May 2017 – Tony Gentilcore

An Ode to the Meadow’s Row

As odes are concerned, you can relax: this post is not a poem.

However if I were to give my poem writing skills a test-drive it may look a little something like this:

Meadow’s Row, Meadow’s Row.

Thou shall build superior backs.

Lats, lats.

More lats.

I like bacon.

Seems how I won’t be giving Langston Hughes a run for his money anytime soon, lets get into the meat and potatoes of the Meadow’s Row and why I like it so much.

First off, John Meadows, the guy who popularized the movement, is a brick shit house:

It’s long been a staple exercise in his routines, and, if you want a back the size of Nebraska, like John, you’d be remiss not to start peppering it into your exercise routines as well.

I’ve been a big fan of the Meadow’s Row for awhile, ever since I first saw John mention it in THIS article over on T-Nation a few years ago. It wasn’t until earlier this week, however, when I posted the picture below on Instagram that I felt compelled to write about it.

Julian getting an early introduction to one of my favorite back exercises: the Meadow’s Row.

A post shared by Tony Gentilcore (@tonygentilcore) on May 29, 2017 at 9:01am PDT

Basically, someone saw the picture and asked if I’d discuss coaching cues and provide a few videos?

Given I’ve been in a little “coming up with new content funk” I was more than happy to oblige. So, here you go.

The Meadow’s Row

What Does It Do? – I’d like to preface everything by saying I do feel it’s important for most trainees – especially beginners and intermediates – to pump the brakes a little and learn to perform a strict 1-Arm DB Row first.

You can start HERE.

But also, check out THIS article from Lee Boyce.

The 1-Arm DB Row should not be performed in a straight up and down motion. This often leads to faulty mechanics and people “rolling” their shoulder(s) too far forward due to excessive humeral extension.

The resultant abducted and anteriorly tilted scapular position makes it cumbersome to target the upper back muscles, which is kinda the point of the exercise in the first place. So, there’s that.

Rather, the more kosher way to perform them is to have the DB move in an “arc” fashion; forward and back. This does two things:

When conjoined with the cue “bring your elbow to your hip or back pocket” it prevents the elbow from going past the midline of the body, avoiding that “rolling” of the shoulder mentioned above.
It matches the fiber orientation of the lats, which is what we’re really trying to target.

Side Note: I also agree with Lee that you can only be so strict with the DB Row for so long before it loses its moxy.

Meaning: I think it is important to be strict – at first – so that you can target the scapular retractors (namely, rhomboids). However, it won’t take long before the limiting factor of how much weight you can use is, you know…being strict.

As Nick Tumminello notes in THIS excellent article, two things to consider are the Resistance Curve and Strength Curve of any exercise.

The Resistance Curve: This refers to how the load changes throughout the range of motion based on changes in lever-arm (or moment-arm) length.

The Strength Curve: This refers to how your strength changes throughout the range of motion of a given exercise, which is due to a principle of physiology known as the length-tension relationship or the length-tension curve.

Photo Credit: T-Nation.com

Muscles have the lowest potential to produce force when they’re either fully elongated or fully contracted – somewhere in the middle is when they produce the highest amount of tension.

Moreover, when performing a horizontal row (like a 1-Arm DB R0w) the lever arm gets LONGER at the end range of the concentric motion (when your humerus is perpendicular to the ground).

As Nick notes:

“This is why you often see lifters pull the weight halfway with good form, then jolt it the rest of the way when doing exercises like barbell bent-over rows and one-arm dumbbell rows. It’s also why you see so many people turning their torso towards their rowing arm as they pull the dumbbell in on dumbbell rows, along with seeing people staying too upright on bent-over barbell rows and one-arm dumbbell rows, or leaning back to far when performing seated rows or machine rows.”

Anyways, I’m a firm advocate for coaching strict technique in the beginning. But we also need to recognize said strictness can be a limiting factor if muscle growth is a goal.

And, it is…..always……….;o)

By all means, be strict!

Just know you (likely) won’t be turning any heads or building an impressive upper back with your “strict” 45 lb rows.

So What is it About the Meadow’s Row That I Like So Much?

It builds ginormous backs.
Specifically, it hammers the lats (which is your largest back muscle).
It makes you feel like a badass diesel motherfucker.
It’s fun to do, and nice change of pace from plain ol’ vanilla DB Rows.
A great option to go heavy if your gym is lame and doesn’t have heavy DBs.

Key Coaching Cues:

1. Use straps.

Don’t listen to internet trolls who will tell you you’re “cheating” if you use straps. They brag about 225 lb deadlifts and their parents still pay their phone bills.

Use straps. You don’t want your grip to be the limiting factor on these.

2. John himself advocates you open up your hip closest to the bar. As in: the hip closest to the bar should be higher than the outside hip. I believe he prefers this method as it puts the lats on stretch a bit more.

Either way, play around with hip position and see what feels best for you.

3. I like to support my torso with my “free” hand by resting it on my opposite knee. I feel this takes the burden off my lower back.

4. I still use the same cue: “elbow to back hip or back pocket.”

5. Try to feel a slight “stretch” in the bottom position, when arm is straight.

6. Holy shit, lats for days.

Another option would be to perform the Meadow’s Row with a Meadows Attachment.

The thinner handle helps with grip issues, and won’t result in demerit points if you’re adamant on not using straps.

In addition, you can also play around with different handle positions to see which one you prefer or feel most. There’s no right or wrong here.

NOTE: You can purchase the attachment HERE on Elitefts.com.

And That’s That

If you haven’t already, give the Meadow’s Row a try today. It’s one of my favorites and I’m sure you’ll learn to appreciate them as well.

May 31, 2017 Tony

Program Design

Exercise For Grown Ups

I don’t want to be cliche and say that today’s article is “exactly what I needed,” but it’s exactly what I needed.

If you’re a newly minted parent (or just someone who’s crazy busy and needs to be as efficient as possible in the gym) you’ll want to hug me for posting this guest post from Shane McLean.

I like hugs.

Exercise For Grown Ups

My wife and I had just tucked our little one into bed and made our nightly dash to the bedroom…so we could get as much sleep as possible.

What were you thinking?

Tomorrow was gym day and I was looking forward to crushing some weights and getting a break from daddy duties for an hour or so.

Like most first-time parents, we had a baby monitor turned up full blast beside our bed to hear when it was feeding time.

Because my wife had a full-time job and I was the stay at home parent, it was me (for the most part) who would get up to feed our son and try to put him back to sleep.

On this particular night, he thought 2 a.m. would be an excellent time to play on the sheepskin rug after he had finished his feeding. He was making goo goo eyes at me while having a big time thrashing his legs about like a Tour de France cyclist.

This was all very cute, but by 3 a.m. I’d had enough of this show and I put him to bed so hopefully the both of us could get some sleep before the sun came up.

Needless to say, I was a zombie the next morning and too tired to crush my planned training. Not even excessive amounts of caffeine could wake me up. The baby was full of energy, however.

Funny how that works.

This is what happens in real life. Stuff comes up and our best laid plans become stuck. We have other priorities that push exercise down the list.

Whether you’re becoming a parent, are already a parent or you just have way too much going on, use the following strategies to keep your health on track. Your sanity will thank you.

Imagine You’re in Prison

Dan John, strength Yoda, imagines a scenario where you’re in prison and you only have 15 minutes a day to train. What would you do? What is important to you? Please don’t say bicep curls.

Narrowing your focus when your time and energy is limited will at the very least keep you, your waistline and the scale happy. No matter how busy you are, you should always dedicate some time to exercise.

Here are a couple of examples of time-saving trainings (gym and home) that I’ve used in the past when time is limited but I still want to eat ice cream guilt free.

1a. Pushups 10 reps (Can be done on knees or on an incline surface)

1b. Inverted rows 10 reps

1c. Kettle bell swings -20 reps

Rest one minute after each circuit and do five circuits.

1a. Dumbbell shoulder press 10 reps

1b. Dumbbell bent over row 10 reps

1c. Goblet squats 20 reps

Rest one minute after each circuit and do five circuits.

1a. Pushups – 10 reps

1b. Side planks- 15 seconds each side

1c. Bodyweight squats 20 reps

Rest one minute after each circuit and do five circuits.

Cardiovascular Training

Do a two-minute walk/warm up, then a 15 second sprint followed by 15 seconds of rest. Repeat this cycle for five work/rest intervals. Then cool down for two-three minutes.

This can be done on treadmill, track, bike, rowing machine or you can find some open space and sprint.

Stand Up and Take Movement Breaks

A study by Levine (2005) recruited 20 healthy volunteers, 10 lean people (5 men 5 women) and 10 people classified as grade I obese (5 men and 5 women). Levine was looking for physical activity differences between these two groups.

Levine found that grade I obese sat for 164 minutes a day longer than their lean counterparts and lean people were standing and active for 153 minues more than their obese counterparts. This lead to the lean people burning 352 calories a day which is the equivalent to 36.5 grams of fat per year.

This partly is due to N.E.A.T or non-exercise activity thermogenesis, a process that burns the majority of our calories.

Finding time in your day to be active even when you’re busy or overwhelmed will have huge implications on your health, fitness and waist line.

Here are some suggestions when you don’t have time for the gym.

Take the stairs instead of the elevator.
Walk during your lunch hour.
Walk to your coworker’s desk instead of emailing.
Pace the sidelines at your kid’s athletic game.
Do housework and walk around your house.
Walk your dog.
Bring the groceries from your car into your house one bag at a time.
Perform gardening and easy to do home repair projects.
Refer to point one.
This list could go on and on but I’ll stop. You can get creative.

One Lift Per Day

If going to the gym is non-negotiable, try narrowing your focus even further by doing just one lift per day. Trust me, this is not for sissies. Back in the 50’s and 60’s some Olympic lifters trained like this and they turned out just fine.

It was greasing the groove concept before Pavel Tsatsouline popularized this in his book Power to the People. Bottom line, if you’re going to master a lift it pays to do it more not less. Mind blown, right?

I could wax poetic on sets, reps and guidelines but you’re better off just reading THIS. He kind of knows what he is talking about.

Wrapping Up

There are periods in our lives where we barely keep our heads above water and our time and energy are in short supply. This is not time to crush PR’s or embark on some ambitious fat loss program.

It’s a time for maintenance because a little exercise can go a long way. Besides, sometimes you need your energy for more important stuff, like 3 a.m. sheepskin rug time. With the baby, I mean.

About the Author

Shane “The Balance Guy” McLean, is an A.C.E Certified Personal Trainer working deep in the heart of Texas. Shane believes in balancing exercise with life while putting the fun back into both.

May 30, 2017 Tony

Stuff to Read While You're Pretending to Work Uncategorized

Stuff to Read While You’re Pretending to Work: 5/26/17

My cat is adorbs.

But lets get to this week’s stuff.

Check This Stuff Out First

1. Updated Speaking Gigs – Bath, UK and Boston, MA

I’ll be in London in two weeks for the Complete Shoulder & Hip Blueprint with Dean Somerset. Unfortunately it’s a “closed” event for Third Space employees only.

However, I will be making a cameo appearance in Bath on Friday, June 9th at Lift the Bar to put on a quickie 4-hour lecture/hands-on workshop titled The Shoulder: From Assessment to Badass. If you happen to be located in that neck of the woods you can go HERE for more information.

ALSO.

My wife, Dr. Lisa Lewis, and I are excited to announce we’re putting on our Strong Body-Strong Mind Workshop in our home turf in Boston.

It will be a small, intimate affair, so spots are limited. No joke.[footnote]I know some people like to say “spots are limited” to create a false sense of urgency, but this is no BS, spots are limited.[/footnote] Early bird price is now in effect ($199), and CEUs will be made available via the NSCA.

To purchase you can go HERE.

***As a reminder, Lisa and I will also be in Toronto, ON in three weeks for Strong Body-Strong Mind, and early bird rate is still going on for Complete Shoulder & Hip Blueprint – Orlando in October. You can go HERE for more details on both.

2. Last Chance for Some Free Meat

The peeps over at ButcherBox are hooking my readers up.

I wrote about my experience with them earlier this week, but to summarize: they sent me some meat, I like meat, so now they want to send you some (free) meat too.

All this week readers of TonyGentilcore.com can get $10 off their initial order AND receive two additional, 10 oz. Ribeye steaks at no extra cost.

What’s not to love about that?

It’s a great service – I mean, come on, meat, delivered to your door – and it’s soooooo good. The taste is readily apparent. Treat yourself. Go HERE and thank me later.

Stuff to Read

A Sound Mind in a Sound Body – Dr. Lisa Lewis

For some reason, especially in the fitness industry, people have this notion you have to persevere and “power through” when you’re feeling depressed or down.

If you hurt your knee or back when you train you attend to that right away

Your mental health is no different and is serious business. In her latest article for Girls Gone Strong, Dr. Lewis sheds some light on a very powerful topic.

3 Drills That Will Fix Your Power Clean – Michael Anderson

I don’t do a lot of OLY lifting, but when I do, I listen to Mike. He’s an excellent coach and this was an excellent article.

Understanding Pronation and Supination (and How it Relates to Overcoming Plantar Fasciitis – Rick Merriam

I thought this was a very interesting read and a nice reprieve from the “oh, your feet are fucked, might as well wear orthotics” diatribe.

Social Media Shenanigans

Twitter

When we do single leg work, deadlifts, push-ups, and Pallof presses and client asks “when are we going to work the core?”…..haha.

— Tony Gentilcore (@tonygentilcore1) May 24, 2017

Instagram

Here’s an example of how paying meticulous attention to details and using the right coaching cues can make the most seemingly simple looking exercise more effective. Last night I was guiding @therealalexandrashow through one of @bretcontreras1 booty circuits. We got to the Quadruped Band Glute Raise and I noticed Alexandra was getting a bit more movement though her lower back than I’d like (top video). This defeats the purpose of the exercise (which is to bootify the glutes. Kinda hard to do when someone sacrifices hip extension for excessive lumbar extension). I told Alexandra to engage her abs more and to ONLY get movement from the hip (bottom video). She immediately felt a difference and noticed waaaay more booty. Pay attention coaches. Even the most subtle tweaks can make a huge difference in how an exercise feels and where someone feels it.

A post shared by Tony Gentilcore (@tonygentilcore) on May 23, 2017 at 5:01pm PDT

May 26, 2017 Tony

coaching

The Trap Bar Deadlift is Not Cheating

The trap bar deadlift is not cheating.

Get over yourself if you think otherwise.

Copyright: tonobalaguer / 123RF Stock Photo

This train of thought is something I’ve experienced throughout my career on several occasions, first, when I was still at Cressey Sports Performance. Other coaches would stop by for the day to observe or shadow and inevitably one of them would inquire why we tended to solely use the trap bar for deadlifting.

“Don’t you feel that’s sorta cheating?“

Inside my head, whenever this was asked, I’d want to say something to the effect of:

“Yes, because here at CSP we’re all about shortchanging our athletes and making them inferior in every way possible. Trap bar deadlifts, 1/4 squats, UP, UP, DOWN, DOWN, LEFT, RIGHT, LEFT, RIGHT, B,A, START, SELECT[footnote]For the non-nerds reading that’s the famous “Konami Code,” which granted you 30 lives in the game Contra when used.[/footnote], it’s all good.”

And if they didn’t pick up on my sarcasm I’d follow up with:

“I guess I’ll just go fuck myself. Ten points taken away from Gyffindor for being an inferioir coach and using the trap bar.”

I mean, really? Cheating?

Cheating?

That’s how you assume we (I) roll? Cheat?

In reality, I’d just smile and politely mention the trap bar deadlift was a starting point for pretty much everyone who walked through our doors, professional athlete or not.

Our version of “scaling” the movement.

I understood it was just a question, that it was harmless, and that there was (likely) no ill-intent on their end to be condescending.

But holy shit, it would take every ounce of restraint to not want to do this:

via GIPHY

And even now, on occasion, I’ll catch flak from other coaches via social media whenever I post videos of clients deadlifting with a trap bar.

The most egregious of the bunch will provide snide remarks like:

“1. Yeah, well, everyone in my gym performs conventional.”

My Response

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TAryFIuRxmQ

“2. Trap bar is great for beginners, but only for a few weeks. Eventually they’ll have to progress to the straight bar.”

My Response

Says who? You? The tooth fairy?

Listen, no one has to do anything. Unless you’re a competitive powerlifter or OLY lifter you don’t have to use a straight bar.

If it’s someone’s goal to straight bar deadlift, cool, lets progress accordingly. However, lets be clear that no one has to deadlift with a straight bar.

Advantages of the Trap Bar

1. It’s More Joint/Back Friendly

Because execution of the exercise requires standing inside the bar – rather than the bar in front of the body – the axis of rotation (hips) is closer to the line of pull reducing much of the shear load on the spine.

In English: It allows people to maintain more of an upright posture.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p-sA3PG1kGY

Thus making the trap bar deadlift a much more joint-friendly way of deadlifting.

2. It Takes Into Account Mobility/Movement Restrictions

Those who lack the appropriate ankle dorsiflexion, hip flexion, and/or t-spine extension to get into proper (safe?) position to begin with will benefit greatly from the trap bar deadlift.

Likewise, from an anthropometric (individual differences in body types and levers) standpoint, the trap bar deadlift will lend itself more advantageous to those with longer torsos, longer femurs, and/or T-rex arms.

Basically, for taller individuals, in addition to those “stuck” in computer guy posture, the trap bar deadlift is a solid, almost long-term, fit.

3. Trap Bar Deadlift = Still a Deadlift

Correct me if I’m wrong: but the weight still starts from the floor, right? Someone still has to hinge from the hips with a neutral back position, lift the weight up, lockout, and reverse the action back down, right?

How is this not a deadlift?

How is this “cheating?”

Is an asterisk needed warranted upon the completion of each rep?

In the End

Relax. Take a deep breath. Get off your high-horse. If you’re a powerlifter or OLY lifter or Jason Bourne, then, yes, you should probably get really comfortable with straight-bar deadlift variations.

However, if you’re neither of those three, or if you work with athletes and general population clients who are not powerlifters, OLY lifters, or secret government assassins suffering from amnesia, then STFU.

The trap bar deadlift is not cheating.

Rather, you’re just being competent, well-intentioned coach who understands the balance between helping people get bigger, faster, and stronger AND keeping them healthy long-term.

May 24, 2017 Tony

Nutrition

Want Some Free Meat? You Have To Check This Out

There aren’t many things more delectable than a big, juicy steak.[footnote]There was a time when I used to order all my steaks well-done. It was a dark time in my life, I don’t like to talk about it. But then I met Lisa. She set me straight.[/footnote]

What’s more, despite what some poorly designed studies demonstrate and what a handful of agenda-centric, fearmongering books will tell you, beef (and red-meat in general) is incredibly healthy for you.

It provide a plethora of healthy fats (<– this is affected by the kind of red meat you’re ingesting: grain fed vs. grass fed) which, while having many benefits, the biggest, arguably, is helping to keep testosterone levels in check.

More to the point, it’s well established that not all beef is created equal.

There are two options: grain-fed beef (what most of us, most of the time, have been eating our entire lives) and grass-fed beef.

Grain-fed beef comes from cattle that have been fed a diet of grain, soy and sometimes even animal by-products. The cattle are pumped with hormones to expedite the growth process and hooked up to antibiotics to prevent the spread of disease in crowded feedlots.

100% grass-fed beef comes from cattle that are only fed grass their entire lives. They enjoy free range on pasture and are never put into feed lots. They live longer lives because their growth isn’t accelerated by the administration of artificial hormones. As a result you get a much cleaner piece of beef, just as nature intended.

Ethical, religious, or personal preferences aside, anyone who’s watched documentaries like Food Inc or read books like Jonathan Safran Foer’s Eating Animals (which I’d HIGHLY recommend) know full-well the atrocities in our food system they highlight – in particular the treatment of said animals.

It’s disheartening to say the least.

NEWSFLASH: I am not a vegetarian. I have zero issues or qualms eating furry animals. That said, given the choice, I do prefer to purchase meat from animals who’ve led happy lives.

Knowing the steak that’s providing sustenance for me and my family came from a cow who, at one point, was happily frolicking on a pasture grazing under the sun, makes things more “palatable” for me.

That’s my moral compass. It may not match yours – and that’s cool – but it’s mine.

And, to speak candidly, least we forget, grass-fed beef just tastes better.

So you can imagine my elation when the peeps over at ButcherBox reached out to me a few weeks ago and asked if they could send me some meat.

In the mail.

Directly to my door.

via GIPHY

The only thing that could have made the offer more baller is if they offered to deliver it in an Apache helicopter.[footnote]Note to the higher ups at Butcher Box: I’m thinking upsell. People can choose between an Apache, a tank, or hovercraft for their box to be delivered. Make it happen.[/footnote]

I said yes, and a few days later a box arrived downstairs in the lobby.

A funny side note: I forgot to tell Lisa about it and this is what happened – close to verbatim – when the package arrived:

Lisa: “Babe, this huge box arrived today in the mail.”

Me: “Oh, yeah, I forget to tell you, this company ButcherBox reached out and asked if they could send me some meat.”

Lisa: “That’s a package full of meat?”

Me: “Yep. Grass-fed beef and steaks, chicken breast, bacon, pork chops…all humanely raised.”

Lisa: “Get the fuck out of here!”

[Cue make out session]

Okay, the make-out session didn’t happen…but everything else is pretty spot on.

Lisa and I are all about buying locally and try to do it as much as possible. We’ve been members of farm shares in the past and have also considered going in with friends on purchasing an entire cow.

Living in a city, however, with limited space (and small freezers) makes the latter a little difficult.

ButcherBox solves that riddle.

Each month they send you 8-11 lbs. of curated cuts of meat – steak, ground beef, chops, chicken, and other goodies – to your door, and often at a lower cost than you’d get at most stores.

Some Other Highlights

Did I mention you get 8-11 lbs of meat delivered to your door?
You get 8-11 lbs of meat delivered to your door.
That’s around 18-25 individual meals at 6-8oz per meal.
No two boxes are the same. Each month you get a different experience and ability to experiment with different cuts of meat.
You also get recipe cards to help out.
And since it’s a subscription service – for meat! – you can alter the frequency (every month, every other month, etc), and you can cancel at any time with zero penalty.[footnote]Except your family will hate you.[/footnote]

Special Offer

This week only (ending Sunday, May 28th) all TG.com readers and fans can get $10 off their initial order + two 10 oz Ribeye steaks added by using THIS link.

In case you’re not picking up what I’m putting down: that’s FREE meat.

You’re very welcome. And don’t be afraid to invite me over for dinner…;o)

May 23, 2017 Tony

Product Review

Compression Garments: A Thing or a Fad?

Walk into any weight-room (or mall for that matter) and you’re likely to see a few people wearing a pair of those tight looking thingamajiggies that make them looked jacked.[footnote]I always laugh when I see people wearing compression shirts out in public. One of two people do it: 1. The guy who has an inflated ego of himself and just has to show-off 24/7. Okay, we get it dude, you lift weights. Cool. Or 2. The guy who wears them because you’d have no idea he lifts weights if he didn’t. Either scenario means you’re kinda douchy.[/footnote]

Thingamajiggies aren’t their technical term by the way. They’re actually compression garments. They’ve grown in popularity in recent years and there’s a growing debate on their efficacy and use.

Is the juice worth the squeeze or are we being pressured into following another trend? See what I just did there? That’s called word play.

Today’s guest post by Dr. Nicholas Licameli tries to answer the question(s).

Compression Garments: A Thing or a Fad?

NOTE: Be sure to check up with a healthcare practitioner before using compression garments, especially those with cardiac or circulation pathologies.

In order to fully understand the theory behind compression garments, it’s important to quickly review how blood flows through the body.

The system is a cycle with the heart at the core.

Oxygenated blood enters the heart and is pumped (with great force) into the arteries. The arteries carry oxygen rich blood to all the tissues of the body, including muscle.

For simplicity, let’s use the biceps muscle tissue as an example.

As the arteries approach the muscle, they become thinner and thinner until they become so thin that the nutrients and oxygen diffuse across its walls and into the tissue. These super thin blood vessels are called capillaries.

After the blood “drops off” its oxygen and nutrients, it is picked up by more capillaries, which feed into larger blood vessels called veins. The veins passively carry the un-oxygenated blood back to the heart. Once back at the heart, the un-oxygenated blood gets sent to the lungs to get re-oxygenated, sent back to the heart, and is pumped back into the arteries to start the cycle all over again.

So the force from the initial pump from the heart is enough to send the blood from the heart, through the arteries, through the capillaries, into the veins, and back to the heart all while fighting gravity, plaque build up, etc. (pretty amazing huh?).

So it is easy to see that the velocity of blood flow is MUCH greater in the arteries than it is in the veins. Think of pushing a toy car across the floor. The initial push (the heart beat) gives the car a decent amount of velocity, however as the car travels further and further away, its velocity lessens.

What Are Compression Garments Meant To Do?

Compression garments are commercially available from companies such as Under Armour, Nike, and CEP in the form of full-length tights, partial and full-length tops, knee length stockings, and even full-body suits.

For those who don’t wear these just to be trendy, they are typically worn by runners, weightlifters, and other active individuals in hopes to improve performance and recovery (or feel like a superhero in superhero tights).

How to Use Compression Garments?

The garments are worn over the muscles being worked during or after exercise. For example, a runner may wear knee high compression garments in hopes to target performance and recovery of the calf muscles.

As part of an overall recovery strategy, wearing a compression garment over the affected area for 12 – 24 hours in the 1-2 days following exercise seems to be most effective.

Improvements in recovery have been displayed over a wide range of pressures and there has not been an exact or optimal pressure found at this time.

How Does It Work?

Compression garments are thought to function through changes in blood flow, perfusion (blood flow to body tissues) and muscle swelling, however the exact mechanism by which compression garments improve recovery is unclear at this time. They actually were first used as a medical intervention to increase blood flow to the heart (venous return).

Muscle Swelling:

It has been suggested that reductions in muscle swelling following exercise-induced muscle damage may limit further structural damages to the muscle or influence the brain’s fatigue regulation by affecting the signals (chemical or neural) the brain can interpret.

Tissue Oxygen Saturation:

Tissue oxygen saturation refers to how much oxygen from the blood is actually being taken up by tissues.

Aerobic (oxygen present) vs. Anaerobic (no oxygen)

More oxygen to tissues —> greater capacity to do work—> helps prolong the time it takes to get into an anaerobic state (burning and muscle fatigue).

Once we run out of oxygen supply to our muscles, the environment changes to an anaerobic state. It is at this point that we feel “the burn” due to an increase in acidity. This causes us to reach failure.

Basically, more tissue oxygen saturation prolongs the onset of the burn, which prolongs muscle failure, which enhances performance.

So if you’re doing a set of 10-15 reps, the first 6-7 reps will not burn because your muscles are getting adequate oxygen from blood. As you keep going through your set, you begin to feel a burn because your muscles are requiring more oxygen than what is being supplied. This causes the environment to change from aerobic to anaerobic, which causes lactic acid build up and “the burn.”

via GIPHY

Can Compression Garments Improve Performance and Recovery?

Studies have shown that compression garments may provide the following benefits to an athlete.

Muscle Soreness: May decrease soreness 24-48 hours following exercise.

Strength: May limit the loss of strength typically seen following exercise.

Power: May help maintain power or limit the loss of power following exercise.

Range of Motion (ROM): May slightly limit loss of ROM typically seen following exercise.

Sprint and aerobic performance: One study showed that they may preserve sprint performance and improve time trials.

What Are the Limitations to Using Compression Garments?

It may not be feasible to wear compression garments for long durations in the days following a training bout due to job requirements, comfort, daily life, etc.

What Type of Athlete Might Benefit the Most From Compression Garments?

Compression garments have been shown to be effective for men and women as well as those performing aerobic or resistance training. Greater overall benefits are seen in higher volume and higher intensity training.

Are Compression Garments Worth Purchasing?

Compression garments can be a cost effective way to improve recovery, however they are not essential.

It is important to note that no recovery technique, including compression garments, will be effective without proper sleep and nutrition.

Getting your Z’s and eating properly to fuel and refuel your body are most important. Seeing a qualified healthcare practitioner, such as a physical therapist, can also improve recovery, prevent injury, and enhance overall health and wellness.

For More Information:

For a more comprehensive and evidence-based look into compression garments, as well as a full reference list used for this article (and absolutely anything else related to training), be sure to check out the great work at StrengthandConditioningResearch.com as well as my video on compression garments and blood flow restriction: