Totally Tired

"This is insane. Are you really going to abandon this movie? We're supposed to be a unit!"
"Suck my unit"
--Ben Stiller/ Robert Downey Jr.

Yes, Robert Downey Jr. is playing a black guy

So I am kinda tired right now. I have been sleeping really early the past couple weeks. The odd part is that I wake up really late as well. You figure I'd be up at like 6 or 7 if I went to bed at 10. I'm rockin some sleep until 10-10:30. Maybe I am not getting enough deep sleep. The sleep that actually counts.


On the bright side, I qualified for Mens Raw Nationals in Power-lifting recently. I think I actually have a shot in placing in my weight class too. Who'da thunk it right?

I actually get to have Mark Rippetoe coach me at the meet. He is the strength coach I follow and he will be coaching me, alongside with him will also be my best friend Justin.

Gonna be a killer meet.

Training Kids

"I just use my muscles as a conversation piece, like someone walking a cheetah down 42nd Street."
--Arnold Schwarzenegger

There is one fundamental problem with training young people. It can determine whether they succeed or fail before they even start.

Will.

If someone doesn't have the will or desire to do something then it will never be done. This is especially true in high schoolers. At this time their hormones are flowing like the salmon of Capistrano. They want to have fun, rebel, and do really really stupid things. I was one just a few years ago and I can recollect and provide examples of all of those.

Fortunately for me I had an interest in working out early on. My dad was a power-lifter and had a stint in bodybuilding as well. He had an influence on me early on and I was hooked since then.

I wanted to be like him when I was a kid so I worked my butt off.

If a young adult has the desire to work hard and is ready for a barbell program, then and only then should they enter the dragon. If you force a kid into something like this and they don't want to, they will hate it forever.

That's why I think high school should have weight training as a class, but as a SERIOUS class.

Not something to sit in there and fart around. Most of the time trying to not look like an idiot in front of the older blond girl you had a big crush on. All while she thinks you're cute but the older guys rip on you causing you to trip and fall in the middle of class. . . Just saying. Totally didn't happen to me or anything.


Me in High School, what an ass

The Hows

"Vincent Van Gogh . . . VAN GO!!!"
-- Shotgun Harley

The basic program for the kids would be a program from Mark Rippetoe's: Starting Strength. With some slight modifications, if not the exact program.

It consists of three training days a week. Placed on alternate days. (Ex. MWF or TTRS) with the days in between being rest days.

A:
Squat 3x5
Press 3x5
Deadlift 5x1

B:
Squat 3x5
Bench 3x5
Pull-ups/Back Extensions

The days would go A-B-A, then the following week would be B-A-B. This is just a general look at the program. It can be altered very easily, but for the most part it would remain constant.

You may think that this might be too much for a high school youngin to handle. It's not. Teenagers are much like mutants. They have the ability to recover very quickly to just about any stress applied to them. That is if they eat and sleep along with the program.

As the students start and maintain this program, until change is necessary as deemed by a coach, they will grow and become much stronger. The addition of strength will be followed closely by the addition of lean body mass.

Now I am not saying every single student needs to be on this exact program, but considering strength is the foundation for any athletic endeavor barbell training will only help.

Here is a video of Colton. He is a high school athlete who trains in Wichita Falls. Since this video he has gained another 30 pounds I believe.



You can find this video off of 70sbig.com

The website is a great resource for strength training.