Muscularity
By taro

Fallacies in Fitness – Episode III

1. The chin-up is a great exercise for the biceps.

Contemporary fitness articles are continuing to promote the chinup as a great exercise for building the biceps. This fallacy contradicts basic functional anatomy – the biceps are muscles which flex the shoulder joint, the chinup is an exercise which extends the shoulder! Every year, I set asisde a couple of months to target my pulling ability and devote myself to chinups and pullups. During this period of specialization I eliminate or greatly reduce all other upper body exercises, including biceps curls. Although my chin up performance improves, my upper arm girth always shrinks (by at least half an inch!). For further proof consider an independent study the next time you have biceps tendinitis (not brachialis or brachioradialis tendinitis). Despite the biceps soreness, performimg chinups and pullups will be tolerable. On the other hand, proper dumbbell curls will be excruciating (due to the superior level of biceps recruitment). Choose biceps curls if you want biceps development!

2. Compound movements are more functional than isolation exercises

This blanket statement drives me nuts for three reasons:

First, no exercise is universaly functional! Functionality is limited to a specific goal; that is, an exercise which improves one type of physical task may be irrelevent or even detrimental to another physical task. The chin-up, for example, is an invaluable tool for grapplers – strengthening sport-specific muscles, reinforcing key movements and serving as a tool for managing injuries. For boxers, however, the chin-up is largely irrelevent – it does not strengthen key muscles or reinforce any pertinent movements. In fact, weight gained from dedicated pulling would be detrimental to endurance and making weight.

Second, isolating and strengthening an individual muscle can unleash enormous potential in complex movements. Most clinicians (countless times I am sure!) have observed marked improvement in strength, power and efficiency when a single, performance limiting muscle has been activated. If your isolation exercises are not improving a specific ability you are probably not strengthening the correct muscle.

Finally, many people confuse complexity with function. An exercise is not automatically “functional” just because it requires inspiring skills. Physical tasks are made distinct by the muscles used, the physiology that is engaged, balance type, timing, co-ordination, environmental cues, state of mind etc. etc. Most flashy attempts at functional training are completely irrelevent to any goal.

3. Quadriceps to hamstring strength ratio is crucial for injury prevention

Incorrect notions in regards to muscular balance are often used to explain the occurence of injuries. Most often, it is the strength relationship between angonist and antagonist that is blamed. In truth, the strength relationship between synergists is much more important. The vast majority of muscular injuries (that are not the result of violent trauma) are the result of strain born from compensation. The hamstring has four heads – each reliant on the other to help with functions at the knee and hip. A weak or inhibited head (caused by postural issues) forces the active heads to pick up the slack. Overtime, the active muscle fibres become overstressed and tight. When the final straw imposes its stress the vulnerable heads are either strained or torn. Balance the strength amongst synergists and the incidence of injury will go down!

4. Just About Anything Overly Esoteric

Esoteric health and fitness trends often prove to be fallacies. When promised effects cannot be readily observed, experienced or logically validated there is good reason for strong skepticism. I am not sure where the threshold for skepticism exists for some followers of esoteric ideas but it seems to be way too high. Novel ideas are great (I hope to share a few!) and certainly don’t require published, peer reviewed data to at least be contemplated. However, reality tends to be grounded in the fundamental sciences of anatomy, physics, chemistry and biology. Some fitness and health trends that should provoke healthy skepticism:

  • breathing interventions
  • cold exposure (I would bet 20 minutes of sun exposure is more beneficial)
  • bowel interventions
  • physical therapies which don’t feature physical contact at the affected area
  • mostly anything that requires batteries or is made of plastic

5. Some types of exercise build long and lean muscles

Another fallacy that drives me nuts every time I hear it. Leaness is forever determined by the balance between caloric ingestion vs expression! No exercise will build a “lean muscle” in a fat environment. If special exercise classes built long muscles then the instructors would have muscles that exceed the length of their bones! Their muscular system would drag behind their skeleton like an oversized sweater or fallen socks. If I had a special power it would be to evoke a world-wide reflex to think twice before adopting any notion as a belief!
By taro

Program: Volume and Intensity Cycling

Good old VIC. Volume and Intensity Cycling programs have existed since people started counting reps and sets. VIC has been called many names – Heavy/Light, High Reps/Low Reps and even Oscillating Intensity Training. Regardless of name the basis remains the same; that is, alternating workouts of low volume and low tension (or low intensity) with workouts of high volume and high tension (or high intensity). While VIC is old, it can still kick the butt of most fancy pants programs out there. Adding advanced methods to the basic template make VIC invincible. Volume and Intensity Cycling is highly effective for several reasons:

  1. It frames a desired performance level. Let’s use sprint training as an analogy. Improving 100 meter time necessitates addressing aspects of endurance and strength. A sprinter would therefore train both 120 meters (to address endurance) and 80 meters (to address strength). Applied to resistance training, if your goal is to improve the amount of weight you can lift on an exercise for 8 repetitions, you would frame that goal by training aspects of strength (using 6 repetitions and relatively heavy load) and aspects of endurance (using 10 repetitions and relatively light load). With both high rep days and low rep days included every week, VIC addresses both ends of the performance enhancing spectrum!
  2. VIC uses multiple pathways to build muscle and strength. VIC causes metabolic stress, improves motor skill and imposes high tension on muscle fibre.
  3. By alternating long, heavy days with briefer, lighter days VIC smashes muscle yet facilitates recovery.
  4. VIC eliminates guess work. Every muscle has an “adaptive niche” – responding better to either higher repetitions, lower repetitions or a combination of both. Since all levels of repetitions are addressed with VIC, your target muscle is guaranteed to receive optimum stimulation (at least part of the time).

BELOW is a basic VIC program dedicated toward developing the quads, lats, chest and biceps. This example should be integrated into a properly periodized program.

MONDAY – Legs, Back

(Group A) – 3 sets each, 60 seconds between sets

Squats 10 reps

Pull ups 10 reps

Hamstrings Stretch 30 secs

(Group B) – 3 sets each, 60 seconds between sets

Belt Squats 10 reps

Pullovers 10 reps

Calf Stretch 30 secs

(Group C) – 3 sets each, 30 seconds between sets

Calf Raise 30 reps

Rear Delt Raises 30 reps

Pec Major Stretch 30 secs

TUESDAY – Chest, Biceps

(Group A) – 3 sets each, 60 seconds between sets

Barbell Bench Press 10 reps

Dumbbell Standing Twist Curls 10 reps

Rear Deltoid Stretch 30secs

(Group B) – 3 sets each, 60 seconds between sets

Dumbbell Bench Press 10 reps

Dumbbell Preacher Twist Curls 10 reps

Lat Stretch 30 secs

(Group C) – 3 sets each, 30 seconds between sets

Shrugs 15 reps

Laterals 15 reps

Wrist Curls 15 reps

WEDNESDAY – Off

THURSDAY – Legs, Back

(Group A) – 6 sets each, 60 seconds between sets

Squats 6 reps

Pull ups 6 reps

Abdominal Stretch 30 secs

(Group B) – 4 sets each, 60 seconds between sets

Belt Squats 6 reps

Pullovers 6 reps

Coracobrachialis Stretch 30 secs

(Group C) – 3 sets each, 30 seconds between sets

Calf Raises 30 reps

Rear Delt Raises 30 reps

Pec Major Stretch 30 seconds

FRIDAY – Chest, Biceps

(Group A) – 6 sets each, 60 seconds between sets

Barbell Bench Press 6 reps

Dumbbell Standing Twist Curls 6 reps

Rear Deltoid Stretch 30 secs

(Group B) – 4 sets each, 60 seconds between sets

Dumbbell Bench Press 6 reps

Dumbbell Preacher Twist Curls 6 reps

Lat Stretch 30 secs

(Group C) – 3 sets each, 30 seconds between sets

Shrugs 15 reps

Laterals 15 reps

Wrist Curls 15 reps

***Repetition speed should reflect the goals, abilities and status of the athlete. In general, strive for a tempo which allows maximal strength expression while maintaining good technique.

On paper, VIC may not seem very novel or impressive. It is an old program, which (like an old friend) reappears every once in a while. Don’t take VIC for granted, however, as it is powered by very important muscle and strength building concepts. Frame your performance goal, target multiple growth pathways and be aware of muscle specific adaptive niches – your ambitions will become achievements!
By taro

A Personal Trainer’s Truest Test

We all appreciate the world class athlete. The kind of individual that challenges our flashiest tools and methods. Athletes justify all those hours spent dwelling on olympic lifting minutia and multi-planar periodization. Having high level athletes as clients is prestigious and makes us credibile in the public eye. However, experienced trainers know that champions generally come as extra-ordinary packages; that is, they are highly motivated, disciplined and gifted enough to hide all manners of training and dietary errors. The world class athlete, therefore, is hardly a measure of a coach’s mettle. A truer test of a coach’s abilities is the client who is the opposite of a gifted athlete. Unlike extra-ordinary packages, the individuals within this category (we will call them True Test Clients or TTC’s) are near total dysfunction. TTC’s are old, fat, diabetic or prediabetic, at major risk of cardiovascular disease, have multiple musculoskeletal health issues and have poor motor skills. On top of it all, TTC’s are often depressed, stubborn and cynical. At stake, instead of medals, is their very existence. Coaches have direct influence on the quality of life of TTC’s as well as the quality of life of those close to them. To have success with a TTC a trainer must have the following qualites in spades:

1. Compassion

Compassion is our greatest trait. Great coaches have enough wisdom and confidence to eliminate the need to judge, deride or dismiss others. Compassion promotes co-operation, tolerance and understanding – essential values for members within a community. Great trainers, driven by concern for their clients, search hard for solutions and get reults.

2. Leadership

All people should strive to be good role models. Younger generations and those who have fallen from the path need guidance. Role models are proof that living well and making good decisions results in great benefits. Personal stories of patience, problem solving and perserverence are powerful motivation for clients.

3. Gameness

Great trainers are warriors. Prior experience has equipped them with formidable tools and weapons. Not only do game warriors expect challenges in life – they welcome them.This attitiude has to be transfered to clients. The ability to surmount obtacles is vital on any path towards a goal.

4. Creativity

The physical disposition of TTCs demand innovation. Exercises will have to be modified and created. Trainers will truly test their understanding and application of “functional exercise”. Forget bosu balls and wobble boards – they are a catastrophe waiting to happen. Unlike gifted athletes, TTCs quickly validate as well as disprove fitness methods. New directions must emerge for every dead end.

The above traits are invaluable in helping any client achieve their goals. However, they must be truly formidable to succeed with a TTC. World class athletes are pure gold as clients. However, their patronage is not the basis of a personal trainer hierarchy – not by a long shot.
By taro

On The Path to The Most Effective Core Workout

No topic stirs more nit-picking than training the core. The trend of late is to cast as evil and purge from contemplation any exercise that causes the slightest degree of flexion or rotation of the spine. This intolerance is justified, say the pundits, in the name of spine safety. Yet, in sport and life, mega-spine flexion, extension and rotation occur frequently. Is there room for middle ground? A philosophical compromise? From my persepective, moments of spine motion and moments of spine stability should be alternated – the ratio depending upon individual circumstances. People need to pause for thought before reacting with derision and closed-mindedness. Lower back injuries are largely avoided with proper technique, astute program design and an understanding of spine health. With that said, here are seven MANDATORY elements required to have The Most Effective Core Workout:

1) A definition of “core”

The term “core” drives me nuts. It lacks precise meaning and suggests a muscular order of importance. What muscle or group of muscles deserves the title of core? The abs and obliques? What about the glutes and spinal erectors? Or the psoas? No muscle is universally more important than another. Functionally, peripheral muscles like the finger flexors and calf muscles can easily trump core muscles in many situations. For example, six-pack abs will be of no use to you on moving day if you drop your side of the couch (due to a weak grip). From a resiliency perspective, an injury to the periphery is just as disabling as an injury to the core. Why isn’t neck stability just as vaunted as “core stability”? Core is not a word which belongs in the vernacular of serious fitness folk!

2) DATA

How can you have your best core workout if you haven’t any idea what constitutes beating your previous best? Hard work alone never guarantees success. Fitness must be measured! Hard numbers guide us towards the path of success. Abdominal exercises and workouts are notoriously devoid of essential numbers. The Most Effective Core Workout must feature numbers indicating load, speed, distance and time!

3) Highly Effective Exercises

Most popular core workouts use runty exercises featuring meaningless movements and a lot of cheap “feel the burn” isometics. Effective exercises have common traits. These traits include:

  • The ability to generate incredible muscular tension at optimal muscle length
  • Ease of measurement (you can accurately monitor load, range of motion, moment arms etc.)
  • A lack of complex devices which corrupt muscle recruitment
  • A high degree of relevence to the goals of the athlete (ie kicking power, punching power, naked power)
  • Ease of learning. Tension on the target muscle is not lost due to instability and excessive skill.

Two examples of advanced, highly effective abdominal exercises:

Valslide Full Extension (Top Row) and Barbell Rollout (Bottom Row)

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4) The Right Number of Sets and Reps

The most effective workouts match set and repetition schemes with the physiology of the musculature. The rectus abdominis, charged with moving major moment arms (the hips with extended legs or the torso with extended arms) is predominantly composed of muscle fibres capable of high force production. They respond best to low repetions, heavy loads and multiple sets. In general, advanced trainees seeking rapid abdominal devlopment should keep repetitions at six (or below) and sets per exercise at six (or above). Hit a muscle’s “adaptive niche”and your progress will soar beyond expectations.

5)Antagonist Management

No skeletal muscle in the human body will reach its potential if its opposing partner (in terms of location and function) is overly tight and hyperactive. Tight antagonists inhibit the activation of target muscles resulting in weakness and poor development. For example, if your spinal erectors are tight, they will shut off your abdominals and obliques (despite hard, isolated exercise). The short-term remedy is to stretch or release (using myofascial release techniques) the antagonists of target muscle just prior to your highest intensity sets. The long-term remedy is to improve muscular balance. Balanced strength distribution eliminates compensation (active muscles taking on the tasks of inactive muscles). Compensation is the primary cause of muscle tightness. Honestly, precise antagonist management is the most powerful tool currently available in the gym. Come to Tarodo seminars to fully harness its potential!

6) Emotional Management

Your greatest workouts will undoubtedly occur when you are riding the energy of unleashed fury. Proper “psyching-up”can easily boost performance fifty percent – far greater than any pre-workout supplement! Use visualization and music to turn repressed anger and aggression into increased repetitions. Proper venting of emotions will improve your workouts as well as the mood you present to your friends and family.

7) Anatomical Intelligence

Effective core workouts (regardless of definition), require a high degree of physical awareness. Learn to anteriorly and posteriorly tilt the pelvis as well as bend the spine in all three dimensions. High level exercise requires conscientious opening and closing of joints to maximally stretch and contract target muscle fibers. Anatomical intelligence ensures true muscular fatigue – eliminating reliance on the body’s elastic properties and momentum (two major reasons why so many people do so many repetitions with so little result).

Build your glute, abdominal, hip flexor or spinal extensor program on a foundation of knowledge, logic and open-mindedness. Define your goals. Stay objective. Use powerful and relevent exercises. Invest time in learning movement. Soon, you will find yourself On the Path to the Most Effective Core Workout!
By taro

How To Know If Your Fitness Program Is Legitimate

Contemporary physical fitness is lost. Nowhere, in any human endeavour, is there more misunderstanding, bias and fraud. Current marketing pracitice is to generate and promote exercise methods which are novel, quick and entertaining. This “revenue before results” fitness information saturates the media and distracts people from legitimate exercise methods. The cost of missinformation is very high – people spend less time exercising effectively and more people become discouraged. Exercise, one of our greatest weapons against pain, mood disorders and morbidity, is in deperate need of a higher standard. To be legitimate, your fitness program should meet the following expectations:

  1. It must make mathematical sense

    For the average participant, twenty minutes of exercise performed three times a week will not compensate for the usual caloric surplus – regardless of improvements in metabolic rate or degree of intensity. Likewise, a device or program which solely targets the abs will never substract sufficient calories from your diet to improve definition unless you are starving yourself. The first step toward choosing any exercise program – check the math!

  2. It must stress all joints of the body

    Every joint in your body must be stressed by your fitnesss program. This ensures uniform development of muscles, strength and bone density. This means your feet, ankles, knees, hips, whole spine, shoulders, elbows and hands must have dedicated exercise. Stop being sold by programs which only target one part of the body. (thigh squeezers, ab swingers, butt blasters etc.).

  3. It must be measured

    Hard work is absolutely no guarantee of progress. I often see extreme efforts result in decrements in fitness. The effects of your workouts need to be monitered. Legitimate fitness programs include meaningful testing, tangible progressions and precise record keeping. Don’t fall victim to baseless esoterica. Always look for numbers indicating load, speed, distance and time.

  4. It must be periodized

    Fitness programs have to change. The same movements, volume and intensity of effort will eventually wear you out. Hyper-macho, vomitous programs will only be sustainable for a short period of time – your body and mind has to recover. Much of the art of fitness programming lies in the creation of training phases which are less demanding. These phases allow physical and emotional recovery while still improving factors (such as muscle balance, flexibility, strengthening secondary muscles etc.) relevent to the overall goal. Unperiodized fitness programs are unsustainable fitness programs.

  5. It must be planned

    Haphazard fitness equals haphazard results. The best fitness programs follow successful systems. Systems, of course, are the result of plans which have been designed, executed and documented. Without a solid plan, chances are you will fail or have to work ten times as hard as necessary. Catch terms like “instinctive” or “confusion principle” are just excuses for being ignorant and lazy..

  6. It must be intense

    A physical activity cannot be called “exercise “ if it is not sufficiently intense. Sufficient intensity can be described as the minimum level of exertion required to stimulate improvements in muscle mass, strength, metabolic rate, cardiovascular health and bone density. Most physical activity programs fail to meet this criteria. Non-Exercise Physcial Activity can still be beneficial as it burns calories and time (which would have otherwise been spent sitting and eating) but participants will still require real exercise. Legitimate fitness programs feature high-intensity, intermittent bouts of effort which are planned and periodized.

Three Overt Signs of an Illigitimate Exercise Program

1. Your exercise device burns more watts than you do

Generally, electricity in an exercise program is a bad sign. Unless the device is a cattle prod, rely on manual activity as much as possible. Legitimate fitness programs feature solid iron, bodyweight exercises and glycogen consumption.

2. It is endorsed by a celebrity

How can anyone still believe celebrity endorsement is proof of legitmacy? Here are some thoughts for those easily persuaded by a famous face:

a. Most elite level athletes and screen idols are tremendouly physically gifted. They would have to work very hard to look bad.

b. Exceeding in sport or acting leaves little room for expertise elsewhere. Legitimate coaches and trainers are preoccupied fulltime with developing effective exercise programs. Do you go to personal trainers for advice on acting?

c. These are people who specialize in being paid to speak and seem credible. This fact alone should deter trust.

3. It features highly skilled, flashy maneuvres

People looking to enhance sport performance commonly fall victim to this one. Fancy is not necessarily functional. Movements that appear relevent to your sport are very often dissimilar in terms of muscles and physiology. Furthermore, highly skilled, acrobatic exercises take time to learn, involves greater risk and can mess up your sport-specific technique. Skills (footwork, agility, timing, balance, co-ordination etc) are very unique to your sport! Skills training should only be conducted under the supervison of an expert. The primary goal of any exercise program is to prepare your body to accept and express energy at a level approptiate to your sport – not to serve as a second rate repeat of practice.

Real exercise reduces the incidence of heart attack, stroke, diabetes, cancer, osteoporosis and high blood pressure. It also benefits mental health and keeps you physically able. Exercise is the single greatest anti-aging tool available. Choosing a fitness program or product should be taken seriously, mandating research beyond a book cover or thirty second infomercial. People need to stop buying into programs based on image, entertainment or fashion appeal. Health and function is more than sufficiently inspiring. People, pierce through the gaudy fluff pushed in your face and uncover the undercurrent of legitimate fitness!

Curl with Dumbbell
By taro

The Elbow Flexor Solution

On the topic of arm development, the mass media always panders to the prima donnas of the muscle world – the biceps. Yet, regarding the issue of arm mass and the ability to bend (flex) the elbow, iron warriors know the biceps are not the only muscles which matter. Assisting the prima donnas is an entire supporting cast consisting of the brachialis, brachioradialis, pronator teres and several other muscles which span the elbow/wrist. I like to call this supporting cast (with a hint of fake pedantry) the “non-biceps elbow flexors”. It is a major mistake to take the non-biceps elbow flexors for granted. From a functional standpoint, these muscles (more so than the biceps) help us arm wrestle, complete pullups, grapple and start outboards. From an aesthetic standpoint, the non-biceps elbow flexors add major, potent-looking MASS to the forearm and upperarm. Use the following solution for sub-par elbow flexors and then return to your usual modus operandi. Your newly reinforced elbows and wrists will take you to new performance levels!

How to know if this program is for you

You are an intermediate or advanced trainee who wants to radically improve overall arm mass and strength. Having pythons as arms appeals to you functionally and aesthetically.

Modus Operandi

Two powerful methods of increasing muscle and strength are featured in this program:

  1. The Double Standard MethodIn this program you will be trying to increase both your 8 repetition and your 12 repetition maximum using the dumbbell preacher curl***. The pursuit of two distinct repetition standards greatly accelerates progress on any exercise.
  2. Compensatory Negatives Method

When using this method you must achieve all precribed repetitions within a set. If you fatigue before achieving your goal the remaining repetitions are completed using negatives. For example, if a set requires 8 repetitions and you only manage 5 – the remaining 3 must be accomplished using negatives (with a load 10 to 20 percent heavier). Chances are you will manage fewer and fewer repetitions on subsequent sets which will require more and more negatives! FL !!! (Fiendish Laugh) Take 6 seconds to lower each negative repetition.

***Why the dumbbell preacher curl? Preacher curls place the biceps in a shortened positon and place an onus on shoulder extension (if you press the elbows into the pad as you curl) – this reduces biceps recruitment and increases the burden on the non-biceps elbow flexors.

DAY 1

1. Dumbbell Preacher Curls (palms up).

– Warm-up progressively.

– Choose a dumbbell that limits you to 4 to 7 repetitions.

– Perform an all out set targeting 8 reps (you should only achieve 4 to 7 reps if you chose your dumbbell wisely!).

– Immediately compensate for your repetition shortfall by performing negatives with a dumbbell 5-10 lbs heavier.

– Rest 3 mins

– Repeat two more times!

When you can achieve all 8 positive repetitions on your first set (with your initial load) it is time to congratulate yourself . You just improved your 8 repetition maximum! Move your chosen dumbbell up to the next size.

2. Dumbbell Hammer Preacher Curls (palms sideways)

– Target 3 sets of 6-8 repetitions (no compensatory negatives!)

3. Barbell Behind Back Wrist Curls

– Target 3 sets of 15 repetitions

– When you flex your wrists, apply pressure to the bar through the little finger side of the hand (as if trying to supinate). Make sure to maximize the range of motion! Pause at the top for a 2 second count.

DAY 2 – After 3 full days off…

1. Dumbbell Preacher Curls

    • Warm-up progressively
    • Choose a dumbbell that limits you to 8 to 11 repetitions (usually 5-10 lbs lighter than your DAY 1 dumbbell for this exercise)
    • Perform an all out set targeting 12 reps (you should only achieve 8 to 11 reps if you chose your dumbbell wisely)
    • Mourn your repetition shortfall and perform seppaku – no compensatory negatives on this day!
    • Rest 3 mins
    • Repeat two more times! (take note of your totals and aim to best them next time)

When you can achieve all 12 repetitions on your first set it is time to congratulate yourself. You just improved you 12 repetition maximum! Move your dumbbell up to the next size.

2. Dumbbell Preacher Hammer Curls

    • Target 3 sets of 10-12 repetitions (no compensatory negatives!)

3. Barbell Seated Wrist Curls

    • Target 3 sets of 15 repetitions
    • When you flex your wrist, apply pressure to the bar through the index finger side of the hand (as if trying to pronate). Make sure to maximize the range of motion! Pause at the top for a 2 second count.

Here are all four exercises demonstrated in RAPID FIRE sequence:

exercises

Ostensibly a simple, straightforward program, do not underestimate the power of the Elbow Flexor Solution! Mere mortals have added fifteen to twenty pounds to their dumbbell preacher curl eight – repetition maximum (within six weeks!). Having solved your non-biceps elbow flexors, you will have added to your functional potency. Regular biceps curls will feel light. Chores and sports will be dominated. As a final consequence, Prima Donnas will be overlooked in favour of their supporting cast.

How to Correctly Perform Deep Squats

Deep squatting should form the foundation of all physiques. A body with well developed thighs and glutes can stand alone without derision. Buttless, even the greatest torso risks ridicule.

The full aesthetic and functional impact of squats cannot be achieved by performing partial repetitions only – all must learn to go deep!

In the attempt to learn how to go deep, nearly all enthusiasts find they cannot simultaniously drop their hips to the floor while maintaining correct (upright) posture. They enivitably round their lower backs and hunch over. Most believe their limitations lie in their lack of flexibility. In reality, the biggest key to performing proper deep squats is balance – specifically, the ability to move the centre of gravity forward in relation to the feet.

 

 

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1. Good posture with the center of gravity moved forward (by holding a ten pound weight in front)

 

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2. Poor posture when the center of gravity is moved to the rear (by holding the ten pound weight behind the head)

Seven tips to move your body’s mass forward over your feet (without holding a ten pound weight!)

  1. Take a fairly wide stance (as your technique improves your stance can become more narrow)
  2. Turn your feet out sharply (this should externally rotate the femurs causing, via the femoral necks, the hips to move forward. Also, most ankles will have greater range-of-motion with the feet rotated out)
  3. Target getting your hips over your feet
  4. Let your knees push forward past your toes*
  5. Do not force your knees out, let them track over your big toe.
  6. Push your spine forward by trying to press your lower abdomen into your thighs (this both moves your centre of gravity forward and stretches your sacrum away from your femurs)**
  7. If, despite your best efforts, you still can’t maintain good posture as you squat down deeply – raise your heels three inches and try again with the above tips. Practice and then progress to lower heel postions until they are flat on the floor.

*perform calf stretches with the knees bent if your heels rise off the floor

**to keep a flat spine in the bottom of a squat the sacrum has to move away from the femurs. If, despite the tips above, your butt still won’t stick out – stretch the muscle fibres which squeeze the sacrum and femurs together – glute max!

The key to performing proper deep-squats is, without doubt, balance. Try moving your centre of gravity forward before resorting to stretching or elevating the heels. Deep squats are the cure for many physiques. Like all strong medicines, use squats wisely!

 
By taro

Countdown To The Best Back Exercise

Upper-back development is the key to victory whether in bodybuilding, athletics or first impressions. No other group of muscles pack the same degree of aesthetic and functional significance. We use our lats and scapular muscles to chop logs, throw serious heat, squeeze the life out of opponenents and cast awe-inspiring shadows. Given the importance of upper-back development, there is no time to waste on inferior exercises. Below are the top five back upper back exercises – counting down to the very best back exercise of them all!

5. The Bent Over-Barbell Row

The bent over row is an awesome exercise that engages the lats, scapular muscles, lower back and hamstrings. However, it fails to meet the criteria for very-best back exercise for the following reasons:

  • It features a short range-of-motion (90 degrees) which only gets smaller with bigger bellies!
  • Barbell Rows engage the lower back rather than the abdominals. This reduces the emphasis on latissimus dorsi.
  • Peak tension occurs when the upper-arms are parallel to the ground. Paradoxically, this position is where the working muscles are fully shortened and less able to produce force.

4. Isometric Inverted Row

I can’t stand regular inverted rows – the quality of tension on the back muscles feels very low. However, if you hold the top position (chest pressing into the bar) the quality of tension feels phenomenal! Try twenty to forty second isometrics. This is a top exercise for activating the rhomboids, and levator scapula. This row variation also smashes the little “detail” muscles (rear deltoid, infraspinatus, teres major and minor) which look awesome with low bodyfat levels. However, as much as I love the feel and utility of the isometric inverted row – it cannot be the very best back exercise for the following reasons.

  • Activates muscles in their shortest position only
  • Does not hit the lats very hard

3. Single-arm Cable Pulldowns

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Bi-lateral (two handed) pulldowns suck! Uni-lateral (one-handed) pulldowns rock! Bi-lateral pulldowns require moving your head out of the way to get the two-handed bar to your chest. This causes people to lean back and arch their lower backs – greatly diminishing demand on the lats. With uni-lateral pulldowns the single-hand handle is free to travel straight to the chest and you can “crunch” the weight down – engaging the internal oblique and abdominals. This results in a marked increase in tension on the lats. Uni-lateral pulldowns can “bridge the gap” for beginners – strengthening their muscles in a manner conducive to performing bodyweight chinups and pullups. Bi-lateral pulldowns, conversely, have little useful influence on chinup and pullup performance. As good as single-arm pulldowns can be they are not quite the best:

  • Cable exercise machines vary and may not fit the exerciser or accomodate single-arm pulldowns.
  • Cable machines, like all resistance-training machines, influence the mechanics of an exercise. Always note the directon of pull and other inconsistencies (isometric tension can be low and even nil on some pulley apparatuses)

2. Single-arm Dumbbell Rows and Derivatives

Dumbbell rows are a truly awesome upper-back exercise. They strongly affect all of the upper-back muscles including the rhomboids and levator scapula. You can vary the specific effect of this exercise by pronating or supinating your wrist as well as varying the shape of your spine (rounded vs arched). Unfortunately, the dumbbell row falls short of very-best back exercise for the following reasons:

  • Range-of -motion is not as extensive as our number-one back exercise
  • Lower levels of abdoiminal activation and little demand for scapular depression limits the activation of latissimus dorsi

1. Chin-ups and Pullups

Without a doubt, the very best back exercises are chinups and pullups. This is why:

  • Easy to learn. Limited fooling around trying to acquire the skill to manage a significant load.
  • Easy to load and track progress. Use a chin/dip belt.
  • Both varaitions feature a HUGE one-hundred and eighty degree range of motion at the shoulder
  • These exercises provide the highest torque when the back muscles are within their optimal length to produce force
  • They have a tremendous scapular depression component. A whole lot of muscle mass (lats, pec major, pec minor etc.) is responsible for keeping your shoulder girdle attached to your torso.
  • They strongly engage the abdominals!***

***The abdominals facilitate lat recruitment. The adominals pull the lat’s origin (the spine) away from its insertions (the humeri). This increase in length causes preferential recruitment of the lats over other muscles and helps to maintain optimal, force-producing length during an exercise.

Don’t be fooled, for every goal there definitely exists an exercise hieracrchy. If you want upper-back development, especially of latissimus dorsi, you cannot beat pullups and chinups. Never forget, however, it is not just the exercise but how you perform it!
By taro

The Best Chest Exercise

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Torque is highest when the perpendicular distance between a force and an axis of rotation is at its greatest. As joint torque dictates the tension imposed on a muscle, it is one of the supreme governors of muscle growth and strength. The most effective exercises for a muscle always feature the highest possible levels of muscular tension. Torque at the shoulder joint, with resulting tension on a great number of pectoral fibers, is the major reason reason why suspended flyes are the best exercise for chest development. Other reasons include:

1. Congruence with the function of pec major. As you flye, place an onus on internal rotation of the humerus – that is, try and turn your biceps downward as your hands come together. Remember, it is not just the exercise but how you perform it!
2. Easy to learn. You don’t have to waste time with insignificant loads while acquiring the skill to perform the exercise.
3. Easy to load and track progress. Chains and bands increase in load while the moment arm diminishes. Also, tension increases as the body becomes more parallel with the ground. Kettlebells can be strapped around the waist.

Suspended flyes are an extremely powerful exercise! Do not commit to more than 6 weeks (with a workout every five to seven days) of intensive effort. Prepare for a specialized chest growth phase by addressing the health and function of your shoulders and biceps.

I am a long-time and staunch advocate of dumbbells and barbells. However, suspended flyes are the best for chest!
By taro

On The Path to The Most Effective Gluteus Maximus Workout

Despite worldwide preoccupation, gluteus maximus augmentation Continue Reading

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