Will Creatine Help You?

Creatine is, without a doubt, one of the most popular supplements touted by bros on the market today (at least that one can legally use). Bodybuilders and other athletes use it to improve work capacity and increase size. In fact, Froiland et. al. found that about 37% of NCAA athletes take creatine. Before you start scooping heaps of creatine into your protein shakes, however, it's important to know how it works, and also what it does and doesn't do.

There are seven different types of creatine supplements: creatine monohydrate (the most popular form), tri-creatine malate, micronized creatine, liquid creatine, conjugated creatine, buffered creatine, and ethyl ester. For the purposes of brevity of this article, though, I will only discuss creatine monohydrate supplementation.

Naturally produced in your liver, pancreas, and kidneys, creatine is transported to your muscles through the bloodstream. Creatine is also sourced from meat and fish, or, obviously, supplementation. Along with a compound known as adenosine triphosphate (ATP), phosphocreatine is the primary energy source for all anaerobic activity (shorter activities that don't require much oxygen).

With creatine supplementation, you have more ATP-PC stores, and, thus, you're able to improve your work capacity! Creatine is effectively giving you that extra "boost" in your workout, so if you were only able to perform 4 repetitions on your bench press at a given weight, using creatine supplements, you'll ideally be able to do 6 or more repetitions. In summary, creatine isn't a miracle supplement that you take and wake up looking like Arnold and lifting like Mark Henry, but, rather, it's aiding you in getting more work done than you would've been able to do otherwise. An increased work capacity allows you to increase volume (repetitions) at a designated intensity (weight), which can result in an increase in muscle mass and strength as a byproduct.

What does the research show?

For one, Rawson et. al. noted that weightlifting performance and muscle hypertrophy increased considerably in subjects using creatine:

Although there is considerable variability in the increase in muscle strength and weightlifting performance in subjects ingesting creatine during resistance training, subjects ingesting creatine experience on average an 8% greater increase in muscle strength (20 vs. 12%) and a 14% greater increase in weightlifting performance (26 vs. 12%). Additionally, untrained subjects experienced a larger increase in muscle strength following creatine supplementation plus resistance training than trained subjects (31 vs. 14%).

They both reviewed 22 different studies on the supplement, and those were there collective conclusions. The review also considered possible gender disparities, and didn't find a substantial difference in response between men and women:

One group has reported that men and women experience similar improvements in exercise performance following creatine supplementation (51), but that women show a lesser increase in lean body mass (32) and no reduction in protein breakdown (34) following creatine supplementation compared with men.

In another study, Becque and his colleagues tested 23 male subjects with one or more years of training experience. The experimental group ingested 5 g of creatine, while the control group ingested a placebo drink with sucrose. One of the most interesting findings of the study was that "body mass was significantly greater for [the creatine group] than [the] placebo [group] at pretest and post-test." The experimental group also noted a larger increase in arm flexor (biceps brachii) strength than did the control group.

Similarly, Volek tested 19 resistance-trained men over the course of 12 weeks. Towards the end of the study (weeks 5-8), the experimental (creatine) group performed more volume in the bench press than their control counterparts did. There were no noticeable differences in squat volume. The 1 repetition maximums for all subjects, but more significantly in the creatine supplemented subjects on both the squat and the bench press. The creatine subjects saw a larger increase in lean muscle mass, as well (5.8 kg versus 1.3 kg in the placebo group).



With those things in mind, here are a few final points:

• For optimal digestion of a creatine monohydrate powder, mix it with fruit juice, as it has been shown to increase absorption. 
• The use of loading phases are often disputed. It is unlikely that it is necessary. So long as you're getting around 3-5 grams per day, you should still reap the massive benefits of creatine monohydrate.
• Timing doesn't seem to matter much, either. Studies have found benefits to both pre and post-workout consumption. Unfortunately, no study to date has compared the efficacy of pre and post-workout creatine intake.
• Studies have indicated that creatine may cause gastrointestinal distress in some, so that's an important side effect to consider.
• Despite myths indicating the contrary, creatine has not been linked to liver or kidney problems in the short term or the long term.

If you want to do some more reading into these studies, I've listed them in the works cited below. Overall, the majority of the literature seems to lean in favor of creatine for both hypertrophy and for strength gains. In fact, it's tough to find studies that contradict those findings.

With supplements, it's always a good idea to experiment and see what works best for you. I've tried a number of different products on the market, and I'm constantly making adjustments accordingly. Creatine monohydrate just may be the missing link in your training plateau!

Works Cited:

1. Becque, M. Daniel, John D. Lochmann, and Donald R. Melrose. "Effects of Oral Creatine Supplementation on Muscular Strength and Body Composition." Physical Fitness and Performance (2000): 654-58. Web.
2. Froiland, Kathryn, Wanda Koszewski, Joshua Hingst, and Lisa Kopecky. "Nutritional Supplement Use among College Athletes and Their Sources of Information." International Journal of Sport Nutrition and Exercise Metabolism 14.1 (2004): 104-20. Web.
3. Ostojic, Sergej, and Zlatko Ahmetovic. "Gastrointestinal Distress After Creatine Supplementation in Athletes: Are Side Effects Dose Dependent?" GSPM Res. in Sports Med. Research in Sports Medicine 16.1 (2008): 15-22. Web.
4. Poortmans, Jaques R., and Marc Francaux. "Adverse Effects of Creatine Supplementation." Sports Medicine 30.3 (2000): 155-70. Web.
5. Rawson, Eric S., and Jeff S. Volek. "Effects of Creatine Supplementation and Resistance Training on Muscle Strength and Weightlifting Performance." Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research (2003): 822-31. Web.
6. Volek, Jeff S., et al. "Performance and Muscle Fiber Adaptations to Creatine Supplementation and Heavy Resistance Training." Medicine and science in sports and exercise 31 (1999): 1147-1156.

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Contrast Training: How it Works, and How to Use It for Impressive Gains

I'm gonna let you in on a little training secret: it's called contrast training. It's used by elite athletes to improve power output, and the results are pretty impressive. Contrast training, also known as PAP (post activation potentiation), is the pairing of heavy strength exercises and explosive or plyometric exercises. If you want to get the most out of your training, PAP is the way to go.

Try contrast training, and you'll learn to levitate like this dude.

PAP is especially useful for athletes looking to enhance power output. Jumpers, weightlifters, sprinters, and shot putters are a few such athletes who can reap big benefits from this type of training. The benefits are not just limited to elite athletes, however, and can be used safely for intermediate lifters (with 2+ years of training experience).

In essence, contrast training is exciting the nervous system, and improving motor unit recruitment acutely. The more fibers activated on any given movement, the greater the benefit. To quote Roxanne Horwath and Len Kravitz (and no, not the "Fly Away" Lenny Kravitz), "The greater the muscle activation, the greater the duration of calcium ions in the muscle cell environment (referred to as sarcoplasm) and the greater the phosphorylation of the myosin light chain protein (Rixon, Lamont, Bemden, 2007). As a result, faster contraction rates and faster rates of tension develop."

One study done by Chatzopoulos Et. Al. found that heavy resistance training helped acutely improve 10 and 30 meter sprinting times. The sprints were performed after a 5 minute window of resistance training. The participants (young male athletes between the ages of 18-23) performed 10 single repetitions at 90% of their 1 repetition maximum back squat. After only 3 minutes of rest, however, the sprinting times did not increase. It is important to mention that adequate rest seems to be a very important factor here.

Here's a great list of the benefits of PAP, in the words of Bret Contreras:

1. Short-term enhancement – May increased neuromuscular performance in an actual competitive event through PAP
2. Chronic adaptation – May increase training effect using PAP in training which would result in increased Rate of Force Development (RFD)
3. Increased workout density – Combined training allows for more activity with less actual resting time which is critical if total workout time is limited
4. Increased dynamic transfer – By combining biomechanically similar activities athletes may groove more efficient neural patterns by learning to perform the lift in a manner more specific to the athletic activity
5. Increased work capacity – By increasing workout density athletes will increase their work capacity which is characterized by high levels of average power output over an interval (which I call power endurance)

Now that you get the gist for how it works, you may be wondering how you can use it and reap the benefits. Like I said, we want to pair heavy lifting with fast, explosive movements. You want to wait about 30 seconds after the strength movement to execute the explosive, plyometric movement. Rest for about 3 minutes or longer in between sets. The following list provides some pairing options for strength and power movements.

• Bench presses: Standing chest passes, supine chest passes, clapping push-ups, and push-ups to plates
• Strict/weighted pull-ups: Ball slams, clapping pull-ups (advanced), and overhead medicine ball passes
• Deadlifts: Broad jumps, 10-50 m sprints, explosive cable pull-throughs, banded kettlebell swings, and power kettlebell swings
• Squats: Jumping squats, depth jumps, hurdle jumps, jumping lunges

One thing to remember is that you want to keep total volume (reps per session) low. We're not trying to accumulate 100 reps, or anything crazy. This is about intensity, not volume. I'd suggest doing no more than 5 reps of each movement, and 5-6 sets should be enough!

If you're looking for a new way to spice up your strength training routine, contrast training may be just what you need!



Works Cited:

1. Chatzopoulos, Dimitris E., Charalambos J. Michailidis, Athanasios K. Giannakos, Kostas C. Alexiou, Dimitrios A. Patikas, Christos B. Antonopoulos, and Christos M. Kotzamanidis. "Postactivation Potentiation Effects After Heavy Resistance Exercise on Running Speed." J Strength Cond Res The Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research 21.4 (2007): 1278. Web.
2. Contreras, Bret. "Post-Activation Potentiation: Theory and Application." Bret Contreras. N.p., 05 Apr. 2010. Web. 06 Apr. 2016.
3. Kilduff, Liam P., Huw R. Bevan, Mike I.c. Kingsley, Nick J. Owen, Mark A. Bennett, Paul J. Bunce, Andrew M. Hore, Jonathan R. Maw, and Dan J. Cunningham. "Postactivation Potentiation in Professional Rugby Players: Optimal Recovery." J Strength Cond Res The Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research 21.4 (2007): 1134. Web.
4. Kravitz, Len, and Roxanne Horwath. "Postactivation Potentiation: A Brief Review." University of New Mexico. N.p., n.d. Web. 05 Apr. 2016.

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Changing up Your Rep Scheme

If you seek out nearly any fitness-related website for information regarding rep schemes, you'll see something like this:

• For size, do 3-4 sets of 8-12 repetitions
• For strength, do multiple sets of 5 of fewer repetitions at a heavy weight
• For muscular endurance, do sets of 20 or more repetitions

While this is, generally satisfactory advice, I want to delve a little bit more into this topic.

First of all, genetics play a big factor in hypertrophy (muscle growth). Everyone responds differently to certain types of training. Every person has a different distribution of type I (slow twitch) and type IIa/b (fast twitch) fibers. Renowned strength coach Charles Poliquin notes, for example:

"It should be noted that the triceps are more universally fast-twitch dominant, while there is more variation in fiber-type composition in the biceps. This example demonstrates why training programs should take each individual’s personal characteristics into consideration. This is true in terms of both exercise selection and especially the volume and intensity of the workload, since individuals and specific muscles that are either fast-twitch or slow-twitch dominant will respond differently to a given level of volume and intensity. Understanding what you are dealing with will make your training programs significantly more effective."

Put simply, if someone has more fast twitch fibers in a given muscle, then he may need to train a bit differently than an individual with a higher percentage of slow twitch fibers in that muscle. Muscles with a greater percentage of fast twitch fibers benefit from fewer repetitions per set, whereas muscles that are predominantly slow twitch will grow easier with the use of high volume. This also means that there's a great deal of variance in the ideal amount of repetition volume depending on what body part you're training.

While 8-12 repetitions will help build mass, it's certainly not the only method. In fact, it's ideal to change up your split if you've hit a plateau.

If you're gonna bench press to failure, just please, don't follow his example.

One method I like to use on certain movements is to go to failure. There is no prescribed number of repetitions, necessarily, but you want to keep repeating the exercise until your muscles give out and can no longer move the weight. This is a great way to induce strength gains. Nóbrega and Libardi note that "when it comes to trained individuals, evidence shows greater increases in muscle strength after [high intensity resistance training] performed to muscle failure compared to no failure." Some people avoid missing lifts, but the evidence shows that these repetitions recruit more muscle activation, and, thus, lead to greater adaptation. To apply this, you can put something like 85% of your best back squat on the bar and do one AMRAP set (as many reps as possible) to failure. Make sure you have a spotter nearby or you know how to properly miss a squat. It should also be noted that you do not need to do this frequently (perhaps only once or twice per mesocycle), as this type of training is quite stressful for the central nervous system.

You can also utilize this concept for muscular hypertrophy. "Recent studies have pointed muscular failure to be an important factor in order to maximize adaptations when RT is done at low intensities (LI-RT), " continued Nóbrega and Libardi. Try to use really light weights on your next set of biceps curls and go until you can no lift the dumbbells.

Additionally, while many "fitness gurus" have deemed high repetition sets as inefficient for muscle growth, research has shown that extremely high repetition training is, indeed effective for muscle growth. The conventional understanding is that sets of 20 repetitions or more are to be used for endurance of the muscle. Schoenfeld et. al. showed us, in his 2015 study, that 25-35 rep sets can work just as well as the traditional 8-12 rep sets we all know and love.

Schoenfeld drafted 24 experienced male trainees for his research. "Training was performed 3 times per week on nonconsecutive days, for a total of 8 weeks. Both [high load] and [low load] conditions produced significant increases in thickness of the elbow flexors (biceps), elbow extensors (triceps), and quadriceps femoris (9.3 vs. 9.5%, respectively), with no significant differences noted between groups." While this study defies the industry standard, it demonstrates that you can utilize many different intensities and volumes to elicit the same training effect.

Finally, I want to talk about sets. Most programs seem to cling to the magical 3-4 range. Every once in a while, you can try 5 or more sets. Why stop there? Sometimes I'll even do 10 sets of 10 (100 total reps) of a given movement. This is a great way to increase total workout volume and stimulate hypertrophy. You don't necessarily need to do 10 sets of every single accessory exercise, because you'd spend a full day in the gym, but it's a great way to finish off an intense session.

Works Cited:

1. Nóbrega, Sanmy R., and Cleiton A. Libardi. "Is Resistance Training to Muscular Failure Necessary?" Frontiers in Physiology Front. Physiol. 7 (2016): n. pag. Web.
2. Poliquin, Charles. "The Best Training Methods for Big, Strong Arms." Strength Sensei. N.p., 19 Feb. 2015. Web. 
3. Schoenfeld, Brad J., Mark D. Peterson, Dan Ogborn, Bret Contreras, and Gul T. Sonmez. "Effects of Low- vs. High-Load Resistance Training on Muscle Strength and Hypertrophy in Well-Trained Men." Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research 29.10 (2015): 2954-963. Web.

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Channeling the Mindset of a Champion

You can tell he's a beast, because his shirt says so.

This week, a friend of mine Russell is doing a guest post. Russell has been a strength & conditioning coach and personal trainer for the past 6 years, specializing in Olympic weightlifting for 3 of those years. Starting at a movement based gym in 2009, Russell learned the fundamentals of human movement, which carried him on to work with professional athletes, elite powerlifters, professional strongmen, and world class Olympic weightlifters. You can find Russell at his blog From the Low Hang or on Instagram @RedWhiteAndJacked.

Mentality is everything in fitness. Your attitude towards whatever you are doing will bleed through into the result.

A saying I hear often is that the hardest thing to do when trying to achieve a goal is to start, but I disagree. I believe the hardest thing to do when trying to get from A to B is to keep fighting towards where you want to be when you wind up at C, or D, or Q. No fitness journey will be without its hiccups, and how you respond to those moments is what will define your results.

Road bumps on your path can come in many shapes or sizes: anywhere from a slip up on your diet to an injury that sidelines you for an extended period of time. A lot of people have this idea that the most successful athletes or fitness professionals don’t ever hit hard times. I have worked people who range from elite athletes, to everyday people stepping into the gym for the first day and I can tell you with 100% certainty that they hit about the same amount of low points as anyone else does. The difference between those who are successful and those who aren’t is how they handle those low points.

“Concentration and mental toughness are the margins of victory.” -Bill Russell 

Just like with anything else, being mentally tough takes practice. Not everyone can start with the discipline and the mentality of an elite athlete. Here are some of the tips I’ve picked up along my journey that have helped me keep my head right:

1. Prepare. Before you go to the gym, or even start your day, take a few minutes to get your head space right. Why are you doing what you’re doing? What goal are you trying to reach? Make sure you’re completely focused on your task or tasks. 
2. Push. Push yourself and test your limits. Getting out of your comfort zone can be a challenging thing to do, but once you’re there you’ll see how amazing it feels to break down your own mental barriers.
3. Get comfortable with being uncomfortable. Nothing worth having comes easily in fitness. That is why it’s such a great thing–because for everything you achieve, you that know you had to work to actualize it. Get comfortable with the idea that you’re going to hurt, you’re going to be tired, and you’re going to want to quit. As long as you can get past those feelings, you will succeed. 
4. You can always do something. This is probably the biggest one for me personally. Too tired to get to the gym? Stretch. Injured your leg and can’t do your leg workout? An extra upper body day never hurt anyone. Super hungry and out of calories for the day? Make an enormous salad and take those calories out of tomorrow, chances are you won't even notice. No matter how dim it seems, there is always something you can do to get your closer to your goal, even if it is only by an inch. Don't make excuses.

Your mentality defines who you are, and a strong mind is the catalyst of a strong body. Practice these four skills to break plateaus and demolish your goals.

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3 Reasons Why Your Poor Mobility is Holding You Back

So many lifters are willing to complain ad nauseam about their lack of mobility, but very few of those people are willing to get up and fix it. Most individuals would prefer to deadlift heavy and get their heart rates up than spend about 10-15 minutes addressing their muscular imbalances and chronically tight areas.

What those people might not realize, is that their lack of mobility is actually sabotaging their progress. Instead, they'd rather just cut to the chase and dive face first into their workouts. They see the value in heavy lifting and pushing hard, but they neglect the accessory mobility work. It's easy to ignore, because the immediate pay-off might be minimal. They release a tight muscle once or twice, and don't make any lasting changes. Like strength training, though, consistency is the key. Doing a handful of stretches, some self-massage, and corrective exercises every few days will go a long way. Not only will you feel more loosey-goosey, but you may even PR your lifts just from adding some more range of motion to your joints!

If your overhead squat looks like that of the guy on the right, this article is about you.

Hopefully, this post will help knock some common sense into you and remind you to pay more attention to the corrective exercises. Here are three major reasons why your limited range of motion is holding you back from getting stronger:

1. You can't get into the right positions. Movements like the front squat require a considerable range of motion. If your latissimus dorsi and pectoralis minors are tight, you won't be able to achieve an ideal position in the lift. No matter how many times a coach may say "elbows up," you just can't get them any higher. Your mobility is going to hinder your progress, because if you cannot keep your torso upright, then you won't be able to support a significant amount of weight in that position. I have met plenty of people who have ample strength, but stagnate on the clean, because their chest drops every time they catch the barbell. Their legs can support the weight without a problem, but their shoulders aren't having it. If these people did some work on the areas in question (pecs and lats), they would, undoubtedly, get an immediate PR on their cleans.
2. Your potential for force production is limited. A muscle has to lengthen before a contraction. A length-tension of a relationship of a muscle explains that a muscle can produce an optimal amount of force at a certain length. For example, if you were to pick up a heavy book, you wouldn't do so with a fully extended elbow. Instead, you would probably bend your elbows a bit. Now, this continuum of ideal length is a balance. If someone is too flexible, force production will be limited, and the opposite is also true. If you are inflexible, the muscles are constantly partially contracted. Take a look at the diagram below of a muscle cross-section. The top model (a) cannot produce enough force because there is too much of an overlap, whereas option (c) can't produce optimal force because there's no overlap at all. Option (b) is just right: a little bit of overlap so that the muscles are at their ideal length for force production. So, if your hamstrings are "tight" you won't be able to produce true power on a sprint or a vertical jump, for example.
   
3. Muscles are not firing in the proper sequence. If you're tight, you're more than likely compensating in ways you don't even realize. For example, if your ankle mobility needs some help, chances are, you're using the muscles on the medial portion of your leg (hip adductors) way too much, while the lateral muscles (abductors, gluteus medius, tensor fascia latae) aren't working enough. Every time you squat, lunge, or sprint, your mechanics are altered. Because your muscles are not in symbioses, this could mean a slower 400 meter time or a weaker back squat. Once the kinetic chain works as it is supposed to, your mechanics are more efficient and you might find that previously challenging movements are a bit easier!

Bodyworker Thomas Myers notes, "organismic movement and stretching – yoga‬, pilates, training‬, manual therapy – can help cells to their proper tension environment by relieving pressure or strain, and this results in better functioning all over." It's great to work hard and get stronger, but it's also important to give your muscles some love and alleviate tension in the body.

Ultimately, if you find that your performance has plateaued, perhaps it is time to finally work on improving your tin man status of mobility and join the supple side.

Works Cited:

1. Baechle, Thomas R., and Roger W. Earle. Essentials of Strength Training and Conditioning. Champaign, IL: Human Kinetics, 2008. Print.
2. Clark, Ross A., Brendan Humphries, Erik Hohmann, and Adam L. Bryant. "The Influence of Variable Range of Motion Training on Neuromuscular Performance and Control of External Loads." Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research 25.3 (2011): 704-11. Web.
3. Myers, Thomas. "Biomechanical Auto-Regulation." Anatomy Trains. N.p., 17 Nov. 2015. Web. 01 Dec. 2015.

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Your Grip Strength is Limiting Your Other Lifts

Have you ever played that game at an arcade where you squeeze these metal handles as hard as you can and it determines how strong your grip is?

One of the most understated elements of training is, in my opinion, grip strength.

Whether you're gripping a baseball bat, holding onto the pull-up bar, or picking up a heavy deadlift, you need to have strong forearms.

I find it so unfortunate that many people use and abuse straps for their lifts. Yes, straps have their time and place, but as I've said before, I'm a minimalist when it comes to lifting. I believe the more you are able to learn to create tension, and the stronger you get, the better off you will be. You can deadlift more weight with straps, but you are using a crutch. If your forearms are the limiting factor in a deadlift, then maybe you just need to strengthen them!

The muscles in the forearms connect all the
way up to the neck and shoulders.

According to Thomas Myers's Anatomy Trains, the whole arm and shoulder functions under one fascial web. The fascia is a thin, protective layer of connective tissue that surrounds the muscles. When one part of this fascial web is activated, so too, is the rest of it. With this, we can deduce that a better grip on the bar will allow for a stronger press.

Let's take, for example, a strict press. This is a shoulder exercise, right? Well, yes, but that doesn't mean we don't need to recruit other muscles in the body! Creating tension from the feet, all the way up through the hands, will activate more muscle fibers, and thus, make the weight fly up faster! One cue in particular that helped me was to think about actively squeezing the barbell as hard as possible.

Charles Poliquin notes,

"when your grip strength improves, less neural drive is needed for the forearm and hand muscles to perform other exercises. That is why many trainees report breaking training plateaus in a host of lifts, ranging from dead lifts to curls, after doing a grip specialization routine."

All of the big lifts require you to create a tremendous amount of tension in your body. The "tighter" you get, the better. Any areas of weakness will make a lift that much more difficult. Strengthen your forearms, and you will be able to get a better grip on the bar, which can result in more weight. A+!

Aside from improving total body strength and motor control, training the forearms may prevent pain in the wrists and forearms.

"There are 35 muscles involved in movement of the forearm and hand, with many of these
involved in gripping activities," notes Jason Shea, CSCS. He then continues on to talk about how inadequate grip strength may result in injuries like tennis elbow, UCL tears, and other elbow and wrist-related issues. If the forearms are weak, you will place an unnecessary amount of stress on your tendons and ligaments around the elbow and wrist joints. Charles Poliquin also mentions that

"these ailments are often caused by improper strength ratios between the elbow muscles and the forearm muscles. If the elbow flexors, like the biceps and brachialis, are too strong for the forearm flexors, uneven tension accumulates in the soft tissue and results in elbow pain"

Therefore, if you're spending a ton of time strengthening the muscles in your upper arm (biceps, triceps, etc.), but minimal to no time strengthening the muscles downstream, you're setting yourself up for injury.

Additionally, some studies have linked rotator cuff health to the integrity of the forearm muscles. When your grip is activated, so too are the muscles of the rotator cuff (teres minor, infraspinatus, supraspinatus, and subscapularis).

You need to have some strong freaking forearms to pull that kind of weight!

Now, for the exercise portion! Here are eight of my favorite ways to make you a pro at grabbing things:

1. Plate pinches
2. Farmer carries (unilateral and bilateral)
3. Plate flips
4. Hangs from the pull-up bar (for an extra challenge, try unilateral)
5. Rock climbing (no video necessary)
6. Fat bar deadlifts or pull-ups
7. Heavy kettlebell swings
8. Finger board (used for climbers)

Note that grip strength is going to be positional, meaning that your forearms may be very strong holding a very small or narrow object, and weak holding thicker objects. It's important to vary the width of the equipment you use every once-in-a-while.

You may have noticed that wrist curls and extensions are absent from this list. I'm not much of a fan of training the grip in this way, because it has less of a carry-over to other activities. We want to train for function, not necessarily for size!

Now go find some heavy objects and grip them! Open pickle jars for your friends, or swing from branches like Tarzan. Build your forearms and reap the tremendous benefits from all of this newfound strength.

Works Cited:

1. Czitrom, Andrei A., and Graham D. Lister. "Measurement of Grip Strength in the Diagnosis of Wrist Pain." The Journal of Hand Surgery 13.1 (1988): 16-19. Web.
2. Dhutia, Maitri, Tara Ruttley, and Sudhakar Rajulu. "Elbow Strength in Reference to Various Shoulder Positions." (2001): n. pag. Web.
3. Myers, Thomas W. Anatomy Trains: Myofascial Meridians for Manual and Movement Therapists. Edinburgh: Churchill Livingstone, 2001. Print.
4. Poliquin, Charles. Winning the Arms Race: The Ultimate Training Program for Arm Size and Strength. Place of Publication Not Identified: Www.CharlesPoliquin.net, 2001. Print.
5. Shea, Jason. "THE IMPORTANCE OF GRIP STRENGTH." (2011): n. pag. Web. 8 July 2015.

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Why Comparing Yourself to Others Can Hinder Your Progress

Competition is an important part of any sport. If you want to be the best, you have to see what those around you are doing and strive to work even harder than them. When done in excess, however, comparing yourself to other individuals may be counterproductive.

Social media has made it easier to track the accomplishments of others. People constantly post videos from their training sessions, their PRs, and even their failures. These posts allow athletes to get insight into the routines of their competition. The unfortunate part, however, is that it is very easy to see what others are doing and feel as though your own performance is inadequate. I know many people (myself included) find themselves comparing their own progress to that of a friend or athlete over the internet.

Your fitness journey is your own! Here's why you shouldn't compare yourself to others:

1. You don't know their athletic background. Even though someone just started lifting, he/she may have been a competitive dancer. He may have been a Division I athlete in another sport. All of these factors contribute to a stronger, more coordinated lifter. If you were completely sedentary, or have never previously worked out at the level you do now, it's impossible to compare yourself to someone else who has trained at a higher intensity.
2. You have no idea how they're training. Perhaps this person is a full-time athlete. They may not have a family to support or a 9-5 desk job. Maybe they have time to train several times-a-day, whereas you can only train once. You don't know what kind of coach this person has. There are so many factors that go into programming that can positively or negatively influence the end result. You need to tweak your training to cater more towards your own needs and limitations.
3. You have a completely different body type. Weight classes in sport exist for a reason. It's really impossible for me to compare myself to girls who compete in higher or lower weight classes than I do. They're lighter, and they move completely differently. Genetics also play a big role. Someone who has shorter limbs, or smaller levers, is generally going to be able to produce more force than her lankier counterpart, because a.) the bar has a shorter distance to travel, and b.) her muscles will be more compact. Unfortunately, some people are also just gonna have more of a genetic inclination towards certain activities.
4. Everyone progresses at a different rate. We all have different strengths and difficulties. Some movements will come really easily to you, whereas you'll struggle through others.  Your strengths will be someone else's weaknesses. If you don't pick something up as quickly as a friend, that's completely okay.

Yes, when it's game time, you absolutely need to try to outdo your opponents--that's the point of competition. However, for training purposes, I think it's more beneficial to be absolutely laser-focused and self-centered. You need to concentrate on your own improvement, rather than invalidating yourself because you don't stack up to someone else. If you got a bench press PR, and you see someone else who's doing reps with your max, don't let that phase you. In time, you will get there.

Never miss a chance to quote "Office Space..."

Instead of consistently comparing your progress to that of others, compare your progress to where you were at this time last month, or even last year. Focus on what your weaknesses are, and train as hard as you can to improve upon those areas. Ultimately, this fitness journey, wherever you may fall on the spectrum, is about bettering yourself, however that may be. There should not be an "end destination," but rather a constant stride towards health. Every workout is going to make you stronger, mentally and physically. One of my favorite quotes, which is painted on the walls of my gym, is, "hard work beats talent when talent doesn't work hard." This quote serves a daily reminder for me to push through every workout, no matter how tired I may feel or how difficult it might be. Someone can have more of a natural ability for something, but if you get in the gym and bust your ass everyday, your efforts will pay off in the long run. You might not see a change today, or even next month, but when you reflect in the years to come, you will be amazed with your progress. Trust the process, and sweat now, so you can gloat in that success later.

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The Ab Exercise You're Doing Incorrectly

You work these muscles 23,000 times a day, on average, but chances are, you're using them incorrectly. In our sleep-deprived, high stress lifestyles, many of us are breathing incorrectly several thousand times a day, everyday over the course of our lives.

The core musculature like the rectus abdominis, diaphragm, internal and external obliques also allow for efficient breathing. If you're not breathing correctly, the sequencing and integrity of all of these muscles will be compromised. Your hours of "ab circuits" will all be for naught.

In my opinion, emphasis on proper breathing while training (or just normal daily function) is paramount. Here's why:

• Improved intra-abdominal pressure (core stability)
• Prevents facilitation (overuse) of trapezius, scalenes, and sternocleidomastoid muscles
• Teaches proper diaphragmatic activation
• Proper core sequencing for all activities
• Improves ability to return to parasympathetic nervous system (reduce stress)
• Better recovery and reduced risk of injury

Intra Abdominal Pressure

In any big lift like a squat, bench, or deadlift, creating sufficient intra-abdominal pressure is mandatory for safety. To quote Dr. Yuri Verkohansky, "Without breath-holding, far greater pressure  is exerted on vulnerable structures of the lumbar spine, in particular the intervertebral disks and ligaments." Basically, if you're not breathing correctly, you risk herniating a disk or placing additional shear forces on your vertabrae. I see far too many lifters getting under (or over, in a deadlift) a loaded barbell without sufficient abdominal bracing.

Shoulder Stability

If you breathe through the neck and chest, as many people I interact with do, your shoulders are going to remain in a shrugged or elevated position. This means the shoulders are unstable and you will have an increased risk for rotator cuff tears, dislocations, pectoralis major/minor tears, or labral tears. If the muscles normally used to stabilize your shoulder, like the serratus anterior, are forced to help you breathe instead of performing their primary roles, your shoulders are in danger.

Hip Stability

Similarly, the stability of the hips will also be compromised without proper breathing. Muscles like the quadratus lumborum may become overactive if the rectus abdominis or external obliques aren't firing correctly.

Conditioning

If you're training your aerobic energy system, which requires oxygen to function, and you're not getting sufficient oxygen into your lungs, guess what? You're not going to be able to run/bike/swim as hard or quickly as you would otherwise. Shallow, chest breathing is not optimal for oxygen uptake. Rather, deep breaths through the diaphragm are ideal.

Recovery

Chest and neck breathing is the result of the sympathetic,"fight or flight" nervous system taking over, while diaphragmatic breathing brings the body back to the parasympathetic "rest and recover" nervous system. Remaining in the sympathetic nervous system = increased recovery time. If you're trying to train hard and improve performance, you need adequate recovery.

Have I convinced you just how important your breath is to all facets of training and general health yet?

Now, take a moment to monitor your own breaths. Are you breathing through your mouth? Does your chest expand as you inhale? Do your traps constantly feel tight?

The ideal way to breathe is through the nose, with the tongue on the roof of the mouth (which will encourage diaphragmatic expansion) and expand the belly and the ribcage with each breath. Your ribcage should expand 360 degrees with each inhalation. We want lateral expansion of the ribs at the same time as it expands forward and backwards.

Now, I'm going to give you some tips on how to improve your breathing habits. Here are three of my favorite "core" and breathing exercises:

• Crocodile Breathing

• Lay down on your belly with your hands crossed in front of your head
• Take a big breath in through the nose with the tongue on the roof of the mouth
• Focus on expanding the stomach and the lower back as you inhale
• Exhale slowly and completely through the mouth

• Manual Resisted Breathing

• Lay on your back and have a partner sit next to you.
• The partner should place his/her hands on your stomach
• As you inhale through the nose, keep the tongue on the roof of the mouth
• Partner provides gentle resistance to your diaphragm during inhalation
• Hold your breath for 1-2 seconds at the top
• Exhale slowly and completely through the mouth

• Kettlebell Breathing Drill

• Place feet hips distance at a right angle against the wall
• Hold a light dumbbell or kettlebell on the belly (10-15 lbs)
• As you inhale, focus on pressing your stomach up against the weight and expanding the rib cage
• Count to ten as you inhale, pause at the top, and count to ten as you exhale through the mouth

These are three fantastic exercises to bring your body back to the parasympathetic nervous system and find some peace from your chaotic day. If you take these simple steps to improve your breathing, I can guarantee you that the results will be profound. You will improve your mechanics, become more stable and mobile, and, most importantly, inch towards a more stress-free lifestyle.

Just breathe!

Works Cited:

1. Anderson, Tim, and Geoff Neupert. Original Strength: Regaining the Body You Were Meant to Have. N.p.: n.p., n.d. Print
2. Dooley, Kathy. "The Professional Website for Dr. Kathy Dooley" | Dr. Dooley Noted." The Professional Website for Dr. Kathy Dooley" | Dr. Dooley Noted. N.p., n.d. Web. 10 Apr. 2015.
3. Myers, Thomas W. Anatomy Trains: Myofascial Meridians for Manual and Movement Therapists. Edinburgh: Churchill Livingstone, 2001. Print.
4. Oliver, Jocelyn. "Breathing Archives - NeuroMuscular Reprogramming." NeuroMuscular Reprogramming. N.p., n.d. Web. 23 Apr. 2015.
5. Swift, A. "Oronasal Obstruction, Lung Volumes, And Arterial Oxygenation." The Lancet 331.8577 (1988): 73-75. Web.
6. Tsatsouline, Pavel. Kettlebell: Simple & Sinister. N.p.: n.p., n.d. Print.

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Training Simple for Maximum Results

There is a seemingly infinite list of exercises to work any given muscle group. With websites like YouTube, it's pretty easy to find new exercises on the internet and feel inclined to add them into your routine. The question, however, is are these circus tricks necessary to take your performance to the next level? When it comes to adding in movements to your routine, I believe less really is more.

Just when I think I've seen it all, I find some crazy new movement on Instagram or some other form of social media. While these exercises range from impressive to asinine, many of them are unnecessary when developing a program for yourself or others.

There's a lovely acronym in the fitness industry that is applicable here:

SAID: Specific Adaptation to Imposed Demands

This principle explains simply that our bodies will adapt to the stressors to which are exposed. Therefore, if I want to become a better sprinter, well, adding some more sprinting drills into my regimen is a great starting point.

This may come as a surprise, but these will not make you a better squatter.

Personally, I train to compete in the sport of Olympic weightlifting. In order to get better in my sport, the bulk of my training consists of variations of snatches, cleans, jerks, presses and squats. Every once in a while, I'll add in accessory movements based on any imbalances or weaknesses. I rarely do conditioning, because it isn't really necessary for me to become a better weightlifter.

While you may not be looking to compete in a sport, it's important for you to set out your intentions from the get-go. You want to set realistic, quantifiable goals for yourself, and then select your exercises based on those goals. For example, if you want to bench 400 lbs, set your weekly workout routine around the bench press. Bench more regularly, and maybe include other, similar movements in your routine that will hit the same muscle groups (e.g. dips and strict press).

The more exercises you add into your weekly routine, the more overwhelmed you'll feel, and the less attention you'll pay to each movement! If you do 10+ exercises per day for the same muscle group, you're missing out on your ability to focus on any one of them.

Exercise variety does not determine your results. Doing 20 exercises for a muscle group will not necessarily make your muscles grow any quicker than doing 3 exercises for a muscle group. What does determine hypertrophy (muscular growth) is intensity (or weight used) and volume (number of reps performed). Basically, you only need to do a lot of reps of a few exercises to see results!

To apply this to sports, you must first analyze the demands of your specific sport. If you are a tennis player, which primarily takes place in the frontal plane, you want to make sure that a big part of your program involves lateral movements. Lateral lunges, lateral jumps and shuffling drills are all important exercises for tennis. Sprints on the rowing machine will certainly get your heart rate up, but they won't necessarily improve your forehand. Your exercise choices should mimic the demands of the game.

I'm certainly not telling you that you shouldn't try new exercises, as you may find a fun, creative new movement that helps you improve your weak areas. Instead, I believe you should find a handful of exercises that are directly beneficial to you and that will help you achieve your goals in the gym; everything else is frivolous.

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The Biggest Mistake You're Making in the Gym

When you walk into any fitness center, where do you see the most people? Most likely they're all crowded around the treadmills, stationary bikes and ellipticals. The common misconception is that you can achieve the body that you want and get in great shape by spending half an hour to an hour doing "cardio."

Day after day, thousands of people slave away on the cardio machines, many of whom are watching Gossip Girls or reading a book.

Look, as long as you're getting your butt off of the couch, I'm happy for you. Really. My goal, however, is to help you maximize your time in the gym. If you are one of these people who fits the description above, I'm willing to bet you haven't really seen the results you've wanted.

I'm not really a fan of steady-state cardio sessions. If you like to go for a long run every once in a while, that's great, but it shouldn't be the only thing you're doing in the gym.

Don't be like these guys...

If you want a more shredded and resilient physique, though, then you need to do the following: interval training and weight training. That's it. That's the secret sauce. Someone who is "fit" should be ready to take on any task at hand. He should be fast, strong, and powerful. Fitness is reading Game of Thrones on the elliptical for forty five minutes.

Interval training is one of the most effective ways to build lean body mass and improve your overall athleticism. There are countless different types of intervals, but here are some suggestions (you can do these with any activity, whether it be rowing, burpees, running, etc.):

1. 10 rounds of 30 seconds on, 30 seconds off (work up to decreasing the rest time as you improve)
2. 4 rounds of 1 minute of work, 2 minutes of rest
3. 8 rounds of 20 seconds of work, followed by 10 seconds of rest (called a "Tabata" interval)

These are a few of my favorites.

Strength training is important and necessary for...everyone. Yep. I've said it before, and I'll say it again. Everyone should get stronger. Besides, being strong is awesome.

Let's say you're moving into a new apartment, and you need to move heavy boxes up the stairs. Strength training will prepare you for damn near everything. I can't really think of one situation in which being stronger isn't helpful.

You're not only strengthening your muscles with weight training, though--you're also strengthening your tendons, your bones and your ligaments, making you more resilient. If you want to avoid broken bones and osteoporosis (which I imagine you would), then you need to lift weights.

I'm certainly not telling you to quit your steady state cardio. I know that some people love a leisurely run. I think a great program is one that makes you well-rounded. If you want to become fitter and more resilient, then strength training and sprints should be a part of your regular routine. Step off of the elliptical and pick up some dumbbells.

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Why You Need to Have a Big Butt

Having a big butt is certainly preferable for models twerking in rap videos, but it's also extremely important in athletic performance. Weather you're a soccer player, a running back or just simply working out to maintain a healthy lifestyle, you need to make sure you're giving your butt the attention it deserves.

I know what you're thinking: "But Arianna! I can squat 250 pounds. My glutes are really strong!" In a perfect world, you would achieve glute activation in the back squat, but many of the back squats I see people execute in the gym make use of the anterior quadriceps muscle and recruit minimal activation from their posterior chain. The truth is, if you are a predominantly sedentary person (meaning you sit for 4+ hours a day at home or at work), you probably don't know how to correctly activate your glutes because you're not using them for the majority of the day. Fear not--you are part of the American majority who sits at a desk job all day. It's no wonder that we don't know how to activate the right muscle groups considering we don't use them as often as we should.

Underactive or weak glutes can cause a ton of problems, including lower back pain, knee pain, IT band syndrome, and a whole slew of other maladies. Your quadriceps may be strong enough to squat 250 lbs, but guess what? If you learned how to activate your glutes properly, you would easily squat over 300 lbs.

The gluteus maximus (one of three muscles that make up what we collectively call the "glutes") is the biggest muscle in your body. Now, if we learn how to properly employ the strength of this tremendous group of muscles, we are going to see some real magic happen. Whether we're doing a deadlift, a squat, a box jump or a clean and jerk, we need to learn to properly harness the power from our glutes in order to move the most amount of weight and avoid injury.

In order to utilize the strength of the ever-powerful gluteal muscles, we must focus on activating them. Some great exercises can be found in my previous article about warm-ups, but I'll list a few more that I really like here:

• Single leg or weighted glute bridges
• Banded walks
• Reverse hyper extensions
• Single leg Romanian deadlifts
• GHD raise
• Bulgarian split squats
• Reverse lunges
• Side plank with abduction

Once you learn to properly engage your posterior chain, you will see tremendous gains in strength while simultaneously protecting your body from injury. If you have humongous quadriceps and a small butt, that should be a red flag to you that your glutes needs some more attention. Channel your inner Nicki Minaj and start building a bigger booty!

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Perfecting Your Push-up