So, now I’m asking you the same question: What does “get in shape” mean to you? If you were “in shape” would you look good or be good at something specific? Would you have a different attitude? And more importantly, why is that important to you?

If you haven’t got those two things figured out, then I would bet you’ve been struggling to reach your subconsious goals for awhile.

Here is what I came up  with for Dave’s post:

I make my health and fitness a high priority for a lot of reasons. The main ones are the benefits of being healthier, and as a result happier and enjoying more freedom. Everyone wants to look good and feel good.

Although, there are some deeper reasons why being “in shape” is important to me. I like to be an inspiration to others, to show them that anyone can enjoy not just average health, but abundant health and vibrant physical living (and that you don’t have to be a “fitness freak” to do so).

I also feel responsible for those around me, my family and friends, and I would want to be capable of handling potential future situations that arise – not be limited by a de-conditioned body. Don’t worry, it’s more of a preparedness mindset, not paranoia

Lastly, I think that living a physically-focused lifestyle is a dying tradition, a rare practice, and I’m doing everything I can to prevent that from continuing! I meet people all the time who will avoid situations because there is more physical activity involved than they are comfortable with – even if it’s just walking! I see this as a major cultural problem, and it’s going to take a revolution to get it turned around.

In my experience as a fitness coach, what could be labeled “surface motivations” like the vague “I want to look better” generally don’t carry someone to their goal. It’s not enough to just want something – you need to be compelled to achieve it. There needs to be purpose behind it. If you have an inner drive that is fueled by purpose, you can achieve almost anything.

To your health and success,

CST, CST-KS, NSCA-CPT

Fitness Professional

-Shane

ANSWER: Hi Shane, Thanks for your question. Any condition that increases the pressure of the abdominal cavity may contribute to the formation or worsening of a hernia. So, heavy lifting is a very common cause of hernias, among many other health problems. This isn’t because lifting heavy directly increases abdominal pressure, per se, but because heavy lifting is usually accompanied by power breathing, which is a dangerous practice that most trainees should avoid.

Traditional power breathing is usually performed by taking a deep breath through the nose until your lungs are mostly filled (about 75%). The inhale travels into the diaphragm, and the belly distends forward – it shouldn’t solely expand the chest and ribcage. Then, while performing the lift, you will exhale through the mouth while hissing through your teeth until the full repetition is completed.

With power breathing, you will get an immediate improvement in your power and strength. However, that power is translated through a false foundation of abdominal pressure, not structural tension. You wouldn’t use a balloon to support a heavy weight, would you?

Now, for some people, power breathing is an essential aspect of living. Military, firefighters, law enforcement personnel, and high level athletes may choose to put their duties and goals before their personal health. This is perfectly fine, it’s just not the healthiest option and eventually the body will break down with continued use.

For those pursuing health, fitness, and athletic goals with longevity in mind, power breathing should not be included in your regular training program. Instead, you need to condition yourself to maximize your structural tension through proper strength training and breathing methods, and you can do that by learning Performance Breathing. My coach, Scott Sonnon, has an excellent article about how to practice Performance Breathing: http://www.rmaxinternational.com/flowcoach/?p=428

So, the point I’m trying to make is that the METHOD that you use to lift weights is far more important for preventing injury and staying strong than your age is. Age is actually much less relevant, and proper lifting should fortify your body against injury, not increase the risk.

Now, you asked, “what age should a person stop lifting heavy weights? Or should a person ever lift heavy weights to begin with?”

You should stop lifting weights when you cannot lift without pain. That’s the general rule of thumb. But I’d like to focus on your second question about whether or not we should lift heavy or not.

Lifting heavy weights will definitely produce strength training adaptations – you WILL get stronger by going heavy. However, there is a risk:benefit ratio that should be considered. Heavy weightlifting, time and time again, has been associated with injuries. That’s the risk, or the cost. If you want to get super-strong like a powerlifter, then you’ll get injured along the way – it comes with the territory, and competitive weight lifters will be the first to admit it.

So, you need to decide what you want to do based on your priorities and goals. I have a lot of friends, who are fantastic strength and conditioning coaches who choose this route, and I completely respect their decisions. I just want to inform people about the risks, so they know the full story before committing. Here’s an article I wrote about injuries when weightlifting:

Lifting Heavy Weights Will Make You Injury-Bound

Now, what most strength coaches still don’t realize is that you can get similar strength adaptations with lighter weights or no weight at all, if you know how to do it. For example, weight swinging and bodyweight training both involve much lighter “weights” and can be used to increase strength and athleticism, build muscle, or shed bodyfat – all the same things that more traditional, and often heavier, dumbbells and barbells are used for. In fact, you can get comparable “real world” strength adaptations with significantly lighter weights than you may think.

No, bodyweight training or weight swinging will not necessarily help you to bench press 400+ pounds, or squat “6 wheels.” But it will build real world strength that can be applied to everyday living. You don’t need to be the strongest, only strong enough for your life.

And I hate to break it to you, but the skills you develop through heavy weightlifting do not transfer over to functional or athletic performance because of the law of Specific Adaptation to Imposed Demands. I wrote an article about Specificity in Training here:

Specificity In Training: How much carry-over does weight lifting have in real life? Will your time under the iron help you on the field, on the mat, or in the ring?

Also see Does General Conditioning Even Exist?

So, just because someone can deadlift a 400 lb barbell, doesn’t mean that they can deadlift a 400 lb stone, or pick up a 200 lb unconscious man. If you change the training tool, it’s a completely different skill and it won’t necessarily transfer over. That high bench press doesn’t have much real life practicality from a physiological standpoint. The good news is that most people can reach their strength goals through safer, health-first methods, without even touching a heavy barbell.

So, I have to ask myself – “why would I lift heavy weights that is known to cause injuries if the strength doesn’t even transfer to real life applications, especially when I know of different ways to build that strength with a much lower risk of injury?”

It sounds like a no-brainer to me.

This is one of the reasons why I love clubbell training so much. The nature of swinging weights means that you can use a much lighter load to accomplish a high strength adaptation. The faster a weight swings, the more momentum it creates, meaning the more force that is required to control it. So, you can use a relatively light clubbell to achieve the same amount of force as a much heavier dumbbell or kettlebell.

Both the displaced center of mass and the resulting leverage disadvantage create a lot of torque when swinging the Clubbell, which can be done without adding any weight at all. If you swing a clubbell faster, it will create more torque = more foot lbs for you to control.

I know what you’re thinking, “there’s no way a little clubbell can be used to build the strength that heavy barbells and dumbbells can. It’s just not possible to make a 15 lb clubbell feel like a 90 lb dumbbell!”

But that’s exactly what I’m saying. More torque requires more control, which requires more strength. It’s just simple math. And if you’re still skeptical, pick up a 35 or 45 lb clubbell (aka “the Bruiser”) and get back to me on how much strength you think you can develop with it. They don’t say “you can’t lie to the Bruiser” for no reason. It will reveal weaknesses you probably didn’t even know you had, especially if you’re only accustomed to training with 2-dimensional barbells and dumbbells.

Another reason I like clubbells is that weight swinging creates traction in the joints, instead of just compressing them under a heavy load. Traction helps make the joints stronger, since the weight is pulling away from the body, and thus, pulling on the joint capsules. This is what I mean when I say that strength training is meant to injury-proof your body – not increase the likelihood of injury. All proper training should be health-first.

I haven’t even touched on the fact that clubbells are swung in three dimensions, and through the six degrees of movement freedom – just the way we live and move in real life and sport. Clubbells can be used to STIMULATE real life movement patterns (to build strength through an entire range of motion) without SIMULATING the actual movement skill. So, it builds strength that will improve your actual performance in specific skills, unlike the simulated 2D nature of barbells and dumbbells.

So, if you combine a good clubbell training program with some health-first bodyweight exercise (like from the Bodyweight Exercise Revolution), you’ve got a solid plan for lifelong strength training that will help you stay injury-free. Two of the most important goals of a strength training program should be to build life-applicable strength and to fortify your body from injury. That is health-first fitness.

The Bottom Line

So, lifting heavy weights will make you stronger, yes, but at the expense of probable, ongoing injuries. You can lift heavy weights until your body breaks down, or you can adopt a health-first strength training method including weight swinging and bodyweight exercise as staples in your program. With a health-first approach to fitness, you’ll be building strength well into old-age instead of crapping out at 40 or 50.

*For injury prevention, I also recommend a prehabilitative joint mobility routine such as Intu-Flow and proper Compensatory Movement such as Prasara Yoga.

To your health and success,

Fitness Professional

P.S. I interviewed Coach Adam Steer, the Creator of the Bodyweight Exercise Revolution, all about bodyweight training on this page:

http://johnsifferman.com/blog/bodyweight-exercise-interview-adam-steer/

P.P.S. I also have a lot of information about bodyweight training, joint mobility, clubbell training, and prasara yoga here on my site if you poke around a bit.

QUESTION: John, how do you transfer that information (teach people about how to become true physical living enthusiasts rather than prescribe cookie-cutter programs – read the article above if you want a more clear description) when, 1. Your ‘job’ as a trainer is to ‘tell them what to do,’ and 2. Most people have little interest or care regarding the workings of their inner selves? Any thoughts on that?

ANSWER: Josh, I don’t know if I’ve found the perfect way to do this in a client/trainer relationship yet. I don’t know if it’s possible with the current model set in the fitness industry. It may require a completely new method of approach, which is what I’m exploring via these articles. There must be another way!

When I was a personal trainer in a popular local health club, I had clients paying me for sessions. Essentially, what would happen is they would pay me money to help them achieve their goals, and then many would tell me how they wanted to do it. They would say, “I want to lift weights like this,” or “use those machines over there.” So, they hired a professional and didn’t want to take his professional advice – dumb, I know, but it happens to many personal trainers all the time.

I quickly learned that I couldn’t truly help these people in the way a personal trainer is really meant to. Sure, I could offer a workout program that would help them achieve their goals, and teach them exercises, and check in with them for accountability, but I couldn’t transfer my joy for physical living to them – which is my ultimate secret and the most valuable knowledge I could ever offer someone about physical living.

In that position, the customer was looking for something specific – usually a vaguely “good workout program.” Sure, they want to achieve their goals, just like everyone wants a million dollars. The problem is that many don’t TRULY want to do what it takes to get there, and OWN their results. They just want the results without the effort, and they want to believe that what they are doing will work for them – even if a professional tells them it won’t.

It’s a much bigger problem than we initially realize because the entire fitness industry is sending mixed messages and signals…

lose 20 lbs in 10 days
take this pill and you’ll get skinny forever
cleanse your colon and your entire life will get better!

None of those are a stretch at all, and the problem is that people have been fooled into believing them. So, what needs to happen is an entire RE-EDUCATION. If the knowledge of how to live a lifestyle of vibrant health and abundant vitality does not continue to be taught, then people will never climb out of the hole we have dug as a society. Literally, the fate of our health is in the hands of physical educators – not doctors.

On one hand, as a fitness professional your job is to offer your clients what they’re paying you for – to help them achieve their specific goals. Whatever needs to be done to do this should be your main priority. At the same time, you job is to educate them about what is best for them, with the intention of making them less dependent on you. I think this is a good selling point for some people, because they want to feel empowered and know that they can take care of themselves without professional assistance long-term. Nobody wants to pay a personal trainer for the rest of their life, and in a perfect world nobody should have to.

If a client has no interest in truly bettering themself and taking responsibility for their own health and fitness long-term, then you probably can’t help them to become independent of you. That’s fine, it’s just the way it is. Perhaps they’ll open up more as they experience people who are truly happy and free. For now, they’ll just be a great customer. It’s not your job to change them – they need to do that themselves. You’re a guide, a coach – not a dictator.

Naturally, the only solution that seems to present itself is to seek those people whom are deeply concerned about their physical health. They are out there, even if few and far between. These are the people who will question convention, test theories on themselves, and play an ACTIVE role in the pursuit of better physical education for themselves, their families, and their communities. Some people are already doing this without even knowing it. What we really need are less trainers, and more activists. I talk about becoming an activist for physical living in this post: What the Fitness Industry Needs Most.

I think each personal trainer will find his own way to solve our dilemma, and I won’t pretend to know them all. I’m mostly using this blog and the personal relationships I develop locally to build a love in people for physical living. I’m the guy who usually suggests a trip up Mt. Washington, or a day at the lake, or some fun and games over the weekend. I show people through my lifestyle that active physical living is AWESOME!

Other professionals have alternative solutions as well:

• Frank Forencich is applying the art of play and games to get people to fall in love with movement.
• Mick Dodge is currently walking barefoot across Washington State, delivering the Antidote to the modern human dilemma.
• Erwan Le Corre is deliberately challenging the status quo with his MovNat (Natural Movement) coaching system that will be coming to the States as early as next month (he just received his O-1 visa to teach MovNat for 3 years – congrats Erwan!).
• The Circular Strength Training faculty, coaches, and instructors are also challenging the conventional model of fitness, while at the same time trying to bridge the gap between conventional and revolutionary. What they’ve come up with is one of the most comprehensive do-it-yourself fitness systems I’ve ever experienced.
• There is a quickly growing Primal Lifestyle community.
• CrossFit has their community.

Parkour and freerunner athletes, Martial artists, barefooters, Underground Strength trainees, outdoorsmen, and even bodybuilders all have a common theme of being intimately connected and passionate about physical living.

Progress is being made, albeit slowly. People are figuring out that the conventional model of health and fitness is severely lacking. One common theme that I’ve noticed is always present in those people who actively seek a change is a community aspect – even a tribal aspect. People want to BELONG to something they believe in, and part of my job is to help people feel like they belong to something bigger than us.

I see my role as being to: inform, educate, connect, inspire, empower, and lead you to a more fulfilling lifestyle through the active pursuit of naturally physical living.

So, those are my thoughts. Now, I want to know:

What do you think is the solution to our modern predicament? And what advice would you offer Josh about how to reach out more to his clients?

To your health and success,

Fitness Professional and Physical Living Activist

Hi John, I’m 43 y.o male , 1.85 m , 80kg , i discovered Tom Venuto’s BFFM ebook last February and by applying his program got rid 10 kg of fat and now I am at about 12.5% BF and in the better shape of my life from a BF point of view . I want to drop some more fat  (to less than 10% BF) and put some serious muscle on as next goals. What I realized reading your blog (but this is something i always felt intuitively) is that I miss the mobility part in my fitness, I’m much less mobile and efficient from a functional stand point that i would like and this limits my potential obviously. I liked very much your holistic philosophy to fitness and watching your videos it’s clear you have much wider freedom of body movement than most of the gym attendants or bodybuilders. I’d like a muscular body but not a stiff , just bulky one as those i see too often in the gym , I want to be ripped , muscular AND flexible/coordinated/functional. So I would like to ask you, what  do you advise me to add to my training routine (which is weight training + cardio  5 days per week )?

ANSWER:

I find that everyone wants the same thing – people not only want to look good, they want to BE good. By that, I mean be able to perform real life activities very well. People want a functional aspect to their fitness, and they want to feel athletic without being labeled an “athlete” or “fitness freak.” For example, men want a ripped, muscular body that is “lean and mean,” not big and bulky. Men want a body that is functional and capable of handling real life tasks with ease. Men don’t just want to look powerful, they want to be powerful, and most importantly, feel powerful. And that brings us to…

The holy grail of fitness goals: Look good and BE good!

Sadly, today most fitness programs are modeled on classic bodybuilding-style programs. The bodybuilding boom had a huge impact, and left our culture confused about what being fit means.

Training like a bodybuilder in the gym doesn’t make you a bodybuilder, but if you are training with a bodybuilding-style program, then you’ll get bodybuilding-style results – perhaps only to a lesser extent than those who take it to an extreme and compete. Even if you’re not competing, you’ll still experience some other “side effects” for following a bodybuilding-style routine.

Sure, you’d be very big: have huge guns, a wide and meaty back, and tank-tread abs, but what else would you likely have? Lack of general athleticism for starters. Just like any sport, bodybuilders are extreme specialists, and they get VERY good at one thing – developing their physique in a certain way to appeal to the judges of their show. Like any other sport, this specialization has some consequences.

Consequences You Pay For Training Like a Bodybuilder

A lot of things happen to your body when you train like a bodybuilder. Along with building big muscles and shaving off bodyfat, a few consequences are the development of adhesions (aka scar tissue) on soft myofascia tissue, calcification of the joint capsules, and gradual dis-integration of the nervous system, among other things. This downward spiral of ill-effects eventually leads to a loss of mobility and flexibility (ie becoming “muscle bound”), which leads to poor coordination and agility. Basically, bodybuilding-style training will dis-integrate your natural movement potential, and will result in a gradual loss of general athleticism.

Even if you don’t train like a bodybuilder who is preparing for a competition, but if your program is modeled on their strategies, you will experience these consequences, too. Some people are fine with this, and I have no problem with it myself. I admire and have a lot of respect for the bodybuilders I know. I’m just not going to keep quiet about the risks.

Now, with that said… let’s get to answering Massimo’s question: what  do you advise me to add to my training routine (which is weight training + cardio  5 days per week )?

Adding in extra physical activity is a great idea, but I have an even better one.

First, I would ask yourself, what can you get rid of that may be contributing to the problem in the first place? Let’s try to prevent the problem before it even starts. If your training program is leaving you feeling inflexible, immobile, and uncoordinated, then it sounds like you need a different program to achieve your new goals. You’ve solved the fat loss problem, now let’s focus on getting back to natural movement and general athleticism, which will lead to less bodyfat and more functional muscle. There are any number of ways to do this, and I can recommend a few…

1) Start a strength training program that directly focuses on mobility and general athleticism and all the attributes that go along with it (agility, coordination, balance, power, endurance, etc.). The Circular Strength Training (CST) system is the perfect solution for this because it puts health first as the priority (then followed by mobility, functionality, attributes, and finally physique). This is the program I have used for the past 3 years that has helped me achieve my fitness goals and maintain general athleticism and a body perfectly structured for exploring natural movement (I’ll be getting certified to teach CST in August). I’ve always said that a beautiful physique comes as a by-product of abundant health, and that’s certainly the case with CST training.

There are a ton of ways to get started with CST, so I’d recommend that you invest in Intu-Flow, FlowFit, and a clubbell program. Clubbells train the body not only in 3 dimensions, but in 6 degrees of freedom. They are one of the best strength training tools for building functional strength that is applicable to real life demands. You can find a lot more information about all of these resources by searching my blog.  The magic of the CST system is in its comprehensive nature and the how the 3 wings interact with one another to produce a superior training effect (3 wings of CST = joint mobility, clubbell athletics, and prasara yoga). It would be best to create a training program that incorporates all 3 wings to maximize your results.

2) Pick out a hobby that is inherently athletic, and practice and play regularly – you have almost unlimited options here: basketball, soccer, martial art, triathlon, football, ultimate frisbee, rock climbing, gymnastics, parkour, or MovNat. It’s pretty self-explanatory, but I’ll add in a note that it’s a good idea to practice and play several different activities to try and prevent over-specilization and the problems that creates.

3) If you want to keep your current training program, that’s fine, too. I’d just recommend you supplement it with some joint mobility exercises, and some compensatory movements to help build and maintain natural movement. I’ve tried almost every well-known joint mobility program there is, and I have come to love the Intu-Flow joint mobility system far above the others. If you can’t afford the package deal, then just get the DVD’s. Just practicing this one program alone will make a HUGE difference in how you feel and how well you move. I do an intu-flow session almost daily. I’d also supplement your program with some form of Prasara BodyFlow yoga to get deeper into your range of motion. Here are some Prasara resources, each with a different emphasis and focus:

Prasara Yoga DVD Program

Ageless Mobility DVD Program

4) Finally, if you just want a one-stop-shop solution for your goals with no guesswork involved. If you just want to be told what to do, then I’d recommend either the TacFit program, or the less expensive Bodyweight Exercise Revolution, which has all 3 wings of CST programmed into each session.

Again, I’ve got a lot of free resources covering joint mobility, prasara yoga, bodyweight exercise, and clubbell training right here on the blog. Feel free to explore the tabs above or use the search feature in the top right corner.

To your health and success,

Fitness Professional

P.S. The TacFit program will likely give you the most bang for your buck when it comes to functional fitness training:

Running should be a joyful experience, not a boring or exhausting workout.

Today, I went for the perfect run. Why was it perfect? Because I utterly enjoyed it, and I know that it was exactly what I needed today. That’s how training should be – our desires should line up exactly with our needs.

Not only was I eager to get outdoors and run, I wanted to do it right. I wanted to practice the perfect run and know that when I was finished I had done something right and good for me. Allow me to elaborate.

I ran Fall cross country, Winter Track, and Spring Track and Field in high school, and my events were the long distance events. I put a LOT of miles on my body in three years. So many miles, in fact, that I overtrained into injuries that ultimately led to almost three years in physical therapy, which was terminated early because I had maxed out the funds my health insurance was covering. I won’t bore you with the details.

It’s probably too obvious to say that I approach long distance running with caution these days. In fact, I remember saying that I would never run again. That’s what the doctors and specialists were telling me, and I eventually believed them for awhile. I’ve learned a lot about running since then, including many things that I would do differently if given the chance to return to the past.

Today, I definitely will not allow myself to stumble back into the running methods of my youth. I approach each run in a very different manner than I used to, and I want to share some tips about how to run better with you.

How to Run Better: 5 Things That I Do Differently Now That I Know Better

1) My lifestyle is much more balanced and supportive of a running hobby than it was when I was in high school. I eat better foods. Drink only water and tea most of the time. I’m not sleep deprived or over-worked. I have plenty of time to take care of my health. Going for a run today does more good than harm.

Running used to just add to the laundry list of stresses in my life, instead of being an avenue for stress-relief as it is today. If you’re already over-stressed, then it’s counter-intuitive to add to that stress by going for a physically demanding run.

Another aspect of this is that I have active recovery practices programmed directly into my lifestyle. Exercise is no longer simplified into work times and rest times – training days and “off” days. Every day is an opportunity for physical activity, and the best way to sustain physical activity is to adopt a daily personal practice that will help to PREhabilitate your body. I primarly use the Intu-Flow Longevity System for this purpose. If you don’t compensate for the physical work-related activities that you do regularly, then your body will eventually adapt to them and will always lead to imbalances and worse over time. Look at anyone who trains for endurance sports if you need proof.

2) Methods of warming up for a run have changed drastically. I used to jog for a bit, which I’ve now learned is an inefficient stride for energy conservation. After a 5-10 minute jog, I would do a full body course of static stretches, holding each one for 15-30 seconds until the muscle relaxed (read “lengthened” or “deformed”). After the stretching, I would begin the run.

Today, my warmup is comprised of much different methods that have been contributing to my injury-free, and thus, pain-free running hobby. I use joint mobility exercises instead of static stretches – working from head to to, and core to periphery. I also skip the initial jog, and just progress slowly into my run – walking, trotting, then running with occasional sprints interspersed throughout the run. Jogging is a thing of the past!

The program RMAX Powered Running really helped me learn how to fine-tune my joint mobility warmups specifically for running. I consider this the best resource for runners that wish to train long-term without injuries:

RMAX Powered Running

3) I run differently than I used to. My running technique has changed subtly in the past year, but the minor changes have made a huge impact on how well I run and how good I feel afterwards. I used to feel awful when I finished a run, just beat and exhausted with achy joints all over. It’s not like that anymore, and a huge reason for that is because my stride has changed out of necessity.

I’ve been adopting a “less is more” philosophy, and especially when it comes to footwear. In fact, I’ve been going barefoot all year, as often as I can, including during my runs. Naturally, taking off your shoes will change the way you walk and run. If you’re like me, upon first trying barefoot running, you’ll be hopping around like you’re walking on hot coals every time you step on a pebble – but your feet will toughen up quickly. In fact, running barefoot may even naturally improve your running technique in-and-of-itself.

When you take off your shoes, heel striking is no longer an option. As it turns out, heel striking is one of the major causes of joint injuries in the knees, hips, and spine, among other places. Try heel striking while barefoot and your intuition will tell you it’s a bad idea. You’ll never do it twice, trust me. Instead, you will want to land on your forefoot, or “mid-foot.” This will help you to “catch” your weight and absorb the shock throughout your body – instead of having over-engineered shoes do it for you. This is where natural running technique starts, and it will progress into more efficient and effective running from there.

If you want more information on this running technique, research the POSE running method as developed by Dr.Nicholas Romanov.

4) I now include an effective post-run ritual. When I was done with my runs in high school, that was it for the day – I was just DONE. I’d put everything I had into each run, and a proper cooldown routine just wasn’t employed regularly. Sometimes, I would “walk it off” to catch my breath and maybe do some stretches, but I was inconsistent at best. When I was finished running, I was finished exercising. That’s what the warmup was for, right?

WRONG!

The cooldown portion of your run is arguably one of the most important aspects, and if you want to stay injury-free, you better pay attention to that short window of opportunity following your runs.

I have a very specific cooldown ritual that I follow after every run, with some variance here and there depending on what my intuition is telling me. I ALWAYS do some full body vibration drills as soon as I’ve finished my run and the “cooldown walk.” Just shaking out my legs, arms, and torso really helps to alleviate some of the stored tension throughout my body and restores bloodflow to my muscles and synovial fluid to my joints. The RESET program was a great resource for learning how to do this effectively.

After shaking out, I’ll usually walk on the outside and inside edges of my feet for about 50-100 small steps. This helps with the prevention of shin splints.

Other than that, I’ll usually do some biomechanical exercises from the BodyFlow program to relieve some deeper tension in and around the joints in my legs, hips, and spine. This is always intuitive, and each day is a little different.

I always finish with either Forest Flow from Prasara Yoga or a 4 Corner Balance Drill.

The 4 Corner Balance Drill

5) I enjoy every step of every run I take today. For me, running used to be a challenge. It was hard work that I did for the purpose of bettering myself. There was an element of fun to it, but it was more pain than pleasure. The end always justified the means, and so it wasn’t as enjoyable as it could have been. I would stress over shaving off an extra second or two from my 1600 meter race, and it wasn’t healthy or sustainable long-term.

Today, running is a pure joy. The fact that I CAN RUN is a blessing and I don’t take it for granted. I make it a point to enjoy every moment, and stay away from the competitive running mindset that led to injury in the past. I can already run pretty far, and a decent pace, and I can sprint fast enough to surprise most people. Sure, I could probably increase my speed a little if I changed my running technique to include heel-striking, but since I’m not in a hurry or running for my life, I’ll content myself with a slightly calmer pace. If I ever did have to run for my life, I’m sure I’ll use the fastest method possible then.

I guess you could say that I’m taking a “Slow Fitness” approach to running. I’m in it for the long haul, and I’d like to run well into old age. There’s no point trying to push to the limit, or exceed my potential every single run. I’d rather progress slowly over time and keep my gains, than progress quickly and have to quit due to injury.

———————————————————————————————————–

The Perfect Run Through My Neighborhood

Today’s run was perfect because I incorporated all of the above tips. To top it off, I had my dog, Ronin, trotting by my side. I got a chance to say hello to three children and have them pet my dog. Ronin and I even got chased down the street by a fiesty German shepherd dog. I smelled and felt the wind, and I wasn’t exhausted when I was done. It was exploratory, it wasn’t a race – nowhere to be, nowhere to go, just running. When we got home, we both drank from the hose in the backyard!

More Running Resources:

The Definitive Guide to Going Barefoot

John races his dog Ronin in a barefoot sprint contest (video)

Born to Run: A Hidden Tribe, Superathletes, and the Greatest Race the World Has Never Seen – I’ve heard nothing but positive reports from people who have read this book. It’s number three in my book reading queue. My review is forthcoming.

To your health and success,

Fitness Professional and Running Enthusiast

Think about it…

Is being able to run a 10k in 50 minutes good general conditioning?

What about being able to do 10 pullups, 30 pushups, and 50 bodyweight squats?

How about being able to carry an 80 lb rucksack through moderate-difficult terrain for a weekend?

Aren’t those all qualities of general conditioning?

So, the first problem is that general conditioning requires a definition – which immediately makes that conditioning SPECIFIC. Even if you make the definition of general conditioning very broad, you still have specific means of obtaining it.

For instance, the MovNat domain of fitness includes:

12 natural capacities of movement: walking, running, jumping, balancing, moving on all fours, climbing, lifting, carrying, throwing, catching, swimming and defending.

This is a VERY broad definition of conditioning that spans many different and unique skills – each of which can be quantified and qualified to fit specific criteria and categorized as “good” or “poor” conditioning. And yet, the only way to improve the “general conditioning” of those skills it to practice them. You won’t get better at moving on all fours by running more.

It’s common knowledge that training for one movement skill will seldom (or never) transfer to improved performance in another movement skill. This is true because of the SAID Principle – Specific Adaptation to Imposed Demands.

Lance Armstrong is an excellent example of this. Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you probably know that Armstrong is the worlds greatest road racing cyclist in history. He has won the Tour de France for a record-breaking 7 consecutive years, from 1998-2005.

In 2006, Armstrong decided to try a different type of road race – the marathon, a 26.2 mile foot race. At the New York City Marathon, Armstrong finished in 856th place – hardly the position of a world-champion.

You see, Armstrong may have had the cardiovascular conditioning for both race events (at least in regards to how they’re measured in a clinical setting), but that doesn’t mean his whole body was conditioned for it. In simpleton terms, his heart and lungs may have been conditioned for both types of races, but his muscles, joints, and nervous system were not. And sure, he didn’t do that poorly. I mean, he broke the 3-hour mark in his performance, which is nothing to scoff at – but needless to say, he wasn’t ranked in the competition. (and I will give him credit because his next marathon in 2007 was a major improvement)

Being the best cyclist in the world didn’t transfer over to being a talented runner. I’m sure it didn’t hurt his performance, but it certainly didn’t help him as much as we’d like to think. That’s because his conditioning was specific to olympic-level cycling, not for running.

We run into the same problems with our fitness programs. Depending on who you talk or listen to, everyone has a different definition of what general conditioning is.

Circular Strength Training has 3 wings of fitness in which fitness is subjectively measured.

CrossFit has the 10 domains of fitness: cardiovascular/respiratory endurance, stamina, strength, flexibility, power, speed, agility, balance, coordination, and accuracy.

The Russian Kettlebell Club has a different definition from the American Kettlebell Club who has a different definition from the International Kettlebell and Fitness Federation. Even within these organizations, each coach has a slightly different take on what “general conditioning” entails.

I’m sure you see the problem – general conditioning sounds pretty SPECIFIC to me, too.

So, how do we tackle the question “how do I train for general conditioning?”

Well, the obvious answer is that “whatever you do, you’re conditioning yourself for that activity – even if you don’t want that conditioning.” Yep, if you sit all day long, your body will get conditioned to repeat that activity more efficiently and effectively. This means tighter hips, rounded shoulders, and a protruding neck among other things. So, if you spend a good majority of your day in front of the computer, even if reading up on blogs like mine – get your butt off the chair and get MOVING.

On the flip side, if you practice running, you’ll get better at running. If you practice lifting heavy things, you’ll get better at doing that, too. The issue is that most people want to get good at a lot of things. Most guys want to be able to bench press 600 lbs, run a marathon while carrying an injured girl on their back to safety, fight like Bruce Lee, and move over urban terrain like a parkour athlete. You’ll find comparative examples for most women, too. This obviously puts a personal trainer in a mind spell that’s more complicated than quantum physics.

How the heck are we supposed to train for all of these things at once?!?

I’ll tell you – you CAN’T.

You’ll have to practice each skill, one at a time. Sure, you can mix things up in an individual session, but each skill must be practiced exclusively. If you want to get good at all of these skills, then you’ll have to practice ALL OF THEM, fairly regularly. That’s the only way you’ll get good at all of them. Training for the Tour de France won’t help you run a marathon much better, just like lifting weights won’t help you perform in a mixed martial arts fight much better. It doesn’t work like that.

Now, I know what you’re thinking…

“I can’t possibly train for all the things I want to get good at.”

And maybe you’re right. Henry Ford knew what he was talking about when he said, “whether you think you can or think you can’t, you’re right.” If you don’t think you can train for all of the physical skills you want to master, then you won’t be successful at doing that.

I’m sure the excuses are already bouncing around your head.

“I’m too busy…”

“I don’t know how to start…”

“I’m not strong enough…”

“I need a good coach, I can’t do it alone…”

“I can’t…”

The truth of the matter is that YES, YOU CAN begin to start practicing what you’ve always wanted to master. You can master many different domains of movement and fitness skills. You can become a specialist of “general conditioning” – and fit for almost every possible fight. It will take a lot of work, more than you’ve ever done before probably. Do what you’ve always done, and you’ll get what you’ve always got. There’s no hidden secret to getting to this point, you just need to go out there and do it, EVERY DAY.

Obviously, this is a higher call to physical mastery – this goes beyond every gym rat, every weekend warrior, and every half-hearted attempt at “getting in shape.” This is the REAL McCoy, folks – a lifelong study of physical mastery, a worthy study indeed.

Now, if you’re deconditioned – if you’re not already in “good shape,” – then you’ve got plenty of work cut out for you. If you’re DEconditioned, then you need to UN-DEcondition yourself before you jump right into a vibrant physical lifestyle. Many people get started on a new fitness program and have to drop out due to injury because they try to tackle more than their sedentary-loving bodies can handle. If you’re not in good shape, then you need to REHABILITATE yourself until you are in a healthy position for long-term physical mastery. Now, that’s a medical term that carries a lot of weight, but unfortunately, your doctor probably can’t tell you anything about what you need to be doing to get out of this position of needing rehabilitation. It’s likely that you’ll have to walk the journey alone.

The good news is that you can get started today.

One of the first steps I took towards obtaining movement mastery was to work on the mobility of my joints – just trying to recover and coordinate the natural range of motion that my body was capable of achieving, but had lost. I used the Intu-Flow program to get me to where I am today, and I still use it almost daily as my method of “cleaning the slate” and now PREhabilitating myself from injury or worse.

Pick up a copy of Intu-Flow here:

Now, hear me out. I’m not saying that I have THE answer to YOUR problem. What I AM saying is that there IS an answer – and it’s out there, waiting to be discovered. And only you can find it.

For instance, if you present a laundry list of physical goals to a personal trainer who works at the local Gold’s Gym, he will likely either tell you…

1) this can’t be done – he will say this because he’s only thinking “inside the box” of Gold’s Gym. His little mind can’t possibly conceive anything outside of lifting weights and cardio.

2) you’ll have to tackle these goals one at a time – this is because he’s only ever helped people work on one goal at a time, like the most popular goal of “looking better,” which is usually achieved through fat loss OR muscle building based training. Strength and conditioning specialists are a little better off in this regard because they work with real life athletes that likely have many distinct, and equally important goals in the same season.

How do we specialize in many things?

I would suggest you take a balanced approach to this revolutionary way of physical practice. We all have goals that are very important to us, goals that take a priority. Make them your priority, but don’t forget about all of the rest of your less-important goals that you still want to achieve. For these other goals, I want you to employ the BACK BURNER STRATEGY.

Outside of your primary goals, you have some secondary goals. You will pursue your primary goals as usual, but you’ll also be practicing skills for your secondary goals with a submaximal intensity level – nothing that would push you over your training threshold. Think less than 60% intensity.

Here’s an example of the BACK BURNER STRATEGY from my current training plan…

I have some specific goals that I need to meet in preparation for an upcoming Circular Strength Training seminar. Namely, I need to meet some performance goals with clubbell training, and the FlowFit program. These are my primary goals and I am focusing on them in my program, among a few other things like Prasara BodyFlow Yoga.

However, I’m also working on several minor goals, that don’t bear the same importance, but I’m still very interested in achieving long-term. For instance, I’m doing a lot of barefoot walking and running, and I’m also trying to improve my swimming and diving skills, along with many other similar less time-sensitive skills. These are all on the back burner, but I’m definitely making forward progress on them, just not as quickly as my primary goals.

Ideally, you want all of your physical practice to work together to help you achieve both your primary and secondary goals, so think of this when trying to setup a plan. Do keep in mind that you can’t just practice a random variety of skills and expect to make progress – that would be cock-tailing your fitness program. Instead, you’ll want to balance the variety of your physical practice with enough progression in your skills and conditioning. You’ll need to find the sweet spot between variety and progression.

The Bottom Line

General conditioning doesn’t exist – all conditioning is specific. Fortunately, we can train for a broad base of skills. Although, it requires  a higher level of discipline than most people are willing to commit to. Almost anyone can have the conditioning of a world-class athlete, or specialize in broad physical skills, it just takes a tremendous commitment far beyond the traditional approach to fitness. The back burner strategy is one of the best ways to get there safely and naturally.

To your health and success,

Fitness Professional

P.S. If you want the most effective fitness system for practically all general conditioning goals, then I highly recommend you check out 4×7: The Magic In The Mundane Program I’ve heard of athletes setting new personal records as often as every 4 days using this protocol. Best of all, it’s perfectly suited for instituting the back burner strategy long-term:

It was such a nice day, that I did all of my training outside in the sunshine. I began with a very thorough session of joint mobility training using the Intu-Flow longevity system. I spent about 40 minutes in total working each joint through mixed levels of sophistication. I spent a lot of time on my shoulders, arms, and legs especially.

Then, after playing with the dog for a little while, I practiced some FlowFit rounds to prepare for the upcoming focus in my training cycle. Here is one of the rounds I filmed for you:

Flowfit – levels 3 and 4 demonstrated

I’m pleased with my performance, although I think my leg swoop was a little off today. I thought it was funny when the sun came out during my upward facing dog – it had been cloudy up until then. I may take the dog for a walk later, and I plan on practicing Forest Flow from Prasara Yoga before the end of today. I am also happy that there is very little muscle soreness after yesterday’s high intensity clubbell training session.

Have a great weekend, and, if you’re with me, enjoy the first day of your 100 Day Challenge!

To your health and success,

Fitness Professional

P.S. you can find more info about the Flowfit conditioning program here:

I would definitely go through the beginner level at least once so that you understand the range of motion you are trying to achieve at each joint. Some of the exercises may seem super-easy, but that’s ok. If you’re like me, the beginner level will offer plenty of challenge for you. I suggest that you adopt the mindset of a student and a complete beginner, and don’t treat the program like strength training which can be muscled-through. Instead, think of it as shaving away your movement inhibitors ever so slightly each day.

When I first started mobility training, I was in a straight-jacket of tension, and had quite a bit of trouble even achieving the basic ranges that Scott demonstrates on the DVD. I did not progress to intermediate until I knew that I could not make ANY more progress unless I added an element of increased sophistication – and for me, that didn’t happen for over 120 days of full body sessions. I spent 4 months on the beginner level before moving on from basic ranges to circles at each joint.

No doubt, your progress and results will be unique, and you should use your intuition to guide you, rather than my own template. A good rule of thumb that I have heard from the RMAX coaches is to stick with each level for at least 2 weeks before trying another one. I consider this the bare minimum, and realistically you should wait until you feel the movement “grow.” Milk each level for what they’re worth – there is so much to be explored!

The goal of Intu-Flow is not to advance through the levels, eventually reaching the master status. On the contrary, each level is just a further progression and sophistication of the earlier stage. So, you should still be reaching the basic ranges of motion that you learn about in the beginner level while you are doing the intermediate, advanced, and master levels.

With mobility training, you don’t become “better” or more advanced, so much as you refine the basics everyday through your personal practice.

It took me two years of near-daily practice to honestly be prepared for the master level, and I still fluctuate through all levels now that I have progressed through all of them. With practice, your mobility training will become less routine, and more intuitive. Some days, you’ll feel a need to go a little deeper into a certain range of motion – and other days you may feel like you’re just “going through the motions” because you already feel great – yet you know that you are doing your body a service and delivering nutrition to your tissues.

The ultimate goal is personal mastery, and it is best tackled as progressively and holistically as possible. Take your time with the materials.

If you adopt a lifestyle approach to fitness, incorporating a very progressive joint mobility program will be easy. I didn’t rush to master all the levels because I wanted to MASTER each one, and know that I would be free to move for the rest of my life. In the past, I wouldn’t have dreamed of seeking a goal for 2 years – I wanted 12 week quick-fixes. But by doing so, I ensured that my progress would be natural and permanent, that I would enjoy the greatest benefits from my practice, and that I would OWN my movement.

To your health and success,

Fitness Professional and Joint Mobility Aficionado

P.S. Find more information about joint mobility on my site by clicking here, or visit the RMAX shop for the most comprehensive resource on mobility training:

“I would like to share your core strength video with my patients….many of whom would be quite challenged simply by 15 seconds in plank. Do you have any standing core exercises to recommend?”

I filmed a quick response for Dr. Goodman this morning.

Beginner Core Strengthening Exercises


Every exercise and movement is made up of individual components. You can always make an exercise easier or more challenging by making very minor changes. Isometric planks are an obvious example of how easy it is to adjust the difficulty level.

The beginner level FlowFit exercises that I demonstrated are all very basic variations of exercises that become more sophisticated in the FlowFit program. With each of the four levels, the exercise sophisticates and becomes more challenging. (Here is an example of some level 3 and 4 exercises from the FlowFit program, click here for video).

Ultimately, we all want to perform sophisticated movements with strength and finesse. And the good news is that you can, one step at a time as you deepen your daily personal practice. Each exercise is built from an easier, simpler version, and if we practice the basics diligently our movement will naturally adapt with each and every practice session. There will come a point when you can pick up new skills rapidly, and apply them with strength, finesse, and ease.

The FlowFit program is an excellent all-in-one exercise DVD. I highly recommend it!

To your health and success,

Fitness Professional and Strength Coach

The most popular form of strength testing the one rep max is in the sport powerlifting. Powerlifting strength testing involves three exercises: the barbell back squat, the barbell bench press, and the barbell deadlift. Of course, this is not the only means of strength testing. A one rep max strength test is traditionally performed with a barbell or dumbbell, but other tools such as kettlebells and strongman lifting equipment can also be used.

There is a lot that can be done to prepare for a one rep max strength test. Ultimately, your performance will be determined by the work you do in the months and years beforehand, and there are a few things you can do beforehand to maximize that performance.  This article will focus on the three days prior to the day of the strength test, as well as the day of.

How to Prepare for a One Rep Max Strength Test

Day 1 – No intensity day.

Today, you will focus on active recovery.  The strength test is in three days, and you will need to ensure that your body is fully rested in the days leading up to it.  The best way to make the most of this day is to perform some light exercise to stimulate recovery.  A full body joint mobility session is the ideal way to prepare on a no intensity day (see Intu-Flow).  Focus on spending quality time on each joint to eliminate any “kinks” in your movement.  You want to restore full range of motion and help your body relax and remain able to move freely.  Going for a light walk is also another good way to spend this day.

Starting today, you will need to stay laser-focused on your nutrition intake, hydration levels, and quality of sleep.  Get as much sleep as you can, 8+ hours is ideal.  You will also want to ensure you get a balance of healthy food, with a good share of protein, carbohydrates, and fats, and plenty of fiber.  Prior to a strength test, you don’t want to exclude any of these macronutrients, even if you are on a diet.  If you can, eliminate all stimulants from your pre-strength test diet as well – no caffeinated drinks, sugar, or processed/refined foods.  That means no…

• coffee
• soda (diet or regular)
• energy drinks (you should stop drinking that garbage anyways)
• candy
• white breads and pastas made with refined white flour
• packaged snack foods, like chips and cheese snacks
• packaged cookies and cakes
• sugary breakfast cereals
• processed meats

The foods you should be eating prior to your strength test include: lean meats, fish, vegetables, fruit, nuts, seeds, and legumes.  You will want to stay fully hydrated starting today as well.  Drink only water and tea (no milk or sugar, please).

*Understandably, some people need to drink their coffee, which is fine.  If you are addicted, even only mildly, don’t restrict yourself if you know it will compete with your ability to perform – use your intuition and don’t overindulge.

Day 2 – Low Intensity Day

*Use the same nutritional and sleep recommendations as above.

Today is likely the most important day of the 4, in terms of preparation.  The goal today is perform some low intensity activity and further solidify the recovery from yesterdays session by going deeper into recovery mode, but also to prepare you for tomorrow which is a moderate intensity day.

I recommend two things on a low intensity day, either:

1) Practice Prasara Yoga to address strength imbalances and groove proper movement patterns (Prasara Instructional DVD here)

2) or, follow along with the Ageless Mobility DVD Program (more information here)

If you don’t have access to either of these programs, then there are still some things you can do.  Practice some bodyweight exercise variations of the ones you will be testing.  If you’re going to test the barbell back squat, practice bodyweight squats.  If it’s the bench press, practice pushups.  If the deadlift, practice lunges or single-leg deadlifts without resistance.  I will emphasize my instructions to PRACTICE, not train.  You are not to push into exertion.  Keep your effort low, between 20-40% of your maximum ability.  Your goal should be to groove the skill, and stimulate the movement patterns.

Another thing you can do today is stimulate the antagonist muscles of the primary movers you will be using during the strength test. So, if you are planning to test your one rep max in the bench press exercise, which uses the pectorals, shoulders, and triceps as the primary movers, it would be a good idea to stimulate the antagonist muscles of the back and arms. Remember, to keep your effort low.

Don’t make a low intensity day another “off day” or “rest day.” It’s very important to your strength test performance that you slightly increase your intensity from the day prior in order to build momentum that will ultimately escalate and reach its maximum on the day of the strength test – now only two days away.

Day 3 – Moderate Intensity Day

*Use the same nutritional and sleep recommendations as above with one exception.  Fuel up for the big day, and drink a LOT of water. You want to be fully hydrated and fully fueled.  DO NOT eat any food after your evening meal.  If you have dinner at 6pm, that is your last meal of the day.

View today as the final launch pad until your strength test.  To an extent, what you do today will determine tomorrow’s results.

It is today that you should choose exercises that resemble the ones you’ll be performing tomorrow.  Use the same training tool as the one you’ll use during the strength test.  Use a barbell if you’ll be testing with a barbell.  The key today is to PRACTICE the exercises, and keep your effort between 40-60% of your maximum.  In no way are you going to push your limits today, but you do want to offer yourself a slight challenge.

Your training block can be structured many different ways.

5X5 with a load you can lift 10 times would suffice.

Alternatively, you could do 5X3 with a load you can lift 6 times.  How you structure this training block will largely depend on how you’ve been training up until this point.  Use a set/rep scheme that you’re familiar with, just keep the effort moderate. Your rest times should be generous, but not excessive.  Two minutes maximum for rest between sets.

Schedule some time in the evening to relax.  You’ve got a big day tomorrow.

Day 4, “D-Day” – One Rep Max Strength Test (High Intensity)

*Use the same nutritional and sleep recommendations as above with one exception. Do not eat anything 2 hours prior to your 1RM strength test.  Plan out your meals accordingly.

First, take a deep breath and know that you’ve done everything you can to prepare for this day.

The best time for a one rep max strength test is late afternoon.  Between 3 and 5pm is the golden time.  If you cannot fit this into your schedule, don’t worry about it.  Any other time of day is fine, just do not attempt a strength test within 4 hours of waking because your spine may still be releasing fluid buildup from the night before – and nobody wants a spinal injury.

Prior to beginning the strength test, perform a full body joint mobility routine to decompress your joints and prime the body for movement under extreme stress. Once finished, begin your warmup sets – first with a bodyweight only set to groove the movement.  You want to awaken the tissues, and feed them bloodflow, not stress them out.

1) Then add the training tool (ie barbell) for a set.
2) Then add enough weight to allow 5-10 comfortable repetitions. Rest for 1 minute.
3) Estimate a warmup load that will allow 3-5 repetitions, without coming close to maximum failure. Rest for 2 minutes.
4) The next set will be 2-3 repetitions with a weight that you can lift 3-4 times. Rest for 2-4 minutes.
5) Make a 5-10% load increase for upper body exercises, or a 10-20% load increase for lower body exercises and try for your one rep max. If you succeed, increase the weight again slightly and retry after 2-4 minutes of rest. If you fail, decrease the load by 5-10% and retry after 2-4 minutes. Once you get to step 5, you get five tries for the 1RM test, in which you can adjust the load up or down.

Final Notes:

Use a stopwatch or clock to ensure you are resting the correct amount of time.  Do not rest longer than 4 minutes, as the body will begin to get tight.

Do some quick vibrations between each set to restore bloodflow, awaken the nervous system, and decompress the joints.  Shake out your arms and legs, and do some full body “chugs” by rapidly driving the floor away from you with your feet flat.  (see RESET: Vibration Training Instructional DVD for more information)

Log each and every step of your training up until this point in a training journal, including the strength test itself.  This is the only way to know if what you did actually worked or not, and will give you a resource to go back to next time.

Get plenty of good nutrition following the one rep max strength test.  A post-training drink comprised of fast-digesting protein and carbs in a 1:2 ratio is adequate. Then, eat a full meal with plenty of protein and starchy carbohydrates 1 hour later.

If your strength test was at the conclusion of a training cycle that lasted between 6 and 12 weeks, it’s time to take an extended rest from training.  3-7 days should be enough.

Good luck.

To your health and success,

Fitness Professional and Strength Coach

P.S. For a much more refined version of the above recommendations, check out the ultimate system to reach peak performance levels every 28 days using the the 4X7 Wave Series DVD Program. I’ve heard of athletes setting new personal records as often as every 4 days using this protocol: