Pile Driven for your rotator cuff practices

I notice things that people do fairly often, and I like to think that I'm a patient person. For instance when I absolutely want to form tackle someone into next week, I almost always refrain and walk away. B/c I realize not everyone is the same, we all have our own worthless opinions and the only reasons they're worthless is b/c we can't do a thing to change the other person's. But when I see a professional doing stupid stuff w/ their athletes or clients in the gym it really bothers me. So, after pile driving this individual, I came up w/ the top 3 things people do in regards to incorrectly training the rotator cuff.

#3 Doing multiple short sets for the rotator cuff.

The rotator cuff is a small muscle that’s main job is to keep the shoulder in place and absorb force/decelerate the arm. It does not need to be over loaded repeatedly w/ rest times. It needs to function, function long enough (endurance) and be strong enough to absorb force, keep the shoulder in position, and decelerate the arm.

I participated in a program once (it was college, we had no choice and didn’t know any better) where one day/wk we had 3 different rotator cuff exercises for 3 sets of 20 reps each. That means the entire football team sat there and did rotator cuff work for 10-15 minutes one day/wk. This is extremely excessive, and had an incredibly low ROI (return on investment).

Programming rotator cuff work is completely dependent on the athlete, time of year, sport, ect. But it’s a safe bet that 1 set of 20 reps one or two days/wk at the end of a workout, w/ a side lying external rotation exercise like this would be safe and beneficial for almost any athlete and the general population.

I also think it's much better to have something between the arm and torso, especially if using bands/pulleys in a standing position. I couldn't find the study but placing something simple like a towel between the arm and torso for external rotator cuff work increased EMG activity by close to 30%. Which makes sense, you use better technique that way w/ your arm closed off and pivoting at the shoulder like you should.

#2 You don’t need to progressively overload your rotator cuff like you do your squat, bench, or deadlift. It doesn’t work that way.

I’ve seen guys using over 20lbs for external rotation exercises. Your rotator cuff is a very strong muscle but that doesn’t mean that it is going to be able to move massive amounts of weight. It is not a fast twitch muscle like your glutes or hamstrings. It is a very small muscle and not meant for that. For most exercises anything over 5lbs or a very light band and you are wasting your time.

#1 thing that annoys me in regards to people training the rotator cuff

People using the empty can test as an actual exercise. The point of the test is to gauge problems of the rotator cuff. You are literally exacerbating the impingement to get a better look at how the shoulder is functioning.

The empty can test is not a go to exercise for the rotator cuff. Most people’s shoulders are just gonna get pissy doing an empty can test too many times, let alone adding resistance.

We've known this for a long time. The empty can is also not going to let us significantly pinpoint the area we want to work. According to Boettcher, Ginn, Cathers the empty can is going to recruit much more of the deltoid, which leaves the rotator cuff w/ a subpar role in moving the arm. We want to significantly recruit the external rotators of the rotator cuff. Although rear delt recruitment is not a bad thing, in this case we want to get in deep w/ the cuff. And we don't want to piss it off, and inflame the impingement.

Making my case w/ the Creatine loading phase

I've never really agreed w/ the creatine loading phase that is usually instructed on the outside of containers anyway, how most novices consume the product in general or why they even buy the stuff in the first place. But I digress.

We know that after 2-3 weeks of taking a normal serving size (which is a relatively small amount, 5 grams) of creatine our bodies levels will get to the same levels as that if we were to use a loading phase.

The idea of a loading phase is that it only takes a week. But this loading phase requires us to take around 20g/day for a week.

All a loading phase will do is increase the price of your piss. Literally

Creatine is a diuretic.

Any extra that your body can't absorb is going to be excreted in your urine, which makes it sound extremely safe like water soluble vitamins, and you take tons of Vitamin C when you get sick (even though I have yet to see any viable research that would prove access VitC to help your common cold after you're already sick).

Peeing all the time makes your more susceptible to dehydration, cramps, and gastric issues (of which creatine is heavily linked).

As far as my problem w/ how novices consume the product. Your body can only accept around 5g/day of creatine (depending on the person). So what's the point in forcing it.

As far as why they bought the stuff in the first place. Probably b/c the wanted an excuse for why they can't hit a lift when they "forgot" to take their creatine that day. Duuhuumb. Creatine might help you hit an extra rep or two on some of sets, it has nothing to do w/ immediate force output. And that's even if the lifter I'm making fun of right now has even trained long and consistently enough to even be able to put up anything substantial. I'll just go ahead and stop there before this turns into my normal tirade against the typical weight room hero that only workouts in spandex shirts, baggy sweatpants (to cover his chicken legs) and sweatbands even though he doesn't really sweat, but loves to put on a show loading up his supplements in the locker room, and doesn't really have anything impressive anyway.

To step away from making fun of probably half the people at my first job in the profession. Creatine works. There's no doubt about it. The stuff was a great find. See Pubmed article here. But the majority of people that even do lift heavy are going to get more from a preworkout meal than swallowing some creatine powder.

Really, creatine is fine for most people, it even has a role in brain health. Taking 5g/day is probably fine, depending on the person. I'd urge you to get tested first. But there's really very little need the supplement unless you've been training heavily for years, and have exhausted all your resources.

To wrap things up, in my professional and layman opinion it seems like taking an extra week or two to get the full affect of creatine is superior to loading.

If you are going to take creatine. Stay under or around 5g/day. Keep it simple and go for Creatine Monohydrate. If you're in high school, don't control or don't know what your workouts will include then take it before bed.

If you're only lifting, are in good shape and not doing conditioning then it'd be fine to take before the workout. But taking it before practice, games, or conditioning is asking for cramps and injuries (and not b/c your ripped) or sitting on the toilet for the next day or two.

What I learned from a 2yr old the other day

Good story for you.

The other night my little sister and nephew were riding in the car and he kept looking at the stars. Btw, my nephew is a funny little 2 yr old kid that does w/e he wants w/o fear and everyone says how he is just like me when I was that age so it kinda hits you. But he has no fear and doesn’t have any stitches, scars, or black eyes yet but probably will, just like his uncle. But when he refers to my little sister Maggie and I he says “My Maggie” and “My Adam”.

So the other night he’s in the car looking at the stars, and I guess it went like this.

Maggie: “Aren’t the stars pretty Jacob?”

Jacob: “Get one for me Maggie”

Maggie: “I can’t they’re too high”

Jacob: “Jump Maggie”

Maggie: “I can’t Jacob, they’re still too high.”

-Pause-

Jacob: “I bet my Adam could get one.”

I thought it was awesome, and totally killed me.

But really we should all be reaching for the stars. Too high to reach jump, and if you can’t get one find someone who can.

Just like anything else, get someone that’s been there, knows what they are talking about and can help you grab your own stars. If it’s w/ sports than jacob probably has a pretty good chance. His mom was a division I athlete, he’s bound to be pretty decent.

The great thing is that I get to be a role model for this kid and show him that he can grab a star for himself, and then I get to be there when he does.

In the mean time, here's a circuit you can try out. We used it to finish up the other day after a heavy leg week.

I have a circuit for you

Pullups x8

Prowler push x15 yds+return

Alternating Ropes x30 seconds

Facepulls x12

3 sets and the facepulls are there as active rest time.

Keeping it simple.

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10 tips to successful goals

New year, new goals, new lease on life, and all that jazz. Really, having the right mind set is huge, and some people will follow through w/ their endeavors this year and more power to you. It's take a ton of discipline to change your mind and the amazing result is how much that can change your life and your body.

But for tonight, Have a good time be safe, celebrate and remember the best parts of 2010, and be thankful they happened.

Thought this video made sense for tonight. Start everything else on monday. Btw that's the 3rd.

But if you have something you want to do this year, here are a few ways to increase your likelihood for success.

1) Tell everyone about it.

Our brains do this funny thing when lots of people know about our goals, it psychologically increases our dedication to following through. It puts more pressure on success, more people are there to keep you accountable, and then you can share your story w/ every one of them when your accomplish it.

2) Write it down and put it everywhere.

Bathroom mirror, car, desk, etc. Reminders are huge, even if you get used to them you'll still be reminded more often.

3) Make it specific.

Don't say I want tone up, or get stronger or some bullshit like that. Say, I want to Dead lift 600lbs, or I want to have 7% body fat.

For instance last year I still had yet to see the ocean. I know, crazy right. So I said before I my next birthday I'm to see the ocean. What happened, I was about to take a trip all by myself one month before my birthday to see the ocean, when some friends asked me to go to the orange bowl. Well, it was freezing cold in florida the whole week, I saw the ocean but I may as well have been looking at a picture, cause it was too cold to do anything anyway.

Yep, this happened while I was there.

4) Be realistic. This doesn't need an explanation.

5) Imagine yourself already having accomplished it.

This will not satisfy your craving for it, but will make your faith in the possibility of having/doing it, and/or will make you realize how much you need and deserve to have/do it.

6) Devote yourself to working your ass off for it. This means working smart as well.

This ass is earned

Getting on a treadmill is not hard work, and it's definitely not smart work.

7) Find and talk to people who have done what you're trying to do.

8) Get help from experts. Even Kobe Bryant has a coach.

9) Don't be a douche bag.

You can believe what you want, Karma, prayer, energy flow, w/e. But studies have been done to disprove prayer over and over again and every time the results came back w/ overwhelming proof in numbers that it works.

The studies took hundreds of patients and hospitals (some studies got specific using only cancer patients). Half the patients names were given to prayer groups across the country and half were not. The half that were prayed for showed massive improvement in their health, the group that was not prayed for didn't have any significant deviation from what was expected.

Point is if positive thoughts can help people in a hospital miles and miles away, what do you think negative thoughts can do. Plus no one likes a douche, no one wants to help a douche, and no one is going to be happy for a douche.

10) Find something that inspires you as often as possible.

Music, stories, movies, quotes, activities that rejuvenate you (maybe a walk in nature), anything that lifts your spirit and gets you going. Then use that energy to catapult yourself into your endeavor.

K, that's it. If you have another tip for keeping on track, or increasing your success put it in the comment section below.

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25 things worth taking the chance on

1. Skydive.

B/c its an experience that can only be earned one way and you'll have that connection w/ everyone else that's ever done it. Plus its a total rush.

2. Fly an airplane.

Not flying "on" an airplane, but actually taking the controls and defying gravity.

3. Diversify your Beer portfolio

If you haven't branched out yet, you need to. Beer seems to take a back seat to wine in almost every category but getting drunk in college, however there is a whole world of class and distinguished tastes beer has to offer that are passing most of us by.

Here are a few safe places to start

-Rogue, my favorite is Dead Guy Ale but I'm a fan of heavy dark beer. There are others.

-New Glarus, I have yet to have anything from them that is not incredible. (and I'm not a fan of the state of WI so that is saying quite a bit.)

-Goose Island, I personally really like Pere Jacques, but it is heavy w/ a high alc content so be careful.

-Hoegaarden, It's a very tasty beer to start the night w/ friends.

Just a side note, try any IPA's at your own risk, but up to you, they're just not my favorite.

4. Ride a REAL bull

Possibly just so you can appreciate real bull riders when you flip past a rodeo on tv. And no, mechanical bulls do not count.

5. Fat. Eat it for gods sake, it's healthier than sugar.

Here's something to start w/

Duck Fat Potatoes

-1lb small red potatoes

-4 tbsp duck fat ($3 for 7 oz from a specialty supermarket or dartagnan.com

Over low heat, melt duck fat in deep skillet w/ tight fitting lid. Raise the temperature. Rinse/wash potatoes, place in colander. Transfer to skillet (water + hot fat splatter, but this will also create cooking steam). Cover, shake skillet to coat potatoes. Cook until golden brown and tender (about 18min), season w/ coarse sea salt and black pepper.

And keep this dish for after a workout, your body will accept the carbs better during that time. Refilling your glycogen stores that have just been depleted, rather than having a glucose blood rush, cause then the pancreas produces insulin to pull the glucose out of the blood in an attempt to regulate glucose levels (which is a good thing) but then our bodies store it as fat (not such a good thing).

6. Blow hole diving

B/c it'd be phenomenal.

7. Downhill ski/snowboard a level far beyond your skill.

Yeah it's dangerous but so is shaving your balls.

8. Smoke an expensive cigar.

(not on a regular basis)

9. Try eating raw oysters.

B/c once you get past it looking like a bugger they are actually extremely good, but think how hungry the first person was to suck down one of those.

10. Perform a true 360 cookie in your car

Right now it's perfect in the midwest, cold w/ snow on the ground. Otherwise, find a gravel road and believe me.....it can be done.

11. Play tackle football past the age of 25

You're not too old unless you think you're too old.

12. Learn to surf

Whats the worst thats gonna happen, you get eaten by a shark, scrap your knee on the board surface, or develop a sweet and sexy new skill.

13. Take 15 minutes to savor a good glass of scotch

The point of drinking is not to get "slammed", and if you're going to drink you really should develop some kind of appreciation for what you're putting down your trap.

14. Get a heckler at a sporting event to sit down and keep his mouth shut.

15. Learn to do a flip off the diving board.

16. Scuba dive

Don't blow up your lungs.

17. Brave some second hand smoke w/ an old guy.

They are the best story tellers, and the stuff they did when they were young would put kids in juvie today.

18. Get off the beaten path in another country.

19. Take care of a toddler that isn't your own for 6 hrs.

It is an amazing exercise for developing patience and to instill safe sex practices. It's also nice for that little kids parents to have a chance to do something besides change diapers, do laundry, clean, and do anything w/ more than one hand at a time.

20. Do something that scares the shit out of you.

If you can do it regularly even better. For me its walking into a dark room. I'm very seriously afraid of the dark, so it's a regular game of "am I brave enough?". But don't be locking me in any dark rooms, I'll seriously put a hole in the wall.

21. Go somewhere for a week or two w/o telling anyone where you went (and if you can get away w/ it, don't even let them know you're leaving.)

22. Peg the speedometer.

You only have to burry that thing once to say you did it. Believe me, you'll feel like you're about to start flying and those dotted lines are gonna look like a solid line.

23. Bungee jump

24. Sleep in a tent for one week, w/ no radio, internet, or cell phone.

Preferably in the Rockies, w/ a cute girl that doesn't need make up, and enough food, beer, and fire wood to keep you warm each night.

25. Smoke pipe tobacco w/ a pipe inside your house (not repeatedly). It'll smell amazing for a week.

TOP THING WORTH TAKING A CHANCE ON:

-Stay casual, calm and confident, walk up, half smile and say "Hi", to a girl that (you think) is way out of your league. Best done after watching "40 year old virgin". The conversation that follows could ensue the story the two of you get to share for the rest of your lives. Sometimes a girl's personality matches her face and body.

And if not, who cares, you had the courage to do it, and that's respectable.

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Happy Holidays

So the title was an attempt to be "politically correct" but really I have no clue.

So Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukah, Kwanzaa...w/e you celebrate. Really we're all gonna end up celebrating some form of a misconstrued event that I hope at least started out w/ good intentions. I mean who knew that when this all started to cover pagan rituals, it'd turn into a commercialized monetization juggernaut that would rule little american boys' and girls' entire winter, and drain every one of their parents. Just kidding, well to a point.

I know I'm a bit of cynic, but really I think christmas is great. I also may get tired of the commercials and carols, but really the exchange of money is a great thing. It's how our economy runs so why not.

This year is interesting I have a 5 year old niece and a 2 year old nephew who are completely into santa. Just like every other kid their age. So I'm getting this view of how awesome they think it'd be to find santa in their house tonight.

The question that I'm wrestling w/ is what would I do if I woke up in the middle of the night and "santa" was in my house?

How many houses to you suppose get robbed by "santa" every year? Idk but I bet it happens.

I'd love to know what you think.

If this happened I'm pretty sure I'd think I was getting robbed, and wonder how he got in.

Anyway, it's snowing like crazy here. Have a good one, get a workout in before the big meal, use the sample I gave a few days ago.

NO EQUIPMENT NEEDED

This workout will let you utilize the food instead of storing it as fat.

And this is just one of my favorite christmas movie scenes

Sportsmanship and recent ridiculousness

Because of events in the news the last couple of weeks I think it's about time some of us coaches start talking about sportsmanship.

It's been a couple weeks now, but this guy really should be ashamed of himself. Parents out there should feel lucky that he choose to coach pro athletes instead of your kids cause this is NOT the kind of person that should be in the position of "role model". But he made his statement, and as far as his press conference....give me a break.

Personally I find it hard to go to a youth football game at all b/c of what I see from the crowd. But to a point, I can empathize w/ a parent or fan disagreeing w/ calls from coaches and referees.

However, I still strongly hold the general opinion that parents and fans are not on the field so they should keep their mouths shut.

But this guy is a coach, and a strength coach on top of that. A strength coach sees athletes more than any other coach, all year long, up close and personal. Your strength coach should be like a mentor (I know that is what I hold myself to as my athletes' coach), a person that our kids should be able to look up to and come to when they need advise or w/e else.

And then we have players fighting each other. Yeah, a team should be like a family and my brother and sister and I used to have epic battles where we beat the hell out of each other, but this stuff, in a public place. These guys need more pride in their school and themselves along w/ more character than to throw a fit like this. It doesn't take a man to throw a fit or a punch. A 2 year old can do that. It takes a man to compose himself and resolve matters his own way, even if it does mean punches at the very least take it outside.

When some of the dolphins players were interviewed about the jets strength coach, what they said that stuck w/ me was that behaviors and actions roll downhill. The were attempting to say how Coach Rex is dirty and that attitude is infectious and affects the other coaches and pretty soon affects all the players.

We as coaches are in an incredible position and we have not only an opportunity but a responsibility to be the best PEOPLE and COACHES that we can be in order to provide a model that our athletes can learn from. I don't mean that to seem like I'm saying we have to be goodies that tow the line all the time, that's far from what I think kids need.

The right role model isn't always what you think

If we are the best people that we can be that will trickle down. Our kids will learn from our best qualities if we let them show through. The really amazing part that I've found is how much I end up learning from them.

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What's w/ all the baby makin?

On to a subject I definitely do not consider myself an expert in. For some reason lately I've noticed an influx of pregnant women. Maybe I'm just getting to "that age", but the last time I remember noticing this many pregnant women I was 5 and my mom, 2 aunts and some family friends were all pregnant at approximately the same time. Scary stuff. But non the less I've always found this subject interesting in terms of exercise. How much should a woman workout while pregnant? How intense? What exercises? Etc....

In all actuality the exercise game is in infant stages in comparison to other activities human beings have been doing throughout our existence, so no matter who you are, exercise during pregnancy is almost completely uncharted territory.

A few of the things I know, is that:

1. men envy women because we cannot give life, and that's a pretty amazing deal.

We'll also never have to go through labor, so when it comes to talking about our "tough glory days" of football and wrestling, we might as well just shut up when the moms walk in the room.

2. Pregnant women are not to be messed w/.

Right now happens to be my older sisters third pregnancy and I don't know if it's hormones, entitlement, or stress but holding my tongue is an almost constant activity.

3. Pregnancies are nothing to mess w/ in general.

That's some precious cargo and it's fragile so this subject should be taken very seriously and given tons of thought and research.

Cassandra Forsythe is doing an interesting deal on her website right now though, in regard to exercising preggers, and these are her first two interviews.

Fit Pregnancy Interview Part 1

Fit Pregnancy Interview Part 2

Some of the stuff I read today

Typically when we feel relaxation is the last thing we need it's actually the time we need it the most. This is especially true during the holidays and I doubt very many people feel like dropping any more cash but a massage would probably go a long way on your way to the hap hap happiest christmas since...

But if you're not willing to get a massage this was a decent read.

Holiday Stress

I realize how lots of this stuff sounds and it's magical hocus pocus feel, but I have a hard time hearing an argument against MINDSET and BELIEF.

Dr. Bowden also posted Top 10 Tips for Jump Starting Weightloss that was a very quick, easy and informative read.

There are all kinds of parasympathetic activity options.

1. I do think massage is the healthiest and most beneficial/effective option

2. Meditation

3. Naps/sleep

4. (I hate to say it) but yoga and/or pilates.

Anything you can do to unwind and get your head in a positive, solution based position.