Training recommendations for the general population - movement longevity

Having trained a huge variety of people for nearly 10 years, when it comes to the general population there are common themes in types of movements that people typically don’t have in their programme.

The movements included here are simple to implement and can have a big impact on improving the function and performance of the body.

The general themes people don’t include are typically movements that focus on function rather than aesthetics. The reality of training is that it has such a powerful tool to enhance your ability to live a more fulfilling life that I hope people use it as such. When I am training the general population the typical focus I have is on health-span and longevity, how long can you stay healthy and free from chronic illness or pain and maintain a high level functioning body.

What movement abilities do you want to have in the last 10 years of your life?

How do you want to live your life when you’re in your ‘older’ age?

What happens if you don’t train and move your body now? What will happen later in your life?

Imagine being unable to play with your grandkids because you didn’t move your body earlier in life?

First recommendation you will notice in all the videos I’m not wearing shoes. Spend more time out of shoes. The feet transmit force from the proximity of the body to the ground and thus should be trained to respect this essential fact. A lack of general proprioception and awareness of how the foot feels on contact with the ground definitely contributes to ankle sprains and falling over in older age.

A general heuristic I have when working with clients… “Never add load to dysfunction”. Mechanical proficiency should always precede load. You should ensure you have correct movement patterns before you load.

To see videos head to instagram post - https://www.instagram.com/p/Ch5NOOuMuN2/

Video 1 - Plyometrics

• Lower intensity sub maximal, low amplitude multidirectional jumps. As we age one of the key abilities we lose is the capacity to move quickly and contact our muscles rapidly. If you’re 65+ and fall over and brake your hip your one year mortality risk is increased by 40-50%! That basically means you need to do everything within your power to maintain balance, coordination, strength and the ability to move quickly to prevent falls.

• These exercises improve the reactive ability of the calf complex which help with fall prevention. They also build general robustness and proprioception to help prevent ankle sprains which are very common in older age.

• The execution of these is very simple. You want to land on the middle of your foot, stay relaxed and try to maintain a consistent rhythm while jumping at 60% effort. Think about being bouncy and light as you spring off the ground.

• Start off with 8-10 reps if you’ve never done this type of activity and then build up to 20-30 over a series of progressive 8-12 weeks.

• Multidirectional landings are important to developing elasticity in different ankle positions that you might find yourself in.

Video 2 - Hanging

• Of all the issues people have with their bodies shoulders and backs are the most common. These exercises go along way to ensure you don’t have those issues.

• From my experience people simply don’t move and activate these muscles enough and thus pain presents.

• If you can maintain the ability to simple hang and hold your bodyweight for 60-90s you can be sure that your grip and shoulder strength are at a decent level to maintain function of your shoulder.

• Basically the mechanism is the muscles around the shoulder are preventing your humerus (upper arm bone) from being pulled out of the shoulder socket and strengthening these muscles in this way help to maintain strength and function of this area. Isometric exercises such as this provide great adaptation to keep tendons healthy which is normally the issue around the shoulder.

• When it comes to the back these exercises allow a decompression affect which increases the space momentarily between vertebra as gravity takes affect.

• Start with just hanging onto the bar with the feet on the floor and just taking the weight of your body with the upper body and then progress over many weeks without the feet on the floor.

Video 3 - Hip function exercises

• The glutes are the largest muscle group in the body and play a huge role in generating movement but also an integral role in supporting the bodies posture and structure.

• If you want to maintain the ability to move efficiently as you age you need to ensure you can correctly and in an isolated way extend your hip.

• I’ve seen a lot of clients that present with back pain and they simply can’t extend their hip without extending their back. Now imagine this scenario over and over again throughout the day and in other activities you can understand why pain would present. Addressing this and training the body to use the hips correctly can go a long way In potentially helping back pain.

• Putting an emphasis, even in you movement prep or on lower intensity days on improving the mechanics of hip extension can be very beneficial to improve the function of the body.

Video 4 - Scapular function exercises

• If there was one simple change most people could make to their upper body training it would be training the scapular through its full range of motion.

• In pretty much all gym based programmes you see out there, you’ll have some type of pulling movement. Then if there was one fault that most people need to fix it would be the mechanics of the scapular (shoulder blade) in these activities.

• I view this the same as not coming all the way up in a squat and fully extending your knees and hips, you need to go through the full range.

• This recommendation goes back to the most common issue I have found with clients presenting with shoulder  pain. They might do pulling movements but if your shoulder blade is not moving fully around your ribcage you’re not really using your back muscles to generate and control movement.

Video 5 - Varied dynamic exploratory movement

• Adding activities in which promote self exploration and have multiple movement solutions helps develop dexterous, adaptable and variable movement options which is beneficial when it comes to participating in dynamic activities.

• The mindset with these activities should be ‘how many different ways can I complete this problem’

• These exercises typically train mobility, stability and strength in different and unusual positions that traditional gym based exercises don’t train.

Strength and power training for runners

Training rationale

1. If we look at a very well know paper by Joyner & Coyle (2008)(3) they suggest that three limiting factors for running endurance performance are VO2 max x lactate threshold percentage x running economy (3). We can used gym based strength and power to directly and indirectly improve these, thus improving running performance.

2. Overall, the running injury incidence yearly has been shown to be between 37% and 56%: dependent on factors such as level of running, amount of running miles covered weekly, and the age of subjects. Research has suggested that between 20–70% of injuries associated with running require medical attention (2).

3. Injury prevalence presented greatest at the knee region (24.3%), but this differed when results were split into male and females. Females presented the greatest prevalence of injury at the calf/lower leg, whilst males presented greatest incidence of injury at the hip/pelvis/upper leg region (2). Resistance training increases your bodies ability to tolerate load which will decrease risk on injury.

4. Numerous studies report low bone mineral density in male and female distance runners. The underlying causes of low BMD in female runners are well established and associated with a syndrome termed relative energy deficiency in sport (RED-S) (1). Resistance training is the number one best activity to increase bone mineral density.

5. Runners that display higher eccentric strength, reactive strength and lower leg stiffness display superior running economy (RE) (4). Explosive training and heavy weight training are effective concurrent training methods aiming to improve RE within a few weeks. However, long-term training programs seem to be necessary when the largest possible improvement in RE is desired (5).

Three general training guidelines

1. Avoid the middle intensity weight zones of training. Individual differences apply if you haven't ever resistance trained but ultimately the positive adaptations we’re looking for come from increasing your muscles ability to generate high force in short time frames. Thus, we need to be stimulating and stressing the muscles and the nervous system with weights higher than 80% of our 1RM.

2. Reactive Strength is the holy grail when it comes to improving running performance. Reactive strength is the ability to reverse the ground contact by developing high forces in minimal time through the utilisation of the fast stretch shortening cycle (<250ms). This ability is developed by plyometric exercises which are jumping exercises with a ground contact time <250ms.

3. Placing an emphasis on single leg eccentric exercises will provide a huge performance and injury reduction return.

References

(1) Duplanty AA, Levitt DE, Hill DW, McFarlin BK, DiMarco NM, Vingren JL. Resistance Training Is Associated With Higher Bone Mineral Density Among Young Adult Male Distance Runners Independent of Physiological Factors. J Strength Cond Res. 2018 Jun;32(6):1594-1600. doi: 10.1519/JSC.0000000000002504. PMID: 29470364.

(2) Dempster, J., Dutheil, F., & Ugbolue, U. C. (2021). The Prevalence of Lower Extremity Injuries in Running and Associated Risk Factors: A Systematic Review. Physical Activity and Health , 5 (1), 133–145. DOI:

(3) Joyner, Michael & Coyle, Edward. (2008). Endurance exercise performance: The physiology of champions. The Journal of physiology. 586. 35-44. 10.1113/jphysiol.2007.143834.

(4) Li F, Newton RU, Shi Y, Sutton D, Ding H. Correlation of Eccentric Strength, Reactive Strength, and Leg Stiffness With Running Economy in Well-Trained Distance Runners. J Strength Cond Res. 2021 Jun 1;35(6):1491-1499. doi: 10.1519/JSC.0000000000003446. PMID: 31809458.

(5) Denadai BS, de Aguiar RA, de Lima LC, Greco CC, Caputo F. Explosive Training and Heavy Weight Training are Effective for Improving Running Economy in Endurance Athletes: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Sports Med. 2017 Mar;47(3):545-554. doi: 10.1007/s40279-016-0604-z. PMID: 27497600.

Strength and power training for cyclists

What is the point in strength training if you do an endurance sport?

Let me explain 4 reasons…

1. Short-term high power output is greatly affected by muscle cross-sectional area, (3) so it is likely that this ability is positively affected by the small but significant muscle hypertrophy observed after a period of concurrent strength and endurance training.

2. Concurrent endurance and heavy strength training can increase cycling speed and power output at VO2max (Vmax and Wmax, respectively) or time to exhaustion at Vmax and Wmax. (2)

3. It is suggested that the improved endurance performance may relate to delayed activation of less efficient type II fibres, improved neuromuscular efficiency, conversion of fast-twitch type IIX fibres into more fatigue-resistant type IIA fibres, or improved musculo-tendinous stiffness. (2)

4. In contrast to other athletic activities, competitive cycling is associated with low area bone mineral density (BMD). In fact, osteopenia is considered a health risk in professional and amateur male cyclists. Low BMD may lead to osteopenia and eventually osteoporosis, leading to an increased susceptibility to fracture. Low BMD in cyclists is particularly troubling because of the high prevalence of falls in competitive cycling.

Three general guidelines for gym based training

1. You need heavy weights to cause adaptation - no point going into the gym and just lifting light loads for high reps. You develop endurance on the bike and strength and power in the gym. The types of adaptations we want are achieved with relatively heavy loads for reps of 4-6. (individual context applies if you haven't ever resistance trained message me for info)

2. Power training is essential for the nervous system to adapt to improve your cycling power. These are exercises in which you’re jumping explosively with your bodyweight and external weight.

3. The addition of specific structural integrity exercises to improve the balance and health of your bodies joints, ligaments and tendons for injury prevention is also essential (see post I did on my page for this)

References

(1) Mujika, Iñigo & Rønnestad, Bent & Martin, David. (2016). Effects of Increased Muscle Strength and Muscle Mass on Endurance-Cycling Performance. International Journal of Sports Physiology and Performance. 11. 283-289. 10.1123/IJSPP.2015-0405.

(2) Rønnestad, Bent & Mujika, Iñigo. (2013). Optimizing strength training for running and cycling endurance performance: A review. Scandinavian journal of medicine & science in sports. 4. 10.1111/sms.12104.

(3) Izquierdo, M., Ibáñez, J., Häkkinen K., Kraemer, W. J., Ruesta, M., Gorostiaga, E. M. Maximal strength and power, muscle mass, endurance and serum hormones in weightlifters and road cyclists. J Sports Sci. 2004;22:465-478.

(4) Mathis SL, Caputo JL. Resistance Training Is Associated With Higher Lumbar Spine and Hip Bone Mineral Density in Competitive Male Cyclists. J Strength Cond Res. 2018 Jan;32(1):274-279. doi: 10.1519/JSC.0000000000002209. PMID: 28858058.

“Correlation does not imply causation”

"correlation does not imply causation" refers to the inability to legitimately deduce a cause-and-effect relationship between two variables solely on the basis of an observed association or correlation between them.

Simple problems have linear cause and effect relationships. 

Complex problems have non-linear cause and effect relationships which are every problem within the human body! 

Whenever we try too hard to solve a complex problem – and if we apply simple linear cause and effect solutions – we make the problem worse! Called the cobra effect. 

Example A…Athlete injury’s her  hamstring sprinting…”the athlete clearly didn’t have strong enough eccentric hamstring strength, so let’s do loads of nordics to build eccentric strength”
This is an example of simple linear cause and effect applied to a VERY complex problem…what about technical factors - what if the athlete touched the ground way in-front of there centre of mass increasing load through the hamstring…what if the hamstring contraction type is actually isometric during terminal swing in sprinting (1)…maybe we have it all wrong anyway…maybe hamstring injuries have nothing to do with eccentric loading and the mechanics in sprint running. Maybe hamstring injuries occur because of a ‘loss’ of motor control, a ‘lack’ of focus when sprinting (2)…due the fact this is a complex problem it is a combination and interconnection between previous injury, fatigue, muscle architecture, core stability, strength and biopsychosocial issues - not solely down to one isolated factor. 

We simply cannot say it say it is down to one thing due to the very fact this is a COMPLEX problem and that is due to the fact these problems consist of many different and interconnected parts.

‘Linear causality implies that cause and effect follows a straight path (i.e. it’s linear). Because of this linearity, the effects are determinate in that there is a direct link between the cause and effect which flows in a unidirectional fashion; the cause and effect stream is sequential and the same cause will always lead to the same effect. Linear systems are proportionate; the magnitude of cause will produce an equal effect’ (3).

Complex problems can be causative; it’s just we can only understand the cause and effect in hindsight. 

Example B…we assume that people and companies with lot of social followers are reputable, being a reputable person or company is down to a lot of factors so how we deduce this to a simple linear cause and effect.

Example C…we see someone online who has a brilliant figure and they currently train in a CrossFit style…we assume they got this figure training in this manor...what if they did bodybuilding for 10 years prior…what if they are on performance enhancing drugs…what if genetically they have an elevated hormonal response to this certain training modality…we cannot assume they got to where they are by the way they currently train I.e simple linear cause and effect as it’s a complex problem. 

Example D…someone cannot achieve squat depth due to ‘ankle mobility’…so we target training to increase ankle dorsiflexion…but what if this is actually a compensatory strategy making up for a lack of stability somewhere else within the system? Is the athlete’s anatomy just designed this way? 

‘We often overestimate our ability to influence the process and determine the outcome – when all we can do is try to influence the distribution of possibilities.’ (3)

(1) Van Hooren B, Bosch F. Is there really an eccentric action of the hamstrings during the swing phase of high-speed running? part I: A critical review of the literature. J Sports Sci. 2017 Dec;35(23):2313-2321. 

(2) Herzog W. Eccentric vs. concentric muscle contraction: That is the question. J Sport Health Sci. 2017;6(2):128-129. doi:10.1016/j.jshs.2017.01.006

(3) Judea Pearl and Dana Mackenzie. 2018. The Book of Why: The New Science of Cause and Effect (1st. ed.). Basic Books, Inc., USA.

Practical application of autoregulation

The body is too complex to predict adaptation from training.

This is one major floor with reductionist periodisation that assumes certain adaptation will occur from a certain training method.

Planning needs to be more flexible to allow day to day fluctuations in readiness of all the bodies systems.

One way in which we can have a more ‘agile’ and flexible approach is appreciating the complexity of the body and factoring this into planning. One way in which I do this is by using autoregulation. 

Improve running: Gym based strength and power

The final post in this three part series about improving running, but by no means the final piece of the puzzle. Just like improving anything specific running is multifaceted and complex in its nature and requires a lot of thinking to truly understand how to enhance performance and reduce injuries. 

A fear for a lot of runners is weight gain if they start resistance training. This fear of bulking up is largely unfounded - this is evident to see if we look at how muscle mass is developed. It’s very hard at the best of times to put on muscle - especially if you are getting through some serious miles in the week, I wouldn’t even think about it.

I hope these three posts were valuable, if you have any specific questions regarding performance enhancement and injury prevention for running please feel free to ask.

For videos see here: https://www.instagram.com/p/CEJMIhVgP05/

Improve running: Sprint, Jump, Hop and Bound

This post is geared towards explaining the rational for sprinting, jumping, hopping and bounding to improve running performance. Plyometric activities should feature in your running programme as they maximise rate of force development at the most specific contraction times for running. They represent the final step in the transfer of muscular force into specific running improvements. 

Running is a plyometric activity with thousands of foot contacts so the volume and complexity of plyos should be kept very low. Distance runners don’t need to be concerned with large eccentric contractions (unlike team sport athletes) so I have never used high depth jumps nor depth drops. “Pop off the ground” “imagine the floor is hot” these cues emphasis short ground contact times. 

Variety is key for plyometrics as each type of activity has unique characteristics that others don’t. Hoping activities that go from the same side take off to the same side land are great for runners because they also teach a very fast heel recovery which is important running technique - whereas bounds have a much longer ground contact time enabling a larger amount of force and power to be produced. Variety is key.

For videos of exercises see here: https://www.instagram.com/p/CEEBgFUgwRQ/

Improve running: Running Economy

I have worked with quite a few runners be that speedy marathon runners, 5k’ers to weekend joggers. I’m going to do a three post series on ‘improving running’ sharing some science and also what I’ve used that has worked well vs what hasn’t worked well or transferred to faster running. 

This post focuses on the limiting factors for endurance performance and highlighting the what and how we can improve running economy.

Isometrics are great

For the videos to go with this blog please see here:

https://www.instagram.com/p/B5AbDwnghmK/

Just like you need a variety of exercises in any programme you need a variety of time focusing on specific muscle contractions, as each contraction type play their specific role in sport and everyday situations. 

In EVERY dynamic movement there is always a coupling of eccentric to concentric contraction with an isometric occurring in the middle as the muscle fibres change their direction. Also of critical importance in the stretch shortening cycle (SSC) or an athlete’s reactive ability.

Eccentric - Isometric - Concentric 

An eccentric (lengthening), an isometric (no change in muscle length, also known as amortisation), and finally the concentric (muscle shortening) phases. Each of these phases serve a purpose in every step, every movement, and every activity completed in both daily life and athletics.

What is an isometric?

Isometrics can be defined as in which the proximal and distal attachments of a muscle don't move in relation to each other; muscle length remains constant. It occurs when the force being exerted by a muscle equals the force being imposed on it by a load.

Why use isometrics?

In athletic movements the isometric phase is practically instantaneous with a nearly indistinguishable beginning and end. Yet, it is imperative to understand its impact on force development. For example, sprinting is predominately isometric in nature due to the fact you are trying to overcome the deformation of the ankle in response to the ground reaction forces every time you contact the ground. 

Isometric training can elicit changes in physiological qualities including muscle architecture, tendon stiffness and health, joint angle-specific torque, and metabolic functions. The primary function of the tendon is to transfer forces between bone and muscle, facilitating joint motion. Tendons can increase in stiffness to optimise the time and magnitude of force transmission between muscle and bone. 

Reasons to use Isometrics

1. isometric training allows for a tightly controlled application of force within pain-free joint angles in rehabilitative settings. Isometric contractions can also be used to provide an acute analgesic effect and allow for pain-free dynamic loading by altering excitatory and inhibitory functions in the corticomotor pathways.

2. Isometric training provides a means to induce force overload as maximal isometric force is greater than that of concentric contractions. In the (second video) of the single leg quarter squat max force of an 80kg male was recored to be 2943 N (x3.8 BW) @100 ms - in max velocity sprinting ground reaction forces reach x3 BW. 

3. A practitioner who understands the physical demands of a sport may be able to utilise isometric training to focus on specific weak points in a range of motion that can positively transfer to performance and injury prevention.

Different types of isometrics 

1. Yielding (vid 1) - maintaining a joint position whilst resisting an external force

2. Overcoming (vid 2)- exerting force against an immovable object. Then two types you can ‘explode to max’ by applying force rapidly or you can ‘grind to max’ in which you build gradually to max. For increased tendon stiffness, fast neuromuscular adaption and increased rate or force development ‘explode to max’ is better. 

3. Co-contraction (vid 1) - agonist-antagonist pair will contract with the same amount of torque around the same joint. Due to the equivalent torques being applied, a net force of zero is achieved and thus, no motion will occur at the limb.

4. Quasi-Isometric (vid 3)- holding a position then rapidly switching to the other limb and having to maintain that specific joint angle when you land. 

The goal of yielding isometrics is to maintain position which has a similar neural pathway as an eccentric, while the goal of overcoming isometric contractions is to produce movement which has a neural pathway similar to a concentric.  

Variables

- duration, muscle length, intent, intensity, volume 

Angle specificity (muscle length) is important due to the fact there is little crossover if not performed at the specific angle in a movement. Example would be if you wanted to develop stiffer and more reactive ankle tendons to help with sprinting or jumping performing them at a short calf muscle length may not carryover to due to the fact you wouldn’t contact the ground at that specific angle. Same goes for the counter movement jump or similar, they need to be performed at the angle in which the muscle fibres change from an eccentric to a concentric. Although there seems to be a greater carryover through a larger range of motion if performed at a long muscle length.

My favourite practical application 

Just like all exercises isometrics are all on a spectrum that may require certain prerequisite capacities before completing. I would recommend having a certain degree of general isometric strength (yielding and sub 80% intent overcoming iso’s) before completing any of the quasi or overcoming Isometrics due to large forces at high speed going through the body.

1. Video 1 Long duration isometrics holds at long muscle length for tendon health - 30s to 5 minutes. Will use short 20-30s at the start of session for activation or analgesic effect or at the end of the go session go for max time! 

- Weighted split squat iso 30s+
Video 2 - Single leg hip thrust hold - be surprised how many people struggle to maintain and hold good hip extension and pelvis position so this is a great one. 30+
Video 3etc… Foot isometrics - feet transfer the body’s energy into the ground if they are weak and unable to tolerate load that is the leak link in the chain! 30s+ 

2. Video 9 - Maximal overcoming calf iso into pogos using post activation potentiation. This method can be used in many situations just do the isometric in the specific position in which the fibres change from eccentric to concentric. 1-2 maximal iso into explosive effort. 

3. Videos 5, split squat drop, hamstring switches - great for mimicking sport due to the fact your body will undergo high forces at high velocities. Will use a standalone exercises due to high neuromuscular demand. Great to train the ability to decel.

The ability too rapidly develop isometric force is clearly of critical importance for the majority, if not all, sports. In these situations it is ideal that the athlete be capable of producing high levels of force rapidly in order to transfer through these three muscle action phases at the highest velocities possible. 

Time is almost always limited due to the attempt of an athlete to complete the desired skill in the highest velocity available to them. If one is not able to rapidly achieve the isometric force required within the brief amount of time available, successful performance becomes much less likely.

In summary… 

• Low energy cost, maximal recruitment, minimal mechanical damage, low time cost, can be used in high frequency, high recovery rate, low technical requirement, limited hypertrophic response, specific, overload running forces. 

References

Triphasic Training - @Cal Dietz

Isometrics for performance - @Max Schmarzo 

Oranchuk, D. J., Storey, A. G., Nelson, A. R., & Cronin, J. B. (2019). Isometric training and long‐term adaptations: Effects of muscle length, intensity, and intent: A systematic review. Scandinavian Journal of Medicine & Science in Sports, 29(4), 484-503.

Hasler EM, Denoth J, Stacoff A, Herzog W. Influence of hip and knee joint angles on excitation of knee extensor muscles. Electromyogr Clin Neurophysiol. 1994;34(6):355-361.

Krebs DE, Staples WH, Cuttita D, Zickel RE. Knee joint angle: Its relationship to quadriceps femoris activity in normal and postarthotomy limbs. Arch Phys Med Rehabil. 1983;64(10):441-447.

Abbott BC, Wilkie DR. The relation between velocity of shortening and the tension-length curve of skeletal muscle. J Physiol. 1953;120(1):214-223.

Tsoukos A, Bogdanis GC, Terzis G, Veligekas P. Acute improvement of vertical jump performance after isometric squats depends on knee angle and vertical jumping ability. J Strength Cond Res. 2016;30(8):2250-2257.

Burgess K, Connick M, Grahm-Smith P, Pearson S (2007) Plyometric vs. isometric training influences on tendon properties and muscle output. Neuromuscular implications and applications to resistance training. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research 21(3):986–89.

Mobility training is overhyped!

In my opinion, flexibility and mobility training is the most overhyped and oversold ‘thing’ in the whole of the fitness industry. Here are some of my thoughts on the matter, if anyone disagrees or agrees I’d love to chat.

The range you need is the range you need, no more.

Range of motion and flexibility are context and task specific, if you have desk job and train 3-4 per week in the gym, want to be a functional human, run, pick your kids up and throw them above your head, squat and hinge down to pick something up of the ground you don’t need to be able to externally rotate your hip to 280 degrees (over exaggerating for dramatic effect!). On the other hand, if you’re a professional contortionist and you make your money by being able to put your feet around your head, you do need that range! Case in point, if you need range of motion to do a specific task work on that ability, when you have that range work on other important qualities. People may say “but what if ‘x’ happens and you need more range of motion”…then have a level of preparedness that is robust for this situation. Think about the tasks that you do, the range of motion required, work backwards from the tasks you do then go from there. Not just aimlessly work towards something that isn’t of value. 

All systems attempt to achieve the same thing.

FRC, AIM, PRI, RPR, FMS, ROMWOD etc etc methods try to manipulate the nervous system (the body’s central command) in one way or another they attempt to give your ‘brain’ the sensation that a specific range of motion is deemed ‘safe’. I can’t tell you the amount of times I’ve heard people say ‘x’ is tight, stretch ‘x’, in matter of fact what is more than likely happening is that your body is defending its self from a specific range because you don’t have neurological control and strength in that position, or because of certain misalignments in terms of bone structure giving your ‘body’ the perceived feeling of being centred when in fact certain joints are out of line and working against each other or genetic pre determined anthropometrics resulting in your body being designed in a specific way that just means you are made that way (maybe my hips just can’t do that because of there shape!!!???). Ultimately there’s many reasons why something may feel ‘tight’ there is not one simple answer. However, there are definitely commonalities as a human species. Learn to manipulate the nervous system (I use breathing drills with clients) to get the specific adaption you desire, this is basically the whole premise of training, strength training causes adaptions to your CNS to recruit more motor units, motor unit synchronisation, motor unit firing rate etc etc when we think about human adaption we need to think big world, not small world. The human bodily systems do not work in isolation EVER, it is a complex system of systems, we must respect this.

What if more and more range is not better. Chase other qualities.

People chase flexibility and range of motion like its the holy grail…why? It’s hardly ever a key performance indicator, there are more important qualities to develop. Going back to my first point, if you have the range - maintain it and do something else, if you don’t - work towards it. There comes a point when stretching and mobility training can actually become detrimental to performance (rare but can happen). Example, you stretch so much and for so long that you lose muscle-tendon stiffness which results in increased energy cost for said movement because now you have reduced your elastic ability. In extreme cases (dance & gymnastics etc) the culture is so embedded that you must stretch long passive holds in extreme end range positions that this may even be a cause of injury? (Obviously I would never say that is for sure but I’m speculating). In my opinion better practice of strength training through a full range of motion would be better to increase task specific flexibility and neuromuscular control at end ranges (where most injuries take place).

The test, re test problem.

You’re at a seminar, 40 people in attendance, the instructor has just tested an attendee posterior length (via the active straight leg raise or similar), the attendee is really eager to learn and believe in this new and exciting system of improving flexibility. They now do ’x’ you now have more range. No shit! Please don’t be surprised by these cases! In this situation there is so few cases literally no matter what you did that this wouldn’t improve solely because of the socio-psychology factors, of course other complex factors in play but this is the big one. The point I’m making is don’t think that test, re-test situations are ground breaking, again, going back to my earlier point, all systems attempt to do the same thing by manipulating the nervous system. Most systems work, some are better than others, they are all tools in a tool box, don’t be so tied to one that you close your mind to others.

——————————————-

To conclude, if you have the range - maintain it and do something else, if you don’t - work towards it in a sensible logic manner. This may sound pretty obvious but ultimately what I’m trying to get across is that unless you really want to, you do not need to dedicate hours to mobility training - learn to manipulate the nervous systems via certain breathing drills, train strength movements through a full range of motion and complete a purposeful warm up and movement prep prior to every session you do, and that’ll ensure you develop and maintain good levels of range of motion. 

Core Training

CORE TRAINING

A few muscles of the core (to make you aware that the core musculature is not just in the front of your body) 

* Rectus abdominis (abdominal muscles)

* Gluteal, hamstring, hip rotator groups (which cross the hip joint) 

* Spinal erectors (back muscles)

* Internal and external obliques (abdominal muscles)

* Quadratus lumborum (a back muscle)

* Mulifidus muscles (back muscles)

* Transverse abdominis (abdominal muscles)

Core training is a lot more than just doing a few sit ups or crunches here and there. Your core (midsection, trunk or whatever you want to call it) area is a complex structure with many layers and is involved in pretty much every movement we do (or should be). 

‘Core’ training involves any exercise, in which, the midsection is being recruited. Core stability describes the ability to control the position and movement of the central portion of the body (trunk). It is the capacity to maintain a stable and upright position of the spine, enabling the transfer of forces from the lower body to the upper body. Core stability training targets all of the muscles surrounding the trunk which connect to the spine, pelvis and shoulders, and assist in the maintenance of good posture and provides the foundation for all arm and leg movements

How should you train core

Training your core for sports (and everyday life) should really involve stability of the core and hip rotation. Reason being your core muscles are stabilisers not movers. Core training for sport ideally should be based around anti-movement rather than movement creation. A pointer to note also is that abdominal definition is the result of nutrition, not core work alone. 

Everything is core training

‘Global Core Training’ due to the nature of gravity the role of the trunk muscles are involved greatly in keeping postural integrity. So, this being the case there is evidence to suggest that performing strength based movements (squats, deadlifts) with a correctly braced core has increased muscle activation than most isolating exercises. The majority of the activation is for the core muscles in your back when performing these strength based movements; so supersetting (performing two exercises back to back with no rest) with a front based core exercise is a great way to optimise training and to tick more boxes with your session. An example would be; 

A1: Back squats @+75% x5 A2: Pallof press x8

Movements of the core

Below are the movements of the core. So, I have put together a few of my favourite core exercise for you to try. If you would like to give these a go i’d highly recommend contacting myself to ensure you are performing them in the correct way. Activating the right muscles and ensure you are shown a correct demonstration. I would be more than happy to go through the correct progressions too (details below). (to see a demonstration of these videos head here - https://www.instagram.com/p/Bfgu8frnbkU/?hl=en&taken-by=coachcolville)

Rotation = Standing landmine

Anti rotation = Split stance pallof

Lateral flexion = Side plank raises 

Anti lateral flexion = Suitcase carry 

Flexion = Leg lift to Lsit  

Anti flexion = KB front rack carry  

Extension = Swiss ball glute bridge 

Anti extension = tall kneel vertical cable press

Bracing = Extended plank 

CORE PROGRESSIONS

With any type of movement you have to earn the right to progress. This means before you try the hardest variation you have to have mastered the fundamentals. Below is a core progression chart. You must master ‘phase 1’ before you progress onto ‘phase 2’ 

 Rotation

Phase 1 med Ball Russian twist 

Phase 2 Kneeling chops 

Phase 3 Standing landmine 

Anti rotation

Phase 1 Kneeling pallof press 

Phase 2 Standing pallof press

Phase 3 Split stance pallof press 

Lateral flexion

Phase 1 knee Side plank

Phase 2 Side plank 

Phase 3 adductor side plank

Anti lateral flexion

Phase 1 Kneeling suitcase hold

Phase 2 Walking suitcase 

Phase 3 Deadlift suitcase 

Flexion

Phase 1 Deadbugs

Phase 2 Elekna 

Phase 3 hollow rocks 

Anti flexion

Phase 1 tall kneel Front rack hold 

Phase 2 walking front rack hold

Extension

Phase 1 Glute bridge 

Phase 2 Glute ham raise 

Phase 3 Good Morning 

Anti extension 

Phase 1 quadruped walk outs

Phase 2 ab swiss ball roll outs

Phase 3 extended plank

Bracing

Phase 1 Iso plank 

Phase 2 plank should taps

Phase 3 plank KB pull through

Top 3 Benefits of a strong core

1. You’ll breath better - Breathing training and core training go hand-in-hand. Developing stronger breathing muscles, (diaphragm and intercostals) translating into better core strength; according to a Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research study “At the same time, a stronger core allows for easier breathing”

2. A strong core prevents lower-back pain - Improving mobility and strength in the hips, thighs, glutes and back not only prevents back pain, it can also relieve the aches.

3. Better posture - The way you stand and sit will impact how you feel on a daily basis. Ideal posture places the least amount of compression on the back as possible, resulting in minimum wear and tear on the spine. Bad posture occurs when your pelvis tilts forward, causing an exaggerated spinal curve. Strengthening the core will correct bad posture by distributing weight evenly throughout the body.

Key Messages

1. All training done correctly is core training

2. Core training should be progressive in nature starting from low intensity to more advanced and complex movements gradually

3. a strong core is essential for good posture

4. a strong and stable core can minimise the risk of injury especially to the lower back