The best supplement that is in your pantry

         In a previous post I wrote about how creatine is the best supplement that you are not using. Creatine maximizes the benefits and no adverse effects have been reported using creatine. Dosing is easy to follow and if taken in more than recommended dosage then no biggie. 

    This next supplement does have value, but the adverse effects may outweigh the benefits. One of the positive values is the fact that it is in nearly every pantry on the planet. Sodium Bicarbonate or better known as baking soda can be used as an ergogenic aid for training.

 Wait....hold up.... baking soda? The item you use in baking!

Yup.

Lemme explain   

        As your exercise anaerobically your muscles get their energy from ATP. That ATP is either stored in the muscle tissue or derived from the Cori cycle. The Cori cycle in a nutshell is a chemical reaction in the body that produces ATP without using oxygen. When you exercise anaerobically your body produces a chemical reaction that produces lactate (glucose-pyruvate-lactate). Lactate can be recycled back into the body through the Cori cycle which provides the body ATP. When too much lactate forms within the cells that the body cannot cycle out then muscles become acidic. FYI this is not Latic acid.... nor is it the cause of muscle fatigue. Latic is lactate and acid pertain to PH levels. The added element of hydrogen that makes muscles acidic. Think about the last time you did some hard running-at one point you became tired and had to either stop or slow down. After a min or two you were able to run at that pace again. That was your body not being able to recycle lactate in enough time. Once the intensity dropped the body was able to clear lactate and you were able to run at the pace again. The bodies' ability to clear lactate can be trained. Through intervals, tempo runs and HIIT training we can push our threshold or lactate threshold to the right. This means we can exercise at a higher intensity for a longer duration.

    So, what does this have to do with baking soda? hang on I'm getting there. Baking soda has anti-acid properties What does anaerobic exercise at a high enough intensity produce? Acid. If I take an anti-acid before training, I can raise the pH levels within muscle cells to hold off on the acidic build up. See why I had to go off on that tangent about the Cori Cycle?

    Taking baking soda as an ergogenic aid does have certain dosage requirements that should be followed in complete detail. Too little does nothing and too much will cause GI issues. The dosage is as follows: .3kg per kilogram of body weight taken 60-90 minutes before exercise. .3kg per kilogram of body weight. No more-no less. In retrospect .3kg for an 86kg person is 26.8g which is .9oz. You not taking a whole lot of baking soda, but it has been proven to assist with high intensity exercise. If you are going to try baking soda, I would strongly recommend practicing with it first before trying it before a big training day or a competition.       

The best supplement you're not using.

     What if I were to tell you that there is a supplement out there that is cheap, effective, highly studied, and almost zero adverse effects? Sounds almost too good to be true right? It's true.

Drumroll please

.........

Those are drum rolls by the way

Suspense killing you?

Good.

This is not the supplement you're looking for....

Jedi Mind trick didn't work?

OK

Fine

I'll tell you.

In a second....

I'm really enjoying this.

It's CREATINE.

    Creatine is a naturally occurring substance within the body that is typically stored in the liver and is used for quick, powerful, high intensity movements such as jumps, sprints (100m or less) and strength training. Creatine makes up .creatine phosphate. As you can imagine it is predominantly stored (98%) in skeletal muscle It also prevalent in the foods we eat such as meat and fish (another reason to eat animal foods for protein). 

    For dosage of creatine, you would start with 20g-25g per day or .3 kilograms of creatine per kilogram of body weight for 5 straight days. After this initial "loading" maintenance is as little as 2g a day. Without the "loading" process it takes longer for muscle concentration to take effect (30 days to 85 days). Stopping the dosage takes four weeks for creatine levels to return to baseline. For full effects of the supplement take for at least 28 days. "full" effects include increases in power, strength, sprint speed and lean body mass. Without the 28 days of complete dosages jump and power effects will not be altered. Point being, if you wish to have the full effects of creatine take for at least a month. Taking more than the recommended dosage means nothing. The muscle is saturated with 2g a day (after initial loading). Going over the recommended dosages may cause some GI issues as your body adapts 

    The downside of creatine is the increased body weight due to the saturation of water within skeletal muscle. This may not be a downside after all since if your taking creatine and lifting weights then your goal is probably to get bigger. Outside of increased lean body mass there is no adverse effects of taking the supplement. Creatine is the most studied ergogenic aid on the planet. Throughout all of these studies no adverse effects were noticed. If you're looking to become bigger, stronger and faster than consider taking creatine to boost your performance.      

Post training nutrition for strength training

     Continuing on with the theme of pre,during and post nutrition training is our last segment. Post nutrition training after strength training.

    If you can remember the last post where carbs were the center point of the meal. Protein is the center piece of this meal. Protein as you may know repairs damaged muscle tissue and, in a pinch, can provide an energy source in a process called gluconeogenesis (new glucose). The type of protein doesn't matter...to a degree. With animal sources (including whey and casein) you get all the essential amino acids (we fitness folk call it a complete protein); vegetarians have to mix and match in order to eat foods that have a complete amino acid profile. Eggs are an excellent source of a complete protein (depending on your lifestyle) otherwise rice and beans form a complete protein.

    Post workout protein requirements vary in detail. If you're training again that day, then look to consume a higher glycemic carb with 20g-30g of protein.  That way your consuming entire carbs to fill glycogen and prepare your body to train again. If you're only working out once per day, then stick with low glycemic carbs and 20g-30g of protein with the post workout meal. If your over 40 then eating 40g of protein is recommended. Eating carbs along with post workout protein does two things: 1) replenish glycogen levels and 2) spares protein from an energy source. Sparing protein in terms of an energy source allow protein to do what it does best: Repair damaged muscle tissue. The key to the protein is the leucine content. Leucine is an Amino Acid that stimulates muscle cell growth.

    This post is going to cover a popular fitness myth and post workout protein. You may have heard about an anabolic window. Many bodybuilders or your local gym bro swears by the anabolic window. To a degree this is true. Working out under a fasted state (3+ hours post meal) then the anabolic window exists. If you have worked out after eating several meals, then the "anabolic" window is very minimal.

    In terms of overall nutrition for strength training it is recommended to consume 5g-6g of carbs per kilogram of body weight and 1.4g-1.7g of protein per day. Personally, I stick to 1.5g because the math is easier in my head. That would be 128g of protein per day. It is possible to consume over the recommended amount; however, a few things to consider protein sources are more expensive at the grocery store and muscle cells can only tolerate so much protein at one time. Once you have reached saturation the main effect of protein is lost. If you're on a cut, then higher protein is recommended due to the fulfilling nature of protein. carb sources are to be timed according in order to consume more protein and less carbs.  

Post Competition meals (aerobic training)

     In case you haven't noticed we have a little theme going on here at Dad Fitness. Nutrition before, during and now after training.

     The point of eating after training is to rehydrate, replenish glycogen (readily made energy in the body) levels, and repair muscle tissue. How much food should your body intake? Great question. Hopefully I can answer that in the next few paragraphs. 

    IT ALL DEPENDS

    Gee Tom way to answer the question. Really putting that master's degree at work. Hold on, let me explain. The aerobic training itself matters. A marathon is different than a 5K, a 500m swim is different than a 20-mile bike ride. Intensity also matters, a hard tempo run is different than longer, slower run. Weight, age and gender also play a factor. A 20-year-old male and 45-year-old female will have different metabolic needs. One common theme between all ages, genders, training style is Sodium. Sodium assists with water retention. Adding salting your next meal or consuming a sports drink is fine. If you consume a sports drink, afterwards check the ingredients and nutrition facts for Sodium, potassium and carbs. Ideally, you want a carb source that is less than 10% of carb concentration. Too much will cause GI issues. Nothing worse than attempting to refuel then having to do a class two download (little military humor. I you're not military.... use your imagination). 

    Post aerobic training your body goes through two stages of recovery (in terms of post-exercise food). The first 30-60 min is independent of insulin and glycogen syntheses occurs rapidly. This is why after you run you are starving, and it seems that whatever you eat is not enough. Ideally, you would want to eat 1-1.85 carbs per kilogram of body weight during that time frame while your body can rapidly process it. If you're a 190-pound (86kg) person then that would be 129g of carbs (1.5x86). 129g seems like a lot but a banana is 20g, Greek yogurt is 14g, protein power is 4g, 1 cup of milk is 12g. Together that is 50g plus a balanced diet that includes protein will get you to the 1.5g per kilogram goal. Choose foods that are higher on the Glycemic load scale to replenish glycogen faster. Consuming a meal immediately after training is imperative if you're going to train again later that day. Many folks in the military do two-a-days for training. Eating enough calories to sustain themselves is crucial for maximizing performance. After that hour glycogen synthesis slows down and carbs aren't as absorbed as quickly. This is not definite nutritional have to; They are simply recommendations. If I run in the morning, I may add more calories to my normal meals and over the course of the day my glycogen levels are restored. If I run during the day, then I will have a carb rich meal afterwards to replenish calories lost.      

Eating during an aerobic event

     Continuing this run of advice for aerobic training.... see what I did there? Those types of sentences is how I used to teach for the Army. Dad jokes and bad puns. For that one I should go to the PUNitentiary. That would be a fitting PUNishment. In the words of Captain Rogers, "I could do this all day"

    I'm sure you didn't click on the post for dad jokes.... unless you did then cool your about to learn something about food and running.

     I know what you're thinking, I can barely breath during a run let alone eat. Let me re-phrase; when I say eating, I don't mean solid food. In this context I am referring to gels. No, this is not a sponsored post (not yet anyway) or some afflicted marketing technique. This is to provide information so that you can make an informed decision on what you put in your body.

    For this aerobic event I am referring to long duration aerobic events that last at least an hour. Training for an hour straight seems like one of those unimaginable things until you do it. Running at an 8min mile pace for at least 8 miles is over an hour. In the military we ruck (think heavy backpack and walk for an extended time). Those are two examples, cycling for over an hour would also count. Sustaining effort for that long deeply taps into our muscle glycogen and in some cases our liver glycogen. In order to sustain our efforts, we would need to keep that glycogen going. Additionally, sweating over 2%-3% of our body weight also decreases our performance during training. To combat fatigue gels are used to sustain (not replace) glycogen levels.

    When looking for gels check out the ingredients and see what the product is made out of. Ideally, you want a mixed bag of simple carbs such as  fructose, galactose, sucrose, galactose,etc  If you're not sure what those carbs are click on the link and it will make more sense. You want a mix of carbs as to not saturate the absorption of each type of carbs. Imagine your body as a multi lane highway that only allows certain vehicles to drive on individual lanes. One lane only allows trucks, another only allows cars, another only allows vans, and another only allows SUV's. Too much of one type of carb saturates the absorption of that particular carb. This is called iso-carbing. In our highway metaphor it is only trucks driving on the highway-at some point a traffic jam occurs and traffic slows to a creep. Different types of carbs are also absorbed differently. Sucrose, maltose are absorbed quickly while fructose, galactose are absorbed 25%-50% slower. Even a rinse of carb (swishing Gatorade, liquid IV, etc) helps too. You will see at least a 2%-3% improvement with just a mouth rinse.

    The amount of carbs is up to you. It is recommended to consume 28-144g per hour. That is a wide range of carbs, but it is up to you in how you handle during the event nutrition. Length and intensity play a factor. Longer more intense events require more carbs to sustain efforts. A quick hour run may only require small amounts. The best way to know is to practice it. I spoke before about setting up a mock event before the real event to have that opportunity to practice nutrition. This may seem all silly to practice nutrition but do you really want to risk it?  

How much food should I eat before a physical test?

        When I was an instructor for the Army I taught a multitude of classes. My favorite class to teach was physical fitness (shocker that a guy who writes a fitness blog likes to teach about fitness). It was one of those classes where I would just have a conversation with the students. No slides, no PowerPoints, just conversation. It was one of those classes I looked forward to facilitating.

 I start with one question,

 "How do you prepare for the ACFT?"

    As you can imagine the conversation would go in several directions, getting enough rest, Valsalva maneuver during the deadlift, little tricks for the Sprint drag carry like cutting down on the transitions between events during the sprint drag carry. One of the topics that would come up is food. I would go into foods that prevent GI issues. Eating more carb centric then protein centric foods. How caffeine (in small amounts) can be beneficial, how much water to drink beforehand to prevent bathroom usage during events. One topic that would surely come up is how much food to eat beforehand. Our ACFT's vary in time frame. During the spring/summer/fall it is typically at 0600 or 6am for your non-24-hour time people. During the late fall and winter, we would shoot for 1300 or 1pm to maximize the hottest part of the day. Depending on the class I would give different recommendations. The book answer is:

Less than an hour before the event=.5 gram of carbs per kilogram of body weight

2 hours before=1g of carbs per kilogram of body weight

4 or more hours=1-4g of carbs per kilogram of body weight. 

    If we were testing in the morning, we would recommend buying something the night before and having it prepared in the morning. Waking up at 4am to eat before a test isn't always the best since you are cutting into your rest. On the other hand, not eating enough leaves you without fuel before the test is over. This food balance is key to a successful test. 

    For example, a 190-pound individual is approximately 86kg. a half gram of carbs for 86kg is roughly 42 grams of carbs. That would typically be a medium banana and an 8oz Gatorade. For some crazy reason a person does want to get up early then that would entail eating 86 grams of carbs. A sample meal would be a medium bagel with jelly and a Gatorade. If the test is in the afternoon, then eating normal meals with snacks will get to the 1-4g per kilogram recommendations. 2.5g (roughly in the middle of recommended amount) would be 215g of carbs before the test. 215g of carbs is simply ensuring eating carb rich foods during breakfast, snack and a lighter lunch.

    One sure fire way to determine how much food to eat is to practice the nutrition strategies beforehand. Set up a day where you simulate the test then try different nutrient strategies. Make it a hard training day to replicate the physical demands of the test. Foods to avoid are foods that are higher in fat and fiber to prevent GI issues during the test. Normally fiber is under consumed but there is nothing worse than going to work out then having to run to the bathroom beforehand. Nutrition is individualized. Meaning it is something you have to try out before hand and tinker with your diet to ensure you're at peak performance.      

Breathing before and after exercise

        Think about when you first start running.

It feels great

Feel like you could run forever

Fast forward to the end

It feels like you want to throw up

Ever wonder why?

    Several factors really. Could be how aerobically trained you are, intensity of workout, weather conditions. The aspects that we will investigate within the post are Oxygen deficit and Oxygen debt.

    When you start running (or any other aerobic style training. Swimming, cycling and rowing will also work here) your anaerobic system provides the initial energy levels as the aerobic system catches up. Think of the aerobic system as a turbo in a vehicle. It takes time for the turbo to catch up (turbo lag), but once it kicks in it provides more power to the vehicle. Once the aerobic system catches up the oxidative system provides more of the energy source through the Krebs cycle. For full clarity the oxidative system yields 38 ATP (Well it produces 40 ATP, but it cost 2 ATP for the system to run).

    The initial push of the anaerobic system is called Oxygen Deficit. Think of it this way when there is a deficit of something we use something else as a replacement. In this case our oxidative system hasn't caught up yet, so the anaerobic system kicks in due to the deficit. Once the oxidative system kicks in it depends on the intensity of the training on when or if Oxygen debt occurs. I say if because if the intensity of training isn't high enough to break the Vo2 max threshold then your body can maintain oxygen levels while training. This isn't a dig either. For example, long, slow distance style aerobic training is at a lower enough intensity where oxygen debt does not occur. Exercising over the Vo2 max threshold does trigger oxygen debt or excess postexercise oxygen consumption (EPOC). A good metaphor is that your body owes your oxygen...hence debt. That is the part after the run where you feel like you're about to throw up. It is the body playing catch up oxygen wise. The length of intensity determines EPOC time. Lower intensity has shorter EPOC time period, more intense exercise has a longer EPOC time frame. Those long, intense runs that suck the life out of you? Those are going to require a longer EPOC time period. During EPOC the body replenishes oxygen in blood and muscles, resynthesis of ATP/CP (energy systems) and overall recovery of the body.

    EPOC or oxygen debt does not only apply strictly to aerobic training. It can apply to resistance training as well. In fact, heavy resistance training produces more oxygen debt than circuit training. Heavy resistance training entails 3 sets to exhaustion to 80%-90% of 1RM. That in itself is a very challenging workout. For full disclosure circuit training for this study is four sets of 15 reps at 50% RM. This means that EPOC is dependent on intensity levels regardless of training style.    

 

How to measure aerobic intensity

     I should give you a warning about this post.

It requires a little math.

Still with me?

GOOD!

    Think about when you're running. How do you know if you're running at the right pace? If you're like me the pace varies throughout the run. I'll come out of the gate strong, hit a little wall, re-group, maintain a decent pace then try and sprint at the end. The average pace is what I want, but the pace is all over the place. We know that maintaining a certain pace throughout aerobic training provides different adaptations. Long, Slow, distance acclimates the body to the distance required for the event, Pace/Tempo training trains our anaerobic system in order to push our lactate threshold to the right, HIIT training builds speed for the end of the race, and fartlek training breaks up the monotony of distance running. Bouncing from various paces does have value, but is it the adaptation that I want? Juding pace and using pace is valid form. It does take time and discipline to fine tuning pace running.

    Along with pace we can use Rate of Perceived Exertion (RPE) for our aerobic training. RPE is a chart from 1-10 in terms of how hard something is. For example, a 1 is nothing and 10 Deadpool training (Maximum effort). There is variability when it comes to RPE-its subjective. To a novice runner just starting out two miles can be a 7 or 8 while a marathon runner is just getting started at two miles. External factors can play a part in RPE as well. Weather being a prime example. Hot, humid environments can play mental games in our heads while running. Why I'm I out here in the heat of the day? We all can't be David Goggins and block out the weather. The boredom of running indoors on a treadmill can mess with our mental state as well. Generally, music can help out but what if your running test prevents music? RPE is valid but as you can see it has several variabilities and is completely subjective.

    Wait a second. You said that we would be doing math? I did say that. Thanks for being patient. We are about to get into it. A third way to measure aerobic intensity is using heart rate. Heart rate is the most frequently used method of measuring intensity. I should preface that there is one variability pertaining towards heart rate-Age. With age, we can tailor our workouts across the board to the individual runner. Ready to use some math? No? too bad here it is. 

    If you want to use heart rate to measure intensity, then consider the Karvonen Method. The Karvonen method is a series of formulas to determine intensity. It starts with Age Predicated Maximum Heart Rate (APMHR) (220-age). Easy-peasy so far. Once we determine the APMHR we subtract our resting heart rate. Not sure how to find your resting heart rate? I got you I got you. Find your pulse, set a ten second timer, count your pulse then multiply by six. Take that number and subtract that from your APMHR. That number is your Heart rate reserve (HRR). The next step is to figure out the intensity that you want to run at. Lets say I want to run between 60%-70% of VO2 max. I take my HRR and multiply by .60 and .70 then add my RHR back into the formula and that is my Target Heart Rate Range. 

Lost? 

I'll break it down

APMHR (220-age)

HRR (APMHR-RHR)

THR (HRR x intensity) + RHR

THRR

Still lost?

Let's do an example

    Premise: 37-year-old that wants to run at 60%-70% of Vo2 Max with a resting heart rate of 60.

APMHR (220-37=183)

HRR (183-60=123)

THR (123x.60=73.8 (74) and 123x.70=86.1(86)) + 60=134-146

    All this means is that in order to stay within the intensity range allocated heart rate needs to be within 134 and 146 beats per min. Most fitness watches track heart rate (you may have to set the watch face to display that data). Once that is complete then it is easy to look down at the watch during the run and maintain that range. Personally, I would pick a number in the middle and do my best to stay at that number to ensure I am in range. For this set of data, I would set a goal of 140 with a plus or minus of 5 to be within range. This style takes a little homework, but it will ensure you are running at the intensity that you want. You can always to the math while you're prepping for the run. While you're eating your banana and sipping on your water you can do this simple math then go out and have a game plan for your run instead of frolicking all about.        

The easy way to figure out your Vo2 max

     Up here in the Northeast the cold weather finally broke and it is starting to get warm in the mornings (about time!) the warmer weather and relative lack of humidity up here is makes it very conducive for running. Consider that it is late May, and it is only 72 degrees and none of the humidity? yep, solid running weather. 

    For resistance training it is fairly easy to tell if someone lifts weights. They are bigger due to the increased muscle mass. Further evidence can be found in the weight room when they lift more and more weight. Statistically, measuring aerobic endurance is a bit tricker. You might look at someone and conclude they are a runner due to body composition, but how can you really tell? folks could just be skinny. Even watching someone run it can be hard to tell. I have seen fast people with shitty form; or if someone is focusing on shorter distances or long distances. The most surefire way to tell aerobic capability is either Vo2 max or Lactate threshold. This is where it can be complicated. Exact measurements are found in a lab hooked up to machines running on a treadmill for Vo2 max. For lactate threshold blood samples are given and analyzed before and after exercise. Seems complicated right? Yup.

    In the words of Yoda from Empire Strikes Back, "There is another"

    Vo2 max is how efficient your body's tissues are at processing oxygen. That is the talk to me like a 5th grader version. The nerdy fitness version is figuring out your cardiac output (Heart rate x stroke volume typically measured with the letter Q) times a-vo2 difference (oxygen content between arterial and venous blood (blood going away from heart and comes back)) (double parentheses in one point?) Yep, I'm just showing off). The nerdy fitness version requires blood draws and bougie lab equipment. I am willing to guess that most of us do not possess fancy lab equipment or have access to such equipment. 

The much easier way to measure Vo2 max is through simple math. 

Max heart rate divided by resting heart rate.

Thats pretty easy

Easier than counting cards (if you got the movie 21 reference with simple math)

    First you figure out your Estimated Maximal heart rate. Sounds fancy, but all that goes into the formula is 220-age. With me so far? Let's go over an example. Let's use a 37-year-old. Adding 37 to the equation is 220-37 is 183. Meaning that a 37-year-olds estimated max heart rate is 183 beats per min. Ok, now we got the first portion of the equation

 The next portion is a little bit more math but doable. Resting heart rate can be found in different ways. Find your pulse (neck, wrist, groin.... get permission first before getting the measurement from that location) and count for 60 seconds. That is one way, another way is to count for 10 seconds then multiply by 6. Keep in mind that when you pull this data may alter the results. Figuring out your resting heart rate within 5 min of waking up will produce low resting heart rate. Shot gunning two Red Bulls then going to the dentist for drilling will produce another result altogether. I just testing mine. Yes, just now. The kids are in school, the wife is at the gym-in terms of external stress that would throw of the reading is minimal. I did have a few cups of coffee this morning, so take the data at face value. I did the 10 second count down and counted to 10. 10 times 6 is 60. We will call it 60 beats a min for resting heart rate.

    Plugging in 60 into the original equation we have 183/60 which equals. 3.05. This is where it can be a bit more complicated. I take that number then multiply by 15.3. 15.3 times 3.05 equals 46.665. For the sake of conversation lets round up to 47. That means that my Vo2 max is approximately 47 ml/kg/min. Per the NSCA charts for Vo2 max I would be in the 70% of adult males from 30-39 years old.

  

      

How to properly use the sled to build speed

        Sleds for the weight room come in all shapes and sizes. Some are better for pushing while other are better for pulling. Ben Patrick of kneesovertoes kneesovertoes really advocates for backward sledding before a workout to build bulletproof build bulletproof knees. A small sample size of backwards sledding as worked out for me. For someone nearing 40 my knees are fairly sound. For backward sledding my recommendation is to watch Patrick's video as his simplistic explanations of the benefits are outstanding. 

    

        For this article I'll focus more on forward sledding in speed applications. Sleds are one of the simpler exercises to perform. Pick a comfortable weight and push it for a predetermined distance. What the sled inadvertently does it lower your torso, and hips basically creating you into the acceleration phase of sprints. Acceleration phase if you can remember is the most powerful aspect of sprinting with the optimal blending of stride rate and stride length. Increasing this aspect will lead to improved acceleration. Moving more weight for a short distance creates more powerful strikes against the ground thus creating improved acceleration. 

    A downside of using the sled is the weight. I hear you.... duh more weight leads to a harder workout. Well, yes, but not in this context. Too much weight leads to longer ground contact time and shorter strides. The combination of longer ground contact time and shorter strides may alter the optimal stride length and stride rate locomotion. Improper body mechanics pertaining to the sled leads to poor technique which leads to slower acceleration. This goes back to the sprint fast train fast training module. Additionally, removing arm swing from the equation may alter the natural running gait. 

    For optimal usage of the sled consider the sport involved. Track sprinters should use a lighter sled that does not decrease running velocity (ideally you do not want to lose the 10%-15% running velocity). If you want to be fast, then train fast. We covered why too much weight will alter running mechanics. On the other hand, if you're an athlete who has to overcome resistance during your sport (think offensive lineman in American football) then using 20%-30% of your body weight for 5m-10m can be beneficial. If my job is to push other people around for a living, then it would benefit me to push a heavier weight. Often times if an offensive lineman can push another human being for 5m-10m backwards then it is a success.

Body mechanics during change of direction

     In previous posts we deep dived into the differences between change of direction and agility change of direction and agility. If you don't want to read the full version of post, then I'll give you the cliff notes version. Change of direction involves sprinting then cutting with a pre-determined distance and depth of cut. Today's post is going to focus on how to perform change of direction drills more effective. To be more effective at changing direction you have to perform change of direction drills. Performing more change of direction drills (distance, depth of cut, etc.) has to apply to movements you are going to be doing. Soccer requires different cuts then basketball, American football requires different movements then baseball. Soccer would require longer more shallower cuts, while basketball would require shorter, sharper cuts. American football requires precise cuts and baseball (running the bases) requires additional items added to change of direction drill to account for the bases. In the Army we perform 180-degree cuts for the sprint drag carry. First things first, pick your movement then learn how to perform each cut.

    Just know that improved body mechanics will shave tenths of seconds off the clock not necessarily whole seconds. However, with multiple cuts cutting down on tenths of seconds adds up. Or if you older and still trying to keep up with a younger crowd tenth of seconds add up. Hence why I utilize these techniques when I perform the Sprint drag Carry. 

    Visually, your eyes take you where you want to go. Moving your eyes to the next location helps lead the body into the next direction. Body positioning also plays a factor, less movement in the truck during the deacceleration and reacceleration helps the body redirect force. In addition to the truck ensure the entire lower body (ankles, knees and hips) all have to be aligned in order to re-direct force. Imagine trying to change directions with only the feet. It would take longer to brake and re-accelerate. In order to reaccelerate faster have a lower center of gravity helps. Lower center of gravity basically creates another start phase (which could lead to increased power). When it comes to braking lowering center of gravity prevents "stiff legged" braking. Arms are an underrated aspect in terms of changing of direction (generally any running/sprinting activities). Move your arms! reaccelerating through your arms means that your body will follow. When you start to get tired focus on strong arm movement and that will propel you forward.

    Strong body mechanics along with training should elevate your change of direction ability.        

Deep dive into Change of Direction

    Often times change of direction and agility get lumped into the same sentence and are used interchangeably. For clarification they are different change of direction applies to changing direction with a known cut point and depth of cut. Agility on the other hand is cutting with a stimuli and unknown depth of cut. In the strength and conditioning world change of direction would be the T-test or the 3-cone drill. We have a known distance and know the depth of cut. In the T test for example we know the intent is a 90-degree cut. Agility is sprinting then a coach or light signaling to move. In a more practical sense change of direction is a wide receiver in football running a 10 yard out route. I would sprint 10 yards then make a 90-degree cut towards the sidelines. Agility would be the defensive back reacting to the offensive player. In the Army we use change of direction pertaining towards our sprint drag carry module of our ACFT. We know that is a 50-meter sprint coupled with a 180-degree cut and another sprint. 

For this article we will focus more on change of direction.

   Change of direction that requires 75 degrees cut or less involve much more of a speed element with shorter ground time. Since the cut is shallow you (or an athlete) can make these cuts faster. Training predominantly speed will help with this style of change of direction. Some stimuli can be introduced but the main focus should be on developing speed. Aggressive cuts that are 75 degrees or more requires more ground contact time due to increased braking requirements. Since more braking is required, more training will enhance performance. Maximum strength (resistance training) along with explosive training (plyometrics) are added to help with the increased braking and reacceleration needed.

    Another factor is how to cut. Change of direction can be performed with a single leg change of direction. The art of using the outside foot to plant then pivot the body into the intended direction. A "jump" turn can also be used for change of direction. Jump turn is the usage of both feet in a jumping fashion in order to make the turn. Through studies it has been shown that jump turn is more effective in terms of producing force in order to make the turn. This, however, comes with practice as it can be un-natural. 

    A third factor is the distance covered during change of direction drills. Too long of a drill is hard to determine how effective training was due to the length of the drill. A longer change of direction drill may lead to increased metabolic activity or (getting into better shape) instead of better change of direction skills. These tests could be considered more of a maneuverability drill instead of a true change of direction.       

Nerdy deep dive into sprinting

        Speed is fun to watch. 

    When Usain Bolt set Olympic records in the 100m and 200m it was a marvel. Bolt made some of the fastest guys in the world look slow. When Dolphins receiver Tyreke Hill breaks free and makes grown men look silly. These examples of extreme speed are entertaining. What makes them so fast? Genetics play a significant factor. The predisposition of muscle fibers is pure genetics. Training is another factor. That blend of resistance training, plyometrics, and sprint training all play a factor into making someone fast. A third is technique. Yes, there is a technique pertaining towards running-not just move faster.

    Sprinting basics falls under two elements: coupled flight and support phases. Coupled flight is the time spent in the air; support phase is when your foot strikes the ground. The key to support phase is to have the least amount of ground contact time coupled with powerful strikes into the ground to propel forward. It's turning vertical force into horizontal force. If you're a car guy, then you get this concept. Engines in vehicles turn vertical force into horizonal force in order to drive down the road. Ensuring the foot strikes with a high force production in the shortest time possible is the sure-fire way to get faster. Increasing stride rate is like going full throttle on an engine the faster those cylinders move the faster the vehicle moves. Stride length is trickier as it applies to the displacement of mass or moving your body at a certain rate. The tricky part is to not increase the stride to the degree to displace the stride rate; under striding doesn't fully allow the foot to strike with maximum force. Over striding leads to braking and regeneration of force. Sprinting in humans is metaphorically similar to that of a train. The locomotion of the wheels is the perfect visual depiction. Flight is how long you are in the "air" between foot strikes. The power comes from individual foot strikes, so the least amount of time spent in the air is beneficial. Sprinting in itself has overall three parts: Start phase or coming out of the blocks, acceleration is coming out of the blocks into a upright running position (typically lasts 20 meters) then maximum velocity. From the acceleration phase to the max velocity phase stride rate decreases while stride length increases.    

    

Speed kills....or does it?

     Every March thousands of prospective NFL players come to Indianapolis to participate in the in the NFL combine. The NFL combine is multi day evaluation that includes interviews, physicals, field drills, agility drills, bench press, long jump, high jump and of course the 40-yard dash. Over the years the 40-yard dash has turned into the pinnacle of the event. The first question pertaining towards skill players is, "What did he run?" That question can vault a player into the first round or drop them into the later rounds. Since the event can determine a salary; I ask the question what is speed?

    Speed by book definition is the question, how fast? velocity and speed go hand in hand however there is a slight difference. If speed is simply how fast, then velocity answers the question of where. Velocity is how fast plus direction.  The nerdy aspect of speed is the rate of force development, or the maximum amount of force applied in minimum amount of time. Sound familiar? It should because that is the definition of plyometrics. Change in force over change in time. Think about a sprinter or a football player running a 40-yard dash. The initial burst is using the maximal amount of force in the shortest time possible. Additionally, remember muscle firing rates? If you don't then I got you fam! (rate coding). CNS wise sprinting and plyo's are basically same in same training wise. If you want to jump higher then jump (its more detailed than that but yea) If you want to sprint faster, then sprint more. This will train your brain to react faster and more forcefully. 

    The absolute key to sprinting is stride length and stride frequency. Increasing both will increase your force production. Just increasing stride length will throw off you're landing thus causing more braking within your stride. Focusing on increasing the stride frequency gives a runner more "shots" at applying force to the ground thus propelling you down the track faster.

    

How to use plyometrics and resistance training together

    In part one we focused on the frequency, intensity and rest periods associated with plyometrics. Today we will focus on implementing plyometrics into resistance training. Notice how I said resistance training not aerobic training. Aerobic training has a tendency to have a negative effect on power. Power is force/time. Since aerobic training requires little force over a longer period of time then it is counterproductive to program highly intense plyometrics then go run 5 miles. Low intensity plyometrics are fine to program into aerobic training since the intensity is low. If I am resistance training, then it is more beneficial to implement intermediate or advanced plyometrics. One way to implement plyometrics is complex training. 

    

    Complex training is super setting with heavy resistance training (85%-90% of 1RM). A heavy squat followed by box jumps is an example of complex training or a heavy bench press followed by chest pass with a medicine ball is another example. Theoretically, you should be able to squat or bench more following a plyometric exercise due to a phenomenon called potentiation. Or more specifically, post-activation potentiation (PAP). Scientifically, your central nervous system is being trained to fire neurons faster and stronger to your muscles. It is enhanced acute improvement in rate coding and recruitment. The more your strength train your muscles recruit muscle fibers faster and stronger over time (as long as you're continuing to implement progressive overload). This would be a chronic adaptation. PAP is acute adaptions on steroids. Plyometrics as you remember is max force in minimum time coupling that with heavy resistance training trains your muscles to fire stronger. A simpler explanation is that your muscles get used to the max force and applies that same principle to resistance training.

    Complex training is for more advanced (year plus of training) lifters for a few reasons. 1. Finding your 1RM requires more advanced technique and training history. 2. High intensity plyometrics is another exercise that is for more advanced lifters. Combining two advanced exercises does indeed require more advanced training. Also, keep in mind this an acute adaptation. For more continued adaptation complex training has to be implemented in a consistent way. If complex training is to be implemented, then it should come first in the training set. Since heavy resistance training and plyometrics both tax the body then performing these exercises should be when the body is fresh. Rest is also key; we know that lifting 85%-95% requires a range of 3-5 min of rest. Resting 3-5 min is to ensure your body recovers between sets.

    

          

How to program plyometrics

     Do you remember way back when I wrote about the basics of plyometrics? You don't? no worries I got you fam....here is the link Think of it as cursory reading before diving into how to utilize plyometrics into your training. Plyometrics are a part of an overall program-not necessarily the entire training day. Programming plyometrics can be a part of resistance training or more aerobic based training. More anaerobic training would entail more advanced plyometrics would be added while aerobic training would have low intensity plyometrics. Since plyometrics are a power exercise. I repeat a power exercise not an aerobic exercise (looking at you CrossFit). Plyometrics by definition is max effort in minimum time and should be treated as such. Given that we are talking about intensity plyometrics can be divided into three broad intensities: low, medium and high. Low level intensities are two-foot hops, jump and reach, and squat jumps. Medium intensity exercises would encompass one legged jump (either on flat ground or over hurdles) and high-level intensities are jumps with multiple movements or both one legged and double legged exercises attached to the same movements. Zig zag jumps over a hurdle, 4 hurdle jumps, depth jumps. 

    Progressing from low to high intensity is paramount. Even with experienced athletes or lifters should start small then progress to more intense exercises. Focus on landing evenly; distributing weight across the body then progress into more intense exercises. Considering the intensity of plyometrics and the force associated with these exercises constitute slow progression in order to prevent injuries. Heavier personal should also be cautious with plyometrics. 240 pounds is a threshold in terms of weight and plyometrics. Depth jumps should be limited to a certain height due to sheer force landing on joints and the longer length of the amortization window. 

    Increasing the intensity is one way to increase; another way is to increase foot contacts. Foot contacts are measured in single foot contacts. For example, if I am performing a box jump with both feet then I would have a foot contact of two. 80–100-foot contacts are recommended for beginners, 100-120 for intermediate and 120-140 for advanced. Keep in mind that this would include a variety of plyometrics. 120-foot contacts for depth jumps are quite the force applied to your body. In order to equal 120-foot contacts that would be 12 sets of 10. At some point the rate of diminishing returns kicks in and the exercise becomes a moot point. In order to get within range, consider a progression within the training day. Jump rope, low intensity pogo jumps are examples of low level plyometrics to start a training day. Just know that generally speaking that as the intensity goes up the volume goes down. Quality reps are more important than volume for plyometrics.

    Rest is key for plyometrics. You want your body to be fresh (ish) for each movement to fully maximize the intent of the movement. A work rest ratio of 1:5 to 1:10 is recommended between sets of plyometrics. If I perform five reptations of a box jump and it takes me thirty seconds to complete the set, then I would rest for 150 seconds. That may seem like a long time but consider the phosgene energy system used during plyometrics and how long it takes to fully recuperate. Time between sessions is also key. Shoot for 48-72 hours between a plyometrics training session. Now, if your only doing beginner level plyometrics then by all means shorten the recommended rest periods. If your jump roping every day for a warmup then keep on keeping on. If your performing multiple sets of depth jumps or another high intensity plyometrics then ensure to rest at least 48 hours between sessions. 

How to implement progressive overload.

     If you have been following the series about building a hypertrophy workout then you know the guide that we used for reps, sets, and rest. Now that we have a plan, what is the best way to improve? Improvement in the gym refers to progressive overload. We know from previous posts that progressive overload is paramount to continue to elicit adaptations within the body. Remaining stagnant at the gym is ok for a few days but continued use of the same reps, sets and weight will eventually lead to loss of adaptations. Please note that I am using the term adaptations instead of gains for a reason. "Gains" generally refer to muscular adaptations. Resistance training improves multiple aspects of the body such as neural, connective tissue and bone adaptations. Progressive overload is simple. It is either adding more sets or more weight to the lift counts as progressive overload. Going from three sets to four sets creating more volume. Volume is the name of the game in terms of adding muscle. Adding weight is fairly simple.... add more weight to the bar (or heavier dumbbell). There is multiple was to implement progressive overload to the workout. The 2x2 method is being able to lift two more reps then assigned on the last set for two consecutive workouts-meaning if my assigned rep goal is 8 reps and I can do 10 on the last set for two straight workouts then increase weight. This is a conservative approach for progressive overload. Being conservative with adding weight is fine. Technique is way more important than amount of weight lifted. Ego lifting is a big No No in gym culture. The real gym bros resect technique more than weight. Increases in weight lifted is a second way to use progressive overload. Now, this method has some recommendations. If you're a beginner, then your upper body lifts for your upper body could be 2.5-5 pounds and your lower body could be 5-10 pounds. If you're a veteran lifter then increasing upper body lifts could be 5-10 pounds and 10-15 pounds for your lower body. Another way to achieve progressive overload is to increase sets. If I am performing three sets then increase to four with a cap of six sets.

    The main theme is to continuously improve and stick to your rep goal. Performing various goal reps will bring about different adaptations. Five repetitions will illicit more of a strength goal, while 15 reps will illicit more of a muscular endurance adaptation. Keep your rep goal the same and either increase the number of sets or the weight.        

Building a Hypertrophy workout day 3

     In our current series of building a Hypertrophy workout we are on day three. On day one we deep dived Chest and Back, day two we have dived into Legs and Shoulders and now we are on day three. Day 1 and Day 2 hit the majority of muscles in the body. Day 3 will cover more total body with added in curls and extensions to cover the arms. Keep in mind that I am building this plan with everything at my disposal including time. If a different split works for you considering your own lifestyle, then send it. The principles that were outlined in terms of allocation of reps, sets, load, and rest cycles work for any split with a goal of hypertrophy. 

     For day 3 we follow the same templet that we followed for day 1 and day 2. For a more total body approach we are selecting exercises that work more than one muscle group. Exercises that work more than one muscle group are called compound lifts. Since, we are compiling more total body work then our exercise selection has a wider range to choose from. For our building block of the day, we are going to pick the Hex Bar Deadlift. Following the Hex Bar Deadlift are Dips, Lunges, Bicep curls, Triceps push downs, and Tibia raises.

 

Total Body

Hex Bar Deadlift

Dips

Lunges

Bicep curls

Triceps curls

Tibia Machine

    Volume, and rest will follow the same pattern as Day 1 and Day 2. As long as we stay in that 6-10 rep range, with 3-6 sets and rest cycles of 30-90 seconds we are good to go. 

Total Body

Hex Bar Deadlift 4 Sets of 8 Reps at 80%. 90 Second rest

90 Seconds rest

Dips 3 Sets of 10 Reps. 90 Second Rest

90 Seconds rest

Lunges. 3 Sets of 10 with 90 Second Rest

90 Seconds rest

Bicep curls 3 Sets of 10 with 90 Second Rest

90 Seconds rest

Triceps curls 3 Sets of 10 with 90 Second Rest

90 Seconds rest

Tibia Machine 3 Sets of 10 with 90 Second Rest

    Our three-day training split covers the entire body maintaining balance between the muscle groups. That is key to prevent muscle imbalance and prevent the CACA (chest, arms, chest, arms) bro style let me look good in a Tank top workout. If you noticed, we did not include abdominals into our plan. A few reasons: 1. The variety of ab exercises that one could use for a training plan is limitless. 2. The focus was on principles associated with building a plan not necessary how to get abs. 3. Training abdominals follow the same hypertrophy pattern as other muscles of the body. As long as we stick with the principles of muscle balance (upper and lower abs) and volume, we can include abdominals into our plan.    

Building a hypertrophy workout day 2

         Building on our previous post about building a hypertrophy workout three-day split we are on day two. On day one we deep dived a workout centered around chest and back. Today or day two of this workout templet is centered around legs and shoulders. Much of what we will do for Legs and Shoulders is going to be very similar in how we built our previous workouts.

Exercise Selection

    Leg day exercise selection is generally focused on the squat. Back squat/Front squat/goblet squat/air squat are all good choices. Machines wise you have your hack squat, Leg press, and Goblet squat. You also have your isolation exercises for the leg like leg extensions, hamstring curls abductors, and calf. The Smith machine is an option here. I would only recommend the smith machine for early lifters since the bar does not move; this may seem like it's a good thing but as your lift the bar or dumbbell are going to move in the bar path (which is fine) and other parts of your body (the Core) will act as stabilizers during the lift. This exercise plan is going to use the back squat as the building blocks of our training day. Leg press is going to follow the back squat then we get into more isolation exercises like hamstring curls and calf raises. For the shoulder muscle we a plethora of exercises that will enable us to hit all three heads (front, middle and rear) to hit to ensure we have balance in the deltoid muscle. Changing the angle of presses typically would hit the three heads to some degree. Since majority of the exercises require lifting weight over the head from either barbell or dumbbell, we have to more careful in terms of selecting an exercise. The moveability of the shoulder socket plays a factor as well; since it allows for movement in multiple plans technique is paramount. Considering these factors, we will use dumbbells as the building block. Seated Dumbbell Press followed by Standing single arm press, front and lateral raises then rear delt flies are exercises that hit all the shoulder muscles.

     

Legs	Shoulders
Back squat	DB Seated Press
Leg Press	Standing Single Palm in shoulder press
Hamstring Curl	Front & Lateral raises.
Calf Raises.	Rear delt fly

Reps and Load

Since this is a hypertrophy style workout we have a range of repetitions at our disposal. Generally speaking, for hypertrophy rep ranges are between 6 to 12 reps with each rep correlating to a percentage of 1RM. 6 reps would be 85% of 1RM, 7 reps at 83%, 8 reps at 80%, 9 reps at 77%, and 10 reps at 75%. Keep in mind these are allocated guidelines and offer a range of repetitions to shoot for to elicit a hypertrophy adaptation. Let's say your 1 RM max is 300 pounds and your goal rep count is 8. That means 300 x .80 is 240 pounds. Leg press and Hamstring Curls are going to be in the 10-rep range. Calf raises are going to be 10 reps as well. Seated Dumbbell press is harder to determine, however for full disclosure we will use the same percentage as the back squat. Standing Single Palm in Shoulder Press, Front & Lateral raises and Rear Delt Flies will follow the 10-rep range at 75%.      

Legs	Shoulders
Back squat (300 1RM) 8 Reps at 80% 1RM	DB Seated Press 8 Reps at 80% 1RM
Leg Press 10 Reps at 75% 1RM.	Standing Single Palm in shoulder press 10 Reps at 75% 1RM
Hamstring Curl 10 Reps at 75% 1RM	Front & Lateral raises 10 Reps at 75% 1RM.
Calf raises 10 Reps at 75% 1RM.	Rear delt fly 10 Reps at 75% 1RM.

    Sets and rest will look very similar to day 1. We will stick with the set range of 3-6 sets. 4 sets for our core exercises (Back Squats and DB Seated Press) with 3 sets for the rest of the workouts. Rest is going to be 90 seconds between the core and 60 seconds rest after sets for the rest of the workouts. Rest between exercises is going to follow suit. 

Legs	Shoulders
Back squat (300 1RM) 4 Sets of 8 Reps at 80% 1RM. 90 Seconds between sets	DB Seated Press 4 sets of 8 Reps at 80% 1RM.  90 Seconds between sets
90 Seconds	90 Seconds
Leg Press 3 sets of 10 Reps at 75% 1RM. 60 Seconds between sets.	Standing Single Palm in shoulder press 3 sets of 10 Reps at 75% 1RM. 60 Seconds between sets
60 Seconds	60 Seconds
Hamstring Curl 3 sets of 10 Reps at 75% 1RM. 60 Seconds between sets	Front & Lateral raises 3 sets of 10 Reps at 75% 1RM. 60 Seconds between sets
60 Seconds	60 Seconds
Calf raises 3 sets of 10 Reps at 75% 1RM. 60 Seconds between sets.	Rear delt fly 3 sets of 10 Reps at 75% 1RM. 60 Seconds between sets.

    Once we figure out our goal for the training (hypertrophy) we know the sets, reps, load lifted and rest periods. That shell can be applied to any workout split. All that is needed is to select exercises for the training day.