How much strength is enough?

Posted on February 7, 2012 by Josh

In a post on Joel Jamieson’s 8 Weeks Out Blog coach Rob Paraniello raises an excellent question: How Much Strength Do Athletes Need?

Another way of saying this is – how much strength is enough?!

Coach P mentions the dominance of maximal-effort lifts in modern strength training, and gives a couple of personal stories about the “how much is enough” question:

Coach Parker and I then reminded each other of an incident that occurred during my years with working him at the old New York Giants stadium. At that time both he and I were also studying with a former Soviet Weightlifter and Soviet Coach, Gregorio Goldstein.

On this particular day, Coach Goldstein was also at Giants Stadium, where a Giant football player, David Megget had just easily squatted 427 pounds at a body weight of 178 pounds. When asking Coach Goldstein how to make Megget stronger he replied, “You don’t have to make him any stronger, you have to make him faster”. This comment had a profound effect on each of us to this day.

In a very recent discussion with another renowned Hall of Fame Strength Coach Al Vermeil, regarding a professional baseball player that I am presently training, I posed the question that I am often asked during the rehabilitation and/or performance training of an athlete, “How much strength is enough?”

How much strength does this professional athlete need to successfully play baseball at a consistent optimum level over a long season? This topic of conversation with these, and other legendary strength and conditioning professionals has enhanced my appreciation of this subject matter.

This is a critical question in general, I think.

Coach P goes into a lot of detail explaining different aspects of this question – for instance, the need for different levels of absolute strength depends on the specific sport demand – but I didn’t feel like he really got to the bottom line with his discussion.

Since Aaron Schwenzfeier and I were discussing this exact question this morning, I’d like to add some thoughts to the question, and provide my own answer.

One of the things I said to Aaron this morning was that I regret that the vast stores of data from Soviet and other Eastern Bloc sport-centers hasn’t been mined. The Soviets kept detailed records on every aspect of their athletes’ performance and training throughout entire careers.

In other words, there are detailed records of everything from diet, psychological status, strength programming and measures, sleep, etc., for hundreds if not thousands of athletes in various sport centers in the old Eastern Bloc and Russia.

In his article on coach Anatoliy Bondarchuk, thrower Martin Bingisser notes that the coach:

…does not find a significant correlation between any weight room exercises beyond 55 meters. The bench press is the one exception as it has a significant correlation for throwers until they reach 60 meters. Similarly, in the hammer throw, the correlations with weight room exercises are insignificant past 70 meters.

In an interview with Dane Miller of Garage Strength, Bondarchuk says:

Benching 150k at 8-10meter/second is much better than benching 250k at 1-2 meter/second. Slow, maximal training has virtually no transfer to the throw.

At what point should a shot/disc/hammer athlete stop training maximum strength?

Bondarchuk: A good measure for shot and discus is around a 160k bench, 200k squat, and 150k clean. The discus throwers could incline a bit more for development of the shoulders. At the average level, every exercise is good. Once the shot putter hits 19, 20 –22, the exercises and transfer need to have a much higher correlation.

Backward Causality
I frequently get the feeling that much if not all of what we’re doing in the strength-training and movement-training world these days is actually completely BACKWARDS.

For instance, most of the set/rep schemes we see are based on observed set/rep parameters used by people who have achieved certain outcomes.

That is, the person achieves a certain outcome, we find it desirable, and then we say to ourselves, selves, how did they get there?

We ask them, or dig back into their training logs, and find out exactly what they did to run so fast or lift so much or get so muscular.

Then we create a “training program.” The rationale is – do exactly what they did, and you’ll achieve those results.

Does it work?

Maybe 50% of the time.

The rest of the time it burns people out, alienates them, or otherwise doesn’t work at all…

Not only that, but then you find people with radically divergent “training programs” who have achieved similar results, or people with no “training program” at all who achieve spectacular results (for instance, check out the “training program” of a Tarahumara runner…there isn’t one).

Why?

Mostly because training comes from the soul of the individual.

The best training arises from the depths of the soul. It drives the person. It’s all they can do at that point to steer or guide that drive.

The “training program” becomes whatever is available at hand to train with. Whatever works, works.

Our training programs (for professional athletes, amateurs, and the lay-person who just wants to get fit) are dominated by a “bigger, faster, stronger” mentality driven by a numbers-oriented (OCD) cultural bearing.

Bodybuilding, Powerlifting, and Olympic lifting programs (with the goal of “ever-bigger, -faster, -stronger”) become de rigueur training methods – not because they’re appropriate for the athlete or individual, but because they’re easiest to track…you can “prove results” from them.

Meanwhile, the good movers, with their spirits bursting out of their eyes, who train with passion and…JOY?!…continue to “shock” people when they “come out of the blue” with “incredible” performances or results.

The numbers game is a simple one. Strength training at its best is simple.

Finding that inner fire, holding it close, and fanning it into a raging blaze…those are skills too often forgot, too often discounted.

And the fire of many athletes is extinguished in the vacuum created under the laboratory-glass of “athletic strength training programs.”

Why train?…and how? – Part 1

Posted on February 4, 2012 by Josh

Why do we train? And when we do, what’s the “best” way?

For me it’s helpful to understand what we’re doing in the large and small picture in training.

“Physical activity” is really (literally) simply any movement of the body. It’s better to define “physical activity” in these terms, and use other words to describe specific types of physical activity.

For instance, “exercise” is a specific type of physical activity, one in which we seek to intentionally disrupt homeostasis toward a specific end goal or result.

Gyms or outdoor exercise areas are places we go to create specific types of stress on our systems.

Health
The number one reason for doing exercise is that our body requires exertion and movement to remain healthy.

To be “healthy” is to function optimally (really in all “categories” of human relationship – best defined by the Exuberant Animal Mandala – body, mind, spirit, land, tribe, ancestor) (health includes death). In “health” we disrupt homeostasis and then allow it to return.

If we were to look at “health” as the relationship between the disruption of and return to homeostasis, the variability in this wave (of disruption and return) in both frequency and magnitude (x and y axes) would be a good indicator of overall health. That is, as long as it is truly variable, and not chaotic (i.e., there’s a rhythm there…).

This tenet is true for all living systems. Environments that are more diverse and “variable” (like rain forests) have greater robustness, great resilience, and greater “health” than less-variable environments (like deserts).

Hearts that have greater variability between systole and diastole, or between heart beats, are healthier than hearts with completely “normal” waves (regardless of their amplitude).

click the picture for a fun paper!

Fitness
Fitness is not health or necessarily healthy. Fitness is the capacity to perform a specific task. A person or other animal may be perfectly “fit” for one task (like sitting in the car, at the desk, and on the couch), but completely unfit for another (like doing anything else).

We can train our relative level of fitness for a specific task by understanding the demands of that task, and by introducing those demands to our body in a gradual fashion (again, allowing for the disruption of and return to homeostasis).

Often, simply performing the task itself will get us more and more “fit” for that task. Sometimes this is a very hard way to go, however.

As you can tell, though, certain tasks might limit our variability. They might restrict our range of motion, or the particular ways in which we move. We might end up training ourselves right into a heart attack, knee or hip replacement, or chronic muscular pain.

Sport
This brings up the issue of sport, and sport-specific training. Much of the exercise advice out there is based on sport training, and much of the training advice I’ve seen is based on training methods for other sports (e.g., bodybuilding-type programs being recommended for basketball players, etc.).

Sport almost always demands an extremely high level of fitness in some specific qualities at the expense of all others. The only sport where this may not be the case is the Decathlon – also the reason that the World Record holder in the Decathlon has always been known as “The World’s Greatest Athlete.”

But of course, the decathlete’s general ability comes at a price. Only rarely will any decathlete beat a world record in a particular race.

Social and Cultural Definitions
To do “society” to relate and to create explicit and implicit definitions of relations (rules of engagement) within/among a group of people.

Doing culture, then, is believing, behaving, creating, and valuing in accordance with explicit or implicit socially-defined norms.

Our idea of health (even my very broad definition above), and fitness, (and beauty, and everything else), is socially and culturally defined, maintained, and conditioned.

General Fitness
So can there be such a thing as “general” fitness? I guess the decathlete would be the highest example of the most-generally fit individual. But even a decathlete’s training is very specific.

My short answer is no. All training is specific, whether you want to admit it or not.

Why Do It?
Humans have reached the top of the food chain (as long as we stay in our man-made environments, at least, or carry some powerful technologies with us into other environments).

We call exercise a “work-out” because that’s precisely what it’s designed to do for most of us – replicate the normal physical work our bodies need to be healthy.

Health itself is relatively simple. The most important component of health is happiness.

Happiness generally, and in meaningful relationship with body, mind, spirit, land, tribe, and ancestor. Don’t believe me? That’s okay. Go get really unhappy about it and I’ll meet you on the “other side” to discuss. But you might have to wait a while…

Regular, diverse, and varied movement is healthy. Bio-regional diet is healthy. But happiness is most important.

Want to know how to be happy? Just do it.

Fitness? Let’s save that for the next post!

The top 7 training tips for 2012

Posted on January 16, 2012 by Josh

Just wanted to take a moment and share some thoughts and observations here at the beginning of 2012, that might help to guide you in your fitness pursuits this year.

1. Fitness is not Health
This has been said so many times and in so many ways it seems like old news – which is even more reason to say it again. I was reminded of this old rule watching Dan John’s “Intervention” DVD series recently.

Fitness means being fit to do a certain thing. Health means optimal functioning of the body. They are not the same. People can be extremely fit for certain tasks (and in very different ways) and not healthy at all. Think, powerlifter, or football linebacker. Very fit (for their respective tasks), not necessarily very healthy. Keep these separated when planning your training.

2. “Cardio” is not “Cardio”
This time of year, most people are asking me the best way to lose fat and tone up. “Cardio” is not it.

Traditional “cardio” (jogging, running, etc.) focuses on local muscular endurance in a few muscles. That’s what creates the “cardio” demand. Your muscles need oxygen. Heart, lungs, and veins deliver.

Bodyweight training circuits will deliver the same effect, while creating a greater demand on muscle groups, which will increase calories burned over time, and improve strength (BONUS!).
Using more muscles to create more cardiovascular demand = increased cardiovascular fitness and increased muscular fitness.
My favorite short workout is still the 5-minute Burpee Challenge. If you have a bar available, add a pullup on the up phase of the jump, and a straight leg raise when you get to the bottom of the pullup. I.e.:
squat down
kick legs back
do a pushup
bring legs back up under you
jump up in the air
do a pullup (or muscle-up if you can)
come down to hanging and do a straight leg raise
drop to ground
repeat

Could you do this workout everyday? Sure. Will you?…

PS…if you’re scared of that one, try a simpler 5-minute workout – jump rope continuously for five minutes.

3. Fitness is Simple (not easy)
The physiology of fitness is simple. Upset the homeostatic balance of the body by doing work of a certain type. Allow for the body to recover. Introduce a greater stimulus than last time. Recover, repeat.

What’s most important? Very simple things. See the diagram below from the IAAF:

Focus on the three main attributes 80% of the time, and their intersections 20% of the time.

Pushups or bench press or shot put? Running or jumping rope or rowing or spin-class? Yoga or hot yoga or shadow yoga or pilates or barre method? All exercises within any given “category” affect the same systems, with slightly different emphasis.

For instance, is it possible to do pushups that demand (and generate) “max strength” (i.e. 1-5 rep range)? Of course. For many people, a quality standard pushup will be a max-strength effort. If a quality stand pushup is too easy (meaning, you can do more than 1-5 repetitions), try elevating your feet. If that’s too easy, try 1-arm pushups.

What’s your relative level of ability in the Big Three (Max Strength, Speed, Aerobic Endurance)?

2012 is the perfect time to work on your weak-spots.

4. Diet is Simple (not easy)
Eat real food that’s bioregion-specific.

Need more detail? Go to your local farmer’s market or visit a farm or three. Read the book “Plenty.”

Use the interweb for something other than Angry Birds – find the farms within 200 miles of your home and eat from them for 80% of your food. Grow food at home. Cook simply with delicious ingredients.

5. Health and Fitness are a Personal Path
To paraphrase my friend Scott Phillips – “Any fitness path/system works.” It’s a matter of finding the one that resonates and sticking with it.

Want to “get in shape” – i.e. change your shape to another shape? You’ll have to find a reason that’s compelling enough to continue over time. Forever.

I met someone recently who “used to do Crossfit.” They even continued for a while after recovering from a shoulder dislocation (sustained doing Olympic lifts). But then, the magic faded, and now, they’re looking around again (and “out of shape”).
As Su Dong Chen says – “Seek possibilities, avoid seeking limits.”
Whatever floats your boat is great. Just make sure it isn’t the same thing that’s going to sink your boat. And, as Eben Pagan says “No matter how far you’ve gone down the wrong road – turn back.”

Shameless self-promotion – I’ll be releasing a new e-book shortly that will be a program anyone can follow for as long as they live that will continually create improvement over time. Buy it.

6. Health and Fitness are Culturally-Bound
If you know me, you’ve been waiting for this one. Not only are definitions of “health” and “fitness” culturally bound and determined, but the way those things are enacted are similarly so.

Recognize that your concept of the possibilities or limitations of your ability come from your larger culture (for instance, the US culture, which is largely capitalistic, mechanistic, reductionist, Protestant Christian, conservative, and detached from nature or natural cycles (and detached generally)), your individual culture (your “social circle” and family), and your internal culture (your own prejudices and beliefs…some of which may need further consideration).

Realize that your diet, your workouts, your work, your play, your entire life, all have been shaped by the cultures you were brought up in. Realize and recognize those influences, then choose the path you really want.

7. Stop Sweating the Small Stuff – Stick to the Basics and Keep Going
Finally, it’s easy, all too easy, to get lost in the minutiae. It’s what we humans are good at as animals. Finding things like “the one best way” or the “right” answer to questions is what we do best (even though we both create the question and the “correct” answer).

Stop worrying about “ultimate” “bests” and “corrects” and that stuff and go back to fundamentals. Go back to the most basic of basics for whatever it is you’re interested in. And do that.
It worked for John Wooden. It’ll work for you too.

Those are my tips for 2012! Want more info, drop me a line, or subscribe to the LIFT newsletter, or to this blog feed…

Bodyweight Training – why, what, when, where, and how?

Posted on November 14, 2011 by Josh

Local Parkour facility Parkour Visions posted this talk of Charlie Moreland discussing bodyweight training.

Great talk!

AND…

I agree with his early assertion – “We can do what you can do, but you can’t do what we can do.”

This is often true, because movement is a skill.

So, if you practice doing the bench press often (laying on your back), you get very good at that movement-skill.

If you practice the progressions Charlie recommends, your nervous system gets much more greatly enriched.

That said, weight training still has its place. I just prefer to limit it.

Weight training has become popular in the past few decades as a way to rapidly change physique.

It also matches up with a cultural tendency to isolate things – we do “isolation” exercises like biceps curls, triceps pushdowns, etc., in much the same way that we isolate ourselves in other ways…

Free weights offer an easy way to “progress.” And, being less demanding on supporting muscles than bodyweight only training can be, it’s often easier to “bulk up” on free-weight programs than on bodyweight programs.

So what’s the best?

For the average person, the best is – diversity of movement.

Yes, I know I’ve discussed the SAID principle at length in this blog. The fact is, that’s true. You get what you train for.

But the average person wants to train for LIFE itself. There’s no “competition” date…or rather, every day is a competition…to feel good, to stay exuberant, to be healthy, to have energy.

There are a zillion ways to approach this, but at this point in life, my favorite is this:

Pick one “classic” barbell exercise: Squat, Deadlift, Clean and Jerk, Snatch, Overhead Press
Pick a few full-range-of-motion bodyweight movements.
Pick one movement practice – dance, martial arts, walking or hiking, climbing, etc.

Do your classic lift twice a week. Day one work up to a 1-3 rep max. Back off and do 2 or 3 sets of 3-6. Wait 72 hours. Do that lift again but do 60% of your 1-rep max, and go for 4 sets of 3 explosive (or, preferably, ballistic) reps.

Do your bodyweight training every day. Mix it up if you want. Stop with gas in the tank.

Do your movement practice every day.

In other words, use weights for “strength training.”

Use your body to move better.

Smolov Intense Cycle, Week 2 day 1

Posted on October 25, 2011 by Josh

Yesterday was week 2 day 1 of the intense mesocycle in the Smolov program.

After the Exuberant Animal seminar all weekend, I was pretty damn sore, and a little worried about how things were going to go.

But I dug deep, and pulled off the 5 sets of 5 reps with 300 pounds on my schedule.

There were primal screams. No question.

One thing I’ve begun doing is some light percussion on my legs between sets. Kind of like what this guy is doing in the “pummeling” section of this video:

It’s actually helped quite a bit.

That and Doug Heel’s Muscle Activation techniques.

How to burn massive amounts of calories – all day long

Posted on October 25, 2011 by Josh

What’s the secret to the thin person’s physique?

I think I’ve figured it out.

After years of exercising, and ten years of training other people, I’ve found the single most important secret to physique attainment.

And you know what? It isn’t diet.

That is, if you have this thing, you can eat pretty much whatever you want and still achieve your physique goals.

And it isn’t even any specific exercise program.

You can exercise in the way that suits you best and still achieve your physique goals…as long as you have this thing.

What is it?

Before I tell you what it is, let me highlight two things:

1. After you read what it is, you’re going to say “I already knew that,” or “Oh yeah, right,” and you’re going to want to ignore what comes next – which is the most important part. So fight this tendency.

2. The word may be familiar to you, but the meaning is much different than you think.

So what’s the secret?

Intensity.

Now wait! Remember what I said above! Don’t just go “oh yeah, blah blah, I’ve heard of it, I already know that, etc.”

If you really do already know it, and you already have the physique (or level of performance ) you want, then yeah go ahead and leave – read a different post.

But if you haven’t already achieved your physique or fitness goals, give me another 100 words to explain.

“Intensity” doesn’t refer to a specific type of exercise. It does not mean “interval training.” Sometimes intensity demands interval training, but it does not mean that.

Intensity is a mindset that is applied in action.

In any action.

Scientific research has shown that any exercise of sufficiently high intensity will significantly increase metabolism throughout the day, burning more calories, and bring you that much closer to your physique goals.

But we already know that. And I still have ten words left to get to the real point.

Here they are:

Intensity is a mental state.

Science shows that it doesn’t matter whether you’re at 70% of your VO2 Max for 30 minutes straight, or if you lift weights at 90% of your 1-rep max, or if you lift weights at 80% of your 1-rep max.

How can this be?

Well, the body reacts the same way to a disruption in homeostasis. It has to re-balance the system. Disrupt that balance however you want – if the disruption is great enough, you’ll boost metabolism and see incredible gains.

My point here is this – you will never disrupt your metabolic balance enough until you have trained yourself how to be (think and act) with intensity.

Want to know more? Leave a comment with your thoughts below.

Smolov Switching Microcycle – Day 2

Posted on September 29, 2011 by Josh

Yesterday was Day 2 of the Smolov Squat Program switching microcycle.

As I mentioned in the last Joshtraining post, the switching microcycle is intended to develop speed/power between heavy squat mesocycles.

Yesterday was Power Cleans with 115. Eight sets of 3 was relatively easy, and I wonder if I’ve really underestimated my Clean & Jerk max. Whatever the case, I was able to generate a lot of speed and focus on form.

Tomorrow is heavy box squats! Twelve sets of 2!!!

The Smolov Retest – Week 4, day 1

Posted on September 19, 2011 by Josh

So today was the re-test. The results are in. Was Smolov effective?!

Well, my initial (underestimated) 1RM was 285. Today’s test put me at an “easy” 335.

Am I pleased? YES. Here’s why…

Last winter I was squatting 385 in a box-squat. My hips were not breaking 90 degrees of flexion, and even then it was all I could do to get that weight up.

Trying to go heavier was out of the question, as was trying to go deeper with that same weight.

Moving up to Seattle, getting established, and celebrating the birth of my son, I wasn’t focused on heavy lifting. I did conditioning workouts – circuits and the like – but nothing like heavy back squats.

It gave me some time to think.

I realized I’d been breaking one of my cardinal rules – I was sacrificing structure (or “form”) for position (or “execution”).

By going really heavy in a “powerlifting” style squat, I was sacrificing mobility and good spine-position in my back squat for being able to get a lot of weight up.

Speed was out of the question, since the whole system was straining just to keep itself together.

Taking a step back and treating Smolov as a form/speed training program, I did it the way I should have been doing it all along – focusing on good form, good speed, and building from there.

Doing squats this way takes any of the guesswork out of the equation – set up correctly, focus on structure, form, and proper execution, and the back squat is no more (or less) dangerous than getting out of bed in the morning.

Skip any of those things, and you’re asking for injury.

I’ve got the rest of this week “off” (which means light workouts with a TON of recovery work) and then I start up the “bridge” program in Smolov.

I’m really looking forward to the rest of the program, and will keep you updated as it goes by!

Smolov Week 3 day 3

Posted on September 16, 2011 by Josh

My workout update…the Smolov Squat Program, week 3, day 3.

Today was a nice 7 sets of 5 repetitions with 260 pounds on the bar.

As I mentioned in my last post on this workout, I intentionally put a low number as my starting 1-rep maximum squat. The Smolov program spreadsheet from StrongLifts automatically fills all of the percentages for the program based on your 1-rep max.

Having a new baby boy at home and a few other responsibilities to manage, I figured it would be good to start a little lower than my true 1-rep max.

The boy himself!

Sleep is at a premium in my home these days, so recovery requires a lot of other tricks like eating plenty of protein (two scoops of Muscle Milk Naturals immediately post-workout, or immediately upon waking on off-days), eating plenty of greens (plus a scoop of my favorite greens-drink every day), occasional fish-oil supplementation (I’m not super-consistent with this), Tiger Balm on sensitive spots right before bed, and plenty of STRETCHING!! Yes, STRETCHING! (more on that in another post)

Anyway, today was 7 sets of 5 with 260. Since I underplayed my 1-rep max, I’ve really been focusing on FORM and SPEED with this series. I’ve also kept my rest-periods low (below two-minutes per set) on all workouts.

As Erik Blekeberg says – Mastery is practicing the basics.

The Smolov program is nothing if it is not that – constant repetitive practice of the basics. I’ve felt my form improve SIGNIFICANTLY since starting the program, which has also improved my speed and endurance.

Tomorrow is 10 sets of 3 with 270. In tomorrow’s post, I’ll share some “secrets” I’ve been using in addition to those recovery practices listed above.

The Best Way To Train

Posted on July 23, 2011 by Josh

What is the best way to train for a particular attribute, or to achieve a particular goal?

What are the specific loading parameters I should use?

What is the best training program?

These questions are the ones that personal trainers get loaded with constantly.

And the correct answer is – it depends.

What does it depend upon?

Well, there are three immediate things I can think of:

The trainee’s preferences, likes and dislikes
The trainee’s physical composition – build, muscle fiber type, etc.
The trainee’s state of capability at the present moment
The trainee’s history of activity
The ultimate goal

And last but not least – or rather, FIRST but not least!

The trainee’s DESIRE – the “fire in the belly”

Personal preferences is what we’re all born with. It’s the “nature” in the “nature/nurture” equation. From the moment we’re born our unique construct chooses certain things over others. We’re attracted to sounds, sights, and smells differently than anyone else ever has been. We select elements of the environment to focus on that are unique to us. We begin to construct our selves.

A trainee who attempts to train in ways contrary to this construct usually set themselves up for injury, frustration, and oftentimes failure.

The parameters of muscle physiology and human response to exercise have been very well laid out (check out my post on the fundamentals of weight-training physiology for an idea).

What guides the individual in their pursuit of their goal? It’s their DESIRE.

Without your DESIRE, you will sit like a bump on a log. It’s true of any goal in life.

With DESIRE, people will achieve incredible goals seemingly in spite of not having good resources, not having the “ultimate” plan, the “best” training tools, people time and again achieve superhuman outcomes.

The examples are too numerous to mention. Look around, ask around, ask for the person who defied all odds, who beat the best at their own game with less time, money, or equipment. Ask about the ones who never stopped.

I have to thank my good friends Erik Blekeberg and Charlie Reid for joining me in the conversation that led to this post.

As a trainer/coach, it’s easy to get caught up in the search for “the best” methods for your clients (or for yourself). But looking back over the years, the method that got results was the one that resonated, that stuck, that made the fire of DESIRE higher in the person.

So how do you stoke this fire? I’ll discuss that in the next post.