Athletic Lab

[This post is written by Justin Hardy who is currently working as a Sport Performance Intern at Athletic Lab]

Stretching has various benefits, but many of us do not fully understand when it is appropriate. Should we stretch before or after exercise, and what kind of stretches are best for each scenario? This post will help answer the various questions surrounding the topic of stretching.

There are various types of stretching one can perform: dynamic, static, ballistic, passive, etc. However, there is no clear research that determines one to be superior to the other; rather they can all be beneficial. Arguably, the two most common types are static and dynamic. Static stretching is when a muscle is gradually lengthened to a point of limitation and held. It is recommended to hold a stretch for at least two sets of 15 seconds to 30 seconds, for minimum of two to three times a week. Dynamic stretching is when a muscle or group of muscles is actively taken through a range of motion that generally mimics or relates to movements that will be attempted during the upcoming workout or sporting event.(1)

How does stretching affect performance and training? Contrary to popular belief, stretching has not been proven to help reduce muscle soreness. Moreover, static stretching for long periods of time of the same musculature (120-36000 seconds) has been shown to marginally reduce max strength in participants.(1) While it is unlikely that you would stretch one muscle for this lengthy of a period, it is important to keep this in mind before any workouts or sporting events that will require a maximal strength effort. Small doses of static stretching 15 seconds or less, has not shown the same decreases in performance.(3)

In contrast, dynamic stretching has not shown these results, and can be an essential part of a warm up. Dynamic stretching increases blood flow to activated musculature, enhances the removal of waste products and can help the body increase force production. Furthermore, research shows that there may be positive long term effects of chronic stretching when related to performance, such as sprinting. A specific example is a study conducted by Young and Behm that found submaximal running and practice jumps prior to two max jump performance tests was beneficial to jump height, whereas static stretching prior to the jumps negatively affected jump height.(2)

Ultimately, some strength exercises, such as squats performed to full range of motion, can help maintain an athlete’s mobility overtime. If an athlete can reach full range of motion, static stretching may only be needed in small doses prior to a workout.  If an athlete cannot reach full range of motion, short periods of static stretching prior to a workout can allow an increase in mobility for a short time to help maintain proper form during movements.

References:

1. Bruno, B. (2013). Long Live Static Stretching. T-Nation. Retrieved from http://www.t-  nation.com/free_online_article/most_recent/long_live_static_stretching

2. Kravitz, L. (2009). Stretching—a research retrospective. IDEA Fitness Journal, 6(10), 34-43. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/21118102?accountid=14244

3. Young, W. B., & Behm, D. G. (2003). Effects of running, static stretching and practice jumps on explosive force production and jumping performance. Journal of Sports Medicine and Physical Fitness, 43(1), 21-27.

[This post is written by John Grace, CSCS - Athletic Development Coach at Athletic Lab]

There’s no doubt that deadlifts are a great exercise. They recruit many of the same muscles that are recruited while squatting (we all know the benefits of squats by the shear volume of them at Athletic Lab). Just because it’s a great exercise doesn’t mean it can’t be used inappropriately. One of the inappropriate instances is when deadlifts are used when moving as fast as possible in high rep fashion. Just like when Olympic lifts are performed in high repetition fashion, it is inevitable that your deadlift form will break down as you fatigue.  It is very common to see someone be able to push through a deadlift multiple times with very poor form and still complete the lifts to standard, albeit with a rounded back, hyperextended neck, and shaky legs to boot- a disaster waiting to happen. In contrast, when you reach a point of fatigue when squatting, you simply won’t be able to stand the weight up.  High rep squats can be a fine alternative to high rep deadlifts. Squats can give you some of the same benefits while lowering risk of injury.

Although it may be considered appropriate when training for specific competitions that lend itself to these types of movements, like CrossFit-style competitions. However, not as appropriate for the 99% of people that don’t ever plan on competing.

[This post is written by Cliff Scarborough who is currently working as a Sport Performance Intern at Athletic Lab]

Despite the growing number of children and adolescents participating in resistance training activities in recent years, there are still individuals that frown upon the thought of youth resistance training. Many of these individuals base their opinions regarding resistance training on common misconceptions regarding damage to epiphyseal plates and musculoskeletal systems. However, there is no scientific evidence that supports the belief that resistance training will effect growth at any developmental stage during childhood and adolescence. According to the President’s Council on Physical Fitness and Sports, injury to epiphyseal plates was only reported during case studies where improper lifting techniques and excessive workloads were present.

As with any physical activity a child may participate in, the risk of injury is always present; however, that does not necessarily mean injury will occur. The article “Injury Trends and Prevention in Youth Resistance Training”, found in the Strength and Conditioning Journal, states that improper lifting techniques, poorly chosen training loads or lack of qualified supervision contributed to most injuries sustained with resistance training. The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission’s evaluation of resistance training-related injuries present in U.S. emergency rooms found that of the injuries reported, for youths between the ages of 8-13 years old, 77% were categorized as accidental, [Accidental in this case is considered injury from dropped weight, improper use of equipment or tripping over equipment]. It was also noted in the injury report that two-thirds of all injuries which were hand or foot related were attributed to “dropping” and “pinching”.

After reviewing these and other findings, I don’t feel the act of our youth participating in resistance training is the problem. I believe it is more so an issue of being misinformed on the causes, effects and lack of preventative measures that limit the occurrence of injury in this particular realm of training.

References:

1. Avery D. Faigenbaum, Ed.D. (Chair) and Lyle J. Micheli, M.D., FACSM; “Youth Resistance Training,” Sports Medicine Bulletin, Vol. 32, Number 2, p.28

2. President’s Council on Physical Fitness and Sports Washington, D.C, Faigenbaum, Avery (2003). Youth Resistance Training. President’s Council on Research and Sports Research Digest, 4, 1-8

3. Faigenbaum, Avery D., Myer, Greg D., Naclerio, Fernando & Casas, Adrian. Injury Trends and Prevention in Youth Resistance Training. Strength and Conditioning Journal. 33, 36-41. 2011

All Scholastic and CF/Performance Fitness classes will be cancelled on Saturday and Sunday, April 13th & 14th due to the USAW Level 1 course using Athletic Lab’s facility. We will still be holding a 9am CFE session at Bond Park. The class will meet at the picnic table area by the boathouse. Here are directions from Athletic Lab to Bond Park. Classes will resume as normal on Monday, April 15th.

[This post is written by Justin Hardy who is currently working as a Sport Performance Intern at Athletic Lab]

One of the best, if not the best, exercises to do for gaining strength, muscle, and losing fat, is the squat. However, there are many people who simply do not do the exercise correctly. This is often due to the sedentary lifestyle that many people live, which results in tight and weak muscles. If the squat is performed incorrectly over a long period of time it can lead to muscle compensations and chronic conditions, such as lower back pain. As Americans already suffer heavily from this malady let’s look at two common ways squatting can cause low back pain.
Squatting can cause lower back pain when the neutral curve in our back is not maintained throughout the movement. A telltale sign of this is a rounding of the back and a loss of a curve in the lower back, often seen towards the bottom of the squat. As Mike Robertson discusses, a major cause of low back pain during squats is when a participant “exceeds their current level of hip mobility, and places stress onto their lumbar spine.”
It can also be harmful to have an excessive curve in the back during squats. According to Kritz, Cronin, and Patria (2009):

When an athlete performs a squat and does not stabilize the lumbar spine and fails to maintain a straight or slightly extended thoracic spine position, an increase in compressive and shear forces of the lumbar spine has been observed. Squatting with an external load with excessive lumbar extension (curved back) dramatically increases compressive forces.

Thus, to avoid putting excessive strain on the back it is crucial to keep a slight, but not dramatic, curve in the back. The Squat should be first attempted with only the body as weight and should be learned correctly, before adding weight. Learning improper movement patterns, such as a nonexistent or an excessive curve in the back can lead to chronic pain.
In order to avoid a rounded back it is important to keep an upright chest throughout the squat. Mike Robertson suggests that to avoid letting the chest cave in athletes should “move your hands in closer to your shoulders, drive your elbows underneath the bar, or to adjust the bar placement on your back”. However, a lot of the times, as Robertson discusses, excessive or nonexistent curving of the back can be caused by a weakness in the stabilizing muscles of the lower back. He suggests using Good Mornings to help strengthen the erector spinae muscles while also helping you to avoid a bent over position during squats. When done correctly squats are a tremendous exercise that should be incorporated in almost all strength training workouts.

Refrences:
Mike Robertson, MS, CSCS, USAW, is the President of Robertson Training Systems and the Director of Custom Athletics in Indianapolis, Indiana.http://robertsontrainingsystems.com/blog/squat/
Kritz, Matthew MSc, CSCS ; Cronin, John PhD ; Hume, Patria PhD. The Bodyweight Squat: A movement Screen for the Squat Pattern. Strength and Conditioning Journal. 31.1 (February 2009), pp 76-85.

[This post is written by John Grace, CSCS - Athletic Development Coach at Athletic Lab]

Squatting is one of the best exercises to improve overall muscular strength, coordination, balance, etc. In the strength and conditioning world, we call this a “bang-for-your-buck” exercise.

By deep, I mean below parallel. Rock bottom is even better.

Here are five reasons athletes should squat, and squat deep.

1. Glute Recruitment - Number one on the list is glute recruitment.  Your glutes are your engine in sports. Strong glutes help you drive during acceleration in sprints. They help you add a kilo to your power clean max. They help you make that long jump PR… the list is endless.  Maximum glute recruitment takes place at full depth in the squat.  Not to mention, squatting and heavy compound movements in general have a huge benefit in central nervous system adaptation and has endocrine boosting effects.(2)

2. More Core Recruitment - The main stabilizers of the trunk are your transverse abdominals, obliques and erectors. These are all heavily recruited during squats.(3)  A larger ROM means your core is under stress, longer (time under tension). Although your core is isometrically contracted throughout a squat, having to stabilize your body (the core’s main job) for a greater ROM under heavy weight is important for greater rate of development.

3. It’s not bad for your knees - There is the notion that squatting below parallel will hurt your knees. It is actually quite the opposite.  When you stop abruptly above parallel, the shear forces being put on the knee joint are like a car slamming on the breaks at a red light. Not good for the brake pads… or your knees.  As Chris Hoina points out in this post, there is less strain on the ACL while squatting in comparison to “less dangerous” leg extension. Additionally, PCL forces are 3.5 times body mass while squatting in comparison to 4.5 times body mass during the leg extension.(1) While there are certain circumstances that may arise with an athlete that may prohibit them from squatting to full depth, healthy athletes should squat deep.

4. Injury Prevention - My previous point and injury prevention go hand-in- hand. If performed correctly, squatting involves many of the joint stabilizers in the ankles, knees, and hips. The coordination and balance needed to correctly perform squats will engage these stabilizers to reinforce the larger muscle groups. If squatting (and other multi-joint movements) is performed correctly this can help act as a mechanism to prevent injuries in itself.

5. Retain/Improve Mobility – Squatting full depth requires a great deal of mobility in the ankles, hips, and low back. Continuously squatting full range of motion (ROM), with good form, will help retain that ROM over time. If you have poor mobility to start, let that weight push you down just a little more each time you squat. If you continuously push your depth limits, overtime, a full depth squat shouldn’t be an issue.

References:

1. Comfort, P., & Kasim, P. (2007). Optimizing squat technique. Strength & Conditioning Journal, 29(6), 10.

2. Hakkinen, K., Pakarinen, A.,Alen, M., Kauhanen, H,. Komi P.V. (1988). Neuromuscular and hormonal adaptations in athletes to strength training in two years. Journal of Applied Physiology. 65(6). 2406-2412

3. Hamlyn, N., Behm, D., Young, W. (2007) Trunk Muscle Activation During Dynamic Weight-Training Exercises and Isometric Instability Activities.  J Strength Cond Res. 21(4). 1108-1112

Spring is here and clocks are jumping ahead.  We have had great feedback on our current CrossFit Endurance schedule. Due to the demand, we are keeping our current CrossFit Endurance schedule (Tuesdays at 7:00am and Saturdays at 9:00am) and adding a third class during the week. Starting April 1st, we will be adding a CFE class on Tuesdays at 6:30pm.

The updated schedule is as follows:

[This post is written by Drake Webster, CSCS - Athletic Development Coach at Athletic Lab]

Training plans are written with the intent to progress athletes to the top level of performance. Coaches take time to write out detailed programs of different exercises, reps, sets, rest intervals, and manipulate all different types of variables to elicit a training response we feel is beneficial for the athlete. We also look at each sport or event as a whole and break down every part to make sure we have hit every possible avenue we can control in training. Where some coaches or programs are lacking is an essential part of most if not all sports: eccentric specific training.

Eccentrics are a type of muscle contraction, in which the muscle increases tension as it lengthens. This is in contrast to a concentric contraction where the muscle shortens while producing tension. Concentric training is often the focal point of most training programs. For proof, just look at the testing in a typical strength and conditioning program. They are almost always all tests of concentric contraction strength. I use all the same tests most coaches use, but just because the test is a concentric movement, we should not forget about the very important eccentric component that is also present.  I like to use the back squat as an example of how under appreciated the eccentric component is. When we test athletes we focus so much on the ascent of the squat. However, if we focus solely on ascending, we have missed out on half the movement, the eccentric portion.  Eccentric contractions are considerably stronger than concentric contractions (Higbie, Cureton, Warren, and Prior 2173-2181) so during the eccentric component of concentric movements we are not maximizing the training stimulus for eccentric contractions like we should. To get stronger do we continue to lift the same percentages at the same rep schemes every training session? No, we get stronger and increase the load progressively each week or how ever the progressions are designed.  So for the eccentric contractions and portions of lifts, if our loads are focused towards concentric, we are not training a big portion of the lift like we should, due to the strength discrepancy.

If you are still unsure on the point of training this type of muscle activation, you should look at your sport and ask yourself do you sprint? Do you jump? Do you ever have to decelerate your body quickly? These movements all require significant eccentric contributions. To perform these movements efficiently and safely with avoidance of injury we need to train for what athletes will do in their sport.

Here some ways we train our athletes with eccentric specific movements.

• Drop catch T-RDL
• Squats “the hard way”
• Drop Catch Squat
• Single leg squat freeze

I know concentric lifts will be the go to lifts for most coaches and they are a vital part of training for sport. But understand all parts are connected in training, so if we neglect a portion of any movement or training specific to the sport, we put our athletes in a position to under achieve or get injured. If you want to be at the top of your game in all aspects make sure to add eccentric specific movements to your next training program.

Reference
1.)  Higbie, Elizabeth, Kirk Cureton, Gordon Warren, and Berry Prior. “Effects of concentric and eccentric training on muscle strength, cross-sectional area, and neural activation.” Journal of Applied Physiology. 81.5 (1996): 2173-2181. Web. 16 Mar. 2013.

Our USA Weightlifting Level 1 course is coming up soon. We had a huge turnout at our last Level 1 course. In fact, it was one of the largest in the history of the program. The USAW Level 1 course will be held on April 13th and 14th at Athletic Lab. This course is excellent for all athletes, strength & conditioning coaches and weightlifting coaches. If you’re a strength and conditioning coach, this is a must-have credential for high school, collegiate, and professional level coaching. 

Coaches can register and find more information on the course here: REGISTER