Very interesting movements. I tried really hard to not make monkey noises during part of it since I would get even more crazy looks than normal.

Thanks to Rick for sending this one to me!

Just a reminder that I will be on iron radio this Friday, so get your questions into them and tune in
Mike T Nelson on Iron Radio-click here

Rock on
Mike T Nelson

In This Issue

• Standing Backflip
• Iron Radio with Me
• Super Human Radio Update

Standing Backflip
For those who are on my newsletter (and if you are not, you can sign up on the upper right hand side) you know that one of my goals for this year is to do a standing back flip. The catch is that I have never taken any gymnastic courses EVER and I currently have some visual issues.

My right eye is suppressed, meaning that when most people view and objects, two images (one from each eye) go to the brain and the brain compares the images to combine them. Well, my brain gets two very different images and since the brain doesn’t like to be confused, it “dumps” one of them to avoid confusion.

Both of my eyes track together, but my depth perception is the same as if a normal person had one eye closed. My goal is to get both of them to work together and regain more depth perception.

Now add in some new head positions and goofy 3D vision and it makes for some interesting video as you can see below!

My girlfriend Jodie showing me how it is done!

My attempts

I soon realized as soon as my head went down, I had no idea what the rest of my body was doing! Yikes!

I need to send a very special thanks to Olympic coach Pat at Minnesota Twisters for all the expert advice. She did an excellent job and if you are looking to learn gymnastics, check them out below

Minnesota Twisters

Mike T Nelson on Iron Radio this Friday
I will be on Iron Radio this coming Friday discussing
“Periodizing Training & Nutrition”

EVENT: Iron Radio With Mike T Nelson
DATE & TIME: Friday, April 3rd at 2:00pm Eastern
FORMAT: Simulcast! (Attend via Phone or Webcast — it’s your choice)
TO ATTEND THIS EVENT, CLICK THIS LINK NOW…
http://instantTeleseminar.com/?eventid=6770136
www.ironradio.org

Please tune in and send in some great questions! It will be a good time.

Special Request from Carl Lanore
Carl is the host of Super Human Radio and does an excellent job. Check out the interview on did with Carl on proprioception “2 Way Muscle Talk” a few weeks ago

Z Health, Proprioception, Neuroplasticity all on Super Human Radio

Carl recently did a very important episode, so see his comment below

“I have never asked anyone to help promote a show before… but this is different. The show that aired today has serious implications and ramifications to ALL OF US. Please listen and pass along to your members, friends and family. The link below is the permalink to this particular episode and will NOT change. Use this link when passing it along. Thanks in advance. “
Carl

Show # 277

03/20/2009

– MUST HEAR EPISODE – New Legislature Will Restrict Your Access To Healthy Food… This Is NOT a Hoax

Guest: Judith McGeary and Pete Kennedy

They’re at it again! Politicians and special interest groups. If they have their way we will all lose access to health giving nutritious foods AND the family farm will , once and for all, be put to death. You must listen and pass this show on to others NOW.

Download this episode – http://www.superhumanradio.com/rss/2009/SHR_Show_277.mp3

Thanks and any comments, let me know!
Rock on
Mike T Nelson

Just wanted to put up a quick inspirational video for everyone.

Below is Layne Norton setting a new APA Raw Deadlift record in the 220lb weight class. He deadlifted 3Xs his body weight! Although you would not believe it from the video below, Layne is actually a professional natural body builder, so powerlifting is not his main focus even! If you want to LOOK strong, it helps to BE strong.

Layne is also a PhD Candidate in Exercise Physiology working in protein synthesis research and runs his own training and business too. Everyone is busy and if you want to achieve anything you need to step up and get after it. Time is NOT an excuse.

Check out his website at http://www.biolayne.com/

CONGRATS to Layne!

What is holding you back?
Rock on
Mike T Nelson

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rfbholc2R2E&hl=en&fs=1]

Z Health Testimonial Time
Mike is like a miracle worker. One time I was walking with him and he asked me if I had ever been in an accident. I said no. Then he said, You walk funny. He had me do just a few odd exercises and suddenly my whole gait felt different. It actually felt smooth. I didn’t know it could feel like that. That whole episode lasted about 5 minutes. Unbelievable!

–Neil Erdmans, Team Strong Heart Race Across America (RAAM) Rider
Team Heartstrong finished 3rd in the 2007 RAAM

Mike’s notes
Thanks Neil! Some of the Z Health drills are kind of odd, but as Dr. Cobb likes to say “you should be able to make changes at the speed of the nervous system” which is VERY fast.

I was a crew member for the RAAM race that year, and it was quite the experience to say the least. Be sure to check out my blog posts about it below.

Race Across America Update!

Team Strong Heart places 3rd in RAAM!!

Neil just before the big race in 2007

Be sure to follow Team Strong Heart for 2009 RAAM!

Check out Neil’s blog at Nerdy Bike

Make It Easy
Here is the tip of the day based on a conversation I had with Frankie Faires awhile back.

Your goal in the gym is to make what you are doing look easy.

Your goal is NOT to make tons of noise, grunt, tighten your neck and have a few veins burst in your head. If that happens as a by product on occasion, I will let ya slide; but that is NOT the intended goal.

Watch elite athletes. Do they make it look hard or easy?
If they make it look easy, why are YOU making it look hard?

How do you make it look easy?
1) It is easy (so get stronger or more coordinated or both)

2) Practice like it is easy.

Now, this does NOT mean bad form. Perfect form! Does grinding your teeth so hard that your eyes almost close help you lift more? Or is this a learned response from doing many reps that way? I would go with the latter.

Here is a great deadlift video. Notice the crap ton of weight on the bar, notice the focus, but does he make it look easy or hard? For those that are bad at math, it is 937 lbs!

Blog update on Nerve Flossing
I did a post awhile back discussing how nerve flossing can increase range of motion, strength and ultimately performance (see below)

Nerve Flossing Z Health Style: I Can Rotate My Neck!

Todd at Better Movement has a whole 3 part series on it that is very well done. Check it out below
Nerve Flossing part 3

On to the studies!
2 awesome studies below along with my comemnts.

Check out my comments below each one

Effect of caffeine on the neuromuscular system – potential as an ergogenic aid.

Tarnopolsky MA. Departments of Pediatrics and Medicine, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON L8N3Z5, Canada(e-mail: tarnopol@mcmaster.ca).

The ergogenic effect of caffeine on endurance exercise performance is multifactorial; however, there is evidence for an effect on both the central nervous system and the excitation-contraction coupling of skeletal muscle. The increase in exercise performance seen following intracerebroventrical caffeine injection in rats provides strong evidence for a central ergogenic effect. The central ergogenic effect is not likely related to the ability of caffeine to promote wakefulness, but could be due to an increase in the pain and effort perception threshold. There is no evidence that caffeine alters peripheral nerve conduction velocity or neuromuscular transmission, and 1 study showed that motor unit synchronization was not altered by caffeine. Studies have also shown that caffeine can have a direct effect on skeletal muscle that could be ergogenic.

For example, patients with high cervical spinal cord lesions showed improvements in stimulated contractile force during cycling, in spite of the fact that they have no peripheral pain input and no sympathetic nervous system response. Two studies have found a potentiation of force production during submaximal stimulation intensities, and 1 found that the M-wave amplitude was not altered by caffeine. Together, these studies suggest that caffeine can enhance contractile force during submaximal contractions by potentiating calcium release from the ryanodine receptor, not by altering sarcoplasmic excitability. Furthermore, the potentiation of force during submaximal electrical stimulation is identical in habitual and nonhabitual caffeine consumers.

Conclusion: In summary, the ergogenic effects of caffeine during endurance activity are mediated partly by enhanced contractile force and partly by a reduction in perceived exertion, possibly though a blunting of effort and (or) pain.

My Notes:
Endurance training at a high level is all about “pain management”. While I believe that pain is very ergolytic (pain decreases performance), caffeine use may be a way to enhance endurance performance.

Like all things, if you do decide to try it out, pure anhydrous caffeine (No Doze) is the best way to go since you want to standardize the caffeine amount. Make sure you do in practice a few times and NOT before a big race!! Practice makes perfect.

Related posts
Research Update: December: Ergogenics-Caffeine and Asprin

Next study!

Caffeine and carbohydrate supplementation during exercise when in negative energy balance: effects on performance, metabolism, and salivary cortisol.

Slivka D, Hailes W, Cuddy J, Ruby B. Montana Center for Work Physiology and Exercise Metabolism (WPEM), Department of Health and Human Performance, The University of Montana, 32 Campus Drive, Missoula, MT 59812, USA.

The ingestion of carbohydrate (+CHO) and caffeine (+CAF) during exercise is a commonly used ergogenic practice. Investigations are typically conducted with subjects who are in a rested state after an overnight fast. However, this state of positive energy balance is not achieved during many work and exercise circumstances. The aim of this study was to evaluate the substrate use and performance effects of caffeine and carbohydrate consumed alone and in combination while participants were in negative energy balance pan>.

Male participants (n = 9; 23 +/- 3 years; 74.1 +/- 10.6 kg) completed 4 trials in random order: -CAF/-CHO, -CAF/+CHO, +CAF/-CHO, and +CAF/+CHO. Diet and exercise were prescribed for 2 days before each trial to ensure negative energy balance. For each trial, before and after 2 h of cycling at 50% of maximal watts, a saliva sample and a muscle biopsy (vastus lateralis) were obtained. A simulated 20 km time trial was then performed.

The respiratory exchange ratio was higher (p 0.05), or any of the other trials. When co-ingested with carbohydrate, caffeine increased fat use and decreased nonmuscle glycogen carbohydrate use over carbohydrate alone when participants are in negative energy balance.

Conclusion: When co-ingested with carbohydrate, caffeine increased fat use and decreased nonmuscle glycogen carbohydrate use over carbohydrate alone when participants are in negative energy balance; However, caffeine had no effect on the 20 km cycling time trial performance.

My Notes:
The use of burning more fat for fuel is referred to as the “Randle effect” The more technical definition is the inhibition of the oxidation of glucose by an excess of fatty acids. It appears that this study would confirm that caffeine does increase the use of fatty acids as fuel, but I am not convinced yet. If this is true, why was it not show in the caffeine but no carbs group? They pulled salivary cortisol levels, but did not report them in the abstract? Hmmmm.

See this related post

Will Caffeine Help Me Loose Fat? New Research

If anyone wants more info on this one, drop me a note in the comments section and I may have to do some further investigation. Or if you have already done that, I really want to hear from you.

Rock on

Mike T Nelson