Bang Fitness is pleased to host an Olympic lifting seminar on Sunday, November 1^st, 2009.

Olympic lifting is a synthesis of raw power and pure technique. It is a tremendous tool for athletes and a rewarding skill for anyone looking to improve strength, explosiveness, coordination or general athleticism.

This seminar is focused on those new to Olympic lifting. Having an athletic background will be a helpful asset, but is not necessary by any means.

The seminar will be led by John Gray (Msc; CSCS). John is a Ph.D. Candidate in Spine Biomechanics at the University of Waterloo, working with internationally-renowned Spine Biomechanist, Dr. Stuart McGill, Ph.D. He is a certified kinesiologist, president of the Ontario Weightlifting Association and works with elite adult and junior athletes through the Toronto Lawn Tennis Club and the University of Toronto’s Varsity Women’s Volleyball Team. In 2003, he was named an Educational Influential in Kinesiology by the Institute for Work and Health. In addition, he is a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist (CSCS) with the National Strength and Conditioning Association and a NCCP Master Learning Facilitator and Certified Coach in Weightlifting

Date: Sunday, November 1^st, 2009
Time: 10:30 am-1:30 pm
Address: 2^nd floor – 610 Queen Street West
Cost: $45 in advance, $65 at the door
Space is limited.

Water: it’s not just for ice cubes

In this series of posts we will be looking at the simple stuff. Why? It’s the simple stuff that gives us most of our results. If you dont believe me look up the Pareto principle. Whether it be training, nutrition or relationships, the stronger the foundation the higher you can build. In other words you’re not as advanced as you think you are (don’t worry; neither am I).

In my first post, we’ll we turn our heads to the very simple, utterly essential molecule of water.

While everybody knows we’re supposed to drink a substantial quantity of water, few of us do. Perhaps some facts are in order:

1) Water takes up space, if you take up enough space there less room for other stuff. This may seem obvious enough, but here’s a study that illustrates why that may be such a good idea: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18787524

2) Dehydration has been found to be the number-one cause of daytime fatigue in people who are free of serious sleep disorders. If you’re tired the chances of you deciding to skip that workout skyrocket.

3) We all know that lifting heavy stuff, combined with smart nutrition is great for body composition, but a loss of 4-5% of body weight in fluid decreases the capacity for hard muscular work by 20-30%., So if you’re still using purple dumbells maybe your water intake is to blame.

4) Back pain in many cases is caused by or exacerbated by dehydration. The structure of the human vertebrae makes them vulnerable to dehydration, with resulting pain and swelling. In fact preliminary research indicates that 8-10 glasses of water a day could significantly ease back and joint pain for up to 80% of sufferers. These numbers are pretty significant when you consider that 80% of North Americans will suffer from back pain at some point in their lives.

Here are other some interesting facts for you to pull out at the party:

1. 75% of Americans are chronically dehydrated. (This likely applies to half the world population)

2. Even MILD dehydration will slow down one’s metabolism as much as 3%.

3. One glass of water shut down midnight hunger pangs for almost 100% of the dieters in a University of Washington study.

4. Drinking 5 glasses of water daily decreases the risk of colon cancer by 45%, the risk of breast cancer by 79%, and one is 50% less likely to develop bladder cancer.

Water, it seems, is kind of a big deal. Do yourself a favour though and try to use a glass or stainless steel water bottle. As you may know, the xeno-estrogens in plastic bottles have been found to cause moob’s in both fish and human males.

I leave you with a quote from the man himself Dr. Batmanghelidj, the author of Your Body’s Many Cries for Water.

“In my professional and scientific view, it is dehydration that is the biggest killer, more than any other condition you could imagine. The different aspects and ‘chemical idiosyncrasies’ of each individual’s body reaction to the same pattern of dehydration have received different professional labels and have been treated differently and ineffectively.”

Andy

The recent media focus on South African sprinter Caster Semenya has forced people to reexamine the issue of sex and gender in sport. While a documented argument on this topic goes back decades, we seem no closer to clearly defining what makes an athlete male or female.

Looking at the first Olympics, gender testing was automatic, as (male only) athletes participated in the nude. The Games were rekindled in 1896, but the issue of testing and athlete intersexuality did not emerge until the Cold War era, with anecdotal reports of female athletes displaying male sexual characteristics. One such was Polish sprinter Stella Walsh who was, long after her career, identified as having a pair of XX and XY (genetic female and genetic male) chromosomes.

The first cases of gender testing involved women parading nude before a panel of female physicians and then, later, direct gynecologic exams. A buccal smear, which can differentiate between XX and XY chromosomes was first used in 1968 and remained the standard (despite its documented unreliability) until 1991 when it was soon thereafter replaced with a more accurate way to examine DNA sequences. However, the most recent iteration was abandoned shortly before the 2000 games in Sydney, largely due to social pressures and the lack of clarity behind what ultimately defines sex.

Dr. Anne Fausto-Sterling, writing in “The Five Sexes: Why Male and Female Are Not Enough,” says that western culture is defying nature by maintaining a “two-party sexual system,” for “biologically speaking, there are many gradations running from female to male; and depending on how one calls the shots, one can argue that along the spectrum lie at least five sexes – and perhaps even more.”

It’s clear that “private parts” alone are not enough to determine an athlete’s gender. Androgen (male hormone) insensitivity, hermaphrodism (the condition that sprinter Caster Semenya is purported to have) and even those who have transitioned genders with external assistance render this appearance-based argument (and testing) void.

Since 2003, both the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) have incorporated a series of policies on transgendered athletes. Sex reassignment before puberty is accepted uncategorically whereas sex reassignment after puberty must conform to a number of guidelines, including hormonal therapy appropriate to the assigned sex. This is consistent with the idea that it is ultimately hormone levels that determine sex and limit certain dimensions of performance.

It was argued in a recent New York times article that high natural androgen levels in females are comparable to other advantages, such as being very tall. This implies that women with these advantages should not be barred from competing against other women. However, it’s not height that determines sex, it’s hormones. This is not because men and women are different creatures — at least not at birth. It is because any differences that exist beyond the environmental sphere are created by hormones. All things being (genetically) equal, even height.

If we step back for a moment, though, we can think about why we have any divisions at all. In theory, at least, our goal is to level the playing field. By some accounts of the Platonic ideal for sports, every competitor would have precisely the same abilities. How hard they work and how well they train would make up the remainder. Like stock cars, the externals would be identical and the internal “driver” would make all the difference in the world.

For others, this scenario would be as boring as it is unlikely. I, as much as anyone, enjoy seeing an uncommon athlete set new boundaries for human achievement. It’s wonderful to have assumptions about our own limitations blown away. And I – like many – am somewhat conflicted when it comes to the issues of illegal supplementation. We want to see amazing things, but we (deep inside) know better than to expect them consistently on a level playing field. When nature delivers an unusual advantage to a competitor, dissent is to be expected. This is especially true when it is within the realm of sex; the only universal divide within the world of elite competition.

Differences in hormone levels – both in-utero and post-puberty – translate into differences in performance. Women typically have smaller skeletons, less muscle mass, lower hemoglobin levels, and a higher proportion of body fat than men. Normal male testosterone levels are anywhere between 2.5 and 50 times that of females. The differences that these levels create – from a higher ratio of powerful fast twitch muscles to significantly more strength at a given bodyweight – make their athletic advantages clear. Indeed, women’s world records are 7–10% lower than those of men.

Since it is hormone levels, not external appearances that dictate performance, it is also within the realm of hormones that an athlete’s parameters must be set. Public awareness that external appearance does not necessarily dictate sex grows with every athlete like Caster Semenya and Santhi Soundarajan (the Indian sprinter diagnosed with androgen insensitivity). While athletes like these are likely wise to be proactive about determining their eligibility, clearer guidelines by the IOC and IAAF on hormonal parameters would help avoid much of the terrible social fallout that has affected these women.

Geoff

Toronto Strength Workshop

Sunday September 20th, 2009
10:30 am – 12:30 pm
Bang Fitness, 610 Queen St. West, 2nd floor
$50 ($40 for Precision Nutrition members)

In association with Stumptuous.com, Bang Fitness is pleased to offer a workshop on strength and conditioning fundamentals. This workshop is designed to answer common questions on exercise technique and format.

Please click here to register.

For more information, please contact us c/o

info [at] bangfitness [dot] com

OR

mistresskrista [at] stumptuous [dot] com

Spaces are limited, so register now. This workshop will be co-ed.

I visited a commercial gym tonight. After a full year of existing exclusively within performance-oriented facilities, it was . . . an experience. More specifically, it was an abrupt reminder of the state of the union.

In the hour or so it took to work out, I witnessed a lot of badness, ranging from arbitrary and inefficient to downright wrong. I saw classes that were designed to meet expectations, not goals. I saw trainers who ranged from indifferent to hilariously confused. And I found a distressingly small proportion of useful equipment (not that it was in heavy rotation).

It’s no big surprise that commercial gyms are behind the times. The industry is unregulated and this is understood. It’s fuelled by a management who doesn’t care and staffed by people who seldom have anything beyond a basic personal training certification. Certifications, in case you’re wondering, range in quality from from a good start to woefully unhelpful. The most common certifications you’ll come across in North American gyms fall into the latter category.

As someone making a legitimate effort to do things right, I’m sometimes frustrated when I meet people who need help but just can’t bring themselves to take it. At this point, I can’t blame them. If I didn’t know how to approach my training goals, I would have a very hard time taking the advice of someone in the industry too.

The one ray of light in all of this is the body of research slowly accumulating. There’s some science going on behind closed doors. And even though very few gym chains seem to have acknowledged this, I have confidence that it will continue to chip away at a defunct paradigm. If that means never having to hear advice on drop-set arm curls from a guy with frosted tips then it’s a sacrifice I’m willing to make.

Geoff

People find it pretty novel that we work with the Gore Gore Rollergirls. It’s a campy fledgling sport that is modeled on an even campier fledgling sport from the late 1970s. We find it novel too, since most of the girls are hilarious. However, they’ve also got a ton of fight in them. More importantly for us, they’ve also seen how a proper strength and conditioning program can pay off.

We went to watch the girls compete last weekend and witness first-hand how their game is improving. Jam after jam, the ladies out-maneuvered, out-paced and out-conditioned their opponents. In particular, I could see how their increased power helped them stay on their feet when getting shoulder checked. There were several occasions where the women on the other team looked legitimately confused as to why their opponents weren’t going down.

Way ahead by the final period, the Gore Gore Rollergirls continued to push themselves. As tired as they were, they knew that they had strong recovery mojo. Using this newly developed attribute to their advantage, they  further increased their lead, ending the game with a score of 151-71. For the mathematically challenged out there, that’s more than double. What I’m trying to tell you is that they kicked ass.

Next stop: the finals.

Congratulations to our sponsored athlete, Alaina Hardie, who dominated at not one, but two grappling events this past weekend.

Alaina took gold in the 67 kg women’s division at the Canadian Amateur Wrestling Association Team Trials. The event, held this past Saturday in Ottawa, featured some of Canada’s top grappling talent. Anyone who’s competed knows that these types of days can be extremely draining. Apparently not the case for Hardie, who piled into a car to drive back to Toronto immediately. The next morning she was up bright and early to fight her way to another gold medal (and award for most technical female) in the Toronto Jiu Jitsu Classic. Rumor has it that she’s now considering roaming from town to town solving problems with jiu jitsu.

Congrats, Alaina!

Bang Fitness is pleased to be hosting a strength and conditioning workshop for participants in the upcoming Women’s Grappling Camp. This event will be hot on the heels of the Women’s Grappling Open.

The tournament will be taking place on Saturday, August 22^nd. Please be there to cheer on the women making this sport a reality.

The workshop will be held as part of the grappling camp and will be on Wednesday, August 26^th, from 1:30 to 3:00. We’re looking forward to the future of women’s grappling and faster, stronger more ass-kicking ladies!

This article was originally hosted on Stumptuous.com – please visit the original to view comments.

It’s easy to get overly-heady about exercise. Being a strength/fitness nerd, it’s not only easy for me, it’s fun. For those new to this world, though, I suspect it can be a little overwhelming.

After all, you might just want some simple advice on getting started. If so, this article is for you. This program starts you off with a few basic movements that are guaranteed to increase your overall strength and fitness if you’re a beginner.

Of course, this is just a start. You are encouraged to look around sites like this one, this one (and others), take in all the information and even e-mail us questions. You’re definitely encouraged to learn enough to start putting things together on your own. Unless you’re an iron-pumping savant, however, this will take more than an afternoon.

And you want to get going now! Good. So while you’re learning, may I present a starter program.

Here’s what you’re going to do:

Warm-up

Move around. Step deep, reach high and breathe deep. Pay attention to where movement feels restricted by tight muscles and gently (gently!) move through that range of motion. Now start moving faster. Jog, crawl, shuffle from side to side. Up the pace until it’s a challenge to keep your breathing even. This whole process should take about 10 minutes. Good? Good enough!

Exercise 1: Split squat – 10 each leg
Weight: Bodyweight

Take a lunge position, but leave your feet in place as you go up and down. The front heel stays dug in, the rear heel stays up. Get nice and long – long enough for you to feel a real stretch. Your feet should be at hip width and both pointed forward. The rear knee should almost touch the ground with each repetition. Your front hip, knee and ankle should form a straight line. Up and down on one side, then the other. If there is any joint pain, stop.

Exercise 2: Dumbbell row – 12 each side
Weight: 40 lbs. for dudes, 20 to 30 lbs. for chicks

Put one hand on a bench. You can have the same-side foot on the ground or put the shin on the same bench. Whatever. Grab a dumbbell with your other hand and pull it as far away from the floor as possible, control your descent and then repeat. Don’t rotate your torso. If there is any joint pain, stop.

Exercise 3: Dumbbell bench press – 12 each side
Weight: 30 lbs. for dudes, 15 to 20 lbs. for chicks

Lay back on a bench with your feet on the ground. Keep your shoulder blades squeezed together throughout and push those dumbbells (one in each hand) toward the ceiling. Keep your elbows within about 45 degrees of your body. Control your descent and repeat. If there is any joint pain, stop.

Exercise 4: Forearm plank – 60 seconds total
Weight: bodyweight

Lay face-down, with only your forearms and feet touching the ground. Hold just a slight pike (your ass should just be slightly higher than the rest of your body). Take very short breaks whenever you feel like your spine is trying to bear the weight (as opposed to your abs). If there is any joint pain . . . well, you know.

Now that you’ve been through all four exercises, go through them a second time. Maybe even a third.

Now get on an exercise bike and perform the following:

Go fast: 30 seconds
Go slow: 2 minutes
Repeat this four times (that’s 10 minutes total).

Towel off, go home and do some more reading. Don’t forget to tip your servers. Thank you and goodnight!

Geoff