5 High-Calorie Breakfasts for More Muscle

by Mike Roussell, PhD – 8/23/2011

If you've been less than successful in your pursuit to get bigger and stronger, the answer could be you simply need more calories. Not crappy calories either; clean, nutrient dense calories, as I'm assuming your goal is to get muscular, not fat.
It all starts with breakfast. Eat the right breakfast and you'll be on track for the rest of the day. That's what I'm going to help you with today.
When size and strength are the goal, I'll go with a higher carbohydrate approach. If fat gain and insulin sensitivity become an issue, I'll change the types of carbs and begin to drop them.
The macronutrient breakdown that I like to start with is 40/30/30 (carbs/pro/fat). This isn't high carbs by many standards but with my low carb preference, 40% of calories from carbs is 50-100% greater than the maintenance level for most clients.
The next step is distribution of calories and carbohydrates, including types of carbohydrates. As a rule I keep meal size the same during the day and just modify the types of calories that make up those meals.
Here's how to break it down concerning carbohydrate type. If you work out in the morning, use this model:

Morning Workout

• Meal 1: Starchy carbs & fruits/vegetables
• Meal 2: Workout nutrition
• Meal 3: Starchy carbs & fruits/vegetables
• Meal 4: Starchy carbs & fruits/vegetables
• Meal 5: Vegetables & legumes
• Meal 6: Vegetables & legumes

If you work out in the evening, use this model:

Evening Workout

• Meal 1: Starchy carbs & fruits/vegetables
• Meal 2: Vegetables & legumes
• Meal 3: Vegetables & legumes
• Meal 4: Workout nutrition
• Meal 5: Starchy carbs & fruits/vegetables
• Meal 6: Starchy carbs & fruits/vegetables

As you can see, regardless of when you work out, you need a hefty dose of starchy carbs first thing in the morning. I do this for two reasons.

1. Restore Glycogen Levels

The graphic below shows that glycogen stores are relatively depleted first thing in the morning due to your overnight fast. If you're in a hypertrophy phase, you'll hopefully be getting an even longer night sleep, which means they could be even more depleted.

2. Counteract Cortisol

A hefty dose of starchy carbs will lead to a larger secretion of insulin. As shown below, cortisol levels follow a circadian rhythm, meaning cortisol levels will be higher in the morning. Insulin counteracts cortisol, and the slightly increased insulin sensitivity in the morning compared to the evening makes first thing in the morning a strategic time to fight cortisol with insulin.

Putting Your Plan into Action

Theory and strategy are nice but let's put it into action. Below you'll find five nutrient-dense breakfasts ranging from 850-1000 calories each. They're all approximately 40/30/30 and will help you get your daily pursuit for size and strength off on the right foot.

Red Pepper & Turkey Bacon Omelet

• 3 omega-3 eggs
• 3 egg whites
• 1 slice cheddar cheese
• 2 scallions, chopped
• 1/2 roasted red bell pepper, diced
• 3 slices turkey bacon, chopped
• 2 slices Ezekiel bread
• 1 cup fresh blueberries
• 2 cups sliced strawberries

Servings: 1
How to Prepare: Coat a nonstick pan with cooking spray and place over medium heat. Mix eggs and egg whites together in a bowl. Add egg mixture to pan and let cook, occasionally lifting with a spatula so that the uncooked portion of the egg mixture will be exposed to the pan.
Once egg mixture is solidified (but not necessarily completely cooked through), add scallions, turkey bacon, red pepper, and cheese. Fold omelet in half on top of itself; reduce heat, and let cook for 1-2 more minutes. While eggs are cooking, toast the Ezekiel bread. Combine blueberries and strawberries together in a bowl. Eat the omelet and sprouted grain bread with the bowl of fruit salad.

Banana Parfait

• 2/3 cup vanilla almond crunch Bear Naked Granola
• 1 2/3 cups 2% plain Greek yogurt
• 1 scoop Banana Metabolic Drive® Low Carb
• 1/4 cup whole blanched almonds
• 1 banana, sliced

Servings: 1
How to Prepare: Combine all the ingredients in a blender. Blend until smooth and drink. For a thicker shake add more ice or less water. For a thinner shake, add more water or less ice.

Hardgainer Breakfast Blender Bomb

• 1 cup rolled oats
• 3 scoops Vanilla Metabolic Drive® Low Carb
• 1 medium diced apple
• 1/4 cup chopped pecans
• 1 tsp. cinnamon
• 1 tsp. Splenda
• 2-3 cups water
• 4 ice cubes

Servings: 1
How to Prepare: Combine all the ingredients in a blender. Blend until smooth and drink. For a thicker shake add more ice or less water. For a thinner shake, add more water or less ice.

Spinach & Black Bean Breakfast Tacos

• 2 omega-3 eggs
• 3 egg whites
• 3 oz spinach (1/2 a bag of prewashed baby spinach)
• 3 Tbsp. salsa
• 2 scallions, chopped
• 3 Tbsp. shredded Monterey jack cheese
• 1/2 cup low sodium canned black beans, rinsed
• 4 small Al Fresco chicken sausage links
• 4 corn tortillas

Servings: 1
How to Prepare: Coat a nonstick pan with cooking spray and place over medium heat. Add spinach, salsa, chicken sausage, scallions, and black beans. Once the spinach has wilted, set the mixture aside in a small bowl. Next, mix egg and egg whites together in a bowl. Coat the frying pan again with nonstick spray, add egg mixture to pan, let cook, scrambling with spatula.
Once eggs have scrambled but are still a little watery, add black bean/spinach mixture and shredded cheese. Mix and combine until the cheese has melted. While eggs are cooking, wrap corn tortillas in a damp paper towel and microwave for 20-30 seconds. Eat the black bean and spinach scramble with corn tortillas as tacos.

Cranberry-Almond Oatmeal

• 1 cup rolled oats
• 3 Tbsp. dried cranberries, unsweetened
• 1/4 cup almonds, sliced
• 2 scoops Vanilla Metabolic Drive® Low Carb
• 1 1/2 cups unsweetened vanilla almond milk
• 1 Tbsp. heavy cream

Servings: 1
How to Prepare: Combine almond milk, oats, and cranberries in a bowl. Microwave for 1-2 minutes. Stir and let sit for 1 minute. Mix in Metabolic Drive®, heavy cream, and almonds.

Conclusion

Without question, the pre, mid, and post workout window are critical periods for gaining muscle mass, but it's breakfast that sets you on the fast track to Hypertophytown.
Give a few of these quick and easy recipes a shot and see why your Grandma always told you that breakfast is the most important meal of the day!

Wikio

Training Speed to Get Strong

by Eric Cressey – 8/22/2011
Imagine two lifters standing near one another – each with a barbell loaded to 405 pounds on the floor in front of them.
Assume these two are identical in every way – except for one key fact. Lifter A was a high-jumper, but Lifter B got his physique from more traditional bodybuilding methods.
Neither of these guys has ever deadlifted 405 previously.
Which of the two do you put your money on to hit the PR if you don't know anything else about them?
Ten times out of ten, I take the high jumper – and I'd guarantee you that most folks in the human performance industry would do the same. Why?
Based on his athletic background, you can assume that he's learned to apply force quickly.
These two might have the exact same peak force capabilities, but the guy who can put force into the ground the quickest to break that bar from the floor stands a better chance of completing the lift.
The take-home message is very simple: learn to apply force quickly and it'll make you stronger. The optimal approach, however, is not that simple; in fact, it's different for everyone – and that's what I'll cover in this article.

What You Can Learn from the Crazy Father of an Unathletic 14 Year-Old

At Cressey Performance, we train a lot of high school athletes. Roughly once a week, we have a father come in and tell us that his kid needs more "agility training" in his program because he isn't quite fast enough. I encourage them all to read this article: Make My Kid Run Faster.
The basic gist of the article is that you can do all the speed training you want with a young kid, but unless he has a foundation of strength, it won't help much at all. It's the equivalent of swapping out the fuzzy dice in the mirror of a car with no engine.
Sprinting and change-of-direction work involve substantial ground reaction forces, and without adequate strength to provide eccentric control, unprepared bodies turn to mush. You have to have force in order to display force quickly.
How does this apply to incorporating speed work in a strength-training program? Very simply, if you haven't built a solid foundation of strength, incorporating specific speed work in your program probably won't do much for you.
What's a solid foundation of strength? If I had to estimate it based on previous experience, I'd say a 1.5x body weight squat, 1.25x body weight bench press, and 1.75x body weight deadlift.
With folks that aren't quite at that level who still want to give a passing nod to speed, I typically just recommend that they add a few additional warm-up sets on their first exercise of the day. On these additional sets, their focus is outstanding concentric bar speed in perfect technique. So if a 185-pound guy is working up to squatting 230x3, he might proceed as follows:

Bar (45) x 8
95 x 5
135 x 3
155 x 3 Fast
165 x 3 Fast
175 x 3 Fast
185 x 3
205 x 3
230 x 3 (first official work set)

A normal work-up for this guy might be 45x8, 95x5, 135x3, 185x3, 205x3 – and then on to his first work set at 230. In this instance, however, he adds an additional three sets of speed work without beating up on his body or adding unnecessary volume that could interfere with his more important work sets.
In the process, he not only gets a chance to practice technique, but also learns that he should always accelerate the bar as fast as possible. The intent to develop force quickly is where it's at – even if the bar speed isn't tremendous, that bar speed will come in time.

What Constitutes Speed Work, Anyway?

I've seen some blanket recommendations about how to best train bar speed in the weight room, but I'm not sure that there's one that's universally accurate. You see, the slower you are (regardless of how much force you can develop), the lower the percentage of one-repetition maximum (1RM) you'll need to use.
Conversely, the fastest guys usually don't even need to train speed; their natural reactive ability allows them to just lift heavy stuff and continue to get faster. You can usually identify these naturally fast-twitch guys as people who will absolutely smoke a lift at 99% of their 1RM, but get absolutely stapled by 101%. They either crush a lift or don't get it at all (whereas most folks will have to grind them all out).
As the saying goes, "It's easier to make a fast guy strong than it is to make a strong guy fast." Most folks (myself included) are somewhere in the middle.
With that in mind, I like to let the bar "sound" dictate whether the weight is right. In most cases, if you're accelerating the bar with good speed, you'll hear the plates rattle against each other in the strongest portion of the movement.
In fact, a good way to test this out is to simply load up a bar to roughly the weight you think you should use, but use several 2.5- and 5-pound plates in the process, then put the safety clamp about 1" away from the weights. If you're smoking big weights, the plates will make some noise – but you won't get this if the bar is too heavy.
At what weight will this take place? In most cases, 40-70% of 1RM is your best bet. Of course, there are exceptions; as an example, jump squat percentages will be lower because you're actually leaving the ground. And, of course, the Olympic lifts – which are absolutely fantastic for improving rate of force development – are self-limiting in that if you can't move the bar fast, you simply won't complete the lift.
Of course, all the preceding paragraphs assume that you need external loading to improve speed to the point that it'll carry over to lifting. That's not necessarily the case.

Ten Ways to Train Speed in Your Strength Training Program

A lot of folks get stuck in a rut when it comes to training speed in the context of strength and conditioning. It seems like everyone's all about just doing box squats and bench presses – but there really are a number of other options.

• Sprinting: No equipment needed. It might not carry over perfectly from a specificity standpoint, but running fast will never make you less athletic. In terms of resisted sprinting, I've never been a fan of sprinting with parachutes, but we will use sprinting with sleds.
• Box Jumps: You go up, but don't come down – so the pounding on the body is minimized. I've read of quite a few high-level deadlifters who have utilized box jumps with outstanding success.
• Countermovement (Vertical) and Broad Jumps: You can do these with body weight only, or against added resistance. Band-resisted broad jumps are arguably my favorite exercise for training posterior chain power.
• Medicine Ball Drills: These might not carry over from a specificity standpoint, but frankly, people spend too much time in the sagittal plane – and power training is no different. Plus, it's fun as hell to try to smash medicine balls. You can do overhead, rotational, and scoop variations. I'd also put sledgehammer swings against tires in this category.

• Non-Sagittal Plane Plyos: Like medicine ball drills, they aren't necessarily "specific" to lifting, but there will be carryover, and you'll certainly move better on the whole. We utilize many different variations of heidens with our athletes.

• Olympic lifts: As noted earlier, assuming you learn proper technique and you have the adequate mobility to perform them correctly, you can't go wrong with Olympic lifts if you're trying to improve universal bar speed. Cleans, snatches, high pulls, jerks, you name it; if you're slow, they can help.
• Squat Variations: Following the percentage variations I noted above, you have loads of options for variations: different bars (straight bar, giant cambered bar, safety squat bar), free squats, box squats, Anderson squats (from pins or chains), and different forms of accommodating resistances (chains and bands).
• Deadlift Variations: I increased my deadlift from 510 to 628 in just under a year, and I'm convinced that it had to do with the fact that my programs included speed deadlift variations twice a week for that entire period. You can do conventional, sumo, trap bar, and snatch grip variations.
• Bench Press Variations: As with the last two examples, variety is easy to include. You can vary grip width, change bars (straight bar, multipurpose bar, thick bar), perform the movement with or without a pause at the bottom, and implement different accommodating resistances.
• Plyometric or Clap Push-ups: These can be a good change of pace for those who are bored with speed benching – and they can be great exercises to take on the road if you don't have a lot of equipment at your fingertips.

How to Pick the Right Speed Exercises for You


Several factors influence which of the above modalities you choose, but the foremost of these factors are a) your goal and b) your current training experience. If your goal is to deadlift a Buick, then you need to go with specific options. I'd use speed deadlift variations almost exclusively, and perhaps just use some broad/box jump variations and a bit of hip dominant squatting for speed as variety. Specificity will always rule if lifting heavier weights is the only goal. If you're just an Average Joe trying to get more athletic with some solid carryover to your strength training program, I'd rotate my "speed work" on a monthly basis. Each month, in both the upper and lower body, I'd do one movement with minimal external loading (jumping variation, sprinting, medicine ball work) and another with more appreciable loading (speed box squats, speed deadlifts, or Olympic lifts). If you have two upper-body and two lower-body training sessions in each week, you could simply do one in each as the first movement of each session. I'm in this category, and I tend to do one day of speed benches and one day of speed squats or deadlifts per week, then supplement it with a bit of sprinting and some medicine ball throws. In other words, I get some general, and some specific. If you've got decent speed already, chances are that you can get away with just once a week in both the upper and lower body. As you can probably tell, I don't see any reason to devote specific training sessions, weeks, or entire blocks specifically to training speed. Rather, I see it as one component of a comprehensive program – and something that can be trained alongside other strength qualities in each training block. You might do more of it at certain times than others, but that doesn't mean it should be performed to the exclusion of everything else; heavy lifting and rep work definitely still has its place!

When to Include Speed Work

Most of the time, the best place to put your speed drills is first thing in your strength training session, right after the warm-up. In other words, it'd be your "A1." There are, however, a few exceptions to the rule. I've often done my speed deadlifting as my "B1" exercise after heavy squatting. We'll also integrate complex training, in which a speed exercise is preceded by a heavier load. In other words, you might do a heavy set of 2-4 reps on a front squat, and then do a set of five countermovement (vertical) jumps within 20-30 seconds. You'd rest 2-3 minutes, and then repeat the process. Through a principle known as post-activation potentiation, the heavy loading of the front squat increases neural drive and recruitment of high-threshold motor units, which in turn allows for greater power output on the subsequent task. It can work great, but if you do it all the time, you can burn athletes out. Finally, in certain cases, it might be necessary to do a separate speed session altogether. Sprinting and medicine ball work, for instance, may need to take place in a separate location than lifting, so for sake of convenience, you'd just perform those exercises on their own. Basically, the idea is to train speed when you're fresh. Doing a bunch of box jumps at the end of a heavy lower body training session isn't just unproductive; it's dangerous.

Wrapping Up

Everyone needs speed, but some certainly need to improve in this regard more than others – and some don't even "qualify" for dedicated speed work because they haven't already built up a solid foundation. If you use the aforementioned strategies for implementing speed training in your training programs, I'm confident that you'll start hitting big weights faster than ever.

Judo : Teddy Riner remporte un cinquième titre mondial

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Teddy Riner a réalisé samedi un exploit en devenant le premier judoka de l'histoire cinq fois champion du monde.AFP/MIGUEL MEDINA

Le Français Teddy Riner (lire notre portrait) est entré samedi dans l'histoire du judo en décrochant un cinquième titre de champion du monde. Avant lui, seuls trois hommes avaient remporté quatre médailles d'or. C'est l'un d'eux, le Français David Douillet, élu dimanche dernier meilleur judoka de l'histoire, qui lui a remis sa médaille d'or sous les hurlements d'un palais omnisports de Bercy plein à craquer.

Riner a remporté la catégorie des + 100 kg en battant en finale l'Allemand Toelzer. Malgré un dernier combat plus accroché que les précédents, Riner a réalisé un parcours sans-faute grâce à six ippons. Le Russe Alexander Mikhaylin et le Sud-Coréen Kim Sung-min remportent la médaille de bronze.

Avant cela, Teddy Riner n'avait pas passé beaucoup de temps sur le tatami samedi, pour se qualifier pour la finale des +100 kg des championnats du monde de judo en cinq combats, autant d'ippons et au total un peu plus de 7 minutes, contrairement aux autres Français, tous éliminés.

En demi-finale, Riner avait effectué une véritable démonstration face au Sud-Coréen Sung-Min Kim. Le Français a écrasé son adversaire en moins d'une minute grâce à un o-soto-gari de toute beauté. Il avait battu son record de rapidité en quarts de finale, mettant sur le dos le Hongrois Barna Bor après 33 secondes de combat. Précédemment, le numéro 1 mondial et tenant du titre, avait battu le Brésilien Daniel Hernandes (en 1 minute 43 secondes), l'Allemand Robert Zimmermann (1 minute 55 secondes) et le Mongol Batsuuri Namsraijav (2 minutes 45 secondes).

Victorieux des Mondiaux en 2007, 2009 et 2010 en +100kg, Riner s'était également imposé en toutes catégories en 2008. "Ce titre il est beau. Il est à Paris. Il y avait une revanche à prendre et du monde", déclarait Riner juste après son combat, évoquant la finale perdue en toutes catégories lors des derniers Mondiaux, à Tokyo.

Teddy Riner face au Hongrois Bor.REUTERS/CHARLES PLATIAU

Le Russe Tagir Khaybulaev a remporté le titre de champion du monde des -100kg en dominant le Kazakh Maxim Rakov en finale. Le Géorgien Irakli Tsirekidze et le Tchèque Lukas Krpalek remportent la médaille de bronze. Côté français, Thierry Fabre et Cyrille Maret se sont inclinés sur ippon, respectivement au 3^e et 2^e tour contre le Kazakh Maxim Rakov et l'Allemand Dimitri Peters.

Enfin chez les dames, le duel chinois en + 78 kg a tourné à l'avantage de Tong Wen face à Qin Qian. La Japonaise Mika Sugimoto et la Russe Elena Ivashchenkoremportent la médaille de bronze. Pour les Françaises, la journée a été délicate. Ketty Mathe a plié lors de son premier combat contre la Chinoise Qin Qian (yuko) tandis qu'Anne-Sophie Mondière est tombée sur ippon face à la Slovène Lucija Polavder.

Wikio

Le judo expliqué à ma mère (2/2)

Créé en 1882 par Jigoro Kano, jeune étudiant japonais, le judo est aujourd'hui une référence mondiale du combat à mains nues et le troisième art martial le plus pratiqué au monde, derrière le karaté et le taekwondo. Mais le judo reste mystérieux pour certains, comme pour ma mère, par exemple. Ce qui n'est généralement pas un problème, bien entendu, sauf pour profiter pleinement des Mondiaux de Paris(23-28 août). Le Monde.fr vous propose donc, en quelques vidéos, une petite leçon de rattrapage, non exhaustive, sur cette "voie de la souplesse" que l'on appelle judo.

Après les deux premiers épisodes consacrés aux règles de base et au système de points, voici une petite présentation des grandes techniques du judo, ainsi que la réponse à une question cruciale : mais quel est donc le "spécial" de Teddy Riner?...

Les grandes techniques du judo :

Dis-moi quel est ton "spécial"...

Avec Florent Bouteiller (en blanc) et Maxence Bouché (en bleu).
Réalisé par Erwan Le Duc.

Wikio

Le judo expliqué à ma mère (1/2)

Combat de judo lors des Jeux asiatiques 2010 en Chine.REUTERS/© Jason Lee / Reuters

Créé en 1882 par Jigoro Kano, jeune étudiant japonais, le judo est aujourd'hui une référence mondiale du combat à main nue, et le troisième art martial le plus pratiqué au monde, derrière le karaté et le taekwondo. La légende raconte que Kano, fin connaisseur des techniques de combat traditionnelles, s'était inspiré de la fable de l'arbre et du roseau, en remarquant que la souplesse de ce dernier lui évitait de craquer face aux intempéries. Il développa alors un art martial fondé sur"la voie de la souplesse", et sur un code moral mettant en avant le respect et la confiance accordée à l'adversaire.

Discipline olympique depuis 1972, le judo est aujourd'hui le quatrième sport le plus pratiqué en France, derrière le football, le tennis et l'équitation. Un rayonnement qui est également devenu médiatique, à l'occasion des grandes compétitions, JO ou Mondiaux. Mais le judo reste mystérieux pour certains, comme pour ma mère, par exemple, qui peine encore à saisir pourquoi l'arbitre n'a accordé qu'un yuko après cet uchi mata d'école qui a envoyé l'adversaire au sol... A l'occasion des Mondiaux de Paris (23-28 août), voici donc, en quelques vidéos, une petite leçon de rattrapage, non exhaustive, sur cette "voie de la souplesse" que l'on appelle judo.

Premier épisode : comment gagner un combat au judo ?

Deuxième épisode : le kumikata, ou l'importance de la prise de garde

A suivre, les grandes techniques du judo et un décryptage sur les mouvements préférés des meilleurs judokas tricolores.

Wikio

Long Live the Overhead Press

by Mike Robertson – 8/18/2011

Overhead pressing should be a staple in almost everyone's workouts. Unfortunately, some people can't overhead press pain-free, period.
I know I'm going to catch some flack. "But Mike, back in the day guys overhead pressed all the time and never had shoulder issues. What gives?"
I hate to break it to you, but a lot has happened since then.
Computers. Gaming. More driving. And a much more sedentary lifestyle. These things have greatly affected our ability to not only overhead press, but often to just reach overhead!
Look, I think overhead pressing is awesome. I'd rejoice in a world where everyone could do it safely and effectively, building the kind of superhero deltoids that any pro-level bodybuilder would be proud to sport.
But for many that's not the case. If you're serious about training, and not just getting strong but staying healthy and doing it for a long time, you need to be qualified to overhead press.

An Anatomy Primer

Let's quickly discuss the pertinent anatomy involved. Effective overhead movement begins and ends with the thoracic spine. Quite simply, if you're in an excessively kyphotic or "slouched" shoulder position, there's no way you're going to safely press overhead.
When the thoracic spine is excessively kyphotic, it places the scapulae in a poor position. Instead of being tucked down and back a bit, it's forced to ride up higher on the ribcage. This forward drawn position also narrows the subacromial space, which will force you to impinge sooner.
(Granted, there's some degree of "impingement" any time you press overhead. The real issue is when your mechanics are off and this impingement becomes excessive, problematic, or causes pain.)
Finally, by being excessively kyphotic you lose the ability to fully flex the shoulder.

Try this right now.

• Slump forward while sitting at your computer.
• Reach up as high overhead as you can. Note how high you get.
• Now, sit up as straight as you can and repeat the test.

Chances are your shoulder range of motion improved dramatically. You just learned how important the thoracic spine is!
Quality overhead movement goes further than just the t-spine. You also need quality upward rotation of the scapulae. The upper traps, lower traps, and serratus anterior all play a role in promoting upward rotation.
Finally, a strong rotator cuff will help depress the humeral head and position it appropriately in the glenoid fossa.
To summarize, you need three things to overhead press well:

• Adequate thoracic spine extension.
• Adequate upward rotation of the scapulae.
• A strong and stable rotator cuff.

Note. One thing you have absolutely no control over is the shape of your acromion, which decides how much space your rotator cuff has to "breathe."

There are three types of acromions, and they're roughly distributed between thirds of the population. In other words, 1/3 of you have a Type 1, another 1/3 have a Type 2, and the final 1/3 have a Type 3.
Check out the picture below:

Type 1. Genetically blessed and probably able to overhead press without issue. I would imagine most high-level Olympic lifters fall into this category.

Type 2. 50/50, could go either way. You might be fine pressing overhead (especially if your mechanics are on point), but then again, you might not.

Type 3. Your shoulder genetics are giving you the middle finger. You may do many things right in your programming but overhead pressing still gives you issues.

I'm a huge believer in mechanics. You can't "fix" your anatomy, but you can absolutely take an active role in improving your movement. Some people may not be the most genetically blessed to overhead press safely and effectively, but you'll never really know unless you take the necessary time to fix your mechanics.
That said, let's look at some things you can implement in your program immediately to qualify yourself to overhead press.

Moving and Shaking with the T-Spine

The t-spine is a driver to the rest of the upper body. If your t-spine is out of whack or in poor alignment, it throws off everything else down the kinetic chain.
Poor t-spine extension may not necessarily manifest itself in shoulder issues, either. I've seen many people with crappy t-spine mobility compensate by excessively arching and compressing the hell out of their lower back. Either way, your lack of t-spine motion will cost you.
Best case? Your performance suffers. Worst case? You end up seriously injured.
To get the t-spine in better alignment, I like a multi-pronged approach.

• Behavior modification.
• Specific mobility drills.
• Skewed programming.

Let's examine each.
Behavior modification is easy. If you sit all day long, you need to improve the position in which you sit. Sounds simple, right?
When you read that, did you just adjust your posture? Did you sit up a bit taller?
I'm assuming you did, and that's fine. What we need is a subtle cue that you can use throughout the day to get tons of these little "corrections."
While paying the new kid in accounting 10 bucks a day to jab you with a cattle prod every time he sees you slumping at your desk may be effective, it likely isn't practical, so I have a more tech-savvy approach.
I'm assuming you have a cellphone with a timer on it. If not, go to any department store and pick up a cheap kitchen timer. Whenever you're working at a desk, driving your car, gaming, etc., set the timer for 15 minutes. When the timer goes off, check your posture and if it ain't kosher, fix it.
Once you've done that, start the timer up again and repeat this process throughout the day. So if you work a standard eight-hour shift, and you correct your posture four times every hour, that's 32 postural corrections every workday!
Does this excite anyone else or is it just me?
In all seriousness, this is a simple but critical step. If you want to improve your t-spine posture, get serious about fixing it throughout the day.
Next, mobility drills are key. You need a blend of thoracic spine extension, and thoracic spine rotation.
For extension, there's nothing better than working to wrap your upper back over a foam roller pre-workout. It's like what I predict a date with Lindsay Lohan will be in 2013, cheap, easy, and effective.

Once you have more extension, it's time to get more rotation. Concerning the t-spine, extension is the key that unlocks rotation. If you can't extend, you sure as heck won't be able to rotate well!
One of my favorite drills to unlock t-spine rotation is the quadruped extension-rotation.
Start off in the quadruped position and place the fingertips of one hand behind your head. From here, take your elbow down towards the opposite side knee, and then reverse the motion and "open up" towards the ceiling. I find that using the head and eyes as a driver really helps with the motion.

You can use these movements pre-workout as well as before bed, or within a "mini-mobility" circuit that you perform on off days.

Scapular Upward Rotation

Once the t-spine is in proper alignment, we need the upward rotators to be on point so they can help "drive" the scapulae into the correct position.
As mentioned, the upper traps, lower traps, and serratus anterior all play a role in upward rotation. It's very rare to find a truly "weak" upper trap, so let's focus on the other two muscle groups.
The lower traps are not only involved in upward rotation of the scapulae, but in scapular depression (think about tucking your shoulder blades into your back pockets).
Similarly, push-ups not only upwardly rotate the scapulae, but protract them (think about gliding them around your rib cage towards the front of your body).
What you often see in gyms are guys and gals trying in vain to "activate" these muscles. Activation is fine, but at some point you need to cement that activation with actual strength.
Fortunately, there are non-sissy options for developing both the lower traps and serratus, and they're exercises you may already be incorporating into your routine. The key, however, is doing them with precision and focusing on the little things that most trainees gloss over.
For the lower traps, I've found nothing better than chin-up and pull-up variations. However, most people take that term "chin-up" too literally. I almost prefer the term "chest-up" as your goal should be to get your chest/collarbone to the bar.
As you're approaching the midpoint (top) of each repetition, think about keeping your chest out and pulling the shoulder blades down into your back pocket.

This is true scapular depression, and for many, those last 2-3 inches of getting to the bar will be incredibly difficult. If this is the case, don't let your ego get in the way –try either a chin-up ISO, or a band-assisted chin-up to ensure you can get to that top position.

Push-ups are cut from a similar cloth. Many know about the benefits of doing push-ups, but there's one subtle thing most miss out on.
When performing push-ups, folks rarely finish the rep. In other words, they don't exaggerate pushing their body away from the floor. I almost hate the name "push-up plus." I want everyone doing the "plus" at the end of their push-up, as that's what really develops the serratus.
When performed correctly, you should feel a burn along the side of your ribcage. Many will confuse this with the lats, but it's really the serratus doing the work.
Furthermore, don't feel constrained to simply doing push-ups with body weight. There are many awesome push-up variations such as X-vest push-ups, band-resisted push-ups, and of course, chain push-ups. (Deep down, we all know that any time you use chains, you're immediately more badass.)

If overhead pressing just isn't happening for you, make these lifts a priority over the next 2-3 months. I think you'll be pleasantly surprised with the result.

A Strong, Stable 'Cuff

The final component to safely pressing overhead is a strong and stable rotator cuff.
People assume far too often that if they do some internal and external rotations at the end of their workout that they're somehow free and clear of any shoulder pain.
Wrong.
The rotator cuff is much more dynamic than people give it credit for. Instead of focusing on basic rotation exercises, your goal should be to get more integrated in your approach. The goal is to get your 'cuff to naturally or reflexively turn on when it's supposed to, so it can put the humeral head in the right position.
Rather than finding 50 more external rotation variations, try these two exercises below.

A final option is to just setup several med balls next to each other and "walk" across them using your hands. This is incredibly taxing on the rotator cuff and integrates the core to boot!

One Last Thing

I know some of you will incorporate these tools into your program and then immediately want to throw down a PR overhead press. Please don't do this!
It's much wiser to ease back into overhead pressing. For example, start with a single-arm, neutral grip overhead press to start. This will get your core engaged, open up that subacromial space, and get you back into pressing without killing yourself the first workout.
From there, use a two-dumbbell variation (still with a neutral grip), or even go back to a more standard grip for a month.

Once you've worked your way through that progression, test the waters with a barbell and see where you stand.

Summary

Although it warms my heart to see the sheer awesomeness of the overhead press finally being recognized, it unfortunately isn't a lift that certain populations can do safely or effectively.
For those who qualify to press overhead, I wish you all the best in your efforts to fill out your sport coats. For those who don't quite measure up, there are other methods you should explore before hoisting the heavy iron to the ceiling.
Got a question or comment? Leave them in the LiveSpill and I'll do my best to help you out!

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Complex Neuromuscular Training for Size and Strength

Squat and Sprint

Complex Neuromuscular Training for Size and Strength

by Dean Somerset – 8/16/2011

What's the best way to pack on pounds of lean mass? Heavy loads with long rest periods? High volume with short rest periods? A combination of the two, with a sprinkle of P-90X thrown in for flavor?

Though either approach can certainly "work," you don't have to look further than the nearest gymnastic training center to see that there are other effective ways to pack on appreciable muscle mass. Considering gymnasts often have some of the thickest arms and shoulders per pound of body mass of any athlete, it's surprising you don't see more gym rats hitting the rings or pommel horse.

And let's not forget sprinters. Many 100m and 200m sprinters like Harry Aikines-Aryeetey from the UK have more beef on their arms, shoulders, and thighs than many gym rats could ever dream of building. On top of that, their muscles tend to have a "denser" look, possibly due to a higher concentration of contractile proteins than that of bodybuilders, where increased cell volume and intramuscular glycogen play a big role (sarcoplasmic hypertrophy).

I recall watching training footage of disgraced Canadian sprinter Ben Johnson before his performance enhancement drug scandal. For one particular workout, Johnson brought a squat rack onto the track and performed an extremely heavy set of back squats (I think he had over 500 pounds) for 3-5 reps, then immediately burst from the cage in a full speed sprint for 60m.

The reasoning behind this was to overload the nervous system in a sort of "pre-fatigue" manner with the back squats, and then have to generate power through the already tired legs to achieve top velocity.

To put it differently, he was working the fast-twitch fibers with high-force, low-speed contractions in the back squat, and then immediately hitting them with high-force, high-speed contractions in sprinting. It was two mechanically different activities requiring a high degree of neural activity to produce maximal force in a sort of bipolar manner.

This was interesting as much of the prevailing wisdom at the time regarding hypertrophy revolved around simply lifting heavier weights within an 8-12 rep range. As you got stronger you either lifted more weight or did another rep with the same weight in the subsequent workouts.

The idea of resistance and speed of contraction being inversely related didn't take into account the muscle force production capacity, and the associated muscle activity to get it there.

This is why many athletes can generate huge muscle force components with relatively light resistance (baseball, punching, golf, etc.). If we were to crank up the resistance without significantly affecting the top-end movement speed, we'd see some explosive gains in size and strength.

So I started experimenting. I couldn't take a squat rack onto the field, but I was able to position a squat rack and a cycle ergometer right next to each other. I'd set up the rack for a heavy set and then hop on the bike for a 6-second bout of very high speed sprint work that left my legs feeling like Jell-O.

After two months, both my squat weight and sprint speed were up significantly, along with noticeable growth in my quads and hamstrings. My acceleration and top speed in all the sports I was participating in was up, too.

I tried this workout again a decade later – being outside the fantastic adaptable teenage hormonal years – with similar results. I then tried it on a few of my "hard-gainer" clients, and found that with only two workouts a week in this scheme, both saw solid gains in size and strength.

One client gained 10 pounds of muscle in two months (going from 156 at 5'8" to 166) without changing his diet, and after training hard for over a year. Another gained 14 pounds after already training for two years, but found that his diet definitely changed because he was eating almost anything that wasn't nailed down.

By making the muscle contract in a high force/low speed and high force/high speed series, the body is put under a very high-intensity training stimulus, which provides three major benefits.

First, it extends the force production phase of the exercise beyond the 3-5 reps of the heavy squat and incorporates a cyclic natured movement that requires a high degree of muscle force production.

The increased time under tension of roughly 10 seconds of maximal power output will completely tax the creatine phosphate system and the neural systems' ability to generate an impulse into the muscle for an extended period. The end result is a greater response from the endocrine system and muscle satellite cells to put everything back together, and a greater development and repair of muscle fibers.

Second, fast twitch muscle fibers, the ones that can grow to be the biggest within the body, are stimulated by both high force production and high speed production. By using a system that addresses both of these components, we're getting the best variety of stimulation to the fast twitch fibers, as well as the highest intensity stimulation possible short of hooking our muscles up to a generator and redlining the sucker.

Third, although not a component of the exercise itself, the rest period is kept to just 90 seconds between bouts, allowing for an adequate recovery of strength and contractile energy sources while putting the body in the most advantageous position to pump out growth hormone and Testosterone.

Most powerlifting or high strength development workouts require the user to rest between sets for between 2-5 minutes, whereas keeping the rest periods short helps to continue the taxation of the growth hormone and Testosterone response within the body. What this means is that the maximal amount of weight lifted in a session is going to be slightly less as the sets wear on, so adjust the weights down as needed.

The Workouts

This program is meant to be used as a two-day-per-week substitution to an existing strength program for someone who has at least a year of good solid training under their belt. Make sure you have the finer points of lifting down for the specific lifts given, and that you have an understanding of the physical requirements for top speed sprint work. For those willing to give it a try, get ready to hate life for a few hours each day.

Workout One

Warm-up: General conditioning, movement prep, and foam rolling.

Series One: Barbell back squats plus sprinting (Airdyne, spin bike, or ideally 60m track).

Set	Exercises	Reps	Weight	Speed	Rest
1	Squat	10	60% 1RM		90 sec.
	Sprint*			80% Top speed
2	Squat	5	80% 1RM		90 sec.
	Sprint*			90% Top speed
3	Squat	3	90% 1RM		90 sec.
	Sprint*			Top speed
4	Squat	3	87% 1RM		90 sec.
	Sprint*			Top speed
5	Squat	3	87% 1RM		90 sec.
	Sprint*			Top speed

* 6 seconds on machines or distance on track, from dead start

Series Two: Weighted chins plus countercurrent vertical jumps (swing arms down and back in preparation of the jump, then reach for the sky when you leave the ground). Optimal to use a Verta-Max or wall or other surface to gauge height.

Set	Exercises	Reps	Weight	Rest
1	Chin-ups	5	Body weight	90 sec.
	Jumps for max height	5
2	Chin-ups	3	45 lbs.	90 sec.
	Jumps for max height	5
3	Chin-ups	3	45 lbs.	90 sec.
	Jumps for max height	5
4	Chin-ups	3	25 lbs.	90 sec.
	Jumps for max height	5

Workout Two

Warm-up: General conditioning, movement prep, and foam rolling.

Series One: Barbell front squats plus Concept rower sprints.

Set	Exercises	Reps	Weight	Distance/Speed	Rest
1	Squat	10	60% 1RM		90 sec.
	Sprint on rower			100m < 80% Top speed
2	Squat	5	80% 1RM		90 sec.
	Sprint on rower			100m < 90% Top speed
3	Squat	3	90% 1RM		90 sec.
	Sprint on rower			50m – Top speed
4	Squat	3	87% 1RM		90 sec.
	Sprint on rower			50m – Top speed
5	Squat	3	87% 1RM		90 sec.
	Sprint on rower			50m – Top speed

Series Two: Bench press & Prowler push, sled drag, or other resisted run device.

Set	Exercises	Reps	Weight	Distance/Speed	Rest
1	Bench press	10	60% 1RM		90 sec.
	Resisted run device			25m < 80% Full speed
2	Bench press	5	80% 1RM		90 sec.
	Resisted run device			25m < 90% Full speed
3	Bench press	3	90% 1RM		90 sec.
	Resisted run device			25m – Full speed
4	Bench press	3	87% 1RM		90 sec.
	Resisted run device			25m – Full speed
5	Bench press	3	87% 1RM		90 sec.
	Resisted run device			25m – Full speed

These workouts are insanely intense, but considering the goal is to increase peak strength, peak velocity, and build muscle, you need to create a systemic strain on the muscular system that evokes the largest response in growth hormone and Testosterone.

Alternate these two days once each per week with at least two days in between. For instance, workout one would be on Monday, and workout two either on Thursday or Friday. This will give your nervous system a chance to recover before going into the next workout.

Once the first month (four times through each workout) is in the books, add 2-5% to each lift you're performing for the second month. For instance, on day one, set 3 of back squats will move from 90% 1RM to 92% 1RM. For the theoretical lifter who maxes out at 315 pounds, this means the weight they will move from 285 up to 290 pounds. A 5% increase would mean going from 285 to 300 pounds.

This systematic increase in resistance is necessary to keep the relative intensity high throughout the workouts. Do not perform heavy squats on any other day of the week, although after the second week you may not be able to even walk, let alone squat on the alternate days.

What this workout program lacks in variety must be made up for in raw aggression. As T NATION contributor Tony Gentilcore says, you have to intimidate the weights when doing this program. Yell, scream, kick, and claw to get every rep out, and put every ounce of your being into every second of the sprint work. Since the rest intervals are only 90 seconds long, you won't have full recovery before beginning the next set, so it will definitely be a mental test to get through these workouts. That said, the end result should more than make up for going through hell and back.

References

Shoenfeld, B. (2010) The Mechanisms of Muscle Hypertrophy and their Application to Resistance Training. J. Str & Cond Research Vol. 24 issue 10, pp. 2857-2872.

Rahimi et al. (2010). Effects of Very Short Rest Periods on Hormonal Responses to Resistance Exercise in Men. J Str. & Cond Research Vol. 24 issue 7, pp. 1851-1859.

Cristea et al (2008). Effects of Combined Strength and Sprint Training on Regulation of Muscle Contraction at the Whole-Muscle and Single-Fibre Levels in Elite Master Sprinters. Acta Phsyiol. Vol 193, issue 3. Pp. 275-289.h

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