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    Default Eleven Exercises That Will Enhance Your Shooting Technique and Your Core By Lauren Young and more

    Lauren Young is a veteran who served in Afghanistan and has tested dozens of firearms. She loves guns, our country and those who put their lives on the line for our freedom. “I believe the military nurtured good parts of me, but it also took parts away that I am trying to get back.”

    https://www.ballisticmag.com/2019/03...echnique-core/


    11 Exercises That Will Enhance Your Shooting Technique and Your Core

    Working out your core and other areas of your body can drastically improve your shooting technique in ways you never thought of.
    By Lauren Young

    If you struggle with muscle fatigue or speed when shooting and you want to improve how long you can hold up your pistol or rifle, here are a few things you can do. Fitness is an important element in all of our lives and is something we should incorporate into our daily regimens (doesn’t always happen though). A good motivator, however, could be the discipline you desire to build your strength and endurance to improve your shooting technique. “Working out” may not be your forte, but you can make it fun enough to include your hobbies.

    You test your shoulders, back muscles and grip strength any time you go to the range. Those of you who practice drawing from a holster or moving and shooting as quickly as possible could benefit greatly from building your fast twitch muscles; not just by practicing the specific movements, but by improving the overall fitness of the muscles themselves. Your speed at the draw could also mean the difference between life and death. If that doesn’t motivate you, I don’t know what will.
    Avoid Social Media at All Costs

    I started my first job in January 2006 at the ripe old age of 15. I was a front desk clerk at my local gym. Now, this was way before the social media fitness boom. This is when people were in the gym 100 percent for themselves — no kudos were given, no selfies were taken. This is where I learned a lot about myself and the importance of competing with myself and nobody else. None of my friends or family had gym memberships. I started this journey with no precedent.

    I made friends with one of the women who was a personal trainer. She showed up every single morning at 3:30 a.m. to get her own workout in before she helped her clients and mentored me. Honestly, I am relieved that I never had to deal with the pressure of social media when I was starting out. I personally find it to be more discouraging than I do motivating. Any progress you make seems futile because you don’t see the process, you only see what people want you to see. If you’re reading this and have had similar feelings, I implore you to avoid social media as much as possible when you are working on improving your fitness or any skill, for that matter.

    Like me with the personal trainer I worked with, do some research and pick one fitness-related person to use as a guide. If they have a book, use that instead of the Internet. Don’t go down the rabbit hole of fitness people/posts. It Will overwhelm you and you won’t have any idea where to start.

    Jumping off my soapbox now, let’s get into the meat and potatoes of some things you can do to help your strength/endurance.
    Grip Strength and Shooting Technique

    This is essential stuff if you want to increase your strength and endurance for holding onto anything. I recently chatted with a friend who just completed selection for U.S. Army Special Operations. He received some great advice from someone who had done it before. He told him to work on his grip strength. It’s something nobody thinks about until you get asked to carry two massive water jugs for 2 miles. He smoked everyone. Here are a few things he did:
    Hand Grippers

    You can get these anywhere for cheap. For strength, I suggest buying a weight that is challenging, but you can perform three to four sets of eight to 10. For endurance, I suggest going lighter and completing four sets of 12 to 15. Do this every day. When muscles grow, it hurts (obviously); so be prepared for some soreness. However, I am sure that after a month-plus you will notice a difference.
    Farmers Carry

    These are great for grip strength, but they also tackle all of the biggies: Shoulders, core, back, forearms — everything. Grab dumbbells or kettlebells or, hell, maybe sand bags or water jugs; basically whatever you have that you can hold onto while walking that is heavy enough to challenge you. Walk as far as you can back and forth (20 to 40 feet). To increase endurance, do sets with less heavy items but walk farther and faster.

    Don’t forget to use your core. Your abdominal muscles are essential for this exercise; you don’t want to pull something. If you want to get really crazy, grab your old body armor if you have it and throw it on for these. If you ever practice moving and shooting with it on, it doesn’t hurt to incorporate it into your workouts. People will judge you and probably make fun of you but people suck. Do you.

    Plate Pinches

    These are tough, but effective. Find some flat plates that you can grip on either side in both hands. Trust me when I say you will want to start with less weight. They are a bit more challenging than you think. Hold them for 30 seconds and do three to four sets. I like to incorporate shoulders sometimes. I will do lateral raises while pinching the plate. It’s an ass kicker, but it adds another dimension to it and switches things up.


    Fast Twitch Muscles

    This is based around HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training) Cardio. I know, I said the “C” word. No turning back now! There are those of us who can run long distances and enjoy it; I am not one of those people. The thing I like most about HIIT cardio is you’re so preoccupied with the exercise and the chaos that you don’t really have a lot of time to think about how much you want to die. And you get little breaks in between, so it’s a win-win.

    The best HIIT cardio I have ever done was definitively “Insanity.” It’s a program developed by Shaun T a long time ago, but remains relevant. Granted, it is an hour of HIIT cardio. That “shit is bananas, yo!” That’s a Shaun T quote from “Insanity.” I wouldn’t advise doing this more than once a week if you’re on the gains train. But, if you are a bit overweight or you have some really stubborn areas of fat (my love handles), I would absolutely recommend doing it for the full 60 days. If you invest in the program, you’re investing in yourself (NOT AN AD). It is still available at BeachBody.com.

    However, there are many alternatives to “Insanity” that are on YouTube. If you do a HIIT cardio routine for 20-30 minutes, you’re set.

    HIIT cardio is extremely effective with explosive movements like running from target to target, stopping quickly and drawing your pistol. It gets you used to functioning effectively with fatigue.
    Back and Shoulders

    Luckily for me, back and shoulders are my favorite muscle groups; probably because I am extremely back and shoulder dominant. During our physical fitness test in the Army, my push up form was mostly driven by my back, shoulder and core strength. If there is one muscle group I am confident in, it’s these. Here are a couple of my favorites:
    Back Extensions

    You can do these weighted or just use your body weight. What I love about back extensions is the focus on the entire back. The exercise is an all-encompassing back strengthener, which is important because your spine is your lifeline. You want to protect it and keep it as strong as you can. Your geriatric self will thank you!

    Use the hyperextension bench you have in your gym. I usually hold a 10- to 25-pound plate to my chest depending on how many reps I do. As you lean forward, make sure you keep your back straight until the end. Do not round out your back once you get to the bottom. When you return to the top, don’t overextend backwards; keep your back in line with the rest of your body. Depending on weight, do 8 to 10 reps or 12 to 15 reps for three to four rounds. You want to feel challenged!
    Pull-Ups

    You read that right — pull-ups. If you can’t do a single one, there are alternate ways of knocking them out to build your strength up enough to do them, and do them well. This also comes in handy for that grip strength we talked about earlier. If you can only do one pull-up, do it. Then go for the second one. If you fail, wait 30 more seconds and then give another one a try. Do that a few times and combine it with other things to build up that strength.

    If you have the pull-up assist machine, use it. I like to do three sets of eight to 10 pull-ups using as little weight as possible to assist me.

    Also try pull-up negatives. You start at the end position, and slowly lower yourself down. It can get awkward jumping up and down, but it gets the job done. With three sets of 12 to 15 of every time you do back, you will be amazed at what you can do in a few weeks.
    Arnold Press

    Not only do you feel cool doing these — because, well, Arnold — but they are highly effective. I was having a hard time describing exactly how to do these, but I found the perfect step-by-step instructions that I originally used on MuscleAndStrength.com.

    Set up an adjustable angle bench to 90 degrees and select the desired weight from the rack.
    Pick up the dumbbells from the floor using a neutral grip (palms facing in). Position the end of the dumbbells on your knees and sit down on the bench.
    Using a safe and controlled motion, kick your knees up one at a time in order to get each dumbbell into place.
    Once the dumbbells are in place, rotate your palms so they are facing you.
    Take a deep breath then press the dumbbells overhead by extending the elbows and contracting the deltoids.
    As you press, rotate the dumbbells until your palms are facing forward.
    Slowly lower the dumbbells back to the starting position (the arms should be roughly 90 degrees or slightly lower depending upon limb lengths).
    Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.

    Barbell Front Raise

    These are my favorite for the front of my shoulders, but they can be difficult if the gym you go to doesn’t have varying weighted straight bars. If you don’t have a barbell that you can use, use the straight bar attachment and the cable machine. These are pretty self explanatory, but I can’t emphasize enough the importance of not throwing your momentum around. Every single rep of every single exercise should be controlled and deliberate.

    Make sure the cable is positioned at the very bottom, attach the straight bar, face away from the cable machine with your feet on either side of the cable and bar. Step a foot or two away from the machine and raise the bar between your legs; your arms should be extended but your elbows not locked. Control the bar all the way down and bend your arms slightly backward to complete the rep. As always, do three to four sets of eight to 10 or 12 to 15 reps, depending on how much weight you’re doing and what your goals are.
    Core Strength

    The Holy Grail of fitness is your core. I will go to my grave preaching how important it is to focus on your core not just when doing core-related exercises, but when you’re doing any exercise. Doing “Insanity” actually taught me to focus on flexing my core the entire time I work out. Doing this will keep you from getting injured and will increase your muscle memory to use your core as often as possible, to the point you are doing it and not even thinking about it.
    Leg Raises

    I love leg raises because you can vary them in so many ways, they work extremely well and you don’t have to get bored with them. Lately, I am trying not to focus on reps so much as I focus on time. I do them in a circuit at about 30 seconds per exercise, but you can start at 10 or 20 per and do a few rounds.

    I use a roman chair for these. The first exercise starts with legs straight down, and then I bring my knees to my chest and lower my legs for one rep. I do this for 30 seconds. Next round is same starting position, but instead of bending my knees, I keep my legs straight and left them up as high as I can without swinging too much. Remember, control over momentum. The next lift is similar to the first one, but instead I bend my knees and turn them inward using my obliques to lift and flex my core. If you’re like me and you’re a visual learner, Google “roman chair” ab exercises. You’ll find many variations and you can see what I am describing.
    Might I Add …

    A little tip for core: If you want to keep your core relatively flat against your body and you don’t want to create the “rounded” abdominal area, do body weight only or minimal core lifts with light weight. If you want to get stupid strong and don’t care how flat your tummy is, use weight with your core lifts. Hold a plate and do some sit ups, snag the rope at the cable machine and do high cable crunches (Google them, they are great).

    However you picture your ideal body, there is a proper way of getting it. That’s a wrap for today on some fitness stuff I like to do to improve my skills and my body in general. Please leave a comment below on some of your favorite lifts and what you do to prepare for the range or your other hobbies!

    Last edited by KK20; 07-05-2020 at 06:07. Reason: Apology for Wee Hour postings
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  2. #2
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    Default Re: Eleven Exercises That Will Enhance Your Shooting Technique and Your Core By Lauren Young

    Chassis Overhaul: 5 Keys to Strength Training with Pat McNamara

    Getting the most out of what you have is critical when it comes to a lot of things, but perhaps none more important for your body than strength training.
    By Pat McNamara

    Telling a guy how to work out is like telling him how to work the barbeque pit in his backyard. Most of us learn how to work out via muscle magazines or through tips from the “Tough Guy” at the gym. You then fall into a rut and live in a world where functionality takes a backseat to cosmetics. You may put peaks on your biceps and chisel your abs, but you’ve still got a pencil neck, your balance sucks, your grip strength is subpar, and you’re promoting injury.

    When it comes to weight training, working individual body parts is virtually an anachronism. Isolated training of a muscle group can actually weaken the muscle group because it needs to be used in a functional fashion. If you are still working body parts, you are probably one of three people: You are a bodybuilder, you are recovering from an injury and are going through physical therapy or you have no idea what you are doing.

    Through mentoring and education, I got away from the nonsense of “pretty muscle” building and around 15 years ago started a performance-based training regime. The difference between performance-based training and outcome-based training is that I am allowed to work within my capability level. Outcome states how many, how much and how fast. Performance states how well. If we work this way, we can work with what we are given, because performance is measured by doing what we can with what we have.

    Combat Strength Training

    I define the system I use as “Combat Strength Training,” or CST. This is a system that retrofits the body, or combat chassis, so it performs with maximum efficiency at maximum capacity.

    Focusing on self-preservation and longevity, CST introduces the chassis and its external components to power, strength and agility training in all planes of motion within the full muscle spectrum range. It enhances the chassis’ performance and tactical effectiveness through maintenance, education and combat-replicated movements while following a safe, comprehensive, systematic and progressive format.

    As the chassis is upgraded, it becomes a battlefield multiplier that in turn becomes a force multiplier. CST improves rate-of-force production, strength, muscular development, speed, quickness, proprioception and functional flexibility. To put it simply, there are five keys to building a better combat chassis.

    1. Don’t be a human garbage can.

    Your diet should be simple: Eat real food. Food does not come in a bag or box. If it does, it is a product. Shop at the periphery of the grocery store. What do you need in the other aisles? Coffee, salt, pepper, olive oil. In addition to food, consider that water is the number-one dietary supplement. Power-slam a quart every morning to start the day. For me, this is habitual, and it was life-changing when I first started this practice.

    2. Consider the reasoning behind staying fit.

    In my opinion, there are four reasons for working out and staying fit: self-preservation/longevity, saving your life, saving someone else’s life and kicking someone’s ass.

    Work within your capability limits. Don’t be subservient to someone else’s programming written on a white board. Make incremental improvements. Ask yourself this: If I cloned myself yesterday, could I kick my clone’s ass tomorrow? It’s all about fitness, not broke-ness. So, if you incorporate Olympic-type movements, be sure to get some coaching. Work smart.


    3. Work all planes of motion.

    The sagittal plane passes through the body front to back, dividing it into left and right side. Movements in this plane are the up and down movements of flexion and extension.

    The frontal plane divides the body into front and back. Movements in this plane are sideways movements called abduction and adduction.

    The transverse plane divides the body into top and bottom. Movements in this plane are rotational in nature, such as internal and external rotation, pronation and supination. In the transverse plane live lifesaving and ass-kicking movements. This is probably the most important plane of motion to work, and it is also the most neglected.

    4. Break down the workweek into phases.

    First, consider speed and quickness. Speed means being fast in one direction. Quickness is being fast in multiple directions. Being strong and powerful in a sagittal plane of motion is not enough to ensure combat readiness. In order to ensure that our combat chassis is capable of rapid movement in multiple directions, we must incorporate speed and quickness training into our regime. As I’ve said before, mobility is survivability. It is hard to attack a moving target, especially one that is well coordinated and athletic.

    Power is the rate of force production. “How much and how fast.” In other words, power is the rate at which work is performed. It is the product of both strength and speed. As we age, our muscle power ebbs even more swiftly than our strength. So exercises that can produce gains in power become especially important later in life.

    Real-world examples of power include throwing a massive left hook into an adversary’s bread basket, heaving a chair or table through the window of a burning room, hoisting a loved one out of harm’s way or an injured teammate into a fireman’s carry, mule-kicking a door open to access a crisis site, using a door ram on a primary breach point, and from a secured-headlock position, flipping an adversary ass over teakettle.

    Strength equals “how much.” Strength training builds muscle—the stronger you are, the more muscle you’ll have. However, strength training is not bodybuilding; building muscle is a byproduct of exercising, not its goal. Strength training increases bone density and, when done properly and through the full range of motion, also boosts a person’s flexibility and balance. Additionally, knowing that we have the ability to resist being moved or broken by an opposing force is a real confidence booster.

    Hypertrophy is the enlargement or overgrowth of an organ or tissue as a result of an increase in the size (as opposed to the number) of its constituent cells. The main reason people should build muscle is because it adds strength to the body. And strength helps you live your life more easily.

    Your combat chassis houses about 650 muscles. Each has its own function in helping the body conduct its daily activities. Muscular development helps strengthen these connective tissues, also increasing bone density. By doing this, you’re reducing both your risk for injury and your odds of developing osteoporosis later in life. This is something you should think about right now versus later in life, when you can’t walk your fat ass up a flight of stairs.
    5. Mitigate excuses.

    I spent 22 years as a ground-pounding special-ops soldier, and in that time I had four reconstructive surgeries and 13 broken bones. I am 53 now and am still kicking ass.

    Besides laziness, time seems to be the No. 1 excuse for not working out. My CST Training program follows this simple recipe: Work in anaerobic chunks, in circuit to near metabolic threshold, to meet an aerobic goal. If you work under these guidelines, your workout should take only between 25 and 35 minutes. I, like many of you, do not have disposable time. This type of format is simple, but it is not easy. Hard work sucks, and not everyone is cut out for it.

    We all have different goals when it comes to our PT program. For some, it is as simple as cosmetics; for others, it is a requirement. Combat readiness, however, is non-negotiable. This should be the main focus and should drive what we do and how we do it. Put your big fat ego aside and understand that we all perform differently and that performance can be measured by doing what you can with what you have.
    live out your imagination , not your history.

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    Moderator KK20's Avatar
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    Default Re: Eleven Exercises That Will Enhance Your Shooting Technique and Your Core By Lauren Young and m


    live out your imagination , not your history.

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    Default Re: Eleven Exercises That Will Enhance Your Shooting Technique and Your Core By Lauren Young and m

    Excellent reads!
    A roaring Lion kills no game

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    Default Re: Eleven Exercises That Will Enhance Your Shooting Technique and Your Core By Lauren Young and m

    Thanks KK
    Don’t take life too seriously, no one gets out alive.

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    Default Re: Eleven Exercises That Will Enhance Your Shooting Technique and Your Core By Lauren Young and m

    Yup, thanks KK20, interesting read!

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    Default Re: Eleven Exercises That Will Enhance Your Shooting Technique and Your Core By Lauren Young and m

    Quote Originally Posted by KK20 View Post

    Pat is awesome! Thanks for the info. My personal favourites are squats and deadlifts, when I'm consistent with my workouts I notice an immediate difference to my back taking strain during 12-14 hour days on my feet.

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    Default Re: Eleven Exercises That Will Enhance Your Shooting Technique and Your Core By Lauren Young and m

    Thanks KK, now to get off my ass....

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    Default Re: Eleven Exercises That Will Enhance Your Shooting Technique and Your Core By Lauren Young and m

    Basic dude stuff!
    he's a entertaining guy

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    Default Re: Eleven Exercises That Will Enhance Your Shooting Technique and Your Core By Lauren Young and m

    Geees there are a lot of things I did not know I did not know.

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