I did the following WOW on 12/28.  This was part of my 3-way split rotation.  I am still sticking with the split routine because the ER has had very high volume and acuity recently, and this consumes a lot of recovery.  I don’t want to be around all of that contagion if I hammer myself with too much volume or too many big movements.  This was done at UE under the Supervision of Evil Ed Garbe.

Lumbar Extension on SS Systems Pulldown (as Pre-exhaust for)

MedX Leg Press

SuperSlow Systems Neck Flexion/Extension

Calf Exercise on MedX Leg Press

Yesterday (1/04/13) I did shoulders and arms at Fike gym.  I had the opportunity to work out with Ed at UE, but due to a late shift, I just couldn’t drag myself out of bed quickly enough.

Cybex Lateral Raise (Jrep halves)

Cybex Rear Delt (SuperSlow cadence)

Cybex Overhead Press (Jrep halves)

EZ barbell Curl

EZ Reverse Curl

EZ Lying Triceps Extension

Dumbell Finger Curl Done “Moment Arm Exercise (MAE)” style.

Due to my busy schedule, I don’t have a new topic.  Joe A has posted a rebuttal article over at www.renaissanceexercise.com. Check it out, along with the comments there.  Perhaps we can continue and expand the discussion based on what Joe has written.

Post your WOW’s and your thoughts for the New Year

Well, the world didn’t end as predicted.  I suspected we would all be here on the 22nd, so I stuck with my 3 way split with 5 days between workouts.  I probably would have preferred a 7 day respite, but it didn’t fit my work schedule.

12/18/12 at Fike Gym

Dumbbell lateral raise-Jrep halves

Dumbbell rear deltoid fly- Jrep halves

Dumbbell overhead press

EZ barbell curl, then reverse curl (dropped weight by half)

Triceps pressdown

Forearms-dumbbell finger curl done MAE style

12/23/12-UE

Nautilus Pullover with SS retrofits

MedX Row with SS fall-off cam

MedX Chest Press

SuperSlow Systems Pulldown

SuperSlow Systems Neck Flex/Ext

These were both good workouts.  There was considerable local effect, but not an excessive systemic effect…not on the day of the workout or the recovery days that followed.  Recently, the RenEx guys have posted some articles on the “mind-muscle connection”.  I read this with some interest, as I have always assumed that this connection was important, but I have not always felt that I was good at it.  Also, I have watched many people train that I cannot imagine any sort of connection being at play, but they seemed to produce excellent results.  The assumption is that the “mind-muscle connection” is a pre-requisite for good results, but the evidence really is circumstantial at best.  We have to rely on someone’s subjective assessment that they indeed have such a connection.

The discussion that ensued made reference to a youtube video of Kai Greene referencing the mind-muscle connection and trying to teach it to a less-advanced bodybuilder who Kai feels has not made that connection (but still has way more muscle than most of the participants on the discussion boards).  This led me to watch several other videos of Kai Greene training, and frankly I cannot imagine that he is making any sort of connection that remotely approaches what the RenEx guys are talking about.  The most revealing video was one where Dorian Yates was trying to take Kai Greene through his high intensity chest and back routine.  It was evident there that Kai was almost unteachable and was almost unable to use techniques and positioning that Dorian used to create peak loading and intense contractions.  His instruction of the “Yates Row” was in particular a flail.

Sometimes I believe what makes some trainees and bodybuilders believe they are making the mind-muscle connection is simply the fact that they have some grist for that mill.  In order to feel that connection, it really helps if you have a lot of muscle to begin with.  This may simply be more challenging for your 150 pound personal training client.  Sometimes I wonder if trying to teach this connection to someone with minimal muscle mass is akin to making a blind person describe the color green.  Stated differently, perhaps the quickest way to get the perception you are making this connection, is to take a considerable amount of steroids and induce a lot of muscle mass.  I believe this is Mr. Greene’s real secret.  Steve Michaelic was also cited as an advocate of the “mind-muscle connection”, but he was also a notorious user of pharmaceuticals.  Tom Platz is often cited as someone who trained intensely and with a powerful mind-muscle connection, but videos of him training at age 57 and off drugs do not indicate any such connection that I can appreciate.

This is not to say that I think the mind-muscle connection is unimportant; I believe it is very important and that the less gifted you are, the more you will need to call upon it.  It is however, more difficult to achieve with smaller amounts of muscularity.  I do believe the connection can be cultivated, and much of it can be done outside the gym.  To make this connection you have to become practiced at contracting all of your various muscles (or muscle groups) in isolation.  This can be done while lying in bed, watching TV or almost any other time.  Simply try to isolate a muscle in your mind and contract it without involving any other surrounding muscles.  If you cannot do it initially, contract the target muscle in conjuction with other muscles, then gradually release the contraction of the contributing groups until only the intended muscle remains contracted.  Do this over and over until you get better.  A way to greatly enhance this process is to practice it when you are quite sore from a previous workout.  Your awareness of sore muscles is much greater, and their activation threshold for contracting will be lower.  You can deliberately plan a bodypart specialization with the intent of making yourself sore so that you can become practiced at isolating a controlling those given muscles in the days that follow.

Over time you can become quite adept at muscle control and can move and twitch most muscles the same way most folks can twitch their chest or biceps.  Once you develop this degree of awareness, you can apply this connection during your workouts.  When you are performing a movement become aware of the conscious attempt to contract the targeted muscles AND the conscious effort to turn off the uninvolved groups.  The best way to do this (and very hard to accomplish) is to focus on the feel you have in the involved muscle and to IGNORE your awareness of the equipment.  This is especially true on machines.  There is a tendency to focus on the movement arm of a well-designed machine or the weight stack of a poorly designed machine.  You must not do this, instead focus only on the mounting sensation of burning and cramping.  Mentally dive down below that and mentally access the process of muscle contraction.  Actually envision and feel the sliding filaments and shortening sarcomeres.  The deeper you can dive into your body the better you can become at generating force.  Oddly, the movement arm will now continue to move when you don’t expect it to.  It will move well after the point in time continued movement would have occurred if your consciousness were focused on the movement arm.  Give this process a try.  I bet you will be surprised how much of your focus has actually been on the movement arm, and how little to what is going on in your body.  This problem is particularly true for those of us who are equipment geeks.  Ironically, the best equipment should allow us to move away from thinking about the equipment and worry only about what is happening internally.  It is definitely a process, and I am nowhere near as good at it as I should be at this stage of the game.  But hey, it is another opportunity to get better.  Give these techniques a try and let me know what you think, and share what techniques of your own that you find useful.

Post your WOW’s and your thoughts.

I have been very busy with ER work since Greg Anderson’s passing.  I squeezed in these two WOW’s.

12/08 at UE

-SuperSlow Systems Pulldown

-Nautilus Pullover with SS retrofits

-MedX Chest Press

-MedX Compound Row with fall-off cam

12/13/12 at Fike Recreation Clemson University

-Calf Exercise on Cybex Leg Press

-Hyperextensions with added weight

-Barbell Squat

-Leg Extension

-Seated Leg Curl

I am enjoying the focused effort of the 3-way split.  It also conserves my recovery during times of stress and grief.  Tomorrow I am conducting a weekend seminar for a group of 4, so I may get some indirect work demonstrating technique.  I also released more comments on the memorial post for Greg Anderson.  Once memorial service plans are finalized, I will post them here at BBS.  Please continue to post your memories of Greg.  If there are any topics you want to pursue, please include them with your WOW’s.

Post your WOW’s and your thoughts

I was getting ready to go down to UE for my WOW when I found my cell phone.  I had a voicemail from Washington State that came in at around 2am.  A second voicemail had been left later in the morning.  When I checked the messages, I found the most devastating news imaginable.

It is with a heavy heart and unimaginable sadness that I inform BBS followers and the HIT community at large that my dear friend Greg Anderson has died.  Greg introduced me to real HIT in May of 1997 when I made the pilgrimage to Ideal Exercise in Seattle to be trained by who I would come to regard as the best HIT trainer who ever lived.  I remember the five-sets of devastation like it was yesterday.  I wore a brand new pair of Reebok shoes when he put me through that workout.  They have been my training shoes ever since that day.  Every workout I have done at UE has been with those shoes, simply because I wanted to recapture some of the magic that Greg delivered to me that day.  Later that year, I would open UE based on the inspiration Greg provided and I returned to be certified by Greg because no-one else would do.  I could have been certified by Ken Hutchins himself, but I chose to travel across the continent to be certified by Greg.  Greg introduced me to my childhood hero Mike Mentzer.  Greg set a new course for my life when I met him in May of 1997.  I have sought his counsel on all issues great and small since that time.  He is quite simply one of the greatest minds I have encountered in my 50 years on Earth…and now he is gone.   I spoke at length with his wife Ann-Marie and she asked me to notify the community of Greg’s passing.  After making some difficult phone calls, I went down to UE for my WOW.  I cried as I laced up my 1997 Reeboks.  I will not post my WOW, instead I will post my WOW that Greg put me through in May of 1997.  I will post a more formal memorial in a few days, but no matter how good I will try to make it, it will fall short of doing justice to this legend of a man.

Nautilus Power Plus Leg Extension (with custom fall-off cam)

Nautilus Power Plus Leg Press

Nautilus Rowing Torso (cams flipped for proper fall-off effect)

Nautilus Compound Row (static hold)

Nautilus Flat Bench Press Machine.

As I lay on the floor, he handed me a tiny Dixie Cup of water which I could not hold without spilling.

I invite all to post their memories and sympathies.

I worked the weekend and UE was booked solid on Monday, so I did the following WOW at Clemson University’s Fike Gym.

Weighted Chin

Hammer Chest Press

Hammer Row

Cable Chest Fly

Barbell Squat 135 x 50

This was a very enjoyable workout.  I think it is important to occasionally have that “15 year old kid in the garage” type workout and this definitely fit the bill.  The high rep squats brought me back to the day of doing high reps because I was limited by how much I could press over my head.

Speaking of memories, I wanted to let everyone know that Drew Baye has released his series of essays from the late 1990’s.  While everyone else was worrying about Y2K, Drew was busy churning out the original “WOW”.  After every workout, while still delirious, he would write an essay on whatever topic came to mind. The title of this Cyberpump series was “Post Workout Delirium-Induced Ramblings” or PWDIR.   These proved to be some of the most interesting articles I ever read.  I remember anxiously waiting for my modem to connect to the Cyberpump website so I could read what was on Drew’s mind.

Recently, Drew has made available as an e-book the full series of PWDIR.  I cannot believe it has been over a decade since these were originally released.  Interestingly, the articles seem even more relevant today than they did back then.  I highly recommend that you consider giving them a look.

They can be ordered at http://baye.com/store/pwdir/

Post your WOW’s and your own PWDIR’s

I did the following WOW as part of a full-weekend One-on-One seminar.  The workout was done under the supervision of my seminar pupil.  I took him through a Big 6 (he wanted to include the pullover) and I did the following.

Infimetric Lateral Raise

TSC simple row (rear delt)

MedX Overhead Press

SuperSlow Systems Biceps (coupled movement arm with alligator cam)

Nautilus Plate Load Triceps with SS retrofits

Formulator Flexion/Extension

This was a fantastic workout, largely because I was being supervised by someone that had just assimilated a massive knowledge dump, and also because I was on my best behavior in order to demonstrate the teaching points I had been discussing all weekend.  This was one of the most rewarding weekends I have spent, and this was largely due to the fact that Randy (the client) had done so much preliminary study prior to our weekend together.  The weekend was also valuable because I had to do considerable preparation for his particular medical situation.  Randy has recently lost 150 pounds and experienced a complete reversal of his type II diabetes and metabolic syndrome.  He did this with the assistance of a specific type of bariatric surgery called a “vertical sleeve gastrectomy, with duodenal switch and pancreato-biliary diversion”.  The instructive part of preparing for his visit was to learn how this particular type of bariatric surgery addresses multiple components of the metabolic syndrome.  Equally interesting to me was that each of these components of the surgery was discovered serendipitously over the years without any real understanding of the metabolic syndrome (indeed, much of it was in effect before the metabolic syndrome was even defined).  The vertical sleeve gastrectomy was originally done as a treatment for intractable ulcers, but the removal of the fundus of the stomach not only decreased stomach volume, but took away Grehlin production which is a hormonal signal of hunger.  The duodenal switch and pancreatic-biliary diversion was developed from battlefield medicine due to the unique intestinal bypasses that had to be done in traumatized soldiers.  Here the proximal small bowel is disconnected from all of the mid-small bowel (jejunum) and almost all of the distal small bowel (ileum).  The last 100-150cm of the ileum is attached directly to the stomach and the bypassed section of bowel merges back at this level.  The bypassed section still receives digestive juices from the liver, gallbladder and pancreas but moves through unmixed with food until it merges back with the distal ileum which is now attached directly to the stomach.  Interestingly, when the small bowel contains digestive juices devoid of foodstuff, this is a strong signal for the secretion of glucagon which inhibits insulin production and signaling.  The only downside is the decreased nutrient absorptive capacity due to the shortening of the gut.  The surgery along with the synergistic effect of BBS allowed Randy to drop from 306 pounds to 156 pounds at a height of 5′6″.  This surgery is a perfect example of how tinkering and serendipity precedes scientific discovery and theory rather than the other way around.  The goal for Randy was to lose the last few pounds and gain a final 5 pounds of muscle.  The general course of the weekend was as follows:

-Confirmation of my understanding of his procedure and current medical condition.

-Enhanced discussion of the importance of the proper balance between an anabolic and catabolic state.

-Discussion of the importance of purifying the stimulus (inroad) and eliminating the superfluous (outroad), so recovery is spared.

-Review of lab studies and discussion of supplementation as it related to his medical condition.

-Discussion of TSC and infimetrics and what it can teach us with regard to purifying the stimulus in dynamic exercise.

-Demonstration of infimetrics and TSC.

-Learning of “the slow ramp-up” in dynamic exercise.

-Selection, set-up and delivery of an ideal dynamic workout.

-Workout debriefing.

-Discussion of global metabolic conditioning (after experiencing it first-hand).

-Discussion and referral for equipment recommendations for his home facility as well as supplement sources.

-Wrap-up/Q&A.

This was without a doubt one of my best weekends ever.  I think I probably learned more than Randy.  I hope to do much more of this in the future.

Post your WOW’s and your thoughts.

I went down to UE this past Friday and worked out with Ed and Sherry.  After I finished with their workouts, I was dealt the following payback:

Lumbar Extension on SS Pulldown

MedX Leg Press

TSC Leg Extension (used bottom bar of the 4 bar linkage on the Leg Press and yoga blocks for padding)

TSC Leg Curl (done by scooting to the front of the seat on the Nautilus Pullover and hooking ankles over the foot bar-with yoga blocks for padding) Oh, seat belt required

SuperSlow Systems Neck Flexion/Extension.

The TSC (timed static contractions) were really tough.  I started at 50% effort, then ramped to 75% and finally 100% effort.  Each stage was 20 seconds long.  I have found that 30 seconds is too long, by the time I get to the 100% stage I am too weak to even stay in contact with the movement arm.  I was sore and tired for 3 days, I suspect due to the addition of TSC leg extension and leg curl.  I will limit the volume next go ’round.

I want to give a hat tip to Brandon Schultz, D.C. for his post last week drawing our attention to the topic of “myokines”.  We have always viewed the topic of hormonal signaling and skeletal muscle as one of hormones that act upon muscle tissue.  I think we have always had a sense that the signals also go in the other direction (i.e. how organ mass seems to track along with muscle mass) but science is just now starting to identify the exact mechanism and players.  The new paradigm is one of skeletal muscle as an active secretory organ that has endocrine effects on the other organ systems of the body.  If you go to PubMed (www.nlm.nih.gov) and simply type the word “myokine” in the search engine you will uncover a treasure trove of articles that illustrate the incredible power of strength exercise.  Below is just one abstract:

The diseasome of physical inactivity–and the role of myokines in muscle–fat cross talk.

I did some infimetric play for shoulders and arms mid-week with Ed Garbe.  I waited until Sunday and did the following WOW (Chest/Back).

Pulldown SS Systems- Jreps 1/3rds

Nautilus Pullover with SS retrofits

MedX Chest Press-included rest-pause after failure

MedX Compound Row with SS cam

Wendy did here every 14th day WOW that was as follows:

MedX Chest Press

SS Systems Pulldown

MedX Overhead Press

MedX Leg Press (followed by TSC abduction/adduction)

This was a fantastic workout and, for whatever reason, the pump was off the chain.  I followed up with a very busy 3-11pm shift.  Today, I am sore, but not systemically fatigued.

This week I received an email from Sid Morris and Bo Railey of Exercise, Inc. in Indianapolis about one of their clients.  I am posting it now in hopes of getting us focused on the stuff that matters most.  Here is the email, followed by a study that supports the role of exercise in improving CHF.  This was something that until very recently was thought to be irreversible.  We in the HIT field had tons of anecdotal experience of this sort of improvement over the years, but once again science is catching up to us.  THIS, ladies and gentleman, is what we are about.

My client, Jim Schliebner, has had three heart attacks and is a war vet.  3 years ago they measured his left ventricle stroke output for his heart (left ventricle ejection fraction)

and it measured at 44.  Which he tells me is low.  Average is 50-55 and above average and looking great is between 60-65.  He has been training with me for exactly two years.

Three months ago the doctors measured his left ventricle output and it measured at 61.  He is very excited about this and credits the strength training for his progress.  He took

a testimonial sheet home today and will bring it back next week.  I thought his story would be a good one for the web site.

–
Sid Morris

Exercise Inc.
11145 N. Michigan Rd
Zionsville, IN 46077

(317) 873-5700

Exercise training in patients with advanced chronic heart failure (NYHA IIIb) promotes restoration of peripheral vasomotor function, induction of endogenous regeneration, and improvement of left ventricular function.

I did the following WOW late Friday afternoon (after UE had cleared out).

Lumbar Extension on the SS Systems Pulldown

Squat Position MedX Leg Press (clean turn-arounds, no end stop)

Nautilus Pullover with SS retrofits

MedX Chest Press

MedX Compound Row with SS cam

All sets were done to simple failure.  No end-stop techniques were used.  I think I am going to drop any end-stop technique on pushing movements were the squeeze is done near infinite moment arm.  My recent experience with the iStatic machines, along with recent experiments of infimetrics have convinced me this technique may not be worth the risks.  The statics with feedback have domonstrated how high you can generate force with gradual uploading and how holding a plateau well below this level (with a large margin of safety) actually results in an almost identical fatigue curve as you would experience with the bell-shaped curve of maximal upload.  For an explanation, see the graphics in Gus Diamontopolous’ Future of Exercise article at the RenEx site.  Based on his explanation, I think the inroading with a dynamic set would probably be quite similar with just clean turnarounds as it would be with an end-stop squeeze technique (EST).  The EST might accelerate the rate of inroad, but the ultimate depth or quality is the same.  I suspect the increased rate of inroad may not be worth the potential increased force or the vascular risk if val-salva happens to creep in.

My experience with infimetrics has made me wonder about the requirement for an unrestricted speed of motion in dynamic exercise.  When performing infimetrics, I have found that in order to maintain maximal tension, cadence needs to vary (generally becoming faster as fatigue accumulates), and range of motion tends to be truncated as well.  I believe this is likely due to accumulated pump and congestion making muscular insufficiency at the extremes of range of motion more problematic.  For instance, when doing lateral raise or chest fly, at the extremes of ROM one limb will be experiencing active insufficiency while the other experiences passive insufficiency.  Now, I do not think this means that with dynamic, load-based exercise that speed must vary, but I think it is important that it CAN vary.  Once you have a situation where speed cannot vary due to any sort of hard constraint, then I suspect neural input and recruitment may be messed up or even inhibited. If one were to wrestle an overwhelming opponent, then the most adaptive option would be inhibition of recruitment and escape (as opposed to increased recruitment if a potential yield were sensed).  Appropriate cams and biomechanics can obviate the need to speed up or truncate ROM, but if speed is constrained artificially then recruitment may be inhibited.  Because there is no movement, this does not appear to be an issue with statics as feedback shows that you can maintain very stable force output until fatigue occurs.  In a dynamic movement, if cadence is controlled, force output can be equally stable.  If you are using a motor-based resistance that restricts speed, maximal effort will produce more force variation and may befuddle recruitment.  Now, I don’t want to slam motor based equipment, as I believe it has applications just as other versions of equipment do.  However when using speed-restraining equipment, I think it is important to use sub-maximal effort  and try to maintain a stable force output until fatigue catches you and results in “failure”.  I believe performing “hyper” training (as seen on my CZT youtube clip) may not be the best use of this machinery.  Despite its intensity, it may actually result in neural feedback that inhibits optimal recruitment and fatigue.  Likewise, I wonder if the same concerns may not be present with the use of a hard end-stop squeeze (particularly in extension on pressing movements).  Again, I want to make certain it is understood that I am not stating any of the above as fact.  These are just musings I have had based on my recent experiments with statics and infimetrics.  Things that make you go hmmm.

Post your WOW’s and your thoughts.

I am reluctant to post this week’s WOW because I don’t want to stop the incredible thread generated by the RenEx conference.  Please feel free to continue your discussions and debates on this week’s WOW.

MedX Overhead Press

Ghetto infimetric lateral raise

TSC simple row (using yoga blocks laying on floor)

Nautilus Plateload bicep

Nautilus Plateload tricep

Formulator flex/ext

Calf Exercise

I made a “ghetto” infimetric device out of a 30 inch threaded plumbing pipe with 2 90-degree connectors on either end and 8 inch handles attached to the connectors.  With this you can do lateral raise, rear delts, biceps and triceps (over the head), chest fly and wrist flex/extension.  I also figured out that I can use yoga blocks against the lower portion of the MedX leg press’s 4-bar linkage to perform TSC leg extension.  Unfortunately, you cannot do leg curl because the seat carriage will pull forward.  It is amazing how being on the RenEX iMachines opens your eyes to creative possibilities.  I am also amazed at how TSC with feedback has improved my ability to feel my way through infimetric sets.  Use of TSC and infimetrics have proved very useful as a stand-alone as well as a pre-exhaust for dynamic work.  The pre-exhaust allows me to use a lighter weight on some of the MedX equipment and get around the sticking point issues that are problematic at heavier weights.  Also, for reasons that I cannot quite articulate, infimetrics seems to highlight the potential of TSC and vice-versa.

It is truly impressive how playing around on very expensive and sophisticated RenEx equipment has taught me how to get so much out of 25 bucks worth of yoga blocks and plumbing pipe.

Post your WOW’s and your thoughts.