How To: Start Over

Whether you've been relaxing on the beach, travelling the world without a gym, or coming back from an injury, getting back to the gym can be a bitch.  And not easing your body back into the swing of things can hinder more than help.  Here are a few pointers for getting back on the wagon--and staying there.

Catch and Release

We all know the human body is lazy.  And while the degree of laziness can vary from person to person, even the most dedicated and well-trained individuals will still fall victim to the body's own energy saving techniques.  If you're seeking an adaptive response, that is, if you want to grow, you'll need to actively counteract these tendencies.  Here are my thoughts on the subject.

Homeless?

In the midst of falling off the wagon, bailing on my original competition plans, and trying to get my shit together again, I've also switched gyms.  There's so much to love about my new "home" and I can't wait to shoot some sweet-ass videos there!  Here are a few things to look for in a gym if you're in the market.

Feel the Burn

Let's be honest, most of us only perform cardiovascular activities to burn fat.  Yeah, yeah, it's good for your heart and lungs, but many of us who take the time to do cardio are more interested in the aesthetic benefits.  I'm not saying there aren't people out there who only care about the health benefits, but they are fewer and farther between.  Cardio seems like such a simple thing to add to your fitness routine--you basically just hop on a machine and go for it, right?  Well, not exactly, there are some basic techniques you can use to maximize the effectiveness of cardio; here are the ones I try to keep in mind at 6 a.m.  Note:  These tips are best suited for "leg-based" cardio--ellipticals, walking, stationary cycling, etc.

Pro Tips: Weights

Want to maximize your results?  Want to train more effectively?  Of course you do.  Here are a few tips to help you improve your relationship with the iron.

Heat It Up

We can all agree that progressive resistance and high intensity training are the key to seeing serious strength and size gains.  But warming up properly is equally important, and in fact, warming up is an integral part of HIT--too few warm-up sets and you could miss out on strength and power during your working set, too many and you'll end up in the same boat.  Here's my guide to a great warm-up (and a great workout).

Flu Season

Well, it's flu season around here, and that means more and more people sniffling through their workouts at the gym.  Here's a few reasons why "working through it" isn't the best idea you've ever had.

Reconditioning Part II

For my previous injury-related post regarding knees, shoulders, and hips, read this.

Back

When initiating a back rehabilitation routine, it is important to remember a few key spinal qualities.  Firstly, and perhaps most importantly, the spinal extensors are static muscles.  Unlike other skeletal muscles, which stretch and contract in order to facilitate movement, these extensors are only meant to hold a static, stable position with a (relatively speaking) very limited range of motion.  To perform this function, the spine is held in place not by one or two pairs of extensors, but by many overlapping pairs of varying lengths.  This network stabilizes and supports the spine, while myriad other skeletal muscles use this layered foundation to rotate, extend, lift, and lower the shoulders, arms, neck, and legs--there are almost no activities which do not affect the back.  This means that this musculature can both withstand and exert an extreme amount of force, making it highly resilient but also highly susceptible to injury--especially if the spine is not supported properly.  And in spite of this strength and resilience, the back is still fairly delicate, so working around an injury involving the back may contraindicate lots of exercises, even for non-affected areas.  Sharp pain is usually a good indicator that an exercise or stretch should not be performed—this is not to be confused with muscular “discomfort” that needs to be explored and pushed!

Reconditioning Part I

My last post covered injury prevention techniques and can be read here.

Let's say it's too late for prevention and you've already hurt yourself in some way.  Whether the injury is severe or mild,  a proper rehabilitation protocol needs to be implemented immediately in order to prevent further regression and inhibition.  You'd be surprised how many people have "life changing injuries" that could have been just "injuries."  Immediate effort to restore function and mobility can be the difference between complete restoration or lasting disability.  Here are some basic rehab techniques for common problem areas.

Injury Prevention 101

When people think about lifting weights, they primarily think about becoming more muscular.  But the benefits of weight lifting extend far beyond that.  As I've discussed previously, weight lifting can have positive effects on both the endocrine and metabolic system.  But pumping iron also aids bone density and strengthens connective tissue--a desirable side effect that is often overlooked.  Working at a physical therapy office, I see a wide range of patients with a wide range of injuries that need to be rehabilitated, but the one trait they share is that their injuries could have either been prevented, or at the very least ameliorated, by strength training.  I'm not saying people don't hurt themselves doing stupid things; I am saying that doing stupid things won't hurt as badly if you develop your body.  Here are a few more ways to help keep yourself from going under the knife.

Tri This

The triceps isn't a particularly complex muscle, but it can be a tricky one to develop properly.  A lot of people have problems in their upper body with symmetry and proportion, and the triceps is no exception (I am no exception either--left side fail!).  Most people have imbalances within the triceps as well, usually caused by chronic imbalances in the training itself, not to mention structural differences and variations in chronic postural tendencies from side to side.  That being said, here are a few pointers to help with symmetry, general development, strength, and size!

Muscular Hypertrophy Basics

There are a few basic, mandatory components to muscular hypertrophy.  If you want to get big(ger), you need to at least be aware of them--ideally you should be using them too.  Ever wonder how the people you see at the gym can lift and lift and lift but never really get much bigger?  It's not rocket science or magic--they are simply not employing proper hypertrophy principles.  First we'll go into training principles, then some systemic stuff.

Never Do It!

There's "lack of ettiquette," and then there's the casually rude things people do out of ignorance.  Here are a few dick moves to avoid.

Going HAM

"I like the way the seam runs up the back of the stocking..."  Yeah, me too.  But what David Lee Roth should have said after that is: "especially when it has to take the long way--cuz she's got such monstrous hamstrings!" :P

Quadzilla!

Finally!  (I wrote this post like a month and a half ago...)  Here it is, my leg training how-to!

Pump It Up

I've kinda talked about pumps before, but let's go into a little more detail this time.  

Firstly, what is a "pump"?  Many individuals can train for months or years before experiencing one.  Seasoned lifters can grow so accustomed to them that the pumps themselves go largely unnoticed.  But what the hell is it?  Mechanically, the "pump" is a profusion of blood in the target muscle caused by the body's natural reaction to muscular contractions.  In addition to cleaning up the cell damage caused by catabolism, your body is also constantly replenishing ATP stores in order to power your muscles.  This causes a major influx of blood to the target muscle, creating mild congestion, e.g. swelling, slight numbness and tingling, as well as a slightly engorged appearance.

Muscular contractions (such as those performed during weight training) originate as conscious effort from the brain.  Basically, an electrical charge innervates the muscle fibers, causing a cascade of effects which ultimately leads to a contraction.  Within each innervated muscle fiber are myofibrils surrounded by sarcoplasm--a calcium rich plasma--within each myofibril are thin filaments formed by actin and myosin.  The electrical impulse from your brain depolarizes the inner portion of the muscle fiber, activating voltage-gated calcium channels which react with calcium-release channels.  These channels react with the sarcoplasmic reticulum (an organelle regulating calcium concentrations in the muscle), allowing the release of calcium, which binds to the actin containing filaments.  This in turn allows a modulation of proteins along the actin chain, allowing the previously blocked myosin filaments to bind to the actin filaments.  In the absence of calcium, this is not possible.  This binding pulls the bands together, resulting in contractile force.  Then, ATP (remember this guy?) binds to the myosin, weakening its binding state to actin and thereby releasing it--resulting in a relaxation of the muscle fibers.

So during muscular contractions, your body is required to replenish oxygen and ATP, as well as remove waste--all of which are done through the bloodstream.  So why have some people not experienced a "pump"?  Muscular contractions are not all equal.  The complete activation of all muscle fibers will require more bloodflow than a contraction where only some fibers are activated.  In a muscle where overload is not being experienced, there will also be less demand for blood.  This is why people who train light or people who don't train well will often go pump-less.  Once again, this is why isolation, overload, and proper form are absolutely necessary.  

How important is a pump in muscular hypertrophy?  There is absolutely no evidence to indicate that muscular pumps in any way correlate directly with growth.  Meaning, just because your quads got hella pumped,  you may not have initiated hella adaptive response (on a strictly acute basis).  Ya feel me?  However, muscular pumps are an excellent indicator of isolation and should definitely be sought in each workout, and are highly effective as a long-term benchmarking tool as well.  It goes without saying that fully activating each muscle--each fiber--will absolutely net you greater gains.  In many cases, this will result in a ridiculous pump as well.  In my personal experience, pumps are a thing of practice and effort; recognizing the sensation aids in isolation and also acts as a reminder to continually improve form.  I also find that those who do not use a HIT approach will have a harder time getting and maintaining pumps (this was me when I first started). 

Additionally, there are some who feel the stretching aspect of a pump to be a desired effect in and of itself.  These folks argue that the fascia (the sheath surrounding your muscle) becomes stretched as the muscle becomes more and more pumped, or engorged with blood.  This is the basis for Fascia Stretch Training-7 (FST-7).  This program involves doing 7 sets per exercise, usually 2-3 sets performed progressively heavier, followed by the remaining sets performed progressively lighter and also in a more rapid succession.  Arguably, this maximizes the pump in the target muscle, literally stretching the fascia by packing more and more blood into the muscle.  The argued benefit from FST-7 is basically that by stretching the fascia out, you are allowing for additional muscle volume to be present.  I've used this in the past as a sort of modified "drop-set," but it's a take-it-with-a-grain-of-salt type thing like everything else.

Muscular pumps can be enhanced by nitric oxide products, i.e. SuperPump, Jack3d, etc.  For my review of NO products, read this.

Dead Like Me

So in my last post, I explained how training too heavy can impact range of motion (ROM) and rep ranges.  Basically, if you can't do more than one rep, or you can do 6 reps but they're all partials--you are training way too heavy!  But training too heavy also impacts form, and form is possibly even more important to pay attention to, especially in those areas where people are tempted by setting personal records for themselves, i.e. Olympic lifts such as deadlifts, cleans, etc.  Ever wonder why you never see people doing PR's on biceps curls?  You're probably thinking "It would be pointless to do that on biceps curls."  Well, it's just as pointless to do it with any other exercise also--the logic is the same in either case.  Deadlifts are a great strengthener for hips, lower back, core, and legs--but they must be performed for reps and they must be performed perfectly!

Tiny Repping = Not So Tiny Failing

One of the biggest crimes people commit against their bodies, in the gym anyways, is performing exercises with too much weight.  Most commonly, this leads to form breaking down and non-performance of full repetitions, or tiny repping.  Although I've espoused the benefits of heavy weight training many, many times, it is important to note that "heavy training" and "training with a lot of weight" are not necessarily the same thing--in fact, they are often not.  The weight used during training is only one aspect of the overload as perceived by your muscles--making the exercise more difficult, i.e. making the exercise feel heavier, can also be done by improving form, increasing the number of reps performed, and most importantly, using a full range of motion.  In many cases this requires a significant reduction in weight.  There are other techniques for increasing difficulty as well, such as pre-exhaustion, but those are pointless if you can't do the elementary stuff.  

Thank You, Chris Aceto

One of the biggest mistakes I made with my diet early on, and even somewhat recently, is eating too much protein.  Sounds weird coming from a bodybuilder, right?  In fact, many high level bodybuilders advocate(d) low protein too: Dorian Yates ate "low protein" during his reign as Mr. Olympia (6 yrs in a row, plus he's arguably the best of all time), and Chris Aceto, nutritionist and prep guru to athletes such as Ronnie Coleman, Kim Chivesky (I can't wait to look like her! :D), Jay Cutler, Mike Francois and others, also advocates low protein.  Chris is fairly well known in the bodybuilding community, and he's considered one of the major "diet gurus," along with Charles Glass, Hany Rambod, George Farah, etc.  His approach is particularly interesting because of the intense focus on low protein diet compositions.

State of Nature

You may be able to see in color, hear in stereo and solve long division in your head, but your body is as unaware of its surroundings as that house plant you can't quite kill or keep alive.  Do you think that because you wear shoes your feet know they aren't touching the ground?  You think because you sit down at a table to eat with a fork and knife your body digests meat any differently than it did 10,000 years ago when you killed it yourself?  You think your muscles know they're lifting steel plates off a stack instead of repairing your shelter or killing prey? You think that's air you're breathing?