Explosivelyfit Strength Training

Angles are important

Professional trainers who keep up to date with the latest advances in training theory and safe practices in the weight room know that if a person mentions a pain that issue needs to be addressed. However, there are still those who subscribe to the outdated no pain no gain method of training. How often does a trainee have to be hurt before these people realize they are doing something wrong?

In my gym if a trainee says it hurts, we adjust the exercise to one that still provides a stimulus for growth but doesn’t hurt. Now I’m not talking about muscle soreness during the exercise. To a certain degree, this is to be expected. The pain I am referring too is a sharp pain that is indicative of an injury in the making.

Take for example the person who mentions the knee pain they experience when doing a specific exercise.

In one recent case, this conversation led to a demonstration of the exercise by the trainee-not mine I might add. They were doing a regular style lunge. (This ecercise is the one that many trainers use because doing the much more beneficial squat is harder to teach and takes longer to master and the one that these same trainers push on their females because they want to work their gluteus as softly and easily as possible. I pity these trainees…they aren’t getting their moneys worth.)

While doing the movement it was very clear to me that the front knee was entering into a valgus position. When questioned about this I was told that’s how the personal trainer wanted it done.

A suggestion was made to turn the front foot inward a bit to get the knee properly tracking inline with the foot. Once this minor adjustment was made, the pain went away. How could a trainer miss such an obvious detail? Probably because they didn’t know the right way to do the exercise.

Every exercise has a correct way of doing it. Technique is all about doing it right by setting up the sequence of joint involvement and getting the joint angles correct during the execution of the movement. If the trainer doesn’t know the right way to an exercise or doesn’t listen to their trainee then both people lose out, especially the trainee.

It’s not always best to go with a person who bought their certification off the internet for $99.99 by taking a test with the book open in front of them.

If your trainer is not certified with a reputable organization such as the National Strength and Conditioning Association or the American College of Sports Medicine then you take your chances with the guidance they provide.

Clearly there is a difference in training styles between a trainer whose back ground is strength training and one whose background is fluff training or going through the motions  of pretend training. One produces results the other income for the trainer.

Back pack-Back pain?

Everyday in school a backpack is used to carry books and supplies. Questions often arise as to whether or not it is a major contributor to low back pain. In a recent article published in BioMechanics researchers looked into this issue.

Carrying a backpack can increase the stresses placed on the facets, intervertebral disks and the ligaments of the spinal column. It is possible, under certain circumstances that these structures may be at risk for damage in growing children. A heavier backpack can contribute to gait and postural changes and if continued for long periods can alter body mechanics and make future corrections more difficult.

The American Physical Therapy Association (APTA) and the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommend load limitations between 10 and 20 percent of the person’s bodyweight. The daily average weight of backpacks in junior high and high school are frequently over thirty percent. This heavy load may contribute to physical wear and tear on the supporting structures of the body that can lead to overuse injuries more commonly seen in older adults.

But does the wearing of a heavy backpack actually contribute to low back pain and the attending damage to the area over a long time?

According to the various studies conducted within the past ten years this correlation has not been established. More injuries were actually caused by falling over a backpack than wearing one. So what’s a parent to do?

Parents may want to consider these points when considering a backpack for their child:

l Heavy backpacks can be painful and may cause discomfort in the back and shoulders and may cause temporary gait and postural changes in the child.

l A causal relationship between a child’s backpack and long term gait and postural changes in the child has not been established.

l The load in the backpack should be limited to no more than twenty percent of the child’s body weight. If pain is felt then decrease the weight even further.

l A backpack with a waist strap helps transfer the weight from the back to their hips and is much easier to carry.

A backpack maybe essential to carry gear for school but it doesn’t have to be so heavy that it crushes your child. If it’s too heavy take a look inside and see what can be removed to lower the weight.

Strength training

Working out with weights does more than just build muscle and increase your bone mineral density. It decreases your chance of injury and helps promote better agility, balance and coordination.

Stronger bones help to forestall osteoporosis and decrease the risk of fracture if you happen to fall. Not only will strength training help make you better in your chosen sport or favorite recreational activity it also strengthens your ligaments and tendons thereby making your joints less susceptible to injury.

The development of greater strength makes daily life easier by helping to eliminate muscle weakness and muscle strength imbalances within your musculoskeletal system. Being stronger makes carrying the groceries and working around the house less strenuous.

Resistance trained legs will make that daily walk or those recreational runs you may have planned to enter this year more pleasurable to accomplish.

For those of you who have recurring back, neck or shoulder pain a strength training program can be a God send. Simply getting stronger in these over worked and over stretched muscles can often time alleviate chronic pain symptoms.

Where to begin?

Start out by exercising the major muscle groups at least twice a week. These groups include the shoulders, upper back, chest, lower back, arms, abdominal, legs hamstrings and calves.

Do two to three sets of eight to ten repetitions with rest periods of thirty to sixty seconds between each set of exercises.

By eating well and getting enough sleep you’ll notice an immediate change in your daily life.

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Stay strong mentally and physically, and remain passionately committed to your hearts chosen path.

Danny M. O’Dell, MA. CSCS, *D

Phone: 509.991.6833 Web: http://www.Explosivelyfit.com

Sport Specific Training: Is it possible?

Designing a program for an athlete that is specific to a sport is the desire of many coaches. By specific we mean one that closely, if not exactly, mimics the sports actions and movement patterns. The velocity, duration of actions, joint angles, rate of force development, force production, power output within the constraints of the sports action and energy systems, to name just a few pertinent key factors that are involved in the sport need to be taken into consideration while planning a ‘sport specific program’.

Not all coaches will have access to expensive and highly technical equipment needed to identify and then mimic these key points. However we all have the capability of determining the muscles used for these sports movements.

Finding out which muscles are involved in the sport and then designing a program that uses these same muscles in the same manner is a major planning focus. In many cases coaches design a program that does not involve the muscle groups that predominate in the movements of the sport. Muscle activity patterns in training, to be effective must be the same as in the sport itself. If not then the training is not specific and in fact may be a waste of the athlete’s time and energy.

There are at least four common methods in use today that help determine the muscles that need the emphasis in training. Some are relatively simple in nature but effective none the less.

Palpating the muscles and finding those that become tense indicates they are involved in the movement and need to be trained. This is common sense because a muscle that is working, i.e. the agonist will have a heightened amount of tonus to it and feel tighter than that of its antagonist.

Conclusive evidence of muscle involvement is that of intentionally inducing Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness, commonly called DOMS. This is the gradual (sometimes not so gradual) onset of pain and soreness that frequently occurs 24-48 hours after an unaccustomed episode of exercise has taken place.

Using this method the coach intentionally overloads the athlete during the first work out with new drills or skill and technique work activities. The next day and the day beyond quickly identify the working muscles – because they are the sore ones. To be fair to the athlete the coach must explain the why and expected outcome of this atypical training session. And then identify some recovery methods that can be used to ease the pain in these muscles. This can be an excruciating experience for those who have never experienced this phenomenon before and it could lead to some dropouts.

Biomechanical analysis of the torque produced in the joints during the activity is accurate but expensive and requires specially trained attendants to accomplish. It is a complex method and one that in most cases is not at all practical for use in the normal setting.

The final method and one that is extremely accurate is through the use of an electromyography set up. This machine registers muscle electric activity. It is a superior way of identifying and recording the muscles and muscle activity that are actually engaged in producing the movement observed. But again, as in the biomechanical analysis, the equipment is spendy and specialized technical personnel are required to gather accurate and reliable results. However, if the money and technicians are available this is the most accurate manner of finding out which muscles are involved in the sporting endeavor.

Summary:

A sport specific training plan depends on identifying the precise actions involved in the sport. The muscles in this complex of movement patterns are then targeted as the ones that need to be enhanced through physical strength and conditioning. Testing before and after performances will let the coach know if the program is working or not.

Evaluating your exercise program

You may have thought to yourself at some point is this training schedule really going to make me more fit? I suspect when you first started out it felt great, sort of, after the soreness left the next day but what about your progress? Have you seen continued improvements in your fitness or has it stopped? Take a moment and consider the following descriptions of a good basic program.

If you can honestly say these fit your situation then you are more than likely doing things right.

Efficiency is a prominent feature in your training routine

Exercise enthusiast of the past used to go at it hard for more than an hour at a time. Those days are gone unless preparing for a contest. Now, with a limited time to exercise, it’s all about getting in and getting out of the gym in less time. This time can be much more effective if the major muscle groups are targeted and the isolation movements are abandoned.

Major muscle groups, such as squats, lunges, bench presses, military presses and rows of all kinds provide greater results than do isolation exercises that hit the smaller muscles.

Intensity of effort

Working out and getting results means being intense. If you are plodding along using light weights or putting the pin in the lightest place of the machine and going slowly like a turtle you are cheating yourself. Your body craves a challenge and needs to be pushed to adapt. It’s this adaptation that increases your physical fitness capacity. Trainers who fail to show you how to increase the intensity of your training routine on a regular and daily basis are doing you a disservice.

Low intensity workouts are a waste of time! You are capable of adding weight. You are capable of going at a faster rate. The fat burning zone doesn’t exist. Be intense; stop whining and making excuses, push yourself and get off the dime.

Persistency counts

Great workouts come and go but having one or two won’t make much of a difference in your total physical condition. The one thing that will make a difference, one that you and others well notice, is persistency of effort. Exercise must be a part of every fiber in your body. Doing something positive for yourself everyday translates into a better you both mentally and physically.

Pick a specific time each day to exercise. Write it on your calendar. Make it a priority and do it everyday.

Change your routine every two to three weeks

Exercise schedules outlive their usefulness within a short period. After about two to three weeks it’s definitely time to revitalize the program. If you are just going through the motions, then it’s time to change.

There are vast arrays of exercises that can be substituted for one another that still focus on the goals you’ve set for yourself. For example, lunges can be alternated with Bulgarian split squats, military presses with dumbbell military presses or skip rope instead of riding the mindless boring treadmill or bicycle. Change it up. Do something different but keep going.

Are you having fun?

If the thought of going to the gym makes you cringe or you’re tired of the grind it’s a certainty that something must change or you won’t be exercising too much longer. Finding an exercise activity that you like to do is critical to success. Normal people do things they want to do and voluntarily avoid those they don’t. You’ve got to have fun or you won’t keep doing it. The question now is, “are you”?

Planning training day workouts

Common sense indicates that each days training has an influence on the upcoming sessions. By keeping this in mind, and if planned correctly, a continuation of productive days can follow day one. The desired training effect depends almost exclusively on the type of training conducted during the exercise period.

The fitness/fatigue model dictates the sequence of proper planning. This model of exercise recovery takes into account the ability of the body to adjust after an exercise session. After each period of strenuous activity, there will be a degree of fatigue and a degree of fitness improvement. Balancing the two out during the planning process is the key to continued gains and the avoidance of overtraining. In order to do so an understanding of the effects on the body must be understood.

Each differing strength-training variety has a specific effect to body tissue because of the loads and intensities imposed. The three types of strength training listed in the literature are maximal strength, maximal intensity and maximal work. All must be trained properly en order to enhance the performance of the athlete. Brief explanations follow.

Training maximal strength means lifting near maximal loads for low repetitions and multiple sets i.e. 2-3 reps for 3-5 sets. Maximal intensity on the other hand employs below maximal loads but with maximal acceleration of multiple sets on the low to moderate end of the repetition scale i.e. 3-5 reps 3-5 sets.

The maximal work training implies a high volume of work at a low percentage of the maximal weight. Repetitions will be in the 8-12 range for 5-8 sets. Use minimal rest periods between each set.

The training after affects of each type of strength building varies. Maximal intensity training displays the largest fitness after affect, but it is short lived. Maximal strength training shows a smaller fitness affect after training than does maximal intensity. Maximal work training has the longest duration of fitness but the smallest fitness improvement affect.

This means when planning a schedule of training days that maximal intensity and maximal strength should always come before maximal work sessions. And, in this order unless you are an elite athlete/lifter.

The fitness/fatigue model states the affects of fatigue from a previous period must be eliminated before resuming the exercise. Bear in mind that it takes longer to recover from maximal work than from maximal intensity or strength days.

A proven method of strength building is to divide the training day into multiple sessions. The literature reveals those who trained twice per day increased their strength more than those who trained only once a day. However, this type of training regimen is appropriate only for those athletes with a high level of general physical fitness to begin with in the first place.

Overcoming sticking points in your exercise program

At one time or another everyone who exercises encounters a sticking point or as it is sometimes referred to, a plateau. How you handle these set backs will determine your eventual success or failure in achieving your fitness goals.

Some people just give up if they don’t see immediate results, others keep plugging away in the hope that it will eventually workout. The smart ones identify the problem early on and take corrective measures to short circuit the damaging effects of the stalemate.

The solution to the problem is to look at your logbook and figure out when the sticking point started. After this then it’s up to you to make the necessary changes in the program so you can get back on track again. Strength coaches (shameless plug here) pay very close attention to their trainees and forestall these problems before they become critical issues.

In the case of the self directed individual this becomes more of a problem because in many instances their fix is to do more. And more times than not it’s generally more of the same.

Looking at it logically, if your current program got you into the stalemate in the first place does it really make sense to do more of it? It doesn’t, does it?

However there are several alternative corrective actions that can be taken to alleviate the problem. Possible modifications include some of the following:

Select an altogether different method of exercising.

If you’re a runner this means getting on a boring stationary bike and riding hard. Skipping rope is a good alternative. It will still keep your cardiovascular capabilities high. The treadmill would be out as it’s basically the same as running.

A strength athlete will have options such as changes in the repetitions, sets, exercises, times, and total time under the bar amongst a host of other potential adjustments in the program.

The idea is to pick out an exercise that will continue to give you the results you want for the mode of exercise you enjoy. Change means change, not more of the same.

Keep going. Don’t give up on your health because of a little set back in your training.

Working out at home

It’s nice to walk into a well equipped gym and be able to hit your session with unbridled enthusiasm. Normally the costs are within reason and if it has highly qualified trainers all the better. But what if you don’t have the money, the transportation or even the time to go to one of these places for your daily exercise? The solution can be found right in your own home.

If you are just starting out you don’t need a lot of fancy equipment to get into shape. And you certainly don’t have to have the latest in workout clothing. Sweats and an old Tee shirt complement one another perfectly. I would recommend, however, investing in a good pair of cross trainer or basketball style of shoes.

Next, start saving a few plastic milk containers. These make ideal adjustable weights and setting them up is easy just put a ruler along the sides and measure and mark out inches all the way to the top.

Before you exercise add water or other material up to any of the marks and weigh it. Both containers should weigh about the same. Now you’ve got a set of dumbbells.

I’d suggest getting a skip rope. Buy a length of half to three quarter diameter sized nylon rope at the hardware store. The right length is about twice your height off the spool. It’s long enough when you can stand in the middle and each end comes up to your shoulders. Cut it off and then have the ends sealed to prevent it from fraying. You’re all set to go for the cardio portion of your exercise program.

If you have the inclination, then buy a set of exercise tubes. An alternative is to go to a medical supply store and get a few lengths of different sized latex surgical tubing. Make certain you aren’t allergic to latex.

Grab a big juice container of plain water and get started because every day wasted is one you’ll never get back.

Making your workouts work for you

The New Years resolutions have, in most cases, come and gone; out the door that is. So what happened to all those good intentions for getting into better shape? Were they unrealistic and simply pie in the sky hopes or were they obtainable.

I’d like to think they were obtainable and were ones that you really did want to achieve. Did you have a plan to make it happen or were you winging it? If the latter, then perhaps here is a thought to consider when you hit it again.

In my life I have a plan and then a backup plan if the first one failed or didn’t produce the outcome I wanted. The same process works for setting up a fitness program.

You’ve got the ideal plan A and then if something upsets that, then you’ve got plan B. Plan A is the one that works most of the time but sometimes it won’t work. For instance, the most important part of any fitness plan is setting up the time and a workout schedule for your daily exercise. But what if that prime time doesn’t work one day?

Then it’s time for plan B to take effect. Plan B may be an alternate time or even an alternate workout program that you can do at home. Instead of exercising in the morning all at one time (plan A), you can break it up into smaller five to ten minute episodes. In these mini sessions concentrate on one part of the total regular plan each time. If you do these types of mini exercise workouts throughout the day you’ll have completed your full routine by bed time.

The advantage of having a backup plan is that it gives you a preplanned option for getting in your exercise session without undue consternation on your part.

Taking advantage of a trainee by not training them

Once again, an article in the morning paper featured a trainer with an exercise program that was the savior of the fitness world. He lost me when he recommended lifting seated or lying on a bench “for stability.” Moreover, this individual was a certified personal trainer.

My wife hates it when I read these types of articles because she knows I am a firm, died in the wool believer and practitioner of ground based, on your feet training. After I finish reading them, she has to put up with my ranting about the stupidness of such training for an otherwise healthy person.

For the life of me, I cannot figure out why any professional in their right mind would do this stuff. It just P…’s me off no end that people are out there in our field doing this kind of stuff to their trainees..

We spend much of our lives on our feet standing, walking and carrying on with our daily activities. How can training on a machine or laying on a bench help with stabilizing the muscles we rely on all day long?

The answer is they can’t, so there has to be another reason these pseudo-professionals spout out such nonsense. My suspicion is they don’t know how to train people with free weights or are afraid to try for fear they will lose the income because free weights are harder to use. If that is the case, they need to find another job.

Nonetheless, there are people out there who simply gravitate to the machines. Do you know why? Because they are easy to use. They do the work for you. They allow you to sit on your a.. while the machine forces you to follow the path that only it can follow. There are no stabilizing muscles steadying the bar as it moves. You just push on the bar and let it take you wherever it chooses.

Why do you suppose so many people jump on the elliptical trainer or recumbent bike? It’s easy. There’s no thinking involved and not much guidance is needed by the trainer except to stand by and say nice things as their trainees waste their time and the trainer is paid for the session.

The lack of beneficial training on a machine, unless in a rehab situation, are too numerous to list here but let me unequivocally state this: unless you are working out on free weights the majority of your time, you are wasting your money in the gym.

Stand up and lift.