Here are some good reads and views from the past week or so. I read a lot of stuff and some people like the fact that they can just use my blog to direct them as to what to read for the week. I try to offer enough topics to satisfy a variety of people. Happy reading!
1. In this article, Patrick Ward reviews the NSCA National Conference.
2. In this article, Jason Pegg tells a story detailing the importance of trigger point therapy.
3. In this article, Dave Tate gives us more excellent free bench pressing advice.
4. In this article, Jamie Hale discusses the various hunger hormones.
5. On this link, you’ll find a really cool and rare Sprinting video from Bud Winter.
6. In this article, Eric Cressey talks about the importance of cueing. This article brought me back down memory lane as it reminded me of a time when I owned my own facility.
7. In this article, Jonathon Chaimberg stresses the importance of conditioning for MMA.
8. This article blows the lid off of the whole “certain sneakers prevent injuries” myth.
9. In this blog, Charlie Weingroff discusses the merits of high squatting.
10. In this absolutely hilarious article, Charles Poliquin calls a girl out and doesn’t allow her to make excuses for not having the time to work out.
11. This article talks about a lost exercise – the dumbbell pullover – an oldie but goodie. I still do pullovers from time to time and have found that nothing makes the long head of my triceps more sore. It also works the lats of course and some pec muscle as well.
12. In this blog, Aaron Schwenzfeier talks about “what matters.” This blog is very insightful.
13. In this blog, Lee Taft talks about functional training. A quote I love to repeat is “Functional Training is not what it looks like but what it produces.”
14. In this article the Diesel Crew reminds us of several excellent medicine ball drills.
15. In this article Mark Young discusses unilateral quad training.
16. In this article, ACE (The American Council on Exercise) dispels the myth that toning shoes will shape your butt and thighs. Hurrah for ACE in serving as the “mythbusters.” I don’t know what makes me more upset, that the unscrupulous shoe companies fabricate this bullshit or that women are so gullible that they believe it.
17. In this blog, Nick Tumminello provides an overwhelming case against upper traps in being the prime movers during shrugs. Great job Nick!
18. In this blog, Mike Robertson discusses his thoughts on the reverse hyper.
19. In this blog, Tony Gentilcore talks about why women should lift heavy things.
20. Here’s a video I just came across by Karsten Jensen. It’s not very often I say this, but “I never thought of that glute exercise variation!” Great job Karsten!!!
21. In this article you’ll learn that testosterone increases from watching a winning game by 42-44%, while watching a losing game only causes a 6-17% increase.
22. Who has time to create stuff like this? Funny stuff you find in the gym!
23. In this article Charles Poliquin tells us how he chooses a gym when he’s traveling.
24. In this article, Charles Poliqin discusses his thoughts on training for speed-skaters.
25. In this blog, Mike Young talks about planned rest and alludes to a phenomenon that I find very interesting known as Myosin Heavy Chain IIx Over-Shoot. Following a hard training cycle, detraining will result in increased type IIx fibers which could theoretically lead to increased speed and power. If you want more evidence for the phenomenon click here, here, and here.
26. In this blog, Matt Perryman talks about recovery. I love this quote: “This is the first step in recovery: don’t get too beat up in the first place.”
27. In this blog, Nia Shanks talks about High Intensive Training, not to be confused with High Intensity Training.
28. In this blog, Charles Poliquin talks about the value of split squats.
29. Here’s a video I recently came across. Just lay on the floor and do hip thrusts. You’ll use much more resistance and your glutes will receive a much more pronounced training effect. Oh well, it’s an interesting twist on the pull-through.
30. In this blog, Carson Boddicker interviews Mark Young.
31. In this blog, Dr. Perry Nickelston talks about overtraining.
32. In this blog, Mark Young discusses a study conducted on the FMS.
33. In this article, Mark Young addresses some misconceptions about interval training.
34. In this blog, Eric Cressey tells us why we shouldn’t have our pitchers swimming for conditioning, even though it’s a biomechanically similar pattern.
35. In this blog, Nia Shanks talks about hard work and busting your butt.
36. In this blog, John Izzo talks about dummying down info to your clients. I liked the idea of giving clients articles to read and homework. The “teacher” in me was very impressed.
37. In this blog, Mike Robertson discusses whether or not running is healthy.
38. In this blog, Vern Gambetta lists some dead ideas that won’t stay down.
39. In this article, Jason Ferruggia talks about hill sprints.
40. In this article, Bruce Wilhelm talks about deadlift training. I find that the old timers seemed to be more “in tune” with their bodies and really knew what worked for them than today’s “just take more steroids” lifters.
41. In this video Alwyn Cosgrove discusses metabolic training.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hpa5hz6v7_8&NR=1
42. In this forum thread, the Soma Simple folks throw down some serious brain-power on the topic of pain, core stability, and therapy. Only really advanced therapist and bodyworker types will understand this stuff but I made my way through it. Kudos to Craig Lebenson for being so professional.
43. In this blog, Vern Gambetta discusses his thoughts on recovery.
44. In this article, Charlie Weingroff talks about congenital laxity.
45. In this article, Martin Rooney offers some seriously hardcore conditioning challenges!
46. In this hilarious classic from Elitefts, Dave tells us 27 reasons to be big.
Wow,
Talk about getting everything laid out for me…guess I know what I’ll be doing for the next few hours!!
Fantastic job Bret.
….now if you could just read them to me that would be fantastic!!
Keep up the great work.
Cian
Thanks Cian! Glad to be of help.
hi bret great recommendations.. highly reccomend ready “born to run” some great stuff in there about shoe companies and the bullsh*t they try to sell people.. y are people so easily convinced by marketting gimmicks…
Andy, I think almost everyone in the industry has heard about the book “Born to Run.” It single handedly created the whole barefoot trend…and probably helped earn Vibram a ton of money too!
I started opening each link in a separate tab before realizing there were 46 of them and I wanted to get to sleep in the next 3 hours. It’s a bittersweet moment, but thank you still.
Haha! Thanks Robert. You can always just pick and choose from the list…
Mindblowing list. I feel like I don’t have to browse the internet anymore. I’ll just come and visit your blog!
In THIS blog, Bret illustrates I’ve only read a fraction of the articles out there.
Ha, good stuff. Would love it if you highlighted older articles. Some of them are real gems.
I think you just put Google reader, bloglines, and everyone else out of business.
Wow! I got four mentions. I almost caught up to Poliquin. I’m comin’ for you Charles. 🙂
You’ve officially become the fitness industry’s version of the paper boy – thanks for delivering the hotness to my eyeballs, Bret Contreras!
If I was a vacuum I’d be suckin’ on competition. Paperboy, “Ditty,” 1993
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ROVkXEBeQWE
Bud Winter. Man that is a blast from the past. Read his book on sprinting back in high school just after it came out. WOW
Bret,
You should perform an EMG study on soft tissue work before glute activation exercises vs no soft tissue work and no stretching of the glutes when followed by glute activation exercises vs soft tissue work and stretching before glute activation exercises. Would be compelling research.
This is a great idea for down the road!!! Thanks Derek.
I can’t find the right place to ask this. But I’m going hip thrusts for workouts now. Wanted to ask you a few things.
1. Where do you rest the bar? Like should it hit your pubic bone or a little higher up (hitting hips though)? I’m understaning the thick pad…
2. I thought I would just pound out 135s, but was too beat to do those (good form). I do a couple sets of RDLs and leg lifts before. I did 45 for now…can do more than that, but it’s good form practice…
3. I notice a change the last couple inches as I’m coming down. a little clunk as I sit down. Sjould I come all the way dowwn to the ground or perhaps just hold it a bit (constant tension)?
1. Bar across the pelvis (like seat belt). Keep it centered on hips and don’t let it roll back or forward. Yes…thick pad is huge!
2. Good idea…take your time.
3. Either way is fine; I do both (some times rest pause, sometimes constant tension).
Instead of naming this “Good Reads for the Week,” you should have named it “Stuff That Will Take You a Week to Read”…….get it? Hahahaha. Shut up, that was funny.
It was indeed very funny!!! I lol’d.
Thanks for the list! It takes a while to get through but I just read what I can as I have time.
I do have to say, while I like the content of the posts on female training by Charles Poliquin, I dislike the sarcastic socratic dialog. Even though its clearly meant just to be humorous, it still comes across as ‘women are dumb aren’t they?” I don’t think this was intentional as I feel its geared toward a trainer audience which always appreciates a froum to vent on the silly things clients say and do.
I much prefer the tone of this blog as well as Tony Gentilcore’s when female specific training issues come up. Funny without being condescending.
Amanda, the thing is Charles could have said those same comments to men (and tailored it to typical male excuses). I see your point though. Charles is famous for his tone. Some love him, some hate him. I agree, Tony’s tone is always non-condescending. But you have to admit Charles had some great points.
Bret,
What are some of your coaching points for keeping people out of lumbar spine extension on the quadraped barbell hip extension. I have been able to stop the flexion by limiting range on the eccentric, but it seems like on the concentric to “feel the glutes” people go into a little extension which seems ok, as per your discussion on strengthcoach.com. I know you also clarify between the donkey key version and the scorpion style?
Frank, do you mean the quadruped pendulum hip extension, or the barbell hip thrust? You can have people brace the core which usually does the trick. That and going down in weight until people get the right feel.