Month: April 2009

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Proper Breathing During Weight Training

While beginners in the weight room have a tremendous number of things to worry about, one aspect of lifting weights doesn’t seem to get talked about enough: proper breathing during weight training.   While this isn’t a make-it or break-it kind of thing for recreational lifting, proper breathing is important for high performance.  There are also some safety issues to consider.  I want to look at them all.

It’s More Important That You Breathe Than How You Breathe

While “optimal” breathing during weight training will always give the best performance, it’s far more important to breathe period.  By that I mean it’s not uncommon to see people, generally but not always beginners, holding their breath while lifting.  This is especially true in the early stages when there is so much to be thinking about already.   What muscles are being worked, how quickly to lift and lower the weight, overall form, etc.  It’s a lot to take in.… Keep Reading

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What is the Optimal Rest Interval Between Sets?

People who are serious about weight training tend to become quite detail oriented, fixating on every aspect of training.  In that regard, a common question is what the optimal rest interval between sets is. That is, how long should a trainee rest between sets of the same exercise to best achieve their goals.

There is actually no single answer to this question.  Rather, various factors go into determining what/if there is an optimal rest interval between sets to begin with.  To examine this issue, I want to look at a recent review paper on the topic:

Willardson, J.M. A brief review: Factors affecting the length of the rest interval between resistance exercise sets. J. Strength Cond. Res. 20(4):978-984. 2006

The Optimal Rest Interval is Context Specific

As I mentioned above, the optimal rest interval, which I will express here in either minutes or seconds, depends entirely on the context.  Primarily it depends on goal of the trainee in that this tends to define the type of weight training being done to begin with.… Keep Reading

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Romanian Deadlift vs. Stiff Legged Deadlift

Having previously examined proper technique for the Clean Style Deadlift, I want to look at two related (and often confused) movement that are somewhat related to the deadlift. Those two movements are the Romanian Deadlift (RDL) and the Stiff-legged deadlift (SLDL).  Many in the field tend to use these two terms interchangeably but they describe two somewhat similar but ultimately very different exercises.

Why is it Called a Romanian Deadlift?

Let me start with a rather pedantic note.  The RDL is often referred to more generally as a flat-backed, semi-stiff legged deadlift, a description that will make more sense after I demonstrate how it should be done.

So you ask, why do we traditionally call it The Romanian Deadlift or RDL?

As the story goes, the Romanian Olympic Lifter Nicu Vlad was seen doing the movement in the Olympic Training Hall prior to either winning a medal, setting a world record or both. … Keep Reading

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Pros and Cons of Cardio for Mass Gains

An oft asked question is about the use of cardio for mass gains.   Various extremist standpoints exist on the topic but, as usual the truth falls somewhere in the middle.  More accurately, it’s better to look at potential pros and cons that cardio might have on mass gains.  Context, as always, is important and I’ll address the topic from that standpoint.

The Extreme Stances on Cardio for Mass Gains

At the extremes, I’d say two ideas about the impact of cardio on muscle mass gains exist.  The anti-cardio people argue that you should NEVER do cardio when seeking maximum muscular or strength gains.  Various arguments are made ranging from it cutting into recovery or the potential for interference between the two types of exercise.

At the other extreme is the idea that trainees should perform an hour of fasted low intensity cardio every day during mass gain phases.  The is usually suggested as a way to stay lean in the face of a calorie surplus. … Keep Reading