My Top 5....

....reasons why you should be incorporating a deadlift variation into your leg routine.

1. Posterior chain (hamstrings, glutes, lower back) Development. No exercise targets the posterior chain better than the deadlift. Posterior chain development and strength is a must for everyone, whether you're a weekend warrior or competitive athlete.
2. Grip Training. Performing multiple sets of deadlifting will really tax your grip strength and endurance, a weak link in most novice lifters. Plus you'll have a good looking set of forearms.
3. Upper Back Work. Yes, the deadlift is classified as a lower body movement. But your upper back is performing a ton of work also as your shoulders are staying in a retracted position for the entire set, when done right.
4. Functionality. Can you think of a more functional lift than the deadlift or an exercise that applies to more real life situations? We really don't squat to pick something up, we deadlift it. The load is usually out in front, just like a deadlift, not up on our shoulders like a squat.
5. Bang for Your Buck. It targets your legs, your upper back, your grip. There are too many joints involved to even name. When people list "lack of time" as the number excuse as to why they're not exercising, it's important to include those multi-joint movements throughout a workout program.

You don't need to be a musclehead to deadlift. It's a primal movement pattern that we first developed when learning to stand or walk. Plus, there are plenty of different variations that can apply to certain situations or individuals.

RichRuff Training Exercise of the Week: Hanging Knee Raise

An exercise that is done wrong 90% of the time. In order for this exercise exercise to be effective there has to be a posterior tilting of the pelvis. It's not just about flexing your hip and knees, which I see done a good majority of the time. Rotate that pelvis back. Aim to bring your knees to your chest. Also, this is an exercise that should be worked up to. A typical progression would be reverse crunches to incline reverse crunches than to hanging knee raises.




Visit Perform Better Training Zones for the best ideas in equipment and training for functional training, full body training, and rehabilitation.

"Are squats bad for the knees?"

This is a question I got from a client the other day. When I asked him where he heard it from, he said "Oh, it's just something I've heard". This is the kind of blanket staement floating around gyms that really bothers me. Ask anyone where they got this evidence from and I'm sure not one person could come up with a legitimate answer. I have never come across any research that shows that squatting is bad for the knees. Squatting is a fundamental movement pattern that we learned as toddlers. But some how as we get older squatting is suppsoed to be bad for us? Usually anyone that tells you that squatting is bad for you, is one of two things. One, they are too lazy to learn how to squat with proper technique. Two, they are still lazy and will not squat because squatting done properly is not easy.

Are squats for everyone? No. There are some individuals that should not be squatting. But this doesn't apply to everyone. Plus, there are ways to modify a squat to fit fit to a particular indivivdual. You can: back squat, front squat, overhead squat, dumbbell squat, single leg squat and the list goes on and on.

But the real point of this post is not so much about squatting and it's effect on the knees. The real point is to not believe everything that you hear. There are still some ridiculous myths out there, which is an article of itself.

A Bit of Cinnamon

Adding a bit of cinnamon into your daily nutritional intake can do wonders for your health. Besides adding a pleasant taste to what ever you add it to, cinnamon can help with insulin sensitivity, glucose metabolism and lowering your LDL cholesterol. It's the perfect alternative to artificial sweeteners, such as Equal or Splenda, that have been linked to numerous health problems. Personally, I can not stand the taste of plain oatmeal or yogurt. Or sometimes I want to add a bit more taste to my protein shakes. In the past I would have used Splenda. But lately , I've been adding cinnamon instead. And I think cinnamon tea might be next as I work to cut back on my coffee consumption.

Aim for about 1/2 tablespoon to a tablespoon per day. Just this small amount can go a long way towards improving your overall health. And, no, cinnamon buns do not count.

RichRuff Training Exercise of the Week: Band Pull Apart

This is a great exercise to keep your shoulders healthy. Use it as part of your warm up or at the end of your workout in a high rep fashion. All you need is a superband or any type of elastic tubing. Adjust the amount of resistance by sliding your hands in or out. Do not use so much resistance that you are not able to keep your arms straight throughout the set.

More Protein

Over the last couple of months or so, I've had a few clients record a daily food log that I could take a look at. These are clients that are struggling to lose weight or drop their body fat percentage. And something stood out right away when taking a look at their nutritional intake: their protein intake was terribly low. I do not think one of these clients had consumed more than 75 grams of protein on any given day. As a general recommendation, I suggest 0.8-1.0 grams per pound of body weight. If you do the math, these numbers aren't even close. Now for a female, I might scale it back a bit to 100-125 grams of protein per day. Sounds like a lot, but it's really not considering a 5 ounce chicken breast has roughly 30 grams of protein.

Why am I so adamant about about consuming more protein for weight or fat loss? A few reasons:

1. Consuming protein will give you a greater feeling of satiety, making you feel full for a longer period of time.
2. Consuming protein has a stabilizing effect on your insulin levels and hopefully prevents those sudden food binges.
3. Protein has a higher thermic effect of feeding than other nutrients, meaning that it takes more energy to break it down, creating a slight boost in your metabolism.
   
4. If you're training hard, increased protein intake will aid in recovery.

The next question is: what foods are good protein sources? Here are some ideas:

• Salmon, tuna or other types of fish
• Lean poultry or beef (at least 90% lean)
• Eggs or egg whites
• Plain yogurt
• Cottage cheese
• Beans
• Nuts or natural peanut butter

25-40 grams of protein with some of the For some people it's hard to get in the suggested amount of protein through whole foods alone. For those people, I suggest a protein powder supplement. You can easily get an additionalhigher quality protein powders out on the market.

A protein source with every feeding. That's what you should be aiming for.

A Waste of Time

Let me start by saying I'm not a huge fan of the leg press. I personally haven't used or put a client on this machine in about two years. I adapt my training to what I've learned, and I've learned that the leg press does more harm than good and might be pretty useless. Maybe the only thing it's good for is racking weights. And nothing drives me crazier than listening to some buffoon tell me how much he can leg press. Tell me how much you can squat or deadlift. Then I might listen to what kind of workout hero you are.

Anyways, I'm training a client today and out of the corner of my eye I see this guy loading 45lb plate after 45lb plate on the leg press machine. Two on each side. Then three on each side. Then four on each side. I move onto another exercise with my client and this guy is still loading plates on. And this guy is not some jacked up bodybuilder in work boots. This guy is about 45 years old, weighs about 160lbs and looks like your typical computer geek. I think he actually had about seven plates on each side. So now I can't help but watch this guy a little more closely. So after spending about 15 minutes loading it up, the guy hops in and I can't wait to watch what is about to happen. This is the guy who tells the girls at happy hour how much he leg presses. So, he unlocks the machine and....starts doing calf raises!! Calf raises!! Are you kidding me? This guy spent all this time loading up this machine and now he's going to perform a movement where the range of motion is only about a couple of inches. He's getting a better and more functional workout loading and unloading these 45lb plates.

Another example of brainless exercise selection when it comes to working out. It's about 8 in the morning, so I'll assume this guy is a 9-5 (if that even exists any more) working man. He probably has a limited amount of time he can spend exercising each week. And he's going to spend 15-20 minutes loading up the leg press, doing a couple sets of limited range of motion calf raises and then unload the machine? Friends, this what I call workout inefficiency. A complete waste of time.

More tales form the gym to follow. I may actually have to make it a weekly feature.

RichRuff Training Exercise of the Week: Swiss Ball Plank w/Feet Elevated

The Swiss Ball Plank w/Feet Elevated is just a more advanced version of your standard prone plank. Once, you're able to hold the prone plank for 60 seconds with good form it might be time to move onto more advanced versions.

With the Swiss Ball Plank start of by holding for about 30 seconds and progressively add 10-15 seconds on each week. Take a look:








Visit Perform Better Training Zones for the best ideas in equipment and training for functional training, full body training, and rehabilitation.

Random Thoughts....

• I hate the Jets. I hate them even more this year with Brett Favre at the helm.
• Why do I see people performing squats on a BOSU Ball when they can not even execute a squat proprely on stable ground? Seems backwards to me.
• I think people still believe they can out exercise a crappy diet. If your stuffing your face with cakes and white breads, all the exercise in the world isn't going to help you with weight or fat loss. Sorry, it's the truth.
• No one cares, but I knocked out 16 pull ups for the for a new personal record. This is something you should be trying to do every time you workout. Not 16 pull ups, but setting a new PR. It can be one more rep at a given weight. Or it can be an additional 5lbs from the last workout. Or it can be completing your sprints with faster times. Go set a PR!!
• Why in the world would you join a gym just to do aerobic work? But I see the same people on the same pieces of cardio equipment all the time and that's all they do. Seems like a waste to me.
  
• Dumbbell concentrations curls might be the worst exercise I've ever done or I see being done. One, you're in a seated position. Two, you're hunched over in a seated position. How is this any different than sitting slouched over at the computer? If you really want to work the biceps and get some bang for your buck, go work on some chin or pull ups.
• Did I mention I hate the Jets?
  

I'm Sorry

Last week I posted "My Top 5 Reasons Why the Patriots Will Reclaim the Lombardi Trophy". Less than 48 hours later every Pats fan throughout new England incurs their greatest fear as our Hall of Fame quarterback's ACL is torn. Talk about a jinx. How many more punishing blows can we take as Patriots fans? We suffer one of the most agonizing losses in Boston sports history and then seven minutes into the first game of the next season our franchise quarterback is writhing in pain on the Gillette Stadium turf.

But unlike Jets fans or Steeler fans or Colt fans, I think this team is going to be okay. They have too much talent and too good of a coach to just totally fall apart. That and they may have the softest schedule in the league. Is Matt Cassell as good as Tom Brady? Hell no!! But take a look at the Tom Brady of 2001 when the Pats won their first Super Bowl. He wasn't the Tom Brady of 2007. During that 2001 season he mangaed games well. He passed for about 200 yards a game, threw 18 TD passes, threw 12 picks and had a QB rating of 86. Not great numbers, average numbers. And he was on a team that had far less talent than this 2007 team. Give me those numbers, even less than numbers, and I bet this team wins 11 or 12 games.

I'm already hyped up for Sundays game against those loser Jets and their overrated, aged quarterback. I think it's going to be a special season again, circa 2001.

RichRuff Training Exercise of the Week: Barbell Step Up

My Top Five....

.....reasons why the Patriots will reclaim the Lombardi Trophy:

1. They have the best coach in the league, Belichek.
2. They have the best WR in the league, Randy Moss.
3. They have the the best #2 WR in the league, Wes Welker
   
4. They have the best defensive rookie in the league, Jerrod Mayo.
5. They have the best QB in the league, Mr. You Know Who.

I could make this an extended list, but I'll leave it at that.

Beware of the Salad

I know you think you're making the right choice when you're looking at the dinner menu at what ever restaurant you're at and you decide to go with a salad. You think you're making a healthy choice. You think that salad has to be so much better for you than those other carb laden sandwiches or entrees. Heck, it has to be better than those delicious, thin crust pizza's that are screaming your name, right? Well don't be to sure of that.

Some salads at some restaurants may be more gut busting and artery clogging than anything else on the menu. How big is the salad? Can it feed a family of five? If you've ordered one from the Cheesecake Factory you know what I mean. What type of dressing is on the salad and how much? Hopefully your salad is not drowned in some type of creamy ranch or Caesar dressing. If the salad includes chicken, how is the chicken cooked? Hopefully grilled and not fried. What else is on the salad? Is it littered with croutons the size of your fist? Or even worse, it might be covered in fried onion ring strips.

Sometimes you might actually be better off with that small pizza.

RichRuff Training Exercise of the Week: Hand Walking/Push Up Combo

Why not walk on your hands now and then? It can build great upper body strength and endurance, core strength and and endurance and is a great way to train scapular stabilization. This is an exercise I'll use with a client in their plank progression. Once they've shown the ability to maintain core stability in a neutral position, now let's they if they're able to maintain that same stability while moving. Take a look: