A Philosophy of Strength and Health

I just finished reading about Derek Boogaard in the New York Times. They have a great 3-part article and multimedia piece on his life. There are many issues in this story, but the one that jumped out at me was the story of the tall kid who reluctantly became a hockey enforcer. The tall kids. They are pushed early to specialize in certain sports and positions. Assumptions are made about their personality--that they automatically like to and want to physically intimidate people. More often than not, they tend to be more like the stereotype of the gentle giant. Trust me, most of these kids have the same insecurities we all do as young people and the pressure they have upon them to be "large & in charge" in their sport weighs heavily on them. People gawk. Referees don't give them a break. Coaches are frustrated that their big kids lack confidence and the ability to use their size effectively. They are referred to as "soft" or "lacking mental toug...

Everybody squats. Well, except in this country. We forget how to squat as we move into adolescence. Then we hurt our knee, hip or back and the therapist teaches us to do wall slides with a Swiss ball against the wall. Who is responsible for starting and perpetuating this worthless facade of leg and core strengthening? I'd like to have a word with you, whoever you are. To preserve and maintain back health, we must learn to use our legs; triple flexion then triple extension. We must be aware of our body in space and how our spine is positioned in relation to our hips. It's not about static core strength for me. It's about awareness, alignment, mobility and dynamic strength of the lower extremities. This guy is learning how to use his legs to support his bodyweight in space. He is learning to be confident with his legs after herniating two discs over the summer. He can now pick up stuff from the ground without assistance. He now has freedom and mobility. And in his pa...

This song is in my head these days. 2011 has been a year of growing up.

How most American's remember Alexseyev The man who was weightlifting for so many years has passed away. Vasily Alexseyev died this past Friday in Germany of heart issues. He was 69. I was fortunate to meet the man in person at the 2003 World Championships in Vancouver. Harvey Newton and I were in the walking through the venue when this famous wall of a man came toward us. (That's the very cool thing about going to an Olympics or World Championship--you will see so many former greats strolling the venue or having a drink in the hotel lobby!) Harvey was kind enough to introduce me to him. Alexseyev was very much a gentleman. I am not sure what came over me, but I had the irresistible urge to pat him on that enormous belly. As I did, Vasily Alexseyev winked and put his index finger to his lips to say " shhhh , don't tell anyone" and then he smiled. The world's most famous weightlifter had, arguably, the world's mos...

Sorry I've been away for quite awhile.  Things have been busy and to be honest, I just haven't felt like writing.  The business has been growing and most of my energy has been put toward my athletes and patients. I have certainly had lots of thoughts and I hope to share them and write on a more consistent basis in 2012. For today, I'd like to share a blog I stumbled upon via Twitter.  Nick Grantham has some words of wisdom for everyone. Check out his post and blog here . It is based on this quote by Ralph Waldo Emerson: “As to methods there may be a million and then some, but principles are few. The man who grasps principles can successfully select his own methods. The man who tries methods, ignoring principles, is sure to have trouble.” ― Ralph Waldo Emerson

Don't fall for the ads shouting about sport specific training. It's really about athlete-centered preparation. It's not about playing more tournaments and more games. It's about the developing the physical abilities and fundamental movement skills essential to a variety of sports and health. They need foundations, not hype. They need variety, not early specialization. They need to be adaptable, not pigeon-holed into a single position in a single sport. Young people shouldn't be trained like small adult athletes. They deserve time, patience, structure and mentoring. They need to learn what it means to be an athlete and the importance of taking care of their physical health, whether or not they become professional/elite athletes.

via BoingBoing

I will be hosting an open house at my new facility next Saturday, September 17 from 11 am to 4 pm. Please stop by and say hello! Iron Maven Physical Health & Performance 10772 Indian Head Industrial Blvd St. Louis, MO 63132

Raghava KK: Shake up your story | Video on TED.com

Vern Gambetta has a great 3-part blog series on the evolution of his understanding and integration of strength training. I encourage everyone to read it, as he points out some of the pivotal people, ideas and events in the history of strength training in the US and abroad. Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Many of you newbies out there do not have a good grasp of the history of strength training in the US, particularly before the evolution of the internet and currently popular web-based resources. Do yourself a favor and look up some of the original resources Vern lists. As for me, I am lucky enough to have a new gem to peruse this week. Carl Miller sent me a copy of his new book The Sport of Olympic Style Weightlifting: Training for the Connoisseur.

Jonny Quest Opening Titles from Roger D. Evans on Vimeo . Thanks to BoingBoing for pointing out this sweet stop-motion ode to a classic cartoon. I wasn't around for the original prime time airing of Johnny Quest, but I sure did enjoy the Saturday morning reruns in the 70s. There are days when I could use Race Bannon's help.

From a parent of one of my high school boys this morning: Yeah those eyes are slowly opening. In his gym class he has really noticed the difference between his technique you have taught him and the others. I think that was a major milestone for him. He is seeing the benefits and rationale behind proper body position and technique. You have his ear right now. He is trusting you. There is a method to my madness. They just have to have the patience and persistence to do what the others often don't have the will to do. But first they have to trust and believe in what we are doing.

One of my favorite things is when my athletes send me pictures of the dinners they have cooked or their grocery carts. It usually takes a while--especially with high school boys. They have to first care about eating and then learn to accept responsibility for preparing their own food. The first step for many guys is making scrambled eggs or their own peanut butter and jelly sandwiches for their lunch or after school snack. This is the fist step in their evolution. Food shopping and real cooking are not usually high on their list of fun things to do, especially when mom and dad are still around. Not even close to being on the radar. But then something changes--usually is it going away to college--and WHAMMO , whole foods, lean meat, vegetables, fruits, nuts suddenly become part of their vocabulary and shopping list. They send me pictures of giant salads and stirfrys . They very excitedly tell me they start to feel the benefits of eating better and they embrace the oppor...

My friend Kelvin Giles likes to emphasize that athletes must earn the right to progress. I am in full agreement with him. My kids have to earn the right to progress, especially with the squat. And with very tall, thin athletes, I need to be even more patient to develop the mobility and infrastructure needed to squat with quality movement. I teach my athletes to have respect for the movement, as it is one of the more important things they can do to develop total body strength and power. We don't chase numbers on the barbell when squatting. We always thoroughly warm up and work up to the work set. Just like 6' 10" Eric Moeller is doing in the picture above. Every weightlifting coach I have worked with emphasizes the same thing. There is a purpose and a context to the intensity and volume of each set within a training session and within that particular training cycle. Unfortunately, many others chase numbers on the barbell in the weightroom. You can see t...

Four years ago this week, I recorded Mel's Tuesday morning training session of cleans and clean pulls. From the vaults, August 16, 2007. This cycle of training is just after her bronze medal performance at the 2007 Pan Am Games.

You used to be able to do this when you were 2. If you can do it when you are 20, you are ahead of the game. This is the kind of mobility a weightlifter works toward. It is the kind of sagittal plane mobility that is part of good joint health and good back health. See how the shin and torso are parallel? Squatting should be part of your movement vocabulary. Find someone to help you learn how to squat. Start here and work your way into the frontal and transverse planes. Be patient. Be consistent.

"Thank you so much for all your help. I thought I was going to have to have surgery." These are the words from a young patient I discharged yesterday. I saw him 6 times over an 8 week period. He came to me with osteolysis of the R AC joint. Pain with sleeping and any R UE activity. An avid bench presser and upper body lifter, I knew we had to change his mindset and exercise habits if he was going to heal. He paid for every visit out of his own pocket. I spent 1 hour with him each session. We talked about the importance of muscular balance and flexibility about the shoulder joint. I stressed that tight lats and pecs weren't going to be beneficial for long term shoulder health. I taught him a variety of overhead and multi-planar moments, starting initially with basic flexion and limited ROM ab/adduction. Each week we progressed a bit, adding UE exercises in weight-bearing and dumbbell pressing movements. I never once used a modality. The first few visi...

July has been super busy, so posting has taken a back seat. Hope to get back on track in August. I recently hosted and helped teach a USA Weightlifting Level 1 Sports Performance Coach course at my new facility with my friend Derrick Crass. The course went well and 24 people learned a boatload of good information. One of the issues that came up over the weekend was lowering the bar. This is a pet peeve of mine. Lowering the barbell from overhead or from the clean rack position is a skill everyone should know how to do. You learn to move around and with the bar in a safe manner. You gain strength and learn eccentric control. You save wear and tear on the equipment. You limit unnecessary noise in the facility. You will look like you actually know what you are doing. Back in the day before bumpers, everyone HAD to lower the iron weights and they even did it in competition with maximal weights. Showing control of the barbell was part of the deal and in my mind, should still be a part ...

Latest acquisition from a VIP and very good friend.

As Fred Lowe says, "Ya gotta move greasy fast." Gravity waits for no one.

Some of the tools I use to work the foundational movements of the sagittal plane. You don't have to get fancy. Use gravity. Keep it simple and find the implements that allow you to build the foundations of physical literacy.

Eclectic Method - The Dark Side from Eclectic Method on Vimeo . Enjoy this wonderful mashup. But don't let the Dark Side consume you. ;-)

April 29, 2010 June 28, 2011 Do you guys have permits for those guns? All kidding aside, tall athletes need time to grow into their bodies. Ryan Pierson is going into his sophomore year in college and is three years older than Nolan Berry, who is going into his junior year in high school. These guys need time for their natural maturation to occur. And they often need time to learn to appreciate the value of eating well and eating enough. Both are still teenagers, yet coaches sometimes expect them to be grown men. We cannot forget that these tall guys are still kids--just in really tall bodies. My job is to support their growth processes by helping them develop good body awareness, good alignment, mobility and strength. I'm not here just to add mass and make them bigger monoliths. I'm here to make them resilient, adaptable athletes that are ready for the demands and the opportunities at the college level and beyond.

Lights on. Lights off. Tried out this little guy today in the facility. Very nice! I saw an ad for the Epson Movie Mate 62 in a Best Buy Sunday circular and it caught my eye because it has a built in DVD player and speakers, as well as HDMI, VGA and component inputs. This makes it very versatile for presentations and use with athletes. If I just want to play a DVD, I can pop it in without a laptop or a DVD player. The image from my home-made DVD of weightlifting videos was very nice in 4:3 aspect ratio, with the actual image width of about 10' and width of 8'. When I hooked up my iPad2, it went into widescreen format and videos shot in landscape orientation with the iPad2 were huge--probably right at 8' high and 15' in width. Of course you need a special Apple adapter to use the HDMI connection, but it is worth it. This will be a great asset for the USAW Level 1 Course I'm teaching later this month and for future seminars and courses. And we just might have ...

Check out the Hexlite Bar in the comprehensive video demo library put together by Adam Moss and Will O'Brien of the Collegiate School inRichmond, VA.

Once again, Oregon strength coach Jimmy Radcliffe and his wife Dr. Janice Radcliffe imparted a bit of their wisdom and experience to the folks at GAIN 2011. I managed to capture Jimmy on my iPad2 video camera and then took this still shot with the iPad VideoPix app (99 cents). How many DI head strength coaches walk the walk and talk the talk like Jimmy can? Very few if any. This guy is the ultimate blend of common sense, coaching, experience and sport science. Always humbling to watch; absolutely wonderful to listen to.

Sorry I've been so quiet this year. 2011 has been a quite a journey for me. I've learned so much about myself. Realized it was time to step out of my comfort zone. Time to grow. It all started with a pair of Frye boots back in January. It has culminated in my very own, new physical health & performance facility in June. Talk about whirlwind. I've put a few from my phone below. Nothing fancy here. A few select tools and about 1800 sq feet to: build awareness build alignment get mobile get strong get fast Never thought I'd be in this position, but here I am. Time for me to really put my passion, ideas and words into action. Still have so much to do with my website and the facility; one step at a time. But I am up and running. Open house and grand opening coming soon. Thanks to all of you in the blogosphere for your support over the last 6 years--yes, my first post was August 12, 2005. Over the next 6 years I look forward to talking about my journey a...

The following exchange occurred this past weekend at a Crossfit Olympic Lifting Trainer Course in Springfield, MO. "So what elements of Crossfit do you think are best for your athletes?" "None of them. I don't do Crossfit. I just help teach the weightlifting stuff." "Then what programming do you think is best?" "I don't think there is one best way. I guess you could say I follow a 'functional training' mantra and do what I think is best for that athlete, at that time, given her/his needs. My philosophy is based on training movement, not muscles. There are some basic movements: squat, lunge, push, pull, rotate, walk, run, jump, crawl, throw, catch, hit, kick. The goal is to create basic musculoskeletal durability, physical competency and movement literacy in the context of sport and/or life." I always find exchanges like this very interesting. So many people get caught up in the idea of one true way, or finding the one best cert...

It is my life's passion and vocation to give young people the physical infrastructure & movement literacy to tolerate the forces/demands of their sport. And also mentor them as to what it means to be disciplined, to work with intensity, t o carry themselves with dignity, and to make themselves--and those around them--the best they can be. That's how I roll. Sorry I have been away from the blog for a while. Significant developments are in the works. I hope to elaborate soon.

In light of the previous post, I thought I'd share this interesting tidbit from NPR describing research into the jumping mechanics of fleas. Finally, after 40 years, it seems we have some type of answer as to how these things do it. My favorite part of the NPR story is a quote from Henry Bennet-Clark, the guy behind the recently substantiated mechanism, on being right: "Let's put it this way: It leaves me unsurprised," he says. "Because I always thought that the trochanter idea of Miriam Rothschild was as silly as the statement I'm about to make, which is, 'I'm about to jump off my chair by squeezing my buttocks.' " Keep that last sentence in mind as you squat this week.

"Muscle strength and flexibility characteristics of people displaying excessive medial knee displacement"- Bell et al ', Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation '07. http://www.archives-pmr.org/article/S0003-9993%2808%2900272-4/abstract My colleague Joe P. brought the above study to my attention in his blog this week. Hmmm...maybe it's true that the secret to life is in the ankles and not the posterior chain. You know me, I totally think a gluteus maximus is a terrible thing to waste. But I'm not about to get caught with my head up my you-know-what when it comes thinking I can tell what muscle is firing where and when by observation alone. It just isn't that simple. We cannot and should not reduce human movement and performance to "activation" of particular muscles. The term posterior chain is interesting. I have heard that it originated from one particular person about 10 years ago, but who knows if that is accurate. Maybe the...

Simon Sinek's passionate talk about keeping it real in business and everyday life.

Bob Takano has a great collection of interviews with weightlifting coaches, athletes and researchers, including John Garhammar, Ph.D, Harvey Newton, Mike Burgener, John Thrush and Jim Schmitz. It has been my great honor to know and learn from each of these individuals. If you'd like to hear about some of the history of the sport in the US and reflections on weightlifting and strength & conditioning today, take the time to listen. There is a wealth of knowledge and experience here.

Vern Gambetta has two great posts that everyone should read, More Than Exercise and Prehab : A Flawed Concept. I cannot say it any better than Vern. These two topics are close to my heart. Programming is art and science, trial and error, and wisdom over time. It is not simply a commodity to be sold in the gym or over the internet and dished out to athletes or clients. I am passionate about that. Sometimes to a fault.

The last 72 hours have been truly wonderful. Yes, it is cold and my feet ache. But I don't care. Every American should have the opportunity to visit DC. Take pride in and ownership of our history. - Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone Location: Washington DC

C3PO gets his push press on. - Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

This is one of the most beautiful and inspiring things I have ever seen. It gives me hope and cleanses my palate after the drama of my week. We could learn so much from the people and the process of the Venezuelan Youth Orchestra Project. We have it all wrong here in the US when it comes to youth and sport. We don't nurture and mentor. We don't teach and inspire discipline, character and hard work. We don't value the precious gifts of play and love of the game. We aren't patient with those who may need a little extra time to develop. We don't value the process of deliberate practice and mastery of fundamentals. We provide "exposure" and sponsorship. We exploit physical attributes and early maturation of young people for the financial benefit and notoriety of the adult-run organizations that trot them around the country. We value game skill specialization, early competition, pushing young bodies to their limit, rather than build general physical ...

Ah, today's youth. Not all of them. But this type of attitude is common.

Those Aussies. Ahead of just about everyone in the application and integration of sport science into coaching. They seem to get it. I cannot help but see speech therapist Lionel Logue as one of these progressive Aussie coaches. Mr. Logue was the speech therapist to King George VI. His relationship with George is the subject of the movie The King's Speech . If you haven't seen this movie, go see it. It is a beautiful story of the ultimate clinician/coach in action--the combining of practical experience with a keen insight into human physiology and psychology. It is a story of someone who has the will and perseverance to do what the other "experts" of his time will not and cannot do. Lionel knows there are no short-cuts, no magical cures; just hard work and trust in the process. And that failure really isn't an option.

Thanks to Mark Canella of Columbus Weightlifting for posting the link to this on GoHeavy ! And I really like the Bodytribe appreciation for the history of physical culture and their celebration of strength athletics. Good stuff.

I relish the opportunity to mentor others, whether they are athletes or coaches. You cannot learn everything in school. And you certainly cannot learn it all in weekend seminars. It takes time. It takes independent study, along with dialogue and guidance from someone who has experience and a coaching eye. It is not just about parroting verbal cues and putting up random sets and reps up on the board. It is about knowing what at you are doing and why. Right now I am formally mentoring two individuals. I really enjoy this type of work and interaction. I have to reflect on my processes and methods and this ultimately makes me better at what I do.