When to be Linear and when to be Undulated

I am writing this really for those like me. I am an ex athlete with multiple nagging old injuries and now someone who is a bit higher on the fitness chain than an enthusiasts. My days of competition are done and over with. However, I still use smart training principles.

Being a person of my position I choose to phase in and out of different modes of strength training (maximal, hypertrophy, adaptation, power etc). Also I like to play with different modes of energy system work (alactic, lactic, aerobic etc.). But since I no longer have a game day or competitive time period to build for, I find myself just doing it to learn and "see what happens". These days I'm learning some patterns of movement from Parkour and Capoeira. Both very interesting and both can equally leave a person with injuries. These two will suffice until I get bored and move onto another endeavor.

Now motivation is tough and therefore I go through a lot of variation with training. My goals are basically the same. Look good naked and enhance power and strength whenever possible. Now through research we know that undulated training is most likely superior for getting rapid results and being able to maintain these results longest. Trouble with undulating and learning different areas of strength and conditioning is it does not seem to leave much room for error. To be more specific here, when I was hardcore into building a strong snatch lift, I really needed time to get the technical skills down and build up explosive reactive power for the catch portion of the lift. I did try to undulate a bit and found trying to go maximal then quickly change to a higher rep, in a matter of days, left me pretty inadequate with the actual technical side. Also, I know not to attempt to undulate a high volume with an Olympic Lift because of the chance of forming bad motor patterns.

So what's a guy to do? Why not go Linear? Whenever I need to learn something and "groove" the necessary pattern there is nothing better than the repeated effort found in a linear periodization. Generally speaking, I would start with higher volume and lower intensity (i.e. 60%RM - 4x12 type of protocol). I would go for about two weeks of simply breaking down the pattern and practicing the skills. Over the next month or so I would gradually build the RM to probably 80-85%, raise the sets and drop the reps. Now, this has already been proven to not be the superior way to get stronger and more explosive, BUT this will allow for the building of motor skill without injury. Now the downside is adaptation to the stressors comes quickly. So the body adapts and progress (in terms of power and strength) will come slower. Keep in mind I am looking for the motor skills and other technical needs at this point.

After I'm done learning what needs to be learned and trying it at higher intensities I am ready to undulate my training. It is here when I can throw in a few sessions of all out maximal strength, a session for power with technical learning and a few sessions for good old hypertrophy. Also my energy system work would undulate as well.

So if you are like myself, maybe you should try a linear approach and then undulate it. Just to give you an example of what I am talking about, here is what I would do to build my snatch lift if I could do it again:

Linear:
2 wks - anatomical adaptation and technical work - energy system - lactic and aerobic
4 wks - hypertrophy (build intensity and lower volume gradually) - energy system work - lactic to alactic
2 wks -(transition to undulated)- one day attempt Snatch lift for submax (80%) - max lift with basic closed chain lifts that enhance hip extension and scapula retraction.

Undulated:
4 weeks
Day1 - Hypertrophy - Day2 - Max lift - Day3 - Technical and Power - Day4 - Hypertrophy - Day5 - Max Lift
Energy System:
Day1 - Lactic/ Aerobic - Day2 - Alactic - Day3 -Alactic - Day4 - Rest - Day5 - Alactic/Lactic

Death of the Trainer

Death of a Salesman is a 1949 play by Arthur Miller and is considered a classic of American theater. Viewed by many as a caustic attack on the American Dream of achieving wealth and success without regard for principle, Death of a Salesman made both Arthur Miller and the character Willy Loman household names. The play raises a counterexample to Aristotle's characterization of tragedy as the downfall of a great man, whether through (depending on the translator) a flaw in his character or a mistake he has squandered (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Death_of_a_Salesman, sited May 15,2008).

History repeats itself and this time it is the personal trainer. Slowly but surely the number of full time trainers is dropping. Trainers are becoming more like class instructors and consultants, engaging clients in bootcamps, discounted sessions of less than an hour capacity, and downloadable videos. It was just today I witnessed a group coach putting a bunch of uninterested, gabbing soccer moms through a session of various exercises. I noticed the women going through the motions with "paper weights" and having enough energy to yak away about how adorable their kids' bad habits are and bellow out a few loud overly dramatic laughs (I'm sure you see my slight dislike for fitness fake community). Also, I know of trainers who make decent profit just having someone get consulted by them for a few minutes once or twice a week. Of course there are the video trainers out there, too. Some of these guys are absolutely clueless. I think they just have a "stage hand" holding cue cards up for them to read as they demonstrate a few no brainer exercises. I love it when they use words like core, burn, sculpt,and target at least a few dozen times per sentence (sigh).

Now don't get me wrong. I do not blame trainers from giving up their day jobs to attack other more lucrative courses of training. In fact, I have also begun to change up the options available to clients..slightly. Some would say this is just the nature of the economy right now. People seek out cheaper options that yield okay results. I would have to disagree and blame it more on the change in the fitness industry itself. Personal training for one person per hour is less profitable than ten per hour. To get more specific with this statement, say a trainer charges $75.00 an hour. Another trainer charges $15.00 an hour, BUT herds ten clients together for the session. Also, the $75.00 an hour trainer focuses solely on that one client ensuring high quality, safety, and optimal results. The second trainer puts together an obstacle course of exercises with very little focus on anything more than making sure the clients don't run into each other. That's an even bigger bonus of not needing to provide quality in the training, I guess.

This my friends is the new route layed out by the fitness industry. Less quality, cheaper pricing, and greater profit for the class provider or consultant. I should be happy and dive right into it, BUT it simply doesn't sit right with me. I a see major fork in the road coming up soon. Either I do bootcamps and forms of consultation or I find a new day job.

-Just my thoughts

Don't Let Them Get You With The Jedi Mind Trick

I sat in on a semi-conference a little while ago. It was interesting because it was filled with new and veteran entrepreneurs. Everyone socializing and networking. I would say it was a smart thing to do with this economy. Why not help other small and large businesses get an edge while they help you?

Anyway to get back to my story, these business types I figured for being very smart and able to look underneath the superficial layer of hype and marketing. Well they were smart in their crafts but not so much when it came to looking past marketing and seeing the true product or service for what it is. To my surprise many of them who I thought were rock solid in the common sense department were easily swayed to the darker side of the force. It was as if Darth Vader came in the room and grasp the attention of many of the business professionals with his death choke grip. Now, I have to admit there were some who didn't budge when a rep from a weight loss clinic started pitching out his marketing. Good for them for not falling for the old Jedi mind trick.

Now, for most of the populace in the US I expect to see a large amount fall for hype. Well, now I must report that even the best hustlers can be hustled. So I'm putting this warning out there for all who are wise enough to listen. Heed my words young Skywalker:

- If a sales person says his supplement or methods are backed by doctors, don't fall for it. The thing is many fitness related things are backed by quacks. Infomercials usually have some Doctor Dumbass that they paid off to come out and speak of the awesome power of whatever they are selling. I have news for you, doctors are not always correct. Doctors are not always healthy. Doctors are not always good liars.

- If a sales person gives you a testimonial about how fast a system works, don't fall for it. Many systems are out there that reduce weight fast. The key word is WEIGHT. Want to lose weight quickly, lock yourself in the closet for a day with no food or water, come out and weigh yourself....Presto! Magic for a moron. People can easily lose weight, the hard part is reducing fat while sustaining muscles and metabolism. That is where these "weight loss doctor enforced clinics" fail and pro trainers such as the guys and gals at The Fitness Road bring you success. Be smart young Jedi. Losing "weight" quickly without respect for metabolism and muscle leads to flabby skin and gaining it back before you can shoot another B12 syringe in your ass.

- If a sales person talks about data and research and blood work, they better be a doctor themselves. Only an idiot would let anyone but a doctor or nurse draw blood and attempt to analyze. If they start talking about triglyceride, glucose, and cholesterol levels dropping in the blood results, ANYTIME YOU LOSE WEIGHT THESE LEVELS DROP! Simply because there is less mass to you. Young Skywalker you need to be active daily to get the same results. Want to see rapid action on this, EAT RIGHT!

Now I have given you the power to see past the Jedi mind trick. Go and teach others who are ready to truly be fit and not just lose weight today and gain it back tomorrow.

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