Q&A – 2

Happy PR Friday
List your weekly personal bests for the week as well as training updates.
This week, post your lifetime PR for whatever goal you have, and how close you are to breaking it.

Mooy M. asks on the Facebook Fan Page

why should i take fish oil? and why the fuck am i eating like mad, training my ass off and still keep being skinny fat? is there a 70s big gen missing?

Dear Mooy,

Fish oil is a natural anti-inflammatory and contains EPA and DHA. For our purposes, it probably helps with systemic recovery and some people point out that it improves joint pain. It is also said to help with insulin sensitivity, but I admit I haven’t read about this in a while. I think the Wiki page did a good overview.

As for you “eating like mad” and still being skinny fat, I really can’t say. Eating copious amounts of food is not always the answer to improve muscularity, and it’s also very dependent on your program. Are you training your body as a system every day? This would include large lifts like the squat or deadlift in addition to other things like pressing, benching, RDLing, and rowing. Maybe you aren’t doing enough barbell curls, or maybe the right drugs are what is missing. I know a guy who knows a guy who knows a guy. You can find him in a back alley and he’s got some cheese burgers, man.

If you’re genetically predisposed to skinniness, or have only recently taken up training, then it will take diligent and chronic work over time to develop strength and muscularity. Reevaluate your program and don’t lose hope on the quest of 70’s Big.

Adam W. asks on the Facebook Fan Page.
Hey Justin, hoping you can help here.. Last couple days it has really been painful to do any internal rotation with my shoulder. Easiest way to show you is with a vid… Any advice would be appreciated. As it stands, can’t really bench at all.
[spoiler show=”Show video” hide=”Hide video”][/spoiler]

Dear Adam,

I was worried you wouldn’t tell me where it hurt, but you did towards the end of the video. You also haven’t told me if it developed into the pain or if it is a result of an acute injury. My primary suggestion is that you get it looked at by someone with letters next to their name (so that I cover my ass). In the mean time, avoid benching. I suggest some basic massage on the area (a lacrosse ball will work), then take it through a full range of motion (arm circles, pressing movement), then ice it. Ice it liberally (standard procedure, no longer than 20 minutes, but multiple times a night if possible), continue working on it. As it improves, work on mobility for your internal rotators. This is very hard to help with since I’m not discussing it with you and not there in person.

You either have built up scar tissue or have inflamed the area. The video was posted three days ago, so any acute phase should be done and you should be able to treat it or take it through a full ROM. If you decide to press, start light, and rehab pain is okay, but sharp pain is not. Use lighter weight with reps to get blood flow to the area, and whenever you do anything to it (mobility, massage, movement), ice it. I’m sure we’ll talk about it more soon.

Tamara asks on the Facebook Fan Page,
Please help me to avoid murdering my husband. I got three press PR attempts stuck at forehead level today. I need to fix that or I am going to beat him with a barbell the next time he asks me how it is possible to get a press rep stuck so high.

Dear Tamara,

I do not support marital murder. Just wanted to clear that up. Whenever I observe people pressing, I don’t really ever see technically sound pressing. The only people that I know of with great mechanics on the press are AC and me. Mike is probably good (although I haven’t seen him press a lot lately), yet Chris doesn’t have good wrist position.

Common problems are a) too wide a grip, b) elbows not vertical, c) improper wrist position, d) over extension in the thoracic-lumbar junction, and e) internal rotation at the shoulder (flaring the elbows). Readers: do not fret about all of those at once. Start with the first one and fix it, make it routine, then move to the next issue.

Assuming Tamara is doing all of these very well (which I wouldn’t think is the case since it usually isn’t for most people), then it would pertain to the programming. I don’t know what her program is or how the press is a part of it. I will point out that push-press may be something to consider given that her focus is on weightlifting. However, the press benefits most when it is done consistently with good mechanics. If good mechanics are used, then the triceps get a fantastic workout that can contribute to the bench press or other overhead movements. I would have people press at least once a week and consider varying the set/rep schemes to handle heavier weights (e.g. using ascending sets). Unfortunately a detailed programming and mechanics discussion leaves the scope of this post.

I ask Dr. Hartman via e-mail:

What’s your take on a multi? Just get a generic one?

He replies:

Not really a difference maker. If anything, stay away from the hard pressed Centrum types as they don’t really do much and may or not breakdown effectively in your stomach. We did an experiment in undergrad where we put a Centrum vitamin in a solution similar to our stomach (~pH around 3.0 I believe) and watched it barely dissolve over the course of a day. Stick with the Emergen C from your video or buy a decent liquid multi…but I think you’re fine without one. (end Hartman e-mail)

I have since just gotten a cheap multi to take mid-day since I use Emergen-C in the morning. Dr. Hartman and I both expressed interest in the Greens+ anti-oxidant supplement. I am also going to experiment with BCAAs.

Julian asks
[spoiler show=”Show long e-mail” hide=”Hide long e-mail”]Justin,

First and foremost I would like to thank you for the great information you post daily on 70big. I understand if you are too busy to either answer my question or think that it is a stupid question. If either are the case I understand. I am currently having some trouble deciding whether or not I am falling into the overreaching stage in my training. To give you some insight, I tore my lateral meniscus back in March while squatting. A few months after surgery I decided to give SS a shot to get the novice effect. I progressed well but only after a month of training I started to get severe pain in the back of my knee. I was scared of re injuring the knee so I changed the program that I stayed on for another month. I then purchased your book FIT and have been doing that ever since. I changed programs becuase I needed something that was more tailored to my goals which is your S&C Program. As of right now I’m in training to become an electrical lineman. Everyday we go on a 2 mile hike or walk(depends), then 2 days out of the week we climb poles all day. After that I come home and do the S&C Program as written. I’m not sure if this is too much stress on my body. In two weeks we will be climbing 5 days a week on top of our walks. I’m to the point where I missed my Press day by seven reps, when the last week I hit all 15. I was also recently sick so I’m not sure if that had anything to do with my performance. I don’t know whether too deload by dropping volume or intensity, not training at all, or doing body weight for a few weeks.I have been having some nagging pains in my elbow and upper shoulder which are due to climbing, along with my lower back feeling as though it is going to go out.Everything seems to feel heavy, even though they should be easy numbers to hit for me. I want to be fresh in order to complete my climbing cert and I want to keep increasing my numbers to achieve the advanced standards for a 198 pounder in your book. I am extremely motivated in getting my strength back and achieving my goals, which makes it hard to slow down and take a step back to take two steps forward. I sleep around 7-8 hours every night and have a fairly clean diet. All lean meats, veggies, and good fats with some dairy. Your input would be greatly appreciated. Thanks again for everything you do.If you think I am just being a pussy and should push through it please let me know.

Age:23
H: 5’10
W: 196

B Squat: 260x3x5
Press: 155x5x3
Bench:220x5x3
Deadlift: 355x5x1[/spoiler]
…he basically is training to be an electrical lineman that climbs telephone poles and has to hike regularly. It’s sort of effecting his training (using the S&C program from FIT). He wants to know if he’s being a pussy and if he’s overreaching and stuff.

Dear Julian,

You’re not a pussy. You are stronger than the average guy, and will adapt to this new job in time. It’s okay to reduce your training volume while you are experiencing higher amounts of physical activity at work. Do this ESPECIALLY with the areas that are sore and nagging you. Over the next month, I don’t care what weight you lift, so long as you just take the muscles through a full ROM with the major lifts after work. Again, do not push the weight. This will a) allow you to have more energy for work, b) still get muscular work after work, and c) help you get adapted to the overall work load. By the way, you should be eating AT LEAST 250g of protein and drinking PLENTY of water given all of this activity.

Lastly, you need to do mobility work every day. Look here for some basic stuff, but check out MobilityWOD.com. Work on the joints and muscles that attach to the joints or around them. I’m serious — do this every day. That will help you more than the lifting in the next couple weeks. Good luck.

Lastly, here is a video showing the types of notes I take for Programming Consultations. If you’re interested in a consultation, then shoot me an e-mail.


All right, you guys have a good weekend. See you on the field.