Author: D C

We had our second annual Tactical Strength Challenge last week and it was a great success. Lots of guys and gals that are into serious training and getting real results showed what they’ve worked for. Lots of PRs set — one young guy pulled a 30kg PR on deadlift, another guy did 21 perfect pullups in a row, another guy snatched the 32kg kettlebell 107 times this year after snatching the 24kg 124 times last year (huge improvement), and we got an Olympic lifting instructor from down south that deadlifted nearly everything we had in the gym. We had a great time and welcome anyone interested in competing to come join us next year!

I find it hard to believe that this post even needs to be written but it just goes to show how far behind we are in nearly everything. It’s extremely simple – if you don’t have strength, you can’t have power. In fitness, power = strength x speed. No strength, no power. No speed, no power. Now how difficult is it to understand that strength and speed need to be worked on as independent variables BEFORE you attempt power training? If I need flour and eggs to make a cake, can I just start with the cake without getting flour and eggs first? Doesn’t that just make common sense?

Well apparently not when discussing basketball players. Barbell squatting is the only way to progressively strength train athletes to get stronger in the legs for sports. No amount of leg press, leg extensions, etc. is going to do it because the movement pattern is different. No basketball player lays or sits down and then pushes something away with their legs. The squat is basically a jump with a weight on your back and you don’t leave the ground due to the resistance. But the pattern is virtually the same.

But the minute you suggest that someone interested in jumping high might want to squat a barbell for weight, you run into “but our basketball players are unique little snowflakes and we can’t break them” or “they have to save their energy for the games.” Apparently off-season training doesn’t exist. I wasn’t aware that basketball season was 12 months of the year.

Once a foundation of strength has been built, explosiveness can then be developed and that’s what box jumps are for. Now we’ve posted many clips of our gymgoers doing good box jumps but I don’t think most of the people watching those videos understand what they’re seeing — a box jump develops and displays leg power in the vertical plane.

When we show you our people doing big box jumps, that shows you we know how to develop leg power in our gymgoers. That power comes from barbell squatting not on a Smith machine but out of a real power rack, the one thing that apparently must never be done.

If you want a big jump, then work the movements that build a big jump.

Here’s what they look like:

These things are super strong and heavy. They’ll stand up to any abuse you put them through. I really only need one pair so we’re letting these go at cost: NT4000. I’m not making any money on this deal, just looking for these to go to someone that will use the hell out of them. Thing is, they can’t be shipped cause they’re too heavy. If you guys want them, you’d have to pick them up at my gym in Taipei but we’re open 7 days a week. If interested, please contact the gym. Thanks!

I was very happy to get this for the gym. I’ve been wanting this stuff for a long time so when I got the chance, I grabbed it. See, I won’t make any extra money because of it but I just want us to have cool toys in the gym that I enjoy using, too. It’s about that, too. So when I get a chance to get us something nice, I do it. Hope you enjoy using it as much as I will!

We have new items for sale! Get a free one hour seminar on how to use the equipment with most purchases! Details below!
Power bands in five sizes:
1. NT490
2. NT690
3. NT750
4. NT890
5. NT1090
full set for NT3600 — almost 10% off!
Get a free one hour seminar in how to use the bands when you buy a set! We have these seminars every month at the gym.

Gymnastic rings NT1400 for a pair — plus a free seminar in how to use them.

Heavy Duty Sandbags — NT1950 — get a free seminar in how to use the sandbags PLUS approximately 30kg of sand for free!

Soft Medicine Balls
2kg NT1300
4kg NT1600
6kg NT1900
8kg NT2200
10kg NT2500
Full set for NT8500 over 10% off!

For more information on the products or to sign up for the seminars, please call 2365-5223. Thanks!