#fei eclipse 2012

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VIDEO: T-POWER TRAINING & ROGER DABNEY

HARD HITTER.   POWERFUL PRESENTER.

Watch this video in which Roger Dabney demonstrates, defines and delivers the full force meaning behind our message

MEET ROGER  @ Eclipse 2012  JUNE 29/30 (NYC)

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Dr. Jump - Shawn Myszka in the FEI Spotlight!

Shawn Myszka is currently the Co-Founder/Athletic Performance Director of Explosive Edge Athletics in Minneapolis, Minnesota, which currently trains many of the top athletes in the state of MN on all levels and he serves as a consultant to coaches at numerous professional, collegiate, and high school athletic programs. Shawn is a well-known and highly sought-after clinician who has become a leader in the field of jump training, plyometrics, and sport-specific power development.......... (click here for full bio)

FOUNDATIONS OF PLYOMETRIC TRAINING 

Lecture & Practical

Date: Saturday 6/30/12  Time: 7:15am – 8:15am - Lecture  Time: 9:00am – 10:30am - Practical  (click here for full course description)

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Who is FEI and what is the Eclipse 2012 Event?

For those of you who don't know me. I'm the proverbial man behind the curtain. David Bluman. I am the founder and CEO of Fitness Education Institute. When I started FEI I was focused solely on connecting the parts of the fitness industry that I felt needed some attention. I have been fortunate that many of my friends and peers in this industry are brilliant educators. I myself still do personal training full time and will occasionally sub for a Group Exercise class. I too am a CEC/CEU provider for ACE and more recently AFAA. There was a disconnect between science and practice, between education and economy and it was my goal to be able to bring the best of the best to the marketplace. In some cases bring presenters to facilities that may not otherwise have access or the means to go to see these great instructors at an event. Let's face it. The cost of education, travel, eating out, shopping at trade shows has gotten out of control. I KNOW that you the fitness professionals are selective at spending your hard earned $$ on education. Thus I created FEI. 

So what is it exactly that I do?

I find host sites for presenters and find presenters host sites for their courses.

I can "manage" the "newbie" and help them navigate the waters becoming a presenter and CEC/CEU provider.

I have the means to 'HELP' connect and promote these "smaller venues/facilities" with the presenter via social media, email and FEI's website.This helps to build course, presenter and brand awareness for all involved. It's building a Relationship and Synergism.

In some cases a facility wants a certain type of training or a specific presenter so I act as middle man. 

In other cases I have the opportunity to teach the FEI branded workshops. Courses I've written or co-written with others. 

The SECOND part of FEI is the Eclipse 2012 Event.

A two day fitness conference. June 29-30. After working for, creating and running over 15 events since 2001 I went out on the limb to run my own branded event. 

Keeping with my focus - elite education, affordability, consideration of your schedule, your income and our economy. 

You can attend both days for just $179.

One Day (Fri or Sat) for $99

OR you can choose from a menu of classes at just $25 per class. 

Too often we are limited by our own classes and training to do a full event or a one day event so I wanted you to have the flexibility to work around your schedule and still participate in the event and earn your education credits!

I've brought in programming and presenters that are truly the top of the tops, along with some who you may not know, but trust me after taking their courses you won't forget them. Many of them have been a part of my education and training!

SO join me at the Eclipse - Registration deadline is June 19. Go to www.FEIEclipse.com and REGISTER NOW! See you next month and don't forget to find me and FEI on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn! Add this blog to your RSS feed and/or follow me here on Tumblr!

I look forward to meeting each and every one of you!

David Bluman

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Brad Schoenfeld - Random Thoughts and Musings

Thank you for sharing the FEI Eclipse 2012 Event Information Brad. Glad to have you!

Use Brad's referral code SCHO12 at registration www.FEIEclipse.com 

It’s been a while since I’ve posted some thoughts and musings, so here they are in no particular order…

I am running for a seat on the board of directors at the National Strength and Conditioning Association. I consider the NSCA to be the world’s elite certifying fitness organization, and I am deeply committed to their mission which is to, “…support and disseminate research-based knowledge and its practical application, to improve athletic performance and fitness.” If elected, I will work diligently to further this mission and promote the importance of evidence-based practice. That’s a promise. If you are an NSCA member, I would greatly appreciate your vote. You can vote at the following link:NSCA Board of Directors. All members should have received a password from the NSCA on or about May 1, 2012. If not, you can call them at 800-815-6826 to get your password.

My good friends Bret Contreras, Nick Tumminello, Alan Aragon, and Lou Schuler will be presenting at the upcoming Fitness Summit next week on May 18th and 19th. The conference is being held in Kansas City and is reasonably priced. You simply cannot assemble a better group of fitness speakers than this! It is destined to be an awesome event.

I recently co-authored another article for T-Nation with the aforementioned exercise guru, Bret Contreras, titled, 5 Things We Can Learn from Arnold About Building Muscle. It’s a fun little article where we discuss the scientific basis behind some of the techniques that the Governator used in becoming the most successful bodybuilder of all time. And Arnold was definitely ahead of his time!

There’s a disturbing trend in the gym these days where a growing number of people perform “unusual” exercises seemingly just to look cool. Such exercises will often involve the use of unstable implements, weighted vests, or hanging movements that resemble kids playing on monkey bars. Now I’m not disputing that some of these exercises may have merit under the proper circumstances. But herein lies the rub: I get the distinct impression that most of the offenders have no clue what they are trying to accomplish other than to perform something different and distinct so that they’ll be noticed. Don’t fall into this trap! Everything you do in the gym should have a clear purpose, one that is directly related to your goals and abilities. Simply being different for its own sake is not going to improve your results. In fact, it is bound to impair your progress. Have a proper plan, execute that plan, and then allow time for recuperation. That is the key to fitness success.

Speaking of disturbing trends in the gym, here’s one that’s at the top of the list: Filling up a one-gallon jug at the water fountain when there’s a line of thirsty lifters waiting to get a drink! Have some courtesy. Don’t be a boor. It’s not just proper gym etiquette, it’s basic common sense.

As mentioned in a previous post, I had a peer-reviewed article on the potential role of muscle damage in promoting muscle development accepted for publication. I’m happy to say that the article, Does exercise induced muscle damage play a role in muscle hypertrophy, was just published in the current issue of the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research. I plan on investigating the topic in future research so stay tuned for further info…

Dean Somerset wrote a very good article called Fitness Myth Busters. One of my hobby horses is to debunk the seemingly endless array of myths that abound about exercise and nutrition. Dean did a great job tackling a few of the more common ones. Give it a read.

I’ll be speaking at a number of conferences over the next several months. First up is the Fitness Eclipse in New York City on June 29, 2012. I’ll be speaking on Facts and Fallacies of Fitness, debunking some of popular fitness myths and misconceptions. Next up is the NSCA National Conference taking place in Providence, RI from July 11th to 14th. This is always such a great event and one of my favorite venues to both present and attend. I’ll be doing two lectures here: a 2-hour precon titled “Scientific Muscle: A Periodized Approach to Maximizing Muscle Development” where I’ll delve into the mechanisms of muscle hypertrophy and how science can be blended with art to customize a routine that optimizes growth. I’ll also be doing a general session on “Metabolic Resistance Training” where I’ll discuss the benefits of various lifting strategies designed to optimize fat loss while maintaining lean muscle. In August, I’ll again be presenting at CanFitPro in Toronto. This is Canada’s largest fitness show and regularly attracts several thousand fitness enthusiasts. I’m speaking on a variety of topics here and will also be giving a consumer-oriented talk at the exhibitors show. Dates for the event are August 15th through 19th. In September, I’ll be participating in a discussion panel-type event at the NSCA Northern California State conference in Sacramento. More to come on this shortly. Finally, I’ll be speaking at the American College of Sports Medicine annual New York Chapter meeting in New York City this November. I will post details of this event when available.

That’s it for now. Until next time…

Brad

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A Roadmap to Understanding and Navigating Educational Opportunities in the Fitness Industry (Part 1 of 2)

Bill Sonnemaker, MS, PES, CES, CSCS

Founder, Catalyst Fitness www.catalystfitness.com

2007 IDEA International Personal Trainer of the Year

2007 NASM Pursuit of Excellence Award Winner

As and educator in the health and fitness industry, I meet people who frequently ask, “what should I complete next in my pursuit of education?” The purpose of these articles will be broken down into a two-part series which will explain the differences between all the educational opportunities stated below.  It is important to understand that every proposed formal instruction listed below is a good opportunity to set yourself up for success!  The difference between a “good opportunity” and a “great opportunity” is when and how the individual applies the pursuit of continuing education with the appropriate variables.  For example, reading a research article, book, or listening to a lecture on the Krebs Cycle (Second Reaction Pathway in Aerobic Respiration) would be premature if the individual was unfamiliar with the concept of the Bioenergetic Continuum (Anaerobic and Aerobic Energy Systems).  The intention beh ind this example is to edify that learning the foundational principles is a catalyst to understanding details.  There is a logical evolution for optimal learning, we as practitioners have a variety of options to choose from, it’s the quality and sequence in which we choose that makes the difference and will determine the outcome.

  Disclaimer: When weighing the differences with the opportunities we have in education we must consider all attributes.  In terms of weighing or measuring the premises of education we often look at Pros/Cons, Strengths/Weaknesses, Positive/Negative, etc.  I have ultimately selected “Upside/Downside” when comparing each educational opportunity. The dilemma is that, in reality, there are all positive reinforcements when it comes to maturing and developing an education, but there are always better choices that exist for that specific instance and moment in time.  There is no difference when choosing an exercise for our client/athlete/patient.  Factoring in different principles such as Specificity, Variation, Progression, Individuality, etc. allows us to choose an appropriate exercise for that individual.

  So with out further ado, buckle your seatbelt and begin reading your Roadmap.

According to Dictionary.com “Education” and “Opportunity” can be defined as:

Education

1.  The act or process of imparting or acquiring general knowledge developing the powers of reasoning and judgment, and generally of preparing oneself or others intellectually for mature life.

2.  The act or process of imparting or acquiring particular knowledge or skills, as for a profession.

3.  A degree, level, or kind of schooling: a university education.

4.  The result produced by instruction, training, or study: to show one's education.

5. The science or art of teaching; pedagogics.

  Opportunity

1.  An appropriate or favorable time or occasion.

2. A situation or condition favorable for attainment of a goal.

3. A good position, chance, or prospect, as for advancement or success.

As my late Maternal Grandfather and Paternal Great Uncle taught me “Opportunity” Occurs When Preparation (Education) and Desire Intersect. Or as Casey Noble, our Director of Training, says when quoting G.I. Joe “Knowing is Half the Battle.”

Andy Stanley, our pastor at Buckhead Church, has mentioned on more than one occasion that “we put our money where our passions are”. Where are your passions? If you are actively seeking information about your passion as a professional personal trainer, the most important prerequisite for determining your level of success as a qualified fitness consultant, as well as your financial success, is through education. Ultimately, your financial freedom enables you to pursue your future passions, whatever they may be.

There are seven types of educational opportunities in the fitness industry. Each is listed and explained below:

• Certification Based (Exam Prep and Practical Based)

• Internships

• Equipment Based (Put on by Equipment Companies)

• Conferences

• Mentorships

• Webinars

• Self Study (Books, DVD’s, Online Content Review)

1)    Certification Basedcourses are those like the ones that ACE (American Council on Exercise) and others offer (see below for a list of quality U.S. based organizations. ACE offers the following workshops.  The goal of courses like these is generally: to prepare attendees to successfully complete a certification exam, to expand and provide hands-on experience that were not able to be covered reading a book.

Integrated Fitness Training: Effective Tools and Techniques

http://www.acefitness.org/continuingeducation/continuingeducationcoursedetail.aspx?courseid=4a5w3z87

Functional Training

http://www.acefitness.org/continuingeducation/continuingeducationcoursedetail.aspx?courseid=45w32x26

Sports Conditioning

http://www.acefitness.org/continuingeducation/continuingeducationcoursedetail.aspx?courseid=4a5x763y

Small Group Training

http://www.acefitness.org/continuingeducation/continuingeducationcoursedetail.aspx?courseid=4a5zxvvz

  I recommend certifications and courses from the following companies.

ACE (American Council on Exercise) www.acefitness.org

PTA Global (Personal Trainer Academy Global) www.ptaglobal.com

NASM (National Academy of Sports Medicine) www.nasm.org

NSCA (National Strength and Conditioning Association) www.nsca-lift.org

AFPA (American Fitness Professionals and Associates) www.afpafitness.com

ACSM (American College of Sports Medicine) www.acsm.org

2)    Internships are best suited for individuals that are new to the fitness industry. These individuals can be college students or those that are entering the fitness industry as a second career.  Regardless of their age or prior life experiences the fact remains that they are green and they need the guidance of a seasoned professional. Internships are like an Apprenticeship where the Master Craftsman works with a young Pupil to instill and impart their wisdom and techniques. Internships provide a safe and effective way for new Trainers to cut their teeth.

Downside: Generally unpaid or the pay is not very much. As a side note, I find it ironic that people contact professionals wanting to learn from them and then expect to be paid while learning. This would be like expecting a University to pay a student for attending College.

  Upside: Interns receive the opportunity to learn in a non threatening and reduced stress environment.  Think of it like learning to swim.  Internships are like being in the pool with a Lifeguard who is there to teach you.  The alternative is being thrown into the deep end, after passing your certification exam, and while desperately thrashing about praying that you don’t drown. The Pilates and Yoga communities have done a much better job than we have at making Internships/Apprenticeships part of the educational and certification process.  I feel very strongly that if we want to continue to elevate our profession we need to require Internships be a part of earning a certification.  In other words, trainers need more than just book knowledge they need to get their hands and feet wet and develop Practical Skills. From experience, I believe a structured program that consists of 750 hours would be appropriate and sufficient. For information on completing an Internship at Catalyst Fitness can be found here: http://www.catalystfitness.com/contact-us/career-opportunities/

3)    Equipment Basedworkshops are generally hands on workshops that involve quite a bit of movement/exercise. Below are my top picks for equipment based courses.  If you look at the types of modalities they represent you will see that you get the full spectrum of an Integrated Approach (Flexibility, Core, Balance, Reactive, SAQ, Resistance, Cardio).

                Trigger Point Therapy www.tptherapy.com

        IndoBoard www.indoboard.com

        Redcord www.redcord.us

        ViPR www.viprfit.com

        CoreFitnessRoller www.corefitnessroller.com

        Hyperwear www.hyperwear.com

        Dynamax www.medicineballs.com

        Halobells www.balancedbells.com

        MET (Movement-Efficiency-Training) www.metmethod.com

Downside: These courses are designed and written with the primary goals of making you feel comfortable and competent with the equipment being used. Note: many of the above mentioned courses go above and beyond in that they do an excellent job in anchoring foundational scientific principles within the course content.

Upside: The attendee emerges from these types of courses feeling more knowledgeable and competent in the use and application of the equipment, adding to your tool box with the right tool(s) to use at the at the right time. 

Note: the clients of trainers who attend equipment based workshops generally come to dread the Mondays after a workshop as they know they will be getting their butts handed to them from the new knowledge their trainer just gained.  These same clients appreciate that there trainers are seeking out new ways to help them be more successful.

  4)    Conferences offer attendees a very wide and diverse opportunity to see top-notch educators all in one place.  Attendees can generally satisfy all of their CEC requirements (20 Contact Hours) in one weekend. One of the biggest draws to attending conferences like these is the wide variety of topics and sessions that are available.  Many of these conferences also offer “PreCons and “Post Cons.”  These sessions are normally longer, 3-8 hours, than the 1-2 hour sessions that are featured at most conferences. The benefit to these longer sessions is that the information can be covered in greater detail.

Downside: Often times the length of the sessions do not allow for the in-depth coverage of a topic.

  Upside: While at the same event you can see multiple presenters from different backgrounds and disciplines.  It is like attending a brunch buffet at the Ritz Carlton, which if you have never done so you must try it at least once in your life...it is amazing! These conferences are also a blast and can be thought of as a mini vacation.  I know I always come back feeling renewed and charged up after speaking at one.

I recommend attending the following conferences:

IDEA http://www.ideafit.com/

AFPA http://www.afpafitness.com/

ECA http://www.ecaworldfitness.com/

Meeting of the Minds by PT on the Net http://www.ptonthenet.com/

FitPro http://www.fitpro.com/

Filex http://www.fitnessnetwork.com.au/filex2012/filex2012-home.html

CanFitPro http://www.canfitpro.com/

Asia Fit http://asia-fitness.com/main/

5)    Mentorships represent ultimate in learning opportunities.  Like Internships they pair you with people that are best in class but the main difference between the two is that Mentorships help you link the building blocks and concepts you already know.  Think of it like this...an Internship is like taking Italian 101 and 102 in College...you learn just enough to be dangerous. Whereas the Mentorship is like going abroad to Italy and studying where you can be immersed and live in the culture.  Both are great and valuable but the latter allows true learning to occur instead of just memorizing the conjugations of verbs or in our case muscles and rep ranges.

Downside: There is no downside.  Whatever you spend on a Mentorship is investment in your future and one that will pay huge dividends in your career as a professional personal trainer.

  Upside: You get to learn from those with a proven track record of success. You also get to learn how to do something from start to finish (Ex: Assessment-Client Report-Program Design).

There are more but I recommend the following Educators and their Mentorship programs as I have seen their content, respect, and know each of these educators very well.

Nick Tumminello http://nicktumminello.com/

Jonathan Ross http://www.aionfitness.com/

Justin Price http://www.thebiomechanicsmethod.com/

Anthony Carey http://functionfirst.com/

Of course I am partial to the Mentorships we do here at Catalyst Fitness  http://www.catalystfitness.com/hf-professionals/mentorships/

6)    Webinarsare on the rise!  Finally, technology is meeting the demand for learning whenever and wherever.

Downside: No oversight, no one to make sure you are keeping your eyes on the screen and ears listening to the presentation.

Upside: Low cost and can be viewed from the convenience of your home and often at your convenience as many Webinars are also recorded.

  7)    Self Study is a tricky slope in that most people, if they were honest with them selves, would agree that they are not consistent with self study or self learning opportunities.  What I mean by this is individuals may go and look online or in a book when they need an answer to a specific question but rarely are they consistent with studying or seeking out knowledge for the sake of knowledge. 

Downside: No oversight, no one to make sure you are keeping your nose in the books, and no one to ask “help” when you don’t understand something.

Upside: Free or relatively inexpensive. Can be completed at your own pace.

In article 2 of this series, we will look at specific career path examples such as the Traditional College Student (4 Year Degree in Exercise Science), Graduate Student (MS in Exercise Science) and the Nontraditional Student (second career/no degree or non related degree).

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An Interview with Nick Tumminello

Just One More Reason To Register for the FEI Eclipse 2012 Event June 29-30!!!

Nick Tumminello is not only an excellent trainer, he’s one of the real good guys in the fitness field. But what really impresses me about Nick – in addition to his innovative approach to training – is that he’s never afraid to speak his mind and challenge accepted dogma on a given fitness-related topic. You may remember that I interviewed Nick here a little over a year ago. Well, Nick has just come out with a new DVD on single leg training and it just so happens he has some interesting things to say on this subject and a few others. So without further ado, here’s the uncensored interview:

BJS: Musclemag recently featured you for your work with bodybuilders in this awesome 7 page spread. Congrats! How did this come about?

NT: I’m always grateful that I get to write articles for major fitness magazines. But, to have a major magazine do an article about me… man is that a huge professional honor! Especially in MuscleMag, which has been of one my favorite magazines since being teenager who was into lifting and trying to “get swole”

The article feature came about because I’ve been writing articles for several of the RKP magazines: Oxygen, Maximum Fitness, REPS! and MuscleMag. The editors of MuscleMag know me as a guy who’s always full of scientifically-inspired and athlete-approved ways to upgrade classic bodybuilding exercises. And, they are always interested in providing their readers with new ways to improve their workouts and bring about new muscle. So, when they decided they were going to start doing features of trainers, they contacted me to be the first. I’m so humbled that I was the very first name they thought of for this project.

MuscleMag filmed and photographed an extended training session I did with my friend and bodybuilder Fello Cambronero, who just won the OVERALL at the Sr. y Sra. musculo competition in Costa Rica. When it was all said and done, the editors liked the content so much they turned it into a BIG 7-page feature. I shared the excitment with Fello (Alex) Cambronero when the article was published because it was his first ever appreacnce in a major bodybuilding mag as a featured model. High five goes out to Alex and his lovely wife Maggy!

BJS: What’s your approach when working with bodybuilders? Specifically, do you use a mix of machines and free weights or do you prefer one versus the other. What about rep ranges?

NT: My approach with bodybuilders is to increase Hypertrophy, DUH! That said, I still take a hybrid training approach with them. In that I incorporate mobility work, some 3D movements and even some athletic type drills into thier warm ups.

I absolutely use BOTH free weight and machines as they both have unique benefits the other doesn’t. Machines are actually a very consistent component in almost ALL of the bodybuilding workout programs I design because they allow for a constant tension on the muscles being worked, due to the Cam design of a machine. You don’t get that with free weights because they’re purely gravity dependant.

Just think about a Biceps curl with dumbbells; you get no resistance at the bottom (when your elbow is straight), and you don’t get much resistance at the top of the curl either because the lever arm is very short. Is that a bad thing?, NO! But, when doing biceps curls on machine, we can hit those angles gravity (i.e. free weights) wouldn’t allow.

This is why I don’t get caught up in these typical arguments over which is better, free weights or machines? We just do both because they both have benefits. And, we’ve found using them together get us results even faster because our workouts are more comprehensive.

For sets and reps: We use a variety of schemes. We’ll do basic 3-4 sets of 8-15 reps. We’ll do 4-6 sets of 4-6 reps. We love to alternate between those two basic rep schemes.

We’ll also use a wide variety of traditional and not so traditional overload concepts, such as: rest pauses, drop-sets, 21′s, 1.5 reps, etc. Along with many Performance U Hybrid Strength Training innovations such as 747s, Complexes, Triple Threat Protocols, 54321 workouts, etc.

BJS: Do you periodize bodybuilding routines or is it more intuitive?

NT: I always have some sort of plan. But, my “plans” are a moving target in that I’ll change something up a bit if needed.

One of my favorite, go-to bodybuilding program design strategies is to design a 6-week block program. In that 6-weeks your first (primary) exercise is alternated between two moves. The rest of the exercise in that workout stay the same for six weeks. But, the reps are undulated each workout. So, you have higher reps days, lower reps days, etc.

In short; We alternate and undulate! That’s my little saying, so I’ll know if anyone steals it

BJS: I know you have a new DVD on single leg training that was just released. What are the benefits of performing single limb exercise for the lower body?

NT: First, I’d like to say that just because I came out with a Single Leg Training DVD doesn’t mean I’m against double leg training. At Performance U, we use BOTH bilateral and unilateral lower-body training. This another situation where we don’t bother wasting our time arguing which is better because they both work!

When coaches and trainers stop being so concerned with being right over thier peers in these debates, and become more concerned with finding what right for thier clients in thier training, we’ll all be better off.

Anyway talk to most trainers about single leg training and they’ll likely show you pistol squats, single leg RDLs and Bulgarian split squats. Or, a small variations of those same basic movements. Those are great exercises, but they don’t even scratch the surface of what we’ve been able to do with our hybrid single leg training concepts and techniques. In other words, pistol squats, single leg RDLs and Bulgarian split squats are the checkers. But if you’re ready to play chess, get the Secrets of Single Leg DVD.

There are several benefits of single leg training that we’ve found:

Better balance: This one is obvious

Less Chance of Sports Injury – We hear lots about asymmetries and injury potential. But, the research I’ve seen says injury potential is more about strength asymmetries than anything else. In that, when you don’t control one side of your body as well as they other, you may be at a higher injury risk. Research shows us that you can still move a bit differently on each side (i.e. have a movement asymmetry), just as long as you can control the movement you can create on either side.

Better Body Control and Strength – By following the SAID principle (i.e. Specific Adaptations to Imposed Demands), if you want to make sure you’re strong and able to control each side of your body, you train each side of your body independently to ensure BOTH side can do what they need to.

Improved Muscle Symmetry – Not only will have better strength/control on both sides potentially help you minimize injury. It can help you look better and build a more symmetrical looking lower-body.

Improved Sports Performance – Sports require stops, starts, direction changes and raising and lowering your center of mass. And, most of the time these action are done from a split, unilateral type stance where one leg is positioned to do more work than the other. We’ve found Single leg training can help ensure that both legs can get the job done, regardless of the position you’re in!

Less risk of hurting yourself in the gym – A high percentage of humans have a leg length asymmetry, which would make double leg training more risky because your body is having to deal with torque (from the leg length issue) along with the compression from the load you’re lifting when squatting or deadlifting. Single leg work allows us to not worry as much about this issue potentially hurting our clients and athletes. Plus, it gives us more capacity to use heavy double leg training when we feel it appropriate.

BJS: If you could pick one single leg exercise that provides maximal benefits for muscle development, what would it be?

NT: When speaking purely about muscle development (for bodybuilding) purposes, I’d say the knee tap squat. It’s basically a single leg version of a front squat, with a bit more hip hinge to bring in more glutes and hams. It’s the exercise pictured in the middle images of the back of the DVD cover (see the image to the left).

BJS: You state that the pistol squat might not be a good exercise. Why?

NT: Here’s what I wrote for Laree Draper about this, which she posted here;

Although the pistol squat is a trendy, cool looking and old-time exercise, it’s not something we use with our clients and athletes at Performance U.

We don’t feel the pistol squat exercise is “bad”, nor do we feel it’s dangerous. And, we don’t get caught up arguing against Pistols, or will we try to convince anyone to stop doing them. All we can do is share the training methodologies that make the most sense to us, along with the exercise applications we’ve found to work best for us.

That said, in our training with individuals of all levels from pro athletes to active seniors, we haven’t found the body positions and force production patterns involved in the pistol squat exercise to have as much value and functional carryover as some of the other creative, hybrid single leg squat variations we use, which I’ve displayed in the Secrets of Single Leg Training 2-DVD set.

You can see more about why we don’t use the pistol squat in this video

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Sure the pistol squat can make you stronger! It’s also very challenging exercise. And, if you enjoy doing them, then great! But, we’ve found other single leg squat training options, which we’ve found to be more beneficial because they more accurately match the body postures we see in sports and daily living; and they more closely replicate the force production patterns we are looking to improve with the clients and athlete we train.

BJS: Many thanks for sharing your thoughts Nick!

You can check out Nick’s Blog at: NickTumminello.com

Here’s the link to check out Nick’s Secrets of Single Training DVD

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FEI Eclipse Presenter Dr. Sean Pastuch via the Long Beach, NY Patch