How They Got Started : Matt Davidson
How the enigmatic Matt Davidson began.
by Scott Andrew Bird
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Filed in : How They Got Started
Tags : bodybuilding, deadlift, dumbbell, goals, jump, kettlebell, neck, pull-up, squat, Training Concepts & Strategies
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The enigmatic Matt Davidson.
Hi, Scott. You said that you would like to hear about my workout past and my methods, so I'm finally getting back to you about that. I started working out in my early teens at the age of 13 or 14, using my dad's old Sears Roebuck and Co. vinyl coated weight plates and standard barbell. I didn't have access to a squat rack, so my leg training was always a little lacking. As far as goals, I wanted to build everything: speed, strength, stamina, power (once I learned that there was a difference between strength and power), and agility. As much as I wanted to build these different things, I mainly followed a basic body-building program. I was able to build my deadlift strength up to around 280 lb.
Unfortunately, I went for a period where I got out of my workouts routine and I lost some of my strength. Even now at the age of 20, I'm still struggling with staying consistent with my workouts. I recently purchased a Yoke, which doubles as a squat rack, so I can build my lower-body strength and power (I desperately need some lower-body strength. Since I've just start squatting I can only squat around 135 lbs, and I'm having to adjust to the crushing feeling of having a barbell across my shoulders). My goals are still focused on strength and athletic ability. In my workouts now, I utilize a lot of compound and complex training, while focusing on movement patterns. For example, for my squats, I'll do a heavy 5-rep barbell squat, immediately doing five reps of an explosive leg movement such as speed skaters or squat jump, and then an isometric one-leg split squat, while holding a 25 lb. kettlebell. My thinking for this approach is along the lines of the theory behind compound training, that the heavy set will activate the muscle fibers, the lighter-weight, explosive movement will utilize the activated muscle, and then the isometric move (my own addition) will utilize the slow-twitch muscle fibers as the fast-twitch fibers tire out and the slow-twitch fibers begin to kick in. With my squats, I'll also incorporate an overhead pressing complex, and a pull-up complex. I'm trying to incorporate as many exercise tools and methods as possible: barbells, dumbbells, kettlebells, weight-sleds, medicine balls, a yoke, and resistance bands to substitute weighted cables. I also have my eye on several pieces of exercise equipment to also incorporate into my training so I can keep my workouts (and my body) versatile.
Thanks for taking an interest in my workouts and training methods. I hope you found this interesting, and that it may help someone else along and give them some ideas. Keep lifting, Matt.
Cheers Matt, appreciated.
Scott Andrew Bird is a writer, photographer and a guy who just loves this stuff. He's been at home in front of a computer for more years than he cares to remember (OK, 35) and is now making amends for years of many mistakes noted in the De-constructing Computer Guy articles (part 2) on T-Nation.
Find out what he's up to via Twitter, Google+, Facebook; and of course his online home. Enjoy.
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