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?

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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by Nick Tumminello

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Improve overall fitness and coordination by forcing multiple muscles to work together. This full-body movement links big muscles around your abs and back with your hips, shoulders, and neck, says Nick Tumminello, C.P.T., owner of Performance University.

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Continue Reading…

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Athletes aren’t born; they’re built. This exercise from Nick Tumminello, C.P.T., owner of Performance University in Baltimore, builds your acceleration, speed, and explosiveness.

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Continue Reading…

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Core training is a hot topic. It always has been and always will be. Why? – Because even though we all may have different approaches to training the “core”. We all agree that the Core is important for health and performance.

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In this post, I’m going to provide with with an informative video that reveals a major missing piece to the core training spectrum. And, in the video, I show you a simple, very effective way to fill the gap and make your rotary / anti-roation core training more complete.

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So, if you want to discover a quick and easy way to improve your core training and create workouts that are safer and more effective, watch the video below now!

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I can honestly say that what I just taught you in the video above is one of the most important, yet often overlooked, aspects of an effective core training exercise program!

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Post your comments and let us know some of your favorite, “go to” Rotary and/or Ant-Rotation exercises!

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Alright, I’ve got allot of cool stuff in this issue of Freestyle Friday. So, lets get to it!

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My Lost Fitcast Interview

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Back during the Thanksgiving Holiday, I did my second interview with the Fitcast. It was a great interview that covered:

- Functional Movement Screening

- Fat Loss Training

- Training with a Herniated Disc(s)

And plenty more!

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For some strange reason, I never sent out an email or Blog post notifying anyone of this free interview. So, better late than never!

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Go here to listen my FREE Fitcast Interview!

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Cool Workout Tunes!

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Occasionally, I like to talk about some of the music on the Performance U playlist. These are songs and bands we like to jam to when getting after it in the gym. I try to only talk about lesser known bands that rock!

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The Band – RA

Favorite Album by RA – Duality

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Favorite Songs by RA – Rectifier, I Lost Everything Today, Everything Little She Does is Magic (cover)

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5 Superpowers You Didn’t Know Your Body Was Hiding From You

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This is a very interesting, insightful and humorous article  found on Cracked.com.

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Those motivational speakers are right: You are capable of amazing things. You wouldn’t know it, because 99 percent of the time your body or brain hides these superpowers from you.

Sure, they say there’s a good reason, but we’re not sure we’re buying it. Dammit, we want our…

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Go here to Continue Reading…

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One of the best and most popular shoulder stabilization / pre-hab drills used among strength coaches these days is the Push Up Plus exercise. Why? – Because it’s a great exercise for activating and strengthening the all important Serratus Anterior muscles of the shoulder.

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Serratus Anterior

A strong Serratus Anterior muscle is crucial for optimal shoulder health and functional movement. Put simply, the Serratus Anteriror keeps the Scapula (Shoulder Blade) pressed against the rib cage while your arm moves or deals with load.

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Many folks blame a weak Serratus Anterior muscle for causing a winged Scapula. Although this can be true. There are some cases in which Scapula winging is cause by a long Thoracic nerve problem. This an an issue that is way beyond the scope of most coaches and therefore beyond the scope of this Blog.

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Now, what IS within the scope of this Blog is to provide you with yet another  new, smarter and more effective way to use the Push Up Plus exercise for the purpose of shoulder strengthening and injury prevention.

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In the video below, I demonstrate  how to perform the Push Up Plus exercise to MAXIMALLY recruit and strengthen the Serratus Anterior muscles.

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These recommendations featured in the video below are based on the current Bio-mechanical research and teachings of world renowned Physical Therapists like Mark Comerford and Kevin Wilk.

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Check out this video and discover how to Perform the Push Up Plus a Better way!

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As always, I love to hear your thoughts and feedback. So, don’t forget to comment below…

Regardless of your specific training style, everyone uses the Ab Plank for core strength and stabilization training.

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Honestly, I don’t use them in the same fashion as I used to but thats a subject for a different post.

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In this post, I’m going to show you a simple, yet very effective training secret that is guaranteed to double the effectiveness of your Ab plank training.

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Don’t believe me? – Watch this video and see for yourself…

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Keep your eyes on the Blog because I’ve got another killer training secret for Side Ab Plank exercise coming at you very soon!
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Everyone knows that in order to continually get stronger, bigger, leaner or faster you must consistently challenge your body by adding progression. More specifically, you need to always incorporate a progressive challenge to your workouts.

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Although this concept is well known, the methods of how to do this safely, efficiently and effectively are still somewhat of a mystery to athletes and coaches alike.

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In this Blog post series, I’m going to provide you with a multitude of challenging, fun and effective ways to continually gain muscle, increase strength, improve explosiveness and reduce body fat without increasing the load on the bar or dumbbell.

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Beyond Just Adding Weight

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Although adding more weight is certainly a valuable and proven way to progress, there are also many other options that are just as, if not more effective depending on your goals effective. These are the methods I will describe in this and future posts.

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Don’t Misunderstand!

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Before you watch the video below, Let’s get one thing straight. I’m not saying you shouldn’t ever add weight to your lifts. Nor am I saying that adding weight is not important to gaining size and strength. All I’m saying is that adding weight is just one method of many. In other words, its just a tool in the tool box, is NOT the only tool in the box.

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Watch this video and discover the first, simple method to get stronger and improve performance w/o adding addition weight load!

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Stay tuned for Part 2 because I will reveal another simple and very practical method of gaining strength!