Mindfullness In The Weightroom

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How often do you zone out during the workout, thinking about anything and everything outside of the gym? How many times has a song you do not like training to come on your MP3 player that you don’t even notice until it's almost over anyway. Do you ever finish a workout and, when thinking back to how it went, have trouble recalling exact weights used, feelings of fatigue, or even the actual exercises performed? In other words, how many times have you gone through your workout routine on autopilot?

We all have habits. The brain creates habits as a way to make us more efficient at the tasks we perform most frequently. They allow our bodies to do what we want them to without the brain consciously instructing. Although there are many habits that benefit our daily lives, there are some that hinder progress and therefore, maximum performance. One example of the latter can be found in the weight room.

Although the habit of exercising daily is generally beneficial to overall health, the habits that take place during the actual workout session may be one thing holding you back from the results you are looking for. There is an inverse relationship between the comfort one feels with their workout routine and the mental presence and focus one needs to perform the routine. In other words, as someone becomes more and more comfortable with what they are doing, they begin to think about it less and less, until eventually they can go through the entire workout on autopilot. At this point, progress significantly diminishes, often resulting in a “plateau”.

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There are essentially three zones for which activity, such as physical training, falls into; the comfort zone, the learning zone, and the panic zone. The comfort zone is where many people spend the majority of their time training, performing the same exercises, using the same weights, and keeping the same rest times as they have always done. This is where habits form that are often detrimental to progress. Growth will only occur when one is pushed outside of their current comfort zone, and into their specific learning zone.

The learning zone consists of exercises, weights, rest times, and other training variables that are just beyond what someone is currently comfortable with performing, forcing the body and mind to adapt, and resulting in an expanded comfort zone. However, the progression from the comfort zone into the learning zone needs to be appropriate for the individual at that specific time. If they are not ready to be progressed, over-training and/or injury may occur. This type of activity would fall into the third zone, the panic zone.

The panic zone is when the mind or body is overwhelmed by the stimulus placed upon it and, therefore, either results in no progress being made or actually taking a step backward as a protective mechanism.

Spending too much time in your comfort zone creates habits that can slow or stop progress completely. Appropriately pushing yourself into your learning zone will force you to become more mindful of what you are doing in the weight room and allows your body to change and grow. Going beyond what you are ready for can lead to over-training and/or injury.

Retake control of your progress by practicing these ways to increase mindfulness in the weight room:

• Alter training variables regularly:  This can include switching to an entirely different program or as simple as shortening or lengthening rest time between sets. Allow your body adapt to the training stimulus before changing.
• Visualization: Visualize yourself going through the workout either the night before or the morning of. Vividly picture yourself executing every lift to perfection.
• Appropriate progression: Pushing yourself into your learning zone will force you out of your current habits and require extra focus.
• Constant preparation and analysis:  Before every lift, think through all your cues and the technique. After the lift think about how well you performed that lift and what you can improve on.
• Breathing:  Focus on your breathing. Paying attention to your breathing during the lifts, as well as during the rest times, will keep your mind where it should be. Try holding water in your mouth and breathing through your nose between sets to help stay fully.

Tony Cates is a business management major at Edgewood College in Madison, WI.  He is a certified personal trainer, performance enhancement specialist, and the S&C Coach for Edgewood College Men’s Basketball.  He can be reached at catestony@gmail.com or (608) 852-7433.

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The Front Squat vs. Back Squat

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Back in February there was a series of articles written by Jim Reeves posted on Ben Bruno's website comparing front squats to back squats.  In the second article of this series, which can be found here, there are pictures of a man at the bottom of both his front squat and his back squat.  The pictures are then (poorly) analyzed for the motion that happened at specific joints throughout the movement and conclusions are drawn based on these measurements and then further discussed in the third installment of this article series, found here.

Now, I will not waste your time ranting about how poor of a job was done analyzing joint motion, but just so you know I am not full of crap, I will give you one example.

Image courtesy of benbruno.com

The caption for this photo reads "...the angle calculated for the hip and ankle motion measured at the bottom of the squat motion."  Two things.  First, where the shaded area is indicating "hip" motion, that is actually indicating how far forward the torso is leaning, the position of which is probably a product of both hip flexion and trunk flexion but the shaded area is really only indicating trunk motion relative to the alleged positioning of the femur.  Even then, the number is inaccurate because right now it would indicate that if your torso is fully folded up on top of your thighs you are very close to zero degrees of trunk/hip/whatever the heck he is trying to measure flexion when, in fact, 180 degrees of motion would be a more accurate assessment.  Likewise, in this picture, 136.2 degrees of motion would be the correct assessment of motion, assuming the depicted femur and spine positions are remotely accurate.

Second, and going along the same lines as what I just said, if you are actually looking at that picture and trying to determine "hip" motion, you, once again, have to look at the opposite side of the axis and measure to the femur rather than where the spine currently is relative to the femur.  Reason being when you stand straight up, as you normally do at the top of a squat, it would be said that you are in a position that is closer to zero degrees of hip flexion rather than 180 degrees of hip flexion.  Therefore, just as above, the number of degrees that are assigned to "hip flexion" should be much greater than what is currently presented in the article.

Okay, I tried to hold myself back from a rant.  I think I did alright.  If not, I apologize, but I felt it was a point that needed to be made.  Now, on to the major issue at hand.

So the issue, among other things, of joint motion is brought up in these articles and how during front squats there is "this much joint motion here" and during back squats there is "this much joint motion there", etc.  I have already demonstrated how these assessments are not accurately done, but nevertheless you can kind of eyeball it and see what they are talking about even though their numbers are off and therefore their argument is misguided.  BUT, but but but but BUT what was COMPLETELY left out of  the discussion was 1) placement of the load and 2) direction of the line of force.  Without knowing and/or discussing these, any argument being made in regards to muscular participation and requirement as well as the effects of the motion and load on the joints themselves is incomplete and, until this information is taken into consideration, invalid.

Why is the placement of the load and the direction of the force so important to know?  These variables help to determine the length of the moment arm (moment) of the resistance at each joint.  If you don't know the moment, you cannot determine the amount of torque that is occurring at the joint and, subsequently, you are unable to calculate the joint forces as well as the amount of force that has to be generated by the muscles in order to move that load.

The point that was never discussed in any of the four articles is that there are significantly different moments created to the ankles, knees, hips, and spinal levels, along with every other joint in the body that rests below the placement of the load, when comparing the front squat and back squat, not only at the bottom position, but at every position between the bottom and the top of the movement.

And that, in my opinion, is one of the most important factors that has to be considered when determining whether to prescribe front squats or back squats, or any exercise for that matter, to an individual.
Your Body.  Your Training.

Get big or die tryin'.

Charlie Cates, MATs, CSCS
Self Made_®, Owner and Founder

Charlie Cates is a Muscle Activation Techniques _® specialist and a strength and conditioning specialist.  He is the owner and founder 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.
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How To Teach The Squat

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I know I have posted other articles with similar content, but this information is always worth reviewing.  If you are looking for a solid progression of exercises to bring a client through with the goal of teaching them how to squat, check out this article by Todd Bumgardner, as featured on Ben Bruno's website.

How To Teach The Squat by Todd Bumgardner

Get big or die tryin'.

5/3/1 and Athletes

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I used to post articles and tell you why I thought they were worth your time to read, but as I am learning more and more, I am finding fewer articles that actually meet this criteria.  Instead, I will start posting articles that may look good to most and point out the flaws I see.

Case #1--5/3/1 and Athletes by Jim Wendler

So at first glance, many people would really like this article.  It is simple in its philosophies and verbiage and gives advice that is based on some of the more popular views in regards to sports performance and power lifting.  However, I see it differently.

First, Mr. Wendler describes the barbell and its available movements as "the best".  As soon as something is dubbed "the best" without applying it to a very specific scenario and individual the person making the claim is completely disregarding any variation of structural or neuromuscular ability between people.  In this article the goal was clearly defined, but if that wasn't the case, this would be another variable as well.  Clearly these variations exist, so to claim an exercise or a series of exercises or a piece of equipment "the best" is utterly ignorant.

"Choosing the correct assistance work is easy."  Yes, if you do not acknowledge that any variables exist which could possibly make it challenging, then it will be easy.  However, if you are actually prescribing exercises for the improvement of the athletes' performance instead of just giving them something to do, then it will involve some thought, and a fair amount at that.  Assistance work should be individualized based on an athlete's current ability.  Anything less is nothing short of malpractice and criminal.

"Remember that athletes have become explosive and strong long before fancy machines and equipment came into vogue.  You don't need much equipment, just the right coach and smart programming."  Two points here.  First is the Process vs. Outcome that I wrote about earlier.  This mindset of, "this is how it was done before for other people so this is how it should be done now for you" is clearly applied in Wendler's statement.  Second, he is completely disregarding any benefit that may be attained from the use of machines, which is just simply wrong.  Not only can machines be beneficial for increasing performance, but, based on some individuals' abilities, they may be downright necessary for increasing performance.  Now, Wendler doesn't flat-out say machines are bad or you shouldn't use them, but he is clearly implying a hierarchy of tools to be used without knowing anything about the specific scenario in which they are to be used, and that is a fatal error.

He continues on in the next two paragraphs to advise people on, of all things, training post-injury.  First he speaks in generalities listing areas of the body of possibly injury.  Then he follows this with specifics regarding what should be done to improve these general conditions, as if everybody's shoulder, back, hamstring, and knee issues are exactly the same.

"Don't coach what you don't know or don't feel comfortable with."  He clearly feels very comfortable with his view points, but it is equally as obvious that there are a TON of variables he is not taking into consideration when applying these concepts.  Actually, that's not a fair statement.  He may be applying these principles, but just didn't take the time to write them.  I mean, let's be serious, someone would have to write pages  upon pages of technicalities to appropriately cover all of the information that Wendler is trying to.  But, at the same time, perhaps this speaks to the importance of narrowing down the focus of what you are trying to write about and not going off on tangents when you have no intention of wrapping up the loose ends.  Still, it is certain he does not understand how to properly manipulate the variables of machines in order to create the exact training scenario you desire for that person at that moment in time.

Finally, his sign-off is killing me.  It is not about simple programming.  It just isn't.  It's about appropriate programming, regardless of how complex that is.

Your Body.  Your Training.

Get big or die tryin'.

Charlie Cates, MATs, CSCS
Self Made_®, Owner and Founder

Charlie Cates is a Muscle Activation Techniques _® specialist and a strength and conditioning specialist.  He is the owner and founder 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.
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Which M.T.E. Are You?

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Do you aspire to mediocrity or greatness?  Your actions will determine which category you fall into.  Check out this article by Martin Rooney for more.

Which M.T.E. Are You? by Martin Rooney

Get big or die tryin'.

Process vs. Outcome

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Many of us have an idea where we want to end up. We have our destination in mind and we work hard to arrive at our intended destination. Whether it be in regard to finances, education, health and fitness, relationships, or any other area, we have certain "things" we desire, and when we put action behind achieving these desires, we could say they become goals. These goals are our intended outcomes and to improve our likelihood of achieving these outcomes we often seek the advice of those who have already achieved either the outcome in its entirety or more of the outcome than we presently have. In other words, we look to external sources in order to improve the quality of an internal process.

Now, there are certainly situations where seeking the advice of those who have come before you is incredibly beneficial.  For example, if a college professor were to give the same exam year after year, it may be worth your time and effort to gather as much information about what is on the exam from those who have already taken in.  The crucial point, though, is that they don't dictate exactly how you prepare and study for the exam.  Because people learn in different ways, in different settings, and at different speeds, it would be asinine to prescribe a predetermined syllabus that says what, where, and for how long somebody else needs to study each bit of the subject matter.

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What about something like baking a cake or constructing a Lego set? These formulas for success have time-tested variables in terms of the physical process that needs to happen in order for the desired outcome to be achieved.  There still is, however, a lot of variation in regard to how long it will actually take someone to, for example, bake a great-tasting cake.  Some people will need more practice than others before they acquire the necessary skills as well as conceptualize why each step is important.

You see this all the time in fitness and training.  Trainers and coaches are constantly pushing the mindset of, "This is what I did and it worked for me so it will work for you, too."  The flaws with this line of thinking are very apparent when it comes to baking or learning math and yet we still, as an industry, try to carry on with it in fitness and training. "This is what I did to lose weight so you should do it, too." "This is what I did to develop into a professional athlete so it will work for you, too." "This is how I got stronger so this is the method you should use." Really???

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Are we that unable to look beyond ourselves and see that this person's biological make-up and their life experiences may be completely different from our own such that we think our way is the best way for them?  And not just the best way, but the only way, such that there is no other option.  This is completely outlandish.

Tom Purvis, founder of RTS, speaks of this kind of mindset in his "6 + 2 = 8" vs. "8 = 6 + 2" scenario.*  In the first equation there is one and only one correct answer.  In the second equation there are literally an infinite number of correct answers.  The problem we have as both a society and an industry is we see the two equations as exactly the same.  Our personal experiences are the first equation, while those of the people we are working with are the second equation.  We both know what we want, but that by no means it is an indicator that our processes should be the same.  But, because we have gotten a "correct" answer in the past, we stop looking for new answers and instead try to plug everybody and everything around us into our own personal equation.

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Offering advice to others based off of your own experience can be incredibly valuable to them, but we must be cautious when administering orders without first taking into consideration the individual's specific abilities and goals.  We know the outcome want, but in all honesty we are rarely certain of the process. This uncertainty can only be reduced if we are able to objectively analyze each individual's unique and ever-changing situation.  Without doing so, we are shooting in the dark and hoping for the best.

Get big or die tryin’.

Charlie Cates, CSCS
Self Made_®, Owner and Founder

Charlie Cates is a strength and conditioning specialist and the owner and founder 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.

*There is more to this scenario than what is elaborated on here, but for the purposes of this post that is as far as I will discuss it.

Driven

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What does being "DRIVEN" mean to you?  Check out this article by Ryan Burgess for more.

Driven by Ryan Burgess

Get big or die tryin'.

You Snooze, You Win

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You cannot out-exercise a bad diet, and you cannot out-eat poor sleep.  Sleep trumps all.  Check out this article by Martin Rooney for more.

You Snooze, You Win by Martin Rooney

Get big or die tryin'.

Five Free Ways to Increase Grip Strength

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As I mentioned in yesterday's post, I have been on a bit of mission lately to improve my grip strength.  One of my favorite tools to use for training my grip is Fat Gripz, but what if you don't have those?  In fact, what if you don't want to purchase any additional equipment and only want to make minimal changes to your current training routine, but still want to improve your grip strength?  Here are my suggestions for five free ways to increase your grip strength:

1.  Get rid of the straps.

Okay, not earth-shattering advice to start, but I do see this--people want to improve their grip and are still using straps.  Yes, you will be forced to handle less weight for the time being, but if you are bent on not adding in additional training for your grip, you may have to sacrifice how much weight you are pulling.  Or, you could implement another suggestion...

Image courtesy of topendsports.com.

2.  Slow down your tempo.

I wrote on this subject three weeks ago, but it is worth repeating.  For lower body and pulling exercises during which you are holding the resistance, slowing down the tempo of the movement is a very simple way to build grip strength.  The weight will have to be decreased relative to what you would normally use due to the greater time under tension, but after a few weeks you may be able to challenge both your grip and your lower body/back appropriately.

3.  Wrap towels around the bar or dumbbell.

If your training facility doesn't provide towels and you yourself don't own any, this wouldn't technically be free.  But, considering most places do provide towels, I decided to include it.  Wrap the towel around the bar or handle of the dumbbell to increase the diameter (thickness) of the implement.  A cool feature about towels as compared to Fat Grips is because they are a softer, more malleable material, they will conform to your hand better than the rigid rubber of the latter.  The downside is that the towel is more likely to adjust itself during a set, especially as your grip starts to fatigue and you start to lose solid control of the bar.  While not a common issue, a tight and proper wrapping of the towel around the implement before the set will help ensure the unlikely event of the towel becoming unwrapped and/or slipping out of your hand does not transpire.

4.  Pause for a ___ count before racking.

After you finish your set, pause and hold the weight for a predetermined count before racking it.  This will provide additional time under tension at your working weight.  Depending on the relative weight and number of sets, anywhere from 2 to 10 seconds should be appropriate.

**Side Note:  See below.

**Side note:  The labeling in the above picture is incorrect.  The positions would be more accurately described as (from left to right) overhand, parallel, and underhand.

5.  Switch your grip up.

Parallel grip, underhand grip, overhand grip, and every variation in between.  Utilize and incorporate them all in your training at large as well as for each movement that you do, structure permitting.  While the muscular recruitment will vary between grips, both within and outside of the forearm and hand, the bottom line is if you are trying to increase your grip strength you should consider hitting it in multiple ways.  Whether you actually need to or not is based on your current abilities and what you are ultimately trying to achieve.  Also, I am not a fan of using the alternating grip because of the excessive strain it  puts on the Biceps short head as well as the way forces are directed across the spine while using it.

So there you have it, five free ways to increase your grip strength without significantly altering your training routine or spending extra time on grip training.

Get big or die tryin'.

Charlie Cates, CSCS
Self Made_®, Owner and Founder

Charlie Cates is a strength and conditioning specialist and the owner and founder 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.

Freaky Forearm Training

I've been on a grip training thing for a while now, so here is another article by Joe Gaglione breaking down grip training.

Freaky Forearm Training by Joe Gaglione

Get big or die tryin'.

Reconsidering the Vertical Jump Test: Part 1

As a basketball player and collegiate men’s basketball strength and conditioning coach, one of the most common questions I get asked is how players can increase their vertical jump. However, perhaps the most over-rated test of athletic ability in basketball, if not all sports, is the vertical jump test. The test is primarily used to measure an athlete’s vertical explosive power and neuromuscular coordination in relationship to his or her body weight. The test is performed by first measuring the standing, flat-footed, one-arm reach for height of the athlete. Then the athlete is required to jump and touch a point as high as they possibly can. The difference between the two markers is the athlete’s vertical jump.

The initial problem I find with this test is the high amount of variance in the testing protocols; whether it be a difference in approach (no-step, one-step, running off one foot, or running off two feet), a difference in the initial measuring (two hand reach, one hand reach, full gleno-humeral flexion or shoulder resting comfortably), or a difference in the tool used to measure (Vertec, eying a tape measure on a wall, using a Vertical Jump Testing Mat to test the athletes air-time or attaching a measuring tape to the athlete’s waist belt). Not only is there not one specific protocol for testing the athletes, there is also a way to cheat regardless of which method is chosen.

Let’s use the NFL combine as an example. Players record their one-arm standing reach with flat fleet and, if they have been trained properly, a likely relaxed shoulder and overall body posture. That is considered their “standing reach”. However, without even leaving the ground, the athlete can rise up on his toes, fully out-stretch their arm and shoulder, and touch six inches above their standing reach--without even leaving the ground! When the athlete performs the vertical jump, they are in that fully out-stretched position just as they are leaving the ground. Therefore, the actual height they jump can be six or more inches less than their recorded vertical jump.

The vertical jump test is primarily used to calculate two things:  an athlete’s vertical explosive power and neuromuscular coordination in relationship to his or her body weight. But what do these have to do with sports performance? And is there a better way to test them? Be sure to catch Reconsidering the Vertical Jump Test: Part 2, next Thursday.

Tony Cates is a business management major at Edgewood College in Madison, WI.  He is a certified personal trainer, performance enhancement specialist, and the S&C Coach for Edgewood College Men’s Basketball.  He can be reached at catestony@gmail.com or (608) 852-7433.

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Prefences of Movement

 

You see it all the time--trainers and coaches inflicting their opinions and biases upon their athletes and clients with only a limited acknowledgement of the individual's abilities, limitations, or needs.  When it happens in the medial realm it is called malpractice but when it happens in the gym it is called working out.  Huh??  This is absurd.

Take the squat, for example.  Back squats, front squats, box squats, split squats, single-leg squats, goblet squats, assisted squats, wall squats, ball squats, squats with accommodating resistance, and I am sure I am forgetting some other type of variation.  All of these--based on the implements used, the placement of the resistance relative to the body and the specific joint in question, the direction of the resistance, how the person is applying force into the ground, tempo, intention, and how much movement occurs at each joint during the motion--will affect the body in profoundly different ways.  You can even take the same movement with the same weight, implements, and placement of resistance and get completely different adaptations and sensations both from a structural and neuromuscular perspective if the other variables are not controlled, as well.

The point of all of this is that to label an exercise as "good" or "bad" or to completely disregard one variation of an exercise and/or only using a single variation is not only ignorant, it is dangerous, because the question that is failing to be asked is, "Is this appropriate for this individual at this moment in time?".  Without first asking this question and then seeking the answer, you are simply guessing as to whether the stimulus you are applying to the body should, in fact, be applied while at the same time assuming it is appropriate to do so.

It is time to collectively give up our arrogant and ignorant preferences of movement and start developing a preference for appropriateness.

Get big or die tryin'.

Charlie Cates, CSCS
Self Made_®, Owner and Founder

Charlie Cates is a strength and conditioning specialist and the owner and founder 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 to Improve Crushing Grip Strength

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Check out this article to see Coach Poliquin describe different types of grip strength, why having a strong grip is important, and how to go about training for one!
How to Improve Crushing Grip Strength by Charles Poliquin
Get big or die tryin'.