It’s been a few weeks since I’ve added a new exercise to the Exercises You Should Be Doing arsenal, so here you go. How’s that for straight and to the point?
What Is It: Seated Kettlebell Curl to Bottoms-Up Overhead Press
Who Did I Steal It From: It just so happens that former CP intern, Jordan Syatt, stopped by the facility for a cameo yesterday and I noticed him performing this deceivingly challenging exercise towards the tail end of his training session – so all credit goes to him.
What Does It Do: As is the case for every exercise I throw onto this list, for me, the biggest determining factor is whether or not it provides a lot of bang-for-one’s-training-buck. A huge reason why I rarely (if ever) include machine based exercises or “isolation” exercises is because, for the most part, I view them as a waste of time.
Granted if you’re a bodybuilder, have an aesthetic bias, and you’re looking to bring up a lagging body part, it makes sense to include those types of exercises in your weekly training repertoire. I don’t feel they should make up the crux of your training, but they do have a time and place.
Outside of that, since most people who read this blog aren’t stepping up on stage anytime soon, lets just move on.
Oh, and least I forget (because I know someone will inevitably get their panties in a bunch and mention it): I should make note that isolation or machine based training does have merit with regards to people who are post-surgery or who are woefully deconditioned.
With respects to the former, take ACL repair as an example. Motor control will definitely come into play, and it’s often advantageous to introduce “load” in a more controlled, predictable manner. So things like leg presses, leg extensions (and the like) will definitely come into the picture.
As far as the latter: you can bet that if I’m working with an obese client or someone who’s just really deconditioned my main focus is going to be on getting them moving and eliciting some semblance of a training effect, and less on whether or not they can do an ass-to-grass squat, deadlift 2x their bodyweight, or beat them into submission and have them perform burpees until they can’t feel the left side of their face.
If I have to resort to a pec deck or utilizing a Cybex circuit – so be it.
But just so we’re clear: the bulk of my time is still going to be on working on improving certain movement patterns like the squat pattern, hip hinge, push-up, core stability, and not to mention I have yet to meet anyone who can’t push a Prowler.
But I’m getting a little off-track here.
Today’s exercise is a bit sneaky. It looks simple and nondescript enough that I wouldn’t be surprised if many who watched it probably dismissed it right off the bat.
I mean, seriously TG…….a KB curl? I thought you just said you don’t like isolation-type exercises? What’s next….crunches on a BOSU ball?
Fair enough. But lets break this badboy down before everyone grabs their pitchforks and storms the castle.
Yes, there’s a curl involved. But in the grand scheme of things it’s not like I’m expecting this exercise to add four inches to your arms in two weeks. In fact I could care less about the curl component. The curl in this sense actually serves as a sorta “self-pertubation,” forcing you to fire your entire core musculature synchronously so as to PREVENT any lateral flexion or rotation.
I’ve expounded on my preference for one-arm training in the past, so I won’t belabor the point here. But because I don’t want to leave any new readers hanging, simply put, performing more off-set loaded exercises (where you hold a DB or KB in one hand only) places a HUGE challenge on your core because everything has to fire so that you don’t fall or tip over.
Moving on into the bottoms-up position and performing the overhead press, while the action itself still offers a significant core challenge, it also forces the rotator cuff to fire like crazy through a process called irradiation.
Basically you MUST grab the handle of the KB with a death grip (I like to tell people to melt the handle), so that it doesn’t fall over. In doing so you send a signal to the rotator cuff (irradiation) to “pack” itself which makes the joint more stable.
Moreover, because holding the KB in the bottoms-up position makes it more challenging (unstable), you force the muscles of the rotator cuff to do their job in a more “functional” manner, which is to center the humeral head in the glenoid fossa.
What’s more, it’s an unparalleled scapular stability exercise to boot!
In short, with this exercise there’s a lot more going on than meets the eye.
High five for the Transformers reference!
Key Coaching Cues: You won’t need a whole lotta weight in order to do this exercise, so be a bit conservative with this one. I believe I was using the 17 lb KB in the video and I was struggling. Take that for what it’s worth.
Glue your feet into the ground, and brace your abs. Your torso should be completely upright and you want to avoid any HYPERextension of the lower back.
From there I think it’s pretty self-explanatory. This is more of a CONTROLLED movement, so try not to rush.
I’m more inclined to think of this as a nice finishing exercise to complete a training session, and I’d shoot for 2-3 sets of 6-8 reps per side.
Also, if you wanted to make it more challenging you could do the same thing in the standing position.
And that’s that. Give it a try to day and let me know what you think!
I’ve had a great run of weekly guest posts from various people in the fitness world as of late, and I wanted to keep the streak going with another one from Nate Miyaki.
For those unfamiliar, Nate is a regular contributor at T-Nation and generally leans more on the nutrition side of things. I’ve grown to really respect his body of work and appreciate his simple, minimalist (yet very effective) approach to nutrition. In addition, I KNOW he walks the walk and doesn’t just talk a big game. My man is shredded!
I hate to say it, but there are A LOT of people out there that seem (maybe prefer?) to make things waaaaaaay more complicated than they have to be, and the topic of what to eat and when ranks right up there.
Is it better to eat low carb or high carb? Is it okay to eat past 6 PM? Because fruit contains fructose, we should avoid it at all costs, right? Is 1.0 grams of protein per lb of bodyweight best for optimal results or is 1.376 a better number to shoot for? And since everyone and their Little League coach is doing it, what’s the deal with Intermittent Fasting?
You would think, based off how some people dissect every nook and cranny of their diet, that they’re performing rocket science or trying to figure out why it is women are drawn to the 50 Shades of Grey phenomenon.
Nonetheless, in today’s post Nate dives into how athlete’s should strive to eat, and offers a sorta pre-game speech to set people straight. His sentiments mirror much of mine, and I think many of you will appreciate it.
Enjoy!
From the moment you put on that jersey, grab a bat, strap on the gloves, buckle up the chin strap, climb under the bar, or lace up a pair of sneakers, cleats, or skates; the sands of time start ticking away.
Most athletes only get a relatively short window within which to accomplish something great. That’s a gift in itself, because the majority of people were just not born with the natural talents or skills to even get a chance.
If you’re one of the lucky few, you need to take advantage of that privilege. For once its gone, it’s gone forever. Don’t wake up one morning wishing you had done more when you had the chance. You have the rest of your life to kick back, follow the crowd, and be mediocre.
But while your opportunity is here, right now in this moment, why not do everything possible to give yourself the best chance of succeeding? Why not use every weapon at your disposal to maximize your true athletic potential?
Dietary Discipline & Maximizing Your Potential
One of the most important weapons is your diet. Unfortunately, it is often the most overlooked by performance athletes, because the truth is you can perform decently on a suboptimal diet. Anecdotally, there is no arguing that given some of the sh*t lists I’ve seen from some of my own athletes. Do you even know what a caramel dumpling is?
But you certainly are not maximizing your true potential and performing at your genetic peak with this approach.
Our generation has lost something. We’ve become a bunch of entitled whiners expecting something for nothing, always looking for that quick fix. We’ve lost that ability to strive, to sacrifice, to set goals, to do everything possible to achieve them, and to never waver in their pursuit.
We’ll take short cuts and cheat the system any chance we can get; yet we shy away from the day-to-day grind that is really necessary to climb to the top. We’ll take a pill, but won’t change our daily habits.
So before we spend time getting into dietary details, which we will, we need to take a step back and look at the bigger picture. If we don’t solve this riddle first, all subsequent nutrition articles will be meaningless.
Athlete or Average?
You have to decide right now whether you consider yourself an athlete or an average dude (or girl). One gets more leeway, sympathy, and handholding. The other gets a swift kick in the nuts (or female equivalent, metaphorically speaking) when they show up to a training session with a bagel in hand, sipping on a latte.
Are you preparing to fuel your body for battle, or are you, in stealing a line from the great Dan John, “eating like a child” that needs a bag of Skittles to much on while sending your BFF texts about the Twilight Saga?
The average dude comes in for a few workouts a week, then goes and hangs out at Applebee’s. An athlete lives like one 24/7, whether their coach is watching over them or not, whether its “hard” and “inconvenient” or not.
Which are you? There’s no right or wrong answer. But as a coach, I need to know. Because you talk to guys on the field a lot different than the ones sitting in the stands.
It amazes me to see guys and gals train like madmen, then go out and eat pizza and ice cream. They have the discipline of a warrior within the lines, but a bullsh*t excuse-maker outside of it.
You’re saying you have dreams and want to be the best, but your actions are screaming something very different.
It’s Not Just How You Lift, It’s How You Live
Don’t you need to junk-load to increase calories and support your training? No. Never. Do you want to follow plans based on marketing material or plans based on science, or just pure common sense?
What do you think a dietary induced, chronically inflamed body is doing to your ability to recover from your training sessions, or for your nagging knee and shoulder pain?
That pastry sounds like sh*ts and giggles to the average, but its not if you have elite goals.
Cellular integrity, insulin sensitivity, and optimal nutrient partitioning can all degrade over time with a poor diet. What do you think that does to your ability to put on functional muscle that makes you faster and more powerful vs. non-functional fat that makes you slower and less explosive?
And sure, you may be able get away with whatever you want nutritionally in your 20’s. But the small percentage who extend their careers into their latter years are the ones who took care of their bodies and followed an informed path right from the beginning.
You call yourself an athlete, than live like an athlete — on the field, in the gym, and in the kitchen.
Start With the Simple – Optimize Food Choices
I don’t want this article to be just about philosophy, psychology, pontification, and rah-rah ramblings. You need some practicality as well.
So how should an athlete nutritionally support their competition and training demands? Do it through quality, nutrient dense foods that serve a physiological and metabolic purpose.
So hit those high quality animal proteins for the essential amino acids necessary to build lean muscle mass, and for the essential fatty acids and good fats necessary to support optimum hormone production.
We’re talking grass-fed beef, wild fish, free-range poultry, and eggs — all hormone and anti-biotic free, of course.
Don’t eat fast food, salami slices, or candy bars with protein added to it to justify “getting your protein in”. The #5 combo will be waiting for you when you’re trying to grow some chins, not be fast and powerful enough to land that knockout punch on your opponent’s chin.
Include some plant foods like vegetables and whole fruits for a variety of micronutrients and phytonutrients, not a bunch of empty calories combined with randomly shot-gunning a bunch of pills to try and make up for the nutrient deficiencies.
Maybe your mama thinks eating a bowl of cornflakes and chewing on a Flintstones vitamin is the Athlete’s Way. I don’t.
And carbs? I love Paleo nutrition as a baseline template. It automatically gets rid of many of the problematic compounds in the modern Y2K diet. That’s why 80% of my dietary recommendations are based off of it.
But as a high performance athlete, you can’t follow it all the way down the rabbit hole and end up in some dietary cult. You’re not a sedentary, pre-diabetic, insulin resistant office worker. And you are certainly not a frickin’ caveman. You’re a modern athlete with modern performance goals.
The game is different. You need to understand a thing or two about exercise physiology, and integrate some modern, researched, Sports Nutrition principles to properly fuel and recover from your training sessions.
Many athletes get caught up in following the universal, dogmatic proclamations of carbophobic academics whose only sport has ever been jogging (Ron Burgundy pronounces it Yogging). But high intensity strength and intermittent sprint sports are fueled by anaerobic metabolism, which can only run on glucose/glycogen.
That doesn’t mean loading up on bologne sandwiches and fruit roll ups. You want starches without the toxic compounds, potential food allergens, or “anti-nutrients” that can wreck the digestive system, impair nutrient absorption, and leave you tired and lethargic.
So cut the sugar, refined flour, and gluten-based starches. Stick with starchy tubers (yams, sweet potatoes, white potatoes) and white rice to support your training.
Drink some high quality H20 like the Water Boy recommends, not Diet Coke.
Conclusion
I get it. It’s easy to watch highlights of your favorite athlete, or film on your next opponent, or just flip through the pages of Playboy, crank up some AC/DC, and get amped up like a madman to train.
When the adrenaline subsides, and some semblance of a normal human being returns, however, it is a lot harder to get fired up to eat a grass-fed steak and potato instead of pizza and fries. But I believe it’s equally important to your long-term athletic success.
For every one genetically gifted or drug enhanced athlete that can get away with a crappy diet, there are ten that can’t. Everything you put into your body makes a difference. It’s up to you whether that difference is positive or negative.
Author’s Bio
Nate Miyaki is a fitness author, athlete, and coach. He is the author of the new book “Intermittent Feast: An Evolutionary & Scientific Approach to Slashing Fat”. Visit his site at www.NateMiyaki.com.
Yesterday my good friends Eric Cressey, John Romaniello, and Ben Bruno revealed to the world an awesome charity that they’ve recently collaborated on along with the good people over at Causes International.
For those unfamiliar, Causes International is an organization which focuses on UPcycling, the process of donating your used electronics so they can be sent back UP the chain, and either disposed of in an environmentally clean and sustainable way – or given to those in need.
Put another way, you know that first edition Nintendo Entertainment System that you’ve insisted on keeping in your closet since you were 17 for sentimental reasons but now your girlfriend or significant other is forcing you to throw away to make room for her rabid collection of shoes, or that rubbish iPhone 4 you were just going to casually toss in the dumpster because it’s so 2012 and you wouldn’t be caught dead with such outdated technology in your pocket?
Well, as it happens, it’s not that great for the environment to just throw stuff (laptops, smart phones, desk top computers, etc) away. As EC pointed out in his blog yesterday:
Electronics that aren’t disposed of properly often wind up releasing extremely toxic heavy metals—such as lead, cadmium, mercury, chromium and deadly toxins like polyvinyl chlorides—directly into the environment. We may not notice it yet in the US, as over 80% of our “electronic trash” is sent overseas, but there are parts of China and other industrialized countries where people can’t breath the air or drink the water, and children are dying or being born with defects because of these toxins.
With that said, I want you to think long and hard before you haul that flat screen tv out to the curb and then move on with your life. Essentially what you’re doing is punching a dolphin in the face. You jerk!
I didn’t know this, but over 100 million (yes million) smartphones are thrown in the trash worldwide each and every year. Likewise, according to some other statistics, in America alone, over 12 million laptops were discarded of inappropriately in 2007.
And I have to imagine that number is even larger today.
Looking at those numbers it’s astonishing how wasteful we are as a society and what a haphazard attitude we have when it comes to taking care of our environment.
This is why this is such an awesome endeavor.
To up the ante, Causes International has teamed with Eric, John, and Ben to help raise money to feed the hungry.
It’s simple: you rummage through your house and find any electrical device that’s broken or you no longer use, you then donate it, and for every $1 raised EIGHT meals can be provided to those in need.
It’s a win-win. Not only do you do your part in helping save the environment, but you also help place food on the table for those in need.
Here’s the step-by-step breakdown:
Step One
Scour your house, condo, apartment, tree fort (nothing is off limits) and find any electrical device that’s broken or you don’t use. Over 60,000 items, in 13 different categories – iPhones, iPods, iPads, and MacBooks (even with shattered screens), plus various other items, like other smartphones, video games, graphing calculators, or digital cameras – are eligible.
Unfortunately, can openers and Shake Weights aren’t included in the mix.
Step Two
Go to the website that Causes International set up at www.FitnessFeeds.org and click on the DONATE button. There’s really very little heavy lifting that has to be done on your part. Causes International will send you a PRE-PAID shipping label that you can print off, and then all you have to do is high-five the UPS guy or place into one of their 40,000+ boxes around the country.
Step Three
You just earned MASSIVE karma points my friend. As noted above, every $1 raised helps provide EIGHT meals to needy people. And, if it’s important to you, the whole thing is tax deductible.
Step Four
If or when you visit Cressey Performance, you and I are totally going to hug it out.
You know that feeling when you go on vacation and you come back and go to the gym for the first time and it’s readily apparent that you were on vacation?
Yeah, that was me yesterday after being away for over a week.
In my defense, while we were down in Florida Lisa and I did get plenty of activity in – we walked a TON around Miami and South Beach, made a few cameo appearances at a local commercial gym in her hometown (I was even recognized by a random woman training because I was wearing a Cressey Performance shirt!), and while Lisa went roller blading once or twice, I elected to head to the local park and do some bodyweight training and sprints for good measure.
But to say I did any hardcore training would be a big, fat, lie. Kind of like when someone on the internet claims he squats 500+ lbs for reps. Ass to grass. On one leg.
Although I did crush some pec deck chest flies at our friend’s condo gym right before heading out to South Beach, so that counts for something, right?
Nevertheless, it’s great to be back in Boston – despite the massive temperature drop, snow, traffic, complete lack of anything green, and general “Jonny Raincloud” attitude most people have around here this time of year.
Someone please explain to me why do I live in the Northeast again?
On a serious note, I am stoked to be back and I feel rested, relaxed, and ready to tackle a grizzly bear.
That said, since I wrote a fairly epic post(in both content and length) on the plane back home yesterday, today I’m just going to offer some good stuff to read.
I felt this was an absolutely fantastic post by Dave on not only the significance of placing a premium on developing core strength, but what the actual FUNCTION of the core is in the first place!
Many people are under the assumption that the core only consists of those washboard abs you see on the cover of Men’s Health or Men’s Fitness every month. While not entirely wrong, it’s not remotely close to the entire picture and is just the tip of the iceberg.
If nothing else, read this post for Dave’s genius water bottle analogy. Awesome stuff.
This is a message that I, along with my fellow CP colleagues, are routinely hammering to the masses. We live a unique bubble where we’re surrounded with a vast network of PTs, manual therapists, chiropractors, athletic trainers, the works.
While I like to think we’re smart dudes, we also understand (and RESPECT) the notion of scope of practice.
We do assessments at Cressey Performance, which is something I feel most (not all) trainers should be doing to some capacity. Whether it’s a the FMS, Assess and Correct, or playing musical chairs, some sort of movement screen or assessment should enter the equation when starting to work with a new client.
Doing so serves as the foundation so that you know what you need to do as a coach to address the needs/imbalances/weaknesses of your client.
The coup de gras, however, is understanding that our roles as personal trainers and strength coaches is not to DIAGNOSE anything. I don’t care how many books you read, how many DVDs you watch, or how many Holiday Inn commercials you watch (I’m not a doctor, but I stayed at a Holiday Inn last night), if you’re playing the role of physical therapist and you’re not a physical therapist, you’re setting a very dangerous precedent for yourself.
This is where going out of your way to establish a network of other fitness professionals that you can refer out to is crucial.
As someone who likes benching about as much as a Nicholas Sparks novel, I thought this article was bang on. I’m not built to be a good bencher, and I’ve (reluctantly) accepted that fact. BUT, that doesn’t mean I’m forever going to cower in the corner in the fetal position and avoid benching altogether.
In this article, Todd offers some innovative and straightforward advice on how anyone can bust through their bench pressing rut.
Hate’s a strong word. When someone says they hate something they must really, and I mean really, have a strong disdain for whatever it is they’re referring to.
For example, I’m typing this very sentence as I’m cruising 36,000 feet above the ground on my way back to Boston (from sunny Florida), and as everyone knows I absolutely hate flying. It’s not my favorite thing to do in the world, and it ranks right up there with other h-word worthy candidates such as Hitler, cancer, Twilight, rising gas prices, paper cuts, and Coldplay.
But in the grand scheme of things pretty much everything is fair game. Everyone has different tastes and prejudices; things that annoy them, and things that drive them up the wall. I mean, I’ve heard some say how much they hate puppies for crying out loud! Cute, little, adorable puppies!
That’s just wrong in my book, but the point is: There’s a whole lotta people guzzling the Haterade out there in the world.
And I’m certainly not impervious to the sweet nectar myself.
Haterade is pretty powerful stuff. All the things I listed above aside (except Coldplay. No one really likes Coldplay, right?) I prefer to think of myself as a pretty open-minded individual who is willing (and able) to do a complete 180 and change his mind on things. I just feel that comes with the territory when you talk about maturity and growth as a human being.
There are plenty of scenarios in my past where I was adamantly opposed to something, only to have a change of heart down the road.
Take Sex and the City, for example. Yep, I just went there and am talking about the tv show. Maybe the altitude it making me a little loopy.
When Lisa and I first started dating she was all like, “do you shower?” “OMG, you’ve never watched Sex and the City???? You have to watch this show! You, me, Netflix, now.”
Of course in trying to play the sweet, sensitive, cultural, and open-to-new-things guy (code speak for: I want to sleep with you)….I was down.
At first it was like that torture scene in A Clockwork Orange where they tie societal thug Alex down to a chair with his eyes pried open with that medieval looking contraption and feed him subliminal images for hours (days?) on end to “re-program” and rehabilitate him.
Yep, it was just like that. I wanted out, and I wanted out NOW!
Then, after a few episodes I was like “eh this ain’t so bad. At least there’s some gratuitous nudity here and there.”
And then something happened. Something unexpected. I started to actually like the show. I went from thinking it was worse than someone scratching their nails on a chalkboard to actually reacting to the characters and storyline……..
OMG CARRIE WHAT ARE YOU DOING???? I CANT BELIEVE YOU’RE JUST GOING TO LET AIDEN GO LIKE THAT. CAN’T YOU SEE HOW MUCH HE LOVES YOU????? YOU DIABOLICAL BITCH! I HATE YOU, CARRIE. I HATE YOUUUUUUUUUUU!
*slams door*
Yep, I watched every season of Sex and the City, along with the first movie.
Not the second, though; I have my limits.
I went from “hating” something to actually, you know, liking it.
But lets get on the right track and transition to the health and fitness world.
Taking a gander into my personal rear-view mirror, there are plenty of similar instances throughout my fitness career where I had a strong opinion on something – to the point of dismissing it entirely – only to change my mind later on.
Here are a few that jump up to the forefront:
1. Accommodating Resistance
Narrowing it a bit further (because I actually utilize accommodating resistance quite a bit with my athletes), what I really had beef with back in the day was the whole notion that “newbies” should not be using it.
First, though, we should at least offer a brief description for those who aren’t familiar:
In general, accommodating resistance refers to the concept of increasing muscular strength throughout the complete range of joint motion. Better yet, you can technically refer to it as a way to sustain near maximal force throughout the complete range of joint motion. This is the basic premise behind the use of bands and chains.
There comes a point when you’re doing an exercise (squats for example) where the force generated during the movement is less at certain joint angles compared to others. This is why you can handle more weight with those cute quarter squats you’re doing than you can with full squats (force-velocity curve).
Add chains into the mix — where the squat is “deloaded” in the bottom position and “loaded” in the top position — and you can see how using chains can be highly beneficial in terms of strength gains.
The thing is, almost always, newbies (and I’ll even throw some intermediates lifters into the mix here as well) don’t really need to concern themselves with adding accommodating resistance into the mix. Sure, it looks badass and offers a nice change of pace, but there’s a rate of diminishing returns when your best squat (for example) is 185 lbs.
Many in this situation would be better off just focusing on getting stronger rather than adding a bunch of “bells and whistles” into their repertoire.
But then I remember reading an article that Mike Robertson wrote on why utilizing chains (and bands) could be beneficial for inexperienced lifters which changed my mind entirely.
Again, using the squat as an example (there are numerous ways to utilize this concept: band assisted pull-ups, push-ups vs. chains, etc), and more specifically speaking on the notion of TIGHTNESS and how to attain it, accommodating resistance pays huge dividends.
Place a regular bar on a trainees back and ask him or her to get “tight” and many will look at you like you’re speaking Klingon. However, throw a chain or two – or bands – on each side of the bar and ask them to get “tight” and the picture changes entirely.
Immediately they’ll start to comprehend what you mean by getting tight, as they really have to brace their entire body to resist the swaying of the chains or the pull of the bands.
In this regard, I feel accommodating resistance definitely has its place in the backpocket of a newbies training program. But only as a teaching tool, and NOT as a main component of their training.
2. Onions
The younger version of me did notlike onions. If I even tasted a hint of onion in anything I shoved down my pie hole I’d immediately spit it out and run for the nearest fire hydrant to wash my mouth out.
Thankfully, as an adult, my pallet has gotten a bit more refined. Now I save the dramatics for things like oysters, shrimp, or anything seafood related for the most part.
Onions belong to the allium family, which also includes leeks, garlic, and shallots. They contain a whole pharmacy of compounds with health benefits, including thiosulfinates, sulfides, sulfoxides, and other smelly compounds. But those same smelly compounds offer a lot of nutrition bang for the relatively small price of a little eye-watering.
There are no two ways about it: onions are a cancer fighting food.
I put onions in just about everything. I add chopped up onion to my omelet every morning, and it’s always a staple in whatever Lisa makes for dinner on a nightly basis.
Two words: caramelized onion.
You’re welcome.
3. Kettlebells
Giving full disclosure: kettlebells have been around F.O.R.E.V.E.R, so anyone who thinks that they’re some kind of new fad that’s popped onto the fitness scene within the past 5-7 years is grossly mistaken.
But giving credit where credit is due, Pavel Tsatsouline is often credited with introducing us Westerners to kettlebells and all they have to offer.
Admittedly, when I first started seeing them pop up in various gyms and fitness clubs I just looked at them as some sort of cannonball with a handle attached and didn’t really see much use for them. Barbells and dumbbells worked just fine, thank you very much.
But as I read more and started experimenting a bit more with them, I began to tone down my BS meter and realized that there are a constellation of uses for them.
We were slow to introduce them at Cressey Performance, but now it’s rare to see a program that doesn’t include them in some fashion whether it’s in the form of the staples such as a Turkish get-up or swing( the former as way to ascertain glaring mobility/stability issues, and the latter a way to groove a hip hinge pattern and develop unparalleled explosiveness) or as a way to “offset” an exercise such as 1-arm overhead presses or 1-legged reverse lunges.
What I still take issue with is the seemingly “elitist” attitude that some people have when it comes to their use and efficacy. This certainly doesn’t apply to everyone, but we all know of that one person (or two) who goes on and on and on about how kettlebells are teh awesome and that nothing else compares.
According to some, kettlebells will solve global warming.
Funnily enough, the same people (especially some of the commercial gym trainers I see on occasion) who go off on how superior kettlebells are, are the same people who I have yet to see coach a swing properly.
Who’s with me on this one? I find it comical that some commercial gyms will go out of their way to give kettlebells the “velvet rope” treatment and tell people that the only way they can use them is if they’re under the supervision of someone; yet, I rarely ever see anyone using them correctly or with passable technique.
Of course, this isn’t to say that there isn’t some semblance of a learning curve here and that significant coaching doesn’t come into play. Not many people can just walk about to a KB and bust out a picture perfect get-up (or swing). It often takes weeks if not months (if not longer) to get them down pat.
But I think we can all agree that it’s not rocket science either.
And, just so we’re clear this is an acceptable use of a kettlebell:
Not this:
4. Yoga
All I’ll say on this one is that it would be hypocritical of me to bash yoga when just about every dynamic warm-up drill we utilize at Cressey Performance has it’s base in yoga.
Heck, one of the more common drills we use at the facility has the name yoga right in it!
And I can give you a whole laundry list of other examples.
Pigging back on the whole KB pseudo rant from above, yoga is another one of those camps which markets itself as some panacea of health and well-being.
Especially towards to women.
I highlighted my main concessions with yoga and how it’s marketed towards women HERE, so I won’t beat a horse while it’s down.
Suffice it to say – I think yoga is great. Fantastic even. But it’s certainly not for everyone, and as with anything, should be regressed (and progressed) accordingly based off one’s needs/imbalances/injury history/capabilities/etc.
Someone with a history of lumbar issues or even those with congenital laxity probably wouldn’t be good candidates for yoga, and should at least tweak a few things to keep themselves out of compromising postions.
All in all, though, I feel my feelings towards yoga in the past 3-5 years has taken a massive turn for the better and feel that it’s a wonderful way to offset many of the postural imbalances we tend to accumulate.
Most of us are walking balls of flexion as it is, and yoga helps to counterbalance and open us up.
But again, it’s just comes down to understanding the human body, functional anatomy, and knowing what applies to one person and not the other.
5. Ben Affleck
Okay, this one isn’t fitness related but I couldn’t resist. When I first started writing for various sites a few years back, I had a MASSIVE crush on Jennifer Garner. I’m talking, smoke-show, she-can-do-no-wrong, Alias, Jennifer Garner.
As a joke and as a way to place my own “tag” on every article I wrote, I often referred to Jennifer in some way. Sometimes as a way to demonstrate to women what the female body could look like (feminine, yet still lean and muscular) with with some serious, consistent weight training (I’m loosely acquainted with Valerie Waters who used to train her), but mostly as a way to throw in some line as to how hot I thought she was.
What can I say, I’m a dude.
As well, part of the schtick was to poo-poo on Ben Affleck, who, like an a-hole, went on to marry Jennifer.
To say I was slightly miffed would be an understatement. I haaaaaated him. But only because I wasn’t him.
Well that, and for Dare Devil which was god-awful. Sorry Roman……;o)
Fast forward to 2007 when Ben made his directoral debut with Gone, Baby Gone. I was a skeptic going in, but once I saw it I could tell that he had a knack for this directing thing.
Two movies (The Town, Argo), and one win for Best Picture later, he’s the man.
He ranks right up there with the best of them: David Fincher, Paul Thomas Anderson, Christopher Nolan, Darren Aronofsky, Wes Anderson, Martin Scorcese, Alfonso Cuaron, Peter Jackson, and Quentin Tarantino.
Not many people can claim to have hit rock-bottom in terms of pop-culture semantics and then rebound with a fervor they way Affleck did. What’s more he just seems like a genuine, cool guy, and I really respect that.
And he’s BFFs with my man-crush Matt Damon, so there’s that.
What about you? What are some things you used to hate, but eventually had a change of heart? I’d love to hear your comments below.
UPDATE: My bad, I was told Valerie still trains Jennifer 3x per week. Hence why Jennifer still looks amazing after three kids….;o)
Yesterday in Part One of this series Sol Orwell and the guys over at Examine.com discussed a handful of supplements that they feel are about as useful as a poop flavored lollypop. Which is to say: not very useful.
As a strength coach and as someone who’s routinely discussing supplementation with younger athletes and general population clientele, especially to those who feel that they’re the magic bullet they’ll need to take their performance (and physique) to the next level, it was great to see some of the more well recognized ones thrown under the microscope for further inspection.
Besides, as I like to tell the vast majority of people: if your current nutrition and training routine isn’t eliciting the results you’re after, no supplement is going to become the “x” factor.
More often than not it’s just a matter of making better food choices and actually going to the gym to train rather than wasting time on the internet talking about it.
That said, not all supplements deserve the bad rap. In today’s post, Sol discusses some of the supplements he feels deserves their reputation, as well as those he feels should steal a bit more of the spotlight.
Enjoy! And please, share your thoughts below. Any supplements you feel deserve more recognition?
Supplements that Deserve their Reputation
Creatine
Creatine is a molecule that seems to have a vitamin-like effect on the body. Relative creatine deficiency (especially common in vegetarians) may result in suboptimal cognition and strength levels. True creatine deficiency (only achievable via genetics) results in mental retardation.
Creatine is most commonly used for the purpose of increasing power output and the rate of building muscle, and it is definitely proven for these roles as it is currently the most well researched ergogenic aid (performance enhancer) in existence.
Creatine works for increasing power output during anaerobic exercise (powerlifting, bodybuilding, sprinting, etc.) and although it may have crossover to endurance based events it doesn’t seem as reliable. It has less evidence for increasing the rate of building muscle but this appears to also be true. Putting muscle cells in an energy surplus state tends to increase the rate of which they grow, and creatine is a very readily available source of energy.
Evidence is being gathered in creatine also have positive effects on cognition.
Beta-alanine (and a note on its “big brother”)
Firstly, beta-alanine needs to have a jab taken at it for two things: potency and instances when it is used.
Yes, beta-alanine works; no, it is not magical. It might enhance endurance performance by around 2% or so, nothing astonishing although it can provide a needed benefit
Yes, beta-alanine works for endurance; it doesn’t really do anything reliable for strength (it might, some weak evidence for building muscle like creatine) and seems to only reliably increase physical performance for exercise exceeding 60s (and under 240s; these numbers derived from the only meta-analysis on the topic)
However, given those two qualifying statements, beta-alanine does increase performance and secondary to that can increase training adaptations.
Beta-alanine is essentially a lactic acid buffer (hence its lack of efficacy for power output – lactic acid is not the reason you fail on a 5 rep max test) similar to its lesser known big brother, sodium bicarbonate (baking soda). Both of these compounds are essentially the same, just reduce the influence of acidity on muscle failure and you can go longer until failure; they aren’t too potent as you cannot disturb pH in the body easily, but they do work.
Vitamin D
The increased popularity of vitamin D in the last decade is actually quite remarkable, and its growth in popularity seems to even exceed that of fish oil when the latter first arrived on the scene. In regards to vitamin d, it is definitely beneficial in a few disease states for preventative purposes although it is not the panacea it is sometimes held up to be.
Vitamin d is stored in the body and when it is needed it is converted into a bioactive hormone known as 1,25-dihydroxycalciferol. Negative things are associated with a state that attempts to produce the hormone but has insufficient vitamin d to do so, and supplementing vitamin d alleviates this possible negative.
Thus, Vitamin d is critical for people in a deficient state. The combination of our indoor lives coupled with pollution means that most people outside of the tropics tend to be in a deficient state. Supplementing with 2000 UI while you get your vitamin d levels tested is a smart way to go.
So although the outcome is still beneficial, vitamin d supplementation is more about alleviating negatives rather than inducing positives.
Supplements that Deserve More Recognition
Sodium Bicarbonate
Referred to earlier as beta-alanine’s bigger brother, sodium bicarbonate (aka baking soda) actually has a fair bit of evidence for performance enhancement. It shares a lot of similarities with beta-alanine, being an acidity buffer and improving performance that is hindered by lactic acid.
Recently, it has been shown to provide benefit to hypertrophy exercise in resistance trained males at the dose of 300mg/kg bodyweight.
The pros of sodium bicarbonate include its very good cost-efficacy in regards to the financial price (you can buy baking soda at a grocery store) and pretty good performance enhancement.
The main downside is too much taken at once will cause a snowstorm coming from your butt; the sodium bicarbonate doesn’t even change color when it does this, actually being quite hilarious the first time it occurs (to somebody else).
Note from TG: Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahhaha.
Due to this, sodium bicarbonate is taken in multiple doses throughout the day and with soluble fiber containing meals to try and minimize this side-effect which appears to be related merely to taking too much at once.
Beetroot
Beetroot is merely a vessel for the molecule known as inorganic nitrate. Nitrate is absorbed in the intestines and regurgitated (surprisingly a good term) into saliva where it is converted to nitrite. When swallowed the saliva nitrite can be converted into nitric oxide and sustain physical performance.
Beetroot is most commonly used for nitrate due to it being in the class of vegetables that are the richest source of nitrate (alongside spinach, rocket, celery, and swiss chard). It’s cheap to purchase in bulk quantities and the tastiest to blend and consume before exercise.
It does not appear to be effective for acute power output improvement, but similar to beta-alanine it can enhance physical endurance exercise and more prolonged endurance exercise.
Similar to other nitric oxide related supplements, it is also ‘healthy’ from a cardiovascular health perspective and also may confer other benefits related to nitric oxide (namely reductions in blood pressure and increased frequency of erections).
In regards to the connection between nitrates and cancer (nitrate, used as food preservative, is thought to be a factor in the connection between pink meats and processed meats with cancer) the cancer link is dependent on production of nitrosamines from nitrate. This production seems to occur at a greatly reduced rate in the presence of any antioxidant, with vitamin c being used most frequently in research. Due to antioxidants present in beetroot, nitrosamine production is not a concern.
This is also a reason why, if using supplemental nitrate, a coingested antioxidant would be a good idea (or just to take the supplement with some fruit).
Citrulline
Citrulline is essentially a more effective form of arginine (which tends to be pretty popular).
L-Citrulline is an amino acid that, following absorption, is sent to the kidneys and simply converted to l-arginine. It is superior to l-arginine itself because of its superior absorption rate; l-arginine is poorly absorbed, and malabsorbed l-arginine proceeds to the colon to then induce diarrhea.
Citrulline carries all the same benefits of l-arginine except at a lower dose due to enhanced absorption (5-8g commonly being used). It usually comes as citrulline malate, which gives it a slight sour/tangy taste.
Author’s Bio
Kurtis Frank and Sol Orwell are cofounders of Examine.com, where they spend their time making sense of scientific studies on supplements and nutrition. They also have a Beginners Guide to Supplements, which you should really, really check out (subtle hint).
The topic of supplements is about as controversial as they come – right up there with homeland security, government deficit spending, global warming, that silly ban on big gulp sodas in NYC, and trying to figure out who the best Spice Girl was back in the day.
Scary Spice obviously. No, wait…..Sporty Spice!
On one end of the spectrum you have those who take a minimalist approach (like myself) and generally advocate people to lean more towards those supplements which elicit positive health benefits outright; such as fish oil, vitamin D, multi-vitamin (or a Green’s product), protein powder, and I’d even throw creatine into the mix.
On the other end of the spectrum you have those who take anything and everything under the sun and whose kitchen cabinets look more like a pharmacy than where they keep their peanut butter and canned peas.
Regardless of which side of the spectrum you fall on, to say that the supplement industry is a bit confusing is a massive understatement. Which ones work? Which ones are a waste of money? Which ones cause explosive diarrhea? These are all very important questions.
Thankfully my buddy, Sol Orwell of Examine.com, offered to sift through the muddy waters and provide some much needed insight on some common supplements and whether or not they’re worth the hype.
Enjoy!
Overrated Supplements
Glucosamine
Glucosamine is usually marketed as a joint health supplement, and is commonly used by many athletes to either help alleviate joint pain and/or increase the mobility of joints.
Despite how popular glucosamine is (one survey found that 5% of the entire population had taken glucosamine), beyond exhaustive research into people with osteoarthritis, there is very little research done into glucosamine usage by athletes.
Glucosamine is usually associated with being a building block of collagen or otherwise stimulating its synthesis. While glucosamine can do that, it’s in concentrations that you cannot achieve with oral supplementation. What it can do is help decrease the rate of collagen breakdown; essentially it can slow down further degeneration, but it cannot actual cure the problem.
Glucosamine is not outright crap; it could potentially be an anti-catabolic (but not anabolic) agent for connective tissue in athletes undergoing high impact training.
However, using it to help deal with joint health is likely wasted money. It can slightly help (a meta analysis found that it can slightly reduce pain), but it is nowhere near as amazing as marketed.
Tribulus Terrestris (and “testosterone boosters” in general)
Tribulus is a triumph in marketing and human psychology. It is one of the few supplements that has ample evidence to outright demonstrate that it doesn’t work. Still, it is the most popular testosterone booster on the market (with d-aspartic acid coming up fast).
Tribulus is a libido enhancer, confers some urogenital benefits (reduced formation of kidney stones), is generally a healthy herb, has some antioxidant and antiinflammatory properties, and is potentially heart healthy.
It does not boost testosterone, nor luteinizing hormone, at all; there is no evidence to support this claim and there is quite a bit of evidence against it. Treat it like a vegetable (good for you) that also makes you horny, but does not actually increase testosterone
On the topic of testosterone boosters in general – they do exist, there are a few studies (mostly in animals) to support their actions and efficacy in increasing testosterone.
The category is just overhyped; no testosterone booster will give you the muscular gains that are classically ascribed to testosterone boosters and no study has actually measured the muscular gains from a testosterone boosting herb intervention. Theoretically, it should be dose-dependent (assuming you eat right and work out, the more testosterone the better) but the magnitude of benefit could be so small it isn’t even that visible.
Statistically? Significant. Practically? Irrelevant. Most of the testosterone boosters being marketed increase your libido; people incorrectly assume their increased libido is due to a correlated increase in testosterone.
Testosterone boosters should be viewed as cognitive enhancers. They make you horny and a bit confident and might increase cognition and output in the gym, but the ones currently on the market are unlikely to ‘pack on muscle’.
Glutamine
With the importance of dietary protein come the individual amino acids being sold as their own supplements. Common ones include BCAAs, leucine, glutamine, arginine, and tyrosine. Glutamine is one of the more popular ones, and really the only one that truly does not fit its claim (arginine technically does, although is subpar; glutamine just seems to be lying).
Glutamine is said to build muscle, and supplementation of glutamine in real-life situations just does not.
Glutamine is involved in cell anabolism, and is especially important for the cell when it is sitting outside of a body in a culture. When glutamine is introduced to a muscle cell in isolation, there is dose-dependent muscle growth; this has been demonstrated repeatedly, and glutamine is basically a requirement for a proper in vitro study to just keep the cell alive (glutamine being the food source).
That being said, glutamine is highly regulated in a living system; there will not be such an excess of glutamine at a cellular level since it can simply be converted to carbohydrates in excess or otherwise partitioned to other organs. Oral glutamine supplementation is well known to be sequestered by the intestines and liver, leaving barely any to reach the muscle cell (only as much as the body seems to allow).
The only time glutamine builds muscle mass is when the body is in a glutamine deficient state. This is obscenely rare, and seems to only frequently occur in physical trauma patients or burn victims. Glutamine can build muscle in these settings (or at least, slow the incredible rate of muscle loss) and has absolutely no evidence beyond these settings.
There is a school of thought that glutamine can be a sacrificial amino acid during periods of carbohydrate and caloric restriction, and thus provide an anti-catabolic effect by being gluconeogenerated itself in place of skeletal muscle; this works in theory, but has not yet been demonstrated.
Check back tomorrow for part two, where I’ll cover supplements that I actually like and those I feel are drastically underrated.
Author’s Bio
Kurtis Frank and Sol Orwell are cofounders of Examine.com, where they spend their time making sense of scientific studies on supplements and nutrition. They also have a Beginners Guide to Supplements, which you should really, really check out (subtle hint).
This one is short and sweet today. We’re on a very, very tight schedule (spa, tour of the Mets training complex, etc)) and I was warned by Lisa that if she caught me on my computer she’d either Sparta kick me in the chest or force me to listen to nothing but Katy Perry on our way to Miami.
Neither sounds like a great scenario.
*tap, tap, tap, space key, space key, tap, tap, space key, tap, tappidy tap, space key, taparoo*
“Excuse me. But…..What. Are. You. Doing?”
Lisa! Uh, I didn’t see you there. I was just, you know, I thought I heard a noise on my computer, and I opened the screen, and, I, uh, just wanted to make sure it was alright. Since I was here I thought I’d go a head and donate to Greenpeace, and maybe look into adopting a baby seal.
Okay, I was checking my emails and writing a quick post.
Honey, why are you stepping closer? HONEY!!!! NOooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo.
Two hours later from a hospital bed:
I was asked a few weeks ago by the editors of T-Nation if I’d be willing to offer some advice on shoulder training.
It turned out awesome and includes solid information from other top-notch coaches like Tim Henriques, Dean Somerset, Bryan Krahn, Ben Bruno, and Dan Trink.
1. I’m in Florida as I write this – Jensen Beach/Stuart area in fact – and since my girlfriend and her mom decided to have a little mother-daughter “lets shop till we drop” marathon today, which I absolutely wanted no part of, I’ve had a nice, relaxing day to myself where I went to a local commercial gym to get a lift in, and now I’m sitting here in the outdoors area of a Panera in 80 degree weather loving life.
As it happened, I wore my Cressey Performance t-shirt to train this morning and was approached by a random woman who had nothing but great things to say about us. I had just completed a set of squats and happened to make eye-contact with her when she looked at me and gave me a hearty thumbs up.
Acting all cool, at first I thought she was giving me some kudos on my squat technique, which would have been awesome, and a boost to my ego. But really it was the shirt she was impressed with.
I should have known better.
We chatted for about five or so minutes and she mentioned how she always tells people to read our stuff and that, despite being a regular ol’ kick-ass general fitness enthusiast and someone who just enjoys to train (ie: not a trainer), she really appreciated all of the content we provide.
It was just a really nice experience and simultaneously surreal. It always amazes me how much of a reach we have at CP that a random person in Florida knew who I was.
2. And, for those who are reading and inevitably going to give me flack (maybe rightfully so) for doing some work while on my vacation, yesterday, per Lisa’s request, we spent the ENTIRE day out on the open ocean on our friend’s boat doing some serious fishing.
As you can see from the picture above (the one where I felt compelled to do my best Zoolander impersonation, and failed miserably) I wore what I felt was the most appropriate fishing shirt ever. Who says guys never accessorize!?!?!
The game plan was to catch a great white shark, and get myself on the local news, but all I caught were a few measly Spanish mackerel.
Not quite Jaws, but close enough.
All wasn’t lost, though. We caught so many (20), that we all went back, cleaned those bad boys out and ate them for dinner.
So today has been a “lay-low” day. Like I said, Lisa and her mom are off shopping somewhere and doing whatever it is that women do when they shop, and I’m just sitting here outside getting some writing done and taking care of some email correspondance.
Tomorrow we’re heading to Port St. Lucie to check out the Mets spring training complex and to hopefully check out some of our CP guys in action. Then, we’re off to Miami to visit some if Lisa’s friends and to REALLY get the party started.
Speaking of which: this will be my first trip to Miami since I was a sophomore in college playing baseball. I’ve never really had an opportunity to explore the city itself and know both Lisa and I will want to check out some sights and sounds, as well as eat at some fancy schmancy restaurants.
For those in the Miami area – any suggestions???
3. As a quick reminder, I’m going to be speaking at my alma mater, SUNY Cortland, on April 1st. I’m really excited to head back to my old stomping grounds and speak to the student body. It’s a huge honor to be asked to come speak, and it’s my hope that those who attend will remember my name walk away with some newfound insight on assessment, anatomy, and program design.
While the talk with be geared towards undergrad and graduate students, it is OPEN TO THE PUBLIC! And it’s FREE.
For those looking for more information whether it’s directions to Cortland, where on campus it will be held, or taking bets as to what my walk out music will be, please contact Justin Kompf at justin.kompf@cortland.edu for more details.
4. Looking a bit further down the yell0w-brick road, I’m happy to note that Cressey Performance will be hosting the next Elite Training Workshop on Sunday, April 21st.
This is undoubtedly going to be a huge event as the following people will be speaking:
Eric Cressey
Mike Robertson
Mike Reinold
Dave Schmitz
Steve Long
Jared Woolever
And some joker with the last name Gentilcore.
Additionally, there will be a bonus “business day” hosted by Pat Rigsby and Nick Berry on Saturday, April 20th.
5. I’ve been very grateful in my career to get to the point where I’m now featured in the likes of Men’s Health Magazine on an almost monthly basis. But in this month’s issue (April 2013) I’ve finally weaseled my way into an actual full-length, semi-feature article.
What’s it about you ask? How to Get Tank-Top Arms: 13 Top-Level Moves on the BOSU Ball.
LOL – just kidding.
It’s actually on the one part of a program that most guys dismiss but can arguably be considered the most important:
The Warm-Up
Check out pg. 114-116 for more of the deets. And yes, I’ll be more than happy to sign your issue if we ever cross paths.
5. And finally, I’m really good friends with Ben Bruno, and since he also lives in the Boston area, it’s not uncommon for he and I to get together and train or just go out for some burgers* on occasion.
Of course, like everyone else, I read his stuff and love it. Unfortunately I’m not one of those creative types that can sit in his evil strength coach lair and conjure up sadistic exercises that will make people hate life.
Ben, though, is a pro at it.
He can be a real a-hole sometimes. Check out this single leg variations he posted up on his Youtube Channel today:
BRUTAL. “Might have to give those a try sometime.”
Said no one, ever.
* = and ice cream.**
** = okay, and pizza. What? Don’t judge us. The ice cream is gluten free…..;O)
Sorry I’ve been a bit absent this week. Between fighting off this bitch of a cold, prepping for a presentation on posture and low back pain I’m doing at Bose Headquarters this afternoon, and tying up loose ends before heading off on vacation this weekend, my hands have been a bit full.
There’s all of that and a funny story about Lisa almost attacking me with a pillow in the middle of the night thinking I was someone breaking into our apartment. But I’ll save that for a Miscellaneous Monday post down the road.
Nevertheless, today I have an awesome guest post by Nate Palmer on muscle confusion. For those who enjoy my writing style, this one will be right on par. Enjoy!
Muscle Confus….. whaaaa????
If you’re reading this right now, I’m making some broad assumptions about you:
You have above average knowledge of muscular and athletic training.
You’re a 7.5 or better on the general attractiveness scale.
You know and respect the work of people like McGill, Polquin, Bieber, and Cressey.
You are passionate about squatting, building muscle, moving well, and quoting Bane as much as possible.
If you fall into any of those categories, I believe it’s safe to assume that you’ve also heard the phrase “muscle confusion” thrown around like a hipster at a Ramstein concert. It’s all over the news, in radio ads, general fitness articles, and p90x.
Generally the definition of muscle confusion is that by continuing to mix up the exercises/sets/reps/tempo etc. one can ‘trick’ the muscles into growing or burning more fat based on the idea the muscles will adapt to the same stimulus over and over again.
The benefit here is that it is possible to continue to coax new growth out of your muscles without them ever catching on to the fact that you are not, in fact, Mariusz Pudjianowski. Another benefit is that the same routine can be used by a variety of types of trainees with good results.
This is actually science, and since science should not be ignored, I wanted to help clear up the mystical BS surrounding the theory of muscle confusion, and help you create your own muscle confusion workout. At the end, I will give you an example of a workout that I have used for many years with great results, both in my own training, and for many of my clients.
Here is a proven 10 step system that will help you go from Hayden Christiansen status to being a training Yoda in just minutes.
List your goals out on a piece of paper. Be as specific as you can. (i.e. don’t just put “I want to be ripped” put that you want to be bodyweight of 185 at bodyfat percentage of 8%. Don’t put “get stronger” but say you want to squat 315 x 10)
Underneath each goal, write 2-5 exercises that will contribute to your success in that activity.
Now take 12 sticky notes and write down other activities that you enjoy doing, whether that’s sewing, rock climbing, or watching Jumanji on repeat.
Put the sticky notes on your fridge for motivation
While you’re at your fridge, grab something to eat. You don’t want to be hungry while dealing with the advanced principles of muscle confusion.
Grab a calendar for the month. Write down your 7 favorite numbers on it.
Tear all the papers into small pieces and put them into your protein shaker bottle. Shake vigorously for 30-60 seconds to maximize triceps involvement.
Go to the gym with said protein shaker, and begin removing pieces of paper. If legible, tear into smaller pieces and repeat step 7. If you’re becoming confused, that means your muscles are becoming adequately prepped for the workout. While pulling out scraps of paper, you should be haphazardly guessing what they say and doing the exercises with the sets and reps in the way they come out of the shaker.
Your workout should end when the sum of all your sets and reps = 37, or when the minute hand of the clock hits a really cool number.
Make sure to end every session with a naked bosu ball kettlebell snatch on the stair master. Your muscles won’t have any idea what the F just happened!
******BONUS *******
Muscle Confusion Nutrition; the do’s and don’ts.
DO:
Mix 3 parts margarita, with 1 part jack3d and 1 part goji berry extract for the perfect pre-workout beverage. For optimal results, use as a suppository.
Consume as much rotisserie chicken as possible during the workout to involve the digestive system, and to confuse the abs from the inside out.
DON’T:
Have a traditional post workout meal, but instead eat the third thing you see on the way home from the gym. Take a different route every time, or close your eyes while driving to ensure proper confusion.
Listen to the experts. Every body is different, and needs different stimuli to continue growing. Optimize your gains the right way! The confusing way.
DISCLAMER:
Please don’t do this. Any of it really. Except the naked bosu ball snatches. You should do those.
If you’re interested in the actual scientific principle of muscle confusion, look no further than progressive overload, which very simply states that in order to make progress, you must challenge your muscles in ways they haven’t been challenged before. This can take the form of something as simple as adding another rep, or another 5lbs to the bar.
If you are the guy who constantly goes to the gym and does the same 3×10 with 135 every Monday on bench press, you’re not going to make any progress because you haven’t given your muscles any reason to change from the size they are, because they are fully capable of doing your workout.
Constantly changing the stimulus by doing more work per session is the way to create and maintain lasting gains. You don’t need to be jumping from program to program week after week. This will never allow your central nervous system (CNS) to adapt to the movements (which is a good thing that will help you lift more), and you’ll never get any bigger or stronger.
Want to get big and strong? Pick 2-3 big exercises and get really, REALLY strong at them. Add 5lbs per week to start, then add 2.5lbs per week, and if necessary, add 1 lb per week. Do that for a full year. That way, at the end of this year, you will have put somewhere between 50 and 150lbs on your squat. Instead of what you did last year, which was jump around too much and end up with a strained shoulder and a 180lbs squat.
If you want to get brutally strong, stay lean and get legs the size of tree trunks, institute a 20 rep squat protocol. Start lower than you think you should, and add between 1 and 10lbs per week, making lower jumps as you increase weight. At the end of a year, you can easily go from doing 135×20 to doing 250×20.
The most confusing thing you can do for your muscles is squat 300lbs 20 times. Do that, and ditch your fitness DVD’s.
You’re welcome. That will be 49.99.
Author’s Bio
Nate Palmer is a NASM certified personal trainer and corrective exercise specialist. He specializes in weight loss, rehabilitation and stretching, and athletic training. He also loves the smell of vanilla candles, and looking at pictures of puppies online, but he would never admit it.
He’s currently employed at PRO Sports Club in the greater Seattle Area, and for more information check out his website HERE.
