Random Thoughts
1. I’m working with the strength & conditioning department at Columbia this semester and they have a pretty cool way of teaching proper back squat technique. Here’s how to do it:
- Remove the catch bars from the rack.
- Rest the bar on the backs of your shoulders (high-bar position). NOTE: This exercise is really meant to be done with just the bar (65 lbs. MAX).
- Walk forward in the rack as far as you can until the bar hits the posts.
- Set your feet at about hip width but DO NOT MOVE THEM BACK.
- Sit your hips back and descend into a squat. THE BAR SHOULD GLIDE AGAINST THE POSTS.
- Push back up to the starting position. THE BAR SHOULD GLIDE AGAINST THE POSTS.
The idea is that by constraining the bar to a vertical path, you can’t lean forward from the torso (thereby reducing torque on the low back) and you have to sit your hips back first. But the key is to NOT move your feet back after you walk forward in the rack. So it’s kind of like a Smith machine squat, except not stupid.
You can’t just move your feet forward more and lean back against the bar, either, like people usually do in the Smith machine; you’ll fall on your ass.
If you can’t do it, you can have a partner assist you by pressing against the bar to lock you in the cage. I’d never seen this technique used before but it actually worked pretty well for teaching the freshmen how to squat.
2. The New York Times recently published this interesting article about the fact that most sports injuries have no established treatments, and that celebrity hype about new methodology is causing athletes to spend money on unproven and potentially worthless methods to get back in the game. Personally, I think many of these methods take the focus off what the problem usually is: Inadequate or imbalanced strength and improper movement.
Another cool thing about the strength and conditioning department at Columbia is that they bring in Muscle Activation Technique specialists from Colorado to work with their injured athletes using movement-based strategies.
Basically, they perform an assessment to determine what muscles aren’t firing appropriately (likely causing the injury), perform whatever manual therapy is necessary (massage, trigger point release, etc.) to treat the symptoms, then prescribe drills to reactive the sleepy muscles in the positions and patterns required of the athlete’s given sport. They’ve had amazing results so far, and this methodology has far more potential for long-term improvements following injury.
3. I was just interviewed by Marie Claire magazine about the benefits of women participating in sports. I think women have just as much competitive drive as men; we just channel it differently. Guys use sports as an outlet while women tend to focus on less healthy forms of competition, like having the best body. Sports are a great way to shift that focus.
I also think team sports can be more beneficial than individual sports. Women, especially, don’t like to let people down. Having a team counting on you can really push you to achieve things you otherwise wouldn’t, and seeing this firsthand can really build self-confidence. There’s more, but you’ll have to check out the March issue to read about it.
4. First My Plate, now a new food label? Among other changes, it seems the government thinks that adjusting the information on food labels to reflect “realistic” serving sizes will make people more aware of how much they’re actually eating and help reduce the nation’s obesity. Fat chance… The Italian author of a book I edited has some better ideas in mind and is currently awaiting a meeting with Michelle Obama and her team. Hopefully he can help our overweight country…
5. Speaking of our obesity problem, after becoming the world’s fattest mom, it seems New Jersey’s Donna Simpson has set another goal: She now wants to lose weight so she can “do better for her kid.”
And just guess how she wants to do it… On a reality TV show! Check it out HERE.
I guess the flooding in New Jersey took her out of the spotlight.
I’m at a loss for words with this one, so I’m going to end it there.
Filed under: fat loss, fitness-related injuries, news, nutrition, strength training, Uncategorized
