Exercise Education: The Pause Squat
How to improve your explosive power!
The Pause Squat. If you consider yourself and effective 'squatter' this the pause can be a great way to play around with a different variation of the Back Squat. And is absolutely brutal.
Why? For the the majority of the time in commercial gyms il see a set of back squats come and go and quicker than it takes me to drink a coffee, that means its quick. The Pause completely eliminates the Stretch Reflex at the bottom. For those who don't know, the bounce you feel at the bottom that helps you back up is the Stretch Reflex. Its a muscle contraction in response to stretching, much like an elastic band. It's a preprogrammed response our muscles have and its a great way to cheat when lifting especially when Back Squatting. The 'Pause' at the bottom of the lift, which is the hardest part dampens that stretch reflex. To a certain extent you cant eliminate it completely but you can reduce its effectiveness. By overloading the surrounding muscles you will see great improvements in power through your hips and legs. Pause Squat for more POWER!
Tips on how to reduce muscle soreness port workout…
Most of you at some point would have experienced that muscle soreness you get having worked out? Clambering out of bed, shuffling down the stairs, struggling to sit down at your desk the soreness hurts so bad.
Its called Delayed Onset of Muscular Soreness aka DOMS! Its generally a good indicator that you has trained hard enough in the gym. Most people will assume the soreness means they're getting stronger and bigger. It does make sense to think this, but its not always necessarily true. Research is somewhat murky surrounding DOMS and whether they're actually an indicator that we have trained hard enough.
Before moving on to what we can do to at least reduce the soreness lets look at some myths surrounding delayed onset of muscular soreness;
- Genetics play a role
- Eccentric Contractions will create more DOMS compared to the concentric contraction
- Muscle soreness can be further aggravated by stress and sleep deprivation
- The amount of soreness depends on the muscle being trained
- Massage and Ice Baths are typically known for reducing DOMS. If they have any benefit its short lived and only an immediate cure
- Static stretching will not reduce the likelihood of DOMS post workout
Caffeine
is known to already be a great pre workout stimulus and has benefits on both endurance and strength training. Its ability to reduce DOMS is a lot less unknown, but it does appear to be one of the most effective ways of reducing if not curing DOMS.Caffeine
Why: Scientists suggest that caffeine reduces muscular soreness because it blocks central nervous receptors related to pain.
Branch Chain Amino Acids (BCAA)
These little badboys are already known for their supposed ability to reduce muscle soreness and improve recovery.
Why: BCAAs increase protein synthesis and reduce muscle breakdown, conserving tissue during intense training. BCAAS preserves the integrity of the muscle fibers for less post-workout pain.
Warm Up
Warming up before starting your sets may lead to less soreness post workout. Before starting an actually set, do a couple warm up sets on a lighter load. Example if you're doing Chest Press. Do 3 or 4 warm up sets, 5 to 6 reps of a lighter load before start your actual set.
Why: Supposedly the initial training increases sarcomeres and causes adaptations in the inflammatory response. Then, the extra sarcomeres reduce the strain on muscle fibers during the second bout, leading to less muscle damage.
Carbohydrates vs Protein
How many times a year do we all try and cut out carbs? And how many times do we fail? Why?
Here we are going to look a little bit closer. If you want to know how our bodies react to carbs and why carbs can lead to weight gain the please read on...if you know the actual reasons why you should lower or cut your carbs then this blog may inspire you to maintain a more balanced diet.
Lets look at our current diet, how much of what you have consumed today would be classed as a carbohydrate? More than likely the majority of it. Carbohydrates can be anything from a pizza, a sandwich to a chocolate bar.
How our bodies react to this is important. Our bodies break down carbohydrates into glucose, this is then absorbed into cells with the help of a hormone called insulin. Once the energy has been transported into our cells 2 main actions happen, we will either use the glucose from carbohydrates as energy or store it as fat to be used later when needed. This is where the problem lies! Because we eat a high carbohydrate diet on a daily basis, and live fairly inactive lives at least Monday to Friday whilst at work, we keep on storing more and more fat.
‘Elevating insulin levels drives us to store more fat’
Lets look at a few of the many benefits protein has! Protein first and foremost reduces hunger. You will feel fuller and for longer. Carbohydrates unsurprisingly have the opposite effect. So you can therefore eat more of it, feel more satisfied and eat fewer calories. Another amazing benefit of protein, we expend more energy digesting it! Protein actually requires nearly two times the calories to breakdown as carbs. The most commonly known benefit of protein is the effect it has on muscles and promoting muscle growth. Both strength training and consuming protein will aid in muscle growth when done separately. Pair the two together and you will have a far more superior rate of muscle growth as they are synergistic. Additional benefits include better bone density, improved brain function, lower blood pressure, stronger tendons and will aid better recovery from injury.
What should you do next? Small incremental changes is often the best way to go about improving your nutrition. For a diet that will aid in fat loss you want to stay away from refined Carbs; Pizzas, Bread, Pasta, Rice, Chocolate, Fizzy Drinks. If you want to get specific, I would first and foremost eliminate wheat. Wheat has the same effect on blood sugar as plain table sugar. Secondly, choose where you get your carbs from? Natural sources such as Quinoa, Sweet Potato rather than refined processed as for obvious reasons are a lot better. Lastly, Fibre! Fibre is your friend. Your main source of fibre should ideally come from fibrous vegetables, which are also very low in carbohydrates. Another benefit is the effect it will have on your insulin, you won't get as big a sugar spike making them an ideal fat loss food.
What should your meals look like? In an ideal world each of your main meals would include a protein source, a fat source, and a green vegetable. If you can stick to this as a rule of thumb you are heading in the right direction for a more nutritious diet that will promote fat loss and ultimately provide you with more energy.
8 Week Body Composition Programme
I had frustratingly gained considerable weight having sustained a dislocated shoulder playing rugby which had a huge impact on my training. As a result my nutrition also suffered. As soon as I felt the joint could get back into resistance training I assessed my current diet/nutrition.
I had been consuming far too many foods that had either been processed, or came from a sugar/carbohydrate source. My first action was to remove this completely from by diet.
‘A diet high in carbohydrate will result in the body reserving fat as a fuel’
Having assessed what had led to my body fat increasing, I reverted back to a high protein/fat diet. I had always maintained a high level of fitness and was shocked to see how poor my physique had become having not trained for 6-8 weeks. What was more disappointing was that my nutrition had been massively affected. I sometimes felt lethargic die to what I was eating, and waking up in the morning had almost become a chore again.
If fat is not apart of the diet, then the body will store any fat it can which is predominantly done through carbohydrates which leads to weight gain.
Shocking my body by removing all sugar/carb sources it had become accustomed too, promoted my body into having no choice but to tap into my fat stores. Our bodies will use any carbohydrates/sugar we consume as an immediate source of fuel as well as being stored as fat. This could therefore no longer continue.
A low carbohydrate diet will force the body to use its fat sources as a fuel
For any body composition/fat loss programme its essential to manage insulin. A diet high in protein/fat allows for a slow and steady rise in blood sugars. Providing a slower release of energy rather than a spike and then drop carbohydrates would do. This had a most noticeable impact on my in the mornings, after 2 weeks I was again able to wake up at 6am and not feel tired.
I was consuming healthy fats (avocado, nuts, olive oil) with every meal, a portion of protein (chicken, beef) and always a dark green vegetable. Dark green veg (spinach,kale) are dense in mineral, vitamins and nutrients. Nuts are also a great source of healthy smart fats that also allow blood sugar to remain stable for an extended period of time. I would consume around 60 grams per day and vary the nuts I was eating.
Including a green vegetable is important as they are nutrient dense, low in sugar and high in antioxidants which assists with digestion and gut health
After 4 weeks I could see a noticeable difference not only aesthetically but in myself, I felt great, had more energy and was training harder than ever. By the end of the 8 week programme I had reduced 4% in body fat and my weight had dropped 1.1kg. I am now aiming to get down to 12.% in the next 4/6 weeks.
Week 1
91.3kg
18% Body Fat
Week 8
90.2kg
14% Body Fat
Gluten.
First of all what is it and where does it come from? Gluten, is a form of Wheat. Well, specifically the protein found within Wheat. Gluten helps foods maintain their shape, essentially acting as a glue.
In the past 100 years agriculture has changed dramatically. We are now using far more chemicals and fertilisers than ever before meaning the gluten we consume daily is far more dangerous than the Gluten our grandparents consumed many years ago.
What does this mean?
Firstly, humans have never had adequate enzymes to be able to break down gluten. Our bodies should be able to efficiently allow energy to pass into the cells of the body. Gluten acts like a sticky glue which can prevent anything entering our cells. For example Insulin, which allows the sugar (glucose) in our bloodstream to pass into cells to be used as energy or stored. Gluten will do its utmost to prevent this from happening.
Its important to remember we don't need Gluten to survive and it offers very little to zero nutritional value. If you have a goal reducing body fat remove gluten from your diet.
Hip Flexors
Do you work in an office? Suffer from lower back pain? Then the below information on what your Hip Flexors are, what they do and how the impact your daily life is a must read.
The 2 main muscles that make up the Hip Flexors;
- Iliacus
- Psoas
The main function of these muscles is too assist your joints in moving properly in their full range. They allow you to draw your leg to your torso, and also help move your legs from side to side and backwards.
The hip flexor is the muscle group that connects your legs to your torso and lower body, and allows your legs to move in conjunction with your torso. The hip flexor also serves to stabilise your hips and lower body, keeping the joints of your pelvis and lumbar spine strong.
If you spend most of the day in an office sitting down at a desk its more than likely your hip flexors will be underdeveloped, tight, stiff and short due to the static position they are kept in all day. You will more than likely experience a limited range of motion in the hips and lower back. That's because tight hip flexors pull your pelvis into an unnatural forward tilt, which in turn pulls your lumbar spine out of alignment, causing lower back pain.
Regular stretching and exercises that promote range of movement are great for increasing hip flexor mobility and strengthening (Lunges, Split Squats etc)
Super Foods…
Super Foods you should be eating...
Kale - One cup of cooked kale has over 1000% more vitamin C than a cup of cooked spinach. Kale is among the most nutrient dense foods in existence.
Spinach - Rich in iron. Iron plays a central role in the function of red blood cells which help in transporting oxygen around the body, in energy production and DNA synthesis. Spinach is also an excellent source of vitamin Vitamin K is important for maintaining bone health and it is difficult to find vegetables richer in vitamin K than spinach.
Watercress - High in Sulphur. For females who are Oestrogen dominant, body fat will often be stored around the legs/hips. Watercress will assist in pulling excess Oestrogen from the body acting as an Oestrogen Modulator.
Tip; Dark green leafy vegetables are nutritional powerhouses