You have to earn squats

Squats are one of the best strength exercises that an athlete can do to improve their performance, so all athletes should squat all the time, right? Wrong. You need to earn them by demonstrating adequate flexibility and motor control before I will ever consider having you squat. Take the athlete in this video for example:

It would be irresponsible and dangerous to have him squat under load in this condition, but hope isn't lost. As you can see in the video, his squat technique drastically improved with the help of the FAT (Fascial Abrasion Technique) tool and stretching, but I still would not have him squat because he can't maintain a neutral spine throughout the range.

Once we begin the off-season training program, I would expect him to be ready to squat by the end of his General Prep phase. This phase will consist of split squats to open the hips, calf raises to restore ankle range of motion, and lots of stretching.  By the time he can do split squats with proper technique, he will have earned some squats for his next phase.

Let's have some fun

I love weightlifting for kids who lack confidence and self esteem because it regularly shows them that they can do things.  A couple years back, I was just starting with a grade 10 football player who fit the bill - shy, quiet, and didn't think that he could lift very much despite his size (he played offensive line).  I was excited to start training him because I knew that I could make a difference not only in his football, but also in his mental attitude.  I explained to him the importance of doing the exercises correctly, and that doing more weight is more fun.  Session by session, I gradually added weight to the exercises and each time I did, I said "Let's have some fun." As our training went on he got stronger, but I noticed that he was walking taller, smiling more and all around seemed happier.  I ran into him at the same gym a few months back, he looked at me, smiled, and said, "I'm having some fun today."

Endorphins play a large role when it comes to feeling good about exercise.The word itself is two parts: endo- and -orphin; short forms of endogenous and morphine respectively.  Endorphins are a morphine like substance made within the body, that act as neurotransmitters in the brain. They resemble opiates and therefore promote analgesia and feelings of well being. You'll need to train for a minimum of about 30 minutes to get an endorphin release.

Regular exercise will have a dramatic effect on your self confidence, because it gives you an area of your life that you have control over.  You'll look forward to having that control, monitoring your progress, and seeing that you can directly influence your results.  Once you realize that you can control your results in the gym, you'll have more confidence to try new things outside of the gym.  Maybe you'll join that soccer league that your friends have been bugging you about, or you'll try rock climbing, surfing, etc. The possibilities are endless once you feel empowered.

"My knee hurts…"

I had an athlete come in Monday afternoon with a new problem - his knee hurt during any squat type motion (including walking). After a few tests, I determined that there wasn't anything torn in or around the knee so I went about my usual strategy for reducing pain.

Step 1. Improve tissue quality immediately above and below the affected joint.

Step 2. Improve tissue quality around joints above and below the affected joint.

Step 3. Compress the affected tissues and slowly reintroduce range of motion.

Step 4. PNF and static stretching.

For this athlete, we had to improve tissue quality in his quads, IT band, hamstrings, calves, and glutes using various techniques (check mobilitywod.com for some quick fixes). In the video below, you'll see step 3 - I've got his knee wrapped for some added stability and he can get his full range again. After removing the compression wrap, we move straight into some band assisted PNF stretching for his hamstrings.

There are plenty of reasons why joints hurt, and just because this method worked for him does not mean you should assume you can fix all of your issues. If something hurts, get someone qualified to check it out. 

Your hamstrings are not tight

In my experience, most people who claim to have tight hamstrings actually have an unrealistic expectation of how flexible they are supposed to be. As a coach, I am looking to get my athletes and clients to have about 100 to 110 degrees of hip flexion with a straight leg. That would take the leg slightly past vertical while lying on your back. Now, having more range than that can be good or bad, depending on your stability through the range of motion.

Stability, and I don't mean being able to do blindfolded single leg squats on a bosu ball while doing the YMCA, is arguably more important that static flexibility. If you are unable to stay 100% rock solid stable throughout a range of motion, you shouldn't be using that range, you'll wind up injuring yourself at some point. You'll need that flexibility to get through the range, but you need to be able to stay 'tight' or stable as well.

Static flexibility refers to the ability to lengthen a specific muscle or muscle group in a slow and controlled manner, and holding the stretch for longer than 30 seconds.

Dynamic flexibility refers to the ability to quickly get through a range of motion, such as a high kick in judo or your ability to do a full squat.

Stability refers to the ability to keep tension throughout your body, so that the prime movers for the given exercise can be used effectively. For example, if you're doing a squat and I try to push you over, I shouldn't be able to move you at all.

Static and dynamic flexibility are both great, assuming that you can stay stable throughout your range of motion. If you can't, then you need to get out of the stretch, regroup, reset, and retry. Before you start any stretch at all, make sure you've got your belly tight. You don't need to squeeze as if Chuck Norris was going to roundhouse kick you, 20-30% tension will be plenty. 

Here's some homework for you: spend 10 minutes per day stretching something other than your hamstrings.  Try stretching your hip flexors, glutes, adductors, calves, pecs, lats and triceps. Remember, belly tight, find the range that's tight, spend your time there, and reap the rewards of improved flexibility.

Hack Your Body: Improving brain function for optimal results

Welcome to the first installment in the Hack Your Body series, where I'll be sharing simple tips to help you get the most out of your body.

According to The Edge Effect by Dr Eric Braverman, the brain runs on four important neurotransmitters: acetylcholine, dopamine, serotonin and gaba. Each one serves a very specific purpose, and getting the combinations just right will leave you in the ideal mood to get the most out of your training session. The question is, what's the combo? In order to get the perfect cocktail, first let's look into each neurotransmitter briefly. 

Acetylcholine gives you more drive and focus, while triggering muscle contraction.

Dopamine is associated with reward motivated behaviour, drive, and is also a vasodilator. 

Serotonin increases will leave you feeling happy and relaxed.

Gaba will leave you calm.

If you're looking to get the most out of your training session, raising your dopamine and acetylcholine levels will give you the drive and focus required to attack the weights make some serious progress.

The following will help to raise dopamine and acetylcholine levels:

Phenylalanine is a precursor to tyrosine which is a precursor to dopamine. You can find phenylalanine and tyrosine in foods such as eggs, red meats, almonds, and avocados. 

Acetyl-L-carnitine is one of my favourite pre workout supplements, since it raises acetylcholine levels as well as increases the number of androgen receptor cells, therefore allowing you to more effectively use your testosterone. I'd suggest starting with 500mg, and raising as needed according to how you feel. Keep in mind that the body cannot use more than 2400mg at any given time, so taking anything above that is pointless. Typically, 1000-1500mg works best from what I've seen.

Alpha glycerophosphocholine (alpha GPC) is a precursor to acetylcholine, as well as stimulating a growth hormone release among other things. 200-600mg will do the trick nicely.

A few notes to consider: you'll want to avoid carbohydrates before and during your workouts since an insulin release will come with serotonin, which drives dopamine down. You also wouldn't want to take a bunch of acetyl-L-carnitine and alpha GPC right before bed, since you'd be so fired up that you'd never sleep.

If you plan your pre workout meal and supplement regime effectively, you'll be sure to have new found success in the gym! 

You aren't working hard enough

Working in a commercial gym for almost five years made me realize something; most people do not work nearly hard enough in the gym. I've seen countless people in the gym 2-4 times per week, yet for years they look exactly the same (if not a little worse). Upon watching them a little more closely, I came to realize how they could spend so much time in the gym, yet remain the same. These people tend to superset trips to the water fountain with casually chatting on the elliptical. That's a great way to get a strong jaw, but it won't do anything for your body composition or strength. Now don't get me wrong, I think it's great that these people are in the gym - it sure beats super setting flipping channels with beer can curls, but are they progressing from the mean or regressing towards it? 

There are countless ways to progress in the gym. Here are some of my favourites:

- more weight

- more reps / sets

- longer range of motion

- pauses in the tempo

- slower eccentric

- accommodating resistance (bands, chains, etc)

- drop sets

You can combine multiple methods too. For example on my last deadlift session, I lifted from a podium (longer range), paused two inches off the floor (pause in tempo) and had chains on the bar (accommodating resistance). It was very difficult, but I'll be a heck of a lot stronger as a result.

So the next time you're in the gym, remember this article and do more than last time. You'll be better off because of it.

Bang for Your Buck

Getting the best return on your investment is something that everyone hopes for. You want the most return for your dollar (the best car, best steak, etc) or you want to get the most work done in the shortest amount of time. Applying this to your workouts will save you time and energy, while delivering faster results. Shown below are two leg workouts for fat loss. One will be more effective than the other.

The loading parameters would be the same for each workout. Exercise A1 would be done for 6 reps at a 4010 tempo, A2 12 reps at a 3010 tempo and A3 25 reps at a 2010 tempo. Rest 10 seconds between A1 and A2, 10 seconds between A2 and A3 and 2 minutes after A3. Do A1 to A3 a total of 3 times.

Option 1:
A1 Machine Hack Squat
A2 Leg Press
A3 Leg Extension

Option 2:
A1 Front Squat
A2 Back Squat
A3 Walking Lunge


Which of these two look more challenging? Simply by using larger exercises, the people doing Option 2 will lose more fat faster than those who do Option 1.  You've got four hours per week in the gym, get the most out of them!