5 Quick and Easy Ways to Feel and Move Better: Installment 2
Posted: May 8, 2012 Filed under: Blog, Cressey Performance, Dan John, deadlift, deadlift technique, Deadlifts, Greg Robins, How to Deadlift, lose fat gain muscle, Move Better, Strength and Conditioning, strength and conditioning program, strength and conditioning programs, Strength Exercise, Strength Exercises Comments OffI'm excited to announce that new Cressey Performance employee Greg Robins is going to be helping me out with this series moving forward. Greg brings a unique skill set to to the table, and I think that the two of us together will kick out some great content in this weekly post moving forward. With that said, here are five quick and easy ways to feel and move better to get you week off on the right foot:
1. Focus on less.
Too often I see people make the mistake of doing too much in the gym. Additionally, many folks jump from strength and conditioning program to program, or change strength exercises too often. Make it a point to do two things.
First, pick a few big movements that you can execute correctly, and continually work to become great at them. Second, settle on a specific outcome for your training. Are you trying to lose fat, gain muscle, or get strong? While your approach may have elements that address all of these, prioritize one or the other for an extended period of time. Allowing yourself time to get better with movement, and eliminating competing demands from your program, are both great ways to maximize your efforts.
2. Declutter your life.
"Spring cleaning" is a hackneyed expression, but that doesn't mean it isn't an incredibly worthwhile project to undertake! Let's just say that I filled a trunk with trash from my home office last week.
Considering that my home office is only 13'x13', I expect my productivity to increase quite a bit. Think about ways you can "declutter" your life; it should help you focus on the task at hand.
3. Carry heavy stuff with friends.
Dan John has put out some great content with respect to how valuable carrying variations can be. They are easily learned, don't make you ridiculously sore, and provide a great whole-body training effect. One thing we like to do as a staff is set up our farmer's walks in a group format. Our turf is 40 yards long, and each set is either one or two trips. One person goes, then the next person goes, and so on until everyone has finished all their sets. It keeps you accountable to strict rest periods, builds in the motivation of competition (who wants to be the one guy who can't finish his trip?), and distributes the loading/unloading responsibilities among several people! Here's an old video of us on this front:
4. Get every rep.
Nobody makes progress by missing lifts. Check your ego at the door, and take a more patient approach to your training. The most beautiful lesson in training is one of delayed gratification. To succeed in the gym, you need to do what is necessary in the training session in order to make the subsequent training sessions beneficial. Nobody can set personal records for themselves every day, so focus on executing each and every rep smoothly. Over time, add to the bar, add a rep, or do a little more work in the same time period. It will all add up, and a year from now you will marvel at what you accomplished. However, if you choose to blow it out every session, in a year, you will be lucky to have made minimal progress.
5. Spend less time down at the bar.
It drives me bonkers when lifters spend too much time down in the bottom position of a deadlift. I always encourage people to get their minds right while they're standing around, and then get right to it when they get up to the bar. Spending too much time in the bottom position of your deadlift technique means that you'll lose any benefit of the stretch-shortening cycle, and run the risk of becoming an overly pensive, weak schmuck.
Co-Author Greg Robins is strength and conditioning coach at Cressey Performance in Hudson, MA. Check out his website, www.GregTrainer.com, for more great content.
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How to Measure Volume in Strength and Conditioning Programs
Posted: May 4, 2012 Filed under: Are of the Deload, Blog, deadlift, deadlift technique, Deadlifts, How to Deadlift, Strength and Conditioning, strength and conditioning program, strength and conditioning programs Comments OffDuring my first ever live Facebook Fan Page Q&A last night, I received the following question, and wanted to use today's post to expand on it:
Q: How do you go about measuring volume in strength and conditioning programs? I feel like it's glossed over in a lot of textbooks and courses when it comes to programming.
A: This is an incredibly tough question to answer - and trust me, it's a question I've given a lot of thought!
Early in my career, I tried to come up with elaborate equations to calculate volume, but it was tough for a number of reasons (many of which I discuss in my e-book, The Art of the Deload).
First, not all exercises are created equal. A curl can't be weighted the same as a deadlift variation, for instance. The more joints an exercise involves and the greater the distance the bar travels, the more stressful it is.
Many people will make the argument that because one can use more weight on the deadlifts than the curl, the total volume (total reps x load) takes care of itself. The problem is that it doesn't take into account the distance the bar travels or the amount of muscle mass involved. Let's say a lifter can deadlift 500 pounds, quarter-squat 500 pounds, and barbell supine bridge 500 pounds. I can guarantee you that the 500 pound deadlift takes of a toll on the body than the other two because there is greater amplitude required and muscle mass recruited. The "total tonnage" argument is a sound one, but not a perfect one.
Second, all volume isn't created equal. Imagine having three crazy stressful training sessions back-to-back-to-back on Mo-Tu-We, then four days off. Then, take the exact same training loads, but space them out Mo-We-Fr. I guarantee you that the body's perception of the stress of the third session will be far greater in the first scenario - which to me is the important reason we consider volume in the first place. Timing and overlap matter.
Third, let's say that you go in to the gym fresh and squat on the first day of the training week. We'll say that you do four sets of five reps at 315 pounds for a total tonnage of 6,300 pounds. Then, exactly one week later, you go in and do 15 sets of lower-body training, and then go and squat at the end with the goal of getting that 6,300 pounds of "volume" again. Since you're exhausted, you need to do ten sets of two reps instead. Wouldn't that volume of squatting hit you like a ton of bricks? The duration of the session and your accumulated transient fatigue changed the game.
Fourth, not all lifters are created equal. At a body weight of 185 or so, I hit a 660 deadlift, and after I this lift, my entire body hated me for about a week.
My wife (an optometrist) freaked out when she saw that I'd bursted some small blood vessels in my eyes and face (it actually looked like I had freckles for about four days). As I recall, I did about two sets of lunges after this pull before realizing that I should shut it down for the day. I wasn't hurt; I was just exhausted.
Conversely, for a 1000-pound deadlifter who outweighs me by 150 pounds, this is speed weight.
And, to really exaggerate my point, imagine a brand new female lifter who is learning to deadlift with the training plates (10 pounds/side = 65 pound deadlift). If she does a whopping 11 reps (65lbs x 11 = 715 lbs), she'll have accumulated more volume than I did on this day.
In short, "appropriate" volume is 100% specific to the lifter's experience, age, gender, training goals, fatigue status, injury history, competing demands, and a host of other factors that I didn't even cover!
That said, when it really comes down to it, it's just something you learn in time by observing, writing, and trying out hundreds/thousands of programs. It's like a sixth sense for me by now.
I will, however, make one observation that never seeks to amaze me:
I'm always surprised at how much volume it takes to attain a level of fitness, but how little volume it takes to maintain that level of fitness.
To that end, most strength and conditioning coaches devote their entire career to finding a good mix of a number of factors to offer clients and athletes a great training effect, but we'll never know what an "ideal" mix of these factors is simply because factors like volume can be so cumbersome to interpret. For that reason, writing strength and conditioning programs will always be as much art as it is science.
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5 Overlooked Resources for Making Your Strength and Conditioning Programs More Effective
Posted: April 27, 2012 Filed under: baseball strength and conditioning, Blog, Elite Training Mentorship, Matt Blake, Pete Dupuis, Strength and Conditioning, strength and conditioning program, strength and conditioning programs Comments OffI know there are a lot of fitness professionals who look to EricCressey.com as a continuing education resource. With that in mind, I wanted to discuss a few resources that have been tremendously valuable to me; hopefully you’ll benefit from them (if you aren’t already) as much as I have.
1. Video – Video is a powerful tool for coaching and monitoring progress in clients, and it’s also very accessible nowadays, thanks to smart phones and digital cameras. Still, I’m always amazed at how few fitness professionals utilize it to help coach. I use it quite a bit in my evaluation process, especially with tough cases where I want to be able to monitor progress in movement quality. It’s just as valuable on the training floor to back up coaching cues that you’re giving.
Additionally, having access to the RightView Pro software in our facility thanks to our pitching coordinator, Matt Blake, has been tremendously valuable in not only breaking down inefficient mechanics, but also demonstrating the powerful effects a good baseball strength and conditioning program can have on a pitcher’s body control and power on the mound.
2. Related Professionals – A fresh sets of eyes and a new perspective can have a huge influence on your strength and conditioning programs and how you coach. We’ve learned a ton from rehabilitation specialists, other fitness professionals, sport coaches, business consultants, and folks from a host of other professions.
As an interesting aside to this discussion, have you ever noticed how doctors – who have a minimum of eight years of higher education – refer patients out all the time to other doctors for second opinions? Yet, how often do you see personal trainers – who are a profession with an absurdly low barrier to entry – ask for another perspective from an unbiased third party? Food for thought.
3. Your Clients – I’m sure you’d love to think that you know your clients’ bodies better than anyone else, but the truth is that those clients know themselves and how they’re feeling much better than you ever could! I made the mistake early in my career of assuming too much and asking too few questions; I was talking 70% of the time and listening for the other 30%. Nowadays, I’m listening 70% of the time (at the very least) and I am a much better coach as a result.
As an example, now is a quiet time of year with all of our baseball guys in-season, so I’m using it as an opportunity to follow up with all our clients from this past off-season. I want to know how they felt during spring training, and how the transition to the start of the season went. All the feedback I get is valuable for not only next off-season, but helping them to tinker with things as needed right now.
4. New Training Equipment – Variety in a strength and conditioning program isn’t just important to ensure optimal progress, but also to make sure that clients remain interested. Do you need to go out and buy all new equipment every other month? Of course not! However, adding some new training implements – or even just new uses for old equipment – can provide some variety. And, it’s an opportunity for you to teach your client, as they’re sure to ask: “What is this and what does it do?”
5. Business Partners/Assistants – When I first got started in Boston, I was doing all the scheduling and billing. While swiping credit cards and watching your schedule fill up is fulfilling at first, it eventually becomes a huge drain on your time, energy, and productivity. I’m a much better coach than I am a business logistics guy – and that’s why the first person I contacted to help me start Cressey Performance was my buddy, Pete Dupuis. Pete’s become a fantastic business director (and vice-president) at CP, and we’ve had double digit growth every year since we opened in 2007. He’s managed my schedule, handled phone calls, done all our billing/invoicing, and become a liaison between coaches and clients when the clients aren’t in the gym. In short, his efforts have made me more efficient so that I can evaluate, program for, and coach clients; review research; interact with other coaches; and do more staff/intern education.
These are only five resources to get the ball rolling, but there are certainly many more available to fitness professionals in their quest to deliver a great client experience. I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments section below on what resources have helped to make you better at what you do.
And, in the meantime, if you’re interested in learning more about our staff/intern education, check out Elite Training Mentorship.
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Workout Routines: 6 Tips for Adjusting to Exercise in the Morning
Posted: April 12, 2012 Filed under: Blog, Disc Degeneration, disc herniation, Early Morning Exercise, Exercise in the Morning, Morning Exercise, Strength and Conditioning, strength and conditioning program, strength and conditioning programs, strength training program, strength training programs, Stuart McGill, Workout Routine, Workout Routines Comments OffWe are creatures of habit – not only psychologically and socially, but physiologically as well. If you need proof, all you have to do is read up on shift work disorder, which shows that simply changing one’s sleep and work schedule can have some profound consequences for our health.
With that in mind, it should come as no surprise that changing the time of day when one’s workout routine takes place is a huge deal for everything from mood to performance. Perhaps the most common adjustment that takes place is when someone decides to exercise in the morning. It may be because a long day at work is too exhausting to be 100% when you hit the gym after it’s over, or you may just not want to wait for equipment access in a crowded gym at 6PM. Or, it could be because a parent is super busy with kids’ after-school activities, so first thing in the morning before they wake up is the best bet for getting in a strength and conditioning program.
Whatever the reason, the adjustment to exercise in the morning is without a doubt the toughest “time change” one could make. With that in mind, here are five keys to making it a smooth transition:
1. Get to bed earlier.
This seems like a no-brainer, but you’d be surprised at how many people complain that they can’t get results from exercise in the morning without realizing that they’re still going to be far too late at night.
If you’re someone who is accustomed to sleeping 12AM-8AM, then racing to be to work at 9AM, it’s going to be an adjustment if you want to start training at 6AM before you head to work. You’re only making it tougher if you decide that you’re simply going to sleep 12AM-5AM. It’s also going to crush your productivity for the rest of the day, as you’ll be sleep walking rather than enjoying the post-exercise energy boost most people experience. If you want to be up at 5AM or 6AM to train, you’ve got to be in bed by 10PM. In fact, I always tell my athletes that an hour of sleep before midnight is worth two hours after midnight.
2. Stand up for a bit.
Dr. Stuart McGill has made some fantastic observations on spine stiffness first thing in the morning. In a nutshell, when we lay down to sleep at night, our spine is decompressed, so the intervertebral discs actually collect water. This increased hydration status builds annular tension within the discs, and makes the spine stiffer overall. This isn’t a good kind of stiffness, though; more stress is placed on the ligaments and discs than the soft tissue structures that typically protect them.
Simply standing upright and moving around decreases the hydration status of the discs – and, in the process, actually makes us shorter as the day goes on! While I don’t know of many people that want to get shorter, the good news is that this height reduction reduces the spine stiffness and allows us to move the spine more safely and effectively. While disc hydration diminishes over the course of the entire day, the majority of it occurs in the first hour that we’re awake.
With this in mind, you’re someone with a history of back pain, you’re probably best off not incorporating exercise in the morning, especially if your workout routine includes a lot of bending and rotating. If you’re going for a walk or light jog, though, it’s probably not a big deal.
Conversely, if you’re someone who plans to use some of these more challenging compound movements and have to exercise in the morning, I’d encourage you to get up 30 minutes early and just focus on standing up, whether it’s to read the paper, pack your lunch, or take the dog for a walk.
3. Take a hot shower before exercise in the morning.
One of the biggest struggles a lot of folks encounter is getting warmed up in the morning. Folks usually turn the heat down at night while they’re asleep, and it’s obviously colder outside at nighttime. You might think I’m nuts, but hopping out of bed and into a hot shower is a great “body temperature transition” strategy that bridges the gap between bed and exercise. And, since you’ll be standing in the shower, it also helps to accomplish tip #2 from above!
It only has to be 25-30 seconds to get your body temperature up a bit, and then you can take your “real” shower after you sweat up a storm. As an alternative to shower #1, you can always splash some hot water on your face and drink a cup of coffee. There’s no way you’re getting out of shower #2, though, Smelly.
4. Extend the warm-up.
In line with points #2 and #3, it’s a good idea to add a few more dynamic warm-up drills to your pre-exercise routine. Typically, our athletes do between eight and ten drills, but those who exercise in the morning are better off with as many as 15. It might add five minutes to your dynamic warm-up, but that’s far better than spending far more than five minutes in physical therapy for an injury you got from insufficiently warming up!
In line with tip #2 from above, you likely want to focus on more standing variations in your mobility exercise selections.
5. Tinker with various nutrition approaches.
I’ve heard thousands of different nutritional strategies outlined for those who want to exercise in the morning, but the truth is, everyone is different. I have known folks who will throw up anything solid that they consume prior to exercise, and others (myself included) who could eat a giant breakfast and keep it down just fine. For most, I think sipping on a shake as you start the training session is a good place to start. If you handle that fine, you can consider having some solid food before the training session, if you find that you’re hungry in the middle of the training session.
6. Recruit a training partner.
A training partner is almost always a good idea, but this is especially true when you’re up at the buttcrack of dawn and not necessarily in the mindset to really push yourself. Plus, when you’re awake for exercise before the sun rises, you’re far more likely to hit the snooze button if someone isn’t waiting for you at the gym.
While training first thing in the morning isn’t exactly ideal, it may be your only option for staying consistent with your workout routine – and consistency is the name of the game. Implement these strategies to get the most out of your early morning training sessions.
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