The traditional front plank is one of the most well known and least useful exercises we have available to us.
There are various figures but the world record for a plank hovers between eight and ten hours. There are exactly zero useful strength exercises that you can do for eight hours.
The plank makes sense in theory: In that position you’re forcing your anterior core musculature to support your spine in a way it isn’t used to and will result in strength and stability increases.
Truthfully, it can be useful for this purpose, but it gets out of hand really quickly.
People always think that adding time to their plank is the right thing to do, but end up with some horrific Gollum-esque posture; neck cranked forward, low back sagging, butt up in the air just grimacing their way to an extra 5 seconds on their personal record.
I’m here to tell you that there are much better ways to train core stability (anti flexion / extension) than just hanging out watching the timer on your phone. In fact, I’ve got eight better planks you can try instead of the normal plank. I’ll even be a sweetheart and list them in what I believe is the easiest to hardest.
1. Foot March Plank
I like this as one of my first progressions from a static plank because it’s a very familiar position to most people.
Marching your feet just an inch or so off of the floor adds a substantial anti-rotation component to the exercise, and your client will recognize it very quickly.
2. Elbow Tap Plank
Like the foot march plank, this increases difficulty by taking away a point of contact but feels much more difficult than moving your feet.
I like to make my clients move through this very slowly and deliberately to help reduce the amount of hip swinging they get. I find it helps to keep your hands centered on your chest and adjust the width of your feet to increase or decrease difficulty.
3. Bent Knee Side plank with Clamshell
I actually think I dislike static side planks more than static front planks because people end up in really dog-shit positions really quickly.
A good “hack” to fix this is utilizing the bent knee side plank, which makes it easier to stay in a good position by shortening the length of the lever (your body).
To get even more out of this exercise, throw a band around your knees and hit a clamshell. You’ll be training anti-lateral flexion as well as a few aspects of your hips while you’re at it. I utilize these as both a core exercise and as a filler/activation exercise paired with squats or deadlifts.
4. Plate Drag Plank
This is very much a progression of the elbow touch plank and allows you to load it externally.
There are lots of other videos of people using kettlebells, sandbags and even heavy ropes to do these.
5. Side Plank with Wall Slide
The first time I did these was during Eric Cressey’s “Show and Go” program.
I saw them on the program for that day and watched his video and thought it would be no big deal.
Got set up for my first rep and as soon as I lifted my leg I folded like a chair.
My athletes have given this exercise various names like “The Devils Exercise” and “if I see this again next month I’m gonna punch you in the junk”.
But give them a shot, I swear you’ll like it…
6. Bench Plank with Row
This gets really brutal really fast.
I personally don’t really chase the weight of the row portion of the exercise as I prefer the plank to be the emphasis and to be controlled perfectly. It’s nice to get a little extra rowing in with this exercise, but always be in control of the dumbbell.
7. 8 Point Plank
I thought I’d throw a curveball at you by making the two most difficult variations here static planks!
I just learned this variation recently and it’s really pretty amazing.
I underestimated it at first and then found myself shaking like a leaf in a windstorm within five seconds of starting it.
Putting your knees on the ground and posteriorly tilting your pelvis will help to remove your quads and hip flexors from the equation and then moving your elbows out under your eyes lengthens the “bridge” a little more.
If it feels not so hard to you, then you really need to focus on that pelvic tilt!
8. RKC Plank
This is a static plank, but barely.
The technique described in the video is called the “Zip Up” technique and I like to go through those steps before every rep of this plank.
I typically ask my clients to do three, 10-second holds with a quick break in between each rep.
You end up with a 30 second plank, but the most intense 30 seconds possible. If you don’t say “holy shit” as soon as you finished, then you did it wrong.
Final Word
If you’re going to train your core, you might as well be doing something that’s legitimately effective and won’t take up 7 minutes per set.
Try these out and let me know how they go for you.
About the Author
Mike is a personal trainer and strength coach living in Cleveland with his fiance and adorable pit bull.
He is the owner of Anderson Strength and Fitness, the strength coach for Healthy Green Athlete and is an all around badass dude. You can follow him on Instagram HERE or shoot him an email at [email protected].
It is E.V.E.R.Y.W.H.E.R.E of late and it seems you can’t have a ten minute conversation with anyone, or walk more than a city block, before it casually comes up.
I know my lane as a fitness professional. My expertise orbits around helping people get stronger, more athletic, move a little better, or otherwise building a bunch of deadlifting Terminators.
My strengths aren’t in debating macros, breaking down the Kreb’s Cycle, or discussing the complicated layers and intricacies of gluconeogenesis.
There’s a reason why I rarely (if ever) write about nutrition.1
That being said, I’d be lying if I said the topic doesn’t make up a large portion of my professional (and personal) life. What kind of coach would I be if I never discussed the importance of (total) caloric intake with a client who’s goal is to fat loss?, or if I never divulged the power of protein (and the many sources to get it from) for muscle maintenance and growth?, or if I didn’t go out of my way to mention dietary fat has a ton of health benefits?2
Moreover, what kind of coach would I be if I never extolled the wonders of Tupperware and the myriad of foods one can eat out of their containers at home, at work, on the train, or while flying an Apache?
Needless to say I talk about nutrition on an almost daily basis with my clients/athletes and I always attempt to answer honestly and to the best of my ability (and within my scope of practice). In addition I’ll often go out of my way to direct them towards sources and authorities I trust and respect.
To that end, I’m not going to attempt to explain the Ketogenic Diet in a thorough fashion here. There are entire websites and books you can peruse and nerd out on if you’re looking for an entertaining Friday night.
Nor am I going to attempt to sway you one way or the other, my dear reader, as to its validity and efficacy.
NEWSFLASH: I concede: It works!
Instead all I want to do is provide a little perspective and insight on how I view/interpret things when it comes to this latest health/fitness trend.
What Is the Ketogenic Diet?
This may come as a surprise to some, but “Keto” isn’t new.
It’s been around for quite some time.
To give credit where it’s due: My introduction to the Ketogenic Diet was back in the early-mid 2000’s after reading Lyle McDonald’s apropos titled book, The Ketogenic Diet (originally published in 1998).
In short, the diet is all about minimizing carbohydrates while following a moderate protein, high-fat plan with the end goal to nudge the body into a state of “ketosis” where it’s then less likely to be using glycogen (stored sugar) as it’s main source of energy.
I.e., the body runs out of glycogen stores so it then needs to find alternative fuel source(s). When this plan is followed long (and stringently) enough, the body (liver) begins to process fat into ketones which then becomes a fuel source your body can use.
NOTE: I say “stringently” because to my knowledge, it’s really, really, really, really hard to get into TRUE ketosis (let alone stay there). Like SEAL Training is easier. Even though the diet is considered a “moderate protein” approach, it’s actually not due to the insulinogenic properties of protein. Eating “too much” protein or going a smidgeon over can push someone out of ketosis rather easily.
Anyway.
The idea is that once you’re in “ketosis” you’re burning a boatload of body-fat.
Surprising to some, the Ketogenic Diet was first developed to address tough-to-address cases of childhood (and adult) epilepsy, because it was shown that ketones helped to reduce their frequency.
Pretty baller. Science and research works.
But lets pause.
Someone, at some point, was like:
“Huh, I see this diet is designed for epileptics, but I also see that these people are ripped AF. I wonder if I did it….if it would give me abs?”
“Keto” definitely works with regards to fat/weight loss, but it also hits the mark on some other things too.
Other “benefits” attributed to the diet include but aren’t limited to:
Weight Loss (weird how that happens when you pretty much omit an entire macronutrient).
Appetite control.
Mental clarity and acuity.
More energy.
Improve key markers in blood sugar, triglycerides, cholesterol, blood pressure.
Can walk through concrete walls.
But the question I have to ask is:
“Given all those benefits, is “Keto” a superior way to achieve them compared to other approaches?”
Well Is It?
To get to my answer I first have to share a story from this past weekend.
I was in dire need of some caffeine as my wife and I were walking around running errands with our 1.5 year old in tow. I meandered into my local GNC to pick up a quick energy drink and the guy behind the counter started some small talk.
First he asked about what I do? (strength coach), where I work out of? (my own place nearby), how long have I been doing it? (before smart phones existed), and he seemed genuinely interested in picking my brain as to what HE should be doing to put on some weight?
He mentioned protein powders, how he’s been trying to figure out the proper nutrient partitioning ratio, and a few other unimpressive words that really, in the end, mount to nothing other than him saying “blah, blah, blabidy, blah, blah. Insulin.”
It was fine.
Small talk.
No big deal.
He then looked at me and asked if I had ever heard of “Keto?”
(Cue Jaws theme music here).
“Sure,” I said.
“What do you think of it.”
“I know it’s popular now and that it works well for some people.”
“Do you like it?”
“Personally? No.”
“What do you like then?”
“I like whatever diet or approach allows people to best adhere to something long-term and matches their goals.”
SHORT ASIDE: I am not a fan of ad hominem remarks, and I KNOW this will come across as cliche because 50% of the time whenever anyone tells a “GNC story” the same description comes up. But I’m being 100% honest when I say the guy I was talking to was 6ft, 135 lbs soaking wet. Clearly hasn’t lifted a weight in his life.
“I like what you said there. But why are you against Keto?”
“I’m not against it. I just feel it’s not magic. And for all the work it takes someone to actually get into ketosis, I don’t feel there’s much benefit over all the other diets or approaches when matched for protein intake and calories.”
“My manager is a personal trainer and he’s a big fan of Keto. He mentioned the sugars in yogurt and that those should be avoided.”
“Yeah, I don’t think sugar is the enemy or all that bad.”
Now, imagine I hadn’t said what I just said (sugar not being bad) and instead said any of the following:
– “The world is flat.”
– “I’m not wearing any underwear.”
– “Jon Snow should have never been named King of the North.”
Imagine I had said any of those things and then I told him my best friend is an invisible dragon named “Derek.” Imagine the expression on 95% of the population’s face if they had heard something as crazy and blasphemous.
That’s the look I got back.
The dude’s eyes could not have widened enough.
“Wait, you mean you don’t feel sugar decays the body?”
“Fruit has sugar, is that decaying the body?”
Sensing a mental gymnastics quagmire I wasn’t going to get out of any time soon (and knowing five minutes of my life had just passed) I immediately responded with “My wife and kid are waiting for my outside dude.”
Which they were. As was Derek
He ringed me out and I left.
Keto = Not Magic
Notice I am NOT saying “Keto” doesn’t work. I think this is the second or third time I’m saying this to make it abundantly clear.3
It does, and I’m ecstatic for those individuals who have found something that works for them and has allowed them to stick with something long-term.
But what I find dumbfounding – and I see researchers like Alan Aragon and Layne Norton, who are way smarter than myself on this topic, fighting this fight often – is that there are a lot of people out there who think “Keto” is the end-all-be-all approach that will have everyone losing weight, reducing their risk of diabetes, and getting them accepted into Hogwarts.
Side Note: And for every person who waxes poetic on how euphoric they feel following this diet, there’s another person who feels like garbage and wants nothing more than to kick you in the pancreas.
It seems even though the “science” backs up other approaches leading to the same results, when it comes to Keto, people become really adept at denying said science.
To use a real world example I had a friend of mine reach out yesterday who felt compelled to do so after I shared my GNC story on Facebook.
“I have a health and wellness friend who is very prominent on Instagram/YouTube/Facebook who is a HUGE proponent of Keto and he regularly shares blood panels with the message that Keto is the way and superior to anything out there.
Let’s just say that my nutrition is quite the opposite of Keto and my blood panels are almost identical to his…including panels we both had done in early spring. More proof to my belief (and yours) that it’s an individual thing for each of us.”
That last sentence is money.
I can’t understand why this train of thought is such an insurmountable hurdle of commonsense for some to fathom.
My suspicion (and that of my friend above) is that there are deeper psychological issues or disordered eating around food at play, and that one’s relationship with food (not to mention body image) are no doubt festering beneath the surface.
And, of course, we can’t deny a certain percentage of people have a financial incentive to stress the Ketogenic lifestyle.
That’s dandy and far be it from me to tell someone they can’t make a living (much less how to do it).
But can we please stop with the fantasy and proselytization of this diet?
It works.
As do others (when people actually follow them and are consistent).
Dr. Lisa Lewis and I have designed a 1-day workshop for health/fitness professionals that touches on a topic rarely discussed: the SOFT SKILLS of coaching.
How to improve exercise consistency.
How to increase motivation and competency to train.
How to assess clients/athletes and write more effective programs that better match their ability level.
How to create loyal clients (and a growing bank account).
We’ll be holding another Strong Body-Strong Mind Workshop in Boston, MA on August 12th.
1. We offer both a Professional ($129) and Student rate ($99).
2. This Early Bird Rate ends on Sunday 7/22
3. CEUs will be made available.
For more details (including itinerary and registration) go HERE.
Dean Somerset and I are currently in the throes of drumming up new content for our staple workshop series.
We’ve presented this workshop all over the world – London, Vancouver, Oslo, Prague, Boston, LA, Minas Tirith – and even turned it into a popular digital product HERE so everyone can enjoy it.
We’ve already nailed down dates in Slovenia, Houston, and LA this fall (2018) and are also in talks to bring it to Detroit, Philadelphia, Edmonton, Australia, and Singapore in 2019.
If you’re someone who’d like to host this event/participate in a tickle fight please reach out to either Dean or myself.
Unless your last name is “Brickshitdieselmotherfucker,” don’t use it to name your gym. Although, in fairness, Pete offers both the pros and cons of using your name.
Be cautious.
And if you’re last IS Brickshitdieselmotherfucker….can we be friends?
Remember that scene in Castaway when Tom Hanks’ character is making his getaway from the island and his beloved Wilson inexplicably floats away and towards the end of the scene we’re left with that cacophony of “Wilson! Wilson! I’m so sorry. Wiiiiiiiiillllssssooonnn!!”
Yeah, I cried so freakin hard too.
Anyway, my boy Dan makes a brilliant analogy between that scene and how he explains what training WILL and WON’T do with his new(ish) clients.
Great read.
Social Media Shenanigans
Twitter
One of the hardest struggles as a coach is juggling what I KNOW a client needs and what they’ll actually do to stay on task and consistent with their training. You’re the boss/expert, but there’s always a smidgeon of compromise in the coach/client relationship. Important.
Two weekends ago I was in London teaching a workshop with my friend Luke Worthington.
We had a group of 35 trainers from across the UK (and Europe) eager to learn more about assessment, program design, coaching up common strength movements, and how I rank the Bourne movies.5
One of the main umbrella themes we kept hammering home was that, contrary to popular belief, “tight” hamstrings isn’t really a thing.
Labelling the hamstrings as “tight” is often the default scapegoat and blamed for everything from butt wink to low back pain to male pattern baldness. So it wasn’t surprising to see the flabbergasted reactions from the majority of attendees when Luke and I kept repeating our message.
You would have thought Gandalf rode in on a Unicorn yelling “You shall not stretch the hamstrings!” based on people’s facial expressions.
What’s next: Water isn’t wet? Grass isn’t green? Ryan Gosling’s gaze doesn’t penetrate my soul?
Listen, I’m as skeptical as they come whenever anyone in the health/fitness industry uses the words “everyone,” “always,” or “never.”
Those are three words, when used ad nauseam, immediately scream “shady motherfucker with an agenda,” whenever I hear them.
It’s never the hamstrings. OR You should never eat past 7 pm.
Always avoid gluten. OR If you’re serious about fat loss, always avoid carbs.
Everyone must deadlift from the floor. OREveryone who reads this site is clearly off the charts intelligent and attractive. (<— 100% true).
There are nevertheless exceptions to every rule and circumstance. I’d be remiss not to tip my hat at the notion there are, indeed, people out there who have legitimately tight (or, more to the point, anatomically short) hamstrings.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a1Y73sPHKxw
That being said, I doubt you’re one of them.
I’m not going to sit here and say it’s never the case, but it’s such a rare occurrence that you’re more likely to win an arm wrestling match vs. a grizzly bear than actually having tight/short hamstrings.
Take butt wink for example.
The common culprit is tight hamstrings (photo on the right).
But if we were to discuss (and respect) basic anatomy we’d note the following:
The hamstrings are a bi-articular muscle group that cross both the hip and knee joints.
My pecs can cut diamonds.
As we descend into deep(er) hip flexion – I.e., squat – the hamstrings lengthen on one end (hips) and shorten on the other (knee), for a net change of nada.
#itsnotthehamstrings.
But How Can We Tell?
It’s uncanny how many people I’ve interacted with in my career who describe having tight hamstrings, and after telling me they’ve been stretching them for 43 years (<— only a slight exaggeration), are still looking for that one magical stretch to cure them.
My first step is to plop him or her on an assessment table and ask them to perform a simple screen to ascertain whether or not they do, in fact, have tight hamstrings.
It’s called the Active Straight Leg Raise.
You lie the individual supine and ask them to slowly, while keeping one leg cemented to the table or floor, elevate the other off the table while keeping it as straight as possible. They keep going until they feel the first smidgeon of resistance (or you start to see compensations like the pelvis rotating, the foot rotating, and/or either knee start to flex).
An acceptable ROM is anywhere from 70-90 degrees of hip flexion.
A funny thing almost always happens.
Most people pass the screen with flying colors.
Me:“You don’t have tight hamstrings.”
Them: “The fuck outta here! You mean, there aren’t any other stretches I should be doing?”
Me:“Zero.”
Them: “Zero?”
Me:“Yep, zero.”
[Cue crickets chirping]
This finding doesn’t, however, dismiss the fact said person’s hamstrings still FEEL tight.
So, W……..T……….F?
Something is awry.
To peel back the onion a bit more I’ll then implement a brilliant trick I was reminded of by Ottawa based personal trainer, Elsbeth Vaino.
The Bridge Test
I’ll have the same individual perform a standard glute or hip bridge. They’ll get into position and then I’ll ask “where do you feel that?”
Many will immediately say “hamstrings.”
I’ll then have them perform a 1-Leg Glute Bridge and ask them to hold that position for 10-15 seconds.
Most don’t last five.
“YOWSA…..my hamstrings cramped up.”
Why?
The body’s #1 hip extensor is the glute max, and if it’s not doing it’s job well the body’s #2 hip extensor, the hamstrings, will pick up the slack.
In all likelihood, for most people most of the time, the hamstrings feel tight because 1) they’re overactive and doing double the work and/or 2) pelvic alignment needs to be addressed (more glutes and anterior core = more posterior pelvic tilt = hamstrings are put on slack).
NOTE: the latter point – hamstrings lengthened due to (excessive) anterior pelvic tilt – is why stretching them only feeds the issue. The tightness many feel is neural in nature, not because of true shortness. Stretching an already lengthened muscle only exacerbates things.
Something Else to Consider: Active End-Range Hip Flexion
To add another nail into the “it’s not the hamstrings” coffin I’ll also take a gander at one’s ability to move their hip into (active) end-range flexion.
This “trick” digs into some of Dr. Andreo Spina‘s work on Functional Range Conditioning (FRC) and is another splendid way to gently tell someone to stop stretching their hamstrings.
No diggidy, no doubt.
Final Word
The sensation of tight hamstrings is less about an anatomically short muscle which requires endless hours of static stretching, and more about improving:
Position/alignment of the pelvis via nudging people into a little more posterior pelvic tilt by hammering glutes and anterior core.
Active end-range hip flexion. Allow people to experience this position more often and good things will happen.
It was a lovely trip and I’m always sad to leave Europe, but we were ready to come back if for nothing else so Julian (our 1.5 year old) could back on a normal schedule.
I’ve been slacking in the writing department on my end of late, but I promise I’ve got some doozies lined up that will melt all of your faces off.
We had such a great response when Lisa and I hosted a SBSM Workshop in Boston last year that we decided to do it again this summer.
I’ll be speaking to assessment, coaching up common strength exercises (squats, deadlifts), and how to better “match” your programs to your client’s abilities and goals.
Lisa will be discussing how to better manage client expectations, motivation, and how to adopt better mindset strategies for success.
The umbrella theme of this workshop is to enhance the SOFTskills of coaching, how to garner a connection, and build rapport with your athletes/clients.
Spots are limited
Early Bird rates apply for both students ($99) and professionals ($129)
CEUs will be available (NSCA)
For more details (including itinerary and registration) go HERE.
Dean Somerset and I are currently in the throes of drumming up new content for our staple workshop series.
We’ve presented this workshop all over the world – London, Vancouver, Oslo, Prague, Boston, LA, Minas Tirith – and even turned it into a popular digital product HERE so everyone can enjoy it.
We’ve already nailed down dates in Slovenia, Houston, and LA this fall (2018) and are also in talks to bring it to Detroit, Philadelphia, Edmonton, Australia, and Singapore in 2019.
If you’re someone who’d like to host this event/participate in a tickle fight please reach out to either Dean or myself.
I wrote an article for the Personal Trainer Development Center on program design discussing some of the mistakes I’ve made throughout my career, as well as highlighting strategies that will undoubtedly help expedite the process for any fitness professionals out there who feel overwhelmed.
A few months ago I listened to Noah speak on the topic of muscular tension and how most trainees have zero comprehension as to just how integral it is for performance in the weight room.
Moreover, the strategies one can incorporate to increase muscular tension are fairly simple.
It was a very interesting presentation and I asked if he’d be up to writing a little sumthin, sumthin for the site.
The article linked to above is more or less a “part II,” the other side of the equation (what to do to decrease muscular tension), and something that helps bring the entire conversation full-circle.
I sometimes have a hard time differentiating the nefarious politicians from the shady personal trainers.
Both camps, it seems, will say or do anything to appear more important than they really are and to get a leg up on their competition.
I remember when I used to work in a swanky commercial gym here in Boston The Rock once asked me where a certain piece of equipment was located.
I answered (and immediately started hyperventilating into a brown paper bag).
I then moved on with my life. What I didn’t do was then proceed to brag about I used to train The Rock, when all I really did was point him towards the lat pulldown machine.
OTP Publications sent me a copy of this book a few weeks ago, and I ended up stuffing it into my suitcase for my European trip hoping to snake a few peeks here and there between Julian naps.
I’ve always been a fan of Sue’s work and this is no exception.
Definitely worth the price.
NOTE: Link above is not an affiliate link.
SOCIAL MEDIA SHENANIGANS
Twitter
If your clients have poor technique with the “boring stuff” like push-ups, rows, lunges, birddogs, etc……please, fix THOSE (I.e., do your job) before putting in rest-pause deficit deadlifts vs. chains with a 3-3-1 tempo into someone’s program.
I’m currently in the throes of jet-lag sucktitude.
I’ll be back on my writing content horse next week, but I’ve got a treat for you today. TG.com regular contributor, Dr. Nicholas Licameli, is subbing in for me today and he went to TOWN in today’s guest post.
This is one of the most thorough articles I’ve read in a while on the topic with a metric shit ton6 of information with many additional links to help you nerd out a bit more if you so choose.
The squat is a topic that has gotten a great deal of attention among many fitness and medical professionals since mankind first started lifting heavy things against gravity. Since then, much of the conversation has changed (with the advent of civilizations, roads, running water, Instagram.
However much has stayed the same.
I understand this isn’t the first article written about the squat.
Some of the greatest minds in fitness and strength and conditioning have written on the topic, and I encourage you to dive into the multitude of references that I’ve provided.
My goals for this article are to help make your squat look and feel better, improve performance and effectiveness, un-complicate the complicated, and give you the confidence to perform this foundational movement without fear.
Unfortunately, there are those that say to avoid squatting.
As a physical therapist, I have to apologize because much of that flawed thinking stems from misinformed and unqualified professionals in the medical field that are pleasantly ignorant to current practices.
The squat and hip hinge are foundational to basically all movements in and out of the gym.
Whether you’re hitting a PR on the platform or sitting down on the toilet, you are squatting and you better be using proper technique. I’ve treated injuries as a result of poor squatting in both of those previously mentioned instances. Why avoid the squat in the gym if we’re going to do it constantly throughout our day anyway?
I say train it rather than avoid it.
Why not be prepared and do it right?
The squat and hip hinge require total control of the deep abdominals as well as the hips, pelvis, and entire spinal column. We can all agree that teaching proper abdominal bracing, pelvic positioning, and proper lifting mechanics are of utmost importance for the treatment of musculoskeletal injuries including knee, hip, and low back pain. For some reason however, we don’t all agree that squatting is necessary.
Newsflash…when done correctly, THEY’RE THE SAME THING!
As both a doctor of physical therapy and professional natural bodybuilder, it should come as no surprise that in my opinion, people of all ages and from all walks of life should be squatting. This includes the young athlete just starting his/her training career, those recovering from injury, those trying to prevent injury, and even (and especially) the elderly.
No matter if you are an athlete or a great grandparent, we are all essentially “squatting” multiple times throughout our day, so why not train it, strengthen it, and perfect it?
You can release this muscle or stretch that muscle but if patients and clients don’t know how to squat and hip hinge, we are spinning our wheels and wasting valuable time.
How to Squat
While this isn’t a step by step “how to squat” article, here is a quick and dirty rundown of some things to keep in mind.
There is a plethora of information out there about thoracic spines, knees, ankles, spinal positioning, foot placement, etc., and sometimes it can complicate things, make people fearful, and mystify the movement.
Basically, a proper squat and hip hinge starts (obviously) at the hips with the spine in a neutral position (more on this later). After a breath in, tension should be kept throughout the body and throughout the movement. The entire spine, including the neck, mid back, and lower back, should be kept in a relatively stable and neutral position. The feet should remain actively planted on the floor with the weight evenly distributed.
More on all of this to come.
In the beginning of my lifting career, I struggled with finding the “groove” of the squat. This is partially due to improper mental cueing during the movement. Some of my mental cues during the squat were:
“Arch the back hard to avoid spinal flexion.”
“Keep the head and chest up so they remain in line with the horizon.”
“Sit back and push through the heels.”
“Always squat below parallel.”
While there could be worse things, especially considering that, like most beginners, my sources of information were muscle magazines and of course the biggest guy(s) at the gym, I think these cues can be quite misleading and detrimental to squat technique.
Here’s why.
“Arch the Back Hard to Avoid Spinal Flexion.”
Avoid a hard arch in the lower back.
Don’t let the lower back round of course, but rather maintain the natural arch of the lumbar spine.
Hard lumbar extension will crunch down on the delicate structures of the spine, put the glutes in a less than optimal position to stabilize the pelvis, and place the hip in slight flexion before the movement even starts.
Starting in hip flexion will cause the femur to run out of room in the acetabulum for hip flexion when you want it most…at the bottom range of the squat. This could result in femoral acetabular impingement (FAI) and labrum pathology.
Get out of that hard arch and find your neutral.
“Keep the Head and Chest Up So They Remain in Line With the Horizon.”
Keeping the head and chest up isn’t necessarily a bad thing, however if we achieve that position by hyperextending our backs and flaring our ribs forward, it becomes problematic and essentially unstable.
Cueing a slight posterior pelvic tilt prior to un-racking the weight and maintaining that position throughout should do the trick. This will place the spine and ribcage in more of a neutral position.
We maintain the position by taking a breath, contracting the upper back, lats, mid section (as if putting on a tight belt or walking into cold water up to your navel), pelvic floor (as if holding in gas or urine), and even the feet (more on this to come).
Check out my explanation of what it means to “contract your core” right here. Tony does an awesome job of explaining this here, as does John Rusin here. Quinn Henoch and Ryan Brown also hit the point home here. Eric Cressey nails the upper body and lat set up here.
“Sit Back and Push Through the Heels.”
It’s true that we don’t want to push through our toes and allow our heels to rise off the floor, however it is also true that we don’t want to shift our weight so far backward that the toes lose contact with the floor and most of the force goes through our heels.
Yes, we want to descend slightly backward, but the focus should really be on descending down between our hips.
When we say we put an adversary on “his/her heels,” we are saying that we put them in a vulnerable position and on the defense, which will likely lead to a step backward. Why would we want to put ourselves on our own heels while squatting?
A better cue is to have an “active foot,” evenly maintaining 3 points of contact with the floor: base of big toe, base of little toe, and heel. Tony explains this really well here. This foot position will help stabilize the hips and knees, as well.
Mastering the “active foot” takes practice, but once you feel it, there’s no going back.
For everything you (and your children and their children’s children) will ever need to know about squatting, check out this bad boy by Greg Nuckols.
Find Your Squat
Hey fellow millennials!
Remember what our mothers taught us…we are all special, we are all unique, everyone is a winner, Mufasa died of natural causes, and most importantly, we are all different!
When it comes to the squat, this last point is key.
We are all structured differently, which is why there is no particular squat that is perfect for everyone. Things like foot position, stance width, and squat depth will all be impacted by things like the size of our torsos, length of our femurs, and the structure of our hips and pelvis. We need to find the squat variation that best “speaks” to us.
The classic example of this is hip flexion range of motion and lumbar compensatory spinal flexion.
Much has been written about this topic, and to avoid making this more like a Harry Potter book rather than a guest post, I’m going to refer you to some excellent articles down below.
Keep in mind that a range of motion measurement taken while lying on a treatment table DOES NOT always necessarily correlate to what we observe during an actual movement pattern like a squat and vice versa.
That being said, a 2008 study (stolen by me from afantastic articleby Bret Contreras) showed a 60 degree difference in hip flexion range of motion between the least flexible (80 degrees) and most flexible (140 degrees) subjects out of a total of 200 hips.
That’s quite a large difference, considering exercises like a deep squat require about 120 degrees of hip flexion. Differences in femoral anteversion/retroversion (how much the head of the femur faces forward or backward), acetabular anteversion/retroversion (how much the the hip socket faces forward or backward), and inclination angle of the femoral neck (angle of the neck and shaft) are seen from individual to individual as well as from hip to hip within the same person.
These genetic structural differences all change an individual’s ability to squat.
Thanks Mom and Dad…
Pushing past end range hip flexion in the descent of a squat for the sake of going deep will cause compensations up and down the chain, particularly flexion of the lumbar spine, AKA the dreaded “butt wink” (cue the tire screech and screams).
While some amount of lumbar flexion and “butt wink” is acceptable (we’ll get to that in a minute), too much, too often, in an uncontrolled manner, can be problematic.
So you can see why being married to a certain squat variation can be inappropriate.
If you are an individual that is unable to squat deeply but force yourself to perform deep barbell squats because your lifting partner says so, you’re setting yourself up for injury and a faulty and uncomfortable squat.
When it comes to varying your squat type, be sure to know your goal.
Why are you squatting?
To improve overall strength?
Hypertrophy?
To get a stronger squat?
To impress a member of the opposite sex (spoiler alert, they don’t care)?
To be able to pick up your child without pain?
There are many variations of the squat.
The conventional barbell back squat is just one option and unless you are training for a powerlifting meet, where you will be required to perform the conventional barbell back squat, there is no reason to lock yourself into only one type of squat.
Why not try a goblet squat? Or a sumo squat? Or a front squat? Why not use dumbbells or kettlebells instead of a barbell? If structured correctly, any variation of the squat will improve strength and hypertrophy as well as train the hip hinge and proper bending/lifting mechanics.
What’s the take home? We are all structurally different and it is important to find the squat pattern that works best of us.
Here are some great resources that will help you find the squat pattern that works best for you and your anatomy:
Note From TG: Nicholas is kind to include me amongst such elite company (Note to Self: you owe Nick 1000 Predator handshakes), but mine is easily the least pithy of the bunch.
Neutral Spine…Does It Exist?
Yes and no.
Research has shown that lumbar flexion, particularly at the bottom of a squat (the previously mentioned butt wink), is quite natural in a squatting pattern, particularly at the point in the movement where the hips start to run out of space for further flexion.
I agree with Quinn Henoch that neutral spine is more of a range rather than a set position, so don’t lose sleep over a little spinal flexion.
How much excursion is too much?
You knew the answer before you asked it.
It depends!
That being said, you definitely want to avoid movement at the spine and pelvis as much as possible. A moving base causes leaked energy and therefore less stability and built up tension. This means less force produced, less strength, and less Instagram pictures with a bumper-plate loaded bar on your back.
Don’t Stop Squatting Because You Have Pain Or Feel Restricted
If you experience pain during a squat, SEE A QUALIFIED HEALTHCARE PRACTITIONER.
You want someone that will question the type of squat that hurts, ask when in the range of motion the pain occurs, analyze your squat pattern, ask about weekly volume and load, inquire about recovery and sleep, and do everything in his/her power to keep you squatting.
There are always ways to modify the squat in order to keep training this key movement pattern while training with an injury.
Sharp pain at the bottom of a squat?
Try using a more neutral spine with slight flexion using a goblet squat to free up some space in that acetabulum.
No good?
Try adding a band around the knees during a few warm up sets.
Still no good?
Add a box to squat to at a level just above where the pain is felt.
The point is, you deserve better than a rushed, “Stop squatting for 4 weeks, take these anti-inflammatories, and see me in a month.
Oh, and if that doesn’t work, try foam rolling, cupping, turmeric, an oxygen deprivation mask, and VooDoo floss bands in a bath of apple cider vinegar and creatine.”
Fixing the symptoms with things like medication and surgery without considering the cause is an all too common theme.
These things have their place, of course, however they must be used appropriately. For example, surgery to repair a labrum that was damaged after repetitive impingement due to faulty lumbo-pelvic mechanics would be like fixing ceiling tiles in your living room instead of fixing the leaky roof.
After the surgery, if the individual returns to squatting with the same mechanics that got him/her under the knife in the first place, what good has been accomplished? Doesn’t make sense to repair, install, and paint shiny new ceiling tiles without fixing the roof first. Check out a video I made on this a while back right here.
So What Can We Do To Improve How The Squat Looks And Feels?
This is a tough question, because, as you probably guessed, everyone is different and it depends.
I recommend seeking out a qualified healthcare practitioner that will assess, reassess, and give you the tools to improve your individual squat.
Gone are the days of performing long, drawn out warm ups in the name of injury prevention, mobility, and movement optimization. A warm up should increase your heart rate and mentally and physically prepare you for the specific movements of the day.
The warm up should be active, specific and purposeful, not a cookie cutter series of activities like flailing around on the dirty gym floor or jamming a lacrosse ball into your sciatic nerve in hopes to break up adhesions in your piriformis.
Things like static stretching and foam rolling are passive activities.
In contrast, light cardio, dynamic stretching, loaded eccentrics, and actually getting under the bar and grooving the squat movement with sub-max loads are all active.
Passive activities like foam rolling do have their place, but they should be used appropriately. The benefits of foam rolling are short-lived, so if you’re going to foam roll, I’ve found it best to do it in between warm up sets. Of course, the specific muscles you target will be individual to you, your body, and your squat. For more on this, check out my article and videoas well as this fantastic episode of Mobility Mythsby Quinn Henoch.
Don’t feel obligated to use cardio as the only way to increase heart rate.
A dynamic series/circuit of exercises, combined with specific mobility work using active techniques such as loaded eccentricsand reciprocal inhibition (here and here), followed by some squatting with bodyweight or just the bar, will increase your heart rate just fine, not to mention both physically and mentally prime your system.
You get more bang for your buck.
For more on a proper warm up, including explanations of how to put it all together, check out my current lower body warm up right here as well as a great hip mobility exercisenot in included in my warm up video.
Also, Quinn Henoch (<— can you tell I have a little man-crush on him?) nails it in this episode of Mobility Myths about stretching.
And That’s That
I hope this helps in your journey to finding and perfecting your individual squat.
Remember, there is nothing to fear about the squat and there is no need to overcomplicate this foundational movement. Don’t forget to take advantage of all the resources provided in this article, as they are from some of the greatest minds this field has ever seen. Happy squatting!
Oh, and one more thing…knees drifting over toes is OK.
About the Author
Nicholas M. Licameli
Doctor of Physical Therapy / Pro Natural Bodybuilder
Every single thing he does, Nick believes in giving himself to others in an attempt to make the world a happier, healthier, and more loving place.
He wants to give people the power to change their lives. Bodybuilding and physical therapy serve as ways to carry out that cause. Nick graduated summa cum laude from Ramapo College of New Jersey with his bachelor’s degree in biology, furthered his education by completing his doctoral degree in physical therapy from Rutgers School of Biomedical and Health Sciences (previously the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey) at the age of 24, and has earned professional status in natural bodybuilding.
His knowledge of sport and exercise biomechanics, movement quality, and the practical application of research combined with personal experience in bodybuilding and nutrition allows him to help people in truly unique ways. Love. Passion. Respect. Humility. Never an expert. Always a student. Love your journey.
I’m still in London at the moment.7 I’ve been having a blast taking in the sights and hanging out with my wife and little man. I’ve done zero writing.
Fret not. I coaxed another friend of mine – with a handmade coupon for a redeemable tickle fight – to write a guest post for the site while I’m away.
Kevin Mullins nailed this one. Couldn’t agree more with what he has to say.
The fitness industry is rife with opportunity these days.
It seems that anyone with an interest in health and wellness, human performance, or aesthetics is a personal trainer. The qualifications are just as diverse with individuals having degrees in kinesiology and nutrition or certifications in personal training, strength and conditioning, or bathroom lighting management.
It seems that the industry is expanding upwards and outwards at an exponential rate each year.
This landscape of opportunity is both thrilling and concerning as the fitness industry has become a sort of “Wild West”.
On one hand, every day thousands of people begin studying for their personal training certification, converting their Instagram profile into a business, and launch transformation groups for low introductory rates.
The addition of online training has surely changed the game as so many fitness professionals have never trained an in-person session.
In a similar manner, thousands of talented minds who have acquired multiple degrees and certifications in the field pour into the workforce each year – all looking for the same things.
Determined that they are “above-the-fray” these educated individuals apply only to small facilities owned by the top coaches, become interns for universities, or begrudgingly accept jobs at a local gym until they get found. The lure of the strength and conditioning arena, in addition to working at exclusive locations, convinces an entire population that there are no other options.
And holding steadfast and steady remains commercial fitness.
Oh yes, that commercial fitness – the dreadful, evil corporations that employ trainers by the dozens and just throw them onto the gym floor with an iPad and biceps veins in search of profits.
These are the brands that hire you because you look the part, are willing to be taught, and can work the early mornings and late nights.
The hours spent training for a commercial brand nets a trainer invaluable experience in programming, problem solving, sales, and patience.
If you can build a business that persists for years on end while employed with a commercial brand, then you are certainly capable of doing your own thing, applying to an “elite” facility, or interning for your favorite sport.
The workload that you must have to meet standards and pay your bills is exhausting, but invaluable as your work ethic develops at an exponential rate. Each facility like a proving ground where the challenges range from the complexity of a special populations client to the arrogance of a client who no-shows and still wants their sessions in their account.
It’s also the very same commercial fitness that gets disrespected when you submit for publication, an opportunity to speak at a conference, or work side-by-side one of the industry “legends”.
It’s the arena where no matter how incredible you are at your job there is always someone who thinks “well, if you were any good you’d just open your own spot”. It seems that you can only be great at your job if you are doing your own thing – as if being a business owner is a desire of all who join the field.
Plain and simple, commercial fitness is hard.
And it demands respect from new trainers and industry legends a like.
Far too many people look past it and its merits as though being a personal trainer for a commercial brand is the worst thing that could happen to your career.
Hint: It isn’t and here is why:
Generalist Before Specialist
Working the last seven years for two lifestyle fitness brands, Sports Club LA and Equinox, I’ve literally trained everyone.
Congressmen, pregnant women, young students at George Washington University, budding high-school athletes, retired old ladies with scoliosis, retired old men with multiple sclerosis, young guys with poor posture and no legs, CEOs who master everything I teach them, and the run-of-the-mill “I just don’t want to be fat” person. From disability to amazing ability, I’ve seen clients all along the spectrum.
And it taught me that you must be good at everything before you can become incredible at something specific.
If you would have poked at me when I was graduating college and asked who I wanted to coach, then you would have heard “I want to be a baseball strength and conditioning coach”. I still do today, but I’m so happy I wasn’t given an opportunity to be one early in my career because I would have bobbled that chance like a barehanded double play exchange.
It wasn’t because I was dumb – I had just graduated from University of Maryland with a degree in Kinesiology, had obtained my USAW level 1 and a personal training certification in one summer, and had spent time learning directly from some great coaches. I would have failed because I had never trained anyone, experienced the gut-wrenching moment when you over-program someone and get them hurt, or learned what personal training actually is.
See, commercial fitness and its wide variety of clients help you isolate which variables in the fitness spectrum matter and which ones don’t.
Calculating a geriatric client’s one rep max doesn’t cross my mind, nor does a push up repetition test.
You want to know what does?
Assessing their hip and ankle mobility, lower-back strength, and posture. So too does strengthening their posterior chain, moving them in three-dimensional space, and accounting for the challenges of falling well, and getting back up correctly.
But, tell a young trainer who wants to start his own gym at 22 that he needs time to learn how to train and you’ll be met with a list of qualifications, their body fat percentage, and some pseudo-motivational quote about how Einstein found the theory of Relativity at age 26. I love the fire, but we need to learn to control the flame.
And that is where the experience of training people of all ages, sizes, goal-types, physical conditions, and viewpoints on Michael Jackson’s contribution to music is critical.
You must be able to train the person in front of you and not force the person into your program. You can’t even be “specific” if you don’t know what is general in the first place. Thus, the greatest gift commercial fitness provides a good trainer is the ability to shape-shift programs to the unique aspects of the unique individuals you are presented with.
Hard Hours and Rapid Experience
In the gym by 5:30am and out by 9pm – that was my life for the last eight years (I’ve recently limited my evenings to only two nights per week). The alarm clock goes off five minutes after you set it, or so it feels as your days turn to nights and nights to mornings before you do it. Each morning a series of three or four people in a row, with no breaks, and a night schedule that isn’t much different.
Sure, you get the middle of your days to workout, study, take a nap, binge Netflix, and generally live your life while everyone else is at work.
But you work when others don’t.
You often bill five or six hours before noon – an incredible realization at times. Your meal schedules are all jacked up and you have no idea of what shows other people watch at night because you’re still at the gym training.
But that is what is so amazing about commercial fitness.
If you are good at your job and you are capable of building, and maintaining, a client base, then you’ll undoubtedly work these absurd hours. While it is absolutely exhausting, and at times nauseating, this schedule builds character, work ethic, and hours of experience in quick fashion.
In my nine years of fitness I’ve done roughly fifteen thousand one-on-one sessions, a few thousand group fitness classes, and have taught a couple hundred hours of lectures in-house.
Point of that last sentence – is that I’ve worked a lot over the years and that experience is now invaluable as I teach other trainers, write text like this, and coach my clients on what works and what doesn’t. This is how it works at commercial fitness facilities – you grind and grind until you either burn out, get promoted into management, leave to do your own thing, or go back to school.
I know coaches with double my experience who still show up everyday and deliver amazing work.
So, if you are new to the industry – full of energy and hope, then it is imperative that you spend time working these hours. First to build your work ethic, but then to build your bank of training assets. Only weeks of thirty or forty sessions can help you refine your craft so quickly. Success in personal training is so dose dependent, for the trainer and the client, it is absurd.
A great trainer from a commercial gym knows what a real workday feels like, has been humbled by the stress of meeting standards, has thought about leaving to do something else at least hundred times, and knows that squatting on a BOSU ball is as useful as cooking in a freezer. All of this is invaluable.
Group Vetting and Growth
Working alone, at least in your early years, is one of the worst things that could happen to your career.
While you may be proud of your independence and feel empowered by business acumen – you will not get better as a trainer until you’ve had other trainers see you in action. For one, knowing other people are around keeps you from doing dumb shit that has no place in a training session. But secondly, and more appropriately, the camaraderie of a fitness club allows for healthy discussion on a variety of topics and methods.
I remember my early years well.
I was loud (still am), always trying to do things in the front of the gym and trying to find the most spectacular way of doing things possible. I wanted the members of the club, my peers, and the world at-large to know that I was there to train, and it was going to be awesome. Except this behavior caught the attention of some veterans who pulled me to the side and metaphorically slapped me back into reality. I still look up to these people as mentors no matter how much I’ve accomplished since those days.
Being in a commercial setting means you aren’t in a bubble and someone can observe you at all times (both members and trainers alike). This responsibility makes you pause when you program and ensure you are doing the right thing.
Moreover, knowing eyes are on you should make you pay extra attention while your client is moving. You’ll focus on cueing instead of counting and cheering them on. You should be adjusting and only programming movements that make sense for the individual in front of you.
Throwing burpees at the fifty-year-old lady who just wants to lose a few pounds and feel better when she wakes up?
Well, this isn’t going to go well for you when I see you around the desk later. Want to let your client deadlift two plates with a spine that looks like an egg? That’s cool – we’ll talk about it during the next meeting and make you own your suck in front of everyone.
Afraid to coach harder exercises because you don’t quite understand what you are doing and fear hurting someone? No worries, we’ll sit down and discuss the biomechanics and then workout together to make sure you got it down.
See, it does take a village and every trainer should experience the phenomenon of the group vetting process. If you are great at what you do, then you’ll have no issues, but if you are not – you’ll know about it and quick.
Emphasis on Training
The final point emphasizes how different being a trainer is from being a business person. The two can absolutely overlap, but one does not make the other better inherently.
This fact is why many great coaches have business minds involved, or partnered with them, in their endeavors. Just because you can coach the shit out of a deadlift doesn’t mean you can manage the books, design a successful marketing plan, and maintain inventory of your toilet supplies well.
Being a business owner is admirable and a goal of many coaches out there. Yet, being a business owner does not mean you are a great trainer. How many people are out there making stupid amounts of money selling lies and poop-on-a-stick? Those folks are great business people but horrid trainers.
So, with that said, one of the perks of working in commercial fitness is that your focus is on training first and foremost. Sure, you need to manage your clients and stay on-top of their billing and session counts, but you aren’t paying the electric bill, dealing with equipment maintenance, and handling new member acquisition. You aren’t figuring out how to pay debts, pay yourself, and have enough left over for growth. Instead, you wake up and put on your pants and train your ass off until you can take them off.
Which is perfect for those formative years where you need to learn how to train.
In time you’ll find yourself asking managers for a better look at the big picture or sitting in on meetings that discuss profit margins and retention. You can read the works of Pat Rigsby or spend a day interning for guys like Tony – where you are a fly on the wall and simply watch how a trainer runs a business.
But, when you have a few hundred hours of training experience you need more training experience…not your own spot.
A Message to the Top
I think it is important for some of the coaches who do the lecture tours and the brands that host them to realize that being a commercial trainer isn’t a kiss of death. You aren’t less than someone who runs their own business just because you don’t want a mountain of debt. You can be an incredible strength and conditioning coach even if you aren’t being paid in T-shirts and light beer at a division II school.
Sure, there are some “not-so-good” characters at every gym that are doing the unthinkable. Yes, commercial fitness can make trainers care more about session quantity over quality. And of course, there are way more divas and ego-lifters flexing in the mirrors of these gyms then there are SC coaches or business owners.
But, it isn’t a wasteland.
I’d argue that the advent of online training brings greater concern than commercial fitness when we factor in that no one is overseeing the actions, or programs, that are being implemented. That doesn’t mean online trainers are bad, or that training online is bad, but it does acknowledge that bad online coaches have no checks and balances.
I think is imperative for the industry to rethink how we view commercial fitness. Instead of mocking it and the people they employ – let’s look to build up the new trainers, refine the veterans, and harvest the skill-sets and experiences of the best in the bunch to only further our industry. Like anything we must retain our fine-tooth comb and brush away the noise. But we don’t have to shave the whole head.
Great trainers, private or commercial, must be at the helm of the crazy landscape that is the fitness industry. Where you work means much less than how you work. Let’s never forget that.
About the Author
Kevin Mullins, CSCS, is a personal trainer and group exercise instructor at Equinox Sports Club in Washington D.C.
Kevin utilizes a listen first, coach second strategy to ensure his clients, and programs, are exceptional…and not his ego.
When he isn’t training clients or writing content Kevin can be found deadlifting, Bicep curling, or finding new, corny ways to emphasize squeezing the glutes. Kevin maintains his own personal site at KevinMullinsFitness.com.
I’m over in Europe being all bourgeois and stuff at the moment.
Thankfully I had a few people reach out asking if they could write some content for me while was away chasing foxes in England with the Queen.
Today I’ve got a good one from Toronto based nutritionist, Marc Capistrano, discussing a few intricacies of pre and post-workout nutrition.
Enjoy!
How to Approach Pre and Post Workout Nutrition
The goal of this post isn’t to give you the ideal plate of food that should be eaten before or after training, but rather to provide you with some insight into that immediate post workout window before your next meal.
The same goes for the odd time that occurs 30 minutes to an hour before training.
I know many of you may be rolling your eyes saying that things like “the post workout window is a myth” and that in the greater scheme of things, what you eat immediately before or after training isn’t as important when your intake of food is balanced throughout the day.
I’ll agree that this is somewhat true, but I’ll also say that the timing of your food intake in and around training can have an effect on overall performance.
Before we get into the sexy takeaways like the specific foods to eat before and after our workouts, let’s get a couple things straight. First, we need to consider a few factors to help inform our unique, individual pre and post workout meal needs:
Current Eating Habits
At the end of the day, nutrition will always come down to the individual.
What works for you may not work for someone else.
As an example, I know some people who thrive training fasted and then there’s some people who need a little bit of glucose in their system to perform. Some people are fat adapted and some people, like myself, need their carbs before training.
With that being said, don’t build around a set of nutrition rules, instead, build off of what has worked for you and upgrade that shit.
Nutrient Intake
If vitamins and minerals are cofactors for the body to support ATP production, then we need to consider how nutrient dense our food actually is. Nutrients are more influential on energy production more than calories.
Calories aren’t the only influence on energy production.
Blood Sugar Management
If you’re counting macros, then you’ll have your food and caloric intake set for the day, but the specifics of pre and post workout nutrition takes into consideration meal timing and what types of foods you choose to eat around your workout.
Some may argue that meal timing isn’t that important. But to me, meal timing means blood sugar management. When it comes to the fine details, the time in which you eat and digest your food can play a role in overall performance.
Rate of Digestion
The rate at which we assimilate and digest our food matters. This influences how efficiently our food is used as substrates for energy production. Also, have you ever eaten at a buffet then trained immediately after?
Keep the garbage can close if you do decide to try it.
The Intensity of Your Workout
If you’re a power-based athlete then consider fueling your body with expensive fuel; aka carbs.
As for the keto people reading this, I think we can all agree that being fat-fueled is an efficient method of energy production, but utilizing fat vs. carbs prior to training is the difference between using a Hybrid and a Ferrari to win on a race track.
The same can be said for the lower carb Paleo followers as well.
Carb Consumption
Are your goals recovery-oriented?
Or are you more concerned with body composition?
Recovery methods will usually require higher carb intake before and after your workouts, while lower carb intake will allow the body to use fat as a substrate to fuel your workouts if improving body composition is your goal.
Pre-Workout Nutrition
To keep it simple, pre-workout nutrition is based around providing the body with the right amount of amino acids while also maintaining a slow and steady release of glucose to be used during your workout.
Here’s what to eat…
Have Some Fat
If you’re fat adapted this is especially important, as it’s the primary substrate of energy production for you.
Even if you’re not following a strict keto diet, I like having clients include some sort of quality fat source prior to training because of its ability to provide a slow and steady release of available glucose during your workout.
I especially like Medium Chain Triglycerides (MCT’s) because of their ability to cross the mitochondrial membrane and be used as energy immediately. Other fats require a series of events that need L-carnitine for entry into the mitochondrial membrane while MCT’s don’t.
Some quality fat options include: coconut, avocado, cheese (if dairy is your thing) and most nuts and seeds are great options. In case you were interested, below is a quick video of how I incorporate MCT oil into my pre-workout training session.
Just a Little Bit of Protein Bro
You’ve heard this before, but I’ll remind you that having protein and its available amino acids limits protein from being used as a substrate during exercise while keeping protein synthesis (MPS) levels steady as this tends to go down during workouts.
A full steak may be too dense of a meal immediately prior to training, but a protein shake or BCAA supplement will do just fine.
Other quick and easy protein source for pre-workout nutrition include: beef jerky, turkey jerky or a simple protein shake.
Coffee. The Original Pre-Workout
Coffee offers a jolt of energy by blocking adenosine receptors in the body that would otherwise reduce neural activity.
For a more balanced and reduced intake of caffeine, opt for a Green tea, which contains an amino acid known as L-Theanine, which balances the stimulatory effect of caffeine. It also contains far less caffeine than the average cup of coffee.
Post-Workout Nutrition
For the most part, post workout nutrition involves higher insulinogenic foods paired with adequate protein intake.
Not only does the consumption of carbs post-workout replenish glycogen stores that we tapped into or depleted during intense exercise, but as a storage hormone, it promotes the absorption of amino acids into the blood stream needed for protein synthesis.
The body also happens to be more insulin sensitive and more receptive to food right after exercise, which is why I opt to have my calorically dense meals in the post workout window.
Ketosis and being fat adapted aside, post-workout nutrition can have an effect on cortisol secretion. This is particularly important post-workout as we’ll want cortisol to gradually come back to normal levels.
Don’t get me wrong, cortisol has a very important role during training, but if chronically elevated, it can have negative effects. Post workout carbs will bring cortisol levels back to a normal range and have favourable effects on things like the immune system.
Here’s what to eat…
Fast Carbohydrates
When it comes to starchy carbs, I opt for faster digesting carbs like white rice. The fact that its fibre content is lower is beneficial in this context.
The faster it spikes insulin, the faster the absorption rate. Good post workout starchy carb sources include white rice, potatoes, rice cakes, and yes, bread. Clearly there are more fun ways of spiking your insulin (sugar, candy, cake), but lets consider gut health, long-term health and quality when choosing post-workout food options.
Fruit
Opt for fruit lower in fructose as fructose is slower to absorb. This is due to the fact that it needs to be processed in the liver first.
Fruits that are lower in fructose include blackberries, blueberries, pineapple, kiwi, papaya, strawberries and grapefruit.
Protein: Whey or Vegan Protein Powder
It’s fast, easy to prepare, and even easier to digest…making protein powders an ideal option for post workout consumption. The amino acid Leucine is particularly beneficial because of its ability to keep protein synthesis (MPS) high after exercise.
Notice that fat is excluded here?
That’s because of its ability to slow down the absorption of food.
This is beneficial from a blood sugar standpoint as this can be useful for times when we need a slow supply of glucose, but not beneficial during a the post workout meal where quick absorption and assimilation is needed. When it comes to post workout nutrition, taking advantage of the body’s insulin sensitive state is the most important note to take home.
I get it.
For some: These recommendations may simply not matter, but for someone in the dark or struggling with general nutrition, building a habit based approach to what’s eaten immediately before and after training will produce at the very least, consistency.
For the trainers out there: Providing clients with a set of go-to recommendations gives the client a feeling of purpose and direction with training and nutrition. That in itself carries value and at the very least something to take away from this.
About the Author
Marc Capistrano is a Toronto based Certified Nutritionist, fitness enthusiast and content creator. He currently works out of downtown Toronto and maintains the Live It Holistic Nutrition blog.
Due to some kind of error on my part, we are in an AirBnB with no laundry. You cannot travel to Europe for 2 weeks with carry on-luggage – and a baby – and not have laundry! Oops. So we were planning to do some laundry on Sunday, but NO Laundromats were open! I know, it’s bonkers.
Anyways, as you can imagine I had a plan to attack the laundry situation first thing Monday morning. So when Julian woke up at 6am, we seized the opportunity. With Julian in the stroller, notes-on-paper, old-school style directions (due to no cell service) we made our way to the “Waschsalon”, only to find German-only directions and a very confusing looking computer that looked like it came out of 1987!
Thank GOODNESS there was one other desperate laundry-doer at 6:30am in Bonn, because he helped us how to figure out the weirdest Laundromat computer system I have ever seen! We threw the Landry in, headed out for diapers, milk, bananas, and bread (like any family on vacation should), and then back to the Laundromat to put the wash into the dryer. During this time I watched a elderly woman, and seemingly regular patron of the Waschsalon, take off her shirt and bra, and place it into the wash. So there was that. We rolled with it, and had a little breakfast:
Anyways, laundry done, groceries gotten, 78 fresh new diapers! Let’s go… Today was our day to see Cologne.
Did you know that Cologne is a favorite city of many Germans? Apparently it has a special something about it. It is also Valentina’s favorite city – so if your guide loves the city you’re visiting, so do you!
We started with the Cathedral – because… well, have you ever seen the cathedral?
Actually, there is really no photo that could ever do it justice. The cathedral (The Dom) is insane. We walked in and around for awhile, taking photos and being tourists.
After exploring the city center, we headed across the river:
Where there’s a tall building topped with a fabulous observatory and a 360 degree view. Here are some photos:
After some looking at the Rhine and the city from the “other side”, we had lunch! More Kolsch, a bratwurst, and more potatoes – naturally.
We made our way back to Bonn, because Valentina has a business to run, after all, and we were so sorry to say goodbye! She is a fabulous person, and was an amazing host. He hope to see her again soon!
I was happy to be home by 5pm. It felt like the first time we got to relax! We relaxed, made some easy dinner, and packed up.
Guten Morgan! Julian, Eileen, and Tony slept well.
Me, not so much, but what can you do?
Luckily, my life-long love affair with coffee sustains me in times like this, so I was awake at 4:30 and up at 5:30am dosing myself, while the family slumbered.
After a few cups of coffee and a slice of amazing German bread, I went back to sleep at 7:30, and awoken by Julian at 10:30 (thank the Universe for 12 hours of sleep for the baby!) We realized Julian was down to his last few diapers, and that I had just used the last coffee filter (!!!), so we headed out to buy some of each. Do you know that Every. Thing. Is closed on Sunday in Germany?!
I did not believe it was not possible to buy a diaper – but believe it! I did find some coffee filters in a gas station (Aha! At least the gas station is open) but no diapers. So we counted the last 4 and hoped this would not become an issue…
Due to everyone sleeping in, we got a late start, and headed into Valentina’s gym for a jet-lag rehab workout. Unique fitness is gorgeous! And the workout really helped – chin ups, bench press, deadlift, swings… and everything feels 30% better! Tony, Eileen and I all got in our workout while Julian observed (and napped more!) in his stroller.
After the workout and a quick shower we were out to sightsee in Bonn! A cute little city, one of the major tourist attractions is the birthplace of Beethoven. Tony and Eileen went inside to visit, and due to the no-stroller accessibility situation, Jules and I hung out on the street and watched the tourists come to take photos of the front door
After some walking around, Valentina recommended a restaurant on the other side of the Rhine, with amazing food! So of course, we made the trek, and by the time we arrived we were starving!
But the walk was totally worth it.
Owned by a husband and wife team, this was “The” place to get Schnitzel, if you want good Schnitzel… So of course, I had to get Schnitzel! I opted, of course, for the “Classic Schnitzel” which is veal, with bits of bacon on top, because why not? This was accompanied with potatoes, naturally.
One thing I love about the area is the beer – Kolsch.
If you are a local, you drink a small glass of Kolsch, which is light, and because it’s in a small glass, it’s always cold and bubbly. So you have a little beer, then another, and then maybe if you want, another.
So you’re never drinking “too much” beer, and your never drinking warm or flat beer – brilliant!
Apparently other kinds of Germans make fun of drinking light, easy-drinking beer out of small glasses, but I loved it!
Anyways, after dinner I was SOOOO full I was ready to sleep right there! But we left and made the journey back home to our Airbnb.
Nicholas M. Licameli
