Month: July 2024

When you think of “core training”, what do you think of? Generally, the fitness industry associates core training with sit-ups, crunches, and getting a six pack (BTW more sit ups and crunches don’t give you a six pack!). Here at SSP, we tend to focus on training for the core that functionally helps you do more activities better and pain-free. This involves training the core to resist movement and stabilize (vs create movement). We call this “anti-core training”, and we use a bunch of fancy terms like anti-lateral flexion, anti-extension, and anti-rotation. 

At its core (pun intended), the goal of training this way is to build strength and stiffness. We want to train your core muscles to brace and stabilize the trunk by resisting movement. We do this to help keep the spine safe and stable while your extremities are moving and to transfer energy from the lower body to the upper body. 

Research from Stuart McGrill, a renowned researcher in low back disorders, has shown that the compressive force on the spine when bent in flexion (such as in a crunch or situp) can be the equivalent of 700+ pounds! Over time, due to these high compressive forces, the likelihood of injury increases. 

Exercises like deadbugs, pallof presses, planks, side planks, farmer carry, suitcase carry, and body saw are all examples of anti-core training and are all staples in our SSP programming. 

Think about doing your day to day activities, things like carrying bags of grocery, picking up your kids from the ground, gardening, and loading your dishwasher. Anti-core training helps you do all of these activities a little bit easier. Also, if you play sports, you may have noticed that training at SSP has improved your athleticism – jumping, changing direction, and running. A big piece of this is building stiffness and stabilization through your core. 

You can see some of our favorite anti-core exercises demonstrated by Coach Natalie here! 

So while you may not be repping out crunches at SSP, rest easy and know that whenever you come in for a workout, you’ll be getting a bit of functional core training every single time. 

Happy training! 

Check out this article on Very Well Fit which featured expert advice from SSP coaches about building a strong core using standing exercises! SSP staples such as the Goblet March, Farmers Carry, Pallof Press, and Chop are all featured.

Let’s talk about deadlifting form.

Deadlift Form Mistakes & How to Correct Them

Mistake #1: Yanking the bar off the ground.
When nervous about a new weight, we often lose patience and try to yank the bar up quickly. This can cause us to lose upper body positioning and core tightness, which are crucial for preventing injury.

How to fix it: Brace hard, tighten up, and be patient. You’ve got this!

Mistake #2: The bar is too far out in front of you.

How to fix it: Set up with the bar over your shoelaces and keep it in contact with your legs on the way up. This keeps your weight centered on your midfoot for a stronger lift!

Mistake #3: Squatting your deadlift.
Starting with your hips too low means the bar has to swerve around your knees, creating an inefficient bar path.

How to fix it: The position of your hips should be slightly above your knees and below your shoulders in the set up. If your hips are parallel with your knees, you are in more of a squat pattern versus a deadlift (or hinge) pattern.

Mistake #4: Losing tension through the lats and shoulders.
Tension in your lats and shoulders helps maintain a neutral spine during the deadlift.

How to fix it: Keep your shoulders down and back, or think of squeezing your armpits to engage your lats. Another tip is to imagine reaching your lats towards your back pockets.

Keep Working at Your Deadlift Form!

Remember, if you are working up to a heavier weight, don’t skip the warm up! Your body needs time to warm up the pattern and adapt to heavier loads. Please don’t go straight to your working weight. 1 or 2 warm up sets (sometimes more) are usually appropriate depending on how heavy you are lifting on any given day. Your SSP coaches are here to help you 🙂

Like I said at the beginning, we love deadlifts and think they are fantastic. They are a true full-body exercise that engages multiple muscle groups, including your hamstrings, glutes, back, core, and also builds your grip strength. The movement itself trains an important pattern (the hinge) which mimics real-life lifting scenarios when you are picking things up off the ground, and the stronger you are in that pattern, the stronger you are in everyday life! 

Happy training!

Want to learn how to deadlift with great form (or maybe get stronger with your current deadlift)? Click here to join us!

We often get the question: should we do Yoga? Does it mix well with Strength Training? 

We know how popular the practice of yoga has become and we can understand why! We should say, we think Yoga is great! If you enjoy it, you should 100% do it and there are zero downsides to mixing Yoga with Strength Training. We don’t, however, believe Yoga can replace Strength Training, especially as we think about the benefits of strength for longevity as it pertains to increased muscle mass and bone density. While yoga has its benefits, it does not proactively increase muscle mass like strength training does. Let’s break it down:  

The Benefits of Strength Training

Strength training provides vital benefits for long-term health, and at SSP, that’s our primary focus. We want to help you live a stronger, longer, and healthier life. Our programming specifically targets changes through progressive overload, which involves gradually increasing resistance and driving new adaptations for muscle growth. This method is essential for building and maintaining muscle mass. Additionally, strength training reduces the risk of osteoporosis by putting healthy stress on bones, stimulating bone formation and increasing bone density. Furthermore, research shows that strength training is crucial for long-term health and reducing the risk of cardiovascular disease and total mortality (Srikanthan, Horwhich & Tseng, 2016). Consistent strength training will overall improve metabolic health, enhance functional mobility, and contribute to overall quality of life by ensuring better physical performance and reducing the risk of injuries.

How to Supplement Strength Training with Yoga

Yoga can be a valuable supplement to your strength training program. Here’s how:

• Flexibility: Yoga can have a marked impact and improvement in your overall flexibility. This can have positive effects on your range of motion and mobility during strength training.  
• Stress Reduction and Mental Well-being: Yoga incorporates mindfulness, meditation, and deep breathing techniques that help reduce stress, anxiety, and depression. In overly stressful periods, strength training can sometimes be counterproductive by adding more stress to your body.
• Balance and Stability: Yoga improves balance and stability through various poses and holds. This can enhance proprioception and coordination, beneficial for performing strength training exercises safely and effectively.
• Complementary to Strength Training: It can serve as a low-intensity exercise on rest days, keeping you active without overloading or overtraining your muscles.

Ready to add some strength training to your routine? Sign up for a no-cost assessment with us!

References:

Srikanthan P, Horwich TB, Tseng CH. Relation of Muscle Mass and Fat Mass to Cardiovascular Disease Mortality. Am J Cardiol. 2016 Apr 15;117(8):1355-60. doi: 10.1016/j.amjcard.2016.01.033. Epub 2016 Feb 2. PMID: 26949037.

Thanks to Well + Good for featuring SSP! Read it here. Excerpt below!

Is It Really *That* Bad to Never Strength Train? Fitness Pros Weigh In

Here’s why strength training is, frankly, worth everyone’s time, and how to get it done.

“Strength training is when we train our muscles to produce force against resistance,” explains certified personal trainer and functional strength coach Chris Travis, CPT, CFSC, owner of Seattle Strength & Performance. “That resistance can come from bodyweight, resistance bands, weights, or machines.”

That means even bodyweight activities like Pilates are considered strength training because they focus on not just stretching but also strengthening muscles, adds Gregory Rubin, DO, primary sports medicine physician at the Hospital for Special Surgery at Naples Comprehensive Health.