Robertson Training Systems

Random Wednesday

It’s been a while since I did a “random” post, so I figure today was the day to get back in the saddle. This will actually just serve as my newsletter for the week as well, as I'm traveling to Louisville for a mastermind group early Friday morning and won't be able to pull one together.

Let’s get right into it!

ANOTHER chance to save $50 for the 2010 Midwest Performance Enhancement Seminar

Believe it or not, I’m still getting e-mails from people who want to attend the seminar, but missed the cut-off for the early-bird registration.

Could I charge them full price? Sure – but that doesn’t mean I want to.
Instead, for the next 10 people that sign-up, I’ve got a way for you to still get that early-bird rate. Here’s what you need to do:

Follow this link to add the product to your cart.
On the right hand side, enter the discount code IFAST, and click the "Apply" button.
Continue checking out and enjoy the 50 bucks I just saved you!

This is it though! If you want in for the $149 rate, you MUST be one of the next 10 people to sign-up. After that, it’s $199 going forward. Sign-up today!

New Guest Blog Post

I’m not sure how many of you hang out at DaveDraper.com, but I recently wrote a guest blog over there that may interest you. This post covers some of the best cues I’ve learned from Dan John via his books and DVD’s. You can check it out at the link below:

The 4 Most Important Thing I've Learned from Dan John

Writing Reference Texts is HARD!

Much like my boy Eric Cressey, I’m helping write the new IYCA High School strength and conditioning manual. I’m actually writing the chapter on strength training, and let me tell you this: This is NOT easy!

I’ve done plenty of writing in my day, but writing a reference text like this takes it to the next level. You can’t just randomly say – I do this because…You have to actually support everything with some sort of science, research, book, etc.

Blogging is a cake walk compared to this stuff. Hopefully I’ll be done in the next week to 10 days so I can get back to blogging, as I have some really cool stuff I want to pull together for you guys.

Many Thanks for the Birthday Wishes!

As many of you know, yesterday was my birthday. I generally try and keep things like this under wraps, but things like Facebook have pretty much blown that out of the water J

As I was looking at my page yesterday, though, I’ve got to admit I was almost overwhelmed with the love and support I received. It made me realize (once again) how blessed I am to be doing what I do for a living, and being associated with such great people.

As always, THANK YOU for your support over the years. Days like yesterday make all the difference in the world.

That's it everyone. I apologize for the light week, but with the meeting this weekend and trying to pull this chapter together, I'm pretty short on time. Have a great weekend and be sure to register for the seminar ASAP if you're interested!

All the best

Mike

(To read and post comments for this entry, visit http://robertsontrainingsystems.com/)

Pulling Up Your Bench

For whatever reason, my bench has been feeling great lately. I feel like I need to knock on wood so as to not jinx myself, but I can’t tell you how good it feels to have some decent bench pressing sessions.

Even when I was competing in powerlifting, I had some serious issues with my bench press. At my first meet ever, I benched an anemic 250 pounds. What’s worse, it stayed that way for almost a year and a half!

Over the course of the next 3 years, I tried damn near everything in an effort to bring it up.

I tweaked my set-up.

I did more geared work to “try and learn the shirt.”

I tried every known tricep and lockout exercise known to man.

Even at a heavier bodyweight, my best bench press in competition to date is 335. For a 198 pound guy that competes in geared powerlifting, that’s just not an acceptable number, especially when your competition squat and deadlift are almost 200 pounds over that!

Over the past couple of weeks and months, I’ve had a lot of time to think about the bench, and what I need to do to improve it. Watching our former intern, TJ, take 335 for a triple has obviously lit a fire under my ass as well, especially since he was about the same bodyweight!

After thinking about all the pressing and triceps work I had done, I started thinking that the only thing I hadn’t done was put a focused and dedicated effort into bringing up my pulling numbers. Sure, I’d always focused on maintaining structural balance, but it was more of an effort to maintain balance versus getting aggressive in the opposite direction.

Quite simply, I decided I was going to put a premium on bringing up my horizontal and vertical pulling numbers and see what happened.

As I was coming to this conclusion, I read an article by Eric Cressey where he discussed how much rowing he had done in an effort to rehab his shoulder and avoid surgery. What he found, however, was that as his upper back got stronger and stronger, his bench went through the roof!

(BTW: Here’s a link to that article – Seven Habits of Highly Defective Benchers. Eric and I also discussed this at length in our Podcast).

Over the past four weeks, I’ve had some of the most productive bench workouts of my life. I feel stronger, more stable, and for the first time in a long time I feel like I’m on my way to setting some PR’s. But, the only reason it feels this way is because I took a step backward and addressed what I feel were some underlying issues.

If you’re reading this and feel like it could help you out, here’s what I’d suggest. It may not be “6 Weeks to Jakt Gunz” or “8 week and 50 pounds on your bench”, but I feel there are some simple, yet effective tips here that should help you out over the long haul.

1. If you’re really weak or unstable, go back to the basics.

Scap prehab work like Y’s, T’s and I’s sure isn’t sexy, but it’s the foundation for scapular stability. For people with extreme scapular instability, try slowing down the tempo (1-5-1) and only performing 3 sets of 5 reps in each position. If you’re a little better off, use these with a more moderate tempo (1-2-1 is fine).

2. Drop the weights and get your scaps moving.

When I watch most people perform pulling exercises, they are very quick to dominate the movement with their arms. This is a combination of two things – strong arms and weak backs.

Instead, think about actively pulling through your elbows – this will help you initiate the movement with your back. From there, you also have to finish the movement with your scapulae as well. On horizontal pulls, think about retracting hard and trying to make your scapulae touch each other. On vertical pulls, think about touching your chest to the bar and pulling your scapulae into your back pockets. This will really help you focus on scapular depression. All this will come in very handy when you return to heavy benching and start dialing in your set-up.

3. Forget about pressing – start your workouts off with pulling.

Instead of pressing first in your workout, start off every upper body workout with some heavy pulling. Hitting the pulls first when your fresh ensures a greater level of intensity.

Obviously, chin-ups/pull-ups are a great option. My new personal favorite is the chest supported row – I really feel like as my chest supported row goes up, so does my bench press. And if you’re in the market for a new CSR, Elite’s (www.elitefts.com) is the best on the market, bar none.

On vertical pulls like chin-ups, pull-ups, lat pulldowns, etc., think about squeezing your shoulder blades DOWN, as if you're trying to tuck them into your back pocket. You can see in the video below my goal is to touch my chest to the bar, and actively "depress" my scapulae.

On all your horizontal pulls like dumbbell rows, chest supported rows, etc., think about squeezing your shoulder blades BACK and together.

Training scapular retraction AND depression is critical. These are the exact positions we want our scapulae in when we set-up for a big bench, so make sure you're training these motions within your workouts.

In a perfect world, I would recommend doing this for 2-3 months. Trust me, your pressing numbers will suffer minimally, if at all. And when you switch back to making them your lead-off lift, you’ll be rewarded with more stability and strength.

4. Get (and keep) your wrist in alignment.

This final tip isn’t related to pulling strength, but it’s something I’ve really noticed since taking the RKC. A TON of people I work with (myself included) have a tendency to lose strength through their wrists when bench pressing. As they lower the bar to their chest, you can see their wrist roll backwards, taking them into hyper extension, and worse, losing strength.

Next time you bench press, make a concerted effort to grip the bar as hard as possible, and really keep your knuckles pointed towards the ceiling. This little tip alone could help you score a PR in your next session.

Summary

This isn’t the “sexy” option to benching more weight, but for many of you reading this it could be holy grail, at least for a while. Once the back is stronger and you return to heavy pressing, focus on dialing in your set-up – my “Yo, How Much Ya Bench?” article should help in that regard.

Trust me, I’m still not setting the world on fire with my bench press. But as someone who has tried damn near everything in an effort to bring my bench up, I really feel like this has some merit.

Make a dedicated effort to bring up your pulls, and you should be rewarded with some nice progress in your bench press in the long run!

Stay strong
MR

(To read and post comments for this entry, visit http://robertsontrainingsystems.com/)

Understanding Your Abs

There’s been tons of talk lately about the abs, and even more specifically, the rectus abdominis (RA). After all, everyone wants that lean, sexy six-pack before summer hits, right?

Here’s the problem: We’re still caught up in outdated training methods, and not focused on what science has brought to light over the past 5-10 years. Let’s take a quick look at the actual anatomy of your abs, as well as the various functions that your RA provides.

Anatomy

The RA is a large, beaded muscle that runs from your xiphoid process and bottom of your rib cage to your pubic symphisis. It’s interesting (and important) to note that instead of being one long, continuous muscle, the RA actually is broken up into several smaller sections. But more on that later.

The RA has several well-defined roles, along with some lesser-known roles, too. Let’s examine each.

Functions

The primary functions of your RA include:

-    Trunk flexion/Resisting Trunk Extension
-    Posterior Pelvic Tilt
-    Transmission of “hoop” stresses

Let’s look at each in a little bit more depth, as this is where the story starts to unfold.

Trunk Flexion

Any trainer or fitness enthusiast who knows anything can tell you the RA can promote flexion of the trunk. This is why you’ve seen the ridiculous number of ab rollers, Bender balls, and other gimmicky guru crap being sold at 2 am in the morning for decades.

The idea, initially, was that sit-ups were the best to promote this flexion movement pattern. Then, people started looking deeper and decided that sit-ups placed too much compressive loading on the back, or that they didn’t “isolate” the RA from the hip flexors. Thus, crunches were deemed better for “isolating” the abs and keeping the back healthy.

The problem, however, is that while your RA is capable of producing trunk flexion, the underlying anatomy leads us to believe that this role isn’t nearly as important s the fitness industry has given it credit for. At the Chicago Perform Better Summit in 2007, world reknowned spinal biomechanist Dr. Stuart McGill went so far as to say that if your RA was really there for crunching and trunk flexion, instead of having the beaded sub-sections, you would have one long, continuous hamstring instead!

We also need to ask ourselves another question: At what cost are we crunching? This is where we have to examine the big picture. Will trunk flexion help “bring out” our abs? Maybe – but at what cost? When we examine the big picture, we start to realize several things.

1 – Trunk flexion works to shorten our RA. Doing so exerts a downward pull on our ribcage, effectively pulling us into an increased thoracic kyphosis or “slouched” upper body posture. Not only is this aesthetically unattractive, but virtually useless to us as weight trainers, fitness enthusiasts or athletes. By pulling our body into an increased kyphosis, we lose the ability to get our scapulae into the appropriate positions and increase the likelihood of shoulder and rotator cuff problems.

2 – Research by McGill and others has shown that repetitive flexion/extension of the spine is injurious. Our spine only has so many flexion/extension cycles in it; once we hit a certain threshold, we get injured!

Mike Boyle has a great analogy here – it’s like a credit card. Bend a new credit card back and forth and, initially, it bounces back. But if you continue to bend that card, you eventually start to see a white crack. Continue to bend it back and forth, and over time that crack leads to a break. Your spine is not much different.

Here’s another way to think about this – instead of thinking about promoting movement, start to think about how your muscles work to control or resist various movements as well. In this case, your RA not only promotes trunk flexion, but it also works to resist trunk extension! It’s not rocket science, but it’s a huge step forward in your thinking. Far too often, we only think of how muscles work in an open-chain, textbook definition, instead of what they do in real life.

However, there might be some exceptions to this rule - I can think of a few high-end athletes who might need some judiciously included trunk flexion in their programming. For most of the population, however, hopefully we can agree that crunching and trunk flexion movements probably aren’t in the best interest of our bodies.

Posterior Pelvic Tilt

The second function of the RA is to promote posterior pelvic tilt, and/or to control pelvic alignment. We can thank Florence Kendall and her fantastic book Muscles: Testing and Function for tuning us into this one.

(Note: If you are unfamiliar with the concept of force coupling or pelvic alignment, definitely check out my “Hips Don’t Lie” article.)

While many are focused on upper vs. lower RA, it only has one common nerve supply and therefore can’t be isolated into upper and lower sections. Instead, what I feel most people are really focusing on when they think upper vs. lower abs is the difference between movements that promote trunk flexion, and those that control pelvic alignment and/or resist trunk extension.

Many people assume that exercises like leg throws and ab wheel rollouts must hit their “lower” abs harder, because they get so sore following these exercises (especially when compared to crunches). The primary difference, however, is that these movements emphasize the negative portion of the lift. Eccentric exercise has been proven time and again to increase delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS), so it’s not so much that you’re training different muscles as it is that you’re shifting the type of training stress. Or it could just be that you’re doing something “new”, which is also virtually guaranteed to make you sore. It’s not necessarily better, it’s just different. But I’m getting a little off target here; I digress.

While the RA does promote posterior pelvic tilt (or gets us back to neutral if we’re in an anterior tilt), it’s rarely the key to the puzzle. For instance, Kendall cites the differences when testing someone’s strength in a curl-up/crunch versus a leg lowering exercise. Often, you’ll see someone with no issues passing a curl-up test, but give them a leg-lowering test where they have to control pelvic alignment and they get crushed.

In this case, it’s not so much a matter of having a weak RA as it is weak external obliques. Try this: Have your client (or yourself) set-up in a pillar hold/plank position with a PVC pipe along their spine. There should be three points of contact; the back of the head, the upper back, and the glutes. Often, you’ll see clients who can keep their hips up, but they exaggerate their kyphosis and lose their 3 points of contact. This is a classic instance of RA dominating the external obliques.

Instead of using all the muscles of the torso to promote core stability, their rectus dominates and “shortens,” pulling them into a slouched position through the upper back. This is something that you’ll see time and again when testing/training both the general population and athletes as well.

Transmission of Stresses and Force

The final piece of the puzzle is promoting or transmitting “hoop” stresses that are generated from the obliques. This concept was originally promoted by Porterfield and DeRosa in their book Mechanical Low Back Pain.

The idea here is simple – instead of working to promote movements around the lumbar spine, the RA (along with the rest of the abdominal muscles) was primarily there to prevent movement and transmit forces! Again, this was a huge shift in thinking.

After reviewing McGill’s Ultimate Back Fitness and Performance for the 1000th time, I ran into this fantastic quote:

“Isometrically training the rectus is consistent with its architecture and stabilizing function to enhance performance and power development in the hips and extremities.”

Quite simply, stop moving and start stabilizing!

Think about a baseball player, for instance: Where does he generate his strength and power from?

I’ve never, in my entire life, seen a big hitter who didn’t have seriously jacked hips and thighs. The premise is simple: The hips/thighs store energy, and upon initiation of the movement transmit that energy into the ground. The ground reacts, transmitting force up the leg, through the core, and into the hands and the bat.

This is a fundamental concept – the core doesn’t promote the power itself. Instead, it transmits the power that the hips and thighs have generated.

This is why I’ve written almost a half dozen articles on the need for core and lumbar stability – and I’m not even going to get into rotation in this newsletter! If you’re looking for training ideas, be sure to check out my YouTube page as well.

Lastly, I had an entire lecture on core training in the Indy Performance Seminar DVD series, and Eric and I talked in-depth about core training and core exercises in Building the Efficient Athlete. Both can be found on the Products page.

Quite simply, if you want to get the most out of your abdominal training, you’d be well served to focus on exercises that optimize pelvic alignment and train your body to stabilize the lumbar spine.

Not only will you stay healthier, but you’ll perform better to boot.

Stay strong
MR

(To read and post comments for this entry, visit http://robertsontrainingsystems.com/)

Re-Building the Reverse Hyper

As everyone knows, I'm a huge fan of powerlifting. It has provided a great link between my athletic career and my love of strength training. More importantly, I feel like the sport has molded me into the person I am today.

One of the most influential people for me when I was starting out was Louie Simmons. When I first learned about Louie, Dave Tate and Westside-style training, I printed off every single article I could get my hands on. To this day I still have binders full of powerlifting related articles written by these guys and their cohorts.

Quite simply, Louie, Dave and now Jim Wendler have all played a huge role in my thought process as a powerlifter, coach and athlete.

Now I know many people have a love/hate outlook on Louie, but I don't think anyone can refute the fact that he's dedicated his life to the sport of powerlifting and taking it to the next level.

One thing that Louie has discussed in numerous articles is the reverse hyper and how it helped him rehabilitate numerous back injuries. I've been thinking about this exercise for years; unfortunately, I've often come up with more questions than answers.

Some of the questions I'm hoping to answer today include the following:

- Are reverse hypers effective for the rehabilitation of low back issues?

- Will reverse hypers develop a strong posterior chain using the prescribed exercise technique?

- Are there alternative strategies that are safer and/or possibly more effective?

Please do not take it any of this as a jab at Louie Simmons. The guy has given more to the sport than just about anyone, and I have the utmost respect for him. The goal is not to disparage him whatsoever, but to critically examine the reverse hyper exercise, and to outline alternative techniques and/or exercise that could be safer and/or more efficacious.

Before we get into the guts of the newsletter, I want to make a few things clear:

- By powerlifting standards, I'm probably not considered "strong." My best squat was 530 and my best deadlift was 535 pounds.

- Like many powerlifters, I have injured my back before. It's never fun.

What I'm getting at here is that I'm not the strongest guy you'll ever meet, and I'm definitely not bulletproof. My main reason for writing all this up is to help refine and optimize the training process.

If I can help someone hit a PR total, or just stay healthy over the long haul, then I feel like I've done my job.

The Promise of Reverse Hypers

While you might happen to find one of these machines in your local gym, you're much more likely to find them in a key club or powerlifting-based gym. Reverse hypers have been espoused for years to develop the muscles of the posterior chain, specifically the glutes, hamstrings and lower back.

Beyond the muscle-building effects, reverse hypers have also been touted as a great device for low-back rehabilitation, and I think that's where I have some issues. Here are just a few of the quotes I've found from various sources when discussing the reverse hyper:

The Reverse Hyper is very therapeutic for the low back because it rotates the sacrum on each rep.

One other very important machine, the Reverse Hyper machine, will not only build the hamstrings, glutes, and spinal erectors but also traction the low back by rotating the sacrum and rehydrating the disks.

The real secret of this machine is that it tractions the vertebrae while you use it so it builds strength and works at restoration at the same time.

Exercise technique would include lying on the pad, grabbing the handles, and using the muscles of the posterior chain to extend the weight upwards. On the way back down, momentum is used to traction your back, and the weights are often allowed to come back to a point where the feet are underneath the face. From what I've seen, a lot of momentum is employed throughout the exercise.

When we look at the biomechanics of the exercise, I have some doubts as to just how safe it would be. Here are a few of my concerns:

1 - To begin, we know that loaded spinal flexion is a huge no-no. In fact, it's one of the easiest ways to herniate a disc in your lower back! In the case of the reverse hyper, so-called "optimal technique" would involve not only a high degree of flexion in the lumbar spine, but a tractioning force as well. I cannot fathom how high the forces must be on the intervertebral discs and posterior elements of the spine and connective tissues.

2 - While most people should be queued to extend with their hips, I would imagine that many would simply extend via their lumbar spine instead. If you've seen most people move, you know that have very weak gluteals and cannot produce extension via their hips.

So instead of hip motion, you get repeated flexion and extension of the lumbar spine. Couple this with the fact that it's all performed under load, and you make a bad situation worse.

3 - Finally, I know that many lifters have used this exercise to rehab their lower backs. While I don't have the immediate stats in front of me, I believe something along the lines of 50% of all low back issues resolve themselves without any treatment or therapy.

It's impossible to say what percentage of people who use a reverse hyper get "healthy" or not due to the inclusion of this exercise in their programming. Instead, the point I'm trying to make is that a lot of people get healthy in spite of what they do, not because of it. This is important to note, especially in the rehabilitation setting.

While gathering my thoughts on the topic, I decided to see what Dr. Stuart McGill has to say about the topic. Here are his thoughts (from his Ultimate Back Fitness and Performance" book):

The hip extension (reverse hyper) machine is an excellent trainer for hip extension but imposes a large posterior shear load on the back. It will create back troubles in some and should be considered with great caution.

A substitute exercise that I often see people recommend is a similar variation placed over a Swiss ball. McGill has thoughts on that as well:

The reverse back/hip extension exercise once again causes very high posterior shear forces on the back - it is not recommended.

If you ask me, that's pretty direct advice from the most notable spinal biomechanist in the world today.

The Other Side of the Equation....

The question then becomes, if the spinal biomechanics don't make sense, how does this exercise help some people get healthy? Could this in fact be an ideal exercise for some people, while a terrible one for others?

This is the discussion that Bill and I had the other day. If you haven't read it before, this would be a good time to quickly read over my Hips Don't Lie article.

Many powerlifters (and athletes in general) walk around in a position of anterior pelvic tilt and lumbar extension. If we want to get them back to a more neutral alignment, we need a program that emphasizes strength in the external obliques, glutes and hamstrings. The reverse hyper readily addresses two out of those three areas - by producing a stress that creates posterior tilt, we take someone who is in anterior tilt back to neutral.

Let's dumb it down even further: If someone has extension-based low back pain, this exercise could be invaluable for helping to get their butt and hamstrings stronger. I may have some issues with the technical performance of the lift, but strengthening the glutes and hamstrings is a must at some point in the program.

In contrast, I can't think of any situation where I would recommend this exercise to someone with flexion-based low back pain.

In my opinion, the effectiveness of this exercise boils down to the type of low back pain you suffer from.

Building a Better Reverse Hyper

The question then becomes, what can we do to optimize reverse hyper performance? Even if someone has extension-based low back pain, I'd have a hard time prescribing that they go through repeated cycles of lumbar flexion and extension.

To improve performance, we can start by eliminating the most stressful portions of the lift. Simply reducing the range of motion on the eccentric portion of the lift and not allowing lumbar flexion will go a long way to reducing shear forces on the back.

Next, as suggested by Bill Hartman, we could move to a prone-on-elbows position. This would put someone in a more neutral low-back alignment, and encourage a more hip-dominant lift.

Finally, we could take away the momentum, lower the weight, and make sure we're using the appropriate muscle groups to do the work. I remember a discussion I had years ago with Brad Gillingham, where he mentioned he was using very lights weights and focusing on the hip extension portion of the lift. I could be wrong but I seem to remember him saying he was only using 50 pounds or so on the lift. This is pretty significant, because the guy has been powerlifting for close to 20 years and still routinely deadlifts well over 800 pounds in competition!

Conclusion

I've done my best to be un-biased and look critically at the evidence both for and against use of the reverse hyper. I think that, as is typically recommended/prescribed, the exercise has a very high cost:benefit ratio, and as such shouldn't be employed in strength programming.

However, with some minor modifications, you have an exercise that not only spares the spine, but develops the glutes and hamstrings to a high degree as well. This is something that would benefit not only athletes, but your average day-to-day client as well.

The devil is truly in the details, but I'm hoping that this post not only leads to some improved powerlifting totals, but improved longevity and resilience regardless of your fitness goals.

But I'm also interested - what do you guys think?

Do you use reverse hypers? And if so, do you find them valuable to your training?

I look forward to your thoughts below!

Stay strong
MR

(To read and post comments for this entry, visit http://robertsontrainingsystems.com/)

Total Football Training Review

As I’m sure many of you have noticed, San Francisco 49’ers strength coach Duane Carlisle recently released a new product titled “Total Football Training.” I actually wrote a preliminary blog about it last Friday, which I’ll link to below:

Total Football Training - An Early Review

As promised, I took the time to review the entire product over the past 4 days. Below you’ll find the many things I liked about the product, as well as a few things I disliked. Enjoy!

The Things I Liked

* The energy system training.

It’s physically painful for me to see strength and/or football coaches who write in energy system training such as gassers, 400’s, and other heavily glycolytic training mediums like into the conditioning programs of football players. It reminds me of the days when my high school basketball coach made me run cross country to get into shape!

Most football plays last between 5 and 6 seconds, with 30-40 seconds of rest in between. As a result, a well-conditioned football player should not only be able to perform repeated bouts of high-intensity work, but they should be able to do so without shifting into the glycolytic energy system (or at the very least, minimizing this shift).

To do this, you need very specific conditioning workouts/program design. Not only is this included in the programming, but also it’s then further broken down into examples for the various football positions (QB, RB, WR, DL, OL, etc.)

* The program balances ALL aspects of training.

While we all know that strength training is important, we also see tons of strength coaches who feel that the weight room is the only factor to a football player’s success.

This program is quite holistic in nature. You see a focus on soft-tissue quality, mobility, movement training, strength training, conditioning, and even recovery.

Quite simply, this program will help build well-rounded athletes, not just guys that look great in the weight room or on test-day.

* A focus on recovery.

I love this concept. I know people want to label kids as soft these days, but they’re also under more pressure than ever before.

Recovery is something that so few talk about, yet it’s such an integral component of the training process. You can train as hard as you want, but if you don’t recover from said training, it really does you no good.

I wish more people would give the recovery side of the equation more credit.

* A focus on stability AND strength.

While many coaches get enamored with the numbers game, very few seem to be focused on developing the stability of their athletes.

A bench press is a great predictor of upper body strength, but what if that same athlete can’t perform a solid push-up because their core is too weak or unstable?

Stability is a huge key in not only injury prevention, but performance enhancement as well. It was great to see stability being emphasized in this program.

* Every exercise in the program is demonstrated.

Every exercise that was in the manual/program was outlined in the DVD’s as well. Quite simply, you could actually SEE each and every exercise so you would understand how Coach Carlisle wants you to perform them. This is a big plus, as many products skip over this, assuming you know how to do them.

* A comprehensive and complete off-season workout, right out of the box.

Hands-down, this is the most comprehensive football product I’ve seen.

Every aspect of training is programmed: Mobility, flexibility, speed and agility training, strength and power training, the works. It’s then broken down into different cycles and laid out so you have 8 weeks of training, which is perfect for high-school age athletes who finish school at the end of May and get back to training camp the first week in August.

Finally, you have sections on nutrition and recovery that I feel will be overlooked, but are actually some of the most needed sections in the program.

At the end of the day, you have a full-offseason workout in the palm of your hands.

And while I feel this product is fantastic, there were a few things that I thought could be improved upon.

The Things I Disliked

* Some of the nomenclature used to describe movement/stability.

While reviewing the first two DVD’s, I found myself constantly nodding as the philosophy was outlined.

Until I got to the section on core training.

As happy as I was to hear about stability training, neutral spine, core stability, etc., I still can’t vibe with the notion that we’re getting said stability from the TVA.

Keep in mind the issue here isn’t so much with the concepts, because I love the idea of pillar strength/core stability and agree that most athletes need to develop this qualities. What I don’t agree with is the notion that we’re getting said stability from the TVA.

Biomechanics rant over :)

* Some of the exercise videos and descriptions.

The only other thing I didn’t really like about the package was I felt some of the exercise videos were a little rushed. And keep in mind here, I’m a stickler for this stuff – I want exercise technique to be top-notch, so this could just be me.

An entry-level coach could take this product and use the descriptions within to keep people from injuring him or herself in the gym, but it doesn’t give the specifics that I would like to see to really refine and improve technique.

Summary

All things considered, this is a fantastic product and one that I sincerely hope a lot of people will purchase. If you’re a youth, high school or even collegiate-level football OR strength and conditioning coach, I feel this is a must-have product.

And please note – I said football OR strength coach. As we all know, we need to be on the same page from top to bottom. If everyone understands why gassers suck and we need more intelligent energy system training, everyone is going to get more out of the process.

Coach Carlisle’s Total Football Training product is on sale through July 31^st, so if you are interested in picking up a copy, be sure to check it out via the link below. You’ll not only save yourself $100, but you’ll be getting the most comprehensive football-training product I’ve seen to date.

Total Football Training

All the best

Mike

(To read and post comments for this entry, visit http://robertsontrainingsystems.com/)

Distance Running - Is It Healthy?

(Note from MR: This week and next I'm going to rehash some of my most popular newsletters to-date. If you aren't already a subscriber, be sure to fill out the form on the right-hand side and get tons of free stuff!)

A few days ago, I reviewed a NY Times article which espoused the benefits of running on joint health. If you'd like to see my entire write-up, I've provided the blog link below:

Running Blog

The biggest issue I had was when the author stated that the best way to keep your knees healthy was to "not get injured."

Really? It's that simple, eh? (Cue Canadian Flag and maple syrup)

So that got me thinking - how many runners get injured every year?

And while I know people love to run, what can they do to prevent injuries?

Part of the problem at hand is you have people like Jillian Michaels from the Biggest Loser espousing that "distance running is the best way to lose weight." Obviously I'm biased because I think strength training and other forms of energy system training (EST) are superior, but let's see what kind of information is out there.

My goal was to go into this without my typical bias towards running. I did, after all, compete in cross country in high school!

Let's begin by going over some of the relevant research that's available first and foremost.

Jacobs SJ, Berson BL. Injuries to runners: a study of entrants to a 10,000 meter race. Am J Sports Med. 1978;6(2):40-50.

In this study, Jacobs et. al provided a questionnaire to 451 entrants of a 10k race. 47% of the entrants had suffered an injury in the past 2 years. After digging a little bit deeper, the following factors were associated with injury:

- More miles per week

- More days per week

- Faster race pace

- More races per year

One final note: The questionnaire also covered treatment of said injuries, and in this case 76% who received care had reported good to excellent recovery.

Lysholm J, Wiklander J. Injuries in runners. Am J Sports Med. 1987;15(2):168-71.

In this study 60 runners were followed over the course of a year. Out of those 60, 39 suffered injuries. What's even scarier, out of those 39 participants they actually suffered 55 injuries! That means that many of these runners suffered multiple injuries within the same calendar year!

The study goes on to compare the differences between sprinters, middle distance runners, and marathoners. I was most interested in the middle distance runners, because this description covers the "recreational" runner who saunters into your facility. Not surprisingly, the most often injured areas to these runners are backache and hip problems.

This confirms a lot of what we see at IFAST - the prototypical "rec runner" has terrible core and hip stability. Typically their first 2-3 months with us is just building these up to more normal levels so they can resume training.

One final point to note: This study mentions that marathoners were actually injured less frequently than sprinters and middle distance runners per 1,000 hours of training. Now, I'm not ready to take this 100% at face value, as a whole host of factors need to considered here. Quite simply, there's a profound difference between the training styles of all three types of athletes including training intensity, what constitutes "training" (marathoners just run for a long time, sprinters run really fast then take long breaks, etc.) , but it leads me to the following question:

Could it just be that people who run marathons are biomechanically more efficient and basically born to run compared to their lesser counterparts?

It's definitely something to take into account.

Macera CA, Pate RR, Powell KE, Jackson KL, Kendrick JS, Craven TE. Predicting lower-extremity injuries among habitual runners. Arch Intern Med. 1989;149(11):2565-8.

In this study, 583 runners were followed for one year. In that time frame, 252 men (52%) and 48 women (49%) suffered injuries. This study wasn't particular illuminating, but it did confirm that

- One of the greatest risk factors for future injury was a previous injury

- You were at increased risk if you'd been running less than 3 years

Marti B, Vader JP, Minder CE, Abelin T. On the epidemiology of running injuries. The 1984 Bern Grand-Prix study. Am J Sports Med. 1988;16(3):285-94.

The researchers in this study used a questionnaire to determine the injuries of participants in a 16 km race. Out of 4,358 male runners, 45.8% had sustained injuries in the previous year. Risk factors for injury included more mileage, and a history of previous running injuries.

Following our earlier thinking, this study went on to describe that in 33-44 year olds (1,757 participants) the number of years running was inversely related to the incidence of injuries.

Walter SD, Hart LE, McIntosh JM, Sutton JR. The Ontario cohort study of running-related injuries. Arch Intern Med. 1989; 149(11):2561-4.

In this study, 1680 runners were followed for one year. In that time frame, 48% suffered at least one injury. Again, the greatest risk factor for injury was a high mileage.

Most importantly for our purposes, runners who were injured the previous year were at 50% higher risk for a new injury during the follow-up period.

Summing up the Literature Review

While this is definitely just a cursory review of the literature, it definitely provides us with some food for thought. Here are the cliff notes, in case you didn't read all that!

- Per the research above, anywhere from 45-65% of runners will be injured in a given year.

- Running mileage seems to be heavily associated with injury.

- Previous injury is a great predictor of future injury.

- New runners seem to be at increased risk when compared to older runners (not necessarily in regards to chronological age, but "running" age).

My Current Thoughts on Running

After reviewing the literature, here are some thoughts I have in regards to recreational distance running:

- I'm starting to think that running isn't that far off from the Bulgarian system of weightlifting. If you're unfamiliar with the Bulgarian system, it's best described as a meat grinder. Take a ton of athletes, put them through intense workouts multiple times per day, and whatever comes out on the back end comprises your Olympic team.

Is recreational running really that much different? It's not on the same level with regards to volume and intensity of training, but sit back and think about that general premise for a second.

Several of the above studies mention that those who have been running longer are actually less likely to get injured. Again, it comes down to biomechanics - who is biomechanically designed to run? Those people who are genetically gifted and built to run typically do so more successfully, and with fewer injuries than their counterparts. The Bulgarian weight lifting team is going to be comprised of the guys who can best tolerate the workloads associated with their sport.

Running is no different. While everyone thinks the can run, it's more selective than we give it credit for.

Let's take it a step further and think about it in this regard: Michael Phelps wouldn't be the greatest swimmer in the world if he was 5'2" with a short spine. Usain Bolt wouldn't be the greatest sprinter in the world if he was 5'10" or had stubby legs.

I'm sure people will hold me to the stake for comparing elite/Olympic level athletes to recreational runners, but the point I'm trying to get across is that whether you want to admit it or not, genetics play a role. Great runners are genetically predisposed to run. Recreational runners, on the other hand, are not only going to be less successful, but they'll generally take more lumps along the way as well.

- I'm still shocked at how many runners think "time off" is a magic bullet. Research clearly shows that if you've been injured before, you are at an increased risk to get injured again! The car analogy gets a little overplayed, but it makes great sense - if a car is out of alignment, putting it in the garage for a few weeks will keep it from getting worse, but it won't address the problem. The second you take it back out on the road and start cranking things up, the underlying issues are still there.

- Along those same lines, if you DO get injured, it's in your best interest to determine what your biomechanical issues are and address them ASAP. There is no magic bullet - but if you really enjoy running, you're going to have to do MORE than simply run to get healthy.

At IFAST we typically use a multi-faceted approach that incorporates soft-tissue work, mobility training, acute corrective strategies, strength training, and even static stretching to address the underlying issues.

If you don't fix what needs fixed, you're going to be left spinning your wheels.

- Finally, for those of you just getting into running (or getting back into running), you absolutely, positively must ease into your mileage. Again, it's been proven time and again that running mileage is heavily correlated to injury.

Returning to our car analogy, the longer you drive that car the more any little issues are going to be exposed. The same thing holds true for your body - the further you run, the more those little flaws or asymmetries are exposed.

This was meant to be a quick and dirty blog post, but it turned into something much, much larger. Hopefully if you are a runner, or work with runners, it's provided you with some insight into getting (and keeping) people healthier over the long haul.

In the future, I'll be sure to review some more literature on the topic, along with provide insight into our training methods. Until then, good luck and good training!

Stay strong

(To read and post comments for this entry, visit http://robertsontrainingsystems.com/)

Total Football Training

Total Football Training - An Early Review

As promised, I took the time to review the entire product over the past 4 days. Below you’ll find the many things I liked about the product, as well as a few things I disliked. Enjoy!

The Things I Liked

* A focus on recovery.

I love this concept. I know people want to label kids as soft these days, but they’re also under more pressure than ever before.

And while I feel this product is fantastic, there were a few things that I thought could be improved upon.

The Things I Disliked

Summary

Total Football Training

All the best

Mike

(To read and post comments for this entry, visit http://robertsontrainingsystems.com/)

2010 Midwest Seminar Updates

As many of you already know, the early-bird registration for the 2010 Midwest Performance Enhancement Seminar is rapidly approaching.

In fact, I'm pretty some of you are purposely trying to spike my blood pressure by waiting until the last minute to sign-up!

Regardless, this is one of a few reminders I'm going to give you between now and the 24th - if you register on or before July 24th, you not only save $50 of the registration fee, but you'll also get access to a FREE one-day seminar on A-Z business training the day before the seminar!

Seriously everyone, this is a can't miss deal. Sign-up today and save yourself some cash, and me from an early heart attack!

One more note: Unfortunately, Brian Grasso will no longer be in attendance. With Brian living in Canada now, it's harder for him to present and travel abroad as much as he does. Again, that early heart attack is looking more and more likely. :)

However, I've contacted Evan Osar and he's going to step in with a fantastic presentation on the hips. Evan is a very sharp guy, has been on the Perform Better tour for the last couple of years, and I think you're really going to enjoy his presentation.

The Essentials

Date: Saturday, August 28th

Time: 9 am - 6 pm

Location: Indianapolis Hilton Northeast

Pricing: $149 Early Bird (registration prior to July 24th) - Includes FREE A-Z business seminar w/Pat Rigsby on Friday the 27th

$199 (after July 24th and at the door)

Continuing Education: We have been approved for .5 NSCA CEU's

The Presentations and Schedule

8:30 - 9:00 - Registration

9:00 - 10:00 - The Single-Leg Solution - Mike Robertson

10:10 - 11:10 - How to Load the System for Functional Speed - Lee Taft

11:20 - 12:20 - Hips, Hips and More Hips - Evan Osar

12:20 - 1:30- Lunch

1:30 - 2:30 - Finding Hidden Opportunity in Your Fitness Business - Pat Rigsby

2:40 - 3:40 Energy System Training for Field Athletes - Bill Hartman

4:30 - 5:30 - Kettlebell Basics: How to Integrate Kettlebells Into Your Strength & Conditioning Program - Brett Jones

To get registered, simply follow the links below:

Download the Seminar Flier

As always, any help or support to let people know about the event would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance for your help!

I'm looking forward to seeing you in August!

All the best

Mike

BTW - Both Perform Better and Elite Fitness Systems will be sponsoring the event, so I hope that everyone who attends will get some free schwag as well. Just another added incentive to attend!

(To read and post comments for this entry, visit http://robertsontrainingsystems.com/)

The RTS Tweetchat

Everyone -

As promised, tonight I'm going to do a live Tweetchat at 8 pm EST.

In case you aren't sure about a Tweetchat, or how to get involved, here is a brief write-up that I posted before:

The Single-Leg Tweetchat

The Hashtag we're using for tonights event is: RTS1 (someone else was using RTS, and I don't speak French!)

Once you're registered and logged into the Tweetchat system, all you have to do is sit back, relax and chat away! I'm hoping to have some really good discussion, so be sure to stop by, even if it's only for a few minutes.

Take care and I'll see you tonight at 8 pm!

All the best

Mike

(To read and post comments for this entry, visit http://robertsontrainingsystems.com/)

Turkish Get-Ups Step-by-Step

One of my goals of late is to really dial in and focus on the quality of my movement, and that of my athletes. And one of the exercises that I’ve really tried to develop within my coaching and teaching repertoire is the Turkish get-up.

The Turkish Get-up is a fantastic exercise, and while I have espoused some of its benefits before, I think it’s important to recap a few of those here.

In this one simple drill you get a whole host of fantastic benefits, such as:

Core strength and stability
T-spine mobility
Hip mobility
Hip extension (glute) strength
Gleno-humeral (shoulder) stability
Body awareness and proprioception
Etc.

However, one of the biggest issues I see is when people have no clue how to coach or execute the exercise. A while back, I actually had a gentleman who came to me and thought the only goal was to stand up from the ground while keeping the ‘bell overhead.

Instead of going through all the requisite motions, he actually just did an explosive crunch into a deep squat, and then stood up!

And while that’s impressive, that’s not exactly how it should be done :)

Today, I’m going to take you step-by-step through how I coach the Turkish Get-up. At each point I’m going to give you the following:

The name of the step/position. This isn’t RKC speak, this is what I use with clients/athletes to help them remember all the various positions of the lift.
Pictures from the front and/or side.
Specific coaching cues. Again, these may or may not be RKC specific, but it’s what I’ve found works well with my clients and athletes.

And finally, before we get started, I want to make a few general comments about the lift and my write-up:

Technically, Lance (my model) should have been looking at the kettlebell from the starting point, up until the split-stance/half-kneeling position.
DO NOT go out and try this Day 1 with a heavy kettlebell. Work through the positions/steps with body weight first, or even with a shoe on your fist (aka the Extreme Naked Get-up by Brett Jones).
Please take the time to really feel this lift out. I often tell my clients to pause for a 2 count at each position, as if they’re getting their picture taken at a photo shoot. Beginners are notorious for blowing through this lift, and not really milking all of its benefits. When in doubt, slow it down!
The seasoned veterans who come across this may not jive 100% with the pictures, how I coach the lift, etc. Keep in mind; my goal isn’t to refine perfection here. Rather, the goal is to get more people performing Turkish Get-ups in a safe and effective manner. I will reference some places where you can learn the finer details at the end of the post.

So without any further ado, let’s get into this!

Step #1 – Starting Position

In the starting position, think about “packing” your shoulder/shoulder blade down and back. We’ll assume you’re holding the weight in your right hand, as that’s how we’ve demonstrated it throughout this progression.

If you’re holding the weight in your right hand, your right knee should be flexed with your heel back near your buttocks, and your left leg should be slightly abducted (away from your body) with your leg straight. I will often cue people to “lengthen” through their heel to get their core turned-on. This is the starting position.

Step #2 – To the Elbow

The first motion is a crunch to get up to your left elbow. Dan John uses the term “punch and crunch,” and I sure haven’t come up with anything better!

So you’re going to crunch and punch, but also drive through your right heel as well. If you combine this with lengthening through your left heel, it will be much easier to keep your left leg straight and fairly flat on the ground.

One key with the crunch is to think of leading with your t-spine or chest. You don’t want your chest caved over. Instead, think about really exaggerating keeping the chest up and out (good thoracic spine extension).

Step #3 – To the Hand

There isn’t too much to think about in this transition. You’re simply shifting your weight from your left elbow to your left hand. Focus on keeping the right shoulder packed and tight to the body, and keeping your chest up and out.

Step #4 - High Post

This is where the TGU really gets fun, and its “corrective” benefits really start to shine through.

From the “on the hand” position, you’re going to actively drive through your right heel into a high bridge. The key here is getting hip extension, versus lumbar spine extension. Keeping your chest up and out from the onset of the lift should help here. Think about squeezing that right cheek hard to get those hips up!

I often cue my clients/athletes to really hold this position for a 2 count, to milk the benefits of this position. Beyond just the hip extension/glute strength, you’re also getting some fantastic shoulder stabilizing benefits on the left-hand side as well.

Step #5 - Sweep the Leg

If you’re a child of the 80’s, you remember this quote:

“Sweep the Leg, Johnny.”

Unfortunately, lame movie references are the only thing I can remember at this portion of the lift. From the high post position, think about sweeping your left leg back to a point where your left knee is on the ground underneath your body.

One of the issue you’ll often see here is a loss of lumbar neutral. If your client has poor hip mobility, they may not be able to maintain a neutral spine, which could cause issues over time.

Cue them to keep their chest up and out and their lower back flat whenever possible. It may also help to have them think about “lengthening” their spine.

Step #6 – Up Tall

From the previous position, this is another smooth transition. All you’re going to do is subtly rotate your left lower leg so it’s straight and in-line with your body, and straighten your torso so you’re up tall.

Once you’re in the “tall” position, this is an opportune time to check everything else: chest up, long spine, shoulder packed, etc.

As I mentioned previously, your eyes should be on the kettlebell throughout most of the lift. This is the first time where you’ll take your eyes from being focused on the kettlebell, to focused straight ahead.

Step #7 - Stand-up

Congratulations! Once you’ve hit this point you’re exactly halfway through one repetition!

All kidding aside, from the half-kneeling position you were just in, you’re simply going to perform a split-squat to stand up to the top position. I’ve heard arguments about exactly how people want this done, but I like to err on the side of simplicity here. Stay tall, drive through your heel, and stand-up to a point where your feet are next to each other.

Step #8 - Reverse Lunge

From the top position, it’s time to work our way back down.

Take an exaggerated step backwards with your left leg, lowering under control until your left knee is on the ground. Focus on staying tall and tight through your midsection, and keeping your shoulder packed throughout.

Step #9 - Windshield Wiper and Hip Hinge

Once you’re set-up in the half-kneeling position, it’s time to start winding the lift up. Begin by finding the bell with your eyes, and doing the “windshield wiper” motion with your left lower leg to get it back into position.

From here, I want you to think about lengthening your spine and actively driving into your right hip. If you do this correctly you should be able to maintain a fairly neutral spine, and get a killer stretch in your right hip as well.

Step #10 – Sweep the Leg

More Karate Kid references come into play here as well.

On the transition back, we don’t tend to focus on the high bridge as much. Sure, it’s a great component of the lift, but it’s a little bit more awkward getting into the right position this time around.

Instead, I’ll often integrate a lower “high bridge” at the same time I’m sweeping the leg through. This portion of the lift is a little bit more athletic verus robotic, in my opinion.

Step #11 - To the Hand #2

You’re in the home stretch now! From the previous transitional position with the hips extended and legs straight, simply drop your hips back down to the ground.

At this point, though, don’t just flop to the ground! Keep your right shoulder backed, t-spine extended, etc.

Step #12 - To the Elbow

Virtually identical to the point above – stay under control! Right shoulder packed, t-spine extended, etc. Control and own this last portion of the lift.

Step #13 - Start/Finish

Woo-hoo! Congrats on performing ONE perfect Turkish get-up.

More on the Turkish Get-up

As I mentioned throughout this piece, I can’t possibly cover all the details of this intricate lift in a blog post.

If you’re interested in really taking your technique and performance to the next level, I would highly recommend either picking up a copy of Gray Cook and Brett Jones’ “Kalos Sthenos” DVD and manual, or actually attending an RKC/HKC event. The book/DVD can show you tons of cool tips and tricks, while the live event will get you hands-on coaching, which we all know is invaluable.

Summary

As you can see, there’s a lot to this lift. I hope the instruction I’ve provided above will help you improve and refine your technique.

As well, if you enjoyed this post, please take a moment to Retweet it, Share it on Facebook, or simply e-mail it to a friend or family member who might enjoy it.

That’s it for today. Enough reading – get out and perform some TGU’s, will ya?

Stay strong

(To read and post comments for this entry, visit http://robertsontrainingsystems.com/)

We Are Live!

Everyone -

As you can see, the updated site is finally up and running. Woo-hoo!

However, there are still quite a few bugs/kinks to be worked out. As I've mentioned numerous times, I'm also in the process of updating my shopping cart/e-mail software as well, so things might be a little buggy over the next week or two.

Regardless, definitely take a few minutes to poke around. Here are just a few of the cool new functions/pages you'll find:

The blog feature is much more powerful now. Whenever you visit a post you can see when it was posted, how many people have commented, and when you click-thru you can immediately post it to your Facebook or Twitter accounts.
Along with the above, I think we've finally sorted out our RSS feed issues. That means that not only Google reader should be good to go, but the iTunes issues as well.
I've swapped my old Products format out for a newer version that looks more like a shopping cart. We're working on getting all the pictures uploaded, but the purchase links still work if you're interested :)
The newsletter archives are down for the time being, but only because I'm working on some cool new stuff to upload. If you aren't already subscribed, I would highly suggest doing so - I have some awesome things in the works for all my subscribers.
The Resources page is getting a facelift as well. I hated how random it looked before; now you're going to have a streamlined look and feel, with products actually sorted by type so you don't have to wander aimlessly through a bunch of products.
The Podcast page is updated as well. Again, a more streamlined look so you can quickly and easily find the Podcasts that most interests you.

Overall, I'm quite pleased with how this is all coming together. If you run into any bugs or issues along the way, please send us an e-mail at info@robertsontrainingsystems.com and we'll do our best to address it ASAP.

Thanks for all your support and enjoy the updated site!

All the best

Mike

(To read and post comments for this entry, visit http://robertsontrainingsystems.com/)

YOU Choose My Next Product

This is something I've been thinking about asking you guys forever, but I just hadn't gotten around to it.

Everyone here knows I'm busy - I'm writing articles/blogs/newsletters, coaching, running two businesses, and that's just the "professional" side of the equation :)

But hell, we're all busy so I'll stop my whining right now!

You know I don't deal well without a lot on my plate. I have a book chapter that I need to wrap up by the end of the month, but after that it's time for something new.

With that being said, I'm interested in your opinion on what my next project should be. I've really narrowed this down to two options, so here goes:

Option #1 - The UnBodybuilder E-Book

This one is pretty straightforward - I used to absolutely loathe cookie-cutter programming. I mean, every person that comes into IFAST gets an individualized program, so why would I do it any other way?

Well, in this case, there are certain things that almost everyone I work with needs. Sure, there are exceptions to the rule, but in my experience most people need the basics to move and feel better - a stronger core and posterior chain, more mobility in the ankles, hips, and t-spine, etc.

This product would include the following:

3-months of specific programming including soft-tissue work, mobility exercises, acute corrective drills, strength training and even cardio and post-workout stretching.
Pictures and descriptions of all exercises.
A rationale for each section of the programming, or the WHY behind the how.

I think this product would be ideally geared towards the end-user that has tried a lot of different routines, and can't quite seem to get healthy and feel good. A perfect example would be someone who has trained via a traditional bodybuilding split, and wants to transfer into more athletic and/or strength focused programs.

Target Release Date: 1-2 months

Estimated Price: $30-$40

Option #2 - The Bulletproof Back manual

This would be very similar to the Bulletproof Knees manual, and the breakdown would look something like this:

My overall philosophy on core/low back training.
The functional anatomy involved.
A basic assessment/screen (flexibility, mobility, strength, endurance, etc.)
Keys to proper training of the core/lower back.
A sample template/program to help get you on the road to recovery.

This would basically be everything I know about low back care in one resource. Keep in mind I spent 3 years in a chiropractic rehab facility, so while I'm no Stu McGill I've definitely worked with a lot of people suffering from low back pain!

Target Release Date: 3-4 months

Estimated Price: $100

So I'm interested - what would you all like to see? Please let me know Option #1 or Option #2, and whatever gets the most votes is the project I'll work on next!*

I'm really looking forward to your feedback. Thanks!

All the best

Mike

* Don't worry - I'm still going to complete both projects, so even if I don't choose the one you want, I'm still going to complete it sooner or later!

(To read and post comments for this entry, visit http://robertsontrainingsystems.com/)

One Program Is....One Program

I was having a discussion with two IFAST interns the other day, and the topic of programming was broached.

As the discussion developed, it became clear what the issue was. These guys haven't written a ton of programs yet, and I could tell they were about to fall victim to a huge mistake that many entry-level coaches and trainers make.

I know, because I made this mistake as well.

The mistake is a simple one: Trying to fit everything (or fix everything) in one program.

You want to clean up their posture, get better glute activation/strength, stiffen their anterior core, improve their t-spine mobility into extension and rotation, and a host of other things.

Oh yeah, and you also want to focus on speed/power development, conditioning, and max strength.

Do you see where I'm going with this?

When in doubt, remember this simple mantra: One program is one program.

Can you make a positive impact on posture and alignment? Yes.

Can you improve some of their basic physical qualities? Yes.*

But, one program is just one program.

You're not going to unwind every postural or alignment issue they have in a month or two.

You're not going to be able to fit all of your pet exercises into one training program.

Quite simply, the day you realize that one program is only one program, you're going to be leap years ahead of most of your competition.

Don't try to fix everything, or improve everything, in one training program.

Program in the short-term to address their immediate limitations, while always focusing on the long-term goals.

Besides me, how many of you how made this mistake? Did it teach you any lessons?

I'll be looking forward to your thoughts below!

All the best

Mike

*Side Note for Clarity: Beginners and some intermediates can see positive changes in almost all physical qualities (speed, strength, power, endurance, etc.) initially. As someone becomes more advanced, this is where specificity of programming comes into play, and you'll need more intensive/focused blocks of training to achieve an adaptive response.

(To read and post comments for this entry, visit http://robertsontrainingsystems.com/)

Q&A: Assess and Correct 2

My name is JP. I bought Assess and Correct a while back, and I have procrastinated in applying it. Now I am going through it and I am wondering: When implementing the corrective exercises, how often should I do them? And which ones should I do? Just the first ones recommended? When should I progress to the others? Should I do more than one in each category?

I have to admit that I have problems in most areas but some are bigger and have more consequences than others (like my hip flexors causing an anterior pelvic tilt and exaggerated low-back arch). Should I do more work in these areas? Or focus on one area in particular and do extra work on it?

I have been doing the warm up from Eric's book Maximum strength (both the SMR and the exercises) for a while and it has been helping. I think this will help me get even better... should it be implemented in the same fashion? One exercise for each area prior to a workout?

I love the product and I am learning a lot; I'd just like some help with implementation and progression.

Thank you so much,

-JP

JP -

Great questions, and although I'm pretty sure I've answered them before, I hope this post will help you (and a lot of others) get more out of the product!

Let's go through your questions, one by one.

When implementing the corrective exercises, how often should I do them?

The stock answer is always going to be "it depends," but I'll try to flesh this out a bit.

Obviously, Assess and Correct is first and foremost a warm-up product. The exercises we outline are geared towards addressing your movement limitations pre-workout, so that you get more out of the ensuing workout.

So the easy answer is "always do them before you workout," but there's more to it than that. I'll address this in more detail below.

And which ones should I do? Just the first progression recommended?

This depends on how well you're moving. Those with severe movement limitations will need to start with the most basic progressions, while others will be able to start in the middle, or even with the most advanced progressions.

The question becomes: What exercise you can do from a specific section with perfect form? When you answer that, you've found the exercise you should be performing.

When should I progress to the others?

Again, what level of progression you can perform while maintaining perfect technique? This is where you start.

With regards to progression, I would stick with a given progression for about a month, and then try the next level of progression. If you can do it perfectly (albeit with a limited range of motion, etc.), then stick with it. If you really struggle with that pattern, you may need to wait another month and then re-test.

Should I do more than one in each category?

You could do more than one in each category, but it comes down to how much more you'll get out of the extra work. Rather than performing extra exercises pre-workout, I'd rather see you go through the entire warm-up/corrective portion of your program more frequently.

Instead of just pre-workout, maybe you could use this as an off-day training session, or something that you do in your free time to help improve your movement limitations.

Should I do more work on problem areas? Or focus on one area in particular and do extra work on it?

The answer to the first question is easy - yes.

But, I would again mention that simply performing the A&C stuff pre-workout might not be enough. Instead, try using this stuff throughout the day, or on off-days to get better results.

As well, keep in mind that a truly corrective strength/conditioning program should coincide directly with the results of you're A&C program. That is if you have stiff hip flexors and weak glutes, you need to actually address those issues within your programming as well.

A&C is powerful, but it's part of your training program - not your entire program.

I hope that helps. Best of luck with the program, and your training in general!

All the best

Mike

PS - If you'd like more information on how Assess and Correct can help you move and feel better, be sure to check out the website below.

Assess and Correct

(To read and post comments for this entry, visit http://robertsontrainingsystems.com/)

Random Friday 7-2-10

It's been a busy week, and I've got to admit, I'm definitely looking forward to a three-day weekend!

Before that, though, here are some quick and random thoughts. Enjoy!

Muscle Imbalances Revealed

First and foremost, today is the last day you can get the Muscle Imbalances Revealed webinar series at the discounted rate.

To make this deal even sweeter, I was wrong about the price - it's actually only $77 if you purchase the webinars, and $97 if you get the CEU's and DVD's!

This is a pretty sweet deal, so make sure you pick up a copy today before the price gets jacked up!

Muscle Imbalances Revealed

NBA Free Agency

Is anyone else following this?

I can't help but be drawn into the madness. I highly doubt LeBron James, Dwayne Wade and Chris Bosh end up in the same place, but it's captivating nonetheless.

More importantly, watch how many schleps get ridiculously overpaid this year. With owners walking around with all sorts of cash, if it doesn't get gobbled up by a marquee guy, you can guarantee they're going to overpay someone big-time.

In that same vein, who are the Pacers going after? Oh yeah, that's right - see the point above about overpaying marginal talents ;)

The Joys of a Fresh Website

All I can say is, I'm NEVER switching shopping carts ever again.

In an effort to employ a more robust system, I'm literally re-inventing the wheel (or so it seems, anyway). I have to pull all my contacts into my system, re-input the products, develop all the shipping methods, etc.

Needless to say, it's kind of a pain!

However, when it's all said and done, I think those of you who receive my weekly newsletter will really enjoy the updated look and feel. Snazzy is the first word that comes to mind.

On that same note, you'll probably start to see the changes/updates to the site next week. However, we're not going to officially "launch" until the following Monday.

Again, it's a huge step forward, though, and I think you're really going to love it!

UFC 116

Who ya got? Shane Carwin? Or Brock Lesnar? I'd love to hear your thoughts below.

Okay everyone, that's it from me. Have a great weekend, and if you're good you'll find some bonus blog content tomorrow morning!

All the best

Mike

(To read and post comments for this entry, visit http://robertsontrainingsystems.com/)