After a solid 10 hours of sleep, we had a more successful morning with the coffeemaker in the apartment, and all of the Gentilcores and Somersets sat in the kitchen quietly, catching up on emails and filling up on caffeine and Czech Granola (which is delicious, by the way!)
The Somersets, ready to roll!
We received a message last night from reception that there was a special package waiting for us from Taste of Prague!!! So we ran over there, to pick up our very own special copy of The Taste of Prague Guide!
We got free access to the PDF when we booked our Foodie Tour (coming up Thursday!), so it was just super-duper special to get the hard copy!
Then, we packed up and were off!
We took the subway out to Tomas’ gym: BarBarGym, for some training.
It was an adventure just maneuvering the subway, but we did it – and ended up in Krizikova, also known as Praha 9… also known as The Karlin District.
Our workouts were great!
I’ve been rehabbing an ouchie shoulder and haven’t gotten to bench heavy in many months. Tony and I got to train together (a rare occurrence) and since I had a handoff I decided to test out some heavier benching – here’s 65Kg (about 143lbs):
After a shower, we walked down the street from the gym to visit a coffee place highly recommended by both visitors and locals alike – Mujsalek Kavy – for a much needed post-workout caffeine buzz.
After that we headed down to Meze for some lunch. Lemonade (or Limonady) seems to be all the rage here, so Dean had a few lemonades, I had a little vino, and we all had a very delicious and leisurely lunch.
Due to being outside of the city center and on the “other” (North) side of the river, we decided to walk to Prague Castle from the Karlin district. Here are some amazing photos of the city and our view along the way!
The castle itself was amazing! Beautiful views from outside the castle overlooking the city:
An amazing Cathedral:
Gardens, Crown Jewels, and CRAZY statues at the gates!!
After walking back down the steps we walked over the Charles Bridge – another highlight of the city:
We then stopped at Bakeshop (which is fast becoming my favorite spot for a coffee). I grabbed a muesli cookie and an espresso. Tony had a piece of carrot cake (his favorite):
We went home for a bit to regroup, and then went back to Old Town Square for dinner. Afterward we went on the search for a local delicacy, the trdelnik:
I’m not quite sure how to describe.
Note from Tony: I can……..f***in delicious. Even better with ice-cream stuffed inside.
Dough. Fire roasted. Sugar and cinnamon coated. And for the tourists, filled with something. Nutella, or ice cream, or some other decadent thing. Tony and I had one and it was delish!
Lindsay likened it to a churro, but since it’s not fried, it’s lighter than that.
Anyways, don’t miss it when you hit Prague!
Once back home, we settled in with some Netflix (we can’t find a TV station in English), and watched a bit of TV before heading off to bed. Another amazing day! Thanks for reading and talk to you tomorrow.
I’m in Europe traveling, speaking, and eating lots of cheese.
Today’s guest post comes courtesy of strength coach Travis Hansen. I don’t write nearly enough nutritional content for the site – if I do it’s always gluten free1 – so when Travis reached out to offer a sequel to a popular article he wrote for T-Nation I was happy to oblige.
Enjoy!
If you haven’t already be sure to visit part #1 of why athletes should eat carbs HERE, where I cover several often overlooked reasons why athletes need carbohydrates to look and perform to their peak potential.
Right now, I want to take some time and cover several more key reasons to further put this myth to rest once and for all!
1) Ghrelin Suppression
Ghrelin is a very intricate hormone of our endocrine system that is released primarily from our stomach cells.
Awww, ghrelin is so cute!
Once released into our bloodstream this hormone travels up to the brain where it binds to its specific receptor site.
There is extensive research on this hormone, but most notably is its role on increasing appetite.
Interestingly enough, once we ingest enough carbs ghrelin levels tend to scale down. This becomes significant since ghrelin also plays a negative role in metabolic rate and fat storage. (1)
2) Non-Essential Amino Acid Synthesis
When our body utilizes carbohydrates as energy some of the chemical by-products become necessary for production of the manufacturing of non-essential amino acids.
This becomes important since this particular sub-category of amino acids is involved in many metabolic pathways in the human body.
I analyzed several studies which indicated that non-essential amino acids did not provide any additional benefit to muscle growth outside of essential amino acid intake, however if you sit down and examine the role of each one you will come to find out that they play vital roles in various reactions in the body which will ultimately affect athletic performance and you would be foolish to limit their production by going low carb.
3) Testosterone Levels
I discussed the effects of Insulin briefly in the previous article and from that you could see just how valuable the hormone is for muscle growth and performance.
What’s more is the influence insulin production can have on our testosterone levels.
When we ingest and digest carbohydrates Insulin will prevent a hormone by the name of Sex Hormone Binding Globulin (SHBG) from attaching itself to Free Testosterone circulating through our bloodstream.
Moreover, I was able to locate an awesome study which examined the effects low carbohydrate diets had on Testosterone levels. (2)
In this particular study, researchers studied two groups of male athletes.
One group consumed moderate to high amounts of carbohydrates (60% of caloric intake), while the other group consumed low quantities of carbs (30% of caloric intake). After three consecutive days of high intensity training, blood samples were taken from each group, measuring each groups Testosterone to Cortisol Ratio.
The control group only showed a 3% decrease in T while the low carb group showed a pitiful 43% drop in T!
Keep in mind, the exercise protocol did not involve heavy weight training, so it would be interesting to see the effects of pre and post-percentage drops in each group with very high amounts of muscular damage induced from resistance training protocols.
4) Motor Control and Coordination
I absolutely love science as much as the next person, but I don’t think there is really any true need to provide any study on this one.
Bottom Line: our nervous system’s preferential source of fuel comes directly from carbohydrates in the form of glucose and if we deprive ourselves of carbs as athletes then it has to be manufactured from external and internal sources of body protein (aka muscle mass) with small amounts stemming from fat (glycerol).
Also consider the potential lag time in glucose production from non-carbohydrate sources that occurs since it’s not readily available in muscle stores as glycogen for glycolysis.
Most team sports rely on anaerobic glycolysis fueled by glucose and glycogen stores, and if there is a delay in providing these energy sources then exertion has to stall to some extent.
Aside from everything else I’ve shared with you up until this point, all you have to do is work with any strength or power athlete for a considerable amount of time while they are practicing a low carb diet strategy and you will inevitably recognize common deficiencies in movement (speed, quickness, strength, motivation, etc.) derived from fatigue, dehydration, and subsequent motor control deficits.
5) The X-Factor: Glycogen
In the first article, you saw the influence systemic hydration levels have on performance outcomes, and the high amounts of H2O that is to be stored in our glycogen stores. Any small decrease in hydration (2-3%) has been shown to lead to poorer performance and you absolutely risk this by depleting glycogen stores in your muscles and liver by consuming less carbs.
Furthermore, one of the common physiological adaptations that occurs in our muscles in response to strength and athletic training is an increased capacity for glycogen and thus water to meet the increased demands of the training stimulus so that we can perform better.
Moreover, there is good evidence that glycogen stores play a direct role in recovery and protein synthesis following intense training. (3), (4).
Increased cellular signaling is one potential way that glycogen can affect recovery and regeneration.
Lastly, if you are an athlete who is trying to get fancy and shed weight fast let me inform you of some things before you do so.
When glycogen stores become depleted within a day of strict low carb dieting there is an automatic up-regulation of specific enzymes which store more glycogen to help combat this approach.
With this there is an increase in glycogen stores above original baseline. This means that you are going to temporarily gain MORE weight in the form of increased water and stored carbs then if you had just stayed consistent in the first place.
What I am referring to here is the classic “carb loading” approach advocated and mastered by endurance athletes everywhere for decades now. And it absolutely works for this population, but definitely not in the context of efficient weight loss for athletes who still need to perform at a high level regularly.
If nothing else, why would the body adapt this way? Obviously we need the glycogen, especially if you are an explosive athlete.
Lastly, there is a decent amount of research that I found showing that sufficient glycogen or glucose replenishment may offset Central fatigue of the nervous system, and I will be sure to discuss this topic more in the final installment of this series…
#2-Lane AR, Duke JW, Hackney AC. Influence of dietary carbohydrate intake on the free testosterone: cortisol ratio responses to short-term intensive exercise training. Eur J Appl Physiol. 2010 Apr;108(6):1125-31.
#3-John, L. Regulation of muscle glycogen repletion, muscle protein synthesis and repair following exercise. J Sports Sci Med 3: 131-138, 2004.
#4-Howarth, KR. Effect of glycogen availability on human skeletal muscle protein turnover during exercise and recovery. J Appl Physiol 109: 431-438, 2010.
Author’s Bio
Travis Hansen has been involved in the field of Human Performance Enhancement for nearly a decade. He graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in Fitness and Wellness, and holds 3 different training certifications from the ISSA, NASM, and NCSF. He was the Head Strength and Conditioning Coach for the Reno Bighorns of the NBADL for their 2010 season, and he is currently the Director of The Reno Speed School inside the South Reno Athletic Club. He has worked with hundreds of athletes from almost all sports, ranging from the youth to professional ranks. He is the author of the hot selling “Speed Encyclopedia,” and he is also the leading authority on speed development for the International Sports Sciences Association.
Dean and I thought it would be smart to just use the coffee maker in the apartment, instead of running out for a little coffee in the morning.
Unfortunately, due what dean believes is a design flaw, I walked into the kitchen 10 minutes after starting the coffee to find brown water everywhere, and a vomiting coffee machine! So after cleanup, I headed out, once again, to what is fast becoming my favorite coffee place: Bakeshop:
After a little coffee and breakfast, the boys ran to their workshop, and Lindsay and I took our own separate little runs.
Lindsay (I can only imagine) probably actually ran. I, on the other hand, jogged about 20-40 feet, and then stopped to take a few photos…
Here is :
And then …
And also:
So after my jog/photo interval session, I took a shower and got ready for the day. It was rainy and gross, but we really wanted to get out to see the library, The Klementium.
First Lindsay and I made lunch from the amazing and CRAZY cheap produce we found at the farmer’s market yesterday, and then we set out!
It was cold and rainy, but that didn’t stop the tourists! They were everywhere.
After some walking around, we came across the building where the library was, but walked around all 360 degrees of the building before figuring out how to enter.
Unfortunately the next tour was not beginning for some time, and we couldn’t handle staying out that long in the pouring rain.
So off we went… this time finding the Nardoni Gallery! We checked out the Old Master’s collection, with a mix of some Picasso, renaissance, and Czech artists.
The weather started to improve, and we went on a manhunt for some laundry detergent… not the easiest to find in the center of an ancient city with a drove of tourists and the matching gift shops.
After the mission was accomplished, I found myself back at the Bakeshop for another espresso and a few treats for Tony.
We came home to relax a bit before the boys came home, and suddenly Dean texted Lindsay to explain they would stop by in a few minutes to pick us up so that we could have dinner at Tomas and Linka’s house!
Here is the AMAZING view from their roofdeck!
Lenka is 9 months pregnant, but was a spectacular hostess. Somehow, they got Tony to drink moonshine a second time (still not sure how this is happening), and Dean had him take a sip of Scotch.
Here is Dean and Tony with our wonderful host, Tomas:
After an amazing 12 hours of sleep, I was bright eyed and bushy tailed! I found the nearest open coffee shop, grabbed myself one, and brought one home for Dean. Tony was whipping up some eggs, and the boys were getting ready for Day 1 of “The Complete Hip and Shoulder Workshop” (available on DVD soon!).
Here’s Tony in our Rockin’ 1970’ European kitchen!
After the boys left, Lindsay and I headed out. Thanks to Zuzi and Jan at The Taste of Prague, I had many tips and guides for good food and sightseeing in the city!
Today’s itinerary was The Perfect Saturday itinerary, which is from their website. Making our way to The Vysehrad Fortress, we passed by the Philharmonic:
The Charles River Bridge
And then my favorite, the Naplavka Farmer’s Market!
Filled with produce, meat, homemade food and drinks, and plenty of local wines and beers, the market also had clothing and jewelry from local artisans. We grabbed some extremely cheap produce for the fridge back at the apartment, and then hit up the fortress.
Atop a long set of stairs, we had lazy lunch next to the fortress. It was a warm and sunny day, and lots of locals were out for some coffee or beer. We walked back home along the river, to meet up with the boys and hear about Day 1 of the seminar.
Tony and Dean arrived back home around 6pm – just long enough to change clothes, freshen up, and head to dinner!
We ate at a local spot with “traditional Czech food.”
Not only did Tony have the Goulash – but he has a shot!
If you don’t know, Tony does not ever drink alcohol (he hates the taste). The Ex-Pat American next to me at dinner explained, “this is basically Czech moonshine”. I thought it tasted like tequila… Tony threw it back like a champ!
And I had the pigs knee. It was delicious!
After some dessert we walked back home and couldn’t wait to get some sleep.
Good night and talk to you tomorrow! Lisa (and Tony).
Thank you for joining Tony and I on our European Adventure!
I am currently delirious and have been up since 4:15am Thursday… as I write this, it is 1:18pm Friday. But isn’t that how all European adventures begin??
If you’re just tuning in, thanks for reading about our trip! If you’re a friend or a family member who likes updates about how we’re doing and what you’re up to – you’ve come to the right place.
Our journey began after work on Thursday, when we headed to Logan airport in rush hour traffic. I was exited to fly on British Airways for the first time:
I am sorry to say that the first time will most assuredly be the last time. Climbing aboard a 787 was cool – but that’s about it. If you have the cash for business class, the seats look amazing! (First class is upstairs, so I can only imagine it’s heaven on earth with bare chested servers and a harpist) but the minions sit in a horrible short, narrow little seat, and Tony and I were in the middle of four seats.
It was bad.
Tony didn’t have a place to put his backpack (no food or luggage room in front of him). I had a meanie on the end of the isle who was so mad about the first time that I got up to pee, that I didn’t get up to pee for the next 5 hours.
The good news?
Since it’s British Airways, TV included SEASON 6 of DOWNTOWN ABBEY!!!!! I believe it was the only thing that kept me from punching my grouchy end-of-the-isle neighbor in the side of the head.
6 hours and 3.5 episodes of Downton Abbey later, we arrived.
In flight, we were served bread for dinner, cheesecake for dessert, and then some more bread for breakfast.
How do people live this way?
Not sure, but buzzing from the lack of sleep and carbohydrate overload, Tony and I spent an hour meandering from one part of Heathrow international airport to the next, finding breakfast along the way, and this:
The second leg of our British Airways flight was no better than the first. Right off the bat, the attendants insisted on checking our “international measurements approved” carry on luggage bag!
Second, we were seated in an exit row – great, right? NOPE! We had to let go of our backpacks, which meant no reading material or anything to keep me awake for the next several hours.
We made it to Prague (Praha), and as soon as we left customs, it was easy to spot our host! (Imagine Daniel Day-Lewis, but Jacked, tatted, and Czech).
After a ride to dead center of the city ,we checked in to our 2 bedroom apartment! (With living room and full kitchen, we’ll be sharing with Tony’s business partner and seminar co-ninja, Dean Somerset, and his wife Lindsay).
Then we walked around for a bit, found a table front and center of Old Town Center, and had a few beers, a salad, and a smile (just to clarify, I had the beers. Tony had the salad.).
Dinner view. Front row seat in Old Town Square
After some food we walked to the supermarket and carried a way-too-heavy amount of food and water home to stock our fridge for the week!
Then, we had to stay up.
Dean and Lindsay were taking the train in from Paris, and arriving around 9pm. But Tony and I were ready to sleep at 6:00pm!!
So we tried and we tried.
Thank God Tony made it until 9:00pm!
Dean and Lindsay were exhausted from a 13 HOUR BUS RIDE from Paris, so we all hit the hey for a big night sleep!
Lisa and I left Boston yesterday and high-tailed it – nay, bolted – into our two-week European extravaganza.
It’s my first trip to “mainland” Europe (I visited London close to two years ago and loved it), but it’s Lisa 3rd trip over. She’s the veteran here.
We have stops in Prague, Oslo, Stockholm, and Copenhagen planned, and the itinerary Lisa has conjured up would make any travel agent shit a map of the Fjords.
It’s pretty impressive and makes me grateful I have such a detailed and organized wife. For those interested, Lisa will be keeping a daily travel blog over on the Miscellany section of this website.
If you peruse the top righthand corner of the site where all the tabs are, you’ll find it there. Starting this weekend she should have some new stuff posted.
She did the same thing when we visited Australia last year, and people loved it. You can check out Day #1 HEREand then read on if you so desire. She really is a talented travel writer.
And don’t worry: I’ll still keep up with the regular blog content too. I have a bunch of people pinch hitting for me for the next two weeks and have a litany of guest post lined up. The one written by Matt Damon on why we’re such BFFs is really on-point.
Also, I wouldn’t be surprised if I try to sneak in some of my own writing while away. We have two lengthy train rides mixed into the adventure, and I’m sure I’ll need to release some creative juices.
And on that note, here’s this week’s list of stuff to read….
If you’re not subscribed to it already, I can’t recommend Strength & Conditioning Research enough. Both Chris and Bret put out an amazing resource month in and month out.
I don’t necessarily agree with Joel’s assertion that protracting the shoulders on row variations should be avoided, but it’s okay. Everyone doesn’t have to agree on everything all the time.
Nick handed me a copy of his latest book when I saw him a few weekends ago at The Fitness Summit in Kansas City. On the flight back to Boston I had the chance to read the first few chapters and take a gander at all the programs and exercise descriptions.
I was very impressed.
Nick’s a well-respected coach and someone I still learn a ton from on a weekly basis. If you’re looking for a no-frills program to follow then look no further.
It stands to reason if you’re reading a blog who’s tagline is “Because Heavy Things Won’t Lift Themselves” you need little convincing on the merits of strength training.
You’ve already been converted to the “dark side.” (<— Best if said using the same accent and inflection as Darth Vader from Empire Strikes Back).
However I’m hoping the commentary that follows will resonate with those who aren’t yet “converted,” have preconceived notions, and/or who have been programmed into thinking strength training is something women should not be doing, which saddens me deeply (and makes me want to hurl myself into a live volcano).
NOTE: If you happened to have stumbled on this website by accident using the key words “adorable,” “World’s best hugger,” or, I don’t know “crazy cat gentleman” then welcome! I hope you stick around for awhile.
What Strength Training Is Not
To be clear: “strength” is subjective. I feel part of the problem as to why some (not all) women refrain from strength training is that some (not all) automatically assume they have to be lifting heavy-ass weight.
Not true.
Yes, possessing the ability to deadlift 2x body-weight or to be able to bang out ten bodyweight chin-ups is impressive and is strong.
But strength can also be other things.
I mean, have you ever watched a Cirque du Soleil show and the crazy positions those performers can get into and hold? That’s strong too.
All that said, I’ve long been a champion of doing my part in debunking and offsetting the message the mainstream media often perpetuates to the masses (women in particular) with regards to strength training.
The message that strength training is for men and that women should focus more on “toning” or “lengthening” or any other vomit-in-my-mouth worthy phrase or comment the likes of Tracy Anderson has regurgitated over the years.
She’s had some doozies.
“No woman should lift a weight heavier than 3 lbs.”
“I would never recommend (kettlebells) to women, even women who are fans of bulkier muscle lines. While bulkier muscle looks OK on women in their 20s and 30s, it doesn’t age well.”
“It’s important to use lighter weights so we can target our deep, less angry, stabilizing muscles. Also, dipping your left hand into a bucket of unicorn tears detoxes the body of sadness.”
One of the quotes above I made up. The fact you may have to figure out which one speaks to her asininity.
In General:
For men the message tends to lean towards “building” or “make stronger.”
For women the message tends to reverberate towards “to lessen” or “to slim” or “to make smaller.”
There’s nothing wrong with any of those things; if that’s your bag, that’s your bag.
So be it.
I just find the overall message of smaller, thinner, sexier, to be very toxic in nature and encourages a mindset that paints strength and strength training (with regards to women) as something that should be avoided altogether.
Strength = bulk, mass.
Strength = BAD.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1ytCEuuW2_A
It Needs to Stop
Sure, I could wax poetic about how strength training for women helps to increase athletic performance, increase muscle mass (which helps improve body composition (muscle takes up less space than fat), metabolic rate, and overall caloric burn “at rest”), stave off osteoporosis/osteopenia, in addition to reducing the likelihood of injury.
ALL of these are wonderful things.
Yet still, many women refrain from the iron.
Like myself, my good friend, Ben Bruno, trains a lot of women.
He does a masterful job of framing strength and strength training as something that should be embraced and that more women should adopt and gravitate towards.
“It’s about strengthening the right areas,” he often says.
What makes his message all the more effective is that he works with some high-profile clients, and has them performing some kick-ass stuff.
Stuff that many women would be reticent to try because they’re deemed unconventional and don’t involve sitting in a room set at 106 degrees.
I don’t “baby” them, I don’t treat them like delicate snowflakes, I don’t have them perform “girl push-ups,” and I don’t feed into any fanatical nonsense that placing a barbell on a their back is going to turn anyone into He-Man.
I treat the women the same as I treat the men.
Giving credit where credit is due: CrossFit has pretty much nipped this mindset in the bud in recent years. I see more and more women ditching the elliptical machines in lieu of barbells, and it’s amazing.
However, I’m not married to the barbell.
One’s goals and ability level will always dictate the path I’ll take with any client. Sometimes, and I credit Ben (Bruno) for this little tip, a little reverse psychology can help nudge a woman to the benefits of strength training.
The body can’t differentiate a barbell from a kettlebell from a dumbbell from a band.
A video posted by Tony Gentilcore (@tonygentilcore) on
While there was no “trickery” involved with the video above – I was using the KB and band to better groove Yael’s hip hinge – I can’t tell you how many times I’ve had a female client give me the stink-eye when I tell her to lift “x” weight with a barbell, only to nonchalantly crush the same weight with a kettlebell or dumbbell.
As a coach, sometimes it’s best just to meet people where they are.
But it’s fantastic once the switch flips, and I can get a female client comfortable and more confident with barbells.
2) Body Acceptance
It’s impossible for me to elaborate more eloquently on this subject than how Jen Sinkler did recently:
“This weekend I was told by a man I knew in college that I was “unrecognizable” now thanks to my “really big arms.”
I love how I look. I love the thickness. It’s one of the reasons I lift. My concept of beauty is different now. It involves more determination.
No one gains muscle by doing nothing. It takes action, diligence, and a strong work ethic. Muscle represents those qualities, tells me about that person.
Hard work is beautiful.”
Another fantastic quote, from Fabienne Marier, which was in response to Jen’s quote above (as well as served as an impetus for the title of this article) also hits the nail on the head:
“I love that my body is now an ally, instead of being an adversary.
My look is deliberate, not accidental. And it’s the result of striving to be more, instead of wanting to be less.”
3) Get S*** Done
Every so often my wife is approached at the gym while she’s training, and in between sets of deadlifts or chin-ups, is asked by a curious onlooker, “what are you training for?”
Many people – men and women – watch her train and assume she’s training for a competition of some sort.
It’s a compliment, and she takes it as such.
But how often is a man asked that same question? No one blinks an eye when a man is using the squat rack.
Yet when a woman is using it, it’s assumed she’s a competitor.
Lisa has the most appropriate response, though:
“I’m training for life.”
BOOM.
Not coincidentally…she’s never asked me to open up a jar for her, she isn’t timid to move furniture, and she certainly doesn’t back down when she has to (farmer) carry the groceries a few blocks from the grocery store to our apartment.
She’s strong.
She…gets…shit…done.
4) Provides More Purpose and Intent
Strength training by it’s nature yields itself to more performance-based goals, which I am a huge fan of.
Whenever I start working with a woman and she’s all like “I want to lose ten lbs,” I’m all like (fast forward to the 0:35s mark in this clip)…
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uDQx1Kn9wUM
This IS NOT to discount or belittle someone’s goal to lose weight…it’s my job as their coach to dig deeper, peel back the onion, and figure out why this is the case (why do they want to lose 10 lbs?, why do they feel they need to lose 10 lbs?)….and then set them up for the best path of success possible.
However, in my experience, often (not always), it’s a lazy, shallow, and meaningless goal.
If anything, the sentence “I want to lose 10 lbs” is nothing more than a default setting many women have been programmed to say because, well, they don’t know what else to say.
Ladies: You’re not Microsoft Word.
You’re better than that.
Striving for more performance-based goals, and setting a higher standard for why you head to the gym day in and day out can be a game changer.
A video posted by Tony Gentilcore (@tonygentilcore) on
Her goal is to deadlift 300 lbs. It’s not every female’s goal.
She arrives to every training session with a sense of vigor and passion that wouldn’t come close to what it consistently is if her goal was to “just lose 10 lbs.”
I’d argue that setting performance-based goals sets the tone for aesthetic goals anyways. All the hard work and dedication it takes to nail the performance goal – whether it’s performing your first chin-up or hitting “x” number of reps of squats at “x” weight – allows for the aesthetic goals to just kinda happen.
Strength training helps to mold, shape, and add contour to the body.
You don’t “shape” anything by spending copious hours on the treadmill. You may lose weight, but you make yourself a smaller, weaker version of your original self.
If that’s what you want, cool. But I doubt that’s what you want.
Pareto’s Principle states that 80% of the effects will result from 20% of the causes.
This “rule” can be applied to everything from farming to business (and everything in between).
80% of the profit comes from 20% of the yield.
80% of your sales comes from 20% of your clients.
80% of why I never got laid in college came from 20% of watching Lord of the Rings on a Friday night rather than go out drinking.
See! It works for everything.
I’m a “strength” guy through and through.
For most trainees, most of the time, placing a priority and premium on the “big rocks” (I.e., 20%) – multi-joint, compound movements like squats, deadlifts, bench press, chin-up/pull-ups, rows, and carries4 – will lead to 80% of the results.
More strength, more fat-loss, glutes that would make Bret Contreras shit an EMG study,”peckier” pecs, I don’t know, a lot of cool things happen when people focus on the basics.
The less fluff the better, if you ask me.
That said, as I’ve gotten older and the more experience I’ve accumulated as a coach (14+ years), the less militant I’ve gotten in my ways.
Don’t get me wrong: I still have my core values and beliefs as a fitness professional (deadlifts solve everything, people who don’t eat meat make me sad), and am set in my ways to some degree. However, I can’t neglect the fact that as a fitness professional I am in the service industry, and at the end of the day, again, to some degree, I am at the mercy of what the client wants.
Moreover, speaking from personal experience, I’ve found that as I’ve inched closer and closer to 40, my body is responding quite well – dare I say, eloquently – to more healthy-doses of isolation/bodybuilder-centric type movements.
I’m still focusing on the “big rocks.” However, if anything, it’s been fun to toss in some isolation work for my shoulders, arms, legs, hair follicles, whateverthefuck.
NOTE: Check out Bryan Krahn’s fantastic post, Over 40 Training is a Scam for a nice synopsis of my thoughts on the topic. He said things way better than I ever could.
Cutting to the chase I wanted to share a new (to me) exercise that fits the bill on this discussion.
DB Fly Away
Who Did I Steal It From: the bro-master himself, John Romaniello.
What Does It Do: It increases the likelihood that your pecs will cut diamonds. Truthfully, as much as I think the bench press should be a staple in any well-designed strength training program, for hypertrophy (muscle-growth) purposes it’s kind of a dud.
Yes, you can build a monster chest with the bench press. Relax.
I much prefer dumbbell variations, however, which allow for more humeral adduction (which happens to be one of the prime actions of the pectoral muscles).
Key Coaching Cues: Um, yeah, sorry for the crotch shot in the video above.
This is a hybrid, 2 for 1, exercise…combining both a press and fly.
All you’re going to do here is press the DBs as you would for a normal pressing exercise, but on the way down you’ll perform a “fly” motion moving the DBs away from the midline of the body.
Today’s guest post comes courtesy of Zak Gabor, a MA-based physical therapist and strength coach. His alma mater – Ithaca College – also happens to be my alma mater’s – SUNY Cortland – sworn enemy.
But he’s cool…;o)
Enjoy!
Not only can tapping into your posterior chain get you extremely strong, help improve athleticism and give you the butt of your dreams, it can leave you significantly less injury-prone, especially with low back and knee injuries.
Photo Credit: Dr. John Rusin
I am here to discuss how and why posterior chain strength needs to be a priority in training (that is, of course, if you want to decrease your chance of getting injured.)Training your posterior chain doesn’t guarantee injury prevention but it sets you on the right track for building a strong foundation.
What is the Posterior Chain?
In the strength and conditioning world, the posterior chain consists of the erector spinae, gluteal muscles, hamstrings, and gastroc/soleus complex.
Note from TG: “Posterior Chain” was also the original name of Thor’s hammer.
But it actually wasn’t.
Why is the Posterior Chain So Damn Important?
This is an area that I am extremely passionate about. What can I say, I’m a butt guy, but for good reason.
I truly believe that incorporating posterior chain strengthening into training can save tons of money on healthcare costs for low back and knee injuries, but more importantly, keep you healthy!
As the PT profession is constantly evolving, my goal is to get clients in the door and teach them ways stay healthier, versus having patients in for rehabilitative purposes.
Lets dive into two of the major joints that are especially vulnerable to injury in the lack of adequate posterior chain strength:
Low Back:
Oh yeah, baby.
Over $80 billion spent each year on low back in healthcare… simply unacceptable.
To me, if you know how to strengthen your posterior chain, that means you know how to hip hinge (i.e. load the glutes and hamstrings effectively while keeping lumbar spine neutral).For anyone who knows what a freak I am about preaching this movement pattern, this right here is the primary reason why!
Am I saying that if you can hip hinge you will never get back pain? No.I am saying that understanding the hip hinge pattern will give you a much better chance at preventing low back pain.The simplified reason is two fold:
1) Lifting loads from the ground with a neutral spine= less likely to hurt low back
-Now, now, not trying to be dogmatic, but research don’t lie.
Spines ARE resilient, we need to be able to tolerate both flexion and extension.
Yet, if you are like me, and respect the work of one of the most influential low back researchers (Dr. Stu McGill) then you know that repeated flexion especially under loads; leave the lumbar spine vulnerable to injury.
Therefore, learning how to properly hip hinge and maintain a neutral, stiff, spine throughout the movement can not only prevent injury, but can also get you the butt of your dreams.Enter strengthening the posterior chain.
2) Strengthening posterior chain = less likely to hurt low back
Simply put, a strong butt (Gluteals) will decrease your risk of low back injuries.
There is a ton of research out that indicates how important gluteal strengthening is for low back rehab.Lets simplify this in the pre-hab lens.
Glute Max is one of, if not the most, powerful muscles in the human body.Unfortunately, most individual’s glutes are offline thanks to endless hours of sitting.If we can strengthen the most powerful muscle in the body (which just so happens to neighbor and play intimately with the lumbar spine), wouldn’t it make sense that it would be good protection for the lumbar spine?Just sayin’
Knee:
The knee gets a little bit more technical, but I will try to keep it simple.
The knee as a joint is extremely vulnerable, to say the least.
It is literally two bones sitting on top of each other with little to no bony stability…meaning it gains its stability primarily from soft tissue structures both inert (meniscus, ligaments) and contractile (quads, hammies, and a whole lot more).
Believe it or not, the knee actually has more evidence online than low back for its correlation of posterior chain strength preventing injuries.
A lot of the research is specific to ACL injury prevention, but honestly, mechanics resulting in various knee injuries are often similar to ACL mechanics.
One of the predisposing factors to knee injury is what is known as dynamic valgus (knee collapsing inward) mostly brought on by quad dominance.
The other major way it can be brought on is by lack of posterior-lateral hip control.
Most individuals are quad dominant because of sitting all day, turning off the glutes and hammies, and leaving the quads as primary movers.Here is a photo of one of my favorite examples of a dynamic valgus brought on by quad dominance (i.e. the quads winning the tug of war on the femur and pulling into dynamic valgus:
This is called “RG 3’ing.” Named after NFL Quarterback, Robert Griffin III.
Notice how his knees cave in as he develops power, this is a great example of when even “healthy” people can be predisposed to injury. Don’t RG 3….
How do we combat this? Well, this answer is multi-faceted, but Ill give you a hint… one of the best ways it to strengthen the posterior chain.
It’s really that simple.
There are TONS of ways to strengthen and target the posterior chain.As a matter of fact, just peruse Tony’s awesome website, and you will find tons of exercises… as I did when I was just a newbie in the S&C world.
Here are a few of my favorites:
1) Glute-centric: Bridging, every bridge variation….
Note From TG: This is an older video. So, relax internet trainer who doesn’t even perform this exercise in the first place, but is quick to point out how it’s not perfect technique. Am I bending a little too much from the waist? Yes. Is the music on point? Yes.
Here’s a nice regression:
3) Compound post chain: DEADLIFT, RDL, KB swings
Conclusion
You still need to train your anterior chain too! However, in a world where we’re stuck sitting for hours on end and prone to training our “mirror muscles,” placing more of a premium on the posterior chain is never a bad idea. For many reasons.
Anyone who might be interested in learning more and truly mastering the hip hinge, we will be hosting workshop July 24th at RX strength training in Medford, MA.
Either way, feel free to email me should you have any questions or anything about this you would like to discuss!
Peace, love, and glutes
About the Author
Dr. Zachary Gabor, PT, DPT, CSCS, USAW, is a 2015 graduate from Ithaca College where he earned his Doctorate of Physical Therapy.
Prior to that, he earned his Bachelor of Clinical Health Science degree from Ithaca College in 2013. Zak is also a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist (CSCS) through the National Strength & Conditioning Association (NSCA), and a Sports Performance Coach through USA Weightlifting (USAW).
Throughout his doctorate program, Zak served as a Teaching Assistant for several physical therapy courses including gross anatomy and musculoskeletal examination and evaluation. He also spent over three years providing personal strength training to clients and athletes.
Zak is passionate about teaching and educating, both of which are very important cornerstones to any patient’s plan of care. In addition, Zak’s clinical experience is rooted in sports-based orthopedic rehabilitation and physical therapy, with an emphasis on strength training and sports performance.
A firm believer in continuing education to better serve the patients, clients and athletes he works with, Zak is dedicated to constantly learning. His future post-gradation coursework will include: manual therapy courses, dry needling certifications, and sports certification specialist designation.
Lisa and I have to wait a little bit to go see it, but I already have out tickets for early Sunday morning. I can’t wait!
Wanna know what else I’m excited for? Our trip to Europe. We leave next Thursday for Prague for a week, followed by a trip to Norway/Sweden/Denmark for a week.
It’s pleasure mixed in with a little business.
Dean Somerset and I will be presenting our Complete Hip & Shoulder Workshop in both Prague and Oslo (ahem, spots still available), and the rest of the time will be spent visiting castles, taking in the scenery, and eating copious amounts of cheese.
Well, at least I will. Because that’s how I roll.
My sister and I at a cheese tasting last summer in the Finger Lakes. Yes, I was THAT excited.
It’ll be my first trip onto “mainland” Europe – I’ve been to London once – and I can’t even begin to tell you the itinerary Lisa has in store for us. That said, if anyone has any suggestions on sights to see or delicious places to go eat in Prague, Oslo, Stockholm, or Copenhagen, please share them.
Oh, and keep your eyes peeled in the Miscellany section of the blog starting next week. Much like she did with our trip to Australia last year, Lisa will be writing a daily log detailing our musings, merriment, and libations.
The internet has been abuzz the past week or so with that latest story from the NY Times detailing contestants from the show The Biggest Loser and how their Resting Metabolic Rate (RMR) was, for lack of a better term, fucking whack.
The study in question raised, well, a lot of questions….as well as the alarmists out there.
Leigh does a fantastic job of putting things into perspective.
Many coaches and trainers have been bamboozled into thinking that POSTERIOR chain work is the bees knees. And, it is.
As the saying goes, “you need to train ass to haul ass.”
However, Mike makes the case that maybe, kinda, sorta, we’ve been placing too much emphasis on the posterior chain. Powerlifters are a great example of athletes who are some of the strongest human beings on earth and rain their hamstrings and glutes like mad.
Do they really have weak posterior chains?
As Mike notes:
“Do you really have a posterior chain weakness issue? Or do you have an accessibility issue?”
In short: BOTH anterior and posterior chains need to be trained. It’s a silly argument to have, really. Much like when people argue over which is better or more important: bilateral lower body training or single-leg training, steady state cardio vs. HIIT, a light-saber or Mjolnir?
The resource and community that Todd and Chris have developed here is profound.
It’s simple:
“Strength coaching for Strength Coaches.”
Coaches need coaches too. Strength Faction is a wonderful way to learn from other coaches about assessment, program design, and all things strength coaching.
Follow a program (catered to YOU), be a part of a compassionate community, and learn from other coaches.
I had the the honor of being invited onto a group Q & A call last night where I spent an hour talking to members of the Faction. It was a delightful experience and as it happens, Todd and Chris are rearing up for the next go around of their group.
I suggest you look into it. You won’t be disappointed.
Some Other Stuff
1) In my most recent article on MensHealth.com, I break down the bent over barbell row.
provide any study on this one.
In the first article, you saw the influence systemic hydration levels have on performance outcomes, and the high amounts of H2O that is to be stored in our glycogen stores. Any small decrease in hydration (2-3%) has been shown to lead to poorer performance and you absolutely risk this by depleting glycogen stores in your muscles and liver by consuming less carbs.
posterior chain strength preventing injuries.
