Australian Qualifier – Abu Dhabi World Professional Jiu-Jitsu Championship 2011 in Sydney
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We at Trigger Fitness would like to congratulate Jean Alvisse on winning the qualifier for the Female purple/brown/black belt under 63kg division. In her first match Jean submitted her component in a fast 2mins 26secs with a figure 4 arm lock and the 2nd a little longer at 5mins 38secs.
Cato is very proud to be involved as Jean’s Strength and Conditioning Coach and he will continue to work with her to get her prepared for the Abu Dhabi World Professional Jiu-Jitsu Championships in April this year. Check out this link of Jean’s first fight on utube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EfkpBmZGCPY
GOOD LUCK AT THE FINALS IN ABU DHABI JEAN!
Good lifting technique is a cornerstone of success
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The most basic of all exercise principles and consistently the most neglected is performing the exercise with good technique. The unfortunate thing here, is that no matter how well written your program is, no matter how perfect your pre and post workout supplementation plan is and no matter how much fancy new gym equipment you own, it all comes down to your ability to perform good repetitions.
I’m going to refer mainly to free weights in this article because they are the most challenging and the most rewarding in terms of strength gains. I believe in using free weights in my programming with only a small percent of cables and fixed machines. (The reasons for this would constitute a whole other article).
We are trying to overload the muscles with a specific exercise, to increase strength in that movement. There is a neural pattern involved, which we are trying to strengthen. So deviation from that neural pattern is no longer overloading the desired pattern/muscles. It would stand to reason that cheating reps will only take the tension away from the desired muscles (for the sake of getting an extra rep or using a weight that is too heavy) and in that case no longer make us stronger.
A good example of this would be the standing lateral deltoid raise when the trainee is jumping to give momentum to the dumbbell. The legs are doing most of the work, so the movement is taking neural drive away from the deltoids and firing the legs.
That is an example of a poorly performed shoulder exercise.
The first and most important part of each exercise is to set the posture. Regardless of the exercise, there is a posture that is best. This must be maintained throughout the repetition. If it cannot be maintained then the rep does not count. Some areas of concern for posture are the position of the spine and the position of the shoulders. Neutral spine with shoulders back and down is a good start.
The range of movement is the next important variable, and will differ slightly from one trainee to the next dependent on their size, shape and flexibility. As a rule of thumb we want full range of movement for maximum recruitment of the muscle. That being said, if your technique is limited in its range of movement then you have not achieved a good repetition. For example, you don’t drop to a dead hang in the chin-up or your arms do not go to full extension on an arm curl and so on.
Yes, it is possible to lift more weight and do more reps if you only exercise to partial range. Are you getting the best results from that exercise? No.
Stop looking for ways to make things easier and look for ways to make things harder, that’s how you get stronger. Makes sense doesn’t it.
So the take home points are simple:
- Control the weight throughout the whole movement and don’t use momentum to flick or swing the weight.
- Have a mind muscle connection between what you are lifting and the muscles you are targeting. You should feel yourself contracting against the resistance (weight).
- Move through the full range of motion. You should feel yourself go right to end range at the limits of the concentric and eccentric movements.
- “Grease the groove” The more you stick to the fixed pattern of the movement and do not deviate from that neural line the stronger you will get. Like learning how to serve a tennis ball, work on perfect technique and you will hit the ball harder.
- The last rep should look like the first. Don’t chase reps and lose form in the process.
- Focus on the task at hand. Too many distractions at the gym are a pain in the ass for serious lifters. You should block out everything in the room and focus on your set. Buy an IPod and avoid conversations with people during your set. Try closing your eyes (if it’s safe to do so), it takes mental focus of your muscle to a whole new level.
- You are lifting the weight, not your training partner. The only time anybody should touch you or the weight when you are lifting free weights is if you are about to injure yourself. Don’t do forced reps with free weights.
So, from now on when you are going through your lifting program, focus on strict form and watch your strength and size skyrocket. Your injuries will disappear and your flexibility will magically get better. If you are feeling self conscious about the initial drop in weights, don’t worry, you will make that back 10 fold while the rest of your mates stay swinging and half repping the same weights that they were lifting a year ago.
Summer Offensive is on!!
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DO YOU HAVE WHAT IT TAKES??
We are starting off the summer with a hardcore Military style session! If you’re up for a challenge, some FUN and don’t mind getting dirty then this is definitely one for 
you!!! Everyone is welcome, so strap on your boots and tell all your family and friends to come along to.
’SUITABLE FOR ALL FITNESS LEVELS’
When: Saturday 4th December 2010 (first weekend of summer)
Where: Bicentennial Park, Glebe – click on this link for map
Location of where in the park TBA
1000 – 1100 required for duty (be 15 minutes early to sign on)
1100 – 1200 time to eat (BBQ)
Cost: ONLY $20
Cato and Matt will be taking the session with help from Latitia and possibly a couple more trainers, depending on numbers.
So click on the ‘CONTACT’ tab up the top and send through your details now or you will miss out!!!
Vitamin D – The sun and the supplements
0It has become very obvious over the last few years that Vitamin D deficiency is a huge concern worldwide. Recent studies are providing some alarming truths that contradict the current thinking on sun exposure and Vitamin D3 supplementation. There are currently over 800 studies showing the importance of having optimal vitamin D levels. It would alarm many to find that vit D regulates over 200 genes in the body and can decrease your chance of cancer overall by 50 – 60%. Low vit D levels have been found to be integral in many health concerns such as:
(each link below will take you to an article on the Mercola websight. A veritable mecca of information on vitamin D and I highly recommend following these links)
Cancer, Hypertension, Heart disease, Autism, Obesity, Rheumatoid arthritis, Diabetes 1 and 2, Multiple Sclerosis, Crohn’s disease, Cold & Flu, Inflammatory Bowel Disease, Tuberculosis, Septicemia, Signs of aging, Dementia, Eczema & Psoriasis, Insomnia, Hearing loss, Muscle pain, Cavities, Periodontal disease, Osteoporosis, Macular degeneration, Reduced C-section risk, Pre eclampsia, Seizures, Infertility, Asthma, Cystic fibrosis, Migraines, Depression, Alzheimer’s disease, Schizophrenia.
Recent studies show that for every person that dies from skin cancer from over exposure to the sun, 200 will die from other cancers which are sensitive (caused by or made worse) to low vit D!
Recently in the western world the sun has been demonised. Slip slop slap campaigns and scare mongering have got us all lathering ourselves with sun block and staying away from direct sunlight for fear we will all die of skin cancer. While there is some truth to the dangers of UV rays, we need to make educated decisions about how we conduct ourselves in the sun.
The skin makes vitamin D from UVB rays in sunlight. Sun block completely blocks UVB. UVB is at its highest between the hours of 1000 and 1400. Earlier in the day or later in the day the sunlight is higher in UVA, which is the one we are trying to limit exposure to. For most of us, it is advised to spend 10 – 20 minutes in the sun per day with over 40% of our bodies exposed.
It changes for everyone based on skin type. Those who are fair require less sunlight. Those who are dark require more. Suffice to say, once you have become slightly pink (not burnt) you have fulfilled your quota for the day, and any further exposure will only burn your skin, not produce more vit D.
The underlying issue for many of us is not that we are avoiding getting outside and enjoying our days in the sun, it is we simply do not have access to the sun because of our geographical position in the world and because of our work commitments. We spend all of our time indoors, so for many simply getting a little more sun can be very difficult.
For these people it is suggested that we supplement with vitamin D3. This is a relatively inexpensive vitamin that for many will change their lives (and in most cases will lengthen their lives). Based on the most recent research, the current recommendation is 35 IU’s of vitamin D per pound of body weight. It is also important next time you see your GP to have a vitamin D test to understand your current levels. 25 Hydroxy D is the best test for vitamin D levels. Anything under 50 ng/ml is said to be deficient and 50 – 70 ng/ml is said to be optimal. Armed with the results of this test, you can design your own supplement protocol to keep your levels optimal. To give you a helping hand here are some words of wisdom from Charles Poliquin:
“Now the question becomes “How do I get my vitamin D3 to optimal levels?” This is the best part, since it’s very easy to fix vitamin D3 deficiency. There are a couple of different approaches that have been shown to work very well. One way is to just supplement with 5,000 IU of vitamin D3 every day and it’s likely your levels will be at least in the normal range within about three months, but remember, high normal is better than mid normal. Expect it to take another couple of months to reach high normal.
Another approach, which I prefer, is to supplement twice per week with about 30,000 to 100,000 IU of D3. Based on the research and clinical evidence, this method seems to accelerate the increase in blood levels of 25(OH) D3 (the marker that should be tested for). Although the kidneys still need to convert 25(OH) D3 into 1.25(OH)2 D3, the relevant lab value is 25(OH) D3. You should be shooting to get your levels between 80 and 100 ng/mL”
To read more from Charles Poliquin follow this link
So there we have it, possibly the most important supplement discovered, and its inexpensive, very easy to purchase and even easier to take.
Information adapted from:
Dr. Joseph Mercola
Charles Poliquin
Why I don’t eat grains!
0Large scale food experiments have been happening around the western world since they first started introducing food pyramids. In 1992 the USDA released the current food pyramid which was adopted in Australia and is largely disregarded as the current food pyramid for healthy eating. No surprises when you read the pyramid why western civilization suffers from unusually high levels of Obesity, Heart disease, Cancer, Stroke and Blood sugar disease (Diabetes). Low Fat (as the surgeon general recommended in1988), low protein and insanely high carbohydrate, most of which is highly processed.
The results of this uncontrolled nutritional experiment have not been good.
Perhaps you’ve noticed.
The USDA food pyramid is a brilliant example of how political lobbying by food organizations can influence “Scientific” recommendations. These organizations are the same people that tamper with our food and don’t feel the need to tell us or clearly mark them in the supermarket. I’m talking about genetically modified foods (GM), foods with very unhealthy additives and animals that have had the genes of other animals and insects spliced with them to create more commercially viable foods. Suffice to say if you’re not eating organic non processed foods then you have no idea what you are eating! Yes, you should be scared!
The most offensive component of the food pyramid is the bottom. The grains. The one that we are supposed to eat 6 – 11 serves per day! This we can all safely say is not a good dietary recommendation.
I’m going to try to explain some of the reasons why.
Let’s begin by looking at the macro nutrient requirement of the human body based on the most recent science. We need Protein to live. We need Fat to live. We do not need carbohydrate to live. It’s true! The brain needs 120 grams of glucose to function and it can make this glucose from amino acids found in protein and from the glycerol backbone of triglycerides. Our bodies can run on ketones quiet nicely.
A great example of this is the Eskimos, who live exclusively on meat and fat. Vilhjalmur Stefansson, an anthropologist, published his peer reviewed findings in “The Journal of the American Medical Association” on July 3, 1926 titled “The effects of an Exclusive long-continued meat diet”. The committee failed to find any trace of any harmful effects of this diet on the human body. It was also found that Eskimos when introduced to a Western or European diet, fattened up very fast.
The Maasai of Africa are also good examples of low to no carb dieters who are very lean and healthy indeed.
Now, I’m not saying no carb’s, I’m just saying that we get all the fiber, nutrient, vitamin and mineral rich carb’s from vegetables, fruits and legumes. No need for grains.
So why are grains so bad you ask? Well, they along with starches and sugars turn in to glucose very easily and very quickly in the body. This triggers the release of Insulin which is the hormone responsible for storing blood glucose in the cells. And in todays sedentary population, that means they are going straight to the fat cells. Yes, you heard me, high GI carbohydrates make you fat. High processed grains are the worst of them.
Carb’s and sugars also damage your appetite control cells and cause you to have more cravings. That is, you are hungrier for bad food more often.
Grains have very low nutritional value when compared to fruit and veg. They lack the minerals, vitamins, nutrients and the fiber of fruit and veg by a staggering amount. The advertising that tells you to eat grains for vitamins and fiber is sales propaganda. It simply is not true! Most grains and flowers are enriched with various nutrients for just this reason. Even the enriched grains and flowers are well below par. What’s more alarming is that grains actually strip your body of certain nutrients. Grains contain compounds called phytates and pyridoxine glucosides that block the absorption of iron, zinc, copper, B vitamins and calcium which in turn can slow metabolism.
I’m sure that we have all met a person or two who is gluten sensitive, gluten intolerant or refers to them self’s as a Coeliac. You may be alarmed to find that the suggested figures are as high as 1 in 30 of the population that have some form of gluten sensitivity. In fact the sensitivities may be coming from the gluten or the very high levels of toxins used in the processing of wheat and grains. Regardless of the source of the problem, grains are well known allergens. Grains will also raise cortisol as a response to the stressor. Cortisol is the stress hormone that can cause massive problems with one’s health if it is to high.
Many problems simply clear up when you take grains out of the diet. These are a few of the reasons why I avoid all grains. I have remarkedly improved my health and the health of my clients by removing grains as a standard procedure. The results have been outstanding.
Information adapted from the works of:
Jonny Bowden
Charles Poliquin
Michael and Mary Dan Eades
Loren Cordain
Barry Sears
Summer Offensive
0Trigger Fitness will be running a Military style training session one Saturday of each month. Cato and Matt being ex Australian Special Forces will be putting together some awesome Army style sessions. Come along and see what it’s like to train Army style!
All are invited to attend these sessions so keep an eye out this week for all the details of date, time, venue, cost etc. On the day we will also provide a brunch or lunch depending on what time the session is. The first one will be held mid November.
Anyone who is keen, please send through your details to us under the outdoor or contact section of the blog. Pass this on to all your family, friends and work colleagues as everyone is welcome!
Not to be neglected
0Flexibility and range of movement is often the most understated and underutilized technique for improving health and sports performance. The simple act of developing and implementing a good stretch routine can dramatically improve one’s ability to get deep into a lift and perform better at their chosen sport. Not to mention poor flexibility can often be the cause of the soreness and injuries that many athletes and weekend worriers experience during their time spent exercising.
How is this possible you might ask?
We know when lifting weights we need to work to full range of movement for many reasons, not the least of which is so we can recruit more of the muscle being targeted in that exercise. Going into a dead hang at the bottom of a chin up for instance is the best way to fully recruit all the muscles in the upper back and arms that we are trying to recruit with this exercise. The primary muscles taken into full range of movement are working harder to pull you up above the bar.
More extension of the primary muscles (target muscles) at the bottom of the lift means more muscle recruitment (and neural drive) during the concentric phase. More recruitment means more damage. More damage means more repair. More repair (with good recovery) means bigger stronger muscles!
Being restricted in your range of movement will also prevent you from lifting with correct technique. This is a sure fire way to injure yourself and make little or no gains in strength. Take for instance the bottom position of a squat. A good deep squat is the greatest indicator that a person has good lower body mechanics. It also requires great flexibility and symmetry to perform a good squat with excellent technique. If you are restricted in your ability to maintain a neutral spine while squatting it is most likely because you have poor hip and or ankle flexibility. As the squat is the mother of all strength exercises (for too many reasons to mention in this article) not being able to squat properly will have a very negative effect on your efforts to build a strong and healthy physique.
Stretching will also help you build muscle, particularly stretching the facia around the muscle. This facia or connective tissue when tight can prevent hypertrophy of muscle fibres simply because there is no room left for the muscle to grow. The facia when tight can also cause considerable problems if left untreated. Facial stretching and release must be a part of any stretching routine.
So we know that it is important to exercise to full range, and we know that being adequately flexible is the key to performing our exercises with good technique and there for getting stronger optimally and with less injuries. But how does this help us in our chosen sport?
It depends on the sport of course but i will try to give you some examples. Let’s look firstly at all sports that require running. Simply having tight hip flexors can prevent your glutes and hamstrings (the power for running and jumping) from working to their full potential. That means you are slower on the field. In fact at every point of a person moving across the ground there is a muscle that could be potentially tight and there for restrict free movement and optimal leg strength/power. There are also unknowable forces that occur in sports like being tackled for instance. If you get hit from an awkward angle and/or fall awkwardly the body is going to be forced to twist and contort to protect itself and absorb the blow. If you are more flexible then you are less likely to injure yourself because you can move freely further into a stretched position. There are optimal levels of flexibility for all sports and it is very important that you find out what is optimal for your sport and work to achieve it. I’ll guarantee that many of you are below par.
It is also important to mention that stretching is integral in the rest and repair cycle. Stretching is proven to lower cortisol (a stress hormone). Static stretching is best performed before sleep. This can help to improve sleep quality which has a very positive effect on all aspects of health.
So you can see that implementing a stretch routine will help make you stronger, faster, bigger, less injured and much happier.
Distractions from the business of improving your health
0One of the number one gym fashion accessories I see being used for no good reason are lifting straps. Oh man if I had a dollar for every wimp that struts around the weight room with a pair of fancy looking straps hanging off his or her wrists I would be a millionaire. Why, I ask myself, would a tiny bloke lifting tiny weights want to further weaken himself with a pair of lifting straps. If you are too weak to lift the weight or hang on to the chin up bar then it’s because your grip strength is pathetic! You are weak! So train your grip strength! Isn’t that the whole reason you are at the gym? To get stronger!!
Let’s talk firstly about why the average gym goer would want to improve their grip strength.
We go to the gym to get stronger so we are stronger in our everyday life, and during the course of every day we grip things. Having a stronger grip actually has more of a carry over into everyday life than most other qualities of strength we train at the gym.
“I just want to look good with my shirt off. I don’t care about grip strength!”
Well, you actually spend most of your time with your T shirt on and the only visible part of your arm is your forearm! The first thing people see is your tiny forearms! And more importantly, If you have stronger grip you can handle much heavier weights (all of which must be held to be lifted) which means you will grow a much larger and stronger physique with good grip strength and be much more impressive with your shirt off.
Every twenty something year old I meet at the gym is some kind of martial arts guru or MMA champion, they are usually the guys with the Army camouflage lifting straps and the TAP OUT shirts strutting around looking intense. God forbid one day you might actually get in a fight and have to grab hold of someone . . . Where are your lifting straps then? If you really are a professional ninja you would be taking grip strength very seriously.
Social rugby, tennis, squash, golfers and even surfers all need grip strength to be good at their sports. In fact the limiting factor for most athletes is their grip strength. And even if you only sweat at the gym and have no other athletic pursuits the most basic way of greeting your friends and colleagues is with a hand shake. Think about the effect it had on you the last time you were given a powerful hand shake! Or worse, a wimpy hand shake!
Lastly (and this is not an exhaustive list) a recent University College London study has shown that one of the precursors for a long life was a firm hand shake. That’s right, people with a firm hand shake live longer! Think about that next time your sliding on your lifting straps.
Welcome to Trigger Fitness!
0We are extremely excited to finally have our blog up and running for our clients to view and read some great info on fitness and nutrition. We also have trainer profiles, information on the Outdoor group and some great Testimonials, which are already here for you to read.
If you are interested in Personal Training or joining in on the Outdoor group training, click on contact, fill in your details and any questions you have, click send and we will respond to you ASAP!
Also, make sure you keep an eye out for new posts coming shortly!