Following the Herd?

Photo couresty of Bertoz

We’ve talked about how the fitness field is represented by too many unqualified so called “PERSONAL TRAINERS“. Many of whom are now pretty good at disguising themselves as “qualified”, continuing education courses, seminars, reading, etc…

The problems is that these same people jump on the band wagon because X guru posted that this research has proven that squats are bad or you should only take in 20g grams of protein for post-workout otherwise the rest is wasted. This mentality is very problematic because they take this information at face value. Let’s take for example the back extension and protein intake:

Shear Force is BAD

When it comes to exercise selection, I STRONGLY believe it’s subjective to the clients:

Contraindications
Exercise history
Strength
Comfort level

Clients get hurt exercising when they are not prepared to do X movement or are not executing it correctly.

People have been ripping on the back extension because of the shear force placed on the spine. BUT the “Biering-Sorensen Test” has shown those with shorter time in the isometric back extension test are those with lower back disorders. Now does this conclude those that hold the extension longer you will not have a lower back disorder? Maybe not, but maybe yes too, in my personal and practical experience, I’ve found isometric back extension combined with mobility/flexibility movements to be VERY effective.

This is a prime example that I found to be beneficial and is in the “gray” area. Personal trainers and sports performance coaches need to come to a conclusion based on further review and practical experience. In the end, I strongly believe it’s about the execution of the movement vs. the movement itself. THIS is why it’s important to have a qualified personal trainer.

Only 20g of Protein

Dr. Berardi put up a great post (here) regarding the research study showing 20-30g of protein is the average limit of intake, the rest is “wasted”. But he poses great question, what happens if you’re taking in a high calorie diet? What do you fill the rest of your KCals with if you only consume 20-30g of protein? Carbs? Fats? Clearly people are underestimating the power of protein.

“It seems to me that whether someone’s on a hypoenergetic diet (low calorie) or a hyperenergetic diet (high calorie), the one macronutrient they would want to be sure to “overeat” (relatively speaking) would be protein.”

John Berardi