I’ve decided that my squat isn’t near strong enough. I need to do something about it.
There is an old Russian coach who had a ‘foolproof’ (except the soreness and discomfort) way to build your squat by up to 100lbs in a short period of time (13 weeks to be exact). His name was Smolov, and his squat protocol is now famous in the training world.
If you want to try it, google Smolov Squat Program and go to the link from stronglifts.com, they give you a spreadsheet all setup with the weights you’ll need based on your 1 rep maximum.
I have hit 365lbs before on a full-squat, but haven’t done anything heavy lately due to training ADD…so I decided to go conservative and set my max at 335lbs to start. Half way into the program you retest your max to adjust the weights for the 2nd half, so if I was way off, it will be corrected there.
Basically, you start with 3 straight days of high volume squatting, then a few heavy singles and doubles the following week before hitting the grind. This is 3 straight weeks of squatting 4x per week.
Saying i’ll be a little stiff and sore is an understatement but I think it’s the price to pay to really boost up my lift.
Strength truly is the gateway to higher levels of athleticism, so I want to be well over a 2x bodyweight squat.
I am done the first two days, starting the 3rd day tomorrow.
I will try to keep you guys updated to my progress regularly.
At the same time, I am trying to build the strength of my bench up as well…I’m using my own programming for the bench portion though, so we’ll see how it goes…good results so far starting this week off…
Training can be a tricky thing. Most people will tell you it’s just about effort, and for the most part that is where it starts. If you put in lots of work, good things will happen. If you don’t, it becomes hard to make change. Now that we have gotten that out of the way, let’s talk specifics…
If you are looking to improve body composition, sometimes it doesn’t matter WHAT you do, as long as you are doing enough work in general. If you have plenty of room for improvement, then almost anything works, as long as you are doing SOMETHING. However, when your goals are more specific, you need more specific ways of structuring your training and I’ll outline some of these.
In general, training needs to be focused on a specific characteristic. The one’s we’ll discuss here are Strength, Hypertrophy, Power/Speed, Body Composition, and Conditioning.
NOTE: These categories overlap, and improvements will generally be seen in multiple areas, but the biggest improvements should be seen in the area of FOCUS.
Strength
Typically this is where you will see a lot of the focus for athletes and powerlifters. The average gym goer will opt more for hypertrophy or fat loss due to the aesthetic effects rather than the performance gained from a strength-focused block of training.
When training for strength, a large portion of the adaptation comes from the nervous system and its ability to coordinate the use of your muscle tissue. Synchronization of motor units, inhibition of antagonist muscle groups, and increased recruitment of motor units all contribute to lifting heavy weight on top of some increases in muscle mass.
Here are a few examples of strength work. This is typically compound movements (lots of muscles used) for high load and low repetitions.
Hypertrophy
This is definitely the most popular category for young men, because your biceps can never get big enough. Truthfully, having a decent amount of muscle mass is important for self-confidence and filling out half your wardrobe, so I definitely don’t know it. I think almost every guy has thought about putting on 10lbs of muscle, and every woman has thought about seeing a nice flat stomach. There is nothing wrong with being sexy.
There are a lot of different programs and approaches that are used for hypertrophy but there is definitely a best-way and all the rest. The catch is whether you want muscle mass and strength and power to all improve together. This goes back to the concept of specificity. You can accomplish all 3, but much slower.
Ideal hypertrophy training involves a high amount of volume per body part along with reaching that dreaded fatigue mark (1). In strength and power training this is discouraged, but with hypertrophy training this is the way to go…
Here are a few examples of the kind of volume you want to get for hypertrophy gains!
Conditioning/Fat Loss
If you think about the Crossfit approach, that is definitely the path to go for the best in conditioning and fat loss training. You want to work in a high-intensity heart rate zone with low amounts of rest. The key here is to build circuits with a strong resistance training component so that you are either building muscle mass or maintaining what you have, while shedding body fat. That will ultimately make for the best body composition (Think Percent Body FAT!). If you could do a 30-40 minute mixed workout while avoiding going over the 40 second rest mark you will probably build quite a body composition workout. If you take this version of a Hypertrophy program, cut some of the volume down and make it full-body, you’d have a great workout.
Power/Speed
This is the bread and butter for athletes, but should not be the primary focus year round. The key to power/speed is that you need a sufficient base of strength in order to express high levels of power. Power involves moving high amounts of force quickly. Moving a tiny weight quickly is just annoying, not powerful. There are a few different approaches for working on speed and power. First, are the weightlifting exercises, clean and jerk, and snatch. These are difficult to master so if you want to do them well, find a coach who knows how to teach them. If you are weak, go figure out the strength part first! The second method is complexing a strength and speed movement to maximize power in the second movement. This is also an advanced technique that works best in experienced strong lifters, so feel free to try it out, but don’t make it a staple of your program if you aren’t strong (think 2x bodyweight squat for STRONG). Finally, strictly plyometric (jumping) or sprinting workouts are great ways to improve speed/power. These can be box jumps, bounding, broad jumps, sprints, hill sprints, etc.
Here are a few variations of speed and power work..
Conclusion
The key to getting the most out of your training is knowing WHAT you want to accomplish, then executing properly on the HOW. Think about sticking in one category for 4-6 weeks in order to see some adaptations!!
It’s About Getting Better!
Razor’s Edge Performance
1. Burd NA, West DW, Staples AW, Atherton PJ, Baker JM, Moore DR, Holwerda AM, Parise G, Rennie MJ, Baker SK, and Phillips SM. Low-load high volume resistance exercise stimulates muscle protein synthesis more than high-load low volume resistance exercise in young men. PLoS One 5: e12033, 2010.
Fitness is important, this website exists because of this fact. We all know it’s important but we still have trouble at times; whether it be goal setting, programming, nutrition or actually getting to the gym. For me, it’s been the first and last of that list. Since moving back to Ottawa, I’ve been very busy with two jobs and I’ve been coaching/speed training quite a bit. Because of this, I found that getting to the gym for my own workouts is much more difficult. Most weeks I was only getting into the gym on the weekends, making my goal setting and direction a bit of a struggle. Well, as of late this has changed for the better. I’ve been able to get into the gym a few more times per week and I’ve been trying to complete a few challenges to give me direction. Much like Cory (@REPerformance1), Kane (@timbahwolf) and Jose, I’ve been trying out the 100 pullup challenge, with an ideal goal of 10 min. So far, I’ve done it twice and have cut down my time significantly (14:40 down to 11:58) but the goal is still unreached. Tomorrow I’m leaving for Jamaica with my girlfriend so that may push back my completion date but it’s a trade off I’m more than happy to live with. Here is a video of my first attempt, the video for the second will be coming soon.
The other challenge I’m trying to reach is the bodyweight Snatch. For those who don’t know what it is, the snatch is an olympic lift where you have to bring a weighted bar from your hips (or the floor for a full snatch) and bring it over your head in one motion. It’s definitely not an easy movement and I’m nowhere near my goal yet, but it feels good to be doing them again. Training an explosive movement like that regularly is helping me stay athletic. Here is a video of myself doing a few snatches this week, more or less setting a baseline for the challenge. Please ask for a trainer to help you if you’ve never done them as they are highly technical.
So that’s what I’m up to, what about you?? Are there any fitness challenges or goals that you’re currently undertaking? Do you have ideas about what you’d like us to try for the future? Are you looking for ideas for your challenge? Let’s get some comments going and see what everyone is up to!! When I get back from Jamaica I want to see lots of posts. For this week, my only challenge will be getting up off of the lounge chairs!
Posted in Uncategorized on April 9, 2012 by razorsedgeperformance
As evidenced by the success of the supplement industry, protein powders seem to be gaining popularity; if you’re one of the people taking one, I’ll give you a brief description of what is available to you.
I know some of you will say that you don’t need protein powder, and that’s true, but that doesn’t mean you can’t take it. As a trainer and strength coach I have to say that first and for most you should focus on food to meet your dietary requirements. However, if you’re training and really looking to make body composition changes, meeting protein requirements can be really tough with a hectic schedule. Also, taking nutrients in liquid form speeds up absorption, so having a shake immediately post-workout is a great strategy to get optimal results. Protein powders are made from natural sources, are easy to consume and are fairly cost effective. So with that being said, let us begin!
The first thing you need to know before you step into your local supplement store is what categories you will find. This will help you narrow down what you’re looking for. Part 2 will go a little further into the types of protein in the powders.
Straight Protein Powder – This is best for most people and general day to day use. This is JUST PROTEIN. You will generally see things on the label like “low carb” and “low fat” which is not especially surprising since you’re buying protein powder. Most popular sources are Whey, Whey isolate, Casein, Egg, and soy, although if you look hard enough you can find vegan sources like brown rice or pea protein as well as beef protein for meat eaters. What’s important to know is that every protein source has a different amino acid profile, meaning that they all contain different amino acids in different amounts. For those that are looking for natural, they also sell them with natural sweeteners like stevia.
Meal Replacement – This is where you will find things like Myoplex, Muscle Milk and the like. These are meant to fit a nutrient profile to allow you to have as a complete meal. They generally contain protein, carbs, fats and have a number of vitamins. This can also be used as a post workout shake as it gives you both protein and carbs.
yum, muscle milk
Weight Gainer – This is essentially whey protein plus a TON of simple carbs. This should only be taken unless it’s directly after your workout and even still you probably don’t need a full serving. Taking this at any other point in the day will simply result in body fat gain. This isn’t the best source of carbs and protein but can be very effective for getting a lot of calories right after your workout.
Post Workout Mix – This will be similar in breakdown to the meal replacement or weight gainer but will usually contain more performance enhancing supplements like creatine, glutamine or beta alanine. Generally over priced in my opinion but many brands have done a very good job of giving you exactly what you need in one easy drink.
If you’re just looking for something to help supplement your diet to get more protein then the simple protein powder is best for you. It can be taken before or after workouts, as a snack with some vegetables or nuts or even added to baking. Realistically, you can make any of the other categories by yourself since the protein powder is the base for all. A smoothie with fruit, vegetables and healthy fats (nut butter, oil, avocado) can be a much better meal replacement at home or on the go.
So whether you’re looking to get more protein in your diet, a meal on the go, or an optimal post-workout shake, use this guide to help you find what you’re looking for!
Coffee might just be the most consumed beverage on the planet. I hope it’s actually water, but frankly I see more people drinking coffee than water on a day to day basis. As with anything that popular, there are differing opinions as to its value. Is it good for you? Or is it bad for you but you simply need it to wake up and/or get you through the day? Well it can definitely be good for you but that depends on if you use it or abuse it.
The good:
There are a number of benefits to drinking coffee. Most people drink it for its caffeine, which is a stimulant. Caffeine boosts metabolism, improves alertness and is even an ergogenic aid (increases performance) for endurance sports. All in all it can be a very effective addition to your diet to help keep you lean; be sure to consume it properly for this to happen (“the ugly” below). For a long list of benefits, as well as tips on drinking it, see this article by fellow strength coach and trainer Mike Sheridan. The bad:
A big problem with our culture is over consumption. This is especially the case with coffee, as evidenced by the new sizes at Tim Hortons. Most people aren’t hydrated enough to begin with, couple that with the 3, 5, 7 cups of coffee I see people drinking and it becomes a big problem. As Mike mentioned, you’re probably drinking too much to begin with but you’re not coming close to hydrating adequately for that volume of coffee. Do yourself a favour, cut down to twice per day (morning and afternoon maybe) and put a major focus on water intake. Lethargy is a symptom of dehydration, which is probably the reason you’re consuming the coffee in the first place – vicious circle, I know. The ugly:
If you’ve ever asked for a “double-double” then this section is for you. You can stop bragging now, that’s not a good thing. Taking your coffee with loads of milk and sugar is exactly what you need, if GETTING FAT is your goal. If you’re reading this article though, it means you’re either lost or you’re screwing yourself over. We’ve already talked about how important it is to keep a low and steady blood sugar level (here) both for health and for staying lean. Guzzling down a huge coffee with tons of sugar and milk (read: sugar) is the opposite of what we’re trying to do. This is just asking for an insulin spike and most likely fat storage. The benefit of adding cream (and no sugar) is that the higher fat content really slows down digestion and keeps your blood sugar at a steady level. Caffeine can help with fat loss, but taking your coffee with tons of milk and sugar completely negates those benefits.
The Solution:
So what to do about your coffee problem?? A few simple tips can go a long way. First, cut down your intake to once or twice per day. Next, cut down what you’re putting in and go for some cream (18% or 35%) . Lastly, and you should already be doing this, put a major emphasis on water intake. Your body significantly breaks down when it’s dehydrated and most people live their lives that way. Don’t be that guy/girl.
Yesterday we talked about how mobility restrictions can really be hurting the way you move, which in turn can hold back your performances. Today i’ll share a few videos of things you can add into your dynamic warmup or interset rest periods to start enjoying the benefits of quality movement.
Somewhere along the line things got twisted. All of a sudden, the only thing that matters is strength. I’m seeing it all the time, guys are saying:”see how much I benched?? Squatted?”. Sure, strength development is important, but how did it become the be all and end all? I’ve written before about how important it is to learn – and become efficient at – proper movement patterns. This is something that the new strength-centric athletes are missing. When’s the last time you assessed your strengths and weaknesses? Guess what, it’s not a muscle group that’s lagging, it’s your mobility! If you’re anything like most of the young athletes I see these days, your flexibility and mobility suck and they’re holding you back. You have nobody to blame but yourself, I mean, everyone started out with great mobility and flexibility… (picked this up from a seminar)
can you still do this?
So why is it so important??
Look at it this way, mobility dictates positioning. This is what will allow you to go to end range and successfully complete movement patterns efficiently. A good example is a slingshot, since our muscles are like elastics. If you have a slingshot and you can barely pull back the band, does it make sense to make the band even stronger? The problem is, it actually gives it a slight improvement which is all the more misleading. A stronger band would probably improve performance slightly, but think about how much better it would be if you decided to focus on how you could pull the band back further? Attaining full range of motion will allow the elastic to build up more energy and allow the shot to be more accurate. This is how you need to treat your body. Stop focusing on getting stronger when you’ve got poor range of motion and terrible movement patterns.Enough is enough. Learn how to use your body more efficiently first, THEN you can increase your strength again.
If you’ve been sacrificing mobility and range of motion in the weight room (controlled environment), then how will you be able to magically pull it off in a high speed uncontrolled environment (sport)? Wake up and smell the roses. Take the next little while to focus on mobility and you’ll see yourself become more efficient, more effective and more injury resistant.
Come back tomorrow to see some different strategies and exercises to get you started on your path for better movement. Sometimes it just takes a more comprehensive dynamic warmup to help your body move properly for the following workout.
Added mobility has so many positive effects. Hypertrophy is increased when training through a full-range of motuon. Faulty movement patterns can lead to compensations, overuse of certain muscles and structures, then either knotted up muscles or possible tendinopathies. Increased mobility in key areas also allows you to be way more dynamic in all your movement. Do yourself a favour and do your next training session by a mirror and find out how you look going to full-depth in a squats, the start position of a deadlift, or the top of a pullup!
