This past weekend, I had the honor of presenting at the 4th Annual Strength & Conditioning/ Athletic Development Conference at Loyola College here in Baltimore MD.

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This was an absolutely amazing event! If you weren’t there, you missed out BIG TIME!

A big thank you goes out to Robert Taylor, owner of Smarter Team Training, for having me as a presenter and for putting together such an amazing group of speakers.

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For the event, Rob Taylor brought together NFL and MLB strength coaches, Super Bowl and World Series champions, NBA strength coaches, NCAA and NIT champions, NSCA and NCAA conference professional of the year award finalists and winners, master strength and conditioning coaches, leading high school consultants, personal trainers, and coaches, as well as two of the top nutritionist in the country.

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I had the last speaking slot of the day, which I taught outside in 100+ degree heat by the way. So, I was able to catch as many workshops as I could. One of my favorite workshops I attended was given by Doctor Jose Antonio. He covered Nutrition and Supplementation for athletes. His lecture was one of the most comprehensive and informative nutritional lectures I’ve ever attended.

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If you don’t know – Dr.Antonio is one of the worlds leading nutritional researchers who’s written 12 books, published numerous articles and consulted with some of the biggest supplement companies out there. Plus, he’s an amazing speaker and one heck of great guy to talk with and simply be around.

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After his lecture, Dr. Antonio was nice enough to spend a few minutes of camera time with me to discuss his Top 5 Nutrition & Supplement Tips for Athletes. Check out the video below…

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There’s no fluff and puff in this video. It’s just easy to understand, simple to use and easy to apply advice YOU can immediately use to improve your health and performance through nutrition and supplementation.

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Lately, I’ve learned a great deal of valuable nutrition and supplement information from David Sandler, Jim Stoppani and Dr. Jose Antonio. In future posts, soon to come, I will cover a great deal of this information and expand upon the information Dr.Antonio provided you in the video above.

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Comment below and let us know if you found Dr.Antonio’s 5 tips helpful…

Talk to most health, fitness or rehabilitation professionals about the upper traps and they’re almost sure to blame the upper traps as a key cause of all sorts of postural and/or movement dysfunctions. Unfortunately, everything we “know” about the upper traps may be wrong.

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If you think you know what the Upper Trapezius muscle does and how it effects our function – You may want to think again because today’s post might just rock your world!

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The TRUTH About The Trapezius!

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Much of what I’ve been learning lately about the Upper Traps contradicts what’s said in most anatomy texts. That said, Mark Comerd B.Phty. MCSP MAPA likes to mention “most anatomy texts are at least 25yrs out of date”.

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So, I’ve been compiling some notes on the literature and research to provide you here at NickTumminello.com, with a more up-to-date view of the upper traps. Then, I came across an amazing article written by Dr. Warren Hammer, MS, DC, DABCO, entitled “The Upper Trapezius DOES NOT Elevate the Shoulder”. Dr. Warren’s article sums up much of what I was preparing to write myself. So, I’ve provided you Dr. Warren’s eye-opening article below.

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I warn you, this article goes deep into the technical aspects of anatomy and physiology. You may have to read it a few times to fully understand everything. At the end of the article, I will provide some additional comments of my own to help you better understand this new view of the Trapezius muscle.

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The Upper Trapezius DOES NOT Elevate the Shoulder

By Warren Hammer, MS, DC, DABCO

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How could the claim in my title be valid? Most anatomy texts state that the upper trapezius (UT) does elevate the shoulder.^1-3 What about soft tissue techniques, such as postisometric relaxation or postfacilitation stretch? Should we now change our method of treating this muscle? Should we change the way we interpret the force coupling of the scapular? If you believe the contents of an excellent article, “Anatomy and Actions of the Trapezius Muscle,” by Johnson and Bogduk, et al.,⁴ the answer is a resounding yes! The authors state that the texts do not agree with each other and “none provides reliable data on point-to-point attachments of the trapezius at a detail suitable for biomechanical modeling.” They also maintain that little attention has been paid to the lines of actions of the trapezius fibers. (Note – Nikolai Bogduk is one of the worlds best human anatomists and researchers with over 100 published research studies and multiple books.)

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The authors of this study divided within human adult cadavers each fascicle (a bundle of muscle fibers with a distinct, identifiable attachment) of the trapezius, from the superior nuchal line to C7; and also the thoracic portion of the trapezius. They noted that there were no osseous origins between the occiput and the C7 spinous process. Instead, each fascicle originated from the ligamentum nuchae, not from bone. They traced each fascicle from its origin to insertion, laid down wires along the course of each fascicle, and took AP and lateral radiographs. They measured the volume and size of each fascicle to the nearest 0.5cm. All of the fascicles above the level of C7 inserted along the posterior border of the distal third of the clavicle. Fibers from C6 inserted into the distal corner of the clavicle as far as the acromioclavicular joint, while the fascicle from C7 attached to the scapula at the inner order of the acromion.

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The sweep of the cervical trapezius fibers passed downward and laterally, reaching the clavicle in an almost horizontal direction. The downward orientation of the fascicles, except for those from the superior nuchal line, passed in more of a transverse than vertical direction to the clavicle. Only the fibers from the superior nuchal line showed a downward orientation that resembled an action of elevation. The illustration at left depicts the fascicles from a radiograph. The size and cross-sectional area of the fibers is also expressed by the thickness of the lines. The fascicles from the lower half of the ligamentum nuchae were much larger than the upper fibers. C6 and C7 fascicles were the largest and almost completely transverse, in orientation with the scapula in the neutral position.

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It is apparent from this orientation that the nuchal portion of the trapezius is a poor elevator of the scapula, especially since “their small size limits their strength in this action”⁴ and the rest of the fibers have much more of a transverse direction. Also, the fibers insert on the clavicle, and not the scapula, and the action of the upper trapezius, based on its orientation, will draw the clavicle backward or medially – but not upward. These directions – backward and medial – would also be aided by the trapezius thoracic fibers, which have a transverse and upward direction.

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Because the C7 and T1 fibers are close to the axis of rotation of the scapula (root of the spine of the scapula) at the beginning of shoulder abduction, their short moment arm does not participate much in early upward scapular rotation, but as the upward rotation of the scapula increases, due to the serratus anterior, the UT is able to contribute more to the force couple for upward rotation or helping in resisting downward rotation. Therefore, the idea that the trapezius by itself can act as a force couple⁵ (i.e., the upper fibers pulling upward, while its lower fibers pull downward) is not correct, since the upper and lower fibers of the UT do not act in opposite directions. As the serratus anterior draws the scapula laterally around the chest, the lower fibers of the trapezius act as a stabilizer and contract isometrically, while the upper fibers of the trapezius cause an upward rotation moment. So, the actions of the UT are to draw the clavicle backward or medially (rowing or pulling) and work with the serratus anterior to rotate the scapula.

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Study authors Johnson, et al., account for increased EMG activity of the UT during elevation of the scapula by the UT fibers, drawing the lateral end of the clavicle medially and upward, and at the same time, causing compression load at the sternoclavicular joint. Therefore, the trapezius creates elevation by exerting an upward moment on the clavicle at the cost of compression loads at the sternoclavicular joint. The authors state that because of this mechanism, “the weight of the upper limb and any weight it carries are not borne by the cervical trapezius.” The transverse UT fibers balance the movement caused by the vertical load on the shoulder, which is transferred to the sternoclavicular joint.

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So, the trapezius resists lateral, instead of downward load, which is why the trapezius (C2-C6) only has to be anchored to the ligamentum nuchae, instead of the cervical spine. Since the strongest fascicles of the UT arise from C6 and C7, and the direction is almost totally transverse, the UT does not create compressive force on the cervical spine. The weight of the upper limb and the loads it carries is transferred to the sternoclavicular joint by the upper trapezius. The upper trapezius, therefore, is not an elevator of the scapula, but uses the sternoclavicular joint to sustain downward loads applied to the upper limb.

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This concept of UT function may diminish its importance as a factor in the cause of cervical pain. I have noticed that the levator scapulae muscle is much more often involved than the upper trapezius, especially at its attachment to the superior medial border of the scapula.

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References

1. Williams PL, Warwick R. Gray’s Anatomy, 36th ed., Philadelphia, WB Saunders Co. 1980:p. 566.
2. Moore KL. Clinically Oriented Anatomy. Baltimore, Md., Williams & Wilkins; 1983:P.713.
3. Hollinshead WH. Anatomy for Surgeons, Vol 3 – The Back and Limbs, 3rd ed. Philadelphia: Harper & Rowe, 1982:pp319-322.
4. Johnson G, Bogduk N, Nowitzke A, House D. Anatomy and actions of the trapezius muscle. Clin Biomech 1994:44-50.
5. Perry J. Muscle control of the shoulder. In: Rowe CR, ed. The Shoulder. New York, Churchill Livingstone; 1988:17-34.

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The New Definition of Trapezius Muscle Function (Upper and Mid fibers)

(Taken from – Anatomy and actions of trapezius muscle, Johnson et al. 1994 and Diagnosis, Classification and Neuro-Musculo-Skeletal Management of Shoulder Impingements and Instabilities, Mark Comerford. 2009)

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Anatomy -

The occipital, nuchai and mid fibers pass downwards but mainly transversely to insert into the lateral 1/3 of the clavicle. The middle fibers run horizontally to attach to the inner border of the acromion & along the length of the crest of the scapula.

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Muscle Action -

The upper fibers do not elevate because their fiber direction is predominantly transverse. Along with the middle fibers, the upper fibers draw the scapula & clavicle backwards, raising the scapula  by rotating the clavicle about the sterno-clavicular joint. This action lifts the lateral end of the scapula (acromion) and allows upward rotation of the glenoid. (Note: the glenoid is really the most functional part of the scapula – The rest of it is just muscle attachments.)

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Stability Function -

The fibers from c7 & T1 are volumetrically (most of the fibers) the largest, During upward of the scapula, these fibers do not significantly change in length but maintain the horizontal and vertical equilibrium of the scapula rather than producing movement.

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More to come…

So there you have it – according to the sources above, the Upper Traps are more of a stabilizer muscle – not a mobilizer. With this new understanding of this muscle’s function, of course comes new training training applications. I’ve got more great research on the Traps coming to you soon in another upcoming post. I’ve also got some killer training info coming to you specifically about the Lower Traps. So, keep checking back because you don’t want to miss a single word of my TRUTH about the Traps series!

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As always, lets here your feedback on today’s post…

After attending David Sandler’s lecture titled “The Art of Looking Great” at the KettleBell Concepts Galvanize convention, it hit me how much EVERYONE really cares about one thing: Looking Great!

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As David Sandler mentions- “If you didn’t care about how you looked, you wouldn’t own a mirror”. Even if you’re more of a performance (lift more weight, run faster, jump higher,etc:) minded athlete, you still would like to have a six-pack. That means, you don’t just care about performing your best – you also want to look great!

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When I say “look great”, I’m talking about having a lean (low body fat) and muscular physique. One of the best methods I’ve found to help my athletes and clients lose the fat and keep the muscle, is to use metabolic strength training.

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Metabolic strength training is a method of using strength based exercises protocols in a systematic fashion that burns a large amount of calories both during and post (after) workout.

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The 3 C’s of Strength Training for Fat Loss

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There are three basic metabolic strength training methods I use here at Performance U to help my athletes incinerate body fat and build sick levels of metabolic conditioning without losing muscle mass!!

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The 3 methods are:

- Strength Training COMBINATIONS

- Strength Training COMPLEXES

- Strength Training CIRCUITS

These are the 3 C’s of Strength Training for Fat Loss.

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These 3 C’s are methods of ” Cardio free” fat loss training and are the basis for all the protocols featured in my Strength Training for Fat Loss DVD.

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Each of the 3 C’s share certain aspects that make them superior to other methods at accelerating metabolism, burning fat and improving work capacity without the side effect of losing muscle.

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Each of these aspects are important to understand if 1.) you’re looking to design your own metabolic strength training workouts and 2.) you’d like to know why the protocols displayed in the Strength Training for Fat Loss DVD are so incredibly effective.

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Why are the 3 C’s of Metabolic Strength Training effective?

Each of the 3 C’s of metabolic strength training is effective at burning fat and increasing work capacity (conditioning) levels for three reasons:

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1. They’re high intensity

These protocols use heavy loads, which force you to work very hard each time you move the weight. High load = high intensity. The higher the intensity, the greater the metabolic impact.

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2. They involve the entire body

Each of the 3 C’s of metabolic strength training utilize total body movements and/or encompass the four primary movement patterns: upper body pushing, upper body pulling, leg dominant, and hip dominant. More muscles worked = more calories burned. The more calories you burn, the more productive your workout, the faster you lose body fat.

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3. They demand extended repetitive effort

All of the 3 C’s protocols can each take anywhere from 60 seconds to upwards of 6 minutes + to complete. That’s several minutes of high intensity total-body effort. You don’t have to be an exercise science major to know how effective that combination is for fat loss and conditioning purposes.

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In short, the combination of these three factors will burn a ton of calories both during and post workout; something that morning stroll on the treadmill simply can’t match.

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Strength Training Intervals!

The 3 C’s are basically interval training concepts utilizing strength training exercises. In truth, as long as it follows the three training criteria I list above, almost anything can be used as a metabolic strength training tool. In fact,  in the Strength Training for Fat Loss DVD, I show over 100 exercises for how utilize creative bodyweight, dumbbell, kettlebell, barbells and Resistance band exercises to develop circuits, combinations and complexes. I did this not only to give you an insane amount of value, but to inspire you to think out-of-the-box and get creative!

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Coming Soon…

In an few upcoming posts, I’m going to focus on one of the three C’s: Combinations, Complexes & Circuits. I’m going to tell you exactly what it is, how to use it safely/effectively, give the best time in your workout to use it and even provide a few sample workouts!

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In the meantime, comment below and tell us about your favorite metabolic strength training workout(s). Any favorite protocols from the Strength Training for Fat Loss DVD?

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I think it’s been a little too long since I made another installment to my Assessing Our Assessments series.

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In Part 1 of Assessing Our Assessments, I gave you some interesting and thought provoking points on Fitness Professionals using assessments.

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In Part 2, I provided you with some tips on how to better communicate with your clients during and after the movement assessment process.

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Today’s post will be dedicated to showing you what I feel to be are the Top 3 resources available for Fitness Professionals to learn, understand and apply a functional movement assessment.

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Top 3 Movement Assessment Resources

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Assess & Correct DVD

This DVD is produced by Eric Cressey, Mike Robertson and Bill Hartman. Or, as I like to call them “The 3 Amigos”.

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You won’t find a group of smarter, more well-read guys than Cressey, Robertson or Hartman. That’s why every product these guys produce is  top notch. Asses & Correct is no exception!

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The 3 Amigos have put together one of the most comprehensive products I’ve seen on the market today for how to Assess movement and correct dysfunction.

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If you’re a Strength Coach, Fitness Professional or Athlete looking for a done-for-you system of how to Asses and successfully use corrective exercise – This product delivers big!

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Gray Cook’s Functional Movement Screen (FMS)

If you’re a Fitness Professional and don’t know of Gray Cook, you’re either brand new to this industry or you’ve been living under a rock. Gray Cook has changed the game and is one of the smartest minds in this business. Much of what I do and how I think is influenced by concepts I learned or modified from Gray.

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Everything Gray puts out from his Functional Movement Screen DVDs, to his live FMS workshops through Perform Better , to the Secrets series of DVDs is amazing and well worth the investment.

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That said, for the sake of this post, I have to narrow it down to one assessment related product offered by Gray. The product I rank on my Top 3 Assessemnt products list is: FMS Performance Series Package

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Put simply, the FMS is one of the most comprehensive, plug-and-play assessment system for the Fitness Professional to evaluate and eliminate common movement dysfunctions!

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I highly suggest you invest in Gray Cooks FMS Performance Series Package if you want a fool-proof assessment system that works!

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Diagnosis and Treatment of Movement Impairment Syndromes

Diagnosis and Treatment of Movement Impairment Syndromes, The book by Shirley Sahrmann PT PhD FAPTA is one of the new “go-to” books for Physical Therapists and corrective minded Fitness Professionals.

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Shirley Sahrmann is at the top of her field and put together and amazing book describing how to improve human movement and how to assess dysfunction. I personally reference Shirley Sahrmann in many of my workshops. Her book has heavily influenced the way I think and train my clients.

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Diagnosis and Treatment of Movement Impairment Syndromes is some heavier duty reading. So, you may have to read it several times to fully understand how to safely and effectively use the information.

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In my opinion, Diagnosis and Treatment of Movement Impairment Syndromes is a must-have book for anyone looking to expand their knowledge of the human body and it’s function.

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There You Have it…

I’ve given you my Top 3 resources for learning how to effectively deliver a human movement assessment. There are plenty of other similar products out there. Many I’m sure are very effective. However, the three products I listed for you above are the one’s I’ve personally found most useful. Get them for yourself and I’m sure they’ll benefit you as much as they have for me.

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What Assessment products do you recommend? Comment below!

Pardon my reference from this hilarious SNL skit. But, I seriously will be presenting live and in color at the upcoming Mind / Body Journey on the Sea.

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The Mind / Body Journey on the Sea is essentially a Fitness/ Yoga conference on a cruise ship. You’ll get to spend the week with me and other professionals learning and having lots of fun on a 7-day cruise ship vacation.

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Here’s the info:

7 Night Western Caribbean Cruise Radiance Of The Seas October 09, 2010 Departs Tampa, Florida Ports of Call: Grand Cayman; Costa Maya; Belize; Cozumel

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The Mind / Body Journey on the Sea is an amazing event being put togther my lovely Mother and owner of Flow Yoga and To Each His Om clothing, Faith Bevan. Yes, fitness runs in my family!

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Reserve Your Space by July 31st and save $!

Don’t wait, reserve your space now as the shipping is almost full. A few specially priced cabins are available and room shares. To Reserve Your Space Now Contact: Caryn Graham cgraham@cruisesinc.com (727) 741-1438 final payment by July 2010 deposits are fully refundable til final payment.

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Comment below and let me know if I’ll see on the boat!

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The magazines have been good to me this month. Currently on shelves, I have articles featured in the current issue of Men’s Fitness magazine (August 2010 issue, pg.32), Men’s Health magazine (August 2010 issue, pg.58) and FIGHT! magazine (June 2010 issue, pg.68). So, yeah – get your butt to the bookstore and get to reading.

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To top it all off, I’m also honored to have contributed some tidbits of training knowledge to the 10-Ton Workout featured in the new, August 2010 issue of Muscle & Fitness magazine.

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That brings the count up to appearing in four magazines this month.  That’s right, Nick Tumminello/ Performance University and YOU (the readers of NickTumminello.com) are taking over the fitness world and we’re here to stay baby!

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The 10-Ton Workout

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If you’re looking for a simple to follow, well balanced workout program that will improve your strength and pack on the muscle –  The 10-Ton Workout is a fantastic training option!  And, for the cost of a single magazine, it’s a no brainer!

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Basically, each workout, you’ll lift 10-Tons using the sets and reps – weight formula described in the article. How badass is that?

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I highly suggest you rush out and pick up the latest issue of Muscle & Fitness magazine (shown above) and start using the 10-Ton Workout program if you’re looking for a new strength program. Not only will you get a great training program. But, you’ll also learn why I like programs like this and use similar one’s with my athletes here at Performance U.

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After you pick up the 10-Ton Workout issue, go here to check out 10-Ton Workout video.

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My hats off to the author of the 10-Ton Workout, David Barr, for his creative idea and for designing such a creative bodybuilding training concept anyone can immediately use to boost strength and muscle.

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What do you think of the 10-Ton Workout? Comment below…

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Check out my article titled “A Neck Above the Rest” featured in the June 2010 issue of FIGHT! magazine and discover how to Strengthen your neck to improve your overall fight game!

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Start getting bigger guns in just 60 seconds with my new arm workout featured in the August 2010 issue of Men’s Fitness magazine!

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These moves all carry the fancy name “metabolic finisher,” but the idea is simple: Use a quick burst of energy at the end of a workout to increase your heart rate and burn more calories. Pick one of these add-ons by Nick Tumminello, owner of Performance University, in Baltimore, MD and speed up your weight loss.

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Click here on on the magazine cover to read this entire article…

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The 4th Annual Strength and Conditioning/Athletic Development Conference is being held on Friday and Saturday, July 23 and 24, 2010 right in your backyard at Loyola University Maryland in Baltimore, Maryland.

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This is an absolute can’t miss event! I’m honred to be teaching at this event and join this huge list of incredible presenters!

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The 4th Annual Strength and Conditioning/Athletic Development Conference will be one of the best events you can attend this year. So, don’t miss out! – Go here to register!

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Here’s some of the details of this event :

WHAT: 4th Annual Strength and Conditioning/Athletic Development Conference sponsored by Zephyr Technology
WHO: health, fitness, nutrition, personal training, athletic training, physical therapy, and strength and conditioning professionals
WHEN: Friday and Saturday, July 23 and 24, 2010

WHY: The most consistent answer is for CEU’s and networking with some of the top strength and conditioning, nutrition, and athletic training professionals in the industry. But an over looked aspect of this event is the ability to donate to a charity that contributes to three children who were left behind because of a viscous and unnecessary act of violence.
How: For more information go to www.SMARTERTeamTraining.com where you can find information on presenters, presentations, hotel, directions, etc.

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Comment below and let me know if you’ll be attending. Hope to see you there!

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