Category Archives: Chalk Talk

Definitive Hand Care

Posted on by
1

I hate it. The yellowy built up callus at the base of the fingers can be so thick, it looks like dinosaur DNA could be extracted from the bugs encased within. Lifters and CrossFitters seem to wear calluses as a badge at the expense of scratching their girlfriend’s soft skin, or heavens to Betsy, their own nether region. There’s more detriment than a scratched bosom; calluses are unnecessary unsightly and can rip off. Missing training for a lack of simple hand care is immature.

It’s possible to keep callus and dry skin off your hands. It’s possible to still develop thicker skin that is resistance to barbell knurling stress, but still supple enough to give a loving massage. A lifter’s hands should be like leather: tough and protecting for lifting, but soft and supple at home for activities. Chalk Talk #22 shows you how:

Chalk Talk #21 – Women Can Do More Reps

Posted on by
Reply

There always seems to be a little bit of controversy when I bring this topic up. I wanted to try using a visual aid to make the following point: at a given percentage of their respective 1RM, women can do more reps than males. The reason is due to hormones, but that concept leaves the scope of the video. Note that women can increase their neuromuscular efficiency — just like men can — with training.

What examples of this have you seen in your training (if you are a female) or women in your gym?

Chalk Talk #20 – Pre-workout Hip Stretch

Posted on by
8

In Chalk Talk #17 I talked about some joint approximation stuff you can do to work on your hips prior to training. Today’s Chalk Talk puts a new twist on some classic stretches by adding banded distraction. It’s actually easy to perform because you don’t need to tie the band off on anything; you just tie it on your own hip and use your other foot to add tension.

What do you do to open your hips up before training?

PR Friday & Chalk Talk

Posted on by
23

PR Friday is a forum to allow you to share your triumphs and failures with your strength training brethren. How has your training been this week? What questions do you have for your peers? Talk and mingle.

Do you have a training question? Ask anyone from the 70′s Big Crew a question in the comments below, on Facebook, or Twitter. Follow 70’s Big on Instagram. 

There’s a new book on the way, and it’s focus is on working on lagging upper body strength and development. Noodly arms no more! It’ll be out later this month.

Today’s video was created based on a question from last week’s Q&A on building a home gym. I didn’t realize how long the video was until I was done, but if you’re wondering where to start for your home gym, then this video is for you.

 

Do any of you train at home? Where did you get your equipment? Is there anything you would have done differently in creating your gym? Do you have anything to add to my video?

Chalk Talk #13 – Banded Squat

Posted on by
5

The ‘banded squat’ is merely wrapping a band around the thighs and performing an unloaded squat to work on the active external rotation in the hips. This exercise can be a powerful tool for trainees with inefficient glutes, problems with the knees coming in during the squat, and even piriformis or glute medius issues. The video talks about execution and cues, why they are beneficial, and how to program them.