CategoriesProgram Design Rehab/Prehab Strength Training

Solving the Shin Splint Shit Show

Few things are more annoying than a nagging (sports) injury.

Okay, I can think of some:

  • A piece of popcorn lodged between your teeth during a three hour long movie and no floss in sight.
  • Flat Earthers.
  • Poodles.
  • Talking about feelings.

Outside of those things, having (and trying to train around) a nagging injury is the worst. I live in Boston which has a thriving endurance training-centric community. As it happens I’ve seen my fair share of people walking through the doors of CORE suffering from shin splints.

It’s a shit show if I’ve ever seen one.1

Not in the sense that having shin splints is a shit show. Hey, they happen. Rather, it’s a shit show with regards to how most people (not all) tend to address the issue.

I’ve got some thoughts on the matter.

Shall we?

Copyright: comzeal / 123RF Stock Photo

What Are Shin Splints?

Shin splints (or, for the more hoity-toity in the crowd, Medial Tibial Stress Syndrome) is a common injury found in endurance athletes (namely runners) as well as those who engage in a lot of jumping activities, and is often described as “my fucking shin hurts” “pain or discomfort along the inner edge of the shin bone (tibia).”

As far as the root cause?

It can be left up for debate, but the consensus tends to point towards increased activity that overworks the muscles and soft-tissue surrounding the area of the lower leg leading to swelling and pain.

In short (and more often than not): It comes down to someone doing too much, too soon.

OMG, I Have Shin Splints. Am I Going to Die?

No

Whew, Okay, How Do I Address It?

There are a number of obvious, if not overly simplified approaches that are worthwhile and can get the job done.

Commonly these range from rest (from the problematic activity, not just Netflix and Chilling) to stretching your calf muscles (Gastrocnemius & Soleus) and Achilles tendon to implementing some additional manual therapy in the form of massage, Graston, and/or self-“release” with The Stick or foam roller.

Like I said, these are all fine and dandy….albeit a bit reductionistic in nature; or a quick Band-Aid if you will.

Some other poignant options to consider:

1) Reduce Training Volume

Hey, here’s an idea: If shin splints are often the end-result of overtraining or surpassing one’s  ability to recover, why don’t we, you know, latch onto the crazy idea of reduce training volume?

Weird, I know.

But something to consider and not to be trifled with.

2) Strengthen Anterior Musculature of Lower Leg

Namely, this means strengthening the Tibialis Anterior.

A popular exercise prescribed in this case is something like standing upright and “pulling” your toes towards your knees for “x” sets and reps.

Okay, cool.

I prefer something like ACTIVE ankle dorsiflexion vs. a band.

WARNING: Possibly the most boring video on the internet.

 

Here I’ll have the person pull his or her’s toes towards their chest against a band, but instead of mindlessly performing reps, I’ll have them actively pull against the band for 5-10 seconds for 5-8 repetitions.

It sucks.

3) Follow a Ketogenic Diet

Hahahahahaha. Just kidding.

Jumping into a shark’s mouth would be more worthwhile.

4) Emphasize Deceleration/Landing Tactics

Taking the time to coach people on how to LAND properly and to decelerate their bodyweight can have a huge impact on the reoccurrence of shin splints.

Meaning, when they master a good box jump (for example), and it doesn’t sound like an elephant being suplexed off the top rope of a wrestling mat when they land, the likelihood of shin splints rearing their ugly head is drastically reduced.

 

NOTE: This would also be an opportune time to address gait and running mechanics too. Not my area of expertise, but worthwhile to mention.2

But Wait, There’s More (The Really Important Stuff)

One of the major “drivers” of shin splints is thought to be over-pronation of the feet. It makes a lot of sense, but I’m often flummoxed as to how archaic the fitness industry can be in addressing this issue.

Orthotics are often seen as the end all-be all fix.

Full Disclosure: I am NOT a doctor and understand there are many people out there who benefit mightily from being prescribed orthotics.

However, for the bulk of people trying to conquer shin splits I do not feel what follows is the most germane approach. A few years ago I remember reading something physical therapist, Bill Hartman, wrote on the topic that really resonated with me and helped to shape my current thoughts on the topic.

Think about what happens when someone (over) pronates:

Pronation —-> Tibial Internal Rotation —-> Femoral Internal Rotation —-> Anterior Pelvic Tilt

What’s going to offset that trend?

HINT: Probably not an orthotic.

If we were to reverse engineer the anatomy/biomechanics it would look something like this:

Do More Anterior Core Work & Butt Stuff (Glute Work) —-> Nudge Posterior Pelvic Tilt —-> Femoral External Rotation —-> Tibial External Rotation —-> Supination of Foot.

I explain things a bit more in this quickie video.

 

To that end, below are a handful of exercises I feel should take more precedent when addressing shin splints.

Hammer anterior core/glute strength and hip stability.

Deadbugs

 

I think Deadbugs are a vastly underrated exercise, which is a shame because they’re an MVP when it comes to developing anterior core strength and pelvic control.

And while many people will scoff at how “easy” this exercise is, I’d argue that if it’s done RIGHT (as discussed in the video above), they’d have a newfound affinity for it.

Active Foot Squat w/ Band

 

Passive Foot = Deafaulting into a pronated (flat foot) position.

Active (Tripod) Foot = Maintaining three points of pressure in the heel, pinky toe & big toe.

Placing a band over the feet is an easy way to provide kinesthetic feedback to the trainee so (s)he can stay more cognizant of their foot position.

I.e., Resist pull of band, supinate, get an arch, and then maintain position throughout set.

Standing KB Swap

 

Popularized by Dr. Joel Seedman, this is a fantastic drill that provides a ton of value for our training buck. The idea is to GO SLOW and to “own” each transition. If you have to speed up in order to stay balanced that defeats the purpose.

  • It hammers home the concept of active foot.
  • It lights up the glutes and surrounding hip musculature.
  • It will humble the shit out of you.

I like to have trainees perform 3-4 sets of 6-8 reps/side with this drill.

1-Legged RDL KB Swap

 

This is more or less a progression to the KB Swap above. All the same benefits apply, except now you’re upping the ante in an RDL position (and really challenging hip stability).

Glute Bridge w/ Band Abduction

 

When it comes to the Glute Bridge I’d encourage everyone to experiment to see where they feel these these the most.

#1 you want to FEEL YOUR GLUTES WORKING.

You’d be amazed how many people come into my studio telling me “yeah, yeah, yeah, I do glute bridges, whatever,” only to find out, after watching them perform a few reps, they don’t even feel them in their glutes.

I’ll often play around with foot position – narrow stance vs. wid(er) stance, heels close to tush vs. heels further away from tush, pants on vs. pants off – to see when and where they feel their glutes the most.

Everyone is different.

But yeah, first and foremost, make sure they actually feel their glutes when they perform this exercise.

Once they master that, if you want to make their glutes feel even juicer, add a band and have them perform a few hip abductions at the top of each rep.

This is a double-whammy on glute activation.

Side Plank Hip Clam

 

This is one of my favorites, and admittedly a very advanced drill. I think Bret Contreras was the first to popularize this drill first and it’s definitely one that targets the glutes in a way not many exercises can.

I’ll aim for 3-4 sets of 5-10 reps/side.

That’s It

I suck at conclusions.

That’s it.

CategoriesConditioning Program Design

Do Cardio, Keep Your Gains

Throughout my life there are a handful of things I never thought I’d do. I never thought I’d live in a big city such as Boston. I never thought I’d use the word “delish” to describe something I ate.

Speaking which: that’s a habit I need to stop immediately.

I never thought I’d read a Twilight book. It was just one, scout’s honor. I had to figure out what all the fuss was about

And never, in my wildest dreams, did I ever think I’d own a cat and that I’d love her to pieces.

Oh, my wife ranks up there, too…;o)

Furthermore, something else happened recently I’d never thought I’d do. I wrote an article on the benefits of doing “cardio.”

Yes that cardio.

I’ve had a change of heart of late, and feel the advantages far outweigh the perceived disadvantages. Especially in the weight room.

It’s my latest article on T-Nation and you can read it HERE.

CategoriesUncategorized

Is Running Natural?

Note from TG: Today’s guest post comes courtesy of Mike Sheridan, a nutrition researcher, trainer, and author of the book Eat Meat and Stop Jogging.

That’s about as manly of a title for a book as I’ve ever seen. The only way it could be even manlier is if it said:

He-Man Says to Eat Meat and Stop Jogging.

My immaturity aside, I’ve long been a proponent of the saying “you need to get fit to run, not run to get fit.”

I understand why many people gravitate towards long-distance, steady-state cardio. There’s no equipment involved – all you need is a straight line and a pair of shoes (shirt and pants optional) – and pretty much anyone can do it.

Thing is:  running – especially long-distance, repetitive running – can be a joint killer if one is not properly prepared for the additional stress.  In addition, many people are programmed into thinking that jogging (and “cardio” in general) is the key to a lean, healthy body.

While it can most certainly enter the equation – I do feel it’s an often overprescribed and over-rated mode of exercise outside of actually being an endurance athlete.

More to the point:  it should be a component of one’s overall fitness plan, not the sole approach.

Nevertheless I like to think of myself as a middle-of-the-road kind of guy and hate using monikers such as everyone, never, and always.

Everything has a time and place – except maybe Crocs – running included.

That said I do lean more towards the camp which favors either walking or short bursts of sprinting and avoiding “stuff in the middle.” And, of course, lifting heavy stuff.

I enjoyed this piece by Mike and I hope you do too.

Is Running Natural?

Depends what you consider running.  The one for speed or the one for distance?

Based on the prevalence of marathons and triathlons, and the number of visible joggers in most neighborhoods, you’re likely thinking distance.  Moderate intensity running appears to be the most common form of exercise, but does that mean its natural?

The reason most of us start jogging is because that’s what we think is necessary to burn calories and lose weight.  Sadly, our sedentary, inactive, technologically driven jobs and lifestyles, and tendency to select high-carb, sugar-loaded foods, has given us the false impression that we need to eat less and exercise more.

Apparently our fatness is because of a lack of fitness (and an abundance of foodness!)

Don’t get me wrong, we all need to move more; but the question of ‘how’ is critical.  Instead of getting scientific, lets look at two simple questions that provide considerable insight into how we should be moving:

  1. What was our daily activity like in the past?  When we were hunter-gatherers.
  2. How did we move before we were taught how to move? When we were kids.

Prior to the agricultural revolution, we actually had to go out and get our food.  The cows weren’t in the barn, they were roaming the countryside.  The berries weren’t at the grocery store, they were out in the wild.  And you didn’t drive somewhere to eat, you gathered fruits and vegetables on your walk…as you looked for animals to hunt!

The biggest difference between then and now is that they moved frequently at a slow pace,[I] and we don’t. Many are surprised to learn that most hunter-gatherers walked more than six miles per day.  Any exercise outside of that was infrequent, and usually consisted of acute bouts of highly intense movement in order to survive.

Hunter-gatherers didn’t run for 20 miles at 70% intensity to escape a hungry wolf, they ran for 20 seconds at 110% intensity to escape a hungry wolf.

There was obviously some lifting, climbing, carrying, and building involved as well, but generally speaking their daily walking combined with a diet composed of animal protein, vegetables, nuts, seeds, and fruit is what produced this physique:

Our ancestors would probably laugh watching us run for hours to ‘burn calories.’ Back then, energy was conserved, and you either walked to get somewhere, or you ran really fast to get away from something.

Even when organized hunting developed, hunter-gatherers relied on their brains and other resources to track and trap animals (not chase them around for 3hrs!).  Recent findings provide evidence that the earliest form of human was not designed to run long distances because the conical shape of the ribcage made it difficult for them to swing their arms.[II]

The same conclusion is reached when looking at early childhood movement prior to instruction from parents and coaches.  If you take a look at children playing in a park with no constraints, you’ll notice that they run and play with intensity for short bursts, and follow it up with ample recovery before running again.

If you don’t feel like observing it yourself (or you don’t want to look like a creep), science did it for you in a 1995 study in the journal Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise.  Researchers found that children playing didn’t move consistently at a constant speed, they unknowingly exercised in intervals.[III]

Most kids have to be taught how to jog – instinctively they feel more comfortable walking or running fast.

Ask any rehabilitation specialist (physio, chiro, masseuse) and they’ll tell you how detrimental chronic repetitive movements can be on muscles, joints, bone, cartilage, ligaments, and tendons.

During the time of writing this article there’s a Dr. Scholls commercial with celebrity trainer, Dolvett Quince.  The commercial is about ‘clients missing workouts because of injuries.’ Interestingly, all three problems he mentions are related to running:

 Shin splints, plantar fasciitis, and runners knee.

Note from TG:  Listen, no one is saying (and I think Mike will agree) that going out for a jog here and there is going to steal all your gainz or turn you into a Christian Bale’s character from The Machinist overnight.

Moreover, no one is saying that jogging doesn’t have any health benefits – it most certainly does! And honestly, if jogging is something you like to do and enjoy….by all means jog to your hearts content.

But please don’t continue to espouse on all it’s “benefits” when you’re the one always hurt and paying for your physical therapists or chiro’s Porsche.

Looking at the medical records of most Cardio Kings, it shouldn’t come as a surprise that they’re consistently nursing injuries.  All of these conditions are because of the stress and impact from chronic cardio sessions.  And it’s the reason running shoe companies, like Nike, bring in trillions of dollars selling you pillows and cushions for your feet.

Other than musculoskeletal damage, continuous and prolonged exercise conflicts with our natural fight or flight response to stress.[IV]  Usually when there’s a threat to homeostasis (stress), our heart beat accelerates, blood vessels constrict, and we secrete adrenal hormones (corticosteroids), so that our brain and muscles have the necessary energy and blood flow to ensure we survive.

A beneficial adaptation for short periods of time, but when experienced chronically the body produces excess stress hormones (cortisol), and other important functions and systems must take a backseat (like digestion, reproduction, and immune function) as our muscles and brain take priority.

Excess corticosteroids are linked to heart disease,[V] poor reproductive health,[VI] and decreased immunity.[VII]

The irony in the term ‘stress fracture’ is almost laughable, when you understand the excess cortisol and oxidative stress attributable to chronic cardio.

Unfortunately, many that select running (the long duration kind) as their predominant form of exercise tend to seek more miles and higher speeds, which further damages muscle and bone, increases stress, and raises one’s risk of degenerative disease and early death.[VIII]

So What is Natural?

Obviously, we can’t mimic the exact daily regimen of the hunter-gatherer, but we can all take 30min or more per day to go for a walk.[IX]

It may not be 5+ miles/day, but it drastically lowers our risk of the common diseases affecting North Americans. Walking lowers cortisol, decreases inflammation, lowers blood pressure and triglycerides, improves cognitive function, and increases lifespan; with no muscle loss, hormone disruption, or potential for injury.[X]

Aside from daily walking, the exercise regimen that’s most in line with our genetics is functional strength training.  We can match the physical labor of our forefathers by lifting, pressing, pulling, carrying, and squatting a few times per week.  Sprinkling in the occasional ‘run for your life’ sprint every once in a while doesn’t hurt either.

The problem with most North Americans is that they attempt to make up for crappy eating habits and an inactive day with lengthy moderate intensity cardio sessions.  All these 3-hour bike rides and 10 mile jogs lead to is an increased appetite (for sugar!), elevated stress levels, muscle mass loss, free radical accumulation, decreased immunity, and chronic inflammation.[XI]

The time and effort wasted is not the sad part, it’s that this weight management strategy shows little improvement in body composition (muscle-to-fat),[XII] and the additional stress and overconsumption of sugar[XIII] to ‘fuel workouts’ actually increases belly fat.

Ironically, losing belly fat is the reason most start jogging or doing cardio to begin with.

We shouldn’t be running marathons, or taking part in the high-mileage, high-frequency training that goes with it, because we’re not designed to consistently handle that kind of stress.

Although it’s common for endurance fanatics to cite examples of long distance running in some of the earliest-known hunter-gatherer tribes that we descended from, this was not frequent.

Note from TG:  Born to Run is still one of the most interesting books I’ve read in recent years.

For example, the San People, or Bushmen, of the Kalahari Desert are known for their persistent tracking and hunting techniques to catch larger prey like antelope.  However, it’s clear that this was a rare occurrence.  The San People did a fair amount of trapping and practiced a variety of less labor-intensive hunting techniques.[XIV]

Furthermore, as you can see from this video,[XV] the tracking involves mostly walking, with only one tribesman taking part in the long-distance running portion.

I think it’s fair to say that the Bushmen doing the running wasn’t the same every month, and if it was the same, that would mean 99.9% of the tribe did no running.  Likewise, one could assume that a successful hunt would mean adequate food for some time.  Suggesting that these runs were very infrequent.

I don’t doubt that marathons, triathlons, and ultra-endurance events are possible, but that doesn’t mean they’re plausible.

Just because we have the hamstrings and Achilles tendon to run, and are equipped with the unique ability to sweat and release heat so we can go far, doesn’t mean we should.  When it comes to survival, we’re capable of staying awake for days, going without food for weeks, and running for extremely long distances until an animal tires, but that doesn’t mean we should turn these practices into habits.

I believe this quote from Dr. Mark J. Smith sums it up quite well:

“While the endurance athlete has a need to maintain a high sub-maximal intensity for long periods to be successful, the vast majority of athletes, and certainly humans in general, have no need for this type of activity.”[XVI]

About the Author

Mike Sheridan has been advising on nutrition and fitness for nearly a decade. He developed an obsession for research early in his career as he noticed the immense gap between the scientific evidence and the message to the public. 

 “I know conventional wisdom is not working for you, because it’s not working for anyone! The first step in rescuing your health is understanding why everyone else believes and follows the nutrition and training recommendations that have unfortunately become common knowledge.”

 Mike has helped a tremendous amount of people lose the fat and keep it off without counting calories, doing cardio, or sacrificing their health. His success is due in large part to his philosophy that ‘Transformation Starts With Education;’ not just showing his clients what to do, but teaching them why.

You can check out his book Eat Meat and Stop Jogging on Amazon.com, as well as peruse his website EatMeatandStopJogging.com.

References

[I] http://www.plosone.org/article/info%3Adoi%2F10.1371%2Fjournal.pone.0064580

[II] http://www.sciencemag.org/content/340/6129/1234598

[III] http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/7564970

[IV]Cordain, L., Gotshall, R. W., and Eaton, S. B. 1998. Physical activity, energy expenditure and fitness: an evolutionary perspective. International Journal of Sports Medicine 19:328-335.

[V] http://www.google.ca/#q=Adverse+effects+of+corticosteroids+on+the+cardiovascular+system.+Can+J+Cardiol.+2000

[VI] Loucks, A. B. 2001. Physical health of the female athlete: observations, effects, and causes of reproductive disorders. Canadian Journal of Applied Physiology, 26: S176-85.

[VII] http://www.evolocus.com/Textbooks/Selye1952.pdf

[VIII] http://www.t-nation.com/training/cardio-kills

[IX] http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23559628

[X] (a) http://www.unboundmedicine.com/medline/citation/22648342/abstract/Moderate_Intensity_Running_Causes_Intervertebral_Disc_Compression_in_Young_Adults. (b) http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/1758297

[XI]http://www.t-nation.com/training/cardiokills

[XII]http://care.diabetesjournals.org/content/37/5/e95.extract#

[XIII] 1990. Utilization of fatty acids during exercise. In Biochemistry of Exercise VII, ed. A. W. Taylor et al., 319-28. Champaign, IL: Human Kinetics.

[XIV] http://www.krugerpark.co.za/africa_bushmen.html

[XV] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=826HMLoiE_o

[XVI] https://gao.ca/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2013/07/Sprint-Interval-Training.pdf

CategoriesStuff to Read While You're Pretending to Work

Stuff to Read While You’re Pretending to Work: 7/18/14

I know, I know. Some of you may have logged on today and thrown your hands up in the air (and maybe tossed in an expletive or two) expecting to read part II of Confessions of an Introverted Strength Coach.

Believe me: I had every intention of doing so, but given how popular it was (thanks everyone for the kind words), and the limited amount of time I had today to put in some quality writing* I decided I’d put it off until Monday. I promise.

Until then, per usual, here’s some stuff to read while you count down the minutes until your weekend starts.

Specialization Success Guide – Greg Robins & Eric Cressey

If you’re someone looking to take one of the “Big 3” lifts (squat, bench press, deadlift) – or even if it’s all three, or you just want to get strong – to the next level….look no further.

Admittedly, it’s less an “in depth” manual (while there are videos going over coaching cues, it’s not something that breaks down each lift), as it is more of a “how to” guide to the programming side of things.

As I noted earlier this week, I’ve seen first-hand how this program has worked for several of our own athletes and clients at CP and it’s been pretty cool to see them all set PRs on a consistent basis.

The introductory price only last a few more days, so take advantage of it while you can.

Is Your Body Made for Running? – Lou Schuler

As is par for the course, Lou writes an excellent, informative, fair piece on an always controversial topic.

Shoulders Are the New Cleavage – Revisted – Artemis Scantalides

I linked to this post earlier in the week in my Girl Power: My “Go To” Sources for Female Training, but I linked to a lot of things in that particular post and I wanted to single this one out.

I have a ton of respect for Artemis, not only for her coaching abilities and expertise, but also because she’s more than willing to discuss “touchy” or “taboo” topics openly and with a candor that not many people possess.

Here she tackles body image, and more specifically her decision not to get breast implants.

*  This is assuming, of course, that all of my writing is “quality” and that my prose is seamless, Pulitzer worthy, and either does one of two things: 1) increases your T-levels by 487% or 2) causes instantaneous conception.**

** For the record, any writer who’s that much of a pompous jerk and feels his or her’s writing is “quality,” probably only has like three people reading their stuff. As author Steven Pressfield notes in his book, The War of Art, no writer ever thinks they’re a good writer. Passable?  Maybe.  But good?  Fat chance.