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. 


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          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

Post 23: The "Forest" of Functional Training

                                      

          To touch on my previously divulged feelings about the stigma of SOME people in this industry, I want to talk a little bit more about the obsession with functional training. A lot of trainers, gyms, performance centers etc. now advertise that they offer "Functional Training." My question is this: What the hell were you doing before? In my own unimportant and marginally recognized opinion, nearly all training is functional to a certain degree. My hunch is that the term was resurrected with the birth of crossfit (which still makes me throw up in my mouth) and that's what they're using to bait the market with. 

          Someone recently asked me if I do plyometrics or kettlebell training. I replied that I don't particularly make an effort to anymore because I no longer compete in athletics. Before I could squeeze another word in, I was promptly and politely informed that Functional Training is the best thing for you. Period.

          That's one opinion. Here's mine:

1. First of all, functional training doesn't mean you have to be using kettlebells or plyometrics or standing on your head. I'll explain more about this in a bit.

2. It's audacious to prescribe certain types of exercise to someone before you know their goals, limitations, training history, etc.

3. Know what you're talking about before you make a recommendation.

Here's how I would (and do) break down my priorities when I'm a) training by myself, or b) helping someone else.

• Assessment should expose a weaknesses or goals.
• Goals should determine where to start training. 
• Training should change periodically based on adaptation and achievement of goals. 

          More simply, not only do I think that all training is functional, I think all training is useful, but nothing lasts forever. As your goals change, so should your methods of training. As adaptations occur, you should adjust your training methods as well. So now I'm a heathen because I don't tout any buzzwords as the roots of my training philosophy. Bummer.

          Now, I'm still relatively athletic, make very few compensatory efforts under circa-max loading, and can perform pretty complex multi-planar movements. In my opinion, I have an above average capacity for functional movement. remember the pyramid from Post 17? For this reason, I don't feel that "functional training is the best thing for you" given my current situation. Because of this, my goals are not to develop better motor control or movement patterns. In fact my current goals are almost a prescription for regression in complex motor control. I must be absolutely mental! In any case, I do have goals, and I think it's somewhat arrogant to advocate these new one-size-fits all philosophy to everyone.

          When we consider making a substantial purchase, we essentially consider two things, functionality and appearance. We all want a Hummer to drive to work, but is that practical? Does your training serve a purpose to you, or are you in a popularity contest? Your goals should be the first thing you consider when you're going to adopt a new training protocol. Moreover, a lot people have some vehement disinclination to alter their training parameters in order to achieve new levels of success. That's why the same guy has his buddy deadlift 300 pounds off his chest week after week while he's STILL benching 250 on his own (maybe.) It's efficient though, when both of you are working at the same time I guess... 

          What I fear is that through my articles, I could be leading some people to miss the forest for the trees. Paying too much attention to the cool stuff that happens as a result of certain training methods and not taking a look at the big picture. Basically, the going acceptance is that functional training is rooted in rehabilitation and that people were adopting these methodologies to help them get back to accomplishing day-to-day tasks. In the world of training athletes, functional training is what makes them athletic. Our job is to keep them free from injury, and prepare them to better handle and master the skills their individual sport coaches have laid out for them. We don't necessarily make better tennis players, volleyball players, basketball players etc. we provide them the tools to become better once their specific sport coaches hold up their end of the bargain.

          Now I'm tired and rattled. 

-Alex