Blog
Fast Legs or Power Development- Which is it?
I run into this all the time…Johnny or Suzy needs faster legs, we have to get their legs moving faster! So the parent has them doing sprints until exhaustion; that in itself can actually slow them down, and I will tell you why.
To generalize this discussion for time purposes….A sprint athlete is primarily using fast twitch muscle fibers. Once you pass the time frame of good sprint times (hint-use a timer) the workout should be over. If the athlete is exhausted and the workout continues, you will dig into the slower more endurance focused type 1 (slow twitch) muscle fibers. If this is a common training practice, you will in-fact be training the body to survive (endure) the workout. Thus slowing the athlete down, not to mention teaching bad form.
The goal here is a better athlete. So lets start with some basic foundational rules:
How high someone can jump, or how fast someone can explode out of the gate/blocks, is directly related to how fast they can apply force to the ground. The same holds true for acceleration-its all about the force! Sounds like we are talking about POWER =Work/Time. So how do we increase or maximize power?
Lets assume we have appropriate foundational core strength (I hate that term/buzz word), ok lets call it the “frame”.
The frame has to be solid, as to not flex or compress, in order to put the most power to the ground. A weak frame would be like a comparison of trying to help your friend push his car to the gas station in a rut filled 5ft deep with Jello. A strong frame is trying to do the same on solid concrete.
The frame is all of the space between the shoulders and hips, and should be solid (concrete), in order for the bottom line (the arms and legs), to be able to produce greater amounts of force, and have less energy loss due to jello:) The four limbs (arms and legs) are securely anchored to this strong foundation (frame) and the joints need both stability and mobility to produce the most power and performance.
When an athlete comes to us for more performance, sometimes they are disappointed at our analysis and prescribed plan of action, because they were expecting it to involve more and heavier work. We can provide a better formula by anchoring and mobilizing the poor performing joint structures and reigniting muscles that have shut down.
That brings us to movement patterns (muscle firing order) and agonist and antagonist muscle synergy. Muscle synergy is when muscle groups work together to coordinate movement. Muscles that oppose one another (agonist and antagonist) can be working together in order for a muscle to perform correctly and also to stabilize that movement. The ability to turn muscles on and how fast we turn them on (and off) is the pure definition of power, and obviously plays a very important role in power development. We need to have the neurology to fire muscles quickly, in the correct order, and turn them off just as fast to maximize power production.
Let’s use the vertical jump as an example: To maximize this movement the athlete drops down quickly and flexes the hips, knees, and ankles right before take-off. This action, if performed correctly, activates the extensors (glutes, hamstrings, calves) like the pre-stretch of a rubber band before shooting it across the room. Specific muscles fire to allow the body to come down fast and opposing muscles fire in the reverse action to jump as high as possible. There is a lot of skill involved in a seemingly non complex movement such as a vertical jump. The specific skill I am referring to is the ability to turn on and shut off motor neurons that are activated within the muscle. The ability to recruit and turn on and off motor units (a measure of motor neurons) is a foundational component to power development. I have the pleasure of working with a neuromuscular therapy technology called ARP Wave (a proprietary electronic device) that can help me determine what muscles are not firing and turn them back on!
Now lets focus on motor unit recruitment and performance training…When we perform traditional isotonic weight training, we are recruiting a specific amount of motor units based on the amount of force needed to lift the weight. And how fast we lift the weight will determine if we recruit fast twitch motor units or slow twitch. Research has shown that an increase in the speed of the contraction will result in a higher level of fast twitch motor unit recruitment. This again results in more power.
I will use a squat or a press motion as an example here:
As we go through a range of motion we go through mechanical advantages and disadvantages at different ranges throughout the movement. We are stronger at certain points and weaker at others. As in a squat or a press, the deeper you go the weaker you are, and the closer to the top of the motion or lockout you are the strongest because you have a greater mechanical advantage. When our muscles are at the mid range of contraction they are at the optimal length to produce the most force. So it seems that this tells us…the best time to have the most resistance is at the top or end of the movement to produce added challenge for producing performance gains. It would not be as productive to add resistance to the weakest part of the lift for performance gains, as fatigue would result in this weaker position and produce premature failure- session over!
This is where the addition of chains and bands come into play to help create accelerated muscle contractions and dynamic strength. This has by far been becoming my favorite type of training as of late- add a band to that movement as part of the progression plan! By applying a chain or band to the bar it allows for lesser tension at the bottom of the movement and greater tension at the top of the movement. This also helps with recruiting the faster motor units we spoke of earlier, as you will be required to use less weight and thus move the bar faster. Another good benefit of the bands and chains are the smaller auxiliary muscles it fires as well to help to train that core, ugh, I mean frame!
Author: John Marshall CPT, Coach
*John Marshall started his career at Baylor College of Sports Medicine over 17 years ago and has been certified and educated through ISSA, ACE, NSCA, USA Cycling, USA BMX and PFIT programs.
Fun Ways to Break a Fitness Blues Rut
One of the most common ways to stay active is to enjoy what you are doing and make it fun , exciting and challenging. Colorado residents have an easy time of it with all the outdoor activities right in their backyard, and other states have many fun resources as well, you just have to look and stay creative with your thinking.
Exercising outdoors is not the only way to keep things spiced up and challenging, you can also push your limits in the gym as well to keep you coming back week after week for that challenge. Great news…there are a few things you can do to to keep things interesting!
1 Intensify the workout–
A stagnant routine is a good way to kill your results as well as your waistline, and a sure way to hit a plateau in your quest for success. Try increasing your weights in the gym and shorten your rest periods between sets. Studies show that those resting less than 60 seconds between sets burn significantly more calories during exercise and hours afterwards than those who rest longer. And if you are not weight training you should add it to what you are doing to give you that tighter look.
2 HIIT it-
High Intensity Interval Training, can take the blues out of trudging on the treadmill for 30-60 minutes at a steady pace…boring!!! Try increasing your effectiveness by interval training indoors or outdoors either on equipment or without, on a treadmill or similar piece of equipment go as hard as you can for 30-60 seconds and rest 30-60 seconds at a slower pace…repeat 15-20 times. Outdoors can be even more creative…run up a hill, jog slowly back down…hit the deck do 15 pushups, walk for 30 seconds, find a small log to throw for 10 repeats then repeat for 5-8 times…get creative!
3 Get a handle on your nutrition-
Feeling sluggish? It may be that you have adopted the mindset of low calories means weight-loss, this and a few other mistakes can cause issues. One of the biggest mistakes I see here in the training studio is too low a calorie intake and it actually lowers the metabolism and causes weight-gain. One of the most common is skipping breakfast in today’s busy lifestyles…doing this starts the day with the blood sugar too low and nothing in the tank causing the body to break down muscle tissue to make fuel for your activities. This also can lead to more serious health issues! Try eating balanced such as a 2Protein-1Fat-1Carb (2-1-1) ratio for good overall nutrition and energy for 4-6 small meals per day. Try this for 4-6 weeks and enjoy new energy levels and you may just adopt it for good.
4 Try supplementing-
Are you constantly skipping meals because you are too busy to take the time to eat? Here is material for a whole new blog post in itself, but sticking to the subject lets look at simple fixes to fill in the blanks. Several choices are out there for meal replacement supplements and you will have to decide what works best for you and your goals. You can look at high protein/high calorie, high protein/low calorie, low protein/all natural etc. The point is to keep the blood sugar stabilized for health reasons and also to help regulate you weight. Try eating 5-6 small meals per day and if the busy times of day slip away from you try adding protein shakes or bars such as those in the former paragraph in those times.
5 Try something different-
Keeping things interesting is the key to keeping the motivation up, and who knows maybe you find something that really fires you up! Try a TRX Suspension training workout, take up Martial Arts, try Olympic lifting moves (if you have the mobility) with a professional instructor, Cycling or anything that interests you. Any way you can just find something that can get you out of that rut, if you have one…The key is stay moving to stay young and fun!
Author: John Marshall CPT, Coach
*John Marshall started his career at Baylor College of Sports Medicine over 15 years ago and has been certified and educated through ISSA, ACE, and PFIT programs.
Who wants a desk job?
Are desk jobs bad for you?
Author: John Marshall CPT, Coach
Lets face it…Desk jobs are wrecking your health and working out in a gym incorrectly can trash your shoulders, back and neck.
Every year we see droves of desk jockeys enter the gym environment, take a look around and sign on the dotted line…then show up a few days a week for a month, then stop when the pain comes on-board.
Most people that have any experiences in the weight room are used to seeing people do bench press or dumbbell press and bicep curls…all the muscles you can see in the mirror, seems good right?
WRONG>>>If you work a desk job and have for years…and are not currently training on a consistent basis, you should focus on training the muscles that will retract the scapula (strengthen the muscles that keep the shoulders back.)
This is what is so common…go to the gym do a few sets of bench press, dumbbell curls, then jump on the stationary bike for 20 minutes.
So whats wrong with this? Working all day in a seated position ends up shortening the hip flexors, pectorals and biceps causing the rounded back posture we see way too commonly in the rehab world resulting in so much back and neck pain.
Lets break it down, the seated position in front of a computer has the hips flexed, arms are bent and shoulders are forward, and even more so if sight is a problem with the neck stretched forward.
Now add in a commute in a car and you have a formula for a rounded back and shoulders…should we be doing exercises in the gym that magnify this posture?
If you are going to the gym, your objective should be to reverse the effects of hours of seated posture behind the desk and behind the wheel of a car.
Bench press further shortens the pecs and curls reinforce the flexed arm position and the bike further shortens the hip flexors.
What really needs to be the focus is exercises that strengthen the muscles that keep our shoulders back, not the ones that pull them forward. We need more rowing exercises concentrating on rotating the shoulders and scapula back, such as a rowing movement. We also need to stretch the hip flexors and work all arm movements through the full range of motion and fully straighten the arms in pulling movements.
The rounded back and forward neck posture is not from old age…it is from the way we live and work and can be reversed…I have seen it here in our small studio many times in all ages from 20-80+.
The real key to all this is keeping a well rounded training program with functional movements and working the muscles you can’t see as much if not more than the ones you can see. The result will be feeling great and not looking like grandma or grandpa in your 40s.
For more information on the subjects discussed here, or for any of your coaching or training needs contact John Marshall at totalbodyworks21@gmail.com.
*John Marshall started his career at Baylor College of Sports Medicine over 15 years ago and has been certified and educated through ISSA, ACE, and PFIT programs.
Low Back Pain-Can Exercise Help?
Can Exercise Really Help Low Back Pain?
Author: John Marshall CPT, Coach
Most low back pain I see in the setting of the personal training studio and on the athletic fields and tracks are caused by muscle weakness and imbalances in the hamstrings, hip flexors, lower back muscle groups and abdominals. Excess body weight (especially in the stomach area) has been proven along with decreased activity to contribute to lower back discomfort. Many factors will apply to this study, but without fail the people that were less “functional” meaning-stiff and unstable hips and tight hamstrings and weaker core muscles- always suffer from lower back pain. Ironically this is exactly what keeps them from moving which contributes even more to this vicious cycle. Consequently, it stands to reason that becoming physically fit and taking on a healthy lifestyle may help prevent lower back pain. You may just have to work through some initial pain at first with getting started, but as always, check with your doctor first. By incorporating moderate aerobic exercises and structured strength and core exercises as part of a consistent healthy lifestyle, including good nutrition, you may be able to erase your lower back pain altogether. One of the things that I have seen that helps the most before exercising is a good dynamic warm-up before most activities and for some it is a workout in and of itself, excellent for keeping the body mobile- more on that in future posts.
If you have been diagnosed with back issues of any sort, strain or injury etc. check with your physician before starting any exercise program. If you are working with a physical therapist, ask for some home work to add to what they are helping you through, and continue after the meetings with them stop. I will not go through the different types of movements here in this context because of the complexity of the different kinds of injuries and problems that might be causing the pain in the first place. My recommendation is to hire a professional if you do not have the knowledge yourself, you will thank them in the long run with a healthy back, and less pain in the future.
For more information on the subjects discussed here, or for any of your coaching or training needs contact John Marshall at totalbodywors21@gmail.com.
*John Marshall started his career at Baylor College of Sports Medicine over 15 years ago and has been certified and educated through ISSA, ACE, and PFIT programs.
Who Is The Biggest Loser With Weight Loss Boot Camps
Do Boot Camps really work to lose weight?
Author: John Marshall CPT, Coach
Boot Camps seem to be all the craze these days, with people lining up to be put through a series of lung and heart crushing movements. Great…They look fun and you see people sweating and working hard, but how effective are Boot camps for losing weight and gaining muscle? That is a great question, and one that is hard to answer without all the right information. So, lets un-pack that for a minute…You take an average person with little to no fitness…lets say an executive working in an office environment in Colorado Springs for the past 5 years. A “normal” day for this person starts at 6am with a cup of coffee then blasts out the door for a morning meeting with no breakfast on board. The day consists of more coffee to keep going and no lunch until the 2pm meeting at the local diner and with no good choices on the menu, the burger, fries and soda look good. Back at the office more coffee and the 5pm conference call lasts until 6pm, then fly out the door to grab takeout and bring home for dinner with the family at 6:30pm. Now take a look at what has been going on in this lifestyle for the past 5 years…No breakfast and living on coffee has slowed the metabolism, the body has no choice, we were designed to adapt. Then throw in high calories and large volume at the 2 meal times of the average American…and there we have the countries obesity epidemic. The body has been taught to economize caloric burning from the adaptive design we discussed earlier and taking in high calories in large quantities has taught our bodies to store all the extra calories in adipose (fat) tissues. Can we add in some exercise please? Our test subject joins the local 5am Boot camp fitness, and starts trying to jump right into high intensity Boot Camp training with the hope of losing those 30 pounds gained with the office job. We spoke of this bodies state, it has learned to make movements while burning the least calories, so progress in this state will be slow. Does that mean…”why bother” it will not work for me? NO!!! If our subject joins a Colorado Springs Boot Camp that involves a combination of resistance strength training and cardiovascular work, with a trainer that understands nutrition on the cellular level…you have a great formula. Now add that in with consistency and patience and the will to change that lifestyle for good…you WILL see things happen, This is good news…But nothing changes until YOU DO SOMETHING !!!
For more information on the subjects discussed here, or for any of your coaching or training needs contact John Marshall at totalbodyworks21@gmail.com.
*John Marshall started his career at Baylor College of Sports Medicine over 15 years ago and has been certified and educated through ISSA, ACE, and PFIT programs.
Tips on how to keep your New Years Resolutions
New Years Resolutions- why they don’t work and helpful tips on finding a qualified Personal Trainer to assist you on your weight loss and general fitness goals.
Author: John Marshall CPT, Coach
We all make resolutions every year and every year come February –for some- it is all forgotten. Why?? What makes the difference between someone who sticks with it and someone who lets it fall to the wayside? The reason is pretty simple. Most are made in response to something negative; a habit or situation that the person wants to change or end. And therein lies the problem – it’s hard to develop momentum from a negative response. It is always easier to move toward something than away from something. Consider one of the most adopted goals — weight loss. No one can get excited about losing weight – it requires deprivation. It’s a negative response to concerns about appearance, health, etc. But if someone is motivated by a goal- a dream, something positive- then it’s not just about losing weight. It’s about living a different life. They start seeing themselves differently therefore they act differently and weight loss is a byproduct of living a healthier lifestyle. Being motivated by something positive is easier then depriving yourself- so don’t make resolutions- make life goals- and your success will last. So to help you find the right person for accomplishing your healthy lifestyle goals consider these tips.
-
Are they convenient to get to? If not you will not make it out the door to get started.
-
Do you have a monthly budget for a Trainer? Consider the rewards of a healthy body- no medical expenses for aches and pains and sicknesses.
-
Do they practice what they preach? Do they look fit? Do they follow their own nutrition plans?
-
Are they nationally certified and insured?
-
Do they have testimonials?
-
Do they provide you with a diet and nutrition plan?
-
Do they listen to your individual needs and adapt a plan accordingly?
