15-minute Blog: SMART High Intensity Training

I had my time on the high-intensity training wagon, preaching TABATA and telling my endurance buddies to stop wasting their time with their distance training.  And then I stepped back and saw the big picture: there's a time to do high intensity, a time for low intensity, and life is better when you do BOTH in moderation.

I jumped on the  High-Intensity wagon initially because of it's success for fat reduction and time efficiency.  The only downside to high intensity training is fatigue and discomfort.  I recently saw a forum thread entitled HIIT (high-intensity interval training) burns 9-times more fat than regular cardio.  This thread cited the infamous TABATA protocol of 7-8 bouts of 20 seconds of high intensity work followed by 10 seconds of recovery.  It blew my mind when I saw some of the subsequent forum posts suggesting the WORST modes of exercise for this protocol.

FACT: Most if not ALL the studies on  high intensity interval training and its dramatic rate of fat loss and cardiovascular gains were performed on ergometers A.K.A. STATIONARY BICYCLES.

• The TABATA protocol required one to push at 120% of their VO2 max. for 20 seconds at a time.  Remember that VO2max is the maximum work output one can do aerobically, and 120% of it means that one is going significantly anaerobic.  120% of one's VO2 max is pretty damn exhausting and the national caliber speed skaters in the original TABATA study were wiped out after the 20 minute protocol (includes warm-up and cool-down).  My point is that these people generated ridiculous amounts of fatigue to perform the protocol correctly and that the bicycle ergometers  allowed for high levels of fatigue without increased chance of injury.  There were idiots on the forum thread bragging about doing the protocol with heavy and technical lifts!  Try and do a technical or heavy lift (snatch, clean, deadlift, etc.) under tremendous fatigue and I guarantee form will suffer.  Try and push through such exercises with compromised form and the likelihood of injury goes through the roof!

The moral of this post is to be smart when selecting your mode of high intensity interval training.  Pick an exercise where the likelihood of injury remains low even if your form goes to shit.  I would recommend the stationary bike, the elliptical machine, a rower or any other exercise machine that allows one to bail out quickly, and that doesn't require a whole lot of technique.  Get fit, save time, but don't get hurt.

Happy Training,

DAVE

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Exercise: Forget Training Core, Train Posture

My Favorite Therapist to Patient Dialogue

Physical therapist:  So the doctor recommended we do core training to alleviate your back pain. 

Patient:    Core training?  Whaddya mean core training?  I train my core every day in the gym.  I do crunches, hanging leg raises, twists,... shit,...I even do the kipping pull-ups that my coach says are more core than anything else!  Look at these abs!!! 

"Look at these abs!!"

Most injuries to the lower back occur because of poor movement and/or lack of stabilization.  Healthcare professionals often recommend core strengthening for injury prevention and to treat back issues.  Unfortunately, many attempt to train the core with exercises that involve spinal movement when really, core training is more about conditioning the spine NOT to move.

My clients easily grasp the concept of core stabilization when I tell them that they're really training postures and conditioning the body to maintain them against external forces.

A Little About Neutral Spine (posture)

A neutral posture is one that can absorb, generate, and support the most amount of force possible (in most cases).  As a result, a neutral spine allows for optimal power, injury prevention, and decreased wear on vertebral joints.  So who wouldn't want to practice maintaining neutral?

Click on Image for Extensive Description of Neutral Spine

The following are some posture training exercises along with questions I tell clients to ask themselves while performing them.  

The Prone Plank

• can I hold neutral posture while gravity attempts to pull my belly and head down?  I often reinforce the idea that the neck is part of the body's 'SYSTEM' so its positioning is as important as what's happening about the trunk and pelvis.
  

The Side Plank

• can I hold neutral posture while gravity works to bend me laterally?
  

Supine Leg Lifts

• Can I hold neutral posture from my head to my tailbone without allowing gravity's force on my legs to arch my back?
  

Running (now things are getting complicated!)

• Can I maintain neutral posture and minimize any rotation or lateral sway while moving my arms and hips in opposition?
  

I could post a ton more pics but I figure you get the point.  The moral of the story is that core (stability) training makes more sense if you go from the perspective of training to maintain certain postures rather than focusing on building specific muscles.

Happy training and hope this gives you some perspective,

DAVE

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The Kettlebell Swing: Timing is Key

I often see sloppy kettlebell swings at the gym and I restrain myself because I don't want to be that dickwad who gives advice to those who don't ask for it.  Without further adieu, the most common mistake I see with the kettlebell swing is the timing.

Before I go further, lets review the phases of the kettlebell swing from the starting point where the kettlebell is grounded and the person is in an American football center position (about to hike the ball).

1. The bell is 'hiked' towards the rear until there is sufficient contact between the arms against the body, and tension through both arms.  The posterior hips are loaded.
2. The hips are extended and driven forward, pushing the kettlebell forward and up, and initiating the swing.
3. The bell floats to the desired height while the swinger assumes an erect position, establishing all the tenets of good posture.
4. HERE'S THE PART WHERE PEOPLE MESS UP:  one maintains an erect position while the kettlebell descends and ONLY BEGINS TO FLEX THE HIPS WHEN THE UPPER ARMS MAKE CONTACT WITH THE RIBS.  With such timing, the kettlebell swings back into a position close to the crotch as the swinger returns to the initial hiking position.  Unlike conventional exercises where "I go down while the weight goes down," the kettlebell involves a timing where "I stand tall while the weight goes down."  I can't emphasize this enough because flexing forward prematurely increases the load on your spine, particularly the lower back.  And with improper timing, the exercise becomes a kettlebell 'LIFT' and not a 'SWING'.

I didn't mention anything about posture because the tenets of good posture GO WITHOUT SAYING:

• Neck in neutral while assuming a long spine
• Shoulder blades back and down
• Lower back in neutral, not too arched or flat

If you want more kettlebell swing details, click on the following link to access a pretty good tutorial:

http://kettlebellsworkouts.com/teaching-points-for-the-kettlebell-swing/

Happy Training,

DAVE

3 Ways Your Burpees Are Hurting You

The original burpee a.k.a. squat thrust, was developed in the early part of the 20th century.  It consisted of squatting and placing one's hands on the floor, kicking to the rear into a plank position, tucking back into a squat position, and then rising to a standing position.  Click on the following link to see more info on the history of the burpee:

BURPEE HISTORY INFO

There are numerous variations of this exercise that may include a push up, a vertical jump, or even loaded with dumbbells or other forms of weights.  Despite the simplicity of the exercise, many fitness pros and exercise enthusiasts overlook certain details that can potentially harm them or their clients.  I'm going to mention 3 of the biggest burpee mistakes I see in the gym, internet, and clinic.

• BENT BACK BURPEES:  A study by Callagan and McGill that was published in a 2001 issue of the Journal of Clinical Biomechanics describes how repetative flexion and extension (bending and arching) of a young pig's spine eventually led to disc herniation after over 84,000 reps.  That may seem like a large number but if you take into account all the times you may have bent forward and rounded your back, you'll find that it's not really that many from 'lifetime' perspective.  If you've ever taken a biomechanics class, you'll know that flexion (rounding your back) puts a significant amount of stress on our discs.  From a physical therapist's perspective, the combination of flexion and the slightest amount of rotation is formula for instant disc herniation and such a movement often occurs with burpees because one hip is usually tighter than the other.  The point is simply to prevent the lower back from moving (stabilizing it) for the sake of longevity and injury prevention.
• SOULUTION:  Make sure you keep your spine in the neutral position and stabilize it throughout the movement.  IN ENGLISH: put your back in a position where it's not too arched and not too rounded and treat it as one solid piece that doesn't bend, twist, or arch.  That's what stabilization is,...minimizing or preventing any movement at the joint.  If you DON'T have the mobility in your hips, spread your feet apart during the ENTIRE movement OR place your hands on an elevated surface.  Some just don't have the hip mobility to do this movement without the suggested variations.

Since we're talking about Dr. McGill,...

• FAULTY KNEE MECHANICS- Knees buckle in or go past the plane of the toe: The SCREW HOME MECHANISM (SHM) describes how the knee complex is supposed to move optimally during a squat (single or double leg).  Allowing the knees to turn or buckle in (internally rotate and/or adduct) goes against the tenets of the SHM and promotes contact and compressive forces in the joint that aren't supposed to happen.  It promotes premature joint wear that most people don't feel until it's too late.  Such faulty mechanics progress into meniscus or patellofemoral irritations.  Allowing the knee to pass the plane of the toe increases the compressive forces between the kneecap and tibio-femoral joint, thereby increasing the likelihood of premature joint wear.
• SOLUTION:  Make the conscious effort not to allow the knees to adduct.  One could wear a resistance loop around the knees and focus on maintaining tension in the loop while performing the exercise.  One can also  follow the suggestions of spreading the feet wide apart AND/OR placing the hands on an elevated surface to shift one's center of mass to the rear and to keep the knee from going past the plane of the great toe.  These adjustments will allow for sound knee mechanics.

• POOR SPINAL ALIGNMENT-  I tell my patients and clients that their posture is the foundation of all their movement; if their posture sucks, their movement sucks.  AND I also tell them that every repetition is an opportunity to learn or reinforce a particular movement pattern; exercises done with poor posture PROMOTE poor posture.  I mentioned lumbar stabilization earlier and will put more emphasis on the thoracic and cervical spine.  The neck should  be held in neutral to minimize stress at the C5-T1 joints, where most people have some form of hypermobility (loosey goosey joints) after the third decade of life (their 30's).  The thoracic spine or upper back should have some curve to it but not excessive.  If the thoracic curvature looks like the start of an abdominal crunch, it's excessive.
• SOLUTION:  Make the conscious effort lengthen the spine into neutral position and stabilize it.  There isn't really any reason to look up during the down or push-up position phase (unless you're doing burpees in the middle of the street and have to watch out for oncoming traffic).

Aye Yay Yay!!  Rounded lower back, excessive flexion curvature (kyphosis) in the upper back, and too much extension at the base of the neck.  A manifestation of tight hips...they're soo tight that I assume this nasty position despite spreading my feet apart.  No good!!  At least my knees aren't buckling in or passing the plane of the great toe.

The crate is gives me the ability to assume neutral spine in the tucked position.  Notice the natural (lordotic) curve in the lower back.  So before I start doing burpees off the floor, I need to achieve the appropriate mobility in my hips.  And no, I will not pick up the crate and jump with it....that's a stupid move,...but I'll save that explanation for a later post.

This is the phase of the movement where most people have excessive curves at the base of their necks and upper back.  Make a conscious effort to assume the tenets of good posture.

Obviously, there are other ways to screw yourself up with this exercise.  Fatigued burpees whether done for time or done until failure are not recommended because form suffers under fatigue.  I'll save the discussion on form and fatigue for a later post.

Happy training,

DAVE