Here are some more random thoughts for the week.

1. Lolo Jones Training

Lolo is known as the best female 60 meter hurdler in the world, not to mention one of the best 100 meter hurdlers. I’m very impressed with what I see in this video and find Lola’s work ethic, attitude and confidence to be admirable. Here is an inspiring video of her training:

2. Inspiring Ray Lewis Speech

This LINK will take you to a very inspiring speech that Ray Lewis of the Baltimore Ravens uttered following their loss to the Patriots. Coaches should take notes and offer similar comforting speeches following a good season to their teams.

3. Do Single Joint Exercises Enhance Functional Fitness?

My friend Brad Schoenfeld and I just got another article published in The Strength and Conditioning Journal on the topic of single joint exercises. We provide a great deal of reasons why you shouldn’t write-off single joint exercise and I think you’ll agree with the article if you’re able to check it out. If you have access to the NSCA journals then I recommend that you give the article a read. If you don’t, I’ll give you the cliff notes and provide you with our conclusion:

Exercise selection should not be viewed as an either/or decision. Although the principle of specificity dictates that multijoint movements should comprise the basis of functional training programs, evidence suggests that single-joint exercises can also play an important additive role. Augmenting traditional functional training programs with single-joint exercises can promote synergistic improvements in muscle strength that ultimately transfer into increased performance of daily activities and sports performance, over and above that which can be achieved with multijoint training alone.

4. “Seeing” Glute Activation

Having spent so many thousands of hours training people, testing gluteal EMG activation, palpating people’s glutes while they perform various glute exercises, and learning about biomechanics, I can simply watch somebody lift and tell whether they’re using their glutes. Two cases in point:

A) Konstantin Konstantinovs – Warning – this video will jack your testosterone levels up 35% so beware. Check out his deadlifts at around the 4-minute mark. Konstantin uses his glutes for sure.

B) Marianne Kane – Not to be upstaged by Konstantin’s glutes, here’s Marianne of myomytv performing a glute workout. Watch at around the 5:45 mark where she does kettlebell swings. This is some serious glute power.

What I want to know is, whose accent is cooler – Konstantin’s or Marianne’s?

4. More Hip Thrust Methods

Speaking of the glutes, I’ve been trying to teach my readers various hip thrust methods. I’ve recently shown you the rest-pause method as well as the constant tension method. Here are two more methods; the pause-rep method and the isohold method.

A) Pause-Rep Method – Here I am performing 5 reps with 315 lbs with a 5-second pause up top. This is absolutely brutal!

B) Isohold Method – Here I am performing a 25-second isohold with 405 lbs. Keep those glutes squeezed up top which pushes the hips forward and prevents anterior pelvic tilt.

5) Strength Curves

Some strength training exercises have ascending strength curves, some are more constant, some are bell-shaped, and others have descending strength curves. An exercise with an ascending strength curve means that the exercise gets easier throughout the concentric portion of the repetition which makes the exercise easier up top compared to the bottom portion of the exercise. Here are two videos to demonstrate of the squat exercise which demonstrates this phenomenon.

A) Here’s some strong dude performing a 400 lb squat for 13 reps.

B) Here’s the same guy performing a 1,000 lb squat lockout.

Clearly folks are much stronger at the top of the squat compared to the bottom of the squat. It’s important for lifters and strength coaches to understand the various strength curves provided by different exercises.

That’s all peeps! Have a great weekend. BC

Today’s post is an excellent guestblog by Rob Panariello. I won’t introduce Rob as I’ve interviewed him in the past and posted a couple of guestblogs from him in the past year or two. This is an important topic for strength coaches, and I really love how Rob blends together science and anecdotes which demonstrates good critical thinking and decision making methodology.

Considerations in Athletic Performance Enhancement Training: How Much Strength Do Our Athletes Need?

Robert A. Panariello MS, PT, ATC, CSCS
Professional Orthopedic and Sports Physical Therapy
Professional Athletic Performance Center
New York, New York

Throughout my 30-year career in in the fields of Sports Rehabilitation and Athletic Performance Training, I have spent thousands of hours in conversation with many good friends and mentors in the Strength and Conditioning profession. In a specific conversation that occurred in 2009 with renowned NFL and Hall of Fame Strength Coach Johnny Parker, he expressed his concern upon reading a newspaper article reporting an 800-pound squat performance by a collegiate football player. Coach Parker’s concern was the necessity of such a high intensity squat lift as a strength requirement for the game of football and is the risk of such a high intensity squat performance worth the reward? Certainly extremely high intensity loads are necessary in the sports of Powerlifting and Olympic Weightlifting, as the level of athletic achievement during these competitions is based upon the successful weightlifting performance of the heaviest loads possible. In regard to athletes who are not competitive weightlifters, but are utilizing weightlifting to enhance athleticism, is such a high intensity squat, as the previously mentioned 800-pound performance, necessary for an athlete such as a football, basketball, or baseball player?

Coach Parker and I then reminded each other of an incident that occurred during my years with working him at the old New York Giants stadium. At that time both he and I were also studying with a former Soviet Weightlifter and Soviet Coach, Gregorio Goldstein. On this particular day Coach Goldstein was also at Giants Stadium, where a Giant football player, David Meggett had just easily squatted 427 pounds at a body weight of 178 pounds. When asking Coach Goldstein how to make Megget stronger he replied, “You don’t have to make him any stronger, you have to make him faster”.  This comment had a profound effect on each of us to this day.

In a very recent discussion with another renowned Hall of Fame Strength Coach Al Vermeil, regarding a professional baseball player that I am presently training, I posed the question that I am often asked during the rehabilitation and/or performance training of an athlete,  “How much strength is enough?” How much strength does this professional athlete need to successfully play baseball at a consistent optimum level over a long season? This topic of conversation with these, and other legendary strength and conditioning professionals has enhanced my appreciation of this subject matter.

So the question is raised, how much strength is necessary for optimal athletic performance?

Strength

Strength may be defined as the ability of the neuromuscular system of the body to produce force as placing tension on skeletal muscles stimulates neuromuscular adaptations. Neuromuscular force generation may be either isometric or dynamic in nature, and has characteristics that would include a magnitude, a rate, and a direction.  It is this dynamic muscle force generation that results in movement.

Additional factors that will affect force production include the type of muscle contraction, as well as both the rate and degree of muscle activation. The significance of force production can be determined from Newton’s second law of motion:

Force = Mass X Acceleration (F= ma)

Therefore, the ability of an athlete to accelerate (a) one’s body mass (m) or an external object is highly dependent upon the musculature of the body to generate force (F). Additionally, power production is the product of force and velocity and, in the opinion of many researchers and strength coaches, the most important factor in determining athletic success in a majority of various types of sports of participation.

The neuromuscular strength characteristics to be considered for the achievement of optimal athletic performance include (a) maximal strength (MS), (b) explosive strength (ES), and (c) reactive strength (RS) qualities. The correct proportional development of these strength qualities during training is dependent upon the specific power type activity to be performed, i.e. football blocking, wrestling, running, jumping, track and field throwing events, sprinting, etc.… Athletic performance training programs that enhance MS, ES, and RS qualities will have an eventual transfer to the power activity (athletic) performance via the neuromuscular system of the body. MS training alone will improve neuromuscular force production, however, only through the combination of MS with either or ES and/or RS training, will ideal power type performances be achieved.

Strength and Power In Sports

From the perspective of athletic performance, many researchers and strength and conditioning professionals, are of the opinion that there are two particular variables of high significance to the contribution of optimal athletic performance. These two variables include the peak rate of force development (PRFD) or “explosive strength” and power output. The concept of explosive strength is directly related to the athlete’s ability to accelerate objects including body mass.

Work is the product of force and the distance that the object moves in the direction of the applied force (Work = Force X Distance). Power may be defined as the rate of doing work (P = force X distance/time). Power may also be conveyed as the product of force and speed (P = force X speed). Power may be evaluated as an average performed throughout an exercise range of motion or as an instantaneous value

occurring at a particular moment during the exercise range of motion or during the displacement of an object. Peak power (PP) may be defined as the highest instantaneous power value found over a range of motion while Maximum power (MP) is the highest peak power output an athlete is capable of generating under a specific set of conditions (i.e. type of exercise or skill performed).

The body’s neuromuscular contribution of a movement sequence that results in maximum achievable velocities primarily depends upon power production (i.e. a MS component in association with a velocity component).  Additionally, activities that require a display of “agility” i.e. change of direction and acceleration, are also dependent upon high “bursts” of power output.

Although it appears that the influence of power is critical for optimal athletic performance, it may be argued that maximum strength is the basic quality that affects power output. It may also be foreseeable, that MS would have a greater effect in sports of participation where the emphasis for the success of the sport is specifically to overcome maximal load intensities (i.e. Powerlifting, Olympic Lifting) followed by sports and activities requiring a high maximal strength component based on the nature of the sport as well as the position played (i.e. American football, rugby, track and field throwing events, sprinter’s starts, etc.…) However, it is important for a strength and conditioning professional to acknowledge that maximum strength appears to affect power in a hierarchical manner with a diminishing influence as the external load decreases to a point where other such physical qualities such as the rate of force development may become more important.

Muscle Stiffness and Elastic Strength

Lower extremity muscle stiffness is essential, as well as a prerequisite to ensure an optimal Stretch Shortening Cycle (SSC)/Plyometric type exercise performance. Plyometric (SSC) exercise performance improves RS qualities, as higher stiffness levels of the lower extremities during SSC exercise performance will result in an increase in the amount of stored (potential) and reused (kinetic) energy. There is a positive relationship between increased levels of leg and joint stiffness (the ability to resist flexion) and improvement in power, force output, rate of force production, and velocity parameters, as well as a very important decrease in amortization/ground contact times (GCT). A minimal GCT is essential for an ideal SSC resulting in optimal jumping, hopping, sprinting, and distance running (running economy) performance.

The stiffness of muscle is variable and is dependent upon the forces exerted. For example, a muscle is compliant when passive, yet stiff when active. Through various methods of training it is possible to maintain and/or enhance optimal levels of lower extremity muscle stiffness. Resistance training utilizing heavy load intensities (increasing MS levels) has been demonstrated to be a very effective way to enhance lower extremity and joint stiffness.

The “Strength Reserve”

During my recent conversation with Coach Vermeil he discussed an important phenomenon that he described as a “strength reserve”.  As an athlete participates in a long and grueling season, it is quite common for these athletes to lose their high initial levels of MS qualities that were present at the start of the season. Appropriate higher weight intensities in conjunction with specific and appropriate levels of exercise volume should be incorporated during the athlete’s off-season and in-season training in an effort to both increase (off-season) and maintain (in-season) athlete MS levels, as well as the benefits (force production) that are associated with high MS levels. Maintaining this important physical quality will assist to ensure repeated optimal performance over time. Coach Vermeil recommends an increase of maximal strength levels of 5% to 10% annually to establish and progress the athlete’s strength reserve during their playing season and career.

Coach Vermeil also explained how MS qualities are extremely important to the aging athlete. As the athlete ages MS strength levels play a more important role to ensure successful athletic performance. Athletes begin to lose their elastic strength qualities in their late twenties, thus the counter balance to the reduction of this elastic strength physical quality is the continued enhancement of MS values. The greater the amount of MS “banked” via years of strength training, the greater the athletes ability to maintain the “balance of the scales” so to speak, during the aging process where elastic abilities are lost and MS qualities are gained/stored.

In my discussions with Stan Bailey, a former Olympic Weightlifter who participated in two (2) Olympic games and is a coach at our Performance Center here in New York, he also spoke of the necessity of the development and maintenance of optimal MS levels. Coach Bailey is also of the opinion that as an athlete has an initial decline in their elastic strength qualities in their late twenties, they will also eventually begin to initially lose MS qualities slightly later in life. It is recognized that an athlete’s MS levels will begin to decline at approximately age 30. Coach Bailey’s opinion, based on his empirical experiences as both an Olympic Weightlifter and coach, is that MS levels are maintained slightly longer, until the age of 32. The consistent annual development or the “banking” so to speak of enhanced MS qualities over time, along with the associated benefits of MS qualities, will not only enhance an athlete’s performance during a long and physically demanding season, but perhaps also turn back the hands of time, providing an abbreviated “fountain of youth” so to speak, resulting in the fore mentioned offset of elastic strength loss resulting in a possible enhanced longevity of an athletes career.

The eventual loss of an athlete’s maximal and elastic strength qualities, as well as many other neuromuscular, musculoskeletal, and physiological qualities with age is inevitable. The initiation, timing, enhancement, and maintence of MS qualities may assist to delay this process.

The Relationship Between Strength and Sports Performance

It would make sense to derive that if athlete possesses greater levels of MS and/or power vs. their opponent, with all else being equal, the stronger athlete would have a distinct advantage over their opponent.  However, considerations for the necessary MS levels include but are not limited to the following:

Sport of Participation

Requirements of MS levels may differ depending upon the specific sport of participation. The physical requirements of each particular sport will assist to determine the various strength levels that are necessary for the participating athlete. For example, does a fencer need the same MS requirements as a football player?

Position of Sport Participation

As many athletes participate in the same sport of competition, the physical requirements based on their specific position or role of play may differ. Although an offensive lineman and wide receiver both participate in the same sport of American football, is the required proportion of physical qualities necessary for optimal athletic performance the same? Does the wide receiver need the same level of MS level as the offensive lineman?

Competitive Level of Sports Participation

Participation at various (and specific) levels of athletic competition may require advanced levels of MS parameters. An athlete’s MS requirement may considerably differ when comparing the demands of a professional athlete to that of an amateur athlete. The same may be said of the differences in the competitive “levels” of competition. For example, NCAA intercollegiate athletics are divided into three (3) divisions (levels) of competition, Division I, Division II and Division III. It could be derived that higher MS levels would be required for successful participation at the higher levels (i.e. Division I athletes vs. Division II athletes vs. Division III athletes) of athletic competition.  It has been documented that differences in the displayed MS and power levels do exist when comparing the strength and power characteristics of intercollegiate Division I, II, and III football players.

Standards of Competition

There are levels of strength that are necessary, not for guaranteed success, but as criteria to allow (qualify) an athlete to compete. This is certainly common in Powerlifting and Weightlifting, but is very important in other sports of participation as well. I recall a conversation with an Olympic Track and Field throws coach who stated that in the three previous Olympic games, all medaling shot-putters had bench pressed at least 440 pounds. If this statement is held true, then an athlete would have to enhance their MS in the bench press to at least 440 pounds to compete for a medal, not guarantee them a medal.

The same may be said of various professional sports annual combines. Based upon the participating athletes displayed levels of various strength qualities, they are evaluated against their peers based on a standardized level to predict performance and athletic success. The athletes competing at these combines must meet or surpass specific “physical” standards for consideration as not only a possible draft selection, but what specific level of draft selection by the professional teams of the league.

“Staying Fresh” vs. “Staying Strong”

There are often times during the competitive season where a Head Sport Coach or Strength and Conditioning Professional will make the statement “We need to keep our players fresh”. Frequently this means having the players rest, or perform workouts at low sub-maximal intensity levels as not to “wear the players out” so to speak. There are certainly times through a long and physically taxing season where such a thought process may be feasible under specific scenarios, however, to adhere to this philosophy for a significant extended period of time may prove costly.

For an athlete to avoid appropriately planned and timed periodic high intensity, low volume training in-season, will contribute to a deconditioning of the athlete and a forfeiture of the MS and power qualities processed at the initiation of the season.

Coach Parker in-season weight programs placed emphasis of not only maintaining MS and power qualities during the season, but also improving these physical qualities as the season progressed.  During one of his NFL Super Bowl bound team’s seasons, 35 of his players performed a PR in at least one lift during the same playoff game week. The in-season program design is beyond the scope of this writing, however, the lesson presented is that (a) there is a distinct difference between “staying fresh” and “staying strong, and (b) in-season MS and power quality enhancement can occur.  Maintaining and/or enhancing an athlete’s strength qualities in-season is what will keep the athlete “fresh”.

There are certainly a number of factors to consider during the instrumentation of an in-season training program. A sport such as football may present a more organized structure for training as only one competition is scheduled per week, vs. the multiple competition’s scheduled per week in sports such as baseball, basketball, and hockey. However, there are strength coaches in these for mentioned sports, such as Coach Vermeil, who programed appropriate high intensity exercises not only during the in-season, but prepared his athletes with appropriate intensity and low volume workouts on game day as well.

Maintaining, if not improving MS and power qualities during the in-season may be one of the few advantages that an athletic team may have over their opponent in the present era of advanced athletic performance enhancement training.

Training Time

Discussions with former NFL and Hall of Fame Strength Coach Al Miller and Strength Coach Derek Hansen brought to light the relationship of excessive MS training in regard to the time considerations available for the athlete’s training. In addition to the “risk vs. reward” contemplation during the application of increased high intensities for exercise performance, the time available for training is an additional factor that should not be ignored.  Organizations such as the NCAA place restricted time allotments for the training of an athlete. The athlete’s work capacity or their resistance to excessive fatigue is also a factor of suitable programming (training time). The question arises if additional training time is spent to increase MS qualities that may not be necessary or excessive, is there enough training time remaining to properly train the other important physical qualities necessary for the athlete to produce optimal and repeated athletic performance? Training time restrictions, in association with the athlete’s work capacity to performance train efficiently, are definitive considerations in the program design for the enhancement of multiple strength qualities that are necessary for high level athletic performance. Unnecessary emphasis of MS qualities may result in an absence of sufficient training of other important strength qualities.

Summary

Maximal Strength is a basic and important characteristic for improving athletic performance. However, MS qualities in association with power type qualities are essential for the achievement of optimal athletic performance. A MS strength reserve is a contributing factor to maintaining athletic performance throughout a long season, as well as enhancing the longevity of an athlete’s career. During the application of high intensity exercise the “risk vs. reward” must also be considered, as excessive high intensity loads may place the athlete at increased risk of injury. The appropriate and proportionate level of MS necessary for each individual athlete is contingent upon a multitude of factors, and includes the “eye of the coach”, likely the most essential factor in determining the MS level necessary for the athlete. It is the coach’s eye, which is the “talent” that separates the great coaches from the good ones.

Bibliography

1. Fry, AC and Kraemer WJ, Physical performance characteristics of American collegiate football players. Journal of Applied Sports Science Research 5 (3): 126 – 138, 1991

2. Hansen, Derek personal communication

3. Komi, PV, Stretch-shortening cycle. In: Strength and Power in Sport (2^nd ed). Oxford, United Kingdom: Blackwell Science, pp. 184 – 202, 2003

4. Lyttle, AD, Wilson, GJ, and Ostrowski, KJ, Enhancing performance; maximal power versus combined weights and plyometrics training. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research 10(3): 173 – 179, 1996.

5. Miller, A., personal communication

6. Parker, J., personal communication

7. Stone, MH, “Explosive Exercise” National Strength and Conditioning Association Journal, 15 (4): 7 – 15, 1993

8. Vermeil, A., personal communication

9. Zatsiorsky, VM, and Kraemer, WJ, Science and Practice of Strength Training. Champaign, IL: Human Kinetics, pp. 33 – 39, 2006.

Okay folks I’ve got some more randomness for you, here you go:

1. Facebook Fan Page

I recently started a Facebook Fan Page so please hit like so you can follow me on there. I’ve been posting most of my fitness stuff to that page lately instead of using my regular page.

2. Contreras Files Volume II

I recently wrote another edition of the Contreras Files for TNation HERE. In this post I discuss a lot of different things, much of which has just recently been published or is published ahead of print, including:

• Stretching doesn’t affect DOMS
• Dynamic effort hex bar deadlifts with 40% of 1RM will match the peak power outputs of the Olympic lifts
• Full range of motion exercise trumps partials for both strength and hypertrophy
• Various methods for improving sprint acceleration
• The biomechanics of the kettlebell swing
• Muscle, Smoke and Mirrors
• Strength training practices of professional Strongmen
• Lower back loads during resistance training, sport and functional activity
• Neck training
• The updated RKC Plank (with video below)

If you click on the video and go to Youtube, you can read the comments underneath the video, they’re hilarious!

3. Coach Nick Gill: Ironman Race for Cystic Fibrosis

My friend Nick Gill (head strength coach for the All Blacks; a New Zealand rugby team that won the World Cup last year) is trying to raise $3,000 for an upcoming Ironman race in March. All proceeds go to the Cystic Fibrosis Association. If you have change to spare then please donate some HERE. To my Kiwi readers – he helped win you a World Cup it’s the least you could do!

4. Hamstring Strain Injuries: Are We Headed in the Right Direction?

My friends Jurdan Mendiguchia and Matt Brughelli recently got an article published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine. You can download the article HERE. Jurdan and Matt are freaky intelligent. This is a top-notch article on the hamstrings so if you’re a strength coach make sure you read it. The authors point out that hamstring injury and re-injury rates haven’t improved in 3 decades. We like to boil things down and take a reductionist viewpoint on things but with the human body factors are interrelated as shown in the conceptual model provided by the authors below. Understanding this model will go a long way in improving your knowledge of hamstring injuries.

5. Strong Curves Update

My friend Kellie Davis and I have been working hard to complete our Strong Curves book which should be available later this summer. We recently went to Las Vegas and shot pictures for a couple of days and then returned to Phoenix to shoot more pictures and videos for a couple of days. Here are some highlights.

6. Crappiest Personal Trainer Ever

When Kellie and I were filming the video promo for Strong Curves I witnessed something that I just have to get off my chest. A brand new client was receiving his first training session with a personal trainer. For the beginner’s first session, the trainer put him through this routine for his entire workout:

• Bosu ball push ups (dome facing down, hands gripping the Bosu platform) 3 sets of 8 reps
• Bosu ball cable crossovers (dome facing up, standing on the Bosu ball) – 3 sets of 10 reps
• Front planks – 3 sets of 30 seconds holds
• Walking on the treadmill – 20 minutes

Great job you stupid jackass! You officially provided the absolute worst strength training routine for a beginner client that I’ve ever seen in my life. Nothing for the legs or back, just a couple of unstable surface exercises for the chest/triceps, a core stability exercise and some cardio that the guy could have done anywhere. Step it up personal trainers!

7. Back Extension Height

If you really squeeze the glutes as hard as you can at the top of a back extension you’ll pull your torso up a bit higher which makes the movement much more challenging for the glutes. This is hip hyperextension which is not to be confused with spinal hyperextension. I can do 50 reps if I don’t hyperextend my hips and I feel it mostly in the hammies, but if I do it this way 30 reps kills me and I feel it in my hammies and my glutes. Here’s a vid:

8. Deficit Reverse Lunge – Knee Dominant Fashion

Here’s a tweak on the deficit reverse lunge to make the movement more knee dominant. This smokes my quads if I really try to focus on using the top leg to its full extent. Here’s a vid:

9. Ben Bruno Build a Better Workout

My friend Ben Bruno wrote a great Livestrong article and I absolutely loved his program. To me it’s sort of a Body for Life meets  Mike Boyle Strength & Conditioning with a Ben Bruno twist. I like the way Ben thinks when it comes to training. Anyway, I gotta give some serious props to Ben on this one as it’s one of the best routines I’ve ever seen and I don’t usually like other people’s routines.

10. NFL Wide Receiver Sam Giguere Training

Here is a video of Sam Training. All I can say is that this is some serious athleticism. Beautiful!

11. Is Your Corrective Exercise Working?

My friend Elsbeth Vaino filmed this video and I really liked what she had to say. Even better was the guy in the background breathing really heavy while Elsbeth was talking haha! Having filmed tons of Youtube videos myself in various gyms I have to laugh when these things happen as you usually don’t realize it until you get home and watch the video. Anyway, watch the video as Elsbeth gives some good advice.

12. Jen Grasso’s Favorite Glute Exercises

Jen Grasso listed her ten favorite glute exercises HERE. I always enjoy hearing about how others train their glutes.

13. Training Around Femoroacetabular Impingement (FAI)

Kevin Neeld has written an excellent blogpost about training around FAI HERE. Watch the video embedded in the link – it’s one of the most serious cases I’ve seen so it makes for an excellent case study. Trainers, strength coaches and physical therapists need to understand FAI so definitely check this one out.

14. Single Leg Squat Stand

Here’s my friend Elsbeth again discussing all the exercises she likes to perform off of a single leg squat stand. Very cool!

15. Gliding Leg Curl

The gliding leg curl is an excellent hamstring exercise that I came up with several years ago. It never caught on like I hoped it would, which is unfortunate as it’s a really good hamstring movement. I’ve seen a couple of videos and usually people don’t keep the hips elevated sufficiently throughout the movement and they don’t pull their bodies forward enough. Keep the hips sky-high and pull the body all the way up and forward via knee flexion. This way you’ll really work the hammies. Here’s a quick video:

Okay that’s all folks! Hope you’re all having a great week. BC

It’s been a long time since I posted one of these, but once upon a time my readers loved my random thoughts.

1. Mathematics of Sports Science Over the past year I’ve really delved into the mathematics of biomechanics and am interested in teaching you some of the numbers. Mathematics is the language of the universe and I’ve pulled up a ton of the literature that pertains to:

• Spinal Loading
• Hip ROM
• Hip Extension Torque
• Ground Reaction Forces
• Peak Power Outputs

When you can envision the forces, torques, ranges of motion and peak power outputs involved in sports and exercise in newtons, newton-meters, degrees and watts, then you can get a very good understanding of what’s occurring and what needs to happen in order to improve. It is my hope that more coaches start learning these types of numbers as it will assist them in becoming better coaches.

Math Automatically Makes You Awesome!

2. Unsolicited Advice A couple of weeks ago I posted a blog that discussed my policy at commercial gyms – I don’t offer unsolicited advice. Even though I could help nearly every single person in the gym improve upon their form or program design, I think of the golden rule: “Do unto others as you’d have them do unto you.” The other day I was performing box squats and some random guy came up to me and started lecturing me. He had very good intentions, but he didn’t possess a sound understanding of biomechanics and was informing me that I’m going to hurt me knees by sitting back so far. I could tell that this guy wasn’t the type to want to learn anything about knee joint loading during the squat (or hip or lumbar spine loading for that matter), so I opted to not try to teach him a thing or two and just nodded my head and thanked him for the advice.

Box Squats Are Actually a Knee-Friendlier Way to Squat

Over the years I’ve had well-intentioned folks advise me to not squat, not deadlift, not military press, not dip, not bent over row, not hip thrust, roll my shoulders when doing shrugs and stop at parallel during squats. Ironically I guarantee that I get hurt way less often than the folks who offer me unsolicited advice and most of the time I’m around three times stronger than these folks. I just want to be left alone to train the way I want to train. For this reason, I choose to avoid ponying up unsolicited advice when training in commercial gyms. Sure some lifters would appreciate it, but many would be annoyed (even if my advice is sound) as in general most people want to be left alone when they train.

3. Hip Thrusts Sans Padding A while back I wrote in a TNation article that I no longer use padding when I perform hip thrusts. To prove it, here I am doing 495 x 3 without a pad. I don’t feel any pain when doing these. Just as in the case of squats, Zercher squats, front squats, hook grip, etc., eventually the pain goes away with hip thrusts and you no longer feel the bar digging into your upper hip flexors and lower abdominals. I have not experimented with this method on women and skinnier men so I’m not sure if they would experience issues with this method.

4. Coffee As of a few weeks ago I never really drank coffee (maybe on average a cup per month). For some reason over the past three weeks I’ve become completely addicted and started drinking 3-4 cups per day. Diet coke just wan’t cutting it so I had to move onto the hard stuff!

Where have you been all my life?

5. Ego Depletion and Healthy Habits I was reading Matt Perryman’s blog and came across something interesting – a phenomenon known as Ego Depletion. The premise behind ego depletion is that self-control is finite, and throughout the day, each time you have to utilize will-power and exert self-control you get a little bit weaker and find it more difficult to conjure up the will-power to utilize self-control and make the proper decision. This caused me to think about how this applies to nutrition. If I have junk food in my kitchen then every time I eat I have to exert self-control to avoid devouring the entire box/carton/bag of junk food. Eventually I’ll cave and wake up on the floor smothered in chocolate. If I don’t have any junk food around, then I don’t have to use up any “self-control” and I find it easier to avoid making poor nutritional decisions in life. For this reason I think it’s wise to set up healthy habits and put yourself in positions where you don’t have to constantly be tempted to be unhealthy.

Don't set yourself up for failure!

6. Nutrition/Physiology Gurus Has anyone in the industry noticed this tendency? I won’t name any names, but many (not all) of the nutrition, fat-loss and physiology gurus in our profession are some of the cockiest guys I’ve ever come across. They seem to treat people like crap, tear into people and find the whole world annoying (except for those who agree with their every word). I’ve decided to venture more down the biomechanics path and I haven’t met many coaches who have a better understanding in this area than I do, yet I would never think that this knowledge gave me the right to talk down to everyone, nor do I feel superior to those who aren’t as well-versed as me. It’s as if there’s a direct relationship between understanding physiology and being an asshole. I freakin’ love science, but being a science whiz doesn’t make you cool. Being cool makes you cool.

7. Hip Thrusts and the Rest-Pause Method Something I really like about hip thrusts is that they lend themselves very well to the rest-pause technique. I described this technique in a SCJ article in addition to the constant tension method. With the rest-pause method, you perform a certain number of reps, rest a little bit, perform a couple more, rest, etc. Some would call this a “cluster set” but I’ve seen the terms used different ways over the years. Regardless, below is a video demonstrating the method. You’ll notice I perform 6 reps, rest around 8 seconds, then I perform 2 more reps, then rest around 12 seconds, then perform 2 more reps for a total of 10 reps. This method would theoretically produce superior neural adaptations.

8. Hip Thrusts and the Constant-Tension Method Since I mentioned the constant-tension method I figured I should show a video. This method would theoretically produce superior muscular adaptations. Watch Karli (this is a workout from around 14 months ago that I had her do) at 2:21 – 2:58 seconds into the video. You’ll notice that she busts out 145 x 20 reps in only 38 seconds (around 1 second up and 1 second down) while controlling the weight through a full range of motion. Smaller plates are used (25 pound plates rather than 45 pound plates) so the plates never touch the ground to prevent resting.

Damn I had Karli’s form looking amazing! Just sayin’. And the song in that video still gets me all riled up! Okay that’s all folks! Catch you on the flip side. – BC

Chances are you have family members and friends who don’t perform resistance training. This is unfortunate given that lifting weights has been shown to be rather important for overall health and well-being. Many individuals struggle to find the necessary time and energy to devote toward physical fitness and health. You may wish to forward the link to this article to these folks in an attempt to change their minds.

How Often Should You Exercise?

In 2007, The ACSM and AMA released their updated physical activity and public health recommendations for adults. Here are some of their recommendations (click HERE to download the pdf):

1. To promote and maintain good health, adults aged 18–65 yr should maintain a physically active lifestyle.

2. They should perform moderate-intensity aerobic (endurance) physical activity for a minimum of 30 min on five days each week or vigorous-intensity aerobic activity for aminimum of 20 min on three days each week.

3. Combinations of moderate- and vigorous-intensity activity can be performed to meet this recommendation. For example, a person can meet the recommendation by walking briskly for 30 min twice during the week and then jogging for 20 min on two other days.

4. These moderate- or vigorous intensity activities are in addition to the light intensity activities frequently performed during daily life (e.g., self care, washing dishes, using lighttools at a desk) or activities of very short duration (e.g., taking out trash, walking to parking lot at store or office).

5. Moderate-intensity aerobic activity, which is generally equivalent to a brisk walk and noticeably accelerates the heart rate, can be accumulated toward the 30-min minimumby performing bouts each lasting 10 or more minutes.

6. Vigorous-intensity activity is exemplified by jogging, and causes rapid breathing and a substantial increase in heart rate.

7. In addition, at least twice each week adults will benefit by performing activities using the major muscles of the body that maintain or increase muscular strength and endurance.

8. Because of the dose-response relation between physical activity and health, persons who wish to further improve their personal fitness, reduce their risk for chronic diseases and disabilities, or prevent unhealthy weight gain will likely benefit by exceeding the minimum recommended amount of physical activity.

Goblet Squat

Based on these associations’ recommendations, adults should seriously consider strength training at least two days per week.

What are the Health Benefits of Strength Training?

Many review papers elucidate the specific health benefits of strength training. Winnett and Carpinelli (2001) and Pollock and Vincent (1996) have listed multiple potential health-related benefits of strength training (click HERE and HERE to download the pdf’s), including:

• Maintenance of functional ability
• Prevent osteoporosis
• Prevent sarcopenia
• Prevent lower-back pain and other disabilities
• Positively impact insulin-resistance
• Positively impact metabolic rate
• Positively impact glucose metabolism
• Positively impact blood pressure
• Positively impact body fat and central adiposity
• Positively impact gastrointestinal transit time
• Reduce the risk of diabetes
• Reduce the risk of heart disease
• Reduce the risk of cancer
• Reduce the risk of falls, fractures and disabilities
• Improve quality of life

Kraemer et al. 2002 (link to abstract) lists additional benefits, including:

• Decrease cardiovascular demands of exercise
• Improve blood-lipid profiles
• Increase muscle and connective tissue cross-sectional area
• Increase strength, power, endurance and hypertrophy

More recently, resistance training has been shown to improve:

• Flexibility/mobility (Monteiro et al. 2008; Santos et al. 2010, Aquino et al. 2010, Simao et al. 2010; Morton et al. 2011; Nelson and Bandy 2004)
• Joint stability (Carter et al. 2006, Durall et al. 2009, Nyland et al. 2011)
• Spinal posture (Katzman et al. 2007)
• Brain/cognitive function (Liu-Ambrose et al. 2010, Brown et al. 2009, Cassilhas et al. 2007)
• Depression/mood (Levinger et al. 2011, Lincoln et al. 2011, Martins et al. 2011)
• Self-esteem (Moore et al. 2011)

Kettlebell Swing

Combating Metabolic and Frailty Syndromes

Based on the aforementioned research, it’s rather safe to say that strength training is proven to improve overall health and well-being. However, I’d like to delve a bit more into two degenerative syndromes; metabolic syndrome and frailty syndrome. Most of the over-50 population I know who don’t exercise regularly exhibit many of the signs of these nasty syndromes. Sundell (2011) has defined them as follows (click HERE to download the pdf):

Metabolic syndrome is a set of risk factors that includes abdominal obesity, insulin resistance (a decreased ability to process glucose), hypertension, and dyslipidemia. This combination of medical disorders increases markedly the risk of arteriosclerotic vascular disease. The prevalence of metabolic syndrome is rapidly increasing worldwide, largely as a consequence of the ongoing obesity pandemic.

The frailty syndrome is a collection of symptoms or markers mainly due to the aging-related loss and dysfunction of skeletal muscle and bone. Subjects with the frailty syndrome have increased risk of adverse events such as death, disability, and institutionalization. The costs of frailty syndrome will increase dramatically as the elderly population grows over the next decade.

Here is the author’s conclusions regarding resistance training and these syndromes:

Metabolic syndrome is a set of risk factors (abdominal obesity, insulin resistance, hypertension, and dyslipidemia) which increases markedly the risk of arteriosclerotic vascular disease. In subjects with frailty syndrome, aging-related loss of muscle (sarcopenia) and bone (osteoporosis) might progress to the extent that an older person loses his or her ability to live independently. Due to ongoing obesity pandemic and growing elderly population, metabolic and frailty syndromes are major emerging concerns in healthcare system. Recent studies show that resistance training has remarkable beneficial effects on the musculoskeletal system including prevention and treatment of these syndromes. Resistance training has favourable effect on metabolic syndrome since it decreases fat mass including abdominal fat. It also enhances insulin sensitivity, improves glucose tolerance, and reduces blood pressure values. The combination of sarcopenia and osteoporosis is often seen in the frailty syndrome. Resistance training is probably the most effective measure to prevent and treat sarcopenia. In addition, many studies show that resistance training can maintain or even increase bone mineral density. Optimal nutrition enhances the anabolic effect of resistance training. Resistance training should be a central component of public health promotion programs along with an aerobic exercise.

Swiss Ball Dumbbell Incline Press

Motivating the Unmotivated

If you’re a regular reader of this blog, then chances are you’re already convinced about the health-benefits of regular strength training. Accordingly, you probably wish that your loved-ones regularly participated in resistance training. If you’re like me, then you want the people you love to be fit, happy, mobile, stable, strong, powerful, active, energetic, muscular, lean, confident and healthy. You don’t want them become frail, you don’t want their posture and mobility to diminish, and you don’t want their brain function to diminish as they age.

I created this simple program as a way to entice my family members and friends who aren’t quite as gung-ho about strength training as a typical gym-goer to participate in a regular strength training program. Many of my loved-ones enjoyed training with me when I had my facility but now that I no longer own a facility they don’t enjoy training alone or at a commercial gym. I’ve found that asking someone to perform resistance training for ten minutes a day is an easy sell. Many individuals dread hour-long sessions but don’t mind a quick ten minute jolt of exercise. I’ve taught this program to four different people over the past couple of weeks and they seem to enjoy it. It is my hope that they stick with this system over the long-haul and make it a daily habit.

Why Just 5 Exercises?

You can work the entire body thoroughly with just five exercises. The goal here is to find the sweet spot between minimizing the number of exercises and maximizing results. This program contains optimal structural balance as each session will effectively work the lower body pressing musculature (mainly the quads and glutes), the lower body pulling musculature (mainly the glutes and hamstrings), the upper body pressing musculature (mainly the pecs, front delts and triceps), the upper body pulling musculature (mainly the lats, scapular retractors and biceps), and the core (mainly the erectors, abdominals and obliques).

For the lower body, each session will include a standing squatting movement (either on two legs or on one leg) as well as a standing, supine or prone hip-hinging movement (either with straight legs or bent knees). For the upper body, each session will include a pressing and pulling movement in the vertical or horizontal planes. For the core, each session will include either a dynamic or stability exercise.

Modified Inverted Row

Why Only One Set?

While multiple-set training has been shown to be more effective than single-set training, the law of diminishing returns applies. You get the most results out of the first set, with subsequent sets yielding less and less results. Performing only one set per exercise leaves you more fresh for subsequent exercises so you can perform all five exercises with high-quality output. Then there is the relationship between number of sets and compliance. Feigenbaum and Pollock (1999) noted the following:

Single set programs are less time consuming and more cost efficient, which generally translates into improved program compliance. Further, single set programs are recommended for the above-mentioned populations because they produce most of the health and fitness benefits of multiple set programs.

Remember that although most gym rats love lifting weights for an hour each session, not everyone is this enthusiastic about training. A ten-minute session per day is quite appealing to many individuals which will increase the likelihood that these folks incorporate the sessions into their daily routines and make strength training a habit.

What Rep-Range?

Since there won’t be any dynamic warm-up to the routine, sets of higher repetition ranges are advised. Most of the time, 10-20 repetitions should be performed. Of course, there are plenty of times where exceptions can be made. For example, for a beginner or intermediate, single repetitions of chin ups (or negative chin ups for that matter) can be performed. In the case of chin ups it may be wise to perform a “cluster” set where the exerciser performs 3 singles each separated by 30 seconds of rest. Conversely, a high repetition set of bodyweight squats, reverse hypers or hip thrusts is perfectly fine as well. These can be performed for 30+ reps.

What Equipment is Needed?

Many individuals will tell you that all you need to receive a great full body workout is the human body. I would agree but it takes some serious creativity as well as some basic levels of strength. You can start off with just bodyweight exercises. However, exercise tools allow individuals to receive much better workouts so it’s important to have access to these tools in order to allow for more productive sessions. Here is a chart that includes a list of basic equipment that I believe people who wish to train out of their own homes should own:

If you think that this equipment requires too much money in spending, think about how expensive health care costs are. It is not necessary to purchase this equipment all at once. These purchases can be made over the course of a few years. Start off with some dumbbells and a Swiss ball, then purchase an iron gym and jungle gym, then some kettlebells, sandbags and JC bands, and eventually a barbell set, adjustable bench, aerobics steps and squat stands. You will have this equipment for life so don’t sweat paying a couple thousand dollars on your health and fitness as it will pay off in avoiding gym membership fees, time saved in transit driving back and forth from the gym and of course avoiding future doctor’s visits and hospitalization.

Which Exercises?

1. Pick a Lower Body Press – bodyweight squat, box squat, goblet squat, Bulgarian split squat, step up, Zercher squat, front squat, back squat, single leg box squat
2. Pick a Lower Body Pull - single leg RDL, glute bridge, deadlift, sumo deadlift, good morning, back extension, reverse hyper, hip thrust, single leg hip thrust
3. Pick an Upper Body Press - knee push up, push up, db bench press, db incline press, db military press, floor press, bench press, incline press, close grip bench
4. Pick an Upper Body Pull – chin up, pull up, neutral grip pull up, inverted row, one arm row, db bent over row, db chest supported row, barbell bent over row
5. Pick a Core Exercise - crunch, side crunch, lying leg raise, front plank, side plank, sit up, hanging leg raise, landmine, band Pallof press

There are plenty of other good exercises but notice that these are big exercises that either work multiple joints or large amounts of muscle.

Feet Elevated Side Plank

What are Some Example Sessions?

Example One  (Beginner) – bodyweight box squat, bodyweight glute bridge, dumbbell bench press, one arm row, front plank

Example Two (Beginner) – bodyweight step up, bodyweight single leg RDL, knee push up, negative chin up, side plank

Example Three (Intermediate) – goblet squat, kettlebell swing, dumbbell incline press, chest supported row, sit up

Example Four (Intermediate) – bodyweight reverse lunge, deadlift, push up, inverted row, Pallof press

Example Five (Advanced) – barbell front squat, good morning, military press, neutral grip pull up, landmine

Example Six (Advanced) – dumbbell deficit Bulgarian split squat, barbell hip thrust, close grip bench press, barbell bent over row, hanging leg raise

How Often?

Do this routine every day. Sure there might be some days where you can’t squeeze in a workout but at the very least you should easily be able to fit this into your schedule 5 days/week. It’s just ten minutes of exercise!

Barbell Hip Thrust

What Else Should Folks Do?

Five days per week go on a walk, a hike, a bike ride, a jog, a swim, etc. Some days just do light/moderate activity, some days go at a more vigorous pace, and some days do high-intensity intervals. Vary between 20 minutes and an hour depending on your mood and desired level of exertion.

Conclusion

Hopefully this article will help convince skeptical individuals about the importance of strength training and sway those who are on the fence to embark on a training regimen. Initially, beginners can simply perform bodyweight exercises such as squats, low step ups, glute bridges, knee push ups and front planks over and over until they feel natural. As time ensues, beginners will progress in range of motion, number of repetitions, amount of resistance and quality of repetitions. Intermediates can mix it up and perform more challenging variations, and advanced lifters can keep adding load or start performing two sets of each exercise. The point is that strength training sessions do not need to last an hour per day. Ten minute sessions done consistently are a thousand times better than doing nothing at all. And the less time spent lifting weights, the more time available for outdoor activities which many people find more fun and rewarding (not to mention good for vitamin D if the sun is out). Decide today to make strength training a daily habit and ten years from now you’ll look back on it as one of the smartest decisions you ever made.

Around this same time last year I posted a blog that listed all of the instructional videos I had created on Youtube. This year I’ve filmed plenty more so I wanted to put up another post since I like to have all of the videos in one place for reference. In case you haven’t seen all of them, here are 20 instructional videos. Happy New Year to all my readers. I’m very excited about 2012 and already have tons of good stuff to share with you. Let’s make this an amazing year peeps! Cheers, BC

Hip Thrust

Squat

Deadlift

Band Hip Rotation

Back Extension

Glute Ham Raise

Box Squat

Rack Pull

Bulgarian Split Squat

Bodyweight Hip Thrust Variations

American Deadlift

Chops, Lifts and Pallof Presses

Eccentric Accentuated Ab Mat Crunch

Single Leg Romanian Deadlift

Floor Press

Shoulder and Foot Elevated Hip Thrust

Double Standing Hip Abduction

Double Quadruped Hip Transverse Abduction

Single Leg Abducted Deadlift

RKC Plank

Happy New Year from the Reef Girls!