GET GOOD---THE GENIUS TELLS YOU HOW
by WINA STURGEON
Max Testa is the head of the Human Performance Department at TOSH, the Orthapedic Specialty Hospital in Murray, Utah. To Olympians, week-end warriors, wanna-be athletes and trim executives looking to make their bodies stronger, faster, and more powerful, he is the go-to guy with the answers. This is part two of Adventure Sports Weekly's exclusive interview with this well known conditioning genius.
"The most neglected muscle in most people are the abs," says Max Testa, a statement that would surprise the multitude of 'core' trainers who do hundreds of crunches at a time.
He explains that making the abs strong is a lot more important than making them look good, because the abdomen is designed to help respiratory movement; the real core of everything that affects the body. "There are exercises that are far more beneficial than plain crunches for people," he says, detailing a technique variation that will boost the plain crunch into a stratosphere of efficiency.
"When we try to strengthen the muscle that goes across the abdomen, we should suck the belly in while doing situps or crunches. Tensing the belly or sucking it in while you crunch will be very effective. focus on isolating the abdomen. You should feel it from the lower abs (just above the groin) to the diaphragm (between the ribs)," Testa explains.
He adds, "You can strengthen your abs even if you aren't doing crunches by practicing that tensing and sucking in of the belly. You can do that anywhere, even while driving."
Of course, your six pack of ab muscles may never show if there is a thick sheet of fat above them. Strong abs only show if the layer of fat over them is paper thin. There's no such thing as spot reducing, so all the crunches in the world will not make your torso look better if you're carrying an inch or two of fat over those ab muscles.
Another greatly neglected muscle is the spinal erectors, the two thick columns of muscle on either side of the lower backbone. These muscles have two functions: they allow you to bend and flex your torso, and they help support the weight of your back and upper body.
Well developed, strong spinal erectors also have another function, vitally important for anyone who is active and athletic: they help protect and cushion the spine in case of hard impact. A biker or skier who takes a hard crash will have much less chance of injury with strong spinal erectors.
The best exercise for developing these muscles is the 'good morning.' This is done by bending over at the hips with a bar resting on the back of the neck and shoulders, or a weight held to the chest. Never bend at the waist, the bend should be where the legs meet the pelvis. There should be no curve or bend in the back; as the upper body bends over, the spine should be totally straight and flat. Start out with no weight until you have mastered proper technique, because good technique is essential when doing good mornings. (Those with any kind of back problems should check with a doctor or private trainer before doing this exercise.)
Testa says that an athlete must keep a balance between the two components of any competitive effort: power and endurance. "If you are a cyclist, you want to train your heart and lungs a lot, but you can't forget muscles and joints. At the same time, if you are, say, a ski racer, you still need good cardiovascular fitness, because your heart and lungs pay the debt of any oxygen deficit that you generate with a one minute all-out effort, like in a race."
In other words, if you are making a sprint effort such as a hockey shift, skateboard or BMX run, or a final pop in a foot race; you will be able to put out max effort for a longer time if your aerobic system is in good shape so you can keep getting oxygen to your muscles once the anaerobic oxygen that supplies your power is used up.
Regardless of the sport, what is the optimum time needed to train for competition season?
Testa says, "It requires 12 to 16 weeks. Longer is even better. The key is to have an idea, to be honest with ourselves about what it takes to be good in that sport, and be realistic about the starting point."
For example, an Olympic hopeful bobsled athlete loved training on the running track. The problem was that bobsled requires being able to push an 800-pound sled quickly from a dead stop, and then the quick agility to jump into the moving sled. But this athlete just trained to be able to run fast for long distances, not for push power or quickness. when the test came, her Olympic aspirations were crushed because she didn't have the necessary skills.
Another part of training, whether for athletes or those who just want to make their bodies better, is being aware of adaptation.
Once you start using a regular workout routine, your body will quickly get used to it. That is the key to working out. You want to keep your body from adapting, from getting used to the stress of a workout, because that's the point at which all progress stops. If your biceps can lift that same old dumbell ten times with ease, why should they bother developing any more muscle? There's no need. Adaptation is the body's way of being lazy.
"If you're lifting a certain weight, you will notice that lifting it the same amount of times is not as challenging as it was three weeks ago. That means your body has adapted to that workout, so it's time to make a change. Change to more reps, or a heavier weight. Which change to make depends on your final goal. If you want strength, increase the weight and decrease the reps. If you want increased endurance, go the other way around," Testa advises.
Testa also describes the hardest, and most efficient workout anyone can do; but he cautions that before starting this way of working out, you must already be in good shape. You don't start off doing this if you are not already trained.
It's the circuit set-jump rope, circuit set-jump rope workout.
"Adding the jump rope to the weightlifting circuit will condition a little of everything. You do one set of resistance, then you jump rope for 15, 30 or 60 seconds, then do another and different resistance exercise set, then jump rope again. You keep moving so the heart rate never drops below 115-120," Testa says.
He explains, "Two components make it a very effective way of training. One is the plyometric effort. You bounce on your legs, so you load your muscles in the eccentric mode, which means they contract while they are stretching out." (Note: Muscular development actually takes place mostly in eccentric positions.) "Also, this puts a stress on your bones, so that is a good way to increase bone density. And then there is the cardiovascular effect. If you jump for a minute between resistance sets, you train your heart and lungs too."
At the beginning of this method of working out, you will hate it. You will be tired, irritable, and sore. But if you push past your body's resistance to going up to another level of fitness, you will be surprised and pleased with the result: the strength, endurance and agility that will make you better in every physical way, whether you are competing in a World Cup or just walking down the street.