A few years ago when I first heard Charles Poliquin mention Biosignature Modulation at a seminar I was completely blown away by the concept.  If you’re unfamiliar with the idea, Charles explained that he’d done caliper measurements on 12 skinfold sites with loads of athletes and discovered a relationship between certain hormones and the location of fat storage.

.

Moreover, he suggested that these hormones could be affected by food, supplements, and training such that we could actually remove fat where we wanted to remove it.  Charles Poliquin had discovered the secret to spot reduction!!!

.

I was so enamored with the idea that when Charles came to Toronto for a 3 day Biosignature seminar I was all over it.  My wife paid for my registration as a birtday gift (yep…she’s awesome like that) and I spent three days learning the protocol and brought it back to experiment with my clients.

.

In the end, it worked.  My clients’ skinfolds went down, they lost fat, and looked better.  But since the program is pretty heavy on the supplements it could also get VERY costly.  What I eventually noticed was the clients I had that couldn’t or wouldn’t use the supplement protocols get exactly the same results.

.

Over time I slowly found myself disenchanted with the system and I completely phased it out.  Below are my thoughts on the Biosignature Modulation system after having had a couple solid years to reflect on the protocol and its effectiveness.

.

Note that these thoughts are not meant to attack or belittle coach Poliquin, but to express my opinion.  As Mike Boyle has said brilliantly, “there is a difference between disagree and dislike”.  Charles Poliquin was an early influence for me in this industry and has inspired me in many ways.

.

My Restrospective thoughts on Biosignature Modulation

.

As I see it, Biosignature Modulation relies on three central assumptions:

.

1. Body fat storage is correlated with specific hormones

.

While this may certainly be true (I can’t say one way or the other), a correlation does not equal causation.  In other words, just because the hormones and fat storage are related does not mean that hormones cause the fat to be deposited in certain areas.  There may be an association, but one may have nothing to do with the cause of the other.

.

2 – Changing those hormones will cause changes in the location of fat storage

.

Even if these hormones do cause fat storage in specific locations, evidence would have to support the notion that changing them would alter fat storage.  In the Biosigature system estrogen is reported to be the primary cause of excess fat store in the glutes and thighs.  If this were the case and it could be altered by changing the hormone then estrogen blocking drugs would decrease fat storage in this area.  I don’t believe that any research supports this claim.  As I’ve mentioned before, changing hormones doesn’t always result in the expected outcome.

.

3 – Those changes can be brought about by manipulation of hormones with nutrition, supplementation, and training.

.

This assumption is based on the fact that the two previous ones are true.  And while I can’t attest to the fact that there is no evidence for any of the strategies provided by coach Poliquin, one of the most popular seems to be the use of fish oils for accelerated fat loss in those with extra fat at the insulin sites (love handles being one of these sites).  I can say that without a doubt there is currently no scientific evidence to support this as explained by Alan Aragon HERE.

.

And while you might argue that I haven’t really provided evidence that all of the protocols don’t work, I would suggest that the burden of proof when selling a product/service/system is not on the potential user, but on the person/company selling the system.  Their job it to convince me that the protocols stand up to rigorous testing and, in this case, I don’t believe they’ve met the requirement.

.

But proponents say it works…

.

With any popular system you will always get hard line proponents that are completely inflexible when it comes to questioning of their methods.  In terms of those using Biosignature Modulation, it can also contribute a rather sizable revenue stream to their business so letting it go can be economically challenging.  And, of course, there are those who are just afraid to question the protocol because it comes from Charles Poliquin.

. 

Personally, I’m not about to argue that those using Biosignature aren’t getting results.  What I would argue is that those results could probably be had with an appropriate diet and training strategy.  Moreover, when using Biosignature I never did see the specificity of fat loss that was suggested.  People lost fat, but it was pretty much what I would have expected with a good diet and training. 

.

The one advantage of the protocol is that if people are spending a lot of money on supplements in addition to private training they might be more apt to stick to their plan.  As you’d expect, you will obviously see greater results with greater compliance which is a possible people report good results.

.

In the end, if you’re considering taking a Biosignature course I’d suggest keeping your money in your pocket.  If you are considering using a Biosig protocol on yourself, I would highly recommend you skip it and stick to the time honored classics…nutrition, training, and consistency.

.

There is no substitute for hard work.  There are no shortcuts.  If someone tells you differently they are selling something.

.

Questions?  Comments?  Random Insults?  Leave ‘em below!

.

For those who don’t know, Ramadan is the ninth month in the Islamic calendar during which practicing Muslims typically fast from dawn until sunset.  Absolutely no food or drink is consumed during this time.  This year I have a client who is observing Ramadan which means that he’ll be following this fast daily for an entire month.  And since Ramadan falls in the summer this year, the days without food and water can be longer than they would be in the shorter, darker winter months.

.

I figured that since I’ve had to devise a plan to work with this client to improve his body composition during this time, I’d share the general layout with you so you can see what my thought process looks like in this instance.

.

Note that most of my nutrition recommendations are rule based and I don’t typically ask clients to count calories or macronutrients very often unless it is warranted by the situation (i.e., getting extremely lean).  Since this client is a relative novice, adjustments are usually primarily based on portions and food selections to maximize fat loss and spare as much muscle as possible.  Generally speaking, it would be fair to say that I’m aiming for at 1 gram of protein per pound of target weight, but this is emphasized by food choices and portions instead of having him count grams.

.

Wake 4:30 AM – Meal containing protein, starchy carbs, fruit and/or vegetable

Target = 60-65 grams of protein

Scrambled egg omlete with peppers, onions

Cottage Cheese with mixed berries

Two slices whole grain toast

..

Training 6:30PM – Whole Body Workout

Day 1

Foam rolling, mobility work, activation/motor control exercises

A1: Horizontal Pull #1 (1 x 6-8 warm up, 3 x 10)

A2: Horizontal Push #1 (1 x 6-8 warm up, 3 x 10).

B1: Horizontal Pull #2 (3 x 10)

B2: Horizontal Push #2 (3 x 10)

C1: Lower Body Single Leg Quad Dominant (4 x 10)

C2: Anterior Core Progression - Plank Variation (4 x As long as possible to 1 min max).

Post workout stretching

.

Day 2

Foam rolling, mobility work, activation/motor control exercises

A1: Vertical Pull #1 (1 x 6-8 warm up, 3 x 10)

A2: Vertical Push #1 (1 x 6-8 warm up, 3 x 10).

B1: Vertical Pull #2 (3 x 10)

B2: Vertical Push #2 (3 x 10)

C1: Lower Body Single Leg Hip Dominant (Single Leg) (4 x 10)

C2: Lateral/Rotational Core Progression - Side Plank or Pallof Press Variation (4 x As long as possible to 30 second max).

Post workout stretching

.

Dinner 8:30 PM – Meal containing protein, starchy carbs, fruit and/or vegetable

Target = 60-65 grams of protein

Meat, rice, salad  (Actual foods subject to cultural habits.  Selections and portions are instructed.)

.

Late Meal – Midnight – Protein shake & fruit/vegetable

Target = 60-65 grams of protein

Milk, protein powder, banana

..

A few things worth noting….

There is no cardio/conditioning/energy systems work in these workouts because my client is not only fasting without food, but also without water during this time.  Ideally we would meet to train after his dinner, but neither of our schedules allow for this.  My primary goal with training is to spare lean mass during the fast.

.

You’ll note that all leg training is unilateral as well.  This is in part because bilateral lifts were too taxing when we tried them early in the fast and also because he lacks the requisite mobility to adequately perform squatting or deadlift patterns.  Given that we’ve had a lot of time to work on hip mobility during the fast and practice the hip hinge I assume he’ll be able to kill these movements next month when the fast has ended.

.

Nutritionally, I’m obviously aiming to keep protein intake to levels that will sustain lean mass and I’m not afraid to put in carbohydrates as they’ll obviously be used post-training.  On non-training days I do emphasize that he decrease, but not eliminate, the starchy carb portion at the dinner meal.

.

All in all, I don’t think it is rocket science, but I figured I’d just throw it out there so you can check it out.

.

What do you think?  Would you do it differently?  Leave a comment and let me know.

.

This past week I had the chance to review Nick Tumminello’s Joint Friendly Strength Training DVDs and I wanted to drop a review to let you all know what I thought.  Before I say anything though, I also want to state that Nick Tumminello is a total class act in this industry and I wish more guys and gals were like him.

.

He not only takes in the theoretical information, but then transforms it into great exercises and programs leaving me (and probably a lot of others) scratching our heads and saying “why didn’t I think of that”.  He is a true innovator and a model representative for what I think this profession should be.  That said, I would never endorse a product that I didn’t have faith in so you can rest assured that my opinion of this product is 100% legit.

.

This first DVD starts off with Nick talking a little bit about why he created the joint friendly training philisophy which highlights the fact that the exercise variations presented in the 2 DVD set are not geared towards correcting joint pain, but to allowing you to continue gaining power, strength, and size while working around specific joint issues.  You can obviously still be working to improve joint issues (in fact, you probably should), but this product is aimed at those who still want a kick ass workout while dealing with nagging aches and pains.

.

After the brief into I pretty much expected the DVD to go into a scripted narration of each exercise (which is fine by me), but instead Nick stays center frame and continues to demonstrate exercises one after one almost as though he’s having a conversation with you.  It truth, it reminds me very much of times when I’m training a client and I’m saying “That hurts?  Let’s try this.  That hurts too?  Let’s do this instead.”  In essence, Nick walks you through a serious of exercise options for each potential joint issue that you could possibly have as though he was actually training you around an injury.

.

The exercises themselves are broken up into sections for knee pain, back pain, shoulder pain, wrist pain, and so on.  I especially liked that Nick broke down the exercises for dealing with back pain into sub categories for flexion, extension, and rotation intolerant people so you’ll pretty much know which ones are most apt to work in a given situation.  I also liked the stuff for dealing with wrists as this is a limitation that happens with athletes or those who work with their hands quite often (as well as those with carpal tunnell from being a desk jockey).  This breakdown by body part would also be cool if you’re only looking for exercises for an injury you have and don’t want to watch the whole 2 hours of video.

.

All in all, I have to say that I really enjoyed the relatively unscripted (or at least seemingly relaxed) style of the DVDs.  This surprised me because I’m usually one for structure and letting someone just run through categories of exercises could result in a disasterous product for many.  In Nick’s case, I think it was actually one of the strengths.  I was watching and thinking “holy crap dude, slow down with the ideas” as I scribbled on my note pad.  It made it feel like Nick was in my livingroom bombarding me with exercies options and progressions.

My final analysis is that if you’re a trainee suffering from nagging joint injuries then Nick’s product is definitely worth having so you can continue getting bigger, stronger, and leaner (yep…there is a conditioning section too) while dealing with your injuries.  Moreover, if you’re a coach or trainer I think this product is equally as valuable as it will give you loads (I wrote two pages front and back) of exercises for working with clients with various issues so you can continue to bring the results.  Note that I’m not saying you shouldn’t address the issues themselves, but Nick’s product will definitely allow you to maintain the training stimulus while you do.

.

In the end, I have to agree with Kanye.  Nick’s product is top notch and I definitely give it two hypertrophied thumbs up.  If you’re interested you can pick it up HERE. 

.

(Note that the link above is not an affiliate link and I don’t make a dime off of this product)

.

Recently I’ve undertaken the task of reviewing some of the research on the very popular Functional Movement Screen.  Previously I’ve reviewed the Interrater Reliability of the Functional Movement Screen and Core strength: A New Model for Injury Prediction and Prevention.

.

Today I’ll be taking on the 3rd of 4 studies I hope to review.  After the final review I’ll talk a little bit more about my overall impression of the FMS and how I believe it should be used.

.

Can Serious Injury in Professional Football be Predicted by a Preseason Functional Movement Screen?

Kiesel K, et al.  North American Journal of Sports Physical Therapy Aug 27, 2:3

.

Background

.

Risk factors for injuries in high school and collegiate football include previous injury, body mass index, body fat percentage, playing experience, femoral intercondylar notch width, cleat design, playing surface, muscle flexibility, ligamentous laxity, and foot biomechanics.  However, injury risk is likely a combination of many of the above.

.

Further, evaluation of isolated risk factors does not take into consideration how the athlete performs functional movement patterns required for sport.  The goal of this study was to examine functional movement scores (assessed by the FMS) and to determine the relationship between professional football players’ score on the FMS and the likelihood of serious injury.

.

Methods

.

FMS scores were obtained prior to the start of the season for 46 professional football players.  A receiveroperator characteristic curve the FMS score was used to predict injury during one complete football season.  For the sake of this study, injury was defined as membership on the injured reserve for at least 3 weeks.

.

A dependent t-test was used to determine if a difference existed between of the FMS scores of those who were injured versus those who were not.

.

Sidebar – Definitions

.

To have a clear understanding of the methods and the results of this study a brief discussion is needed to definte sensitivity, specificity, and how these are used to create a ROC curve (receiveroperator characteristic curve).

.

Sensitivity is basically the power to detect a true positive.  For example, if you were to go through a scanner at the airport to detect for metal it would be very sensitive to decrease the likelihood that someone were able to slip onto an airplane with a weapon.  On the other hand, the scanner doesn’t have very high specificity in that it will sound for almost any piece of metal not just weapons.  In this case, a high sensitivity is most important because it is important that weapons do not sneak aboard the aircraft.

.

A dog trained to sniff for narcotics would have a high specificity since only those carrying drugs would need to be stopped.  If the dog didn’t have a high specificity for a specific substance, but was highly sensitive it would possibly alert people needlessly to any scent and make the purpose of having the dog useless (since every bag would have to be checked anyway).

.

In a perfect world every test would have 100% sensitivity and 100% specificity (i.e., identifying every weapon at the airport without going off for every other piece of metal), but this is rarely the case.  There is usually a tradeoff between one and the other and the ROC curve plots sensitivity against specificity to determine the ideal cutoff number to use to maximize both.

.

With the FMS the the cutoff was chosen using the ROC curve such that the test correctly identifies the greatest number of athletes at risk of injury (true positives) while minimizing incorrectly identifying athletes not at risk of injury (false positives).

.

Results

.

A score of 14 or less on the FMS was able to predict injury with specificity of 0.91 and sensitivity of 0.54. 

.

The test had a very high specificity indicating that the majority of people with a score below 14 had a greater chance of injury.

.
Those with a score under 14 that got an injury = 7

Those with a score under 14 that didn’t get an injury = 3

.
Unfortunately, the test had a only a moderate sensitivity so it did not detect those with a score over 14 who did experience an injury.

.
Those with a score over 14 that got an injury = 6

Those with a score over 14 that didn’t get an injury = 30

.
In other words, the bulk of the people with an FMS score over 14 did not get an injury and the bulk of those with a score under 14 did.  Using something called an odds ratio the authors determined that the likelihood of injury was 11 times more likely if the player had a score below 14 on the FMS.

.

However, 6 people that did have a score higher than 14 did end up getting injured.  These ones were missed by the screen.  In fact, it failed to identify almost as many people as it did identify as being at risk.

.

Funding

.

None declared, but I believe at least two of the authors have affiliation with the FMS.  (Not that there is anything wrong with that, but I would declare this as a possible conflict of interest.)

.

My Thoughts

.

All in all I think that the FMS did a great job of determining that those with a score less than 14 were at risk for injury.  In terms of practical application, these players could have been flagged for specific work with a fitness/rehab professional.  On the other hand, the test wasn’t sensitive enough to detect risk of injury such that 6 athletes slipped through the cracks and ended up being injured without this being detected by the screen.

.

Unfortunately, there was no differentiation between the types of injuries that landed people on the reserve list so it is possible that some of the injured athletes suffered from contact injuries that could not have been predicted by any test or screen.  Perhaps if contact injuries were ruled out (since you can’t really test for these) the FMS would have proven to be more sensitive.  Then again, maybe some of those with a score below 14 suffered contact injuries as well.  It would have been interesting to see if the results were different if these types of injuries were excluded.

.

It is also possible that one reason the FMS predicted injuries so well below the score cutoff of 14 with this group is because it is the same group whose results were used to create the cutoff in the first place.  Only future research will tell if this pass/fail cutoff is equally as effective for other groups.

.
Summing Up

.

The FMS indicated correctly that those with a score less than 14 were more prone to injury.  However, the results of the present study indicate that the FMS may also miss equally as many people as it detected (which may be the reason why the pass/fail score for the FMS when it is typically used is actually lower than this).

.

It would also have been interesting to see which of the individual scores within the FMS were most related in injury.  Since the FMS typically suggests that side to side imbalances are most important to address, it would have been nice to see this data to see if this hypothesis holds true.

.

In the end though, the FMS does appear to effectively predict injury in this below a value of 14 in the group studied.  It does not catch all injuries and as such is not a perfect screen, but effective at picking out some who are at risk.  And since the results are those of professional football players, we should be careful when generalizing them to other populations.

.
What do you think?

.

Last week I had a guest blog posted on the blog of Bret Contreras talking about the growth hormone myth only to find out that my friend Anoop Balachandran had already review this HERE.  More to the point research hound Anthony Colpo takes us to school reviewing the phenomenon extensively in a two part article HERE and HERE.

.

However, the point of this blog isn’t to rehash the same point over and over (although this might be of benefit if didn’t hit home the first time), but to let you know if an incredible article the I discovered on Anthony Colpo’s site that I think is a MUST READ for any fitness professional. 

.

How to Become an Easily-Brainwashed Sucker in 5 Easy Steps summarizes several very important points I think that we all need to understand when learning and sharing information.  If you read nothing else today, make sure you check out Anthony’s great article HERE.

.

Recently I came across this poem by Portia Nelson.  It is sometimes given to those recovering from alcoholism and other addictions, but I though it would be really relevant to anyone who has gone through (or is currently going through) a life change.  If you’re struggling to become healthy, gain muscle, lose fat, or get strong you might relate.

.

Chapter One
I walk down the street
There’s a deep hole in the sidewalk
I fall in
I’m lost. . . I’m helpless
It isn’t my fault
It takes me forever to find a way out

.

Chapter 2
I walk down the same street
There’s a deep hole in the sidewalk
I pretend I don’t see it
I fall in again
I can’t believe I’m in the same place
But it isn’t my fault
It still takes a long time to get out

.

Chapter 3
I walk down the same street
There’s a deep hole in the sidewalk
I see it there
I still fall in. . . it’s a habit
My eyes are open
I know where I am
It is my fault
I get out immediately

.

Chapter 4
I walk down the same street
There’s a deep hole in the sidewalk
I walk around it

.

Chapter 5
I walk down another street

.

The common assertion in strength training literature (I use that term loosely) is that compound movements must be done (and short rest intervals used) to maximize the growth hormone output associated with training to accentuate muscle hypertrophy.

.

Today my good friend Bret Contreras posted a guest blog by a really brilliant guy (guess who) investigating this very notion.  You can check it out HERE.

.

On a side note, ever since I sent Bret the initial article he keeps sending me emails saying something about how Jamie Eason affects his “Growth Hormone”.  Not really sure what he’s getting at, but I wish he’d keep it to himself. 

.

A little while back I posted a review of a study looking at the interrater reliability of the Functional Movement Screen.  Today I’ll be looking at another study on the FMS to further elucidate the research that has been done on this popular system.

.

Again, I’m not trying to rip anyone apart here.  I’m primarily looking the the research for my own benefit and in doing so have decided to share it with you.  If you care to read this study for yourself you can get the full text for free at the top right hand of the page HERE.

.

Core strength: A New Model for Injury Prediction and Prevention

Peate WF, et al.   Journal of Occupational Medicine and Toxicology 2007, 2:3.

.

Background

.

Injuries to firefighters are among the highest of all occupations.  Research suggests that decreased core strength may contribute to injuries of the back and extremities, that training may decrease musculoskeletal damage, and that core stability can be tested using functional movement methods.  The purpose of this study was to use the Functional Movement Screen to better assess the risk of firefighter injury due to functional movement performance, and to decrease injuries by using that information.

.

Methods Part 1: Screening

.

Functional Movement Screen conducted on 433 active firefighters.  Analyzed correlation between FMS scores and data from fire department database including injury history, age, gender, tenure, and rank.

.

Methods Part 2: Intervention

.

Firefighters underwent 3 hour seminars (actual number attended by each firefighter hard to determine based on the way the study was written) covering causation and prevention of injuries.  During seminars each firefighter demonstrated proper body mechanics in sample work settings and taught how to minimize spinal load during work situations.

.

“For example, firefighters were instructed to use an outstretched arm held against a firm surface as a prop to decrease mechanical load on the back when the firefighter’s spine is in lumbar flexion.”

Subjects were taught how to activate their transversus abdominis as well.

.

“Participants were shown that muscle’s location in the anterior abdominal wall. Photos of various methods of recruiting and strengthening the TA with written explanations were provided, along with verbal reinforcement of the material.  Once the firefighter demonstrated competency in basic TA muscle tightening, physiotherapy balls and dowels were employed to challenge the firefighter in different positions that mimicked firefighting tasks.”

.

Core exercises included three basic models which are similar to hamstring pushups, hamstring pushups with the upper back on a ball (hip thrusts?), and hamstring pushups with the feet on a ball.  Arm movement was added using weights of various amounts.  A detailed explanation of exercise variations, progressions, and how loading was used is lacking in this paper.  There are a few photos, but you’d be hard pressed to repeat this protocol by just reading the article.

.

Injuries after one year were compared to injuries in the year previous to the addition of the intervention.

.

Results Part 1: Screening

.

Increasing age, rank, and tenure was associated with a lower functional movement score using linear regression.  After adjusting for age and using multiple regression, those with a previous injury tended to score an average of 0.24 points lower on the FMS, but this relationship was not significant (p = 0.25).  When the scoring on the FMS was observed as a pass or fail score (for some reason they said a fail was below 16) the odds of failing the FMS after having a previous injury was 1.68 times greater based on multiple logical regression (p= 0.033).
.

Results Part 2: Intervention

.

Compared to the previous year, lost time due to injuries was reduced by 62%!  The total number of injuries was reduced by 44%.  Injuries to the back and upper extremities were reduced, but injuries to the lower extremities were not reduced by the intervention.
.

Funding
.

Administration of the Tucson Fire Department
.

My Thoughts

.

I’ve noticed that this article is frequently used to support the Functional Movement Screen as a tool for screening for injury risk prior to physical activity.  However, when you look at the outcomes, the FMS was only able to determine that the risk of injury increases with age, tenure, and rank (the latter two are also typically related to age).  I don’t think I’m going out on a limb to suggest that most people could have told you this before even running the FMS.

.
Although the authors do mention that there was a relationship between FMS score and previous injury based on linear regression, this relationship totally disappeared when corrected for age which appears to the major determinant of injury in this study.  The authors make a point of mentioning that they were indeed related but shy of statistical significance using multiple regression.  However, the p value (a measure of statistical probability) was 0.25 which is a LONG way from statistical significance at 0.05.  I would think it is fair to say that there is pretty much no relationship between FMS and previous injury in this study once you control for age.  Changing the FMS to a pass or fail criterion did make it better for determining risk after an injury.  As was mentioned earlier though, you don’t really need to do this if you just look at age as the primary predictor.
.

I have also seen this study referenced to support the idea that the interventions based on the FMS are effective for injury prevention.  Taking a look at the study though, there are a few errors with this assumption.
 .

- The FMS was conducted at the beginning of the study and there was no follow up testing at the end to determine if there was an improvement in FMS score related to the 62% reduction in lost time due to injury.

.

- The intervention had nothing at all to do with the FMS.  Everyone virtually received the same intervention regardless of score on the testing.  I’m no expert, but I’m pretty sure this isn’t how the FMS is supposed to be used.

.

- There were other factors within the intervention besides the physical training.  Subjects were taught about injury mechanisms, bracing, and how to move in the work environment.  Personally I agree that this is a great way to intervene to make a larger difference in the safety of the firefighters.  However, from a scientific perspective, it introduces a whole bunch of other variables that could have lead to decreases in injuries that had nothing to do with the FMS.

.

- There was no control group.  Injuries were compared to previous years which makes sense from a operations perspective, but when doing a scientific experiment a group not recieving treatment is usually run alongside the group that does.  In this case, it wasn’t done making comparisons in injury rates pretty difficult.  Again, a 62% decrease in lost time is excellent, but it could be due to factors beyond the intervention itself (i.e., less fires this year).
.

Summing Up

.

At the risk of pissing off a lot of people, I’m going to suggest that the FMS did not play an integral role (actually any role at all) in the improvements seen in this study.  Moreover, age was seen to be the biggest predictor of future injury which could technically be used alone instead of having to run the FMS on such a large group each year.

.

As far as the Functional Movement Screen is concerned, the intervention doesn’t really matter because they weren’t really linked in any way.  That said, if you’re a firefighter, you might want to find out what these people are doing because it just may prevent you from experiencing an injury.  If you’re a firefighter and you’re a little older, you might want to consider a good accident benefits plan.

.

What do you think?

You might have heard of the Functional Movement Screen (FMS), but today I wanted to give you a review on another very important screen called the PMS (Pre Menstrual Screen).  Unlike the Functional Movement Screen which uses 7 exercises to determine success or failure, the PMS only uses one simple to execute test.

.

Here is how it works:

.

Test

.

Walk into kitchen in the morning and say “Good morning honey!  How are you?”

.

Scoring

.

3 – Wife says “Good morning to you too!  I love you.”

2 – Wife squints at you silently with anger.

1 – Wife hurls frying pan at you.

0 – Pain or injury results. 

.

Action Plan (Based on Scoring Above)

.

3 – Smile and give your lovely wife a kiss.

2  – Grab your toast and run out the door.  Return later with chocolate. 

1 – Return ONLY if you have chocolate.

0 – See practitioner with more than 20 years experience who specializes in the SPMS (Super Pre Menstrual Screen)

.

Results may be seen immediately…

…however, I wouldn’t count on it…

 …unless there is chocolate.

.

The preceding commentary was all in good fun and no offense was meant to anyone by this.  It was my hope that we could all have a good laugh.  If you’re really upset about this perhaps you need to head to a local professional for your screening. 

Recently I’ve been asked a few times about how I allocate my time when studying research, books, blogs, and various other information sources.  Truthfully, I’m completely blown away that people think I know enough to consider me worthy of asking in the first place.  In highschool you probably couldn’t have paid me to read a textbook.  Regardless, I’m more than happy to share my learning process for those who are interested.

.

While I’d like to say that I have some sort of systematic learning process, I must admit that I’m fairly random in terms of what and when I choose to read.  I think the key factor (if you take nothing else from this) is to have an abundance of good information available wherever you go so that whenever you get a free moment you can delve into something.

.

Blogs

.

The very first thing I’ve done is to set up Google Reader with the RSS feeds of all of the blogs and websites I read most often.  This prevents me from having to visit several different sites to look for new content.  Instead I can see all of the content as it is published.  From here, I’m able to quickly identify the posts/articles I’m interested in reading and I’ll open each one on a separate tab on my browser.

.

After a recent purge I’ve cut my list from 50 blogs to 26.  I’m constantly adding new ones and deleting those ones that are inactive, not interesting, or not useful to me.  If I stumble on a site and think the content might be worthwhile I’ll put it on the list.  If the new material isn’t what I’d hoped I simply delete it later.

.

Although I’ll probably get slapped out by some of my colleagues for saying this, I’ve deleted most of my newsletter subscriptions to prevent my inbox from getting all cluttered.  The only ones I’ve kept are those that offer additional benefits to subscribers which is something I’m actually planning to do myself.

.

Ebooks

.

Currently I have about 50 of these sitting in a folder on my laptop waiting to be read.  However, what I have noticed with ebooks is that they’re more apt to be read if you print them out.  And once you print them you tend to be able to read them fairly quickly.  If you do intend to read your ebooks I’d highly suggest using this strategy so you can highlight, make notes in the margins, and read through quickly.  I actually used to read ebooks a lot more than I do these days but I tend go in waves where I’ll read them more.

.

Groups of people often come together to select a product that each individual will purchase and then they share amongst themselves.  Personally, I have mixed feelings about this since I know that filesharing groups are a great way to acquire more information that you might actually be able to afford on your own.  Keep in mind though, if you are doing this that (aside from some internet marketer types) most professionals who produce this stuff are working hard and are using this money to support their families with a modest lifestyle.  If you really like someone in this industry and appreciate their content, I’d urge you to make an effort to support them by purchasing their products instead of downloading them.

.

Podcasts and Audiobooks

.

The best tips I can give for these is to download them and listen to them in the car on the way to work.  I know this isn’t a novel idea, but I think a lot of people still aren’t doing it.  If you’re in the car for at least 15 minutes each way, that can add up to a lot of learning.  I also suggest that if you’re doing any low intensity cardio such as walking that you throw some stuff on your Ipod listen while you’re doing that also.

.

I have to admit that, while I used to do this daily, since having my daughter 8 months ago I typically use this time to blast some Eminem or any kind of music that I don’t get to listen to when she is around.  After all, I don’t want her giving me a pimp slap and swearing by age 3.  I do have some on my Ipod in case I feel inclined to listen to them, but this happens less often than it used to.

.

You can also get a lot of great audio books on CD from your local library.  In many cases they have been ripped to an MP3 that you can find online if you’re savvy enough, but the walk to the library probably wouldn’t kill you.

.

Textbooks and DVDs

.

On my shelf right now I have a whole bunch of books that are waiting to be read ranging from in depth training and nutrition to more philosopical books like those by Malcolm Gladwell.  Currently I’m not reading any (I’ve been focused more heavily on journals lately), but when I do read books I often have two or three on the go at once.  I’ll keep one in the living room, one by the bathroom, and one on a backpack that I carry almost everywhere.  As a rule of thumb, bathroom reading is great, but you must remember to get up before your feet go numb.  Just saying.

.

I watch DVDs whenever I can, but since having my daughter I’ve hardly been able to watch more than a few hours of television so my prime focus is to get caught up on soap operas sports.  I assume I’ll get back to watching more of these soon when Nick Tumminello’s Joint Friendly Strength Training DVDs get here.  Booyaa!

.

Journals and Science Stuff

.

As I mentioned, I’m currently focusing a lot more heavily on reading journal articles, but this comes in waves as well.  If I’m questioning my current methods or thinking of including anything new I’ll hit PubMed and pull all the information I can get on the matter.  To make it simpler, when I want to find out about a topic I’ll scour the web to see what has been said about it.  If any studies were mentioned I’ll make sure to look them up because they are often misinterpreted or not read at all (i.e., the Tabata studies).

.

When I start out searching on PubMed I’ll also make it a point to pull any review articles on the topic if I can find them as they usually provide a decent summary of the published information before I really get in to the individual studies.  However, you must be careful with reviews as they often represent the biases and interpretations of the author so it is still important to read the original articles if you can.  Fortunately, the references in review articles typically direct you to a lot of the relevant studies that you’ll want to check out.  Always check for more recent stuff and articles the author has left out (typically papers that didn’t support his/her viewpoint), but this should give you a good basis for where to start.

.

Once I know what articles I want to read I’ll download as many as I can in full text and contact others I know who have access to certain journals to see if they can pull them for me.  My wife is always laughing at me because my computer desktop is completely covered with PDF files.  If I can’t get a digital version I’ll wait until I have enough of a list and make my way out to the local university library to photocopy the rest or have them pull them from another school that has that journal.  My friends in the industry send me random stuff so I add those articles to the pile too.

.

I also get frequent requests to be in journal clubs where a few articles are provided every week or month and then everyone chats in person, on the phone, or on the net about their thoughts.  Being that I have a lot going on I don’t really do these anymore, but they are good for people who don’t have access to a lot of journals or those who need some guidance sorting through scientific papers as there are usually a few more experienced readers who you can learn from.

.

Since there are often weekly or monthly discussions, these groups also give you a deadline to do the reading which forces you to read faster.  When I first started reading journals it would take me forever to weed my way through one.  Then when I hit grad school we’d get assigned 10 per week from each class so you had to pick up the pace.  Now I can get through a paper relatively quickly and retain most of the relevant information.  It just takes practice.

.

Pay Sites and Subscriptions

.

I know I’m always harping on here about StrengthCoach.com, but I’d be remiss to talk about my current learning without mentioning it.  If nothing else, it always gives me new starting points for investigation as there are so many bright minds on the forums there.  While I highly suggest forums like this, keep in mind that every forum has its accepted biases towards certain types of training and nutrition.  It is easy to become swept up in the current when a large number of bright people seem to be following a similar philosophy so ALWAYS think for yourself and remember to question the accepted belief system.

.

I also can’t recommend Alan Aragon’s Research Review highly enough.  He does a great job every month of reviewing relevant science and putting it in a way we can understand.  As above, think for yourself and don’t accept anyone else’s interpretation as dogma, but this is definitely worth the $10 per month.

.

Social Networking

.

If you’re not on Facebook and/or Twitter you are missing out…BIG TIME.  Many of those I don’t have on my RSS are friends on Facebook or Twitter and I constantly get updated with their stuff.  I’ve also found a lot of great people and content this way. 

.

A few rules though:  Don’t friend someone up on Facebook and ask them how to fix your bum shoulder or achy back.  More importantly, fitness professionals of higher caliber don’t want to “like” your bootcamp or be invited to join Farmville.  This is a one way ticket to getting deleted.  However, they might see something you’ve written or notice you commented on their status and notice that you’re not a total assmunch.  As silly as this sounds, being a good person can take you a long way in this industry.  And maybe you’ll be able to share comments and have discussions with smart people that you might not get to interact with.  Not a bad deal.

.

As for Twitter, don’t be one of those people who tweets every time they have a bowel movement or tweets 10 links all at the same time.  If I have to scroll down the whole page to get through all of your self endorsing links you’re getting deleted.

.

Genuine Human Interaction

.

With the invention of social media it seems people don’t even know how to speak anymore.  Get on the phone and chat with people you know who are interested in training, nutrition, or whatever else.  And don’t always talk to only those you agree with.  I’m in Canada so I use the phone and Skype to chat it up with bright people all over the place to share information.  If you happen to be someone in your own facility, talking to someone outside of your own space can fire you up and give you some great ideas to expand upon.  I can’t tell you how many disagreements about training I’ve had with my wife that were settled by someone outside of our relationship.  Call it proximity bias or whatever you want.  You’ll generally be able to handle being wrong when someone other than those close to you tell you.  Note that the person closest to you will still probably never let you live it down. 

.

I’d also mention conferences as a great way to learn stuff, but I don’t really attend a ton of these.  I have attended some in the past and if you can I’d highly suggest it.  However, unlike some people, I do not think this is a mandatory component of learning.  It might be useful, but I don’t think it is completely necessary.  I think understanding and application of what you’ve learned is more important than anything else.  Experience in the trenches is key.

.

My Personal Learning Style

.

Earlier I mentioned that I always carry a backpack and I meant that pretty literally.  At any one time I probably have at least one textbook, 5 or more studies, one printed ebook, and my Ipod (complete with a couple podcasts).  When I turn on my computer my desktop is full of studies and when I look in to iGoogle to check my email I see my RSS feeds.  Even when I go to the bathroom I have some reading material waiting.  As I said, I think the big key is to read blogs and books, listen to podcasts, get ideas, source out the science, and read as much as possible.

.

I personally set it up so that I can’t go anywhere without having some way to read something and that seems to work for me.  I’m hoping I’ve done justice to the question.

.

Thoughts and Questions?   How do you Learn?

.

PS: Deleting your subscription from my newsletter or RSS feed will result in the immediate explosion of your hard drive.  Don’t say you weren’t warned.