Personally, I believe that mass has its value. Muscle mass is protection. For years, boxers have been developing their abdominals to help them take a solid punch to the gut. Hypertrophy of the deltoids may act as an armored casing around the shoulder cavity. Mass is also associated with the substantial force that one can produce. If a 90kg man tackled you at 20mph and a 110kg man tackled you at 20mph, obviously, the latter is going to hurt a lot more!

Today’s post is about increasing muscle mass in a manner that can impact athletic performance for the better. The protocol in this article will use the deadlift as a case study.

The Power of Ten and Hypertrophy

The “power of 10” was made popular by strength icons such as Pavel Tsatsuline and Dan John. This principle suggests that we can only manage 10 repetitions of heavily resisted, full-body compound exercises. If we exceed this range, we can expect a deterioration of technique which can lead to injury. These 10 repetitions are performed with a load of 75% of our 1-repetition max (1RM) or above, separated into sets. A few examples:

• 5 sets of 2 repetitions
• 3 sets of 3 repetitions
• 2 sets of 5 repetitions

Another example, and the one we will be focusing on, is the three-set pyramid. This involves performing five repetitions at 75% of your 1RM, 3 repetitions at 80%, and 2 repetitions at 85%. Each set is coupled with at least two minutes of rest. This rest could simply be a gentle recovery walk, or some light mobility exercise such as the cat/camel stretch.

The benefits of this low-repetition and medium-volume range is that we can keep our technique strict, but our load high. However, this is not a method for inducing substantial muscle mass. To increase mass, there are three methods that I call my “hypertrophy extensions.”

These hypertrophy extensions should only be performed on one exercise per weight training session. I’ve found the best results with this method happen if the athlete only performs one of the protocols three times per week. Don’t overdo it, unless you want to destroy your ability to recover after a session.

Method 1: Technical Failure

After performing your final two repetitions at 85% of your 1RM, take 60-90 seconds to recover. Drop the resistance down to 60% of your 1RM and perform repetitions to technical failure.

Here’s how it looks:

• Set 1: 5 reps at 75%
• Rest for 2 minutes
• Set 2: 3 reps at 80%
• Rest for 2 minutes
• Set 3: 2 reps at 85%
• 1 minutes to 90 seconds of rest
• Set 4: Repetitions to technical failure at 60%

Method 2: Weakness Management

Many lifters have what is called a “sticking point.” This is the portion of a lift that causes the most amount of difficulty. The idea of weakness management is to implement 10 solid seconds of isometrics directly after the two repetitions of 85% of your 1RM. This can be done directly by tying a rope to a fixed object on the floor, or indirectly through another exercise such as a wall sit.

Here’s how it looks:

• Set 1: 5 reps at 75%
• Rest for 2 minutes
• Set 2: 3 reps at 80%
• Rest for 2 minutes
• Set 3: 2 reps at 85%
• No rest. Superset the above with a 10 second isometric pull on a rope that is fixed to the floor. Pull the rope at the length where you feel that your deadlift is at its weakest.

Method 3: Functional Management

The third and final method that I use with athletes is functional management hypertrophy extension. This not only takes the working muscle into consideration, but also its role. In this case, the musculature of the lower back is designed to stabilize the lumbar vertebra. Furthermore, the lower back requires a high level of endurance. Therefore, we will use this fact by utilizing a light isometric exercise drill to condition the lower back for a prolonged period. The drill I’ve chosen is the glute bridge, which also develops the glutes and hamstrings to support posture.

Here’s how it looks:

• Set 1: 5 reps at 75%
• Rest for 2 minutes
• Set 2: 3 reps at 80%
• Rest for 2 minutes
• Set 3: 2 reps at 85%
• 60-90 seconds of rest
• Set 4: 2 minutes in the glute bridge, or until technique fails.

What Body Parts Require Mass for Optimal Performance?

It is doubtful that bigger biceps will lead to an improvement in athletic performance. The same can be said for a chunky set of calf muscles. We know that muscle mass can be an important part of our performance, but it is crucial that we are highly selective in our program design.

In the name of stability, our focus may be best placed in the center of our bodies, where most of our body mass lies. As many athletes have overdeveloped their chest and anterior deltoids, adding muscle mass of various portions of our posterior chain is essential.

From an injury prevention standpoint, mass becomes even more important. Mass of the glutes and the lower back can help to prevent lumbar spine injury. Mass of the trapezius and neck muscles may aid in the prevention of concussions, as we develop the ability to absorb shock. To prevent shoulder injuries, the deltoids must be well-developed. This includes the anterior and the posterior deltoid.

When it comes to shoulder development, I believe that people look too much into overhead pressing. If you can press overhead without losing the positioning of the spine, practicing overhead movements is important for maintaining mobility. However, muscle mass of the deltoids can be produced through rowing, pulling, and chest pressing actions. Therefore, military presses may well be unnecessary, and also a way to take time away from far more valuable exercises.

I don’t believe in directly focusing our muscle mass efforts on our quadriceps and hamstrings. Although they are very close to our center of mass, and although they are a crucial part of our stability, I often find that they are very receptive to heavy load. Therefore, the hypertrophy extensions that focus on isolating these areas, in the manner we used in our lower back example, are perfectly unnecessary. If we wish to perform optimally throughout an entire training period, whether it’s for the session or for the year, we must not over-exhaust ourselves. Firing up the quadriceps and hamstrings is very stressful on the body, and can therefore increase our recovery time.

When Should We Focus on Mass?

The offseason is an important time for prehabilitating, rehabilitating, and hypertrophy. Injury prevention is essential for prolonging the career of the athlete. Hypertrophy plays a role in protection and the development of force.

As the preseason draws closer, assess your conditioning by measuring the ratio of your body mass and the weight you can deadlift. If we consider the work of Nike’s Ryan Flaherty, we can appreciate that he has found a direct correlation between top-performing sprinters and the amount of force they can produce in relation to their mass. We must aim to deadlift a minimum of 2.2 times our bodyweight. Flaherty has found this to be the ideal lifting capacity for top end speed.

If you cannot lift 2.2 times your bodyweight, you must reassess your program as soon as convenient. It will be important to drop the hypertrophy extension, or perhaps change the program altogether.

An important suggestion would be to take away the eccentric portion of the lift, and drop the bar after the concentric phase. This will limit the micro-tearing of the skeletal muscle fibers, which are associated with the development of muscle mass, but as the season draws closer, this may also prevent injury in the weight room.

Hypertrophy Extension for Your Offseason Training

As mentioned earlier, this protocol should only be performed three times per week at the very most. My programs are currently using this method twice each week. After all, it is highly stressful on the muscles and the central nervous system.

Warm Up

To initiate the program, a standard RAMP warm up protocol can be used.

• Raise the heart rate and blood flow.
• Activate the motor neurons around a specific muscle to lift its force potential.
• Mobilize the full range of motion for the intended movement pattern.
• Potentiate the specific muscles and movements for the activity that is about to be performed.

For improving range of motion, spend some time on the foam roller with direct focus on the musculature of the thoracic spine. You can also use a peanut-shaped myofascial release product that aids in thoracic spine mobility. Then you may gently cycle for four minutes to raise the heart rate and improve blood flow. This is done at a slow speed, where you could hold a conversation. Then perform two sets of 15-20 air squats with the hips lowering below knee height.

Plyometrics

Plyometrics act as a fantastic activation protocol. However, the air squats may be enough for some athletes and therefore, the plyometrics can be skipped. Many coaches like three sets of 10 or five sets of five for plyometrics, but I’ve found three sets of eight to be ideal. You can drastically lower your amortization phase with just eight repetitions, which is far more power-specific.

A level-one plyometric exercise should be performed. This means that there is no focus on multi-twitch, and that there is a break between each jump. Beginners to this program should perform a standard squat jump, while more advanced athletes can perform a box jump.

Power of 10 With a Hypertrophy Extension

Keep the power and hypertrophy protocol early in your session. Because of how fatiguing this protocol is, introducing it later would not be as beneficial.

As far as deadlift selection is concerned, I prefer the hex bar or trap bar. This allows you to distribute force straight from the midline of your body, which will replicate sprinting far more adequately.

If you only have a standard barbell available, I encourage athletes under 5’10” to practice a standard deadlift, where the feet are positioned shoulder-width apart. If you exceed this height, you may wish to practice the sumo deadlift, where the feet are pointed outwards at one and a half shoulder-widths apart. Either way, the arms are positioned in line with the shoulder joint. Don’t use a narrower or a wider grip, as this is a much weaker position and works against your biomechanics.

If you feel more comfortable with another form of deadlift, by all means use it. After all, there are physiological exceptions, such as shin length, femur length, and the length of the torso.

As a final note on the deadlifting protocols, ensure you maintain an elongated spine. Although a rounded upper back may be a stronger lift, and although it is very common to see this in powerlifting, to be sports-specific, we must keep the spine elongated.

Additional Exercises

After the main lift, three additional exercises can be added. In a training cycle that is dominated with continuous practice on the field, a huge load of anaerobic work, and little time to recover, I do not believe that performing more than three additional exercises is wise.

These exercises usually involve a unilateral drill, such as a Bulgarian split squat for four sets of six repetitions at 65% of the athlete’s 1RM. There is often a focus on lateral movement, such as a lateral step up. Lateral work is important for the conditioning of the vastus lateralis, the outer portion of the quadriceps. Weakness in this area is associated with anterior knee injury.

As a strong believer in the importance of abdominal strength, an exercise that does not stress the legs is selected. My favorites are the roll out, or the body saw on the TRX. For any abdominal exercise, the repetitions should be kept high to mimic the role of these muscles, and allow them to have substantial time under tension. I usually prescribe three sets of 12-20 repetitions for abdominal exercises.

Closing the Workout

Train hard, but recover harder. When finishing the workout, spend a minimum of 10 minutes on the form roller, then perform a full-body static stretching routine. Also pay attention to the importance of post-workout nutrition and re-hydration.

The protocols in this article have been used with great success by rugby players, football players, and combat athletes. Not all sports will require substantial muscle mass, but there is value in working on your gains if you’re involved in team sports or combat sports.

The post Add Muscle to Become a More Durable and Powerful Athlete appeared first on Breaking Muscle.

This can be easily identified by the fascia. The fascia is connective tissue that makes up the protective coating of muscles, but it also runs as deep as our bones. A root cause of a headache can be brought back as far as the plantar fascia, which make up the arch of the foot.

I heavily value looking after the feet, as they are the guaranteed point of contact to a surface in any athletic event. Force will always be distributed through the feet, and therefore the feet are always under pressure. 

Let’s say that your plantar fascia is tight. This can result in an excessive inversion of the ankle. This simply means that an athlete will end up running on the outside of his or her foot. This increases the likelihood of spraining the lateral ligaments of the ankle. There is also an increased chance that the athlete may suffer a repetitive stress injury on the lateral chain. This includes the lateral ligaments of the knee or the hip joint.

Anytime an athlete’s walking or running gait is hindered, various joint issues can accumulate. The issues may limit themselves to the ankle, but often I’ve found that young athletes will struggle with lower back pain. All this from the simple stress of the plantar fascia!

The Barefoot Phenomenon

It’s little wonder that people have turned to going barefoot while training. The benefits are incredible.

Somatic Feedback

Skin is sensitive to its environment. It’s a core part of how we discover as a species. When we wear shoes and socks, we take away so much of our ability to sense our positioning on the floor. We can become very unaware of how we’re moving.

Over the last couple of weeks, I’ve been going for walks and keeping a pair of sandals in my back pack in case I encountered anything on the ground that could cause a cut on my feet. I noticed an issue on my first barefoot walk. I was walking toe-heel whenever I walked downhill. This isn’t a massive issue, but it does increase my chances of spraining my ankle.

If I carried on wearing shoes, I would not have noticed this and I would not have corrected my gait. I am more aware than ever of how I move on my feet. This is all because of the increased sensitivity of my feet when I take my shoes off.

Foot Strength

Most shoes have an elevated heel, which can limit ankle mobility. But personally, I feel that the bigger issue is the weakening of the arches. We have two arches per foot. The first is through the middle of the sole, and the second is the accumulation of arches created by the joints of our toes. Collectively, they make one powerful arch. When we wear shoes with an elevated heel, we often rely on momentum to take us forward as we walk, and neglect to use the strength of the muscles in our feet. Underused muscles atrophy.

Some may argue that their shoes are flat, and therefore the arches don’t weaken. But their feet are still elevated off the floor, and thus people still land too heavily on their heel. This creates momentum which stops us from using the strength of our feet. This can also stress the Achilles tendon.

I try not to wear my sandals too much. I’ve found that sandals can cause an imbalance where people overuse the muscles of the toes and create an imbalance of the muscular structure of their feet. This can result in repetitive stress injuries.

Ground Reaction Force

Ground reaction force can be heightened by not wearing shoes. Shoes are too padded. They absorb the energy that could otherwise be used to help us move more weight.

Many gyms can be funny about their members not wearing shoes. It’s a health and hygiene concern. If your gym has such an issue, I suggest wearing shoes with a solid, flat sole.

Myofascial Release

Much like using a form roller, walking on solid ground can result in myofascial release for the soles of your feet. This is pretty much the process of massaging the soft tissue to release biochemical waste. The more varied the surface, the more benefit an athlete will get. Smaller and more narrow rocks will dig right into the soft tissue of the feet to get the desired response.

Proprioception

Proprioception is the stimulation of the reflex arc that is in place to help us prevent injury. When a ligament, tendon, or muscle is stretched, a sensory receptor known as a proprioceptor will send a chemical message to the central nervous system to process the information of this stress. This results in the stretched tissue contracting via the commands brought across by a motor neuron. Going barefoot can heighten the sensitivity of proprioception and therefore reduce injury risk.

Don’t Jump In With Both Feet

When the barefoot running craze took off at the beginning of the decade, many regular Joes instantly ditched their running shoes and pounded the concrete without further thought. A short time later, they were injured and couldn’t figure out why. If you are inexperienced with barefoot exercise, consider the following before you take the plunge:

• Your movement must be top notch. As mentioned above, ground reaction force is amplified when you take your shoes off. Fortunately, this often makes athletes more conscious of their walking or running gait. However, any imperfection that could cause referring pain may be magnified. Make sure your walking gait and running gait are good before you take your shoes off.
• You must learn to walk before you can run. My first barefoot walk was only 10 minutes long. Progress slowly at the beginning to avoid the damaging the skin of your feet or creating issues from a poor gait.
• Choose your surface wisely. A grass field is often ideal for beginners, but as you continue to practice, you may wish to slowly progress to pavement. If the location you’re in is often littered with broken glass or metal cans, it is best that you avoid barefoot running.
• Always wash your feet after barefoot work. This will avoid infection and dryness.

What is Rock Rehab?

Now that you know the benefits of being a barefooted athlete, you can magnify the rewards with rock rehab. Rock rehab is the practice of walking on rocks to magnify the benefits you get from barefoot work. The variety of rocks act as progressive steps. There are three primary surfaces I use with my athletes.

1. Use larger rocks which are firmly positioned. As my rock rehab sessions take place on a beach, I wedge the rocks into the sand to stop them from moving. This allows an athlete to walk over them with less proprioceptive demands. This is the most basic stage of rock rehab in my coaching practice.
2. Use larger rocks which are not in a fixed position. This requires more proprioceptive demands as the rocks are unstable. The athlete must be more cautious walking over these objects, but he or she will benefit from enhanced ankle stability and better balance.
3. To really benefit from myofascial release, smaller rocks can be used. I would recommend rocks that are 2-4cm in diameter. The rocks must be narrow enough to push into the surface of your feet, but not so narrow that they cause a cut.

Rock Rehab in Practice

Rock rehab can be used to supplement a standard conditioning session. This may be in the weight room or on the track. Rock rehab can also be used as a standalone session for an athlete’s recovery. Rock rehab may be done prior to a session if an athlete has poor technique. This may be incorrect positioning during a squat, or the athlete may have an inadequate running gait.

Rock rehab can be stressful. If the athlete spends too long on a rock rehab course, performance may go down during the main part of a session. An athlete should do no more than one minute per set, and no more than three sets prior to intense activity. This will ensure that the feet are not too tender before the bulk of the workout.

If the athlete wishes to use rock rehab at the end of a session, it is important to be wary. Running and weight training are exhausting, and may lower proprioceptive capacity, resulting in lower stability. If the athlete wants to perform myofascial release work on the feet, prior to a workout, smaller rocks can be used. Furthermore, the athlete may also wish to walk on the rocks until he feels the trigger points on his or her feet dissipate.

As a Standalone Session

The first thing to consider is where a full rock rehab session stands within a training program. These sessions can cause a bit of soreness in the feet, be demanding on the structure of the ankles, and require adequate recovery. Therefore, if you have a rest day planned, do a rock rehab session as your last session on the day before. 

The amount of time spent on rock rehab is also crucial. My athletes find that 20 minutes hits the spot. 20 minutes eases the trigger points, but does not cause substantial fatigue during the proprioception work.

Rock rehab partners well with many other recovery protocols. After rock rehab, an athlete may wish to participate in yoga, foam rolling, a standard sports massage, or another active release technique put in place for them by a physical therapist.

Below are two example workouts. The first is more centered around proprioception, while the second relates more to myofascial release.

Example Workout 1:

1. Ease into the process of rock rehab with larger rocks that are in a fixed position. Spend four minutes walking on these rocks.
2. Take a minute to recover. Contemplate the difficulty of the first set. If you feel that you can move up a level, initiate a four-minute set on the large but unstable rocks. If these rocks feel ideal for your capabilities, practice an additional set.
3. Finish off with a set on smaller, sharper rocks for myofascial release.
4. Now that you’ve spent 20 minutes on rock rehab, go about any rehabilitation or flexibility protocol that has been set out for you by a coach or therapist.

Example Workout 2:

1. Start off on the smaller and sharper rocks. Go for two minutes.
2. Rest for a minute, as the experience of the myofascial release may be unpleasant. After the rest, practice again for an additional two minutes.
3. Attempt a four-minute walk on the smaller and sharper rocks to finish the myofascial release section of this workout.
4. Take a minute to recover, and spend four minutes on the larger rocks to improve your proprioception. I would recommend using the fixed rocks, as your feet may be too tender for advanced proprioceptive demands.
5. As in step 4 in the first example, go about your rehabilitation or flexibility protocol that has been set out for you by a coach or therapist.

The post Wake Up Your Feet With Rock Rehab appeared first on Breaking Muscle.

Over the last decade, athletes and coaches have ventured away from the standard barbell to mix up the way they load their nervous system, to alter the biomechanics of a movement, and to simply add variety. One popular method that has come to the forefront of strength and conditioning communities is the tire flip.

There is a lot to be said about variety. The sequence of muscular activation will change in comparison to the conventional deadlift. Variety can break a standstill in a lifter’s progress, and allow further strength development and hypertrophy. When you utilize tire flips in your training protocol, you may see improvements in your deadlifts.

My favorite aspect of tire flips is the distribution of the load. Unlike a conventional squat or hinge pattern, tire flips involve pulling, then pushing the load away from the body. I feel that this mimics acceleration nicely, if it is done at a high speed. 

The Dangers and Prerequisites of Tire Flips

You can find almost any type of athlete flipping tires these days, from the elite athlete who wishes to dominate their sport to the middle-aged mother who just wants to lose a few pounds. But should everyone be doing them? My answer is no.

No exercise is perfect, and tire flips are no exception. Consider that, unlike deadlifts and squats, we are not lifting the tire vertically, also displacing the load forwards. This places our lower back into a much more vulnerable position.

During tire flips, fatigue is highly possible. Tire flips are gross compound exercises that require loaded, full range of motion in the ankles, knees, hips, and thoracic spine. Abuse this exercise and push your body to exhaustion at your own risk. This may very well result in loss of technique, and therefore injury.

Before performing tire flips, you should be able to perform primary movement patterns correctly, especially the squat. Tire flips provide variety, but they are an advanced pattern of the squat and deadlift that are risky if fundamental mechanics in the basic versions of those movements are flawed. Can you squat without your heels elevating off the floor? Can you squat to full depth without the dreaded “butt wink?”

The tire flip does not require good deep squatting capabilities. It requires outstanding deep squatting capabilities. To embed your body in the correct position around a tire, you must have great glute activation and brilliant flexibility around the groin. Without these prerequisites, an athlete will not be able to place himself into a position of great biomechanical advantage to perform the exercise.

Know Your Tire Flipping Grips

I’m sure you’re aware that tires come in all shapes and sizes. There are two distinct grips that I teach athletes when flipping tires. These grips do not just involve the hands, and are designed to take pressure away from the biceps tendon.

Grip #1: For Lower Tires

A shorter tire that doesn’t come up as high as your elbow as you grip it does not require the mobility that a taller tire does. The setup is as follows:

1. With your arms shoulder width apart, spread your fingers wide and wrap them under the tire.
2. From a deep squat position, lean forward and place the top of your forearms against the top corner of the tire.
3. Flex your lats, shoulders, and glutes to lock into position. Also tense your biceps and forearm to tighten the grip you have around the tire.
4. You should now feel the tire wedged between your finger tips and the top of your forearm. This is a strong starting position.

Grip #2: For Higher Tires

When an athlete earns the right to flip heavier, taller tires, the technical demands are different. The setup requires wedging the tire between the fingertips and the chest.

1. As with Grip #1, set up with your arms shoulder width apart, spread your fingers wide, and wrap them under the tire.
2. Assume a tall posture of the spine as you flex your hips to meet your chest to the tire. This will require more elbow flexion, which means that the biceps are going to flex. But don’t confuse this with a biceps curl exercise; treat the tensed position as you would a barbell row.
3. Engage your glutes, squeeze those shoulder blades together, and tense those lats.
4. The tire will now be firmly wedged between your fingertips and your chest. You are now ready to move a mammoth of a tire.

Up and Over

Now you’re ready for action. Do not lift straight up. Biomechanically, this is weak. Drive forward as if you’re tackling. Your hips will extend and the pivot between the tire and the floor will help you to stand tall.

Maintain your posture from the very beginning to the very end of the movement. Under no circumstances should you bend or over round your back. Once the tire the up, push it over the top with a powerful chest pressing motion. If it is a particularly heavy tire, you may wish to do this rapidly to prevent it from swaying in the wrong direction. Be forceful.

Technical failure is the stopping point for tire flips, not pure physical failure. Tire flipping past good technique can substantially damage your back. Avoid bad technique at all costs. Tires are resilient. If you feel your technique failing, let it go immediately. It may make a loud bang as it crashes to the ground, but it won’t get hurt. You will, if you try to stay under a failed tire flip.

Programming Tire Flips

I’m a big fan of Dan John’s “power of 10” when it comes to rep ranges for tire flips. In a workout with a heavy tire, only 10 repetitions should be used, in sets like 2×5, 3×3, 3×5-3-2, or 5×2. The maximum number of repetitions is always 10. This rule usually applies to drastically heavy loads, mainly above 80% of max. Of course, this is hard to calculate with tires as it’s rare to find tires with consistent, incrementing loads. So I recommend using intuition. Rate the exhaustion on a repetition on a scale of 1-10. If the difficulty of lifting a tire is a solid 8 out of 10, you know that you found the right tire for you. Just so you have an idea of what an 8 out of 10 feels like, here’s a few quick markers to follow:

• You will certainly not be able to perform more than five repetitions in one go.
• You will need to heavily engage your muscles prior to moving the tire.
• You will feel tension on the lift from the very beginning to the very end.
• You will need to take long recovery periods between sets.

This method can be used to help select a lighter tire for faster flips, as well.

Large bilateral movements like tire flips are best positioned early in a workout. The more exhausting exercise should fit closer to beginning, before fatigue has an opportunity to set in. To reinforce good mechanics, I like to add tire flips after squats. I also use plyometrics as a warm up exercise for the squats, so a tire flip would often be the third exercise in a training session. Below is a brief overview of a leg workout that features tire flips.

• Warm Up: Ankle mobility, hip mobility, T-spine mobility and glute activation
• Front Squat: 5 x 5 at 75% of 1- rep max
• Tire Flip: 3 x 5-3-2
• Lateral Lunges: 3 x 8
• Farmers Walk: 3 x 30m
• Post Workout: 4min recovery walk, foam rolling on two tight spots, and a full hip complex

Notice that I end with unilateral work to avoid muscular imbalances. The human body tends to favor the dominant side, so single leg work is crucial for avoiding injuries and asymmetries. The taxing routine will require a well-structured post workout ritual. This will limit delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS), prevent injury in a later training program, and increase recovery rate.

Have a Reason and the Skills First

When you choose to add a new piece of equipment, exercise, or method to your training, always be analytical and always have the end goal in mind. Many people may have no reason to perform the tire flip and some will not have the right to until they have mastered the squat. It’s good to be critically minded in exercise.

The post The Definitive Tire Flip Guide appeared first on Breaking Muscle.

This article will help you become a more powerful, explosive athlete through correctly strengthening the hamstrings.

When it comes to speed, conditioning protocols must be finely tuned to influence the body physiologically and biomechanically. Considerations must include working in a variety of planes, structuring adequate set and repetition ranges, and mastering recovery. Recovery is often underrated, but an athlete must understand that a tired body is a slow body.

This article will help you become a more powerful, explosive athlete through correctly strengthening the hamstrings.

How Much Should You Train?

Metrics are everything. If we train too often, we will destroy our potential to become faster athletes. If we don’t train enough, we will not reach our truest potential.

It is well-known that any less than three weight room sessions per week is inadequate for great strength gains. With the demands of sprint training and considering the importance of mobility work, the program in this article will be based on a structure of three sessions per week. This will give you time to go about other areas in your training without substantial fatigue.

The next metric regards the session length. Usain Bolt reportedly performs about three 90-minute sessions per week. So at a lower level, we can argue that anywhere over an hour would be overkill. Within that hour, it is practical to utilize five different exercises to maximum effect, and with the best recovery periods.

Assigning Sets and Reps

The set and repetition range of each exercise will depend on the purpose and nature of the exercise itself.

Full-body compound movements are a critical aspect in an athlete’s program, as they mimic various sporting actions. These lifts include the clean, snatch and push press. They are exercises that involve the legs and the upper body in the same movement.

I’m a strong believer in Dan John’s rule of 10. This suggests that exceeding 10 repetitions on a full-body movement can become problematic, as technique may falter. This also assumes a heavy load of 80% or more of an athlete’s 1-rep max.

With the knowledge that we are limiting ourselves to 10 repetitions, we can divide these reps into structured sets. The goal of full-body movements is to increase power.

Power is the combination of force and speed. To ensure that we lift a heavy resistance at a high velocity, we must keep the repetitions low. To keep within our one-hour time frame, we should also attempt to keep the sets relatively low.

I would argue that 3 sets of 3 repetitions would be a great start to practicing full body movements. If the repetition range decreases, the load may need to go up and therefore, speed will be compromised.

For compound movements that don’t involve both the upper and lower body in the same movements, we can increase toward 25 repetitions. This is because working on the lower body or the upper body alone will not compromise our energy as much as full-body lifts.

For power development, I would recommend five sets of five repetitions. However, in cases where an athlete needs to develop more muscle mass, I often prescribe four sets of six repetitions.

The stabilizers, such as the abdominal region, can require a higher repetition range to stimulate growth. I often design a program with 3 sets of 12 repetitions.

Pick Your Movements

Each exercise must be purposeful. Understand that purposeful does not mean that every exercise needs to mimic a sporting action; but each exercise should be relevant to the goals that an athlete wishes to achieve.

Full-Body Compounds

A full-body compound is an exercise that involves the clear majority of the skeletal muscle fibers within an athlete’s body. These include the clean and the snatch.

Full-body compound exercises are fantastic for developing coordination, and for coaching an athlete’s body to cope with ground reaction force, a crucial factor in speed development. An athlete should only perform 10 repetitions of a full-body compound exercise.

Half-Body Compounds

Half-body compounds involve either the lower body or the upper body. These specific exercises include squats, rowing actions, and bench presses. Half-body compound exercises are superb for ridding the athlete of biomechanical imbalances.

These include posterior chain weaknesses, one leg being weaker than its opposite, and overcompensation patterns. An athlete should strive to achieve a maximum of 25 repetitions of any given half-body compound exercise.

Unilateral Movements

The biceps femoris is the strongest muscle out of the three that make up the hamstring. This muscle aids in hip extension, knee flexion, and rotating the thigh bone outwards.

When we run, we need knee flexion and hip extension, but outward movement of the thigh bone can result in poor landing mechanics that can cause various issues such as shin splints, repetitive stress fractures, poor hip alignment, and stress on the back.

This is where unilateral movements like the single-leg Romanian deadlift (RDL) become so useful. Single-leg RDLs are capable of developing immense stability around the hips, and also coordinate the hamstrings to perfect running gait.

They teach the body to be able to flex the knee and extend the hip, but prevent outward movement of the thigh bone. This is done by ensuring that the foot which leads away from the floor does not point outward as you lift it up.

Isolation Exercises

Based on several years of experience working with high-performing youngsters in rugby and soccer, I have found that isolating the hamstring can hinder performance.

This is because many athletes struggle to activate their gluteus muscles. When the hamstrings are isolated over many weeks, sometimes an imbalance occurs where the ratio between glute strength and hamstring strength has been upset.

This can result in overuse of the hamstrings, and therefore injury. The injury may be related to the hamstring or the surrounding tissue.

I have found one amazing exception. Nordic curls have helped my athletes to lengthen their hamstrings, which has resulted in less injury. Furthermore, my athletes have also benefited from the eccentric contraction of the Nordic curl as it relates to the recovery phase of a running cycle.

An eccentric muscle contraction happens when a muscle tenses as it lengthens.

Flip to Get Faster

Tire flips are an essential exercise for athletes wishing to improve their acceleration. This specific hinging movement requires athletes to push the load forward as opposed to only upward, as in a standard deadlift. My athletes start many of their sessions with tire flips as a form of muscular.

When we accelerate, our shoulders are positioned in the direction that we need to run. As we transition from acceleration to maximum speed, we pull forward from the hips and assume regular running mechanics. The tire flip is a key exercise for mimicking these mechanics.

There is only one issue with tire flips, and that is progression. There is equipment that allows an athlete to gradually increase the weight he or she is flipping. However, these pieces of kit are highly expensive. This results in most athletes being unable to go about regular progression in regards to the load that is being lifted.

On the flip side, to fully mimic acceleration, maybe it is crucial that we keep speed high, and therefore we don’t need a substantial load for tire flipping.

A Sample Hamstring Program for Faster Sprints

After taking a full consideration to the above factors, we can establish a weight room session that improves the hamstrings’ ability to perform during sprinting. Below is an example routine:

• Tire Flips: Perform 2 sets of 5 repetitions as explosively as possible. Allow for a 2-minute rest between sets.
• Sumo Deadlift: Perform 3 sets in a pyramid format. Try 1 set of 5 at 75% of your 1-rep max. After a 2-minute break, try a second set of 3 repetitions at 80% of your 1 repetition max. Finally, take at least 5 minutes of recovery before attempting 85-90% of your 1-rep max for 2 repetitions.
• Step Ups: Perform 3 sets of 8 repetitions of step ups to improve the depth at which your hamstrings can perform.
• Single-Leg Romanian Deadlifts: Perform 3 sets of 8 repetitions of this special deadlift variation to improve biceps femoris coordination.
• Nordic Curls: Perform 2 sets of 5 Nordic curls. This is an ideal repetition range to lengthen the hamstrings, improve eccentric strength, but avoid glute-to-hamstring imbalances.

Do you do your sprinting on two wheels?

Cycling Training: Work Those Hamstrings

The post How to Train the Hamstrings for Explosive Speed appeared first on Breaking Muscle.

As frustrating as this pain can be, the plank and the leg raise both have great value. The plank is a fantastic exercise for working the anti-extension properties of the abdominals. This simply means that the plank challenges the abdominals ability to resist against spinal extension.

The leg raise challenges the lower abdominals. This is an important task, as the lower abdominals are the weakest area of the abdominal wall. If you consider the range of movement that you perform daily, you will find that it is quite rare to lift your knee to the height of your navel. This leads to the lower abdominals being heavily underused.

The Role of the Abdominal Wall

To understand back pain during abdominal exercises, we must first understand the role of the abdominals. As mentioned earlier, the abdominals are crucial for preventing spinal extension. If they are strong enough, the pelvis will be pulled into a proper position, which prevents an anterior pelvic tilt. On some individuals, an anterior pelvic tilt can be highly visible during day-to-day movement, and is better known as a “duck butt.”

If someone is unable to assume great alignment on a regular basis, how on earth can we expect them to challenge their abdominals with the plank, and not feel tremendous tension on their lumbar spine?

Sometimes, people don’t tilt their pelvis forward. However, if their abdominals are weak, their spinal alignment will still find another way to compensate. This often results in an over-emphasised arc in the lumbar spine, and a hunched-over position in their thoracic spine.

So we see that the plank challenges these anti-extension properties, and the leg raise challenges the abdominals’ ability to hold good pelvic alignment. But why is it that these specific exercises cause such aggravation?

Where the Abs Let the Back Down

The Exercise Is Too Tough

It’s sometimes that simple, even if it hurts someone’s pride. It’s common to feel tension in your lower back, but if you perform an exercise with the correct technique and still feel aggravation, there is a chance that you may have progressed too quickly. You may be holding the plank for too long, or you need to perform fewer repetitions of leg raises. When it comes to leg raises, you may even need to alter the technique to suit your capability. Often, people need to assume a slight bend in their knees to depressurize the lower back.

Low Mobility

This is a phenomenon that I like to call the lower back sandwich. Tightness around the thoracic spine or the hips can heavily hinder the lower back. For example; if the biceps femoris of the hamstrings are short, the participant will struggle to perform a leg raise without excessive movement of the lumbar spine. Low thoracic spine mobility is also harmful, as the lumbar spine may assume an over-emphasized arc to make up for the poor positioning of the upper back.

A Poorly Structured Lifting Regime

In a world of online trainers, highly qualified gym staff, and unlimited resources, poor workout regimes should be a thing of the past. However, I still witness gym-goers neglecting the most crucial lifts. Improving your primal movement patterns such as your squats, your hinging actions (deadlifts and hip thrusts), and loaded carries should the foundation of any lifting program. This ensures correct muscular balance. If your alignment is out, back pain is inevitable.

How to Stop Being in Pain

If you initiate any fitness program, you must do so with permission of a physician. With a clean history regarding back injury, you may proceed.

The first step is to differentiate between pain and tension. If the lower back feels a sharp, shooting pain, stop the exercises at once. You may have caused an injury. If you haven’t you’re about to! Often, a dull ache occurs in the musculature surrounding the lumbar spine. This is perfectly acceptable. However, you do not want this ache to be too substantial. Especially when you don’t feel the challenge of the exercise on your abdominals.

The next stage is to break into the two exercises in question and modify them to your capabilities.

The Plank

Consider your technique. If you perform the plank with a deep arc in your lower back, there’s your problem! The best way to find out if this is the case is to have a partner take a photo of your plank from the side.

If you assume the correct position, the easiest step is to limit the time that you are practicing the exercise. If you can manage a plank for 30 seconds without back pain, you are at a good starting point. Practice 3 sets of 30 seconds, twice each week for 4 weeks before progressing.

Sometimes, people still feel pain during this exercise. If that is the case for you, practice the plank with your arms on a higher platform such as a bench. You will eventually progress to practicing the plank on the floor again, but first ensure that your technique is sound and that you don’t suffer with back pain.

As months go by, you will find that you can perform the plank with your arms on the ground for an extended period, such as a full minute. I don’t believe in practicing the plank for over a minute. To continue strengthen the abdominals, add instability. This can be done by practicing your plank on a gym ball, but one of my favorite advancements is the plank with a reach. This simply involves practicing the plank while stretching an arm out in front of you.

The Leg Raise

If leg raises cause your lower back to hurt, lower the repetition range. Three sets of six repetitions is where most of my beginners start.

You may also opt for a modified version that I call an eccentric leg raise. This involves keeping the shoulder blades off the ground to ensure lumbar spine stability. Keep the knees bent on the way up, but straighten the legs on the way down.

I have found that my clients feel more of a challenge on their abdominals during this drill. When they keep their legs straight throughout the exercise, it is not uncommon for their thighs to burn before their abs.

The next stage is to practice this eccentric leg raise, but with the shoulder blades and the back of your head against the ground. This further challenges the abdominals to keep the lumbar spine in correct alignment.

There’s No Prize for Rushing

Take your time developing your abdominals, and never resort to high repetitions of back-busting exercises such as sit ups or crunches.

You don’t have to hurt all the time:

A Systematic Approach to End Chronic Back Pain

The post Why Your Back Hurts When You Do Abs appeared first on Breaking Muscle.