When it comes to the content within this post, it’s safe to say I learnt the hard way! I have always been a “fast twitch” athlete, from long jump to playing on the wing in Rugby. Everything I have done has always been focused on being fast, powerful and dynamic. Because of this, I have picked up new skills in the gym pretty quickly. Whether it be explosive olympic lifting, or throwing myself around for muscle ups. However, trying to simply hold stuff humbled me quickly, very quickly. As a result I totally changed how I approached my training.
“Just hold it above your head”
So what was so hard? The test itself is actually pretty simple.
- Establish your 1RM Shoulder Press (Barbell)
- Now try and hold the same weight above your head for 2 minutes.
- You have a 4 minute window in which to accumulate the 2 minutes.
After roughly 30 seconds I was shaking like a Mariachis Maraca. The first time I tried this I couldn’t even complete 2 minutes within the time frame!! I had drop all the way to 70% and that still took me 3+ minutes!!
At Least it Was Only One Thing..
This failure to complete a task opened up a whole can of worms! I discovered I have a massive inability to support my own bodyweight, let alone an external object. Whilst any gymnastics that required lots of hip drive cam easily, anything without movement killed me. I literally couldn’t even hang from a bar for 60 seconds!
Overcoming Adversity
I am still in the process of being able to hold my frame for a sustained period! The external objects are getting easier but I still have a long way to go. One way I have started to improve my results is by implementing lots of strongman style work into my program. Low skill, high effort.
- Hold Stuff
- Carry stuff
- Carry stuff in 1 hand
- hold stuff for a really long time
- hold things that are unstable
Personal Training in Twickenham, London means I come into contact with numerous clients. Everyone is different, with varying strengths and weaknesses. As part of our Expert Personal Training service, we will look to uncover your imbalances, in order to provide the right workout for you!