Blog
2011-12-07 22:05:56
Sling training revisited!
Yesterday I did a very nice session with the slings in my garage. It was weeks since I did any sling training so it was a lot of fun to do some sling pulling again. I did three and four sets of dips, pull ups, flyes, push ups and one set of handstand pull ups, and finished with some biceps exercises. I have my slings in my garage which does not have much heating so workout during the winter can be pretty rough. I think it is an advantage though, since I'm an ice climber, to do that kind of ice climbing specific training in cold conditions, wearing winter clothes and gloves. It is one thing to pull hard in a cosy gym, wearing shorts and a t-shirt, sipping Red Bull and listening to music on your iPod, and another thing to do the same moves 200 meters off the ground while you freeze your fingers off and wish you were back in the gym. I have always been a fan of making training conditions as similar to "live" conditions as possible, because then I know I can deal with it when I get outside. I can't wait to get out swimming in our big lake, Tinnsjoen, this summer, where water temperature is often 15 C (I like 23 C at least), to get some real open water experience for my Norseman build up. A good workout here would be to swim across to the east shore of the lake, get on the bike and enjoy some real nice road biking around the lake back to Rjukan.
It looks as if winter finally will arrive this week (but the forecasts here are usually wrong...) so I like to focus a bit more on ice climbing specific training. Ice climbing is absolutely one of the toughest, hardest sports you can do. It is very physical, wet, cold and potentially extremely dangerous. When you train for ice climbing it is not to win a race but to stay safe and alive. Strength and stamina are important variables for an ice climber. A set of slings is a very good tool for training for climbing, opening for an unlimited range of exercises. I like the basic "core" exercises such as push ups, dips, pull ups, different lever exercises, flyes, reversed flyes and similar. If I had to chose only one training device to use for all the sports I do it would without doubt be a set of slings, because of the flexibility it offers. This summer I used slings almost every day, exercises varying from pure strength workouts to pretty rough HIIT sessions (I believe the fashionable name of that is Tabata now). After a month with different training I can now really see the results from the sling sessions earlier this summer, and I strongly recommend anyone, no matter goals and prerequisites, you will get good results from sling training if you put some effort into it.
A bad thing is that I discovered I have lost even more weight, which must be a sign that my body burns muscles. I have adjusted my diet.
Check the pics below for some fun and different variations of sling exercises, some very specific for ice climbing. These are taken in Erik Mowinckel's clinic which is a full on training lab, but you can use slings anywhere; in your basement, office, garage, local gym or from a tree in your garden etc.
A version of Flyes where you have the cord through a pulley creating an uneven amount of pressure on each arm. A very ice climbing specific exercise I think.
Pull up with leg raise, not a beginners exercise but very powerful and efficient for core body strength training.
Hand-stand pull ups. A classic and efficient, but difficult exercise. You can however place the slings a bit lower to get less weight on your arms and shoulders.
Triceps exercise, very useful for ice climbing.
Chins! Cool, fun and easy to do!
Reverse flyes (here with ice tools, but normally done with just the sling loops). This exercise I think is a bit difficult to do right when you first try it. It is all about positioning your body and have the slings set in the correct length to match your height. But I can tell you it is many times as efficient as using the stupid reverse mode on the stupid "Flyes" machine in the gyms. And this is what sling training is all about: instability and the your efforts to deal with it when you work out.
This is such a great exercise for core body strength. I don't know what this one is called in English but from the starting position you see on this picture you pull your knees towards your stomach while balancing on one arm, or if you think that is too hard, on your elbow. The slower you do this exercise the heavier it is I think.
Biceps exercise. Feel free to adjust the length of the sling and your body position to make it easier or harder.
One of my favorite workouts. This is a leg level / raise exercise with rotation (best name I can come up with at the moment). Hanging from the slings, start by raising your legs straight up towards the roof (or sky etc). Then slowly lower your straight legs down to one side, using your hips and center body region to stabilize during the exercise, and not lower down than your hips. Slowly raise legs again (legs must be straight) to the roof, and repeat to the other side. Super efficient and fun!
Yesterday I did a very nice session with the slings in my garage. It was weeks since I did any sling training so it was a lot of fun to do some sling pulling again. I did three and four sets of dips, pull ups, flyes, push ups and one set of handstand pull ups, and finished with some biceps exercises. I have my slings in my garage which does not have much heating so workout during the winter can be pretty rough. I think it is an advantage though, since I'm an ice climber, to do that kind of ice climbing specific training in cold conditions, wearing winter clothes and gloves. It is one thing to pull hard in a cosy gym, wearing shorts and a t-shirt, sipping Red Bull and listening to music on your iPod, and another thing to do the same moves 200 meters off the ground while you freeze your fingers off and wish you were back in the gym. I have always been a fan of making training conditions as similar to "live" conditions as possible, because then I know I can deal with it when I get outside. I can't wait to get out swimming in our big lake, Tinnsjoen, this summer, where water temperature is often 15 C (I like 23 C at least), to get some real open water experience for my Norseman build up. A good workout here would be to swim across to the east shore of the lake, get on the bike and enjoy some real nice road biking around the lake back to Rjukan.
It looks as if winter finally will arrive this week (but the forecasts here are usually wrong...) so I like to focus a bit more on ice climbing specific training. Ice climbing is absolutely one of the toughest, hardest sports you can do. It is very physical, wet, cold and potentially extremely dangerous. When you train for ice climbing it is not to win a race but to stay safe and alive. Strength and stamina are important variables for an ice climber. A set of slings is a very good tool for training for climbing, opening for an unlimited range of exercises. I like the basic "core" exercises such as push ups, dips, pull ups, different lever exercises, flyes, reversed flyes and similar. If I had to chose only one training device to use for all the sports I do it would without doubt be a set of slings, because of the flexibility it offers. This summer I used slings almost every day, exercises varying from pure strength workouts to pretty rough HIIT sessions (I believe the fashionable name of that is Tabata now). After a month with different training I can now really see the results from the sling sessions earlier this summer, and I strongly recommend anyone, no matter goals and prerequisites, you will get good results from sling training if you put some effort into it.
A bad thing is that I discovered I have lost even more weight, which must be a sign that my body burns muscles. I have adjusted my diet.
Check the pics below for some fun and different variations of sling exercises, some very specific for ice climbing. These are taken in Erik Mowinckel's clinic which is a full on training lab, but you can use slings anywhere; in your basement, office, garage, local gym or from a tree in your garden etc.
A version of Flyes where you have the cord through a pulley creating an uneven amount of pressure on each arm. A very ice climbing specific exercise I think.
Pull up with leg raise, not a beginners exercise but very powerful and efficient for core body strength training.
Hand-stand pull ups. A classic and efficient, but difficult exercise. You can however place the slings a bit lower to get less weight on your arms and shoulders.
Triceps exercise, very useful for ice climbing.
Chins! Cool, fun and easy to do!
Reverse flyes (here with ice tools, but normally done with just the sling loops). This exercise I think is a bit difficult to do right when you first try it. It is all about positioning your body and have the slings set in the correct length to match your height. But I can tell you it is many times as efficient as using the stupid reverse mode on the stupid "Flyes" machine in the gyms. And this is what sling training is all about: instability and the your efforts to deal with it when you work out.
This is such a great exercise for core body strength. I don't know what this one is called in English but from the starting position you see on this picture you pull your knees towards your stomach while balancing on one arm, or if you think that is too hard, on your elbow. The slower you do this exercise the heavier it is I think.
Biceps exercise. Feel free to adjust the length of the sling and your body position to make it easier or harder.
One of my favorite workouts. This is a leg level / raise exercise with rotation (best name I can come up with at the moment). Hanging from the slings, start by raising your legs straight up towards the roof (or sky etc). Then slowly lower your straight legs down to one side, using your hips and center body region to stabilize during the exercise, and not lower down than your hips. Slowly raise legs again (legs must be straight) to the roof, and repeat to the other side. Super efficient and fun!
2011-12-03 00:14:05
Basic training for body core strength
I have always been a fan of simple, basic training exercises for building core body strength. I'm going to ramble about health here, a subject I have no academic approach to whatsoever, but hey, when I think about it maybe that's a good thing.
I'm pretty sure that evolution has not meant for us to go 50 km on skis as fast as possible, or to run 43 km on hard roads or to ride a bike as fast as possible for 5 hours straight. Well, evolution made it possible for us to do it, but that doesn't mean it is a healthy form for training. I think the human body, through millions of years of evolution, was designed to run, swim, climb, jump and lift, and that you will be as fit as a human being possibly can be if you do all of this. Imagine a classic cross fit gym person, who also is able to perform well during a marathon, climb an 8a and swim 3000 meters without problems. This person would not be able to compete with the Olympic Nordic skiers or to win the world cup in climbing, but in my eyes he or she is a supreme athlete because of the fitness "diversity".
In my earlier posts I have mentioned core body training and some have asked what that means. Well, the body core means the midsection of your body, i.e. spinal, abdominal and lower lats muscles, etc. Now, in most training programs I see, core training also includes training shoulders, biceps, legs, pretty much the whole body. After a core bar class I feel mostly my shoulders and arms, not my abs. In my definition, core training is a set of basic exercises that will give you a healthy strength without the risk of overtraining and injuries.
Here is an example of some simple yet effective exercises you can do, that will give you a better core body strength. Excellent for shaping a soft body or as an addition to weight loss training. The number of sets and repetitions here I think is good for persons with little or medium training experience. If you are a person training more actively you probably need to add number of repetitions and sets, or tweak the exercises for more resistance. Check the video clip below for a few suggestions on how to tweak these exercises some.
Sit-ups: 15 x 3
Push-ups: 10 x 3
Back extensions: 10 x 3 (on the floor or a level bench)
Hang-ups: 5 x 3 (from a bar or slings)
Wall throws: 10 x 3 (you need a medicine ball for this exercise)
One tips to cycle the exercises, so that you for example do one set of sit-ups directly followed by one set of push-ups, then a set of hang-ups etc. I personally feel I get a better result from this than to rest between each set.
I have always been a fan of simple, basic training exercises for building core body strength. I'm going to ramble about health here, a subject I have no academic approach to whatsoever, but hey, when I think about it maybe that's a good thing.
I'm pretty sure that evolution has not meant for us to go 50 km on skis as fast as possible, or to run 43 km on hard roads or to ride a bike as fast as possible for 5 hours straight. Well, evolution made it possible for us to do it, but that doesn't mean it is a healthy form for training. I think the human body, through millions of years of evolution, was designed to run, swim, climb, jump and lift, and that you will be as fit as a human being possibly can be if you do all of this. Imagine a classic cross fit gym person, who also is able to perform well during a marathon, climb an 8a and swim 3000 meters without problems. This person would not be able to compete with the Olympic Nordic skiers or to win the world cup in climbing, but in my eyes he or she is a supreme athlete because of the fitness "diversity".
In my earlier posts I have mentioned core body training and some have asked what that means. Well, the body core means the midsection of your body, i.e. spinal, abdominal and lower lats muscles, etc. Now, in most training programs I see, core training also includes training shoulders, biceps, legs, pretty much the whole body. After a core bar class I feel mostly my shoulders and arms, not my abs. In my definition, core training is a set of basic exercises that will give you a healthy strength without the risk of overtraining and injuries.
Here is an example of some simple yet effective exercises you can do, that will give you a better core body strength. Excellent for shaping a soft body or as an addition to weight loss training. The number of sets and repetitions here I think is good for persons with little or medium training experience. If you are a person training more actively you probably need to add number of repetitions and sets, or tweak the exercises for more resistance. Check the video clip below for a few suggestions on how to tweak these exercises some.
Sit-ups: 15 x 3
Push-ups: 10 x 3
Back extensions: 10 x 3 (on the floor or a level bench)
Hang-ups: 5 x 3 (from a bar or slings)
Wall throws: 10 x 3 (you need a medicine ball for this exercise)
One tips to cycle the exercises, so that you for example do one set of sit-ups directly followed by one set of push-ups, then a set of hang-ups etc. I personally feel I get a better result from this than to rest between each set.
Sashimi is the perfect food after a hard training session
2011-11-29 15:14:33
When shit gets tough...
Last few days have been hard, my body has not been cooperating during most of the work outs. I have been aiming for 15 hours of training per week during November, December and January, but I'm gonna adjust that some, or at least change some of the workouts to be more endurance and less strength. I was kind of hoping to be able to have a periode of very intense strength training now, to be able to pull hard this ice climbing season. This includes at least 5 sessions of strength training per week, but after a few weeks now I feel that I cannot recover / restitute enough, and I have actually lost weight during the last week (not a good thing). I will eat more and adjust the training some and see if it helps. Personally I don't think cutting down on training hours is a good thing in the long run, especially not when you want your body to get used triathlon or other long distance sports. This recovery issue is exactly what some people use anabolic steroids for (anabolism = building tissue, which is the result of a complicated process of protein synthesis within cells, much like testosterone does I believe). There are also a few side effects to using this drug.
Today I had my second appointment with Erik Mowinckel for treating my shin splint problems, which makes me unable to run longer distances. The treatment is not a pleasant experience but it is definitely worth it and if you have shin splint problems I strongly advice you to ask your physio therapist for help. Also, after advice from my friend Per Källfelt, I have started reading up on different running techniques and minimalistic running shoes, which I'm now convinced will be a long term solution. More on this in future posts.
This video illustrates parts of the treatment that Mowinckel put me through today :)
Where is winter?
One of my favorite sports are Nordic skiing, a sport I actually do pretty well for a change. I'm really looking forward to hit the ski tracks this winter, but where is winter?! Yesterday the frustration over the lack of snow and cold weather became unbearable so me and my sons decided to have a ski prep session, which almost feels like skiing.. in a way.. There was a time when had the same feeling about ice climbing, i.e. I prepared all my gear, filed my picks, sorted screws and even read climbing mags, to get siked for winter. Not anymore though (speaking of which, I think I have to get new climbing boots for this winter..).
Siked for winter, yeah!
Last few days have been hard, my body has not been cooperating during most of the work outs. I have been aiming for 15 hours of training per week during November, December and January, but I'm gonna adjust that some, or at least change some of the workouts to be more endurance and less strength. I was kind of hoping to be able to have a periode of very intense strength training now, to be able to pull hard this ice climbing season. This includes at least 5 sessions of strength training per week, but after a few weeks now I feel that I cannot recover / restitute enough, and I have actually lost weight during the last week (not a good thing). I will eat more and adjust the training some and see if it helps. Personally I don't think cutting down on training hours is a good thing in the long run, especially not when you want your body to get used triathlon or other long distance sports. This recovery issue is exactly what some people use anabolic steroids for (anabolism = building tissue, which is the result of a complicated process of protein synthesis within cells, much like testosterone does I believe). There are also a few side effects to using this drug.
Today I had my second appointment with Erik Mowinckel for treating my shin splint problems, which makes me unable to run longer distances. The treatment is not a pleasant experience but it is definitely worth it and if you have shin splint problems I strongly advice you to ask your physio therapist for help. Also, after advice from my friend Per Källfelt, I have started reading up on different running techniques and minimalistic running shoes, which I'm now convinced will be a long term solution. More on this in future posts.
This video illustrates parts of the treatment that Mowinckel put me through today :)
Where is winter?
One of my favorite sports are Nordic skiing, a sport I actually do pretty well for a change. I'm really looking forward to hit the ski tracks this winter, but where is winter?! Yesterday the frustration over the lack of snow and cold weather became unbearable so me and my sons decided to have a ski prep session, which almost feels like skiing.. in a way.. There was a time when had the same feeling about ice climbing, i.e. I prepared all my gear, filed my picks, sorted screws and even read climbing mags, to get siked for winter. Not anymore though (speaking of which, I think I have to get new climbing boots for this winter..).
Siked for winter, yeah!
Output from a few days training, click the image to get to connect.garmin.com.
2011-11-23 21:09:06
The fight against mediocrity
Rough day today. Did some swimming, but only half of what I had planned, due to weird feeling in my shoulders. I also had problems getting my heart rate up when swimming laps today, actually my heart rythm has felt strange all day, so I cut down on the swimming today. Right after swimming I joined a Corebar class, an hour of fun training. I used a 3 kg bar today but I think I'm going to order a 5 kg or something, just to get more weight on my arms and shoulders during the exercises. It should definitely be possible to use a Corebar for doing power-sessions if you use a heavy bar. I going to take some pics or even video of a Corebar class eventually, but not everyone is happy to be taken pics of while working out, which I totally understand. However, today was able to catch our instructor Anita holding a Corebar, so if you haven't seen one before, this is what it looks like.
Anita AKA "Corebar boss"
Nutrition
I have changed my eating habits slightly, now trying to be more specific in terms of when I eat. I'm not doing it because of any sports scientific reasons or whatever, just because I'm struggling getting enough food, especially food for restitution. Here is a picture of yesterday's breakfast. It's funny, to be able to eat more I end up eating stuff I don't necessarily like that much. Extreme times call for extreme measures, yeah!
Raw eggs, orange juice, banana, kiwi, protein shake, a bunch of vitamins.. and of course an espresso
Rough day today. Did some swimming, but only half of what I had planned, due to weird feeling in my shoulders. I also had problems getting my heart rate up when swimming laps today, actually my heart rythm has felt strange all day, so I cut down on the swimming today. Right after swimming I joined a Corebar class, an hour of fun training. I used a 3 kg bar today but I think I'm going to order a 5 kg or something, just to get more weight on my arms and shoulders during the exercises. It should definitely be possible to use a Corebar for doing power-sessions if you use a heavy bar. I going to take some pics or even video of a Corebar class eventually, but not everyone is happy to be taken pics of while working out, which I totally understand. However, today was able to catch our instructor Anita holding a Corebar, so if you haven't seen one before, this is what it looks like.
Anita AKA "Corebar boss"
Nutrition
I have changed my eating habits slightly, now trying to be more specific in terms of when I eat. I'm not doing it because of any sports scientific reasons or whatever, just because I'm struggling getting enough food, especially food for restitution. Here is a picture of yesterday's breakfast. It's funny, to be able to eat more I end up eating stuff I don't necessarily like that much. Extreme times call for extreme measures, yeah!
Raw eggs, orange juice, banana, kiwi, protein shake, a bunch of vitamins.. and of course an espresso
2011-11-22 21:27:37
Citius, alius, fortius... the struggle continues
Yesterday I did half an hour indoor cycling and running, followed by almost an hour swimming with pads. Every time I swim I learn something, much thanks to friends with a lot experience from swimming and a will to share this experience. Today I was lucky enough to swim next to Flemming, who told me to use more power on each stroke under water. This makes a big difference and it really feels like you are swimming, especially with the pads. I do 25 meter laps, trying to swim fast with as powerful strokes as I can. Doing this my pulse is around 150-160 at the end of the lap. I let it sink to below 130, then do another lap, and so on. Each rest should be no more than 30 seconds. From now on I will try and do 2000 meters each session, no less than that.
Today I had my first physio therapy appointment, to deal with my shin-splint problems. My physio therapist, Erik Mowinckel, is a climber and mountain sports athlete too, and he has a great experience with treating sports related injuries. The needles and the pressure treatment was... interesting, but it's worth the effort to be able to run properly again.
Tomorrow I'm going to spend 45 minutes in the gym and then do my 2000 meters in the pool.
Yesterday I did half an hour indoor cycling and running, followed by almost an hour swimming with pads. Every time I swim I learn something, much thanks to friends with a lot experience from swimming and a will to share this experience. Today I was lucky enough to swim next to Flemming, who told me to use more power on each stroke under water. This makes a big difference and it really feels like you are swimming, especially with the pads. I do 25 meter laps, trying to swim fast with as powerful strokes as I can. Doing this my pulse is around 150-160 at the end of the lap. I let it sink to below 130, then do another lap, and so on. Each rest should be no more than 30 seconds. From now on I will try and do 2000 meters each session, no less than that.
Today I had my first physio therapy appointment, to deal with my shin-splint problems. My physio therapist, Erik Mowinckel, is a climber and mountain sports athlete too, and he has a great experience with treating sports related injuries. The needles and the pressure treatment was... interesting, but it's worth the effort to be able to run properly again.
Tomorrow I'm going to spend 45 minutes in the gym and then do my 2000 meters in the pool.
