How Are Your Habits?

"Your desires tell you what you want, but your habits tell you what you get!"--Martin Rooney

If that quotes intrigues you, check out the rest of the article.

How Are Your Habits? by Martin Rooney

Get big or die tryin'.

Is Foam Rolling Doing What You Think It Is?

I used to foam roll all the time. Every day, sometimes twice a day. I had a whole routine for my lower back on down, and in my head I thought I was helping myself. I was told that foam rolling would break up fascial adhesions, releasing tight muscles and allowing me to recover faster. In fact, in one of my most highly praised articles on EliteFTS.com I made claims about how foam rolling after a training session would help remove the metabolic by-products of training, thereby allowing you to come back the next day feeling stronger and ready to go. Now I don't foam roll at all.

I am no longer convinced that foam rolling is doing what I once said it does. In fact, based on my current MAT studies, I now believe that if you roll out your IT-band, for example, you are only smashing your vastus lateralis into your femur. Are you pressing on the fascia as well? Yup, but tell me how that piece of foam is able to only target your fascia and not your muscle fibers. It itsn't, and therefore we are back to the same argument I wrote about in my post and article "Stretching to Improve ROM and Speed Recovery: Fact or Fiction?" because now you are applying force into the muscle tissue but have no idea what it's doing.

Classic

You can use the massage argument if you want, but ask your massage therapist if you can train right after they work on you next and see what they say. Pressing on the belly of the muscle may feel really good, but it's probably not helping you as much as or in the ways that you think it is. And regarding breaking up fascial adhesions, please, fascia is adhesed to begin with! You aren't breaking up those adhesions any more than you are stretching your IT-band, which doesn't have the ability to stretch, by the way.

As far as removing the metabolic by-products of training, eh, it may be possible, but it's not the best way to go about it. In my opinion, the best way to ensure that you recover as fast as possible from your training is to make sure your muscle fibers are firing properly. The amount of force that is generated by the muscle fibers to move your body through space and time is SO much greater than you could EVER put into it with your fingers or a piece of foam or PVC pipe. If there is something that is able to move out of those muscle fibers through force, it will be moved out when they start contracting properly.

After I train, I no longer stretch and I no longer roll out. Instead, I check my range of motion in the relevant body area and perform low-intensity isometrics into any limits I find in my ranges of motion, as taught to me by Muscle Activation Techniques. I'm not sore or achy and my knees feel significantly better than they did in college. In fact, the only days they bother me are when I wear shoes too much. But alas, this subject is for another post.

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.

Beyond the Bounds of Known

How often do you step outside of the realm of "known" in training and life? Check out this article by Michael Gray to see what I mean.

Beyond the Bounds of Known by Michael Gray

Get big or die tryin'.

How Much External Resistance To Add To Box Jumps?

Earlier in the month I posted and article from DieselCrew.com on how to increase your vertical jump. One of the suggestions given by the author was to perform weighted box jumps, with the corresponding video depicting someone performing box jumps while wearing a weighted vest. But does wearing a weight vest when performing box jumps make sense, and how heavy should the weight vest be?

First of all, jumping is a skill, just like sprinting, throwing, catching, and shooting are skills, and all of these can be improved with practice of the skill. The other takeaway from this is that the movement and muscle firing pattern is very technical and it can be altered if too great of an external load is applied. This is described by Yuri Verkhoshansky in his book Supertraining, "While simulation of a sporting movement with small added resistance over the full range of movement or with larger resistance over a restricted part of the movement range may be appropriate at certain stages of training, simulation of any movement with significant resistance is inadvisable since it can confuse the neuromuscular programs which determine the specificity of the above factors." (Verkhoshansky, p. 27). So the question then becomes, how much of an external load is appropriate?

From the literature I've read, the number I've continually come across regarding skill development is 10%. Anatoliy P. Bondarchuk touches on this subject is his book Transfer of Training in Sports, "The greatest amounts of correlational interrelationships were most frequently found in cases where the deviations between the lighter and heavier implement weights was insignificant in relation to the competitive—from 10%..." (Bondarchuk, p. 98). In terms of jumping, I would not use a vest that is heavier than 10% of my body weight. As I said above, this is because adding a load greater than this has been shown to alter the technique of the movement, in turn altering the movement itself.

So, if you are going to add a weight vest into your box jump routine, keep it to 10% of your body weight. Something also to take away from this is that after you have performed the movement with the external resistance, make sure your last reps are at your normal body weight so your neuromuscular system further cements that movement into its firing pattern.

In my next post on this subject, I will discuss the difference between using a weight vest and other means of external resistance for jump 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

Chains for Speed, Strength, and Power

Confused about how to properly use chains? Check out this article by Andy Bolton and Elliot Newman for some great starting tips!

Chains for Speed, Strength, and Power by Andy Bolton and Elliot Newman

Get big or die tryin'.

C.O.R.E. Training

I loathe the word “core”. It is one of those words that the fitness industry has taken and beaten with a foam roller until there isn’t anybody who can recognize what it used to be, much like “functional” and “stability”. In fact, I’m pretty sure all three of these words were beaten to a pulp at the same time. And yet, the masses still buy into these deformed words like they came down from Heaven. There’s nothing wrong with training your “core”, so long as you can give a proper definition of what your “core” is and why what you are doing is “training” it—all of it. This aside, almost everybody doing “core” exercises on the BOSU and trying out new plank variations to work their “core” is missing what the actual core of their training should be. So here it is—Self Made C.O.R.E. Training.

C: Crude

Your training should be mostly crude, straight up. Barbells, dumbbells, plates, bars, and open space. Basic lifts and body weight movements, keeping it simple and crude. Cable and machines can be very effective if you actually understand the physics behind it, i.e. moment arms, force arms, friction, etc., but guess what, you don’t. Stick to the basics and leave the cables to someone who actually knows how to manipulate lines of force and understands why you would want to do so.

O: Operose

Big John Henry--the man came to work.

It took me nearly a week to find an O-word that would fit the theme of this article but I finally found one. Operose means done with much labor, which is something that I believe should reflect your training. When you come to the gym, come to work. Be serious about why you are there and get ready to put forth a serious effort. This has to do with the mental side of training as much as the physical. Whether you are talking about a 6-month goal or what you are trying to hit that day, come with a blue-collar mindset that it is time to work, then get after it.

R: Resistance

No, your weekly routine of spinning, yoga, Zumba, Pilates, and elliptical are not cutting it. Your body was meant to lift things, heavy things. If there’s something wrong with your body go get yourself checked out. Don’t be an idiot and go lift heavy because, “Charlie told me to,” and end up hurting yourself. But as soon as you are cleared to do so, move some weight, get some hormones pumping, and start feeling human again.

E: Energy Systems

This is one of the biggest mistakes I see people make with their training: they train the same energy systems day after day. The runner crowd is most guilty of this, but lifters do it, too. You have to train both aerobically and anaerobically. No, the “sprint” you do at the end of your seven-mile run does not count. When was the last time you did full out, max-effort, balls-to-the-wall sprints with almost full recovery between each? If you are healthy enough to do so, I strongly suggest adding in 30-100 meter sprints to your weekly training. I would also suggest doing something a little more aerobic such as running hills or intervals of a little longer duration than then sprints. Utilize training in different energy systems to get the most out of what you do.

So there you have it, C.O.R.E. training from Self Made’s point of view. You can still work your quadratus lumborum, just make sure this training is the core of your 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.

**Check this article out in .pdf format by clicking here.

Which Side Are You On?

Which well are you drinking from? Check out this article by Martin Rooney to see what I mean.

Which Side Are You On? by Martin Rooney

Get big or die tryin'.

Grip Width Terminology

This post is to inform you about new terminology I'll be using in posts and programs. When referring to hand placement on a barbell, i.e. grip width, I will be using the following numbering system (from narrowest to widest) to denote the desired grip width:

**All grips are assuming an overhand grip, such that is used during the bench press.

Grip 1: Index finger on the edge between smooth in the middle and the knurling.

Grip 2: Pinky finger on the ring.

Grip 3: Ring finger on the ring.

Grip 4: Middle finger on the ring.

Grip 5: Index finger on the ring.

So, for example, let's say when you bench press you use Grip 4 but then in a program I write, "Use a grip two grips below your bench grip," you'll know where I want your hands.

Get big or die tryin'.

Strong Mind, Stronger Body: Lessons from a Warehouse Gym

Want to know what's lacking in your training? Perhaps it's something Joe D touches on here.

Strong Mind, Stronger Body: Lessons from a Warehouse Gym by Joe DeFranco

Get big or die tryin'.

Where Are the Warriors?

How much can you really know about yourself if you've never been in a fight? Prepare to get comfortable being uncomfortable.

Where Are the Warriors by Mike Snader

Get big or die tryin'.

SelfMadeFitness.com Q&A: French Fries and Glutes

Which is better for you: cookies or french fries?

Hmmm... well there are many types of cookies and many types of french fries. How it is prepared is most vital, in my opinion. However, because this question came with no other relevant information, we need to look a little deeper. French fries usually come with a barbecue double bacon cheeseburger, if I'm ordering, and seeing as I am a huge fan of bacon, cheese, and burgers for both size and satiety, there's a pretty strong case for the fries. However, cookies usually come with milk, which is equally important for those looking to bulk up. In fact, it's one of the big three, not to mention, if the milk is raw, it has incredible health benefits. So, because I wasn't provided any information on the quality of these two items, it looks like their supporting cast will determine the winner. French fries it is. Sorry cookies, while milk was a strong partner, it just couldn't match up to a grass-fed, grass-finished patty topped with raw cheese and fresh bacon.

Glutes: Get 'em firing

Which to warm up first: Glutes or Hip Flexors?

Okay, so I see what this question is trying to get at. In my ground-based warm-up, hip extension is the first motion done (actually in the revised warm-up it's the third, but anyways) which may seem odd if people's hip flexors are tight. It may make more sense to target the hip flexors with some mobility work before focusing on hip extension so as to lead to greater amounts of hip extension. Hmmmm...

So here's the thing, if your hip flexors are tight you need to figure out why that is. More times than not, tightness is just a feeling and is not necessarily indicative of a tissue's contractile capabilities or whether or not it is firing properly. Therefore, I cannot make the statement that if someone cannot extend their hip properly it is definitely because of tight hip flexors. Eh, no. If someone cannot extend their hip properly it is because the body does not want them to, for whatever reason. It may be do to an altered structure or muscle inhibition somewhere, but what or where is too individual.

So does it make sense to warm up your hip flexors before warming up your glutes? In my opinion, no. In general, I'd say to do hip extension as one of the first movements in your warm-up and to perform hip extension at different times during your warm-up as well. If your hip extension is limited, it usually is not because your hip flexors are tight; it is usually because the fibers of your glutes and other hip extensors or muscles of the feet are not firing properly or there is a structural limitation. Besides, how do most people "loosen up" their hip flexors? By going into extreme hip extension, i.e. contracting the glutes etc.

Get big or die tryin'.

To have your question featured on the SelfMadeFitness.com Q&A, send it to charlie@selfmadefitness.com.

Zen On A Merry-Go-Round

Life is full of plenty of ups and downs, but that doesn't mean we stop riding. Check out this article by Martin Rooney for some inspiration on living in the moment.

Zen On A Merry-Go-Round by Martin Rooney

Get big or die tryin'.

Hardgainer Smoothies

I've been saying for over two years now that if you want to make compositional changes, you need to adjust your nutrition first. For those of us looking to bulk up, that means taking in more quality calories. If you've been going with two scoops of protein in water for your post-training shake, skipping breakfast, or opting for a "light snack" in the afternoon, check out this smoothie recipe to shake up your weight (double-pun semi-intended).

Apple-Cinnamon Hardgainer Smoothie

Ingredients:

2 cups of whole milk

3 scoops of vanilla whey protein powder

1/2 cup of chopped walnuts

1/2 apple

1/4 cup total fat Greek yogurt (plain)

1 dash of cinnamon

4 ice cubes

Put all ingredients in a blender and blend until fruit and nuts have been chopped to satisfaction. Consume for breakfast, post-training, mid-afternoon, or any other time you are in need of calories!

Nutrition Facts:

Calories: 1,117

Carbs: 60 grams

Protein: 82 grams

Fat: 61 grams

Get big or die tryin'.

Conjugate System

The Westside Barbell Conjugate System may be the best training program ever created for improving powerlifting performance. Check out this article by Louie Simmons for an inside look into how the program was developed.

Conjugate System by Louie Simmons

Get big or die tryin'.

Deconstructing the Dumbbell Row

Are you rowing correctly?? Check out this article by Dean Somerset for more info.

**Focus on the mechanics and mechanical cues in this article--those are by far the best take-away. Ignore the "why this may be happening" explanations he gives as well as the corrective self-help. The "why" is a much too individual question to even begin to assess in an article, which therefore makes the self-help useless.

Deconstructing the Dumbbell Row by Dean Somerset

Get big or die tryin'.

Why Lift Arms?

I have been asked recently why I write biceps and triceps isolation exercises into my SMS training programs as accessory work when I am such a huge proponent of heavy lifts and compound movements. While it may seem contradictory, the fact is that having strong biceps and triceps is a huge component of being able to complete heavy presses and pulls. While your pecs, lats, and deltoids don't ever completely give up the responsibility of moving the weight, there are times during the movements in which the majority of the force has to be produced by the biceps or triceps in order to further the movement. This is why guys who train with Westside and Elites perform board presses for the bench press--to improve lockout strength, i.e. triceps strength. Most people do not have access to a variety of boards at their facility, so I take this into account through other triceps isolation work.

3-board Press

As far as biceps go, I am a HUGE fan of back training, so you will find a lot of pulling movements in my program. Because the biceps work synergistically with the lats, etc, during a pull--assuming the individual has proper scapula mobility--week biceps could be the limiting factor in how heavy you can during these movements.

Heavy Curls

If you think that your biceps will progress right along with the rest of your pulling muscles to be able to handle the weight, think again. Take deadlifts, for example. It is well-known that people can deadlift more when they use chalk or straps than when they use neither. Why? Because now they have a stronger grip on the bar. Since their grip is no longer limiting them as much, they are now able to pull more weight. Even though the strength of their legs didn't change, and even though they were training their grip while they deadlifted, they were able to pull more weight off of the ground simply by increasing the amount of weight they were physically able to hold in their hands.

So, as far as force-generating capabilities are concerned, that's my reasoning behind including arms in my SMS programs. There are other reasons behind this, too, such as having bigger and stronger arms elevates an athlete's self-confidence, which will improve his or her performance. I digress on this matter in my article 5/3/1 vs. SMS, which can be found on the articles page of my website under 2010 Training.

Get big or die tryin'.

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.

5 Secrets Of How To Stay Young

After spending the last week in my mid-twenties, I realize that feeling young is a good thing. For all of you that are experiencing the aches and pains of old age, check out this article by Martin Rooney.

5 Secrets Of How To Stay Young by Martin Rooney

Get big or die tryin'.

To All My Hardgainers Out There

Everybody in the United States of America needs to lose weight. Ha. This is an absolutely absurd statement, despite how applicable it may be to to masses. There are still plenty of people out there who are trying to gain weight, be it for sports, strength, or aesthetic reasons. Unfortunately, the majority of publications out there are telling you how to drop your highly-coveted lbs, and those that claim to do otherwise are all about synthetic supplements and other garbage.

So for all of my hardgainers out there, those who can't put on pounds to save their life, I'll be writing for you. At least once every-other week I'll be posting about methods I have studied and used to add tissue to my frame, because I, too, was once emaciated. Stay tuned for recipes, training tips, and lifestyle habits that will allow you to continue your pursuit of size and strength with actual results.

Get big or die tryin'.

How to Increase Your Vertical Jump

Trying desperately to increase that vertical of yours? Check out this article from DieselCrew.com by Joe Meglio for some tips to help you rise up.

How to Increase Your Vertical Jump by Joe Meglio

Get big or die tryin'.