We can all use some coaching. Even our Trainers - the best in their field - regularly work with other Trainers, Coaches, and experts to improve technique. The better WE are, the better we can make YOU, right?
Every Sunday Morning, Kubis will now run his new Sunday Salvation group at the 'Park Gym. Show up and improve. Simple things make a HUGE difference.
Chances are, one small thing is holding you back from huge PRs. Have Kris take a look at your technique, demonstrate perfect exercise protocol, and work to help you get better!
This is a free group. Its goal is to help you improve at specific lifts. Therefore, we require that you've taken the Crossfit Introductory Boot Camp (also free!) before attending Sunday Salvation.
Yesterday, CASS came to play. 28 kids from Ray Gowlett's Fitness and Leadership class. This is them doing 'War Face,' a particularly nefarious Catalyst WOD. No pukers, no dodgers. Just the way we like 'em. 5 girls each flipped the big (550lbs) tire solo. Before that, we've only ever had two women flip the tire solo - ever. Thanks, CASS, for bringin' it.
This edition of the Catalyst Go! Newsletter is brought to you by The Athlete's Foot (thanks, Doug!) Recognizing that most athletes and exercise enthusiasts in town now read this newsletter, they're offering 15% off as a holiday gift! Click the link to download a printable coupon, take it into the store, and presto! you're saving money on stuff you need anyway, like shoes, running gear, and workout clothing. Download Catalyst coupon
Happy December! Hard to believe that our Queen Street gym is more than two years old....seems like only yesterday we were painting the walls, putting drywall compound on all the nicks and scrapes...wait a minute, that WAS yesterday! We've gotta calm those noon Crossfit groups down!
We're kidding about calming them down, but we ARE offering a beginner-level Crossfit group or two. Crossfit is very fun, and scalable to even the most rank newbie, but I'll concede that its very awesomeness can be intimidating. So if you've never tried it, or even if you've gone through the boot camp and are scared to take the next step, we're making it easy for you. Tiffany's 'Beginner Crossfit' group runs Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays at 7am. She'll have a custom WOD made up for entry-level Crossfitters, but don't worry - she can scale it up to challenge the veterans too! If folks like the workouts tailored to the 'beginner' level, we may just make this group a permanent fixture at our Queen St. gym.
Okay...the absolute most exciting part of this newsletter:Catalyst Kids starts in January! Yeah, we know it's taken forever to get the ball rolling (nearly a year,) but can you blame us for trying to find the perfect coach for your kid? How could we possibly offer this amazing program with a less-than-awesome coach? Well, we've finally found her. She's an elementary-school teacher, Gymnastics Coach, Crossfitter, has a degree in Kinesiology, and a ton of great ideas for active games.
The Santa Claus Parade hits Queen Street at 6pm December 6th. As always, Catalyst Fitness will open its doors to its clients for the parade. Watch from above, no need for a jacket! We'll have a bit of coffee and hot chocolate from Cafe Natura, maybe a little snack, and let the kids run around a bit. Warning: if you let them play on the climbing wall, they're going to get hooked and want to come back. Just sayin'.
Also on the 6th, Catalyst Athletic (99 Industrial Court B) - our membership-based facility - will host its first every virtualmeet. That's a full powerlifting meet, videotaped and judged by a panel of elite powerlifting judges from Finland, the US, and one other to be named later.
Interviews this month: Jennifer Entwhistle, local physiotherapist and runner, talks about resistance training and running in the offseason. Dom Deluca talks about creativity, coaching, and hockey in one of our
most popular interviews of all time, and John Clement outlines things every high school athlete should know about getting a US scholarship.
Team Catalyst News: Whitney attended a WOD at Crossfit DC. This was her email to me later:Hey coop!! Let me tell you that we have it made! I just finished the group crazy work out it was fun. About 16 people in the group and picture this.. In a room only slightly bigger than the long hall at the queen location where the rings are !!!! We have so much space to work with. We are lucky! I ripped it up for sure and people took notice. I was the only one waiting in line with all the boys for the 65 lbs thrusters (girls were doing 35) and the only girl doing full kippinh pull ups! The coach "alex" loved having a strong woman in the group he said.
Tyler and Chris will be in Kinross Penitentiary for their annual "Non-Invitational" Powerlifting meet December 13. We'll be competing with 40-50 inmates in the Squat, Bench Press, and Deadlift. Winner goes home at the end of the day - well, that's what we're telling Tyler, anyway. Mike's headed toCrossfit Barrie over the break, hopefully. Tiffany's November Boot Camp turned into the Beginner Crossfit Group on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, and everyone returned for more (uh, yeah, she's kinda popular.) Taylor will be home on the 16th - look for her at Crossfit! The CrossFit Dolls reunited!
Kubis will be starting his free Sunday Morning Salvation classes on Sunday, November 30. Show up at 9am and improve your technique on a variety of lifts. Choose to stay for the WOD or not. The Sunday Salvation class is free for Crossfitters who have been through the Introductory Boot Camp (also free!)
It's not just their courtyard that's awesome - their Intramural program is second to none in Canada. Every student is drafted into one of four 'Houses' - Panthers, Knights, Kings, or Aces - and is peer-pressured into playing at least one sport or game every day on their lunch hour. Your homeroom is decided by your 'House,' and every morning your events for the day go up on the blackboard. You get team points for showing up, you get a big pep rally at the start and end of the year, and it's even possible to letter in Intramurals (at least it was in '94, when I was there. Go Panthers!)
Catalyst Kids is fun, inclusive exercise, focusing on basic bodyweight exercise, and delivered in a game-style format.
Catalyst Kids is a 45-minute group activity built around challenges. We use obstacle courses, our climbing wall, lots of mat activities, medicine balls, pvc pipe, gymnastics rings, tumbling mats, and jumping boxes!
It's a challenging workout, but kids see it as a game. Workouts are built around games like tag, obstacle courses, and other 'playground-style' favourites with our own bit of flavour. Remember Capture The Flag, King of the Mountain, Red Rover...? Like that, but with cheerleaders. I know what you're thinking: how can I sign up WITH my kid? Yeah, me too.
Our focus is inclusion and fun. Things can become competitive, but never to the exclusion of any kid.
Our coach: Lisa Proctor. Elementary school teacher, gymnastics coach, holder of a BSc in Kinesiology, and all-around fun-lovin' gal. Our facility: Catalyst on Queen St.
Roll out the mats, dust up the climbing wall, and chalk up: it's time to exercise like only a kid can!
6-week Group - $60 (plus gst.)
(ages 8-12 only. Sorry, we'll add more groups, including those for younger kids, as we go. I know, I know....)
TO REGISTER: 253-0011. We're only taking 8 kids. Get yours on the list!
The Athlete's Foot is a huge supporter of athletics in Sault Ste. Marie. Doug Richardson and crew have helped us in the past with some terrific talks to our newly-minted runners about footwear, running gear, and stride. NOW Doug's helping Catalyst clients save money - and right in time for the holidays.
From Catalyst Fitness and The Athlete's Foot: thanks for being active. Merry Christmas.
To quote her: I run because I ken. <editor's translation: that's Nova Scotian for, "I run because I can.">
She's moved herself through 4 marathons now, with a PR time of 3:26; she's moved herself through the streets of Boston, running with the crowd in 2008. She's moved the local running community in a different direction. And, as you'll see in the video, you can't rope her down.
Jen's from Nova Scotia (notice the 'X' ring.) She's already making her mark as a valuable addition to the Sault Stryders. We're happy to have her around; her sentiments on resistance training, especially, parallel our thoughts. Listen and enjoy.
This is an introductory-level Crossfit group. Workouts are hand-picked and tailored to the beginner level. The emphasis is on fun, functionality, and learning Crossfit basics.
Tiffany's groups are wildly popular; she's an incredible coach! These types of groups usually require a punch card, but we're offering a special deal to those who sign up for all 9 sessions in advance (3 weeks x 3 days/week)
$99! (plus gst) No punch card required.
If you HAVE a punch card, you're welcome to use it! This will be our morning Crossfit group at our Queen St. location for the month of December - don't miss a WOD!
Bench shirts aren't magical. Made of tough material, they simply stretch when the bar is pulled to the chest. You can't put on a bench shirt and magically add 100lbs to your press, unfortunately.
Powerlifters are evenly split on the use of shirts. On the one hand, shirts do a lot of the work. That's undeniable. They help. A lot. On the other hand, they don't help through the whole range of motion. They're available in different strengths and fabrics; they take some practice. While some can get as much as 200lbs or more out of a good shirt, some struggle to add 20lbs to their press. What's more, most powerlifting federations have made bench shirts mandatory for competition.
Origins
Bench pressing began as an assistance exercise for the Jerk, an Olympic lift. However, since big men with less mobility could do well in the bench press, squat, and deadlift - but perhaps not in the more athletic lifts, the Clean, Jerk, and Snatch - competitions sprung up for these new 'powerlifts' all over the place. Most of the rules are still built on those of the Olympic lifts, but one in particular has changed the way athletes now train for the bench press. I'm talking about the PAUSE.
In a powerlifting meet, after lowering the bar under control to your chest, you have to pause it, motionless, until the referee says, "Press!" At that point, you explode upward, and pause at lockout. This is harder than it sounds. You may be motionless for anywhere from a split second up to 3 seconds (at which point your stretch reflex is significantly diminished.) Since you're actually stronger at lowering a weight (eccentric phase) than holding it still, it's really tough on the shoulders to hold a maximal weight at the chest longer than a full second. Bench press shirts were originally born to remove that stress at the shoulder.
The first bench press shirt was patented by Inzer (www.inzernet.com) in the 1980s. Up until that point, bench presses approached 600lbs (Bill Kazmaier) but that was assumed to be the ceiling. Inzer's first shirts didn't really do much, but they helped just enough to get athletes thinking of ways to use them better. Inzer's shirt was a single-layer polyester (more on that below,) but when their patent ran out in the 1990s, other manufacturers were already ready and waiting in the wings, including Titan and Crain.
These days, a single-ply poly is rare. I have one, but I also have a single-ply denim, and there's a big difference. Most big lifters are using triply-ply denim (some with a bit of poly sewn in,) and there's no chance you could ever use them.
How They Work
Bench shirts have very small chests, which have to be stretched out to the shoulders as the bar is lowered. Grab a 3" stretch of your jeans, and try to stretch it to 12". Not easy. That's what a bench shirt does. Most shirts are also stitched in such a way that your shoulders stay forward, your arms can't drift downward, and your elbows pull toward one another. Watch a bench presser in between attempts: if he leaves his shirt on, he can't lower his arms.
Bench shirts have a 'sweet spot' that lifters call 'the bubble.' Essentially, if you bring the bar lower on your chest, you'll get more resistance from the shirt (good.) If your arms drift back, you'll suddenly lose resistance, as if you were sliding off the side of a bubble (bad.) Bench shirts can help, but if you get in trouble on your press, things can get very bad very quickly.
Types
Poly - a rubberish material. Lots of pop out of the bottom of your press, but ridiculously hard to put on. Notoriously painful; if you wear a poly shirt, your armpits are going to bleed. So while you're trying to press a new PR, you're also bearing the pain of being cut, from your underarms to your lats. They also take at least one strong helper to get on and seated properly. It's not easy; it's so fatiguing on your assistant that they usually won't be able to bench that day. As soon as your shirt's on, your circulation is cut off, so timing is critical. Hard to wrap up when you can't feel your thumbs!
Denim - much more comfortable and easy to get on. Usually have the back wide open, so you'll only need help pulling it tight across the back of the shoulders. However, it's still not loose; you'll still bleed when the bar's coming down. To work, the shirt has to anchor somewhere; that somewhere is your skin. Denim is very resilient to stretch, which means there's not much of a 'pop' out of the hole. However, since it's stronger than poly, if you know how to tweak it well, you'll get more out of the denim.
Problems you wouldn't expect
First off, there's the lockout. If the shirt is tight enough to do anything, then there's no way you can make your current max touch your chest with the shirt on. You'll have to pull it down as hard as possible, or add weight. And since the shirt only helps for the first part of the lift, you'll have to press the increased weight back up. For instance, if your raw bench is 300lbs, it's not unreasonable to try to add 20lbs to your bench with a shirt. If your shirt's too strong, though, you'll never pull 320lbs to your chest. If your shirt's not that strong, you'll have trouble pressing it back up. That's why, for people bench pressing under 350lbs, carryover from the shirt isn't that big. That's also why you can't just buy a triply-ply denim shirt, have it tailored, and press 800lbs. That gap between the weight you can lock out and the weight required to touch - and pause at - your chest is too big.
Next, shirts wear out. Especially poly. You can wash them to shrink them back down, but that just makes them lose elasticity more quickly. They're also pretty costly.
Last, even though they're customized to your measurements when you buy them, they're not always to your liking. The Internet is full of used bench shirts, worn once and discarded.
Are they cheating?
Used in a gym? Absolutely. If someone's using a bench shirt and not competing in, or training for, a real powerlifting meet, then they're doing it for show. Maybe that's impressive to some. Maybe it's acceptable to others. But don't compare your bench numbers in a shirt to those of your unshirted friends; it's a very different lift.
Used in a meet? No. It's mandatory in most meets, like it or not. There are some raw meets out there, and they're fine for those who like the 'real' bench press. Every federation is different, too, about what they'll allow: the IPF is now accepting single-ply poly, while the WPO is very accepting of anything the lifter wants to wear.
This is an unanswerable question. While they're not quite steroids, in that using a bench shirt takes a lot of skill and practice, it's not the same as a normal bench press. They're practically two different sports. Using even the best bench shirt takes a lot of practice and customization and blood, and the lifts are still ridiculous. But they're not magical. Your first time in a bench shirt will rarely yield a PR bench press.
We keep a couple of old shirts around; if you'd like to try one for yourself, just ask. Like everything else in the iron world, it's fun to try once, if only to say you've done it.
The absolute most common sentiment among spectators this year: regret. They regret they didn't take part. They were awed, inspired, motivated .... and sad they didn't do it.
The beauty of Catalyst Games: anyone can finish. You're competing against yourself and the clock. It's very tough....but you can DO it!
New this year: the 'Student' division! High school and college students have a shot at their own title!
Details, rules, events and prizes will be posted a month before the event. In the meantime, see a ton of video, pictures, stories, and results from Catalyst Games 2008!
With winter at our doorstep, many people are putting their bicycles away but more and more have discovered that riding a bicycle in the winter is not a big deal. Andre Riopel, year round cyclist and Can Bike instructor says: "There is very little difference in skill levels between riding a mountain bike and riding in snow and ice. With appropriate equipment, including the right type of tires, winter cycling is quite safe."
Riopel should now. The 50 year old physiotherapist and owner of Velorution bicycle shop has ridden his bicycle almost everyday for the past 28 years and has seen his share of snow storms. "People are afraid of the cold but it's no different than cross country skiing. If you dress for the weather, you don't get cold. In addition to reducing your carbon foot print, winter cycling improves your immune system and keeps you fit."
To help people who might be interested in year round cycling, we are offering a free workshop to be held at Velorution Bicycle and Ski Store, 162 Old Garden River Road which this Saturday at 10 am. Please RSVP by calling us at 253-9388 or email ariopel@shaw.ca
9am Saturday morning. They arrive in singles and in pairs; in SUVs and on bicycles and on foot, and one in a biodiesel Jetta. They banter in the dressing rooms. They compare thoughts on the day's challenge while tightening shoes and doing warmups. Some are comparing game-time strategy; some are just glad they didn't check the daily WOD before they left the house.
When all have gathered, the coach explains the rules of the rumble. Now, he's the coach. Soon, he'll be referee. But mostly, he's a cheerleader.
Heart rates rise toward the end of the workout summary. As the last exercise is demonstrated, nerves are steeled, guts braced, and hands chalked. Fingers open and close. Athletes move to their starting blocks. Jaws tighten. Sweat breaks. Heart rates climb. The coach's thumb twitches over the 'start/stop' button. The countdown: 3,2.... and everything in the periphery fades. Work-related stress is forgotten. Spousal arguments about money: gone. Kids' poor report card? What kid?
Adrenaline clears the brain like a hard brush on a chalkboard. Focus shifts to "move, move, keep going!" Numbers are counted. Times are guessed; can't waste a second to glance. Other athletes are watched from corners of eyes. Strategies are shifted as muscles tire. To some in the room, the workout is a public stoning. To others, it's revelation.
To the coach, it's temptation. You think OUR heart rates don't rise? You think our yelling, coaxing, cheering is an act? Then you haven't seen my knees twitch when you're doing cleans. You haven't seen my hand squeeze into a fist when you're doing deadlifts. You haven't seen me rise to my toes when you're hopping onto that big box. You haven't heard me bore my wife with the gory details later, when the lights have gone down and the kids are sleeping.
You haven't seen me, pacing, at 1:45pm, when it's almost MY turn to hit the WOD. You haven't felt my heart beating in my throat as I plan my strategy for dropping the stopwatch and starting to move as quickly as possible (hey, seconds count when you're trying to beat Mike and Tyler!) You haven't heard the 'tick, tick, tick' ricocheting around my head while I'm trying to top Clint's lunchtime record. But I do.
There's a good reason why we call Crossfit, "The Sport of Fitness." It's timed, it's competitive. It's for keeps. Those records you see, written in blue and pink Crayola, are etched in our history. Holding a record means holding a place in time, even if short. Holding the record TODAY is a sip of ambrosia. If your friends don't do Crossfit, they won't get it. They likely won't understand why having your initials in pink chalk on some wall up in the Industrial Park, with a little star beside it, is important. They won't see the relevance of your very best Fran. They may think bragging about your best Diane is a bit eccentric. They may ask why you're not repeating '3 sets of 8' like a parrot. They may take their ball and go home. Here's what you can tell them:
Crossfit is a sport. Crossfitters, by extension, are athletes. We're athletes in a sport that makes them better at other sports. Runners and powerlifters and gymnasts and welders and accountants, we use Crossfit as a springboard. Our goals are broad, and our reach is long. We're strong and fast and powerful, and we can tell you exactly how much, how fast, how many, or for how long. We know our all-time bests, and we know where we're weak. We know how to eat for maximal performance. We know who else is close to that record.
Crossfit is definitely a sport. And for the record, coaching ain't easy. It's not fun to take that squat PR away from you because you weren't deep enough. It's not easy to watch everyone else rip it up, and hover like a hummingbird, waiting for our turn. We probably burn up more energy coaching than most exercisers use in their most intense workout. But we thank you for every minute of it. And we're nicer to referees, too.
2 feet stay solid on the floor (no split jerks today.)
The Watson Saga
In 2004, Mike and I met while at a previous employer. Mike was fresh from a career as a snowboarding guide/ostrich rider, and was a quick favourite with clients. There are lots of pictures online of Mike and I training at that tiny little gym, but he's famous for the red Running Group T-shirts (How's My Running?)
In 2005, when I had to move on or wither away, Mike only waited a week before jumping ship and coming with me. He shared the massive risk, and now, as Head Trainer, Mike still pulls down 70-hour workweeks. He's usually the first to arrive and the last to leave our Queen St. location. Mike, I'm grateful.
Today, Mike turns 30. Email him: catalystfitness@yahoo.ca .
When we get a new client whose primary goal is fat loss, our first objective is to STOP WEIGHT GAIN. That's right: you're not actually 'sitting' at a given weight, but you're actually gaining weight (or losing it) as I write this. And the clock is ticking.
Getting fit is a risky endeavour. There's usually money involved, and time. There's also negative social stigma attached to a failed attempt. What if I try this, and it doesn't work? What if my friends find out I'm doing this, and I don't make progress? They'll assume it's my fault!
And so, paralysis by analysis. Too much information to process. Can't make a decision until I'm sure it's the PERFECT one. No sense starting a new fitness program until Christmas is over, right? Tick, tick, tick, tock....
You assume that you have nothing to lose by doing nothing. That's not true. You're not staying still; you're backsliding. Tick, tick, tick. You're not standing on a flat playing field; you're standing on an icy slope. Tick, tick, tick. You're backsliding. The boat doesn't look to be sinking, but it's taking on water all the time. I'll just keep doing that program I tore out of that magazine. Tick, tick, tick....
There's a cost to all this, of course: you're missing opportunity. You're missing the chance to make an investment - one that pays dividends. Christmas is a month away; you could enter the binge season with some real gains under your (looser) belt. Tick, tick, tick. You could be more insulin sensitive, for one. You could have a solid plan of attack to deal with a tight social schedule. Tick, tock. You could drop a dress size. You could have a bit of experience to share over the eggnog. Heck, you could have
some war stories about Diane and Elizabeth and Michael and all the rest, if you're a Crossfitter. In short, you could enter Christmas as a different person than you are now; one that handles the temptations better, and one that won't be quite as lonely under the mistletoe. Tick, tick, tick...
Or you can do nothing. You can wait.
Tomorrow, you're not going to wake up as the same person you are today. You're either going to be a little bit better, or a little bit worse. No one is static. No one gets to float.
Today, you're going to exercise your aversion to risk.
Seth Godin's blog (always good) is talking about risk in a populace of fearful constituents. It's about business, but you can easily apply it to taking risk in your own life. Some extreme examples: If you've never been in an abusive relationship, you can't (and I can't) understand why the abused will stay involved with the abuser. But if you live in a climate of fear, it's hard to take action - even against the source of the fear. When we're voting in an election, it's easier to take the 'devil you know' approach and pick the incumbent party or candidate. No, we may not be happy with their role or their performance, but hey - the other guy could be worse.
...or way better. What's the worst - case scenario: more of the same?
Today, exercise the power of the Worst Case Scenario. If you were laid off today, what's the worst-case scenario? What would you do for money, starting tomorrow? Apply for the same job somewhere else, or take the opportunity to start that woodcarving business you've been talking about for a decade? What if your abusive spouse's sentence relied on your testimony - would you try to please them through perjury, or cut ties and find something - anything - better? What's the Worst Case Scenario? Can you live with it for 3 months? If yes, then you're crazy not to try.
Read this: Will O' The Mill , by Robert Louis Stevenson, 1901. "..and there he sat, biting his fingernails at destiny..."
Squats must be to parallel or lower. That is, the crease of the hip must meet the same horizontal plane as the top of the knee, not the crest of the quadriceps. This is an acceptable squat for Crossfit. For powerlifters, go an inch lower; for Olympic Lifters, go 3 inches lower.
No one knows coaches squatting like Louie Simmons. He's the founder of Westside Barbell in Columbus, Ohio. He's outspoken; he's irreverent; he's an activist. He pioneered the use of speed training for powerlifting. He introduced the use of accommodating resistance (bands and chains) to the strength training community. He's almost 70 now. I met Louie at US Nationals in 2005, and he hops around like he's 30. Below is a quick article on squat technique from Louie, who writes just as he speaks: clipped, aggressive, and uncompromising. Agree with him or not, you've gotta tip your hat to the Godfather of Squat.
By: Louie Simmons How to Do the Squat What is good squat form? What does it take to develop a great squat? First you must develop the hips, hamstrings, spinal erectors, glutes, and abs. Without a strong posterior chain (the muscles on the back of the body), you will not sit back into the proper squat position. That’s right. Sit back, never down. If the knees go forward in the yielding phase, they could hit the floor and the hips still would be above parallel. I talk to strength coaches from major universities on how to squat. I tell them that we have 24 guys who have squatted over 800 and six over 900 by box squatting with a wide stance. Many times these coaches will reply, I like Olympic squatting. One reason I guess is that Olympic squatting is what they were brought up on. But why do powerlifters use a wider stance? Because you use more muscle, and isn’t that what we’re after on the sports field? Only a wrestler would find himself in the weakest joint angles of an Olympic squat. That’s probably why there are no old, great Olympic lifters. Their joints are gone. When a prominent pro basketball coach said that Olympic squats were the best for his players and that a two-times bodyweight squat was all an athlete needs, I realized that a weak coach can only produce weak players. This coach and many like him must have a huge library and a very small weight room. Take Ben Johnson, for example. He squatted 620 at about 200 pounds. That’s three times bodyweight! Football players’ careers are being shortened not by the competition but by the fact that they are too frail compared to 10 years ago. I saw Brett Favre come out of the locker room and squat cold with the linemen using the same weight. That’s like having five quarterbacks protecting your quarterback, and that’s bull. Let’s get to squat technique, starting with the feet. They should be pointed straight forward. This forces the hip muscles into play. It is much harder to break parallel because the hip extensors and flexors are put in a very strong position for flexion. Turn the feet outward slightly if you are not flexible or if you are very thick in the waist and upper thighs. If you see someone who walks with their feet turned outward, they have weak hamstrings. As far as shoes go, Converse Chuck Taylor’s are best. Don’t have $100 shoes and a 10-cent squat. When squatting, think about pushing your feet out, not down. This will ensure that the hip muscles are working correctly. Push your knees out the entire time, starting from when you are unracking the bar. You should feel this in the hips. Next, start pushing the glutes to the rear as thought you are searching for a hair that is too far behind you. Arch the lower back and keep the chest up. Lean forwards as much as necessary to keep the bar over your center of gravity. To ensure correct bar placement, raise the chest and pull the shoulder blades together, to place the bar back as far as possible. This creates better leverage. However, if one carries the bar too low, it causes the lifter to bend forward, destroying leverage. What stance should you use? Everyone should box squat with a wide stance, because this builds the all-important hip muscles. Thirty years ago, the great Jim Williams said to train as wide as possible and pull your stance in, to a point, to break parallel at meet time. If you watch a great squat technician, you will notice that he bends only at the hips, the knees don’t go forward, and his back does not move. While descending in the squat, never squat down. Always squat back! If you push the glutes back, the knees will not go forward. In fact, if you sit back far enough, the shins will be past vertical. This is only possible with box squatting. And it’s important because this causes a great stretch reflex. Also, by forcing your knees apart, you are significantly increasing your leverage, by shortening the distance between the hip and the knee joint. If you pull your knees together, you increase this distance and create poor leverage. In addition, this is a sign of weak hip muscles. After breaking parallel, you must first push against the bar. After all, the bar is what we are trying to raise. Unfortunately, you see many lifters who push with their feet first. This causes you to bend forward Into a good morning position, which is opposite of what you are trying to achieve, in addition to being dangerous. When your back bends, you are likely to miss a squat or get injured. Most people think of squatting as a multi-joint muscular action. I see it as flexion of the spinal erectors and hip flexors and slight flexion of the knees. It’s much like trying to jump onto a high box; you flex as much as possible in the beginning and hope you make it. Others push gradually through the lift; just enough to accommodate the external force that is being applied. As far as equipment, in a meet, wrap the knees toward the inside. This means wrap one clockwise and the other counterclockwise. This helps to stabilize them. Wear a suit that allows the knees to be forced outward ad the glutes to be pushed out to the rear. Don’t wear straps that are too tight. This will cause you to bend over. In training wear a suit with the straps down and a belt. This will help the technical aspects of squatting. When someone must wear full gear for 3-4 weeks before a meet, their technical skill is low. To summarize, build the posterior chain: calves, hams, glutes, lower and upper back. Strong abs are a must. They are what you lean on to descend and push off of to ascend. Out of our top 100 squat-ters, four use an upright back position. That means that 96% lean forward, with - of course - a great arch. While descending, the glutes move first and the head and bar move last. So, in the concentric phase, the opposite happens. You must push against the bar first. One workout per week must be devoted to speed (box squatting) and one for maximal effort, with a variety of core exercises such as good mornings and squatting with special bars that change your center of gravity. To all strength coaches: the next time you have your athletes do Olympic squats, ask yourself why. The joint angles are not advantageous for the stretch reflex. If a lineman were to use that position on the field, he would easily be pushed backward. The Olympic lifts require flexibility. There are many drills better suited to increase flexibility. Everyone thinks the Olympic lifts are so quick. While your cleans at 60% look fast, so do our box squats at 60%. The athlete who can power clean 400 uses 240(60%). The lifter who can squat 800 uses 480 (60%). Who do you really think would be faster and stronger? Compared to a powerlifter, an Olympic lifter can’t squat with the Sunday paper. A kid that can hang clean 400 would look frail to an 800 squatter. And don’t forget, in Olympic lifting, as the bar is raising, the lifter is lowering himself, making it appear that they are moving the bar at great speed. Olympic lifting is the biggest bust in the United States. We have not placed a single lifter on the “A” list, yet strength coaches still advocate the Olympic lifts.
Look not mournfully into the past. It comes not back again. Wisely improve the present. It is thine. Go forth to meet the shadowy future, without fear.—Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
Whenever I do a powerlifting meet, or a strongman competition, or even a big lift in front of strangers, I get looks.
You know, "looks."
I'm usually one of the smaller guys involved, but I do okay. And I like surprising people.
I also get this a lot : "You know, I could probably do that, too." People see me do it, and think, well, if HE can, then I could.
Here's a secret: they're right. They COULD. They just DON'T. And that's how I win.
"Y'know, if I had come to that Strongman competition, I probably could have finished pretty high." ....but you didn't.
"Man, if I worked at it, I could look better than anyone up on that stage." ...but you don't.
"The fitness industry is losing its way. Somebody should do something." ...yeah, somebody should.
"I can write better stuff than that guy. I could get published in a heartbeat." ....but you aren't.
If you're going to do anything in this world - the fitness world - you're going to have to be crazy. You're going to have to be a crackpot, a target, an object of scorn, an outcast, a protestor, an advocate, a practitioner, a role model, and, finally, a visionary. You're going to have to be an activist.
What else would you call it? Consider what we've done in the last 3 years:
worked standard 70+ - hour weeks
spent $80,000 developing a tracking and adherence system for clients to use for FREE
published hundreds of articles, dozens of videos, and done dozens of interviews
volunteered time, training, and facilities for several charities
spent 2 years doing research trials with no chance of reimbursement
contributed to lobby groups attempting to establish a minimum requirement for Personal Trainer qualifications (currently, there IS no minimal requirement)
opened a second facility to make sure our clients can do what they SHOULD be doing, instead of what's convenient for the Big Gym Corporation
showed up in support of clients at every type of event possible
trained and competed and hosted events that couldn't find a venue
grown while 3 other local gyms with better funding went bankrupt
Years ago, when he was still alive, Mel Siff told me in a personal email, "If you're going to wave a flag, people are going to shoot at you." He was right.
It would be far easier, believe me, to bury our heads; to stick to the main road; to embrace fads and attend sales seminars and cash cheques. It would be easier to give our clients the same program we picked from Men's Health last month. It would be easier to quit putting ourselves out there, to quit competing at different sports for fear of public failure, to stop writing and never get another misspelled, poorly-written, anonymous, nasty email from other 'personal trainers.'
If this were easy, everyone would do it. They don't.
John Clement, head scout for National Scouting Report (Northern Ontario area,) gives you the secrets of that holy grail of sport: a college scholarship. It's not as easy as you think. John lays out his Top 10 Things that you've just gotta do to get there.
FIGHT GONE BAD - named by a UFC fighter. The workout was prepared for him, and as legend has it, he was asked afterward if it was close to a UFC fight. His response: "Man, that's like a fight GONE BAD."
Two fights that went right: The Professor, and Scrapyard. King of the Cage, last Friday.
The promise of rapid speed and strength gains without the bulk has the running community shivering in anticipation. Many runners are hovering on the brink of jumping into the Crossfit puddle - they're just waiting for someone else to do it first, and report back. And no wonder: runners train long and hard, and the risks associated with a faulty program are higher.
For non-competitive runners, or folks just looking for a higher level of fitness, Crossfit is a no-brainer. But what about runners who compete, or race? Will Crossfit help them?
We use Crossfit for runners in pre-measured amounts. Crossfit does many things that we've been doing for years, but adds a fun, intense group element that's really hard to match.
Some things Crossfit emphasizes that will REALLY benefit runners:
1) hips, not knees. You run with your hips. You climb with your hips. Your hips control your speed. But runners, in the gym, squat with their quads, and do quad extensions on the machine. While running, your quads act as shock absorbers; they don't actively move you. True, rectus femoris is largely responsible for the swing phase of your stride, but most runners don't train hip flexors either! Crossfit trains hip flexors with explosive stretch/contractile velocity - perfect for running.
2) short, intense workouts that emphasize recruiting muscles together. To get faster, you need to get your hamstrings, gluteus, and gastrocs/soleus operating smoothly together, as an efficient unit. Isolating them with leg curls, calf raises, and glute machines won't do that. Kettlebell swings and deadlifts with the correct form will.
3) trunk stabilization. Situps aren't effective 'core work' for runners. Runners need stabilization around the trunk, with some small degree of rotation at the same time. In fact, in our culture, so rich with 'seated' jobs, tight hip flexors is a major problem contributing to low back pain. Starting a run with tight 'six-pack' muscles (rectus abdominis) will lead to a shortened stride, as hip flexors are stretched to make up the difference.
4) balance. As a runner, you're teetering on the verge of overuse injuries all the time. You've got to find balance: pulling as often as you push, sprinting as often as you jog, etc.
5) neuromuscular efficiency. Frankly, your movements can become smoother and more powerful only by lifting faster or with more force. Crossfit is great for increasing force.
6) increased anaerobic AND aerobic capacity - research on the Canadian Armed Forces showed a great improvement on military personnel. These were NOT marathoners, though.
Some things which may NOT help you:
1) fatigue. Killing your legs doing a 300-squat challenge the day before a track workout is not going to help you. You need efficiency in your stride; having a high presence of lactic acid in the muscle is going to force an inefficient firing pattern, and your stride won't be optimal. Practice makes permanent.
2) no long runs. Crossfit strives to enhance aerobic conditioning, but not to the extreme level required for marathons. At 5km, though, Crossfit is tough to beat.
So, as a runner, how do you KNOW? Well, as always, a Catalyst Trainer is your best bet. We use Crossfit with runners, but the workouts are frequently modified to suit the exact needs of the individual runner. We may make it easier or tougher, or decrease (sometimes increase) the weights. We may change the schedule to fit your running schedule. At any rate, doing Crossfit two-four times per week will generally help those with little resistance exercise experience. It's MUCH better for runners than typical bodybuilding splits (Monday: chest and arms, Tuesday: back and shoulders, etc.) Training yourself as a functional unit instead of splitting up muscle groups has a huge carryover into your running.
Some examples:
Crossfit PEI - won the PEI marathon relay, beating all the teams of experienced marathoners with folks who just did Crossfit, and no other training! I'll say that again: running only when the Crossfit WOD prescribed a run (maybe twice per week, and only rarely longer than 800m runs mixed with other stuff,) they were faster than experienced marathon and 5km runners!
Mike Watson - just had a huge marathon PR of 3:27 in Detroit. Picked and chose his Crossfit workouts all summer, competed in the Catalyst Games with a deadlift of 460lbs three weeks before the marathon. 40 minute personal record.
Crossfit Endurance - workouts designed just for endurance athletes. May be the WOD plus some extra, may be a completely different WOD, but a good example of how to modify Crossfit for runners.
Crossfit Running Certifications - to illustrate the necessity of tailoring Crossfit workouts for athletes who specialize in different sports, Crossfit offers certifications for coaches of those sports.
Me - a non-runner. I'm coming from a powerlifting background. Now I compete in US prisons - but I can also run 5km without praying for death. I'd do a 5km race now. In fact, Crossfit brings people into a bunch of different sports, INCLUDING running, for first-timers.
Collectively, I believe that if we all share what we know, it can only help. Every community, every sport has valid research and lessons learned through a lot of pain, suffering, and time spent. Crossfit is that melting-pot; Catalyst Trainers are your guides.
To help, Catalyst is currently finishing our book on REAL, EFFECTIVE strength training for runners. Having a 'chest and triceps' day isn't helping you, unfortunately. We'll include the ways in which we apply Crossfit. We're also doing free Crossfit boot camps every single Saturday at our new gym in the Industrial Park. When in doubt, just call us or send an email, and we're happy to answer questions. After all, long before Crossfit, we were still training elite runners to go even faster.
Five rounds for max reps of: Body weight bench press Pull-ups
Post reps for both exercises in all rounds
Pictured: Chad Aichs, Elitefts.com sponsored powerlifter. Current totals: 2800lbs+. Tattoos: many, but most notable are the 3 lines on his chest to show spotters where to pull his bench shirt. Do YOU have tattoos on your ankles to tell you how far to tighten your hockey laces? Chad is INTENSE.
Our own Virtualmeet takes place December 6. Registration is now open at www.virtualmeet.net. This event will be taking place around the world, and will be judged by international judging panels. We'll tape your lifts for you, and let you know when you're in the ballpark. Free for gym members!
And he's loved like one, too. When we ask hockey players in the Sault to name their favourite coach of all time - one who really made a difference in their careers - they name Dom.
When we ask who taught them the most, they name Dom. And sometimes, when we ask why they're still playing, they name Dom.
We asked Dom to come in and open his mind about coaching, hockey, and letting kids be creative. The interview is attached in two parts below. In the long lead-up to this interview (it literally took months to get our schedules to line up,) I thought I'd be spending an hour with a real tactician; a scientist. Instead, I found myself talking to an artist.
Listening to Dom, you hear a guy talk about hockey like some guys talk about wine: they're familiar with their subject to the point of intimacy. He's immersed in it. You can't separate the two. But he's also a masterful coach: he can exude authority, but he can also be a whole lot of fun, and he knows when each is appropriate.
Listen for 40 minutes, and you'll see what I mean. In the first installment, Dom talks about his philosophy of coaching and leading, his background, and his value system. It's great stuff. In Part II, Dom gets into the gritty stuff: some stories from the road, some favourite memories of players, and the foundations of his coaching beliefs. It's not to be missed, but a word to the more sensitive listeners: you're going to hear a few bad words. Sure, we could edit them out. But who are we to censor art?
You want a unique way to get kids motivated for sport? You want to encourage kids to keep playing throughout their whole life? Coach John Clement is one of the best around. Kids love this guy. They love his system of addressing the 4 fundamentals of progress in sport: strength, speed, agility, and wisdom. They love the game because of John, and they KEEP PLAYING. That's most important. Take it away, John!
