Cold water immersion (a.k.a., “ice baths”) has become a popular method amongst exercise enthusiasts and athletes to enhance recovery after an intense training bout. The strategy involves exposing either the trained limb or the whole body to very cold liquid temperatures. According to p...
Brad Schoenfeld, Ph.D, C.S.C.S., is an internationally renowned fitness expert and widely regarded as one of the leading authorities on body composition training (muscle development and fat loss). He is a lifetime drug-free bodybuilder, and has won numerous natural bodybuilding titles.
It’s been a busy past few weeks! With everything that’s been going on, I haven’t had much time to breathe, nevertheless post. Sooooo….in the meantime, I wanted to get everyone up do date with what’s been doing:
First off, I’m finishing up the semester for my PhD with a sea of papers and tests currently due. Thankfully, I’m just about half way through my doctoral coursework. Yes it’s been *a lot* of work so far, but overall a very rewarding experience. Beginning to see the light at the end of the tunnel! I’m in the process of finalizing my dissertation research and very much looking forward to furthering our understanding of the mechanisms of muscle hypertrophy and how we can best train to optimize muscular development. I’ll be posting info about my findings as they become available. Stay tuned…
I lectured at the ACSM Fitness Summit last week in Las Vegas. My main session was a seminar on “Is Functional Training Really Functional?” The seminar challenged many of the commonly held beliefs on what constitutes ‘functional fitness.’ Bottom line is that we need to get away from the polarizing belief that exercises are either ‘functional’ or ‘non-functional’. In fact, all training can be functional. Functional transfer exists on a continuum (I’ve dubbed this the ‘Functional Fitness Continuum’) and its application to program design ultimately depends on the needs, abilities, and goals of the individual. In addition to this session, I also participated in an expert panel about high-performance conditioning. The panel was moderated by Dr. Len Kravitz, and I served as the expert on muscle hypertrophy (i.e. growth). This was a really fun experience. The turnout was great (I was told over 500 were in attendance), and there were some very thought-provoking questions from the audience. I’m looking forward to speaking at the event again in the future.
After ACSM, I flew to NSCA headquarters in Colorado Springs to finalize initiation of the Certified Special Populations Specialist (CSPS) exam. This was the culmination of over a year of work that went into developing the exam, which was spearheaded by my friend and colleague Chat (Chopper) Williams. In short, the CSPS is designed to distinguish those trainers who have the competency to work with a wide array of special populations, including those with musculoskeletal disorders, cardiopulmonary disease, and pretty much any other condition that requires knowledge beyond that needed to work with healthy populations. The first exam will be held at the NSCA National Conference in July. For those interested, here is a link to info about the certification.
This coming Saturday I will be lecturing at the NSCA Personal Trainer Conference at the M Resort in Las Vegas on one of my favorite topics: Facts and Fallacies of Fitness. The lecture will debunk many of the common fitness myths and misconceptions that abound in the exercise field. This is my sixth time speaking at the event, and the NSCA always puts on a first-class conference. Lots of other great speakers, too. Hopefully you can attend. Here is a link to the schedule of presentations.
Finally, my good friends, uber trainer Nick Tumminello and uber journalist Lou Schuler, have teamed up to write an excellent primer on creatine. In case you don’t know, creatine is one of the only supplements that has been found to have any efficacy for building muscle and increasing strength. Yet a great deal of controversy and uncertainty exists about the supplement. Nick and Lou have done an outstanding job cutting through the hype and providing the no-nonsense facts about pretty much everything you need to know on the topic. It’s a must read for those interested taking or considering taking creatine. And best of all, its free! Here is a link where you can download a copy of the report.
Here’s a link to an excellent post written by my friend and colleague Bret Contreras titled, Ten Minutes a Day Keeps the Doctor Away: A 5-Set Full Body Program. Resistance training is without question the most important activity you can do for your overall health and wellness. Bret does a great job highlighting the research and showing how with a minimal time commitment (10 minutes!) you can get in a workout that will provide a wealth of benefits. Sure, it’s not the type of routine that going to help you win any bodybuilding contests, but for those who simply want to better their physical and mental state, it’s all you need to do the job.
The one thing that I would emphasize here is that you should make sure to structure the routine so that you train in all planes of movement. Thus, include both horizontal upper body pressing movements (i.e. bench press) and vertical upper body pressing movements (i.e. shoulder press) over the course of your workouts. So if you do a vertical press one day, do a horizontal press the next. Moreover, vary the exercise selection to include both close grip upper body pulling movements (i.e. one arm dumbbell row) and wide grip movements (i.e. wide grip row). It also would be good to include a frontal plane lower body movement (i.e. lateral lunge) from time to time. Ultimately, taking a multi-planar approach will ensure you achieve balance between the musculature that carry out movement, facilitating optimal functional and health-related benefits.
Recently, Phillip Snell conducted an excellent interview with spinal biomechanist Dr. Michael Adams about the implications of his research on core training. Dr. Adams is one of the preeminent researchers on spinal health in the world. No one knows more on the subject. Here is a link to the interview:
For those who want the cliff notes, here are the most salient points as I see them with respect to exercise in healthy individuals:
1) Provided that volume and intensity are appropriate for the individual, there is no harm in performing spinal flexion exercise (i.e. crunches) in those with healthy spines. And, in fact, these exercises may actually confer benefits to spinal health.
2) Contrary to what some have claimed, the discs do in fact remodel when subjected to load. This is consistent with Wolf’s Law.
3) There is convincing evidence that spinal flexion improves nutrient delivery, particularly the annulus fibrosus and end plates.
Rather than focus on one topic for this post, I thought I’d take time to update you on some random thoughts and musings. So here they are in no particular order…
I’m happy to report that I’m about 1/3 through my PhD work. Sadly, of the 15 students who began the program, 5 have already dropped out. It is a lot of work, particularly for those of us who have full-time jobs. That said, it’s been a great experience so far for me. I’m learning a great deal and already applying the knowledge to my work.
I recently co-authored an article with my buddy Bret Contreras for the NSCA Performance Training Journal titled, Strategies for Optimal Core Training Program Design. The article details cutting-edge advice on how to design an individualized core training routine. It expands on the findings of our previous review paper, To Crunch or Not Crunch providing practical applications for a safe and effective workout. Highly recommended reading for those who want to optimize core function and aesthetics.
The new edition of the NSCA’s Essentials of Personal Training has just been released. I wrote the instructor guide to the book, so I had to become intimately familiar with the material. I can say without hesitation that it’s a truly excellent book, covering all aspects relevant to fitness professionals. If you’re a personal trainer, I’d say it’s a must-read. And if you’re simply a fitness enthusiast, you’ll learn a ton about the science of exercise.
My friend and colleague, Joe Dowdell, recently came out with an extensive DVD set filmed during his Peak Fitness Summit that covers a vast array of fitness topics. Joe is an astute fitness pro and one of the top trainers around. The product comes with an instruction manual and is eligible for continuing education credits. If you’re interested in the science and practice of strength training and sports nutrition, I urge you to check it out.
Finally, here is an interesting Youtube clip that someone forwarded to me. I am not familiar with the person in the video, but he does a good job providing practical application of my article, Does Cardio After an Overnight fast Maximize fat loss.
I’ve said it time and again: with rare exception, there is no such thing as a “bad” exercise, only improper performance or application of a given movement. The upright row is yet another example of this reality. You’ll hear a lot of trainers say that the upright row is a one-way ticket to shoulder issues. They’ll put it at the top of their “do not perform” list. Fact is, though, the upright row can be a terrific shoulder-builder provided you employ proper technique.
Here is a link to an interview I did with the New York Times on the subject titled A Safer Shoulder Workout. As I noted in the article, the key to safe performance of the upright row is pull the bar only to a point where your shoulders are just below parallel with the floor; any higher and you increase the potential for impingement. To ensure that deltoids are maximally activated, lead with your elbows, not your wrists. Notice in the photo how the humerus (i.e. upper arm bone) remains elevated above the hands. This should be the case throughout the move.
It’s important to note that, as with any exercise, individual genetics and injury history will come into play. If the movement doesn’t feel right, don’t do it. Moreover, if you have an existing shoulder injury, it may be contraindicated. Train smart and you’ll achieve optimal results while staying injury free.
My friend and colleague Mike Bates, owner of one of Canada’s top fitness studios, recently wrote a follow-up to my post Long and Lean? Mike’s article, titled “Muscles have set length” appeared in the current issue of the Windsor Star Newspaper. Give it a read at the following link:
Here’s a link to an article I wrote for uber trainer Bret Contreras’ Blog on employing the hierarchy of knowledge to fitness. Those who read this blog know that I’m a big proponent of taking an evidence-based approach to exercise and nutrition. Using the hierarchy of knowledge is an integral part of this process. Give it a read an let me know your thoughts…
The NSCA national conference was held this past week at the Paris Hotel in Las Vegas. For me, this was a particularly special event as I was named the NSCA Personal Trainer of the Year at the awards banquet ceremony. I also got to catch up with many friends and colleagues, some of whom I haven’t seen for a while, as well as meeting with some of the top researchers in the field about my doctoral work.
Throughout it all, I spent the majority of the days attending various presentations. Here are some of the highlights from the sessions I attended:
JC Santana gave two presentations. His first was a hands on presentation on bodyweight training. Lots of cool variations of exercises such as pushups, squats and lunges that could be used to alter muscle recruitment and energy system development. His second presentation was called “Combat Spartan Training.” Here JC discussed an approach to fitness that he uses with MMA fighters, discussing applications for general fitness training. JC is one of the most dynamic presenters in the fitness field, and both sessions were highly entertaining.
Dr. Dan Bernadot presented on nutrient timing. Certainly Bernadot has good credentials–professor of nutrition, multiple research publications, etc. His primary contention, however, was the importance of consuming multiple, small meals throughout the day to optimize fat loss. As I mentioned in a previous post, this claim is contrary to the majority of research that I’ve seen. He did provide several references to support his contention, so I need to go back and review these studies. I’ll have more to say on this in a future post.
Dr. Joe Weir presented on customized supplement approaches for the future. This was an extremely interesting lecture where Weir discussed the role of genetics in response to nutrition. He presented evidence, for example, that a certain percentage of the population has been shown to be susceptible to weight gain from saturated fat intake while others are at a considerably less risk. The take home message is that the time is rapidly approaching where we can get a genetic printout of our bodies and then individualize a nutritional regimen accordingly. We should be able to do the same with exercise, too.
John Cissik presented on evidence-based core training. This was one of my favorite presentations of the conference. As the name of the discussion implies, John discussed the research on the benefits (or lack of such) of core training. As John points out, there is a surprising dearth of evidence to support the need for a core training regimen with respect to improving sports performance and aiding in rehabilitation. Now some apparently misinterpreted John’s message to mean that core training is a waste of time. This isn’t the case. Rather, it simply implies that we should take a closer look at the evidence and not be so quick to assume that the standard advice about the subject is substantiated by research. Look for an interview with John in a future blog post.
Dr. Andy Fry did an excellent presentation titled “Back to the Basics about Strength and Conditioning.” Dr. Fry provided a template that could be used to create a strength training routine from scratch. What I liked best about his approach is that he did not advocate a particular method of training. Rather, he presented a modifiable way to systematically create a routine. It was a highly practical session and his technique should be standard reading for trainers and fitness enthusiasts alike.
Dr. Chad Kerksick co-presented on the importance of training to failure. This is a heavily debated topic and Kerksick did an excellent job reviewing the literature and presenting recommendations on the topic. Bottom line is that training to failure is an important component of a training routine, but it’s use should be balanced by recovery issues. Some failure training is necessary, but it should be periodized in a routine depending on the goal’s of the lifter.
There were many other excellent presentations, but I’m running short of time. Next year’s conference will be in Providence, RI. Hope to see you there!
I’m honored to report that I was named 2011 NSCA Personal Trainer of the Year at this past National Conference. I’ll post some pics from the awards ceremony soon…
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