Here is a video about the difference between practice and training which can be applied to every physical skill.

Practice vs Training by John Sifferman


So, let’s go over the process of transitioning from practice into training.

You must start all new movement training off from the premise of improving technique (form). Focus on maximizing your efficiency, and moving with as little effort as possible. At the same time, you must ensure that you are not moving in a way that causes you pain. A little bit of discomfort is acceptable, but moving into pain is dangerous and not recommended. Once you can maintain very good technique without any significant discomfort (pain), then you can increase your effort in that particular exercise.

This is when you may transition out of practicing a skill, and begin training with the new skill you have acquired. I guarantee that you will be pleasantly surprised with the training benefits you receive from practicing skill instead of training skill.

Final Words

I have been taught and will continue to teach that strength is a skill before it is an attribute. Sure, we have “tests” that measure one man’s strength to the next. Who can bench press more? Who can squat more? While these tests fulfill their purpose, they fail to quantify whether strength can be applied across a wide range of activities. Strength is a quite broad concept, certainly not limited to how much raw weight one can lift.

If you put two athletes who both have identical strength test results on the field or in the ring (let’s say they both squat and deadlift the same exact amount of weight), how do you determine who is the stronger athlete? I say the simple answer is performance. We can break down traits of movement quality and determine who moves with more efficiency and is effective in their movement, but this is hard to quantify and subjective in nature.

In every activity in real life, strength is just a part of a larger whole – the entire person, the entire athlete. The more we can do to take a global perspective on practice and training, the better we will function in daily life and physical activity.

Your Question of the Day: What skills have you been training lately, and do you think it would help to take a step back and start practicing?

To your health and success,

Paired with the correct nutrition and lifestyle strategies, this program can be used for fat loss and muscle building goals, or for general conditioning. This program will require a gym membership. As with all general programs, you will need to adjust this program to your individual needs. For example, some exercises may need to be increased in difficulty, and others may need to be decreased. A lot of people have trouble with strict, deadhang pullups, for instance. I recommend substituting pullups with resistance bands as assistance or negative repetitions (eccentric only). Please post to comments if you have any questions.

For the first 3-4 weeks:
Frequency – 3x/week, preferably spaced apart throughout the week.
Number of exercises – 4-6
Order of exercises – Do challenging exercises first, especially when you’re learning a new exercise (you want to learn while you’re fresh), save supplemental and isolation exercises for last
Sets – 2-3 per exercise.
Reps – Each set will consist of 12 repetitions (try to leave one or two reps left “in the tank”, so that you’re not going to exhaustion) – so select the appropriate weight with this in mind.
Rest times – 2 minutes between sets at first – try to work your way down to 60 seconds of rest between exercises, but move at your own pace.

Instructions: do a cardiovascular warm-up first, then do a “light” set of each exercise to prime your body for the movements. Also, you could do a joint mobility warm-up, my preferred modality for priming the body for exercise.

Week 1 (Circuit Sets)

Session 1 – Sets / Reps / Rest
A1 – Flat BB Bench Press 3 x 12 120 sec.
A2 – Bent-over Dumbbell Rows 3 x 12 120 sec.
A3 – Squats 3 x 12 120 sec.
A4 – Deadlift 3 x 12 120 sec.
B1 – DB Hammer Curls 3 x 12 60 sec.
B2 – Standing Calf Raises 3 x 12 60 sec.

Session 2 – Sets / Reps / Rest
A1 – Incline DB Bench Press 3 x 12 120 sec.
A2 – DB Upright Rows 3 x 12 120 sec.
A3 – Front Squats 3 x 12 120 sec.
A4 – BB Good Mornings 3 x 12 120 sec.
B1 – BB Bicep Curls 3 x 12 60 sec.
B2 – Tricep Dips 3 x 12 60 sec.

Session 3 – Sets / Reps / Rest
A1 – Decline BB Bench 2 x 12 120 sec.
A2 – Pullups 2 x 12 120 sec.
A3 – Step-ups 2 x 12/leg 120 sec.
A4 – BB Deadlift 2 x 12 120 sec.
B1 – Standing Calf Raises 2 x 12 60 sec.
B2 – BB Lying Triceps Extensions 2 x 12 60 sec.

Week 2 (Supersets)

Session 1 – Sets / Reps / Rest
A1 – Flat BB Bench Press 3 x 12 90 sec.
A2 – Bent-over DB Rows 3 x 12 90 sec.
B1 – Squats 3 x 12 90 sec.
B2 – Sumo Deadlift 3 x 12 90 sec.
C1 – DB Hammer Curls 3 x 12 60 sec.
C2 – Standing Calf Raises 3 x 12 60 sec.

Session 2 – Sets / Reps / Rest
A1 – Incline DB Bench Press 3 x 12 90 sec.
A2 – DB Upright Rows 3 x 12 90 sec.
B1 – Front Squats 3 x 12 90 sec.
B2 – Good Mornings 3 x 12 90 sec.
C1 – BB Bicep Curls 3 x 12 60 sec.
C2 – Tricep Dips 3 x 12 60 sec.

Session 3 – Sets / Reps / Rest
A1 – Decline BB Bench 2 x 15 90 sec.
A2 – Pullups 2 x 15 90 sec.
B1 – Step-ups 2 x 15/leg 90 sec.
B2 – Barbell Deadlift 2 x 15 90 sec.
C1 – Standing Calf Raise 2 x 15 60 sec.
C2 – BB Lying Triceps Extensions 2 x 15 60 sec.

Week 3 (Circuit Sets)

Session 1 – Sets / Reps / Rest
A1 – Sumo Deadlift 3 x 12 75 sec.
A2 – Neutral Grip Pull Ups 3 x 12 75 sec.
A3 – Incline DB Press 3 x 12 75 sec.
A4 – Preacher Curls 3 x 12 75 sec.
B1 – Front Squats 3 x 12 75 sec.
B2 – Standing Calf Raises 3 x 12 75 sec.

Session 2 – Sets / Reps / Rest
A1 – Squats 3 x 12 75 sec.
A2 – Bent-over DB Rows 3 x 12 75 sec.
A3 – Glute-ham Raise 3 x 12 75 sec.
A4 – DB Military Press 3 x 12 75 sec.
B1 – DB Curls 3 x 12 60 sec.
B2 – Lying DB Tricep Extensions 3 x 12 60 sec.

Session 3 – Sets / Reps / Rest
A1 – Lunges 2 x 12/leg 75 sec.
A2 – DB Flat Bench Press 2 x 12 75 sec.
A3 – Good Mornings 2 x 12 75 sec.
A4 – Barbell Bicep Curls 2 x 12 75 sec.
B1 – Tricep Dips 2 x 12 60 sec.
B2 – Standing Calf Raises 2 x 12 60 sec.

Week 4 (Supersets)

Session 1 – Sets / Reps / Rest
A1 – Sumo Deadlift 3 x 12 60 sec.
A2 – Neutral Grip Pull Ups 3 x 12 60 sec.
B1 – Incline DB Press 3 x 12 60 sec.
B2 – Preacher Curls 3 x 12 60 sec.
C1 – Front Squats 3 x 12 60 sec.
C2 – Standing Calf Raises 3 x 12 60 sec.

Session 2 – Sets / Reps / Rest
A1 – Squats 3 x 12 60 sec.
A2 – Bent-over DB Rows 3 x 12 60 sec.
B1 – Glute-ham Raise 3 x 12 60 sec.
B2 – Military Press 3 x 12 60 sec.
C1 – DB Curls 3 x 12 60 sec.
C2 – Lying DB Tricep Extensions 3 x 12 60 sec.

Session 3 Sets / Reps Rest
A1 – Lunges 2 x 15/leg 60 sec.
A2 – DB Flat Bench Press 2 x 15 60 sec.
B1 – Good Mornings 2 x 15 60 sec.
B2 – Barbell Bicep Curls 2 x 15 60 sec.
C1 – Tricep Dips 2 x 15 60 sec.
C2 – Standing Calf Raises 2 x 15 60 sec.

To your health and success,

Circuit, no rest between exercises, 2 minutes rest at the end of each circuit :

1A. Squat with dumbbells: 3 x 12
1B. Stiff leg deadlift with dumbbells: 3 x 12
1C. Swiss Ball bench press with dumbbells: 3 X 12
1D. Dumbbell rows: 3 x 12
1E. Dumbbell Shoulder press: 3 x 12
1F. Swiss ball crunch: 3x 15
1G. Isometric Plank on elbows: (Hold for 30 sec-1min)

After three weeks switch to this program:

Perform the following program three non-consecutive days per week. Perform the exercises in a superset format (A1 then A2 with no rest). Rest 30 seconds to 45 seconds after each superset and repeat each superset three times (3 total sets then move on to the next superset). Continue in this fashion until you have completed all supersets. Try to use slightly heavier weights during this three week segment. Start off with 3 sets of 8 reps of a given weight and each workout try to beat what you did last time for reps. If you can do 3 sets of 12 at a given weight make a note to increase your weight the next time you perform that workout.

A1. Squat with dumbbells: 3 x 8-12
A2. Stiff-legged deadlift with dumbbells: 3 x 8-12

B1. Swiss Ball bench press with dumbbells: 3 X 8-12
B2. Dumbbell rows: 3 x 8-12

C1. Dumbbell Shoulder press: 3 x 8-12
C2. Supine bench dumbbell rows: 3 x 8-12

D1. Swiss ball crunch: 3x 15-20
D2. Isometric Plank on elbows (Hold for 45 sec to 1min)

After six weeks of this training take a week of ‘Active Recovery’ where you perform physical activities every day but totally different then what you did above (for example: try swimming, hiking, biking, kickboxing class, spinning class, go for walks, play frisbee, etc). When you start your next six week block of training, work in some different exercises for the various muscle groups to add some variety to your training and to keep the results coming.

Some tips:
-Record your training sessions in a journal.
-Increase your water intake during these first couple weeks.
-Use a stopwatch to make sure you’re staying on target with your rest times.
-Save static stretching for the end of your strength training sessions.
-Get adequate post-workout nutrition consisting of protein, carbs, and healthy fats, if you can.
-Last, but not least – Have fun!

To your health and success,

Week one: perform sessions 1, 2, 1
Week two: perform sessions 2, 1, 2
Week three: perform sessions 2, 3, 2
week four: perform sessions 3, 2, 3

Keep your technique rating high, your effort rating moderate to high, and your discomfort rating low throughout each exercise to maximize the benefits you’ll receive.

Session 1

3-4 rounds, 15 seconds rest between exercises, 1-2 minutes of rest at end of each circuit:
Bodyweight squats 30-45 seconds
Pushups 30-45 seconds
Pullups 30-45 seconds (or MAX set minus 1 rep, supplement negative reps or flexed-arm hangs for beginners)

repeat 3 times, 1 minute rest at end of each circuit:
Reverse lunges 30 sec./leg
Front plank 45 sec. – 1 minute
Superman hold 45 sec. – 1 minute

Session 2

after warmup, repeat 3x
10 Squats with hands behind head
15 Jumping Jacks
10 Pushups
10 Band Rows

Repeat 3x
Step-ups onto box – 30 sec./leg
Bird dog exercise – 30 sec.
Weighted crunches – 30 sec.
Rest 30-60 seconds

Repeat 4-5x
Pushups – 30-45 sec.
Bodyweight Horizontal Rows with feet on floor or elevated – 30-45 sec. (or 1 rep short of MAX)
Rest 30 seconds between each exercise
Side Elbow Planks – 15-30 sec./side

Session 3

repeat 3x
Burpees 30 seconds
Jumping Jacks 30 seconds
Jump rope 30 seconds (or mimic with ankle bounces)

Repeat 3x, 30 seconds rest between exercises
Bodyweight squats – 45-60 sec.
Single leg lying hip extension – 30 sec./leg
Front plank – 30 sec.
Side plank – 15 seconds per side
Forward lunges 30 sec./leg
Rest 60 seconds

Repeat 4x
Bench dips (or parallel bar dips) – 30-45 sec.
Pullups or Chinups – 30-45 sec. (or MAX set minus 1 repetition)
Rest 60 seconds

This will be your first month (4 weeks) of bodyweight training. You can progress by doing more repetitions in the same time frame or by slightly increasing your time frame for each exercise. You can also shorten rest periods or increase the sophistication of the exercises.

To your health and success,

This program requires minimal equipment and can be performed at home or at the gym.  There are three, full body strength training sessions per week, performed on non-consecutive days, for four weeks.

Session scheduling, sessions A, B, C, and D.
Week One:
A B A

Week Two:
B A B

Week Three:
C D C

Week Four:
D C D

Sample schedule for week one:
Monday: strength training session A
Tuesday: other activity such as athletic skills practice, cardio, leisure activities, etc.
Wednesday: strength training session B
Thursday: other activity such as athletic skills practice, cardio, leisure activities, etc.
Friday: strength training session A
Saturday: other activity such as athletic skills practice, cardio, leisure activities, etc.
Sunday: rest

Equipment required: Stopwatch or Clock, Dumbbells, Pullup Bar, Bench or Chair, and Floor Space for bodyweight exercise.

Special Notes on How To Maximize Your Progress:

There are a total of 4 different sessions, each one will be performed 3 times over the 4-week period.  This gives you two chances for each designated session (A, B, C, or D) to outperform your previous results.  Your goal should be to set new personal records each time you repeat a session, otherwise you will not make optimal progress.  The two easiest ways to progress in this program are as follows:
1.    Increase the total amount of circuits per session.  For instance, if you went through the dumbbell circuit in Session A twice when you performed it for the first time – go through it three times the next time through.
2.    Increase the amount of time that you perform each exercise.  If you did bodyweight squats for 30 seconds the first time through, try aiming for 35 or 40 if you’re feeling strong.

Constantly seeking improvements in performance will ensure that you are pushing your limits and will see the best results.  Do you think you will receive the best results by putting in a marginal effort? I don’t think so!

Here are three more rules to keep in mind when doing the exercises:

Discomfort rating: Don’t move into any pain during these exercises.  Don’t confuse pain with discomfort, they send very different signals.  If an exercise is uncomfortable, that is OK, just don’t push into pain – learn to tell the difference.

Effort/Exertion rating: Try to aim for at least a 60% level of maximum effort during each exercise.  This means that 100% would be working as hard as you possibly can be.  Generally, your goal should be to stay between 60-80% of your maximum effort capacity.

Technique rating: I cannot stress the importance of using proper technique that is both EFFICIENT and EFFECTIVE.  Make sure that you are performing the exercises nearly perfectly – think 8 out of 10, 10 being perfect technique or form.  If you cannot perform an exercise listed below with near perfect technique, either drop down a skill level (ie doing knee-pushups instead of regular pushups) or substitute another exercise.

4-week Sample Strength Training Program for your Workout Routine: Using Only Dumbbell Weight Training and Bodyweight exercise

Strength Training Session A (30-60 minutes)

Joint mobility warmup: 5-10 minutes

Bodyweight circuit, repeat 2-4x, no rest between exercises 60-120 seconds rest at end of each circuit:
•    Bodyweight squats 30-60 seconds
•    Pushups 30-60 seconds
•    Pullups (negatives or hanging on bar are substitutes for beginners) 30-60 seconds

Dumbbell circuit, repeat 2-4x, no rest between exercises 60-120 seconds rest at end of each circuit:
•    Dumbbell swings 30-60 sec/arm
•    Bent-over dumbbell rows 30-60 seconds
•    Overhead presses with dumbbells 30-60 seconds

Cool down with joint mobility and yoga, 5-10 minutes.

Strength Training Session B

Joint mobility warmup: 5-10 minutes

Bodyweight circuit, repeat 2-4x, no rest between exercises 60-120 seconds rest at end of each circuit:
•    Reverse lunges 30 sec/leg
•    Close-hands pushups (AKA diamond pushups) 30-60 seconds
•    Bodyweight rows 30-60 seconds

Mixed circuit, repeat 2-4x, no rest between exercises 60-120 seconds rest at end of each circuit:
•    Dumbbell bench or chair step-ups 30 sec/leg
•    Front plank on forearms 30-60 seconds
•    Side plank 15-30 sec/side

Cool down with joint mobility and yoga, 5-10 minutes.

Strength Training Session C

Joint mobility warmup: 5-10 minutes

Mixed circuit, repeat 2-4x, no rest between exercises 60-120 seconds rest at end of each circuit:
•    Dumbbell front squats 35-60 seconds
•    Bent-over dumbbell rows 35-60 seconds
•    Lateral lunges 15-30 sec/side
•    Pushups with hands on dumbbells (get deeper into range of motion) 35-60 seconds

Mixed circuit, repeat 2-4x, no rest between exercises 60-120 seconds rest at end of each circuit:
•    Forward lunges 30 sec/leg
•    Mixed grip pullups (negatives or hanging on bar are substitute for beginners) 30-60 sec.
•    Incline pushups 30-60 seconds
•    Front plank 40-70 seconds

Cool down with joint mobility and yoga, 5-10 minutes.

Strength Training Session D

Joint mobility warmup: 5-10 minutes

Mixed circuit, repeat 2-4x, no rest between exercises 60-120 seconds rest at end of each circuit:
•    Dumbbell deadlifts 30-60 seconds
•    Bodyweight rows 35-60 sec.
•    Single-arm dumbbell swings 35 sec/side
•    Pushups 35-60 sec.
•    Hold top pushup position for 15-30 seconds after finishing repetitions – contract abs and lengthen out your spine in two opposing directions.

Mixed circuit, repeat 2-4x, no rest between exercises 60-120 seconds rest at end of each circuit:
•    Walking lunges 30 sec/leg
•    Inchworm exercise 30-60 seconds
•    Alternating overhead presses with dumbbells 30-60 seconds
•    Side planks with elbow locked (arm straight) 20-40 sec/side

To your health and success,

John Sifferman, NSCA-CPT

While the dumbbell swing may look like an arm exercise, the motion is actually generated in the legs with the extension of the knees and hips pressing into the ground. The core muscles will then channel that energy into the arm which is locked down in order to prevent it from “lifting” the dumbbell. Don’t let the way this exercise looks fool you, this is a full-body exercise that is challenging both to local musculature and to the cardiovascular system.

Programmed correctly into a strength training program, this exercise can create a large metabolic disturbance, resulting in more total calories burned.

Single-arm Dumbbell Swing

There are a few technique tips to keep in mind when performing this exercise.

1) Maintain good posture – this includes a flat back and a relaxed neck and spine, but also a locked down core. Your abdominal muscles should be actively contracted during the explosive, swinging phase of the movement.
2) Maintain shoulder pack position – actively packing your shoulder directly downwards onto your ribcage. This creates a structure that allows the dumbbell to travel smoothly with no excess movement.
3) Maintain elbow lock – bending your elbow will allow energy to “leak out” at that joint. Keeping your elbow locked will ensure that you get the most benefit from the exercise.
4) Use an intelligent grip – using the popular “death grip” with high intensity dumbbell swings isn’t a smart idea because you’re grip muscles will fatigue quickly. Since we want a full body training effect, we must use the intelligent grip protocol. This entails gripping just enough to maintain control of the dumbbell, and even lessening your grip while the DB is in freefall at the top of the motion (the moment when it stops ascending upwards, and begins to descend downwards). This gives your grip muscles a break and allows you to train more.
5) Allow your leg drive to do the swing work – pressing your feet into the ground while you explosively extend your hips forward and straighten your legs is the driving force of this exercise.
6) Exhale forcefully on effort – this is when the dumbbell is in back position (between your legs) and the body is literally coiled down to extend the hips and legs. When you release that elastic energy, effectively swinging the dumbbell upwards, that is when to forcefully exhale through your mouth.

Plugging this into a strength training program is really simple, and there are a lot of different ways to do it. You could do DB swings for time – doing rounds of one minute/arm. You could try doing heavier swings for reps, doing sets of 10, 20, 50, etc. This could also just be a supplementary exercise that you do at the beginning or end of your sessions. It all depends on your goals. If you have a question about how to include the DB swing into your training program, leave a comment with some basic information about your goals and training background, and I would be happy to help.

To your health and success,

John Sifferman, NSCA-CPT

P.S. I “borrowed” this video from another site I am involved with www.fatburningblog.com

Here at Real World Strength, we have a health-first perspective on fitness and athleticism.  We know that strength is a skill that anyone can develop with practice, and reap the benefits of a stronger, leaner physique – and ultimately what we’re all after, better health and quality of life.

Please enjoy this short video:

Welcome, and please enjoy your stay!

John Sifferman, NSCA-CPT