Thursday, October 8, 2009
What's Flexion/Extension Eccentric/Concentric Negative/Positive - move basics
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I am directionally impaired. If someone asks "do you remember if we go right or left?" and i say "left" do yourself a favour and go right. Likewise when i was trying to learn about muscle action it took me ages to unpack flexion and extension from eccentric and concentric contraction.
So for any of you folks out there trying to understand what a negative contraction in flexion might look like or if an eccentric contraction can be positive and in
extension, this post is for you.
Just to start of orienteering, most stuff in kinesiology seems to refer to the midline of the body, and the body is trisected into three planes: sagittal, frontal (coronal in the image) and transverse.
These terms simply make it easier to talk about direction of a move. Eg a forward bend is mainly an action in the sagittal plane. A lateral raise is in the frontal. One might then say ok, what of your moves is working transverse? This is a big deal as transverse is associated with rotation and rotational power is important. internal/external rotation. oy.But i digress. The main thing is that there's a midline of the body. We'll see that in action.
Muscles:
To hold something, muscles contract. That's it. The interesting thing is that muscles can contract in different states - usually one of three states.
Concentric - the muscle is shortening. Like a biceps curl (the curling phase)
Eccentric - the muscle is lengthening while contracting - like overhead triceps extension (the lowering phase)
Isometric - a contraction is happening without any muscle lengthening/shortening.
Joints:
Joints have a lot of ways of being described as moving: rotation, elevation and depression; adduction (towards the midline, latin ad, to, towards), abduction (away from the midline - latin ab, from), and the more familiar extension and flexion. To these can also be applied anterior, posterior, medial and lateral. Or front, back, towards the middle towards the outside (where the body is the reference point).
Let's look at just the two most commonly discussed terms in the workout room, flexion and extension.
Extension, generally, is increasing the angle in a joint. So standing up from a squat is both knee and hip extension.
Flexion, by contrast, is decreasing the angle in a joint. So the top of biceps curl is flexion around the elbow joint.
Negatives and Positives
Another name for Eccentric contraction is a Negative. And concentric is a Positive. Why they're called that, i dunno. I'm guessing that that's because the challenge is often perceived to be in the lift, and we move something from a starting position to a finished position, and going from a finish to a start is seen as the flip side or negative.
I prefer eccentric/concentric because of the different types of effects due to different types of actions.
We're stronger in the negative phase of a move - consider how much easier it is to lower a piano than to lift one.
Interestingly eccentric contractions are less well understood than concentric contractions, but what we do know is that eccentric contractions are strongly correlated with DOMS - delayed on set muscle soreness (more on DOMS here).
Putting muscle and joint movements together
So now we have a rough vocabulary for muscle and joint action. Let's try a couple of descriptions.
Examples
In a march or sprint step practice, when the knee comes up this is an example of hip flexion as the angle at the hip socket is narrowed via the femur coming towards the pelvis. The aptly named hip flexors group of muscles will be contracting to make this move possible - to pull the joint angle together.
If the knee is likewise bent as in a marching step, there's knee flexion too. If the knee straightens out, however, as in a kick, we have knee extension with hip flexion. In this case, the knees are being pulled into extension by the quads concentrically contracting, too.
Kick that straightened leg all the way back - like the tail end of a sprint stride, and there's hip extension - where the hamstrings and glute actually contract to keep the leg from flying off in a sprint.
To see eccentric contraction, we can look at the ever popular biceps curl with flexion around the elbow. As we lower a weight, we are working against resistance, letting the joint angle increase to lower that object under control.
Directions
So we could now do an anterior lunge - moving the lunging leg to the front. And we'd know that the anterior lunge foregrounds knee flexion - the hamstrings and related flexors concentrically contracting to shorten and so pull the tibula/fibula towards the femor. We could talk about anterior and posterior glides of the head where we affect a "chicken neck" to move the cervical spine past the front midline of the body and then pull it in the opposite direction towards behind the midline of the body.
So we have eccentric and concentric contractions, negatives and positives being the same; flexion and extension and some directions - and the midlines of the body.
Perhaps this is all one to you and easy peasy - but for anyone else out there who struggles with directions - hope this helps. Tweet Follow @begin2dig
I am directionally impaired. If someone asks "do you remember if we go right or left?" and i say "left" do yourself a favour and go right. Likewise when i was trying to learn about muscle action it took me ages to unpack flexion and extension from eccentric and concentric contraction.So for any of you folks out there trying to understand what a negative contraction in flexion might look like or if an eccentric contraction can be positive and in
extension, this post is for you.Just to start of orienteering, most stuff in kinesiology seems to refer to the midline of the body, and the body is trisected into three planes: sagittal, frontal (coronal in the image) and transverse.
These terms simply make it easier to talk about direction of a move. Eg a forward bend is mainly an action in the sagittal plane. A lateral raise is in the frontal. One might then say ok, what of your moves is working transverse? This is a big deal as transverse is associated with rotation and rotational power is important. internal/external rotation. oy.But i digress. The main thing is that there's a midline of the body. We'll see that in action.
Muscles:
To hold something, muscles contract. That's it. The interesting thing is that muscles can contract in different states - usually one of three states.
Concentric - the muscle is shortening. Like a biceps curl (the curling phase)
Eccentric - the muscle is lengthening while contracting - like overhead triceps extension (the lowering phase)
Isometric - a contraction is happening without any muscle lengthening/shortening.
Joints:
Joints have a lot of ways of being described as moving: rotation, elevation and depression; adduction (towards the midline, latin ad, to, towards), abduction (away from the midline - latin ab, from), and the more familiar extension and flexion. To these can also be applied anterior, posterior, medial and lateral. Or front, back, towards the middle towards the outside (where the body is the reference point).
Let's look at just the two most commonly discussed terms in the workout room, flexion and extension.
Extension, generally, is increasing the angle in a joint. So standing up from a squat is both knee and hip extension.
Flexion, by contrast, is decreasing the angle in a joint. So the top of biceps curl is flexion around the elbow joint.
Negatives and Positives
Another name for Eccentric contraction is a Negative. And concentric is a Positive. Why they're called that, i dunno. I'm guessing that that's because the challenge is often perceived to be in the lift, and we move something from a starting position to a finished position, and going from a finish to a start is seen as the flip side or negative.
I prefer eccentric/concentric because of the different types of effects due to different types of actions.
We're stronger in the negative phase of a move - consider how much easier it is to lower a piano than to lift one.
Interestingly eccentric contractions are less well understood than concentric contractions, but what we do know is that eccentric contractions are strongly correlated with DOMS - delayed on set muscle soreness (more on DOMS here).
Putting muscle and joint movements together
So now we have a rough vocabulary for muscle and joint action. Let's try a couple of descriptions.
Examples
In a march or sprint step practice, when the knee comes up this is an example of hip flexion as the angle at the hip socket is narrowed via the femur coming towards the pelvis. The aptly named hip flexors group of muscles will be contracting to make this move possible - to pull the joint angle together.
If the knee is likewise bent as in a marching step, there's knee flexion too. If the knee straightens out, however, as in a kick, we have knee extension with hip flexion. In this case, the knees are being pulled into extension by the quads concentrically contracting, too.
Kick that straightened leg all the way back - like the tail end of a sprint stride, and there's hip extension - where the hamstrings and glute actually contract to keep the leg from flying off in a sprint.
To see eccentric contraction, we can look at the ever popular biceps curl with flexion around the elbow. As we lower a weight, we are working against resistance, letting the joint angle increase to lower that object under control.
Directions
So we could now do an anterior lunge - moving the lunging leg to the front. And we'd know that the anterior lunge foregrounds knee flexion - the hamstrings and related flexors concentrically contracting to shorten and so pull the tibula/fibula towards the femor. We could talk about anterior and posterior glides of the head where we affect a "chicken neck" to move the cervical spine past the front midline of the body and then pull it in the opposite direction towards behind the midline of the body.
So we have eccentric and concentric contractions, negatives and positives being the same; flexion and extension and some directions - and the midlines of the body.
Perhaps this is all one to you and easy peasy - but for anyone else out there who struggles with directions - hope this helps. Tweet Follow @begin2dig
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Wednesday, October 7, 2009
Why Wait till After Eating to work out?
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You may have been told wait at least forty minutes until after eating to work out, or to go swimming. And maybe we all kinda think we know why - if we work out on a full stomach, we'll just hurl. Hmm. Maybe.
Apparently one of the actual reasons for this invective
to wait is more about blood supply. When we eat, our gut gets very active. That means a lot of the blood supply is being focused on our digestive system. You can see what's coming: exercise means that the blood supply is being wanted by our peripheral system (as we saw in the article on warm ups).
Likewise the hormonal responses around food digestion (load on the endocrine system) are different than the ones that get triggered for exercise.
So eating and working out close by each other is putting two rather opposing demands on our digestive and endocrine systems. By giving digestion a chance to do its thing, the body is more at liberty to manage the demands of our thing when we want to work out.
Sorta makes sense.
An interesting thing for peri-workout nutrition is that some fuel seems fine to ingest prior to a workout: fast digesting hydro-whey, fast carbs like dextrose, and creatine, can be taken on "right before" a work out. Some folks top up with energy drinks during a work out. So the energy requirements to process some of these fuels must be low relative to whole food.
Personally these kind of facts make it easier for me to plan how to work out and why to practice a particular way. I can calm down i guess around whether now is the right time to move or not. Maybe that's just me, but hope it might be a useful wee factoid for you, too. Tweet Follow @begin2dig
Apparently one of the actual reasons for this invective
to wait is more about blood supply. When we eat, our gut gets very active. That means a lot of the blood supply is being focused on our digestive system. You can see what's coming: exercise means that the blood supply is being wanted by our peripheral system (as we saw in the article on warm ups).Likewise the hormonal responses around food digestion (load on the endocrine system) are different than the ones that get triggered for exercise.
So eating and working out close by each other is putting two rather opposing demands on our digestive and endocrine systems. By giving digestion a chance to do its thing, the body is more at liberty to manage the demands of our thing when we want to work out.
Sorta makes sense.
An interesting thing for peri-workout nutrition is that some fuel seems fine to ingest prior to a workout: fast digesting hydro-whey, fast carbs like dextrose, and creatine, can be taken on "right before" a work out. Some folks top up with energy drinks during a work out. So the energy requirements to process some of these fuels must be low relative to whole food.
Personally these kind of facts make it easier for me to plan how to work out and why to practice a particular way. I can calm down i guess around whether now is the right time to move or not. Maybe that's just me, but hope it might be a useful wee factoid for you, too. Tweet Follow @begin2dig
Return of the Kettlebell Update 3: Totally Losing It - the Jerk
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Have you ever lost it in a practice? Like lost your form by trying to think about what you are doing? that's what happened to me today. I wish i had today's RTK practice on tape as an object lesson in self-confusion. I totally lost it with what the heck i was doing in the jerk part of the C&J.
After doing the C&J happily for rounds of RTK, i started thinking about the form on the DVD vs mine. In particular i got thinking about the second dip: was i in fact doing a second dip? where was it? Where on earth did this thought come from? The result was rather odd in terms of form (i say smiling to myself). Double bottom dips with no press up. Triple hops with the bells already at the top. I'm sure there were other variants leading to utter perplexity. one set was so pooched i abandoned it to get a mental break and reset some circuits. Between sets i just kept practicing the form naked to get my groove back.
The Look, the hand grip, the jump
I think what's happening is that as i get different parts of the C&J zoning, like the looking down in the second dip (Eric Cobb is quoted in RTK as advising this - which i found after last week kinda getting that. cool) and i introduce a new refinement, occasionally i come unglued.
Here's an example. After looking carefully at the images and text for the RTK grip for the jerk and viking push press, i finally click that it's different than the press and start trying to adopt it. That part is fine, surprisingly. But that grip change comes right at the transition from the clean into the first dip of the jerk and i think that's where it all went, to quote the president in Dr. Strangelove "well, a little funny" today. The change point caused what had been a pretty seamless transition to unseam, and become what matthew chalmers calls "seamful" - and not in a good way.
I have no great analysis or take aways from this experience today - just witnessing that it happened. I guess my happiest moment was the feeling of maturity in abandoning a set that was going completely duck butt up rather than trying to force it to get back together.
That comes from the SAID principle and also not wanting to rep into my nervous system more reps of a whacky wrong pattern.
So i wish you joy of your double kettlebell work. I think i am actually gaining some mass on my arms - a unique experience where every 1/8th of an inch counts, durn it.
I'm also following the pre/post protein/carb/creatine peri drink council of the previously discussed reseasrch on nutrient timing, and am likewise experimenting just a wee bit with really light weight post recovery from the last RTK set to do one fast occlusion inducing set for triceps on C&J day or biceps on pressing days. It may make no difference. Too many variables to tell, but it's fun, and the peri drink definitely lets me dig into the sets more.
Chalk
And speaking of digging into sets? Chalk is good. I find that by the fourth ladder of the third set on medium day, and sooner on heavy with the C&J's, the handles are so sweaty that keeping them from sliding and banging around my wrists is not possible. The difference a little bit of chalk makes to a clean clean is well worth it. Me i use climbers chalk in a chalk sock from REI, put it in a hefty bag so it doesn't go all over the place, stuff my hands in the bag and grab the sock a few times in each hand. voila.
Automatically Induced Restoration - seems to work
One more thing? post these C&J sets i'm tired. I really do find even half an hour after my workout with the holosync recovery beats stuff to be restorative. I've been using that consistently for half hour to an hour after the workout and it seems to let me come back to functional level for the rest of the day. I listen to the beats and read light crap or just stare. It's a great down time recharge. I find that there is a difference between just trying to sit and read for half an hour or so and using the holosync cd's. The latter seems more effective.
So that's my totally dorky catch up on RTK for today. Amazing stuff this double KB work.
Related Posts
Have you ever lost it in a practice? Like lost your form by trying to think about what you are doing? that's what happened to me today. I wish i had today's RTK practice on tape as an object lesson in self-confusion. I totally lost it with what the heck i was doing in the jerk part of the C&J.After doing the C&J happily for rounds of RTK, i started thinking about the form on the DVD vs mine. In particular i got thinking about the second dip: was i in fact doing a second dip? where was it? Where on earth did this thought come from? The result was rather odd in terms of form (i say smiling to myself). Double bottom dips with no press up. Triple hops with the bells already at the top. I'm sure there were other variants leading to utter perplexity. one set was so pooched i abandoned it to get a mental break and reset some circuits. Between sets i just kept practicing the form naked to get my groove back.
The Look, the hand grip, the jump
I think what's happening is that as i get different parts of the C&J zoning, like the looking down in the second dip (Eric Cobb is quoted in RTK as advising this - which i found after last week kinda getting that. cool) and i introduce a new refinement, occasionally i come unglued.
Here's an example. After looking carefully at the images and text for the RTK grip for the jerk and viking push press, i finally click that it's different than the press and start trying to adopt it. That part is fine, surprisingly. But that grip change comes right at the transition from the clean into the first dip of the jerk and i think that's where it all went, to quote the president in Dr. Strangelove "well, a little funny" today. The change point caused what had been a pretty seamless transition to unseam, and become what matthew chalmers calls "seamful" - and not in a good way.
I have no great analysis or take aways from this experience today - just witnessing that it happened. I guess my happiest moment was the feeling of maturity in abandoning a set that was going completely duck butt up rather than trying to force it to get back together.
That comes from the SAID principle and also not wanting to rep into my nervous system more reps of a whacky wrong pattern.
So i wish you joy of your double kettlebell work. I think i am actually gaining some mass on my arms - a unique experience where every 1/8th of an inch counts, durn it.
I'm also following the pre/post protein/carb/creatine peri drink council of the previously discussed reseasrch on nutrient timing, and am likewise experimenting just a wee bit with really light weight post recovery from the last RTK set to do one fast occlusion inducing set for triceps on C&J day or biceps on pressing days. It may make no difference. Too many variables to tell, but it's fun, and the peri drink definitely lets me dig into the sets more.
Chalk
And speaking of digging into sets? Chalk is good. I find that by the fourth ladder of the third set on medium day, and sooner on heavy with the C&J's, the handles are so sweaty that keeping them from sliding and banging around my wrists is not possible. The difference a little bit of chalk makes to a clean clean is well worth it. Me i use climbers chalk in a chalk sock from REI, put it in a hefty bag so it doesn't go all over the place, stuff my hands in the bag and grab the sock a few times in each hand. voila.
Automatically Induced Restoration - seems to work
One more thing? post these C&J sets i'm tired. I really do find even half an hour after my workout with the holosync recovery beats stuff to be restorative. I've been using that consistently for half hour to an hour after the workout and it seems to let me come back to functional level for the rest of the day. I listen to the beats and read light crap or just stare. It's a great down time recharge. I find that there is a difference between just trying to sit and read for half an hour or so and using the holosync cd's. The latter seems more effective.
So that's my totally dorky catch up on RTK for today. Amazing stuff this double KB work.
Related Posts
- B2D kettlebell article index
- occlusion training - recent applications
- nutrient timing for lean mass and hypertrophy
Sunday, October 4, 2009
B2D Readers: b2d slight reorg & invitation for you
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Hello b2d readers, grok'ers, folks who've subscribed by reader or email, and folks dropping by. Just wanted to let you know i've reorganized b2d a little bit to make it into what i hope will be a more efficient resource for you: adding Related posts to the end of articles for browsing a larger context, adding standing article indices to make browsing b2d easier, and casting an open invitation for your queries.
Related Posts
lately, i've been adding links at the end of new posts to other sources of info related to that post to provide a broader context. As i hit previous articles, i'm working on inserting related posts into older articles, too.
Indices
The main change to b2d has been to create several standing indices of b2d articles. They seem to have gathered around about 5 topics, soi've moved and extended the rather truncated article listings that used to be in the right hand column into these persistent reference pages, on these five topics:
Related to these more neurological emphases are the more pragmatic fitness and nutrition articles. These are in the large, i think, articles that review research literature around best practice. Within fitness, the remarkable mechanism of the kettlebell, the practice of which seems to lead to so much incredible performance self-knowledge is its own topic. That's one place i feel a little more comfortable reflecting on my own experiences, and hope they may prove useful for others, too.
These new indices are listed in the right hand column, under "b2d Article Indices" just a wee bit of a scroll down from the top of the page.
Search & Browse Too.
While the new "it's in here somewhere" Google-based blog Search makes it easy to find articles you suspect are in b2d, the article indices are planned as ways to let readers browse around a bit to get a sense of what's in b2d - they're not likely exhaustive but indicative.
They'll stay fresh as i'll update them regularly as newer material is posted.
This standing list of article lists also saves some space on the right hand column so that the column can be scrolled through a little more effectively too, i hope.
Other ways of browsing are by the month links at the bottom of the right hand column. IF you're curious to the road dug so far a person can click on the earliest month/year posted. I think the article indices may be easier to browse for content however.
Invitation to B2D readers: what's your question
More than anything, each index comes with an invitation: if you have a query about one of the index topics, and it's not covered in the articles in one of the related indices, please post a query in a comment for that index.
For instance, if you have a kettlebell question that's not covered in a b2d article in the kettlebell index, please post a question in the comments, and i'll put it on the stack for an article, or try to reply on the spot - i have the happy good fortune to know far more knowledgeable people in these topics than myself and will be pleased to try to find a reply.
Thanks again for visiting &/or subscribing to B2D.
best
mc Tweet Follow @begin2dig
Related Posts
lately, i've been adding links at the end of new posts to other sources of info related to that post to provide a broader context. As i hit previous articles, i'm working on inserting related posts into older articles, too.
Indices
The main change to b2d has been to create several standing indices of b2d articles. They seem to have gathered around about 5 topics, soi've moved and extended the rather truncated article listings that used to be in the right hand column into these persistent reference pages, on these five topics:
- vibram fivefingers - from fitting to wearing and the neural adaptations in between
- z-health - what is it, what are the various certs/dvds/phases about and its application
- kettlebells - firing the lats, press clean up, vo2max work and so on
- general fitness - mainly research overviews and reflections
- nutrition (forthcoming)
Related to these more neurological emphases are the more pragmatic fitness and nutrition articles. These are in the large, i think, articles that review research literature around best practice. Within fitness, the remarkable mechanism of the kettlebell, the practice of which seems to lead to so much incredible performance self-knowledge is its own topic. That's one place i feel a little more comfortable reflecting on my own experiences, and hope they may prove useful for others, too.
These new indices are listed in the right hand column, under "b2d Article Indices" just a wee bit of a scroll down from the top of the page.
Search & Browse Too.
While the new "it's in here somewhere" Google-based blog Search makes it easy to find articles you suspect are in b2d, the article indices are planned as ways to let readers browse around a bit to get a sense of what's in b2d - they're not likely exhaustive but indicative.
They'll stay fresh as i'll update them regularly as newer material is posted.
This standing list of article lists also saves some space on the right hand column so that the column can be scrolled through a little more effectively too, i hope.
Other ways of browsing are by the month links at the bottom of the right hand column. IF you're curious to the road dug so far a person can click on the earliest month/year posted. I think the article indices may be easier to browse for content however.
Invitation to B2D readers: what's your question
More than anything, each index comes with an invitation: if you have a query about one of the index topics, and it's not covered in the articles in one of the related indices, please post a query in a comment for that index.
For instance, if you have a kettlebell question that's not covered in a b2d article in the kettlebell index, please post a question in the comments, and i'll put it on the stack for an article, or try to reply on the spot - i have the happy good fortune to know far more knowledgeable people in these topics than myself and will be pleased to try to find a reply.
Thanks again for visiting &/or subscribing to B2D.
best
mc Tweet Follow @begin2dig
B2D General Fitness Practice Article Index
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Thinking about general fitness from mobility work to 
deadlifting to how freeing your feet is one of the best things we can do for our well being. What does the research tell us about dealing with DOMS, or about optimizing the mitochondrial benefits of cardio, or about warm ups (and whether we need one). This index will stay current with these and other topics touched on in b2d.
The idea is just to have a page that makes it easy to scan through headers of articles b2d has covered in this space.
One on nutrition will be coming soon to complement the others listed below on
If you have a question about general physical well being and training practice not discussed here, and you think it might be good for a b2d article, please leave a comment at the bottom of this post. Looking forward to hearing from you.
Muscle Building, Hypertrophy and THE PUMP - what is it?
How many reps for hypertrophy: why that's the wrong question.
Z Health: What is It
Atheletic Body Type: Check Your Goal Which one is yours? The day this article was posted it became the most hit page ever in one day on b2d. I'm not sure why.
Respect the Fat - a quick review of how fat gets used for fuel in the body.
The P90X critique and alternatives series.
Really my goal in this was less about a critique of P90X than how to think about whether or not a particular program will match one's goals. And how to assess if what's on the label is what's in the tin
"The Pump" - what is it, how to get one and what does it/might it do?
DOMS part 1 - what is delayed onset muscle soreness and what doesn't work (you may be surprised.
DOMS part 2 - what works to offset what parts of DOMS
Warm Ups: what are they and (why) do we need one?
Arthrokinetic Reflex: the eyes have if for fast strength improvements.
Rannoch's 100's - it's always possible to find 100.
Lance Armstrong Dynamic Simple Strength Training.
Bones and Pistols
Lance Armstrong training
6mins to fitness 1 - research
6mins to fitness 2 - application
Icing - safe and effective for what?
Running Shoe types - any effect on injury? how bout no?
Occlusion training - benefits for strength training - but super for rehab?
Electrical Magnetic Stimulation - for rehab and muscle adaptation
Elite Fitness Rings - gymnastic rings make pull ups FUN
Stand up or Lie down to work out
Plastic vs Elastic - two different attributes that support human performance
Renegade Rows - awesome excercise
How and Why to FREE YOUR FEET!!
Pull Ups, how to do One or 101
Does Cardio interfere with strength? how 'bout "no"?
Colds - Dealing with one before and after it starts
Sunscreen Will Kill You - and other single factor myths.
Rest and Recovery Periods: How Long and What For?
Exercise Doesn't Work Without Diet - Really
Deadlift Resources
Yoga for Back Care, References
Warrior Diet: Reviewing its Science Claims
Myth Busting: Women are afraid of Bulking Up.
Related Posts
Tweet Follow @begin2dig
deadlifting to how freeing your feet is one of the best things we can do for our well being. What does the research tell us about dealing with DOMS, or about optimizing the mitochondrial benefits of cardio, or about warm ups (and whether we need one). This index will stay current with these and other topics touched on in b2d.The idea is just to have a page that makes it easy to scan through headers of articles b2d has covered in this space.
One on nutrition will be coming soon to complement the others listed below on
- kettlebells
- vibram fivefingers (what can i say?)
- z-health neurological mobility training
If you have a question about general physical well being and training practice not discussed here, and you think it might be good for a b2d article, please leave a comment at the bottom of this post. Looking forward to hearing from you.
Muscle Building, Hypertrophy and THE PUMP - what is it?
How many reps for hypertrophy: why that's the wrong question.
Z Health: What is It
Atheletic Body Type: Check Your Goal Which one is yours? The day this article was posted it became the most hit page ever in one day on b2d. I'm not sure why.
Respect the Fat - a quick review of how fat gets used for fuel in the body.
The P90X critique and alternatives series.
Really my goal in this was less about a critique of P90X than how to think about whether or not a particular program will match one's goals. And how to assess if what's on the label is what's in the tin
- part 1: considers muscle confusion and the various X workouts - should they be X'd? do their names really mean what's under the label?
- part 2: getting ripped and what that means in terms of 1) getting lean and 2) getting defined. We also consider who can "get ripped" when following the p90x and does one really need P90X's 7 hours a week+ to achieve that goal?
- part 3: alternatives to p90x (a) diet & p90x (b) workouts.
"The Pump" - what is it, how to get one and what does it/might it do?
DOMS part 1 - what is delayed onset muscle soreness and what doesn't work (you may be surprised.
DOMS part 2 - what works to offset what parts of DOMS
Warm Ups: what are they and (why) do we need one?
Arthrokinetic Reflex: the eyes have if for fast strength improvements.
Rannoch's 100's - it's always possible to find 100.
Lance Armstrong Dynamic Simple Strength Training.
Bones and Pistols
How to develop bones and pistols - both inspired by Adam T. GlassMovement Assessment: what it is and why have one
This one's looking at an assessment to help address movement-related pain, but can equally apply to checking movement for general performance benefitWhat if we were no longer how we defined ourselves - like strong?
Lance Armstrong training
6mins to fitness 1 - research
6mins to fitness 2 - application
Icing - safe and effective for what?
Running Shoe types - any effect on injury? how bout no?
Occlusion training - benefits for strength training - but super for rehab?
Electrical Magnetic Stimulation - for rehab and muscle adaptation
Elite Fitness Rings - gymnastic rings make pull ups FUN
Stand up or Lie down to work out
Plastic vs Elastic - two different attributes that support human performance
Renegade Rows - awesome excercise
How and Why to FREE YOUR FEET!!
One of the most important things i've found about health improvement. Considering a quarter of the bones of our body are in our feet, letting them move turns out to be a good idea.
Pull Ups, how to do One or 101
This article looks at the muscles in pull ups as well as the various approaches that have been used to help people get their first or multiple pull ups - there's bound to be an approach that will work for you.
Does Cardio interfere with strength? how 'bout "no"?
Colds - Dealing with one before and after it starts
Sunscreen Will Kill You - and other single factor myths.
Rest and Recovery Periods: How Long and What For?
This is an article i did for Dragon Door on how rest periods relate to the type of strength one wants to develop - or the type of muscular adaptation one wants to foreground - as much as reps or load do.Complexity is Not Evil
Exercise Doesn't Work Without Diet - Really
Deadlift Resources
Yoga for Back Care, References
Warrior Diet: Reviewing its Science Claims
Myth Busting: Women are afraid of Bulking Up.
Related Posts
- b2d VFF article index for experience fitting and wearing Vibram FiveFingers
- b2d Z-Health article index relating to Z-Health from R-phase to 9S:Sustenance and in between
- b2d Kettlebell article index from lat firing to the perfect rep to double kb work
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