Post 36: Latest strong-athlete.com article: Prevention of Lower Back Pain

|By: Alex Carnall|

Probably more common than any injury in my experience has been clients presenting with low-back pain. There are tons of “rules of thumb” expressed as common knowledge or coaching cues that hold no more than face validity and are actually hurting people instead of protecting them. Since this article is going to be published to people who may not be looking purposely for information on the topic, I will try my best to keep it brief and pertinent to strength training. More specifically, with a high focus on injury prevention as opposed to diagnosis and correction – which admittedly are things that I’ve yet to learn lots about.

What I will do is present two general concepts. As always I have AN answer and not necessarily THE answer. So before anyone jumps down my throat on comments or anything, I want to say that these are two of many things to consider.

Concept #1 – Patterned muscle length pathologies.

If you’re familiar with either the late Dr. Vladimir Janda, or the Postural Restoration Institute, you already have a leg up on this idea. Basically these are the most influential thinkers of their time (PRI being the more recent) in terms of this first concept. Janda broke the ice by taking a more holistic look at the human body and the way it moves by conceptualizing the notion that our body operates as a system, and not just a series of segments.

Too commonly do I see people – even AT’s and PT’s – trying to address injuries and problems segmentally (structurally) without stepping back to see what other contributing factors may cause it.In actuality, localized pain is typically a symptom of dysfunction that is really occurring globally. In other words, there is some kind of structural imbalance or problem occurring away from – but is manifesting as pain in – the low-back. Therefore the problem may be acutely mitigated, but not resolved by addressing the area where the pain is experienced.

Janda proposed the idea of upper and lower crossed syndromes, UCS and LCS respectively. The general concept is outlined by the image below: For the sake of this article, we need merely give our attention to the bold text. There are common areas where people are uninhibited or overactive (dominant) and areas where people are consequently weakened or inhibited. Without getting into too much detail about specific muscle groups etc. in the diagram, we can begin to understand why it can be problematic.

Typically an experience of pain may be onset by muscles that are either too short or too long. Or weak, as people say in the biz.

For example, many folks lack the ability to fire their glutes, and as a result become short and tight in the hamstrings which can pull on the lower back. In other instances, people may have overactive rectus abdominus musculature which can shorten the anterior part of the trunk and cause long hamstrings which in turn allow the erectors and spine to shorten. Both scenarios express as pain.

All of our muscles work in anatomical trains. Remember what I said before about looking at the body as a system as opposed to a series of segments. Patterned imbalances can be the result of poor posture, programming, or just laziness.

Posture – Dr. Stuart McGill says “The best posture is the one that is constantly changing.” Staying in the same position for long periods of time prepares us to be patterned in that manner, and our breathing cements these bad patterns.

Programming – If you are consistently using workout routines that do not challenge you to move in all three (saggital, frontal, transverse) planes of motion, or balance your pushing and pulling, you are doing yourself a disservice.

Laziness – If you improperly hip-hinge to pick up heavy things, or use otherwise poor technique and form (strategies as Dr. Janda would call them) when training, you are putting yourself at risk. You have to fire locally (from the core) before you operate globally or distally (with the extremities.)

My major piece of remedial advice on this first concept is two-fold. Along with this food for thought, I encourage you to consider the following.

1) Clean up your act when you’re training: Don’t get lazy when it comes to form. A lot of people who are into crossfit and other types of high volume training (excess for the sake of excess) typically will try to “get it done” vs. get it done properly. Mike Boyle would encourage you that if you must train to failure, train to Technical Failure. This is the point where your form STARTS to deteriorate. Rack the bar, swallow your pride, and reduce the load. Also – consider the ratios of pushing and pulling in your programs, both upper and lower body.

2) Perform a little maintenance work with self-assessment and foam rolling: Take note of how your body feels when you move. Think about the above diagram and consider whether you’re firing in all the right places or not. If you honestly answer no; try some activation drills on inhibited muscles to get a better, more efficient, stronger lift. Also if you’re feeling some tightness, forget about your 10^th and 12^th Friday sets of cable flies and do some stretching/foam rolling. Make note of trigger points (or knots) and work on areas above and below those as well.

Concept #2: Training within a neutral spine zone.

One of the things that absolutely make me cringe when I’m watching people train is when they let their back sag during prone exercises – if I’m responsible for them, I don’t let it happen. Planks, pushups, back extensions, and eccentric-based core exercises are the worst for this. Flexion based core exercises are also a huge problem as they relate to this concept – and in my opinion should be banned.

The purpose of your core (trunk/superior hip) musculature is to protect the spine as it is meant to be in its natural position. A strong core allows us to maintain better local stabilization to allow for strong controlled distal movement, while keeping the spine in a natural position.If we lie on the floor and repeatedly flex and extend our spine, we are doing much more harm than good in the long term. There are only so many cycles of flexion and extension we can endure before something inevitably slips. Think of your intervertebral discs as a sandwich where the vertebrae are the bread. Bite the front of the sandwich and all the goodies discs go squeezing out the back. The same applies to hyperextension. Either way that’s a lame sandwich. Now I understand that flexion and extension are inherent in competition and we will be exposed to them either way, but we canat least avoid/limit them in training.

Keeping in mind that the spine has 3 segments, we can understand what proper alignment looks like. Cervical, Thoracic, and Lumbar spinal vertebrae are all subject to either rounding (kyphosis) or extending (lordosis.) In addition, we should understand that too much flexion or extension can also occur in each of the three spinal segments. However, in this case we are concerned with the low-back/lumbar spine.

Lumbar lordosis is facilitated by anterior pelvic tilt; and posterior pelvic tilt will promote a kyphotic lumbar spine.  Given this information, we can use either the position of the spine or the hips to determine whether the athlete needs correction. I have found good cues to be “tuck your tailbone underneath you” and/or “ribs down.” This helps to correct pelvic tilt and excessive lumbar extension pretty well, even if only until you can do any corrective exercises, or defer your client to another professional. You will actually feel some spinal traction when you correctly lengthen your spine. This means alleviation of compressive forces on the discs and a feeling of more “space” in your back.

With that in mind, once we are able to establish neutral spinal alignment, we can worry about what types of core exercises do fit the new model. I’m generally ok with any types of eccentric-dominant or isometric core exercises. Ab wheels, swiss ball rollouts/”stir the pot”, plank variations, chops/lifts, etc.  Anti-extension and Anti-rotation exercises like TRX Fallouts, Body Saws, or Pallof Presses make great choices too.

-Alex

Post 35: Second Article for strong-athlete.com - My 5 Best Leg Exercises

|By Alex Carnall|

Before I dive into what my five best leg exercises let me make a bit of a disclaimer. Understand that this article is written from my own perspective. I work with athletes who need a holistic, more functional (vs. structural) approach to their training. That’s not to say they won’t develop rippling quads and lofty glutes as a byproduct of working with me – but it isn’t the primary objective. In fewer words, I’m looking to develop movement-based strength.


#1. Lunge

The lunge is money. It’s what’s on the menu for our Knee-Dominant Single Leg Exercise. Single leg work will always make the juice worth the squeeze in athletic strength development. Lunges, by nature include a split stance and a nice deceleration component as well. The split stance develops ankle, knee, and hip stability by engaging adductors, abductors, quads, and peroneals. In addition, we become the beneficiaries of deceleration training. If you’ve ever done a lunge without losing teeth, you’ve used your hamstrings to decelerate the movement. Fun fact: eccentric hamstring work will also save your life when it comes to agility. Starting, stopping and cutting are a lot for primarily quad-dominant knee complexes to handle. Without the hamstring there to pull your tibias back where they ought to be, you’d be in a world of hurt and MRI machines.Variations of the lunge include lateral, diagonal, and different ways of extending the range of motion. Elevating the front or back foot is the simplest way to do this. You might also choose to change the COM (Center of Mass) by using a barbell or even going overhead if you’re that ambitious. By extending the range of motion, we are enhancing the ability of our muscles to produce force at different joint angles. This is useful in competition because we deal with both positive and negative shin angles, as well as being often called on to produce force without both feet fixed to the ground. Lunges are well-suited for a prep or transition phase to re-establish neuromuscular efficiency, coordination, and re-groove sound patterns. Your ass will never be so sore. 

#2. Single Leg Romanian Deadlift

The Single Leg Romanian Deadlift will be henceforth referred to as the SLRDL, for your comfort as well as my own. This is my first overall pick for the Hip Dominant Single Leg Exercises.  The SLRDL is a gem for developing unilateral glute, adductor, and hamstring strength. When done correctly, the SLRDL will have a quicker concentric action than most would anticipate. I prefer to hold the weight contralaterally to the working leg, but it could also be done with a barbell in more advanced progressions. By slowly hinging at the hip to feel a long hamstring, the implement (if in hand) should reach to the lower third of the tibia. Then, the glutes and hamstrings should quickly snap the athlete back into the starting position.
As with the lunge, the SLRDL can be progressed by using a greater range of motion and performing the exercise from a box. This is more commonly known as deadlifting from a deficit. You may also choose to use a barbell to change the COM as mentioned earlier. Again, extending the range of motion is of great value to athletic strength development (see above,) and fits prep and transition blocks nicely. Side Note: Single leg exercise also helps to maintain and establish functional hip, and ankle mobility as well as knee stability.

#3. Glute-Ham Raise

The GHR should be an absolute staple in all training programs, even if you’re just after aesthetics. An inverted hinge pattern that engages the calves, glutes, hamstrings, and the postural lumbar erectors is too good to pass up. If you’ve never done or seen one of these (there’s something wrong with you) it’s like a backward hamstring curl. The posterior chain is the number one source of athletic power by producing strong coordinated hip extension. Jumping, accelerating, and maintaining top speed – while the product of many things working together – are all hip extension based movements. Strong hip extension is executed via co-contraction of the glutes and hamstrings; therefore it should come as no surprise that an exercise with Glute-Ham in the name is the ideal tool for the job.

Since it could be argued that the GHR is a bodyweight exercise (we use ~60% BW to quantify intensity for the unloaded GHR,) there are a number of modifications that can be made to progress the exercise if you have mastered it. Using a weight held to the chest, or a light band from the base of the machine as a form of accommodating resistance is a great place to start. You may also eventually progress to using an unloaded barbell across the back – and then loaded if you’re nuts or have a few friends that want to help. I’ve also heard of single leg GHR’s but haven’t encountered that stage of manliness yet.

#2. Deadlift (Conventional

When it comes to separating man from boy, and boss from bro, nothing partitions athletes like the ability to pull big weight – fast. Although pulling from the floor is one of the most taxing things you can do to your nervous system, conventional deadlifting has a huge place in programming strength and power phases. This is the Hip Hinge movement from the introduction, and as such helps develop the all-important hip extension, as well as strong local stabilization of the TVA and lumbar erectors. Plus – it gives you monster upper back and traps, in addition to helping you keep your first pulls grooved for cleans and snatches.
In the interest of keeping this article from becoming too redundant, I want to talk about the psychological benefits of deadlifting. Athletes understand that once you reach a certain point in development, gains don’t come too easily, and small victories along the way are always motivating. There’s nothing like that about-to-black-out feeling you get after pulling a 3RM PR off the platform. Although I agree that heavy pulling should be in relatively low volume in your programming it’s a huge bang for buck exercise. Pure strength development from deadlifting and squatting set a stronger base for speed-strength conversion during power and pre-competition phases.

Later progressions of this exercise may include speed deadlifts, with 60-70% max pulled for singles and doubles, and can include the reverse band set-up for those who need it. You may also consider doing elevated deads to extend range of motion. Remembering to finish strong in the top half of the range with hamstring and glute contraction is the bread and butter of this movement.

#1. Squat

How predictable – another advocate of squatting. What type of squat is most effective though? First of all, it’s important to rotate your core movement variations to facilitate continuing adaptations, but I have to pick one. While I agree that high-bar Olympic or “traditional” squats and front squats have their place in structural balance and maintenance of good hip/ankle mobility, there is one I feel goes under-used by athletes. The powerlifting, or wide stance squat is phenomenally useful in strength blocks. This is because of the higher levels of activation in the hamstrings, adductors, and forcedly greater involvement of the glutes to finish. Mark Rippetoe makes a great point about the inverse nature of hip and knee angles (and consequent instantaneous torques) in Starting Strength. The more open the knee angle, the more closed the hip angle and vice versa. In the powerlifting (wide stance) squat, there is less opportunity for the knee angle to close up because your ass is pushed back during the eccentric phase, creating a smaller hip angle. A greater knee angle means less anterior displacement of the patella and therefore greater pre-stretch in the hamstrings. If you’re still following me, it should start to make sense why I love the wide stance (and implicitly love the box squat.) - See my interpretation below. Left: Wide stance squat joint angles. Right: Olympic/Front squat type joint angles.

Post 34: First Article for www.strong-athlete.com

5 Signs of a Bad Personal Trainer

|By Alex Carnall|

If I could master time travel and talk to the 18 year old version of me about training, I’d probably save myself the trip.  Like any other young lifter, I was convinced I held the key to untold success under the bar.  I watched others with a critical eye and wouldn’t dare admit to being wrong.  Additionally, most of my supporting evidence was anecdotal and I thought programming was something for geeks.

Five years later, I’ve found that there is still no shortage of people like that.  And, some of them have been hired as fitness professionals.  In response, I feel compelled to shed light on a few things your trainer may be doing that could hinder your advancement into the realm of physical greatness.

#5. Your trainer has no idea what you’re talking about.

But isn’t the trainer supposed to do the talking?  Bear with me.  I’ve worked with teams, individual athletes, and one-on-one with regular fitness enthusiasts.  The common denominator is that they all do their own “research” and come armed with information.  In an industry that’s as polluted as a kiddie pool with bad information, it’s up to the trainer to be selectively well-read.  Having said that, I would actually encourage you to challenge your trainer frequently with questions and solicit them for answers and opinions.

Maybe you’ve read articles in mainstream print like Muscle and Fitness (hers) or Men’s/Women’s Health and you want to know what your trainer thinks about them.  A good trainer will usually have at least heard about what you read, and be able to provide insight regarding it’s pertinence to you and your goals.  A great trainer will impart further knowledge to you so you may understand more clearly the “why” of everything in your sessions, and give you the knowledge you need to train yourself!

#4. Your Trainer doesn’t have a niche.

Anybody who markets themselves asa fitness professional should have well-founded beliefs and practices.  In other words, not only talk the talk but walk the walk.  Trainers range from powerlifters to yoga enthusiasts and everything in between.  The bottom line is: trainers with specializations tend to have greater passion for something besides taking your money.  Of particular importance is that trainers who have goals themselves will likely be more motivated to squeeze every ounce from YOU as well.  If you want it to be easy, you’re better off “training” yourself so you can quit when you want to.

Ask your trainer about their personal gains; have they been able to accomplish their own goals?  You won’t need a polygraph to be able to tell whether or not they’re giving you the run-around.  Pay attention to the way they talk about training too; are they passionate and particular, or are they waiting for the end of their shift?

#3. Your trainer never talks about other clients.

I don’t mean that your trainer should talk at length about how bad their earlier client smelled, or about how another one is actually getting fatter.  I mean they should have success stories, TRUE ONES.  A good trainer should not only be encouraging to you and your endeavors, but also provide examples of people just like you whom they have personally helped achieve similar goals.  This not only demonstrates that they have been doing their job longer than a week, but that there is more than hope for you if you are able to adhere to the training plan.

If your trainer never brings up past success stories, or relates you to other clients they have had, don’t just assume they’re being humble.  Ask them if they’ve worked with people like you before and what kind of results they were able to achieve.  A good trainer will be happy to talk about when they created positive changes in others’ strength, body composition or lifestyle. They may even show you evaluations of other clients that were recorded before and after their time with them (more on this in #2.)

#2. Your trainer isn’t interested in your training history or where you currently stand.

A trainer who is interested in optimizing success for their clients will be very curious about what type of experience they have under their belt already.  A pre-training interview about medical and injury history, a movement or athletic evaluation, and simple anthropometric measurements are all useful pieces of information to the right person.  Safe to say, if your trainer takes no interest in any or all of these, your time (and money) could probably be better spent elsewhere.

These types of things give your trainer a better picture of where you can start safely.  Biomechanical inefficiencies may be exposed through movement evaluations so that your trainer can decide what type of training limitations might be present, and further facilitate the development of seamless training plans.  Speaking from experience, there is nothing I want to do less with someone than to present them with a challenge that they cannot overcome with sheer willpower.  Exposing and making limitations apparent can be VERY demotivational, and should be avoided at all costs.

#1. Your trainer doesn’t demonstrate the qualities they demand of you.

A hypocritical trainer is the number one thing that massively peeves me.  Three things: A) Trainers should never prescribe exercises they themselves have never performed. B) Trainers should demonstrate character in the form of diligence and accountability. C) Trainers should keep themselves in good physical condition, and (particularly in a commercial gym setting) be well groomed.

There is nothing more detrimental to credibility and reputation than being wrong.  That’s obvious, but believe it or not, it happens – a lot.  If I may be permitted to get a little sentimental, it is your right as a client to feel like you are in careful, well-intentioned and knowledgeable hands during your experience.  If this is not the case 100% of the time, you should probably think about other options.

There are my top five things to watch for during your undertaking as a developing superhero in the gym.  Keep in mind that these are only five of many indicators for a less than fulfilling experience.  Success and adherence for clients is best conducted through creation of a consistently positive experience by the trainer.  If you ever have doubt in your trainer or what they are having you do, don’t be afraid to raise concern and talk to them.  If they are offended, chances are it isn’t a good fit anyways.

Post 33: The Best Diet for All Athletes

          Whether you're a bodybuilder/physique athlete, strength athlete, individual or team sport athlete, or a weekend warrior; you should consider that diet is the most important aspect of your training. End of story. I tell people all the time - as much as it pains me to say this - that your training plan is only going to account for (optimistically) about 20% of your progress. No matter what your goal is. Whether you're aiming to bulk up, lean out, or just get stronger, what you eat is going to be the rate-limiting step in your progress. Your training planning and methods have the potential to accelerate the process, but only if you're providing the right "fuel" for it to work magic. I will talk briefly about a few of the common "diet" plans people ask me about here on a regular basis, expose their premises and shortcomings, and deliver the key to successful dieting at the end.

You should eat 6 or 7 small meals per day right?

If you want to do this, and it makes you feel stronger and look better in the mirror, then by all means do it. The belief behind this is that six or seven small meals per day, or eating every two hours, liquid-solid-liquid-solid etc. will speed up the metabolic process and keep your muscles busy consuming nutrients so fat starves. Remember: Muscles need to be made hungry before they will eat. While I have mixed feelings about this, it still takes a unique lifestyle to accommodate 6+ feedings per day, and it can be stressful preparing food to go for the whole day - every day. I know some people personally who have seen great results using this type of plan and swear by it. I also know some people who have been more than diligent about it and seen nothing in terms of progress. Again, the "logic" (and I use that term loosely,) is that increasing the number of meals you consume daily increases your basal metabolic rate. In other words, BMR is the amount of energy you use up to continue to exist, Basal = Base. I don't wear a lab coat, but I'm pretty confident that the only thing that truly increases your energy expenditure - and therefore - requirements, is exercise.

Carb Loading the night before a big game or race.

Muscle glycogen is the stored form of glucose that provides readily available energy to the working muscle. There is also liver glycogen, but for now let's stay basic. Muscle glycogen exists in the myocyte (muscle cell/fiber) and is used in acute response to glycolytic exercise like full sessions of resistance training, sprinting and mid distance running practices, etc. Anything that is relatively short (about 45s - 1m:30s) in duration, repetitive, and intense in nature. In this case, the "answer" to the question is that carb loading starting a few days/nights before competing will result in topped up muscle glycogen levels. Simple in concept, but not necessarily in practice. When glucose enters the blood, there is a process that takes place where all tissues are equally prepared to reach out and grab it as needed. Readiness of tissue-regulated blood glucose clearance is dependent on the state of the tissue. Most relevant to this discussion is that unless the muscular system is taxed before the carb feeding, it will not only be muscles that are clearing the glucose and storing glycogen. Fat cells will also be prepared to clear the glucose and store it as... fat. Remember what I said earlier: muscles need to be hungry before they will eat. So, unless you're carb loading right after practice - you might not be carb-loading at all.

I should take protein right after I work out.

Sure, knock yourself out. Protein is always a good thing, but is not necessarily the first thing you need right after you lift. As I said in the last paragraph - muscle glycogen is the first thing that gets depleted during shorter, more intense bouts of exercise. With this earth-shattering news in mind, it's important to consider that your closest meals before and after training should be a higher carb:protein ratio than people typically assume. I said "closest" instead of "immediate" for a reason, carbs are great preworkout, you would be safe to go for a 70% carb, 30% protein meal about 90 minutes before training, and almost a 100% carb meal acutely following. In actuality, protein resynthesis isn't going to be mitigated to any appreciable degree by lack of protein ingestion for at least an hour after training.

So what is the best diet advice?

          You're going to absolutely hate me. I've talked about three of the most common nutrition-related notions I hear on a regular basis, and haven't given you the key to amazing body composition yet. So here it is: The best diet is the one that YOU can stick to. I'm not joking. I would wager that probably 90% of failed diets are due to a lack of compliance from the people using them. Sure there are other ones like ketogenic diets, paleo, etc. and for the most part, they have a sound premise. The question you need to ask yourself is: which one of them fits MY lifestyle best? 

          In a world where people can get what they want quickly - adherence and compliance are lost in the mix. This is one thing that drives me absolutely mental. I've seen people give a diet or a program about a week trial period and say "I'm not seeing any results." The problem with this is they didn't even give it enough time!!

          Seriously people, give yourself time to adjust to a diet. Your decision should not be based on whether you see results in the first 20 minutes, but if it coincides nicely with your schedule, lifestyle, and goals. I've seen people shape their lives around their diets, and shape their diets around their lives. The number one goal should be adherence and discipline. THAT is going to get you results.

-Alex

         

Post 32: The Most Important Shape In Training

         With the possible exception of the right-angle, there is one other shape that is a recurring theme in the literature of strength & conditioning. I've seen it used to visually represent performance in volume, intensity, general adaptation, recovery, stress, and periodized training plans. Of course, what I'm talking about here is the supercompensation curve. Straight out of the dictionary;

"Supercompensation: In sports science theory, supercompensation is the post training period during which the trained function/parameter has a higher performance capacity than it did prior to the training period."

         Now what this definition doesn't include, is a picture, or much of anything really that hints at how we can go about inducing a supercompensation effect. In the interest of progression, here is the simplest picture I could find of the supercompensation curve.

Please Disregard Curve "A" and "C" for Now.

           Just kidding, that's not the simplest one I could find, but it's a dandy. For the purpose of understanding supercompensation at it's most fundamental level, concentrate on Curve "B" (Solid Black Line) for now. To make the most efficient use of this graph, I want to draw your attention to five "events" that are taking place on it. In order to make this process a little easier, I'll do some quick doodling to spare time and confusion.

          Ok, in North America, we read left to right.. So hopefully that's what you're doing with the image here. So I've just drawn 5 circles on the curve to bring attention to the major events that take place along it. I'll even bullet point it so it's really hard to screw up.

1. Green Circle - Indicates the current "fitness" or "preparedness" level. (Horizontal Line.)
2. Orange Circle - Indicates fatigue or decrease in fitness/preparedness due to training stress.
3. Blue Circle - Indicates recovery to baseline fitness level or regular compensation.
4. Purple Circle - Indicates increased fitness/preparedness as result of adaptation to training stress.**
5. Red Circle - Indicates uninterrupted cycle. Extended rest = return to base fitness/preparedness levels.

**Supercompensation or the performance increase as a result of the training stress answers the question: Why do we train?

          Hopefully you've gathered from the asterisks and footnote that step 4 is where the important stuff happens. Increased fitness/preparedness is the reason we train, to ultimately improve performance. Notice also that I wrote "uninterrupted cycle" in step 4. The return to baseline levels of fitness/preparedness occuring in the red circle indicates that there has been adequate rest allowing the adaptation to effectively dissipate. If you understand that sentence, and like lifting heavy stuff, you understand that this is bad news. The reason that understanding this cycle is important, is this: Once supercompensation occurs, you can use the newly acquired fitness/preparedness levels to achieve greater levels of strength. This will help turn that trivial buffer zone into the solidified start of the NEXT supercomp cycle. To illustrate this I've also charted the last four weeks of my own personal squat training. 

4 Week Volume/Intensity Relationship - Squat

           So here is the exact depiction of my last 4 weeks of training for one lift. 3 times a week as indicated on the x-axis by Day 1a (Week 1, Day 1) Day 1b (Week 2, Day 1) etc. You'll hopefully be able to figure out that the highest intensities (Right Y-Axis) occur on Day 3 each week, and that they successively get higher each week. The blue bars and corresponding Left Y-Axis simply illustrate the rep volume for the squat each day (Day 1: 5x5, Day 2: 2x5, Day 3: 1x5.) So as I alluded to in the last paragraph, there is a supercompensation cycle occurring after each Day 3, as well as before.

          So here is the exact same graph, divided by the scientifically implemented (MS Paint) black bars to separate each cycle of supercompensation. You'll effectively see the same 5 points brought up in the theoretical graph in this article as they pertain to this real life application. 

          To further illustrate this on a more holistic chart, I've created a line using values that are a product of both volume and intensity. It is included below.

** The inclusion of volume in the values skewed the chart causing the supercomp effect to appear on the first day of each week. In this case, the cycle still occurs regularly, but in a different regard. 

          Finally, this last chart is divided into cycles, similarly to the one above. Because the volume heavily skewed the total values, I've divided it on the first days of each week.

          Just a few more ideas using the visual representations to help illustrate a point. Will likely be using more of these in the next few posts as I find them really useful.

-Alex 

Post 31: Loading Paradigm Analysis

          Loading paradigm analysis is neither as confusing nor as scientific as it sounds. In Periodization, Bompa and Haff present some different theories and manners of progressing loading. Linear, Step, and Flat loading are three different paradigms discussed in the chapter, but there are as many as may be permitted by your stupid little imagination. Before this starts sounding too much like a lit review, I'll cut to the chase. How does this help me get stronger?

         The book gives some simple graphs to illustrate the progressions mentioned before, and this got me to thinking; what would my own programming look like on a graph? Well to be frank, it wasn't exactly as I'd imagined. I decided to use volume in the traditional sense (sets x reps x weight) and compare those over weekly intervals in four week waves. To show a couple of the different paradigms in the book I've attempted to recreate them visually.

Linear Progression - 4 weeks

          Linear loading, or progression is most commonly observed with beginning or novice lifters who essentially make progress every time they get under the bar. According to Rippetoe, this occurs primarily because they make gains during each workout through either increased efficiency (larger gains) or purely improved strength (smaller gains.) As the individual begins to experience smaller gains and performance begins to taper, more complex loading patterns or programming needs to be considered. This type of loading may also be used in programming for experienced lifters too - as will be shown next - with the loading manipulations expressed as percentages of current and new PR's.   

Step Loading - 4 weeks (3:1)

          This is an example of step loading. As mentioned in the end of the last paragraph, sometimes linear style progressions can be used during advanced programming. This example includes a three week linear loading progression with deload or restitution period during the fourth week. If for example, this particular loading paradigm were using loads at 90%, 95%, and a new PR attempt - 100%+ - at the third week, a deload week would be warranted for the fourth due to potential for overtraining. Bompa & Haff recommend this style of loading during an adaptation or prep period. 

*The 3:1 ratio refers to number of weeks progression to restitution.

Step Loading - 6 weeks (4:2)

          This is another example of step loading where the loading progressions are taken to a fourth week, which in some circumstances will merit an additional (2 weeks total) of restitution. This extended recovery period would be particularly important if it were during periods of particularly high on field volume, or if it were to fall near the end of a prep or accumulation phase. 

Flat Loading - 12 week (3:1)

          Flat Loading as illustrated above includes three week periods of the same intensity and a fourth week for deloading or restitution. The next three week period is also of consistent - higher than last - loading plus a deload. This is appropriate during a phase of accumulation as suggested by Bompa, or for strength sports, where new strength is developed and needs to be solidified. I think of it as a transition (though not appropriately named) period between preparatory and realization or peaking as it's also called.  

*The 3:1 ratio refers to number of weeks progression to restitution.

Undulating Loading - 12 week (3:1)

          Finally, here is what step loading over 12 weeks may look like. In this case, the three week loading progressions heighten in intensity each of the three weeks followed by a restitution period as we saw in standard linear or step loading. The next period however, increases the loading parameters proportionately to the first week so that each third week is more intense than the last. The restitution periods also increase proportionately to resist any potential performance decreses during those times. 

*This may also be done using flat loading or a 4:2 paradigm.

Other Considerations for Deloading Weeks

          Deloading weeks may also serve a greater purpose than just business as usual using lighter loads. Some useful concentrations for these weeks may be a greater focus on speed work to increase ROFD as popular in the conjugate method. Another use may be to concentrate on a greater amount of assistance type exercises to strengthen synergistic muscle groups. 

          Anyways, there is a quick rundown on some different loading schemes and suggestions for deloading weeks. I like the graphs for providing visual representation of progress and (if I don't get distracted) I will try next time to include some more graphs that illustrate comparison between standard strength volume and volume of special exercises. 

-Alex

Post 30: The Most Important Coaching Tool

          I remember in my days of college athletics being in the training room and seeing a sign in the "Doc's" office that said: "Your athletes will never care how much you know, until they know how much you care." This holds true on the training floor as well. Athletes are not (always) stupid people, and are usually good judges of character. Since they are subject to instruction and forced to follow diligent schedules all day every day (by their own sport coaches) they only really respond to people who are fighting for the same cause as they are. If you come across as a coach without any compassion for your athletes, I assure you they will not hesitate to show great and immediate contempt for your efforts. After all, they are trusting their success to you, and in this position - your credibility is always (read: before you even open your mouth) at stake.

          This means things as simple as appearance and conduct are going to comprise your apparent amount of commitment to them AND their well-being, particularly when dealing with athletes opposite your gender. High-caliber athletes tend to be very skeptical by nature. They've heard it all and they've developed preferences and proactive inhibitions accordingly. They're like that girlfriend who (thinks she) knows exactly what she wants based on her previous boyfriends (in this case: coaches) and will respond best if you keep your mouth shut until you get a feel for her. Let your athletes do the talking at first, and learn to mold yourself into what they want - there will be plenty of time for YOU to open your big stupid mouth later.

I'd like to modify Doc's sentimental quote above into: "Your athletes will never care how much you know, until they know how much you know."

         In this case, I'm talking about coaching cues. Be direct, specific, and confident. No competitive athlete will respond positively to cues that start with: "Well it's kinda like.." "Maybe try to.." "I wonder if.." NO. You have one chance to earn their trust, and if you blow that, it's like leaving the cages open at the zoo. If you don't know what I mean, you were either born an amazing coach - or you work with chess players.

                          

          Coaching cues are an art form in themselves. Like I said before, your knowledge is useless unless you can effectively convey your idea to your athletes. You have to keep your cues personal too, nothing drives a point home like when you can make it especially pertinent to a specific population. Make them feel special. I don't mean give them candy - I mean identify with each team, and as you progress, develop relationships with each individual athlete. If you simply don't have knowledge of the sport (basis for identification) then ask them before or after training about how their last tournament or game went, find out what they see when they compete. This will give you an insider's perspective, as well as help them recognize your personal investment in them. If you get really clever, you can start to develop cues that change their attentional focus while actually correcting 2 or 3 things inadvertently. Cueing them to concentrate on a spot 20 feet away on the ground while squatting can cause immediate neutral head position and better thoracic extension. This is particularly important when you work with large groups or teams, and need to make the most efficient use of your time and efforts.

          Sometimes the most effective answer (when applicable) is "I don't know." This doesn't work if the question is simple, and you're just a numb skull though. Athletes are crafty, and they will test you. But, if it's a serious question and a little bit outside your scope of knowledge, tell them you honestly don't know the answer BUT - and here's the catch - you will do everything you can to find out for them. This not only demonstrates your commitment to them, but also your ability to dig up information that they haven't been able to find on their own.

          Keep your cues as short as possible - sharp, mono-syllabic words are most effective with athletes. They like direction and structure. "Chest Up" "Butt Down" "Tight Core" things like that meet all three of our criteria. Beyond that, some one-on-one instruction once you get everyone else started can be effective if required, but remember. Make the experience special for them. Personal interaction in a bustling environment is one of many ways to establish a demonstration of their importance to you, and your personal investment in them.

-Alex

Post 29: Recent Interview With SweatRX

          I was recently contacted by a fellow S&C junkie at my gym who writes for SweatRX Magazine. In the past we had discussed some partway completed success stories, found that we read a lot of the same publications, and generally just hit it off. He had expressed some interest in doing an interview with me basically just to cultivate some fresh ideas on injuries and repetitive movement patterns. Naturally, I was excited to field some questions from a fresh (and informed) mind and recently, it came to fruition.

   

          Without any further information as to release or publication dates, I decided to take a few minutes to publish the questions posed as well as my answers here on the blog. Hopefully this will be of some use to you! Yes, I am aware that SweatRX is a "Crossfit Publication" but the guy who did the interview is a good dude, and the nature of the questions were not about the C-word. (Plus, this magazine has babes.)

SRX:  How common is it for high-level or pro athletes in traditional sports to sustain injuries?

GDS:  As long as there are sports, there will be injuries. Of immediate importance is to establish a distinction between two types of injuries in broad focus; those that can, and those that can’t be avoided. Inherently in collision sports like football and hockey, athletes are subject to high impact from other players. The prevalence of this is only exacerbated on the professional stage in cases like the Saints bounty scandal, nevertheless the risk exists in any circumstance during collision sport. The ones I’m referring to here are called contact injuries. Implicit in the name is the idea that these injuries are acute in nature and involve contribution of an auxiliary component. The second variety of injury we see are non-contact, or perhaps more appropriately, preventable injuries. These are of interest to whoever may be in charge of Strength & Conditioning. An athlete with unsound, compensatory, or inefficient movement patterns, lack of adequate range of motion about joints, short (tight) or long (loose) muscles in the wrong places or structural imbalances are (among others) potential constituents of non-contact injury. Of course, the number one job of the S&C coach is to keep athletes healthy and prepared for competition. My first mentor in this business used to say “prehab is for winners, rehab is for losers.” Suffice to say that your athletes should always be training with proper technique and progression to avoid or at least buffer the occurrence of these.

SRX:  What kind of repetitive movement patterns lead to injury for athletes?

GDS:  In my experience (and within the scope of this article,) repetitive movement patterns that contribute to injury may be credited to inconsideration of on-field volume, and/or simple misunderstanding of human kinetics. Things as simple as arm “prehab” for overhead athletes can increase likelihood of overuse injury. Exercises like resisted internal/external rotations should always be programmed and prescribed with special consideration given to practice/competition volume of the very same movements. Believe it or not, the effects of both training and practice volumes compound over the weeks and months of the training cycles. From another perspective, I wrote on my blog earlier this year about oblique strains in rotational sports, and how ineffective core training may in fact contribute to the occurrence of this problem. Performing resisted rotation (instead of resistance to rotation) trains the core musculature to function in a way that is actually the polar opposite of its natural purpose. Things like Russian twists etc. train the core to rotate between the hips and/or shoulders. In sport however, it is actually the shoulders and hips which provide the ballistic movement, and we need the core to resist this rotation in order to effectively maintain a neutral (read: healthy) spine. In this case, it becomes clear that a core trained to rotate, trying to perform its natural function of protecting the spine, would be less than ideal - especially when these types of exercises have been laughably categorized as “sport-specific.”

SRX:  How important is it for athletes to train beyond sport-specific movement patterns (e.g., incorporating basic strength movements) to shore up their general strength and functionality?

GDS:  Basic strength movements (in my opinion) should be a staple in all programming. Now let me validate this by saying that not every athlete should bench press, deadlift, and squat, but at very least variations of these should be included. Although there are safe(r) ways to do all of these –swiss bar benching, trap bar deadlifting, safety or cambered bar squatting etc. – other means are also reliable for producing desirable training effects. Unilateral (or single leg) work comes to mind when talking about building strength – and this is hardly what many would think of first when considering “basic strength movements.” During MOST athletic movement, general strength is characterized by the ability to perform in compromised positions and single leg work can be the answer (or solution, as per Mike Robertson’s Single Leg Solution.) Developing strong movement patterns in all planes using unilateral exercises (with proper form) is a great way to enhance functionality in terms of creating more efficient movement, better joint mobility, and can be done with less compressive loading. All of these benefits will nicely set the stage for any of the other aforementioned basic strength movements. Multi-planar lunges are great for developing well rounded single leg strength, with the added benefit of working deceleration into the mix. Things like glute-hams or single leg RDL’s with a yielding eccentric component also develop strong deceleration, and this is critical for maintaining knee health particularly for athletes who rely on varying degrees of positional agility in competition.

          So that's it for the interview, yes - I said it would be brief and I followed through on my promise so for that you are welcome. The only thing I may have changed would be to include some chatter about kettlebell work on the third question. I love the idea of having an athlete work to accommodate an implement like that (see more on this in Post 24: My What & Why of Movement Training) because as athletes, we know in competition that we rarely dictate the environment, and ability to adapt, is ability to succeed and survive!

-Alex

Post 28: Why Your Training Is Busted

          I have been a victim of this in the past, and basically died by my own hands when unsuccessfully coordinating my training efforts. Too often do people end up working their ass off while taking no appreciable strides towards their training goals. This happens for a myriad of reasons but in my opinion there seem to be a few popular roadblocks associated with common training goals. Typically, people workout to do one or more of the following things: a) gain muscle/strength b) lose fat c) improve "fitness."

          The first goal, gaining muscle or strength is more often than not going to be a lack of proper programming and progression. If you're not documenting your training efforts, chances are you aren't progressing, and you most certainly are not programming. One principle that I will bet on every day of the week is: Your body will adapt to the demands imposed upon it. If you understand what "adapt" and "impose" mean, you'll be fine. Hopefully you can deduce from this that if you don't change some component of your training (exercise selection/variations, rep ranges/loading, core/assistance work) you're going to go stale. The human body is always in flux, and therefore is unbelievably effective at adapting. Takeaway: if you allow your body too long to adapt to the same training routine, it's going to become increasingly efficient at accommodating it and eventually stop responding. To avoid this problem, pay attention to your weights and rep ranges, not only on core lifts, but assistance work as well. If you're not willing to change the exercise, (you are still seeing some progress) up the volume or the intensity. If you're not seeing progress, change the exercise altogether. This applies to both core and assistance work. More specifically, if you're not seeing progress on core lifts over a reasonable period, change your assistance work, and rotate core lift variations once every couple weeks.

From www.twoscoopsgethuge.com

          Whatever the case, the typical shortcoming with fat loss is nutritionally related. What most people fail to realize is that unless they are more than a recreational athlete, the amount of exercise you're getting is NOT going to be sufficient to promote fat loss alone. I'm talking about people who are less than (at least) a high caliber high school athlete. I would say that conservatively, 80% of your progress is going to be a result of effective dieting. More often than not you could count on seeing better gains by just dieting correctly than by going to the gym and crushing a baconator afterward. I really don't care if the treadmill says you burned 1000 calories, because it's more likely that's not the case. In all reality it's more likely that you burned between 200-500. Furthermore, even if you do that as a corollary to sound resistance training, that wasn't even 500 calories of pure fat that you burned. So why bother? I'll address that in the last paragraph.

          With respect to the last goal, your hindrances will be contingent entirely on what you decide constitutes better fitness. Is that going to be an increased aerobic capacity? maintaining a "healthy" weight? making it through your day with less difficulty? In any scenario, increasing 'fitness' in one way or another is going to make your body more effective at maintaining internal balances and thwarting physiological disruptions. Of particular interest to you may be that a trained subject is going to possess a body that is better equipped to burn calories at a higher rate during bouts of exercise. Say a typical untrained person may burn about 5cal/minute, and a trained individual may effectively burn 10cal/minute. This lends at least a bit more hope to those of you who were upset after reading the last paragraph.

-Alex

Post 27: Top 10 Songs That Help You Demo Weights

In lieu of any compulsion to put together an informative article at the moment, these are my top 10 tunes for punishing poundage this month.

1. Chevelle - Face to The Floor

2. Saigon - Come on baby (it actually starts around 1:04)

3. Millencolin - Battery Check

4. Nickelback - Next Contestant

5. Rage Against The Machine - Microphone Fiend

6. Rage Against The Machine - Calm Like a Bomb

7. Bush - The Sound of Winter

8. Saliva - Always

9. Marilyn Manson - Slutgarden

10. Bush - Little Things

Post 26: Running is for emergencies only

          Running is for emergencies only. You will not likely catch me running unless there is one or more of the following:

A) Fire

B) Flood

C) Yeti

D) Groundbreaking, flawless research that says running will give me the body I want, and help me keep it

          This isn't to say that you shouldn't run, but there are effective ways to do it. If you can't answer someone who asks "why are you running?" Maybe it's time to think about it. One of the most entertaining people at my gym spends probably between 25-40 minutes daily on the cardio equipment, and (if I'm late getting there) part two of his workout doing what I will admit is an impressive number of variations on the bicep curl. While working on your biceps is kind of an idiot move in itself, doing some extended sub-maximal cardio work is just adding insult to injury. Like chasing your tail. It gives you something to do for a while, but you don't get anywhere. 

          I'm not a vet, or a dog, or sure if that's an accurate statistic, but I'd heed that advice. Similarly, I would be curious why all my time doing cardio and bicep curls doesn't make me look any less like gumby. The way I see it, cardio equipment is like Nike to the lay consumer. Everyone else does it, and since I don't know any better, I "just do it."

          It's very characteristic of human nature to see everything as a cause & effect relationship. What I mean by this is that when women see the little 100 pound blonde hammering the treadmill or elliptical for an hour a day, they assume that they will get the same results. The cardio machines will make my butt look better because the girls on the cardio machines have nice butts. Well, the other 5 days a week that you're not there, they're probably banging out some form of hip extensions.

          While these things can provide motivation for some, it could be of use to channel some of that energy into the dumbbell or squat rack areas. So without further ado, these are the top rationale I've heard regarding why people do cardio:

1. To burn fat
2. To stay healthy
3. To sweat out the booze

          Reason #1 is a classic. To burn fat. Nice. This is a likely outcome for someone who sweats when they think about exercising. Even then, they probably have some pretty unsightly movement patterns that could get them hurt just trying to turn on a treadmill. If you're in decent shape, and interested in getting bigger and/or leaner, I would avoid long slow cardio. A better alternative would be some circuits, or an effective resistance program. If you're still dying to rack up some mileage, do some sprints. In addition, (this applies to reason #2 as well) you will experience difficulty achieving lean mass gains, and even regressions, or muscle atrophy, if you have low body fat to start with, or lack an accommodating diet. This is due to the body's mechanism of minimizing losses vs. maximizing gains in the protein synthesis department. Not to mention a noteworthy detrimental effect in your fast twitch fibers. These are skinny-fat people, they look healthy, but they feel like pudding. Like Richard Simmons - I've never touched Rich but I have a feeling about what to expect.

Actually a Richard Simmons imposter, I'm good without slander suits.

          Reason #2, staying healthy. There's actually a good amount of research to the contrary. Increased oxidative stress and elevated cortisol levels can lead to inflammatory responses and actual damage to the tissues. High amounts of oxidative stress has been linked to cancers, heart attacks, and parkinson's. If you need any more examples, you should seek help elsewhere. Not to mention, in high doses overtraining symptoms like elevated resting heart rates, nervousness, anxiety and the likes are also characteristic of people who are hooked on chronic cardio routines. 

           Reason #3, if you're over the age of 20, and you drank a LOT. My advice would be to turn the lights off, drink some water, and try again tomorrow. Unless you like whopper headaches, cold sweats, hot flashes, and vertigo.

          These are only a few of the reasons I'm not into running. Well, long slow running anyways. Sprinting and interval training are a great way to get your cardio in without really inhibiting your gains. Lean muscle chews up more fat than cardio, every day of the week. That's not just my opinion.

-Alex

Post 25: Summer Training 2

Post 24: My What & Why of Movement Training

          As you probably won't remember; I have disclosed my opinions on two different types of periodization, as well as the functional movement screen and the components of the functional performance pyramid. Since my last article stemmed from what people think entails functional training, I decided to address what they're actually talking about. As I have mentioned in the past, nearly all exercise falls under the  category of "functional training," but I believe that under that banner there are also several realms of functional training, one of which is the topic of the day: Movement Training.

          Now anyone that wants to reciprocate my punctilious musings and say that "all training is movement training" feel free, but let me validate my claims first. 

         I consider movement training to include any types of series or complex involving multi-planar movement, and multi-joint components. **It doesn't have to be this complicated, and can include things as simple as single-leg exercise.** The video below of the guy in the red/black shorts is a pretty extreme case of what I'm describing, but it serves well to illustrate the point. Retired Romanian-born strength coach Istvan Javorek is famous for his complexes in this area. A video of him coaching below on the right. 

 

[On the top] This guy's got a ton of high pulls, swings, olympic movements and steps in all different planes going on. This, like I said was an extreme case but definitely demonstrates what we're trying to accomplish.

[On the bottom] Here is the famous Istvan Javorek working someone through his dumbbell Complex I. You'll notice, of course that movement occurs primarily in the saggital plane, but that's a great place to start your progression. Especially if you're working with a new athlete, someone returning to training after a long absence, or for injury rehabilitation.


          What you will notice immediately in both of cases is that both series entail a fair bit of intricacy in terms of execution. The goal of these movement-based complexes or series is to improve neuromuscular coordination, and to develop more sound movement patterns by forcing the body into athletic positions under loading by incorporating movement. 


------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

          So there's my "what" of movement training. Now why should you bother? Well maybe you shouldn't. Like anything - it depends what your current training status is, and where in your programming you are. Chances are if you're a power athlete and you're halfway through your strength phase, or a bodybuilder in the middle of a bulking cycle, you shouldn't drop the bar right away.

          The benefits of movement training include but are not limited to: increased neuromuscular recruitment, muscular endurance, and better motor control. You will also develop a better ability to accelerate and decelerate loading in athletic positions.

          What does this mean for you? Movement training typically entails a high volume with a mild intensity. That means sweat, soreness, discomfort and feelings of uncoordination during training. These are good things because that means we're creating a training effect, or in other words, causing an adaptation. If you think of these complexes or movement patterns as obstacle courses, your body learns to accommodate demands by activating and using a greater number of muscles in synchronization to accomplish the task at hand. At first you will feel uncoordinated and confused, but as you progress through planned movement, you will become more proficient at navigating these obstacles. This will transcend into your other training as improved movement efficiency and guess what? Improved strength gains in your next block.

          So throw some movement training into your next "preparation" or "accumulation" block, (see my post on block periodization if that's confusing for you) and notice the benefits you will reap when you transition into the subsequent strength and power phases.

-Alex