A basic tenet of periodization is that each training cycle should start off general and end up specific. Another way to put it is that “a peak is only as tall as the base is wide.”
Friday, October 31, 2014
CrossFit Radio Episode 353
On Episode 353 of CrossFit Radio, host Justin Judkins interviewed Mike Warkentin, Managing Editor of the CrossFit Journal and owner of CrossFit 204. This episode was webcast on Oct. 29, 2014.
2:15 Five weeks ago, Warkentin wrote “Virtuosity: A Call for Submissions” and presented members of the CrossFit community with an opportunity to explain why they’re passionate about their coach and affiliate or their garage crew. The first published submission was “Virtuosity 1: Morrill of the Story” by Audrey Pike, and 11 more will follow over the next 11 months.
Warkentin explained the requirements or “movement standards” for the submissions and said he’s looking for outstanding writing that showcases the CrossFit community. Those selected for publication will receive US$500, and their affiliate or garage gym will receive a $500 gift card from Rogue Fitness.
To submit your story, review the submission requirements and email virtuosity@crossfit.com.
Why the Scale Lies About Your Health (and Where to Find the Truth)
Part of success in any arena is the ability to quantify success. For many, when it comes to health, wellness, and fitness, the all-mighty scale reigns supreme and the number on it is the standard by which we measure our success.
The Art of Selling Fitness Without Being Sleazy
If you're a self-employed health and fitness professional, then you are a salesman or -woman, period. Yes, I'm sorry to inform you, but your whole business depends on it. And if you suck? Well, your business hasn't got much hope of survival and your ability to help people isn't going to see the light of day.
Thursday, October 30, 2014
Coaching Young Athletes Through Sensitive Periods
In the Montessori system, the term “sensitive period” refers to a certain time in a child’s life in which they are more receptive to some types of learning than others. In fitness, especially for children, there are also physical sensitive periods, although I have found they tend to be shorter than mental areas.
Hungry, Hungry Hippo
Some kids will find medicine balls are more fun when they aren’t used for wall-ball shots.
The classic tabletop game for kids never did much for fitness, but this gym-based version will definitely get your children moving.
5 Simple Ways to Avoid GMO Foods
I always assumed my food was safe from genetically modified organisms (GMOs) if I purchased it at my local health-food store. But that's not always true.
Did you know the U.S. government has approved GMOs based on studies conducted by the same corporations that create them and profit from their sales? But these GMOs are banned in over sixties countries, including the entire European Union, Australia and Japan.
Training Optimality
A Study Proposal from an Economics Perspective
by Nicholas M. Racculia
“The motivation for discovering optimal programming is rational. Though our life span is the longest thing we experience for sure, it is relatively short in terms of the limited number of training sessions available. We want to get the most out of each training session. Getting strong or increasing power or endurance should happen as efficiently and safely as possible.”
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“The real question in any training discussion is not what works. Rather, you should ask, ‘What is optimal?’” – Mike Zourdos
In finance, there is a search for an efficient investment frontier, in which an investor maximizes expected returns (which investors like) for any given level of risk (which keeps investors up at night). Given individual risk tolerances, and a few other factors like age, investment professionals discover an optimal collection of securities (bonds, stocks, etc) for each investor. This collection of securities is known as an investor’s portfolio.Training is a portfolio of exercises into which a trainee invests effort over time. The returns generated from these expenditures are increased fitness levels. They can be expressed quantitatively as strength, endurance, power, speed increases and by other less quantifiable markers – looking better, feeling better, etc. Whether a trainee invests for short term performance (a high school sport) or long-term health (our “Physical 401k”), a rational search for optimality is useful given that effort, time and money are all scarce resources.What is optimal? For the vast majority of novices, there should be an objectively verifiable optimal training program – a first best solution to programming. A program’s optimality should maximize efficiency and minimize the risk of injury based on the context of the trainee’s situation. Exercise progression can have quantified rankings – e.g., Subject A’s increase in his squat 1RM using Program X was 20% greater than Subject B’s increase using Program Y – while training programs should have ordered ranking, e.g., Program X is better/worse than Program Y. Coaches discover what is effective and what should be left behind.Efficient training maximizes progress per hour trained since only a limited number of hours can be typically devoted to fitness. The progress created by training is hampered by injuries. Think of the net effect as workout to workout profits (progress minus injuries). Repeated maximal short-term physical profits maximize long term physical wealth. An optimal program maximizes these profits within the context of long-term health.When you invest your money, would you be satisfied with a 1% return? No. You would want to get the most out of the money that you can, since you only have a short lifetime in which to invest it. Training is no different: we want the highest return we can get in our physical 401K. These short-term profits must be allowed to accrue, otherwise acute injury or the third stage of Seyle’s general adaption syndrome [1] destroys progress.The motivation for discovering optimal programming is rational. Though our life span is the longest thing we experience for sure, it is relatively short in terms of the limited number of training sessions available. We want to get the most out of each training session. Getting strong or increasing power or endurance should happen as efficiently and safely as possible. On the one side of the life cycle, efficient programming benefits athletic programs in high schools and colleges where there is a fairly limited amount of time to build strong athletes. Optimal programming minimizes downtime from injuries.On the other side, aging populations face metabolic syndrome, osteopenia, sarcopenia and all sorts of other horrific conditions. An optimal training program enables grandma to independently get to her bridge tournament and helps prevent a broken hip if she slips on the ice on her way. The compression of morbidity during times of rising healthcare costs alone is substantial motivation to search for optimality. Jonathon Sullivan illustrates this most convincingly: “Instead of slowly getting weaker and sicker and circling the drain in a protracted, painful descent that can take hellish years or even decades, we can squeeze our dying into a tiny sliver of our life cycle. Instead of slowly dwindling into an atrophic puddle of sick fat, our death can be like a failed last rep at the end of a final set of heavy squats. We can remain strong and vital well into our last years, before succumbing rapidly to whatever kills us. Strong to the end [2].”It has been argued convincingly that strength is the most useful fitness adaptation [3]. Though my own personal bias agrees, this optimality framework should be adaptable to other quantifiable aspects of fitness as well. Fitness can be expressed in multiple ways. Jim Cawley has described ten general aspects of fitness [4]:
Cardiovascular/respiratory endurance: The ability of body systems to gather, process, and deliver oxygen.
Stamina: The ability of body systems to process, deliver, store, and utilize energy.
Strength: The ability of a muscular unit, or combination of muscular units, to apply force.
Flexibility: The ability to maximize the range of motion at a given joint.
Power: The ability of a muscular unit, or combination of muscular units, to apply maximum force in minimum time.
Speed: The ability to minimize the time cycle of a repeated movement.
Coordination: The ability to combine several distinct movement patterns into a singular distinct movement.
Agility: The ability to minimize transition time from one movement pattern to another.
Balance: The ability to control the placement of the body’s center of gravity in relation to its support base.
Accuracy: The ability to control movement in a given direction or at a given intensity.Program comparisons are not new in the literature. For the treatment of patients with coronary artery disease, Warburton et al. [5] find that interval training is more effective than traditional low intensity cardio. The health benefits of high intensity training surpass those of moderate intensity according to a study by Wisloff et al. [6]. Tjonna et al. [7] also indicate increased benefits from high intensity versus moderate intensity for patients expressing metabolic syndrome. Performance comparisons are also abundant in the literature. For example, Evertsen et al. [8] demonstrates that interval training may be more effective for a variety of biochemical changes that affect cross-country skiers. Storen et al. [9] show the benefits to elite cyclists from high intensity interval training exceed that of low intensity steady state training. Wilson et al. [10] find that training for multiple aspects of fitness tends to be detrimental to optimal gains as multiple training modalities compete for metabolic resources.Most of these studies, while useful, are designed to test a specific question rather than the more general “how should I spend my time in the gym?” It would be useful to have some framework that can allow trainees to rank programs claiming to increase some aspect of fitness against other programs in a more generalized way.There may be one such study already. Rhea et al. [11], a meta-analysis, combines a volume of previous literature and draws conclusions about optimal intensity, volume and frequency. One of the conclusions is suggestive: the study states that 60% of a one-rep max (1RM) is the best way to elicit maximal strength increases for the untrained [12].The analysis seems flawed for a number of reasons. The authors define “untrained” by the length of time spent in the gym (1 year or less). There are many efficiently programmed trainees who achieve intermediate training status before a year’s time. Likewise, there is many a cardio bunny who after spending years on the elliptical would respond like a novice to a proper strength program. A more precise metric for judging level of progression, such as time to recovery, is not present in the paper.Furthermore, since strength is defined as the ability to generate force against an external object, how does training at 60% of maximal strength increase maximal strength most efficiently [13]? Such a low percentage of a 1RM maximizes local muscular stamina gains rather strength gains, and that only with sufficient training volume. Finally, it is important to note that only 33 out of 1,063 observations in the study (or 3%) trained at 60% 1RM (rather than 70%, 80%, etc). This suggests that the sorting mechanism itself precludes us from drawing a generalized conclusion.Moreover, pre-testing a 1RM for a novice is essentially impossible (they are just learning the movement patterns), entirely fruitless (since a rank novice cannot usher forth the force necessary to push through a true 1RM) and ultimately pointless (since the attempt itself will cause an adaptation rendering a new 1RM). Attempting to calculate a 1RM using generic tables is equally unhelpful. Reason and experience (and three other studies by Hoeger et al. [14], Hoeger et al. [15], LeSuer et al. [16]) show that these tables should be specific not only to the exercise (why would we use the same equation for a squat and a bench press, and why do these equations usually assume linearity) but to the person as well. Confounding effects like gender, anthropometry and willpower render such a pursuit useful only for impressing potential lovers and, more importantly, fellow gymrats.{pagebreak}Also, though the statistical analysis employed seems reasonable (effect sizes with a fairly large data set), the input data may be suspect, which calls into question the effect sizes. Some randomly drawn examples (from the studies on untrained individuals only) from the meta-analysis include faulty data.For example, Chilibek et al. [17] use the leg press, the bench press and the arm curl (with knee extension, knee flexion and the lat pulldown machines included in the training but not in the testing for “balance”) as a proxy for total-body training during a 10-week training program. The movement pattern for each exercise is not clearly defined. The pre- and post-1RM were used to show changes in strength, which, as described earlier is entirely unhelpful. Finally, a curious result, given that all participants were female – there was a 72.5% increase in curl strength and only a 21% increase in leg press strength. This input does not bode well for Rhea et al.Another randomly selected contributor to this meta-analysis is Lemmer et al. [18]. The study uses younger (~25 yrs) and older (~69 yrs) volunteers (variety is useful for making general predictions) to study differential strength increases and detraining effects by using a knee extension machine on only one leg. It does not make sense to include this study in the meta-analysis for a multitude of reasons, not the least of which is that adaptation driven by a single leg extension is significantly different from the adaptation driven by a thoughtful total-body program.[19]If a study on one-legged extensions was the only outlier, then perhaps the input data aren’t too flawed. The paper also cites Zmierski et al. [20] and its work on scapular strengthening. Determining “if isokinetic strengthening of the scapular adductors while horizontally abducting the shoulder is more effective than strengthening the scapular adductors while extending the shoulder” is no doubt an interesting study, but is it appropriate to include in a meta-analysis on optimal strength dosing?When suspect data arrives at an untenable conclusion, a new approach may be necessary [21].The ModelFirst, this model applies only to untrained individuals. It becomes much more difficult to predict optimal programming for more advanced lifters as diminishing marginal returns make progress a highly individualized effort. Thus, generalized optimal training will only apply to a novice.Novice: A novice is defined as a trainee who can adapt from a disruption in homeostasis (i.e. training) in 48 to 72 hours.Non-Novice: A trainee who requires a disruption from homeostasis with an intensity level high enough to require more than 72 hours of recovery time for adaptation to occur.Optimality is a nebulous term. Let’s defined some terms more carefully, since the central question is optimality:Training Optimality: A program exhibits Training Optimality if, for any novice progression, the program is quantifiable and strictly efficient within one aspect of fitness and non-detrimental to the other aspects of fitness. A program that is both efficient and non-detrimental (defined below) can be called optimal for a novice trainee; see Figure 1.Efficient: A program exhibits Efficiency if there is no known program which increases one aspect of fitness at a faster rate. Here is the central testable quantity: efficiency. The ability to define efficiency is based on at least three assumptions, that programs are quantifiable and exhibit completeness and transitivity.
A program cannot be measured if it is not quantifiable. So let’s define quantifiable:Quantifiable: An exercise is quantifiable if progress can be measured, tracked and compared. For example, suppose a coach has established good form for a trainee’s squat and has just finished the first work sets at 135 lb. If in one month that trainee’s squat goes from 135lbs for sets of 5 across to 195 lbs for sets of 5 across, the trainee can move approximately 60 lbs more [22]. A program is the aggregation of that quantifiable progress. The quantification must be comparable across time and against other programs, and is necessary to search for optimality. If progress cannot be tracked over time, how can progress be determined?Quantification should be limited to activities (weight lifted, sprint time, distance run, etc.) rather than other metrics (body weight, belt size, feelings of exhaustion, soreness, etc.). Activities can yield universally comparable results while these other metrics are less comparable from person to person. A bench press, done correctly, and absent severe differences in height above sea level, generates the same external force for all participants.Efficiency, if quantifiable, needs two additional assumptions: Completeness and Transitivity.Completeness: Completeness is the idea that any two programs can be compared. Completeness has number of implications. First, this framework only applies to systemic programming, programming that effects the entire system. Within the context of strength it is rather silly to claim a program makes you stronger if only one part of your body (for example, “upper body”) becomes stronger [23]. This is not to suggest that every one of the 642 skeletal muscles must be worked to be considered systemic, just the vast majority. I mean, can you really linearly program the strengthening of the occipitofrontalis? (Perhaps, if the trainee with a serious program spends enough time watching foolishness in the gym…)Second, a program must have precise descriptions of its constituent exercises. It is unnecessary for all programs to contain identical exercises, since the post-test will have all participants performing (with randomized order) the 1RM for each exercise in each program. In other words, if Program X uses squats (as defined by the Starting Strength method) and Program Y uses quarter squats, all participants will post-test their 1RM for both exercises (see below for a pilot setup). All that is required is that each exercise is given a precise description, since, squat ≠ quarter squat, no matter what your high school football coach tells you.Strength: the ability to produce force against an external object. If two programs are systemic in nature and their constituent exercises are precisely defined, it stands to reason that they can be roughly sorted into an ordinal ranking (better, worse, same) for the entire system. If not, and, for example, Program X displays significant dominance in, say upper body strength increases but significant weakness in lower body strength increases compared to Program Y, then it may be useful to explore combining the superior aspects of each program.Transitivity: If Program X exhibits efficiency (as we are defining it) over Program Y and Program Y exhibits efficiency over Program Z, then Program X is more efficient than Program Z. The inclusion of transitivity allows the researcher to rank multiple programs from best to worst. Strict Efficiency: Program X exhibits Strict Efficiency over Program Y if all exercises within Program X increase at least as fast as comparable exercises in Program Y, with at least one exercise from Program X increasing faster than Program Y.An implication of efficiency is the lack of, or minimization of, deviations from predicted outcomes. If a program makes aggressive claims as to expected improvements and the majority of participants are not hitting those goals even when following the program, then the efficiency is called into question. The measure of this uncertainty is called volatility.{pagebreak}Volatility: the sum of deviations from some expected, quantifiable unit of progress within the aspect of fitness (e.g., strength = 1RM).Total volatility, or deviation, comes from two sources – (a) you don’t do the program as described or (b) you follow the program but it fails to accurately predict progress. Let’s call the former “idiosyncratic volatility” and the latter “programmatic volatility.” Total deviation is the sum of programmatic volatility and idiosyncratic volatility. For simplicity, assume that programmatic volatility and idiosyncratic volatility are independent and the presence of one doesn’t correlate with the presence of the other [24].Programmatic Volatility: Program volatility represents the sum of the deviations from predicted outcomes in a program’s design. A training protocol with a high degree of volatility built into its structure should necessarily have poorer performance results than one which does not. If trainees follow all aspects of the program as prescribed (including diet and sleep recommendations) and their increases deviate from the claimed design, then the method exhibits significant program volatility.Idiosyncratic Volatility: Idiosyncratic volatility represents the sum of the deviations from expected outcomes due to not following the program’s design. Idiosyncratic deviations includes things like not sleeping enough, adding additional workouts or exercises, not eating enough (or too much) and not maintaining proper form. They may also include external factors like having a piano fall on your head. The presumption here is that a trainee, before the fact, will do the program as prescribed.Idiosyncratic volatility should have an expected value of zero for any given lifter, though a self-selection bias may be present. Some programs might attract more serious trainees than other programs. Some programs may attract more risk-tolerant trainees than others. This suggests program and idiosyncratic volatility may very well not be independent. Thoughtful data collection can attempt to discern between idiosyncratic deviations and programmatic deviations.Total volatility is then the sum of these two sources of variation. Suppose a program claims linear progression in the squat. See Table 1 for what should be a nine week progression. Missed reps would necessitate the trainee repeating the same weight in the following session. The sum of the deviations represents the total volatility. In this particular example, our trainee increased strength by 25 lbs with a 15 lb deviation from the predicted strength path. The training log makes note that twice our trainee failed to act according to the program’s prescription. Idiosyncratic volatility contributes about 10 lbs of the deviation while the remaining 5 lbs of deviation can be attributed to programmatic volatility.
A program can be efficient, but if it causes a significant decrease in other aspects of fitness, then, for a novice, it would not be optimal.Detrimental: A program is detrimental for a novice if increases in one aspect of fitness (e.g., strength) coincide with materially significant decreases in one or more aspects of fitness (e.g., losses in speed and endurance). A program that does see decreases in one or more aspects of fitness would not be classified as “non-detrimental.” This definition does not apply to trainees no longer in the novice phase of training.A First TestHere is a testable hypothesis. Start with a robust pool of self-reported evidence on strength gains using the Starting Strength program. Go a step further and state that as we get stronger, novices who have completed the program do not experience reductions in speed, endurance, agility and all the other aspects of fitness. Hypothesis: The Starting Strength Novice Program is Optimal with respect to Strength acquisition. Best programs should follow from results. The goal of each experiment is to reject the hypothesis. Failing to reject the hypothesis does not prove that Starting Strength is optimal, but it does show that some other program is not optimal. With time, the fitness industry will phase out the junk heap of suboptimal programs.Corollary: The Starting Strength Novice Program is preferred to the ACSM strength training protocol. Each program is defined as follows:Starting Strength Novice Program: The Starting Strength protocol centers around five barbell lifts (squats, deadlifts, presses, bench presses and power cleans) and chin-ups. Training occurs three times per week on non-consecutive days alternating A and B workouts, see Table 2, with chin-ups added. After appropriate warm-up sets, the volume is 3 work sets across of 5 reps for squats, bench press and press, 1 set of 5 reps for deadlifts, and 5 sets of 3 reps for power clean. The load follows a quasi-linear progression [25] with weight added to the bar for all lifts for all training sessions for as long as possible.
ACSM Strength Training Protocol: The ACSM offers multiple strength training protocols on its website. Here are guidelines for their general strength program:“The American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) recommends that a strength program should be performed a minimum of two non-consecutive days each week, with one set of 8 to 12 repetitions for healthy adults or 10 to 15 repetitions for older and frail individuals. Eight to 10 exercises should be performed that target the major muscle groups.” [26]They provide “examples of typical resistance exercises,” detailed in Table 3.The ACSM recommends that the optimal load to build “Muscular Strength” [27] is 60-70% of 1RM with a volume of 1-3 sets. Progression of loading using the ACSM protocol is described thus: “a 2-10% increase in the load be applied when the individual can comfortably perform the current workload for one to two repetitions over the desired number on two consecutive training sessions.”
Pilot SetupWeek 1: Prior to group assignment, teach all of the test lifts, establish baseline strength, speed, endurance, etc. for each subject. Then randomly assign to SS and ACSM groups. Teach the rest of the program and assign caloric intake, recommend sleep levels.Weeks 2-13: Program progress tracked; calories and sleep tracked; injuries noted; deviations from expectations classified as programmatic or idiosyncratic [28].Week 14: Re-Introduce all Test lifts. Test 1RM for each test lift, which is now possible given that all trainees have some “time under tension,” to borrow a phrase, and can safely and effectively exert enough force to generate a truer 1RM. As long as the sample size is large enough, pre-test 1RMs are unnecessary since it is reasonable to assume similar starting strengths for two large enough untrained populations. The difference in ending 1RM is all that will be tested.Test Efficiency: Test for statistically significant [29] difference for each of the test lifts. Compare results.Test Non-Detrimentality: Tests for other aspects of fitness – compare pre/post for each program. Test for materially significant declines.Life is short. Perfect optimal training may never be discovered, but aiming for predictable and maximal efficiency ought to be the goal of any coach and any serious trainee. The fields of economics and finance have long used terms like efficiency and optimality. Perhaps it is time we introduce similar concepts into physical culture.
Nicholas M. Racculia is an Assistant Professor of Finance at Saint Vincent College. When not torturing students by making them occasionally learn finance, he enjoys research on venture capital. He is a graduate of Princeton University (PhD, Economics) and Saint Vincent College. He earned his Starting Strength Coach credential December 2012.
The author wishes to thank Jordan Feigenbaum, John Petrizzo, Karl Schudt and Tom DiStasio for their review of earlier drafts and their comments, corrections and thoughtful ideas.
References & Notes1 Selye, Hans. A Syndrome Produced by Diverse Nocuous Agents. Nature 1936; 138: 32.2 Sullivan, Jonathon. Barbell Training is Big Medicine. 3 Wolf, Michael. Strength & Barbells: The Foundations of Fitness. 4 Crawley, Jim. Ten Domains of Fitness. . 5 Darren E.R. Warburton, Donald C. McKenzie, Mark J. Haykowsky, Arlana Taylor, Paula Shoemaker, Andrew P. Ignaszewski, and Sammy Y. Chan. Effectiveness of High-Intensity Interval Training for the Rehabilitation of Patients With Coronary Artery Disease. The American Journal of Cardiology 2005; Vol. 95. 6 Ulrik Wisloff, Oyvind Ellingsen and Ole J. Kemi. High-Intensity Interval Training to Maximize Cardiac Benefits of Exercise Training? Exercise and Sports Science Review 20097 Arnt Erik Tjønna, Sang Jun Lee, Øivind Rognmo, Tomas O. Stølen, Anja Bye, Per Magnus Haram, Jan Pål Loennechen, Qusai Y. Al-Share, Eirik Skogvoll, Stig A. Slørdahl, Ole J. Kemi, Sonia M. Najjar, Ulrik Wisløff. Aerobic Interval Training Versus Continuous Moderate Exercise as a Treatment for the Metabolic Syndrome. Circulation 2008.8 Evertsen, F., J.I Medbo and A. Bonen. Effect of training intensity on muscle lactate transporters and lactate threshold of cross-country skiers. ACTA Physio Scand 2001; 173: 195-205.9 Oyvind Storen, Solfrid Bratland-Sanda, Marius Haave and Jan Helgerud. Improved V0(2) Max and Time Trial Performance with more High Aerobic Intensity Interval Training and Reduced Training Volume: A Case Study on an Elite National Cyclist. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research 2012; 26: 2705-2711.10 Wilson, Jacob, P. Marin, M. Rhea, S. Wilson, J. Loenneke and J. Anderson. Concurrent Training: A Meta-Analysis Examining Interference of Aerobic and Resistance Exercises. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Review 2012; 26.8: 2293-2307.11 Rhea, Matthew, Brent Alvar, Lee Burkett and Stephen Ball. A Meta-analysis to Determine the Dose-Response for Strength Development. Med. Sci. Sports Exerc 2003; 35-3: 456–464.12 The meta-analysis separates studies into trained individuals and untrained individuals. I safely conclude that all novices (as a function of recovery time) must be a subset of “untrained” as the paper defines it.13 Perspective may help –This suggests that a rank novice (who happens to be able to squat 60lbs once) should be training with work sets using a Rogue Bella Bar, ONLY. 14 Hoeger, W., S. Barette, D. Hale and D Hopkins. Relationship Between Repetitions and Selected Percentages of One Repetition Maximum. Journal of Applied Sports Science Research 1987; 1-1:11-13.15 Hoeger, W., S. Barette, D. Hale and D Hopkins. Relationship Between Repetitions and Selected Percentages of One Repetition Maximum: A Comparison between Untrained and Trained Males and Females. Journal of Applied Sports Science Research 1990; 4-2:47-54.16 LeSuer, D., J. McCormick, J. Mayhew, R. Wasserstein and M. Arnold. The Accuracy of Prediction Equations for Estimating 1-RM Performance in the Bench Press, Squat and Deadlift 1997; 11-4:211-213.17 Chilibeck, P.S., A.W. Calder, D.G. Sale and C.E. Webber. A comparison of strength and muscle mass increases during resistance training in young women. Eur. J. Appl. Physiol. Occup. Physiol 1998; 77:170–175.18 Lemmer, J.T., D.E. Hurlbut, G.F. Martel, et al. Age and Gender Responses to Strength Training and Detraining. Med. Sci. Sports Exerc 2000; 32:1505–1512.19 One other curiosity in this study—subjects were given 60 seconds of rest between 1RM attempts. Anyone who has ever lifted anything close to a 1RM knows that 60 seconds between attempts is not quite enough time.20 Zmierski, T., S. Kegerreis and J. Scarpaci. Scapular Muscle Strengthening. Journal of Sport Rehabilitation 1995; 4:244- 252.21 Rippetoe, Mark. The Problem with Exercise Science. 22 Whether this is a result of increased neuromuscular efficiency or myofibrillar hypertrophy is really irrelevant.23 Wells, Damon. Adaptation: Period, Persistence and Prioritization. 24 This assumption may not be realistic, but it is a starting point.25 The weight will increase at a decreasing rate towards the end of the novice progression (e.g., 5 pound jumps in the squat eventually turn into 2.5 pound jumps).26 Esco, Michael. Resistance Training for Health and Fitness. 27 Are there other types of strength besides muscular strength that the ACSM can train??28 Though a novice progression may take longer than 3 months depending on individual genetics, capping it at three months should ensure that the vast majority of participants have not left the novice phase but have progressed long enough to have progress that can be compared.29 Though maybe “material difference” might be more useful?
Wednesday, October 29, 2014
Gold at the New York Pro (Athlete Journal 42)
After winning gold in the heavyweight and absolute divisions this past weekend at the New York Pro, I’m feeling pretty good as I get ready to head out to Masters Worlds this week.
Great Coaches With Great Salaries
It’s not difficult to picture a world-renowned weightlifting coach sitting on a foldout chair in a dingy one-off gym ... READ MORE »
Don't Count Calories to Lose Weight: The Body Fat Set Point Theory
We have all been told that 3,500 calories equals a pound of fat. This idea is taught widely in schools and published in many nutrition textbooks. We know if we follow this rule, then we can lose a total of one pound per week by cutting approximately 500 calories per day. We take this as a fact and apply without ever questioning it.
Tuesday, October 28, 2014
Backbends 101 (Yoga Teacher Training Journal 3)
I couldn’t wait for my third yoga teacher training weekend to arrive. On the agenda were three of my favorite things: philosophy, twists, and backbends.
Wheel Pose
Motown Solo
In a city long at conflict with itself, Jarrod Bell runs the only operating CrossFit affiliate because, he says, it’s the right thing to do. Andréa Maria Cecil reports.
The 400 m surrounding Detroit’s first and only operating CrossFit affiliate is a microcosm of the city’s decay.
There are overgrown lots—a couple outlined with rusted chain-link fences forbidding the curious—and abandoned turn-of-the-century Victorian-style brick homes whose vine-covered walls, broken windows, “No Trespassing” signs and unkempt grounds seem suited for a horror film. Beyond that immediate radius are vacant buildings of all heights—some boarded up, others with broken windows, all with graffiti. One 14-story building warns “Zombieland” in thick black letters across the top.
Most wouldn’t choose this place as the ideal location for a small business. Or any business. Detroit’s cruel tagline, Renaissance City, has mocked its reality for the better part of 60 years.
It’s a town characterized by empty parcels of untrimmed grass, burnt shells of homes left vacant and roaming packs of emaciated dogs—coyotes, at one point. The 313-year-old city is proudly known as the birthplace of Henry Ford’s first automobile, Motown and techno music. For decades it’s struggled with deep-seated racial tension, high crime rates, government corruption, strapped finances and a dwindling population.
In March, Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder declared a financial emergency in the city and appointed an emergency mayor. Four months later, Detroit became the largest municipality in U.S. history to file for bankruptcy. Total sum: $18.5 billion.
Yet when Jarrod Bell decided to move CrossFit Benchmark Workouts (BMW) out of the trendy suburb of Royal Oak in 2012, he chose Detroit.
“At that time, the community centers in Detroit were closing. There was a need, there was a fit, something I could bring to the table,” the 48-year-old said.
Video: Gold Behind Those Clounds by Mike Koslap.
Why NOT to Compete
With the growth in popularity of CrossFit competition, too much focus is put on placing and qualifying and not ... READ MORE »
How to Develop a Strong Coach-Weightlifter Relationship
One of the topics of discussion with a couple of the coaches in my internship program has been overcoaching. Young coaches want to do a good job, and they want to be thorough. And because they are attracted to the sport of weightlifting they are undoubtedly stubborn. But they must understand that coaching or teaching is an activity that cannot be accomplished solely through sheer force of will.
How to Develop a Strong Coach-Weightlifter Relationship
One of the topics of discussion with a couple of the coaches in my internship program has been overcoaching. Young coaches want to do a good job, and they want to be thorough. And because they are attracted to the sport of weightlifting they are undoubtedly stubborn. But they must understand that coaching or teaching is an activity that cannot be accomplished solely through sheer force of will.
You're Not Actually Strong Enough to Bench
The bench press is a staple in the weight room for bodybuilders, athletes, fitness enthusiasts, and powerlifters alike. If you’re reading this, I’m sure you’ve included the bench press into your own fitness routine.
Monday, October 27, 2014
Why I Always Hit a Daily Training Max (Athlete Journal 6)
The deload week has finally passed. My mind and body got a chance to relax, and I entered the gym as a Hungry, Hungry Hippo. You can only be patient for so long.
Why I Leave My Shirt on During a WOD
I recently saw an online article about “Why I Take Off My Shirt During a WOD.” It was a ... READ MORE »
SS Weekly Report October 27, 2014
“What I mean is that since everybody’s form breaks down a little at the end of a 5RM, everybody’s back has been trained in a less-than-perfect position.”
The Starting Strength Weekly Report 2014-10-27: Topics from the Forums: “When is it time for back surgery?” and “Lifting in Space” . This week Under the Bar: Iron Fest, Training, and Traveling.
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A Bodyweight Exercise to Prevent Back Pain and Shoulder Pain
In my previous article I covered the wrestler’s bridge and front bridging, but that’s only one side of the bridging game. There is also the gymnast bridge, also known as a hand bridge.
The 5 Key Mindset Qualities of Successful Athletes
In parts one and two of this series, I detailed two powerful practical mental tools to help get your mind in the right place: motivational themes and not fearing the negative.
Sunday, October 26, 2014
Corporate Community at HGST
Jason Khalipa, seven-time CrossFit Games competitor and owner of NorCal CrossFit, recently teamed up with HGST Solutions to create CrossFit HGST. The tech company has incorporated CrossFit into its corporate-wellness program, and Mike Cordano, president of HGST, says it helps with employee health and community at the company.
“We’re in the midst of a big, strategic transformation as a company. CrossFit’s one of the things we’re using to enable transformation, and, as you see from the turnout here today, we have over 10 percent of our people participating …. and that’s having a real impact on our culture,” Cordano says at the HGST BroDown, an event held for multiple branches of the worldwide company.
Around the globe, about 1,000 HGST employees are doing CrossFit, according to Cordano.
“That’s an amazing achievement,” he says. “Couldn’t be happier.”
Khalipa adds: “Ultimately, CrossFit is being used as a catalyst to just develop community, and this is what it’s all about.”
Cordano says having events like the BroDown has helped the culture at HGST and created camaraderie among its members.
“When I look around and see everybody totally engaged, totally committed, cheering each other on, (you) couldn’t make me more proud of what we’re doing here,” he says.
Video by Eric Maciel
3min 14sec
Additional reading: “The Hospital Affiliate” by Andréa Maria Cecil, published April 21, 2014.
Saturday, October 25, 2014
CrossFit Radio Episode 352
On Episode 352 of CrossFit Radio, host Justin Judkins interviewed Sandia CrossFit owner Zach Gold and CrossFit NapTown owner Peter Brasovan. This episode was webcast on Oct. 22, 2014.
4:07 Gold has been changing up his programming and using heavier loads lately, and he spoke about the positive effects it’s had. He explained why he felt the need to change things up, and he described how he’s also implemented a monthly seminar for his athletes. Like many other gym owners, Gold said he stresses proper technique at his box in Albuquerque, New Mexico, and he explained why he no longer puts the workout of the day on his website.
16:01 Life has changed dramatically for Brasovan since he found CrossFit. He started at CrossFit Chicago and met his wife there, and he now owns an affiliate. He explained how his coach became his mentor and helped him start CrossFit Naptown in Indianapolis, Indiana, and Brasovan described the culture and community at his gym. His team placed 31st at the CrossFit Games last summer, and he spoke about how he and his partner balanced getting the team ready with providing a great CrossFit experience for athletes training only for general physical preparedness.
CrossFit Radio Episode 352
On Episode 352 of CrossFit Radio, host Justin Judkins interviewed Sandia CrossFit owner Zach Gold and CrossFit NapTown owner Peter Brasovan. This episode was webcast on Oct. 22, 2014.
4:07 Gold has been changing up his programming and using heavier loads lately, and he spoke about the positive effects it’s had. He explained why he felt the need to change things up, and he described how he’s also implemented a monthly seminar for his athletes. Like many other gym owners, Gold said he stresses proper technique at his box in Albuquerque, New Mexico, and he explained why he no longer puts the workout of the day on his website.
16:01 Life has changed dramatically for Brasovan since he found CrossFit. He started at CrossFit Chicago and met his wife there, and he now owns an affiliate. He explained how his coach became his mentor and helped him start CrossFit Naptown in Indianapolis, Indiana, and Brasovan described the culture and community at his gym. His team placed 31st at the CrossFit Games last summer, and he spoke about how he and his partner balanced getting the team ready with providing a great CrossFit experience for athletes training only for general physical preparedness.
How to Use the Front Squat to Improve Strength and Performance
I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again. The front squat is hands-down my favorite exercise. Whenever I say this, it tends to start a front squat versus back squat debate. Which is crazy, as it’s not an either-or situation.
How to Use the Front Squat to Improve Strength and Performance
I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again. The front squat is hands-down my favorite exercise. Whenever I say this, it tends to start a front squat versus back squat debate. Which is crazy, as it’s not an either-or situation.
Friday, October 24, 2014
2014 AAU Worlds Powerlifting Championships (Athlete Journal 112)
Part of what makes powerlifting fun - and frustrating - is that you're always left wondering why you didn't do better and how you can do better next time. Although I won my division at my most recent meet, I was still left with a lot of food for thought as to where I should go from here.
2014 AAU Worlds Powerlifting Championships (Athlete Journal 112)
Part of what makes powerlifting fun - and frustrating - is that you're always left wondering why you didn't do better and how you can do better next time. Although I won my division at my most recent meet, I was still left with a lot of food for thought as to where I should go from here.
Virtuosity 1: Morrill of the Story
Athletes look past a monster truck full of rottweilers to find a coach who’s 100 percent invested in his athletes.
Almost 100 people sent us stories of virtuosity in the week after we asked for submissions, and each was inspiring in its own way.
We heard about trainers who have changed lives, athletes who have overcome huge obstacles to find fitness, and communities that exhibit strength measured in something other than pounds. We read every submission we received, and we appreciated the honesty and emotion in each one. They are the products of an amazing community.
Some of those submissions, however, didn’t conform to our submission guidelines, which is a lot like a 400-lb. squat just a hair above parallel. Impressive as it may be, it doesn’t count. We received submissions that were too long or sent in the body of the email rather than as an attachment, and we received a host of pictures that were out of focus or well below the 1-MB required size. As Adrian Bozman would say, “No rep.”
To increase your chances of publication, read the submission guidelines. Attention to detail is the hallmark of virtuosity.
From among the pile of submissions, the one you are about to read stood out like a beautiful overhead squat. Audrey Pike’s story about Kris Morrill contained many of the same elements as other submissions, but it was better. It told a common story uncommonly well. That’s exactly what we’re looking for.
With 10,000 affiliates around the world, and a host of garage gyms as well, truly unique stories are very rare indeed. But the right words make any story as striking as a perfect clean.
To quote Aldous Huxley, “Words can be like X-rays if you use them properly—they’ll go through anything. You read and you’re pierced.”
Read the submission guidelines at the end of the article, write piercingly, and send your story to virtuosity@crossfit.com.
The Critical Importance of the Off-Season for Your Recovery
If you’re reading this then I have bad news for you. You’re just like me. You may not walk, talk, or dress like me, but if you’re reading this, then there’s a fair chance you’re every bit as obsessed with exercise and fitness as I am.
Thursday, October 23, 2014
A 5-Step Approach to Training During Adolescent Growth Spurts
We have all seen the awkwardness that accompanies a period of growth for youth athletes. Some of us have even experienced it. The fastest runner on the team begins tripping over his or her feet. The once graceful dancer is all arms and legs. The number-four batter moves down in the lineup because he or she can’t get the timing right.
Cyclists: Science Shares How to Optimize Your Training
This week I came across an interesting review paper published back in 2005 in Sports Medicine. It’s a review and summary of many other research papers on the sport of cycling. While I love just going out for a fun ride, I take training in the limited time I have available for it pretty seriously. I find that mind-set actually allows me to have a bit more fun.
7 Ways to Get Ahead in the Fitness Business
I keep getting asked how to get ahead in this business. Every time this happens, I feel humbled to be asked the question by fellow coaches or coaches-to-be. To some degree, it must mean I am where they want to be, and that makes me happy.
A Relaxing Yoga Pose to Release a Tight, Painful, or Sore Neck
Today we are going to look at the neck release pose. This pose is effective in easing the scalenes, trapezius, and sternocleidomastoid.
A Relaxing Yoga Pose to Release a Tight, Painful, or Sore Neck
Today we are going to look at the neck release pose. This pose is effective in easing the scalenes, trapezius, and sternocleidomastoid.
Wednesday, October 22, 2014
A Bittersweet End to My Training Cycle (Athlete Journal 41)
The time has gone by pretty fast, and I have now finished my last full week of training before the IBJJF New York Pro and Masters Worlds. I guess the best word to describe the experience of preparing for Worlds would be "bittersweet."
A Bittersweet End to My Training Cycle (Athlete Journal 41)
The time has gone by pretty fast, and I have now finished my last full week of training before the IBJJF New York Pro and Masters Worlds. I guess the best word to describe the experience of preparing for Worlds would be "bittersweet."
West Coast Impressions, a Random Journey
First, the Nutrition of the Sixties
by Dr Ken Leistner
“It began with the awareness that my training efforts needed a boost . . . At least the muscle magazines told me this. Of course this wasn’t true, as weight training was in the process of taking me from an undersized 120-pound youngster to a 232-pound collegiate athlete. The training was doing its job . . .”
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“It began with the awareness that my training efforts needed a boost . . . At least the muscle magazines told me this. Of course this wasn’t true, as weight training was in the process of taking me from an undersized 120-pound youngster to a 232-pound collegiate athlete. The training was doing its job . . .”
I have written often about living and training in California in the late 1960s, especially about Zuver’s Hall Of Fame Gym. In every case I enjoyed reminiscing and in the very truest sense, reliving what was a significant and pivotal period in my personal and physical development. Understanding the prevailing mindset of the “Iron Game” world of this era is important, because the late ’60s to early 1970s saw the truest and perhaps final “break” in the various aspects of the lifting and training activities. As I have extensively written for TITAN SUPPORT SYSTEMS and introduced in earlier startingstrength.com articles about my initial visit to the York Barbell Club, those who trained most often incorporated movements from Olympic weightlifting, powerlifting, and bodybuilding into their year-long training programs. Olympic lifters spent some part of the year doing bench press, deadlifts, rows, and even biceps and triceps work. Powerlifters always included the overhead press movement in some form and usually power cleans as well as a year-long devotion to curls, triceps work, and lat exercises. Bodybuilders would “bulk up” with heavy squats, front squats, deadlifts, cleans, pressing and bench pressing before focusing more upon the standard single joint, isolation movements when preparing for physique competition. As the 1960s passed into the ’70s, the times indeed were a-changin’ with the separation and specialization almost complete, into distinct activities with distinct approaches, each group of athletes pursuing a specific grouping of exercises. In California, I received a close-up look at how the top bodybuilders and best-known powerlifters went about their business. I also was plunked down onto Ground Zero of the nutritional supplement craze within the weight training culture, and perhaps that’s the best place to begin.If you trained with weights during this era, you also had an interest and a financial investment in any number of nutritional supplements. One of the oft-quoted summaries regarding this came from famed collegiate and NFL strength coach Dan Riley, who in one lecture remarked, “For those of you familiar with the statue on top of the York Barbell Company building, I want you to know that I paid for half of that with all of their supplements that I bought.” I immediately piped up from the audience, “Dan, I believe you because I paid for the other half!”My own odyssey that wound through the nutritional supplement field was no doubt as typical for the era as it is possible to be. It began with the awareness that my training efforts needed a boost, some sort of push forward that training alone could not and would not provide. At least the muscle magazines told me this. Of course this wasn’t true, as weight training was in the process of taking me from an undersized 120-pound youngster to a 232-pound collegiate athlete. The training was doing its job, but like so many, I read the ads that were aimed at fourteen and fifteen-year-old trainees and fell prey to the purveyors of protein powder, vitamins, minerals, wheat germ oil, and brewer’s yeast. In the early 1960s these were the “standard fare” for anyone involved in weight training who deemed themselves to be “serious about things.” No one was more serious about their training than I was, and I believed the advertising copy, much of which passed for legitimate articles in the various muscle magazines. Please allow for another reminder, especially for those young readers of the Internet Age: the dissemination of information was extremely limited – often limited to what was printed in the magazines, if one could not actually get themselves to a storefront gym, garage, basement, or warehouse where serious lifters or bodybuilders trained. The “information” in the York publications clearly boosted “the fact” that the featured lifters and bodybuilders used York Hi-Proteen powders, tablets, Energol germ oil, and their other supplements. The Weider magazines, published under an almost dizzying array of titles, focused primarily on bodybuilders, but again the key feature was the intake of the Weider brand of nutritional supplements, many of which mimicked what York was selling.The pathway through barbell training history is littered with personal claims of “being the first,” or “inventing this or that,” but relative to the far-reaching sale of protein related products, there is little debate that Bob Hoffman’s York was the early leader after developing the idea to market his product through Strength And Health magazine. There is also little debate that Hoffman utilized the formula that was first developed by Irvin Johnson of Chicago. Johnson produced and sold a soy-based protein powder from his Chicago gym. The Johnson Health Studio was actually Irvin’s health club facility and home. He had an interest in cooking and nutrition, and more or less ran experiments with some of his training clients. He attempted to “saturate” one of his trainees, Jim Park, with what for the time was a massive amount of protein, and the results were astounding. Park, in approximately four or five months, transformed his physique and became the 1952 AAU Mr. America winner.Park, a machinist, subsequently moved to York, PA and became an employee of the York Barbell Company. He brought Johnson’s Hi-Protein Food product to the attention of Mr. Hoffman who first advertised and sold it. Convinced of the soy-based product’s potential based upon the mail order sales that were generated, he copied it and sold his own version of “Hi-Proteen” powders and tablets, expanding the inventory to include various flavors and varieties. He perhaps overreached with Proteen From The Sea, a concoction of powdered fish that somehow remained on the market for a number of years despite being barely edible. Needless to say, Hoffman’s firm entrenchment as “The Father of American Weightlifting” and the widespread visibility afforded by his Strength And Health magazine gave him a far-flung network for distribution. Weider, too, added protein and vitamin-mineral supplements to his product line as he grew his new business in competition with Hoffman.There was no doubt that lifting weights made one muscularly bigger and stronger. It worked for me, and despite being short and small, I earned a reputation in high school of “being all muscle” and the accompanying nicknames, “Muscle Beach” and “Mighty Mouse.” A true observation about training with a barbell, however, was made in 1970 by Arthur Jones in his Nautilus Training Bulletin. He noted that once a trainee purchases a barbell set, he is effectively removed from the marketplace as a consumer unless the barbell itself is defective. Any failure in performance of the barbell set becomes evident and a replacement will be sought. He clearly stated that it is much more difficult to judge the efficacy of a can of protein powder, and once established as a customer, the purveyor of nutritional supplements will have the user as a monthly customer, perhaps for a very lengthy period of time as he replenishes his depleted supplement supply. This was also the realization of Hoffman, Weider, and a few smaller manufacturers or distributors who jumped onto the supplement bandwagon. Within a brief period of time, the sale of Hoffman’s Hi-Proteen and other nutritional supplements became the financial lifeline of the company. Tracing the development of the Weider magazines from their beginning, they grew from a few mimeographed sheets of exercise descriptions and routines, to monthly or bi-monthly catalogs of his products. By the early 1960s, the primary focus was firmly placed upon his nutritional products.{pagebreak}Living in the New York City area was advantageous to collecting information about strength training, bodybuilding, and the related ideas about nutrition. With gyms, barbell-containing YMCAs, and garages with a collection of interested trainees absent for many surrounding miles in most locales, the largest city in the nation had numerous small outposts of training activity and young, interested parties could insert themselves into the mix, and if nothing else, observe and learn. Even in 1959 when I began to train, one would observe those lifters and bodybuilders who considered themselves to be “York men” or “York 100%-ers” as they were called, shoving Hi-Proteen tablets down their throats throughout the day, having bought into the notion that one needed “a steady influx of protein.” Those who favored Joe and Ben Weider – and to be absolutely clear, the lines of demarcation were well entrenched – did the same, but with Weider products only. Hoffman enhanced his protein products line with Energol, a foul tasting rice, corn, and wheat germ oil liquid that was in fact reminiscent of drinking motor oil. However, many of us bought into the idea that Energol and copious amounts of flatulence-producing brewer’s yeast would make for great energy and weight gains. Until perhaps 1962, it seemed that whatever Hoffman did, Weider did, and then the latter began breaking new ground. I began as a “York guy” relative to my intake of nutritional supplements. I saw Strength And Health magazine on the newsstand before I saw one of the “Weider books” as we referred to them, though none of the muscle magazines would have passed for haute literature. In truth, everyone I knew that was involved in weight training looked upon all of the magazines as scientific journals, the equivalent of university generated information, and all of it designed to afford us truthful information that would unequivocally answer all of our training queries. In the cult-like atmosphere that was weightlifting or bodybuilding – where the participants, even in the New York City Metropolitan area were more or less known to each other if they had achieved any kind significant development – few if any of us looked upon the magazines for what they truly were. The “science” was for the most part a dressed-up half truth or a complete fabrication; the training narratives of the champions and near-champions were fictitious, and often nothing less than fanciful ramblings from the typewriter of a paid, behind-the-scenes, full-time writer who had never lifted anything heavier than a ball point pen. If we were told that the target audience was fourteen to eighteen years of age, we would have argued long and loud that “kids wouldn’t understand the scientific method behind the training routines.” That the formula worked for Hoffman and Weider and continues to work today is reflected in the continuous upward trend in the sales of vitamin and mineral supplements that topped $32 billion in 2012. Though there are variations on the oft-quoted statement about weight trainees and the supplements they ingest, this one will do: “If you told a group of lifters that eating Brillo pads would make them bigger and stronger, there wouldn’t be a clean pot or pan within five miles of any gym.” It’s a good summary, and in the early 1960s most of the fellows that I knew who trained, spent a disproportionate amount of their income on vitamins, minerals, protein powder or tablets, and the “other stuff.” In truth, by the mid-1960s, the “other stuff” was falling by the wayside.As a “York 100%-er” I limited my supplement intake to the various York protein products and began with tablets. I did not have access to a blender, which made the choice of eating their tablets a rather obvious one. But the tablets presented the drawback of ingesting a lot of filler, the necessity of carrying around pockets-full of grainy pills, and feeling as if I was rattling and sloshing in the aftermath of sucking down fifty Hi-Proteen tablets and a quart of milk. I was fortunate in being acquainted with a number of the best bodybuilders in our area, if only because they were accessible as “neighborhood guys.” With such a limited choice of training facilities, I knew where to locate them and went out of my way to do so. AAU Mr. America Joe Abbenda, IFBB “Mr. Winners” Tony Pandolfo, Larry Cianchetta, better known to the readers of the Weider magazines as “Larry Powers,” John Maldanado, and others had a few pieces of advice for me. The first was to ditch the tablets and use powder, as one could “absorb the protein better,” and in the long run it was less expensive. More than that, the trend was moving towards the Weider products, at least among the local bodybuilders. I persisted with my York loyalty, but in time I stopped taking Energol and brewer’s yeast. My focus was vitamins, minerals, and protein powder and the new Hoffman gain-weight powder. However, the soy-based products were brutal, rough on the gastrointestinal system, and harsh tasting. I had used my mixing bowl to make Hoffman’s High Protein Fudge using honey, peanut butter, chocolate Hi-Proteen powder and his new gain-weight, a predominantly sugar-filled product, but to no avail. I was ready to make the switch to Weider – a rather significant step for many trainees when it was time to purchase supplements. The final Hoffman products I used regularly were the early versions of Hi-Proteen bars, none of which would have been mistaken for a Three Musketeers.Again relating to our younger readers, in a time and place where no Hollywood actor, entertainer, media star, or even professional athlete would be seen with a modicum of muscular development it was …unusual. And that may be the most accurate descriptive word possible – to be on the street and see a man with visible muscles. Anyone with noticeable muscular development no doubt became “that way” as a result of hard, constant manual labor. In my immigrant neighborhood, many of the men were in fact muscularly hard, if lean, with a few of outstanding size. Like my father, they were engaged in jobs that required the expenditure of physical force and energy. In an immigrant neighborhood, where it was important to assimilate the core values of the American culture, being marked as “a laborer” was not positive. Every mother wanted her child to be seen as aspiring to higher levels of education, entering a “profession” rather than “a job” if possible, one that was at least a step above that which her father or grandfather toiled in. Thus, having any type of noticeable muscular development was a negative, a mark of being “low class,” the bottom-of-the-barrel blue collar mass of new-wave arrivals, lacking in education and social skills. Weight training that developed obvious muscle just as obviously ranked towards the top of the list of activities to be avoided, at least in the eyes of the adults I came in contact with. There was a realization that being strong was positive; being able to fight and defend oneself or the neighborhood was positive, and being strong and resilient enough to get through a week of manual work was a necessity. Yet, only “natural strength” – the level of strength and muscular development that one was born with or gained through their day-to-day activity – counted as “good.” If one lifted weights to become muscular, larger, or stronger, it was seen as “artificial” or “for show,” even if one’s enhanced development allowed them to work harder and longer. When an advanced weightlifter or bodybuilder was seen on the street, it was rather shocking and certainly noticeable to all. Most guys that I knew were modest, and careful to conceal their development. Think of the photos of an early Bill Pearl in a long sleeved flannel shirt or a young Dave Draper, usually attired in long sleeved shirts. The off-the-platform photos of the early York Barbell Club lifters and men like Steve Stanko usually displayed them in long sleeved shirts or York Barbell Club sweatshirts.Against this backdrop, imagine my surprise while walking the streets in the Gowanus and Red Hook sections of Brooklyn, and spying Larry Powers striding purposefully and with obvious confidence. Red Hook was named as one of the most dangerous neighborhoods in the United States in 1990, and “The Crack Capital Of the Nation.” As far back as the 60s, it was already an area to be avoided if at all possible. I was no doubt running a job-related errand for my father, using the subways and on foot, when I saw Powers, nee Cianchetta. He was one of the more popular local bodybuilders, a Staten Island resident whose training had been chronicled in more than one Weider magazine. He was wearing a tee shirt that was appropriate for the weather, and was on the other side of the street. Of course, I felt compelled to follow him, and he walked into the Mr. V Sport Shop. I entered a minute or two after he did and met Jack Meinero, the proprietor. Trim but muscular, and dressed in a very tight, form-fitting tee shirt, Jack looked to be “Mr. V” incarnate, with a huge lat spread. What really caught my eye and ear however, were the clanging weights. The small, cramped store featured shelves of the various Weider supplements, a display of Weider barbell sets and dumbbells, and what appeared to be a real weightlifting gym. It was in fact a make-shift training facility, and Powers was already hard at work with two or three others, hefting dumbbells and tugging on pulley handles while I’m sure my jaw hung to the vicinity of my knees. Jack explained that he kept a gym in what I recall was an elevated loft in the rear of the store, so that he could train during the day, and many local lifters and bodybuilders would stop in to “take a few sets” while purchasing their supplements.{pagebreak} I had already been to Leroy Colbert’s World Health And Sports Center, which was a large health food store owned by Colbert and his wife Jackie, on Broadway at 84th Street in Manhattan. There, I also saw nothing but Weider products on display, and I met Dave Draper, which began a friendship that lasts to this day. Dave and I would sit in the rear of the store, eat foot-long, meat and cheese-stuffed hero sandwiches, drink quarts of milk, and listen to Leroy’s stories about working in the Weider warehouse with Harold Poole and others, the exploits of Joe Weider, and training odds and ends. Watching Powers and listening to both Meinero and Leroy convinced me to make the move to Weider products and completely abandon York.The product that most interested me, circa 1962, was Weider’s “Crash Weight Gaining Formula Number 7,” and he hit it big with this one. Invoking an image of scientists in lab coats developing progressively more effective combinations of ingredients until coming up with “number seven” which obviously would be extremely effective, or at least more effective than “formula number 6,” I was all in for this one. I had been working more than one job from the age of twelve forward. Some income was contributed to the household budget, some was spent on food as the “house rule” limited me to one quart of milk per day with further consumption dependent upon my own means to secure it, and the rest was my “lifting, clothing, and lunch money.” Guess which one of those got the most emphasis? I saved, intending to time my Crash Weight Gaining Formula Number 7 intake with Christmas vacation. I would of course be working an eight to ten hour day as a fourteen year old ironworker, but knowing I did not have the regimentation of school for two weeks, I envisioned work, dinner, two hours of lifting, and a chance to chug down the magic elixir from the can-per-day box that required three buses and a lengthy subway ride before I could purchase it and bring it home. Reminding our readers that we did not at that time own a blender, all of my various drink concoctions were mixed in a large bowl, using an egg beater and a lot of elbow grease to make it close to a drinkable consistency. Following Weider’s instructions, I placed milk, the powdered supplement, raw eggs, and peanut butter into the bowl and furiously churned away with the industrial-sized egg beater supplied by one of my uncles who worked as a chef. I filled two thermoses and sipped from these throughout the work day, saving enough for a post-workout feeding. I gorged on overstuffed sandwiches and without the need to study or run for football, rested and read muscle magazines. I was shocked that upon the resumption of high school classes, I had gained a total of one pound. Where was the promised “14 pounds in 14 days” that were so prominent in all of the ad copy? Weider’s model Jerry Winick, who was another of the local bodybuilding legends, seemed to have as claimed, put on “a suit of muscles” in two weeks, yet I had gained but one pound.One pound! I actually jogged to the high school and asked one of the custodians to provide access to the locked building so that I could use the “official football scale” to check my weight. The result was the same. Fourteen days of carefully planned, perfectly executed “scientific nourishment” down the drain, and of course no “suit of muscles” ala Winick, Draper, or any of the other Weider superstars who claimed that they blew up with well defined, striated muscle using very much the same supplemental product I had. No way. Something was terribly wrong, and I needed to find out what it was.
From a small snapshot, a young Dave Draper on the left, and Jerry Winick who placed 2nd to Larry Scott in the IFBB Mr. Universe Contest, on the right.
I sat down, pen in hand, paper in front of me, and wrote a long letter to Mr. Joe Weider himself, a letter I recall as both pleading and accusatory. He stole my money, and this stuff was a hyped-up gyp, but was it possible he could avail me of some of his medical and physiological expertise and perhaps diagnose a disease I might have that would have prevented meaningful gains? I did not get my suit of muscles, and despite spending my hard-earned money got very little from my carefully planned nutritional experiment. Although I waited patiently for weeks, I never did receive a reply from Joe. I’m sure my letter went onto the pile of hundreds of others that voiced the same complaint, before the entire pile went into the garbage. Humorously, when I eventually met Joe Weider, perhaps two years later, as a still-naive trainee, I asked him if he remembered reading my letter. I am certain he had never even seen it among the thousands of other letters of complaint, but as he stammered and stuttered, searching for the correct response, I remained ever the polite young man, and motherfucked him while referring to him as “Sir”: “So yes, but Mr. Weider, sir, I worked so hard to be able to buy the Crash Gain Weight. I didn’t gain a fucking pound, motherfucker. What kind of bullshit is this, sir, can you explain this to me? What the fuck kind of shit are you selling if it doesn’t do what it says, only some kind of cocksucking motherfucker would do that, sir, don’t you think?” Or words to that effect. Unfortunately, the real lesson was lost – that it was less necessary to use nutritional supplements than to train hard and consistently, and to demonstrate a bit of patience to allow the effect of the training to take its course. The move from Hoffman products to Weider products had been made because Energol and Hi-Proteen tablets and powders did not digest well, did not taste good, and had not delivered on their promise of noticeable gains in strength and muscle tissue. The Weider products did in fact taste better, but the promise of almost instantaneous results had not been realized, and certainly had been blown apart by my “Crash Weight Gaining Formula Number 7” experiment. Instead of thinking, “Maybe I just don’t need this stuff,” I came to believe that there was a secret I had yet to uncover, and perhaps it was out in California. I continued to use Weider products when I could afford them, but often had to rely upon the generic brand of supermarket dried milk powder. Those who grew up as I did will recall that when one could not afford “real milk” they instead took a few spoonfuls of non-fat dried milk powder and mixed it in a glass of water. While this at times served as our source of “milk,” I found that the powder made an excellent protein powder substitute and one that was perhaps one-eighth the cost of any of the commercial protein powders. My first insights to the “secrets” that were held by the California crowd came through Iron Man magazine. I cannot recall what would have prompted me to take the bus from Long Beach to Far Rockaway, the subway from Far Rockaway to Manhattan, and the PATH Train from Manhattan to Jersey City, New Jersey unless it involved the possibility of observing a well-known lifter or bodybuilder in training at their YMCA or VFW Hall. Not even the prospect of meeting a female willing to talk with me would have pushed me to make that sojourn. There would have had to have been very strong justification to make what no doubt was, at minimum, a three hour trip in each direction via public transportation. What I do recall was seeing a copy of the March 1965 issue of Iron Man Magazine, which featured the great heavyweight lifter Norbert Schemansky on the cover. Wow. I knew who Norb was, having read about him and seeing photos of him in action doing his distinctive split style snatch or clean in Strength And Health. I was familiar with Iron Man only by its title and various covers. As a smaller-than-typical magazine at 9 x 6 inches, it was always displayed with the same sized blatantly homosexual magazines that were made available for public sale. It was never carried on newsstands in our neighborhood, but I saw it often, hanging from the “out of reach” section of the Times Square area news outlets in Manhattan. I had no idea that it was a legitimate muscle building-related publication as I lumped it with “those types of magazines.” I was street-smart enough to know, especially by December of 1964 when the March ’65 issue would have hit the newsstands, that quite a few of the top bodybuilders posed for gay-oriented magazines, but I harbored no negative feelings; it seemed like a quick and easy paycheck for them. However, by ignoring Iron Man, I had lost out on what would have been useful information in what was approximately my first five years of weight training. In addition to weightlifting features and the same type of contest results seen in Strength And Health, many lesser known “non-Weider” bodybuilders were featured in Iron Man, and of course, some were California guys.More intriguing were the advertisements that included what was probably one of the last for Irvin Johnson’s Protein Powder. It was in early 1965 that Irvin Johnson changed his name to Rheo H. Blair, upon the advice of a numerologist, and applied that name to all of his nutritional supplements. I had seen the red and white distinctively-labeled cans of protein powder, as some of the lifters at our local storefront gym had purchased a number of cases, but I had not yet tried it due to its cost. However, seeing it advertised and having Larry Scott, Joe Weider’s primary poster boy, claiming that “This is what I actually use” to get bigger and stronger did it for me. This was one of the California secrets I felt I had just uncovered, and during my long ride home, I read the issue of Iron Man cover to cover, and I made up my mind to find out how all of these men were getting so big and strong. MORE TO FOLLOW
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