Excerpts From the Newsletter by Rickey Dale Crain
Excerpts From the Newsletter
by Rickey Dale Crain
The following text has been reprinted, with permission, from Rickey Dale Crain's news letters. To recieve Rickey's news letter, which is published weekly, email him.
I want to say a few things more about warm-up sets. Most people pretty
much ignore them, or start too heavy with them, or do not do enough of them. An empty bar is just as important
as the sets with max weights. In warming up, start with the bar, work on form, technique, and speed, loosening
up gradually. Do a few light warm-up sets, this is to get the feel of the bar, how many times do you see a high
school kid who only benches 185 start right in with 135 LB on his first warm-up set? Then 5 years later he still
benches 185? .
Speed and form is accomplished with little or no weight, so your body gets
into the groove of what to do when it gets to the heavy or heavier stuff. We are not trying to impress anyone but
ourselves. Do it right and do it once!
As I wander through all of the different weightlifting, powerlifting, and
strength training forums, one item seems to prevail. The non-existence of a well thought out plan of attack on
achieving the goals one has a desire for. But then, it may be because there are no specific goals that have been
set forth.
First one has to define the goals, gain weight, lose weight, gain strength,
gain mass. Are you training for a specific sport? Maintaining weight?
After you decide what your goals are, find through searching books, searching
the forums, searching the magazines, searching the Internet, and searching everywhere you can possibly think, would
be what you need to achieve that goal. Now the hardest part is yet to come, be patient with the routine, be patient
...be patient...stick with it for at least 6 months. And follow it exactly! When you start interjecting your own
ideas, Your buddy’s ideas, and everyone else's ideas, you take away from the goal and research done by the person
who wrote it. To get the desired results give it a chance, exactly as it was intended to be done, if you change
it, you are in effect making it your ideas, and maybe that is why you are not making the gains or reaching the
goals you have longed after. Persistence, patience, and dedication to a conformity of exactness, is what accomplishes
the end results...go get'em... Combining two workouts/routines does not make it twice as good; it might even make
it twice as bad.
In training for beginners one must use a little common sense. The main
exercises, the squat, the bench press, and the deadlift, are good basics to start anyone on. Simply because
they work more muscle groups than about any other 3 lifts. They stimulate
muscle growth and help to burn bodyfat easier than any other exercises. It is amazing
to see a beginner walk in the gym, pick up a 10-LB dumbell, and start doing curls.
I am not sure why or what they think that will accomplish. I gently (well sometimes gently) steer them towards
the bench or toward the squat rack. They may not like it but I gently (well sometimes gently) point out that they
joined to get results and this was the best way to do it. Keep this in mind as you train younger kids and older
adults, as well as any first timers, low weight, higher reps, work on form, and explain why they are doing what
they are doing. Doing the afore mentioned will help teach them to start to learn about writing up their own routines.
The studs you can take under wing and make them workout with you and make them so sore they will listen better
the next time. It is always fun to watch a 20 year old hot dog the day after doing 5 sets of 5 in the squats...walking
like he has had ??????? ....well you get the point!
I would like to make a comment on lifting (squat) shoes (will talk another time on the footwear for deadlifters and bench pressing). Every sport (and I mean every sport) has a little different requirement for footwear, that is why we have specialty shoes available to all athletes of every persuasion. In powerlifting the main concerns are ankle support, traction (no slippage) and lightness (with strength you should not feel like your feet are stuck in mud when walking with the weight). I have sold, at one time or the other just about every weightlifting shoe that has been available over the past 20 plus years. There seemed to be a deficiency in all of them of some type or the other. All were either developed for olympic lifting, or field olympic events or were converted shoes from another sport. So we at CRAIN'S decided to start from scratch and develop one of our own squat shoes. (And yes we make it in America). Using the above criteria as well as others plus input from hundreds of lifters we designed what we considered to be the ultimate squat shoe. After the first year or two of production we even made a few changes based on the consumer card we put in with the shoes. We listened to what the lifter had to say and responded. First a shoe must be light, 2-3 lb. per pair (unless it is a size 15, which we stock). We use a pigskin inner lining for comfort and a cowhide outer for the stiffness, but kept it light and maneuverable. You will not feel like you are walking through mud when setting up for a heavy squat. Why in the world would you wear a heavy pair of 5-LB combat boots and take the chance of stumbling with 500-600-700 or more on your back? Very foolish indeed. There are two Velcro straps, one around the ankle to tighten up so your ankle will be kept as vertical as possible and the one on the instep so your foot will not slip in the shoe. We recommend the straps and not the shoestrings be used for the tightness aspect. I personally loosen up the straps after each lift, like you do a pair of wrist wraps, then cinch them back up for the big ones. It is in a wrap around design, like a wrestling shoe, which is the best design to keep the foot still and able to move about. Many or most people nowadays tend to wear street shoes and/or tennis shoes that are a size too big. That seems to be the style. When they first put on the power (squat) shoe it may seem uncomfortable because they have not been wearing a shoe that actually fits their foot. The all leather shoe will gradually conform to your foot and you will become used to the tightness (I actually wear it so tight as to the point of being uncomfortable), just as you do the power suit or power wraps when you first put them on. Remember tightness is the name of the game. The tighter you are and/or feel the better you will lift. After studying all the heels of the many different shoes, and looking at different styles of squatting we believe a heel of 3/4" is the ideal height for the shoe. It will increase your leverage to the point of adding 10-20 lb. over and above a shoe with no heel. And it looks sharp (good) also. A perfect shoe with a perfect design. We have even had Olympic lifters, shot putters and discus throwers who like it and use it for their sport. Anyway, another product to enhance the safety of your lifting and to enhance the strength aspect for a bigger squat.
Let us look at and analyze sticking points. Most people believe or tend
to think sticking points are bad (but they are not if they are at the right spot) and they believe wherever the
weight tends to stop, that is the sticking point and that if they work that spot "they shall overcome".
This is a fallacy also, so now that you think I am crazy or such, let me logically prove my point.
Let us take an example of the bench press. Someone pushes it to within 2-4
inches from the top, now almost all of us would say, "oh he needs tricep work, because the bar stopped at
the top and that is where the tricep starts/stops". Sometimes this would be true if the bar off the chest
is very slow, grinding its way slowly up and then stopping. But in most cases one explodes off the chest and pushes,
gradually slowing till he almost reaches the top and then stops. The speed of the bar in the bench press is responsible
for how far he ends up (as well as a bench shirt if he has one on). To simplify the argument let us state for example
that in the bench, the pecs are used first at the bottom. Then the deltoids kick in. Then the triceps, depending
on where your hand placement is, The height of your chest (i.e. the distance the bar travels).
These will dictate as to when each muscle groups kicks in. There are other
things that influence it as well, such as the speed of the bar, the length of the limbs, etc. But to keep it on
a simple level we will use the previous mentioned items.
Ideally you want each muscle group to kick in as late as possible, i.e. your
deltoids would not kick in till you reached half way and the triceps perhaps three fourths of the way up. Now this
is probably not the case but it would be ideal. As you blow the bench off your chest for previously mentioned reasons
we feel the delts kicking in, then the triceps. If you stall out toward the top, in actuality most likely deltoids
are the weak spot. Because of speed and a bench shirt (if used) the bar is carried into the tricep zone. If you
get the bar close to the top, just after the triceps kick in and it stalls it could be the triceps but most likely
not. The stall out for triceps would be almost at the finish, as the stall out for the pecs would be just a few
inches off the chest. Many people grasp the idea immediately, but many or most do not understand. Using this logic,
go to the muscle group before the stall out zone and do extra work in that area or work on your form in that area,
Ideally the sticking points should be at the bottom of each lift. Squat at
the bottom, bench at the bottom and deadlift on the floor. If all of your muscles have been worked evenly you should
be able to finish anything you start, ideally. Most do not, that is why we go back to each sticking point and work
those areas.
See if this will help each of you to work the right areas that need the most
work in improving your lift.
Abs, abs and more abs! Seems like a 6 pak is the in thing. Which I think
is great! Strong abs equals protection in every walk of life, protection for all those heavy squats and deadlifts.
Protection for the football player...protection for the lower back. Whatever type of ab workout you do....
Always include a couple of times a week some weighted stomach work. Not only to build looks but to build strength...IT
WILL ENHANCE YOUR SQUAT AND DEADLIFT FOR SURE...so remember you cannot do to much for the stomach...and looking
'buff ain't bad either...
Co Q10 and other supplement usage
CoQ10...say what?!?...Coenzyme-Q10...most lifters have no clue as to what
it is i started using it about 15 years ago or so, and it has terrific antioxidant effects. It has shown to be
very promising in helping to increase the lifespan and longevity of ones years on this planet. It helps with cell
growth and offers some protection in muscle injuries and in the healing process. I use 100 mg two times a day and
have had positive results. It also helps with the immune system.
There are many supplements out there that work without going into the latest
fad on the market. Again I reiterate, start with a basic high potency vitamin and mineral supplement, add in extra
vitamin c, and then next on the list should be a protein supplement. Either an amino acid product for those wanting
to lose or maintain their present weight, or a good quality protein powder, like whey or egg-white if you are trying
to gain mass and/or size. You can then go on to creatine and so on. Do not ever quit the first few, and you can
go as far as your pocket book allows.
It is still amazing at the number of athletes who try and train at the level
they do but supplement themselves any better than what their grandmothers do! If you all need some personal advice
please call or e-mail us and we will be more than glad to help.
Remember at a minimum; high potency vitamins and minerals, an extra vitamin
c, and creatine if you are really into it.
People, including athletes, have been using herbs for thousands of years
for recovery, training, and performance enhancement. Safe and effective, they have passed the test of time, and
helped millions of people in prevention, and to maintain and recover their health. As I grow older (but smarter).
I find I need to learn to take care of myself more and more. I have done much studying in the area of herbs and
other alternative supplementation the past 10 years. DR Fred Hatfield and his son have put out an excellent book
on the subject..."nature's sport pharmacy" (call us if you want a copy), but, I wonder, I have noticed
that many of the herbs that I now use are having a positive effect on my immune system, as well as recovery and
prevention of problems. Down the road I hope to reap further rewards in using these products.
Below I will give a quick rundown of what I use and why. I would say by at
least age 30-35 the use of these herbs should be given great consideration by most everyone, especially for athletes,
as they are much harder on the immune and recovery systems of the body, because of their intense training regiment.
...Gingko
biloba...I take 60 mg 2 times a day. I love the story my mother gave me
on gingko biloba. My nephew (her grandson) was causing a bit of a row, she reprimanded him, but he kept it up.
Not wishing to come down on him too hard she thought a bit of humor would correct the problem. So she walked over
to him and said "Brandon, I need to take my gingko biloba now, and when I can remember what you have done
wrong, boy are you going to get it!”
Gingko biloba is the " the memory herb". It is especially good to
fight dementia, a disease of the elderly, and their memory loss due to poor blood circulation in the brain. It
improves the memory and the ability to concentrate, relieves dizziness and anxiety, it also seems to slow down
the progression of Alzheimer’s.
Kava kava or valerian ...both are anti-depressants.
They are used to treat anxiety and nervousness and restlessness, which makes them an excellent choice for getting
that good nights sleep after a tiring workout. Most people may be tired but are still usually hyped/psyched up
after a big one in the gym. this will help that....dosages as needed...
Saw palmetto...it
is used in treatment in different urinary problems in men, and for breast disorders in women. It is also used in
treatment and prevention of prostrate problems and prevention, guys this is important, so for you over 35 age men,
the cost is cheap for the possible results achieved. Take 160 mg twice a day.
Cat’s/devil's claw...reduces pain and increases joint mobility.
Bilberry...anti-inflammatory
and helps reduce cholesterol build up.
Green tea....
One of the most potent anti-oxidants ever discovered.
We stock all of these for my older master lifters and me...give great consideration
in some of these....
Sprints have been a part of power training since the 60's. I have always done them. But the biggest squatter to ever advocate them back in the 70's was 242 lb 800 lb squatter marvin phillips. He used to do 50-yard dashes in his training regiment, a big boy for doing those, but it obviously worked, as he one of the bigger squatters of that time period. Sprints were a part of my training regiment since I was 10 years old, and I have always used them to develop explosive power. Use them 2-3 times a week, but not the day before your squat or deadlift workout. Try 10 plus 40-50 yard dashes or 15-20 20-30 yard dashes. They will increase your explosive power just as well as any other types of plyo movements.
I would like to discuss again the subject of overtraining, and tie it into routines, form, style and technique. Every week I receive numerous requests for routines, and the answer that I usually give, is to go and write your own. Now some may think me mean and callous for that statement. But routines are not that important, or should I say not anywhere as near as important, as the technique one must use in doing and performing the lift. I wish lifters would spend 1/10th the amount of time on form, as they do on routines. And their gains would be much more in line with what they want: i.e. than in worrying about what sets and reps someone is doing.
The Importance of Athletic Nutrition
Exercise without supplementation is suicide; these are the words of Dr.
Joel D. Wallach. And how true they are. EXERCISE WITHOUT COMPLETE AND OPTIMAL SUPPLEMENTATION IS SELF DESTRUCTIVE,
and suicide.
Farmers and ranchers very systematically put in vitamins, minerals and trace
minerals in animal feeds to prevent and cure disease and illnesses. They learned that all working and producing
animals, (all the way from the cow to the racehorse), need additional nutrients above and beyond subsistence and
maintenance levels.
The same goes, and more so with humans. In many studies done we find an increase
in the frequency and severity of sports injuries, behavioral problems, degenerative diseases, and even death in
athletes because of this neglect.
An unsupplemented high-output athlete is more susceptible to emotional, traumatic,
and degenerative diseases than the classic couch potatoe (or is that potato?). Certainly the average weekend athlete
with common sense would not throw their life away by not supplementing with the known 103 essential nutrients each
day (72 minerals, 16 vitamins, 12 essential amino acids and 3 essential fatty acids). Certainly then, the highly
conditioned and trained serious athlete who invests considerable amount of time and money in their training and
fitness programs would not throw their health or lives away by not supplementing.
Yet the majority of people who exercise do not supplement because they have
bought into the medical dogma that if "you eat right, you do not need to supplement, you can get everything
you need from the four food groups". Or if you supplement "it only gives you expensive urine".
Our farm and range soils are so depleted as a result of 100 to 200 years of
intensive farming without appropriate mineral replacement. Why is it they cannot seem to make the connection that
the food on their plate is anemic in nutrients. Two and two still equals four, so be smart as an athlete and supplement.
Not only will it enhance your performance but also it could save your life.
Back to top of page
The Sumo Deadlift
by Rickey Dale Crain
The Deadlift:
"The meet don't start 'til the bar gets on the floor."
-The immortal words of Don Blue, world record holder of the 70's.
The deadlift: just you, the bar and your mind. Even though incredible back strength and psyche is needed, good
technique is a must. There are two types of deadlift styles: the conventional, which most use, and the sumo (both
narrow and wide), which most do incorrectly for the ones that do use it. The deadlift is broken up into three parts
-The pre attempt scenario, i.e. getting ready for the lift
-The set-up, i.e. walking to the bar getting your feet set and gripping the bar
-The attempt/pull
The pre attempt scenario:
A big psyche is necessary and you must have your mind set on the proper technique as you approach the bar. Concentrate
on the form so as not to let the psyche get in the way of the form.
The sumo set-up:
Approach the bar. Take one foot or the other; your choice as to which is most comfortable and depending on whether
you are a wide sumo or a narrow sumo. The shin goes up to the bar, and toes tilted out 45 degrees or even more
in some cases. Shins vertical, and knees slightly bent. Hands should be down inside the legs with the forearms
touching the inside of the thigh if possible. As you push your knees out (like the squat), you bend over slightly,
with arms straight, and grasp the bar half on and half off the knurling. Your arms should be straight vertically
from the shoulders to the bar. This rule will determine exactly where the hands are to be placed. For a very big
lifter with wider shoulders this may be all the way on the knurling. For most, however, half off and half on will
insure the best and shortest pull.
The arms are straight, and the bar lies in the fingers, like it is holding a hook. Thumb should be overlapping
one or two of the first two fingers.
The bar should "not" be squeezed. Rather, it should just lay in the fingers/hand. Only the thumb should
be flexed, or squeezed, not the hands, not the forearm. If this is done incorrectly, most likely, the bar on a
very hard pull will slip out of the hands. Also if the hands are rotated as you grip the bar, it will most likely
slip out as the weight pulls down, and pulls the rotated hands back to a straight up and down position. One does
not have to have a strong grip to hold onto large amounts of weight. I have a very poor grip and grip strength
and have never lost a deadlift, i.e. 716 at 165lbs.
The sumo attempt/pull:
As you are leaning over the bar knees pushed out, you dip the hips slightly to start your pull, short and sweet.
The hips will pull in towards the bar. The head will follow from down to out as you start the pull. You will pull
the slack first out from the plate/bar. Then, the bend in the bar slack will come next. The bar will pull into
the fingers even more as this slack is pulled out and as all the different areas of slack are pulled out you will
explode up, with a very short in line stroke. The back will not be arched but have a slight curve in it/or perhaps
even straight. You should take a short half breath right as you go down to the bar. Too much breath expands the
chest and rib cage more than it need be. It raises the shoulders and lengthens the distance the bar travels, as
well as forces the shoulders back while at the bottom right before the pull.
A variation of the slow sumo pull is the drop and grab and explode method. Everything is still the same as far
as the hands, but it is done very quickly. Many times, when done too quickly or out of control, one grabs the bar
wrong and/or the hips rise to fast, giving way to a stiff legged deadlift.
The conventional set-up:
Walk to the bar with the feet about shoulder width apart. The shins should be 2-4 inches from the bar. Some minute
experimentation will find the exact spot you need to be. As you lean over to the bar, grab it the same way as you
did in the sumo except outside the legs a few inches on the knurling, touching the outside of the calves.
The conventional attempt/pull:
Take a small breath and dip the hips and pull. One variation of this technique used nowadays is to dip, roll the
bar a few inches out in front of you, and then reverse and pull it back in. As it gets to the shins start the pull
upward. Some momentum can be obtained from this and the bar can be started in closer to the center of gravity.
If not done exactly right, however, a moving bar can be a problem.
Conclusion:
Form, style and technique are more important than the routine. We know this to be true in every sport and so it
is in powerlifitng. We need to concentrate more on it, and spend hours on it, consistently, every week, throughout
your whole career. A baseball player takes thousands of swings a week. So a lifter should do many, many reps with
little or no weight to perfect his form, style and technique.
rdc