Cross-training is a powerful weapon in the fight against muscular imbalances and injuries for any sport.  Runners face the additional challenge of very repetitious, high impact specific training (the longer the running event distance, the greater this challenge becomes), so cross-training is particularly important in any running program.

There are many kettlebell lifts that can effectively supplement running training to help prevent injuries and increase work capacity.  When building up to running competitions or events these lifts obviously fit best in the preparatory phase of training and would be phased out during the competitive phase.  For those who are really keen on the bells, kettlebell sport could be an option for the transition phase.

The three kettlebell specific lifts that have the most bang for buck for runners of any sort are:

• The swing
• The clean
• The jerk (alternatively the push press)

The snatch could certainly be included in the list of best kettlebell lifts for runners, but because it is without doubt the most technical of all the kettlebell specific lifts it is less accessible and many of the benefits of the snatch can be obtained from the swing and from the combination of clean and jerk (or push press).

*** Note: Links to detailed articles on each lift provided for more information on technique***

The Swing

The swing is arguably the best supplementary kettlebell lift for runners, providing power endurance work for the posterior chain which is exactly what running requires.  Swings work the muscles that support knee and hip joints, as well as the core, helping to protect the joints that runners often get injuries in and ironing out muscular imbalances in the lower body.

Any form of swing will have desirable cross-training benefits for running, however the one arm swing or kettlebell sport swing (or even alternating swing if grip is an issue) will have greater effects on the upper back and core, working the muscles that support good running posture.

The Clean

The clean shares many of properties of the swing, as it is a swing based lift.  The clean, however, affords the opportunity of a rest position (rack).  Having a rest position built into the lift enables pacing to be manipulated, and reduces stress on the grip, so the clean can be used for longer set duration.

The Jerk/ Push Press

The jerk and push press are anterior chain driven movements, so provide balance to the stress placed on the posterior chain when running.  These lifts also include an overhead component, working the shoulder and upper back, again helping the muscles involved in maintaining good running posture and using muscles that get neglected somewhat in a lower body dominated sport.

The jerk is a more ballistic lift, requiring greater power production from the legs, more calf work and increased demands on core stabilisation (all very beneficial to runners) compared with the push press.  The push press is the less technical option and the preferred lift in those with increased risk of stress fractures as it doesn’t involve as heel strike as the jerk does.

The dip in the push press and first dip in the jerk help maintain, and can improve, ankle flexibility by stretching the achilles and soleus (however you do need to begin with an adequate ankle ROM in order to be able to perform this movement safely).  This dip also requires an eccentric contraction of the soleus muscle, helping strengthen it and, in turn, helping to protect the knee joint.  The action of the dip for push press or first dip for jerk is not commonly performed under load, so these kettlebell lifts provide a unique opportunity for runners’ cross-training.

A Combination

A combination of clean and jerk or clean and push press (“long cycle” variations of jerk or push press) will obviously give runners all of the benefits of the individual lifts involved as well as balancing each other out (pulling vs pushing, posterior chain vs anterior chain etc), working the entire body and, if performed with a challenging weight at a challenging pace, have very high cardiorespiratory demands: perfect GPP for runners to increase work capacity.

Programming

Running technique and lactate threshold are key factors in your running performance.  If you are just getting started improving your VO2max will make a big difference.  However, in WELL trained athletes lactate threshold is a better predictor of performance than VO2max.  The demands of kettlebell training on the CV system using the above lifts appropriately will not be too dissimilar to that of running (the kettlebell lifts may be slightly more anaerobic).  Additionally, the strength gained with your kettlebell training should help improve your running economy.  Kettlebell training can be effectively used with long sets, short set and complexes.

Long sets: During a longer set (6 + minutes) your pacing strategy should allow you to constantly perform a rep cadence (obviously this applies to cleans, jerks, push presses and long cycle variations – swings don’t have a rest position so altering pace isn’t really an option however frequent hand switches could be used to increase the length of time you are able to swing for).  With a constant pace you will generally sit on or slightly above your lactate threshold.  This is great for general fitness and specific energy system training.

Short sets: Allow you to perform higher intensity efforts.  This results in you training above your lactate threshold.  Training above your threshold by useful because it should allow your body to generate and clear larger amounts of anaerobic by products. This will in turn help raise your lactate threshold.

Complexes: A complex is a circuit with the same piece of equipment.  An example of this would be: 5 swings, 5 cleans, 5 push press and 5 jerks. Changing exercise frequently allows you to fatigue an area then move to a relatively ‘fresh’ one.  This helps maintain the demand on the central nervous system, heart and lungs, whilst rotating between different muscle groups.

***Huge thanks to Iron Edge workshop instructor James Ross for his input on this article.  James is currently doing his second masters degree in exercise science, his first had a focus on strength and conditioning while his second one has a focus on the kettlebell snatch, so his expertise on applying kettlebell lifts to running programming was especially valuable.****

This instalment follows on from the previous 2 in discussing various approaches to training for powerlifting.

As I have said in previous blog posts, there are a number of factors that will determine how you should approach training.

1) The complexity of the movement.

The more complex the movement is, from a neural/motor pattern perspective, the more important specificity is. With a less complex movement like bench you can use greater variation, since reinforcing the motor patterns and building efficiency requires fewer repetitions.

I believe it also means that you can break the lift down into partial movements with greater success (or less risk). (I think one of the common mistakes people make with partials is to train muscle groups, rather than focusing on the movement- like viewing board press as a tricep exercise, rather than seeing it as working the top of the movement. If you analyse things from a movement perspective you are more likely to work in a groove that will provide carryover.) Similarly, a complex movement like squat will respond better to specificity.
Here is how I look at it- your investment in training time and energy will reflect the investment. I know guys who do comp squats 25% of the time- the rest is variation. Variation builds generalised skill. With deadlift it will depend on how you lift. I believe sumo is a lot more complex than conventional. Deadlift experts may be able to offer more here.

2) The skill (experience) of the lifter.

The better the skill, the less you need specificity- or perhaps a better way of putting it is the less significant the gains will be from specificity. A new lifter will make massive gains by doing the lift again and again. I recall Eric Talmant saying that the Russians say something like- as a beginner you need to do thousands of squats per year and this simple thing will build strength, as if its just a matter of squatting 10,000 times and your a great squatter. Its a vague and generalised idea that is basically saying you need to hit the groove thousands of times to get to a satisfactory level of proficiency. If you want to be a champion golfer you need to hit the golf ball again and again and again. The better you get at squatting, the less significant the gains will be from specificity. You will note that many advanced lifters use greater variation. That’s because their skill base allows for this.

3) Recovery rate.

How well you recover. As many, like Tuchsherer point out, your level of conditioning will have a significant influence on the quality of training as well as your ability to handle the volume. Russians, as far as I know, strongly believe in the idea that powerlifters are athletes and should possess athletic qualities, such as conditioning and flexibility.

The supplementary movements are all about ‘supporting’ the lifts with work that addresses issues or reinforces the lift. Part of the problem with the focus on ‘weak’ areas is that it can take you down the path of muscle groups rather than the movement. This is why I say start by analysing the movement- where are things going wrong? What is the cause? It may be the muscular weakness is the problem, but this needs to be established. When I started westside training I idenitfied that I had issues at lockout for deadlift, I also discovered I had fairly weak hammys. I worked on rack pulls and glute ham raise. My rack pull improved and my glute ham raise improved massively. How much did this help my powerlifts? Zero- in fact I created technique issues as well. When I analysed the deadlift movement I discovered the lockout problems flowed on from a technique problem from set up. Rack lockouts made this worse. Analysing my squat also revealed the issue was more about glute and hip activation than building glutes and hammys.

If you have weak glutes then doing zillions of reps will make them stronger right- since the weaker muscles are going to get a lot of work, relatively speaking? If the area is holding you back I think, many times, the answer is still found in the movement- and moving away from the movement doesn’t necessarily solve the problem- although it can- but I think the healthy way of looking at this is as ‘supporting’ the movement.

RTS
Some one of the issues you get to is that we need to find the right balance or loading, volume and variation, but how? We don’t have the resources many top athletes have. The Russian templates provide us with a great starting point, but how do we individualise them? Sheiko himself says that the aim should always be to individualise the templates.
This is the beauty of the RTS approach. RTS uses the concept of RPE to describe the rate of perceived effort. It works as follows:

7 rpe = fast moving weight, heavy but able to move quickly
8rpe= 2-3 reps left in the tank
9rpe= 1 rep left in the tank
10rpe = 1rm

You can get more precise, for eg:

8.5rpe= possibly 2 reps, definitely 1
9.5rpe= possibly 1 rep

So the RPE offers a way of working out loading based on perceived effort. Obviously, what that means in terms of % will depend on the athlete. For example, I can hit around 8 reps with 80%, but when I am fatigued it will be less. I am also good at reps and others may be faster and more explosive and better at lower reps. On this point a couple of observations can be made. If you lack an ability to grind, higher reps will result in more time under tension which should build that attribute. Conversely if you lack speed, lower reps should help. People respond differently to different RPEs, so its worth varying things- based on a good template- to see if you can work out what is optimal for you. As your abilities and strengths change, your training needs may change.

So, how much volume?

RTS uses two different approaches to manage or regulate volume. The first is a fatigue drop. You use a set fatigue drop level- like 4-6% or for greater volume 6-9%. Work up to your target RPE then drop the bar weight by the set %. If you do 200×3@9 you might then drop the bar weight by 5% to 190% and repeat triples until you hit the original RPE at that weight. This would represent a fatigue drop of 5%. Obviously if you use a bigger number then you drop the weight further and you are likely to end up with more sets. Typically you aim for high volume early in a training cycle and taper off as you go, so you could more from 6-9% to 4-6%.

The other approach is a repeat set. Say you aim for 190×3@8.5. You then repeat that weight until it’s a 9rpe. This also represents a fatigue drop off of 5%, but in this instance the first weight is lower and you’ll probably end up with more sets. One approach might be to do the first block of a cycle with repeats and the second with fatigue drops.

There are important questions you need to ask yourself:
How often should I train? How much weight and how much volume? How much variation?

Volume is an important consideration and will determine who skillful you are and how efficiently you move. It is likely that you will approach each lift differently. In the rated Sheiko templates, for example, lifters bench three times per week, squat twice, deadlift once. However, many have found different approaches have worked well. I know guys that bench once per week and others that bench every day. Volume can be addressed within sessions and across sessions. Big sessions will probably mean you will not be able to train frequently. The other obvious factor is loading. If you train heavy you cannot do as much volume as someone who uses lighter weights. You need to find the right balance of volume and loading.

How do I peak? What’s the difference between a prep phase and a peaking phase?
One common mistake I see is that people fail to grasp the difference between training to get strong and feeling string. Often the best programs will make you feel fatigued. If you feel fresh every time you hit the gym you are probably not doing enough. You also need to learn how hard to push and then how and when to back off so that you peak on competition day. For beginners, I suggest you google Sheiko 32 and see how the last couple of weeks run.

By Stephen Prichard

In the previous blog I talked a little about the basics of strength training and discussed a simple approach to periodization. I will now look at a couple of different approaches to periodization and continue the discussion about the fundamentals of strength training for powerlifting.

The first approach I want to discuss here is what is referred to as “Westside”. Westside barbell is a gym, but there is now an approach to lifting that is based loosely on the ideas associated with their training. The basic components are maximum effort, repeated effort and dynamic effort lifts. Training is typically periodised, but in much shorter blocks, like 3-8 weeks, and loading is generally very heavy for ME lifts. One of the ideas at work here is that CNS fatigue can be avoided with heavy load training in two interrelated ways- firstly- that changes to the lifts, by way of variations, will help avoid CNS fatigue- and secondly, they utilise short but rapidly increasing intensity over a few weeks.

I want to focus on a few things.

Variation
One of the ideas behind westside approaches is built on the understanding that loading is a form of specificity and that maximal strength is best developed using heavy loads. A limited factor with this will be fatigue. One of the ways of managing this is the idea of rotating or varying exercises. Variation also builds on the idea that in order to keep moving forward you need to change things up. It also allows the lifter to address specific weaknesses. So, for example, for bench press a lifter might do 4 weeks of straight benching, followed up by four weeks of floor press, following up by four weeks of board pressing. There is likely to be variation within the blocks as well in terms of loading and reps.

Max effort
Max effort lifts are the lifts performed with the heavier loads, typically over 80% and often right up to a 1 rep max. As suggested above, max effort lifts include variations of competition lifts, as well as competition lifts themselves. Louie Simmons, the westside guru, has said “after 3 weeks of the same exercise your progress will be retarded, but by switching the core exercises each week, this can be eliminated and progress can continue.”

Dynamic effort
Dynamic effort method typically focuses on developing optimal force generation by training explosively movements with submaximal loads, often with accommodating resistance (such as bands or chains). Louie has said that he doesn’t focus so much on different loading as much as different bar speeds. The dynamic work will also help build the overall volume of lifts per week and per month.
The other approach I want to look at is “Sheiko”.

If you google Sheiko you can easily find a range of templates out there- normally numbered or titled CMS, MS or a rated number. First off- the templates most find on the web are varied. It’s important to know that ideally the template you use will fit the lifter, not only in the sense that the ‘rating’ matches the technical and athletic abilities- but also that it is refined to their specific needs. So- my advice to beginners- the information online, for example, is not always spot on. Eric Talmant, an American lifter and coach, popularised Sheiko templates when he published them online 5 or 6 years ago, introducing the English speaking world to templates 29,30,31,32,37 then many others. The Russian versions did not have the numbering 29, 30, 31 etc that gives the impression that they run in sequence.

These are templates for rated lifters and they really suit different needs- in terms of where they fit into a lifting calendar as well as who they are suited for.
Dave Bates, another American coach also recommends one of his 9 week or 13 week modified programs- these are volume adjusted versions of 37, as the prep cycle, and 32, as the comp cycle. There are different versions, with different amounts of volume- with roughly the same average intensity. The combination of 37 and 32 appears to have been the most effective, as these two cycles are ‘well balanced’.

The research behind these approaches has found that for most beginner and intermediate lifters the most effective way of building strength is through building volume. Volume will build muscular strength, but most importantly it will reinforce the motor patterns, building neural efficiency and technical excellence. It is here that lifters will build the greatest gains initially. The anecdote used is that of a new lifter. A newbie to the gym will experience incredible strength gains in the first 6-8 weeks of training. Many believe that this is due to muscular growth prompted by new stimulus. While muscular growth occurs, the research (muscle biopsy, for example) showed that it was not as significant as many assumed. The major gains are made through building motor patterns which increase neural/muscular efficiency, which results in greater power output.

The realization that follows is that training the movement can be more productive than training the muscles- by this I mean an emphasis on the powerlifting movements, instead of focusing on muscle groups will prioritize what builds optimal strength.

You will notice that with a template like 37 that the weeks increase volume from 1-3, then drop off, whereas intensity builds weeks 1-4. With Dave’s 13 week template weeks 5-8 repeat 1-4, but with more volume- achieved by adding a set or rep to the top work sets. This follows the basic approach that for most strength will be best build via volume. Some more advanced lifters and older lifters have found they experience better gains from increasing intensity- their cycles gradually build intensity rather than volume. Obviously all templates use intensity and volume as the main for a variation. Research has shown that in response to challenge (lifting weights) the organism adapts (grows)- the key to keeping moving forward is to keep challenging the organism- but the bodies adaptation is remarkable- a failure to maintain the challenge results in what most of us know as a ‘plateau’.

Variation has been seen as the key to continual progression. Bodybuilders talk about shocking the system by doing things differently. Of course if you push too hard you will challenge the organism too much- the result being a decrease in progression or regression. So research was conducted- literally decades worth- 1000s of lifters- focusing on the optimal way to build strength over a year, a number of months, weeks etc. Results revealed specificity built strength in movements, but variation was needed to keep progression moving- how much variation- what form? It depends on the level of the lifter.

Those with less experience require greater ‘practice’ of the movement and stand to gain the most through doing more of the movement- the greater the skill, the less volume is required, the greater the variation can be. For beginners, the variation is simply the variation of loading and reps/sets. As you get better at a movement, the less specific it needs to be. From lift to lift there are similar lessons- for e.g., bench is not as neurologically demanding as squat- therefore specificity is less important/effective in building strength for that movement. The research provides a generalized picture of strength development. Obviously, things vary from lifter to lifter. The rated templates provide us with a scientifically supported starting point. Sheiko says that as we have different lever lengths, muscular systems, recovery rates etc- we will all have different ways to train, to squat, to bench and deadlift. This lesson is about technique, but also what volume, intensity and degree of variation will produce the best gains.

Lifters should experiment- little by little- to learn what works for them. Allow the science of the system to provide the foundation for a personalized system. Focus on the movements (things like rack pulls and box squats, for eg, can differ from the powerlifts in terms of the biomechanics- a box changing centre of gravity and creating a leverage advantage that you can’t reproduce in the free squat- so ensure you focus in the movement- so that box squats mirror free squats etc), never change things significantly- especially proscribed % or volume. To train smart- you should become the expert on your own lifting.

Part 3 will continue the discussion of Russian inspired approaches, along with Reactive Training Systems.

Stephen Pritchard

Go to Approaches to powerlifting (or getting strong): Part 3

We know that in order to get stronger you must challenge the body. The human body is incredibly adaptive. It is through adaptation that we get more skilful, stronger and fitter. So we know that in order to become a better lifter, you must challenge yourself. We do this through training. We train the body and through this training we get better. That’s all straightforward. But we also know that as the body adapts to stimulus the same activities become less challenging. If we do the same thing the body adapts and the same method or stimulus becomes less effective. In order to keep progressing you must therefore work to continually challenge yourself. The most straightforward application of this is progressive overload. As you get stronger you simply add more weight. This is an extremely simplistic and one-dimensional approach. If you have tried this you’ll know it is effective to start with but fairly quickly gains slow and you then struggle to progress.

Let’s look more closely at the two elements I have just described- challenge and adaptation. One side of this is about doing something that stimulates and challenges the body- the other is about the body’s ability to adapt. Both sides of the picture are equally important. The challenge is what happens in the gym. The adaptation happens away from it or separately from it. But as you will no doubt know there are many factors that influence how you challenge yourself- what effects it will have and how this will result in specific types of adaptations. Other things will influence how you adapt, this is recovery, skill acquisition etc.

A long time ago researchers worked out that strength athletes require a variety of attributes. Going in and hitting 1rms might yield some results, but- aside from the issue of recovery- it’s been shown that in order to get optimal performance adaptations you need to build muscle, develop a range of general athletic attributes which establish a foundation for the development of power. It’s not that these things are equal, but rather than there are a variety of attributes that should be developed in order to achieve optimal strength development.

Work capacity will affect recovery and how well you train. If volume and intensity are key ingredients, then work capacity will most likely influence both how much you pack into a session, but also the quality of the session. It will also influence how much you can handle and how well you recover. So work capacity will affect recovery and how well you train. The amount of muscle you carry will also have an impact on how well you can handle weight- obviously. So developing muscle is also a part of the picture. Skill under heavy weight and the development of power are obviously extremely important as well. To be the best you can, you need to develop skill, work capacity and fitness, strength and power. There are a range of different ways to acquire these attributes.

This all forms part of the classic linear periodization approach.

The traditional periodization template breaks up a training cycle into blocks. It also aims to get the athlete to peak for competition. It uses the principle of super-compensation- whereby a person is challenged- becomes fatigued and then backs off allowing for recovery in a kind of ‘rebound’ effect. Mike Tuchsherer has described this as being like getting a beach ball and pushing it down into the water. The force pushing down is the fatigue imposed on the athlete- once released the ball comes back up with great force to momentarily go higher than the starting position. This high point is comp day. But the thing is that you need to get the balance right. If you push too hard you will not recover in time. If you don’t push hard enough you will not get optimal ‘rebound’. Just how much is a question we can’t answer categorically for all- but there has been research done and enough to give us good starting points. Hopefully by the end of today you’ll know enough to work this balancing act out.

But to return to periodization- it has blocks. Hypertrophy and conditioning- then strength- then power. This is normally put forward as something like this:
Sets of 12 or 10 or 8 reps for a number of weeks- for hypertrophy and conditioning, followed by sets of 6 or 5 reps for a number of weeks for strength followed by a number of weeks of sets of 3-1rep for power.

There are a number of ideas behind this type of cycle. One is that it covers all the required attributes for strength development. Another is that, while strength has been shown to be best developed over a certain % of your 1rm, because loading is also a form of specificity and the effects of using heavy loads are more conducive to strength development, athletes can generally only handle 3-4 weeks of loads over 80% before they start to experience CNS fatigue which negatively impacts on performance. So the first two stages lay the foundation for the strength development.

Periodisation works for many- there is no doubt about this. However, there are two common criticisms. Firstly, it separates out the different types of training into phases, when some will argue that all attributes are required simultaneously. The difficulty is how to manage all. The second issue is that in a 12-16 week cycle you may only get 3-5 weeks where you are in a strength development phase. Some argue this is not the optimal use of 3-4 months. What if you could double the amount of time building strength while also acquiring the same range of athletic attributes? This leads me to westside templates, which I will discuss in part 2.

By Stephen Pritchard

Go to Approaches to powerlifting (or getting strong): Part 2

On Sunday 28th April, Ivan Denisov competed at the Open Military Cup 2013 in his home town of Chelyabinsk.  This turned out to be a momentus day, both for Denisov and for the sport of kettlebell lifting: he set new absolute world records for both jerk (176 points) and biathlon (287 points).

The previous absolute world record for biathlon of 286 points was set just last year (by Denisov of course).  So this new record was just one point higher – at that level even the smallest gains take an incredible amount of work and Denisov himself said: “1 point realy difficult!!!!”.

The previous absolute world record for jerks (also Denisov’s) was 175 points, so that too was only one point less than the new record and it has taken him 8 years to set this new record.

If you watch the video below of his snatch set from about 9:45 you will see his reaction when he realises he has beaten the biathlon record by just one point, it’s truly inspiring to watch.  Also notice his composure in the last few seconds of the set, he actually stops for a moment overhead when his grips is failing to check the time and prevent himself from dropping the bell – only a true professional could do this under that sort of time pressure!  And that last snatch rep is nerve racking to watch, very narrowly missing the platform on the backswing.

Denisov is an incredible athlete, there is no doubt about that, but what is really wonderful about this new record is that it has gone to someone who is a genuinely good human being and someone who has earned it through sheer hard work.  While much of the kettlebell sport world is embroiled in stupid politics and in-fighting, Denisov just goes about his business training, improving AND giving away much of his time to create more champions (he coaches many of his athletes for free and works like a dog).

To give you more insight into the type of guy he is, I was lucky enough to find out about the new record in a personal email.  He sent me through my training for the week (probably around 5am Chelyabinsk time, the morning after he set the record) and before saying anything about it he asked me how I feel – now that is a professional and considerate coach!

Denisov represents everything that is good about kettlebell sport and I hope his new record is an inspiration to all kettlebell lifters out there.  Good job!!!!

Overview of how the meet went

Squat
Warm ups felt good. Whenever I approach a heavy squat I focus on tensing everything, keep knees out and chest up. I opened with a comfortable 235kg. Next attempt was 245kg which went up fine. I knew the national squat record was 250.5kg done by Ben Bouchereau last year at Nationals, my last attempt was 252.5kg which I got with a tiny bit more in the tank perhaps. Your performance on squats will affect how you feel going into your bench and deadlift. I got all my three attempts so I felt awesome going into the bench, maybe a little too awesome…

Bench
Again, felt pretty good in the warm-up room. Went for a 155kg opener, it was pretty heavy for an opener but I knew I could get it. I screwed up on my first attempt, racked the bar early, it was an amateur mistake, I think I was a little too confident. Mistakes like that are ok for a new lifter, but not a seasoned lifter like me. I did 155kg again and made sure to rack it after the rack command. I had planned to do 160kg for my third attempt, I did 160kg paused in training earlier that week and it wasn’t a massive grinder. My coach Markos told me to do 157.5kg, so I opted for 157.5kg for my final attempt on bench. Looking at how fast (or slow) the 157.5kg went up I would not have got 160kg.

Deadlift
Warm up felt ok, was not as confident as the squat or bench but I got through it knowing for certain I could hit my opener. First attempt was 275kg which I got. The biggest ever total by 82.5kg is 697.5kg, to get a 700kg total I needed 290kg deadlift which was my next attempt. I knew there was a chance I wouldn’t get it, but during the comp you can’t let any doubt enter your head. I failed my second attempt of 290kg just below lockout. After a max attempt deadlift it would be hard to recover from and try it again. My best chance at getting 290kg deadlift was gone, but I had to try it again, I had nothing to lose and 700kg total to gain. I failed 290kg again, this time lower than the first time I did it, failed just above knees.

Next comp is GPC Nationals, June 14-16, Rydges Hotel, Bell street Preston.

Here is some footage of my lifts.

Martin Nguyen

As a personal trainer, I often found the most resistance when talking to people about nutrition.

One of the first objections always sounds something like this: “How many meals…really?…how do you prepare all that food?…I’m really busy you know!”

I’ll never forget the time one woman just stood up in the middle of one of my first seminars and exclaimed, “I’ve got three kids all under 8 years old, where do I find the time for six meals every day?” And the rest of the audience cheered “yeah!”

Or, here’s another good one: “Well, I’ve got a life ya know, I don’t have time to obsess, I have to (insert excuses here, here and here)”

Why such staunch resistance?
Personal trainers often make the mistake of thinking that nutrition is knowing the right proteins, carbs, fats and marco-ratios, type it up on an excel spread sheet, don’t forget the calories in calories out mantra, etc, etc.

However, the truth is nutrition is never really about any of these things.

What is it about then?

It’s about what a person has grown up with, their beliefs, emotional connections, prior perceptions and experiences about what is “good”, “bad”, “healthy” or “unhealthy”, what is comfortable or normal.

Trainers often don’t realize as soon as you start to mess around with any of these things, people get anxious, defensive or even aggressive.

What if you’re one of those people who are a little resistant to change?

Maybe at times you lack motivation or get overwhelmed with all that’s ahead of you?

Don’t worry, that’s normal.

However, there’s one invisible yet even more formidable roadblock trainers and clients need to be aware of right away…

Habits
Habits always beat intentions. What are the foods you know you should be eating more of? What foods are bad for you – you shouldn’t eat too much of? Most people would make a fair fist of getting these correct. The fact is, most people know what they should be eating more of and what they should be eating less of. So why don’t they do it?

Habits. Habits always beat intentions.

Here’s the truth; change is difficult. It’s very challenging. Our habits kill our intentions time and time again.

Our intention to workout more (“starting Monday…I promise”), to eat better, every day, (“starting Monday, promise!”), not to drink so much (“…after this weekend I promise”), to get to bed earlier (“…starting Sunday night”) …damn! Why don’t my good intentions stick?

A diet (or even an excel spreadsheet) doesn’t turn a good intention into a lifestyle.

A diet might tell you what to eat. An exercise program might show you what to do but neither creates a process for permanent change. Also, they do not provide the knowledge, tools and skills − solutions for any situations life throws at us.

Here’s another thing, diets and exercise programs don’t construct an environment that yields the best possible chance for success.

This is probably why Metabolic Precision (MP) works where so many other products fail.

With MP, sure you get the latest, cutting-edge research and resources, however, you also get the systems, the knowledge, the tools and the skills – solutions for the situations you face every day.

MP really is a complete experience that turns “good intentions” into a fantastic lifestyle.

Know a lot about nutrition?
Knowing how to teach nutrition that changes lives, that’s another matter entirely. With Metabolic Precision you create a highly integrated learning process that turns those good intensions into habits! We cover the five key cognitive phases (reading, audio, powerful visuals, comprehension and precise feed-back), clarify and consolidate each step and understand exactly what to focus on and when!

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With athletes constantly searching for ways to improve performance, a common pattern is the compression of more training into the same amount of time. An increase in stimulus however is not linearly related to an increase in performance. Increase in stimulus results in an increased requirement for recovery. With more stimulus (training), and less recovery (resting), a point is reached where the application of more training becomes counter-productive.

This is expressed in figure one. A small amount of training (training volume on the horizontal x axis) elicits a drastic response (benefit on the vertical y axis). The rate of return tapers off (though continues to increase at a lower rate) as more training is added. The apex of the curve indicates the point where the ideal state has been reached. Beyond this point, the addition of further stimulus causes a reduction in performance. The reduction is drastic, with overtraining causing considerable system wide failure of performance.

Figure 1

Theoretically, if recovery can be sufficient to repair the damage caused by training, the line of improvement will continue to infinity. This of course is only a theoretical template, and in reality this is simply not the case.

There becomes a point where ‘hard work’ becomes detrimental. The further back we can push that point, the more we can train to maximise performance. The way to move that point is by improving rate of recovery.

Consider the question of whether there are further initiatives (in addition to improving rate of recovery) that could be taken to push the curve above to the right. Ways in which we can increase the amount of training we can do without the negative effects of overtraining. What if we could modify the delivery of the stimulus itself to increase the amount of stimulus we can safely apply?

We have developed a template which aims to do just this. It requires a long term approach to programming and a departure from ‘what do I feel like doing today?’
Each type of session you complete is assigned a value based on its effect on your neuromuscular system. When assigning values we take into account:

• Session type (eg: strength/conditioning etc.).
• Size of the muscle groups being trained.
• Amount of load lifted.
• Volume.
• The presence or absence of rest during the session.
• Empirical experience with how various session types ‘feel’.

We’ve found a rating of 1-4 is effective in categorising almost every session type and results in a Neuromuscular Fatigue Rating (NMF rating). A NMF rating of one is attributed to a session with low neuromuscular fatigue, while four indicates the highest level of neuromuscular fatigue.

Examples of ratings are:

NMF 4:

• Sprint, agility and resisted sprint (including hill sprints, stair climb sprints, prowler pushes, sled drags at very high intensity).
• Heavy and moderately heavy barbell metcon sessions.
• Very high rep bodyweight stamina.

NMF 3:

• Power lifting sessions.
• Olympic lifting sessions.
• Conditioning sessions (standard ‘WODs’).
• Interval training sessions (monostructural).
• Swim sessions.

NMF 2:

• Continuous cardiovascular sessions (eg: 5km run/row etc).

NMF 1:

• Weighted upper body bodyweight strength sessions.
• Low or moderate rep bodyweight stamina involving only one movement.

Using this rating system, we can plan waves of training, with a wave beginning with a high NMF load and reducing as the wave progresses. The session types with the highest NMF ratings are usually also those which you will elicit the greatest benefit from completing fresh – so this system works well.

A template of two waves per week has proven effective. By adding together the values of the sessions you complete every day, you can determine an accurate representation of the effect of that day’s training on your neuromuscular system. The loads of a high volume and intensity training program (3-4 months from intended peak) are outlined below. The first wave is three days long, culminating with a lighter day (Wednesday) with a rating of five (this day includes no sessions with a rating of over 2). Wave two is four days long. The extra day of training justifies a complete rest day at the end of the wave with a rating of 0.

Monday: 9
Tuesday: 9
Wednesday: 5
Thursday: 10
Friday: 9
Saturday: 8
Sunday: 0

Graphically, this system of training can be expressed in figure two, with the wave pattern becoming apparent.

Figure 2

This is a practical template that can be applied to training to ensure that the point of diminished returns is pushed as far to the right of the curve as possible. It allows higher volume of training while minimising the negative effects of this training.

Whatever sport or activity you are training for, you should be putting together a training template or program that gives you a path to achieving what you are after. The way you train will determine the results you get. If you need endurance, then you must include elements that will develop endurance and if you need explosive power, then you need elements that will build that attribute. I have come across a lot of people who simply train the way they do because someone else did or because they have been told that’s the way to train. I have no problem with people seeking advice. But if you are wondering about how to put together a training plan that will give you specific types of results, you should put some thought into what you are trying to achieve and how you are trying to achieve it. Every single thing you are doing should to there for a reason. You become the type of athlete you train to be.

For strength training, the exercises you do with result in specific adaptations. If you squat you not only develop a specific group of muscles, but also a movement, a motor pattern and a set of skills. Different loading, set and rep configurations will produce different results. Squatting with 200kg will develop slightly different skills to 100kg, just as 20 reps will develop different attributes to 2 reps. The time and intensity under the bar will determine how the movement develops strength-endurance, conditioning, hypertrophy, speed, explosiveness and maximal strength. Back squatting will also develop different skills and attributes to front squatting.

If you are training for a sport with a diverse range of skills and attributes, then it makes sense that your training approach should also develop this diverse range of attributes. You will obviously have a different approach to someone who is a powerlifter or olympic lifter, where both the range of movements you train for and the loading range you train with perform with is limited. I personally believe that any athlete should aim to be balanced, athletic, flexible and fit. But exactly how this is best achieved will differ from sport to sport.

For the powerlifter I will offer the following recommendations:

• Improved work capacity will improve the quality of your sessions, your recovery and your general well-being;
• Mobility work will help you stay balanced in a physiological and muscular sense. If you struggle with flexibility in any of the lifting movements, you will probably develop issues. Mobility and general conditioning work can also help you address ‘imbalances’ in muscular development;
• If you struggle to grind out weight you can develop this attribute by slowing the bar down or working with increased time under tension. You can do this my adding reps, adding band tension or chains;
• If you lack speed through a movement you can normally develop this best by using lower reps, but band tension can also help here, as it helps develop an ability to generate force through a movement;
• The more specific the movements you train for are, the greater the value for specific movements in training. It has been said again and again: if you want to get better at squatting, then you must squat. Loading is also a form of specificity. If you train for a 1rm load, then the more reps you get close to this loading range the better. Obviously, fatigue is the limiting factor there.

By Stephen Pritchard

I can use both of these for bench, incline, overhead pressing, triceps exercises like JM presses and also front squats, rows and more. I think if you use your imagination you’ll see that there you can do pretty much any barbell movement with them. So why use them rather than a barbell? It’s not just about novelty and variation – although both offer this. They offer a range of different grips that the barbell doesn’t and their shape alters the way they sit against the body.

I love the way the Strongman Log sits against the body when you clean and press it. Its thickness is particularly good if you suffer from tight shoulders or limited shoulder mobility. But one of the things I love about both is the neutral grip. Constant pressing with a barbell can be hard on the shoulders. The neutral grip offers some relief there. Pressing with the hands rotated into a neutral grip will also keep the elbows tucked in. This is one of the reasons most will find it kinder on the shoulders, as elbow flare tends to aggravate things. It also loads the triceps, so it is perfect building triceps strength and lockout power. The Swiss Bar and Strongman Log compliment the barbell. You can use then in the rack, with bands and chains, just like the barbell. But they can do things you can’t do with the barbell.

On top of all that, I have to admit, it just feels awesome pressing a log.