Earlier this week I posted a link to some excellent videos by Joe Sansalone in Part 1 of this series.  In Part 2 I posted a discussion I had with Joe himself covering some of the questions that these videos generated for me.  Today, my hope is to wrap up with some final thoughts on these videos and how I intend to incorporate this information into my programming.

Perhaps the single most important thing I took from this series is that in our attempt to be efficient and do the whole YTWL series, we glaze over the fact that most people hardly have the required motor control to do any one of these movements on their own.  In doing so, we reinforce the poor motor patterns and let the scapula migrate upwards during the prone Y due to the upper traps instead of maintaining focus on scapular depression and upward rotation created by the lower traps.  Moreover, we make things worse by sometimes adding weight as soon as a person can hit the prescribed number of reps.

Being a former biomechanics geek, I feel that Joe has a good point about electrode placement affecting readings of muscle activation in any movement.  I also agree that individual performance of any movement will result in some variation in which muscles are recruited.  However, EMG can be a tremendously useful tool and discounting muscle activation studies based on these points might be a little neglectful.  After all, EMG is a huge component of Dr. Stuart McGill’s spine model and few people question this element of his research.  Granted, if you’ve seen the mathematics involved in this model you’d have to be Einstein just to make your argument anyway.

I still believe that performing a wall slide facing the wall will activate the serratus to a greater degree than the lower traps based on EMG and the angle of pull of both muscles.  Raising the arms from the wall at the top of the movement would certainly involve the lower traps if performed properly.   To me, this might be a great way to integrate both movements together to promote upward scapular rotation (a function of both muscles) in a very early progression.

So how would I program the prone Y?  Given what I’ve learned from Joe, I think that I’ll likely begin by performing the Y alone or in a pairing it with another movement promoting upward scapular rotation such as scap push ups or something similar.  Otherwise, I might perform it as part of an overall warm up circuit involving various other activation exercises and mobility drills.  Although I do tend to do some mobility/activation work between sets of exercises, I think that I’ll refrain from this with the prone Y (at least in the beginning) since people might be inclined to just hammer their way through it when their adrenaline is pumping instead of paying attention to the motor control element.  I’d also keep the reps low (between 5-8) to emphasize the importance of taking it slow and getting the movement right.

As far as progressions go, I figure that I’ll probably work from the Y through the rest of the YTWL (actually Nick Tuminello’s LYTP) series one by one before adding range of motion.  Only once this has been achieved would I consider stringing the movements together for strength endurance and finally adding weights.  Of course, some will move quickly through this progression and others will be slower, but that’s what I’m thinking right now.

What are your thoughts?  Would you do it differently?  If so, why?

In light of all the controversy lately over Mike Boyle’s no squatting comment I thought it would be a shame if I didn’t include something on that subject as well.  Please watch and enjoy.

I should note that some people have commented previously that pigs do not stand upright so this doesn’t necessarily apply.  Unfortunately, when I asked my friends to use their spines them seemed unusually resistant to the idea.  The good news is that pig spines are a pretty decent model for human spines which is why many spine researchers actually use them in their research.

 As usual, please share your thoughts, comments, and questions 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.

Fasting for Fat Loss?

If you’ve ever heard that going without food for a long time results in some sort of “starvation response” or “severe muscle loss” you’re going to want to check out these pics on Martin Berkhan’s blog.  Definitely not what you’d expect to see of someone who fasts for up to 16 hours per day.

Martin is a huge source of knowledge when it comes to intermittent fasting and will be part of the free audio interview series coming soon.  Spend a little time on his blog and soak up some knowledge.

Is Your Ab Workout Hurting Your Back?

In this New York Times article, Dr Stuart McGill discusses the transversus abdominis and core training in general.  Also included is a short video where recommended exercises are show.  Worth a quick read.  Oh yeah, Dr McGill is also part of the audio interview series.  Keep your eyes peeled.

Enjoy the reading and have a great week!

If you’re like me you want to know every single thing there is to know about training.  Unfortunately, as an up and coming trainer I was constantly referring to the resource lists on the sites of other coaches and trying to choose which of the many books and products to purchase.  With a list of over 50 books it was sometimes hard to decide where to spend my hard earned money.

So, I decided to create a list of my top three books to get you started.  If someone asked me to give up every book I’ve ever read and keep only three, the books below would be the ones I would choose.  While none of the ones I’m about to list aren’t specifically about training, they are the three that I can say without a doubt had the biggest influence on how I think about the body and human movement.

Here they are in no particular order:

Muscles: Testing and Function, with Posture and Pain

This book provided my first real taste of postural assessment.  The detail provided and the numerous pictures were an incredible resource.  More than that, the information on testing for muscle length and strength was awesome!  With charts provided for assessment this is easily one of the best resources I own.

Low Back Disorders: Evidence-Based Prevention and Rehabilitation

Without this book my programming would not be the same.  While a large part of this book was geared towards mechanisms of lower back injury, the power of understanding these mechanisms for exercise selection has been incredibly valuable to me.  I concretely believe that this is the single most important starting place for understanding core training and why to chose and why to avoid certain exercises.  Well worth every penny.

Diagnosis and Treatment of Movement Impairment Syndromes

Frankly, this book was probably the biggest eye opener for me in understanding normal human movement and the causes of dysfunction.  Dr Shirley Sahrmann is a legend and her ideas changed the way I think about training.  While I genuinely appreciate the ability to assess static posture, assessing and correcting movement itself is possibly the most valuable skill a trainer can have.  Personally, I found this a tough read because I was pouring over each page again and again to make sure I soaked up every ounce of information, but in the end I woud put this book at the top of my list.

If you have some money burning a hole in your pocket and you need a great book to read I’d highly suggest starting with one of the above.

Got a book that you think is better?  Drop me a comment below.

I spend so much time pouring my thoughts and ideas out there that I think people really don’t get to know me at all.  So…I thought it would be fun to share a few things about myself interspersed with plenty of my thoughts on topics to do with strength, flexibility, fat loss, and whatever else comes to mind.

1.  I was born with 6 fingers on my right hand.  Well, it was actually 4 fingers and two completely functional thumbs.  This is called polydactylism and apparently it is a dominant gene.

Had my parents not had it removed at 9 months of age I may have been the greatest concert pianist that ever lived.  However, I believe that by having it removed they spared me from being called “The Six Fingered Man” when the movie The Princess Bride was released.  Thanks Mom and Dad.

 2.  I haven’t done or had any of my clients do a single crunch in over 5 years.

3.  I do not believe that squatting is essential when fat loss and body composition is the goal.

4.  When I was a teenager I had the worst haircut on the planet.

5.  Frankly, I am getting fed up with strength coaches and trainer who are bashing other coaches and trainers.  I have to admit that I’m guilty myself of publicly attacking others like Jillian Michaels, but I have decided to stop.

If you have a problem with a specific element of my philosphy then I’d be happy to discuss the issue so we can all learn something.  Saying you’re going to put other coaches out of business is just plain arrogance.  Ah shit.  I did it again. 

6.  Chrisitian Thibaudeau’s Black Book of Training Secrets is one of my most referred to ebooks.  Hands down.  Actually sitting on the desk beside my computer right now.

7.  I met my wife when I was 15 years old at a local roller skating rink.  And no, she didn’t see the haircut.  Thank God!

8.  If you can’t assess a client you have no business training that client.  This is akin to a doctor writing a prescription without a diagnosis.

9.  Along the same lines, I have just purchased Assess and Correct.  Since it just came out today I’ve only had a few minutes to read over the manual that accompanies the DVDs, but the content looks awesome!

As soon as I’ve watched the DVDs I’ll do a full review, but if you’re thinking about it, the product is on sale this week and then the price will jump.  Given that Mike, Eric, and Bill put this together it was really a no brainer for me.

10.  My wife and I are having our first child in just under a month so we’re incredibly excited!  However, I can’t believe how much space newborn “accessories” take up.  The living room is more like an obstacle course.

11.  I worked in the fitness industry for almost 10 years before I sent my first article to a major online publication.  Thanks Tmuscle!

12.  I used to think stability ball training was completely useless.  Now I only think it is moderately useless.  There are some exercises that I might consider in the right circumstances.  But mostly I think that there are usually better options.

13. I hate brussel sprouts, turnip, and portobello mushrooms.

14.  When it comes to nutrition people are almost always too fixated on details.  You must consume less than you burn for fat loss.  This is THE most important factor.  Anyone who says anything else is selling something.

15.  I recently interviewed Brendan Fox, Jim Smith, John Paul Catanzaro, Leigh Peele, Lyle McDonald, Jimmy Smith, Martin Berkhan, Mike Robertson, Nick Tumminello, and Scott Abel for an upcoming audio series on core training and fat loss that you’ll be able to listen to for FREE.

Oh yeah, I also interviewed Dr Stuart McGill (author of Low Back Disorders & Ultimate Back Fitness and Performance) and Thomas Myers (author of Anatomy Trains).  More bonuses still to be added.

16.  Last weekend at Walmart I accidentally walked away with someone else’s cart and discovered this about 15 minutes later when all the stuff in the cart certainly wasn’t mine.

17.  I cannot be near Nutella, chocolate chip cookies, or carrot cake with icing.  These 3 items result in a terrible case of eat-way-too-many-calories-itis.  They are my “can’t have in the house” foods.

18.  My favourite television show right now is Criminal Minds.

19.  I believe that an emphasis on the nervous system is the next big area that needs to be explored in the fitness industry.

20.  Books I purchased last week: Fast Food Nation and Outliers

21.  I don’t think that need nearly as much protein as people think for muscle gain.  Fat loss, on the other hand, is a different story.

22.  Compressive injuries to the end plate on a vertebrae can and do occur even when spinal alignment is in neutral.  You’ll usually hear a popping sound.  Back squats impose a huge compressive load. 

23.  I think the “starvation response” to fasting may be overrated.  I’m not totally sold on this, but my reviews of the research in this area are leaning this way.  If this is the case, it has incredible implications for how we could design nutrition plans.

Maybe less than 6 meals per day?  Blasphemy!  Note that I said MAYBE so don’t get pissed off and start sending me research on protein pulse theories. 

24.  I think this video is funny.  The powerlifter guy kinda reminds me of a Dave Tate type character.  If swearing upsets you, then you won’t enjoy this video.

25.  I also think this video is hilarious although not as funny as the first.  If you are into Crossfit this video may upset you.  That’s what you get for being into Crossfit. 

26.  The flu vaccine cannot give you the flu.

27.  If you’re sick don’t go to the damn gym and give it to everyone else!  Seriously, stay home and get well.  Train hard next week.

28.  There is no such thing as a time machine (except the one that I’m secretly building in my basement).  Don’t train stupidly in pursuit of a goal.  If it hurts back off and get it treated.  Training is a marathon and not a sprint.

29.  If you’re 20 or younger you probably don’t understand the last point.  If you’re 30 or older you’re probably wishing that you did when you were 20.

30.  Consistency with training and nutrition is more important than the plan you’re on.  It is better to go at 60% forever than it is to train at 100% for one week.

31.  I love to read, but generally hate fiction. 

32.  I detest coffee and drink tea often.  Green tea at least 2 times per day.

33.  I am so thankful for my friends, family, all of you for reading this blog.

Since I’ll be around the computer a bit in the next few days I figure I’m going to open this up.  Drop me any comments or questions you have below on any topic (training related or not) and I’ll try to respond.

3 Things I’m Reading

Low Back Disorders: Evidence-Based Prevention and Rehabilitation – Dr Stuart McGill

I originally read this a long time ago, but after a recent discussion with Dr McGill I decided to pull it out and give it another read.  I’m blowing through it this time and am enjoying the refresher.  It is also helping to reaffirm some of my thoughts on training and challenge others.

I guess the take home message is that if you have a great book you haven’t referred to in a while, don’t be afraid to give it a read through again.  You’ll be surprized at what you may have missed the first time.  It is kinda like watching Fight Club the second time around.

So You’re Going to be a Dad – Peter Downey

Since I’ll becoming a proud father for the first time in about 8 weeks I figured I should brush up a little more on what to expect.  This book is a little basic and we’ve covered almost everything in there in our prenatal classes already.  I guess I know everything I’ll ever need to know about child rearing.  Whew…that was easy. 

The Myth of Core Stability – Eyal Lederman

This article was recommended to me by Aaron Schwenzfeier so I plan to give it a good read this week and report back.  I’m not sure I’m totally buying what Lederman is selling after my first read through, but it certainly provides an opportunity to challenge our current interpretation of core stability.

If you want to dig it out for yourself here’s the reference:

Lederman, E. The myth of core stability. Journal of Bodywork & Movement Therapies (2009).
doi:10.1016/j.jbmt.2009.08.001.

3 People That Should Not Be Giving Weight Loss & Fitness Advice

Oprah - I’m going to go on the record and say that I really love Oprah.  I even enjoy her show sometimes despite the fact that it sucks all of the testosterone right out of my body.  But how is it that the queen of yo-yo dieting is responsible for identifying the next mass market nutrition gurus?

Jillian Michaels – I know that she has come under a lot of fire so I’m probably just echoing the sentiment of many of those in the fitness industry, but obviously this message isn’t reaching the masses.  The ratings for this show remain strong and people are still watching it.  I can’t for the life of me figure out why.

Tracy Anderson - Any “fitness expert” who states that women should not lift more than 3 pound weights deserves a dropkick.  Thanks for helping to propagate myths Tracy.  You’re doing health and wellness a real service.

3 Web Things from This Week

- DaveDraper.com

I’ve actually spent a fair amount of time here this past week and really enjoyed the content.  I especially enjoy the blog which appears to be maintained by Laree Draper so props to her for putting together the great stuff.

- Six Things You Need to Know About Protein

Chris Shugart interviews Dr Lonnie Lowery about protein.  This is some pretty good stuff.  From cooking protein to the amount of protein per meal he covers a lot of cool material.

- Bodyworlds.com

I went to see this a couple years ago and I’ll be doing so again this month.  I am so pumped!  If you’ve never had the opportunity to do cadaver work, this is a great way to see the human body.  Heck, even if you’ve done it I’d still recommend this exhibit.

- Honorable mention goes to Twitter.com/shitmydadsays

This is NOT for those who can’t handle several inappropriately placed curse words.  However, it is otherwise quite amusing and possibly innapropriate for me to post on this blog.  Still, it makes me laugh and it is my blog so I can do pretty much whatever I want.

3 Words That Will Make You Strong

- Combat Core Strength

Remember those words, because this book by Jim Smith is SICK!  Sorry Jim, but I’ve already punked a bunch of your exercises and am using them in my programs.  Get this ebook!

3 Things That Are Just Plain Funny

- Mentos

- Diet Coke

- My Brother in Law

What are 3 things that are on your mind this week?  Leave a comment and let me know.

Recently I received an email asking me if there was a difinitive test for core stability.  The very real truth is that I think there is no single test, but a combination of tests should reveal a lot about what we want to know.

Personally, I’ve been heavily influenced by Stuart McGill and Shirley Sahrmann.   I’ve also taken some great ideas from bright guys like Mike Robertson,  Bill Hartman, and Gray Cook to formulate some of my core testing tools.

To start let’s just address the fundamentals.  Strength is the ability to produce force and stability is the ability to control it.  So doing crunches on a stability ball with a hundred pound dumbbell on your chest might make you strong (although I think it makes you look ridiculous), it isn’t going to improve your core stability.  To be stable you must be able to RESIST the applied force without movement.

Going hand in hand with this notion is the idea that is currently being promoted by many educated coaches and trainers that repeated spinal flexion is a bad idea because it increases the risk of spinal disc injury.  In other words, crunches suck!

Finally, lets remember that the core doesn’t just include the rectus abdominus or the anterior core muscles.  It essentially forms a belt around us and includes more muscles than I’d like to count at this very moment.  Knowing this, it is essential to investigate the muscles all around the core to determine stability.  More importantly, we are not going to test the strength of these muscles, but the ability of them to support the core under load.  In the case of the lower back, endurance is actually far more important than strength for injury prevention.

Here is a quick little protocol that I like to use as a starting point:

1. Front Plank

While doing this movement I like to place a dowel on the person’s back and have them maintain 3 points of contact.  The dowel should remain in contact with the glutes, upper back, and head.  If one of those points is lost then the timer stops.  (Note: I swiped this tip from Mike Robertson)

You should be able to hold this position for 2 minutes.

2. Side Plank – Should be able to hold for 90 seconds

This is as easy as it sounds.  The body should be held straight in a full side plank position for 90 seconds per side.  Note any assymetry between the sides as this is a strong predictor on injury risk.  Work on bringing the weaker side up to match the stronger side before trying to increase the overall time.

You should be able to hold this position for 90 seconds.

3. Back Extension Hold

Set up at though you’re going to do a back extension and hold yourself in the extended position.  As with the front plank, use the dowel along the spine to ensure proper alignment by maintaing 3 points of contact.

You should be able to hold this position for 2 minutes.

4. Double Leg Lower

To perform this test you want to lie on your back and raise both legs straight up into the air.  From here, I’d suggest placing your hands on your external obliques or crossed over your chest.  They cannot be on the floor.  Now slowly begin to lower your legs while concentrating on keeping your lower back flat on the floor.  (Note: a hard floor is more effective than a mat for determining success on this test)

If your feet hit the floor before your lower back raises you have passed.  If not, you suck and you should check yourself into the wimp hall of fame.  Just kidding, but your ability to control your core is probably lacking in this respect.

5.  Rotational Stability

I also like to assess rotational stability by using a test from the functional movement screen.  If you’re going to fail only one of these tests, this will probably be it.  You can check it out HERE.

Again, these only serve at starting points and there are obviously other factors affecting stability of the core, but these tests should be enough to get you rolling.

In the coming weeks I’ll be releasing an audio interview series that will detail how some of the world’s leading experts test and train the core for performance and just plain looking sexy.  Keep your eyes peeled for that.

In the meantime, drop me a note in the comments to let me know how you make out on the tests above.