Please read this even if you aren’t a trainer. Cook points out some very important issues, including what I consider to be one of the biggest problems in the fitness industry: structuring programming around performance improvement without identifying what the baseline of “performance” is.
After several days of being inundated by New Year’s resolution advertising and programming, I opened up the New York Times this morning to see that the NYT Magazine’s cover story was on weight loss and entitled “The Fat Trap.” I knew then that I was in for some fun.
Now I’ve read it, I’ve mulled it over for a few hours, & I’m still not sure what all I want to say on it, but I want the discussion to get going, at least beyond the random lay-persons in the Twittersphere.
The basic gist of the article is that losing weight - in significant amounts and keeping it off - is really damned hard. This “duh!” statement is backed up by a profile of an early-retirement-aged couple who have fought - and continue to fight - the war for weight loss. Aside: they’re, like me, Davis, CA residents, and they are so damned quintessentially Davis. There are also references to various studies about weight loss that further back up the “this shit is hard” statement, as well as ones that indicate that there are heavily influential genetic factors that alter just how easy or hard weight goes on or comes off between different people subjected to the same stimuli. Nothing surprising, right? Then it trots out the old “most people who lose weight will gain it back” thing - *yawn*.
But there are a couple of things about the article that get me…
- All exercise mentioned in the article, in anecdotes or in the studies, is low-intensity, sustained steady-state aerobic activity. We’re talking cycling around town (a town near sea-level with no hills, mind you), water aerobics, *recumbent cycling*, and walking. NO MENTION of strength training, *anywhere.*
- All “diet” discussion from the authorial or expert end focuses on “low fat.” More fat-phobic language ensues. Then they talk about people who’ve lost weight and are trying to maintain that weight loss experience problems with hunger while avoiding fat like the plague. And but one, horribly-deemphasized mention of protein.
- When discussing post-weight loss difficulties & the struggle against weight re-gain, vague references are made to research showing that during weight loss, muscle-fibers shift to slow twitch, thus resulting in reduced caloric requirements, which then require even greater caloric restriction for continued weight loss/maintenance. See number 1: might this have something to do with the type of exercise being prescribed?
So, anyway, if this article was from a random blog, I wouldn’t be that concerned, but seriously, this in the New York Times? Oy vey…
This is the type of thing that makes my job harder.
New blog at wisconsinbjj.com: The Squat, Part 2 - The Set Up
Earlier this week I addressed some of the myths and fears about the squat. Today we’re going to talk about how to squat weight safely and effectively. For simplicity’s sake, a squat will be a barbell back squat. There are many varieties of squats, all with their own benefits and drawbacks. For the barbell alone there is the front squat (where the bar is placed on the front of the body, across the chest and shoulders), the overhead squat (where the bar is held overhead with arms extended and elbows locked), the Zercher squat (bar held in the crook of the elbows), the Jefferson squat (I won’t even begin to explain this one), et al. The squat is a movement that can be infinitely varied for just about any purpose (some more valuable than others). Its adaptability and central nervous system (CNS) demand make it an essential movement, and one of the most valuable for gaining strength and mobility.
There are three key points you must remember when squatting: hips, back and heels. Today we’ll talk about the back:
Spinal integrity is the most important component of the squat. There are some coaches who claim that the squat is a movement to be avoided due to the spine as a limiting factor - meaning that for some people (usually elite athletes), the legs can actually move more weight that the spine can support. This is in rare and extreme cases, and powerlifters are living proof of the potential strength of the spine/back. Many elite lifters can squat upwards of 1000lbs! Yes, many wear weight belts, but the lift still demands incredible strength of the spinal support muscles (aka “the core”). So for your average (or more than average) lifter, the back stands to gain strength and stability through squats.
Crucial to a good squat is correct positioning: set up under the bar, grabbing with hands just outside shoulder-width (a bit wider if you have tight shoulders). Place the bar on the shelf created by your rear delts (shoulders) and traps - too high and it will sit on your last cervical vertebrae and place undue pressure on your spine. Too low and you’ll have to support it with your arms, which will be uncomfortable and put too much strain on your shoulders and wrists. There is a bit of debate amongst lifters as to which is the more valuable bar positioning: Olympic weightlifters utilize the high bar position which shifts the center of gravity slightly forward making it a more quad-centric movement, while powerlifters prefer a low bar position which places the bar much lower on the back, allowing the lifter to sit back much further, putting the emphasis of the lift onto the hamstrings. Both have their benefits, and I recommend playing around with each to see which fits your body type and goals.
Once you’ve established your bar position, you must now establish your arch. It used to be that I heard gasps of fear when I said the word “arch” - to say it was taboo, and the safe word to use was “straight back.” We live in a world of rounded backs and complete thoracic immobility, though, so to get most people to create any semblance of a “straight” back, or at least one with a natural curve, I must emphasize the arch. The goal is not to create a super arch (think pin-up girl), as some people are naturally hyper-flexible and can put too much strain on their lower backs by arching further, but instead to drive the shoulder blades back and down as if trying to touch them to the hips, push the ribs forward and lock the hips into position. It is in this position that we are able to most safely recruit all of our spinal support muscles (transversus abdominis, multifidus, internal and external obliques, rectus abdominis, and the erector spinae, mostly). This is critical in safely establishing the squat position, and it’s probably one of the best “core” strengthening movements you can do.
The lats and glutes are critical in establishing your arch, as they’re important stabilizing muscles that are rarely referenced and even more rarely used in a support capacity. The lats help hold the shoulder blades in position and stabilize the spine, while the glutes are principal in keeping the trunk upright. Pulling the elbows back while the bar is on the back will help activate the lats, but it’s not as easy to keep the glutes turned on throughout the squat. Here’s where we bring out the awkward cue: squeeze your sphincter. If you keep tight “down there” you’ll keep all of your deep core muscles active and maintain that spinal integrity.
Once your back is set, then you’re ready to move. Next time we’ll get into the rest of the squat, going from set up to squatting.
New blog at wisconsinbjj.com: The Squat, Part 1
If you’ve ever read anything I’ve written, chances are you’ve heard me mention the squat. It is one of the basic foundational movements that I teach every person who comes through the door (barring extreme injury/condition). As I’ve mentioned before, though, the squat gets a bad rap, which doesn’t exactly add up in my mind, as people have been bending and squatting for the whole of human history, and still continue to do so to this day. Why in the last 30-40 years has the squat all-of-the-sudden become dangerous in the west?
Part of this misconception could be attributed to the fact that strength athletes have begun to move extremely heavy weights in the past several decades - a practice which has trickled down to younger athletes, amateurs and “average” gym-goers, thus increasing injuries not only on the elite level (extreme stress on the body/joints due to extraordinary numbers), but also injuries based on un-preparedness to move heavy weights in the general population. It is not the weights themselves that are to blame, but the impatience of the amateur lifter: high-level athletes spend years training and preparing the joints and ligaments, which take longer to strengthen than muscles. The untrained amateur may rush to lift heavier weights before his body has fully adapted, assuming since his muscles are getting stronger his joints/ligaments are similarly prepared.
Injuries like this become anecdotal evidence of a movement’s (in this case the squat) “danger” and perpetuate myths that villainize movements outright, with no attention paid to particulars that can transform a movement from potentially damaging to crucially. The root of this “squat fear” (amongst other movement phobias) can be traced to lack of education. It is common practice in Western medicine and personal training to say, “if you can’t already do it correctly, then don’t ever do it.” It’s this avoid-at-all-costs mentality that perpetuates fear in the general population, when it is more laziness on the coaching side than danger in the movement.
Look at any personal training manual and you’ll see the supposedly ideal form that is expected: back straight, knees and feet pointed straight forward, feet hip-width apart and femurs parallel to the ground at the bottom of the squat. All other biomechanical issues (primarily lack of depth) aside, this is not a realistic squat. Sure, some people can pull it off, but have you ever seen any strength sport athlete squat like this? It’s not an efficient way to move weight. For most people this position will shut down the hips, remove any and all posterior chain (back/glutes/hamstrings) recruitment, possibly cause the knees to buckle (due to adductor weakness and hip angle) and put undue stress on the knees. It is a theoretical way to squat - an academic interpretation of how someone should squat, assuming all things on all people are equal. Funny thing, though: we’re all different. Special and unique snowflakes, all of us.
To safely and effectively teach someone how to squat, individual differences must be accounted for - body proportions, lever lengths, previous injuries, tension patterns, natural flexibility (we all have it in certain ways). The squat isn’t a movement that you can show someone a stock example of and say, “do this.” It must be adapted to the individual to account for their particulars, and thoroughly taught to ensure safety and biomechanical effectiveness. Some can’t squat, ever - but it’s a much smaller portion of the population than you might imagine. There are many, many people walking/limping around out there claiming they can’t squat, when in reality they can (and should), but just haven’t been taught how to do it correctly.
Stay tuned for our next post when I’ll delve into the details of this wonderful movement - the squat.
Hey, when it comes to movement, your brain can be a bit of a moron. Your body is the genius. It learns movement faster than your thought process lets it. Our adult brains over-think intense movement in the same way we complicate all of our relationships. But the holistic performance model, where our body is most productive, is centered around a surprisingly tricky concept when it comes to training:
Let your body do it… don’t make your body do it.
The body knows how, and, here’s the good part, it wants to. So stop demanding and just let it. It will.
Hoopspeak.com: Cookie-Cutter Programs
I’ve got a new article up at hookspeak.com: Check it out
”In my first Coaches Forum article I discussed the importance of proper preparation in young athletes, as well as the need to thoroughly, properly and safely introduce movements (aka exercises) to your program. One big thing I cautioned coaches about was being too quick to increase intensity/weight for lifts before an athlete’s body has sufficiently acclimated to a movement (i.e. being able to use full range of motion and proper form).
This can be, at times, challenging, due to the volume of skill training and sheer number of athletes a coach must handle on a daily basis. In the interest of time (and usually lack of support staff), many coaches turn to pre-made programs, usually that of a famous strength and conditioning personality or from a winning program of the same sport (often a team on the elite/professional level). The thought is of the “it worked for them…” variety, and leads to undertrained coaches applying a program created for a team of elite, fully-grown athletes with years of experience. Furthermore, these programs are both created and implemented by a specialized, educated strength and conditioning professional….”
New blog at wisconsinbjj.com: Muscle Mass and Flexibility
Here’s a quick one I wrote for wisconsinbjj.com
Somewhere along the line being muscular became synonymous with being stiff, inflexible and unable. This is due primarily to the pec-obsessed bodybuilders of the 1970s and 1980s, who spent hours and hours bench-pressing and doing endless flys, tightening down their chests and shoulders until they couldn’t raise their arms above their heads. In fact, the bench press was rarely, if ever used before the 1960s. There is actually a direct correlation between the rise of the usage of the bench press and an increase in rotator cuff injuries.
It is not the muscle mass itself that causes inflexibility, contrary to popular belief. It is, as mentioned before, the usage of too many anterior (front of the body)-focused movements and a lack of posterior (back of the body) movements. Additionally, as the chest and shoulders tighten down, overhead movements such as shoulder presses and overhead squats become increasingly difficult (if not impossible), and are thereby ignored and eventually avoided for fear of injury.
These overhead movements become incorrectly villainized as damaging movements, when in reality it is the use of these chest-focused movements that tighten down the upper body and greatly increase risk of injury. That is not to say that these movements should be forever avoided, but instead used in moderation with muscles that improve the strength of antagonist muscles. In the case of chest/shoulder movements, pulling movements such as pull-ups (done correctly), bent-over rows and snatches are extremely beneficial.
There is no such thing as becoming musclebound. There is, however, a real risk of limiting flexibility in pursuit of a singular goal such as large muscles or a higher bench press. Balancing a strength training program with equal parts pressing, pulling, and squatting combined with sufficient mobility work will maintain flexibility while increasing strength, ensuring longevity and balance in your training.
The Truth Behind Kettlebells - new blog at wisconsinbjj.com
I actually wrote this article a couple weeks ago, but for some reason I forgot to publish it here. Enjoy.
Over the past ten years, the kettlebell has seen an enormous resurgence of popularity in the west. Much of this rise has been attributed to Pavel Tsatsouline, a Russian-born Fitness coach who has wrote extensively on the topic (in addition to his works on bodyweight movements). Several other coaches, notably Steve Maxwell, have done much traveling to Russia to learn their methods and bring these ideas back to the west. The truth is that the Russians did not invent the kettlebell, but rather co-opted a pre-existing version of a widely-used tool that had fallen out of fashion in the west and continued to use it as part of their Fitness arsenal until western eyes fell upon it once more. During the time of the Cold War, the athletic prowess and Olympic success of the Russians drew the attention of many American strength coaches, and it was only a matter of time before the kettlebell returned to the west.
The standard weight measurement of the kettlebell is a pood, which translates to approximately 35 pounds (or 16 kilos). In this kettlebell “renaissance” the most common weights are one pood, one and a half poods (52lbs or 24kg) and two poods (72lbs or 32kg), though kettlebells are now easily found in weights from four to over one hundred pounds.
There are many movements that are considered to be “kettlebell-specific.” The relative new-ness of these movements in the western Fitness lexicon, and the assertion that they can only be performed with kettlebells gives the tool a certain mystic, super-effective reputation that is not necessarily correct. The truth is that there are very few actual kettlebell-specific movements. A majority of exercises deemed kettlebell-only can easily be performed with dumbbells, barbells, sandbags, leverage clubs - even humans (by the skilled, of course)! Some are more difficult to perform with other tools - which likely is the cause of their kettlebell preference - but they are possible nonetheless.
In the end, a tool is merely a tool. No particular piece of equipment is better than another - it is how you use it that matters. Learn how to execute movements safely and correctly, use a variety of weights and movements, and challenge yourself. Success does not come via a tool, but from the effort you put forth.
New blog at wisconsinbjj.com: Have fun.
We take ourselves too seriously in fitness. Words like extreme, hardcore, elite are scrawled across gym websites, accompanied by images of skulls, blood, bending bars, and other hyper-aggressive imagery. Now there’s nothing wrong with that, if it’s your bag. But not everybody fits that personality type. Your average gym-goer doesn’t necessarily want to get screamed at, unleash their inner beast or be the most HARDCORE. Here’s a couple tips to help you be more playful in the gym:
Change your mindset
We all want to have a good time and feel better, though. Why can’t our workouts be fun? We’d be more likely to do them on a regular basis, feel better about it and get better results. Instead of viewing our workouts as obligations, let’s look at them as an opportunity to play, de-stress and relax. If we think of our workouts as another burden on top of the whole pile of our everyday stresses, we’ll dread them, avoid them and eventually hate them.
Enjoy yourself
Use movements and exercises that are fun, challenging and rewarding - not just exercises we think are going to give us the body we want. Try working out in a group, or with friends. It doesn’t have to be cutthroat competition - try a buddy workout where one person does a movement for a certain number of reps, then the second person does the same number while the first rests. Alternate back and forth, pushing each other and taking away the monotony of resting.
Consider different goals
Once you break out of the grind of typical movements, you’ll find a whole new world of fun exercises and challenging workouts. You’ll be driven to improve your performance, getting stronger, faster and more able. Let these become your goals - all of your aesthetic-based goals will quickly follow.
