Post 15: Block Periodization - Why It's Better.

          In post 4, "Linear Periodization & My Issues With it" I really only spent all my time ranting about why it's so miserable, and really only left a couple of clues as to an alternative method. For that I apologize and present to you, "Block Periodization - Why It's Better." With linear periodization and progressive overload, we have one body trying to develop several different physical qualities in the same time frame, this just simply can't be done with any degree of quality.

          Israeli Dr. Vladimir Issurin is credited with the importing of Block Periodization to the U.S. and North America. As such, he is an authority on the subject and has published a few books and there are videos of his lectures online. Anyways, the principles behind the method are geared towards providing a much higher concentration of work for a smaller set of skills or target abilities. These are things that we plan to develop more explicitly than a linear type mesocycle which might have hypertrophy and endurance in the same block, c'mon.

          In Dr. Issurin's work on Block Periodization, there are only three main mesocycles, and this is what made block so much different than anything else of it's kind when it was first introduced. Early periodization models did not allow for athletes to have more than one, two, or three single peaking periods throughout the competitive season. With block, coaches are now afforded the luxury of peaking their athletes for multiple events or competitions in the same season, which is what athletes have isn't it?

         The three types of mesocycles in Block Periodization are: Accumulation, Transmutation, and Realization, but you can tailor them to your needs. Accumulation targets the development of what fundamentally makes an "athlete," developing neuromuscular efficiency, coordination, muscular endurance, GPP, and functional movement. Transmutation is then generally when a component of specificity is introduced to supplement the benefits of the Accumulation phase. In Transmutation, the athlete is working to develop the type of strength that is relevant to performance of their position in their sport. Are they required to have better than normal endurance, strength-speed, speed-strength? This second mesocycle is characterized by highly concentrated work on just developing the type of athlete required to be successful. The last phase, "Realization" is focused on general physiological recovery to prepare for competition. During this last phase, only the most sport-specific skills are performed in training, at a much lower volume, higher intensity, and at competition speed.

          The beauty of this model of organization is in it's pure simplicity. The clear-cut goals of each mesocycle afford the coach an easier time with exercise selection. In addition, these types of goals will provide the opportunity for training sessions to have "themes" for example, all realization days are going to involve fast movement and execution. This makes coaching cues easy and helps give a greater sense of purpose and face-validity to your training program, not only to your athletes, but to everyone else that is working with them. When people begin to buy into what you're doing, is when it comes full circle and really starts to take a positive effect.

-Alex

     

Post 14: Things to Consider When Training Hamstrings

          These are hamstrings. Learn them, know them, love them. If you don't, they'll get you back. Few things are more painful and debilitating than a hamstring injury. We all know why we train; to become stronger, more efficient, bigger, faster, whatever. Do we train in proportion though? I've heard a number of different ratios for hamstring strength, but the going rate seems to be about 66% of your quad strength. If this is the case, we need to ask ourselves how much of our leg workouts are actually hamstring exercises. Furthermore, what percentage of our hamstring workouts involve knee flexion? What percentage of our hamstring workouts involve hip extension? 

        Since the hamstrings group crosses two joints, (hip and knee) it's capable of producing two movements. See Post 3: Synergistic and Biarticular Muscle Action for more info. Like I said in the first paragraph, the hamstring can flex the knee, but it can also extend the hip. Athletic movement requires ballistic hip extension. For those of you who are still doubting that this matters: Knee Flexion, whether on a slide board, Swiss ball, curl machine or anything else, is concentric-dominated action, the same type of action the hamstrings use in decelerating and stopping. Although there may be a place in your program for using these concentric movements in terms of basic strength accumulation, Hip Extension is an eccentric contraction - the same one athletes use when running and jumping. In favour of proper programming, you SHOULD include both of these in combination with some well-rounded gluteal training.

          Hopefully we are all in agreement that hamstring training is important. So now, Exercise Selection; most "civilian" hamstring exercises involve knee flexion. You'll always find a ton of people at the gym doing leg curls. Unfortunately, these confused ideas about hamstring workouts have seeped through a crack somewhere in the S&C world. I know I'm being meticulous about this, but I have opinions and an ego. You don't have to read my article - this isn't Russia. Like I said earlier, the hamstrings function to extend the hips and to flex the knees. The latter which is used most commonly as the movement for training hamstrings. The truth of the matter however, is that athletic movement requires hamstrings that are better able and trained to extend the hips. Below are a few videos of exercises that involve the hamstrings assisting in hip extension. 

          The explosive nature of powerful hip extension exercises are much more similar to the characteristics of hip extension in sport. Ballistic movement with high loading needs to be trained the same way, and the truth of the matter is: a lot of high-rep, concentric-dominated hamstring curls just aren't going to cut it for injury prevention, or positive carry-over to athletic movement.

-Alex

Post 13: Fat Gripz Review

          Before the Christmas break, a buddy of mine had mentioned that he just got his hands (so to speak) on some Fat Gripz. They're grips that you can put on barbells, dumbbells, cable attachments, just about any standard 28mm training implement you can find, and turn it into a 2 1/4 inch challenge. As always, I'm skeptical of gimmicks and "groundbreaking" developments in the S&C world. I did a little reading about thick bar training, and was eventually sold on buying these:

          If you're unfamiliar with them, they're made of strong durable rubber, and have a lengthwise slice so you can get them onto whatever you feel like pressing, pulling, rowing, or hanging off. For about 30 bucks I figured I had nothing to lose, and have so far been pleased with the challenge. The science behind them is relatively simple and not exactly NEW, but this has made it easier to employ. I've read about "Irradiation" being the key principle that makes them effective. In the simplest terms possible, Irradiation is essentially the neural recruitment of surrounding musculature. This gives us the opportunity to work more than just the main movement we're performing. 

          Initially, I only planned to use them for presses, rows, and some vertical pulling, and have so far been happy with my experience. I feel it would be senseless to use them for deadlifts as I would be compromising the load to accommodate new inability to hang on to the bar. Barbell rows, pull ups, pull downs, benching, and some dumbbell work have been my best experiences with Fat Gripz so far. 

          In addition to using these grips with my lifts, I tried taking them off for my last few sets and felt like I was just crushing the bar. I have relatively short fingers so this feeling was a welcome one. It'll be a while before I know for sure if they're paying off other than psychologically, but if that's the best that comes from them, I'll be all aboard.

-Alex

Post 12: Speed Training

          One thing we feel strongly about in our conditioning programs is speed training, and how we make our athletes faster. Do we increase stride length? Stride frequency? Footwork? Teach proper running mechanics? Overspeed training? Tempo runs? Intervals? Ladder drills? It never stops. There are an infinite number of drills and skills I've done and had done to me as an athlete to improve speed, but the only philosophies that make sense are the ones I learned on my own.

          The name of the game in speed training is the application of force in the amortization and concentric phase of the stride cycle. The stride cycle consists primarily of three phases with regard to ground contact. They are:

Phase 1: Eccentric Phase: The athletes lead leg is in extension preparing to make contact with the ground.

Phase 2: Amortization Phase: The athletes lead leg becomes the supporting leg, is in contact with ground.

Phase 3: Concentric Phase: The contact/support leg contracts to propel the body forwards.    

          Phase 1: Eccentric is associated with deceleration or force absorption in all cases of athletic movement. With poor running form, ground contact in front of the body causes the athlete to brake - not what we hope to achieve when the goal is to move faster. In Phase 2: Amortization, the contact leg is on the ground for a fraction of a second and serves the transition from eccentric to concentric contraction. Phase 3: Concentric, is the propulsion component of the stride cycle. This is where the ability to produce and apply force as quickly as possible serves its purpose. Finally, to improve how often this occurs, greater stride frequency is necessary. Therefore, recovery of the trail leg into the next stride cycle is of paramount importance for maximizing speed.

          Hopefully the sequence of these phases is starting to ring a bell that sounds like "plyometric." In my opinion, the NSCA has a distorted view of the true plyometric. True plyometrics, as described by Dr. Yessis, have to involve a "shock" phase between the eccentric and concentric action of the muscles involved. I also have yet to encounter an abdominal or core exercise that fits the bill for the true plyometric. Anyways, plyometric exercise - as it pertains to speed development - needs to involve this absorption of eccentric shock and immediately overcome it with concentric muscle action. (I am not sold on post-activation potentiation as a long term-training effect.) In my opinion, the concentric action must be performed before the energy simply dissipates into the musculotendinous unit. 

          Below is a video of one of our athletes performing what we call "reactive squats" - I like these as a bilateral, plyometric exercise for athletes with advanced abilities in these types of exercises. It's similar in nature to a snatch balance, but the bar isn't overhead. Basically the athlete is in freefall with the bar on the back, absorbs the load eccentrically, and then powers back out of the hole as quickly as possible. We also use the tendo unit to keep an eye on bar speed during the concentric phase. This is a powerful kid, and only 185 on the barbell proved to be enough to keep him in the range we wanted. 

Below this is a video of another exercise that aids in speed development by training more efficient motor unit recruitment and firing frequency using the mini tramps.

           This exercise fits into the category with other drills that are commonly, but wrongfully believed to increase speed such as ladder drills. The purpose of these exercises is primarily, as mentioned before, increased efficiency of motor unit recruitment and subsequent firing frequency. It's all about familiarity between the brain and the muscles, and the connection between them. This provides the means to develop speed, but not the force production required to go with it. Exercises that develop strength-speed to compliment these are things like Olympic lifts. The triple extension of the hip, knee and ankle, especially under heavier loads, forces powerful movement and has high carryover to speed development. The rate of force development is the greatest benefit to be reaped from Olympic lifting in this case. The successful lift requires peak force production in the first pull, similar to the concentric phase of the stride cycle. 

          This last video (above) shows the wide stance reverse band box squat. I like this exercise for building bilateral strength in the athlete, while at the same time using a parallel or below parallel position in the hole. The deep squat provides synergistic action from the glutes, hamstrings, and adductors that normally wouldn't be involved using a half or a quarter squat. The lengthening of these muscles has great functional value, and creates a more athletic lower half for athletes that need more "pop" in the top of their lifts for sprinting and jumping. The reverse band setup allows for the resistance to accommodate the weaker parts of the range of motion. A little assistance coming off the box with close to 100% of the load being applied at the top.

          To put it all together, we have to do just that. Developing speed involves both the ability to fire the fast twitch fibers at a higher frequency as well as applying maximal force to the ground beneath us. Between stride cycles, recovery of the trail leg allows us to increase stride frequency. Increasing stride frequency gives athletes more opportunities to apply force to the ground in the same distance as an athlete with greater stride length. The optimal ratio of stride frequency to stride length, is the only "gift" that separates runners.

-Alex

          

Post 11: Program Madness

         As promised, here is a screen shot from my laptop of my adapted conjugate style program with the higher volume. The one I posted a couple weeks back didn't have nearly enough volume for me and I only had any residual pain from the max effort days, and that's what we strive for isn't it? We want to HURT!! So here is an updated version with an extra exercise for each body part for each day. I felt good about my workouts, except the dynamic lower day, that was a mother for my lower back. Yes I know that some of the exercises contradict what I said in other posts when it comes to rotational core movements, and when it comes to overhead athletes, but my playing career is over so I do what I want. Besides that, I like to get experimental in the weightroom, and also like variance in my progressions. The only concern I have about the extra volume is that there is not much in terms of high speed movements on the dynamic days, and I worry that this can take away from their purpose - increasing rate of force development. 

Adapted Conjugate Week - Added Volume

          The other thing I did this weekend was dig up some info on Jim Wendler's 5/3/1 method. I was intrigued by the buzz in some of the forums I read so I figured I'd try to attack it myself. Below is a screen shot of my formatted excel document based on an article from T-Nation by Jim Wendler himself. I watched a couple videos on YouTube from EliteFTS shot by Dave Tate at one of Wendler's "BIG Seminar." I love the guy's attitude and can't argue much with what he said. Check out the first video here: Part 1 of Wendler's BIG Seminar in 2007. In addition, if you've watched any footage of Jim lifting, you won't put any disagreements in a public forum, he's a monster.

Formatted Spreadsheet for Wendler 5/3/1

           This is only part of the spreadsheet that I put together, there are formatted days (1, 2, 3 & 4) for the other core lifts for the week. Jim bases all his percentages on 90% of the 1RM, and that's why it's highlighted seperately. The only confusion I had was whether or not the 95% on the last sets in week 3 is meant to be 95 of the actual 1RM or based on the 90 used for all the other percentages. The boxes labeled "Assistance Exercise" are two extra movements of your choice to supplement the core lift for the day. I haven't ever maxed out on a shoulder press so I threw the 185 in for visual appeal, and so you can see how the formatting works. Leave a comment and your email address if you want me to forward you either of these formatted sheets so you can customize them for yourself, save time, and actually train with a purpose instead of using the squat rack for barbell curls.

-Alex

Post 10: Limitations In Training Overhead Athletes

          So by the time you finish reading the title, you're thinking rotator cuff. Do we really understand what needs to be considered and addressed when dealing with these athletes though? Or what types of limitations there are on their training? Based on things I remember doing while training as a baseball player, not really. Classic strength and conditioning professionals are being dumped in favor of new ones with athletic training backgrounds especially in professional sports. Let's be honest, the number one priority of strength coaching is keeping players on the field. It makes no difference if all your baseball players can bench over 250 if they all have debilitating shoulder conditions.

          The rotator cuff is comprised of four muscles on the scapula. Supraspinatus, Infraspinatus, Teres Minor, and Subscapularis. They all work together to allow movement while maintaining the integrity of the glenohumeral joint. The Infraspinatus and T. Minor allow for external rotation of the humeral head, the supraspinatus for abduction of the arm, and finally only the subscap for internal rotation.

Anatomy of The Rotator Cuff

          This intricate and delicate musculature is responsible "pound for pound" for some of the most ballistic movement in sport, throwing in baseball and football, as well as serving in tennis and volleyball. Acceleration and deceleration, in other words concentric and eccentric contractions respectively are major components of athletic movement, as was the case in the hitters hips in Post 9: "Prevalence of Oblique Strain in Rotational Athletes." In the previous paragraph, I said "only the subscap for internal rotation" and I said it for a reason. The Infraspinatus and T. Minor are responsible for external rotation of the shoulder and the subscap is the antagonist in this movement.

          To put this in perspective, a recommended pitcher's training ratio for chest to upper back is 1:3. If We need an equal or even a 1:2 ratio of external to internal rotation to make up for the difference in muscular CSA (cross sectional area) we shouldn't be training resisted external rotation in our athletes during times of the year they are not throwing/serving etc. Why? The same reason we shouldn't be training equal amounts of rotation on dominant and non-dominant sides in our hitters, On-Field Volume. Every time an athlete cocks the shoulder into position to throw or serve, they perform ballistic and resisted (racket, ball etc.) external rotation. We are therefore training the subscap in proportion to the infraspinatus and t. minor, the latter two are subject, additionally to the on-field stresses and volume. Our athletes only train internal rotation, to try and offset the imbalances that are prevalent especially in pitchers and infielders. 

          What other things do we need to consider when addressing training for the overhead athlete? Impingement is huge. Impingement is the result of the acromion inflaming the bursa and consequently the supraspinatus tendon, even causing the muscle to fray in bad cases. Strength coaches want to press, they SHOULD want to press, you can gain great foundational strength from pressing. But there are safe ways to do it. Overhead pressing is bad news, that should come as no surprise, and doing so with a pronated grip or using a barbell forces athletes into internal rotation so we should scrap that before we even consider. Swiss bars are great tools for pressing with pitchers using a "palms in" grip, and can be done on flat, decline, and incline benches, and the floor to change things up a bit. Dumbbells also afford us this freedom, to press with the elbows abducted, the same can be said for pulling, this is why we prefer narrow grip chins to pull ups as well. The same can be said for squatting, squats are the bench press of the lower extremities, so we all love to do them. Safety squat bars, front squats, and larger cambered bars also provide opportunity for overhead athletes to get heavy bilateral lower body work done without forcing the shoulders into pronation in the scapular plane.

          The last thing we need to consider is upper back strength. Rotator cuff strength is only beneficial if we have sound scapular stabilization to supplement it. I think I read Mike Boyle as saying that rotator strength with a weak upper back "would be like shooting a cannon out of a canoe," I've heard that statement before, but not in this case. Phenomenal analogy. Scapular stabilization is critical for decreasing typical laxity in the upper back and providing a strong base from which the strength of the rotator becomes useful. You can get away with almost any type of horizontal pull or row, shrugs, or scap shrugs. Like I've said before, be creative, but keep the objective in mind. 

-Alex