3003: Four Ways To Train Longer and Harder by Eric Bach of Bach Performance on Fitness Training Advice

[00:00:01] Wenn jemand Charles und Melanie gesagt hätte, dass sie nach ihrem Tinder-Match gemeinsam einen Channel mit Crazy Aufgaben starten, also wirklich crazy, fünf Tage auf einer einsamen Insel verbringen, eine Zipline an einem Gurt runterrasen, eine Million Views knacken, eine Wand mit Saugnöpfen hochklettern und Fallschirm springen in Ägypten? Das hätten die beiden niemals geglaubt. Aber das ist das Ding mit Tinder. Es führt dich an Orte, die du nie erwartet hättest. Wohin es dich auch führt. It starts with a swipe. Tinder.

[00:00:29] Kennt ihr auch diesen einen Freund, der morgens einfach so ruckzuck aus dem Bett und danach aus dem Grinsen gar nicht mehr rauskommt? Der sogar noch vor dem ersten Kaffee unverschämt gut gelaunt ist und mit der Morgensonne um die Wette strahlt? Furchtbar. Ekelhaft. Wie kann man nur so... Ausgeruht sein? Ganz einfach. Trainiere deinen Schlaf und werde auch du zum Morgenmenschen. Mit der Galaxy Watch 7 oder dem Galaxy Ring und der Samsung Health App. This is Optimal Health Daily.

[00:00:57] 4 Ways to Train Longer and Harder. By Eric Bach of BachPerformance.com And I'm Dr. Neil Malek, reading you some of the most popular health and fitness blogs out there, with permission from the websites of course. And always with my commentary at the end. For now, let's keep this intro nice and short. And let's get right to today's post as we optimize your life.

[00:01:23] 4 Ways to Train Longer and Harder by Eric Bach of BachPerformance.com Flashback to two years ago at 4.30am. I rolled out of bed and took a few ginger steps. My knees that used to crackle are stiff and achy. My shoulder, same deal. And early morning training? Well, I used to be able to wake up, run to the gym, and just start hoisting weights. I knew it was dumb, but I did it anyway.

[00:01:53] Sound familiar? Now, I don't want to seem like I'm whining. I realize my age, and list of aches pales in comparison to many. But I hear friends, clients, and members of the Bach performance community talking about the good old days in the gym, when they could lift non-stop, party, and still hit the gym with reckless abandon the next day, and set personal records. Now, it's as if they're a shell of their previous selves, washed up, done, and retired. This is what I often hear.

[00:02:22] My knee is always sore. I'm done squatting. Or, my back is jacked up from deadlifts. I'll just take the week off. You know, from all physical activity. Or things like, Man, I can't get this tendinitis in my elbow to go away. I'm just gonna skip the gym altogether. Use old lessons as a stepping stone. The way I see it, the good old days aren't a thing of the past. They are a stepping stone to more intelligent training.

[00:02:52] Rather than accepting mediocrity, every training issue is an opportunity to find a new route to the same destination of a high-performance body. Working with a number of ex-athletes over the years and becoming one myself, I've re-evaluated my approach to training to optimize performance and physique for the long term. After all, with age comes the chance to combine experience with wisdom to optimize the most important factor for long-term success. Consistent, focused training.

[00:03:22] With some tweaks to my coaching, I've been able to help clients get over their aches and pains to improve performance on their own terms, regardless of age. Whether you're new to the iron game, a seasoned vet, or somewhere in between, these tips will accelerate your high-performance gains while preserving your body for the future. One, there are absolutely no absolutes. That said, listen to these absolutes. You must do the big three,

[00:03:51] deadlift, squat, and bench press. Or, if you don't squat to grass, you're a chicken-legged chump and have no shot at getting big and strong. Or, how about this one? You must drink a post-workout shake or your workout will be wasted. Sound familiar? I grew up reading absolutes. While some of this may be considered good advice, life is far too chaotic for absolute advice to be absolutely true. You might not be able to squat to grass

[00:04:20] due to a pre-existing knee injury. Or, different bony hip anatomy. Or, you lose core integrity below parallel, forcing your spine to flex and round, potentially causing severe injury. You see what I mean? There is no absolute best way for everyone. You have to find what works for you and get awesome at it. Two, focus on posture and proper biomechanics. Despite our efforts in the gym, the sad truth is, most of us have poor posture

[00:04:50] due to extensive time sitting, punching endless keys on our iPhones, and scanning email. Shortened, tight hips, rounded shoulders, and forward head position all open the door for imbalances and issues throughout the entire body that are exacerbated by unbalanced training. As it pertains to your training, tight hips make hip extension nearly impossible with lumbar extension during sprinting and hinge movements. Or, poor thoracic mobility makes it impossible

[00:05:19] to lift overhead without feeling like there's an ice pick in your shoulder. As Greg Rospkopf, founder of Muscle Activation Techniques, or MAT, says, joint position dictates muscle function. Focus on putting your body in the best anatomical positions and let your muscles do the job they're meant to do, rather than excessively loading tissues for functions they're not designed to handle. 3. Spend more time working on speed strength

[00:05:48] I love lifting heavy as much as the next guy, but years of heavy loading takes its toll on your body. Even more, heavy, near-maximal loading is extremely taxing on the central nervous system. Now, think about what happens after a period of heavy lifting and overreaching. It's similar to the average middle-aged professional. You're mentally stale. You need four cups of coffee to get back to equilibrium. You don't sleep well, hence the extra coffee. There's an increase in cortisol, which is a stress hormone,

[00:06:17] a decrease in testosterone, making you irritable and low energy, and by all means weaker, and a depressed immune system, making you more likely to get sick. See what I mean? Keep the heavy days few and far between, and do most of your work between 65 to 85% of your one repetition maximum. Move the bar as fast as possible, instead of going to 80 to 100% of your one rep maximum. Going for a new max is fine,

[00:06:45] but realize the similarities between your stressful lifestyle and hard training, and learn to balance them out. Instead of going for a new max all the time like a supercharged 18-year-old, stay submaximal and explosive for most of your training. You'll stay strong, minimize joint stress, and keep your mind and body sharp, rather than beaten down and lethargic. 4. Bodyweight Training Like any other mode of training, you need progressive overload on basic movements.

[00:07:15] Unfortunately, most lifters dismiss bodyweight training after learning what the bench press is, and see other dudes curling in the squat rack. Plus, once you're able to knock out sets of 30 push-ups and 10 or more chin-ups, things get boring, right? Well, you're right. In their basic form, simple bodyweight exercises won't provide enough tension to create overload in the muscles for further adaptation, unless you advance their variations. Instead of a chin-up,

[00:07:44] add a weight vest or dip belt. Heck, start progressing towards a one-arm pull-up, a truly impressive feat of strength. Add weight to your push-ups, start doing suspended push-ups, or start busting out one-arm push-ups like Rocky. Ab wheel rollouts, sprints, jumps, pistol squats, front levers, natural glute ham raises, single leg hip thrusts, and their variations are all high-performance exercises that can be done nearly anywhere, anytime,

[00:08:14] and in most cases, pain-free, compared to spending more time underneath the bar. Advance your training variations and use bodyweight training for strength, rather than endless high-rep sets. If you're not already working on a few of these exercises, add them in today and work towards the hardest progression possible. High tensile strength. As I mentioned, you can continue to train safely and make progress for decades to come, if you take the right steps.

[00:08:43] And while pain is an unavoidable part of the iron game, dysfunction and decreased training quality isn't the inevitable badge of honor most meatheads play it off as. The first thing you need to do is realize there are no absolutes in training. Find out what works best for you. Lifting lighter and more explosively with bodyweight exercise is a great option. You just listened to the post titled

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[00:10:35] and start selling today at shopify.com slash OHD. Go to shopify.com slash OHD. Shopify.com slash OHD. Dr. Neil here for my commentary. When Eric was describing how some individuals scoff at performing bodyweight workouts, I almost laughed because I was one of those. For the longest time, people would tell me that

[00:11:04] I would need to try a bootcamp style workout to see how amazing it was. But I would just ignore them, thinking I was the smartest person in the room and stuck to my routine of lifting heavy all the time. Yep, I knocked it before I tried it. I should mention this was around the same time that after years of lifting heavy weights, I was told my body still looked exactly the same as it did before I started lifting. At parties, I would meet people that I hadn't seen in a while and we'd exchange pleasantries like,

[00:11:34] so what do you do in your spare time? I would proudly announce, I work out a lot. They would pause, look me up and down, and say, really? I can't make this stuff up, I promise. So I finally realized it was probably time to try something new. I finally decided to give bootcamp style workouts a try. The first class I enrolled in consisted of all bodyweight exercises performed at a fast pace anywhere from 30 seconds up to one minute.

[00:12:03] Jumping jacks, sit-ups, push-ups, squats, holding various plank positions, and then repeating these moves over and over for 45 minutes, all without holding a single dumbbell or barbell. The first few classes, I almost passed out from fatigue. I remember, I had to stop in the middle of some of these workouts and elevate my feet because I was sure I was going to die. I was truly humbled by the experience. But by class number four, my body started to adapt.

[00:12:32] The moves became easier. And better yet, my body started to look differently. Now, I regularly incorporate bodyweight workouts into my routine. I used to suffer from tendinitis in my left elbow. I thought I would never be able to bench press ever, ever again. But now, it doesn't bother me. I, of course, still incorporate heavy lifting days and perform all of the traditional strength moves like deadlifts, squats, and bench presses, and so on. But,

[00:13:01] my elbow doesn't bother me anymore. And, when I'm not lifting heavy, I look forward to a really fast-paced, bodyweight-only workout. And I always finish feeling accomplished. All right, that'll do it for me for today. I'll be back here tomorrow for our usual Friday Q&A. So, stay tuned for that where your optimal life awaits.