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Miscellaneous Miscellany Monday: 5/2/2011

1.  To start, all I can say is holy to the shit.  I opened up my laptop this morning to see the words Osama Bin Laden is dead splattered all over my Yahoo homepage.  Wow.  I don’t even know what to say now other than thank you to all of the men and women who continue to risk their lives overseas on a daily basis.

Yet, can you even imagine what it’s like to be the Navy Seal who’s bullet killed Bin Laden?  I’m calling Pulitzer, Nobel, Grammy, Emmy, Best Actor, or any other prize you can think of – he wins them all!

And, while I know there are some people out there who are going to be a Debbie Downer about this, and try to remind people that Bin Laden was supported by the US Government back in the 80s and 90s (like some guy I saw do on Facebook this morning) – please, don’t be an a-hole.  Seriously.

To that end, I think this song is fitting given the situation (FYI:  turn your speakers down if you’re at work.)

2.  I’ve been making some cameo appearances in and around the interwebz recently – apparently, some people feel I have important things to say!

First up, we have my first article on LIVEstrong.com – The Best Exercises You’re Not Doing.  As I mentoned a few weeks ago, I’m going to be doing more writing for Livestrong, so this one should be the first of plenty more to come.  Nonetheless, check it out, and be sure to leave a comment if you found it useful!

Secondly, Steve Shaw and the crew over at www.muscleandstrength.com asked if they could re-print some of my old(er) posts from my blog, which I think is cool given that it will expose more people outside of my target audience to my stuff – which is never a bad thing.

While this may be a refresher for some of you reading, for those who haven’t, How Chin-Ups/Pull-Ups Can Help Your Bench Press might be right up your alley.

3.  I saw this last week over at elitefts.com and thought it was one of the more badass videos I have watched in a long time.

Prove the Impossible

I don’t know about you, but watching that fires me up.  I think I’m going to go deadlift a car now.

4.  A few weeks ago, Mike Robertson sent us a copy of his Bulletproof Knees and Back Seminar that he did in Vancouver late last year.  The dvd set has been making its rounds amongst the CP staff, and I was finally able to get my hands on it this past weekend.  While I still have a ways to go in terms of actually finishing it, all I have to say is that Mike has yet again hit another home-run.

I’m always impressed at how awesome Mike is as a public speaker, and how effortlessly he’s able to take complex material and “dumb” it down for the lay population to understand.  And, given that 80% of the population at some point or another will suffer from low back pain (not to mention the knees are right up there, too!), this dvd set would be a welcome addition for any fitness professional – or casual fitness enthusiast for that matter.

Really, though, I don’t have to say much.  Mike’s reputation as a standup guy, and as someone who consistently puts out quality products, speaks for itself.  I’d argue that this one is his best yet!

5.  Speaking of other people I know who are extremely smart:  my good friend, Cassandra Forsythe, recently wrote a fantastic article on the artificial sweetner Stevia.  Given the recent hooplah (and rightfully so) over the efficacy of artificial sweetners, and whether or not the health concerns are warranted (they are), I thought this was a nice piece that helped weed through the science and the fiction.

6.  NERD ALERT:  it was brought to my attention that director Peter Jackson will be updating a video blog as he films parts I and II of The Hobbit, which are slated for 2012 and 2013 releases.  The first installment can be seen here.

You’re welcome.

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Exercises You Should Be Doing: TRX Busdriver

While the world is currently at a standstill over the Royal Wedding pukefest coverage, I for one have stayed true to my word, and haven’t watched one single second of it.  And, despite their efforts to the contrary – I wouldn’t let any of the women in this morning’s womens group talk about it, because frankly, I didn’t want my sperm count dropping.

Nevertheless, I’m going to keep this one short today unfortunately, because I’m in scramble mode trying to find another apartment.  I’ve spent the past few days on Craigslist searching for apartments for my girlfriend and I, and I’ve been meeting with realtors all week trying to find a place that doesn’t smell like wet dog.  It’s getting somewhat comical, though, because this will be the seventh year in a row that I’ve moved.  Thankfully, I travel light, and all I have to pack are my books, a couch, my tv, and a vintage Star Wars poster.

Anyhoo, lets get to the meat and potatoes.

What Is It:  TRX Busdriver (or, for something less lame, you can call it the TRX Kid-n-Play:  as a tribute to the early 90’s dance masters, Kid-n-Play, ohhhhh, ohhhhh, ohhhhhh).  If you don’t get the reference, then shame on you.

Who Did I Steal It From:  strength coach and guy who can kick my ass with both hands tied behind his back, Dewey Nielsen

What Does It Do:  While this is a fantastic exercise to work core stability, what’s often left un-noticed is the fact that this is also a superb way to train ANTI-EXTENSION as well.  So, in a sense, you kill two birds with one stone here.

Key Coaching Cues:  Making sure not to hyperextend the lumbar spine, simply move the TRX (or blast straps for that matter) from shoulder to shoulder maintaining as little movement as possible in the hips and pelvic area.  Another point to consider, is to make sure that you squeeze your glutes the entire time, and to recognize that the narrower your stance is, the harder the exercise will be.

You can do this for time, but I prefer something along the lines of 2-3 sets of 6-8 repetitions PER SIDE.

Give it a try, and let me know what you think!

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Forks Over Knives

A friend of mine emailed me yesterday and gave me a link to this trailer (seen below) which apparently was shown on The Dr. Oz Show recently.  I don’t have television, so I had no idea that this movie was being made, but after watching the trailer myself like ten minutes ago, I’m pretty fired up about it.

Piggy backing on the heels of books like In Defense of Food and The Omnivore’s Dilemma (both fantastic books written by Michael Pollan), as well as the documentary Food Inc. (which features Pollan, and, coincidentally, was the movie I took my girlfriend to on our second date – who says romance is dead), I have to say that I really, really, REALLY love the fact that more of the mainstream media is starting to get involved with sending out a more “truthier” message about the food industry.  More to the point, is the fact that people are starting to WAKE UP and finally realizing that what they put down their pie holes on a daily basis is literally killing them.

I mean, look at us.  It’s not uncommon for someone to be taking upwards of ten pills a day to treat their diabetes, hypertension, high cholesterol, depression, anemia, impotence, blahbiddy blah blah blah.  You name the symptom, and there’s a pill you can take to relieve it.  That is, of course, until you need to take yet another pill to counteract the side-effects of the first one.

Hey, I have an idea – how about you stop eating an entire bag of Doritoes for breakfast?

And, if this isn’t a cause for change I don’t know what is:  I was walking through a clothing store the other day and saw that they were selling XXXL pants.  Jesus, what’s next, size SUV?

Who’s to blame, though?  Is it the government who, in all their infinate wisdom, continue to spew out archaic jargon like saturated fat is bad, despite no definitive research to back it up?  Or, is it us, who continue to play the ignorant card?  I mean, if we’re really honest with ourselves, we know that a french fry really isn’t a vegetable, right?

It’s gotten really bad, and it’s no wonder that many experts are predicting that OBESITY is going to soon take over as our #1 cause of (PREVENTABLE) death – and this isn’t even taking into account the insurmountable burden that all of this has on the healthcare system.

Nonetheless, Forks Over Knives, I hope, will continue to spead the message that people need to start taking more of a proactive role in their own health.  I know for those reading, this is more like I’m preaching to the choir – but do yourself (and your family, friends, and colleagues who don’t know any better) a favor, and force them to go see this documentary.  It may very well save their lives.

UPDATE:  I didn’t notice it the first time around, but after watching the trailer again, I get the funny feeling that they may be attempting to drive people towards veganism/no-meat diet – which, if that’s the case, I’m going to light my face on fire.  As Roland, notes in the comments section:

Did you see Rip Esselstyn in there, author of the Engine 2 Diet? Vegan, low fat…

Uh oh – major Red Flag.   At the very least, however, I’m hoping that people will start to see the bigger picture here.  We shall see……

 

 

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Leaky Roof Syndrome

To begin, yesterday, I had just finished my training session when Eric walked up to me and said, “you’re 12:30 eval is here; she’s waiting in the office.”   Oops – twenty minutes early.  I head over to the stereo to turn-off the Wu-Tang (not exactly a great first impression when M.E.T.H.O.D Man is blaring through the speakers), pound my protein shake, and change shirts really quickly before I head out to greet Paula.

Upon quickly glancing at her health history, I notice something that jumps out and grabs my attention – she noted that she had been suffering from a chronic hamstring strain for the better part of the last two years.  Hmmm, interesting.  Almost immediately a light bulb goes off in my head and I start to stroke  my evil strength coach beard (but more on that in a bit).

Anyways, whenever a new client walks into the facility, we always try to sit down for 5-10 minutes to better ascertain what it is (s)he is looking to do.  Generally speaking, this is the time where we try to dig a little deeper, discuss training background, goals, injury history, etc.  The form sitting in front of me was otherwise blank, so without even blinking an eye, I ask about the hamstring.

Paula smiled, took a deep breath and let it rip.  Without going into too many details, she explained how she had always been an athlete (she was a sprinter in college) and had always lead an active lifestyle – she even did some personal training on the side a few years ago, and really enjoyed it.  For all intents and purposes – she’s the epitome of a fitness junkie.

Giving full disclosure, however, she openly admitted that she’s her own worst enemy, and sometimes has a knack for not knowing when to hold herself back.  When she first hurt her hamstring, she waited a few weeks, and once it started feeling better, she hightailed it to the track and did some sprints – only to re-injure herself, again, and again, and again.

After what was seemingly her umpteenth hamstring strain, she finally decided to seek some professional expertise and visited a local physical therapist near her hometown.   And for many of you, I think you know where this story is going.

To say that a ham sandwich could have done a better job than this physical therapist would be the understatement of the century.  Based off of what Paula told me, this therapist did nothing other than give her ultrasound and electric stimulation for a few weeks and then sent her on her way.  Incidentally, there was no real formal assessment of her movement quality.  Basically, Paula walked in, said “my hamstring hurts,” and the therapist treated the hamstring.

I guess in the grand scheme of things, this isn’t necessarily wrong.  For instance, when one of our baseball guys shows up and says his shoulder hurts, as traditionalists, we usually end up looking at the shoulder first and work out way out crossing things off as we go:  things like, scapular positioning, thoracic mobility, contralateral hip mobility, soft tissue restrictions, to name a few.

But there’s the rub – WE DON’T JUST LOOK AT THE SHOULDER.

And this is where I feel this particular physical therapist (and the countless other health professionals whom Paula visited) missed the boat entirely.

Leaky Roof Syndrome strikes again!!

It’s akin to someone complaining about a leaky roof in their house, and hiring someone to come in and place a patch over the leak itself – when in fact, the root cause of the leak is coming from somewhere else entirely.  Placing a patch over it is just a temporary fix in the long run, and will do nothing but delay the inevitable.

So, fast forward to yesterday and Paula getting visiably emotional while telling her story.  Who could blame her?  I mean, up until this point, no one had really taken the time to listen and to actually offer any concrete resolution to her problem.  All she’s been told is that she has “tight hamstrings,” (which, as I’ve noted in the past, is a bullshit excuse more often than not), and that she just “needs to take it easy.”

All this great advice for a $25 co-pay?  Sign me up!

Bringing this to a close, here are a few points of interest from yesterday that I found:

  • By and large, whenever someone mentions the word “strain,” you can usually (not always) chalk it up to something called Synergistic Dominance. Translating for the non-nerds out there, Synergistic Dominance is defined as a condition when a muscle in a group of muscles, that share similar actions, become more dominant and in turn, another less dominant.
  • In Paula’s case, during her assessment, I found that she had little (if any) ability to activate her glutes, which is kind of a problem – especially given they’re a very powerful hip extensor.   If her glutes are unable to fire, then that means her hamstrings (also hip extensors) have to work overtime to pick up the slack.  And, when you put two and two together (poor glute function paired with hamstrings throwing you the middle finger), you get chronic strains.

  • Furthermore, after taking her through some more tests, I found that she had very little ankle dorsiflexion.  Actually, that’s just being nice.  She had NO ankle dorsiflexion.  She lives in planar flexion from wearing high heels all the time.  Is it any wonder, then, that whenever she tries to sprint, she ends up hurting herself?
  • And finally, as I alluded to above, all the therapy in the world won’t make a bit of difference if people continue to move like shit.   Renowned physical therapist, Gray Cook, has popular saying

“fix the pattern, and the muscles take care of themselves.”

  • It’s so simple, that it’s brilliant.   I took Paula through some basic movement drills, and it was readily apparent that her lunge pattern needed some work – her foot externally rotated and knee caved in on each step, and even worse, her hip would collapse; all indicative of really poor hip stability.  Sorry, but ultrasound isn’t going to fix that.

In closing, it’s things like this that make my job so awesome – cause here’s a woman that came to us as a last resort, and she left yesterday feeling hopeful that we’d be able to help.

This isn’t to say that we don’t hava a lot of work to do – we do!  On top of building some basic strength, and correcting some motor patterns, she’s going to need quite a bit of soft tissue work done.  I gotta say, though, that it definitely frustrates me when I hear stories like this, and do nothing but show how “broken” our primary care system is (at times) in this country. And,let me just say that this post wasn’t meant as a “dig” to all physical therapists, chiropractors, physicians, or orthopedic surgeons out there that may be reading.

I understand that with any profession, there are those that do their job very well, and others that, well, don’t.  And I am in no way saying that what I found is altogether right or wrong. I But this is one instance where I was pretty fired up about the lack of “giving a shit” this physical therapist had.  We can do better than that!

PS:  If you found this article useful, or just liked it’s general awesomeness, please do me a favor and “like” it, or maybe re-tweet it.  Any way to get the word out there is very much appreciated!

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Stuff to Read While You’re Pretending to Work: 4/26/2011

How I Create a Perfect Fat Loss Day – John Romaniello

When a guy like Roman talks about fat loss, people listen – and with good reason (he’s purty).  More importantly, though, what I got most from this particular post is how he breaks up his day from a productivity standpoint.  I mean, I work with a guy (Eric Cressey) who will write a book in the time it takes me to take a dump, and I’m constantly amazed at the amount of work he can get done on any given day.  This post, specifically, lite a fire underneath my ass.  Thanks John!  This was awesome.

BSP Nutrition Tip #6 – Eat Lots of Healthy Fat – Brian St. Pierre (via Diesel Crew)

Jim “Smitty” Smith and the rest of the Diesel Crew just revamped their website and it looks sweet!  Here’s a fantastic article (which is part of series) written by my boy, Brian St. Pierre, on healthy fats and why you’re an idiot if you continue to avoid them like the plague.

How to Set Goals and Achieve Them 100% of the Time – Dean Somerset

Fantastic post by Dean on what REALLY motivates us to reach our goals.  One word:  Emotionalification.  Yes, I just made that word up, but if you’re able to find the emotional background of your goals, as Dean notes, you’ll never have to worry about setting a goal that never gets achieved.

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Sometimes the Little Things DO Matter

We’ve all heard the adage, “don’t sweat the small stuff.”  Taking it a step further, we’ve even gone so far as to say – at least in the gym setting – that those people who focus more on the minutia are doing nothing more than spinning their wheels.

Take for example the guy who walks into the gym at 150 lbs soaking wet, and has always struggled to put on weight.  Rather than, you know, walk over to the squat rack and use it for its intended purpose (squats), he sets up shop to get his bicep curl on – usually spending an entire hour training a muscle the size of a tennis ball.  Makes a lot of sense, right?

Or, what about the female who, despite being 15 lbs overweight and admittedly sick and tired of always trying to lose those extra pounds, walks into the gym and spends the next 60 minutes on the elliptical machine watching Days of Our Lives.

Conventional wisdom would tell her that despite what the machine says, she didn’t just burn 750 calories (for the record, you’re an idiot if you really think those machines are accurate), and that her time would have been better spent performing some form of resistance training and interval work.  And, even more importantly, it probably wouldn’t hurt if she skip the Dunkin Donuts pit stop afterwards.  Just sayin…….

Basically, in short, when it comes to exercise, or life in general for that matter, people tend to spend the bulk of their time focusing on the small, intricate things that probably won’t even matter in the first place.  Like the guy who’s struggling to put weight on, yet is concerned about his bicep peak; or the girl who’s struggling to take weight off, yet has been doing the same, boring, cardio routine since 1998.

At the expense of back pedaling a little bit, though, sometimes, focusing on the small things does make a difference.

Much like a director spending half the day trying to perfect the lighting to get that one aesthetic shot on camera; or the nuclear physicist triple checking his math to make sure the world doesn’t shit itself; or just doing something as simple as trapping your fart underneath the covers as sign to your significant other that you love them – it’s the small things can make all the difference in the world.

The world of strength and conditioning is no different.   I can’t tell you how many times during the day I tell someone to tuck their chin while deadlifting, to sit back more on their squats, or to stop shrugging during their seated rows FOR THE LOVE OF ALL THAT’S HOLY!!!!!!!

People want to train hard, and I can respect and appreciate that.   Hell, I want that; I strive for that.  But oftentimes, when the “go hard or go home” mentality starts to take over, the little things tend to get thrown to the wayside.

Knees start caving in on squats.  Elbows start flaring out during benching.  Backs start to round just a smidge more during deadlifts.  Athletes start compensating with more lumbar rotation during med ball drills.  It’s a slippery slope to take, and one that I’m not too comfortable traveling down as a coach.

The last thing I want is for another coach or trainer to walk into our facility and freak the freak out when he or she watches our athletes train.   Kinda like what would happen if I walked in and saw this circus going on.  Weeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee

So, in the end, I guess all I’m trying to say is this:  While it’s true that many people tend to place too much emphasis on minutia – as coaches, it’s often what’s needed in order to be successful in the long run.  Sometimes, the small things DO matter.

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Random Training Thoughts (Yes, I Stole This Blog Title from Mike Robertson)

Normally I save these type of posts for Miscellaneous Miscellany Mondays, but I’ve got a few things rocking around in my brain at the moment that I needed to just throw out there.

Deadlifts are King

Everyone knows that I have an affinity for two things:  Alicia Keys and deadlifts.  But that goes without saying.

The more I think about it, though, the more I realize that deadlifts truly are the most versatile exercise in existence.  I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again: what makes the deadlift so unique is the fact that you can fit (or tweak) the movement to the lifter and not vice versa.  Meaning, if someone walks into my facility on day one and has the hip mobility of a crow bar (read:  they’re tight), I’m certainly not going to have him or her attempt to pull straight from the floor.  That’s just a disaster waiting to happen.

Instead, I may opt to use an elevated trap bar setting; or maybe even have them perform rack pulls. Who knows?  Either way, they’re STILL receiving all the benefits of deadlifting – engraining the proper hip hinge pattern, strengthening the posterior chain, increasing core stability, etc – without all the drawbacks that would otherwise arise if had them pull directly from the floor.

Of course, as they become more proficient, we can start to experiment with other variations – but ONLY after they have proven they’re capable of doing so!  It may take one session, one week, or one month, it’s hard to tell.  But as I noted previously, having the ability to progress AND regress our clients is a skill that’s often overlooked.

So, in short, I don’t have to “mold” the lifter to the exercise. Rather, I can “mold” the exercise to the lifter depending on their postural deficits, current mobility restrictions, injury history, so on and so forth.   And, while we can say the same for just about any exercise, I feel the deadlift is easily the most adaptable of the bunch.

Programming Logic

And, speaking of deadlifts – here’s a quick programming tip.  Whether you’re following a 3x-per-week, full body split, or a 4x-per-week, upper/lower split, on the days you deadlift, make sure your single leg movement for that day is more quad-dominant in nature.

As an example, if your main movement for that day is SUMO deadlifts (more hip dominant in nature), a good single leg movement to implement would be something like a dumbbell split squat, or maybe some Bulgarian split squats – both of which are more quad-dominant.

Conversely, on the days that you squat (which are more quad dominant, excluding box squats, obviously), it would be a good idea to include single leg work that’s more hip (hamstring/glute) dominant – like dumbbell (or barbell) reverse lunges, or 1-legged RDLs.

This isn’t something that’s necessarily set in stone, but one “rule” that I have found works pretty well when discussing program design with younger or less experienced trainers and coaches.

Really?  No, Seriously, Really?

I’m definitely going to expound on this in more of a rant style post sometime next week, but suffice it to say I saw an article on Yahoo’s homepage the other day titled “Top FOUR Exercises to Tone Up Your Arms,” written by some celebrity trainer (not who you think) who used all the cute, warm, and fuzzy buzz words you would expect to see in such an article.  The same words used time and time again that play into women’s fears of lifting “real” weight.

Words like tone, sleek, shape, and anything similar that is just as likely to make me want to set my face on fire.

What’s more, the exercises shown – shadow punches, tricep extension, rear delt flies, and bicep curls – all done for 15-20 reps no less, are about as likely to get your arms “toned” as brushing your hair.

It’s bullshit when you think about it.  Oh man, I’m getting fired up just thinking about it.

1-Arm Farmer Carries

Are definitely growing on my list of exercise that everyone needs to be doing.  Think about it:

  • You have to brace the contralateral side as not to tip over – great for overall core stability.
  • Depending on which side you’re holding the DB, kettlebell, barbell, whatever, there’s a pretty significant hip external rotation component as well.  So, if you’re holding a DB in your right hand, the right posterior hip musculature must fire in order to prevent internal rotation, which in turn stabilizes the hip.
  • They’re fantastic for improving grip strength, as well as overall conditioning
  • And, this goes without saying, they’re just badass

On that note, for those who celebrate it, have an awesome Easter weekend.  For those that don’t, you can still eat lots of dead animal flesh for the hell of it.

Oh, By the Way

Mark Young’s How to Read Fitness Research is still on sale until MIDNIGHT tonight (4/22) for the low price of $37.  After that, it jumps up to $77, so make sure to take advantage of the discount while you can.  As an added aside, Mark has informed me that there’s NO RISK.  You can try the product for eight weeks and if you don’t like it, you can get every penny back with no questions asked.

 

 

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Simple Is a Simple Does

Check this out.

It all started with my girlfriend and I deciding to head out for a nice romantic evening of steak tips and watching some baseball at the local tavern, when out of no where eight time Mr. Olympia Ronnie Coleman decided to show up and hit on Lisa.

In no uncertain terms, I told him to step off.  Words were exchanged, punches were thrown.  I don’t have to tell you the rest.

Then, on top of that, once outside the restaurant I spotted some orphaned kittens being harassed by a street gang.  Predictably, I stepped in armed only with a roll of quarters and Ronnie Coleman’s jawbone, and saved the day.

Long story short, while walking home afterwards, I rolled my ankle on the sidewalk, and subsequently I’m pretty banged up as a result.  And while I could sit here and continue to pretend that all of this actually happened, I’d be lying (but I think you figured that out already).  In reality, this was just a long-winded way of saying that I’m not writing a blog today.

Instead, I have a guest post from Jason Bonn who did such a good job of filling in a few weeks ago, that I had no reservations when he asked if he could give it another go around.

Enjoy!

Ockham’s Razor

William of Ockham. “Who is that?” you ask. He’s likely the solution to your problems. Let me explain.

I’ve said it before how fortunate I am to be working with the crew at Cressey Performance. They’re always more than helpful to assist me in any way—whether it’s personal or professional. A recent conversation with Tony found us talking about, among other things, the deadlift.

The conversation started with me looking over Tony’s plan to get to a 600 lbs pull. This was of particular interest to me because I’ve been stuck at about the same pull for a while now and have a goal of getting to 500 lbs. Given the importance of this goal, I started to pick his brain a bit on things like: the role/purpose of specific assistance exercises, set/rep schemes, foot placement, etc…

Tony was more than helpful in explaining those relatively detailed things. However, what I failed to realize initially was that there was a repeated theme. He kept stating something that I didn’t pick up on until the end of the conversation: “More 90% lifts”.

Basically, what Tony was saying was that in order to lift heavier, I needed to start lifting heavier. You see, I had been lifting relatively heavy for a while, but using reps mainly in the 3-5 range. Once every few weeks, I’d go into 2 reps—that was about it.

To lift heavier, I needed to practice lifting heavier. So simple, but for whatever reason I kept missing it.

So why did I keep missing this seemingly simple answer? I honestly don’t know. I actually think part of me actually wanted some intricate answer to my obstacle.

Maybe it was because I wanted to think I was ‘different’ and that I needed some special protocol. Or that normal “rules” didn’t apply to me. Perhaps I thought I’d feel like an idiot if that were all it took.

But now that I really think about it, I don’t want a complex solution.

Who the hell wants complexity?

Consider this, would you rather have some sort of illness with the only remedy being some magical plant grown on top of Mt. Fuji? Or would you rather have the ‘cure’ be some rest & relaxation?  Preferrably with Mila Kunis feeding me grapes. I know what I’m choosing.

It all got me to thinking about what other areas of my life I had been bypassing the simpler solution for a more in depth one.

  • Perhaps the last time I struggle to drop fat, I didn’t need to get worked up over the insulin response of certain foods. I probably was just eating too much. (You can overeat quality food, ya know?)
  • Perhaps all I needed to do was just say “Hi. I’m Jay” to that girl. Maybe then the subsequent kick to my shins would’ve never happened.
  • Perhaps that student didn’t have a short attention span or a learning disorder. Maybe I just needed to move them closer to the front where they could see/hear better.

What you should do now:

Consider the places in your life where you seem to be stuck/having trouble. Now look to the simplest possible solution to fix it.

For example:

  • Not losing any weight? Maybe it’s not a thyroid issue. Maybe you don’t need carb/calorie cycling. Perhaps you’re just not in a calorie deficit via intake and/or expenditure.
  • Having a tough time going to sleep? Maybe you don’t need to supplement with Phosphatidylserine and/or ZMA. Maybe all you need is to stop watching TV and/or being on the computer directly before going to bed.
  • Can’t seem to get through to your co-worker? Maybe they’re not just being a jerk and/or ignoring you. Try speaking to them at a time when they’re not swamped with work.
  • Can’t get your client to respond? Instead of emailing them when their inbox is already constantly flooded try picking up the phone and calling.
  • Strength going down? Before constructing the “perfect” workout drink and knocking back 80g of sugar in a 4:1 ratio with hydrolyzed protein, look at how much volume you’re doing. Perhaps you’re missing the concept of competing demands.

Ockham’s Razor—with competing theories, the simplest one is best. Does this always hold true? No. There are definitely situations that can’t be fixed with a little tweak. However, I know that the next time my cable TV isn’t working, I won’t immediately throw a hissy fit and call the cable company to complain. I’ll check to see if it’s plugged in first.

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What’s Your Sentence?

For those of you who visit this blog on a regular basis, you know that I like to read.  At any given point, I usually have my nose (or ear) glued to 3-4 books at once.  Of course, I’m always reading something dealing with strength and conditioning, nutrition, or anything related to my field.

Concurrently, I also have some sort of fiction nearby for when my brain hurts too much and I just don’t feel like thinking about what I’m reading.  Believe me, you can only read so much on lower-cross symdrome or spinal biomechanics before you want to jump out a window.

Additionally, I also like to read a lot of non-fiction – namely books dealing with behavioral economics.  Given that I’m in a field that’s highly dependent on figuring out what motivates people (and what keeps them motivated), it makes sense.

As such, one of my favorite books that I read last year was Daniel Pink’s phenomenal book, Drive: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us, and as it so happens, I came across this short video the other day that was made by the author himself called, What’s Your Sentence?, and I thought I’d share with all of you:

After watching that I couldn’t help but think to myself that much of what I do on a daily basis is trying to get people better today than they were yesterday.  Unfortunately, though, people tend to make this a lot harder than it really has to be.

Take for example a client of mine who’s simply trying to put on some weight (but good weight – he’s done the all you can eat diet, and it wasn’t quite the kind of weight he was looking for).  Here he is talking to me about counting the number of blueberries he’s eating, and SUBTRACTING them if it’s just one over the limit – yet, he’s waiting at least two hours upon waking up before eating breakfast.  Even worse still, he’ll often skip breakfast altogether.

If there was ever a can’t see the forest for the trees scenario, this would be it!

Anyways, all I’m trying to get is this: what will make him better?  Is it really the total # of blueberries he’s eating (or not eating)?  My guess is probably not.  As I told him the other day, there’s absolutely no need to get THAT detailed, and worry about something so trivial. In the end, it will do nothing but drive you bat shit crazy.

Instead, maybe it’s just something as simple as eating breakfast EVERY morning.  Taking it a step further – and this is something CP intern, and Lean Eating Coach, Jason Bonn suggested – what can he (my client) do, with full confidence, every morning, to help get him towards his goal?  Using a numerical system – with a 1 being not a chance in hell (making a gourmet omelet with feta cheese, spinach, and sun-dried tomatoes, for instance) and a 10 being “yeah, I can do that, not a problem at all,” what can we do that would get him to a 9 or 10?

We came to the conclusion that making a simple shake which HAD to have one protein source (powder), one carb source (rolled oats), and one fat source (nuts or some kind of oil) was the way to go.  Easy peasy, lemon squeezy.

Now, that’s just one example, and there’s no telling what will make YOU better today than yesterday.  Maybe it’s making an effort to drink more water.  Maybe it’s adding ten more lbs to the barbell this afternoon.  Maybe it’s paying the toll for the random stranger behind you on the freeway.  Maybe it’s something as simple as calling your mom (you prick).  Or, maybe it’s something a little more complicated, like finally asking out that cute barista at the coffee shop who’s clearly been flirting with you for the past three weeks.  Hell, maybe it’s just turning off the television and actually communicating with your significant other.

Who knows?  The point is, it can be anything.  And that, my friends, will undoubtedly help you form your own sentence.

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Exercises You Should Be Doing: Deadstop DB Row

Without blinking an eye, I’ll be the first to admit that my favorite body-part to train is the upper back.  For me at least, when I see someone with a thick or defined upper back, I know (s)he has put her work in at the gym.  Comparatively speaking, there are a lot more people walking around with six packs than there are those with an impressive upper back.

I mean, what looks more impressive, this (AKA: the walking bag of douche who will inevitably make this his Facebook profile picture)

Or this (Oleksandr Kutcher’s upper back)

 

Not even close if you ask me.

To no fault of their own, though, most trainees like to train what they can see, and the back often gets the shaft in favor of things like the pecs, abs, and biceps; or, the mirror muscles.

That said, while things like deadlifts, barbell rows, and chin-up variations are undoubtedly the “go to” movements for sculpting a powerful upper back, one of the more underrated, or less utilized exercises out there is the dumbbell row.

As a matter of fact, I’d argue that the dumbbell row is one of the more underrated upper back exercise, since not only does it help build a thick upper back, but it’s also a great movement for the lats as well.

Unlike the aforementioned exercises listed above, dumbbell rows are a single limb movement, which carries its own advantages in the sense that it’s easier to ascertain whether or not there’s a strength imbalance or weakness between the left and right side.  Too, due to the lack of equipment needed (all you need is a single DB), anyone can do them at any time.

First things first, however, as simple as the dumbbell row might appear, it’s surprising how much this movement is actually butchered.  Simply put, what most trainees feel is a dumbbell row is anything but, and is often nothing more than a test to see how long before my eyes starting hurting.

Before we get to the actual exercise, here are some common technique flaws that I tend to come across.

Explosive Arm Curl Guy:

Here, there’s really no emphasis what-so-ever on the upper back itself.  Instead, the movement resembles some sort of explosive arm curl with momentum taking over.  Worse still are those guys who do this and grunt as if they’re giving birth to a bowling ball on every rep.  LOOK AT ME, LOOK AT ME, LOOK AT ME!!!

Rotating Upper Torso Guy:

This one is quite common, where you’ll see someone performing a “row,” only to completely rotate their upper torso because they’re using too much weight to do it correctly.  Ideally, the torso should stay completely stationary, with the chest/nipple line pointing towards the bench the entire time. 

The I’m Completely Using the Worst Form Ever Guy:

This one should look familiar to anyone who trains at a commercial gym – rounded back, head protruding forward, absolutely no scapular retraction (adduction) taking place.  I cringe everytime I see this.

Which takes us to today’s exercise of the day

Deadstop DB Row

Who Did I Steal It From:  strength coach, and fellow t-nation.com contributor Tim Henriques

What Does It Do:  As noted above, this is a fantastic exercise to build a thick upper back (big biceps, too, since they’re in the direct line of pull), but also targets the lats as well in addition to providing a nice stretch in that area to boot.

Key Coaching Cues:  While maintaining a neutral spine position throughout (the body should make a straight line from the head to lumbar spine), start with the dumbbell resting on the floor.  Grab the handle and crush it – gripping it as hard as you can.  Doing so will single the rotator cuff to fire and to pack the shoulder back through a process called irradiation.

From there, I like to tell people to pretend they’re starting a lawn mower – rowing the dumbbell by bring their elbow towards the hip (not just going straight up and down).  Effectively, you’ll be “pulling through the elbow,” finishing at the top by retracting (technicaly, adducting) your shoulder blade towards the midline of the body.  In other words, squeeze your shoulder blade like a mofo at the top.

To finish, you’ll return the dumbbell back to the floor, coming to a complete STOP.  Pause for a second or two, and repeat for desired number or repetitions.

Of Note:  for those with shorter arms, you may want to grab a stepper or a few mats to place on the floor to decrease the range of motion.

And there you have it.  Try it out today and let me know what you think!  Also, just a friendly reminder, if you found this post useful, be sure to click the “Like ” button located at the bottom.  I’ll be your best friend forever if you do.