NinjaWarriorX

Learn How to Get Insane Agility and Strength: www.ninjawarriorx.com

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How to Do a One Arm Pull Up

Here is the guide: https://www.ninjawarriorx.com/one-arm-pull-up-one-arm-chin-up-progression/

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The 6 Best Hangboards for Beginners in 2020 (Buyer’s Guide To Finger Strength)

A great hangboard is one of the best training tools to improve your finger strength and get a rock-solid grip.

In bouldering, rock climbing, and Ninja Warrior, finger strength is often the limiting factor. Without well-trained fingers, you may reach a plateau sooner than necessary. This is where hangboarding comes into play. Once started, you will see again quick progress as a beginner and will soon be able to climb routes and hold on edges that seemed impossible before. All you need is a suitable hangboard and 30 minutes once or twice a week.

If you are in a rush and looking for the best hangboard for beginners my recommendation is the Metolius Simulator 3D. This is the hangboard I use weekly and I’m absolutely happy with.

But, if you want to know what makes a perfect beginner hangboard, what awesome alternatives I recommend, like the Beastmaker 1000, for those who don’t like rough surfaces, or why I prefer the Metolius Simulator 3D read on:

https://www.ninjawarriorx.com/the-6-best-hangboards-for-beginners/

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How to Train for Ninja Warrior at Home (Including Full-Body Workout)

Not everybody has access to a Ninja Warrior gym and certain times even require training at home. It may not be the perfect preparation for Ninja Warrior, but with the right equipment and a proper workout, it will be effective and you can see great gains.

Read the full article here: https://www.ninjawarriorx.com/how-to-train-for-ninja-warrior-at-home/

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11 Invaluable Insider Tips for Competing on Ninja Warrior

Being well-prepared for the Ninja Warrior competition and knowing what it requires can make a huge difference in the outcome. Or as the saying goes: “Being prepared is half the battle”. The following tips are from my own show experience during Ninja Warrior Germany and should help you to achieve your goals. Some are for the competition itself and some are for the weeks before.

And even if you are just looking for some tips to compete on a local Ninja Warrior competition and want to increase your chance for a top ranking, these tips will be for you: https://www.ninjawarriorx.com/invaluable-insider-tips-for-competing-on-ninja-warrior/

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Ice Bath: The Benefits and How to Make It Right (Guide)

Ice bath or also called cold water immersion is a method used by professional athletes to recover faster after intense exercises, extinguish muscle soreness, and help their bodies to bounce back for their next training session. But this is only one of many great benefits, amongst them reduced inflammation, increased mental strength, and higher metabolic rates.

Taking an ice bath sounds painful, and when doing it unprepared for the first time, it sucks. But it can be trained and the benefits are fantastic. Once you get used to it, it becomes almost pleasant.

My first attempt without any preparation felt like a total failure. Within seconds I was shaking miserably with my upper body not even submerged. After two minutes, I had to get out. That experience would have scared me away if it hadn’t a noticeable effect afterward. I felt fresh and had significantly less muscle soreness the next day than I would usually have after a comparable training session.

From that day, I incorporated ice bathing in my training regime but began slowly. I used it extensively during the weeks before Ninja Warrior, as it made me mentally stronger and helped me to increase my workout intensity and avoid sore muscles at the same time.

So, if you want to reap those benefits too, read on and you will soon be ready to take your first real ice bath. Read the full article here: https://www.ninjawarriorx.com/ice-bath-guide/

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The 5 Best Ninja Warrior Shoes in 2019 for Perfect Grip and Balance

If you are trying to compete in Ninja Warrior, you need a rock-solid grip not only with your hands but also with your feet. Without the right shoe, you may be slipping on obstacles or wasting energy by having to hold your weight mainly with your arms.

Your shoes are certainly the most important piece of equipment and can be the biggest downfall on Ninja Warrior obstacles. And once you have experienced a perfect Ninja Warrior shoe, you’ll never want to race without it.

When starting with my Ninja Warrior training, I would have never believed that the shoe choice matters that much.  But I saw how some people struggled on certain obstacles when wearing common running shoes and others could almost relax. So I tested several shoes, and the results were amazing. Not only I got much higher on the Warped Wall, but also could hold my entire weight on certain obstacles with just my feet.

My current recommendation for a great Ninja Warrior shoe with superior grip is the minimalist shoe Merell Vapor Glove V3. This is the shoe I wear for competitions, and I’m absolutely happy with.

If you want to know what the key ingredients of a great Ninja Warrior shoe are, what awesome alternatives I recommend, like the New Balances Fresh Foam Zante V3, for those who don’t like minimalist training shoes, or why I prefer the Merell Vapor Glove V3 read on.

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Read the full article here: https://www.ninjawarriorx.com/the-5-best-ninja-warrior-shoes-in-2019/

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The Must-Have Ninja Warrior Equipment for Effective Training

Here's a handy selection of the best Ninja Warrior equipment for improving grip and upper body strength, recovering from extensive workouts, and training balance.

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Intermittent Fasting: A Powerful Tool to Burn Excess Fat And Boost Muscle Growth

Intermittent fasting is a powerful tool for athletes, such as climbers, bodybuilders, gymnasts, and Ninja Warriors, to easily get rid of excess body fat, generate more human growth hormone, prevent inflammation, and improve focus and longevity. And all of this while not only keeping your muscles but instead boosting muscle growth when exercising.

Sounds great, doesn’t it?

So, here is all you need to know about intermittent fasting and how it will help you in getting in the best shape!

What is intermittent fasting?

Intermittent fasting, also known as time-restricted eating, is basically an eating schedule where you eat within a specific period and fast the rest of the time. The most popular schedule is eating within a window of 8 hours (for instance, 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.) and fasting for 16 hours per day. You can eat as much as you usually would eat. You just have to move your meals closer together. There are more intermittent fasting schedules, and I’m going to cover the most prominent ones later.

Intermittent fasting is not just for the pro athletes or celebrities like Hugh Jackman or Dwayne Johnson. It’s for everyone who wants to have a better physique and improved health.

What happens during fasting

Normally, your body draws on glucose in your liver and your muscles for energy. During the fasting window, these glucose stores get depleted, the levels of insulin in your body drop while those of human growth hormone (HGH) rise.

As soon as the glucose stores are fully depleted your body goes in ketosis. In this state, your body breaks down fat to produce ketones, which can then be used by your body for energy. These ketones are not only used for energy, but also bring a lot of other health benefits, such as reduced appetite, lower inflammation, and less oxidative stress.

Researchers say that during the fasting window, cells are also put under mild stress. “And they respond to the stress adaptively by enhancing their ability to cope with stress and, maybe, to resist disease”, says Mark Mattson, senior investigator for the National Institute on Aging, part of the US National Institutes of Health.

Although intermittent fasting is a powerful way to lose weight, it’s no diet by definition, but more a choice of lifestyle to reap a lot of amazing benefits.

Health benefits of intermittent fasting

Eating no food for a certain period does your body and your brain much good. From an evolutionary standpoint, this makes sense. Back in the days when humans had to hunt for food, natural selection would have favored individuals whose bodies and brains functioned better than others during times of no food. Our body isn’t adapted to the modern way of living with three full meals a day and snacks in between. Instead, we are actually made for times with less or no food, where amazingly positive cellular and metabolic processes come into play.

With intermittent fasting you can benefit from these processes, boost your performance, and enjoy the following health benefits:

Increased energy

Weight and body fat loss

Improved autophagy and cellular repair

Reduction of inflammation

Higher levels of human growth hormone

Boosted cognitive function

Protection against Alzheimer and Parkinson (potential)

Lower blood pressure

Improved blood sugar regulation

Protection against type 2 diabetes

Longevity (potential)

Lowered blood cholesterol

...

Read the full article here: https://www.ninjawarriorx.com/intermittent-fasting/

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The Ultimate Guide to Ninja Warrior Obstacles and How to Master Them

Some Ninja Warrior obstacles are easy and intuitive and don’t require much preparation. Some others will scare the heck out of you if it’s your first trial. To help you in mastering all these obstacles and finally reaching Mt. Midoriyama, I have gathered the best tips and video tutorials about some of the most famous and challenging Ninja Warrior obstacles. The shown techniques are from experienced Ninjas and will give you a great chance to succeed in any Ninja Warrior course.

So without furder ado, here is how to tackle the Ninja Warrior course’s toughest obstacles!

Warped Wall

The Warped Wall looks simple, but regularly stops Ninja Warrior competitors who haven’t practiced this obstacle upfront. It’s one of the most underrated obstacles. Make sure to train it and get used to it.

How to master the Warped Wall with the right technique

It’s not just running up the quarter-pipe and jumping at the last moment. There is much more technique involved. The most important tips are:

Focus on the edge while running, meaning, look up!

Don’t lean too much into the wall. Otherwise, you won’t reach maximum speed.

Make smaller steps than usual when running on the slope and aim for 2-3 steps.

Try to hit the slope with 80-90% of your top speed and ramp it up once you reach the wall.

Use one of your hands on the wall for pushing you further upwards, when jumping to the edge. Stretch yourself as far as possible and grab with the other hand.

Check out the following Warped Wall video tutorial for further tips, especially on how to bail out of the Warped Wall if you don’t reach the edge.

Wall runs as a training alternative for the Warped Wall

If you have no Warped Wall nearby to practice, you can train wall runs to improve your Warped Wall skill. First, run at and then upwards a regular wall, and try to touch it as high as possible with your hand. Mark your best heights with a tape to see your progress.

You can see excellent wall run techniques in the following video.

Rope Climb (Mt. Midoriyama)

At least when you are standing in front of Mt. Midoriyama, you should know how to climb a rope fast and effectively.

There are several techniques, where you clamp the rope between your legs and feet and virtually stand on it. This takes almost all of your bodyweight from your arms and makes the climbing way easier. By using the techniques from the following video, you will need less strength and endurance in your hands and arms to reach the top.

The fastest rope climbing technique

If time matters and you have to be really fast, there is one rope climbing technique I love most.  And you can learn it from the master of Ninja Warrior obstacles himself, Isaac Caldiero. Just watch the next video and pause it when necessary to see how he crosses his feet around the rope and clamps it that way.

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Read the full article here: https://www.ninjawarriorx.com/ninja-warrior-obstacles-guide/

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The Best Climbing Chalk for Perfect Grip and More Efficiency

Good climbing chalk is what can make the difference between success and failure, when climbing, bouldering, or training on Ninja Warrior obstacles. Sweaty hands are a big problem when you need a perfect grip. Even when your hands are not sweating as much, climbing chalk will improve your grip, keep them dry, and reduces skin injuries due to slipping, such as flappers. To get the most out of your training and maximize safety you need the best climbing chalk that fits your needs.

On the following pages, you will find a selection of the best climbing chalks, and you will get tips for events, such as Ninja Warrior competitions, where climbing chalk is rarely allowed.

What is the best climbing chalk for you?

Some people say “chalk is chalk”, but climbing chalks differ, for sure. And this difference can be huge when comparing the cheapest and some premium-priced product. Some products stay much longer on your hands and need fewer reapplications. Some have additional drying agents or soothe your hands with added ingredients. And you can buy climbing chalk in various forms – as loose powder, block, chalk ball, or as liquid – with each type having its own pros and cons.

Finally, it depends on what you prefer, and I advise to try at least each type of chalk once. As an example, I prefer liquid chalk as it needs fewer reapplications than loose chalk and is not that messy. But, it also dries out the skin and forces you to apply moisturizer after each usage.

The following climbing chalks are all excellent recommendations, so you don’t need to test everyone. Just take the one which appeals most to you. And once it’s empty, choose another type and see how that one fits. As soon as you know your favorite type, you may try to find small differences between the recommended products until you have the perfect fit.

So let’s have a look at the different types of chalk and the top selection for each one!

Loose chalk

Loose chalk within a chalk bag is probably the one you have seen most often, and most climbers prefer. This type of chalk comes in various levels of grinding, ranging from really chunky to fine powder, and contains additional drying agents sometimes.

The application is fast and easily doable while already hanging on the wall. The chalk bag can be clipped to a climbing harness or your trousers with a karabiner and, thus, is always in reach. When working out in the gym or training on Ninja Warrior obstacles this feature may be insignificant, and some other reasons may lead to your final choice.

The main disadvantage of loose chalk is that it spills easily, makes the biggest mess of all types, and you waste a lot while chalking your hands. That’s why I advise against using it in a gym.

Nevertheless, if you want to use loose chalk for bouldering or climbing, try the following selection.

Black Diamond White Gold

Black Diamond White Gold is very popular amongst climbers and has often scored the first place in many tests. It’s my personal favorite when bouldering.

It has a soft texture, provides excellent friction, and lasts very long, making it a nice fit for people with sweaty hands.

Petzl Power Crunch

Petzl Power Crunch is another great product from a well-known manufacturer of climbing gear. It’s a mix of pure Magnesium Carbonate powder and chunks to reduce dust when applied. 

Extreme dryness is one of its outstanding characteristics.

FrictionLabs Loose Climbing Chalk

FrictionLabs Loose Gym Chalk is another chalk with many supporters in the climbing community. It’s one of the purest chalks on the market, maintains healthier skin, and also lasts well on your hands. But it’s also premium-priced.

FrictionLabs comes in three different textures:

Unicorn Dust (fine)

Gorilla Grip (chunky)

Bam Bam (super chunky)

You can order small units with 1 oz (28 g) and try out which one fits best.

Chalk blocks

Chalk blocks are basically solid blocks of chalk or Magnesium Carbonate. They are usually less expensive and way less messy than loose chalk – that’s why I also recommend them for weight lifting, besides liquid chalk -, but make chalking up more time-consuming.

You can break these blocks into smaller pieces and put these into a chalk bag. Or you crush them further and make loose chalk for chalking up your hands. So, the main advantage of a chalk block is that you can control the level of chunkiness and make the chalk the way you like it most.

And now, some of the best chalk blocks on the market...

Read the full article here: https://www.ninjawarriorx.com/best-climbing-chalk-for-perfect-grip/

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The Hangboard Workout for Getting Incredible Finger Strength

RA hangboard workout two or three times a week is one of the most effective ways of building up strength in your fingers. It’s a must for Ninja Warriors and climbers who want to gain excellent grip strength within the shortest time.

An increased strength also results in less fatigue over time, which will give your physical performance a major boost.

As you need nothing more than a hangboard and a little space to mount it, it’s perfect for training at home. Some athletes even say it’s the single most important training equipment they own.

So, if you want to get the maximum out of hangboarding and reduce the risk of injury at the same time, then this article is for you!

Why hangboard training is essential

For climbers, this question may be obsolete. But why is hangboard training so beneficial for Ninja Warriors? Let me answer this with a counterquestion: Have you ever seen the cliffhanger obstacle of the Ninja Warrior competition, where wooden or plastic strips are mounted on a vertical wall with some overhang?

If you have already trained on that obstacle, you know that you won’t get far without strong fingers. Most of the time, your entire body weight lies on the first two phalanges. Often only on one hand. The cliffhanger is by far the obstacle that puts the most stress on your fingers. But with a steady hangboard workout you will be perfectly prepared! And not only for that obstacle.

The video below shows me climbing the cliffhanger. One year ago, before I started bouldering and training on the hangboard, that would have been an impossible challenge. And now, it’s really fun.

The basics of hangboard training

Training on the hangboard, which is also called fingerboard, is basically doing isometric dead hangs from small holds. A dead hang is a static exercise where you hang with both hands on the board, and your feet are lifted up from the ground. Each hand is on the same height and the same type of hold.

A good hangboard has typically various grip positions you can choose from. You can use the large grips for pull-up training and the smaller ones for strengthening your fingers.

The following exercises are possible on most hangboards:

Open hand

Crimp

Pinch

Three-finger pocket

Two-finger pocket

Sloper

Hangboard training exerts a lot of stress on tendons and the small muscles in your hands, but also on the arms and shoulders. The right mounting of the hangboard, a correct execution, a good warm up, and a limited amount of workouts per week are therefore crucial for preventing injuries.

Proper hangboard mounting

You should be able to lower your feet to the ground easily after each dead hang. Dropping to the floor can result in injury of your finger tendons. So, mount the hangboard appropriately.

Correct execution

The right body posture is mandatory for keeping your shoulders healthy. Maintain moderate tension throughout your shoulders and upper torso by pulling your shoulder blades down and back. Also bend your arms slightly while hanging.

Do not relax your shoulders and let them hang in a shrug position near your ears! This would put a lot of load on your joints. If you are currently not able to hold your shoulder blades long enough in the correct position, you can train the involved muscles on a pull-up bar by doing hanging shrugs, or so-called scapular pull-ups. Check out How to Train Pull-Ups like a Ninja Warrior for further details about hanging shrugs.

Finally, hang with an open hand, but don’t crimp. Injuries of your tendons are less likely by doing hangs like that. After a few weeks of training, you may also add the half crimp to your exercises.

Warm up and stretching

Do a warm-up of at least 15 min before each workout.

Elevate your heart rate and warm up your muscles by doing light exercises such as jumping jacks or jogging in the beginning.

Then stretch your upper body and do some self-massage of your fingers and forearms. This will enhance blood flow and loosen your muscles further.

End your warm up with a few pull-ups on a pull-up bar or the large holds of the hangboard.

Once you have got your blood flowing, you are ready to go.

Read the full article here: https://www.ninjawarriorx.com/hangboard-workout-for-getting-incredible-finger-strength/

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Top 9 Grip Strength Exercises for Ninja Warrior, Climbing, and Calisthenics

Having a great grip strength is essential for sports like Ninja Warrior, climbing, and calisthenics. A well-trained grip can make the difference between winning and losing against the competition. It also increases your upper bodies muscular endurance, and it even helps to reduce the risk of injury.

Being able to hold your entire body weight one-handed on vertical rods, bars, or ropes will give you a major advantage over athletes who aren’t that strong.

On the following pages, I’m going to show you the top 9 exercises and methods for improving grip strength and endurance, so that you will be able to compete with the best.

1. Rope climbing

Climbing a rope is a simple and old school exercise that will yield huge gains in the strength of your hand and forearm muscles. The thicker the rope, the better for developing insane grip strength. So, if you have access to such a rope, use it frequently.

If you want to go one step further, then start climbing from a sitting position with your legs stretched in a right angle to your upper body. This will be the ultimate challenge in climbing a rope. And it will strengthen your core muscles as well.

2. Pull ups with towels or vertical wooden rods

An excellent way of intensifying your grip training without external loads to your body is by using vertical wooden rods or towels to hang on.

Drape 2 small towels over a pull up bar or through some gymnastic rings. Grip a towel in each hand and try doing some pull ups. Aim for 5-10 repetitions when you are starting out and are already used to regular pull ups.

Pull ups with towels or vertical rods will absolutely boost your crush grip. So give it a try!

3. Dead hangs

Dead hangs on a pull up bar or gymnastic rings will increase not only your grip strength but also your endurance.

Grip the bar with your hands and hang off of it with your feet elevated in the air. Keep your shoulder blades down! Try to hold for at least 30 seconds.

Once you are getting stronger, try hanging with just one hand. Alternate your hands and aim, again, for a minimum duration of 30 seconds. If you want to have a greater challenge, raise your knees or legs up while hanging. Finally, you can also combine dead hangs with some towels and even weight vests, which is the ultimate progression of this exercise.

Once again, it is important to keep your shoulder blades down during that exercise to prevent injuries.

Read the full article here: https://www.ninjawarriorx.com/top-9-grip-strength-exercises-for-ninja-warrior/

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Ninja Warrior Gyms – A Worldwide Directory

Training for the Ninja Warrior competition can be done in myriad ways. You can train in a bouldering gym, do some obstacle training in the park, climb trees, street lanterns, or even buildings. There are so many options and being creative is helpful, for sure.

But at some point in your workout its also time to train on obstacles similar to the ones in the show. The only question is: Where are all these Ninja Warrior gyms or suitable training facilities?

Well, I’ve just launched a worldwide directory full of training facilities for Ninja Warriors to make your search really easy. You can do a proximity search, search for certain cities, states, or countries, or just play around with the interactive map within the directory.

What’s in it right now?

The directory currently lists Ninja Warrior gyms in the following countries:

Australia

Canada

Germany

United Kingdom

Gyms in the United States will follow next. And more countries will be added afterward.

How to add a Ninja Warrior gym to the directory

In case you know a Ninja Warrior gym or are the owner of one that is not listed right now, feel free to contact me, leave a comment, or hit the button “Add a Ninja Warrior Gym” below the directory to add it to the listing.

How to claim an existing listing

If you are the owner of an existing listing, you can claim it by pressing the button “Claim this Listing” below your entry. Just follow the instructions, and you will be able to edit that listing on your own as soon as I’ve accepted the claim. You can change the description and add more information or some nice images.

Or, you just let me know, what you want to have changed and I will implement the changes as soon as possible.

Nevertheless, keep going with the great work! We need more Ninja Warrior gyms out there!

Have a look at the directory: https://www.ninjawarriorx.com/ninja-warrior-gyms-worldwide-directory/

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Blood Flow Restriction Training: The Secret Weapon for Stronger Arms

Blood flow restriction training (BFR), a technique of binding your limbs to reduce blood flow during exercise, can help you in growing your muscles faster and with less load and joint stress. What may sound like bondage, should be in the training repertoire of every Ninja Warrior, boulderer, climber, or bodybuilder. As it stimulates muscle growth, especially that of fast-twitch muscle fibers, with less weight, it’s also an excellent training method after injuries or for breaking through plateaus.

Blood flow restriction training, also known as occlusion training or KAATSU training, is one of the hottest, but still undervalued trends in strength training. You can apply it as a finishing technique after leg or arm training to gain a further boost of muscle strength, size, and endurance.

So, if you want to boost your upper body strength, this is for you! I’m going to cover the basics of occlusion training, the science behind, some safety aspects, and, of course, training tips and instructions.

Let’s dive in!

What is blood flow restriction training?

Blood flow restriction training means wrapping an elastic band or cuff around your upper arms or thighs to slow down the blood flow back to your heart while allowing the limbs with the applied wraps to become engorged with blood during low-intensity resistance training.

The benefits of blood flow restriction training

By reducing the amount of blood that can leave your muscles, the concentration of lactic acid in the blood significantly increases and waste materials accumulate, which creates a lot of metabolic stress. This simulates a much harder and prolonged exercise than you have actually performed and tricks your body to release more growth hormones, leading to an increase in muscle strength, size, and endurance.

Further positive effects are:

Improved blood flow within the entire body

Increased metabolism and fat burn

Improved resistance to fatigue and faster recovery after training

Enhanced collagen-dependent tissue repair

Enhanced bone healing

Faster results within significantly less time

Academic studies have shown, that blood flow restriction training with less weight can lead to the same results as traditional heavy lifting within up to less than half the time.

Increase in fast-twitch muscle fibers

And now the best part: By restricting the blood flow slow-twitch muscles, or so-called type 1 fibers, run out of oxygen much earlier, resulting in an increased activation of fast-twitch (type 2) muscle fibers.

Fast-twitch fibers have the highest energy expenditure and growth potential but are hardest to activate. So, by using occlusion training, you can reap the benefits of an intense and heavy load training without actually doing it!

As a Ninja Warrior, you need these fast-twitch muscles, as explosive movements are mandatory for certain obstacles. The increased growth of these fibers, thus, comes in really handy.

There is a nice video, which shows all these processes within your body.

Suitable blood flow restriction bands

There are multiple options for reducing the blood flow properly. I’m using elastic blood flow restriction bands and recommend the ones with a plastic closure, soft texture and comfortable width, like the following...

Read the full article here: https://www.ninjawarriorx.com/occlusion-training-the-secret-weapon-for-stronger-arms/

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The Ninja Warrior Supplement Guide for Muscle Gain and Fat Loss

Training for Ninja Warrior requires you to bring your body in the best shape possible. You can support this process by taking supplements for muscle gain and fat loss. Unfortunately, there is a myriad of supplements out there, and most of them are completely useless and just exist for bringing their manufacturer piles of money.

You surely don’t want to waste your time with the useless ones. And that’s why I’m heading right to the supplements that actually work and will boost your Ninja Warrior performance!

The workout supplements that really work

And now without further ado, here are the supplements which are backed by science.

Creatine Monohydrate

Creatine supplementation increases the body’s level of creatine phosphate and thereby helps your body to facilitate the recycling of Adenosine Triphosphate (ATP), which in turn provides your muscles with more energy.

Although it is produced naturally in your body, an additional intake will serve as a buffer against fatigue and allows you to maintain a higher load during a certain exercise or do more repetitions. And as we know, a higher load and training volume will improve muscle gain.

The amount of maximum strength improvement thereby varies from individual to individual, but usually lies within the single-digit percentile – enough to use it for the Ninja Warrior workout.

So, how to take it?

The quickest way to saturate your muscles “creatine load”, is by taking around 20 grams of creatine monohydrate per day for 6 days. If you are not in a hurry, you can also take 3 grams per day for 28 days for similar results. The elevated creatine concentration can afterward be maintained by taking 2 grams of creatine per day.

If you want to give it a try, I warmly recommend the Creatine Monohydrate from Myprotein. It dissolves really well in water and is among the most popular creatine products.

Vitamin D

Vitamin D, the legendary sunshine vitamin, is responsible for many health benefits including healthy and increased testosterone levels in men. You can either get it by being exposed to the sun or by taking it as a supplement.

High enough vitamin D levels in your body are proven to improve upper and lower limb strength, muscle repair, regeneration, and hypertrophy.

Too less of it, on the contrary, puts you in the danger zone for diseases such as cancer, depression, and lowers your immune system.

So, get out in the sun, train on some outdoor Ninja Warrior course, or get some vitamin D supplements!

Protein

Protein is broken down into amino acids, which are used by your body for muscle building and repair. Digesting protein powder as a supplement is recommended when your body gets insufficient levels from the food. If you are training heavily, this could be the case.

As exercise increases the muscle protein turnover, meaning an increase in muscle protein breakdown, it is essential to digest sufficient protein. If you achieve this, your body will be in a net anabolic state, where muscle protein synthesis exceeds muscle protein breakdown, and therefore builds up muscles.

Now, which protein should you take?

Research has shown that milk-derived proteins are superior to vegetarian-derived proteins. This leaves us with whey and casein protein...

Read the full article here: https://www.ninjawarriorx.com/nutrition-and-supplements/the-ninja-warrior-workout-supplement-guide/

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How to Train Pull-Ups like a Ninja Warrior

Pull-up strength is one of the primary keys to being successful in the Ninja Warrior competition. As a Ninja Warrior you must be able to perform explosive pull-ups, swing from obstacle to obstacle, hang there for a long time, and pull your entire body weight up to reach the next grip. Pull-ups are the single most effective exercise for developing upper body strength. Ninja Warrior stars like Jessie Graff are doing them almost every day. Most of them have installed various pull-up and grip challenges at home for training whenever they want. Their results speak for themselves.

It's much more than just the strength in your arms

It may look as if your arms are doing all the work for a pull-up, but actually there are nine primary muscle groups, that will lift you up easily, once trained properly. The entire back and front of your upper body are working together during that exercise and will sculpt your body when trained steadily.

The 6 key moves for doing Ninja Warrior like pull-ups

There are basically 6 key moves you should train for the Ninja Warrior competition: - Hanging shrug - One-arm dumbbell row - Pull-ups with different widths and grips - Explosive pull-ups - Negative pull-up holds - Pull-ups with locking off

Hanging shrugs

Performing hanging shrugs or scapular pull-ups as they are also called will teach your body to lower the should blades while performing pull-ups and recruit all the muscles that will lift you up, including latissimus, rhomboids, and trapezius on the back and pecs on the front. This will raise your pull-ups and your Ninja Warrior performance to a totally new level. So, how to perform hanging shrugs? Hang completely relaxed from a pull-up bar with a shoulder-wide overhand grip. Your shoulders should touch your ears. Keep your arms straight and then pull your shoulder blades slowly down your back to lift your body up a few inches. Then slowly release the tension and return to the initial position. Repeat that for at least 10 times https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MiVtb-riVJQ

One-arm dumbbell row

The one-arm dumbbell row will strengthen the muscles that keep your shoulder blades in the correct position and maintain stability during pull-ups. Kneel with the left leg on a flat bench or something equivalent and bend your torso forward from the waist until your upper body is parallel to the floor. Assist your posture with the left hand by placing it on the bench as well. With the right arm you pick up a dumbbell from the ground with the palm facing towards your torso. Then you pull up the dumbbell up to the side of your chest while keeping your back straight and the upper body stationary. After reaching the top, slowly lower the dumbbell down to the initial position. That's one repetition and one side.

Pull-ups with different widths and grips

Perform pull-ups on a regular basis, but vary the width and the grips to stimulate further growths of the exposed muscles. Do pull-ups with arms slightly wider than shoulder-width, some with a narrow grip, and some with a super wide grip.  Also vary the number of fingers you are using, starting with one hand. You can also use a towel, hang it over the pull-up bar, and pull yourself up while only holding the ends of the towel. There are pull-up bars for use at home which offer these different positions as well as various grips for holding. Read the full article

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Skin Care for Ninja Warriors and Climbers

Flaky and horny skin is a natural consequence of steady climbing, calisthenics, Ninja Warrior training and grip sports in general. But too much of it and too less skin care increases the risk of cracking and flaps, also called flappers, where the callused skin is ripped off and an open wound is left beneath. Applying progressive overload, repeated friction, and irritation on your skin naturally leads to thicker and more resistant skin, which is what we want. But building up that tough and resilient skin takes time and special care.

How to prevent your skin from ripping

Having horny skin is good, but when your calluses become too thick, they also become very hard and inflexible. That's not what you want, as these skin parts rip off easily with enough load and friction. You want to have horny but flexible skin instead. So, how can you achieve that? Use a callus stone, a nail file, or fine sandpaper, and file down carefully the calluses. I personally use an electrical hard skin remover, as it is very convenient and fast. You also want to remove tiny flakes of skin with a nail clipper to keep your fingertips smooth. Afterward, use a salve for climbers to support skin healing and keep it hydrated. Some people like to put it on again before bed. These are the salves or balms I recommend: - ClimbOn Bar - Joshua Tree Skin Care Climbing Salve - Burt's Bees Hand Salve - Metolius Hand Repair Balm

How to treat skin flaps

If it already happened, a good way to treat skin flaps is the following: Read the full article