Strong Medicine

Exploring the Science, Art and Practice of Sustainable Health and Strength

Norbert Schemansky: World & Olympic Champion, Transitional Strength Figure, Mentor to My Mentor…

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How it was done: Norb lays back, stands partially erect in photo three, before laying back a second time as shown in photo four. He eventually pressed 420 using this style.
How it was done: Norb lays back, stands partially erect in photo three, before laying back a second time as shown in photo four. He eventually pressed 420 using this style.

The press photo sequence above is of Ski pressing 396 at the 1964 Tokyo Olympic Games where he went on to take the bronze medal. He stood 5’11” and in this photo weighed a rock hard 260 pounds. At his awesome peak he was capable of a 420 press, a 370 snatch and a 460-pound clean and jerk. He could squat 650 for reps. Norb was the prototypical modern power athlete, both physiologically and psychologically. We want to relate (and embellish) a strength parable that was first told in Strength & Health magazine in 1966 by Bill Starr. The tale bears retelling because the lessons it aimed to teach are still valid in 2015.

The year is 1966 and a young trainee approached Norbert Schemansky—world and Olympic champion—with great trepidation. The Polish-American lifter from Detroit was infamous for brusqueness; he did not suffer fools lightly, particularly if he was interrupted when training. And at the moment Ski was training and not in a particularly jovial mood. The setting was the venerable and ancient York gym on a typical Saturday. Most every Saturday in the 50s and 60s, a mini-Olympic weightlifting competition was conducted in the York gym. The public was welcome and you could see a veritable cavalcade of national and world champion weightlifters in action. Lifting acolytes from around the country made their way to this American lifting equivalent of the Haj in Mecca. The vast majority of the onlookers were lifters seeking tips and tactics that would improve their own weightlifting efforts.

On this particular day, Norb was midway through the overhead press portion of his extended workout. An 18-year-old regional weightlifting champion had driven to York with two training partners. The young men were positively enthralled and agog, absorbing new data about lifting that they would use in their own herculean efforts; they could barely wait to return home and put into practice all the new training protocols and lifting techniques they had gleaned and observed. Our earnest protagonist knew that he and his pals would have to leave for home in the next hour in order to return in time to meet their parental curfews.

The youngster was bursting at the seams to ask Schemansky some pointed questions about tactics and training. The problem was Ski had been training for a long time and looked as if he might continue for quite a while longer. Under normal circumstances, the clean-cut young man would never bother Ski, or any other elite lifter while they trained. A training session was sacred, and amongst the Iron Elite interrupting the sacrosanct training atmosphere with mindless blather was considered sacrilege.

The youngster was impaled on the horns of an irresolvable dilemma: interrupt the fearsome Schemansky’s workout and risk incurring the legendary wrath—he’d been known to get physical with those who irritated him—or miss the opportunity to ask Ski questions. If his burning questions were left unanswered, it would haunt him forever. Summoning up his courage, the young lifter took in a sharp breath and strode to where the champ sat between sets on a steel folding chair.

Ski caught the youngster approaching him out of the corner of his eye and thought, “Oh Hell no!” He mumbled and muttered under his breath; he knew what was about to happen. Schemansky was a month out from competing at the American National Championships; his last major competition had been the 1964 Olympic games, where he’d taken the 3rd place bronze medal behind the legendary Soviet world and Olympic champions Yuri Vlasov and newcomer Leonid Zhabotinsky. An uncontrollable scowl spread across his already dour face as the well-built boy pulled up to a halt four feet in front of Ski and stood wordlessly at attention. After a long silent pause, the youngster said in a single breath…

“Mr. Schemansky, Sir! I am sorry to interrupt you, my press has been stuck at 205 for the past six months. Could you be so kind as to give me some advice about how I might increase my press?”

Ski exhaled a cooling breath and proceeded to talk himself out of the trees; he was NOT going to go off, explode, or go ape-shit on this earnest young man. Ski was trying to turn over a new leaf and would not resort to cussing this kid out—as he would have in the not-too-distant-past. Truth be known, as Ski looked the kid up and down like an expensive side-dish he hadn’t ordered—despite wanting to hate all interlopers—he got a good vibe from the boy.

Norbert takes 3rd place at the 1960 Olympic games: A fantastic-looking Yuri Vlasov wins for Russia with America’s Jim Bradford in second place. Bradford lived and lifted in Washington, DC. He and my mentor Hugh “Huge” Cassidy would periodically train together. Bradford could clean and strict press 400 pounds. What a great trio.
Norbert takes 3rd place at the 1960 Olympic games: A fantastic-looking Yuri Vlasov wins for Russia with America’s Jim Bradford in second place. Bradford lived and lifted in Washington, DC. He and my mentor Hugh “Huge” Cassidy would periodically train together. Bradford could clean and strict press 400 pounds. What a great trio.

Ski had a secondary motive: despite the pure joy he derived from going off on a civilian, any emotional outbursts—while terrifically satisfying (a guilty pleasure)—would derail and destroy the workout. He had eleven training sessions before leaving for the national championships and every single session needed to count; each week he had to show tangible improvement.

He decided to be tolerant and understanding with this clean-cut polite boy—no yelling, profanity, or rebuffs; he would avoid ‘leaking’ any of his precious emotional psych. Plus there was something oddly endearing about the bearing, manner, and presence of the youngster who stood in front of him. The boy was deferential and reverential, akin to a young soldier addressing a general. Ski always and forever had a place in his heart for the military man so he grunted a reply…

“FIRST OFF it is RUDE to interrupt a man prepping for a national championship—WHAT is so GODDAMNED IMPORTANT!”

Schemansky was pleased with himself. He considered that a measured response and quite restrained, compared to previous “alleged” incidents. The boy literally quaked, shook, and was on the verge of peeing himself; his training partners slunk backwards four steps. Norbert then switched gears and said,

“Son, if you want to improve your press—PRESS!”

Ski deliberately made eye contact with the youngster. A look of confusion and consternation spread across the boy’s face. Puzzled, but elated by the fact that he had not been physically assaulted, the youngster decided to press his luck and posed a second question.

“Mr. Schemansky, sir! Any suggestions on how to improve my snatch would be greatly appreciated. I have been stalled…”

Ski decided to reinforce a point. “Do I look like a give a Tinker’s damn if your snatch is stalled?” It was a rhetorical question. “If you want to improve your snatch THEN SNATCH!”

The rugged champion leaned back in his chair and drilled his eyes into the youngster until the boy winced and wilted. Yet, instead of skittering away, the youngster gathered himself admirably; he knew he was pressing his luck, but plunged onward anyway. “How about my clean and jerk, sir? Please sir, my jerk stinks and yours is great—no, incredible—what can I do to improve my clean and jerk, sir?

“More Clean and Jerks, son!” Norb was warming to the kid.

“Squat?”

This actually made Norbert laugh. The boy had big balls. He looked at the boy and with a quick jerk of the head wordlessly indicated that the audience was over. The boy, being smart and perceptive got that he was being dismissed. He wanted to express his gratitude for the great man’s time.

“Thank you sir.” He extended a limp, damp hand that hung there suspended in space for the longest time before Ski sighed and engulfed the boy’s hand with his own callused hand and gave the youngster a real man’s handshake, a small jolt, just a taste of his raw power, transmitted through a crushing handshake. The boy winced in pain. He would remember those 15 minutes for the rest of his life.

50 years later the strength elite would still talk about and marvel at the Zen wisdom and sparse economy of Norb’s precise answers. There was (and remains) so much truth in his advice.

Ski spikes 440. He came back from back surgery to snatch a world record
Ski spikes 440. He came back from back surgery to snatch a world record

There is a famous Zen Koan: “What is the sound of one hand clapping?” The answer is a hard slap across the face. The student poses the question and the Roshi slaps the taste out of the acolyte’s mouth. Often that unexpected slap would jolt the Zen student out of his conscious mind, allowing him to attain the level of consciousness that cannot be reasoned out. Ski’s irreducible answers were akin to the Zen face slap.

Truly, as Ski succinctly noted, if a man is serious about improving his press, snatch, clean and jerk, squat, deadlift or any other major resistance training exercise—the best possible way to improve is to do that specific lift—repeatedly. Remember Aristotle’s truism: “We are what we do repeatedly.” Sport specificity applies to strength training movements. As my old lifting coach Hugh Cassidy would say, “The best way to improve in any lift is to do that lift and do it a whole lot.”

Further, the best assistance exercises (adjunct lifts) for any of the three powerlifts most closely resemble the core lift. Hence, the best assistance exercise for bench press is the bench press with a wide grip or a narrow grip; in keeping with Cassidy’s timeless axiom, variations on flat benching are superior assistance exercises to say, incline bench press or decline bench press.

There is tremendous wisdom hidden deep within Schemansky and Cassidy’s pithy pronouncements. Schemansky classic power strategy for improving strength could be described as “doing fewer things better.” This old school philosophy could be summarized as, “Perform the major lifts and do them often—and do very little else.” Old pros knew that a universe of variety and variation exists within the core four lifts and their assistance-lift brethren.

In this day and age, it is very chic and fashionable to avoid doing the lifts. The prevailing wisdom in our information age is that you can improve the squat, bench or deadlift without doing the actual lifts. You can get just as strong, stronger in fact, by using bands, boards, chains, board presses, box squats—anything to avoid the harsh starkness of that most primal and ancient of strategies… “Just do the lifts.” Ski and Cassidy (and John Kuc, Jon Vole, Kaz, Pacifico, and all the other all-time greats of the 1960s and 1970s) would do the three Olympic lifts or the three powerlifts—and little if anything else. It would never occur to these powerhouse men NOT to do the core lifts.

How did we arrive at this upside-down bizarro world? It think it is no coincidence that the physiques of Doug Young, Kaz, Gamble, Cash, Roger Estep, and all the other muscled-to-the-max men of yesteryear blow away the physiques of today’s “smarter” athletes. The ancients bore the weight, embraced the sticking points, and did full and deep lifts. They performed the ultra-basics over and over and over and over, ad infinitum, ad nauseam. How do you get really good at doing the core lifts? By doing them repeatedly, world without end, amen.

Perfect pull technique: Man mountain Roger Estep at the exact instant he launches a 744-pound conventional deadlift. He uses leg power to break the bar from the floor and will fire his hip-hinge (purposefully held in reserve) as the bar approaches his knees. Estep stood 5’6” and lifted in the 198-pound class. A nuclear engineer from West Virginia, he died early from cancer. He had the prototypical power physique; the kind that can only be built by a man who has mastered all three power lifts.
Perfect pull technique: Man mountain Roger Estep at the exact instant he launches a 744-pound conventional deadlift. He uses leg power to break the bar from the floor and will fire his hip-hinge (purposefully held in reserve) as the bar approaches his knees. Estep stood 5’6” and lifted in the 198-pound class. A nuclear engineer from West Virginia, he died early from cancer. He had the prototypical power physique; the kind that can only be built by a man who has mastered all three power lifts.

Lift performance, the classical report card, has been inflated through the use of supportive gear, the mono-lift and corrupted judging. It appeared that lifts were skyrocketing and all as a result of this get-better-at-the-lift-without-doing-the-lift philosophy. Actually, if you strip the modern lifter of his lifting apparel, make him do below parallel squats and bench presses without wearing the bench shirt, then guess what? The modern “athlete” is weaker than the ancients. Talk about an inconvenient truth…

Ski and Cassidy, Rigert and Pacifico, Mel Hennessey and Roger Estep knew that in order to get really good at a thing, you needed to do that thing, endlessly. By doing the lifts to near exclusion, they built physiques and levels of raw power and strength which are unrivaled and unmatched to this day. Those lessons have been lost to history: in our age, everyone is looking for the next new thing. However in the universe of radical physical transformation—more muscle, more strength, more power, radically reduced body fat percentile—the answers lie in the deep and primal past.

The smart trainee needs to look backwards for breakthrough strength strategies; back to the ancients and their “plain vanilla” training strategies that relied more on effort and degree of difficulty than in sophisticated user-friendliness. These stark, barebones training strategies discovered by the ancients need to be resurrected. Those who tell you that modern strength and power strategies trump what came before are false prophets speaking with forked tongues. It is time we destroyed the golden calf of delusion and get back on the Old School good foot: to get super-strong become super-simplistic.

Ski was “the sophisticated brute,” fast as lighting on his split cleans and split snatches. Here he pulls 330—look at the balletic athletic poetry of this bottom position. He would whip the snatch bar to sternum height, then dive under the barbell in an eye-blink, attaining this precarious position at the low point. From here he would “recover” and stand erect. Ski snatched a 363-pound world record at age 38.
Ski was “the sophisticated brute,” fast as lighting on his split cleans and split snatches. Here he pulls 330—look at the balletic athletic poetry of this bottom position. He would whip the snatch bar to sternum height, then dive under the barbell in an eye-blink, attaining this precarious position at the low point. From here he would “recover” and stand erect. Ski snatched a 363-pound world record at age 38.

Norb Schemansky was born in 1924. The Detroit native learned his fundamentals early. He came into his own during the post-war period. Norbert stayed at the top of the strength world from the 1940s all the way into the late 1960s. He cut his teeth on simplistic pre-war training templates and over time modified them; he grew larger and stronger as he got older. Norb set the world record in the snatch, 363lbs at age 38, some twenty years into his competitive career. Norb adapted and adopted, yet he always retained the simplistic sophistication that earmarked his training strategies. Even as he matured, he never lost his pre-war, depression-era work ethic.

Norb become the first weightlifter in history to earn four Olympic medals, despite missing the 1956 Olympic games due to back problems. Norbert won an Olympic gold medal; a silver medal and two bronze medals spread over four games. He won the world championship three times and won the Pan American Games. He was the Olympic champion in 1952. He set an all-time world record in the snatch in 1962 when he split-snatched a seemingly miraculous 363-pounds. Norb set 75 national, world, and Olympic records.

According to his biographer Richard Back, Schemansky related that the most impressive feat of strength he ever witnessed took place at the 1952 Helsinki Olympic Games during a rare joint training session when the American and the Russian lifters were both in the same training hall at the same time. Trench-coated KGB secret police lined the walls of the training hall just in case a desperate communist athlete dared try and dash for sanctuary and freedom. This stuff was real and Ski saw the Big Red sport machine up close and personal for decades.

Ski’s number one competitor in 1952 was the 180-pound Soviet champion Gregory Novak. Novak held the press record at 309 pounds and during the joint training session the stumpy, thick Russian effortlessly pressed 281 pounds, and then—no doubt for Norbert’s benefit (Novak was well aware that Schemansky was watching)—pulled a psych maneuver that blew Ski’s mind.

“First he presses 281 and I am impressed with the strictness and lack of backbend. I mean back then (1952) a press was still a press.” Norb then related, “Then, just for the hell of it, Novak lowers the 281 pound weight down behind his neck and presses it three times! I’m thinking, I better have a damn good snatch and jerk because I surer than hell was not going to beat this beast in a pressing contest.”

Rare photo of Russian powerhouse Gregory Novak; this photo was taken with his two sons 20 years after his retirement. Reportedly, even at age 50, he was still capable of a strict 130 kilo (286 pound) clean and press.
Rare photo of Russian powerhouse Gregory Novak; this photo was taken with his two sons 20 years after his retirement. Reportedly, even at age 50, he was still capable of a strict 130 kilo (286 pound) clean and press.

Schemansky struggled with life outside of weightlifting. He stayed in Detroit and was reduced to working minimum wage jobs to make ends meet between national and world championships. While Big Daddy Hoffman would cover the expense of sending Norb to the national and world championships, between those trips and excursions Ski had to pump gas and scrub toilets. It became so bad that Sports Illustrated magazine ran a feature article called, “Looking for a Lift,” an expose’ on the hard times that had befallen one of America’s premier Olympic athletes.

This wasn’t some retrospective on how some former great was now laid low—Norbert was on the national, world and Olympic teams at the time, winning and placing at the highest levels of the sport. In the SI magazine photo, Norb stood desolate, wire scrub brush in hand in front of a commode he was about to scrub. This was a MAN, a man with a wife and kids who in his spare time was kicking ass internationally for his country. At home he was a pathetic nobody, always two paychecks away from disaster, destitution and homelessness.

Despite the feature in SI describing his plight, no sugar daddy, organization or corporation stepped forward to offer Ski any relief. In nearly every retrospective written on him, the phrase “bitter” enters into the article. Ski was once asked what he was most bitter about and he wryly commented he was “bitterest about always being portrayed as bitter.” It was yet another one of his barbed comments about an athletic career that was nothing less than astounding contrasted with compensation nothing short of pathetic.

Indirectly, Norbert heavily influenced the fledgling sport of powerlifting. Norbert trained in Detroit with a young engineer named Glen Middleton. When Bechtel transferred Middleton to Washington, DC, Glenn sought out and began training with Hugh Cassidy. Hugh was taken with Middleton’s urbane sophistication and his intellectual approach towards strength training. Hugh, another intellectual with a first-rate brain, appropriated the essence of the Schemansky approach—a simplified exercise menu, ferocity in training, singularity of purpose, preplanning (a revolutionary concept at the time) and the idea that over time a lifter needed to grow more muscle.

Ski rose to national prominence as a 180-pound lifter and finished out his career weighing a massive yet lean 260 pounds. Hugh took the lessons learned from Ski, via Glenn, added his own empirical-based technical and tactical modifications and won national and world championships. In turn, he mentored national and world champions. Cassidy’s teachings were passed to me and I passed them along to others. In turn, I created world champion athletes who set all-time world records using these primal Ski/Cassidy techniques and tactics.

We need go back to the future and revisit the methods of Iron Immortals; their simplistic, primal approach towards transformational strength training is so much more effective and applicable for today’s time-pressed individual than the “revolutionary” power and strength methods pedaled by modern day fitness hucksters seeking to turn a profit. As my own cliché goes: There is no school like Old School.

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Marty Gallagher is the author of Strong Medicine, The Purposeful Primitive and Coan: The Man, The Myth, The Method.  Gallagher coached the United States team that won the IPF powerlifting world team title in 1991. He is a 6-time national masters champion and national record holder.  He was the IFF world master powerlifting champion in 1992.  He currently works with elite athletes, spec ops military and governmental agencies.

Cardio Revolution: Part III

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Cardio Revolution Part Three

In this final installment of the Cardio Revolution trilogy, I will give you some of the basic scientific principles behind the benefits of 4-limb exercise. The best way to do this is to break down the techniques and tactics that Marty outlined in his Fan Bike protocol.

Marty’s Fan Bike protocol is very similar in concept to the high intensity “Burst Cardio” protocol described in Strong Medicine (SM p.424). Both protocols generate periods of very high intensity that shift us squarely into anaerobic metabolism (burning glucose for energy without oxygen). The high intensity anaerobic bursts are incredibly beneficial for metabolic health and promote a strong positive adaptive response in the body.

Metabolic Health

Intermittent anaerobic bursts are the best way to clear out muscle glycogen (glucose) stores.

Muscle Glucose Container Diagram

As discussed in Strong Medicine, emptying the glucose stored in muscle creates an “empty container” to deposit circulating blood glucose. This is one of the reasons why high intensity training is so valuable to Type 2 diabetics.   Traditional “moderate” intensity exercise doesn’t do as good of a job of emptying the muscle glucose (glycogen) “containers”.

As many of us know, glucose that is not stored in the liver or in muscle will be eventually stored as fat in adipose tissue. This is a protective mechanism to keep glucose from building up to toxic levels in the blood. Emptying the muscle glycogen “containers” gives excess blood glucose somewhere to be safely deposited without contributing to increased body fat or causing damage to the body by creating “Advanced Glycation End-products (AGE)” (SM p. 244).

Four-limbed anaerobic cardio such as Marty’s Fan Bike protocol maximally empties total body muscle glycogen “containers” by rotating and distributing effort to all four limbs instead of just the legs.

Glycogen Depletion With Fan Bike workout
Lucas is low on muscle glycogen after a high intensity Fan Bike workout

 

Four-limb high intensity anaerobic exercise is also one of the most powerful interventions for restoring insulin sensitivity in a diabetic. The adaptive response of muscle to clearing out glycogen is to try to “fill up” the glycogen tank. A main function of muscle glycogen is to provide a rapid source of energy for flight or fight situations. From a survival perspective it makes sense for the body to have mechanisms to make it easy to replenish lost muscle glycogen. Your body can’t distinguish between a Fan Bike protocol and running away from a bear. It wants to prepare you for another flight or fight situation as soon as possible so it bypasses the normal mechanisms for getting glucose back into the muscle (glycogen is the storage form of glucose in the muscle).

This bypass mechanism is very powerful for normalizing blood sugar in a Type 2 diabetic. Insulin is required under resting circumstances to pull glucose from the blood into the muscle cells for use in energy production. A Type 2 diabetic has insulin resistance, in other words, the signal insulin gives to open the muscle cell to allow glucose in is not working well (illustrated below in a graphic from Strong Medicine).

Insulin resistance: inflammation (in this case from enlarged fat cells) in diabetes short-circuits the insulin receptor, preventing glucose from entering the muscle cell.
Insulin resistance: inflammation (in this case from enlarged fat cells) in diabetes short-circuits the insulin receptor, preventing glucose from entering the muscle cell.

 

Bypassing Insulin Resistance Diagram
Bypassing insulin resistance: high intensity anaerobic exercise opens the muscle cell to allow glucose in without a signal from insulin. This is why protocols such as Marty’s Fan Bike routine are so beneficial to diabetics. As the muscle glycogen (glucose) stores are emptied by exercise, excess blood sugar can be transported into the muscle cells despite insulin resistance via the bypass mechanism. This can help tremendously to normalize blood sugar for the diabetic. Over time insulin sensitivity can be restored.

In addition to being a superior form of exercise to normalize blood sugar and maintain insulin sensitivity, intermittent high intensity exercise promotes a favorable adaptive response after the exercise is complete. The night after a high intensity exercise session, growth hormone secretion is maximized during slow wave (deep) sleep. Growth hormone is one of the most potent “fat-burning” triggers in our body’s arsenal. This is another way four-limb anaerobic exercise protocols help us lose more body fat after the exercise session (another reason why calories burned during exercise are not as important as the after effects).

Additional Benefits

Marty’s four-limb high intensity cardio protocol for the fan bike makes strategic use of alternating motor patterns. Switching from pedaling forward to pedaling backwards, using different arm positions, and alternating pulling and pushing, all challenge the nervous system, preventing us from becoming too efficient during the exercise session. Using myself as example: as a mountain biker for many years, I can generate fairly high power outputs with traditional forward pedaling for a substantial length of time.   Backwards pedaling is very foreign to my brain and is hugely challenging. I am only fractionally as efficient backwards as I am pedaling forwards. This inefficiency with movement translates into much more effort overall to generate the same amount of power output as a movement that is “hard-wired” from years of repetition.

Marty’s protocol makes use of these shifting motor patterns to minimize efficiency and maximize the adaptive response for exercise. People training for a specific sport such as cycling or swimming want to maximize efficiency to get the most performance out of the least amount of effort. We are trying to do the opposite, maximize our effort (and resulting adaptive response) by minimizing efficiency.   Whether it is with the kettlebell or the Fan-Bike, challenging the brain with new movement patterns is good for both your neurological and metabolic health.

Brain Heart Workout Benefits

The Fan Bike is a great option for four-limbed high intensity cardio, but certainly not the only way to go. The principles of Marty’s protocol can be adapted to many implements and in myriad systems. Use your imagination and have fun!

 

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Chris Hardy, D.O., M.P.H., CSCS, is the author of Strong Medicine: How to Conquer Chronic Disease and Achieve Your Full Genetic Potential. He is a public-health physician, personal trainer, mountain biker, rock climber and guitarist. His passion is communicating science-based lifestyle information and recommendations in an easy-to-understand manner to empower the public in the fight against preventable chronic disease.

Cardio Revolution: Melding an Old Protocol with a New Tool – Part II

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Strong Medicine Cardio Revolution Part Two

The Fan Bike has been around for decades. All mechanical, this cardio push/pull device has stood the test of time. It is the technological equivalent of a diesel locomotive engine and has the obvious advantage of making the arms equal partners in creating the sum total of the aerobic/anaerobic effort. The Fan Bike also allows the trainee to encounter the requisite resistance as they go backwards, this effectively doubles the number of Fan Bike exercises. One can pedal using ‘legs only’ forward, or push using ‘arms only.’ We can even use a single limb at a time. Pace possibilities are endless: we can push, we can pull, we can push and pull. We can pedal forward and backward, with and without the arms. We can vary our speed, duration and pace. The modern fan bike has the ability to monitor rpms (at any given instant) and watts generated. These two readouts make it possible for the user to create cardio categories and establish performance benchmarks.

When we are able to categorize and establish performance personal bests we can periodize our cardio efforts. Using the watts readout, the Fan Bike user can have personal best efforts (expressed in watts generated) in each of the various exercise drills. For example, while pedaling forward, arms and legs together, work up to 100% all-out effort–then make note of the highest watts reading you are able to generate. You now have a personal record for that particular drill, something you can seek to improve upon.

Once you have a concrete benchmark, a number expressing watts or RPMs (or heart rate, or all of them) the gains lie in attempting to equal or exceed these current personal bests. You can establish numeric benchmarks in over a dozen separate and distinct Fan Bike arm or leg possibilities.

Over time, this continual striving to exceed current limits has proven to be the true path for obtaining real results. Long-term adherence to a serious Len Schwartz-inspired aerobic protocol, wedded to a Fan Bike, has proven to be an inspired pairing, a “long strength” marriage-made-in-heaven.

fan bikes Airdyne and Assault Air Bike
The original Schwinn Airdyne was the forerunner to the modern Fan Bike. It was the model of simplicity and a brutally effective cardio tool. Unfortunately the classic Airdyne is no longer made. We are currently using the Assault Air Bike for our protocols. It is an updated industrial-grade cardio monster inspired by the original Airdyne.

We can use the Fan Bike in every imaginable way, establish mathematical benchmarks in every imaginable category; and then seek to continually approach, equal or exceed these benchmarks in some way. We will go 100% in every training session. Adhere to this protocol for a protracted period and reap radical increases and improvements in endurance and sustained strength. Cardio capacity will improve dramatically; the metabolism will accelerate.

If your nutrition is in sync with the exercise, body fat will be mobilized and oxidized at an astounding rate. The body, through skillful blending of nutrition and exercise will “relearn” how to use stored body fat as fuel, and drain the various fat storage areas of the human body.

Muscles subjected to intense cardio for protracted periods will reconfigure themselves in response to the intense and continual self-inflicted stress. Mitochondria are cellular blast furnaces that live within every muscle. Nature allots us a certain “mitochondrial density” at birth. Over time, as we age and abuse ourselves, the mitochondria will start to “flame out” and die. Science indicates that sedentary individuals experience premature mitochondrial flame out. Conversely, those who engage in intense physical exertion, profound and prolonged, forestall burnout. Further, if the exercise is intense, prolonged and consistent, new mitochondria are actually created to deal with the continual stresses. New cellular blast furnaces are constructed within the muscles that are constantly worked and stressed.

Mitochondria: cellular energy factories
Mitochondria: cellular energy factories

Mild and moderate cardio efforts are insufficiently intense to cause the creation of new mitochondria and the resulting muscle reconfiguration. When we exceed capacities and establish new performance levels when we train with intensity and consistency, the body is compelled to construct new cellular blast furnaces. Nature intended and designed the human body to possess strong, powerful muscles with a high mitochondrial density to enable a muscle to operate at optimal physiological efficiency. We can really get after “it” when we use the Fan Bike. By going fast and in multiple directions with all our limbs, we derive maximum benefit from our cardio efforts.

Why This Tool?

The Len Schwartz HeavyHands-inspired protocol was as dead as Sanskrit scrolls–it was an ancient, long forgotten strategy. Now, we will resurrect his approach and match it up with a “modern” tool. The venerable Fan Bike is not really modern, but it is the perfect cardio tool for reenacting and reviving the defunct (yet still potent) HeavyHands strategies. Like HeavyHands, the Fan Bike allows and enables the trainee to stress one, two, three or all four limbs, individually or together, forwards or backwards. The cardio effort can be “shuttled” around the body in a very strategic and calculated fashion.

The underlying, unifying concept is to work up to 100% of exertion max in a wide range of aerobic exercises and drills, all done on the Fan Bike. We will work the arms and legs separately, or together, we can alternate cardio “zones,” we can be clever and innovative in our exercise sequencing. Once they grasp the fundamental concepts, the athlete is then able to create their own exercise templates. Once the techniques and tactics are mastered, the trainee then purposefully modulate the exercise intensity to create the desired cardio inroad and achieve the overall desired physiological effect.

Quad-Limb Fan Bike Core Protocol

For each Fan Bike exercise, the procedure is the same, regardless of the drill:

  • Warm-up gradually: pedal and/or push-pull, light and easy…
  • Gradually pick up the pace: warm-up to and maintain 50% of capacity…
  • Allow the body to acclimate at each subsequent intensity level
  • Move to 70% of capacity: the body is now completely awake and alert
  • Move to 85%
  • Move to 100% of what you are currently capable of–today, at this time
  • Hold 100% for as long as is comfortable
  • Be cognizant that capacity is a shifting target and will shift, session to session
  • Gains occur when we equal or exceed these (diminished or enhanced) capacities
  • Log the watts, RPMs, and, if possible, heart rate, when attaining 100% max

Once we achieve a 100% all-out max effort in an exercise, we relax and go into the slowest, easiest warm-up iteration of the next sequenced exercise in the cardio chain. Our procedure is to hit 100% of capacity in each exercise, and then immediately shift into the easiest version of the next exercise. We sequence exercises in such a fashion that whatever muscle or muscle-groups are taxed to 100% are rested as another “section” of the body takes over the cardio effort. We again and again hit a 100% effort. Our report card is the watts, the RPMs and the heart rate monitor reading.

  • 100% means that you go as fast as you can go, at that instant of time. Your capacities might be diminished, normal, or enhanced. After a thorough warm-up, exert to 100% in each of the selected exercises.
  • We can continually assault our limits, safely and effectively if we train smart. All 100% efforts need to be preceded by a comprehensive warm-up. We do all that we can do (safely and sanely) on this particular day at this time.
  • The gains we seek (improved endurance, increased athletic performance, better body fat percentile, quicker, lighter and healthier, a radically improved physique) are attained by equaling or exceeding current limits.

Specific body parts are taxed maximally, then rested while other body parts are bought online and taxed maximally in turn; the rotation goes on and on without repeating. This strategy allows us to repeatedly exert maximally. Over the course of the entire cycle, this particular Fan Bike protocol requires the trainee hit a 100% maximum twenty times in a row.

Fan Bike Training Template: The 20-Exercise “Cycle”

  1. Arms and legs forward
  2. Legs only forward
  3. Legs only backwards
  4. Arms only push (bench press the handles)
  5. Arms only pull (over-grip row)
  6. Arms only pull (under-grip row)
  7. Arms only push and pull (burn it out, fast as possible)
  8. Legs only forward
  9. Legs only backward
  10. Legs & arms forward (standing up)
  11. Legs & arms backwards (standing up)
  12. Left leg forward
  13. Right leg forward
  14. Left leg backwards
  15. Right leg backwards
  16. Right arm forward (push)
  17. Left arm forward
  18. Right arm backwards (pull)
  19. Arms & legs forward
  20. Arms & legs forward (stand)

Cool Down: arms & legs forward

Work up to a 100% push or pull max on every exercise. This cycle will take between 10-15 minutes to complete. In each instance we seek to go as fast as we can go (within safe, sane and rational limits) then immediately shift into the next exercise. Use the slow ramp up in each exercise. Starting a new exercise is the recovery period from the previous exercise. In about the time the athlete fully recovers, it is time to push the accelerator to the floorboard for the current exercise: twenty times we “max out”, cool down, recover, then hit it again.

Check out the video below as Chris demonstrates a portion of the Fan Bike protocol.

“Cardio zone” training strategically rotates training stress: sometimes we work all four limbs, sometime we work them in pairs or singly–we “spread out” the cardio effort. We rotate the exercises in an effort to keep the intensity high for an extended period of time. We can attack all four limbs simultaneously, we can blast the legs while resting the arms, we can blast the rested arms while resting the blasted legs. Further, we can attack one limb at a time while purposefully resting the other three. Finally we can do all of this magical stuff backwards–doubling our exercise universe. The sheer number of possibilities is positively mind-blowing.

Compelling and Persuasive

Knowing what you now know, why would anyone remotely interested in purchasing a cardio training device select an aerobic tool that could only go in one direction, forward, and that only uses the legs to generate 100% of the cardio effort?

Aerobic tools that depend on legs alone to create the totality of the exercise effort are woefully inadequate when compared to the astounding possibilities of quad-limbed cardio. Single-limb cardio and reverse-direction cardio are exciting new avenues of potential progress.

Consistent and intense cardio, cardio with a purposeful muscular effort included, builds locomotive-like endurance while infusing muscles with new mitochondria. The quality of the aerobic and anaerobic effort generated (using a multitude of exercise variations combined with the 100% effort) is designed to exponentially magnify endurance, release endorphins, build mitochondria and burn off stored body fat. That is a mighty list of highly desirable benefits!

Intense cardio triggers the release of endorphins, a telltale precursor of the adaptive response. The appearance of endorphins is a positive indicator that the training effort was productive. Intense cardio improves internal plumbing, flushes arterial walls, power-washes clinging plaque and sludge as torrents of blood rip through veins in a supercharged circulatory rush. The heart muscle accelerates, and toxins are removed as nutrients are carried to the muscle while the athlete achieves Len’s ideal of “optimal aerobic efficiency”.

Cardio exercise is a critical component in the eternal quest to physically transform. The need for cardio exercise is not in question–what is in question is the optimal tool, mode, and method. We feel the Fan Bike is a fabulous tool (not the only tool, but a valid tool for our fitness toolbox) and when paired with Len’s particular and unique protocols, we can create an exceedingly effective way to obtain optimal results from our cardio efforts.

Comparing a contemporary stationary bike, a standard treadmill or any “legs only” cardio device to a Fan Bike is akin to comparing checkers to chess. Why be purposefully stuck with a one-dimensional workout tool when you can explore four dimensions and open up an exciting new cardio universe?

 

Editor’s Note:

The Fan Bike will give you all that you can handle as a cardio tool. Marty’s protocol can be very taxing. Keep in mind the daily state of your “Stress Cup” (see Strong Medicine for more on this) and feel free to alter the order of exercise and volume to suit your daily needs. Adequate recovery is just as important as exercise intensity.   I filmed the above video the day after a hard jiu jitsu session. Five minutes was about all that I needed (and could handle) to get a beneficial adaptive response while also avoiding overtraining. In Part III, I am going to discuss some of the science behind the benefits of four-limb cardio and specific advantages of using the Fan Bike.

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Marty Gallagher is the author of Strong Medicine, The Purposeful Primitive and Coan: The Man, The Myth, The Method.  Gallagher coached the United States team that won the IPF powerlifting world team title in 1991. He is a 6-time national masters champion and national record holder.  He was the IFF world master powerlifting champion in 1992.  He currently works with elite athletes, spec ops military and governmental agencies.

Cardio Revolution: Melding an Old Protocol with a New Tool – Part I

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Cardio Revolution by Marty Gallagher Part I

During the 1990s, I had the great fortune to become an aerobic disciple of Dr. Leonard Schwartz, medical doctor, psychiatrist and exercise genius. Len was in his sixties when we met. His “mission” was to devise a new fitness exercise system, one that suited his personality and psychology, one capable of transforming the human body in new and unique ways. Len came onto the scene in the 1980s and found the state of exercise and fitness sadly lacking; the bodybuilder/weight trainer contingent ignored cardio considerations while the joggers, distance runners and Jane Fonda exercise class types ignored any and all strength considerations. Len wanted both and decided to devise a system that would inject a purposeful element of strength into a decidedly cardio format. He called his endurance/strength approach “long strength,” which he described as the ability to perform light to moderate muscular exertions over extended periods of time: muscular contractions of various intensities were placed into an aerobic format.

Doctor Len Schwartz, MD, psychiatrist, fitness visionary
Doctor Len Schwartz, MD, psychiatrist, fitness visionary

With one foot in the cardio camp and another in the muscle and strength camp, Len sought to devise a fitness training system that paid homage to both. Len wanted his cardio/strength regimen to utilize all of the limbs—not just legs—to generate the totality of the effort. Using Sherlock Holmes-like powers of logic and deductive reasoning, Len reverse-engineered an entire fitness system within his massive brain. Len took his philosophic musings to the University of Pittsburgh’s Sports Performance Laboratory where he put theory into practice. Len approached fitness with no preconceptions: he would go wherever his research results took him. Len found conventional fitness thinking dogmatic, overly commercialized and one-dimensional; he filled a vacuum with his outside-the-box thinking.

I interviewed him repeatedly for cutting-edge articles about aerobics for use in bodybuilding when I was the lead training writer at Muscle & Fitness magazine. We talked for many years and I repeatedly quizzed the hell out of Len on all things cardio, medical, scientific and what we collectively called “brain-train”. We talked at length about the optimal psychological mindset for sports and training. He and I would talk several times a week and did so for years. I quizzed him mercilessly about his approach; he loved talking with someone that “got it.” We talked as two theoretical scientists would, and his ideas were so scientifically grounded that they blew everything else out of the water from an exercise/philosophic standpoint. His reasoning and science were irrefutable—and his conclusions and solutions were unique. In response to his experimentation, he devised a new method of exercise and training.

Len was a fascinating dude. In addition to being a top-flight psychiatrist, he wrote poetry, played classical guitar extremely well and sculpted. He lived in a beautiful old section of Pittsburgh, right across the street from Steeler’s owner Art Rooney. When Len turned his undivided attention towards “fitness,” his conclusions proved to be as as unique as the man. He began with a stated goal, to remake and rebuild the human body—starting with his. He sought to create a healthy, functional body: lean and fat-free, yet strong, flexible, capable and athletic. He sought to create the optimal body. To build the optimal body he saw in his mind’s eye, Len needed a system that built both endurance and strength.

Len felt the ideal body should be lean and muscled—but lightly muscled—like Michelangelo’s David. I argued the ideal male should look like the thickly muscled Farnese Hercules. I championed a heavier, thicker, more powerful man, a rhino to Len’s gazelle. “The Farnese Hercules would kick David’s ass!” I would taunt him. “That presupposes Herc could catch David before gassing out.” Len would counter. Touché Len! He was a physician, a healer, a mentor and a life coach. Philosophical by nature, he would muse and debate with me about “the ultimate goal of fitness.” He wanted a fit and muscled body—but had qualified this with the provision, “a lightly muscled body.” I was a big-muscle guy from M&F magazine and a “short strength expert,” as he labeled my 800-pound squat ability. He was the master of “long strength” and by dubbing me as a master of “short strength” we had lots to talk about. He wanted to know all about our pure power methods and I wanted to understand this “power cardio” approach which was at odds with the super popular steady-state, low intensity, leg-only cardio modes and methods so prevalent back then (and now).

His cardio/strength feats were incredible. At age 70, he could pump a pair of ten-pound hand weights to forehead height (on every rep) for a solid hour—while power walking and squatting every ten paces. Small at 145 pounds, Len possessed a 3% walking around body-fat percentile—despite eating like a starved prisoner let loose at a buffet. His long strength cardio training built his metabolism into a blast furnace and he was the best possible example of the benefits of his “HeavyHands” system.

His light bulb moment came when he was comparing all-time best athletic VO2 max readings. He could not help but notice how far ahead the cross-country skiers were from the rest of the pack. What differentiated the skiers from the runners? The skiers used their arms; they pumped hard and exerted mightily with their arms using their ski poles as they propelled forward on every stride stroke. The cross-country skier will use legs and arms for propulsion and often amp up the effort with a dramatic folding forward at the waist—further increasing the degree of difficulty. The sport creates the physique of the athlete and to a man, the elite cross-country skiers have off-the-chart aerobic capacities and lean, muscled-up physiques. Len pondered the possibility of creating a fitness protocol that replicated results achieved by cross-country skiing—but without skiing.

Nordic (Cross Country) Skiing—the archetype of four-limb cardio
Nordic (Cross Country) Skiing—the archetype of four-limb cardio

He needed a tool that could load the arms, like the arms of a cross-country skier. He needed a tool would enable quad-limb cardio. Len wanted the totality of aerobic effort spread, semi-equally across all four limbs. At the end of a Len-protocol training session, all four limbs, arms and legs, will have performed the same amount of work. During the total training time in his cardio session, each limb will receive approximately 25% of the session allotment. The vast majority of aerobic machines and devices only use the legs—two limbs—to generate 100% of the aerobic effort. By distributing the cardio effort and working all four limbs, the body benefits to a far greater degree on a multitude of levels. “Leg only” cardio was and is decidedly and demonstrably inferior to quad-limbed cardio. Yet, virtually every aerobic format used (and uses) the legs, exclusively, to generate 100% of the cardio effort.

For Len, the goal was to create a new type of training that would create a new archetypical physique: lean and light, yet muscular and strong. His “ideal human” would be light in bodyweight, yet extremely fit, they would possess incredible endurance and have shapely, functional muscles chock full of mitochondria. Tight adherence to the embryonic “Heavy Hands” tools and protocols transformed Len’s own physique to a dramatic degree and extremely quickly. He was his own test lab and achieved incredible results even though he began at the advanced age of 54.

Len “loaded” his hands; he made them “heavy.” Once he made his hands heavy, he began creating drills by improvising and experimenting with different training modalities and ideas. He checked his results with blood work and the VO2 scientific monitoring he used at the Pitt Sports Lab. He was testing his theories with his new type of training and logging actual results. Could he replicate the VO2 Max readings generated by the Finnish, Norwegian and Russian cross-country skiers without skiing? Could he create a new fitness system that used all four limbs and built strength and endurance?

Len sought a system in which both cardio inefficiency and cardio efficiency could coexist. Efficient steady-state cardio, had its place as a valid tactic in Len’s HeavyHands arsenal; but so did purposefully inefficient, burst or interval cardio, with its extreme demands on the body. Len wanted to create a system that would allow the athlete to effortlessly modulate the degree and type of aerobic intensity using an arsenal of variables. He created “intensity enhancers” that included how high the weighted hands were raised on each stride-step; Len could modulate the pace of the exercise, he could alter the type and kind of movement pattern selected. The effects of each exercise would change when paired with heavier or lighter poundage. The tweaking, modulation and intensity amping possibilities were virtually limitless.

Len’s magus opus was his seminal book, HeavyHands, which is still available on Amazon and still worthy of a read. In his book, he explains the science behind HH. He talks about METs and mitochondrial density; he lays out exacting techniques and shares precise protocols. HeavyHands, at its popular peak, was available in every major sporting goods store in every mall in the county. Women’s aerobic dance classes, the biggest fitness craze in the history of fitness, began using HeavyHands. Sales shot through the roof.

Unfortunately, HeavyHands died. Sales plummeted when it became unfairly categorized as just another bad 80s fad, like parachute pants, head bands, the Miami Vice look, Cabbage Patch Dolls, Pintos and pet rocks. HeavyHands got washed out to sea, considered faddish, ineffectual and passé.

Old Wine in New Bottles; the Son of HeavyHands

HeavyHands went from pop fad to premature death. There were a lot of reasons for its demise, but first and foremost, HeavyHands never caught on with the male population. I was Len’s true friend, but there was no way I would perform any of his dance routine protocols. If you look at commercial cardio protocols, the cardio system most successful in enticing males to participate was Billy Blanks’s Tae Bo. Men flocked to Tae Bo classes to take part in the martial art katas; the punches and kicks. The clenched fists and exertion grunts made Tae Bo a cardio dance class acceptable for men. Plus, Billy was a real man; his Alpha credentials were beyond reproach. The martial core of Tae Bo made it hip for guys to perform. True men could now go to cardio class, heads held high.

Not so with HeavyHands. Group HeavyHands classes were more akin to the cardio dance class format. Real men were not going to be involved in anything vaguely resembling a Jane Fonda/Richard Simmons style aerobic dance class. Unfortunately, HeavyHands group protocols definitely resembled dance class cardio, so men opted out. Ironically, in the 1990s a new cardio tool emerged that captured the hearts and minds of alpha male worldwide: the kettlebell. Isn’t the kettlebell yet another way to load the hands and make them “heavier”? Indeed, classical and current kettlebell protocols favor heavier payloads and shorter durations; still I maintain the gruesome orb, the kettlebell, is the only begotten son of HeavyHands.

The kettlebell: a potent cardio tool
The kettlebell: a potent cardio tool

Most kettlebell experts would balk at the iron orb being labeled as an “aerobic” tool. Yet, when it comes to creating the deepest possible cardio inroad, creating strength/endurance, and adhering to “long strength” philosophies, the kettlebell—properly used—sets the Gold Standard.   The unwieldy device can create the optimal cardio effect: a perfect balance can be struck between pure endurance and sustained strength. A kettlebell, in the hands of a true expert, is the optimal tool for inducing the deepest possible cardio inroad and triggering the maximal adaptive response.

The final deathblow for HeavyHands occurred when the public ignored Len’s protocols. It was critically important that the little hand weights, regardless the poundage, be raised to predetermined heights: low, medium or high. The height selected was used to create the cardio intensity needed to achieve the desired training effect. The public turned HeavyHands into “CarryHands”. The red-handled dumbbells were seen everywhere, yet despite their popularity, no one got the promised gains. The lack of results was directly attributable to the total disregard of Len’s protocols: instead of pumping the arms to any height, the public speed-walked or jogged with HHs, carrying them like heavy suitcases at the end of a long trip or clutched to the chest of the jogger/runner in a death-grip.

The “CarryHands” protocol actually reduced arm motion and diminished results. Now, the immobile and frozen arms actually contributed less then if walker/jogger was empty handed, swinging their un-weighted arms normally. Naturally, no one got results from “CarryHands” and it killed HeavyHands.

In 2015, we’re resurrecting Len’s “old wine” theories, strategies and protocols. The first order of business was to select a new tool. We found a retro tool, the Fan Bike, that allowed us to invoke Schwartz’s strategies in a manner and fashion that could equal or exceed results derived from HeavyHands or kettlebells. The retro Fan Bike allows the user to tax both arms and legs in two directions: forward and backward. We place old wine (Schwartz’s philosophies and protocols) into a new bottle (a modern retro tool that enables us to maximally tax ourselves to the desired degree.) The end result is an exciting new avenue of progress for the informed and enlightened fitness seeker.

The Fan Bike: the successor to HeavyHands for 4-limb cardio
The Fan Bike: the successor to HeavyHands for 4-limb cardio

End of Part I

Editor’s comment:

After many discussions, Marty and I decided that the Fan Bike would be our tool of choice for our “cardio” protocols. It meets the requirement for capability of delivering high intensity workouts involving all four limbs, but also allows those with orthopedic limitations/conditions to fully participate in the protocols.   In Part II, Marty will outline an excellent protocol for metabolic conditioning using the Fan Bike. I will follow up in Part III delving into some of the foundational science supporting high intensity 4-limb cardio for health and performance, as well as specific benefits found exclusively with the Fan Bike.

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Marty Gallagher is the author of Strong Medicine, The Purposeful Primitive and Coan: The Man, The Myth, The Method.  Gallagher coached the United States team that won the IPF powerlifting world team title in 1991. He is a 6-time national masters champion and national record holder.  He was the IFF world master powerlifting champion in 1992.  He currently works with elite athletes, spec ops military and governmental agencies.

Strength After Sixty – Resilience Against Frailty: Part II

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MuscularLeanOldsters-001

If we look at the physical aspects of frailty as discussed in Part 1 of this article, it is evident that the strength, mobility and stability of the musculoskeletal system declines as we age. Exercise is the only remedy for this. There is no pill you can take to move better or become stronger. With the proper training, movement and physical strength can be restored, and maintained, at any age. If you are young, consider strength training as part of your retirement planning. If you are old, better get started now.

This article will discuss some of the basic activities of daily living (ADLs) and exercises that best support them. The exercises can be scaled to be appropriate for anyone, regardless of their current physical condition.

Rising from a seated position to standing (and vice-versa) and walking are foundational ADLs. We will assume that our hypothetical trainee can stand and walk, but not much more (injured or wheelchair bound individuals will be discussed in another article). From a strength coach’s perspective, we want to strengthen and improve the ADLs of the sitting to standing transition as well as walking. Squats are the most high-yield exercise to achieve this goal. “Bad knees” and “bad backs” are the most common reasons trainees give to avoid squatting. Properly instructed squats with thoughtful progressions can often surmount these obstacles and get an aging trainee squatting safely and pain free.

Many older trainees may have been told by their physicians (who most often have no strength training background) that they should never squat. It is probably a safe bet that their doctor has not told them that they should never get out of a chair or rise from the toilet seat. Squatting is a fundamental movement for these crucial daily activities. The best starting exercise to train standing from a seated position in senior fitness circles is called “chair stands” (“box squats” in powerlifting).

Box squats allow for this important movement to be performed at varying ranges of motion. Typically, the greater the depth of a squat, the more strength, mobility and stability are tested. A lack of any one of those things could compromise how deep a person could and should squat. For the lowest functioning individuals, we will use double stacked chairs and do bodyweight squats; for the high functioning individuals, we will do full squats with added weight.

Case Studies:

Mrs. Ethel was a 92 year old woman with severe kyphosis (aka hunch back). She walked using a walker with her head looking straight down. Her posture was so bad that when you passed her in the hallway she had to turn to the side to look up at you. Mrs. Ethel could barely stand even from a double-stacked chair, so that’s where we started. She was challenged to not use her arms to assist, to stand a little taller at the top of each rep and descend under control (no “plopping”). A sticky note was placed on the wall in front of her to look up at, and it was gradually raised higher over the course of her program. She would probably never stand completely upright again but we countered the effect gravity was having on her with simple cues like “stand tall” and “look up”. As her leg strength increased we moved to a single chair (lower starting position); first allowing use of the arms for assistance and then without. With 20 repetitions being her “max” she never needed an additional load.

Compare this to Mr. Frank, a 85 year old man who exercised regularly since he left the military 50 years ago. He could squat to below parallel and his range of motion was limited only by arthritic knees and his preference for biceps curls instead. He could also maintain proper form under a load. Although shoulder mobility might prevent him from holding a barbell behind his back as in a true powerlifting squat, dumbbells and kettlebells could be held as a front or goblet squat. Mr. Frank has more options available to him for progression as he could safely increase weight, repetitions and on good days even try to go lower (albeit with less weight).

By squatting deep and with a load, we can improve the strength, mobility and stability qualities required to stand up and walk. Appropriate squat depth and load will vary significantly with each individual. It is helpful to remember the concepts of hormesis and allostasis covered in the beginning of Strong Medicine when deciding on the proper “dose” for squatting. With these concepts in mind, proper dosing can be successfully prescribed by the fitness professional well-versed in squatting mechanics (see Marty Gallagher’s previous article on the squat for a master class). The squat is a basic human movement that you will need to do for the rest of your life if you plan to be independent into old age. Performing this exercise regularly will not only maintain strength, but also develop both the mobility and stability that is crucial for preventing frailty.

The other exercise that translates extremely well to ADLs for the senior is the deadlift. This deadlift is one of THE best cures for osteoporosis. The deadlift and the partial deadlift allow for heavier loads to be used to maximize bone density and prevent muscle wasting. Deadlifting is a pure strength movement that can be scaled to the senior population. This lift is based on the hip hinge movement and contrary to idea that deadlifts are “bad for the back”, a proper deadlift can rehabilitate a weak back. Neurosurgeon Patrick Roth, M.D. prescribes a kettlebell deadlift as part of his spine rehabilitation program in his excellent book The End of Back Pain.

There is a deadlift variation that is appropriate for anyone. For some a load is not appropriate at first, but everyone should be taught the hip-hinging movement central to the deadlift. Arguably, the hip hinge should even be taught before the squat, especially considering that squatting “starts” at the hips.

Another benefit to the deadlift is that it has a shorter range of motion, making it safer for more people. It is also a less technical movement, making it easier to learn. A good coach can teach the hip hinge and tell when individuals are ready to progress. Again, progressions can be made in the form of additional load or greater ROM. As a rule, I use where the wrist falls on the body during the exercise to determine where people can safely pull from. If technique can be maintained to a point where the crease of the wrist passes the knee for instance, then the trainee can pull from there. Setting up at this height will allow for a 2-3 inch “buffer” so the lifter is not pulling from his/her end-ROM.

Paula Hip Hinge
Paula is able to maintain a neutral spine to a point where her wrists touch her knees in a hip hinge movement, thus making a knee-height partial deadlift a safe range of motion for her.

A brief note on set up.

Any powerlifter reading this will know how to set up a power cage for rack pulls. To pretty much everyone else reading this those last few words are foreign, especially to your average 60+ year old exerciser. This is unknown territory that can be downright frightening to some people. Fortunately there are machines that allow set up for partial deadlifts with adjustments as simple as pressing a button. Many senior centers are equipped with pneumatic or computerized machines to allow user friendly solutions to older adults. Unfortunately you will see few “racks” in these centers. We can speculate on why that is the case (i.e. liability, funding, misuse, lack of qualified personnel, etc) or we can make a call to action for fitness centers to offer deadlifting options. The importance of real weight bearing exercise to combat sarcopenia, osteoporosis and frailty syndrome cannot be overstated. Partial range of motion deadlifts must be made available to the population who are at most at risk if we are to reinforce our position against frailty. If this means expensive equipment or powerlifting coaches posted by the powercages in every senior center, so be it. The cost of equipment is minimal and justified by the potential for improving the quality of life and avoiding catastrophic injuries such as hip fractures from falls.

Paula Power Rack Lift
Paula has moved out of osteopenia and into normal range bone density at 57 years of age. Here she is working on her retirement plan making strength deposits with 225lbs, pulling from the rack for a safe range of motion to maintain pristine technique for her current mobility.

Aging is a process that we all face. Strength training is a necessary component to aging successfully, but we need effective methods. So much of senior fitness boils down to the end goals of standing tall, and standing strong. We need the right balance between mobility and stability, and for most of us, strengthening the posterior and stretching the anterior. When properly programmed, the squat and the deadlift address the core activities of daily living for the senior. These two exercises alone give people a simple approach to not just exercising, but improving the quality of their lives. Humans are meant to lift weight and load their bodies. If we can get more intersection and synergy between the powerlifting community and the retirement community, geriatric health and senior fitness will flourish.

 

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Dan Cenidoza, BS, CSCS is a personal trainer, professional strongman and owner of Art & Strength in Baltimore, Maryland. He has a degree in exercise science and specializes in kettlebells and strength & conditioning. His mission is to instruct and inspire people to live stronger, healthier lives. artandstrength.com facebook.com/artandstrength

Kaizen and Strong Medicine

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Kaizen Strong Medicine Lead Photo

Strong Medicine has over six hundred pages of text and illustrations that will dramatically change how you perceive nutrition, training, and how you can effectively manage the stressors in your lifestyle. The concepts and how they can be applied are laid out in such a manner that, with the some simple planning, discipline and implementation, you will have no choice but to be successful.  This blog post is going to provide you with some tools and strategies that you can use in order to implement the concepts presented in Strong Medicine in such a way that you will not only succeed, but will be able to do so with the least amount of stress possible.

Change… Sucks!

Making drastic changes in your life does not lead to dramatic results–it usually leads to dismal failure and a lot of brow beating! Anyone who has made a New Year’s resolution only to have it crumble within a matter of weeks (or in some cases, a matter of hours) knows that making changes (big or small) in your life is hard to do. Everyone starts out with good intentions and a wealth of willpower only to see the good intentions crumble and the willpower dissolve like a puff of smoke at the first impasse. With all of these bad past experiences surrounding change, I’m sure you’re convinced that you can’t make any changes in your life and might as well just quit now. Wrong! Just because you failed in the past doesn’t mean you’ll fail this time–especially if you are honest with yourself about the plans and tools you need to succeed. So… how do you begin making changes? The same way you’d eat an elephant–one bite at a time!

Kaizen = Continual Improvement   Kaizen Diagram

Kaizen is a Japanese term that has been borrowed by the business world. Roughly translated, it means “change for the better” or “continual improvement”. As a business major in college (many, many, many years ago) I learned about the concept of “Kaizen” and how it was successfully implemented in the Japanese automotive industry. Kaizen gave everyone–from the guy sweeping the floor to the VP in charge of making million dollar decisions–the power to change how things were done on a daily basis. In other words, the power was placed in the hands of those who could make the most difference. Since then, the concept of Kaizen has been applied to banking, healthcare, government and other areas where complicated processes need to be considered and improved to increase efficiency and consistent outcomes.

How does this apply to you and how will it impact the implementation of what you’ve learned from Strong Medicine? You need to develop a simple but effective plan for implementing the nutritional and training guidelines presented in Strong Medicine. Your plan should be created and executed in a way so that changes can be small, easily managed, and built upon. Remember that the best plans are the simplest effective ones that also have the latitude for change and modification on the fly.

NOTE: Understand that these plans are best implemented one at a time. Trying to make too many changes too soon and with too much accompanying stress will make this process a lot harder than necessary. With this in mind, I feel that the concepts behind Kaizen are the best common-sense approaches to implementing any nutrition, training or lifestyle modifications.

“Eat like an Adult”

Strong Medicine goes into great detail about what and how you should eat–and how those choices are will effect you over the short and long term. There are many scientific theories and big words involved–which can be daunting to some people–but you will need to absorb it to understand what Dr. Chris and Marty are trying to do. They successfully make many complex ideas and concepts simple to grasp, and that’s vitally important for the subjects of nutrition and training. I admire people who can take complex problems and explain solutions in simple terms everyone can understand.  For example, when Dan John said, “Eat like an Adult” during a lecture a couple years ago, it really stuck with me. His comment was simple, direct and to the point. Those four words make choosing, preparing, and eating the right foods a lot easier! I know those four words help me get in the right mindset when I’m preparing, ordering, and even shopping for food.

Start with the Beginning     Small Daily Improvements

“Eating like an Adult” will help you succeed with the Strong Medicine guidelines. But first you need to know where you stand. The easiest (and the most eye-opening) method I know is to keep a food log for ten days. (Before you start grumbling and groaning, hear me out–the food log will give you some great intel into what’s going on and how to fix it!) Keeping a food log is as simple as folding a piece of paper into sections, then writing down everything that goes in your mouth. Breakfast, lunch, dinner, snacks, drinks, etc.–it all goes in the food log. Once you have all this information you’ll be able to create a baseline for what kind of food you are eating, how much you are eating, and what is missing from your diet. Remember, keep this as simple as possible and don’t stress out about what you are writing down. It’s just information you’ll use to create a plan!

Once you have ten days of information, what do you do with it? First, find the gaps in your nutrition. For example you might notice that during those 10 days the only time you ate any vegetables (not counting the lettuce and tomato on your hamburger) was with dinner. Over ten dinners you had a handful of salads, a couple baked potatoes (not to mention French fries), and several servings of broccoli. If that was the case, then introducing more vegetables into your evening meals AND including them as part of breakfast and lunch would be in order.

Getting Started

Does this sound like a big step and a major hassle? Not really! It just takes a little forethought and preparation and you’ll have it nailed. Prepare by having the food you need on hand, and by creating and using shopping lists. Your shopping list will guide you through the grocery store. For the most part you’ll stay in the periphery, where the vegetables, meat and dairy products are found. (Stay away from the middle of the store where the Mountain Dew and Fritos are located!) Grab your list and shop either once a week or several times a week, whichever is more comfortable or convenient for you. Remember, you’re only shopping for the things on your list! NOTE: if you don’t have a shopping list, you can Google “shopping list” for plenty to choose from and modify as needed.

Now that you have all this food in the kitchen, what do you do with it? Well, you will need to start making your own meals based on the nutrition gaps in your food log. It will be easy for the most part–in the above example, we simply need to increase the amount of veggies throughout the day. We need to make this change as simple as possible. Think about this: it only takes a minute or two to cut up some peppers or cucumbers and throw them into a plastic bag or Tupperware for later in the day. Grab some veggies and prep them for the day while you’re standing around waiting for your coffee to brew in the morning!

I can hear the whining and moaning already! “Veggies for breakfast and lunch? How am I going to do that?” Easily! Just add vegetables you like to meals you are already eating. Still confused? Here’s some ideas to help you jump start the process!

How to add vegetables to breakfast:

  • Add avocado and salsa to your scrambled eggs
  • While frying your eggs, sauté some spinach in bacon grease and serve it on the side or as a bed for the eggs
  • Warm up some sauerkraut for a tangy side (or kimchi for something spicy) with your eggs
  • Brown onions, tomatoes and mushrooms and make an omelet
  • Slice up some hard boiled eggs with ripe tomatoes
  • Slice red or yellow peppers, clean out any seeds and whatnot. Put the slices in a frying pan and add an egg inside the gap for peppers and eggs over easy
  • Grab a container full of sliced veggies (that you prepared the night before) and a container of yogurt for a quick and easy breakfast on the go
  • Chop bacon into bite-size pieces and toss them in a frying pan. Add onions and peppers then simmer everything together. Drain the excess oil, then toss the bacon and vegetables on top of scrambled or poached eggs

Small Steps Lead to Big Results

I guarantee that if you take a little time and mental energy and apply it to filling in the gaps of your nutrition, it will pay huge benefits in the short and long term. I’m not proposing massive changes. On the contrary, I think the best and most effective way to ensure your success is by making small changes that you can easily adjust to before moving onto the next step. Remember what you learned in Strong Medicine about how stress (in all its forms) adversely affects the body. Adding stress by making big changes in your nutrition will be counter-productive. Keep the concepts of Kaizen in the forefront of your mind–small changes leading to big results–and you will not stress out at all!

NOTE: The training for life guidelines will be in part two of this blog post. In the meantime, I want you to start improving your nutrition. Small increases in nutrients will have a major impact on how you feel and move. By getting your nutrition plan in place now, you will establish the foundation for a successful training program.

 ***

Michael Krivka is a Senior RKC with Dragon Door and has been training with, teaching, and sharing the gospel of the kettlebell for over a decade. As a life-long martial artist, he is a Full Instructor under Guro Dan Inosanto in Jeet Kune Do (JKD); the Filipino Martial Arts of Kali, Escrima and Arnis; and Maphilindo Silat. He lives in Gaithersburg, Maryland with his wife and two sons. He owns CrossFit Koncepts where he runs strength and conditioning classes with an emphasis on kettlebell training, mobility and longevity. Follow him on Facebook.com/CrossFitKoncepts or Instagram.com/Michael_Krivka

 

Editor’s Note:

Where the Strong Medicine book is the template for lifestyle change and taking charge of your health, Mike has the beginnings of a Strong Medicine Operational Manual with this first post. The philosophy of Kaizen melds so well with our philosophy of lifestyle change that I am kicking myself for not including it the book, but this is why I try to surround myself with talented people like Mike Krivka.

In keeping with the mission of the blog for a two-way exchange of information, please share your perspective on lifestyle change in keeping with the Kaizen philosophy. Fantastic job, Mike!

How to Squat: Re-learning the Ultra-Basics You Never Learned to Begin with…

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Goblet Squat

As my old powerlifting coach used to say about squatting, “If it’s excruciating, you’re likely doing it right.” He was addressing the idea that there is a fair amount of discomfort involved with proper squatting. Note I didn’t say “pain.” The word pain is so loosely used in fitness and it has lost its meaning. When the meatheads say, “No pain, no gain!” What they really mean to say is “there should be a certain amount of physiological discomfort accompanying most any effective progressive resistance exercise. When we exert maximally, as we should, there is discomfort, and it can be intensely “uncomfortable.” But our factual explanation doesn’t sound near as taunt or sexy as No Pain! No Gain!

Pain is accidentally slamming your hand in a car door or cutting yourself while dicing onions: grinding out the 5th rep of a result-producing hypertrophy-inducing set of goblet squats is extreme discomfort – not pain. We learn how to exert maximally without need to self-inflict a hernia or a stroke from strain. We need learn how to exert maximally, yet exert safely. There are three rules to remember when it comes to exerting with maximum effort in any hardcore progressive resistance training exercise….

  • Push or pull evenly and always stay within the precise technical boundaries: most weight training injuries occur when the lifter strays outside the proscribed techniques for the specific exercise. We have archetypical techniques for all the major and minor exercises. Adhere as closely as possible to these technical ideals. The lifts are archetypical because the leverage is optimal and the push/pull position stable.
  • Never twist, heave, contort or jerk on a weight: real iron pros use a smooth application of power to attain 100% (or more) of capacity. Push or pull maximally while braced internally; tight and muscled, exert with great deliberation and evenness. Those that break form, usually to slip or slide through a sticking point, get injured. Nothing gets you hurt quicker that jerking or contorting or trying to be cute with maximum poundage.
  • Learn how to miss a rep safely: those that lift long enough and lift heavy enough will sooner or later miss a repetition. No big deal on a standing curl using a 60-pound barbell; it can be a very big deal if you miss the 5th rep in the back squat ¾ of the way up with 315 draped across your neck. There are real safety issues: hardcore resistance training can be injurious.

Stance: the first step in learning how to squat is “playing with” the squat stance width. The goal is to find a width that allows the squatter (you) to descend and ascend while adhering to our technical ideal: we seek to squat with vertical shins and a vertical torso, ideally only the femurs move as we rise and fall; moving with great deliberation and precision over an exaggerated range-of-motion. Every one has an ideal stance width that allows us to attain and maintain this signature squat stance width technique.

More than likely, when you find the correct stance width, one that allows you to sit upright in a bottommost squat position, when you go to arise, you will be weak as a kitten, likely unable to arise from the ultra-deep relaxed squat position without breaking form or without some sort of assistance. We do nothing in the course of living our normal lives that gives us power and strength in this extremely disadvantaged position.

However, by identifying the archetype, by finding that stance width particular to you and your particular bodily proportion, you are now ready for the next step: strengthening our legs by concentrating all our effort at getting stronger in this one very specific exercise, done a very specific way. Maximal squat difficulty results in maximum squat benefit: that which does not kill me makes me stronger – and gives me powerhouse, tree-trunk legs. So we squat using this weak-as-a-kitten stance and we hammer away and improve, one excruciating squat session at a time.

Self-administered forced reps: our squat motto is, “better to fail with integrity than succeed by breaking form.” Other squat school teach ways in which to slip and slide past squat sticking points: the easiest way in which to make squats easier is to make them “shallow,” barely dip down, barely bend the knees on each rep. This strategy could be summed up as, how do we “make heavy weights light,” whereas our philosophy is to use strictness, extreme ROM and other “intensity enhancers” in order to make “light weights heavy.” We say, don’t avoid sticking points, seek them out; slogging through sticking points is where the gains lie.

The dilemma for the athlete new to this weak-as-a-kitten stance width is how do I train? What do I do and how do I do it?

Initially, very few people are able to perform more than one or two super-strict ultra-deep bodyweight squats using the wider stance. The solution is not to shorten or “fudge” on the squat depth; rather than compromise on the technique, the solution is to squat perfectly but with assistance. How do we do that? We start with bodyweight squats and in order to attain perfection on every rep, give yourself as much “arm assistance” as is needed to enable you to perform a perfect squat rep on every single rep.

You might need to give yourself a little help, you might need to give yourself a lot of help, on some reps you might not need to give yourself any help – whatever is needed, to whatever degree, should be used to ensure that technical perfection is adhered to on each and every squat rep. We swear allegiance to the technique: poundage and muscle invariably comes in time.

  • The self-administered forced rep: Stand in front of a vertical pole or in a door frame. Place the hands at waist height on the pole and squat down. At the bottommost point, sit erect and come erect; pull upwards with the hands with as much force as is needed to assist your thighs. Complete the assigned reps for the set. All the reps might need varying degrees of assist, but all the reps were technically perfect.

Self-Assisted Squat

Perfect sets of five: the iron elite, top strength athletes, loves the five-rep set. A balls-to-the-ball set of fives strikes the perfect balance. At one extreme is the sarcoplasmic inflation associated with high, 10 to 15 rep sets. At the other rep extreme are the pure strength attributes associated by performing heavy triples, doubles and singles.

The kettlebell or dumbbell goblet squat: we seek to find the optimal stance that allows us to adhere to our bodyweight squat technical archetype. Over time we worked up to 3 sets of 10 perfect ultra-deep bodyweight squats. Time now to up the ante: a person could choose to continue down the rep road, perhaps work 3×10 in the bodyweight squat up to 3×15 and eventually 2×20. However, past 10 reps and we veer out of the realm of absolute strength and into the realm of strength-endurance; suffice to say, higher reps invoke a different physiological effect. Here’s how we break into “real” goblet squatting using poundage…

Session Payload Sets and Reps
1. 10-pound dumbbell 3 sets of 3 reps
2. “ “ 3 sets of 5 reps
3. “ “ 3 sets of 8 reps
4. “ “ 2 sets of 10 reps
5. 15-pound dumbbell 3 sets of 3 reps…repeat the process

 

This is a basic periodization (preplanning) approach to squatting.

Goblet Squat Hell: making light weights heavy- a properly performed set of ultra-deep goblet squats will tax even the seasoned competitive back squatter. Goblet squat technique has to be exacting if results are to be optimal…

  • Tuck the dumbbell or kettlebell tight under the chin and tight to the torso
  • Inhale as you descend, initiated with a hip hinge and knee bend
  • Do just free-fall, pull yourself downward, contract hams and glutes
  • As you lower down and hit parallel, exhale, relax and sink further
  • Maintain an upright (though relaxed) torso; don’t’ collapse forward
  • Relax the leg muscles and allow the weight to push you downward
  • Knees are pinned out, shins are vertical, torso erect, position is perfect
  • Pause briefly
  • Time to rise up out of the bottom
  • Start the rep maximally relaxed and “pre-stretched”
  • In the bottommost position, inhale, push down with feet, knees pushed out
  • Transition from relaxation to generating maximal tension before movement out of the bottom
  • Optimally, while arising, nothing changes except the upper thighs, opening the angle relative to the upright torso (ie the butt does not rise before the torso starts to move)
  • The squat rep ends in a “hard” lockout at the top

The lifter then inhales and commences the next rep…

The editor demonstrates the ultra-deep goblet squat sequence: Photo #3 shows the bottom position with tension maintained. Photo #4 shows the new bottom position after exhalation/relaxation. Notice how the gluteals drop further in relation to the rock in this photo. The few more inches of depth results in significantly more physical demand to rise “out of the hole” during the ascent. This translates into a bigger neuromuscular load and resulting adaptive response.
The editor demonstrates the ultra-deep goblet squat sequence: Photo #3 shows the bottom position with tension maintained. Photo #4 shows the new bottom position after exhalation/relaxation. Notice how the gluteals drop further in relation to the rock in this photo. The few more inches of depth results in significantly more physical demand to rise “out of the hole” during the ascent. This translates into a bigger neuromuscular load and resulting adaptive response.

King Squat: The ultra-deep goblet squat, done deep and upright, will tax the mightiest of squatters: a good rule of thumb, a strong squatter, say a man capable of 315 for five reps, ultra-deep back squat without gear will be mightily taxed by a single 75-pound dumbbell in the 5-rep goblet squat. Let us ponder this for a moment and soak up the implications.

Riddle me this: a strong man is taxed maximally by goblet squatting a 75-pound dumbbell for five excruciating reps. That same man is taxed maximally front squatting 185-pounds for 5 rep and has to exert, all out, in order to make 255 for 5 reps in the hi-bar back squat. So here is the question – why bother to front squat or back squat? If all three squat variation are equally difficult, and, more importantly, that the results obtained from each is identical, then somebody please remind me why I am messing around with a 250-pound barbell on by shoulders?

If results from the three technically identical, equally taxing squat styles are identical, then henceforth why not just stick to ultra-deep goblet squatting with a lone, modest-sized dumbbell tucked up under my chin?

Current Best High-Bar Back Squat Front Squat Goblet Squat
155 x 5 reps 95 x 5 reps 40 x 5 reps
205 x 5 115 x 5 50 x 5
275 x 5 205 x 5 75 x 5
315 x 5 255 x 5 85 x 5
365 x 5 275 x 5 100 x 5
405 x 5 315 x 5 120 x 5

 

These are realistic “spreads” between the three types of squatting; a balanced lifter executing their squats as technically intended will exhibit the balance shown above.

What if? So here is the tantalizing question: what if the man capable of (initially) performing 50 x 5 in the ultra-deep goblet squat, and ergo, is also capable of a 115×5 paused front squat and a 205×5 capacity in the back squat. What if, over time, that same athlete worked their goblet squat from 50 x 5 up to 100 x 5? Let us further assume the lifter works the goblet squat exclusively. Now here is the question: that lifter originally had lifts of 50 x 5 in the ultra-deep goblet squat and that level of strength normally indicates 205 x 5 in the back squat and 115 x 5 in the front squat. If he successfully works up to 5 perfect goblet squats with a 100, does that mean that he also is capable of 365 x 5 in the back squat and 275 x 5 in the front squat, all as a result of radically increasing his goblet squat capability?

Would that not be profound? We would be able to use smaller, much more manageable payloads in ways so clever and so excruciating as to be maximally effective. Why go to the trouble of handling a barbell quadruple in weight? If results are equal, I myself would prefer to wrestle with a kettlebell or dumbbell held in front of me, not on me or above me. If we need to bail mid-rep (it happens occasionally when you push with all your might) you simply drop the dumbbell or kettlebell on the ground in front of you.

If you do them right, on the final reps of a top squat set, it feels as if the blood in your veins is chemically transforming into gasoline and a spark ignites the gasoline; your veins have fire coursing through them, searing lactic acid sets the squatters thighs on fire. No pain, no gain! (That rolls off the tongue so much better than, “No discomfort, no hypertrophic-adaptive response!”)

Editor’s note:

Many of you may think the exhalation and relaxation at the bottom of an ultra deep goblet squat is technique sacrilege. Keep in mind that we are using very light poundage and any posterior pelvic tilt with exhalation at the bottom will not put you at risk of spinal injury, especially if you keep your torso vertical. The idea is to place you at a very mechanically disadvantaged position from which to start the squat ascent, at a depth most of you have not achieved at the bottom of a squat.   A controlled ascent using pristine technique from this deepest of bottom positions is what makes “light weights heavy” and gives a potent neurological stimulus for growth with minimal risk of injury. Check your egos at the door and try the ultra deep squat cycle that Marty has prescribed starting with bodyweight only and progressing to the goblet squat. Going back to your traditional squat depth and technique after this program will seem like commutation of a life prison sentence. You will emerge stronger and more resilient.

***

Marty Gallagher is the author of Strong Medicine, The Purposeful Primitive and Coan: The Man, The Myth, The Method.  Gallagher coached the United States team that won the IPF powerlifting world team title in 1991. He is a 6-time national masters champion and national record holder.  He was the IFF world master powerlifting champion in 1992.  He currently works with elite athletes, spec ops military and governmental agencies.

Strength After Sixty – Resilience Against Frailty: Part I

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Strength After Sixty

The topics of osteoporosis, sarcopenia, and the frailty syndrome are extremely important for anyone over the age of 60 or anyone planning to be in the future. This article will look at the need for preventative measures, the means to healthy aging of the musculoskeletal system, and the steps you can take to ensure that you will live out your years on this earth strong and physically capable.

Osteoporosis is a well-known condition involving decreased bone density with aging that most people are familiar. Sarcopenia is a disease of muscle loss and weakness that is the lesser known evil-twin of osteoporosis but just as important to understand. These two conditions comprise the public health problem known as frailty syndrome, which has unfortunately become increasingly common in aging adults.

Frailty syndrome is technically defined as “a decline in the functional reserves with several alterations in diverse physiologic systems, including lower energy metabolism, decreased skeletal muscle mass and quality, and altered hormonal and inflammatory functions.”

For a more user-friendly definition picture in your mind a stereotypical “old person.” You think of little gray haired men and women who are hunchbacked and have trouble walking. They are too weak to even stand, and look as if they would shatter with a minor fall. That image is what many of us now associate with the word “old.” No one wants to become the embodiment of this image as we age. We cannot slow the passing of the years, our chronological age, but we do not have to succumb to frailty. Strength training is not just for the young. You can become stronger and more resilient in your 60’s, 70’s, 80’s and even 90+. Strength training is arguably more important for the aging person and absolutely essential for healthy aging.

Frailty is what makes falls the leading cause of both fatal and nonfatal injuries among older adults.[1] Falls result in disability, functional decline and reduced quality of life. Fear of falling can cause further loss of function, depression, feelings of helplessness, and social isolation.[2]

The financial cost of frailty is huge. In a 2002 study, the cost of an individual fall averaged between $14,306 and $21,270.[3] The cost increases rapidly with age and could easily exceed most peoples retirement savings. In 2013, the total direct medical costs of fall injuries for people 65 and older, adjusted for inflation, was $34 billion, and is expected to reach $54.9 billion by 2020.[4] [5]

Fortunately there are steps we can take to avoid the bleak and costly condition of frailty as we age. Physical exercise is well recognized by both the layperson and the medical community as an essential part of a healthy lifestyle. Doctors will tell you the importance for “weight bearing” exercise when it comes to osteoporosis and sarcopenia. Unfortunately, there are only a very small percentage of physicians who actually know how to properly prescribe and program weight bearing, bone strengthening exercises.

Physicians are trained to diagnose and treat disease, but most do not have the expertise to write exercise prescriptions or coach weight training techniques. It is ironic that exercise, one of the most powerful disease-preventing modalities, is not taught in medical education.

In my opinion as a strength coach and fitness professional, that lack of basic education is why there seems to be lack of information coming from the medical community about effective weight-bearing exercise. If you look at the Surgeon General’s Report on Bone Health and Osteoporosis, strength training is underemphasized and casually mentioned along other activities such as walking, dancing and gardening. No one ever seems to mention that those who have the strongest muscles (such as weight lifters and powerlifters) also have the most dense bones, and never succumb to osteoporosis or sarcopenia.

It’s understandable why a physician who is not also a trained strength & conditioning specialist would not elaborate on such a topic, but most will confirm that loading the axial skeleton is what increases osteoblast activity, resulting in bone production. Because of the body’s hardwired adaptive response to loading, the heavier the load is, the stronger the bone. However no doctor in their right mind would tell their patient to go lift the heaviest weight they possibly can, especially if that person was already showing the signs of frailty syndrome.

I have the unique position of being strongman and a strength coach who has worked with the senior population for the last 10 years. As a young trainer, I begun my career at a retirement community, and in the same calendar year won the Maryland Strongest Man contest. I also did a stint working as a strength assistant for the Baltimore Ravens. I have since gone on to open my own gym and work with people of all ages and backgrounds. Senior fitness was my first paid position as a strength professional, and I still teach a weekly class at the same retirement community at which I started my career.

My work with seniors has highlighted the importance of the role strength training plays in health and longevity and countering the negative effects of frailty syndrome. I have seen people of 70, 80 and 90 years of age who, because of regular strength training, do not fit the characteristics we associate with “old.” I have documentation of post-menopausal women (those most at risk for osteoporosis) I have coached achieving increased bone mineral density measured by DEXA scans.

One of Dan’s clients, Tom (age 70) on left, and Strong Medicine co-author Marty Gallagher (age 65) on the right. Both are embodiments of strength after sixty.
One of Dan’s clients, Tom (age 70) on left, and Strong Medicine co-author Marty Gallagher (age 65) on the right. Both are embodiments of strength after sixty.

I know how to program advanced powerlifting techniques and scale them to the senior population, and as much as I’d like to say “follow this exercise program to stronger bones” there are many things to consider in exercise prescription. There are obvious things such as which exercises for how many sets and reps, but there are more complex things like needs analysis, individual body mechanics, safety and technique. Just as a doctor would not write a drug prescription to a patient he has never met, I cannot write a cookie-cutter program to cover everyone reading this blog post. That being said, in part 2 of this article, I will cover some general techniques and principles for strength training an aging population. With the proper application of resistance training our potential for strength is limited only by the number of years we have left to train. Exercise is an individual responsibility and those who strive for strength will achieve it at any age. Survival truly is, of the strongest.

Editor’s comment:

The importance of this topic cannot be overstated. Dan has done an excellent job describing the problem we are facing with frailty in our ever-growing aging population. There is an unmet need for real strength training programs for our seniors that are both effective for reversing/preventing frailty and safe. If you are a trainer looking to make a huge impact on public health, start acquiring a skill set to work with this population. Dan has considerable experience and expertise in this area and is going to lay out some general training principles in Part II of this post so stay tuned…

****

Dan Cenidoza, BS, CSCS is a personal trainer, professional strongman and owner of Art & Strength in Baltimore, Maryland. He has a degree in exercise science and specializes in kettlebells and strength & conditioning. His mission is to instruct and inspire people to live stronger, healthier lives. artandstrength.com facebook.com/artandstrength

References:

[1]Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Injury Prevention and Control. Web–based Injury Statistics Query and Reporting System (WISQARS) [online]. Accessed August 15, 2013

[2]Rubenstein LZ. Preventing falls in the nursing home. Journal of the American Medical Association 1997;278(7):595–6.

[3]Shumway-Cook A, Ciol MA, Hoffman J, Dudgeon BJ, Yorston K, Chan L. Falls in the Medicare population: incidence, associated factors, and impact on health care. Physical Therapy 2009.89(4):1-9.

[4]Stevens JA, Corso PS, Finkelstein EA, Miller TR. The costs of fatal and nonfatal falls among older adults. Injury Prevention 2006a;12:290–5.

[5]Englander F, Hodson TJ, Terregrossa RA. Economic dimensions of slip and fall injuries. Journal of Forensic Science 1996;41(5):733–46.trial. The Gerontologist 1994;34(1):16–23.

Eight Mental Health Benefits of Regular Exercise

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Human brain x-ray view

I’m a psychiatrist and a huge fitness enthusiast. It is gratifying to be able to incorporate exercise, something that I am passionate about in my personal life, as a powerful component in the treatment of my patients with depression.

Depression is a disease of the brain. It affects around 20 per cent of people men and women in their lifetime. It’s associated with a significant reduction in functioning and provides a large economic burden on society.

Most treatment consists of a combination of medicines and therapy. In addition to this conventional approach to depression, treatment can be supplemented or augmented with physical exercise with significant benefits. This is supported by my experience as a doctor treating depression and some evidence from scientific studies. The benefits of exercise in the treatment for depression are many:

Stress reduction: It’s been well documented in science that exercise improves the ability of the body to handle stress. Exercise acts to reset and strengthen the body’s ability to handle stress. In addition, I find personally that after a stressful day, fully immersing myself in a workout tends to bring me out of my head. While I’m working out I actually don’t even think about everything that was on my mind earlier in the day. After the workout, I use the calm to think through some of the problems that may have seemed without solution earlier in the day.

Improved self esteem: Many of my patients often have a negative view of themselves. They feel that they can’t do anything right. Regular exercise brings about improvements fairly rapidly. There are mental benefits of calm and stress reduction. Often there are improvements in body image or the joy of working through a progression and achieving a skill. Nothing boosts self esteem like being able to accomplish a goal through regular training.

 Socialization: My depressed patients tell me they find it hard to leave the house. Some of them have significant social anxiety. Their world becomes closed in. Workouts rarely happen alone. Generally, people are going to the gym to begin to workout. Interaction with other people can occur at the gym. There are trainers who can provide help, group classes, and friends that can improve socialization. Even if the workouts are happening at home, often people will post their workouts on social media drawing support and encouragement through social media.

Improved Sleep: My depressed patients often have trouble falling asleep, or they wake up in the middle of the night and find it difficult to get back to sleep. It’s well known that regular exercise improves sleep hygiene. People begin to know and understand their bodies. If they stay up late watching TV, they won’t be able to perform optimally during their workouts the next day.

Elevated energy: It may seem backwards that you have to expend energy to get energy. In depression, patients have lost energy and motivation. The anergia (lack of energy) of depression kills motivation and people find themselves sleeping all day, staying up all night. Regular exercise improves the production of catecholamines (energy producers) in the body that help sustain energy throughout the day.

Mobility/Pain Reduction: Depression kills energy. Loss of energy leads to less movement. Once you stop moving, joints become stiff. Muscles ache. This leads to less movement and more pain. Movement loss leads to weight gain. The additional weight and pressure on the joints in the body, the low back, the knees, the hips compound pain. As you begin to exercise, mobility increases, reducing joint pain. As weight drops, pressure on the joints diminishes further reducing pain.

Improved eating habits: My depressed patients tell me they aren’t hungry, yet many of 
them are overweight or have gained weight. In a misguided attempt to improve mood, patients often turn to the wrong types of food: foods laden in sugar, salt and fat. The result is weight gain and further reduction in self-esteem. The journey to physical fitness is often accompanied by a change in diet. Very often people get interested in a diet that compliments their fitness regimen. Foods that fuel exercise are often healthier: fruits, vegetables and protein. Many of my patients cannot treat their depression strictly through exercise alone. Depression is a disease and many of my patients will need medicine in order to feel better. Unfortunately, a side effect of many of the medicines I prescribe for depression is weight gain. Some of the stronger medicines worsen glucose tolerance and can lead to problems in metabolism of fats leading to elevated cholesterol. If I could add exercise to their prescription I know I could lessen this effect.

Joy : Accompanying depression is something called anhedonia. Anhedonia is the inability to feel joy. It’s one of the core symptoms of depression. Depression not only saps your motivation but it also saps your ability to feel happiness. My patients often look at me incredulously when I encourage them to engage in more activities. The act of engaging in activities may be difficult at first, but as they begin to consistently add activity like exercise back into their lives, the emotional shackle of anhedonia starts to disappear. Regular exercise will aid in reclaiming the joy in life.

There are different levels and severity of depression. It is important to understand that exercise tends to work best in patients with mild to moderate depression. Severe depression is a very serious condition and should be treated under the care of a mental health professional. There is not much evidence to suggest that exercise is beneficial to patients in the midst of a severe depression.

Depression is a disease and while exercise can be a very effective treatment, it has its best effect when used as an addition to traditional treatments such as medicine and therapy.

The benefits of exercise listed above are not just seen in people in the grip of mild to moderate depression. Exercise is a powerful preventive strategy for mental health. It’s well known that regular exercisers are happier, have more energy, sleep better, have more sex and are better socialized then non-exercisers. We often focus on the physical transformation that exercise can bring – the mind and the body are connected and as the body improves so does the mind.

Exercise is good for the brain

Editor’s comments:

This week I am privileged to introduce Bradley Sadler, M.D. to the Strong Medicine community. Dr. Sadler is a Johns Hopkins trained psychiatrist as well as an avid student of physical culture. As a practicing psychiatrist he is in the clinical trenches daily, working tirelessly to improve the mental health of his patients. Anxiety and depression are huge public health problems and often are not addressed effectively due to social stigma and incorrect beliefs that they are products of mental weakness or some other type of character flaw.

It is hard for me to take seriously any recommendations for nutrition and exercise given by an out of shape physician who looks like he would be winded from walking up a flight of stairs. Dr. Sadler practices what he preaches. I think we can all take exercise recommendations seriously from a psychiatrist who is coming close to a legit front lever!

Dr. Brad showing his PCC skills
Dr. Brad showing his PCC skills

Dr. Sadler has constructed an excellent overview of the positive benefits of regular exercise for mental health. His article an example of excellent public health messaging. It is clear, concise, and easy to comprehend for the layperson.

Within his article are some very important concepts. Among these is the statement “Depression is a disease of the brain.”   This is actually quite a profound point that is a departure from previous paradigms looking at depression as a “psychological” condition. Depression and anxiety are the end results of structural and functional changes within the brain. As we have a very sophisticated readership in the Dragon Door community, many of you will want to know what is going on “under the hood” in the brain with exercise and depression.   I will team up with Dr. Sadler to write a future post covering the latest theories on the underlying mechanisms behind the observed benefits of exercise for mild to moderate depression. We will also take some of his points outlined above and put them in the context of concepts covered in the Strong Medicine book such as allostasis (“Stress Cup”), neuroplasticity, and chronic inflammation.

Depression has a profoundly negative impact on the quality of life for so many people and is seldom talked about openly. Many thanks to Dr. Sadler for contributing this post on a topic that is not often addressed effectively, and certainly not given the attention it deserves in public health discussions.

Maximizing the Health-Span: Introduction

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Strong Medicine Maximizing Health-Span: Introduction

Mortality is the great equalizer. It is the single characteristic all human life has in common. As Jim Morrison said, “No one here gets out alive.” Although some embrace our mortality as a defining aspect of what it means to be human, the specter of death has haunted many since the origin of our species. We are now at a point in our technological development that some think that the ability to cheat death will soon be within our reach.

Over the past couple of years, Silicon Valley billionaires have collectively invested billions of dollars toward the quest for immortality. Research into finding the molecular equivalent of the fountain of youth is proceeding at a feverish pitch fueled by this massive influx of funding. Whether you agree with this goal from a moral or philosophical perspective, the scientific pursuit of extending the human life-span will likely result in new medical advances with carryover benefit to the treatment of devastating afflictions such as cancer and neurodegenerative diseases. On the other side of the coin, there would be significant downstream effects on world-wide society by extending the human life-span, including problems with overpopulation and dwindling natural resources just to name a few.

I am not posing the question for whether we should pursue life-span extension or not. That is a philosophical argument with many valid points of view. I do question the amount of money and resources that are being allocated for life extension research when most of us are not living even a normal human life span in good health. The majority of us have not maximized our health-span. This is readily apparent by even a cursory examination of the current state of public health with respect to chronic disease. Two-thirds of us are obese or overweight and preventable diseases such as diabetes have become the equivalent of modern plagues, spreading despite our best attempts at intervention. Our children are the most at risk, as the current generation is projected to be the first not to outlive their parents.

The Strong Medicine book was written with the aim of increasing the health-span of the general public through prevention. We aimed to empower people to live a life largely free of disease and with high physical function into old age. Even with the level of detail and breadth of subject matter in the book, they were still broad brush strokes and certainly not the end of the story for maximizing the human health-span.

There are many challenges to implementing an individualized program of “health-span optimization.” It is easy to tell someone to eat more locally-sourced organic fruits and vegetables, but hard for them to implement if they live in the “food deserts” found in many of our major cities. Regular intense exercise can be difficult for those with limited time due to seemingly endless demands of daily modern life, or for those impaired by injury or disability. There are also countless “techniques and tactics” on the Internet purported to be the magic bullet for achieving your health and fitness goals.

We will use the Maximizing the Health-Span (MHS) series to address challenges in individualized health-span optimization. We will also use the MHS series to put some of the latest and most popular health/fitness techniques and tactics to the test by looking under the hood and uncovering biologically plausible mechanisms and evidence of effectiveness.

In keeping with the mission of this blog, I not only welcome your comments, but encourage you to submit potential subjects of interest for future posts in the Maximizing the Health-Span series.

Stay tuned for the first post in the MHS series when we will examine the practice of intermittent fasting as a potential tactic for increasing the health-span. Start doing your own research on intermittent fasting now so we can have an informed discussion about the potential benefits and risks when the post goes live…

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Chris Hardy, D.O., M.P.H., CSCS, is the author of Strong Medicine: How to Conquer Chronic Disease and Achieve Your Full Genetic Potential. He is a public-health physician, personal trainer, mountain biker, rock climber and guitarist. His passion is communicating science-based lifestyle information and recommendations in an easy-to-understand manner to empower the public in the fight against preventable chronic disease.