The Top 15 things I learned in 2009: A Year In Review

Greetings and hard to believe 2009 is done and gone! Wow, time is just flying by at an insane rate.
I wanted to share with you some things I have learned and did in 2009. I know this sounds like a me, me, me, pumping sunshine up my butt post, but (ooooh, poor word choice) I hope you learn some new stuff along the way. I also want your comments at the end as to what I can do to help YOU!

I also need to thank you again for all the great questions, comments and feedback.  Without it I would be at the exact same place I was in early 2009.

Thank you!!!!

Strap in and here we go. I get more than a bit ranty in places too; so you have been warned.

1) Nerve Flossing

I am not sure how much of what we currently see if from scar tissue. Maybe the body is shutting down function to protect the nerves? Maybe it is fascia? Hard to say really, but many times nerve flossing can have profound effects

Nerve Flossing Z Health Style: I can rotate my neck /

2) Can we erase fear?

Should we? Is that a good idea?
I’ve been interested this past year in how good of a motivator is fear?

At what cost?

How do memories get imprinted and what physiological costs or benefits are associated with it?

Erasing Human Fear Response New Study

Fear and Learning

3) Does endurance training help strength training?

I am thinking yes! Even powerlifters at Westside are rumored to do 7-8 seesions at minium a week. It seems that low intensity work helps promote more parasympathetic response which can aid recovery

Endurance Training Vs Strength Training

4) Five Finger Death Punch rule!!

Five Finger Death Punch is now officially one of my favorite bands of all times. I got to see them live twice and they are amazing.

5) A day in the life

My life is still insane, but I am not complaining.  I also realized writing up studies takes a lot longer than I thought. Hopefully (fingers crossed) the experimental work is all done. I have to admit I don’t miss getting up at 5am most of those days to get to the lab to test subjects.

I am extremely grateful to those that volunteered for the study. I don’t miss sleeping in the lab either (yes I did that on occasion shhhhhh).  I can guarantee one hell of a party once I graduate!  I have a 1994 Late Bottled Vintage of Warre’s port that I have been saving in my wine fridge for over 4 years that I am going to open.  Yes, I am a wine and beer snob!

Metabolic Flexibility Research and An Average Day

6) Deeply honored

I felt very honored and privileged to be featured in many different areas from

Super Human Radio, to XL Athlete (thanks Cal), presenting at the NSCA state conference, Mark Young Training Systems, Vertical Jumping .com, Adam T Glass’s blog, NickTumminello.com, DieselCrew.com, presented at the Z-Health Advanced Nutrition  Course (9s)  in AZ on Metabolic Flexibility, 2 presentations at the Z Health Master Trainer Certification in San Diego in early Jan, helped teach at the RKC and Z-Heatlh certs and met many many great people along the way.

Super Human Radio Mike T Nelson Visual Aspect of Performance
XL Athlete: How to Cue Exercises Correctly
Neuroplasticity and Opposite Joints Mobility via the Nervous System
Vertical Jumping Interview with Mike T Nelson: How To Increase Your Vertical Jump

7) This video makes me laugh every time!

hahahaha

8 )  Brain neuroplasticity is the future of all athletic training.

Performance is dictated primarily by the brain via a combination of
Eyes (visual) + inner ear (vestibular) + joints (proprioception)

I am very excited to see where this is at in 2010

Brain Neuroplasticity in Athletic Development

The concept of working on opposite joints is still amazing to me. Why this has not been picked up by others I have zero idea. I first learned of it in the Z Health R Phase and I Phase. Left knee pain? Check the RIGHT elbow. Right ankle pain, check the LEFT wrist. Seriously, try it out (yeah I know I am really flogging the dead horse by now, but this is seriously wicked cool stuff)

Neuroplasticity and Opposite Joints Mobility via the Nervous System

Neuroplastciticy: My elbow hurts and you want me to check my knee?

9) Treadmills still suck

Stay the heck off them.  Go get a TRX or kettlebell instead.  Plus that will save you some cash too!

Cardio bunnies and a stick to the hornets nest

Need I say more?  Heck, this is my blog so I will say what I want.

10) More Music!

I got to see one of my favorite bands of all time release a killer new CD and see them live here in Minnesota. I am talking about the band Hatebreed of course!

11) A New Home

I switched over to a completely new platform with a new design to help serve all of you better. I will admit that I was pulling my hair out during the transition time, but I really love it now and hopefully you do too!

12) Static Stretching Suck Large Moose Balls

Static stretching is worthless and overrated.

Do you want to spend doing time on something that

1) you don’t like to do

2) makes you weaker? Bueler? Anyone?

I think the only reason it is still around is that people don’t think there is another option. Do active joint mobility (I like Z -Health) instead and if done CORRECTLY you can get ALL the benefit and zero of the bad stuff.

The Death of Static Stretching

While I am ranting away, long duration (10-20 minute) holds of a static stretch is probably the worst thing I have heard.

Again 1) who is really going to do it (a few people) 2) now you are really making the muscles weaker.

Yeah, I understand the whole argument of
“my hip flexors are tight and my glutes are weak, so stretch the hip flexors and activate the glutes”
Perhaps, but in almost every case where an athlete complains of that, I test their hip flexors (psoas actually), it almost always tests weak via a manual muscle test and their hip function is hosed up big time.
A little mobility work on the ankle (navicular area) and boom–psoas tests fine, gait is much better, hips are moving better.

More people are getting into mobile shoes like Vibrams, Nike Frees, etc.  The Nike SFB boot for the military based is based on the flexible sole concept (which is awesome for my military, police and SWAT athletes)

Along those lines, Born to Run is the best book I read this whole year. Seriously, for any fitness person this is a MUST read. Highly entertaining too.

13) Lumbar spine (low back) flexion will kill you.

Ok, maybe not

Flexion of the lumbar spine will kill you.

14) Walk the Walk

I realized I was not listening to my own advice about setting goals with deadlines. Crap. So I signed up for a meet on about 4 days notice. Oddly enough I got 2 PRs (personal records) and realized what I had been mssing in my training
1) fun

2) purpose

EVERYONE NEEDS a coach! Period. And I happen to know somone that has a few openings in 2010 wink wink

USAPL Mike T Nelson Results and Lessons Learned

Saturday Strongman Training White Bear Lake Minnesota

15) Time is Precious

Time is the MOST precious commodity that we “own.” I am fortunate that I was able to learn that the hard way early in life.

Take action towards your goals NOW!

The Time is Now

Bonus item!  16)  Dream It and Do it

As you know, I proposed to my soon to be wife this past July.   We had dated for 2.5 years at that point and once I knew she was the one (about 6 months in), I had it in my head that I would propos to her on stage at a Project 86 concert since that was our first official date and I am a big fan of the band.  I had no idea how I would make it happen, but fast forward 2 years later and we were in Arizona to see the band I was still frantically talking to the lead singer minutes before walking into the venue.  See the link below for how it turned out, complete with video!

Mike and Jodie are getting married (caught on video)

Special thanks to Jodie for a wonderful year and cheers to many more–I love you!

Coming in 2010

Biofeedback will revolutionize training as we know it now and make it accessible for everyone. Yeah that is a shameless plug for a product coming soon, but I’ve spent the last 2 years using it, researching different forms of biofeedback both in my lab (the Extreme Human Performance Center) and a real physiology lab (HRV studies on Monster Energy drink in college students) even longer than that.

The Future of Exercise Training- Programming with Biofeedback Videos

I need YOUR help

What do you want to see from me in 2010? How can I help YOU? When else do you get to pick my brain for free. Place a comment below and let me know help YOU reach YOUR goals.

Rock on
Mike T Nelson

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Busting Broscience: Does Increasing Testosterone and Anabolic Hormones with Exercise Equal More muscle and Strength?

Anabolic Hormones = More Muscle (Hypertrophy), Right?

You hear this in gyms everywhere,

“Dude, to get huge you need to get your test levels up higher”

or this one

“Brotha, you can’t workout any longer than 45 minutes or else you will go completely catabolic  bro!”

What? Is this true?

Have I been wasting all these years in the gym lifting longer than 45 minutes?  Do anabolic hormones from exercise matter for building muscle (hypertrophy)?

Where is the research?

I think the answer will surprise you.

In short, anabolic hormones from exercise don’t do much of anything for muscle growth.

from the study referenced below

“We report here that, despite being exposed to substantial differences in purportedly anabolic hormones such as testosterone, GH, and IGF-1, the rate of MPS (my note, this is Muscle Protein Synthesis, so adding protein to muscles to make them bigger) in identically exercised muscles was not different.

These data demonstrate that local factors are paramount in determining not only the signalling pathway activation but also the response of MPS.

Furthermore, our results indicate that increases in MPS are able to occur without increases in systemic anabolic hormone concentrations and are not enhanced by the acute elevation that can follow resistance exercise; this finding is in agreement with previous work from our lab showing that increases in circulating hormones are not necessary for hypertrophy (Wilkinson et al. 2006).”

Dave Barr from Muscle and Fitness and I geek out completely and discuss hormones and their effects in the video below.   This was filmed from the ACSM 2009 Annual Conference and I had a blast there.  I went there for a relaxing vacation (literally).

More Info!

Listen to the MP3 below for all the details and what you can do to improve your performance.  It is time to put this one to rest and there is even data going back to 1975 also (McManus et al.)

Quick Summary

I just added this part since I have recieved many good questions on it

Large muscle movements (squats) DO result in higher blood levels of anabolic hormones (testosterone, etc).  BUT these transient, acute (temporary) increases do NOT lead to greater OVERALL muscle mass.

Will squats increase leg strength and size?  YES, but it is most likely from LOCAL factors (MGF, etc) released at the site of most tension (legs).

This applies if you are in the normal range for testosterone.  If you are very low, testosterone helps.  If you use exogenous steroids (which are illegal), those help too–you are going outside of the normal range.  There is not any difference (based on a handful of studies) currently to show being high normal is better than mid normal.  In the studies conducted, the work performed was fixed, so we don’t currently know if your baseline levels are higher, can you do more work and get a better result?  Probably, but that is a different question.

In short, focus on the stimulus first (weight training) before anything else.   Work to bet better at lifting more weight (load), more times (more reps and thus more volume) in a shorter period of time (density = volume/ time).

Also see this post below

Supplements

To Naturually Increase Testosterone

More is not always better.  Better is better

Let me know what you think by posting comments as always.  Comments make me all warm and fuzzy.

Rock on

Mike T Nelson

REFERENCES

Resistance exercise-induced increases in putative anabolic hormones do not enhance muscle protein synthesis or intracellular signalling in young men

We aimed to determine whether exercise-induced elevations in systemic concentration of testosterone, growth hormone (GH) and insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) enhanced post-exercise myofibrillar protein synthesis (MPS) and phosphorylation of signalling proteins important in regulating mRNA translation. Eight young men (20 ± 1.1 years, BMI = 26 ± 3.5 kg m^?2) completed two exercise protocols designed to mai

ntain basal hormone concentrations (low hormone, LH) or elicit increases in endogenous hormones (high hormone, HH). In the LH protocol, participants performed a bout of unilateral resistance exercise with the elbow flexors. The HH protocol consisted of the same elbow flexor exercise with the contralateral arm followed immediately by high-volume leg resistance exercise. Participants consumed 25 g of protein after arm exercise to maximize MPS. Muscle biopsies and blood samples were taken as appropriate. There were no changes in serum testosterone, GH or IGF-1 after the LH protocol, whereas there were marked elevations after HH (testosterone, P < 0.001; GH, P < 0.001; IGF-1, P < 0.05). Exercise stimulated a rise in MPS in the biceps brachii (rest = 0.040 ± 0.007, LH = 0.071 ± 0.008, HH = 0.064 ± 0.014% h^?1; P < 0.05) with no effect of elevated hormones (P = 0.72). Phosphorylation of the 70 kDa S6 protein kinase (p70S6K) also increased post-exercise (P < 0.05) with no differences between conditions. We conclude that the transient increases in endogenous purportedly anabolic hormones do not enhance fed-state anabolic signalling or MPS following resistance exercise. Local mechanisms are likely to be of predominant importance for the post-exercise increase in MPS.

Elevations in ostensibly anabolic hormones with resistance exercise enhance neither training-induced muscle hypertrophy nor strength of the elbow flexors

The aim of our study was to determine whether resistance exercise-induced elevations in endogenous hormones enhance muscle strength and hypertrophy with training. Twelve healthy young men (21.8 +/- 1.2 y, BMI = 23.1 +/- 0.6 kg(.)m(-2)) independently trained their elbow flexors for 15 weeks on separate days and under different hormonal milieu. In one training condition, participants performed isolated arm curl exercise designed to maintain basal hormone concentrations (low hormone, LH); in the other training condition, participants performed identical arm exercise to the LH condition followed immediately by a high volume of leg resistance exercise to elicit a large increase in endogenous hormones (High Hormone, HH). There was no elevation in serum growth hormone (GH), insulin-like growth factor (IG

F-1) or testosterone after the LH protocol, but significant (P < 0.001) elevations in these hormones immediately and 15 and 30 min after the HH protocol. The hormone responses elicited by each respective exercise protocol late in the training period were similar to the response elicited early in the training period indicating that a divergent post-exercise hormone response was maintained over the training period. Muscle cross-sectional area increased by 12% in LH and 10% in HH (P < 0.001) with no difference between conditions (condition x training interaction, P = 0.25). Similarly, type I (P < 0.01) and type II (P < 0.001) muscle fiber CSA increased with training with no effect of hormone elevation in the HH condition. Strength increased in both arms but the increase was not different between the LH and HH conditions. We conclude that exposure of loaded muscle to acute exercise-induced elevations in endogenous anabolic hormones enhances neither muscle hypertrophy nor strength with resistance training in young men. Key words: testosterone, growth hormone, IGF-1, anabolism.

Skeletal muscle leucine incorporation and testosterone uptake in exercised guinea pigs.

McManus BM, Lamb DR, Judis JJ, Scala J.  Eur J Appl Physiol Occup Physiol. 1975 Aug 15;34(3):149-56.

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Play Now:

 Hormones Needed for Muscle Hypertrophy? [12:31m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

The Science Behind Biofeedback

I’ve been getting some great questions regarding biofeedback as of late, which is awesome. I am glad to see others asking questions and taking action. Kudos to you!

One of the questions has been around the science of biofeedback

• Is there any science?

• What does the science say?

• Who is this Mike T Nelson character and is he qualified to answer any of this?

• Why is he wearing a lab coat?

Find out below

Mike T Nelson Background

The Science of Biofeedback

Comments

What are your thoughts? Leave me a comment below and let me know!

Rock on
Mike T Nelson

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Revolution Is My Name

I trust your Christmas was a great one! Jodie and I took off both Sat and Sun to celebrate Christmas and a rescheduled Christmas Eve on Sunday due to snow. For all the Scandinavians out there, you will be proud to know that my Dad’s side of the family still serve lutefisk on Christmas Eve. While I do not partake in that tradition, it is still alive and well (and smelly too).

I will have some great stuff coming up this week and an important video tomorrow on Biofeedback for all those that requested it, so stay tuned for that!

Revolution

It is time for a revolution, kills the gurus and make the best training progress of your life.

To kick it off, here is some old school live Pantera. I so miss seeing Dimebag Darrell play guitar. He makes it look so easy.

I actually saw him play with the band Damageplan about a week or so before he was killed on stage. My good buddy the Rev David J Ciancio was actually at the same show and I was supposed to meet up with him and the band later that night; but as it turned out they never left the tour bus for a night on the town; so we did not meet up.

Freaky to think he only had a few days left at that point. You never know when your time is up.

The time is now!

Pantera “Revolution is my name”

Rock on
Mike T Nelson

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Merry Christmas to everyone and time for feats of strength!

This is the Christmas edition and tons of great stuff.  I trust that you are having some great times with family and loved ones, so take time to enjoy it.

Here is my Holiday video for you!

Motivation

The Great Kaz is probably the greatest strongman ever. If this video does not get you excited to go lift something heavy you need to check out your pulse!

Notice how easy he makes it LOOK. These feats are FAR from easy, but he is making them look easy. The squat is over 850 lbs I think and the deadlift is around 800 lbs (around the 2:30 mark).

Flipping cars–no problem! Pulling semis—bring it on! Wow.

Maybe it is the hair?

Festivus PRs

I am a huge Seinfeld fan, so I am sure you remember the Festivus episode. From the wikipedia entry on it says

“the holiday’s celebration, as shown on Seinfeld, includes an unadorned aluminum “Festivus pole”, practices such as the “Airing of Grievances” and “Feats of Strength”, and the labeling of easily explainable events as “Festivus miracles”.

One of my goals for 2009 was to deadlift 425 lbs (no belt) by the end of the year. I had planned to do that in a meet in July, but I ended up not doing a meet until September and pulled 413 lbs, then a few weeks later at the TSC pulled 420 lbs. I put my DL on hold after that and began to work on my squat since I felt it was holding my DL back (and was very weak). Fast forward to recently and I had planned to squat today, but noticed that I still have not made my DL goal.

I went into the Extreme Human Performance Center (my garage) and tested my DL using biofeedback. It tested great. Whoo ha. Warmup at 135, 225, 275, and 315 –all felt great and tested good. 365 came up fast and tested well. On

to 405 lbs. 405 in training most of the time is hit and miss, but it came up the fastest yet; so 425 was within reach and I made it.

Notice that I still need some hip work near the top as my hamstrings were shaky, but overall it felt pretty good (most PRs are never perfect).

It is a Festivus Miracle!

Deadlift PR Video (music by American Head Charge)

Your Festivus Miracle

I want to hear about YOUR Holiday “Feats of Strength” by placing a comment on what PRs (Personal Records) you have broken recently. Any PR counts, so post away! I want to see ATLEAST 10 comments here.

Happy Holidays
rock on
Mike T Nelson
PS
If you don’t have any PRs to report, I have 1-2 spots open for online training. Email me HERE.

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