Back Or Back To Front

Back or Back to Front

I have been asked the question by my friends and people at gym what would be an alternative to the back squat apart from doing it on the Smith machine. Most of these people had at some point had lower back pain either from their biomechanics or from the technique they were using. I came across an interesting topic by mike Boyle that gives an alternative to the back squat. I myself suffer from this during the back squat and I think that the front squat could be a great alternative.

There are quite a few benefits of using this alternative. It keeps the torso upright, forces you to use a lighter weight, and stresses the knee extensors more, which allows for the next session to include hip dominant exercises, and you can therefore train legs on consecutive days. If wrist flexibility is a problem, then use straps attached to the bar and grip those with the wrists. If you find that you have a problem with range of motion at your ankle you can try this technique to loosen them up. Stand facing a wall with your feet about  10cm away, bend your knees slowly towards the wall until they touch without your feet leaving the ground, extend the distance gradually and repeat 5-10 times. Another way is to just raise the heels with a platform slightly

Step 1. Start this technique by learning the hands free body weight front squat first. This is done be extending the arms parallel to the ground and using the shoulders to bear the weight. The focus here is to use the shoulders, and to activate the glutes, this can be enhanced be placing a theraband around the knees during the motion which forces you to use them. Step 2 focuses on using the clean grip in the front squat. This is usefull as from here it is easier to execute a proper clean which can be part of your workout. Also from here you can perform the clean catch, push jerk and push press.

If you are like me and tend to rotate your pelvis backwards “but tucking under” towards the end of your squat, it is likely that the hamstrings are passed their full flexibility and are now beginning to pull on the pelvis. This definitely is a sign that hamstring flexibility needs to be improved as loading the spine in this tucked under position is putting unnecessary strain on it. We have covered some of the power lofting techniques in the previous blogs. Remember that whenever you are stressing the spine with a load to use good technique and keep the back straight with a natural arch. Inhale deeply at the start of the squat to help stabilize the torso, and as you begin the ascent, exhale slowly through the motion.

Hope this gives you a good alternative to the normal back squats. This should also help with preventing your lower back pain from getting worse.

Reference: Boyle Michael, Designing Strength Training Programmes and Facilities

Done by: Jono Hall

Old Skool vs New Skool

The benefits of strength train with kettle bells.

Have you ever walked past one of those guys in gym who are doing strange movements at different angles with those funny looking weights? What you witnessed, ladies and gentlemen, was probably a kettle bell session, and that guy who was doing it probably has some serious strength. It is the era of the super athlete and that athlete require super methods of training. Kettle bells are excellent for strength training and power development. And how does it accomplish this I will explain.

There are 640 muscles in the human body recruited for movement, of which 63 percent are stabilizers. Daily living as well as functionality occurs in all three planes of motion namely the cardinal, sagital and transverse planes. Traditional weight lifting doesn’t make use of stabilizers very efficiently and 90% of these movements only work in one plane of motion, the sagital plane. Sport taxes movement in all three planes and as a result muscles that are not functionally capable of withstanding as well as generation force may be prone to injury. Kettle bells serve to place functional demanding forces on muscle groups throughout its movement. It accomplishes this by not having a set grip and angle like a traditional dumbbell i.e. The angle at which forces need to be generated are constantly changing this intern demands the use of stabilizers and synergists. Thus greatly contributing to more strength development in these stabilizing muscles. The degree of instability that you experience is greatly due to that fact that you have not used these muscles before. Using kettle bells activates the core muscles that are essential for co-ordination and functional proprioception.

Kettle bells assist in co-ordination and functional proprioception by stimulating the nervous system and employing the activation of the previously ‘dormant’ muscle fibers thus it produces strength in three ways. Firstly it causes hypotrophy of undeveloped stabilizing muscle fibers. Second, it increases the rate at which these muscle fibers twitch. Lastly, they allow for synchronous muscle fiber contraction.

By highlighting the benefits of kettle bells I hope I have shown to the real world benefits of kettle bell training as compared to traditional weight training. Kettle bells allow athletes to tap into previously unharnessed power, by making power based movements more strongly and quickly attainable.

Jo 'never say no' Ramahdin

 

References:

Baechle, T. R. and Earle, R. W.(2008). Essentials of Strength Training and Conditioning, Human Kinetics.

 

http://www.newton-sports.com/public/images/content/kettlebells, 2008.

Power 101 cont

Snatch

This exercise consists of quickly and forcefully pulling the bar from the floor to over the head with elbows fully extended – all in one movement. Although the assent consists of multiple phases, the upward movement of the bar occurs in one continuous motion without interruption

Starting position

·         Stand with the feet place between hip and shoulder width apart with the toes pointed slightly outwards.

·         Squat down with the hips lower than the shoulders and grasp the bar with a close, pronated grip.

·         The grip width is wider than for the other exercises’; a way to estimate it is to measure and use one of these distances for spacing the hand.

o   Distance from the edge of the clenched fist of one hand to the opposite shoulder when the arm is straight out at the side

o   Elbow to elbow distance when the arms are straight out at the side

·         Extend the elbows fully

·         Place the feet flat on the floor and position the bar approximately one inch or 3 cm in front of the shins and over the balls of the feet.

·         Position the body

o   Back flat or slightly arched

o   Trapezius relaxed and slightly stretched

o   Chest held up and out.

o   Head in line with the vertebral column or slightly hyper extended

o   Heels in contact with the floor

o   Shoulders over or slightly in front of the bar

o   Eyes focused straight ahead or slightly upward.

·         All repetitions begin from this position.

Upward movement phase: (First Pull)

·         Lift the bar off the floor by forcefully extending the hips and knees.

·         Keep the torso to floor angle constant; do not let the hips rise before the shoulders

·         Maintain a flat back position

·         Keep the elbows fully extended and the shoulders over or slightly ahead of the bar

·         As the bar is raised keep it as close to the shins as possible

The upper momentum phase: transition (scoop)

·         As the bar raises just above the knees, thrust the hips forward and slightly flex the knees to move the thighs against and the knees under the bar.

·         Keep the back flat or slightly arched and the elbows fully extended and pointing out.

Upward movement phase (second pull)

·         Forcefully jump upward by quickly extending the hips and knees, and plantar-flexing the ankles.

·         Keep the bar as close to the body as possible, back flat and elbows pointing out.

·         Keep shoulders over the bar and elbows extended as long as possible.

·         When lower body joints reach full extension, rapidly shrug the shoulders forcefully upward with the elbows still fully extended.

·         As the shoulders reach their highest elevation, flex elbows to begin pulling the body under the bar.

·         Continue to pull the arms as high as possible.

·         Due to the explosive nature of this phase the torso is erect or slightly hyper extended.

·         The head is tilted slightly back and the feet may lose contact with the floor.

The upper movement phase: catch

·         After the lower body has fully extended, pull the body under the bar and rotate the arms around and under the bar.

·         Simultaneously flex the hips and knees to a quarter squat position.

·         Once the arms are under the bar, lift the elbows to position the upper arms parallel to the floor.

·         Rack the bar across the front of the clavicle and anterior deltoids.

·         Catch the bar with:

o   A nearly erect torso

o   A neutral head position

o   Flat feet

·         After gaining control and balance, stand up by extending hips and knees to a fully extended position.

·         Stabilize the bar over head.

Downward Movement Phase

·         Lower the bar from the overhead position by gradually reducing the muscular tension of the shoulders to allow a controlled descent of the bar to the thighs

·         Simultaneously flex the hip and knees to cushion the impact on the thighs.

·         Squat down with the elbows fully extended until the bar touches the floor

Let me know how you find these excercise until the next post remember, 'if it aint fast it aint twitchin'

Jo 'never say no' Ramahdin


References:

Baechle, T. R. and Earle, R. W.(2008). Essentials of Strength Training and Conditioning, Human Kinetics.

 

http://www.newton-sports.com/public/images/content/Dartfish-Snatch-Technique, 2009.

Power 101 cont

The Push Press (and push jerk variation)

Nothing beats that feeling you get when you able to perform over head activities quickly and with ease. Functional upper torso power is essential to most contact and power based sports. Whether its wrestling, rugby, swimming or mixed martial arts, upper limb and lower power is constantly called into play therefore training co-ordination and power in these regions is of utmost importance. Another great power exercise is the Push Press. This exercise consists of quickly and forcefully pushing the bar from the shoulders to over the head. Although the accent consi9sts of two phases, the upward movement of the bar occurs in one continuous motion without interruption. Both the push press and push jerk exercises involve a rapid hip and knee extension that accelerate the bar off the shoulders followed immediately by movements that position the bar over head. The technique used to attain the final bar position varies, however in the push press, the knee extension trust is only forceful enough to drive the bar to 1/3 the distance overhead. From this height the bar is then “pressed out” to the overhead position with the hips and knees fully extended after the trust.

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NB:Pleased be advised that all exercisers must be done using light weights or the barbell. Emphasis must be on proper form and not on pushing heavy weights as this can lead to serious injury

Push press (and push jerk variation)

Starting position

·         Grasp the bar with a closed, pronated grip.

·         Grip should be slightly wider than shoulder – width.

·         Step under the bar and position the feet hip-width apart and parallel to each other.

·         Move up to the bar to place it on top of the anterior deltoid and clavicle.

·         Extend the hips and knees to lift the bar off the support.

·         Stand in the middle of the lifting platform.

·         Position the feet shoulder-width apart or wider with toes pointing out.

·         All repetitions begin from this point.

Preparation phase: dip

·         Flex the hips and knees at a slow to moderate speed to move the bar in a straight path downward.

·         Continue the dip to a depth not to exceed a quarter squat, the catch position of the power clean or ten percent of the athlete’s height.

·         Keep the feet flat on the floor, torso erect and upper arms parallel to the floor.

The upper movement phase: drive

·         Immediately upon reaching the lowest position of the dip, reverse the movement by forcefully and quickly extending the hips and knees and the elbows to move the bar overhead.

Catch (for push press)

·         After the knees and hips are fully extended and the bar is overhead from the drive phase, press it up the rest of the way until the elbows are fully extended.

·         In this position the torso is erect, the head is in a neutral position, the feet are flat on the floor and the bar is slightly behind the head.

Catch (for the push jerk)

·         After the knees and hips are fully extended and the bar is overhead from the drive phase, quickly re-flex the hips and knees to a quarter squat position and simultaneously extend the elbows fully to catch the bar overhead at the same moment that the bar reached its highest position.

·         Catch the bar with the torso erect, the head in a neutral position, the feet flat on the floor and the bar slightly behind the head.

The downward movement phase:

·         Lower the elbows to unrack the bar from the anterior deltoids and clavicle, and then slowly lower the bar down to the thighs.

·         Simultaneously flex the hips and knees to cushion the impact of the bar on the shoulders.

·         At the end of the set, step toward the rack and place the bar in the supports.

I hope I have highlighted the key factors in performing the Push Press and Jerk with proper technique and form. If you have any questions or comments feel free to post or contact me privatley.

till then remember 'if it aint fast it aint twitchin'



Jo 'never say no' Ramahdin

References:

Baechle, T. R. and Earle, R. W.(2008). Essentials of Strength Training and Conditioning, Human Kinetics.

Power 101

Power clean (hang clean variation)

This exercise consists of quickly and forcefully pulling the bar from the floor to the front of the shoulders- all in one movement. Although the assent consists of four phases the upward movement of the bar occurs in one continuous motion without interruption. The hang clean is similar is similar to the power clean exercise except that the bar begins positioned at thighs just above the knees, not the floor and doesn’t return to the floor between repetitions.

NB:  Pleased be advised that all exercisers must be done using light weights or the barbell. Emphasis must be on proper form and not on pushing heavy weights as this can lead to serious injury.

Starting position

·         Stand with the feet placed between hip and shoulder, width apart with toes pointed slightly outward.

·         Squat down with hips lower than shoulders and grasp the bar with a closed, pronated grip.

·         Place the hands on the bar slightly wider than shoulder width apart, outside of the knees with the elbows fully extended.

·         Place the feet flat on the floor and position bar approximately one inch or 3cm in front of the shins and over the balls of the feet. Position the body with:

o   Back flat or slightly arched

o   Trapezius relaxed and slightly stretched

o   Chest held up and out

o   Head in line with the vertebral column

o   Shoulders over and slightly in front of the bar

o   Eyes focused straight ahead or slightly upward

·         All repetitions start from this position

The upper movement phase: the first pull

·         Lift the bar off the floor by forcefully extending the hips and knees.

·         Keep the torso to floor-angle constant; do not let the hips rise before the shoulders.

·         Maintain a flat back position.

·         Keep the elbows fully extended and the shoulders over or slightly ahead of the bar.

·         As the bar is raised keep it as close to the shin as possible.

The upper momentum phase: transition (scoop)

·         As the bar raises just above the knees, thrust the hips forward and slightly flex the knees to move the thighs against and the knees under the bar.

·         Keep the back flat or slightly arched and the elbows fully extended and pointing out.

The upper movement phase: second pull

·         Forcefully jump upward by quickly extending the hips and knees, and plantar-flexing the ankles.

·         Keep the bar as close to the body as possible, back flat and elbows pointing out.

·         Keep shoulders over the bar and elbows extended as long as possible.

·         When lower body joints reach full extension, rapidly shrug the shoulders forcefully upward with the elbows still fully extended.

·         As the shoulders reach their highest elevation, flex elbows to begin pulling the body under the bar.

·         Continue to pull the arms as high as possible.

·         Due to the explosive nature of this phase the torso is erect or slightly hyper extended.

·         The head is tilted slightly back and the feet may lose contact with the floor.

The upper movement phase: catch

·         After the lower body has fully extended, pull the body under the bar and rotate the arms around and under the bar.

·         Simultaneously flex the hips and knees to a quarter squat positions.

·         Once the arms are under the bar, lift the elbows to position the upper arms parallel to the floor.

·         Rack the bar across the front of the clavicle and anterior deltoids.

·         Catch the bar with:

o   A nearly erect torso

o   Shoulders slightly ahead of the buttocks

o   A neutral head position

o   Flat feet

·         After gaining control and balance, stand up by extending hips and knees to a fully extended position.

The downward movement phase

·         Lower the elbows to unrack the bar from across the anterior deltoids and clavicles and then slowly lower the bar down to the thighs.

·         Simultaneously flex the hip and knees to cushion the impact on the thighs.

·         Squat down with the elbows fully extended until the bar touches the floor.

Jo 'never say no' Ramahdin

References:

Baechle, T. R. and Earle, R. W.(2008). Essentials of Strength Training and Conditioning, Human Kinetics.