The Future of Exercise Training: Programming with Biofeedback Videos
December 14th, 2009
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by Mike T Nelson · Filed Under: athletic performance
The Future of Exercise Training: Programming with Biofeedback Videos
This is the future of all training, exercise and program design. I know that is a bold statement, but training based on biofeedback is not brand new. It has been around as long as training itself, but virtually nobody does it on a conscious level.
What is Biofeedback
Biofeedback is nothing more than taking the information your body is giving you and then using it to dictate/guide your training. This can be heart rate, heart rate variability (HRV), range of motion, rating of perceived exertion (RPE), lactate testing, ventilation measures (metabolic cart), bar speed (Tendo), Omega Wave, etc
Andy Potts
Andy Potts used biofeedback exclusively for his training. To quote the Popular Science article “Andy Potts In less than five years, has morphed from an overweight former swimmer into a member of the athletic elite” This is someone who has competed at the Olympic level.
I Don’t Have Fancy Equipment
Notice that you don’t need fancy equipment for all the measures above. We will get to that soon.
What Is Optimal?
How can a piece of paper with your training program on it account for your TOTAL stress on THAT day. It CAN’T. You need some feedback. Great coaches do this all the time!
What you need is a template approach and then the freedom to modify it according to YOUR stress. That is optimal!
Experience?
I’ve been doing training based on this for about 2 years now. Sit back and enjoy his videos on the secrets to using biofeedback. Huge thanks to Adam for putting up the video in conjunction with The Movement. Look for much more on this coming soon, so stay tuned.
This Seems Too Mystical
It seems either too mystical or too obvious.
Exercise either makes your movement either better or worse. The choice is yours.
We want exercise to make you move better.
This gives us a way to see if that is true!
Biofeedback Videos
Programming with Biofeedback Part 1
Programming with Biofeedback part II
Programming with Biofeedback part III
Your Turn!
Now go out and DO this! Seriously, try it and let me know what questions you have. I know Adam is taking questions on it of course at his site
The Road Less Traveled
Leave me some comments and let me know what you learn! Time to take action!
Rock on
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I’ve been experimenting with this for the last month. Progress has never been better and I’ve never felt stronger. It takes the discouragement out of a workout. If I walk into the gym with a plan, but then I feel like crap or the lifts or weights I planned to move just don’t work that day, I used to either push through it badly or call it a day.
There is progress to be made every day, it just may not be with the movements I planned on performing. I’m still experimenting and will be back often with observations. Thanks MIke.
Thanks Josh! Glad you are liking the biofeedback testing! It is pretty sweet.
Kudos to you for taking massive ACTION and doing it.
Please keep all of us updated here for sure!
Rock on
Mike T Nelson
I must admit, I’ve never been more excited about anything I’ve encountered in fitness than this.
That being said, I’m skeptical …
I still can’t see the big picture.
Two things I don’t understand …
1. Exercise selection … How do you decide which exercises to test (how do you pick ‘the group’ of exercises you eventually pick your exercises from)… ie. Do you come into the gym every morning and test ALL major movements?
2. Do you begin testing after some kind of warm up?
Is there any chance of someone who does this putting up a few weeks worth of training sessions. I’d get a much better picture of what’s going on if I could see the exercise selection, set and rep selection over an extended period.
Cheers.
Mike,
I also find this really interesting and would be very keen on applying bio feedback to my ultra training. The thing i find is that there really isn’t very much information out there to use to structure things.
I like the idea of using science and daily manipulation of training for optimum performance versus the periodisation approach.
My training could be an interesting test for biofeedback. I am keen to take a chance with it for my 2010 ultra plans.
I am looking to use daily strength training using bodyweight (based on the core exercises in CC) which is conducted in the evening. For the running it’s important for me to mix in hill repeats, steady slow pace runs, tempo runs, and, back to back long runs. All running is conducted in the mornings.
Post Christmas i can use a high end heart rate monitor for my biofeedback.
The question then involves how on earth do you put it all together with so many parameters?
Any ideas or directions you can point me in?
As always your blog is an awesome resource – keep it up.
Rich
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Thanks for the super kind words Kira. Much appreciated!!
Your question
1. Exercise selection … How do you decide which exercises to test (how do you pick ‘the group’ of exercises you eventually pick your exercises from)… ie. Do you come into the gym every morning and test ALL major movements?
—I work off a template approach. Say I am trying to increase my deadlift (DL). If you believe strength is a skill as Pavel says, then you need lots of perfect practice! The downside is you can’t do the same thing every day.
I ran a DL cycle that looked like this
Pick 3 exercises that should help my DL. I picked 1) trap bar DL, 2) sumo DL, 3) standard conventional pull.
Every M, W, F, I would test all 3. Whichever tested the best is what I did for that day.
Other question
2. Do you begin testing after some kind of warm up?
Yes! I do a joint mobility warm up before very session, and then test.
Other question
Is there any chance of someone who does this putting up a few weeks worth of training sessions. I’d get a much better picture of what’s going on if I could see the exercise selection, set and rep selection over an extended period.
Yes, we are working on it. I’ve been using it for over 1.5 years now, so this not something that I just decided to do yesterday as always do my homework on everything I share here.
Go to http://miketnelsontraining.blogspot.com/
Go to around Nov of 2008 to get a good idea and look around.
I stopped recording everything online due to time constraints.
Hope that helps and let us know how it goes!!
rock on
Mike T Nelson
Rich,
Excellent question! The reality is that this will NOT sub for a coach, but will allow you to alter a template based on day to day stress.
A great coach can give you a HUGE head start on how to structure it, but still allow you to adjust it to your changing life.
In short, you will have to test each thing and see how it goes. Unfortunately, I can’t give you a better answer without knowing your injury history, current training status, etc.
If you get a new HR monitor and you can get one with HRV (heart rate variabilty), that is great! The high end polar ones (around $300 though) will allow you to export it to a computer also for outside analysis. I have used HRV in the lab and on myself and I am actually writing up 2 studies to be published on it.
From the lit. it appears to work quite well, but like all things takes some adjustment to get it implemented correctly.
Hope that helps and let us know what follow up questions you have.
I am excited to hear about you destroying your old times in 2010.
Rock on
Mike N
Hi Mike, how does this stack up versus the standard methods of testing max pullups for upper body and vertical jump/broad jump for lower body power? I take from these videos that this is more of a day to day testing scheme, but do you still implement max testing every 2 months or so?
Great question!
This is used to measure day to day variation and guide exercise selection to optimize it for that day.
Your training will determine which direction you are headed in.
Yes! Testing of goals is a must to determine if you are going in the right direction. You can scale a ladder really fast, but you want to make sure your ladder is against the correct wall.
Depending on the athlete, I will have them test every 3-6 weeks. If they feel great on a day, testing is good, speed of reps are good, then they will go for a PR (personal record) that day and not wait.
Hope that helps and thanks for the great questions!
rock on
Mike T Nelson
Thanks a lot Mike,
Now things are starting to make a lot more sense to me
I will check out your training logs over the next week or so.
Cheers!
Thanks for the follow up Kira.
Let us know what questions you have after you check out the training logs!
Rock on
Mike T Nelson
Hi Mike,
Thanks for the answer. I will email privately in time about my training and your coaching.
Rich
Sounds good Richard!
Rock on
Mike T Nelson
mike,
perhaps you could explain how this is not repackaging z-health assessments with a new name?
likewise why this testing is about abandoning a move rather than as in z looking at ways to tune the move to be strong and succesful?
i’m really perplexed that the seemingly obvious source to this approach isn’t being credited or distinguished from what you’re doing so will be keen to learn.
thanks mike
mc
Thanks for the comment MC and stopping by.
The reality is biofeedback has been around for a long time. While I can’t find an original source, coaches have been using biofeedback and movement to assess athletes for probably 100s of years. Track coaches routinely listen to athletes as they run and watch for form.
In Z-Health I first learned how to use gait as an assessment (which is taught in R Phase as you know). After talking to others and playing around with it myself, you can do the same thing on yourself using simple ROM. You can look back at my training journal for dates. Later it was taught at the Z Health 3 day seminar “Secrets of Elite Performance” and by that time I had been doing it (self assessment) for about 8 months.
Yes, you can of course use a Z Health drill to try to get an exercise to test better. You can do all sort of things in an attempt to get it to test better from doing any other form of movement/exercise, cues, etc. An advanced method is to use an intervention to get it to get better (which is what you pointed out). I have used mobility drills (Z-Health) routinely to improve form and testing; but this is a bit advanced for most people
Hope that helps
rock on
Mike T Nelson
mc,
Mike hasn’t answered your question to my satisfaction.
Eric did not originate ROM testing for movement,
whether that be small movement such as joint mobility
or large movement such as exercise.
I certainly did not “invent” ROM testing.
As far as I know, I was the first to use it in relation to movement…
especially in the arena of exercise selection, program design, etc.
NOTE:
(I did see Eric use it in relation to hands on therapy
or manual testing. FYI, in my opinion, most hands on therapy,
including T-Phase hands on therapy, is contraindicated.)
The reason why Mike was using this protocol
prior to the first time Eric mentioned it in public
was that Mike was one of my editors
for a program I produced called, “The Masterplan.”
I worked with Mike extensively on implementation of this protocol.
I subsequently worked intensively with Adam T. Glass, as well.
When used correctly, PRs occur EVERY workout.
Let me be explicit.
This is not Z-Health.
I was not taught this by Eric.
In fact, I informed Eric of the broad strokes of this practice
when consulting with him on a strength product.
He later shared this information at “Secrets of Elite Performance”for Dragondoor.
To the best of my knowledge, I was not cited as a source.
Unfortunately,
an overwhelming majority
of what I learned in Z-Health
came from other sources
that were not cited.
One more time so there are no more questions…
This is not Z-Health.
This is human physiology taken to it’s logical conclusion.
But that’s just my opinion.
The only way to know if it works for you
is for YOU to implement it…for YOU to test it.
mc,
I’ve noticed you ask a lot of questions.
Before you ask me another question,
ask yourself a question,
“How can I design an experiment to answer my own question?”
If you ask that question of yourself,
I predict you will have very little need to ask anyone any more questions.
think, act, think, act…
in that order…
not think, think, think, then maybe act.
Things have changed.
Action isn’t just for the movies anymore.
Good luck and for those of you who have tested it…
Good work!
Frankie Faires
mc,
I noticed I did not address one of your questions to Mike.
I will do so now.
Not all movements,
independently of how well you perform them
in z speak: “pain free, in balanced tension and relaxation, synchronized respiration, etc.”
are good for you all the time.
It’s not taught but
I’m surprised you haven’t surmised this.
While there are times to perform movements that do not test well for you,
in most situations, it is advisable to practice those movements that do test well
as opposed to simply bettering all movements you perform.
Move forward in whatever direction you can.
Thanks for filling in all the details Frankie.
Action first.
Rock on
Mike T Nelson
I’ve just started trying to incorporate this into my workouts having seen Adam Glass’s videos.
I have to admit I was/am a little sceptical, but there’s no denying that “something” is happening to cause ROM to increase decrease when the exercise at hand isn’t affecting that muscle group.
It’s taking a little getting used to, and there are lots of questions I have to answer myself to fine tune my approach, but I’m sure I’ll get there!
I’m allowing it to guide what exercises to do each day, and also, and I’ve found this just as important, to also guide how much weight / resistance to use with those exercises.
Awesome to hear Kris and thanks for the comment!
Yep, the biofeedback is some pretty crazy stuff and I am excited to hear about your progress; so keep all of us in the loop.
Look for more biofeedback info and a DVD to come soon (just a warning that I don’t know the final price on it, but I have been warned it won’t be cheap).
rock on!
Mike T Nelson
Great stuff Mike / Adam / Frankie! I too learned about ROM test/re-test at the DragonDoor-sponsored 3 day Z workshop where both Eric and Mike were in attendance, and have taken it pretty far now that I’ve gone through R / I / S… for example, I don’t need to do gross movements any more, such as forward flexion or shoulder / hip ROM, I can actually just do finger flexion-to-extension waves with one hand (and now actually just extending my fingers as if I’m doing a half-hearted wave), and this correlates extremely well and also looks less weird =)
I do this not only with new equipment (valslides test well for me, for example), but new hardware such as the Julbo Race sunglasses I’m wearing. I wanted the dark ones but those ROM tested poorly, and the Race lenses i’m wearing didn’t look as nice but tested great so that’s what I wear now really often. They actually often make a bigger difference than ankle tilts and valslide lunges, which for me have a moderate shoulder ROM impact (20-30 degrees). Not sure if this is because I have a supersensitive nervous system, but I can get ROM changes in my hands just by thinking about different courses of action, from protein source (beef, chicken, pork) to what shoes to wear today (VFF, Frees, or cleats) to how to sit and sleep and move (more flexion or extension today)?
It actually sounds pretty crazy but in combination with other factors which are hard to disentangle (for example eating more PN style rather than WD), my lifts and athletic performance are getting to new PRs–I did a good form hard-style TGU with 20kg the other day for the first time and will try 24kg just for curiosity later this week.
That said, I actually call this “nervous system biofeedback” in the blog post where I cite this entry:
http://ultitraining.wordpress.com/2010/01/11/on-core-training/
as biofeedback is everywhere, and focusing it on the nervous system / ROM seems to make it clearer as to what you’re actually doing. For example, I ignored this blog post and videos for a long time because “biofeedback” just isn’t specific enough or different enough to peak one’s interest, where as “NS biofeedback” has some ring to it =)
Thanks Frankie / Mike / AdamT !
Thanks for the comment and kind words! Biofeedback in all forms is the future of training.
Keep up the great work at your blog too
Rock on
Mike T Nelson
Great stuff!
No one explains it’s like Frankie.
I must say as the biggest skeptic to date of biofeedback/
movement concepts that this is cutting edge training for
now and for the future.
Wether you understand it or not (I didn’t) the results if
done as instructed are incredible. Frankie, Mike and Adam have to be some of the sharpest people out there when it comes to training knowledge.
Like Frankie said to mc, TEST it first, then ask questions.
“To be the BEST you must TEST!”
Thanks for the kind words Joe!
Glad to hear you are a convert now—nice.
Yes, testing is needed first. Results first, beliefs second (trying to figure out why)
Rock on
Mike T Nelson
The videos are private?
Yes, the videos now are private.
You can get more info by clicking this link
http://extremehumanperformance.com/blog/category/gym-movements-biofeedback/
Let me know what questions you have
rock on
Mike T Nelson