Heavy Lifts and Hormones

      2019. A brand new year. New insights to our inner selves and new observations of the world in

which we live. One of those observations is there are dozens of people at the gym. Far more than there were prior to the turning of the new year. New Year resolutions, no doubt. Getting fit and exercising is a noble goal. Lifting weights is one tremendous way to attain that goal.

     In this series of pieces, we are going to look at several compound exercises. Compound exercises are those which engage more than one joint to complete. For this series those exercises will include squat, bench press, deadlift, and bent row & upright row. These five movements will use every muscle in your body.

Before going into the exercises, I want to clarify one point. That being the question on whether or not certain exercises do or do not increase production of testosterone. This belief has been around for decades. Anecdotally, it has held up. Scientifically, there are a plethora of studies on each side on the matter.

I stand with those that believe that heavy weight resistance training does, in fact, increase production of testosterone, human growth hormone, and cortisol. One of the many studies I have gone over in researching this is also in the book Advanced Strength and Conditioning: An Evidence Based Approach. This was put together by Anthony Turner and Christian Cook. They were quite exhaustive in their research.

Our muscle cells have receptors for various chemicals and other compounds. Included in this litany are testosterone and growth hormone. When an athlete, and anyone who goes to the gym or runs or participates in physical activity exercises, muscle cells are torn apart. This causes the pain felt afterwards. It is traumatic, yes. When this happens, more receptors are made available for hormones like testosterone, human growth hormone, and cortisol.

Clearly, there is the opportunity for the body to use more of these compounds. That does not correlate to anything being produced, some would argue.

Anecdotally, strength athletes have used squats and deadlifts as the mainstay of their routines for decades. Why? Because these have continually proven to work when it comes to packing on pounds of muscle, enabling the lifter to move more metal, and improve their performance in their chosen field. Time and again the winning routines start with common features; the compound exercises of squat and deadlift are first on their given days. These are then followed by other compound movements. The routines are finished with a few isolation exercises.

As I am writing this, I am still trying to understand the why resistance training increases testosterone and growth hormone release. What I am seeing, though, is the increasing pile of reports and evidence that shows that heavy resistance training does increase these hormones and cortisol, too. Squats and deadlifts are the more potent and effective in producing these hormones than bench press, shoulder press, and other compound movements. This is precisely why, when we get to designing routines, these two lifts will come first.

The inferred reason why these two movements have the greatest impact on hormone production is the size of the muscles involved and the overall amount of body mass/muscles being engaged. Remember that exercise is trauma for the body. It is tearing of the muscle fibers. This tearing opens new receptors in the cells for more hormones to attach to. Consider the shear size of the muscles in your legs. These muscles include the glutes, quads, hamstrings, and calves. Ideally, these should be far larger than either one of your arms and the attending shoulder. The idea being along the lines of what was said in that old movie Field of Dreams, “If you build it, they will come.” If you tear apart muscle tissue in large enough of a quantity and in the proper manner – healthy exercise – the body will respond with the increased release of testosterone, growth hormone, and cortisol.

The larger muscle groups mean there will be more cells torn apart. More trauma equates to a larger quantity of new receptors for these hormones. This is essentially equivalent to having a few extra sets of bleachers or new seating sections put in. More seats available should mean that more people will come in.

In short, the larger the muscle group that gets exercised, in this case it begins with the legs, the greater the injury to the body. That triggers a response for the body to release a greater amount of the growth-related hormones to attach to the open receptors.

This tells us that the exercises that are going to increase hormones the most, in decreasing order, are deadlift, squat, bent row, bench press, shoulder press, upright row, and then the isolation movements. Clearly, this list does not include Olympic-style lifts. That modification would appear in this order: snatch, clean and jerk, deadlift, squat, bent row, bench press, shoulder press, upright row, and then the isolation movements. As I am not an Olympic lifter, nor do I have experience in those lifts, I am not going to cover them. This series of articles going forward will look at the proper form for those lifts.

Now, you have it, heavy lifting in compound movements, will increase the production of growth and strength related hormones. Cortisol is, in the immediate sense, a fight or flight related burst of power and strength hormone. It becomes detrimental after extended time periods.

Next time, Squat and Deadlift, how to.

Triumphant Return! Well ...

Far too long and far too quiet, but I am back in the saddle. Well, in the corral ... well, in barn yard ... well, in the property, folks. Definitely on the property.

I am a firm believer of if you’re going to do something, do it all the way. That has not been reflected on my page or blog, other responsibilities and issues took over.

As for what I am doing all the way ... I am taking my first week back to get my body up to speed, correct my form, and all the nitnoid things like that before the opening volley.

Have any of you heard about the 20-rep squat routine? As the name implies it is built on doing one set of 20 squats.

In rough terms, start with the weight used for three sets of 10 squats. Shoulder the weights, start squatting. Keep squatting and breathing until you hit 20. Or, until your body gives out, whichever comes first.

You hit 20? Great! Fantastic! That is no mean feat. Add 5 to 10 pounds for your next time. After you take a day off.

Your workout is not over, not by a long shot. Oh, no.

Once you’ve reracked the weights and are out of the power tower you WILL do 20 squat jumps. Ass to ankles and as high as you can go. Quick as you can, now!!

There will be light pullovers, the usual three by 10 bench and bent rows. Some extra curls and tricep extensions.

But, there is an article coming and my own updates on the numbers to take you all through this six weeks of a lapse in sanity. The motto is GOMAD.
Gallon
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Weightlifting for Winter

      The overarching goal now is to combine, to the extent possible, strength and speed, to increase power. In doing this, we will use a few core compound exercises. A compound exercise is defined as one that uses more than one set of joints to complete the exercise.

      For instance, the squat engages the hips, knees, and ankles to perform. The muscles involved include the glutes, quads, hamstrings, and calves. For those who are not so clear on the anatomy of our legs, that translates to our butt, thighs, the back of our legs, and calves.

      The beauty of compound movements is that we are exercising the maximum amount of muscles in the minimum amount of time. While the muscles are extending (the negative portion) we should go slowly. This range of movement we are strongest and can handle greater amounts of weight. As such, moving the weight slower gives our muscles more time under stress, which is exactly what we want.

      When at the pinnacle of the negative, pause for a moment. Stop, take total control of the weight. If under the bench press, you should have complete control. The bar should be ½” from your chest. If you are at the bottom of your squat, your hips should be just beneath your knees. Each of the muscles in your legs are holding that weight and none of it is resting on your knees. Yes, this is the Pause Principle created and taught by Joe “Master Blaster” Weider. Hold the pause for 1 or 2 seconds, then contract.

      The contraction of the muscles is the positive movement. It’s standing up under the squat, the press of the bench press, and the pull of the bent row. This motion should be faster than the negative range. It should be a fast snap, an explosion of movement. It is a blast of force, but with control. You do not want the bar to fly out of your hands, off your shoulders, or slam into your chest at the top of the rep.
Sets and Reps

      Simple is the best way. Three sets are about all we need.

      Let's take a fast course in muscle construction. There two types of muscle fiber, the slow twitch and the fast twitch. Slow twitch muscles are for endurance like long distance running, while the fast are explosive and used in powerful movements.

      Repetitions for endurance go 15 and up while for strength are capped at 10. Reps for power are 3 to 5.

      Form first, strength will follow. From the strength we build, endurance will be a natural growth.
Bench
      Once the weights have been secured on the bar with proper collars:

• Lie down with your eyes under the bar
• Grip the bar with your pinkies on the thin smooth ring
• Squeeze your shoulder blades together, arch your back slightly, keep your hips and butt on the bench
• Lift the bar from the rack by straightening your arms
• Lower the weight with control, keep your elbows at a 70-degree angle to your body, and forearms perpendicular to the bar and floor

Bent Row
      Proper form:

• At the bar, squat down and grip the bar overhand, that is with your palms facing you and slightly wider than shoulders width; A wider grip will put more emphasis on the rhomboid muscles over our shoulder blades, while a narrow grip will engage the thicker latissimus dorsa
• Keep your knees bent and your upper body level with the floor
• Your back should be straight to slightly arched down. By this, Picture yourself standing at attention from the hips to shoulders, only you have that portion of your body over the floor. You do not want to have your spine arched upwards like a cat while moving weight.
• Pinch your shoulder blades together when pulling the weight up
• Hold the bar so that it touches your abdomen, then lower it with control until your arms are extended
• An underhand grip will ensure that you are working your lats as the primary mover in this exerciser.

Squats
      As a former powerlifter, squats are nothing to be afraid of. Let me say that again, do not be afraid of or nervous about squats.

      Use a lighter weight than you think you should use. We are doing pause reps and explosive movement from the bottom of the squat.

Proper form:

• Shrug your shoulders up and back, hands palm-forward around the bar, your head up and back. This presses the bar into that slot and keeps your back arched. Always keep your head up when squatting. From the bottom of the squat, there is only one direction we want to go, up. Pick a spot on the ceiling and get there.
• Do not stop with your hips above your knees. This is cheating yourself out of all the benefits of squatting. Get those hips below the plane of your knees.
• Once those hips pass the knees, do not bottom out ass on ankles. Doing so will tear your knees apart. Keep your legs flexed. The ideal position is about half-way between the ankles and the plane of the knees.

Deadlift
      Squat and Deadlift work much of the same muscle groups. Doing them both on the same day at three sets to failure is over-doing it and looking for an injury. So, don’t do them on the same day. Period.

      There are several stance widths for this, but we are going to keep this simple. Feet shoulders width, maybe just a little more or less for comfort

Proper form:

• Squat down all the way so that we are almost sitting on our heels
• Grab the bar just outside of our legs, the grip can be alternated with one palm forward and one backward or both palms facing the same way
• Head up and back
• Flexing firmly against the weight and the bar, pull steadily until standing upright, but do not lock the knees, keeping them slightly flexed
• Bending the knees and thrusting the hips back, lower the weight until it touches the ground, then pull it back up again

      This would be the time to tell you do not bounce the weight on the floor. This is begging for an injury that you will get. Believe me, I have learned that first hand. Several times.

      You will know that you are leaning back and lifting your head up enough because the bar is rubbing up your shins. Yes, it will scrape up your shins if you do this lift in shorts.
Shoulder Press
      Shoulder press will be done on the scheduled push days, an example will be given at the end. The upright row, which follows, will be done on the pull days.

     This can be done sitting or standing, but for our purposes it will be done sitting. This offers better control of the movement.

Proper form:

• Grip the bar slightly more narrow than the we did for the bench press
• Lift the bar overhead, do not lock the elbows
• Lower the bar in front with control until it nearly touches our collar bone
• Pause in the lower position and hold it here for one or two seconds
• Smoothly and quickly press the bar back into the starting position

Upright Row
      This exercise will be used on alternating workouts with the shoulder press.
Proper form:

• Grip the bar slightly less than shoulders width
• Stand upright
• Pull the bar upwards until it reaches our trachea at the top of our breastbone
• Hold it for one or two seconds, then lower the weight with control

Push or Pull Days
      Using both squat and deadlift we have more variety. We can alternate our lifting schedule in push and pull days. This could look like:
      In this two week cycle, we are alternating the push and pull routines. This rotation assures an equal amount of both push and pull exertion over the two week cycle.

      As noted in an earlier article, physical changes will take 3 to 4 weeks for you to see results. Your friends and coworkers are liable to notice results sooner.

Preparation for Winter Sports Exercises

Preparation for Winter Sports Exercises

 By Marc Trepanier

            An article in Popular Mechanics from March of 2016 talks about skiing and the amount of force it exerts on our body. Olympic skiers experience up to 3.5g’s when turning. The article goes on to say that Space Shuttle crews don’t go through that much on launch! If you weigh 180 pounds and go through turns at maximum speeds, your knees are taking more than 600 pounds of force. The image to the right was found at http://www.real-world-physics-problems.com/physics-of-skiing.html.

           Alpine and downhill skiers are making minute adjustments through their ankles, knees, hips, and torsos to perfectly align joints and muscles. One fatigued muscle can result in a broken bone, a torn ligament, or joint being ripped apart like someone twisting at a turkey leg at Thanksgiving dinner.

Let’s use this Fall Season to get ready for the slopes.

Ankles

Toe Walk

Heel Walk

Inside and outside walk

           Peroneal tendon, which is on the outside of our ankles, rolls your feet out so that you are standing on the inside of your feet. Walk like this for up to 60 seconds. Then, roll your feet so that you are on the outside of your feet. This is curling in the tibialis anterior tendon. Yes, your you look ridiculous. Now, walk like that for up to 60 seconds. When you get to 60 seconds, it is time to add a second set. When you are up to two sets of 60 seconds, add a third set.

            When you go to buy your next set of ski boots you must keep ankle mobility in mind. Without the boots on, stand against a flat wall. Keep your shoulders, head, butt, and heels against the wall. Slide down until your heels come off the floor. If you can slide down 12 inches (31 cm) before your heels come up, you have good ankle flexibility.

          These ankle walks in all four directions will build both flexibility and the strength necessary to withstand the pressures of skiing.

Legs

Box Jumps

Skater Squat

Side Lunges

Deep Squat Jumps

Step Aerobics Box Set

           Use a timer and start at two minutes. Increase by one minute when you can. In all of these exercises, keep your knees flexed at all times.

The Step Aerobics Box Set is a series of exercises.

1.      Stand next to the step,

2.      When your time begins, jump onto the step with your feet parallel and slightly apart. Keep your knees flexed.

3.      Jump off the step opposite from where you started and land so that you toes are pointed slightly towards the end of the step you are facing

4.      Keep jumping on and off, alternating sides, as quickly as possible for the duration of your time

           The second exercise is similar. The difference is that you are facing the step perpendicular and jumping onto the step forward, then forward off it so the step is behind you. Then, hopping backwards onto the step and then backwards off it.

           The third is Fast Feet.

1.      Begin with one foot on the box, knees flexed.

2.      Hop up and quickly switch your feet while in the air.

3.      When you land, tap you lead foot on the step and quickly hop up again.

4.      Switch your foot position in the air again and tap upon landing.

5.      Repeat for the duration of the set time.

Abs

Russian Twist and Bicycle Crunch Combo

Leg Lifts

Crunches

Atomic Sit-ups

           The Russian Twist and Bicycle Crunch Combo is my own twisted design. This is where the Russian twist portion is. Get your upper body into a half sit-up position. Unlike the Twist, place your hands beside your head and do not pull on your head or neck. Bend your legs and lift your feet. Alternately twist and crunch opposing elbow and knees to touch.

           The Atomic Sit-up is a wonderful exercise. Lie flat on your back and stretch your arms straight out over your head and straighten out your legs. Bend at the hips bringing your feet up and your upper body up simultaneously as far as you can.

           Do these in timed cycles or in sets and repetitions.

Upper Body

Push-ups

Wide Space Push-ups

Diamond Push-ups

Pull-ups

Parallel grip pull-ups

Chin-ups

           Do each of these exercises as one set, each to failure.

The varied grip positions and hand spacing is done to work our muscle groups through the widest ranges and to target the most muscles possible.

           By combining the three exercises here, we are preparing the pulling muscles in our back for the sudden changes and challenges of downhill and alpine skiing. To learn nore about the difference between pull-ups and chin-ups, click here for a previous piece I did looking at the two.

           Remember the muscles along the spine. Exercising these powerful muscles is too easy and can be done watching TV. During commercials, lay on your stomach and extend your arms in front of you and point your toes behind you. Pull your hips and shoulders towards each other while keeping your arms and legs extended straight from each.

           Hold that position until the commercials are done.

           Until next time. Stay strong, stay healthy.