Programming for Strength - Training Exert I

For many, working out is based on an over-simplified logic. It goes like this: Enter gym. Run on treadmill/elliptical/stairmaster for X amount of time. Watch TV while burning some calories. Reach fitness goals?

While I commend anyone who makes an attempt to live a more physically active lifestyle, I think some basic principles of training can be applied to the most simple routines. This will not only make your workouts more effective, but also much more enjoyable. A workout should not be a passive experience. It should challenge you to problem solve and push yourself to your mental and physical capacities.

I am currently following a 9 week program I based off a powerlifting routine called the Cube Method. Powerlifting routines are all similar in that they focus on developing maximal strength in three compound movements performed in the sport of Powerlifting. These are the Squat, the Deadlift, and the Bench Press. You may have heard of some of these exercises before, but training for powerlifting (like any sport) includes close attention to form and technical standards of the given movements. Competitions involve lifting weights in the various movements for a 1 rep maximum; meaning the most weight you can lift performing a single repetition.

The Cube Method, developed by elite level powerlifter Brandon Lilly, is a prescription for programming variation into the training routine. It works by cycling 3 different types of efforts for the three Powerlifting movements.

Max effort: Lifting heavy weights for fewer repetitions. (e.g. rep range of 1-5)

Repetition effort: Lifting medium weight for an intermediate amount of reps. (e.g. range of 6-12)

Dynamic effort: Lifting light weights for many reps. (e.g. range of 13-20)

For an explanation of these different types of “efforts” read the last section of my first post titled Foundations of Fitness.

Although Lilly didn't come up with these different “efforts” himself, he organized them into the following pattern of periodization:

WEEK               1 2 3

Deads-                1  2 3

Bench-               2 3 1

Squats-              3 1  2

The idea behind this is that it allows the trainee to cycle variation almost constantly; only repeating similar workouts on the 4th week. The variation has multiple benefits; it cycles through these different training methods that cater toward development in different areas but also prevents the trainee from overtraining the specific movement.

The constant variation takes advantage of the adaptation principle; in that the body has the highest adaptation rate to newly introduced physiological stimulus/stressors. A type of consistent overload is applied without the effect of overtraining in that new types of stressors are consistently varied throughout the cycle at different periods. This periodization enables the athlete to manage recovery and adaptation, and keeps the training routine effective at increasing performance overtime; the goal of any good training routine.

(From NCSA’s Guide to Program Design)

In addition to following the general outline of Lilly’s Cube, I increase variation by constantly experimenting with different assistance and accessory movements. I cycle what I find most effective and bias toward my weak points. The following is a general outline of my training format.

Mobility

Warm up

Static and dynamic stretches

Preparatory exercises for proper mechanics (e.g. pull ups or band pull aparts before Bench, External rotation and air squats)

Compound Movement

Practicing my technique as I approach work weight

1-2 sets x work weight at a given percentage between 65% - 100% of 1 rep max (depending on effort type of specific day e.g. Dynamic, Repetition or Max effort.)

Additional Compound Movement

Perform 1-3 sets at work weight with accommodated resistance (e.g. deadlift with chains, bench press with bands).

or

1-3 sets of a variation of compound movement (e.g. pause squat, olympic squat, box squat). Depending on the difficulty of given movement may be performed at a drop set (lowering the amount of weight).

Assistance Movements

1-3 sets of assistance compound exercises focused on applying different stimulus to prime movers (agonists muscles).

Examples:

Compound Movement > Assistance Movement

Bench press > dumbbell press variation

Bench press > floor press

Squat > squat machine

Squat > 1 legged squat or lunge variation

Deadlift > romanian deadlift, stiff leg deadlift

Deadlift > good morning variation

Accessory Movements

Then move to Accessory exercises targeting synergistic muscles of the compound movement. (prioritizing main synergists over secondary synergists e.g. tricep over anterior deltoid).

Examples:

Compound Movement > Accessory Movement

Bench press > Tricep extension

Squat > Glute Ham raise

Deadlift > back extension, reverse hyper,

At this point if its a lower body Squat or Deadlift day, I typically move straight to core strengthening exercises. If its an upper body bench press day I will perform antagonist exercises for the remainder of the work out and then finish by targeting synergist/stabilization muscles, concluding with core strengthening exercises. The lower body movements are more compound exercises than the bench press, which favors the anterior musculature. I find that if I don't do a proportional amount of work to my posterior chain, I end up having forward shoulders and have compromised pressing mechanics.

Here is an example from my training session this past week, an upper body dynamic effort with Abby at B&W gym:

7/1 Monday evening

Mobility

Band pull aparts (transverse abduction) x 60

Seated cable row med grip 60 x 30

Banded distraction (extension and capsule stretch)

Barbel pec stretch (extension)

Pec stretch - doorway

Compound Movement:

Bench press 45lb(bar) x 20

65lb15, 85lbx10, 100x8, 135x5,

Work weight at 65% of 1 rep max: 160lbs x 19

Band pull apart 25x3 (preparatory activity, priming shoulder for proper pressing mechanics)

Additional Compound Movement

Bench press (BP) with dynamic resistance (additional 15lb band tension toward lock out)

Close grip BP 160lb x 11, Normal grip BP 160lb x 11

Assistance Movement

Incline dumbbell press (weights given are for dumbbell size so for total weight x 2)

45lb x 20, 60lb x 7

Antagonist Group

Medium grip pull down 100lbx20

Med grip seated cable row 120lb x 15

Pull down 110 lb x 10

Core strengthening

Plank for 1 min superset with

leg raise x 20

(2) sets total.

Synergist/Fixator muscles

Bent over external rotation 15lb db x 30

Seated lateral db raise 15lbx30 (2) sets

Even if your workout doesn’t consist of heavy resistance training, the principles of variation can be applied to any training routine. Make sensible programming choices and realize that reaching your goals is a long term endeavor.

Insulin and Weight-Loss

Insulin. If you were to understand only one thing about your body, this may be it. Insulin is a hormone produced in the pancreas that functions to regulate carbohydrate and fat metabolism in your body. As you consume sugar-laden and carbohydrate rich foods, the pancreas releases a proportional amount of insulin to regulate glucose (blood sugar) levels. When glucose levels are too high, it becomes toxic for your body. Diabetes mellitus is the commonly known disease where the body can no longer adequately regulate glucose. Type 2 Diabetes, which makes up about 90% of all cases, is a metabolic condition comorbid with obesity. In a healthy individual with a good metabolism, insulin functions by reacting with insulin receptors located on the surface of the liver and muscle tissues to store excess glucose as glycogen. If glucose levels fall too low, the glycogen stores are accessed to provide your body with the needed sugar. This is an important homeostatic system as your brain needs a constant supply of glucose to function. The brain actually consumes 25% of your body’s total glucose. If your brain stops working, you stop working. Accordingly glucose is the prioritized energy substrate of the body. Its regulation and supply are of the utmost importance to the body.

Looking at this from an evolutionary perspective and considering sugary and starchy foods were harder to come by in the prehistoric eras, it makes sense that the body has adapted to ensure a constant and consistent supply of glucose. If your glucose runs low, you tap into your glycogen stores. If your glycogen stores run low, you tap into your fat stores. You can think of glycogen stores as your bank account and fat cells as your savings account. You don’t keep as much money in your bank account but it's pretty easy to access when you need it. In savings, you keep a significant amount more of money but it's harder to access, maybe tied up by investments. Continuing with this analogy, the body looks at glucose like money because it’s great biological value. That’s why the body so willingly stores away extra glucose. The other macronutrients, fat and protein, have complex mechanism for metabolizing into glucose because it is the prioritized energy substrate of the body. However, what happens when carbohydrates become the most common macronutrient? When there is an over abundance of starch-laden foods that spike blood sugar in combination with a culture that abhors dietary fat?

Enter the 21st century. Actually, enter the 20th century, but who’s counting. People have steadily been getting fatter since the Center for Disease Control (CDC) started keeping track in the early 1980s. The most recent government- funded survey reported that approximately 69% of adults are overweight or obese, with more than 78 million adult Americans considered obese (NHANES, 2009-2010). For the last 20+ years people have been told to avoid dietary fat because it was thought of to be associated with heart disease. Consumer marketing caught on with this trend and brought fat free and low-fat foods to the forefront of supermarket shelves everywhere. Coincidently, grain is considered the basis of a "healthy" diet and was the foundation of the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s food pyramid which recommended 6-11 servings from the bread, cereal, rice and pasta group. Fat is placed at the top of the pyramid with no recommended daily serving. Similarly, the World Health Organization food guidelines recommends 55-75% of the diet to be made of carbohydrates. This seems to be in contrast to Stanford’s A TO Z Weight Loss study which I briefly mentioned in my previous post. Stanford’s study has been the longest and largest comparative study using randomized trials on diet to date. It showed the Atkins diet to have the greatest effect on weight loss and the best benefits on improving cholesterol and blood pressure, both important markers of heart disease. Atkins is not a semi-starvation type diet like some of the other more common diets in the study. Atkins works by initially restricting carbohydrates and then slowly redirecting people toward more healthy carbohydrate sources (low glycemic carbs) as they reach their weight loss goals. A carbohydrate restricted diet seems to be in stark contrast to the recommendations of the USDA, and WHO which recommended a diet biased toward starchy carbs.

One of the reasons why Atkins is so effective is because it works by resetting the metabolism. It decreases insulin resistance and enables the body to fully utilize the calories instead of storing them as excess fat. Atkins is a completely different paradigm then other diets. The total amount of calories consumed is a non issue. Eat until you are full, just mind the carbs.

To review: Carbohydrate rich foods spike blood sugar which stimulates insulin. The insulin interacts with insulin receptors on your muscle and liver tissues to store the extra sugar for possible later use (glycogen synthesis) as well as prevent toxicity.

A diet that is high in starchy carbohydrates and sugar stimulates insulin often, which eventually can lead to insulin resistance. The receptors stop reacting to insulin and the next stage of metabolism takes over. The extra glucose is stored as fat. Normally this happens only after glycogen stores have been filled. The normal metabolic pathway works something like this: Too much glucose? Replenish glycogen storage in the muscles and liver and store the rest as fat. Too little glucose? Utilize the glycogen stores and work on metabolizing fat. 

In the prediabetic state of insulin resistance this is no longer true; the extra glucose gets shuttled straight into the fat cells. This may also have secondary effects on hunger and energy since the calories are not fully utilized by the muscles but are appropriated to the fat cells, making the individual feel like they have low energy and are hungry all the time. American science writer Gary Taubes described this in his book Why We Get Fat and What to Do About It, when he compares obese individuals to the malnourished or starving. This seems crazy but makes sense in a way because the metabolism literately shuts down from all the sugar and starch in the diet. The fat cells start consuming an abnormal amount of calories and leave less energy for the rest of the body. In this sense fat people are literately starving. The recipe to combat this is simple. Make better choices about the foods you eat and worry less about the amount. If your diet consists primarily of high glycemic carbohydrates and foods containing lots of sugar, you will likely start to develop some of these metabolic issues. The research suggests that we should get more of our calories from fat and protein and start consuming carbohydrates that can be utilized by the body instead of just turning straight into glucose. Check out the glycemic index for more info on healthy carbohydrate choices.