In a previous article, I noted how the range of motion of crunches is not conducive to building a strong core. Crunches will only effectively engage the rectus abdominal muscles, while some of the surrounding important core musculature is not addressed. Ultimately, it is a basic exercises that serves little purpose for individuals with more than a few of strength training experiences.
The biggest problem in many "ab" routines that I see people do is that there's no progressive overload. People will do the same handful of exercises for the same number of sets and repetitions every session, week after week. Now, imagine you did that with a back squat, or with any other movement: what if you just squatted 135 pounds for 5 sets of 5 repetitions on every leg day? You might make a little bit of progress for a week or two, but eventually you're not going to continue to make gains. Your legs won't get any bigger or stronger. The same is true for the abdominal muscles. If you're just doing 3 sets of 15 crunches, 3 sets of 20 Russian twists, etc., then guess what? Your core isn't going to get any stronger either. I watch many people do the same core exercises day in and day out, and they aren't continuing to adapt.
There are four ways to create progressive overload for strength training:
Increase the number of repetitions. If you've been sticking with 3x10 leg lifts, for example, try to do 3x15 next week. This is one way to add volume.
Increase the number of sets. Additionally, you can add in more sets to increase total training volume.
Increase the amount of time. This is specific to isometric movements like the plank, hollow hold, side plank, etc. Try to increase the length of the hold by 10-15 seconds per week.
Add load. I like to add weighted ab exercises into my programs, once the client has demonstrated competency in the non-weighted variation. Examples of exercises include weighted hanging knee raises, weighted planks, weighted sit-ups, cable chops, and weighted leg lifts.
Change the exercises. Get creative. There are so many exercises out there that allow you to continue to progress. Constantly challenge yourself. I constantly post new exercise ideas on my Instagram page, such as those in the above links, so always be on the lookout for new ideas. Just when you think you have abs of steel, you find a new exercise variation to humble yourself once again.
If you're going through the same routine multiple times per week, you may still "feel a burn," but you're not necessarily going to achieve the desired result of a rock solid core. Instead, here are my suggestions for improving your core training. Core training has to be progressed in the same way that you would continue to periodize the big strength movements. Think outside of the box and don't get complacent with your ab routine!
You've all seen those guys in the gym—the ones who look like Bane and sound like Darth Vader hopping from one exercise to the next. Maybe you've though to yourself, "what is that awesome looking gadget," or, if you're like me, something along the lines of "what exactly does this tool think he's accomplishing?"
Many Olympic marathoners utilize altitude training to take their fitness to the next level (pun intended), so it makes sense that these masks would be worth the money.
What these companies aren't telling you, however, is that the research doesn't support these absurd-looking masks. On the contrary.
The positive adaptations of altitude training include an increased red blood cell count. This is one such adaptation that will only come from prolonged exposure to higher altitudes (meaning wearing a mask for an hour a few times per week isn't going to help in that arena. I most often see people wearing these masks on exercise machines (like the bro in the photo). Even if these masks were to work, you certainly wouldn't want to wear them for an exercise that doesn't rely on oxygen for energy (anaerobic exercises).
Another huge flaw in the reasoning behind wearing these masks is that they do not result in a change in barometric (atmospheric) pressure, as we would find in mountainous regions. Instead, they merely restrict your respiratory muscles, which effectively make breathing more challenging. These two things are not the same. In fact, in my opinion, limiting the efficacy of the respiratory muscles is just dangerous and foolish.
Finally, the current theory for altitude training is the "live high, train low." This means that athletes should live in higher altitudes, but train in lower altitudes so as not to impede their physical performance (obviously we cannot perform maximally at 10,000 feet above sea level). The altitude training masks directly contradict this principle, as people are not wearing them to do their household chores, but rather to do biceps curls in the squat rack. You definitely don't need to be an exercise physiologist to understand why this won't confer any added athletic benefits.
If you want to improve your aerobic capacity, avoid the scams and gimmicks. You can't take a shortcut to attain peak fitness levels (without the use of PEDs, of course), so quit throwing your money down the drain and put in the hard work. These masks will make you the laughing stock of your gym and they certainly won't provide any physiological advantage in your training.
While I've previously explained that stretching seldom helps improve your flexibility in the long term, there are some benefits that come from stretching. This exciting study from 2015 done by Miranda et. al. tested stretching as a means for increasing training volume (the number of repetitions performed in a set or session) in the wide-grip seated row exercise. There were two groups of participants, both of whom performed three sets to failure with two minutes of rest in between sets. The only difference between the groups was that the experimental group performed 40 seconds of a passive pectoralis major stretch at the end of their allotted rest periods. The idea here was to stretch the antagonist (opposing) muscles.
What the experimenters found was fascinating: there was a statistically significant difference in the antagonist stretching group. Those participants performed more repetitions in all three sets. Additionally, the experimental group demonstrated greater contractions in the latissimus dorsi and the biceps brachii muscles.
While this particular study only tested one exercise, it is likely that we can utilize this concept with other movements to reap similar benefits. For instance, in doing a bench press, you could stretch the latissimus dorsi. Before your set of leg curls, stretch out your quadriceps. You get the idea. This hack can help you get more training volume, which will ultimately result in greater hypertrophy (muscle growth)!
The mechanisms behind these findings are still unclear. My guess would be that stretching the antagonist muscles would allow for greater range of motion throughout the exercise, and thus, a stronger contraction in the agonist muscles. For example, the pecs have to stretch during the top of the rowing exercise. A bigger stretch in the pecs could possibly allow for the lats to generate a stronger contraction.
Static stretching before a set may be disadvantageous for power production, and thus, I do not prescribe it before movements like the clean and jerk. However, in a bodybuilding routine, there may be some added bonuses to stretching during rest periods to accumulate more total training volume.
This concept has not yet been applied to strength-based movements, but it could be an interesting point for experimentation on your own before the big lifts. Give this trick a try and see how you like it!
It is common for a lifter to seek boulder shoulder status. While having protruding, rounded shoulders certainly looks nice, the shoulders are very vulnerable to injury. The demands of a sedentary, desk-ridden society already makes our shoulders unhappy, and if you translate this dysfunction into the gym, you're gonna have a bad time.
I have dealt with my own shoulder issues in the past, and I know just how aggravating it can be to have to modify workouts or avoid certain movements. Ultimately, I had to learn the hard way what exercises provoked my shoulder pain. Many common-place shoulder exercises can be effective for deltoid and pectoralis hypertrophy, but they also promote instability and compensation. For both myself and my clients, there are four main exercises that I avoid for the sake of sparing their shoulders:
Pec flies. Regardless of whether you're using cables, dumbbells, or even the pec-deck machine, you're most likely better off without them. With this movement, many lifters tend to go well beyond the necessary range of motion to isolate the pectoralis muscles in transverse shoulder flexion. You also run the risk of sufficiently irritating your biceps tendons. Instead, they end up stretching the hell out of their anterior deltoids and forcing their shoulders into a yucky internally rotated position that makes me cringe. For chest development, I prefer to have clients do reverse grip bench press, neutral grip dumbbell bench press (with a slow eccentric focus), and Spoon presses. If you're hell-bent on keeping pec flies in your workout routine, try to minimize the range of motion so that your arms only go slightly above parallel, and make sure you maintain a slight bend in your elbows.
Behind-the-neck lat pull-downs. I've addressed my feelings about behind-the-neck exercises previously, so to save you from a redundant rant, I'll give you the abridged version: these movements (especially in lat pull-downs) encourage you into flexed cervical spine and often reinforce poor shoulder movement. Very few people possess adequate shoulder and thoracic mobility to perform these. If you really want wings, stay away from these. Instead, try rowing variations, pull-ups (you add weight or go chest-to-bar if you want a greater challenge), straight arm pull-downs, and maybe the occasional Red Bull. (I couldn't resist...)
Yikes!
Box dips. In a recent Instagram video, I mentioned that I stray away from programming dips on a bench or a box. Effectively, this variation places unnecessary stress on the anterior capsule and tendons of the shoulder. To perform these, a client must flare the elbows out excessively, while the shoulder again shifts into a precarious position. You will see this as well on bar dips, but to a lesser degree, because the athlete's shoulder and elbows are closer to his center of mass. The ideal way to do dips, in my opinion, though, is on the rings. The rings force the athlete to properly adduct his shoulder, and his arms are closest to his center of mass (thus resulting in a more mechanically advantageous position. If you're currently unable to do ring dips, stick to push-ups on the rings, and then slowly progress to a full ring dip.
Upright rows. I'm sure you've heard trainers shun this exercise before. While I think it can be helpful for developing the shoulders for the right client, there are always other options. I've found that they cause more harm than good for most people, as usually the anterior deltoids are the strongest part of the shoulder. Instead, many people would benefit from training the posterior or rear deltoids with back flies to balance out the omnipresent imbalance from front to back.
In general, gym goers can benefit from fewer pushing exercises and more pulling exercises. I usually propose a 2:1 ratio for upper body pulling:pushing days. By this, I mean that you should only spend about one day per week doing bench press, push press, etc. (or at least with those movements as your primary focus), and two days with a pulling/rowing focus. The anterior deltoids and pectoralis tend to run the show (especially in men), and, thus, can cause a lot of pathologies and mobility restrictions. Your rhomboids, rear deltoids, lats, and lower trapezius can always benefit from some more love and attention.
There are plenty of safe and effective exercises that will still give you strong shoulders, such as those that I've listed in this article. You can be smart about your upper body training and avoid nagging injuries that will keep you sidelined for weeks at-a-time. Make these changes to your routine, and your shoulders will be happier in the long run!
The quadriceps complex is comprised of four main muscles: the rectus femoris, the vastus intermedius, the vastus lateralis, and the vastus medialis (which seems to have become the most buzzworthy muscle of the four). The vastus medialis obliquus (commonly referred to as the VMO) is the middle “tear drop” shaped muscle of the quadriceps complex. Both personal trainers and physical therapists often blame generic knee pain on this guy being weak, but the literature just does not seem to substantiate that concept. If a doctor or physiotherapist has ever told you that you need to strengthen your vastus medialis, then he or she is spouting off outdated and false information.
I have seen many an article claiming that one can “isolate” the vastus medialis, or emphasize its activation, by raising the heels in a squat, by narrowing one’s squat stance, or by doing some wild exercises. These exercises are frequently prescribed to individuals with patellar tendinopathy, patellar tracking, or post-op ACL tear patients. While these concepts sound excellent in theory, the data has shown that those ideas are effectively no more than broscience. The vastus medialis and lateralis muscles contract together, and no amount of heel raise, hip external rotation, or close-stance squats will change that.
Do decline squats increase VMO activation?
The first exercise myth about the VMO is that raising the heels will increase its activation in the squat. While using Olympic lifting shoes or standing on a board will undoubtedly increase total quadriceps recruitment, as your torso will be more upright, the vastus medialis receives no preferential treatment. Rather, the vastus lateralis and medialis simultaneously work harder to squat when the heels are elevated. Similarly, the high bar squat is more quad-dominant than a powerlifting low-bar squat, and a front squat is the most quad-dominant of the three.
Does squat depth influence VMO activation?
When analyzing the angles at which the vastus medialis and lateralis are most active, Lee et. al. found that 90° or less of knee flexion was optimal. Essentially, deeper squats allow for greater vastus medialis and vastus lateralis contraction. Again, both muscles are being targeted in this instance, so the VMO is working harder, but so too is the vastus lateralis.
The other take home here is that if you want quads of the Gods, you can’t skimp on your depth. If you have to ask someone if you’re going low enough, you’re probably not! If mobility is an issue for you, then you should seek the advice of a qualified professional and dedicate time at the end of your sessions to improving your bottom position. What about narrow-stance squats?
None of the research to date indicates that squatting with a narrow stance impacts the vastus medialis to a higher degree. In fact, it doesn’t appear that it changes the activation in any of the quadriceps muscles at all. I’m not quite sure where this myth arose, but it seems to be contradicted by the literature.
Squatting with your feet close together won't increase VMO activation,
but it may result in faulty mechanics and potential for hip impingement.
One study with Paoli et. al. looked at the EMG in 8 different thigh muscles, measuring activity in three different squatting widths and three different intensities (no load, 30% of 1 RM, and 70% of 1 RM). They tested both quadriceps and hamstrings muscles, and there was effectively no statistical difference in any of the muscles except for the gluteus maximus. No matter how close the lifters stances, their quadriceps muscles (vastus medialis included) were no more or less active at any intensity.
Surely foot position matters?
This is one that I have heard for years, and even believed myself for a while: trainers boast that externally rotating the feet will preferentially recruit the VMO, whereas a parallel foot position would lead to more evenly divided muscular recruitment. Unfortunately, no studies to date have confirmed this concept.
Murray et. al. tested twenty physically active adults in 4 different foot positions during a partial squat on the Power Tower machine. They found no real differences in EMG amplitude in differing levels of external/internal rotation. Similarly, Ninos and colleagues tested two varying foot positions (externally rotated and neutral) in the Olympic squat, and there was no noteworthy difference in vastus medialis activation.
The take home? If you have strong quads, you have a strong VMO.
Trainers have managed to come up with many creative circus-trick exercises for targeting the vastus medialis muscle, but while they might look exciting to try in videos, the basic foundational leg movements are all you need; squats, lunges, step-ups, and split squats will help you build strong quadriceps muscles, and, in turn, strong vastus medialis muscles. You can perform your leg extensions with your feet externally rotated all day, and you still won’t be able to isolate your medial quadriceps. Instead, just stick to those previously mentioned core movements and reap the benefits of your tree trunk legs!
The body and mind are intimately intertwined. We must always look at the bigger picture. Despite Western medicine’s attempt to further break the body up into distinct “parts,” everything is connected. Your stress at work and your shoulder pain are absolutely related. Your toxic relationship and your sinus infection is likely the result of your body’s symbiosis. Emotional stress manifests itself physically, and, conversely, physical pain impacts our emotions.
“Muscles” are just used for classification purposes, but that is not exactly how your brain works. You’re never just using one muscle at a time, and the same thing goes for your organs: nothing works in solitude, but rather, your body is a symphony.
Everything is originated in your brain. The brain is responsible for the function of all bodily functions (heart beat, digestion, respiration, etc.), and it also controls your perception. Thus, it would be foolish to consider pain without first understanding the cognitive processes behind it.
Research suggests that thinking about contracting a specific muscle is beneficial for improving muscular hypertrophy. A study of 18 resistance-trained men found that "individuals can increase triceps brachii or pectarilis major muscle activity during the bench press when focusing on using the specific muscle at intensities up to 60 % of 1RM." Essentially, thinking about activating a muscle can increase its activation at lower intensities.
A history of injury to a certain area can perpetuate symptoms, even after your body has healed. Pain and trauma form pathways in your brain. There's an adage that says "neurons that fire together wire together." This means that if a pathway of pain becomes familiar to you, it can be difficult to dissociate the two things. Let's say you tore your UCL in your elbow throwing a baseball. You may still experience pain when throwing, even long after the tissue has healed, because your brain associates throwing with danger.
You can improve on a skill using mental imagery. "Vandell et. al. reported that groups of subjects who mentally practiced basketball free throws or dart throwing demonstrated improved skills similar to those who physically practiced the task. The [mental practice] and [physical practice] groups improved 23% and 24%, respectively, as compared with no improvement in a control group that did not practice either task," mentioned Warner and McNeill. That means that the group who practiced a skill using mental imagery alone had nearly the same level of improvements as did the group using physical practice!
Mental practice can improve balance. Fansler et. al. tested 36 elderly female subjects. Women were randomly assigned to one of three groups: non-sense+physical practice, relaxation+physical practice, or ideokinetic facilitation+physical practice. The final group "showed fewer subjects with negative change and more subjects with greater than 100% improvement." Effectively, the combination of mind-body awareness along with physical practice elicited significant improvements for the subjects. "This improvement in balance, which is a fundamental component of human movement, suggests that [ideokinetic facilitation] has promising usefulness in health care." Perhaps this study could be expanded into other areas, as well!
Wim Hof, a dutch man known as the "Ice Man" has been able to achieve incredible feats using meditative breathing. He regularly goes for dunks in freezing cold water, hikes frigid mountains in only his shorts, and has even demonstrated control over his autonomic nervous system. If you haven't heard of this guy, I recommend watching this video and reading more about him! He's a pretty incredible and inspiring man.
There's still much research to be done on the concept of mind-body connectivity. I believe that with a strong mind, we can build a strong body. We cannot achieve what the mind doesn't believe. Incorporating mental imagery into your routine might just be the change you need to break through your training plateaus!
Since I've made a post about shoulder restrictions, I've received a few requests about how to loosen up stubborn hips.
This is my dad, unintentionally showing off his
perfect bottom position and impressive ankle
dorsiflexion.
One thing I'd like to mention, which has been noted in previous posts, is that some people are just genetically and anatomically better suited for squats. Let's take my father, for example. My dad, who does not exercise, and has no notable sports background has a picture perfect squat. He has never mobilized a day in his life, and no one taught him proper squatting mechanics. In fact, I was stunned to watch him squat down to reset our Internet modem with absolute ease. Others will take weeks or months of mobility/motor control drills to execute a partial squat. If you're interested, Dr. Stuart McGill has an excellent video discussing this concept. Unfortunately, there's nothing we can do to change one's acetabulum or femurs.
Don't be discouraged! There's hope for you yet. What we can do, instead, is put someone who may be...inept at squatting into a position that optimizes his or her anatomy. We can play around with foot position, stance, and different squat styles to see what is best suited towards their anthropometry (limb length/proportions). I always recommend that those who are struggling with their squat mechanics work with a qualified coach/movement practitioner to improve. If that is not an option for you, then you should spend some time playing around on your own trying different set-ups. Record yourself when possible. Remember that your squat will not necessarily look the same as mine.
Once you've settled on your ideal stance and foot position, now we must consider the role of motor control (yay for unintentional rhyming) in the squat. As you can imagine, there are many possible compensatory patterns that one might display throughout the movement. From knee valgus/varus, to shooting the hips back too far, to letting the chest drop, I've seen it all; this is when attention and mindfulness become especially important. Again, it will be invaluable to have a coach review your mechanics in these cases. With just a few simple cues, most errors are immediately fixable, and then you may continue to practice these on your own and engrain the proper sequencing in your head.
One exercise that I typically use with my clients who are learning to squat is the pole squat drill: this allows the person to understand how their weight should be distributed, and helps them achieve a lower bottom position almost immediately. I would also introduce them to the quadruped rock, which mirrors the sequencing in a squat and warms up the hips. These movements are best suited in the beginning of a session.
For clients who still have difficulty squatting after those drills, the goblet squat should become your friend. It is generally easier for individuals to assume a better position in a goblet squat. Holding weight in front of the body forces you to maintain a more vertical torso and achieve better depth. I always prescribe these (typically with a pause at the bottom) before moving clients on to barbell variations.
While many people spend an endless amount of time trying to stretch the hell out of their hip flexors, I find that those efforts are often wasted. Instead, implementing movements such as the goblet squat with a tempo (slow negative and 1-2 second pause) will allow you to kill two birds with one stone. Similarly, tempo single-legged exercises will do wonders for opening the hips. Bulgarian split squats necessitate a decent amount of hip flexibility, so it may be beneficial to start with a traditional lunge, again with a slow eccentric phase.
Finally, at the end of the session, the happy baby pose is ideal. Not only does this provide a nice stretch, but it's actually quite relaxing. You can also use this time to practice your diaphragmatic breathing. Focus on pushing your belly against your thighs as you inhale through your nose. Exhale through your mouth, and repeat. 1-2 minutes should be more than enough.
In the long run, an arsenal of hip flexor stretches isn't going to address the source of the problem. Teach yourself proper squat patterns, train your lower body with an eccentric emphasis, and show your hips some love. If you're diligent in your efforts, you'll be dropping it low on and off the dance floor in no time.
The box squat is ubiquitous in both high level strength and conditioning facilities and Globo gyms. While a lot of coaches and trainers tout the box squat as being beneficial for "explosiveness" and overall strength, I am here to dispute its efficacy, and highlight some of their potential drawbacks.
I am guessing that some of you are already prepared to jump on me for questioning a movement that is so widely utilized, but before you do so, give this article a read. If you still vehemently disagree with my claims, then I'm always happy to hear other opinions.
One of the biggest underlying detriments to using the box squat, in my opinion, is the lack of "biomechanical transferability" to a traditional back squat (specifically high bar); by this, I mean that the movement is quite different in terms of joint angles. One cue you will often hear in the box squat is something to the effect of "push your butt back." Now, this may also be applicable to a powerlifting low bar squatting style, but it is contraindicated on a high bar, Olympic style squat. You'll notice that in this diagram, that the low bar back squatter (on the left) sits his hips back farther, and his shins are closer to vertical, whereas the high bar squatter on the right sits more upright, and the knees track in front of the toes.
The cue "sit back" leads to the athlete maintaining a shin that is almost completely vertical and ends up in a position that would not otherwise be sustainable. Try to do a high bar or low bar squat by pushing your hips back to an extreme degree like some coaches advocate on the box squat–you will likely fall over, because that is not the natural way to descend the hips. Take a look at this guy in the photo. Squatting this way sans box would be very difficult.
Aside from the altered mechanics of the box squat, this movement often decreases the standard range of motion. The only time I would ever prescribe box squats for a client is if he or she were having difficulty achieving or gaging depth on the movement. In this case, a box or a medicine ball can give the client a target or a standardization for depth. Over time, one should progress to a lower box, and eventually eliminate it altogether. If you're comfortable with the movement, then you should always aim to maximize your range of motion with great technique, rather than decrease it.
Similarly, a lot of people tend to get lazy on the box. By this, I mean that the lifter will fully relax and disengage in the middle of the movement. This is not only disadvantageous (as it would never happen in a normal back squat), but it is also dangerous. Now, the lifter has to recreate tension as they stand. There is a tremendous risk of back injury for this reason. If you do choose to use box squats in your training, you should simply tap the box and then quickly rebound, rather than sitting completely.
While some strength coaches praise the box squat for its ability to develop explosiveness out of the hole, I prefer two other squatting variants: paused squats and jumping barbell squats. Both of these movements are, in my experience, far superior. The paused back squat allows the lifter to achieve full depth and build concentric speed, and the jumping barbell squat teaches that rebounding, plyometric power that is desirable in most sports. I prefer to keep repetitions per set lower (<6-8) for both movements, because the lifter can focus on perfect technique. For the paused squats, it is ideal to use a weight that will be challenging, but will not slow down your ascent. For example, if you're grinding to stand up with the weight, you've gone too heavy. Speed trumps weight here. Weight should be between 20-30% of back squat 1 repetition maximum for the jumping barbell squats. Heavier weights won't allow for a quick rebound.
Overall, while some prefer to program the box squat, I think it is limited in its practical application for most people. Not only does it reinforce improper mechanics, but it also could result in injury. Try different squatting variations to stimulate the same effect.
Creatine is, without a doubt, one of the most popular supplements touted by bros on the market today (at least that one can legally use). Bodybuilders and other athletes use it to improve work capacity and increase size. In fact, Froiland et. al. found that about 37% of NCAA athletes take creatine. Before you start scooping heaps of creatine into your protein shakes, however, it's important to know how it works, and also what it does and doesn't do.
There are seven different types of creatine supplements: creatine monohydrate (the most popular form), tri-creatine malate, micronized creatine, liquid creatine, conjugated creatine, buffered creatine, and ethyl ester. For the purposes of brevity of this article, though, I will only discuss creatine monohydrate supplementation.
Naturally produced in your liver, pancreas, and kidneys, creatine is transported to your muscles through the bloodstream. Creatine is also sourced from meat and fish, or, obviously, supplementation. Along with a compound known as adenosine triphosphate (ATP), phosphocreatine is the primary energy source for all anaerobic activity (shorter activities that don't require much oxygen).
With creatine supplementation, you have more ATP-PC stores, and, thus, you're able to improve your work capacity! Creatine is effectively giving you that extra "boost" in your workout, so if you were only able to perform 4 repetitions on your bench press at a given weight, using creatine supplements, you'll ideally be able to do 6 or more repetitions. In summary, creatine isn't a miracle supplement that you take and wake up looking like Arnold and lifting like Mark Henry, but, rather, it's aiding you in getting more work done than you would've been able to do otherwise. An increased work capacity allows you to increase volume (repetitions) at a designated intensity (weight), which can result in an increase in muscle mass and strength as a byproduct.
What does the research show?
For one, Rawson et. al. noted that weightlifting performance and muscle hypertrophy increased considerably in subjects using creatine:
Although there is considerable variability in the increase in muscle strength and weightlifting performance in subjects ingesting creatine during resistance training, subjects ingesting creatine experience on average an 8% greater increase in muscle strength (20 vs. 12%) and a 14% greater increase in weightlifting performance (26 vs. 12%). Additionally, untrained subjects experienced a larger increase in muscle strength following creatine supplementation plus resistance training than trained subjects (31 vs. 14%).
They both reviewed 22 different studies on the supplement, and those were there collective conclusions. The review also considered possible gender disparities, and didn't find a substantial difference in response between men and women:
One group has reported that men and women experience similar improvements in exercise performance following creatine supplementation (51), but that women show a lesser increase in lean body mass (32) and no reduction in protein breakdown (34) following creatine supplementation compared with men.
In another study, Becque and his colleagues tested 23 male subjects with one or more years of training experience. The experimental group ingested 5 g of creatine, while the control group ingested a placebo drink with sucrose. One of the most interesting findings of the study was that "body mass was significantly greater for [the creatine group] than [the] placebo [group] at pretest and post-test." The experimental group also noted a larger increase in arm flexor (biceps brachii) strength than did the control group.
Similarly, Volek tested 19 resistance-trained men over the course of 12 weeks. Towards the end of the study (weeks 5-8), the experimental (creatine) group performed more volume in the bench press than their control counterparts did. There were no noticeable differences in squat volume. The 1 repetition maximums for all subjects, but more significantly in the creatine supplemented subjects on both the squat and the bench press. The creatine subjects saw a larger increase in lean muscle mass, as well (5.8 kg versus 1.3 kg in the placebo group).
With those things in mind, here are a few final points:
For optimal digestion of a creatine monohydrate powder, mix it with fruit juice, as it has been shown to increase absorption.
The use of loading phases are often disputed. It is unlikely that it is necessary. So long as you're getting around 3-5 grams per day, you should still reap the massive benefits of creatine monohydrate.
Timing doesn't seem to matter much, either. Studies have found benefits to both pre and post-workout consumption. Unfortunately, no study to date has compared the efficacy of pre and post-workout creatine intake.
Studies have indicated that creatine may cause gastrointestinal distress in some, so that's an important side effect to consider.
Despite myths indicating the contrary, creatine has not been linked to liver or kidney problems in the short term or the long term.
If you want to do some more reading into these studies, I've listed them in the works cited below. Overall, the majority of the literature seems to lean in favor of creatine for both hypertrophy and for strength gains. In fact, it's tough to find studies that contradict those findings.
With supplements, it's always a good idea to experiment and see what works best for you. I've tried a number of different products on the market, and I'm constantly making adjustments accordingly. Creatine monohydrate just may be the missing link in your training plateau!
Approximately 90% of the world is right handed. Those people are writing, brushing their hair/teeth, throwing, reaching, and grabbing almost exclusively with their right hands for their entire lives. With this unilateral dominance in dexterity comes deficits between the halves of the body. Obviously, the use of one hand thousands of times per year results in a stronger right side.
Da Vinci's Vitruvian man is symmetry goals...
As ambidexterity or cross-dominance is quite rare (only ~1% of the world population), we will inevitably end up with a strong side and a slightly weaker side. This is even more apparent in sports that require repetitive movement with unilateral sports (baseball, tennis, rowing, etc.). Over thousands of practice hours, the athlete is going to develop exceptional strength on their dominant side, while their opposite side gets minimal attention. Exaggerated asymmetry can, at times, result in some postural issues down the line.
This brings me to answer a question that I receive often: how does one target the lagging side of the body? Do you start to only train the weaker side? Do you do more reps on the weaker side?
First, I want to explain the potential downfalls to significant imbalances from side-to-side.
Bell et. al. tested the influence of muscular symmetry on power and force development. They used a force plate to measure any incongruities in force generated between sides of 167 Division 1 athletes. While all of the athletes obviously had asymmetry to a degree, those with "greater than 10% power asymmetry resulted in decreased jump height of nine centimeters (approximately 3.5 inches) and was associated with large effect size when compared to the other groups." Furthermore, they hypothesized that "the normative data in this study ... reveals that a small number of Division I athletes are considered 'high risk of injury' using an arbitrary cut off level of 15% asymmetry." Not only do athletes with more asymmetry lose out on potential gains in power development, but they also have an elevated risk of injury.
There are other interesting benefits to training your weaker side. One study done on soccer players sought to improve motor control of the non-dominant leg. "Three soccer performance tests were carried out, using either leg ... Two standardised foot-tapping tests were performed, using the preferred and the non-preferred leg consecutively, indoors in a separate testing room with only the test administrator present." They found that
"[enhanced] training, which uses the non-dominant leg, improves soccer-specific skills in the test where the subjects use this leg, a finding that stands in contrast to the results of a control group ... That the training group also showed statistically significant improvements over the control group when using the dominant (right) leg was in line with the second hypothesis. The results show an improvement in performance when using the dominant leg after a period of emphasising training of the non-dominant leg."
In effect, the experimental group noticed an improvement in performance markers on both the dominant and the non-dominant sides. Even though the program was intended to train only the non-preferred leg, researchers saw a reasonable transfer of increased efficiency in the preferred leg, as well.
Okay, so now that I've belabored the idea that it's important to work towards a more symmetrical build, it's high time I explain how to achieve that.
When you use barbells, your body will immediately rely on the stronger side to move the weight. Dumbbells should become your new best friends. With dumbbells, there is no cheating. You will notice right away how much your stronger side compensates for the weaker side.
Generally, I recommend starting with your weaker side first, and taking note of just how much of a difference you feel. You don't need to try to do heavier weights or even more repetitions on your weaker side, but the goal is simply increased awareness and equal training. Dumbbell presses, bench press, rows, single leg deadlifts, single leg hip thrusters, Bulgarian split squats, lunges, lateral lunges, step-ups, leg curls, biceps curls, frontal/lateral raises, farmer carries, waiter carries, Turkish get-ups, and so on, are just a few movements that will bring some attention to your lagging half. Try to implement 1-2 of these exercises into every training session.
Additionally, you can perform some isometric contractions with your weaker side prior to exercise. I like to get my left glute firing by going into a single leg bridge, with a 3-5 second pause for about 10 repetitions. You can try some side planks for your obliques/shoulders as well. This will "wake up" your motor control center and remind the brain to use those muscles.
As an anecdote, I've started trying to use my left hand to do other activities, like brush my teeth and hair, just to give it some more use. It's strange, initially, how foreign your opposite side can feel!
Of course, it's perfectly normal to have one slightly stronger side. It is impossible to be completely balanced, as even our anatomy isn't perfectly symmetrical (the spleen sits in the upper left side of your abdomen, while your liver sits on the right side). Athletes with sport-specific strength disparities will have even more of a delta from one side to the other. There are also injuries or other structural factors that could cause asymmetry (scoliosis, uneven limb length, etc.). It is important, however, to minimize those imbalances that are correctable and try to focus on your weaker half in training.
If you Google "mobility," you can find pages upon pages of articles about how to improve your mobility at any given joint. Thoracic mobility, shoulder mobility, ankle mobility, and the like are central themes on fitness blogs all over the internet (mine included). As a trainer, it satisfies me to see so many lifters and colleagues prioritizing the improvement in range of motion. Too much of a good thing can become detrimental, though. Having excessive mobility can be just as injurious as being tight and immobile.
These arrows above represent the stability-mobility continuum. Those who have tissue restrictions have a ton of stability, which those with a plethora of mobility lack. Some individuals, like gymnasts and dancers, fall into the class of "hypermobility." Essentially, they have ligament and tendon laxity, which means that their range of motion exceeds what is common or necessary for most people. This is more common in females than in males, but can be present in both genders.
Genetics and anatomy are going to be the two biggest indicators of where one falls on this continuum. There are, however, ways to improve this. Obviously, despite being born with tight shoulders, it's still possible to loosen up your tissues and become more supple. Conversely, those with joint laxity can do more in the way of strengthening stabilizing muscles in order to become more stable.
In some ways, stretching for someone who is hypermobile could be akin to an athlete with a stress fracture going for a 15 mile run. We want our muscles to flex and extend seamlessly, but hyperextension can be dangerous. Strength coach Eric Cressey notes, "Instead [of stretching them], these individuals need to work on building stability within the ROM they already have with quality strength training."
As an example, let's use the shoulder joint. The shoulders are already the most mobile joint, as they can move through a full 360°. With these great movement demands come tremendous risk, though. While the shoulders are very mobile, they're also one of the most frequently injured areas. A hypermobile client might have an overhead position that resembles that of the woman in the photo on the right. Not only is her lumbar spine in hyperextension, but her shoulder flexion goes well behind her center of mass. Certainly, this position is not ideal for supporting load, as it puts the shoulder girdle under tremendous stress. Now, if this client were to stretch her shoulders before a session, she's just going to further force herself into a precarious position, and she increases her risk of injury.
We never want to enforce excess movement in a joint. Each sport and activity places different demands on the joints and tissues, so the goal is to establish enough range of motion for your given sport. No more, no less. A baseball pitcher requires more external rotation at the elbow than the average person needs. Swimmers need flexible shoulders to move freely through the water. Ultimately, you have to find the optimal amount of mobility that will allow you to achieve the necessary positions of what you do. In my case, I was blessed with natural flexibility, so I spend very little time doing accessory mobility work.
There's no need to spend time forcing an end range that you don't need, and it may even be counterproductive. Choose your mobility work wisely, picking exercises that apply to the areas with which you need the most help. The movement requirements of an athlete of one sport aren't going to be the same for another. Some sports benefit from decreased mobility, while others require extreme bendiness: find the optimal area for you on the stability-mobility continuum!
When I was a kid, I would dread fitness testing in gym class testing every year. One test in particular test made me most nervous: the pull-up test. Each time around, I'd think, "this is gonna be the year I do my first pull-up!" I would hang from the pull-up bar and try with every ounce of might I had, but I could barely get my elbows to bend.
It wasn't until college, after working out out consistently, that I was able to do my first pull-up or two. The task that had eluded me for over 20 years suddenly became easier, and now I would consider pull-ups to be one of my strongest movements.
If you're one of those people who's frustrated with your pull-up progress, you've clicked on the right article!
As with any movement, we always have to think about what's happening in the core first. I often see a lot of people who are tight in the upper body during the movement, but the core and lower body are flimsy like Gumby. Maintaining a "hollow body position," as seen in the photo of Carl Paoli on the right, is crucial to getting a stronger pull. Why? It is ideal to keep as much tension in the body as possible for big lifts and calisthenic movements. This rigidity ultimately gives us more control and allows us to generate more force. In a back squat, for instance, if your torso is loose, the bar will likely roll up onto your neck resulting in a potentially dangerous scenario. Keeping the upper back tight is equally as important as getting a good leg drive out of the hole. Note Carl's neck position and lumbar position in particular. On the left, his ribs are drawn in towards his hips with a neutral gaze, activating the rectus abdominis, while on the left, he's hyperextended in both the cervical and lumbar spine. In short, more tension = more muscles recruited.
The hardest part of the pull-up, for many people I've worked with, is the initiation of the lats. What I mean by this is that the first 2-3 inches of movement are generally the biggest struggle. "In the upper-back the pull-up movement is focused around downward rotation and depression of the scapulae, as well as the upward rotation and elevation of the scapulae," notes Tom Bumgardner, CSCS in his Pull-up Manifesto. To dissect the anatomical jargon here, take a look at the diagram below. This image briefly explains scapular movement. Now, applying this to the pull-up, the scapulae start in an upwardly rotated and elevated position. As you pull your chin towards the bar, they have to downwardly rotate and depress. If you don't understand how to properly move your shoulder blades, scapular pull-ups are a great exercise to help you better grasp this concept. I usually have my clients do 2-3 sets of 10 repetitions.
From there, I will normally progress someone to the inverted row. This exercise mirrors the pull-up, but isn't nearly as demanding in that you're supporting less of your bodyweight. You should try these for 3 sets of as many repetitions as possible, and hold for one second at the top of the movement. Focus on squeezing your shoulder blades together as your chest touches the bar or rings. I'm not a huge fan of banded or machine-assisted pull-ups, as they forbid you from activating the gluteal and core musculature that is incredibly important in building pulling strength. The inverted row allows you to modify the movement while still learning to maintain tension in the trunk.
In any movement, there are three phases: the concentric (contracting) phase, the isometric (holding) phase, and the eccentric (lengthening) phase. Your body can support about 1.75x more weight eccentrically than concentrically. In this case, this means that strengthening the lowering phase of the pull-up will have an immense impact on the concentric phase! Try doing 3-4 sets of 4-6 repetitions. Jump to the top of the pull-up bar with the help of a box, then lower yourself down as slowly as possible.
The chin-up (supinated grip) is easier to master, as it is more biceps dominant, whereas the pull-up (pronated grip) is more lat dominant. Strengthening the chin-up, however, will undoubtedly help you progress to a more proficient pull-up. Once you've mastered the aforementioned progressions, try doing some chin-ups. As with the inverted rows, go to failure for a few sets.
Now, the last thing missing in the pull-up equation, sometimes, is frequency! If you really want to be a pull-up guru, you're gonna have to work on them more than once per week. Buy a cheap pull-up bar for your bedroom, and work on them every other day. The more often you do them, the better you'll get!
If I had to pinpoint one "tight area" about which many people complain most, it's the hamstrings. I'll often find gym-goers using multiple methods to stretch those stubborn muscles: asking a partner to push them deeper into a stretch, or yanking on their legs with bands. Yet, somehow, despite their forceful, repeated efforts, the hamstrings seldom seem to sustain lasting changes in flexibility or range of motion.
Stop and think before you yank your hamstrings into oblivion.
The hamstrings are a very important muscle group for athletic performance. They are two joint muscles, meaning they both flex the knees and extend the hips. While strong, these muscles have a tendency towards facilitation (overworking). When a muscle gets tight, that typically means it's working hard for another muscle that's inhibited, or not firing properly. In the case of the hamstrings, we're usually looking at gluteus maximus/medius dysfunction and/or core dysfunction. In short, if your hamstrings are chronically tight, you have to check the muscles upstream in the kinetic chain and see how they're firing (or not).
In this video, Dr. Kathy Dooley demonstrates how one can alleviate tension in the hamstrings just by getting the core to fire properly. This is one such exercise that you can utilize before a heavy squat or deadlift session just to encourage proper core activation. You'll notice that doing this exercise regularly will have a dramatic impact on your hamstring flexibility. It has been more immediately effective with my clients than the traditional stretching methods, as this exercise attacks the source of instability and weakness, rather than trying to treat the symptoms.
This Bushman puts Kim Kardashian to shame.
The "core," or, in this particular case, the rectus abdominis, is an antagonist of the hamstrings. What this means is that as the hamstrings lengthen/relax, the rectus abdominis flexes the lumbar (lower back). For example, in a forward bend, in which we are standing and reaching over to touch the ground, our knees are extended, lengthening the hamstrings. The trunk is in flexion, assisting the hands in reaching towards the floor. If we do not have adequate strength in the rectus abdominis, the hamstrings won't be able to relax enough to let you get lower. In short, strengthening a muscle's antagonist can work wonders in releasing it from tension.
Similarly, weakness in the gluteus medius/gluteus maximus can result in tight hamstrings. Both the glutes and the hamstrings work synergistically as hip extensors. You've probably heard of the term "glute amnesia" before, which connotes butt muscles that don't activate properly. The cause of this is too much time spent in hip flexion (read: sitting), and not enough time running, jumping, and lifting! Now, if your glutes don't show up to the (hip extension) party, then someone has to take over their job. You've guessed it: the hamstrings are now responsible for the majority of your hip extension! No wonder they're in a perpetual state of tension–they're holding onto your hips for dear life.
What are the best ways to tackle these movement dysfunctions? Here are some of my favorite exercises:
So while stretching the hamstrings may give you some immediate relief, you have to analyze why they're getting tight. If you continue to repeat the same process and it just isn't working, it's time to find a new plan of attack. Work those glutes and strengthen that core, and you may just free yourself of your constant need to stretch your hammies.
Often times, pain in the body is associated with injury or illness of the patient. Pain is not, however, as straight forward as it may seem. There are quite a few misconceptions about what pain means, or what causes pain itself. Here are a couple facts about pain:
I want to start off by saying, just because you’re in pain, does not necessarily mean you’re injured or ill. Pain can be your body’s way of telling you that a dysfunctional pattern needs to stop. When you overuse a muscle, it’s gonna say, "hey, give me a break." As Lorimer Moseley puts it, "100% of the time, pain is a construct of the brain." Basically, this means that it is the brain sending messages of pain, not the muscles. A lot of people seek out temporary cures like cortisone shots, NSAIDs, ice baths, etc., when what they really need is some corrective exercise. This will stop the pain response in the long term by treating muscular imbalances, rather than temporarily treating the symptoms.
Mirror therapy tricks your brain to believe that the
missing limb is still attached to your body.
Similarly, you can feel pain on a limb that's not even yours. Yes, you read that correctly. Take, for example, the case of phantom limb pain. Patients often report feeling shooting pains in an appendage that was removed years ago. A technique called "mirror therapy" has been very effective in treating this phenomenon: "a procedure utilizing the visual recreation of movement of a lost limb by moving the intact limb in front of a mirror, has been shown to be effective in reducing [phantom limb pain]. However, the neural correlates of this effect are not known." While the exact science of phantom limb pain and its treatment is still widely a mystery, this just goes to show that pain is multifactorial and complex.
Conversely, if you’re injured, you might not necessarily experience pain. Not every torn ligament, disc herniation, etc. is symptomatic. There are people with disk herniations who experience 0 pain, and they're able to continue on with their daily activities: "On MRI examination of the lumbar spine, many people without back pain have disk bulges or protrusions... Given the high prevalence of these findings and of back pain, the discovery by MRI of bulges or protrusions in people with low back pain may frequently be coincidental," noted a study executed by Jensen et. al. Your body remembers previous traumas, and “pain” pathways form in your brain. So, if you suffered from an injury a few years ago, you may experience pain in that same area without having re-injured it. Let's say, for example, you fell while you were ice skating and sprained your wrist two years ago. Now, your brain forms a negative association with ice skating. You may notice your symptoms reappearing every time you go back to the rink, even though you've long since healed.
Emotions can influence your symptoms. We can physically manifest stress in certain areas of the body. If something in your body is bothering you more than usual, consider other environmental stressors that could be contributing to the pain. Did you lose your job? Are you fighting with a friend? Neuroscientist Dr. V.S. Ramachandran puts it succinctly: "Pain is an opinion on the organism’s state of heath rather than a mere reflexive response to injury … Pain is an illusion.” This can mean that if you're upset about something, or you've convinced yourself into thinking there's something wrong, then your brain will respond accordingly by sending a pain response to the area.
Treating the pain symptoms (i.e. taking NSAIDs, icing, etc.) does not necessarily treat the cause of the problem. These will work as short-term solutions. See a doctor, physical therapist, or a chiropractor to figure out the source of the pain before you try to treat it on your own.
There are a million different factors that contribute to pain. Here are a few listed by Dr. Kathy Dooley:
Environment
Memory programming of pain (i.e., cerebral programming)
Systemic inflammation
Pain receptor irritation
Heightened awareness, due to neurotransmitter activity/inactivity (i.e., drug exposure, depression)
Circulatory issues (i.e., blood stasis)
Fatigue and energy deficiency
Improper hydration/dehydration
Psycho-social components (i.e., your back hurts because you hate your job)
The moral of this article is thus: don’t just lump “pain” into one category. Pain does not necessarily mean something is horribly wrong, but you do need to look at why the pain is occurring in the first place, if you want to eliminate it in the long term. Be your own detective.
After a tough workout, I will hear people brag, "Oh man, that lactic acid is killing me! I'm so sore!" I want to use this post to dispel the myth that lactic acid is what causes DOMS (delayed onset muscle soreness). Yes, you read that correctly. The age old belief that lactic acid was the cursed substance that leaves you hobbling up the stairs after your crazy leg day is actually false.
How did this inaccuracy come to be? Gina Kolata, journalist from the New York times writes:
"Its origins lie in a study by a Nobel laureate, Otto Meyerhof, who in the early years of the 20th century cut a frog in half and put its bottom half in a jar. The frog's muscles had no circulation — no source of oxygen or energy. Dr. Myerhoff gave the frog's leg electric shocks to make the muscles contract, but after a few twitches, the muscles stopped moving. Then, when Dr. Myerhoff examined the muscles, he discovered that they were bathed in lactic acid. A theory was born. Lack of oxygen to muscles leads to lactic acid, leads to fatigue."
Scientists actually believe that lactic acid is not even present in humans. While the blood does become more acidic during exercise, the acidity is not enough to create lactic acid, but rather, lactate is created.
While some industry professionals use the words 'lactate' and 'lactic acid' interchangeably, there is a slight difference between the two substances. "The formation of lactate from pyruvate is catalyzed by the enzyme lactate dehydrogenase. Sometimes, mistakenly, the end result of this reaction is said to be the formation of lactic acid. However, at physiological pH (i.e. near 7), the lactic acid molecule cannot exist. Instead, it’s anion lactate- + H+ (a hydrogen proton) are the results of the lactate dehydrogenase reaction," according to the National Strength and Conditioning Association's Essentials of Strength and Conditioning. For true lactic acid to exist, the blood pH would need to drop below a 4.
Lactate is, however, a fuel for the muscles. An athlete's lactate threshold is the point at which his or her body produces lactate faster than it is cleared. Lactate is not a waste product, nor is it something to avoid, despite the fact that "lactic acid" (lactate) gets a bad rap.
It's not lactic acid's fault!
Although the cause of muscular soreness is still not entirely understood by science today, the residing theory is that soreness is really the result of micro-tears of the muscles after exercise. When you do a new exercise, or you increase the intensity (weight) and/or volume (repetitions) of a movement, your tissues suffer from micro-traumas. Lactate is rushed to the muscles to clear away the damage, but it is the muscular damage that causes the pain, not the lactate itself!
So the next time you hear someone curse lactic acid for their temporary post-workout induced paralysis of the legs, you can spit a little bit of science at them, and explain to them what's actually causing their soreness.
I'm gonna let you in on a little training secret: it's called contrast training. It's used by elite athletes to improve power output, and the results are pretty impressive. Contrast training, also known as PAP (post activation potentiation), is the pairing of heavy strength exercises and explosive or plyometric exercises. If you want to get the most out of your training, PAP is the way to go.
Try contrast training, and you'll learn to levitate like this dude.
PAP is especially useful for athletes looking to enhance power output. Jumpers, weightlifters, sprinters, and shot putters are a few such athletes who can reap big benefits from this type of training. The benefits are not just limited to elite athletes, however, and can be used safely for intermediate lifters (with 2+ years of training experience).
In essence, contrast training is exciting the nervous system, and improving motor unit recruitment acutely. The more fibers activated on any given movement, the greater the benefit. To quote Roxanne Horwath and Len Kravitz (and no, not the "Fly Away" Lenny Kravitz), "The greater the muscle activation, the greater the duration of calcium ions in the muscle cell environment (referred to as sarcoplasm) and the greater the phosphorylation of the myosin light chain protein (Rixon, Lamont, Bemden, 2007). As a result, faster contraction rates and faster rates of tension develop."
One study done by Chatzopoulos Et. Al. found that heavy resistance training helped acutely improve 10 and 30 meter sprinting times. The sprints were performed after a 5 minute window of resistance training. The participants (young male athletes between the ages of 18-23) performed 10 single repetitions at 90% of their 1 repetition maximum back squat. After only 3 minutes of rest, however, the sprinting times did not increase. It is important to mention that adequate rest seems to be a very important factor here.
Here's a great list of the benefits of PAP, in the words of Bret Contreras:
Short-term enhancement – May increased neuromuscular performance in an actual competitive event through PAP
Chronic adaptation – May increase training effect using PAP in training which would result in increased Rate of Force Development (RFD)
Increased workout density – Combined training allows for more activity with less actual resting time which is critical if total workout time is limited
Increased dynamic transfer – By combining biomechanically similar activities athletes may groove more efficient neural patterns by learning to perform the lift in a manner more specific to the athletic activity
Increased work capacity – By increasing workout density athletes will increase their work capacity which is characterized by high levels of average power output over an interval (which I call power endurance)
Now that you get the gist for how it works, you may be wondering how you can use it and reap the benefits. Like I said, we want to pair heavy lifting with fast, explosive movements. You want to wait about 30 seconds after the strength movement to execute the explosive, plyometric movement. Rest for about 3 minutes or longer in between sets. The following list provides some pairing options for strength and power movements.
One thing to remember is that you want to keep total volume (reps per session) low. We're not trying to accumulate 100 reps, or anything crazy. This is about intensity, not volume. I'd suggest doing no more than 5 reps of each movement, and 5-6 sets should be enough!
If you're looking for a new way to spice up your strength training routine, contrast training may be just what you need!
