The past few days have been full of information on my end. Cressey Performance has been playing host to the Cressey Performance Elite Baseball Mentorship for the past three days, and it’s been unbelievable the amount of knowledge bombs Eric Cressey, Eric Schoenberg, and Matt Blake have been sharing with the over 30 people who have travelled from all over the country – New England, New York, Texas, Seattle, to name a few – to attend.
Sunday was entirely lecture based where the crew discussed much of the lame status quo in the baseball community regarding its often archaic through process with regards to “arm care” and how to train baseball players in general.
In short: the system is broken what with teams “accepting” that injury is just part of the process. One stat that really jumped out at me was the fact that injuries in 2011 cost clubs $487 million – or about $16 million PER TEAM – in lost revenue.
Sadly, teams are more prone to spend exorbitant amounts of benjamins on facilities, equipment, and the like, yet skimp out when it comes to spending any amount of money on proper, up-to-date, and relavent rehab. Or even more proactive, preventative measures for that matter.
Too, the crew spent a lot of time discussing common injuries (and their mechanisms) on Sunday. One line that I absolutely LOVED was when Eric Schoenberg noted:
If you throw with JUST your arm, than do an “arm care” program!
Essentially, Eric noted that if you’re only working on a “shoulder/arm care” program, you’re missing the whole picture. It’s a garbage term.
Take for example that anterior core drills can actually be considered an “arm care” program. I mean, if one lacks appropriate core stiffness to elevate their arms over their head (which is kind of important for a baseball player to do), and their lats are stiffer than a 2×4, what’s the likelihood their shoulder is going to flip them the middle finger at some point?
Some food for thought, no?
In addition, program design and strength training considerations were discussed. Like how one would go about managing a strength training program for a pitcher who’s “lax” as opposed to one who’s “stiff.”
And, Matt Blake spent a fair amount of time breaking down pitching mechanics and what he often looks for when tweaking guys’ deliveries.
In short, after attending on Sunday (and Monday where assessment and corrective exercise was heavily discussed) I’m pretty sure if I was at a carnival and walked past one of those “fast pitch” thingamajigs, I’d sit 90MPH, easy.
Needless to say there was a crap ton (ie: a lot) of information shared, and I definitely have a few posts lined up in my head that I write up which I think many of you will enjoy and find beneficial (even if your goal isn’t to throw a 12-6 curveball and make a batter destroy the back of his pants).
Okay, with that out of the way, lets get to this week’s list of Stuff to Read While You’re Pretending to Work:
Since it’s now officially 2013, and many people are hightailing it to their respective local gyms in droves, I figured it was fitting to point people in the direction of a brand spankin new book that I, along with many of my fitness industry friends – Adam Bornstein, Mike Robertson, John Romaniello, James Smith, Chris Mohr, Nick Tumminello, and many others contributed to.
If you want abs, this is your ticket.
And even if you don’t want abs (or you already have them), this book is chock full of ideas and insights to help you get in the best shape possible.
This was an absolute gem written by Smitty (as if that’s any surprise). I particularly like tip #3: Not Everyone Can Be a Powerlifter. Or, for that matter, should train like one.
And that’s this week’s list.
On that note, please feel free to share or send me any articles or links to articles you like! I’m always looking for new material to read, and could always use some new “ammo” for this series. Either share them below to shoot me an email.
Funny story. Well, funny to me at least (so it’s basically pretty funny).
When I first started out as a trainer one of my first “rules” with clients was 1) show up on time, and 2) whatever you do, unless you’re a brain surgeon and you’re on call, don’t bring your phone out on the gym floor.
Simple right? And for the most part, people complied.
Show up on time, leave your phone in your locker, work hard, and leave the rest up to me. Easy peasy.
With the latter rule, it was mostly a joke and served only to prove a point: you’re not that important. You’re here to work. So help me god if I see you texting I will make you push the Prowler for an entire hour!
And wouldn’t you know it: there was an instance where I actually trained a brain surgeon. Go figure! So whenever I trained her, I had to relent and allow her to carry her phone whenever we trained because there was always a chance that there’d be a ten-car pile up on the highway and she’d be called in to save the day.
Thankfully that never happened.
Outside of that one special case, however, one of my biggest pet peeves as a coach is people bringing their phones out on the gym floor with them – as if getting to the next level of Angry Birds or texting with their S.O. about that funny thing that happened at work today is sooooo important that it can’t wait 45 minutes.
Even more of a pet peeve are when douchey TRAINERS bring their phone out onto the gym floor with them.
Anyways, today all of that changes because WeightTraining.com has just released a pretty amazing App that you can download HERE(@ WT.com) or HERE(directly on the iTunes site) which allows you to log, schedule, and follow your workout plans at all times.
And the best part: It’s absolutely FREE to download.
We’re what…..not even a week into 2013? Pretty soon all those people who made resolutions to finally get into shape are going to jump off the wagon and start making excuses.
I don’t have time, I don’t know what to do, I have a hang nail, or any number of lame excuses.
With this new App, you’ll have no reason not to stay on top of your workouts.
And as if that wasn’t baller enough, check this out.
I’ve also collaborated with the peeps at WeightTraining.com and designed an exclusive workout plan to help celebrate the App launch.
All you need to do is join my fan page on WT.com, download the App on launch day (TODAY, January 7th), and then you’ll have access to not only my exclusive workout, but you’ll also receive a free MONTH of WeightTraining.com PRO which gives you access to hundreds of other workout plans (but I’m admittedly biased towards mine, so you should definitely check that one out).
From there you’ll need to log a workout – ANY workout – on launch day (again, TODAY, January 7th) to be entered into a drawing for some free WT.com swag (shirts, etc), as well some extra special stuff hand-picked by me: namely, steaks and a TRX suspension trainer.
The topic of assessment can be a daunting subject to tackle given there have been hundreds – if not thousands – of books, ebooks, manuals, DVDs, tapes (ha – remember those!?), brochures (and whatever other form of media you can think of) that have dissected and scrutinized every nook and cranny.
What else is there to say? Certainly writing a blog post on the subject isn’t going to enlighten anyone – especially considering there really isn’t anything new to say. Likewise, it’s unlikely I’m going to say anything profound or revolutionary that will bring me accolades, a ticker tape parade, or in the event I really blow people’s minds, a Nobel Prize for Being Awesome.
Giving full disclosure, when it comes to assessment, there really is no set protocol I follow. In the fitness world there are undoubtedly a bevy of phenomenal procedures or “systems” to utilize (FMS, NASM, Assess and Correct, to name a few) – but if I’m going to be honest, there is no ONE that I prefer over the other.
I think Eric Cressey (my good friend, and business partner) said it best: at Cressey Performance, with regards to assessment, we take a bit more of a “broad” approach and then dig a little deeper if need be.
Well I should clarify that statement to a degree. With a large part of our population – specifically all of our baseball guys – we definitely start with a more targeted approach. With them we’ll immediately delve into nitpicky things like total range of motion (IR + ER) between throwing and non-throwing sides, check their scapular upward/downward rotation, shoulder flexion, and the like.
After placing them under the microscope, we’ll then start to incorporate more generalized screens like the Thomas Test, adductor length, lunge and squat pattern, so on and so forth.
With such a specialized group of people, it only makes sense to start in that capacity.
On the flip side – with a more generalized population (those looking to lose some fat, increase their general level of badassery, or to look better neked), we’ll usually start with a more “broad” approach and then dig a little deeper if need be.
In the latter scenario, a perfect example would be someone who walks in with a history of chronic lower back pain. In that case I’m definitely going to want to take a closer look at things and try to see if any red flags pop up that will give me more pertinent information.
The more info I have, the clearer picture I get, and the more likely I am to better ascertain what their needs are and come up with a plan of attack from a programming standpoint.
It’s in this type of scenario where having a “cherry picking” attitude towards assessment comes in handy. I’ll take bits a pieces from the FMS, from some of Dr. McGill’s stuff, Gray Cook, Mike Boyle, Mike Robertson, Charlie Weingroff, Papa Smurf. It’s all fair game.
Like I said: I’m not married to one train of thought over the other.
Regardless, I do feel there are some overlying rules or “code of conduct” when it comes to assessment that I’d like to share. And with that I’d like to share what serves as an umbrella of sorts to my general philosophy when it comes to assessment.
Rule #1: Actually, You Know, Do an Assessment
It still boggles my mind that there are still some fitness professionals out there who don’t even perform an assessment with their clients. While I know it’s a cliched saying: if you’re not assessing, you’re guessing.
As I alluded above, I don’t care what type of assessment you follow – everyone has their own preferences train of thought, and I’m not here to state who’s right and who’s wrong, which systems are worthwhile and which ones are bogus.
BUT: you’re an a-hole if you’re idea of an assessment is to just show a client the Cybex circuit. If you’re not taking your clients through an assessment, you might as well use a dartboard to write their programs. Good luck with that.
I am by no means saying that what we do at CP should be considered the gold standard, but just to give everyone an inkling of what an assessment entails:
– Thomas Test, Seated Hip IR/ER, Supine Hip IR/ER, Adductor Length, Hamstring Length, Prone Quad Test, Prone Hip IR/ER, Shoulder IR/ER (total ROM), GIRD?, Shoulder Flexion, Say the Alphabet Backwards (for time)
This takes all of 5-10 minutes (tops) and provides a gulf of information. For example, if I’m working with a right-handed pitcher coming in with some elbow pain, the first inclination is to look at the elbow (which we obviously do).
But if that’s all I did, and I didn’t test his lead hip IR (which we find is woefully deficient, which means he’s probably opening up on his delivery too soon, which mean’s he’s placing waaaay more valgus stress on his elbow), we’d be barking up the wrong tree.
From there, we like to get people moving. Testing them on the table is cool and all, but when we train, we move, and I like to see how people move.
– Squat Patern
– Lunge Pattern
– Teach Em’ How to Dougie
Using a general fitness enthusiast as an example, there are several squat “screens” I’ll take people through which I highlighted in THIS article.
But if all I did was a simple overhead squat screen – which most people fail miserably at – and I didn’t dig any deeper, I may just assume that the reason why he or she can’t get to depth is because their hips are tighter than a crow bar. This is what they’ve been told from several other trainers, so it must be true!
I’ll take people through 3-4 squat screens to see what shakes free. With the last one I’ll have them hold a counterbalance out in front of their body, and it’s almost profound how much of an improvement you’ll see.
By holding the weight out in front of you as a counterbalance, you’re forced to engage your anterior core musculature, which in turn gives the entire body the stability it needs to allow for more squat depth.
Without performing this last screen, many would automatically assume that the reason they can’t squat to depth is because of a mobility issue, when in fact, as Alwyn Cosgrove has noted on numerous occasions, it’s a stability issue.
Without this differentiation, we can see how many people would be barking up the wrong tree, and doing themselves a massive disservice on the training side of things.
Think what would happen if we omitted or neglected to perform the last squat screen – we’d assume that we have a mobility deficit somewhere and just focus on that one component, rather than address the real issue at hand, namely lack of stability.
Rule #2: You’re Objective Isn’t To Make Them Feel Like a Walking Ball of Fail.
The objective of an assessment is to give you information, not to point out every dysfunction that the person has and make them feel like a loser.
I remember one of the biggest mistakes I made as an upcoming trainer was to try to prove to people who much smarter I was than them. When I’d start with a new client, I’d take them through an assessment, use big words like synergistic dominance, reciprocal inhibition, and adductor aponeurosis, and try to wow them with my infinite wisdom, intelligence, and witty banter.
Really all I did was come across as a walking douche.
I’d go out of my way to point out every single dysfunction – OMG, your left pinky toe doesn’t dorsiflex 17 degrees! – and honestly, it would turn many of them off.
Don’t get me wrong: I think it’s important (wand warranted) to point out any concerns or red flags that may appear, but it also doesn’t hurt to have some sort of social filter and tone it down on the first day. Try not jump at every chance to tell them how much of a train wreck they are.
Rule #3: It’s Still Important to Achieve a Training Effect
Pigging backing on the point above, many trainers get a little too overzealous with assessment and fail to realize that it’s still important to give people a training effect (even if they are banged up).
Think about it this way: would YOU want to spend an entire hour on a table getting poked and prodded like a piece of meat? Indeed, there are cases where that’s warranted – particularly when someone presents with a unique injury history. But you might as well just toss in an episode of Army Wives and bore them to tears if all you’re going to do is test hamstring length for an hour.
GET THEM MOVING!!!!!!!!!
At CP we’ve designed our initial assessment to be half table work/showing them how to foam roll/taking them through a general dynamic warm-up and half lets-get-them-on-the training-floor-and-see-what-shakes-free hodgepodge.
Actually SEEING whether or not your client can perform a proper hip hinge or whether he or she can perform a push-up without compensating willl provide a heckuva lot more information, in my opinion, than testing breathing patterns for 45 minutes.
Rule #4: Make Them Prove You Wrong
And lastly, this is the crux; the creme de le creme if you will.
The REAL point of an assessment is for them to prove to me that they CAN do “stuff.” Listen, I think as fitness professionals (or just general fitness enthusiast) we all know that exercises like squats, deadlifts, rows, pull-up variations, single leg work, etc are going to make the “bulk” of most training programs.
My goal is to get all of my clients squatting, deadlifting, bench pressing, and kicking ass.
What TYPE of squat or deadlift or whatever is where the assessment comes in. If someone comes in with FAI, I’m sure as shit not going to squat them (at least not past parallel). But I can more than likely have them perform trap bar deadlifts and single leg work without much fanfare.
Additionally, if I’m working with someone dealing with a shoulder impingement problem, I’m probably not going to have them bench press, but I can probably have them perform dumbbell floor presses (and a crap ton of horizontal rowing) and progress them from there.
The point is: they must demonstrate to me – through the assessment process – that he or she can perform the things I want them to do in a safe manner, with flawless technique, and without pain.
More importantly (and this can’t be glazed over): will said exercises point them in the right direction with regards to helping them attain their goals?
In many ways, this is the REAL rationale behind an assessment. To prove to you – the fitness professional – that they can perform “x” exercise(s) without causing injury or harm.
And That’s That
The above certainly isn’t an exhaustive overview on my thoughts with assessment, but more along the lines of a quick brain dump that (hopefully) sheds some light on things I’ve learned, experienced, and adapted throughout the years.
I think at the end of the day, no one is really right or wrong when it comes to assessment. There are certainly many, many ways to approach it.
I’d love to hear everyone else’s thoughts. Agree? Disagree?
It’s no secret that I’m a huge fan of Pallof presses – and all their variations. While I’ve definitely curbed my views with regards to core training and the whole anti-everything mantra most of the fitness industry adopted in recent years (lets be honest: it’s perfectly okay for the spine to go into flexion every now and then. Loaded flexion is one thing, but lets try not to shit an EMG every time someone has the audacity to bend their spine. Life……will…..go…….on), I’d still be remiss not to note that the bulk of my core training, and that of my clients, revolves around stability and preventing “unwanted” motion.
Maybe a year or two ago my good buddy, Nick Tumminello, described a cool Pallof variation called the Vertical Pallof Press, which I thought was a simple – albeit brilliant – twist into the genre.
Fast forward to two weeks ago, another buddy of mine, Philadelphia based strength coach, Andrew Zomberg, asked my thoughts on half-kneeling or even tall-kneeling Vertical Pallof Press variations.
In a nutshell he was curious as to whether or not I’ve tried them or if I saw any efficacy in including them into my programming.
Of course!
Half Kneeling Vertical Pallof Press
What I like most about this variation are a few things:
1. It trains anti-extension.
2. With the half kneeling version, you can “encourage” a bit more posterior pelvic tilt by squeezing the crap out of the kneeling side glute. And when I say “squeezing the crap out of the kneeling side glute,” what I really mean is “squeeze that badboy as if you’re trying to crack walnut.”
3. Additionally, we get an awesome active “stretch” in the kneeling side hip flexor. I put the word stretch in quotations there because for those people who feel as if they have chronically tight hip flexors (despite going out of their way to stretch them to death with little or no improvement), it’s more likely the fact that the hip flexors are pulling “double duty” for an unstable spine. Hence, they feel tight because they’re firing 24/7 to prevent the spine from wrecking itself before it checks itself (Ice Cube fans will enjoy that reference).
In a sense, we could make a solid argument that the reason why many people feel as if they have “tight” hip flexors is NOT because they’re short/stiff, but rather their core is weak and unstable.
If you’re too lazy to read it: just know that working on core stability could help resolve those “tight” hip flexors of yours.
Outside of those key points, I’d note that the other things to consider would be on the technique side of things:
– Keep your chin tucked (make a double chin).
– As you extend your arms above your head, try to prevent your rib cage from flaring out.
– For those who need to work on improving scapular upward rotation (especially overhead athletes), once your elbows hit shoulder height, you could lightly shrug at the top of the movement.
– Try not to make this a tricep exercise. Those who tend to feel it more in that area are pressing the cable too far outward and focusing on elbow extension. Instead, you need to literally press straight up, preventing the cable from pulling you backward.
For an additional challenge, you can try a one-arm variation
Half Kneeling 1-Arm Vertical Pallof Press
All the same benefits apply here: it trains anti-extension, but because you’re using one arm at a time there’s also a significant anti-rotation component as well.
Too, it’s great for glute activation, encouraging more posterior pelvic tilt, and serves as an active hip flexor “stretch” (seriously, read Dean’s post).
About the only thing it doesn’t do is multiplication tables and buy you dinner.
And there you have it. Try it out today, and let me know what you think!
Happy New Year everyone!!! Hope you all had a fun, safe, and eventful New Years. Lisa and I kept with our own tradition and spent our New Years in Boston’s historic North End eating bread with olive oil, pasta, and there might have been a few (dozen) pastries thrown into the mix. Basically it was one ginormous gluten fest, and it was worth every calorie.
We were kind of rushed through dinner – we made reservations at 10 PM, hoping to be there when midnight hit – not knowing that the kitchen closed at 11.
So by 11:15, we have to make the executive decision to hop back on the “T,” pastries in tow, and head back to our apartment so that we could watch the fireworks on tv. Low and behold the higher ups of the MBTA decided to take the train we were riding out of commission, and we were forced to get off and wait for the next one to arrive.
As the minutes passed with no train in sight, both Lisa and I were bummed that the likelihood that we’d be spending the first moments of 2013 on the train – and not in the comfort of our own living room – were more and more evident.
Alas, the train finally arrived and we were back in business.
We only live like five stops from the heart of the city, but when you ride the Green Line five stops can seem like an eternity. At like 11:57, we were one stop away but decided to get off and spint – literally sprint – up the street to our apartment building.
Suffice it to say, we made it just in a nick of time, and right as I turned on the television Fergie was yelling HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!!
We kissed, and more importantly wolfed down our goodies from the North End. And, I think we were both dead asleep within the hour. Yeah, you can say we’re pretty romantic….;o)
New Year’s day itself was pretty low-key, but that’s exactly what I wanted. We closed the facility for the entire day which meant I was able to sleep in. Score!
After some basic food prep, we headed to a local Boston Sports Club for our first training session of 2013. Fittingly, Lisa and I both benched pressed our asses off. Why not, right?
She did some cluster sets with me, and afterwards, for the hell of it, I had her attempt a one-rep max.
She smoked 150 lbs! If we hadn’t done all that work beforehand, I’m willing to bet should could have hit 160-165 lbs, easy.
The kicker is that while we were testing her 1RM, there was an older gentleman training at the bench press station next to us puttering around with 95 lbs.
Now, maybe that was challenging weight for him, who knows? But I have a sneaky suspicion that it wasn’t.
As I looked around, I couldn’t help but notice the same kind of blase “hey-I’m-at-the-gym-so-it-has-to-count-for-something” attitude amongst many of the gym patrons.
Most looked like zombies just going through the motions. Some torso twists here, some arm circles there, and texting. Lots and lots of texting. Why people can’t leave their iPhone’s in their locker is beyond me.
There was one guy, however, taking himself through some massive free-for-all circuit of god-knows what (and making guttural noises that can best be described as a grizzly bear getting raped by a rhinoceros), so I’ll give credit where it’s due. My man was getting after it!
As a whole, though, pretty much everyone was just, you know……there. As if that’s all that matters.
Sure, there’s a lot to be said about taking some initiative and making an effort to head to the gym – especially on New Year’s day. That should be commended, and as GI Joe would say “is half the battle.”
We all know the saying: the hardest part is showing up!
But there’s a lot more to “it” than just showing up.
Whatever “it” may be – for some it’s shedding off the Holiday weight gain. For others it’s more specific like nailing a 2x bodyweight bench press – you can’t just expect things to magically happen because you walked through the doors.
There has to be some semblance of urgency or better yet, PURPOSE when you train.
Now, I’m not saying you have to go all CrossFit and train to the point where you cough up your appendix every training session. That serves no purpose.
But what I AM saying is that you should train with a purpose. Train with some balls! Or, in the case of the ladies reading, with some fallopian tubes (because, you know, you don’t have balls).
Try to have a clear-cut, attainable, measurable goal to train for. I don’t care what it is – I’m not here to state what that should be. But if you’re lifting a weight for ten reps (and you could have easily gotten 20), or more to the point, you just meander around the gym floor with no rhyme or reason and just kind of “fake it till you make it,” you’re doing yourself a huge disservice.
So everyone’s goal for 2013 is to train with a purpose.
Try it – you might be surprised as to how much of a difference it can make. And for the love of god, put away the phone!
2012 is about thiiiis close to coming to a close, and since we’re all still here (HA!….take that Mayans!) I thought I’d use the last day and highlight the ten most popular posts of the past year based off of the total number of visits/hits each received.
It was the best year yet for TonyGentilcore.com, and I can’t thank everyone enough for their continued readership, and more importantly, support.
If I could give every single one of a hug I would. But not only would that be weird, it’s pretty much impossible. Nevertheless, please know that I am repeatedly grateful to all of you and here’s hoping that 2013 bring us all happiness, love, and PRs!
Fixing the “Tuck Under” When Squatting Parts ONE and TWO
Almost resoundingly, by a few thousand visits, this was a very popular two-part post I wrote on how to fix the tuck under or “butt wink” at the bottom of the squat. I guess people like reading about squats!
I don’t know which is more controversial: CrossFit, the so-called “fiscal cliff” we’re about to nose dive off of, Hitler, or the three weeks worth of facial hair that’s currently on my grill (which is a record for me).
In any case, whenever you mention CrossFit, you can bet that the sirens are blasted, and people are going to come out in droves to express their opinion.
Here I take a firm (albeit fair) take as to why I’m not a fan of kipping pull-ups.
This was a topic of a staff in-service that I did where I discussed some of the (several) intricacies that exist between the box squat and the squat TO box.
As the title suggests, yes, there is a difference.
The impetus behind this post was an email exchange I had with one of my female clients and a discussion we had on the differences between weight loss and fat loss. It’s a topic I feel many people can glue themselves to because we’ve all been there.
The information and logic provides are sound, but if anything else, what’s most impressive of all is my use of the word flummoxed. Seriously, gold star for that one!
I heart deadlifts. So it should come as no surprise that one of the 317 articles (slight exaggeration) I wrote on it should pop up in the top ten. Here I breakdown some common (and uncommon) coaching cues that I often use with my athletes and clients to help improve their technique.
It’s a rhetorical question, because in the grand scheme of things any warm-up is better than no warm-up at all. Although, if I’m going to be a little biased I think this one is pretty money.
I got in a little hot water after posting this article earlier in the year. You would think, after reading some of the comments I received, that I made a case for why women shouldn’t be allowed to vote!
99% of the people “got” the message: how the fitness industry panders to women is a complete joke, and there’s a massive double standard: men should lift weight, women should take yoga class.
In my latest T-Nation article I tackle the often controversial topic of squatting. Why it’s controversial I really have no idea. Squatting is a basic human movement pattern that I feel provides a gulf of benefits – everything from improved performance on the playing field to helping to offset many of the postural imbalances that we get from sitting on our rumps all day long.
The rub is that most people have the movement quality if C3PO on a good day. LOL – see what I just did there? You see, C3PO is a robot and he doesn’t move well and……
…..okay, never mind.
Essentially, when loaded squats start to enter the picture and we start to debate safety, well, that’s just a different conversation altogether.
Moreover, squat depth is a rarely discussed topic. Well, I take that back. People are always arguing over squat depth. On one end of the spectrum you have those who feel if you’re not squatting ass to calves (ass to grass in BroSpeak), you should just go home and watch The Notebook.
At the other end, you have those who have no idea what proper (or even “safe”) squat depth is. Here, I’m referring to all the world renowned squatters on the internet who “claim” to squat 500 lbs. For reps.
With a two inch range of motion.
All kidding aside, all squats aren’t created equal. Likewise, squat depth is going to be a highly individual component depending on one’s training experience, pertinent injury history, so on and so forth.
In this article I discuss why I looooooove squats, but more importantly how to “screen” appropriate squat depth.
Also, just a reminder that the GINORMOUS sale – 60% off – on the Muscle Imbalances Revealed series ends TONIGHT (12/28) at midnight. I don’t want to brag or anything (since I am affiliated with the product), but I feel this is a must have resource for any trainers or coaches looking to take their skill set to the next level. You’d be learning from some of the best in business: Bill Hartman, Mike Robertson, Rick Kaselj, Dean Somerset, Dr. Jeff Cubos and many more!
Today I wanted to share a recent email exchange I had with a friend of mine, Mike Anderson, who’s a local personal trainer and strength coach here in Boston.
Some of you might recognize Mike from the handful of guest posts he’e written on this site – namely HERE, HERE, and HERE.
I’d highly encourage you to check them out if you haven’t already, because Mike’s a really smart guy and offers a lot of insight and wherewithal that I only wish I had when I was his age.
Plus, he’s single. Ladies?
Well, I think he’s single. If not, my bad Mike’s girlfriend!
Anyways, Mike sent me an email last week linking to a post he wrote on the seemingly screaming school girl “OMG-One-Direction-Is-On-the-Cover-of-TigerBeat” overreaction the fitness industry is going through with regards to corrective exercise. And more specifically, to it’s current obsession over breathing patterns.
Including but not limited to:
– What exactly does “breathing patterns” refer to?
– How do we assess it?
– What are we looking at?
– Seriously? What are we looking at?
– Okay, I’m lost.
– Ohhhhhh, the diaphragm! I get it. Most people are woefully horrible breathers and have no idea how to use their diaphragm efficiently!
– Understanding breathing patterns can help “unlock” the key to understanding that symmetry – as much as we try to attain it, and think that it exists – probably ain’t gonna happen.
– Taking even a step further, it’s recognizing that we’re inherently designed in such a way where assymmetry is inevitable, and that how we breath plays a major role in that.
– Taking a brief glimpse into the PRI (Postural Restoration Institute) philosophy, we see that it tries to teach people how to breath more efficiently, which in turn, in conjunction with their corrective modalities, will help attempt to bring people back into a sympathetic state.
– In doing so, with time (and proper programming) we’ll often see improved performance on and off the field – as well as on the gym floor.
– What’s that? Zone of Apposition? Apical expansion? Okay, now I’m lost again.
– I’m hungry.
Appropriately, Mike brought up an interesting conversation:
“Here’s another thing that I’ve been thinking about: why is this all suddenly such a huge concern? People have been strong and healthy for quite a long time without worrying about their breathing patterns. I know the same can be said for things like mobility and soft tissue work, but those things have a readily apparent change on the way someone feels and moves.
Would Bo Jackson had been a better athlete if someone had focused on his left-smaller-diaphragm? Would Arnold have been more symmetrical and better proportioned if he’d be concerned about his Left Posterior Mediastinum Inhibition?
I’m personally having trouble figuring out where all of these other things fall into the role of a strength and conditioning coach. If getting someone’s diaphragmatic rhythm in sync with their scapulothoracic rhythm will get them to a 40″ vertical, a 10.2-second 100-yard dash or a 585 deadlift then I’ll be all about it.
For right now, however, my job is to get people stronger, faster and keep them healthy. I’ll keep doing that.
My Response (along with a massive brain dump/random thoughts)
Well said my man. Well said.
I completely agree (for the most part), and think the whole breathing thing is starting to get out of hand. Not out of hand in the sense that I don’t feel it’s efficacious to look into it, that I don’t feel it’s important 0r that I don’t feel it works.
On the contrary: I think it’s powerful stuff and we’re only just cracking the surface.
I feel things are getting out of hand to the extent that everyone, and I mean everyone (personal trainers, strength coaches, physical therapists, athletic trainers, your Little League coach) are starting to look into this stuff.
And frankly, many have no business doing so. Well, at least in the sense that many are overstepping their bounds and taking it too far.
I think a lot of the problem stems from those who don’t recognize scope of practice. I remember when I first moved to Boston and worked at a swanky commercial gym downtown. I’d watch some of the trainers walk around with Kendall’s Muscles: Testing and Function (a phenomenal book, mind you) as they were training clients.
Basically they carried the book around with them thinking they’d kill two birds with one stone and try to diagnose and train their clients.
Um, no. That’s just asinine, and a lawsuit waiting to happen.
Of course, on one hand I’d commend any trainer to take it upon him or herself to further their knowledge base and to better understand the human body and how it works.
BUT YOUR JOB IS NOT TO DIAGNOSE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Now you have those same trainers walking around thinking they’re on the same level as physical therapists, chiropractors, and manual therapists (people who went through additional schooling to do what they do) because they read a book.
Even worse, they get their hands on some of the PRI literature and now they’re assessing breathing patterns (which is fine, because assessing dysfunction what we do) and before you know it, they’re treating people and performing open heart surgery.
It’s crazy. And pompous. And completely unacceptable.
It hasn’t gotten to pandemic proportions yet, though. Those types of assclowns are few and far between, and there are far more who understand their limits and don’t step outside their scope of practice.
Having said that, I DO feel that looking into breathing patterns is something to consider with most people. But the rub is that we SHOULD NOT be spending an inordinate amount of time on it.
At Cressey Performance, we LOVE the PRI stuff. Eric has been to three or four of their seminars, and Greg Robins recently attended one as well.
Which brings up a valid point: going to an actual seminar and seeing this stuff done firsthand is A LOT different than just reading about it.
Moreover, we’ve had staff in-services on it where PRI practitioners have come in, talked shop and helped us comb through some of the finer points to see how we can implement SOME of their modalities with our clientele.
Here’s the deal: at CP we only use like 6-7 drills, total. And not all of them at the same time.
I like how Mike Robertson discussed it in his recent “Warm-Up” article on his blog. Spend maybe 2-3 minutes on it, and move on.
We take a very similar approach with our athletes and clients. We may (or may not) include specific breathing pattern drills into their warm-up. But if we do it’s like two or three….tops, taking all of 2-3 minutes to complete.
Afterwards we move on to the dynamic warm-up, and then it’s off to go lift heavy things.
I think the point Mike’s making (and it’s an important one at that) is that far too many fitness professionals are going to get carried away and forget that giving people an actual training effect is kind of important too. Even worse, many will forget (or neglect) to get their athletes/clients strong.
Just to reiterate: the why IS IMPORTANT!!!!!!! I think it’s fantastic when people go out of their way to dig deeper, try better themselves, and gain more knowledge. I can’t bemoan that point.
What grinds my gears, though, is when people start to overstep their bounds and don’t understand, appreciate, or respect scope of practice.
Worse still: they neglect to actually train their clients.
What are your thoughts? Agree? Disagree?
On that note, for those trainers or general fitness enthusiasts reading interested in material that’s easily applicable, I’d encourage you to check out the Muscle Imbalances Revealed series, which features a collection of outstanding webinars from a lot of recognizable names in the industry. Rick Kaselj, who organized the series, just put the entire package on sale at a huge discount ($210 off!) through this Friday at midnight. Check it out here.
I don’t know about you, but yesterday FLEW by. I hope everyone reading had an amazing and well-rested Holiday full of family, friends, and fudge.
Lisa and I kept it fairly low-key, which is exactly how we wanted it. We made reservations at Fogo de Chao Christmas Eve night, which was amazing. But really: how can 16 cuts of all-you-can-eat meat NOT be amazing???
We crushed it.
Then, on Christmas morning, we woke up fairly early to open our stockings and exchange gifts. I pretty much rely on her for my wardrobe. As someone who spends his days hanging out in gyms, my attire generally consists of sweatpants and pretty much the most badass t-shirt collection ever. About the only thing I’m capable of doing as it relates to fashion is making sure I don’t commit the ultimate faux pas of wearing black shoes with a brown belt (or vice versa).
Outside of that I’m a lost cause.
Nevertheless I got a bunch of new clothes yesterday that I sorely needed, along with some odds and ends like a new pair of shoes I wanted, an appointment for a deep tissue massage, and a cornucopia of tea that should last me the year.
And then to top everything off, we headed out to catch the new Quentin Taratino flock, Django Unchained, because you know, nothing says “Happy Birthday, Jesus” than a Tarantino inspired Western filled with gratuitous violence, blood, and Samuel L. Jackson.
It……..was……….AWESOME!!!!
But enough of that. Lets move into the meat (and purpose) of today’s post.
2012 is quickly drawing to close. And as such, like many of you reading, I like to reminisce about the successes and failures (but mostly successes) of the past year.
More to the point: I like to harpoon those sentiments from the past year and use all the lesson’s learned to help formulate and congeal my goals and expectations for the upcoming year.
Many of my friends and colleagues in the fitness industry have already done the same with their respective blogs, so to piggy back off of them, here are my goals for 2013 (The I’ve-Finally-Accepted-The-Fact-That-Kate-Beckinsale-Doesn’t-Know-I-Exist Addition)
Speak (Even More)
Last year one of my goals was to attempt to speak more. More specifically it was to step outside my comfort zone and attempt to take on more speaking engagements.
I’ve read that right behind the fear of dying, the next biggest fear on most people’s list is the fear of public speaking (and having a raging case of explosive diarrhea on a first date).
I’m no different. While I’ve done a handful of speaking engagements prior to 2012, I really wanted to test myself and see if:
1. I could do it.
AND
2. Not suck/fail miserably/destroy the back of my pants.
As it happened, I actually wasn’t too shabby.
In early 2012 I spoke to a group of 25-30 BSC (Boston Sports Club) trainers on assessment and corrective exercise to rave reviews and a standing ovation (which is a slight exaggeration).
In early summer I had back-to-back talks in Edmonton and Toronto.
The former was The Spinal Health and Core Training Seminar which I did alongside Dean Somerset, Rick Kaselj, and Dr. Jeff Cubos. More on this below.
The latter was the PTDC Hybrid Training seminar that I did along with Nick Tumminello, Jon Goodman, Dan Trink, Mark Young, and Geoff Girvitz.
And then just a few short months ago, we held our first annual Cressey Performance Fall Seminar, which, outside of Hurricane Sandy raining on our parade, was a huge success.
While I’m still up in the air as to whether or not I see pubic speaking as something I want to pursue to a larger extent, 2013 is already filling up quickly.
I’ve already committed to heading to my alma mater (SUNY Cortland) to speak in March, which is a huge honor. Too, I’ve got several other “gigs” that are in the works, which I don’t want to state just yet in case I jinx it.
Suffice it to say, people want to hear me speak which is surreal, humbling, and terrifying at the same time.
Finally, Like for Real This Time, Deadlift 600
Seemingly, I’ve been blabbering about this goal longer than most politicians have been blabbering about cutting the deficit.
I’ll be the first to admit that 2012 wasn’t exactly an exemplary year for me on the training front. Sure, I still trained – rarely missing a scheduled session – but in many ways I was just spinning my tires and going through the motions.
I wasn’t training with a purpose. Which is ironic given I’m constantly telling other people on this site to get their s*** together and train with a goal in mind.
I guess it was a clear cut case of “do as I say, not as I do.” Which is BS.
I finally hit a tipping point last month, and reached out to fellow CP coach, Greg Robins, to see if he’d be willing to write my programming for the foreseeable future.
Essentially I came to the conclusion that I needed to outsource my own programming.
I’ve long stated that the hardest person to train is yourself. Humans are creatures of habit and we like what we like. I’m no different, and when it comes to writing my own programs, I always put in those exercises which I like or one’s I’m good at.
I’ve been following Greg’s programming for the past 3-4 weeks, and it’s been awesome. I write anywhere from 20-30 programs per week (sometimes more depending on the week/time of year), and it’s been such a relief to NOT have to think about my own training.
Greg tells me what to do, and I do it.
The goal is to go for 600 by March. I’ll keep everyone posted.
Release/Write My Own Product
2012 was a success in a lot of ways.
I actually was able to make some toast without burning down the apartment complex I live in. I stayed up past midnight once. And, I tried my first cup of coffee if you can believe it.
On that front, and as I mentioned above, I went out to Edmonton to speak alongside my MIRU compatriots (Dean Somerset, Rick Kaselj, and Dr. Jeff Kubos) for the Spinal Health and Core Training Seminar, which coincidentally enough will be released as it’s own product in a few short weeks.
So in a way, 2013 will already be off to an awesome start from a product release standpoint.
That said, one of my larger goals is to produce my own product that features Me, Me, and Me.
It’s a daunting thought to say the least. To put yourself out there like that is pretty scary stuff, but I “think” I’m at the point in my career where it’s time. My inner dialogue has been on repeat for years telling me that I’m not ready, and that no one in their right mind would want to buy a product for me.
It’s something I’ve had to work really, really hard to conquer……but I’ve finally reached a point where it’s time I put my big boy pants on and write/produce a product.
I’ve already got the ball rolling, and you should be hearing more about a little sumthin, sumthin sometime in early 2013.
Travel to Europe
Sadly, I’ve never been off the continent. Yeah, I’ve been to Puerto Rico, but that’s sorta cheating since it’s still – technically – considered US soil.
Going to Europe has always been something I’ve wanted to do, and appropriately ties in with my above goal to do more speaking engagements.
Sooooooo, just to throw it out there: if there’s anyone in Europe interested in listening to a bald, kind of diesel, obsessed with Norah Jones strength coach coming to talk about lifting heavy things let me know…….;o)
Get Photoshoot Lean
On par with hitting a 600 lb deadlift, I also want to see what it’s like to get photo shoot lean.
Back in 2009 I did something vaguely similar, which I titled Operation Sexification (sorry Roger Lawson).
I spent six weeks following a rigid training and diet plan to see how lean I could get within that time frame. I got pretty freakin lean. But like an asshat, I didn’t really go out of my way to document it, nor did I take any pictures. Namely because I did it in the dead of winter and was whiter than a Maroon 5 concert.
So, once I hit my 600 lb DL, I figured it would be kind of neat to get photo shoot lean and document that as well.
We’ll see. I’m still up in the air on this one because I wouldn’t want it to come across as some narcissistic endeavor.
Is it me or is it hot in here? *takes off shirt*
Get Alicia Keys to Subscribe to my Newsletter
That would be sweet!
Speaking of Newsletter – Actually Write One!
If you’ll glace to the right of my website you’ll notice an area where you can sign up for updates/newsletter.
This was a feature that I added to the site LAST year, but have yet to actually utilize.
I’m what you would call a technology nincompoop. Meaning, I still don’t have a smart phone, and I still prefer to actually hold a book rather than download one.
While people have been signing up for my newsletter all along, and I have been collecting emails, I’ve failed to actually write one because the software scares the living s*** out of me.
But alas. In 2013 everything is going to change. Rest assured that I WILL start a newsletter and everything will be right in the world.
So stayed tuned for that as well.
And That’s It
While I could go on and list other goals like pass the cinnamon test, buy a new car*, wrestle a grizzly bear, or challenge myself to NOT black out every time I read something from Tracy Anderson, I think the above list is a great starting point.
Now that I’ve written them down, it pretty much means I HAVE to complete them. Right?
I made an executive decision yesterday that with Christmas Eve and Christmas right around the corner (NINTENDO 64!!!!!!!!!!!!!!) I’d treat myself to a little blog-cation.
Now, don’t get me wrong: I love writing this blog. But sometimes I just need to take a break, smell the fudge roses, take a dee breath, and chillax.
So with that said, you won’t be hearing back from me until the day after Christmas (Wednesday). Thankfully my good friend, Sirena Bernal, reached out and wrote this spectacular guest post for the site.
Sirena and I have been chummy for a little over a year now, and we actually live in the same neighborhood, sometimes bumping into one another at the local Panera on a Friday night when we’re both trying to catch up on some writing or reading.
Yeah, we’re cool like that.
Anyways enjoy! And Happy (and safe) Holidays to everyone!
Before we even knew what a calorie was, we survived by relying on instinct, on feeling, and on the wisdom that was passed down to us from our elders – from people like grandma. Meaning, before we started to read labels, we just ate food.
We didn’t rely on measuring, tracking points, or distributing macronutrients, and we certainly didn’t rely on counting calories.
In fact, the idea of the calorie that we are now familiar with, was originally a term derived to describe the combustion energy produced from a steam engine (1), not the metabolism of a homosapien.
Steam engine and human being? Not exactly in the same genus, and thus, in my opinion, one reason why it’s a flawed model to follow in regards to nutrition – for the long term health and well-being. Again, IMHO.
I am not saying that creating a calorie-deficit (expending more energy than you consume) will not lead to weight loss, as it most certainly will. However, I am saying it is not the only way to approach weight loss. And as you will see in a minute, I’m going to share with you 7 others.
Why Calories Don’t Work for Humans
As beautiful and unique individuals as we are, so are our metabolisms and our body’s ability to digest, breakdown and utilize foods.
No two people are the same, and thus no two metabolisms are the same. However, most diet and nutrition literature will lead you to believe that a standard formula can be used to accurately gauge the amount of food we need to consume.
It’s easy to find an online calculator in which you input your weight, height, and activity level and in return get an arbitrary number that doesn’t take some of the most influential factors that affect our metabolism into play.
Factors such as the weather, temperature, stress levels, amount of sleep, hormonal fluctuations, prescription medications, supplements, thought-patterns and travel patterns can all affect our body’s ability to metabolize food, and thus affect the amount of “calories” we need to function at our best.
Thus, focusing on tracking calories without considering the dynamic flux of our metabolism can further create a hypometabolic state (low metabolism), which the majority of our culture suffers with.
You Are Not a Cyborg
Before you whip out the calculator and start crunching numbers, understand that it’s never a clear cut answer.
And for some, that may be frustrating to hear because we all just want to know exactly how much, at what time, and when.
But here’s the thing: life is not exact.
And neither is your schedule, or the weather, or your biology…unless of course you’re a cyborg, which I’m assuming you are not. (But if you are, I need to meet you).
If we allow it, our body will tell us exactly how much food we need, what we need, and when we need it, if we only listen.
Developing this skill does take time and patience but once we learn to listen to our body, we will begin to find the process of losing weight, much much easier than trying to calculate how many calories 30 grams of carbs, 20 grams of protein and 5 grams of fat equal.
There are much easier ways to approach weight loss that does not require counting calories, and here are 7 of them:
1. Eat with smaller plates, bowls and spoons.
Research has shown that the bigger your plate or bowl, the more you end up eating – choose a smaller bowl and you end up eating less. Participants in a study published in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine, served themselves 31 percent more ice cream when they were given a 34-ounce bowl instead of a 17-ounce bowl.
2. When filling your plate fill about 75% of what you would normally fill.
Our eyes are generally bigger than our stomachs, so prevent over eating before you actually eat. The next time you plate your food, take a “normal” scoop, and then put 25% of it back (before you actually put it on your plate, because putting food back once it’s on your plate is just bad manners.)
After you fill your plate, follow the rest of the steps below, and then decide if you’re still hungry before going back for seconds.
3. When eating, stop when you are 2/3 full.
You know that point when you’re so full that your belly is pushing against your belt buckle? Yeah, don’t get to that point.
Before you feel the need to unbuckle your belt, stop yourself when you feel like your 2/3 of the way there, and take a few moments to ask yourself if you are really hungry or if you are just eating to eat.
4. Always eat a protein, a carb and a fat source together.
By combining a protein, fat and carb you optimize your hormonal response to your meal thus keeping your blood sugar levels balanced, which will keep you satiated longer, thus preventing you from snacking after a meal.
5. Eat in peace and not on the run and without the distraction of computers, t.v. or reading which will help slow you down and level up your digestive powers.
Eating on the run is as effective for your digestion as being in 2nd gear on the highway is for your car. Not very.
When your brain and/or body is stimulated while you are eating, like if you are watching t.v. or eating in a rush, you end up activate your sympathetic nervous system which stimulates stress hormones.
However, being relaxed and calm while you eat, activates your parasympathetic nervous system, which, is responsible for digestion and breaking down your food to be absorbed. When you break down food better, you absorb your meal better, and thus get fuller faster.
6. Chew your food thoroughly before swallowing and take your time with eating, putting your fork down between bites.
It doesn’t matter if you count your chews, count seconds, or meditate when you eat. What does matter is that you take your time and actually chew.
Here’s a little challenge: Next time you eat, try to chew long enough until your food is liquefied. $5 if you can eat a whole meal this way.
7. SLOW down (or take your meal on a date.)
This is what I mean by this: when you are on a date, let’s say, a first date, or with someone you’re really into, you’re not gonna be checking your phone, or other people in the area. You’re in the moment, you don’t want to rush.
Now, with that same fervor that you would show your date, show that same attention to your food. Remove distractions, take your time, appreciate the food, and take your time with the food.
The same attention you’d give to a date, give to your food. This will not only allow you to slow down and thus eat less, but you’ll actually enjoy what you’re eating, appreciate your food and the eating process.
Final Pearls of Wisdom
The idea of losing weight without counting calories is clearly not as tangible or concrete, and may take some time to adjust to. However, if you can begin to practice these tips, it’s one of the most liberating and stress-free ways to approach weight loss.
The idea behind this process is to get you to a point where you can begin to listen to your body and just know, like Grandma did, when enough was enough.
This process does take more time and commitment on your part, but is very rewarding when you begin to tune in and know exactly what you need, when you need it, and how much you need.
Sirena is a nutrition and lifestyle expert in Boston, MA, and she holds her B.S. in Kinesiology from UNH. She has been training clients in the fitness industry for over 8 years and runs the Lean Body Challenge, a 28-day nutrition program designed to help women lose weight without dieting and over-exercising.
Her clients consistently lose 8-15 lbs. during the challenge and maintain the weight loss without the need to count calories or rely on cardio. Her work has been featured in PTonTheNET.com, Greatist.com, and she is a regular blogger for BostonMagazine.com
