Recently there has been a lot of talk about the spine and the way it responds to different exercises.  I wanted to share my two cents, but I also wanted to make my points crystal clear.

This week I got my hands on a pig spine to illustrate exactly how the spine responds to different forces.  In this 3 part series I’m going to take a look at 3 different exercises and how they impact the spine.

Okay…so that was a bit serious.  And it is Monday after all so let’s have a little fun shall we.  I created this little video to have a little fun with the current discussions on whether or not we should squat.

Let me know what you think in the comments section below.

As many of you may know, I believe that reading for an hour per day is paramount if you hope to become a leader in any field.  Fitness and nutrition are no different.  Here are a few things to get you started for today.

My Ah-Ha Moments – By Mike Boyle

I especially like points one and two.  While many believe that the nervous systems governs the body (which it obviously does) I concretely believe that if the body has been in a certain state for some time, the muscle itself will have adapted and needs to be addressed as well as the nervous system for optimal function to return.

Self Ankle Mobilization – By Bill Hartman

If you’re having pressure or pain with your ankle mobility drills or your ankle mobility just isn’t what it should be you should check this out.  And just to save you time, this is a short video instead of making you read more.   I know…you’re welcome.

Thoughts?  Comments?  Light up the comment section below.

Every so often I hear someone say something that really forces me to think seriously about why I train people the way I do.  Last week was one of those times and Mike Boyle was one of those people.

If you know anything about Mike Boyle at all you’re probably aware that he’s pretty big on single leg training.  Split squats, single leg split squats, and step ups are a huge part of his programming.  But last week when I was listening to his audio interview at RobertsonTraining Systems.com he said something that kicked my brain into gear.

He said that a lot of people can’t squat properly.  I definitely agree with that since a great number of people I’ve worked with don’t have the hip mobility to squat properly at first.  However, he also said (I’m paraphrasing here so don’t crucify me) that when a lot of people do a bilateral squat that their core gives out before their legs so their leg workout suffers as a result.  I also have to agree here to some degree.

The question running through my head though was why on earth can’t mobility be increased, form be instructed, and the core be strengthened to allow someone to perform a bilateral back squat???

Then it struck me.  I haven’t done a back squat in over 2 years.  In fact, I have some clients with back injuries involving compression that have done just as well for fat loss without any bilateral lower body movements at all.  And, their legs are just as developed (aesthetically) as those of the people doing front or back squats. 

We still work on hip mobility and strengthen the core.   We also hit their glutes, hams, and quads hard to bring about hypertrophy, but they just don’t squat.

I guess the point I’m making here is that you can build a great set of wheels without bilateral movements no matter what HyoogeArms21 is telling you on the forums.  As Mike Boyle says, “don’t get married to a movement”.  Just use what works in your specific situation.

If you’re a powerlifter, you HAVE to squat.  If you like squatting, go ahead and squat.  But if you’re training purely for aesthetics and you hate squatting or have an injury that prevents it, don’t worry about it.  All too often I see people trying to squat who shouldn’t be just because someone told them they can’t get jacked without them.

In the end there are plenty of other options for single leg training that you can use and as long as you bust your ass (Mike Boyle has guys doing single leg split squats with over 200 pounds) you’ll still get great results!

Have your  own thoughts about the importance of squatting?  Feel free to disagree.  Post them in the comments below!

Yesterday I introduced the virtues of interval training for fat loss.  Today I’m going to lay out a very straightforward plan so you can actually include it in your training.

 Wingate aftermath: Note the number of towels

Step 2 – Introducing Sprints

I’ve seen people running for 3 minutes and walking for 2 minutes and calling in interval training.  So I’m going to clarify by stating that only Short High Intensity Training (S.H.I.T) is best for fat loss.  All other forms of interval training that use longer intervals may be useful for certain athletic situations, but they are not best for fat loss.

To properly perform S.H.I.T your bouts must be:

- High intensity
- Short duration
- Have rest periods where you are doing absolutely nothing

I’ve seen people pedaling lightly on a bike for “active recovery”, but I don’t agree with this practice as it increases the time needed for full recovery.  And yes, I’m aware that it helps clear lactate from the muscle…blah, blah, blah.  I’m only asking for a few minutes.  You’ll have the whole rest of the day to clear your lactate.

To properly perform a sprint you must go ALL OUT for anywhere from 30 seconds to a maximum of 1 minute to get the best effect.  I don’t think that this should change for novices.  However, I do think that the rest time and total number of sprints should be adjusted accordingly.

I personally prefer shorter sprints for fat loss so here’s how I think a beginner program should look after the general conditioning phase.  I would strongly advise the use of a stationary bike for this as I don’t like treadmills for sprint work.  Adjust the tension up so that it allows you to exert a maximal effort for the full 30 seconds.

Note: Even if you’re an advanced trainee, if you haven’t done intervals before you’re technically a beginner in this regard.

Note #2: The program below is just a guide and it should be adjusted if you’re finding it too easy or too hard for your current level of conditioning.  Some people need a full 4 minute rest between each interval in the beginning.  Adjust accordingly.

Week 1 – 4 intervals (1:4 work to rest ratio)

Interval #1 – Sprint 30 seconds – Rest 120 seconds
Interval #2 – Sprint 30 seconds – Rest 120 seconds
Interval #3 – Sprint 30 seconds – Rest 120 seconds
Interval #4 – Sprint 30 seconds – Rest 120 seconds

Week 2 – 5 intervals (1:4 work to rest ratio)

Interval #1 – Sprint 30 seconds – Rest 120 seconds
Interval #2 – Sprint 30 seconds – Rest 120 seconds
Interval #3 – Sprint 30 seconds – Rest 120 seconds
Interval #4 – Sprint 30 seconds – Rest 120 seconds
Interval #5 – Sprint 30 seconds – Rest 120 seconds

Week 3 – 6 intervals (1:4 work to rest ratio)

Interval #1 – Sprint 30 seconds – Rest 120 seconds
Interval #2 – Sprint 30 seconds – Rest 120 seconds
Interval #3 – Sprint 30 seconds – Rest 120 seconds
Interval #4 – Sprint 30 seconds – Rest 120 seconds
Interval #5 – Sprint 30 seconds – Rest 120 seconds
Interval #6 – Sprint 30 seconds – Rest 120 seconds

Week 4 – 7 intervals (1:4 work to rest ratio)

Interval #1 – Sprint 30 seconds – Rest 120 seconds
Interval #2 – Sprint 30 seconds – Rest 120 seconds
Interval #3 – Sprint 30 seconds – Rest 120 seconds
Interval #4 – Sprint 30 seconds – Rest 120 seconds
Interval #5 – Sprint 30 seconds – Rest 120 seconds
Interval #6 – Sprint 30 seconds – Rest 120 seconds
Interval #7 – Sprint 30 seconds – Rest 120 seconds

Week 5 – 7 intervals (1:3 work to rest ratio for first two intervals – 1:4 work to rest for remaining intervals)

Interval #1 – Sprint 30 seconds – Rest 90 seconds
Interval #2 – Sprint 30 seconds – Rest 90 seconds
Interval #3 – Sprint 30 seconds – Rest 120 seconds
Interval #4 – Sprint 30 seconds – Rest 120 seconds
Interval #5 – Sprint 30 seconds – Rest 120 seconds
Interval #6 – Sprint 30 seconds – Rest 120 seconds
Interval #7 – Sprint 30 seconds – Rest 120 seconds

Week 6 – 7 intervals (1:3 work to rest ratio for first four intervals – 1:4 work to rest for remaining intervals)

Interval #1 – Sprint 30 seconds – Rest 90 seconds
Interval #2 – Sprint 30 seconds – Rest 90 seconds
Interval #3 – Sprint 30 seconds – Rest 90 seconds
Interval #4 – Sprint 30 seconds – Rest 90 seconds
Interval #5 – Sprint 30 seconds – Rest 120 seconds
Interval #6 – Sprint 30 seconds – Rest 120 seconds
Interval #7 – Sprint 30 seconds – Rest 120 seconds

Week 7 – 7 intervals (1:3 work to rest ratio for first six intervals – 1:4 work to rest for remaining interval)

Interval #1 – Sprint 30 seconds – Rest 90 seconds
Interval #2 – Sprint 30 seconds – Rest 90 seconds
Interval #3 – Sprint 30 seconds – Rest 90 seconds
Interval #4 – Sprint 30 seconds – Rest 90 seconds
Interval #5 – Sprint 30 seconds – Rest 90 seconds
Interval #6 – Sprint 30 seconds – Rest 90 seconds
Interval #7 – Sprint 30 seconds – Rest 120 seconds

Week 8 – 7 intervals (1:3 work to rest ratio for ALL intervals)

Interval #1 – Sprint 30 seconds – Rest 90 seconds
Interval #2 – Sprint 30 seconds – Rest 90 seconds
Interval #3 – Sprint 30 seconds – Rest 90 seconds
Interval #4 – Sprint 30 seconds – Rest 90 seconds
Interval #5 – Sprint 30 seconds – Rest 90 seconds
Interval #6 – Sprint 30 seconds – Rest 90 seconds
Interval #7 – Sprint 30 seconds – Rest 90 seconds

If you happen to feel inclined to do longer intervals instead of the proposed 30 second intervals above a shorter work to rest ratio is advised (1:3 for novices and 1:2 for more advanced trainees).

For example:

Novice: Sprint 60 seconds – Rest 180 seconds
Advanced: Sprint 60 seconds – Rest 120 seconds

One more bonus tidbit on interval training

Recently I was reading a post by Mike Boyle on Eric Cressey’s blog and he suggested that instead of using a set time for the rest interval that heart rate could be used instead.  He proposed that 60% of your theoretical heart rate maximum could be used to determine your rest time.

So if you were 30 years old your 60% mark would be:

(220 – Age) x 60%
(220 – 30) x 0.6 = 114 beats per minute

In this case, you would simply wear a heart rate monitor and perform your sprint as usual.  Afterward, when your heart rate dropped to 114 beats per minute it would be time to go again.  In essence, this would eliminate the need to time the intervals between sets and it would automatically adjust the difficulty based on your level of conditioning and fatigue.

Less conditioned people would be allowed more time to recover and more conditioned people would be allowed less.  However, as the less fit people became increasingly fit, the rest times would automatically decrease.

Coincidentally (I’m not even sure if Mike noticed this or not), the ACSM guideline for increasing aerobic fitness is to increase the heart rate above 60% of your theoretical max for 20 minutes at a time.  Go figure!

Regardless of whether you’re timing or using your heart rate as a guide, you can finally get out there and do interval training the way it was meant to be done.

What are you waiting for?

Go get ripped!

Every year I probably read hundreds of articles but when I think about core training, these are three of my recent favorites. Enjoy!

Anterior Core Training – Mike Boyle

Complete Core Training – Mike Robertson

Death to Crunching – Scott Abel