"The same thing we do every night, Pinky . . . try to take over the world!"

Pull, squat and press everyday?  Narf!

I was warming up the other day at the gym when one of the Crossfit trainers sauntered over and asked, "What you working on today, Rich?"  I responded, "The same thing we do every night, Pinky . . . try to take over the world!"  A look of confusion raced across his face.  I elaborated, "Pulls, squats and presses [this particular workout called for power cleans, back squats, clean pulls and bench presses].”

My training philosophy is simple – squats, the Olympic lifts and presses, listed in order of importance.  Repetitions remain in the 1-5 range, though once or twice per week, higher repetitions (10+) are used as back-off sets in the squat.  And high-repetition squatting has its place – it promotes hypertrophy, advances cardiovascular conditioning and serves as a "tonic," to quote Dan John – but such work is not a substitute for heavier weights.  Deviations from the basics, e.g. back squats, front squats, the Olympic lifts and overhead presses, and lower repetitions come at a price, for all athletes must be strong.

Each of my workouts begin with either an Olympic lift or a jumping variation, with early morning training sessions being the sole exception.  In such instances, I overhead squat or front squat first.  Changing the order as such affords my body extra time to warm up, especially the ligaments, tendons and connective tissue.  I adopted this recommendation from Jon Broz.  But assuming a normal workout structure, I then perform my strength work – squats, press and pulling variations of the Olympic lifts.  Alternating between squatting and pressing movements is a good way to increase “training density” and keep the heart rate elevated, an important benefit for someone who often neglects conditioning.

The "magic" of this program lies in the simplicity and the consistency.  Stick to the basics, and add one, maybe two, assistance lifts afterwards.  This should not take more than ten to fifteen minutes. Glute ham raises or reverse hyperextensions, coupled with abdominal, e.g. strict toes to bar or evil wheels, are my first choice. Pull-ups or any other type of rowing movement, especially Pendlay rows, are good, too.

Whetstone

The Boy Scouts preach a dull knife is more dangerous than a sharp one, specifically because the former pulls and tears skin, should a hand slip.  This carries a multitude of consequences, not the least of which is an increased risk of injection.  Thus, a scout uses a whetstone to keep his gear in top shape.  The same lesson is applicable to athletes – injury is best avoided by keeping general physical preparedness in the "sharpened state.”  For this reason, prolonged, absolute breaks in training – defined herein as more than four days – are not recommended.

Before going further, the word "training" necessitates a more precise definition.  For starters, "training" is the process of directed physical stress, which results in an adaptation that satisfies a performance goal” (Rippetoe, Mark, “Starting Strength: Basic Barbell Training,” 3^rd Edition).  Indeed, “training” is no a prolonged Rocky pre-fight montage.  Case in point, scheduled "deloads" or "resets" are part of any well-written training program, as are weeks geared more towards flexibility or bodyweight-based exercises.

To keep my own general physical preparedness in the sharpened state, I train whenever travelling.  I enjoy meeting new people, exchanging ideas, learning about their lives and visiting their facilities.  During these periods, I prioritize strength and mobility work, as the requisite equipment is often accessible.  YMCAs and commercial gyms are chalked full of squat racks, dumbells and pullup bars.  Advanced planning allows me to carry my weightlifting shoes, lacrosse balls and voodoo floss bands, making me more or less self-sufficient.  In the event a gym is not accessible, I run hills, practice handstands and tumbling and work mobility.  Not the best, but I stay sharp and conditioned.  Swimming and calisthenics are two other options that suffice in a pinch.

Offense is indeed the best defense when it comes to injury prevention.

The Importance of Goal-setting, Plus My Goals for 2015

My present condition finds me heading south on an Amtrak train bound for Washington, D.C. with the same thought running through my mind over and over again: What do I hope to accomplish in the coming year personally, professionally and athletically?

As the previous sentence suggests, goal-setting remains an important part of my life, a lasting relic of my athletic career past.  "Back in the day" as a competitive swimmer, I wrote my goal times on an index card prior to the start of each off-season.  My goals were specific listing: (1) the event; (2) the time, calculated down to the tenth of a second and (3) the 50-yard splits needed to achieve each cumulative time.  Once finalized, the index card was slid inconspicuously under my alarm clock.  However, the exercise was complete only after I hung a calendar counting down the days to the next year's championship meet.  I never shared my goals with anyone outside my immediate coaching staff.

What I hope to achieve by sharing this example is that goal-setting constitutes more than merely scribbling numbers on a piece of paper.  When carried out with purpose, the goals set the tone mentally and provide direction for the next block of training.  Annual or semi-annual goals are important for any athlete, but so too are longer, multi-year goals, especially for adolescents or developing athletes.  Specificity is key, as is honesty.

I prefer quantitative goals because they lend themselves better to statistical analysis and progress tracking.  In the sport of weightlifting, for example, an athlete might reach the conclusion that improving "denominator" strength, i.e. their squatting and pulling numbers, will result in a higher competition total.  But instead of writing, "Improve front squat and clean pull", an athlete should note, "Front squat 'x', Clean Pull 'y'”, etc.

Goals must exciting, because as the training becomes increasingly difficult – and it always does – it is these dreams that help the athlete push through the Dark Times.

Daily Squatting and Tips for Optimizing Workout Performance Even Amid the "Dark Times"

Daily squatting came into vogue three or four years ago with the revelations of Jon Broz's "Method" and its predecessor Ivan Abajiev's "Bulgarian System."  The latter's results speak for themselves, as Abadjiev is one of, if the, most successful weightlifting coach of all-time.  And Broz is no slouch, himself.  His gym, Average Broz Gymnasium, is chalked full of strong ass folks – men, women, juniors and seniors (And the presence of such a diversified clientele/athlete base refutes the idea that daily squatting is unsustainable, and applicable only to select populations, but that is entirely different post altogether).  The common denominator in both systems is indeed an emphasis on daily training and daily squatting, in particular, where the athlete works up to maximum single each session.  

"Squat even on the Sabbath," preaches Abadjiev.

A topic related to daily squatting is the "Dark Times," or so that is how Broz describes the earliest period of adaptation.  And having followed a daily squat program on two separate occasions I can attest to the potency of this phenomenon.  When an athlete finds himself/herself itching to squat and irritated until they do, chances are they are suffering through the Dark Times.  I suspect hormonal reactions are the cause of such feelings, and the effect(s) on the athlete's brain may be comparable to those experienced by drug addicts during their repeated use. But, kids, it's better to be addicted to squatting than crack.

Setting aside what I suspect is a failed attempt at humor, mitigating the negativity associated with the Dark Times is important, because performance in workouts often declines before improving.  It's just the necessary evil of adapting to an increased workload.  Lowering expectations pre-workout is one way – and I think the best way – to mitigate the Dark Times. Stop thinking about setting personal records every workout, and focus instead on hitting 90%, or maybe 95%, as often as possible.  By looking at workouts as "work" not "displays of all-time best strength" it relieves the mental stress associated trying to set personal records repeatedly.  As the athlete improves their consistency with heavier weights, the personal records will likely follow in short order.  I also recommend the following advice to all: (1) attempt only one-kilogram personal records and (2) stop a progression after hitting a personal record.  End on a high note even if you think there might be a few more kilograms in the tank.

Now, if an athlete holds a personal record of 140 in the front squat, their progression on a "good day" with this specific 3-2-1 repetition scheme might proceed as follows:

70x3, 80x3, 90x3, 100x3, 110x3, 120x3, 123x3, 126x2, 130x2, 134, 138, 141, 100x3, 105x3, 110x3, 115x3, 120x3

Taking smaller jumps during the first wave primes the central nervous system for the heavier weights while also allowing for mobility work and an accumulation of volume.

Conversely, their progression on a "bad day" might proceed as follows (emphasis on the differences outside of the base repetition scheme):

60x5x2, 70x5x2, 80x5, 90x5, 100x5, 110x5, 116x4, 120x3, 123x2, 126, 129, 132, 70x7, 80x7, 90x7, 100x7

Despite not setting any personal records – and athletes should keep personal records for singles, doubles, triples, fours, fives, sevens, tens and twenties (but only in the back squat for twenty) – the athlete still trained and accumulated much-needed volume.  If they feel "totally gnarly" during warm-up, a few options for alleviating that feeling include: (1) spending an extra few minutes training with the empty bar, (2) performing two sets at the lightest weights, as noted above and/or (3) progressing to their heaviest weights lifted via smaller jumps.  The third approach has consistently proven helpful to me, because it allows for an accumulation of volume while simultaneously "tricking" my central nervous system into handling heavier weights.

But even once an athlete finds himself in "the heightened state", as Abadjiev describes, their workouts will not yield personal records on a consistent or predicted basis.  There will be peaks, valleys and personal record droughts.  The athlete must keep training through such periods. Eventually the valleys will reach higher than the previous peaks, and their personal records will increase, as well.

Marrying Select Applications of Bodybuilding to Athletes' Strength Training

The year is 1984.  Reagan is President.  Springsteen is The Boss.  Bosworth is The Boz.  And Golds Gym in Venice Beach is Mecca, at least for the adolescent American male.  (By happenstance, 1984 is the year of my birth).

Bodybuilding is indeed in its prime coming on the heels of Arnold's Mr. Olympia triumphs. Scores of youngsters flock to their local Golds to pair chest and tris and back and bis.  Swolled out, bro, they shout to one another, being sure to "catch the pump."  Unfortunately, “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness . . . ,” as Charles Dickens writes in A Tale of Two Cities, for bodybuilding was about to enter the Lee Haney era, a time when sheer size would trump balance and symmetry.  Fast forward thirty years and bodybuilding finds itself a pariah amid the "functional fitness" craze.  Millions of adolescents still pass through the turnstiles at Golds, 24-Hour Fitness and other commercial gyms, but their efforts for increased muscularity now carry an unfavorable social stigma.  Pass the Crystal Lite, would you?

But here's the rub – in spurring the bodybuilding style of training, strength and conditioning coaches threw out the baby with the bath water.  Yes, there is a time and place for higher repetitions, and no, isolation exercises do not reflect the Devil's work.  Sets of seven, for example, are useful in back squats periodically, prescribed perhaps as back-off sets around 70-75 percent of a one-rep maximum. Higher repetition maximums, ranging anywhere from eight to twenty, are powerful hypertrophy and conditioning tools, too, though their use should be intermittent.

What makes Hercules look so damn athletic in this statute?  It's his truck.  The abdominals and obliques are thick and dense.  Notice also the muscularity of his legs compared to his arms.  Good proportions.  Now let's see those spinal erectors . . .

And hypertrophy is not a dirty word.  Increasing the diameter of a muscle correlates often to gains in absolute strength, but as Louie Simmons says, "big isn't strong, strong is strong,” meaning don’t blindly accrue muscle mass without seeing a corresponding increase in one-, two-or three-rep maximums.  Given this understanding, no program is complete without select applications of bodybuilding-style training.  Indeed, exercises like strict pullups (and chins), Pendlay or dumbell rows, glute-ham raises, hyperextensions, reverse hypers and even bicep curls lend themselves to repetition ranges of 8-12, but maybe even higher depending on the athlete or their capacities.  Sets of ten repetitions in the glute-ham raise might be too taxing on an intermediate athlete; therefore, the repetition scheme should be modified to fit their capabilities.  Similarly, an advanced or elite athlete might be capable of performing a set of twenty or more repetitions of strict pullups.  A strength coach can add external resistance, i.e. a weight vest, dumbell or kettlebell, to limit his total number of repetitions, if deemed appropriate.  Finally, additional lean muscle mass carries increased metabolic demands, meaning the athlete will burn more calories over a 24-hour window.

A few words of caution regarding hypertrophy.  Athletes competing in sports where they must “carry their engine,” i.e. swimming, track and speedskating, to name a few, should be wary of accruing excess lean muscle mass.  Strengthening the quadriceps, hamstrings, upper back, posterior chain and abdominals will likely result in increased levels of performance, but the law of diminishing returns still applies, thus strength coaches should think twice before prescribing large volumes of bodybuilding-style training.  One or two exercises for three sets of eight to ten is sufficient most often.

Mastering the Mundane

Travis Mash, a weightlifting coach and world-class powerlifter in his own right, spoke at length not too long ago with the guys of "Barbell Shrugged" on the idea of "mastering the mundane." Mash discusses how great athletes seek to optimize their performance by dialing-in the boring, recovery-oriented tasks – eating, sleeping, and mobility, to name a few.  The point Mash makes is that while none of this is particularly exciting or sexy, it is important all the same.

Some may see the lifestyle Mash describes – one devoid of junk food, sugar and late-night parties – as boring or mundane.  But the reality is adaptation occurs most efficiently when external variables are minimized, if not eliminated outright.  How important is an athlete's training to them?  Is it worth their sacrificing society's sacred cows?

Cooking your own meals, going to bed before ten and finding time to address mobility issues is not easy, rest assured.  Advance planning is required.  Here are a couple of suggestions:

(1) Cook a feast every Sunday night, one capable of providing multiple days’ worth of leftovers. The winter months lend themselves to roasts and stews, while the summer one offer optimal grilling weather;

(2) Find your version of "easy breakfast."  Eggs, fresh fruit and sweet potato home fries (plus a few tablespoons of raw nut butter) are my "go to" pre-workout foods if training mid-day.  Note, when choosing between different fresh fruits, select those with lower fructose concentrations, such as avocados, berries, peaches and kiwi.  Charles Poliquin promotes a different approach, preaching the "Meat and Nut" breakfast, and he has penned many articles in its defense.  The meat and nut breakfast also lends itself to the early-morning commuter whose time in precious;

(3) Organize your work-week, to the greatest extent practicable, so that you can get a jumpstart on projects, briefs and papers.  A few hours spent working on Saturday and/or Sunday can alleviate the stress of Monday through Friday, allowing for earlier bedtimes and/or training opportunities.  Consistency is adaptation's best friend;

(4) Learn the difference between optimal and less-than-optimal sleeping patterns. Eight to nine hours of sleep is recommended for hard-charging athletes, but this figure is not the final word.  An optimal sleeping environment is cold, dark and quiet.  Reverse engineering such a state reveals blackout curtails or curtails of heavy cloth, a sleeping mask and temperature controls are good investments.  Clean bed sheets buttress this environment – wash or replace weekly.  It behooves male athletes to note in their training log whether they awoke with an erection (an "E" in the margin next to the date will do), as this is a sign of positive hormone balance; and

(5) If your training facility is not located conveniently to your residence (mine is not), reserve 15-20 minutes before bed for mobility work.  The cost of a pvc pipe ranges from $8-10 at Lowe's or Home Depot (buy two -- a thicker one for rolling and a thinner one for shoulder stretches). With this $20 investment, an athlete can address a number of areas, including the hips, posterior chain and shoulders.  Add in a packet of lacrosse balls and a bike tube tire (which can be cut into a makeshift voodoo floss band) from any other sporting goods store and an athlete's mobility repertoire is largely complete.

It was Mike Tyson who said, "the life of a champion is monotonous," but it is this environment that promotes adaptation and subsequently training progress.  As days become weeks, weeks become months and months become years an athlete can continue to make gains, but as Dan Johns says "plan the work, work the plan."

"Don't reach, young blood."

From time to time, I share the gym with two high school athletes who are training to get stronger for their respective sports, football and squash (hey, no judging!).  Most of the time, their training is organized and programmed by my good friend, who makes them squat, pull and press multiple times per week.  However, any work done in the summer off-season is unregulated.  To their credit, I saw them come in and lift, but the foundation of their "program" was cracked.  Both spent too much time snatching and cleaning, all while neglecting their squats, presses and pulls.  Now, the Olympic lifts are great – arguably the optimal choice for developing power or what Louie Simmons calls “speed strength – but two lifts does not a program make.

I broached the issue tentatively one day as they were gathering up their belongings.  "Y'all done for today?" I asked.  They responded in the affirmative.  "I don't see you guys squatting or pressing too often . . . y'all are pushing those exercises, too, right?"  I mused, knowing full-well the situation at hand.  They looked at each other sheepishly, shying away from my query. "Squats are tiring. They make our legs sore," the braver of the two piped up.  "Guys, you will likely make faster progress in the snatch and clean if you push up your squat numbers," I stressed.  The two nodded in agreement, but turned and walked back to the locker room, whispering to each other along the way.

 

It was this exchange that reminded me of the Pepsi "Uncle Drew" commercials that aired last year.  If you missed them, the plot line centers around two or three professional basketball players disguising themselves as geriatrics, then running ball on the city courts.  As you might expect, the pros whip the youngsters, all under the guise of escapees from the retirement home.  The commercials are damn funny.  My favorite line comes from Kyrie Irving’s character, who repeatedly tells opponents, “Don’t reach, young blood,” meaning move your feet, play defense, work hard.  To those youngsters or Crossfitters out there chasing personal records in the snatch, clean and jerk much to the neglect of their squats, I say, “Don’t reach, young blood.”  Bring your hard hat and lunch pail and set up shop in the squat rack.  Fives are a great place to start, but there are dozens of successive squat programs out there.  Plan the work, then work hard.  Uncle Drew over and out.



Get buckets.  Get squatting.