6500-Pound Challenge

Want to end 2011 or start 2012 with a bang? Check out this challenge by Martin Rooney and then check out my go at it!

Get big or die tryin'.

Movement Is A Skill

This will be a shorter post today but the takeaway is of the utmost importance to understand. A lot of people see the way somebody moves or feel how they themselves move and assume that's just the way things are. It is clear that force production can be increased as well as rate of force production, but what many people miss is that the actual mechanics of a movement can be improved, as well. And this isn't just limited to skills of a sport or weightlifting techniques, either. Specifically, what I have in mind are people's ability to decelerate as well as relearning movements post-injury. Each of these subjects is worthy of its own post, but for now I just want you to understand that anything your body does can be improved upon given the proper stimulus, attention to detail, and time.

The flip side to this is that proper movement can be diminished through improper training. Every time you practice a movement you are telling your nervous system that is how you want it done, regardless if that particular rep was of high quality or not. This is why, as I have written in the past, you should prioritize your training scheme for each day such that the skill of movements you care about improving the most are performed earlier in your training when you are in your least-fatigued state.

I will expand on the topics I brought up earlier in later posts, so, in the meantime, meditate on this thought and understand the importance of everything you do in your training. Comment, share, and spread the knowledge.

Get big or die tryin'.

Charlie Cates, CSCS

Self Made®, Owner

Charlie Cates is a strength and conditioning specialist and the owner of Self Made® (http://selfmadefitness.com/) in Chicago, IL. He 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.

Under The Bar: Elastic Squatting and Other Stuff

Here is a great intro article by Dave Tate regarding how to properly use bands when you squat.

Under The Bar: Elastic Squatting and Other Stuff by Dave Tate

Get big or die tryin'.

SelfMadeFitness.com: 275-pound Challenge

Here is our response to the 275 Challenge posted yesterday.

Get big or die tryin'.

TFW The 275 Workout Challenge

Looking for a new training challenge? Check this one out by Martin Rooney of TrainingForWarriors.com:

Get big or die tryin'.

Half-Pulls, Not Half-A**ed

Does your deadlift need a pick-me-up (**pun intended**)? Check out this article by Todd Bumgardner for great information on rack pulls.

Half-Pulls, Not Half-A**ed by Todd Bumgardner

Get big or die tryin'.

Programs That Work

I am honored to have one my articles featured in the 2011 Make-A-Wish Foundation "Programs That Work" e-book by EliteFTS.com. To download your copy of this manual, which contains over 30 PR-breaking training programs, click here. All articles are voluntarily written and all proceeds from the purchases are donated to the Make-A-Wish Foundation of Ohio, Kentucky, and Indiana. This year, give the gift of strength; give the gift of hope.

Get big or die tryin'.

More 3rd World Workouts

If you've ever complained about not being able to train due to lack of equipment, you definitely need to check out this article by Craig Weller.

More 3rd World Workouts by Craig Weller

Get big or die tryin'.

Nine Things Young Athletes Need to Master

Check out this list by Julia Ladewski for nine movements that all kids should be able to perform if they are interested in participating in athletics.

Nine Things Young Athletes Need to Master by Julia Ladewski

Get big or die tryin'.

What Are You Scared Of?

For the past few weeks I have been practicing jiu-jitsu, or I guess more accurately I have been taking weekly beatings but trying to call my lack-luster skills jiu-jitsu. Anyways, I have been taking private lessons once a week where I am taught and practice the basic skills of the sport. After my most recent lesson, I decided that I would attend a jiu-jitsu group class taught by the same instructor early this week.

The class was at 6 AM this morning, which, all things considered, really isn't that early for me. I was only able to stay for the first hour, but it was an intense, high-energy hour. During one part of the 45-minute warm-up we would do different tumbling exercises for the length of the mats--somersaults forwards, backwards, and over each respective shoulder. Now, I haven't done any tumbling of more than one roll since my mother decided that the wrestling room in our house needed some furniture so it could become the living room. That was when I was about 7 or 8. Over a decade and a half later, it was time to revisit these movements.

Now, understand that I have been keeping myself in fairly decent physical condition, so my body can perform most tasks when I call upon it to do so. But with tumbling, I have always had some fear that I would injure myself in the process, which is exactly why I haven't tried any tumbling moves since the glory days of second grade. This morning, though, there wasn't any time to question what I was about to do. I was the new guy in class, and if that wasn't obvious enough from my abysmal skill work, I wasn't about to let it show by slowing everybody down during this drill while I pondered the possible outcomes of launching my 6'4", 238.5-pound frame over one shoulder and onto my back over and over again.

So I went for it. No hesitations. No second thoughts. I was actually one of the first in line so I only had a couple of demonstrations to see how it was done, but nevertheless I did somersault after somersault, forwards, backwards, and over each respective shoulder, all the way down the length of the mats without any hiccups. It made me wonder what I was really even afraid of in the first place. It also made me wonder in what other areas of my life I have been holding myself back due to some type of fear.

What are you scared of? What are you holding yourself back from doing, for whatever reason? In church this weekend the pastor said during his sermon that 85% of the negative outcomes that Americans fear will happen never materialize. 85%. Is your fear one of them?

Mark Twain once said, "I have been through some terrible things in my life, some of which actually happened." Don't let the fear of what could be stop you from enjoying what is and what will be if you dive in head first.

Get big or die tryin'.

Charlie Cates, CSCS

Self Made®, Owner

Charlie Cates is a strength and conditioning specialist and the owner of Self Made® (http://selfmadefitness.com/) in Chicago, IL. He 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.

Quantifying the Farmer's Walk

If you are interested in performing farmer walks, check out this article by Shon Grosse for a great look at one of the most common technique problems with the exercise.

Quantifying the Farmer's Walk by Shon Grosse

**Side Note: I think a great point is brought up the article regarding a technique problem, but I'm afraid the remedies are too "one-size-fits-all" for my liking. The hurdle walks would be worth progressing towards, though.

Get big or die tryin'.

How Bad Do You Want It?

When you want to succeed as bad as you want to breathe, then you will be successful.

Get big or die tryin'.

The Biggest Training Fallacy Of All

Perhaps the title is a bit dramatic, but there is still an important takeaway here. Read more from this article by Mark Rippetoe.

The Biggest Training Fallacy Of All by Mark Rippetoe

Get big or die tryin'.

Increasing Your Vert: The Warm-up

A lot of questions I get from people revolve around ways to increase their vertical jump. There are many training techniques I use to improve this for both myself and others, but one of the simplest things I have found is something I have implemented into my warm-up over the last few months.

After I perform my ground-based warm-up, I follow it with this jump-rope routine:

It's not terribly complicated and when performed flawlessly takes under two minutes, but adding this in to my daily warm-up routine has really helped me keep up my ability to move over these past two months while I have put on 17 pounds and haven't done plyos for the last four weeks. It is low-key enough to be implemented while an athlete is in season or deloading, but, over time, the cumulative volume is enough to help you jump better.

So, if you are looking for something you can do every day to help you jump and move better, add this jump-rope routine into your warm-up. You won't gain eight inches in eight weeks, but you will be able to noticeably improve how you move.

Get big or die tryin'.

Charlie Cates, CSCS

Self Made®, Owner

Charlie Cates is a strength and conditioning specialist and the owner of Self Made® (http://selfmadefitness.com/) in Chicago, IL. He 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.

The Company You Keep

“It doesn’t matter what kind of training you do, whether it’s HIIT or Olympic lifting or Westside or whatever...The people you train with is the most important factor.”--Jim Wendler

What type of people are you surrounding yourself with? Check out this article by Jason Ferruggia to discuss further.

The Company You Keep by Jason Ferruggia

Get big or die tryin'.

Are You Daily or Occasionally?

You know where you want to go, but how often do you do the things that will get you there? Check out this article by Martin Rooney for more discussion.

Are You Daily or Occasionally? by Martin Rooney

Get big or die tryin'.

SMF

If you are like most meatheads, conditioning really isn't your thing. You can lift for hours on end, but as soon as it comes to raising your heart rate outside of leg day, you call it quits and head for your protein shake. For a number of months I was finding it difficult to motivate myself to do conditioning outside of or in addition to my lifting. Subsequently, my lifts became worse as my overall work capacity decreased due to my deconditioned state. That's when I developed SMF.

SMF is that Self Made Finish to your training session; the final burn for the day. Essentially, it is 5 to 20 minutes of high-intensity, anaerobic or aerobic training done in an interval fashion. (I will not use the term HIIT to describe SMF because of all the negative connotations I derive from that word due people's misuse and misunderstanding of the concept.)

Examples of SMF include:

• Bike Sprints
• Plate Pushes
• Boxing
• Stairwell/Hill Sprints
• Battling Ropes
• Track Sprints
• Medicine Ball Circuits
• Jump Rope Circuits
• Kettle Bell Circuits
• Body Weight Circuits

It is an "easy" way to get your conditioning in every day without killing yourself or your lifts or having to set aside a separate time to train for conditioning.

If you are struggling to keep up your conditioning or want to improve it without sacrificing your lifts, I would highly recommend the SMF format. Set your watch for five minutes and get as much work done as you can in that time. Add 30 seconds to your watch each week and feel the improvement in your conditioning and overall training.

Get big or die tryin'.

Charlie Cates, CSCS

Self Made®, Owner

Charlie Cates is a strength and conditioning specialist and the owner of Self Made® (http://selfmadefitness.com/) in Chicago, IL. He 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.

Hardcore Hinging for Hamstrings

Looking for some new exercises for your hamstrings other than lying leg curls? Check out these hinge variations by John Gaglione.

Hardcore Hinging for Hamstrings by John Gaglione

Get big or die tryin'.

Feats of Strength

I have often heard stories of men achieving amazing feats of strength throughout their lifetime; stories of men working for hours on end in the construction of something greater than themselves; stories of men traveling great distances by foot to relay messages or return to loved ones. In this day in age, experiences like these have become foreign by the ease of technology, the busyness of schedules, and the fear of trying. Feats of strength are now considered by the living dead as an hour of movement three times a week. Even the events that are deemed most challenging, and are, without question, difficult, such as triathlons and marathons, are able to be completed by people with poor training or are done on whim.

This past Thanksgiving I was talking to my uncle about my personal bests regarding my training. The next day he sent me an e-mail containing some of the feats of strength he accomplished in his younger days. The e-mail contained the following:

• I did a 53 mile walk/jog through the White Mountains (New Hampshire) with about 20,000 total vertical feet (10,000 up and 10,000 down) - in 19 1/2 hours (a record for the event at the time) at 20 years old.
• Fast- walked/jogged 50 miles in 10 1/2 hours and rode a 3-speed bike 1223 miles in 15 days at 21.
• I first did 1,000 push-ups in a day when I was 22 years old, and was able to do this at several different time-periods until I was about 34.
• Bicycled across the US, approximately 3,200 miles, at 23 years old.
• I worked up to 15-16 3-minute rounds on the heavy bag when I was 26-34 years old.
• Cross-country skied the 33 mile Birkebeiner in 4 hours at 31 yrs old (it took me more than six hours last year with the new, faster equipment).
• I used to run for about 45 minutes, once a week at noon in the summer when I lived in Saudi Arabia (age 31-34 years old), just to see if I could do it/survive. The temperatures were up to and over 130 F. In three years I never saw anyone else run in the desert in the middle of the day in the summer (there were 500 mostly younger people living on our farm).

Reading these, I couldn't help but be motivated. I have already begun to create a list of different feats of strength I want to accomplish in the upcoming years, ones that I will be posting about in the future. What do actually want to prove to yourself with your training, or are you able to accept mediocrity?

So much of people's training today revolves around aesthetics or sub-maximal performances. When was the last time you pushed yourself to your physical and mental limits in your training? When was the last time you attempted something, just to see if you could survive?

Get big or die tryin'.

Charlie Cates, CSCS

Self Made®, Owner

Charlie Cates is a strength and conditioning specialist and the owner of Self Made® (http://selfmadefitness.com/) in Chicago, IL. He 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.

John Berardi's Great Fasting Experiment

Interested in intermittent fasting (IF)? Check out this article by John Berardi to get a recap of his experience with it.

John Berardi's Great Fasting Experiment by John Berardi

Get big or die tryin'.

Dynamic Effort Box Squats and Acceleration Improvements

Interested in how box squats transfers from your training to your competition? Check out this interview conducted by Bret Contreras with Scott Taylor for an inside perspective.

Dynamic Effort Box Squats and Acceleration Improvements: Interview with Scott Taylor by Bret Contreras

Get big or die tryin'.

Are You Sore? (Part 2)

Due to the number of responses I have received regarding part 1 of this post, I have decided to write a follow-up post, which further defends my reasoning and viewpoint. Let me start by saying that if you really do not care about muscle function or rather only care about pushing yourself as hard as you can while you train, what I am about to present will more than likely go in one ear and out the other. I am not trying to change your viewpoint or how you think; I am just trying to present information that may or may not challenge your belief system, but will hopefully spur a thought process and discussion.

So the argument that has been presented to me since the first post is that in order for the muscle fibers to grow, they must first be damaged. I, and all of the published texts I have found, agree with this statement, but there is ambiguity concerning how much damage must first be done in order for soreness to occur. In other words, it is not particularly clear as to whether damaging a muscle fiber automatically causes soreness or if there is a certain damage threshold that must first be exceed in order for muscle soreness to be experienced.

Based on my experience with training myself and other, my hypothesis is that the latter holds true. What I mean is, I am almost certain that some level of muscle fiber damage occurs while I train due to my inability to perform an identical training session to the one I just completed immediately after finishing. In fact, it is often very apparent to me that I would not be able to hit the same weights at the same levels of intensity or volume that I just did. However, this damage is not indicative that I will be experiencing muscle soreness in the following days, which tells me that I am recovering fairly well from my training.

My recommendation is that if you are still experiencing muscle soreness after having been 24 hours removed from the stimulus, you overdid it with your training and exceeded the threshold of the tissue(s) in question. I am basing this recommendation off of the assumption that you will be able to get a good night's sleep within the 24-hour window, which will allow your body the best opportunity to recover from the stresses of the day. If you are unable to relieve yourself of the muscle soreness after the 24 hours, then the amount of stress in your life during that time was too great for your body to handle appropriately. The tricky part about training recovery is that there are so many variables to consider, but generally speaking if you are unable to recover from one day's training by the time it is time to begin the next day's training, you exceeded your body's threshold of what it could recover from.

Damaged Muscle Fiber vs. Healthy Muscle Fiber

I could see an argument for a 48-hour window being in place instead of a 24-hour window due to people generally taking a day off between training days, and maybe this would be a more appropriate guideline. The problem I am running into with this, though, is that if it is taking people 48-hours to only relieve muscle soreness then they are only a fraction of the way through the recovery process after two days and they are about to stress their system again on the new training day that has arrived. Because magnitude of muscle soreness is only one of many variables in the recovery process--how many of us could perform identical, intense training sessions day after day whether we woke up sore or not?--its absence does not necessarily indicate full recovery.

There will often times be damage to the muscle fibers that occurs during training. Whether or not this damage will always lead to muscle soreness is up for debate, but it appears that the former can be present without the latter. However, should muscle soreness be felt for more than 24 hours post-training, it can be assumed that the threshold of the tissue was exceeded and the contractile capabilities of said tissue have been compromised.

Get big or die tryin'.

Charlie Cates, CSCS

Self Made®, Owner

Charlie Cates is a strength and conditioning specialist and the owner of Self Made® (http://selfmadefitness.com/) in Chicago, IL. He 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.

Due to the number of responses I have received regarding part 1 of this post, I have decided to write a follow-up post, which further defends my reasoning and viewpoint. Let me start by saying that if you really do not care about muscle function or rather only care about pushing yourself as hard as you can while you train, what I am about to present will more than likely go in one ear and out the other. I am not trying to change your viewpoint or how you think; I am just trying to present information that may or may not challenge your belief system, but will hopefully spur a thought process and discussion.

So the argument that has been presented to me since the first post is that in order for the muscle fibers to grow, they must first be damaged. I, and all of the published texts I have found, agree with this statement, but there is ambiguity concerning how much damage must first be done in order for soreness to occur. In other words, it is not particularly clear as to whether damaging a muscle fiber automatically causes soreness or if there is a certain damage threshold that must first be exceed in order for muscle soreness to be experienced.

Based on my experience with training myself and other, my hypothesis is that the latter holds true. What I mean is, I am almost certain that some level of muscle fiber damage occurs while I train due to my inability to perform an identical training session to the one I just completed immediately after finishing. In fact, it is often very apparent to me that I would not be able to lift the same weights at the same levels of intensity or volume that I just did. However, this damage is not indicative that I will be experiencing muscle soreness in the following days, which to me tells me that I am recovering fairly well from my training.

My recommendation is that if you are still experiencing muscle soreness after having been 24 hours removed from the stimulus, you overdid it with your training and exceeded the threshold of the tissue(s) in question. I am basing this recommendation off of the assumption that you will be able to get a night's sleep within the 24-hour window, which is when your body is going to have the best opportunity to recover from the stresses of the day. If you are unable to relieve yourself of the muscle soreness after the 24 hours, then the amount of stress in your life during that time was too great for your body to appropriately handle. The tricky part about training recovery is that there are so many variables to consider, but generally speaking if you are unable to recover from the day's training by the time it is time to begin the next day's training, you exceeded your body's threshold of what it could recover from.

Damaged Muscle Fiber vs. Healthy Muscle Fiber

I could see an argument for a 48-hour window being in place instead of a 24-hour window due to people generally taking a day off between training days, and maybe this would be a more appropriate guideline. The problem I am running into with this, though, is that if it is taking people 48-hours to only relieve muscle soreness then they are only a fraction of the way through the recovery process after two days and they are about to stress their system again on the new training day that has arrived. Because the magnitude of muscle soreness is only one of many variables in the recovery process--how many of us could perform identical, intense training sessions day after day whether we woke up sore or not?--its absence does not necessarily indicate full recovery.

There will often times be damage to the muscle fibers that occurs during training. Whether or not this damage will always lead to muscle soreness is up for debate, but it appears that the former can be present without the latter. However, should muscle soreness be felt for more than 24 hours post-training, it can be assumed that the threshold of the tissue was exceeded and the contractile capabilities of said tissue have been compromised.

Get big or die tryin'.

Charlie Cates, CSCS

Self Made®, Owner

Charlie Cates is a strength and conditioning specialist and the owner of Self Made® (http://selfmadefitness.com/) in Chicago, IL. He 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.

Top 12 Tips to Improve Chin-Ups

Want to do more chin-ups but not sure where to turn? Check out this article by Charles Poliquin.

Top 12 Tips to Improve Chin-Ups by Charles Poliquin

Get big or die tryin'.

On The Job Training

What is your current job? What should your current job be? Why are they not one in the same? Read more in this article by Martin Rooney.

On The Job Training by Martin Rooney

Get big or die tryin'.

Use Your Talents

How many of you know the Parable of Talents in the book of Matthew? Like many stories from the Bible, this one is applicable to our everyday lives and is a powerful story for anyone looking to make a change. As the parable goes, there is a master who is leaving where he resides for, as the Bible says, “a long time”; we’ll say a number of years to be better-able to conceptualize what is going on. Anyways, before he leaves for this journey, he gives his three servants a portion of his savings, with each receiving based on his performance while on duty. One servant received five talents, one received two talents, and one received one talent. At the time of the parable, a talent was a large sum of money, often times amounting to more than a servant would earn in ten years. So, relative to what they were earning, the servants were dealing with some serious money.

The parable goes on to say that the servant who received five talents invested the money and made five more talents. Similarly, the servant who received two talents invested the money and made two more talents. However, the servant who received one talent buried the money, scared to lose it and ultimately choosing not to put it to use. When the master returned, he was, as expected, very pleased with the first two servants. When he found out what the third servant had done, though, he ordered him to give his one talent to the servant who now had ten and then to be imprisoned in the dungeon. Harsh.

Okay, so that’s an overview of the parable, but what does it mean? How can it be applied to this moment and help us to make lifestyle changes? The way I see it, the reason we don’t do what we want to do, or do what is ultimately in our best interest, is because we don’t have enough of something, and that scares us. We don’t have enough money; we don’t have enough time; we don’t have enough energy. What we do have are preconceived notions of what we should have in order to get what we want to have, but does this make sense? To a degree, yes. It makes sense to have some idea of what you are getting yourself into before you start, but that knowledge should be used to empower instead of discourage.

What if, instead of fretting about what we don’t have, we shifted our focus and put to use what we do have. You may not have enough time, but do you have some time? You may not have enough money, but do you have some money? And you may not have enough energy, but do you have some energy? The conditions may not be perfect, but are they usable? Can you put to use what you do have and make more of it?

One thing I would encourage you to do is to think outside of yourself and your immediate circle. Who can you connect with that can help you accomplish your goals? In addition, I would also strongly encourage you to write your 90-Day Wonder. If you did not receive the March 2010 issue of The Source, you can find the feature article, “The Power of the Pen”, on the articles page of my website, which will take you through how to write your 90-Day Wonder. Once you have it written down, I would strongly encourage posting what you want to have accomplished on your bathroom mirror or somewhere of the sort. Just this past Sunday I bought two whiteboards, which are now on the wall next to my desk. On one, I have written down my business goals for the quarter. On the other, I have written down my training goals. Seeing these every day keeps me reminded of what I am working for in the short term. It is very easy to remember where you want to go in the long term; however, remembering the steps you are trying to take to get there has proven more difficult for me. If this is something that works for you, great, utilize it to its fullest capacity. I know I have been significantly more productive since I put these two boards up. If you are someone who isn’t stimulated by that, for whatever reason, find something that works for you.

We all have been given certain talents in this world. What often proves difficult is being able to combine our talents with what we truly enjoy in such a way that we are still able to survive and provide for others. But, whatever your story, have faith that if you use the talents you have been given in such a way so as to better the world around you, and if your motives and your heart are pure, not having enough will no longer be an issue. Trust in your talents, believe you are worthy of greatness, and act on your fear.

Here’s to faith, strength, and passion.

Get big or die tryin’.

Charlie Cates, CSCS

Self Made®, Owner

Charlie Cates is a strength and conditioning specialist and the owner of Self Made® (http://selfmadefitness.com/) in Chicago, IL. He 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.

Max Effort Method

Louie Simmons goes into detail about the max effort days at Westside Barbell.

Max Effort Method by Louie Simmons

Get big or die tryin'.

Are You Sore?

Soreness is something many people try to achieve through their training. To them, it is a sign of a "good workout" or a "job well done". In reality, soreness is micro-injury to the tissue and micro-truama to the neuromuscular system.

When a tissue is injured it is no longer able to contract properly. Looking at the neurophysiology of this, if there is damage or injury to a tissue a gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) is released by Type II inhibitory interneurons and bind to type B GABA receptors.[1] Not only are type B GABA receptors turned on by the immune system, but there is also a more long-term effect by activating them.[1] The Type II inhibitory interneurons block the 1a afferent motor neurons, and in doing so can decrease the force production capabilities of a muscle fiber and the range of motion of a joint by up to 50%.[1]

What all of this means is, by causing trauma to the tissue, in the form of exercise or movement, to the extent that you feel the after effects for a prolonged period of time, in the form of soreness, you are affecting the tissue in such a way that your strength and range of motion decrease for a period of time.

You're probably thinking, "Well duh, obviously I am weaker immediately after I train than before I train," and this may be true. But, what if you are weaker for a long enough period of time that you actually start to develop compensating movement patterns? Now, compensation is by no means bad. In fact, compensation is what allows us to move at all. The reality is, though, that if muscles are compensating for a long enough period of time, doing the job that other muscle fibers were designed to do, the propensity for injury is infinitely higher. How long the process takes of compensation turning into the main means to produce a movement turning into injury is completely based on the individual, but you need to ask yourself if it is a process you want to unnecessarily start.

The other issue with soreness is that of the three soft tissues impacted by training--muscle, tendons, and cartilage--muscles are the fastest to heal. What this means is, if the tissue that heals the fastest is injured and inflamed, there is definitely going to have been some damage done to the other two types of tissue. These take longer to heal, however, but eventually you start to feel their pain in the form of tendonitis and then arthritis.

So think about this the next time you train. Is soreness helping you to achieve your goals, or would you be better-served to go a little lighter on your training, building up the threshold of your tissue in a responsible manner to the point where you can handle high-intensity training sessions?

Get big or die tryin'

Charlie Cates, CSCS

Self Made®, Owner

Charlie Cates is a strength and conditioning specialist and the owner of Self Made® (http://selfmadefitness.com/) in Chicago, IL. He 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. Taylor, Jacques Henri. "Force and the Nervous System: An Introduction to the How and Why of MAT".

Up Your Work Capacity

Is your progression stalling and you don't know where to turn? Maybe it's time to look at how much work your body can actually handle. Check out this article by Michale Ranfone.

Up Your Work Capacity by Michale Ranfone

Get big or die tryin'.

The Camera Is Always On...

Do you portray a different life in front of a camera than you do when it's not on you? Check out this article by Martin Rooney to get the latter closer to the former.

The Camera Is Always On... by Martin Rooney

Get big or die tryin'.

Are You Chalking Up For These Lifts?

If you know how I train, you know I love using chalk when I lift. Most people who don't use wrist straps, a.k.a. my (potential) friends, will most often be seen using chalk for deadlifts, Olympic lifts, and multiple pull variations. There are three other lifts, however, that I will chalk up for on my heavier days.

SQUATS

Squats

Very few people chalk up for squats, but I tell you what, if I'm putting 450 (+) pounds across my shoulders, I want to make sure that bar is staying across my shoulders. I'll chalk across the center of the bar, my hands, and across the top of my back if I have somebody to help me. Also, as I have posted on before, squeezing the bar while you squat can be a huge factor as to whether or not you hit the lift. I will often times try to bend the bar across my back to ensure that I am squeezing it as hard as possible. Doing so really helps me keep my back tight and, subsequently, having a tighter grip by chalking up first helps with this.

BENCH PRESS

Bench Press

First of all, if you haven't see the "So You Think You Can Bench?" video series, do yourself a favor and check it out. Secondly, a powerlifting trick for the bench press is to try to pull your hand apart as you are pushing the weight up. What this does is it plays with friction, manipulating the line of force and changing the moment of effort of the muscles. I divulge into this technique in my post "Strong Grip vs. False Grip: Which is Best for You?". As expected, chalking up for this lift adds greater friction to the bar, changing the moment of effort even more. Chalking up also helps me in my pursuit of squeezing the life out of the bar while I bench, as well. Finally, if you want to make sure the path of the bar is the same every rep, you can chalk the center of the bar and then see where it hits your shirt each rep.

Military Press??

This image came up in my Google search for "heavy military press", so why would I not put it up??

Ahh... MILITARY PRESS

This was the military press I was looking for, though.

Military Press

My reasoning for chalking up for military press is partly the same as for chalking up for bench press. Because I use a false grip when I military press, it is more difficult for me to manipulate friction than if I were using a strong grip, such as when I bench. While the chalk helps with this some, it is mostly to allow me to just get a better grip overall on the bar. By this I mean I feel like I can squeeze the bar tighter and have better control over the bar when I chalk up before I lift.

If you aren't chalking up before you do your heavy days with these lifts, consider switching it up and giving magnesium carbonate a chance. And if it is against the rules of your gym to use chalk, break the stupid rules and move some weight.

Get big or die tryin'.

Charlie Cates, CSCS

Self Made®, Owner

Charlie Cates is a strength and conditioning specialist and the owner of Self Made® (http://selfmadefitness.com/) in Chicago, IL. He 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.

What You Need to Know About Rest Intervals

I've been speaking on the importance of manipulating rest times to better-achieve your goals for a while now, but Charles Poliquin breaks it down in another manner in this article.

What You Need to Know About Rest Intervals by Charles Poliquin

Get big or die tryin'.

Squat

Have a question about the squat? Check out this article by Mike from RobertsonTrainingSystem.com. Seriously.

Squat by Mike

Get big or die tryin'

Quite a Stretch--Stretching Debunked

Still loving the "benefits" of stretching? It is time you check out this article by Paul Ingraham, then.

Quite a Stretch--Stretching Debunked by Paul Ingraham

Get big or die tryin'.

Need To Focus?

First of all, I want to apologize for how inconsistent my blog posts have been as of late. I have been spending a lot of time studying for my MAT mid-term, which has kept me from keeping this blog up-to-date. Postings should resume to a more normal schedule in the next couple of weeks, however.

Okay so today I want to let you in on a technique that I have used pretty consistently in the past that has allowed me greater focus and productivity throughout my day. I first got the idea after hearing about the wonders hypnosis was having for a friend of mine. Because I didn't want to go see a hypn0therapist, however, I experimented with another idea--silent imaging.

Essentially, what I do is I turn off all of the lights and anything that could make noise. I then set a time for ten to fifteen minutes and I lay down flat on my back in a comfortable, anatomical position with my eyes closed. I focus on breathing through my nose, and then I clear my mind of everything except what it is I want to focus on for that day. When I started, I would imagine my facility--what I want it to look like, the floor layout, the exact square footage, how all of the equipment would be aligned. Then, I pictured myself moving in the facility and then performing daily tasks.

This all happened over the course of a number of months. I would try to get as absolutely detailed as possible with every aspect before moving on to the next. A lot of times I would end up falling asleep before the timer went off. When I would awake, I would feel refreshed and very, very excited to get working on my projects. My productivity during the times of my silent imaging soared, and every day I was excited to keep grinding on my work. The silent imaging was done on a daily basis for a while, then I cut it back to a few times a week. Now I do it every once in a while, not because I don't want to, but more because I am able to get the same benefits as before with doing it less frequently because I have programmed myself into a routine and I have a clear picture of what I am trying to achieve. That being said, though, I think I could definitely use another round after the last month.

Silent imaging is a technique that I highly recommend if you are having trouble accomplishing what you want to. Think about what it is that you desire, think about every single aspect of it, and then let that image carry you and you press forward with action.

Get big or die tryin'.

Charlie Cates, CSCS

Self Made®, Owner

Charlie Cates is a strength and conditioning specialist and the owner of Self Made® (http://selfmadefitness.com/) in Chicago, IL. He 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.

The 3 Biggest Lies You've Ever Been Told

What is holding you back in your life? Perhaps it is one of these lies that has been ingrained in your brain as truth. Check out this article by Martin Rooney for more.

The 3 Biggest Lies You've Ever Been Told by Martin Rooney

Get big or die tryin'.

Blood and Chalk Voulume 11

It was asked, and Jim Wendler answered. Check out this article to hear him rap on plyometrics, chains and bands, safety squat bars, false grips, and accessory failure.

Blood and Chalk Volume 11 by Jim Wendler

Get big or die tryin'.

Organizing Training Based On Transfer

How one goes about structuring their training session is often a question I am presented with. Specifically, I am often asked which should be done first, conditioning or strength training. I guess conditioning really isn't a fair word here. What they are referring to is a type of conditioning, but the goal from that work may be of more of a technical nature. For example, there is a difference between running wind sprints for conditioning and running 10-meter sprints in order to work on acceleration out of the blocks. I'm not sure if I'm conveying this difference clearly or not, so if not, drop a comment to let me know and I'll attempt to clear it up in a future post.

Anyways, the same distinctions can be made with strength training, too. Are you squatting to work the technical aspect of the squat and become a better squatter or are you using the squat as a tool to develop another skill. There, that's a better way of thinking about it. Are you training the movement because it is a primary movement of your sport and mastering it will allow you master your sport, or is training the movement a means to helping other movements progress? In other words, how great of a transfer is there between what you are doing and what you are trying to accomplish?

The higher the transfer, the greater the precedence the movement should receive when you are structuring your training. For example, a powerlifter should work the technical aspects of his squat before performing any aerobic conditioning. Likewise, a sprinter should squat after the technical aspects of her sprint are trained for the day. The reason for this is because when performing movements that require absolute precision in order for you to have the highest probability of success at achieving what it is you desire to achieve, you want the neuromuscular system to be at it's most rested state. If you try to learn or perfect movements while in a fatigued state, there is a much lower chance that you will ingrain that movement into your CNS in the way you want it performed and may, in fact, teach your body how to perform that movement in a less-than-optimal manner.

If you are not a competitive athlete and are just trying to lift and do conditioning for health reasons, then what you do first depends on what you would rather get through while feeling fatigued. Will you still do conditioning if you lift first? Will you still lift after if your conditioning gasses you? One recommendation I will give, however, is that if you are going to perform any type of explosive or plyometrics-based movement, I would strongly suggest performing these movements before you do your strength training. My reasoning is that if you fatigue yourself with squats, for example, and then do a bunch of jumps after, if the squats were too much for some of your muscles to handle and subsequently those muscles are no longer contracting as they should, when you land from the jump there will be greater eccentric forces placed on your system than there will be during a squat. If what isn't contracting is placed under the greater stress, then you will be at a much higher risk for injury.

When structuring your training for the day, take into consideration your goals from the training and give precedence to certain exercises based on their ability to help you reach your goals. The exercises which have the highest transfer to helping your reach your goals should be performed near the beginning of your training session.

Get big or die tryin’.

Charlie Cates, CSCS

Self Made®, Owner

Charlie Cates is a strength and conditioning specialist and the owner of Self Made® (http://selfmadefitness.com/) in Chicago, IL. He 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.

How Will You Leave Your Mark?

Martin Rooney brings it with every article, and this one is no exception.

How Will You Leave Your Mark? by Martin Rooney

Get big or die tryin'.

Maximal Strenght, Minimal Equipment

Louie Simmons definitely knows his strength training, but his articles can be a little tough to read at times. If you are looking for a Westside-esque training program without all of the fancy equipment and in more layman terms, check out this article by Joe Gaglione. Or you could always try out SMS.

Maximal Strength, Minimal Equipment by Joe Gaglione

Get big or die tryin'.

How to Add External Resistance to Box Jumps

In my last post in this series I described the appropriate amount of external resistance that should be applied to box jumps, if external resistance is to be applied at all. But, seeing as there are numerous possible ways to go about adding this extra resistance, we need to differentiate which methods of external resistance are most effective. Dumbbells, elastic bands, and weighted vests will all be discussed.

Dumbbells are commonly seen being held while an athlete performs box jumps. The problem with dumbbells is that they affect the athlete's ability to use their arms efficiently while performing the jump. The altered movement pattern this produces is most noticeable at the beginning of the movement, but can also be equally detrimental to the athlete's landing mechanics. Because the external resistance is attached to a moving limb and inhibits that limb's ability to produce force, dumbbells are not the way to go if you are wanting to load a box jump.

Elastic bands that attach from the floor to the person's waist, as can be seen on someone using a Vertimax trainer, are another means by which vertical jumping, but not necessarily box jumps, is loaded. The problem with this, as I'm sure you can tell, is that the heaviest resistance from the bands occurs once the person has left the ground and is at the peak of their jump height in the air. The bands, therefore, have their greatest influence in the eccentric aspect, causing someone to land faster than they normally would without the bands as the bands recoil and resume their original length. Considering the amount of pounding that occurs to the joints during the course of any sports season, I do not feel it is the best interest of the athlete to use elastic bands in order to improve jumping performance as the bands will only cause greater impact to occur when the athlete lands at the higher speed. Also, because the bands are connected to fixed points on the floor, it is highly likely that the fluctuating lines of force from the bands to the hip will alter the mechanics of the movement. These oblique lines of force contradict the natural line of force of gravity, straight down, causing the athlete to have to fight against an anterior or posterior pull, as well.

In my opinion, the best way to add external resistance to box jumps is by having the athlete wear a weighted vest. As I have discussed already, the weight of the vest should be limited to 10% of the athlete's body weight. The reason I believe the weighted vest to be superior to dumbbells and elastic bands is because the vest does not alter the mechanics of the movement so long as the weight is appropriate for the individual. Because the increased load will slow the speed of the movement, this tool needs to be properly and thoughtfully implemented into a training routine if it is used at all. Also, just as the weight of the body does not change as someone goes through the jumping motion, the weight of the vest will not change, either, unlike elastic bands.

Skipping back to elastic bands real quick, there is something to be said about them if you are wondering why they would be appropriate to add to a back squat or bench press but not to jumping. I will go into more depth on this at a later time, but as a brief overview, bands are implemented to improve the speed with which the bar is moved. While it may seem like this same principle can be applied to jumping, most of the bands used for jumping do not increase tension enough over the short range of motion they have available to be truly effective here. What I mean is, the range of motion used during a standing vertical jump as compared to a back squat is significantly less, so much so that Soviet athletes would train their half squat more than their back squat because of the higher transfer to jumping. The bands are implemented with lifts so once can feel the dramatic difference in tension between the top and the bottom, forcing the athlete to move the bar as fast as possible at the bottom in order to use momentum from that initial push to get to the top. With jumping, though, the tension in the bands between the top and the bottom of the movement is not significant enough to illicit an explosive push from the bottom of the movement due to the limited range of motion used during jumping relative to squatting.

Okay, so maybe that wasn't so quick, but I hope that is somewhat clear. If I were to add bands to my jump training, though, I would try to set them up such that the bands are going straight down between my legs, much like how the weight hangs during a belt squat. This would allow that line of force to be much closer to the line of force of gravity, limiting any anterior/posterior pull. I would still have to consider the faster landings, so I guess that will be something to experiment with in the future.

Get big or die tryin'.

Charlie Cates, CSCS

Self Made®, Owner

Charlie Cates is a strength and conditioning specialist and the owner of Self Made® (http://selfmadefitness.com/) in Chicago, IL. He 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.