Stuff Rattling around in my head

I was in the middle of training yesterday and a guy that usually puts in a mediocre workout once a month came up to me and let me know that he had worked out TWO days in a row.... Instead of giving him a list of sarcastic comments... i encouraged him to keep it up, and then I did too much... I asked him what (muscles) he hit?

"arms"

He immediately saw me reaction of total disappointment wirtten all over my face. To workout so sporatically through a month and expect results with no plan, or in his case a terrible plan, is a giant waste of time. If he is going for fat loss, yet targeting some of the smallest muscle groups in the body, he isn't going to see anything even if he worked out more consistently.

In reaction to my disappointment he could have redeemed himself... you know, I'm about to do some plyos, sled pushes, sledge hammer hits on a tire, sprints.... but he didn't. He made himself look worse

"well, you know, I don't want to build all kinds of muscle.... i just want to lose some gut fat"


I officially have branded this kid worthless. Since building all kinds of muscle is all of the sudden easy, he wants to train arms to lose GUT fat. I just don't see his logic... when he comes around and starts thinking about the movements his body is making and proves to me that he will consistently workout weekly... I'll help him.

Let me know any terrible advice you have heard in the gym in the comment section!

Who does this?

SO I went to shoot some video today and my camera came on, but the whole screen was white... trashed... so there will be a pause in videos from me. HOWEVER, this is a benefit of youtube so check this sick one-armed snatch out...

Video Recap of Summer workouts

Client Testimonial

"I absolutely loved working out with Rob and feel very lucky that I got placed with him. I got back into clothes that I wasn't even able to wear before I got pregnant! What I liked about Rob's training style was that he was very tough, willing to work me hard, and didn't take any excuses or waste time with idle chitchat - I wanted to work, and we did that! Furthermore, Rob listened to my concerns and made each workout individualized to me. I felt like he had taken a lot of time to think about a workout that would work well for me and my goals. Rob is obviously very passionate about what he does, but what's more, he's obviously very knowledgeable about it - whenever there was a problem with an exercise hecame up with an alternative, and he really focused on my concerns and goals."

Stephanie A. Rose, M.D., M.P.H.
University of Kentucky College of Medicine

Pre-lift Rant

Here I sit, a year older at 25. Grad school completed, employed at the University of kentucky running a gym... i can hit a set of anything at any time throughout the day, a perfect environment for self-improvement.

I know that my worst enemy glares at me every time I look into the mirror. Luckily, mirrors line the entire free weight section of my gym. Any time I need a swift kick in the butt as far as training goes, at most I make a 180 degree turn and see what needs improvement. The journey I am making with building muscle is never finished... sure I might hit milestones, squatting more, benching more, increasing my terrible flexibility, lowering my body fat percentage, growing taller... ok, maybe not that last one, but I will hit milestones. Those milestones after reached will become standing stones that I will use to propel myself to and through my next goal.

Relatively stronger, abosolutely stronger, you know when it comes down to it I want both. I want to move as much weight with proper technique as possible. I am going to beat Rob from last week. Set backs are only "dedication testers"... you get sick, you pull something, your leg hurts, you didn't get enough sleep, i don't have the time, some body else out there (a lot of some bodies) are lifting harder than I am if I give in to these excuses. I won't...

I strive to be stronger every day I lift, there are no light days. What kind of sense would that make? I deload, but I still use heavy weight. I train smart, but I also train hard... maybe the new phrase should be "TRAIN SMARTER AND HARDER"

this phrase is fresh in my brain from BSP's article today

I turned 25 today, you can bet that I will be stronger at 25 and a week. Enough of this caffeinated rant, I'm going to lift

Essential Key to Getting Stronger...

We have all experienced gains in strength and size that come from implementing a program that utilizes the best variety of exercises and rep and set scheme... when you look at the program on paper and your new self in the mirror your muscles scream growth that comes mainly due to proper periodization and diet.

Another essential ingredient to piling on muscle mass and setting new PRs is a strong ass lifting partner. Not betty sue who is going to stand off to the side and smile at you (see below), not the guy

that wastes your time with all of his problems, not the guy who never knows what he lifts on any exercise, not the worthless piece of squishy flesh that actually tries to talk you into not working out, not the guy who doesn't pay attention while you are being crushed by the bar, not the guy in the gym that has to have a conversation with every one they know AND every one that they haven't met yet.... you get my point.

You want somebody that pushes you after they knock out their set of however many reps. You want some one that hits his sets and then looks at you like he could have done six more... and if he doesn't look at you like that, then he is pissed. Some one that screams at you, can push your buttons with a couple words (bet ya can't ... didn't i warm up with that... you are weak sauce... come on son... baby weight...), somebody that makes you get your last couple extra reps after you would have stopped.

Progressively through your program your gains will be better with a partner that is consistent and knows how to push you and spot you correctly. I looked across the gym the other day and saw these two guys.... the lifter got 5 and a half reps, hit the wall for about 5 seconds, and then slowly came down with the weight on incline. His partner was screaming for him to push when obviously he had no push left. Find a person that knows how to spot, knows how to push you and even piss you off a little, and make sure they don't look forward to days off... they need to look forward to trianing days.

Box squats with chains

This exercise is necessary in your program, regardless if you are going for strength, hypertrohpy, or *cough* endurance *cough*. Box Squats ensure that you are getting adeque depth and when done right can give you gains in strength, size, and stamina. I added two 20lb chains for kicks, but I believe they are just as effective as bands.

Perfect Finish to Chest, Shoulders, and Tricep day

Sorry you have to have taco neck to watch this... but for most of you, that will be a good stretch.
Enjoy the second of my five sets of dips supersetted with pushups with two 20 lb chains.

Back Squat versus Front Squat

I was doing some random searches on research engines through UK's library today and I came across some pretty useful information comparing front squat and back squat. (Pictures from http://www.stadion.com/)

Both are very useful in building knee and hip extensor muscles (quadriceps and glutes) as well as strengthening your core muscles. However, "performing back squat results in a higher amount compressive forces on the spine and knee extensor movements" according to Gullet et al in this study.

A higher amount of compressive forces could possibly be harmful in the long run, with a higher probability of spine or disc problems in someone with incorrect form. Gullet et al (2009) found no substantial difference in the amount of shear forces generated in either variation of the squat. Shearing force is physical stress that is perpendicular to the horizontal surface of an object where compressive force is the amount of force running down through an object.

(above) Compressive Force (http://www.back.com/)

Shearing Force-->

Gullet et al found that "front squat was as effective as the back squat in terms of overall muscle recruitment, with significantly less compressive forces and knee extensor moments... the results suggest that front squats may be advantageous compared with back squats for individuals with knee problems such as meniscus tears, and for long-term joint health."

However, in a study by Yetter and Moir (2008) that examined front and back squat's ability to improve 10 through 40m sprint times they found that the heavy back squat group not only had significant increases in speed time found when compared to the control group for the 10 and 20m distances... BUT the heavy back squat group also had significantly better sprint speeds times than heavy front squat at the 40m distance. Nonetheless, I would have liked to have seen a higher number of subjects than 10. Yetter and Moir's study.

For functional ability as far as strengthening your knee and hip extensor muscles as well as your core I would prescribe a person to participate in both front and back squats, as long as their form is correct. For any one with meniscus tears, bad form that has yet to be corrected, or previous back problems, I would recommend front squat. For an athlete I would throw into their program some front squat early in the off-season to continue to confused their muscles and give their backs a different type of force to deal with while still training the same muscles. Once the pre-season approached I would transition the athlete back to back squat.

STAY HUGE

References

Gullett, J., Tillman, M., Gutierrez, G., & Chow, J. (2009). A Biomechanical Comparison of Back and Front Squats in Healthy Trained Individuals. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, 23(1), 284-292.

Yetter, M., & Moir, G. (2008). The Acute Effects of Heavy Back and Front Squats on Speed during Forty-Meter Sprint Trials. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, 22(1), 159-165.

Progression to Standing Stability Ball Rollout- giving you what you want

So a while back I asked you all in a poll about some exercises that you all wanted to see... I also noticed that a standing stability ball rollout isn't really on youtube.... so I have a some progression for stability ball rollout exercises.

Kneeling Stability Ball rollout




Stability Ball Plank




Standing Stability Ball Rollout



I know you love the khaki shorts

swonk's first try at sumo deadlift

Not bad for the first set of it, check him out at www.swonkdiesel.blogspot.com

Directing a Facility

I just started a new job at the University of Kentucky this week. I am the Director of the Underground Fitness center and our attendance is mainly from campus housing. Since 99.3% of campus housing has deserted Lexington, we are left with very few attendees per day. Now the normal, lack-luster human being would take this time to relax, maybe sleep, and add adipose tissue to his body... just happy that he has a job that has a relatively slow start.

I would call the normal, lack-luster human being a lot of things, but mainly smile because he can't keep up in a workout. I'm going to find ways to occupy my time. Reading articles, perfecting my for on various exercises, learning about nutrition and injury prevention, setting new goals, etc.
It doesn't matter if you know me or not, 10 seconds into a conversation (assuming you will meet me) with me and I can guarantee to energize you. I'm like that oxy-clean guy, but for fitness.



this guy could sell somebody cancer. I feel that enthusiasm, intensity, and speaking in a yell at all times are the only way to talk about lifting while lifting. now you can approach me when I am sitting in my office, increasing my knowledge by reading articles through the library database or at www.t-nation.com and I probably won't start a conversation by yelling... but don't put it past me. I can have an intelligent argument with you, but if you repeatedly say ignorant things with nothing to back up your argument except "It's true, Jillian said it." my responses are going to be laced with reasons why everything you just sputtered out to me is wrong.

And lastly, a ridiculous show of human strength is on the video below... for those of you that follow milder sports like cross country, golf, or olympic jump-roping, lifting raw means that the lifter is not wearing a bench press shirt and is only equiped with MASS. check it out

Dedication Statement Concocted Post-Lift

After I hit the weights... this definition of dedication hit me. I immediately put it in my phone's notepad to save my exact thoughts.

Some call it an addiction when act differently without your "fix." Others call it an unhealthy obsession when you have a consistent routine that trumps every other activity. Some people even term it the Adonis Complex or Muscle Dysmorphia when you are completely focused on gaining muscle mass, even though you know that you can never have enough muscle. The true lifter calls these thing dedication.

Muscle is like money... you can never have enough

Importance of Unilateral Training

Uni-what? Unilateral training is a particular way to exercise one group of muscles on one side of your body. Any exercise that does not utilize either arms or both legs or utilizes dumbbells so the movements of both limbs are separate is unilateral training. Unilateral training increases strength of the weaker limb, which leads to an overall heavier lift and a more balanced body. Some examples of unilateral exercises are dumbbell bench (incline, decline, or flat), one-arm dumbbell bench (any variation listed before), step ups, one-legged leg curl, one-legged RDLs, one-arm dumbbell shoulder press, dumbbell row, one-arm lat pull down, etc.

Unilateral training allows for a person to notice strength deficiencies. We have all heard of some one that says their left leg is stronger than their right leg or seen some one on bench press that consistently has the bar concentrically moving up first on the left and the right follows. Even some one that is trying to push evenly on both sides will push more from their stronger side.

Bilateral training would be back and front squat, barbell bench (incline, decline, or flat), barbell shoulder press, etc. Bilateral training is used exclusively in strength competitions because who care how much a person can press with just one arm or leg. However, strengthening your weak points by utilizing unilateral training will help increase you weights for bilateral movements.

Pushing through the gym myths, jargon, and ignorance to get results

I workout at the University gym during the week and hit the up the local YMCA on the weekends for a change of pace and scenery. I try not to pay attention to every one's methods of exercise, but it is hard to not want to give tutorials to the patrons and even the staff at some of these places. Just this weekend I heard the following advice and observed the following things:

1. "you ain't never gonna get big wit out no set (that's right, "set") ups and push ups"
2. The guy saying the previous statement had a trashbag suit on that matched his son
3. A staff member," Ya see, your stomach muscles are never fully activated that's why so many people are so big"
4. Same staff member, "That's what I love about sprint'n, regular jogging doesn't use your lungs or get your heart a pump'n at all"
5. This guy was on a roll, "Ya need to just eat a buncha good ol' chicken breast to lose weight. I did it all last summer... chicken breast and water. I have put some weight back on, but it worked then."

After I died a little bit on the inside from watching the little kid with guy from statement number one doing half push ups with his feet against the wall I had to go to a different part of the gym. I am all for these people getting in the gym and sweating, I just want them to realize that there are more effective ways to get results.

I read some of the profiles of the workers and they don't have very many exercise science undergraduates and only one masters graduate at the facility. I am taking a mental note of the things that irk me about current gym processes or staffing problems that I observe to make my facility as idiot-proof as I can. I want to be able to educate my staff and make them have confidence in what they say is fact. I want to have my staff go through some power training sessions with me so they know how to properly execute a snatch, jump squat, and clean ... also I want to go through some essential lifts like deadlift, back squat, front squat, and incline dumbell press to make sure that my staff has at least an idea of proper form and body placement.

I have the university population to get my workers from... I will find as many kinesiology and health promotion students that want to work in this field as I can to staff my gym. All of this should help the problem.

End of an Era... On to a Salary

I recently (7:30 this morning) passed my oral exit exam and have a job all but locked up. I will finish my graduate degree in Exercise Physiology in about three weeks. I have worked with faculty and staff through my graduate assistant position; doctors, students, aspiring doctoral candidates, and a couple masters students through my personal training at the University of Kentucky; I worked with a professor's research study focusing on the strength and conditioning of fire fighters; I have sat through hundreds of hours of classes (some I enjoyed, others the opposite); I completed a 300-hour internship at a corporate wellness facility; and last, but not least, I added ten pounds to my max bench and 60 pounds to my max squat.

I have said the wrong thing and learned how to be more politicaly correct. I have said the right thing to the wrong person and stood by it. I have rubbed off on my peers and tried to absorb as much useful knowledge from intelligent people that I could during my two years at UK.

Now I am on to direct a gym. I am able to master as many exercises as I can and learn new ones, better my knowledge base through research that I want to read, help fitness professionals that have what it takes succeed, and see my friends be placed in jobs across the country. I am looking forward to the day when I can help out a colleague that I have studied with, shot the shit with, and experienced, and more importantly, endured the masters program here.

I am not the same student, person, or worker that I was when I came to UK two years ago. I talk a lot about bettering myself physically, but I have been challenged mentally and met the task head on throughout this masters program. I did not graduate from an easy program. There are things that I need to do more research on and need to buckle down and figure out the concepts of certain things, but I do not mind bettering myself.

I don't mind asking questions, I just choose the right people to ask. I don't mind debating theories or processes to get other people's opinions or improve my own vision of either.

I spoke with my lifting partner about putting a book together. It is going to happen. I am a do-er. A compilation of thoughts about certain subjects, people, exercises, programs, or completely random happenings that have occured in both of our lives over the past two years. A publication of some of the points of view that you should read and consider for your own... Haha, or to just consider.

Enough of this novel, go get better.

Incline Update

If you take a look at a couple of my messages ago, you will notice that I want to improve my incline bench press strength... mostly because it is pathetic, but partially because I want better overall development in my chest.

I completed 235 for 4 sets of 5, 245 for a set of 4 (I was shooting for five, but failed), and 240 for a set of 5.

I think I started doing 5 sets of six with 215 on incline a couple of weeks ago so I feel pretty good about my progress.

My better is better than your better. Keep up.

Evaluation of Personal Trainers

I have noticed several people doing exercises incorrectly. Pretty much any one that can read would say where there is a gym, there are people that perform exercises wrong. Whether it is improper technique, they make up their own WAY COOL exercise, they believe everything should be done with full body swing, etc... they do something or a lot of things wrong.

My concern is when it is the personal trainers doing these exercises wrong. This is comparitive to a history teacher not recognizing the Declaration of Independence, a guy at Valvoline not knowing how to check your oil, a pilot that can't fly a plane... do you see where I am going?

I have seen various personal trainers that have done the following:
-Overhead squats in which GUY came up on his toes and his knees were wobbling all over the place
-The outstanding exercise (WACK) of side bends done with a dumbbell in each hand (I call it the teeter totter)
-Deadlift to a front raise to a incredibly slow snatch

I am not claiming to know everything and do every exercise perfectly, but I know that shoulder press doesn't work the chest. I talked with some people at the gym where these "professionals" work and it was decided that every trainer would be evaluated.

About time.

I think every one will get great feedback on parts of their knowledge base that need a software upgrade. This is a university gym... take a class if you are ridiculously ignorant in physiology, anatomy, exercise testing, strength and conditioning, or some other area. Why wouldn't you want to? Would you really want people staring at you in a gym laughing at your uneducated techniques or methods? I would assume a great trainer wants to know how to more effectively train his/her clients.

Better yourself...I'm going to.

DO YOU HAVE PROGRAMMING A.D.D.?

I was talking to a member of one of the gyms I work at and he is constantly changing his program. I usually recommend that people change their program every 4-6 weeks to avoid plateauing and prevent boredom. He varies his program too often. He want to be huge one week... then he wants to be lean... then he wants to get stronger... then he wants to just do arms one day.. and so on. I am sure that most of you know some one that can't stick to a program for longer than a week and a half.

You can have the best program written down and if you aren't consistent and don't really focus on the goal you set (weight loss, hypertrophy, strength) you aren't going to improve. Not giving the program you are doing a chance is similar to not having a program at all. Would you get directions off mapquest and then throw them out the window once you started driving to your destination?

Pick a goal. One specific goal and focus on it. You can vary the periodization of your program to have a hypertrophy phase, then strength building, then back to hypertrophy... or you can stick with the same rep and set numbers, just pick different exercises. Sticking with a goal doesn't mean you have to do the exact same workout. You are just doing the workouts for the same purpose.

Incline Bench Press Needs improvment

I am ok with my bench max, the weight i work out with, etc. It is only going to increase and I would be pissed beyond measure if my numbers went down, but when compared to my incline... I look like two different people.
I will do four sets of 6 on flat bench with 270... and get all but one or two reps.
On incline I can only push 215 for all four sets of six. In my mind that is too big a difference. I started a new microcycle this week that includes incline barbell bench. I am hoping to be working out with closer to 240 on incline. I feel like I have the strength there, I just haven't spent enough time working on that particular exercise.

That is definitely going to change and in five weeks I'll let you know what my current workout weight on incline is. I'm all about self-improvement

Speaking of pushing weight...

A buddy of mine beat my max bench by 5 pounds the other day... and I couldn't be more pumped.

1...2....3 a couple of grunts and the bar moved down and then he pushed through his sticking point and reracked it. 340, done. I got 335 last December and I plan on reclaiming the title in May