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Hifi Fitness Factory. Chicago, IL

There are many well-known advanced training protocols available to serious weightlifters, athletes, and bodybuilders. Some have yet to be proven through evidence based research and others are more about marketing than science. There are also those which have proven themselves to be tried and true, providing results over the decades. They are worthy of the most elite training programs around the world, and offer suffer the flattery of imitation. I decided that the end of the rowing season was the right time to pick one to follow and set up a resistance program for the winter. 

I wanted to try something that had been proven to be effective, would be a significant challenge, and that I had never done before. What better way to screen an approach for use with future clients than to run myself through it? I looked at several well known protocols which have piquing my curiosity over the years and selected what some consider the king of muscle building routines. German Volume Training.

Based on the research I have done so far, German Volume Training is not something that is easily traced back to a specific individual; unlike today’s celebrity workouts no one patented German Volume Training. According to the Charles Poliquin website, it is named after its origin in the 1970’s on the German national weightlifting team under the coaching of Rolf Feser. Vince Gironda is also given credit for popularizing a similar training protocol in the US. It is given much credit for the performance of Germany's Olympic teams of that time period.

So what is it?

GVT calls for a very basic split, and incredibly minimalist workout plans. Oh, so German! (I was sold.) Each workout calls for one exercise per bodypart. That's it. The trick is you perform it for 10 sets of 10 reps. A total of 100 reps per exercise, which is why there are so few in a workout!

Naturally, the exercises must be selected to activate the largest amount of muscle mass, and should be as structural as possible. Emphasis should be given to multi-joint movements; this is not a program based on muscular isolation. Over the course of the program I will be altering the angles of the exercises, swapping similar exercises, and alternating between barbells and dumbbells. It would be foolish to do 100 reps of a flat bench press for 12 weeks, the risk of muscle imbalances and overuse would be too great.

Resistance loads are relatively light, starting as low as 50-60% 1RM. Prescribed increases are also smaller than usual 2.5 - 5% per week, but given the volumes lifted, that seems only natural. I will put together a post when I have completed the 12 week program summarizing my findings. I will be honest. If it sucks I will tell you, and if I suck at it, I will let you know!

So sit back and get ready.

It is about to get Germanic around here.

The Squat

In the effort to give my blog greater consistency and depth, my next few posts will be dedicated to this unbeatable exercise, its many variations, techniques to ensure proper form, and of course more than a few comments on all the ways it is done wrong by many. (I promise, you will either know what I am talking about, or recognize it on your next session in the gym.)

The squat, in all its forms, is perhaps the apogee of all exercises for both its impact on the body, and its functional implications. It is an exercise that everyone should be doing, and it should be the centerpiece of any program. Any program. Sport specific, general fitness, functional movement, muscle hypertrophy, muscle endurance, power, strength; if you can come up with a program, the squat can be modified to match the desired outcomes. Promise.

The squat is a core exercise, and because the spinal column is loaded, it is also a structural exercise. This means that a maximum amount of muscle across the entire body is activated, and the movement pattern is very natural to the engaged muscles, and there are many.

The lower body, the core, and the upper body are are highly engaged in the squat, and even more amazing are the subtle variations that can be made to the Classic Squat to emphasize certain muscle groups over others.

Again when properly performed, the squat is something that can benefit anyone, at all ages, and there are studies to prove this. (References will be thick in my upcoming posts.) If you are unsure that EVERYONE can benefit from squats, count the number of times you sit down in a chair each day. That is a squat. It is also one of the things that squat training has shown to help the elderly do with greater ease.

Stay tuned.

Those certain summer muscles...

Summer has come early to Chicago, it seems. We usually have until June, but it looks like we will have to begin our obsession for the not-so-major muscle that everyone is most concerned with come tank top weather. The Bicep.

Kinematics

The biceps brachii control several movements and they generate flexion about two joints, the shoulder and the elbow. Primarily the bicep flexes the elbow joint, and this flexion is so well visualized by people that most people think of it when they imagine the very sense of the verb. However, the bicep has another very important function, which is the suppination of the forearm. (Palm up) This became quite clear to me after I fractured my radial head; it was impossible to suppinate my forearm, thus it was impossible to contract my biceps. (My sudden inability to recruit that not-so-major muscle suddenly became an obsession.) When the forearm is fully suppinated, the biceps brachii tendon is at full stretch, when you turn the wrist into pronation, the tendon rotates the radius over the ulna and the forearm is pronated. (Palm down)

Kinetics

What does this mean for bicep curls? There are several ways to perform curls, and they all recruit the biceps to a different extent.

When the forearm is fully suppinated as in a flat barbell curl, the biceps and their tendons are under maximum tension, and they will contribute the most force to the curl. As soon as the forearm leaves full suppination and starts to rotate towards a neutral grip, tension is taken off the biceps, and other muscles are engaged, primarily the brachialis and the brachioradialis. So as the forearm pronates, the work by the biceps is reduced.

Lets look at some pictures of my left arm, (Sadly, the right one is still lagging because of the above mentioned fracture) and it becomes quite clear how the muscles of the arm are recruited differently.

1. Neutral grip. Note how when the arm is flexed the bicep remains long.
2. 50% suppinated, as with an E-Z Bar. The bicep is somewhat more contracted.
3. Full suppination. Note both the shortness and fullness of the bicep, it is fully contracted.

Training

What does this mean?

1. Well, for full bicep engagement and maximum recruitment of that muscle, stick with flat barbell curls or suppinated dumbell curls. This will fully engage both heads of the biceps. (Changing hand width on the barbell will alter the recruitment of either the long head or the short head.)

2. The E-Z bar curl is just that, easy; on the wrists. Unless you are recovering from an injury, you should skip E-Z bar curls if the biceps are your primary goal. If you find that your wrist flexibility is holding you back, work on making your wrists more flexible. The flat barbell curl is unbeatable for building thick biceps.
3. When the grip is neutral, you are primarily recruiting the brachialis and the brachioradialis, the biceps are only assisting. This is still a great exercise to use, by all means you want to develop those muscles as much as your biceps, but be sure to understand which exercise recruits which muscles.

E-Z Bar curls and Barbell Curls

On the Use of Weight Belts

The weight belt, to use one or not?

If you ask five people , you will get five different reasons why you should or shouldn't be lifting with a weight belt. Sadly, the most common reason is most likely that people see others wearing them around the gym, or because logically they look like they would be a safe idea. This issue is analyzed in depth in a NSCA Hot Topic Series paper by Stuart McGill, 'On the Use of Weight Belts'.

Below are five particularly interesting points to take into consideration.

1. Lifters with no previous injury appear to gain no benefit from lifting belts.
2. Belts appear to change lifting style, depending on the lifter, they can increase or decrease the loads on the lumbar spine.
3. Lifting belts give people the impression they can safely lift more weight.
4. Injuries that occur while using lifting belts tend to be more severe.
5. Belts appear to increase intra-abdominal pressure and blood pressure.

1

When a neutral spine is maintained over the course of the lift, the stiffness added by the belt is minimal. This means that for the belt to exert a maximal effect, the lifting form must actually be poor! An experienced lifter who always uses clean form and an appropriate weight, will likely not be at risk of an injury, and thus will likely not be in need of a weight belt.

2

It is very difficult, if not impossible, to determine with each lifter whether the belt is increasing or reducing the pressure on the lumbar spine. (A laboratory assessment would be needed.) This means that each lifter is gambling with an possible harmful outcome.

3

When using a belt, an inexperienced lifter may be given a false sense of security. As a result, more weight than is safe may be added to the lift. When inappropriate amounts of weight are lifted, often poor form is employed to recruit additional muscles to move the weight.

4

The combination of points 1 through 3 means that a weight belt, when used by an inexperienced lifter, or even when used regularly by an experienced lifter, creates a compounded risk of severe back injury. Poor form and unconditioned core musculature when combined with excessive weight can result in major injuries to the lower back.

5

Weight belts appear to increase intra-abdominal pressure as well as blood pressure. It is often assumed that this increases stability of the core and reduces pressure on the spine. While increased intra-abdominal pressure does increase core stability, a 1986 study by Nachemson and colleagues shows that increased intra-abdominal pressure also increased, not decreased, intra-discal pressure.

The spine is protected not by intra-abdominal pressure, but by proper form.

A lifter would be far better served by building up their core musculature during lower body / power lifts by using the Valsalva manoeuver, the natural way of maintaining intra-abdominal pressure by holding their breath through most of the lift.

Note: Lifting belts and the Valsalva manoeuver are contraindicated for people with high blood pressure, heart conditions, and an increased risk of stroke.

So who should be using lifting belts?

In short, experienced lifters who are well trained in heavy lifts can gain benefits from lifting belts, but even they should only use them when performing lifts at or above 90% 1RM levels. This means when they are performing maximum lift training or during competitions. The vast majority of lifters in a gym setting would be far better off always focusing on proper form and appropriate loads. Through reasonable overload and careful progression, the large lifts will build many of the major muscles of the body, and keep the back safe and strong.

Reference

On the Use of Weight Belts. McGill, Stuart. National Strength and Conditioning Association 'Hot Topic Series'. March 2005, rev. September 05, 2005.

Put a Hex on your Deadlifts

Barbell rack at Quads Gym, Chicago.

The deadlift is one of the most important core exercises for strength and power training, and when performed with proper form and heavy loads, it will engage all the major muscle groups of the body. An article in the NSCA's Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research compares the biomechanic differences between the Straight Barbell Deadlift and the Hexagonal Barbell Deadlift. The results of the study by Paul A. Swinton and colleagues are very interesting, if your gym has a hexagonal barbell, you may want to add it to your routine.

The study involved 19 male powerlifters recruited from the Scottish Powerlifting Association. Subjects performed both 1RM lifts and submaximal lifts. Markers were placed at 12 different points on the lifters bodies, as well as on the ends of the barbells, this allowed for three dimensional tracking of the markers during the deadlifts.

Kinematics

During the SBD, the load is in front of the lifter, even when the bar is held as close to the body as possible. During the HBD, the lifter is within the bar and the axis of the load is aligned with coronal axis of the body.

Because the lifter is standing in line with the load during the HBD, the moment arms at each joint are significantly reduced. This means less shear force on the joints and greater muscular efficiency. Of particular interest is the reduction of the moment arm in the lumbar spine region, reducing disc pressure. The HBD also results in reduced lateral movements of the load over the course of the concentric action; the straighter the path of action, the more efficient the lift.

Kinetics

While force exerted during the HBD was only marginally greater than the SBD, velocities increased significantly at loads greater than 40% of the subjects 1RM. This means that power exerted during the HBD was significantly higher than that of the SBD. In addition, greater loads were able to be lifted with lower risk of injury.

Application

Choosing which barbell to use can thus be made based on desired muscle recruitment and joint activation. The SBD emphasizes engagement of the musculature of the lower back and hips, while the HBD emphasized engagement of the musculature of the hips and knees. The HBD may be used for lifters that are new to deadlifts, or that have had back problems in the past. Additionally, the HBD may be preferred for lifters seeking to develop power at higher loads.

Reference

A Biomechanical Analysis of Straight and Hexagonal Barbells Using Submaximal Loads. Swinton, Paul A., et al. The Journal of Strength & Conditioning Research. July 2011 vol. 25, no 7. (pp 2001-2009).

Power (Horse)

Talk about your lifts like you talk about trucks. (Just don’t compare the numbers...)

We all know what we mean when we talk about Power, be it in athletics or daily life, but what IS it, actually? Well, physics tells us that Power equals Work divided by Time, where Work is Force times the Distance moved.

P = ( F x D ) / T

I decided to grab a recent set of deep squats and play around to see if I could come up with some real numbers that would speak to a sense of Power.

1 set 10 reps 130 lbs

I took 130 lbs (Keep in mind pounds are already a unit of Force not Mass.) and added 196.2 lbs (90% of my body weight) and 44.1 lbs (the weight of the bar). Multiplying the total weight by 2.25 ft (the vertical distance the bar was pressed) and by 10 (the number of reps) gives 8331.75 foot lbs.

(130 lbs + 196.2 lbs + 44.1 lbs) x 2.25 ft x 10 reps = 8331.75 foot lbs of Work

A nice number to look at, but Work is not Power, and who walks around bragging about foot lbs pressed or pulled during a workout? Divide that number by the number of seconds it took to perform the set to get the Power output:

8331.75 ft lbs / 40 sec = 208.29 foot lbs/second of Power

If we multiply that by a conversion factor of 1.35, we get an average Power output of 249.7 watts.

Not bad! Vigorous rowing on an ergometer typically puts one at 200 watts, so this is a pretty good exertion. Still, doesn’t sound like tearing up the gym. That is because it is an average Power output, the wattage is high when pressing, and drops during the eccentric phase of the squat.

So, what about just one concentric contraction?

(130 lbs + 196.2 lbs + 44.1 lbs) x 2.25 ft = 833 ft lbs / 1.5 sec = 555.33 ft lbs / second

It turns out that a single unit of Horsepower is 550 ft lbs / second, so during one rep, I exerted 1.009 horsepower. HORSEPOWER. Now we’re talking!

In lifting, failure is not an option, it is the goal.

I am new to bodybuilding, but not to fitness. The road started later in life than most, but that gives me an edge since it forced me to be smart from day one. Taking my design sense, I know to go straight for the most important elements.

Foundation : Nutrition; smart and clean and whole. You cannot achieve anything if you don’t eat clean, supplement with care, and preserve the joys of healthy food. A bodybuilder had better be a great cook, if all that gym time is to pay off.

Structure : Responsible training programs; built around compound joint /closed kinetic chain exercises with safe increases in maximum loads ensure that strength and power set the best stage for muscle growth. The simplest, most natural exercises are the safest and most productive ones; they are also the hardest.

Balance : Flexibility, and equal development in opposing muscles ensures training longevity and reduces the risk of injuries. The most vulnerable joints can be protected by a balanced exercise plan that hits all muscles. The infraspinatus and supraspinatus must work equally with the subscapularis in protecting the rotator cuff; the quadriceps and hamstrings, the knee.

Symmetry : The beauty of the body meets its function, a living composition. This is the purest goal of bodybuilding, the thing that maintains the drive, that which stops time on the floor. Building the various muscle groups to work as they were intended; any muscle is only as great at its neighbors. No one muscle overshadowing another, each muscle accentuating its neighbor. Symmetry