The Bench Press is a Useless Measure of your Strength pt2 (the juicy stuff)

It seems my functional approach has raised the shackles of some weightlifting traditionalists.

While I appreciate the value of this exercise for aesthetics, I disagree that it has any purpose other than to keep shoulder and elbow rehab specialists in business.

Agree?  Disagree?  See how the inspiration for this post began:

The latest comment on a bench press article “The Bench Press is a Useless Measure of your Strength pt1″ made some really good points.  It also got me thinking about the things I didn’t say in my last article about the bench press.

See! Even fitness models do these exercises! Now if I could just get him to start wearing a shirt to the gym...

So when I received the comment from ‘Dokola’ taking contention with my approach, I I was encouraged since he/she also asked some really good questions and made some common statements I hear a lot with my work teaching personal trainers.

So good were these questions, that they (and my responses to them) ended up as enough information to warrant another post with a deeper explanation of a modern functional vs a traditional approach.

Dokola’s comments in italics with my comments in blue below are as follows:

IMO a power lifting total would be a better measure of strength, bench press is but one of the lifts that make up that total.

1. It is a compound exercise that can be used to increase strength in the muscles involved. It is up to the athletes sport specific training to transfer that strength in to athletic performance.

1.  “Can be used to increase strength in the muscles involved.”
No argument from me on that point.  My key beef is whether that strength has any crossover to the actual sports activities.  If that strength comes with coordination, then you have an athlete.  This activity doesn’t really teach that.

2. The shoulders are most stable in the shoulders back and down position it is best to press from a stable position unless you are in a fitball dumbbell pressing competition (joke).

2.  “The shoulders are most stable in a back and down position.”
Again, no question.  But when ever again do you use them in a back and down position?  If they naturally move in all positions when being used, shouldnt the exercise allow the shoulders to move somewhat freely?  (kind of like when on a fitball where you are supported through the middle of the back but have at least some space to move on either side).  Pretty sure your joke is right on the money, there are no fitball dumbbell pressing comps.. but how cool would that be to see?

Here is correct technique for bench press to avoid shoulder issues. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vUcjOIZc80c

3. Balance pressing exercises such as bench press with pulling exercises such as barbell rows, problem solved.

3.You could balance pressing exercises with pulling exercises – I totally agree.  It might take more than just barbell rows to balance out the muscle and functional symmetry though.  I might also argue that barbell rows might not solve the internal rotation issues that come with heavy bench pressing.  Simply reversing the exercise can work in some cases, but not necessarily in this one.  The exercise you are suggesting (I love barbell rows, especially when done from an unsupported position) is an excellent one, but does not necessarily address the massive flexibility issues through the chest, shoulderblades and thoracic spine.

So not quite ‘problem solved’ – but if more bench press lovers did more back work, it would certainly help, no denying that!  If only they could see their backs in the mirror they might be more motivated to work them 😉

4. Get a spotter, you can use a squat rack or a training partner.

4.  Not being able to proprioceptively control the weight you are handling = risk of injury.  I agree, for heavier weights on a dumbbell press on fitball get a spotter or training partner – just as any heavy lift, thats what friends are for. I dont think it matters if you are on a bench or a ball for that issue.  Of course, it seems to be that everytime I lose balance and need help that my spotter seems to be distracted with a new range of skimpy underwear that passes for ‘workout gear’ in gyms nowadays.

Barbell/Dumbbell Press on Fitball = Unsafe with heavy weights, progressively increasing the weight is essential for building strength.Forgive me if I don’t look on youtube to see if there is a 600lb fitball barbell press.

I wouldn’t look on youtube either for a 600 lb press on fitball. The kind of stuff we are talking about here is based on new science, which usually takes a good 5-8 years to sift down to the basement gyms that would likely post such a video.

If you are pushing 600 lbs then you are certainly stronger than most at the bench press, no denying that.  I do wonder how much less you would lift when you had a ball underneath you and your core had to control and stabilize the weight.  If you are benching 600lb, I would be suprised if you could push out more than 150 lbs in each hand.  You certainly would want to work up to that as well, because muscles other than your chest would be worked to the max as part of that movement.

There are fitballs out there built to take the job on as well:  click here to see one

The above fitball is good for up to 1200 lbs.  Should be enough for even the biggest muscly fellas, right?

Chest fly on fitball/Standing one arm cable press = Isolation exercises are hardly an alternative for a compound exercise (don’t care if you do them on a fitball its still an isolation exercise).

I appreciate your perspective, and I often find the proof is in the practical.  I would request you to try doing (with a decent weight) a one arm dumbbell press on a fitball and you tell me if it is an isolation exercise or not.  I will be impressed if you dont feel a whole world of extra muscles (all the way down to the opposite foot of the hand that is pressing) working to stabilize you.

In fact, I think you will find a standing cable 1 arm press can work so many other muscles you might wonder if it is a chest exercise at all!

Push-ups with different hand positions = Quickly grow out of these, adding weight is difficult.

say hello to my heavy friend...

Pushups in different positions?  True, they are easy to grow out of for the tough guys – tried one arm pushups with different hand positions?  with a hand on a small medicine ball?  with feet on a raised platform?  while wearing a 60 lb weighted vest? That oughta keep you busy at least for a few workouts 🙂

I would suggest dips and overhead press as reasonable alternatives although doing bench press along with overhead press and dips would be ideal IMO.

Please remember  readers (and Dokola) that I am coming from a functional standpoint and the points raised are extremely valid if aesthetics and improving my bench press for bench presses sake were the sole focus.

If that is your goal then you are right on the money to bench press your world away and all of the above is irrelevant.  If you are talking function/ability on the sporting field/healthy interactive joints that stay that way for a long time… well then hopefully you will try some of the above ideas and let me know if you feel anything different working.

Thanks sincerely for your comment Dokola!  Love your input and thank you for asking such great questions.  I talk about things that are off the beaten track and sometimes these perspectives are not always explained as well as they could be.

By Dokola asking me the above questions I had an opportunity to further explain where I was coming from in regards to the excessive value given to the bench press exercise.  Which is just part of the reason it is great to get a variety of perspectives on this since it opens up the discussion to answer different people based on perspectives they are interested in.

While I am at it, thanks to all for your comments on this forum of my thoughts and findings..  I welcome any and all perspectives on my work as long as we can promise to be friends and have a whey-free protein shake together afterwards 🙂

Jamie Atlas

https://jamieatlas.wordpress.com

Like what you see?!  Become a subscriber by clicking in the top right hand corner of this blog!

Do YOU want to be a Personal Trainer? What you Need to Know pt 1

Being a personal trainer carries much responsibility. More than most realize.

I get a few blog responses from people who have recently become trainers or are about to become trainers.

If you don't look like you just stepped out a fake tanning booth after not eating for 3 weeks, don't worry. You don't need to look like this to become a personal trainer. In fact, it can be intimidating to others if you do.

If you are considering becoming a trainer, know that it is NOT anything like you see on TV. It can be a thankless and frustrating occupation. Or it can be the best thing you have ever done. The choice will be up to you. But in the name of having full disclosure, allow me to talk you out of this supposed ‘occupation’.

Reasons NOT to become a Personal Trainer:

You won’t get a full workout in ever again. People will want to talk to you in the middle of sets.

They will ask you questions and blab on about their new Ipod playlist while you nervously eye the clock, wishing you could go back to the days of anonymity when people had no idea who you were.

Then, after a 10 hour day of having clients, the last thing you will want is to work out at the same place you train.

You will work from 5-9 – not 9-5. Erratically At 5am you will have clients, at 7 and 8pm you will have people that want to train. Why? Because the people that want to train with you also have jobs so they can afford to train with you.

Your clients will have important jobs then they probably start early and/or work late. So they need you to fit their schedule. You will have busy days and quiet days. You will also have big gaps in the middle of your day that will leave you unsure of what to do or how to fill them before your next client (possibly if they don’t no-show) arrives.

It’s hard work

75% of trainers quit after 3 months because they do not make enough to pay their own bills.

To be a Personal Trainer is to always be ‘on’, always be helping people, to be a walking advertisement that is dedicated to helping others achieve more out of their workouts – and their life. To not be afraid to ask people to shell out thousands of dollars for the honor of training with you.

Most Trainers cannot handle the fact that people do not automatically line up to be trained by them. This is a job that requires you to build a customer base. Once built, you have the opportunity to live an amazing life surrounded by amazing clients that will teach you amazing things.

But until then, you better get used to filling cups of water and walking aimlessly through the gym with a permasmile locked on your face.

If you are thinking of becoming a personal trainer, know this:

You have the opportunity to change people’s lives. In ways they never imagined possible.

After his client snapped, Jake the trainer used everything at hand to defend himself.

I’m not saying that your clients will one day sit around the campfire and sing songs of your body-transforming workouts. But fame or no fame, being a personal trainer is one of the most important jobs you will ever have.

Still feel the desire to help others in a way that no other occupation can?

So if that didn’t scare you off, congratulations, and what is wrong with you, you sick puppy!?

If you are still interested and know the sacrifices involved, here are some more real (but slightly more positive) things you need to know before becoming a Personal Trainer.

Sometimes you are the last chance a person has before they give up on being healthy altogether.

The Doctor is ‘out’

The doctor wont help them get to optimal health (not trying to rip on doctors, just saying that they don’t learn how to be superhealthy, they learn how to stop you from being unhealthy. There IS a difference).

With friends like these… Who needs enemies?

Sometimes our friends help us. Sometimes they drag us down. Sometimes they don’t know what they are talking about and recommend you to do the MegaCleanse 7000 because they heard about it watching the E channel and it totally worked for some random celebrity. They might be right. But they haven’t been trained to give honest, tough love advice. Nor should they. Thats the job of someone who cares enough to tell the truth about the problem but also have the knowledge to provide the answer.

Think personal training is all about carrying a fancy clipboard and shouting at people for ‘just one more’?

Think again.

The client sees their Personal Trainer as all of the following:

• a confidant
• a listening ear
• a person to remind the client of what is really important
• the voice in their head next time they want a donut
• the person that keeps them accountable
• the reason they show up
• the one who will help change their world
• the boss of the workout

Knowing that you have many hats to wear on top of being able to count to 12 and give high fives, you should also know that people have tried almost everything else before they decided to spend big money on you.

See pt 2 of this article to see why people are scared to death of personal trainers and the hurdles you must overcome to win their trust.

Jamie Atlas

htp://jamieatlas.wordpress.com

Want some more fitness ramblings in your inbox? Make sure you subscribe to my rss feed!

Stepmill: Most Underrated Machine in Your Gym.

Let me say right now, this is not the place to start on your first day in the gym. But if you want shapely legs and a leaner body, it’s the machine you should work towards.

You know the piece I am talking about – the infinity staircase, the forever stepper, the piece of equipment that spits you out the back if you aren’t looking where you are going.

Live in Denver?  Go to WWW.FITNESSBYATLAS.COM to get a free pass to one of our classes

Frank knew that if the elevator at work ever broke down... he would be ready.

The Stepmill is an excellent piece of equipment that challenges both the leg muscles and cardiovascular system. If you aren’t a regular exerciser (at least once a week) then this machine is not for you… just yet.

I recently posted an article that talked about the top three pieces of equipment: the treadmill, the bicycle and the elliptical machine. What I didn’t realize is that although those are the most commonly talked about, that doesnt necessarily make them the best (think Britney Spears).

I received a post shortly after asking me about the rowing machine and my opinion of that. I of course realized my error immediately. I had pandered to the masses!

I had Ignored the legions of less-popular equipment users that for some reason would stumble across this blog and indignantly protest my narrow perspective of exercise equipment. Shame on me!

Why do I love this machine? Here are just a few reasons:

• Replicates the real world
• Works the all the major muscles of the legs
• Because few enough people use them that you can usually find one that isn’t taken
• Great Cardiovascular exercise
• The variety of foot positions keeps you from ‘hamster wheel syndrome’
• One of the few machines I recommend to average gym goers as well as high level athletes

Climbing the Vatican Stairs - bring a water bottle... and extra calf muscles

I can use this machine in a variety of ways. If I am constantly changing the way my body steps then I can be sure to work all angles of my glutes/quads/hamstrings/calves while still burning fat and reaping the cardiovascular benefits.

Some step patterns are more demanding than others, but here are just a few positions that I have my clients make use of when they feel up to the challenge.

For a full lower body challenge, try climbing the ‘virtual staircase’ any of in the following patterns:

• Regular position
• With feet wide
• With feet narrow
• At a 45 degree angle to one side
• Regular position stepping slowly then quickly stepping up (think about waiting ’til the last second to step up with the other foot)
• Angling the feet so they are pointed 45 degrees out
• Angling the feet so they are pointed 45 degrees in
• 2 steps at a time

For an extra booster, try any of the above variables with the following tweak:

• Just one finger from each hand lightly touching the rails (great stability challenge)
• One/Both hands behind the back (awesome leg and stability emphasis)

Warm up before your Cardio

Of course the most important thing in all of the above is that you are warmed up – I know, I know – you gotta warm up before you do cardio? You’re kidding, right? This machine is a challenge on your lower body joints – not something to lead off with.

Be sure you feel your knees and ankles are fully warmed up – try five minutes on one of the more popular exercise equipment pieces in your gym before stepping up to the high yield workout that is the Stepmill cardio session.

If you wanted to do the above as part of your regular workout, here is a recommended program to follow:

For this workout at a 7/10 intensity the whole time – be sure to get a couple of stepmill workouts under your belt before you start going for the steeplechase championship.

Looking at these stairs, I would wager that these Buddhist monks probably have some killer glutes and calves hidden under their robes

Beginning full lower body stepmill workout:

1. 5 minutes on treadmill at easy pace to warm up
2. 1 minute regular
3. 1 minute wide
4. 1 minute 45 angle left
5. 1 minute 45 angle right
6. 1 minute regular with only left hand on rail
7. 1 minute wide with only left hand on rail
8. 1 minute 45 angle left with only left hand on rail
9. 1 minute 45 angle right with only left hand on rail
10. 1 minute regular with only right hand on rail
11. 1 minute wide with only right hand on rail
12. 1 minute 45 angle left with only right hand on rail
13. 1 minute 45 angle right with only right hand on rail
14. 1 minute regular
15. 1 minute wide
16. 1 minute 45 angle left
17. 1 minute 45 angle right
18. Feel free to repeat the above 16 minute cycle as many times as you would like depending on the time you have to workout or when you start to feel the burn in muscles in your legs you didn’t know you had.
19. 5 minutes treadmill to cool down and finish
20. Stretch major muscle groups of the legs

All of us are looking to improve our results in less time in the gym. If you want better results for your lower body, the best thing you can do is change up the stimulus for the lower body. By increasing the angle at the hips, knees and ankles. (such as with the angle formed when using the stepmill).

Not sure what to say about this one other than - Whhhaaaaaat?

The total amount of work required by the legs is greater in the step – if the leg bends 15 degrees (as you would walking on a treadmill) then the muscles used and the amount of work is significantly less than if there is a 60-90 degree bend in the knee and hip. Don’t believe me? Try walking the stairs vs walking the path.

More hip and knee angle in your workout is always going to mean more muscles worked (which makes for better looking legs).

Next time in the gym, dodge your regular cardio routine and have a play on the stepmill. Sure, it’s a bit dusty and doesn’t have a fancy program tool or incline adjustment. But just try it out.

After a few weeks of conquering the Stepmill you will find a newfound ability to conquer hills and staircases of varying altitude. More importantly, you will now have the power to saunter past the next escalator you see, giving a consolatory sneer to the poor saps that just dont have what it takes to take the real stairs. Those wusses.

Jamie Atlas

https://jamieatlas.wordpress.com

Live in Denver?  Go to WWW.FITNESSBYATLAS.COM to get a free pass to one of our classes

Want some more fitness ramblings in your inbox? Make sure you subscribe to my rss feed!

Treadmill, Bicycle or Elliptical machine? pt 2: The Bicycle

The bicycle athlete is somewhat of an unusual creature.

Throw a mix of athleticism in with a liberal serving of obsessive-compulsive tendencies – stir and garnish with a sprinkling of pack mentality for indoor cycling and you have your everyday cyclist.

At least he's wearing a helmet, right?

Low back pain and some muscular imbalances are usually shown in the more mature cyclists, however this is not always the case and can be avoided if the bike-bound have been diligent with their off-road conditioning.

What are the benefits of cycling on a regular basis?

If you haven’t really gotten into riding the bike, you will find it hard to compare this to understand the zen-like tranquility that comes from traversing through a gently undulating countryside.

Of course, you may have also attended a high energy indoor cycling class where Lycra and Van Halen seem to be making their respective comebacks.

The Bicycle:

I like: This equipment allows the user to build their heartrate in a way that the treadmill and elliptical cannot. It also is easier on the joints of the lower body (but not necessarily those of the hips and low back). There are no mainstream treadmill or elliptical classes – if in need of a workout you can walk into almost any gym and experience a sweaty workout where you will experience a camaraderie with other fellow cyclists.

I don’t like: Without proper off-bike conditioning the body can develop massive imbalances in the hip, low back and thighs. As we crouch over our back lengthens as our abdominal wall and hip flexors shorten.

The average cyclist can sometimes be ‘quad-heavy’ in their technique- meaning that the cyclist ‘pushes’ down with each pedal but omits the remainder of the cycle stroke resulting in weaker hamstrings and stronger quads – which creates imbalance.

The end result?

Pain aside, Mike the Avatar was more concerned about the strange orange and green glow coming from his lumbar spine

Plant yourself just beyond the finish line of any long-distance cycling race to see an impressive collection of cycle-athletes clutching their low back and groaning in symphony as they dismount from their respective 2-wheeled steeds.

Riding for extended periods of time with poor technique and/or an inadequate conditioning and stretching program is likely to have a negative effect on your posture.

Postural issues are not mandatory, but without balance in your workout programs the chances of a myriad of spine and muscular imbalances increase dramatically.

Major advantage:

Riding a bike can be enjoyed without much technique, has offerings for group classes (which can be accepting or hostile – it all depends on whether you grabbed someones favorite bike or not).

Cyclists can be extremely particular about which bike they use in the indoor cycling classes and some will become verbally disappointed if their bike is claimed by an innocent visitor. Sometimes I wonder why they dont just get it over with and pee all over their favorite bike as a form of territorial marking.

Major disadvantage:

People will sometimes ride the recumbent bike as if they were resting on a beach in Cancun. Other times cyclists fail to realize the benefit of using a variety of equipment to make sure their upper body actually gets to workout as well.

The #1 Disadvantage?

Bending over a bike looks way too much like bending over a desk. Most of us are already too well practiced at hunching over a computer to get those TPS reports in by Friday. If we go to the gym, lets make sure we have an opportunity to stand tall for at least part of our lunchbreak before we return to our our ergonomically-insensitive workstation.

Overall:

The bicycle is an excellent piece of equipment. Any athlete can develop excellent cardio and leg strength – but not without a price of tight hip flexors, weak lengthened hamstrings and hunched forward upper body posture.

Solution?

1. Stretch out the hip flexors any chance you get
2. Do lots of hamstring exercises (like a deadlift) as part of a regular workout
3. Stretch the chest to keep things from caving in
4. Ask a trainer about improving your posture to keep the torso tall when not strapped into your tricycle.
5. Get a massage to make sure your body is staying limber.

Where does the bicycle fall in my ranking of which is better?

It's a bike.. no wait, its a treadmill.. Umm.. A Treadcycle??

If you have no low back pain, decent flexibility and dont mind repetitive exercises (I mean really repetitive – the indoor bikes don’t have much of a steering wheel to them) then cycling is probably right for you.

However, if you spend all day sitting at a desk I would categorize this as a ‘participate no more than 1-2/week’ exercise to do – if just because I would want your body to remember how it feels to stand tall like the other modern primates do.

If you enjoy the biking, then by all means get out there and ride like the wind! Just be sure to mix up your rides, mix up your terrain and mix up your exercise routine so you stay riding injury free for a long time into the future.

Jamie Atlas

https://jamieatlas.wordpress.com

Treadmills, Ellipticals and Bikes – part 1 of this article here

Want some more fitness ramblings in your inbox? Make sure you subscribe to my rss feed!

Runners and Triathletes: 3 Exercises That Are Guaranteed To Help you Run Better

Most Running Programs are not designed for Runners.

They are likely excellent programs in themselves – their major fault is that they usually work your body in a completely different way than the actual movement of running.

Spiderman was dangerously close to finally catching the 'Lycra Bandits'

The runners and the dumbbells should be friends:

When weightlifting started to enter mainstream popularity, many runners found themselves ‘hitting the gym’ in the quest for faster times.

Unfortunately for the majority of the runners diligently working out , they mostly experienced slower times, greater fatigue and increased incidence of injury. But why was this? Part of this was that they were working out without the science available today, but beneath this was a major factor:

Your average ‘running workout’ has no consideration for the actual sport of running

Do you run with one leg at a time, or two legs at a time? If you ran one leg at a time would it make sense to teach your body to be better at pushing off one leg at a time?

The answer becomes evident if we look more closely at how you naturally run:

Kangaroo vs Leopard

Kangaroos use both feet at the same time to move forward

Do you run by using two legs at once – like a kangaroo?

Notice how the rear leg and the opposite foreleg are on the ground at the same time - similar to how we naturally run

Or with opposing legs – like a racehorse?

Do most of your exercises have you working out two legs at a time?

Would it also make sense to exercise opposing leg and upper body segments at the same time?

What if I told you that most of the exercises your program has you doing are probably of little or no use to your running prowess?

Common exercises that give poor ‘return on investment’ in regards to running

• squats
• leg presses
• leg curls
• leg extensions
• adductors/abductors
• bench press
• lat pulldown

Your exercise program should reflect how you run. Most don’t.

The below picture demonstrates how we run using one leg forward while swinging the opposite arm forward with each step.

As demonstrated in this picture, as you run you counter-rotate through the upper body (notice how every leg has the opposite arm forward?)

Here’s a quick 3 minute video that shows the #1 exercise for every runner or triathlete to do.

Just to be sure, I have included another 2 exercises in this video just to be sure you don’t leave unsatisfied:

Watch the video below to see the exercises that will have you running at your best ever!

If you only have 20 minutes in the gym, do the above exercises for 3 sets of 10-15 reps each side and you will see marked improvements.

You now have an exercise for your upper body, core and lower body that are all designed to help you run better.

Just a few of the changes you should see from doing the above exercises:

• Improvements in your running strength/times and technique
• Elimination of those niggling injuries that come from long runs
• Greater return in your time and effort invested in the gym

if you liked this post, you might also enjoy:

Never run on a treadmill again pt 1

Never run on a treadmill again pt2

which is best: treadmill, bicycle or elliptical?

Jamie Atlas

https://jamieatlas.wordpress.com

Want more fitness ramblings in your inbox? Make sure you subscribe to my rss feed!

Fitness and Health Propaganda: The ‘Sit and Reach’ Test is a Useless Measure of your Flexibility.

Your ‘sit and reach’ test results have nothing to do with your functional flexibility

Heres why:

In gyms across the world right now someone is sitting in a small room with a measuring device between their heels – straining, grunting and reaching with both hands for an ethereal point just beyond their toes.

The participant will try to hold that point for 2-3 seconds then exhale and lean back, looking up hopefully at the personal trainer conducting their initial fitness assessment.

The trainer will jot down the number, look back at the hopeful face of the client and smile awkwardly, saying “not bad… something to work on for later”.

You will then likely be given a ‘ranking’ to let you know how poor/well you did.

But what was the test supposed to measure?

Was the test supposed to measure how well you can bend over to pick something up? So why did they test you from a sitting position and not standing?

Do I think a sitting flexibility test is a good measure of functional flexibility? Not in a million years.

Real World Hamstring Flexibility in Action

We use our hamstrings standing up, not sitting down.

If a test is designed to help measure increases in function, the test should be based in function.

Muscles react to control the tilting of the body as you bend over

When we lean our bodies forward to smell a flower/tie our shoes/pick up laundry, the muscles in the lower back and legs (in fact most of the muscles on the back half of our body) receive a signal.

The signal that is sent through the body as you lean forward goes something like this:

“Hey all you back-half-muscles!!! Something just happened and this body is tilting forward at an accelerating pace! If we don’t switch on and all work together to pull, we are going to end up landing our pretty face right into that rose bush/concrete/pile of smelly undies!”

WHEN LENGTHENING THE HAMSTRINGS, WHICH VERSION DO YOU USE MORE OFTEN – SITTING OR STANDING?

Sitting:

1. At gym, doing non-functional movement because trainer tells you to
2. in bed, reach forward to pull off socks

Standing:

1. reach over to pick up kids/toys/diapers/kids in diapers holding toys
2. pick up keys off of coffee table
3. field ground ball
4. completing a volleyball dig
5. bend over to tie shoes
6. swing club in golf
7. lean forward for a backhand shot in tennis
8. tilt our body forward FOR ANY REASON from a vertical position.

Does it make sense to you that a more FUNCTIONAL test would be to measure your flexibility from a standing position?

So print this off and give it to your trainer/local gym rat and say “what do you think of that? That guys crazy, right?” then give them a second to look it over, then a few more seconds to watch their wheels start to turn as they realize that they have been testing for something completely different than they thought they were.

Let me know what they say…

Just don’t tell them where I live – I am still catching heat for my ‘never run on a treadmill again‘ post a couple of months ago that upset more than a few tread-lovers out there.

Bottom line: Don’t blame the trainer. Don’t blame the fitness club. They are only doing what has been passed down to them from the previous generation of sports scientists.

Know that this test is a great measure of your ability to do this test – not necessarily of the flexibility you need in the real world.

Just wanted you to know that 🙂

Jamie Atlas

https://jamieatlas.wordpress.com

Want more fitness ramblings in your inbox? Make sure you subscribe to my rss feed!

The Rowing Machine – Where Posture meets Cardio

The humble rowing machine – the cinderella of the fitness center.

While the fancy treadmills and the high-fashion elliptical machines entertain the guests, showing off their incline adjustments and their new digital displays the rowing machine sits off to the side, all alone. Exiled to the corner as if it were a bad child in a classroom.

In a recent UK survey, 44% of women found men that row as ‘sexy’ . Fellas – do you need more motivation than that?

(I personally use and recommend the Concept2 line of indoor rowers. They are near indestructible!)

The occasional gym-goer will wander over to play briefly, but only for a bit of a warm-up before they are on their way again. Generally speaking, the rowing machine gets left alone in the corner to gather dust.

Live in Denver?  Go to WWW.FITNESSBYATLAS.COM to get a free pass to one of our classes

Shame on us for not giving this excellent machine the respect it is due.

The rowing machine is one of my favorite machines in the gym. It helps to develop cardio, strength, flexibility and all the muscles you need for great posture.

A common problem I hear from runners and cyclists is that that have great cardio, nice legs but a flabby upper body.

Problem solved.

Still need convincing that Rowing is a great sport for the total body?

Enough said. Moving on.

2 reasons why you want to integrate your local rowing machine into your workouts and cardio days:

1. Better fat burner

Rowing with proper technique works both the upper as well as the lower body. More muscles worked means more calories burned in the same period of time, which means more fat burned for your cardio dollar!

2. Better for posture

Imagine the view when you see someone walking on the treadmill – especially if they are reading their US Weekly or the new People mag. People tend to have poor posture on the treadmill, bike and elliptical machine.

If you are hanging on to the rails as if you are ready for the machine to spontaneously switch into rodeo mode – then chances are you are leaning forward and your posture is suffering.

Take the the normal treadmill/elliptical/bike user:

Are they a picture perfect model of posture or are they a hunched over hunchback of hunchville? (So I’m channeling Dr Seuss?! What’s it to you?!)

Would you, could you, in a rowing machine?

The downside of the rowing machine is that it is not magazine friendly (which might be an upside, depending on your perspective).

This means that instead of catching up on the latest hairstyles and dog handbag fashion, you will actually have to do some real work (but that’s why god created the ipod – so you can listen to your music/Harry Potter on tape/best of John Denver as you happily row away).

Rowing works the legs as well as all the muscles of the back

It is fantastic for strenthening the biceps, shoulders, upper and lower back as well as all the major muscles of the legs.

The major drawback is that you probably don’t know how to do it

But thats about to change: You can learn about rowing technique here.

Or if you would rather have the visual, here is a 3 minute vid:

There are different ways to row, but just pick one and go for it. Your body (and your posture) will be grateful for it.

Once you have the technique down, for my vote its the best fat-burning machine in the gym that also works the upper body in such a way that your posture will never feel better.

Do you row? Put in your two cents about what rowing does to your body to help others understand just how good this machine is.

Jamie Atlas

Live in Denver?  Go to WWW.FITNESSBYATLAS.COM to get a free pass to one of our classes

Want more fitness ramblings in your inbox? Make sure you subscribe to my rss feed!

How To Get the Perfect Butt – the ONLY exercise you need work your glutes like never before

Your Exercise Program is Getting You to the Halfway Point of your ‘Butt Potential’ – At best!!!

Live in Denver?  Go to WWW.FITNESSBYATLAS.COM to get a free pass to one of our classes

The exercises I am going to show you make use of my fifteen years of personal training experience and numerous consultations with various body-shaping coaches, physical therapists, movement specialists and other fitness professionals.

UPDATE!

To view the latest installment (August 2010) of the perfect butt series and see the ADVANCED perfect butt lunge, click the link below:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b39Wqnp7GSs

The exercises I am about to explain to you will help you develop and tone your glutes like nothing you have seen before.

Serena Williams – she doesnt have just junk in that trunk – she has the whole landfill!

Before I reveal to you my secret weapon, here is a quick and relatively painless explanation of how our muscles work (Warning: This next section may make you smarter than your personal trainer!)

Our muscles are like cables that pull – they are attached at two ends, and when we want it to achieve a movement they pull together to achieve a movement.

If you think about the line in which we move the bicep doing bicep curls, it is a straight up and down movement. We shorten our bicep through a full range of motion in a straight line (funnily enough, in line with the fibers of the muscle – this is your first clue).

To get the most out of a muscle we must exercise:

1. In the line in which the fibers are oriented
2. Through a full range of motion

If you missed ‘advanced human physiology 301’ in college (I loved this class, but all of my others… well, lets not talk about me – lets keep the focus on you 🙂

Here are some visuals to work with.

The biceps fibers run in a mostly vertical direction

The glutes… do not. They wrap around the butt at an angle.

If you look closely (go on, soak them in… I wont tell) you will see that the fibers run in ANYTHING BUT a vertical position.

It becomes plain to see that the fibers of the glute run at almost a 45 degree angle!

By this understanding, if we want to work the butt in the same way we work the bicep (through a full range of motion), would it make sense to work the butt in a different way than straight up and down?

Think about the motion of the bicep curl being up and down, and the motion of a lunge being… well, up and down.

This guys problem (apart from having misplaced his shirt) is that he is only working the glute through half of its range of motion and therefore half of its potential.

Now look at the pictures above. I agree that the muscle might be working, but is it working the way YOU want it to be working? At full range? To full effectiveness? To give you the full potential?

Can you see how the everyday lunge (shown above) is only working our glutes through PART of the range of motion?

If you said yes, then print yourself off a personal trainer badge and pin it on

You’re hired.

Below is a 4 minute video that explains and demonstrates how your glutes move, but also shows a couple of exercise variations that you can do to REALLY work the butt.

Watch this video to work your butt to the max like never before!

(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1lHU50G0tmA if it doesnt show up on your browser)

If your gluteus maximus has been a little too much on the minimus side, then these exercises are what you have been looking for. These lunge variations (if done correctly and with good form) are your new best friend – or worst enemy, depending on how you look at it 😉

If you don’t normally do lunges, then just do the basic ‘perfect lunge’ version – 2 sets of 15 reps each leg, 3/week (add weight if it gets too easy) for 4-8 weeks.

Then email me to say thanks – send me a thank you e-card if you would like 🙂

After you have gotten better at the basic version, try the intermediate version – but make sure you are feeling confident with the basic version first and have good form and no pain as you go through the movement.

Let me know your results – hell, send before and after booty pictures if you want to!

Yours in bootyliciousness,

Jamie Atlas

https://jamieatlas.wordpress.com

Do you dare to keep up to date with other articles I post?  Subscribe to this blog by clicking here!

If you liked this article, you might also like the following:

What makes something a ‘functional’ workout?

Sit ups do NOT equal sixpack abs

Treadmill, Bicycle or Elliptical machine? pt 1 the Treadmill

If you choose the wrong machine for your fitness goal, you may end up with less results than you planned for.

This is part 1 of a three part series.

I will start with the treadmill, since that is one of the most popular pieces (although I have been known to trash treadmills, they certainly have their place in the gym and deserve a fair comparison). Click here and here to read my attack on the misunderstood and often misquoted treadmill.

People often get confused as to which is the better option for their workout – treadmill, elliptical or bicycle. The decision can be difficult to make without the right information.

Mimes. Easily confused, but not as creepy as clowns.

Here is the answer I like to give when asked for preferences (and no, I am not open to offers from equipment companies to bribe me – although I do really like the StarTrac total body trainers – the variety on those things is awesome!!)

The answer I like to give whenever asked “what is the best equipment/exercise band/workout video/lycra spandex catsuit” is always the same:

“it depends”.

It depend on what you are after, it depends on what your history of exercise is, and it depends on what injuries you might have and sometimes it just depends on how you feel on the day.

Live in Denver?  Go to WWW.FITNESSBYATLAS.COM to get a free pass to one of our classes

Before I get into the major differences, here is something to consider. If we can work more muscles then we will burn more calories.

However, we need to make sure that our joints do not get overloaded at the same time. A key phrase to remember when deciding what to use, is the phrase ‘repetitive patterns’.

Repetitive patterns can be a major cause of joint pain, muscle imbalances and unfashionable sweaters from your Granny at Christmas.

Repetitive patterns of movement can wear your joints out faster- repetitive patterns in sweaters are just destructive to your sense of fashion… Seriously – is that guy wearing…. a leather kilt?!

When I select a machine, I am always careful to make the workout on it just a little different than last time (which is why you need a workout program) – whether it be foot position, incline, speed, stride length or just mixing up the programs. I want to make sure I am giving my body a different input – and I do this for the folllowing reasons:

By mixing up the variables on any given machine, you can improve your results in the following ways:

Increased overall cardiovascular ability – if we continue to do the same program our level of cardio can become stagnant, even decrease.

Decreased chance of injury – by training in different ways, I give key muscles a chance to rest while other neighboring muscles have a chance to work – this allows my body to recover partially while working a variety of muscles in different ways.

Reduced boredom – lets face it, we all want to enjoy our workouts more. The only way to keep things fresh… is to keep things fresh! Mixing up the programs at least keeps us guessing – and if we can make sure we feel the burn at the end of it all, then we are on track to improve our results but also on track to make sure we are motivated to turn up for the next workout!

The major differences between the ‘big three’:

Treadmill:

When you take a step on a treadmill, every step is just a little bit different. You can reduce the range of your steps or increase them if you are jogging/running. It also means that different muscles are being worked and a variety of muscles means better results when compared to a locked position (such as you would find with an elliptical or a bicycle). however, it means that if you are tight in the hips, you might be walking with a reduced range as opposed to an elliptical making you take longer strides which would lengthen out your hips (and so the paradox unfolds). So if you have tight hips I might recommend spending more time on the Elliptical – or to tackle the problem at the source, try doing some hip flexor stretches (this gal does a great job or explaining what your hip flexors are and how to stretch them).

I like:

I like that you are able to self-select your own stride and I also like that it means you are working your body in a slightly different way with each step.

I like that you can do a large variety of things on the treadmill like walking and running (which may not seem like a bunch, but the action of walking, jogging and running are all thoroughly different movement patterns with different muscles and loads

I don’t like:

I don’t like that people crouch over the treadmill as if they are about to make out with the start button.

I don’t like that people hang on to the rails as if they are about to get pulled under the moving belt.

Major advantage: Your body uses more lower body but also rotates as you walk/run which means more muscles worked and more calories burned for your time spent watching Ellen/Oprah/That guy from the money channel who just yells and smashes things all the time.

Major disadvantage: Higher impact than bike or elliptical means joints get more of a pounding compared to a bike or elliptical which means you must be more careful with your program variety as you progress.

Overall:

The treadmill is an excellent piece of equipment – although misunderstood by many.

Do not confuse the action of walking/running on a treadmill with the action of walking/running on real ground (again, Click here and here if you are interested to know why). It may look the same to our untrained eyes, but your body knows the difference – just like my wife knows a fake gucci.

I couldnt tell you the difference even if you showed me the ‘made in china’ label (made in China means they are fake, right?), but with one glance – she knows.

I’m not sure what is worse – buying a fake gucci or making ‘mans best friend’ wear a high fashion backpack. I bet all the other dogs beat him up as soon as he gets to doggy daycare.

Your body knows the difference between being on ground and the treadmill. It doesnt mean it isnt good for your body and it doesn’t mean you shouldn’t do it every now and then. But it does mean that if you are doing it so you can go on a hike or go running in a triathlon that you should consider

Elliptical: to be continued

Bike: to be continued

What do you think? Am I missing a piece of equipment that you totally love?

Send me your equipment name and why you love it and I will write a review on it for all to see.

Jamie Atlas

Live in Denver?  Go to WWW.FITNESSBYATLAS.COM to get a free pass to one of our classes

Want more fitness ramblings in your inbox? Make sure you subscribe to my rss feed!

The One Question you Need to ask Yourself Before Starting a Weight Loss Program

Too often when we start an exercise or nutrition program we miss a crucial element that if absent, almost guarantees our failure.

I missed this element many times in regards to my own personal fitness and nutrition goals.

At a fitness conference it was all at once that the realization of this question hit me.

It changed me with such clarity that it made me want to go back in time, track down my five-years ago self and give myself one of those wrestling moves you see on tv for being such a dummy and not figuring this out years ago.

a picture of me about to go back in time in order to give myself a well-deserved backhand

Many people start an exercise routine and have goals.

Other people are told by their doctor to start doing something.

Others are fans of weight watchers or jenny craig (both of which have their positives and negatives).

The key to success that often gets missed comes to us not when we are at our meetings and not when we are at the gym.

It is not when we are talking with our friends about our progress or our new outfits or our old outfits that we want to start wearing again (even though capris are sooo out of style now).

The key question (and it’s answer) is something that we may be a moment of silence for.

It is the moments of silence in our lives that lend us opportunity to solidify our foundation

The answer to this question helps us at 6am in the morning in the middle of winter when it is cold and windy outside and bed seems just so nice.

The answer is crucial to our success when our friends innocently invite us to a night of debauchery and hedonism the likes of which we sorely miss and would thoroughly enjoy.. at least until the next day.

If we fail to ask this question then we build our fitness goals on a false foundation.

If we are able to answer this question then we have found the concrete pillar upon which we can refer back to at times of weakness, the touchstone that will drive us forward when life around us tries to drag us down.

The key question is this:

What could stop me from achieving this goal – and what am I going to do to make sure it doesn’t?

The answer will change as your weight loss/fitness changes. If you can focus on your answers at times of weakness, you can focus on not letting anything stop you.

Dont

Let

Anything

Stop

You

Like a loaded gun on your hip, have your solutions ready when the obstacles come…

And success will be yours.

Jamie Atlas

https://jamieatlas.wordpress.com

Want some more fitness ramblings in your inbox? Make sure you subscribe to my rss feed!

if you liked this post, you might also like:

What the world of fitness has been reduced to (in one picture)

Your water intake may be ruining your workout