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

Is Your Toothpaste Doing More Harm than Good?

This past week I was away at a workshop to learn more about flexibility, fascia and stretching (future fascinating article coming soon).  I was sharing a room with another friend and when I was washing up one evening I noticed his toothpaste on the sink counter and it got me thinking about the controversy surrounding the popular brand-name tubular tooth polishers.

It’s been about five years now since I have used conventional toothpaste.  I am a bit of a contrarian by nature and have a deep drive to buck society’s trends, especially when it comes to the topic of what the main-stream considers healthy.

I too was originally captivated by the fancy toothpaste commercials guaranteeing fewer cavities, a barrier against gum disease and a whiter smile.  Years ago I was brushing my teeth one night and got bored and started reading the label and something caught my attention.  The label explained that only a very small amount should be used and the paste itself should never be swallowed and children should be supervised while brushing so they do not swallow excessive amounts.

This didn’t sound like a health product but more like a potentially dangerous cleaning product.  The toothpaste warning actually made me more alarmed because at least most household cleaning products have an intended use that does not involve accidental ingestion.  With toothpaste, the label specifically states not to swallow, however it is a product that goes directly into the mouth, so the chances of swallowing even a small amount are high.  Was I potentially harming myself by using this product?

Problem Number One: Conventional Toothpaste May Not Protect Your Teeth    

I’m going to skip over discussing the dyes and artificial ingredients found in the popular toothpaste brands and simply focus on the two main ingredients that are touted for health that are a healthy façade in my opinion.  Upon researching conventional toothpaste I found that the claims made by the big companies that their product helps protects against cavities might not be entirely true; in fact, the ingredient advertised to do just that might actually do the exact opposite.

One of the primary ingredients in big-brand toothpaste is “glycerin” which gives the paste its silky smooth texture, a slightly sweet taste and makes brushing a breeze, however this convenience my lead to the slow demise of dental health.  Glycerin leaves a coating on the teeth that seals them and may prevent teeth from remineralizing by not allowing saliva to penetrate the teeth with the minerals it contains.

Over time the teeth may become softer, cavities may form and gum degeneration and bone loss may occur.

Problem Number Two: Don’t be Deceived by Fluoride

We have been bombarded by the idea that fluoride is necessary and healthy for us especially when it comes to the health of our teeth; this notion could not be further from the truth.  We are exposed to dangerous amounts of fluoride from all angles not just from big-brand toothpaste but even in our drinking water.  An article from The Weston Price Foundation put it best when they said:

Fluoridation is not about “children’s teeth,” it is about industry getting rid of its hazardous waste at a profit, instead of having to pay a fortune to dispose of it.

 

Only calcium fluoride occurs naturally in water; however, that type of fluoride has never been used for fluoridation. Instead what is used over 90 percent of the time are silicofluorides, which are 85 times more toxic than calcium fluoride.

 

They are non-biodegradable, hazardous waste products that come straight from the pollution scrubbers of big industries. If not dumped in the public water supplies, these silicofluorides would have to be neutralized at the highest rated hazardous waste facility at a cost of $1.40 per gallon (or more depending on how much cadmium, lead, uranium and arsenic are also present). Cities buy these unrefined pollutants and dump them–lead, arsenic and all–into our water systems. Silicofluorides are almost as toxic as arsenic, and more toxic than lead.^{1, 2}

 

The dangers of fluoride are numerous and quite alarming.  The major threats to our health include:

• Kidney Problems
• Brain Damage
• Thyroid Damage
• Bone Disease
• Bone Fractures
• Cancer

As I mentioned earlier in the article, the toothpaste label warns about not swallowing the product, however, the label does not give the specifics as to why you should not swallow it.  The reason why is because of the known harmful effects of fluoride.  If you need more information about the dangers check out The Fluoride Action Network.

Safe Toothpaste Alternatives

It does not make logical sense to me to avoid consuming a product that is intended to go into your mouth.  I decided that I wanted to avoid this harmful type of fluoride all together I stopped consuming my local tap water almost entirely and looked for a toothpaste alternative.  I read about making my own toothpaste using baking soda and coconut oil but I never really had the strong desire to put the effort in.  What I did find was a product I had seen my grandfather using years ago when I was a young kid: tooth powder.

The brand I have been using for years now is Eco-dent (note I do not make any money recommending this product).

Eco-Dent is composed of baking soda, sea salt, herbs & essential oils to deliver its cleaning benefits.  Carbonic acid is also another key ingredient in the product which dissolves the minerals in the sea salt and allows for the effervescent, low-abrasive cleaning.  The sea salt provides more than 70 coral minerals, necessary to optimal human health; the minerals are found in the same proportions as those found in our teeth, bones and blood.

Conclusion:

Call me a cynical person but I always use a critical eye when it comes to major household products, especially when it comes to my health.  My suggestion, look at your products, read the labels and understand what’s really inside and make the best decision for you.

 References:

Fluoride Action Network: www.fluoridealert.org

George Glasser, Journalist, St. Petersburg, FL, “Fluoridation: A Mandate to Dump Toxic Waste in the Name of Public Health,” July 22, 1991.

R.E. Gosselin et al, Clinical Toxicology of commercial Products, 5th ed., 1984. U.S. EPA Maximum Contaminant Levels (MCL) EPA/NSF Standard 60.

Shattuck, Anita: Fluoridation: The Fraud of the Century, Weston Price Foundation, 2004.

Tags: Fluoride, health, teeth

Kettlebells for Young Athletes: Part III

In the first installment of this series we briefly looked at studies concerning weight training for young athletes and the potential risk associated with it.  In the second article I explained some of the double leg progressions that I use with my athletes that minimizes the risk of injury and decreases the stress placed on the spine of the growing athlete.

In this installment I want to focus on single leg movements that I use with the kettlebells.  I have seen plenty of strength programs that focus too much on double leg movements; like squats, deadlifts and power cleans.  These exercises are great for increasing strength and power production quickly, however, neglecting single leg work is doing an athlete a huge disservice.

The benefits of single leg work are tremendous.  Most sport movements use the legs independently; running, cutting and bounding are all done off the single leg.  If you only train double leg movements there is no way of truly knowing how the legs compare in strength and stability between each other.  If your right leg is much stronger, more stable and has more appropriate flexibility, when you need to use the left leg to perform a high level movement you may not be able to perform the movement, or even worse, you could sustain and injury because it was not capable of performing the movement you needed to do.

Kettlebell Lunge Variations

One of the most common and effective single leg movements is the lunge variation.  Many of these movements can be done with dumbbells or other weights but the kettlebells offer a few more intermittent variations that can help the young athlete progress successfully.  I am not going to deconstruct the lunge and all of its variant movements, just note there are several movement variations like the stating lunge, forward lunge, reverse lunge, bench split lunges,  etc.

One of the first variations I use is the Low Kettlebell Lunge usually starting with one kettlebell in each hand.  The kettlebells are easy to hold and using two generally makes the movement more stable.  As the athlete masters that movement with showing appropriate levels of strength and stability you can challenge the anti-rotational stability much more by using only one kettlebell for the same movement.  The single kettlebell will pull the athlete toward the side of the weight therefore increasing the need for strength and stability of the legs and core muscles to resist the weight pulling you off-line.

Taking the lunge to the next level is a variation that cannot be done comfortably using dumbbells and that is why kettlebells are ideal for these movements.  The Racked Kettlebell Lunge is a great challenge for stability and core strength.  I usually start out with the single kettlebell version because it is slightly less demanding on the core stability.  Find a place for the kettlebell to sit well against the upper body.  I tell my athletes to allow the weight become part of your body.  For safety reasons you want to keep the kettlebell as close to the body as possible and centered over your hips.  During the descent the kettlebell will want to pull you out to the side of the kettlebell and forward.  Leg and core strength and stability are key in making the movement successful and beneficial to the athlete.

The double racked kettlebell version is one of the hardest versions I have encountered primarily due to the amount of the demand it places on the core muscles of the body.  During the descent the heavy weight will want to pull the body forward so it is important to keep the core muscles strong so the body stays upright and stable.  The double racked kettlebell lunges also challenges the breathing because the bells are racked on the chest not allowing the chest to expand to take a normal breath.

The last lunge version I will discuss is the Overhead Kettlebell Lunge.  This movement can be done with a dumbbell, however, I prefer the kettlebell because of the weight displacement.  Unlike the dumbbell, the kettlebell weight conforms to the body and sits in a direct line over the hip making the weight easier to keep in line and therefore minimizes the risk of stress on the shoulder joint.

Start with the single overhead kettlebell lunge, the leg position is entirely up to the strength coach and it may be a good idea to alternate which legs are forward or back during your training.  When performing this movement it is very important to keep the shoulder sucked into the socket and keep the weight in-line with the arm and the hip.

If you need to make this movement really challenging for the athlete then add the second kettlebell and use the same principles of execution.

Conclusion

Single leg movements should not be ignored when helping the athlete to build the strongest and highest performing self that they can be for their sport.  Give these variations a shot and let me know what you think.

Tags: athlete training