Impact Performance Training

The IPT Blog has moved

2010-09-20T12:05:00.000-07:00

This blog can now be seen at impact-pt.com.

Thanks for the support!

DN

Featured Recipe: Veggie Fajitas

2010-09-13T08:19:00.000-07:00

Sauté the peppers onion and garlic in olive oil, top with cilantro, cherrie tomatoes, and salsa of choice. Guacamole- 2 large ripe avacados, one small-med tomato diced, diced onion as desired, juice from one small lime, tablespoon minced garlic, salt, pepper, and cilantro to taste.

Modifications- add veggie meat or black beans and rice, quinoa with taco seasoning would also be nice, daiya cheese, jalapenos for those that like some spice.

DN

This is Amazing

2010-09-10T08:32:00.000-07:00

I want to hang out with this guy. I would buy him endless amounts of beer to perform tricks for me on demand.

DN

:30/:20 Finisher

2010-09-09T08:00:00.000-07:00

Nothing fancy today... just hard work at the end of a training session. We did this for 3 continuous rounds.

DN

Complex Training

2010-09-06T08:49:00.000-07:00

When I think sport, I think strength and power. I hate the term "sport specific" but when I sport specificity I think complexing. A complex is when you pair two exercises together, a strength exercise followed by a power exercise of the same movement pattern. It is a great way to develop some power through a little fatigue. I personally think complexing is one of the greatest methods for training MMA and BJJ athletes. There are endless variations to complex training but I am partial to few. Here are a couple examples of some complexes that we use at Impact Performance Training.

TRX Inverted Row/Rope Slam Complex:

Single Leg Squat/TRX Single Leg Hop Complex:

On a side note.... We are now doing our single leg squats in the fashion above. We hold Kettlebells in the racked position rather than reaching out with dumbbells. It's a bit harder this way so you will have to adjust to lower weights. If the KB's get too heavy we combo with a weight vest.

DN

Featured Exercise: TRX Prone Reach

2010-09-01T08:56:00.000-07:00

This is another great anti-rotation exercise on the TRX. The key here is that your hip stay stable as if a glass of beer is sitting on your low back.... don't spill the beer! Allow the TRX rest the shoulder of the stabilizing arm (unless you are looking to create more of a demand for shoulder stability. If so, proceed with caution as it is very unstable). You can make it more challenging by coming further under the anchor point or by changing the width of your feet. The closer your feet are together the harder it is. But remember... don't spill the beer.

DN

Coach Dos' New Cardio Strength Training 2 DVD Set

2010-08-31T08:55:00.000-07:00

My good friend Robert Dos Remedios just released a new 2 DVD set and as always it is content rich. This 2 DVD set contains almost 3 1/3 hours of footage! Coach Dos’ highly acclaimed CST lecture and hands-on presentation that he gave at the 2010 Perform Better Summit in Long Beach, CA. Also included are all of his lecture slides PLUS 9 snatches and beer interviews with some of the biggest and best in the fitness biz! Lastly, we have packed in 11 amazing, real-time metabolic training sessions!

To celebrate the release of this long-anticipated DVD set type in “dirty30″ in the ‘coupon code’ area to receive a 30% discount (a $24 savings!) off the $79.95 price. This coupon will be valid for ONE WEEK ONLY (until Sunday Sept. 5, 2010).

Order your copy here

DN

Featured Recipe: Walnut and Bean Patties

2010-08-31T08:11:00.000-07:00

Many of you may or may not know that I am a vegan. Yes.... I lift weights, I am a Black Belt in Brazilian Jiu-jitsu and I am a vegan. Some of you are probably thinking that is a weird combination but to me it is a perfect combination.

I receive a good amount of emails from coaches and athletes asking questions about veganism and athletics. The main question is where do you get your protein?? My answer continues to be.... "from everything except dead rotting carcasses and animal secretions" (I stole this from Chris Hannah of Propagandhi). Seriously, the protein thing is silly. You can get more than enough protein from a plant based diet. This post is not going to cover why it is a myth that vegans don't get enough protein. What am going to do is introduce a new entry on vegan recipes. These will mostly be compliments of my wife as she is possibly one of the best vegan cooks I know. Please feel free to give these out to your clients or use them yourself to enjoy the great tastes of a plant based diet.

The down side to these recipes is that my wife cooks on the fly (no pun intended) so many times these recipes are made up on the spot. The upside... they will taste amazing every time!

About 1-2 cups beans or one 15 oz can blended or smashed by hand. A mix of black, kidney, and pinto. About 1/3 Cup finely chopped walnuts, 1/4 cup of diced celery, 1/4cup diced onion, minced garlic, pepper, and salt to taste. Mix in fine bread crumbs as needed until you are able to form patties. Brown in a pan w 2-3 table spoons olive oil. Sage and parsley are also nice to add if desired.

The sauce is called "Miso Mayo". You can pick it up at Wholefoods. It's amazing!

DN

Matt Leech Wins Not One But TWO Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Gold Medals

2010-08-25T08:52:00.000-07:00

I'm proud to say that my friend (and business partner) Matt Leech did Impact proud and came home with two Gold medals after competing at the IBJJF in Las Vegas. Matt competed in the Senior's medium heavy and open Brown Belt divisions.

Here is Matt doing some work with a 20 sec armbar....

DN

Featured Exercise: TRX Stir the Pot

2010-08-24T08:43:00.000-07:00

This is a fantastic exercise that Chris Frankel from Fitness Anywhere came up with. We use this in our Anti-rotation progression. It is different than Stu McGill's stir the pot exercise on the stability ball but the name is still fitting.

DN

New Interview and New Site at Coachdos.com

2010-07-07T10:15:00.000-07:00

My good friend Robert Dos Remedios, better known as Coach Dos has a new 'Member only' premium site. This website is rockin'! It is chalk full of workouts, an extensive exercise library, interviews with fitness pros and much more. Seriously do yourself a favor and check it out. Coach Dos just released an interview with me from one of his "Snatches and Beer" segments. I will be honest.... we were both a bit tipsy from some great Oregon brews during the interview. Its definitely a funny interview. Here is a sneak peak of the site.....

Check it out! Coachdos.com

DN

More on Training the MMA Athlete

2010-06-29T09:43:00.000-07:00

While most sports have a pre-season, in-season, and off-season; MMA does not. Yes you do have training camps before fights where training ramps up and becomes a bit more intense, for the most part you are basically in-season all year round. This often brings up the question "how often should an MMA athlete strength train"? There are several variables to consider here but I would not recommend an MMA athlete strength training more than 3 days per week. Any more than that I would guarantee over training and not only would you sacrifice strength gains but your skill training would diminish also. For most, a three day total body program is going to lend itself the best training results. For some athletes that need more recovery or we need to back of on intensity we will do an upper body/lower body/total body split. This offers more recovery as it is less stressful on the CNS.

The thing I can never relay to coaches about training MMA is the ability to adapt to these athletes at any specific moment. This is the artist part of coaching these athletes and I believe only comes from time and/or actually participating in the sport. What I mean is, you can have a great plan for the day but if that athlete has taken too many leg kicks, is exhausted from 5 straight days of skill training, has a sore back from being stacked up in guard bottom over and over again, etc., your plan can quickly go to the garbage can. These are serious considerations to take into account and require good communication between the coach and the athlete.

DN

Reactive Pendullum

2010-06-09T12:13:00.000-07:00

This is a reactive core exercise we use with some of our MMA guys. By reactive I mean that they have respond to the coaches order to stabilize without knowing when the coach will call it out. This is to mimic the unpredictable nature of MMA.

DN

TRX Warm Up

2010-06-08T11:50:00.001-07:00

I know! You can't believe it right?!?!?! I am actually blogging. After getting hell from several people at the Perform Better Summit in Providence this past weekend, I figured I should work a bit harder to schedule time to update this blog. All I have today is a great warm up that we do at Impact Performance Training with the TRX. Try it out. I think you'll like it.....

DN

Dan John.... Inspiration

2010-01-29T06:36:00.000-08:00

Listening to Dan John speak or reading his book offers several ah-ha moments along with some inspiration. I can't say enough about his book 'Never Let Go'..... I couldn't put it down when I read it. Fantastic quotes like "the goal is to keep the goal the goal" and "if it's important, do it everyday" are now being regurgitated back to my clients and athletes. With that said, hear are some exercises I have picked up from Dan. We are implementing these constantly and I feel dumb for not using them before.

DN

Beware of the TRX Imposters!

2010-01-28T06:30:00.000-08:00

As you know I am a fan of the TRX suspension trainer. Sadly there is a group making fake TRX's that are low quality and will break on you. These are being sold for about $70 on ebay and such sites. Here is how you can tell if your TRX is one of the fake ones: Is you TRX a fake one?

DN

Featured Exercise: TRX Rollout Progression

2010-01-27T18:23:00.000-08:00

The trick here is to use the pendulum effect as resistance. You can start behind the anchor point of the TRX to make it easier or move past the anchor point to create a more challenging progression.

DN

TRX Core Training for Mixed Martial Arts

2009-12-11T15:41:00.000-08:00

Here is an article I wrote for Fitness Anywhere a couple months ago titled "TRX Core Training for Mixed Martial Arts". I am a big fan of the TRX suspension trainer. It is such a versatile piece of equipment that can offer so many great exercises and variations that are not possible on anything else.

Read article here

DN

MMA Metabolic Circuit

2009-12-10T15:27:00.000-08:00

As you know, MMA is a passion of mine. From a sporting demand there is nothing like it. Many people ask how we train mixed martial artist. The truth is we train them very similar to any athlete. What is very different is our conditioning and in particular our use of metabolic circuits. These circuits are specifically designed to incorporate the demands of MMA in a safe but extremely taxing way. The circuit you are about to watch was performed by two MMA athletes, Bryan Torres and Pro Escobedo. We will do 2-5 rounds depending on the fight (title or non-title) and how far out the athlete is from the fight. There is 1 minute rest in between rounds. Take note that this circuit is done at the end of our training after our power and strength work. The circuit consists of:

Airdyne - 20 seconds @ 90 RPM's
TRX Inverted Row - 40 lbs x 10 reps
Med Ball Slam - 6 reps
Walking Lunge - 50 lbs down/back on turf
Power step up - 5 reps each
Plyo Pushup - 10 reps
Rope Circuit: 20 reps each - Double wave, Alt wave, outside circles, side waves, split jump double wave, jumping jack
Airdyne - .3 mile sprint
Shadow box (look light, look fresh)

Rest 1 minute and repeat

DN

New IPT Facility

2009-12-10T15:08:00.000-08:00

Things have been very busy at IPT. We just opened our new facility in Newberg, Oregon a few weeks ago. We still have a bit of work to do to the gym but most of the nuts and bolts are in. Here are some action shots:

DN

Featured Exercise: TRX Anterior Core Progression #1 (Planks)

2009-09-14T15:48:00.000-07:00

Here is one of our TRX Anterior Core Progressions:

TRX Plank

Coaching Cues:
1. Maintain “pillar” type stability
2. Do not allow excessive arching at the low back
3. Perform a 30 sec hold. Once proficient progress to the next exercise rather than progressing in time

TRX Body Saw

Coaching Cues:
1. Same as above. Perform for reps or time

TRX Body Saw/Knee Tuck

Coaching Cues:
1. Perform the Knee Tuck without rounding the low back

TRX Walk-Outs

Coaching Cues:
1. Same as above. Imagine balancing a glass of water on the hips. This will create an anti-rotation effect for the core

DN

IPT Blog Featured as one of TOP 50 Exercise Science Blogs

2009-09-14T15:42:00.000-07:00

The Health Hut has featured the Impact Performance Training Blog as one (see # 5)of the Top 50 Exercise Science Blogs.

DN

Strength Coach Podcast Interview with Dewey Nielsen

2009-09-13T15:36:00.000-07:00

I was recently interviewed by Anthony Renna on the Strength Coach Podcast episode 42. A few things I spoke about were:

** Being "Brilliant at the Basics"
**"Common Mistakes of a Mixed Martial Artist"
**"Considerations and Training for MMA"
**McGill's Pulsing, Iso-Explodes
**Much More...

My portion of the podcast begins at minute 29.

DN

Featured Exercise: Shoulder Elevated Bridge

2009-08-28T13:19:00.000-07:00

This is great hip dominant exercise that we never really found efficient ways of loading. We now simply take a jiu-jitsu belt and load two kettlebells in it.

DN

Brilliant at the Basics

2009-08-27T17:14:00.000-07:00

What works best for a fighter? Linear or undulating periodization? Kettlebells or dumbbells? Olympic lifts from the floor or hang? What do you do for GPP? What exercises do you use to train pulsing? Did you grow a beard to look more like Ryan Reynolds (has nothing to do with this article but I do get asked that)?

I get questions like these a lot and usually my answer comes down to “it doesn’t matter”. I am not saying that undulating periodization doesn’t work or kettlebells are worthless. What I am saying is these things only matter once you are “Brilliant at the Basics”. You must first understand a few things:

What is strength?

What is endurance?

What is power?

What is power endurance?

What is speed?

What is agility?

What is mobility?

What is anaerobic and aerobic conditioning?
What are all of these things and how should we train them? Where do these components fit into a program? What order should they be trained? And the most important question, “can your athletes lift correctly”? Everything goes out the window if your athletes are performing the program with sloppy technique. What is the point of flipping tires and swinging sledge hammers (neither of which I do) if an athlete can’t squat, lunge or do a pushup with good form?

To say that the strength and conditioning world of MMA is archaic and in the dinosaur age is an understatement. Some of the things I see coaches do with world class fighters are not just uneducated but they are thoughtless, dangerous and irresponsible. MMA is a strange sport. It is one of the few sports I can think of where a professional athlete will hire one of their buddies, an internet guru, or join a fitness cult instead of hiring a professional and educated strength coach. This is something that continues to baffle me. I am very passionate about mixed martial arts and nothing would please me more than to see more educated strength coaches enter into the world of MMA.

The questions above are basic and that’s the point. The thing that separates a novice from and expert is the ability for the expert to perform the basics extremely well. This is the same thing we tell our BJJ/MMA students and coaches. Beginners always want to learn a flying armbar and spinning kick before the basics. The difference between a white belt and a black belt is being “Brilliant at the Basics”. As I grow older and more educated in fitness and martial arts, I constantly become more intrigued by the basics. Does this make me an expert? I don’t know. What I do know is that every year I feel like I know more and less at the same time. And I like that. It is very apparent that the quest of knowledge is never ending. So I guess it is safe to say that my job will never get boring.

DN

Considerations and Training For Mixed Martial Arts

2009-08-26T17:10:00.000-07:00

Some of the training methods presented in this article are a continuation of my article, “Common Mistakes of a Mixed Martial Artist” and others are things that I have learned more about or added to my program over the last year. This should expose some training components that make MMA different than other sports and offer some ideas on how to train these athletes.

Iso Explode – Beyond the use of muscle activation, there really isn’t a large need to train isometrics in sports like there is in combative sports. Watch an MMA fight and you will see isometrics everywhere. The most common isometrics are “yielding” and “overcoming”. A yielding isometric is when you are holding a weight and preventing it from moving, while an overcoming isometric is when you are pushing or pulling an immovable object. I have been using isometrics for a long time and even using iso-explodes for a while. But it wasn’t until my friend, Jon Chaimberg, told me he was using them in exercises (beyond what I was already using) that I started to think of where my program would benefit from implementing iso-explodes into additional movement patterns. Here are three exercises that we are implementing with great results.

Keep reading....

Featured Exercise: Inverted Row Progression

2009-06-16T11:23:00.000-07:00

To me, progression is the key to everything. I have a progression for every exercise I program. This is how you continually build success in an athlete or client. Here is a nice progression for the Inverted Row. Every single person that walks in the door at IPT will be doing some version of the Inverted Row.... It's just a great exercise.

Obviously, another progression/variation would be adding a weight vest.

I have become a huge fan of the TRX (what the row is being performed on). We used to only use rings but the TRX is far more versitale and more comfortable than the rings. And the best part is that they adjust so fast. If you travel or do any workouts at home, you need a TRX.

DN

Hip Mobility

2009-06-15T10:14:00.000-07:00

Hip mobility is important for many different reasons but two trends that you will tend to see with a loss of mobility in the hips are:

1. Low back pain
2. Knee pain

For those two reasons alone it should encourage coaches and trainers to put an emphasis on hip mobility in their program design.

Here are a few things we do at IPT:

"WALL SERIES"

These are all performed as static stretches except for the first one which is "active" hip internal/external rotation.

1. Hip Internal/External Rotation (first 2 pictures)
2. Wall Splits
3. Rectus Femoris Stretch
4. Quadruped Piriformis Stretch (read this for a detailed explanation)

"ELBOW TO INSTEP MATRIX"

This is one I stole from the guys at T4TG. For those of you familiar with 3D stretching, this offers a nice 3D effect to an already great stretch.

"SQUAT MATRIX"

This a one from Mike Boyles "joint by joint" DVD.

"COOK SQUAT 1 AND 2"

The Cook Squat 2 is the progression as raising the arms overhead lengthens the tissue through the body requiring more flexibilty.

DN

Learn More

2009-06-03T09:57:00.000-07:00

"I don't have the time to travel".

This is the most common excuse that a trainer or coach gives for the fact that they don't continue their education. Personally, I think it's a lame excuse. Anthony Renna has now made it impossible for anyone to use that excuse. Anthony recently started StrengthandConditioningWebinars.com. It is the BEST Collection of Presentations from The World's TOP Strength Coaches, Physical Therapists and Personal Trainers, All in One Place!! Seriously, you can watch these presentations without having to travel and in the comfort of your own home. As Anthony says, "You can watch them in your tightie whities and no one will know". If you are not continuing your education and always striving to learn more, you are in the wrong profession.... do your clients a favor and refer them to someone else.

You have no excuses left....

DN

A Few Reasons You Are Not Losing Fat

2009-04-30T15:35:00.000-07:00

1. Your a closet eater: Does somebody have a little secret? Come on, fess up. It's time to come out of the closet..... seriously!! Come clean!! Your only lying to yourself.

This is not what I mean by closet eater

Okay, quit giggling.... Lets move on. It's the most basic rule in the game of weight loss and weight gain. If you want to lose weight, you MUST be in an energy deficit. In you want to gain weight, you MUST be in an energy surplus. Too many people are hiding in the closet and consuming far too many calories than they should for the goal of fat loss. Here are a couple things you have not been counting.....

Fruit juice - But fruit is good for you, right? Absolutely!! But eat it, don't drink it.

Alcohol - (holy shit Batman, there is calories in that??). Your excuse may be that you only drink on the weekends. Guess what? All those Porters you've been slugging down have about 200 calories per beer. Time for Go Go Gadget Dewey to bust out some math:

200 calories x 4 beers Friday night = 800 calories
200 calories x 4 beers Saturday night = 800 calories
800 calories + 800 calories = 1,600 calories

1 pound of fat consists of 3,600 calories. You can do the math from here. I think you see what I'm getting at.

Does this count as one or two beers?

Top that of with the late night alcohol munchies.... You know..... Ice cream, desserts.... Rollos :-)

2. You are lazy at the gym: It will take me a couple tries to guess what you are doing for cardio (stupid word)... The elliptical?? No... The recumbent bike. I am right huh? Why is it that these are the two most used (treadmill a close third) pieces of cardio equipment in most gyms? I will tell you, they are the easiest. It's funny, everybody wants results but most people don't want to work hard. Next time you are in the gym (not IMPACT, you won't see lazy there) check out what people are on. It will be this order of popularity:

Elliptical
Recumbent bike
Treadmill (this may tie with the bike)
Stair stepper
Step mill (this is the hardest in regular gyms... remember, regular gyms don't have Airdyne bikes, sleds, slideboards, ropes, open space to sprint, etc)

You will see people spending 30+ minutes doing steady state aerobics (a waste of time) while watch tv. Then those same people hop of that dreaded cardio equipment and wonder why they still look the same they did 3 years ago when they joined the gym. Hello, McFly!!!!!!

And if your saying, "I don't do any of those things, I do step aerobics (*insert silly group class here*) or work out to FIT tv in the morning". The same goes for you. That's one of the reasons your not getting results. At least not the results you want.

Just a little example of working hard in the gym:

We will do this for 3-5 minutes with 1 minute rest. We will repeat it for 3-5 sets. Heart rates soar!!

3. You are in denial: You don't have enough time to work out, lifting weights makes you bulky, health food tastes bad, you have a thyroid problem (this can be real but it is a very small chance), you have bad genetics. The list goes for days. Stop it!! Get to work.

DN

Planks: Longer or Harder?

2009-04-29T13:03:00.000-07:00

How should you challenge yourself more on plakning exercises?? You can do two things. Increase the time or increase the difficulty of the exercise. I prefer the latter (once someone can hold a plank for 30 seconds). Plus who wants to do a plank for 1 minute +??

There are endless ways to make planks harder but I do think people can get a little carried away with this. I mean, how hard does it need to be? We program planking exercises in between strength exercises as a rest/recovery exercise. So I have no problem with them not being the hardest exercise in the world.

Here are a few ways to make planks and side planks harder:

DN

Fake Stretching

2009-04-27T11:44:00.000-07:00

Stretching is one of those things that people tend to not think about much. They simple just go through the motions trying to look as flexible as they can. What ends up happening is they end up moving through the wrong areas and not stretching the muscles that they are supposed to be stretching. This is called "relative flexibility". It is when the body goes through a range of motion and chooses the path of least Resistance. I simply call it "fake stretching". Here are three areas of the body that people typically use "fake stretching":

Hamstrings - The picture on the left is an example of fake stretching for the hamstrings. The picture on the right is correct way to stretch the hamstrings. The hamstrings don't attach to the lumbar spine so flexing over with not increase the stretch. Instead, focus on driving the tailbone back, hinge at the hips and maintain a tall spine.

Hip flexor - This is so common with hip flexor stretching. Notice the large sway in the back in the picture on the left. This is an anterior tilt of the pelvis. The pelvis should actually move posterior like the picture on the right. Want to feel more stretch? Squeeze the glute of the same side being stretched.

Piriformis - Again, the picture on the left is wrong and the picture on the right is the correct way to stretch the piriformis. If you haven't seen this stretch, you can read about it and see the video here. This is pretty much the only piriformis stretch we use anymore. It is much like the hamstring stretch. Don't round your back. Maintain an arch in the low back and simply kick your hip out to the side.

DN

Plyometric Training

2009-04-03T13:00:00.000-07:00

I was having some "writer's block" so I figured I wouldn't write anything and rather post a few plyometric training videos that I had buried in my computer.

Box Jump:

Hurdle Jumps - continuous

Lateral Bound & stick

DN

Super Shakes

2009-03-28T16:34:00.000-07:00

John Berardi and the rest of the Precision Nutrition team absolutely ROCK when it comes to nutrition!! I have said before how I love the shake recipes in Berardi's cookbook Gourmet Nutrition, but now they have created a great step by step process to making up all different super shakes. For the last couple weeks I have been going crazy making all sorts of shakes and I am loving them all. It has been a teriffic way for me to get my nutrition from some things that I don't typically eat on a regular basis.

Here is how to make a super shake:

Step 1: Start with ice
Use 1-4 cubes for a thin, chilled shake
Use 5-10 cubes for thicker, pudding-like consistency shake

Step 2: Pick A Fruit
Frozen banana
Frozen berries/berries
Dates
Pineapple/mango
Powdered fruit supplement

Step 3: Pick A Veggie
Dark leafy greens: Kale/Swiss chard/spinach (stems optional)
Pumpkin/sweet potato
Beets/beet greens
Cucumber/celery
Powdered greens supplement

Step 4: Pick A Protein Powder
Whey protein
Rice protein
Hemp protein
Pea protein

Step 5: Pick A Nut/Seed
Walnuts
Flax, hemp, chia, pumpkin, sunflower seeds
Cashews
almonds

Step 6: Pick A Liquid
Water
Almond milk (unsweetened)
Soy milk (unsweetened)
Hemp milk (unsweetened)
Iced green tea

Step 7: Pick Your Topper (I personally never do this)
Coconut
Cacao nibs, dark chocolate
Pomegranate seeds, goji berries
Oats, granola
Cinnamon

Less liquid = thick shakes. More liquid = thin shakes.
Adding liquid at the end of the process can improve how the shake initially blends.

Enjoy!!

DN

25 Years, 25 Mistakes

2009-03-20T08:20:00.000-07:00

Most of you already know who Michael Boyle is. Mike is one of the industries leaders and is definitely my biggest influence. I am VERY excited to not only feature Mike on the blog but also my favorite article he has written, 25 years, 25 mistakes.

Like I have said time and time again. If you are a trainer, get on Mike's site Strengthcoach.com PERIOD! (BIG thank you to Mike Boyle for letting me post this)

25 Years, 25 Mistakes
Michael Boyle

This year I'll enter my twenty-fifth year as a strength and conditioning coach. Last month I watched Barbara Walters celebrate her thirtieth year with a special called "30 Mistakes in 30 Years." I'm going to celebrate my twenty-fifth anniversary by telling you my top twenty-five mistakes. Hopefully I'll save you some time, pain, and injury. Experience is a wonderful but impatient teacher. And unfortunately, our experiences in strength and conditioning sometimes hurt people besides us.

Mistake #1: Knowing it all I love Oscar Wilde's quote, "I'm much too old to know everything." Omniscience is reserved for the young. As the old saying goes, you have one mouth and two ears for a reason. I'd take it a step further and say the ratio is four to one: two eyes, two ears, and one mouth.

To continue down the cliché road, how about this one: "It's what you learn after you know it all that counts." When I was young I had many answers and few questions. I knew the best way to do everything. Now that I'm older I'm not sure if I even know a good way to do anything.

Mistake #2: Not taking interns sooner

I was so smart that no one was smart enough to help me. (See mistake number one.) My productivity increased drastically when I began to take interns.

Note: Interns aren't janitors, laundry workers, or slaves. They're generally young people who look up to you and expect to learn. Take your responsibility seriously. Remember the golden rule.

Mistake #3: Not visiting other coaches

God, it seems everything goes back to number one! I was too busy running the perfect program to attempt to go learn from someone else. Plus, when you know it all, how much can you learn?

Find the good coaches or trainers in your area (or in any area you visit) and arrange to meet them or just watch them work. I often will just sit with a notebook and try to see what they do better than I do.

I can remember current San Francisco 49'ers strength and conditioning coach Johnny Parker allowing us to visit when he was with the New England Patriots and then asking us questions about what we saw and what we thought he could do better. Coach Parker is a humble man who always provided a great example of the type of coach and person I wanted to be.

Mistake #4: Putting square pegs in round holes

The bottom line is that not everyone is made to squat or to clean. I rarely squatted with my basketball players as many found squatting uncomfortable for their backs and knees.

It killed me to stop because the squat is a lift I fundamentally believed in, but athletes with long femurs will be poor squatters. It's physics. It took me a while to realize that a good lift isn't good for everybody.

Mistake #5: Not attending the United States Weightlifting Championships sooner

My only visit as a spectator to an Olympic lifting meet made me realize that Olympic lifts produced great athletes. I know this will piss off the powerlifters, but those Olympic lifters looked so much more athletic.

I remember being at the Senior's when they were held in Massachusetts in the early eighties and walking away thinking, "This is what I want my athletes to look like." Understand, at that time I was a competitive powerlifter and my programs reflected that.

Mistake #6: Being a strength coach

How can that be a mistake? Let's look at the evolution of the job. When I started, I was often referred to as the "weight coach." As the profession evolved, we became strength coaches, then strength and conditioning coaches, and today many refer to themselves as "performance enhancement specialists."

All these names reflect the changes in our job. For too many years, I was a strength coach. Eventually I realized that I knew more about conditioning than the sport coaches did, so we took on that responsibility. Later, I realized that I often knew more about movement than the sport coaches too, so we began to teach movement skills. This process took close to eighteen of my twenty-five years. I wish it had been faster.

Mistake #7: Adding without subtracting

Over the years we've continued to add more and more CNS intensive training techniques to our arsenal. Squatting, Olympic lifting, sprinting, pulling sleds, and jumping all are (or can be) CNS intensive.

I think I do too much CNS intensive work, and intend to change that. My thanks go out to Jason Ferrugia for pointing out this one.

Mistake #8: Listening to track coaches

Please don't get me wrong. Some of the people who were most influential in my professional development were track coaches. I learned volumes from guys like Don Chu, Vern Gambetta, Charlie Francis, and Brent McFarland.

However, it took me too long to realize that they coached people who ran upright almost all the time and never had to stop or to change direction. The old joke in track coaching is that it really comes down to "run fast and lean left."

Mistake #9: Not meeting Mark Verstegen sooner

Mark may be the most misunderstood guy in our field. He's a great coach and a better friend. About ten years ago a friend brought me a magazine article about Mark Verstegen. The article demonstrated some interesting drills that I'd never seen. I decided my next vacation would be to Florida's Gulf Coast as Mark was then in Bradenton, Florida.

I was lucky enough to know Darryl Eto, a genius in his own right, who was a co-worker of Mark's. In the small world category, Darryl's college coach was the legendary Don Chu.

Darryl arranged for me to observe some training sessions in Bradenton. I sat fascinated for hours as I watched great young coaches work. Mark was one of the first to break out of the track mold we were all stuck in and teach lateral and multi-directional movement with the same skill that the track coaches taught linear movement. This process was a quantum leap for me and became a quantum leap for my athletes.

This was my step from strength and conditioning coach to performance enhancement specialist (although I never refer to myself as the latter). The key to this process was accepting the fact that Mark and his co-workers were far ahead of me in this critical area.

Mistake #10: Copying plyometric programs

This goes back to the track coach thing. I believe I injured a few athletes in my career by simply taking what I was told and attempting to do it with my athletes. I've since learned to filter information better, but the way I learned was through trial and error... and the error probably resulted in sore knees or sore backs for my athletes.

Track jumpers are unique and clearly are involved in track and field because they're suited for it. What's good for a long jumper is probably not good for a football lineman. It took me too long to realize this.

Mistake #11: Copying any programs

Luckily for me, I rarely copied strength programs when training my athletes. This mistake might be beyond the statute of limitations as it was more than twenty-five years ago.

I think copying the training programs of great powerlifters like George Frenn and Roger Estep left me with the sore back and bad shoulders I've carried around for the last twenty-five years. What works for the genetically gifted probably won't work for the genetically average.

Mistake #12: Not teaching my athletes to snatch sooner

We've done snatches for probably the last seven or eight years. The snatch is a great lift that's easier to learn than the clean and has greater athletic carryover. Take the time to try it and study it. You'll thank me.

Mistake #13: Starting to teach snatches with a snatch grip

When I realized that snatches would be a great lift for my athletes I began to implement them into my programs. Within a week some athletes complained of shoulder pain. In two weeks, so many complained that I took snatches out of the program. It wasn't until I revisited the snatch with a clean grip that I truly began to see the benefits.

Just remember, the only reason Olympic lifters use a wide snatch grip is so that they can reduce the distance the bar travels and as a result lift more weight. Close-grip snatches markedly decrease the external rotation component and also increase the distance traveled. The result is a better lift, but less weight.

Mistake #14: Confusing disagree with dislike

I think it's great to disagree. The field would be boring if we all agreed. What I realize now is that I've met very few people in this field I don't like and many I disagree with. I probably enjoy life more now that I don't feel compelled to ignore those who don't agree with me.

Mistake #15: Confusing reading with believing

This concept came to me by way of strength coach Martin Rooney. It's great to read. We just need to remember that in spite of the best efforts of editors, what we read may not always be true.

If the book is more than two years old, there's a good chance even the author no longer agrees with all the information in it. Read often, but read analytically.

Mistake #16: Listening to paid experts

Early on, many of us were duped by the people from companies like Cybex or Nautilus. Their experts proclaimed their systems to be the future, but now the cam and isokinetics are the past. Just as in any other field, people will say things for money.

Mistake #17: Not attending one seminar per year just as a participant

I speak approximately twenty times a year. Most times I stay and listen to the other speakers. If you don't do continuing education, start. If you work in the continuing education field, go to at least one seminar given by an expert in your field as a participant.

(Note: Mistakes 18-25 are more personal than professional, but keep reading!)

Mistake #18: Not taking enough vacation time

When I first worked at Boston University we were allowed two weeks paid vacation. For the first ten years I never took more than one.

Usually I took off the week between Christmas and New Years. This is an expensive week to vacation, but it meant that I'd miss the least number of workouts since most of my athletes were home at this time. I think the first time I took a week off in the summer was about four years ago. My rationale? Summer is peak training time. Can't miss one of those weeks.

I think there's a thin line between dedication and stupidity, and I often crossed it. I think in my early years I was more disappointed that the whole program hadn't collapsed during any of my brief absences. I felt less valuable when I returned from a seminar and realized that everything had gone great.

Stephen Covey refers to it as "sharpening the saw." Take the time to vacation. You'll be better for it.

Mistake #19: Neglecting your own health

This is an embarrassing story, but this article is all about helping others to not repeat my errors. Every year in February I'd find myself in the doctor's office with a different complaint: gastro-intestinal problems, headaches, flu-type illnesses, etc. I had a wonderful general practitioner who took a great interest in his patients. His response year after year was the same: slow down. You can't work 60-80 hours a week and be healthy.

Like a fool I yessed him to death and went back to my schedule. After about the fifth year of this process my doctor said, "I need to refer you to a specialist who can help you with this problem" and he handed me a card. I was expecting an allergist or perhaps some type of holistic stress expert. Instead I found myself holding a card for a psychiatrist.

My doctor's response was simple. I can't help you. You need to figure out why you continue to do this to yourself year in and year out. I went outside and called my wife. I told her it was a "good news-bad news" scenario. I wasn't seriously ill, but I might be crazy. Unfortunately, she already knew this.

Mistake #20: Not recognizing stress

Again I remember talking to a nurse who was treating me for a gastrointestinal problem. I seemed to have chronic heartburn. Her first question was, "Are you under any stress?" My response was the usual. Me? Stress? I have the greatest job in the world. I love going to work every day!

Do you know what her response was? She said, "Remember, stress isn't always negative." It was the first time I'd really thought about that. My job was stressful. Long days, weekend travel, too many late nights celebrating victories or drowning sorrows. A part-time job to make extra money meant working at a bar on Friday and Saturday until 2 AM, and that was often followed by drinks until 4 AM.

Sounds like fun, but it added up to stress. The lesson: stress doesn't have to be negative. Stress can just be from volume.

Mistake #21: Not having kids sooner

As a typical type-A asshole know-it-all, I was way too busy to be bothered with kids. They would simply be little people who got in the way of my plans to change the world of strength and conditioning. I regret that I probably won't live to 100. If I did I'd get to spend another 53 years with my kids.

Mistake #22: Neglecting my wife

See above. It wasn't until I had children that I truly realized how my obsession with work caused me to neglect my wife. I have often apologized to her, but probably not often enough.

Mistake #23: Not taking naps

Do you see the pattern here? Whether we're personal trainers or strength and conditioning coaches, the badge of honor is often lack of sleep. How often have you heard someone say, "I only need five hours a night!"

In the last few years I've tried to take a nap every day I'm able. As we age we sleep less at night and get up earlier. I'm not sure if this is a good thing. I know when I'm well-rested I'm a better husband and father than when I'm exhausted at the end of a day that might have begun at 4:45 AM.

There's no shame in sleep, although I think many would try to make us believe there is.

Mistake #24: Not giving enough to charity

Most of us are lucky. Try to think of those who have less than you. I'm not a religious person, but I've been blessed with a great life. I try every day to "pay it forward." If you haven't seen the movie, rent it. The more you give, the more you get.

Mistake #25: Reading an article like this and thinking it doesn't apply to you

Trust me, denial is our biggest problem.

DN

Featured IPT Athlete: Andrew Wong

2009-03-19T19:23:00.000-07:00

Andy is one of our athletes that probably has the best attitude when it comes to competition. He never gets mad when he loses.... in fact he seems the same if he wins or loses. Andy is a competing machine. The guy competes in every local tournament and even travels to the Pan Ams and the Worlds. We couldn't ask for a better guy to represent the gym!!

Here are some of Andy's accomplishments (so far):
2008 Oregon Open Purple Belt Middleweight Division 1st Place Champion
2008 Oregon Open Purple Belt Absolute Division 1st Place Champion
2008 Sub League Championship Advanced 150-169lb 2nd Place Champion
2008 Sub League Qualifier #2 150-169lb 1st Place Champion
2007 The Revolution Purple Belt Middleweight Division 1st Place Champion
2007 Western Regional Purple Belt Middleweight 3rd Place Champion
2007 Western Regional Purple Belt Absolute 2nd Place Champion

I wanted to post this video because we were at a tournament last week in Seattle Washington and the coach of Andy's opponent yelled that Andy couldn't do a triangle choke because his legs are to stubby.... LOL. Here is proof "coach who yells ridiculous things from the side lines" that stubby legs can in fact do a triangle choke.

DN

Single Leg Deadlift Progression

2009-03-18T19:37:00.000-07:00

Here is a new progression for the SLDL that I did not have in my article The Deadlift: Teaching it and fixing it. It is a RFE (rear foot elevated) SLDL. I am almost embarrased that I have never thought of this. We catagorize (adopted from Mike Boyle) our single leg knee dominant exercises into two basic catigories:

Single leg supported - split squat, RFE Split Squat
Single leg unsupported- single leg squat

So this is basically where the idea came from. The RFE SLDL works great if the limiting factor tends to be more of a balance issue. Try it out.

DN

Featured Exercise: Plank Progression

2009-02-27T07:00:00.000-08:00

Here is a nice progression for the plank exercise. Like always, spend time mastering the first exercise before moving on to the next. It's about what you CAN do, not what you CAN'T do.

1. Kneeling Plank - This is a good entry level plank exercise for those who not yet have a strength base.

2. Plank - This is where most athletes will start.

3. Feet Elevated - This is a good progression from a regular plank. A 12" to 14" box works best.

4. Marching - Anytime you take a limb (arm or leg) off of the ground during a plank, it now becomes an anti-rotation exercise. Make sure you don't bring the leg to high. You should only move from the hip - not the spine.

DN

A Strong Neck

2009-02-26T15:53:00.000-08:00

Q: I am an MMA fighter and was wondering what you think of wrestling neck bridges for building strength in the neck?

A: A strong neck is VERY important for MMA and grappling sports but I would never use the traditional bridges that you see in wrestling. They place tremendous stress on the joints. Instead, we perform the following for 15-20 sec holds. If you don't have a matted wall, just use a stability ball to put your head on.

DN

Efficient Ways To Get Fat And Stay Fat (re-post)

2009-02-25T13:53:00.000-08:00

I posted this sometime last year as somewhat of a sarcastic, yet educational look at fat loss. Unexpectedly, it was big hit with people. I had a very large and positive response from it. So I am re-posting it and putting it up on the IPT website as an article.

Losing fat isn't all that tricky. There are exercise methods that yield better results than others (interval training vs. aerobics), along with nutritional methods that yield better results than others (getting your carbs from fruits and veggies vs. processed breads and pastas). If people do MOST of these things right MOST of the time (meaning like 90% of the time), THEY WILL LOSE BODY FAT.

I find it interesting when someone comes to me and says they CAN'T lose body fat. So I ask them some basic questions. Questions that must be answered as "YES" in order to lose body fat:

Are you lifting weights at least 3 days per week?
Are you doing interval training?
Do you eat breakfast everyday?
Do you eat 5-6 mini meals per day?
Do you eat 1-2 servings of veggies and fruits at every meal?
Do you consume about 1 gram of protein per lbs. of body weight?
Do you change your workout program every 3-4 weeks?
And do you do all of these things about 90% of the time?

Generally people answer NO to many of these questions.

If they say that they are doing all of these things and still cannot lose body fat, they are lying. They are not ready to change.

So here you go.... Efficient Ways To Get Fat And Stay Fat. Enjoy!!

DN

The Draw in Maneuver vs. The Abdominal Brace

2009-02-20T11:30:00.000-08:00

The draw-in maneuver (hollowing) is commonly taught as a technique to activate the abdominals in order to stabilize the spine. In reality, this not a very effective technique for achieving spinal stiffness for a few reasons.

First, drawing in the abdominal wall (belly button towards the spine) activates the transverse abdominis in isolation. In order to draw-in, the abdominals must be nearly inactive. Weakening of the abdominal muscles certainly cannot support stability for the spine. This is one of the reasons pilates is NOT the best choice for exercise.

Second, isolating any one abnominal muscle could never yield more stiffness than activating the entire abdominal wall. This is why "bracing" is a much better technique to enhance stability.

"Bracing" is achieved not by drawing in or pushing out but rather my a simple co-contraction of the abdominals. We will commonly cue, "brace the abs as if you were getting ready to get punched". With MMA guys, we need to be careful of this cueing because they may get into "fighting posture". Fighting posture is bad posture for exercise (hunch back).

Bracing also activates the extensor muscles which acts as a "natural" weightlifting belt to offer more support. Along with the "natural belt", the obliques and rectus abnominas offer stability as supporting "guys wires".

Stuart Mcgill has crushed more spines in his lab than anyone in the world. He has proven over and over again that drawing in the abs under significant load will result in buckling of the spine. I'm on Stu's side :-)

DN

A Tip For The Trainers

2009-02-18T14:08:00.000-08:00

Today we have a special "Guest Blogger", Mike Robertson. First let me start of with a big thanks to Mike for letting me post this up.

If you are a trainer, you already know who Mike is...... if not, shame on you. Mike really hit the nail on the head with this. Most trainers (especially new trainers) focus solely on "how to make more money" and become a good salesman. Mike reveals the secret below:

A TIP FOR THE TRAINERS:

I'm always amused by people who tells others how to make more money.

So by giving you money, you're going to tell me how to make more money?

It's intriguing, at the very least.

And that's not to say there aren't some great examples out there. I think Pat Rigsby is one of the most knowledgeable business guys I've talked to. EVER. He really helped Bill and I solidify the mindset and operations behind I-FAST.

Some of the others out there, though, aren't nearly as adept at their craft.

I don't know about you, but I got into this industry because I had a genuine interest in helping people achieve their performance-related goals. Over the years, that interest has spread - it's not just about sports now, but also rehab, fat loss, etc. Basically, my goal is to learn as much about this industry as possible, and to be able to deliver consistent results time and again.

It doesn't always work out perfectly, but more times than not we're getting great results. Any trainer who tells you the get results 100% of the time is either delusional, a liar, or both.

So if you're a trainer, and you're reading this blog, take this post to heart. Are you serious about making more money? If so, there's one consistently sure-fire way to do it....

Are you ready for it?

Get really good.

Not just kind of good. Better than the average Schmuck trainer good. I'm talking really good.

People seek you out good.

People consistently refer their friends and family to you good.

If you can do this, you will never have a shortage of clients. You will never have to worry about making ends meet (unless you're just a total momo when it comes to running your business and spending money, which I can't really help you with).

I guess the thing that really irks me is that no one mentions this. Everyone wants to talk about making more money and all these great business ideas, which are absolutely fine. But where did we forget about putting people first?

When we put our clients and their needs first, we always win.

When we combine that with the skills necessary to deliver results, we have a truly lethal combination.

So there's my tip. It's not sexy. It doesn't occur overnight. But if you are serious about making more money, forget about making more money.

Get really good at your craft first. When you do, the money will follow.

Stay strong

MR

Commonly Ignored Soft-Tissue Work For The Mixed Martial Artist

2009-02-17T11:00:00.000-08:00

This is for the MMA folks who are being "good boys and girls" and are all ready doing soft-tissue work on themselves.

Typically, the areas of focus tend to be the larger muscles like the quads, hip rotators and lats. But their are a few areas that MMA guys are commonly tight and bound up in that get completely ignored.

1. The forearms - This is even more important for BJJ guys training in a gi. I am telling you from personal experience. When my massage therapist digs into my forearms, it feels like I have chucks of thick rope in them.

2. TFL - When playing the guard position, the hip constantly flexes, abducts and medially rotates. This is the action of the tensor fascia lata (TFL) so it makes sense why it is constantly tight in BJJ athletes. The IT band also has attachments to the TFL. Being that the IT band is basically non-contractile, one would probably release IT band "tightness" better by addressing the TFL. A ball that is larger in diameter than a tennis ball tends to work the best for this (a soft ball works great but it is very hard..... be careful). "Warning": If you play a lot of guard this may bring tears to your eyes :-)

3. Traps - Neck cranks, guillotines and just MMA in general can wreak havoc on your neck. How many times have you gotten up in the morning after a hard training session and you are doing the full body turn to look to your right and left because your neck can't move (in our gym we jokingly call this Jiu-jitsu neck)? All of these things add up to tightness in the traps. Use a soft-ball on the corner of a wall and apply pressure to the trap. It has to be the corner of a wall so that you can apply more pressure and your head doesn't run into the wall.

4. Posterior Shoulder - This is more of a problem for bigger MMA athletes and bigger athletes in general. They tend to be much tighter in the shoulder complex. Because of "fighting posture" (hunch back/rounded/elevated shoulders), there is going to be a lot of barnacles growing in the posterior shoulder. I prefer to use ART (active release technique) on this area. Simply place a tennis or lacrosse ball on the posterior shoulder (find a bad spot) while going through internal and external rotation.

It's amazing to me that for how rough the sport of MMA is, there are athletes out there doing "zero" soft-tissue work on themselves. Remember, if you get injured you are going to be sitting on your couch. And the less time you are on the mat, the longer it will take you to improve your skills. Take the time to invest in your body. It will thank you for it.

DN

Featured Gimmick: The Bender Ball and The Bender Method

2009-02-05T12:46:00.000-08:00

I am sure you have seen this infomercial on tv. This is from Master Trainer (please don't ask me what a Master Trainer is..... I have no idea) Leslee Bender. Apparently she has found a way to jack up you spine more than Pilates. Instead of herniating your discs from doing crunches, she suggests jamming a small ball into your back to increase the range of motion during crunching. Being a Master Trainer (I am actually beginning to giggle at that title), I am sure she realizes that doing this will cause a disc to herniate quicker. And also, since she is a Master Trainer, I am sure she is aware of this study:

Callaghan JP, McGill SM.
Clin Biomech (Bristol, Avon). 2001 Jan;16(1):28-37.

I am also sure that she has read pages 68-70 in Stuart McGill's book "Ultimate Back Fitness and Performance".

Let me be serious for a second. Their are quite a few products out there like this where they shove something in your lumbar and give some crazy sales pitch like the one in the video. You will see these products on tv, in magazines and even at gyms. Stay away! Crunching sucks! Crunching on junk like this sucks more.

DN

Single Leg Squat: A better way

2009-02-03T12:25:00.000-08:00

For those of you using the single leg squat, I am about to show you a much better way to train it that I learned from Mike Boyle a while back. Fist, take a second to look at the anatomy of the single leg squat as pictured below and in the last post. Pay attention to the non-working leg. What you will see is the hip of the non-working leg is having to isometrically contract for the entire duration of the set. The Psoas (hip flexor) originates and attaches at the transverse processes of L1-L5. So what you will commonly get from people with past or present back pain is a complaint of low back pain during or after the set. This is one of the reasons Stuart Mcgill chooses the "bowler squat" for his single leg squat training.

Here is how we train our single leg squat (notice the hip no longer has to flex as it is able to now stay relaxed):

Another thing to point out is that the athlete in the video is squatting to a depth of 14" with an additional 60 lbs load. Let's also add that he was unable to do a single leg body weight squat on his right leg to a 22" box when he first started :-) Hard work = PROGRESS!!

DN

Training Lower Body: Unilateral vs. Bilateral

2009-02-03T11:39:00.000-08:00

First off, if you are not training single leg movements for the lower body, you are crazy. Life and sport is on one leg. You don't run two legs at a time..... rabbits do. Actually the reason for this post is not to state that single leg training is great for athletic performance or that it activates more stabilizers but rather to show that it is safer for most.

Here is what I want you to think about. If I were to have a 200 lbs person barbell squat (bilateral) 300 lbs, that would be a 300 lbs load on their back right? So that would be 300 lbs of spinal load. If I took the same person and performed a single leg squat variation (split squat, RFE split squat, SL squat) with 100 lbs, we would essentially have the same load on the lower body with FAR less load on the spine.

200 lbs person + 100 lbs load = 300 lbs (100 lbs would actually be a much, much larger load in a SL squat because the 300 lbs total would be on ONE leg. I am using the #'s to simplify)

Bodyweight really doesn't matter that much when squatting or deadlifting bilaterally but it definitely plays a HUGE part in unilateral exercises. I can't say that it is 100% of their bodyweight they are lifting but I would say it is a high percentage.

The thing is, many people have present or past low back issues. Single leg training is a great way to avoid exacberating or reintroducing back pain. I am not saying don't train the lower body bilaterally. I am just suggesting that most athletes and regular people don't need to train bilateral movements heavy if they can get it through single leg training.

I find myself using bilateral lower body training less and less with my clients and athletes. Everybody is getting so strong in the single leg exercises that I really don't miss the bilateral stuff.

For those of you using single leg squats, I will show you a better way to single leg squat in the next post.

DN

How to Warm-up

2009-01-30T10:10:00.000-08:00

In general, warming up for 5-10 minutes on a piece of cardio equipment is a waste of time (unless it is for special populations, injured client, overweight, etc). If this is your warm-up, stop now. If your trainer warms you up this way, find a new trainer. If you are a trainer warming up your clients this way, SHAME ON YOU!! I hope you are not charging them for those 5-10 minutes. If you are, your a thief.

People need to move, stretch, and activate the muscles they are going to be using in their workout and in their sport. Warm-ups should start with slower movements that are a bit more static in nature. Progressively the movements should become more dynamic. Really, with a good warm-up, you should not be able to tell when the warm-up ends and where the workout begins.

Here is how we warm-up our athletes and clients:

Activation: We spend a few minutes with some mini-band walking and small exercises to turn on muscles that tend to be asleep. For most, this is the hips and scap stabilizers.

Movement Preparation: From activation, we get a little more dynamic and will roll right into some movement prep. This consists of lunging, squatting and crawling variations.

Movement Skills: Again, we get even more dynamic and progress into things like skipping, shuffling, cariocas, speed ladder work, etc.

That is pretty much what our warm-up consists of. From there we move into power work, with plyos, med balls, olympic lifts and variations of the olympic lifts. And next would be our strength work.

Warm-ups should always have a rhyme and a reason. Ask yourself, what, why and how. What needs to be warmed up? And what would be the best way to accomplish that? Hopefully your answer is not a treadmill.

DN

Flying Humans (A.K.A Someone bought the wrong hemp seeds)

2009-01-29T01:29:00.000-08:00

It's 1:30 am. Insomnia is back. This is what I found on this sleepless evening. These guys are absolutely out of their mind!!

wingsuit base jumping from Ali on Vimeo.

DN

Scap Stability

2009-01-27T16:52:00.000-08:00

I thought I would post some of our favorite scap stability exercises. Many of our athletes tend to be a bit screwed up in the shoulder complex (and our normal clients due to sitting at the computer) when they first come in. We use a lot of different exercises but here are a few that we use very often:

YTLW - This is a version with a dowel that I adopted from Mike Boyle. With the dowel, they should actually be call IYLW. The dowel makes the athlete maintain a consistent arm position.

Scap Pushup - A nice one for the winging scapulae

Wall slide - A great "bang for your buck". Active lat/pec stretch while you turn on the scap stabilizers. I have posted this one a few times and I will say it again, the seated version is a progression. Begin standing.

Wall Crawl - Sue Falsone (head PT for Athletes' Performance) showed me this last year. Make sure your elbows don't flare as you crawl up the wall.

DN

Hemp Seeds?

2009-01-26T15:48:00.000-08:00

Yes, hemp seeds rock!! This is my new favorite thing to throw in my shakes. I know what your thinking...... Dewey has become a complete reefer head and walks around all day saying "You wanna get high"..... (that was said in my best Towlie from South Park voice). But seriously, these things are very healthy!! Check out what is in a serving:

10 grams of Protein
3,000 mg of Omega 3
7,000 mg of Omega 6
1,750 mg of Omega 9
Essential Vitamins and Minerals

DN

"Grappling With The Truth": A Mike Robertson interview with Dewey Nielsen

2009-01-15T12:32:00.001-08:00

I just recently did an interview with Mike Robertson. Mike is the President of Robertson Training Systems and the co-owner of Indianapolis Fitness and Sports Training (I-FAST) in Indianapolis, Indiana. Mike has made a name for himself as one of the premier performance coaches in the world, helping clients and athletes from all walks of life achieve their physique and sports performance goals.

It was a real honor to do an interview with him.

Exclusive Interview: Dewey Nielsen

MR: Dewey, thanks for being with us here today! Please take a moment and tell my readers a little bit about yourself.

DN: I am a strength coach from Oregon. I am also an MMA/BJJ coach. I co-founded the Newberg Impact Jiu-jitsu and I am the co-founder of Impact Performance Training. I currently hold a brown belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu.

MR: What got you into strength and conditioning? Were you an athlete yourself in the past?

DN: In High School I was actually more of a skater kid. I was really more drawn towards the extreme sports at that time. Although high school is actually where I fell in love with weightlifting. So, ever since then it has been a big passion of mine.

MR: How did you end up in your current niche of training fighters?

DN: I think the big reason is that because I am actually an MMA athlete and coach, I can really relate and understand the sport differently than many strength coaches. I know what it feels like to feel like crap by the end of the week and to have the bumps and bruises that come along with the sport. It is a great sport and some of the training demands are so much different than other traditional sports. Continue reading......

Power Endurance (offically the 100th post of this blog)

2009-01-09T03:45:00.000-08:00

Q: You have emphasised the importance of power endurance for mixed martial arts. How do you train this component of strength?

A: This is an interesting one. The term "power endurance" is actually an oxy-moron but at the same time it is something that exists within combat sports.

Athletes first need to become proficient at the basics. They need to really be dialled in on their form, because as we get into training power endurance, form can deplete quickly. Once we have a solid strength and conditioning base, we will have athletes doing power endurance circuits which will be one exercise after another with almost no rest period. The circuits will be specifically put together to mimic the fight time, rest periods and rounds (ex: 5 minute circuit with 1 minute rest). We will combine power and strength exercises with some metabolic stations (ex: Airdyne sprint), use complexes along with specific drills like shooting, etc. Depending on how long the fight round is scheduled for, we would also use some active rest exercises. For example, many amatuer fights are 3 minute rounds, so the need for active rest would be less than a fight that is 5 minute rounds. So if the athlete has 3 minute fight rounds, it is going to be 3 minutes of hell!

There must be a logical progression to get athletes to train like this. It’s something that guys should not just jump into. If form gets too ugly, you increase the risk of injury and decrease the effects of training.

Here is a video of my friend Jon Chaimberg putting Denis Kang through and acyclical circuit. Our circuits look very much the same.

DN

IPT Beaverton

2009-01-07T21:34:00.000-08:00

Thats right!! Another IPT location!!! Bigger and badder (is that a word?)!!

Over the holiday break, the fitness elves (big thanks to all that helped -- Carole, Phil P, Forrest, Phil S, and Bill O) snuck into IMPACT Beaverton and did some remodeling.

Here is what they added:

650 sq. feet of weight lifting area
two Olympic lifting platforms
over 375 kilos (825 lbs) of weights
dumbbells and kettle bells ranging from 5 lbs to 115 lbs.
3 plyo decks
20 ft long pullup bar
4 airdyne conditioning bicycles
over 30 ft. of med ball throwing wall
1150 sq. feet of multi-purpose training mat
LOTS more training gear will be added over the next few months ... so be sure to come and check it out!!!

Tom Oberhue and myself are very excited about the new facility. I will be at both locations in the near future........ so if you are in the Beaverton/Portland area, give us a call.

Here are some pictures of how it is looking so far:

IMPACT Performance Training - Results Driven Performance Training ... taking athletes to the next level! '09 is going to be a defining year!!!

DN

Random Stuff You Should Have

2009-01-06T14:32:00.000-08:00

Here is a list of random things that I think everyone should have:

The Magic Bullet

This thing is a God send for blenders! It is small enough that it doesn't take up to much space in the kitchen but has enough power to blend up anything you throw in it. It also comes with some many different cups that you can make any size protein shake. Its not just for protein shakes though (although that is all I use it for)...... You can make salsa, peanut butter, grind coffee beans and a million more things. I don't know how I existed before the Magic Bullet!!

Gourmet Nutrition

Speaking of protein shakes....... once you get the Magic Bullet, make sure you pick up a copy of John Berardi's Gourmet Nutrition. It has some killer recipes for shakes that taste amazing. It also has a ton of recipes for meals that are healthy.

Lumbar Support

Here I go again, LUMBAR FLEXION SUCKS BLAH, BLAH, BLAH, BLAH!!! If you know me, then you already know my opinion on crunches, situps, etc. I won't go on a rant. I think EVERYBODY should have a lumbar support in there car and if you have a "sit down" job, get one for your work too. This is a must!!! The best one I have used is one that Stuart McGill gave to me when I was in Montreal. It is called the LumbAir. Here are the specs:

"The LumbAir is a lumbar support that also promotes ideal posture and posture changes. It is easy to carry for use in cars, airplanes, theatres, or for home use.

The LumbAir is made with exclusive fabric that is immune to bacteria, fungus and body odour. It is guaranteed for one year against defects in materials and workmanship. The valves are guaranteed for life. The foam is engineered to last 15 years."

You can order a LumbAir here

Foam Roller

I know that most of my readers use a foam roller at the gym but I think everyone should have at home. Why wait to go to the gym roll out your aches and pains? Keep it in front of the tv and roll out when you are watching your favorite show (hopefully nothing that has Tyra Banks on it). A PB Elite Foam Roller will last much longer than a regular roller.

DN

Featured Gimmick: P90X

2009-01-02T06:31:00.000-08:00

I have had numerous people ask me about P90X and I have to be honest....... I didn't know what the hell it was. I thought it was a new type of motorcycle or 4 wheeler. I just finally got around to checking it out and I cringed the whole time I was watching!

They use the science of "muscle confusion"...... (yes that is the sound of crickets you are hearing). Let me give you the scientific definition of "muscle confusion"

mus-cle con-fu-sion
A made up term that an uneducated trainer uses to cover up the fact that they don't understand periodization.

They are literally selling people on this "muscle confusion" word. Basically it is a bunch of exercises thrown together with no rhythm or rhyme and no thought process in the program design. High class garbage. Beyond that, I had a chance to check out the plyometric workout. This is where I stopped watching. I wrote about this before but I think the P90X plyo workout is a way better example of how NOT to train plyos.

Of course some people are going to say, "I lost this many pounds doing -insert gimmick here- so it has to work. Sure, you can lose weight and get stronger doing many things BUT realize it doesn't make it right and there is a better/safer way of doing it. I could burn a ton of calories doing forward rolls without a shirt on down a gravel driveway........ this doesn't make it a GOOD way to burn calories.

Whats next?

DN

How to Stretch Your Piriformis...... Correctly

2008-12-30T09:00:00.000-08:00

A while back I read an article by a young strength coach, Nick Tumminilo about how the typical figure four piriformis stretching is actually stretching more of the posterior lateral hip capsule and may lead to problems such as hip impingement. I also just listened to Nick on a strengthcoach.com podacst talking about the same subject. Nick is a smart young man and you know what? He is right.

In the supine piriformis stretch and the standing leg cradle the hip is flexed above 90 degrees, externally rotated and abducted. This is actually putting the piriformis in shortened position, not a stretched position.

"The supine piriformis stretch is not an effective stretch for the piriformis"

"You can see the hip is obviously abducted during the leg cradle"

"In the neutral hip position the force vectors of piriformis action contribute to hip abduction, extension and lateral (external) rotation. It might be assumed that the hip must flex, adduct and medially rotate to stretch piriformis, but this isn't the case. As the hip flexes, the rotation moment of piriformis changes such that by full hip flexion it becomes a medial (internal) rotator." (Travell & Simons, 1992)
"The transition point for this change in action is considered to occur at about 60 degrees of hip flexion." (Kapandji 1970, Lee 1989)

In the article, Tumminilo states that "In order to effectively stretch the piriformis as an internal rotator (above 60 degrees of hip flexion) we need to place the hip into flexion, external rotation and adduction. You will see this occur in the protocol below."

So here is the strategy that Nick is using. I have been using it and I like it a lot.

DN

A Message to Trainers And Coaches (New Year's Resolution)

2008-12-29T09:19:00.000-08:00

My friend Jon Chaimberg has a new DVD coming out soon and in it, he has a message to trainers and coaches. The summary of his message is to practice what you preach. The message may come off harsh to some but he makes a very good point. The truth hurts sometimes.

Too often I see trainers/coaches who are fat and out of shape or are postural, distorted train wrecks that cannot show a single exercise correctly. In fact, this is actually more common then seeing a trainer who CAN demonstrate correct form. This may sound like I am being negative towards out of shape people but I am not. I think it is BS for someone in this field to be out of shape (no matter the age) and be training other people. It is also BS if a coach cannot demonstrate an exercise and expect an athlete or client to perform the exercise correctly. I have even seen trainers give exercises to their clients that they have never even done personally.

"This guy probably isn't the best choice as a trainer"

I will be the first to say that I am not the strongest, fastest, leanest or most muscular trainer on the planet....... Not even close!! But, I do workout. I am in shape. I am trying to get stronger. I am trying to get leaner. If I give a client an exercise, I have done the exercise before and I CAN do it correctly.

It is the trainers at the commercial gyms (24 hr fitness, ballys, etc, etc) and tv shows like the biggest loser that make it embarrassing to be called a personal trainer. Guys and gals in the industry........ PLEASE get educated. For the price that they are paying, you owe it to your clients. Read a book every week. Watch a DVD every week. Attend seminars as often as possible. Learn progressions. Become a member to strengthcoach.com. And last but not least...... workout, eat clean and try to better yourself.

Merry Christmas

2008-12-25T07:39:00.000-08:00

I just wanted to wish everybody a Merry Christmas and say thank you to everyone that follows this blog...... It's been a great year!!

I will leave you with a great impersonation of John Madden by Frank Caliendo..... Enjoy!

DN

Got Strength?

2008-12-24T16:31:00.000-08:00

Strength is arguably the most important physical quality a person can have and even more so for an athlete. Strength is too commonly measured only in terms of the bench press. But we need to look at strength in a more balanced approach. So the question should not only be, how much can you bench press? But also how much can you squat? How much can you deadlift? Now, in my opinion these are still traditional views of strength. I think we really need to look at unilateral strength and strength relative to your own body weight. So my question to you is:

How much can you single leg squat?
How much can you single leg deadlift?
How much can you chin or pullup? Or, can you even do a pullup?
How many pushups or inverted rows can you do with a 50 lb weight vest?

These are some of my questions of strength. I have seen many fighters surprisingly weak in these "bodyweight type" exercises (not truly bodyweight because we add external resistance like weight vests). And for the MMA guys out there, remember, the days of David versus Goliath fights are almost extinct. Nowadays you will compete against an opponent in your weight class.

DN

The Quickest Way to See a Knee Surgeon

2008-12-23T09:31:00.000-08:00

Let me first say that Eddie Bravo's jiu-jitsu is amazing. It is second to none. This is not a bash on Eddie but more of a warning to NOT listen to his advice on flexibility. Eddie is what we would categorize as hypermobile....... Think of the far opposite of being really tight and stiff. Like BJ Penn, he is genetically like this. Following Eddie's advice may be the quickest way to see a knee surgeon. At minute 3:30 of the video he states that you not only need flexible hips but you also need flexible knees. Yes we need good hip mobility but our knees are meant to be a stable joint. Stretching the ligaments in your knees makes as much sense as having a training partner kick you in the zipper in order to callus up your groin.

This is why most people who try to play a rubber guard end up with severe knee problems.

DN

The Difference in Plyometrics vs. Pulsing: McGills Response

2008-12-22T09:35:00.000-08:00

I recieved a question on training the pulse that I wanted to share. The question was:

How does this compare / contrast with the theories of plyometrics?

I was going to answer it myself but being the knucklehead I am, I didn't want to confuse anyone. So I emailed Stuart McGill....... Here is his reply:

"I think of a pulse orginating out of any sort of contraction. For MMA
it could be a period of isometric contraction (holding an opponent)
and then explosively pulsing to create a desired effect. It may be
simply to start relaxed and fire into motion such as a sprinters start
or superman punch for example. These are all pulses.

Plyometrics are special in that they always involve the storage and recovery of elastic energy. Thus the muscles must be tuned to do this efficiently (say
preactivated to about 25% of MVC) and then rapidly stretched. Then as
the muscles stretch back there is usually another pulse to assit with
the elastic recovery. Think of a drop jump. If the muscles are not
prestiffened there is no storage in the elastic band."

DN

Training The Pulse

2008-12-18T14:53:00.000-08:00

Alright, alright....... I will talk a bit about the pulse. I have been getting emails asking me to talk about Stuart McGill's "pulsing" idea. To be honest, I am still playing around with it, so I will give a sample (of course I am not giving it all away!!) of what I am doing to train the pulse.

The pulse, how Stuart explained it to me, is a short contraction (pulse) followed by a relaxation phase and then another pulse. This happens in every sport and the greatest athletes in the world do this the best........ coincidence??

In baseball and golf, you will see the athlete pulse to engage the swing, relax (there must be a relaxation phase in order to get to the next pulse quickly without losing power) and then pulse again when they make contact with the ball. An MMA athlete would do the same, pulse to initiate the strike, relax and another pulse when they make contact with the poor opponents face :-)

Since we know that the greatest athletes in the world pulse the best, and if we figure out how to train for the "pulse"........ are we on the verge of making good athletes great?? Maybe!! Let's see as Stuart McGill keeps gathering the research.

The video is one exercise we are using to train the pulse. We call it a helicopter pulse. The athlete stiffens the core while swinging the converta ball overhead. We cue the athlete to pulse at 12, 6, 3 and 9 O' clock. On our 1st set we perform four to five pulses at 12 and 6 O' clock. On set two, we pulse at 3 and 9 O' clock. The ball should be light. We use a 4 lb ball for most. Pulsing at the different angles offers a very nice 3D feeling.

This is an advanced exercise. The regression would simply be the helicopter without pulsing.

DN

Featured Athlete: Pro Escobedo

2008-12-17T09:12:00.000-08:00

On Saturday, December 6th, IPT athlete Pro Escobedo became the two time FCFF Light Heavyweight Champion defeating a previous Champion Tom Matijacic. Pro worked so hard for this fight and all of his hard work paid off. He was a poster child for showing up to a fight ready and in shape. Tom was a VERY dangerous opponent as he packs a freight train behind his punches. Pro stuck to his game plan the entire fight and never derailed. He moved efficiently, attacked at the right times and worked the cage like a Champ. As the fight went on, it was apparent that Pro was the more "in shape" of the two as he was moving just as quickly in the last round as in the first. At the end of the fight he told me he felt like he could fight another fight....... I am VERY proud of him!!

FCFF Light Heavyweight Champion Pro Escobedo

Pro working against the cage

Pro delivering a heavy right hand

DN

Are You Sure Your Hamstrings Are Tight?

2008-12-16T12:30:00.000-08:00

Can you touch your toes? It should be a simple task, yet so many people fail the ability to simply bend over and touch their toes. First off, let be clear that bending over and touching your toes is not a stretch that I recommend but it SHOULD be something that someone CAN do. I just want to see that someone has the mobility to touch their toes. I would never use a toe touch as a repetitive stretch.

In the book Anatomy Trains, Thomas Myers talks about the different train tracks that cross through the fascial system of our bodies. What is Anatomy Trains?

- Anatomy Trains Myofascial Meridians is a revolutionary idea for understanding whole-body patterning in posture and movement. Anatomy Trains is a new map of the 'anatomy of connection' - precise fascial and myofascial links through the body that lead to new holistic strategies for identifying and resolving complex underlying problems.

This Anatomy Trains website is an on-going inquiry into the significance of form and shape - how we make patterns, and the limits of change and development with new 'in-form-ation'. From the individual cell to the social and cultural context, we are interested in morphogenesis, as well as morphostasis and morphokinesis - how we get stuck, and how we mature and grow out of such restrictions. (This is from the Anatomy Trains website). -

One of these "train tracks" that Myers refers to as the Superficial Back Line (SBL), runs from the bottom of the foot up the back side of the body and attaches to the top of the skull. Don't believe it?? Try this........

Perform a toe touch. Take note as to how far you get. Now roll the bottom of your foot with a tennis ball or lacrosse ball for 1-2 minutes each side.

Now try touching your toes again. What the majority of you just noticed is a significant increase in your range of motion. Pretty cool huh? You didn't even stretch your hamstrings.......... It's like magic!! :-)

Add that to your bag of cool party tricks.

DN

Glute Amnesia Gives New Meaning to Lazy Ass

2008-12-04T08:26:00.000-08:00

Look, the glutes are the biggest, most powerful muscle in our bodies. Yet nearly every time I see a new client, I see the same limiting factor.......Their ass is asleep!! Glute amnesia can lead to so many different things. Think about it. If the biggest muscle in your body is not doing its job, don't you think something is going to go wrong? Here is a quick list of things that glute amnesia can cause:

1. Low back pain
2. Knee Pain
3. Pulled/Strained hamstrings
4. Anterior hip pain

Yes, this is a quick list......their is more!!

If you suffer from one of these (or even if you don't), it should be a priority that you perform some glute activation drills prior to your workout. Some of our favorites are:

Miniband Walk (around the toes)

This is one that Stuart McGill recently showed me. He said it had a much higher EMG reading than the other miniband walks because having the band around the toes adds an external rotation component along with the abduction. When you try it, you will see (or feel).

Cook Hip Lift

This is a great one but is sometimes to advanced for individuals with hamstring dominance. For those with hamstring dominance, try the next one.

Glute Bridge w/ reciprocal inhibition

This is another one from Stu McGill. I use this for the worst cases of hamstring dominance. Imagine trying to push your heels across the floor by engaging your quads. This will relax the hamstrings and you will fell more glute activation. I prefer to have the client push their feet into me so that I get some feedback, at the same time I feel the hamstrings to make sure they are not firing.

DN

Time to get a squat rack

2008-12-03T09:28:00.000-08:00

This is just funny.......REALLY FUNNY!!

DN

Corrective Exercise: A missing link in MMA

2008-12-02T21:17:00.000-08:00

MMA guys, along with most combative sports, walk around with Neanderthal like posture. Because we try to have hunch back posture (shoulders elevated and rounded, chin tucked, rounded upper back) when we box and kick box, we should pay extra attention to our posture outside of training. Having performed the Functional Movement Screen on a lot of MMA and BJJ athletes, I have seen many common limiting factors. Many of these being in the thoracic spine and glenohumeral area.
Other commonalities I have seen with these athletes include:

Poor ankle mobility
Weak hip stabilizers along with poor hip mobility
Poor core/rotary stability
Poor scapular stability
Poor shoulder mobility (commonly a problem because of the mobility problems in the thoracic spine)

Let's face it. The demands of our sport are vicious at times (and some of us aren't as young as we once were). It is in our body's best interest to stay healthy. There is a reason why your shoulder keeps hurting, why your low back keeps hurting and why that left knee keeps irritating you. Take some time to learn some corrective exercises that are for you and then take the time to apply them. Oh yeah, and stop playing rubber guard! Unless you are already hyper-mobile like Eddie Bravo or BJ Penn, stay away from the rubber guard. Your knees will thank you.

DN

Featured Exercise: Valslide Crawls

2008-11-28T13:30:00.000-08:00

This is a fun one that is a bit harder than it looks. It's great for core/scapular stability.

Focus on bracing the abdominals and pretend your favorite beer is on your hips......DON'T SPILL!!!

DN

New Blog

2008-11-27T11:20:00.000-08:00

Tom Oberhue of Impact Jiu-jitsu and Performance Training just recently started a blog. Tom is my jiu-jitsu coach, one of my business partners and one of my best friends. For those of us that know Tom, we can all attest to his unbelievable coaching skills and his passion for learning. Tom will be writing on many topics including Strength and Conditioning, Nutrition, Coaching, Education and Youth Fitness. This blog will be one of my top reads and it should be yours too!! Visit Tom's blog here.

DN

How to Develop Patello-Femoral Dysfunction

2008-11-26T13:24:00.000-08:00

Plyometric High Intensity Interval Training? Huh?? Plyometric training and HIIT are two very opposing concepts. Using plyos as a conditioning tool is one reason they get such a bad rap. It's the same thing I wrote about with Olympic Lifts. Repetitive jumping is a great way to develop patello-femoral dysfunction.

It's just another example of good tool in the wrong hands. Hopefully these clowns don't work with other human beings. I am a HUGE fan of plyos but this is just absolutley ridiculous!!

I am all for making interval training more fun. But to have this many plyometric foot contacts in one session is just asking for trouble........no matter how good your form is. Make it a general rule to stay around 25 foot contacts per session and no more than 100 in a week. Focus on quality not quantity.

DN

Delta Airlines Suck!!

2008-11-25T14:38:00.000-08:00

Yes, I am dedicating an entire post to how much Delta sucks!! I will keep it short though.......

NEVER FLY WITH DELTA AIRLINES!!!!!!!!!!! EVER!!!!!!!!!!!!

DN

Montreal Highlights

2008-11-24T11:27:00.000-08:00

I am back from Canada and I had an amazing time!! I have been too busy to write since I got back but I am starting back up this week...... so the nagging emails can stop :-)

Here are some of the highlights from my visit to Montreal:

1. Training the pulse. This made a HUGE light bulb go off in my head. The pulse is something that Stuart McGill has presented in recent lectures and has been looking at in his research with the greatest athletes in the world. His research and testing is trying to answer, "What makes great athletes great"? The pulse, as Stu explains, is a explosive contraction (pulse) followed by a relaxation phase, followed by another explosive contraction (pulse). The tests are showing that the best athletes do this much more efficient than others. Now that we know this pulsing idea exists, how do we train for it? Stuart gave me some great ideas........don't you wish you knew what they were ;-)

2. My friend Jon Chaimberg is a very smart coach. He gave me a great tool for training MMA athletes to work through fatigue and simulate "getting rocked" in a fight. Since I got back, I have been playing with some of his pre-exhausting ideas and I am liking them very much. Jon has a DVD coming out soon and it will be a must have for everyone's video libraries. I'll let you know when it is out.

3. Georges st. Pierre is as nice in person as he seems to be on tv. In fact all of the athletes up there were extremely nice. They are some of the best representations of the sport of mixed martial arts.

4. Stuart McGill assured me that my opinions on pilates are correct.

5. Jon let me train some of his fighters while I was there. It was actually really nice to be able to work while I was gone, I enjoy it. I also was able to train jiu-jitsu with some of the guys including David Loiseau and Jonathan Goulet.

6. It doesn't get much cooler than Dr. Stuart McGill in an Impact Jiu-Jitsu shirt!!

7. UFC Welter Weight Champion Georges st. Pierre

If you want to see more pictures from the trip.......find me on facebook.com.

DN

Off to Canada.....

2008-11-07T08:04:00.000-08:00

Well, I won't be blogging at all this next week. I am heading to Montreal to visit my friend Jonathan Chaimberg of Adrenaline Performance Center. Jon is most known as the strength coach of some of MMA's most elite fighters including Georges st. Pierre, Denis Kang, David Loiseua, Rashad Evans, Keith Jardine and many more. Jon is the best strength coach in MMA and I look forward to picking his brain. As equally exciting, Jon has Stuart McGill, the worlds leading back researcher, coming in to do some research and testing on his athletes while I am there. Most of you know that I have a "Man Crush" on Stuart, so I am VERY VERY excited.......Oops did I just say that???!!!

Plan on some great stuff when I get back!!

DN

New Article on Strengthcoach.com

2008-11-06T12:00:00.000-08:00

I had a new article come out this week at strengthcoach.com. It is called "The Deadlift: teaching it and fixing it". It is written more for trainers and coaches but can definatley serve some purpose for others. If you don't have a membership to strengthcoach.com (why don't you?), you can read it at impact-pt.com.

DN

Anyone for a Cold Shower??

2008-11-04T11:15:00.000-08:00

For those of you who have done any hydrotherapy like a cold plunge, I am sure you are aware of the benefits. There are not many things that make you feel better or recover faster from a hard training session than a cold plunge. It can be a bit shocking the first time you hop into 50 degree water but after doing it a few times, you begin to actually crave it!

There is a problem though. How many of your homes or the gyms you train at have a cold plunge ready? Yes, you could fill up your bath with some ice and water. But that can be a hassle. And if you want to incorporate a Hot/Cold contrast (going back and forth from cold water to hot water), you would have to drain and refill the tub over and over. Not happening!

So the logical solution would be the shower. Now, I have experienced both hot/cold plunging and hot/cold showers and there is no doubt that the plunge is better. But there are absolutely great benefits from the shower. If you have not done this, definitely give it a try.

Begin with hot water for 2 minutes and cold water for about 30 seconds. After a few times of trying this, increase the time you are in the cold water. I prefer to go 1 minute hot and 1-3 minute cold. A trick that I do is to make the hot water fairly uncomfortable (very, very warm!!).......this makes the cold feel more refreshing and tolerable.

This is a part of my weekly recovery strategies. Give it a try. I think you will be surprised at how much you will actually start to like it.

DN

Six Nutrition Tips From Dr. John Berardi

2008-11-03T20:08:00.000-08:00

Here are six nutrition tips from John Berardi. These are the basics and if you are not following these basic MOST of the time..........plan to fail!! You can visit Dr. Berardis website at Precisionnutrition.com

1. Eat every 2-3 hours.
Are you doing this – no matter what? Now, you don’t need to eat a full meal every 2-3hours but you do need to eat 6-8 meals and snacks that conform to the other rules below.

2. Eat complete, lean protein each time you eat.
Are you eating something that was an animal or comes from an animal – every time you feed yourself? If not, make the change. Note: If you’re a vegetarian, this rule still applies – you need complete protein and need to find non-animal sources.

3. Eat vegetables every time you eat.
That’s right, in addition to a complete, lean protein source, you need to eat some vegetables every time you eat (every 2-3 hours, right?). You can toss in a piece of fruit here and there as well. But don’t skip the veggies.

4. Eat carbs only when you deserve to.
Well, not ALL carbs – eat fruits and veggies whenever you want. And if want to eat a carbohydrate that’s not a fruit or a vegetable (this includes things like simple sugars, rice, pasta, potatoes, bread, etc), you can – but you’ll need to save it until after you’ve exercised. Yes, these often heavily processed grains are dietary staples in North America, but heart disease, diabetes and cancer are medical staples – and there’s a relationship between the two! To stop heading down the heart disease highway, reward yourself for a good workout with a good carbohydrate meal right after (your body best tolerates these carbohydrates after exercise). For the rest of the day, eat your lean protein and a delicious selection of fruits and veggies.

5. Learn to love healthy fats.
There are 3 types of fat – saturated, monounsaturated, and polyunsaturated. Forget about that old “eating fat makes you fat” maxim. Eating all three kinds of fat in a healthy balance (about equal parts of each) can dramatically improve your health, and even help you lose fat. Your saturated fat should come from your animal products and you can even toss in some butter or coconut oil for cooking. Your monounsaturated fat should come from mixed nuts, olives, and olive oil. And your polyunsaturated fat should from flaxseed oil, fish oil, and mixed nuts.

6. Ditch the calorie containing drinks (including fruit juice).
In fact, all of your drinks should come from non-calorie containing beverages. Fruit juice, alcoholic drinks, and sodas – these are all to be removed from your daily fare. Your best choices are water and green tea.

DN

Strengthcoach.com Audio Interview with Dewey Nielsen

2008-10-31T07:17:00.000-07:00

I did an audio interview this week at strengthcoach.com. It was on my recent article "Common mistakes of a mixed martial artist, from a strength and conditioning perspective"

Have a listen here

DN

Some Random Thoughts:

2008-10-30T21:25:00.000-07:00

1. It seems a lot of folks in the fitness industry like gimmicks. Fancy speed ladder drills, stability ball exercises, bosu ball stuff, balance boards, tire flipping, and so on. What ever happened to the basics? Most everything has its place but people seem to jump on the bandwagon of the newest sexy exercises and forget about the basics. You know? Getting people stronger. Increasing ones strength will have the BIGGEST impact (no pun intended) on someones fitness level. Squats, Deadlifts, Pushups, Bench press, Chinups, Rows, etc. Get back to the basics...........Be brilliant at the basics!!!

2. I will say this again, if you are a trainer, coach, PT, Chiro or involved in the health and wellness industry and you are not a member of Strengthcoach.com, become one NOW! Seriously!!

3. Deadlifts rock!! Two of my favorite ways to teach them are sumo deadlifts with a kettlebell and trap bar deadlifts.I should have a new article out on strengthcoach.com on deadlifts in the next few weeks.......One more reason to join :-)

4. You know what else rocks? SLED PUSHING!! I am beginning to think it is as important as oxygen.......

5. Oh yeah and speaking of gimmicks. Check out Eric Cressey's new book The Truth About Unstable Surface Training. Some very good stuff! Trust me.

6. My friend Anthony Renna wrote an article a while back called "No more sit-ups, No more crunches". Take some time to read it. Its very good! And a recent "GURU" I talked to........ Lets call him Mr. "Internet" Guru.......Well, he should enjoy the read. I wish I could be a GURU.

7. Halloween is tomorrow! Have fun!!

DN

Mixed Martial Arts and Distance Running

2008-10-28T10:12:00.000-07:00

I see it all the time, preparing for the demands of the Boston marathon instead of an MMA fight.

This is the single most common mistake that I see in the sport of mixed martial arts. Not only do you see this in probably every athlete at the amateur level but it is a viral infection among professional MMA fighters. Just turn on an episode of the ultimate fighter and you will see guys taking heavy hits of LSD (Long Slow Distance). In other words, these guys are going jogging along with other types of slow endurance type conditioning. This is the kiss of death for the sport of MMA. First you must realize that MMA is NOT an aerobic sport. I’m sure that’s not a shocker. But it is absolutely jaw dropping how many guys are literally conditioning for a marathon type event before a fight! MMA is an anaerobic sport with repetitive bouts of power output, hence why we will use an oxymoron “Power Endurance”, for lack of a better term. Georges St. Pierre is a perfect example of an MMA athlete training correctly for the sport. Georges’ strength coach, Jon Chaimberg, is the best in the sport and I will guarantee that you won’t see Jon giving his athletes doses of LSD.

Second, our body adapts to the demands that we place on it. Plain and simple: Train slow, Perform slow. High intensity interval training with progressions toward negative rest to work ratios (ex: tabatas) should be the staple of an MMA conditioning program.

"For the last time, training like this for MMA will DESTROY your performance!!"

Here is an example of a common interval progression we use (note that you can use various equipment for this, sprinting, airdyne, slideboard, etc.):

2-3 weeks – work = :30/ rest = 1:30 (start with 5 sets and add one per week)
2-3 weeks – work = :30/ rest = :60
2-3 weeks – work = :30/ rest = :30
2 weeks (modified tabatas)– work = :10 / rest = :20 x 4 minutes (that’s one set)
2 weeks (modified tabatas)– work = :15 / rest = :15 x 4 minutes (that’s one set)
2 weeks (tabatas) – work = :20 / rest = :10 x 4 minutes (that’s one set)

This can be modified to whatever is right for the athlete. Some athletes may spend more time in a specific progression than others, depending on their current conditioning, age, goals, fight notice, etc. It should be of the most importance that the athlete gets to negative work to rest ratios as soon as possible (without overtraining). So again, this is just an example.

For an MMA athlete, classic endurance work like jogging, etc, makes about as much sense as punching yourself in the zipper for an hour. Next time you watch a fight and see the fighter gas out quick, its more than likely he has been having heavy doses of LSD. In fact, see if you can get a look at his strength and condition program online and have a look for yourself.

Some athletes and coaches may make the argument of using classic endurance work for weight management. Again, interval training reigns supreme here. But this brings up a very important component called “Nutrition”. Do yourself a favor and pick up a copy of John Berardi’s book “The Grapplers Guide to Sports Nutrition”.

DN

Squats: Toes Out or Toes Forward?

2008-10-24T07:10:00.000-07:00

Q: There are conflicting views at my gym between the trainers on whether the toes should be turned out or straight ahead during a squat. What is your view on this topic?

A: Many Coaches and trainers say that during loaded squats it is best to have the toes turned out 7-15 degrees. I completely agree with this. One will get more glute activity with some slight external rotation. Not to mention, it is much more comfortable for most.

"Toes out is okay.......just put on some bigger britches than the Tom Selleck look-a-like"

One thing you must realize is that there is a difference between training the squat and testing the squat. I think this is where some of the confusion between trainers stems from. When I have an athlete or client first come in, I run them through a Functional Movement Screen. The first test in the FMS is a squat pattern. During the test we ask the athlete to maintain a toes forward position throughout the movement. This is so that we can began from a neutral position for scoring purposes. We are looking to see if the athlete can "prevent" external rotation, pronation, valgus, etc. If they can prove that they are able to prevent these compensations, then they are cleared to began "training" the squat.

So, my view is that we test the squat (unloaded) with the toes forward and we train the squat (loaded) with the toes slightly out.

DN

What The Hell???

2008-10-23T16:44:00.000-07:00

I really don't know what to say..........

http://view.break.com/582303 - Watch more free videos

DN

How to Look Like an Idiot and Get Beat up 101:

2008-10-21T11:50:00.000-07:00

Want Back Pain? Try Pilates

2008-10-16T15:05:00.000-07:00

Oh boy......This one is gonna stir the pot.

How pilates became so popular, I don't know. Maybe it's the pretty girls in Lycra pants that do it or the fact that you can stay in one spot for an hour and call it exercise? Or, maybe it's the list of lies and false promises??

Build long, lean muscles - LIE
Tone and burn fat - Half truth
Strengthen your back - That should be read "Possibly ruin your back"
Get strong - You cannot progressively lift a heavier weight unless you plan on gaining body weight.
Lose belly fat - Spot reduction training?? Yeah and Peter Pan is real.

The list probably goes on.

These lies are really not the problem. Most everybody uses these lies to sell fitness products and gimmicks. The big problem I have with pilates is the fact that it requires bouts of repetitive flexion. Along with that, they ask you to draw your belly button towards your spine to stabilize your back. So, not only are they asking you to perform the mechanism of disc herniation (repetitive cycles of flexion/extension) but they are asking you to do this with an inefficient way to stabilize the spine (drawing in). Really, it looks a lot like the recipe for back problems.

In fact, the next time you see an avid pilates person, take a look at their posture. Because they have gone through so many repetitions of lumbar flexion, you will notice that their rib cage is actually being drawn towards their pelvis. This is not a good thing.

Now, before all of the hate mail fills up my inbox, let me be clear. Not all things in pilates are bad. I'm not saying that. All I'm saying is that SOME things in pilates are not wise. With the amazing work that geniuses like Stuart McGill have put out, it is infant like to ignore it and say that high amounts of repetitive flexion is "okay"........or even worse, "good for you".

It's funny, when I write about the subjects of crunching, situps and spinal flexion, I get a little bit of hate mail. But even funnier (or sad), is that NOT ONE of these people have read the research. And these are the people working with other human bodies........scary!!

My friend Tom Schram (who by the way, is a very good trainer in the Seattle area) sent me a great article that sparked this post. Click here if you are interested in reading it. So all hate mail can be re-directed from my inbox to Tom's :-)

DN

Fightingmind.com Interview with Dewey Nielsen

2008-10-15T12:38:00.000-07:00

Dewey Nielsen - Interview by Paul McVeigh (CWFC World Champion) of fightingmind.com

Article courtesy of Paul McVeigh, fightingmind.com

Dewey Nielsen
Dewey is a reputable and respected strength coach based in Oregon. As well as being a Strength and Conditioning expert he is also a successful mma coach and holds a brown belt in Jiu Jitsu. Having this combination makes Dewey a man we had to talk too. Read on to discover his thoughts on performance enhancement for combat Sports......

DN

Why You Are Still Fat

2008-10-14T12:11:00.000-07:00

Time for a reality check..... Take a couple minutes to watch:

"Cheater Cheater Over Eater"

DN

IPT Athletes go Undefeated!

2008-10-13T10:42:00.000-07:00

It was a good day for Impact this past weekend and the Oregon Open grappling tournament! Big congrats to all three IPT athletes for going undefeated for the day:

Andy Wong won the Purple belt middle weight division and the Purple belt Absolute division. Andy racked up the points on all of his opponents with a smooth and methodical game. It seemed every time I blinked Andy was sweeping someone with his smoking half guard!

Bryan Marugg won the Blue belt light weight division and the no gi intermidiate light weight division. Bryan won every match by submission and if this isn't impressive enough, Bryan is not even old enough to actually have a Blue belt. He is only 15. MAN CHILD!!!

Pro Escebedo won the no gi Heavy weight intermediate division. This was actually Pro's first time competing in a "Jiu-jitsu" tournament. Pro is a solid MMA fighter and the current Light heavy weight champ for the Full Contact Fight Federation. It was great to see him compete in a different environment then he is used to........not being able to punch people :-) If you live in Oregon, come out and watch Pro defend his FCFF title in early December.

DN

Featured Exercise(s)

2008-10-10T06:33:00.000-07:00

RINGS!!!! I love them!!! Here some examples of a few exercises we use our rings for:

Pushup (Horizontal Push) - This is one of the hardest pushups you will EVER do! Lots of shoulder stability.......I love it!!

Inverted Row (Horizontal Pull) - I have shown this before......maintain pillar like stability and pinch the scaps together.

Prone Press Outs (Anterior Core) - This one looks easy but is an extremely challenging exercise. Be conservative at first. If you do not follow a proper progression and push out too far, I will almost guarantee that your spine will buckle.

Gymnastic rings can be used in a gym or at home........just throw them over the rafters in the basement. Order a set today!

DN

Hey Hunch Back!! Yeah I'm Talking To You.....

2008-10-09T11:26:00.000-07:00

Hunch back posture is not only predominately found in the "Computer Man", but it seems to be a plague among kids and even athletes. Everywhere I go I see people with rounded shoulders and a head popping forward as if they were a rooster strutting it's stuff for a hen.

The title of this post could have been "How to get taller", because you are literally inches shorter with this slouched posture. But being shorter isn't the worst thing. Kyphotic posture can lead to many things like shoulder pain, neck pain, back pain, etc.

"The evolutionary process of computer man".

Athletes with severe kyphosis will lose strength and power in virtually everything they do. This is do the muscular imbalances and massive energy leaks. Force WILL NOT travel correctly from the ground through the legs and hips, up to the core and through the upper extremities. So, not only will you be in pain and create a higher risk for injury but you are making yourself weaker!!

For the MMA and BJJ guys reading this, make sure you read the "Common Mistakes of a Mixed Martial Artist - from a strength and conditioning perspective".

Here are some simple things you can start doing right away to combat this ugly posture and stop looking like something out of Lord of the Rings:

Soft tissue work for the pecs

Thoracic spine mobility

Active pec stretch

Wallslide - This is a great bang for your buck......Scap activation, active pec stretch, active lat stretch.

Note: This is actually a progression. Don't begin this seated. Perform it standing and grind your forearms on the wall. The idea is to not allow any space between your arms and the wall at anytime. If you cannot achieve this, try it one arm at a time.

DN

What not to wear when participating in the "Race for the Cure"

2008-10-08T17:40:00.000-07:00

I recently participated in the "Race for the Cure" and ending up getting quite a site.

This should be logical......"Do not wear shorts so short that the entire world can see you Yam Bag"!! Apparently this guy didn't get the memo that we were raising money towards breast cancer, NOT trying to make 30,000 people throw up.

DN

No Gym? No Problem.....

2008-10-07T05:50:00.000-07:00

Q: I travel fairly often. When I am on the road I rarely have time to seek out a gym. The hotels I stay at have nothing more than a junkie universal gym machine and dumbbells that could hardly challenge a 4th grade school girl. Is there a way to increase/maintain strength and power while traveling?

A: Yes, but obviously its not ideal. You can get a pretty decent body weight workout to get you by. The only thing that is challenging to do is pulling exercises. A heavy band can work for this. I send my traveling clients off with a miniband (for activation exercises), tennis ball (for soft tissue work), a heavy resistance band for rowing variations and maybe a valslide. Here is what a workout may look like:

1. Soft tissue work with a tennis ball

2. Flexibility/Mobility

3. Activation (glutes, psoas, etc.)

4. Movement prep

5. Power: (the folks staying below you in the hotel will love this)

Jump squat
Lateral bound

6. Strength:

Tri-set one:
SL squat (use a chair for range of motion)
Feet Elevated Pushup (try a 5 sec down, 5 sec hold and drive up)
Side Bridge

Tri-set two:
Valslide leg curls
One arm band row
PDAL

You could also make this have a more metabolic effect by taking no rest between sets.

There you go........no reason not to workout :-)

DN

Featured IPT Client

2008-09-26T07:10:00.000-07:00

I thought I would give everyone a before/after shot of one of our clients at IPT. Jamie is one of the most pleasant individuals to be around and made an AMAZING body transformation!! And sorry boys, she just recently got engaged........congratulations Jamie!!

Here is what Jamie had to say about her training experience:

".......I have been to gyms and worked out on the equipment. I have worked out with trainers from other gyms – but it is only since training with Dewey that I realized and then surpassed my fitness and weight loss goals. Dewey made my time at the gym more efficient and effective and beyond that, gave me the additional information I needed to achieve success. The key was my willingness to learn from him and trust his advice. The result has been a loss of 40 lbs and being in the best condition of my life."

DN

Featured Exercise: Side Bridge

2008-09-25T13:48:00.000-07:00

The side bridge is one of Stuart McGill's BIG 3. One of the best benefits to the side bridge is that it gives you the highest abdominal load with minimal spinal load. It's a WIN WIN. The video is a progressions that we do over several weeks. These are NOT done in one session.

Try this:

3-4 weeks: Side Bridge - knees (beginner)
3-4 weeks: Side Bridge - feet stacked (intermediate)
3-4 weeks: Side Bridge - feet elevated (advanced)
3-4 weeks: Side Bridge - jumping jack (super hero......yes Andy is a super hero)

We typically perform 30 second holds each side or 10 reps each side

DN

Power to the Pushup

2008-09-24T16:00:00.000-07:00

The pushup is one of the most underrated exercises. It is a great corrective exercise, anterior core exercise and strength exercise. Yes big dudes, pushups are a great strength exercise (try throwing on a heavy weight vest and you will get the picture)!

The pushup is what Gray Cook and Lee Burton refer to as a Primitave Pattern. It is one of the first patterns we learn in the human growth development process. So, it is probably more important to learn a proper pushup before someone is squatting, lunging and deadlifting.

Also, you get some great serratus anterior activation because the scapulae are free to move. You don't get this in a bench press because we want a "packed" shoulder and minimal scap movement.

If you are not including pushups in your program.......start yesterday. If you are including pushups in your program, let's make sure you do them right.

Here are the three most common errors in the pushup:

1: Elbows flared (Yes, this hurt)

This can really wreak havoc on your shoulders over time. On a similar note, this is also a common mistake in bench pressing.

2: Sway back (Yes, this one hurt worse)

This is usually indicative of a weak core. Usually a pretty simple fix.

3: Head up

Driving the head up can tend to kick in the upper trap a bit and lead to some scapular elevation which can create instability in the shoulder complex.

And finally, a correct pushup!

Look to have "pillar" like stability through the body along with a slight elbow tuck. Also, focus on "clawing" the ground with your hands. This will create more shoulder and core stability.

DN

Over-Reaction to Static Stretching

2008-09-19T06:53:00.000-07:00

This is in response to a handful of my clients recently being told that static stretching before their workout is detrimental. Hop on the "Logic Train" and enjoy the ride!!

A constantly debated topic in the fitness industry is the use of static stretching. The popular statement that static stretching reduces force output has made individuals completely over-react to static stretching. Some trainers and coaches now avoid static stretching like the plague, especially the use of it before resistance training.

Many world class coaches use static stretching and use it before resistance training with great results. Mike Boyle, Alwyn Cosgrove, Joe DeFranco, Martin Rooney and many others all incorporate static stretching in their program design.

You must understand that it is NEVER the modality that is the problem.......It is the misunderstanding of how to USE the modality and the misinterpretation of research.

We use static stretching all the time and you know what? We use it BEFORE resistance training. I can hear the shrieking screams now!! Look at this logically. We know that static stretching has some inhibiting qualities to it. Basically if you static stretch a muscle, that muscle will be a little more relaxed for a short duration following the stretch. This is not really a bad thing. If someone has tight pecs, I could stretch their pecs and before doing a set of Rows in order to get more scapular retraction. I could also stretch someones hip flexors before they do a vertical jump in order to get the hip extensors to do their job without interference of the antagonist. So, the inhibition of the muscle was exactly what I was looking for. As you can see, it is not the modality that is the problem but rather not knowing how to use the modality.

A chainsaw is a great tool in a logger's hands but may be extremely dangerous in a 4 year olds hands.

The most popular time to do static stretching is post workout. This is fine but it only restores tissue length back to what it was before the workout. If you are looking to improve tissue length, stretch cold.......YES COLD. In fact, most soft tissue experts will tell you that if you want a structural change in the tissue you should stretch cold. And even better is to stretch directly after soft tissue work. This is exactly what we do. Foam roll first followed by static stretching.

Also understand that we do not stretch and then maximally lift a weight. Here is the order of our programming:

1. Soft-tissue work
2. Static stretch (commonly tight areas, ex: hip flexors, lateral hamstring, adductors, pecs, hip rotators)
3. Activation
4. Movement Prep
5. Speed
6. Power (med ball, plyos, etc.)
7. Strength
8. Condition

By the time we are strength training, it has been nearly 30 minutes since we have stretched. Do you seriously think that we are going to have negative benefits on our force output 30 minutes later??? Feel free to come into our gym and watch one of our fighters do some static stretching.........then have him kick you in the head and see if he has lost his strength and power. When you wake up from your reality check I will have a delicious protein recovery drink waiting for you :-)

"Do you wanna tell GSP that stretching is making him weak?"

Really we could make any research support a belief. If I tested your 3RM in the bench press and then immediately tested your 5RM, you would be significantly weaker. SHAZAAM!! We just provided research that says "Strength training makes you weaker"!!

Note: Go to Pubmed and re-read the research

DN

Simply Amazing

2008-09-18T11:18:00.000-07:00

The way these kids move is simply amazing!! Talk about body awareness and athleticism......wow!!

DN

HFCS.....its back.......

2008-09-16T08:55:00.000-07:00

I know what your saying, "CORN AGAIN??!! Give it a rest Dewey!!"

A few months ago I wrote about how the Corn Refiners Association was launching some major advertisement on High Fructose Corn Syrup because people are becoming more aware of how bad this crap is for you.

So here it is!! The cheesiest commercials about how HFCS is okay for you because its.........."Made From Corn". These are the same dirty marketing strategies that the tobacco folks use to tell us nicotine is not addictive.

What they don't tell is that this stuff is pretty much banned in places like Canada, Europe and Mexico.

Kinda sounds like a drug dealer huh? "Here little Johnny, just snort one or two lines.......a little Cocaine won't hurt."

DN

Kick Cancer in the A$$

2008-09-15T11:19:00.000-07:00

We have formed an Oregon First Community Team (my wife's employer) for the Susan G. Komen, Portland Race for the Cure. The event is Sept. 21 2008 and we are participating in a 5k walk to benefit breast cancer research.

This cause has personally effected many of us including my Mother and good friend Laura Stroth who are both breast cancer survivors!!

Oregon and Washington have the highest rates of breast cancer in the nation and is the leading cause of death in women between ages 40-59. Each year 2,444 women are diagnosed in Oregon and 4156 are diagnosed in Washington. 520 women in Oregon and 780 in Washington will die from breast cancer annually.

This is the 17th annual Portland Race and Mary's 4th time participating on a team. It's a really powerful event for a great cause that draws tons of people and we hope to have a stellar turn out . Donations can be made in Dewey's name at the following link.

Kick Cancer in the A$$

Thanks!!

DN

HIIT: Lose more fat

2008-09-11T04:00:00.000-07:00

Aerobics suck!! There I said it. If you are doing 30 minutes to an hour of aerobic training to lose fat, you are wasting your time. If your goal is fat loss, high intensity interval training (HIIT) is your go to weapon. The downside to HIIT is…….well, it friggin’ sucks because it’s hard. But the benefits are:

Extreme fat loss
EPOC (exercise post oxygen consumption)
Elevated metabolism
Save time (most sessions are under 15 minutes, but remember it’s HARD)

Here is a study that showed interval training to be nine times more effective than traditional aerobics. Yes, NINE TIMES!!!!!!!!!!!

Tremblay A, Simoneau JA, Bouchard C.
Impact of exercise intensity on body fatness and skeletal muscle metabolism.
Metabolism. 1994 Jul;43(7):814-8

They compared 20 weeks of traditional aerobics to 15 weeks of interval training. The interval group burned less than half as many calories as the aerobic group. But the interval group lost nine times more fat!! In less weeks!! This is most likely due to EPOC. After interval training, EPOC is raised, metabolism is elevated and you are burning a significant amount of calories by doing nothing. In fact, some research has shown EPOC to be elevated as long as 40+ hours after training.

So, check out some of the research on EPOC:

Schuenke MD, Mikat RP, McBride JM.
Effect of an acute period of resistance exercise on excess post-exercise oxygen consumption: implications for body mass management.
Eur J Appl Physiol. 2002 Mar;86(5):411-7. Epub 2002 Jan 29.

This study showed EPOC was elevated for 38 hours post workout. That means 38 hours of cooking away calories without doing anything. I’ll take that!!

Bryner RW, Ullrich IH, Sauers J, Donley D, Hornsby G, Kolar M, Yeater R.
Effects of resistance vs. aerobic training combined with an 800 calorie liquid diet on lean body mass and resting metabolic rate.
J Am Coll Nutr. 1999 Apr;18(2):115-21.

The resistance training group lost significantly more fat and the aerobic group actually decreased their metabolism (not good).

Kramer, Volek et al.
Influence of exercise training on physiological and performance changes with weight loss in men.
Med. Sci. Sports Exerc., Vol. 31, No. 9, pp. 1320-1329, 1999.

Diet group: Lost 14.6 pounds
Diet/Aerobic group: Lost 15.6 pounds (only one pound more)
Resistance training group: Lost 21.1 pounds (again probably due to EPOC)

Even with all of the research, people with continue to do steady state aeorbics. Why? For the simple fact that it is EASY and interval training is HARD. Remember, traditional cardio makes you an efficient fat STORING machine.

So the next time you are at the gym and see someone doing some long slow aerobic training (for the goal of fat loss), throw a 5 pound plate at their head to knock some sense into them. And if you are that person running a long, slow, death to nowhere………..have someone throw a 10 pound plate at your head :-)

DN

Dinosaur Doctors

2008-09-09T11:55:00.000-07:00

I just got off the phone with a friend of mine. He was asking if I had ever heard of prolotherapy. His girlfriend is having back problems and is getting shots of prolo. I don't know much about prolo so I won't act like I do but I will give some feed back on what I have heard:

Note: These are from a hand full of PT's I have talked with

1. It is better (maybe safer) than cortisone shots.
2. No known side affects.
3. Should still be a last resort

My advice would be to NOT get the shots until Lumbo-Pelvic-Hip stability has been assessed. Basically, how well does the lumbar spine, pelvis and hip integrate and stabilize together? Starting with the prolo shots is going about the problem completely backwards.

Now, with all that said, I will get to the REAL point.......The doctors advice. Remember that the prolo shots were for back pain. Following the shots, the doctor told here to, and I quote, "do ab work and lots of crunches along with stretching your back". Someone could not give worse advise for this situation!! This doctor should be chained to two 18 wheelers driving in opposite directions.

Once again we are proven that dinosaurs are not extinct...........

DN

Gimmick Exposed!!

2008-09-08T07:00:00.000-07:00

With all the fitness gimmicks and BS out there, I figured I would start a "Gimmick Exposed" feature to this blog. I may get some hate mail or get lynched in a dark alley at some point........but oh well.

Let's start with the most recent piece of crap I've seen, The downs disc

Here's my testimonial:

"If you would like to get weaker and look pathetic, all while creating some SEXY back pain, then you must get the downs disc asap!! The opposite sex will really dig the new lump on your low back (as long as they don't realize that the lump is actually a posterior herniated disc)."

DN