Tim 

www.TimothyBellFitness.com

Don't Live In The Gym!

Your workout should fit into your life, not the other way around! 

- Tim 

www.TimothyBellFitness.com

The 2 Worst Bodyweight Exercises No One Should Do!

 Today I'm going to dive into detail on two of the most over used, dangerous/damaging, and ineffective bodyweight exercises being used today. Believe it or not, these two exercises are ones I see performed on a daily basis in parks and gyms by both avid fitness enthusiasts and new trainees. Even WORSE, there are some trainers out there who are still programming these two exercises for their clients!

  Don't get me wrong, I've done these exercises in the past. Regretfully, I even programmed them in my early days. However, I started completely removed them from my clients training years ago and replaced them with much more effective and safer exercises.

 On the outside both of these bodyweight exercises seem harmless, but when taking a closer look it's not hard to see the problem with each. The bodyweight exercises I'm talking about are ...

Bench Dips and Crunches!

 Both bench dips and crunches have been around forever! They're probably two of the most recognized bodyweight exercises other than push ups and chin ups. This is probably the reason people who aren't fitness professionals add them to their bodyweight based routines. They're simple to do, require little to no equipment, and they can be done anywhere. I'm sure people also use them for the immediate "burn" you feel through the triceps during bench dips and their abs during crunches. If the muscle burns, then hey ... you must be getting a good workout, right?

 Yes, that was heavy sarcasm!

 But what about trainers/coaches who are still programming these exercises? If these are two of the worst exercises then why are so many coaches/trainers still giving them to their clients? Well, it's pretty simple ... they lack education or they're stuck in their ways! That's the only excuse for any trainer/coach to still be giving these out to their clients. If you have a trainer who is still giving you these exercises,  I would seriously suggest finding a new trainer. They're under qualified and under educated, or they just stopped learning a long time ago! Either way, they're not worth your hard earned money.

 So what's so bad about Bench Dips and Crunches?

 Well, they're two very different exercises that are being used by people in hopes of achieving different goals. Lets take a look at why they're used, why they're terrible, and what you can replace each with! Here we go ... 

Crunches

Why People Do Them: Crunches are commonly used by people to train their abs in hopes of making their abs "pop" or to strengthen their core. Unfortunately, you could do 10,000 crunches a day and you're abs still wont show unless you have a low body fat percentage. If you want your abs to show you need to be eating clean. You need to cut the junk out of your diet and replace it all with fresh vegetables, fruits, meat, eggs, nuts/seeds, and good fats. You can't out work a shitty diet! 

 As for working your abs/core ... well crunches just aren't going to do the job! The main functions of the abs are to stabilize the spine by preventing rotation and extension. You could do tons of crunches and still have a weak core because you're not actually doing what your abs were designed to do in the first place. 

Why They Suck:  

- They don't train the main purpose of the abs, anti rotation and anti extension.

- They make the muscles that are commonly tight in people who sit all day even stronger/tighter. This contributes to even worse posture and dysfunction.

- They repetitively flex the spine and can cause or increase back pain and injury.

- They don't actually make your abs or core any stronger. 

What To Replace Them With:

- Planks
- Roll outs using an ab wheel or stability ball
- Hollow body holds
- L-Sit or tuck knee holds 
- Any of these ab exercises found in the video below! It's an old video, but still has exercises that hold up!

Bench Dips

Why People Do Them: They want defined triceps or they're looking to increase the size of their triceps. They're also looking to build upper body strength. If you're looking for more defined triceps, just like abs, you need a lower body fat percentage. This comes from your nutrition, see the pattern here? If you're looking for increased size of strength, there are plenty of other exercises that target and incorporate the triceps in a much safer and more effective manner. These other exercises will also have more carry over to athletics and every day life as compared to the bench dip. 

Why They Suck:

- They internally rotate the shoulder and extend it, putting the shoulder joint in a very unstable and weak position

- They add load to the shoulder joint in the unstable/weak position

- They don't work the body in a natural plane of movement 

- They reenforce poor posture 

- The only way to make them harder is to put your feet on a bench, or add more weight, making the exercise even more dangerous then it was originally

- They increase the likelihood of shoulder injuries and can be directly responsible for shoulder injuries

What To Replace Them With:

- Push Ups (done properly) will work the triceps effectively

- Narrow hand placement (diamond) push ups 

-  Triceps extensions  (1:37 into the video)

There you have it! Those are my top 2 worst bodyweight exercises that none of you should be adding to your fitness routine. If you're doing them, stop. If you were thinking of adding them, don't! There are far more effective ways to get the results you want from your training. If you don't know where to start, want to avoid mistakes made by designing your own program or getting an under qualified coach, then check out my online training packages!

- Tim 

www.TimothyBellFitness.com