What I learned at Super Training Gym

Having been a trainer for over ten years I always remind myself that I must never relax and get too comfortable with my profession and always strive to get better.  I realize that the world of strength and conditioning is not like software and social media where the product is evolving and changing at a rapid rate; however there are always people out there who can help make me better.  There are people who have taken a specific aspect within the realm of strength and conditioning and dedicate their lives to make it their goal to master it.

There is a small gym about two hours north from where I live which is the self proclaimed Strongest gym in the West.  I can’t imagine anyone would want to argue this point.  Super Training Gym is the brainchild of powerlifting great, entrepreneur, coach and movie star (Bigger, Stronger Faster*) Mark Bell.  His gym is home to many record holding powerlifters and was named, one of the 30 best gyms in America, by Men’s Health in March 2008.

Mark’s powerlifting accomplishments include: a holder of a World and an American record, with his best lifts consisting of a 1,025 lbs squat, 854 lbs bench press, and deadlifted 755 lbs deadlift.  His best total (combined weight) for all three lifts is 2,551 lbs which is the highest in California history.

The bottom line: Mark Bell knows what it takes to teach people how to get strong and I wanted to learn more about how to help myself and my athletes get the most out of our training in a safe and effective manner.

Super Training Gym Profile

Mark’s gym is a 1,000 sq ft. room tucked away in the back of a larger gym known as, Midtown Strength and Conditioning.  Though only one brick wall separates the two spaces, there is clearly a distinction between the two sides.  Midtown Strength and Conditioning is about four times the size of the Super Training Gym space.  It is well lit, has numerous bumper plates and lifting platforms, a turf area for sled drags and it even had its own room for stretching and soft tissue work.

Stepping towards the other side of the wall you know you’re in a different world.  The room is dark; the equipment is crammed yet effectively set up in every available space, the music turns from the current popular tunes to metal, rap and rock songs of yesteryear.  There is a slightly different vibe here.

On the Midtown Gym side, members might be training for their own individual reasons: weight loss, get in shape, complete a goal, learn new methods of training, or sports performance training.  However, when you cross into the Super Training Gym side everyone in there is striving for the same thing; to get stronger by lifting as much weight that they can in a safe and technical manner.  These gym-goers’ ultimate goal is to lift more weight in the deadlift, squat and bench press.

I must admit I was a bit nervous about going up to lift with these guys.  Let me put things in perspective; I can’t even attempt to lift the weights of the female record holder who weighed about 50 lbs. less than I did.  However, I pushed the anxiety down and stepped into the dark room and prepared myself for whatever was going to get thrown at me.  To my relief, Mark and the Super Training crew could not have been more accepting and helpful towards my goal of learning how to perform the three major lifts.  They didn’t care that I was the weakest person in the room because they knew I had the same goal in mind; to learn proper technique in the three major lifts so I could get myself and the people I train stronger.

Here are the main tips I got from Mark and some of his teammates in the three major lifts.

The Box Squat

When I showed Mark my box squat technique he first addressed a common technicality that many people do when squatting.  When I originally box squatted I was in a technically safe position with my back arched and hips back.  This technique has the weight pushing me forward and forcing my shins forward and requiring me to use my quads to help assist me in getting back up.  Mark pointed out that I should be using my glutes and hamstrings for a more powerful hip extension.  Not only does this allow the person to move more weight, the hamstring activation is more applicable to sports performance.  Mark also suggested that I was also taking too long on my descent which depleted my strength to get back up.

 

Mark set up a high box so I could learn my new technique.  He told me three concepts:

• Force the knees out hard
• Sit back with the chest and hips in alignment [relatively] fast
• Shins straight, no knees shooting forward

Mark also showed me a wonderful seated band abduction exercise that is great for training my leg strength to help force my knees out during the squat.

These three tips took some time for my brain to grasp so I could replicate the movements and with some practice I am now able to use my hips much more effectively and with the new strength and the flexibility in the adductors I have since upped the weight and lowered the box.

The Deadlift

I told Mark that I would get to a particular weight range in my deadlift and then had trouble moving up or I would pull a hip muscle.  I also felt very slow with the weight off the floor.  Like my box squat, my deadlift set up was not ideal for maximal strength.  I had the proper arched back but my hips were not low enough and my shoulders were too far over the bar.

Mark pointed out the biggest things I had to work on to correct my problems:

• Get my hips lower, underneath my shoulders
• Do sets of 2-3 reps and perform a full reset after each one to maximize my pull strength off the floor
• Mix in sumo deadlifts to better train my hips

 

I have been working hard to get my hips underneath my shoulders so that I am able to use them more.  I was told that one of the best ways is to pull my hips as low as they can go during the set up and then raise them up just a little; tension in the hips and hamstrings must still be present.

The Bench Press

My bench press technique was the one lift that needed the least amount of tweaking.  I was just told to keep two key concepts in mind because these are the first two technical points that break down when I get fatigued.

• Keep the elbows tucked to utilize the lats (approximately 45 degrees)
• Make sure to press in a straight line

My time training and learning at Super Training Gym was invaluable.  Not only is it, The Strongest Gym in the West, it could also be called The Smartest Gym in the West.  The knowledge and the ability to coach the three main powerlifts are unparalleled to any gym I have visited.  I hope to practice my lifts, get stronger and help my athletes achieve a higher level of success.

To learn more about Mark Bell and Super Training Gym please follow his video blog Super Training TV where he answers all of his follower’s questions about strength and conditioning.

Tags: Mark Bell, Super Trainign Gym

The Elite Training Workshop Recap: Napa 2012

This New Year has been very busy for me especially with my continuing education schedule.  There were several opportunities for me to take classes early this year and stop number two on this education train took me to Napa California for Pat Rigsby’s  Elite Training Workshop.  The level of presenters was top notch.  Dave “The Band Man” Schmitz, Mike Robertson, Robert dos Remedios and BJ Gaddour all gave quality information that could be used right away to help enhance our training protocols and help our clients excel.

Bummed you didn’t go? Don’t worry, as always here are the hi-lights from the event; soak it in.

Dave Schmitz: Getting Better with Bands

Pat was building up “The Band Man” all afternoon Friday and his Saturday presentation did not disappoint.  Dave Schmitz ran us through an early-morning resistance band stretching routine to prime our hamstrings, adductors and upper body.  Once we were loose he touted the key benefit of band training was its ascending resistance training effect.  When the resistance increases along with the range of motion it creates a very unique neuromuscular response and when the muscle returns to its resting length it must decelerate the band tension.

According to Dave, 95% of athletic related injuries are caused by the body’s inability to decelerate the force properly.  Dave states that bands are the “best way to neuromusculary enhance deceleration.”  Performing movements like squats, lateral walks and thrusters teach the legs to decelerate the resistance appropriately with the decreasing eccentric load provided by the band.  This can have a great carryover to sports where you need to decelerate appropriately and use the energy to stop suddenly and change directions.

Bands are cost-effective, portable and can be integrated into any training program for flexibility, strength and conditioning uses.  Dave mentions you can use them during your stretching and mobility warm up, during your strength training sessions or you can group five to ten exercises together and do them for repetitions or time for a great conditioning workout.  Grab a few bands and add them into your workouts and see what happens.

Mike Robertson: Fact and Fallacies of Corrective Exercises

Mike Robertson is very well known in the strength and conditioning field especially when trainers are looking for information about sports performance and corrective exercise programming.

Mike’s topic focused primarily on the myths and truths of corrective exercises.  His definition of a corrective exercise states:

[Corrective exercise] is a holistic approach where an assessment is used to determine specific weaknesses and/or limitations of the athlete.  This assessment drives the programming process, where a systematic and progressive approach is used to reduce the likelihood of injury and improve performance. 

Wow that was a huge meal to swallow, what does it all mean?

Mike made it clear to the audience that when thinking of corrective exercises we should not specifically think of them as only certain movements, nor should we over think how they should be implemented.  He stated that any movement can be considered a corrective exercise:

• Foam rolling
• Mobility Drills
• Strength Training
• Core Training
• Static Stretching
• Etc.

Corrective exercises should be “whatever the client or athlete standing in front of you needs in order to stay healthy and improve performance.”

Mike recommends an initial client assessment, paying careful attention to areas that have limited mobility like the ankle, hips and thoracic spine.   After the assessment, “developing adequate mobility is first and foremost” when designing a program.  Next the program should have components to train both strength and stability which the two are separate entities and should be trained as such.

Generally speaking, Mike states that strength comes from bilateral lifts and stability comes primarily from the unilateral lifts.  Mike quoted Eric Cobb who stated, “Strength training cements your posture and mobility.”  If you have good mobility and correct posture then strength training can help reinforce these two assets.  However, the same thing applies with poor mobility and posture.  Adding strength to lacking mobility and posture will not help these problems get better overtime.

Mike’s formulas for success is based on gaining adequate mobility of lacking joints, and then work the stability of the joints before you can start to load it more to increase the strength.

This was a great topic and one that I will continue to keep in the forefront of my mind and for my athletes.

Robert dos Remedios: Cardio Strength Training

If Robert dos Remedios is ever in your area you owe it to yourself to hear him speak.  Not only is he entertaining but he knows a ton about conditioning programming.  Robert comes in with the attitude that you are “either getting better or getting worse” and naturally we should always be striving to get better in all areas of our lives.

As trainers we have [hopefully] gotten away from the notion that steady state cardio is the best to lose weight, burn calories, decrease body fat etc. but most of the general population still subscribes to it.  Gyms are still filled with cardio machines and people are still on them reading books and talking about last night’s episode of “Mad Men.”  Some of us get into dead-end conversations with clients and loved ones over the topic and it is enough to run your head into a wall.  It seems like Robert has been in the same positions as we have and that is why he has a ton of references to back up what he does to produce better results.

Within his research Robert found:

• Steady-state cardio is very inefficient at burning calories
• The body adapts very quickly to workloads and actually burns less calories for the same amount of work when adaptation occurs

In a study by Tremblay et al. two groups were tested.  Group 1 did 15-weeks of interval style training burning 13,614 calories and Group 2 did 20-weeks of steady state training and burned a total of 28,661 calories.  The overall results show that the interval group had 900% greater subcutaneous fat loss when compared to the steady state group in five less weeks and in less than half the caloric cost.

He concluded that for optimal fat loss, strength training intervals that are anaerobic in nature are best.  These training sessions are characterized by short, high intensity bouts of exercise followed by structured rest periods.

Robert basically states that you can pretty much use any type of training movement in an interval fashion just be cognizant to allow for proper work to rest ratios.  If there is not enough rest allowed then it is not true interval training, you will not be able to push yourself without adequate rest and then the training session basically turns into a steady state training session.

Robert likes approximately five different full body exercises, 20-40second work intervals and varying rest intervals of either positive, (1:2) neutral (1:1) or even negative rest intervals (2:1).   Robert concludes that this type of training suits 99% of people whose main goal is to lose fat, look better and have more energy.

BJ Gaddour: Metabolic Training

BJ Gaddour is known for his boot camp training programs and certification.  He gave the crowd a very complete presentation of his system and included many hands-on demonstrations of the exercises he likes to use with his clients.  To be fair to BJ I had to leave his portion of seminar early to attend a work matter so I cannot give a fair evaluation of his presentation other than he had many different slides outlining his system and exercises that go along with it.

 

If you want to learn more about BJ and his boot camp system check out his Website.

For only being its first time around, Elite Training Workshop was a huge success giving the audience exactly what they were looking for and more.  The information I received exceeded my expectations and I hope to attend more of these workshops in the future.

Perform Better Learn-By-Doing Seminar Recap: San Francisco 2012

Every year I do my best to make it out to at least one of the Perform Better Seminars and this year I was able to make it to the first one of the year which happened to be right in my own backyard.  The 2012 San Francisco seminar was filled with a star studded cast of top fitness professionals, including: Rachel Cosgrove, Lee Burton, Alwyn Cosgrove and Chris Frankel who unloaded their training knowledge on us and gave practical advice and movements that we could put into action right away.  Are you jealous that you were not able to attend?  Don’t worry I have the next best thing;  I am going to hi-light key points each speaker presented just for you.  Sit back and enjoy what I learned.

Rachel Cosgrove: Designing Fat Loss Programs for your Female Clients

In her presentation Rachel Cosgrove dances between the fine line between the difference in training men and women.  For simplicity sake she mentions that when starting to train women it is important to see the big picture by setting goals, constructing a plan and staying on track to get there.  Rachel suggests working backward from an overall goal then going month-by-month, week-by-week, day-by-day right down to the exercise selection.

Rachel mentions that many selectorized machines are not built with women in mind and may want to be avoided when writing a program.  Rachel generally likes to write 4-week programs which include an: introduction week, base phase week, overload (increased volume) week and a shock (high intensity) week.

Rachel emphasizes the loss of power production, especially as we age, as a huge concern for women.  Adding movements like medicine ball throws and slams not only counteract the diminishing power production associated with age, but adding power movements within a program also aides in greater fat loss potential; besides they are simply fun to do.

When constructing a program think not only about the main goal that remains ahead but the smaller ones as well.  She calls them feel good moments in training.  These moments can be smaller goal achievements which may include athletic moments or strong moments, something that has been achieved at a higher level than before.

Lee Burton: Tackling Soft Tissue, Mobility and Flexibility Problems

In his topic Lee Burton looked beyond the function of the muscles to talk about the role the soft tissue plays in dysfunctional mobility.  According to Lee, one type of soft tissue abnormality that inhibits mobility and function are trigger points.  Trigger points are, “hyper-irritable spots in the muscles associated with a hypersensitive palpable nodule in a taut band.” (Travell and Simons)  Trigger points can produce pain either locally or refer it to another area.  They can also inhibit flexibility and cause weakness.  Lee explains that trigger points occur when the muscles remain “on” (contracted) for too long.  They don’t get a chance to remain at their resting length, where they can relax and recover.

There are protocols you can perform to help deal and reduce trigger points through movement screening like the FMS, soft tissue and trigger point therapy using foam rollers, trigger point tools followed up with proper mobility, flexibility and strength work.

Alwyn Cosgrove: Cutting Edge Fitness Business Principles

Alwyn Cosgrove’s talk shifted gears from training and talked about the importance of the business side of training.  This topic is important because it is often overlooked by trainers who spend most of their time focusing on perfecting their craft of training rather than establishing a business system.

One of the first things to consider is how to remove the risk out of training so the potential client no longer focuses on the price but rather the benefits they will achieve from training with you and your place of business.  Clients look to trainers just like they look at other services, as solutions for their problems.  If the trainer keeps that in mind and listens to the potential client’s needs the trainer can offer solutions to the problems they are looking to overcome.  Business is about building relationships with clients.

To sum up his talk, Alwyn gave away his Five Secrets for Fitness Success which included:

1. Have a Successful Mindset – Always be positive.
2. Understand the Mindset of the Client – What is their need?
3. Practice the Principles of The Slight Edge – Think of premium brands like Starbucks, Netflix and Amazon.
4. Create Top of Mind Awareness (TOMA) – The client should think of you and your business first.
5. Mastermind/Mentorship with Like-Minded Individuals – Create a healthy environment to facilitate success.

Chris Frankel: Functional Conditioning; Energy System Training

The entire Perform Better seminar was filled with great speakers and presentations.  One of the most fascinating presentations came from Chris Frankel the Head of Human Performance at TRX.  Chris’ focus for his presentation was to help us gain an understanding on Energy System Training and its application for Strength and Conditioning.

Chris emphasizes the notion that no one single energy system is at work during strength and conditioning.  You may begin with one energy system; it will shut off and shift to another system.  For example in a 30 second exercise test at least three different energy systems are at work.

The Phosphogen System comprises about 30% of the energy system used, the Glycolytic System is about 50% and the Aerobic System is the remaining 20% (see chart below).

Without getting too wrapped up in all the scientific numbers, it is important to understand that even for an athlete that performs an athletic event for a quick 30 secs should not be compartmentalized into one particular energy system.  Traditional thinking would have athletic durations of 30 secs fall into the sole category of Anerobic activity where ATP, Creatine Phosphate and muscle glycogen are the energy sources.  The chart above shows that this is not the case at all.  There are at least three different energy systems going on and therefore only focusing on training on only one of these systems may severely inhibit the overall optimal performance of the athlete.

Chris says the best way to train these different energy systems is to perform circuits of 3-6 different exercises of varying reps or time intervals of different work to rest ratios.  These circuits can change to make sure they are training and enhancing the different energy systems utilized during the events or sports that the athlete participates in.

The Perform Better workshops never disappoint and I always learn some new and practical information that I can use for my athletes to make them the best they can be.

Tags: circuit training, perform better