Strengthcoach.com Audio Interview with Dewey Nielsen

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:

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

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?

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???

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:

DN

Want Back Pain? Try Pilates

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

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

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



"Cheater Cheater Over Eater"

DN

IPT Athletes go Undefeated!

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)

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.....

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"

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.....

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

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

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

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

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

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



DN

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

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