Posted by afitman040506 on March 13, 2009 under General Fitness, Strength Training | 
With today’s post, I want to take the time to address a question that pops up quite frequently when working with my clients. How far apart should my feet be? This question usually comes up when performing exercises such as the squat, deadlift, romanian deadlift, and leg press. It also applies to a wide variety of other exercises, but I think these four will provide the best visual.
Generally speaking, there is no “correct” answer to this question. Or, should I say, there is no “incorrect” answer to this question. Your stance can be wide, narrow, or somewhere in between. There really is no “wrong” stance. It’s more a question of, “what is the goal of the exercise and exercise program?” Each stance will provide a different training effect. I personally will use specific stances to achieve a specific training effect. However, for most individuals who workout on their own, I recommend they vary their stance from time to time to keep the stimulus fresh.
In conclusion, don’t get too caught up with the width of your stance. While stance width will provide for specific training effects, most general exercisers will benefit from incorporating a variety of stances into their program.
Posted by Chad Anderson CSCS on December 1, 2008 under General Fitness, Strength Training |
There still seems to be some confusion regarding this topic, so I just wanted to post a quick blurb about breathing technique during resistance training. Your breathing pattern should look like this:
- Breathe In: During the eccentric phase. The eccentric phase is when the muscle in lengthening. For example, during the bench press you would breathe in as you are lowering the bar.
- Breathe Out: During the concentric phase. The concentric phase is when the muscle is shortening. For example, during the bench press you would breathe out as you are pressing the bar off the chest to the starting position.
- Avoid: Holding the breath during a full repetition or multiple repetitions.
To simplify the above, just remember this: Breathe out during the hard part of the movement; breathe in during the easy part of the movement. Under some circumstances, advanced breathing techniques may be used. However, this is all most people will need to remember.
Posted by Chad Anderson CSCS on January 11, 2008 under Reader Q & A's |
Reader’s Question: I easily gain weight, right now I am 5 6″, 134 lbs,in a good shape, but my legs are a kind of fat and I dont like it. I have to watch what I eat all the time and it makes me angry. It seems I am on diet through my whole life, and I am so tired of that. I don’t eat that much carb, almost no fat, no sugar, mostly fruits and veggies and some protein. Since I don’t eat enough, I easily get sick, I always feel cold and my immune system is very low.(BTW I am 38 yr-old). I eat every 3 hrs(small portion) to keep my metabolism high, but it seems it is very low and I am so tired of my diet. I can’t eat whatever I feel like it, because I easily gain weight. I work out 3 times per week in the gym (45 min cardio, 20 min weight). Please help me out and let me know what I should do? I used to be 130, but now I can’t bring it down from 134 to 130. Read more of this article »
