(ela ley Pree eE CREM ue ccc GOES my Seneca cd DOE Ee File 2: brain The Brain... Des cary Rate Coding and Brain States. Eee ee aCe ity. Oe aces er Die age ea IOs Renu Cee Muscle Celis. Types of Muscle Fibre .. DC en car cu cee ney relicreits Cente eke A rc Tiree Che rac ite Ue hua DOCU nee ticy How to Regain Mobility and Flexibility. ieee Gieeaeuciag RO ecu Nera ents CSE uC Ep Re rt Mobility ert ae ane mee ae Se aca Coe ere eT Reve ae nae Pen ee eer erentSree acer) Cr CCRC ae may} See Sura 65 (ere may Ca RC 69 PC Ct st ea n Sear nm Ree Reece rar CT Cue MCCA 79 Dee Ec} cy SU aa tee css ORO ae Crane 83 Goce areCi aren 84 Sere Ce ce eC Rertary renee CeCe ae) cr Ree auc ti Er Tea Lc} ener Seco Pcie oes Coe BCT enc Le File 6: advanced energy training. Tider a ce Rony Resistance Cardio Finishers 98 ac 99 Crea ur a) Ce CC aud 103 oon etl aT) ePIC ECOCUC cnn ye wc yaCPA ue CaCI? 107 Ieee may, Deere uo mir Coeur Maer Crcas mai} Ce ce a} Mere a Rea cy on Parnes a Pre Seog ard an} CeO Su sac rd ral Cae CRI marr} Ree Ree ee CIty 122 Rec 122 ioe Oars ars} Geared ars} OCCU carare mars} Dome oP ea Se eee Ct oP eco ar} RM Re UL oes ie ara Tracom ar) Dual N-Back Training. 130 Tec ka] ieee may) enc cy Ey Why You Aren't Losing Weight Ex} EOC e aes mE Be a anu 135 Superorganism: Understanding Your Microbiome.... EC} Peace aca ara) The Correct Strategy for Fixing Your Microbiome ars} Oe erie car ar NSO ara aa aa ee Pe eC 145 nn yEnc macy ier a :} I a UNG 2 a} PEC C2 151 Autophagy and Fasting — Not a ‘Magic Cure’ Tv]Peat oa Geum PRU cuca cud Ter tatu Ru eae eet aed Dee Cus) Sires Nec esc} ES Ca Weep RCE aco ae Cea en Reece coe acy Ore U aCe Pao Cu) DECC Meco aR Sa Care eae reece CTL TORO aR Cs File 10: program.. eee ae Dera Lifestyle Adaptation Roms MC A e Dre) Ieuan ROCA ce Xen RA Cn Cs Pr A tne cae aS or rae acy The Diets. Bier aC Me Tan) SiC ra Mecca) RES ase CC oe ened ax} mcr a) aid . 158 ca cs a . 169 ar) rz ary ar) ar arr) 181 aE} acy acy ac) 192 arr} at a ad ad arr ar) . 200 wy) aK) Pk) a wa) 1) PT Pi}Level 3 Pa eee PT Dae ere ea ec ae entertainment, Always consutt with a physician before beginning any new training program, and proceed Proteaa= superFunctional Dose OSC d Pee a a eee CIR ane ea Une eet aL Creinen OE ce mee Crea nem RCS cus Cia nu eae Sc ace WU Cacd Dee eae cs ee Seu aS ae Oa) De enna CORR te eee ec MLO CL Creech er aca uate tect ken We often refer to this as being “functional.” We consider someone functional if they are able to move in all of the ways that the human body was designed to move through See ee ue us mee Cr i ae described by Paul Check for instance. The fact of the matter is that many of us can't even squat down to the ground without SU CO WC i eae CUR au) Boecrnitr So, we exercise, effectively as a form of rehabilitation! Eee Stain a neter saad ee Because to be functional should really mean to function. It should mean being able to do een RCs eC nee bye eC Uru eR Cc Re es Tee Oe SCE eau un uN CCE Ces SOC dirk ar eer nau CCC Meade Fee SLOPE Ue eek en a Cee een arse g Cae ACU Rene Cone meee a cece Ueno ROR Mn ae SOM RCS cua t tT MR ar LCL ut Don ie Ck Ruck Nee bore cas Being able to do 30 pull ups is not functional. It's SUPERFUNCTIONAL. You don't need to be able to do it, but it's a goal to train for. It's beyond rehabilitation, it's aspiration. PRS naaDee eee ae ae EO nr) Seen eee Re UCR Une en ee Cente eam ce Ra ecm ec a Cer cnet iets ha Pe Ce a Ae Ta cue ce Cee ake eeu Ung Pee Se eC eae Rn) Pee cee Cc ike ee asa UCase packed hero’s journey? Re ence ec ee cn oan ake Ce cc increase your freedom. SuperFunctional Training isn’t just about training strength, but also your brain, your flexibility, your speed, your knowledge. It eis Ona te ne UU Racer eee sme cas Oey Mau Danaea lity. DCU Jump higher so you can move in more dimensions. rE eke Una FE OE aoe eRe a ee Cu acca eng Rm ce! Weer Gun reise mn Reng ec eee ci Those guys are able to do that purely because they have more capabilities themselves. They were fast enough, or smart enough. Oe Se i Rem ne UC ne eS a OTC ck enc eR Cu U McC age Rs) CeO Ree Cue mue ke Cea acs esd Case in point: | am a full-time writer who gets paid by the word. | have been able to Gee ee CU ac eM eee Re Rec a a and my verbal fluency. Tee ee eu ae eae Ly Dee Cea aan Tu Ce Hen eer new a Reece a aia Ceca eae Cea anaes Ae eee eT Dee cn RRC ne) SOS eee eS ee acy Coos ame et cue sa So that is why | think that everybody should train rather than just exercise. That is why | ee Rest caer But we're not done defining the term just yet! Eee eee casi Mic cero Rasy deen et eadca) After all, we are training to be able to do things we don't needto be able to do. We're going further beyond, And with that in mind, why would you limit yourself to training only En ae sled Se see Cun Ceca ene ee tee eee oe cic) eee Rae caeec nt Ch OU RID aun ed ct OO nse Ce Ce uC unr RL aL ea cag Cros Cena Re OMe arr ee ee DO CR ee a CCC Rue ee a ea a aL ieee en Cue a CE ee Mea Dee One Cues ge un eke mee Sct eT Dene eae a And while we're at it, why not also train for increased energy? By boosting energy CeO a nah an Cosme ieee ce Mee ae i) We could gain more energy to attack the rest of our training with additional vigour. SEU se Se eee eo Cee eed about training cold resistance (thermal regulation)? Or tendon strength? Ree Sr eee eeu ee cee acy SCR miu ee UE eC aa CCU cca Ce PE MSa a es atte tid Did you know you could train yourself to become ambidextrous? To more easily enter a rene AUPE ie crc air asc Imagine ONE training program designed to help you train all those things. TREN cae Re en ur Mura caren Blea ne Ree cu eRe a eR Pees er The focus of this book then is to provide a single training program that will make you ‘SuperFunctional in EVERY aspect. Not just slimmer and more muscular, but smarter, eae Re CeCe Okay so maybe at this point it’s beginning to sound as though I'm reading too many comic. books. But before you dismiss this all as nonsense, | ask you to consider a few points. Firstly, we are definitely aiming for “jack of all trades” here. While you're welcome to Bee Cee oie ana Cs ener ac) COSI eeu ceca Rc ame cs RSs Chau in tec hue eu ee niet Cmca Car ee ana aware of that and it gets addressed later in this book.lo Ne OMT ue eee coeur a ca Rec aCe ur eka into Eddie Morra from Limitless (or Eddie Spinola if you read the original book) Fee CU Se Ue aa eC The point is though, that most people don’t do ANY of this type of training. Therefore, you Cane eC Rea CeCe OE aie assur advantage. And anyway, isn’t doing a /itt/e training for your sense better than doing none at all? DO aC naa ee ae EU Recs Ra nen eRe rep eMac Ee Roe men eA Cl hydration, energy levels, free time) and your mental faculties (motivation, focus, rae eae) Sea Ce hn es eer eae eee ee TER hana a een ec er acres MS eR eee CT POC Ce eee eeepc es eer cee Us peers Cae Cg uC is Rama) The other thing I'd like to draw your attention to, are the many examples of incredibly skilled human beings and the many pioneers exploring the limits of what they're capable Ca RISERS Se CoM Coach eee aay STR Ue Ci Sau eC ee Ue sonar via a skill called “ecolocation.” ROE ae ce Ure ee single day without tiring out. The Moken people, also known as the “sea-nomads,” are BC e ea recut asa ares eeu Rar eee Ueno eee Bee Sica cnet ceca Cue eC ake Peon ee Ms eer a ace RR RU ere Un eR ech eae kage aun CU UC EC RL ae Rea eRe eu TR CU ao ne ecu eae ce a eC en ee cay Denn Cee a Un kee es a Penne eee See Mc eee German freediver Aleix Sergura holds the record for the longest breath hold - 24 minutes POSE}ava RIS Se Cn aed ge aCe Rae a SSeS ce Cn Un kc Ue ane ce Rn UCSC SU eu Rem Leu ae Ce CM RO Mm uC Oe eT Rue Cea ae ee Rn Reece ce But there are certainlythings we can take from some of these other examples. For SOR te RCC CU ha rahe scar strengthening the feet and toes, And we can adapt the freediving technique of “oxygen Pre a ae en ee Pur Ud Peele We LEA RM eee Pega ee sie ace e ene oS CEC Re Wu ea Re a CO We Cec ke Cee eee SEM aa a eeu ae ea a Precrica Take a look on YouTube and watch just a few of the incredible parkour (free running) or GRU ee mC oe sa Ca Cece et PUES eeu ee Raa eC cae Cee Consider the growing awareness of the “flow state” proposed by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi and considered by many to be the “ultimate state of human performance.”ava Dee ea eta Ce eS Cen conc ea ue advanced breathing techniques based on Tummo Meditation. Speaking of which, meditation in generalis also becoming more widespread than ever. Oe a eee ee nT re Deena aCe om a ict ee ROS o CC eOe Oe COR nD Ceca Sakae Us eae Cac SETTING OUT THE OBJECTIVES OF THIS BOOK ROS een ene un eR See CL acd devise a SuperFunctional Training program ~ one that expands your abilities in as many Cee eee en ec Mey cee Une Increase energy levels Ree ice Devos ec Get tiene eee uy a ae see co DCN Se UCC recess nd Tere Ue UCR sy CSc) Cereus nes Eons nice Tee ii Reeteanie enc Seu Cue eee eo cd Pee seta at ce cs Rue Hand balancing. gymnastics. martial arts. ambidexterity3 Oe eae cnc me ec OR nee ese eu Re Cec cia) Cee uae Rca) Cecchi y nat ig SS ke eRe CEC ae ec Ry cri PCR ee cur Gn ae ee ee eee i Rey Oe ene CC ee ne ace usc te ate exercises that train many things at once, as well as by using “incidental training”, & SUM Lo CIB Tee CR ee i ea Cee eRe aa ees ST ee ORO Se ce ee eee ec) training methods: so that you can safely go from whatever point you're at now, to a point PC Rec aor Soe eae cee braces Oa ecu e to be fun and easy to stick to, and to guard against injury. Seria At this point, you might be wondering who precisely | think | am. Who is this bloke who Pee Rea RO a Ce UR STR ed TO SGU a CO a a studied at Surrey University, and now live in Bicester, Oxfordshire with my wife Hannah eed eke eR eee coma) ees Firstly, I'd like to point out that I'm not claiming to be some kind of super-genius-athlete Cee ae OC ke et ae cae ree Tay fascinating topic and who enjoys researching and experimenting in this field.evn og ie era RUC naa eee Cun ORCC at er ae interested in physical training and thus began working out from home. When I was 16 | Panel Cae eM n LC Re RC ROE EL aan ae eR eae Cur aati Sec r M oat DEC ae ecee en ae ee cuca Cen Mur eater karts website into something that could earn money Teese Ere ger ae ue ee SCLC ncaa 0 Curt SRE CIN Dau cea) As | was interested in not just physical training though, | decided | would study a BSc Pore U eu een en Ce ag cc my training. My dissertation was focussed on Transhumanism, and how the general Pe Ceeuner he ean Cu UMM ee ue eo cad placement, where | worked as a writer for a magazine called Writers’ News. Peete Me Rk ae ea Ree ane eT new-found writing skills. | therefore began working as a freelance writer, and was able to Cue ue I chose to specialize in two areas that interested me most: health and fitness, and Per aN ee uc ca ear escent Dee Cees an Re ee oe CC in icra Gee ko tetera ee eres PE CMC une Oe ce Ee tcc CE TS Multiscreen Multitasking. This caught the attention of Android Authority, where I have been blogging and vlogging for the past few years. | have also authored two books Pee i ae eeu ec cue Lee TC Re nn ce Tee aa Rd Ce aca cue cuca) PORE CUCL ace CMCC enue kee Retcita Pent te icehe} Tee USS Rea un Rea A RCL Ly Ciena nN ane CU eee Cnc ace euch y Pee Cee ca nie a clea a a Den a ee eee ee ed granted me the opportunity to work with some highly skilled and passionate individuals SaaS Cue cuit cee ue Ue cy I began selling training programs through my website and to my friends, and these were ere eet ‘Although my health and fitness knowledge was fairly comprehensive at this point, | also Cet eer Oe Ce Cesc nM aR merce Cy Py ec oe So, I'm not claiming to be Superman, or even to be the embodiment of all the ideas I'm Pre ea tne a ed oe PME tartan age ese nc how to research a topic THOUROUGHLY, and | have a lot of relevant experience that | Cee eee See ee ie ice en ener Co SR SCO ee nae US eee Ree a ea) Ser en Wae Ce Sc a e a coe eCecg integrated into my own training, Others, | failed to incorporate, or didn’t find to be Pouce e SUC Ranta ech soa neue EU) See Oe eC cms kOe Refile 2: brain Te ar eS aye Rr TER aa De uc ane C cum e Te enc Us etn endurance, explosiveness and more. Our aim is to do all this while training a “regular” See Sean Erma u es DOCU RCS ene tC ee Ua ean Cee EES cum BOTW Ree a cu Richa cee eT nc Tee aa I Me eS See er a pac focus, creativity, memory, and senses, it makes sense to group these aspects together. PCOS eS cae etc ee aaa Pee tu eae ee eee Cd with the spinal cord. The central nervous system also includes the peripheral nervous system (responsible for our limbs and extremities) and our autonomic nervous system (which handles autonomous functions such as breathing). SI a CO mg ka along with their protective sheaths, Nerves run down the entire length of our body connecting our limbs to our brains, while the brain is comprised of many hundreds of billions of neurons. This has earned the brain the prestigious title of “most complex Poses anue rn ea These billions of neurons are responsible for our subjective experiences of the world. Ne Cte ae CC ea eo ae eu a) eurvanes BIC a eee ace a Enacted cid of the soma are many dendrites which can reach out across the brain to form Pee i ie ee eae eee a Sete While dendrites act as “input” ports and receive messages from other neurons, the axons cee eae uu eek ss ue Serene cen eae eo ee cuca Muriel ae See Una ceee et eaey something. For instance, specific groups of neurons may cause us to relive certain De Rae eeu me asics ast aol a ce CCE eee une a eee eee ecu Ts Crees ee ane PIO acura ad an axon, it will then attempt to stimulate nearby neurons via their dendrites. The gap Dee aa ie te eae aka ecu se mn a gap if the signal is to continue travelling through the brain. Pere ene en La Ee emi aga Bee Cee ies) ecu mc aC en ieee) ena ae en ne ence eau eur cr cu See Renan eu eeu te ua nad ee Cee oie ne cunt her us ne Cau ce ce ae Peer oe ie cu acu ne meee ar kee the resting potential (normally around -70m\) of the neuron so that it will be more easily Per Ce Mn cnet Rae enn ten Pee eeu aun aie un Cee eee uae ee Cou) the next link in the chain. OEIC Ciaaia aa ake nastier De Te a eda at eon Uhr a ec eC networks light up, so we remember, feel, and experience. BCI De au a Ue Ou hae ea) a moment, but broadly, they are clustered and organised into functional regions that are recur ae Cnc ee accor eee se sae eee Coat Cu ogee sas located dorsally and handles movement. The hypothalamus plays an important role in memory, while the amygdala is implicated in emotion. The brain is also divided into two See ie ie aie eke icac ie Rete Rs Cee keke eee Cee eee hee enn ace ay as the forebrain, midbrain, and hindbrain. They are responsible for higher order and more Dee Ca a eC oun cara Me ih WAR Mg Ce a ee absent. Functions can even “migrate” across the brain in response to trauma or unusual Cee Sa eC em CRC Md nner ania cure aCe akan en RM Ue cue ee ee ea ine Generally, we focus a lot on the prefrontal cortex of the brain, which houses numerous Pra ire LC ke ikoti aur ented rinaPage 118 OUR Rican Conon Cac RM a Coeur Bcc) eas NEUROTRANSMIT TERS PC enn enc Oe aCe a ees ern Cc Tena Cue Ue Ree usar DISC ue oe ra cn coc) located at synaptic knobs at the ends of axons, The electric signal will trigger the release of these chemicals, which then cross the synapse and reach the dendrites of other Seek kW ee Com ee ces eed Deere ae CMa etc is es a eae ems ala alters the properties of the postsynaptic neuron (the neuron receiving the message). Deen eC NW Re eo RES OC neurotransmitter), serotonin (feel good), cortisol (stress), and epinephrine (fight or flight). While these descriptions are somewhat useful, in truth they are huge Pe tet uee Lat ecu eat nse sca CC gna Rae cu eee eic(on Ue Run am cies MC ecu ut cue Oe Mee Mem cc Ue ea Rue caa cc Pee Re on ese a ee Usa ea Uk ease ner U Ron kane aaa DISC na eu CR Coe Uke ace eC tell the brain how we should react, and what is important enough to be stored as a Pec Neurotransmitters can also be affected by such things as diet, sleep, and even gut Pea ace uN Reem te CoM ee kel tryptophan (an amino acid) which gets converted to the feel-good hormone serotonin Pea neue oe ee ou end CMe ee Cone ue Una een nr ea Eslig don't need to hunt for more food). Eventually, serotonin converts to melatonin, which is Ce cacy UICC tee ee aE a ten) ee ue eS ACR on er ae ce geen Dee ue eeu cme acca) Teco ease eee eRe Ca anu sck Ceo ee aM Oe ena eRe ma Senet Mites ee Ce eee Cu Ue cer ee oC Re a ec eee Cee oie ene ut ceeds ue has multiple interdependent roles. This is a mistake made by many users of “nootropics” Cnet Onan s Cee CML ec a Drees What's more, is that neurochemicals can have a slightly different effect depending on SSE ERS edu ene Ree aa eed eee ee unt cue a Over time, neurotransmitters are either used or cleared away by reuptake transporters CT euro U ete Om nae nek Pe Cee eee LC ange ac) ATE CODING AND BRAIN STATES Panne aR Mae Cnc u eco Conus Te ere a ee ee they can't on their own convey intensity. Instead then, it is the speed at which a neuron fires that is used to convey this information. An action potential will typically last around Deseo nssen Rtas Ree a un neue ace a Cee eae ea UC a neck Ua eeu ORR ae Deen nS iat a coe ca ae Ee) with an electroencephalogram (EEG). At any one time, different brain regions will exhibit different brainwaves, Se eC Se I nero ce ere Ce ae Aa) Cae Cue Oe eC nom Pe CU ee kau Sauce ne a) Cemiee eine en ee ecueun US ue eee ee ee eee Ree Sure meen acu kaa cS aa ke Pe Meee eer Reacts For example, the default mode network is the brain's “resting state” that is associated OTC au ee eee cee Chie ra ee eS Car un ura Cun acne UC en cre ets Pee Ee Some brain states are more conducive to action, while others are more conducive to Pein U Coa eeu anu eee ce a aca Reus ee Ur Ure cM inc eR oe PO eee atckaC reaches etn Ug aie Aa inna?Et) eC MM Tan -ue as reece CN) Se Sse earlier BIOHACKS AND FLOW STATES We can try to manipulate our brain states Dyan tem ae ace UR og eae ce ee Uc tere cuncce cucu tas ee eee aia stn One of the most popular examples of this Ruse e ke enc oa See eae Rena me er) Dee auc ene enue ices PIC a cure e Ce eRe TC See Ck Ua Uk) Eee ee ae etc DSC Uae en ieee Coa mc Rec roughly by “transient hypofrontality” meaning that our prefrontal cortex falls quiet - we RO eaten ec eeu cra ann Cements ern cur acis Sports psychologists are very interested in using mantras, cognitive restructuring, and similar techniques to attempt to help athletes enter this flow state. Biohackers likewise Se urea ee a But again, it’s crucial to understand that no single brain state is “ultimate.” Flow states are not particularly useful for creative problem solving for instance, which is actually CCC Cet ue Ce eee Cua eo our ue Cee ee iL ea aug Cue eee un Sec Re ACUSNG But perhaps the most exciting and interesting capability of the brain, is its ability to CRU Sea a eee ease eae ake CRT Cey DCN ne aac hc cna Sees ene cuC oe een ad connections can also form as neurons reach out their dendrites to find the axons of other Cet uoue ce Pre te nee ks aed Asimple rule: neurons that fire together, wire together. Pa CU ue ee ea RSMMC tr cus tue iat eect enc strengthened and the signal will travel more quickly and efficiently from point A to B. ech eRuCc ences acc ee auck-Cuuiceee cre tsea through the insulation of axons via myelination. Myelin is a kind of sheath that helps to Dee UUM cCurece CCU tek Ue ee eee ed eRe ees ere Recs cia aes cc ee a Renee ean nee arena Rees et Raat Wek ry increasingly myelinated, boosting “long term potentiation.” You'll eventually find that, Se ene Ake ae ae ca) Cea tue eel This is skill acquisition, and during this process, it appears increasingly likely that the procedural memories (a term for these kinds of neural maps) are “moved” to the. hippocampus for long term storage (study) Te ea eA ae EA ee ea) eer aan ae ee ea Coan OS ce eee a eu Cio our brains will literally change shape in response to the world around us — and even our re Meee CMe Ree eT RI a eee ene CUR en este ea nea eee) corresponding to your hearing and smell would grow to fill that area, increasing your Pee USE eur Gnu snc eae eeu Meecu Racecar het Thanks to brain plasticity, it is also true that cellists have larger brain regions in the motor cortex representing finger dexterity and sensitivity. Ultimately, it means you are able to design the brain you want. =NHANCING PLASTICITY CRIS cco ag ek ee et oe a een ec ae ene cute Rua ce Le Cua eee eC re cuee eee erar eac en ae etre eae ace Cane eae cue eee ea ee cre eee eee ca Se Rt eeu ea ace catcy Eee Ree ie ac mc a Sere ae ar cy ae uo ee with superior spatial intuition (study). It has even been suggested that a lack of space ee ce ek deen MR eae ketene soe RUPE ene enue Uae Calc) ees ep sure Lem) CRI ae casual cue Rue eg ae ay Be ea ee ten cue hae caer a ae Oe acy ieee eeu aee Lots of studies show that “global brain connectivity” is a key indicator of intelligence nem PCC Mr eect auc me Rune Pena ee ce eee ee eeu et Ree Ca une ct cd Pee eR en iso ea Ruecmsen ece os ne tat ears ete ua kun) Greater plasticity would benefit both these qualities. With greater plasticity, you could See See CCU cue Sue tie ei ec K) De eee ease ue ee ee cure There are methods to increase brain plasticity, which will be discussed in the techniques section of this book. Brain plasticity is greatly encouraged by sleep and research is outlining more and more how this is a prime opportunity for the brain to engage in the growth of new neural tissue EER atc Rea Fe UEC cs te DA Ree CU cd Pine Cea agin ea cas ga Reena con ae ee tee a espe Gee Lea eee tee Re enema Rn of bad habits and traits. RCT Leek uu te Cem ane mua Pee MCE hs tee ca a Race Meat Curae Riso Degen es PRE a enc UR eS RCC can cote ueai emi Rucker hiatalEz} Pe eae uence ae MR eee a Ct Pca ULES Ree aCe a ea nd rane eee ee ee eee canes roa (BDNF). This neurotrophin (a brain “growth factor”) has been shown to help increase child-like wonder, while also encouraging the formation and strengthening of new neural Cet ae mie cnc So if you are barely paying attention during a lecture, you will recall less than if you are completely engaged and find what's being said to be truly fascinating. Dee eA ke UC eae Aun ry Rea rn our attention and to choose how we react to things emotionally, thereby helping us to CUS Sun UC nice aaa a eee ee car a Sauer eee training genuinely more interesting Skill acquisition allows this to happen naturally. When we picture the way that we want See ease CT emt ue une ieee aed Cease ean Ma acne Ree Ee eae neu eee nano Doe Cnn Mi Mee aC Cee ane reas C eae U Acie teu uu USES eee is reinforced, while the twitches that cause them to fall get forgotten and “pruned.” This has a few more implications too. For example, it means that you need to be very ee ON TU Ku kaa ome SC cam ACL) panic and stress, you'll create more neurotransmitters that correspond to those negative CURR a eee oes aera Us ey appearing when the brain cells reproduce through mitosis. In other words, if you eR Cee Unie Re Re a es eee eae? ew ay Sais What happens when you decide to consciously move a muscle in your body? First, you need to assess your current position and surroundings. This is so that you can orient Note oe eo eN ee Data from proprioceptors is routed to the brain via the posterior column medial lemniscus pathway (for conscious proprioception) and the dorsal spinocerebellar tract/ventral spinocerebella tract (for unconscious proprioception). Specifically, this will Perce me ee neh Aen eC important role in movement in a moment. See CaM a eC eed position and the world around it. This movement essentially begins in a region of the Dees cece Uri et ea Cm ea eure Ora Cee cake ess ees Ren Raed emg ge Rene ne Mea ee a to say, that the belief that we “pre-planned” movements gives us the sense that we areeer Nes aes ur uenie cn et une tec Mao Reo eure oe eeu cL CS ea Rn ec ea re ee eS ie ce) cee Ree Wee ete Rue Ceo cur Raa eae ge eee Ta carry out. This brain region is known to play an important role in task switching, allowing Pee cai eu hea ue ee | rn eee oe a eae ee ae the next brain regions in order to carry out the movement as intended. These include the ee one et ee eee Tues cc ty proximity and orientation), and the cerebellum which uses a feedback loop of Tt nS teu eo Rene a Race cat S remember, this is the part of the brain that receives the unconscious proprioceptive eC mR cI ue ue et oar iunecs ory Se Ro ence ee Ce hein ane ares a Rice ee eek cata Sm ess UN gc pee ie aa ae Finally, the motor cortex sends the messages to the various parts of the body to move as ee Mcgee cee tee ce iCtur Rai eager SE RCCu eC eau ea kam Depending on the amount of sensitivity and control a body part has, it will take up more eee O nr uence SL Se UC ene eR TO are significantly more gigantic in this map than the elbows (a depiction of what this looks eee ed ie ache au ee Lut tS) Ore ree une aks CW od Cea eS Toc a Re ea ae ea cua RUC Ue cee came ae ce aces aOR EY ie torley Vario OC wee chum Cem cee eae a) rehearse and select the correct movement in a fraction of a second. BOCernn anu Ura eee coe eure ene ag DOR uC ee aoe Ser aa DORE une UR Cee ae ee anc) pathways responsible are reinforced in order to become stronger and stronger. The Pace aoe Cece U hare eee eae og eat cee Sa Ca eau Cure nee ROR as es neural pathways. This is how you develop the perfect golf swing, or roundhouse kick, This Peace Or as Bruce Lee put it: Fear not the man who practiced 10,000 kicks once, but the man Deedee aL a ana Ce iD ee eo ee Us nn movement, you can actually trigger activity in the premotor cortex, cerebrum, cerebellum Cement ee ane aun ue une Ra ce Tera Se Sees Une keane ur ec ea ue ers on this later. Embodied Cognition Pe ae Raa oo RC ane aaa cece) DRE ae ae CUCU Raat nee aed Deets Embodied cognition explains how we might actually understand the world around us by REE Ue seu ee eee ea eee ics BSR ee ane eo Bee eS oa ca ke Ree ue SMO Nea ue Ruy eo Rei sn cdeye | Itwas once suggested that there was a kind of universal “machine language” of the Pee mare Ce Maa ona eer Cc uC Ea Ca tc Cary sees Suna Rae a Embodied cognition proposes a new theory: that we understand meaning by relating it to Cre eau Re ae Reece nS ce ROME eh et urs esa Sci ie a et cake Rca Ny remembering what it feels like to be cold, and by even “feeling” the crunching of snow underfoot. All these sensations help you to paint a picture and actually understand what CORR C eRe re ue na anc aCe RS) is all possible because brain regions relating to movement and sight are lighting up just Peer eer une Reeser COS nM cua ne Ten ane Reuter ke CC Cm Cie cme eu Keep in mind, that this is not visualization in the sense that many of us think of it. SE e ue einer me Merce ees en eet eae a tea cea nor a eer eater a Fe ols ae an ee eo ane Neue le hea eee renee Ee Cen eae UE eau aa eS eccturd e ee c ur ua ey SRE eu Ree ccc ig AU UR crn aIezA ball. They understand the position of their ball by “projecting” themselves into its CRU Ren eee uO eee i en RSET Sag Aa Ra au oe Oe ea ean means that by creating a better mental model of our bodies and our environments, we Cet rea stu ceeaese it ice eeu ee eee ce and at planning. It could boost our intelligence, and even provide us with entirely new Pees WORKING MEMORY COPE Ounce h ace aac kat ee Den uu ecu Cen Ce a enna US EL ace) PO ee ere eC Sac Ca aca CMC mura Cee Reece ud eco A ae kee TY Pe tu Me ce eeu ee Renu eee eR Cn crs ee ee Tn cue ene ee nee cured PSM Cae eeu aCe SUC up marae Ue eau me cacy ac eg Gite MCS no Rane cea eo ee Co Mn ee ecu ere eee accu ae inet ee the nature of the input. There is the “visuo-spatial scratchpad” which allows us to hold onto images we have seen or visualized, and the “phonological loop” which lets us replay Re ne ein ee ene aN ne eke RO SMe une CR uu ee Ane Re Co ee ct teem describes as being 7 +/- 2. That means it has a minimum of around 5 and a maximum of around 9. Memory masters can get around these limitations though by using techniques Ser O en a cent ee EU Urea Working memory in its purest form is your “RAM” and it is today easier to think of your PCa ee cee a cee aon Cota ea cae ne Cum esa a bottleneck not only to your understanding, but also to your ability to understand the work around you: a footballer uses working memory to know where all of their teammates are on the pitch for example. It could also improve your ability to execute a DME g se Nn Same un eC acu Working memory is tightly related to focus and attention, as it refers to our ability to Pee Cur eeu ech kc eA eam eC Ae asks Cee aa Ua ene Oe eer a a Dee te eae Ree aces Reine Ce eenEZ) file 3: body This file will continue our exploration of the brain and body, this time focussing on the muscles, connective tissues, and “body.” Ucn -tosm ns Now to the physical muscle itself. Peete RRS USO eee a eke ccd eee Cacia aru kick kite ci orcas acy Muscle cells (myocytes/muscle fibres) work much like neurons in that they receive eee MCcen ga eeu Mein ass ate tec) Rite usar eC Cea u rR Ree Ee nt a Neco ee Ce ag Pree Re eee ee eeu EC em i an action potential reaches the neuromuscular junction and excites a muscle fibre, it will ICRC ee Sean Cae eee Cree eecan When enough muscle cells contract this way, it leads to the visible shortening and Cem ac While any given muscle is made up of many hundreds of thousands of muscle fibres, we COs ee te eee Pearce ues irs ie Came ency creat eka Cone anemia cae If a nerve fires, then all of the motor units it is responsible for will also fire and contract. Ba (gacteg Ueno De eR eu CU Renae eh aes eeu Ce cence cue e cis chor eck ec gue iedPage |29 Sa uy cay SM RCo cued} Type | muscle fibres are also known as “slow twitch.” They are slower to contract and Ree eee ee eat emu Cuca Mca er cy quantities of mitochondria. Mitochondria are the “energy factories” of the cells that use ‘oxygen to make adenosine triphosphate (ATP), which is the primary fuel source used Pee Uv ier neh acca ee emu ee Rae ce challenges like marathon running or cycling, They are also used for everyday tasks, such Pe Cee cunts Sac CANE ACOs Mee te ane On These are more explosive and capable of generating greater force. However, they also run out of steam much more quickly, making them useful for things like explosive jumping or bench press. Superfast twitch muscle fibres (IIb) are simply even further to Oe gis ee et acs ec en eel cy egal RUE Me ee ecu scone fibres - makes your muscles much bigger as compared with endurance exercise like long-distance running. are Re Cees RS a eM suggests that it is also possible to convert type | into type Il, though this is still unclear. Pee cnet ee ose ad Cette ks Ld which is why some people are naturally better sprinters and others are naturally better Pee U Cee Cauca eee eR See particular muscle fibre type. Muscles that are responsible for keeping us upright for ‘example (such as the erector spinae), will need more slow twitch fibre as they are required to work harder all throughout the day consuming energy as a result. Itis not generally thought possible to create entirely new muscle cells (a process called Deon tat et ura aco Lea erica PM Ren cnc a Reece Cun eos) Cenc tsciaicctEL) RS Ron aaa RO ee Og Ce ea eee ice Rao MUSCLE FIBRE RECRUITMENT eC Sas een oe Ce Mra Dea RT ee cu ene ce ema Maree aa acd face TN ea keira en aa ee Un ca Cary Cae age ces cn Chara kaa ea thing as “half a contraction.” And as with action potentials in the brain, a “twitch contraction” will only last for 100 milliseconds. This might then lead you to question just how you are able to hold your arm at a. 90 CeCe Uae nee Ste CU a cima) ius) OO MN aE uN re ag er ee a Pade adn RCD ees eee ace cre eS there is no noticeable lull in the tension. In fact, these muscle fibres can begin a new Reece a econ ruc c mee i eck ay 10 millisecond pause prior to a contraction, and a 60 millisecond relaxation period) ‘At the same time, motor units can use asynchronous firing in order to ensure that there PCO Cuca Ce Meee Ur om eae) fraction of a second, it’s okay because D, E, and F will be handling the heavy lifting at this aS ue eeu ture ee sit) the increase in strength that has been hypothesized (study) Sa eu ae a eee Ce Reece Seem Mua een Rate tea ee ec uee ee Seen ca Re ec ten ieee con ud eee Ne Chun nasa) Cee RIN OS ee ECC cee Ne ene ek neue kee ees me) further, you need to increase the amount of power you are exerting and you do this by Peet coer You see, you will never be able to “recruit” 100% of your muscle fibre. Your body will only Svea en Oe Oa eR CR a SOc NEU ee ec CR Ag Cac Cen ee Uni ceca hme cesta id enough force to move the spoon toward your mouth - which will involve increasing the number of motor units involved marginally to close the joint angle of your elbow.EL Neco a rN eT ear e ee CC eeu au nee Uh ato a eee Nc Dc mec aes CEU Rs oa aes Cac The size of the motor units recruited will always be small to large. This is called DeniSa CSS aati CAC Reuse aa ce uce ga aoe gy eee) ROR Oo eS aC a UCC) a em ee ee a ae ene ee Ca ea) Se UMS Ce rec Rec oem DCU eee eu u ead Cee ag Coc Nae aa ee Macchi Rona Were you to hold the 70% weight at 90 degrees for as long as possible, you'd find that your motor units began to fatigue and that you would start recruiting more motor units to take over from them, As more of your smaller motor units began to drop out and more eee cucu tur eee cs eect ue ee ry Meroe kena oy Muscle fatigue is the result of numerous factors including nervous fatigue (enervation), Cea URC Cm Rm U iC lleeLteUel oR Rau eR Me erecceeCiumecnt cn ack ne nt Now let’s imagine that you're trapped beneath a car, and you need to draw upon allof your reserve power in order to lift that car off of yourself. To do this, you would need to recruit 90% of your muscle fibre, but unfortunately nobody can do this. Many of us will CO Cheeni eee eC eeu agg Rees aon uae eam MIND MUSCLE CONNECTION: The ability to “feel” and control m een ee eTEA This is what bodybuilders refer to as the mind muscle connection, whereas old-time St aM RSC cca ST Rese ad ceca) ea ees tel ke eee eg Seg NC uae eC Saeco Eo ay to training at maximum strength and practicing recruiting as much muscle as possible. CRE Co auc a ee neon ec auc het aCe eeu Cuenca i ue ea ted muscle fibres) and potentially by creating entirely new connections. Pre eee ie i a ace become increasingly more efficient, thereby allowing us to move more quickly and Peet aracssaecs GSCI RU duce Une Cee eu ue Meco CeCe me ae tne UC Res an ag meas TRU ccc eee cis aC CeCe ec Sea Muon SS ee ao Un eee ee See ned eee ui ee eau tected forces maximum muscle contraction across every single fibre simultaneously. Imagine if Smee Oe are kur ria ar Another time we see the hidden potential of true muscle power, is in times of great need. We've all heard stories of mothers who have been able to lift cars off of their children, Saas uate ite ge caulk ker ace ea muscle fibre recruitment, This may in turn be the result of a sudden surge in excitatory Dene iSa Seen geen a nme eeie saan aso while also overriding some of the natural safety switches that exist in the body to prevent us doing injury to ourselves (via feedback from the golgi-tendon organ). Meee eee ae Rae ee average strength, and may also explain the awesome legends of Nordic Berserker Pt ahi SLO Des eee a Ce ig AS usec ae ed stronger. Another is hypertrophy: physically increasing the size and thus strength of the es The jury is still out on precisely how hypertrophy works, and there is a fair amount of Cee acute ct Rane ca ee oe Cue Pee ge Or eae ice ee tac ccs ce een Rca Cane Rare otto? ‘Muscle DamageEE} DC aCe Sn ance cesuiute mu ce ha sch Cue meee egg Ce MSC aun cls ee Ue RT cee Tene i Rete ecm) before. In order to repair the damage, Cn eee Cu Lead Tec ieee ua {chains of sarcomeres) to build them back stronger. This is protein synthesis. Renate oe ca) stronger but do not multiply. Increasing the Gas Oe cue kT SSC acs eee te) earlier - and is as-yet unproven (it has only Clee ea eae es Ue pee Un eu eRe) eCard Rare Ree ROM Roam ccc g Cee eee aaa ce) See mae en eet muscle hyperplasia, but this is certainly eee ee Rn ee A shown hyperplasia to occur in steroid using, high-level power lifters (stucy). Cera eeu oy Crue Loctite aurea Crue Cue eres ate eee RCM et Peau Conacher ci ens SO nue eeu ay uncertain, and some theories suggest you can signal a fair amount of muscle growth area aC om PRs aCe ne Sy eee Ree eek Rote nce eC ue oes MeN tC Mu ee) Ue eu Un signaller for growth and tissue repair. The Pea Aeolus eis DOMS (delayed onset muscle soreness) has actually been shown to limit and impair TIA Dee eR Reem ure Uru Aare uS ary the muscle under a physical load, which renee Uma Usher ayPage 136 eeu Cue ean ai eke Ce Ra ante Cus ae RC Rn C ut cece nt Meee ke aes Geauga eR RT eect ac Cite eet eee ens eet Some ae shown to produce different types of myokines! Reece Rate ace uma RS ee Rr Cant CE ca um ance OMe eau enect enna sur ened come Cate Peep eC irae urs eeu ee keene eR Sees SS cue enue Cine a CCR aie Rea cates Cle cae Nn an OCA CCR ay Pee eg We Cu ener ue ye eeu een Ceca uns te ca cs Piva ak tue ed Serena ee aR Sue una Cag Mae ec a a cure Segue eens a aed eeu ed cc) eee SoS eC a Semen eal ek els Sen meee eae Se see eA Sri eet eu Dunc nae Conversely, if you believe that SO enc en Nees Se aaa Dear ICR tke ee in ees can ce cong accumulation of lactate and/or hydrogen ions (acidosis). These ions interfere with the release of calcium ions and contribute to the discomfort that lifters refer to as “the ore RO aa ta Ue ee Dee hee aE Mae ee US eee eee eee ue caer a cance Additionally, because long sets induce fatigue, this might also encourage the Deere Cease ek LCR maroc Rn cans ‘And we know at this point that fast twitch muscle fibre is the thicker type that Ca Co RE LLe STi CuckCa i CkOacicllcccom eh tiakutiulies135 with power lifters) but for longer durations (sets), have a large amount of mass. This i Preteen cen Meee ko eeu au ee Oe UR mec eS Se Ue MU er age ku need Ces Ceca Cause ie kets eur en aur) metabolites. This is why an exercise like “21s” burns so much compared with 21 regular curls. It’s also why some lifters will use tourniquets training and actually restrict their blood flow via the use of a piece of material tied around the top of the working muscle to pera When performing 21s, the lifter will perform 7 curls in the lowest third of the ROM (range of motion), 7 curls in the middle portion, and 7 at the top. Or they might do 7 in each half and 7 more full curls. It's brutal and highly effective. Trot WA Mtr ik ma Ce Or ee ara el Ree Une u Uaea ya en RC cea Sen Rea cee et Sa CRE Recs eee teed Ce Ran erase are a CMe Se ue ens ca) Seen Rea CO I uC ar Ce ck ery This involves increasing the retention of water and potentially glycogen within the muscle cells, thereby encouraging them to “balloon.” This is sometimes described as a secondary form of hypertrophy called “sarcoplasmic hypertrophy” (because muscle eee cen ee hn Mel aT caer) This argument is a fairly controversial one, as the evidence for differing types of DRA a Ce Cue eee un ese) it would explain a one potential mechanism for improved muscle endurance without een eae ume eae, Sat pane Case ca Se CUR ec ae CCE eck ae ar acc) eee td ACR Oe ae SEU powerful muscles in the short term, then you should train with explosive movements and SCORE uae aCe ccna us ask Preece atc tc But if you want to be able to exert strength over a long period of time, then you should move slightly lighter weights for longer. Don’t be fooled into thinking that moving lighter Ree ua iene esa ace ae) PE Mcurc cua eech sahEG ta) y ~ yd PRE SC ea UCSC Ren mera nse UeC Se a CROC Crate Pe Ose en a ace CMe a was 100% of your one rep max? OM eS ER UL cL) Peeeec ee Mees cui ten ei cee eee ea) De ae ee Reena tM cee ee ea) DOI Wen aE nn oc Cok ce Ua tee eee Ree Uke cae RC ec ee ce aca a Cy as mTOR signalling is present (study) ~ which it should be so long as we are in caloric erates We are highly anabolic post-workout and when in a postprandial (meaning post meal) Rene ance iene an Cc acco sae Cuno PRR UCR cee) Me eee eC ne Nee a mae eo eee (muscle damage) and a recovery period. The muscle actually grows during that recovery Po MC a ee ect ar ane eR ace DS einai uco UCC Rae cere sa PCN ete MER gC Es simultaneously maintain optimal protein input. That optimal protein input is largely See Cn ee pm ac ae ay etc STE UR Renae Se UC MCC erie GRO a teem aac og POM e eeu ete eee eco uaa ack ag production of adrenaline along with cortisol, which in turn will raise myostatin (which Dee eR Mes ee ae ate Pees eek AU a ee eaed TOT et eu er aes ce SC aCe! Reger Mauna When we are rested, happy, well-fed, and warm, we increase the opposite enzyme: mTOR Pe Sc Ecce U karts SATELLITE CELLS One of the potential drawbacks of any kind of training, is that it is temporary. You can get eee ea eRe CNC USi concn acu aerate Peek en ei meu ecu aCrettg time and effort in. URE Reece sa) Well, the good news is that there sort-of-is. While you might return to your original shape after a period of inactivity, you will also find that you are never quite the same as you DS aE CRIS acu te ett une as Rata that connective tissue like tendon stays stronger for much longer, or that the neural pathways and muscle recruitment will likewise linger for a long time... you also have your satellite cells Mee pe NCC ten CCR Rar Re ec an) Cee uuu oie es ces ee eee Geechee et cce tne ucciet The reason for this is that muscle nuclei (myonuclei) are responsible for that protein STORRS Rue eit Tae een ae Carn acids) need to go in order to restore and strengthen the damaged muscle fibre after training. ECan een a icaa ea eR Coal domain.” That is to say that as the muscle gets bigger, it also needs more nuclei in order Peles ane ee ieee kee ics What's really fascinating about all this, is that when we stop training, our myonuclei Oo Re ome ae cea CAN ed researchers have yet to find the point at which they disappear again.) eg Cn ce usc ec puree ete ae at) See iC ea eauue eeee TeO a Ue) Pero uC eae ACCC Te eau ee Cae eee ay rns Deo uC Uncen e Caio kee te ame acs steroid cycle could be a useful tool for an athlete. The idea is that they would do a single steroid cycle, get as big and strong as possible in order to create al of those satellite cells, and then follow up with PCT (post cycle therapy) to avoid long-term hormonal CPT The athlete could then reap the benefits of the increased satellite cells indefinitely, ee cee ee mee eyer) DS eae eee mee cae rare] Reeth Riu eoe Cue aoa CO a iis Sure ices ec cu RRO Cn ae Se Oe Rae cul aid Pee aCe nae ec ncn tec aoe Ur bodyweight moves. These are fantastic for building strength in terms of muscle fibre etna cues Cae a Ou ese ee ae pe See ae nn So what you might choose to do instead, is to spend a few months using bodybuilding- style “pump training” to facilitate hypertrophy, and then switch to calisthenics. You may find that your body responds differently to the stimulus, and that you build more Geen au ea cio et ae En css any rine cu he Ee oN aeor Nea Nero Seem Mi usc Ue na Ue aT Rene uk cutee eae kee caer ip PON ae I ccc eo a Teo Ne eM ene eu ec kun ace aac cel Riek eee ane Ce dee ee nee -cean sd Cee Maan Chne ca Tra OO ue en UE ce Oe enc your full DNA code, only certain elements of that code are “active” at any given time. Thus the DNAis “expressed” differently throughout the body. Oa ese cae eae actu pea oe Mee Ler RCaeaE Rr ecient) Cee Whee uta ae cue onic functioning. It’s like having a full alphabet but scribbling out the letters you don’t need to See rac}139 SS cue encase Cee CR CSC Cae OG A ue ue ee unt ics It’s job is to control protein synthesis using the instructions from DNA. RNA looks like DTC ia une See A cc Cane mC C he eka Tas cy Pray cue ecu ccueeias What's really interesting, is that even after you finish training, your muscles “remember” Dec ean CRE aR ug ecet ae Ree aucune ac ara couse Mi cr cnet This is yet another example of how we can potentially get around the limitations imposed Da cucciss unr) The good news is that nearly everything you do affects your genes in this way. Your OR te Lannea Ru Sm ee p ees changes also directly correlate with the amount of activity you engage in. If you train Dee eur Cue cun ke esc e Rec ier eae s This means that the “lasting benefits” of a short training program don’t only apply to muscle, but also to things like dieting, and cardiovascular training. Gene expression is See Cea eee URC cuRCMic a y PIES eee a Ae age) cae a eeu ee Wc you're gone. That is to say, the changes get passed to your children, meaning that your COO Cee nec uiemne oe UCSC Re an aca Cus offspring too! ee OAC Cae ecu ee a eee eo CON cue Rei eeu ei eee ace) ees INTER-MUSCLE COORDINATION AND MOVEMENT TRAINING eee ea a ue Cn Ps aku Rene a) Sac Once al/of this has transpired and the muscle has received the build-up of tiny contractions in the muscle fibres will result in the entire muscle shortening. It will then Pee Reais Rou aie el eee Cea ak eae UCR eae Raku nee nue Ce Renee) SIRS U ite cue ela eae ee eases eee ecu Ceca meni sete case one Recon SA eee Cae Se opposite action on that joint, For example, the tricep straightens the arm, while the Dee aun eeu en Ae Canto muscle helps to keep the arm straight. The same goes for the torso, which is held upright140 Dyer use O aun ce eC Caner] abdominals (muscles that crunch the torso forward). DCm Mee Geen tec eee Seen een eos smacks is also called intra-muscular Cee Mees Cee ieee MIC ea CeCe Deena cece mc aes OE gr riers Cis TNR aus require just a single muscle to work. Tuer areata) CT Eee nu ey Ca eee Rey Dr Rae U aL are going to need stabilizing muscles to help keep your body in Peenunaueh cad ce oaa Tce eRe nee aT Re Meh Ree esata) ENO Sat Rca ac Ce Reema movements in the real world are also See mar cee Te ech ay picking something up from the floor, SNe es ata rac Rana arte =i into position, and then lifting with Cre ee Oud Sear ier cl Cae sarc een Coo c een eae falling over or injuring ourselves, and Re ec Sa Tue Cran BCC Ree ecko ny the fitness/strength training CT TT Pee Me ee! “functional training” and “non- functional training.” We also call the Pears eun ein ae ee eRe Cautser- ate) Tee Reet Peri Cia si Cher iia arn ena nu uence ta ue aPca Ee Maen ee aes Or eae Maa Ce is superior to one like the curl for this reason. The same goes for movements like een eee a Cure eee Tee a Ce ce on the central nervous system, more challenging for our brains, and teach us to use our bodies as single functional units: pushing through the floor with our feet as we explode Chat ete et NCS acc Ak A eS Re een CC aa) mistake to assume that one type of training is entirely useless. Isolation training has its place as a highly effective method of stimulating a single muscle group to grow. The ee Onur og Con osteo Rca eurctutec ast ones Pee tue ue nia eae Rutan Pe uaa eR eC aC ent Rene ene RRs Tn ae eC Cece an aa rc ee eee ome Rucun eae eae Uc repetitions, while another muscle - such as the quads - might still have plenty of juice euch Ua a er eer eur ne ue ceca ed and potential injury. Bee Utes keke a uke Une ee Aue Dee Maem One) ae Une icc cee) Pen ee eee mc eae ect Terese ar Roe ou ecu u MEE Ouchy PRC et case Re ae eee CS lend itself particularly well to advanced techniques such as negatives (which we'll Eee uy Mie RC ee eam a ea cca eens eames Caan ce naa ee en ee Cg eMac ar kee Ce a eee Cor ecu ee co ccue eeu u ey erect eee eeu eg) eco ee cee eT Peter natcr ane at ocr tcl ctcae?) ee ene Ro Cue ne Sau Tc a MOBILITY, TENSION, AND POSTURE. PGE UCN ae asc eC ae Uy atrophies yes, but other adaptations occur too. In situations where you aren’t even practicing the full range of motion, you will find that the muscle-tendon-unit shortens See ace ee gat es Se ee ea eS Di eee Crees teen Cae es eet ane aces Peet Sea ee et aa eC ease ki Penna eee cn ate Ct rot tau -(c) Seeing as a huge percentage of modern people spend a huge amount of time sitting Cee Ue Sates Wes u nae Rc gre Pree ee ue ce] CR tee eae ec Wm ace oa races ability to get into a deep squat without falling over (for those not aware, this means the Peer iCha ei i uni nodes) In remote parts of the world, tribal cultures actually use squatting as their preferred ee eee ee ae ene ees CRE Neue es eae cue ened Creare ac PO aes cus ee Wee Cnc ea eet ce Peo R ace ke Rac Un ae hrc) aan ee aie AU SEU CRS rn ee CaE RU eta U Ce Oe Ce eo Pere ete nee pkg eect enue Rs parts of the body in order to move “normally.” For example, many people drive through Cee Rua ecu Rae Cee kc meee Peer eu ct ue kei ce at ea a en ue ae Ce a ee ero eu ae et ae lungs rather than relaxing the abs and letting the lungs enter the empty abdominal cavity to fill up from the bottom first. This is a result of being in a seated position for so long and thue heing lees ahle ta breathe oronerly.Itcan also lead to postural issues. For example, kyphosis is a hunched forward Sake kan nee eee Cee te’ Oe eG eel ue eee eh eee mae Re Ty Pn UR Uniur Tg aia aa a SR een ds Aa Bei Cen per rd The good news is that this adaptation is predominantly neural: the muscle hasn't Pe RIeCR uke eC eck nc Rn te eer Ise anc SSE Re ure eames ea era ERC describes your ability to get into a position with the potential help of outside force (for See en eure eee aceon as OM mea your ability to get into a position without any external help. The ability to perform a full squat is an example of missing mobility therefore, and flexibility. The same is also true for your ability to bend down and touch your toes. Flexibility and mobility go hand in hand a lot of the time, but they are not always Peete HOW TO REGAIN MOBILITY AND FLEXIBILITY MR i cae ae aud The first thing you need to do, is to convince your nervous system to ease off the tension on the muscle and to slightly alter that myotatic stretch reflex. If you completely refrain SU a en uta gece tl Ceara mat ee eee ace Sa MC ek perform the splits or a squat, your muscles will tighten up, and this will prevent you from ema eg ae Ree ee eee aU ens Sree ne UCC ane ecg ee amour! trying to be as comfortable as possible in that position. This also requires you not to try Cree ecu Meu td ca tear) Seeds a Ry eee nee UR a eee Oem ee a aes CRs Cenc Reker ue eat Recommended Resource: Relax /nto Stretch by Pavel Tsatsouline Oe eeu cect mate MCez eR aaa aa Ue URN aU Contac) TR CRU Re te cet kee eC CeCe ine ome Ui ar cen eee] may also encourage the mind muscle connection. Use it sparingly though and stop if you cee une ke auctae nts Keep in mind that this kind of “static stretching” is not recommended prior to training The reason for this, is that by stretching and relaxing the muscles and tendons, you may Cee eu ecg ke ce hn aac eee esas SRL nea aun ete Rona DS eae Cees Tchr in ae Sa Ce greater range of motion, for just a moment. It’s ideal for limbering up and can work as a me Cec ake kee nonce an thinking those positions are safe. Things like leg swings, high kicks, rotating the arm in the socket etc. are all safe ways to loosen up prior to training. This is NOT the same thing Pee eee ei ae ee ae eee cee stretch — which is likely to lead directly to injury and should be generally avoided The other way we do this, is by training with a more diverse range of movement. The greater the range of movements you practice, the less the chance of your body becoming Recerca Meee ce tach ccd einen iene.) Setanta ch setts MUSCLE FASCIA EC peau eo ean Sac ee ae a Ouran a aun sku hcl Cas y Pence Cee ut NRC Runs ae a Cee Rr cust UR a has the role of keeping them in place and supporting their movement. When you prepare Dee ee CUI Ue a ies ka ae ee Pee ee ees ua aaa aE ee ecu ene cac i rce ar cur eu eee Lg limbs or body parts to speak of. This stuff was once dismissed as inert muckuntil Ree ence ke cu Recast ae eco nu ool RCNA ce ngs eee Peau eee aes) eae Tey 2 teen tse OR en oa STR an cua Un a eC) RSC Cs Ue Cet cnt uae ee ee Puen se ena eC ae cece ADS mi a Cae ake ee Rg Pee Mena ie ume are ck sau ee acu ec that muscle fascia might provide some scientific explanation for the concept of chakras Poet st em gen un eaeThe danger here is that we make too many logical leaps. Our understanding of fascia is still limited, and so we cannot prescribe specific training methods to help develop it. But DeSean ind Ne CR gi oc CoC id (Secu RE Rae COR) bottom of your feet, right to the top of your head. This is one potential reason that Dee eu on a ee ace Rec eae ST eee Ur ecu eee eC us cic ULES mec cru tek Cau aa Tom Myers, claims that we can divide the fascia into five subcategories: the superficial back line, the superficial front line, the lateral line, the spiral line, and the deep front line. Myofascia is also called deep fascia. There are likewise two other types of fascia’ Aaa eer tod cae ne un e ee enc ateoR PRU Acer Re Met eer Decree Cam ere UR Cun Creu) Rec eee esa aa eae etc 2 not work. At least it does not in the way that many health experts have suggested. See Ieee ie ear RL a PW cise ae ku Ue Rn Za Pia aE Cu Renuka eke a De eee oe ke ns ence ecg ar en ce mS Cee cetee Oe CE alternative to static stretching prior to training SCS Ce aay ecu a eS Pet ee cu Cece ues eau Mg Se OSE hae Ce uu eat Pn ura) Paes eka ace Me RUC Urn ue CCC ea eee ccc eure auLy liquids trapped in the “microvacuoles.” (Study.) Using explosive plyometric Det ne ee Rk ueiccaeet eeencc Riel sane strc ace emee faa energy PCN nN ar eae Re CR ag require energy. Likewise, when you find yourself faced with a problem, or sitting down at EOC nncsch Cy aac enTOM Cle Menace Cer ier g ur le UC aes aU ee cure cut triphosphate (ATP), which is in turn made of three individual phosphates held together by PM Caer Ua ere cor ee a ae AU) Cena CME se ae en cca Na ter ae eee Reena ee ie ae ee eee es ae ee Ce Ee Mitochondria are the “energy factories” of our bodies and are responsible for producing ee Cnr ake Cena eae eee a ed caer UCR Ren Ce eich een a all likelihood, they began as exogenous bacterium with a symbiotic relationship, and eventually became wholly integrated into our biology. CRM ae rea aE CW Ae RULE RC em ole eC Ra a cel ways. They even have asleep cycle, meaning that they go to bed when we do! When you are jetlagged or low on sleep, s0 too are your mitochondria. Certain forms of training can also increase the number of mitochondria in the body. One of the best for this, according Secu ee acc ach a Caen ei en ae ce cau mee Sed eames Food from our diet is either stored in the muscles and liver as glycogen, or as adipose SEOUL et harmo ce Une each Mate his) Cee Cet hima ecnauncur meee er ee chem ier tedEZ) COR iC Cet ue are aoa eu a Penn ee aes cm gna There are three energy systems by which the body utilizes and creates this energy. These ER UT Cee eeu ee uc cy BCR es eu tec eu cig aac) rere) PCE eee Cee i Cm RS wee acta uaa Tot for sudden bursts of short, intense movement (such as powerlifting), and the aerobic Secu mas tn tected ie Ceo Cre n O uuu) MLSs Secure ge ee cun rd useful for exercise lasting 30-40 seconds, such as high-rep weight lifting Meee Oe et OC ane cura aera eee Cates Se eco ee ie Reg enough ATP stored here to provide around 3 seconds of full-power exertion, but once that is depleted, the body is actually capable of recombining used ADP in order to recycle some of that ATP, It does this with another substance called creatine phosphate. We Reet er En er ae eee eee cues tamu} that we can maintain max output for 13 seconds before being forced to switch to a less Serena une ee a oe Note that this process does not require oxygen, and is therefore considered to be “anaerobic.” This also means that it relies on fast twitch muscle-fibre, which is used for Ge eeu ees Ce uae SUS sec uO Curae U ei ae oes Ore ee CA acne Cnn en cae mee ae Pec uu kuna as eee cd ee aoc en a a coe CEU) Seana Censor ie oc narataat s -eum en eae the shift to what is known as the glycogen lactic acid system. This system is a slightly slower and less efficient means of supplying energy, which requires the body to split the glycogen first into glucose and then again into ATP. This RC eer Race eet cr ecco aca (from which the substance takes its name). This metabolic build-up creates the Pein CMe gs a en ecu uee ca ee eeu TD ourselves in the gym. The body can sustain itself using the glycogen lactic acid system for a further one minute and thirty seconds until this build up becomes too much to PoC RT Renee UC teak ee ee cae oe ceo Geese uncUa-aevs) It was long believed that lactic acid was actually responsible for this failure and for the Ce ea ee ead PSU teekaeg eeraccl te Ai cu eect nce eee we aula ce To lactate in the blood in order to calculate a “lactate inflection point.” (More on this in an upcoming chapter.) With training, it is possible to improve tolerance and thus sustain maximum exertion for longer. This allows you to continue exerting yourself before being ERM at urea ere This is where the aerobic system comes in, relying on the oxidisation of foodstuffs in our Dt EMU e RUE tg nee eee ie Cu ero) Ree ge Oe Us hues iets Cun eke te cur) Se ae CO Sean aCe cnc a a ae Tce Fea Uae CR Rec ce eT cue Tae eae eC RRS ses ane Rnd Cr eae Remo cseos The aerobic energy system can actually be used indefinitely and will continue until you completely exhaust all supplies of energy located around the body. During a typical protonged endurance test, you will find you also breakdown protein for energy and even CMe ea mung ace kara a Lele eons fuel, purely because they provide the quickest and most accessible source of ATP, Note that aerobic exercise uses the slow twitch muscle fibre, which means it isn’t Seema ar a cue RC kOe ait again, this would force you to return to the glycogen-lactic acid system, until the build up eae Ceca cue ee kk ns A able to utilize the aerobic system fast enough to keep up with your most rapid exertion. Renee e eu ccna ne ee ee ea Done orc SR Sn au ee ao ao Ee VO2 MAX AND MORE CeCe OU Rae ere ae Recrui ae va eee Re ene ce that we can stay longer in the ATP-CP system. We can also boost our lactate threshold in Creed each cu ce oc Eure eee et eM Sata tela can potentially help you to last longer in the aerobic system. By allowing you to bring in ek CUI Une ReneS aren Res ur ee ec eee eh cere nae ne keg cc re Co an Coes ices Rue Cun a UCU Ce RC TATA TC ON too-eager to write off steady-state cardio or low intensity steady state (LISS) altogether. In fact, this form of training is particularly good for the heart, and is able to significantly strengthen and enlarge the left ventricle (the side responsible for delivering oxygenated eer Cen151 DTIC e URN ee US cure E cC uk ar c)-ca Nec exercise, the parasympathetic nervous system kicks in to deliver oxygen and blood where it is needed. It does this by expanding (dilating) and contracting (constricting) the Dee ec e et meer eee cacao Rc cence aU you'll notice that the blood vessels on your forearms begin to rise to the surface and increase in size. Meanwhile though, the blood vessels around your digestive system will Cem Ree alee Cs ne aun ee ee ee Peruri e Mn Ch Cine St meee Mae ek a See Se er ee ne Cee r ete etn cl eas OCCU Stet nia aCe ac bec Ec eke Mc DD aCCcuu enue curse ee aurea aur ier n ery kinds of tasks. Training outdoors, using pump training, and other aspects of the rea ten Maes ee ee Reem re ROS cea Une er cee Con acy Ren eeu eect ica ue eee engiE file 5: advanced fedal Seco) training NORTE Canna cei een iet tat kana Ceuta Pree cae OS ue eC ces Preece ecg ie einai) ROS Cue eg CnC Rua ee eee ee ae Ra RL Si Ce ue Rue Soe alittle bit of flexibility and cardiovascular fitness Re ae a us ee aCe ce ac position, years spent feeling stressed and anxious, years of poor sleep, years of no ren Caos cic ane u Ra eeRec Ty in away that will take al/these concepts into account. It is not enough to train strength ue ete Cen em ee nee eee Une a we ceo ccc ec cic TRA Ce ua Oa eee ten ee cic a PR MC ou Racer ce en usa there, and because a lot of it overlaps, we can incorporate it all into a program without too much challenge. DCEmu MCN Cy ane aa at, PR ean ce Secures le Gears MOBILITY A ROR UUs Ae a Oh Run mau Ue UR lc) Cy une ea Cs Rue aA aol Pec ins Cee ee cou it ee ie acco Ce eT ea) Pee eau ace) OR errs con a m eiceo RT a cc Oe ene ne ucet an eaten ae rn tt ?ROPRIOCEPTION AND INTERMUSCULAR COORDINATION Mer eee Renae ce ee a eee Re aR Esty PERS arate eet eee ane ed Pender e ei ae ee cs CeCe ee eu oor Cu eu uned CS CcunCOny ease eu Rec u eu ns oe That’s good and well, but is more useful for rehabilitation and maintenance. It’s not going to help you move like Spider-Maneva) Faun RT oe Uae LCST ioe ae USE Cie ace ec cae your arms and core, and few people actively train the upper body in this manner. SENSORY DEPRIVATION CO een Cue Ce neu ecu tn eae Ores ee Ua CR ne cee ce Ree noc Mn Siete ete eine Cun cocci ail NAR cS es eeu hn Ra came re U er ee This can also help you to turn your training into a form of moving meditation. This will DOESN e cea Re nen Re een CONTRALATERAL TRAINING The bilateral deficit tells us that we are capable of producing slightly more strength from Se Ces oe eun ee Ce are UR em nee ee Penn ees ae naa ee tc a ears ae Rem ie ae eee ee cuss eke See an ee eC eke cuca acs ee eet a een eae aa ey Ree eu eR gee eerie ia cue Cee ee Ce eee eeu Cuca a cal eo ia peice) BUC NUS Ree RU Un cc Call Cae Reker} Cee eee a ea unre e ia cece CRS UP are cee Rea Pee Se nae aaa a ee Petar Rabi ia cis tuna Ce aac cm a en Specifically, your right arm will enjoy roughly 50% of the strength gains seen in the left. DEO eae eset Caner Ue ee aero ee Deus URC ec a eC aie aie RCI) ee CU ea Sa eee ce Cee eee eed oe Cu cure Rng POAC Ren sa ce hon a ee acm nau uue es Re CC sn a eae Rk Le ecc training, and it’s actually a fantastic way to improve your athleticism and your Pieris an sccser SSC re Wh nd Sc en ee Ra Saree uence ue eee standpoint, it of course makes total sense for the body to “cheat” by controlling the USEC Cane cu emcee ect UE ae care Pee eg ee ee eRe nee instructions. Opposition is the word we use to refer to movements like walking or crawls Cees ‘And so, moving limbs completely out of sync is actually quite hard to coordinate without Pte Mace eS ae aC Une Sa ACT Sees cake cur Se ene Ne ae Suc Tare awareness into four rather than into two (or one). The potential performance benefits of Pec eet er kan a ea a ene ree cd MEU ae Re nee Peel ine eu eae cme) cue UM uu) Pee eck ku aura te eae re Cem ery Peer aCe Training with each side separately will literally provide more independent networking for Core eM asked Sere ee ns Reece ha eur eae ne acura cur aun Cr cu eau et amt eee Rem a Icon een annum eee tar S oC pea cu eu You might also have heard that the right side of the brain controls the left limbs and vice See RCN enue i Mee ee eee eat Scena RCo Wena Mpa Ruri ei aaa — RO pear Ma uke UCI ae Cu Rt ksEd Anatomically, the left shoulder is also linked to the right hip and vice versa. We see this CUO Un CAR ee ees rae eae eae PRU Re Reso ea ee cd strengthen the core in this manner. This type of training will introduce offset loads and RCC aCe ere tes itera teri ra cl eee es Cnc rune ae nee eau Un sr Pee eh ce Mee Mee ag Cee tae ee eae eh ec ec Smee Gesu tcie ORNs ee elm 7s eed mya CI rene Pee es eae eee sey extremely important sources of proprioception, and so much more. Were you to go for a run in the woods with bare feet, you would find that they would bend and contort over the shape of the ground underneath, Your toes would splay over rocks Ce Cuetec eeu eect Reha ar eeu} trips. Conversely, when running with a thick sole, your foot is essentially balanced on a es CeCe osc ur Una tceu Ruane ec} PSone en ee ee ed ca cence tier an ee accu ae cr hl PeeWee Un eee ca] MN acca Re eC aurea aa eC) et ee erate aE railings and branches allowing me to effectively grip them and to feel precisely how Cetera Pe ea ena Tae Yo Te a ea ooe ee a Ree EU Ree eee ae ar aman ci cence Ithas been speculated that elderly people who fall a lot might do so far /essif they spent more time bare footed. The problem is that when you spend all your time in shoes and BU oem cnelace ae ers eee entire sense. Walking around a bit at home in barefeet is not enough to restore all of that, Reet ne eet eR ea eek) a lotmore time barefooted, on interesting terrain, and while actively listening to that tae CCU iaceteavd Ruut oC Baral eee ade eee URE ee eee eo Prem Une et eee mae ar ee kane CS lee ua eu hee Cl eke alli ae ell ey reduction in sensory input. As the senses begin to fail, the brain has less information ‘coming in. This in turn means that it has a lower cognitive load at all time: Pen Cena aes neh cd usm RCH accusl eC Ren tace! OOM erence tame en come ROeEMe CCR Con Ma ecient cute aC laeceun se incn cle a eae UU aes Un ea Cee econ ;ht help to provide an opposite effect — providing MORE information, in order to Cente een as unc ‘And that’s before I've touched on the benefits of being able to use your feet athletically Barefoot, you have the ability to literally grip the ground with your toes, and to use them SOE eee Sat eea tt eunentlit157 SOC Re ounce het Cur cue eR UM I people, are able to run 10-30 miles daily without seeing damage to their knees, By nee OR are ce ca technique that involves landing on the ball of the foot so that the leg can compress like a Pe ee eee ee Tauck CeCe U neem eeu Rene Rea CRE POMC ane Ce ee Re ae eee ue anu y Cua cu ne ee Re eas ce Une Ie CoCr) i ‘Suggested Resource: Born to Run by Christopher Medougall Nis eC eeu Crome Catered connects to the big toe ~ respond to direct training and aid with plantar flexion CO ee a uC Re COC a on “bridge” between the powerful muscles in the leg, and the ground. You're only as strong as your weakest week as they say! And studies (study) show that specifically training this, muscle can result in significant performance gains in jump height, running speed, Pees158 Tea Mae Reis digitorum longus (connected to the CeO Rue as Secu Na) POC ee Ree cd Peeeiie e aa eus resulting in bigger squats and Saas acne a Corns Ricca aU Pee eee ucts SCC Au Ca Chee eau hi Se eS aid cee caren Se cag Oe cR craic! een Wate oa Reece an cis Cee Reece aad RRC Pe RULE ounce) aCe Ce a) Den nue C eeu Rc different pressure points around RCC a acid nc Preaes eae ca a “grounding benefit” to be had Roars Cea e une ra a) Pea a) CR ae ae) COE enna Pee ur eae tute) SCRE Ts Cae UNC a nS a en OR COU ea eae oa eRe UE au aa ae NN cad to your feet, or purposefully engaging specific foot muscles during training. eee Rane el See Re Uc see RS a es} Ee Ae A OMe eo Cd ec ee eeu ce eee acre be awhile before you're running long distances with no footwear at all, but that is just fine. Note: You also need to be realistic about the times we live in. We were not meant to run barefoot on concrete, and nor were we designed to survive shards of glass to the foot. SC AMCs aca Cue usrage 159 HAND STRENGTH AND GRIP STRENGTH Munsee curt Cia en-au pie ac ue ear tc at is one of the worst-kept secrets. Nearly everything you push, pull, or balance on is routed er arcu ke ec eur me Cnn not properly trained. Grip training will improve everything from your ability to lift a heavy weight overhead, to your ability to stand on your hands for long periods of time. BOSS ann Re aac aie ance re ar ec co of the main strategies for wowing audiences. They would reportedly use wide bars for ORCS oe ca eee aetna feats they had seen, they likely wouldn't be able to hold the weight properly to begin cr en ara ee hee Cun acura eur cacaclt health/life expectancy? This isn’t necessarily a causative relationship (meaning that both might - for example ~ be the result of heightened testosterone). However, it is still largely believed that increasing grip will improve your health overall. DSCC un Ec en a CU enacecaac ec Ue e e PER aC um CU Mc cuk Se acu aun Cu enna ecu a eoecursc) Oe UN URC Un a ae co ae Rae a don’t have a rope to hand, then you can alternatively use towels by hanging them over a chin up bar and then gripping onto the material in your fists.Page 160 Using wider grip bars when curling weights is also a very good idea, as is hanging from your fingers when performing pull ups or dead hangs. Grip trainers also have a place, Ce Cun kn ae ec a eee er Dee eeu ae ae ue eer eRe eae We can also train the fingers individually, by using finger push ups, or hang boards. The Navy SEAL Physical Fitness Guide recommends finger press ups as a way to build TOI es ee oa a eC cae Eventually, you might be able to perform Bruce Lee’s two-finger push up! PESO) Did you know that the ulnar digits (two smaller fingers) are responsible for 34% to 67% of Doel ceed RS nu ao uc a oe Ae eC) defeated, their opponent might have cut off their little finger ~ knowing it would have the Dees Cenueie nash TU RCL Ce Ucn aa ae eons Why is this? Well, the ulnar digits are controlled by a separate muscle called the flexor Se OCS A Rc aia This power is not available in isolation though. The way in which the little finger provides eee Ae aR npn a coe ne ea ome eeu Ran Rn eS ence ce UR ese a te ee ere ee UCase Sake ae cE) Sie tes De SCT LR a a ee CO Mn eee ae oe aa eee a Negi eeu Ae a aig eee CO eae ee og Seis eee aCe ee ne ey iy Likewise, simply changing the position of a single finger ~ moving the knuckle of the inky finger on tan of the har during a oull un for examole — can alter the muscles.wv PCA Uran een cee LU cc SCR ae gL RU RR Re ed flexion in the wrist. This will train grip more effectively than if you give no thought to the Position of the fingers and wrists. SC eae ROC ach CR Run eaCnt CGC uEn Se Caco Ca ec es amen TRL Ne ice cn A CR rs OAC Mea UC Ce Ue MCL eer) during sports, spend some time recovering before you lift anything too heavy over your cel SINGLE LEG STRENGTH Pn en eae ee ee cn) Senet ee ie ate ec ha teu eae tL running jumps. That in turn means that we launch off of one /eg: Likewise when running, we spend very little time on two legs. Ce enue car eg a ee Oe Ce OTe cau eee eC sacar (my right leg was recently actually significantly heavier than my left!). You might also find Sead Cue eC eu Rae oe Red Pietatiocs Neen Son Cre cae na cic ane otc STE USER eae ceo eee a um UC ras (study) ~ the observation that we can generate more than 50% of our max bilateral See Cue Cue au Ue ec CRs eect Pee chin rade eeu kee een DTTC CREE ee CTO ea eee PETE Chit eri talaa Te ema ache RecN a CARE uo AC! ee eT ee en ce ea aU eo with either one or both of your legs. You'll improve your stability too, and significantly Cee aCe ee ect us ad eta Coe Racers aun Reece u ean Tia) aa aM CC AM Me me Re CW Cac Suen aU Co Smee nC ai eka Seu e me aie a ee en nr a) COO Cena s ae eee oe Reese eae a nr Reed es a Dee Ua ea ee eg Cm rectus abdominis, transverse abdominis, obliques, and erector spinae. Let’s dive into how to train each of these areas in alittle more detail eee OM AU ae UC RS ek ccc UN Eee eet ge eC isemtC en ae auc cas Pia ne Oe Rue eC aes ume ca) ee teacher? The main role of the rectus abdominis however is to pull your body forward. This way, it eer Ue une R neem ute Ok no en ud een Rao Rau use une eeuu e aeeU Su Su CU na eho Sen a ue aes Remain ni ic ete RS te Ce Ca ue eeu a eet ea ie as how much my rectus abdominis burned afterward. And it’s obvious really: when you Pea Sn enact See ke cna cated of the movement and should provide the momentum to spin you through the air. Ifyou lack core strength, you won't be able to generate that spinning motion RO eT scum nur go cee eon nec eae t ee Tesee} raise and you might be tempting to fold your body at the waist. The same goes for sit- Pee tuner ar eee eee ee CCR ORC Ret a Canes ear an oe Me) CRE Reged ae ace RRC mean switch immediately to frog kicks (bringing up just the knees) making sure to really focus a ewe cece a rR N cue hue coca cL Say ee a eC oe a ea Pum en eee ees Uc ck eeCR User a ug eae acre eM Cry eae ceur coon Recommended resource: The Four Hour Bodyby Tim Ferriss The other issue is that most ab training is high rep with low resistance. This is partly out of fear of injury, though as long as you build up slowly, it is perfectly safe to crunch See ea ae ee ea sin Ce uc ai MOU ee MR sero Oe ae CCR back in some fast twitch fibre. For this reason, holding weight between the knees during Sa Ce eee arta te Ckan gee Use acc -c SC Sec G ms oe un ei) eC ea eon) Pe een uence ae Car een Cla ae Ria Oe difference. Likewise, training with some explosiveness by bringing the knees up quickly is also a good way to get more rapid motion in your upper torso. Transverse Abdominis: The transverse abdominis is often described as nature’s weight belt. It lives underneath the rectus abdominis and wraps around the mid-section keeping it tight and flat. This provides stability and allows you to keep your trunk even more rigid ne Sa RC Ru esc CaS also helps to prevent injury AND it brings your stomach in nice and tight so that those Pec eRe Cue Oe Ra RO eh Cu RRC Re) AUR eeu Ueu ea cece a ca164 PUN esa eR a ee gone Le tucking your chin, and depress the shoulders by pointing the hands forward. Eventually you can progress to having your toes pointed and arms pointing behind you, but always with your lower back in contact with the ground. This will develop the kind of rigid plank hele mur arise cet uce ae ans Erector Spinae: The erector spinae are the muscles along your spine that allow for ere eae coe nna ca eck mrs Becca tee Ue eee cus ce Sku ec They're crucial if you want to be able to perform a back handspring by whipping your DRC aaa tr Mau een mca Cee STIS acne au uk eee et Ue ie CR g SOUR rat Rue aes ee eC ees ieee Crea te See ice ee nC ca this with caution and build up to heavier weights slowly. Just make sure that if you're hitting the abs hard, you also do enough for the erector Baur Obliques: Finally, we have the obliques. These are divided into the internal and external Oe SEU Rue ee eee acl ase eee cage Cee Oe uC a eee ncaa eu eee Case a contract the left internal and right external obliques. They are what provide the detailed striations on either side of the six pack when your abs get really ripped Cte ca art Rae Re essa eee SS eras een Reg on ae LC a eeu -cere a eae Cen ain Se age ee ee CeeSo, perform these movements during your training. That means oblique twists Crete eee eee ue Tue CCl Cu emcee Prom ect ie e e ecu he cam Leer ccc Uy external rotation of the shoulders if you are doing a lot of cross body movements though, as you otherwise risk rounding the upper back. Oh also, just punch and kick a /ot. Martial arts training and heavy bag work will build explosive power and torque that translates extremely well in martial arts, gymnastics, and more. You should also incorporate some off-set loading exercises and unilateral (one sided) Cem ue Chee nen cock ma Cd weight in one hand, or it might mean one handed overhead presses. This will force the core to brace against the load to keep you stable, Old-time strongmen knew the importance of this kind of strength, and as an added bonus it will help make you Teer ee OC aes STRAIGHT ARM STRENGTH CR tiene eu eae CC a er ae ese a scapula muscles and the rotator cutfs. This allows them to stabilize their shoulder joint, in turn transferring more energy to the ground or bar with a straight arm. That in turn Tea Cr ete ane Na aC ee UCR er? CRC ees ae ee Ue ee Nise Pn en ae Racecar ag recall ace ad See eee meee eeu Rag ie Nn eee ac this?Deu GR Et Cue u ee Uae ae een ee er ean eau CoC U ne i cache ec) limited blood supply. Whereas muscle will begin responding to training in as little as eight days, tendon can take up to two months to show initial structural changes. The Cr eee eRe UCRee eC r eceeaena RC une ane eee Wacky tendons and elbow joint, which is why gymnasts have such huge biceps. So, before you Pec te eae us La eMarketer Rear teu tendon strength by using supinated support holds on the rings (balancing on gymnastics Gen UCR ROR Ua cea ee ent eed nT Ree Re Rue ect cue ae cena uaeE ec eens lighter load. In short, practice having your arms locked out and supinated with lighter loads for a while before you start progressing to more difficult moves.id Many of these movements are isometric holds, unless you add a pressing movement. CECA Ro sce as US Cue cs cag RNC the Wn kas Coun (eR cB Ree cur ees erect Ge Un se Ce eC eM rd Pere ap aed ee tar es Lean Una ue ean Cen eco mE eee acu necked clad SR a eee cee Ce nec mei MCMC Pes ees ne Cee ey Se a Sueur Ue ee) Cea ce te eur a scescl eu Ee Seem eeu Meco Ce Rec atc Tu that helps you to perform movements that you couldn't normally, either with assistance Ce Ram ee ge eh ee es Reset ka Canes ec UL esc et Re ea ag legs up into planche and holding it just for a second on the parallel bars. ee eae ea er eC) Pes ta On a a eee CN Kea De eae uutty That said, the isometric nature of many calisthenics progressions means they're likely to cause less muscle damage or inflammation, which means that you can occasionally Pee ene mee ruer eae oe see uy ee eo nothing to stop you from trying a crow pose for 30 seconds while you wait for your CU Mma eee ALANS Seer ua CeO eee UU TTS See ieee RC Ce eu ieee eat Bee ue an ae Uae ea ns ee Ciera Cea ean Rerun u unk ee ae ee Rete eke eure eee cas EC Mt ec ie ae eo eC CIC hues) eee eee ee eae a een eae emerge eu cre meter cee nt ene eke aT manner. One way to do this is with plyometric movements - exercises like box jumps and eae ea ene cu cs Canoe ayaa ea Drea ae GE tea sa aa ere Ce Pe eae gece a eee ese TCE economies accu MarcleGR irs A ile Coane h ‘ ys s AN Conversely, if we wanted to increase our endurance to create more Type 1 muscle fibre, OCR eh eon ai hme ee cM ee kU mitochondria in the cell and surround it with more capillaries. SSCs age U ae ica ean ca ue ncn ‘speed lifting’. This means performing a set of exercises as quickly as possible. This, Pic ie Us ana r ad aR Ce of having a 2-1-3 cadence (two seconds on the concentric portion of the movement, one Reese tee ae Seen meu ed ee ae Sey SS Ce eerie Ca ia uae acco eT O cadence. Now you are training for force andvelocity. Note: Keep in mind that exercise that is too explosive and light will not lead to Dene ap AR Man ues okey nee ea Ru) Deere CMS eeu Ruane ns Cee enue oR ae Gen uaa Reece eeWhat is interesting here, is that although the movement is slow (against the resistance), Dee ac Coe en eu een aa er) explosiveness. You can use visualization to aid with this intent. For example, when Pee ee a nase eel Mure casa course not actually letting go of the bar!) This also develops something called the “rate of force development,” which refers to the Bee eae Ce rer cued cr outed cate DYE eee ACR UR enue ag ee ae ne cu Pune eM CR ieee explosive jumping etc. Training this kind of upper body speed can be described as Re ci oa ack Len es ae UE cece Cee en Ree ur Mies eine Cos DN a ee heen ic UR a UCU cs a as Creo ee ee ce Cd ee Ce eee hate, cme RC Euan) Set etna eau Curae Cea enue atic) eee cE ose ce ce Rees matics SIC CSeEeceeRr c Retncuncotg Un or Se ac coin before you could close it. Which might be true, you never know! RSD ane ene a gone ese Cece an eeu mS Ng Pret arunac eee A iia ie ener eae oe a ue nn aCe Te ean eT ot rem Uca ue er UCC eee kar aa td your arms) Another personal favourite of mine are calf jumps, where you launch off of your tip-toes Dc Seige Ou eC A eM cdpage 170 en Ce ee Cee nua Co) Cee RR eee enn aor cc Ree Weenie esac eee Ue ac ets acces ee ue Un ana a ng ce eee an ee use and “speed training” to recruit more muscle fibres but the same thing can also be Dee eRe gee ee pe Ce US sae kate force needed for lifting a heavy weight is no different from that used to launch you up into the air, or to curl very quickly. Force, is force, is force. RSC Ch nn ec Mtg eke eee eC highly complex and requires more careful precision. Moreover, training with an extremely Dee eeu eee ee actu Ue ene CO kane Becca Craw Specifically, you need to observe the rule of 90%, which is to say that you should challenge yourself with 90% of your one rep max in order to recruit the larger, more SCE ean es BUT you also still need to lift the weight in an explosive way. Having the heaviest squat Cease eae eco ace ute teckel on that power as fast as is necessary to launch yourself off the ground. This is why 90% Cn eee eee Ck emia ero this point significantly. PIER emerson un Ee aU ran asccn hae nee nae aes acerca This brings us nicely to the next technique...eal ACCENTUATE THE NEGATIVE FOR =XPLOSIVENESS Cree Uae ie ar Cre gee Lee AI ee ae caret an ee Perc) Pe cg Seen Concentric strength is the contractile strength: the positive strength or our ability to curl Rieke ia uncheace Isometric strength is static strength. This is the ability to hold a weight in place without ences kee Rasta Gor curse ee eee cee un RC ame PC reg Ch nea CCCs Cun car cee Ia eccentric strength that allows us to handle this in a controlled manner. This is the force Sere Ce cnn ae ut ec en une Rene Cites Cents This is because our muscle essentially works like a spring, to store energy while it is Re ue OR ree nae cee See a Rane ge Coe eae es aCe cu with the fist pulled back at the hip and twisted to face the ceiling. That stores potential energy. eu nee eRe cy muscle is in the elongated position, the more energy it stores and the greater your power Cas There are other reasons to train eccentric strength too. For one, this kind of training allows you to lift much heavier loads — your eccentric strength is up to 1.75 times greater SEU nec ie eeu ner iee ietic een cg Cae ena eee ae Me ao eeu R my ett See eee te Un ee eee eee A testimony from many fitness coaches who have used this kind of training to help their PCs Maca re aru nc res To use this kind of training, you can try what are known in bodybuilding as negatives. Demet aC AU Aree) SMC acon On mC a hae ae Ce nce meet ce ance PCC Mu ea a tae? SHOCK TRAINING Pees ee a eu St ace ee eT ase a eeVE SS Se mau Oe a) Me cur EUR Ce UU RC eee Ck ea Remec ad PR a eee naa CC asa benefit) and then you land and spring back up spending less than 0.2 seconds on the ground, Higher heights can also be used but not until the athlete is able to squat 1.5 Ree RUC nee eee Cee ee Tu ey a RCs case nC ee ele DS eC nee nee a Oe Rn ey the myotatic reflex, described in an earlier chapter, and allows the individual to rebound. Meee he Crs im UR Ace eck kal the ground, But at the same time, they are also training their eccentric strength in an explosive manner in order to improve their regular jumping ability too. Not only that, but Det cue eac te ene ete ue anu eecec) Peau ome Ue moet u ect uc Rua rate of the myotatic reflex increases. In other words, the CNS /earnsto spring up from that position and thus the muscle fibres begin to activate faster and faster. Resulting in CeCe ei Meanwhile the shock massively stimulates the CNS and this increases ‘muscular See nC Re Oe Rag gained 14% increases in jumping maximal strength by using a depth jumping program. eee et Recreate a Rate ome ee tena eee as uaee era Pere ee ese ea aie CS Riana th ec eR body considers resistance and velocity to be the same. If you are slowing yourself from PC eee ee i ae eC ee ch Rene ace a Pers POC a Ce ee UCR ccc Matec Pee CW tee eect rene Mee Ona aespage |73 ISOMETRICS. Renee Cue cae aR sound like a fairly simple concept, it in fact can be performed in many different ways, Meta cena ait SCR Tu RS ores cd Seid Saeed PCS a Un Mikey Pete nae cae Rake oue Uke Cad POC eu ee anc eee Ue Scr Re ee aoa ke rue a Cte ta ee eC cae Ra aerate Oia Ut eee eee Cac s See Ce mec uso ie Mark Reece eke co EOC Re ae ae eins What makes this valuable, is that it creates conditions for you to train using your maximum capability. Rie atu Ua ee Ae a heaviest weight you possibly can in order to utilize 100% of your accessible strength. The Pe eRe So a Ue a ea ey BoA u a oe eae ea eon NC Duong ca RT CaM Ke aac UR aus DU ee RO ene en ame Ue ca eT en ee Uae eee een Pee eae Cae SIICeae uu a acuee cus eaten lsec It’s no coincidence that this is the training method used by Dennis Rogers, thought by some to be the strongest man alive pound for pound. Dennis was found to have greater control of his muscle fibre recruitment on the show Stan Lee’s Superhumans. It appears Ree eee au cuca mee tua rere MS OR Cc ce ke et ec As far as the body is concerned it has met a challenge it is not prepared for and it needs DOr ao cee mL Ui Ue ene Re a ee eae Rr) ee cree a CeueieeWecee meet te Cet eeu eee enn ec CEE mucus) OVERCOMING ISOMETRICS: Pulling or pushing against an immovable obj COO at ae eC eC Tg ee cia Rie eee MCS uote ee an Sree nce my CMe eo eer enn Ra ee ee an eee ee SSRIS See nee U ae ee eee a PU Ce Raece OReeee Cme RS you're going to need to train multiple angles in order to get the most from it. The usual Dee CUO en ae ae eee) RRC U SI a cut coe ion eae s ee) Cetus na ree sane Isometric training can also be used as a way to deal with the failure points of a movement. If you find yourself often failing at the same point in a movement, then you eee ae Cs ae ee Me ee cae ce In terms of how long to hold these contractions for, the generally agreed advice is to make each “repetition” 6 seconds long for strength benefits. This appears to be the most effective method for suppressive the protective mechanisms of the CNS. This form of training is very intensive for the nervous system and should be performed at the startof your workouts before your muscles are fatigued. If you train using reverse pyramid SCAG Soe see Ue a ue cu mn RIC cou Sage Tea ae een eu eR ei) exercises. But if we consider that we're performing a maximal contraction for longer than Re a ae cere Rca cee Om Tee ese Ce a kee ee nua cack canker) Ceee Me sua aC URE ce SCC aCe ue ce a aOR ae ead CAR ae CCC ee Ree eh aa a Ne ee hm Ua aCe eee ce ec ec ue ney aancent is ahout “exynlosive intent”evan) ROS Ie TT oa eran a ie RSS Cee CET cig SECs eee er aru irs u Rus sg acu Rec ee id SW UU oA ean ao ie Raa Ree ean a Reece uaa eS eee ee set eRe eh eee Maa Crm Reet credence ir Fame it Sigs eRe cc Ces un ea ee Saeed dynamometer say ~ you will inevitably find that it begins to taper off toward the end as your muscle fibres fatigue and give out. If you started at 60kg, you might finish at a lower led But now try making a conscious effort to explosively contract again and you'll find you Caer Maen U eu he Un a et Re ea other words, by adding ballistic isometrics during a longer overcoming isometric, you can aCe Cele PAE See Ca TC eu a Sea a Raa a ce UR en a merece re ee Co Ne Uh ken nara usc nd Da eS Lee rece ie Sree keene Und CU Oe oer eC ae cee erreur) read ‘At the other end of the spectrum, we have quasi isometrics, which have more in common with yielding isometries. RO ee ae ea CW kOe possible, potentially taking minutes to complete a pull up or press up. This is much em eeUU en a ae ee eS Cate na a ue et Ue acca rs the right amount of motor units to gradually raise or lower your body. Secondly, it forces you to maintain full concentration through the entire range of motion, and to feel the eee ae ee eee eeu ekg ecu eo Finally, it forces you to contract your muscle continuously during the stretch position, which is well known to elicit hypertrophy and strength gains. In short: if overcoming and explosive isometries build brute force and power, quasi isometric can be used to develop finesse and precision. Combine both and you can Coe Mau Co Ruan Ur CL To get started, aim for around 30% of your 1RM or use bodyweight to avoid injury. Then aim for a 30 second concentric and same for eccentric. During the lowering phase you Cee eee ech Nena eee et Lee ena User Dee ee eee enc eC teed and only use the necessary strength. The former is better for hypertrophy ~ effectively being similar to a negative rep — while the latter can improve strength and control. Da en eet te era ese eee una uence ny control and strength and of course this can improve your overall efficiency and Ore ee nC EUS rcs Sa ce Ee en Cea Re es ee ee ey Pe ose ace oR AOC aa ur} of a workout as a kind of finisher, especially as they will use a large proportion of slow eae ‘These aren't the only methods for improving muscle control and fibre recruitment. The DRM theo tae cua RCo a Le as is electromyostimulation. If that sounds interesting... stay tuned!ieza MUSCLE CONTROL Muscle control is a closely related cousin of the mind muscle connection and refers to eee kee eee MCC eae emcee ced Sa USMS ee et aU ent al RO nce NaC en ee ihackr ce eee Ue Cece SOE ta Cea eC he ee Chu Meta might be able to pop up a muscle on your forearm for example, or move your ears (some say this is genetic, but | have trained myself and others to do it — it is actually just a great CO ue ec Maes kn Seneca Runes DUS RC) Se eg fate Le urecoeU CCU u enn Pecan ae a DC aa PER guna} to lift double his own Pee me aL ere acu military press of 222Ibs, Eugine Sandow (the father Cire rece) Ronee Ree Pome Rm e asst while reading the paper, Ceca ce kes Reena ccd Teche ca ee ed eS Rd better isolate and recruit Res ona peek mas) ener ee rR ta Pruecntcean sce Pre eae ST st Metts cara) have previously done this kind of training. This is Re ear cur eis DC ape ECS) COR UC at Sec ce a eae Sa Pie oases Seer ee amy Us cre ence ecu yeZ} Ce Re es auc MM Re caer Ds OE Ree eee ae Pea ee a ena cee eu easy Pet ee Wee EN ae ai ce Deu eg eo ee Renee CEU Re Cecio te as eee ecu ea) be a useful way to improve the “mind-muscle connection.” Specifically, Maxick recommended first relaxing every muscle in the body and doing a De eC Cen es ae eae ae Oe a ey that each muscle from head to toe - even the facial muscles — are fully relaxed (likely you'll find some tension you weren’t aware of even in the second or third check). Then Se ea LeU aoe CR “missed.” | also find that when I'm “fully contracted” | can normally actually contract ‘moreif| want to. You can practice this in bed, or during workouts. You can also simply try to isolate and twitch each muscle in your body to see how much control you have over it and whether you can improve this. Sometimes a little mental “trick” makes this possible. | mentioned before that a lot of people reading would not be able to isolate and contract only their forearm muscles, Oe N LOO RE ee TL ee Ae eae or relax individual muscles. Rg Un eM Ue our eee eee Sue RR Sun eee Res or eC this makes it easier to see the muscles in your forearm flex. Practice this, and you might Gu oe a ge Cee ae ss a ae eat Try something similar by flexing your lat. If you can’t do this right now (you might find you esi ine Gd Con iu Pui ce cn a ken cum Te your brain to make that connection. You can eventually gain this kind of control over Ue TUN ae mete ee Finally, you can also try to be more mindful of your muscle as you use it. When curling weights, try to fee/which muscles are working and try to let the others release tension as much as possible. When using isometric holds (yielding) such as a handstand, try to feel SOOM i Ro LCoS Cu EU Ca ier Pee ce ees ca Caesarea movement of muscles, especially when used as a form of yielding isometric. rot ae cca a aR Re eg eee Re em ae researched this book, | have found more and more that we can’t write off anything. On Se Meee i Cc See eos Un S CTC ee Rae ata ee Oe me eeu ee aac strengthen the body. They thereby developed the 18 Lohan Hands (which evolved to become Shaolin Kung Fu) and Sinew Metamorphosis (which became Chi Kung). This, combined with meditation, is what Shaolin monks refer to now as the “3 living treasures pp renasir) CT ue nil ea Cee ere cur ye Rag Mean Aiea not ee Rene une em acces eS ae emu ee ge Sao a DEC ae e eee Uae ae Cone a cee RO mucus cra eRe neue ccs arn Nee Can cone mutes ois Um eee et Pee Cee Uk ee a acs Oe erg geen uN ac cere ae Cente Raa) Shaolin), monks are better able to ground themselves and therefore balance. Tene Sea ae a eed eee eure ie heat Cone eS ea uh ag orc ved With all this functional-style training, you might assume that | have nothing but bad Rn Sneak a For those not in the know, bodybuilders train by lifting relatively light weights (around 75% 1RPM) and use higher rep ranges of around 10-15. They might then use a variety of SCOR wun ee Cee MM UU am cea Tie ae ne ane OR iat ur Ona Cee cd eee Wu mg an aCe kee Se eR eC acu Daa aR eB Ly muscle, and it encourages occlusion ensuring more blood is trapped in the muscle body, POU Ch emuec cea nice Ce ces ie Meo nkec Tn CeO cane Ala UR ce CR Ree CUR et Uo Perr Uninc Cua cam cae at Becca) While pump training won't provide the same explosive power as lifting 90% of your 1RM, este ae eee es eat em CTE Pte en eR Ru ae RUC To) Ree nea ae ees en con Rae ci muscle fibres. Pump training is fantastic for encouraging a better mind-muscle connection because you Cone nat Ci ace Ce emu Ree Us DC cue emir Ren Cac a uae aati Cae PCIe Cuan a UC acta cur Meg Pee CW cee kei re eee ac) many muscles working together. Your failure during a squat is due to the failure of Cue ace ce That said, you can employ some of these methods to an extent when using something such as leg press or bench press. This is safer, and while you might not fatigue a single aces Ce ike ome ecm INTENSITY TECHNIQUES Sau aa cg Re 22Page 180 Den OC Cue CoC Me a cue aOR Og Ce ae uC ena uae Re PARE CeO Cue uu Woe Wane a Re Cae eg eee tue ue cose ea ee Seu gt Recommended resource: Ultimate Bodybuilding by Joe Weider PCR aca OR ue a aro ee Unc sport. And this is how he was able to catalogue all of the advanced training methods that COU Came ee Oy ae ase a Reece eee Cec anon cena emg Cac Pekar ccacieted Ch ac nus enon ee ke ue a NCCE Se eee accuse eee eee se rest time. Often this would also mean training two antagonistic muscle groups. RC ees cn ae ee ead commonly known. Here are some of the best ones explained for your convenience: Rede Se ue TC a eee Uae ees going past failure but rather about stopping the weight mid movement and then starting again. For example, you might be performing bench presses but instead of bouncing the weight straight up and down, you instead stop the weight and rest it on your chest for Cee een aie ume CRO eeu no Rel eee ea Sl eu aed Nee ak cea ee ene ee Re aur Seen ae nee Pe aC OS a es Mae ce to remove the element of momentum and to start the weight from cold each time. At the same time, it allows you to focus on just one portion of the ROM (range of motion) by not going from fully contracted to fully extended. A partial rep then simply means curling through the top, bottom or middle third of a Re Ree one a one