I’ve been before, back in 2014 for a friend’s wedding, and ever since I’ve been wanting to come back to visit.
It’s a lovely place…prime with excellent food, culture, and scenery. I’m here because Dean Somerset and I are teaching our Complete Shoulder & Hip Blueprint this weekend. I came a day early so I had a day to walk around, explore, and marinate in introvert heaven.
As most of you know I have an 8-week old back in Boston, and as anyone who has a child knows, there’s little “me time” in that mix. You’re always on, ready to bust into action – whether it’s to feed or perform an emergency diaper change – at any moment.
Even when things are seemingly quiet you’re on high-alert. Every noise coming through the baby-monitor comes with a degree of jumpiness, unease, and foreboding.
It’s like adult Spidey-sense
Except in this case, instead of an extraordinary ability to sense imminent danger, as a parent to an infant, this version of Spidey-sense gives you a sixth sense for blowout diarrhea and 2 AM whateverthefucks.
So, selfishly, I was very much looking forward to a day of being in my own thoughts, walking around the city, and having a restful night of sleep in my hotel room watching Netflix and eating German chocolate cake.1
It was glorious.
I’m actually sitting in a coffee shop as I write this and then doing a staff in-service at TWIST Conditioning Vancouver this afternoon. Later on I’ll meet up with Dean and we’ll head to Langley, BC for our workshop at All Around Fitnessthis weekend.
Stuff to Check Out Before You Read Stuff
I got nothing, sorry. I want to bounce and go walk around.
As a follow up to THIS post I wrote last week, and Mike Connelly’s guest post that followed suit, The Art of Getting Your Shit Together, this post by Dan Frantz speaks to our constant struggles to incessantly compare ourselves to others and do what they do.
**Maybe check out some of the comments in this one?….particularly by @Realfitnessformums. She had some issues with this video which I felt were kind of shortsighted and woefully out of context.
Foam rolling was never a “thing,” at least in mainstream fitness circles, until the early 2000’s. Since then it seems you can’t lift a weight or make a tuna salad without first taking yourself through a myriad of foam rolling drills to ensure “safety.”
Do I have my clients foam roll? Yes. Do I feel it’s imperative? It depends. In today’s guest post by Dr. Nicholas Licameli, he sets the record straight on what foam rolling is and what it isn’t
In the fitness world, foam rolling has become just about as popular as yoga pants, bright stretchy shirts with motivational and quirky quotes, and transformation pictures on Instagram. That being said, a foam roller can be an effective tool, if used correctly.
Some buzz terms you may have heard when it comes to foam rolling are muscle lengthening, breaking down scar tissue, freeing up adhesions, remodeling of collagen, curing cancer, etc., however recent research does not support these claims as the mechanism by which foam rolling works.
In reality, we as humans cannot produce the amount of force necessary to remodel our tissues. Our tissues are much more resilient than that. It actually takes thousands of pounds of force to accomplish this, which is probably a good thing because we don’t want our tissues breaking up or remodeling when we’re carrying groceries, sitting on a park bench, squatting with 500lbs on our backs, or anytime we put weight into them.4,5,8
Last time I checked, no one is foam rolling with that much force!
But…We Feel Better and “Looser” After We Foam Roll. Why????
The mechanism by which foam rolling works seems to be neurophysiological rather than physical.
Neurophysio what? Neurophysiological.
This means that foam rolling induces a global decrease in muscle tone. Muscle tone is the continuous passive contraction of a muscle controlled subconsciously by the brain. In other words, it’s a muscle’s resistance to passive stretch. Tone is created by a constant subconscious message from the brain telling a muscle to contract. Many times the sensation of muscle “tightness” has more to do with tone and less to do with actual muscle length.
This is similar to how pain is perceived. Pain is a sensory input. Foam rolling adds a sensory input (the pressure) to override another sensory input (tightness or pain) to disrupt that subconscious message between the brain and the muscle to contract or perceive pain.1,6,8 This is why we feel better, looser, and less pain after foam rolling.
A Word (Or two. Or three.) On the Iliotibial Band (IT-Band)
By understanding the neurophysiological mechanism by which foam rolling works, it is now clear why you should NEVER FOAM ROLL THE IT-BAND.
The IT-band is a long tendon that has connections to the hip musculature, lateral quads, and lateral hamstrings…but it is only a tendon, not a muscle.
It is not made up of contractile tissue and therefore cannot have tone. The IT-band becomes tight as a result of increased muscle tone of its muscular attachments.
Think of it like this…imagine attaching the rear bumpers of two tractor-trailers with a chain. Both drivers hit the gas and the trucks try to move away from each other, increasing tension on the chain. In order to lessen the tension on the chain, it’s obvious that you would have the drivers ease off the gas. The chain itself does not cause the tension. The force of the trucks causes the tension.
The same goes for the IT-band. To improve IT-band tightness with a foam roller, focus on the hip musculature, lateral quads, and lateral hamstrings. By rolling directly over the IT-band, you are only causing yourself pain, which is most likely causing a global increase in muscle tone throughout the body.
Great Let’s Get Rolling! I’m Going to Foam Roll Every Muscle of My Body 3x/day For the Rest of My Life!
Not so fast.
The above-mentioned benefits of foam rolling seem to be very short lived. If you spend 10, 20, or 30 minutes foam rolling different muscle groups, by the time you’re done, you’ve likely lost the benefits of the first 5-10 min.
Although the research has not shown an optimal dosage for foam rolling, it has been shown that short bouts of 10-60 seconds is effective.7,8,9 That being said, do not focus on time. Focus on “feel.” Feel that muscle release!
Don’t just roll and roll and roll.
Note From TG: ^^^ Sorry, I couldn’t resist. And, you’re welcome.
Start off with a slow, steady roll covering the entire muscle group scanning the area for tender spots. Think of scanning the area as a blind person would scan a new environment.
Once you find a tender spot, pause and hold on that spot until a release is felt and the tenderness lessens. Follow this up with another slow, steady roll over the entire muscle just like you started. It is true that foam rolling should be a bit painful, but too much pain will cause an increase in muscle tone, which, as previously mentioned, is exactly the opposite of what we want to do.
More pain is not better. Better quality is better.
Foam rolling should be done with a specific purpose targeting specific muscles (see a qualified healthcare practitioner to pinpoint target areas specific to you). Stop mindlessly flailing around on the dirty gym floor rolling every muscle of your body. Foam rolling should address a specific movement that is limited.
Test/retest means you test a movement (like a squat) before and after performing soft tissue work to determine if there was any significant change. A useful way to do this is between warm up sets.
So I Understand That the Benefits of Foam Rolling Are Relatively Short Lived, but Can Foam Rolling Help Achieve Long-Term Improvements in Tissue and Movement Quality?
Yes!
That is where loaded movements come in. During the window following foam rolling, it is important to load the movement that you are trying to improve. This is why I recommend performing soft tissue work between your warm up sets.
It will allow you to test/retest as well as gradually load the movement, given you are gradually increasing load with each warm up set.
Take a squat for example.
You feel tightness and restriction in your hips halfway into the descent of your squat. You test and retest your squat and notice you are able to squat deeper and with less tightness. As you load the squat and work up to your working/heavier sets, this newly achieved movement pattern will be trained.
Training this movement with loads will, over time, lead to long term improvements in tissue and movement quality.2,8 Foam rolling can also be a great way to kick-start the recovery process by tapping into the parasympathetic nervous system, but that’s for a different article.
So do not fall victim to the latest trend or claims from gurus. I hope this helps shed some light on what foam rolling is, what it isn’t, how it works, and how to implement it into your training routine.
Let’s roll!
Author’s Bio
Dr. Nicholas M. Licameli, PT, DPT
Nick’s passion lies between his love for the journey of bodybuilding, education, spreading happiness, and helping others. He views bodybuilding through the eyes of a physical therapist and physical therapy through the eyes of a bodybuilder. Nick is a doctor of physical therapy and professional natural bodybuilder. He graduated summa cum laude from Ramapo College of New Jersey with his bachelor’s degree in biology, then furthered his education by completing his doctoral degree in physical therapy from Rutgers School of Biomedical and Health Sciences (previously the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey) at the age of 24. His knowledge of sport and exercise biomechanics, movement quality, and the practical application of research combined with personal experience in bodybuilding and nutrition allows him to help people in truly unique ways. Passion. Respect. Humility.
References
Andersen, L. L., Jay, K., Andersen, C. H., Jakobsen, M. D., Sundstrup, E., Topp, R., & Behm, D. G. (2013). Acute effects of massage or active exercise in relieving muscle soreness: Randomized controlled trial. The Journal of Strength & Conditioning Research, 27(12), 3352-3359.[PubMed]
Beardsley, Chris, and Andrew Vigotsky. “Foam rolling and self-myofascial release. “www.strengthandconditioningresearch.com. N.p., n.d. Web 19 Sept. 2016. https://www.strengthandconditioningresearch.com/foam-rolling-self-myofascial-release/
Chaudhry, H., Schleip, R., Ji, Z., Bukiet, B., Maney, M., & Findley, T. (2008). Three-dimensional mathematical model for deformation of human fasciae in manual therapy. JAOA: Journal of the American Osteopathic Association, 108(8), 379-390.[PubMed]
Chaudhry, H., Bukiet, B., Ji, Z., Stecco, A., & Findley, T. W. (2014). Deformations experienced in the human skin, adipose tissue, and fascia in osteopathic manipulative medicine. Journal of the American Osteopathic Association, 114(10), 780-787.[PubMed]
Goats, G. C. (1994). Massage–the scientific basis of an ancient art: Part 2. Physiological and therapeutic effects. British Journal of Sports Medicine, 28(3), 153-156.[PubMed]
MacDonald G., Penney M., Mullaley M., Cuconato A., Drake C., Behm D.G., Button D.C. An acute bout of self myofascial release increases range of motion without a subsequent decrease in neuromuscular performance. J of Strength Cond Res. 2012. (published ahead of print).
“Mobility Myths With Dr. Quinn Henoch- Foam Rolling”. JTSstrength.com. N.p., 2016. Web Sept. 2016.
Sullivan, K. M., Silvey, D. B., Button, D. C., & Behm, D. G. (2013). Roller-massager application to the hamstrings increases sit-and-reach range of motion within five to ten seconds without performance impairments.International Journal of Sports Physical Therapy, 8(3), 228.[PubMed]
Full Disclosure: I am not a fantastic presser. I’m not going to sit here and attempt to regal you with stories from high-school where I used to drive a Camaro, hookup with the Prom Queen, and bench 405 for reps (you know, before that nasty football injury in the State Championship ruined everything).1
Nope, this is not that kind of story. I recognize the bench press often serves as a litmus test for general level of badassery, but I’ve always considered myself an average presser (personal best of 315 lbs at a bodyweight of sexy). Or, in Dave Tate’s words “I suck.”2
I know how to coach it, however, and have worked with many people in my years at Cressey Sports Performance and now presently, at my studio CORE, to hone their bench press prowess. More commonly, though, is helping people work around a nagging shoulder injury.
NEWSFLASH: Many people complain that the bench press bothers their shoulder.
And while the first inclination is to nix the bench press altogether and jump into corrective exercise mode and start having people blow into balloons or perform any number of thoracic mobility or scapular stability drills to get at the (possible) root of the problem, I feel we sometimes need to pump the brakes.
Telling a guy to stop bench pressing is tantamount to this:
I mean, I agree that for many people their upper back mobility is atrocious and that it’s likely a very good use of their time to address it. And yes, some people may have gunky tissue quality or less than exemplary scapular stability or kinematics which likely is playing a significant role in their ouchie shoulder.
A thorough assessment or appointment with a manual therapist can hopefully help.
But too, maybe the reason why someone’s shoulder(s) hurt during bench pressing is because their technique makes my eyes bleed?
*shrugs*
Maybe all they need is a little more coaching. As I always say:
“Correct movement can be corrective.”
This is why, when someone’s shoulder hurts during the bench press, my first “tier” to attack is technique. The fitness industry has become too corrective at the expense of coaching our athletes/clients. Taking the 5-10 minutes to address someone’s set-up can make a huge difference in how the movement feels.
Are they driving their upper traps into the bench?
Are they getting their scapulae retracted and depressed?
Do they press the bar up and out of the j-hooks, or do they “guide” the bar out?
Do they “let the bar settle” before they lower it?
Do they “meet the bar with their chest? Or do they allow their shoulders to roll forward?
All of these can be easy-to-fix snafus that may eliminate any shoulder discomfort during the bench press.
Bench Press Set-Up
What happens if you address technique, it’s sound, and the bench press still hurts? You can still implement other pressing variations that can work in the interim while you address the root cause(s).
Decline Bench Press
Think about what’s not happening during a decline bench press as opposed to a flat or incline bench variation?
In a decline there’s less shoulder flexion involved which helps keep many trainees out of the “danger zone” of shoulder pain. So if flat bench pressing hurts you may be able to get away with a decline.
Spoto Press (Invisible Board Press)
A common flaw I see is some people have a hard time “meeting the bar with their chest” and end up having their shoulders roll forward as they lower the barbell.
Popularized by Bench Press Captain America, Eric Spoto (722 lbs, unequipped), the Spoto Press is a variation to combat this where you stop the bar a few inches above the chest, pause, and then press back up.
When In Doubt, Use Dumbbells
When you grab a barbell with a pronated (overhand) grip, you “lock” the humerus in an internally rotated position which can be problematic since it narrows the acromion space.
Using dumbbells alleviates this issue because you can nudge a little more external rotation by adopting a neutral grip. This is a major reason why I prefer DB pressing variations for overhead athletes as opposed to straight bar.
Corrective Pressing Variations That Don’t Feel Corrective
While not always the case, a common thread I see when it comes to shoulder pain is the INability of the shoulder scapulae to be able to move. In order to move big weight you need to respect tension and stability. In some cases, however, the shoulder blades are kinda “stuck” (usually downward rotation) and lack the ability to move through a full ROM.
It’s still vital to be able to access scapular movement for overall shoulder health.
When this happens I prefer to use pressing variations that allow for a little more wiggle room. As in: we allow the shoulder blades a little breathing room. Push-ups will always be my first choice here. But relax, I recognize most would rather swallow a live grenade than read more about push-ups.
For those interested you can READ this brief article.
Off-Bench DB Press
Scooting a smidge to the side of a bench will allow more scapular movement. What’s nice about this exercise is that it’s also a great core exercise (you have to fire like crazy in order to not fall off the bench) in addition to an awesome way to further engage the glutes. You can’t quite see it with the angle of this video, but I’m also situated further down on the bench so my lower half isn’t resting on it.
Bottoms-Up Press – Off Foam Roller
I snaked this one off Dr. Joel Seedman. Using a KB and holding it in the bottoms-up position is a fantastic way to ramp up rotator cuff activation…you really have to fight to stabilize and keep the joint centrated.
Moreover, by lying on the foam roller the shoulder blades are now able to move to a higher degree. And, much like the off-bench variation above, there’s also a high degree of glute engagement as well as foot and ankle engagement.
And That’s That
Don’t be so quick to bust out the band external rotations and t-spine drills. Addressing technique on the bench press can be every bit as corrective in terms of addressing shoulder pain. Likewise, don’t be so quick to omit all pressing variations. All aren’t equal and it oftentimes is a matter of choosing the right variation for the individual and nice vice versa.
I had a busy weekend moving and our new apartment currently looks like a HAZMAT scene. My hands are full figuring out where to put my Blu-Ray collection and fancy towels. Luckily my good friend and fellow coach, Kim Lloyd, was kind enough to pinch-write for me today.
How good of a listener are you when you’re coaching?
I came into this industry later than most. I quit my job to do an internship at Cressey Sports Performance when I was 38 years old – older than all of the coaches at CSP and most of the clients.
Note From TG: ahem, not older than all the coaches.
I spent the bulk of my internship and even my first few months as a coach stressing about how much I didn’t yet know. Periodization, how to do a half-kneeling 1-arm manual resistance with external rotation at 90 degrees, valsalva breathing (wasn’t the valsalva that hangy ball thing in your throat?)…the list went on and on.
As I was busy cramming my brain with the ins and outs of exercise physiology, it became easy to lose track of what coaching is really all about.
Listening.
It isn’t what you say to your client. It’s what your client is willing to say to you. Yes knowledge is important. But that whole business about two ears and one mouth and using them in that order?
That’s coaching.
Sure you have to know anatomy and exercises in order to help clients, but the knowledge does nothing if you can’t get to the heart of what motivates them and what’s important to them.
Listening by itself isn’t an easy skill.
Every morning on my drive in to work I either listen to a podcast or an Audible book (although somedays it’s Whitney Houston, because you know, Whitney Houston.) And without fail, at some point during my 50 minute commute, I’m reaching to hit the 10 or 30 second rewind button because I zoned out.
Recent research suggests that humans now really do have the attention span of a goldfish. According to a 2015 study from the Microsoft Corporation, people now lose concentration after eight seconds, where the goldfish can actually concentrate for nine seconds. Back in 2000, we could concentrate for a whopping 12 seconds. But not any more.
Note From TG: Unless you’re a twelve year old kid.1 I give you exhibit A:
So what does that mean for us as coaches?
We all fall into the trap of constantly “nexting,” as author Daniel Goleman reminds us in the book Primal Leadership. I know I often catch myself in a conversation with a client waiting to talk as opposed to actively listening. She just said something that reminds me of a great post I read about core training and I know exactly what she needs to do.
If she would only stop talking so I could fix it.
Actively listening means responding to the client in a way that makes her feel understood. That sounds easy, but training ourselves to stop, pay attention, and be present with someone is as much a matter of practice and conditioning as any exercise set we assign. I’ve found that the following tips help:
1) Maintain Eye Contact
No, not in a creepy, bug eyed way.
In a way that is absorbing the entirety of what’s being said. You’re looking at the client and watching her facial expressions and nodding when it’s appropriate. Our clients need to know we’re listening.
This can be tough to do if a client decides to divulge some important information to you while you’re in the middle of a session with three other people, but in this case, I try to schedule another time to talk. Hey, you’ve got some important stuff to say and I want to give you my full attention, so let’s talk about this after the session.
2) Don’t Interrupt
Have you ever tried to tell a story and had someone finish your sentence for you? But not in a cute, we’ve-been-married-for-fifty-years kind of way. More in a what-the-hell-I-was-just-pausing-to-breathe-it’s-not-an-invitation kind of way.
Stop doing that. No really. Cut it out.
Listen to the whole sentence. And then listen to the next whole sentence. And wait until there’s more than a 0.5 second break to start talking. In fact, wait several seconds. Make sure you’ve heard her. Reflect what she’s told you to make sure you understand.
3) Don’t Give Advice
This is a tough one and is the staple of motivational interviewing. You’re not so much solving the problem for a client as helping them solve it themselves. You can guide the process, but telling people what to do isn’t the same as having them come up with the solution on their own. To help them get to that solution, you have to be paying attention to the information they give you, and absorbing enough to point out connections they may not have initially recognized.
4) Empathize
Some coaches are naturally empathetic. And some are guys.
Empathy comes naturally to many of us in this industry – it’s why, hopefully, we are in the business of helping others. According to Brene Brown, who did all kinds of research on vulnerability and empathy, the very definition of empathy is “feeling with people.”
Rarely does an empathetic response start with the phrase “At least.”
“I just had shoulder surgery.”
“At least you have one good arm.”
Um, yup. Thanks for that. Makes my spending six weeks in a sling and six months doing rehab completely better.
Good coaching has many components, and we are all working tirelessly to figure out what those pieces are. But I know for me as a client or a patient, the most satisfying and important criteria in choosing who I’ll work with is a feeling that I’ve been heard. That you are not just nodding and smiling and waiting for your turn to talk.
And I believe all of our clients want the same.
Author’s Bio
Kim is a former Cressey Sports Performance intern, and currently works as a strength coach at Spurling Fitness in Kennebunk, Maine. Prior to working in the fitness industry Kim worked in college athletics as a softball, lacrosse, and cross country coach. She has a Masters in Sports Leadership from Northeastern University and is a proud graduate of Gannon University in Erie, Pennsylvania.
Lisa and I are right smack dab in the middle of moving this week. All with a 7-week old in tow. It’s not been fun. In fact, I’d garner a guess that a colonoscopy would be more fun that what we’re going through right now.
Our Vancouver shindig in April sold out, but Dean and I have recently announced a stop in Orlando, FL later this year, October 21-22nd at Spark Fitness.
I’ve never been to Orlando. There’s no way in hell I’m visiting Disney World.
2. SUNY Cortland Health & Wellness Conference – Cortland, NY, April 8th.
I’ll be at my alma mater the weekend of April 8th speaking at what I believe is the 4th or 5th annual SUNY Cortland Conference. Other guest speakers include my wife, Dr. Lisa Lewis, Mark Fisher, Brian St. Pierre, and Dr. David Just.
3. Complete Preparation for the High School Athlete – April 1-2nd, New Jersey
Two coaches I respect a ton and had the luxury of working with for a few years when I was at Cressey Sports Performance, Greg Robins & Tony Bonvechio, will be hosting this all-inclusive event at the Annex Sports Performance Center in Chatham, NJ next weekend.
They’ll give a detailed look into how they train and prepare high-school athletes (ages 13-18) covering everything from assessment and building a winning culture to program design and myths and fallacies regarding how to really train for speed and acceleration.
Guess what this manual doesn’t cover? The incessant use of speed ladders and foot drills. If you want to get your athletes fast, they have work on getting stronger. And, yes, some attention to detail on sprinting mechanics and joint angles need to enter the mix too.
Travis has put together and really detailed manual and something I feel is one of the best resources out there on the topic.
This is a message I have to remind my clients about all the time: Progress IS progress. Some excellent real world examples given by Stacey in this article.
Social Media Shenanigans
Twitter
Man, I wish more trainer’s definition of “corrective exercise” was just coaching the shit out of their clients.
Getting your shit together is a skill that escapes even the best intentioned and seemingly organized people. This is especially true in the fitness industry, where the expectation is we work while others don’t. All…the…time.
In today’s guest post by Chicago-based strength coach, Mike Connelly, owner of Rebell Strength & Conditioning, he shares some of his insights on how to balance the teeter-tottering of work/life balance.
You know what I like? I like spending time with my wife and daughter. I like going out for some drinks with my friends on the weekends. I like reading books that have nothing to do with what I do for a living. I like watching documentaries. I just really, really, really like not working.
There, I said it and I meant it.
Don’t get me wrong. I do like coaching people. I like managing a team, setting goals, and accomplishing goals too. But, and I’m going to steal a gem of a thought from our industry, I want to use the minimum effective dose to get that shit done.
If we want to cut the fat off of our work load then we are going to have to first determine what is fat and what is essential to our success. It takes some effort and help to get your shit together but I can tell you, without hesitation, that it is well worth the trouble.
Here’s a couple of things that helped me get my shit together. I hope they help you too!
1) Make Sure You’re On the Right Path.
We spend a lot of time outside of ourselves these days. We are heavily influenced by the outside world, leaving little to nothing coming from within ourselves. That can be a huge detriment to our productivity. A lack of confidence in creating our own paths leads us to chasing someone else’s and we end up completely void of any idea of what WE want out of this.
When I first started coaching I had this idea that I wanted to be that guy that can rattle off a bunch of science terminology and statistics from studies and that would legitimize me as a coach. I was overcompensating for never having finished school and thought it was going to keep me from ever being successful.
I wanted to follow the path of the coaches I admired, which is logical. Here’s the thing though, I was chasing a ghost. I am not the coaches I admire. I am just me and that’s just fine. I don’t have a laundry list of pro athletes that I train. I do work with some, but the overwhelming majority of my business is with general population clients.
Do they need me to recite Anatomy Trains to them for them to achieve their goals? Nope. Do I need to revolutionize training to grow my business and make people happy? Nope.
Here’s what I need:
I need to create a community that provides comfort and motivation to those that choose to be a part of it.
I need to be competent in the basic training facets. In my book, that’s one form of an assessment, one method of movement preparation, a solid template to build my programs from and an understanding of what differentiates programs, and a reliable network that I can refer my clients to should a problem arise that is outside of my lane.
Believe me, if you find one of each of these facets, that is all you need. If it works, it works. No need to pile on.
The point here is that while it took a while, I have finally found MY path. In discovering that, I have been able to cut the fat off of my to do list and save myself a ton of time. If you want to know what will make you happy in your work, the answer lies within you and not on social media.
2) Huge Dumps Are Healthy.
For a very long time I lived under the lie that I didn’t need to write things down to be organized and productive. My thought was that my accomplishments to this point were proof that my “system” worked.
That’s special, isn’t it?
What I was disregarding is the fact that regardless of what my perception of my level of success and happiness to this point was (which were somewhat miraculous considering the dumpster fire that I have going on in my head sometimes), tightening the screws on your processes is never a bad idea.
Enter the brain dump.
Every Sunday I perform a ritual. I lather myself in shea butter, light my favorite candles, put on some Yanni and spend an hour inside my head. Some of that is true. Well, ok, it’s an hour that I spend inside my head.
It is somewhat of a ritual though.
I do get away from “the noise” to center myself and dig through the rocks inside my head. Not literal rocks, although if you have met me before you may wonder. I use “rocks” in the sense that it is used in Gino Wickman’s book, Traction. “Rocks” are the big things that I want to get done in the long term. They are my big goals that are comprised of a ton of smaller points to work through.
While a legit list of “rocks” is going to be relatively small, the action steps that get you to your “rocks” can be lengthy and hard to keep track of. Unless of course you take some time every week to check yo’self.
A good brain dump will clear your head, relieve you of stress, and leave you with a list of steps that will help you dominate your work week in a clean and efficient manner. Knock that shit out every Sunday afternoon and I will bet you dollars to donuts that you will sleep like a baby come Sunday night. That’s right! No more Sunday Scaries (that’s what my wife calls stressed induced insomnia)!
Brain dumps are not only good for clearing your head, but they will keep you laser focused throughout the week. Keep that list with you and use it as a guideline for what you need to get done. This will keep people like me that get distracted by shiny objects on task. It might take some practice and getting used to, but once you get it down you will not know how you survived without it!
3) Find Your Bible
Now that you’ve dumped your brain out what are you going to do with what you came up with?
Figuring this out wasn’t easy for me because even though I had started doing my brain dumps, I was still left with the task of organizing all of it’s products. It’s a legit obstacle that presents itself in different ways to everyone. The key is to find some sort of tool that works best with how your brain works.
My good friend, Todd Bumgardner, uses a notebook. He’s a hipster. If something like that works for you, go for it.
I need a little more structure and flow. Something that looks and performs cleaner. For me, the Action Day Planner works like a charm. It has a simple and manageable layout that does not confuse my apish mind.
Does it matter what you use?
No. Just use something that you can log all of your brain dumps and weekly notes in for easy reference. Anything above legal paper folded into your pocket should suffice but it’s going to depend on your style and what you need to keep up with the task. I suggest that you not just buy any old planner. Shop around and flip through them until you find one that makes sense to you.
And That’s That
There it is. Three things that will help you organize your grind and leave you with as much time as possible to do the things that we actually want to do. And let’s face it, if you are telling us that working more is something you actually want to do, you are full of it.
If you would like to gain a deeper understanding of how I have successfully organized my time and so much more, join us in Chicago on May 6th and 7th for the Spring Strength Faction Seminar. HERE is a link with more information
Today’s guest post comes from strength coach, Travis Hansen. I respect Travis a ton because 1) he actually works with athletes and gets results and 2) he’s not scared to think outside the box (which you will read more about below).
His amazing resource, The Speed Encyclopedia, rocked my world a few years back when I read it the first time. He’s revamped it and has placed in sale at 30% off the regular price. If you work with athletes and want to make them into sprinting, jumping, and turning on a dime freaks….definitely give it a look.
The title may sound a bit cliché, especially this day and age, but I truly believe that the exercise I’m about to share with you is still relatively unique as far as speed and athletic development is concerned.
And it’s definitely not a gimmick, it works.
The amount of evidence to date to support glute-ham strength and its powerful impact on athletic performance tasks such as running, jumping, cutting, and sprinting is incredibly vast. Every single athlete and client for that matter should be performing several posterior chain dominant movements, like squats, deadlifts, swings, sleds, lunges, split squats, etc. at some point during their training program.
However, to my current knowledge the “Modified Reverse Hyper” has not received a lot of attention and publicity throughout the athletic training mainstream and scientific community. Moreover, I would be very curious to see any study that attempts to identify how well the reverse hyper and sprinting would connect?! I’m confident the results would be favorable.
Louie Simmons was a mastermind in not only powerlifting, but his training concepts permeate into athletic and speed development as well!
The initial thing I like about the exercise is that you are training the target muscle groups at long lengths throughout the muscle contraction spectrum. This situation can help stimulate the addition of sarcomeres and result in increased hypertrophy to the muscles responsible for increasing acceleration and running speeds. What athlete wouldn’t want that?
Secondly, you are provided a very stable foundation in which to exert high amounts of force and energy from resulting in greater strength production limits. Recall that the less stability you have in an exercise the less involvement of the prime movers, which in this case are critical to health and athletic performance potential.
Last but not least, is that this exercise truly emphasizes the development of specific muscle and joint actions that occur during high speed movements such as maximum effort sprinting.
Strength has been found to be very specific to range of motion/training angles in research, and it obviously makes perfect sense. What doesn’t make sense is that there really isn’t a wealth of potential exercises in the weight room that do a sufficient job in bridging the gap for both strength and speed during the common act of hip hyperextension. Sled marching, hill runs-sprint progressions, and quadruped work are great, but the room for loading is questionable and hard to manage, except for perhaps the quadruped variation.
Even if this is the case, there is still reduced hamstring contribution due to the knee being bent (Active Insufficiency) in the quadruped exercise.
Moreover, the Modified Reverse Hyper is very versatile. You can perform the drill bilaterally with a plate, or dumbbell if you don’t have a partner. And then unilaterally with a plate or ankle weights.
Please Note:I’m not a big proponent of ankle weight drills at all, unless they are performed in a prone position. They provide a distraction force at the knee that really creates a lot of unnecessary pull and tension at the surrounding ligaments.1
Here is an actual video of the exercise. As a disclaimer, the weight bearing pressure of the weight can be brutal on the calves initially. And make sure the middle of the plates sit close to or directly behind the knee joint to prevent too much shearing and stress to the ACL and lower hamstring muscles.
I like to train this movement 1-2 per week at opposite ends of the week if your goal is to get faster and more athletic. 2-4 sets of 6-12 reps work great as the hamstrings are comprised of a lot of fast twitch muscle and respond to high force/velocity efforts.
Summary
Really focusing on working the backside from a hip position of neutral, and another 20-30 degrees past neutral, just before the lower back starts hyperextending is very valuable for athletes.
For one, it’s not too common, and also it really prepares the hamstrings for propulsion (take-off) when you are sprinting. Many people who are ailing from hamstring problems will report a twinge or tweak when they go to drive off.
By performing this exercise, you are supplementing them with some of what they more than likely lack, prevent and rehab the ailment depending on your approach, and get them faster in the process.
Want to nerd out on a Saturday night and read about speed development, joint angles, and torques? Travis has got you covered.
Okay, there’s all that AND you’re going to get the inside details on a system that’s been proven to work, including and abyss of exercises and drills Travis uses with his athletes in and outside of the weight room.
It’s the real deal. Check out The Speed Encyclopedia HERE.
I’m a firm believer you get what you work for. Nothing just happens. You don’t miraculously earn a decent income, hit a new PR in the gym, pick up three new clients, get an A on your history paper, or finally beat Mike Tyson in Punch-Out without some modicum of effort and hard work.1
Hashtags like #grind or #grindcity or #grinding worry me. For starters, some people (certainly not all) use them as a way to cover up the fact they’re lazy AF and to give off the perception they’re somehow working hard (or to be more colloquial: crushing it). It worries me because it gives off a false sense of accomplishment.
Such hashtags are commonly accompanied with an epic picture of a cup of coffee, or, if someone is going to tap into their inner Scorsese, maybe a laptop (with a cup of coffee conveniently placed next to it for added effect).
It’s the age we live on nowadays. Where we can bullshit ourselves (and everyone around us) that we’re somehow better or more work ethicy (<– not a word) than everyone around us. It’s never been easier to curate a life that seduces adoration.
I’m not holier than thou. I don’t deny I do it. As of late, every picture that my wife and I have put up of our now 7-week old son is of him smiling or being super cute.
“Look at us. Parenting is sooooo easy. #nahnahnahnahnah.”
A post shared by Tony Gentilcore (@tonygentilcore) on
Whenever I see all those different iterations of #grind on social media regurgitated by coaches and personal trainers alike part of me can’t help but think to myself, “what’s so impressive or vainglorious about going to work?”
But then I think about how many of those same people are listening to every podcast or 2-minute clip of Gary V on Facebook about the grind and how you have to work your ass off if you want anything to happen and to make something of yourself.
Work, work, and more work. You can sleep when you’re dead.
To some extent I couldn’t agree more. I wouldn’t be where I am today if I didn’t work my ass off:
I remember all those mornings getting up at 3:45 AM in the dead of winter in central NY to open the gym for members.
I remember working as a commercial gym trainer for FIVE years before I even smelled my first professional athlete.
I remember 6-7 day work weeks when we first opened up Cressey Sports Performance. 12-14 hour days to boot.
I remember writing articles for my site – everyday – knowing that only 50 people (okay, 20) would read it on a good day.
As much as I’m a fan of telling people to embrace the ass-kicking and inevitable failures that are bound to happen, and that there are many sacrifices that will be made in the name of entrepreneurial shenanigans2, I also, too, encourage people to know when to tone it down or turn it off.
Go to the movies.
Have a date night.
Spend time with your kids.
Read a non-fitness, non-business, non-existential-money-making-life-changing-x-y-z-book-that-was-only-written-by-the-author-so-he-or-she-would-increase-the-chances-of-being-hired-by-a-fortune-500-company-as-an-consultant-and-nothing-written-in-the-book-will-have-relavance-to-your-fitness-studio book.3
Watch Netflix. Even better if there’s some chill involved.
In short: have a life.
Recognize that part of being “successful” (whatever that means to you) is recognizing there’s only so much “grind” you can muster before you want to toss your face into a brick wall. You’re not going to lose demerit points if you decide to go bowling with some friends on a Friday night instead of scouring PubMed for the latest studies on moment arms and hip extension torques during a deadlift
Bret Contreras and Greg Nuckols are the only two people I know who would happily choose the latter. But they’re also super nerdy. And super good looking and classy (in case they’re reading)….;o)
There’s a work-life balance that’s going to be different for everyone. And trust me: there will (and should) be times where you’re dragging ass and grinding.
I just encourage you to find a little more life to fit into the scheme of things.
Our Vancouver shindig in April sold out, but Dean and I have recently announced a stop in Orlando, FL later this year, October 21-22nd at Spark Fitness.
I’ve never been to Orlando. There’s no way in hell I’m visiting Disney World.
[SPOILER: Dean and I also in talks to bring the Complete Shoulder & Hip Blueprint to London this summer. Stay tuned……..]
2. SUNY Cortland Health & Wellness Conference – Cortland, NY, April 8th.
I’ll be at my alma mater the weekend of April 8th speaking at what I believe is the 4th or 5th annual SUNY Cortland Conference. Other guest speakers include my wife, Dr. Lisa Lewis, Mark Fisher, Brian St. Pierre, and Dr. David Just.
If you’re a fitness professional you know full-well one of the best things you can do for your athletes and clients is to help them hone in on their nutrition. THAT’s often the key to helping them look and feel better.
Exercise alone won’t get the job done.
But what kind of nutrition advice can you actually give?
(Is it even LEGAL to give nutrition advice?)
And if you CAN give nutrition advice, how should you give it?
Find out in this FREE Nutrition Coaching Course put together by renowned coach, researcher, and pioneer in the field of exercise nutrition — Dr. John Berardi.
And to celebrate they’re giving everyone a free sponge bath! Kidding.
However, they have reduced the price on everything on their site by 40% until midnight (3/17). I don’t feel there’s a huge need to be pitchy here. They’re the largest database (50,000+ references), they’re 100% independent, they’re trusted (2 million+ visitors/day), and they’re simply the best.
No ads, no consulting, no coaching – just an education company 🙂
We’re always quick to gravitate to the latest and greatest trends in the weight room without taking into consideration something more relevant: how to motivate our clients & athletes and meet them where they are…both psychologically and emotionally.
It’s not always about sets, reps, and PR’s.
Cool Factoid: Tom Hanks (yes, Forrest Gump) is going to be narrating the audio version of this book. Awesome.
In my career as a strength coach I’ve worked with numerous athletes and non-athletes alike dealing with back pain. And while much of the time my initial “go to” exercises are things like the McGill curl-up, birddogs, deadbugs, and various planks I also recognize that, after awhile, some people would rather wash their face with broken glass than perform another rep of any of those exercises.
Curl-ups, birddogs, and planks work. There’s no denying that. Coaching people up on those three movements alone and having them perform them on a consistent basis will clean up a lot of aberrant movement reduce pain in a symptomatic back.
However, it’s just, you know, they get boring after a while. As much as I’m a fan of those movements (and could care less how bored someone gets if it’s what they need to be doing to get better), part of my job as a coach is to help people not feel like a patient and to find other means to elicit a training effect.
I mean, raise your hand if this sounds familiar:
Athlete/Client:“Ready to train coach. What are we doing today?”
Coach:“You’re in for a treat. We’re getting after it with birddogs today. Holla!”
Like I said, it’s not to bemoan the birddog – it’s lovely exercise – but it’s not to say we can’t toss in alternative exercises that are just as conducive to working through low back pain AND more palatable for those looking to actually train.
HBT Front Squat March
Who Did I Steal It From? – a combination of Dr. Joel Seedman and MA based strength coach, Ryan Wood.
What Does It Do? – I’ve discussed the concept of HBT before in THIS article, but to reiterate:
“HBT = Hanging Band Training.
It’s exactly what is sounds like. You take some bands, hang some stuff off them, and do stuff. Because, science.
While at first glance it comes across as a bit gimmicky, HBT training does have a fair amount of efficacy. As Dr. Seedman explains in the article linked to above, the oscillatory characteristics of this brand of training provides a unique training stimulus that challenges stabilization, increases core demand, helps “excite” the CNS, and also has a bit of carryover to muscle gain due to the increase in time under tension.”
Germane to this exercise, the oscillatory effect of the kettlebells (or plates if you don’t have access to KBs) works wonders with regards to challenging the core musculature to stabilize and in helping to build a more resilient back.
The exercise itself can work in one of two ways:
1) If you have the space to do so, you can have someone unload a barbell from a rack and have him of her walk a specific distance.
2) Or, if you’re like me, and have a smaller studio, you can just as effectively have someone stand in place and march it out, like my client Dima is doing in the video above. Like a boss.
Key Coaching Cues: This is a fairly intuitive exercise. The KBs hanging from the bands is going to jostle the individual every which way if they’re too lazy and not CONTROLLING the barbell. The objective is to resist the movement of the KBs.
I like to tell my clients to “keep the KBs quiet.”
Some other things you want to be on the lookout for is too much leaning back and/or any excessive lateral flexion (side bending). The idea is to “stay tall” as one alternates back and forth from foot to foot.
You can either shoot for a specific time (say, 30-40seconds) or a specific number of steps. Give it a try and let me know what you think.
Dr. Nicholas M. Licameli, PT, DPT
