7 LESSONS from BRUCE LEE (that’ll make YOU a better trainer)

By nick On March 12, 2012

In addition to being a legendary martial artist, Bruce Lee was an inspiring philosopher and a passionate learner. In fact, Spike TV has been running an amazing documentary on Bruce Lee that’s a must watch!

 If you’re a Bruce Lee fan, you may have already realized that much of the philosophical basis for the Hybrid Strength Training & Conditioning concepts we use at Performance U are founded on principles we’ve have adapted from Bruce Lee.

I strongly believe the reason why we’ve been able to celebrate so much universal success with such a wide range of individuals we’ve worked with is because our Hybrid Fitness Training approach has evolved from this philosophical basis, which has empowered us with the ability to connect with our clients & students on a different level.

In this post I’m going to share with you 7 lessons we’ve learned from Bruce Lee that have made us better trainers, teachers, learners and lovers of life. And, I’m confident they’ll do the same for you. That is, if you have openness to embrace them, and the discipline put them into action?

My FAVORITE Bruce Lee Book!

The State of the Fitness Industry!

Everyday more training & conditioning information (most of it free through blogs, articles, Youtube, etc.) is handed to us on a silver platter. Yet, fitness professionals and exercise enthusiasts are growing more confused about what they should (and shouldn’t) do to optimize their programs. This really comes as no surprise with all the different training approaches,  certifications, methods and tools (many of which conflict one another) being sold to us as the missing piece to our training puzzle.

An identity crisis has also come along with this confusion. In that, not only are we unsure of what to do, we are also unsure about how we should “label” ourselves to properly represent what we do, what we believe and the affiliations we hold.

Additionally, when we do find training concepts that strike a chord in us. And when we do decide on how to “label” ourselves – We become divided and continually frustrated with one another as we cross our arms, stand firm and engage in intellectual battle to proveOUR WAY, while trying to convince everyone else that folks who don’t agree with US “just don’t get it” or that they are simply “misinformed.”

The Solution to the Confusion & Conflict (and it isn’t training related)

We believe the ever growing amount of industry confusion & separation does not stem from a lack of technical information. We feel it stems from a lack of a philosophical outlook.

Put simply, when you change the way you look at things, things look differently to you.

The philosophies we’ve adopted from Bruce lee have helped us to see things differently and quite the noise that’s always surrounding us. They’ve empowered us with the ability to see through the confusion created by conflicting information and different opinions, helped us to avoid getting caught up in debating why we should or shouldn’t do this or that technique. And, given us a crystal clear view of who we are, what we do and why we do it.

It’s from this clear vision that we’re able to be the BEST at what we do, which is probably why you’re reading this blog to begin with 

If you’re ready to become the best at what YOU do, establish a clear cut identity of who you are and how to cultivate what makes you unique and special. And, establish a solid philosophical base that doesn’t get you caught up with trying to “prove your way”, or allow you to become bogged down by conflicting information & industry noise – These 7 Lessons form Bruce Lee will make you a bullet-proof fitness philosopher!

7 Lessons from Bruce Lee (that will make you a better trainer)

These 7 lessons can really be applied to anything in life. But, since this is a fitness site, I’ll be relating Bruce Lee’s words of wisdom in regards to martial arts to our world of fitness training.

As you’ll see, the problems Bruce Lee faced in the martial arts world 30-40yrs ago are the very same issues we face today (as I mentioned above) in the fitness training & conditioning world.

In other words, we have a new industry that’s suffering from old problems, which Bruce Lee developed these brilliant philosophies to solve. And, he obviously did a great job. All we have to do is listen, learn and apply!

To help you better related to these Bruce Lee quotes – Whenever you see him use the term Martial Arts, substitute in Fitness Training instead.

Here’s a few more words to exchange that’ll make the following quotes more applicable to Fitness Training;

Fighting = Training (i.e working out)

Fighting Styles = Training Styles

Opponent = Client 

Instructor = Trainer or Coach

Jeet-Kune-Do = Hybrid Training

Lesson #1 – ALL Styles & Systems are limited! Use a SYSTEMLESS training system and have NO Style as your Style.

“To reach the masses, some sort of big organization (whether) domestic and foreign branch affiliation, is not necessary. To reach the growing number of students, some sort of pre-conformed set must be established as standards for the branch to follow. As a result allmembers will be conditioned according to the prescribed system. Many will probably end up as a prisoner of a systematized drill. Classical methods like these, which I consider a form of paralysis, only solidify and constrain what was once fluid. Their practitioners are merely blindly rehearsing routines and stunts that will lead nowhere.

“Styles tend to not only separate people because they have their own doctrines and then the doctrine became the gospel truth that you cannot change. But if you do not have a style, if you just say: Well, here I am as a human being, how can I express myself totally and completely? Now, that way you won’t create a style, because style is a crystallization. That way, it’s a process of continuing growth. “

“Many styles claim totality. They say that they can cope with all types of attacks (i.e. training situation); that their structures cover all the possibilities.  If this is true, then how did all the different styles come about? “

“Take no thought of who is right or wrong or who is better than. Be not for or against.“

“The highest technique is to have no technique. In sparring (i.e. Training) there’s no exact path or method, but instead a perceptive, pliable, choice-less awareness. ”

Lesson #2 - Hybrid Training isn’t a specific style or system. It’s a concept!

“I have not invented a “new style,” composite, modified or otherwise that is set within distinct form as apart from “this” method or “that” method. On the contrary, I hope to free my followers from clinging to styles, patterns, or molds. Remember that Jeet Kune Do is merely a name used, a mirror in which to see “ourselves”. . . Jeet Kune Do (i.e. Hybrid Training) is not an organized institution that one can be a member of.”

“A Jeet Kune Do man who says Jeet Kune Do is exclusively Jeet Kune Do is simply not with it. He is still hung up on his self-closing resistance, in this case anchored down to reactionary pattern, and naturally is still bound by another modified pattern and can move within its limits. He has not digested the simple fact that truth exists outside all molds; pattern and awareness is never exclusive.

“Again let me remind you Jeet Kune Do (i.e. Hybrid Training) is just a name used, a boat to get one across, and once across it is to be discarded and not to be carried on one’s back.”

Lesson #3- The BEST trainers & coaches are observant, adaptive and responsive to the uniqueness of each client.  

“A good teacher can never be fixed in a routine… each moment requires a sensitive mind that is constantly changing and constantly adapting.”

“A teacher must never impose this student to fit his favorite pattern; a good teacher functions as a pointer, exposing his student’s vulnerability (and) causing him to explore both internally and finally integrating himself with his being.”

“A martial artist (i.e. trainer or coach) who drills exclusively to a set pattern of combat is losing his freedom. He is actually becoming a slave to a choice pattern and feels that the pattern is the real thing. It leads to stagnation because the way of combat (i.e. training) is never based on personal choice and fancies, but constantly changes from moment to moment, and the disappointed combatant will soon find out that his ‘choice routine’ lacks pliability. There must be a ‘being’ instead of a ‘doing’ in training”

“If nothing within you stays rigid, outward things will disclose themselves.”

“My technique is a result of your technique; my movement is a result of your movement. One should not respond to circumstance with artificial and “wooden” prearrangement. Your action should be like the immediacy of a shadow adapting to its moving object.”

 

Lesson #4 – Less is always more! And, the simplest, most direct way is the right way!

“Don’t indulge in any unnecessary, sophisticated moves” 

“In JKD (i.e. Hybrid Training), one does not accumulate but eliminate. It is not daily increase but daily decrease. The height of cultivation always runs to simplicity. In building a statue, a sculptor doesn’t keep adding clay to his subject. Actually, he keeps chiselling away at the inessentials until the truth of its creation is revealed without obstructions. Thus, contrary to other styles, being wise in Jeet Kune-Do (i.e. Hybrid Training) doesn’t mean adding more; it means to minimize, in other words to hack away the unessential. It is not daily increase but daily decrease; hack away the unessential.“

“The easy way is also the right way. Efficiency in sparring and fighting (i.e. training) is not a matter of correct classical, traditional form. Efficiency is anything that scores. “

Lesson #5 – Good at Exercising doesn’t mean good at sports!

“You can’t learn to swim on land”

“Let me give you a bit of warning: just because you get very good at your training it should not go to your head that you are an expert. Remember, actual sparring is the ultimate, and the training is, only a means toward this.”

Lesson #6 – Human movement can be taught, but it CAN’T be standardized.

“I believe that the only way to teach anyone proper self-defence (i.e. Functional Movement Patterns) is to approach each individual personally. Each one of us is different and each one of us should be taught the correct form. By correct form I mean the most useful techniques the person is inclined toward. Find his ability and then develop these techniques. I don’t think it is important whether a side kick is performed with the heel higher than the toes, as long as the fundamental principle is not violated. Most classical martial arts (i.e. fitness training) are a mere imitative repetition – a product – and individuality is lost.”

Lesson #7 – Don’t turn your education into imitation. Be YOURSELF! 

“I’m not in this world to live up to your expectations and you‘re not in this world to live up to mine”

“Knowledge in martial arts (i.e. training) actually means self-knowledge“

 In Conclusion…

I’ll leave you with this fake Grave Stone Bruce Lee had made to put on his desk as a powerful daily reminder.

Wikio

A New Take on 5 Things

by Lee Boyce – 3/06/2012
Every successful career has hiccups along the way. Making mistakes and learning from them are the bricks and mortar of a long and productive career.
I'll be the first to admit that I've stolen points from the best of 'em to advance my own training knowledge. In doing so, there were principles and exercises that I readily accepted as gospel and would defend from the tallest tree.
This is how it is. Disagree? Well, you're just misinformed.
But times change. New research is performed, new information becomes available, and it only makes sense that methodologies would evolve. That is, unless you'd rather stay "right" than admit you were wrong.

1. My Revised Take on Cardio

My one-track mind nearly eliminated the possibility of using conventional "cardio" for fat loss. I sided with the many coaches who argued that slow-go cardio was a potential muscle-waster, not to mention woefully inefficient at burning calories.
Though there is some science to support this position, I realize now that there's a big fat exception to this:whether to perform steady state cardio depends on the size and musculature of the individual.
Steady state cardio – especially the fasted version – can be a great tool for intermediate and advanced trainees that carry a significant amount of muscle mass.
People generally support interval training as it will have a greater affect on the metabolism, primarily because it promotes two things:

• Oxygen debt
• Utilization of fast-twitch muscle fibers

But if you're carrying a lot of muscle, chances are you've lifted, pushed, and pulled a lot of heavy things to get there. That means your fast twitch fibers have been thoroughly exercised – since they're the strongest fibers available – so it won't be the end of the world if you add in a bit of steady state cardio during fat loss phases.
Bodybuilders are perfect examples. While some high-intensity cardio has made it's way into their fat loss programs, isolation splits combined with a good, clean diet, and fasted and/or post workout cardio still dominate the scene. This improves thermogenesis – heat production within the body – that helps burn fat.
While anaerobic training is what makes athletes like sprinters and running backs get so lean and muscular, most of us are just regular exercise enthusiasts, not pro athletes, meaning we can't expect to train – or look – like Adrian Peterson.
But we can lift weights and train our strength and anaerobic capacity. Once we're big and strong, as long as we don't go overboard, we can use steady state cardio to achieve some solid fat loss.

2. The GHR – A Little-Known Knee Killer?

Don't worry, I'm not about to completely outlaw such a great exercise. But here's what I've found.
I've had several clients complain of knee discomfort during or after a workout that involved a variation of the glute-ham raise (GHR), most often the eccentric GHR.
At first, I didn't think that this exercise was the culprit, but a couple of sit-downs with a practitioner-buddy of mine had me thinking it might be something to use on a case-by-case basis.
Some say the GHR is a "closed chain" movement since the feet don't move anywhere during the movement, but here's the catch. Just like a seated leg extension, a GHR makes only one set of muscles act on the knee joint during the movement (hamstrings). There isn't a co-contraction of muscles on both sides of the joint.
This can produce the same amount of shear from the opposing side, and therefore pull on the corresponding ligaments that attach to the tibia away from the femur.
With an actual GHR machine, it's normally not that bad. But when we go into variations like the makeshift eccentric GHR, the shear is intensified since the entire weight of the body is resting on the tibia, inaddition to the hamstrings' contraction pulling it even further. That means a lot of stress on your PCL.
Still, some are more resilient to shearing forces than others. We all know guys who've been doing leg extensions and other open-chain movements for years with zero joint problems, while others get shooting pains if they so much as look at a leg extension machine.
The moral of the story? If you're using the eccentric GHR in your training, be cautious of its effects. Hopefully you don't fall into the contraindicated group.

3. "Functional Training" Revisited

The more I looked into it, the more variety I found in trainers' definition of the term "functional."
Sure, we have the basic exercises that have carryover into typical day-to-day situations like squatting, deadlifting, and standing pressing. But do we avoid biceps curls, hamstring curls, or bench presses because they seemingly don't carry over to our daily grind?
Fact is, functional training can take on whatever description we want it to. A hamstring curl action has very little "real life" application, but one of the functions of the hamstrings is to flex the knee, and hamstring curls recreate this movement.
I advocate the big bang movements as much as the next guy. If our muscles aren't performing their prime actions the way they should, then the number one exercise choices should always be those that enhance those prime actions.
However, I'll humbly add that most T Nation readers seek strength and hypertrophy. What if we want bigger arms, and we've already spent the last three months overhead pulling, farmers' walking, and close-grip pressing our way to oblivion?
Do we continue to avoid biceps curls because they're "isolation" movements despite the stimulation for the biceps they provide? Do we still steadfastly avoid skull crushers or pressdowns, even though our horseshoes better resemble shoelaces?
Focus on the must-do's first, keeping your muscular and skeletal health in check, but sometimes building up your body means training like a bodybuilder. In certain cases, that means isolating right down to the muscle.

4. Stretching and Foam Rolling

For a long time I used this stuff as an "answer." Today I use it as a "prescription." In almost all cases, muscles become tight because of a deficient muscle somewhere else. Usually the tight muscle is taking on the role of a muscle that isn't pulling its own weight. A perfect example would be a pair of tight hamstrings picking up the slack for a set of inactive glutes.
A good rule of thumb is that when a muscle appears deficient, the answer isn't always to give that muscle more attention. Considering this, we should be able to look at our weak links to see which smaller muscles aren't doing everything they should to contribute to a functional body.
Flexibility and ROM increases will come immediately through restoring your antagonistic balance. This can be as simple as activating dormant muscles that for a while have been compensated for by the big dogs.
The true "answer," in my book, is mobility. One of my favorite books is Assess and Correct by Eric Cressey. It has hundreds of drills that make small muscles fire up to create or restore range of motion.
I'm not saying that stretching and foam rolling to respectively lengthen and improve tissue quality is a waste of time. I still use them, and you should, too.
My advice is to turn it into a tactical approach. Instead of prescribing stretching and rolling to any ailment under the sun, start thinking in three ways: improve tissue quality first, activate muscles second, reduce inhibitions third.
Use foam rolling for myofascial release, dynamic warm ups to add range of motion and activate dormant muscles, and then static stretching to muscles that are "blocking" proper movement patterns, such as tight hip flexors affecting pelvic position during a back squat or Romanian deadlift.

5. A Quiet Tweak to Training Volume

This might be stating the obvious, but not all programs are for everyone.
Training volume should be tailored to each athlete, and failing to recognize this is what keeps some athletes from seeing continued progress.
I first experienced this as a collegiate track and field athlete. We sprint athletes would have our workouts set by the coach, though we'd train alongside the athletes from other disciplines (the jump athletes, etc). This was done for simple time management reasons, as it was the easiest way to train a bunch of athletes at the same time.
But each athlete isn't going to respond to the same training volume the same way – especially when our "base" workouts, usually Mondays, would often look something like this:

• Dynamic warm-ups/flexibility work
• Drills
• Plyometric/ballistic training – Static jumps, stairs, uphill jumps, med ball work
• Base training workout – 300m + (2)200m + (2)150m @ 85% of max effort
• Core training circuit or weight training circuit

Needless to say, that's a tough workout and would leave me destroyed. I'd be so sore that it would sometimes affect the practice on Tuesday.
This example is intended to show that quality is everything where training for performance is concerned. Big, tough, and heavy workouts have their place, but if you want to get stronger, bigger, or both, you haveto know when your body is working at its physiological peak, and when it's starting to go down hill.
Once that line is crossed, it's a good idea to cut your workout short, or heavily modify its contents.
I'm sure my track coach had the best of intentions, but not everyone's going to have the same threshold and work capacity. Some levels of DOMS don't need to be reached, and certainly not repeatedly.
Since you're not training with a team and can control your workout, don't be afraid to modify your programming. It may not take longwinded workouts to make your muscles big and strong.

Don't Worry, I Haven't Turned Into a Pansy

The smarter I get as a trainer, the more I'm reminded that there are many methodologies, techniques, and strategies for doing things, and many ways to achieve a desired result.
However, true wisdom comes from recognizing that what might work supremely well for person A could be a disaster for person B. In reality, it's not the exercises that are contraindicated, but the people who do them. Stay aware of that and play your game, not someone else's.
With age comes perspective and more importantly, wisdom. A lot might change in the next five years, but I can't see that principle going anywhere.

Freakish Strength With Proper Core Training

by Jesse Irizarry – 3/02/2012

We've all heard it from strength coaches, training partners, even the old jacked dude in the corner who squats five plates on an easy day.

"Keep your core tight. Tighten up your abs."

Okay, what does that even mean?

Are they just saying suck in your gut, or is there something special about this core-tightening thing? And if so, why give a rat's ass if your weightlifting goal is to be comparable to a barbarian who crushes his enemies and hears the lamentation of their women?

The often-missed point of keeping a tight core is to stabilize the spine. If you're constantly hurting your back, this is for you. I've seen lifters hurt their backs from just bench-pressing because they had no understanding of spine stabilization.

Before you tune out and write this off as another pre-hab article, pay attention to this – proper spine (core) stabilization coupled with breathing techniques can actually help you lift more weight and improve performance.

Learning to properly contract the core and use intra-abdominal pressure is what separates the guys who are pretty strong from the ones who are freakishly big and strong.

The Core Defined

Your core isn't just the washboard that you see in the mirror, or in most cases, the bag of laundry that hangs from your midsection.

Along with the abs in the front (rectus abdominis), it includes the internal and external obliques, the transverse abdominis, quadratus lumborum, and psoas major, extending down to include the hips/glutes and up to include the pelvic floor and the muscles by the spine called the multifidus and erector spinae.

Some core muscles are more superficial and are classified as global muscles involved in spinal movement. Other muscles are classified as local muscles, which are deep and specifically involved in stabilizing the spine.

For movement to occur anywhere in the body, force has to be transferred through the core.

Stabilizing Techniques

The most common techniques to stabilize the spine for preventing injuries and achieving greater levels of strength and performance are hollowing and bracing.

Hollowing is derived from drawing in, and is performed by trying to draw your belly button in to your spine.

You'll hear some say to find a neutral spine first. This technique has been used in rehabilitative settings to teach patients how to activate their transverse abdominus and internal oblique correctly. These are thelocal muscles involved in stabilizing the spine.

Abdominal bracing, on the other hand, involves contracting both your anterior abdominal musculature and your low back muscles at the same time and bracing, like you were about to get hit in the stomach. Some accompany bracing by pushing the abdomen out. This involves the use of the obliques to produce a more stable and powerful contraction.

A study done by Grenier and Dr. Stuart McGill showed that abdominal bracing is better than hollowing – and a purely observational study conducted by yours truly found that fitness "professionals" who talk about finding a neutral spine and drawing in while squatting usually never squat above 225 pounds.

Learning from Doing

Bracing is a technique learned in the gym or on the mat. When a fighter goes to strike, he instinctively immobilizes his trunk to a degree, braces his midsection, and swings his limb.

When an experienced powerlifter or informed gym rat gets ready for a maximal lift, he forcefully pushes his belly out and arches his back hard to keep it tight.

What he's doing is contracting his anterior abdominal wall and low back muscles simultaneously, creating a perfect brace. It's a technique acquired from putting your time in.

Looking at this method, it's important to emphasize that sticking your gut out does not create a stabilized spine.

Some physical therapists teach to actively force the abdomen out while others don't. I find it helpful to push out my abdomen when lifting heavy, but I also remember to actively contract the entire abdominal and low back areas as well as the hip musculature.

I've found this addition to be the difference between hitting a new PR and bombing out, or finishing those last two reps and failing before my potential was reached.

Learning Pelvic Floor Contraction

This full contraction can also include pelvic floor contraction.

A technique used to teach the full co-contraction of core bracing is to pull your pelvic floor upwards. This is similar to the kegel exercises that women practice while pregnant or that adolescent boys try in hopes it will give them a little more staying power in bed when they get to play with a real live girl.

To practice true pelvic floor contraction, imagine finally getting an opportunity to take a whizz after drinking a big cup of strong coffee along with a gallon of water during your hour-long commute to work. Now imagine you had to stop midstream. That feeling is pelvic floor contraction.

To practice a full brace with pelvic floor contraction, squeeze your glutes like you just sat on a tack, perform the pelvic floor lift, and brace your abdominals, obliques, and low back muscles like you were about to get hit.

Rest a second and repeat.

Obviously when you start throwing plates on the bar you're not going to be thinking about stopping a piss stream, but the big guys in the gym do it without thinking.

Does Your Core Work for You?

Have you ever seen someone bend his back squatting as if he were trying to kiss his shoelaces? He's doing so because of poor mobility and a lack of core strength, but working on core strength after restoring mobility is an oversimplification.

Spending too much time without adequate mobility and stability often results in a faulty core stabilization pattern. Adding core strength to a bad pattern won't necessarily fix the problem.

There are exercises that help fix this patterning, but just like strength training and bodybuilding, they have to be practiced. It's also best to add them in after you've first established adequate hip, ankle, and thoracic spine mobility.

The following exercises teach anterior and posterior core stability in the saggital plane as well as rotary and lateral core stability in the transverse and frontal planes.

The first three basic exercises are the curl-up, the bird dog, and the side plank. These movements have typically been used as an introduction to formal strength training after an injury or long hiatus as they recruit the proper pattern in an unloaded state.

The curl-up pattern helps if you have difficulty stabilizing while bending and teaches you how to resist excess extension of the spine in the anterior plane:

The bird dog helps if you have trouble stabilizing in trunk extension and teaches you to resist lumbar spine flexion in the anterior plane:

The side plank teaches you to resist lateral flexion in the frontal plane:

These should always be progressed to more dynamic and loaded movements. For example, a progression that trains you to resist lumbar extension in the anterior plane is the rollout:

A progression to teach resisting excessive spinal flexion in the anterior plane includes hip extension movements like the deadlift, while the suitcase carry teaches resisting lateral flexion in the frontal plane dynamically:

Rotary stability, which involves resisting too much spinal rotation, is also an important part of core stability that's been receiving considerable attention.

Exercises to train this include cable chops and landmines.

Why Even Care About these Exercises?

I'm sure you've seen 'that' guy, the one who can do front, side, and one-fingered planks on a half-deflated Bosu ball. He can hold this for an hour with perfect alignment, but if you ask him to do a deep squat he literally can't – despite perfect ankle, hip, and thoracic spine mobility. What's the problem?

He has no dynamic stabilization. All that core strength in a stationary position doesn't mean he can stabilize himself during movement.

Bottom line is, it's wise to spare yourself a similar frustration and learn a couple of techniques that will save you time and energy in the long run.

Controlling Breathing

Breathing techniques can and should be coupled with bracing to allow for better performance. The bracing techniques discussed above won't help you lift more weight if there's no increase in intra-abdominal pressure.

Spinal stability is generated partly by diaphragm activation.When pressure is increased in the abdominal cavity, it helps support the spine and works against the compression forces of axial loading (the kind of loading in a squat or standing shoulder press).

Without intra-abdominal pressure created by breathing in air against a braced abdominal musculature and forcing the diaphragm down, true spinal stability can't occur.

The classic breathing technique used is the Valsalva maneuver.

The idea behind this is to create intra-abdominal pressure, which is meant to lead to a greater production of force and stability.

Perform the Valsalva maneuver by breathing deep into the lungs (which are down near your abdomen, for those who still think making your chest and shoulders rise is taking a deep breath), then holding it and forcing the air against a closed glottis.

To learn how to breathe into the lungs and create that intra-abdominal pressure, you can practice something called crocodile breath.

Lie on your stomach with your face resting on the back of your hands. Now breathe deeply so that your low back rises instead of your shoulders and upper back. You want to feel your abdomen pushing against the floor and expanding out sideways. Practice a few times and you'll get the idea.

The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly

There are a few drawbacks to this type of breathing pattern. It can seriously increase blood pressure and restrict blood flow back to the heart. This can be harmful to anyone, let alone someone with a history of heart problems.

Because of this, it's recommended that the Valsalva not be held more than a few seconds to ensure blood pressure doesn't increase dramatically.

Why even use this technique? The opposite idea of breathing out during a heavy lift has been shown to compromise spinal safety. Furthermore, the Valsalva can improve performance in everything from getting a new PR to aiming a gun.

If this isn't for you but you're still looking to create intra-abdominal pressure and brace your core, you can also use forced expiration. Easily explained, this is done by sniffing in air against a braced core and blowing out some air against a braced abdomen on the working phase of the lift.

Conclusion

Everyone wants to learn the newest program, lifts, and techniques to wow the treadmill bunnies and stand above their friends. It's wise to first take a step back though and look at the champions in any sport – I guarantee you'll see that they all share an obsession with practicing the basics that produce results.

Don't believe me? Just ask that 50 year-old grey beard squatting a Mack truck what's more important, the newest advanced periodized squat program or knowing how to arch your back and "keep your damn core tight"?

References

Akuthota, V. & Nadler, S.F.Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation - March 2004 (Vol. 85Supplement 1, Pages 86-92, DOI: 10.1053/j.apmr.2003.12.005)

Grenier, S.G. & McGill S.M. Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation - January 2007 (Vol. 88, Issue 1, Pages 54-62, DOI: 10.1016/j.apmr.2006.10.014)

McGill, S.M. & Karpowicz, A. Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation - January 2009 (Vol. 90, Issue 1, Pages 118-126, DOI: 10.1016/j.apmr.2008.06.026)

Verkhoshansky, Y. V., & Siff, M. C. (2009). Supertraining. (6 ed.). Rome, Italy: Verkhoshansky.

Zatsiorsky, V. M., & Kraemer, W. J. (2008). Science and practice of strength training. (2 ed.). Human Kinetics Publishers.

Wikio

Conditioning 101

by Jim Wendler – 2/28/2012

There's no excuse to be out of shape. You don't have to be a marathon runner and you don't have to be able to fight five rounds for the UFC title, but there's no acceptable reason for being an out of shape lard-ass.
Being in shape requires one thing: hard work. And working hard requires no talent. None.
For athletes, you can't always be the strongest or fastest guy on the field, but being in better shape might be the thing that gives you an edge on both the competition and the up-and-comers trying to take your spot on the roster.
To be the last man standing after a game, you need to be the last man standing at practice. If you're like me and had minimal to no talent, you need all the help you can get. Being in better shape and being stronger were two things I could control.
For competitive lifters, you certainly don't need to be running miles every week, and you don't need to be bored doing endless cardio. But a consistent conditioning protocol will help you recover better, have a lower resting heart rate, decrease body fat levels, improve sleep, and improve your general fitness level. This is especially important for the lifters that have done minimal or zero athletic work in the past five years.
For the everyday lifter, it's about having pride in yourself. Respectable levels of conditioning, flexibility, and strength will help you personally, professionally, socially, and most importantly, improve your health.
Here's a list of some of the conditioning activities I've done along with the pros and cons of each. As many of you know, I've been on both sides of the conditioning spectrum and I'll never make the mistake of being out of shape again.

Prowler

Much has been written about the Prowler and its benefits. While simple by design, the Prowler is one of the most effective conditioning tools an athlete can have. Any level of athlete, regardless of training level or sport, can use it.
The best thing about the Prowler is the "hard" level of conditioning it can produce with minimal wear and tear on the body. It's very easy on the knees, hips, and ankles, making it great for older strength athletes.
For younger athletes, it's a great way to build the lungs and legs/hips with minimal coaching; just load up some weight and push. It doesn't require the technicality of a squat or the constant coaching of the deadlift.
The Prowler also offers a quick and efficient workout. A Prowler eliminates 60-minute conditioning sessions; in less than 20 minutes, an athlete can push his way to burning lungs and legs. This is a huge plus when running large groups or for the lifter that doesn't have a great deal of time to train (job, school, family, etc.).
The Prowler also allows you to change weights and distances with ease; a stronger, bigger lifter can load the Prowler and use it along side a weaker, smaller, lifter. This makes it applicable to any size, strength, and conditioning level, a huge plus for personal trainers working with a large variety of clients.
The two biggest drawbacks of the Prowler are the price and the difficulty of "prescribing" a workout. Because the Prowler can be pushed on a wide variety of surfaces (cement, concrete, grass, or turf) that all vary greatly in drag coefficient, it's hard for any fitness professional to accurately say what weight and distance to push.
People who own the Prowler may have only one surface to push on (for example, the street in front of their house) and this surface may be much harder or easier than what a prescribed workout was based upon. Thus, a Prowler requires some intelligent thinking of its owner, which can be a tall order, especially in the strength-training world.

Pros

• Efficient and effective.
• Requires little skill.
• Can be used by a large variety of people due to variable weights and distances.

Cons

• Price is well out of range for many athletes and lifters.
• No standardized surface and workouts.

Hill Sprints

Hill sprints are simply brutal. The legs and lungs are taxed heavily if the hill is steep and long enough. Because I grew up in the Chicago area, Walter Payton was a huge influence on me, and his use of hill running to prepare his mind and body for the rigors of the upcoming NFL season made any Illinois kid want to run hills. I'm sure his off-season regimen was partly responsible for his legendary strength and durability.
Anyone who's ever run hill sprints knows the mental strength it can develop – even more so than a Prowler. There's something very primal about lacing up your cleats and attacking a large hill for a training session.
Of course, the big drawback of running hill sprints is finding a decent hill. Many lifters live in flat, barren areas where there isn't a hill bigger than a speed bump. And those that do live in hilly areas may find it difficult to find one that has a good enough surface to run on. So hill sprints, while extremely effective, have enormous geographical limitations.
The other drawback to hill sprints is the wear and tear on the ankles and Achilles. If you're new to running or are trying to reclaim lost glory like yours truly, make sure you take the necessary steps to stretch and prepare before attacking the hill.
For those that want to find a hill, Google Maps is your friend; I highly recommend looking for sledding hills and reservoirs. These two places are prime areas for some steep hills.
Prescribing a hill sprint workout is much harder than prescribing a Prowler workout. There's no standard hill length or grade so the athlete is going to have to use his best judgment. As with anything in weight training, set a small, reachable goal the first time out and build slowly.

Pros

• Great workout for the legs and lungs.
• Builds the body and the mind.

Cons

• Very hard on the ankles and Achilles tendon.
• Not everyone has access to a hill.
• No standard hill, requiring the athlete to develop his own training and programming.

Jump Rope

I've used the jump rope since junior high and it's a great way to warm-up the body and hit some basic conditioning work. It's great for your feet and agility, and I always feel more "athletic" after I've jumped rope for a training cycle.
As a warm-up, I used the jump rope for 500+ jumps before training in high school. This was mainly used with double foot and single foot jumps and was followed by a thorough stretching session.
And if you don't have time to warm-up, you don't have time to work out. Of all the different warm-up options, this is the most efficient way to get the heart rate up and get some sort of athletic benefit.
There are two drawbacks to jumping rope. First, not everyone can do it. I learned this when I was personal training and saw way too many people trip over the rope or receive a stinging whip from an errant jump. Simply working on technique and slowing down the jumps can solve this problem.
The second drawback is shin splints. In college, I used to jump rope in my apartment and after several weeks of 1000+ jumps/day, I suffered from a nasty bout of shin splints.
Despite these things, the jump rope can be used very effectively for conditioning during the workout. After you perform the main lift of the day, use the jump rope between assistance lifts.
For example:

Workout

	Exercise	Sets	Reps	Rest
A	Squat	3	3	*
B	Good Morning	3	8	*
C1	Jump Rope	5	50 jumps	60 sec.
C2	Lunge	5	6**	60 sec.
C3	Jump Rope	5	50 jumps	60 sec.
C4	Hanging Leg Raise	5	10	60 sec.
C5	Jump Rope	5	50 jumps	60 sec.
C6	Glute Ham Raise	5	12	60 sec.

* rest and sets are done normally
** per leg

This allows you to get your main lifts in without sacrificing the strength portion of your training, along with getting your conditioning in while doing your assistance work. This is optimal for people who have minimal equipment, especially during the winter when the weather won't allow you to get outside. It's also a great way to maximize your time in the weight room.

Pros

• Time and space efficient.
• Makes you feel more athletic.

Cons

• Shin splints.
• Requires skill and agility many people don't possess.

Stadium Steps

One of the hardest workouts I've ever done was running up the press box side of the University of Arizona stadium. The steps get steeper as you go farther and your legs and lungs are on fire. I remember walking back to my car and my legs shaking like a young Elvis. Very humbling.
Like hill sprints, stadium steps build the legs and lungs to a high degree, but also like hill sprints, the area you live in and the size of the stadium largely limit you. Also, the stadiums near your home may not be open to the public.
However, if you can get in, do yourself a favor and run stadium steps.
Stadium steps are also easier on the ankles than hill sprints. And like hill sprints and the Prowler, they're very knee friendly as the vertical distance of the footfall is much less than running on flat surface.
For people living in big cities, running stairs is a much easier option. Apartment and office buildings have huge amounts of stairs that can be used and abused.

Pros

• Great for building lungs and legs.
• Easy on the ankles and knees.

Cons

• Limited access to stadiums and tall buildings.

Weighted Vest

The first time I used a weighted vest I was surprised at how much it affected my low back and traps. I thought my lungs would be the first to go but by the end of the walk, my back and traps were screaming. I've used the weight vest on walks around my neighborhood and the hill I sprint. For the hill, I did not run with the weight vest on, I simply walked up the hill. This killed my legs.
The weight vest is a great way to turn simple tasks, like walking, into something very difficult. We all have access to the outdoors and thus have access to someplace to walk (and I'm not talking about a treadmill).
Add in the low back and trap development one can get from using a heavy weight vest and you have a tremendous conditioning resource. Also, weight vest walks can be done any time of year, unless you're living in blizzard conditions year round.
I think the weight vest is a great option for older lifters that don't want to be bored by traditional cardio equipment. It's also easy on the body (meaning your knees aren't pounded), yet still requires enough effort and strength to make it challenging and not feel like you're "just taking a stroll."
I recommend using the weight vest for distance (e.g., walk for 1 or 2 miles) rather than time.
The drawback to the weight vest is the price. Like the Prowler, it's out of many lifters' budgets. And there's a big difference between using a well-designed weight vest and a backpack stuffed with weights and textbooks.

Pros

• Can make walking around the neighborhood more manly.
• Great for total body conditioning.

Cons

• Price

Body Weight Conditioning

Dave Tate, who learned it from John Davies, introduced this to me. I'm not sure if Davies is still part of the fitness world but this simple bodyweight-conditioning workout was short and brutal. It consisted of the following:

	Exercise	Time
A	Jumping Jacks	30 seconds
B	Mountain Climbers	30 seconds
C	Burpees	30 seconds
D	Split Squat Jump	30 seconds

Don't be fooled, this is a brutal workout. With people that have limited space and funds, this is a great conditioning alternative. This is also great for when the weather won't allow you to get out and stretch your legs.
There are two drawbacks. The first is that it's a very short workout, something that can be remedied by longer rest periods, more exercises, more reps, and more sets. Suffice it to say, doing these exercises as listed above isn't easy, especially for those who carry more muscle.
Second, of all the conditioning stuff I've done, this is by far the most boring. That may be my personal opinion but I'd much rather run hills or push a Prowler.
Feel free to mix and match exercises, time, and rest periods with body weight conditioning, but remember that there's no need to get too fancy. Simple is always best.

Pros

• Requires little space and equipment.
• Great for the winter time.

Cons

• Not terribly exciting.
• Athletes still need to run.

Incline Treadmill Sprints

This is by far my favorite winter conditioning tool. Since most people train in commercial gyms, it's very easy to prescribe. Running treadmill sprints is also easy to do.

• Turn on treadmill.
• Ramp up the incline as far as it can go.
• Start at 6 miles/hour.
• Run for 15 seconds.
• Hop off treadmill (feet on the sides of the belt) and rest for 45 seconds. During the rest period increase speed .5 mph.
• Repeat until you get to a speed that is challenging for you.
• Do this 20-30 times.

Incline treadmill sprints have a great built in warm-up (starting at a lower speed) and allow you to adjust the speed for your conditioning and speed level. It's very easy on the knees and hard on the lungs. Plus, you can do more work in 20 minutes than people who fart around for an hour.
A good option is doing these with a partner – he rests/you go. You can be a little more lax on the rest times than what I listed as it doesn't matter that much. The key is to run the sprints without taking too much rest in-between.

Pros

• Requires little space and equipment.
• Great for the winter time.

Cons

• Not terribly exciting.
• If you misstep, you will fall and people will point at you and laugh.

Sled Pulling

Sled pulling garnered popularity due to the heavy endorsement by Louie Simmons. He got the idea from Eskill Thommason, who visited Finland to see why they were such great deadlifters. He noticed that many of them were lumberjacks whose job required they pull trees down the trails for the trucks to pick up.
Sled dragging is terribly simple – hook a sled up to your lifting belt or harness and walk forwards or backwards. You can add more weight and pull for shorter distance or use less weight and go for time. Jim Hoskinson used one-mile sled drags to rehab a very bad knee injury and returned to the platform for some very strong lifts.
I like hooking up a 100-foot rope to a sled and pulling it hand-over-hand. This is a great compliment to your regular conditioning (which is usually centered around the lower body). This is also great for the upper back and lats, and provided the rope is thick enough, will tax your grip and arms, too.
While standard sled dragging (forward/back) has fallen out of favor due to the popularity of the Prowler, it's still a great conditioning and strength tool, especially for younger lifters. Like the Prowler, it doesn't require much skill to walk forward or backward.

Pros

• Easy on the body.
• Requires no skill.

Cons

• Prowler can have double use as a sled.
• Not nearly as taxing and efficient as the Prowler.

Putting Conditioning into Action

Many years ago, I was at a standstill with conditioning and uncertain where to put it in my training. When do I do it? What if I get weaker? Will my legs be able to handle it? I had a million reservations and none were valid. They were simply excuses.
I believe that if you want to get something done and you want something bad enough, you'll make it happen. I've had some of the best squat workouts during my heavy conditioning phases (which were mainly hill sprints). It didn't start like that. My legs were exhausted. They shook when I walked out light weights during squat sessions. I lowered my training max and simply willed the weights up when I felt awful.
Eventually my legs got stronger and in better shape. Sure, it took a few months, but 60 days in a lifetime of training is nothing, because training isn't about an 8-week program – it's about building your body and your strength over a lifetime of training. If you're looking for another empty promise of the "6-Week Six Pack," you've come to the wrong guy.
My training plan is simple. It's three things per training session, usually done 3-4 times/week.

• Stretch
• Lift
• Sprint

That's it, and that's all you need. If you stretch hard, lift heavy, and run fast, everything else seems to take care of itself. I'm not forging new ground here, but what I am doing is rekindling the things that were taught to me by "the ancients" that have lost meaning and glam in today's world of complexity for complexity sake.

Now Go Do It!

Do yourself a favor and embrace what some of the strongest people on earth have done – combine stretching, lifting, and conditioning into a balanced program.
These three things make up the N.O.V. (North of Vag) training program, and these things make up my training past and my training future. A future that will assure my "Sell By" stamp will never have a date on it.

Wikio

Coconut oil may be able to reverse the progression of Alzheimer's disease

Originally published February 23 2012

by Mike Adams, the Health Ranger, NaturalNews Editor

(NaturalNews) Reliable conclusions about the causes of Alzheimer's disease remain elusive, and effective drugs to treat the disease remain equally scarce. An actual pharmaceutical cure seems as close to becoming reality as a cure for cancer (i.e. nowhere in sight). Yet a Florida doctor was actually able to reverse her husband's Alzheimer's disease just by giving him four teaspoons of coconut oil per day. In the course of a year he not only regained the ability to exercise and to care for himself, but his brain atrophy was completely halted.

The most cutting-edge research suggests that Alzheimer's may stem from an inability of the brain to process glucose, leading to cell death. But the brain has another source of fuel: ketones, produced by the body from mid-chain triglycerides like those found in coconut oil. In fat, the most promising experimental Alzheimer's drugs being tested today is nothing more than medium-chain triglycerides derived from coconut and palm kernel oil.

Coconut oil also turns out to be an extraordinary cooking oil because it resists smoking, even at high temperatures. Try cooking in coconut oil instead of olive oil (or cheaper vegetable oils) and you'll notice a clear difference. Finally, coconut oil is also a fantastic food storage item as long as you can keep it cool. It's a dense source of healthy calories that's usable as both food and medicine. In fact, it can be used as the base for many salves, pastes or even herbal suppositories.

Source: 25 Amazing Facts About Food, authored by Mike Adams and David Guiterrez. This report reveals surprising things about where your food comes from and what's really in it! Download the full report (FREE) by clicking here. Inside, you'll learn 24 more amazing but true facts about foods, beverages and food ingredients. Instant download of the complete PDF. All 25 facts are documented and true.

Additional Sources:
http://www.coconutketones.com/
http://www.anh-usa.org/coconut-oil-and-alzheimer%E2%80%99s-disease/