LE BLOGUE DES EXERCICES,DU CONDITIONNEMENT PHYSIQUE ET DE L'ALIMENTATION-DE L'HYGIENE DE VIE/EXERCISES-CONDITIONING AND PROPER FOOD DIET BLOG.
SOYEZ LES BIENVENU(E)S-YOU ARE WELCOME
Tout dans la vie est une question d'équilibre d'où la nécessité de garder un esprit sain dans un corps sain.
Discipline-Volonté-Persévérance
Everything in life is a matter of balance therefore one needs to keep a healthy mind in a healthy body.
(NaturalNews) After the heart and lungs, the liver is perhaps your most vital organ. When it shuts down, you die. Extreme liver conditions may result in the eventual need for dangerous liver transplants.
A sluggish liver can manifest a malaise of symptoms that lead to misdiagnoses for other chronic autoimmune diseases. This sluggishness can be prevented and also corrected through rejuvenating and cleansing your liver frequently.
The liver is responsible for purifying your blood and is involved with producing glutathione to recycle spent antioxidants. It helps convert sunlight to vitamin D3, and it's involved with the manufacture of bile needed for removing nutrients from food particles in the small intestine.
Successful cancer treatments such as the Gerson Therapy and Dr. Donald Kelley's pancreatic enzyme protocol, perfected and continued today by Dr. Nicholas Gonzalez, utilize coffee enemas to eliminate toxins from the liver.
This procedure was specifically inserted into those cancer treatments to eliminate dead cancer cells and toxic die off, but it's also useful for eliminating accrued toxins from years of living in our toxic environment and/or consuming toxic foods and beverages.
Methods and recipes for purifying your liver and blood
Liver cleanse coffee enema: Unflavored organic high caffeine (lightly roasted) coffee is recommended. After the coffee cools to approximate body temperature, the enema is administered and held for up to 20 minutes while lying on your right side, then relieved with a bowel movement. Procedure explained here (http://www.naturalnews.com/022905_coffee_body_water.html).
Chlorella and other green super-foods: Chlorella is a favorite, but some also swear by spirulina, wheat grass, and other green super foods. Chlorella purifies the liver and the blood, serves as a prebiotic to nurture probiotic bacteria, and promotes bile production (http://www.naturalnews.com/024617_chlorella_body_blood.html).
Cilantro (organic): Cilantro (coriander) can be chopped and added to foods, used with other ingredients for making soups, mixed with green smoothies, or used with carrots and other items for juicing (http://www.naturalnews.com/027434_cilantro_natural_detox.html).
It has been clinically proven to remove toxic mercury and other heavy metals from our blood. The combination of chlorella and cilantro creates a super detox recipe.
Lemon/lime water: Adopting a ritual of drinking purified or spring warm water with a substantial squeeze of lemon or lime first thing in the morning is a time honored method of stimulating and cleansing the liver. Hold the sugar or any other sweetener though.
Zeolite: This usually has to be ordered online. Beware of network marketing traps, unless you want to be involved in that sort of scheme. Usually those MLM products are higher priced.
Zeolite liquids contain suspended volcanic materials that adsorb (not absorb) heavy metals. Adsorption is a form of chelation, which means toxic particles are electronically bonded or grabbed, neutralized, and escorted out of your body.
Betonite clays: There are internal and external versions that act very similarly to zeolite. Some prefer soaking in a tub of betonite water. But there are betonite clays that can be consumed in solutions with water also.
Western Herbs: Dandelion and milk thistle are two herbs common in the Western world for purifying and strengthening the liver. Dandelion is usually considered more of a cleanser, while milk thistle is commonly recognized as a tonic strengthener.
Some herbal products can be blended together to get maximum benefits. The tinctures are pricey, but you can make your own tinctures to save money and have constant refills indefinitely (http://www.naturalnews.com/032298_herbs_tinctures.html).
Traditional Eastern Herbs: There are many. If you are receiving acupuncture, you may have some prescribed to you. Ayurvedic liver formulas are available online and in good health food stores.
Homeopathic remedies: They are plentiful. But you should consult an experienced homeopathic practitioner for those.
A few months back I wrote an article called My Favorite Exercises: Muscle by Muscle where I shared, you guessed it, my favorite exercises for each major muscle group... except I left out the abs, or the core, or whatever else we're calling the midsection these days.
I left it out because honestly, I don't like core training all that much. I find most traditional core exercises to be painstakingly boring, and as such, I look for any excuse I can to skip it. And I often do.
However, as much as I might not enjoy core training, it does have tremendous value in terms of aesthetics, performance, and injury prevention, and I've noticed much better results when I've been consistent with including it as opposed to when I've left it out – my abs stand out more, my lifts are stronger, and my back feels better.
So I think some core work is a good idea for the aforementioned reasons, but I also think that once you've developed a good base of strength, most basic core exercises are simply too easy and become a waste of time.
A good rule of thumb is if it doesn't feel like you're doing anything, you probably aren't. With that in mind, here are some exercises to crank your core training up a notch.
Bodysaw
In the past year or so, bodysaws have supplanted ab wheel rollouts as my favorite core exercise.
They're very similar to rollouts in that the goal of both exercises is to resist extension of the lumbar spine (i.e., avoid arching your back too much), but I like bodysaws more for a few reasons:
I feel them more in my abs.
They don't fatigue the shoulders like rollouts can, so they're easier to pair with upper body exercises.
They're more user-friendly for people with preexisting shoulder injuries and/or poor shoulder mobility.
Some people I work with complain of back pain from rollouts, but I've found that most people can keep much better form with bodysaws and thus tolerate them better.
To do them, start by getting in plank position with your feet on something slippery such as Valslides, a slideboard, furniture sliders, a paper plate, a TRX, etc. From there, maintain that body position and push back and forth on your arms, like this:
Go back only as far as you can handle while still maintaining your original spine position. If you start to arch excessively and/or feel them in your lower back, you've gone too far. They're a lot tougher than they look, so it probably won't take much range of motion to feel them working.
Once you've got that down and it feels easy, you can progress to doing them on one leg at a time, or if you want to get really frisky, doing them with straight arms starting from the bottom of a push-up position, which extends the lever arm and makes them pretty brutal.
Don't jump into this version too fast, though, because you don't want to hurt yourself.
Like rollouts, these also work the shoulders a lot, so keep that in mind when putting them into your program. For example, I wouldn't pair them with a pressing exercise.
Similarly, if you have a pre-existing shoulder injury or lack good shoulder mobility, I'd probably just stick to the regular version on your elbows.
Plank Walks / Plank Sled Drags
This is a great "bang for your buck" exercise that kills a bunch of birds with one stone.
Think of it as a moving plank, literally. Start in plank position with your forearms on the ground and your feet on a pair of sliders, and crawl forward while trying to keep your torso and hips as still as possible. To do this successfully, you really have to brace your core and squeeze your glutes the entire time.
When that's no longer difficult, start in push-up position and propel yourself forward with your arms straight, again keeping the rest of your body still. You'll find out quickly that this really works the shoulders, triceps, and even the chest to some degree.
If you still need to make it harder, add load. I've found that wearing a weighted vest can lead to wrist and elbow pain, so it's better to drag the weight behind you, either by putting your feet on a weight plate, or if you're really masochistic, dragging a weighted sled.
Here's what it looks like in action:
These will also jack your heart rate up, making them a great finishing exercise for the end of an upper body workout.
The obvious drawback to this one is that it requires both space and specialized equipment, which not everyone has. If you do though, definitely give these a try.
Push-up Fallouts
I mentioned before that I like ab wheel rollouts. Fallouts are essentially the same as rollouts, only using suspension straps instead of an ab wheel.
The nice thing about fallouts is they can be easily regressed and progressed depending on your current level.
Start by doing them standing on your feet. The shorter you set the straps, the easier it'll be; conversely, the longer the straps, the harder it'll be. Start with the straps at about waist height and lengthen them as you improve.
Where you stand in relation to the anchor point will also affect the difficulty significantly. Standing in front of the anchor point will make it easier, while walking back underneath the anchor point will make it harder.
The next step is to try them starting from push-up position. These suck, in an awesome way.
You can also elevate your feet, but that's more than I can really handle.
Sliding Push-up Reach
With this exercise, one arm performs a push-up while the other slides out straight ahead like a rollout (or I guess slideout would be a more fitting).
You can also do these using rings, but I tend to prefer sliders.
Rollouts and push-ups both typically focus more on anterior core stability, but the unilateral element of this exercise challenges rotary core stability as well.
I go back and forth about whether I think this is more of a push-up progression or a rollout progression, but it can really be either depending on your goals and how you implement it in your program.
You could use it in place of a pressing exercise (i.e., dumbbell presses, push-ups, etc.) for some additional core work, or you could substitute for another core exercise for extra pressing work. I tend to do the latter, but either way is fine. It's a sweet exercise no matter how you classify it.
Don't worry if you can't extend out all the way – just go as far as you can while maintaining control of your core.
Push-up/Fly Combo
This is similar to the exercise above, only here the arm not performing the push-up goes straight out to the side as opposed to straight ahead (similar to a fly motion), which increases the chest involvement and places even more of an emphasis on rotary core stability.
Not only is this a terrific exercise on its own, it also serves as a great progression when you're building towards being able to do full sliding flyes, which I think is one of the best chest exercises going (and is also a great core exercise in its own right).
Deep Squat Landmine
I'm terribly uncreative when it comes to naming exercises, so this one is just what it says, a landmine done in the bottom of a deep squat.
I like this one because it addresses two things I (and most people) need to work on but dread doing: core stability and hip mobility. To combine them both into one exercise is a huge win in my book.
The normal standing landmine is already a great exercise to work the rotary and lateral core, but doing it in the bottom of the squat increases the stability demands even further while also building stability in the pelvis and serving as one hell of a hip and groin stretch to boot.
I'm a big fan of the basic squat stretch where you just chill in the bottom of the squat and push your knees out, and I also like doing it with a light weight in the goblet hold to enhance the stretch even more. In this exercise, the bar functions similarly to promote a deeper stretch, but once you start moving your arms you must reflexively stabilize your hips and core to keep from shifting or swaying.
While these may look easy enough, they're actually very difficult, so be sure you've mastered regular landmines before trying them, and when you do, only move your arms as far as you can before you start to lose stability.
Trust me, you'll know exactly when you reach that point. It's very hard to cheat on this one, so when you're done, you're done, which keeps you honest and keeps you from hurting yourself.
If you don't have a specific device to anchor the barbell, simply put the barbell in a corner. Just be sure the walls aren't sheetrock; I've learned that lesson the hard way, and it ends with a hole in the wall.
Bodyweight Overhead Pallof Press
While the exercises thus far have focused more on the anterior and rotary core, this one focuses more on the lateral core with the goal being to resist lateral flexion.
Set a suspension strap at above waist height and face sideways. Lean out so your body is somewhere between a 60-75 degree angle to the floor, and press your arms straight overhead.
You might think at first that with such little body lean the exercise can't possibly be challenging enough, but a little lean goes a long way.
Once you feel comfortable, you can make it harder by leaning out farther and/or walking your feet further underneath the anchor point.
To progress it even further and add an anti-rotational component, start by pressing straight ahead first until your arms are fully extended and then going right to the overhead position. I call this the "Anti Press" because it forces you to resist motion in all three planes, training anti-rotation, anti-lateral flexion, and ant-extension simultaneously.
Hand Walkouts
I picked these up from Chad Waterbury, and I really like them as a replacement to standing ab wheel rollouts.
Standing ab wheel rollouts just aren't optimum for most people, so I don't recommend them as a general rule. It's not that I don't think they're a good exercise, it's more that I think it actually might be too good of an ab exercise for some.
I love kneeling ab wheel rollouts, but the transition to standing is just too hard for most, and I've seen several people tweak their abs trying to do so.
If you're someone that can do them well, then I'm certainly not going to tell you to stop, but for those that can't, I suggest that once you're comfortable with kneeling ab wheel rollouts you progress to a different exercise, such as those that I've mentioned already or even standing hand walkouts, which are safer.
The eccentric portion of hand walkouts is much slower and more controlled than using an ab wheel, so you'll be less inclined to tweak something. It's also self-limiting in the sense that you can only really walk out as far as your core can control, so you aren't going to find yourself out beyond your level of capability.
Since these don't require any equipment, it's a great option for when you can't make it to the gym. You can also do them from the knees if the standing version is too difficult.
Concluding Thoughts
Look, core training will never be as sexy and fun as deadlifts, squats, presses, and basically anything else you can do in the gym, but it's still worth doing. If you've been skipping your core work out of sheer boredom or just need to spice things up, hopefully I've given you a few ideas to pique your interest and take your ab training to the next level.
(NaturalNews) So many of us are concerned with staying trim and fit by eating right and doing cardiovascular workouts that we overlook the importance of building and maintaining muscle mass through diet and exercise. Having a lean and muscular physique provides many benefits. One of the most important is that muscle tissue burns through calories, even while at rest. This in turn increases the metabolism and boosts energy levels all day long, while keeping the body trim. Muscles also help burn the fat stores in the areas around them. This is why simple muscle building exercises like squats and pushups are just as important for fat loss as cardiovascular exercises.
With that said, diet is of even greater importance when it comes to building and maintaining muscle mass. Most bodybuilders and fitness models will tell you that their training program, in terms of importance, comes down to about seventy percent diet and thirty percent exercise. These professionals know there are certain foods that are rich in protein and have high concentrations of essential amino acids, healthy fats, vitamins, minerals, phytochemicals, enzymes and other nutrients, all of which are crucial in supporting protein synthesis and and maintaining a muscular build. The foods listed below are known to be among the most essential for muscle development.
Top 25 healthy muscle building foods
1. Water - although this one isn't actually a food it certainly is the most important item on this list, as muscle tissue is comprised of over 75 percent water 2. Whey protein concentrate - the most complete amino acid profile among any food 3. Pea protein powder - a very complete protein source; great for vegans 4. Free range organic eggs - next to whey protein, contains the highest concentration of essential amino acids 5. Raw milk - a protein and vitamin rich food known for its muscle building properties 6. Bison - higher in protein than beef and are not confined to feedlots 7. Free range organic chicken breast - rich in glutamine and other essential amino acids 8. Grass fed organic beef - grass fed beef is much higher in CLA, which aids in body composition 9. Fish - wild salmon and tilapia are among the best; avoid tuna due to high mercury levels 10. Turkey - a very lean protein source 11. Nuts - walnuts, Brazil nuts and almonds are among the best 12. Oysters - great for naturally boosting testosterone levels 13. Beans - a very slow digesting carbohydrate high in zinc and fiber 14. Oats - steel cut are best but old fashioned work too; avoid quick oats 15. Peanut butter - high in healthy fats and protein and low in carbohydrates 16. Cottage cheese - very low in sugar and high in protein 17. Yogurt - Greek yogurt is best 18. Bananas - a potassium and vitamin rich food 19. Avocados - very rich in unsaturated fatty acids 20. Healthy oils - olive oil, coconut oil, walnut oil, hemp oil, flax seed oil as well as others 21. Spinach- other green leafy vegetables offer similar benefits 22. Broccoli - a superfood vegetable; others include tomatoes, kale, cauliflower and bok choy 23. Berries - high in antioxidants and many other vitamins necessary for muscle growth 24. Quinoa and brown rice - both are rich in B vitamins and slow digesting 25. Apples and other fruit - high in fiber which cleanses the system and allows for better nutrient absorption
As always, purchase organic or local items when possible to avoid toxins and get more nutrients out of your foods. It's also important to limit alcohol consumption as it retards muscle growth. By consuming these foods regularly along with weekly muscle building exercises you will see a substantial increase in muscle tone and overall health.
(NaturalNews) The case against gluten seems to have been closed with recent research from a Brazilian research team that published a report in the January 2013 Journal of Nutritional Biochemistry. It seems to have put an exclamation point on the wheat belly controversy.
Lacking scientific data confirming the mechanics of how gluten may or may not affect obesity, the study was set up to examine the differences in specific genetic and biochemical markers between rats fed gluten and rats that were kept gluten free.
The "wheat belly" syndrome and how it leads to other health issues was the purpose of their research. The research team chose biological markers that could indicate the onset of obesity and metabolic syndrome, precursors to diabetes and cardiac issues.
Both groups of rats were fed high fat diets. But one group was gluten free and the other group's diet was 4.5 percent gluten. Even without tracing their predetermined markers, it was obvious thegluten free mice exhibited weight loss without any trace of lipid (fat) excretion.
An analysis of the study
Sayer Ji of GreenmedInfo.com proposed this analysis: "... the weight gain associated with wheat consumption has little to do with caloric content per se; rather, the gluten proteins ... disrupt endocrine and exocrine processes within the body, as well as directly modulating nuclear gene expression ... to alter mamalian metabolism in the direction of weight gain."
This study report, according to Sayer Ji proves that the major factor of obesity is gluten, not calories. Considering that both groups of mice were fed high fat diets and the gluten free mice lost weight without excreting lipids also implies that fat free diets for losing weight are bogus. This has been suspected by other nutritional experts who've abandoned matrix thinking.
Sayer Ji recommends that those who are overweight, pre-diabetic, experiencing metabolic syndrome, or suffering from irritable bowel syndrome try avoiding gluten grains, especially wheat, to determine from experience if gluten is the underlying cause.
So how did wheat, "the staff of life," become a weed of disease.
Wheat is not the same today. It has been agriculturally hybrid, not genetically lab engineered over some decades to resist fungus, grow more quickly, and be more pliable for industrial bread baking. As a consequence, 50-60 years ago wheat containing only five percent gluten has become 50 percent gluten today.
Agricultural resources used the hybrid process for wheat to accommodate the baking industry's mechanical requirements of pliable proteins, leading to the 10-fold increase of wheat's gluten.
The processed food industry's concern for production efficiency and perception of consumer demands has focused on the bottom line with the usual disregard to negative health consequences.
Slightly different high speed methods of baking evolved over time. By artificially bleaching flour and adding "improvers" with often toxic additives and mixing the dough violently, loaves of bread could be baked, cooled, and packaged within a few, short hours. Cheap, unhealthy foods for many with massive profits for a few.
This is beginning to change with measures that seem to offset gluten's damage for some. For example, Whole Foods has their own bakery providing fresh breads daily without bromides, which can displace the thyroid gland's iodine contents and create hypothyroidism.
Other local bakeries may provide sprouted grain and real sourdough breads, which even some celiac sufferers manage to consume without adverse reactions.
Il suffit presque d'être une femme pour avoir de la cellulite : jeunes ou âgées, minces ou rondes, gentilles ou pas, 90 % des femmes ont de la cellulite (2 % chez les hommes).
Heureusement, des solutions existent pour réduire efficacement la « peau d’orange ».
Le corps de la femme s'est adapté pour stocker des réserves
En moyenne, le corps d’une femme contient 25 % de cellules graisseuses en plus, ce que les médecins appellent des adipocytes. Comme toujours dans le langage médical, c'est un mot compliqué, pratique pour impressionner la galerie, mais au fond tout bête : en grec, adipo veut dire graisse, cyte veut dire cellule, donc adipocyte « cellule de graisse ».
Mais revenons aux femmes : selon la théorie de l'évolution, le corps de la femme se serait adapté pour maximiser ses chances de reproduction et de survie de son enfant. De la puberté à la ménopause, en passant par les éventuelles grossesses, le corps de la femme se prépare activement à accueillir, et nourrir, des enfants. Pour cela, il stocke de la nourriture dans les hanches, la poitrine, la face interne des genoux, les mollets, et parfois à d'autres endroits comme les épaules, l'addomen, et un peu partout sous la peau, sous forme de graisse.
La graisse est en effet un formidable moyen de stocker des calories pour les moments difficiles.
Notre corps consomme de l'énergie sous trois formes : les glucides, les protéines, les lipides (graisses). Après 24 heures de jeûne, les stocks de glucides (glycogène) sont épuisés. Au bout de 10 jours, ce sont les réserves de protéines qui sont épuisées. Le corps puise ensuite dans ses réserves de lipides, et là, cela peut durer beaucoup plus longtemps : un adulte d’1m70 et 70 kg compte 15 kg de réserves de graisse, donc il pourrait tenir 40 jours sans manger.
Les femmes sont particulièrement avantagées par rapport aux hommes puisqu'elles ont des zones de stockage plus grandes dans la poitrine et les hanches, mais aussi, nous l'avons vu, parce qu'elles ont plus de cellules graisseuses.
Et ce n'est encore pas tout : elles fabriquent aussi des hormones, les œstrogènes, qui activent le stockage de la graisse. Ces hormones entrent dans la fabrication des pilules contraceptives, et c'est la raison pour laquelle beaucoup de femmes voient leur cellulite s’accentuer lorsqu'elles prennent la pilule.
Grâce à tout cet équipement, beaucoup de femmes ont de la facilité à constituer d'importants stocks de graisse. Ceci est formidable pour bébé, qui profitera d'un lait bien riche. Mais pour la femme qui s'examine dans la glace de la salle de bain, ou qui enfile des maillots de bain dans une cabine d'essayage par une belle journée d'avril, cet avantage compétitif peut sembler une véritable malédiction.
3 types de cellulite
Pour lutter efficacement contre l’aspect peau d’orange, il est impératif de connaître quel type de cellulite vous touche.
La cellulite adipeuse est souple au toucher. Elle apparaît surtout lorsque l’alimentation est trop riche en graisse ou en sucre, cumulé au manque d’activité physique.
La cellulite aqueuse ou infiltrée apparaît chez les femmes qui ne pratiquent pas ou peu de sport, chez celles qui souffrent de problèmes circulatoires ou de rétention d’eau. Une alimentation trop salée peut faire apparaître ce phénomène. Des jambes qui souffrent de cellulite infiltrée, gonflent lorsqu’il fait chaud ou lors d’un voyage en avion.
La cellulite fibreuse se voit à la palpation, c’est une cellulite dure, souvent douloureuse au pincement. On la reconnaît à sa couleur violacée et son installation plus ancienne la rend plus difficile à éliminer.
Les solutions pour combattre la cellulite
Bien que la cellulite vienne à l'origine de l'alimentation, vous avez compris que c'est en fait un mécanisme naturel de votre corps, qui fait ses réserves de graisse. Ce n'est donc pas en changeant votre régime alimentaire que vous ferez disparaître la cellulite.
Evidemment, un régime alimentaire malsain aggrave la situation : certains types de cellulite s’accumulent à cause de l’excès de graisses ou de sucres dans les repas. Mais en réalité, la première arme contre la cellulite, ce sont les massages.
Les massages
Les massages sont l'arme la plus efficace contre la cellulite. Il faut les pratiquer tous les jours, et si possible matin et soir pour des résultats vraiment optimaux. En améliorant la circulation sanguine dans les amas de cellulites, en favorisant les échanges cellulaire et le drainage de la lymphe, ces massages vont casser et faire suer les capitons de graisse.
La méthode dite du « palper-rouler » est une des plus efficaces. A l’aide de vos deux mains, pressez la zone à travailler comme si vous malaxiez une pâte à pain, puis faites la rouler du bas vers le haut, pendant plusieurs minutes. Si ce n’est pas agréable, c’est bon signe. Faites néanmoins preuve de douceur : un massage trop violent peut enkyster la cellulite et entraver le drainage.
Il existe enfin une machine spéciale, le Cellu M6, qui agit sur le principe du palper-rouler. Cette technique est efficace, cependant, les massages manuels restent la formule la plus performante, (surtout s'ils sont effectués par votre conjoint...)
Vous pouvez améliorer l'effet du massage grâce à une huile de massage anti-cellulite. Voici un mélange d'huiles essentielles (HE) à faire vous-même. Il stimule la circulation sanguine, la dissolution des graisses (lipolyse) et a des propriétés anti-inflammatoires.
Ingrédients : 1ml d'HE de cyprès; 1,5ml d'HE de lemongrass; 2,5ml d'HE de cèdre de l'Atlas; 15ml d'huile végétale de calophylle et de l'huile végétale d'argan ou de sésame (quantité suffisante pour 50 ml).
Mode d'emploi : Appliquez 10 à 20 gouttes du mélange en massant les zones à cellulite matin et soir. Faites des cures de 2 à 3 semaines, que vous pouvez renouveler en laissant toujours une semaine d'écart avant la suivante. (1)
Notez bien que le gras des adipocytes ne peut disparaitre miraculeusement de votre corps. Certaines crèmes amincissantes qui contiennent notamment de la caféine peuvent en effet aider à chasser le gras des cellules mais encore une fois, une fois libéré dans le sang, il faut effectuer une activité physique pour le brûler et donc éliminer la cellulite.
Les exercices physiques
L'effet recherché est proche de celui des massages : en bougeant vos muscles, vous effectuez des pressions par dessous votre cellulite, qui permet de relancer la circulation sanguine ainsi que le liquide lymphatique. Le sport évite donc le stockage des graisses. Tous les sports sont bons pour gommer la cellulite cependant les sports aquatiques sont les meilleurs grâce aux phénomènes d’aquadrainage (massages par l’eau). On le dit même plus performant que le drainage manuel.
Tous les sports qui sollicitent le bas du corps sont bons : le vélo, mais aussi la course à pied ou encore les cours d’abdo-fessiers.
Boire
Si les régimes alimentaires contre la cellulite ne sont pas très efficaces, il est en revanche intéressant de boire une quantité raisonnable d’eau par jour (1 à 1.5 L). Boire améliore la circulation et favorise l'élimination des déchets. Au contraire, une mauvaise circulation sanguine et lymphatique entrave l’élimination des déchets et favorise ainsi la stagnation du sang et de la lymphe dans le bas du corps. Cela vous donne un aspect engorgé qui aggrave la cellulite.
Voici en outre une recette de tisane anti-cellulite, qui améliore la circulation sanguine et a des vertus anti-inflammatoire et anti-oedémateuse :
Ingrédients : 25g de vigne rouge et 25g d'hamamélis.
Mode d'emploi : Préparez une infusion à raison de 5g de ce mélange pour 250 ml d'eau bouillante. Buvez 2 à 3 tasses par jour en dehors des repas. Faites cette cure pendant 15 jours à 3 semaines et renouvelez si besoin. (1)
Les bains
Prendre une douche froide sur les capitons permet de combattre la cellulite. L’eau froide permet de relancer la circulation sanguine. Elle est donc tout à fait recommandée pour combattre la cellulite. Pour une vraie efficacité, effectuez ce geste chaque jour à la fin de votre douche en partant des chevilles jusqu’à la taille. Terminez par un massage profond avec une huile amincissante, ainsi qu'indiqué ci-dessus.
Vous pouvez enfin prendre un bain aux plantes actives contre la cellulite et raffermissantes :
Ingrédients : 1 poignée de fucus vésiculeux, 1 poignée de pissenlit, 1 poignée de prêle des champs et 1 poignée de camomille.
Mode d'emploi : Faites une infusion forte d'une poignée de chacune de ces plantes dans 2 litres d'eau. Laissez refroidir, filtrez et ajoutez à l'eau de votre bain. (1)
Voilà. Gardez bien en tête que lutter contre la cellulite, c'est au bout du compte lutter contre la Nature, ce qui n'est pas facile. Mais s'il est difficile voire impossible de se débarrasser totalement de sa cellulite, on peut au moins revenir à une situation acceptable grâce aux méthodes ci-dessus.
En croyant bien faire, beaucoup d'entre nous commettent les sept péchés suivants qui, bien loin de nous profiter, nuisent à notre santé* :
Péché : prendre une douche tous les jours
Se doucher tous les jours à l'eau brûlante et avec un savon très détergent est mauvais pour la peau : vous détruisez les acides gras qui forment le film lipidique naturel qui protège votre peau, provoquant sécheresse, vieillissement prématuré, et parfois même crevasses et infections.
Ce film protecteur est constitué de sébum, un liquide gras fabriqué par les glandes sébacées qui sont à la base des poils et cheveux, et de sueur. Mais il n'est pas sale.
Si le sébum est l'ennemi des adolescents qui souffrent d'acné ou des personnes qui ont la peau anormalement grasse, il n'en joue pas moins un rôle essentiel pour protéger la peau des bactéries en l'acidifiant, lui donner de la souplesse, l'empêcher de dessécher, tout en lui assurant une relative imperméabilité.
L'obsession contemporaine pour l'hygiène corporelle se fait au détriment de la peau, selon le Dr Nick Lowe, dermatologue consultant à la clinique Cranley de Londres. « La plupart des gens se lavent beaucoup trop », estime-t-il. « Pour la majorité d'entre nous, il n'y a pas besoin de se laver intégralement tous les jours. » (1)
Quand j'étais petit, ma mère nous avait appris à faire tous les jours notre « toilette de chat », et nous ne prenions un bain intégral qu'une fois par semaine. La toilette de chat consistait, debout devant le lavabo, à se savonner les mains, les pieds, puis sous les bras avec un gant de toilette, et enfin se laver le visage à l'eau claire. Il y avait également un bidet pour la toilette intime.
Bien entendu, une exception était faite si nous avions beaucoup couru et transpiré, ou si nous avions participé à des travaux salissants. Mais les jours d'école et toutes les fois où nous n'avions pas fait d'efforts physiques particuliers, nous épargnions l'eau chaude... et nos épidermes.
Si vous avez une tendance à avoir la peau sèche, réduisez la température de votre douche, et utilisez un gel de douche sans savon. Notez de plus que les peaux grasses, comme les cheveux gras, peuvent être causées par des lavages trop fréquents, qui dérèglent les glandes sébacées : la solution peut alors être de se laver moins souvent, mais la période de transition pour assurer le retour à la normale ne sera pas facile.
Péché : dormir 8 heures par nuit
Une sieste éclair de 5 à 15 minutes vous repose autant qu'une heure de sommeil nocturne supplémentaire.
L'idée qu'il faut dormir huit heures de sommeil profond chaque nuit est une « convention moderne » qui peut accentuer votre sentiment de fatigue, selon le Professeur Jim Horne du Centre de Recherche sur le sommeil de l'Université de Loughborough, en Angleterre.
Selon lui, l'homme a appris au cours de son évolution à pouvoir se reposer de façon très flexible : dormir par tranches – y compris des siestes la journée – conviendrait bien à nos organismes.
« Jusqu'à il y a quelques centaines d'années, les gens dormaient environ deux heures en début de soirée. Ils se réveillaient pour souper et veiller avec leur famille et leurs amis. Ils retournaient au lit autour de minuit, et se levaient trois ou quatre heures plus tard pour les prières du matin (les matines) et ranimer les braises dans le foyer ». Ensuite, ils se recouchaient pour deux heures environ jusqu'à l'aube, ce qui leur faisait un total d'à peu près 7 heures de sommeil. »
Il ajoute : « La notion actuelle selon laquelle se lever la nuit est mauvais peut être destructrice pour la qualité de votre sommeil. Cela se produit quand nous nous réveillons à 3 heures du matin et que nous nous inquiétons de ne pas dormir, alors que nous pourrions tout simplement nous lever et nous occuper l'esprit avec une activité distrayante mais relaxante – comme des mots croisés ou lire un livre – jusqu'à ce que notre corps nous indique qu'il est à nouveau prêt à dormir. »
« Si les hommes des cavernes avaient dormi profondément toute la nuit, ils auraient tous été dévorés vivants. »
Alors la prochaine fois que vous vous réveillez au milieu de la nuit et que vous entendez autour de vous des ronfleurs qui dorment paisiblement, dites-vous que les pauvres n'auraient pas fait de vieux os à l'âge préhistorique.
Péché : se rincer les dents après le brossage
Se rincer emporte la couche protectrice fluorée laissée par le dentifrice, qui aurait autrement protégé vos dents pendant des heures.
Résistez à l'envie de vous rincer les dents, conseille le dentiste Dr Phil Stemmer, du The Fresh Breath Centre (littéralement, centre pour l'haleine fraîche) de Londres.
« J'essaye d'éviter de boire tout fluide pendant au moins une demi-heure après m'être brossé les dents. Cela fait une drôle de sensation au début, mais vous vous y habituez vite. »
« Et je ne mouille même pas ma brosse à dent au début, parce que cela dilue l'effet du dentifrice. Il y a bien assez d'humidité dans la bouche, et il est inutile d'ajouter encore de l'eau. »
Et dans tous les cas, ne vous lavez pas les dents juste après avoir mangé. Attendez au moins une demi-heure parce que les acides alimentaires ont provisoirement amolli la couche d'émail protecteur sur la dent, et l'ont rendu poreuse. Si vous vous lavez les dents trop vite après avoir mangé, vous emportez l'émail avant qu'il n'ait eu le temps de redurcir.
Le Dr Stemmer va encore plus loin : selon lui, la meilleure façon de procéder serait de se brosser les dents avant les repas, et de se rafraîchir après le repas avec un simple bain de bouche sans alcool.
Péché : s'asseoir sur les cabinets
Les toilettes modernes sont mauvaises pour notre santé, suggère les recherches scientifiques.
Une étude publiée par des scientifiques israéliens dans la revue Digestive Diseases and Sciences révèle que s'accroupir est une position plus naturelle qu'être assis, et impose une moindre contrainte aux intestins. Cela réduit le risque de problème intestinaux comme les hémorroïdes, et les diverticules, qui causent de douloureux gonflements.
Le Dr Charles Murray, secrétaire de la British Society of Gastroenterology et consultant gastro-entérologue au Royal Free Hospital, à Londres, explique que le mécanisme d'ouverture des intestins est un processus physiologique très complexe, dont la plupart d'entre nous sommes inconscients.
Il conseille à ses patients ayant des problèmes de constipation de placer un petit tabouret sous leurs pieds lorsqu'ils vont aux toilettes, pour se rapprocher de la position accroupie qui correspond mieux à notre anatomie.
Selon lui : « Placer un repose-pied de 30 cm sous les pieds et se pencher en avant sur les toilettes contribuera à diminuer le temps passé aux cabinets et bénéficiera aux intestins. »
Péché : mal respirer
Demandez à quiconque de respirer profondément : très probablement, il gonflera fortement la poitrine et inspirera – mais c'est mauvais, selon Neil Shah, psychothérapeute et directeur de la Stress Management Society :
« En tant que bébé, nous respirions tous avec le ventre, ce qui permet d'utiliser toute la capacité des poumons. Mais en vieillissant, nous adoptons une respiration moins efficace. Nous utilisons de plus en plus la poitrine, au lieu du ventre. »
« Cela veut dire que de l'air vicié stationne dans le bas de nos poumons, l'air frais ne parvenant pas à descendre jusque-là. C'est pourtant dans le bas de nos poumons que passent les vaisseaux sanguins les plus chauds et les mieux irrigués ; c'est là que les échanges gazeux se font de la façon la plus efficace, pour oxygéner le sang. »
Heureusement, vous pouvez ré-apprendre à votre corps à respirer correctement.
Pour l'entraîner, essayez de gonfler votre estomac lorsque vous respirez, et de garder votre poitrine immobile. Faites comme si vous essayiez de gonfler un ballon entre votre colonne vertébrale et votre nombril. Contractez ensuite vos abdominaux pour expirer.
La respiration doit être régulière, entre 12 et 20 fois par minute, et une courte pose entre chaque respiration. Quelques minutes d'entraînement par jour peut avoir un énorme effet, et cela peut aider à combattre le stress et diminuer la pression sanguine.
Péché : S'endormir après le repas
Cela arrive à tout le monde : après une journée fatigante, nous avalons notre dîner avant de nous écrouler dans le canapé pendant une heure, puis de nous mettre au lit.
« Si vous êtes inactif le soir, ou que vous mangez juste avant d'aller vous coucher, votre corps transformera une plus grande partie de votre nourriture en graisse », explique Claire MacEvilly, nutritionniste à l'Université de Cambridge, au laboratoire de recherche en nutrition humaine.
Il vaut mieux absorber l'essentiel des calories le matin, avec un bon petit déjeuner : ces calories seront alors mobilisées pendant toute la journée pour vous donner de l'énergie, au lieu de servir à augmenter vos stocks de graisse.
Par contre, si vous faites une promenade de 20 mn d'un bon pas après le dîner, un dîner normal à 8 heures, ou même à 9 heures, ne vous fera pas prendre de poids.
La véritable clé pour ne pas gagner de poids est de faire des repas légers mais réguliers.
Péché : consommer trop de laitages
Le ministère de la Santé nous encourage activement, et encourage nos enfants, à consommer trois laitages par jour pour notre santé.
En réalité, la seule bonne raison de consommer des laitages est de vous faire plaisir, si vous aimez cela.
Je suis moi-même un grand amateur de fromage, et il me serait pénible d'en être définitivement privé.
En revanche, il est rigoureusement faux de prétendre que les laitages sont bons pour la santé, et plus encore qu'ils sont indispensables. C'est le contraire qui est vrai : même si vous aimez beaucoup le lait, le beurre, la crème fraîche, les fromages et les desserts, la vérité est que les effets sur votre santé sont probablement négatifs. Beaucoup de personnes qui vivent avec le nez congestionné, de fréquentes sinusites, de l'eczéma, des maux de tête, des problèmes digestifs, sont en fait intolérants au sucre du lait, le lactose. Ils n'ont plus les enzymes capables de le digérer (lactase), et souffrent de toutes sortes de maux liés à l'irritation de leurs intestins.
D'autre part, il est faux de dire qu'il est nécessaire de consommer des laitages pour le calcium. Les légumes, en particulier les crucifères (choux de toutes sortes, cresson, radis...) sont d'excellentes sources de calcium, ainsi que l'eau elle-même, à partir du moment où elle est un peu « calcaire » (ce qui veut dire en fait qu'elle contient du calcium).
Les déficits en calcium sont rares, et ils ne sont en général pas liés à une manque de calcium alimentaire, mais à des pertes de calcium trop importantes, comme nous l'avions expliqué dans le dossier spécial de Santé & Nutrition d'août 2012. Vous pouvez recevoir ce dossier spécial gratuitement en vous abonnant aux Dossiers de Santé & Nutrition. Pour cela, rendez-vous ici.
Réduire votre consommation de laitage cette année pourrait avoir des effets positifs inattendus sur votre santé.
There's an epidemic going on in the world right now that needs to be stopped. Shoulders are being ruined, elbows are being blown out, and foreheads are being crushed.
The epidemic that I speak of?
Horrible versions of the snatch, filmed and put out onto YouTube for the world to marvel at. Just like listening to Fabio talk about astrophysics can drop your IQ by 20 points, watching these videos may lead to immediate reductions in strength and muscle mass.
Well I'm here to put those videos to bed through a lengthy breakdown of my favorite lift in the world: the snatch.
Set up Tight to the Bar
Successful Olympic lifts happen when the lifter and the barbell are moving in one efficient "system." The lifter-barbell system, as it is called, must share one center of mass, and ideally this center of mass lies within the framework of the lifter's body. Setting up close to the barbell begins to make sure that this will happen efficiently.
Setting up too far from the barbell will move the center of mass forward of the athlete's toes and will lead to difficulty in achieving the lift later on.
The proper distance away from the bar is different for athletes based on body dimensions but can be summed up closely for most athletes:
When standing over the bar, the athlete should see their shoelaces covered by the bar. This means that from the coach's perspective, the bar will be over the midfoot (a much more solid base than the toes) and will be far enough away from the body to allow the lifter to get in the start position.
Flat Feet
Stability is the name of the game when it comes to the Olympic lifts, and in the case of setting up for the snatch, stability comes from being in an optimal balance of weight towards the forefoot and the heel.
This optimal balance position is called "tripod foot" position and means that the athlete should have weight balanced between 3 points on each foot. The 3 points of contact are:
The joint at the base of the big toe.
The joint at the base of the little toe.
The heel.
An optimal interplay between weight at each point in the tripod will keep the athlete in balance throughout the lift. The strategy will also allow for corrections to be made in balance throughout the lift. If an athlete is too far forward, then more weight should be distributed to the heels; if the athlete's toes come off the ground, then more weight can be distributed to the forefoot.
Jump Width or Slightly Wider than Jump Width
The short answer for how wide your feet should be when doing the snatch is "jump width." The long answer is a little more complex and is more like "it depends."
Setting up for a hang snatch is a little easier than a power snatch or full snatch from the ground, and in those cases the stance should be jump-width apart. Toes should be pointed out slightly; not much, but slightly.
In the jump-width stance (about as wide as your hips), feet should be directly below your hips. When your feet are directly below your hips, force created in the posterior chain is directed straight into the ground and there is no lateral leak of power. This is a good thing. If we're using the big movers of the back-side, ideally we're using the fullest power potential we can create and not losing power to lateral forces.
In the power snatch and the full snatch we'll again start to think about our starting position as jump width, but trial and error may deem this to be an inappropriate stance for some athletes.
The "depends" part comes into play when getting into the start position. The wider grip of the snatch means that athletes must get lower and closer to the ground to grip the bar. Athletes lacking in hip mobility will achieve this lower position through compensations in lumbar flexion which will, of course, eventually lead to a back that is over fatigued and more prone to injury.
A simple correction is to work on hip mobility and raise the start position on blocks for a period of time. For some athletes, though, it will be necessary to make a modification to the start position on a more permanent basis.
For those athletes, "slightly wider than jump width" is the stance of choice. In this position (the legs slightly abducted) there isn't as great a demand on hip mobility in the starting position (but they may have to deal with a slight energy leak to lateral forces).
Lock the Lats Down
We use a cue of "lock the lats down" when hands are on the barbell. This is accomplished rather easily. When the athletes' hands are on the bar, they should picture pinching a roll of quarters in their armpits. Another idea is to squeeze your arms towards your body. Both cues work, so it's just about finding the right one for the right athlete.
Locking the lats down will pack your shoulders into a strong position, lend more stability to the back, and enable a tight lifter barbell system.
For starters, packing the shoulders down with the lats is a great way to start when your hands are on the barbell. Elevated shoulders will ultimately lead to shoulder pain and discomfort.
Overuse of the upper traps will lead to early fatigue and while I haven't seen much written on the exact involvement of the upper trap and the shrug movement in completion of the lift, it's an important part of the lift. Tired traps will not be able to contribute to the lift. Pack the shoulders down by locking in your lats.
Locking the lats also leads to greater stability in the lower back. The origin of the lats is spread vertically down the lower back. When activating this muscle it synergistically assists the lumbar extensors in keeping the lumbar spine, well, extended.
The lats should remain tight until the 2nd pull is initiated. Once the arms become involved, it's necessary to forget the idea of lat tightness and focus on the fast, relaxed movement of the elbows above the bar. The lats are powerful and if held tight throughout the lift, they'll inhibit the motion of the arms up and under the bar. That being said, even in a hang snatch, "lock the lats in" is one of the first cues we use.
I can't stress enough the importance of the idea of a "tight lifter-barbell system." This idea and a lack of understanding or execution of this idea is at the root of many problems that athletes have in completing the Olympic lifts. The lats being tight leads to this tight system and a better execution of the snatch or the clean.
Hip Hinge to Above the Knee
Regardless of whether one is starting in the hang snatch position or the floor start (like in the power snatch, or full snatch), a hinge is the first movement that needs to occur.
Start each movement by unlocking the knees and then hinging until the hands are at knee level. If you're doing a floor start, your hands will be free at this point.
If you're doing a hang snatch, the bar will be in your hands and tight to the body. Both instances – hang and power – require the exact same hip hinge position when the bar or your body are above the knee. That is a constant
Squat to the Bar
The next step is to squat to the bar. When the bar is on the floor, the Olympic lifts are a combination of deep hip angles and deep knee angles.
However, when the bar is in the hang snatch position, the bar is above the knee and the movement is primarily a hip hinge (with slight knee movement). To put together the deep knee and hip angles, we start by RDL'ing/hinging to the knee level and then squatting vertically to the bar.
When in the RDL position at the knee level, the torso is roughly 30 degrees above horizontal (the floor in this case), and ideally we'll again start at about 30 degrees above horizontal to begin the lift-off from the floor.
Squatting involves the vertical displacement of the hips and will allow this 30-degree angle to be maintained until you reach the bar at rest on the ground.
If there were to be horizontal movement of the hips, thus putting the torso at an angle less than 30 degrees above horizontal, you'll find it difficult to pull from the ground and maintain a tight lifter-barbell system.
To summarize, to get to the bar on the ground:
Hinge to your knee level.
Squat to the bar.
Neutral-ish Neck but Eyes Up
Finding the optimal spinal position in the Olympic lifts is extremely important. Flexion will not do at any point, but a balance between completely neutral and extension is necessary to move efficiently and strongly in the lifts.
The super simple answer to where your neck and in turn, your eyes, should go when you have your hands on the bar is, "keep it neutral." Cervical spine hyperextension can lead to corresponding lumbar hyperextension, which can in turn lead to some serious pain in the lumbar spine later. We want to avoid this at all costs, so if worse comes to worse, keep the neck completely neutral.
The optimal position isn't entirely neutral, though. The optimal position is a slightly extended neck/cervical spine, and in turn, a slightly extended lumbar spine.
Let me qualify the statement about the lumbar spine. It should be slightly extended, only to the point that there's some activation of the spinal erectors to lend more stiffness in the lift and help to avoid spinal flexion.
Keep your eyes on the horizon and let them look forward throughout the lift and don't focus your gaze on the floor or the ceiling.
Knuckles Back and Down, Elbows Out
The role of the arms is not to screw up the rest of the lift. If the arms are too active, then they'll likely do just that: screw up your lift.
If, on the other hand, they're too passive, and no thought at all goes into what your hands or arms are doing in the lift, they won't be doing their job to keep the lift in the right trajectory.
For the snatch (and even the clean), the goal of the hands and arms is to keep the bar tight to the body; to not let the trajectory arc away from the body.
To accomplish this task is rather simple. Prior to starting the lift, as your hands are first placed on the bar, neutralize the wrists so the knuckles are pointing directly towards the ground and internally rotate the upper arm so that your elbows are pointing laterally.
Now relax. Your arms are in the right position and their only goal is to stay out of the way and then punch aggressively once you need them later.
The Truth About Your Snatch Grip
The biggest problem with most pieces of advice written on the snatch grip is the dependence on various markings and lines on a bar. These recommendations usually center on where the knurling ends or a ring here and there.
If you always train with the same bar, then there's no great issue with this advice but in cases in which one must train with a different bar, in a different gym, you can be left in the dark as to where to grip the bar.
There's a simpler solution to always find a consistent grip width for the snatch:
Stand tall with your arms extended and the bar gripped in your hands. Widen your grip until the bar is resting across the crease in your hip. To ensure that you're at the correct height, flex your hip until your hip is at 90 degrees. If your hip can't flex to 90 degrees, you'll need to move your hands wider. This is a starting point for your snatch grip – it may be a little wider or narrower, but this will get you close.
There's just one more thing about the grip – use a hook grip.
I know it's going to make your thumbs "hurt," but I have 12 year old children using it and not complaining, so I don't need to hear you whine about it.
Powering Up Your Start Position
Most problems with the snatch, and clean for that matter, happen from the floor to the knee. Screw up early in the lift and you have little chance of making the lift later on.
There are several ways to start moving the bar from the ground, including the static start and multiple versions of a dynamic start.
Rocking Start
The rocking start is my variation of choice when it comes to the snatch. It requires greater hip mobility and can be difficult to do, but for athletes that struggle with keeping their chest up as the bar breaks from the ground, this is a perfect way to get the bar moving.
Get to the bar in the normal way (hips back, chest up). Once in the start position, keep the chest up and sink the hips even lower. You'll end up in a nearly vertical torso position. Once the hips are actually below the bar, let them begin to rise, and as the torso reaches the magic 30-degree angle, the bar breaks with the ground.
Going a little further, you'll sometimes see this method performed with athletes in a "duck stance," i.e., their feet and knees will be turned out slightly and their torso should be extremely vertical.
The bar will rise vertically rather than back in this stance. It's a perfectly acceptable strategy, but keep in mind that athletes still need to have a 30-degree torso angle when the bar passes the knees. A too vertical torso will lead to more problems than casting Vin Diesel in the lead role of Downton Abbey.
How to Power Snatch: The Performance
Drive Through the Heels
At the moment of lift off, the athlete should think "drive through the heels," but maintain contact with the platform with the entire foot.
The cue, "drive through the heels," can be misleading if the athlete removes any weight from his toe during the lift off. Using drive through the heels is an effort to ensure that the athlete does not get pulled to his toes while lifting off.
Knees Back, Translate the Torso
The initial lift-off from the floor should be done by extension of the knees. Driving the knees back but lifting the torso is what we're aiming for. The torso should remain in the same relationship to the ground (30 degrees above horizontal) throughout the first pull.
In this way, we're looking to translate the position of the torso vertically through space. This will maintain the powerful RDL/hips loaded position above the knee. The knees should continue driving back until almost reaching extension as the bar begins to pass the knee.
There's one thing to be careful of when athletes are driving their knees back. At no time should the shins go "behind vertical." At maximum, the shins should be perpendicular to the platform.
Bar Sweeps Back
Up to this point we've spoken much about the position and movement of the body in the power snatch. The bar, however, does make a slight movement off the floor back toward the body to maintain the tight lifter-barbell system.
The one exception to this is for athletes that have long legs. In those athletes the knees will be in front of the bar while the bar is at rest on the ground. In these cases it's nearly impossible to move the bar backwards into the body. The goal remains the same, but as a coach you'll not see a backwards trajectory of the bar.
Slow off the Floor
A big mistake I see athletes make is jerking the bar from the ground. The first pull should not be a violent movement; rather it should be a smooth movement that may even look slow. A goal of the first pull is to set up the second, more violent pull and a fast first pull will likely inhibit the athlete's ability to be efficient in the second pull.
A good analogy is the following that I picked up somewhere along the line, but cannot recall well enough to give the proper attribution:
"Imagine a car moving past you at 60 miles per hour. If you were to stand off to the side and try to shove this car to make it move faster you would have a difficult time putting your hands on the back bumper long enough to make it go any faster. Now imagine the same car moving past you at 10 miles per hour. As this car rolls by you will have plenty of time to really put some serious force into the car and make it accelerate.
A bar moving quickly as it passes the knees is like the first car, you will have no ability to accelerate it to speed in the second pull."
At the Knees
Once the bar is at the knees, several things should be occurring, although this is a difficult place to coach the athlete because the system is already in motion. It is however, a great place to break down video and make adjustments to later lifts.
The feet should be flat so the athlete can transition correctly for the second pull. The hips should still be higher than the knees (very little hip extension has occurred up to this point, any movement being primarily knee extension). The torso should still be roughly 30 degrees above the horizontal. The arms should also remain straight – athletes that have bent their arms by this point will have difficulty with completing the second pull.
Creating the Triangle – The Second Pull
A really important concept that I like to teach my athletes is that once in the above knee position, they've created what's called a "power triangle." This triangle consists of their entire arm, their torso, and the angle of their hips.
From this point on the only goal, and the only way to make a successful second pull is to flatten, or close the triangle. This is a vivid image that can help any athlete hit the correct positions.
Close the Triangle
Once above the knees, it's important not to rush the bar just yet. Rushing the bar at this point shows up when the knees begin to slide forward underneath the bar immediately after the bar passes the knees.
This movement does not "close the triangle." The only way to close the triangle is to begin driving the hips forward to extension. The speed of the bar has begun to increase at this point, but is not at its maximum just yet. The bar will be in a mid-thigh position by this point.
Knees Forward (scoop/double knee bend)
A lot is made about the knee bend during the second pull. Entire articles have been written about just the double knee bend and some would make this post look like small potatoes. The fact is this, in a good snatch, the knee bend occurs to align the body in a position to create vertical movement.
Pure hip extension from the above knee position will create too much horizontal projection and the athlete will jump forward. To counteract this it 's necessary to perform the double knee bend (or scoop, or transition) for vertical projection. It's highly debatable as to whether this fact should be coached, or even mentioned to a novice lifter. This movement is a natural phenomenon that is easily seen in typical jumping mechanics.
Finish the Hips and Knees
Once the bar has reached a high thigh position, and the torso has come to nearly vertical, the hips and knees will both be nearly extended. At this point the athlete should finish driving the hips and knees to extension. Athletes may drive up through the toes in this phase and will achieve FULL extension. This is the highest speed portion of the entire lift.
As I've lifted more and more and trained higher level athletes it's become apparent that plantarflexion of the ankle (sometimes improperly called ankle extension) is not a part of the pull. I, repeat, it is not something to be coached.
At best, ankle plantarflexion is a result of a powerful second pull, or a mechanism of pulling under the bar. At worst, ankle extension makes it difficult for the athlete to get back under the bar as it increases the distance that an athlete must travel to get their heels to the ground and the hips in the right position.
Taking a look at high level lifters, you'll often see what amounts to a flat footed pull. This flat foot position is a trained efficiency. To coach this position, encourage athletes to complete as much of the lift as possible without extending to the toes. "Heels, heels, heels, toes!" is the common cue used in my gym to coach athletes in the right position and tempo.
Relaxed Arms, Elbows High
After the power spike of the second pull, the bar will have tons of inertial energy and it is important to take advantage of it. Just as a boxer keeps his arms relaxed before throwing a punch, maintaining a relaxed arm is important for maximal speed later. The elbows should remain out and above the bar to guide the bar in a path that's tight to the body.
Punch the Hands
The arms have stayed relaxed to a great degree up to this point, but once the athlete hits the "high pull" position it's time to use the arms forcefully. The action of the arms at this phase is best described as punching the hands overhead. The hand punch should result in a receiving position that's in-line with the spine and over the ears.
When the bar is overhead the athlete should actively press up with their upper traps and try to spread the bar apart. There's nothing passive about holding weights overhead and this is the most active and "strong" position we can create. Don't worry much about packed shoulders, worry about not letting the bar land on top of your dome.
A common mistake is receiving the bar too far back or too far forward. Lifts that are received forward are typically missed, but it's lifts that are received too far back that are the real problem. When received behind the body, imagine an image where the torso and the arms make 2 sides of a triangle. As such, there's great stress placed on the shoulders. Remember to "punch up, not back."
Hips Back, Feet Flat
This step will occur simultaneously to punching the hands. Athletes should aim to receive the bar in an athletic position just as they would land from a jump. The useful cue we use is to tell the athletes to think, "toe, heel, hip."
This means toes to the ground, heels follow, hips go down and away from the bar. The athlete will widen his feet slightly from a hip width/jump width stance to a shoulder width/squat width stance to receive the bar. The athlete should also have very little forward or backward travel at the time they receive the bar.
To get a good handle on the width you need the feet to be at landing, have an athlete do 3 consecutive vertical jumps and stick the last landing. This last jump is the position, width, and knee bend that should occur in a good power snatch.
How the Hell do you Get Down There?
It takes a special athlete to be able to complete a good-looking full (squat) snatch. Many athletes will lack the mobility to get into the correct position to receive the bar. This is the last progression we'll use when incorporating Olympic lifts into athletes' programs because of this difficulty.
The world's most explosive athletes use this technique to complete the snatch in competition, so the upside in terms of potential weight used is great. The full snatch is an even greater total body exercise because of the need for great leg strength to come up from the full overhead squat position.
An easy progression from power snatch to full snatch is the following: Power snatch + overhead squat.Complete the power snatch and then following the rep, descend into an overhead squat. Power snatch to overhead squat. Receive a power snatch in the 1Ú2 squat or higher position and then ride the bar down into the bottom of an overhead squat. Full snatch. Aggressively pull under the bar after completing the 2nd pull.
The best lifters in the world aren't separated by their ability to pull the bar to higher heights and higher speeds. The true separation point is the speed with which they can move under the bar. This is an important point to consider when coaching the full snatch and full clean.
Snatch Balance
Ask me about a problem with the snatch and you'll likely get a common prescription – snatch deadlifts and snatch balances.
Most problems at the receiving position can be solved with the snatch balance. This movement mimics the timing and effort that's required in the catch of the snatch and teaches you to not be a passive participant in the movement. It's my panacea of snatch related exercises.
Selecting Loads for the Snatch
For goodness sake, can we start by saying that under no circumstances is 30 consecutive snatches for time ever a good loading strategy? With that out of the way, let's move on to the right way to load the snatch.
The 100% snatch should be about 78% of your 100% clean and jerk. This percentage increases as the athlete becomes more highly trained. The clean is much more about strength and at some point as strength plateaus, your snatch will begin to catch up to your clean.
The power snatch is typically around 80% of your 100% snatch. Pulls and deadlifts can be based off of the 100% number as well.
For novice lifters, much of their training should be centered around using 50% of their 100% snatch. This weight will allow lifters to learn the motor patterns associated with the movement at a less challenging weight. Advanced lifters will get little out of a 50% snatch for reps, and a much greater portion of lifts will be done at 70-80% of their snatch 1RM.
For lifters of all levels the greatest majority of reps should be performed between 70-85% of the 100% snatch and Prilepin's table can be used fairly accurately to determine the repetitions and sets necessary at each intensity zone.
Prilepin's Table
Percent Zone
Rep Range per Set
Total Reps
70-75%
3 to 6
18
80-85%
2 to 4
15
90%
1 to 2
10
I'm a big believer that those learning the snatch should spend more time working with just a bar or up to 50% of their bodyweight than anything else. Every athlete that I work with spends a significant amount of time working with just the bar prior to loading. Spend the time to learn the movement and then have confidence to attack big weights later on.
Wrapping it Up
By no means should you take everything I said in this article and start to add it to your program. Just pick a portion of the lift and start to make it work.
Then move on to the next problem spot and do the same thing until you've attained mastery of this magnificent lift.
A few months back I wrote an article called 
There's an epidemic going on in the world right now that needs to be stopped. Shoulders are being ruined, elbows are being blown out, and foreheads are being crushed.
Stability is the name of the game when it comes to the Olympic lifts, and in the case of setting up for the snatch, stability comes from being in an optimal balance of weight towards the forefoot and the heel.
By no means should you take everything I said in this article and start to add it to your program. Just pick a portion of the lift and start to make it work.
