Home Blog (Page 166)

Smith Machine Salaries

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.
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Troubleshooting End Range Shoulder Pain

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

shoulder-performance-dvdcover

Click here to purchase the most comprehensive shoulder resource available today: Optimal Shoulder Performance - From Rehabilitation to High Performance.
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Help Charity, Help Yourself: Great Sale for a Great Cause

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
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Save Your Shoulders: Learn Your Push-Ups

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.
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Should You Always Lift Your Heaviest?

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
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I try to be a nice guy…

and help one of my athletes get an up-front angle on his bullpen session, and this is what I get.

Take your own damn videos from now on, Steve.

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An Interview with Mike Robertson

By: Eric Cressey

In light of all the projects on which we’ve collaborated, a lot of people seem to have come to the conclusion that Mike Robertson and I are the same person.  I guess that’s what we get for co-authoring ten articles together and co-producing the Magnificent Mobility DVD.  I figured that the best way to clear up any confusion about our unique identities would be to interview him.  If it helps, read the text below aloud, and use a Midwestern drawl for Mike’s voice, and a pseudo-Boston accent for me.  If you’re a visual learner, you might want to alternate an Indianapolis Colts hat with a New England Patriots one at the same time. EC: Hey Mike, thanks for agreeing to do this.  I know you like the back of my hand, but our readers don’t.  Fill them in a bit on your background; I’m sure you get questions all the time about how you got to where you are.  Who inspired you? MR: Wow Eric, there’s been so many people along the way, to name just one or two wouldn’t really be prudent.  However, if I had to name a few people that have significantly impacted the way I view and approach training and nutrition, I’d have to say yourself, Alwyn Cosgrove, Dave Tate, John Berardi, Mike Boyle, Joe DeFranco, Jim Wendler, Ian King, Stuart McGill, Bill Hartman, and Shirley Sahrmann. As you can tell, I’ve got everything from physical therapists to elite-level strength coaches, but all have taught me something or significantly influenced my thinking in one way or another.  In fact, I think you need to learn from as many disciplines as possible to truly understand how the body works. EC:  What frustrates you the most about this industry? MR: Two things about this industry really annoy me.  They are: 1. People who have no business training people for athletics.  These people know who they are; whether they are PTs that “wanna’ be” strength coaches, to strength coaches who just don’t know what the hell they are talking about, these people piss me off.  They typically get by with either “smoke and mirrors” training, or by yelling incessantly at their athletes to “work harder.”  While this may sound contradictory to my next point, running your athletes into the ground doesn’t make you a good strength coach; it makes you a schmuck. 2. Lazy people.  This can include people who are too lazy to train themselves, people who are too lazy to keep learning, or people that feel like others should help them “catch a break.”  I have no sympathy for people like this:  I firmly believe you create your own destiny by doing the right things and busting your ass. I always say that I could write a killer training book about training hard (the REAL key to success) and no one would buy it.  Why?  People who are already training hard know it’s the key to their success and my book isn’t going to make a difference.  People that aren’t training hard are going to think I’m full of s**t and that it’s their training or diet habits that are holding them back.  In other words, they always find some other factor that’s the cause for their failure. Simply put, hard work is the difference between people of similar abilities. EC:  What’s a typical training week look like for you? MR: Since I had my knee scoped last June, my training has been all over the place.  I was approaching (or exceeding) all my previous PRs this past December, but my body had taken on numerous compensations from the surgery.  Even though I don’t feel like I rushed back into things whatsoever, between the surgery and the actual injury that caused it four months earlier, my body was getting very good at doing some very bad things. Over the past few months, I’ve been making a concerted effort to clean up my posture and recruitment patterns so I can get back on the platform stronger and healthier than ever before.  My current programming looks like this: Tuesday:  Lower Body (typically ME work) Thursday:  ME Upper Body Friday or Saturday:  Accessory Lower Body Sunday:  Accessory Upper Body I’m currently performing a specific mobility circuit that Bill Hartman gave me on a daily basis to re-groove my squat motor pattern and get it back to where it needs to be. EC: Now, your wife is a dietician; how has that impacted the way you eat and approach nutrition with clients and athletes? MR: Well it’s definitely impacted my wallet and my waistline; when I met her I was a svelt 170 pounds! Seriously, though, I’ve always been interested in nutrition, but she has the amazing ability to meld the science and the practice.  She’s an amazing cook to begin with, so she has the ability to take the right foods and actually make them taste great.  I think too many people think that “healthy” food has to taste like garbage, and that’s just not right.  Maybe someday I’ll actually convince her to put all her recipes into an e-book for publication. Also, I think if you’re serious about training and don’t take the steps to cover your nutritional bases, you’re pretty much setting yourself up for failure.  Whether you’re a bodybuilder, powerlifter, Olympic lifter, strongman, or just someone who wants to improve your physique, you have to respect the power of nutrition and supplementation.  If you don’t, please don’t expect to see exceptional results in the gym. EC: Name five people you feel everyone should see speak. MR: 1)      Alwyn Cosgrove 2)      Dave Tate 3)      Mike Boyle 4)      John Berardi 5)      Anyone who knows more about your profession than you do (even if they don’t have the same outlook as you) EC: How about books and DVDs?  What are your top ten library “must-have” choices? MR: 1) Supertraining – Mel Siff 2) Science and Practice of Strength Training -Vladimir Zatsiorsky 3) Functional Strength Coach – Mike Boyle 4) Professional Fitness Coach Program Design Manual – Alwyn Cosgrove 5) Magnificent Mobility – Eric Cressey and Mike Robertson (These guys are geniuses…or so I’ve heard!) 6) Ultimate Back Fitness and Performance - McGill 7) Precision Nutrition - Berardi 8) Gourmet Nutrition - Berardi 9) Parisi Deceleration Method - Parisi Speed School 10) Charlie Francis FAST Seminar Series EC: If you had to pick five things our readers could do right now to become better lifters/athletes/coaches/trainers, what would they be? MR: 1. Start getting some soft tissue work done! As Mike Boyle says, “If you aren’t doing something to improve tissue quality, you might as well stop stretching, too.”  I firmly agree with him on this point, and while it may cost a few bucks, it’s going to help keep you healthy and hitting PR’s.  This could be as simple as foam rolling, or as extreme as getting some intense deep tissue massage or myofascial release done.  I’ve tried it all and all of it has its place. 2. Don’t neglect mobility work! Ever since we released our Magnificent Mobility DVD, people are finally starting to see all the benefits of a proper warm-up that includes dynamic flexibility/mobility work.  However, just because you understand the benefits doesn’t mean squat if you aren’t doing it!  Take the time to get it done before every training session, and even more frequently if need be. < 3. Understand functional anatomy Again, you and I (along with many others), have preached this for quite some time, but I’m not sure enough people really understand how the human body works.  Hell, I think I do, and then I get into some of these intense anatomy and PT related books and find out tons of new info! Along these same lines, if you don’t understand functional anatomy, you really have no business writing training programs, whether they’re for yourself or for others.  That may sound harsh, but for whatever reason people read a couple copies of Muscle and Fiction and think they can write programs.  I’ve fixed enough broken people to know that very few people can integrate the functional anatomy into what amounts to functional programming (and no, that doesn’t include wobble boards, Airex pads, etc.). 4. Train to get stronger While I’m all for all the other stuff that goes into training (proper recovery, mobility work, soft tissue work, conditioning, etc.), I think too many people want all the bells and whistles but forget about the basics.  GET YOUR ATHLETES STRONG!  Here’s the analogy that I use: performance coaches are asked to balance their training so that the athlete: a) improves performance and b) stays healthy.  What I see right now is a ton of coaches that focus on all this posture and prehab stuff, but their athletes aren’t really that much better anyway.  You have to work on both end of the spectrum. Think about it like this:  Let’s say you have this huge meathead that’s super strong but has no flexibility, mobility or conditioning, then throw him on the field.  He may last for a while, but eventually he’s going to get hurt, right?  You haven’t covered the spectrum. But what’s the opposite situation?  We have the coach who focuses on posture, prehab, etc., and the athlete has “optimal” muscle function but is weak as a kitten.  Are you telling me this kid isn’t at a disadvantage when he steps on the field or on the court?  Again, you haven’t covered the spectrum. In other words, feel free to do all the right things, but don’t forget about simply getting stronger; as you’ve said, it’s our single most precious training commodity. 5. Keep learning! I’m not going to harp too much on this one; simply put, you need to always be expanding your horizons and looking to new places for answers.  There’s a plethora of training knowledge out there, and what you don’t know can come back to haunt you.  I believe it was Ghandi who said, “Live like today was your last, but learn like you will live forever.”  That’s pretty solid advice in my book (and hopefully the last quote I’ll throw in!) EC: What’s the biggest mistake you’ve made in your training and professional careers?  Looking back, what would you do differently? MR: It may sound cheesy, but I don’t look at mistakes as mistakes; I look at them as learning opportunities.  First and foremost, I wouldn’t have tried to learn to snow ski at the age of 27!  This little stunt has set me back almost a year of training and left me with 20% less shock absorption in my left knee.  Not the best idea, if you ask me. But, instead of looking at it solely as a negative, it’s caused me to really re-examine my own training and thought process.  As well, I really dug in so I now have a much better understanding of the knee, as well as how to rehabilitate knee injuries (and what causes them).  So while I could piss and moan ‘til the cows come home, the fact of the matter is I’m really not much worse off and I have a much better understanding of myself and the human body. EC: Where do you see yourself in a few years, and how would you like to be remembered way down the road? MR: Ideally, at some point I’d love to have a training facility geared toward athletes.  Whether it’s my own or partnered up with the right people doesn’t really matter.  This would not only allow me to do what I’m passionate about, but give me a solid place to train myself.  Every day I train at the commercial gym here in Indy a little part of me dies. However, I must admit I really enjoy all the “extra-curricular” stuff I do as well: writing articles, producing info products, and giving seminars.  I feel like the personal training/performance coaching allows me to keep in touch with what works and allows me to affect people on a small, intimate scale.  On the other hand, the extracurricular stuff opens the doors to a huge number of people, all of whom can directly benefit from the things I’ve learned.  In my eyes, it’s the best of both worlds. As for being remembered, I just hope a person or two out there does remember me!  The best thing anyone can say about me is that I influenced their life or athletic career for the better.  I genuinely love what I do and the people with whom I work, and I think people can feel that whether it’s me coaching them, writing for them, or speaking to them at a seminar. EC: Feel free to use the space below to shamelessly plug all of your products and services. MR: Well I’m sure we’ve talked about it ad nauseum, but if you haven’t picked up a copy of our Magnificent Mobility DVD, you need to get it done NOW.  You’ll never look at warming-up the same!  You and I also have a huge seminar coming up in June at the Peak Performance facility in NYC, and I’m sure it’s going to turn some heads as to how people evaluate and train their clients.  Finally, I’m not even going to get into our “little book” until we make some headway! Next, Bill Hartman and myself are working on the Inside-Out DVD and manual, which will cover a lot of upper body concepts that I don’t think many people have examined.  Bill is an amazing PT, so I really feel this is going to do for the upper body what Magnificent Mobility does for the hips. Finally, feel free to come check out my website and sign-up for my FREE NEWSLETTER, which is sent out monthly.  You can check out my website at www.robertsontrainingsystems.com, and you can sign up for the newsletter by sending me an e-mail at mike@robertsontrainingsystems.com with “Subscribe” in the subject line. EC: Lots of stuff on the agenda, and I’m sure that it’ll all be top-notch.  Thanks for taking the time, Mike. MR: Thanks a ton for having me, EC!
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Lost Footage: Early Evidence of Cressey’s Girlfriend

My girlfriend is strong (I'm actually referring to the fact that she puts up with me, but her lifting heavy stuff doesn't hurt the case, either)

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Cement Your Neural Patterns

Q: I have a question about your latest blog post. In the question, that was ask, you talk about Dr. Eric Cobb saying "Strength training 'cements' your neural patterns." How does strength training affect your neural patterns vs. repetitive motion with no weight (i.e., weighted squats vs. body weight squats).

A: Give this article a read:

http://www.t-nation.com/readTopic.do?id=1406720

In particular, pay attention to the Law of Repetitive Motion (#7), which we cover in detail in our Building the Efficient Athlete DVD set. Resistance is the "F" in the equation - and you can use that equation to iron out imbalances in the same way it causes imbalances in the opposite direction (hopefully that makes sense).

Reps are still important – and light weights are the way to go early on when you’re trying to groove appropriate movement patterns. As an example, we can do supine bridges and birddogs to get the glutes firing in our warm-ups, but the real meat and potatoes in terms of ironing out quad vs. posterior chain dominance and improper glute-ham-adductor-lumbar erector firing patterns comes when we add in loaded single-leg movements, deadlifts, box squats, glute-ham raises, and pull-throughs.

Best,

EC
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Baggett of Tricks Part II: An Interview with “The Truth About Quickness” Author Kelly Baggett

In Part I, The Truth About Quickness Author Kelly Baggett and I discussed his unique background, the importance of perspective, and common mistakes performance enhancement specialists (not to be confused with "strength and conditioning specialists") make. We began to touch on the topic of testing athletes, so let's pick up where we left off.

EC: With optimal testing frequency down, let's cover the tests themselves. Which tests are good? Which ones are outdated? KB: Any test that gets an athlete injured is obviously no good. For this reason there are times (e.g. inexperienced athlete) when it can be counterproductive to perform certain tests like low-rep squats, bench presses, etc. Any test can be improved with practice and I really like tests that don't require much if any practice. Now, for specific tests I really don't like the 225 max reps test for obvious reasons. There is also too much emphasis on a 40-yard dash. I like the test itself but don't like how coaches give so many points based on a player's "40." Agility tests are useful but they can also be improved dramatically with practice and are pre-rehearsed, so they aren't always accurate. Statistical data shows the only test the NFL uses that has much reliable correlation to playing ability is the vertical jump test. Interestingly, it would also seem to be the least "football specific" of all these tests. I'm also all for certain postural tests, length-tension assessments, and the like because these will go a long way in eliminating injuries, optimizing movement efficiency, and helping everything run smoother from the ground up.

EC: New tests that you have to introduce? I know you and I are both are big proponents of the vertical jump vs. counter movement jump comparison. Any others? KB: When it comes to using tests to determine training focus, the vertical jump with and without counter movement is useful to determine strength functions. As an extension of the one you mentioned, try this: sit back on a chair in a ¼ squat and jump up and then compare this to your regular down-and-up jump. If the difference is less than 10%, it indicates that you rely on more pure muscular explosive strength and need plyometric/reactive work. If the difference is greater than 30%, it indicates you need more muscular/explosive strength because you rely largely on the reflexive/plyometric effect. This test is okay, but I still prefer a reactive jump test. The chair version will often give false results because people simply aren't used to jumping from a pure standstill. If I was only able to use one test to indicate ones optimal training focus, strengths, and weaknesses, I'd use the reactive jump test because it tells so much. Not only are the results important in terms of jumping, but they can also be carried over to sprinting, agility, and multiple sports movements. I ran across it in some writings by Schmidbleicher and am surprised that it hasn?t been used more. I've been using it for a year and a half now, and it is very effective; DB Hammer is a true master of testing and finding athletes' weaknesses and he also uses a version of this test but with a specialized reactive jump pad that measures the amortization phase. It's a nice addition, but most aren't going to have access to it and it's not really necessary anyway. The test enables you to gradually increase plyometric contribution and see how the body responds. EC: For our readers who aren't familiar with the VJ vs. CMJ test, how about tossing out a brief outline? KB: No problem. Generally, when reactive ability is good, the amount of energy that you put out in a movement will be directly proportional to the energy you take in. So, if you absorb more force, you develop more force. What you do on the reactive jump test is measure how much force you take in and compare this to how much power you put out. First, measure a regular down-and-up jump. Then, you use boxes and starting from around 12-inches perform a depth jump. Step off the box, jump as high as possible when you hit the ground and measure the height you jump. If it's less than your regular VJ, you can stop there because it's obvious you are lacking in reactive ability. Your ability to absorb negative force and transfer it into positive power is lacking. You'll want to start using reactive and power training immediately; altitude landings would also be good for training your system to better absorb force. Once you become proficient, you then just follow the altitude landings up with reactive jumps.

Now, if your 12-inch reactive jump was better than your VJ, you keep increasing the height of the box in 6-inch increments until you find where your reactive jump drops below your vertical jump. The greater the height of the box when you reach that point, the greater the reactive ability. For some, there will be a gradual increase with each increase in box height. They may find their best jump comes off a 30 -inch box or better. These people are very plyometrically efficient so they need to emphasize muscular strength and hypertrophy to create more resources they can draw from in a plyometric movement - and nearly all sports movements are plyometric dominant. The test also will establish the optimal height of the box one should use for depth jumps; simply use the box that gives you the best reactive jump height. EC: This test also underscores the importance of postural assessments and seeking connections between different tests. If someone has dysfunction at the subtalar joint, it won't matter if they have potential for excellent plyometric abilities at the plantarflexors, knee extensors, and hip extensors. If they're excessively pronating, they'll cushion the shock too well, spending a lot of time on the ground because they can't switch over to supination, which provides a firm base for propulsion. They'll probably wind up with plantar fasciitis, an ACL tear, patellofemoral dysfunction, hip or lower back pain, or sacroiliac dysfunction. You can do power and explosive training until you're blue in the face, but unless you correct the underlying problem with orthotics or specific stretching and strengthening interventions, the exercises to make an athlete proficient will really only make them deficient: injured. Likewise, if someone has excessive supination, they'll be fine with the propulsion aspect, but won't be able to cushion landings well at all. These individuals will wind up with lots of lateral ankle sprains, iliotibial band friction syndrome, pain deep to the kneecap, or problems in the lower back and hip. They're easily spotted, as they don't get immediate knee flexion when upon landing. Again, corrective exercise initiatives have to precede corrective initiatives! Just my little aside; I couldn't keep my mouth shut for this entire interview! Where were we? Oh yeah - any more tests? KB: Let's see...another test that I like to use is the speed rep test; this can easily be implemented for the squat and bench press. You want to be able to explosively and quickly move a load that is fairly close to your limit strength so that you stay to the left on the force/time curve. Instead of basing your explosive training off of percentages you base it on the time it takes you to complete your reps. You simply try to get one rep for every second. You can go two reps in two seconds, three reps in three seconds, or five reps in five seconds. The percentages will vary among athletes, but I like to see bench press numbers up around 65-70%, achieving five reps in five seconds. The squat should be up around 55-60%.

The higher the percentage weight you use relative to your 1RM, the faster you are and the more of your max strength you'll be able to use in a short sports movement.

The converse is also true; the lower the percentage relative to your 1RM, the slower you are. You want to gradually push up your max numbers while maintaining or improving the % of your maximum you can move quickly. If you're up around 70% for bench press, it's time to focus more on pure strength. If you're down around 50%, you need more speed. I should also note that it's not absolutely necessary to know your 1RMs for these tests. Very simply, the more you increase the weight you can use for this one rep per second explosive training protocol, the more explosive you will be in your sport. EC: Good stuff. I know you've got some excellent points on 1RMs; care to enlighten our readers? KB: Sure. For 1RMs, one thing I've picked up from Buchenholz is to look at the time it takes to complete the lift instead of just analyzing the weight lifted. There is a reason why so many people are divided on whether a maximal squat will transfer to added speed or power. It's because the time it takes you to complete a maximal squat is much more relevant to sport transfer; those who achieve their 1RMs with great speed tend to have greater carryover of pure strength into sport than those who lift slower. Watch the guys who naturally lift a max load fast and compare their athletic abilities to those who lift slowly and you'll see what I mean.

To give you an idea, Fred Hatfield completed his former world record 1014 lb. squat from start to finish in under 3 seconds! That's what you call being explosive with a high percentage of your limit strength. I'm not saying that the squat is the best activity to directly transfer to a jump, but it's no wonder that he (at one time) had a vertical jump around 40 inches without any specific training for it! A guy who can complete a true 1RM bench or squat in around four seconds or less from start to finish will often be able to train with more heavy strength training and hypertrophy work and get a good sport carryover. A guy who takes seven seconds or more to complete a 1RM attempt is too slow when applying his maximal strength to get much carryover. Even though he may be very strong, it doesn't matter - nearly all sports movements are quick. He'll need to back off on the heavy stuff and work on rate of force development (RFD) and reactive ability so that he can use a given percentage of his absolute force capabilities quicker. The test to which I just alluded is also useful because it will automatically encourage athletes psychologically to explode more in any of their lifts because they'll realize how important rep speed is. You just have to be careful people aren't going to try to go too fast, increasing the likelihood of injury. EC: Any norms for these tests? What do you typically find? KB: What is interesting about this is that the majority of genetically gifted professional and upper level collegiate athletes are going to fit into the first - naturally more explosive - group. In other words, basic heavy training will work for them - which is what most programs are focused on. What about the guys who are in the other group, though? What if they have to be thrown in on the same program with all the other guys? Unfortunately, they probably won't make optimal progress on the same plan. They need something designed to optimize their attributes and overcome their deficiencies. This is what I meant when I said that we'll see better athletes in all sports as the body of knowledge on training increases. Instead of arguing about basic heavy weights vs. Olympic lifts etc., more strength and conditioning coaches will understand what the best plan is for any given individual or group and train them accordingly. Toss preconceived notions and prejudices out the window and let the athlete be your guide. EC: Optimize attributes and overcome deficiencies? Ubiquitous intelligent strength coaches? You're a glass-is-half-full kind of guy, aren't you Kelly? I mean, honestly, no arguments in the field of strength and conditioning? I can't decide if it would be a good thing because it'll quiet down all the HIT Jedis, or a bad thing because it means we won't be able to torture on them any more. While I search for answers, feel free to tell our audience about any other tests you use. KB: When it comes to speed and finding the right training focus, it's useful is to look at split times. During the start of a sprint - especially for the first 20-30 yards - relative body strength is key. After the initial acceleration period, reactivity becomes dominant, so it's important to find where in the race the athlete is weak. Someone who has a strong start but weak finish is likely strong, but is trying to muscle his sprinting stride. His hips may drop and he'll be unable to run smoothly, allowing his hips and hamstrings to contract reflexively. It could be that his heavy training is getting in the way of relaxation and messing up his reflexive ability. For example, if someone has a 1.4 second 10 yard-dash, but only a 4.9 40, it's pretty obvious that he's explosive and strong. However, when reactive ability takes over, he suffers. He needs more speed work - either through flying runs, longer sprints, or quick action plyometric drills - where relaxation and reflexive action is key. If a guy is fast over the second half of a timed split but has a slow start and acceleration, he just needs to emphasize basic relative strength and explosiveness. EC: As a kinesiology and biomechanics dork, I have to ask: how about actual movement analysis? KB: Instead of evaluating posterior chain strength in the weight room and flexibility with static stretches, just watch how an athlete runs and moves. Is he getting triple extension of the ankles, knees, and hips with each stride, or is he chopping his stride short? This can indicate weak hamstrings or a flexibility or postural issue. Often, there is also a poor correlation between posterior chain strength demonstrated in the weight room and function of the posterior chain during a sprint, so you have to look at function instead of just numbers. If the function isn't there but the strength is, you?ll need to cut back on the weight work and focus more on things closely related to the specific activity. EC: Let's talk about the future of sports training. What do you think are the biggest issues on this front, and what can we expect to see in the years to come? KB: I think that the controversy over manufacturing athletes vs. letting nature do all the work will become even more of an issue than it already is. It's obvious that the U.S. is falling behind and it's readily evident by the number of what one could call naturally physically inferior European NBA players in the NBA now. It's getting to a point where the athletes born with the ability aren't the only ones who succeed, although that's pretty much the way it's always been.

EC: You gotta' love the Larry Birds of the world; they do a great job of throwing wrenches in the model for the perfect athlete on paper. That's not to say that we can't make every athlete better with proper training, though. KB: I agree; with improved training methods, you'll see a lot more athletes with inferior physiques and skills (at least initially) make it to the top. The level of training will rise up so that someone who is born without any great physical abilities will be able to improve his abilities above and beyond someone who is born with them but doesn't work at it. Now, we have all these sports performance centers popping up across the US. I feel that's a good thing but they, of course, require money. The people who are able to take advantage of places like these will be well ahead of the guys who just have a school program. This will become even more apparent in the coming years, especially as the people running these places get even better at their jobs. I think Shaq said it best a few years ago; he may have been joking, but I don't know. When asked how he saw the NBA in ten years, he responded, "They'll be a bunch of white guys who can run and dunk as well as shoot!" We'll just have to wait and see? EC: Definitely. Okay, time for a little change of pace. We've focused on performance-based training exclusively thus far, but I know you have some insights regarding how to effecting positive changes in body composition and even bodybuilding-oriented training and nutrition tactics. The floor is yours... KB: Bodybuilders and those interested in physique enhancement need to learn how to better work from the inside out rather than the outside in. Hormones are always going to be at least, if not more important than external initiatives with exercise and diet when it comes to determining what happens with our body composition (muscle gain and fat loss). Any male will put on a good 40 lbs of muscle without doing anything when he goes through puberty. The reverse will also gradually occur with age; that's just how powerful the hormonal effect is. True, we can influence our hormonal state and internal chemistry by what we do, but people interested in the best gains of their life need to learn exactly what is going on inside them and how to best influence everything through diet and exercise to mimic as close as possible that natural hormonal growth surge. In other words, they must learn to optimize their internal chemistry so that fat will melt off or muscle will go on in slabs. Contributors from science and real world-based information sources are really advancing what we know about physical change related internal chemistry: how hormones affect us, what we can do to change certain signals, etc. Up until now, the only approach was to do a few things right and hope everything fell into place. Simply stated: eat like a horse and train heavy, or starve and eat a low calorie diet to lose fat - or load yourself up on steroids and a host of other drugs. Those approaches definitely work and will always work, but I feel they're getting outdated. For example, when it comes to fat loss and stress, leptin has been touted as the major controller of all things related to bodyfat and bodyfat setpoint over the past few years. I believe that the function of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis and the stress response is as important, if not more important than leptin. The HPA axis and related central controls will largely dictate partitioning of nutrients, thyroid levels, androgen levels, and overall anabolism/catabolism. We know about too much stress and its effects on cortisol, but it's important to remember that having a lowered response to stress can be just as problematic as having too much. There's no doubt in my mind that methods to more optimally manipulate all these central controls will become very popular in the next couple of years EC: It speaks volumes for knowing something about everything. It's not enough to be a strength coach that only understands training; you have to be up-to-date on nutrition, endocrinology, anatomy, biomechanics, rehabilitation, supplementation, motivation, equipment, and how they all are interrelated. There aren't many coaches out there that are that good, but you're definitely one of them, Kelly. Thanks for your time. KB: No problem; thanks for having me! EC: For more information on Kelly, check out the outstanding product he and Alex Maroko created, The Truth About Quickness.

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