Intangibles

Sweat the Small Stuff

You may have heard the term intangibles if you’ve

played any sports in your day: Your coach would say, “we need to do the intangibles right in order to win the game!” If your coach was anything like mine, an upper case would have been more appropriate for that quote. But what are intangibles and why do they matter?

In the case of the coach, intangibles refer to the little things that when added together make the difference in winning and losing (for a great speech on this, see Al Pachino in Any Given Sunday). Examples of these include blocking shots in hockey, diving after loose balls in basketball, or ensuring a quick transition in a triathlon. At the end of the day it is still the final score, time, distance, or weight – the quantity - that determines the outcome, however, the intangibles (quality) will most often lead to that desired number.

What does this have to do with weight training?

If we apply this concept of intangibles of sport to the ability to perform in the weight room, we can help the client focus more on the little things that will make a huge difference. If we actually look at what the principle of progress means in the gym, we see that tiny increases in weight = big increases in strength/power. For example, let’s say I increase my 3RM Military Press from 185 lbs to 190 lbs in 1 week. Now, this may not seem like a big increase, but when we consider this over a period of time, a weekly jump of 5 lbs equates to a big increase in strength throughout a year. Even if I increase by ½ (2.5 lbs) for the following 2 weeks, I’ve just gained almost 10 lbs in a typical 3 microcycle phase. My point is, we need to make sure we are doing the little things in order to get a gain in performance, because even the smallest gains can sometimes be the difference between attaining your desired outcome and not.

Intangibles have the uncanny ability to heighten other aspects of performance. Here are three intangibles that I feel are among the most important and how they manage to bring other skills up in the weight room.

Focus

Imagine that you are Tiger Woods on the 18^th hole at Agusta. As usual, you’ve just mounted another incomprehensible comeback, but still need this 10 foot birdie putt to win the Masters. Most people are already getting clammy palms...but not Tiger. He is so focussed that he doesn’t even hear the five pre-mature camera flashes that just went off in his backstroke. Of course he nails the putt and collects another funny looking green jacket.

Now, imagine you are about to enter a squat rack and need to lift a weight three times that you have never done twice. For some strange reason, we don’t seem to think that the same amount of focus is necessary to squat the bar. Focus while lifting is something that I feel is brutally lacking from the majority of the lifting population’s tool box. When you focus during your lift, you actually increase your intrinsic feeling of a lift.

If you are training a client (or even yourself), your job is to make sure they are focussed. If they come into a session flustered beyond belief because, “he did it again” or “I have so much to do today,” this should be a wake-up call for you to change their mindset. Try getting them to start their session with some balance drills. Start with simple ground based, single foot drills and progress to unstable surfaces. This is NOT a core exercise: This is merely a way to get them focussed on the task at hand – staying on this funny looking half-dome. This now must transfer into the lift. When they enter the squat rack, have them first visualize the lift and then stare very very intensely at a spot about 5-20 feet away. This is another reason why lifting in front of a mirror is not a good idea – too many distractions. Not only is your own body moving but you may be distracted by other movements in the background.

Tempo

This might be the most important variable of lifting. Too many times we get caught up in sets and reps and don’t pay any attention to the speed of the movement. The tempo of the lift will determine the time-under-tension (TUT) – quite simply, the amount of time a muscle or group of muscles are under tension during a rep, set, session, etc. The biggest mistake I see trainers make when starting with a client is getting them to perform new exercises without a care of what the tempo is. If you have someone performing a plank rotation (front plank/side plank rotation) and you let them do it as fast as they can to get their “10 reps” in, I guarantee you will never get them to keep their hips level and rib-to-hip connection intact. Now, if you slow them down by even half the speed, you’ll see that they have to focus (sounds familiar), and instantly their form will improve. Obviously, not all lifts are created equal. For example, a deadlift – which is more of a slow, grind lift – is going to differ in tempo from a kettlebell swing. Too often in a deadlift, the individual performs the lift as a tempo that is too fast. You cannot create enough tension when a deadlift is performed more like a power clean. In contrast, sometimes performing a kettlebell swing too slowly can have adverse effects to the individual. Many beginners will have this problem, where they try to slow the kettlebell down as opposed to letting the bell do the work. Once we try to slow the bell down, we are now putting a higher eccentric braking force (source of many injuries) on the rotator cuff, for example, causing a painful shoulder. A swing should be performed as if you are about to explode off of the ground without actually leaving and then “pulling” the bell back to load your hip hinge. Once again, when the individual focuses on the tempo of the movement, they instantaneously heighten their ability to focus, which we know enhances performance.

Breathing

If you’ve ever watched a boxing match, you’ll understand the importance of proper breathing. It sounds more like a back and forth spitting match. Upon each punch the boxer will (usually) exhale upon impact. This is done for a couple of reasons: The first is that it allows the boxer to put everything s/he has into the punch. The second and most important reason - it creates maximal intra-thoracic pressure, or tension, which translates into the most powerful punch. The same can be said for weightlifting. Let’s take an overhead press of any kind: If the individual presses a weight overhead while not getting proper inhalation (around 70% max lung capacity) and does not forcefully release the air upon moving the weight, they either won’t lift the weight, or they will compensate and risk injury. Take that same person and get them to inhale properly, hold their breath for a slight second (can’t wait for the backlash from physiologists) and then breathe through their teeth (hissing sound), and it will make an immediate impact on their ability to perform the lift safely. Martial artists call this “breathing behind the shield”. Many people will think this sounds stupid, so you give them two options: Sound stupid or get hurt. I’m sure they’ll come around. Plus, like all good intangibles, it improves the other aspects of a skill: In this case, intra-thoracic pressure, focus, and the safety of the lift.

So the next time you are training (yourself or a client), treat it like a competition – if you do the intangibles, chances are you’ll win the game – improve lifting performance.

Links

Hi Everyone,

So I just wanted to bring to your attention a couple of great links that need to be shared with you. Firstly, we are pumped to announce that Human Motion now has a Human Motion Channel on YouTube. On there you will find a database of exercise videos complete with voice-over describing correct technique and coaching cues. There are also some training videos for fat loss, strength, fitness, etc.

Check it out here! http://www.youtube.com/user/carmenbott#p/u

Secondly, I'd like to direct you to an audio interview where Nick Grantham (nickgrantham.com) quizzed Human Motion's Carmen Bott on her journey to becoming one of the world's top strength coaches, her philosophies on training the endurance athlete, and her insight on regeneration between training sessions.

You can hear the audiocast here: http://nickgrantham.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/10/Carmen-Bott-QA.mp3

Lastly, I thought I'd bring your attention to something that I have become very passionate about over the last year. More and more, we are starting to finally see some change to the way we view our health, lifestyle, and happiness. Specifically, support has started to become more mainstream for more holistic approaches to the way we tackle the above topics. Whether we are talking about our nutrition, our workplace, our training, or our environment, we know that these issues are very complex and thus must require a well-rounded integrated approach. My colleague and good friend Cliff Harvey is the owner of a company called Katoa Health. Specific to nutrition and natural therapies, Katoa Health provides nutritional advise, lifestyle coaching, and body work to everyone from the elite athlete to the middle-aged individual with a digestive illness. I think the pillars of Katoa Health symbolize the necessary approach needed to help an individual: We need to treat the individual as a whole-unit.

Check out Katoa Health here: http://www.katoahealth.com/

New Can-Fit-Pro Article!

Hi Everyone,

I just wanted to let you know that I have a new article that has been featured in the latest Can-Fit-Pro magazine. If you don't subscribe to the magazine, I've copied it below for you to take a look at.

Thanks!

Skating Strong : A New Approach to Groin Injury Prevention

Well, it’s that time of year again – the physiotherapists start to lick their chops in anticipation of the start of fall and winter sporting events. The excitement is obvious as the rather laid back summer activities get traded in for skates, skies, and of course – injuries. More specifically, skating sports such as hockey, speed skating, and cross-country skate skiing, see a very high incidence in groin injuries (Quinn et al., 2003; Tyler et al., 2001). Although there are many injuries that occur at the origin point of the groin muscles (stress fractures, avulsion fractures, osteitis pubis, sports hernia, etc.), adductor strains are the most common (Maffey & Emery, 2007). The groin muscles include the adductor brevis, longus, and magnus, the gracilis, and the pectineus which together flex, adduct, and medially rotate the thigh. The vast majority of these groin injuries are caused by the adductor muscles being put under a high eccentric load before having to decelerate (or accelerate in the opposite direction) and quickly shorten in an explosive concentric manner (Lynch & Renstrom, 1999). This can be seen when watching Cindy Classen drive her skate into the ice (abduction/extension) before quickly pulling (adduction/flexion) the femur back and ready for the next stride. Similarly, every time Roberto Luongo recovers from a butterfly, he has to drive his outside skate into the ice so that he can push across his crease in time for the next shot.

Some of these injuries are bad luck – the result of pushing off with the skate or ski, only to have it slip and not dig in. Because of the speed of the movement, the brain “thinks” or “assumes” that the skate will dig in, creating a nice surface to drive off of. However, when the slip occurs, the abductor group continues accelerating while the smaller adductor muscles go through a very powerful eccentric force, sometimes too large for this group to handle. Quite often however, groin injuries can be chronic injuries that seem to resurface time and time again during a competitive career.

Risk Factors

There are many risk factors that have been identified in the research that increase the likelihood of sustaining a groin strain in skating sports. These include previous injury, increased age (or number of years played), strength imbalances in both legs, increased abductor to adductor strength ratio, poor core stabilization, lack of sport-specific adaptation training, and poor adductor eccentric strength (Maffey & Emery 2007). Notice that adductor length has not been included in the list of risk factors. There has been some support for opposing muscle (hip abductors and quadriceps) length as a risk factor (Gabbe et al, 2005), indicating that hip flexibility should focus more on these muscles groups rather than the hip adductors.

As a strength coach, you need to address these risk factors, each weighted based on importance. Previous injury is usually something you have no control over. However, you can still learn from this information, and target the individual as “at risk” for future lower extremity injuries. Age or sport experience is again something out of your control but note that the older the athlete gets, the more detail and effort must go into implementing their training program.

Strength imbalances between legs should be recognized in the initial assessment of the athlete and addressed immediately in training. Unilateral strength training involving slow, controlled lifts will help to equalize the two limbs and improve movement economy. Similarly, although the need for abductor hip strength/power is crucial for success in skating sports, the opposing adductor group must not be far behind in order to reduce the risk of injury (Tyler et al 2001; Tyler et al, 2002).

Core stability, eccentric training, and dexterity training are three methods to help decrease some of the more controllable risk factors such as non-sport-specific adaptations, a large abductor:adductor ratio, and poor core stabilization.

Core Stability

Every athlete can benefit from proper core stabilization training. Most of the research that has been done on core stabilization and groin injuries has focused on implementing programs based on unstable surface training (BOSU, stability balls, balance boards, etc.). Although research has shown an increase in core muscle activation in a relatively static state, this does not cross-over to dynamic stabilization of movement (Cressey et al., 2007). Moreover, for the most part, skating sports occur on flat surfaces with the ankle joint fairly fixed in a boot; with unstable surface training, the foot is often placed in an awkward position, leading to an increased risk of injury.

Core stability has been shown to decrease injury in most sports, but specific to skating, it is proposed that a fair amount of groin pain results from the inability to transfer load properly from legs/torso to the hips (Ekberg et al., 1988; Meyers et al., 2000; Williams et al., 2000). As a strength coach you need to integrate core stabilization into primal movements and patterns specific to skating. It is one thing for a speed skater to be able to hold a front or side plank for 3 minutes, but it is another to decelerate quickly into a lateral lunge and power back while fatigued. The athlete must be able to brace under load to produce safe, powerful movements or else all that mat-based core work will go to waste.

Eccentric Strength

Eccentric strength training addresses a number of different risk factors: strength imbalances between legs, increased abductor to adductor strength ratio, lack of sport-specific adaptation training, and poor adductor eccentric strength. Previous research in hamstring injuries has indicated the importance in eccentric hamstring strength for avoiding hamstring strains and ACL injuries (Proske et al, 2004). This increase in hamstring eccentric strength increases their optimal length (force vs. length curve) resulting in the muscle group generating a greater force at a greater length – which means less incidence of hamstring strain.

So, why can’t we do this for hip adductors as well?

There hasn’t been a lot of attention given to eccentric training of hip adductors when it comes to addressing strength in the groin. Most of the protocols that have come from research have focussed on concentric strength. Plyometrics is one of the most effective training protocols in developing specific eccentric strength and rate of force development. In addition to weighted eccentric work, plyometric training allows the muscle (group) to undergo a very rapid stretch (eccentric), before transitioning (regaining potential energy) to a very explosive shortening (concentric) of the muscle. Lateral bounds, zig zags, angled lateral jumps, and cutting drills are great examples of plyometric exercises for the hip. Focus must be on making each jump as powerful as possible.

Weighted eccentric exercises are a little more complicated when it comes to the groin. Bands are often used as a training tool for eccentric training, however, as the groin is stretched (eccentric portion), the band gets shorter and thus provides less and less resistance (Emery, 2008). With eccentric training, the load needs to be significant and consistent to have the desired effect. One way to attempt this is using the cable pulley system. Attach the cable to the inside ankle and walk away (so the side of you faces the stack). Have a qualified strength coach holding your leg in neutral. As the coach lets go of your leg, your goal is to slow it down as it is being pulled back to the stack. To have a true eccentric effect, the weight should be heavy enough so that you cannot concentrically pull the leg back to the middle (coach returns the leg).

Sumo squats and deadlifts are a nice adjunct to plyometrics as they provide a wider stance in order to put the adductors on stretch. In addition, you are still getting the benefit of posterior chain strength – a necessity in skating sports. Weighted lateral lunges are also great for deceleration training, however, they focus more on the abductors; make sure you balance out the adductor strength with the above lifts to improve that abductor:adductor ratio.

Dexterity training

Now before you start doing finger push-ups, think again. Dexterity training as it applies to strength & conditioning is developing “a motor solution to a motor problem” (Bernstein, 1996). Because motor problems within sport are usually quite unpredictable as in hockey, we as strength coaches need to develop techniques and pre-habilitation programs that attend to as many contexts as possible (Moreno, 2008).

Oh great, so let’s get out the agility ladders right? Well, not exactly. Traditional coordination and agility training involves predetermined conditions to be performed as quickly as possible. With dexterity training, you want to create an unpredictable or chaotic environment. This can be done in conjunction with your plyometric training. For example, while your athlete is in mid-air during a vertical jump, point to a spot in which they must cut to upon landing. The objective is for the athlete to land, plant, and cut as quickly as possible while not having the luxury of a pre-planned movement pattern. This can also be done during on-ice sessions for goaltenders in hockey. Have the goalie perform continuous lateral pushes from a butterfly position. Tap your stick once to change direction, and twice to pop up into a stance. Although this will not eliminate situations such as losing an edge, it will better prepare your nervous system for the sporting environment.

So, whether you’re training a hockey player, skier, speed skater or other type of skater, keep in mind the importance of keeping healthy groin musculature.

References

Bernstein, N.A. (1996). On dexterity and its development. In Latash, M.L. and Turvey, M.T. (Eds), Dexterity and its Development. New Jersey, Lawrence Eribaum Associates.

Cressey, E. M., West, C. A., Tiberio, D. P., Kraemer, W. J., & Maresh, C. M. (2007). The effects of ten weeks of lower-body unstable surface training on markers of athletic performance. Journal of Strength & Conditioning Research, 21(2), 561-567.

Ekberg, O., Persson, H. H., Abrahamsson, P. A., Westlin, N. E., & Lilja, B. (1988). Longstanding groin pain in athletes. A multidisciplinary approach. / douleur persistante a l ' aine chez des athletes: Approche multidisciplinaire. Sports Medicine, 6(1), 56-61.

Emery, J. (2008). Groin pulls in hockey: An intervention to lower the risk. Human Motion: The Performance Advocate. Retrieved from www.humanmotion.ca

Gabbe, B. J., Finch, C. F., Bennell, K. L., Wajswelner, H., & Orchard, J. W. (2005). RISK FACTORS FOR HAMSTRING INJURIES IN AUSTRALIAN FOOTBALL. (abstract). British Journal of Sports Medicine, 39(6), 385-385.

Lynch, S. A., & Renström, P. A. F. H. (1999). Groin injuries in sport: Treatment strategies. Sports Medicine, 28(2), 137-144.

Maffey, L., & Emery, C. (2007). What are the risk factors for groin strain injury in sport? Sports Medicine, 37(10), 881-894.

Meyers, W. C., Foley, D. P., Garrett, W. E., Lohnes, J. H., & Mandlebaum, B. R. (2000). Management of severe lower abdominal or inguinal pain in high-performance athletes. / diagnostic et traitement d'une douleur severe dans le bas du ventre ou inguinale chez des athletes de haut niveau. American Journal of Sports Medicine, 28(1), 2-8.

Proske, U., Morgan, D., Brockett, C., & Percival, P. (2004). Identifying athletes at risk of hamstring strains and how to protect them. Clinical & Experimental Pharmacology & Physiology, 31(8), 546-550.

Quinn, A., Lun, V., McCall, J., & Overend, T. (2003). Injuries in short track speed skating. American Journal of Sports Medicine, 31(4), 507-510.

Tyler, T. F., Nicholas, S. J., Campbell, R. J., Donellan, S., & McHugh, M. P. (2002). The effectiveness of a preseason exercise program to prevent adductor muscle strains in professional ice hockey players. / fiabilite d ' un programme d ' exercices de pre-saison pour prevenir les lesions musculaires aux adducteurs chez des joueurs de hockey sur glace professionnels. American Journal of Sports Medicine, 30(5), 680-683.

Tyler, T. F., Nicholas, S. J., Campbell, R. J., & McHugh, M. P. (2001). The association of hip strength and flexibility with the incidence of adductor muscle strains in professional ice hockey players. / L'association de la force et de la flexibilite de la hanche joue-t-elle un role dans l'incidence d'une elongation du muscle adducteur chez des joueurs professionnels de hockey sur glace? American Journal of Sports Medicine, 29(2), 124-128.

Williams, P. R., Thomas, D. P., & Downes, E. M. (2000). Osteitis pubis and instability of the pubic symphysis: When nonoperative measures fail. / osteite du pubis et instabilite de la symphyse pubienne: Lorsque les mesures non-operatoires ne fonctionnent pas. American Journal of Sports Medicine, 28(3), 350-355.

Controversy - Is it always worth it? A response to Time Magazine's Weight Loss Article

You may or may not have read Time Magazine's article Why Exercise Won't Make You Thin. For those of you who haven't read it, here's the link: http://www.time.com/time/health/article/0,8599,1914857,00.html.

Again, I apologize for directing traffic to Time's website, but I feel it is warranted in this case.

This article has seen a lot of retaliation - my colleague Cliff Harvey wrote a great piece on the Human Motion Facebook Page: http://www.facebook.com/topic.php?topic=9882&post=39794&uid=8244761855#post39794.

So without further adieu, here is my response:

Well put Cliff. Obviously, there is some emotion in that post...and rightfully so. I can just see Cliff sitting down and typing that out...in 4 minutes. I don't know that I've read something that has had such a huge response in the online community. Controversy is what some writers go after; it gets attention and thus, gets more people reading and talking about it. So, well done John Cloud, you've probably earned yourself a lofty Christmas bonus from Time Magazine's head honcho.

Now John, I'm not sure if you are aware but we are currently in an obesity EPIDEMIC. Your very own Surgeon General claims that the “most pressing issue” before him and America today is not terrorism, but obesity. The only comparison that I can fittingly come up with would be an Alcoholics Anonymous mentor walking into their meeting and announcing, "Well everyone, we've been going about it all wrong. Booze is the answer to all our problems". I am really getting sick of reading and watching media coverage of what our society really wants to hear – the 1 in 50 studies that show McDonalds actually decreases strokes, or watching more TV gets kids to think critically. This may seem humorous to you but this is what gets published in mainstream newspapers and broad-casted on newscasts. And, sadly, this is exactly what Time Magazine – a magazine that millions upon millions of overweight or obese individuals read – has done.

I could fall back to my strength and conditioning background to criticise the author about how he “exercises”. I could ask him what the hell a “body wedge” class is. I could ask him why his training doesn’t involve anything that resembles high intensity. I could ask him if he even knows what a weight is. I could ask him if he is surprised that yoga and pilates doesn’t get rid of his “gut”. But I won’t ask him about these key ingredients of exercise for weight loss. Instead, I’ll retreat back to my previous point: What the hell kind of message are we trying to send? Sure, people need to be their own judge on issues they face. And sure, it’s not your (Mr. Cloud’s) fault that people would actually believe that “fiery spurts of vigorous exercise could lead to weight gain”. But for the love of anything that is willing to listen, that doesn’t mean you use that as an excuse to publish a message that attacks the notion that exercise is beneficial for weight loss or health.

The funny thing is this article actually has a paradoxical message that I can’t entirely disagree with: While knocking out exercise in the first round in the Battle Royal of weight loss, the article actually brings nutrition to the fore-front as the major determinant of weight loss. Now, the notion that exercise on its own does not help with weight loss is no hidden secret. Fitness professionals would be lying if they claimed that their program was all a person needed to lose weight. However, like Dr. John Berardi pointed out in his response to this article, there has been huge success - both research and anecdotal evidence - when combining sound nutrition and a proper high-intensity exercise program for weight loss. There is no doubt that nutrition is the major player here. However, like Cliff Harvey said, it’s not necessarily the amount of food, but the quality of food that is the concern. This combined with exercise programs that involve low intensity steady-state cardio and no weight training, is a huge reason why the “research” that Cloud pointed out did not yield any weight loss success. Not to mention that body composition was rarely taken into account during these studies.

Cloud is right, we see this all the time at the gym we train out of: People drive to the gym, jump on the elliptical for 45 minutes at the same low speed while talking to their friend, and then head on down to Tim Horton’s for a “well-deserved” iced-cap and doughnut.

The message that I take the most issue with, however, is informing people that exercise is a negative thing:

“Yes, it's entirely possible that those of us who regularly go to the gym would weigh even more if we exercised less.”

“In general, for weight loss, exercise is pretty useless”

“Exercise, in other words, isn't necessarily helping us lose weight. It may even be making it harder.”

“Could pushing people to exercise more actually be contributing to our obesity problem? In some respects, yes.”

“You should exercise to improve your health, but be warned: fiery spurts of vigorous exercise could lead to weight gain. I love how exercise makes me feel, but tomorrow I might skip the VersaClimber — and skip the blueberry bar that is my usual post-exercise reward.”

The author mentions a couple health benefits of exercise (which, I might add should take up this entire page), but it is in a matter-of-fact kind of way. It is as if weight loss is more important than overall health. It just absolutely pains me to read something like this when, as a 26 year old, I am hearing about a family member or friend’s parent passing away prematurely, due to a heart attack, stroke or some other disease related to physical inactivity and nutrition.

I realize that I can be quite harsh sometimes; I often criticize people for not making changes to their lifestyle that we KNOW will instantly improve their health and well-being. But, after reading articles like this, I can’t entirely blame people.

Cloud points out that we should re-define “exercise” and suggests that we shouldn’t be pushing ourselves so hard because it drains our energy, encourages us to eat more, and forces us to do less low-level activities. First off, you can still train relatively hard 2-3 days/week and see big increases in fitness level and health, while allowing your body to regenerate in between sessions. Similarly, walking more or just being outside can still be done with this style of training without feeling as though you have no energy. And, of course we are going to get hungry after exercising but that doesn’t mean we get an extra “stupid” button to press so that we continually force crap food into our bodies.

Lastly, I think this last quote sums up the author’s background and health knowledge:

“Some research has found that the obese already "exercise" more than most of the rest of us. In May, Dr. Arn Eliasson of the Walter Reed Army Medical Center reported the results of a small study that found that overweight people actually expend significantly more calories every day than people of normal weight — 3,064 vs. 2,080.”

That’s odd, I would have thought that an overweight or obese individual would be very efficient at moving and wouldn’t take that much energy in calories to move from A to B. Cripes. While it is true that muscle requires more energy than fat to function, overweight individuals are going to have larger bodies – which include larger muscles and organs – than “normal” weight individuals. So, to cite this reference as a “proof” that we should be exercising less is both unjustified and morally irresponsible.

TIME, you should be ashamed to have fallen victim to the appealing nature of controversy at the expense of people’s health. This is one topic that can’t afford to encourage inactivity, not at the rate we’re going.

Hemsworth & Harvey Strength/Power Day

The dynamic duo of Cliff Harvey (www.cliffdog.com) and myself got together for our regular strength/power day. Why? Because it's Wednesday...and Wednesday is business time. I'm sorry, had to throw in the Flight of the Conchords dig for the Kiwi.

This is a typical strength/power day for the two of us. Not a lot of exercises...but then again...we're here to get powerful, not join the circus.

• Power Cleans from the Waist 4 x 3 (185lb)
• Front Squats 5 x 5 (225lb)
• Slow Clean Pulls 6 x 3 (295lb)
• Chin Ups - 'Hemsworth 3-2-1 style' (start with 3 plates - 135lb for max reps, drop one plate - max reps, drop to one plate - max reps, then max out with bodyweight.)

Here's a little video that Cliff put together. Enjoy!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_7Ib7Q-Mt4A&feature=channel

Human Motion Training - A little taste of a light day

I will refer to my colleague Cliff Harvey's Blog page in order to outline a workout that he and I did this past week.

Hope you enjoy!

Cliff Harvey's Blog: Naturopath vs Strength Coach....Hemsworth and Harvey - A Light Training Day

Cliff Harvey's Blog: Meditation for Martial Arts?

Guess HSC coach Cliff Harvey describes specifically how meditation can be used for martial arts success: Cliff Harvey's Blog: Meditation for Martial Arts?

HSC vs JKC - Backyard Conditioning

So, I got together with my buddy Jon-Erik Kawamoto of JKConditioning.com for a little backyard conditioning the other day. I just wanted to share with you a little bit of what we tortured ourselves with, as well as give you some ideas for training sessions that involve some more unconventional methods. Although by no means do I believe you need 100's of different pieces of exercise equipment (I'd be happy with a bar, some plates, and some dumbbells), I do think there are a few relatively inexpensive tools that must be added to every strength coach's home-toolbox:

• A ring system of some sort (TRX, blastraps, rings, etc) - Great for bringing with you on trips, outdoor training, and building strength in a full range of motion.
• A kettlebell - probably the best bang for your buck across the board. Conditioning, stability, mobility, strength, power, and endurance can be built with proper KB training.
• A sled of some sort - you can either buy a sled or make one out of a tire like the one you'll see in the pictures below. Great for pulling, pushing, towing.
• A medicine ball - Great for upper body plyometrics and conditioning stints.
• A band system (bungee, superbands) - Can add some resistance to movement drills as well as provide a continuous load to your regular strength exercises (bench, squats, etc).

For the backyard conditioning session we used a 225 lb tractor tire, 10 lb sledge hammer, modified tire sled, 24kg kettlebell, adjustable dumbbell (we used 65lbs), a 60 lb sandbag, and an ab roller. Here's a taste of the workout:

#1 - Dynamic Warm-up: I won't bore you with the details but here's a couple pics of x-over to side lunges and tin soldier walks.

#2 - Rollout to tire paired with 24kg kettlebell swings - 3 x 1min each with no rest.

#3 - Tire flips paired with 1-Arm 65 lbs DB Snatches - 3 x 1 min each with no rest.

#4 - 10 lb sledge hammer slams in tire paired with hand over hand rows with 60lb sand bag on tire-sled + push-ups - 3 x 1 min each with no rest.

#5 - Tire Wrestling - Try to flip tire over on opponent. After Hemsworth took an early 3-0 lead, Kawamoto battled back to tie it at 3-3. Hemsworth managed to take the deciding game 7, but it was a battle for the ages...check out the scars.

This is a great exercise for multi-dimensional team sport athletes who need to learn how to stabilize and create tension in a dynamic setting.

#6 - Reverse Tire-Sled Towing w/partner + 60lb sandbag - 3 x length of pavement (~60 feet).

The quads burned worse than Miss South Carolina.

#7 - Forward Tire-Sled Drags w/partner + 60lb sandbag -3 x length of pavement.

Finished...and still friends.

...You might be a redneck

One of my favourite stand-up skits is Jeff Foxworthy's You Might Be a Redneck. For those of you who are unfamiliar with this skit, I'll try my best to give you a little taste of it.  Jeff likes to remind people that they could be considered a redneck if they do certain things:

• "If you take your dog for a walk and you both use the tree at the corner...you might be a redneck."
• "If the word Nascar appeared anywhere in your wedding vows....you might be a redneck."
• "If your dog passes gas and you claim it....you might be a redneck."
• "If you wear a dress that's strapless with a bra that isn't...you might be a redneck."
  

and my personal favourite...

• "If somebody yells 'hoedown' and your girlfriend hits the floor...you might be a redneck."

Now you might be asking yourself, "what does this have to do with strength training?" Well, as many of you know, my mind works in mysterious ways. Specifically, everything in life seems to remind me of a movie scene or comedy skit. So, while I was training a client I saw another guy performing an exercise, and it came to me: "I need my own skit". But this one doesn't involve rednecks...it involves not getting the most out of your time at the gym. 

So without further ado, here's my list of wonderful things I've seen that have me questioning - what the hell are we doing here?:

• If you can perform a leg press while talking normally on your cell phone...you might not be working hard enough
  
• If you can ride the elliptical with jeans and uggs...you might not be working hard enough
• If you can say more words to your friend than reps in a session...you might not be working hard enough
• If you want to enroll in the army but can't lift half as much as the 50 year old woman next to you...you might not be working hard enough
• If you sound like you're having an orgasm on every rep...that's just messed

Unfortunately, these are all things that I have encountered. Hope you enjoyed a the lighter side that the training world has to offer...it sounds better if you read them in a southern accent like Jeff Foxworthy!

Thanks for reading.

Cliff Harvey puts his two cents in the "pot" regarding Michael Phelps

Cliff Harvey's Blog: Michael Phelps "Shamed"...not in my book!

You're Killing Me Smalls

I frequently receive forwarded emails from family, friends, and even strangers advising me of the latest information that will help me stay healthy and add years of longevity to my life.  This information includes household products we should stay away from, the most recent virus (both health and computer-wise), or the top 10 ways to avoid cancer. While I am very thankful that loved ones are looking out for me (and I really do appreciate and use the health advise), I very rarely ever receive an email that addresses our everyday efforts to stay healthy. 

Yes, these emails tackle important issues such as avoiding too much radiation from microwaves, not drinking from plastic bottles, and washing your hands to avoid getting the flu, but it is amazing the impact that a little physical activity can have on your well-being. Steven Blair wrote a very inspiring article on how inactivity is now the biggest health problem facing our world in the 21st century: http://bjsm.bmj.com/cgi/reprint/43/1/1?maxtoshow=&HITS=10&hits=10&RESULTFORMAT=&fulltext=physical+inactivity:+biggest+problem&searchid=1&FIRSTINDEX=0&sortspec=relevance&resourcetype=HWCIT It is incredible to me how little attention is brought to obesity. Afterall, obesity plays a major role in the onset of both obvious diseases (cardiovascular disease, diabetes, stroke) and less obvious diseases (osteoarthritis, depression, cancer, liver disease), and is one of the leading causes of preventable deaths (Barness et al., 2007; Mokdad et al., 2004; Allison et al., 1999). Not to mention the annual $80 billion spent on medical costs and roughly $100 billion on diet products in the U.S. alone (Finkelstein et al, 2003). It makes me more nauseous than when I watched Super Size Me. 

It always amazes me when I watch the news and see a doctor who doesn't look as though s/he has ever attempted to stay fit, has just revealed a new miracle drug that will help the "genetically pre-disposed" to lose weight. Some of you may be thinking that I have no idea what the doctor and his/her patients have been through; they may in fact be trying very hard to be healthy.  This argument warrants a lot of attention, and you are right, I have no idea what that person has been through. I have also been very fortunate to never have had a weight problem and have been active ever since I could open my eyes. But the fact of the matter is we like to do a lot of talking and we also like things to come easy. Guess what? Staying healthy and fit comes at a price.  As my colleague Cliff Harvey says, "Talk is cheap and dreams are free. We are judged by our intentions and defined by our actions." 

You would think that with all of the new technology and the latest commercials telling us about these diets and pills that we would have cured obesity by now. Yet, as a world, we are as big and unhealthy as we have ever been. It is such a gross over-simplification and extreme laziness to think that by cutting out one thing in our diet, we can lower our cholesterol and suddenly become healthy again. I can't tell you how many people have come to me after I have referred them to a dietitian and said, "well, I already new that, tell me something new." Or how many people come to me to lose weight in the gym but aren't prepared to put the effort in that we know it takes to do so.  Because, we aren't just trying to lose weight, we are trying to be healthy, and develop life skills and actions that can lead to change. Leading a healthy lifestyle is not rocketscience...but it does take effort. Find someone who inspires you and find out how they got to where they are now. Surround yourself with positive people that will reinforce your healthy efforts, stop feeling sorry for yourself, and find out what it means to work hard. 

Finally, some of you may ask, why the title "You're Killing Me Smalls". This quote is from one of my favourite sports movies, The Sandlot. If you haven't seen it, where have you been? Please rent it. Even if you don't like baseball, this movie seems to carry endless messages that can be carried over into real life. We can learn a lot from the fellas that fill the sandlot each day about teamwork, confronting and tackling our fears, playing for the fun of the game, tradition, and even a lesson in trash-talking. And for crying out loud...PLAYING OUTSIDE! But the quote itself seems to speak to the message that I'm trying to send. So many people are more concerned about making changes that require minimal effort, yet the changes that can have the biggest impact on our health are ignored because they are perceived as too hard....YOU'RE KILLING ME SMALLS! 

References

Barness LA, Opitz JM, Gilbert-Barness E (December 2007). "Obesity: genetic, molecular, and environmental aspects". Am. J. Med. Genet. A 143A (24): 3016–34.

Dollman J, Norton K, Norton L (December 2005). "Evidence for secular trends in children's physical activity behaviour". Br J Sports Med 39 (12): 892–7; discussion 897.

Finkelstein EA, Fiebelkorn IA, Wang G (01 Jan 2003). "National medical spending attributable to overweight and obesity: How much, and who’s paying". Health Affairs Online (May).

Mokdad AH, Marks JS, Stroup DF, Gerberding JL (March 2004). "Actual causes of death in the United States, 2000PDF). JAMA 291 (10): 1238–45. 

Brio Health Club

Brio Health Club co-owner Jocelyn Rylee gives HSC a shout out on a recent blog post. Check it out: http://www.briohealthclub.com/2009/04/injury-rates.aspx. 

Thanks Jocelyn!

Elliptical Illusion

One day while breaking for lunch at the gym I work out of, I began (as I often do) observing different people "working out". As usual I saw the beach boys (chest and bi's), the full body band people, and the BOSU-ers. However, I found myself watching a new group of gym go-ers called the "Elliptical Goddesses". You might recognize this demographic: Generally young to middle aged, average sized, females that hop on the elliptical each day to do their "cardio" or even worse...their entire workout.
In the words of Lloyd Christmas from Dumb & Dumber...... Criiiipes.

Now don't get me wrong, the elliptical - like every piece of fitness equipment - has its place.  I think it is a decent machine for people with joint problems or injuries that are exacerbated with ground reaction forces. I also think they can have some success in warming up the body in the sense of joint lubrication prior to a weight workout. 

However, that is about the end of the line for the pros of this ever popular cardio box.  The problem lies in the fact that the majority of the people that use the elliptical present with the same problems that probably forced them to use the elliptical in the first place: gluteal amnesia, genu valgus, anterior pelvic tilt, excessive core rotation, and anterior dominance.  

The elliptical is slowly taking all of these issues and making them worse. Here are 3 reasons why the elliptical might not be the best choice of cardio equipment:

Reason #1: There is little to no hip extension

If you look at most elliptical machines, the stride is often more similar to riding a bike than running.  Because the stride is cut short, the glutes are often not even engaged, as the hips do not get anywhere close to extension. 

Reason #2: It encourages genu valgus

Most ellipticals have pedals that are very wide and very far apart from one another.  When this occurs, the feet are placed outside of a regular gait stance with the knees falling medially just to maintain stability.  Because a lot of people already have week hip stabilizers and extensors, and relatively short/overactive adductors and internal rotators, the elliptical is breeding ground for continued patello-femoral/meniscal pain once back on flat ground.

Reason #3: The handles allow your arms to do all the work

The majority of elliptical users will get more of a rowing workout than a leg burn. Often the arms will take over to propel the elliptical faster and faster without actually engaging your leg muscles.  In addition, you see a very pronounced side to side rotation of the torso with very little core control.  There is no core activation that will allow for anti-rotational stability. 

So does this mean don't use the elliptical at all? Not really, but if you are going to use it, do so for the right reasons and try the following:

• Use your arms similar to running by taking them off the handles. This way you are at least challenging your core musculature and hip stabilizers in attempt to improve balance.
• Try to focus on extending the rear leg by engaging the gluteal at the very end of the movement so that you aren't just "gliding" along the pedals and looking like Tony Little. 
• Try to find an elliptical with pedals that are more narrow, allowing your hips, knees and ankles to align more similarly to a normal anatomical position. Think about spreading the pedals apart from one another without actually moving your feet. 
• Think about staying relatively linear with your trunk with only slight side to side movements. Moreover, consciously think about avoiding extreme rotation of the spine by slightly engaging the muscles surrounding your spine. 
• Increase the intensity. Many people who use the elliptical do so at a constant, low tempo while carrying on a conversation with their friend beside them. Cross-training is not an excuse to do away with high-intensity intervals. 

Lastly, if you want a better bang for your buck for improving your cardiovascular fitness, biomechanics, and warm-up, try the stairmaster (but not the spring loaded ones). 

Thanks for reading!

5k's, mags, blogs, and more!

It's been a while since my last post and I've been pretty busy to say the least. Last weekend I competed in my first real 5km race. It's funny when people say that 5km is an easy distance compared to something like a marathon. I have to question if they've ever ran a 5km, and if so, how hard did they push themselves. That was one of the hardest things I've ever done. After the race I felt like someone had removed my kidneys, lungs, and heart, and steamrolled the crap out of them. Not too mention my hamstrings felt like they had been put through a paper shredder. Anyways, the course was about 5.2km and I ended up with a time of 18:56...not bad for "non-runner".

I also just had one of my articles published in the Mar/April edition of Can-Fit Pro Magazine. It's called "Running Away from the Weights: Dispelling the myths of strength training for runners". So if you are a member take a look and let me know what you think.

I wanted to also take the time to inform everyone of my colleague Carmen Bott's new website. It's a great looking site with phenomenal resources. In particular, I wanted to highlight her latest blog post which points out the infinite examples of taking a fitness tool and adding it to strength training for the sake of variation. Carm's post can be found at www.carmenbott.com/blog .


Lastly, I'd like to point out how some of the philosophy's of the Human Motion team were not only put together for strength and conditioning but they seem to hold true for success in general. Jim Kelley writes for sportsnet.ca and recently published an article regarding the Leaf's missing the playoffs...again. Never wanting to miss out on an opportunity to torture Leaf's Nation, I thought I'd share some of his article and point out the similarities to the pillars of Human Motion.



JK: "Since his (Brian Burke's) arrival his changes have been few and largely inconsequential. Now you might make an argument that a GM that arrived in November could have tried to do more and perhaps should have done more, but I won't go there. Change for the sake of change and the appearance of doing something is a big part of the reason the Leafs are out of the postseason for the fourth time in as many seasons and a big part of the reason the team has been something of a laughingstock for years going on decades."

HM: CBott's post talks about variation for the sake of variation and why this gets away from true results. As the title says, "Since when was variety a training principle?". Just as the Leaf's are the laughingstock of the NHL, not getting results due to circus acts in the gym is the laughingstock of the S&C world.


JK: "The smartest and most sensible thing Burke has done so far is secure a long-term (a reported six years) deal for himself at a salary that makes firing him anytime soon a serious financial caution and in setting himself up for the long term, Burke has set the Leafs up for the kind of sensible, long-term change that the franchise has needed for decades. He's not likely to need the entire six seasons, but he would be wise to take the time he needs to build a foundation for the shaky franchise and then to build upon that foundation.That may sound backward to the higher-ups at Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment, people who have run the organization for years with an eye toward short-term financial gain instead of long-term and, eventually, fundamentally sound business principles that would not only ensure high revenue streams, but might someday also produce a winner."

HM: Essentially this is the basis behind Building a Strong Foundation. To rush into a weight program without first ironing out the underlying biomechanical issues an athlete has is simply looking for the short term gain. If you take the time to allow the body to adapt to concrete core, joint stability, mobility, and technique, you will set yourself up for success for the long term. We could run a bootcamp to make quick cash and let athletes get their "sweat" on, but we are looking for long term results, not a long term physio bill.


JK: "One thing you can always say about a Burke-managed team is players get their chance. The ones that are here have had theirs. Some will stay, others won't and Burke will make those decisions based not on what he's heard, but what he's seen. It makes a difference.What he did say without hesitation is that the next step is to make the playoffs and that is a reachable goal as early as next season and that: 'We're going to make changes to do it.' Making an assessment is the first step. Having a plan is the second one."



HM: As an industry, we should make decisions (exercise selection, program design, coaching cues, etc.) based on research and in the trenches work, not the latest fad or celebrity regime. Assessments are used to determine the plan of action. And, "if you fail to plan, you plan to fail" is a phrase echoed throughout our team.



Thanks for reading and stay tuned for my next post regarding the always entertaining elliptical.

Trade Show & Testimonial

I just wanted to inform everyone that Cliff Harvey and I will be at BC Place this weekend (Feb 14 & 15) for the Outdoor Adventure Trade Show. We will have a Human Motion table set up with tons of products, services, testing devices, programs, etc for a reduced cost. So if you have nothing to do and live in the Vancouver area, come by and say hi. Thanks, and I'll leave you with another testimonial from a very respected colleague.

"Being in the field, I know how to differentiate among strength coaches. Paul is very knowledgeable and credible. He knows what he's doing and gets results because of it. I am not only a good friend and colleague of his, but I have been trained by him too. His teaching and training style is very clear and filled with passion. He has a love for his job and his passion helps you enjoy working with him. He's very approachable and he makes learning easy. I would recommend Paul to anyone who wants to get strong, feel better about themselves and perform better on the field."


Jon-Erik Kawamoto, B.Sc. (Kin-Coop), CSCS, CSEP-CEP
Strength Coach, Personal Trainer
Owner JKConditioning
JKConditioning.com

BSF Manual

After 2 hard years of reasearch, time, and experience, the Building a Strong Foundation theory manual is complete. Strength & Conditioning Specialist Carmen Bott and Medical Exercise Specialist Tara Keller have put together over 120 pages of research on "How to train the endurance athlete in the gym".

I can honestly say that this is one of the best resource manuals I've ever seen, and definitely the best for building an endurance athlete. Bott and Keller go into great depth from muscle balance to injury prevention to periodization and program design. The reference material alone is enough to want to buy the manual, but "in the trenches" information compliments the research in just the right manner.

Here is a sneak preview of what this manual includes: BSF Manual.

Happy New Year

Hi Everyone,

I realize that it has been a while since my last post so I apologize for that, but I wanted to wish everyone a happy new year.

I just wanted to drop a quick note about hip flexor strength. In the past few years, I've heard a lot about how all we need to do with hip flexors is lengthen them because most of us have relatively short flexors of the hip. The notion that we need to lengthen our hip flexors and strengthen our glutes and hamstrings most likely came about because of simplicity. Like most "trends" that come along in our industry, this one is easy to follow and doesn't take much problem solving. After all, most of us are short in our psoas and iliacus, and dormant in our posterior chain. Professor Janda's Lower Cross Syndrome and Dr. Sahrmann's Femoral Anterior Glide Syndrome have been great resources for discovering common faulty patterns and muscle imbalances.

1. Femoral Anterior Glide Syndrome 2. Janda's Lower Crossed Syndrome
(Diagnosis & Treatment of Movement Impaired Syndromes - Sahrmann) (picture courtesy of Jon-Eric-Kawamoto - http://www.jkconditioning.com/)

However, a short muscle doesn't necessarily mean a strong muscle. More specifically, it doesn't even mean it is an active one. Because of our lifestyle, most of us tend to be sitting a lot and because of this we rarely get into full extension at the hips. What happens over time? We get passively short hip flexors. Does this mean that we should stretch out our hip flexors? Absolutely. Does this mean that our hip flexors are strong? Absolutely not. And herein lies the problem: We think that a strong muscle must mean a short muscle. Why can't we have a long (or neutral) muscle that is strong. The fact is, we can all get stronger at each joint. Will this produce short muscles with overuse? Probably, but it doesn't mean that we can't lengthen it through a good stretching program.

Consider the hip flexor power that is needed from Usain Bolt when he runs 100m in 9.69 seconds or from Perdita Felician to drive her front leg during the 100m hurdles.

Why do you think most Functional Assessment Screens have some variation of a hurdle test or leg drive? Very simply, the practitioner can see how the client/patient steps up or over something. Generally, you will see the femur externally rotate allowing the abductors such as tensor facia lata (TFL/ITB) and anterior gluteus medius to take over rather than having the psoas and iliacus "pull" the leg straight up and over.

Here are a couple of screens or exercises that you can take your clients through to see how well they integrate their hip flexors: step-ups, stability ball plank to knee pull-in, and single-leg deadlift to knee drive (see http://www.humanmotion.ca/ for exercise videos). In each of these, try to get the person to actively drive straight up with the knee without trying to meet the knee by flexing the trunk. To further test length of hip flexors as well as hip muscle imbalance, try a modified Thomas Test. Very broadly, if the extended leg doesn't extend down to the table, psoas and iliacus is likely tight and will inhibit glute function = ant. pelvic tilt. If knee falls out laterally, TFL/ITB are likely tight and dominant. Rectus femoris is tight if the knee is less than 80 degree to horizontal (Sahrmann, 2001). Images courtesy http://www.jkconditioning.com/.

Once these exercises have been correctly displayed, the client is now ready for strengthening exercises such as proper pikes (as displayed by Pavel Tsatsouline - http://www.dragonsdoor.com/), roman chair alternating pikes, and weighted step-ups.

Remember, we want strength through a full range of motion, so strengthening and stretching will provide the mobility needed for proper joint stability!

References:

1. Sahrmann, S. (2001). Diagnosis and Treatment of Movement Impairement Syndromes.

2. Janda V. Muscle spasm – a proposed procedure for differential diagnosis. Manual Medicine, 1991:6136-6139.