405 Dead Lift

So yesterday I posted a short video on Facebook of me hitting the Dead-Lift for 405 pounds.

If you missed it, here it is again.

Not the most perfect form but I am very happy to have my Dead-Lift back up to over 400 after last Summer's Back Injury.

Although this isn't the heaviest weight I have managed to lift in my years of training, this was certainly a huge mile-stone for me as its the first time I have been able to break 400 since my set back last Summer when I re-injured my lower back, this time causing major sciatica pain.

For those of you who don't know, I have degenerate disc disease and that has caused me several back issues over the years.  It's something I have dealt with since my last year of service in the military and an issue I must be continuously aware of.

Last year I re-committed to my goal of becoming Stronger in the gym.  Over the past few years, my focus has been on more of a body-building approach with my fitness routine and not so much about how much weight I could Bench, Squat or Dead-Lift.

Now, those of you who know me know that I am very aggressive and usually have to learn lessons through experiences.  I hardly ever use a methodical approach or think things through.  I typically go by my gut, instincts and excitement and most of the time it works for me but there are those times life has to tell me to stop and re-evaluate my choices.

Last Summer my body made that decision for me as I was making a couple of mistakes in my training program.  It stopped me by causing severe back pain and my entire left side went numb.  My left leg was useless and I had no control of my foot flopping to the floor as I walked.  I had times when I would stumble and fall just walking.  I had never experienced this kind of pain before and I if I told you I wasn't scared, I'd be lying to you.

I immediately scheduled an appointment with my Chiropractor who re-assured me that I was out of place and that he could take care of this issue without me needing to worry.  It took several months for me to be able to get back in the gym again and start from scratch.

To this day I still have the slightest numbness in my left big toe.

I contribute this re-injury to these Big 3 Mistakes I was making.

Mistake #1 - Not focusing enough on Mobility and Balance in my routine.

My entire training was so focused on Strength that I neglected the simple things, such as stretching and recovery.  I pushed hard every workout and I was feeling great every day with my training.  However, what I didn't realize was that I was causing my body to work with major imbalances, eventually to the point where it couldn't take anymore.

Mistake #2 - Trying to Advance in Strength Every Single Training Session.

My obsession with lifting more and more weight each and every week had me adding weight to the Barbell every single session.  If I could do more than 5 reps, I HAD to take the weight up.  Now, I WAS Squatting, Benching and Dead-Lifting this weight with correct form, technique and range of motion but just because you CAN, doesn't always mean you should!

Mistake #3 -  My Grip Truly was WRONG!

When it came to the Dead-Lift I have since figured out that my grip was causing the biggest imbalance in my back.  As I was lifting heavy, I would always use an overhand / underhand grip.  This of course is one of the strongest grips you can take on the bar but here was the problem - my left hand was ALWAYS underhand while my right was ALWAYS overhand.

This past January I re-evaluated what was important to me and even though my focus is still on Strength and Performance, I decided these goals weren't as important as staying injury and pain free.  I decided I wanted to add a level of athleticism to my goals as well as learning more about Mobility and Recovery and implying them.  I brought this practice into Mayhem Fitness as well!

Since I have learned from my mistakes here is what I have done to fix them!

#1 - Every workout includes Mobility. 

This can be as simple as foam rolling, trigger point therapy with a lacrosse ball, Yoga, and band work such as pull-aparts and over-unders.  I spend just as much time focusing on Mobility as I do Lifting and it has helped tremendously.

#2 - I Train Smarter

 Every training session and every week doesn't mean I need to try and out lift my previous workout.  I now implement percentages into my training that allows my body to recover but still get in an effective workout.  I typically train heavy for 3-4 weeks and use a de-load week but even more often than that strategy I listen to my body and train hard on the days I am really feeling it and take it a little easier on the days I need to.  I'll be honest in saying that this approach seems to produce slower strength gains but I'm staying injury free and that's most important to me today.

#3 - I no longer use the Overhand / Underhand Grip

I decided that since this grip caused my weakness and injury when I was Dead-Lifting that I would no longer use it on a regular basis.  I still sometimes (very very rarely) use it but have stuck to an overhand grip during my training and refuse to use lifting straps.  This has helped my grip strength and makes me work within the limits of my bodies capacities without putting it in awkward positions the way the Overhand / Underhand grip would do.  If I do use the overhand / underhand I make sure I switch hands on every single rep that I perform.  I recently discovered the hook grip where you grab your thumbs along with the bar.  I was using that grip yesterday when I hit 405.

The take home lesson I encourage you today is to truly pay attention to everything you are doing in your fitness and lifting routine.  No how to become in tune with your body and what its capable of instead of always pushing it to the max every time you're in the gym.

Now, its true, you must push yourself to your limits if you expect to break plateaus and find out what you are truly made of just be smart and take care of your body in the process.

And just because I had a set-back, didn't mean it was time to give up on my goals, even if it meant starting all over!

Keep Training Hard and Do Work Maniacs!

MXT Training - September 26, 2014

Hey Fellow Mayhem Maniacs,

It's been quite a while since I've posted on this Blog and for that I apologize.  I have been busy working on a few projects and things have been slamming busy at Mayhem Fitness & Cross Training which hasn't left me a whole lot of time to dedicate here.

But, I'm pleased to say that I'm back and have an incredible story to share with you.

This past Friday at MXT I issued a challenge to my members knowing this would be one for the books.  Here is what it looked like...

We divided up into teams of 2 or 3 and the goal was to complete each exercise for the total amount of reps or laps shown on the board.  Teams of two followed the left column while teams of 3 followed the right.


Each exercise could be performed in any rep count and any order, the Challenge was to complete each exercise to full completion of reps or laps.

You'll notice that some of these exercises have a circled 1 next to them.  For these exercises only 1 teammate could work at a time.  This made for team building, support and encouragement as the other teammate(s) would help drive their fellow Maniac through the Challenge.

All the other exercises teammates could work together at the same time.  You also couldn't work any other exercise until each teammate completed their working set.

After a good warm up, our members had 45 minutes to complete this Challenge.  This one went down as The Toughest Challenge we have ever offered at MXT and while almost everyone near completed the challenge, only 1 team was able to complete the whole thing.

This workout wasn't only a challenge of physical toughness and being able to push past your comfort zone but also staying mentally tough and even using some strategy with your teammate(s) to be able to see it through to the end.

After taking my morning members through this Challenge I decided I needed to step up to the plate and take this one on myself.  I teamed up with Roger and together we grunted, pushed, pulled, and sweated our way through each and every drill.

At the buzzer we fell short of one remaining lap left on the sled push.

I have to tell you, this one about killed me when it came to my cardiovascular endurance.  I have been working so hard on strength that my conditioning has fell to the way side which brings me to my lesson for you today...

Don't allow yourself to become complacent in your training routine.  When you find yourself staying away from certain exercises or training drills, recognize it and then step up to it.

Don't allow yourself to become weak in any area.  Remember, a balanced training regimen is one that consists of Advancement in Muscular Strength, Muscular Endurance, Cardiovascular Health / Performance / Endurance, Flexibility and Balance.

Train Hard and Train Smart but Most Importantly, Train Your Weak Areas!  That's where you will break through barriers and See Results!

Unleash The Mayhem!

Here is the Video from Friday's workout...

MXT Training Clips 27JUN14

HEY NOW!

As promised yesterday here is the last training clip compilation of our Maniacs for the month of June.  

I'm pretty sure you can see how Transformation happens in each of these Champions lives as they hold nothing back during their training.

If you missed yesterday's post and aren't sure what I mean by Transformation, be sure to catch up on that read right now by clicking here!

After you have read that post, check out the Transformation in progress here...



Keep rocking it Maniacs!

Get Work Done!

June Highlights

Well, June is almost over... can you believe it?

Here at MXT it wasn't just the Summer weather that brought on the heat this month, our members at Mayhem Fitness & Cross Training really rocked it out with their hard training.

In case you missed any of it, here are some clips from this months training and special events, including the Tough Mudder and Open Gym where Lori got to practice her coaching skills.

June was truly a month that the Mayhem was UNLEASHED!

Check it out all the action and Fun times here!



Oops!  I thought I had included more clips of the Tough Mudder in here - ah well, you can see all the action from that day by clicking here!

Stay Strong, Dedicated and Focused Maniacs and...

Get Work Done!

5 KILLER Upper Body Exercises For a KILLER Summer Body

WOW!  Does the weekend move fast sometimes or what?  Here it is  Monday morning already and I am pumped up and excited to do work.

This past week I received an email from one of our Mayhem Maniacs who wanted some ideas on some great upper body strength training exercises that they could do from home.

With that said I wanted to give you some great tips to get your week off to a great start!

Here are my TOP 5 Killer Exercises for a Killer Summer Body!

1. Rope Climb / Pull-ups / Inverted Rows - Ok, I know Pull-ups aren’t doable yet for everyone so I have some different progressions until you can get your feet off the ground and body up to new heights.  Lets start with the lessor of these 3 exercises (although still very challenging) The Inverted Row.  You can use the Kitchen table or throw a strong rope around a low hanging branch of a tree in your yard.  Perform this exercise by getting up under your table and pulling your chest up as seen in the pic below.  From here you can move into the Assisted Rope Climb.  Essentially the same movement as the inverted row, you’ll start by lying flat on the ground and grasping the rope.  You’ll climb the rope hand over hand until you are almost in a full standing position.  Keeping your feet in contact with the ground at all times reverse the movement by walking hand over hand back down till your laying flat on the ground again.  Both of these exercises are great for beginners who can’t get their first pull-up yet or struggle to climb a rope.  
   
2. Push-ups - These are the most basic of all upper body pressing movements however many times folks get them wrong.  To execute the perfect pushup make sure you keep a tight core.  This means from the base of your neck all the way down to your heels you have one solid, straight line and from your chin all the way to the toes, same thing.  No bowing in the back, no sagging in the stomach.  Keep your elbows slightly back instead of flared out to the sides to protect your shoulders and come all the way down till your triceps (back of the arms), upper back and floor all make one parallel line.  Another tip you can do is place a tennis ball under your chest and come all the way down till your chest hits the ball, then back up to full extension.  Its ok to keep the elbows soft at the top and not lock them out.  I actually prefer this as to not put unnecessary pressure on the elbow joints.  You can hit many different variations of the push-up to keep up the challenge.  Choose from regular, close grip, wide grip, spider crawl, burpee, bear crawl, box, explosive, weighted, etc  - Check out this video of our members hitting different pushup challenges.  
3. Odd Object Throw - This one is as basic as it sounds but a heck of a lot of fun and will build tremendous strength and give you a great metabolic conditioning workout as well (cardio to burn fat!)  Execute this movement by finding any large, heavy object (Big Rocks, Bricks, Concrete Blocks, Weighted Medicine Ball, Sandbag, Even a Dumbbell) pick it up off the ground and heave it as far as you can with a variation of different throws.  Try doing this for time.  2-4 minutes will do the trick here :D
4. Sledge Hammer Chops / Split Wood - Sometimes, the ol’ fashioned household chores growing up were the best workouts I have ever done.  Splitting and sawing wood was definitely one of those winter chores that I never looked forward to because it was HARD WORK!  Dad would do most of the splitting but my brother and I would carry and stack the wood into nice piles to burn later in the wood stove.  If you don’t have firewood to cut, get out a heavy sledgehammer and “chop wood” by hitting it into an old tire.  The heavier the hammer, the better the workout :D
5. Farmer Carry - One of my all time favorite movements that’s pretty much the Ultimate in a Strength and Conditioning exercise.  Not only will you test your entire bodies strength and endurance from your grip, to forearms, biceps, shoulders, traps, upper back, core and even legs but you’ll also be huffing and puffing trying to manage the weight for more distance or time.  Of course once you get good at a certain weight, its time to take it up or increase your distance, time, etc.  Simply grab 2 heavy objects in your hands and start walking.  Keep your body as tall as you can (think tall spine) and try not to drop.  Don’t need anything expensive here, just grab a couple of 5 Gallon buckets and fill them with water or sand.  They’ll get the job done!

So there you go.  5 Great Upper body (and really full body) drills you can do at home with things you already have laying around.

Try these exercises on this week and let me know how you do!

Get Work Done!

TABATA Throw-Down

The Maniac crew is at it again this morning unleashing the Mayhem TABATA style.  This no holds barred approach to high intensity intervals is a sure fire way to blast fat and get a great conditioning workout in 20 minutes or LESS!

Today the crew did 4 different TABATA stations which consists of 20 seconds of all out effort followed by 10 seconds of absolute rest, then repeat for a total of 4 minutes.

If you’d like to try this Routine at home or in your own gym here is what we did:

1. Sprints
2. Flutter Kicks
3. Jump Rope (Jumping Jacks or Quick Box Steps can be used instead)
4. Dying Cockroach

Again, each drill is 4 minutes in length and completed for 8 full rounds.  We took breaks between drills to allow recovery and water before moving onto the next exercise.

Of course, any MXT workout wouldn’t be complete without a great BURN OUT which consisted of various drills and ended with Conveyor Belt Sprints as shown in the video below...

Ok, ok - for you technical folks out there, TABATA dictates that after a 10 minute warm you do a 4 minute workout and then you're done!

The TRUE Tabata protocol is to work at 170% of your VO2Max for 20 seconds (which happens to be the highest amount of oxygen your body can consume and use for energy) followed by the 10 seconds of rest to try and fully recover.  

The only way for us to test whether our members are even close to this is with the use of oxygen and carbon dioxide analyzers as seen here....

Ooops, sorry, wrong image....

Ah YES!  There's the right one!

Where did TABATA come from?

This system was developed and tested by Japanese researcher Dr. Izumi Tabata in 1996.  With the test subjects, just one 4 minute session burned as many calories as a 60 minute jog.

Over a six week period of 4 sessions per week (with a single session of long-duration cardio added in), Tabata was shown to be more effective at improving the bodies aerobic and anaerobic capacity compared to regular moderate-intensity aerobic exercise.

Since its popularity, there are many training facilities and gyms (like us) who have adopted a prototype of this training system used to give members a great challenge and improve their overall quality of life.

So can we truly call it a Tabata workout if we're not following the protocol of 4 minutes at 170% of VO2 Max - 

Not really... But we can say - OH WHAT A HELL OF A WORKOUT!!!

Give it a go and try to keep up, after all, you're only in competition with yourself when you give Tabata everything you've got!

Get Work Done!

FUN With The High Intensity Agility Course

Hey Gang,

Murphy here and real quick I want to give you an awesome idea on how you can Train Hard with your High Intensity Intervals and Have FUN at the same time.

I know, I know, every time I tell my members we're going to have FUN today they look at me like I'm crazy - maybe our ideas of a FUN time are different but I HATE cardio so any way that I can mix it up and not have to go for a long boring run or pedal on a freaking Eliptical Machine is indeed FUN to me!

As you know (or should know) if you want to Burn Fat and Stimulate more muscle and strength, you need to be doing High Intensity work.  This means short burst of all out effort coupled with lower intensity for time or reps.

One way we accomplish this at MXT is with our Agility Course.  It's set up to give you the perfect blend of Speed, Coordination, Balance, Strength, Explosive Power and Agility.

Here's why the Agility Courses works so well.

• Raises your bodies resting metabolic rate - Burn More Fat every hour, every day
• Enhances your neural pathways - helps with overall performance, balance, agility and coordination
• Helps Overall Body Strength - Your muscles will become stronger
• Increases Cardiovascular Endurance - Stronger heart and respiratory system
• It's QUICK - It doesn't take hours of work - a simple 10-20 minute workout is all you need!

As you know, when you train with high intensity you force the body to use more oxygen compared to steady state cardio.  Think Sprints vs a 1 mile run.  How far do you think you'd get if you tried an all out sprint for 1 mile straight?

The agility course does this automatically as you are mixing up fast paced movement such as sprints along with slower performance types of movements, hurdles, tire runs, jumps, etc.  

We never take long runs in the wee hours of the morning with our MXT training group, however it never fails to get feedback from members who enjoy running that they can run longer and faster due to our short HIIT at MXT.  

This is because they have increased their overall cardiovascular endurance and respiratory system much more efficiently than running alone ever will.

One very cool thing about training with obstacles such as an agility course is that you also enhance your neural path ways - meaning you get smarter when you train this way amongst many other benefits such as providing more blood flow and oxygen to the brain.

Think of your mind and body as a giant computer.  It learns new skills.  When you challenge it, it figures out what it needs to do to accomplish the task easier.  

My members often hear me say, "Make that mind and body connection," and I do this for one very specific reason - to enhance their neural path ways and create that focus and awareness of what they're doing at all times.

Think about a child who's first learning to walk.  They first must learn to stand, then balance, then take their first steps.  When starting they'll use something to pull themselves up onto their feet and fall many times but the neural path ways are learning and strengthening through each attempt until finally the child is able to stand on their own, walk and eventually run.

It's the same thing with your training and agility course's will take you from crawling to running, recruiting more muscular tension and explosion which leads into the next benefit - overall strength!

Your muscular skeletal system will definitely reap the benefits of getting stronger through the use of agility training and when you mix in strength training and / or explosive exercises such as pushups, monkey bars, various jumps, etc, you'll only enhance it even more! 

It's easy to see why you would not only get a great cardiovascular workout from agility course training but also muscular strength, endurance, coordination, speed, explosive power and ultimately FAT LOSS!

Check out this video of some of our different agility courses we've done over the years... Are we having FUN or What?!

I'm sure this has given you some creative ideas of how to set up your own agility course but here are some quick tips to help you out.

How to Set Up Your Own Agility Course

• You don't need a lot of equipment - use anything that you can step through, jump over, crawl under, climb over, etc.
• You can get tires for FREE (I picked mine up at the local Harley Davidson Shop - saved them on deposal costs and they are the perfect size for running through)
• Set it up in your backyard or utilize the local playground
• Set a timer and see how many rounds you can do in 1 minute, 2 minutes, 4 minutes, etc.
• Get a group together and have FUN with this one :D

Get Work Done!

MXT Training Clips 4JUN14

Check out the Mayhem Crew Pushing, Pushing, Pushing their way through another tough challenge.  

Today I gave them different Pushup variations to challenge their overall strength, explosive power, balance and even core.

This video shows all the Strength, Sweat, Mis-haps (yep, this happens when you train hard and step up to new challenges) and Mayhem!

The Question Remains...  

Are YOU Ready To Unleash The Mayhem?

Get Work Done!

Katie & Brenda Have Some Extra Fun

So yesterday I posted an article about the DB Swing alternative for Kettle-bell and explained the power output of this exercise as it relates to jumping. If you missed that article you can read it by clicking here.

Brenda and Katie demonstrate here just what power output is - Brenda with a 39" Box Jump and Katie with a nice Vertical Kettle-bell Toss.

And yeah, we were having fun but these girls get Explosive Power Output - Keep on rocking it Champions :D

Brenda's 39" Jump



Katie's Kettle-bell Toss



Getting Work Done with a smile :D

Barbells, PR's and Mayhem - OH MY!

WHAAAAT UP MAYHEM MANIACS!!!

Today was an exceptional day at our training facility Mayhem Fitness & Cross Training.  Our members have been working extremely hard over the past 16 weeks getting stronger, leaner and better in every sense of the word.

Today PROVED that their hard work and dedication leads to Success...

Here is how it all went down.

I was approached at the end of last year by so many members who were wanting to accomplish different strength goals such as hitting their first pull-up and of course, how they can get better results with their fat loss goals.

So I decided to issue a Challenge to those that were willing to accept it - and I'll have to say, most of these Maniacs were up to it so we went to work.

The Challenge, focus on PERFORMANCE in and out of the gym for 16 solid weeks.  Giving absolute dedication to their nutrition, supplementation (as needed) and training in the gym.  

I told them, "The scale is your absolute LAST measurement of success, in fact, I don't want you to worry about it one single bit.  If you put your total attention on getting better every single day in the gym and focus your nutrition around those efforts, your body has no option but to adapt, get stronger, build lean muscle and BURN FAT."

My approach was simple - take their minds OFF OF LOSING WEIGHT and show them something much better and much more rewarding, BUILDING PERFORMANCE... the weight loss (in the form of FAT) would be a by-product of this approach.

The reason I did this is because I feel too often people stress about their weight and try to micro-manage everything, especially women;  I'll add that we train mostly women, in fact they make up the largest percentage of my facility.  When people do this, they tend to question if what they are doing is working and ultimately jump from diet to diet and all kinds of various programs which often lead them to frustration and maybe even quitting altogether.

By giving them something to truly focus on for 16 weeks, with no deviation and a plan of showing success with short bench marks over time, they were able to stay motivated and accountable to what they were doing each and every week in and out of the gym.

Part of this challenge was for our participants to get stronger with Pull-Ups, the Bench Press and Back Barbell Squat.  I chose these 3 exercises because they recruit the most muscle activation, (working every major and minor muscle group in the body), which translates into overall strength and body composition (less fat, more muscle).  And as we know, women tend to want to focus mostly on those stubborn trouble spots; Butt, Thighs, Legs, Triceps and Back Flab - these 3 exercises target all those areas in a big way.

So today, as we start wrapping up this 16 week Challenge, we tested our members with these 3 exercises to show their progress in each one.  We started with their Pull-Ups with 2 attempts.  I allowed them to chose their strongest grip, overhand or underhand (Chin-Ups) and perform as many reps as they could on their own and then again with assistance, a partner holding their feet as they perform as many reps as possible.  Next, we moved onto the Bench Press in which they were given 3 attempts, using the first 2 as warmups and preparing them for their third and final lift for as much weight as they could execute with strict form for a minimum of 3 reps.  We did the same thing for the Barbell Back Squat as we did for the Bench Press.

Not everyone was able to hit their first unassisted Pull-Up yet, however, they all improved with their assisted pull-ups, bench press and squat.  With that said, how many people do you know who get stuck week after week, month after month, year after year with little to no progress in their fitness program?  Maybe that describes you, I don't know but what I do know is that these members truly showed what hard work, dedication and tenacity WILL do.

But don't take my word for it... check out what many of these members posted on Facebook about this extraordinary day.

I want to congratulate each and every member who took on this Challenge and persisted on without exception each and every day for the past 16 weeks.  You Champions should be proud of your accomplishments and I am honored to be your coach... with that said, this is only the beginning :D

Keep rocking it crew and for everyone reading this post - Do Work Each and Every Day, No Excuses! Everything is possible and it's all up to YOU.

Sean "Mayhem" Murphy

I almost forgot, with our new members who weren't able to start this challenge 16 weeks ago we set their bench marks and will look forward to watch their progress and we continue to drive on...

Memorial Day Mayhem Part II

I feel it necessary to give Mad Shouts to all our Mayhem Maniacs who came out this morning and completed the Challenges we had in honor of our fallen Veterans.

You could of been anywhere else this morning but you CHOSE to give your time to the Men and Women who have given us the Ultimate sacrifice so that we may enjoy the Freedoms we sometimes take for granted in this great Nation.

I don't look at it as you came in and did a workout today... No, today you showed your badge of honor written in Red, White and Blue and I am truly Blessed and Honored to Serve such great men and women in our RVA community.

You each had the choice to sleep in or take on The Murph or MXT 500 Rep Challenge.  Some of you chose to do BOTH challenges, ok maybe all 3, however you want to look at it - Just Kidding...

But really, I thank you all for coming in and doing work.  We have MXT family who have served, are currently serving in the Armed Forces today and who are getting ready to start their service in the Military.  

I truly feel that each of you who came in today HONORED ALL of our Veterans and showed them your support and love that words cannot begin to express.

I shot some video of all of you Champions and I would be grateful if you shared this with Pride, not as a way of being boastful - but as a way to show tribute to our Fallen Heroes.

God Bless you and I personally Thank You - Mae De'Bruin, Lori Kanary, Alison Carlton, Christine Jones, Kathryn Knight, Laura Mills, Zachary Midulla, Jen Min, Wendy Cox, Christine Rivas, Laura Cobetto, Roger and Dawn Neher who I might also mention, brought their kids along who also pushed hard!!!



This is Honor of the Brave Men and Women of the United States Armed Forces who gave the Ultimate Sacrifice so that we may live in Freedom.  None of us would be where we are today without the ones who paved the way for us.  Here is to You in Cherished Memories, Love and Honor...

Memorial Day Mayhem Part I

Hey Gang,

Coach Mayhem Murphy here and if you're reading this BEFORE Monday, May 26th 2014 GET EXCITED and GET READY for THE ULTIMATE CHALLENGE!

At Mayhem Fitness & Cross Training we'll be offering 2 different workouts that you can choose from - OR do them BOTH!  Details are in the video below so check it out and truly, get ready to rock it, Red White and Blue Americana Style!

Check out the video right now for full details!




Ok, so what exactly is the Murph Challenge and where did this concept come from?

Originally called the Memorial Day Murph, the Murph Challenge has been supported for several years from participants who decide to take it on in honor of Lt Michael Murphy; the officer-in-charge of a SEAL team in Operation Red Wing.  

Lt Murphy knowingly gave his life during a fire fight for his brothers in combat.  

The movie Lone Survivor portrays his story and we are honored to bring his story to everyone we can at Mayhem Fitness.

You can read all about the Murph Challenge and Lt Michael Murphy by visiting TheMurphChallenge.com

Come on out to Mayhem Fitness & Cross Training THIS Monday, May 26th, 2014 anytime between 7 am and 11 (we'll be closing at 11 am) and we'll help you through the Murph Challenge OR our personal Mayhem Memorial Day Challenge.

Both challenges are OPEN TO EVERYONE, member or not of MXT so invite your friends and family to come out and take on the challenge.

Also, if you have ever served or have a family member who is currently serving, is a veteran or has fallen while serving in our Armed Forces, please know we are forever grateful to ALL of our Men and Women and we will continue to honor them in our hearts and lives to no end.  We would love to hear your story so please, comment below!

Thank you and God Bless... HOOAH!

OH!  I almost forgot - if you have ANY type of military shirt, wear it with PRIDE on Memorial Day - you know I will be :D

Coach Sean "Mayhem" Murphy

MXT Training Clips - 21MAY14

Speed / Agility / Strength / Mobility / That was the name of the Game today at Mayhem Fitness & Cross Training.

Watch how these Maniacs conquered another challenging day at MXT!

Are You Ready to Unleash The Mayhem?

FREE Workout YOU Can Do Today!

So hey there Mayhem Maniacs and welcome to TBT - NOPE, Its not what you're thinking...

I'm talking about a Total Body Thrashin' workout because I have a special FREE gift for you...

And best part is, you don't have to wait for it, download it, give me anything, its totally FREE!

Keep reading and then utilize this FREE gift RIGHT NOW for a great workout that will challenge everything.  

My FREE Gift to YOU! - A full body strength and conditioning workout guaranteed to get your heart pumping, the sweat pouring and your fat melting off your body.

Don't come into this one thinking you'll just breeze through it, this is about taking your training to the maximum level you can handle.

After a good warm up set your timer for 20 Minutes and try to complete as many as rounds as you can of this routine.  You'll need some tools for this workout and at least one training partner, although its much more fun with a group doing this all together!

Here is how to set up -

EQUIPMENT NEEDED:

Pull-Up Bar (Or surface to perform Inverted Rows)
Sandbag - Preferably 50 pounds or heavier
Heavy Tire - You can also use a Boxing Heavy Bag - 100 pounds or heavier
Sled - Optional if you don't have a training partner
Clock Timer
Cones to mark out 50 Feet
Training Partner

SET UP:

Mark out a distance of 50 Feet with the cones.  This is where you will perform many of the different exercises in this routine.

Make sure your tire and sandbag are easily available and that you have a clear path to work with.

Set the Timer for 20 Minutes and Complete as many rounds of this routine as you can within that time frame.

Start with Pull-Ups - Complete as many reps as you can without stopping.  For the beginner this may be a big challenge.  You can do partner assisted pull-ups or inverted rows as a replacement.  With assisted pull-ups, get a minimum of 5-10 reps.

From there you will move onto the Wheel Barrel.  This is a teammate drill in which one person will assume the pushup position and lock their heels onto their partners hips.  Make sure you squeeze your heels into your partner as tight as you can.  This will help stabilize your core.  Once in position, your partner can hold onto your shins as you walk one hand front of the other.  Complete 50 Feet and then switch places with your teammate.  If you don't have a teammate, utilize the Bear Crawl instead.

Once you both complete this drill continue to Fireman Drag.

The Fireman Drag - Approach your teammate from behind and hook your arms up under their armpits.  Lock your hands in front of their chest so you have a tight upright locked in position with your arms.  Drag your teammate by walking backwards for 50 feet.  Switch places with your partner and have them perform this drill by dragging you.  Its very important that the teammate who is being dragged keeps a tight core and doesn't allow their body to slouch.  If you're unable to drag your teammate, they may assist by walking but making sure you do most of the work.  If you don't have a teammate, a Sled can be used instead.

Once you have both completed the Fireman Drag proceed to Pushups knocking out as many reps as you can.  For the beginner, try to get at least 10 reps.

After both you and your teammate(s) finish your pushups, do Walking Lunges for 50 feet.  From there, grab your Sandbag and Sprint for at least 300 feet.  If you have hills or stairs, even better.

Pass on the sandbag to your teammate once you complete your round and have them complete theirs.

Once your team as completed one round of the sandbag sprint, its time to finish with the Tire Flip.

Take turns with your teammate(s) flipping the tire one flip at a time till you all hit 5 flips.

Repeat this entire workout until the 20 minute time limit has been reached.  See how many rounds you and your teammate(s) can complete.

Not only is this workout a ton of FUN but its very effective for building Strength and Endurance; PLUS its a great team building drill.

Want even more of a challenge?  Once you complete this for as many rounds as you can in 20 minutes, finish with one last round as quickly as you can!

Here is the workout all laid out...

Pushups - 10 Reps Minimum / Sub Max Failure
Wheel Barrel - 50 Feet / 1 Lap (Bear Crawl Optional)
Fireman Drag - 50 Feet / 1 Lap (Sled Reverse Drag Optional)
Pushups - 10 Reps Minimum / Sub Max Failure
Walking Lunge - 50 Feet
SandBag Sprint - 300 Feet (Utilize Hills or Stairs if you can)
Tire Flip - 5 Reps
Repeat from the top

Have Fun with this one gang!

Watch our Mayhem Maniacs Doing this whole workout Right Here and then go out and perform this one yourself!  You'll thank and hate me all at the same time :D



Yeaaahhhhhh Man!!!

GET WORK DONE!

Sean "Mayhem" Murphy

MXT Training 7MAY14

Mayhem crew is getting it done today with Explosive Speed and Conditioning Training followed by mobility and recovery.

Check out some of their training here...



Get Work Done!

300 Pound Reverse Sled Drag

The Mayhem Crew gets it done today by finishing their lower body training with this 300 Pound Reverse Sled Drag for 50 Feet. 

Check out the excitement, hard work and FUN these Maniacs unleashed during training today!

 

Benefits of the Reverse Sled Drag

After watching this video you may be curious as to the benefits (or why the hell would anyone do this) of this exercise.

The Reverse Sled Drag can be and SHOULD be used for a variety of reasons no matter what your specific fitness goals are.

This is a great Strength and Conditioning exercise that specifically targets the Glutes, Hamstrings and Calves but also Grip Strength which means stronger arms, shoulders, back and core. Not only does it provide great strength and overall power of the entire body but it also cranks up the cardio.  I'll get back to that later.

Think of the Reverse Sled Drag as a complete posterior chain exercise that can be done with literally anything heavy!

Don't Have a Sled?

If you don't have an old snow sled or don't want to purchase a commercial sled you do have options. You can tie a rope to an old tire, log, even your car or truck (just have someone ready to hit the brakes) and pull it for distance.  Outdoor terrain such as grass, sand or mud can take this exercise to another challenging level.  Are you prepared for uphill sled drags?

How To Perform the Reverse Sled Drag

Basically its as simple as it sounds - Grab the rope tied to the object your pulling and start dragging!  Ok, there is a little more to it than that so here is what you want to keep in mind during this drill.

#1 - Grasp the rope with a firm overhand grip.  If using a rope, your thumbs should be pointed toward the Sled.  This will keep help keep your wrists straight and improve your grip strength.

#2 - Pull all the slack out of the rope before starting the Sled.  If you are a beginner to this exercise, you don't want to start the Sled with a jerking motion of your arms, shoulders, lower back, etc.  See my Advanced Training tips at the end of this article if you're more experienced in your training.  By starting strict you'll protect yourself from injury that can be caused by trying to use momentum building jerking with this exercise.

#3 - Keeping your arms straight, shoulders down (no shrugging), upper body as tight as possible and core engaged (no slouching of the abs, or bending at the hips or of the lower back) step one foot behind the other as you move the Sled for the distance or time desired.  Try to take as big steps backwards as you can, this promotes more muscle activation and drive through your heels.  Act as if your pushing the floor towards the sled as you step back.

#4 - Make sure you move in one straight line, keeping a tight posture.  If you find yourself drifting more to the left or right you have an imbalance of strength, balance or both that needs to be addressed.

#5 - Repeat for desired training goals.

Reverse Sled Drag for Desired Training Goals

As you can probably tell already, this exercise is a simple yet very effective training drill that can be applied to any fitness goal you may have.  Whether you're looking for more strength in your squats, a more explosive and faster sprint or simply a firmer and tight backside, this exercise will deliver, however its important to use it correctly for the desired effect you want.

Reverse Sled Drag For Strength

If you're looking to add serious strength to your posterior chain you have a variety of options to choose from, however the Sled drag requires minimum instruction and little to no risk in your training that offers BIG results.

Start with a distance of 50 feet.  If you have less space then this, thats A-Ok, just work with what you have available.

Load up the Sled with a weight thats challenging but manageable for you to complete the distance without stopping or breaking form.

If you find yourself taking very small steps and barely moving the weight, or stopping several times, lighten the load.  If however, you feel like you can practically jog or damn near run with the weight, add more.  Over time, you will see your strength improve as you're able to move more weight within the same distance without stopping and resting.

Repeat this drill as prescribed:

Beginner - 1 - 2 Rounds (50 - 100 Feet total)

Intermediate - 2 - 3 Rounds (100 - 150 Feet total)

Advanced - 4 - 6 Rounds (200 - 300 Feet total)

Reverse Sled Drag for Explosive Speed

Start with a distance of 50 feet.  If you have less space than this, that's A-OK, just work with what you have available.

Load the Sled up with a weight thats challenging but manageable for you to complete the distance for time without stopping or breaking form.

Have someone time you with a stop watch as you complete the distance as fast as you can.

You should move the weight quickly at a fast paced sprint backwards.

Rest for 30 - 45 seconds and repeat.  Try to beat or come across the finish line within the same time.

If you fall short of your first time trial you are done for the day.  Start with the same weight the next training session and try to beat or match your previous time.

When you are able to complete or beat your time 3 rounds in a row, increase the weight of the Sled and repeat this same training format.

Training Tips: 

• Use a harness vest or belt to keep your arms and hands free for this drill.  
• Make sure you are conditioned to Run Backwards before attempting to run with a weighted Sled backwards!
• You can also have a partner hold you with resistance bands instead of using a sled

Reverse Sled Drag for Fat Loss, Tight Glutes and Sculpted Legs!

Hey ladies, looking for tighter glutes and sexier legs? - Add the Sled!  It should come as no surprise that doing this drill will have you looking and feeling amazing in your tight blue jeans or Summer dress!

Now, forget going light here.  For serious results keep the sleds weight challenging that you can move with correct form for distance or time.

Follow a mixed protocol of the Strength and Speed listed above using the Sled 2 - 3 times per week.  Alternate your training days of working with the heavier Sled for Strength one day and then lightening the load for more speed the next time.

Looking for Cardio?

Hit the Sled, no matter if you go heavy or lighter, this drill will be sure to get your heart pumping!

Advanced Training Techniques: (WARNING! Only use these options once you've been training with the Sled for a while and are comfortable adding these)

• Reverse Sled High Pull / Drag - Using a combination of Upper Body and lower body in an explosive manner, start the sled by bending at your hips and pulling the sled towards you with your arms and legs.  Without stopping, run backwards till the slack is almost completely out of the rope - and repeat for distance, reps or time.
• Reverse Walking Lunge with Sled Drag - Start with the rope slack pulled out tight and step back with your right leg until both knees are at 90 degrees and your front thigh is parallel with the floor.  Push through your front left heel as you stand up tall, pulling the sled with your leg (not arms!!!) and step back immediately back with your left foot bringing both knees to 90 degrees once again.  Repeat this for time, reps or distance.
• Reverse Jump with Sled Drag - Start with the rope slack pulled tight.  Squat down about 3/4 of the way down and explode backwards into a jump pulling the Sled with your momentum.  Repeat for reps, distance or time.
• Reverse Squat Jump with Sled Drag - Start with the rope slack pulled tight.  Move into a full Squat down.  With an explosive movement, jump backwards as you come back up from the bottom of the squat to the 3/4 position pulling the Sled with your momentum.

As you can see, the Sled is a very versatile and useful training tool that can help you develop Speed, Strength, Cardiovascular performance, Burn Fat and help you look and feel your very best!  Play around with the Sled and I'm sure you'll come up with all kinds of Fun and New ways to challenge yourself!

Of course, we haven't even talked about what you can do with the Sled when pulling it from behind you!!

Get Work Done!

Sean "Mayhem" Murphy

Want Results?

Then you better get comfortable being uncomfortable...

I explain it all here.

Now check out how our members at Mayhem Fitness Unleashed the Fury with Friday's Full Body Training session.  Yeaaaaahhhhhhh MAN!

MXT Training Clips 15APR14

The 7 AM Mayhem Crew gets their work done with todays High Explosive Cardio and Strength Training and Conditioning. 

These Maniacs know what it means to being Agile, Mobile and Hostile! Yeeeeaaaaaahhhhhh Buddyyyyyyyyyy!!!

Training Clips 10APR14

Clips of our 9:30 AM Mayhem Crew Getting Work Done!

MXT Training Clips 9APR14

The Mayhem crew really brought it today blasting through a Full Body Strength and Conditioning workout for 30 Minutes straight. 

 Each station consisted of 6 minute rounds and these Maniacs were challenged with Pull-ups, Push-ups, Tire Flips, Battle Chains, Sprints, Farmer Carries and much much more. 

 Check out the training clips here and then ask yourself - 

"Am I Ready to UNLEASH the Mayhem?"