The Role of Aerobic Exercise and Diet in Weight Loss

When it comes to losing weight, there is often a difference between what clients expect and what a trainer wants them to do. Many clients believe you need more exercise, whereas coaches often believe diet yields the greatest improvements. In a recent study published in PLoS ONE, researchers reviewed the literature to find the truth.


What the research says:

• Aerobic exercise alone caused significant weight loss.
• A combination of diet and exercise had best results for weight loss and related health factors.

Study Design

The research team examined past literature on the effects of diet and exercise on long-term weight loss. The studies they looked at had to be peer-reviewed. The research was also required to cover either an active weight-loss period of six months (although many were a year long) or a shorter weight-loss period with a longer follow up (most lasting two years in total).

Results

There were twenty studies total that fit the requirements noted above. Here's a summary of some of the important findings:

• Exercise and Weight Loss: The researchers found that clinically significant weight loss can be achieved through aerobic exercise alone. However, there was a greater amount of weight lost in the programs that used diet alone. Not surprisingly, diet and exercise together were the best option.

• Health Factors: One of the reviewed studies compared diet to exercise in terms of disease risk factors, and there were no apparent differences between the two plans. Similar to the weight-loss results, there was a greater magnitude of good health outcomes, such as better cholesterol scores and blood pressure, when diet and exercise were combined.

• Weight Maintenance: None of the plans resulted in great maintenance of the new bodyweight once the weight-loss period was over. When the participants stopped dieting, they couldn’t keep the weight off.

Considerations

The advice from this study is to promote diet over exercise for weight loss and to do both together for optimal results. As the researchers noted, the combination of diet and exercise has more benefit, both for weight loss and other related health effects:

The present systematic review found limited evidence to suggest better long-term weight loss and more favorable long-term changes in body composition and chronic disease risk factors when diet is combined with aerobic exercise compared with either diet or aerobic exercise alone.

 

The researchers also emphasized that there are variations for each individual. For example, if you already eat well and want to reduce fat just a little, it might actually be that more exercise, rather than fewer calories, is the way to go. If you struggle with weight maintenance, the only answer is consistency. Weight regain is a fact of life if you don’t stick to your plan.

The research team called for further studies to investigate the role of additional factors such as resistance training and supervised exercise programs.

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Biological Versus Chronological Age in Youth Sports

We’re all familiar with that stage of childhood when movement gets a little awkward due to rapid growth. But sometimes we forget that this physical transformation happens at different rates in different children. Any coach who works with kids knows the tremendous and sometimes unbelievable difference between two youth athletes of the same age, especially in the ‘tween and early teen stages. A recent study in the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research asked which methods are best for determining these differences for better athletic placement.


Chronological age (the one we normally go by) is not the same as biological age, since some athletes mature physically at a different rate than others. Much like in academics, chronological age isn’t always the best way to determine where a child’s placement in sports. However, most professionals are better prepared to test children for academic placement than athletic placement.

The researchers acknowledged that although measuring bone growth is the most accepted method for determining physical maturation, it is also the least accessible. To measure bone growth accurately requires expensive medical testing. Generally X-rays are involved, and although the researchers in this study stated that the radiation levels are safer than we usually think, it’s something many parents would seek to avoid.

Assessing sexual maturation is another method, but it too can only be undergone in a clinical setting by doctors. This option requires great care and concern for the child’s wellbeing  and is less accurate of a method, anyway. Thus it is perhaps the least useful of all methods.

A final method that seems to be both practical and fairly useful, is called peak height velocity (PHV). PHV is the time in a child’s life in which they attain the most rapid height growth. PHV tends to coincide with sexual maturation and rapid changes in bone structure. In girls, this typically happens at around twelve years of age, and in boys at age fourteen, although it can occur more than a year before or after these estimates.

PHV can only be accurately ascertained with long-term height measurements, but is nevertheless a useful method for determining whether or not a child has achieved the level of maturity needed for certain exercise routines. The researchers in this study suggested that hypertrophy-based routines are only useful in youth athletes who are beyond PHV, since the hormones required are not present in sufficient quantities until after that point. The researchers also noted that resistance training is appropriate – within an otherwise safe environment – for any youth athlete. However, the recommended program for children who have not yet reached their PHV should focus more on strength and coordination, as neural plasticity is highest at that time.

So the focus of training should be based on physical maturation, which can occur at various times depending on each child’s individual variations. The simplest and yet highly effective method for determining this seems to be PHV, but it needs to be tested regularly. The most important feature of any youth training program, regardless of maturation, is fun, so keep training positive at all times.

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10 Things I Know About Protein That You Don't

1. There's No Such Thing as Undenatured Whey Protein

Here's a fact: all whey protein sold in the United States needs to first be pasteurized. Even at the lowest temperature, that means subjecting the whey protein to a level of heat that will cause changes in some of the fractions. This doesn't mean that the protein is useless or won't give you all of the benefits you see touted in advertisements and studies. It just means that undenatured is a meaningless concept when we're talking about whey protein sold legally in the United States. So unless you're clued into the whey protein black market or some whey protein-selling crime syndicate, you're not getting undenatured anything.

  

1.5. If Your Favorite Brand Sells Bioactive Peptides, Find a New Brand

Bioactive whey peptides are protein fractions that cause a measurable biological response in the body. Maybe it's enhancing the immune system or increasing pumps (for teh gainz). Those peptides come from protein. They come from the protein you buy from that same company.

See, every pound of protein might sell for $5 at the manufacturer level, but it also might contain $10 worth of peptides in 1/10th of the weight. So they strip all of those awesome peptides out, thereby losing .50c from the protein itself, but in the process they earn double the money from the sale of the peptides they removed. You get the completely denatured protein (stripped of every biologically active peptide they could mine), and they sell you back the peptides in another product (or in the same product, claiming that they have “added peptides”).

2. Cold Filtered Whey Is Still Heated

“But my whey can't be denatured from heat, it's cold filtered,” I hear someone saying. That's nice. But cold filtered is the actual filtering process that concentrates the whey into the final percentage of protein (typically +80%). The filtering has nothing to do with the fact that most manufacturers who “cold filter” their whey are still flash pasteurizing it at the highest possible temperature beforehand. Why? Because it only takes fifteen seconds to flash pasteurize whey and it takes fifteen minutes to pasteurize it at the lowest heat levels. So you can produce more whey if you only take 1/60th of the time at this stage of processing.

3. GMO/Grass-Fed Laws Are Stricter Overseas

Oh, so your whey comes from New Zealand, and you're bragging about it being non-GMO and free range and all that good stuff? Guess what? All whey from New Zealand is going to be non-GMO and free range. Their laws are far stricter than the ones in the good ol' United States, so it's a bit redundant to talk about how great your New Zealand whey is when every gram of dairy the country produces is just as good. I lived in Auckland, New Zealand, and I've been to the dairy farms, and you're from Maine, so you're probably going to have to take my word on this one.

4. No Studies Ever Compared Grass-Fed Whey to Grain-Fed Dairy

Don't get me wrong, I believe that grass-fed dairy (and beef for that matter) is superior to grain-fed. But there are no direct studies comparing them in athletes or in an exercising population. There is tons of evidence showing grass-fed animals (and their meat products) are healthier, but none on dairy in athletes. It makes a much bigger difference with meat, where the fat content can be radically altered by diet, or even with whole fat milk. But with a good whey protein, we're talking about a gram of fat per serving. So while I still prefer grass-fed (everything), this is based more on inductive reasoning than hard and fast studies that examine these parameters in athletes.

5. A 100% Hydrolyzed Whey Protein Doesn’t Exist

I've seen studies that use thirty to forty percent hydrolyzed whey and spoken to the authors. It's inedible. The reason for this is the fact that breaking down (hydrolyzing) protein is exactly what happens during the digestive process. Protein that has been 100% broken down will not stay together in any form (think about it, what would a slab of steak look like after your stomach has digested 100% of it - now imagine it as a powder). Those “100% Whey Protein Hydrolysate” jugs you see at the local nutrition chain are actually a lot lower. The “100%” claim comes from the fact that the entire jug contains hydrolyzed whey protein (no other types of protein or whey), and that protein itself has been hydrolyzed 2% (or 5% or whatever). So it's all (100%) hydrolyzed - but only by a few percent.

6. Your Amino Acids Probably Come From Dead Kittens

Ok, I'm exaggerating - but not by much. The most popular form of amino acid production is through the chemical synthesis of keratin, which requires far fewer steps (and is therefore less costly) than other methods. Keratin is abundantly supplied in hair, nails, claws, and fur. Short of staking out every hair and nail salon in China (where most aminos are sourced), producers instead make them from animals whose pelts are not good enough to use for clothing. So maybe the pelt was damaged in the slaughter process or some other horrific industrial accident. That pelt is worthless as clothing, but can still be used to synthesize leucine (or whatever). I'd estimate 95% of manufacturers are using this process or a similar one, and I'm really good at estimating horrific, awful, stuff like this.

7. Twenty Grams of High-Quality Protein Is Usually Enough

Selling more protein makes the manufacturer more money, and having a huge protein-grams-per-serving count on the label helps them win fans in the bodybuilding community. But nearly every study that looks at a decent protein source, like egg or whey, usually concludes that the additional stimulation of myotropic (muscle building) or recovery factors isn't greatly enhanced after twenty grams.

8. Worthless Aminos Are Often Substituted for Expensive Proteins

Within the industry this is known as protein spiking. Cheap aminos like glycine are used to pad the protein content of otherwise expensive whey. So if a pound of whey comes in at $6, and a pound of glycine is a $2, maybe two to three grams of the latter are put in the former. Since it's an amino and not a whole protein, it's providing those grams at a much lower cost, and doesn't appear on the label as another protein form, thereby allowing the manufacturer to still (legally) claim “100% whey” or “100% casein.” I know of one brand that uses creatine (technically an amino) to spike their protein, which as a bonus is super-easy to flavor. Their protein is delicious. Now you know why.

  

9. Twenty Grams of Protein Usually Isn’t

Protein bars are notorious for under-dosing protein and overstating the amount on the label. This is a bit of an open secret in the industry, and although powders are better, they're still under-dosed in a lot of cases. Naturally, the yummy carbs are the exact opposite - you'll find far more in the bar than you see on the label.

9.1 Twenty Grams of Protein Usually Isn’t (Part Two)

Hydrolyzed collagen is technically protein. But it doesn't build much muscle, and it has a biological value of virtually nil. I'm talking about the stuff we've been seeing in gels and goops for the past decade (allegedly, there are some recent forms that aren't useless, however it's unlikely that your favorite brand is using them). Gels are obviously the worst offender here, but those little protein shots are pretty bad also.

10. Most Protein Comes From the Same Place(s)

If you were to walk the aisles of your local supplement retailer, you'd see dozens of different brands of protein. But if you were to see the actual manufacturers of the protein itself (the people all of those brands are buying it from), you'd see far fewer companies. There are probably ten major players in the field of powdered protein, and that's being generous. They're not just huge; they own other companies that we think are huge.

Glanbia, for example, produces a lion's share of the dairy products in Ireland. They're a billion-dollar company, they own BSN as well as Optimum Nutrition, and they do contract manufacturing for tons of other companies, both big and small (well, medium). So, when you see Brand X Casein and the store house brand and BSN and ON, all sitting next to each other, there's actually a good chance that the protein in the jugs is identical. And Glanbia is the manufacturer behind the most popular protein brand(s) in the CrossFit world, if we're keeping score at home.

Don't Count Calories to Lose Weight: The Body Fat Set Point Theory

We have all been told that 3,500 calories equals a pound of fat. This idea is taught widely in schools and published in many nutrition textbooks. We know if we follow this rule, then we can lose a total of one pound per week by cutting approximately 500 calories per day. We take this as a fact and apply without ever questioning it.

 

The Research on Calories and Fat

But can anyone reading this article tell me where this research came from? I could not, so I took to PubMed. I searched for “3500 calories equals one pound of fat” and got a message telling me, “No items found.” I narrowed my search to “3500 calories and fat” and received six results, none of which were related to the research in determining this magic number.

 

 

So, why do we keep promoting unsuccessful weight loss ideals that are not even backed up by science? Most of us will use calorie counters found on the Internet to help us establish our daily caloric needs. The most popular equation is the Harris Benedict equation. This equation was established in 1918 after looking at extremely small control groups of 136 men, 103 women, and 94 newborn infants. This research is almost one hundred years old. 

 

Really? Science hasn’t made any new discoveries since then to alter this equation and help us fight the obesity epidemic?

 

The Body Fat Set Point Theory

Fortunately, there is good research out there to help us. But for some unknown reason it’s not as well known as the whole 3,500-calories-equals-a-pound-of-fat thing. What we need to look to instead is the body fat set point theory. This theory explains that we have a group of hormones that regulates appetite and body fat storage. These hormones communicate with one another and need to be in balance in order for us to achieve and maintain a healthy weight.

 

 

"All of these hormones must be doing their jobs and working in sync in order for us to achieve an optimal weight."

The important hormones are leptin, insulin, glucagon, ghrelin, and adrenaline:

 

• Leptin was discovered in 1992 and has been found to control how much body fat we store, as well as when we are satiated. 
• Insulin is our main fat storage hormone. 
• Glucagon is the opposite of insulin. It stimulates the liver to release stored glycogen and works with adrenaline to free up our stored fats to use as energy. 
• Ghrelin tells us when we are hungry. 

 

All of these hormones must be doing their jobs and working in sync in order for us to achieve an optimal weight. Other important factors include other peptides and even certain brain regions. 

 

Leptin, Ghrelin, and Insulin

Leptin may just be the ringleader of this circus, though. Leptin is primarily secreted by our fat cells, and when levels are high, then our hunger is decreased. Ghrelin was discovered almost a decade after leptin and it controls our short-term hunger response. Ghrelin is released from the stomach lining, and when levels are high, we increase our hunger response. Both of these hormones are found to be in dysregulation during obesity.

 

LEARN MORE: Leptin: The Secret Key to Getting Shredded

 

 

Insulin has been a big focus of obesity research for quite some time. It is one reason why some people swear low-carbohydrate diets are the way to go. Insulin has a direct effect on leptin. As insulin levels rise, so do leptin levels. In fact, leptin receptors have been found on the beta cells of the pancreas, where insulin is produced. The problem is we can develop resistance to these hormones and this can cause a number of issues for us. 

 

RELATED: 60 Minutes of Exercise Can Improve Insulin Resistance 25%

 

Developing Resistance to the Hunger Hormones

When we develop resistance to these hunger-controlling hormones, it is like our body is making a phone call, but we’re not picking up on the other end. As a result, our body needs to yell louder. It does this by releasing more and more of the hormones in question. 

 

Let’s look at this scenario in terms of letpin. If we develop leptin resistance, it means more fat being stored and more food being eaten. Due to the relationship with insulin, if we have leptin resistance, then we have insulin resistance, too.

 

So, we get ourselves into this mess and then decide we need to get our weight in check. We count out our calories and subtract 500 calories per day, just as we have been taught. But in response to this low-calorie eating our body causes our leptin levels to fall. This, again, will increase our eating and fat storage. 

 

 "Due to the relationship with insulin, if we have leptin resistance, then we have insulin resistance, too."

On top of that, calorie counting does not take into effect how certain foods react with these hormones. We are told to approach everything in moderation, including our eating, but does this strategy work? Highly palatable foods have been shown to blunt both leptin and ghrelin. This is why it is easy to overeat foods such as ice cream and pizza. This can cause you to take in more calories than you even realize.

 

 

 

What We Can Do to Lose Weight

So what can we do to lose weight if low-calorie eating does not work? We can eat a diet high in nutrient-rich fruits, vegetables, and quality protein, such as grass-fed meat, fish, and eggs. Making sure that protein makes up at least 30% of your daily calories can decrease caloric intake and may increase systemic leptin sensitivity. 

 

I recommend nine to twelve servings of fruits and vegetables per day. If you are attempting to lose weight, then limit your fruits to one to three servings per day. Vegetables are high in nutrients and low in calories. They are almost impossible to overeat. Just be careful how much added sugar, salt, and fat there is in your diet, as these increase the palatability of foods and can lead to overeating.

Beyond the FMS: How to Design Powerful Corrective Exercises

The Functional Movement Screen (FMS). As healthcare and/or fitness professionals and enthusiasts, we know the routine. We perform our seven movement pattern assessments. We score each movement pattern. We take note of any weaknesses, deficits, asymmetries, or limitations in flexibility. We design a rehab or fitness program consisting of what our patient or client can do safely to achieve his or her goals.

 

And, hopefully, our client’s condition improves. He or she moves more efficiently and safely or improves performance on the field or at work, and everyone happily moves on with their lives. Right? Isn’t this the way it is supposed to happen?

 

 

How Valuable Is the FMS?

But what if this cookie-cutter approach doesn’t work? What if your client completes the FMS without any significant weakness, deficits, asymmetries, or flexibility limitations, but is still limited functionally and having trouble performing at work or on the playing field? What then?

 

Do we abandon the FMS completely? Or does this potentially valuable evaluation tool still have merit in our treatment plan or fitness program?

 

I believe the FMS most certainly does have value, but based on a particular aspect of the screen. An aspect that, in my clinical experience, is frequently either never considered or not fully understood. I am talking about the aspect of neuromuscular control and sequencing.

 

When Measures Are Normal, But Movement Is Not

Let us use, for example, a female patient who comes to physical therapy with an order from her doctor for you to “evaluate and treat” generalized weakness. You decide to administer the FMS as part of your initial evaluation. Your patient performs the FMS without difficulty and scores twos throughout. 

 

RELATED: Can the Functional Movement Screen (FMS) Actually Determine Ability?

 

According to the FMS, this particular patient has no outstanding deficits that would potentially limit her functionally. But despite three weeks of a treatment plan consisting of stretching and strengthening, your patient still cannot flex forward and touch her toes in sitting or standing position. She reports that this limitation is problematic in several aspects her life, including caring for her children and completing tasks at work.

 

So, being the thorough clinician that you are, you again tediously check all the normal parameters: hamstring and gastrocnemius flexibility, hip range of motion, lumbar flexion, pelvic tilt, and sacral angle. As with your initial evaluation, all the measures prove to be relatively normal. Without any new objective findings, you and your patient continue to blindly implement a program that is clearly ineffective.

 

 

Neuromuscular Control and Proper Sequencing

But the problem may not be the musculoskeletal system exclusively. Rather, this patient may have deficits related to neuromuscular control and proper sequencing of key functional movements. Consider that maybe this patient has an overactive posterior chain. In other words, her hamstrings and gastrocnemius-soleus complex are always on and she does not possess the ability to consciously turn them off.

 

As evident by your initial evaluation, it is not a posterior chain flexibility or tissue extensibility issue. Rather, it is a neuromuscular sequencing problem or motor control dysfunction. Gray Cook, one of the creators of the FMS, uses the term SMCD (stability or motor control dysfunction) to describe such a deficit.

 

But why does this happen? How do we develop muscle groups that are excessively active and hypertonic and limit normal functioning? In his book Movement, Cook provided a possible reason. He hypothesized that it is due to “pain, previous injury, or chronic dysfunction.” Furthermore, he stated that such dysfunctional patterns need to be broken before implementing an effective program to improve stability and motor control.

 

"Incorporating effective corrective exercise into a rehabilitation program requires thorough examination of a patient’s history and current condition as well as intense effort regarding design and implementation of stability and motor control corrections."

Designing Powerful Corrective Exercises

Treatment of SMCD can be difficult and is, for the most part, outside the scope of this article. Evaluating and treating SMCD borders on application of the Selective Functional Movement Assessment (SFMA). The SFMA is the clinical big brother to the FMS and is performed only by healthcare professionals (physical therapist, chiropractors, etc.). However, for discussion’s sake, we will consider how to approach SMCD.

 

Let’s be honest, the neuromuscular system is relatively abstract when compared to the musculoskeletal system. In our example, we can easily understand posterior kinetic chain tightness. We know the origin and insertion of the hamstrings, and we know several effective ways to stretch them, both at the proximal origin and distal attachment. Furthermore, we understand the gastrocnemius -soleus complex. And like the hamstrings, we can easily attack associated deficits in our treatment plan or fitness program.

 

 

But such superficial understanding of the musculoskeletal system is not sufficient to treat a true SMCD. As Cook stated in Movement, “[W]e cannot simply lengthen a tight muscle or move a stiff joint and think we have effectively changed a movement pattern.” Unlike the musculoskeletal system, the neuromuscular system is not always so easily understood. As a result, it is often ignored. Incorporating effective corrective exercise into a rehabilitation program requires thorough examination of a patient’s history and current condition as well as intense effort regarding design and implementation of stability and motor control corrections.

 

Two Important Factors in Designing Corrective Exercises

True corrective exercises are not challenges to the body. Rather, they are challenges to the brain. Gray Cook went as far describing corrective exercises as “experiences” instead of exercises. It is important to remember the brain has developed and memorized faulty and inefficient movement patterns that inevitably lead to dysfunction and injury. The brain and body would love nothing more than to continue to perform and refine these patterns as long as possible (as long as we allow).

 

In order for corrective exercise to be effective, the brain must perceive that it cannot perform a new challenge (or experience) without developing a new behavior. The brain realizes the previously learned, faulty movement patterns are not sufficient to support the new demand and a new behavior must be learned.

 

Corrective exercises must also remove all compensatory strategies and techniques. The brain is a master at creating and using compensation patterns throughout life, particularly when faced with injury or pain. This talent can be a wonderful thing, but it becomes problematic when compensatory techniques are developed with no regard for quality.

 

"In order for corrective exercise to be effective, the brain must perceive that it cannot perform a new challenge (or experience) without developing a new behavior"

Habits are formed for the sole purpose of immediate survival (or function). The brain never considers potential detriment, injury, or dysfunction in the future. It is not until these detriments, injuries, or dysfunctions present (possibly years in the future) that we become motivated to correct them. So, it is imperative that corrective exercises remove compensatory patterns and force the brain to adopt a new, safer solution. 

 

Conclusion

Treatment of SMCD is not always the answer. Often, your patient or client may truly only be lacking hamstring flexibility or shoulder range of motion. But if your current plan is ineffective in addressing whatever deficits exist, consideration of neuromuscular control and sequencing may prove to be invaluable.

5 Football Boots That Every 90's Kid Had

Football today is full of fancy football boots. Pink, yellow, orange, Balotelli once even wore a pair covered in headlines about himself! Mostly for commercial reasons, they have certainly changed in the last 10 years... and I'm sure Roy Keane will agree; possibly not for the better!

As a kid playing in the 90's, we all wore pretty much the same boots... Here are my favourites:

1) Copa Mundial

No nonsense. The classic football boot with the comfort level of a slipper. Still worn today by the old school players, usually centre halves who think the new style of boots are poncey and should be kicked out of the game! (Pardon the pun). These classic boots are the choice of coaches across the country from amateurs to professionals.

2) Adidas Champagne Predator

 

 

As worn by Golden balls himself when he scored the beauty that was the free kick against Greece. Most players had a pair of these boots, if not this colour, you definitely had the black ones! The Adidas Predator is still worn by the very best, although be it, a little "jazzed up".

 

 

3) Nike Air Zoom Total 90

 



 

Looking back now, they're horrendous. But at the time, everyone wanted a pair of these boots! From what I can remember they were comfy, cool and made you feel like Roberto Carlos! These classic Kangaroo skin boots were among the first of Nike's coloured boots.

 

 

4) Nike R9 Vapour

 

 

 

Made famous by Brazil's insane team of the Joga TV adverts, including Ronaldo, Roberto Carlos, Ronaldinho and more! Worn by the original Ronaldo (fat Ronaldo), these boots were usually the choice of speedy wingers or that striker in the team that tried 15 step overs before jumping out the way of the centre half about to smash him. They also came in white and blue!

 

 

5) Nike T90

 

 

 

Last but not least, probably the worst boot Nike have ever made... But everyone in the changing room had a pair at some point, if not a pair of astro's! Worn by Rooney when he spanked that screamer in for Everton that got him noticed. Still around today and the choice of some of the world's best defenders, they're a classic boot!

 

Have I missed some? It's hard to pick just 5 boots and miss out some classics like the Puma King and the blue Adidas F50+. Let us know below what boots you had as a kid. Which ones were your favourites?

How to Use the Front Squat to Improve Strength and Performance

I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again. The front squat is hands-down my favorite exercise. Whenever I say this, it tends to start a front squat versus back squat debate. Which is crazy, as it’s not an either-or situation. 

But I will say that for an athlete who wants to get all-around strong, steer clear of injury, and maximize carry over into strength sports, the front squat offers a number of advantages.

Why Do Front Squats

In my article When in Doubt, Do Front Squats: 25 Tips for Better Front Squats, I explain:

• From a coaching perspective - Front squats are easier to teach, more self-correcting, and promote better depth. 
• From an injury prevention perspective - Front squats are kinder on the shoulders, and incur less shear forces and compressive forces.
• From an athletic perspective - Front squats facilitate awesome core strength and have incredible carry over into other strength movements. This is not just strength-wise, but in terms of position and mechanics, too.

 

For Olympic weightlifters, the front squat is the best movement for learning the squat clean bottom position. Weightlifting coach Bob Takano explains why in his article Hitting Bottom: 3 Tools to Perfect Your Olympic Lifts:

The best movement for learning the squat clean bottom position is the traditional front squat. This movement performed with an optimal amount of weight will force the body into the bottom position, while simultaneously stretching the tendons and ligaments involved in achieving the position. At this point the front squat is not a strengthening exercise, but a positioning and stretching exercise.

 

For powerlifters, the front squat can be valuable as an assistance exercise to the back squat. For strongmen, the front squat ties in very well to positions within the sport, such as sitting with a Atlas stone on your lap, ready to drive the stone up and onto the platform (pictured below). For CrossFitters, it also has carryover to other movements within the sport, such as thrusters and wall balls.



So let’s take a deeper look at the movement itself, why you might want to perform it, and variations on the standard barbell front squat.

 

How to Perform the Front Squat

For those less familiar with this movement, strength and conditioning coach Traver H. Boehm provides a demonstration and basic explanation in his video on the front squat.

If you prefer a written format, read through this great basic skill review by Breaking Muscle founder, Mindith Rahmat from her article Deconstructing the Front Squat:

• Take time to find your starting position.
• Find your natural foot stance width your feet slightly wider than shoulder width apart and your toes slightly out so your toes can follow the path of your knees.
• Find your grip on the barbell slightly wider than shoulder width.
• Receive the bar from the rack on the front of the shoulders and step back onto the platform.
• Keep chest up and raise the elbows high.
• Stabilize the midline taking in a deep breath.
• Keep the feet flat on the ground pushing down through the heels.
• Squat down until the thighs are below parallel.
• Keep the chest up, back tight, and the elbows high when coming out the squat aggressively drive the elbows up to come out of the hole.

 

How to Improve the Front Squat

When people ask me how they can improve their front squat, they are disappointed when I don’t reply with something secret and Russian. Rather, I’ll ask to have a look at their front squat. The first place to look for improvement is within the movement, every time.

I’ve written two articles to specifically help you with this. For technical tips on the front squat, check out When in Doubt, Do Front Squats: 25 Tips for Better Front Squats – and I’m only half joking about the “when in doubt do front squats” bit.

"The first place to look for improvement is within the movement, every time."

Another way of creating improvement within the movement is to regress the movement down to even simpler forms. In this light, take a look at Squat Therapy: 4 Drills for a Better Squat. Squat therapy will improve your squats through the fact it is formed of four self-correcting movement drills. You are grooving good movement simply by performing the drills.



From regressions, we can move onto variations. Let's take a look at two variations of the movement, and how they compare to the clean grip barbell front squat.

Crossed Arm Grip

Strength coach Jesse Fernandez explains how this variation works in his article A Primer on Front and Back Squats: Crossed-Arm, Clean Grip, Low Bar, and High Bar:

Place the bar in front of your shoulders, resting it directly on top of your deltoids, just as you with clean grip version. You then will cross your hands over the bar, making an “X” when looked at from up above. Elbows will face forward and arms will be parallel to the ground

Why would you vary the grip? It’s a great question. There is less carryover to the clean with crossed arms. Also it’s not actually that easy to secure the weight like this. However, if you or your client has wrist issues, or other mobility or injury issues restricting him or her from performing a standard front squat rack, this is a useful way of facilitating the benefits of the front squat without rack position being the limiting factor in terms of weight.

If clean grip was the ultimate goal, then the root causes of the inability to get into a clean grip rack position must be addressed in parallel.

Left: Clean grip; Right: Crossed arm grip.

Two-Kettlebell Front Squat

This is an incredibly humbling movement. Strength and conditioning coach James Cerbie gives us an example of his client’s experiences with this movement in his article The 2-Kettlebell Front Squat: The Best Exercise You're Not Doing

“Well, that sucked.” My client un-racked the kettlebells and put them on the ground, still contemplating how in the world he got crushed by such little weight (comparatively speaking of course).

 

Here I was taking this guy who considered himself to be pretty strong (and to his credit he was - he could do a mid-300lb front squat relatively easily), and putting him on the struggle-bus with a pair of 24kg kettlebells.

James also lists some key reasons for performing this movement:

• Lower body strength – The increased instability of the kettlebells compensates for the lack of load.
• Core stability – This exercise puts your core on overdrive and forces you to maintain position.
• Grooving the pattern - The previous two points combine to make this movement an effective variation for grooving the squat pattern.
• Breathing into your back - By biasing a little flexion in the bottom of the squat, we can work on good breathing technique.

The article goes on to list how to perform the movement, possible technique flaws, modifications, and even programming – it’s well worth a read.

I hope this article has also been well worth your read. Now, read it again, pick out some points to practice, go do some front squats. Then come come back here and let me know how you got on.

Understanding the Shoulder and Bulletproofing It From Injury

A few weeks ago I wrote on the importance of addressing the upper back musculature to develop a stable and functional shoulder joint and shoulder girdle. Because of all the popular pushing exercises (i.e., bench press, military press, jerks, push presses), which primarily address the anterior (front) musculature of the torso, many neglect the posterior (back) muscles. These muscles are expressed primarily in pulling exercises (i.e., pulldowns, high rows, and low rows).

The balance of front and back shoulder strength is one thing, but attention must also be given to the other movements that occur at the shoulder joint and girdle. Neglecting a muscle group or movement can create potential issues over the long term.

As compared to another vulnerable joint - the knee - the shoulder joint/shoulder girdle is unique because of the wide range of articulations at the glenohumeral (ball and socket) and scapular-clavicular (shoulder blade and collar bone) areas. The knee involves mostly flexion (heel to the butt) and extension (straightening the leg). Pretty simple. The shoulder area is more complex and thus requires attention to properly strengthen and develop all the musculature surrounding it.

Let's begin with the shoulder (glenohumeral) joint. These are the gross movements that occur there:

With the arm at your side:

• Raise it forward out in front (flexion), then back to your side (extension).
• Raise it laterally to the side (abduction), then down to the side (adduction).
• With the arm moved out in front (flexion):
• Move it backward parallel to the ground (horizontal extension).
• Move it forward from horizontal extension (horizontal flexion).
• Combine all of these movements by rotating the upper arm in a circular manner, clock-wise and counter clock-wise (circumduction).

With the arm held statically down at your side or abducted (raised laterally):

• Rotate the upper arm inward, turning the thumb to the front or downward (internal rotation).
• Rotate the upper arm outward, turning the thumb to the back or upward (external rotation).

Let's now look at the shoulder girdle (scapula and clavicle). Movements there possess a shorter range of motion. Think "shrugs."

With the arms down at your sides:

• Shrug your shoulders upward (elevation).
• Shrug your shoulders downward (depression).
• Shrug backward, pinching the shoulder blades together (retraction).
• Shrug forward, spreading the shoulder blades apart (protraction).

Because of the multitude of articulations at the shoulder, a greater risk of trauma exists. Don't think so? Check out the list of shoulder joint/girdle potential malfunctions:

• Acromial-clavicular (AC) joint separation
• Adhesive capsulitis (frozen shoulder)
• Arthritis
• Biceps tendon tear (where it originates at the shoulder)
• Bursitis
• Chronic shoulder instability
• Clavicle fracture
• Dislocated shoulder
• Labrum tear
• Rotator cuff strain
• Rotator cuff tear
• Scapula fracture
• Tendonitis
• Winged scapula

Gosh! A lot can go wrong here. So, what can you do to eliminate or at least minimize shoulder issues? The primary controllable precaution you can take is to implement a sensible shoulder joint/shoulder girdle strengthening program. Employ these movements and applicable exercises:

Glenohumeral joint:

• Flexion - front raise or front press.
• Extension - close grip pulldown, pull up  or pullover.
• Abduction - side lateral raise or overhead press to the front (not behind the head).
• Adduction - wide grip pulldown or pull up to the front (not behind the head).
• Horizontal flexion - chest/bench press or chest fly.
• Horizontal extension - seated/bent-over row or rear delt fly.
• Internal rotation (upper arm down at the side or raised [abducted] to the side) - cable, band, or dumbbell internal rotation.
• External rotation (upper arm down at the side or raised [abducted] to the side - cable, band or dumbbell external rotation.

Scapular-clavicular joint:

• Elevation - dumbbell, barbell, or machine upward shrugs.
• Depression - dip bar downward shrugs.
• Retraction - seated or bent-over row shrugs (move the shoulders backward to pinch shoulder blades together).
• Protraction - chest or bench press shrugs (move the shoulders forward to increase the distance between the shoulder blades).

A program that incorporates the aforementioned movements and exercises should at the least minimize debilitating or nagging shoulder issues and allow you to train and compete consistently for a long time. Therefore, for a sturdy and functional shoulder joint/shoulder girdle, do this:

• Work all joint articulations - if it moves that way, strengthen it.
• If you do a pushing exercise, counter it with a pulling exercise.
• Always use proper exercise form - control the resistance.

And don't neglect the smaller stabilizing shoulder muscles that make up the rotator cuff. Spend time fortifying them via internal and external rotation exercises with the upper arm at various positions.

A 5-Step Approach to Training During Adolescent Growth Spurts

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We have all seen the awkwardness that accompanies a period of growth for youth athletes. Some of us have even experienced it. The fastest runner on the team begins tripping over his or her feet. The once graceful dancer is all arms and legs. The number-four batter moves down in the lineup because he or she can’t get the timing right. 

Adolescent Growth Spurts (AGS)

According to the book Bright Futures in Practice: Physical Activity, published by Georgetown University, a temporary decline in coordination and balance may occur during puberty because of rapid growth. In many cases, this decline is not only demonstrated through sports performance, but also in regular physical activity. This experience can be frustrating for coaches, trainers, youth athletes, and parents, particularly if this decrease in athleticism is interpreted as a lack of skill or effort.

"Based on sports fundamentals, AGS training should focus on movement-based strength, overall fitness, speed and agility, plyometric work, and instilling confidence."

Knowing that adolescent growth spurts (AGS) and the accompanying athletic awkwardness are normal in this phase of puberty does not make it any easier for the youth athlete. As well as physically affecting sports performance, AGS can also affect athletes socially and mentally. It can also have detrimental effects on core strength, postural control, and performance - including skill, speed, coordination, and agility - as athletes struggle to adjust to their rapidly growing and changing bodies. 

Youth athletes need to know they are not alone in experiencing a lack of coordination and balance during and after growth spurts. In her article, Hockey Training During the Adolescent Growth Spurt, Kelly Anton explains:

At their fastest, boys grow by four inches a year and girls by two-and-a-half inches a year. As height increases, the center of gravity lifts. This happens so quickly that the brain does not get a chance to calculate the new rules for balance. On average, boys grow fastest between 14 and 15 and girls grow fastest between 12 and 13. Girls finish their growth spurt at 18 while boys need another two years before they finish growing at about 20.

Adolescent coaches and trainers recognize the physical changes that occur during AGS can decrease overall skills, speed, coordination, and agility. Coaches, trainers, parents, and athletes must also be aware of the athlete’s susceptibility to training injuries, especially during and after AGS.

How to Deal With AGS

The good news is that coaches and trainers who are aware of AGS can help alleviate and reduce athletic awkwardness by incorporating specific aspects of training into practices and training sessions. The Soccer Speed & Agility Clinic ebook, published by the Soccer Fit Academy, addresses these particulars of training. Although this book is geared specifically to soccer players, the common-sense approach of training through AGS is applicable to youth athletes of every sport.

Based on sports fundamentals, AGS training should focus on the following five factors:

1. Movement-based strength
2. Overall fitness
3. Speed and agility
4. Plyometric work
5. Confidence

It is important to note that while AGS is considered phased training, the fundamentals may be used separately or may be merged. The emphasis in AGS training, as opposed to a regular training session, is that particular attention is paid to the execution of proper biomechanics through all aspects of training for a growing athlete.  

Progressing from this point, coaches and trainers can start to increase the load and intensity of the drills as athletes become stronger and more confident in the movements.

1. Movement-Based Strength

Beginning with movement-based strength, coaches and trainers should look at the basic movements of the specific sport. Across the board, most movements will center on running, squatting, jumping, lunging, pivoting, and rotating. The object in this phase of training is to make these movements more rhythmic in nature through repetition, through recruiting correct movement patterns, and through building confidence in movement strength.

After these movement patterns are mastered, speed is added, with specific attention paid to performing drills without losing form. Progressing from this point, coaches and trainers can start to increase the load and intensity of the drills as athletes become stronger and more confident in the movements.

RELATED: Foundational Training for Youth Athletes: Are You Doing It?

2. Overall Fitness

The second phase of AGS training is overall fitness, which is defined as the level of play that allows an athlete to perform optimally. Pre-season conditioning is largely responsible for the overall fitness of an athlete, the focus of which should be optimal athletic performance late in the game and late in the season. In addition, fitness largely contributes to decreasing sports injuries.

3. Speed and Agility

In off-season training, building a strong speed and agility base follows closely with the first two goals of training through AGS. As athletes progress through growth spurts, they must relearn how to control their bodies in direction changes, changes of pace, and acceleration situations. They must relearn their balance points and readjust their center of gravity. Again, stressing the repetition of correct movement patterns, with a gradual increase of speed and intensity, is key to developing speed during and after AGS.

"The athlete must believe in his or her training, his or her abilities and skills, and his or her past experiences in order to prepare for and perform well in an event."

4. Plyometrics

Plyometric exercises are the final physical phase of AGS training. As discussed earlier, this area can be merged into other areas of training, especially with strength training, to help develop explosive strength, speed, and agility.

5. Confidence

Confidence is taught and worked on throughout all phases of AGS training. The athlete must have confidence in the hours spent mentally and physically preparing for the event - the repetitions, the workouts, and the coaching.The athlete must believe in his or her training, his or her abilities and skills, and his or her past experiences in order to prepare for and perform well in an event.

Take Time to Work the Basics

Speed and agility, as well as other sports skills, don’t just reappear after growth has slowed or stopped. That means coaches and trainers must understand how to retrain athletes in their movement patterns. To do this, the training program must emphasize movement, rhythm, and coordination over strength, fitness, and power.

RELATED: 5-Phase Adolescent Strength Program for Creating Good Movers

This is not to say that strength, fitness, and power are not important. They are absolutely essential to an athlete’s optimal performance, but in relation to sports performance and AGS, they must come after the athlete’s mastery of movement, rhythm, and coordination.

By implementing a training program that accommodates AGS, coaches and trainers canalleviate coordination and balance issues, decrease athletic awkwardness and injuries, and help young athletes reach optimal performance levels.