Tip of the Day: Evade the Ego

This is something that would jump start tangible improvement for MANY in the exercise sphere: be it physical appearance, athletic performance, enhanced joint integrity, structural health, you name it.

Evade your ego when you go to the gym.  Don't allow it (the ego) to dictate exercise selection.

For the gents: this means prioritizing something besides bench presses and bicep curls.
For the ladies: this means dropping the "I'll just run today" mindset. Or trying something besides abs.

Don't get me wrong: I see no problem with working the "vanity" muscle groups from time to time.

But - if you're truly serious about looking, moving, and feeling better - you'll reap much more benefit from working areas of your body that your ego doesn't care about.  In order to develop a body that is structurally sound and prepares you for long-term success, your time will best be spent working the entire body.  Usually the things that are best for you are the very things you enjoy the least.

Men: you'd be surprised at how much your physique improves when you, oh I don't know, develop the backside of your body?  Many professional athletes possess the physique males would kill to obtain, and you know what athletes have?  Extremely well-developed glutes, hamstrings, and upper back.  These muscles are going to be the driving force behind running faster and overall athletic prowess, so it's no coincidence that the backside (or "posterior chain") is so well-developed amongst professional athletes.

Also, notice how many men develop shoulder problems as they age?  Frequently an enormous contributing factor is too much pressing (benching 3x per week, anyone?) and too little pulling (row and chinup variations).  Coupled with the fact that we sit with terrible posture at our computers all day (just like you're probably doing right now: slouching forward as you read this!).

Women: while going on a slow jog or performing 30 minutes of ab work may feel good, you may be surprised to know that it's actually going to be far more beneficial for you perform squats, lunges, deadlifts, rows, etc. in order to achieve the "look" you're seeking.  All "toned" really is is the appearance achieved when one has reduced body fat and increased lean body mass.  Exercises that burn the most calories, while building muscle, are going to get the job done.

Below are two athletes who train for performance, and I guarantee they're not spending an hour each day bicep curling in front of the mirror or trudging away on an elliptical.

Mike Boyle wrote a phenomenal short article in which he discussed this very same concept.  Here's a quick excerpt:

"The average persons work ethic in the gym is the equivalent to going to a restaurant, ordering dessert, getting too full from dessert and skipping the meal. Lots of empty calories and none of the stuff you need.

The truth is that training is much like nutrition. Ever notice that everything that is good for you doesn’t taste very good.  In addition, all the stuff that tastes great is fattening. Exercise is the same way. Most of the exercises that are best for you are the ones that are least popular and seem to hurt the most. Have you ever noticed the popularity of exercises where you sit or lie down. The whole machine concept is based on appealing to the lowest common denominator of human nature. You can exercise while seated on a padded chair. Just remember, if it seems to good to be true, it probably is."

Again, I'm not saying you should never do the things you enjoy.  If you like bicep curls, or going on a long slow jog, by all means go for it.  Just keep in mind that, most of the time, the things that are the easiest to do - or the things you enjoy the most - are going to be far from what you actually need to get you to your goal.

Ever notice how if a guy is short on time in a week and has to miss a workout, it will never be "Chest Day?"  But Leg Day, no problem to postpone!  If a guy has a busy week coming up and he's looking at his training split, his mindset will frequently go something like this:

"Hmmm, I have to miss a workout this week.  Leg day?  Yeah, sure...I can go without that for a few days.  My legs are sore anyway.  Omit Chest Day?  HECK NO.  Ok, I'll do chest this week, and maybe get to legs or back next week."

In a given week, I highly encourage you to prioritize what will give you the most return for your investment (hint: multi-joint movements such as squats, deadlifts, lunge variations, pullups, etc.) and then, if time allows, spend a bit of time working the "vanity" exercises. 

Jump Start Your Lower Body Training

To say that your central nervous system (CNS) plays a role in muscular efficiency and development is putting it mildly.  Respecting and paying attention to the CNS is of paramount importance when undergoing a training program.

Imagine your CNS being the puppeteer, and your muscle fibers are the puppets.  Cheesy analogy, I know, but I hope it drives home the point.  Or, you can think of the CNS as the engine, and the muscle fibers as the car.  In both examples, the latter cannot move without involvement of the former.  You can't have muscular contraction without CNS involvement, plain and simple.

Forgive me while I get a bit "geeky."  For those of you who just want to see the video, jump to the bottom of the post. 

The nervous system (among many other things) plays a critical role in both:

1. Rate Coding, or the frequency of action potentials (signals that lead to fiber contraction) elicited during movement.
2. Recruitment, or the number of motor units that are involved in muscular contraction.  

(A motor unit is the motor neuron and all the muscle fibers that it innervates)

A Motor Unit

The more "awake" your nervous system is, you'll have higher frequency of rate coding and more motor unit recruitment taking place as you train. 

Take home point: the more "excited" your CNS is, the more you'll take away from your training session.  That's where the Hot Ground to Tuck Jump comes in.  It will help to "wake up" your CNS, if you will, jump starting the remainder of your training session.  Not to mention, it will provide a great extended warm-up for your glutes, hamstrings, quads, and hip flexors.  

When to use it:

1. Before a lower body training session, or a "leg day" for you bodybuilders in the crowd
2. Perform it after you're dynamic warm-up, movement prep, and corrective exercise (or whatever you do for a warm-up). 
3. I don't recommend using it until you've mastered various box jump and altitude landing progressions.  Basically: don't jump into it (pun intended) too soon.
4. Do 2-4 sets of 3-5 reps.  

Coaching cues:

1. Begin with your feet off the ground.  Rock forward and try to reduce ground contact time as much as possible (hence the name "hot ground" to tuck jump). 
2. Swing the arms UP as you launch upwards.  This may sound obvious, but you'd be surprised at how many people don't know what to do with their arms as they jump.  
3. As you jump upwards, bring the knees as high as possible (the "tuck" portion). 
4. Land softly, with the chest up and hips back.  Sometimes I cue our athletes to "act like your breaking into my house through a window."  What I'm trying to say is: if you were breaking into someone's home, you'd try to make as little noise as possible upon landing inside.  Many people tend to SLAM their feet in the landing phase of jumping drills.  Avoid this as best as you can.  

You'll notice I get slightly higher with each succeeding jump.  This is simply due to my body "waking up" if you will.  

3 Habits of Successful Gym Goers

Why is it that some people seem to never make progress in the gym, while others experience these amazing transformations?  

Some people "exercise" for years, and yet really have no tangible measure of improvement when all is said and done at the end of the day.  5 years later, they still move and look the same as they did when they first began exercising.

So, what is it that sets the results-oriented people apart from the non-successful gym goers?  This may be with regards to movement quality, physical appearance, or variables related to biological health (cardiovascular efficiency, bone/tissue quality, blood profile, etc.)

What are the habits people possess that get the "Wow, what have YOU been doing?!" questions from friends who haven't seen them in a while?

I've found that - nearly without fail - the proceeding habits are found amongst all results-oriented exercisers:

1.  They make it a lifelong pursuit.
Obtaining and maintaining a healthy body is a life-long war, not a one-week battle.  (Note that there's a critical difference between obtaining and maintaining).

Unfortunately, there is this pervasive notion one only needs to exercise in "bursts" in order to achieve results.  It seems that people only tend to crack down on their exercise and nutrition habits during the period leading up to their wedding, or a beach vacation, or a high school reunion.

Don't get me wrong: I think it's perfectly acceptable to set "deadlines" to push yourself to achieve a particular benchmark.  However, this should be executed within the context of a long-term plan, not a one-time event. 

To set yourself up for success: you MUST realize that achieving the goals you've been looking for in the physical realm is a lifelong pursuit.  There is no way around this.  The obvious but often overlooked truth is that our bodies will degrade quickly in both function and appearance when we cease to exercise.

When I worked as a physical therapist aid, guess what was the most common denominator in the patients I witnessed?  Muscular weakness.  This drove home the point to me that when we cease to exercise (correctly) our bodies break down, and that's when dysfunction occurs.  And this wasn't even exclusively within the elderly patients.  People in their 30s were receiving therapy because weakness was the underlying cause of the injury.

2.  They push through setbacks. 
Injuries and undesired life events outside our control are going to happen.  It's not about how many times you fall down, it's about how quickly you stand back up.  When crap hits the fan, I encourage you to get in the gym and train, instead of sulking in a corner complaining about how life isn't going your way.  I'm not denying that many of you have experienced some extremely difficult scenarios.  But stand back up as quickly as you can. 

At SAPT, we have quite a few clientele who have experienced crippling injuries.  Yet they still show up to train!  We've worked with many people who are still on crutches or who are just coming out of surgery.

Below is a video of Conrad - a 61-Year Old with a torn rotator cuff - performing a Chinup (on a thick bar no less) with 110lbs added weight.  That's basically a middle-school child hanging from his waist.  Conrad is also on the verge of a knee replacement in both legs.



Conrad can no longer perform any unilateral (single-leg) movements such as lunges and split squats because of his knees (if only you could see them).  He can't bench press any more because of his injured shoulder.  Yet he still shows up to train three days per week.  Chinups are pain free for him, so we've been able to work with that.  

Now, this isn't an excuse to be stupid.  If an exercise hurts (this includes running), don't do it.  Fix the problem first, or find a substitute.  For example, if you have chronic back pain, it's probably best to avoid bilateral lifts such as squatting and deadlifting and perform more single-leg work instead.  Or -  at least - keep the load light and only go through a pain-free range of motion.

3.  They Train, not "workout."
If you're going to take the time to exercise, then at least make sure it's worthwhile.  Two people doing the exact same program for an hour will have two completely different results from that training session based on how it is executed.

Train with purpose.  Train with intensity.  Train with focus.  These will be the difference makers in your routine. 

Ditch your cell phone, too.  Don't worry, those people anxiously awaiting your text message response will still be there when you're finished your training session.

 
It amazes me how many people have their cell phones out at the gym.  And they wonder why they move and look no differently a year later after "exercising" consistently.  Seriously, for that hour you're in the gym: lose the distractions, forget about the world outside you, and "leave it all at the front door."  Life's baggage will be waiting for you when you're done training.  

We are a society plagued with ADD.  We can't seem to leave our cell phones or computers for an instant without the world ending (even as I type this I'm sitting at my computer...how ironic). 

When you train, give it everything you have, every time.  You'll be amazed at what happens when you do this consistently.

This means ignoring what others around you are thinking, and ignoring the world outside of you.

Train as if you're life depends upon it.  Because many times, it actually does.

This is your body on skinny dust....and this is your body on SAPT....

"Walker pitched his first inning tonight since, oh, about June 1.
 
The batters had no chance. zip. zero. nada. He was throwing, I believe, mid-80s. 3 batters, no contact. not even a foul tip. My jaw was on my knees.
 
No pain, good to go, unbelievable.
 
We owe this in large part to you." 

-Dave (father of one of our high school baseball guys)

One of the best parts of my job is seeing/hearing about real-world improvements outside of the gym with the kids/adults I coach, as a result of their hard work inside SAPT.

It seems that whenever I'm having a rough day I'll get an email from a parent telling me that his daughter is now hitting balls out of the park, when it rarely happened before she trained at SAPT.  Or that she is able to pitch longer into the game without fatiguing.  Or a parent's son has markedly improved prowess on the lacrosse field because of his increased size and strength.  Or even, a high school boy now has more confidence walking down the halls of his high school because he's no longer the "shy and skinny kid."

These emails make my 10-12 hour workdays worth it.

Chris - the strength coach I work with - posted this on the SAPT website the other day, so I thought I would share it with those here.  It's about one of high school baseball pitchers, Walker (his "Before and After" picture is below):

Readers, meet Walker.  Walker came to us about a year and a half ago 130lbs soaking wet with rocks in his pockets and was your typical goofy left-handed pitcher.  Walker will tell you he couldn't throw his fastball through a wet paper bag. 

Fast forward a year and a half and Walker is still your typical goofy lefty but can now take your lunch money tipping the scales at 190lbs on a bad day, and throws consistently in the mid 80's.  Now let me see, that's 1,2,3...60 freakin' pounds of functional, posteriorly focused mass!  Did I mention Walker is only a sophomore?

Walker has worked his ass off every single training session year round...and he ate a bunch, too.  He'll be with us 2x/week through the season, and I guarantee you that he won't just maintain, but he'll make progress during this time period.

Walker, if you're reading this, and your head is just about floating out the roof of your house, you have a long way to go my friend.  By next season, you'll be 210lbs, equipped with a fastball that will penetrate bullet-proof glass.
-Chris

Again, this is what happens when you combine impeccable focus from the athlete and quality programming/training from the strength coach.  Walker walks into the SAPT ready to go every time. 

He doesn't check his cell phone, he doesn't look around to see what other people are doing/thinking, he just walks in, grabs his program, and gets it done. 

This is also what happens when you don't use ridiculous training methods such as BOSU balls and 30 minutes on a "speed ladder" each session.  It annoys me to see "performance coaches" stealing money left and right from people who (unfortunately) don't know how to recognize a bogus training program when they see one. 

Anyway, I'm done.  Walker's before and after photo's speak for themselves.

Anterior Core Progressions

(now with working video)

The plank is a phenomenal exercise.  The problem is, I see little to no logic in having someone perform a standard plank for more than 45-60 seconds.  Once someone has a 60-second plank mastered, it's time to progress.  I honestly don't get it when trainers have their clients hold a 3-minute plank!

1. It's boring
2. You are no longer increasing your abdominal strength this point, but working on muscular endurance instead (which isn't going to build that rock-solid midsection you're looking for). 

This is the most comprehensive tutorial on core progressions I've put together for the public, so be sure to check this out.  Granted, this is a progression protocol for the standing rollout (in my opinion, one of the top "core" exercises one can perform), as there are many, MANY other varieties of core training one can undergo.  However, this should keep you busy for quite a while.




My mission in this industry is to rid the ridiculous notion of people futilely attempting to sit-up their way to a strong midsection.  Performing the exercises in the video will be a much better way for you obtain your goal of a strong, functional abdominal wall.  

Be sure you have mastered the plank position before progressing.  It's near-pointless to jump the gun with these.  Nonetheless, I'm sure you'll find some exercises to spice up your routine; or - if you've been having a tough time with standing rollouts - this progression will help get you there. 

Oh, and this goes without saying, but these exercises will do nothing for you - from a physique standpoint - if you haven't cleaned up your act in the kitchen.  You can do ab exercises until you bleed, and still fail to obtain a six-pack if you don't have things locked-in outside of the gym.  Nevertheless, when combined with sound nutrition habits, these exercises will further enhance your performance or your physique goals, whatever they may be.

Hope you enjoy!

Stuff to Read

 
I'm currently putting together a video on some anterior core progressions, and in the meantime I thought I'd pass along these reads I'm sure you'll enjoy/learn something from:

Want to be a Personal Trainer or Strength Coach?  Start Here.  by Eric Cressey 
I know many people who enjoy training of some degree have had the thought of "maybe I'll start training people" pass through their minds many times.  If this is you, read this. 


Throw Away Your Scale by Tony Gentilcore
I think almost everyone, especially females, should throw away their scale.  This is a great short read.

CrossFit Qualms in the Running World by Carson Boddicker
I've literally had people scoff at me when I tell them I don't do CrossFit.  While this post isn't close to all-encompassing, it does to a great job at expressing some qualms with making CrossFit a staple in your running routine, or any routine for that matter.  (I'm not saying CrossFit is completely worthless - I think there are definitely a few things they do correctly - I'm just saying it would be illogical to make it a staple of any sound training regimen). 


Monday Motivation: What's Your Excuse? by Ben Bruno
Ben is a beast and I always enjoy the things he posts.  This is a great one for those of you who frequently "can't train" because of time, schedule, or whatever excuse is deemed necessary to avoid moving around a bit.  I think this short article can help give you a kick in the pants when you feel like "you just can't train today."

And last, but not least, I just saw this video on Cressey's site and thought I'd embed it here for your all's amusement.  It's hilarious, and, unfortunately, quite indicative of most personal trainers out there.

Now, don't get me wrong, there are personal trainers out there doing many things correctly.  In fact, my girlfriend works as a personal trainer and I would trust her with writing/delivering a program more than many people with a CSCS (she has a CSCS, but I hope you get my basic point). 

The sad truth is that many personal trainers aren't too far from this hot-shot:

That's it for today.

I really do appreciate all of you that read this site regularly; I've realized that for some reason people like to read what I have to say, so I'll continue to keep some great ones headed your way!  Stay tuned.

Student-Athlete PR!

SAPT recently took Carson - a High School Lacrosse player (Junior) - through a 12-week cycle to get him as strong as possible for the upcoming season.

His results were nothing short of fantastic.  Below is a video of him hitting a 55 pound deadlift PR (personal record).  At the beginning of the cycle, he maxed out at 300lbs.



Carson also hit a 10lb Squat PR (3-rep max), and a 20lb Bench Press PR!  For those of you unaware, this is phenomenal improvement for a mere 12 weeks of training, especially considering Carson has already been lifting for a few years now.  Not to mention, over the past training cycle he was also required to attend many brutal conditioning sessions (read: do lunges and pushups until you puke) with his lacrosse coach, so we had to be sure to account for this in programming for him. 

Carson is one of my favorite athletes to coach, as he always brings with him incredible focus and INTENSITY to each of his training sessions.  Heck, even when he performs face pulls and cradle walks (a warm-up drill) he has a facial expression on him that would kill a small child.

So it's no surprise that - when you combine expert programming from the coach and impeccable focus from the athlete - the results are going to be nothing short of superior.


Keep in mind: it's not like there's an absence of high school males across the country that can pick up 355lbs.  However, very few of them can pull a conventional deadlift with no rounding of the back.  Notice how tight (no rounding) Carson's back was, during every deadlift.  This is of paramount importance for safety of the athlete (especially in the deadlift), and for ingraining proper technique.

If you talk to any of our athletes they will tell you that we never let them move up in weight unless they are doing it perfectly.  Practice doesn't make perfect.  Practice makes permanent.  Our number one goal as strength and conditioning coaches is to keep our athletes free of injury.

Perfect reps mean that body is in proper alignment (this takes a while to get down), and that there is a decent feel of speed to the lift.  No grinding reps.  This is something that very few people (males, most notably) fail to grasp.  Grinding reps is a recipe for burning out the CNS; thus impeding strength gains and recovery time. 

Also, many athletes are surprised to find out that if they practice (with lighter weight) moving a load with perfect form, this will lead to far greater strength gains in the long run than just "barreling through" lifting sessions with no regard to form or technique. 

Congrats, Carson!