CategoriesFat Loss Strength Training

Why You Should Lift Heavyish Things For Fat Loss

Today’s guest post comes via TG.com regular Travis Hansen.

I’ve long championed the notion that most people, most of time fail to understand the significant power that dedicated strength training has on one one’s ability to lose body fat.

We’ve been programmed to think the key to fat loss success is “surviving” endless, laborious hours on a treadmill. That approach “can” work, but speaking personally I’d rather swallow live bees.

Thankfully, Travis uses less hyperbole to explain why strength training should be a staple in anyone’s fat loss endeavor.

Enjoy!

Copyright: Tom Meaker

Lifting Heavy(ish) Things For Fat Loss

Interested in losing body fat?

At this point it’s pretty obvious that nothing is going to give you more leverage with regards to getting results (and results that will stick long-term) than proper strength training.

There’s a bevy of real-world examples around the world, and the science & research back it all up too.

There are several studies that have investigated the effects aerobic and anaerobic training have on weight loss, fat loss, and the maintenance or increase of muscle mass.

The consensus among the scientific community is that both methods contribute to fat loss, but anaerobic training (weights, sprinting, etc.) is hands down better.

Per unit of time, anaerobic training is better. However, it cannot be utilized/practiced as much because of fatigue factors, so you need a blend of both.

Just so we’re all on the same page: Me stating I feel most people should focus a little more on strength training to help with fat loss is NOT me saying I am against performing cardio. This is akin to an analogy I recently saw Dr. Spencer Nadolsky make:

“When I say “weight lifting is good for you” and then people say “I can’t believe you’re not promoting aerobic training!” It would be like me saying “strawberries are good for you” and someone saying “I can’t believe you’re not promoting broccoli!”

The best approach to fat loss is a synergistic one: Eating for your goals as well as performing BOTH strength training and cardio.

Just remember that anaerobic training can (and should) be primary and aerobic is a far secondary.

And the science heavily supports this stance.

Science also supports that Tony is jacked (👈 Tony wrote that)

When it comes to training, a great analogy for attempting to create as much caloric expenditure as possible can be derived from establishing a proper foundation of training methods from the bottom up.

You can refer to this as The Fat Loss Pyramid.

The most potent and powerful contributors to total fat loss start at the bottom and then decrease in their value as you climb the pyramid.

We still seem to have this model backwards.

As counterintuitive as it may seem to some, a majority of calorie burn should come from weight training as the vast majority of research over the decades have showcased it’s superior effects that can’t be entirely achieved or replicated through other popular methods (i.e., HIIT, steady state, fasted cardio, etc).

It’s not lost on me the the notion of weight training being a primary method for fat loss is still dumbfounding to some people. But it shouldn’t be if you consider the science on the topic.

via GIPHY

Note From TG: This is why I’m a fan of the saying “what makes muscle, keeps muscle.”

“Fat loss plans should alternatively be referred to as “muscle maintenance” plans. The idea should be to maintain or keep as much muscle as possible while in a caloric deficit. The easiest way to do so is to lift heavy things – remind the body to hold on to precious lean tissue.”

The Science

The infamous study by Dr. Schuenke tells us exactly why strength training should be first and foremost when it comes to optimal fat loss training. (1).

Schuenke and his team took seven healthy men and had them perform a 3-exercise circuit utilizing the squat, bench press, and power clean.

The circuit was performed three times amounting to twelve total work sets and lasted 31 minutes.

The results were remarkable!

Aside from the few hundred calories the subjects burned during the session, they burned about 600-700 calories in addition to that number over the next 38 hours post-exercise. This phenomenon is known as “Excessive Post-Exercise Oxygen Consumption,” or EPOC for short.

EPOC is the amount of energy required to return our metabolism back to pre-exercise levels. It can take minutes with certain training types such as aerobic training and hours to days with high intensity work such as resistance training and max effort sprinting. There are at least five studies that clearly show weight training increases EPOC for 1-48 hours above resting levels. (2)

Through heavy resistance training and sprinting, the amount of energy needed by the body to recover the damage has been said to be much higher than with “traditional” cardiovascular training. The damage itself requires energy and time to repair, which increases our body’s protein turnover and calorie burn.

Protein turnover is simply the amount and rate of protein that is lost per day. There is also an increase in the activity of our body’s functional battery, which is the nervous system.

Also, several fat burning enzymes and hormones elevate as well.

Along these same lines, the recently popular “constrained energy” study showed that individuals who possessed more muscle mass had a substantially high RMR (Resting Metabolic Rate), contrary to popular belief.

Recall that muscle mass in and of itself doesn’t burn a whole lot of calories, but the higher RMR could help explain all of the energy cost from repair that is being done on days that follow strength training. To help really put all of this into perspective, using strength training as an unparalleled and superior form of cardio creates a “2 workouts in 1” training effect until your body begins to adapt to training later on down the road.

On a final note, the increase or maintenance of your muscle will also burn a few extra calories per day as well, which could add up over time.

Another study had researchers assign overweight subjects to three groups; diet-only, diet plus aerobics, diet plus aerobics plus weight training.

  • The diet group lost 14.6 pounds of fat in 12 weeks.
  • The aerobic group lost only one more pound than the diet group. (Their training was three times per week beginning at 30-minute sessions and progressing to 50 minutes over the 12 weeks).
  • And the weight training group lost 21.1 lbs. of fat, resulting in 30-40% more than diet and aerobic-only groups.

What’s revealing is that the addition of aerobic training didn’t result in significant fat loss over just dieting alone. (3)

Now it’s only fair to also point out that even though these studies above do highlight the superiority of weight training for creating the most EPOC, and perhaps even calorie burn and fat loss from a workout, from the data I’ve collected with clients and the protocols we’ve utilized for years, the effects of EPOC may begin to diminish over time as you become more experienced and adapted to weight training according to at least one study by Abboud et. all 2013. (2)

Losing Muscle on a Diet = 👎

On a final note, it should be recognized the effects of losing muscle mass can have on hunger levels, weight regain and energy regulation long-term, so make sure you and or your clients make strength training the foundation of your training program.

But here is one more nail in the coffin if you aren’t sold yet.

Dr. Brad Schoenfeld provided a study a while back through social media that demonstrated what is called “Collateral Fattening” when muscle mass is lost on a diet.

Basically, the body perceives muscle loss as a threat which drives up fat gain through different pathways and hunger signals.

If that last couple sentences isn’t enough to make resistance training your primary option when it comes to fat loss training I don’t know what else to say. Only heavy lifting can preserve and grow muscle, even though similar blood marker responses can be seen with interval training, minus actual muscle growth and maintenance, unfortunately.

One Final Word

And now that you’ve clearly seen what the science has to offer, let’s talk about some other equally important factors that should seal the deal when it comes to strength training for fat loss.

Frankly, aerobic training is FAR more limited when it comes to training options and it’s safe to say this is going to drive quicker adaptation and lower energy outputs. The availability of exercises for resistance training splits and circuits is literally infinite.

Some people like repetition and monotony, and others vouch for constant variety, and both are fine and will yield results. However, if you or someone you know wants to absolutely incinerate body fat then find a comfortable and effective resistance training protocol from a reputable professional and you wont be disappointed.

About the Author

Travis Hansen  has been involved in the field of training for over a decade, and he has over 60,000 hours of hands-on training experience.

He graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in Fitness and Wellness, and he holds three training certifications—from the ISSA, NASM and NCSF.

He was the Head Strength and Conditioning Coach for the Reno Bighorns of the NBA D-League during their 2010 season, and The University of Nevada-Reno golf team in 2015.

He was the former Director of the Reno Speed School. He has worked with hundreds of athletes from almost all sports, ranging from the youth to the professional ranks.

He is also the leading authority on speed development for the International Sports Sciences Association. For more info check out his website.

 

 

 

References

#1-Schuenke MD, Mikat RP, and Mcbride JM.  Effect of acute period of resistance exercise on excessive post-exercise oxygen consumption; implications for body mass management.  European Journal of Applied Physiology 86: 411-417, 2002.

#2-Abboud, George.  Effects of Load-Volume on EPOC After Acute Bouts of Resistance training in Resistance-trained Men.  Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research: July 2013-Volume 27-Issue 7-p 1936-1941.

#3-Https://www.t-nation.com/training/hierarchy-of-fat-loss.

CategoriesFat Loss Nutrition

Calorie Cycling Strategies For Fat Loss

Today’s guest post comes courtesy of Nevada based strength & conditioning coach, Travis Hansen. 

Travis has contributed several articles to this site in years past and he always impresses me with his diversity in knowledge.

(FYI: His ebook, The Complete Speed Encyclopedia, is one of the best resources on the topic I’ve ever read.)

NOTE: 👆👆 Not an affiliate link.

Anyway, he also knows a thing or two with regards to helping his clients/athletes shed fat and the “minor” nutritional tweaks that they may need to consider; like calorie cycling.

Check it out.

Copyright: vladimirsoldatov / 123RF Stock Photo

Calorie Cycling Strategies For Fat Loss

We humans are cyclical creatures in terms of our overall behavior, and when it comes to nutrition and our calorie intake there are no exceptions.

The fundamental reason for why we need to cycle calories over the course of weeks and months when attempting to lose weight/fat is because of natural adaptations and guaranteed reduction of our metabolic rate and calorie burn that naturally occur when calories are lowered below a certain level necessary to cause effective weight/fat loss.

Fortunately for you, all guesswork for how to cycle calories will be eliminated for you through a specific diagram provided for you shortly.

Cycling calories is so powerful and essential that our body literally fights back and sets our body’s natural weight range, otherwise known as our “metabolic set point,” higher when we attempt to keep our calories fixed aggressively too low for too long.

So the take home message here is that cycling calories is inevitable and there is a very specific way you can approach this nutritional law and have it work to your advantage so that you maximize all aspects of your results and feel physically and mentally satisfied in the process.

via GIPHY

Some of the most notable evidence supporting the idea of cycling calories in the “short term” centers around the hormone, leptin.

According to Lyle McDonald and his research on the matter, leptin levels drop dramatically within the first week or so of dieting.

The drop can be as much as 50%.

For the non-nerds reading, leptin is our primary metabolic regulator, acting on several areas of the body. So in theory, if we cycle our calories during the week we can boost leptin and keep our metabolism higher.

Note From TG: For a more thorough discussion on the topic of Leptin and it’s affects on metabolism you can check THIS out. Grab a cup of coffee. You’ll need it…;o)

Moving forward I want to break down three categories of structured eating that will need to be built into your collective nutrition plan that feeds into (<—HA, see what I just did there) and supports the concept of calorie cycling.

  • Free Meals
  • Structured Refeeds
  • Full Diet Breaks 

Free Meals (Cheat Meals)

Free meal(s) can be considered structured eating where calories are higher and you overfeed more.

Key Word: Structured. Also, meal (as in singular).

This is basically where you pick one single meal of your liking, set aside all the rules, and you enjoy some pizza or tacos.

Or both…;o)

To note: There’s really no inherent physiological benefit happening here. One single meal isn’t going to break or make a dietary approach or be the panacea of success.

It can’t help, nor can it hurt you in terms of actual fat and weight loss, so you shouldn’t worry much.

Rather, the main benefit here is psychological.

The feeling of complete deprivation of desired and enjoyable foods for weeks and months on end can become very stressful and completely depressing.

A free meal is one method that provides a “light at the end of the tunnel” per se.

Research has shown consistently time and time again that flexible dieting strategies are far more effective than extremely strict and rigid approaches both in terms of overall results and healthy eating behavior.

Structured Re-feeds

A structured reefed is simply a 4-5 hour window where you don’t count calories and you deviate from both the quantity and type of food that you are eating with your normal fat loss diet.

Moreover, carbohydrates are supposed to be higher during the re-feed.

It’s also worth noting that carbohydrates are highly “anti-catabolic” in nature.  Meaning they prevent muscle tissue and others from degrading or breaking down through the increases in insulin production.  For example, a recent study from Campbell et. al  2020 found that a two day reefed in resistance trained individuals preserved RMR, and FFM a.k.a muscle mass. 2  .

Lastly, in my experience re-feeds should generally come in the evening for two reasons.

1) It’s psychologically much easier to resume normal dieting and healthier eating at the start of the next day where you interpret a clean slate rather than attempting to pwn a industrial sized bag of Skittles in the middle of the day and then attempt to get back on track after the fact.

2) It just seems to work well and mirrors normal human behavior.

A good general rule of thumb is to reefed from 5-10pm.

This works well since structured re-feeds are programmed on the weekend where a majority are partaking in social activities and get-togethers where higher food consumption is almost guaranteed to occur.

SIDE NOTE: It’s also ideal to perform a workout at or near a re-feed so that the carbohydrates and other nutrients are automatically soaked up in the muscles. This is especially true for those who are overweight or have sensitivity issues to carbohydrates.  When you eat your carbohydrates around intense lifting times you are conditioning your cellular components to better handle and manage carbohydrates to help limit potential feelings of hunger and overeating.

Full Diet Breaks

Just as the name states, full diet breaks are periods lasting as high as two whole weeks where you increase calories to maintenance levels and are allowed much more leniency with food selection.

Recent research has also supported that intermittent calorie maintenance may be ideal for faster fat loss.

Not only from a psychological standpoint, but also in terms of feelings of “confidence” that you’ll be able to stay on track once stricter eating resumes again.

Another huge potential benefit to diet breaks is that they can programmed around periods of vacation or special events.

Anecdotally, it has been shown that breaks from dieting can be viewed much more positively by dieters, since it’s actually part of a strategic plan, and people report an easier time returning to diet once the break is over.

General Diet Breaks Guidelines

1️⃣ Raise calories by 500-1000 calories daily.

2️⃣ Keep weight training hard and regularly and maintain at least 50% of your cardio work.

3️⃣ Don’t worry about counting macro’s until the end of the break.

Body-Fat Percentage
(Men / Women)

Diet Break Frequency

<10% / 18%

Every 6–8 weeks

10-15% / 18–23%

Every 8–12 weeks

>15% / >23%

Every 12–16 weeks

(I.e., the leaner you are, the more frequent “breaks” you can get away with).

(Chart courtesy of Andy Morgan, RippedBody.com “How to Use a Diet Break for Fat Loss to Get Shredded Lean”)

About the Author

Travis Hansen  has been involved in the field of training for over a decade, and he has over 60,000 hours of hands-on training experience.

He graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in Fitness and Wellness, and he holds three training certifications—from the ISSA, NASM and NCSF.

He was the Head Strength and Conditioning Coach for the Reno Bighorns of the NBA D-League during their 2010 season, and The University of Nevada-Reno golf team in 2015.

He was the former Director of the Reno Speed School. He has worked with hundreds of athletes from almost all sports, ranging from the youth to the professional ranks.

He is also the leading authority on speed development for the International Sports Sciences Association. Check out his website HERE.

 

 

Categoriespersonal training Program Design

Does Stretching Improve Performance?

I’m still overseas in the U.K.1

I’ve got some of my own content lined up for later this week, but today TG.com regular, Travis Hansen, was kind enough to pinch write for me today.

It’s on static stretching and whether or not there’s any efficacy towards it helping to improve athletic performance.

Enjoy.

Copyright: ammentorp / 123RF Stock Photo

Does Stretching Improve Performance?

Does the science on traditional stretching actually benefit measures of athlete performance? I’m not sure that the notion has ever been questioned and we have all, including myself, just accepted the fact that by stretching our muscles we were actually taking positive steps towards running faster, jumping higher, and becoming an overall better athlete.

Before we dive into a lot of the research lets first look at some theories for and against stretching. We will start with the pros of stretching.

Pros of Stretching

First, it’s a common belief that stretching can effectively alter the tissue length resulting in more potential energy to be stored and an effective reset to the muscle allowing it to stay healthy and perform better. The effects of stretching on injury prevention is another article topic in itself, so we will just focus on the benefits of performance for now.

Unfortunately, it’s by no means fair to sit here and say that stretching will help you perform better although it sounds great on paper.

However, stretching does affect the viscous properties of muscle fibers and creates less resistance temporarily allowing for more potential ROM; although it doesn’t seem to be a permanent adaptation. Stretching can also improve fascicle length which may have implications on muscle recruitment rates, so there is another plus for stretching.

Moving on, stretching also deals with the aftermath of training.

Stretching has been shown to improve Parasympathetic Nervous System Activation.

This is the rest and digest part of our nervous system that you probably already know about and stretching can impact this branch of the nervous system, hasten recovery, and increase the potential to train harder in subsequent sessions if the stretching is timed right.

Lastly, stretching can make sure that there are no limitations in movement.

There is a bevy of research showing that its biggest influence is through creating more range of motion and degrees of movement freedom.

There are several scenarios you could think of which would require more ROM as an athlete (i.e. deep squat prior to vertical jump takeoff, loading phase of throwing or swinging, etc.) and you wouldn’t want a limitation in flexibility to prevent any success in your skill execution.

But what if stretching doesn’t really work as well as we thought and had hoped for…………?

Maybe Stretching Isn’t the Magic Pill (Important, but Not a Panacea)

1.  Angle of Peak Torque

I read about this theory awhile back when Chris Beardsley brought the idea to light in the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research.

Basically, there are specific angles and ranges of motions where we will be most successful with different styles of training.

For example, with low velocity movements like bench press, squatting, and deadlifting the larger the range of motion and joint angle…the greater amount of force can be generated.

Conversely, with high velocity movements the ranges of motion and angles need to be much smaller in order to be successful.

All else being equal, stretching isn’t really going to offer a whole lot if you’re an athlete who relies upon high velocity performance on a regular basis.

Another thing to consider is that if you analyze the nature of most power and speed based activities, often times, athletes and clients already possess the capacity to load sufficiently and unload and propel their bodies in the intended direction.

So why then would they need to stretch more if muscles are naturally elastic and they’re already capable of the desired response?

via GIPHY

Kelly Baggett referred to this idea of movement specificity as limits of flexibility.

Most movement in sport doesn’t even come close to what a person is already capable (stretching wise) and the tasks don’t require a tremendous amount of stretching in order to perform well.

Lastly, is the old Length-Tension Relationship.

A muscle has a sweet spot in terms of optimal contraction that we should all aim for.

If there is too little or too much stretch then there will be resultant decreases in force production and performance.

Stretching then becomes questionable with this in mind since it aims to drive more motion into the tissue and surrounding joints which could cause our efforts to dissipate when the time comes.

Note From TG: I wanted to take a quick time-out to expound a bit on this topic. Please don’t take this post as an all-out attack on static stretching. My thoughts (and I think Travis’s are as well) mirror that of Mike Boyle, where, years ago there was a study that showed stretching before a vertical jump affected performance.

The knee-jerk reaction by the fitness industry was to avoid stretching with a ten-foot pole. However, if I recall, the study had it’s participants do a metric shit-ton of stretching (like 10-15 minutes worth, give or take? maybe more?), which of course isn’t ideal for performance. There’s a stark different between that and having an athlete engage in a few quick stretches.

Basically, it’s likely best not to take a yoga class right before a timed 60. Outside of that, a smidge of static stretching prior to competition isn’t going to alter the space-time continuum.

Okay, I’ll shut-up now.

This All Sounds Nice on Paper But What Does the Research Actually Say Stretching Does for Performance?

“To determine whether SS produced similar performance changes in different performance activities, the findings of the studies were separated into power–speed- or strength-based tasks. Fifty-two studies reported 82 power–speed-based measures (i.e., jumping, sprint running, throwing), with 56 nonsignificant changes, 21 significant reductions, and 5 significant improvements; collectively, there was a small 1.3% reduction in performance. Seventy-six studies reported 188 strength-based measures (i.e., 1-RM, MVC), with 79 nonsignificant changes, 108 significant reductions, and only 1 significant improvement. There was a moderate reduction in performance (–4.8%), which indicates a more substantial effect of SS on strength based activities. The stretch durations imposed between activity types were considerably longer for strength-based activities (5.1 ± 4.6 min) than for power–speed-based activities (1.5 ± 1.6 min), which may explain the greater mean performance reductions after SS.” (1)

And here is some more…

“Twenty-six studies incorporating 38 power–speed-based measures used <60 s of SS, with 29 nonsignificant changes, 4 significant reductions, and 5 significant improvements in performance; collectively, there was a trivial change in performance (–0.15%) (Supplementary Table S41). It is interesting to note that although most of the findings were not statistically significant after short-duration stretching, a greater number of significant improvements than reductions were found in jumping (Murphy et al. 2010b), sprint running (Little and Williams 2006), and cycling (O’Connor et al. 2006) performances. Thus, there is no clear effect of short-duration SS on power–speed-based activities, although changes may be observed on a study-by-study (and hence, subject-by-subject) basis. Nonetheless, when 28 power–speed-based studies (44 measures) using ≥60 s of stretching were examined, 27 nonsignificant changes and 17 significant reductions were found, with no study reporting a significant performance improvement. Compared with shorter-duration stretching, the mean reductions were marginally greater (–2.6%) (Supplementary Table S41).” (1)

Zero Non-Sense Stretching

If you’d like to hear a little more on what Travis has to say on the topic check out his resource Zero Nonsense Stretching HERE. (<– affiliate free link).

You can also check out his website HERE.

CategoriesProgram Design

A Complete Guide to Core Training

Today’s guest post comes courtesy of TG.com regular contributor, Travis Hansen.

He shares his approach to core training as well as numerous exercises he uses with his own athlete/clients. I’m willing to bet there’s a number you’ve never seen or tried before.

Enjoy!

Copyright: ammentorp / 123RF Stock Photo

A Complete Guide to Core Training

In the world of core training, there is a vast array of option to choose from and it can be overwhelming perhaps at times to decipher which options are more appropriate for you and your specific training goals.

What’s more, is that there are six sub-categories that absolutely need to be incorporated into your training regime so that you satisfy complete development of your core and all of its specific parts.

Here are the six categories for you:

#1- Prehab/Rehab based drills

#2- Anterior core drills

#3- Lateral/rotational core drills

#4- Posterior chains drills

#5- Explosive core work

#6- Core endurance work

1. Prehab/Rehab

Anytime there is a major weakness in the core there will be both a reduction in the recruitment of specific muscles in the core on outward to the rest of the body.

For example, it has been found that the TVA (Transverse Abdominis) muscle is suppose to be one of the first muscles to fire in the human body upon any movement initiated. This function is concrete enough to warrant a very valuable term/training principle that has been coined its honor.

The term “proximal to distal sequencing” has been adopted by many practitioners in the field on a regular basis, and helps explain how muscles activate inside at our core and then outward to the limbs sequentially. It’s also pretty well understood at this point that individuals with lower back pain tend to present with a timing delay of the TVA muscle which can prose several subsequent problems for you.

As a result, it becomes important that these individuals and even you partake in regular core training to either help remedy a current back issue, or prevent one from emerging in the future. And with 80% plus American who report back pain this issue becomes very urgent.

So in the context of prehab/rehab drills, here is a short list of drills you can include in your program if you aren’t already:

#1- Deadbugs

#2- Plank Progressions<— click to check out some plank progressions that don’t make my corneas bleed.

#3- Quadruped Progressions

 

2. Anterior Core

The next category on the list involves the development of the anterior core region or everything attached proximally from the lower sternum down all the way to the pubic symphysis. The TVA, Rectus Abdominis, and the external obliques are notable muscles within this sub-system of our anatomy.

This is system is your power pump per se as well, when it comes to core development.

Of course all systems are relevant in locomotion and none should be discounted, however, your individual power potential truly lies in this region along with the posterior chain, since they “co-contract” against one another in the sagittal plane.

If you don’t’ believe this then just witness performances across multiples exercises that are directionally linear dominant in nature versus those that are classified as lateral or rotational based: Squat, Deadlifts, Bench Presses, Jumps, and sprints are going to absolutely trump any shuffle, carioca, hip turn/crossover step, or lateral raise so on and so forth.

There are a few exceptions just like with everything, but overall our species was designed to express more strength and power in an up and down, front to back manner.

Here is a short list of anterior core drills for you:

#1- Reverse Crunches

 

#2- Stick Crunches

#3- Hanging leg raise progressions

 

#4- V-ups

#5- Rollouts

3. Lateral/Rotational Drills

The next category carries distinctions, but due to a natural lack of available variation with lateral based core drills, it’s much easier to just merge the two types together into one category.

If you play any sport, whether it be recreationally or what have you, you will need to incorporate lateral/rotational based core exercises into your program. Movements such as throwing, swinging, change of direction, etc. heavily rely on this region of our core anatomy.

Moreover, some of the fibers in the anterior core muscles will possess specific lines of pull that are geared towards rotation, such as the Rectus Abdominis muscle.

That means that by doubling up training to this muscle group and others, you are effectively covering all portions of the fibers within that muscle group and making them more sensitive to contracting in the process.

Some of examples of lateral/rotational based drills are as follow:

#1- Side plank variations

 

 

#2- Pallof presses

#3- Russian Twists

 

#4- Chops and Lifts

#5- Renegade Rows

 

4. Posterior Chain

The posterior chain has been discussed ad nauseum before just about everywhere on the internet, and it was alluded too briefly earlier, so we wont spend too much time on this one.

The “Deep Longitudinal Sub-System” is the more geeky and technical term for your posterior chain and if you analyze all of the target muscles you will see that it composes a vast majority of gross muscles or more than any other system which implies its extreme value in human movement and the core specifically.

The system begins at the heel then moves up through the shins, continuing up through the hamstrings and glutes, then across the thoracolumbar fascia and then the lumbar erectors, respectively. And if you haven’t heard it enough already, then its worth repeating, that if you aren’t absolutely crushing your posterior chain in the gym your are leaving a lot of strength and power skill in reserve.

Here are some common drills for this type of core training:

#1- Bent Knee Hip Extension Work (glute bridge, slideboard leg curls, stability ball leg curls, GHR’s)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AE3BygMmgzo

 

 

#2- Straight Knee Hip Extension Work (Swings, Deadlift variations, pull-through variations, sled sprints)

 

#3- Lateral/Rotational Hip Work (Jane Fonda’s/hip abductions, clamshells, and bandwalks)

 

5. Core Power

Core power is next on the list.

As an industry, there would to be more of a focus on promoting power in the lower and upper body regions, with less focus on the middle of the body. Then again, the core is implicated in many of the popular power training methods, like medicine ball throws, jump squats, and swings to name a few.

Truth is it doesn’t matter if you are an athlete who has to change directions frequently, or you’re a lifter or gym junkie whose trying to maximize your strength and power potential or raise your RFD (Rate of Fore Development) to the next level, you have to build high levels of reactivity in your core to initiate, anchor, and even match upper and lower body efforts. Once again you are only as strong as your weakest link.

Here are some core power training exercises:

#1-Standing medicine ball throws

#2- Medicine pullover throws

#3- V-up throws

#4- Rope plank swings

 

6. Core Endurance

And the final category of exercises is the more slow and higher volume-based approach.

Before we continue though, please understand that considerable research has shown that every possible motion of the lumbar spine is linked to some type of injury.

And if this were the case then we should all act like rigid hot dogs right?

Not a chance.

So what gives?

Well, like most things related to training: injury history, structural variances, program design, age, genetics, nutrition, work capacity, and much more will dictate future outcomes.

Dr. Stuart McGill is one of the best in the world when it comes to spine biomechanics, and he postulated at one time that the spine has an eventual limit to how many times it can bend and extend in a lifetime. Everyone took this information and ran with it. He also understands and appreciates that the rigorous daily demands of an athlete require us to potentially exceed or really challenge thresholds of the spine, so we need to prepare the highly delicate and vulnerable region as best we can.

And it’s inevitable that less than ideal postures and patterns will be produced in training, but managing these potentially threatening scenario’s is the end goal. Also consider that even if someone were to stress the core and spine heavily in their youth, intense activity will eventually decline since this type of activity is inversely related to aging.

As such, it will probably all balance itself out in the end and we shouldn’t worry too much if your training is in order.

With that being said, it’s imperative that you build the work capacity/endurance of your core just like all other muscle groups.

In one study, a timed superman or back extension test that was performed isometrically was useful in treating patients with non-specific lower back pain.

This would make obvious sense since discs have been shown to slightly slip as fatigue emerges in the core.

Endurance training of the local core musculature satisfies this TUT (Time Under Tension) specificity and when progressed properly, may help center the disc more and surrounding structures right where we want them.

Moreover, the core is comprised of a lot of slow twitch muscle fiber which have a tendency to respond better more with longer sets and TUT according to Henneman’s Size Principle.

Last but not least, witness all of the athletes throughout history who regularly performed thousands of crunches over the course of a training cycle with no back issues and stellar performances. How do you explain that one? Maybe there would be a slight link to back health or a lack there of in these instances, but more than likely it’s probably satisfying a psychological compulsion which drives other forces and is important.

Now that you have a compete infrastructure of core training you can effectively design your core training program so that it suits your individual needs and preferences. Just make sure to include all elements of the program. The core is synergistic in nature just like the rest of the body, where one part will fail to match the strength of all the components combined.

Programming Suggestions

I wanted you to go away with some rough parameters on how to program for the various options of core training.

Some methods can be performed in higher quantities and frequencies than others. Again, this is just a general scheme that applies to a majority of clients:

                                                                       Frequency/Sets/Reps/Rest/Int/Tempo (E-I-C)

 

#1-Prehab/Rehab based drills                3-5x     4-5     12-24   0-30 sec Mod.   3-1-1

#2-Anterior core drills                              2-3x       3-4     8-16     0-60 sec Mod.   3-1-1

#3-lateral/rotational core drills            2-3x       3-4     8-16     0-60 sec   Mod.   2-1-1

#4-Posterior chains drills                        2-3x       2-4   6-16     0-120 sec Mod-Hi   2-1-1 or 1-1-1

#5-Explosive core work                            1-2x       3-5     5-8       0-180 sec Ultra Hi   1-1-1

#6-Core endurance work                         2-3x       3-5     12-50+ 0-120sec   Mod.       1-1-1

 

CategoriesNutrition

Does Vegan Nutrition Make You a Better Athlete?

Humans are very tribal, and especially so when it comes to their nutritional preferences: Paleo vs. Keto vs. Vegan vs. Jets vs. Sharks vs. Decepticons.

It’s crazy out there.

In lieu of the release of his new book, Athletic Nutrition 101, regular TG.com contributor, Travis Hansen, sent me this fantastic blog post the other day I think you all will enjoy.

Copyright: saschanti17 / 123RF Stock Photo

Does Vegan Nutrition Make You a Better Athlete?

Before we dive in I want to make it clear that my sole intention with writing this objective article is to just be, you know…objective.

There is no denying that there are some profound emotional ties with various types of diets and nutritional approaches and although the information and science presented may trigger or ruffle up some feathers, please understand that is not my intent at all.

The purpose of this write-up is to simply look at some of the brief scientific literature as it pertains to proper vegan nutrition and its role on athletic performance outcomes to either confirm or disprove its credibility as a reliable dietary strategy for athletes.

That’s it.

I think it’s best to start by breaking down specific topics of discussion aimed at providing a conclusion into whether or not utilizing a vegan approach could support you or an athlete you train into becoming a better performer on the field or court.

Here are the most common areas of concern as far as the research is concerned on vegan nutrition and performance:

  • #1-Supplementation factors-Vitamin B12 deficiency
  • #2-Adequate protein intake
  • #3-Iron and Creatine levels

Supplementation Factors

Vitamins and Minerals are absolutely critical to so many biochemical reactions and functions in the human body.

Vitamins are stimulatory in nature and satisfy specific roles responsible for improved athletic performance measures, or a lack thereof. According to one study, supra or mega-doses of vitamins does not seem to have any increased benefit on sport performance.

“In general, vitamin supplementation to an athlete on a well-balanced diet has not been shown to improve performance. However, additional research with certain vitamins appears to be warranted, such as with the vitamin B complex and fine motor control, and with vitamin E and endurance at high altitudes. Moreover, research with mega-dose supplementation may also be necessary.” (1)

Unfortunately, there is some concern regarding a vegan approach and whether or not it can deliver proper doses of Vitamin B12 without supplementation.

“On the other hand, questions have been raised by some investigators regarding unique risks of the vegetarian diet, including oligomenorrhea and amenorrhea, iron deficiency, vitamin B12 deficiency, vitamin D deficiency, and impaired mineral status.” (2,3)

However, if athletes remove deficiencies and restore normal Vitamin B12 levels then there doesn’t seem to be an issue in terms of performance.

Adequate Protein Intake

The next issue deals with protein intake. This topic definitely seems to be the most detailed and alarming, but again, if

athletes supplement and consume adequate amounts of vegan protein sources they should be just fine.

Here is a short excerpt from my nutrition book that puts it into perspective and then afterwards I want to share some important information and a diagram you can check out from the infamous Boirie study which will help you appreciate why you need to attempt to overcompensate and consume more protein than normal to ensure an adequate anabolic muscle building response in the body.

“Adequate protein intake, although more perhaps difficult to come by for vegans vs. non vegans, does seem attainable to support proper athletic development.

For example, a study from van Vliet, 2015 found that plant protein is typically less anabolic than animal protein for several reasons. 132

Some include a reduced amount of essential amino acids, in particular Leucine. Greater excretion rates, proposed digestibility issues and more. However, the author did state that several strategies could be used to improve the anabolic response of a protein based meal primarily derived from plants. Including a higher variety of plant based protein sources, supplementing the amino acids leucine, lysine, and methionine, and eating greater amounts of plant based protein sources. Gorissen et. al agrees that compensating for reduced functional protein content by eating higher quantities of plant based protein is one way to go.133 “

So, the research clearly states that it is possible to ingest enough protein if you are a vegan, but you need to be particularly aware of the types of protein that you are consuming with a strong emphasis on getting in more than normal to overcompensate for any issues in amino acid content, increased removal of this type of protein, and digestive issues associated with vegan protein sources.

The amino acid Leucine is a key regulator in muscle growth via the MTOR pathway and lowered levels of this Branched Chain Amino Acid will cause reduced muscle growth levels, so you may need to supplement here if you are electing to be vegan.

Another issue that was brought to attention compliments of leading researcher Lyle Mcdonald, is the extremely poor digestion rate of vegan based protein sources.

According to the Boirie study chart, our digestive network has an absorption rate of 3.9 grams of Soy Isolate based protein per hour!

This is insanely low compared to meat based sources.

The unfortunate reality is that protein digestion rates are markedly slow to begin with and Soy based products compound this issue and make it even more difficult. Not to mention you have to be very concise with your vegan protein food combing selections if you aren’t consuming a vegan based protein supplement.

Here is another helpful excerpt from my book:

“Let’s first take a look at a limiting factor with regards to vegan based protein sources, comparative to animal based proteins dense with complete protein. When we eat meat, eggs, and other animal sources of protein then there is no need to fret about fulfilling a complete amino acid profile. Plant based sources, on the other hand, lack one essential amino acid and need to be complemented by another source to deliver all amino acids.

For example, plant based protein sources are often guilty of being unable to deliver a single amino acid known as the ‘limiting amino acid.’

“For example, grains’ limiting amino acid is lysine, but grains are high in the amino acid methionine. Therefore, grains match well with legumes, which are low in methionine but high in lysine.”

So greater consumption of complimentary proteins becomes essential to make sure that all potential deficiencies are accounted for, while also giving some extra supply of amino acid’s since plant based proteins are only 85% digestible, compare to animal sources which scale around 95%.” 2

And here are some combination strategies if you are going down the vegan path of nutrition to ensure you get a complete arsenal of amino acids to build all of your proteins….

Plant Based Meal Combo’s:

  • Stir fried vegetables and tofu over rice (soy and grains)
  • Vegetable chili with cornbread (legumes and grains)
  • Oatmeal with nuts and soy milk (grains, nuts, and soy)
  • Spinach salad with vegetables, garbanzo beans, and sunflower seeds (legumes and seeds)

Iron & Creatine Levels

The final concern for vegans trying to optimize their nutrition and athletic development deals with keeping Creatine and Iron levels.

As many of you already know, Creatine phosphate is the primary metabolic driver for literally any activity performed at or very near maximal intensities, and Iron is critical to any aerobic based activity.

But what about the upside to a vegan approach on performance?

This wasn’t directly mentioned in the research, but upon observation it’s obvious that vegan based diets contain higher levels of carbohydrates. This topic is another article series in itself, but if you are interested in how and why carbohydrates are essential for ANY athlete looking to perform better, here is a quick primer series below, and my book goes into even more detail if you are interested.

Vegan diets do a great job of prescribing the proper amounts and types of carbohydrates which many other nutritional approaches lack, so kudos to Vegans on this front!

1. 5 Scientific Reasons to Eat Carbs – HERE

2. 5 More Scientific Reasons to Eat Carbs – HERE

3. Even More Reasons Why Athletes Should Eat Carbs – HERE

Final Thoughts

In closing, there is no magic cure for nutrition for any athlete.

Rather there is a broad range of diets you can experiment with and see how you and your performance responds.

A vegan approach, although more difficult for the few reasons I mentioned above, does seem to work, contrary to what many people say. Also keep in mind that there are indeed absolutes that need to be considered when it comes to nutrition, and once you begin to learn and understand these timeless principles it will make you and your athletes life much easier.

For example, overall energy intake regulates so much of our metabolic system and needs to be set at certain levels for proper functioning. Researchers have dialed down precisely how much protein our body’s can assimilate per meal and per day along with governors in our body that have been developed in the liver and through fullness responses. There are different ways to go about nutrition and some subtle differences between individuals, but then again there seems to be FAR more similarities and that helps simplify the topic to a high degree.

Athletic Nutrition 101

To pick up a copy of Travis’ book, which is priced at a steal given the amount of information he provides and the depth at which he goes into, you can go HERE.

Scientific References

#1-Williams, MH. Vitamin Supplementation and Athletic Performance. Int J Vitam Nutr Res Suppl, 30: 163-191, 1989.

#2-Barr, Susan I, and Candice A Rideout. “Nutritional Considerations for Vegetarian Athletes.”Nutrition, vol. 20, no. 7-8, 2004, pp. 696–703., doi:10.1016/j.nut.2004.04.015.

#3- https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s12534-009-0017-y

#4- https://bodyrecomposition.com/nutrition/what-are-good-sources-of-protein-speed-of-digestion-part-2.html/

Categoriescoaching Motivational personal training

Fitness Industry Survival Tips: Part Two

Last week Travis Hansen wrote part one and covered some arguable topics that you can focus on as a trainer/coach to help improve your personal and online training business over the long-haul.

He had more to say. Hope you enjoy part two.

Copyright: enki / 123RF Stock Photo

Fitness Industry Survival Tips: The Part Two Part

1. Develop a Niche

It’s a very competitive world and there are many sub-fields within the training industry that you can explore to try and make a living and attempt to specialize in. (i.e. fat loss, muscle building, bodybuilding, powerlifting, Olympic lifting, Crossfit, athletic development, bootcamps, corrective exercise, etc. etc.)

Trying to stay general and master all areas of training development is a pipe dream and self-limiting.

Just take a quick look at the best in the business, and they are once again sharing something by having a specific brand or niche.

Bret Contreras is the Glute Guy, Lee Taft is the Speed Guy, Charlie Weingroff introduced the concept of actual training for rehab purposes, McGill is the spine expert, The Cosgrove’s were the original face of fat loss for years, Eric Cressey is a shoulder genius and baseball expert, and so on…

Granted you could make a very strong case that these guys could hold their own in just about any type of debate about a specific subject matter.

Nonetheless, most have a specialty because training is extremely competitive and technical when you get into the nitty gritty and discover lots of depth on a topic. And as I mentioned in part #1, this is yet another reason why you will need a sound network, so that you know who to turn to when an issue originating in an area outside of your target specialty occurs.

Also, bear in mind that there is much overlap between speciality’s which will require strong foundations across many types of training, but be sure to be real with yourself always and make it a point to identify your limits and knowledge gaps.

2. Practice What You Preach

This one probably pretty much goes without saying at this point, but I still think it’s worth mentioning.

If you want immediate attention and respect from clients and athletes in the short-term then all you need to do is look the part.

For example, if you want to train bodybuilders then be a bodybuilder. If you want to attract football players then play collegiate or even pro football and watch the initial waves of players that come knocking on your doorstep.

But does all of this guarantee that you are going to keep clients coming back in for more?

Hell no.

Why?

People inevitably want what they want, and this is results!

Although, having gone through the type of training you are preaching will award a temporary competitive advantage since you have gone through the process…beyond that you will have to gorge yourself with info and be a “student.”

This is why you see many pro superstars that don’t evolve into becoming coaches after their career’s are finished. They didn’t learn all of the x’s and o’s. Training goes beyond just hard work and talent. You have to really dedicate yourself to craving more knowledge and learning both the science and art of training.

Conversely, on the other end of the spectrum you have guys that have very little experience in a style of training, but are absolutely phenomenal and world class at what they do. There are several examples but it’s not important.

These individuals are brilliant intellectually, and can identify angles and interpret information and research differently from the rest of us. They are of course the exception, and are few and far between though.

And just so you don’t think I’m talking out of my ass, here is a comparison video from years ago of me walking the walk:

 

I was running consistent mid to high 4.4’s from multiple people hand timing me. And there happened to be one day where I felt superhuman and did record a 4.31 (4.54 fully electronic)!

What I was really proud of is that I spent half of a decade trying to improve my speed because I love speed training.

I started at a 4.7-4.8 initially.

I researched every technique, book, research study, program, and periodization model that I could find. My goal was to run a 4.3 naturally, and once I did that I lost all of my motivation and wanted to help others with a similar passion in becoming as fast as possible.

Since then there has been hundreds of athletes follow our training system and become much faster. Which brings me to the next factor.

3. Build Your Portfolio

Early on in my training career I would spend money on business cards, pamphlets, etc. in hopes of generating business leads and potential clients since I had just become self-employed and hated the corporate scene.

This was the approach that was advocated by my circle at the time, but I must admit that it didn’t feel right at all and I quickly dismissed the idea and went a different route altogether.

I asked myself why am I trying to sell a service with out much evidence that it works, along with a crystal clear understanding of what I’m actually doing?

And that is when I decided to commit myself to constant learning and daily practice.

Moreover, I wanted to make the absolute most out of each opportunity that I had training each client.

My learning to client ratio at the time was like 9:1.

I wasn’t making really any money, but I had a large window of time that I could capitalize on outside of training to gradually improve my training skill set. Anytime outside of that was focused on being social and staying sane!

And then I would train my ass myself.

Over time, I had taken care of a lot of people, and my clientele incrementally started to grow. But my whole mission of being results based and results driven has never changed and never will.

Do good work and people will come. Word of mouth will start to surface, and then eventually you will have something tangible that you can really market and sell to the public.

4. How Do You Respond to Failure?

How you respond specifically to acts of failure is going to be a huge determinant in how far you go I’ve found out.

Like anybody, you are going to always take your lumps in this business or any for that matter.

Just accept it.

I think a big key factor is trying to minimize your failures and not make things harder on yourself than necessary. I can tell you firsthand that I’ve had days where I’ve completely sucked, cried, broke shit, sat there and shook my head in disbelief, and questioned whether or not it was all worth it, or if I really wanted to do this anymore.

A big part of the reason for this I think is because I have ridiculous goals and always have since I was 8 years old. And when you are miles and miles away from were you want to be, well it f*%ken sucks.

But when you start to become and remain accountable with yourself and you are constantly learning and practicing your craft with full effort, then it all starts to make sense eventually and things begin to fall in place slowly.

Wrap Up

On a final note, I really sincerely hope these two pieces may have enlightened you on a few things you may not have thought about with the profession and my full intention is to help you as much as possible.

Stay patient, grind, laugh, have fun, and try not to worry too much or be too critical of yourself. It will eat you alive!

About the Author

Travis Hansen has been involved in the field of Human Performance Enhancement for nearly a decade. He graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in Fitness and Wellness, and holds 3 different training certifications from the ISSA, NASM, and NCSF.

He was the Head Strength and Conditioning Coach for the Reno Bighorns of the NBADL for their 2010 season, and he is currently the Director of The Reno Speed School inside the South Reno Athletic Club.

He has worked with hundreds of athletes from almost all sports, ranging from the youth to professional ranks. He is the author of the hot selling “Speed Encyclopedia,” and he is also the leading authority on speed development for the International Sports Sciences Association.

Categoriesbusiness coaching fitness business personal training

Fitness Industry Survival Tips

Surviving in the fitness industry is tough. Now, granted, this isn’t The Revenant…we don’t need to worry about wrestling grizzly bears or anything. But it is pretty cut-throat out there and the one’s who “survive,” and do well, are the ones who can separate themselves from the masses.

Today’s guest post by strength coach Travis Hansen showcases some ways you can do just that.

Copyright: enki / 123RF Stock Photo

 

Fitness Industry Survival Tips

Trying to be successful in the fitness industry is a lot harder than most people tend to think.

The temptation for instant gratification and fly by night credibility is a very strong one, and provides with it a common misconception that you won’t have to grind on a regular basis, learn, and actually train people, not to mention generate legitimate results to remain alive in the business.

I’ve heard from a few credible sources that far less than 10 percent of individuals who start in the fitness business remain alive after a decade, and based on my experience that definitely seems to be pretty true.2

In this article I am going to share with you some arguable principles that I’ve utilized over the course of the past 12 years to stay alive and grow both my online and personal/athletic training business. I am by no means the most successful individual and I’m sure that many others could add to the list, but I honestly think the issues I am going to share with you are essential to your survival if you love this business and ultimately want to help people. I think everything stems off of the two factors I just mentioned and they serve as the groundwork for everything else to help lead you on your way.

So here we go….

#1- What Room Are You In?

Something that is very common I noticed from other trainers or even just the general public, is that there seems to be a constant battle in determining who knows more than the other person, or someone immediately jumps out and gets defensive if their current thought process is challenged by someone who may in fact be right.

I would be willing to wager a bet that our industry is far more guilty of this problem compared to any other profession with all of the hyped up trends that are out there still, hands down!!!

If you watch closely you will notice that the best in the business often times have their note pads out, eyes locked in on the person they are interacting with, ears open wide when they are trying to learn anything they can take away from the present conversation, and more times than not, don’t engage in these petty intellectual ego driven arguments that accomplish zero in the long run, unless the individual is just that damn stupid and asking for it.

As Mike Boyle once said:

“ There is a reason we have two ears and one mouth.”

The harsh truth is that you should probably spend the first 10 years of your career searching out the people who make you uncomfortable and dumb for the moment and eventually it will all start to make sense, and I guarantee you will be surprised just how much better you get.

The last thing I want to discuss in this regard is that something world renown coach and gym owner Zach-Even Esh once said that really resonated, and that is that people are often times uncomfortable and unsupportive of successful people as it makes them introspect and assess where they are at relative to their goals.

I honestly feel if that you start admiring successful people and try to emulate and even beat them then good things start to happen.

Don’t hate congratulate!

#2- Sacrifice

What a lot of surviving comes down to is how much you’re willing to do and sacrifice in order to achieve your goals.

Once you have mentally committed to doing whatever the hell it takes in order to achieve your goals without being illegal or walking over someone in the process then eventually you can start to grow.

I remember when I first got into this business I would buy and immerse myself into any fitness related material I could get my hands on to help build a solid learning filter. I was working 6-7 days per week for 8-12 hours per day. I would contact and pester any expert that would respond back to me with questions I had.

Luckily I stumbled across some great people that I still consult with today. You need very strong mentors and a network to better yourself and help your people.

#3-ASK FOR HELP

Never be afraid to ask for help or admit to your clients that you do not know something.

This only improves your credibility and earns more trust from your people in the long run.

Conan O’Brian once said in his late night talk show that saying you don’t know is often a sign of intelligence.

If you elect to retain your massive ego and state of ignorance, then you are only setting your education and growth back, and eventually your people are going to catch onto your bullshit and you will join the massive crowd of fly by night trainers that exist in our society today.

And remember you are only as strong as your network or alliance.

#4- Re-Invest

If you pay attention on social media, many times the high level practitioners and coaches in the field will send you subtle hints on how to be successful by showing you pictures of their personal training library and such.

There is also generally a very robust “Resource” section on every one of their websites where they show you where they learned from and how to improve your potential knowledge gaps.3

Your success will be ultimately determined by how smart you are, how hard you work, and how much you invest in your education and business. I never personally took out a business loan, but every paycheck and sometimes my whole paycheck was dedicated to learning material or small equipment purchases that accumulated into a bigger and bigger training setting or environment.

And then eventually once people see that you know what you are doing, you’re legitimate, and you get results, then they will more than likely invest in you and the ball just keeps growing bigger and bigger!

About the Author

Travis Hansen has been involved in the field of Human Performance Enhancement for nearly a decade. He graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in Fitness and Wellness, and holds 3 different training certifications from the ISSA, NASM, and NCSF.

He was the Head Strength and Conditioning Coach for the Reno Bighorns of the NBADL for their 2010 season, and he is currently the Director of The Reno Speed School inside the South Reno Athletic Club.

He has worked with hundreds of athletes from almost all sports, ranging from the youth to professional ranks. He is the author of the hot selling “Speed Encyclopedia,” and he is also the leading authority on speed development for the International Sports Sciences Association.

CategoriesStuff to Read While You're Pretending to Work

Stuff to Read While You’re Pretending to Work: 3/24/17

Lisa and I are right smack dab in the middle of moving this week. All with a 7-week old in tow. It’s not been fun. In fact, I’d garner a guess that a colonoscopy would be more fun that what we’re going through right now.

Alas, the show must go on….

Copyright: urfingus / 123RF Stock Photo

 

Stuff to Check Out Before You Read Stuff

1. Just Announced

Complete Shoulder & Hip Blueprint – Orlando

Our Vancouver shindig in April sold out, but Dean and I have recently announced a stop in Orlando, FL later this year, October 21-22nd at Spark Fitness.

I’ve never been to Orlando. There’s no way in hell I’m visiting Disney World.

You can go HERE for more details and to sign up.

2. SUNY Cortland Health & Wellness Conference – Cortland, NY, April 8th.

I’ll be at my alma mater the weekend of April 8th speaking at what I believe is the 4th or 5th annual SUNY Cortland Conference. Other guest speakers include my wife, Dr. Lisa Lewis, Mark Fisher, Brian St. Pierre, and Dr. David Just.

For more information you can go HERE.

3. Complete Preparation for the High School Athlete – April 1-2nd, New Jersey

Two coaches I respect a ton and had the luxury of working with for a few years when I was at Cressey Sports Performance, Greg Robins & Tony Bonvechio, will be hosting this all-inclusive event at the Annex Sports Performance Center in Chatham, NJ next weekend.

They’ll give a detailed look into how they train and prepare high-school athletes (ages 13-18) covering everything from assessment and building a winning culture to program design and myths and fallacies regarding how to really train for speed and acceleration.

For more information go HERE.

Stuff to Read While You’re Pretending to Work

The Speed Encyclopedia – Travis Hansen

Guess what this manual doesn’t cover? The incessant use of speed ladders and foot drills. If you want to get your athletes fast, they have work on getting stronger. And, yes, some attention to detail on sprinting mechanics and joint angles need to enter the mix too.

Travis has put together and really detailed manual and something I feel is one of the best resources out there on the topic.

6 Tips for Writing Conditioning Programs – Mike Robertson

How in the hell did I miss this one when Mike first published it back in November? Shame on me. Well, better late than never.

Awesome stuff from Mike per the usual.

Progress is Progress and Fat Loss is Not Linear – Stacey Schaedler

This is a message I have to remind my clients about all the time: Progress IS progress. Some excellent real world examples given by Stacey in this article.

Social Media Shenanigans

Twitter

Instagram

Here’s one of my female clients, Emily, hitting some Landmine Deadlifts. She’s very close to hitting a 200 lb straight bar deadlift, but I find hitting a “traditional” deadlift variation (conventional, Sumo, trap bar) more than once a week can (not always) be a bit much for trainees from a neural fatigue standpoint. That said, training the hip hinge more than 1x per week IS important and very doable. We just need to understand that we don’t always have to load it heavy. This variation is one of my favorite spine sparing ways to deadlift and help keep people fresh long-term. Pretty darn good technique here too. Nice hip snap at top and she keeps lats on (arms long) throughout so her shoulders don’t roll forward. Addendum: maybe neural fatigue wasn’t the right choice of words to use here. However there is something to be said about implementing less “aggressive” variations into the mix to help nudge more frequency without killing people. That’s the real lesson here.

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CategoriesUncategorized

Modified Reverse Hyper: An Exercise You’ve Never Heard of to Help Build Speed and Athleticism

Today’s guest post comes from strength coach, Travis Hansen. I respect Travis a ton because 1) he actually works with athletes and gets results and 2) he’s not scared to think outside the box (which you will read more about below).

His amazing resource, The Speed Encyclopedia, rocked my world a few years back when I read it the first time. He’s revamped it and has placed in sale at 30% off the regular price. If you work with athletes and want to make them into sprinting, jumping, and turning on a dime freaks….definitely give it a look.

Copyright: mezzotint123rf / 123RF Stock Photo

 

The Modified Reverse Hyper

The title may sound a bit cliché, especially this day and age, but I truly believe that the exercise I’m about to share with you is still relatively unique as far as speed and athletic development is concerned.

And it’s definitely not a gimmick, it works.

The amount of evidence to date to support glute-ham strength and its powerful impact on athletic performance tasks such as running, jumping, cutting, and sprinting is incredibly vast. Every single athlete and client for that matter should be performing several posterior chain dominant movements, like squats, deadlifts, swings, sleds, lunges, split squats, etc. at some point during their training program.

However, to my current knowledge the “Modified Reverse Hyper” has not received a lot of attention and publicity throughout the athletic training mainstream and scientific community. Moreover, I would be very curious to see any study that attempts to identify how well the reverse hyper and sprinting would connect?! I’m confident the results would be favorable.

Louie Simmons was a mastermind in not only powerlifting, but his training concepts permeate into athletic and speed development as well!

The initial thing I like about the exercise is that you are training the target muscle groups at long lengths throughout the muscle contraction spectrum. This situation can help stimulate the addition of sarcomeres and result in increased hypertrophy to the muscles responsible for increasing acceleration and running speeds. What athlete wouldn’t want that?

Secondly, you are provided a very stable foundation in which to exert high amounts of force and energy from resulting in greater strength production limits. Recall that the less stability you have in an exercise the less involvement of the prime movers, which in this case are critical to health and athletic performance potential.

Last but not least, is that this exercise truly emphasizes the development of specific muscle and joint actions that occur during high speed movements such as maximum effort sprinting.

Strength has been found to be very specific to range of motion/training angles in research, and it obviously makes perfect sense. What doesn’t make sense is that there really isn’t a wealth of potential exercises in the weight room that do a sufficient job in bridging the gap for both strength and speed during the common act of hip hyperextension. Sled marching, hill runs-sprint progressions, and quadruped work are great, but the room for loading is questionable and hard to manage, except for perhaps the quadruped variation.

Even if this is the case, there is still reduced hamstring contribution due to the knee being bent (Active Insufficiency) in the quadruped exercise.

Moreover, the Modified Reverse Hyper is very versatile. You can perform the drill bilaterally with a plate, or dumbbell if you don’t have a partner. And then unilaterally with a plate or ankle weights.

Please Note: I’m not a big proponent of ankle weight drills at all, unless they are performed in a prone position. They provide a distraction force at the knee that really creates a lot of unnecessary pull and tension at the surrounding ligaments.4

Here is an actual video of the exercise. As a disclaimer, the weight bearing pressure of the weight can be brutal on the calves initially. And make sure the middle of the plates sit close to or directly behind the knee joint to prevent too much shearing and stress to the ACL and lower hamstring muscles.

 

I like to train this movement 1-2 per week at opposite ends of the week if your goal is to get faster and more athletic. 2-4 sets of 6-12 reps work great as the hamstrings are comprised of a lot of fast twitch muscle and respond to high force/velocity efforts.

Summary

Really focusing on working the backside from a hip position of neutral, and another 20-30 degrees past neutral, just before the lower back starts hyperextending is very valuable for athletes.

For one, it’s not too common, and also it really prepares the hamstrings for propulsion (take-off) when you are sprinting. Many people who are ailing from hamstring problems will report a twinge or tweak when they go to drive off.

By performing this exercise, you are supplementing them with some of what they more than likely lack, prevent and rehab the ailment depending on your approach, and get them faster in the process.

The Speed Encyclopedia 

Want to nerd out on a Saturday night and read about speed development, joint angles, and torques? Travis has got you covered.

Okay, there’s all that AND you’re going to get the inside details on a system that’s been proven to work, including and abyss of exercises and drills Travis uses with his athletes in and outside of the weight room.

It’s the real deal. Check out The Speed Encyclopedia HERE.

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Best Articles of 2016: Guest Posts

I’m very fortunate that I have a fair number of coaches and other fitness professionals who see this site as a resource of quality information as well as a resource to help get their information and content in front of more eyes.

I had a bounty of excellent professionals pinch-hitting for me in 2016, and the three articles below were the top ones according to the traffic they received.

Copyright: doomu / 123RF Stock Photo

 

NOTE: Once January 27, 2017 arrives I’ll be in dire need for guests posts. That’s the day my little guy is supposed to arrive and my world is going to be turned upside down. In a good way of course…;O) I suspect my writing schedule will be drastically reduced, however I’d still love to continue offering top-notch content on a consistent basis.

If you’re interested please use the Contact function HERE and pitch me some ideas. A few criteria to consider:

1) You should be able to, you know, write well. On a base level you should be able to differentiate between to/too/two, their/there/they’re, your/you’re, then/than, and have read every book Kurt Vonnegut has ever written. Kidding.5

2) Preferably you actually have experience training people in real life. And, I’d prefer minimum two years experience in the field.

3) Have some “feel” for the type of content on this site. If you pitch me an article on fat-loss supplements or “Top Exercises to Tone Your Arms” I will Sparta kick you you in the throat.

4) I can be bribed with homemade carrot cake.

And now the best Guests Posts from 2016…

Intensity = Lift More Weight NOT Lift Weight More – Mike Sheridan

This article actually made the PTDC’s list of Top Articles of 2016 on their site (you can check out their list HERE). People have been programmed to think that exercise intensity is all about performing endless repetitions of whateverthefuck and then dropping in a pool of your own sweat or going until you can’t feel your legs.

Sure, it’s hard, and it has it’s time and place. But it’s not, technically, “intense.”

Why CrossFit Doesn’t Make an Elite Athlete – Travis Hansen

Ohhhhhhhhh snap. Not surprisingly this article received a fair bit of back and forth in the comments section. I get it: I think much of what was argued about was over semantics over the word “elite.” Nevertheless, I felt this was a good article by Travis who brought up some valid points.

Stop Cranking on Your Shoulders for More Mobility – Andrew Millett

Stop it already!