January/February 2013

CUTTING EDGE FUNCTIONAL FITNESS January/February 2013

A Champion’s Hometown Mike Francois won the Arnold Classic in 1995 and still lives and trains in Columbus

PROUD TO SUPPORT THE

THE FITNESS FACTORY FEATURING MIKE DAVIES FEMALE FITNESS FEATURING SAMANTHA BOSSERT AND ASHLEY BLACKSTONE EXERCISE OF THE MONTH: BARBELL OVERHEAD SPLIT SQUAT

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FROM THE EDITOR

Publisher & Editor-in-Chief Brian Saunders 614.599.0993 bsaunders@11athletics.com

Creative Director

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Mike Francois knows the right way to train hard as witnessed by his 1995 Arnold Classic championship .

Jason Goggins jgoggins@11athletics.com

Editor Ellen Fishel

Contributors

Personal Training – Hard is the Easy Part Today the plethora of personal training experts have a lot of differences. On the other hand, universally they all can easily get one thing right — making a workout hard. It is not just trainers, it is people training themselves.

Heavier, faster, more difficult, more props. I certainly like to have fun with the plethora of possibilities. People just love variety.

But in the midst of creating a super hard, dynamic, intense, fresh routine, simple biomechanics get lost. There is a way to combine hard, dynamic and intense without consequences. Sometimes you just have to slow down and listen.

Let me walk you through some difficult moments you may face in your training progression: #1: Corrective exercise and strength training go hand and hand. If you want to lift bigger weights and you continue to ignore smaller associated muscles, you will get hurt. Efficient muscle groups can perform larger tasks. Don’t want a trainer? Then you better be doing the homework yourself. #2: If something is hurting, you need to address it. Muscular pain can be corrected by addressing weaker muscles that are associated with the injury site. You spent numerous hours overbenching or oversitting in a chair. It will take time to strengthen, heal and correct your issues, but if you are consistent, you will continue to improve. #3: Accepting your limitations is giving up. If you continue to limit yourself based on an injury, you will continue limit your life. Think about it. Now what are you going to do about it? #4: There is not one magic exercise routine. Good physical therapists and personal trainers know a wellrounded corrective exercise routine yields the best results. You can’t fix the same problem with the same group of exercises. I did an internship once in an unnamed physical therapy clinic. A number of people would come in with a bad back and we would give each person the same routine and rehab papers to fix it. Enough said.

Anthony Donskov Kari Hoyda James McGuire Sara Wyen Keith Simon Megan Ellis Ashley Blackstone Mark Myhal Nick Showman Michael Greenhouse Brandon Couden Mark Cannella Todd Johnson Arnold Coleman Louie Simmons

Advertising Inquiries bsaunders@11athletics.com

ON THE COVER: Mike Francois Photo © Kimberly Potterf Photography

11athletics Magazine

I don’t confess to have all the answers, but 11athletics does. Keep picking up the book and learning. The 11athlete is in you, waiting.

www.11athletics.com

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#5: Without progression you stay the same or get worse. More weight, more reps, more something. You can’t maintain by staying the same. At some point in life we will digress and become weaker. Me, I would rather delay that digression by being as strong as I can be for as long as I can be. For example, a 60-year-old guy who squats 300 pounds will digress slower than a 60-year-old guy who squats 95 pounds.

Yours in fitness,

Brian Saunders

©2013 by 11athletics, LLC. Reproduction of any content, in whole or in part, without written consent of publisher is strictly prohibited. “11athletics” is a registered Trademark of 11athletics, LLC and is published bi-monthly and distributed throughout Central Ohio. All rights reserved.

GET FUNCTIONAL 6 7 Classic Wisdom

8 System in Balance: Program Regeneration

9 Ride For World Health 10 Weight Loss Have You Hit a Plateau?

Components of a Successful Weight Loss Program

Reverse Lunge Kettlebell Swing

12 Top 10 Tips to Make the Most of Your Workout

14 Effective Training

page 12

page 30

15 Exercise of the Month

Barbell Overhead Split Squat

You Can Eat Paleo and Be a Part of Life

16 Nutrition Stay Focused on the Task at Hand 18 Health The Fitness Factory

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20 Women’s Fitness Training for the Arnold

Lift Big, Get Little

25 Finding Fitness Liberty Township/Powell YMCA 26 Biomechanically Speaking

Ski Pain Free This Winter The Joint-By-Joint Approach

30 Athletic and 50

Consistency is the Key

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32 Female Athlete of the Month Diana Goggins

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FEATURE 34

page page 4816

35 A Champion’s Hometown Mike Francois won the Arnold Classic in 1995 ATHLETE ADVICE 38 39 VO2 Max and Lactate Threshold 42 Strongest on the Hill 44 Train to Play 46 Functional Training Pure Movement and Big Bang Exercise 48 Training Correctly?

Six Exercises You Should Be Doing and Six Ways To Improve Them 50 5 WODS Your Trainer Can’t Do

52 Clean It Up If You Are Going To Clean, Do It Properly

26 page 20

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54 6 Squat Variations 56 The System 58 Westside Barbell - The Conjugate Method 60 The Scorcher

Raise Your Metabolic Activity to Maximize Your Fat Loss

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GET FUNCTIONAL WEIGHT LOSS

Have You Hit a Plateau 11 ATHLETIC

Why does my trainer suggest I have reached a plateau in 11 athletics my weight loss and how do I break through it?

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Plateau — probably one of the most dreaded words any person who is focused on losing weight wants to hear. It’s that point in time where you can’t seem to lose any more weight, no matter how strictly you are following your diet and exercise routine. Have no fear though, plateaus are part of the fitness journey, and there are several ways to break through them.

So what exactly causes a weight loss plateau? Well, keep in mind every person is different, but generally plateaus are caused by a continuous repetition of the same diet or workout routine. Your body is an incredibly smart mechanism and picks up on patterns, especially in terms of caloric expenditure. The body is built to s u r v i ve , so when it

notices a continuous caloric depletion (in the form of a diet), it starts to alter its daily expenditure to conserve the amount of calories it burns in order to sustain life. This conservation of energy, coupled with a lower metabolic rate (if you are not including strength training in your weight loss routine), can cause the body to completely halt all forms of weight loss.

So how do we as trainers help our clients break through these dreaded plateaus? Here’s just a few of many options that seem to do the trick:

1. Change up your nutrition habits

Nutrition is always a very broad topic when it comes to weight loss and fitness, but a basic guideline I have clients follow is eating four to five smaller meals throughout the day consisting of a lean protein at each meal and pairing those with a healthy balance of complex carbohydrates, vegetables, fruits and good fats. If clients are stuck at a plateau, one trick I recommend is breaking up the meals they are already consuming into more frequent chow sessions.

This doesn’t mean they will be eating more food or calories, just that they are taking what they are already consuming and feeding their body more times throughout the day. This forces the body to burn calories to digest the food, which causes an increase in their metabolism and can help break through the plateau.

For example, if you are having lunch at noon, eat only half of your normal serving and save the rest for an hour or two later when you start to feel that afternoon energy loss.

You can do this with your breakfast

and dinner as well, therefore adding three additional opportunities for your body to burn more calories and speed up your metabolism without having to do much extra work at all.

2. Incorporate new workouts

We all like to do exercises we enjoy, and we all like to avoid exercises we hate (trainers are included in this scenario!), but constantly doing the same routine over and over again has very little benefit in creating change in your body. Again, your body is very smart and will actually learn how many calories you are burning during your normal workout routine and will account for it in its daily conservation of energy. Remember, the body’s whole goal is to survive, not listen to you! So if you’ve been doing the same routine for more than three or four weeks, it’s time for a change.

Try adding short bursts of cardio into your normal strength training routine to spike your heart rate (like sprints on the treadmill), or doing a HIIT (high intensity interval training) workout one or two days per week instead of your standard 30 minutes on the treadmill. Or if you aren’t even including strength training into your weekly routine, adding two to three days per week of total body strength training will definitely break through the plateau.

Strength training is what increases your lean body mass and wakes up those muscles, which causes them to burn more calories! Strength training is a must for long-term weight loss and a tight, lean body.

3. Check your sleep patterns

This topic tends to be overlooked quite often, but sleep (or lack thereof ) actually plays a pretty big factor in weight loss. Studies have suggested people who get less than five hours

GET FUNCTIONAL WEIGHT LOSS or more than nine hours of sleep per night are more likely to gain weight than those who sleep around seven hours.

Some ideas behind this theory include: Ghrelin and leptin (the hormones that regulate appetite) can be altered during disruptive sleeping patterns, lack of sleep or even partial sleep deprivation can reduce your body’s energy expenditure and promote greater food intake, and changes in your body composition can favor more fat storage. Aim to get seven hours of uninterrupted sleep each night

to help combat and break through those weight loss plateaus.

Always remember to be patient in your fitness journey, as your body will change 11 ATHLETIC when you give it what it wants and needs.

Your body and its many functions are your 11 athletics greatest tools to achieving your health and fitness goals, so be good to them!

Contributed by Kari Hoyda BS, NASM-PES, ISSA-CFT, ACE-CPT khoyda@lifetimefitness.com

Components of a Successful Weight Loss Program Sure, there has to be a calorie deficit for a person to lose weight — that’s obvious enough. But it’s also important to be be aware of what is going on inside your body as you consume those calories.

People struggle with weight issues every day. To be successful, I beleive a weight loss program must address three areas: nutrition, fitness and drive. Like the three legs of a stool, each area must be in balance with the other two in order to function properly.

Lean body mass, the muscle underneath your body fat, burns calories 24/7. Having more of it allows you to actually eat more calories without gaining more weight because your body is better suited to burn it off.

Nutrition-oriented people often try to starve themselves into weight loss thinking that the less calories they consume, the more weight they’ll lose. This strategy may work in the short term, but it also sets you up for future failure. This strategy puts your body into ketosis (the state of burning fat for fuel), so your body will actually store more fat to burn for energy later.

My recommendation is to keep a diet journal. With this tool, you can understand the number of calories consumed each day and also keep track of the type of calories — fats, carbohydrates, proteins. Armed with this information, you and your trainer can begin to add nutrients in the form of supplements to balance out the diet. These nutrients ensure proper fueling for all of our activities,

including exercise. If setting up a nutrition plan is new to you, it may be beneficial to look into hiring a local nutritionist.

The second component to a successful weight loss program is fitness, and more specifically, weight training. Remember, we need more lean body mass to burn more calories.

Weight training addresses strength, power, flexibility and cardio health. But most importantly, weight training improves your metabolic health. Increasing your metabolism with weight training is far superior to cardiovascular work in the total amount of calories burned throughout the day.

The third component of a successful weight loss program can be summarized in one word: drive. You have to want to make a change for change to happen. Getting a gym membership, hiring a trainer and making proper fitness and nutrition decisions are vital to your success.

The bottom line: if you are attempting to lose weight, or more specifically lose body fat, then engaging in proper nutritional decisions, improving your lean body mass through strength training and having the drive to stay with it will lead undoubtedly to successful weight loss.

Stability Balls or Not? While balance training programs have been shown to improve stability, their effect on specific joint proprioception is not clear.

The Journal of Sports Science and Medicine (September 2012) examined training adaptations associated with a 10-week instability training program.

Participants were tested pre-and post-training for trunk extension and flexion strength and knee proprioception. Forty-three participants participated in either a control group or a 10-week (three days per week) instability training program using Swiss balls and body weight as resistance. The trained group increased trunk extension peak torque/body weight (23.6 percent) and total work output (20.1 percent) from pre- to post-training, while the control group decreased by 6.8 percent and 6.7 percent, respectively. The exercise group increased its trunk flexion peak torque/body weight ratios by 18.1 percent while the control group decreased by 0.4 percent. Knee proprioception (combined right and left joint repositioning) improved 44.7 percent from pre- to post-training and persisted (21.5 percent) for nine months post-training.

In addition, there was a side interaction with the position sense of the right knee at nine months showing 32.1 percent less deviation from the reference angle than the right knee during pre-testing.

11athletics concludes stability training in athletes will not only improve strength and balance, but also help prevent injury due to the increased proprioception of the joints.

Contributed by James H McGuire II (Owner/Trainer) www.ShapeFitness24Hrs.com jameshmcguire@hotmail.com 11 11 ATHLET

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Effective Training: Reverse Lunge Kettlebell Swing

The reverse lunge kettlebell swing is a great exercise for developing stability along with strength in the glutes, hip flexors and quadriceps. The exercise is also beneficial for developing an increased range of motion and coordination.

1) Kettlebell – Use a kettlebell one size lighter than you use for a typical kettlebell swing. (ie. if you use a 32 kilogram, drop to a 24 kilogram).

should be completed at the top of the lunge.

2) Feet – The feet should be about 2 to 6 inches apart.

3) Hands – The kettlebell should be in the hand the opposite

height (just below the chin) at the top of the movement.

side of the forward leg or the same side as the backward lunging leg.

4) Torso – Should remain upright through all planes of 11 athletics

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movement.

5) Position – The bottom of the lunge should be close to a

90-degree position or front shin straight up and down and back knee slightly behind hip.

6) Knees – The knee should not come out over the toes in the lunge position.

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7) Hip extension – Complete hip extension (standing tall) 8) Shoulder flexion –The kettlebell should be swung to shoulder 9) Exchange – The reverse lunge kettlebell swing may be

done one side at a time or by switching from one side to the other at the top of the movement with shoulders flexed to 90 degrees.

10) Arms – If using the exchange, both arms will be at the

sides during the bottom portion of the lunge and both at 90 degrees at the top.

11) Function – The reverse lunge kettlebell swing is a great

exercise to use to accelerate heart rate and burn stubborn body fat.

exercise of the month Proper Training = Positive Results

A recent study by the Journal of Strength & Conditioning Research (October 2012) was conducted to assess the effects of a lower- and upper-body 10-week, in-season resistance training program on explosive strength development in young basketball players.

Twenty-five adolescent male athletes, aged 14-15 years old, were randomly assigned to an experimental group and a control group. The subjects were assessed both before and after training for squat jump, countermovement jump, Abalakov test, drop jump and seated medicine ball throw. The experimental group showed significant increases in all the variable scores. Conversely, the control group significantly decreased in squat jump, countermovement jump and Abalakov test scores. The results of this study show a 10-week, in-season resistance training program with moderate volume and intensity loads increased vertical jump and performance in adolescent male basketball players. 11athletics points out that a well-designed strength and conditioning program can enhance skills necessary for optimum performance in adolescent basketball players.

Barbell Overhead Split Squat The barbell overhead split squat is a challenging compound exercise that gets a variety of muscles involved. This advanced exercise is a great way to burn extra calories and enhance functional strength.

Begin by taking a Wipers wide grip beyond shoulder width with a barbell. Next,handstand move walk the bar Hanging overhead so the shoulders are back and your elbows are behind your ears. You will have somewhere between 2 to 3 feet of space between each foot. That space is determined when you lunge to the floor. You should note the front shin should be straight up and down and the back knee slightly behind the hip.

Sets of 15 to 20 reps are great for developing functional core and muscular endurance. Completing heavier weights for smaller reps (4-8) is a great strength gainer. 11athletics recommends you do a mixture of both in order to train the body at a variety of different intensities and achieve the best results.

Linear vs. Nonlinear

A recent study from the Journal of Strength & Conditioning Research (May 2012) was to investigate the effects of nonlinear periodized and linear periodized resistance training on muscle thickness and strength, measured by an ultrasound technique and one-repetition maximum, respectively. Thirty untrained men were randomly assigned to three groups: nonlinear periodized, linear periodized and control group. The right bicep and tricep muscle thickness and one-rep maximum strength for the exercises bench press, lat pulldown, tricep extension and bicep curl were assessed before and after 12 weeks of training.

Post-training, both trained groups presented significant 1 rep maximum strength gains in all exercises (with the exception of the bench press in linear periodized). The 1 rep maximum of the nonlinear group was significantly higher than linear for bench press and bicep curl post-training. The nonlinear effect in muscle size was higher for the majority of observed variables. In conclusion, both linear and nonlinear are effective, but nonlinear may lead to greater gains in 1 rep maximum and muscle thickness over a 12-week training period.

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Barbell Lteral Lung Lunge

WOMEN’S FITNESS Ashley Blackstone and Arnold bikini competitor Samantha Bossert demonstrating the 30-second incline sprint as part of Combo 3 of the workout on the following page.

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Photos © 2012 Jeffrey A. Rycus Photography

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Training for the Arnold

Clothing provided by

Easton Town Center

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My philosophy on diet is simple. Stop trying to take the easy way out! The amount of time, energy and money wasted on weight loss scams, diet supplements and surgeries is absurd. You must replace your bad habits with great ones!

Learning to put your fork down, pack your lunch and say “no” to the junk can be difficult, but never impossible.

America is not an easy place to stay healthy with the endless temptations. Unhealthy is cheap, fast, tasty and accepted.

However, the real consequences are scary. These eating habits will take years off your life and decades off your child‘s.

Thankfully, there are vast amounts of fitness regimens offered in most large cities, including our very own Cbus. As a 14-year veteran in the fitness industry and with 12 years as a personal trainer, I have definite ideas on achieving health and fitness. First, you should at least try to find something you might like. Like I said, there is plenty to choose from, including weight training, yoga, pilates, body pump, hip hop and Zumba. There is something for everyone. Yes, there will be a few of you who hate all forms of exercise, but guess what — you still have to do it! It’s the only way to achieve and maintain good health.

As a trainer, my passion is weight/resistance training coupled with cardiovascular exercise. It’s a scientific fact that if you build more lean body mass, you burn more calories at rest. That could negate those couple of extra 20

.

bites of mashed potatoes in the kitchen when nobody is looking. Notice I said bites, not plates! I want to help people reshape their bodies. I train people with the goal of changing pant size without necessarily vast changes on the scale. Many people have different goals, and I address each one. You and I cannot compare your body to someone else’s based on the simple fact you do not have the same genes. So don’t ask me to make you look like a supermodel or a celebrity on a magazine cover.

First, your livelihood is not dependent upon it. Second, society has a very skewed idea of what these vanity icons actually look like.

My training is intense, but not intimidating. My workouts are prepared every week with each client’s goals, fitness level and limitations considered. Safe, practical and effective exercise is my goal for all of my clients. I feel confident and privileged in saying my competent philosophy on training is in direct agreement with my talent to be compassionate, creative and maintain a strong work ethic. I consider myself a no-nonsense trainer and teacher. What you see is what you get, and what you get is real results.

See Ashley’s workout on page 22

Contributed by Ashley Blackstone, BA, M.S.E.d, ACE Co-Owner of That Gym in Grandview

WOMEN’S FITNESS DYNAMIC WARM UP: 30 JUMPING JACKS 20 SQUATS 20 WALKING LUNGES 20 FRANKENSTEIN WALKS 20 TRAVELING OBLIQUE TWISTS 20 BIRD DOGS 15 PRESS-UPS 30 PELVIC RAISES

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Walking Lunges

Frankenstein Walks

Traveling Oblique Twists

LEG WORKOUT: 3 SETS OF EACH COMBINATION (EMPHASIS ON BOOTY FOR BIKINI) 15 Dumbbell Hamstring Curls superset with 10 Walking Lunges with 15-pound Dumbbells/30-sec Incline Sprint/ 10 Walking Lunges

COMBO 4

40 Plie Squats on Tip Toes with a 30-pound Dumbbell superset with 50 Dirty Dogs/20 Leg Kicks/ 15 Knee Circles Each Direction

COMBO 3

COMBO 2

15 Front Loaded Squats to Tip Toes with an Olympic Bar Vertically Positioned (add 20 pounds) superset with 10 Bench Step Up/Reverse Lunges with 15-pound Dumbbells

COMBO 1

15 Suspended Lunges in a TRX with 15-pound Dumbbells superset with 20 Reverse Step-Ups

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COMBO 1

Suspended Lunges 22

Reverse Step Ups

Follow us on:

COMBO 2

Front Loaded Squats

Bench Step-Up/Reverse Lunges

COMBO 3

Dumbbell Hamstring Curls

COMBO 4 2) Overhead Walking Lunges

3) V-ups

Plie Squats

Dirty Dog/Leg Kicks

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BIOMECHANICALLY SPEAKING 11 ATHLETIC 11 athletics

The JointBy-Joint Approach

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We are all familiar with the nursery rhyme that goes something like this: “The foot bone is connected to the, leg bone; the leg bone is connected to the, hip bone; the hip bone is connected to the ...”

While this rhyme is an old way to learn some basic anatomy, it is fast becoming a new way to learn how the joints of your body should be functioning.

This new concept of figuring out how your body should work is called the joint-by-joint approach. Once you learn more about it, you’ll want to make it an important part of your weekly training program. The joint-by-joint approach says your body is just a stack of joints, and when these joints go out of balance they do it in predictable ways. The major joints of your body are an alternating series of hinges that need to be both stabile and mobile. A joint needs to be stabile so it can maintain its alignment when that joint is holding up weight. Examples of the knee needing to be stabile are walking up stairs or doing a squat in the gym. A joint also needs to be mobile so that you can move from point A to point B. Examples of shoulder mobility are reaching down to put on your shoes or pushing up dumbbells from your shoulders to above your head.

More importantly, you want to do these activities without getting injured. Many weekend warrior and training injuries occur because your joints are out of balance when it comes to stability and mobility.

Here’s a rundown of the major joints of the body and their tendencies to become imbalanced by either becoming unstable or immobile. All joints need to be both stabile and mobile, but these are the most common imbalance tendencies. If a joint

ATHLETE ADVICE

Training Correctly?

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Six Exercises You Should Be Doing and Six Ways To Improve Them Progression is as important in life as it is in the weight room. Often progression in the weight room is identified by more weight and/or more reps. In some cases, the muscles still may need some additional stimuli to respond appropriately. Adding these simple modifications can help you add some variety, but most importantly some progression to your routine.

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The kettlebell (KB) swing is a great exercise for improving strength in the posterior chain. Adding band resistance to the swing increases the load both eccentrically and concentrically.

The change in both the eccentric and concentric work challenges the body to accelerate and decelerate more actively than a regular KB swing.

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Ignoring the muscles of the lower back, glutes and hamstrings in a no-no if you want to live a long, functional life. Think about picking up a young child. He or she squirms, wiggles and gyrates throughout the lift, thus forcing the muscles to respond to the active weight. The strength band has similar effects, forcing the body adjust to the increase (tension in the band) in weight during the lift.

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Dumbbell Romanian Deadlift (DB RDL) to Strength Band/DB RDL

People love to work the anterior (front) part of the body and often ignore the equally important pulling muscles of the back. Adding a glute-hamsting machine (GHR) along with alternating movement forces the body to activate more stability in the core, shoulders, glutes and hamstrings. The extra recruitment makes sense for those looking to get more bang for their buck.

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SA DB row to GHR alternating SA DB row

Photos Š 2012 Jeffrey A. Rycus Photography

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1

KB Swing to KB/Strength Band Swing

3

Plank to Walking DB Plank

4

Everybody and their brother are doing planks. Smart people understand the core’s primary function is to stabilize the body during movement. The key word here is movement. If we stood in the same place all day long, planks would be the only exercise we would ever need. Adding DBs and active movement to the plank adds functional strength to the traditional plank.

EBODYFIT.COM

Burpee to Burpee Broad Jump

Yes burpees. I propose that burpees replace capital punishment, but that’s an argument for another day.

Adding a broad jump to the burpee raises the bar for performance. Here is what you do: 1) Measure your best broad jump; 2) Mark the distance from the start of your jump to the end and subtract 12 inches; 3) Do as many consecutive burpee broad jumps as long as you can successfully make the marked distance; 4) Jump back and forth so you don’t get any extra rest. Do 20 (if you can), then next week do 25, etc.

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Body Row to SA Body Row with Cross-Body Reach

Pull-ups are hard, body rows make things easier. Saying that, a body row can be a great way to improve or progress your pull-up.

The SA (single-arm) body row with cross body reach activates more stability in the core. The cross body motion engages the obliques, which aid the rotation of the spine. That engagement of the obliques might come in handy next time you throw a football or swing a tennis racquet.

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Contributed by Brian J. Saunders ATC, CPT, MBA

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ATHLETE ADVICE

Squat Variations 11 athletics

The squat, known as “the king of lower body exercise,” is one of the most dynamic powerful lifts one can perform.

Squatting is the only exercise that will utilize 75 percent of your muscles with one single movement. Fitness enthusiasts and bodybuilders alike know if you want to put on size, if you want to maximize your strength, you have to perform the squat. Many studies have shown this dynamic movement helps to produce levels of growth hormone that are exponentially higher than alternative movements, such as the leg press or leg extension.

Now that we know how important the squat is, let’s talk about variety. Variety is the spice of life — if you are satisfied doing the same monotonous routines over and over, playing it safe and never pushing past your plateau, then congratulations on a job mediocre-done. Utilizing a variety of exercises will help keep your muscles guessing and also incorporate secondary muscles that aren’t traditionally used in a cookie-cutter routine. Using these six different squat variations will help you maximize your results and give your body a competitive edge beyond that of traditional squats.

Zercher Squat

Barbell Hack Squat

The front squat is one of the most common alternatives to the back squat.

The bar is racked across the front of the shoulders with the elbows held high to keep the bar from rolling down the arms. Many lifters find they can squat significantly deeper with the front squat than with the back squat. Lower back and hamstring involvement is also significantly reduced, with more stress placed upon the abdominals and the quads due to the more upright positioning.

The Zercher squat is an excellent option for those with shoulder or flexibility issues, and it requires no special bar. They are performed by setting a bar in the rack at about stomach height. Take the bar in the crooks of your elbows — use a towel or some padding — suck up a breath, tighten your abs, step back and set up as if to do a squat. Squat down until the bar touches the tops of the thighs, then stand up. Keep pushing knees out and butt back as you would in a box squat. Remember to try to keep as upright as possible and to keep the back tight, driving the head back and hips forward on the ascent. The bar will tend to pull you forward.

The Zercher squat can be painful because of the positioning, but really works the abdomen, glutes, hamstrings and back.

The Barbell hack squat places significant workload on the vastus lateralus, or outer thigh, helping to improve outside strength of the quads. This exercise is also easier on your knees than a traditional squat.

To perform the barbell hack squat, grasp the bar behind the back, almost as though you’re setting up for a deadlift behind the body. With the heels elevated 1 to 2 inches on a plate or blocks, drop the hips down and then back slightly while staying as upright as possible until the plates touch the floor. Then drive through the heels back to the top.

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Front Squat

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Photos Š 2012 Jeffrey A. Rycus Photography

Overhead Squat

Split Squat

Sumo Squat

The overhead squat is a great tool to correct imbalances within the hips, glutes and low back. The overhead position of the bar makes much of the stability work focused on the core and lower back. Hold the bar overhead in a wide snatch grip, lock out your elbows and try to bring your shoulder blades together. Lock in your core, keeping it tight, drift your hips back and begin squatting down. Try to keep weight over your heels at all times. Get as low as you can and come back up, remembering to push through your heels.

The split squat is utilized in working out imbalances in your weaker leg. Each leg is respectively doing the workload on this exercise, targeting the quad, glute and hamstring. To perform a split squat with barbell, take a slightly larger than normal step forward with your right foot. Lift your left heel off the floor. Then, bend both your knees so your left knee drops down and your right thigh becomes parallel to the floor.

Stand back up to complete a split squat, and then switch legs. Squeezing your abs and glutes helps you maintain correct posture for this exercise. These are not to be confused with lunges. While various types of lunges and the split squat have a similar appearance, lunging motions are somewhat more dynamic by incorporating a stepping motion either forward or backward.

The sumo squat is very similar to a regular squat however the sumo squat places more emphasis on the inner thighs and glutes.

Perform this exercise with your feet in a wide stance, turn your toes out and lower yourself down by bending your knees.

Once your thighs are parallel the floor, rise back up steadily and repeat. Keep your abs tight, back straight and do not let your knees move past your toes when lowering.

Sumo squats should work the posterior chain, more specifically hams and glutes.

It’s also a good mobility drill because of the abductor mobility needed for this exercise.

Contributed by Todd Johnson BS, ACE 55 11 ATHLET

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ATHLETE ADVICE

The System 11 ATHLETIC 11 athletics

There are three essential components to any comprehensive physical fitness program: muscular strength, flexibility and cardiovascular conditioning. It is easy for people to focus on one area they enjoy while neglecting the other two, which eventually leads the body into imbalance and sometimes injury.

They become like a two-legged stool — they appear to stand upright until pressure of any kind is applied to the weakened area, which causes immediate collapse.

Through my 20-plus years in the fitness industry, I have seen dozens of new styles, techniques and methods of training come along. I have tried most of them. There have been some good ideas, some bad and some just absolutely ridiculous. I continued my education by taking courses in acupuncture, rehabilitation, massage and alternative therapies. I have used my studies and experience for my own training, as well as working with clients. The common thread I Upright Row

found in all my experiences was the body’s constant effort to incorporate the three basic components of strength, flexibility and cardiovascular conditioning. It became evident that any workout regime that left one of these components out would lead to imbalance. It was from this knowledge I created The System.

I have used The System myself to help me win many national and world powerlifting championships. It has given me the ability to break many world records, including the 20-year overall powerlifting world record at the Arnold Classic with 2,117 pounds total in the 181 class. I have used this method with people such as Twyla Tharp (famous dancer), to Brian Hartline (NFL player with the Miami Dolphins). Mike Francois trained on this method to win the Arnold Classic, and Gayle Moher (IFBB bodybuilder) used the system to become the overall winner at nationals her first time competing.

Tricep Dips

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One Arm Row

The System is created on a 16-week cycle, designed to allow the body to become stronger, leaner and more flexible. The categories I have created are heavy day, stretch day, cardio day and shape day. Here is how the program works. Week one: Monday back and biceps (heavy day); Tuesday – legs (cardio day); Wednesday- chest, triceps and shoulders (shaping day); Friday- legs (stretch day). Week two: Monday- back and biceps (stretch day); Tuesday- legs, (shaping day); Wednesday- chest, triceps and shoulders (heavy day); Friday - legs (cardio day).

The purpose of this rotation will allow major muscles to recuperate while working other groups, and this plan will need to be changed based on the individual using it. The recuperating muscle group will still be worked in another capacity, such as shaping movement or cardio. It is also important to know the vertebrae

Straight Leg Deadlift