Alli and I recently had the pleasure of being interviewed by Kevin Larabee of the hugely popular Fitcast.

You can listen to our entire interview free on itunes or Mp3 download here. Our interview starts at the 1hr mark.

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In this interview, Alli and I revealed all the details of how we got her into sick shape for her figure competitions.

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Here are just a few things you will learn in this interview:

- The exact training split Alli uses when transforming her physique

- How we combined conditioning and strength training to maximize fat loss and prevent overtraining

- How we undulated our cardio/conditioning training for  better results

- Some of the creative interval training workouts we used to “keep things interesting”

- Key advice every female needs to know about getting started with Figure training and figure competitions

- What Alli did to still lift heavy and get a smaller, leaner, stage ready physique

And, plenty more killer training for Figure competitors and figure athletes!

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Go here to listen to our entire Fitcast interview or click on the logo below. Again, Alli and I come on at the 1hr mark of this Fitcast episode.

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One of my favorite complimentary pieces of fitness equipment to use with my clients and athletes of all levels is the TRX Suspension trainer.

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The TRX is a versatile training device that provides a few exercises options that cannot be performed with any other piece of equipment.

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Of course, here at Performance U, I’m always developing my own original training protocols to fill the needs of my athletes.

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If your looking for one of the best upper back, pulling workouts – My 15/30 workout protocol using TRX suspension training is just what the doctor ordered!

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If you don’t have your own TRX, you can buy it here.
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For all those who do have a TRX – Comment below and tell us what you thought of the 15/30 Workout Protocol. You can also tell us about your favorite TRX workouts!

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More random videos, trainig music recommendations and other cool stuff you should know about!

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Music from the Performance U Playlist

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The Band – Strung Out

Music Genre – Punk / Metal

Best Songs/Albums – Every Strung Out album is great!

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I’ve been listening to Strung Out while I workout since my high school days. This band never gets old to me!.

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This Frog Needs Some More Speed Training!
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This video makes me laugh every time I watch it!
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How Juggling Rewires Your Brain

Neuroscientists have discovered that learning to juggle causes changes in white matter, the nerve strands which help different parts of the brain communicate with each other. Read more here…

You know here at Performance U, creativity is alive and well. Of course, the creativity always comes with a purpose! Today’s video is no exception.

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One of my favorite new core training movements is the Body Saw exercise. The Body Saw exercise is not only great for building superior core strength / stability. But, with the added tweak I show you in the video below, the Body Saw becomes one heck of a great shoulder stability exercise as well!

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Here’s how you perform the Body Saw exercise, Performance U style!

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Give the Body Saw exercise a try and be sure to comment below and tell us what you think!

Also, share some of your personal creative variations of the Body Saw?

This post is actually my second post regarding NFL Combine 40 Yard Dash times. In my first post revealing the TRUTH about the NFL Combine 40 Yard Dash Times, I provided some eye opening information on what everything we hear about the fastest 40 yard dash times at the NFL  combine is just plain wrong!

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In today’s post, I’ve got more of the same. Yes, that’s right, it’s finally starting come into national news what Strength Coaches have known for years – athletes never achieve the mythical 4.2 40 yard dash times at the NFL combine.

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THe question is, where do these myths come from? Well, now you will find out!

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Check out this article  from Rivals.com titled Fine, we get it: Florida is fast. There’s no need to exaggerate. By Matt Hinton

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Here’s a few quotes from Matt Hinton’s article:

“We’ve already seen one interesting sign in Florida’s locker room today. Here is another, filled withobviously fake 40-yard dash times:”

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“Forget for a second the general abuse of the 40 as a relevant measure of “football speed,” which is more about short bursts and quickness in tight spaces. Despite the glaring absence of the fastest player in the country, Jeffrey Demps, you’ll notice four players are listed here as sub-4.3, or faster than any player ran in the entire NFL combine. That includes the only warp-speed Gator to run in Indianapolis, Percy Harvin, whose official, electronically-timed 4.41 tied for the sixth-best effort at the combine but wouldn’t have even gotten him on the above board in Gainesville. According to this, Chris Rainey is only barely human, having apparently evolved certain characteristics of a rabbit (in, uh, more ways than one, perhaps).”

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Rivals.com writer, Matt Hinton then wrote a follow up article on the NFL Combine 40 Yard Dash titled - Haden, Mays remind us again to beware the cult of the fake 40 time.

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Here are a few quotes by Matt Hinton from that article:

“I got a little mileage last spring out of Florida’s fake 40 board,(pictured above) which ludicrously claimed that four Gators ran faster 40 times during winter workouts than any single player at last year’s NFL combine. In the wake of cornerback Joe Haden’s disappointing sprint Tuesday at this year’s edition of the meat market, I’ve been encouraged via email to dig it up for old time’s sake:”

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“At Florida, Haden was listed at 4.33, significantly faster than any cornerback in last year’s combine; coming into Tuesday’s proceedings as a virtual lock to go in the top 10 of next month’s draft, he was expected to run in the low 4.4 range, which still would have been faster than any cornerback actually posted Tuesday (the fastest official time by any corner in Indy this morning was 4.45, posted by Wake Forest’s Brandon Ghee). Haden’s times: 4.57 on the first run, 4.60 on the second, immediately putting his high-first-round status in jeopardy. (Those are unofficial times off hand-held watches, which typically get slower when “official” electronic times comes in.) Suddenly, Haden’s not just the All-American and top prospect scouts saw on film — there’s a number that says he’s kind of slow. Said one scout on the NFL Network, “People are going to have a hard time getting that 4.57 out of their head with a top-10 corner.”

“On the opposite end of the spectrum, 230-pound USC safety Taylor Mays lit up the stopwatches with an unreal 4.24:

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“If that time had stood, it would have tied East Carolina’s Chris Johnson as the fastest recorded time in combine history and solidified Mays as the freakiest of all freaks who walked through the door this year or almost any other. Of course, it didn’t stand: When the electronic numbers came in, his official time was 4.43 — still the fastest time among all DBs on hand, but nowhere near the eye-popping reports off the stopwatches. Trindon Holliday’s initially record-breaking run on Sunday met the same fate, when the diminutive LSU return man/NCAA track champion’s best time was downgraded from an absurd 4.22 on the stopwatches to a slightly less absurd 4.34 on the books.”

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You can read both of Matt Hinton’s articles (quoted above), in full, on Rivals.com. Just click on the title of the articles below.

Haden, Mays remind us again to beware the cult of the fake 40 time

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Fine, we get it: Florida is fast. There’s no need to exaggerate.

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I hope you now se the TRUTH about these mythical NFL Combine 40 Yard Dash Times.

I’m back with another installment of my Assessing our Assessments series. In this series, I look at simple and effective ways of improving the way Fitness Professionals use Postural Assessments and Functional Movement Screens.

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As I mentioned in Part 1, I use my own hybrid style Assessment of Gray Cook’s Functional Movement Screen. Eventually, I may make an assessments for Strength Coaches DVD. Please comment below and let me know if you’d be interested in purchasing that kind of product if I produced one?

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Part 1 of Assessing our Assessments was some what controversial. Today, in Part 2 – I’m simply going to provide you with a piece of advice (from the trenches) everyone can use from Strength Coach to Athletic Trainer to Personal Trainer to Physical Therapist.

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Regardless of who you are or who you work with, if you’re using some sort of Postural of Functional Movement Assessment, take this simple advice piece of advice -

Don’t EVER make your clients feel bad!

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No, I don’t mean you’re going to be nasty to them. I’m talking about when you’re performing their Functional movement/ Postural assessment. Don’t jump at every chance to tell your client what a train wreck they are!

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Keep in mind you are working with someone who knows they need help. Otherwise, they wouldn’t have  hired your services in the first place. They may already be uncomfortable with how they look, move and/or feel. Don’t add to that by telling them how horrible their posture is, how poorly the move or that their glutes don’t work. By the way, if you’re telling folks their glutes are off, you must read this post!

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I don’t care how poorly someone performs during a Functional Movement assessment! – I never tell my clients anything but positive stuff like “nice work, you did exactly what I asked of you!” or just simply “good job!”.

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I’ve even seen other presenters at conferences bring up a Fitness professional from the audience, assess all their supposed “dysfunctions”, then proceed to tear this poor volunteer to pieces in front of all their colleagues and friends. You should see the negative body language and uncomfortable facial expressions of these poor folks who were only trying to learn some new training techniques. Instead, they get publicly embarrassed. That’s certainly not what these folks paid for nor is what your clients are paying for either!

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My friends the “let me show you all your dysfunctions, or show you all the ways you suck at moving because I’m so super educated” tactic is certainly not I how I teach nor how I deal with clients. Again – DON’T MAKE ANYONE FEEL BAD! You can still discuss what needs to be improved and help people without seeming condescending or trying to “break people”.

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When doing my assessments, I may be thinking “Man, I’ve got lots of work ahead of me with this person”. But , my client doesn’t need to know that. I’m happy to tell folks in a diplomatic way, what they need to work on and improve. But, I will never say anything that could possibly be discouraging or make them feel bad about their body and how they move.

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Keep in mind that above all the fancy technical training tactics and exercises, we work with living, breathing people with thoughts, feeling and emotions. Your clients mental/ spiritual fitness is just as important as their physical! If you have never seen the movie Patch Adams – There is a great quote where Patch says “The only difference between a Doctor and a Scientist is Doctors deal with live people”. We can take a lesson from Patch!

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I hope you enjoyed today’s post!

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Don’t forget to comment about if you’d like me to produce a DVD teaching my Performance U method of Functional Movement Assessment?

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Along with my article gracing the cover of the April 2010 issue of Mens Fitness magazine – I also have the honor of having a Three-part, Dynamic Warm Up routine featured in this Month’s issue of Women’s Health Magazine. My workout / Warm-up is featured on pg.56-57 of the issue pictured below. (more…)

I LOVE Bodyweight exercises and bodyweight workouts! There is nothing better than burning fat, building muscle and developing insane relative strength using the best piece of exercise equipment ever invented – the human body!

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Today’s video is about old time, high school style rope climbing… without using your legs!

Many athletes think they’re strong. But, in my book, if you can’t climb a rope – Your not truly as strong as you should be.

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Rope climbing is one of my all time favorite ways of turning athletes into a strength monsters! If you’re a Strength Coach or Trainer and want your athletes to gain insane strength and out perform the competition – you need to get a climbing rope! Plus, it’s fun!

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So, who’s up for the strength challenge? – Are you strong enough to climb a rope without using your feet? Are your athletes?

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I think climbing ropes should be in every gym! – How about you?

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Today, I’m going to talk about popular Stability Ball (Swiss Ball) exercises I highly recommend against using. I hope you are ready to change the way you train!

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Stability Ball Exercises You SHOULDN’T Be Using!

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Personally, I do not use, nor do I recommend using any free weight (barbells, Dumbbells, etc:) loaded exercises while lying, sitting or standing on a Stability Ball. I recommend against performing any and ALL free weight loaded  exercises on a Swiss Ball for 3 reasons.

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Reason #1 NOT to Lift Weights while on a Stability Ball :

Stable based free weight training has been PROVEN to be the MOST effective way to improve strength & performance. Unstable base training has not!

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First, lifting weights on a swiss ball has NOT been shown to be more effective than stable base training for building strength and improving performance. Heres some science to back me up -

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To summarize this 2004 National Strength and Conditioning Association Research study titled:

The Effectiveness of Resistance Exercises Performed on Unstable Equipment

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“Research summary: The performance of resistance exercises on unstable equipment has increased in popularity, despite the lack of research supporting their effectiveness. Resistance exercise performed on unstable equipment may not be effective in developing the type of balance, proprioception, and core stability required for successful sports performance. Free weight exercises performed while standing on a stable surface have been proven most effective for enhancing sports related skills.”

(C) 2004 National Strength and Conditioning Association

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Reason #2 NOT to Lift Weights while on a Stability Ball :

You will NEVER become as strong as your potential allows lifting weights while on a swiss ball or any other unstable surface.

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In addition to the above scientific research. Keep in mind – the reason why we lift weights is to increase strength and muscle. Unstable base training can be considered “Stabilization Limited Strength Training” or SLST because the instability limits your ability to generate the high levels of force needed for optimal muscular development. Here’s more science to back me up -

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To summarize this 2004 National Strength and Conditioning Association study titled -

Maintenance of Emg Activity and Loss of Force Output With Instability

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“Swiss Balls used as a platform for training provide an unstable environment for force production. The objective of this study was to measure differences in force output and electromyographic (EMG) activity of the pectoralis major, anterior deltoid, triceps, latissimus dorsi, and rectus abdominus for isometric and dynamic contractions under stable and unstable conditions. Ten healthy male subjects performed a chest press while supported on a bench or a ball. Unstable isometric maximum force output was 59.6% less than under stable conditions. However, there were no significant differences in overall EMG activity between the stable and unstable protocols. Greater EMG activity was detected with concentric vs. eccentric or isometric contractions.  The diminished force output suggests that the overload stresses required for strength training necessitate the inclusion of resistance training on stable surfaces.”

(C) 2004 National Strength and Conditioning Association

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Now, think about the above research abstract you just read. If you want to get stronger, you must lift heavy loads. Duh! But, using the swiss ball, you cannot use loads heavy enough  to increase strength. So, what’s the point?

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Reason #3 NOT to Lift Weights while on a Stability Ball :

Holding free weights while on a Stability ball is downright dangerous!

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So far you’ve learned two scientifically based reasons why NOT to perform any externally loaded exercises on a swiss ball. If that’s not enough to convince you to rethink your usage of the Swiss Ball?  I’ve got one more VERY BIG reason for you!

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Lifting weights on a Swiss Ball is down right dangerous because the ball can pop and cause you or your client major injury! The Sacramento Kings (NBA Basketball team) found this out the hard way.

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Starting forward Francisco Garcia, who’s contract is worth $29.6 million over 5 years, will miss at least four months of the season after an exercise ball accident broke his right wrist. Garcia, who weighs 195 pounds, was laying on his back on an exercise ball, lifting 90 pound weights in each hand, when the ball burst.

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Take a lesson from the Sacramento Kings and stop performing ALL weighted exercise on swiss balls as stated in this article titled-

Sacramento Kings warn other NBA teams after exercise ball accident

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“The exercise balls have been removed from the Sacramento Kings’ weight room and stored in a dark storage space, with no word yet whether a sacrificial burning of the rubber menaces is yet to come.

Kings co-owner Joe Maloof ordered an e-mail sent to the NBA’s other 29 teams, hoping to spread the word about unforeseen dangers that can arise when performing even basic workouts with an inflatable exercise ball commonly found in many gyms and homes.”

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Why Would Anyone Still Be Lifting Weights on a Stability Ball?

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Well, there you have it! I’ve given you 3 solid scientific and common sense reasons why NOT to combine free weight lifting exercises with the Swiss Ball. How could anyone still being lifting weights while on a ball after now knowing its no more and actually LESS beneficial than using a stable base?

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Please understand I wrote this post not to bash anyone but rather because I’m looking out for my fellow Fitness Professionals best interest! As Fitness Professionals, we all must put aside our personal likes and training biases and place our clients safety above all!

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Even if you don’t agree with the science discussed above? Use your common sense and realize the risks involved every time you put yourself or your client on a Swiss ball while holding free weights far outweight any supposed benefits. A bench will never explode, but a swiss ball may burst at anytime! As Murphy’s Law states – “what can go wrong, will go wrong”.

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Think about it – If a case ever went to court because one of your clients was injured after falling off a Stability Ball during a workout session with you – You are responsible! Plus, a lawyer would tear you up on the stand because you would be unable to provide any scientific justification for why you put your client at risk and didn’t just use a safer and more stable bench. Keep in mind we live in a sue happy country!

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So, I will conclude  with a question I’d like you to answer on the comment forum, now having read today’s post -

In regards to lifting free weights while on a Stability Ball- Is the risk worth the reward?

You know my answer, I want to hear yours?

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My last few posts have been discussing the concept of whether or not Ab crunches and other trunk flexion exercises are dangerous.

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I’m afraid my actual approach to using crunches in my daily training may be misunderstood due to no one’s fault but my own.  I’ve always prided myself on delivering non-biased, battlet-tested training information that empowers you to think for yourself and not just follow. I try to encourage personal creativity and always try to provide information from both sides of controversial topics such as the lumbar flexion debate. That said, based on a few comments floating around the internet on my recent posts, I don’t think folks really understand my true view on this matter.

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In today’s post, I’m going to clarify my take on crunches, flexion exercises and low back pain research by such brilliant folks like Stuart McGill.

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Clarifying Crunches

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I have to give credit to my good friend, Coach Mike Boyle for helping me realize that the messages in my posts may be getting misconstrued. Below is a conversation exchange Coach Boyle and I had a few days ago on his Strength Coach Blog from his post entitled “No More Crunches“.

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mboyle1959 Says:
March 3, 2010 at 6:11 am

Nick- maybe I should have said “he likes to play Devil’s Advocate”. I know how you train people but, I think your posts sometimes give people the wrong impression of your views. This post was a case in point. The writer used your point to take a stance opposite one your primariliy ageree with. Thanks for taking the time to respond.

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Nick Tumminello Says:
March 3, 2010 at 5:38 am

Just to clarify a few things:

1. I don’t disagree just for the sake of argument. Put simply, I never have and never will like blanket statements. For instances: “crunches are bad”. No, too many crunches can be bad for some. I would say any exercise is bad, if it’s done to the extent and large amount of volume crunches are often performed. Squat are great, but 100 squats done everyday may be tough on your knees?

REMEMBER – Flexion is not the problem – High repetition flexion is the problem!

2. I do NOT use trunk flexion all that often in my training. But, not because I’m afraid crunches will put my clients on the surgery table.

I don’t use crunches often because much of my training times is dedicated to reversing the sitting position (aka slouchy posture). Crunches replicate this posture and therefore I feel my clients valuable training time is better used not do anything like they already do 8+ hrs a day. This is why I do agree with Coach Boyle when he tells young trainers to cut out crunches and has done it himself.

But, that doesn’t mean we should look down upon a smart and experienced coach if he or she decides to use crunches for a specific athlete.

3. I have a great deal of respect for Dr. McGill and in no way am I attempting to discredit him. I do however feel there are a few things in his book that have no bearing on human movement for the reasons I wrote in that blog post. That said, MOST of what DR. McGill talks about, I believe in 100% and use everyday.

In short, do I think anyone NEEDs to do crunches? – Absolutely NOT! But, then again, I don’t think there is any one exercise that has magical powers that everyone MUST do. A squat, deadlift, Push Up, etc: are all just exercises.

Best regards!

Coach N

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I hope this clarifies things a bit.  If you’d like to read the rest of the comments from this thread go here.

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