Prime Time With EC: 8/15 and 8/18

Training Bodybuilding
21

I have been diagnosed with sacral torsion by PT. PT straightened it back out through mobilization, but it goes back. My multifidus doesn’t work (fire), and the PT believes that is the key to remaining in place. Exercise prescription:

Lie on stomach with arms above head raise off ground and flex to right and left.

I have looked in your and Mike’s articles as well PT websites and haven’t found any additional exercises that specifically isolate and train multifidus without bringing in erectors, TVA, or QL. Any suggestions?

FWIW: For the last few years I have been performing the battery of McGill exercises.

22

I always hear that strength isn’t neccessarily due to size as it is to constant neural practice (training the specified lift often). In your most recent article you talked about how gaining a lttle weight can also help you through that plateau. What would you say I need to do. I have plateaued on the bench yet I bench at least three times a week.

I know you might say that I need to vary the exercise or work different strength qualities but I do that as well. My weight has stayed constant so do you think I need to gain a few pounds to push through the plateau.

23

I don’t think that you’ll find a single exercise that truly isolates every muscle. If you look through McGill’s new book, you’ll find that activating TVA alone is really not possible except in rare cases. Lower back health is a function of the collaboration of numerous muscles; I think you’ll find that you’ll be much better off if you take a more integrated approach to your therapy (which is what your PT’s advice seems to demonstrate).

If you aren’t stretching regularly, you’re doing yourself a great disservice. Sacral alignment issues are commonly related to tightness, especially in the piriformis.

[quote]Sammy Jankis wrote:
I have been diagnosed with sacral torsion by PT. PT straightened it back out through mobilization, but it goes back. My multifidus doesn’t work (fire), and the PT believes that is the key to remaining in place. Exercise prescription:

Lie on stomach with arms above head raise off ground and flex to right and left.

I have looked in your and Mike’s articles as well PT websites and haven’t found any additional exercises that specifically isolate and train multifidus without bringing in erectors, TVA, or QL. Any suggestions?

FWIW: For the last few years I have been performing the battery of McGill exercises.
[/quote]

24

The best thing for you might be to stop benching so damn often! The stronger you get, the less frequently you’ll be able to hit it hard.

Also, it could simply be an issue of muscular balance. If your external rotators and scapular retractors are weak, then your bench will get stuck at some point.

Where are you missing? Basically, I need a lot more information to make a good recommendation.

[quote]realt81 wrote:
I always hear that strength isn’t neccessarily due to size as it is to constant neural practice (training the specified lift often). In your most recent article you talked about how gaining a lttle weight can also help you through that plateau. What would you say I need to do. I have plateaued on the bench yet I bench at least three times a week.

I know you might say that I need to vary the exercise or work different strength qualities but I do that as well. My weight has stayed constant so do you think I need to gain a few pounds to push through the plateau. [/quote]

25

Eric,

In your Cardio Confusion article, you recommend that low intensity cardio be done prior to lifting, and list beneficial reasons for doing so.

Any negatives to putting it after the lifting component? I generally do a short warm up, followed by about 20 minutes of a total body lifting program, ending with about 30 minutes of a “phire” circuit (hitting core, prehab, and general movement patterns with 3-5 high rep circuits), all done 3-4 times per week. I hate traditional cardio.

Just wondering what benefits I lose / negatives I incur by putting it at the end.

Thanks,

Nathan

I posed the same question to Mike Robertson, regarding his Superior Circuit Series, but wanted your input as well. Thanks again.

26

EC any update on the thesis and defending it? What about an article more or less summarizing it, I’d love to see what you found.

27

When squatting deep, is it ok to slightly point the toes outward or do they need to stay straight ahead? Attempting to keep my toes straight causes pain in my knees upon reaching the bottom of the lift.

As far as my main weakness, scapular retractors would be it (but everything could stand improvement). Any suggestions on how to fix em?

28

[quote]vitruvian wrote:
Eric,

In your Cardio Confusion article, you recommend that low intensity cardio be done prior to lifting, and list beneficial reasons for doing so. [/quote]

Actually, here is what I recommended:

[quote]The timing of these sessions is just as important as intensity. I encourage you to not perform them after lifting unless your lifting takes you less than 40 minutes, and you’re only planning on doing a brief (ten minute) low-intensity session. We’re not looking to perform marathon sessions or call upon the FT fibers to “get their aerobics on” once the ST fibers are more fatigued. Rather, they should be used on non-lifting days or several hours separated from a lifting session.

With the latter set-up, an ideal scenario would be to lift earlier in the day and do this blood flow work roughly six hours later. By the way, don’t do this stuff first thing in the morning on an empty stomach. [/quote]

I believe that you’re thinking of Mike and Carl’s “The Superior Circuit” with the before training assertion. I only want people to do as much prior to training as is necessary. In most cases, 5-10 minutes of dynamic flexibility/mobility work will do the trick.

Not to come off the wrong way, but you’re missing the point of the article entirely. You need to differentiate between the training sessions themselves and the supplemental low-intensity work that facilitates improvements in these training sessions. What you’re doing is just circuit training; the intensity is markedly different.

Hope this helps.

29

Just wading through the research bureaucracy now to finalize the write-up. Defense will most likely be in mid-September.

I’ll definitely be writing this up for T-Nation in layman’s terms.

[quote]bigpump23 wrote:
EC any update on the thesis and defending it? What about an article more or less summarizing it, I’d love to see what you found.[/quote]

30

[quote]JohnGalt wrote:
When squatting deep, is it ok to slightly point the toes outward or do they need to stay straight ahead? Attempting to keep my toes straight causes pain in my knees upon reaching the bottom of the lift.[/quote[

No problem at all; just make sure that you’re continuing to stretch out your hip flexors, hamstrings, calves, and peroneals.

Lots of rows and face pulls.

31

Eric,

This is my last week on the NNM program, so I’d like your advice on my next training program. I’m going to do “The Waterbury Method.” I’ll list it below for you.

Day 1

*Barbell Back Squat 10x3

A1 Dips 4x6
A2 Bent-Over BB or DB Rows 4x6

B1 Skull Crushers 4x6
B2 Standing BB Curls 4x6

C Hanging Leg Raises 4x6

Day 2

Jogging (medium intensity)

Day 3

*BB Bench Press 10x3

A1 Partial DB Deadlift 4x6
A2 Standing BB Military Press 4x6

B1 Standing Calf Raises 4x6
B2 Upright Rows 4x6

C Tricep Pressdowns 4x6

Day 4

Same as day 2

Day 5

*Chin-ups 10x3

A1 Decline BB or DB Bench Press 4x6
A2 Standing Hammer Curls 4x6

B1 Seated Calf Raises 4x6
B2 Glute/Ham Raises or Leg Curls 4x6

C Lunges or Step-ups 4x6

Day 6

Same as 2

Possible Changes? Let me know what you think.

-I’ve considered of doing 6x6 for bent rows on day 1 instead of 4x6 to continue to improve my back development.

-Adding another back exercise on Wednesday to go along with pressdowns.

-Could I toss in some bent laterals for my rear delts?

-Also, what do you think about 3 Surge shakes on workout days. I’ve been taking 1 before, 1 during, and 1 after. It seems to be working well, but it is expensive. Could a guy get by taking 2, before and after?

Once again, I appreciate your help!

32

[quote]cpatzel wrote:

Day 1

*Barbell Back Squat 10x3

A1 Dips 4x6
A2 Bent-Over BB or DB Rows 4x6

B1 Skull Crushers 4x6
B2 Standing BB Curls 4x6

C Hanging Leg Raises 4x6[/quote]

I’d substitute a trunk flexion movement such as pulldown abs or ball rollouts here.

[quote]Day 2

Jogging (medium intensity)[/quote]

This, in addition to pre-training, would be a great place to do more dynamic flexibility work (and repeat some of the GPP from the program).

[quote]Day 3

*BB Bench Press 10x3

A1 Partial DB Deadlift 4x6
A2 Standing BB Military Press 4x6[/quote]

I wouldn’t overhead press quite yet, especially if you’re doing that much benching.

[quote]B1 Standing Calf Raises 4x6
B2 Upright Rows 4x6[/quote]

Drop the upright rows altogether or else your shoulders are really going to be hurting after this session. I don’t write barbell upright rows into any programs anymore.

[quote]C Tricep Pressdowns 4x6

Day 4

Same as day 2

Day 5

*Chin-ups 10x3

A1 Decline BB or DB Bench Press 4x6
A2 Standing Hammer Curls 4x6

B1 Seated Calf Raises 4x6
B2 Glute/Ham Raises or Leg Curls 4x6

C Lunges or Step-ups 4x6[/quote]

This is still a lot of internal rotation work and not much external rotation work or scapular retraction. Given your history, you’re really not ready to be doing this stuff.

[quote]Day 6

Same as 2

Possible Changes? Let me know what you think.

-I’ve considered of doing 6x6 for bent rows on day 1 instead of 4x6 to continue to improve my back development.

-Adding another back exercise on Wednesday to go along with pressdowns.

-Could I toss in some bent laterals for my rear delts?[/quote]

Good additions, although I’d like to see you stop thinking about muscles; worry more about movements. “Back” doesn’t tell me much; pullups and seated rows have entirely different effects.

[quote]-Also, what do you think about 3 Surge shakes on workout days. I’ve been taking 1 before, 1 during, and 1 after. It seems to be working well, but it is expensive. Could a guy get by taking 2, before and after?

Once again, I appreciate your help![/quote]

If it’s working, then I’d say it’s a good thing. It would depend on your body weight; Surge would be ideal, but you could always toss in some extra dextrose or higher GI fruit or fruit juice to get the carbs up.