Anabolic steroids: the dark side or just the real side.

Would you like a Dianabol with your chicken? 

Of course, it was an inevitability that this topic was going to come up. Steroids to bodybuilding is about as relevant as wheels to a car. There are many federations and categories you can compete under for bodybuilding and also "natural" vs "non-tested" shows. The latter to me makes perfect sense, if you decide to enter a non-tested show, then you have free reign over what you want to take, because it's a level playing field. So I guess there are two questions here; 1) ethically, how do you stand taking performance enhancing drugs? 2) the associated health issues. 

Question no. 1 seems easier to answer considering the categorization of the shows. Entering a "non-tested" show implies you understand the rules. (We'll get onto "natural" later!) People will be taking illegal banned drugs to increase muscle mass and decrease body fat far below what is probably attainable naturally. Like most spectator sports, the focus is taken away from talent. People want to see a show, they want to see freaks and the unobtainable. I am a complete newcomer to the sport (being only 3 months in), so at best all I can do is convey how I feel about steroid taking at this point in time. I am 15 weeks out to my first non-tested competition so the prep and diet has started. (The way I feel about protein right now, is enough to turn me vegetarian).

Training in a bodybuilding gym obviously keeps you in touch with others competing but probably also completely out of touch with the rest of reality. It is excellent anthropology. Bodybuilding is an aesthetic sport and scoring/winning is about direct comparison to others in your category. If all the others are taking steroids, it is going to put you at a significant disadvantage. I think it is imperative to be very clear about your own values when doing a show, because this will ultimately change how you view your placement in the show. Is it enough to get up on stage looking the best you can be?  or do you want to be competitive? For a few I think the answer is yes but probably the majority, that is not enough. Answering that question honestly, at least gives you some control over how you are going to feel about the outcome.

Unfortunately I'm hardwired to be competitive, sometimes that's a good thing and sometimes not so good. I think in truth, I would be disappointed to place low in an amateur show and so you can see how the temptation initiates. Most sports seem to be self selecting, so those even interested in doing a show will have to have certain genetics and a certain psychology to tolerate the routine and the diet. From observation, I expect part of the drive and motivation also comes from deep insecurities. I personally don't think insecurities are bad at all and everybody has them. If used as a motivator, they can be very useful.

This show is a pure physiological and psychological experiment. It is unlikely I will do another one, but even so, the temptation to take "something" is certainly there, because I know I will stand up on stage in June looking the best I can, but it won't be comparable to the others in my division (Fitness). I was naive to think "bikini" and "fitness" categories are devoid of chemical enhancement. I assumed these physiques were attainable naturally but I think perhaps I was wrong!
The ethical issue of steroid taking when everyone else is taking I have no problem with, but the health issues, I do most definitely have a problem with.

What exactly are you taking?

What has really come to light from a little bit of "street" research I have done, which is mainly talking to competitors and trainers, is how hard it is to get hold of legitimate product, because most of these are sold on the black market. There really is no way of knowing what you are going to get. The side effects of most androgenic anabolic steroids for women, is virilization effects; deepening voice, hair growth where you don't want! hair loss where you do! clitoris enlargement, acne..... There are some less androgenic female friendly steroids like Anavar (Oxondrolone) and Winstrol, which are only mildly anabolic, hence with correct dosing are not meant to illicit such severe side effects. They are used as more of a hardening drug in the "cutting or fat stripping" phase before competition. The idea, is to maintain lean muscle mass whilst reducing fat mass, something that is hard to do in a period of calorie restriction and certainly as women start to get below a threshold body fat %. So, that all sounds fine in theory other than getting hold of legitimate Anavar is actually extremely difficult. It is also one of the most expensive steroids to produce and buy, hence even more opportunity for reducing quality control. (As far as I am aware, there is only one laboratory in Mexico now producing high quality Anavar, labelled Xtendrol). This then creates a problem of dose control as you just don't know what is in each tablet, furthermore there may not be uniform distribution of active ingredient in a single tablet, presenting problems if you want to half or quarter doses.

Dosing: Use or abuse

Once you make the decision to take steroids, dosing is key. I believe that if you are smart and adhere to sensible guidelines using a quality product the damage maybe reversible once you stop a cycle, depending on how many drugs are being stacked or cycled. Again, this is purely an opinion based on my belief about the bodies ability to regenerate if looked after and allowed to regenerate. Many people get good results on anabolic steroids, but they are using them sensibly and not abusing them.
Where I stand on it at the moment is I'm not prepared to take the risk when I can't be sure what and how much I'm taking. I certainly don't judge those that do, I can see how easy it is to take them. Side effects and duration of side effects experienced is very individual, some experience no side effects but I'd rather not take my chance. So it adds another complexity to this already complex sport, where I believe it is a given that you will NEVER feel you are ready before you go up on stage even if you are stacked up to the eyeballs on gear and cutting agents. I'm game for the challenge and believe me, it is one, but the best I can do is prepare myself for that feeling of inadequacy.

It does make me question where the reward comes into it. I can't answer for others, but I hugely enjoy the training and the camaraderie. I enjoy the graft and the hard work. I expect this may well be linked to the dopamine-reward system. There is a nice paper about the role of dopamine in the journalNature.
A selective role for dopamine in stimulus-reward learning.

It makes me wonder how much control you really have over behaviour or are you at the mercy of your own biochemistry. I'm not going to have the debate on "free will" here but there is something very compelling about training for this, something very addictive. I have to keep "logical" check on maintaining a healthy perspective a lot more than I had thought.

My understanding so far is drug use is rife under pretty much all federations and all categories from the less muscular categories (bikini, fitness) through to full on bodybuilding physique. It is used in both natural and non-tested shows. Those competing in "natural" may just be clean for a few weeks before the show date. The loopholes continue to astound me. The drug cocktails also continue to astound me. Perhaps I won't be so shocked in another 4 months. Whether the motivation to use is a short cut to hard training and hard dieting or the fact that these physiques are simply unachievable or both, I don't know. In the larger, more muscular divisions that much is obvious, the amount of muscle mass that needs to be displayed for men and women and what people want to see is beyond what can be done naturally; but in the less muscular categories like "bikini" and "fitness" I had hoped these were physiques that were attainable on a bit of fish oil and chicken. I think I was just being naive. Genetics will take you so far and then its "nurture" through synthetic compounds!

Be clear about the goal

Satisfaction and disappointment seem to be intrinsically linked to the goal, so being very clear about that can help to at least offset some mental anguish created from extreme tiredness and calorie restriction! My goal is to compete "roid" free in a non-tested show and to use it as a platform to see just what my limits are physically.  I think in reality, mistakes will be made (many) in terms of training and diet and also what the judges want to see so I won't even feel that I am at my best. What outcome would I be pleased with.... I think to be honest, just RELIEF that its over!!! and then maybe a bigMac.

Anabolic Hormones and Bad Science

The timing of my visit to see Dr. Keith Stokes, an Exercise endocrinologist at the University of Bath coincided with reading the book, Bad Science by Ben Goldacre. I like this book and will often read it again every 6 months or so and it makes me unfortunately rather aware of how hardwired I am to regress to the mean of not very systematic thinking. The chapter is called: Why clever people believe stupid things.

He sums up the following observations about how the human mind is  hardwired to be biased.
It's interesting, funny and quite true, so I shall quote him!

• We see patterns where there is only random noise

•  We see causal relationships where there are none. 

•  We overvalue confirmatory information for any given hypothesis. 

• We seek out confirmatory information for any given hypothesis. 

• Our assessment of the quality of new evidence is biased by our previous beliefs. 

I also love this quote by Darwin:

Whenever a new observation or thought came across me, which was opposed to my general results, to make a memorandum of it without fail and at once; for I had found by experience that such facts and thoughts were more apt to escape from the memory than favourable ones. 

I am probably one of the worst people to make assumptions. I do it all the time, making split second judgements on people or cherry picking facts to strengthen an argument, omitting those that don't. That's survival in the real world, when time pressures mean you can't always compile all the facts, but I am still a scientist at heart and I balk sometimes at my own ability to draw really bad conclusions because I want to believe it. My education was in Microbiology and Molecular Biology to MSc level and I confess that does not make me a good scientist, in fact I was dreadful at the practical stuff and had more success in killing things than I did keeping them alive. In spite of this, the process and practical experience does teach you to be critical.
The scientific method isn't perfect and there are many questions it can't answer, but it is a good start. It's a systematic approach which is a good one and even in a field like strength and conditioning research where people often defy all scientific principle there is an essential place for it. These results contribute to a knowledge base for the coaching process, based on some combination of: what you know(5%), what you think you know (75%) and guess work! (20%)

Dr. Stokes, whom I went to see has been working in the field of exercise endocrinology (study of hormones) for the over a decade. It was a fantastic opportunity to get a more scientific viewpoint and a really different opinion to mine, which is I believe it has large implications to training adaptations.

Another Opinion

The really interesting take home message from talking to Dr. Stokes, is he has found no strong evidence to suggest altering anabolic hormone profiles within their "normal" range has an effect on building and maintaining muscle mass. There is no doubt that extreme levels of hormones below or above the normal range do bring about physiological change but there doesn't appear to be a dose - dependent response within the norm; whatever that is! In addition, how these hormones work and what exactly they do is unknown as well. Growth hormone, for example is often touted as the elixir of life for its cell regeneration capacities and increase in muscle mass and fat metabolism, but yet there is no strong evidence that it does increase muscle mass. It's primary role is thought to increase the cell turnover in collagen and hence increase mass of connective tissue; tendons etc. This increase in collagen is a possible reason for why it increases size of muscle. Jury is out on its role in fat metabolism.

Whether these findings or lack of, is because of flaws in the methodology or because that is genuinely the reality, who knows and I think that is where we start to see the limitations of exercise endocrinology. It is very difficult to identify causality, which is what athletes, coaches, practitioners and scientists want to know. The new direction for trying to illicit answers is looking to molecular biology in the muscle itself (rather than circulating blood), gene regulation and proteomics. In terms of practical implications, nutrition and timing is proving efficacious too. Dr. Stuart Phillips has done some interesting work with timing and dose of protein. It is worth a read; Protein consumption and resistance exercise: maximising anabolic potential.

The problem of causality

The question is then, what can exercise endocrinology actually show us in relation to anabolism of muscle? The best one can hope to do is create associations and correlations but causality is really really difficult to deduce. A good example of this, is the following study looking at testosterone and cortisol levels in elite and non-elite women.
Comparison of baseline free testosterone and cortisol concentrations between elite and non-elite female athletes. (Cook, CJ, 2012).  The elite women had significantly higher (over twice as much) resting testosterone (87pg/ml) compared to the non elite women (41pg/ml).  Cortisol was also higher in the elites (2.90ng/ml) than the non-elites (2.32ng/ml) P<0.01.

Determining why this may be is really tricky to answer. Perhaps these elite women genetically had higher baseline levels anyway? or is this a consequence of a training effect? Again, we see these differences in hormone profiles in trained versus non-trained women with regards to growth hormone. Trained women have the ability to lift heavy weight, thus creating an adequate stimulus to illicit an increase in anabolic hormone. Untrained women simply can't lift enough absolute weight to bring about these adaptations. So..these correlations are really interesting but what actually can they tell you about how to train subject groups.

To add more confusion about how to view hormones and put them in context, Dr. Stokes thinks there maybe an alternate hypothesis about testosterone. Rather than it being an anabolic hormone in the direct sense, it may increase "readiness" to train, focus and therefore the ability to maximise a strength training workout. It is the hard effort which then brings about muscle catabolism and anabolism. Rather like how pre-workout supplements are designed to work.

Everything has a place

In conclusion, manipulating certain hormones through training, may not produce as much of a stimulus for muscle growth and strength gains as previously thought because the upper limit that can be produced naturally just may not be enough. (However, I expect there are super responders that defy that law).
There is no doubt that chemical enhancement beyond these limits i.e injections of a lot of exogenous hormone, do produce big gains in muscle mass and conversely medical conditions that cause very low hormone levels also result in big physiological changes. I can contest to this after a concussion caused a malfunctioning anterior pituitary, plummeting growth hormone levels and a loss of 10kg of muscle mass in a very short space of time.  So, it seems hormones and their effects are easier to study at their extreme ranges but within a normal range it's a damn sight more tricky.

Of course there are others who advocate that training does and can alter hormone profiles dramatically but again can we ever really know what is causing what?
I don't know if my opinion of the importance of hormones has been swayed but what I have realised is I need to be a little more critical of what I read, knowing that there is a limitation to what certain studies can and can not tell you; that people are humans and not muscle cells or rats and consequently complex and very difficult to study!! I also believe I fall prey to bad science  because I am  admittedly biased, probably attributed to from a very unpleasant personal experience. It is amazing at how powerful belief is and how easily it can override rational thought. Placebo effect for a start can verify that.
And then it is a matter of knowing when the scientific method is essential to apply and when it is not. Dealing with people is not always scientific at all and trying to answer questions of the heart and motivational issues are not best by applying logical thought.
So I think, forming good conclusions requires thought of what is the best system or systems to answer it. Deciding whether to give credit to scientific information for incorporation into a coaching method requires scientific reasoning but how you convey that information to a person probably requires a very different approach- sometimes even telling them the opposite of what you want them to do!!

Project 2: Bodybuilding: The very beginners guide

Now that the elation of completing the Fan Dance is over, my hands and feet have restored to normal body temperature and the post traumatic stress of Snickers bar overload has dissipated, its time for my
next project; the Bodybuilding contest. This is  where I will compete in the category "Fitness Model" on June 1st at the 02 arena in Greenwich. I realised that this may well be akin to a "Jodie Marsh" situation but I hope not. At the end of the day, anyone who willingly gets up on a stage in next to nothing with a perma tan, open to the relentless criticising by perfect strangers has to have some balls. I have gotten into boxing rings for fights, where you are judged on your fitness, technical ability, courage and heart but I have never been on a stage like this. I wonder whether I will cream in......

A little bit on confidence

So the conclusion is, this will really test my confidence, an attribute which often waxes and wanes even without any added pressures.  I like to think I have evolved with time and failure to derive confidence from things other than appearance, because "looks" come and go and then one day they just go!! Confidence built solely on this is not good for one's morale. I am however by no means immune to the fat day but I have come to understand its relative place in ranking of importance. I was taught this lesson after losing my health for the first time aged 28. It took 2 years to recover and a complete loss of self at the same time. So rebuilding it, requires a different perspective.
So with this in hindsight, the whole concept of training for aesthetics is really foreign, because I value training for function. It's strange and bizarre and most definitely a challenge. The training is hard and the psychological game is relentless. The key I think to maintaining sanity is maintaining perspective, but I expect there is an inverse proportional relationship with calories consumed and sense of perspective! This is where the brutal honesty of loved ones to tell you when you are being a narcisitic asshole becomes crucial. A good friend is one that will tell you this!

I have done 3 months now of general training and no dieting, just to get into the routine of strength training properly, but now the pressure starts with a 16 week build-up which is fairly standard for a show preparation.
I have thrown myself into this project by training at Metroflex gym in Lower Sydenham which is fantastic, a no frills gym predominantly used by competitive bodybuilders and well... just really big blokes. I most definitely felt out of my comfort zone on the first visit for obvious reasons; a lot of very muscular men and very few women! but it now starts to feel like home. Like minded, genuine people, training hard with a distinct lack of BS! Being predominantly really solitary in nature (97%), I have to admit I like the graft. If there is hard way or an easy way, I usually take the hard way because the reward is in the feeling of having really earnt something. Perhaps this is why I like the gym, I like the work ethic. The last 3% of my character is actually really extrovert; the yin and yang of human character. So this part I will have to tap into whilst parading in diamante.

The advice and support given to me at the gym has been fantastic and the lesson learnt here is I am doing more things wrong than I am doing right.

Lesson 1: Lets get the definitions straight

My definition of cardio is not the same as a bodybuilders definition!! I have always been a enthusiast of high intensity (HIT) training and being of decent cardiovascular fitness (CV), a fast paced run will often constitute a cardio session. In the bodybuilding world, the priority is diet and training. Energy conservation is therefore retained for weight lifting. Recommended cardio for bodybuilding is 30-60min fast paced walking at 65% MaxHR AFTER a hard lifting session, which has depleted glycogen stores and every other kind of store! The idea is to tap into fat metabolism but retain maximum muscle tissue. The finer points of muscle retention in response to exercise intensity often presents my brain with problems as there doesn't seem to be conclusive evidence about which is best; ultimately because people are different and respond differently. HIT training, as effective as it is for "CV fitness" I find depletes me of energy and requires longer recovery, so with the added volume and load of weight sessions, low intensity CV may well be the way to go. This allows maximum focus to go into weight training. I've not ever done it this way but we'll see!

The psychological implication of this is I have to learn "reigning in". It's hard and I find myself quite chatty, often terrifying the poor bloke next to me on the treadmill, in attempt to distract myself from 1) the boredom and 2) the lack of perceived effort. I fall into that category of all or nothing, so learning new moderate behaviour is a challenge.

Lesson 2: The diet

Good lord the diet. It's so so important and yet again I have continued to get this wrong for about 3 months. The main problem is not getting enough protein. This isn't a post to bore about food menu's but perhaps more to share errors and explanations for lack of progress. 1.5g protein per 1lb body weight is a lot compared to what I used to eat so its a really conscious effort to think "chicken!!" I have found keeping a food diary helps keep everything real. Its amazing how well the human body and mind can deceive itself, especially in emotional states, so writing EVERYTHING down has proved to be my truth serum.
I am NOT enjoying those protein shakes but finally settling on a brand called PHD is a compromise, it is no way delicious but it doesn't illicit the gag reflex either. Egg Protein and Pea Protein was an experiment and really not one to ever be repeated.

Finally 

Lesson 3: The Trap Bar

I love this!! An alternate way of doing deadlifts which is kinder to the lumbodorsal musculature.

A hunk of metal has now become my new best friend!

Project 1: The fan dance - Done but not dusted!

Hmmmm where to begin;

18th January 2014: 8.30am Storey Arms.
Weather: Clag, gale force winds and horizontal rain. 

Recounting this story from approximately 6am on the morning of the event would culminate in me appearing like a complete maverick with very bad admin so I'm going to omit the "prep"; thank goodness for poetic licence.

I've been training for a few months for this event so it was very nice to see how my training strategy paid off.

The event http://www.thefandancerace.com/ was a 26km loaded march over the Brecon Beacons. This route is used in the military SAS selection, a there and back (nav free) route that is basically just a thrash. Luckily us civvies only had to weight bear 25lb (females) and 35lb (males), plus food and water. I think I would have creamed in if I had to carry anything heavier. There is also a non weight bearing category called clean fatigue.

However, I was very pleased to see when I finally stumbled over the finish line the time on my watch was 3:35:00s, so 24 minutes faster than my first attempt. This placed me 1st Woman and overall 5th, out of 320 load bearing competitors (500 total competitors).
The weather, needless to say was absolutely appalling with cross winds of 40-50mph up on Pen y Fan.
There is no doubt that this event is really hard and is universally viewed this way. There were a lot of people falling arse over elbow en route and the only problem with this type of falling over is when you have the weight of a small child on your back, there is no getting up quickly and often relies on the help of a passer by to pull you up. In fact, a very kind chap bought me a bottle of beer at the finish when I had to scoop him up after he face planted into the bog.

Collecting my prize from Ken Jones the organizer; Hair!! Proof of high winds and not a pre- race perm. 

What worked from a training perspective

1. Time on feet: It doesn't need to necessarily be at pace but being accustomed to 3-4 hours on your feet on tricky terrain in crap weather is very helpful. I would often walk for 9-10 hours non stop, at least once every two weeks.

2. Split the route into sections and run these sections at faster than race pace e.g do half of the route at a min/mile faster than target pace and then just walk the following half. Experiment with pace at different sections of the route.

3. General strength training 3-4 times a week; 4 sets of 12-15 reps, compound exercises like deep squats, lunges, step ups, chest press etc. Get used to putting heavy weight through the spine (barbell), as it seems to work a treat on the spinal stabilising muscles and preventing knee and back issues.  It is also great core training, without doing a single sit-up. I didn't get any hint of a niggle the whole way through the event or training for it. I did however have to live with 4 months of DOMS (muscle soreness!).

4. Always train with a backpack with weight; the optimum for myself was 5-11kg. More than this didn't work well. I trialled 15kg on a training run and it was a disaster.


A word on nutrition....
Honestly, I think jelly babies and dairy milk buttons are the way to go. Sod the "techno" gel, I keep cutting my mouth on those foil wrappers. In error, I force fed myself half a snickers bars every 30min and 72 hours later I still have post traumatic stress induced by that dry combination of peanut and chocolate. It's an overwhelming feeling of asphyxiating from trying to eat a frozen chewy nutty bar and breathing whilst running. NOT to be repeated. Snickers is the "fan dance" enemy.
I have to admit I only drank about 30ml of water the whole race and that was stupid because I managed to get cramp in my adductors and quadriceps not surprisingly after the transition between downhill running off Pen y Fan and a short ascent just before finishing. It is not pleasant and trying to walk out cramp, not only is it severely painful but looks something like the "ministry of silly walks". Not dignified and I suspect wholly avoidable. The cold didn't help but hydration is something you have full control over.


All in all, this is a fantastic event. Great camaraderie and a real test of mental and physical endurance. The race was really well organised and I take my hats off to the race marshall's that made sure no one walked off a cliff top or died of hypothermia. A big thank-you to them!

The art of suffering is to do well!

What I also realised was how easy it is to suffer when you are doing well. Although I didn't look at my watch through the race, I was aware of my pace and relative position so I knew I was doing well. It is no surprise that to push and suffer is not difficult when you are doing well. The reverse is when you are not on target with your goal, then you are going to experience real pain! This is when ones fortitude is really tested, justly summed up by Mike Tyson's quote "It's all very well having a plan until you get punched in the face". But in all honesty, morale was high doing this.

I hope I can conclude that good preparation and training has paid off. It doesn't always work that way but a good amount of time spent on that route, replicating race conditions in diabolical weather seemed to have worked. It also helps that I love the Beacons and it is always a treat being there.

So, I can sign off from this event... until the next one! 20th July.

Sun, cactus and Olympic track and field athletes

Happy Christmas!

I just returned from a trip to the World Athletic Centre (WAC) in Phoenix, Arizona for a coaching apprenticeship program (Link below). Under it's umbrella are some of the world's best track and field coaches and athletes. Resident coaches include Dan Pfaff, Stuart McMillan, Andreas Behm and Nick Sheuerman.   It attracts the highest of high calibre of athlete in the sprints, hurdles, jumping and throwing disciplines. Aries Merritt trains here, the 110m hurdler who took Gold in the 2012 Olympics. So, please excuse me if I sound a little star struck but I felt the luckiest of lucky to be mixed in with such a great group of really hard working individuals. I was also humbled once again as I decided to join in the warm-up one day. God forbid those photos NEVER surface!

It was a fantastic week and I'm still processing the huge volume of information I acquired, although jet-lag is making even writing my name difficult. Below is a few learning's from the experience. 

Beauty is in the simplicity

WAC operates from the track at the Paradise Valley Community College, which is a state university. The athletes then go to Athletes Performance (owned by Mark Verstegen), about 1 mile away to do a Weights room session straight after the track session. The Community college had it's own fitness facility, average age was about 65. I used this gym daily and loved it. I had to put this picture in because it was so inspirational. This chap was 79 and using battling ropes much better than I was!

A 79 year giving it some!

But lets not get distracted by OAP fitness, back to high-level Sport.......

What I really noticed was there was a distinct lack of high tech equipment, force plates, timing gates and every other conceivable electronic gadget for the week I was there. There was a track, athletes, coaches and massage coaches. That was about it.

But what there was, was plenty of high quality training and coaching. Everything was about precision and technical mastery, subtlety of movement. The knowledge behind every simple cue or instruction was vast. There was also a LOT of track side physical therapy. I think this was one of the biggest learning's for me; the high priority that is given to a good dynamic drills based warm-up and mobility. 

Supple like a Leopard by Kelly Starrett is a good starting point for some really good mobility exercises. I rate it.

The 45 min warm-up included at least 20 minutes of myofascial stretches. There is another good book called The permanent pain cure by Ming Chew. These exercises are based on Guy Voyers work, a renowned doctor and therapist. This is something I have been playing around with over the last year and was really encouraged to see it in practice at WAC. 

Track side therapy at WAC

Know when to outsource a problem 

No one can be a master of all trades but it is relatively less effort to identify and befriend those that are truly excellent in their fields. The more autistic and on the spectrum generally the better. One of the interesting things about Dan Pfaff as a coach is he has a really good network of; Biomechanists, Endocrinologists, Biochemists, Molecular Biologists, Exercise Scientists and every other "ist" and "ologist" out there. Not least because they know better what research is credible and what isn't and how to analyse data.

My network is growing but I outsource all my mathematical, IT and data analysis problems to my brother, an Actuary, who is truly excellent. I discovered this was probably best after realising my limit was a quadratic equation.

This brings me onto the next point

Fascia

Following on from mobility and myofascial stretching, we can get more specific with the lumbodorsal fascia. 

My previous understanding of the role of Fascia was in force transmission, however reading Serge Gracovetsky's work on Spinal Engine Theory reinforces just how important it is for human movement and hence the high priority the coaches at WAC place on myofascial stretching and mobility. There are some good and quite funny YouTube videos of his lectures. I have added this on at the end of this post. 

The functional role of the lumbodorsal fascia was elucidated only relatively recently. Classic works on the myofascial system were carried out by Harry Farfan (1970’s), Bogduk (1980’s) and Vleeming (1990’s). As a consequence of this research, the gradual evolution of a mathematical model came about to explain the problem of redundancy of the spinal muscles. The model persuasively explains why the lumbodorsal fascia can help a human lift loads as heavy as 250kg, despite the fact that the erector spinae in an isolated context can only lift 50kg. Even factoring in intra-abdominal pressure to stabilize the trunk, such pressure would have to be over 20 times human blood pressure, hence an impossibility for only this to account for the reality of what is possible.

The role of the lumbodorsal fascia is to minimise stress on the spine by offloading force to other structures in the musculoskeletal system. Its role is therefore not only to offload force but is essential to the survivability of the spine. The properties of fascia will also explain why “instability” is so important in human design and the fact that instability is a benefit to movement and mobility.

Collagen which makes up fascia is visco-elastic in property, with 1/3s time constant. The implication of this is any static holding of position will result in loss of function. Effective use of fascia therefore relies on cycling or “oscillating” loading and unloading of collagen and muscle. This allows tissues to rest and recover to maintain spinal stability.

Gracovetsky proposed through his model that lordosis was the single most important factor to control distribution and transfer of forces between fascia and muscles, followed closely by trunk flexion.
This is supported by the human gait model proposed by Frans Bosch, whereby he postulates the importance of pelvic oscillation to efficient loading and unloading of leg and hip musculature.
Different degrees of trunk flexion affect the distribution of load through fascia and tissue and this has huge implications for teaching Olympic lifting or weight training and running, since pelvic position and trunk position will determine to what degree muscles over fascia do the lions share of the work. This not only has implications for injury management but energy costs, as work done by fascia has a low metabolic energy cost. 

Trunk flexion and pelvic tilt modifies the distribution of forces through the fascia and erectors spinae. The oscillation occurs at each step and delays the onset of fatigue.

Observation of teaching cues at WAC, it was very apparent the high level of technical instruction. The volume was kept low but the emphasis was in the detail, the “how”- technical mastery. Subtleties of movement were emphasised and the all too well known debate of what to do about a pelvic position that is hyper-lordotic was revisited with the opinion from Dan Pfaff that is should ALWAYS be retrained to a neutral position. The rational can be explained through the above, whereby oscillations from a starting “neutral” position allows more mechanical work to be done by fascia compared to muscle. 

It did make me rethink this notion that the pelvic "tuck under or tail tuck" that occurs during deep flexion in a squat is poor form. Another opinion and it is only opinion! is the actual "tuck under" is an automatic safety response to lifting heavy and protecting the spine, as it is a way of "tensioning" the posterior chain. The angle of trunk flexion would make sense to optimise fascial use. It is what precedes it that is the problem. The hyper-lordosis or over curving of the lumbar spine places a big emphasis on the lower back musculature. It is likely that the hyper-lordosis magnifies the "tuck under" as there is then a bigger angular magnitude of change. Just a thought.


Preserving spinal health by minimising forces will be of high priority and this is likely controlled subconsciously to a large degree by the central nervous system. Whatever position that looks like will be the “best” position for that athlete, so there is no anatomical perfect position. It all comes down to function for that specific task. Loss of lordotic control or loss of integrity of the fascia should be of huge importance when considering the management of the athlete and hence the time and priority given to physical therapy at the WAC. 

References

GRACOVETSKY, S. 2008. Is the lumbodorsal fascia necessary? J Bodyw Mov Ther, 12, 194-7.

http://worldathleticscenter.com/

YouTube clip part 1 of 3 lectures on Fascia by Serge Gracovetsky. 

Overcoming fear....just as important as a maximum strength squat.

This blog for me is essentially about understanding limits; both physical and mental limits. It is my passion. For me, the enjoyment comes from the learning process associated with putting myself through discomfort. I hate to say it but I would probably do all these things behind closed doors with nobody watching. I'm certainly not devoid of ego but doing something for a sense of curiosity creates a very different sense of fulfilment.

Climbing is one such skill that I have been learning....slowly (a work in progress) that by far pushes those mental limits because it forces you to face fear! and I have oodles of this. In fact it makes me re-write the whole book of "self" as I have discovered things about myself, which only come out when you are truly "gripped"! One thing is for sure, you can't predict how you will react in an"epic" until you are in it.

You can climb with strength up to a certain grade, but beyond that it is very difficult to advance without a whole new arsenal of techniques and mental reserves to battle against the inevitable fear of heights and falling.
The skills learnt from embracing and facing fear are so valuable it makes me question the whole ideal of limiting Strength and Conditioning practices to just weight room stuff.
When you are writing Strength and Conditioning programs for Sport, the idea is to optimise transference of strength into the chosen Sport. It requires careful consideration and justification of why you are incorporating certain exercises. For example: How well do the strength gains from doing deep overhead squats translate into Sprinting? Is it necessary or relevant for that particular athlete? and why?
The skills learnt from climbing and facing fears for me have been monumental and transfer to a multitude of disciplines. The book "The Rock Warriors Way: Mental Training for Climbers" by Arno Ilgner elaborates on this.

Climbing helps you understand movement

To climb well (I definitely do not), a good understanding of the basic principles of physics and movement need to be understood. Centre of mass (COM) placement, gravity, etc. Pretty much all good climbers understand these principles of movement. Keeping your COM over your toes is going to give you stability and balance. A subtle shift of hip position can make all the difference to the success or ease of a move. I talk about this is my earlier post "subtlety of movement".
Creating "tension" in the body and co-ordinating body parts helps create a powerful move, like how power lifters use "pre-tension" to facilitate lifting.


Commitment

I also learnt about Commitment - Commitment to a move. This is quite different from a "sort of" ambivalent affair. What I'm talking about is 100%, absolute commitment and intention to making a move. I understood the difference between 80% commitment and 100%, half way up a route in North Wales where all my choices had run out. I was leading a route, it was only a bolt clipping Sport climb route and relatively safe, but to me that was enough fear. The next bolt upwards was closer than the one below. Down climbing wasn't an option and falling off wasn't a great option either as the run out was about 10m, because I had gone off route and missed a bolt. My modus operandi is normally to cling, scream, swear, shout, cry and then repeat all of the above until I have exhausted myself of angst and I can just about summon enough strength through fight or flight to move. Unfortunately that strategy has worked remarkably well because I'm strong, but there comes a point where you move up in grades and pure muscle ups just don't work. You need more than just brute force and testicles - a place I'm very unfamiliar and very uncomfortable in.

So.....forced to try something new, I decided to re-focus, pay attention and work out how I was going to make this "crux" move possible. Recalling my GCSE physics, I knew I had to get my COM over my foot  in a move called a "rock over" and I had to do it quick and do it with intent. What I experienced in this particular moment was peace in the face of adversity! When all the adrenaline and tears had run out, focus remained which I used to really work out what I had to do in that moment. I made the move. I haven't climbed since (JOKE!).

Happy and smiling in the comfort zone, being "hauled" up granite

Sulking and feeling "gripped"

Not good for morale, seeing this before a climb!
A true test of peace in the face of adversity!

There was a sincere lesson learnt here. In an ideal world, you can't always get the "appropriate" level of fear delivered to you. Fear in climbing  and fear of heights is very normal, so all you can do is change your approach to that challenge. Be responsible for controlling anxiety levels so you can function calmly through the chaos. It is a lesson that I have found absolutely invaluable to life. When you need to and you pay attention to calming down and focusing on the task at hand and how you are going to do it, it is truly incredible what you can do.

It does make me wonder whether addressing the "fear" factor through climbing or whatever skill you choose maybe just as valuable as any S&C weight room session. Clarence Callender, Head Coach to the young Sprinters I work with always talks about them having "fear". Powerful block acceleration starts if done correctly elicit the "stumble" reflex in running, but it produces a very strong feeling you are going to fall flat on your face. Most don't like it. Fear of lactate is another, for strength endurance track sessions. One of the sprinters has by no means optimal sprint mechanics, by that I mean poor, yet he is fearless in mind and runs times just as good as the others.

This is where I believe "numbers"  and "statistics" in training are important. It creates belief. I am the last person to be number crunching anything but numbers are facts and therefore proof of ability. The body likes proof. It can get this through timed results if that is your sport or the execution of a "move" etc. Once that proof has been provided, the belief system gets strengthened and ability to commit becomes easier.
You also see it when other people carry out seemingly impossible physical feats that previously had not been done, like Roger Bannisters breaking of the 4 min mile in 1954. Actually that is a bad example because the commonly believed myth that hundreds broke that record within the same year is not true. Within 2 years, only 4 people had broken that record; Landy, Tabori, Chataway and Hewson. (This statistic is still argued). Not quite the explosion of records but still, the point stands!

Can I justify packing off seven adolescent boys to the climbing wall so they can sprint better? Possibly not in terms of strength gains transferring to sprinting, but understanding movement and facing fear to me are a hugely important part of succeeding in life and Sport and part of the process of being "consciously competent". It doesn't need to be climbing, but thinking outside the box in terms of activities that can transfer fundamental skills like these is not to be underestimated.

Project 1: Glamour on the Fan Dance

"Glamour" on this particular occasion can be translated as yet another undignified moment on the Fan.
Training for this event has certainly created many of these moments, thankfully not all have been witnessed by people, but unfortunately there seems to always be some herd of Welsh wildlife to look over the mishaps.

My theory is that spending a good proportion of training time at slightly above or as close to goal pace is the way forward for this event, adhering to the laws of specificity.
On this particular training run I decided to run (yes run) with 5kg of weight (less than a half of the 11.4kg weight target) from the turn around point back to the storey Arms. So half of the event, but I think the worse half.
I had pre-decided that this was going to be a balls out maximum effort so heart rate, sweat rate and breathing rate was to be at an all time high.
Every time I train here, I learn a new thing about myself and this time, I was amazed at how appalling I sound when I'm exerting myself. It was a sort of sound half way between being strangled and hyperventilating and seemed to get some very sympathetic looks.
I'm also amazed at when you are truly motivated to do something, the effort level seems to drop significantly despite working really hard physiologically. I discussed this in "fighting fatigue with fatigue". 3 hours of sleep, a 4 hour car journey and a bag of Haribo was my preparation, so
in theory, not particularly conducive to feeling good. Despite this, morale was high and lassitude was diminished by the sudden sharp gale of icy cold air into my eyeballs. In the end I clocked 1hr 34mins. It was hard but I was pleased with that. Training is paying off.

Part of the reason for my unwavering motivation for this event is a huge admiration and love of the Beacons. I have been coming here for years and can potter the hills on my own quite happily for hours and days. It provides a mental respite for me even in the most atrocious of weather. Time spent here has solved many a problem and brought me back to life when nothing else could. In terms of a test of physicality I really think it has it all; requirement for strength, fortitude, grit, resilience and so much more. But I have choice to retain the love of these hills. I would have laid down a long time ago cursing the gradients and terrain if I had to do the full SAS selection. Sleep deprivation, cold, hunger, proper load bearing, night nav..... tough.

Lessons learnt

When I mentioned an "undignified moment" I was referring to a "knicker chafing" situation which occurred because of my maverick attitude of ignoring proper advice about wearing appropriate clothing and underwear. Ah.....the glamour of a fitness model. I did endure the chafe but after I had done the training run I thought to hide in a shrub and take care of this delicate situation, only to fall down a hill and into a river. Great.
The thing about certain "faux pas" moments is there is no possible way of recovering your dignity. This was one of them. Even the sheep and horses looked shocked.
The lesson learnt here: WEAR APPROPRIATE CHAFE FREE CLOTHING, but when you can't do this, nappy rash cream works a treat!

A horse with "post traumatic stress" from witnessing a "faux pas"

Learn to count
In the previous post I talked about training to overcome mental fatigue and skills to learn to "tolerate" effort. I was always told to count "sheep" when I was little to get to sleep. It failed miserably when I was small but strangely works rather well now. It is a way to focus the mind on something "neutral" that is neither good or bad. It also helps keep rhythm. I'm also just learning what a commonly used tool it is. People say "oh I've been doing that for years". The variations might be counting, or doing maths problems or word problems. Anything to focus and distract the mind from "discomfort!".
I like counting to 100 and repeating. Any more than this I lose count and anything more complicated like doing quadratic equations I just quite frankly can't do. When I get tired, even 2 + 2 seems like a monstrous task.

Osprey Backpacks and Dachstein Gloves. 
Need I say more..... A good packback is invaluable for comfort. Comfort = good.
These gloves are fantastic for warmth. Traditionally used for mountaineering, made from oversized wool which was then boiled to shrink to a thick felt. Similar to wearing two adult sheep on your hands but not so good for waterproofing unfortunately. Perhaps a Tesco plastic bag over the top might help.

Osprey Talon 44 - Good for the job

Dachstein Mitts

I love this ridge

So there we are, a practical no frills guide to how to survive the Fan. Count sheep (literally!), wear sensible knickers and work as hard as you possibly can. Easy!!