Archive for December, 2009

7
December

The Squat: Good Exercise Gone Bad?

A few weeks ago a video of strength coach Mike Boyle presenting at a seminar hit the Internet, and boy did it piss some people off. Why? Just take a look at this quote from Boyle:
“This is going to be the hardest thing for people to accept. The muscle-head crowd, the T-Muscle crowd…they’re gonna be [...]
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7
December

Fat Loss Training for Halloween 2010?

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7
December

Muscular Strength and body fat

Interesting study:

Muscular Strength Is Inversely Related to Prevalence and Incidence of Obesity in Adult Men

The purpose of the study was to determine the relation between quintiles of muscular strength after adjustment for age and body weight, and excessive body fat (EBF) and excessive abdominal fat (EAF) when controlling for cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) and other potential confounders. A two-phased cross-sectional and longitudinal study was conducted assessing the prevalence and incidence of EBF and EAF across quintiles of muscular strength. The sample included 3,258 men (mean age = 42.2 +/- 8.9; weight (kg) = 81.2 +/- 11.0; BMI = 25.3 +/- 2.9; %fat = 19.4 +/- 5.8; waist girth (cm) = 91.2 +/- 9.0) who completed at least two clinical examinations as part of the Aerobics Center Longitudinal Study (ACLS). Muscular strength was assessed with tests of upper and lower body muscular strength using rack-mounted weights with participants placed into strength quintiles. CRF was measured by a modified Balke treadmill test, %fat via underwater weighing or seven-site skinfold measurements, and waist girth measured at the level of the umbilicus. EBF was defined as >/=25% and EAF was defined as >102 cm. There was a strong inverse gradient across quintiles of muscular strength for prevalence and incidence of EBF and EAF (P trend <0.01, each). With the lowest quintile serving as the referent, reductions in risk of EBF and EAF exceeded 70% for the highest strength quintile. Evidence suggests muscular strength may provide protection from EBF and EAF and their related comorbidities.

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7
December

Perfect Practice does NOT make Perfect!

You’re often told that practice doesn’t make perfect; perfect practice makes perfect. Unfortunately, this redundant cliche lacks meaning and guidance. Firstly, even if you could practice a perfect technique, the body always adapts neurologically, so technically… perfect practice would make perfect-er.
But that’s not the problem is it? The difficulty isn’t practicing a technique perfectly… or [...]
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5
December

Remember Recess and Summers as a Kid? That is When Exercise Was Fun!

Mark Sisson, over at one of my favorite sites, recently wrote a post called Grok Tag. It is so well written because his description of recess is "spot on". I lived for recess back in Elementary School! It was a blast. I remember basically doing all activities full throttle and having fun no matter what [...]
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5
December

you don’t have to move fast to develop enhanced explosive capability

Just to add to the controversy

Effects of strength training with eccentric overload on muscle adaptation in male athletes

The enhanced eccentric load apparently led to a subtly faster gene expression pattern and induced a shift towards a faster muscle phenotype plus associated adaptations that make a muscle better suited for fast, explosive movements.

So the negatives - not “fast” moves - worked towards making the athletes faster….

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5
December

Band Work after Pitching?

As you read this, I’m presenting at the Ultimate Pitching Coaches Bootcamp in Houston, TX.  As such, it seems fitting to devote today’s blog to some pitching content.
A question I get pretty often is what I think of light band work for pitchers the day after pitching.  The truth is that I’m pretty apathetic about [...]
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5
December

Programming Bias

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5
December

TACFIT Kickboxer 1B Workout Video

TACFIT Kickboxer 1B Workout Video
Special thanks to CST Head Coach Mike Locke!

http://www.TACFIT.tv

For Time, Compete 6 Rounds Non-Stop::

20 Double Clubbell Swings (90lbs)
10/10 Bulgarian Split Squat - Airborne variation
3 Laps Plyo-Box Jumps (16, 24, 30 inch boxes)
10/10 [...]
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2
December

Cressey Performance Thanksgiving Day Lift: Video Evidence of the Madness

We had 29 people in all, 23 of whom were CP clients/athletes.  Five major league organizations were represented, as well as several universities, some meathead powerlifters, a dog, a physical therapist, a professional poker player, some badass chicks lifting heavy stuff (including a GP girlfriend and CP fiancee).

Some additional flavor from Tony Gentilcore’s camera (the [...]
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