What I’ve Learned: Principles of Movement & FASTER Global – Part III – Lunge and Reach

In the previous two posts, (here and here) I discussed what I’ve learned by going through the FASTER Global coursework. (If you’re a fitness professional who wants to truly become an expert at movement, then you need to do this course. This has been the most comprehensive movement education I’ve had in nearly 20 years of working in the fitness field.)

I believe I’ve made the case for why we should train with tri-plane movement. Further I believe that I’ve illustrated why traditional gym exercises like squats and deadlifts may not be the best way to develop all-around movement skills or strength. (For the record, I’m not saying traditional squats and deadlifts are bad. I use them in my own workouts and with my clients. To be clear, I believe that there are infinite variations that can and should be used to condition people in the most comprehensive way.)

In the previous post I showed a bunch of lunge and squat variations. Here are some more lunge variations this time with arm reaches.

Lunging and reaching

While lunging, we can drive motion from the upper body by reaching up, down, across, overhead, etc. We can reach with one or both arms. The way in which the trainee steps drives motion from the upper body up through the rest of the body. As he or she reaches, motion is driven down through the body toward the ground. The reaching affects balance and creates a wide range of slightly different body positions which look a lot like any number of athletic activities, for example, look at the baseball pitcher and basketball players.

Lower body motion plus upper body motion.

Saggital plane anterior lunge with same-side posterior arm reach… Or something like that. Lots of stuff happening.

Kobe executes a type of lunge and reach down.

Resistance can be added to these in numerous ways: weight vest, dumbbell(s), sandbags, kettlebells, etc. Cables or tubing positioned at any number of angles can speed up or slow down the lunge.

Remember though, if someone can’t control these exercises then he or she should be regressed to something that is controllable, safe and manageable.

Here are a few examples of lunges combined with reaches in various directions. I’ve shown an anterior lunge and a lateral lunge but we could add any of these reaches to any type of lunge. The combinations are nearly infinite.

Next we can progress to jumps and hops, all done in any number of directions, all with feet and arms in any number of positions. I’ll show some of those in the next post.

What I’ve Learned: Principles of Movement & FASTER Global – Part I

I spent much of the Summer and Fall going through the FASTER Global Specialist in Functional Performance and Specialist in Functional Therapy courses. It’s been a fantastic experience. At times it was incredibly challenging but such is life with anything worth learning and doing. I’ve come away from the experience with a tremendous movement analysis skill set, and a systematic way of thinking that I didn’t have before.

Sometimes I think I know something, that I’m a fairly knowledgeable trainer. Then I’m exposed to new information and I think, “I don’t know anything!” Whenever I dig into something new I have my old beliefs challenged by new concepts. That’s very much my experience with FASTER.

In this post I’m going to cover a few things I’ve learned. I’m going to try and keep it concise. I could meander all over the place….

The Specific Adaptation to Imposed Demand (SAID) principle is always at the top of the FASTER thought process. We consider the client’s or athlete’s goal(s) and then we build a program that very closely resembles that goal. If we’re working with a skier then joint motions and body position should look a lot like skiing. Similarly with a bowler, kayaker, runner, rock climber, pitcher, someone who has trouble waking up and down stairs–whatever. So with that we start with some questions.

Two big questions & another question:

Can the athlete get into the position required by the activity?
Asked another way: Does the athlete have the range of motion for the task?
If yes, can the athlete control that ROM?The above two are big. If we get two yeses then we ask:
Can the athlete control the ROM at the speed required of the sport?

Look at these activities. Lots of interesting poses here. Notice how the bodies are positioned. Notice the knees, hips, trunk, arms and head. Take note of all the angles between the joints. Here’s a question: Do any of the exercises you see or do in the gym look anything like any of these? How much of what you do in the gym puts you in an athletic or “real life” position? Does a standard squat, deadlift, kettlebell swing, sit-up or any type of machine exercise fit the bill?

In my exercise toolbox I now have the observational skills and knowledge to address those previous there questions with my clients and athletes. I know how to progress people from very simple movements to far more aggressive movements. I feel confident in my ability to help my clients solve their own movement problems via what I hope are fun, challenging and safe exercises.

(BTW, this also applies to anyone who “just wants to work out.” If he or she has no athletic goals but wants to feel like they’ve worked hard, I can instruct them on exercises that will be both challenging and safe. If I think a squat is the type of exercise that will satisfy his or her requirement to “feel” a workout, then I still will ask those questions.)

In following posts I’ll discuss progressions and variations on traditional exercises. By playing with joint angles, foot positions and hand/arm positions, and by employing impact (stepping, hopping, jumping) we can create an infinite number of exercises that closely resemble sporting activities. With this process we can probably better prepare for sports than if we simply employ traditional exercises like squats, bench presses and deadlifts. Don’t worry if you don’t consider yourself an “athlete.” These exercises tweaks can be a lot of fun, very challenging and never boring.

Techniques to Help You Run Pain Free

I’ve used a few simple techniques to help a few of my clients with their running technique. These ideas have also helped me overcome a long-term bout of heel and Achilles trouble.

My clients often hurt when they ran so if nothing else, I figured they needed to run differently somehow. There was no guarantee that what I would show them would solve their problems but clearly the way they were running wasn’t quite working.

The following are drills and cues that I’ve used. Effective cueing can be challenging. I have in my mind a movement a feeling and an experience that I’d like you to have. I have to translate what I feel into English and transmit that message to you. My words may hit the mark or you may have absolutely no idea what I’m talking about!

Hop up and down.

Hop up and down. How do you land? On your heels? Most people land on their toes and to some degree their heels settle to the ground. It happens naturally. Your probably don’t need to think about it too much. In this way, we effectively dissipate the impact forces and avoid too much jarring and banging into the ground.

Run in place.

Now run in place–quickly! Again, how do you land? I think most people land similar to the way described above. It’s a light landing on the toes, not heels first. This is pretty much one-footed hopping.

Where do your feet land? Directly under your hips. That’s about where we want the feet to land. In contrast, what we don’t want is for your feet to fling out in front and slam into the ground. To that point…

Quick Pace

Overstriding is a frequent issue in injured runners. By overstriding the foot lands out in front of the runner and he or she slams hard into the ground with every foot fall. This can cause lots of stress to various tissues and joints and it’s likely a cause of pain.

This is a good contrast in foot placement. The guy in back is overstriding.

By running at a quick(er) pace we facilitate the feet landing under us, not out in front. We create shorter loading times of the bones and joints and thus reduce the stress that may be causing our pain. It’s difficult to overstride with a quick cadence.

For a most runners this means consciously picking up the pace. This can feel awkward at first and may feel inefficient. One way to start to adjust your cadence is by using a metronome when you run. Start at your normal pace and sync the metronome to your pace. From there you can up the beat and match your pace to the metronome. This takes time and practice. If it’s important then you’ll do it.

Again, this all may feel very strange–and it should. After all, if our current chosen running technique is causing pain, then it stands to reason that a new and better running technique should feel weird. As with any new skill, it won’t feel strange forever.

Lean forward from the ankles.

Learning to lean from the ankles–not the hips!–is important. By leaning from the ankles we sort of fall forward. We keep the hips under us, not poked out behind. When leaning from the ankles it’s difficult to overstride and slam the foot into the ground. Here’s a drill to learn how to lean from the ankles.

Run tall. Keep eyes on the horizon.

The simple cue to “run tall” seems to work well for a lot of runners. I’ll keep it simple and leave that phrase as is.

Keep your eyes on the horizon. This works well to help keep you tall. Your body tends to go where your eyes go. If you stare at the ground then you’re likely to slump forward. You won’t be running tall. Learn to use your peripheral vision to see the ground. The guys below are running tall and gazing out.

These guys are RUNNING REALLY TALL!! You should do it too!

These guys are RUNNING REALLY TALL!! You should try it!

Run lightly. Quick pace. Lean from the ankles. Run tall. Eyes on the horizon.

Here’s a good graphic.

I’m not going to say a lot more other than I like the information presented here:

Skipping

Finally, here’s a skipping drill that may help you get a feel for running tall, running lightly and not pounding your heel into the ground. My hope is that this drill will transfer to your actual running. Skipping involves an exaggerated running gait and you don’t actually want to bound and prance to an extreme degree.

Coaching Movement: Internal vs. External Cues

I recently listened to an interview with Todd Hargrove of BetterMovement.org at the Well Rounded Athlete. At about 21:30 in the interview, Todd discusses the idea of internal cues vs external cues as they pertain to learning new movement skills. I found it to be a fascinating concept and one that pertains very strongly to my current study of the FASTER Global curriculum.

What are internal and external cues?

Internal cue: The athlete focuses on his/her body parts and how they move.
External cue: The athlete focuses on affecting something in his/her environment. He/she focuses on the outcome of his/her movement.

Below are some examples of internal and external cues from an NSCA article titled What We Say Matters, Part I.

(What We Say Matters, Part II is also very interesting. I won’t discuss the whole thing but it goes into feedback frequency, or how much information coaches should give athletes while they’re learning a new skill. Turns out a good bit less feedback is better than giving feedback 100% of the time. Coaches and trainers should definitely read it. On to the internal/external cues.)

Table 1provides examples of internal versus external focus cues for different movements and note that analogies can be considered external cues.

	Internal Cue	External Cue
Sprinting: Acceleration	Extend your hip (knee) Activate your quad (glute) Stomach tight	Drive the ground away Explode off the ground Brace up
Change of Direction	Hips down Feet wide Drive through big toe	Roof over head Train tracks or wide base Push the ground away
Jumping	Explode through hips Snap through ankles Drive hips through head	Touch the sky Snap the ground away Drive belt buckle up
Olympic Lifting: Snatch	Drive feet through ground Drive chest to ceiling Snap hips through the bar Drive feet through ground Drive chest to ceiling Snap hips through the bar	Push the ground away Drive/jump vertical Snap bar to ceiling Snap and drop under bar

Which is best? Internal or External?

The article cites research that demonstrates internal cues to be more effective than external cues. More evidence comes in an article from Strength and Conditioning Research (a great resource) titled How Much Difference Do External Cues Make? The following studies are cited and they’re summarized:

Marchant (2009) – the researchers found that an external attentional focus led to greater force and torque during isokinetic elbow flexion movements while simultaneously decreasing muscle activation as measured by EMG.
Porter (2010) – the researchers found that directing attention toward jumping as far past the starting line as possible had a much greater effect at increasing broad jump distance compared to focusing attention on extending the knees as fast as possible.
Wulf (2010) – the researchers found that an external focus led to increased jump height with simultaneously lower EMG activity compared to an internal focus of attention.
Wu (2012) – the researchers found that an external attentional focus let to increased broad jump distances despite not affecting peak force production compared to an internal attentional focus.
Makaruk (2012) – the researchers found that 9 weeks of plyometric training with an external focus led to greater standing long jump and countermovement jump (but not drop jump) performance compared to training with an internal focus.
Porter (2012) – the researchers found that an external focus far away from the body led to greater results than an internal focus or an external focus near the body in terms of standing long jump performance.

“So in general, the main factor that is associated with external focus is an increase in performance. Also, there may be a tendency for reduced EMG activity at the same time. This is interesting, as it may be a mirror image of what happens with internal focus.”

The reference to reduced EMG means that with an external focus, more muscles are actually relaxed during the movement. The benefit to that is that the muscles acting in opposition to the movement are more relaxed, thus allowing for better movement. If too many muscles are contracted then we may move slow.

How does an external rather than internal focus result in superior outcomes? The NSCA article cites work by Dr. Gabrielle Wulf, Director, Motor Performance and Learning Laboratory at UNLV:

“Wulf et al. (17) defined the hypothesis, stating that focusing on body movements (i.e. internal) increases consciousness and ‘constrains the motor system by interfering with automatic motor control process that would ‘normally’ regulate the movement,’ and therefore by focusing on the movement outcome (i.e., external) allows the ‘motor system to more naturally self-organize, unconstrained by the interference caused by conscious control attempts.’”

From other research by Wulf in another article:

“Wulf et al. (2001) explained this benefit of an external focus of attention by postulating the ‘constrained action hypothesis’. According to this view, individuals who utilize an internal focus constrain or ‘freeze”’their motor system by consciously attempting to control it. This also seems to occur when individuals are not given attentional focus instructions (2). In contrast, an external focus promotes the use of more automatic control processes, thereby enhancing performance and learning (3,5).”

To me this suggests that the external cueing allows us to tap into reflexes, reactions and movements controlled by the autonomic nervous system. I think any athlete has experienced the situation where we think too much and our performance falters. We think very hard about the individual components of what we’re trying to do and the result is we don’t ski well, we don’t drive a golf ball well, we miss an Olympic lift. In contrast, we’ve been in that “zone” where things just happen. We don’t think, we do. Everything is coordinated and we’re barely aware of what we’re doing. It seems that the external cues are the best way to get to our ideal way of moving.

Is there a place for internal cues?

So the research tells us that external cues are superior to internal cues. Does that mean we should do away with all internal cues? That issue has been discussed in an article by Bret Contreras titled What Types of Cues Should Trainers and Coaches Provide? and an article by Sam Lahey titled the Science and Applications of Coaching Cues. They’re both in agreement that internal cues are sometimes the best way to go when coaching. As often happens, the coaches in the field have some disagreement with researchers.

Contreras does a very good job in discussing his observations of when internal cues might be superior to external cues, particularly when it comes to getting an athlete or client to feel his or her glutes. This is from his article:

“When I train beginner clients, it takes me considerable time to get their lumbpelvic-hip complex working ideally during squats, deadlifts, back extensions, and glute bridges. In my opinion, external cueing is not ideal for improving form in the most rapid manner possible. My belief is that internal cueing will get the individual to where you want them to be in a much more efficient manner.

This applies to preventing lumbar flexion in a deadlift, preventing valgus collapse in a squat, or preventing lumbar hyperextension and anterior pelvic tilt in a back extension or hip thrust.

1) Palpating different regions of their body to make them aware of the various parts involved and what those parts are doing,

3) Having them stop approximately 3/4 the way up on a hip thrust and practicing anterior and posterior pelvic tilt so they can understand how to prevent anterior tilt from occuring,

5) Being ‘hands-on’ during their performance and manually helping place their pelvis in proper position, manually setting the core in neutral, manually pushing the hips upward to ensure full ROM is reached, and poking the glutes to make sure they’re on and the hammies to make sure they’re not overly activated, and

I don’t believe that this heavily ‘internal’ approach can be improved-upon by a purely external cueing approach.”

I tend to agree with Contreras. I’ve often found that I need to bring awareness to one piece of the overall movement puzzle (glutes are the best example). I want clients particularly aware of glute contraction at the very top of a squat, deadlift or kettlebell swing. Contracting the glutes tightly at the top of these movements is important for keeping the pelvis and lumbar spine in good, safe position and for getting the most “oomph” into the lift. Before I teach these exercises, I want the client to know what it feels like to squeeze their glutes. I simply want them to know what the glute contracting feels like. I don’t need them to move fast or lift heavy. In this case, an internal cue seems to be the best way to go. I’m not sure of a more effective cue than saying “Squeeze your butt as tight as possible,” when I want to make someone aware of their glutes.

(Though now that I think about it, “Squeeze a quarter between your butt cheeks as tight as possible” might actually be an external cue that would work very well.)

Contreras also cites the cues “chest up” and “knees out” during the squat as simple, effective and commonly used internal cues that often work well during the squat. Again, I agree with him that phrases like this are usually effective enough that we don’t necessarily need to construct similar type phrases with an external focus.

Finally, Contreras says that he typically uses more internal cues with beginners during the initial instruction period. As the athlete gains experience and expertise, he moves on to more external cues with the idea of getting maximum performance. That process matches what I’ve seen and experienced with my own clients and athletes.

Thoughts

The task for coaches and trainers is to use language to express to an athlete how he or she should move. We may use a description that makes perfect sense to us, yet is completely confusing to the athlete. If that’s the case then we need to pick another description of that movement. Further, a description that’s crystal clear to one athlete may make no sense at all to another. From what the research says, using these external cues is probably the best way to get our athletes and clients to move the way we want them to. We may however need several different external cues to paint the best picture in the athlete’s head. If an internal cue works best then we should use it.

What I’ve learned from reading these articles is that:

Less is more. Too much coaching confuses the athlete. Fewer/simpler cues are best.
Directing the athlete’s mind outward will by-and-large get the best performance out of him or her.
Some degree of internal cueing may be necessary from time to time. We don’t want to throw the baby out with all the internal cueing bathwater.

I think we coaches would do well to think of several ways of describing exercises. A good time to do this is during our own workouts. How many ways can we describe moving a barbell or kettlebell? What is important during a push-up and how can we verbalize those points? What are some external cues to describe good running technique? Or weightlifting techniques?

This whole concept of cues is another example example of that the real target with exercise is from the neck up. The brain is the real target here, not the muscles, joints or bones.

What makes a great trainer?

The Personal Training Development Center (PTDC) has a lot of useful, informative articles for personal trainers. Are Personal Trainers Missing the Point is a recent piece with which I agree. The key observation is this:

“The ability to correctly coach exercises is slowly becoming a lost art in the training world, despite that it’s the most fundamental component of being a personal trainer/coach.”

The article advocates for trainers to teach the squat, deadlift, bench press, standing press and pull-up. (I would ad the push-up to the list.) It’s also suggested that trainers learn to teach regressions and progressions of these exercises. These exercises are the essentials. They have been and still are the basic building blocks of effective exercise programs and they offer the most return on investment of a client’s training time. Read the article to learn three steps to becoming a better coach.

Running recovery

Alex Hutchinson writes for Runner’s World and the Running Times. He recently wrote an article called the Science of Recovery. He briefly discusses six methods: antioxidants, jogging (as during a cool down), ice bath, massage, cryosauna and compression garments. Anyone who trains hard–runner or not–may find the article interesting.

Pronation

Pete Larson at Runblogger.com gives us Do You Pronate? A Shoe Fitting Tale. Here, he describes overhearing a conversation between a confused shoe store customer and the mis-informed employee who tries to educate her on pronation. Contrary to what many of us believe, pronation is not a dire evil problem to be avoided at all costs. Larson says it well:

“The reality is that everybody pronates, and pronation is a completely normal movement… We might vary in how much we pronate, but asking someone if they pronate is like asking them if they breathe. I’d actually be much more concerned if the customer had revealed that no, she doesn’t pronate. At all. That would be worrisome.”

If you’re a runner then I highly suggest you learn about the realities of pronation.

Supplemental strength

I love strength training. I love all the subtleties and ins & outs of getting stronger. One area that I’m learning about is supplemental work (aka accessory work). This is weight training used to bring up one’s strength on other lifts (typically the squat, deadlift, bench press or standing press). With supplemental work, we’re looking to find weak areas and make them stronger.

Dave Tate at EliteFTS is one of the foremost experts on all of this. Thus, his article Dave Tate’s Guide to Supplemental Strength is very much up my alley, and it should be up yours if you’re serious about getting stronger. He discusses several categories of exercises and how to incorporate them into a routine. Below, the term “builders” refers to exercises that build the power lifts (squat, bench press, deadlift):

Always start with the builders. Do not start with the main lift.
Examples: Floor press, box squat. Sets: 3-5. Reps: 3-5.
Move to supplemental exercises — exercises that build the builders.
Examples: 2-board press, safety-bar close-stance squat. Sets: 3. Reps: 5-8.
Accessories — Either muscle-based (for size) or movement-based (for strength). Use supersets and tri-sets, as needed.
Examples: DB presses, biceps curls. Sets: 3. Reps: 10-20.
Rehab/Pre-hab — Whatever you need, nothing more or less. Examples:
External rotation, face pulls. Sets: 2-3. Reps: 20-30.

This is just a little bit of the article. It’s very detailed. There may not be much here for recreational lifters but for coaches and those of us who have gotten a little deeper into our lifting, it’s a superb article.

The Final Victory Against My Heel Pain Part II: The Brain and Pain

This piece about my heel pain was in the works prior to my ACL mishap. It was great to banish my heel pain! I’m still happy about it! Now I just have to overcome this latest speed bump and all will be well.

In Part I of this post I discussed my consultations with coach Mike Terborg and therapist Nick Studholme. We were trying to figure out how to resolve some very persistent heel/Achilles tendon pain that had been with me for several years. Their work was biomechanical in nature. They helped me to move better, run better and unload the sensitive tissues.

Here in Part II I want to discuss another important component to pain management, one that has less to do with biomechanics and everything to do with how we think about pain. Z-Health is where I first learned about these concepts. I drifted away from Z-Health a bit but I’ve returned to my learning about the realities of pain.

Key points

Pain is in the brain.
It’s a blend of nociceptive (danger) signals, attitudes, beliefs, past experiences, knowledge, social context, sensory cues.
It doesn’t equal tissue damage–particularly in chronic pain cases like mine.
Pain is a response to a perceived threat.
Reduce the threat and we reduce the pain.

Obviously there’s a lot of subconscious stuff at work when we experience pain. If we want to tie our shoes or turn the ignition key of a car, we have to consciously take action to make these things happen. In contrast, we don’t have to think at all in order to feel pain. We feel pain without having to consciously do anything. However, research into pain reveals that we can often actually reduce our pain via cognitive processes.

One of the most powerfully fascinating aspects of pain management involves consciously considering pain and whether or not we’re actually under threat. Emerging research strongly indicates that pain management can be made more successful by educating a patient about the whole pain process. Understanding the process at work and recognizing that pain DOES NOT equal injury and that it IS NOT a threat to our health or life can be hugely powerful. For instance, there’s this analysis of research titled. Patient education interventions in osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis: A meta-analytic comparison with nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drug treatment. The conclusion is this:

Based on this meta-analysis, patient education interventions provide additional benefits that are 20–30% as great as the effects of NSAID (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs) treatment for pain relief in OA and RA, 40% as great as NSAID treatment for improvement in functional ability in RA, and 60–80% as great as NSAID treatment in reduction in tender joint counts in RA.

Here, patient education offers benefits beyond that seen with drug treatment alone.

Exercise Biology explains pain:

Exercise Biology is a fantastic, very thoughtful site full of very useful information. It’s written by Anoop Balachandran. He’s gone to admirable lengths to include only evidence-based information and science. It’s not just opinion. One of the best articles on his site deals with pain science. It’s called What should fitness professionals understand about pain and injury? and it does a great job of breaking down a complex subject digestible pieces. (Todd Hargrove at Better Movement also does a great job discussing pain in a similar way.)

Very pertinent to my experience is Anoop’s discussion of how to desensitize or calm down a nervous system that is overly sensitive to a perceived threat that no longer exists. He describes the top-down vs. the bottom-up (find-it-and-fix-it) approach:

Top Down: Basically, means changing your attitude, beliefs, knowledge (neurophysiology of pain) about your pain and in turn, lowering the threat value of pain. People get hurt, they experience pain, healing follows, and they recover. But in some folks the pain lasts forever. And why is that? According to one of the most well-accepted models – the fear-avoidance belief model – people who have heightened fear of re-injury and pain are good candidates for chronic pain. Lack of knowledge or incorrect knowledge, beliefs ( hurt always means harm, my pain will increase with any activity and so forth), provocative diagnostic language and terminologies used by medical therapists like herniated disc, trigger points, muscle imbalance, and failed treatments can further heighten this fear or threat . So education to lower the threat is THE therapy here. We now have some very good evidence to show that just pain physiology education or the top-down approach is enough to lower pain and improve function 5.

Bottom Up approach: The bottom-up approach is what we see around us: surgery, postural fixing, trigger point, muscle imbalance, movement re-education, manual therapy, acupuncture and the list keeps growing. Almost all treatments out there are trying to lower the nociceptive drive without much consideration to the top-down approach. This is solely because these treatments are based on the outdated model of pain. We now suspect that positive effects of manual therapy may be due to neural mechanisms than the tissue and joint pathology explanations that is often offered. So even the bottom up approach is working via de-sensitizing the nervous system. Although not intended, there are top-down mechanisms clearly at work even in bottom up approaches( like the placebo effect, a credible explanatory model, the belief in the therapist) .

So what we you need is a combined approach that takes into account the “entire individual” and that’s where the biopysycosocial model of pain treatments walks in. The bio psycho addresses the biology (nerves, muscle, joints), psychological ( beliefs, thoughts, fear) and social aspects (work, culture, & knowledge).

Pain self-talk: “I’m not in danger.”

My Achilles started feeling a lot better once my running biomechanics were cleaned up (the bottom-up strategy.) I still had some sporadic discomfort though. In reading up on pain and the brain, I realized it was time to apply the top-down method. I had several internal conversations with myself. I said something like this: “I’m not under threat. My Achilles is strong. It won’t break. I’m safe and strong and I’m ready for anything that comes my way.”

I started feeling a little like Stuart Smiley as I gave myself these pep talks–but guess what!–they worked. Literally within 48 hours my residual pain was gone! This conscious thinking process seemed to influence the unconscious pain process to a very favorable result.

The pain neuromatrix

This model is known as the pain neuromatrix. and it is very powerful stuff. It may sound odd this idea that pain and injury aren’t the same, and that pain can be changed literaly through education. I haven’t made any of this up though. This is what the researchers are finding.

My ACL injury and pain

I sustained an acute knee injury that includes a torn ACL. Did it hurt? Oh yes! It was a sudden change that my brain rapidly assessed as a significant threat. The result of the injury is instability in my knee and I can’t move as much or as well as I could prior to the injury. From an evolutionary standpoint, I’m at a disadvantage for survival. Pain is helping me avoid further damage. I will most likely undergo an ACL reconstruction (I hope to know for sure next week.) with plenty more pain to go along with it. But I’m not worried.

I went through 10 years of weird chronic pain (primarily low-back pain) that didn’t have an obvious cause. I obsessed over it and dreaded the pain constantly. I missed out on perhaps my best potential years as an athlete. I overcame it though. (Much of my relief came from the bottom-up approach of fixing a lot of biomechanical issues–which ultimately reduced the threat level to my brain.)

Now with that perspective and my current knowledge, here’s how I see my knee injury:

I’m highly optimistic that I can be fixed and that I can return to all the activities I love.
I’m exercising as much as possible while at the same time avoiding pain. In this way I’m calming my brain and minimizing any feelings of depression, 2nd guessing, or any “woe-is-me” thinking.
The threat level via my knee will be high. Therefore:

I must be patient and diligent with my rehab. I will!
To reduce threat, my return to exercise (particularly Olympic lifting, trail running and skiing) must be gradual and non-threatening.

More resources:

Lorimer Mosely is one of the foremost pain experts on earth. Here he lectures on pain. Around the 7 minute mark he discusses his own experience with a very dangerous yet painless wound. The whole thing is fascinating but perhaps a bit long for some. If you’re in pain though I strongly suggest you watch it.

Also, here’s a link to an interview by Bret Contreras with physical therapist Jason Silvernail. Many good questions are asked and very well-informed answers given. Again, it might be long for some of you but the information is just hugely valuable.

Remember, learning about pain can help you overcome pain! Reading and listening to those who understand pain can be hugely beneficial to anyone who suffers. Below are more resources.

Informative sites:
www.somasimple.com (excellent forum)
www.bodyinmind.org
www.forwardthinkingpt.com
www.bboyscience.com
www.saveyourself.ca
www.bettermovement.org
www.thebodymechanic.ca

Excellent books:
Beginner Level

Explain Pain by David Butler & Lorimer Moseley (This is a must read)
Painful Yarns by Lorimer Moseley

Intermediate Level

Pain by Patrick Wall
The Challenge of Pain by Ronald Melzack
Sensitive Nervous System by David Butler
The Back Pain Revolution by Gordon Waddell
Topical Issues in Pain by Louis Gifford
Therapeutic Neuroscience Education: Teaching patents about pain by Adriaan Louw ( a book on how to do the top down approach)
Pain by Lorimer Moseley (DVD)

The Final Victory Against My Heel Pain Part I: Addressing the Biomechanics

I’m really thrilled to be writing this post because it seems I’ve finally truly gotten rid of a chronic heel/Achilles/plantar fasciitis issue that has been with me for a long time. (I’ve said this before and I’ve been wrong, but for the record I’ve been running a lot and my heel hasn’t felt this good for this long in years.)

This thing has been with me for maybe three years. It’s never been enough to really knock me out. It didn’t derail me from my first marathon and subsequent 10-milers and half-marathons. However, several weeks ago I did a long trail run and it felt like a nail had been driven into my heel. I figured it was time to sort this out. The solution has been a mix of biomechanical and running technique adjustments, and a deeper understanding of pain science.

Before I met with anyone I put a green Superfeet insert into my shoes. I’m a minimalist shoe advocate. I don’t want to rely on a crutch but I’m also very much willing to do whatever is appropriate to solve a problem. A lot of what I’ve read for addressing heel and Achilles problems suggests putting some sort of insert into a shoe. The idea here was to unload some of the muscles and structures that hold up the foot, including the Achilles. I’m still using the inserts on a lot of my runs but I rarely wear them at work and I do some of my runs with without the insert.

I next met with a couple of guys with a lot of great knowledge and experience. Mike Terborg and Nick Studholme were both very instrumental in my progress. Mike is a performance and injury recovery specialist in Boulder and Nick runs Studholme Chiropractic. Mike is heavily influenced through John Hardy and the principles of FASTER Global which teaches a process of biomechanical reasoning. Nick studied under the innovative physical therapist Gary Gray. Both guys speak much the same language when it comes to movement and movement analysis.

They both have tremendous ability to explain what they see and communicate the changes they thought I should make. They both used a fantastic and powerful video program called Spark Motion which was created by Nick and a group of other guys. This was just an amazing way to record and analyze movement. Spark is a great tool that I need to look into.

The visit with Mike Terborg: Running adjustments

I first visited with Mike in Boulder a few weeks ago. We spent a couple of hours looking at how I moved. The major issue we found was prolonged eversion of my left foot. The foot stayed in contact with the ground for what seemed a long time. Mike explains his observations and thought process:

“Adhering to the Biopsychosocial or BPS model of pain (vs the Postural-Structural-Biomechanical model), we couldn’t say for sure what was causing the pain other than it could be a combination of things including but not limited to biomechanics. You had chronic pain of the plantar fascia, like to run, and wanted to be able to run more without aggravating this injury so we needed to look at your physiological skills and tendencies relative to gait. We cannot say for sure that eversion and dorsiflexion of the subtalar joint caused the injury (because these are natural motions of subtalar joint and thus normal motions for the PF to decelerate), but we can deduce that less loading of the plantar fascia (less dorsi/eversion) might be helpful in reducing the amount of stress on the PF during running. Our hope was that less stress/load during gait may allow you to run pain free for longer. In sum, we can say for sure that we crossed some type of stress threshold (bio, psycho and or social), so we wanted to ask your body what happened if we backed off on the biomechanical load to the pissed off tissue.

“Your ranges and sequencing in the breakout evaluation all looked good, so we went straight to your running technique. Using Spark Motion for gait analysis, we deduced that it was possible for you to run in a way that reduced the stress to your PF and apparently that helped. The drills were all part of a progression to not only teach your body the skills and sequence of a more rapid gait but to train your ability to sustain that gait for longer periods of time (strength endurance of a skill). Nothing fancy, just following biomechanical reasoning to look for clues and strategies.”

I really like Mike’s explanation of the process. He puts his explanation in a very honest way. In saying that we don’t know for certain why the pain is there, nor do we understand exactly how or why it might go away, he reflects the current cutting edge of pain science which reveals that pain is in many ways a baffling mystery.

He directed me to several exercise progressions of which here are three:

We changed my running gait along these lines:

Put less pressure through the heel into the ground. Let the heel touch the ground but only lightly.
Quicken the stride so the foot stays in contact with the ground for less time.
Swing the right leg through faster to facilitate less time on the ground of the left foot.
Run with a metronome set somewhere between 170-190 bpm. This quickens the stride rate. Experiment.

The resulting new gait felt like I was some sort of prancing fool–La la la la laaaa!!!–dancing through the daisies. Fortunately the video Mike shot of me indicated that in fact I just looked like I was running with a quicker step. (I could in fact go running in public this way.) Finally, Mike also suggested I visit with Nick so I did.

Analysis from Nick Studholme & fine tuning the lower leg

Nick put me through a muscle testing process and winnowed out some weak and unstable muscles in my lower leg. Specifically, big toe muscles known as flexor hallucis longus, and flexor hallucis brevis weren’t working up to par. The fibularis muscles (aka peroneals) were also a bit off line.

Taken together, when these muscles work they create and control plantar flexion and inversion of the foot as in the push-off of running or walking, and they create/control dorsiflexion and eversion of the foot as when the foot hits the ground.

Of great importance is the ability to anchor the big toe to the ground while the body passes over the foot. I was missing the mark. Nick taped my foot in a way to help facilitate this anchoring and he showed me several exercises to help me feel, create and control better big toe function while running. These exercises were similar in nature to what Mike showed me.

It’s several weeks later and what are the results? The heel and Achilles quickly started feeling better. I did a series of short interval type runs. The quicker pace (around 175-180 bpm) was challenging at first. I didn’t want to become exhausted while running and lose the technique, thus I only ran 1 or 2 minutes at a time. and walked in between. (Running with my dog tends to be a good way to break up the running with walking.)

Some discomfort remained for a couple of weeks in a stubborn way. It wasn’t terrible but it was hanging around like it was ready to pounce. I was worried that there was something we might be missing. This last bit of hanging-around heel trouble would be gone within 48 hrs after I reviewed the current ideas on pain and the brain. I’ll discuss that in the next post.

The Big Running Plan Begins

There’s a big event that I’ve had on my mind for years. It’s the Gore-Tex Transrockies Run. This year’s gig is six days, 120 miles with 20,000 feet of elevation gain. I’m looking at running the 2015 race so I figure the mileage and such should be about the same. Go here for maps and descriptions of this year’s stages.

Preparation for the Transrockies run means a whole lotta running this year. I need to do more trail races and another marathon, most likely a trail marathon. I’m running a lot (for me) right now. I’m up to about 30 miles per week. I’ve got a 5k this weekend and more races planned (more on that in a moment.) The very good news is that everything is feeling solid and strong, including my stubborn, chronic Achilles/heel trouble.

I’ve also consulted with Denver-area running coach Jay Johnson. I saw him speak at the NSCA Endurance Clinic a few months ago and I became very interested in picking his brain a bit. I’ll be communicating with him every month or so to fine tune my workouts and run plan. Speaking of which…

My first and only marathon (two years ago) was based on the FIRST Run Less, Run Faster plan. This plan has only three run days per week: a track workout, tempo run, and a distance run. Two days a week were devoted to a cross-training workout on a bike or rower. I also ran the Ft. Collins Half-Marathon and Park-to-Park 10-Miler based on this plan. It’s a minimalist running plan. It’s very useful if there’s limited training time available. This plan got me through several races but I want to know if a different type of plan will increase my performance. I’m curious if more running will make me a better runner.

The Transrockies run is a lot of running for several days in a row, thus with the SAID Principle in mind, it makes sense to me that I should train in as close a fashion to the race as possible. This time around, I’m going the maximalist route with the Hansons Marathon Method. (I also need to get the Hansons Half-Marathon Method.)

Something to consider with this high-volume plan is the opportunity to practice running. That is, with all the miles and the recovery runs, I get the chance to refine my running skills. Running is a skill just like playing a horn or driving a golf ball. Running improvements don’t come just from the obvious increases in fitness that come from speed work, tempo runs and tough long runs. Matt Fitzgerald discusses this idea in a Running Times article called Rethinking Junk Miles:

You see, running is a bit like juggling. It is a motor skill that requires communication between your brain and your muscles. A great juggler has developed highly refined communication between his brain and muscles during the act of juggling, which enables him to juggle three plates with one hand while blindfolded. A well-trained runner has developed super-efficient communication between her brain and muscles during the act of running, allowing her to run at a high, sustained speed with a remarkably low rate of energy expenditure. Sure, the improvements that a runner makes in neuromuscular coordination are less visible than those made by a juggler, but they are no less real.

For both the juggler and the runner, it is time spent simply practicing the relevant action that improves communication between the brain and the muscles. It’s not a matter of testing physiological limits, but of developing a skill through repetition. Thus, the juggler who juggles an hour a day will improve faster than the juggler who juggles five minutes a day, even if the former practices in a dozen separate five-minute sessions and therefore never gets tired. And the same is true for the runner.

(BTW, Russian kettlebell and strength expert Pavel Tsatsouline discusses the exact same principle but with regard to strength training.)

The Hansons Plan has me running often in a fatigued state. The longest run I do though is 16 miles. Most marathon plans feature a 20 mile run. So why only 16 as a longest run? This 16-miler will take place after several days of running. I’ll have a tempo run then an 8 or 6 mile run the day before the 16-miler. The idea as they say in the Hansons book is that I’ll be training to run the last 16 miles of the marathon. Sounds interesting and plausible to me. That goes along with something Coach Johnson suggested. He said that at some point, in preparation for the Transrockies Run, that every other week I should run back-to-back long trail runs. Again, this goes to the idea of training specificity. I imagine I’ll do that next year.

Here’s a list of races and potential races I plan to run this year:

3/2/14 – That Dam 5k – Denver: I need to run a 5k so I can derive my training paces for the marathon plan.
4/6/14 – XTERRA Cheyenne Mt. Trail Run 12km – CO Springs: Don’t know anything about this race but I’m looking fwd to it.
5/4/14 – Ft. Collins Marathon 13.1: Ran this one last year and had a great time. Went out a tiny bit too fast though. Hope to better my time of 1:47.
6/7/14(maybe) – Boulder Sunrise Duathlon 3.1 mile run / 17.3 mile bike / 3.1 mile run – Boulder: My wife is doing this triathlon. I don’t swim well enough to do a tri but I’ve done some duathlons and this might be fun and a change of pace.
Summer – 5k: Coach Jay Johnson suggested I train for and race a 5k. He said putting in that speed work would be useful for a Fall marathon.
8/23/14 (maybe) – Continental Divide Trail Race 15.5 mi. – Steamboat: Ran this one a couple of years ago and it was brutal but beautiful and a very laid-back kinda thing. Wouldn’t mind taking it on again in a better pair of shoes. Not sure if this one fits into the overall race plan.
9/20/14 – Aspen Golden Leaf Trail Half-Marathon – Aspen: This race got a great write-up in some running magazine (Runner’s World? Competitor?) recently. We’ve never been to Aspen. Sounds interesting. Should be good preparation for the marathon.
11/8/14 – Moab Trail Marathon: This is my main race. We’ve never been to Moab and this is a great reason to go.

That’s my plan right now. I’m very excited about this! I’m feeling great right now. I really love the process of getting to these races. I love the anticipation and the training. We’ll see what happens.

Athleticism Part II: Get More & Make it Better

In the last post I discussed the big, powerful idea of athleticism and what it looks and smells like. Here are what I believe to be the essential pillars of athleticism and a few ideas on how to expand your own athletic base. In no way have I covered every angle of this vast concept, but I hope I’ve touched on a few useful ideas.

Full, pain-free range in the joints:
- Full movement of our joints is a prerequisite for overall healthy movement. Improperly rehabbed injuries–an old ankle sprain for instance–can contribute to diminished athleticism. Our modern lifestyle (hunched sitting) is also an enemy of athleticism. Our time in cars, at desks and in front of TVs helps destroy hip mobility, thoracic spine mobility, shoulder mobility and the like.
Mobility in 3 planes of motion (sagittal, frontal, transverse):
- This is related to the point above but it goes beyond single-joint movement. This pertains to large movement patterns like squatting, lunging and reaching which are conducted through several joints.
- A lot of us are very good at moving in the sagittal (forward/backward) plane. Many of our gym exercises (especially machine-based exercises) are sagittal plane dominant. Endurance athletes are particular specialists in moving forward only. Start looking for competence in the frontal (side-to-side) plane and transverse (twisting) plane and you’ll often see problems. Ankles, hips and thoracic spine are frequently limited in the frontal and transverse planes.
Stability in 3 planes of motion (same 3 planes as above):
- Mobility and stability are two sides of the same coin. Too much or not enough of either is a problem. Focusing your efforts on improving only one of them will lead to problems. A lack of mobility is a detriment to stability. Here are a few ways to check your tri-plane stability.
- Watch the video below on half-kneeling and see if you can follow along. (Can you get into the position? If not, there’s something worth working on.) What do you notice? Are you stable or not? Half-kneeling is a very useful window into 3-plane stability.

One leg balance is extremely important. Whether you consider yourself an athlete or not, you spend a lot of time on one leg (walking, running, stair climbing, getting out of a car).
Try standing on one leg. Can you do it? If so, for how long? How about a squat? What happens when you try a one-leg squat? Can you perform a controlled squat or do things start to collapse?

Ability to manage forces through the core:
- The core is everything from your skull to your pelvis. Your arms and legs attach to your core through your shoulders and your hips. The core is analogous to the foundation of a house. If it’s strong then you’ve got great potential to operate from that foundation. If it’s weak, then everything you try and do from that base will be compromised.
- If the core doesn’t function correctly then your spine is unstable–and that’s a bad thing. Spinal stability is critical for both your health and your performance. If you can’t stabilize the spine against external forces (a suitcase, a bag over your shoulder, a shovel full of snow, a lawn mower, heavy door, an opponent and gravity at all times) then you will have many ongoing problems. By expanding your core stability skills in three planes then you’ll be much safer in general. You’ll be stronger and potentially more powerful. (BTW, don’t bother with crunches. They do little and less for core strength.)
- Dr. Stuart McGill’s work is a good place to start for core competency. His “Big 3” exercises address core stability in three planes. Here’s a video

Adequate strength for the task:
- I compare strength to money in that rarely do we find ourselves having too much. A lot of people come to the gym but they never get stronger. Endurance athletes are classic examples. These good people often spend their time lifting very light weights for very high reps.
- Many of us would benefit from training in the 1-5 rep range, using weight that is actually difficult to lift. Heavy lifting enables runners to put more force into the ground, helps cyclists put more force into the pedals and helps everyone perform their daily tasks in a safer, more effective fashion. Beyond making stronger muscles, heavy lifting enables us to recruit more muscle fiber plus makes the bones and connective tissue stronger.
- Now, clearly the power lifter has different strength requirements than a triathlete. So beyond a certain point, training for more strength doesn’t yield more athleticism. For the endurance athlete, there is a point where very heavy lifting may impede endurance training. No need to go there! Just recognize that most of us will benefit from getting stronger.
Speed:
- Lots of grown-ups left speed behind a long time ago. We quit sprinting and jumping. We started plodding. Go to the “cardio” section of any gym today and you’ll see a zombie-like scenario in which the walking dead sort of lope and limp yet never go anywhere. This is the opposite of speed.
- But why did anyone ever run in the first place? To go fast of course! Humans have had a need and a desire to move across the earth rapidly. We needed to evade predators like the evil older sibling and we needed to chase down prey like the annoying younger sibling. It’s in us and it needs to be done!
- Many endurance enthusiasts believe they don’t need speed. Nonsense! All good endurance athletes work on speed. The vast majority of athletic endeavors are based on getting somewhere faster than an opponent, so speed is valuable to very nearly every athlete.
- “But I’m not an athlete,” you say. So? Ever have to catch a subway or bus or plane and you’re running late? Suddenly there’s no substitute for speed is there? How about in an emergency situation? Can you get yourself out of trouble quickly? How about getting a child out of trouble? Your being able to move fast could help save a life!
- Speed work can do wonders for the physique. Moving a top speed can be a superb and possibly superior way to remove fat. You can sprint on your feet, on a bike (stationary or real) or a rower.
- Research (here and here) suggests that high-intensity sprint-type work can is superior for improving the health of cardiovascular patients and it protects against cardiovascular disease.
- HUGE MAJOR POINT: NEVER LET YOUR QUEST FOR SPEED OVERRIDE YOUR TECHNIQUE! Move perfectly first, then speed up. Don’t get sloppy or at some point you’ll probably get hurt.
Coordination/dexterity:
- This piece is closely tied to the stability and mobility in three planes. Can you change directions quickly? Can you turn and run? Can you jump and land without destroying yourself? Can you catch and throw an object? Can you run, throw, catch, jump and land all in one fell swoop?
- If you haven’t done this type of thing in a while it can be a lot of fun and can certainly provide a mental break from the same old routine.
- This isn’t just for “athletes” by the way. Let’s say you’re stepping off a curb and–Whoa! Here comes a cyclist/bus/skateboarder/escaped zoo animal–you need to hop back on to the side walk. Can you get the job done? How about navigating an icy parking lot? Or nabbing your pet before it escapes out the front door? Better dexterity and an ability to move in unpredictable situations is a safety issue for sure.
- How about getting down on to and up off of the ground? If you fall, can you get up? That’s a highly coordinated activity that demands core strength, mobility and stability. Again, as adults, we spend a lot of time avoiding the ground. It might be a good idea to get down there and so some stuff.
- Appropriate exercises include: speed ladder drills, three dimensional hopping on one or two legs, throwing medicine balls, juggling kettlebells, battling ropes, shuttle runs, rolling, crawling, the Turkish get-up and tree or rock climbing.
- Here’s a great video of several speed ladder drills. Play around with some of them.

And here’s a helluva multi-directional jump matrix. Think I’ll try this soon.

Here’s some more athleticism in the form of the Turkish Get-Up. This is a very good breakdown of an exercise that combines strength, mobility and stability in what may be the most complete exercise you can find:

Adequate endurance for the task:
- Greetings very-strong people. Can you walk up a flight of stairs without turning purple? Can you go on a short hike without buzzards circling overhead the whole time? Can you walk 18 holes of golf? Can you go skiing and not spend 10 minutes at the end of every run getting your breath back?
- A lot of us are endurance specialists but some of us are far from it. Various activities can be a lot more enjoyable if we have the heart and lung capacity to get through them. Being a tourist in Washington, DC during the summer is definitely an endurance activity. Any significant amount of gardening probably requires some endurance as does any sort of house work.
- I remember in my scuba certification we were required to swim like 2-4 laps across a pool. This was by no means a full-length swim workout. One lady had to stop about halfway through. She was exhausted. She couldn’t complete the swim and she couldn’t muster any energy to complete the class. Her young daughter was OK to keep going. So in her case, a potential fun family activity was curtailed by a conspicuous lack of endurance.
- Strong, skillful athletic teams are often limited by endurance. If an athlete doesn’t have the stamina to last an entire contest, then they will very likely be beaten by an opponent who can continue to execute their game plan to the end of the game.
AWARENESS!
- None of the above are possible without it! Do you know if your pelvis is tilted? Do you know where your shoulder blades are? Is your neck protruding?
- Do you have any idea how well you balance or how coordinated you are? When was the last time you tried to move fast? Are you conscious of how you lift heavy things off of the ground?
- In other words, are you aware of any weaknesses or where along the athletic spectrum you may be lacking? Do you make an effort to try new things in your workout or have you been doing the same thing forever?
- I often tell clients, “We’re going to find what you’re bad at and then do a lot of it!” We often discover something (or several somethings) that is particularly challenging–not painful–but difficult. (By using exercise, we expose a weakness.) Then we want to find a way to bring up this capacity whatever it may be. But first we must become aware of this weakness.
- Sit and think for a moment. What do you NOT do? What’s always been difficult? What have you NOT done in a long time? In contrast, what do you do a lot of? What’s easy for you? See if you can turn this paradigm inside out. Can you think of a way to expand your athletic base?

NSCA Endurance Clinic Summary: Day 3

David Barr: Nutritional Supplements & Ergogenic Aids

NSCA CSCS, USA Track & Field, Precision Nutrition Certified, participated in research with NASA
High Return On Investment Supplements
- Caffeine
  - blocks adenosine which results in
  - less fatigue and
  - lower feeling of exertion during activity
  - concerns include GI distress and diuresis (exessive urination)
- Carbs
  - type: glucose, fructose, maltodextrin
  - timing: during exercise
  - beneficial in events lasting >2.5 hrs
  - dosing by duration: 60g/hr for 2-3 hrs, 30g/hr if <2 hrs
- Fish oil
  - effects
    - increased muscle anabolism
    - may enhance recovery
  - Don’t look at total Omega 3s
    - You want EPA = 180 and
    - DHA = 120
  - If eating a high-fat diet (me) then up the Omega 3s.
  - potential synergy with Vitamin E
- Protein (He seems to be a big protein guy.)
  - Don’t use during exercise (but what about Accelerade? No good? Didn’t get a chance to ask.)
  - Consume up to 2 g per kg of body weight or 1 g per lb.
  - Whey post workout: 20-25 g is the limit
- Nutrient timing:
  - Protein pulse feeding
    - multiple protein feedings per day of 20-30 g
    - ups protein storage
    - Seems the effect of this is separate from the training effects from the workout.
  - Take about 40 g of casein before sleep to help blunt catabolism
  - Carb timing:
  - If you need rapid glycogen replenishment then consume carbs soon.
  - If you have 24 hrs before the next workout then it’s not an issue.
  - Protein and the workout
    - If you’ve eaten soon before a workout then don’t worry.
    - If you haven’t eaten in a while then eat protein pre-workout.
- Keys to hydration
  - specific prescription better than ad libitum or drinking at will.
  - (Dr. Tim Noakes disagrees and I side with Noakes.)
  - flavor enhances consumption
  - cold increases palatability
  - drink early/often
- Building the optimal endurance drink
  - 200 ml water/15 minutes
  - sodium: 450 mg/L
  - Carbs: 8-10%, 90 g/hr: glucose and fructose
  - Protein (potentially): 7%
  - You must “train the gut” or use this stuff while training in order to condition the digestive system to put up with it.
- Antioxidants
  - mitigate free radical damage and aid recovery
  - Don’t take directly after workouts.
  - May be a case for taking antioxidants during activity
- Lactate
  - Lactate is used as energy.
  - Doesn’t cause burn/fatigue
  - Cytomax makes some sort of drink w/lactate in it.
- Buffers
  - bicarbonate
    - 300 mg/kg
    - potential GI trouble
  - Beta alanine
  - Theoretically: use both for a systemic effect
- Nitrates
  - may help power output
  - may mitigate effects of altitude
  - Improved time trial performance in cyclists
- Immunity
  - CHO
  - Vit C
  - Vit D
  - Zinc
- Common deficiencies
  - Vit D
    - No toxicity
    - 6000-10,000 IU/day
  - Iron: Test for it.
  - Magnesium
- Experimental considerations
  - hyperhydration
  - “train low” (carbs): unclear if this benefits performance
  - echinacea: increases EPO
  - ketones: novel energy source
- Future prospects
  - cobalt chloride
  - guanidinopropionic acid
- Other resources
  - Examine.com – This is pretty interesting. Just started looking at it.
  - EAS Academy

Tim Crowley: Program Design: Strength Training for Endurance Athletes

CSCS, NASM-PES, USA Cycling Elite Level Coach, 2008 US Olympic Triathlon Coaching Staff, USAT Elite Coach of the Year and Development Coach of the Year, Owner TC2 Coaching, Head Strength Coach at Montverde Academy
Huge need for endurance strength & conditioning coach
“Great swimmers are great athletes that swim fast and great athletes are strong.” – Richard Shoulberg, Germantown Academy
STRENGTH MUST BE THERE FOR SPEED!
Program Goals
- Reduce injury incidence
- Reduce injury severity
- Increase athletic performance
- Improve athleticism
If you can read/learn 1 hr per day then you’re way ahead of the crowd.
Try stuff out before we give it to athletes: workouts, tools, food
Book: Endurance Training Science & Practice, Mujika
He covered various research evidence showing that strength training aids runners, cyclists and other endurance athletes
- Reasons strength training works for endurance athletes:
  - conversion of type IIX fibers into fatigue resistant type IIA fibers
  - improves strength (like money in the bank)
  - rapid force production
  - improved neuromuscular function
  - tendon stiffness (essential for running)
  - improved max speed for fast starts or finishes
- Common myths
  - Heavy weights make you big
  - Weight training hurts young athletes
  - Endurance athletes need light weight/high reps
  - Heavy weight training reduces ROM
  - Lifting equals bodybuilding
  - Squats hurt knees
  - Only for use in off-season
  - Endurance training will build strength
- Important considerations
  - Strength work often isn’t to improve the engines of endurance (legs for running for example) but rather to address weaknesses, increase overall athleticism, and avoid injury
  - As pressure mounts on an athlete, find ways to coach less and simply get them to perform at their ability.
  - Time:
    - an obstacle for endurance athletes
    - goal is 30-40 min 2x per week
    - Try high-intensity/low-volume workout to increase muscle activation prior to a track workout
  - Energy
    - finite amount of energy for training
    - can’t interrupt endurance sport training
    - DOMS can be a problem
    - physical effects of high-vs low-volume
    - psychological effects
  - Reciprocal Inhibition
    - Reduced neural drive to opposing muscles
    - Areas of concern
      - scapula/thoracic spine
      - hip flexors/glutes
      - hip adductors/glute medius
      - anterior core/low back
  - Pattern Overload
    - Endurance sports are cyclical
    - high incidence of overuse injury
    - lots of “itises”
  - Force Couplings
    - Key body regions for multisport athletes
      - internal vs. external shoulder rotators
      - hips in saggital plane (flexors vs. extensors)
      - hips in frontal plane (glute medius and quadratus lumborum)
    - Eliminate power leaks
    - Improve movement economy = free speed
  - Masters athletes
    - strength development/maintenance is vital to success
    - loss of power declines faster than strength
    - mobility is crucial
    - compensation patterns
    - slower recovery from injuries
  - Program design
    - foam rolling/movement prep
    - mobility
    - corrective exercise
    - strength
    - keep it simple
    - less is more
    - quality over quantity
    - develop power
  - Self-myofacial release (SMR)
    - foam rollers
    - tennis/LAX balls
    - golf balls
    - the Stick
  - Mobility
    - May be the most important component in the beginning
    - a must for masters athletes
    - Vital concerns:
      - hip mobility
      - thoracic spine
      - ankles
      - 1-leg squat
      - split squat every workout
      - His ACL injury rate is almost 0.
  - Overuse injuries
    - Be proactive
    - shoulders
    - low back
    - glutes/glute medius
    - lower leg/ankle
  - His go-to exercises
    - inverted/TRX rowing
    - anterior core
    - core dynamic stabilization
    - single-leg squatting (priority goes to 1-leg over 2-leg work)
    - glute/hamstring and glutes
    - trap bar deadlifts
    - ankle band walking
    - eccentric calf raises
  - Mobility and Stability
    - Mobility is the combination of muscle flexibility, joint ROM, and the body segment’s freedom of movement
    - 2 types of stability
      - static 1-leg stance
      - dynamic core stabilization during athletic movement
    - Example: Hips are stiff so lumbar spine becomes too mobile/unstable and injury is incurred.
  - 10 exercises to include
    - Cook hip lift
  - Hip flexor stretch
Resources
- Strengthcoach.com
- Strength Training for Cyclists, Newton
- Gray Cook
- Core Performance, Verstegan
- NASM
- Functionalmovement.com
- USA Weightlifting
- Functional Strength for Sport, Boyle

Nick Clayton, Power Training for Endurance Athletes

Objectives
- Explain how training with explosive movements benefits endurance performance
- Correctly perform variations of the Olympic lifts and plyometrics specific to performance in endurance activities
- Lecture
- Practical
  - dynamic warm-up
  - Olympic lift variations
  - Plyometrics
- Why train for power?
  - Rate of force development
  - eccentric strength
- Non-barbell Olympic lifting
  - Clean, snatch, jerk variations
    - kettlebells
    - dumbbells
    - medicine balls
  - Plyometrics: various 1 and 2 leg jumps, hops, skips
  - Nick said he would create videos of all the exercises and post them. When/if they’re available I plan to post them here.
  - This was a fantastic session from warm-up to all exercises.
  - It was very much in line with the idea of creating athleticism.
  - These drills exposed a lot of weaknesses and lack of athleticism in a lot of the participants.
  - Exposing these weaknesses could be a huge opportunity to improve athletic performance.

Conclusion:

This clinic was just excellent! It far surpassed my high expectations and that’s a rare thing. The combination of theoretical/academic/”sciencey-type” stuff, practical application of the science, and physical participation kept the whole thing extremely interesting. I came away with my mind overflowing with ideas.

Several things are prominent in my mind right now:

I was re-introduced to some of Gary Gray’s concepts. I’ve returned to doing the 3D lunge matrix with much greater understanding of hip, spine and knee position, plus how to tweak the lunge matrix in all sorts of ways. I’m doing it again and all my clients are doing it now.
The concept of athleticism as a necessary foundation is a HUGE concept to me. We tend to specialize too much. We devote ourselves to endurance sports which go one direction (saggital plane) and we neglect 3D movement. We avoid crawling, climbing, rolling, hopping, jumping and engaging in unpredictable movement situations. Check out the people going into and out of Spinning classes and you’ll see a lot of broke-down people who can barely hobble. They aren’t athletic. And I have been one of those people–but not anymore! Every one of my workouts now has a dedicated 3D movement component, power component and I try to do something that I don’t typically do. Athleticism deserves a blog post of its own.
I’m going to contact Jay Johnson for some coaching. He did such a fantastic job of distilling academic information into practical application. I can only coach myself so far. I need someone who’s been through the process both as a runner and a running coach.

Denver Fitness Journal

All Things Health and Fitness by Kyle Norman, MS, CSCS, FMS, RRCA Running Coach

Endurance Training