Most Overlooked 300 Actor Training Video
Everyone saw the 300 video from the 300 movie website. But did you see the video on the Gym Jones website? For those that don't know, the 300 actors worked out at Gym Jones with trainer Mark Twight. The Gym Jones video "Captain" shows Vincent Regan working out - it's awesome. Vincent played the Captain in 300, he's also known for playing Eudorus in Troy.
Check out the video:
http://www.gymjones.com/video.php#
It's the third movie down, called "The Captain"
The video above, from metacafe, is only half of the video - you definitely do not want to miss the second half. Catch the whole video in all it's glory here: http://www.gymjones.com/video.php# - It's the third movie down, called "The Captain"
Things you may notice in the video - Vincent is working his ass off. He's doing full body movements, and apparently he did a shit-load of deadlifting. During the course of the training Vincent Regan lost 40lbs of fat. In 10 weeks he took his deadlift from 205 to 355.
The deadlift is a full body, spartan soldier strength exercise. There is nothing more powerful and functional than lifting a whole lot of iron off of the floor. The deadlift is a measure of raw power - right up there with the barbell squat.
If you don't know how to deadlift, you must learn how. If you don't know how to put together an intelligent training program for strength, here is your opportunity to start training smarter. If you want to learn how to deadlift, get Power to the People, by Pavel. It's also the first book/dvd I would recommend if someone wanted to know the mechanics of getting stronger.
Vincent is deadlifting blindfolded in the Gym Jones video.
In Power to the People Pavel talks about strength as as skill. It takes intelligence and practice to build real serious strength. Pavel dicusses the reasons for lifting blind in the book, but I'll give you the cliff notes version here: Deadlifting blind builds deadlift specific body awareness. It forces you to listen to the feedback that your muscles and tendons are giving you about the movement. Instead of just mindlessly banging out reps, you're listening to your body for feedback. Hone the movement. Search out leakages in your strength.
If strength is a skill, then developing the skill will lead to heavier lifts. Heavier lifts build more strength, and more strength, more power, more fitness, and higher output is the access to the body you want. The protocol is to lift blind every other set.
The other thing you may notice, deadlift wise, is that Vincent is doing single leg deadlifts with kettlebells Single leg deadlifts build stability around all of the muscles in the leg. Building one legged balance, strength, coordination and stability is useful in that most sports you spend a significant amount of time on one leg.
For all the people that are totally addicted to bosu balls and stability balls - Doing single leg squats and deadlifts on stable ground is usually a more sport applicable way to build stability than doing two leg squats and deadlifts on an unstable surface. How many sports and how often in real life are you really standing on an unstable surface? Surfing maybe? On the flipside, you have most of your weight on one leg all the time.
If you are serious about building a solid, strong, athletically muscular body, you have to deadlift. Teach your body to work as one piece. Pull heavy loads of the ground. Get stronger. Learn how to do it right.
By Josh Hillis
Author of How To Lose The Stubborn Seven Pounds.
National Academy of Sports Medicine Certified Personal Trainer (NASM-CPT) and Performance Enhancement Specialist (NASM-PES),
Russian Kettlebell Challenge Level II Certified Instructor (RKC2) and Combat Applications Specialist
© Joshua Hillis 2007
