Science Friday: Why You Should Foam Roll Prior to Exercise

Over the last decade foam rolling has gained popularity as a self-myofascial release technique that works on the same principle as massage. Namely that it reduces any restrictions and adhesions between fascial layers (the connective tissue that surrounds muscles, tendons, bones, etc), but instead of a therapist providing the external pressure to the soft tissue, the user simply places their body weight onto a foam roller to exert pressure on their own soft tissue.

Despite the growing popularity there is limited research into the effectiveness of foam rolling. Proponents chiefly use this technique as a way of increasing range of motion (ROM) prior to exercise and/or to improve post-exercise recovery. Increasing ROM prior to exercise is important for athletes as they must be able to attain an optimal position to maximize their ability to safely produce force. After all, if an athlete can’t raise their arms above their head without compensating through hyperextension of the lower back, or internally rotating the shoulder, then how would they expect to safely press maximal weights overhead?

Traditionally static stretching has been used to increase ROM prior to exercise but several studies have shown that static stretching actually reduces the amount of force that an athlete can produce immediately after stretching. The study I want to discuss today entitled, “An acute bout of self-myofascial release increases range of motion without a subsequent decrease in muscle activation or force“, looked at the immediate effects of foam rolling on ROM and force production.

In this study the subjects were split into one group that foam rolled their quads for two 1 minute sessions with 30 seconds between sessions and another control group that performed no foam rolling. Knee joint ROM was measured before and after (2min and 10min) foam rolling and a number of methods were used to measure quad activation and force production. On average the subjects improved their knee ROM by 11 degrees and 9 degrees when measured 2 minutes and 10 minutes after foam rolling respectively. Obviously there was no similar improvement in the control group.

However, the most interesting part of this study was that there was not a significant reduction in quad force production or activation after foam rolling. In other words, subjects got the benefits of static stretching – increased ROM – without the negative side effect of reduced force production. The authors of the study postulate that this is attributed to the physiological differences between how the ROM is improved for static stretching versus foam rolling. The former places pressure at the insertion points of the muscle and may cause tissue damage while the latter reduces the fascial viscosity to a more gel-like state through mechanical stress of the tissue.

Conclusion: Foam rolling is an effective method for increasing joint range of motion prior to exercise without reducing your muscle’s ability to generate force. You should do it more often…

Originally posted by Jeff Pruitt of CrossFit 316

Crazy CrossFit #2 - Long Distance Running IS Deadly

I have said it for years: do not run long distances. From my perspective, the long distances were a horrible way to train; they tear up the knees, take massive amounts of time and, in general, turn a healthy-looking individual into a decrepit. It is horribly demanding on a person's body, and, as it turns out, it is very likely to be almost as unhealthy as no exercise at all!

No joke.

Did you know, Micah True, the person for whom the book "Born to Run" was written, died on a distance run in March? His heart was so thickened and enlarged, he died of a conditioned called Phiddipides Myopathy. Phiddipides being the name of the original Marathon runner who reported Romes victory over the Persions by running the 26 miles from the City of Marathon to Athens...he died immediately after giving the report.

As it turns out extensive, prolonged exercise (in excess of 60 minutes) literally starts to cook your heart muscles. Over the short-term, as this cardiologist explains, this is not a huge deal; the heart will heal. However, continuous exposure to this type of strain can be deadly. Over time, plaque and scar tissue builds up in the heart and arteries as the heart has to continually heal itself from the damage imposed by these long, extended periods of exercise.

If you are trying to hit a marathon target or actively running more than 20 miles per week, you are causing far more harm than good to your body. I'm not kidding - as you will see in the video, the mortality rate chart looks like a big "U" with extreme endurance work almost equal with those sedentary individuals in the study.

While he does go on to say "pace" too does make a difference, the preponderance of his study suggests short, heart-pumping exercise routines on a regular basis are the best way to go. Sound familiar? Maybe CrossFit IS on to something!

Check out the video.

Bob Harper discussing CrossFit and the 2013 CrossFit Games

Bob Harper reviews his favorites for this year's CrossFit Games 2013, which includes OUR favorite - Katie Hogan - as well as his thoughts regarding previous Games champs NOT filling a slot for their region (if they qualify). This year, if you weren't aware, previous athletes who have won the CrossFit Games do not take up one of the THREE available slots per region, assuming they qualified.

Annie Thorsdottir is out this year with an injury, but Rich Froening will be competing.




End of day three for the Regionals 2013

Greg Glassman talks CrossFit

Greg Glassman, the founder and owner of CrossFit talks at the Illinois Policy Institute in March of 2013. While I'm not a huge fan of the mullet, the one hour and twelve minute (!!) talk is pretty good. It is definitely telling of the early days of CrossFit and how his model for business came to be.

There is also some discussion on the split between him and his wife - and how CrossFit was almost fed to the investment wolves at Goldman/Sachs.

Check it out in chunks...it's a lot to take in one sitting.

Crazy CrossFit #1 - Stupid Shit gives the community a bad name

WTF are you doing?? THIS is fitness?

Let me preface this short article with the fact that I love CrossFit programming - I love the constant variation and combination of lifting, body weight and non-standard exercises (kettlebells, HSPU, sled pulls, etc). I wanted to get that in there because, while I love the idea of CrossFit, sometimes the community of CrossFit is bat-shit crazy. 

Whether it's on high from CFHQ or is just percolated by a need for "one-up-manship", some of the crap that goes on out there by CrossFit trainers is pretty flipping horrendous.

It's not that I dislike the programming style; it's that people take it too far. Da fak is this guy doing? Hula hoop for time? CrossFit circa 2009 was at the top of its game - they had people like Robb Wolf, Greg Everett, John Sheaffer, Mark Rippetoe, CrossFit Football (Power Athlete HQ), Gym Jones (Twight) and a number of other highly skilled, highly educated (former) supporters of the movement. Today they have Reebok and Dave Castro.

Keep it up, Dave. Your spine is not yet splattered across that back wall.

Meaningful, thought provoking advice from the people who bring you shoes:

I don't intend for these posts to be as controversial as, say Beast Modal Domains or anything like that. I interview CrossFitters, I support the methodology and even incorporate CrossFit into my training - but I do not believe for a second it's the only thing keeping me and my followers in shape. 

Technique and skill trumps high rep, low weight every time. Efficacy in moving the weight around should come first and foremost - and that is a message that many CF trainers and MOST new CrossFitters fail to grasp. The newest CrossFitters today are coming into the programming through crap like this:

Or from having watched the CF Games (which I generally watch as well, mind you). The problem with these is they place NO emphasis on the training required to successfully and realistically accomplish these movements.

On top of that, we have people with literally no fitness background "training" other people to focus on speed or weight over function! How beneficial is it going to be to a client if they get that "Rx" by hurting themselves and then being out of training for three weeks???

The bottom line is: the "community" has exploded in the last few years with little or no controls over how the methodology is interpreted by the average box owner. If I were "king for a day" at CFHQ, I would re-assess how affiliates are established by creating a "Level 2" program that required some educational background in the area of physiology, exercise science, sports science (or the like). Make this level 2 a requirement for establishing an affiliate and allow level 1s to be the trainers there. Build foundations, not a house of cards.

That, of course, would severely curtail the $3,000 affiliate fee revenue stream for HQ.

The methodology is effective, but the community continually does stupid shit that undermines any legitimacy the program hopes to find.

Finally - if you're reading this and you feel like I'm slamming you, read it again. I'm not. The community is the basis for WHY CrossFit is a successfully marketed enterprise. It's not unique in the sense that the "snatch" or kettlebell work are new and epic elements of fitness. It's foundation is the community....and right now that community is a little bit out of control.

If you're saying to yourself "Hey, I fall into that category!", you probably should re-assess what you're doing at your box. Take a little bit of time to educate yourself on the physiology of the human body; learn a little about the functions of fitness and the effects of exercise on the body. Don't take your CF cert and think it's the end-all, be-all of your fitness education. It SHOULD BE used as a doorway to further your knowledge and awareness.

Parting Shot: if you have to spend a good portion of your time defending your fitness program, you're either doing it wrong, or there's some room for change and improvement. Which do you think it is?

Science Friday: Should I do Strength & Aerobic Training on Different Days?

We’ve previously looked at a study showing concurrent training (i.e. resistance + aerobic training) as being superior to aerobic training alone. This week I’ll review a study that tries to answer which style or protocol of concurrent training is superior. For example, is it better to separate your strength and aerobic training into completely different days or will performing both on the same day give equal or superior results? According to the study entitled “Effects of Concurrent Exercise Protocols on Strength, Aerobic Power, Flexibility and Body Composition”, the answer is “it depends”. In this study the researchers split the participants into two groups:

Concurrent Distinct Endurance-Resistance (CDER) – 2 strength & 2 aerobic sessions each week performed on different days (i.e. 4d/wk)
Concurrent Parallel Endurance-Resistance (CPER) – 2 strength & 2 aerobic sessions with strength & aerobic on the same day (i.e. 2d/wk)

Each group was tested in numerous categories and the results are shown the table below. In nearly every category both groups showed significant improvement from pre to post tests. However the CPER showed better improvement relative to the control group in nearly every measurement except aerobic power and 60m sprint. And the CPER group showed a statistically significant improvement in body fat percentage compared to CDER.

Conclusion: Concurrent strength and aerobic training will improve performance and body composition. Unless you are a competitive track & field athlete looking to do every last thing you can to maximize aerobic power then you should perform your strength and aerobic training on the same day. This same-day approach will yield better strength and overall fitness when compared to doing strength and aerobic training on different days.  This is yet another reason (here are some more) why at CrossFit 316 we do strength AND metabolic conditioning every day…

Originally posted by Jeff Pruitt, owner of CrossFit 316

Aerobic Exercise + Strength Training = Optimum Body Composition Changes

Written and posted April 19, 2013 by Jeff Pruitt, CrossFit 316

There are a lot of women out there that think that aerobic exercise alone will produce the kind of changes in body composition they want to see. Images of bodybuilders and other strength athletes have them worried that lifting weights will make them too big and bulky. The study we’ll look at this week shows that lifting weights alone will not decrease fat mass and that aerobics alone will decrease fat mass but not increase lean body mass – not exactly new science here. However, a combination of the two led to greater increases in fat loss, lean muscle mass and a substantial decrease in waist circumference, and I think those are all things that women and men would be interested in.

The paper is a relatively controversial study entitled “Effects of aerobic and/or resistance training on body mass and fat mass in overweight or obese adults.” I say controversial because some of the conclusions drawn by the authors have sparked debate but are really immaterial to our review – we’ll simply look at the data and draw our own conclusions!

In this trial the authors randomly placed participants into 3 categories:

Resistance Training (RT) – 3 days/wk; 3×8-12 rep scheme
Aerobic Training (AT) – 12 miles/wk @ 65-80% VO2 max
Resistance Training + Aerobic Training (RT/AT) – combination of both of the above

The following chart shows data from each of these 3 categories. The measured data were weight and fat percent change, lean body mass and waist circumference change and thigh muscle area and fat mass change. This chart reminds me of the Verizon “Easy Choice” commercial where the Verizon rep presents a bunch of different charts to a focus group and they laugh because it’s obvious that Verizon is the best choice given the data presented.

It’s pretty obvious here which protocol is better. RT alone adds muscle mass but does very little for losing fat mass. Conversely AT alone produces fat loss but actually causes a loss in lean body mass which is kind of obvious if you look at the body composition of endurance athletes. The AT/RT group excels in every category – essentially it is a combination of the benefits of both types of training as one might expect.

Now the authors, instead of drawing the obvious conclusion that AT/RT is the optimal choice, argue that AT is better if you balance time commitments vs health benefits since AT/RT involves more workout time per week. This conclusion has been debated ad nauseum on the interwebs so I won’t rehash all those arguments but I will say that scientifically one must define and measure “health benefits” before drawing such a conclusion.

The authors failed to mention that despite the time commitment for AT/RT being 3hrs/week more than AT alone, the dropout rate for the AT/RT group was only 23% compared to 34% for the AT. And guess what the #1 reason for AT dropout was? Yup, time commitment, despite the fact that they were exercising significantly less each week than the AT/RT group. Could it be the monotony of AT training was the cause of the higher dropout rate? That would be my hypothesis given my own personal experience and from coaching others.

Conclusion: Weight training combined with resistance training produces superior body composition changes when compared to doing either mode of exercise by itself. Despite more than double the time exercising the dropout rate for those combining weight training with aerobic training is less than those doing only aerobic exercise. Constantly varied works after all – go figure. Get stronger, get more fit, look better – that’s our goal at CrossFit 316 and that’s why we lift weights AND perform aerobic conditioning…

Muscle Fatigue and the SVG FIT Couplet

Good morning, Savages!


Before diving into the meat of this article, it's worth caveating ALL of this with the following: you are not going to see ANY results worth the effort you are putting into this program if you are not also modifying your diet to compensate both for your weight (if you are trying to shed pounds) and for the amount of work you're doing. The NUMBER ONE biggest mistake I see people make is assuming, because they've made it through a brutal workout, that gives them carte blanche to eat whatever the hell they want. NO!

Your body is a machine - when you fuel it correctly and adequately, it performs like a monster. When you pour sugar in the tank and eat like crap, your performance suffers and you will not lose the weight you want to lose. It's just that simple.

Whew! With that being said - two things:

1) This is not necessarily a weight-loss post!

2) I LOVE questions - keep them coming.


A question was posed to me today:

Why do the Couplets for the Heavy portion of the workout?.

I realized this probably hadn't been addressed; at least not adequately. So I thought I would do a little write-up on it for everyone. It important to note that CrossFit, while a terrific program and ultimate ass-kicker, is not the only program competitive athletes train to. The MetCon is only a part of their daily routine, and it is with a similar mindset to which I approach the programming at SVG FIT. Strict CrossFit programming will undoubtedly produce an increased capacity over time, but it will not inherently create a stronger athlete with random 7x1 strength training.

Regular participation in weightlifting will result in increased strength, an increase in definition and size of muscles and, overall, a generally trim figure over time. We all know this! Running miles at a time or going to that Supreme Cardio Extreme 200 Ninja X (patent pending) workout will not have the same effect!

Lifting weights, even body weight HIIT stresses the body and is far more beneficial for weight loss over time than running or ANY strictly cardio workout. Aside from the simple fact that you are creating muscle which is much more beneficial than fat when it comes to efficiency at consuming calories, you are also engaging in a greater EPOC (excess post-exercise oxygen consumption) effect than cardio. The EPOC is the phenomenon where the body continues to run along in an advanced state for many hours after the conclusion of an anaerobic workout involving external stiumuli (in our case - weights). In order for the body to fully appreciate the benefits of a weightlifting session, however, we have to stress it. We have to put the body in a state uncertainty that elicits a response - that response, over time, is muscle growth, heart conditioning and an increase in overall capacity.

From a capacity-building standpoint, take the following excerpt from Alwyn Cosgrove:

Overweight subjects were assigned to three groups: diet-only, diet plus aerobics, diet plus aerobics plus weights. The diet group lost 14.6 pounds of fat in 12 weeks. The aerobic group lost only one more pound (15.6 pounds) than the diet group (training was three times a week starting at 30 minutes and progressing to 50 minutes over the 12 weeks).

The weight training group lost 21.1 pounds of fat (44% and 35% more than diet and aerobic only groups respectively). Basically, the addition of aerobic training didn’t result in any real world significant fat loss over dieting alone.

Thirty-six sessions of up to 50 minutes is a lot of work for one additional pound of fat loss. However, the addition of resistance training greatly accelerated fat loss results.

So, to come back around to original question - why the couplet? - we look at the single lift we do daily and quickly come to the conclusion that the solitary movement, despite being multi-functional in its mechanics, may not be enough of a stressor for the body to which it feels the need to respond. By creating the couplet, the intent is to add a layer of uncertainty for the body to deal with. This additional level of fatigue-inducing exercise forces the body to compensate and ensures a greater response (i.e. musculoskeletal growth) in a shorter amount of time.

In-short, it is critical that each session (with the exception of the Deload weeks) be an overload of the muscle groups being targeted. Creating the couplet ensures the desired response.

Stay Savage, My Friends!
Matt Everhart

Week 4, Phase 2 - SVG Heavy Work

Phase Length: 5 Weeks
Sets: 4
Rep Range: 8-10
Load: 70-80% 1RM (1 Rep Max)

Monday:BSQT / 20 Supine Bike Kicks
Tuesday:PP / 3 Strict Pull-Ups
Wednesday:Rest Day
Thursday:OHS / 7 Ring Row
Friday:Clean / 5 Jump Squats, 1p KB
Saturday:SDHP / 20 Double Unders
Sunday:Rest Day
The exercises listed after the lift are to be done between each set.

Rest no less than 2 and NO MORE THAN 3 minutes following the LIFT.

OLY LIFT KEY:
BP - Bench Press
BSQT - Back Squat
C&J - Clean and Jerk
DL - Dead Lift
FSQT - Front Squat
GSQT - Goblet Squat
HPC - Hang Power Clean
OHS - Overhead Squat
OTB - Over The Back w/ Sandbag
PC - Power Clean
PJ - Push Jerk
PP - Push Press

Click here for additional phases

Strength Training Mesocycles - how we train at SVG FIT

Author's Comment: The question was put up on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/SVGFIT) about whether there were any questions I could answer about the SVG FIT programming. I realized when I received some of the responses that I don't really have a cut and dry instruction manual on how to get started with SVG FIT! I am a CrossFit certified instructor and most of my workouts follow the CrossFit mentality of constantly varied, functional movements performed at a high intensity, but we do have subtle differences in our programming techniques that beg an explanation. SO, I'll start here, and put up a video later to better explain things!

From Brandon: 
Well I need to get into shape after my baby was born I have gotten way outta shape. So I saw ur post and just thought its time to do something about my fitness. Can u explain the rotation for the WOD. Intensity then the reset or is the reset In between each rotation of the intensity. Thanks buddy!

My thoughts exactly!

My Response: 
Hey, man! How's it going? Congratulations on the little one! That's awesome!

I can definitely explain things; but it might be a little on the lengthy side! I need to put a video together that outlines it, because I know you're not the only one that looks at it and wonders what's going on!

Basically There are four portions to each workout:

• Warm-Up: 10 Minutes
• Heavy: 20 Minutes
• Intensity: 20 Minutes
• Reset: 10 Minutes

60 minutes total.

 The RESET can be left out if time is short. I don't recommend it, however as it definitely has an impact on flexibility and range of motion over time. (Author's Note: I STRONGLY recommend getting something in post-Intensity rather than just 100% stop at the end of it)

HEAVY - the Heavy section is posted every week on the right side of the page. That is a constant 3 on, 1 off model. So you have 3 days of work and 1 day of rest. The Heavy follows a 16-week Mesocycle that is broken up into phases from 1 to 5.

We just started Phase 1 this week on the next meso, so (as an example) we are doing all of those lifts listed on the right in the following format:

4 Sets
15-20 Reps
60-65% of our 1 Rep Max for that lift

HEAVY strength training Mesocycle

In other words, on Monday we did bench press as the Heavy lift. I did 4 sets, 15 or 16 reps at 135lbs or 60% of my 225 max (yea, no comments from the peanut gallery).

Today we're going to do that same scheme for the Deadlift (that will be a little more respectable 240 from my 405 max).

INTENSITY - then we have Intensity. This is the WOD. My WODs, because they are associated with the HEAVY work as well, are typically a little shorter than those posted on CrossFit.com - mine usually are between 7 and 15 minutes.

The Intensity also runs 3 on, 1 off - BUT they are offset of the HEAVY by one day. So If we start on a Monday, it would look like this:

Monday: HEAVY / REST
Tuesday: HEAVY / INTENSITY
Wednesday: HEAVY / INTENSITY
Thursday: REST / INTENSITY
Friday: HEAVY / REST
Saturday: HEAVY / INTENSITY
Sunday: HEAVY / INTENSITY

RESET: 
First and foremost - there should be a RESET every day. The Reset is more than just a cool-down after the workout. It's a low-intensity exercise set that seeks to the reduce the likelihood or severity of muscle-soreness. In general, it seeks to expand on the flexibility, balance and coordination domains of CrossFit.

Warm-Up Example:

400m Run or 500m Row or 100 Double Unders

Joint Mobility
- Arms (arm swings)
- Shoulders (shoulder shrugs, band pulls)
- Hips (high kicks, walking lunges, samson stretch)
- Legs (spiderman lunge, squat bridge)

3 Rounds, 10 Reps of:
- Push-Ups
- Sit-Ups
- Air Squats

NO STRETCHING! Do not STRETCH; any mobility in this Warm-Up should be some sort of activity OR a joint opener. Do not stretch cold muscles. It will inhibit performance and could lead to injury.

I STRONGLY recommend the Catalyst Athletics Warm-Up routine -


That's PLENTY of information for now. Try to digest that and let me know what questions you have.


Stay Savage, My Friends!

16 OCT 2012 - Barbell Walk, Snatch Press, OHS

INTENSITY:
3 Rounds For Time of:
200m Barbell Walk (from the shoulders)
15 Snatch Push-Press* (135/95)
10 OHS

*Snatch Push-Press starts with the bar on the shoulders with a snatch grip. Use a push-press movement to get the bar overhead to the snatch / ohs position

About Matt and SVGFIT - he is a CrossFit certified instructor living in Wichita, KS. He has been training and coaching people for over 5 years of motivational fitness with the CrossFit mindset - Constantly Varied, High Intensity, Functional Movement. His focus is on Olympic and Power lifting commonly found in CrossFit routines. 

Matt currently runs this blog while working on his Pre-Physical Therapy degree, along with his full-time job and family at home. Matt ran Blackhawk Fitness and CrossFit Wichita for five years before selling the gym before deploying to Afghanistan in October of 2011. SVGFIT is a way he can continue to help the community and provide a training source for those interested in a more Oly-centric program. For more information or if you would like to chat with Matt, email at svgfit (at) gmail (dot) com.

RESET:
10 Sandbag OTB
60s Pull-Up Bar Hang (straight arm)
10 Cobra Push-Ups
60s Squat Bridge

09 OCT 2012 - Bear Crawl, Air Squats, Pull-Ups

Remember that First Pull-Up? Tell us about your story!

INTENSITY:
3 Rounds for Time of:
100' Bear Crawl
50 Air Squats
25 Pull-Ups

RESET:
2 Rounds, 10 Reps of:
2 Wall Walk-Ups
8 Ring Rows
10 Bench Dips

20 SEP 2012 - Heavy Deadlift

INTENSITY:
Rest Day

DON'T FORGET THE HEAVY! -->

RESET:
20 Sandbag OTB
20 Landmine Bus Drivers (25/10)
20 Overhead Walking Lunge Steps (45/25)

20 JUL 2012 - Tumilson

HEAVY:
Rest Day

INTENSITY:
"Tumilson"
8 Rounds for Time of:
200m Row or Run
11 Burpee+Dumbbell Deadlift (60lbs/40lbs)

RESET: 2 Rounds for Quality of:
10 Med Ball Cleans
10 Toes to Bar
10 Spiderman Lunges

07 JUL 2012 - Heavy Deadlift

HEAVY: Deadlift Between each set perform: 30 Double Unders INTENSITY: Rest Day RESET: 2 Rounds of: 60 second Squat Bridge 60 second Plow Pose 10 Samson Lunge steps 10 Bear Crawl Steps

22 JUN 2012 - Bear Complex

HEAVY:
Deadlift
Between each set perform:
4 Toes to Bar
1 Pistol Squat, Left
1 Pistol Squat, Right

INTENSITY:
EMOM, 7 Minutes
1 Rep, Bear Complex (135/95)

Bear Complex is: 1 Power Clean, 1 Front Squat, 1 Push Press, 1 Back Squat, 1 Push Press, Done.

RESET:
2 Rounds of:
400m Run
10 Landmine Obliques (left and right is one rep)

21 MAY 2012 - AMRAP Box Jump, SDHP, KBS

HEAVY:
Overhead Squat
Between each set, perform:
3 Strict Pull-Ups
6 D-Ball Slams

INTENSITY:
AMRAP, 7 Minutes of:
1 Max Height Box Jump
3 Sumo-Deadlift High-Pull (3/4 Bodyweight)
5 Kettlebell Swings (2p / 1.5p)

RESET:
2 Rounds of:
10 Weighted Walking Lunge (3p / 2p)
10 Spiderman Lunges w/ 5 second hold (1 leg, 1 rep)
10 Cobra Push-Ups w/ 5 second hold at the top