Easter Sunday and What it Sadly Reveals About American Culture

Last year, as part of a larger effort, I committed myself to attending church regularly, a promise my grandparents welcomed.  The impetus was to improve personal accountability, and lend shape to my formless religious views.  The ongoing experience has taught me much, but what Easter Sunday revealed gives me cause for concern.  Far from the exception, the behavior displaced that Sunday contributes to why the United States holds the following world rankings:

·      11^th in “working hard";

·      12^th in prosperity;

·      14^th in education and 17^th in education performance;

·       19^th in national satisfaction and

·       24^th in literacy.

(Don’t worry, the United States still leads the world in the following: incarcerations, death by violence, wine consumption and breast augmentation).

Allow me to explain.

Too many “Christians” allow their “faith” to revolve around three days – Christmas, Palm Sunday and Easter – while relegating the remaining days to an afterthought.  For these persons, attendance at three services marks them “good Christians,” the quintessential “check the box” exercise.  Three out of fifty-two – 5%.  No one experiences success with 5% attendance!  Looking more broadly, this behavior is but a sad reflection of a larger societal problem.

Against this backdrop, it is not surprising that an estimated 5 million to 7.5 million American students miss nearly a month of school each year, a phenomenon known as “chronic absenteeism.”   According to the group “Attendance Works” a 501(c)3 non-profit organization, the consequences of missed school days are apparent when analyzing student test scores.  Case in point, fourth grade absentee students scored, on average, 12 points lower on reading assessments, and the threat posed by chronic absenteeism only becomes more serious as children age, correlating to higher dropout rates and failure to complete college.  And while there is plenty of blame to go around, the fact remains that society, as a whole, is also at fault.

It is time to rethink the example we are setting, and demonstrate higher levels of commitment.  Visiting the gym for two weeks in January and two weeks in March – to fulfill New Year’s Resolutions and prepare for spring break vacations, respectively – is insufficient.  So is attending church three times a year, “only when it matters.”

Every.  Day.  Matters.

Sun Tzu Didn’t Encourage Coddling or Cuddling

A colleague recently forwarded me a somewhat dated article from The Atlantic entitled, “The Coddling of the American Mind,” which explains a new breed of political correctness is gaining momentum on American college and university campuses.  The student-led movement is driven by an avert desire to avoid the “triggering” of negative emotional responses, whether in lecture or during student-life.  Though conceived surely with the best of intentions, the movement is devolving into a monster that would repulse even Victor Frankenstein (“Accursed creator!  Why did you form a monster so hideous that even you turned from me in disgust?”).

Indeed, as the article explains, during the 2014-2015 school year, the deans and department chairs at the ten University of California schools were presented with examples of “microaggressions,” defined as “small actions or word choices that seem on their face to have no malicious intent but that are thought as a kind of violence nonetheless.”  Such inflammatory rhetoric included, “America is the land of opportunity” and “I believe the most qualified person should get the job,” two pillars of the U.S. identity.

Maybe former Indiana basketball coach Bobby Knight should have yelled "trigger warning" before turning his chair into a projectile. 

Sun Tzu, the Chinese military strategist and philosopher stresses the importance of “know[ing] yourself” in the “Art of War,” while cautioning “if you know neither the enemy nor yourself, you will succumb in every battle.”  As evident from The Atlantic article, a certain portion of college students are sadly unaware of the qualities that made – and make – the United States an economic and political superpower.

Capitalism, for all its faults, is the superior modality for producing economic and political growth, yet its success demands persons challenge convention and embrace competition.  American icons like John D. Rockefeller, Andrew Carnegie, J.P. Morgan, Thomas Edison, Martin Luther King, Jr., Walt Disney and Steve Jobs recognized this – they pushed limits, suffered setbacks and pressed onward.   The idea that college campuses must become “safe spaces” “where young adults are shielded from words and ideas that make some uncomfortable” is a direct affront to American capitalism.  General George S. Patton said it best when addressing the Third Army, “Americans love a winner and will not tolerate a loser.  Americans play to win all the time.  I wouldn’t give a hoot in hell for a man who lose and laughed.  That’s why Americans have never lost and will never lose a war, because the very thought of losing is hateful to Americans.”

Are there times when sensitivity is required?  Absolutely.  “Zero tolerance” policies are needed to clamp down on bullying, both in the school yard and on social media.  Triggering warnings are necessary on forums where victims of traumatic events, like sexual assault, gather.  But to apply these practices perpetually serves only to promote a culture of emotional, intellectual and likely physical weakness.  “As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another.”  Proverb 27:17.

If future generations of Americans desire to compete in the ever-expanding global workplace, this movement must be abandoned, and replaced with Sun Tzu’s teachings.  The strength of the United States and American capitalism rests not in its political correctness, but in its immigrant past, where men and women strove to create better lives for themselves and their families.  And to their credit this they achieved, but the younger generation owes it to the “tired . . . poor . . . [and] huddle masses,” who worked in the coal mines, steel mills and textile factories to build this nation, to advance their legacy.  The United States is the greatest country on earth, but “uneasy lies that head that wears a crown.”

“Sometimes You Gotta Say, 'What the Fuck?'”

A few years ago I stumbled across an article Dan John wrote entitled, “The ‘One Lift a Day’ Program.”  The unconventional philosophy John advocated therein, specifically the uber simplicity and greater emphasis on recovery, captured my attention.  Explaining the program’s roots lie “in the dim past of Olympic lifting,” John warned the program is void of excuses, “relief” and diversity.  “If you choose to do squats, it’s a squat day,” he writes.

Having experimented with John’s philosophy for almost six months now, I guarantee I will never train differently.  But as the author eluded, this program is rugged.  Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays are particularly brutal in my schedule, as those are my “squat day[s].”  Tuesdays and Saturdays are reserved for Olympic lifting and heavier pulling, while Thursdays and Sundays are focused on upper body strength.  My basic template is outlined below.  I concede a few days include multiple lifts, but there is a reason for this approach.

Monday – Back Squat

Tuesday – Snatch

Wednesday – Front Squat and Back Squat

Thursday – Press, Weighted Pull-up

Friday – Back Squat

Saturday – Clean, Deadlift

Sunday “Funday” – Overhead Squat or Bench

Coming from an Olympic weightlifting background, I believe the squat – particularly the back squat – is the basis for all strength, hence its title the “King of All Exercises.”  To paraphrase John Broz, squatting makes your entire organism strong.  Thus, my program reflects this wisdom.  On Monday, for example, I may program pause back squats for sets of five, either working up to the heaviest five-rep maximum (“5rm”) achievable that day or preforming multiple sets at between 85-90% of my current 5rm.  Assuming I work up in progressively heavier sets to chase the heaviest possible load, I will then drop down to 80% and perform several “down sets” or “back-offs.”  The purpose of these lighter sets is to groove better positions and accumulate additional training volume.  By the end of an average session, I have usually compiled 10-12 total sets, with at least six over 80% of my daily maximum or all-time 5rm.  After squats are complete, I will perform 3-5 sets of glute ham raises or reverse hypers, typical “assistance lifts.”

Other training days tend to follow a similar pattern, albeit lower volume for pressing exercises – my upper body simply cannot handle the same training volume as my legs.  I have also experimented with super-setting vertical pressing with vertical pulling, i.e. “standing military” presses and weighted pull-ups.  Coupling exercises in this fashion was a favorite of Arnold’s, and “the Governor” knows a thing or two about getting yacked.  Alternating back and forth between pulling and pressing movements provides excellent “density” to my training and increases my work capacity, especially when rest periods are capped at two minutes.

Repetitions on the Olympic lifts are usually limited to three or less, but I have experimented with fives in both the power clean and power snatch.  I paired deadlifts with cleans, because I find the latter optimally primes my nervous system for heavier pulls.  The “pump” I feel in my spinal erectors following thirty minutes of power cleans gives me greater confidence to attempt heavier deadlifts, and it eliminates the need to “warm up” a second exercise.  Again, this approach optimizes my time spent in the gym.

If I work at a reasonable pace, keeping rest times under three minutes – until the heaviest sets – I can complete a high volume of strength work in 45 minutes.  This leaves me 15 minutes to condition, more than enough time to punish myself on the airdyne, rowing machine or ski erg.

Since adopting this training philosophy, my strength has increased significantly – 50# on my back squat and 45# on my front squat, for example – but more importantly, I look forward to lifting each day.  Gone are the days of “snatch, clean and jerk, back squat, push press, etc.”  True to his word, John’s approach allows more time for mobility and recovery, which are becoming ever more important for me now that I’m in my 30’s.  If you find your lifting has plateaued and your enthusiasm has waned, you must consider experimenting with the “One Lift a Day” Program.

Russian Cosmonauts, Daily Maximums and Kenny Rogers

Legend has it that the American government spent millions of taxpayer dollars developing the fabled “space pen” after discovering conventional, ink-based writing instruments fail to function properly in the absence of gravity.  Needless to say, this issue took on heightened importance amid the space race in the 1960s.  The legend goes to claim the Russians circumvented this obstacle by simply providing their cosmonauts with pencils.  Though this story is but pure myth, it underscores the importance of simplicity and relying on the optimal tool(s) for completing a task.

The same lesson is applicable to the programming of weightlifting and strength training.  Far too many athletes yearn to follow programs that are entirely inappropriate for their ability levels – cough, Smolov, cough.  Indeed, Smolov and other Russian, percentage-based programs are not appropriate for “beginners” or “intermediates,” as defined loosely by Mark Rippetoe’s “Starting Strength” standards, i.e. those not yet capable of squatting double bodyweight or pressing bodyweight-plus.  The argument for putting an intermediate on Smolov makes as much sense as trying to kill an ant with a trebuchet. 

So what is the alternative for these training populations?  Instead of adhering to percentages, I prescribe daily training maximums, with a wide variety of repetition ranges (3-20, depending on the exercise).  I believe this “looser” philosophy offers the following advantages:

(1) Flexibility.  It stands to reason no one reading this blog is a professional athlete, thus all are juggling multiple responsibilities: work, school, the dreaded “work-and-school” combination, family, social obligations, etc.  The commitments and stress stemming from these obligations impacts training and recovery, almost always for the worse.  Building in the flexibility to account for a weekend business trip or a long night in the office is prudent when thinking long-term.  Otherwise an athlete runs the risk of going too heavy – or even maximum – under less than optimal conditions.

(2) Enthusiasms.  A positive attitude is important for maintaining consistency in the training hall, and without consistency, progress cannot occur.  To upregulate enthusiasm, I recommend taking heavier-than-planned attempts, provided the mind and body are aligned.  Many coaches I have trained under subscribe to a similar philosophy, and that's the magic of training with someone in the flesh, as opposed to over the Internet.  More often than not, the days I expect the least are the days I enjoy the best results – and not necessarily personal records, just better-than-expected.

(3) Kenny Rogers.  Everyone knows the song, “The Gambler,” and its prose carry over to weightlifting and strength training – “You’ve got to know when to hold’em, Know when to fold’em, Known when to walk away, And know when to run.”  There are days when all aspects of training are on-point – asleep before ten, feast on a bevy of nutrient-dense foods, warm-up properly, etc. – but as weight is added to the bar, a problem emerges.  There is no “pop” or “zip” in the lifts; the bar speed is wanting.  It is just a bad day.  When faced with such diabolical luck, have the maturity to stop at 70-80% and the discipline to return the next day.

"Upgrading your software without damaging your hardware."

The title of this post comes courtesy of UFC champion fighter, Conor McGregor (above).

Scientific study confirms that aerobic exercise yields the following positive adaptations in athletes – reduced body fat levels, improved capillary function – the body’s ability to deliver oxygen to the heart and skeletal muscle, enhanced fat vs. carbohydrate metabolism and reduced mental health disorders, e.g., attention deficit disorder, depression, stress, anxiety and sleep deprivation.  Thus, all athletes stand to benefit from incorporating some form of conditioning in their training program.

“Conditioning” has taken many forms.  According to the Roman historian Vegetius, the legions were required to complete an eighteen-plus-mile march in less than five hours (mid-summer, in full battle gear).  He also writes of the recruiters proving their swimming abilities in nearby lakes or rivers.  In the more recent 20^th century, boxing trainers used “roadwork” – jogs at a slow, steady pace for 3-5 miles, 3-5 times per week – to condition fighters.  Now, with the explosion of Crossfit, and its philosophy of “increased work capacity across broad time and modal domains,” strength coaches are experimenting with all sorts of new approaches to conditioning.  Irrespective of philosophical differences, the common denominator behind all these approaches should be keeping the athlete healthy.  After all, an injured soldier cannot fight at full capacity, nor can an injured athlete compete at their highest level.

Running is indeed the most potent tool for conditioning the athlete – much like the back squat is for strength training – but faulty mechanisms can wreak havoc on the body, e.g., hamstrings, Achilles and shin splints, among others.  Concerns over how excessive volume might impair strength gains are also valid.  For these reasons, I prefer the C2 rower, airdyne and ski erg for monostructural metabolic conditioning.  All three implements allow for integral programming, which research has shown to be superior to “steady state” efforts.  In practice, the goal of conditioning is to drive the athlete’s heart rate north of 180 beats per minute for an extended period of time through shorter, intense bursts of effort.  The “secret ingredient” to maximizing effectiveness is – drum roll, please – hard work.  If the athlete does not reach beyond their comfort zone, the full benefits will not materialize.

For those unfamiliar with the airdyne, it is a truly brutal piece of conditioning equipment.  Completing 300 calories in less than ten minutes is widely considered an impressive level of conditioning for any athlete, though I would argue anything more than 225-250 is very good and likely more than sufficient.

To gain a better understanding of the intervals I program, I have included several examples below:

(1) One-minute sprint, one-minute rest, two-minute sprint, two-minute rest, three-minute sprint.  Done.

(2) Ten Rounds – one-minute sprint, one-minute rest.  (To survive, only perform the first 5-7 rounds at 90%).

(3) Two-minute sprint, four-minute rest, two-minute sprint.  Done.

(4) Three-minute effort at 90% negative split (perform the second half faster than the first), six-minute rest, three-minute sprint.

Additionally, here a few other workouts I program on the airdyne: (1) ten-minute effort for maximum calories, (2) 100 calories all out for time – goal is completing three minutes or less and (3) 3 Rounds: 50 calories as fast as possible, three-minute rest.

While not comprehensive, I hope this piece provides helpful information as to how an athlete might improve aerobic fitness, and potentially anaerobic fitness, without subjecting their body to unnecessary risks of injury.

“ . . . big hitter, the Lama . . .”

Mahatma Ghandi could have been a great squatter.  His lower body was "supple leopard-like" as Kelly Starrett would say, and he possessed great mental toughness, remarking famously,

"Strength does not come from physical capacity.  It comes from an indomitable will." Unfortunately, Ghandi's weightlifting career never materialized as he was preoccupied with leading the independence movement in then-British-controlled India.

But the idea of forging an "indomitable spirit" continues to swirl around in my head.  At the time of this writing, my streak of consecutive days squatting stands at thirty, and while progress has been alinear, my numbers are improving.  Last Monday, for example, my heaviest single was ten kilograms below my personal record (still over 90%), but four minutes later I set a personal record in the ten-rep max.  The daily challenge lies not just in squatting the heavy singles, but in performing the requisite back-off sets thereafter.  But when faced with adversity, I remember Ghandi's "indomitable spirit," and dig deep to finish the workout.

The next day, however, a new challenge awaits.  From my stool adjacent to the squat rack, I gaze upwards at the barbell, and whisper, "Hello, old friend. Care to dance?"

"Experts" – or “the keyboard samurai,” as I refer to them – routinely dismiss daily squat programs, pointing out most of athletes following such concepts are aided by performance-enhancing drugs.  In their view, this “revelation” undermines – and invalidates – the daily squat program in its entirety.  I have long disagreed with their conclusion, and rather than hide behind the safety of a computer screen and the anonymity of a username, I experimented.  The results were striking even without a seven-day-per-week commitment.

Cory Gregory of MusclePharm is preaching the gospel over at Bodybuilding.com, and his growing notoriety is well-deserved – the guy has squatted something like 500 days consecutively!  Take a look at his program with an open mind, and challenge your preconceived notions.

By happenstance, I caught an interview with entrepreneur Peter Sage who said, "A ship in a harbor is a safe ship, but that is not what ships are built for."  So true.  More men and women need to venture outside their comfort zone, and discover what Socrates meant by “the beauty and strength of which [their] body is capable.”  Only when faced with consistent adversity can an individual forge Ghandi’s “indomitable spirit” and gain true strength.

Men Embrace "the Strenuous Life"

Far too many in contemporary America equate beards and flannel with "manliness," but alas, a beard and flannel shirt do not a man make.  Though both are well-suited for Paul Bunyan and his fellow lumberjacks, neither have a place in the D.C. summer heat.  And while I'm at it, I implore all these "men" to donate their jeans to their local battered women's shelter.  They don't fit you, after all.

More manly?  I leave it to you to decide.

It is the opinion of the author that manliness necessitates an embracing of challenges, both intellectual and physical.  Callused hands and broken book bindings serve as sources of pride, the scars of battles waged and won.  In the song "Mountain Man," Alabama sings of climbing mountains, skinning cats and swimming rivers, not man-scaping beards and buying flannels at Urban Outfitters. 

It is Theodore Roosevelt, who best exemplifies manliness.  Blessed with possibly a photographic memory, Roosevelt demonstrated throughout his life a tremendous capacity for intellectual study.  While President, he regaled dinner guests with stories of the Hittite Empire or engaged them in discussions of the natural world, often quoting lengthy texts from memory.  But while his bottomless intellectual capacity was evident from an early age, his physical capacities languished behind.  At age eleven, Roosevelt's father admonished him, "Theodore, you have the mind but you have not the body, and without help of the body the mind cannot go as far as it should.  You must make your body.  It is hard drudgery to make one's body, but I know you will do it."  And so he did, or as Doris Kearns Goodwin writes, the name Theodore Roosevelt "became the synonym of virile health and vigor."

Over the course of his life, Roosevelt felled trees in the Maine backwoods, rounded up stray cattle in the Dakota Badlands, charged up San Juan Hill leading his Rough Riders and otherwise lived what his father called "the strenuous life."  All the while he toting his library, a book or two clenched under his arm.

Present-day America continues to deviate far from the course Roosevelt charted some hundred years ago.  We, as men, must return to living the strenuous life – challenging ourselves daily to reach new intellectual and physical heights.  It is not enough to squat the bar or skim the pages of "US Weekly," if we are capable of more.  No, the challenges must be formidable.  They must be capable of teaching us the lessons we cannot learn.

Present the mind and body with formidable challenges daily.

"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.

Dear John

Dear John,

Niccolo Machiavelli wrote The Prince in 1512 to educate young "princes" on the particulars of ruling.  Those lessons were derived not only from his study of the ancient Greeks and Romans but also from personal experiences with princes of the warring Italian city-states.  Seeing as I believe Machiavelli was unemployed at the time of its writing, The Prince can be read as the most famous job application ever prepared.

Channeling my inner Machiavel, this letter sets forth the lessons I learned while training and competing in athletics.  Much like the famous – or infamous, depending on your point view – Florentine before me, the lessons learned and described herein reflect twenty years of personal and second-hand experiences.  Some were gained from conversing with teammates, others the hard way – through making mistakes.  I urge you to heed my words now for their truth is revealed only with the passage of time.

First and foremost, compete.  Always compete.  Never back down.  You may have grown up in the "everyone gets a trophy" era, with parents and teachers praising your "special" abilities, but there are most certainly winners and losers in competitive athletics.  Compete every day: in practice, in the weight room, wherever.  If a teammate challenges you to eat fifty eggs, go all Cool Hand Luke-style on them and get it done. The desire to compete – and win – in anything and everything carries over to gameday.

 

"My boy says he can eat fifty eggs, he cant eat fifty eggs."



Second, ditch the pre-madonna attitude.  Be the strong silent type.  Every year I get more and more pissed off watching national high school signing day for Division I football.  The kids have turned the whole event into a charade.  Congratulations you are now one of a thousand of Division I scholarship athletes.  Win a Heisman Trophy or become an All-American, then carry on like you are a BFD ("big fucking deal").

Third, practice your craft.  Every day.  On days when formal practice is not being held, spend an hour addressing a technical flaw or sharpening your visualization skills or watching past practice or game tapes.  Consistency is king.  Fundamentally, training is nothing more than moving a big pile of horse manure across the yard.  On the days you feel great, carry a shovelful, maybe two; on the days you feel crappy, carry just a spoonful.  But keep moving that manure.  Be relentless. And be prepared for the stink.

Four, protect your dreams.  The word I heard growing up was "doubters," now they’re called "haters," but the difference is irrelevant.  Losers always try to convince others their dreams will escape their reach.  Don't listen.  Insulate your dreams by surrounding yourself with positive people and supportive coaches.  Distance yourself from everyone else.  Every year hundreds of high school and college athletes are selected in the Major League Baseball draft, why can't you be one of them in four years’ time?

Five, take care of your body.  It was the great John Denver who sang, "early to rise, early in the sack, thank god I'm a country boy."  And contrary to what some might lead you to believe, nothing good happens after midnight.  When it comes to meal time, make sure you consume enough calories to support your training, but do not rely heavily – or at all, if possible – on pizza and other junk foods for fuel.  Garbage in, garbage out, trust me.  Eat something fresh and green at least twice per day.  Fresh spinach is tolerable in an omelet with whole eggs and bacon.  If you don't know how to scramble eggs or cook an omelet, use your iPhone for a Youtube search.  Limit alcohol consumption.  At some point in the near future this will be more relevant than it is today, but in the meantime remember the best-looking girls never waste their time talking to the drunk guy passed out on the couch.

And finally, reflect periodically on why you are training and what you are striving to accomplish. Are you playing for the right reasons?  If you are playing to satisfy someone other than yourself, give greater thought to the matter.  If you are playing to see your name in the newspaper, give thought as to why you think this is important.  But remember this, and remember it always, when you lose the desire to compete in training, walk away from the sport immediately, else you run the risk of suffering deep disappointment.  This, too, I know.

Rich

USA Swimming “Old School vs. New Rules” Dryland Training: A Response

“Don’t be afraid of being different, be afraid of being the same as everyone else.”

– Emily Prost, The #308 Rule of  Lady

Legend has it that in 333 B.C. Alexander the Great attempted the seemingly impossible – untying the Gordian Knot.  His decision to attempt this challenge was one of ambition, for priests had prophesized that whoever bested the knot was destined to rule all of Asia.  But unlike those before him, Alexander did not struggle to find the ends of the cornel bark.  No, he unsheathed his sword and sliced the knot in a single stroke, thereby producing the required ends and giving rise to the so-called “Alexandrian Solution.”  Unconventional thinking at its finest.

The impetus for writing this post came after watching a dryland training video posted on the USA Swimming website, entitled “Old School vs. New Rules” (available here: http://usaswimming.org/DesktopDefault.aspx?TabId=1890&Alias=Rainbow&Lang=en).  As the video buffered, I held hope swim coaches would unsheathe the sword of strength training, and slice the Gordian Knot of improving athletic performance.  Alas this was not the case, as it seems some in the sport remain mired in the “Dark Ages” of athletic development.

 

Some may argue the exercises advocated for in this video are a form of strength training – yes and no.  Bodyweight exercises, such as the push-ups, pull-ups, rows and single-leg work, are good assistance exercises, but under no circumstances should they comprise the bulk of an athlete’s strength training, provided he or she is past the developmental phase and is injury-free.  The kettlebell swing is a good “hinging” movement indeed – one with value as both an assistance exercise and a conditioning tool – but once again its place is secondary.  Substituting these types of exercises for barbell movements like the squat, press and power clean is a mistake.  Why?  Because barbell lifts train the athlete as “one piece,” meaning they force him or her to brace their midline and move their body through a full range of motion, much like their chosen sport(s) require. 

 

Looks like a squat rather a single-leg lunge-RDL to me. 

 

Moreover, the ability of a coach to subject their athlete to progressively heavier loads elevates further the value of these movements.  If an athlete demonstrates an ability to move heavier loads through a full range of motion, a coach can take solace in knowing their athlete is becoming stronger, developing greater work capacity and improving their athletic performance.  The science linking these attributes is settled, as the select quotes below illustrate:

“Muscular strength is perhaps the most important of all factors in athletic performance.”

– Drs. Rasch and Burke, “Kinesiology and Applied Anatomy

“Strength undergirds all other factors when one considers the total functioning of the body movements.  Without sufficient strength, factors such as endurance, flexibility, and skill cannot be used effectively.”

– Professor Gene Logan of Southwestern Missouri State, “Adaptations of Muscular Activity”

Given this body of evidence, why are some coaches still shunning barbell movements in favor of less productive bodyweight exercises?  The answer is simple – fear and insufficient exposure.  People fear what they do not understand.  And too many coaches, particularly in the sport of swimming, do not come from a background where barbell movements are taught properly and practiced for years; hence, they do not understand their benefits firsthand.  Additionally, it takes far less time (and expertise) to teach an athlete how to do TRX push-ups then to squat, press or power clean.  Yet the latter three movements will likely yield far greater improvements in athletic performance than bodyweight exercises alone, assuming they are taught correctly.

 

Introducing barbell movements to athletes sooner rather than later – around the age of twelve – is  optimal because it allows months, or upwards of a year, of training with a pvc pipe or empty barbell, preferably one designed for a child’s hands.  This learning of the squat, press or power clean can be supplemented with bodyweight exercises or gymnastics, but teaching the lifts at this early age will pay dividends years later.  Indeed, a multi-year ramp-up period offers more time to teach the basics and load the barbell with small increases, all while allowing the joints, ligaments and tendons to adapt to the imposed demands (thus reducing the chance of future injury).  As my grandfather would say, “You can’t rush the harvest.”  Designing a multi-year program takes foresight and advance planning, but that is a coach’s job – to determine what is best for their athletes today, tomorrow, next year and five years down the road.

 

Towards the end of the video, the presenter makes the following claim:

 

“Either way I think what you are going to find is that if you start supplementing these for things like bench presses, Olympic lifts, squats and what have you, that you are going to get a nice bump in terms of performance and you are actually going to like how your body feels in terms of making it stronger and reducing injury potential.”

To say I disagree strongly with his conclusion is putting it mildly.

One Memory to Rule Them All

“I had a lot of dates, but I decided to stay home and dye my eyebrows.” – Andy Warhol

The memory has not faded with time – I sit alone in the empty weight room of the Summit Area YMCA, the hum of a pedestal fan providing the musical accompaniment to the clanking of metal weights.  It is seven o’clock on a Friday night the summer before my senior year of high school.

The life lessons – “preparation precedes success” and “success requires sacrifice” – are what keep this memory alive.  Forged in the fire of training, they were tested and re-learned months later in the competition pool.  When I lost sight of these lessons my senior year of college, I came to understand what President John F. Kennedy meant when he said, “Victory has a thousand fathers, but defeat is an orphan.”  It is with this in mind that I protect my memory of that night, remembering how the gym towel felt coarse against my skin and how the plastic chair flexed under my weight.  The emptiness of that room still speaks volumes about work ethic and sacrifice.  Nothing has changed except the venue.  Success still requires sacrifice.

I recently heard powerlifter Brandon Lilly, a world-class athlete, say, “If I could tell you how much I have missed and how much I have sacrificed, I would probably feel a whole lot more guilty about it than I really do now . . . [but] it is what it takes.  We all make sacrifices in this life . . . and to answer that question honestly that is what you are going to have to do.”  Profound indeed.  Do I have memories of cruising around town, drinking beers and taking girls out on dates?  A few.  But none are as vivid as my memory of the Summit AREA YMCA that hot summer night.

Raise the Black Flag



Grinding through the final repetition of a new personal record, you release a primal growl, one that causes others to jump.  The barbell continues to oscillate as you return it to the squat rack, the red, twenty-five kilogram plates still reeling from their struggle against gravity.  Others in your vicinity look onward with the same disgusted, confused look, "Why does he train with such intensity?  Why is he so loud?  Why can't he find somewhere else to train?  He is going to kill himself one day."  Raise the black flag, my friend, you are part of the pirate brethren.

When most people think of "pirates" they conjure images of the 18^th century Bahamian pirates, who were, by all accounts, a close-knit, albeit peculiar, fraternity.  Many served freely, rejecting the oppressive institution that was the British Royal Navy and defying the Hanoverian dynasty that was ushered into power under George I.  The political conscientiousness of the English and Irish pirates during this time should not be dismissed; after all the notorious Edward Thatch, i.e. Blackbeard, named his flagship Queen Anne's Revenge after the fallen British monarch.  And while most of the Bahamian pirates were English or Irish, large numbers of Scots, Frenchmen and Africans – many of whom were former, escaped or freed slaves – filled their ranks, so did smaller numbers of Dutch, Danes, Swedes and Native Americans.  Adding to the peculiarity, this fraternity ran their ships democratically, a rebellious idea considering the European monarchs of this time were "divined by God" to rule their subjects.  In another departure from 18^th century ruling practices, the Bahamian pirates elected and deposed of their captains via popular vote, shared plunder equally and made decisions in open council.  Some historians argue the seeds of the American Revolution were first planted by the Bahamian pirates, outlaws who were both feared and revered in North American British colonies.

A similar defiance has long existed at the heart of the Crossfit culture, bonding members within "the community" irrespective of external differences.  Political, religious or sexual beliefs fade in the backdrop as the barbell gets heavier, leaving only the work.  Hard work.  Lunchpail and hard hat work.  "Old Country" work.  You, yourself, welcome the opportunity to train alongside those who shares your commitment to this ideology.  It matters not whether the bar weighs 70, 170 or even 270 kilos.  The work is the same.  You find fulfill in setting personal records – scribbling the letters "PR" in your training log in shaky handwriting – but you also enjoy seeing others improve on their previous bests.  You cheer for a nascent training partner as they push through the final repetitions of a twenty-rep-max back squat.  All members of an egalitarian society must share in the work.

Maybe we are "different," us pirates, because we refuse to play by society's rules.  But I yearn to live in a society where hard work and unconventional thinking are welcomed, not shunned.  Hoist the colors, my fellow pirates!