Walking Lunges are not for beginners

Q: I read that you think Walking Lunges are an advanced exercise and beginners should not do them. Why?


A: First off, they are far too dynamic and require too much motor learning for a beginner. They will tend to pitch forward with they upper body and/or use their back leg to push them through. The action should actually be more of a "pull" with their forward leg while maintain a tight and tall torso. Once we progress to walking lunges, that's exactly what I cue: "Pull your hips through with your front leg and stay tight and tall". You can also have them drag their back foot to learn how to pull through. The only down side is it tears up your shoe.

Second, beginners will often complain the next day of a pulled groin. It's not actually a pulled groin, they are just really, really, really friggin' sore in their adductors.

My advice is that if you want to keep a new client, don't have them perform walking lunges to soon. They will be way too sore and you will look like you don't know how to teach an exercise. But if you dislike the person, day 1, walking lunge the hell out of them :-)

A nice progression is to begin with a Split Squat, which I consider "static supported". Next move to a Slideboard or Valslide Lunge. This becomes more dynamic and teaches the person to pull the hips through (with out shredding their shoes). After that, progress to walking lunges, which become even more dynamic due to a great eccentric emphasis. Spend 3 weeks with each exercise and you have a nice 9 week progression.

DN

Corn: One of the worst things you can eat

Is anyone sick of me writing about corn?.........That makes two of us :-)


Recently I was at a little get together. It was a great atmosphere, good people, drinks, nice weather and good food........or so one would think. The food is really what caught my eye. Everything appeared somewhat healthy but things aren't always what they appear. Corn and its evil cousin high fructose corn syrup (HFCS) is one of the worst things you could eat, and it was in everything!

Here is a list of what was served:

Pasta Salad - The pasta had HFCS in it

Crackers with some hummus - The crackers had HFCS

Hamburgers - The beef was not organic or free range so you can guarantee it was fed some crappy corn meal. Which by the way, cows should not eat the stuff. They should be eating on the grass like they would naturally. In fact, corn meal makes them sick with diseases and if they did not slaughter them when they did, the cattle would soon die from a disease.

Hamburger Buns - Whole wheat non the less, which had HFCS

Cheese - Again, the cattle is fed corn meal so the cheese will have corn too.

Soda - Obviously crappy. HFCS

Cake - HFCS

Ice Cream - HFCS

And guess what else..........Corn on the cob!!! And no, corn on the cob is not okay and its not a vegetable. Its grain. A very crappy grain.

Bottom line is, be more aware of what you are eating and stay away from corn and its sickening derivatives.

DN

Featured Exercise

KETTLEBELL SWING:

This is a great exercise for many reasons. Its great for hip dominant/posterior chain work, double extension, power, power endurance (Yes I know that is an oxymoron), and conditioning/metabolic training. I also use it to teach a "hip snap". So it is one of our first things we use in Olympic Lifting progression.



If you haven't incorporated Kettlebells into your training or your clients training, I recommend starting now. There are a number of things that a kettlebell can offer, that no other peice of equipment can mimick. Click on the kettlebells to purchase one today.




DN

10 More Random Thoughts

Okay, more like 8 but 10 sounds cooler

1. The draw-in method (belly button towards the spine, TA activation) is not a good method to support spinal stability. In fact it de-stabilizes the spine. Your spine will buckle if you choose to draw-in while your body is under significant load. People should rather learn what Stuart McGill refers to as "Abdominal Bracing", which is a co-contraction of the abdominal musculature (RA, TA, Ext/Int Obliques). The research on TA activation has been very misunderstood.

2. If you have knee pain you should replace your walking and forward lunges with reverse lunges or slideboard lunges. Also, perform more hip dominant work than knee dominant. Basically, Deadlift more!!

3. People don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care.

4. Most personal trainers scare me!! I think there should be a governing body that throws personal trainers in jail for malpractice. Or at least a Grim Reaper looking dude that makes them Deadlift with a flexed spine so they can feel the same disc herniation that their clients feel.

5. Hip flexors aren’t just short and tight. They are often weak too. Especially the iliacus and Psoas. These two hip flexors are isolated when the hip is flexed beyond 90 degrees. If you constantly get quad pulls I guarantee your Ilio-Psoas is weak.


6. For the Trainers out their……..Strengthcoach.com is the best site on the internet for training information. If you are not a member, you are so far behind the curve that I won’t even make a joke about it. Check it out!! Click this link:SportSpecific.com and get a 14 day trial for $1. You can't afford not too!!

7. I NEVER thought I would make a myspace page………but I did (just threw up in my mouth)!! I promise that I won’t start snapping photos of myself making different emotions with my face (that’s just weird). But if I do, you will know Armageddon is near.

8. Power Yoga?? Huh?? Power is the rate of force production. Think speed........so how can something be done deliberately slow and be called "Power"? This confuses me. I think they should rename "Power Yoga" and call it "Not As Slow As Other Types Of Yoga". Or for short, "NASAOTOY". Wait a minute, I'm getting an idea here! A new sport for the Olympics.........Slow Sprinting.

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Randy Pausch Passes Away

I have posted this video before and it has also been on many other blogs. If you have not watched it, take a few minutes to do so. I guarantee it will move you. If you have watched it.......Watch it again.

Rest in Peace Randy Pausch 1960-2008



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Featured IPT Athlete

Bryan Marugg is one of our athletes' at Impact Performance Training and Impact Jiu-jitsu. He is only 15 years old and is already becoming a decorated grappler. Bryan has competed numerous times at the adult level and taken home 1st place time and time again. Not only is Bryan a great athlete but he is one of the nicest, most level headed kids you will meet.......Lets hope he stays that way :-) Check out his highlight video:



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Olympic Lifts: Bad or Good?

The Olympic Lifts (OL’s), namely the Clean and the Snatch, get a bad wrap a lot of times. They are feared and frowned upon by many professionals including some doctors and physical therapists. There is also a concern among the general population along with parents worrying that their kids are going to hurt themselves performing the OL’s in a high school weightlifting program.

The OL’s are second to none in producing power development in athletes. Here is where some of the confusion and problems stem from:

1. Coaches/Trainers teaching the lifts incorrectly – This is the number one problem. The OL’s are incredibly coaching intensive. When the lifts are done correctly, they are extremely safe and VERY effective. But, they become a train wreck quickly when they are being coached by someone who does not fully understand the purpose and technique.

2. Not knowing who to do them with – The OL’s aren’t meant for everybody. They should mostly be performed with athletes but even that doesn’t qualify the use of the lift. Extremely tall athletes (basketball) or athletes with a past history of back problems should avoid them and choose one of the many alternatives.

3. Not knowing where to place them in a training session– You must understand the demands and purpose of the OL’s. They are used for power development and require a large central nervous system demand. Because of this, they should be placed at the beginning of a workout, after a warm up, before strength training.

You can see how many would confuse these as dangerous…………Because they are, in the WRONG hands!! A four year old with a chainsaw is dangerous too.

The girl in the video has some pretty good technique. So for the Olympic Lifting "purists" that watch it and start nit picking away........Don't try to pick fly sh** out of pepper :-) and realize that using the OL's to develop power for an athlete is different than using the OL's to make an Olympic Lifter.



Note: If your child is attending Newberg High School, they are in great hands with my good friend Coach Baumholtz.

DN

Sciatic Pain Relief

Every day, sciatic nerve pain debilitates thousands of people. Many people just deal with the nagging pain in their butt (literally) and push on through their day. There can be several reasons for sciatic nerve pain (many of which we will not discuss here) and finding relief can sometimes be more difficult than sitting through an episode of American Idol.

Often times, pain is wrongly attributed to a “tight muscle” when it is actually an irritated nerve. Getting a proper diagnosis is very important because treating the muscle for tightness (ex: hamstring stretching) will most likely irritate the nerve more.

One of the techniques I have seen work many times in situations of sciatic nerve pain is Nerve Flossing. This is a great technique that can work in as little as one time of performing it.

Scientists have suggested that nerves have the ability to create their own pathways as long as they can move. This makes sense since so many people find relief through “flossing”.

The idea of “nerve flossing” is to pull the cord and nerves from one end while releasing at the other end, and then to switch directions. Flexing at the cervical spine creates a pull on the cranial end of the spine and a release from the caudal end. As your knee extends at the same time your cervical spine extends, you reverse the pull.



Caution: Be very conservative in your first time of doing this. While this can be an unbelievable technique for chronic sciatica, it can also be an onset. If the nerve is adhered, it will not slide. Therefore, the problem will be exacerbated. If you feel no change or relief the next day, continue flossing.

Some Tips:
1. Keep the motion slow. Each cycle should last about 5 seconds.
2. Make sure the flexion/extension motion is coordinated
3. Begin with 10 repetitions. If it feels okay, continue to perform it several times per day.
4. Do not floss within 2 hours after rising from bed.

* Stuart McGill, Low Back Disorders second edition 2007
* Butler, 1999


DN

I Hate When People Write Stupid Things

I'm sorry, I just had to post this. I was reading an article on back pain on the Internet. It started out pretty good and was citing Stuart McGill's work. Then it took a turn for the worse. Half way through, I have a feeling the author started to consume illegal drugs, prescription pills and sniff glue all at the same time. Here are the not so bright highlights.

"Dead Lifts: If you are looking for 1 exercise with the highest likelihood of producing a back injury, then this is it. For example, people with osteoporosis can injure their back by simply bending over to pick up a pencil. Imagine what kind of pressures are being exerted within your lower spine when you bend over at the waist and try to lift a barbell."

Note to Author: Are you serious?? A deadlifting pattern is one of the most important patterns someone (especially with back pain) could learn!! And you don't bend over at your waist, you hinge at your hips. It's hip movement, not spine movement. If you actually read McGill's work, "Spare the Spine" would ring a bell.

"Weight-machines: Use a light weight and do a high number of repetitions. Pick a weight where you can do at least 20 reps. Your goal is to develop your core muscles by increasing muscular endurance."

Note to Author: Weight machines?? Light weight?? Everyone already knows my opinion on machines.......they are crap. But can someone please explain what light weight means? And how do you develop your core muscles on a machine?? Seriously, did you really read McGill's books?

"Pilates: Pilates is an excellent method to develop "core" strength (eg., the muscles of the torso)."

Note to Author: Repetitive flexion is the mechanism of disc herniation. Pg. 68-70 in Stuart McGill's book, Ultimate Back Fitness and Performance.


I don't have anything else to say :)

DN

On Your Way to a Pullup

You have always heard about the benefit of performing Pullups but have never done them because...........well, YOU CAN'T!!

Pullups are arguably one the best upper body exercises. The only problem is most people can not even do one pullup, so they get stuck on the evil step brother, (insert build up music here) "The Pulldown"!! In fact, even the people that CAN do a pullup choose to do the pulldown instead. This is because the pulldown is easier. Much easier. But "easy" does not produce results! So if you CAN physically perform pullups, you should not be caught on a pulldown machine. But what can the rest of you do so that you can be on your way to knocking out some pullups? Get a set of Superbands.They will progress you faster than an assisted pullup machine. Here is the simple progression:

- Use the 2 1/2" band until you can get 10 reps
- Progress to the 1 3/4" band for 10 reps
- Progress to the 1" band for 10 reps
- Almost there!! Now progress to the 1/2" band - By this point you will be able to do bodyweight pullups.

Here is the set up:


DN

Becoming Great

Read/study for one hour per day, and you will be in the top 5% in your chosen field within three to five years. Thats 1095 to 1825 hours of continueing education under your belt!

Not enough time in your day to read? Skip a tv show, get off the computer, or buy a book on time management and read it :)

Don't like to read? Than your in the wrong field/proffession. Get out sooner than later and look elsewhere.

DN

Featured Recipe

I actually can't remember where I got this recipe........Possibly John Berardi. So I don't know the name but lets call TASTY SLUDGE. Yeah, I like that name!!


2 Tbs Natural Peanut Butter
1/2 Cup Cottage Cheese
2 Tbs Ground Flax Seeds
Add some Agave Syrup or Honey

Stir it all up and enjoy!!

Total calories are around 430. You can alter this by adding more or less peanut butter.

Total Protein is about 23 grams

I know it sounds gross but it is actually really good. I'm wolfing some down right now!!

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Beware of New Media Brainwashing About High Fructose Corn Syrup

The Corn Refiners Association is launching a major advertising and public relations campaign designed to rehabilitate the reputation of high fructose corn syrup (HFCS). HFCS has been linked by many scientists to the nation's obesity epidemic. Read More....

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The Village Idiot

Stupidity at an all time high!!



Does any one have a big enough scale that we could weigh the risk to benefit ratio on this one?? I hope the coach has a good lawyer. And hopefully he has good health insurance because the first smart soul that catches him doing this is gonna smack him in the mouth!!

Hmmmmmm??? Maybe he has a money investment in a Dr., or Physical Therapist? Train althete - Injury athlete - Collect money - Repeat. Kinda fishy??

DN

Training Around Knee Pain

I get many pre-knee surgery and post-knee rehab clients. For the most part these people come to me in order to still get a training effect around the existing injury. The things we first look at are:

1. Eliminating knee dominant exercises that present ANY discomfort. Many times this is all of them.

2. Performing mostly hip dominant patterns. Deadlifting, bridging, etc. We will replace all knee dominant exercises for hip dominant. Basically overdosing on hip dominant exercises. The deadlifting pattern is of the most importance to learn, as it sets the patterning for squatting.

3. Restoring ankle and hip mobility. This is usually what caused the injury in the first place. If the ankle isn’t moving right and the hip is lacking mobility, guess what makes up the movement? Yes, the knee.

4. Waking up the foot musculature to produce stability thus making the ankle maintain the new found mobility. We do this by teaching the client proper foot positioning and including barefoot warm-ups.

5. In extreme cases where the client really cant use the leg at all, we will work the good leg only. This is called a “cross transfer”. The injured leg will actually get some of the benefits of the working leg even though the injured leg is not being exercised. This is because the body cannot completely separate itself.

On the road to recovery we look at:

1. Progressing to a single leg unsupported pain free squat. We use a progression of split squats, split squat back foot elevated, and finally single leg squatting with emphasis on progressive range of motion.

2. We also want the client to eccentrically decelerate in a dynamic environment. We use Mike Boyle’s plyometric progression for this. This is used in the later stages of recovery.

So, just because you have an existing injury or pain, this should not be an excuse to not train. There are many ways to train around all sorts of injuries. These are some that I use for knees.

DN

Spinal Flexion & Mixed Martial Arts

Q:
One of your recent posts about crunches said, “Can you think of anything in sport that emulates a crunch"? I know that you are a BJJ/MMA coach and practitioner, so wouldn’t you say that BJJ requires an athlete to constantly be in a flexed spinal position, especially in the guard position? I would think that you would know firsthand that ground fighting puts you in many odd and awkward positions? I train MMA and place many crunching variations in my strength program. I believe these help me in my training.

A:
Good question. But I think it is a bit too easy to say that because something happens in sport, we should train it. You should actually look at it from the opposite point of view. “There are many things that happen in sport that we should NOT train for". In MMA, we get kicked in the head and knocked out…..we don’t train that. In BJJ, we sometimes get our arms popped from an armbar……..we don’t train that. In football, 300 lb lineman blind side you at a ridiculous speed………we don’t train that. And in life, car accidents happen…….I hope no one trains for that!

I actually look at the whole spinal flexion thing, in regards to combat sports as “pattern overload”. Constantly repeating movements is a very common way to produce an injury. Because we are in flexed posture so often, I choose not to repetitively flex my athletes spines. Based on research, I cannot see how that can keep an athlete healthy long term. I am not anti-flexion. I am anti-repetitive flexion, loaded flexion, flexion with back pain present and any other time that flexion poses a risk.

Far too many people have not read Stuart McGill’s research. Do yourself a favor and read it yesterday.

DN

10 Random Thoughts

1. Its amazing that so many trainers and coaches don’t asses their clients and athletes. Assuming, is a HUGE mistake!! Get educated at the Function Movement Screen so that your clients get what they deserve.

2. Get off machines….better yet get your clients off machines. This is red handed robbery! People need to move through real ranges of motion not sit and exercise through fixed ranges of motion.

3. My wife and I like Hawaii better than Oregon.

4. Lunges are an advanced exercise. Beginners shouldn’t touch them.

5. People still do body-part training………I swear, I know, I thought it wasn’t true either!! Monday: Chest – Tuesday: Back – Wednesday: Legs – Thursday: Arms – Friday: Shoulders – Saturday: Toes & Eye lids. SCARY!! Dinosaurs aren’t extinct!!

6. Deadlifts rock!! That’s read “Deadlifts done right, rock!!”

7. Foam roll before you stretch. Decrease tissue density before you increase tissue length.

8. Valgus knees are sometimes not a hip issue. Don’t just look at the hip. Your body could be trying to put the big toe on the ground.

9. Wear shoes less. Go barefoot more.

10. Want to thrash your knees? Do leg extensions.

DN

Crunches are bad for you??

Q: I read that too much flexion of the spine is bad for you. Is this true? And if so, does this mean crunches and sit-ups are bad too?

A: According to Stuart McGill (the leading spine researcher in the world), absolutely. First let me tell you something about Stuart. When Stuart talks, you listen. I had the pleasure of meeting Stuart last weekend and that’s exactly what I did. I sat in awe and listened to the smartest human being I have sat (I was actually standing) in front of.

Here is the thing, research shows us that repeated flexion is bad. Not just bad, but it will eventually herniate a disc. If you look at how often the majority of people are in a flexed position, be it sitting at a computer, driving, or watching tv, it doesn’t even make sense to perform things like crunches, sit ups and forward flexed stretches. Our core is meant to keep our spine in a safe and stable position. Think “movement preventer”,not “movement producer”.

And its not just the general population that should avoid repetitive flexion. Athletes need to focus more on core stability and McGill says, “Sparing the Spine”. Ask yourself this, “Can you think of anything in sport that emulates a crunch?” Click here for alternatives to crunches.

And don’t just take my word for it. Check out the research:

1. Repeated flexion of the spine is necessary to cause herniation (Adams and Hutton, 1982). In fact, herniation of the disc seems impossible without full flexion.

2. Thousands of cycles of flexion are needed (Gordon et al., 1991 ; King, 1993 ;Callaghan and McGill, 2001) to herniate a healthy disc.

3. Prolonged sitting exacerbates the risk (Videman et al., 1990; Wilder et al, 1988).

4. Flexing forward with some lateral bend to the right will most likely result in a bulge, posterior lateral to the left in the disc.

5. It appears that repeated twisting causes the annulus to slowly delaminate

*Ultimate Back Fitness And Performance third edition, Stuart McGill, PhD

DN

Viewer Discretion is Advised

Videos like this remind me that myself and others have not made much of an impact on the world of fitness.......Enjoy the laughs!!
DN

Your Big Rocks

I got this story from Mike Boyle. Mike is a Strength and Conditioning coach I look up to and respect very much. Visit his site at strengthcoach.com

"When things in your life seem almost to much to handle, when 24 hours in a day are not enough, remember the mayonnaise jar...and the beer. A professor stood before his philosophy class and had some items in front of him. When the class began, wordlessly, he picked up a very large and empty mayonnaise jar and proceeded to fill it with golf balls ( your big rocks, what you
fundamentally believe). He then asked the students if the jar was full.
They agreed that it was. So the professor then picked up a box of pebbles and poured them into the jar. He shook the jar lightly. The pebbles rolled into the open areas between the golf balls. He then asked the students again if the jar was full. They agreed it was. The professor next picked up a box of sand and poured it into the jar. Of course, the sand filled up everything else. He asked once more if the jar was full. The students responded with a unanimous "yes." The professor then produced two cans of beer from under the table and poured the entire contents into the jar, effectively filling the empty space between the sand. The students laughed.

"Now," said the professor, as the laughter subsided, "I want you to recognize that this jar represents your life. The golf balls are the important things--your family, your children, your health, your friends, …"The pebbles are the other things that matter like your job, your house, your car. The sand is everything else--the small stuff. If you put the sand into the jar first," he continued, "there is no room for the pebbles or the golf balls. The same goes for life. If you spend all your time and energy on the small stuff, you will never have room for the things that are important to you. Pay attention to the things that are critical to your happiness. "Take care of the golf balls first, the things that really matter. Set your priorities. The rest is just pebbles and sand." One of the students raised her hand and inquired what the beer represented. The professor smiled. "I'm glad you asked. It just goes to show you that no matter how full your life may seem, there's always room for a couple of beers."

DN