|
| Writer Greg McGlone rounded up five of the biggest, baddest, strongest, and best-informed hombres in the iron game, and invited them to share their "secrets" with those of us who also want to get bigger, badder, stronger, and better-informed.
Continue Reading...
|
| Read more |
|
The Overlooked Component of Programming?
I often get approached by people asking me to review their training programs. They generally list several days, each with several exercises and set/rep schemes. My response?
“Okay, so there, you’ve got one week. What happens when you do that for a few weeks, then hit a plateau, or wind up just feeling overworked and unmotivated?"
With that question, I've basically asked them indirectly if they understand how important it is to fluctuate training stress and effectively incorporate deload phases. In the overwhelming majority of cases, people look at me like I have two heads - so I decided to put together a special report on the subject to shed some light on the subject and prove to everyone that I'm not nuts.
In this 21-page special report, you'll learn:
- My Top 10 deloading strategies for athletes and weekend warriors alike
- How to modify programming in deload weeks to build healthy joints
- Why taking down weeks is often the best way to build strength much faster
- How to plan for a big personal best at the end of your deload week
- Whether complete rest is right or not for you
- How those with a history of injuries should deload to stay healthy
- Why some lifters need to deload on volume, while others deload on intensity
- Why two lifters might deload differently even if they're both want to increase muscle mass
- Why beginner deloads should be completely different than intermediate and advanced deloads
- The different strategies for fluctuating training stress from week-to-week
- Why volume-related overtraining is markedly different than intensity-related overtraining - and how to avoid both kinds of overtraining
|
| Read more |
|
| Q: I just ordered and downloaded your e-book, The Art of the Deload. I am going to scour and devour it, I am curious about my situation, I am about to turn 50, I am entering my 22nd year of competitive powerlifting, I am used to linear cycles ( I know, seriously old-school) I have toyed with a Westside type template, where I took their standard Max-effort/Dynamic Effort and rolled it over on a three day program (Mon-Wed-Fri Mon), But, when I jump-started my lifting career last Sept for a Push-Pull meet I went back to the standard linear cycle.
After that long winded intro, here is my dilemma, I have a full meet on the last Sat of April (first time for a full meet in 5 years due to Five knee operations) Would a jump into a deloading cycle help me of hurt me this close to a full meet (Raw, no Gear, and no "Gear")?
I have already written out and started lifting my typical Cycle, Should I "dance with the girl who brung me" or kick the old girl to the curb and consider a cycle with the deloading weeks built in?
A: Thanks for your email - and your purchase.
As you can probably tell from my e-book, I'm not a fan of linear periodization at all. If you look at the research (Rhea et al from Arizona State), you'll see that it's been proven inferior to undulating models on multiple occasions. And, anecdotally, the conjugated periodization have had much more success when they switched away from linear.
And, to be honest, if you've had five knee surgeries in five years, you ought to take some PLANNED deloads so that you don't have to take UNPLANNED ones.
Give this article a read; I think it'd interest you in how I structure my stuff:
You can count backward from the date of your meet. |
| Read more |
|
| As of July 1, 2006, the IHRSA reported that there were 29,000 commercial fitness centers/health clubs in the U.S.
Now, this is a few years old - and we're in a growing industry (this number had more than doubled since 1995). So, just for the heck of it (and because I'm not going to search around too hard to find the new info), let's say that there are 32,000 now - plus another 3,000 hotel gyms.
Next, assume that of these 35,000 exercise facilities in the US, 80% have purchased Smith machines; that's 28,000 Smith machines in the country. I've seen these retail at anywhere from $1,000 to $2,500 - so let's just say that retail at $1,500. Figure a 30% profit on each one, and here's what you get:
28,000 x $1,500 = $42 million
$42 million x 30% = $12.6 million
Let's assume that these gyms replace their Smith machine, on average, every three years.
$42 million / 3 years = $14 million
$12.6 million / 3 years = $4.2 million
So what does this tell us?
Smith machines are a $14 million/year industry in the U.S alone.
There may be 42 people in the U.S. grossing six figure incomes from Smith machines alone.
Scary thought....
Now, just imagine: leg extensions are even more popular than Smith machines.
Scary thoughts, indeed. |
| Read more |
|
| Q: I have pain in the front of my shoulder just at the end of my range of motion on rows. I thought rows were the universally safe exercise when it comes to shoulder health?
A: Normally, they’re a very safe bet – but as with any exercise, if performed incorrectly (or not matched to individual tolerances), they can cause problems.
This scenario most commonly occurs when the humerus goes into end-ROM extension, but the scapula stops retracting. Generally, this early end to retraction occurs secondary to a tight pec minor, which gets people stuck in protraction and anterior tilt. When you keep forcing extension on a fixed scapula, the humeral head translates forward in the joint capsule – and you can develop anterior shoulder laxity over time. A strong subscapularis can help to resist this anterior pull.
However, if your pec minor and infraspinatus/teres minor are tight, subscapularis is weak, and you’re forcing end-range a bit too hard, it’ll irritate you sooner than later. This is why it’s so important to ensure that the shoulder blade move back AND down as you row. You’ll be in trouble if the scapula tilts anteriorly as you approach end-range.
Obviously, there are a ton of other factors at work with shoulder function, but this is a good Cliff’s Notes version to what’s going on with you.
Eric Cressey
Click here to purchase the most comprehensive shoulder resource available today: Optimal Shoulder Performance - From Rehabilitation to High Performance. |
| Read more |
|
I used to think that I had the coolest job in the world – until I met Sarah Neukom and learned about what she gets to do every day.
Don’t get me wrong; helping athletes get leaner, stronger, and faster is a lot of fun. I’m thrilled that we get to instill positive diet, exercise, and lifestyle habits in people that will sustain them for life. I love the fact that my writing, speaking, and coaching has CHANGED some lives.
To be honest, though, my responsibilities don’t hold a candle to Sarah’s; she gets to SAVE lives.
You see, Sarah is a Development Office for Jimmy Fund Special Events. For those who aren’t familiar with it, the Jimmy Fund supports cancer research and care at the Dana Farber Cancer Institute, and it’s become synonymous with the word “charity” in the city of Boston.
The events Sarah organizes – from autograph signings with the Red Sox to ice cream festivals – directly fund the services that save thousands of lives each year. And, to take it a step further, Sarah’s enthusiasm for her job and passion for helping others is contagious. In fact, the first time I heard her talk about how much she loves her job, all I could think about was what I could do to help.
Fortunately, I now have that opportunity. You see, like many other athletes who run the Boston Marathon for various charities, Sarah is hitting the pavement to raise funds for Dana Farber. Normally, runners with charity associations are required to raise $3,000 to run, but given Sarah’s job, the bar has been set even higher: $8,000!
Now, I might be able to lift heavy stuff and jump high, but you can be sure that I’m no endurance athlete. As such, I’ll stick to fund-raising support and leave the support running to others…
So with that in mind, here’s the low-down on what you can all do to help me help Sarah and, in turn, save a lot of lives. This week, Mike Robertson and I are going to give you 25% off on ANY of our products if you make a tax-deductible donation of $25 at the following page:
https://www.kintera.org/faf/donorReg/donorPledge.asp?ievent=225656&lis=1&kntae225656=7E91EDC13BA94CA8A543126F24BF3D49&supId=117815224
Once you’ve done so, forward your donation confirmation email to me at ec@ericcressey.com and tell me which product you’d like for your discount. We’ll get you a discount code for your purchase. The products included are:
The Ultimate Off-Season Training Manual
Magnificent Mobility DVD and/or Manual
Inside-Out DVD/Manual
Monster Mobility Pack (MM + I-O)
Building the Efficient Athlete DVD set ($25 donation saves you $50!)
Bulletproof Knees Manual
You might be wondering: why don’t Mike and Eric just donate a portion of the proceeds from all sales for the week? The answer is simple: if you buy from us, it’s not tax deductible. We’ll eat the difference instead of making you eat it; we want to encourage you in your philanthropic efforts.
Of course, if you already have all our products, or just aren’t interested – but want to make a donation anyway – forward your confirmation email on anyway and I’ll get something good sent out to you to make it worth your while.
For more information on Sarah’s efforts, you can check out www.SarahSaidSheWould.com.
And, by all means, please pass this along to others.
All the Best,
Eric
PS – Here’s that donation link again |
| Read more |
|
| Q: I have a 9-years old daughter whom I try to challenge from time to time to do things like push-ups, chins, pull-ups, etc. She was showing me the pushups the way their PE teacher teaches them, I tried it after that and felt it was very uncomfortable on my shoulders (granted I have nagging shoulder problems for last couple of years). Here is the technique she does it with:
- palms are little wider than shoulder width
- fingers are internally rotate - so they face each other, and she said that they are taught that "thumbs should be under their chest" - which makes elbows flair out in such a way that upper arms are perpendicular to the body.
She said that there was no discomfort, but isn't that a similar position to the "bodybuilder" type of bench press which, I think, you and some other respected coaches pointed out as detrimental to the shoulder health?
A: I probably spend 15-20 hours per year teaching kids how to do push-ups correctly when they're ages 15-18 because misinformed physical education teachers have taught them (or allowed them to practice) incorrect form like this. The torque at the glenohumeral joint is markedly elevated and scapular stability very compromised with the elbows-out technique.
This is just another example of how the best coaches are needed at the youth levels. |
| Read more |
|
| Q: I have a question for you in regards to your Off-Season Training Manual. In regards to writing programs and actually doing them, how important is lifting the heaviest weight possible always?
I am for the first time getting out of progressive overload style progression and I like the layout of High, Medium, Very High, Deload. I have already started to incorporate this into my training program.
At the same time, I am fuzzy on exactly how to figure out how much weight I should be putting up week-in, week-out. With progressive overload it was pretty easier. If I did the weight one week, I move up the next.
I have read through the entire thread and you've only mentioned that you should always be using the heaviest possible weight. Maybe I'm over thinking this, but in my mind adding weight while removing volume is essentially the same amount of work. i.e. If I drop a set when moving from high to medium, but add 10lbs to the working weight, am I really even doing a medium amount of work? Regardless, I guess any general advice on your strategy in regards to actual weight on the bar management would be good.
A: You have to listen to your body. No, you aren't going to PR every time you walk in the gym, but it is still important to get some work in. I've often said that programming is 75% in advance, and 25% on the fly. You need to learn to roll with the punches and listen to your body.
Additionally, it's important to learn to understand how rotating your heaviest compound exercises plays into this. You'll see that in the programs in the book, you change every other week. More advanced lifters can change weekly. Novice lifters can go 4-6 weeks without plateauing. Understand where you fall and act accordingly.
Eric Cressey |
| Read more |
|
| A New Model for Training Between Starts: Part 1
By: Eric Cressey
The management of pitchers between starts is one of the most debated topics in the world of baseball training. Some pitching coaches want multiple throwing sessions between starts, while others insist that a single bullpen is sufficient. Athletic trainers debate on whether or not a pitcher should ice after a throwing session. And, specific to my realm of expertise, there are differing opinions on what kind of running programs are appropriate for pitchers between bouts of throwing.
Not to toot my own horn, but I'm a pretty well-read guy - and I can honestly say that I've never read anything along the lines of a truly logical argument for or against a specific running program for pitchers. So, I guess that's where I come in with this piece.
With that in mind, I'll be very blunt with you: I despise distance running for pitchers (and the overwhelming majority of other athletes, for that matter). While many pitching coaches are probably reading this and cursing my name already for going against the norm, I'd encourage you all to hear me out on this. Below, I'll outlined NINE reasons why distance running is not the correct course of action - and then, in my next installment, outline a new model for training between starts that we've used with great success at the professional, collegiate, and high school levels.
Why Distance Running is Not the Answer
Reason #1: Immunity Concerns
As a strength and conditioning coach, my number one priority in working with athletes is to keep them healthy. This refers not only to musculoskeletal health, but also general health. In an outstanding 2006 review, Gleeson wrote that "postexercise immune function depression is most pronounced when exercise is continuous [and] prolonged." Interestingly, this review also noted that many of these symptoms are "attributable to inflammation of the upper respiratory tract rather than to infectious episodes (1)." In other words, distance running between starts is more likely to cause and spread sickness in your clubhouse than that tramp in the right field bleachers who wants to hook up with every guy in your bullpen. Strike 1.
Reason #2: Endocrine Concerns
Here's a little excerpt from an email I got from a minor league guy I work with in the off-season:
Yesterday might have been the roughest day of my career. It started by getting back from our game Sunday night at 11:30PM. I couldn't fall asleep until at least 12:30AM, and then we had a 3:30AM wake up call to catch a bus to the airport for our flight at 6:15AM. We had a layover for an hour and a half, then got to the next city at 11AM. We drove to our hotel and I got to my stinky room at the Sleep Inn and tried to catch some sleep - except we had to be at the field at 4PM.
Days like this are the norm for many professional (and particularly, minor league) pitchers: late nights, early wake-up calls, red-eye flights, long bus rides, and - as a result - completely warped sleeping patterns. And, as I'm sure you can imagine, the diet that accompanies these travels is less than stellar, particularly when clubhouse food isn't exactly gourmet or healthy. And, let's just say that a lot of ballplayers at the collegiate and pro levels far too much alcohol, and that has direct negative consequences in terms of sleep and tissue quality.
So, basically, we've got absurd sleeping hours, terrible dietary habits, too much alcohol - and one of the longest seasons in sports. Effectively, we've done everything we possibly can to reduce lower testosterone and growth hormone output, creating a mess of a hormonal environment. Frankly, you could get this same hormonal response by forcing pitchers to watch Golden Girls reruns while sitting on bicycle seats and downing estrogen tablets - and you wouldn't have any incidences of plantar fasciitis.
Instead, you know what's done instead? Distance running! Yes, the same distance running that is responsible for the markedly lower testosterone levels and higher cortisol levels in endurance athletes. It's like putting a new engine in a car with square wheels: studying for the wrong test.
It almost makes you wonder if some guys used performance-enhancing drugs just to counteract the negative effects of their running programs!
Strike 2.
Reason #3: Mobility Concerns
As I wrote in a previous newsletter, one of the issues with distance running is that it doesn't allow for sufficient hip flexion to truly activate all the hip flexors. Specifically, we get a lot of rectus femoris recruitment, but not much activation of psoas, which predominately is active above 90 degrees of hip flexion. Likewise, you really aren't getting much hip extension at all.
So, on the whole, by using a repetitive motion like jogging for an extended period of time, pitchers are losing mobility in their hips - and that's the very mobility they depend on so much to generate stride length and, in turn, velocity.
Frankly, runners are the athletes I see with the most marked lower extremity dysfunctions due to the lack of range-of-motion in the jogging stride - and the fact that they pile so much mileage on this faulty movement pattern. I am a firm believer that we were made to sprint, not jog.
Strike 3. The batter's out!
Reason #4: Negative Effects on the Stretch-Shortening Cycle
Here, I need to get a bit geeky for a second so that I can explain the stretch-shortening cycle (SSC). The easiest analogy I can use is that when you want to shoot a rubber band at someone, you pre-stretch it before you release your shot. Muscles work the same way; pre-stretching them (eccentric action) prior to shortening them (concentric action) stores elastic energy and helps that muscle generate more force. Anecdotally, I've heard estimates that as much as 25-30% of pitching velocity is attributed to elastic energy - or how effectively someone makes use of the stretch-shortening cycle.
Where we're different from rubber bands is that we can actually train those elastic qualities to make our tendons more efficient at collecting, temporarily storing, and releasing that elastic energy to help us run faster, jump higher, and throw harder. It's why doing plyos, sprinting, and throwing medicine balls can do wonders for a player's performance.
With the stretch-shortening cycle, we need three things, according to Komi (2):
1. a well-timed muscle preactivation before the eccentric phase
2. a short, fast eccentric component
3. immediate transition (minimal delay) between stretch (eccentric) and shortening (concentric) phases. This period is known as the amortization phase, and the shorter it is, the less elastic energy we lose (as heat).
To be honest, #1 takes care of itself. For #2 and #3, though, we are definitely working against ourselves with distance running, as the importance of the SSC rapidly diminishes as exercise duration continues. In fact, the vertical jump only predicts sprinting performance up to 300m (3).
In other words, the longer exercise goes, the more we "muscle" it instead of being relaxed. What do we know about guys who try to muscle the ball to the plate? They don't throw hard because it impairs pitching specific mobility and they don't let the arm whip through.
I will take a guy with a good vertical jump over a guy with a high VO2max anyday. Distance running conditions guys to plod instead of bounce - and this definitely has implications in terms of chronic overuse conditions.
Strike 1.
Reason #5: Strength and Power Reductions
As just one example of how stressful the pitching motion is on the body, the humerus internally rotates at 7,500°/second during the acceleration phase of throwing. It takes a lot of strength and power to generate this kind of velocity, but just as importantly, it takes a lot of strength and power - and in a timely fashion - to decelerate it. We need to not only be able to generate enough force to resist and control this acceleration at end-range, but also be able to generate this force quickly (power). To that end, you would think that conditioning for pitchers would be similar to that of strength and power athletes, who avoid distance running altogether.
Instead, most pitchers run several times a week. When was the last time you saw a marathoner throw 95mph?
Additionally, in many cases, coaches encounter Latin American players who have never had access to weight-training equipment - and this is a huge window of untapped potential. Using distance running when these athletes could be devoting more time to getting stronger is a huge hindrance to these players' development, as it conditions them to go longer instead of faster. At some point, you have to put more horsepower in the engine instead of just changing the oil.
We know that when we first get young athletes started with weight training, there is a huge transformation to make them more athletic in the 8-10 weeks that follow. You would be surprised at what good training can do for many advanced pitchers in the initial phases, too. The reason is that, unlike position players, many pitchers are (to be blunt) one-trick ponies. They know how to throw a nasty cutter, a crazy 12-to-6 curveball, or a slider with a funny arm-slot. So, it's always been "okay" for them to be completely unathletic outside of their delivery. They might get guys out, but they're long-term gambles teams because of their increased risk of injury; weak, immobile bodies break down the fastest - just like distance runners. Additionally, being able to quickly recruit muscles (and do so powerfully) is crucial for rapidly stiffening joint complexes to create stability and prevent acute injuries like ankle sprains and ACL ruptures. Strength and power athletes are much better off in this regard than endurance athletes.
Strike 2.
Reason #6: Inappropriate Intensities
In what was - at least in my eyes - a landmark study, McCarthy et al. (1995) looked at "compatibility" of concurrent strength training and endurance training. Traditionally, the attenuation of strength and power gains has been a big issue when endurance exercise is added to a strength training program. As I noted in Cardio Confusion, these researchers found that strength and power loss was only an issue when the intensity of the endurance exercise was greater than 75% of heart-rate reserve (HRR) (4). I can guarantee you that the majority of pitchers who are running distances are doing so at well over 75% HRR.
As I'll note in my recommendations at the conclusion of this article, I strongly feel that the secret is to stay well above (circa-maximal sprinting, in other words) or below (70% HRR, to play it safe) when implementing any kind of running. The secret is to avoid that middle area where you don't go slow and don't go fast; that's where athletes get SLOW! And, ideally, the lower-intensity exercise would be some modality that provides more mobility benefits.
Strike 3. The batter's out!
Reason #7: Nobody likes to babysit.
Simply put, running is babysitting. Catcher is actually the position that requires the most endurance in baseball, but we don't run catchers extra, do we? Nope - and it's because we have bullpens for them to catch, batting practice for them to take, and all the other responsibilities associated with handling a pitching staff and being a pseudo coach on the field.
My business partner actually was a division 1 pitcher almost ten years ago, and when I brought up this argument, he smiled and nodded, replying with, "When I was a pitcher, all we did was shag fly balls and run poles." Meanwhile, 57% of pitchers suffer a shoulder injury during a competitive season (5) - and that doesn't even include elbow, lower back, or lower-extremity injuries! At the major league level, pitchers are 49% of the players, but they account for 68% of the time on the disabled list league-wide (6). Running isn't going to prevent these problems; it's going to exacerbate them.
Strike 1.
Reason #8: Distance running ignores existing imbalances.
Baseball is an at-risk sport for a number of reasons. You've got an extremely long competitive season, overhead throwing, and - possibly most significantly - unilateral dominance. Switch hitters and guys who bat right and throw left (or vice versa) tend to be a bit more symmetrical, but the guys who bat and throw on the same side tend to have the most glaring issues. Many really smart dudes - most notably, Gray Cook - note that asymmetry is quite possibly the best predictor of injury. When we get pitchers after a long season, our first goals are to address range of motion deficits in:
1. lead leg hip extension (tight hip flexors)
2. lead leg hip internal rotation (tight external rotators)
3. lead leg knee flexion (tight quads)
4. Throwing arm shoulder internal rotation (tight posterior rotator cuff and capsule)
5. Scapular posterior tilt (tight pec minor and levator scapulae)
6. Throwing arm elbow extension (tight elbow flexors)
I knocked back some caffeine, splashed some water on my face, and really put my thinking cap on to see if I could come up with a rationale for how distance running addresses any of these issues. In the end, I had nothing. I came to the realization that jogging negatively affects the majority of them - and pitchers would be better off just shagging fly balls instead of splitting time between that and long runs. At least they move side-to-side when they're chasing fly balls.
Strike 2.
Reason #9: It's really boring!
I am a firm believer that the best coaches are the ones who engage their athletes. The best coaches I had in my athletic career were the ones who made me look forward to each training session. With that said, the only people who look forward to distance running are - you guessed it - distance runners!
Most of the ballplayers you're coaching have always seen running as a form of punishment for doing something wrong; they hate it as much as I do (okay, maybe not that much). And, truth be told, they'd hate it even more if they realized it is limiting their development as athletes.
Strike 3. The batter's out - and the side is retired.
Conclusion
I have always disliked it when people criticize the status quo, but fail to offer solutions of their own. With that in mind, the next installment of this series will outline my personal perspective on how to attack the time between pitching outings.
References
1. Gleeson, M. Immune systems adaptation in elite athletes. Curr Opin Clin Nutr Metab Care. 2006 Nov;9(6):659-65.
2. Komi, P.V. Stretch-shortening cycle. In: Strength and Power in Sport (2nd Ed.) P.V. Komi, ed. Oxford: Blackwell, 2003. pp. 184-202.
3. Hennessy L, Kilty J. Relationship of the stretch-shortening cycle to sprint performance in trained female athletes. J Strength Cond Res. 2001 Aug;15(3):326-31.
4. McCarthy JP, Agre JC, Graf BK, Pozniak MA, Vailas AC. Compatibility of adaptive responses with combining strength and endurance training. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 1995 Mar;27(3):429-36.
5. Ouelette, H, Labis J, Bredella M, Palmer WE, Sheah K, Torriani M. Spectrum of shoulder injuries in the baseball pitcher. Skeletal Radiol. 2007 Oct 3.
6. Fleisig, GS. The Biomechanics of Baseball Pitching. Spring 2008 Southeast ACSM Conference.
Sign-up Today for our FREE Baseball Newsletter and Receive a Copy of the Exact Stretches
used by Cressey Performance Pitchers after they Throw!
|
| Read more |
|
By Jimmy Smith, CSCS
If Looks Could Kill: All “Show” No “Go"
All too often, I’ll read about an athlete who has undergone an “intense” training program in the off-season to build muscle for the upcoming year. I’ll see that the athlete did the leg press with “X” amount of weight for 15 reps, or read about the endurance athlete who did a 45-minute circuit training workout with no rest intervals because his sport requires him to go non-stop for 30 minutes. Every athlete’s goal is to come into the season bigger, stronger and faster. However, while they look physically impressive in their first few games, they are moving and cutting slower than an old lady trying to get in front of someone at the grocery store register. So why is all this hard earned muscle mass costing them success? Simply put, it’s not “functional”.
Before you start training you need to have a clear understanding of what functional hypertrophy is; not having a clue in this regard could screw up your results more than a terrible training program, lackluster effort, and inadequate nutrition. First, it’s important to define what functional hypertrophy is NOT. Functional hypertrophy is not squatting with a barbell on your back while balancing on a Swiss ball. Functional hypertrophy is a quest to attain the most usable amount of muscle mass that your body can efficiently handle to make you effective in your given sport.
Requirement #1: Use Compound Movements.
I still see athletes and weekend warriors alike training for “sport muscle” by doing curls and leg presses; this just isn’t going to cut it. Today, athletes are expected to be bigger, stronger and faster. You need to stick with the “money exercises” that allow you to use the heaviest load possible, involve multiple joint articulations, and stimulate a large amount of muscle mass. As an added bonus, the majority of these movements are performed in the standing position, meaning that you will need to display proper control of your body. Postural control is a very under-valued aspect of sports. Do you think you could catch a football if every time you attempted to cut you tripped over yourself? Emphasizing compound movements will allow you to avoid the bottleneck training effect, which states that when one joint is significantly weaker, the performance of the entire kinetic chain is weaker. For example, being weak in knee extension limits the amount of weight you can use during the squat. Compound exercises are also more likely to increase your anabolic response to training, which is paramount when you’re attempting to increase lean muscle tissue.
Requirement #2: Train Primarily in the 6-8 Rep Range.
Since you’re attempting to build muscle that will allow you to perform at a higher level and not pose on stage, you need to focus mainly on the 6-8 rep range instead of the traditional 8-12 rep range for “size”. Don’t get me wrong, though; reps 10+ can be very beneficial for connective tissue health, so you’d be wise to include some work in those reps ranges to stay healthy. However, utilizing 6-8 reps will allow you to use the highest load possible while still ensuring that you receive the optimal volume to provide a growth stimulus. Just as importantly, training in the 6-8 rep range will provide more favorable neural adaptations to facilitate strength gains. If you feel like you need to change things up, try to rotate exercises before raising the reps. This will ensure that you’re still in the “sport muscle” range. If you do feel the need to change to higher reps, go ahead; just be sure not to overdo it for too long.
Requirement #3: Avoid Body Part Splits.
If you’re trying to get HUGE, do you really think it’s going to translate over to exploding up for a rebound? Is there a need to perform 15 sets for your biceps? No. Body part splits should be out of the question. By having a “chest day” or “shoulder day”, you force yourself to train too often with too much volume and not enough intensity. You’re producing immediate, cumulative, and delayed fatigue, which will all negatively affect your performance. Instead, focus on splits like Upper/Lower body, Push/Pull, and Quad/Hip dominant routines and, if you can, Full Body routines. These splits not only allow you to train more efficiently, but aid in correcting postural imbalances, which often exist because of the lack of antagonistic training. This correction will lead to increased muscle activation that will have a trickle down effect on your functional hypertrophy gains.
Requirement #4: Train to Increase Your Cross-Sectional Area Through Strength and Size Increases.
There are two ways in which a muscle can increase its cross-sectional area (CSA): neural improvements and hypertrophy. The larger the CSA, the more force you can produce. All too often, athletes will focus on either neural or hypertrophy gains. Why not both at the same time? If you increase your muscle mass – but not your maximal strength – do you really think you’re going to be able to hit a ball 405 feet? Explode off of a drop-step and throw it down? How about improving your long jump? It doesn’t matter how functional the hypertrophy is; if it doesn’t have corresponding neural improvements, then it’s not going to be advantageous. If you flip the coin and only train to get stronger, you will never reach your peak of strength gains. How many rail thin Olympic lifters have you seen? How many power lifters have small triceps and upper backs? Just take a look at top strongman Marisz Pudzianowski - he “gets it!”
They all know that the bigger a muscle is the more force they will be able to display. So while you’re getting stronger, get bigger.
Here is a table of guidelines for your maximal strength and functional hypertrophy work:
Strength Quality Maximal Strength Functional Hypertrophy
Sets Work up to a Max of 1-3 reps 3-4
Reps 1-3 6-8
Time Under Tension 0-20s 20-40s
Rest 3-5 minutes 2-3 minutes
Requirement #5: Limit the Amount of Aerobic Work That You Do.
“If you want to get big, don’t do cardio.” This is something any bodybuilder can tell you. It doesn’t directly apply to you in the athletic population, but it does have merit. First off, you are attempting to build muscle in the off-season, so you do not want to do anything to compromise your rate of growth. You’re working hard to add muscle mass, yet you feel the need to do aerobic work as well. How much can you really do before one or both objectives are comprised? This is known as the interference effect. When the body is exposed to two different types of training, it will choose one over the other. In most cases the body will choose the less demanding activity, which in this case is the aerobic work. So relax on the aerobic activity, you’ll thank yourself later. Plus, who really likes to do it anyway?
Requirement #6: Use Compensatory Acceleration Training.
Athletic movements are explosive, so why train differently? Each concentric contraction should be done in a dynamic effort fashion to ensure that you are maximizing motor unit recruitment and teaching your body to react as quickly as possible. An increase in acceleration increases muscular tension that enhances the training effect of the exercise. It is important to note that it is the brain’s intent – not the actual velocity of the bar – that dictates the training outcome. Even if it does not seem like you’re moving the load explosively, as long as you aim to do so, you will. I think I can, I think I can!
Requirement #7: Don’t Overload the Central Nervous System with Excessive Isometrics and Eccentric Contractions.
When an athlete (or anyone for that matter) first attempts to increase muscle mass, they immediately look at “going slow on the way down” or eccentric loading. While this is great for inducing muscle mass gains, it does come at an expense to the central nervous system (CNS). Your CNS is responsible for recruiting motor units in addition to establishing the motor patterns that are going to be used. CNS fatigue will result in less than optimal muscular output, which is detrimental to your training results. Eccentrics may also lead to excessive delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS), which can impair subsequent performance. Instead, I choose to have my athletes just control the weight on the way down.
Isometric contractions, although not as taxing on our CNS as eccentric contractions, can still have the same negative effect. However, isometric work can have a pronounced effect on motor unit recruit, as it leads to an increased capacity of your CNS to access them. It has also been proven that a single isometric action that is immediately followed by a dynamic action can make that dynamic action more effective. Basically, your fast movement gets faster.
Integrating eccentric and isometric muscle actions can be tricky, so here are a few tips to keep you on track:
1. When using eccentric work, keep your time under tension around 20-40 seconds.
2. Do not eccentrically load for more than one exercise per session.
3. If you incorporate isometric muscle actions, keep the static contraction around 3-5 seconds.
4. Focus on using them at the weakest point of your lift. You’ll notice that the sticking point is no longer present and you’ll have thrown more weight up.
Wrap Up
These are my seven most important suggestions for any athlete who desires to develop functional muscle mass. Following these steps and training hard, you’ll notice that your new muscle mass is a lot more “go” than “show.” Enjoy the benefits; I know your competition won’t!
About the Author
Jimmy Smith is a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist and performance enhancement coach in Southwestern Connecticut. Jimmy has helped athletes of all levels and people alike achieve their training goals. He specializes in body composition, performance enhancement, and corrective training. You can contact Jimmy at jsmith2482@yahoo.com
|
| Read more |
|
LEARN
HOW TO
DEADLIFT
- Avoid the most common deadlifting mistakes
- 9 - minute instructional video
- 3 part follow up series
|
