People Are Contraindicated - Not Exercises: Assess & Progress for Success

To do or not to do contraindicated exercises? This is the question of the day.

I get a lot of questions about exercises you should or shouldn't do - call them contraindicated if u may. Some of the most popular contraindicated exercises are:

 

1) Good Mornings

2) Crunches / Sit-ups
3) Behind the Neck Press

 

I can biomechanically explain why each of these exercises can sometimes be problematic but I'd rather spend my time explaining how to assess and manage movement via feedback to ensure safe and effective programming.

 

Fitness Gaps Analysis
First things first, People are contraindicated, not exercises. That being said, this doesn't mean I believe these exercises should often be prescribed. It means that clients and trainers must determine whether to use a given exercise based on a risk to benefits analysis. To that end, perform the following:

1. Needs / gaps analysis: will this movement help achieve a specified fitness, function or performance goal? Or will it uniquely fill a gap that exists? YES or NO
2. Safety: Can the client "manage (see below)" this movement well YES or NO
3. Effectiveness: is this movement more effective than other, potentially safer variants YES or NO

Based on the above, the appropriateness of a movement is based on need and the client's "ability" to successfully repeat without pain, major instability or restriction. In many cases, when measured against goals and ability, most exercises should be excluded or regressed.

In this sense, the foundation for any analysis is assessment. But knowing what to assess, again, requires more movement analysis. First, determine what movements are required, particularly the portions of the movement that most people struggle with performing well. Therefore, before deciding against a goal specific exercise, remember the following:

1. Assess don't guess...

2. The leader of one biomechanically sound rep is the leader of many

 

Based on the above there are a lot of people who shouldn't perform "behind the neck lat pulldowns" but there are many people who have the ability to successfully perform this movement. Below we will briefly examine & relate exercise selection to the:

1. biomechanical elements for success in each movement
2. a safe and effective method to measure the ability / element
3. what to do when the ability doesn't exist

Exercise Progression
This isn't a Prepair2Perform article so will focus less on assessment and more on how to recognize movement is compromised, along with the most appropriate regressions to avoid the major compensational issues. No matter what movement, analyze what's required for success, the benefits and then manage the 6 killers with assessment and proper progression. The nashFIT & NASM models below outline the principle of progression and therefore illustrate the essence of managing functional killers:

 



• Poor posture and joint instability:
• If a client has either of the major postural distortion syndromes, you can assume that some muscles are overactive with others underactive. If joints are "stuck" in a posture movements opposite of the posture will often be restricted, leading to greater ripping, tearing and shearing of tissue opposing that movement.
• Range of motion:
• Due to the above, overuse of muscles, trigger points, myofascial adhesions, poor joint centricity, previous injury and or poor coordination the ability to easily move without compensation is difficult. Exercises should only be performed until a compensation occurs.
• Load:
• Only add load if full ROM and then posture / joint stability maintained without noteable change. Progress the weight lifted based on this principle
• Velocity of movement:
• Start with slower movements, eventually through a full range of motion, followed by an emphasis on eccentric contractions.
• Complexity:
• Refers to the method of overloading coordination from low / simple to high / complex.
• Fatigue:
• When any exercise is mastered, begin to add volume via perfect practice. Remember, " the leader of 1 biomechanically sound rep is the leader of many future repetitions"

The below table illustrates an effective method of assessment and progression for "Good Mornings", an often frowned upon / contraindicated exercise. When a proper analysis is combined with:
1. proper progression,
2. technical coaching
3. vigilant monitoring

any beneficial exercise can be safe and effective at achieving the desired outcome or goal.

Contraindicated Exercises - Good Mornings:
Goal(s): improve lower back strength, reduce lower back pain & lumbopelvic hip complex dysfunction, activate posterior chain, improve lower cross syndrome, and create a solid foundation for squats, deadlifts, Olympic lifts, Kettlebell Swings. That's right reduce, not cause lower back pain. Remember "Exercises are not contraindicated, People are"

 

Assessment: -Bridge -SLR -Prone Cobra Training Progression   -SMR Soleus, Plantar Fascia & Hamstrings -Strengthen Spinal Extension	Assess Glute & Low Back Function Assess Posterior Leg Range of Motion  Assess Low Back Endurance	Stability Ensure clients can perform a neutral hinge (i.e. can hinge from hips). Train this ability until desired range of motion & alignment is achieved. Make it part of your warm-up Strength  As the glutes are often underactive, begin the loaded progression w a hip dominant, short lever hinge Progress load to spinal extension dominant good morning. The Bulgarian Bag's unique design and handles allow people to pull the elbows together & fwd to enhance thoracic / upper back extension & activation Power Once Mobility, stability and loaded stability have been mastered, add high velocity, highly coordinated movements, with the additional progressions of fatigue / high volume	Good Mornings Training: -Neutral Hinge - Bulgarian Bag Hinge - KB Swing - Plate or Sandbell Jump Squat Swing
Assessment & P2P: Thomas Test P2P: SMR Low Back, Hip Flexors	Tight hip flexor & lower back muscles are a major problem that creates lower back problems when people crunch & sit-up	If someone can achieve a full range of motion neutral / stable bird dog, the likelihood of sit-ups creating low back shear via hip flexor dominance is low	Crunches / Sit-up Training: Neutral Bird Dog
Assessment & P2P: Wall Field Goal Post SMR Shoulder Abductors & Internal Rotators	Clearly something I need to work on, 90' external rotation w a neutral spine (monitor the lower back & shoulder elevation is the prerequisite for performing behind the neck pulls & press	Men = 8-10lb, Woman = 3-5lb If clients can't keep the arms at ear levels while pressing these loads, they do not have the prerequisite strength, mobility in the posterior deltoid / chain to successfully take advantage of behind the neck overhead movements	Behind the Neck Press Training:Prone 3-10lb Press

 

Extensive functional movement assessment, professional assistance & progression are the essence of all courses I teach. The NASM CPT & nashFIT courses are philosophically aligned, built on a system of progression and regression, and the best models I have seen over my 12 years of certifying fitness and performance instructors. Use these exercises to test and challenge your functional foundations. I look fwd to your feedback.

 

 

Upper Body Aerobic Power Cardio Circuits For all Fitness Levels

See specific prescription info belowhttps://youtu.be/cYdQGJOebAo . Here's a clip of the battle rope whip. If the rope is attached to the sled it's the same but as a single rope Vs 2 https://youtu.be/ilH6gpeXXuY 

 

3 Min Intervals at 80-88% of Max Heart Rate or 90-100% of Vo2Max Power is the best way to build aerobic power / conditioning. You can use a variety of fullbody patterns, some upper dominant, some lower dominant to create variety and increase blood circulation; in the NASM CPT course this is referred to as the “Peripheral Heart Action” system of resistance / loaded movement training. People are very good at creating lower dominant circuits, but this one is upper dominant. Add squats, lunges, skipping etc to create a mix of lower and upper dominant exercises. Note: many of the Steve Nash locations including Surrey, Langley, Victoria, Morgan Cross & the Down Town Sports Club have turf, ropes and sleds available to all its members. If you require professional assistance or like this style of training, all Nash trainers take a 5 day course that includes my nashFIT1 certification. They learn how to combine functional movements into fullbody, fat burning circuits like this one.

 

Have fun, send me your results and most of all challenge yourself safely and only if you have been cleared for heart rates above 80% of your max.

Rx notes:

·        Approximately 3 min at 80-88% of Max Heart Rate. Use the Karvonen Method http://www.topendsports.com/fitness/karvonen-formula.htm to determine your personal heart rate zones

·        4-6 exercises approximately 30-45 seconds per exercise

o   each can be slightly different lengths of time or could run it as a circuit of exercises changing movements at a predetermined time.

·        2 (beginner) – 4 (advanced) rounds at the end of upper body workout

·        Progress from beginner to intermediate when you can complete # of rounds, all within the allotted 3 min.

·        *Push 10m run back & pull sled for 10, then repeat. Same idea applies for #

 *technique matters. Always maintain postural control and tighten / brace the core when performing resistance exercises.

Beginner	Intermediate	Advanced
1.     200m Row 2.     40 Double Arm Single Rope Whips 3.     10m 1-2 Plate Sled Push 4.     10m 1-2 Sled Rope Pull 5.     10m Plate Dead Leg Bwd & Fwd Crawl (10 fwd, 10 bwd)	1.     250m 2.     50-60 Double Arm Single Rope Whips 3.     10m 2-3 Plate Sled Push 4.     10m 2-3 Sled Rope Pull 5.     15m Plate Dead Leg Bwd & Fwd Crawl (15 fwd, 15 bwd)	1.     300m Row 2.     60-70 Double Arm Single Rope Whips 3.     *20m 3-4 Plate Sled Push 4.     *20m 3-4 Sled Rope Pull 5.     20m Plate Dead Leg Bwd & Fwd Crawl (15 fwd, 15 bwd)

Chad Benson, MSc, CSCS, CPT

FB: activated71

Insta & Twitter @bcpti

Youtube: British Columbia Personal Training Institute

From the Couch to Running 5km?

Fitness question of the day:
Are you ever too heavy to start running?

First let me say this. If you send me questions via any of my social media outlets listed below I will do everything in my power to answer your questions. I am blessed with the passion and knowledge to inspire and help people with their fitness journeys, so I will do everything possible to help.

The answer is NO with a few caveats. Almost everyone is capable of building the fitness and endurance necessary to power walk or run.
 

The first step in goal achievement is a GAPS analysis and recognizing the barriers to success. This is particularly important when someone hasn't been recently active, may not be at their ideal weight, and don't necessarily have the support of the people around them. Changing the way you think and behave is a crucial step to "being the change you want to make".

 

Below I have outlined some of the key elements to ensuring walk - run success:

1. Build daily habits: it's essential to carve out specific times each day and "Just Do It". The stages of change model suggest that it will take proximately 6 months from the time you have taken action to create a semi-permanent behavior change. Important daily habits might include:

• Planning healthy snacks & hydration,
• Scheduling specific times into your calendar,
• Seeking professional assistance or
• Finding a running partner.
• Plan b. If the weather is terrible have an indoor option available

2. Assessment: almost everyone has significance muscle imbalances, previous injuries and/or joint pain. Starting a running program without reducing these imbalances with corrective flexibility and strengthening will almost always lead to setbacks. The number one reason why athletes don't achieve their goals is lost training time. Don't let your goals be derailed because you have succumbed to injury and/or pushed too hard at the beginning. Seek professional assistance for the following: a functional movement and cardiorespiratory assessment. My favorite running functional assessments are the Bridge and Overhead Squat. Here is a link to the Bridge assessment on the BCPTI YouTube page. Below is a self assessment guide to the bridge. If you have 2 of the more of the issues in the middle column, corrective exercise is suggested before starting your running program. https://youtu.be/ifTR1peipks

Set-up and Procedure: ·         Cue clients to lie face up with feet hip width apart (level 1 & 2), and knees bent to 90°. The arms are crossed and hands placed on opposite shoulders (as shown). ·         Low Function: Set core and lift both hips from the floor until full hip extension is reached ·         Hold this position while the assessment is performed ·         If successful the clients perform level 2 ·         Mod Function: ask the client to lift 1ft and fully extend the leg so the upper thigh remains in the same plane / equal height of the support leg. Perform a record test information for both a R and L leg lift. ·         High Function: same as 2 but ft are shoulder width.

Spine not neutral = significant arching / lordosis in low back, rounded / kypohotic upper bac R  L  Hamstring Spasm Lacks ROM / hips are flexed Plane change (Sagittal) Hips Flex / Drop  L  or  R Plane change (Frontal) Hips shift  towards the L  or  R Plane change (Transverse) - Hips Rotate Down on  L  or  R Thighs move apart / abduct During or before hip extension is complete Weight on the outside of ft / ankles supinated.

 Level 0: Pain while trying perform the movement or fails level 1  Low Function 1: 2ft bridge ft hip width (90' knee bend)  Mod Function: 1ft bridge - ft hip width (90' knee bend)  High Function: 1ft bridge - ft Shoulder width (90' knee bend) If1 of these errors is significant or 2 or more of these errors are notable, the client has not passed that level. Passing level 2 or 3 is also based on symmetry. A score of 1 on R, 2 on L = 1

3. Create accountability: this can be as easy as setting reminders on your telephone or as complex as using today's fitness technology to track your workouts. To help keep things fun and interactive, I'm a big fan of using heart rate and GPS enabled equipment. FitBit, Garmen & Polar are reliable brands in this market. Most of which have online software that links back to your social media & is transferable to your personal devices. Run groups or partners can help here as well. Most running groups will meet 1-3 times per week. Another option is to achieve a running goal (i.e. a 5-10km fundraiser walk - run event). Deadlines are a great way to keep you focussed and fundraising the perfect guilt trip to stop you from quitting.



FitBit's are a great tool for tracking running / walking steps, heartrate & calories / day / session It is also syncs with a # of online nutritional tracking tools. It's a great tool to keep you on track. Mine fitness tracking App on my phone is set to 10,000 steps. I make sure I hit it 6 days a week.



Lift is a new very cool - very interactive live streaming software that allows you be personal trained
no matter where you are in the world. You're just a cell tower or WiFi connection away from great professional assistance.

4. Create weekly and monthly goals: another system of accountability is the training program. Training programs offer a form of professional assistance which can help crystallize your daily habits into short term goal achievement. There are a lot of great walk run programs available online. Find one that suits your specific needs, goals and fitness level. Otherwise, all BCPTI graduates know how to assess and track your cardiovascular progress. Many of our graduates work for Steve Nash Fitness Clubs, where your membership comes along with a complimentary Goal Assessment.

5. Put you first. Most highly productive people know this rule well. Putting you first means that your own personal happiness, health and wellbeing, and the daily habits associated with it are performed first thing in the morning. The research clearly shows that people who do this are happier and have more gratitude and those who do not.

My top 5 tips for starting a successful running program are:

1. Start slowly using a combination of walking and running. It's important to minimize impact wall building your leg endurance. Try alternating between low impact activities such as stair climbers or swimming.
2. Rome wasn't built in a day but it was built. building your cardiovascular fitness and lower body and muscular endurance will take time. Set short-term (i.e. weekly) and long-term goals (i.e. 6 months) goals to ensure it is built.
3. Use your glutes. I'd rather see people powerwalk with long strides over running or what I refer to as yogging. Many runners due to the sitting disease and using short strides fail to extend their stride long enough to activate the posterior chain. This can lead to a number of quad dominant me hip ankle lower back problems. 
4. Recover Recover Recover. Many people forget to eat, hydrate (sorry coffee with your friends doesn't count) and warm up prior to activity. And, very few runners ever stretch and foam roll after they're done. Days off in between running sessions are also essential to prevent overuse injuries. Here's a link to a great Blog on foam rolling science and technique. http://www.bcpti.ca/practical-research-review/ 
5. Use your arms. The arms actually help drive your legs and integrate your core muscles. I suggest swimming, arm swings, and or light battle rope drills on days in between you're running sessions. These exercise techniques help your metabolism high, build endurance and keep you away from negative behaviours during the off days :)

Final Thought!!

If there's one thing I've learned during my 20 years in the fitness industry it's this. Regardless how great your six pack, glutes, legs, or biceps look, if your health or ability to move were taken away you would trade all of it in within a New York minute. As well, research indicates that people who score higher on cardiorespiratory fitness, live longer, healthier more functional lives. It just so happens that running & walking are amongst the most accessible and biggest bang for your cardio buck. So challenge yourself & start moving today.

We'd love to receive your fitness questions via social media, so add us at:

Website: www.bcpti.ca
Twitter Instagram or Periscope: @BCPTI
Facebook: BCPTI
YouTube: arctraining71 or British Columbia Personal Training Institute
LinkedIn: https://ca.linkedin.com/pub/chad-benson/16/8a8/2b9

Coach Your Way to Personal Training Success

At Steve Nash Fitness Clubs & BCPTI, our training staff may have the title "Personal Trainer" but through our nashFIT program, every trainer is instructed and given the tools to become effective coaches.

The best way to sum up the difference between a coach and a trainer / motivator is this video clip from Brad Pitt (Chad the Personal Trainer)

Goto the (13:55 – 15:30) segment of this movie https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B-C0BltIZVk 

This clip represents the epitome of being a raw (i.e. fun, energetic, and even motivational) and enthusiastic trainer. But entertainment isn't what client's need to move well.

Anyone can make someone tired, but not everyone can make them better. Have you made someone better today? If not, why?

Great coaches are all very enthusiastic leaders, but can also create achievable goals and use a system of accountability to get their client’s to that end. John Gordon from the book “The Energy Bus” has this as Rule # 7:

"Enthusiasm comes from the Greek word entheos which means inspired or filled with the divine." Enthusiasm is infectious and 1 very important attribute of effective leadership.

Assuming enthusiasm is one of many great traits a personal trainer must possess, what other intangibles make a great coach? Essentially, a coach understands a client's needs & goals. A coach through experience and empathy sets a progressive path of 1,000 small wins or steps to help their clients achieve their desired goals. They make people believe that anything is possible & empower them down a path of improved fitness, health and self-esteem.

Coaches must:

1. Enlighten & empower through knowledge

2. Inspire through self-discipline & experience &

3. Lead highly personalized sessions

In the context of empowerment, a coach's job is to:

1. Believe in their client more than they believe in themselves

2. Safely & effectively get more out of their client than their client could on their own
3. Worry more about their well-being more than they currently do
4. Make them feel more important than they currently do
5. Light a fire inside them
6. Be the memory maker – help them create their new story.

Do you recall someone in your past that has made a unforgettable positive difference in your life? Can you remember that exact moment in time?

Here's where I start to draw the line of differentiation between a coach and a trainer; good trainers do all of the above. In addition to empowerment, good coaches are highly knowledgeable, technically sound, great communicators & movement focused role models. In this sense, the application of knowledge is power. Good coaches have multidisciplinary knowledge / credentials and practice what they preach.

For example, my personal development workouts aren't designed to burn “x” amount of calories. They are practice sessions, designed to maintain and improve the coaching skills I currently possess. My job as a coach and role model is to become and stay proficient in my areas of expertise. Because I possess a lot of credentialed specialities, I have to purposefully practice – a lot. What’s the benefit of purposeful practice? It keeps me in great shape and keeps my mind focussed on skill acquisition & learning. Coaches only teach drills / movements that they themselves are fully competent at performing themselves. Credential, combined with purposeful practice is a desirable attribute all trainers should aspire to achieve. The problem is, a lot of people may look the part and are inspirational role models to others, but it says little of their ability to actually help others achieve their goals. This takes experience & empathy. Which brings me to the next point - coaches are great instructors.

Doing isn't the same as teaching. If that were the case, every professional athlete on the planet would become the next great coach. Some do, hence the point of purposeful practice. Learning a sport happens through purposeful practice. Athletes, particularly the good ones inherently practice mindfully. That being said, beyond technical proficiency, good coaching requires effective communication and empathy towards others.

To that end, a trainer becomes a coach when they possess most if not all of list:

1. Enthusiastic / passionate - Get excited about helping your client reach their goals.
2. Expertise - Find what will set you apart from other coaches. Continue to upgrade    your education and credential, find your niche. Also, be a good role model, practice what you preach.
3. Empathy - Feel bad with them, not for them.
4. Expectation - Have high expectations for themselves and the clients they service. These expectations should be higher than they have for themselves.
5. Engagement - Be present in the session, give it your all. Think of how much that client is paying for a session, they deserve your undivided attention and all of the energy you can dig up.

6. Expert mover - good coaches move with ninja like precision and smoothness.

7. Develop the critical eye- Learn to detect movement errors. Good coaches are biomechanist who constantly assess their client’s functional abilities.

Stay Present (Error Detect & Correct)

8. Become an expert communicator- A good coach learns to correct movement verbally and physically through touch and accurate demonstration.

  

The last 2 above are critically important to the success your clients have and the length of time they choose to train with you. This is something I speak to extensively in my nashFIT and BCPTI Personal Trainers courses. In short, trainers too often are lured into motivational high energy tactics. Trainers challenge metabolic demand and they push clients beyond their limits of physical capacity. Coaches, only challenge capacity when their clients are capable of moving with high function. Function, by definition is the ability to "safely perform pain free movement repeatedly without loss of form". Trainers befriend, motivate & energize their clients; coaches personalize every aspect of their client experience. To that end coaches:

Coaches Assess - They Don't Guess

1.    Train movement not muscle.

2.    Safely& effectively help their clients achieve their goals through a process of highly individualized attention.

3.    Assess, they don't guess

4.    Detect errors through systematic observation

5.    Correct errors through systematic application of movement, competent demonstration, effective communication & feedback

6.    Personalize through assessment, feedback & touch training every set, rep & program their clients perform

7.    Progress movement volume, intensity, speed, range of motion & complexity only when competency is repeatedly demonstrated

8.    Care about the longevity of their clients, set realistic goals and offer as much professional assistance as required to get them there.

Do you want to be a trainer or a coach? Would you want to learn from a trainer or a coach? To me the answer is clear J

BCPTI is full time Personal Training Institute who’s VISION is to:
“To provide affordable, highly personalized, cutting edge, research driven and industry relevant fitness education to passionate fitness professionals and enthusiasts.”

Chad Benson, MSc, BSc, BPE, CSCS, CPT

Educated at the University of Victoria and Memorial University of NL, Chad is the Director of Fitness Education for SNSC & the British Columbia Personal Trainers Institute (BCPTI). Past training experiences include sub-contracted & consultant strength & conditioning roles with Canada Basketball, the Vancouver Canucks, the Canadian Sport Center, B2Ten, the BC Lions, Twist Conditioning, & the Vancouver Ravens. Chad is a Trigger Point & Bulgarian Bag Master Trainer, a certified in Kettlebell level 1 and FRC© certified instructor. Benson also has expertise in myofascial release & muscle activation, functional movement assessment & sport rehabilitation. Chad was recently named the 2013 Educator of the Year for the BCRPA, is a member of the CanFitPro advisory board, developed the ‘nashFIT’ educational system. In his spare time Coach Benson enjoys the odd newfie joke, all things fitness, exploring scientific journals, red wine, recreational hockey, tennis, and warm weather destinations.

Fitness & Performance Myth Busting - Foam Rolling and Squat Techniques That Work

Hey guys, I am going to do some serious myth busting on Perioscope next week. Get this Twitter based App and Add me @bcpti...you'll love the app and the info - that's a promise :)

Live from BPCTI on Mon at 3:45pm ( u can replay for 24hr)

1. Does foam rolling work (SURE DOES)
2. Should most people foam roll? (YES)
3. Does rolling the ITband have a purpose (YUP)

I have included two great YouTube posts on the subject. The information they are presenting is very accurate and useful so please watch the videos. The key is to turn your foam roller into a tool, designed to either break adhesions or create the appropriate nervous system response. Both of which can change the outcome of foam rolling to the benefit of movement, flexibility, function and performance. On Mon, I will show you how to improve the outcome of your foam roller session :)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BnYdzaoMyQ8 (foam rolling isn't myofascial release)

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bXS5v5RZJSM ( does not increase length of the ITband) 

 

Wed (time to be announced)

I'm going to create significant controversy but it's time I bust these myths, particularly the heel loaded squat. Hip dominant squatting / heel loaded squatting creates dysfunction in a key posterior chain muscle, and is compounded by a societal based problem I call the sitting disease. I will show you why we need to change our squat coaching and follow that with one simple adjustment on how to change the outcome to posterior fascial function. Why do I care? Well 1) look how many views these 2 videos have and 2) I know how mind blown people are when I give them this life changing movement cue.

4. Should most people load their heels when squatting? (NOPE)

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xDdSZmWNYQI ( 1,765,037 views)

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dy28eq2PjcM ( 1,806,782 views ) 

5. Is a neutral spine & proper alignment required / imp for bodybuilding ( DAMN STRAIGHT )