Big Mike's Strength Emporium

Training Bodybuilding
61

[quote]Eric Cressey wrote:
LuigiM wrote:
My biggest concern is with the shoulder and chest , when you say ?Your in the gym work should revolve around keeping him healthy and injury-free? will doing a 3x5 for this muscles be enough , doing just one exercise per muscle group/per day (standing DB press/Push Press, narrow BP/Dumbbell Press) so far this is what I got:
2 strength and 2 power workouts
This will be following CT Strength block(Wk1-3x5, Wk2 ? 3x5,3x4,wk3 ?5/3/2,wk4-deloding)
Lower body
Squat, RD, deadlift, lunges
Power clean from blocks and hang

Upper body
Barbell row/pull-ups/Dumbbell row straight-arm / Rear delt raises (inclined )
standing DB press/Push Press, narrow BP/Dumbbell Press

Worry less about training muscle groups and more about training movement patterns; your brother isn’t a bodybuilder. In season should be all about maintaining maximal strength while incorporating enough prehabilitation work (e.g. rotator cuff, scapular stabilizers, specific hip mobility training) to keep the swimmer healthy.

Would you advice on doing anaerobic work outside the pool(HIIT short sprints and 400)

I wouldn’t in-season, and I’d only use them in place of swimming training during the off-season to give the athlete some variety. Keep in mind that swimmers are notorious for doing an absolutely crazy amount of volume; you don’t really want to reinforce that too much more.

it will be ok some mass as long is functional, what do you think about the volume and set/rep schemes?

It’s going to take a ridiculous amount of calories for a swimmer to pack on mass, just so you know. It’s questionable whether or not you have enough volume for actually packing on size with those parameters. Granted, caloric intake is the biggest factor in dictating weight gain, but keeping in mind that you’re striving for predominantly sarcomere hypertrophy and therefore can’t necessarily afford a lot of 8-12 rep sets, you might consider something more along the lines of 8x3 for your off-season training.

Again, all this needs to be closely monitored in a sport where relative strength and appropriate buoyancy are so important.

[/quote]

Damn EC, you had to go and steal my thunder!

Seriously though, I would agree with everything said. Your back work should always be placed before chest/shoulder training, simply because you’re working the chest/shoulders every time you are in the water. Again, this is why prehab/injury prevention is key. The kid is a stud and will keep getting better, but if he’s not healthy he can’t train. This is the easiest way to halt progress in its tracks.

Also, I agree 100% with the overabundance of training volume with swimmers. Case and point, a few years ago I evaluated a girl who was doing the same events as your brother. Only problem was, her DAILY training volume was in excess of 8000 meters! Don’t overdo the training volume; this is all part of keeping them healthy (tired of hearing this yet).

Hope this helps.

Stay strong
Mike

62

[quote]Eric Cressey wrote:
What is your opinion on strength training for endurance sports such as road cycling? Most cyclists I know who lift weights perform them in the 12-20 rep range for ‘endurance’, but it seems to me that that is not really the same kind of endurance as a ride lasting 1-2 hours. As you can’t perform a set lasting hours, do you think a cyclist should just focus on developing true strength-ie: around 6 reps? Or even leave the legs alone altogether in the gym and train the core and other stabilizer muscles? I would think there would be benefits to strength training, even if it is somewhat at odds with endurance.

You can’t build strength endurance without building strength. A stronger athlete will always be a better athlete. 'Nuff said.

You ought to be hitting a variety of different rep ranges for best results.

I hate the idea of ignoring the legs altogether. Many competitive cyclists devote 70% of their off-season leg training to hamstring work in order to counteract the tremendously quad dominant nature of the sport. Likewise, you don’t get significant enough knee flexion during the cycling motion to work the VMO, so most cyclists will develop tight ITBs and vastus lateralis muscles. As such, you need to hit some deep knee squatting positions with squats, stepups, and lunges. Leave these two interventions out, and you’re just asking for knee problems.

Also, as cyclists get more experienced, they tend to rely more on the gluteus maximus than the quads. Therefore, you need to take into account training age.[/quote]

Well EC’s at it again, stealing my thunder! Seriously though, again, he’s right on the money.

With the cyclists I train, we do TONS of hamstring work first and foremost. Then, throw in full ROM squats, lunges, bulgarian squats, etc. VMO and glutes are very important to knee health.

Next, stretch the HIP FLEXORS! You are bent over all day on the bike, stretch these puppies as much as possible. If you are following the NNM series, all the upper thigh compensations apply (internally rotated femurs, tight adductors, ITB/TFL and hip flexors). Therefore, you need to stretch all these areas, as well as using a foam roller or massage on the ITB/TFL. The last cyclist I saw had her patella alignment so screwed up they were almost staring at each other!

Hope these suggestions help.

Stay strong
Mike

63

[quote]roc wrote:
Hey Mike thanks for the reply.

Another question for how much in strength gains do one of your weaker trainees usually make when following a program hardcore for 6 weeks or so? Thank You [/quote]

If I had to guess the range would be 5-10% on the major lifts, assuming they are following the exercise and recovery protocols to a T. However, these results are totally independent on all the individual variables that a new clients presents…but these #'s aren’t out of the ordinary for someone who is either very weak or unfamiliar with the movements.

Stay strong
Mike

64

[quote]Ross Hunt wrote:
Mike,

      Thanks for your 'Improve Your Strength Out of the Hole' tip and advice; great stuff.

       Do box squats have the same effect that pause squats and bottoms-up squats do? If they don't, what is the difference?

Thanks,

Ross Hunt
[/quote]

Ross,

Yes, box squats are very similar to box squats in that they teach you explosiveness out of the hole. Really, the only reason I would choose one over the other is if you are a powerlifter. If you compete in an unlimited gear federation, box squats tend to work better d/t the gear they are using (canvas/multi-ply suits). On the other hand, lifters in single-ply feds like USAPL would probably get more of a benefit from doing pause squats, IMO. A lot of it is preference, though.

I used to perform box squats a lot to improve my deadlift, but have since moved away from them because I feel they throw off my squat groove. Again, if they work for you, by all means incorporate them in your workouts.

BTW, for athletes, use any and all forms of squats.

Stay strong
Mike

65

[quote]Eric Cressey wrote:
jro,

Whoa; you got your money’s worth with that scoliosis! That must have been some motorcycle accident!

That right shoulder girdle is definitely lower than it should be, and the right side of the pelvic is appreciably elevated. It’s tough to say whether it’s structural or functional in this case, but you can certainly make some training modifications to address it from a functional correction standpoint.

Our program is focused on the classic sagittal plane problems you see on a daily basis. In your case, you’re going to want to start by stretching the right QL as often as possible. You might even want to get some ART on it. Focus on stretching the TFL/ITB and hip flexors on that side, too. Upper body training is tricky; you really need to make a conscious effort to modify existing motor patterns that probably have you moving inappropriately/excessively at the thoracic spine with upper extremity motion. This can be accomplished easier by fixing doing bilateral work with perfect side to side posture, and unilateral work where one arm is fixed so as to prevent that thoracic “cheating” (e.g. one arm rows and prone trap raises with the non-working arm fixed).

This is a good start, but I definitely think you’d be wise to get to a QUALIFIED professional that will know to look at the entire kinetic chain. In most cases, the spot that hurts is rarely the origin of the problem. NYC has to have some good people on this front, and if it doesn’t, I know of two excellent people here at UCONN that might be able to help you out (actually, three, if you count me).[/quote]

Yeah, a qualified professional is definitely in order. To go along with what EC said, I would also do some stuff to strengthen your glutes (you have a fairly high-degree of anterior weight bearing), and then sway back/head forward posture. This is a different compensation than what we discussed, because your lumbar area doesn’t look too bad overall.

However, since you are “on your toes” with the anterior weight bearing, something has to go back to balance you out, which is your upper back. The head then comes into play by protruding forward.

Just looking at the side views, I would look into glute activation work, and then strengthening for the upper back/external rotators, stretching the chest/lats/internal rotators, and then stretching the traps/SCM/suboccipitals and strengthening the deep neck flexors.

Hope this helps. If you need help finding someone, please let us know.

Stay strong
Mike

66

Eric,
Thank you very much for your advice I really appreciate your help and guidelines, but my brother is in the off season, we have about 3 months and his swimming will be for an hour 4 days a week just to maintain aerobic and some anaerobic capacity, we have control of the swimming volume, I was trying to extend my questions from the past response by Mike, just to see if I understood his advice. Please don’t take this the wrong way , I truly thank you for your advice and the time you took to answer, I will incorporate all your ideas when the in season starts, but also I would like to know your advice if what Im doing is right for the off season.

Thank you for your time.

67

Mike,

I was interested to read about the sports camps that you have been running. Could you tell us a little more about these and what you go over witht hese young athletes?

I am currently working with a group of athletes between the ages of 12 and 16 years of age. We have been performing a lot of varied movements and trying to show them how to train like athletes.

I would be interested in hearing your thoughts of what an athlete at this point in their career (from a developmental standpoint) should be focusing on.

Thanks for your time!

68

[quote]I will incorporate all your ideas when the in season starts, but also I would like to know your advice if what Im doing is right for the off season.
[/quote]

It’s not bad, although I’d probably drop the straight arm DB rows in favor of another multijoint exercise (e.g. seated rows, as he’ll never be able to get enough horizontal pulling in) or extra volume on pull-ups. As a general rule of thumb, try to limit your single joint work with athletes to prehabilitation stuff or movements to address specific weaknesses. This isn’t a set-in-stone guideline, but it’s a good rule of thumb off of which to work.

Hammer the external rotators. Rear delt raises are a good start, but you ought to be getting after them much more often and specifically than that.

I think he’s getting plenty of work in the pool. If you’re trying to build strength to help with the sprints, it might not be a bad idea to channel that focus into the weight room for the time-being instead of the pool. The four sessions should be plenty provided that he’s doing some sprint work in those sessions. Be sure to give him a full day of rest every week (remember, this IS the off-season!).

69

[quote]Mike Robertson wrote:
Well EC’s at it again, stealing my thunder! Seriously though, again, he’s right on the money.

With the cyclists I train, we do TONS of hamstring work first and foremost. Then, throw in full ROM squats, lunges, bulgarian squats, etc. VMO and glutes are very important to knee health.

Next, stretch the HIP FLEXORS! You are bent over all day on the bike, stretch these puppies as much as possible. If you are following the NNM series, all the upper thigh compensations apply (internally rotated femurs, tight adductors, ITB/TFL and hip flexors). Therefore, you need to stretch all these areas, as well as using a foam roller or massage on the ITB/TFL. The last cyclist I saw had her patella alignment so screwed up they were almost staring at each other!

Hope these suggestions help.

Stay strong
Mike[/quote]

Believe it or not, one thing that both Mike and I have neglected to mention is upper body work! It takes a lot of scapular retraction and external rotation work to counteract being hunched over the handlebars for hours on end. Just a little addendum.

70

Mike, I’ve read your articles posted on how to decrease lumbar curve. It seems as though every one only writes on this topic. What is your take on how to INCREASE Lumbar curve for someone who has a flat lower back.

71

Mike,

Thanks.

Ross Hunt

72

Mike and Eric,

Thanks for the advice. It certainly was some accident (got hit by an SUV head on, spent 5 days in ICU).

If you guys know of anyone in NYC that is really qualified to help me out, please let me know here or in a PM. Hartford is also not out of the question.

Unfortunately, the professional advice I’ve sought so far focused on just the shoulder and not the whole kinetic chain, and not surprisingly the results were not good.

Orthopaedist: “Your ligaments are loose. Not much we can do. Try PT.”

PT: “Lets try this textbook (circa 1980) shoulder rehab routine.”

ART #1: “I’m going to move your shoulder around and it’ll fix everything. Should only take about 18 sessions. BTW, we don’t take insurance.”

ART #2: “Don’t worry about all those postural problems you’ve asked about. No one is perfectly balanced from side to side. BTW - we take insurance but you have a $500 deductible.”

(BTW - PT, ART#1, ART#2 were all for many, many weeks each)

Anyway, I’d LOVE to get professional help on this, but my recent track record has not been great and I’m reluctant to start over with someone new unless they are really good.

Again, thanks for your great advice guys, and keep up the amazing work on those articles.

-JRO

73

Mike,

I’m still relatively unexperienced as far as training goes. I’ve been lifting for several years, but I’m only now starting to do everything right. My question, while it may be a stupid one, but what exactly does your prehab/injury prevention work entail? Thanks for your time.

Brian

74

jro

there are some good PT’s in NYC. a place i would try if i were you would be australian physiotherapy centers. they have locations in manhattan/upper east side and manhattan/greenwich village. there is also a location in cutchogue. you could get more info. at www.ozpt.com and then click on clinical sites. they will do a thorough evaluation to determine what specific problems you have. i think the owners name is chris schowalter (not sure about spelling). hope that helps

climbon

75

[quote]kbattis wrote:
Mike,

I was interested to read about the sports camps that you have been running. Could you tell us a little more about these and what you go over witht hese young athletes?

I am currently working with a group of athletes between the ages of 12 and 16 years of age. We have been performing a lot of varied movements and trying to show them how to train like athletes.

I would be interested in hearing your thoughts of what an athlete at this point in their career (from a developmental standpoint) should be focusing on.

Thanks for your time! [/quote

We did EVERYTHING with these kids…dynamic flex, movement stuff, weights, conditioning, static stretching, the gamut! We tried to “introduce” one new topic each day, and then every day built on the previous one until they had a full-workout the last day.

The best thing you can do with these young athletes is give them the tools so that they can develop into mature, powerful athletes later in life. We put a premium on the dynamic flex and movement skills, as well as teaching them PROPER weight training skills so they can lift without the fear of injury. Most HS football coaches (or any sport coach for that matter) has minimal experience teaching proper lifting techniques, so this is very important. Even if they just learn with the bar for the week we get them, at least they will have a good idea of how the movement should feel and be executed. Nothing was more frustrating at the collegiate level than getting an athlete who “knew how to workout” because they had done it in high school. Usually it would take the majority of their freshman year just to get them lifting properly…not a fun experience.

Hope this helps. If you’d like, I could e-mail you the daily template we used for the camp as well to give you a better idea of the layout and organization.

Stay strong
Mike

76

[quote]Brad Kaczmarski wrote:
Mike, I’ve read your articles posted on how to decrease lumbar curve. It seems as though every one only writes on this topic. What is your take on how to INCREASE Lumbar curve for someone who has a flat lower back. [/quote]

It would depend on what other things a postural analysis would reveal, but the easiest solution would be to train the lower back heavy with back extensions, reverse hypers, etc.

Stay strong
Mike

77

[quote]BtotheL wrote:
Mike,

I’m still relatively unexperienced as far as training goes. I’ve been lifting for several years, but I’m only now starting to do everything right. My question, while it may be a stupid one, but what exactly does your prehab/injury prevention work entail? Thanks for your time.

Brian[/quote]

Actually, this is a great question.

As far as prehab/injury prevention stuff, a lot of the exercises included in the NNM program will address these. Along with that, injury prevention is very dependent upon which sport you play. The easiest way to design an injury prevention program is to strengthen and/or stretch the areas that get hurt the most often!

As far as the general population, I put a lot of emphasis on strengthening the glutes, all stomach muscles, upper back, external rotators, etc. Also, stretching of the hip flexors, hamstrings, pecs, lats, internal rotators, etc., but again, this is all very general. Do you play a specific sport? If so, let me know and I’ll give you a more specific example.

Stay strong
Mike

78

[quote]Ross Hunt wrote:
Mike,

Thanks.

Ross Hunt[/quote]

Ross,

No problem…keep up the good work!

Stay strong
Mike

79

[quote]climbon wrote:
jro

there are some good PT’s in NYC. a place i would try if i were you would be australian physiotherapy centers. they have locations in manhattan/upper east side and manhattan/greenwich village. there is also a location in cutchogue. you could get more info. at www.ozpt.com and then click on clinical sites. they will do a thorough evaluation to determine what specific problems you have. i think the owners name is chris schowalter (not sure about spelling). hope that helps

climbon[/quote]

Climbon,

Thanks for the help…I am not familiar with the NYC area, but hopefully I will be someday soon!

BTW, JRO, you might consider contacting a certified Rolfer, Hellerworker, or Strucutral Integration worker in your area as well. They will work to restore the optimal balance of your myofascia…I’m sure after your wreck everything is going to be out of whack.

Stay strong
Mike

80

Mike,

Thanks for the prompt reply. Your response leads me to another elementary question, what’s NNM?

As far as sports go, I play basketball and competitive ultimate frisbee at the college level. So, a lot of running and cutting is involved, but also a lot of sidearmed throwing motions which seem to give my shoulder a lot of problems, specifically my rotator cuff. I’d appreciate any advice you can give, thanks.

B