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 February 13, 2008 under Core Training, Exercise Library, General Fitness, Strength Training, Weight Loss |
Want to exercise but don’t have any equipment? Here is a brief list of exercises (with descriptions) that only require your body!
Push-Ups
1. Lie prone (facing down) on the ground with your hands slightly wider than shoulder width apart.
2. With your back flat and body rigid and using the toes and the pivot point, press upward from the ground, fully extending the elbows to the starting position.
3. While maintaining a straight body, (back straight, head up) allow yourself to slowly lower to the floor until the chin makes contact with the floor/mat. Inhale during the downward movement.
4. Reverse the movement and press your body up to the starting position, again maintaining a flat back with the head up. Exhale during the movement.
Burpees
1. Starting position: Standing up right with your feet hip width apart, arms by your side.
2. Quickly squat down and put your hands on the floor in front of you.
3. Kick your legs out behind you, ending in a push-up position.
4. Quickly bring your legs back to the squatting position and stand up and jump into the air. Repeat. Breathe normally. Read more of this article »
Posted by Chad Anderson CSCS on February 6, 2008 under General Fitness, Golf Fitness |
One of the biggest mistakes I see made when I look at the conditioning program of the golfers I work with is the inclusion of machine exercises. In fact, many programs have relied solely on the use of machines. This is a huge mistake!
Golf requires a fine tuned nervous system that can repeat a given bodily motion time and time again without wavering. In order to support this requirement in the weight room, a golf conditioning program must include exercises that require high demand of the nervous system and reinforce those movement patterns specific to the game of golf. The use of machines will not accomplish this! Read more of this article »
Posted by Chad Anderson CSCS on January 14, 2008 under Reader Q & A's, Strength Training |
Reader’s Question: Does it matter how fast I lift a weight?
Answer: Yes. Different rep speeds will have different effects. While there is debate when it comes to the “time under tension” rule, there is no doubt a different training effect when you take 4-5 seconds to lower a weight than there is when you take 1-2 seconds to lower a weight.
Traditionally, rep speed should be specific to what you are training for. Athletes usually require faster tempos because it’s conducive to the explosive movements of their sport. When training for general fitness or weight loss, you can take advantage of a lot of different tempos. Therefore, for general populations I recommend varying the tempo so long as proper form is maintained.
Posted by Chad Anderson CSCS on January 12, 2008 under In the News |
Sugar-Free Gum
German doctors have linked too much sugar-free gum chewing to bowel problems and unintended weight loss.
Strength Training & Neck Pain
Danish researchers have found that specific strength training protocols can lead to a prolonged decrease in neck pain.
Anxiety & Heart Attack Risk
I don’t think this is much of surprise, but anxiety has been linked to heart attack risk in older men.
