FROM FAT TO FIT

The PERFECT Meal – What to Eat to Lose Fat & Build Muscle

2012-01-27T04:37:00.001Z

By nick On January 26, 2012 ·

As you know, I love to share all of the unique hybrid strength training & conditioning concepts we use with our clients and athletes at Performance U. But, let’s face it – what you eat and how you eat it can really make or break the effectiveness of your program, regardless of how good it is.

“Food is an important part of a healthy diet”

In today’s post I’m going to share with you the simple to understand and easy to apply nutrition advice we provide to almost all of our clients & athletes to ensure each meal they eat will help them more effectively burn fat, build muscle and improve their overall health!

Disclaimer

We aren’t nutritionists or dieticians. So we don’t provide specific, individualized diet plans. We’re fitness professionals who read the scientific literature and rely on the expertise of top nutrition and supplement specialists to provide us with general guidelines that work universally for both men and women of all ages and abilities.

By following some basic, generalized and universal eating guidelines – like what I’ve provided you below – We’ve found that rarely is it necessary to use more specific and complex strategies unless we’re dealing with a medical condition, cutting water weight, etc. Which, is beyond the scope of this post.

The Perfect Meal

The two most common questions we get from our clients and athletes are:

-What do I eat to lose fat?

-What do I eat to build muscle?

Our answer to both questions is usually the same - Eat a Complimentary Meal!

A complimentary meal consists of these four basic food components:

-Lean protein (eggs, chicken, fish, bison, beef, low fat dairy, etc.)

-Fibrous carbohydrate (fruits and vegetables)

-Starchy carbohydrate (sweet potatoes, brown rice, oatmeal, etc.)

- Healthy fat (monounsaturated, Polyunsaturated, Omega-3 fatty acids – avocado, nuts, olive oil, etc.:)

Additional Complimentary Eating notes:

- Emphasize fresh/ local fruits and veggies, high-quality meats /eggs, fish

- Limit processed foods, simple sugars, saturated fats, hydrogenated oils and alcohol.

- Instead of eating three large meals (breakfast, lunch dinner), cut those in half and eat 4-6 smaller meals.

Why does Complimentary eating work?

We call it Complimentary Eating because each component of the meal compliments the other to maximize the nutritional benefits.

- Protein is the building block of muscle

- Starchy carbs are a great energy source

-Fibrous carbs are used to move it all through the body (and energy).

- The healthy fat to decrease inflammation, joint health, heart health, disease prevention and cognitive function.

How big should my meals be?

The answer to this question is: It differs for every person and should be based on how you feel and how much fuel your body requires that day.

In general, we recommend sizing your complimentary meal portions in this manner:

- Make the protein & fibrous veggies the largest portion on your plate

- Make the starchy carb and fruit smaller than the protein and veggies.

- Make the healthy fat the smallest serving on your plate.

Additional Complimentary Meal Portion notes:

-Monounsaturated, polyunsaturated, and omega-3s provide many health benefits, but as with any type of dietary fat, too much fat in any form provides excess calories in the diet.

- Some foods are multitasking, like Fish: it’s both a healthy fat and protein source. So it can remain a larger size portion on your plate.

- If you are left feeling hungry within an hour or so after finishing your meal, you probably didn’t eat enough. On the flip side, if upon finishing you feel full for hours – you probably ate too much. It really comes down to common sense, intuition and simply listening to your body.

Complimentary Eating, Fat Loss & The Thermic Effect of Food

A calorie is a measure of heat. And, your body is a heat machine! The term “thermic effect of food“, or TEF, is used to describe the energy expended by our bodies in order to consume (bite, chew and swallow) and process (digest, transport, metabolize and store) food. In other words, certain foods require us to burn more calories than others simply by eating them.

Here’s the general breakdown:

FAT – is very simple to digest. Your body simply keeps breaking down the fat molecules smaller and smaller, so it does not require much work to digest.

Ratio of 100:5 -For every 100 calories of fat you ingest you will burn approximately 5 calories in the digestive process

COMPLEX CARBOHYDRATES – take more effort to digest because of the glucose molecules.

Ratio of 100:10 -for every 100 calories from complex carbs that you ingest you will burn about 10 during digestion.

PROTEIN – requires the most work to digest because it is made up of 22 amino acids

Ratio of 100:25 -for every 100 calories you eat from protein, you will burn approximately 25 calories just to digest it.

Remember!  - 1 gram of fat equals 9 calories - 1 gram of carbohydrate/protein equals only 4 calories

Based on TEF, if you eat most of your meals in the manner as I described above, you end up consuming less calories and burning more. That’s pretty damn cool!

Final Thoughts

As I stated from the jump: Complimentary eating is not a specialized diet plan to peak you for a bodybuilding show or for those with medical concerns. What I’ve given you here is simply the GENERAL eating strategy we’ve found to be tremendously successful for almost ALL of the clients and athletes we work with.

No one is perfect and neither are the typical situations life throws at us through work, travel, family responsibilities. etc. So we don’t expect every meal our clients eat to be “perfect.” We simply ask them to do the best you can. And, to use our simple eating strategy to empower themselves with the ability to see through the confusion created by informercials and confusing industry expert jargon.

I mean seriously, it’s no wonder people (even health professionals) are confused about what to eat when there are 500+ page nutrition books on the shelves, which rarely provide us with more practical eating knowledge than I just did here in less than 1000 words.

For Your Viewing Pleasure part2

2012-01-24T13:43:00.003Z

4. Don’t forget to check out this weekend’s Good Reads post with over 50 articles from the past week. Between that one and this one, you should be set for a while.

Ok, that’s enough. Now for the real reason I made this post. I’ve got another great list of 20+ videos to share, so I’ll cut right to the chase. I nixed any of my own since it’s already over my pre-determined limit, but I have some new ones so be sure to subscribe to my page HERE to be in the loop.

Now sit back, relax, and enjoy the show.

David Dellanave does Zercher squats with 315 lbs for 2 reps. Not only that, but he does it old school with no rack. I actually used to do these, so I can say from experience that David is strong as an ox. Awesome stuff, and bringing back an old school lift like this gives him serious style points in my book.

Neghar Fonooni puts a 260 lb sumo deadlift, over double bodyweight! This is a personal best for Neghar, but judging by the bar speed of the lift, it won’t be for long.

Marianne Kane shows a glute-focused workout. I’m a big fan of training the glutes, an clearly whatever she’s doing is working very well. Yikes!

Jason Ferruggia shows tuck front lever rows. I love inverted rows, but I’ve never tried these before so I’ll have to give them a rip shortly once I can get in that tuck position with my knee. -

Bret Contreras shows the gliding leg curl. This is an awesome hamstring exercise that I really like doing with suspension straps, but it also works well with the bar. Awesome stuff.

Jacobi Jordan squats 573 pounds at 21 years old. This kid’s got a strong future ahead of him, literally. Wow that’s impressive.

Eric Cressey shows the half kneeling 1 arm landmine press. I really like this one for a shoulder-friendly press that also works the core. It actually reminds me a lot of the reverse lunge/lumberjack press combo that I showed last month.

http://www.benbruno.com/2011/12/cool-total-body-exercise-lumberjack-reverse-lungepress-combo/

Smitty Diesel shows an innovative way to mimic floor presses without having to lie on the floor.

Brett Roy gets crazy at Defranco’s Gym. This guy is a FREAK athlete. This stuff is incredible.

Jim Laird deadlifts 315 pounds plus 360 pounds of chain. Yes, you read that right..360 pounds of chains. Holy moly. Strong work here.

Coach Dos shows multi-planar step ups. Give this a try for a new stimulus if you’ve been sticking to regular step-ups.

Danny Sawaya does 17 reps with a 32 kg kettlebell on the standing overhead press. This is really strong. Do this unilaterally and standing is a bear, but Danny makes it look incredibly easy.

Jen Grasso rocks some Bulgarian Split Squats with perfect form. This is tough with a barbell, by Jen makes it look like cake.

Elsbeth Vaino shows a good way to switch your arm placement with glute bridges to get more out of the exercise. Sometimes it’s the little things that make a big difference. I like putting the arms out wide like Elsbeth does, or even putting them on the stomach, which makes it a little harder by decreasing the base of support.

Chase Karnes does a 620 pound yoke walk. I have never done these, but I can only imagine how they must feel.

Mike Mahler shows his joint mobility routine. This is some really helpful stuff.

Zach Even Esh shares his home garage gym. This is freakin awesome for a garage and goes to show that you don’t need a ton of space and/or equipment to get after it.

John Meadows shows some cambered bar rows. This bar works great because it allows for an added range of motion. Great idea.

Kevin Carr shows a great stretch for the hip flexors. If you have a wedge, this one is awesome, but you can still do it almost as well without the wedge so don’t fret if you don’t have one.

Stevo Reed shows the tactical frog mobility drill. My groin hurts just watching this, which means I probably need to be doing it. When my knee heals up I’m going to try this out because I can already tell I’ll like it.

That’s all folks. I hope you enjoyed it. Until next time, I bid you adieu.

Bodyweight Isometrics for Improved Strength

2012-01-23T19:01:00.002Z

(No, Really!)

by Adam Vogel and Michael Campanella – 1/20/2012

We already know what you're thinking.

"Bodyweight isometrics in my strength program? You've got to be kidding me!"

If we were trying to come up with an article topic that would simultaneously draw the ire of the entire strength and conditioning world, destroy our credibility, and raise the estrogen levels of anyone unfortunate enough to lay their eyes upon it, bodyweight isometrics would hit the bull's-eye.
Hear us out. We're not suggesting that you trade in your Chuck's for stretchy yoga pants and soy lattes. We're not even suggesting that you change a single repetition in your weight-training program at all.
This article is about leveraging the benefits of an extremely powerful training tool that's been used by bodybuilders, Russian power athletes, and Olympic gymnasts for centuries. So wipe out any preconceived notions you might have of what bodyweight training is all about.

Enter the World of Isometrics

Bodybuilding legend Charles Atlas first introduced isometrics to the fitness world in the 1920s under the term, "dynamic tension." Atlas seemingly did quite well for himself with isometrics, earning both a reputation for being the best-built man in the world and a small fortune from sales of his program detailing how to use them.
The popularity of isometrics surged again in the 1950s after a study by Hettinger and Mueller showed that a small dose of daily isometrics could increase strength by 5% per week for up to 10 weeks. But somewhere between the 1960s and today, isometrics seemingly disappeared from mass circulation.
Although isometrics have managed to maintain their popularity among power athletes, their role has been significantly downgraded to the rehabilitative setting and breast enhancement programs for flat-chested women.

The Way of the Isometric

Adequately defining isometrics can be problematic; the best we can do is to say that it's a movement. As such, it occurs when the force produced by a muscle is exactly equal to the external load imposed on it. But that's not to say that there's no movement at all.
I think the Bee Gee's said it best when they observed that when an "irresistible force meets an immovable object... blood starts to flow." And it does, as do nerve impulses, calcium ions, sliding actin, and myosin filaments, as well as all the other internal processes that must occur to produce a muscular contraction.
The carryover benefits of isometric training on dynamic lifts have been well documented. For decades, Russian coaches have advocated a strength regime that consists of 75% concentrics, 15% eccentrics, and 10% isometrics.
Why would the Russians devote so much time to this style of training?
Because they knew (and we know) that isometric exercises can be more effective than dynamic ones for building strength movements that require muscle contractions of large magnitude during particular stages.
Where would that fit into weight training? Perhaps at the bottom of a deadlift, the midpoint of a bench press, or the lock out in an overhead jerk?
During a dynamic exercise, the application of maximal force that can be achieved at any one joint angle is transient at best. Static contractions, on the other hand, allow you to focus on a specific joint angle and blast it with the type of sustained stress necessary for neuromuscular adaptations to occur.
As an additional benefit, many claim the strength that's produced at any particular joint angle has a 10-15% carryover above and below that position.

Iso-Methods

There are many different ways you can add isometrics into your program, depending on your goals. Powerlifters and strength athletes have used chopped-up versions of their competition lifts to perform static holds with maximal weight in a position of emphasis.
This is usually accomplished by performing overcoming isometrics, in which the bar is pushed or pulled against an immovable object like a squat rack, or yielding isometrics, where a maximal weight is prevented from falling to the ground.
While these methods can be an incredibly effective means for building strength and power for these particular patterns, the lack of a need for body awareness or strategic placement makes them less applicable for non-strength athletes like football players, MMA fighters, or for general physical preparedness.
One method to address this is to pair static gymnastics-based holds with our athlete's dynamic exercises. Using these types of holds allows for similar levels of muscle activation as standard isometric movements, but with the added benefit of improving overall body control, core activation, and body awareness.
If you have any doubts, spend two-minutes watching a collegiate level or higher gymnastic meet and you'll quickly come around. Not only do they look like bodybuilders, with well-defined muscles and incredibly low body fat levels, they're also some of the strongest pound-for-pound athletes in the world.
The weightroom exploits of gymnasts are legendary. Consider 140-pound gymnasts who could crush 300-pound + bench presses and triple-bodyweight deadlifts without ever having touched a weight in practice before. Conversely, there aren't many 300-pound bench-pressers rocking iron crosses their first time out.
Below are three gymnastics-based exercises that will give you the biggest bang for your buck.

L-Sits and Front Levers

L-Sits

The L-sit is a staple exercise in gymnastics core-conditioning programs, forming the basis for the more advanced parallel bar and ring maneuvers. It includes elements of active posterior chain flexibility, static abdominal strength, and a remarkable level of shoulder girdle and upper arm support strength.
L-sits are probably the most humbling abdominal exercise on the planet. No amount of sit-ups, bent-leg raises, or front planks can ever truly prepare you for the feelings of feebleness that accompanies most people's first attempt with this exercise.
The L-sit is pure badassery. Along with forging a set of Kevlar-coated abdominals, working the L-Sit position can do wonders for your front squat, deadlift, and any other exercise that relies on hip flexor and knee extensor strength.
Here's a great progression that will get you started on your journey toward building a strong and functional midsection:

Phase One: Tuck Hold

Support yourself between two benches with your arms straight, and torso in an upright position. Raise both legs (bent) to at least parallel, if not a little higher.

Phase Two: Low L-Sit

Using the same setup, raise both legs (straight) to a level just below parallel. This will pull the quadriceps more into the mix, setting you up for the next variation.

Phase Three: Full L-Sit

The full L-sit is usually performed from the floor. The goal here is to keep both your legs off the ground, at or above hip height for 5-10 seconds. Once you've mastered the L-sit, make sure to congratulate yourself as this is no small task – you've officially earned the privilege to refer to your abs as a "Situation."

Note on progressions: The goal is to accumulate 60 seconds in each hold. This could be 10 sets of 6 seconds, 6 sets of 10 seconds, or 3 sets of 20 seconds – it doesn't really matter. Once you can hold the position for 30 seconds straight, continue to the next progression.

Front Levers

The front lever is the gold standard in total body strength development, requiring upper body pulling power, core control, and the ability to subjugate the physical properties of the universe by sheer force of will.
It involves holding your entire body in a rigid horizontal plank on a pull-up bar, with your arms straight and your back parallel to the floor, giving you the Jedi-like appearance of floating on air. Achieving this position requires a Herculean effort from your lats, abdominals, hip flexors, and scapular stabilizers.
This is one of the hardest total body exercises out there, so a tight progression that works up to the final product is a must. Before you jump into hanging variations of the front lever, it's helpful to get a "feel" for the exercise by practicing the basic positions on a bench or the ground first.

Tucked Front Lever to Single-leg Lever

Beginning from an inverted hang position, slowly lower your body until your back is parallel to the floor. Consciously tense your armpits and pull downwards (towards the bar) while retracting your shoulder blades. Once you're able to maintain this position for at 5-10 seconds, begin to reach one leg out in an alternating fashion.

A word of caution, these are tough, demonstrating the power of disadvantageous leverages and bodyweight isometrics. If you can't get one leg out, follow the L-sit progression until you're comfortable in the tuck for 30 seconds straight and try again. At this point, you should have enough strength to attempt the movement.

Full Front Lever

Assuming you've already turned a few heads at the gym with your single-leg lever, get ready to start blowing people's minds by extending your other leg out straight to complete the full front lever position. This is an extremely difficult position to get into, and you only need to hold it for 1-2 seconds to officially claim it as yours.

Conclusion

As you can see, bodyweight isometrics aren't all wall squats and front planks borrowed from a geriatric training program. Applied correctly, they can be powerful training tools with multiple benefits that go well beyond increasing muscular endurance.
They may even be a more effective means of developing overall strength, power, and body control than traditional weight-based movements. Just don't tell anyone at the gym we said that, okay?

Mastering the Snatch

2012-01-23T18:05:00.001Z

by Eric Auciello – 1/19/2012

The snatch is arguably the most complex weightlifting movement around. This makes it a formidable challenge to learn on your own when armed with just a textbook or a high-ranking YouTube video or two.

Yet in spite of the long odds, every day thousands of determined lifters give mastering the mighty snatch the old college try.

Often these lifters will scour the internet in search of the ultimate "one size fits all," step-by-step approach to learning the snatch, preferably in 30 minutes or less.

Unfortunately, it doesn't exist.

Fact is, most do-it yourself snatch tutorials found online are rigid, if not dogmatic, approaches designed for a very specific type of athlete – the type that possesses certain attributes that have preordained their success in performing the classic lifts.

Sadly, the average gym rat doesn't physically, mentally, or biologically resemble this athlete. So when he tries to follow this program, he ends up feeling like he's pounding the proverbial square peg into a round hole, leading to average Joe-lifter becoming frustrated, disheartened, and eventually quitting the snatch.

This is a shame, because the snatch offers serious bang for the buck in terms of improved body composition, increased muscle mass, and explosive strength. It also improves coordination and connective tissue strength while offering an incredibly efficient way to train by targeting every major muscle group in one single quick-lift.

The ideal way to learn the snatch is under the tutelage and supervision of an experienced, qualified, Olympic lifting coach. Considering that for many gym rats this simply isn't an option, this article aims to provide some basic guidelines to help you on your quest to become a snatch-master.

50% of the Snatch Occurs Above the Shoulders

The snatch should be "like water making its way through cracks," not like ice cracking stone. Let that be our first lesson when it comes to the snatch. The movement should feel smooth and naturally athletic; it should never feel overly rigid, contrived, or cause pain.

The second lesson in learning the snatch involves getting past the common roadblock of paralysis by analysis. It's important for new trainees while in the actual act of lifting to stop running through the processes they've memorized from videos or textbooks. After all, the lift is completed in less than a second, leaving no time to take cognitive corrective action once the sequence of events is set in motion.

The snatch is like hitting a baseball. When you take a swing, you don't think about hitting the ball – you just hit it! You can ponder all the intricacies of the lift before stepping onto the platform, but once you grip the barbell, it's gotta be go time!

As there are many commonalities between snatching and hitting, I'll build on this analogy because I think it's an easy one for most to digest.

Hitting and snatching both take into account the body-type of the athlete. Both require a high level of training to become proficient, and both have been studied extensively in an attempt to build a better mousetrap.

Due to this type of communal effort, certain norms regarding set up and execution have been established. However, the actual acts themselves should be largely open to interpretation.

You may be wondering why and what does interpretation have to do with the snatch? The answer lies in the fact that both snatching and hitting are considered "sport."

If we agree that sport is essentially problem solving through kinesthetics, then the actual interpretation of the problem and the application of a solution are largely up to the individual athlete. This is what differentiates all athletes: their movements, methods, and ultimately their results are what separate the wheat from the chaff.

For example, Ted Williams and Johnny Pesky were both great hitters. However, Pesky was a half-foot shorter than Williams and not as talented. But he excelled at his brand of hitting (bunts, walks, and base hits) and despite his shortcomings, had a lifetime batting average of over .300.

On the other hand, Williams was the greatest hitter of all time, and to help Pesky, offered him some advice on his swing. Williams wanted Pesky to adopt a more upward swing when at bat.

He argued that if Pesky adopted a swing similar to his that, upon contact, it would create a higher ball trajectory, naturally leading to more home runs and less line drives. Ultimately, Pesky refused to change his swing, arguing that he was paid to get base hits and not hit home runs.

This example highlights two successful, yet divergent, solutions to a common problem encountered in a sport based on individual goals. Weightlifting is no different from hitting in this regard. Each athlete will have different goals and attributes and ultimately it's up to the athlete (or coach) to solve their own sport-based problems.

I'd argue that it's the coach's job to "coach" an athlete, not homogenize, dictate or control an athlete's movements, methods and/or interpretations of their sport-based problems.

This takes us to the big question: How do I solve the snatch?

You Are a Special Snowflake

Getting a heavy load from the platform to overhead in one explosive, fluid movement presents the human-body machine with a complex neurophysical problem. To solve it, we need to approach the process like an art, not a science.

When new lifters learn the movement in this way, it's infinitely more enjoyable and effective. That said, there really is no right or wrong way to snatch, you just need to explore every possible solution, one-by-one, until you find "your path." This is an extremely important concept to understand because each individual athlete is biologically, neurophysically, and mentally very different.

However, as an athlete gains experience in solving sport-specific problems like the snatch, he'll develop his own techniques and strategies, which is a critical step in the problem solving process. A coach can provide direction, but ultimately it's up to the lifter to make it happen.

As in hitting, athletes should be encouraged to master the basics of the snatch through repetition. This would include segmenting full-lifts into partials, such as a hang-power snatch to an overhead squat.

After all, a batter needs to learn to hit a fastball before he takes on a curve. If you need more technical information regarding grip, setup, and overhead positioning I'd encourage you to reference my previous article Optimizing the Overhead Squat.

There are three concepts integral to learning the snatch:

1. The best place to start is from the high hang.

I teach the snatch from the hang because it puts the trainees in a position to easily feel proper hamstring tension. This tension acts as a powerful physical cue, signaling a trainee to accelerate the barbell by violently opening the hips.

To get familiar with this cue, begin with a snatch grip on a barbell in the high hang position. Extend the spine and hinge forward at the hips without bending the knees. Once you feel tension in the hamstrings,slightly bend your knees and return to the high hang. Repeat 8-10 times.

This is the most important physical cue for the snatch. It's your firing indicator. When you're ascending from the floor with a barbell you'll hit this position, whereupon you'll explode upward with everything you've got.

2. Don't be afraid to fail. Trainees often get bogged down in the technical aspects of the lift and never challenge themselves to lift heavy weight. You can often learn more from a missed lift than a made one, but only if it's real weight. PVC pipes don't apply!

Don't be afraid to get mad! Snatching should be an exercise in controlled rage. Stomp your feet, take a deep breath, and go! Don't make a spectacle out of yourself but you should feel like you're about to punch someone in the face or, in Donny Shankle's words, "Rip the head off God!"

3. Hips and shoulders must ascend in unison. If there's one technical cue that you should take away from this article, this is it. Most new lifters try and rip the barbell off the deck with everything they've got and their hips/butt inevitably shoot up in the air while their shoulders stay put. This creates poor mechanics by causing excessive leverage through the torso, leading to a pendulum-like bar path, resulting in a missed lift.

If you're experiencing this issue, there are several corrective efforts that can be made:

To prevent this from occurring, lightly pull against the bar before initiating your actual pull. This will allow you to create tension in the hamstrings, glutes, and back.
Don't try to accelerate the bar from the floor with all your force initially. The first part of the pull will be slower than the second. Think of a car accelerating from 0-20 mph then 20-60mph. When you try to go "0-60 mph" your position will be out of alignment.

Some examples of what it looks like when a lifter's hips do and don't clear early are shown in these videos. The first is a proper snatch and the second...well, not so proper:

Two birds...One Stone

Now that you've been exposed to a more relaxed approach to the snatch, it's time to put your newly acquired knowledge into action. How and when you implement the lift in your training regimen is largely based on your individual goals and training schedule.

With that said, I'd recommend adding the lift to your current workload incrementally. This is done to assess how the new training stimulus will affect your body's ability to recover.

When it comes to snatching frequency and loads, a team sport athlete's protocol will differ from that of the bodybuilder. However, I'd recommend that both types of athletes use segments of the snatch once or twice a week, initially.

Power athletes should implement this protocol in the off-season while omitting the lift during the season to avoid overtraining and the risk of a training injury. The power athlete should start with a power snatch and snatch high-pull protocol, while the bodybuilder can use the same movements and simply add the muscle snatch to the mix.

If you're experimenting with the lift by following my recommendations above, it's advisable to use a density-style format to develop proficiency, power, and muscle mass.

Always perform the snatch first when training but only after an initial warm up. Your non-technical training should be done secondarily.

Here's an example of this type of training:

Power Athlete

Day 1

	Exercises	Sets	Reps	Rest
A	Power Snatch (PS)	10	1	1 min.**
A	EMOTM for 10 min. at 85% of 1RM (PS)*	10	1	1 min.**
B	Back Squat	5	5

Day 2

	Exercises	Sets	Reps	Rest
A	Snatch High Pull	10	2	1 min.**
A	EMOTM for 10 min. at 110% of 1RM (PS)*	10	2	1 min.**
B	Bench Press	5	5

* EMOTM = Every minute, on the minute
** rest 5 min. between exercises

Bodybuilder

Day 1

	Exercises	Sets	Reps	Rest
A	Power Snatch (PS)	10	8	1 min.**
A	EMOTM for 10 min. at 65% of 1RM (PS)*	10	8	1 min.**
B	Back Squat	5	10

Day 2

	Exercises	Sets	Reps	Rest
A	Muscle Snatch	10	8	1 min.**
A	EMOTM for 10 min. at 50% of 1RM (PS)*	10	8	1 min.**
B	Bench Press	5	10

* EMOTM = Every minute, on the minute
** rest 5 min. between exercises

Wrap Up!

In summation, this article is largely a conceptual piece designed to help novices without a coach. These trainees should embrace the subjective methods presented here and marry them with the myriad of technical approaches available online. This hybrid approach will allow each trainee to develop a uniquely individual snatch.

It should be understood that this article is not meant for advanced athletes; however, the concepts presented here are rooted in athletes' lifting on the world stage. If you watch world-class Olympic lifters snatch, you'll see an array of different styles and techniques. This was instrumental in my belief that there's no "one" way to lift.

The approach offered here is a nontechnical way of developing a functional snatch. My goal with this approach is to present trainees with a flexible method of lifting that will encourage them to discover their athletic potential through trial and error. That said, this type of freedom comes with a great deal of responsibility and honest self-assessment plays a large role in this process.

Due to the technical nuances of the snatch, there's an increased potential for injury, so please be responsible and start with relatively light loads and focus on the snatch as a "sport." Don't fixate on the tiny technical aspects of the lift and have fun lifting in a new realm.

Above all, be patient and open-minded, and enjoy the process. Who knows, if you stick with it, maybe your gym buddies will declare you the reigning snatch master!

Control Leptin and Control Your Leanness!

2012-01-23T17:49:00.001Z

by John Meadows CSCS, and Bill Willis PHDc – 1/16/2012

Leptin – you've probably heard someone mention it at one time, but aren't really sure what it is. I remember when I first heard a bodybuilding coach mention it, saying that managing leptin was crucial to keeping the metabolism humming. I had no clue what he was talking about, but it did intrigue me.
Leptin wasn't even discovered until 1994, but research into the mysterious hormone has been increasing. Scientists certainly don't know everything about leptin yet, but let's discuss what we do know.

What is Leptin?

First, it's important to understand that fat isn't simply just a storage tank for excess calories or "potential energy." Fat is actually an endocrine organ, like a thyroid or adrenal gland, for example. This means that fat – in this case white adipose tissue – secretes hormones, and leptin is one of them.
Leptin is a polypeptide hormone produced by adipocytes (fat cells). The more fat the adipocytes contain, the more leptin is released. Think of leptin as a metabolism controller and a hunger regulator. It links changes in body fat stores to CNS control of energy homeostasis (1-4).
Here's a simple example:
You eat above maintenance calories over a period of days or weeks.

As you eat more, fat cells fill with triglyceride, which increases the release of the hormone leptin into the bloodstream.
The hypothalamus in your brain has an intricate system of communication with fat cells which include leptin receptors. When leptin levels increase, leptin binds to leptin receptors in the hypothalamus, sending the message that you're "fueled up."
The hypothalamus then sends signals to the brain and the rest of the body, decreasing appetite and turning up your metabolic rate.

OR
You eat below maintenance calories over a period of days or weeks.

Your fat cells shrink as you diet, not eat, etc., and fat cells release less leptin.
Your brain senses that leptin levels are low, and that you are no longer "fueled up."
The hypothalamus senses the decrease in leptin levels, lowering metabolic rate and decreasing energy expenditure. It also sends a "hungry" signal, increasing appetite and encouraging you to eat.

Leptin action isn't confined to just the hypothalamus. There are leptin receptors all over the body. This allows leptin to precisely coordinate appetite, metabolism, and energy expenditure.

Location	Leptin mode of action
Pancreatic islets	(-) Insulin production and secretion (5, 6)
Adipose tissue	(+) Fatty acid oxidation (7) (+) Lipolysis (7) (-) Lipogenesis (8)
Liver	(+) Lipolysis (7) (-) Lipogenesis (8)
Skeletal muscle	(+) Fatty acid oxidation (9)

This is nature at its finest. Your body is programmed to survive. On one hand, when food is available, leptin keeps you from adding too much fat mass, which would have been a liability back in the caveman days (or today, for that matter).
On the other hand, leptin responds to and defends against excessive body fat loss that might threaten survival or reproductive ability (10). Eat too much and metabolism speeds up to keep up. Don't eat enough and it slows down to keep you alive.

What if the Hypothalamus Stops Receiving Messages?

Check out the picture below of the fat mouse. Let's call him Jumbo. Jumbo is unique – he's an ob/obmouse. This is a mouse that becomes a type II diabetic, can't stop eating, and packs away body fat like crazy. No matter how much you feed him, he won't stop.
Poor Jumbo has a mutation in the gene coding for leptin – he's totally missing it! His fat cells can't properly communicate with his hypothalamus because he has no leptin. If you inject Jumbo with leptin, he'll stop eating and lose weight, but the solution isn't so simple for us non-mutants.
Most obese people don't have missing or mutated leptin genes – they can make plenty of it. The problem is that in spite of leptin still finding and binding its receptors all over the body, no downstream message is sent. The system that senses leptin is broken.

This is called leptin resistance, a condition in which the brain can't determine when body fat is at an okay level. The fat cells are sending leptin out to the hypothalamus to signal that fat stores are full. Leptin binds the receptors, but no downstream messages are sent. It's like knocking on the door when nobody is home. In spite of all the extra body fat mass, the brain perceives starvation and orders fat storage. The kicker is that you're also very hungry, and continue to eat more and more.
If you know anyone who just can't stop eating like Jumbo, as tempting as it may be to instantly judge them, it's likely not entirely their fault. Many obese people have metabolic systems that are simply broken. You can't outrun Mother Nature, and if the leptin signaling is messed up, you can only control yourself so much.
But it's not just the clinically obese who must be concerned. You permabulkers, take note: as you continue to overeat, triglyceride stores increase, causing fat cells to produce more leptin. With so much leptin around, leptin receptors become desensitized. Eventually they just tune out, which has big consequences. You have plenty of fat but your brain doesn't know it.

How Do We Become Leptin Resistant?

Reduced blood-brain barrier transport. The idea that leptin levels were higher in obese people was a surprise. When scientists tested the ability of various tissues from leptin resistant animals to respond to leptin in vitro, most of the time leptin receptors isolated from the hypothalamus were still somewhat sensitive.
This was a big puzzle until it was discovered that part of the body's response to high leptin levels is to shut down leptin access to the brain. For leptin to travel from fat cells to the hypothalamus, it travels through the bloodstream but has to cross the blood-brain barrier to gain access.
The blood-brain barrier is extremely selective as far as what it lets through, and it was discovered that an early response to high leptin levels is to shut down transport across the blood-brain barrier. This allows the body to preserve leptin sensitivity in the hypothalamus as long as it can, holding out until leptin levels drop back to normal.
Reduced leptin receptor sensitivity. Like the insulin receptor, when leptin receptors are constantly bombarded with high amounts of leptin, they become resistant. The mechanism of reduced leptin receptor sensitivity was partly discovered by accident, when scientists were studying the role of a protein phosphatase calledprotein tyrosine phosphatase 1B (PTP1B) in the regulation of insulin receptor signaling.
It's been known for some time that insulin receptor sensitivity is controlled by a number of kinases and phosphatases, and in this case, scientists hypothesized that PTP1B was limiting insulin sensitivity. This would be great news for diabetics.
To test this hypothesis, they created a group of knockout mice that lacked the PTP1B protein. As the researchers predicted, these mice became very sensitive to insulin when they were given a glucose test. The scientists also noticed something else. These mice got ripped, and lost considerable body fat.
The mice had incredibly fast and efficient metabolisms, the cause of which came as a big surprise – eliminating the PTP1B gene was also massively upregulating leptin sensitivity (11). It was later found that the PTP1B protein is a negative–feedback inhibitor to leptin receptor signaling. When the leptin receptor is stimulated with high amounts of leptin, PTP1B kicks in to reduce receptor sensitivity.
Another protein called suppressor of cytokine signaling 3 (SOCS3) is also a negative feedback inhibitor of leptin. When the leptin receptor is activated by large amounts of leptin, SOCS3 increases which reduces leptin receptor sensitivity (12, 13).
You might have noticed that insulin and leptin resistance appear to be inseparable. This isn't a coincidence; like PTP1B, SOCS3 is also a negative regulator of insulin signaling, so insulin resistance and leptin resistance are linked at the molecular level.
Inflammation also activates PTP1B and SOCS3, which explains why it affects both insulin and leptin receptor sensitivity.

Dieting and Leptin Resistance

Let's take a guy in perpetual bulk mode, we'll call him "Beefcake." First, Beefcake eats a ton of calories and puts on some body fat in his quest to get hyoooge. This causes an increase in leptin release. Leptin tells the hypothalamus that fuel stores are full, and the response is a reduction in appetite and increase in energy expenditure.
In this way, leptin restores the metabolism to homeostasis by matching appetite to food intake – but this came at a price! The continual pounding of food and garbage calories more than likely caused a degree of leptin resistance. This means he now has increased the amount of leptin needed to just maintain energy homeostasis.

Key Point: Leptin resistance causes a new "set-point," which leads to the defense of a higher level of body fat storage and slower metabolic rate than would otherwise happen if Beefcake were still leptin sensitive! In other words, your body is smart, and if it thinks a "diet" is coming, it immediately holds on to fat as much as it can.

The more leptin resistant you are, the more your metabolic set point will shift towards "fat" and away from "lean." Have you ever dieted down and got lean, then after a Beefcake-inspired bulk up, had a really hard time leaning out again? Now you know why. This is one major reason why "bulk ups" aren't recommended.
Let's continue. In Beefcake's leptin resistant state, when he decreases calories, his super-enlarged fat cells start to shrink, causing a reduction in leptin levels. The problem is, the leptin resistance caused a new "set point," which prompts his screwed up metabolism to defend his increased fat stores, for survival purposes!
Think of it this way: under normal circumstances, the leaner you get, the harder it is to lose body fat without burning muscle. Your body eventually goes into "survival" mode – you become more tired, lethargic, and your appetite increases. When things are working correctly, this only happens when body fat levels are extremely low.
But when you start a diet in a leptin resistant state, you lose some weight at first but quickly get into the same survival mode, only now you're nowhere close to being in shape as you were before.
This leads to no man's land real quick. You're eating less and less, feeling worse and worse, weak and stringy, but still can't lose weight. Your leptin receptors are resistant – at a higher set point – so even small decreases in leptin are perceived as starvation. Start a diet in a leptin-resistant state and reduced calorie levels will simply put your body into perpetual starvation mode.
This is the ugly side of dieting for many, and the main reason why many popular diet books suggest that simple calorie restriction does not work long term. The reality is that calorie restriction isn't the problem, it's leptin resistance.

Leptin and Insulin

Leptin and insulin signaling have a very close relationship. When insulin increases, so does leptin. It makes sense – you eat a big meal, your insulin levels go up, and then leptin goes up, signaling to the brain that you're full and to keep the metabolism chugging.
The insulin producing beta cells in the pancreas also have leptin receptors, where leptin is a negative regulator of insulin release. So there's a tight intertwined relationship between these two hormones.
Here's how it looks:

You eat some wild salmon and a big sweet potato. The beta cells in your pancreas produce insulin in response to your blood glucose level.
Insulin stimulates leptin production in your fat cells.
Leptin levels go up, triggering the hypothalamus to decrease appetite.
High levels of leptin also tell your pancreas to stop making insulin.

But here's how it looks when you have leptin resistance:

You eat some wild salmon and a big sweet potato with some pop tarts, as you're in "permabulk" mode. The beta cells in your pancreas produce insulin in response to your blood glucose level.
Insulin stimulates leptin production in your fat cells, overwhelming your body.
Leptin levels go up but leptin resistance starts to set in.
High levels of leptin try to tell your pancreas to stop making insulin, but you're leptin resistant so the pancreas doesn't get the message to stop!
We now have chronically high levels of insulin, leading to insulin resistance.

Leptin and Inflammation

As mentioned in our inflammation article, the fatter you are, the more inflammation you probably have due to extra fat (30% of cells in white adipose tissue are immune cells) causing more immune signals to increase IL-6 and TNFa.

Hyperleptinemia is associated with an increased pro-inflammatory response (14).
Leptin is capable of increasing TNFalpha production and increasing macrophage activation (15).

It's a good idea to try to calm inflammation as best as you can. You can greatly reduce inflammation and increase glucose utilization by replacing some of your fat and refined carb sources with essential fatty acids. Omega 3 and Omega 6 supplements are excellent in this regard.

Leptin and Your Thyroid

It's common knowledge among meat heads that when you diet, your thyroid slows down the conversion of T-4 to T-3. What isn't so commonly known is that leptin is a major player in keeping this conversion going.
When your brain senses correct levels of leptin, it tells your liver to convert the inactive T-4 to active T-3 (the active version of thyroid hormone). Your liver will stop this when your brain perceives starvation, which is exactly what happens when you have leptin resistance.

How Can We Fix Leptin Resistance and Perceived Starvation?

Insulin resistance and leptin resistance are inseparable, and driven by "metabolic inflammation." Fixing insulin resistance improves leptin resistance and vice versa.
Reducing inflammation, improving liver health, adrenal health, etc., all help.
Recent research has revealed that this is intertwined at the molecular level, but science hasn't evenscratched the surface. The research on leptin is still in its infant stages.

Do this!

Get and stay leaner. This is the obvious one. Don't "bulk" up. Stay close to target weight, and minimize body fat gain during offseason. The harder you make your diet by "bulking up" excessively in the off-season, the more you're going to make the leptin rebound a challenge down the road. You'll likely have to resort to extremes that put your body into survival mode to get lean.
Add in periodic refeed/cheat meals. There have been some very good articles posted on T Nation about cheat meals. When you go sub-maintenance calorically and get into a depleted state, adding in a cheat meal or two can stop you from entering "perceived starvation." This will help prevent leptin resistance. Some advocate a full day or weekend, but in our experience 1 to 2 large meals per week are sufficient for most.
Limit inflammation. Fat (white adipose tissue) doesn't only produce leptin, it also houses extra immune cells that generate inflammatory cytokines such as IL-6 and TNFa. Reducing inflammation increases leptin and insulin receptor sensitivity by limiting the effects of PTP1B and SOCS3.
Don't go carb-crazy. High insulin levels cause insulin resistance, which causes increased inflammation. Insulin and leptin resistance are so intertwined that fixing one helps the other. Since insulin increases leptin production (16), those in perpetual "bulk mode" are also generating metabolic inflammation.
Sleep. Chronic (17) and acute (18) sleep deprivation reduces serum leptin levels. In the acute sleep deprivation study, 11 males were subjected to sleep deprivation (4 hours of sleep) for six nights. Compared to the control group that slept for 8 hours, this reduced mean and maximum levels of leptin by 19% and 26% respectively.
In another study, those who habitually slept for 5 hours had 15.5% lower leptin levels than those who habitually slept for 8 hours (19). Sleep deprivation also increases inflammation, and has been linked to increased IL-6 secretion (20, 21). Even mild sleep loss (2 hours/night lost for 7 nights) results in a significant increase in TNFα levels in men (21). In some cases, dysfunctional sleep can also increase leptin levels, leading to leptin resistance.
Sleep apnea is associated with high leptin levels and leptin resistance (22). Leptin is a powerful stimulation of ventilation (23), so leptin levels can increase during sleep apnea. If you're a hard-core snorer, talk to your doctor about getting a sleep study.

Diet/supplement intervention: Supplements to fight leptin resistance:

Dietary Ca2. Increased dietary calcium intake helps overcome leptin resistance. Although the mechanism is unknown, it was recently hypothesized that increased calcium intake may decrease the levels of calcitriol (1,25-dihyroxyvitamin D) in adipocytes. In a leptin-resistant state, fat cells seem to have more calcitriol, which has been linked to decreased fat burning and increased fat storage.
Increasing dietary calcium suppresses adipocyte calcitriol levels and puts leptin-resistant fat cells back into "fat-burning" mode. This reduces leptin resistance, resulting in increased weight and fat loss in leptin resistant people (24, 25).
Take Taurine. If you're leptin resistant, supplementing with the amino acid taurine can help. Taurine reduces leptin resistance by reducing ER stress (26, 27). Possibly related to the effect of taurine on ER stress, it's also been shown to be helpful for the prevention of several other metabolic disorders including obesity, insulin resistance, and atherosclerosis (28, 29).
ALCAR. While this hasn't been established in human studies, animal studies suggest that supplementing with acetyl-L- carnitine (ALCAR) may also help overcome leptin resistance (30).
EFA's. EFA's hammer down inflammation! Enough said.

And We're Out!

Whew! This article has been a workout! Post any questions or comments you may have in the LiveSpill.
Thanks everyone for reading!
Regards,
Bill and John

Reference List

1. Myers MG, Jr., Munzberg H, Leinninger GM, Leshan RL. The geometry of leptin action in the brain more complicated than a simple ARC. Cell Metab 2009;9:117-23.

2. Schwartz MW, Woods SC, Porte D, Jr., Seeley RJ, Baskin DG. Central nervous system control of food intake. Nature 2000;404:661-71.

3. Rosenbaum M, Leibel RL. The role of leptin in human physiology. N Engl J Med 1999;341:913-5.

4. Ahima RS, Saper CB, Flier JS, Elmquist JK. Leptin regulation of neuroendocrine systems. Front Neuroendocrinol 2000;21:263-307.

5. Emilsson V, Liu YL, Cawthorne MA, Morton NM, Davenport M. Expression of the functional leptin receptor mRNA in pancreatic islets and direct inhibitory action of leptin on insulin secretion. Diabetes 1997;46:313-6.

6. Morioka T, Asilmaz E, Hu J, Dishinger JF, Kurpad AJ, Elias CF, et al. Disruption of leptin receptor expression in the pancreas directly affects beta cell growth and function in mice. J Clin Invest 2007;117:2860-8.

7. Wang MY, Lee Y, Unger RH. Novel form of lipolysis induced by leptin. J Biol Chem 1999;274:17541-4.

8. Jiang L, Wang Q, Yu Y, Zhao F, Huang P, Zeng R, et al. Leptin contributes to the adaptive responses of mice to high-fat diet intake through suppressing the lipogenic pathway. PLoS One 2009;4:e6884.

9. Minokoshi Y, Kim YB, Peroni OD, Fryer LG, Muller C, Carling D, et al. Leptin stimulates fatty-acid oxidation by activating AMP-activated protein kinase. Nature 2002;415:339-43.

10. Myers MG, Jr., Leibel RL, Seeley RJ, Schwartz MW. Obesity and leptin resistance: distinguishing cause from effect. Trends Endocrinol Metab 2010;21:643-51.

11. Zabolotny JM, Bence-Hanulec KK, Stricker-Krongrad A, Haj F, Wang Y, Minokoshi Y, et al. PTP1B regulates leptin signal transduction in vivo. Dev Cell 2002;2:489-95.

12. Bjorbak C, Lavery HJ, Bates SH, Olson RK, Davis SM, Flier JS, et al. SOCS3 mediates feedback inhibition of the leptin receptor via Tyr985. J Biol Chem 2000;275:40649-57.

13. Bjorbaek C, Elmquist JK, Frantz JD, Shoelson SE, Flier JS. Identification of SOCS-3 as a potential mediator of central leptin resistance. Mol Cell 1998;1:619-25.

14. Loffreda S, Yang SQ, Lin HZ, Karp CL, Brengman ML, Wang DJ, et al. Leptin regulates proinflammatory immune responses. FASEB J 1998;12:57-65.

15. Bjorbaek C, Kahn BB. Leptin signaling in the central nervous system and the periphery. Recent Prog Horm Res 2004;59:305-31.

16. Ahima RS, Flier JS. Adipose tissue as an endocrine organ. Trends Endocrinol Metab 2000;11:327-32.

17. Mullington JM, Chan JL, Van Dongen HP, Szuba MP, Samaras J, Price NJ, et al. Sleep loss reduces diurnal rhythm amplitude of leptin in healthy men. J Neuroendocrinol 2003;15:851-4.

18. Spiegel K, Leproult R, L'hermite-Baleriaux M, Copinschi G, Penev PD, Van CE. Leptin levels are dependent on sleep duration: relationships with sympathovagal balance, carbohydrate regulation, cortisol, and thyrotropin. J Clin Endocrinol Metab 2004;89:5762-71.

19. Taheri S, Lin L, Austin D, Young T, Mignot E. Short sleep duration is associated with reduced leptin, elevated ghrelin, and increased body mass index. PLoS Med 2004;1:e62.

20. Vgontzas AN, Papanicolaou DA, Bixler EO, Lotsikas A, Zachman K, Kales A, et al. Circadian interleukin-6 secretion and quantity and depth of sleep. J Clin Endocrinol Metab 1999;84:2603-7.

21. Vgontzas AN, Zoumakis E, Bixler EO, Lin HM, Follett H, Kales A, et al. Adverse effects of modest sleep restriction on sleepiness, performance, and inflammatory cytokines. J Clin Endocrinol Metab 2004;89:2119-26.

22. Campo A, Fruhbeck G, Zulueta JJ, Iriarte J, Seijo LM, Alcaide AB, et al. Hyperleptinaemia, respiratory drive and hypercapnic response in obese patients. Eur Respir J 2007;30:223-31.

23. O'donnell CP, Schaub CD, Haines AS, Berkowitz DE, Tankersley CG, Schwartz AR, et al. Leptin prevents respiratory depression in obesity. Am J Respir Crit Care Med 1999;159:1477-84.

24. Nobre JL, Lisboa PC, Santos-Silva AP, Lima NS, Manhaes AC, Nogueira-Neto JF, et al. Calcium supplementation reverts central adiposity, leptin, and insulin resistance in adult offspring programed by neonatal nicotine exposure. J Endocrinol 2011;210:349-59.

25. Zemel MB. The role of dairy foods in weight management. J Am Coll Nutr 2005;24:537S-46S.

26. Nonaka H, Tsujino T, Watari Y, Emoto N, Yokoyama M. Taurine prevents the decrease in expression and secretion of extracellular superoxide dismutase induced by homocysteine: amelioration of homocysteine-induced endoplasmic reticulum stress by taurine. Circulation 2001;104:1165-70.

27. Gentile CL, Nivala AM, Gonzales JC, Pfaffenbach KT, Wang D, Wei Y, et al. Experimental evidence for therapeutic potential of taurine in the treatment of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease. Am J Physiol Regul Integr Comp Physiol 2011;301:R1710-R1722.

28. Haber CA, Lam TK, Yu Z, Gupta N, Goh T, Bogdanovic E, et al. N-acetylcysteine and taurine prevent hyperglycemia-induced insulin resistance in vivo: possible role of oxidative stress. Am J Physiol Endocrinol Metab 2003;285:E744-E753.

29. Petty MA, Kintz J, DiFrancesco GF. The effects of taurine on atherosclerosis development in cholesterol-fed rabbits. Eur J Pharmacol 1990;180:119-27.

30. Iossa S, Mollica MP, Lionetti L, Crescenzo R, Botta M, Barletta A, et al. Acetyl-L-carnitine supplementation differently influences nutrient partitioning, serum leptin concentration and skeletal muscle mitochondrial respiration in young and old rats. J Nutr 2002;132:636-42.

For Your Viewing Pleasure

2012-01-23T04:59:00.009Z

Anyway, moving along, I put together another video compilation for you to kickstart the week with a bang. I said last week I’d limit these posts to 20, but when it came down to it, I just couldn’t do it because there was just too much good stuff. I actually wanted to wait til midweek but the list was just getting too long. I guess that’s a good problem to have, right?

I decided again not to include any of my own videos, but I have uploaded a few new ones so be sure to check out and subscribe to my You Tube page for those.

Also, don’t forget to see this weekend’s Good Reads list. A lot of people probably missed it in the hustle and bustle of the weekend, but it’s got 65 articles of goodness to feed your mind. Between today’s post and that one, they should keep you busy all week.

Enjoy!

Barstarrz gone wild. I can’t get enough of this stuff.

Sam Giguere gets after it. This is some really impressive stuff.

Donnell Boucher shows his guys at the Citadel doing a 3 man pull-up. This is freakin cool and the energy is just awesome!

Big boy pressing at Defranco’s Gym. Here 8 out of 12 guys bench press 315 plus 80 lbs of chain for between 1 and 5 reps. I’d say that’s pretty darn strong.

Brett Roy benches 315×13. Now that’s just crazy strength. Wow.

Marianne Kane crushes some deadlifts, dips, and weighted chins. Gotta love this.

Smitty Diesel gives two great tips for a bigger bench. Pay attention to these and put them to use.

Tony Gentilcore discusses box squats vs. squats to a box. Very good info here from Tony.

Max Shank shares his planche progress. Pretty darn impressive if you ask me.

Robert “Coach Dos” Remedios shows some great single leg squat progressions. If you are looking to work up to a full single leg squat, start here.

Michael Keck squats 510×3. Nice and deep on these with good solid form. Great stuff.

Bret Contreras hip thrusts 495 lbs for 3 reps. That’s a strong posterior chain right there.

Kellie Davis and Bret Contreras share a promo video for their Strong Curves training guide to come out this summer. I’m looking forward to this already.

Jake Pudenz squats 500. That’s an awesome milestone and this is a nice looking squat. Congrats!

Jen Grasso shows band single leg reverse hypers. I like the way this looks. This is actually really similar to what I showed a few weeks ago attaching ankle weights to the rear leg of a single leg RDL. I will have to try this one soon. Good stuff.

Keith Williams does a 54 inch reactive box jump. Talk about explosive!

Mike Mahler presses the 88 lb kettelbell for 15 reps. Very strong!

Graham Carpio does a brutal pushup finisher. This is some really impressive work done at the end of a workout, making it even harder.

Elsbeth Vaino shows various things you can with a single leg squat stand. I wrote a little bit about this piece here, and Elsbeth does a good job of showing it’s versatility.

Anthony Donskov talks about managing stress. Really interesting stuff here.

Shyam Soin shows a Pallof press/band walk combo. This is a cool variation off the Pallof press that introduces some hip stability work into the picture.

Hope you enjoyed the list. Please remember to pass it along! Also, which one was your favorite? Let me know below.

Have a great day!

The Front Squat/Back Squat Debate: Part 1

2012-01-23T00:26:00.001Z

The Front Squat/Back Squat Debate: Part 1

Jim Reeves

Leave it to Mike Boyle to get people's juices flowing. It's not enough for him to come out and confront the industry with the stance that strongman and power lifting techniques do not make for great sports performance training options. Or that running athletes have a real disconnect with their sport and injury patterns. Next, the guy blows the top off the sports training world saying that he's taking all squats entirely out of his programming. Shocking statements at the time for some, but not without merit for Mike. His "Death of Squatting" stance certainly caused quite an uproar and has obviously progressed in the time since as Mike continues to search for the most effective way to train his athletes.

On Strengthcoach.com, a discussion developed about the safety of performing double leg loading exercises and Mike Boyle was very front and center in his belief that front squats are a safer option than back squats. As the discussion progressed, many points were raised to support the performance of both lifts by other contributors and the discussion really morphed into a debate over which lift was better to incorporate into a strength training program.

There were passionate contributions on both sides of the debate and it really struck me that the issue of choosing back versus front squats within a program was a confusing collection of thoughts coming from a number of different directions. The issue had many people with distinct perspectives bringing their opinion into the discussion and that this was part of the problem in and of itself.

So to clarify the issue as well as streamline the debate to a very narrow and purposeful focus I decided to put together a couple of articles which looked at double leg loading within a strength training program and give the reader my perspective on how I have come to the decision of safely loading the athletes in the facility where I work.

Before we look about the squat itself, I think it is important to define what correct technique parameters I evaluate the motion. These parameters, regardless of the bar loading position are:

• Maintenance of leg and foot alignment (prevent valgus position at knees, maintaining a neutral/non-internally rotated femur, no rotation of foot) throughout the motion.

• Posterior displacement of the hip joint relative to the feet throughout the lift.

• A 1:1 ratio of head to pelvis vertical displacement in the squat motion.

• Maintaining extension through the lumbar and thoracic regions of the spine and neutral cervical positioning. In other words, not allowing the back to flex or the neck to hyperextend at any point in the movement.

• The upper thighs (femur) must achieve a parallel to the floor orientation at the bottom position of the motion.

To give some perspective on my arguments, I, along with eleven other staff, train athletes in a facility that has a high volume of athletes attending every day (120+), all year long. The facility attracts athletes from many different team and individual sports and these clients range in age from 10 years old up to full grown adults. We have a number of long term clients who have been with our program for five or more years, but the majority of our athletes have been training with us for less than three years.

Most of the athletes we work with are seen at our facility in group situations. Very rarely do we get any time with less than 6 athletes in a group and most of our programs run back to back throughout the day or evening. Due to these time and staffing restrictions, we do not have the luxury of extended time periods working exclusively with one athlete on very technical components within a program on a consistent basis.

Also, athletes attend our facility usually for limited time periods throughout the year, such as an off-season program or an in-season team training situation. We have very few athletes who train with us year round due to the demands of their in-season sport schedules.

Of the thousands of athletes that our facility works with each year, no athlete attends our program to solely improve their performance in the weightroom. Not one. Every athlete is in attendance to improve their performance in the sport where they participate in on a competitive basis, in a sport where they earn a paycheque based on their performance or to improve their health and daily functioning.

This discussion point is one of the key areas where the squat debate really seemed to show the different points of view for everyone who contributed in the forum. Many times contributors to the discussion seemed to be relaying their own personal training experience or relayed that their scope of practice is with training clients who workout only. These contributors were referencing clients who do not play sports at a provincial, state, national or professional level.

For athletes who play at these levels, training is a means to an end, not the end goal itself. We do not have athletes in our facility whose primary sport is weight training, so the measuring stick for success is found on the field of play, not in the poundage lifted. Specific exercises for our athletes are just the pathway that each person will travel upon in their pursuit of their sport specific goals.

Married to the Exercise

Many times I have referred to various types of trainers that will work with athletes in our industry during our staff training sessions. One of the examples I give is the "Married to the Exercise" trainer that many people will no doubt have experience with. "Married to the Exercise" trainer is simply someone who is unconditionally devoted to the performance of a specific exercise.

Obviously in our debate on the subject of double leg loading, there were many opinions given where the arguments had their roots in a 'Married to the Exercise" mindset. No matter what is said to the contrary, the person offering the comments has an unwavering devotion to an exercise and I definitely saw this tendency in comments about people's preference for front versus back bar loading.

With this in mind, one pet peeve of I have as a strength coach is another coach who does not keep an open mind about the use of various exercises within their programming. I am a firm believer in the ability to match the exercise to an individual athlete's ability or situation. Whatever the situation, I hate to hear when someone expresses their opinion and backs it up with "because that's what you do when you are have a (insert genre here) background", or "I do it that way because (insert guru's name) does it", or "because that's what I've always done, and it works just fine".

I hate when people blindly follow a philosophy, style of lifting or a specific coach, using exercises that are clearly contraindicated. It just bugs me. I really have a hard time respecting the opinion of anyone who doesn't clearly think for themselves.

Classifying Exercises

I do agree with the intention of comments that were made in the discussion on-line that there is no "bad" exercise, but I think there has to be some clarification on that point. Not all exercises are bad, but are not all are created equal either. Some exercises are common but not the best available. Just because an exercise is used commonly, does not justify its application if the athlete cannot perform it with the best of technique.

This point I need to be clear on. Let perfect technique dictate the prescription of exercises. A complicated exercise performed badly is not justification for it continuing to be prescribed. Exercises need to be performed with strict technique guidelines and movement patterns in order to obtain the desired results.

I find exercises fall into a designation of first, second or third degree. Exercises categorized as first degree are those exercises that I will use all the time with most athletes. An example of a first degree exercise would be a push-up. For most athletes, the push-up is a safe and effective exercise to include in my programming.

Second degree exercises (not to demean or demote the exercise) are simply exercises which have a limited scope or use within my programming. An example of this type of exercise would be the "Y" of the shoulder and scapular stability exercises "T/Y/J/W's". It's an exercise that too often is butchered by the athlete and needs too much teaching time to be an effective exercise choice in our program.

Remember, limitations such as staff availability or maintaining the regular flow of athletes through our programming can restrict the time and opportunity our staff has to work with an athlete on an exercise. I need to identify the goal of the exercise, scapular stability and find a better, faster and easier to teach variation to give our athletes. I'm not knocking the "Y" exercise, it just isn't a good fit. So, you will not find it in my programming unless I see a specific need for the use of it with a targeted athlete.

Third degree exercises are exercises which I feel have a high risk of injury or promote adaptation in the athlete which is not consistent with my philosophy of training. A perfect example of this type of exercise is the Seated Medicine Ball Russian Twist. This classic exercise has the athlete seated on the floor, upper body leaning back, a flexed lumbar position, feet elevated off the ground and the athlete swinging the medicine ball from one side of their body to the other.

In performing the exercise, the Seated Medicine Ball Russian Twist promotes rotation of the athlete's lumbar spine while under load in a flexed position. Knowing what I do about the anatomy and biomechanics of the back, loaded rotation in a flexed position places undo stress upon specific structures within the back that these structures are not designed to handle. Injury to these structures is very likely. This is an example of an exercise which is a non-starter for me. This exercise has no modifications that I can work with and so has no place in my training program.

The goal of any sports performance program should be to produce the greatest physical gains in an athlete with the least likelihood of injury during the program, as well as in the athlete's return to their sport situation. I need to include as many first degree exercises as possible for my athletes and their training programs. I firmly believe I must always try to find ways to load the athlete with the least physical cost or toll on their body, yet still produce maximal gains and results in the programs they participate in.

Stay tuned for the next article in this series where we will look at a direct comparison of the front and back squats when it is performed by the same athlete.

The Front Squat vs. Back Squat Debate: Part 2

2012-01-23T00:07:00.001Z

The Front Squat/Back Squat Debate: Part 2
By: Jim Reeves

This article will build off of the previous article where I outlined the technique requirements of a good squat motion and the designation of first, second and third level classification of exercises.

If you missed it, here is a link back to the first article.

Now, rather than go on and on about the squats, let’s just look at the videos of an athlete I took at our facility a couple for years ago. Pictures, and video, can be worth a thousand words.

Front Squat

Back Squat

Below are images I have taken from these two videos that I use to demonstrate to our staff the difference between loading the front squat and back squat exercises. Specifically, I want my staff to see what loading with two different bar positions does to the athlete in terms of body position, limb motion and the athlete’s posture, specifically at the bottom of each lift.

The images are of a professional baseball pitcher; 24 yrs old, 182lbs body weight with 8+ years training experience with myself. The maximum lift for him in the TB Deadlift is a 4RM of 340lbs, giving him a projected 1RM of 372lbs.

This athlete is a decently strong individual, able to lift over double his own body weight in the TB Deadlift and when I took the videos and photos of each lift, I was confident that his experience would allow the comparison of these two bar positions to be as unbiased as possible. Obviously the lift he normally performs would be a more comfortable movement for him to lift heavier in, but the motion of the squat itself was what I was trying to illustrate for our staff, not the amount of weight that he could lift.

The weights used in the photos were 225 lbs for the front squat and 275 lbs for the back squat.

These weights represent an approximate ratio of 82% of front squat to back squat loading. The lifts were not competitive lifts for this athlete, but enough of a load to challenge him on each repetition, most likely around a 6 to 8RM load for each exercise.

Joint Angle/Body Alignment Illustrations

In the first photo, the front squat is illustrated with the angle calculated for the hip and ankle motion measured at the bottom of the squat motion.

The second photo is the same measurements but for the back squat.

The third photo is a measurement of the knee joint flexion at the bottom of the front squat motion.

Fourth is the same measurement but for the back squat.

The fifth image is the alignment of the femur, measuring the true depth of the pelvis into the squat motion based on the angle the femur makes relative to a vertical axis.

The sixth image is the angle of the femur in a back squat relative to a vertical axis.

The seventh image is a comparison of the angle of the posterior chain (from the pelvis to the lower cervical region) to a vertical axis in the front squat.

The eighth photo is a similar measurement of the posterior chain relative to a vertical axis but on an image of the back squat.

Here is a rough outline of the sacrum, lumbar and thoracic vertebrae alignment in the front squat.

Here is the same attempt in the back squat.

Summary:

Joint Motion / Alignment	Front Squat	Back Squat
Hip Flexion	56.1°	43.8°
Ankle Dorsiflexion	69.2°	70.4°
Knee Flexion	63.4°	69.0°
Femur to a Vertical Axis	89.6°	94.5°
Posterior Chain to a Vertical Axis	33.9°	52.6°

We can see from the images and the numbers:

• During a front squat the athlete creates more motion from the hip joint than in the knee joint.
• The ankle motion was pretty much the same in both lifts.
• The back squat requires the athlete to move more from the knee joint.
• The athlete is able to sit into a thighs parallel position much easier in the front squat, achieving considerably more range.
• The posterior chain is “pushed” forward over 18° more in the back squat by the load of the bar. Conversely, you could say the front squat forces the lifter to “pull” the upper body back 18° more than the back squat against the resistance of the load on the bar. In either case, the lifter is attempting to keep the weight on the bar overtop of their foot positioning.

One thing to keep in mind: For this athlete, he commented that in the bottom position he felt he had squatted to equal depth in both lifts. Also, he said it felt like he had almost the same torso positioning in both of these lifts that we filmed.

The perception of this athlete was there really was very little proprioceptive difference in feeling the bottom position of each lift, though we can see from the images there is considerable difference in the actual joint angles and body positions achieved when these lifts are analyzed using measurements of the limb positions and the resultant joint motion.

So where are we in this discussion? For me, I see two lifts which have very different starting motions, very distinct patterns of movement into and out of the squat motion and very distinct body positions at the bottom of the lift.

Initiation of Motion

For athletes, the performance of the front squat has a certain guarantee of success right from the beginning of motion. This guarantee is rooted in the beginnings of the movement itself. Just based on the initial bar positioning, the initiation of motion into the squat is to counteract the forward weight of the bar, thus a posterior weight shift of the hip complex is required. So the fundamental movement required for a correct squat motion, posterior translation of the hip complex, is easily assumed by the athlete performing a front squat as the hip complex acts as a counterbalance to the weight of the front bar load.

In contrast, the back loaded position has the load of the bar positioned towards the posterior aspect of the athlete’s base of support, their feet. With the load positioned over the athletes’ heels, any movement of the hip complex posteriorly during the squat must be countered with an anterior shift of the athlete’s weight forward. This lack of posterior options forces the athlete to instead break the straight leg starting position by flexing the knees first before the hips, resulting in a forward shift of body weight as the back loaded squat begins.

If the athlete does not break at the knees first but does attempt a posterior hip shift, the strategy then shifts to an anterior translation of the upper body. This compensation is an attempt to keep the weight of the bar over top of the feet. The anterior tilt of the upper body places a significant load on the ability of the athlete to maintain an extended posture with their back. This additional load on the musculature of the back itself grows substantially as the anterior tilt of the upper body increases.

The initial success of the front squat is not so easy to replicate in the back squat. Where the front squat rewards hip initiated motion, the back squat promotes knee and upper body movement, forcing the athlete to work hard to achieve hip joint based movement. Even in the experienced lifter, the demands of starting a perfect back squat technique are harder to achieve and maintain when significant loads are applied to the athlete.

Thus, the front squat rewards the initial backward translation of the pelvis, keeping the weight overtop of the base of support and the athlete initiating motion in the proper posterior hip shift movement pattern. The back squat does not reward this initiation of movement at all.

Mid-Squat Technique

Now if we look at the movements in the middle of the squat itself, during the front squat if an athlete does mistakenly move into a knee flexion movement pattern, the load of the bar quickly moves anterior of the athlete’s base of support (their forefoot and toes) and they instinctively have to thrust the pelvis posteriorly to correct this improper positioning. Also, if the athlete loses the straight back posture, the bar becomes too heavy for the upper body to support as the bar weight continues forward. The bar drops forward off the shoulders, ending the lift attempt. The front squat ends up being self-correcting just due to the nature of the lift.

For the back squat, too often the tendency of the athlete is to allow the upper body to fall forward during the squat movement. Regardless of your interpretation of the squat motion itself, if the upper body is moving forward, the center of gravity of the athlete is moving forward due to the back loaded position and thus the anterior slide of the knees cannot be prevented within the legs alone. Thus, the resultant excessive knee joint motion, as seen in the photos above, is explained. The self-correcting nature of the front loaded squat is not present in the back loaded movement.

The pattern of motion I usually see in the performance of the back squat is for the athlete to break at the knees first, with the hips tucked under the rib cage and no appreciable posterior shift of the pelvis as the downward movement begins. If there is a posterior hip shift, it is accompanied by a significant anterior tilt of the upper body, whether by way of hip flexion or the lumbar spine flexing.

Either way, most back squats I see in a training situation are simply a back loaded deadlift. The athlete loses the posterior and downward motion of the pelvis and instead allows the head to drop forward towards the floor. Then, the lift up is accomplished more as an upper body deadlift against the resistance of the bar than a true concentric squat movement. These are terrible movement patterns that require more strength and joint motion from the structures of the back than is required from the legs.

In the third article of this series, we will continue examining the front and back squat movements, focusing on the bottom portion of the lifts as well as my interpretation of an athlete’s safety and performance in each of these lifts.

Break Up Those Hips and Fix That Squat

2012-01-22T04:14:00.001Z

by Adam Vogel – 1/12/2012

Ever hear a trainer try to explain why their client can't get below parallel on a squat? Once you get past the token explanations about bad knees, aching backs, or tight body parts, the next issue is usually the hips.
It's no secret that to have a great squat, you have to have great hip mobility. Unfortunately, saying that you need hip mobility to squat deep is like saying you need a lot of money to be rich; merely acknowledging that you need it doesn't make it so. As any personal-finance guru will tell you, if you're going to get rich, you'd better have a plan.
The hips have many different functions. They must be both stable and mobile at different times and in different planes, along with being able to abduct, adduct, extend, and rotate on demand. But when we discuss hip mobility in the context of the squat, what we're really talking about is hip flexion.

Hip Flexion
Hip flexion is the technical term for a decrease in joint angle between the femur and pelvis. This occurs from either side of the joint, by raising the leg towards the abdomen – like when you run – or by lowering the upper body toward the leg – like when you squat down.
If you want to have any chance of squatting below parallel with a weight on your back, then you're going to need at least 110-125 degrees of hip flexion. Achieving full squat depth with anything less than full range of motion at the hip requires your body to make a number of biomechanical compromises.
Following the joint-by-joint approach, when the hip lacks flexion, the joints above it (the lumbar spine), and below it (the knee) will overcompensate to make up the difference.
It's something of a Ponzi scheme our bodies have developed, robbing stability from one joint to provide mobility for another. But while this type of compensated movement may allow you to achieve certain positions, it puts excessive strain on the back and knees.
When your body isn't ready for these positions, the repetitive stress eventually leads to structural overload, inflammation, and a long-term relationship with your orthopedic surgeon. Show me a guy who says that squats hurt his knees or tweak his back and I'll show you a guy with a hip mobility problem.
Typically when we see lifters struggling to reach full depth during a squat we immediately think of the posterior chain – tight hamstrings, glutes, lower back, etc. Yet limitations in hip flexion can come from the front or the back, depending on what's being restricted. Hip restrictions come in three main flavors – muscular, capsular, and structural (bone) – each requiring different solutions.

Structural Problem

Structural restrictions occur when the femoral head and neck don't "fit" properly into the acetabulum (the cup-shaped cavity at the base of the pelvis). Because this is often a genetic trait, sometimes you can't do anything about it other than curse your parents for passing you their lackluster DNA.
However, these can also form as the result of increased exposure to activities that promote anterior pelvic tilt, like hockey and distance running. The forward tilting of the pelvis is usually the result of a shortening and tightening of the hip flexors and lumbar erectors, coupled with a lengthening and weakening of the glutes and abdominals. Vladimir Janda labeled this "lower cross-syndrome."
This type of alignment sets the bottom of the pelvis on a crash course with the top of the femur every time you flex your hip. According to Janda, to fix this faulty posture, the tight hip flexors must first be inhibited through stretching and massage followed by strengthening exercises for the glutes and lower abdominals.
Exercises and articles on glute and abdominal strengthening are a plenty and don't require much repeating – basically, don't skimp on your planks, leg raises, bridges, and deadlifts.
Here are two drills to help melt away the layer of ice that's likely formed around the front of your hip over the last decade:
Hip Flexor Stretch (Wall or Bench)
This is one of the most effective and universally-despised stretches ever. Perhaps this is because most lifters' hip flexors are shorter than Gary Coleman ducking under a subway turnstile, or maybe they just don't put enough effort into their stretches. Either way, grab a bench or a wall, pour yourself a glass of Scotch, and settle into position for 2-3 minutes a side.
Psoas Active Release with Plate
Psoas stretches might be a dime-a-dozen, but soft-tissue techniques are almost nonexistent. Because the psoas sits so deep within the body, it can be very difficult to access through touch. Here's an easy way to get pressure onto this stubborn muscle using a common weight plate and some elbow grease.
Make sure to place the weight plate slightly off center, between the ribs and the pelvis. I like to center the pressure about two-inches from the belly button laterally, and about one-inch down. Once you feel weight pressing on the psoas, move your leg through hip flexion activation to breakup any scar tissue or fascial tightness.

Hip Accessories

Perhaps the least talked about or understood cause of limited mobility is tightness in the joint capsule itself. Like all synovial joints, the hip is encased in a flexible membrane – like a piece of fruit suspended in a bowl of Jell-O – that provides the hip with an additional layer of flexible support.
This membrane is referred to as your joint capsule. Although it might not receive much attention, it's one of the most important pieces in the mobility puzzle. When the capsule becomes stiff and tight, it compresses the articulating surfaces of the joint and alters what's called accessory joint movement.
Accessory movements at the capsular level are necessary for larger physiological movements like flexion or abduction to occur normally. For example, to avoid impinging the anterior capsule and psoas tendon during hip flexion, a slight posterior glide of the femur must occur. Without it, the joint must compress against these structures to achieve its goal of moving.
That brings us to the wonderful world of joint mobilization! This phrase gets thrown around a lot in the strength and conditioning world as a stand-in for any exercise that purports to improve range of motion.
However, joint mobilizations are actually very specific techniques that involve applying angled pressure to a joint to manually create accessory movement, stretch the joint capsule, and decompress the surrounding tissue.
Traditionally performed by a manual therapist with the assistance of a traction belt, many joint mobilizations can be recreated by yourself with a little bit of know-how and a two-inch stretch band.
Bottom-up Hamstring Stretch with Band
Loop a stretch band around a squat cage. Place your leg through the middle of the band, pulling it to where your hip and leg meet. Walk away from the cage, causing the band to stretch.
Once you have a good amount of tension, place the band-leg forward and the free leg back. Bring your hands to the ground, bending both knees. Then, keeping your hands in a fixed position, begin to straighten the knees as much as possible, pushing the hips back toward the cage. Repeat for 15-20 cycles.
Top-Down Forward Bend with Band
Starting from the same setup as the bottom-up mobilization, this time keep both legs straight and reach forward to touch the toes of the forward foot. Press your hips back toward the cage as you lean forward. Repeat for 15-20 cycles.
Squat with Band
Here the band is in the same position around the upper leg, but the anchor is lower to the ground (about 6-8 inches from the floor) so the tension is directed back and down. Walk away from the cage to increase band tension at the hip and perform 10-15 deep squats for each leg.

Soft-Tissue Restrictions
Last but not least are muscular restrictions. These are the big men on campus in the strength and conditioning world, receiving much of the attention from both trainers and clients.
These fall into three categories. First are soft-tissue entrapment issues, where tissue becomes gnarled or stuck together, like in the case of trigger points and myofascial adhesions. Second are problems with excessive stiffness or resistance to changes in length. Finally, problems involving muscle length, where a muscle has actually lost sarcomeres and therefore has become shorter.
Restrictions in the hamstrings, glutes, or lower back can all limit hip flexion. I find that a lacrosse ball works best to free-up entrapment issues, while a stretch band works best on length and stiffness problems.
High Hamstring Mash
The proximal hamstring attachments on the backside of the pelvis exist in an area of high stress and tension in the body, making them prone to stiffness and adhesions. Compound that with the eight or more hours most people spend sitting directly on this area each day – squishing it like an overstuffed flatbread Panini – and you have plenty of room for problems to occur.
To free up this area, place a lacrosse ball directly under the glute fold (slightly closer to inside) and then sit on something hard (insert your own jokes here) like a plyo block or the floor. Roll back and forth over the hamstring attachment, ungluing the ugly mess of matted down tissue that has likely formed there.
Hamstring Drive-Down
Loop a 1-inch stretch band about a quarter of the way up one of the columns on a squat cage. Lie down in front of the cage, with your head directly under the band and put one foot through the looped band. Keeping your leg straight, push the band down to the floor and then slowly control the movement back to the top. The heavy eccentric load forces a controlled lengthening of the posterior hip and hamstring, thereby increasing flexibility and decreasing stiffness.

Conclusion
Summing up, limitations at the bottom range of your squat can be coming from the backside of the pelvis through stiffness or adhesion, or the front side through capsular restriction and decreased accessory motion. Identifying the source of the restriction will have an obvious effect on correcting the limitations in range, as will taking the course of action described in this article.

The Contreras Files: Volume II

2012-01-22T03:36:00.001Z

by Bret Contreras – 1/17/2012

Most of you likely spent the holidays relaxing with family and friends while assaulting your senses with food, alcohol, and the new Justin Bieber Christmas album. But while you were out decking the halls in your gay apparel, I was poring over the latest strength and conditioning research so you can kick off 2012 on the right foot. The typical lifter, athlete, personal trainer, strength coach, or physical therapist is bound to find something useful in this article.

Stretching and DOMS

DOMS (delayed-onset muscle soreness) typically arises within a day of exercise and peaks in intensity at around 48 hours. Many strength & conditioning practitioners believe that stretching before or after exercise will reduce soreness.
Henschke and Lin (2011) reviewed the research on this topic and concluded that stretching does not affect muscle soreness. Twelve total studies were included with a combined 2,377 participants. Pooled estimates showed that pre- and post-exercise stretching reduced soreness on average by one point on a 100-point scale one day following exercise, increase soreness on average by one point on a 100-point scale two days following exercise, and had no effect on soreness by day three.
Findings were consistent across settings (lab vs. field studies), types of stretching, intensity of stretching, populations (athletic, untrained, men, women) and study quality, so the conclusions are not likely to change with future research. To reiterate, stretching doesn't affect muscle soreness.

Power Lifts versus Olympic Lifts – Peak Power Outputs

For decades coaches have argued about whether Olympic lifting is mandatory for athletes seeking maximal power production. Some coaches are strong advocates of Olympic variations based on the premise that Olympic lifts produce much higher power outputs compared to the powerlifts (Garhammer, 1993).
This may be true for maximal Olympic lifts compared to maximal power lifts, but this is because maximum power is derived with differing loads in the Olympic lifts compared to the power lifts. Maximum power is obtained with much heavier loads relative to 1RM with Olympic lifts, whereas with power lifts, maximum power is achieved with much lighter loads relative to 1RM.
Data from Garhammer (1980) showed that the highest peak power outputs involved in elite Olympic weightlifters belonged to lifters from the 110kg weight class. These lifters developed 4,807 watts of power during certain phases of the Olympic lifts. Examining the power clean, Winchester et al. (2005) reported maximum power values of 4,230 watts while Cormie et al. (2007) reported maximum power values of 4,900 watts.
A recent study examining 23 powerlifters and rugby players showed that deadlifts at 30% of 1RM produced 4,247 watts of power (Swinton et al., 2011a). This is slightly less than values reported by the same researchers in another recent study, which showed that peak power in a straight bar deadlift was 4,388 watts (at 30% of 1RM) while peak power in a hex bar deadlift was 4,872 watts (at 40% of 1RM). In fact, some individuals were able to reach values over 6,000 watts in the submaximal deadlifts (Swinton et al., 2011b).
The Olympic weightlifting versus powerlifting debate will undoubtedly continue to rage, but this emerging research should provide some interesting fuel to the equation. Considering the available research, it appears that dynamic effort hex bar deadlifts with 40% of 1RM can match the Olympic lifts – including the power clean – in peak power production.

Full ROM Versus Partials for Hypertrophy

Several studies have been conducted measuring the effects of full range of motion (ROM) lifts versus partial ROM lifts on maximal strength, but until now no study had measured the effects of full ROM lifts versus partial ROM lifts on hypertrophy.
Ronei et al. (published ahead of print) found that performing two sessions/week of preacher curls for ten weeks with full ROM (0° to 130° of elbow flexion) resulted in significantly higher muscle thickness gains in the biceps compared to the partial ROM group (50° to 100° of elbow flexion). The full ROM group increased hypertrophy by 9.52%, whereas the partial ROM group only by 7.37%, although the volume for the full ROM group was 36% lower than that of the partial ROM group.
The subjects used in this study lacked resistance training experience, so conclusions should be limited to newbies. Based on this research, newbies should use a full ROM to maximize hypertrophic adaptations.

Sprint Acceleration – Everything Works

Australian researchers recently came up with a very cool study – they examined the effects of four different protocols (free sprinting, weights, plyometrics, and resisted sprinting) on sprint acceleration performance (Lockie et al., published ahead of print). Subjects consisted of field athletes who were already training at least three hours per week. Respective additional training sessions were performed twice per week for 60 minutes each for six total weeks.
Here are the highlights:

All groups significantly increased their 0-5 meter and 0-10 meter velocity by 9-10%.
All groups significantly increased their mean step length.
The weights and plyometrics groups also significantly increased their 5-10 meter velocity.
The free sprinting group significantly increased their 5-bound test, a measure of horizontal power.
The free sprinting, plyometrics, and resisted sprinting groups significantly increased their reactive strength index (jump height divided by contact time), a measure of elastic strength.
All groups significantly increased their 3RM squat and relative 3RM squat, with the weights group showing the largest increases in strength.
All groups increased their speed through increases in stride length, not by way of increases in stride frequency or decreased contact time.

This study showed that the underlying mechanisms for improvements were protocol-specific. Prior research has shown that combined training yields even greater results than using one specific method (Kotzamanidis et al. 2005), so chances are even better results could be realized if multiple protocols were trained concurrently.
Moreover, the weights group performed just vertical plane exercises consisting of squats, step ups, hip flexion, and calf raises. It's possible that the weights group could have seen even better results had the researchers added in a horizontal hip strengthening exercises such as a hip thrust or a back extension.

The Kettlebell Swing

Brand new research by McGill and Marshall (published ahead of print) has taken a close look at the kettlebell swing. Swings were performed one arm at a time with a 16kg kettlebell and were initiated with the participant in the squat position with a neutral spine. Participants were cued to "initiate the swing through the sagittal plane by simultaneously extending their hips, knees and ankles and to use the momentum to swing the kettlebell to chest level and return to their initial starting position."
Here are the highlights:

Lumbar spine ROM ranged from 26 degrees of flexion at the bottom of the movement to 6 degrees of extension at the top of the movement.
Hip ROM ranged from 75 degrees of flexion at the bottom of the movement to 1 degree of extension at the top.
Knee ROM ranged from 69 degrees of flexion to 2 degrees of extension.
As the movement progressed from the bottom of the swing to the top of the swing, back muscle activation peaked first at around 50% of MVC, followed by abdominal/oblique activation at around 20-30% of MVC, followed by gluteal muscle activation at around 75% of MVC.
The glutes were closely associated with end-range hip extension torque.
Spinal loading was greatest in the beginning of the swing (461N of shear and 3195N of compression), which dropped significantly as the ROM progressed to the middle of the swing (326N of shear and 2328N of compression) and finally to the top of the swing (156N of shear and 1903N of compression).
The effort is mostly concentric as gravity assists most of the eccentric component of the swing.
Muscle activation ramps up during a half-second interval in the concentric phase and then transitions to almost complete relaxation during much of the eccentric phase.

Russian kettlebell master Pavel Tsatsouline participated in this study and was able to reach 150% MVC in his erector spinae and 100% MVC in this gluteal muscles with just a 32kg kettlebell.

Muscle, Smoke & Mirrors

One of my American strength coach buddies in Auckland gave me an amazing book to read during my free time titled Muscle, Smoke & Mirrors: Volume I. Randy Roach, the author, spent considerable time researching the history of bodybuilding, from the origins of physical culture through the rise of the iron game. You may recall T Nation contributor Chris Colucci interviewing Randy about the book in 2009here.
I was very interested in learning more about some of the personalities of the characters who helped mould and shape the industry, including the Weiders, Bob Hoffman, and Vince Gironda to name a few. Though geniuses, most of our founders seem like eccentric and overly arrogant egomaniacs.
You'll certainly find it interesting to learn about the "Weider Research Clinic," not to mention the origins of various debates such as those pertaining to the squat exercise or training for strength versus size, and finally the infiltration of anabolic steroids.
I definitely recommend this book to anyone interested in the bodybuilding and nutrition industries as it's important to know and understand their roots and progression.

Strongman Training

A study has finally been conducted examining the training methods of strongman competitors. Until now no such study existed. Winwood et al. (2011) surveyed 167 strongmen from 20 different countries on a variety of training topics.
Here are the highlights:

66% of strongmen reported that the back squat was the most frequently performed type of squat. Front squats were often performed as well.
88% of strongmen reported that the conventional deadlift was the most frequently performed type of deadlift. Partial deadlifts were often performed as well.
80% of strongmen periodize their training and 83% use a training log.
74% of strongmen perform hypertrophy training, 97% of strongmen perform maximal strength work, 90% of strongmen perform power training, and 90% of strongmen perform aerobic/anaerobic conditioning.
60% of strongmen perform dynamic effort squats and deadlifts (explosive reps with submaximal loads), 56% use elastic bands, and 38% use chains.
88% of strongmen incorporate Olympic lifting into their arsenals with 78% performing the clean. The jerk, snatch and high pull were frequently performed as well.
54% of strongmen perform lower body plyometrics, 29% upper body plyometrics, and 20% ballistics (i.e., jump squat, bench throw).
55% of strongmen perform HIIT and 53% perform low intensity cardio.
54% of strongmen competitors train with strongman implements once per week and 24% train with strongman implements twice per week.
82% of strongmen perform the tire flip, 95% perform the log clean and press, 94% perform the stones, 96% perform the farmers walk, and 49% perform the truck pull. Other strongman implements and exercises performed included various types of overhead presses (Viking, sleeper press, and dumbbells), carries (Conan's wheel, shield, hydrant, and frame), pulls (harness, arm over arm, ropes, and chains), walks (duck and yoke), lifts (safe, kettlebells, and car deadlifts), holds (crucifix), and grip exercise (block, hand, and tools).

Low Back Loads

Many trainees fail to grasp spinal loading, in terms of both biomechanics and in common levels reached during functional movement, sports, and exercise. To help address this poorly understood topic, I created a chart below involving over twenty different studies.
Before you delve into this chart and start analyzing the data, there are a few things you should understand:

First, if you want to convert Newtons to pounds, know that one Newton equals .224808943 pounds of force. Conversely, one pound of force is equal to 4.44822162 Newtons. You can use these numbers to convert back and forth from pounds to Newtons and vice versa. For example, in Cholewicki's deadlift study, 17,192N of compressive force equates to (17,942N)(.224808943 lbs/N) = 4,034 pounds of force.
The reason why such incredible compressive forces are placed on the spine during deadlifts has a lot to do with the intense contractions of core muscles needed to support the spine. These muscles clamp down on the spine, causing compressive forces to far exceed the load of the barbell. Granhed's study used a slightly lower moment-arm measurement for the spinal extensor musculature (5 cm compared to 6 cm) than Cholewicki's study that helps explain the larger values reported.
Due to the orientation of the various vertebrae, joint shear force estimates are highly dependent on the vertebral level examined. For example, L5/S1 is inclined forward around 30° more than L4/L5, causing it to receive much higher shear forces. For this reason, comparisons should only be made between studies examining the same vertebral level (and even then methodology differences complicate matters). Moreover, shear forces can be directed anteriorly or posteriorly; this chart doesn't specify the direction of forces.

Activity	Site	Compressive Loading	Shear Loading (Anterior/Posterior)	First Author
Golf swing	L3/L4	6,100-7,500N	N/A	Hosea
Rowing	L3/L4 L4/L5	6,086N 4.6x bodyweight	N/A 660N	Hosea Morris
Football linemen blocking manoeuvre	L4/L5	8,679N	3,304N (2.6x bodyweight)	Gatt

Functional Tasks	Site	Compressive Loading	Shear Loading (Anterior/Posterior)	First Author
Lifting a 50 pound box from knee to waist height	L5/S1	6,000-7,000N	1,200-1,600N	Marras
Lifting a 33 pound box	L5/S1	6,342N	1,755N	Kingma
Pushing and pulling at waist height with 40% of bodyweight	L2/L3	N/A	1,100-1,200N	Knapik

Squatting	Site	Compressive Loading	Shear Loading (Anterior/Posterior)	First Author
Half squat w/loads of .8-1.6x bodyweight	L3/L4	10x bodyweight*	N/A	Cappozzo
Traditional squat	L5/S1	10,473N	3,843N	Lander
Isometric squat	L3	6,248-11,497N	420-906N	Hansson

* e.g., 7,000N for a 70kg individual

Deadlifting	Site	Compressive Loading	Shear Loading (Anterior/Posterior)	First Author
Women	L4/L5	6,400N	1,107N	Cholewicki
Men		12,641N	1,739N
Conventional		10,738N	1,643N
Sumo		10,405N	1,530N
Maximum value		18,449N	N/A
Combined (sumo and conventional)	L3/L4	18,800-36,400N	N/A	Granhed
Round back	L4/L5	N/A	1,900	McGill
Isometric deadlift	L3	6,785-8,898N	729-1012N	Hansson

Abdominal Exercises	Site	Compressive Loading	Shear Loading (Anterior/Posterior)	First Author
Straight leg sit up	L4/L5	3,230N	260N	McGill
Bent knee sit up		3,410N	300N
Straight leg sit up	L4/L5	3,502N	N/A	Axler
Bent knee sit up		3,350N
Crunch		1,991N
Lying leg raise		2,525N
Twisting crunch		2,964N
Hanging straight leg raise		2,805N
Hanging bent knee leg raise		3,313N
Side plank		2,585N
Standing cable walkout	L4/L5	2,743-4,185N	464-714N	McGill
Overhead cable push		2,327-3,006N	584-760N
Isometric axial twist	L5/S1	3,382-4,158N	1,409-1,688N	Arjmand

Low Back Exercises	Site	Compressive Loading	Shear Loading (Anterior/Posterior)	First Author
Quadruped hip ext	L4/L5	2,000N	150N	Callaghan
Bird dog		3,000N	200N
Superman		4,000N	50N
Back extension		4,000N	250N
Bridge	L4/L5	2,853N	N/A	Kavcic
Standing isometric back extension	L5/S1	1,400-1,600N	950-1,100N	Kingma

Kettlebell Exercises	Site	Compressive Loading	Shear Loading (Anterior/Posterior)	First Author
Swing	L4/L5	3,195N	461N	McGill
Swing to snatch		2,992N	404N

Strongman Exercises	Site	Compressive Loading	Shear Loading (Anterior/Posterior)	First Author
Farmer’s walk	L4/L5	9,876N	2,409N	McGill
Super yoke		12,043N	1,341N
Atlas stone lift		5,659N	635N
Suitcase carry		6,890-9,061N	1,520-2,143N
Keg walk		6,591-8,412N	913-1,249N
Tire flip		7,921N	138N
Log lift		7,270N	1,021N

Rowing Exercises	Site	Compressive Loading	Shear Loading (Anterior/Posterior)	First Author
Bent over row	L4/L5	3,576N	87N	McGill
Inverted row		2,339N	76N
Cable row		2,457N	130N

Push Up Exercises	Site	Compressive Loading	Shear Loading (Anterior/Posterior)	First Author
Standard	L4/L5	2,900N	490N	Beach
Suspended		3,800N	520N
Standard	L4/L5	1,838N	N/A	Freeman
Explosive		3,905N
Clapping		4,699N
One arm		5,848N
Alternating		6,224N

In 1981 the NIOSH set action limits for compression at 3,400N with maximum permissible limits at 6,300N. Some spinal experts have suggested that maximum shear loads should be limited to 1,000N.
As you can see, much of what we do on the field or in the weight room exceeds these limits (sometimes by a large margin). Many coaches vilify certain exercises based on the levels of spinal loading they produce only to prescribe alternative exercises that exceed the levels reached in the exercises they discourage. Hopefully this chart will assist coaches with logical consistency in exercise prescription decision-making.

Neck Training

Coaches have long debated whether specific neck training is necessary for maximum neck strength and size. Some say that neck isolation lifts are needed, while others say that posterior chain exercises such as squats, deadlifts, shrugs, and bent over rows will build all the necessary neck strength and size.
I recently located a study conducted in 1997 by researchers out of The University of Georgia that took a close look at the topic of training for neck strength and size (Conley et al., 1997). One group performed 12 weeks of squats, push presses, rack pulls, shrugs, RDL's, bent over rows, and crunches.
Another group added in neck harness extensions. Group number one failed to increase their neck extension strength and neck size, whereas group number two saw a 34% increase in neck extension strength and a 13% increase in the cross-sectional area of selected neck muscles (mostly the splenius capitis, semispinalis capitis, semispinalis cervicis and multifidus). Take home message: If maximum neck size and strength is important to you, then make sure you perform some isolation exercises for the neck.

Yin and Yang Planks: The Hardstyle Plank

RKC creator Pavel Tsatsouline likes to talk about yin and yang planks. Yin planks are performed by simply chillaxin' in the plank position. You might think your 3-minute plank is pretty badass, but George Hood, a 54-year-old former Marine and DEA Agent, recently shattered your best plank performance by a long shot. On December 3, 2011, in Naperville, Illinois, Hood held a plank for 1 hour, 20 minutes, and 5 seconds. You read that correctly – over 80 minutes! While incredibly impressive, this is an extreme example of a Yin plank, since it can be held for a prolonged period of time. Here's a video highlighting Hood's performance:

A yang plank, on the other hand, is done with an all-out performance in a shorter period of time. Allow me to introduce the RKC plank.
The RKC plank is a reverse-engineered core exercise that's evolved into a brutal full body iso-hold. The RKC plank is also called the "Hardstyle Plank," and when done right, wipes you out completely after only 10 seconds.
Pavel likes to teach his students the "yang" plank and show them how they can completely exhaust their bodies through maximum static exertion. The RKC plank has you manipulating whole body muscle tension to generate maximum internal work from the plank position.
Though you won't be moving – it's a static exercise – you'll be engaging in an all-out 10-second isometric war by applying torque to joints that are locked into the ground by gravity. Pavel has all sorts of nifty cues that he's come up with and will even teach you how to breathe efficiently for maximum performance, but I'm a straight up biomechanics geek so my instructions will be very cut and dry. Here's the RKC plank in 10 not-so-easy steps:

Get into standard plank position
Make sure the neck is in neutral and there's a straight line from the head to the toes
Keep the forearms in neutral and the elbows placed directly underneath the armpits
Make tight fists with the hands to allow for irradiation (meaning the tension is so high that it "spills" over into the other muscles)
Keep the shoulders back and down and screw them into place through an external rotation torque
Contract the quadriceps forcefully to lock out the knees (you'll be surprised how high they go)
Squeeze the thighs together through an adduction torque
Pull the elbows down to the toes with the lats
Pull the toes up to the elbows via the abs and hip flexors, thereby creating a hip flexion torque at the hips (i.e. a pike)
Forcefully contract the gluteus maximus to a) counter the hip flexion moment (pike) and keep the hips extended, b) counternutate the sacrum to allow for proper inner core unit function, and c) posteriorly tilt the pelvis which decreases residual tension on the hip flexors and lumbar spine and increases residual tension on the gluteals and abdominals (when the knees are locked your pelvis won't rotate much).

It takes some time to get this right – don't expect to master it the first time you try it. Pick a couple points at a time and eventually you'll have all of it down pat. When you finally get it right, you'll never question the level of challenge provided by a plank ever again. I've been teaching the hardstyle plank to trainers and it's an instant hit as within 10-20 seconds they're shaking and convulsing.

Conclusion

I hope you enjoyed my ramblings and perhaps picked up something useful you can use in your own training.
In summary:

Stretching doesn't do jack squat for reducing muscle soreness.
Perform explosive hex bar deadlifts with 40% of 1RM and you'll register just as high of power outputs as you would in an Olympic lift.
Full range movements trump partials for strength and hypertrophy.
Multiple methods including weights, sprints, sled work, and plyos will improve acceleration performance.
Kettlebell swings are a great glute activator that builds terminal range hip extension power.
Read Muscle, Smoke and Mirrors to gain an appreciation of our industry's roots.
Strongmen incorporate many types of training into their arsenals, including hypertrophy, strength, power, and conditioning work.
Many things we do on the field or in the weight room far exceed spinal loading safety limits.<
If you want a big and strong neck, train it specifically.
Hardstyle (RKC) planks rock the standard plank's world.

See you next month!

References

Conley MS, Stone MH, Nimmons M, Dudley GA. Specificity of resistance training responses in neck muscle size and strength. 1997. Eur J Appl Physio. 75: 443-48.

Cormie, P, McCaulley, GO, Triplett, TN, and McBride, JM. Optimal loading for maximal power output during lower-body resistance exercises. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 39: 340–349, 2007.

Garhammer, J. Power production by Olympic weightlifters. 1980. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 12(1):54-60.

Garhammer, J. A review of power output studies of Olympic and powerlifting: methodology, performance prediction, and evaluation tests. J Strength Cond Res. 7: 76–89, 1993.

Henschke N and Lin CC. Stretching before or after exercise does not reduce delayed-onset muscle soreness. 2011. Br J Sports Med. 45: 1249-50.

Kotzamanidis C, Chatzopoulos D, Michailidis C, Papaiakovou G, Patikas D. The effect of combined high-intensity strength and speed training program on the running and jumping ability of soccer players. 2005. J Strength Cond Res. 19(2) 369-75.

Lockie RG, Murphy AJ, Schultz AB, Knight TJ, Janse de Jonge XAK. The effects of different speed training protocols on sprint acceleration kinematics and muscle strength and power in field sport athletes. J Strength Cond Res. Published ahead of print.

Ronei PS, Gomes N, Radaelli R, Botton CE, Brown LE, and Bottaro M. Effect of motion on muscle strength and thickness. J Strength Cond Res. Published ahead of print.

Swinton PA, Stewart AD, Keough JWL, Agouris I, and Lloyd R. Kinematic and kinetic analysis of maximal velocity deadlifts performed with and without the inclusion of chain resistance. 2011a. J Strength Cond Res. 25(11) 3163-74.

Swinton PA, Stewart A, Agouris I, Keough JWL, and Lloyd R. A biomechanical analysis of straight and hexagonal barbell deadlifts using submaximal loads. J Strength Cond Res. 2011b. J Strength Cond Res. 25(7) 2000-9.

Winchester, JB, Erickson, TM, Blaak, JB, and McBride, JM. Changes in bar-path kinematics and kinetics after power-clean training. J Strength Cond Res. 19: 177–183, 2005.

Winwood PL, Keogh JWL, Harris NK. The strength and conditioning practices of strongman competitors. 2011. J Strength Cond Res. 25(11)3118-28.

Physical Fitness Providing New Options in Cancer Treatment Programs

2012-01-17T17:21:00.000Z

Everyone knows that being overweight or obese comes with aton of negative health consequences, from symptoms like gastrointestinal refluxand fatigue to chronic disease. Exercise is the number one way to preventobesity and gain numerous other benefits. A growing number of doctors arefinding in research the evidence that exercise is not only great preventivemedicine but it also aids in the treatment of chronic diseases. Physical fitnessprograms have been used to combat osteoporosis and heart disease to goodeffect, and cancer research organization have funded several explorations intothe possible benefits of physical fitness training for cancer patients of alltypes.

When is Exercise Most Important for Cancer Patients?

It has long been realized that cancer survivors will benefitfrom regular exercise, be it walking or some other form of aerobics. Newinformation shows that the benefits extend to every stage of treatment as well.Obviously, there are some types of treatment that contraindicate the use ofsome forms of exercise. High-impact aerobics would be a poor choice for bonecancer patients, and those undergoing mesothelioma treatmentmay be unable to stand up on their own, much less go for the recommendedminimum 20-minute walks.

This limitations are the basis for the push to get physicalfitness experts included on all cancer treatment teams. The benefits are justtoo important to be seen as an alternative therapy any more. Chemotherapy, forinstance, is known to cause changes in appetite, rapid weight changes, andfatigue. Whether the prognosis is positive or poor for the patient, supervisedexercise can be performed safely to eliminate or reduce these symptoms. for this reason, exercise isimportant for all patients, because it improves the quality of life.Additionally, it has been shown to make some forms of treatment moresuccessful.

Importance of the Type and Amount of Exercise

Besides the need to maintain patient safety, the type ofexercise is important for other reasons as well. The primary problem seen ingetting patients physically fit is ensuring that the exercise program continuesregularly. The benefits accrue over continued training, so it is vitallyimportant to seek out physical fitness routines that are enjoyable for thepatient. Limitations in movement following surgery, or for terminal patients,can mean strict prescriptions on exercise, but other patients should explorewhat they enjoy. Water aerobics, yoga, dance and even weight training are allpossibilities.

The amount of exercise needed to realize benefits isdependent on the current status of the patient. Studies show that even aminimal amount is beneficial, and the key is tailoring the routine to theindividual. Seek out a cancer clinic with personal trainers who specialize incancer exercise.

How To I.D. Genetically Modified Food at the Supermarket

2012-01-16T02:05:00.001Z

Not many consumers realize that the FDA does not require genetically modified food to be labeled. That’s because the FDA has decided that you, dear consumer, don’t care if the tomato you’re eating has been cross bred with frog genes to render the tomato more resistant to cold weather. Some consumers may not be concerned with eating Frankenfood, but for those who are, here’s how to determine if the fruits and vegetables you’re buying are (GM) genetically modified.

Hat tip to Marion Owen for her valuable information. Here’s how it works:

For conventionally grown fruit, (grown with chemicals inputs), the PLU code on the sticker consists of four numbers. Organically grown fruit has a five-numeral PLU prefaced by the number 9. Genetically engineered (GM) fruit has a five-numeral PLU prefaced by the number 8.

For example:

A conventionally grown banana would be: 4011

An organic banana would be: 94011

A genetically engineered (GE or GMO) banana would be: 84011

These tips are specially important now that over 80% of all processed foods in the US are genetically modified. Many countries in the European Union have been banning GM products and produce (including Austria, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary and Luxembourg). We say “Eat healthy, buy or grow organic”.

Exercises You've Never Tried: Hamstring and Glute Edition

2012-01-13T17:34:00.001Z

by Ben Bruno – 1/10/2012

I'm a sucker for lower body training, so I'm going to share some cool exercises for you that focus primarily on the lower half of the back side of the body, namely the glutes and hamstrings.
Every-day gym rats often ignore these muscles because they can't see them in their favorite bathroom mirror cell phone picture. But before you build an 8-day-a-week program devoted to chest, shoulders, arms, and abs, remember that just because you can't see them, doesn't mean other people can't. Nobody likes a flat ass.
To build appreciable muscle mass or just get generally cockstrong, it all starts with the foundation.

The Posterior Chain

The posterior chain begins with deadlifts, Romanian deadlifts (RDL), and glute-ham raises. What if you can't deadlift due to a back injury? Or if your gym doesn't have a glute-raise apparatus? What if you're just flat-out sick of what you're doing and need a change?
Here are some cool exercises to spice things up.

1. Split Stance RDL

The single-leg RDL is an awesome exercise, but until you get the hang of it and master the balancing aspect, it can feel more like a sobriety test than a viable way to get stronger and add muscle.
Enter the split stance RDL.

I'd classify this as hybrid between a traditional RDL and a true single-leg RDL. If you do these correctly, the front leg should do the majority of the work and handle most of the loading, while the rear leg provides stability so you don't topple over like an 18-year-old girl on 99-cent shooter night.
You can easily adjust the difficulty of the exercise by altering your setup.

Feet wider = More stable = Easier
Feet closer together = Less stable = Harder

Start with your feet fairly wide and bring in your stance as you feel more comfortable. I like to set up with the toes of the rear foot even with the heel of the front foot. A closer stance also allows for a more natural hip hinge without torqueing the pelvis.
Strive to keep as little weight as possible on the rear leg. You'll need to be hyper vigilant with yourself at first as you adjust to the movement.
This can be used as a good progression to work towards a true single leg RDL, or as a way to get a unilateral training effect with heavier loads since stability is not as much of an issue.

2. Eccentric One-Leg RDL

This variation requires more stability than the split stance RDL, but still less than a true single-leg RDL. Do a single-leg RDL on the eccentric, then put the other foot down and pick the weight up using either a conventional deadlift or a traditional bilateral RDL, your choice.

Like the split stance RDL, this can be used as a progression to work towards single-leg RDLs. For more advanced lifters, it offers an interesting unilateral training effect by allowing the eccentric component to be overloaded with greater loads than would be possible if you did the entire movement on one leg.
One of the big keys to mastering the single leg RDL is to remember that both legs still need to work. The "non-working" leg shouldn't just dangle passively; instead, squeeze the glute of the "up" leg and actively reach the foot back as you hinge at the hips, just as you would in a bilateral RDL. This will not only help you stabilize your torso but will also ensure that you maintain a neutral spine.
However, you should only try this variation if you have the hip mobility and hamstring flexibility to descend all the way until the bar reaches the floor without rounding your lower back as it's awkward and potentially dangerous to transition from one to two legs with the bar in midair. If that's not possible, it's probably best to try something else.

3. Single-Leg Barbell RDL/Row Combo

Here's one on the other end of the stability continuum. Like the name suggests, it's a single-leg RDL combined with a barbell row.

We could technically call this a Pendlay row since the torso is parallel to the floor and each rep is performed from a dead stop. I'm generally not a fan of barbell rows because they tend to get sloppy and deteriorate into a sort of ballistic row/upright row/shrug mess.
However, in this case, the nature of the exercise helps to keep your form tight because if you try to cheat, you'll lose your balance. Fact is, because this exercise is so technically demanding, it will immediately expose any form flaws, meaning there's no way to do it other than correctly.
It certainly ain't for beginners, but if you can pull it off, it's an incredibly effective and efficient exercise that allows you to hammer the entire posterior chain at once. Furthermore, if you develop the stability required to do these well, regular single-leg RDLs will feel like a breeze when you go back to them and your numbers should skyrocket.

4. Paused Hip Thrusters

My good friend and fellow T Nation contributor, Bret "The Glute Guy" Contreras, has already written extensively about the hip thrust on this site, so I won't rehash what he's already said. If you want to learn more about it, read this.
I have to admit, when Bret first introduced this exercise, I wasn't sure if he was being serious or if it was some sort of sick joke. I resisted trying them for a while because they looked a little ridiculous and I figured my glutes were getting enough work from squats, deadlifts, and single-leg work anyway.
That said, I'm a big believer in the adage, "don't knock it til you try it," so eventually I broke down and gave it a shot. Right away I could see what all the hoopla was about. I've never felt such a big contraction in my glutes before, and the nice thing is that the following day they don't leave you feeling like you spent the night in prison the way squats and lunges often do.
The biggest problem I see with this exercise is that many guys try to use too much weight and fail to reach full hip extension at the top, instead opting for lumbar hyperextension. This is not only an ineffective way to work the glutes, it's also extremely dangerous for the lower back.
To make sure this doesn't happen, I recommend pausing each rep at the top for 1-3 seconds to keep you honest and ensure the glutes are doing the work. If that's not possible, the weight is too heavy. You may need to drop it down slightly from what you're used to, but so what? Last time I checked, there's no such thing as a hip thrust competition.

You'll notice in the video I'm using a curved buffalo bar. This isn't essential by any means, but if you have one already, it'll make it much easier to roll the bar into position. If you don't have a buffalo bar, you can also try elevating the plates on small risers.
If you're worried about looking foolish, get over yourself. You never know, maybe that cute cardio bunny you've been eyeing will take notice of your thrusting prowess and start up a conversation.

5. Single-Leg Hip Thrusters

Once you feel comfortable with regular hip thrusts, you can try the single-leg version, which is a great advanced progression to challenge unilateral hip extension and rotary stability.
The downside to this exercise is that it can be tricky to add external load. You can drape chains over your waist or jerry-rig bands to provide some resistance, but at a certain point you'll need to use a barbell to keep challenging yourself.
The trouble with that is if you set up with the bar centered evenly over your hips like you would in a bilateral hip thrust, the bar will tilt and slide all over the place. Instead, center the bar over the leg you're trying to work, meaning that if you're working the left leg, you'll want to set up with the bar a little left of center.

Even if you're able to do loaded bilateral hip thrusters, don't just jump right to loading the single-leg version without mastering it with your bodyweight first because it's significantly more difficult and has a very different feel to it.

6. Pull-up Inverted Row Hip Thruster Combo

This is an awesome exercise with a sucky name.
I thought long and hard about trying to come up with something catchy to do it justice, like Mega Thrusters, Ladykillers, or Bruno Bootymakers, but in the end I ended up copping out and going with something boring and just calling it exactly what it is: a pull-up, an inverted row, and a hip thruster all rolled into one. If you can think of anything better, I'm open to suggestions.

For those of you big on training economy, it doesn't get much better than this. No muscles on the back side of your body are left unscathed.
For the upper body, it starts as a vertical pull and finishes as a horizontal pull. I strongly recommend using some sort of suspension training system (TRX, rings, blast straps, etc.) to allow your shoulders to rotate naturally and to increase the contraction in your upper back, but if you don't have anything, a bar will work just fine.
For the lower body, this works both the glutes and hamstrings through an extremely large range of motion. Through EMG research, Bret Contreras found that increasing the range of motion of a hip thruster by elevating both the feet and shoulders increased both glute and hamstring activation when compared to the floor version.
Bret obviously didn't test this variation specifically since I just thought it up, but considering the range of motion is greater than anything he tested, it stands to reason that these may be even better. Regardless, after experimenting with them extensively, I don't need a device to tell me that these totally kick ass (pun intended).
You'll need to elevate your feet on something higher than a standard bench to get the full effect of the hip thruster portion of the exercise. Ideally you'd start with your feet approximately level with your shoulders and your knees slightly bent so that your torso is parallel to the floor at the top of the rep.
If you're feeling especially frisky, try doing them one leg at a time. This is my personal favorite.

Note: Before you attempt either of these exercises, make sure you've mastered the more basic version of the shoulder and feet elevated hip thruster first – also an excellent exercise in its own right.

7. Dumbbell Leg Curls (Hips Off Bench)

I love dumbbell leg curls (essentially a lying leg curl with a dumbbell between your feet). Back in college when I used to lift in an insanely busy school gym, I'd take a bench and a dumbbell out into the stairwell to escape the crowds. I like them more than machine leg curls because they don't require any specialized equipment, they're portable, and you have the added challenge of squeezing the dumbbell between your feet, which brings the adductors and calves into play.
To make an already good exercise even better, try setting up with your entire legs hanging off the bench. The goal is to maintain a straight line from your head to your knees and hold that position throughout the entirety of the set.

These may look simple enough, but they're friggin brutal. The glutes have to kick into overdrive to keep proper alignment and keep the hips from sagging, so you get more bang for your buck than a traditional machine leg curl.
Don't expect to use much weight on this one. I can handle a 110-pound dumbbell for 15 reps with regular dumbbell leg curls with my thighs on the bench, but once I hang my legs off the bench, I struggle to get even 6-8 reps with just 25 pounds.
Keep your ankles plantarflexed and point your toes while you do these (a good tip for machine leg curls as well). Also, stop just short of full extension at the bottom of each rep to keep constant tension on the hamstrings.
The burn and pump you'll get from these is diabolical. Consider yourself warned.

8. Single Leg Eccentric Stability Ball Leg Curls

I don't use the stability ball much, but I like it for leg curls. The beauty of this exercise compared to a machine leg curl is that the glutes must fire to keep the hips extended while the hamstrings work to resist knee extension during the eccentric component and flex the knee during the concentric component.
This simultaneous hip extension and knee flexion also makes it a great progression to work towards doing glute-ham raises.
The problem with stability ball leg curls is that it's hard to progress since you can't really add weight. You can switch to the single-leg version, but I've never had good luck with that as the heel has a tendency to shift around, which causes the ball to roll awkwardly and kills the rhythm of the set.
Instead, I prefer using two legs for the concentric portion to curl the ball in and one leg for the eccentric. Alternate legs each rep to enhance the rotary stability component.

The key here is to keep your hips raised throughout the entire set. Put another way, you should have a straight line going from your knees to your neck at all times.
If you watch how most people do this exercise, you'll notice their hips sagging, especially during the concentric phase of the rep. In my mind, that makes the exercise almost useless. If you can't do it correctly, regress to an easier version of hip lifts without the leg curl and build up your glute strength first.
Once you can knock out six reps on each leg with this variation, you should be all set to rock out glute-ham raises like a boss. If you don't have a glute-ham raise, this is a good substitute.

It's On You Now

I don't want you to go overboard with tweaking things and forget about the basics, but I also realize that after you've been training long enough, you start to get bored with doing the same old stuff all the time.
I hope that by showing you some new exercises, it'll reignite that enthusiasm for working the posterior chain and make training fun again. After all, that is the point, right?
Remember though, I can show you the exercises, but I can't do the work for you. Now it's on you to work your ass off. Or better yet, work it on.

11 Training Tips for the Skinny Fat Ectomorph

2012-01-11T06:01:00.001Z

by Anthony Mychal – 1/05/2012

I've got a confession to make: I'm your prototypical skinny-fat ectomorph.

Tall. Narrow shoulders. Wide waist. It's the recipe needed to look thin while simultaneously sporting a muffin top. It's also the combination that gets called "lanky," a word I've grown to hate.

The truth is that I'm tired of seeing the skinny fats (as I like to call them) falling victim to advice given by the, "I've-been-lean-since-I-was-a-fetus" guys. The same guys that told me that I needed to shovel sustenance into my mouth without regard for body composition.

That might have worked for you, Mr. Lean, but it sure as hell didn't work for me.

Skinny fats can't play by the rules of the rest. With that in mind, here are 11 tips for the skinny fat ectomorph that wants to look good naked. Keep in mind that these are my personal reflections that worked for me, given my lackluster genetic makeup.

1. Stop Cutting and Bulking

Yes, traditional bulking allows you to gain more muscle when compared to the infamous "clean" bulk. But we skinny fats are terrible nutrient partitioners, so more of our excess calories are stored as fat, not used for muscle. This means that without performance enhancing substances, our cuts will be so long and intense that most of the muscular gains wither away.

We don't prosper in malnourished environments very well. Hell, we don't even prosper in nourished environments. Going through the whole bulking thing isn't worth the roller coaster of weight fluctuation and the filling (or perhaps creation) of fat cells.

Editor's note: You could also try Indigo-3G™ and take your nutrient partitioning capabilities to the next level.

2. Carb Cycle

There's nothing wrong with taking your time to add muscle – especially when trying to stave off fat accumulation – but the problem most have is that they eat like an emaciated Ethiopian. Maximizing muscular gain, while limiting fat gain, is about optimizing the body's hormonal profile at the right times.

For the natural trainee, this means cycling carbs according to training. I'm not going to go into detail as there are tons of articles devoted to this. Let's just say: more carbs, less fats, and enough protein on training days; less carbs, more fats, and more protein on rest days.

3. Get Lean, But Forget About Abs

One of the biggest rules I have for skinny fats is to lean out first and never go on a traditional cut ever again. This, of course, requires never getting so fat that you need to cut. Most skinny fats will operate best (as far as gaining muscle is concerned) just outside of the six-pack zone in 11-12% bodyfat (assuming 10% is six-pack level). This is lean enough to be considered lean and "fat" enough to gain muscle.

4. Don't Underestimate Bodyweight Training

It's common for trainees that want to build muscle to revolve around the barbell, as it's the most fabled piece of equipment. Squats, bench presses, deadlifts – ahh, smell the manliness. But don't neglect bodyweight training like push-ups, pull-ups, chin-ups, dips, muscle-ups, and perhaps even some handstands, planche training, and front levers. Not only do these lifts keep your bodyweight in check (performance decreases if you're overly puffy), but they can build muscle and stave off body fat accumulation.

5. Don't Neglect Isolation, and Use Thick Bars

Compound lifts work better for just about everything. But without isolation movements, a skinny fat's arms will have about as much definition as a PVC pipe. Don't neglect direct arm work. You need it.

Our breed is known for having tiny wrists, which is why I also recommend using thick bars (or Fat Gripz) for all pressing and all biceps work. You can also throw in some thick bar pulling exercises for good measure. This will be the bane of your workout, but you'll see growth in your forearms, upper arms, and shoulders like never before.

6. Sprint, Carry

Don't worry about "conditioning" work to "burn calories." Become a short-term power machine. Run sprints, be it on a hill or a track, from 40-100 meters, but don't turn it into a high intensity interval feast. Sprint, walk back to the starting line, catch your wind, and then go again. Also, do farmer's walks, waiter walks, and carries. You'll know why soon.

7. Be Cautious of Max Effort Work

Skinny fats have terrible recovery capacity. Shorter, brick house powerlifters, with their shortened range of motions and supreme levers, can lift maximally with less trouble. Our lanky stature is inferior in this regard. Be mindful of the recovery process.

8. Be a Bodybuilder, Not a Powerlifter

Similar to above, skinny-fats won't thrive on minimalistic powerlifting routines. That's not to say you can't train in the lower (3-5) repetition ranges, or that all powerlifting routines are bad, but we're much more suited to higher repetition ranges, training at a lower percentage of our maximum, and using a little more volume.

9. Shoulders, Upper Chest, Lats, Upper Back

Skinny fats are pyramids: their waists are bigger than their shoulders. This needs to change. Focus on everything above the deltoid tuberosity – shoulders, upper chest, upper back, and neck. Also include lats in there, as wide wings make the waist look smaller.

A steady diet of chin-ups, incline pressing, dumbbell floor pressing, heavy lateral raises (with body English), overhead work, and rows with the elbows flared will do the trick. Oh yeah, remember when I told you to carry stuff? Farmer's walks are your new BFF.

10. Wave Your Repetitions

Skinny fats tend to need variation to kick start progress. This doesn't have to be complicated. One of the oldest methods of progression was to increase reps and not weight.

Let's say you're benching 225 and you can get four sets of six reps. All future workouts stay at 225 until you work up to four sets of twelve. Once you hit that, add 10-20 pounds to the bar and repeat the process.

This forces you to train with heavier weights and lower repetition ranges for a while, followed by a period of lighter weights and higher repetition ranges. Most everyone benefits from altering intensity and volume, so don't convince yourself that the end all of strength and size development is five reps.

11. Every. Damn. Day

I'm going to end on a crapshoot. Some skinny fats are soft because they're babied. From a biological standpoint, having muscle is an artifact of living a lifestyle that demands its creation. So it may be worthwhile to try training every day to provide a signal to the body that being a skinny fat just isn't going to cut it.

Something tells me that running a combination of Waterbury's PLP and Dan John's 40 Day Program could do wonders for anyone.

Conclusion

Skinny fat sucks. There's no denying it, sugar coating it, or trying to pretend it has any redeeming qualities. But it doesn't have to be a life sentence of avoiding public beaches and swimming with your shirt on. If you're tired of hiding love handles and having the hormonal profile of an ovulating woman, give these tips a try.

The One Arm Push-up

2012-01-11T05:58:00.001Z

by Al Kavadlo – 1/04/2012

During my teens and early twenties, my workouts revolved around lifting heavy weights and trying to get swole. To me, the only thing that mattered more than how much I could bench was the size of my guns.

It was only after I became a personal trainer that I started to realize there was more to fitness than just being jacked. Oddly enough, most of my clientele didn't have any interest in gaining mass. Most of the time, it was just the opposite – they wanted to be thin. Go figure.

Defining Moments

Despite starting my career with a stereotypical bodybuilding mindset, my experiences led me to explore other training modalities. There have been several major turning points in my fitness journey that caused me to reevaluate my workout regimen and, in fact, my very definition of fitness.

A major one was the first time I ever saw a legit one arm push-up.

The guy who did it? A 70 year-old U.S. Navy veteran who many gym regulars thought to be a bit, let's say, eccentric. While he didn't look too impressive in his street clothes, when you saw this dude in a tank-top, he was clearly not your average senior citizen.

At the time, I'd just turned 24, weighed around 180 pounds, and was benching 245 for reps. Surely if this little old geezer could do a one arm push-up, I should be able to bang out a few without much trouble, I thought. When I got down to test my theory, however, I quickly found out I'd vastly underestimated the difficulty of such a skill.

Let's Be Specific

One of the simplest (and most obvious) fitness principles is what's called the specificity principle. It basically means that you get good at what you practice. Bodyweight strength is a unique animal and while the brute strength of a heavy bench press can have some carryover, if you want to perform a one arm push-up, you'll need to work specifically towards that objective.

Progressing Toward a One Arm Push-up

Obviously you should first have the strength to perform many regular push-ups – at least 30 consecutively – before even thinking about trying a one arm push-up. It's also helpful to practice other push-up variations, like the close-grip (diamond) push-up. A man who can perform 30 straight diamonds can usually progress to a one arm push-up quickly.

What's Your Angle?

The best way to start is to practice an angled one arm push-up against a wall. The resistance will be easy, so just focus on keeping your body tight and stable. This will help you get a feel for the movement pattern.

Soon you'll be ready to lower yourself down onto a bench or rail. Find something around waist height; the lower it is, the harder it's going to be, so start fairly high and work your way down.

The next step is to practice a self-assisted one arm push-up on the ground with your free arm outstretched and resting on a nearby object. Keep the reps low at first, as you're just looking to get the skill down before you do higher reps – I recommend 5 sets of 5 reps as a reference point.

Practicing the negative phase of the one arm push-up (OAP) should be added once you can perform the self-assisted OAP for 5 sets of 5 reps.

The Progression looks something like this:

Weeks 1-2: Wall OAP 5x5
Weeks 3-4: Bench/Rail OAP 5x5
Weeks 5-6: Self-assisted ground OAP 5x5
Weeks 7-8: Negatives + Self-assisted OAP 5x5 each

Two weeks per phase is just a guideline – stay on any given level as long as needed until you can complete all sets with good form.

You can also create half-steps between phases two and three by using benches of different heights. When practicing towards this move, remember that a strong midsection helps to get the whole body to work together. Make sure you keep your abs tight throughout the range of motion.

You also need to think about your opposite leg – if you're doing a one arm push-up on your right arm, your left leg needs to be braced and vice versa. In short, keep your whole body tight!

Watch this video clip to see demonstrations of these exercises along with a couple of other interesting variations:

Points of Contact

It should be noted that the form of a one arm push-up is a bit different from the standard two arm version. Your legs will need to be wider than in a regular push-up and your hand should be directly under your body, rather than off to the side. The three points of contact with the ground (foot, foot, hand) will make a triangular formation.

Once you get the hang of full one arm push-ups with your feet wide, gradually work on bringing your feet closer to each other. You can even go back and repeat the procedure described earlier starting with your feet together.

Performing a one arm push-up with your feet touching each other is the hardest variation because you'll only have two contact points. It's the Ultimate One Arm Push-up:

Single Serving

Single limb movements can also help correct imbalances and improve coordination. While a certain amount of asymmetry might be unavoidable (a right handed person is almost always going to be right dominant), training movements like the one arm push-up can go a long way towards building a strong, balanced body.

Granted, you could just perform dumbbell bench presses if you wanted to hit each side independently, but the core aspect of a one arm push-up makes it a much more difficult exercise.

Also, keep in mind that when you do a bench press, your body has five contact points – each foot, the lower back, the upper back, and head. The more contact points, the more stability. In the one arm push-up there's only two or three contact points, which means you'll have to provide more stability from your muscles.

Depth Perception

In any type of push-up, a full range of motion is mandatory. This requires a minimum of 90 degrees of flexion as measured along the outside of the elbow (ideally lower).

Sadly, out of ignorance or arrogance, I frequently see people trying to pass off half reps as the real deal. Stop it. If you aren't sure how low you're getting, have someone else watch you. Sometimes it's hard to know where your body is in space when you exercise. You might be surprised by what you see.

One Hand/Lots of Feats

Once you get the hang of standard one arm push-ups there's still new challenges ahead, like the one arm/one leg push-up, plyometric one arm push-ups, and the one-handed fingertip push-up. I've even recently learned to do a one arm push-up on the back of my hand! With so many ways to vary this amazing exercise you can always keep your workouts fresh and fun.

Any lifter who fancies himself strong should be able to master this move. After all, if a guy like me can do a one arm push-up on the back of his hand, surely you should be able to do one on the palm of yours?

Cleans and Snatches Made Easier

2012-01-04T04:28:00.001Z

by Lee Boyce – 12/26/2011

A sure-fire way to stand out at the commercial gym as a knowledgeable and athletic trainee is by performing solid, ball-busting sets of Olympic lifts. Nothing else in the lifting game requires as much skill, timing, athleticism, and power as taking something heavy and flinging it up to shoulder level or beyond in one explosive burst.
It's out of respect for the presumed technical demands of the Olympic lifts that many lifters avoid them like post-workout soymilk lattes. "You gotta learn those lifts when you're young if you want to be good" they say, before returning to yet another ass-numbing superset of Hammer strength presses and concentration curls.
To a certain extent, they're right. Sort of.
What about folks who are interested in learning the Olympic lifts but have no intentions of trying out for the next Olympics? The effects the Olympic lifts have on fat loss and muscle growth have been well documented – why shouldn't recreational lifters try to safely implement them into their training programs?
To that end, here's an easy guide to learning two of the basic Olympic lifts: the clean and the snatch.

What to Mobilize

Achieving the desired catch position for the clean requires considerable mobility through the shoulders and wrists. Exercises like shoulder "dislocates" and static stretching the pecs, lats, and triceps will help optimize the quality of the wanted positions.
The second area of focus should be the thoracic spine. Foam roller extensions and a PNF intercostal stretch are your friends here. Nothing's worse than pulling some cleans with a bad case of the turtleback.

What to Activate

The number one thing to think about with Olympic lift technique is to have strong, responsive external rotators. This is dictated by several key muscles. Activating your rotator cuff muscles through face pulls, YTWLs, and dumbbell external rotations will help prime those muscles and assist in externally rotating the arm sufficiently to achieve a desired catch position.
Another key player in any Olympic lift are the traps. The traps drive the crucial shrugging action that "pops" the bar up to the transition point for the catch phase, and even the smaller, lower traps get in on the action by helping lift the ribcage. This promotes both good standing posture and a proper place for the bar to be positioned for a clean grip and for an overhead position. When programming, think trap-3 raises, pulldowns, and Yates rows.

Olympic Lift 1 – The Clean

There are many variations that fall under the category of "cleans":

The power clean (pulling from the floor and catching high)
The squat clean (hang position, and a "dive" under the bar for the catch)
The hang power clean (hanging start and high catch)
The pocket clean (starting very close to standing)
The hang clean (hanging start, and a deep catch)

The easiest to coach and to learn is the hang power clean. It's also usually the most useful to everyday lifters, so we'll stick with that variation.

The How - To

Place your feet hip-width apart with the toes pointing dead forward.
Stand tall, and with the bar hanging at arms' length.
With a flat back, slide the bar down the upper thigh until it reaches about knee level. In this position, make sure that the shoulders are positioned slightly over the bar for the muscles of the upper back to properly contribute to the first pull.

Next, to make the lift happen, a triple extension of the ankle, knee and hip joints are followed by a powerful shrug action to launch the bar up to shoulder level.

To get the feel of the movement, take an unloaded bar (bigger guys may need to put 10 pounds or so on either side of the bar just so they don't manhandle it) and go through the triple extension drill you'll see in the following video:

Where many run into problems is in the catch phase, "it's all in the elbows." In his DVD Starting Strength, Mark Rippetoe uses a simple drill to emphasize the need for high elbows. Mark uses his hands as a target, and makes the lifter "high five" his elbows into his hands as quickly and sharply as possible. Even if you don't have a partner, you can still try this.

The trick is to focus on the linear path of the bar by using the upper body clean drill. As you can see, there's no lower body assistance – the purpose is to emphasize achieving the correct catch and position while standing tall.

Don't be afraid to pull slowly for this particular drill. Starting with the bar already in the rack position also helps get the right "groove."

The feet should leave the ground briefly, and you should "stomp" the floor mildly to coordinate the timing of the phases.

Unlike the power clean from the floor, most won't be able to pull mind boggling weight from the hang position. For this reason, it can be implemented more readily into your conditioning workouts as a tool for a high tempo, fat burning exercise.
Here's the finished product:

Olympic Lift 2 – The Snatch

I'll use the power snatch from the floor in this case. When performing a snatch of any kind, remember to grip the bar at least one full fist outside standard bench press grip, if not more. The remaining set-up mechanics are surprisingly similar to the previous lift.

The feet start at hip-width apart.
The same triple extension of the ankle, knee, and hip begins the movement. In the case of the snatch, there has to be a bit more force produced into the bar to project it overhead. This is where "target points" come into play.
Once the upward triple extension is completed, the bar should briefly contact the same spot on the upper leg each time you do the movement. Time this with a strong shoulder shrug.

Remember, based on human anatomy and biomechanics, you're not going to be as powerful moving the bar from the floor to the knee level as you will be moving it from above the knee (already in motion) to overhead. So don't intend to have full acceleration before the bar crosses the knee.
Use that landmark on the upper leg (somewhere around where the pockets end in your pants) to serve as a "launching pad" for the bar to blast upwards. There will be a high pull involved, though not as distinct as the one used for the clean.

As the bar transitions upwards, remember to get your head and chest through the "window" you've created with your arms, just as you would in any standing press.

Note: if you don't have bumper plates, using weights that are smaller than a 45-pound plate will bring the bar closer to the floor, which for less flexible lifters could wreak havoc on the lower back. If lifting with regular weights, mount the bar on a couple of steps or low boxes to get the same height advantage as the bumpers affords.

A common mistake I've noticed performed in the snatch is the need to "lock out" the bar at the top of the lift. This can be a product of two things: the weight being too heavy, or not enough "dive" underneath the bar.
Again, in a full snatch (the kind you'll see performed in the Olympics), the lifter will drop right under the bar into full overhead squat position. Since we're just doing a power snatch, this degree of depth isn't necessary, but there still needs to be a transition of slightly "pulling" your body under the bar as the weight moves to the top. Notice the shallow overhead squat that's assumed to achieve this in the video below.

Conclusion

Let me humbly state that there are thousands of articles, videos, and YouTube clips dedicated to aspiring weightlifters who wants to improve their performance of the Olympic lifts. If you're already a semi-proficient Olympic lifter, well, you basically just wasted 10 minutes of your life by reading this.
Yet as informative as these highly detailed articles are, they often neglect the lifter who's just after some athletic muscle. Some guys (and girls) want to incorporate technically sound Olympic lift variations into their programming for strength, power, and fat loss. It might not be the Olympics but it's a worthy cause nonetheless!
I look forward to your comments in the LiveSpill.

10 Ways to Make Your Routine Not So Routine

2012-01-04T04:22:00.001Z

by Dean Somerset – 12/30/2011

You know that guy you see in the gym every Thursday night, and every time he's doing the same exercises and the same reps? He's been there as long as you can remember, doing the same thing on the samenight, year after year. And when you think back on how he looked when you first noticed him way back when, he looks...the same.
Yeah, let's not turn into that guy.
Consistency is good – it's essential – but if you've been doing exactly the same workouts for a bit too long, it's time to switch things up. Sure, you may have had some decent results while lifting the same weights in the same movements through the same range of motion at the same speed, but come on, man, it's the 21st century.
Don't be the guy who still has a picture of Jessica Simpson circa 2005 in his locker. Be the guy who tossed that picture out when you learned who Adriana Lima was, and then tossed her picture out when you learned who Gina Carano was. See? It's consistent, but evolving.
Many of the methods we're going to discuss play upon the concept of neural engram remodeling, where a well-known pattern with some added variables has to be relearned as if it were a totally new pattern. An example of this would be running on concrete compared to running through sand.
The movement is basically the same – run real fast-like – but in sand, the difference in ground reaction forces applied to the body to propel it forward cause the muscle activity to change, the response time of the stretch-shortening cycle elongates, and the person doing the running wants to puke blood sooner, compared to running on flat, solid concrete.
By introducing just one or two variables to a familiar exercise, you can create a new stimulus out of a movement that's already well practiced, which can prevent you from plateauing and even spark some new progress. Here are 10 suggestions:

1. Get a (Different) Grip

Grip is something that many people don't seem to like to mess with. They see a bar, they grab the bar, and they start their lift. Most people want their grip and hand position to be as familiar, reliable, and uncomplicated as their daily bowel movement. Any deviation, to either, makes them feel anxious and totally ruins the rest of their day.
The funny thing is, that by altering your grip even slightly, you can make different muscles fire and different fibers within those muscles fire more than you were with your previous grip. Plus, a new hand position means the weight is in a new position, which can alter the leverage being used.
Grasp a dumbbell in the dead center of the handle and the weights are equally distributed on both sides of the hand, requiring little stability from the forearm muscles. But shift your hand position either to the very top, with the thumb against the weights, or to the very bottom, with the pinky against the weights, and you've adjusted the dumbbell's balance and altered the activity of the forearm muscles.
You have even more options with a barbell:

Hook grip: Grasping the thumb between the index and/or middle fingers and the bar, like making a fist the wrong way.

False grip: Keeping the thumb on the same side of the bar as the fingers.

Reverse grip: Supinating both arms, palms up.

Mixed grip (when applicable): One hand supinated/palm up, the other hand pronated/palm down.

These are all basic and effective variations. In addition, you can change grip width on the barbell from narrow or very narrow to wide or super-wide like a snatch, or even try an off-center grip with one hand slightly closer to the weights than the other.

2. Base of Support

When, or if, a police officer asks you to walk on the white line heel-to-toe, he's not just being a jerk by pointing out your embarrassing lack of coordination and even more embarrassing propensity to tip a few before heading home. He's also giving you an easy way to make your workouts different.
The base of support can be best described as the square area that makes up the distance between both feet and the distance from the point of one toe to the heel of the other. The bigger your base is, the more stable you are and the more weight you can successfully manipulate.
A square stance, as used in squat patterns, can work the hips more when in a wide stance and with feet slightly externally rotated. When the squat stance is narrower, it requires more work from the ankles and more flexibility through the hips and thoracic spine.
Balance becomes a challenge when you move from a square stance to a narrow split stance, as in most lunge movements, and it becomes even more challenging when you go to a closer heel-to-toe position.
One of the most difficult progressions would be to perform single-leg exercises (single-leg squats or one-leg deadlifts) since you'll obviously have only one foot to provide the base of support. For upper body work, consider the multiple foot positions available for a push-up – feet close together, wide, staggered, or even changing your foot position during the exercise.

3. Speed of Movement

Rep speed, or tempo, can be one of the easiest variables to manipulate, yet it can produce dramatic differences in what the movement actually does and its level of difficulty. Performing an exercise at a moderate pace, such as one to two seconds for eccentric and concentric contractions, is typically the easiest and safest method, but it's more mind numbing than the "Ben Stein Reads the Dictionary" audiobook.
A faster speed with more explosive movements generates a higher level of force production within the muscle, and allows bigger force outputs to the weights being lifted. So you get to throw around more plates than a dishwasher at Denny's.
A deliberate and super-slow pace, such as a 10-second eccentric and concentric, can make you hate life by increasing the torturous time under tension, limiting the amount of weight you can lift but increasing the level of post-workout muscle soreness, and still end up being very useful for muscle hypertrophy.

4. Rest Intervals

Honest question: When was the last time you timed your rest intervals? If you're like most people, you can't remember, because it's just not something you do. That's for newbies who don't know any better. You lift when you feel "ready," whatever that means.
But by holding yourself accountable to the clock and starting each set within a specified time, you can actually increase the overall demand on your system while reducing the time you spend in the gym. Not such a bad deal, and all you have to do is glance at a clock every once in a while.
For most programs, the length of rest time will be determined by the relative intensity of the lift being attempted. In most circuit-style workouts, where the relative intensity is roughly 50% or less of the individual's 1-rep max (1RM), the rest time could be under 30 seconds.
For intensities between 60-75% 1RM (generally 10-15 reps per set), a full 60 seconds is usually adequate. For work in the 80-90% 1RM range (around 3-6 reps), 90-120 seconds rest between sets is typically required. Lastly, for true max weight efforts, a solid 3-5 minutes may be needed.
The longer rest periods for higher intensity work are needed to allow for neural recovery, while the shorter rest periods in the lower intensity sets allow for cardiac recovery, which can occur relatively quickly.
The higher the intensity, the more demand on more tissues is present, beginning with cardiac demand (heart rate response), progressing into muscle demand (perfusion of substrate into the working muscles and removal of metabolic byproducts), and finishing with neural demand (ability to generate a synaptic impulse repeatedly and with some power).

5. Use Dynamic Resistance

Using a form of resistance that changes throughout the movement can make a big difference in the activity. Two examples of this would be using heavy chains or bands when performing free weight movements.
With chains, as you lower the weight, more chain collects on the floor and less weight is applied to the bar. As you lift up, the chain comes off the floor and adds to the weight being lifted. For example, a bench press with 225 and 50 pounds of chain would provide a total weight of 275 at the top of the movement, but only about 230 at the bottom. Bands work on a similar premise – added resistance at the top of the lift, reduced resistance at the bottom.
Another form of dynamic resistance would be to use something with an unstable load, such as sand bags or slosh pipes. The weight shifts while moving and creates an unstable load that requires more work to simply stay vertical and not get crushed while trying to move from point A to point B.

6. Use Rest-Pause Breaks During Sets

Let's say you're in the middle of a tough set of squats and you're getting close to your work capacity. Instead of racking the weight when you get to the last rep, just stand there with the weight on your shoulders and take a few deep breaths. It won't be fun, but you'll survive. After you catch your wind, knock out another rep or two. Repeat the process until you see your late Aunt Bertha waving at you from the light at the end of the tunnel.
Don't go to the light, just rack the bar and grab some water.
By using a short mid-set break, where you still bear weight but aren't actively going through a range of motion, you reduce the systemic stress on the body for a short time and allow for more oxygen into the working muscles. This can help power you through a couple of extra reps, which will add up in the long run.

7. Breathing

This is another one of those things that most people don't really spend time thinking about, simply because they either have the pattern ingrained to breathe a certain way or they simply set it up the same way every time.
The mechanics of breathing means we have three distinct regions where we can draw in a breath: the diaphragm, intercostals, and scalene (through the neck). If you're not using all of these areas properly, you don't get enough air, period.
This past summer, I was working with an elite marathon runner who had some pretty messed up breathing patterns. She was only shrugging her shoulders to breath (scalene) and getting just a little bit through her intercostals. As a result, she was essentially only using about two-thirds of her lung capacity:

After a few sessions going through some breathing mechanics retraining and postural work, we were able to get her using more of her intercostals and some of her diaphragm, as well:

Coincidentally enough, when we first started training, she complained of cramping around her left shoulder, close to her neck, which is where her scalene were overworking and fighting back.
When people get "side stitches" when working in a really anaerobic state, their diaphragm is often doing the same thing due to the intercostals and scalenes not doing their job. By balancing her breathing out, she managed to shave eight minutes off her personal best marathon time without altering her run mechanics or training program.

8. Exercise Order

One day I had the great idea of switching around my bench workout order so that I'd finish with bench press after doing six other exercises. Needless to say, it didn't go well. Getting totally pinned with just one 45 on each side of the bar, and having some old guy in knee-high grey socks and disturbingly short-shorts help me out while telling me, "I shouldn't lift so much without a spotter," was definitely a highlight moment in my lifting career.
If you're used to doing exercises in the same order, switch it around, but maybe not to the extreme of doing the biggest exercises dead last. If your training exercises were usually 1,2,3,4,5,6, something like 3,2,6,1,5,4 would be enough variety to get some benefits without totally sacrificing the weight on any exercises.
By altering the order, when you would previously be tired on certain exercises, you'd now be fresh and conceivably move more weight. Similarly, by moving an exercise later, you'll be more fatigued which means the same movement will require more work at the same weight.

9. Add Weight

Yep. Go heavier. Shocker there, huh?
But really, add some weight to the bar and lift it like it'll squash your dog if you don't. Keep technique in mind, absolutely, but if you happen to lose a textbook-perfect neutral spine for a split-second because you're pulling significantly more than you've ever pulled, it's okay.
Top powerlifters will tell you that when it comes to setting a PR, technique will tend to go out the window to pull more. Don't be afraid of the weight, make the weight afraid of you.

10. Change Your Set and Rep Scheme

If you've been using the same 4x10 or 5x5 scheme, it's time to change it up. Do some higher rep marathon sets or low rep power sets. Choose one exercise and work up to a heavy, confident single, and then bang out 10 sets of fast doubles for others.
Get back to pyramiding (increasing weight and dropping reps every set) or include dropsets, staggered sets, supersets, or any variation of the theme. By switching the set and rep scheme, you change what the end-focus of the workout will be, whether it's strength, power, hypertrophy, or endurance. Occasionally, it's good to do different, even if it might seem contrary to your current goals.

Wrap-up

If you consider that with each of these 10 methods of altering an exercise, if there were only three variations that would possibly occur, that makes 59,049 possible ways of altering each individual exercise.
If each method had four options, it would mean 1,048,576 possible ways of changing an exercise. This would conceivably mean that you could apply these changes to the same exercise everyday for the next 2,870 years and never repeat the same exact design.
So, you officially have zero excuses to be doing the same workout next week that you did this week. Play around with different variables and try to get some crazy inconsistency for each exercise in your workouts.

Troubleshooting the Front Squat

2012-01-04T03:58:00.001Z

by Ben Bruno – 12/28/2011

Since writing Front Squats Made Easier, I've received questions from lifters having difficulty with the exercise. It's not surprising – front squats are damn hard, and there are bound to be some growing pains, literally and figuratively.
In this article, I'll address some of the finer points and common issues I see, and show you how to fix them.
With no further ado, let's pimp your front squat!

Every time I front squat, the bar is pressed up against my throat and I feel like I'm getting choked out. What can I do to fix that?

Sounds like you're doing it right. The bar should be touching your throat. Now, literally getting choked to the point that you can't breathe is obviously a problem, but most of the time it's just mild discomfort.
I'd just stay the course. You'll get used to it.

My wrists are killing me to the point I can't think about anything else. I can back squat way more than I can front squat, so I know my legs have more in them, I just can't hold the weight. I stretch my wrists ad nauseum but it doesn't seem to help.

This is a common complaint, and one that I can relate to. I'm going to assume you're using a clean grip because that's the usual offender. If that's the case, the simplest fix is to switch to the strap method or even the cross-armed "bodybuilder grip." That should take care of the problem right away. Consider it a Band Aid.
If you're intent on the learning the clean grip – which is extremely important if you're going to be doing any Olympic lifting – or want to fix whatever is causing the pain, then that's a different story.
Keep in mind that the ability to get into a good rack position isn't just a matter of wrist flexibility. It also requires good shoulder mobility, thoracic mobility, and flexibility in your lats and triceps, so you'll want to hammer those things as well.
When you work your way back into the clean grip, you don't need all your fingers wrapped around the bar; just two will suffice, the index and middle fingers. This helps many lifters with limited wrist flexibility use the clean grip effectively.
In the interim, don't try to force it. That's just asking for trouble. Stick with the strap method until you can use the clean grip pain-free.

I feel a sharp pain on my collarbone. Do you think one of those bar pads might help?

Dude. Do not use the bar pad (a.k.a. the Maxi-Pad, the tampon) unless you're ready to turn in your man card and add the Oprah network to your cable package.
You probably aren't keeping your elbows up as much as you should, which is causing the bar to slide down onto your collarbone. Ideally, the weight should be resting in a nice groove on the anterior deltoids. Try working in some hands-free front squats to help reinforce proper bar position.

I love front squats but I can't deal with all the pressure on my shoulders. Should I pick a new exercise?

No.
This is the biggest complaint I hear regarding front squats – they are uncomfortable on the shoulders. I've searched long and hard for a good remedy and polled numerous strength coaches, and after it all, I'm left with only one conclusion.
Just man the frick up.
The one caveat is someone with an AC joint injury. Direct pressure will really aggravate it, so unless you access to a safety squat bar, choose a different exercise.
The key difference here is pain versus discomfort.

Pain = Don't do it
Discomfort = Suck it up, Buttercup.

Front squats are supposed to be easy on the lower back, but mine still bothers me, even when I wear a belt.

"Easy" is a relative term. Sure, front squats will typically be easier on the lower back than a back squat, but I still wouldn't call loading 300+ pounds on your shoulders low-back friendly. Friendlier, maybe.
That said, low back pain during front squats is often a result of either going too heavy too soon or squatting too low. The solution to the first issue is clear; lighten the load, master the form, and only progress as long as your form stays tight.
The second issue isn't so cut-and-dried because I don't believe that everyone should necessarily squat to the same depth. There are many "ass to grass" zealots that believe if you aren't leaving butt sweat on the floor you're somehow cheating.
On the other side, you have those that think that no one should ever go a smidgen below parallel under any circumstance.
I'm somewhere in the middle. I think you should only squat as low as your body structure and flexibility will allow before your pelvis tucks under and your lumbar spine begins to round.
That point will be different for everyone. Some lifters are just built to squat and will be able to go pretty darn low without issue. Others will struggle to make it even to parallel with significant lumbar flexion. In this case, forcing them into a deep squat – especially under heavy loads – is just asking for back trouble.
Find the place where you lose neutral spine and stop there. If it's rock bottom, so be it. If it's higher than that, who cares? You may have to deal with some ribbing from the YouTube form police (who interestingly never have videos of themselves), but I'd much rather deal with that then deal with back pain.
Most people, however, should be able to front squat to the point where the top of the thigh is at least parallel to the floor (it's easier to get low in a front squat). If you can't get that low, take it as a sign you seriously need to improve your hip, ankle, and/or thoracic mobility.
If you're over an inch above parallel, I might even recommend canning front squatting all-together for the time being and use single-leg work to get a training stimulus for your legs while you work to develop sufficient mobility to squat safely.
As for using a belt, I'm fine with it in certain situations, but it definitely won't protect you against crappy form. I also think they're often misused and abused. The belt shouldn't be seen as a crutch, but rather as insurance for stronger lifters on near maximal attempts.
As such, I wouldn't worry about using one until you can front squat at least 1.5 times your bodyweight, and even then, I'd only use it on attempts over 90% of your 1RM.
Don't be that guy that leaves it on for the whole workout.

My knees always ache after front squatting. What gives?

It may turn out that front squats are just not for you, but before you rule them out, first check to make sure your form is up to par.

Deep squatting is often thought to cause knee pain, but I'm more concerned about the lower back during deep squats than I am about the knees. Knee pain is more often a result of valgus collapse (knees caving in) and improper sequencing. Let me explain.
Valgus collapse. Ideally, the knees should track over the middle of the foot. If you find them caving inward, it's a sign your glutes aren't engaged. The solution may simply be cueing to "push the knees out" or "spread the floor." If that isn't enough, try putting a small band around both legs directly below the knees and concentrate on keeping the band pushed out as you squat.
Improper sequencing. Front squats are deceiving because while it's a primarily knee-dominant movement pattern, you still want to initiate the movement from the hips first and push your butt back before breaking from the knees.
It's an almost simultaneous hip/knee break, but it's important that it happens in that order: first back, and then down. Breaking from the knees first will create excessive sheer forces on the knee – not good.
To help ingrain the idea of sitting back, it may be helpful to put a box behind you for a little while. This isn't your typical box squat where you try to keep a vertical tibia and pause on the box. Your form should mirror a regular front squat and the box just there as a reminder to initiate the movement from the hips.
Set the box up so that one corner is between your legs with your feet on either side. Something about having your calves in close contact with the sides of the box at the start of the movement seems to encourage pushing your knees out, and there's big incentive to push the hips back so you don't sit down on the corner – ouch!

Another factor to examine when it comes to knee pain is footwear. To assist in staying upright, lifters will often elevate their heels while front squatting, either with specific weightlifting shoes or by using a heel wedge. While I think this is fine for most, it may be prudent for folks with knee pain to wear a flat-soled shoe or go barefoot to help keep the weight on the heels and prevent the knees from traveling forward as much.
If you're still experiencing knee pain after trying these suggestions, it's probably time to cut your losses and go in a different direction. Sorry, no exercise is for everyone.

What are some good assistance exercises for the front squat?

Of course, the best way to get better at front squatting is to front squat. However, that's certainly not to say other exercises won't help.
Single-leg work can help tremendously by strengthening the quads, glutes, and hip rotators, thereby improving stability and preventing valgus collapse, as well as evening out any imbalances between legs. For even greater carryover, try doing exercises like rear-foot elevated split squats and lunges with a front squat grip to increase core strength and practice holding the bar.
For some, the ability to hold the bar will often be the biggest limiting factor, not the legs. If this is you, then you'd better spend time working on your lats (think pull-ups, chin-ups, lat pulldowns, etc.), upper back (think rows, face pulls, etc.) and core stability (rollouts, Paloff presses, etc.) or all the leg work in the world will be for naught.
You may also want to incorporate some front squat iso holds where you walk out a heavy weight and hold it for a prescribed time, say 20 seconds. This will smoke your upper back and anterior core in a manner specific to the front squat and help you get acclimated to heavy loads, so you won't feel intimidated by the weight. I call this the "oh shit!" factor. If you've ever lifted heavy then you know exactly what I mean.
If you have access to a giant cambered bar, that's another great way to improve your ability to support the weight while still getting some good leg work in.

I tried these on Eric Cressey's recommendation and they're definitely tough. You won't be able to handle as much weight as you could with a barbell, but when you go back to the barbell it'll feel like nothing. I typically won't go over 5-6 reps when doing front squats because the upper back fatigues much faster than the legs, but when using this bar I go a bit higher because my main goal is working the upper back anyway.
It should also be mentioned that the front squat is actually a good assistance exercise in its own right, especially for the deadlift and the Olympic back squat.

I've hit a plateau and can't seem to break past it. My current max is 315 pounds at a bodyweight of 200 pounds. What are your favorite techniques to help break out of a rut?

You're clearly a pretty strong guy and have put your time in, so you may just need some variety in your programming and/or exercise selection. This could mean dropping front squats for a month or so and trying something entirely different (not a bad idea), or it might mean just doing a different variation of the front squat to provide a slightly different stimulus while still keeping the same basic movement pattern. Since this article is about front squatting, I'll go with that.
There are tons of different variations you could try, but I'd start with paused reps first because they're relatively simple and give you a tremendous bang for your buck for both strength and muscle gains.
Now, not all paused reps are created equal, and which method you chose will depend on your goals.
Using a brief 1-2 second pause at the bottom of every rep is a great place to start. Everything else remains the same as a regular front squat. It's important to maintain core rigidity in the hole to keep from falling forward, and you'll need to pay special attention to keeping the knees pushed out as you transition from the eccentric to concentric as they'll have a tendency to collapse inward if you're not careful.

This is how I do the majority of my own training because the short pause serves as a great way to the keep my form in check, which is crucial for staying healthy over the long haul.
It forces you to control the eccentric portion to the rep (no dive-bombing) and keeps you from bouncing out of the hole, which can be potentially injurious to the knees if done in excess.
Furthermore, it's harder, so you aren't able to handle as much weight. If you have a history of back pain, less weight is a good thing because it equals less spinal loading. I'm always looking for ways to get more out of less.
More time in the bottom position also means more time developing hip mobility. Think of it almost like a weighted squat stretch.
If you want to focus more on your starting strength coming out of the hole, you could increase the length of the pause to 3-4 seconds. I highly recommend using the pins if you decide to go this route to take pressure off the knees. A brief pause may actually help the knees feel better, but anything over two seconds can become problematic.

The longer pause will dampen the stretch-shortening cycle (SSC) so you're forced to do more work to overcome inertia coming out of the hole.
The rationale here is very similar to why a powerlifter might chose to do a paused box squat, but I don't find box squatting works as well with front squats because it encourages an increased forward torso lean, which can make it difficult to hold the bar.
Although thousands of powerlifters have box squatted successfully without injury, the compressive forces that come from wedging your spine in between the bar and the box could be problematic for some. Pausing on the pins eliminates this scenario while still allowing for the removal of the SSC, which makes this variation appealing to those with back issues.
Note that this is not an Anderson squat. Normally I couldn't care less what an exercise is called, but in this case I think it's an important distinction. An Anderson squat is a version of a paused squat, but it's done starting "bottoms-up" as opposed to "top-down."

The dynamics of the lift change considerably when you get rid of the eccentric preload. Suddenly your core is forced to fire in a new way and you must explode off the pins to get the bar moving. Consider it the squatting equivalent of the deadlift.
One potential issue is that unless you're Paul Anderson and do them standing in a hole or have absolutely freaky flexibility, it can be nearly impossible to get into a rock bottom starting position.
Thus, if you were trying to work on your strength from the deep position, I'd recommend starting from the top down. Otherwise, for every other sticking point, use Anderson squats. I recommend doing these as singles and literally stepping away from the bar and resetting on each rep to really get the full effect.
For a whole new level of awesomeness, make like Paul and do them with two hot chicks sitting on the plates.

I just want diesel quads. Whaddya got for me?

Get really strong on front squats and you'll have the diesel quads you desire. Ever seen Olympic lifters? I rest my case.
If your joints can't tolerate all that heavy loading day in and day out, all hope's not lost. You can also try taking a lighter weight and doing piston-like continuous reps without locking out at the top. This will keep constant tension on the quads and ensure that you'll be hating life for the entire duration of the set. It won't take much weight at all for these to suck, badly.

You'll probably be cussing me out after your first set of these, but remember, you asked for it.

Wrap Up

The good news? Hopefully this article has given you some ideas about how to fix some of the problems you've been having with front squatting.
The bad news? Now you have no excuse not to do them. Get to it!