The Most Overlooked Variable in Training Today

That’s right, I said it. Mostly everyone who completes some sort of training program often neglects this variable without even realizing it. Actually, they train this variable, but with little to know realization. That variable is the angle of the shin during athletic, and non-athletic activity. Shin angle is involved with every aspect of human movement, not just sprinting, throwing or swimming.

Whether you are a seasoned coach, or a parent looking to get their young athlete to the next level, you have probably tried to develop the ability of shin angle change. However, you probably didn’t use the best cues/ reasoning to get your athlete to do what you exactly wanted them to do. On top of that, if they couldn’t do it, you probably looked at another area of the body to solve the problem.

The angle of the shin dictates the direction of the athlete’s center of mass. During bipedal locomotion, the relationship between initial contact of the foot and the angle of the shin quite literally determines where the athlete is going, and where they will be going.

Let’s take linear sprinting for example, a 40yd dash. The goal of the 40 yd dash is for the athlete to cover 40 yds of distance in as little a time as possible. There are a a million variables that separate the fast athletes from the slow athlete, but one of the most important variables is how efficient the athlete is with each step they take. According to force plate data, elite sprinters can produce and handle up to 2500 N of force, but those are elite level athletes. How do those guys train to attain that ability? It’s technique.

Your body is constantly learning how to handle and optimize what you are telling it to do. There are certain optimal positions that your body needs to be in to even attempt to produce high levels of force at an extremely high rate of speed. Just like pitching, hitting, swimming, etc. If your technique is not optimal, it won’t matter how strong you are, you won’t be able to use your strength efficiently. The position of the shin sets up the rest of the body to attempt to complete the task required.

We can classify shin angle into 3 different angles: Negative, neutral, and positive angles. Negative shin angle means the shin (tibia) is behind the the ankle and foot (talocural joint). A neutral shin angle is where the shin is stacked vertically and in-line with the ankle. Finally, a positive shin angle means the shin is positioned in front of the ankle joint.

Each position will dictate the direction of force, therefore the direction of the body. For example, if an athlete is attempting to slow down, they will automatically try to find their heel by striking the ground with it. This heel strike forces a negative shin angle, and shoots forces produced by braking in a front to back direction. The result is that athlete slows down to an eventual stop.

A neutral shin angle is associated with a more vertical direction of force, like jumping. A stacked shin allows the athlete to put their force in a mostly top to bottom / bottom to top direction, resulting in actions like standing up, jumping, and squatting.

A positive shin angle is the key to horizontal locomotion to a certain point. This is especially true for the acceleration phase of sprinting. Having the shin in front of the ankle when contacting the ground means the force produced is directed in a back to front direction, and the athlete is in a position to move forward with less braking forces to compete with.

The athlete’s ability to understand these positions will dictate their understanding of sprint mechanics. This is especially true for those of us who think taking bigger strides automatically means a faster sprint time. Let’s break that statement down a little further.

Sure, a longer stride will create more time in the air, therefore less time having to deal with those annoying braking forces. However, the question of “how” those athletes attain longer strides is what’s key. Simply taking longer strides will more than often not solve the problem, and actually create a slower athlete. The reason being is that athletes who attempt to take longer strides typically cast their foot out in front of their shin and knee. Why is that less than optimal?….. The answer is above! They are now creating a shin angle more conducive to slowing down, rather than speeding up.

Sprinter with positive shin angle at mid-stance

What about running tall? Is this another cue you’ve used to help athlete’s sprinting ability? Sometimes this cue can work, but is often over-cued, and here’s why. A taller athlete is necessary during the late acceleration, and terminal velocity phases of sprinting. The athlete begins to rise out of their stance, and their force direction becomes more vertical. However, an athlete with a sprinting posture that is too tall, or even worse, too tall too early results in a shin angle that is too vertical! When athlete’s are sprinting “too tall” their shin is more neutral at initial contact, which is a position more optimal for a vertical force direction. In a race, where are we trying to go? Forward!

Now, don’t get me wrong, the direction you want to go in, at the velocity you are trying to attain is determined by the requirements of the moment. I am not saying a positive shin angle is the cure for male patterned baldness. The cure for optimized athletic performance starts with knowing how to get in and out of positions more efficiently than your competition. Because at some point an athlete will need to slow down, jump, change directions, etc. All I am saying is that you need to train the correct joint angles in movement to get the most out of your training.

I will close with this. Let’s get sprinting out of our head for 1 minute… don’t freak out, I’ll try not to. Look at other sports, and movements. When a swimmer leaves the blocks during a swim meet, what direction are they going? Forward. When a pitcher comes down the mound to deliver a pitch, what direction are they going? Forward. So, what shin angle would probably be best for optimal performance? A negative shin angle. Coaches must keep this fact when prescribing movement to their athlete, not only for the goals of enhanced performance, but injury prevention, and movement biasing as well.

Pitcher front shin preparing to decelerate (negative) back shin going forward (positive)

positive shin angle on left leg

If you made it this far, you might as well check out our instagram page (we post this stuff all the time) or maybe even our youtube channel.

If you’re still here you must really be bored, but to claim your reward, contact coach Nate at nate@tpstrength.com.

Backward Running: What is it? Why is it important? How do we use it at TP?

Backwards running (BR)  can be described in several ways, for our purposes, we will define BR as- as a form of locomotion containing a single leg support phase, followed immediately by double flight phase. Essentially, there is never a point in time where there are two feet on the ground. 

Your initial thought could be, why would I ever need to run backwards if I am not a defensive back in American football? While this may be true, the physiological benefits of BR are quite extensive, and they have been proven to translate to increased sprint and sport performance. Some key differences between BR and forward running (FR) include a very basic one… you can’t see where you are going! This means that you must rely on other senses, such as sound, to help you dictate where your body is in space. BR places greater metabolic strain (28%) on the body at relative and absolute intensities (Uthoff, at el 2018). BR does not utilize the stretch shortening cycle like FR, so there is a higher demand for concentric and isometric contractions. In studies comparing BR and FR programs, similar performance increases in sprint speed and jump height were shared between the groups, researchers have also shown less mechanical strain at the knee when compared to FR as well, suggest possible rehab modalities.

Just like any physical gesture, it must be taught. While backwards running for a baseball player may not be the number one aspect of their training program, it can be used as an accessory movement to help develop sprinting, and other athletic abilities. Our training sessions are designed to build toward the goal of the session. This means, if the primary goal of the session is to perform a linear sprint for 30 yards as fast as possible, everything we do from plyometrics, to technical drills will be to enhance that sprint. It may sound easy to go tell an athlete to “run as fast as you can from here to there.” But, without proper warm up protocols, and preparation movements to get the athlete to their peak potential in that moment, the net return in adaptation from the sprint will be compromised. 

With that being said, we use backward running as a one of our warm up movements to help potentiate athletes for future movements in the session. I will list some examples of backwards movements below: 

REACH BACKS TO PAUSE, REFLEX, HOP, CONTINUOUS

BKWDS POGOS

SL RDL

FIGURE 4 TO KICK BACK PAUSE, REFLEX, INDIVIDUAL, CONTINUOUS

REVERSE LUNGE

REACH BACK RUN 

ALT REVERSE HOPS, SINGLE, DOUBLE, CONTINUOUS 

To what degree we use each of these movements depends on the group present, time of year, and goal of the session. Due to the increased metabolic demand, one must make sure not to spend too much time working in reverse, as you can fatigue the athlete, and take away from performance. However, if the focus of the session is backward running development, the majority of the day is spent in reverse. We use a day like this as an “Active Recovery Day” to get the athletes out of their normal running patterns to give those muscle actions a chance to recover, while still getting development in other areas. 

The benefits of BR can be extensive. How much we use it is dependent on athlete status, athlete’s sport, time of year, and goal of the session. If prescribed appropriately, BR can help develop several athletic qualities! 

Thank you for your time!

Coach Nate Garcia 

nate@tpstrength.com

tim@tpstrength.com

scott@tpstrength.com 

914-486-7678

Instagram: tp_strength

References:

Cronin J, Harrison C, Oliver J, Uthoff A, Winwood P. A New Direction to Athletic Performance: Understanding the Acture and Longitudinal Responses to Backward Running. 2018

The 7 Laws of Strength Training (according to Dr. Tudor Bompa

What separates performance coaches from everyday personal trainers is our ability to develop and appropriately modify a program for athletes. With each athlete that walks in the door, there is a new set of problems that require a completely new set of solutions. There is no “cookie cutter” solution book that will apply to every athlete. There are “laws” of training we must follow, but how these laws are enacted will differ from person to person. 

Develop Joint Mobility: 

Having good joint mobility will help prevent pain and injury down the road. When someone lacks a range of motion at a joint, the body will compensate in some form or fashion to ensure the completion of the movement. Over time, this compensation pattern will lead to muscular imbalances and higher risk of injury. As a species, humans have the same joint set up across the kinetic chain, (ankle, knee, hip, etc). How well we are able to utilize each joint’s movement is different from person to person. Lifestyle demands of an individual will determine how well these joints operate. Knowing this alone, we can not assume the same tool will solve everyone’s problem. In the world of sports performance, the demands of a sport, and the demands of a position within that sport will dramatically alter the training for the athlete. A program we use for a pitcher will differ from that of a wide receiver. 

Develop Ligament and Tendon Strength: 

Often overlooked due to lack of aesthetic qualities associated with healthy ligaments and joints, the importance of having a strong joint capsule is crucial to successful performance. A ligament is a form of connective tissue running from bone to bone, and it helps maintain the integrity of the joint. The tendon has a similar role, but the tendon connects bone to muscle, and aides in force distribution. The majority of injuries do not occur at the muscle belly, but rather at the myotendinous junction. Without a proper training protocol, tendons and ligaments may be inadequately prepared to handle the forces being transmitted through them. Exposing the body to ever increasing stress levels, while allowing enough recovery between bouts of stress will increase the connective tissue’s ability to handle more and more stress. 

Develop Core Strength: 

In this blog, I will define the core as trunk musculature. The trunk not only houses the vital organs of a human, the muscles associated with trunk are supposed to provide a stable surface for the limbs to operate on. Looking at a squat, our hip and leg musculature may be able to handle to perform a 500lb squat, but if our trunk is not up to the task, the lift will surely fail. A less extreme example would be someone’s posture. “Poor posture” will lead to muscular imbalances that prevent efficient human movements like walking, thoracic rotation, trunk flexion and extension amongst many others. When the core is weak/ imbalanced, it negatively affects the performance of other movements. 

Develop the Stabilizers:  

Stabilizers aide in movement ability by stabilizing the active joint will a gesture is being performed. Isometric contractions at the joint prevent joint separation. If a joint lacks stabilizer strength, the prime movers of the joint must now act as stabilizing muscles which in turn take away from performance. Unilateral training, and unstable surface training are different modalities utilized to enhance joint stabilization. In the world of athletic performance, we must be careful not to spend too much time emphasising joint stabilization, since the co-contraction of muscles from each side of the joint can take away from strength and power production.

Do not isolate joints

If your goal is to be better at your sport, and that sport is anything besides bodybuilding, you must develop the entirety of the kinetic chain. There is a time and a place for isolated joint exercises like a knee curl, or hip flexion, do not get me wrong. But, when we isolate muscles, we take away from the body’s ability to coordinate movements. In sports, there are literally a million different body alignments the athlete can be exposed to. While we cannot pre-expose our athletes to all of them, we can enhance inter-muscle synchronization and develop strength in these positions to help enhance performance and prevent injury. 

Focus on the Needs of the Athlete

At the beginning of this blog I said each athlete will have a new set of problems requiring a new set of solutions, and this is true. However, this does not mean we need to reinvent the wheel for each individual. People who play the same sport, or have a similar lifestyle will require a lot of the same training. Variables such as frequency, exercise type, intensity, and volume are often what is changed. There is yet to be discovered a magic exercise tool that will make someone faster and stronger. What people actually require is appropriate exposure to increasing stressors with appropriate rest periods to ensure adaptation. No vibrating belt, or ankle bands will make you lose fat and get faster. Eating right, being consistent in the gym, and a well throughout program will improve your performance. 

Plan for the Long Haul

Too often do I see kids wanting to throw their hardest at 16 years old, or run their fastest as a middle schooler. There is a way to get the most out of the body at each stage of development, but it is often done at a price. Premature exposure to advanced training techniques will often to a short playing career. When exposing a developing body to advanced training methods, you will not get the same amount of adaptation if you were to wait until the athlete was more mature. The stress is often mismanaged, and overtraining ensues. 

Performance specialists are a different breed of coaches. When someone stays up to date on the latest research, can apply the knowledge gained from text and past experience, keep the athlete safe and peak at the right time, the only possible outcome is success. Applying outdated training practices to every client that walks through the door will lead to lack of training adaptation, frustration, and eventually cessation of training. 

Thank you for your time!

Coach Nate Garcia 

nate@tpstrength.com

tim@tpstrength.com

scott@tpstrength.com 

914-486-7678

Instagram: tp_strength

Cold Weather Performance Training

Being a coach from Florida, training in the cold is a new challenge I will be undertaking during the winter season. While Total Performance is an indoor facility with no real outdoor training ground, getting our athletes outside during speed sessions is something we like to do. Some of our athletes have experienced this first hand, and when we make the decision to train in cold weather, some alterations to the training must be made. 

At TP, our speed sessions only last 30 minutes, give or take. This includes a warm up and taking care of the intricacies of sprint mechanics inside the facility, and then head outdoors for the remainder of session (10-15 minutes). Again, as long as it’s not wet, the weather does not really affect us. However, for the sake of discussion, we will break down a full hour of speed training. There are multiple physiological responses to cold weather. Optimizing your body’s responses to cold weather can mitigate the negative effects of cold weather training, maintaining body temperature is priority number one. This is done by proper layering of outdoor gear, and the amount of heat generated through physical activity. 

The primary tissue responsible for heat production is muscle. As the muscle contracts, energy is lost as heat. The amount of heat produced by the muscle is affected by the intensity of the session. During our speed development sessions, we perform short bursts of highly intense work, followed by rest periods. While in normal weather conditions, sweat is wicked away, blood flow to working muscle remains consistent, and resting muscle tone is normal-ish. In the cold, however, the blood vessels constrict thus shunting blood flow, which helps maintain core body temperature. This means overall work capacity of the local muscles decrease, and the workload must be adjusted accordingly. This constriction of blood vessels also increases blood pressure, and decrease heart rate response to activity. Finally, muscle tone increases (your muscles resting length is shortened). This aides in heat production, but range of motion (ROM), speed of movement, and force production can be negatively affected. 

To optimize cold weather training, variables such as: duration, intensity, rest intervals, clothing and exercise selections must be carefully considered. Training too long in a cold environment can have an adverse effect on training adaptations. Intensity and rest intervals essentially dictate the duration of the session. An hour speed session can easily turn into a 30-45 minute session depending on the goal of the session. If we aiming to attain maximum speed, the session will be kept short since our body’s ability to produce power is already blunted. The rest intervals can be tricky, while I have not seen a “cold weather” work to rest scale; I do know that instead of waiting for the next rep, the rest period will contain more low intensity movements. A jog back for recovery, or in place lunges are a few examples of low intensity movements to help maintain blood flow. Clothing must be carefully selected, and more is not always the answer. Most athletes are recommended to wear 3 layers. The first layer should be used to wick sweat away from the body. The second layer acts as insulation to keep warmth in. The outside layer should be waterproof to prevent the body from getting wet. 

Also, energy expenditure increases from shivering, core body temperature maintenance, and added weight from clothing. Ensure that you are properly nourished, and well hydrated to adjust for the increase in energy expenditure. 

Training in the cold is not optimal. You will not get the most out of session, especially if you are unprepared. If competition takes place in cold weather, it would be appropriate to expose athletes to the elements. However, this can often be done through sports practice. Exposing the athlete to environmental extremes does not improve the athlete’s ability to perform in these extremes. Having a healthy diet for performance and being hydrated will improves the body’s ability to perform in extreme climate. If at all possible, train in a normal climate and get the most out of the session. 

Thanks for your time!

Coach Nate Garcia 

nate@tpstrength.com

tim@tpstrength.com

scott@tpstrength.com 

914-486-7678

Instagram: tp_strength

Why Stretching Before Training is the Devil

There is a common misconception about the utilization of static stretching as a way to prepare the body for activity. I say misconception, because like most of the tools used in fitness and performance, they are being used the wrong way. Don’t get me wrong, stretching can be beneficial fitness and performance development, but variables such as: when, how long, and intensity all need to be considered before touching your toes in preparation for sprints

When we stretch, we are temporarily changing the resting muscle length. Your body has adapted to your lifestyle, and we have to be extremely cautious when making acute alterations  to your body prior to intense activity. We all have our own unique range of motion (ROM) in each joint. Attempting to move an external load throughout this ROM, we are able to complete this without injury. When we “open up” in an attempt to increase the ROM at the target joint, this new joint angle is not as strong as the original ROM. This is the biggest problem with static stretching before strength training in my opinion. We are making the body essentially adapt on the fly to this new found motion, and we are throwing on weight with no regard to safety. This completely contradicts the claim that static stretching prevents injury. As a matter of fact, in some ways it may increase the chance of injury! And, performance of exercise can also be hindered by long duration static stretching prior to exercise via ill advised alteration of muscle length. 

Now, before we say that “Coach Nate doesn’t stretch, because it’s the devil…” everyone relax. Static stretching definitely has its place in my program, and I use it often with my athletes. Like I said previously, when we consider the variables of: when, how long, and intensity, we can easily and accurately prescribe static stretching. Personally, I stretch 2-3x/ week for roughly 8 minutes. I cover all major muscle groups, and some more than others. These sessions either take place on my “recovery day” or after an intense session to help return the muscles to their resting length and facilitate recovery. The one variable that is consistent for myself and my athletes is that stretching occurs after the session is over! If the goal of a warm-up is to elevate performance, the dynamic warm-up is the gold standard. Inducing thermogenesis, elevate heart rate to anticipated work level, lubricate the joints, prime the central nervous system, amongst other things are all accomplished with the proper dynamic warm-up. 

Flexibility is one thing, what I am more concerned with is can we be strong throughout your ROM, not just get into the position.

Thanks for your time!

Coach Nate Garcia 

nate@tpstrength.com

tim@tpstrength.com

scott@tpstrength.com 

914-486-7678

Instagram: tp_strength

Exercise Selection

One of the biggest variables in the world of strength training is... exercise selection. There are many thoughts that go into choosing what movements are going to be completed during the session, mesocyle, and macrocycle. I think what a lot of people get caught up in when choosing exercises is that the exercise they chose is the “end all be all.” For example, if someone wants to jump higher, or run faster they HAVE to barbell back squat. This simply isn’t the case. Some of the biggest variables not discussed in this post are: access to equipment, coach to player ratio, total training time, and training philosophy. I am not married to the idea of any exercise being a must have in a program. I have my favorites, and even some of those are different compared to what I use for my athletes.

Each individual is going to require a similar, but different set of guidelines when prescribing exercises. Whenever a new athlete walks through the door, we run them through a series of movement screens, and performance tests to help us determine where the athlete currently stands physically. These tests also give us an idea of what type of exercises the athlete CAN complete on day 1. If the athlete’s movement pattern shows any contraindication (pain) or an inability to complete the movement, my next idea isn’t “lets load it up because we have to squat today.” I am going to find another way to work the same muscle groups in a similar pattern to build towards the ability to complete a back squat. There is no “one” exercise that will solve all your problems, or elevate you to the next level. Exercises are the tools we use to get the body prepared for the rigors of the season ahead, and allow the athlete to practice their craft more often. 

Lifestyle and demands of the sport are two more variables that must be considered when creating a training regimen. These are also movement dominated! If you are a non-athlete and live a life pattern that goes like from car, to computer, to car, to couch, to bed… the exercise selection for you is going to look completely different compared to a swimmer’s exercise selection. Many people get hurt, and/or discouraged when they start training again, because they train like they are back in high school getting ready for the Friday night game. The priorities for someone living the aforementioned lifestyle is to correct posture, move efficiently, and build some work capacity. The demands of an athlete are greater than general fitness, they must prepare for competition. Athletes may start from the same point as non-athletes as far as correcting movement, and building capacity, but the movements are aiming toward improving sport performance and preventing injury. What exercises do this?? 

Being in the private sector, I have a limited amount of time with my athletes. Some of my guys only activities are when they come to me, and others whose only down time is when they go to bed… and they are in the same session! Once we get over the HUGE hurdle that is “ability” how do I control a weight room of 15 kids coming from 15 different days before they get to me? I must program exercise variations that cater to the lowest dominator, and the most advanced guy in the room. For example, if the primary movement of the day is the hip hinge, there needs to be a progression-regression list of exercises to work the same exercise group at varying rates of difficulty rather than just altering load. Everything from a supine hip thrust, to a banded RDL should be up for consideration (and that’s just the strength training component). 

At the end of the day, the body likes to move. How we make it move is up to us. Whenever there is an imbalance, there is a likelihood for pain with simple tasks like walking or sitting. Correcting these imbalances with the correct exercise prescription can change a person’s life. Athletics demand the body to be really good at predicted and unpredicted movement. Preparing and improving movement will improve sports performance. 

Thanks for your time!

Coach Nate Garcia 

nate@tpstrength.com

tim@tpstrength.com

scott@tpstrength.com 

914-486-7678

Instagram: tp_strength

Why do it on Two, When you can do it on One

A hot topic of discussion between us strength coaches is the benefits of unilateral and bilateral training. For years now, and we have been taught “if we can’t do it on two, we shouldn’t be doing it on one!” There is merit to this, no doubt. What your body does to accommodate loading on one leg is a totally different neural pattern compared to two legs, and it will lead to different training adaptations. Bilateral exercises such as the squat, deadlift, and RDL have been proven to be useful exercises to improve strength and power that transfers to on field performance. Unless you participate in a bar sport like powerlifting, you may not be getting as much out of these lifts as you think.  

We are asymmetrical creatures, we are never going to perfect balanced no matter how hard we to strive to attain symmetry. When you play an asymmetrical sports such as baseball, the asymmetries are further attenuated. While your body adapts to these asymmetries, the possibility of injury tends to increase. While a lot of movements in the weight-room are performed on two limbs, athletes can hide asymmetries in these bilateral movements. Over time something will give on the field or in the weight-room that causes an injury. In unilateral movements, hiding compensation patterns is almost impossible! It can actually highlights the flaws in the system. While we may never be symmetrical (maybe we aren’t supposed to be) if I can close the gap between left and right, the total system benefits. 

The majority of athletic activity takes place on one leg. Running, cutting, jumping all take place on one leg; the amount of time spent on two limbs is not as often as your would think. The body relies on each individual limb to produce force to propel the body forward; while the opposite leg prepares for ground contact. Bilateral movements like the squat train the appropriate muscle groups required to improve performance, however it is not a movement athletes often experience on the field. A big counter argument is that you are stronger/ more powerful on two legs compared to one, and this is true… in the moment of the lift. 

The bilateral deficit is a term used to describe the sum of two limbs lifts has a greater total load compared to using two legs at the same time. For example, athlete A can back squat 300lbs. But,  he can single leg squat 155lbs on each limb individually and this totals to 310lbs. If the rep and set scheme is the same between the two exercises, total tonnage will be greater with the single leg squat compared to the back squat; which would elicit greater adaptation (maybe). 

Finally, two limb movements do not always equal improvements with one limb movements, while one leg movements can further improve the ability of two limb movements. In my experience, my athletes have trained primarily on two limbs, while often neglecting unilateral movements. With that being said, their RDL strength and coordination completely exceeds their Single Leg RDL ability (most cannot even get into the position). This is troublesome because we ask these athletes to perform single leg plyometric exercises such as a sprint on a daily basis. The Single Leg RDL almost directly mimics the requirements of the sprint, and if these guys can hardly get in the correct position in a controlled, unloaded environment… I cannot expect them to have any type of advanced sprint ability. I want to change our current mindset that you should be able to perform a movement on two limbs before you attempt it on one. I think we should train single limb ability before attempting bilateral movements. 

Thanks for your time!

Coach Nate Garcia 

nate@tpstrength.com

tim@tpstrength.com

scott@tpstrength.com 

914-486-7678

Instagram: tp_strength

Consistency: The True Variable in Training

Too often in my young coaching career I have seen people excited to get started in the gym, only to have that flame of excitement quickly burn out. Too often have I been asked to create a program for people looking to get back in shape, or train for a sport; only to check in after a few weeks, and find out they have completed the first work out… and that’s it. There is no secret formula to finding success in your training. There is no magic program that will create the results you are looking for if you do not dedicate the time to the program. When it comes down to it, the only way to get faster, stronger, more fit, is to stay true to the process. 

When I start training a new athlete, I do not immediately throw them into the gates of hell. A lot of coaches enjoy this, as I have come to find out. We attempt to build mental toughness via excruciatingly difficult/ pointless workouts before establishing some sort of training base, and before looking at the needs of the athlete. Besides the science behind this flawed practice of training, if I am looking to establish a consistent routine with this athlete, absolutely destroying them will more than likely prevent them from coming in the next day… and the next… and the next. Once they have recovered from your “session from hell” they have now missed 5-7 days of training time (probably). That is anywhere from 5-14 hours of training volume that could have accumulated, instead they were laying at home, struggling to walk. So, they come back in and we are starting from zero again. Here is your chance to make up for a pointless workout. Instead of going into the session with a mindset of training homicide, we can test the athlete to see where the athlete currently sits physically, and mentally. Run them through an evaluation! Everything from past medical history, to contralateral asymmetries, and work capacity. From there we can create a program that may not challenge YOU as a fitness junkee, but it will challenge your athlete appropriately.  Your athlete is now coming in 3-4 days/ week consistently with adequate rest between sessions, and after a few weeks some big changes have already begun to take place. Here is where a good program has merit, but that is a conversation for another day.

This same principle holds true for general population folks as well. If you haven’t run 5 miles in 5 years, or you haven't squatted your high school max since high school, do not attempt to do so on day 1. If you do not injure yourself, your body will be in recovery mode for years to come (that’s a joke, but really your body will scream at you). Then we see the same pattern, “I’m too sore” or “I’ll come back in a couple of days.” Before you know it, we haven’t exercised in 7 days. When you are unsure of how to begin,  ask a professional like myself for help. We must establish a routine that appropriately challenges your current fitness level. 

However, not all of the blame can fall on the misinformed fitness coach. If you want to accomplish health goals, or get better at your sport, YOU have to spend the time in the weight-room. Whatever program you decide to run, the common variable is consistency. Whether you come in 1 day per week or 7, the volume of training will accumulate, and change will take place.  

Thanks for your time!

Coach Nate Garcia 

nate@tpstrength.com

tim@tpstrength.com

scott@tpstrength.com 

914-486-7678

Instagram: tp_strength

Training Specificity

When starting to train for speed and strength, what must come first is strength. Your body is a machine, and that machine must be prepared for the amount of work you will be exposing it to, or it will break down. It is possible to develop a foundation of strength through any number of programs, and for the most part as long as consistency is apart of that program you will succeed. When training myself, or my athletes, I have found great success in following simple programs that cover basic movement patterns repeatedly. Learning how to: squat, hinge, push, pull, rotate, and bend train the entire working system, to improve the qualities of these movements so we can appropriately overload the body and improve performance. 

Once we have established a solid foundation to build on, we can than further specify training modalities to attack the goal that we are training for. At this point I would like to introduce unilateral and bilateral training. Unilateral training indicates we are working one side of the body (typically dividing the body in the sagittal plane), and bilateral is both sides of the body. For example, a unilateral exercise would be the reverse lunge, and a traditional back squat is an example of a bilateral exercise. 

Bilateral exercises are great for force output. You are obviously stronger on two legs compared to one, however there is also a greater opportunity to compensate a movement and still complete it. This is a problem! Compensation patterns lead to efficient movement, lack of training adaptation, and injury! With unilateral movement, there is also a possibility of movement compensation, but the difference between the two is a unilateral movement compensation is more easily noticed and often leads to failure of movement completion. 

Unilateral movements are often more closely related to the movements required in sports. Sprinting is a unilateral plyometric. There is never a moment in time where there is two feet on the ground at the same time after the start! One of the goals of strength training is transferability to the field, and if I can more closely mimic a movement and load it safely, I will. With this principle in mind, let me discuss the back squat and reverse lunge. Neither of these movements are directly transfer to a sprint, but the reverse lunge is primarily completed on one leg (just like sprinting). The squat will work the same muscle group, and sprint performance will improve, but it will only take your improvements so far (the point of diminishing returns). Unless you participate in a barbell sport, there comes a certain point in training where the goal should shift from improving a squat number to improving athletic performance via movement specificity. 

I will continue to discuss how to improve training specificity for athletic improvement in the weight room with future posts! Thanks for reading! 

Coach Nate Garcia 

nate@tpstrength.com

tim@tpstrength.com

scott@tpstrength.com 

914-486-7678

Instagram: tp_strength

Concurrent Training: Aerobic and Strength

The active stereotype for the weightlifting community is that cardio is the devil that must be avoided at all costs to ensure the best gains, and to an extent, they would be correct. However, just like any training plan, if the variables of the training are manipulated appropriately then you can see benefits on both sides of the spectrum. 

We have discussed the energy systems with some detail in previous posts. If you haven’t had the chance to review them, now we be a good time to scroll down and take a look. We have three primary energy systems (phosphagen, anaerobic glycolysis, aerobic glycolysis) and all three of those systems play into each other and we use all three systems everyday. In my opinion, to neglect one system in totality is a poor decision and it can lead to a plateau in training effects or even detraining. If you have a goal in mind that you are training for, then your training focus should aim to accomplish that goal. A first baseman does not have to be able to run 1600m as fast as possible, but they do require the ability to play 162 games in roughly 170 days. 

Aerobic training is not just running miles on end and puking from exhaustion. It serves a greater purpose than bettering the ability to run long distance, it is a pillar in the ability to recover. When planned appropriately, cardiovascular training can facilitate strength and power advancements for the strength and power athletes. If that is the case, what does appropriate planning look like? It depends! If you are participating in a power dominant event (baseball, long jump, 100m sprint) training in the aerobic zone should be accomplished at different points in your annual plan. The further away from the  competitive season, the more aerobic based training you can include. Also, including aerobic conditioning in the middle of a competitive season can be appropriate in order to facilitate active recovery between events. These particular athletes require low level aerobic conditioning (50-70% BPM of HRmax) that does not interfere with strength improvements. Not only does this modality not interfere with strength training, but the athlete was able to simultaneously improve cardiovascular and strength abilities. The time between these two sessions was a key variable, and the overall consensus was a minimum of 6 hours between training bouts of strength and aerobic conditioning. 

Keeping the goal of training in mind, a stimulus that promotes a person’s recovery ability is something that cannot be ignored. The metabolic adaptation that occurs with aerobic training is an adaptation that lasts much longer than the adaptations of power and speed training, so once a foundation is established, it does not take much to maintain this adaptation. The improved cardiovascular ability facilitates blood flow to working musculature, the more blood that is pumped through your skeletal muscles, the greater the ability to resynthesis necessary energy substrates needed for explosive movements, improvements in fat utilization as an energy source so that carbohydrate utilization can be reserved for highly intense work, and increased clearance of biochemical stressors associated with strength training. I can write a book on the benefits of aerobic training, but to see advancements in your training goal, variables such as: frequency, duration, intensity, and modality must be planned carefully. 

Looking at this topic from the other side of the training spectrum, the long distance athletes that also strength train. Essentially, the training considerations of the strength/power athlete flip. The endurance athlete can benefit from strength training as long as it is planned appropriately. These athletes often see immediate improvements in performance because they are often not exposed to strength training. These improvements are due to the body's improved ability to absorb and redistribute force when running, and prevent injuries. Strength training the endurance athletes is not something I have spent a lot of time doing, but avoiding hypertrophy to keep the necessary body composition for the sport, and not spending too much time in the weight room to prevent unwarranted soreness, are two general rules I would use when training these athletes. 

I touched on the idea of plateauing and detraining in the introduction. This is because the body requires a different stimulus every at certain points to allow for recovery. Even the elite powerlifters do not lift heavy weight (90% 1RM <) all year round. Their body would never be allowed to recover and would never have to adapt to a new stimulus. I will discuss this topic in greater detail in the future. 

In conclusion, aerobic conditioning can do wonders for athletes and non-athletes alike. Rather than avoiding aerobic conditioning, it should be planned for accordingly in order to enhance your body's ability to accomplish the goals you have set for yourself. Recovery is just as important as training, and the better your body is at recovering, the greater the demand you can place on your training. 

-Thank you for your time! If you have any questions please let us know!

Coach Nate Garcia 

nate@tpstrength.com

tim@tpstrength.com

scott@tpstrength.com 

914-486-7678

Instagram: tp_strength

Training the "Core"

In my own experience, a lot people have similar goals in mind when they join a gym or hire a trainer. They want to look better and feel better about themselves. As we all know, one muscle in particular is often displayed as a sign of fitness superiority… rectus abdominis better known as: abs, 6 pack, etc etc. But, there is much more that goes into having a solid core than a 6-pack. Many people strive to attain this look in their work outs, but often do not succeed because there is a misnomer in the community that people continue to fall for, and that is the more isolated core work you do the stronger and leaner you’ll get. However, research has proven time and time again this modality of training is...eye wash. The term “core” is a relative term and really can be placed on any body part, so I will use “trunk” when referencing the muscles associated with trunk movement.  

Firstly, you cannot target fat areas with exercises, that is not how the process works. Fat is an energy source stored in the body. It is accumulated when our caloric consumption exceeds our caloric expenditure. So, when someone does crunches, they are not targeting belly fat, and belly fat does not magically turn into muscle. The muscle is there currently, and has always been there (unless there’s a problem), it is just covered by a layer of stored energy. In order to remove these excess energy stores, you must burn off the energy! This is accomplished by doing a healthy mixture of activities, and the more of the body that is involved in the activity, the more energy you’re burning (for the most part). As we have discussed previously, there is a ton of variables that will decide how much energy will be burned in the activity.

Secondly, completing isolated trunk movements is nowhere near as beneficial as completing externally loaded, total body movements that teach the body to work in unison. With that being said, I do use isolated trunk movements in my “trunk and spine” warm up before lifts. I do this to “turn on” smaller muscle groups, work in different planes of movement (sagittal, frontal, and transverse), and prepare the body for the real work of the day in an unloaded fashion. For example, the deadlift is a total body movement that requires massive amounts of trunk strength from the entire system to prevent unwarranted flexion of the trunk. Before I attempt this exercise, I will complete a circuit that mimics the requirements of a deadlift and promoting rigidity of the trunk, but I will be on the ground which is a regressed position. It gives the body an opportunity to wake up before asking it to accomplish a heavy task such as the deadlift. The reason I use isolated trunk movements is to prepare the body for the focus of the day, while others will dedicate a whole work out (ab day) when in actuality they can spend their time more efficiently completing total body movements like a squat, lunge, deadlift, or step up.

Crunches, planks, and the ab wheel all have their place and can be challenging to perform! But, if the goal of your program is to actually develop trunk strength and lose fat, those exercises do not hold a candle to total body movements mentioned previously. Plus, in every exercise there is a way to get the trunk more involved. Shifting from bilateral exercise to unilateral exercises to narrow your base of support, and uneven loading of movements will place a greater demand on the trunk musculature. Isolated trunk exercises have a place in my programming, and they should in yours as well, but they should not be the focus of a session… unless you’re coming back from injury, then that is a whole other can of worms.

-Thank you for your time! If you have any questions please let us know!

Coach Nate Garcia 

nate@tpstrength.com

tim@tpstrength.com

scott@tpstrength.com 

914-486-7678

Instagram: tp_strength

Instability Training... Why?

There seems to be an increased popularity in the utilization of unstables surfaces in the weight-room to improve balance, strength,  core strength, and sports performance. Why add another variable to a skilled movement? What does training on an unstable surface enhance, and/or hinder? To what capacity should you incorporate this modality in your own training regimen?

In the rehab setting, when an individual is returning from injury, it is very common for the usage of unstable surfaces to strengthen all muscles associated with the area being rehabbed. Without going too far out of my scope of practice, the unstable surface promotes co-contraction of agonist and antagonist muscle groups to stabilize the joint and prevent future injury. 

Once someone is cleared from the rehab setting, the capacity to which someone would use instability training methods vary quite a bit. As I have discussed in previous posts, it all depends on what the goal of your program is! Let's look at two people: 1- a sprinter who has 5+ years training experience, 2- an average person not training for competition with < 5 years training experience. 

The sprinter has one goal in mind, and that is to get from point A to point B faster than everyone else. Peaking for these events require detailed programming in order to get the best out of the athlete at the time of the event. A sprinter needs to the ability to put a high amount of force in the ground in a very short amount of time. To aid in force absorption and redistribution, sprinters have the ability to disinhibit the natural inhibitors of muscle contraction. This is part of the reason why they look so fluid running down the track! This has a lot to do with co-contraction of muscles, sprinters want agonist muscle groups to shorten rapidly while the antagonist muscle groups relax. This increases the range of motion of the movement, allowing more time for force generation, and shortens the amortization phase of the stretch shortening cycle. I say all that because unstable surfaces promote co-contraction, thus fighting the results we are looking for! They also limit force production in one direction, meaning as you put force in to the unstable surface like sand, or a bosu ball, the force is distributed across the platform rather than back into the movement. Training to improve balance focusing on the usage of unstable surfaces for the sprint athlete would not be recommended. 

As an average person looking to improve overall fitness, I see no problem with using instability training as long as it’s performed safely with a purpose. Exercise should be fun for people, and if someone is inclined to use a bosu ball to do push-ups because they like the challenge… why not? Sure, they might be emphasizing efficient strength development, but there isn’t strength competition to prepare for either. Instability training provides a unique challenge, and easy way to track improvement with added variables to the exercise. As long as someone has a general strength foundation, and demonstrates that they can do the movement safely, I say go for it. BUT, you should know what instability training promotes if you are utilizing it in your program. If the goal of your program is to increase maximal power output, and one of your programs pillar’s is the utilization of unstable surfaces… I will shake my head in disappointment. 

People use unstable surfaces to promote balance ability, core development (abs, obliques, erectors, etc), a warm up to “activate” muscle groups before the session, rehabilitation from injury, and sometimes just to show off! These are all true statements, but are there better ways to accomplish these goals? For example, nothing has been shown to better develop core strength than performing standing, total body movement with an external load (LIKE A BACK SQUAT), and that includes the 30 minute crunch class. There is a time and a place for unstable surfaces, and IMO that is in the rehab setting, a warm up, a new challenge for someone not training for a competition, and to only be attempted safely by someone with training experience. 

Thank you for your time! If you have any questions, please reach out to us!

Instagram: tp_strength

train@tpstrength.com (Coach Nate)

scott@tpstrength.com

tim@tpstrength.com

Phone: 914-486-7678