5 TRX Move You Probably Haven't Seen

If you have used the TRX in your training routines you know that the various exercises you can do on it are limited only by your own imagination. Check out this article by my friend Doug Balzarini to see five new TRX moves that aren't your run-of-the-mill suspended row.

5 TRX Moves You Probably Haven't Seen by Doug Balzarini

Get big or die tryin'.

Recovery 101--Training Techniques

This is the second of a two-part article on basic recovery techniques. Part 1 looked at the nutritional aspect of recovery, while Part 2 will focus on training techniques to speed up recovery.

In my last article in the Recovery 101 series I talked about the importance of post-workout nutrition in aiding recovery and allowing you to get the most out of your workouts. However, post-workout nutrition is only half the battle when it comes to being able to recover properly. The other side of the story is the activities that you do after your workout to prepare your body for your next training session.

Many people still perform static stretches before their workouts, trying to lengthen cold or slightly warmed muscles in a futile attempt to prevent injury and enhance performance. Not only does this activity fail to accomplish the desired goals of the individual, but these same principles are also often not applied at a time when the aforementioned goals can be accomplished, i.e., after a workout. Static stretching, along with Self-Miofascial Release, massages, and contrasting temperature environments, such as hot and cold whirlpools, saunas, steam showers, and snow rooms are all means to rid your body of unwanted byproducts of exercise while preparing you to be able to attack your next workout harder and stronger.

Pre-workout static stretching is not ideal due to the decrease in power output that occurs and the possibility of injury from attempting to increase the length and range of motion of a cold muscle. However, post-workout static stretching is a beneficial recovery technique because it increases blood flow to the working muscles, delivering the much-needed nutrients talked about in Recovery 101—Nutrition, as well as helping to remove metabolites from those working muscles. Three alternatives to static stretching that, when applied properly, can be just as affective of a post-workout recovery technique are passive stretching, isometric stretching, and PNF stretching.

Passive stretching is often mixed up and used interchangeably with static stretching. While during static stretching an individual is actively lengthening the muscle and then holding that lengthened position, during passive stretching some external force is stretching the muscle, whether it be a machine, a partner, or the individual themselves pulling on their own elbow or leg to stretch their triceps or hamstring.

Isometric stretching is done by lengthening a muscle until a good stretch is felt and then isometrically contracting the muscle by attempting to concentrically contract it while another person or apparatus resists the contraction with equal force. A very common isometric stretch is the wall stretch for the calves whereby an individual is literally trying to press through the wall with a staggered stance. Because the individual is unable to press through the wall, the gastrocnemeus and soleus of the back leg are being isometrically stretched. By forcing the muscle fibers to isometrically contract while already in a lengthened or stretched position, the muscle spindles are numbed just enough such that when the isometric contraction finishes the muscle can be stretched beyond its previous length.

Proprioceptive Neuromuscular Facilitation (PNF) stretching is a combination of isometric stretching and passive stretching. This technique involves a brief passive stretch of the muscle, followed by a 10 second isometric contraction of the stretched muscle, then a 2 second relaxation of the stretched muscle, and finally a 20 second passive stretch of the muscle. A variation of this routine is to isometrically contract the antagonist muscle for 10 seconds after the 2-second relaxation period of the agonist muscle. The isometric contraction of the antagonist will further lengthen the agonist through reciprocal inhibition. This isometric contraction should be followed by a 20 second relaxation period before performing another 10-second isometric contraction of the passively stretched agonist.

Massages are a great post-workout recover tool in addition to stretching. There are two main types of massages that would be beneficial post-workout: those performed by yourself and those performed by others. One of the best types of massages an athlete can receive is a sports massage. Over the last three decades the popularity of sports massages has really taken off among professional and Olympic athletes. Sports massages are not your average spa-treatment relaxation technique. Quite frankly, they hurt. If done properly, these deep-tissue massages will leave you feeling miserable for a few days after you have it done for the first time. The reason is because the point of sports massages is to improve tissue quality, and to do that you need to remove all of the toxins that have built up in the tissue from past workouts and daily diet. In order to remove these toxins from the tissue the therapist has to really dig in to the athlete’s body. This, in itself, is a painful experience, but the end result is absolutely incredible. Once you get through the first few days of mild illness while you body excretes all of the unwanted toxins, you feel remarkably refreshed and energized. While sports massages are an effective post-workout recovery technique, they may be better served to be performed on an off day from training. Self-massages, however, are very beneficial immediately post-workout.

Self-massages, known as Self-Miofascial Release (SMR), are a great pre-static stretching activity after a training session. They can be performed using instruments such as a foam roller, a tennis ball, or The Stick. These exercises are also beneficial as part of your warm-up routine as they promote blood flow to the desired tissues and loosen up tight fascia that can inhibit optimal muscle elasticity and flexibility. Post-workout SMR is great for removing metabolite buildup as well as promoting blood flow to and lengthening short and tight muscles. Three of the most effective places on the body to perform SMR are the gluteus medius, the IT band, and the arch of the foot. Using a tennis ball and/or foam roller to roll out these areas pre- and post-workout will relieve much of the pain felt in the joints of the lower body.

Once I roll out and static stretch after a training session, I like to hop in a cold whirlpool for 10 minutes or so, followed by a steam shower. The 55-degree water in the whirlpool forces my muscles to contract and helps to kind of squeeze out the unwanted byproducts of my last training session. It also ices down my entire lower body, which does wonders for any aches and pains I may have. Then the steam shower raises my core temperature and gets a lot of blood pumping to my outermost tissue, helping to remove those unwanted byproducts. Saunas provide a similar experience post-workout, promoting blood flow and causing you to sweat out what your body has produced during your workout and doesn’t want. Snow rooms are also beginning to make their way onto the stage in many eastern European countries, especially at spas and hotels. Basically, a snow room is exactly what it sounds like, a cold room filled with snow. The temperature of the room varies depending on where you go as some of these rooms are used more as relaxation techniques of the vacationing businessperson while others are used in conjuncture with saunas for various alleged general health benefits. Like sports massages, these extreme temperature environments are beneficial both post-workout and on an off day.

So, if you have been struggling to make gains in the weight room, you feel like you are constantly under-performing on the field of competition, or you are not getting the results you want from the gym, strongly consider looking at what you are doing immediately after and in the hours following your workouts. There may be some little changes you can make in how you use that time that will lead to great improvements in your training. You have to allow your body to rest and recover properly because when you rest is the only time when you actually get big. Remember, the time you spend in the gym only creates an environment for change, but it is what you do outside of the gym that truly allows your body to change.

Get big or die tryin’.

Charlie Cates

Self Made, Owner

Charlie Cates is a human performance specialist and the owner of Self Made (http://selfmadefitness.com/). He is a Certified Personal Trainer and Performance Enhancement Specialist through NASM and has worked with competitive and everyday athletes of all ages and ability levels, from 9-year-old kids to NFL MVP's. He can be reached via e-mail atcharlie@selfmadefitness.com.

This article may be reproduced with biographical information intact.

Lower Body Plyometric Training for Female Athletes

Here are some basic guidelines to follow when incorporating plyometric exercises into the training program of female athletes, or any person for that matter.

Lower Body Plyometric Training for Female Athletes by Joe Giandonato

Get big or die tryin'.

Recovery 101--Nutrition

This is the first of a two-part article on basic recovery techniques. Part 1 will look at the nutritional aspect of recovery, while Part 2 will focus on training techniques to speed up recovery.

Every day I go to the gym and I see people sweating it out to get the results they desire. I also see these same people distraught when their desires never actually materialize. Now, I could write many articles about why this is, ripping apart their ridiculous training schemes and what not, but I’m going to dedicate these next couple articles to one of the most overlooked aspects of training--the time you spend out of the gym, specifically nutrition and choice of post-workout activity.

When it comes to post-workout nutrition, correct timing of what you eat and how much you eat is essential. First of all, you need to know what type of workout you just completed, meaning was it a strength training session, a movement/aerobic training session, or a hybrid of the two. Knowing how you just trained will dictate the amount of one macronutrient you eat relative to another, specifically your carbohydrate to protein ratio. If you just completed a strength training session you are looking to intake a 2:1 carbohydrate to protein ratio. If you just completed a movement training or aerobic session, then you are looking for a 4:1 carbohydrate to protein ratio. Finally, if you just completed a hybrid workout, then you need to judge based on the workout. For example, if you just completed a power-based Plyometric training session, which is technically a strength session based on the distance traveled by your center of mass on every movement, you’ll be looking at more of a 2:1 ratio. This also goes for circuit training sessions in the weight room where you are lifting the entire time but because your heart rate stays elevated it may feel like a cardio session. However, let’s just say you finished running hill sprints, which, due to the incline, definitely has a strength component to it, but due to the metabolic demand of this workout you’ll be looking at more of a 4:1 ratio.

Secondly, you need to know exactly what types of foods to put into your body. As I stated earlier, and will expand upon later, timing is crucial for post-workout nutrition. You want to take in foods that are easily digestible and will be delivered to your muscle cells quickly, meaning that when looking at carbohydrate choices, simple, fast-digesting sugars are better. Glucose would be your number-one choice here as glucose is already in a form that is usable by the body. On the other hand, fructose, which is the sugar found in fruits, takes longer to be absorbed by the muscle cells because it has to first travel to the liver where the liver will convert it to glucose. This also makes up the majority of Americans’ diets in the form of high fructose corn syrup, so that’s another reason to avoid that substance. The reason you want such fast-digesting carbohydrates is because the faster your carbs are digested the faster your insulin levels will spike. This will allow the glucose to enter the muscle cell, replenishing glycogen stores and allowing you to recover faster from your workout. A faster recovery from previous workouts enables you to work out harder the next time you hit the gym.

These same rules apply for protein as well. The fastest-digesting protein is going to be whey protein, with casein protein on the other end of the spectrum as the slowest-digesting protein. What is different about post-workout protein consumption is that you don’t want purely fast-digesting protein, i.e., you want a mix of whey and casein protein. Once again, the ratio of the two will depend on the workout you just completed. For strength-training workouts you’re looking at a 50/50 mix of the two proteins post-workout. This is for two reasons: 1) The whey protein will be digested and absorbed by the muscles quickly to start the rebuilding process. The sooner your muscles can start rebuilding the sooner they can be put to work again. 2) The casein protein will take up to seven hours to digest. This will give your muscles a slow drip of amino acids throughout the day that will aid in the recovery and rebuilding of the muscle tissue. After a movement training or aerobic session you want a 75/25 mix of whey to casein. This can be accomplished quite simply by mixing your whey protein shake in 8 to 12 ounces of milk as casein protein makes up approximately 80% of the protein found in milk. However, it would be worth investing in a separate casein powder or a mix of casein and whey protein for after strength training sessions as adding enough milk to get a 50/50 ratio would more than likely water down the powder so much that the shake wouldn’t taste very good.

Now that you know what to eat, the question becomes when do you eat it. Essentially, the sooner you can eat your post-workout nutrition the more effective it will be. However, there are a couple time windows that you should keep in mind. The first window is 30 minutes post-workout. Once 30 minutes has elapsed sine the end of your workout the effectiveness of your post-workout nutrition in aiding recovery drops off dramatically. The second window is 2 hours post-workout. After a 2-hour period from the end of your workout, any advantage that nutrition could have given you in terms of recovering for your next workout is basically gone. It is because of these two time windows that having the fastest-digesting macronutrients available to your body is so crucial. It is also why I recommend taking your post-workout nutrition with you to the gym instead of waiting until you get home to eat.

A third macronutrient that I haven’t talked about at all is fat, specifically polyunsaturated fats. Polyunsaturated fats contain omega-3 fatty acids, which act as a natural anti-inflammatory. Polyunsaturated fats can be found in high quantities in foods such as fish and walnuts, among others. What you have to be careful about when dealing with fats is that fat will slow down the digestion of everything else. So, although the omega-3’s found in these foods will allow you to recover from your workout quicker by reducing inflammation, I do not recommend taking in fats along with your carbohydrates and proteins. In fact, I would recommend waiting at least 30 minutes after you have already had your post-workout carbs and proteins to take in some form of omega-3’s. While this would put your fat intake outside of the 30-minute window given earlier, replenishing glycogen stores and providing amino acids for the muscle takes precedence over the anti-inflammatory effect of omega-3 fatty acids. Two of the most effective ways of ingesting omega-3’s are fish oil tablets and whole ground flaxseed. The tablets can be taken right out of the container and the flaxseed can be mixed in with yogurt, cereal, oatmeal, shakes, and smoothies. While there are recommended daily values for omega-3’s, recommended post-workout dosages have yet to be established.

Another aspect of post-workout nutrition to consider is water. You need to make sure that you re-hydrate after every workout so that your body continues to function properly between workouts, which will allow you to work out harder the next time you hit the gym. A simple way to figure out how much water you need post-workout is to weigh yourself before you begin your training and then again after your training session has concluded. For every pound that you loose during your workout you should drink 16 ounces (two cups) of water after your workout. You should definitely still be hydrating during your workout as well, but most of us are unable to keep up with our fluid losses during training so we must take extra care to make sure we re-hydrate well post-workout.

A lot of people like to drink Gatorade post-workout as a way of rehydrating, but there is a problem with that. Unless you’ve been training outside under the blazing sun for more than 90 minutes you really don’t need to be drinking Gatorade. While Gatorade can be seen as a good source of those simple sugars that you want post-workout, it also has a very high fructose content, which, as was mentioned before, takes longer to digest. Therefore, in writing this I’m assuming that you’re drinking Gatorade in additionto your post-workout carbs. In fact, the best time to drink Gatorade would be during your workout when it lasts more than 90 minutes. This would be to replenish the glycogen stores, sodium, and potassium that you burn through and loose while you workout so that you can continue to train at a high level. A better option than Gatorade if you are looking to replace electrolytes is Pedialyte. The Pedialyte Freeze Pops are portable solutions to your electrolyte deficiencies that you may encounter during or after a workout. The Free Pops contain a gram and a half of sugar, six calories, 211 mg of sodium, and 94 mg of potassium per 2.1 oz freeze pop.[1] Compare this to Gatorade’s 34 grams of sugar, 125 calories, 275 mg of sodium, and 75 mg of potassium per 20 oz bottle and you realize that with Pedialyte Freeze Pops you get a significantly more potent electrolyte replacement with only 4% of the sugar content.[2]

So, when thinking about post-workout nutrition, remember that timing is everything. Not only do you need to eat foods that are fast digesting, but you also have to eat them as soon as possible after your workout. Eating the right amounts of these foods, as well as drinking proper amounts of fluids to rehydrate, will not only allow you to recover more quickly so you can work out harder the next time you’re in the gym, but it will also ensure that you are getting everything out of your training that you are putting in to it.

Get big or die tryin’.

Charlie Cates

Self Made, Owner

Charlie Cates is a human performance specialist and the owner of Self Made (http://selfmadefitness.com/). He is a Certified Personal Trainer and Performance Enhancement Specialist through NASM and has worked with competitive and everyday athletes of all ages and ability levels, from 9-year-old kids to NFL MVP's. He can be reached via e-mail at charlie@selfmadefitness.com.

This article may be reproduced with biographical information intact.

[1] http://www.thedailyplate.com/nutrition-calories/food/pedialyte/freeze-pops

[2] http://www.thedailyplate.com/nutrition-calories/food/gatorade/fruit-punch-thirst-quencher

Boost Your T

Interested in more ways to boost your T levels? Check out this article by Scott Mendelson to find out more ways to get your T levels to where they should be and where you want them to be.

Top Testosterone Boosting Tips, Part 2 by Scott Mendelson

Get big or die tryin'.

This past week was my last week of my hypertrophy phase. I had legs on Monday, chest on Tuesday, back on Thursday, and arms on Friday. Wednesday I did recovery cardio. I also did bike sprints on Tuesday and jumped rope on Thursday. Next week I will be testing before I begin SMS² in 2011.

When I wasn't at the gym I was studying for the CSCS and updating the Self Made blog with daily posts. I also wrote a new article for the site in which I gave a review of the first year of the SMS training series. This weekend I feasted for two days straight for the Christmas holiday.

That's all for this past week. Now it's time to go live this one.

Get big or die tryin'.

Four Basic Exercises Most People Perform Incorrectly

Let's be serious, the vast majority of people in weight rooms and gyms have absolutely no idea what they are doing. Check out this article by Molly Galbraith to find out what four basic exercises you are screwing up and how to do them correctly.

Four Basic Exercises People Perform Incorrectly by Molly Galbraith

Get big or die tryin'.

The World's Mine Oyster

If your muscles are refusing to grow or make strength gains, despite your relentless efforts in the gym, perhaps it is time to look back a few centuries to the works of none other than William Shakespeare to break out of your training rut. While Mr. Shakespeare hardly had the slightest notion that he was scribing a reference to one of the best, if not the best, testosterone-boosting food, we, on the other hand, are much more aware of the effect this wonderful mollusk can have on our hormone levels.

So what makes oysters so great at boosting T levels? Well first and foremost, they are LOADED with zinc, and zinc is a mineral that increases testosterone levels very well. In fact, 1 cup of oysters contains approximately 147 milligrams of zinc, which is well over 900% of the required daily value.[1] Due to the fact that ingesting too much zinc can lead to side effects such as diarrhea and vomiting it is suggested that a whole cup of oysters only be eaten once a week. However, even with this semi-rare consumption, your zinc levels will be high enough to pump up your body’s T levels.

Zinc is essential to allow your body to produce higher levels of testosterone for a couple reasons. First, if zinc levels in your body are low then your pituitary gland is unable to produce a couple hormones necessary to induce testosterone production—luteinizing as well as follicle stimulating hormones.[2]Secondly, zinc prevents the production of the enzyme aromatase, which changes testosterone into estrogen.2

Another mineral found in oysters that is related to testosterone is magnesium. According to a study in the Journal of Pharmaceutical and Biomechanical Analysis, men who have higher levels of magnesium have been found to also show higher levels of free testosterone, and more free testosterone means more testosterone that is available to be used by the body.[3] One cup of oysters contains approximately 87.5 milligrams of magnesium, which is roughly 22% of the recommended daily value, so this is well within the range of what a healthy human can handle.1

The third component of oysters that improves the production and use of testosterone is protein. A higher intake of protein leads to higher albumin production, which means higher levels of free testosterone.3However, understand that diets that are too high in protein, specifically diets that have a higher percentage of protein than carbohydrates, are thought to lead to testosterone being excreted through urine.[4] For one cup of oysters, you can expect to get around 11.4 grams of protein, which is only 23% of the recommended daily value.1 So, while eating a cup of oysters will by no means put you in danger of losing your hard-earned T down the drain in the men’s room, be mindful of your protein consumption relative to the other macronutrients.

Finally, oysters contain a very small amount of saturated fat, approximately 1.0 gram per cup, which has also been shown to increase T levels.1 More specifically, studies have shown that individuals who weight train displayed higher testosterone levels when following a diet higher in saturated fat than individuals who did not weight train.[5] The potential side-effects of indulging in a high saturated fat diet are well documented, but as long as this is kept in check and you are continuing to hit the iron then you should be able to enjoy the effects of greater testosterone levels.

So, if you have been getting nowhere in the weight room or in the mirror try adding a weekly dose of oysters to your diet and see the world in a whole new light. As Pistol said, “The world’s mine oyster,” so start enjoying some oysters and start enjoying the world.

Get big or die tryin’.

Charlie Cates

Self Made, Owner

Charlie Cates is a human performance specialist and the owner of Self Made (http://selfmadefitness.com/). He is a Certified Personal Trainer and Performance Enhancement Specialist through NASM and has worked with competitive and everyday athletes of all ages and ability levels, from 9-year-old kids to NFL MVP's. He can be reached via e-mail at charlie@selfmadefitness.com.

This article may be reproduced with biographical information intact.

[1] http://www.nutritiondata.com/facts/finfish-and-shellfish-products/4192/2

[2] http://www.advance-health.com/zinc.html#Zinc,%20Testosterone%20and%20Men's%20Health

[3] http://www.ergo-log.com/magnesiumtest.html

[4] http://www.thinkmuscle.com/articles/incledon/diet-01.htm

[5]http://www.tmuscle.com/free_online_article/sports_body_training_performance_nutrition/saturated_fat_killer_or_testosterone_booster

Youth Weight Training

Here is an article from the Wall Street Journal about kids, teens, and weight training. My man Brett Klikais quoted in it as well.

School, Homework, Pump Iron by Kevin Helliker

Get big or die tryin'.

Short On Time? Try Smoothies.

In today’s world the clock dictates everything. Our work, our sleep, and our free time are all subject to the swing of the pendulum, and often there seems to be not enough hours in the day to complete what we feel needs to be completed. Unfortunately, we usually end up rushing through, or skipping over altogether, one of the most important parts of our daily lives: our nutrition. Instead of cooking homemade meals we opt for fast food; instead of taking the time to prepare fresh vegetables we choose to microwave frozen veggies. One thing that I have found works very well for me as far as being quick, easy, and nutritionally sound are smoothies. Not only can these be prepared in a matter of minutes, but you can also make them in bulk as well as pack in a lot of much-needed nutrients.

Smoothies are versatile and simple to make, only requiring a blender and the basic ingredients. They’re also great because you can put the blender top in the fridge and the smoothie will still be good for a few days, depending on the expiration dates of the ingredients. I like to experiment with different flavors, but one that I’ve been making more recently is a mix of almond milk, peanut butter, banana, butter, coconut oil, chocolate whey protein, cinnamon, and ice. I think this formula in particular makes a great mid-afternoon shake for some fats and protein to hold you over until dinner. You can mix and match with different quantities of each ingredient, and I have yet to find one that is absolutely perfect, but all of the flavor is there for a great smoothie.

One word of caution for those of you who are looking to skip over the actual creation of the smoothie for a more convenient store-bought smoothie: most, if not all, chain smoothie joints use sorbet in their smoothies. Sorbet is, essentially, pure glucose that is added to enhance the flavor. Nutritionally, this is not what you want unless it is immediately post-workout. If you do opt to buy smoothies instead of making them yourself, make sure to ask that they leave the sorbet out.

Get big or die tryin’.

Charlie Cates

Self Made, Owner

Charlie Cates is a human performance specialist and the owner of Self Made (http://selfmadefitness.com/), as well as a Certified Personal Trainer and Performance Enhancement Specialist through NASM. He has worked with athletes of all ages and ability levels, from 9-year-old kids to NFL MVP's. He can be reached via e-mail at charlie@selfmadefitness.com.

This article may be reproduced with biographical information intact.

Meditation for a Longer Life

Check out this blog post by Mark Sisson of Mark's Daily Apple to see how adding daily meditation into your life can allow you to live longer.

Monday Musings: Meditation for Life Extension and the Twinkie Guy by Mark Sisson

Get big or die tryin'.

This Past Week (12/12-12/18)

This past week was my first week back lifting hard after my deload week. Monday was legs, Tuesday was chest, and Thursday was back. On Monday and Thursday I did a 10x10 workout where I hit my main lift (incline BB press and pronated lat pulldown) for 10x10 and paired each set with another exercise. For my cardio I did plate pushes on Monday, jumped rope on Tuesday, and boxed on Thursday. Wednesday I did recovery cardio for 25 minutes.

Friday I had TRX training all day, so I am now TRX certified. Because I have messed around with the TRX enough, I really didn't learn much new stuff from the certification, but it is nice to be able to put another bullet on my resume. Saturday I took completely off from working out and work, aside from one 30-minute session. It was a much-needed total recovery day.

I have been studying for the CSCS a lot, as well as working on my e-book. Those are my two main focuses for work outside of the gym right now.

That's all for this past week. Now it's time to go live this one.

Get big or die tryin'.

Correcting Bad Posture, Part 4

Here is the fourth article in the “Strategies for Correcting Bad Posture” series by Eric Cressey.

Strategies for Correcting Bad Posture, Part 4 by Eric Cressey

Get big or die tryin'.

Knock Out Knee Pain With TKE's

As an athlete and performance coach, one issue that is constantly coming up with my clients and myself is knee pain, specifically patellar tendonitis, a.k.a. Jumper’s Knee. This is not the acute knee pain that shows up every once in a while at the gym, but rather the chronic, irritating knee pain right below the kneecap that is with you all hours of the day, regardless of how much ice you’ve put on it. If you know exactly what I am talking about because you experience this on a daily basis then continue reading because I may have found your answer.

Terminal Knee Extensions (TKEs) are basic knee extensions that target the Vastus Medialis Oblique (VMO) by limiting the range of motion to approximately 20-30 degrees[1],[2],[3]. The most important part to take away from that last statement is the strengthening of the VMO, which is important because it will aid in tracking the patella correctly[4]. TKEs can be performed many ways, including using multi-hip machines and bodyweight, but what I like using best are resistance bands. This is a good initial starting point for most people, as it is a simple motion on solid ground and the resistance of the band can vary to accommodate different strength needs. The basic set-up is as follows: Loop the band around some type of hook or stable piece of equipment and then loop the other end of the band behind the knee. Essentially the motion you are going for is to rise up onto your toes of the leg that is banded by bending that knee, then rock back onto that heel, extending your knee in the process. Your other leg will be planted firmly on the ground, being used to stabilize this action. Because the VMO is a slow-twitch postural muscle you will be looking at a lower number of sets with a higher number of reps, somewhere in the range of 2-3 sets for 15-20 reps each1,2,3. It is my opinion, as well as the opinion of many others, that TKEs are best-served to be performed as a part of an athlete’s warm-up.

The body adapts to TKEs just like it does any other exercise, so it is important to vary how you perform this exercise every couple weeks or so. The following exercises are a brief progression of TKEs, starting with the least difficult and becoming more difficult as you move down the list:

• Banded TKEs
• Low-box (approximately 2”) TKEs
• Medium-box (4-6”) TKEs
• High-box (inferior height of the patella) TKEs
• Slant-box TKE's

These are just a few of the exercises in the whole progression. If you want to see these exercises performed correctly, please check out the Buddy Morris interview conducted by EliteFTS on YouTube, specifically segments 2, 3, and 4. In fact, if you are reading this article search for this interview as it is incredibly informative and the main source of information for this article.

As you strengthen your VMO through these different TKE techniques it will be imperative that you work on corrective flexibility, especially for your IT band and gluteus medius. One of the most effective ways of doing this is through self-miofascial release, or SMR, such as foam rolling. To get a complete demonstration of a lower-body foam rolling routine, including the IT band and gluteus medius, check out my SMR/Foam Roller video on the video page of this website. And always, always, always make sure to ice your knees after activity if you struggle with patellar tendonitis, regardless of whether they hurt right then or not.

Knee pain is something that many athletes, including myself, have to deal with on a daily basis. While patellar tendonitis can be incredibly annoying and painful, there are ways to treat it. Through use of corrective stretching techniques, icing post-workout, and adding in TKEs to your warm-up you can minimize pain caused by patellar tendonitis in a relatively short period of time. I’ve been performing TKEs as part of my warm-up for the last two weeks and my knees have never felt better!

Get big or die tryin’.

Charlie Cates

Self Made, Owner

Charlie Cates is a human performance specialist and the owner of Self Made (http://selfmadefitness.com/), as well as a Certified Personal Trainer and Performance Enhancement Specialist through NASM. He has worked with athletes of all ages and ability levels, from 9-year-old kids to NFL MVP's. He can be reached via e-mail at charlie@selfmadefitness.com.

This article may be reproduced with biographical information intact

[1] http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fZYIMSpZNZo&feature=related

[2] http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G6is1stGcP0&feature=related

[3] http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bXpBXxzLxmY&feature=related

[4] http://www.fiba.com/asp_includes/download.asp?file_id=351

Correcting Bad Posture, Part 3

Here is the third article in the "Strategies for Correcting Bad Posture" series by Eric Cressey.

Strategies for Correcting Bad Posture, Part 3 by Eric Cressey

Get big or die tryin'.

Want To Squat Like A Man? Lift Like A Woman.

Every day you can go into a weight room anywhere in the country and two things will be certain: 1) Men will be working their chest and arms, and 2) Women will be working their legs, specifically their gluteals and hips. Granted, the vast majority of these lifts are done for cosmetic reasons, but every once in a great while a pencil-legged man with 22-inch arms will decide to hop under the squat bar, Smith machine no doubt, to, you know, mix up his routine. This venture will more than likely be paired with seated calf raises, because we all know ladies like calves and he’s starting to get a little self-conscious about his no. 2’s. If he’s feeling extra ambitious he may even throw in a few sets of hamstring curls, but only a half range of motion will be executed here in order to keep the weight higher than the next top-heavy pump addict looking to give his over-trained upper extremities a day’s rest.

Inevitably the day will come when our subject will work up enough courage to attempt a barbell back squat. There are a couple scenarios that could play out from this point: he could load the bar up with significantly more weight than he is able to handle, leading to severe injury; or he could understand his limits and lift according to them, leading to severe weight room embarrassment. Oh wait, except that all of the other gym rats are squatting with that same pair of 45-pound plates.

How is this possible, that the back squat, the exercise that forces the greatest testosterone pump in the body, hits the greatest areas of muscle mass, and involves the most powerful muscles in the body is one of the most underutilized exercises in every gym in the country? Perhaps it is because in order to actually squat well you have to do many of the same exercises as the spandex-donning women that make your lifts twice as long, and twice as exhilarating, as they should be.

When it comes to squatting, the hamstrings and quadriceps are certainly involved. However, the lower body muscle groups that play the most important roles in squat execution are the muscle groups that men rarely, if ever, train to strengthen—the gluteals and the hip complex, specifically the hip adductors and hip abductors. The gluteal is our bodies’ most powerful muscle as well as our number one hip extensor. However, through many decades of improper movement mechanics and sedentary lifestyles, the gluteals for most men are completely asleep, leading the hamstrings to take over the job as top hip extensor. This is a problem because our hamstrings are not designed to be even the number two hip extensor—this job goes to our adductor magnus—leading to countless hamstring injuries in men.

The other areas of much-needed work are the hip adductors and hip abductors. If you have trouble remembering which one is which, think of this: when your leg goes OUT from your body it is being ABducted, just like someone who is taken into OUTerspace is ABducted by aliens. So what exactly do these muscle groups do? Well, they do quite a bit, but when it comes to squatting they are primarily used to stabilize the knees and hips. Weaknesses in these muscles can be easily identified by performing simple bodyweight squats—if you see that your knees bow out during the eccentric contraction (vargus knees) then that means your ABductors are tight and your ADductors are weak. However, if your knees come towards each other during the eccentric contraction (valgus knees) then your ADductors are tight and your ABductors are weak. Different stretching exercises can be implemented to alleviate any tightness, and weakness in these muscle groups can be overcome through basic strength training exercises.

One of the best techniques for relieving tightness in these areas is Self-Miofascial Release (SMR), specifically the use of a foam roller. By simply laying on the roller such that the tight area is in contact with the roller and then using your bodyweight to massage the area the tightness in these muscle groups can be released. Something else to think about is that if your abductors are tight you should strongly consider rolling out your gluteus medius in addition to your IT band as that is a major component of hip abduction. While there are other forms of SMR, such as a tennis ball, it would be difficult to alleviate tightness in the abductor and adductor muscle groups with these tools, although a tennis ball can be very effective on the gluteus medius.

In addition to relieving tightness, strength training of the appropriate muscle groups should be implemented. One of the best pieces of equipment to use in order to strengthen the hip complex is the Multi Hip. You have undoubtedly seen this machine in your local fitness center, but have always walked by it en route to the bench. It’s the machine with the platform and swinging arm that hangs down with the pad on it that rests right above your kneecap. There are usually a couple bars sitting perpendicular to the arm as well that you can hold on to. If this isn’t jogging your memory then look for the area of the weight room where the women are gravitating. This piece of equipment is designed to specifically train your entire hip complex, making it ideal for someone who is needing a lower-body makeover. Other simple training tools for strengthening the hips include resistance bands, specifically Xertubes, resistance cuffs, and Jump Stretch bands. Any of these can be used to hit the multiple muscle groups of the hip complex.

When it comes to working the gluteals specifically, a couple exercises come to mind right away: glute/ham raises and Romanian deadlifts. The Romanian deadlift can be performed using dumbbells or a barbell, and is executed by holding the weight along the front of your thighs with slightly bent knees and driving your hips back in order to lower the weight. It is very important here that the movement of the weight comes from the movement of your hips, not from the movement of your back. If you’re not sure of the exercise I’m talking about, it’s the one you try really hard not to stare at when the women are performing it in front of the mirror. The glute/ham raise is performed on a back extension machine, but once again, instead of using your lower back to raise your torso, initiate the movement by squeezing your gluteals and forcing your hips forward.

While the gluteals will get plenty of work doing any hip extension exercise on the Multi Hip, you can continue to improve the power of this muscle through these two exercises. You will most certainly be feeling the after-effects of these lifts in your hamstrings, but understand that if these two moves are performed properly you will be blasting your gluteals. One way to focus on the gluteals during these moves is to squeeze your glutes as hard as possible during the concentric contraction of the move. This will really target the gluteals and lead to even greater results.

So remember, the next time you are in the weight room and are psyched to squat the house, make sure that you work your way into squatting like a man by first lifting like a woman.

Get big or die tryin’.

Charlie Cates

Self Made, Owner

Charlie Cates is a human performance specialist and the owner of Self Made (http://selfmadefitness.com/), as well as a Certified Personal Trainer and Performance Enhancement Specialist through NASM. He has worked with athletes of all ages and ability levels, from 9-year-old kids to NFL MVP's. He can be reached via e-mail at charlie@selfmadefitness.com.

This article may be reproduced with biographical information intact.

Correcting Bad Posture, Part 2

Here is part two of the "Strategies for Correcting Bad Posture" article by Eric Cressey.

Strategies for Correcting Bad Posture, Part 2 by Eric Cressey

Get big or die tryin'.

This Past Week (12/5-12/11)

This past week was a complete deload week for me. Normally I am very precise with my deloads, using a calculator to tell me every weight, but this week I let my body tell me what weight to lift. Most of the time the weight ended up being between 40-50% of the weight I was using the week before. It was clear that I was very fatigued.

At the start of the week my RHR was in the low 60's. As a comparison, when I am rested and my nervous system is fresh, my RHR is in the mid 40's. By Thursday my RHR was in the mid 50's, so while I was recovering, the process was taking longer than I had expected. Finally by Saturday I was back into the high 40's after not training at all on Friday.

Sunday I had two basketball games to finish out the men's league I was playing in every week. Monday was my leg lift, Tuesday was chest, Wednesday back, and Thursday arms. I would have spaced the week out Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday, but I was planning on being out of town Friday through Sunday. Those plans, however, fell through, but I just stuck with my initial plan of having Friday and Saturday be off days.

Work wise, I sent out the December issue of The Source on Monday. If you are interested in being put on my mailing list for this newsletter, please click here. On Thursday I began adding articles to the blogthat I have written over the course of the past year and a half. My plan is to add "This Past Week" postings every Sunday; articles from other authors on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays; and articles written by myself on Tuesdays and Thursdays. This way there will be updates six days a week, so check back often!

I finally got around to editing the footage from the morning that Shalvoy and I did 100 pull-ups. The video is up on YouTube, as well as on the Self Made Facebook page and the videos page on the website. But, in case you don't want to go to any of those links, you can also watch the video right here:

I began studying for the CSCS again this week as well. I have already read through the text book once, but now I am going back through it again and really studying it this time. I am planning to be ready to take the exam in March 2011. Finally, the last big thing of this past week is that I started working on an e-book that I am planning on releasing in January 2011. It is something that, as of right now, I am planning on giving out for free when people sign up for my newsletter. Those who have already signed up will receive it with the January 2011 issue of The Source.

That's all for this past week. Now it's time to go live this one.

Get big or die tryin'.