The Goal of Your Warm-Up

Being in this industry, I’m always taking to different people about how they train.

One thing that still baffles me, though, is when people say that either:

A) They don’t warm-up at all, they just hit the bar with light weights on their given exercise and “ease” into the session, or
B) They essentially do only A, but precede that with 3-5 minutes on a treadmill or stationary bike.

Let’s look at the goals of our general warm-up, along with how I would set-up an ideal warm-up for a client.

1) The first goal of a good warm-up is to increase tissue temperature. This not only improves the extensibility of the tissues, but heat also increases excitability of the nervous system. Lastly, an increase in joint temperature helps to improve lubrication by decreasing the viscosity of synovial fluid. A warm joint when training is a happy joint.
2) Improve tissue quality. Elite track athletes often get massage immediately before running. Unfortunately, many of us don’t have the same means as elite track athletes, so this is where foam rolling and/or tennis ball work can come in. Improving tissue quality will lead to smoother movements.
3) Increase tissue length. This is where your basic mobility drills come in. As I’ve stated in earlier blog posts, I really like the idea of using micro-mobility drills first (such as Z-Health’s R-Phase), and then progress into drills with greater amplitude/carryover to movement like the drills from Magnificent Mobility.
4) Finally, I like to finish off with activation drills to improve motor control and get the appropriate muscles firing right before I use them. This may be different from what I’ve espoused before, but it seems to work well. I’m also using more activation drills immediately before an exercise regardless of where it is in my workout. An example would be performing a mini-band side step or hip correction immediately preceding a single-leg lift such as a single-leg RDL or lunge. Activate the glute medius, and then strengthen it with some iron work.

Walking on a treadmill simply doesn’t cut it, as it only satisfies one goal of our warm-up (improving tissue/joint temperature). It does nothing to improve tissue quality, activation, or get you anywhere near the joint positions you’ll be reproducing in your workout.

Warming up on your first exercise of choice (e.g. squat, bench, etc.) is great, but think of that as a specific warm-up. What I’ve outlined above is your general warm-up. A general warm-up should help you achieve the four points from above.

Quite simply, a proper warm-up will better prepare your body for the workout to come. It doesn’t have to take an exorbitant amount of time, but it should be an integral part of your program. Your body will thank you in the long run.

Stay strong
MR

Do Less, BETTER!

My good friend Jimmy Smith and I were talking recently about the trend to continue "learning" more. For fitness professionals, it's key to our growth - if you don't continue learning, you'll definitely be left behind.

But at some point, we need to remember the basics.

In our rush to learn more, I think we forget to use or implement the things that WE KNOW work. With the fitness industry ever evolving, there's a tedency to become caught up in all the hype, the new trends, the newest findings. Whatever happened to just getting under the bar and squatting to get stronger?

When it comes down to basics, think super simple - like this:

Don't we know that if our posture is jacked-up we need to fix it?

Don't we know if we want to get stronger we need to keep adding weight to the bar?

Don't we know if we want to lose fat we need to dial-in our diet, build muscle and crank up the intensity of our training?

Keep learning - but don't forget that you already know quite a bit. If you're one of those people who is constantly spinning their wheels looking for the next great diet, routine, or the ever popular "missing link," chances are you'll never make significant improvements to your strength and physique.

When in doubt:

- Step back and see what in your program you can make simpler
- Apply the basic principles that YOU KNOW work
- Train hard and achieve your goals

Mike Robertson

Towel Work for "Dad" Forearms

Let’s face it: No matter how wimpy some older men may seem, most all of them have what you call “Dad” forearms. These puppies were built working on cars, doing heavy labor, and other “Dad” activities.

A simple yet effective way to develop some “Dad” forearms is to add towel work during some of your back workouts. Use chinning as an example: Wrap two towels around a chinning bar at a position where your hands would normally go. Now, crush the towels with your grip and proceed to do your set. You’ll find not only do you get a great forearm and back workout, but you’ll also fall victim to “The Claw.” “The Claw” is the position that your fingers and hands are left in following the set, because they simply refuse to relax!

If towel chins are too difficult, you can always start off with exercises such as seated rows, chest-supported rows, supine rows, etc. So go out, get some towels, and start developing those “Dad” forearms

Mike Robertson

Shut Up and Lunge!

The lunge is one of the best exercises you can do in the gym. Whether your goal is improved performance, wheels of steel, or a bigger total, lunges can help get you there. Lunges are great for balancing strength between legs and developing the entire thigh, plus they lend themselves well to progression methods. Just do them!

(And if you don't know how to lunge, be sure to check out the Building the Efficient Athlete DVD series - where Eric and I depict how to perform over 30 common weight training exercises!).

Just wanted to let you guys know that I have had excellent results utilizing
the information from several of your training products.

As a police officer I work long shifts and my body is often placed under
additional stress from the extra weight that I carry around on my duty belt
and body armour (which can weigh from 10 to 20 lbs). I found that with
work and physical training combined I was beginning to suffer lower back
pain along with tight hamstrings which only compounded the problem. I
tried lots of different stretching to try to loosen the problematic areas,
but it never really seemed to make much difference. It didn't matter how
much I stretched my hamstrings they never seemed to loosen up. I then
purchased both the Magnificent Mobility DVD and the Inside-Out DVD.

After using both these dvd's I began to feel much better and my overall
mobility/flexibility was much improved.

With the success I gained from those DVD's I ended up purchasing "Building
the Efficient Athlete" DVD and "Bullet Proof Knees" DVD. I bought the DVD's
to learn more about how the body works and to try to improve on some
imbalances that I had and to try to prevent any future problems from
developing.

I soon realized that my tight hamstrings were the result of bad posture
problems from a pelvic tilt issue. Stretching my hamstrings was the exact
opposite of what I should have been doing. Instead I learned that I needed
to focus on loosening up the quads and hips more and actually strengthening
the hamstrings. Since making adjustments to my training and doing more
mobility stretching and foam rolling I have been able to alleviate most of
the problems I was developing and no longer suffer the back pain and tight
hamstrings that I used to have to endure.

I believe the above products that Mike Robertson, Eric Cressey and Bill
Hartman produced are a must for anyone who is serious about sports, about
training, and about improving themselves. The DVD's will teach you some
functional aspects of anatomy, but more importantly they will teach you new
ways of thinking that will help you to assess problematic areas. The DVD's
will also provide you with the knowledge to improve the way your own body
works.

I have had great success from these four products and would definitely
recommend them to anyone who's been plagued with nagging injuries, tightness
in their bodies or for those who would like to make their bodies more
efficient and possibly prevent injuries in the future.

Thanks,
Kevin

Lift Strong Friday #4 - Bill Hartman

In this week’s edition of Lift Strong Friday, we’ll be reviewing Bill Hartman’s excellent article “Training Deficiencies for Increased Strength.

I’ve known Bill for about two years now, and I’ll tell you this – I’ve learned more from him in that time than I probably have in the rest of my life. Bill is one of the smartest people I’ve ever met in any field, and he’s got the unique ability to bridge the gap between rehabilitation (he’s a physical therapist by trade) and performance enhancement. I’m not saying Bill knows everything, but he’s an amazing resource.

Bill’s article discussed how to evaluate your weaknesses in the weight room, and how to train your deficiencies for rapid improvements in strength. If you want to water it down to a bare bones level, it’s this – if you’re really fast, focus on getting stronger. If you’re really strong, focus on getting faster. This isn’t rocket science for those who have been doing this for a long time, but Bill goes on to outline specific tests to determine your weaknesses, along with giving you programming ideas to get the best results. If you’ve hit a plateau in the weight room, I honestly feel this article alone is worth the price of the entire CD-ROM.

If you’re interested in learning more about Bill, be sure to check out his website at www.BillHartman.net.

That’s it for this week. Please, if you haven’t already purchased a copy of the Lift Strong CD-ROM, do so TODAY! All the proceeds go to the Leukemia and Lyphoma society to help us wage the war on cancer. Thanks for your support!

Stay strong and have a great weekend!

MR

Eastern Powerlifting Programs

I get asked quite frequently about my opinions on the powerlifting programming of the Eastern Europeans. Now keep in mind this comes from an “average” (at best!) powerlifter, so these are just some observations of mine. Take it for what it’s worth.

From what I’ve seen, the Eastern block powerlifters are masters of high volume/high intensity training. Some great examples lay in the “Smolov” squat workout, or Boris Sheiko’s programs where the competition lifts are often practiced multiple times within the same workout. This mix of high volume and high intensity led to some pretty freaky numbers, especially within the Junior and Open divisions. These lifters also tend to be technical masters – very efficient on the platform. This comes from repeatedly performing the competitive lifts with heavy weights. When they get to a competition, it’s business as usual.

In contrast, it seems as though many of the American lifters are slower to mature and develop. Is it due to a slower, less aggressive approach? I think so. I also think this is why we have some amazing Masters level lifters, with the US quiet frequently dominating at Masters level events. Guys like Brad Gillingham, Greg Simmons, Ray Benemerito, and even ladies like Harriet Hall are crazy strong into their 40’s and 50’s.

The question then becomes, what are you willing to do to get to the top? When do you want to get there? And how much do you care about the long-term health of your body?

For me, personally, I’d rather take a slower approach and be as strong as possible for as long as possible. Peaking in my 20’s and then spending the rest of my life trying to “relive the glory” doesn’t sound appealing to me. I’d rather be strong and healthy well into my 40’s and 50’s so I can enjoy time with my kids, enjoy the latter stages of life, etc. Being beat up and hurt because I was reckless in my youth just doesn’t sound fun.

Please understand that I’m not trying to persuade you one way or the other – only giving you my thoughts and feelings on the topic. I’ve never been in a situation where I was an elite level powerlifter, so maybe if I was my feelings would be different.

Here’s what it comes down to – If time is of the essence and your body can tolerate the workload, Eastern European powerlifting schemes can be a holy grail. You’ll work your ass off and pay your dues, but you’ll be rewarded with some awesome gains.

If you’re interested in a slower, more gradual approach, a more “Americanized” powerlifting program would be in your best interests. Take your time, build some consistent size and strength, and in a few years you’ll be a menace on the platform.

I’ll finish this off with a roughly plagiarized quote from Brad Gillingham to summarize my point:

“If you start benching at age 20 with a 200 pound raw bench press, even if you only add 10 pounds per year you’ll be benching 400 by the time you’re 40.”

And that’s nothing to scoff at!

Stay strong
MR

Make your own Cryocup

Cryocups are a great way to reduce inflammation and kick-start the healing process in the event of an injury. While most places will try to sell you “their” cups with a considerable mark-up, try this homemade version for a cheaper and equally effective alternative.

Take a few small Dixie cups, fill them with water, and put them in your freezer overnight. Once frozen, tear the top of the cup off to expose the ice. Now, holding the opposite end of the cup you can give yourself a deep penetrating ice massage. These little suckers are a lot more potent than traditional icing methods, so enjoy!

Mike Robertson