This is one of those exercises that gets little attention but can deliver powerful results. Unilateral leg strength is vital for most human movement and this exercise is the first step in gaining it.
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Lunges rank up there as one of the most common yet poorly executed exercises out there. In order to get the best results from this great exercise, and save your knees, you should follow these tips and progressions…
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-James Wilson-
Researchers from the University of Minnesota recently published their findings of a study that looked at the helpfulness of diet advice from magazines. Over a 5 year period they studied 2516 middle and high school students and the impact of frequent exposure to diet/ weight loss advice in magazines.They found that while there was little difference in male students over the 5 year study, female students showed some disturbing trends.
Female students who had frequent exposure to magazines with weight loss advice were 2 times as likely to engage in “unhealthy weight loss behaviors (smoking, skipping meals)”.
Even more disturbing was that they were 3 times more likely to engage in “extreme weight control behaviors (vomiting, using laxatives).
They concluded that “frequent reading of magazine articles about dieting/weight loss strongly predicted unhealthy weight-control behaviors in adolescent girls, but not boys, 5 years later.”
In my opinion this study is an indictment on the fitness industry. There is so much confusing, conflicting and outright wrong information being passed off on the unsuspecting public that it is no wonder that people who try to follow it get frustrated, give up and resort to unhealthy and dangerous weight loss practices.
Remember that magazine editors want a lot of “sizzle” to help sell their magazines and few of them know or care enough to make sure that the information is relevant and useful. Readership numbers drive what you read, not the results those readers get.
-James Wilson-
There are a lot of exercises that look too simple to be any good but the reality is a lot of them are essential to the long term progression of your exercise program. For example, most people simply do not know how to recruit their glutes to help power lower body movement and this results in a lot of bad things. This makes mastering the single leg hip lift a priority early on in a program.
For those who want to look better, getting your back side toned up is usually a priority. However, if you do not know how to recruit your glutes then you will never use them enough with other lower body exercises to notice a difference. This is why you have people with nice, toned legs but a saggy butt. Taking the time to get strong with this exercise and learning how to apply the lessons from it to all of your lower body exercises will help eliminate this problem.
If you are an athlete then this exercise is indispensable. Strong hips are the key to running faster, cutting quicker, jumping higher, hitting further and basically dominating your competition. Without having strong, functional hips you are not only cutting down your performance potential but also opening yourself up to hamstring and groin strains/ injuries. In fact, one of the most common sources of injuries in athletes is an inability to powerfully contract the hips like they are supposed to be used.
In other words, if you have not taken the time to learn and master this exercise then you are leaving a lot of results on the table, no matter what you training goals are. Watch this video to learn how to use and progress this great exercise.
-James Wilson-
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One thing that I see a lot of is people who are at odds with themselves and their fitness program. What I mean by that is that they usually set the bar extremely high for themselves and get upset when they inevitably mess up somewhere. I see a lot of this with new clients at our facility since they are usually very motivated when they sign up and want to do everything perfect so that they can see the fastest results possible.
While I certainly encourage people to set goals, I also encourage them to be realistic with them. Odds are that if you have been eating poorly and not exercising for several years (or decades) then you have some bad habits that you will need to identify and correct. For most, this process will take more than a week to go through.
At a certain point you need to make peace with yourself and your fitness program. The truth is that you do not need to be perfect to get great results. It is called the “Rule of 90%” and it basically states that the results you will get from 100% adherence to every aspect of your program will not be significantly greater than the results you see from 90% adherence.
Taking on this mindset will help you out in many ways. First, trying to be perfect is a daunting task and if you think that is what you have to accomplish then it can be hard to even get started. Second, once you do get started this mindset will help you keep things in perspective. If you do miss a cardio workout or mess up on your diet you haven’t “blown it” – you simply messed up once and you move on.
Take things 4 weeks at a time. We use an accountability journal at our facility where we set weekly goals for each aspect of a program. As clients do them they mark them off on the days they did them and after 4 weeks we look back and see how they did. This gives us an objective look at how things are going and helps us identify areas we can improve on over the next 4 week period.
Trying to make the next 4 weeks a little better than the previous 4 weeks will systematically help you build up to and achieve the goal of 90% program adherence. Trying to overcome years of bad habits in just a few weeks will usually just lead to frustration, negative self talk and, eventually, quitting. Small steps in the right direction over a period of a few months will help keep you sane, happy and, eventually, help you surpass your goals.
-James Wilson-
True strength is not a result of just lifting some weights and simply working out. The truth is that strength is a skill that must be learned in a systematic way in order to get the most out of your efforts. Unfortunately though few people truly appreciate this fact and instead just go through a bunch of random exercises that do nothing to teach them the true skills of strength.
Remember that your brain controls your muscles and ultimately “learns” strength just like it does anything else. To illustrate my point think about how children are taught academic skills in school. Let’s take math for example. Do children start out in kindergarten learning advanced algebra? No, they are first taught their basic numbers and nothing else. Once they have mastered that they then move on to counting, then addition and subtraction and then division and so on.
Each grade they are taught slightly more advanced skills that build on the skills they learned in the previous grade. In addition, there are benchmarks that must be met in order for a child to be allowed to advance. If they do not demonstrate adequate mastery of the skills taught in their current grade level they are held back until they do. This ensures that they do not get overwhelmed and fail to learn what they need to at the next level and retard their long term development.
In addition, if a child shows exceptional skill and advancement they are allowed to move ahead faster and start to learn more advanced skills before most of their peers. They are not arbitrarily thrown into the next grade level because they are a certain age and should be at a certain level, regardless of where their skill level is truly at.
Now, compare that learning model against how most people learn the skills of strength. Almost no one approaches strength training from this same perspective. Instead, they simply jump into whatever program they picked up out of a magazine or their friend is following. There is no thought as to establishing basic skills first and then advancing to the next level after adequate mastery is established.
Let’s look at one of the most common and seemingly simple exercises in the gym – the bench press. Ask any high level power lifter and they will tell you that the bench press is most certainly a skill that they spent years and years practicing and mastering. However, ask anyone in your local gym how they learned the bench press and they will most likely tell you that they simply laid down, took the bar and pressed it up – what more is there to it?
If you truly want to get the most out of this exercise there is much more to it. First, mastery of bodyweight should be established. Until someone can perform 2-3 sets of 8-12 push ups they have no business adding external resistance through a barbell. Second, unilateral strength must be established. Most of us have a dominant side and when doing a bilateral exercise such as the bench press that dominant side will take over and do most of the work. This just re-enforces that imbalance, holds back our strength levels and increases our injury potential. In order to avoid this scenario time must be spent doing single arm dumbbell bench presses in order to force the body to balance itself out.
Once bodyweight has been mastered and balance has been established the bench press can be introduced into a program and the real learning begins. Even at this point there is far more to it than simply lying down and pressing the bar. Something as seemingly simple as learning how to get set up takes time. For example, you must know how to get the upper back set up tight and strong, pulling the shoulder blades back and down in order to restrict scapular movement during the exercise.
This will help you create a strong and stable platform to press from that will not only make you stronger but also decrease your risk of shoulder injuries, a common problem among those that do a lot of bench pressing incorrectly. And this is one of just a few dozen things that you must learn in order to safely make the most out of this “simple” exercise.
Hopefully I have demonstrated my point – strength is a skill that must be systematically taught and learned. Failure to realize this will not only lead to sub-par results but also increase the risk of injury. Far too often we are tempted to rush into more advanced exercises and techniques for no other reason than to entertain ourselves or to try and realize some short term gains at the expense of our long term development.
-James Wilson-
Here is some action from Thusday featuring some of the great kids that we train at our facility.
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Supplements are one of the most controversial topics in the strength training field. Walk into any supplement store and you are bedazzled by hundreds of brightly packaged supplements promising you everything from better health to increased performance. Add in the internet supplement sites and the “direct sales” (a.k.a. multi level marketing) companies and you have hundreds of supplements to choose from. Some people say that all those supplements are harmful and will destroy your liver and/ or kidneys and some people think that everything on the market is great, spending hundreds of dollars every month on various pills and powders. So, what is the truth?
The truth is that although there are some good supplements than can help, most supplements on the market flat out do not work and some are potentially dangerous. Even the few supplements that do work and are safe have a very small place in someone’s success. I have never met someone who had their training and diet so dialed that their supplement regimen is what was holding them back. In fact, I have found the opposite to be true. The supplements are often used as a crutch and when results are not forthcoming these people blame the supplements, thinking that they were not taking enough or were not taking the right stuff. This causes them to turn a blind eye to the real culprit for their problem which is their lack of dietary discipline and intense training.
Few people realize that supplements help fund the fitness industry. All of those magazines that you see on the newsstands would not exist if it was not for the advertising dollars from supplement manufacturers and the sales of their own supplements. Each magazine out there has a supplement line associated with it, making favorable press for supplements very important for their continued survival. Remember this next time you read an article on the latest “must have” supplement that is going to revolutionize the industry.
So, with all of that being said, what does work and what should you be using? In my opinion everyone could benefit from a good multi-vitamin/ mineral and fish oil. While not fancy and exciting, the truth is that unless you are taking these two things then there are probably gaps in your dietary requirements that simply will not let you achieve optimum performance. Another good supplement for those that do not eat enough fruits and vegetables (like 99% of people I have met) is a fruit/ vegetable supplement. Again, nothing exotic but without the basic nutrients supplied by fruits and vegetables you are leaving holes in your diet that must be addressed.
Protein powder is also a good supplement. It can be hard to get enough protein during the day and having some protein powder to make a shake or smoothie with can help you get enough clean meals in each day to fuel your training efforts. And no, protein powder will not destroy your kidneys. Anyone who tells you this is grossly misinformed and needs to do their own research rather than rely on second hand knowledge to form their opinions.
As far as performance oriented supplements, my top recommendation is a good pre-workout drink. A lot has been made recently about post workout drinks and, while helpful, using that same supplement as a pre-workout drink will work wonders for your energy levels during training. Having more energy to train means that you will be able to train harder and more consistently, leading to better results. Lastly, creatine is one of the most researched supplements in the world and there is a plethora of studies supporting its effectiveness and safety. I will say, though, that not everyone responds to creatine and some people will not benefit as much as others with it.
Besides that rather short list everything else is probably a waste of your money. I am actually a recovering supplement junkie, falling for the advertising hype and rationalizing that my lack of results was due to needing more supplements. This led to a monthly bill of $300-$400 for my supplements, yet I never saw the results I was looking for. Since getting smarter about my training I am bigger, stronger and more powerful than I ever was with the giant supplement bill.
If you do decide that you want to invest in a few of the supplements I have recommended here are a few tips to help make you a smart consumer. First, do not buy the cheapest thing that you can find. Quality and low price rarely mix in the supplement market. Second, if the company does not offer a money-back guarantee then there is something wrong. Any good company will stand behind their products and offer a guarantee that they will work. Lastly, beware of new supplements. Wait to see if they pan out before investing your hard earned cash. The list of supplements that were touted as “the next big thing” but failed miserably is much longer than the list of supplements that have withstood the test of time.
So there you have it, the raw truth about supplements. Yes, there are some good ones that can help your training efforts but most are worthless and only act to line the pockets of one of the most unscrupulous industries in the world. Being smart about what you take and instead concentrating on a solid diet and training program will not only lead to better results but save you a lot of money in the long run.
-Note: While this article was originally written for my mountain biking blog (www.bikejames.com) the concepts discussed apply to any athlete that requires short bursts of intense effort for their sport. Athletes that participate in soccer, baseball, football, volleyball, softball, wrestling, basketball and just about any other sport besides cross country would do well to apply these lessons-
Ever since I came out about a year ago and blasted some huge holes in the idea of aerobic base training for DH and 4X riders I’ve had a lot of people doubt my sanity. Aerobic base training has been a staple of training programs for decades and many an off season program for mountain bikers has included an extended period of time reeling off boring miles on a trainer. While some people embraced my concepts (and proceeded to achieve better “aerobic endurance” despite doing little to no aerobic training) many others have questioned why this concept is so different that the “scientific” one.
Well, one of the problems is that the sports sciences are more like sports training history. Let me explain – people in the strength training trenches figure out what works in the real world (which is MUCH different than a controlled lab setting) and then implement it. Sometimes what we do flies in the face of the traditional “science” of training. Sports scientists pick up on what we are doing, study it and then tell us why it works. This process usually takes about 10 years or more to go from the cutting edge in the trenches to being taught in the classroom.
So, this meant that there was not a ton of scientific studies to confirm what I knew – aerobic training is worthless. But, now there are two landmark studies that prove beyond a shadow of a doubt that anaerobic interval training is vastly superior to the out dated models still being promoted by the mainstream fitness media.
The only reason that mountain bikers feel compelled to include aerobic training in their program, particularly an aerobic base period, is to increase their aerobic capacity. The scientifically accepted method to determine aerobic capacity is VO2Max (Maximum Volume of Oxygen Consumed), which is an indicator of how well your body can utilize oxygen. Aerobic training had been shown to increase your VO2Max, so therefore was considered necessary for overall cardiovascular development.
However, few people realize that the best way to raise your VO2Max, and therefore your aerobic capacity, is through interval training, not aerobic training! While this may not make a lot of sense, it is true. Several recent studies on anaerobic intervals produced some of the largest increases in VO2Max ever see, including studies done on aerobic training.
One study in particular was done on what is popularly known as the Tabata Protocol. This method calls for 20 seconds of sprinting followed by 10 seconds rest and these mini-intervals are repeated 6-8 times per round. A workout may involve 1-3 rounds (complete recovery is allowed between rounds). Researchers found massive increases in the subjects VO2Max in addition to the anticipated increases in anaerobic endurance markers. The increases in VO2Max were some of the largest ever seen in a study and proved that aerobic training is not the only (or the best) way to increase aerobic capacity.
Another landmark study that came out in the September 2006 Journal of Physiology studied the effects of 20 minutes of interval training (30 second sprints followed by 4 minutes of rest) vs. 90-120 minutes of traditional aerobic heart rate zone training. They found that the interval group which did only 1 hour of exercise per week had the same improvements in aerobic capacity as the aerobic group. Did I mention the aerobic group spent 4-6 hours per week exercising?
4 to 6 times as much exercise to get the same results in aerobic capacity? This isn’t even taking into account that the interval group improved their anaerobic capacity, something the aerobic group did not. This finding is astounding and shows just how much time you waste with aerobic training.
I’ve mentioned this before and here is the proof – anaerobic intervals will increase your aerobic capacity as well as your anaerobic capacity but aerobic training does not increase your anaerobic capacity. All of this means that if you have limited training time (and who doesn’t) you are wasting your time with aerobic training. Anaerobic intervals are the only way to maximize the effectiveness of limited training time.
Also, there is no evidence at all that you will burn out or get injured by training with intervals year round. This is simply a myth that has been told so many times that it has been taken as the truth. I challenge anyone to find me a single study that backs this claim.
What has been found is that going straight into hard training (either strength or intervals or aerobic) without a preparatory period will increase the likelihood of injury. So, like everything else, you must work into full blown hard core intervals and cycle their intensity and duration but there is no reason you can not do intervals year round.
Now, just to balance this out, there are 2 times when aerobic training has a place in your program. First, if you are so out of shape you can not tolerate even the easiest intervals then you should spend some time doing aerobic training to build your work capacity up a bit. But once you can do intervals you should make the switch.
Second, aerobic exercise is great for active recovery (something I have also mentioned before). Going out for a light 20 minute jog or ride will help to flush blood into the muscles and help you recover from your strength training and interval sessions faster. Outside of these 2 things, though, aerobic training is dead.
My mission in life is to drag our sport into the 21st century. Old and outdated training methods that waste your time and effort need to be confronted and dealt with. I know that taking on sacred cows like this will never make me popular with the mainstream bike industry but as one of the best strength coaches in the world Mike Boyle puts it – “I will never cease to be wrong, I may just cease to be popular”.
So, there you have it. It took me a few tries to get everything out there but I feel that I have proven that aerobic training, particularly aerobic base training for DH and 4X riders, is a waste of time and effort. You can get better results in aerobic capacity in less time while also increasing anaerobic capacity. This should be something that mountain bikers everywhere rejoice at because aerobic training is some of the most tedious and boring stuff around.
