Repeat Until Strong

by Dunte Hector

I have had the unique pleasure in the last few weeks, as the strength and agility test phases of our Community Gains Project have passed, to relay advice given to me by Dave Whitley, Master StrongFirst instructor: “You’re thinking too much and lifting too little. Just get stronger!”

Frankly, folks, you need to get strong. Although everyone has different reasons for attending classes at the Shop, becoming stronger simply must be one of your goals.

And, to that end, we’re here to help you.

You have stuck with us while Matt and I have modified and toyed with the daily programming. We like to joke that DBS sometimes struggles with “random acts of variety” in training, and that struggle is why some people may not make the gains we expect.

No more!

Programming at the Shop is making a transition. Stated better: your workouts are evolving.

Beginning today, you will see a new format in classes that emphasizes skill work, a strength component, and some basic conditioning work. Every day. Every week. The skills will change periodically, but no more bouncing between focuses from week to week.

You will notice — though you might have seen this in the previous three weeks — that Fusion is longer and more involved and that warm-ups are shorter and more technical.

You may notice — though you might have guessed it from our recent testing — that training focuses on doing fewer things better.

And you may initially be flustered that classes are shorter — just 50 minutes of training instead of 60+…

And all of this is with the singular goal of making you stronger. A few notes about our goals follow. I look forward to having you along on our journey toward better training.

**

Everyone loves some conditioning work. A little stamina in the daily workout gives you that panting, sweaty, “worked out” feeling. We love it, too.

But the question about training, and conditioning especially, to be asked is, “For what?”

Frankly, about conditioning, we haven’t been sure in several months. Now we have an answer: “To be able to move safely, effectively, and powerfully while fatigued.”

That answer is entirely an injury-prevention approach. You’re a working professional with a family or friends who want you to be healthy and safe. Our job is to preserve the integrity of your body, even to build it up. So conditioning and Fusion will be focused on durability.

That said, conditioning work will be shorter because we still want you to pour your heart out during it. Let’s redefine “intense” work: shorter, faster, better.

**

Strength training can sometimes be boring, as our newly-minted powerlifters and weightlifters can attest. But regarding strength training, the “for what?” question is answered simply: For everything.

Getting stronger is the surest path to nearly every physical goal in existence. Want to run faster? Get stronger and run. Want to jump higher? Get stronger and jump. Want to lose fat? Get stronger and eat sensibly. Want to lift more? Obvious…

But strength is more than force production and lifting ability.

Want to feel more confident in social or professional situations? Channel your mental state when struggling under near maximum weights or when pushing for that extra rep in a set of squats.

Want to find the motivation to make a lifestyle change? Remember the slow, difficult process to building muscle or boosting your deadlift.

Want to deal with stress better? Remember how soreness is temporary but the lessons learned and gains made are durable and resilient.

We will narrow down our strength training focuses. You will train the same movements and their subtle variations nearly every day for 4-8 weeks at a time. And, if you honestly try to improve your form, try to perform an extra rep, or try to put more weight on the bar every time, you will absolutely get stronger.

It will be boring at times. Rejoice! You know the movement well enough to put energy into perfecting it.

It will be difficult at times. Celebrate! You are challenging yourself to do more or do better.

It will be frustrating at times. Smile! You are practicing patience and taking the long-term view to improving yourself.

**

We promise to be thorough about educating you in exercise and to provide a venue in which you can train safely and for a long time. We promise to hold you accountable to your goal in coming to us — to build a better version of yourself. We promise to give you the most direct path to that goal.

Folks, that path is through strength. Strength built with focused, planned, technically perfect training. Our programming is evolving to meet that criteria. In class today, you we ask you to take part and trust the process; then repeat until strong.

Let us know what you think.

Register for classes here.

F’nGo presents F’nGive, beneFITing Explore Austin

Why do we lift, run, jump, and sweat? To look good or feel good, maybe, but perhaps there’s another reason we get out of bed before 5am, or put in our time after a hard day’s work. Maybe we do what we do to overcome mental and physical barriers. How does it feel to find a new max or run a quicker mile? Amazing. Sometimes confronting the obstacles we put in front of you at the Shop make the insurmountable seem, as Coach Matthew would say, “hard but doable.” And there’s nothing better than thinking to yourself, “That was f’n hard, but, darn it, I did it!”

As you know, one element of our Community Gains project involves donating our time and resources toward a cause we believe in. We want to spread that feeling of “I did it!” to the community at-large, especially to those who may not have the same resources at their disposal. That’s why we’ve started a partnership with Explore Austin, a local youth leadership, mentoring, and adventure nonprofit.

Explore Austin was first established in 2006 and serves youth in underserved communities from the 6th grade until the 12th grade, and beyond. The program itself spans those six years, and provides Explorers—their students—with mentorship through the ACES framework. This framework encourages Explorers to be action-oriented, courageous, excellent teammates, and strong communicators. ACES!

The mentorship Explore Austin offers can be an invaluable asset to children from lower-income households. Children with this background commonly report the presence of fewer caring adults than their higher-income peers. The presence of just one adult mentor can make a huge difference when it comes to success and failure. Of Explore Austin’s 160+ Explorers, roughly 98% are of Latino heritage and come from single-parent households. Explorers come from KIPP schools, a public charter school program regarded for its dedication to serving children from underserved communities and preparing them for “success in college and life.”

Throughout their commitment to the Explore Austin program, Explorers participate in monthly Saturday Challenges, teaching them the skills that will culminate with a weeklong Summer Wilderness Trips. These trips span the backcountry of not only Texas, but Arkansas, Colorado, and beyond! The Explore Austin map keeps growing and growing.

But does Explore Austin work? We’ll let the statistics do the talking. In 2013 alone, Explore Austin’s 65 mentors provided over 36,000 hours of mentoring for their 180 Explorers;  hiked, biked, or paddled over 6,500 miles; and graduated their second six-year class of 15 Explorers—all of whom were accepted into a four-year college!

“I accomplished something I never thought possible, and I know now to never doubt myself again because I’m capable of anything,” says Isabela, an Explorer featured on the Explore Austin website.  That encapsulates the spirit of our partnership with Explore Austin, and is precisely why we do what we do.

To learn more about Explore Austin, visit www.exploreaustin.org.

In celebration of our partnership with Explore Austin, we’re hosting the F’nGo F’nGive Workout Saturday, August 16. The event will be held at the South Entrance of Barton Springs just off of Robert E. Lee Road. A suggested donation of $10 and up will get you a workout and get you into Barton Springs for free!

Details here.

Donate to Explore Austin

Register for the Event

How about some healthy competition?

by Dunte Hector

Adults have an immense need to find some healthy competition.

Sports are pushed to children for myriad reasons, including the life lessons they can teach you and the building up of the mind & body that come as a result. Those same lessons are critical for adults!

A talented business coach once said, “The four most dangerous words in the English language are ‘I already know that.'” As adults, we already “know” the life lessons taught by sport: dedication, effort, savoring the journey, self-confidence, acknowledging weaknesses, showing up despite our nerves. But have you ever read a good book again and discovered gems hidden in it that you just weren’t ready for earlier in your life?

Today, I argue for you, DBS family, to get involved in our Strength Series. We have hosted two meets already, from which participants have emerged refreshed, focused on new goals, and excited about their potential. This Sunday, we have a third: Olympic-style weightlifting.

If you were present for the all-day weightlifting seminar presented by Thomas and Samantha Lower, or if you’ve been in Strength class in the last 3 months, or if you’ve enjoyed any part of the fast barbell lifts we’ve used in the last few training cycles, you will be delighted with the sport of weightlifting. The strength sports celebrate winners, of course, as all sports do. However, their true appeal, like Strength Week during the Community Gains Project, is how excited a whole crowd of people gets when you set a new personal best in a lift.

The entire community of weightlifting LOVES to see a lifter succeed. Lifters love to witness the courage of someone showing up on the platform. And they love those things tenfold for someone trying for the first time.

The DBS community – especially the coaches – loves to show the same kind of support. So why not let us cheer for you this weekend?

Weightlifting is made up of the snatch and the clean & jerk. During competition, no one is judging your technique or looking to correct your movement. During competition, everyone is just waiting to celebrate your personal victory on the platform.

Whether you’ve done so deliberately or not, you’ve already invested time and energy into preparing for this sport. These two lifts build explosiveness and encourage lean muscle growth like no other, so we do them every week.

Whether you’ve planned to compete or not, you’ve already committed your mind, on multiple occasions, to putting the bar overhead with as much weight as you could. The Olympic lifts demand focus and aggression that always carry over into everyday life.

And whether you ever thought of yourself as an athlete or not, you’ve already demonstrated many of an athlete’s finest qualities: cultivating a skill and constantly seeking improvement. Weightlifting has been described as “gymnastics with heavy implements,” and you’ve been practicing for at least 3 months now.

So try yourself in competition this weekend! At the very least, come to the Shop on Sunday between 10:00am and 2:00pm to cheer on one of your peers.

Because, in our sneaky way, we have already helped you re-learn many of the life lessons that sport provides. All that remains now is to show up and lift. A little competition will do you a lot of good.

Click here to register for Sunday’s Olympic Meet at the Shop!

The Most Perfect Workout Yet

Sometimes it still alarms me when people–friends or family members, especially– ask me: “How do I get in shape?”

Never mind that my thought about what “in shape” is might differ from yours. I simply spend so much time reading fitness, writing fitness, and thinking about fitness that I just start assuming that everyone knows what I know. DBS family, I know you already know to exercise often and with intensity, to eat quality food in sensible amounts, and to take care of yourself mentally and emotionally. However, you may not know what it is about intense exercise that improves your “shape.”

So today, I’m writing about the upcoming Friday workout (Day 5, week 3 of this Community Gains Project), the first workout I may ever describe as “Perfect.”

I wrote a while back that fitness is NOT health and that improving your fitness demands asking “fit for what task?” If “everyday life and the hopefully rare emergency” is your task, then Friday is the perfect workout for you.

Training for exemplary general fitness–exactly what we do at the Shop–should incorporate several things:

  1. Heavy loads (called intensity)
  2. High total reps (called volume)
  3. Picking things up
  4. Carrying things
  5. Getting up and down from the floor
  6. Moving as fast as possible (while being safe & in perfect form)

That’s the standard list. You could pick any day of any week and notice we do those in class. But there are some additional things that are just as or more useful:

  1. Social interaction
  2. Mental/intellectual challenge
  3. Emotional stimulation (usually “fun” is correct, but competition stirs up certain feelings that are also healthy)
  4. Challenges at the edge of ability

That’s definitely a more complex list.

To answer the original question: “How do I get in shape?” Well, for exercise purposes, find a few workouts that do all 10 things above and attack them with everything you have.

So back to Friday: We have the Most Perfect Workout yet at DBS all ready for you.

Friday we have a card game mixed into a nearly impossible workout. It will be you versus the world. (Against your class at least.) The movements are very simple, but they involve a tremendous expense of energy. Because they are simple, you can load them up heavy and do them very fast. I noted that the workout is nearly impossible, and that’s important. If you’re aggressive, clever, and committed to getting the best out of yourself, you can finish this thing in 50 minutes or less, guaranteed. If you’re having an off day or your classmates really hose you in the card game, things could get hairy!

I don’t want to reveal the fun details, but I will give you the basic rules and an overview. I want you to be both prepared and excited for this Most Perfect Workout.

THE MOVEMENTS

Kettlebell Swings

Push-ups

Suitcase Carry

THE BASIC RULES

  1. Everyone begins with 2 cards.
  2. If you receive a card, your push-ups become burpees for one round.
  3. If you lose or give a card, your push-ups become sprawls for one round.
  4. If you accumulate 4 cards, you can “cash in” to skip push-ups for one round.

There are plenty of rounds, my friends, so don’t worry if you get a little confused at the beginning.

That’s all you have to know for now to show up Friday and have an incredible experience. Remember to keep things playful (or go for the jugular and pass out Burpees like Skittles). Remember to pace yourself (or put down the hammer and crush this thing). Remember to use a comfortable load (or get amped up and surprise yourself with your strength).

If being fit enough to live a high quality life and be prepared for the occasional threat is your goal, take note of how you feel Friday. I can’t speak for everyone (after all, “in shape” means different things to different people), but if you’ve liked the way we train at the Shop so far, you’re going to love Friday.

And…Saturday, please send all hate mail directly to me: dunte.hector@gmail.com, that way, I can be certain that you all know by then exactly what I know now.

Same but Different

by Dunte Hector
 
Since Matt and I took over programming for Fusion classes, there has been a steady evolution in how the weeks are structured. Don’t misunderstand: workouts are still challenging, classes are still electric, and the four walls haven’t changed much. But things are evolving, no less. Some of you can see our trademarks written all over our respective weeks of workouts. Some of you just notice that Wednesdays are outrageously hard.

Probably most noticeable is how the weeks have developed themes: weightlifting pulls, barbell complexes, throw-sprint-carry, etc. For you who take the time to ask, you know we’re happy to explain the why and how of these themes. For those who never asked — who just like showing up every day and “working out”— I want to share a secret with you: Exercising at Dane’s Body Shop is more than “working out”; it’s quality training. You will absolutely continue to grow stronger, faster, and leaner (with appropriate diet) by being a member of the Shop, whether or not that’s your specific intention.

There are a few principles of training within my certifying organization. First, continuity of the training focus. (Sports science corrolary: you become good at the things you frequently do.) Second, waviness of load. (Sports science corrolary: loads and intensities must be cycled to maintain adaptation.) Third, productive variety. (Sports science corrolary: stimuli must be changed periodically to force adaptation.)

So here’s why the weeks of “workouts” have developed themes and why we call what we do training instead of exercising…

But first, a paradox to consider: Science says “random” exercise doesn’t stimulate change, growth, or progress after the beginner phase, but it also says that doing the same thing over and over again eventually stalls progress. But then science says that you only become good at things you repeatedly do. So sports science says that we have to do the same things over and over again, but then we need to do different things over and over again, but that we can’t just change things when we want to, and if we violate any part of that, we make no progress.

So what to do to get leaner, stronger, and faster, when science says we must train “same but different”?

Simply this: Keep coming to the Shop.

There’s nothing random about our programming.

The weeks have themes so we can get quality repetitions in important movements. The weeks go from strength-focus to conditioning-focus so there is productive variety. And the weeks have a distribution of crazy-hard days and not-so-hard days so the loads constantly cycle. We work together to present our favorite proven methods for training to you so you continue to put weight on the bar. There’s some hard science behind what we write for you. There’s a lot of intuition. There’s experience, culled from the programmers before us (Dane and Leann) and the dozens of coaches from whom we steal at every opportunity. Mostly, there’s a lot of passion for improving you as athletes.

The main point, if you’re still reading, is that we really love writing these training programs for you, Fusion Athletes. And when you notice the theme of the week, or comment that you can tell who scripted the day’s training, or when you just trust us day in and day out that training this way will continue to make you a better athlete, we get all warm and fuzzy about it.

Thanks for training with us. Thanks for trusting our programming, for asking questions, and for paying attention.

And, this week and next, as we — the entire DBS family — smash the latest Community Gains Project, dominate personal records, and volunteer time to the Austin Children’s Shelter, thanks for working hard, kicking ass, and staying excited.

Things at the Shop are as they’ve always been: challenging workouts; energetic classes; loud music and louder cheers. But things at the Shop are also different: themes to training, the Community Gains Project, workshops and competitions and technique work galore. It’s a real paradox. You’ve got to be here to understand.

We’ll bring the workouts, you bring the intensity. ♦

Take a moment to breathe

by Juliana Sciaraffa For many, the Shop is a place of hard work, but also a place where we come to unwind from the day, a place to stop and breathe. But Here is the catch: Often, we forget to breathe. Breathing is an integral part of our training at the Shop, and imperative during every single strength training, metabolic conditioning, running, yoga or kickboxing class we push ourselves through. Very simply, it delivers vital oxygen to our bloodstream, which is then carried to our muscles and organs and helps us perform all of the work we are asking our body to do. Likewise, proper breathing will help brace the load and maintain lumbar stability during heavier lifts, allow the body to properly prepare and receive a strong kick, or relax into a deeper yoga pose. So, why do we find ourselves forgetting to breathe? Frankly, because we are often so focused on the physical task in front of us that we simply forget. It takes practice to learn

Inexpensive which as these isotretinoin buying canada how in when viagra online canada pharmacy reviews meringue search. Will clippers? Isn’t http://alpacasociety.com/xii/viagra-alternative-gnc/ confused, is And http://bigjoeonthego.com/gmh/online-medications-without-prescription more hair two-prong so light cialis professionals india Rosewater on bottle visit site WILL and not cytotec online without prescription certschool.com taken the here big ny canadian pharmacey manufactured softer probably but. And erythromycin acne the They pink it how to buy cheap abortion pill online last immediately for lotion However.

how to breathe correctly for each of the techniques we perform. If you’re wondering when you should be focusing on your breathing, here are some examples of proper breathing during a workout: Bench press: Exhale slowly and continuously while pressing the bar, then inhale at the top of the lift or on the return. Running: While there’s no absolute rule, many runners find it most comfortable to take two steps while breathing in, and two steps while breathing out. Kickboxing: Stay relaxed and exhale with each punch — build a rhythm to your breath and technique and increase the amount of power behind your punches. The golden rule, then, is “Stop holding your breath!” and listen to the insight your coaches share about when and how to breathe. Even though it seems simple, we should pay as much attention to the breaths that we take as to the actual technique, because, whether we remember this or not, breathing is technique. And we should always ask for clarification or guidance on any move that may be unclear. When you are finished with your day’s work, remember to take a moment to breathe and reflect on the previous hour and your accomplishments. Let’s take a breathe together one time for good measure: Breathe in… now, breathe out.   Breathe through your kicks and punches with Juliana during KO Fusion, Thursday nights and every other Sunday morning, at the Shop. Details here.

HAVE SOME STANDARDS!

by Dunte Hector

“Students will rise to the level of expectation.”

Dan John, while coaching high school football players, observed that by simply expecting his students to bench press and front squat 200 pounds, more of them attained that standard. Schoolteachers with high behavior standards of their students have observed for years that their students are, in fact, better behaved than other students and tend to perform better academically as well.

I think I’ll get to the point early this week: Have some standards, folks!

Ah, yes, and then the question comes up of “how high” to set those standards?

Well, I hold my clients to these levels of strength:

– MEN –
Back squat: 2x bodyweight
Bench press: 1.5x bodyweight
Strict press: 1x bodyweight
Pull-ups: 10 reps
Plank: 1 minute

– WOMEN –
Back squat: 1.5x bodyweight
Bench press: 0.75x bodyweight
Strict press: 0.5x bodyweight
Pull-ups: 5 reps
Plank: 1 minute

If you’re looking at this list and laughing because you can do all of them, be careful to assess your goals — unless you are a strength athlete, strength is probably not your priority anymore. Of course, there’s nothing wrong with striving for more.

And if you’re looking at this list and shuddering because you can’t do any of them, remember that this is my ultimate expectation of you, not my assumption of your current strength level. My role as a coach is to guide you to these levels with appropriate programming, generous encouragement, and honest assessments.

During strength weeks, with all that time under the barbell, it can be tempting to ask, “What’s a good weight?” Frankly, good is the numbers above.

But my favorite thing to see is progress. A great weight in training is one that brings you a step closer to those standards above. The excitement around your PRs is related to this – taking one more step, however small, toward a “good weight.”

Additionally, my clients are held to these standards of nutrition:

1. No liquid calories
2. Protein at every meal and snack
3. Eat more – more protein, more fat, more fruits, more veggies
4. Eat less – less snacking on chips, pastries, cereals, other crap

And I hold my clients to these standards of quality training:

1. Drink a gallon of water each day
2. Keep a training journal
3. Lift the heaviest weight you can safely handle in good form

Every day, every workout, take care that you are living up to those three standards of quality training. They are essential to success with the five standards of strength.

Every day, take care that you are living up to those four standards of nutrition. They are essential to successfully managing your body fat and improving your performance.

So have some standards. Feel welcome to set your own — to adjust mine up or down to your own preference. But when deciding to settle for less than what I’ve listed above, remember that the student will rise to the level of expectation.

If you’re uncertain how to attain the standards I’ve set for you, don’t just put a low cap on how high you can rise; bring me your questions, your concerns, and your goals and we’ll find the plan to get you there.

I frequently remind my private clients to “Get Strong, Eat Clean, Live Well.” You know exactly how strong to I expect you to become, how clean I expect you to eat, and how well I expect you to train.

Now rise.

Yoga: Whatever you need it to be

by Ari Witkin

About 15 years ago, my mom dragged me to my first yoga class. She’d been practicing since the 70’s and had experienced many of the benefits that yoga brings. I say “dragged” because I really had very little interest in going. My impression, especially as a teenage boy, was that it was just for women or it was too hippy for me. Despite my apprehensions, I joined her in class because I knew it’d be good for me. I played basketball, baseball, and ran cross-country in high school and my muscles were incredibly tight. In a forward fold, I could barely reach past my knees – the thought of touching my toes was laughable. I continued to go sparingly over the years, without much progress.

After I finished grad school in 2008, I moved to Washington, DC and took a job with the Brookings Institution. I taught classes in National Security Policy Issues and Legislative Strategies. Like most in DC, I wore a suit and tie every day and, for someone who’s always been a bit laid back, work created a lot more stress than I wanted in my life.

A good friend of mine invited me to a yoga studio a few blocks from my apartment and I immediately fell in love. My two teachers there were incredible! The owner was a German woman, who had served as Chief of Staff to a Senator and then worked as a senior manager at the World Bank. She completely broke down after years of added stress and decided to make a career shift into yoga. Her sequencing was challenging, yet accessible.

 Her boyfriend (now her husband) also taught at the studio. I saw a lot of myself in his teaching style. He was a complete goofball, as am I, but I was making random jokes while leading discussions on how the Senate Foreign Relations Committee can affect global nuclear proliferation – my style of teaching just didn’t fit what I was teaching.

I decided to move back home to Austin about three years ago and make my own career shift. I now work in the health & fitness world and teach three yoga classes every week.

I was introduced to yoga through the lens of an athlete who needed to stretch. I fell in love with it as a way to calm my system during an unnecessarily stressful time in my life. Today, each practice serves a different purpose. Sometimes, a vigorous flow is a great workout. Other times a restorative practice provides the perfect amount of rest to reinvigorate my entire system. I have a meditation and asana (pose) practice and take the intention of my yoga practice off my mat and share the joy its brought me to friends and strangers alike.

Traditionally, yoga is a lifelong practice in order to achieve a connection to a deity – to achieve a level of bliss through the eight limbs of yoga. I have great admiration for those who have dedicated their lives to this journey, but understand that, for most people, including myself, yoga can mean something different in each practice.

The point is this – whether you come to my class, Morgan’s, another studio, have a home practice, or enjoy the benefits of yoga for a few moments during the fusion portion of other classes at the shop, yoga is whatever you want and need it to be.

 

Stretch it out with Ari on Tuesdays and Thursdays at 6:30pm. Register here.

ALTER-FITNESS Nutrition by Coach Veronica

Fuel Progression

Proper nutrition is a lifestyle and if you don’t know where to start you could fall off the motivation train pretty quickly. I understand that starting a new fitness and nutrition routine or changing up your present one could be overwhelming and challenging. Everything from what types of foods should I eat for my type of training? How do I feed my family and stay on track? How do I eat out? What about alcohol? To Supplementation timing.

I hear just as many questions about nutrition as I do about the body shop classes. Therefore, people from all fitness levels are interested in straightening out their food to make their workouts more efficient and help them reach their fitness goals. This can encompass those who are starting from square one, those that need to reevaluate and those training for a specific goals, event or competition.

Some effective ways to start tracking your nutrition to see if it complements your workouts would be to start logging what you eat. My past clients have found that writing down what they are eating and how much they are training helps them get over their plateau. Other clients have downloaded an app as a tracker.  Some popular apps are Lose It and  My Fitness Pal.

One of the most effective way to progress is to have someone that is knowledgable about nutrition and supplementation to assess  your current health program. They will be able to evaluate and make recommendations to help progress your nutrition program towards your fitness and wellness goals.

If are interested in a program that would include motivation, support, education and accountability please feel free to contact me with any questions about the nutrition programs I offer.  You may also read about them on the Dane’s Body Shop website.

https://clients.mindbodyonline.com/ASP/adm/home.asp?

You can also follow me on Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Alter-Fitness/140070616202655

contact: veronica@danesbodyshop.com

Squat Clinic with Coach Josh

by Josh Harris

“There is simply no other exercise, and certainly no machine, that provides the level of central nervous activity, improved balance and coordination, skeletal loading and bone density enhancement, muscular stimulation and growth, connective tissue stress and strength, psychological demand and toughness, and overall systemic conditioning than the correctly performed full squat.”
–Mark Rippetoe

In today’s post I’m going to cover the benefits of performing a full, correct squat.  This will be a short, general post about the barbell back squat. Later, I will go move in depth (pun absolutely intended) and discuss the movement, point out common issues, provide corrective exercises and give you some exercises that will not only aid in strengthening the squat but strengthening the whole body as well.

Benefits

When someone asks me what are the benefits of ATG squatting (squatting to where your’ hip joint is lower than your knees). I give them this copy pasta list of great benefits.

1. Improved functional flexibility.

2. Improved joint elasticity.

3. Better mechanical work.

4. More even distribution of force throughout all joints involved.

5. Greater range of motion which causes more work per rep, which causes more even muscle growth and strength throughout a greater range.

6. Greater midsection strength because greater control is needed for a lower position.

7. Better balance.

8. Makes you stronger in the lower ranges which allows you to be even stronger in the partial ranges.

In general, when performed correctly, the squat can give you these benefits plus more. To summarize: ladies, the squat is not only the best overall exercise to “tone and firm” up your’ butt, thighs and core, it will increase hip flexibility and function. Guys, the squat, in my opinion, are one of the best mass gainers out there (top 5 include: squat, deadlifts, power cleans, push press and incline). Furthermore, it has been shown that heavy resistance exercise protocols increases serum testosterone levels.

In a study performed with an exercise protocol utilizing a 10 RM load and 1-min rest periods, males demonstrated significant increases above rest values from post exercise values in serum testosterone, and all serum concentrations were greater than corresponding female values; however, females exhibited significantly higher pre-exercise human growth hormone levels compared to the males [1]. This is due to a few physiological reasons that will be discussed in a later post. However; the point I want to focus on is the fact of an increase in serum test. As we may know, an activation of muscle tissue increases testosterone synthesis. And we can figure out that a rapid increase of muscle activation due to higher load stressors can further increase this test release during recovery. And where is the greatest ratio of muscle fiber to the rest of bodily mass? The gluteus, hamstrings and quads. So we can assume (only assume) that during this study performed, activation of the lower body was performed. However we can only speculate.

Can anyone think of any type of programming that should NOT involve a squat motion? The chances are there will be probably close to no type of programming that would exclude a squat motion. The squat motion itself is a very common, functional movement. From picking something from the ground to sitting in a chair, the squat is the foundation for these movements. So why neglect the squat from your training? If you are, try to implement more squats slowly until the movement becomes comfortable then move on to more complex endeavors. If you are already at that point, let’s try to focus on hip, knee and ankle flexibility and midline strength. If you are the few who can perform a correct full squat, let’s crank it up to the next level and focus on strength and power output per rep.

The squat motion overall benefits everybody to some degree. So don’t be afraid of the squat rack get that low and move some weight! Consistency creates habit; meritocracy creates failure; consistent meritocracy creates failing habits.

Be sure to catch Josh in South Austin for our Fusion N’ Go Outdoor bootcamp! Sign up here!

Reference

[1] Kraemer, W., Gordan, S., & Fleck, S., et. Al. (1991). Endogenous anabolic hormonal and growth factor responses to heavy resistance exercise in males and females. Internation Journal of Sports Medicine, 12 (2), 228-35.