Archive for May, 2012

10 05 2012

Random Thoughts and Musings

Posted by: Brad in Uncategorized

It’s been a while since I’ve posted some thoughts and musings, so here they are in no particular order…

  • I am running for a seat on the board of directors at the National Strength and Conditioning Association. I consider the NSCA to be the world’s elite certifying fitness organization, and I am deeply committed to their mission which is to, “…support and disseminate research-based knowledge and its practical application, to improve athletic performance and fitness.” If elected, I will work diligently to further this mission and promote the importance of evidence-based practice. That’s a promise. If you are an NSCA member, I would greatly appreciate your vote. You can vote at the following link: NSCA Board of Directors. All members should have received a password from the NSCA on or about May 1, 2012. If not, you can call them at 800-815-6826 to get your password.
  • My good friends Bret Contreras, Nick Tumminello, Alan Aragon, and Lou Schuler will be presenting at the upcoming Fitness Summit next week on May 18th and 19th. The conference is being held in Kansas City and is reasonably priced. You simply cannot assemble a better group of fitness speakers than this! It is destined to be an awesome event.

  • I recently co-authored another article for T-Nation with the aforementioned exercise guru, Bret Contreras, titled, 5 Things We Can Learn from Arnold About Building Muscle. It’s a fun little article where we discuss the scientific basis behind some of the techniques that the Governator used in becoming the most successful bodybuilder of all time. And Arnold was definitely ahead of his time!
  • There’s a disturbing trend in the gym these days where a growing number of people perform “unusual” exercises seemingly just to look cool. Such exercises will often involve the use of unstable implements, weighted vests, or hanging movements that resemble kids playing on monkey bars. Now I’m not disputing that some of these exercises may have merit under the proper circumstances. But herein lies the rub: I get the distinct impression that most of the offenders have no clue what they are trying to accomplish other than to perform something different and distinct so that they’ll be noticed. Don’t fall into this trap! Everything you do in the gym should have a clear purpose, one that is directly related to your goals and abilities. Simply being different for its own sake is not going to improve your results. In fact, it is bound to impair your progress. Have a proper plan, execute that plan, and then allow time for recuperation. That is the key to fitness success.
  • Speaking of disturbing trends in the gym, here’s one that’s at the top of the list: Filling up a one-gallon jug at the water fountain when there’s a line of thirsty lifters waiting to get a drink! Have some courtesy. Don’t be a boor. It’s not just proper gym etiquette, it’s basic common sense.

  • As mentioned in a previous post, I had a peer-reviewed article on the potential role of muscle damage in promoting muscle development accepted for publication. I’m happy to say that the article, Does exercise induced muscle damage play a role in muscle hypertrophy, was just published in the current issue of the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research. I plan on investigating the topic in future research so stay tuned for further info…
  • Dean Somerset wrote a very good article called Fitness Myth Busters. One of my hobby horses is to debunk the seemingly endless array of myths that abound about exercise and nutrition. Dean did a great job tackling a few of the more common ones. Give it a read.
  • I’ll be speaking at a number of conferences over the next several months. First up is the Fitness Eclipse in New York City on June 29, 2012. I’ll be speaking on Facts and Fallacies of Fitness, debunking some of popular fitness myths and misconceptions. Next up is the NSCA National Conference taking place in Providence, RI from July 11th to 14th. This is always such a great event and one of my favorite venues to both present and attend. I’ll be doing two lectures here: a 2-hour precon titled “Scientific Muscle: A Periodized Approach to Maximizing Muscle Development” where I’ll delve into the mechanisms of muscle hypertrophy and how science can be blended with art to customize a routine that optimizes growth. I’ll also be doing a general session on “Metabolic Resistance Training” where I’ll discuss the benefits of various lifting strategies designed to optimize fat loss while maintaining lean muscle. In August, I’ll again be presenting at CanFitPro in Toronto. This is Canada’s largest fitness show and regularly attracts several thousand fitness enthusiasts. I’m speaking on a variety of topics here and will also be giving a consumer-oriented talk at the exhibitors show. Dates for the event are August 15th through 19th. In September, I’ll be participating in a discussion panel-type event at the NSCA Northern California State conference in Sacramento. More to come on this shortly. Finally, I’ll be speaking at the American College of Sports Medicine annual New York Chapter meeting in New York City this November. I will post details of this event when available.

    • That’s it for now. Until next time…

    Brad

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    03 05 2012

    Stiff-Legged Deadlift Performance: Facts and Fallacies

    Posted by: Brad in Exercise

    The stiff-legged deadlift (a.k.a. straight-legged deadlift) is one of the most popular resistance exercises for developing the glutes and hamstrings. Unfortunately, it’s also one of the most misunderstood. Many lifters have misguided notions about the risks of the movement. Others simply have the wrong idea as to how it should be performed. Here’s a primer on what you should know.


    There’s a misconception that the stiff-legged deadlift is dangerous to the knee joint. You’ll hear people say that you should never perform a movement that requires locking out your knees. Nonsense. To understand why, a little applied anatomy is in order. Although people tend to think of the knee joint (i.e. tibiofemoral joint) as a hinge joint, this is only partially true. In actuality, it’s a modified hinge joint (in geek speak, it’s technically classified as a trochoginglymus joint) given that a small amount of internal and external rotation takes place during flexion/extension. Specifically, when the knee begins to flex from a fully extended position, the tibia internally rotates to “unlock” the joint. During extension, the tibia then externally rotates to “screw home” so that the knee can fully lock out. This mechanism is necessary to achieve proper alignment of the tibial and femoral condyles. And herein lies the rub. Knee flexion is associated with rotation while there is no appreciable rotation of the knee during extension. Given that increased mobility results in decreased stability, which do you think is the more stable position? Full extension, of course. This is supported by in vivo (i.e. in the living) human research which shows that that anterior/posterior laxity of the knee is greatest at 20 degrees and tightest at lock out (Markolf et al. 1978). Bottom line: There is no detriment to locking out the knees when performing the stiff-legged deadlift.

    There actually is a potential benefit to keeping the legs straight. You see, the hamstrings are a biarticular muscle, meaning they span two joints: the hip and the knee. By keeping the knees straight, the hamstrings remain in a fully lengthened position. Why is this important? Well, studies show that muscle force is optimized when a two-joint muscle is stretched at one end while acted upon at the other. This seems to be particularly important to an element called titin, which has been shown to act as a mechano-sensor for anabolic signaling. Thus, if your goal is to maximize hamstrings development, the straight-legged version will tend to heighten activity in this musculature. As an aside, there is reason why you generally shouldn’t lock the knees during performance of multi-joint lower body exercises like the squat as this diminishes constant muscular tension, but this is a topic for a different day.

    Another issue with the stiff legged deadlift involves performance. Namely, I all-too-often see lifters get up onto an elevated platform or box so they can stretch down to the floor. Unfortunately, this extra range of motion generally occurs by flexing the spine. Problem is, this can place an extreme amount of undue stress on the discs, potentially leading to injury. Realize that the stiff-legged deadlift is a hip extension movement designed to target the glutes and hamstrings. Hopefully you know that the glutes and hams do not attach to the spine, so spinal movement will have zero effect on activation of these muscles! Bottom line: Bend only as far as your hips will allow. In most people, this generally means you won’t lower the bar much past your knees. You’ll feel an intense stretch in the hamstrings and this will be the limiting aspect to how far down you can go.

    As far as performance, here are a few important cueing tips. First, always maintain a neutral lumbar/thoracic spine. To facilitate this posture, keep your head up throughout the move. I encourage lifters to see themselves in the mirror at all times (a tip I learned from the late, great Mel Siff). As soon as your head drops, your spine will reflexively tend to round. I’ve heard some coaches say that keeping the neck slightly hyperextended is problematic, but there is no evidence this is the case. In almost two decades of training clients, I’ve never had anyone complain of neck pain and, most importantly, no one has ever injured their lower back during performance. Second, try to push your butt backward as you descend. This will maximize activation of the hip extensors. Finally, actively squeeze your glutes at the top of the movement. The idea is to generate a powerful contraction that maximizes muscle activation in this position.

    Here is a video explaining performance of the exercise. Enjoy!

    embedded by Embedded Video

    Reference
    Markolf KL, Graff-Radford A, Amstutz HC. In vivo knee stability. A quantitative assessment using an instrumented clinical testing apparatus. J Bone Joint Surg Am. 1978 Jul;60(5):664-74.

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