PULL it to the limit

Yeah you got it right. That’s what I said. Pull it to the limit. I think there’s too much pushing going on in the weight room. The reason being is because a lot of people still like training their vanity muscles like the chest and shoulders. Its not unusual to see guys hitting their chest with 4 different pressing exercises and then on to doing almost the same number of exercises for their shoulders and only 1 pulling exercise to train their back. I attribute this to the pressure of looking better in front…which is really not a problem. But c’mon, just one exercise for the back?

Our back muscles are just as important as our chest muscles. Actually , it may even be more important to train our back muscles because they dictate our posture and serve as the base from where all our pushing movements stem from. Have you seen guys with really nice looking chest muscles but rounded shoulders? Ugly right? That’s because they do too many chest exercises it keep their chest muscles in a shortened state it eventually pulls their shoulders forward.  But beginners usually start this way as they want to look good first and worry about the science after. But, in the end , science will always win so lets not play catch-up by starting to learn some really basic back exercises.

The Lat Pulldown

The Dumbbell Row

Straight Arm Pulldown

If you’ve been working out in a gym for awhile, you’ve probably used the Lat Pulldown as part of your routine. As most of you guys know, the lat pulldown is usually the default machine that people use to target the muscles of the back such as the rhomboids and latissimus dorsi. But what if you come down to the gym and all the lat pulldown machines are used? What do you do? Well, here’s a good alternative. It’s a called a straight arm pulldown.  This is one of my favorite exercises because not only does it work your back muscles and arms, but it will also challenge your core. Performing this exercise will require you to establish a firm stance as you will have to drive the bar you’re holding towards your body. I have attached a video for you to see how its done. So next time all the lat pulldowns are being used, just walk away and make your own pulldown.

Floor Circuits 3

Here’s another circuit to cap off the month of August. Unlike the last 2 circuits I’ve uploaded, this one has a pull-up component that will definitely require a little bit more upper body strength. Ladies if you want to follow this circuit, replace the pull-ups with an inverse row ( Will post a video soon!) and the elevated push-ups with standard push-ups. Happy lifting!

Back Problems

Photo courtesy of bodybuildingmantra.com

I’ve always had the habit of twisting my back to crack it. I’m sure a lot of you guys can relate as well. Actually , its not just my back that I crack every so often. I crack my fingers, my wrist, my neck…just about everything else in my body that has a joint. But lets not go too far away from the biggest joint of you body which we all know as the back.

First things first, I figure its best that I should highlight the different parts of the back first before moving on to more complex things. I mean , as it is the back is already hard to understand. So putting some more effort into learning more things about the back will definitely go a long way.

The back is comprised of four parts:

1) Cervical

2) Thoracic

3) Lumbar

4) Sacral

The cervical region is the part of your back just above your shoulders, the thoracic region is your mid back which is between your lats, your lumbar is your lower back region and the sacral sits just below your waist. These different secions are stacked on top of each other and separated by an intervertebral disk in between. This disk serves as a shock absorber preventing one joint to touch the other.

One of the most common back problems people encounter involve the lower back (lumbar area). This usually happens when people lift heavy objects or have experience direct trauma( Like a fall for example ). This leads to slipped discs or herniated disks that can limit one’s movement because of the severe pain it can bring. Oftentimes , the pain radiates towards the leg but this doesn’t mean that its a slipped disc. Its still best to see a doctor to get a better diagnosis.

Another lower back problem but has nothing to do with your joints is sciatica. It almost feels the same as having a slipped disc. The only difference is a nerve is being irritated in the back which can cause the same symptoms. And you guessed it, its as painful a hell.

Its depressing to think that simple tasks such as lifting a chair can misalign our backs or even pull a muscle. But these common everyday things shouldn’t prevent us from knowing how to do things properly. Like if you were to pick up a heavy object from the floor , make sure to squat down and lift if with your legs instead of bending over and just using your arms and upper back. You’d be surprised on how easier it will be.

Lastly, its been proven that strength training, stretching and cardiovascular training can help alleviate and manage almost any kind of back problem. But before trying anything out, seek a professional first before embarking on a back specific training program. Better safe than sorry.

For Advanced Trainees: The Bulgarian Split Squat

I bet most of you here hate training their legs. I wouldn’t be surprised. After all , society is too fixated on judging us with our “vanity” muscles such as our arms and chest. But do you know that you’re holding off too long from your much needed progress by not training your legs? Training legs with exercises such as squats, split squats and deadlifts promote a very strong hormonal response that instantly shocks your body into new growth! Don’t believe me? Why don’t you try this advanced exercise called Bulgarian Split Squat this weekend? Worst thing that could happen is ending up with sore legs…but at least you’ve learned a leg exercise that can really give you a fantastic burn.

Have a great weekend everyone!

The Core

Photo courtesy of Jupiter Images

What is The Core?

I believe the term “core” is being thrown around so much by different people without really understanding its true meaning. I’ve even heard trainers define them as your abs. They often go…

“Alright. So we’re done lifting weights. It’s time to train your core. Give me 12 reps of sit-ups.”

So right there. Abdominal training is prescribed.

I mean, don’t get me wrong. Sit-ups do hit your core. But what is your core?

Is it your abs?

Is it your hip flexors?

Is it your core muscles? Meaning your chest, back and legs?

Is it your obliques?

Well, the core remains a somewhat nebulous concept; but most researchers consider it the corset of muscles and connective tissue that encircles and holds the spine in place.

Corset.

Now who doesn’t want to see a girl in a corset?

Sorry I got lost there.

Anyhow, world renowned back expert and a highly regarded professor of spine and biomechanics at the University of Waterloo, Dr. Stuart McGill, defines the core as the following:

1. The Rectus Abdominis
2. The Transversus Abdominis
3. The External and Internal Obliques

So, that my friends, is your core.

But how do you know whether you’re activating your core during exercise?

Just brace yourself for a punch.

Yep. You heard it right. Imagine that you;re showing off to your girlfriend and you tell her nephew to punch you in the stomach.

That’s activating your core right there.

Now do that when you’re doing bench presses, deadlifts, squats… heck, even bicep curls.

It’s actually called abdominal bracing, which is being advocated by Dr. McGill.

Sucking in your gut whenever you see a gorgeous girl pass by is not a proper way to activate your core. That’s called abdominal hollowing. I mean, it does ensure that your stomach is hiding but it doesn’t ensure that your core is stable. Not a very good idea when you’re lifting heavy loads.

So I hope that clears any confusion about the core.

Balanced training is very important when training your core.

A common mistake of people is that they only concentrate on one area of training and neglect the other parts. It’s bad enough that they don’t know their bodies well enough to engage the right muscles, even worse if they do less.

A core exercise program should emphasize all of the major muscles (Tranversus Abdominis, Rectus Abdominis and Obliques) that girdle the spine, including but not concentrating on the abs. Side planks and the bird dog exercise the important muscles embedded along the back and sides of the core. Crunches are good too. Sit-ups are a no no. According to Dr. McGill, sit ups place devastating loads on the disk of your back. Again, no hollowing of the stomach.

These three when done regularly can provide a well-rounded core stability.

So next time, if your trainer or your friend asks you to do a sit-up, tell them to hollow their stomach first to demonstrate the proper way of doing it.

If they correct you and tell you that hollowing is not the proper way to do it, do your workout and give them a pat on the back.

If they get it wrong..

Punch them in the stomach.

Floor Circuits 2

Here’s another floor circuit that is composed of a dumbbell assisted exercise and lots of core . Combine this circuit with the floor circuit I posted a few days ago, and you already have a days worth of training!

Deadlift

Here’s my buddy Geoff demonstrating a proper deadlift. This guy can easily deadlift 225 lbs for 10 reps with great form!

Level-Intermediate to Advanced

Deadlift, posted with vodpod

Starting it Right

I started lifting weights when I was 19 years old. I was a skinny kid who was told by many that I had a good frame to start with. So , armed with my oversized head ( It’s the encouragement I suppose that made it swell ), I acted with haste and lifted away.

Nobody really guided me. But I did read Arnold Schwarzenegger’s Encyclopedia of Bodybuilding from cover to cover and used it as reference to construct my own training programs. Training programs? Yeah right.

I weighed 130 lbs. back then and if I remember it correctly , was already pressing my own body weight within a month. That’s a 100% strength increase over 4 weeks! Not bad for a guy who couldn’t even do 10 strict push-ups right?

Then my shoulders started hurting. It hurt so much that I couldn’t lift the bar above my chest. So I went to the doctor and had a check-up. His diagnosis was tendinitis. Apparently my shoulders weren’t strong enough yet to handle the weight. My muscles adapted very fast to the weight increases over the 4 weeks I’ve been training but my tendons couldn’t take it. Because of that, I had to take time off for 2 months. It was grueling not to be able to lift weights especially if you’re peaking that fast! Well, pain is always part of the learning process. But you don’t have to experience it as long as you start right.

Major Concerns in Resistance Training 

As with any physical activity, there is always a degree of risk in weight training. However , the risks involved are generally lower than most sports. Rates of injury are the highest when it comes to running and aerobics and lowest for cycling, walking and resistance training.

The Back

If you scroll back, I have an article on back problems that emphasize on strengthening your core for a stronger back. Back injuries are debilitating and difficult to remedy.So a lot of effort should be focused on avoiding back injuries during weight training….especially in the lower back.

It’s extremely important to maintain a flat-back lifting posture whenever the lower body is being trained. Furthermore , research has shown that a normal, slightly arched back has been found to be more superior to a rounded back for avoiding injury to vertebrae , disks , facet joints , ligaments,and muscles of the back. 

The Shoulders

The shoulders are very prone to injury due to its structure and the forces that its subjected to during weight training. Because it has the greatest range among all joints in the human body , its excessive mobility also contributes to its vulnerability. No matter how small the injury is to the shoulder joint, it can bring about friction with adjacent structures that can worsen the original injury.

The Knee

Ah the knee. Just on top of my head , I know more people with knee injuries than I have fingers. The knee is very prone to injury because of its location between two long levers ( The upper and lower leg ). Just by the structure of it (The knee is a hinge joint ) , its really not built to move laterally. Imagine how you open and close a door? Well, its the same range of motion as your knee. That’s why its very important to strengthen various components of the knee because in real life, your knees are exposed to forces coming from different directions.

Nobody wants to get injured. Aside from setting you back from your fitness goals , it also deters your from doing everyday activities. So I hope my explanations above can help guide you start right. What’s the rush anyways?

Pull ups

 

If you need an upper body exercise that can hit almost every single muscle in the upper back this is it. If you can’t do pull-ups, follow a progression program starting with lat pulldowns and rows. As you feel yourself getting stronger, try to go for at least 1 rep before starting your back program.

Level: Advanced

 

 

 

Pull ups, posted with vodpod