1. I read a really good article earlier this week written by Chris Cooper titled Warming Up to PR’s. One of my biggest pet peeves as a strength coach is when I see someone walk in, do their dynamic flexibility routine, and then walk over to the deadlift platform and load the bar up to the same weight they did the previous week without “warming up.” One of the main points in the article I feel has a lot of relevance to people is the concept of interference, or, anything that limits your ability to recruit motor units.
As Cooper states, your body places a natural limiting feedback process on all muscles (controlled by the golgi tendon organ) that behaves like a speed limiter on an engine. Think of it this way. Imagine a car with an onboard computer that allows you to go faster if your brakes are well tuned or limits your top speed if your brakes are worn. The same concept applies to your body.
The key to warming up is to disinhibit your muscles ability to interfere with recruiting motor units. You can’t just load the bar up with your PR weight right off the bat. You have to gradually work up so that you allow the golgi tendon organ to slowly turn back its injury or avoidance response. The body has to be “teased” its way into it. Kind of like sex with your girlfriend. Unless it’s drunk sex, then it’s fair game.
2. Earlier this week, I wrote about my disdain for celebrity trainer Tracy Anderson and her statement that no woman should lift a weight above 3 lbs. Needless to say, I received a lot of great feedback and realized that I wasn’t the only person out there who felt like drop kicking Tracy in her botoxified lips for saying something so completely retarded. One such person is Mickey Glick, author of the blog No Pink Dumbbells (great title). Check it out.
3. For the heck of it, I wore a pedometer one day while coaching. In four hours I took 6303 steps, which equates to roughly three miles. OMGFATBURNINGZONE!!!!!!!! I’m totally shooting for 10,000 in one day next week. I’m so money and I don’t even know it.
4. You know how I always say that BOSU balls suck? Well, come to find out, there’s actually some scientific and “real world” evidence that I’m right. Eric Cressey released his new e-book, The Truth About Unstable Surface Training last week, and all I’m going to say is that if you’re a personal trainer, you better read this book.
5. Last week on The Fitcast, Chris Bell, director of the documentary Bigger, Faster, Stronger (GREAT movie by the way) was on to answer questions from listeners about the movie. It’s been the most downloaded interview thus far on the show, and rightfully so. Chris Bell did an amazing job with the movie and I look forward to his future projects.
On a related note, Kevin Larrabee is having a special sale on The Fitcast Insider running till the end of the month. In it, you get in depth interviews from the likes of John Berardi, Alwyn Cosgrove, Bill Hartman, Mike Robertson, and some schmuck with the last name Gentilcore.
6. So I’m headed out to New York City this morning for a few days. My itinerary includes getting a lift in at Peak Performance, eating at Dos Caminos, going to the Museum of Natural History, and possibly killing a hooker. Hahahaha. Just kidding mom. Hint: no I’m not. I leave in a few minutes to catch a four hour train ride into Penn Station. I’m taking bets on how long it will take before I receive my first death threat for wearing my Red Sox hat in Manhattan. Any takers?
