On My Mind
- One of SAPT’s long-term clients, Conrad, is having knee replacement surgery tomorrow morning. Through his dedication to total body strength training, Conrad has effectively managed to push this surgery off by at least 7-years beyond what his doctor originally predicted. That really goes to show you how important strength training is for the body in ways that extend well beyond superficial goals like looking good. There is no doubt in my mind that his recovery will be swift and smooth. Here is a video of 61-year old Conrad doing a 110-lb pull-up:
- I’ve been thinking a lot lately of the validity of a general dynamic warm-up prior to competition for certain sports. Think about it, the general dynamic warm-up is designed to 1. elevate the heart-rate, 2. address muscular imbalances, 3. improve ROM and flexibility, and 4. can be used as an opportunity to work on body weight strength exercises. I actually wrote a post touting the benefits of general dynamic warm-ups for practices a few weeks ago. But, why do athletes need to work on numbers 2-4 before a game or match? They don’t. Instead, I suggest a specific dynamic warm-up in which the goal would be to elevate the heart rate and thoroughly warm-up the entire body by gradually progressing the team through sport specific drills that still take the body through all three planes of motion and important ranges of motion.
- I achieved a bit of a personal milestone on Sunday. For the first time SAPT is able to act as a sponsor for George Mason University athletics. It was pretty cool listening to our promotional piece read over the loud speaker! Please consider supporting Mason athletics, too, this academic year. Our sponsorship money goes directly to the general athletic scholarship fund to directly help the hard-working student-athletes. SAPT signs and banners will be present all year long at: men’s and women’s basketball, women’s lacrosse, women’s soccer, women’s volleyball, and baseball.
- Fooducate Blog is one of my new “faves” check it out.
- Keep your eyes peeled for my two new articles out in the September issues of Experience Life magazine and Volleyball magazine.
Monday Musings 8/22/11: Pancakes, Crawls, Squatmageddon
1. For the past 2-3 years I've been enjoying better pancakes than anyone else on the planet. It's about time I share them with you, no? They are buckwheat pancakes, and, even thought they look like poop, they taste incredible and are extremely versatile. Buckwheat is impressive for many reasons: it's a complete protein, high in fiber, has a low impact on blood sugar, and is gluten-free. As such, you don't have to feel quite as guilty if you consume buckwheat pancakes compared to your usual buttermilk cakes.
To give you an idea of how excellent these things are, I first began eating them with a good buddy of mine in college. Due to our schedules, the best time to do this was at 6:30AM on Friday mornings. As more of our friends discovered this, our little duo on Friday mornings quickly morphed into an event that we (oh-so-cleverly) dubbed "Pancake Friday." On the average, we'd have 7-10 guys in attendance, with an upwards of 15-20 as it grew in popularity. We always ate outside (yes, even in December...I didn't say we were the smartest of human beings), on a large wooden picnic table we had in the yard.
The fact that 8-20 college guys would wake up before 6:30AM on Friday mornings to partake in the awesomeness of these pancakes is, I believe, quite a case for how good these things are.
My two favorite fillings to use are chocolate chips (Ghirardelli is where it's at), and blueberries. While chocolate chips are obviously the less-healthy option, I've found them perfect for a weekend treat, especially after lower body training on Sundays.
I particularly love them with a thin coat of Organic Valley pasture butter, along with peanut butter and Agave Nectar on top. If you're a "skinny-guy" looking to gain some weight, be very liberal with your use of peanut butter and number of pancakes you consume. If fat-loss is your goal, I'd stick with blueberries for the filling and eat just a few of the pancakes with a side of eggs and/or veggies. Either way they're freakin' amazing.
Oh. It's a MUST that you use the Bob's Red Mill Buckwheat mix. I've tried nearly every buckwheat mix on the block and I can say that Bob's Red Mill takes the cake on this one (pun intended).
2. I recently received an email from a female reader of our blog, Juliet. She keeps an GREAT blog over at HeyJoob, and I encourage everyone to check it out; especially the females in the audience.
Anyway, she wrote me to let me know that she was reading our website and stumbled across a post I wrote (Animal Crawl Variations), and was inspired to give them a shot for herself. She filmed the session and I thought it was incredible:
- She was training outside, and I've written about the superb benefits of training outside HERE.
- She has absolutely no shame in posting a video of herself doing something "abnormal."
- It's always refreshing to see a female that "gets it" and tries something besides the elliptical for a change. It was cool to see Juliet getting in an aerobic training session utilizing a slightly unconventional modality. And trust me, these things are way harder than they look.
You can see the video below:
3.Squatmageddon. Tony Gentilcore recently wrote an incredible (and entertaining) response to the fact that some gyms (that shall remain unnamed) up in NYC have BANNED squat racks in their facilities!! WHAT?!?!?!
It's a HUGE shame to see this, and is, unfortunately, an indicator of the current state and mindset a shockingly-large percent of the fitness industry. I highly encourage you to check it out, as I'm sure you'll find it entertaining as well.
You can read about it HERE.
A Few Things I've Learned: "Life" Edition
Following in the wake of the 26 Things I've Learned: Training Edition post on Wednesday, I thought I'd share a few of my"life lessons," along with some other musings, here today. 1. The people you spend the most time with (your “circle of influence”) will dramatically affect the shifting of your mindset, actions, emotions, etc. throughout the course of your life.
This may seem like an elementary principle, but it’s quite powerful. If you surround yourself with people who are encouraging (yet not afraid to give you constructive criticism), see life with the “glass half full,” take care of their bodies, are wise with their finances, etc. then it’s highly probable the direction of your life will shift in a favorable way. However, if you surround yourself with people who are consistently negative, tell you “you can’t do it,” never push themselves to grow their character, are unwise with the use of their money, and rarely get excited for anything other than Happy Hour on Friday evenings, then it will be no surprise if you quickly take a turn for the worse.
It has been said that you will become the average – in terms of your mindset and finances – of the five people you spend the most time with. It’s one of the reasons I highly enjoy being the dumbest person in the room: it’s one of the fastest ways for me to learn something new and develop my mind. Free learning!
Think about how this may affect a weight-loss goal you have, or if you’re battling depression (I’ve been there). Do you seek out those that will further your character, help you keep your footing, and provide a positive example to look to? Or do you surround yourself with those that view life through a dark lens, tell you “it’s futile to try,” and/or rarely seek to challenge themselves? I’ve always been amazed at the rewards I reap when heeding this simple advice.
2. Learn to love the challenges of a particular endeavor, not coveting the result. Oftentimes, if we fail to meet a particular goal/standard we set, we beat ourselves over the head and use tunnel vision to only focus on the fact that we “failed.” This may be with regards to our relationships, numbers in the gym, a physical pursuit (ex. weight loss, a 10k time, etc.). Instead of focusing on the fact you failed to meet your personal standard (which can often be unreasonable if we’re not careful), take a step back and think about everything you learned in the process. Enjoy the actual challenge of seeking to accomplish a task, and fine-tune as you go.
I’m not saying to avoid setting goals; that would be silly. On the contrary, it’s extremely important to set goals for yourself, as otherwise you’ll find yourself floating around aimlessly. However, love the challenge of the actual process of reaching that goal, instead of always fixating your vision on the goal itself.
This can also be useful for those of you who struggle with a fear of failure. Ever turn down something because you worry you won’t win, or won’t complete/learn the task successfully? When you live this it’s like you’re constantly walking around with shades on, never seeing life’s true color. When you’re focusing on the challenge itself, rather than how others will perceive you if you win or lose in the end, it changes everything. See your failures as the steps toward success rather than the end of the road.
3. True multitasking is a myth. Attempting to do it is one of the most surefire ways to reduce efficiency and stall your progress (and I’m not talking about doing the laundry while simultaneously cooking dinner).
Many people who think they’re multitasking really aren’t, but, instead, are ‘switchtasking.’ Business coach Dave Crenshaw talks about this in his book The Myth of Multitasking. It’s impossible to truly multitask, and what I mean by this is performing two tasks – that both require mental attention and effort - at the same time. When we try to multitask, what we really end up doing is ‘switchtasking:’ we very quickly switch from one task back to another. The cost of this is very high.
For example, if I have 90 minutes to do a few tasks, I’ll accomplish less if I’m simultaneously writing an email (or checking my email in general), writing programs, making a phone call, and searching the internet. I’ll get much more accomplished if I shut off my email, put my phone away, turn my internet off, and just focus on writing programs for 30 minutes. Then, close my excel sheet, and spend 30 minutes writing emails. And lastly spend 30 minutes making necessary phone calls.
It blew my mind the first time I tried this because I was able to accomplish so much more in less time. In fact, just turning your email off alone is amazing way to increase productivity.
The same concept applies if trying to listen to a friend, family member, or employee while doing something on your computer (number crunching, drafting an email, etc.). Both tasks end up suffering as a result.
4. Wet umbrellas are extremely irritating. Specifically, wet umbrellas that are folded up and shoved between my legs during a car or bus ride. For this reason alone I refuse to use umbrellas. I can’t stand it when someone else gets in the seat next to me after using an umbrella in the rain and puts it next to me. Now I’m wet anyway, so why use the umbrella in the first place.
5. I don’t know about you, but going head-to-head with a yellow traffic light is one of the most stressful parts of my day.
6. People are entitled to their opinions, but you’re also entitled to ignore them, if you’re so inclined. I picked up this little gem from Eric Cressey, and thought it was great. There’s always going to be people out there who will vocalize their disagreement with what you’re doing, either because they’re insecure, prideful, or because they care about you and have some genuine insight to offer. Only pay attention to the latter group.
I’ve wasted too much time arguing on the internet or with people at random parties due to taking their opinions too seriously. You'll save yourself a major headache by refusing to get emotional and lash back at someone because their opinion is different than yours. Someone is always going to bash your decision to eat healthy, exercise frequently, and/or prioritize good habits. Usually this is because they’re fragile and insecure. But then you have the people who care about you and are able to see something in your life that you may not be able to. Don’t be too vain or stubborn to ignore it when someone who loves you is stepping out on a limb to offer a hand.
7. People will - at some point in their lives - violate the very same behavior they expect in others.
8. Keeping a memento mori sheet was one of the best decisions I ever made to maintain self-awareness and stay focused on the things that really matter in life.
9. In general, women tend to bond by talking together, whereas men tend to bond by being together. This is an enormous explanation for the frequent divides and disagreements you see in relationships. It’s why the female usually tends to feel that she hasn’t spent enough time (or doesn’t feel connected) with her man, while the guy is baffled because he already feels connected by simply being in the same room. It’s also why guys can go to a sporting event together, say very few words throughout the game, and leave feeling like they had a great time. This would rarely happen with women; they need to talk to feel they have a bonding experience.
By realizing and applying this, it can help each party avoid driving each other nuts all the time (sorry to get all Dr. Phil on you, but I found this to be quite simple yet extremely helpful).
10. In general, spending money on an experience will give you greater joy than spending it on material possessions. For example, grabbing coffee with a friend, going to dinner with someone special, or taking a vacation will usually lead to an enhanced feeling of vitality, mental energy, happiness, etc. than if you spent that money on a piece of jewelry, a new TV, an upgrade for your computer, etc.
Sure, there’s no denying that people receive happiness from buying something cool and enjoying it. However, I know that most of my purchases lose their excitement after a while. Sooner or later, it just becomes part of the “background noise” of my everyday life. However, when I invest in a good experience, those memories rarely leave me.
Just recently, I took a short backpacking trip in the Shenandoah. We pitched our tents near an outlook off the trail, and caught an amazing sunset (see below). At that moment, I wouldn’t have rather been anywhere else. It was breathtaking, and I was devoid of every worry/stress that may typically assault me in my normal routine. It was awesome, and I wouldn’t trade that experience for anything (except for the fact that I picked up Lyme’s Disease on the hike, but that’s another point…that tick will meet it’s Maker soon enough).
11. The best things in life cannot be attained without relentless pursuit, and dedication to succeeding. This may be with regards to a romantic relationship, a spiritual journey, or a particular athletic or physique goal. There’s never a point where you can sit back and say, “Ah, the work is finished, now I can just let the winds carry me.” You’ll quickly stumble rearward with this mindset. If you’re not moving forward, then you end up moving backward. Very rarely can we sit still and maintain status quo.
26 Things I've Learned: Training Edition
Here are 26 things I've learned and/or mused over throughout the past year. Why 26? Well, it's one more than 25. By no means is this a conclusive list, but grab a cup of coffee, take a break from work, and enjoy:
1. Probably my most favorite exercise to program – and then subsequently watch in action – is the towel-grip farmers walk. Not only is it fantastic for developing the upper back, shoulders, and wrist and forearm musculature, but also fairly idiot-proof to perform. Not to mention, you can do it in pretty much any gym without needing farmers walk implements. Just grab a hand towel, loop it through some kettlebells or plates, and walk like your life depends on it.
Admittedly, the primary reason I love programming them is there’s just something mildly entertaining about watching someone try to walk from Point A to Point B while on the verge of dropping their belongings. Especially if they’re a high school male with a competitive spirit, and trying to carry a bit more than their grip can handle:
2. It’s funny how the hierarchy of your favorite exercises changes you as you obtain knowledge/experience, train more, and coach training more. If you had asked me what my favorite exercises were, in order, back in high school, I probably would have told you something along these lines:
1. Flat Bench Press
2. Incline Bench Press
3. Decline Bench Press (noticing a pattern here?)
4. Bicep Curl
5. Some ab exercise (probably a sit-up variation)
6. Look in mirror
Now, if you were to ask me, I’d probably say something like this:
1. Deadlift
2. Single-leg Work (this includes Sled Variations)
3. A Horizontal Pull (it could be a Suspended Row, Cable Row, etc.)
4. Pushup
5. Pullup
6. Other Exercises
It’s just crazy, if you actually take the time to investigate and experience good training, how quickly you begin to realize the exercises that will give you the most bang for your buck and actually deliver results. These exercises will not change over time, either. If it weren’t for boredom, most would be best served by only performing the first five exercises (and their variations) in the second list above. For the entirety of their life.
3. Muscle soreness. It’s not really an accurate indicator of whether or not you had a good workout. At least in terms of a workout that will produce the desired training effect. And, if you’re really sore in a particular body part, that doesn’t mean that body part is going to magically transform the next day.
I can think of a thousand ways to make someone sore. It doesn't really take a whole lot of brain power to do this. Here’s one: Perform walking lunges around an entire track while holding a weight over your head.
I used to say this as a joke and then a trainer actually made me do this during trainer evals in college. Not kidding. Not sure what he was trying to accomplish with me, but I couldn’t move for three days afterward.
Understand that muscle soreness stems from two primary stimuli: significant eccentric muscle action, and/or the exposure to a new movement pattern. The amount of muscle soreness doesn’t necessarily have a direct relationship to looking like a greek god or goddess.
Personally, I feel an intelligent trainer can write a routine that will induce a sound training effect (fat loss, muscle gain, performance enhancement, etc.) while minimizing the soreness a trainee will feel the next day. This way, the trainee can still perform other activities, unhindered, throughout the week.
This is what we’ve figured out at SAPT, more or less: the correct exercise progressions and the optimal number of sets, reps, intensity, duration, etc. to give someone results without crippling them the next day. Now, some people need to feel some soreness in order to feel mentally satisfied. For example, women love feeling sore in their glutes and/or abs. We can make this happen, if needed :)
4. Beginners seeking muscle mass and strength really don’t need to perform more than 15 work sets in a given training session. They should also keep their training to 4x/week, maximum. In fact, 2-3x/week is usually best to start. Note that, unfortunately, this is much different than what the typical beginner will find when opening an issue of FLEX to determine what to do in his first gym routine.
5. Many more women would experience results from their gym efforts if the media didn't constantly throw nebulous terms and propaganda at them. It’s a constant battle to provide women with sound training advice, as they’re bombarded by fallacies everytime they walk down the magazine aisle. Females are told that lifting heavy weights will make them "big and bulky" (<-- the media loves that term), when the reality is this (lifting correctly) is often the key piece they're missing in their exercise program. In fact, JC Deen just wrote a fantastic piece on proof that lifting heavy will NOT make women big and bulky.
Understand that words such as "cellulite," "shaping," "toning," etc. have no physiological basis and these very words are loved by marketers in their quest to scare and sell. And I just can’t believe the archaic advice of hopping on an elliptical, going on endless runs, and doing sit-ups to achieve a lean midsection is still being handed out.
Heck, just this past week, Tiffany dominated a 135lb front squat as she prepares for D1 college volleyball. I think you’ll find she’s far from the “bulky mammoth” women are told they’ll turn into if they touch a heavy weight:
6. One of the most important training principles is that of the minimum effective dose. That is, the smallest dose that will produce a desired outcome. In the context of training, the "dose" would be a training stimulus such as lifting weights, running, conditioning, etc.
The key is to always use the lowest intensity and the least amount of volume in order to incite adaptation. This way, you can save higher intensities and volumes for later in your training when they become essential for continued improvement.
Tim Ferriss gave a great example of boiling water: "To boil water, the minimum effective dose is 212ºF (100ºC) at standard air pressure. Boiled is boiled. Higher temperatures just consume more resources that could be used for something else more productive."
I see this all the time when beginners try to use methods that are way too advanced (and won't help them, anyway). They waste wayy too much effort and valuable time on powerful methods when they could save them for later in a way that actually gets them to the place they seek.
Applying the minimum effective dose is the most efficient and effective way to ensure continued success in the realm of athletic performance, strength gains, fat loss, you name it. The secret is knowing how to use it.
7.If there were one tip I could give to instantly improve your results in the gym, it would be to always move the bar AS FAST AS HUMANLY POSSIBLE. This includes your warm-up sets. If you have 150lbs on the bar, treat it like it’s 300lbs. Move it FAST. Even when the weight becomes heavy, still lift it with the intent of moving it as fast as you can.
This will help better prime your CNS and tap into your high-threshold motor units -the ones that have the highest potential for growth and power.
I see way too many people just lollygagging along through their warm-ups, or, even worse, their work sets. Move the bar fast, every time. Then be amazed at your results. And, in case of confusion, I’m referring to moving the bar fast only through the concentric portion of the lift, or the portion in which you’re moving the load in the opposite direction of gravity.
8. One more quick tip on instantly enhancing total body strength: Increase your grip strength. In nearly every exercise, your grip is the first link in the chain. Strengthen your grip, and you’ll automatically be able to allow the larger muscles to contribute more, via less neural activity wasted on failing wrist and forearm musculature.
9. I never really understood the bravado surrounding the idea or action of puking as the result of a workout.
“Yeah, man. That workout was sooo intense. It made me puke. It’s only the second workout to make me do that. It was awesomeee.”
Stop it. Stop that right now. Your vomit in the trash can is a flashing billboard telling everyone that your body wasn’t prepared for the “workout” you attempted. If you puked, that means you were underprepared and you failed the routine.
I can think of a hundred ways to make someone puke in a workout. It takes little to no intelligence to design a routine that will induce vomit in someone. As such, I really don’t look up to anyone who writes a program with the intent of making his or her trainees puke, or even come close to it. And if you do puke, please stop bragging about it. That coughed up food on your shirt is a Badge of Fail, not honor.
10. Falling over after a workout. Similar to #9...avoid this pitfall. I’ll admit, this would happen to me on occasion after some of my most grueling sessions in the past. It seemed to be my body’s natural response. But then I spoke to Sarah and she told me how she took great pride in never falling over, or putting her hands on her knees, during/after a brutal conditioning session. This made perfect sense when I thought about it.
In the context of training an athlete, imagine if you let the athlete consistently put their hands on their knees, or collapse onto the floor, during a tough conditioning session. This conditions the athlete to display visual signs of defeat when tired. If an opponent sees this, it gives an immediate advantage to them by watching your athlete breakdown in front of them.
It takes a great amount of mental fortitude to stand tall when your lungs are burning and you feel as if you have no strength left in your legs. But it’s possible. Remember that when your mind is telling you you’re at 100%, your body is probably only at 60-70%.
11. I’ve rarely come across movement dysfunction at the lower extremity that cannot be at least partially remedied by strengthening the glute med. Strengthen the glute med, and you’ll find many problems to become attenuated.
12. Always be sure to train all three planes of movement throughout a given week. In day-to-day to life, and in many training programs, people tend to be very sagittal plane dominant. Basically, we’re always moving front-to-back or back-to-front. Running, swimming, deadlifting, squatting,, etc. all occur in the sagittal plane. Be sure you’re taking time to develop musculature and neural efficiency of the frontal and transverse planes, for purposes of both injury risk reduction and improved performance. An example of a drill focusing on frontal plane movement and stability is the lateral broad jump and stick, as Kieran is demonstrating in the video below:
13. Taking the shoes off and getting “slightly on the outside of the feet with the toes up” during most lower body movements is a surefire way of recruiting more of the glutes during the exercise.
14. Take caution if training lower body early in the morning. Your spine actually hydrates overnight, thus causing the intervertebral discs to swell/expand. This makes your spine less flexible, and also more susceptible to injury. As such, take great care if performing bilateral lifts early in the morning (ex. squats and deadlifts). Try to wait at least an hour before training, and spend a bit longer than you normally would during the warm-up.
15. The pushup is probably the most underrated exercise, and also the most commonly butchered.
16. Remember that your training and nutrition plan should enhance your life, not place you in a prison cell. I remember I used to turn down invites to friends houses, short getaway grips, and other festivities because it was going to interfere with my training session for that day. I even missed a dinner invite to a Pastor friend’s house because I had a session I “couldn’t miss” that afternoon. I also turned down an offer to play backyard football because I was worried it may make me too sore for my squat session later that day.
Outrageous, isn’t it? Before I knew it, my training was controlling me, instead of the other way around.
Not anymore, it was destroying me. Now, I’ll pick a gorgeous hike with my fiancée or some good buds any day over a training session. The gym will still be there, and it’s not like I’m going to backtrack. Or, if it’s a beautiful day, I may opt for some hill sprints instead of staying inside to use the gym.
Do you ever fear/avoid going over to a friend’s dinner because you worry about what they may be serving? Or turn down a trip to a restaurant with friends because of what the chefs may use in their cooking? While it is important to live a healthy lifestyle, remember that it’s important to livea healthy lifestyle. This means balance, and not placing yourself in a prison cell because you fear a gram of carbohydrate or losing an ounce of muscle.
If your training/nutrition plan is hindering the relationships you could be building with your family, friends, spouse, etc. then there is something wrong. That’s not healthy.
17. There’s a sublime sensation that can only be attained from training outside. I think everyone should make it a point to train outside more often.
On a recent Saturday, after work, I took my five fingers, homemade suspension trainer, and some bands to a local field.
I had a blast performing some sprints, crawl variations, and pretty much anything I felt like doing. It was awesome to enjoy the sun, feel my lungs burning, and not be interrupted by anyone for a change! It can be surprisingly refreshing to change your typical training scenery and perform an “unscripted” workout from time to time.
18. "Crack a walnut between your butt cheeks" may be the best cue to get someone to recruit their glutes during a hip bridge or deadlift variation. It's also a great way to break the ice with a new client and find out if they take themselves too seriously or not.
19. The body, when undergoing injury, will always take the path of least resistance. This is one of the reasons you rarely see an ACL tear in a young child; their skeletal system hasn’t fully matured so their bone(s) will break before their connective tissue goes.
20. I picked up a great tip from Alwyn Cosgrove regarding the topic of “getting back on track” with an exercise program. Many people feel that when they get sick, or unexpectedly miss a week of their exercise plan they have to overcompensate by doing a lot to make-up for what they missed. Or, perhaps some people feel they need to go crazy with exercise if they eat too much on a particular day/week.
Anyway, someone asked Cosgrove if they should ramp up their weight training + nutrition and go on overspeed to make up for lost days. I thought his response was great:
“Just get back on track. When you go off your plan - it's a "cheat" right? You won't get as good results. But going off your plan by doing extra work, or eating less/differently is still "off the plan" too. Just get back on track, don't do anything special.”.
21. Possibly my favorite exercise for someone with a cranky shoulder is the standing single-arm cable row. It aids in scapular retraction and posterior tilt (great for shoulder health), and VERY rarely irritates the person’s shoulder when performed correctly. As Cressey once said (slightly paraphrased), ‘If you’ve got a bum shoulder, and this exercise hurts, you can assume one of two things:
A. You’re doing something wrong.
B. You’ve got a reallllllly jacked up shoulder.’
22. The other day at SAPT I was talking with a parent about the demands and expectations that are placed on kids. It seems that with each passing year, children are less encouraged to have FUN and, instead, are nearly forced to spend the entirety of their week (and Summer!) working to become the next Michael Phelps, or world-renown scholar. Often they’re pushed to excel in just ONE sport and specialize in that from a young age. I don’t think many realize the negative impact this has on the development of the organism.
In fact, Mike Boyle released an EXCELLENT piece on this very topic, titled Summer Training for Nine Year Olds.
If a child is only 9-years old, they don’t need to be spending all Summer at speed camps or sports camps. Athletics should be enjoyable, not a job. Some of the best years of my life were spent competing in lacrosse, swimming, wrestling, and soccer. But some of those same best years were also spent camping, running around friends’ backyards, going to the pool, etc.
I couldn’t be more grateful that I was never forced (whether actively or passively) to play just one sport. It laid the framework for an extremely enjoyable childhood, and subsequent growth (mental and emotional) into adulthood.
23. Hill sprints may just be my favorite conditioning tool. They’re done outside, place minimal stress on the joints, develop the posterior chain, and allow you to perform a very natural, primitive, and basic human movement: sprinting. Sounds like a win-win to me.
24. In training, there aren’t any right and wrongs, but there definitely are right and wrongs. What I mean is that there are many ways to get someone stronger, looking better, moving better, etc. provided you use the given principle appropriately and with great care and consideration. Upper/lower splits, HIT, bodypart splits, avoiding bilateral squats, using a lot of bilateral squats, high frequency training, long distance running, sprinting, etc. can all work provided the one administering them is smart and pays attention to feedback from the client.
However, there are some things that are borderline asinine and are certainly wrong. Examples would be poor form (thus putting the individual at risk), progressing too fast, not progressing at all, having an obese person perform situps until their eyes bleed, running into a brick wall, etc.
People spend hours arguing on the internet about the “right” and “wrong” ways to do things. Do I feel certain methods work better than others? Yes. But I also feel that in many cases, the saying “different strokes for different people” applies. The reason I think there are so many strokes work. However, don’t forget that “methods are many, principles are few. Methods always change, but principles never do.” Never drift away from the tried and true training principles.
25. I never would have guessed how great a battle it is to balance giving the client what he/she wants vs. what he/she needs.
In my opinion, it takes a phenomenal coach to master this. The tricky thing is, the tools that are going to give someone the fat loss they seek, or the improved speed on the playing field, aren't the most sexy-looking and don't induce the "wow" factor in the majority people. However, it's also important to make training fun and not scare off the client. To balance education of the client, keeping their mental and emotional needs in check, while at the same time giving them what's actually going to help them, is more difficult than many would think unless they've worked in the field. Especially when you don't sell out or throw all the bells and whistles out there in hopes of winning someone's affections.
26. Consistency with training and nutrition will always trump a “perfect program” or “best exercise.” Every time. This doesn’t mean you have to be a nut case and filled with paranoia of missing a workout or meal, but the point is to stop looking for the quick fix and, instead, simply maintain a general track record of consistency.
Monday Musings: Captain America, Exercise Pairings, etc.
1. Lyme's. So I forgot to mention that - when I went on a backpacking trip a couple weeks ago to catch some breathtaking views of the Shenandoah Valley - I also went to, apparently, catch a nice dose of Lyme's disease. This bear is brutal (crazy how large a punch that little tick packs), and I don't wish it upon anyone. It completely wipes you out, and is extremely tough to diagnose (all my blood tests came back negative). When I was in the ER, they even shoved a needle into my spine to withdraw spinal fluid in order to search for an infection in the nervous system. (Doctors, I know you meant well, but I'd kinda like my spinal fluid back whenever you get a chance). Anyway, I'm extremely blessed to have access to medical aid, a family/fiancee that took incredible care of me, and awesome co-workers that were able to pick up the slack while I was out. Those 10 days were pretty grueling (lost about ten pounds, too), but I'm on the mend and fortunately they were able to catch it before it evolved into something much worse. And, yes, I realize you spell the fruit in the picture l-i-m-e, but give me a break! Just trying to keep some pictures in here for you all.
2. Captain America. I have to admit, I was very disappointed with this one (you let me down, RottenTomatoes!). As the worse of the Lyme's symptoms were dying down over the weekend, I decided the natural course of action for my first low-key outing would be to go see the latest Marvel character on the big screen. Even though I cringe when spending the outrageous fee that theaters are charging, I generally enjoy Super Hero movies (Batman, X-men, the first Spider Man, etc.), so I decided to take my chances with Captain America. Anyway, they pretty much blew it with this one. The plot was sub-par, and even the action just seemed a bit forced. Not to mention, whenever the bad guys would salute their leader, they'd throw up both arms and yell 'Hail, Hydra!'
Hail Hydra?! Really??? Is that the best you can do?
The only thing they did correctly with this movie was show Chris Evans with his shirt off intersperse a fair amount of humor throughout the film, which was actually pretty funny.
3. Quick Thoughts on a Common Exercise Pairing. Is a Chinup and Bench Press a *true* antagonistic pairing? Most lifters who’ve investigated training understand how important it is to balance one’s program. For example, you should “pull” just as much (if not more) as you “push” in order to promote structural integrity and keep shoulder health in check. In other words, if you perform 3 sets of a bench press, you should also be performing 3 sets of a row variation. Or, if you perform 4 sets of a military press, then you should perform 4 sets of a lat pulldown or pullup. Often these are performed as supersets, or “alternating sets” to save time and increase work density. One premise of this, in the context of shoulder health, is to include as much external rotation of the humerus (upper arm bone) as internal rotation.
HOWEVER, while it's a great place to start, it's not always just about 'pulling' and 'pushing.' Using just one example: It's very common to see a chinup and bench press pairing. What many don’t realize is that as you execute a chinup, you actually drive internal rotation of the shoulder joint. Guess what you’re also driving when you bench press? Internal rotation.
So, a chinup and bench press pairing, while it may look good on paper, isn’t a true antagonistic pairing. I’m not saying it’s a bad pairing and should never be used, but just trying to elucidate the point that it’s not always just about pushing and pulling, It’s important to understand what is occurring, mechanically, at each joint, if we’re seeking true balance in our programming.
4. The Bull Shark is the only shark that can live in both salt and freshwater. Just sayin.'
5. My Current Program. Well, more accurately, the program I'll be following once the Lyme's is out of me. Long story short, I'm pretty beat up. As I noted in a post a couple weeks back, my left shoulder is pretty angry, so not only is bench pressing going to be nixed for a lonnngg time, but unfortunately I need to cease back squatting, too (holding the bar in back squat places the shoulder joint in a position of pretty extreme horizontal abduction and external rotation, which can be pretty risky (depending), and I've experienced plenty of pain from it so it's out for now).
Also, I did something pretty stupid a couple months back (for the sake of brevity) and injured my left leg. I haven't figured out exactly what it is yet, but I do know that I experience a significant piercing sensation in my quad when I'm under load and undergo hip flexion greater than roughly 110 degrees. As such, unfortunately, I need to omit any exercises that exacerbate the symptoms (which, through experimentation, include most quad-dominant exercises such as front squats, forward lunges, and also pretty much any plyo drill involving significant deceleration).
As such, here's what the jist of my program is going to entail:
- Loads of horizontal pulling (can't really do enough of this)
- Pushup Variations (weighted, suspended, etc.)
- Hip-Dominant lower body exercises (namely, deadlifts and their variations)
- Sled work
- Lots of Pullups. I'm going to use this time to see what I can get up to in the pullup realm.
I'll be sure to keep everyone posted, and, hopefully, garner some solid results from the program in spite of the injuries.
That's it for today. Hopefully it was random enough for you all and that you learned some things (you'll thank me later for the Bull Shark trivia).
The Cost of NCAA DI Athletics
Unless you’ve been a college administrator or coach for many years, I think it can be hard to understand/appreciate how much athletics (and I’m only talking NCAA DI in this post) can cost from financial standpoint. On occasion, I’ll hear friends talking about how much money the big football schools “rake in” during the season. Yes, the big-time football schools (FBS) generate some impressive numbers, but what most people don’t realize is how much it costs to maintain these teams and keep them competing at the top of the nation. Here are some shocking numbers I attained from the NCAA's report on Revenues & Expenses for 2004-2010:
Net Operating Results – NCAA DI 2010 (Median Values)
| Football Bowl Subdivision: | |
| Total Generated Revenues | $35,336,000 |
| Total Expenses | $46,688,000 |
| Median Net Generated Revenue | ($9,446,000) |
| Division I without Football: | |
| Total Generated Revenues | $1,993,000 |
| Total Expenses | $11,562,000 |
| Median Net Generated Revenue | ($8,597,000) |
Total Revenues – NCAA DI 2010
| Football Bowl Subdivision: | |
| Largest Reported | $143,555,000 |
| Median | $48,298,000 |
| Division I without Football: | |
| Largest Reported | $32,098,000 |
| Median | $11,077,00 |
Additionally, there are an average of 333 athletes participating in athletics at FBS schools. At these institutions the median expense per male athlete is $61,000 per year. For females the expense is a paltry $29,000 per year.
In contrast, at D-I schools without football there are an average of 176 athletes participating in athletics with an average of $21,000/year spent on men and $20,000 spent on women.
If you’ve never seen these numbers, I think it serves as a slap in the face by the reality that is the big business of college athletics.
It’s also pretty easy to see why it is so difficult for non-football schools to compete with the big boys on a national level in all the other sports.
In the end, the lack of money is why it is so impressive when a school like George Mason makes it to the top 25 national ranking for men’s basketball or when a school like VCU blows through the NCAA Tournament bracket. Ohio State (who, by the way, has the largest athletics budget in the country) should NEVER, EVER lose to a school like a Mason or a VCU whose budgets pale in comparison (we’re talking in the neighborhood of $120 MILLION less).
Fortunately, there is still a lot of heart and love in athletics and that can be worth more than money. So, while I LOVE my alma mater Virginia Tech, the longer I work with the other coaches and athletes at Mason, the more and more I appreciate the challenges and rewards that come from working with less and achieving more. Go Patriots!
