Recent Blog Posts
Exercise
November 18, 2010
One of the biggest fitness controversies concerns whether you can target the lower portion of the abdominal muscles. Bret Contreras, has an excellent blog post on the topic, titled ABC (Ask Bret Contreras) – Is it Possible to Isolate the Upper or Lower Abs?. Bret cites the science as well as the practical applications for training in a very balanced way. It’s highly recommended reading.
In support of Bret’s conclusions, the body of research does suggest that it is possible to target the lower abdominal region. Realize that there is a physiological basis for activation of selective aspects of the abs. Specifically, the rectus abdominis is partitioned by the tendinous intersections (this is what gives the abs the “six pack” appearance). What’s more, the upper and lower abs are innervated by different nerves, providing a mechanism for selective activation.
As Bret notes, the research itself is rather mixed on the topic, with some studies showing an ability to target the lower abs and some not. However, a closer look at the methodology and results of these studies does indicate that targeting the lower abs is, in fact, possible. One of the best studies on the subject was performed by Sarti and colleagues (1). The researchers divided participants into two groups–a high physical activity group that had trained seriously for at least 1.5 hours, 3 days a week for 3 years, and a low physical activity group that did not meet this criterion. Each of these two groups performed a crunch (intended to target the upper abs) and a reverse crunch (intended to target the lower abs). Electromyograph (EMG) readings were obtained to determine muscle activity in the upper vs. lower abdominal region. Exercise performance was monitored by fitness professionals and the groups were then further subdivided into correct and incorrect performers based on the participant’s ability to perform the exercises properly (in this case, correct performance of the reverse crunch was dependent on the participant being able to initiate a posterior pelvic tilt). The interesting finding of this study was that only the physically active participants deemed “correct performers” were able to target their lower abs!
The take home message here is that you must initiate a posterior pelvic tilt if you want to increase activation of the lower abdominal musculature. This is accomplished by lifting only from the butt so that you bring your pelvis up towards your belly button–standard leg raises are primarily a hip flexor exercise and will only work your abs statically without targeting the lower aspect of the abs (the abs play a stabilizing role in this movement). Develop a mind-to-muscle connection so that when you lift your pelvis, you forcefully contract the lower abdominal segments. Provided you perform the movement correctly, you should be able to elicit greater development in the lower abdominal region.
Stay Fit!
Brad
1) Sarti MA, Monfort M, Fuster MA, Villaplana LA. Muscle activity in upper and lower rectus abdominus during abdominal exercises. Arch Phys Med Rehabil. 1996 Dec;77(12):1293-7.
Exercise
November 17, 2010
The term “functional fitness training” is one of the most hyped trends in the field of exercise. But what does the
term “functional fitness training” really mean? I recently wrote an article for ASCM Certified Newsletter titled, “Is Functional Training Really Functional? that challenged many of the concepts promoted by fitness professionals as to how to achieve fitness that is functional. You can read the article at the link below: it begins on page 5.
Is Functional Training Really Functional?
Here are the key points summing up the take-home message of the article.
1) For all practical purposes, there is no such thing as a “non-functional” exercise. Rather, the functional transfer of exercise exists on a continuum, where some exercises are more functional than others based on the needs of a particular functional task. I’ve coined this the “functional fitness continuum.”
2) The primary reason that most people lose functional capacity is due to a loss of muscle tissue. Therefore, simply increasing a person’s strength will promote better functional capacity. This can be achieved through any type of resistance training, whether it be machines, cables, body weight or free weights. Remember that strength is highly correlated with muscle cross sectional area (i.e. the size of the muscle), so increasing muscle development will generally promote greater functional capabilities in most people.
3) To optimize the training response from a functional standpoint, it is necessary to take heed of the principle of specificity. Simply stated, this means that the closer the training replicates the movements a person wants to accomplish, the better the transfer to performance of the movement. Thus, while a machine will promote functional improvements, free weights will tend to promote better results because they more closely approximate the way functional tasks are performed.
4) Unstable surface training is generally inferior to stable surface training in terms of promoting functional fitness. Realize that the vast majority of activities of daily living are performed in a stable environment. Thus, the concept of unstable surface training violates the principle of specificity; better transfer necessarily will be achieved by performing the exercises on stable surfaces. What’s more, stable surface training increases strength to a greater degree than comparable exercises performed on unstable surfaces, providing yet another advantage from a functional standpoint.
I will be co-presenting a workshop on the “Functional Fitness Continuum” (with my colleague Jay Dawes) at the upcoming NSCA Personal Trainer Conference this March at Bally’s Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas. Hope to see you there!
Feel free to send along any comments you have on the topic. I’d love to hear your thoughts.
Stay Fit!
Brad
Exercise
November 9, 2010
For those seeking better arm development, I co-authored an article on T-Nation with Bret Contreras and Tony Gentilcore. You can read the article at the following link:
3 Total Body Programs for Big Arms
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Brad
Nutrition
November 6, 2010
No question about it, protein is the most important macronutrient in your diet. But many people are confused as to how much protein they really need to consume. Here’s the lowdown…
If you go by the recommended dietary allowance (RDA) espoused by the Department of Agriculture, protein intake should equate to a little less than 0.8 grams per kilogram of bodyweight. The RDA, however, has a major flaw in its design: it bases protein requirements on the average couch potato. While this is fine if you want to be an average couch potato, it has little relevance if you are a hard training fitness enthusiast. In truth, those who aspire to optimize body composition require significantly more protein than what is prescribed in the RDA.
For active individuals, especially those involved in strength training regimens, studies have consistently shown optimal intake to be about 1.6 to 2.0 grams of protein per kilogram of bodyweight (roughly double the RDA). The reasons are twofold: First, during exercise, amino acids are oxidized for fuel at an accelerated rate. Depending on the intensity and duration of training, these amino acids can supply up to 10 percent of the body’s energy needs. What’s more, the stresses associated with physical activity cause an increased breakdown of body proteins, leaving the body in a catabolic state. The only way to reverse these effects and promote an anabolic environment is by consuming additional dietary protein, over and above RDA guidelines. Abide by the RDA and you’ll surely be in a negative nitrogen balance (i.e. your body is breaking down proteins at a greater rate than it’s synthesizing them).
A protein-rich diet also confers specific metabolic benefits. For one, a large percentage of calories from protein are burned off in the digestion process—a phenomenon called the thermic effect of food (TEF). Of all the macronutrients, protein has the highest thermic effect, burning off approximately 25 percent of the calories consumed. In comparison, only about 8 percent of the calories from carbs are burned off in digestion; the thermic effect of dietary fat is minimal. When the TEF is factored into a mixed meal, higher intakes of protein can as much as double post-prandial thermogenesis (i.e. the number of calories burned after eating), leaving fewer calories available to be stored as fat.
Further, protein tends to curb appetite. During its digestion, protein potentiates the secretion of a hormone called cholecystokinin (CCK), which acts to suppress the body’s hunger mechanisms. These satiety-inducing effects are pronounced, lasting several hours after a meal. And when appetite isn’t driven by hunger, food choices can more easily be made based on rationale rather than impulse. This is why studies have consistently shown that when people are left to make their own nutritional decisions (called an ad libitum diet), those who consume high amounts of protein take in significantly fewer calories than those who don’t.
A higher protein intake is especially important when you are restricting calories (i.e. the goal is weight loss). During stringent dieting, there is a tendency for your body to break down protein stores into glucose (through a process called gluconeogenesis) so that the brain and other tissues have adequate fuel. Since skeletal muscle is not necessary for sustenance (as opposed to the internal organs and other protein-based tissues), it is the primary bodily tissue to be cannibalized. The only way to counteract this occurrence is by consuming extra protein. Keeping protein intake high helps to preserve lean tissue, preventing the negative consequences of muscle wasting.
Taking all factors into account, my general recommendation is to consume approximately one gram of protein per pound of ideal bodyweight (i.e. the weight you aspire to being when you are at your leanest). This provides a margin of safety, ensuring you never fall into negative nitrogen balance. And in case you’re worried about negative health effects, rest easy. As long as you have healthy kidney function, research has debunked the claims that higher protein diets will put you on dialysis. For more info, read my article High Protein Diets: Myths, Half-truths and Outright Lies.
Stay Fit!
Brad
Uncategorized
October 27, 2010
I recently was interviewed by the popular site, T-Nation, for an article on muscle hypertrophy. You can read the article at the link below. It is a bit technical, but if you are interested in maximizing muscle development, I’m sure you’ll find it of interest.
Brad Schoenfeld Discusses Muscle Hypertrophy on T-Nation
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Brad
Article recommendations
October 18, 2010
If you want to improve your glute development (and who doesn’t?), I recommend you check out the article, Advanced Glute Training. The article was written by Bret Contreras, who is a very knowledgeable, evidence-based fitness pro. He does an excellent job covering the science on the topic, including a good overview of applied kinesiology. With all the nonsensical claptrap dished out on the web these days, it’s refreshing to find an article that delivers sound advice.
You also may want to check out Bret’s blog, which has a lot of good training info at the following link:
Bret’s Blog
Stay Fit!
Brad
Exercise
October 17, 2010
Want to improve the development of your biceps? If so, it’s necessary to understand a little applied anatomy. The biceps brachii is a two-headed muscle, comprised of the short head (which sits on the inner portion of the upper arm) and the long head (which sits on the outer portion of the upper arm). The long head of the muscle crosses the glenohumeral joint at the shoulder while the short attaches at the coracoid process on the front aspect of the scapula (shoulder blade). Why is this significant? Well, during performance of exercises where the upper arm is held behind the body, the long head is placed in a greater position of stretch compared to the short head and therefore is able to generate maximal force. Conversely, during performance of movements where the upper arm is held out in front of the body, the long head is slackened to a greater degree (a phenomenon called active insufficiency) and therefore force production is compromised.
Given that the long head of the biceps also has a secondary role in abduction of the shoulder, it also will become actively insufficient when performing curling movements where the the arms are raised out to the sides (i.e. as if performing a biceps pose in bodybuilding). Thus, the short head will be worked to a greater extent in these exercises.
What’s more, evidence shows that aspects of the biceps are “partitioned”, with both the long and short heads comprised of individual architectural compartments that are innervated by private branches of the primary nerves. EMG studies of the long head of the biceps brachii show that muscle fibers in the lateral portion of the muscle are recruited for elbow flexion, fibers in the medial aspect are recruited for supination, and centrally located fibers are recruited for non-linear combinations of flexion and supination. Furthermore, the short head appears to be more active in the latter part of an arm curl (i.e. greater elbow flexion) while the long head is more active in the early phase.
So what does all this mean in terms of muscle development? It means that you have the ability to target either the short head or the long head by varying arm angle! Exercises such as incline curls and drag curls (where the upper arm is positioned behind the torso) place more emphasis on the long head of the biceps. Alternatively, exercises such as preacher curls and concentration curls (where the upper arm is positioned in front of the torso) work more in the short head, as do exercises such as cross cable curls on a high pulley apparatus. “Traditional” barbell and dumbbell curls (where the upper arm rests at the sides) will place a fairly equal amount of stress on both heads of the biceps. Performing supinated curls as well as hammer curls will ensure complete activation of the fibers in the long head.
This now begs question as to how you should apply this information. Unless there is a visible discrepancy between the two heads of the muscle (which is unlikely and difficult to assess), your best bet is to vary your choice of exercises. When performing a split routine, a good approach is to choose one movement from each group and then perform two to three sets per exercise each session. In this way, you ensure that all available muscle fibers are optimally worked over time, thereby promoting complete and symmetrical development of the muscle. Keep total sets to no more than about nine or so per workout to ensure you don’t overwork the biceps–they are a small muscle and are involved as synergists in many upper body exercises. Also, make sure to train through a full range of motion so that both heads are worked to their fullest extent.
Stay Fit!
Brad
Exercise
October 2, 2010
I’m commonly asked why muscles tend to quiver on the last few reps of an intense strength training set. You know, that shakiness you get in your arms or legs while struggling to finish off a set of presses or squats. Actually, the phenomenon is caused by your golgi tendon reflex (GTR). Here’s how it works. Within muscles are proprioceptors (i.e. sensors) called golgi tendon organs (located at the junction of a muscle and its tendon). Their purpose is to monitor neuromuscular overload and hence protect muscles from ripping or tearing from bone. They accomplish this task by sending an impulse to your muscles that causes them to relax when there is a perceived threat to their safety.
But while such proprioceptors are beneficial if, say, you try to lift your refrigerator in a moment of unbridled impulse, from a training perspective it can hamper your efforts. The issue with the GTR is that it in certain instances, such as during intense weight training, it tends to kick in long before there is an actual safety threat. So while your quads are pushing to finish off that last rep of squats, your golgi tendon organs are sending impulses for them to relax, causing that awkward quivering sensation.
The good news is that the GTR is nothing to be concerned about. Assuming you are lifting within your own capabilities, there is no danger to your muscles in trying to push past ‘the shake’. For advanced trainees, doing so may be necessary to reach true muscular fatigue and thus optimize body composition. Just make sure that you have a contingency plan in case your muscles completely give out (read: spotter, power rack, etc)—you certainly don’t want to get stuck under the weight of a loaded barbell at the end of an intense set.
Stay Fit!
Brad
Media Appearances, Personal Training, Uncategorized
September 27, 2010
My training facility, The Personal Training Center for Women, was featured in the Sunday edition of the Gannett Newspaper, Journal News. Here is a link to read the article:
Workout of the Week: Personal Training at The Personal Training Center for Women in Scarsdale
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Brad
Bodybuilding, Exercise, Strength Training
September 19, 2010
I just received word that my review paper, “The Mechanisms of Muscle Hypertrophy and Their Application to Resistance Training” will be published in the October issue of the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research. The abstract has been indexed in Medline at the link below:
The Mechanisms of Muscle Hypertrophy and Their Application to Resistance Training
More to come on this soon…
Stay Fit!
Brad
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