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TODAY’S TRAINING INSPIRATION:
CLINT BENEDICT

Today’s Colin Timberlake Training Inspiration is a man whose goaltending during the formative years of the National Hockey League was legendary and possibly unrivaled. However, today the annual award given for the best goaltender in the league is named after Georges Vezina, one of his stellar contemporaries, and so Clint Benedict has been largely forgotten in the many decades since.

Such should not be the case.

Benedict played 13 seasons in the NHL between 1917 and 1930, and led the league in games played for nine of them. He led the league in wins for six consecutive campaigns and retired with 190-143-28 back in an era when seasons could be as short as 18 games.

Six times he led the league in goals against average and seven times in shutouts, twice posting eleven or more in a season. In 1926-27 for the Montreal Maroons, Benedict played in 43 games and recorded 13 shutouts, meaning pretty much that every fourth time he stepped on the ice, his team would not allow a single goal. His 57 career shutouts still have him among the top 20 in league history despite the brief length of the seasons in which he played.

He backstopped his teams to three Stanley Cups Furthermore, while Jacques Plante is credited as the first goaltender to regularly wear a face mask during game play, the very first time this innovation was used was February 20, 1930…by Clint Benedict.

TODAY: CHEST (Fast Tempo, 60 Second Rests)
and CALVES (Fast Tempo, 60 Second Rests)
and ABS (Fast Tempo, 60 Second Rests)

FLAT DUMBBELL PRESS (5 sets)
60 x 12
100 x 5
100 x 3
80 x 10
80 x 8

FLAT DUMBBELL FLYES (5 sets)
60 x 5
60 x 5
60 x 5
60 x 5
60 x 5

INCLINE DUMBBELL PRESS (5 sets)
60 x 8
60 x 7
60 x 7
60 x 7
60 x 7

DOWNWARD CABLE FLYES (per arm) (5 sets)
60 x 8
60 x 6
60 x 6
60 x 5
60 x 6

SEATED CALF RAISE (5 sets)
120 x 15
120 x 13
120 x 10
120 x 10
120 x 10

STRAIGHT LEG CALF PRESS (DECLINE) (5 sets)
180 x 20
180 x 20
180 x 15
180 x 20
180 x 15

REVERSE LEG CALF PRESS (DECLINE) (5 sets)
180 x 15
180 x 15
180 x 12
180 x 12
180 x 12

HANGING BENT LEG RAISE (5 sets)
x 16
x 16
x 16
x 16
x 16

HANGING BENT LEG OBLIQUE RAISE (2 sets)
x 12
x 12

BACK EXTENSIONS (3 sets)
x 40
x 30
x 30

TRAINING NOTES

Total Sets (Chest): 20
Total Sets (Calves): 15
Total Sets (Abs): 7
Total Sets (Other): 3

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TODAY’S TRAINING INSPIRATION:
TURK BRODA

Today’s Colin Timberlake Training Inspiration is a man who excelled at NHL goaltending when it was one of the most hazardous professions on the planet.

Turk Broda was arguably the best goaltender in the NHL when he played from 1936 to 1952, an era when goalies wore minimal padding an no face masks. Such was the dedication of these men to their profession and to competition that they would frequently exit games with gashed up and disfigured faces from errant pucks and sticks, only to return to their place between the pipes soon thereafter with partly healed wounds but an insistence on victory that outweighed well, what seems now to be common sense.

We have spoken of pushing through the pain barrier on many occasions in our training, and on many occasions, men such as Turk Broda frequently left the pain barrier in their rear view mirrors on the road to victory…and in Turk’s case, the Hall of Fame.

Broda led all NHL goalies in games played for 8 of his 14 seasons. Twice he led the league in victories (ten times in the top three), twice in ties and twice in both goals against average and shutouts (including nine shutouts in 1949-50).

He would finish his career with stellar numbers: 302 wins, 62 shutouts, a 2.53 career goals against average, 101 ties, and 629 games played.

And he was even better in the playoffs with 60 victories in 101 games, 13 shutouts and five Stanley Cups. He won the Vezina Trophy as the league’s greatest goaltender in both 1941 and 1948, and played in four All-Star Games. Despite over 50 years having passed since his retirement, today he still stands 15th in NHL history in career shutouts and 23rd in career wins.

TODAY: CALVES (Fast Tempo, 60 Second Rests)
and ABS (Fast Tempo, 60 Second Rests)

SEATED CALF RAISE (5 sets)
115 x 15
115 x 20
115 x 18
115 x 14
115 x 14

STRAIGHT LEG CALF PRESS (5 sets)
270 x 20
270 x 20
270 x 20
270 x 20
270 x 20

REVERSE CALF PRESS (5 sets)
270 x 8
270 x 6
270 x 8
270 x 10
270 x 6

HANGING BENT LEG RAISE (5 sets)
x 20
x 20
x 15
x 20
x 20

HANGING BENT LEG OBLIQUE RAISE (5 sets)
x 16
x 12
x 12
x 10
x 10

TRAINING NOTES

Total Sets (Calves): 15
Total Sets (Abs): 10

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TODAY’S TRAINING INSPIRATION:
JEFF BLATNICK

Today’s Colin Timberlake Training Inspiration is a man who is often remembered as one of the early commentators for the UFC.

However, some forget that what made Jeff Blatnick suitable and qualified for this role was his extensive wrestling experience, with his previous career as an amateur wrestler seeing him become a state champion, NCAA Division II national champion, and Olympic gold medalist in the super heavyweight division.

Even more remarkable than Blatnick’s gold medal at the Los Angeles games is the fact that he achieved this feat only two years after being diagnosed with cancer. His spleen and appendix were removed when he was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s lymphoma, and a spleen-less, post-radiation-treatment Blatnick arrived at the Olympics and put on the show of his life.

After establishing himself as a legend in Greco-Roman wrestling, Blatnick’s knowledge of martial arts and appetite for knowledge served him well as the UFC’s primary analyst. These qualities have also been essential in his later incarnation as a licensed MMA referee and judge with the New Jersey State Athletic Commission.

TODAY: ABS (Fast Tempo, 120 Second Rests)
and CHEST (Fast Tempo, 90 Second Rests)
and BACK (Fast Tempo, 90 Second Rests)
and CARDIO

CRUNCHES (5 sets)
x 80
x 70
x 60
x 60
x 60

SINGLE STRAIGHT LEG RAISES (3 sets)
x 50
x 60
x 50

BENCH PRESS (6 sets)
135 x 10
185 x 10
225 x 3
225 x 3
225 x 2
185 x 6

FLAT DUMBBELL FLYES (5 sets)
45 x 10
60 x 6
60 x 6
60 x 6
60 x 6

WIDE GRIP FRONT PULL-UPS (3 sets)
x 20
x 8
x 10

CLOSE PARALLEL GRIP PULL-UPS (3 sets)
x 10
x 8
x 10

CLOSE UNDERHAND GRIP PULL-UPS (3 sets)
x 10
x 8
x 7

SUPINE ROWS (3 sets)
x 8
x 10
x 8

CLOSE GRIP CABLE ROW (3 sets)
120 x 10
120 x 10
120 x 10

TRAINING NOTES

Total Sets (Abs): 8
Total Sets (Chest): 11
Total Sets (Back): 15

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TODAY’S TRAINING INSPIRATION:
MANUTE BOL

Today’s Colin Timberlake Training Inspiration is a man who passed away a week ago, far too young at the age of 47, but not before leaving a strong legacy in the NBA.

Manute Bol stood at 7′7″ and was the tallest player in the history of the NBA.

When he was drafted into the NBA from Sudan, he made sure to develop his skills to the point where he was not merely a tree planted on the floor, present only for his height.

He capitalized on his height though, no doubt about that. He became one of the league’s premier shot blockers and was named to the 1986 NBA 2nd All-Defensive Team when he set the league record for rookie shot blocking.

Also, during his time after arriving in America, Bol worked studiously at learning and improving his English, having to develop a skill that came naturally to virtually all competitors in the league.

Bol enjoyed a 10-year career in the NBA, playing for the Washington Bullets, Golden State Warriors, Philadelphia 76ers and Miami Heat. He retired with by far the highest blocks-per-minute ratio in league history, and was 14th in career blocked shots.

And he was also widely revered as one of the nicest guys in the game.

TODAY: BICEPS (Fast Tempo, 60 Second Rests)
and ABS (Fast Tempo, 60 Second Rests)

PREACHER HAMMER DUMBBELL CURLS (5 sets)
40 x 10
50 x 8
50 x 6
50 x 6
50 x 6

PREACHER UNDERHAND DUMBBELL CURLS (5 sets)
40 x 8
40 x 8
50 x 5
50 x 5
50 x 4

TWISTING INCLINE SUSPENDED-LEGS DUMBBELL CURLS (5 sets)
30 x 10
30 x 10
40 x 5
40 x 5
40 x 4

DECLINE TWISTING CRUNCHES (4 sets)
x 30
x 20
x 20
x 20

HANGING BENT LEG RAISES (4 sets)
x 20
x 20
x 16
x 16

TRAINING NOTES

Total Sets (Biceps): 15
Total Sets (Abs): 8

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TODAY’S TRAINING INSPIRATION:
RAY BOURQUE

Today’s Colin Timberlake Training Inspiration is a man whose tireless work ethic and study of the game earned him not only a place in the Hockey Hall of Fame, but a place in history as the league’s all time leader in goals, assists and points by a defenseman.

Ray Bourque broke into the league by winning the Calder Trophy as the NHL Rookie of the Year in 1979-80, then followed up his inaugural season with a degree of consistency rarely seen in the league.

In his 22 seasons, he never had less than 40 points, and had 50 or more in 20 of them. From the blueline, he had 80+ points in ten of his seasons and finished his career with a remarkable 410 goals, 1169 assists and 1579 points.

His playoff numbers were just as good: 41 goals and 180 points in 214 games, with a Stanley Cup victory in 2001, his final season. He won five Norris Trophies as the NHL’s best defenseman and played in 19 All-Star Games.

After trailing just behind the great Paul Coffey on the career scoring list for defensemen, Bourque’s consistency from year to year allowed him to overtake Coffey in the late stages and retire as the all-time leader among blueliners.

TODAY: ABS (Fast Tempo, 60 Second Rests)

CRUNCHES (3 sets)
x 80
x 60
x 60

SINGLE STRAIGHT LEG RAISES (3 sets)
x 60
x 60
x 60

TRAINING NOTES

Total Sets (Abs): 6

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TODAY’S TRAINING INSPIRATION:
PHEIDIPPIDES

Today’s Colin Timberlake Training Inspiration is a man whose exploits during warfare in Ancient Greece led to our modern tradition of running marathons, one that has endured for centuries.

Pheidippides, who (as legend has it) lived around 500 BC, was an Athenian herald when the Persians arrived and laid seige to Marathon, Greece.

Historical accounts from this period are, naturally, somewhat shady and unreliable. But I will nonetheless give a fairly reasonable version of events that is one of the competing historical theories.

He was ordered to go to Sparta to bring reinforcements and what ensued was one of the most impressive physical accomplishments ever achieved, in warfare or under any other circumstance.

The journey to Sparta and back, which he made on foot, was 150 miles…and he covered the distance in two days.

But his exploits did not end there. He later ran from the battlefield at Marathon to Athens to announce the victory over the Persians. Upon completing this 25-mile run and proclaiming the Greek victory, he apparently died of exhaustion on the spot.

Why not just send a guy on a horse? The terrain on the journey was rocky and perilous enough to make it unfeasible. And surely you can see the parallel in the distance from Marathon to Athens and the distance of an official marathon.

He did not meet his end, however, without contributing to his country’s cause and inspiring athletes for countless generations to come.

TODAY: ABS (Fast Tempo, 60 Second Rests)
and CARDIO

CRUNCHES (3 sets)
x 50
x 50
x 50

5K RUN
- Approx. 30:00 (Relaxed Pace)

TRAINING NOTES

Total Sets (Abs): 3

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TODAY’S TRAINING INSPIRATION:
PRIMO LEVI

Today’s Colin Timberlake Training Inspiration is a man who, for a very long period, epitomized two of the traits to which we should all aspire not only in training, but in life: perseverance and guts.

Primo Levi was an Italian Jew, born in 1919 in the future Olympic city of Turin.

With the outbreak of World War II and the German implementation of the Final Solution, Levi was swept up in the machinery of Jewish evacuations and found himself a captive at the death camp Auschwitz in occupied Poland.

For a full year, Levi survived the unthinkable, at a venue where the average life expectancy for inmates was far, far less than a year. This was after, despite having no combat training, he had joined the Italian resistance movement to combat the fascist militia scourging his own country at the time.

While a prisoner at Auschwitz, he actually paid other prisoners some of his paltry food ration to receive lessons in the German language to better orient himself to his surroundings and monitor his circumstances. Given that even a prisoner’s full ration would lead him to gradual starvation, this was an impressive display of discipline and long-term thinking in a setting that was hardly conducive of a long-term view toward anything.

Following the Holocaust, Levi’s memoir If This is a Man became one of the definitive texts on this event in history.

TODAY: FOREARMS (Fast Tempo, 60 Second Rests)
and BICEPS (Fast Tempo, 60 Second Rests)
and ABS (Fast Tempo, 60 Second Rests)
and CARDIO

UNDERHAND FOREARM BARBELL CURLS (5 sets)
45 x 20
45 x 15
45 x 15
45 x 12
45 x 10

TWISTING DUMBBELL CURLS (5 sets)
35 x 10
35 x 10
35 x 10
35 x 10
35 x 10

HAMMER DUMBBELL CURLS (3 sets)
35 x 10
35 x 10
35 x 10

UNDERHAND DUMBBELL CURLS (3 sets)
35 x 10
35 x 10
35 x 10

CRUNCHES (5 sets)
x 50
x 40
x 40
x 40
x 35

TORSO TWISTS (3 sets)
x 25
x 25
x 25

5K RUN
- 26:50 (7.0 mph)

TRAINING NOTES

Total Sets (Forearms): 5
Total Sets (Biceps): 11
Total Sets (Abs): 8

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TODAY’S TRAINING INSPIRATION:
KEVIN “KIMBO SLICE” FERGUSON

Today’s Colin Timberlake Training Inspiration is a man whose entry into the world of mixed martial arts was preceded by trainloads of hype that would have been nearly impossible for anyone to grow into. That did not stop Kevin “Kimbo Slice” Ferguson from trying to fill the shoes created by his handlers and watching him attempt to do so was a good lesson in training and commitment.

Kimbo Slice became a YouTube celebrity with a series of street fight challenges against regular Joes, who he dispatched with relative ease. While street thuggery is hardly the example I suggest we aspire to, Kimbo did take on willing opponents and compete in a fair manner.

While racking up a string of victories and a legend to go with it, Kimbo was (in my opinion) most impressive in defeat, when he faced police officer Sean Gannon in a martial arts gym and lost when he was unable to rise from the ground when given a 30-count. It was the last of many times Kimbo was knocked down in the match and it was this fight, rather than his numerous lopsided victories, that first made me appreciate anything Kimbo had to offer. He only stopped rising from the canvas when his body physically refused to follow his wishes.

The internet mythology earned him a spot in the now-defunct EliteXC promotion, where he was hyped beyond all credibility…and much of the world bought it up. Despite his never having faced a ranked opponent in MMA (and barely having faced anyone at all) the commentators for EliteXC on CBS called him “the Tiger Woods of MMA.”

Under the EliteXC banner, he did earn notable victories over both Tank Abbott and James Thompson.

In a move widely regarded as a poor financial decision but indicative of a true desire to test himself and develop as an MMA fighter, Kimbo signed with the UFC to compete on The Ultimate Fighter reality show, where his first match was agaist former IFL champion and eventual show winner Roy Nelson.

Kimbo lost, but earned a spot on the finale card, where he faced one-time light heavyweight wrecking machine Houston Alexander…and won. Despite having arrived in MMA as a one-dimensional sloppy boxer, Kimbo won this fight largely with the wrestling abilities he had honed during his MMA training.

These wrestling abilities also served him well at UFC 113 against Matt Mitrione, a former NFL player who outweighed Kimbo by about 30 pounds. Kimbo lost again, but was able to score several takedowns against the bigger man. The loss led to Kimbo being cut by the UFC. However, due to his commitment to the martial arts and willingness to both test himself and push for continued improvement, Kimbo Slice did earn the respect of a fanbase that was not derived from pounding out random guys with beer guts and nothing better to do on the weekend.

TODAY: LEGS (Fast Tempo, 90 Second Rests)
and ABS (Fast Tempo, 90 Second Rests)
and CARDIO

SEATED LEG PRESS (DECLINE) (5 sets)
270 x 15
360 x 15
450 x 15
540 x 15
630 x 10

QUAD EXTENSIONS (5 sets)
90 x 15
110 x 15
130 x 15
150 x 15
150 x 12

SEATED HAMSTRING CURLS (5 sets)
70 x 20
100 x 15
120 x 15
150 x 8
150 x 8

HANGING BENT LEG RAISES (3 sets)
x 20
x 20
x 20

HANGING BENT LEG OBLIQUE RAISES (3 sets)
x 16
x 16
x 16

TWO MILE RUN
- Approx. 18:00 (Leisurely Pace)

TRAINING NOTES

Total Sets (Legs): 15
Total Sets (Abs): 6

INSPIRATIONAL CLIP

The following clips is Kimbo’s post-fight interview after UFC 113 in Montreal, where he was stopped by Matt Mitrione with a second-round TKO. While the fight was a loss, Kimbo’s attitude, even in defeat, serves as a good example for all of us in our training and when facing the inevitable reality that not every competition results in victory.

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TODAY’S TRAINING INSPIRATION:
STEVE LARMER

Today’s Colin Timberlake Training Inspiration is a man who is, along with Garry Unger and Doug Jarvis, one of the three great ironmen in NHL history.

Steve Larmer played in 15 NHL seasons, thirteen of them with the Chicago Blackhawks where he played the 3rd longest streak of consecutive games in NHL history, and the longest streak ever with one team.

Larmer played in 884 consecutive contests between 1982 and 1993, falling just shy of Jarvis’ 964, but nonetheless establishing himself as one of the league’s great examples of endurance, durability and pain tolerance.

More than just an ironman, Larmer was also one of the offensive stars of his era, and finished his career with 1,012 points in 1,006 games, being one of the relatively few players to break the 1,000-mark in both categories.

He had a career-best 101 points in 1990-91, and had 70 points or more in each of his first 11 full seasons.

Larmer won a Stanley Cup with the New York Rangers in 1994, being one of the team’s postseason scoring stars with 16 points in 21 games. He finished his career 131 points in 140 playoff games, putting him among the league’s all time playoff achievers.

TODAY: BICEPS (5-5-5 Tempo, 90 Second Rests)
and ABS (Fast Tempo, 30 Second Rests)

PREACHER HAMMER DUMBBELL CURLS (5 sets)
30 x 5
30 x 4
30 x 3
30 x 3
30 x 3

PREACHER UNDERHAND DUMBBELL CURLS (5 sets)
30 x 5
30 x 4
30 x 3
30 x 3
30 x 3

HANGING BENT LEG RAISES (3 sets)
Legs x 30
Legs x 12
Legs x 16

HANGING BENT LEG OBLIQUE RAISES (3 sets)
Legs x 20
Legs x 12
Legs x 12

TRAINING NOTES

Total Sets (Biceps): 10
Total Sets (Abs): 6

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TODAY’S TRAINING INSPIRATION:
MARCEL DIONNE

Today’s Colin Timberlake Training Inspiration is a man who is considered by many to be the greatest hockey player never to win a Stanley Cup.

Marcel Dionne suffered the curse of spending most of his career with a marginal supporting cast, never providing the opportunity for enormous team success. Thatt did not, however, prevent him from enjoying one of the most prolific careers in NHL history.

Dionne retired as the third all-time leading scorer in the league, behind only Wayne Gretzky and Gordie Howe. Over 18 seasons and 1,348 games, he racked up 731 goals and 1,040 assists for 1,771 points. He led the league in scoring in 1979-80 with 137 points, and had 120 or more in six different seasons.

He had 70 or more points in each of his first sixteen seasons, led the league in shots four times, shorthanded goals once, and had an incredible five 50-goal seasons in a row (six in total).

Dionne played in eight All-Star Games and twice won the Lester B. Pearson Award as the league MVP selected by players throughout the NHL.

Selected 2nd overall behind Guy Lafleur in the 1971 NHL draft, Dionne may have had an even better career than the first overall pick, but it would be hard to argue that there was ever a better one-two punch in the top two selections of any single draft year.

TODAY: ABS (Fast Tempo, 60 Second Rests)
and LEGS (5-5-5 Tempo, 90 Second Rests)

SEATED LEG PRESS (DECLINE) (5 sets)
270 x 6
270 x 5
270 x 4
270 x 4
270 x 4

QUAD EXTENSIONS (5 sets)
95 x 6
95 x 6
95 x 5
95 x 4
100 x 5

SEATED HAMSTRING CURL (5 sets)
70 x 7
90 x 5
100 x 3
80 x 5
80 x 4

HANGING BENT LEG RAISE (3 sets)
x 30
x 20
x 14

HANGING BENT LEG OBLIQUE RAISE (3 sets)
x 16
x 12
x 12

TRAINING NOTES

Total Sets (Legs): 15
Total Sets (Abs): 6

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