What’s The Difference Between a Front Squat and a Back Squat?

The main difference between the front squat and the back squat is where you position the barbell. When performing a front squat, the bar is held on the fingertips (or directly on the front of the shoulders) and is supported by the front deltoids. Conversely, in a back squat, the bar rests across your trapezius and rear delts, so the weight is loaded on the backside of your body.

Front squatting recruits the chain of your body’s anterior muscles more heavily, engaging the quads and core to a greater degree. Back squatting, on the other hand, emphasizes the posterior chain—the large muscle groups of the back, glutes, and hamstrings.

Where you hold the bar also affects how you’re inclined to move throughout the exercise. “Back squats are a hip-dominant movement,” says Don Saladino, owner of Drive Health Clubs in New York City (where he trains stars such as Hugh Jackman and Blake Lively). “You’re leading with the hips, so your torso is more inclined to lean forward as you perform the exercise. With front squats, because of where the weight is loaded, you’re forced to remain more vertical.” If you lean forward on a front squat like you do back squatting, you’ll lose your balance and drop the bar at your feet. “This makes the front squat a more quad-dominant movement,” says Saladino.

The differences between the front and back squat are really just a matter of degrees. Both versions work your entire body, and Saladino compares squatting in general to moving while performing a plank position—your shoulders, abdominals, and back must engage to support proper form as your legs go through a full range of motion. That makes squats—of any kind—arguably the most functional and challenging exercise you can do.

How To Perform The Front Squat

(See 01:48 in the video above.)

Step 1. Grasp the bar with hands shoulder-width apart and point your elbows forward so that you can position the bar over the tips of your fingers (palms face up). As long as you keep your elbows pointing forward, you will be able to balance the bar.

Another way to do it is to cross your arms in front of you, holding the bar on the front of your shoulders (left hand in front of right shoulder, right hand in front of left, as pictured below). To do the classic front squat with the bar on your fingertips, you need a reasonable amount of flexibility through your shoulders and wrists to position the barbell correctly. If you don’t have it, the cross-arm version may be the better option for you at the moment (see also “Using Straps To Front Squat” below).

Step 2. Lift the bar out of the rack and step back, setting your feet between hip- and shoulder-width apart. Turn your toes out slightly. Without letting your feet actually move, try to screw both legs into the floor as if you were standing on grass and wanted to twist it up—you’ll feel your glutes tighten and the arches in your feet rise.

Step 3. Pull your ribs down and take a deep breath into your belly and brace your core. Your head, spine, and pelvis should form a long line—your pelvis should also be perpendicular to your spine, and not tilted toward the floor. Focus your eyes on a point straight in front of you.

Step 4. Squat as low as you can while keeping alignment and maintaining your upright torso position. Remember to point your elbows forward, and raise them up if you feel them slipping downward. Ideally, you’ll be able to descend to where the crease of your hips is below the top of your thighs.

Your knees must stay in line with your toes. Trying to push them out and actively root your feet into the ground will all but ensure this.

Step 5. Extend your hips and knees to return to standing, pushing through the middle of your feet and squeezing your glutes.

Note: Because of the awkward bar position, which is less stable than in the back squat, you won’t be able to use as much weight as you would back squatting. If you’re used to doing back squats, make sure you adjust accordingly.

Using Straps To Front Squat

(See 03:50 in the video.)

One way to make the front squat more comfortable is to use lifting straps. Many people don’t have the mobility in their shoulders, wrists, and fingers to hold the bar in the classic front squat position (called the rack position), and the straps allow you to rest the bar on your shoulders instead, making it much easier to stabilize the bar.

Simply loop the straps around the bar and wrap the loose ends around each hand. Then hold onto the straps when you take the bar out of the rack.

How To Perform the Back Squat

(See 04:57 in the video.)

Step 1. Set up in a squat rack and grasp the bar with your hands as far apart as is comfortable. Step under the rack and squeeze your shoulder blades together and down, wedging yourself under the bar so that it rests on your traps or the back of your shoulders.

A “high-bar” squat describes the position of the bar as being high up on the traps, just below the neck. If you feel more stable with the bar resting lower on your back, balanced across the rear delts, you’re doing a “low-bar” squat. The former is advantageous for staying more upright with your torso and hitting your quads. The latter may allow you to lift heavier, but you’ll lean forward more on the descent. Either technique is OK. Experiment with both and see which you feel more comfortable with.

Step 2. Nudge the bar out of the rack and step back, setting your feet between hip and shoulder-width with your toes turned slightly outward. Without letting your feet actually move, try to screw both legs into the floor as if you were standing on grass and wanted to twist it up—you’ll feel your glutes tighten and the arches in your feet rise.

Step 3. Pull your ribs down and take a deep breath into your belly and brace your core. Your head, spine, and pelvis should form a long line—your pelvis should also be perpendicular to your spine, and not tilted toward the floor. Focus your eyes on a point straight in front of you.

Step 4. Bend your hips back as if you were going to sit in a chair, continuing to screw your feet down. Allow your knees to bend and push them out as you lower your body down. Go as low as you can while keeping your alignment. Ideally, you’ll be able to descend to where the crease of your hips is below the top of your thighs.

Your knees must stay in line with your toes. Trying to push them out and actively root your feet into the ground will all but ensure this.

Step 5. Extend your hips and knees to return to standing, pushing through the middle of your feet and squeezing your glutes.

Front Squat Benefits

If you’re looking to develop your quads, you can’t go wrong with adding front squats to your workout routine. Some bodybuilders build their leg workouts around front squats for this reason. If you’re interested in training in Olympic weightlifting, the front squat is a major component of the clean and jerk, so it will give you a foundation of strength and technique to base weightlifting training on.

The biggest potential benefit to front squatting versus back squatting, however, is that the vertical torso position makes the squat pattern safer for the lower back. “When people are back squatting, it’s common that they can’t maintain a neutral lumbar spine,” says Saladino. They lean their torsos too far forward, or let their hips rise faster than their shoulders as they come up out of the bottom of the squat, and their lower backs round over, putting the little muscles and discs in the lumbar spine at risk for strain. In the front squat, your vertebrae are essentially stacked, so your torso moves almost straight up and down, avoiding shear forces that cause injury.

One study in the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research examined the biomechanical differences between front and back squats. Researchers found that the back squat placed significantly more compressive forces on the lumbar spine, and concluded that front squats may be the better choice for lifters with knee problems such as meniscus tears, as well as for long-term joint health.

Back Squat Benefits

There’s ample reason why the back squat is called the “king of all exercises.” If you’re interested in getting as strong as possible, or training in powerlifting, it’s essential. The bar placement (along the back) is more comfortable and easier to balance than that of the front squat, so you have the stability to lift greater loads. Though the science isn’t clear, most coaches argue that it also recruits more overall musculature than the front squat, drawing heavily on everything from your shoulders and back to your glutes, hamstrings, and calves, in addition to the quads and core.

Strength gains (i.e., big numbers) will come faster with the back squat, but, as discussed above, the risk for lower-back injury is greater. For general population clients who are only interested in having healthy, well-shaped, and strong legs, many trainers eschew the back squat entirely for front-loaded squat variations, such as front squats, landmine squats, and goblet squats. Unless you’re an athlete who competes in the sport of powerlifting or gets tested on back squat strength (as some power athletes do), it’s not an exercise that you “must” do.

Muscles Used In The Front Squat

The primary muscles worked are:

– Quadriceps

– Glutes

– Hamstrings

– Abdominals

– Lower back (spinal erectors), upper back

– Shoulders

A 2015 study published in the Journal of Sports Sciences compared the muscle-recruiting effects of the front squat versus the back squat. The researchers found that the vastus medialis—one of the four quadriceps muscles—was targeted more heavily during the front squat. Of course, all the major muscle groups of the legs were shown to be highly active during both lifts, but the quads engage to a greater degree when the weight is loaded anterior to the trunk.

Muscles Used In The Back Squat

The back squat targets all the major muscle groups of the body, but its focus is on the posterior chain. The primary muscles worked are:

­– Glutes

– Hamstrings

– Quadriceps

– Lower back (spinal erectors), upper back

– Abdominals

– Shoulders

The same 2015 study that identified that the vastus medialis worked harder in the front squat showed that the semitendinosus—one of the three hamstring muscles—was lit up more during the back squat. Again, both versions of the squat hit all the major muscles of the lower body, but when the weight is loaded posterior to the trunk, there’s greater engagement of the hamstrings.

Front Squat vs. Back Squat Ratio

Some coaches believe that a lifter should be able to front squat 90% of the weight that he/she back squats. So if your best back squat is 315 pounds, your front squat ought to be around 280. However, Saladino scoffs at this notion, arguing that it’s nothing more than nonsense used to help trainers market programs.

“There are any number of anatomical or mechanical reasons that a person might be better at either the front squat or back squat,” he says. Generally speaking, your front squat load will be less than your back squat load, simply because of the less stable bar position and biomechanics of the lift, but you don’t need to shoot for a specific strength ratio to ensure balance—or meet anyone else’s criteria of fitness. Rather, focus on incorporating both versions of the squat—if you can—and aim to perfect your form so you can safely and effectively improve the performance of both lifts over time.

See another squat variation in our guide to the squat clean.

The post Front Squats vs. Back Squats: Everything You Need To Know For Building Muscle appeared first on Onnit Academy.

Despite its classification as a complex carbohydrate, maltodextrin is quickly absorbed by the gut and can elevate blood sugar faster than glucose. On the glycemic index, a relative scale of how quickly a ingested carbohydrate affects blood sugar, maltodextrin ranges between 85-105, where the standard glucose is set at 100.

Sugars that induce a rapid rise in blood glucose content are typically considered poor sources of energy and nutritionally deficient. Though it is generally true that a diet comprised of mostly high glycemic carbohydrates would be unsatisfactory, they do have an important role in athletic performance and recovery.

Why You Need Carbs

During intense exercise, active muscle tissue relies heavily upon stored sugars in the form of glycogen for energy. Depending on the muscle type, exercise intensity and duration, the ability for glycogen stores to maintain the metabolic demand diminishes over time.

Many endurance athletes utilize energy gels whose main ingredient is maltodextrin. One study supplemented marathon runners with 60 grams of maltodextrin spaced throughout a race and compared it to runners who were free to consume their desired amount.

The runners who took 60 grams of maltodextrin averaged significantly shorter marathon completion times by more than 10 minutes compared to runners assigned to freely consume the carbohydrate supplement [1].

Maltodextrin & High Glycemic Carbs for Post-Workout Recovery

The post-workout period is a crucial time to refuel. Consuming high glycemic carbs will increase the release of insulin, an anabolic and glucose-regulating hormone that facilitates the influx of sugars and amino acids into muscle cells.

In an often cited study by Borsheim, post-workout supplementation with 100 grams of maltodextrin significantly improved the net protein balance by reducing muscle breakdown[2].

Further studies have shown that 30 grams of carbohydrates were comparable to 100 grams. The post exercise period has been studied using multi-ingredient post-workout formulas that contain various ratios of carbohydrates, protein and fat.

A 4:1 ratio of carbohydrates to protein has been shown to benefit muscle recovery through a similar mechanism. Other studies using variations of carbohydrates to protein have proven beneficial, yet It is challenging to discern a single best ratio for recovery given the lack of direct comparison studies.

The bottom line is that large amounts of high glycemic carbohydrates like maltodextrin are appropriate in the post-workout phase to reduce muscle breakdown and aid recovery.

Consuming small quantities, such as 1-10 grams, of high GI carbohydrates that are added to food are unlikely to cause large changes in blood glucose and are essentially equivalent to other added sugars.

Low glycemic carbs, such those present in most fruits and vegetables, are better for long term energy storage and tend not to spike and crash blood sugar levels. Furthermore, despite its origin from grain, maltodextrin is synthesized using enzymes making it gluten free and safe for nearly all to consume.

References:

[1] Improved marathon performance by in-race nutritional strategy intervention Hansen EA1, Emanuelsen A, Gertsen RM, Sørensen S SR. Int J Sport Nutr Exerc Metab. 2014 Dec

[2] Effect of carbohydrate intake on net muscle protein synthesis during recovery from resistance exercise Børsheim E1, Cree MG, Tipton KD, Elliott TA, Aarsland A, Wolfe RR. J Appl Physiol. 1985 Carbohydrate supplementation increases intramyocellular lipid stores in elite runners. Sousa M1, Simões HG, Castro CC, Otaduy MC, Negrão CE, Pereira RM, Madsen K, Silva ME. Metabolism. 2012 Aug

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It makes sense – athletes of all levels place a high value on developing lean muscle tissue, and protein consumption is what delivers the amino acids necessary for building and maintaining muscle.

The good news is the sheer popularity of whey protein means that it’s been studied, studied and studied some more, so there are fewer questions regarding when to take whey protein.

If you’ve made the decision to supplement, and you’re looking to add whey protein to your diet, here’s what you need to know.

Types of Whey Protein

Not all whey proteins are the same – in fact, you’re likely to be overwhelmed by all the options available if you take a jaunt down the aisle at your local nutrition store. Generally speaking, there are three common forms of whey protein.

Whey Protein Concentrate

This is the less processed, more “natural” form of whey protein. For clean-eating fans, less processing probably sounds like a good thing, but in this case, less processing actually means less pure.

Whey protein concentrate contains more fat and lactose, and less total protein – ranging anywhere from 70% to 85% of the product – than isolates.

Whey Protein Isolate

Whey protein isolate, on the other hand, goes through more processing to remove the extra lactose and fat, delivering a product that’s typically 90% protein or more. The isolate form of whey protein generally costs more than concentrate, and it’s also considered a “safer” supplement for those who are lactose intolerant.

Hydrolyzed Whey Protein

Hydrolyzed whey products are those that have gone through additional processing, essentially breaking down the protein into groups of amino acids that are theoretically faster to digest.

The problem is, research doesn’t necessarily indicate this is true, so spending more money on a hydrolyzed product when other options are as, or more, effective, doesn’t make a whole lot of sense.

Functionally speaking, any whey product you choose should be more than capable of putting your body into a state of positive nitrogen balance – the most beneficial state for muscle recovery and hypertrophy – as long as you time your protein supplementation correctly.

When to Take Whey Protein

Whey protein is a highly bioavailable protein that boasts fast absorption rates. This makes it an ideal protein for post-workout recovery.

In fact, Brandon Mentone, a Strength and Conditioning Coach and Sports Nutritionist, puts it this way, “Whey has the highest bioavailability of all the protein analogues, which makes it the most potent and rapidly utilized agent post-workout.”

When you exercise, you’re placing a high level of stress on your body that actually causes damage to your muscles and tissue.

Building muscle doesn’t actually take place during your workout; rather, your workout is the tool you use to put your body in the necessary state for muscular hypertrophy during recovery.

Proper post-workout nutrition stimulates the repair of tissues in a way that leads to muscle growth.

Immediately following a workout, the blood flow to skeletal muscles is stimulated, and the act of working out “opens up” muscles to function a bit like a sponge – they’re primed and ready to absorb nutrients.

By consuming a fast-absorbing protein like whey protein immediately after your workout, you’re supplying your muscles with the amino acids they need to repair and grow, precisely when they benefit the most.

The sooner you can consume whey protein following your workout, the better. Generally speaking, you have up to a two-hour window (the “anabolic window”) post-workout to consume a protein-carbohydrate meal.

This is the two-hour period in which your muscles are primed and ready to accept nutrients, taking them from a muscle-wasting state of negative nitrogen balance to a muscle-building state of positive nitrogen balance.

But just because you have up to two hours, doesn’t mean you should wait to supplement. The longer you wait, the less “sponge-like” your muscles will be, and the less benefit you’ll derive from your whey protein supplementation efforts.

Who Should Take Whey Protein

Because whey protein is affordable, popular and highly bioavailable, It’s a great option for most active individuals looking for a way to easily increase protein consumption.

One of the biggest arguments against protein supplementation is that, in theory, it’s easy for people to consume enough protein in their diets to meet the Recommended Daily Allowance (RDA) of .8 grams per kilogram body weight.

While technically this is true, the RDA is based on the protein needs of a sedentary individual, not the needs of anyone who is active, growing, trying to build muscle mass or who is recovering from an injury.

Most studies indicate that under circumstances such as these, protein intake ranging from 1.2 to 1.6 grams per kilogram body weight is ideal. While it’s perfectly possible to consume this level of protein from food sources, it’s not always convenient.

Anyone who has ever tried to squeeze in a workout right before running to a meeting or whose training schedule butts up to their children’s bedtimes knows that it’s not always possible to sit down for a meal right after working out.

Because the timing of protein consumption post-workout is vitally important to muscle hypertrophy and recovery, it must be easy and convenient to consume.

Protein supplements – particularly whey protein powders that can be mixed with water, bars and pre-made shakes – are incredibly convenient, and a great option for anyone who’s “on the go” and unable to turn to whole food protein sources after  workout.

It’s important to realize, though, that whey protein isn’t appropriate for everyone. As a product derived from milk, it’s not a good choice for vegans, and some whey protein concentrates may cause gastrointestinal distress to those who are lactose intolerant.

In these situations, other protein supplements, such as vegan-friendly, stomach-friendly hemp protein, may be a better option.

The post Pre or Post Workout: When Should You Take Whey Protein? appeared first on Onnit Academy.

The first thing you need to know is it’s both normal and okay to feel your resolve starting to wane. Don’t beat yourself up about it, and certainly don’t panic if you’ve already fallen off the bandwagon. Sometimes the trick to making a resolution stick is to stop chasing your original resolution, and instead reframe it in a more positive, motivating way.

The year has barely started – there’s certainly no reason to give up now!

Old Resolution: Lose Weight

If weight loss is your goal, you’re certainly not alone – losing weight tops the list of New Year’s resolutions every single year. However, there are a few problems with basing your resolution on weight.

Weight actually isn’t a helpful measurement – it provides almost zero information on your body’s internal makeup and how healthy or unhealthy you are. Plus, quick weight loss can be achieved through unhealthy means – fad diets, extreme workouts and eating disorders – while pursuing weight loss healthfully can actually be disheartening. It takes time to lose weight and you may even see increases on the scale as your body composition changes and you gain muscle.

New Resolution: Improve Body Composition

When you think about it, your goal isn’t actually to lose weight (although that may end up being a natural byproduct of your efforts). Rather, your goal is to improve your body composition – lean out, look svelte, see muscle definition and look damn sexy in clothing (or out of them), amiright?

Improved body composition – gaining muscle and losing fat through progressive training and a healthy diet – isn’t always seen on the scale. There’s a process to it, and it’s a process that, given time, works well, but it doesn’t always result in a steady reduction in weight.

Instead of allowing yourself to be emotionally controlled by the results on the scale, take a different approach. Get your body fat tested by a trained professional, then track your body’s changes with a weekly photo, tape measurements and clothing-check. Even if the scale doesn’t budge, you’ll be able to start assessing changes in your appearance by how you look in photos, how your measurements change and how your clothing fits. After tracking your progress for three months, have your body fat re-tested and see how far you’ve come.

Old Resolution: Follow a Diet Plan

If you show me a diet plan, I’ll show you a trail of disappointed souls who just couldn’t stick to the plan. Even the best diets set most people up for failure – they’re too restrictive, too hard to monitor or simply aren’t designed for real-world eating. If you’re already regretting your decision to try the Whole30-Paleo-Mediterranean-Gluten-Free-Fill-In-The-Blank diet this year, go ahead and give yourself a break.

New Resolution: Add Veggies

Rather than subscribe to a specific diet, resolve to eat veggies with every meal. There’s not a trainer, dietician or doctor in the world who would argue against a higher consumption of produce, and studies prove that increased veggie and fruit intake is correlated with increased weight and fat loss, especially when total calorie intake is managed.

Believe it or not, it doesn’t have to be hard – try sweet potato protein pancakes for breakfast, pack a spinach and strawberry mason jar salad for lunch and give this balsamic chicken and veggies recipe a try for dinner. Eating healthfully doesn’t have to be a flavorless, joyless undertaking, and it’s a whole lot easier to follow through on “eat a veggie with every meal” than “cut everything I love to eat out of my diet indefinitely.”

Old Resolution: Exercise More

The mind is a powerful thing, and because exercise is often associated with feelings of pain, failure and embarrassment, resolving to “exercise more,” is a bit like placing your brain under attack. You may know exercise is good for you, but no matter how much you tell yourself you should do it, you just can’t seem to mentally overcome the negative associations you’ve developed over time.

New Resolution: Participate in an Active Event

Rather than simply say, “I want to work out this year,” give yourself a greater goal – something you’ll actually look forward to and develop excitement about – and sign up to participate in an active event.

This doesn’t have to be a major competition (unless you want it to be, of course). A 5k walk that supports your favorite charity, an in-house pushup contest at your local gym, a spartan race with a group of friends, or a weekend yoga retreat are all great options. When you sign up for an event – again, one you’re actually excited about – you’ll be more likely to associate training with something positive, even if it’s still a challenge.

Setting SMART Goals

In addition to reframing your resolutions to make them more positive, it’s important to understand how setting SMART goals – goals that are Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic and Time-constrained – can help you conquer your resolutions. It’s not just about saying, “I want to improve my body composition,” because that alone isn’t a specific, measurable or time-constrained goal – how or when will you know if you succeed?

Rather, you should say something like, “I want to improve my body composition and reduce my body fat by 2% in three months.” This type of SMART goal can be managed and measured, so you’ll know if you’re on track or if you should re-assess.

Own Your Choices

As I mentioned, the brain’s a powerful thing, so it’s important to think and talk about your resolutions in a way that encourages personal choice and ownership, For instance, when you say, “I can’t eat donuts, I’m on a plan that doesn’t allow them,” you’re giving away your power. You’re being a victim of your diet, faulting it for denying you access to various foods.

Instead, if you reframe the statement and say, “I’m choosing not to eat donuts right now,” you’re taking personal ownership and responsibility for the decision. It’s easier to stick to decisions and choices you take ownership of, than those you feel are being forced upon you from an outside source.

Need a few more examples? Try these mental switches:

Instead of saying “I have to go to the gym after work,” try, “I scheduled my gym session for after work,” or the even more positive, “I get to work out tonight.”

Instead of saying, “My doctor says I need to lose weight and he gave me this plan I’m on,” try, “After talking to my doctor, I realize I’m not at a healthy weight. With his guidance, I chose this plan I’m following.”

Instead of saying, “I can’t meet you for dinner – my trainer says I should work out,” try “I want to stick to my new exercise plan – can we meet later or choose another night?”

Try these tips and actually achieve your goals this year!

The post Revamp Your New Year’s Resolutions for Staying Power & Success appeared first on Onnit Academy.

How to Do The Dumbbell Snatch For Huge Gains

Benefits of the Dumbbell Snatch

The dumbbell snatch is a unilateral exercise, meaning that you focus on one side of the body at a time. Unilateral movements are excellent for reducing side-to-side muscle imbalances that exist in many people, while helping athletes improve performance in areas that can translate directly to the court, field, or mat.

To perform a dumbbell snatch, “An individual is forced to utilize greater levels of balance, stability, and coordination, when compared to a traditional [barbell] snatch movement,” says Dr. Brian Brabham, C.S.C.S., Associate Professor of Exercise Science at the University of Mary Hardin-Baylor in Belton, TX. “Whether you’re experienced with the snatch or not, using dumbbells is a great way to increase the level of difficulty of a program.” Like the barbell snatch, the dumbbell snatch is also a triple extension movement, meaning that the hips, knees, and ankles all extend at the same time, making for a powerful jumping movement that trains the explosiveness that’s specific to so many sports.

A study published in the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research compared the effects of barbell snatching to the dumbbell version. It confirmed that the dumbbell snatch generates greater ground reaction forces and doubles the speed at which forces impact the body during the pull phase (lifting the weight in front of your body) and the catch phase of the lift (finishing the rep overhead), respectively, on the non-lifting side—the one not holding the dumbbell. This asymmetry caused the researchers to conclude that unilateral variations of lifting movements, like the dumbbell snatch, offer different and beneficial training stimuli for athletes.

While the dumbbell snatch may look like it’s primarily an upper-body pulling motion—ripping the dumbbell off the floor and flinging it overhead by using your shoulders and upper back—the power that produces it is actually grounded in the major muscle groups of the lower body and the core. You have to use your quads, glutes, and hamstrings to powerfully extend your knees and press your hips forward as you draw the dumbbell away from the floor. Next, you need to brace your core when you “catch” the dumbbell above your shoulder, and stabilize the weight with your shoulders and upper back to keep the momentum of your pull from tearing your arm off. In other words, the dumbbell snatch targets just about every muscle group in your body, and, when done for high reps, demands a lot from your cardiovascular system.

Muscles Worked With The Dumbbell Snatch

– Glutes (for a powerful hip extension)

– Hamstrings (assist the glutes with hip extension)

– Quadriceps (extend the knees)

– Lats (assist in drawing the dumbbell from the floor)

– Trapezius (assist with pulling the dumbbell from the floor and up in front of the body)

– Spinal erectors (protect the lower back and maintain stability of the spine during hip extension and through the catch)

– Abdominals (assist the spinal erectors in protecting the back and maintaining stability of the spine)

– Shoulders (assist in pulling the dumbbell from the floor and raising it overhead; the rotator cuff stabilizers also help keep the shoulder joints safe as the dumbbell is extended overhead)

– Triceps (help to pull the dumbbell from the floor and lift it into overhead extension)

How To Do The Dumbbell Snatch

“If the movement is new to a client, I always recommend starting with lighter weights and working on technique rather than jumping into the movement with heavier weights,” Brabham says, adding that the dumbbell snatch is meant to be fast and explosive—so muscling up heavier weight at the expense of technique and speed is pointless. “I instruct my students to keep the dumbbell close to the body,” he says. “Pull with a high elbow, and then extend over the head. A common mistake I see is that they will get to the armpit position [where the weight is at armpit level] and then try to press the dumbbell overhead. Momentum should carry the dumbbell overhead—not a press.”

The Setup

Step 1. Place a dumbbell on the floor between your feet. Position your feet slightly wider than shoulder-distance apart.

Step 2. Roll your shoulders back and downward, pulling your shoulder blades down toward the center of your spine (think: “proud chest”). Press your hips back while keeping a long spine—your head spine and pelvis should maintain alignment as you hinge at the hips. Bend your knees as needed so that you can reach the dumbbell. Your chest and shoulders should be level with the floor and remain facing forward.

Step 3. Grasp the dumbbell with one hand, breathe into your belly, and engage your core. Keep your shoulders driving down and back and lock in your long spine position. Allow your free arm to hang at your side.

The Pull

Step 4. Powerfully extend your knees, hips, and ankles, drawing the dumbbell up off the floor and close to your body as you come up. The movement should be powered by your lower body, not your shoulders. Your feet may or may not rise off the floor for a moment.

Step 5. Shrug the shoulder that’s holding the weight, driving your elbow up high and backward. The dumbbell should travel in a straight line up in front of you. Think about pulling your whole body under the weight as it rises.

The Catch

Step 6. When it reaches its highest point (above shoulder level), turn your elbow under the dumbbell. Catch the weight overhead with arm extended as it continues upward.

Step 7. Finish in a quarter-squat position, which will allow you to decelerate safely. Then extend your legs to stand tall. Carefully lower the dumbbell back to the floor as you squat back down to set up for the next rep.

Where To Use The Dumbbell Snatch In Your Workout

The dumbbell snatch can be incorporated into a workout in a variety of ways, depending on your goals and your experience with the movement. If you’re not experienced with the dumbbell snatch, Brabham says your first priority is to master the technique. “I tend to keep the sets, reps, and weights low, initially,” he says. “Such as 2–3 sets of 3–5 reps. As an individual becomes more confident in his or her ability to correctly and safely complete the movement, the sets and reps and weight can all be gradually, although independently, increased for progressive overload.”

When you’re familiar with the exercise and your form is on point, you can perform the dumbbell snatch with lighter weight as part of your warmup for a heavy-lifting workout. As it targets all the major muscle groups in a functional manner, the snatch primes your nervous system to recruit your muscle fibers effectively for the work that’s to come. You can also do moderately-heavy snatches to kick off a lower-body or back workout, sometimes using it in place of deadlifts.

Likewise, because the dumbbell snatch engages so many muscle groups, it can effectively be used as part of a conditioning workout that helps you develop strength and endurance at the same time. Consider using the snatch as part of a circuit that includes other exercises like lunges, pushups, and pullups.

Another idea: use the dumbbell snatch as a finisher at the end of your workout, done EMOM style (every minute on the minute). Set a timer for five to 10 minutes and choose a weight that you can do 15 reps with. At the start of the first minute, do 10 reps on one side, and then rest for the remainder of the minute. Repeat at the top of the next minute, doing reps for the other side. This is a good way to perform a lot of volume without going to failure, therefore accomplishing more work than you could usually perform in a similar amount of time with conventional sets.

What’s the Difference Between The Dumbbell Snatch and Kettlebell Snatch?

Both the dumbbell and kettlebell versions of the snatch will build power and muscle, but the dumbbell snatch is better suited to less experienced lifters and those who aren’t familiar with explosive Olympic lifting exercises.

“I like to start people on the dumbbell snatch and then progress them to a kettlebell,” Brabham says. “The kettlebell requires the individual to have more control of the weight compared to the dumbbell.” Slight deviations in form can cause the weight to slap the back of the forearm on a kettlebell snatch, which can cause injury. The dumbbell snatch, therefore, is safer, as well as easier to execute.

Nevertheless, your ultimate goal should be to graduate to the kettlebell snatch. “Because the kettlebell has the ability to roll backward over the hand during the overhead extension, there’s more activation of the posterior chain musculature in a kettlebell snatch,” says Brabham—namely, the glutes and hamstrings.

The post How to Do The Dumbbell Snatch For Huge Gains appeared first on Onnit Academy.

You may even know the reason lies in the high levels of omega-3 fatty acids found in fish…and that these omega-3s are somehow, some way, supposed to be good for you.

But knowing is a long way from doing, which begs the question: Are you one of the estimated 4 in 5 Americans who fail to consume enough fatty fish each month to meet the dietary guidelines for the omega-3 fatty acids docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA)?

Based on probability alone, I’d wager a confident “yes,” which I’ll follow with a, “If you’re not consuming enough fatty fish, you need a stand-in supplement.”

Fish oil capsules have long been the go-to option for enjoying the benefits of fatty fish without, well, eating fatty fish, but over the last few years, krill oil has made a name for itself as a potential omega-3 powerhouse.

So how do you know which supplement is best? Read on, my friends, read on. When it comes to krill oil vs. fish oil, this is what you need to know.

Krill Oil vs Fish Oil: The Basics

It shouldn’t take a rocket scientist to determine that fish oil is oil that comes from fish, and krill oil is oil that comes from krill, but what the eff is krill, and what type of fish does fish oil come from?

Both are good questions.

● What is krill? Krill are tiny crustaceans, a bit like shrimp but smaller, at just one to six centimeters long. They’re plentiful in the ocean, with an estimated biomass of 379-million tons (a biomass significantly larger than humans’ estimated 100-million tons), and they’re a popular meal item for sea animals like whales, birds and other fish, placing them solidly at the bottom of the ocean’s food chain.

● What type of fish does fish oil come from? Fish oil, on the other hand, comes primarily from cold water oily fish, including salmon, herring, mackerel, anchovies and sardines. These fish are higher up on the food chain, which means they sometimes contain high levels of mercury and other toxins.

● Do both provide omega-3s? Whether you take fish oil or krill oil, you’re going to enjoy a healthy dose of the omega-3 fatty acids DHA and EPA, although krill oil is gaining popularity due to its higher levels of EPA and its added antioxidant, astaxanthin, which gives krill oil its reddish color.

● What’s the research say? Fish oil has been studied extensively and appears to have many positive health benefits, ranging from improved cardiovascular function to suicide prevention. Krill oil also has studies backing its efficacy as a health-promoting supplement, but as a newer option on the market, there are fewer studies quantifying its benefits.

● What about fish burps? Fish oil is known for its unpleasant, post-consumption “fish burps,” which krill oil users appear to be able to avoid.

● What’s the difference in price? Krill oil supplements tend to be much more expensive than fish oil supplements. This is largely due to the way each supplement has to be processed to avoid rancidity. Krill begins decomposing and oxidizing much faster than fish oil, so to avoid   decomposition prior to manufacturing, krill must be kept alive in tanks or frozen until processing can begin. This significantly increases the cost to companies producing krill oil. That cost is passed on to consumers.

Importance of Omega-3 Essential Fatty Acids

The whole point of eating fatty fish, or taking a krill oil or fish oil supplement, is to increase your intake of omega-3s. These essential fatty acids (EFAs) are long-chain, polyunsaturated fatty acids deemed “essential” because your body can’t make them on its own.

If you don’t regularly consume foods containing omega-3s, your body could undergo some serious repercussions.

You see, EFAs, including omega-3s and omega-6s, play a key role in just about everything your body does. For instance, they help form healthy cell membranes (which are kinda important throughout your body).

They play a role in hormone production, the function and development of the brain and nervous system, regulation of blood pressure and blood clotting, transportation of cholesterol, and the function of the liver.

Not to mention, due to EFAs’ role in healthy cells and hormones, they help your skin and hair look pretty, preventing premature aging.

If, for whatever reason, you aren’t consuming enough EFAs, or if your ratio of omega-6 fatty acids to omega-3 fatty acids is off-kilter (typically you’re supposed to eat a ratio of somewhere between 2:1 and 4:1 omega-6s to omega-3s, but most

Americans consume far more omega-6s than omega-3s), you open yourself up to a slew of potential health problems, including heart disease, cancer, diabetes, arthritis, dementia and depression.

So yeah, who cares if you don’t like fish? You need to find a way to consume those omega-3s!

Omega-3 fatty acids are essential dietary components that play a key role in development and maintenance in a variety of organ systems.

Fish oil contains eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), two long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) that cannot be synthesized by humans.

A large body of research has revealed the enormous benefits of these fats, ranging from enhancing cognitive function to fighting obesity.

Recent research has focused on which source of fatty acids reigns as superior and the answer is clear: krill is king.

The Source

If you’ve never heard of krill, you might not be alone. However, at an estimated 600 million tons, the biomass of these shrimp-like crustaceans more than double the biomass of human beings.

The harvesting practices of krill for human consumption are tightly regulated and make a minimal impact on total krill population.

Comparatively, the use of krill as a nutrient source is more sustainable than other types of fish oil, such as cod or salmon.

Benefits of Supplementation

While it’s completely possible to consume enough omega-3 fatty acids in your normal diet by eating lots of fatty fish, walnuts, flax seeds, chia seeds and egg yolks, there are a few reasons why supplementation is a smart option:

● Most people aren’t consuming enough omega-3s in their diets. Fish just isn’t that popular, apparently, whether based on taste or cost. And even if you try to “make up for” your lack of fish consumption by going heavy on the walnuts and flax seeds, these plant-based omega-3s don’t convert into the important EPAs and DHAs found in marine-derived omega-3s. A high-quality supplement can provide the EPAs and DHAs your body needs, no fish food required.

● Fatty fish can contain high levels of mercury. While consuming one to two servings of fish each week is considered a healthy decision, you may not want to consume much more than that due to the potential for high levels of mercury and toxins. Krill doesn’t contain much (or any) of the toxins and metals found in fatty fish, and fish oil supplements are processed, removing potential toxins. This makes krill and fish oil supplements a safe option for daily consumption in lieu of, or in addition to, fatty fish.

● Supplementation provides a good “insurance” plan. Even if you eat fish regularly, it’s tough to know if you’re consuming enough omega-3s and attaining the correct ratio between omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids. Taking a supplement can hedge your bets and keep you on the right track consistently.

Health Benefits of Krill Oil vs Fish Oil

Krill oil and fish oil each appear to offer many health-promoting benefits. That said, fish oil has been studied much more extensively, so it’s easier to definitively quantify its benefits.

● Heart health. Both types of oil appear to promote heart health, but fish oil’s depth of research unequivocally points to its powerhouse ability to protect your ticker. For instance, Examine.com, and independent organization that examines the available research on nutritional supplements, looked at more than 750 studies on fish oil and concluded there’s significant research to back fish oil’s benefits for lowering triglyceride levels, modestly lowering blood pressure, increasing healthy HDL cholesterol, modestly reducing inflammation and possibly contributing to a decrease in the negative LDL cholesterol. Examine.com also looked at krill oil, finding a comparably small 49 studies to investigate. Even so, the research available indicates that krill oil also increases healthy HDL cholesterol while reducing LDL cholesterol, triglycerides and even total cholesterol, making it a good option for cardiac health.

● Arthritis. Likewise, there’s research to back the use of both forms of oil when it comes to arthritis treatment. Fish oil, specifically, appears to lower inflammation and may also lower the presence of c-reactive protein, a blood test marker for inflammation in the body. Evidence for krill oil’s positive benefits are even more greater, although fewer studies have been done. For instance, Examine.com found a study that supported a significant decrease in c-reactive protein in individuals with rheumatoid arthritis, reducing arthritis symptoms by up to 30-percent within 30 days while taking a 500-miligram per day dose of krill oil.

● Depression. Fish oil, hands down, is the winner (so far) when it comes to improving mood and alleviating symptoms of depression. Whereas krill oil has had very limited studies that point to the supplement’s ability to modestly reduce irritability, stress and symptoms of PMS, the research simply isn’t there to conjecture further. Fish oil, however, has been studied and re-studied on the matter, and is considered comparable to pharmaceutical drugs in the treatment of severe depression. It also appears to decrease cortisol, the stress hormone, decrease symptoms of depression in bipolar individuals, and decrease aggression and anxiety.

● Brain health. Fish oil is a known nootropic – it’s able to improve and enhance neural function and cognition without negative side effects. And the research is significant – it points to fish oil’s ability to increase cerebral blood flow and oxygenation while boosting memory, processing accuracy and reaction time while decreasing cognitive decline. Given krill oil’s similar omega-3 makeup, it’s reasonable to assume it would have similar brain-boosting effects, but unfortunately the research is still too new to completely support the assumption.

Bioavailability of Krill Oil vs Fish Oil

One factor that really sets krill oil apart from fish oil is its bioavailability. According to a 2011 study published in the journal Lipids, study participants given krill oil or fish oil for seven weeks saw similar increases in plasma EPA and DHA levels compared to the control group.

What’s significant about this study is that the dosage of krill oil was 68-percent of that of fish oil. In other words, the omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids in krill oil were more bioavailable than those in fish oil, making it possible to take a lower dose with similar results.

It’s assumed the improved bioavailability of omega-3s from krill oil is due to the fact that they’re bound to phospholipids rather than triglycerides, making them easier for the body to digest, but this may or may not be the case.

One 2015 study published in Lipids in Health and Disease found that krill meal had similar bioavailability to fish oil, when adjusted for dosage, while krill oil offered superior bioavailability.

This argues against the phospholipid suggestion given that krill meal and krill oil had identical fat makeup, both being bound to phospholipids.

Both krill and fish oil contain EPA and DHA. However, the one key disparity is the content of phosphatidylcholine (PC) in krill oil.

The addition of a phosphate group to the fatty acid chain permits simpler digestion in the small intestine and a more rapid incorporation into brain, lung, and liver tissues.

When comparing the effects of the EPA bound to phosphatidylcholine/phosphatidylserine in krill oil as opposed to the EPA bound to triglycerides in fish oil this study demonstrates that krill is more bioavailable.

In the aforementioned study, humans that were given krill oil containing 62.8% of the total amount of omega-3s in fish oil, increased their plasma EPA and DHA levels to the same level as those in the fish oil group… despite that it was a smaller dose (by 37.2%).

The presence of phospholipids in krill oil are responsible for the increased absorption efficiency and may permit a more rapid incorporation into important tissue [source].

Ultimately, it doesn’t matter – the scientists can keep working out the details. The point is, krill oil is more bioavailable than fish oil, and that’s a good thing.

Astaxanthin Advantage

Krill also contains astaxanthin, the same antioxidant that is responsible for the red color of salmon meat [source].

Astaxanthin is a carotenoid, and carotenoids are antioxidants that sequester singlet oxygen. Singlet oxygen is very reactive and can damage lipid membranes, DNA, and proteins in your cells. All of these are fundamental biological causes of aging.

Astaxanthin helps to protect the fatty acid chains from degradation and has been shown to play an important role in reducing inflammation in the cardiovascular system [source].

In a small clinical trial, astaxanthin supplementation itself (e.g. not in combination with omega-3 from krill) was shown to improve immune function while decreasing inflammation (CRP) and lowering DNA damage.

Astaxanthin has also been shown to help increase HDL-cholesterol (which was recently shown to help the body strip plaque off of arterial walls) as well as decrease triglycerides in another clinical trial, suggesting it plays an important role in cardiovascular health.

Health & Cognition

Where does krill display its prowess in the world of supplements? The anti-inflammatory properties of krill oil have been shown to assist in healthy weight management by reducing low-density lipoproteins (LDL), commonly known as the harmful type of cholesterol [source].

The incorporation of krill oil can help the body promote weight loss, healthy blood pressure, and affect a reduction in inflammatory problems. Recent research suggests Krill Oil may have a profound effect on the brain, similar to fish oil.

One advantage it has in this area is that omega-3 fatty acids incorporated in phosphatidylcholine act on brain function more efficiently than those incorporated in triglycerides, which omega-3s are bound to in fish oil.

Since the omega-3 fatty acids are bound to phosphatidylcholine in krill oil, this implies that they will be taken up by the brain tissues more readily than triglyceride-bound omega-3 from fish oil.

This infers that it might be able to get positive effects at a lower dose, which is reinforced by the above study on bioavailability.

A clinical trial involving elderly men that supplemented with krill oil resulted in enhanced working memory function. In addition, the krill oil also caused a significant decrease in latency, which reflects the rate of information processing.

Supercharge Your Fatty Acids

The presence of PC in krill is one clear advantage over regular fish oil. However, either fish oil or krill can be combined with additional PC to enhance absorption and boost choline levels.

In randomized clinical trials, this combination has been shown to help reduce cortisol levels in individuals with stress [source]. Additional studies combining EPA, DHA, and PC showed elevated levels of attention, mood, and memory function [source, source].

Additional Nutrients in Krill Oil vs Fish Oil

Fish oil is fish oil. Period, end of story. Krill oil, on the other hand, is thought to reduce oxidation and inflammation. It also preserves the supplement’s potency, and has been shown to support eye health. There have been few human studies on astaxanthin, but experts believe it may be safer than beta-carotene.

Sustainability of Krill Oil vs Fish Oil

If you care at all about the environment and the state of the ocean’s fragile ecosystem, then krill oil is the only responsible choice you can make. The commercial fishing industry has fished out roughly 90-percent of the large fish species consumed by humans and used to make fish oil.

Not to mention, fishing quotas are consistently 15- to 30-percent higher than the scientist-recommended safe limits for environmental sustainability.

Krill, on the other hand, is practically bamboo-like in terms of its renewability. In fact, its reproduction rate can weigh in the several hundred million tons each year.

In 2008, the Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (CCAMLR) set a precautionary catch limit of 5.6-million tons of krill. Amazingly, the actual annual catch is only about 0.3-percent of the unexploited biomass of krill.

In other words, there’s a lot of krill, it won’t be running out any time soon, and harvesting some of it won’t interfere with long-term availability that might disrupt the marine ecosystem.

Safety of Krill Oil vs Fish Oil

Both fish oil and krill oil are considered safe supplements, in terms of mercury, pesticides and other possible toxins that can accumulate inside fatty fish. But if you’re at all worried about what might be lurking inside your supplement, then krill oil is your better option.

Because krill are found in the deep, clean waters of the Antarctic, because they’re at the bottom of the food chain and eat primarily phytoplankton and zooplankton, and because they have a short lifespan, they simply don’t accumulate the heavy metals, pesticides and toxins that other fish that live farther up the food chain do.

Fish oil supplements are also unlikely to have much in the way of mercury or toxins due to the processing they undergo prior to sale, but they do run some risk of becoming rancid and useless, health-wise, because they lack the antioxidants found in krill oil supplements.

Takeaway

While fish oil is the tried-and-true supplement with years of research and support to back its heart-healthy reputation, it may only be a matter of time before krill oil reaches and surpasses fish oil’s popularity.

Krill oil’s similar omega-3 makeup and superior antioxidant level and bioavailability set it apart from fish oil, while its safety and sustainability make it the responsible choice.

The post Krill Oil vs Fish Oil: What You Need to Know appeared first on Onnit Academy.

I didn’t come to yoga naturally – I wasn’t drawn to flowing pose sequences, mindfulness or even the very real benefit of improved flexibility.

And I stuck to my guns…until my body rebelled.

Severe, Lower Back Pain Led Me to Yoga

I had my first knock-you-to-your-knees-in-tears back spasm in 2007. I don’t think I’ve even been in such excruciating pain. I couldn’t sit up, stand up or walk without gasping and almost falling over from shooting pains.

Of course it was a Friday. I didn’t have a primary care physician and didn’t want to spend the money to go to a hospital or urgent care facility, so I stayed home from work, popped Tylenol and did the only thing I knew might help – stretch and foam roll.

It took a week to recover from the acute spasm, and I spent the next several years dealing with regular, chronic pain. Sometimes it was better, sometimes it was worse, but I didn’t have another severe spasm until 2013, then again in 2015.

I followed self-care regimens. Saw a chiropractor, took OTC medicine when necessary, used muscle salves and tried just about every foam roller and massage ball on the market. I kept exercising, worked on core strength, paid attention to my diet and tried to tack on a few stretches to the end of my workouts. But the truth was, I was in constant pain.

A New Commitment

It was after my spasm in 2015 that I said, “This isn’t working. I need to try something new.” My sister swore her yoga class helped her lower back pain, so I made a commitment: I’d do a 20-minute yoga class every day for 30 days and see how I felt.

Yoga is for everyone because it’s functional. It improves movement patterns, corrects muscle imbalances and alignment. It requires you to move through a full range of motion as you enhance dynamic flexibility. 

It was nothing fancy – just a $15 yoga DVD I’d had sent to me some months previously, but for 30 days, I stuck to the plan. I’d walk my dogs in the morning, then start the DVD.

It became my savior. I noticed I wasn’t hurting as much or as often. I’d spend hours without thinking about lower back pain at all. I could pick things up off the ground without worrying whether my back might give out. I started running again – something I’d given up for some time.

And I began to recognize my own negative movement patterns and correct them by going through simple yoga sequences.

After several months of daily yoga, I stopped following the same routine, but continued incorporating my own sequences into workouts, adding 15 or 20 minutes after a HIIT or strength training session.

Unlike traditional, static stretching, flowing yoga sequences seemed to target more muscle groups simultaneously, working to improve posture and core strength while enhancing flexibility through the hips, glutes, hamstrings and low back – all of my lower back pain trouble zones.

It’s been more than a year since my last spasm, and while I can’t claim the pain is completely gone, I haven’t felt this good in years. I credit yoga for giving me back my… well, back.

Yoga’s Benefits Are For Everyone

My experience taught me that yoga is for everyone, and that my own negative views of the practice, “It’s too easy, it won’t benefit me enough, I want a ‘real’ workout” were ignorant, self-defeating and short-sighted.

Yoga’s not just for women, or just for people who like to meditate. It’s not just for the super bendy or for people who don’t like to work up a sweat. Though, if you love sweating, try out a hot yoga class.

Yoga is for everyone because it’s functional. It improves movement patterns, corrects muscle imbalances and alignment. It requires you to move through a full range of motion as you enhance dynamic flexibility. It encourages deep breathing which helps circulate oxygen and nutrients to your cells.

And yes, there’s a mindfulness component, but it doesn’t have to be in a “hippie dippie” sort of way. It can teach you to move thoughtfully, to connect your brain and your body so you develop better coordination and balance.

As if these benefits weren’t enough, science also indicates yoga:

· Decreases anxiety and offers promising results as a complementary treatment for depression
· Reduces pain and improves function in patients with arthritis
· Plays a complementary role in treating asthma to improve respiration
· Improves most risk factors associated with cardiovascular disease and diabetes
· Enhances sleep quality, even in patients with insomnia

The Four-Pose Challenge

There are real, legitimate benefits to signing up for an in-person yoga class – namely, you have a trained instructor who walks you through each pose, offering corrections and teaching you how to breathe.

But I’ll be honest, I didn’t jump into in-person classes (at first) because I was worried I’d feel out of place. DVDs and streaming video services, like Black Swan Yoga TV, are great places to find quality instructors and a variety of class styles, lengths and focuses.

But if even that seems a bit out of your comfort zone, I’d encourage you to add these four very simple poses to your next routine.

I’m not going to claim they’re the “best” yoga poses, or the “most effective,” because those descriptors are different for every person and need, but they’re the four poses I turn to most frequently when I need lower back pain relief and a quick mental reset.

Relieve Your Lower Back Pain With These 4 Yoga Poses

Yoga Squat for Lower Back Pain

With your legs slightly wider than hip-distance apart, your weight in your heels, bring your hands to your chest in a prayer position. Press your hips back and bend your knees as you squat down as far as you can, until your glutes are just a few inches from the ground.

Press your elbows to the inside of your knees to keep them aligned with your toes. As you breathe slowly, sink your tailbone toward the floor and lift your chest to lengthen your spine.

Hold the squat for 15 to 20 seconds, stand, then repeat three or four times.

Cat-Cow for Lower Back Pain

On all fours – palms beneath shoulders, knees beneath hips – with your back flat, take a deep breath and look up, drawing your chest forward, hollowing out your low back and pressing your tailbone upward.

On your exhale, reverse the movement, lowering your head between your arms as you tuck your tailbone under and stretch your back up toward the ceiling like a cat.

Continue alternating between Cow and Cat Pose on each inhale and exhale for three to five cycles.

Downward Dog with Foot Pedal for Lower Back Pain

You can transition into Downward Dog from Cat-Cow. After taking a breath in and moving into Cow Pose (head and chest up, low back hollowed, tailbone reaching high), tuck your toes under.

On the exhale, press through your toes and lift your knees from the floor, pressing your hips high into the air as you extend your elbows and knees, dropping your head between your arms.

Your body should look like an inverted “V.” Press through your palms and the balls of your feet as you try to reach your heels toward the floor (they don’t have to touch). Allow your head to hang loose.

From this position, begin pedaling your knees, bending one knee as you straighten the other for a deeper calf stretch, then alternating legs. Continue pedaling your legs for three to five breaths.

Child’s Pose for Lower Back Pain

You can transition into Child’s Pose from Downward Dog by simply lowering your hips until your body reaches high plank position – body straight as you balance on your palms and the balls of your feet. From high plank, place your knees on the ground, spread wide, your feet touching.

Press your hips back until you are sitting on your heels, your arms on the ground in front of you. Reach your palms farther forward to lengthen your spine and feel a stretch through your shoulders as you allow your hips to become heavy, sinking further into your heels.

Breathe deeply and enjoy the pose. Stay here as long as you’d like.

The post Help Relieve Your Lower Back Pain With These 4 Yoga Poses appeared first on Onnit Academy.

But sometimes, a bar by itself just doesn’t hit the spot when it comes to dessert. If you’re looking for a way to turn your post-workout bar into a post-workout decadence, you’ve come to the right place.

Try one of these four fast and easy recipes that turn your Oatmega Protein Bars into protein-packed desserts.

Oatmega Protein Bars Recipe #1: Oatmega Mint Chocolate S’Mores

You don’t have to sit around the fire to fulfil your craving for chocolatey, marshmallow-y deliciousness. This s’more recipe takes about five minutes to make and offers a minty kick to the standard s’more flavor.

If you’re the kind of person who likes sweet stuff in the morning, it would probably taste even better with a side of piping hot coffee.

Ingredients

● 1 Oatmega Chocolate Mint Crisp Bar.
● 2 marshmallows.
● 2 dark chocolate squares.

Directions

1. Slice the Oatmega Chocolate Mint Crisp Bar in half along its length, so you have two thin, graham cracker-like pieces.
2. Then cut each piece in half across its width so you have four squares.
3. Build your s’mores by topping two of the squares with a marshmallow and a dark chocolate square, layering the remaining two squares of protein bar on top.
4. Microwave the s’mores for 20 to 30 seconds, heating the marshmallows and melting the chocolate. Remove and enjoy.

Oatmega Protein Bars Recipe #2: Oatmega Chocolate Peanut Butter Banana Sundae

You can’t get much cleaner than this ice cream-free “sundae.” If you’re used to following a workout with a banana and a bar, this recipe takes your normal routine and gives it a twist. By using a blender or a juicer (I used a juicer) to turn a frozen banana into faux ice cream, you can eat your banana and bar just like you would eat a frozen treat.

Ingredients

● 1 Oatmega Chocolate Peanut Crisp Bar.
● 1 frozen banana.

Directions

1. Cut the Oatmega Chocolate Peanut Crisp bar into small pieces.
2. Use a juicer or a blender to blend the frozen banana into an ice cream-like texture.
3. Stir half of the pieces of protein bar into the banana and transfer into a bowl.
4. Top the sundae with the remaining pieces of protein bar and enjoy.

Oatmega Protein Bars Recipe #3: Oatmega Lemon Bars

Split this recipe with a friend or serve these lemon bars to your kids in place of their usual dessert. You’ll get even more protein and fiber than usual with the addition of Greek yogurt and blueberries.

Ingredients

● 2 Oatmega Lemon Chia Crisp Bars.
● ½ cup plain Greek yogurt.
● 1 tablespoon honey.
● 1/8 cup blueberries.
● Lemon zest.

Directions

1. Cut both Lemon Chia Crisp bars in half across the width of the bar.
2. Use a rolling pin to roll each of the four squares into slightly larger, flatter squares.
3. In a bowl, mix the Greek yogurt with the honey.
4. Spoon the Greek yogurt on top of each protein bar square.
5. Top the Greek yogurt with blueberries and lemon zest.
6. Freeze for 20 minutes, remove and enjoy.

Oatmega Protein Bars Recipe #4: Oatmega Chocolate Coconut Bonbons

When you’re craving chocolate on top of chocolate, this protein bar bonbon recipe is the one for you. It takes a little longer to prepare than some of the other recipes on this list, but you could make a week’s worth in advance and keep them in the fridge, ready to pull out after your workout or as a pre-bedtime snack.

Ingredients

● 1 Oatmega White Chocolate Raspberry Bar.
● 1/8 cup dark chocolate pieces.
● 1 teaspoon coconut oil.
● Unsweetened, shredded coconut.

Directions

1. Cut the Oatmega White Chocolate Raspberry Bar into eight small squares. Use your hands to round out the edges of each square, turning the pieces into balls.
2. Put the dark chocolate pieces and coconut oil into a microwave safe bowl and melt, removing to stir the chocolate every 30 seconds. This should take about one to two minutes total.
3. Roll each of the protein balls in the melted chocolate and place on a plate.
4. Sprinkle with the shredded coconut.
5. Put the bonbons in the freezer for 10 to 15 minutes for the chocolate to harden.

The post Turn Your Oatmega Protein Bars Into a Healthy Dessert appeared first on Onnit Academy.

These four core exercises target all the major muscles spanning between your hips and your shoulders, all while offering an extra burst of cardio to torch a few extra calories. Perform each exercise for 30 seconds, and cycle through the series two times.

You’ll be done in just five minutes, or if you’re feeling motivated, you can cycle through the routine four times for a 10-minute core workout that’s guaranteed to be effective.

Equipment Needed:

● Steel Bell
● Suspension Trainer

Top 4 Core Exercises

1. Twisting Mountain Climbers

Start in a high plank position, palms under shoulders, legs fully extended. Keeping your core engaged and upper body steady, draw one knee up and across your torso, reaching it toward your opposite elbow as you twist your hips the same direction, engaging your obliques.

Reverse the movement to return your foot to the starting position, but as you do so, hop your opposite foot into the air, drawing it up and across your torso toward your opposite elbow as your first foot returns to the ground.

Continue this movement as fast as you can while maintaining good form, keeping your core engaged, preventing your low back from sagging.

2. SteelBell Slams

Stand with a SteelBell between your legs, feet shoulder-distance apart, knees slightly bent. Engage your core and squat down, pressing your hips back and keeping your chest lifted as you pick up the SteelBell.

Press through your heels to return to standing, and as you do so, lift the SteelBell up over your head in a fluid movement, rising up onto the balls of your feet.

When the SteelBell is lifted over your head, forcefully slam it back to the ground between your feet, tightening your hips, abs and low back as you swing your arms forward and press your hips back to throw the SteelBell to the floor. Immediately squat back down to start another repetition.

3. Suspension Pikes

Set up a suspension trainer so the straps hang about 12 to 18-inches off the floor. Place your feet into the straps so they’re looped around your arch near your ankle and start in a high plank position with your core tight, palms under shoulders. Engage your core to keep your body steady, making sure your low back and hips don’t sag.

From this position, press through your palms and your feet as you lift your hips to the ceiling, drawing the straps closer to your body as you enter a pike position, your body forming an inverted “V,” your arms and legs straight. Carefully reverse the movement and return to the high plank position before continuing.

4. Plank Jacks

Start in a low plank position supported on your forearms and the balls of your feet, your hips aligned between your knees and shoulders. With your core braced to support the effort, forcefully press through the balls of your feet and hop your legs into the air, spreading your legs so your feet land farther apart.

Allow your knees to bend slightly as your feet land to help absorb the impact. Immediately hop your feet back into the air, bringing your legs together. Continue this in-and-out hopping motion, just as if you were performing jumping jacks, for the duration of the exercise.

The post 4 High Intensity Core Exercises to Finish Off Any Workout appeared first on Onnit Academy.

And you thought you were so cutting edge.

Luckily today’s weight vests don’t consist of 50 pounds of awkward, clanging metal. Most vests are sleek, body-hugging numbers covered in pockets that you can fill with specially-designed weight plates to increase resistance to help make bodyweight exercises more challenging.

Why You Should Use a Weight Vest When Warming Up

There’s a specific instance in which weight vest training appears to make some immediate and beneficial difference to performance: Your warmup routine.

I tracked down three different studies (here, here, and here) published between 2006 and 2013, each of which looked at a different demographic of individuals performing different types of exercise. In each case, wearing a weighted vest during a warmup appeared to improve jumping performance and running economy.

Unfortunately, because each study was looking at different measurements and using different amounts of weight when utilizing the weighted vests, it’s almost impossible to draw hard and fast conclusions about when, where and how (or more specifically, how much), exactly, you should use weighted vests.

But if you’re looking for an edge, particularly when it comes to speed and power, there’s no reason not to incorporate a weighted vest into your warmup.

Rules of Engagement

While weight vest training is considered safe, there are a few things you should keep in mind.

Ease your way in. Because much of the weight of the vest is supported by your shoulders and back, it’s a good idea to start light and gradually add more weight. Consider starting with just 2% of your body weight.

Don’t go too heavy. Even though some weighted vests can hold as much as 150-pounds, there’s no reason to load up – there’s simply no evidence to indicate more is better. After you’ve grown accustomed to wearing your vest, gradually increase the weight to somewhere between 5-10% of your body weight. If you weigh 200-pounds, there’s no reason to ever wear a vest more than 20 pounds.

Keep it close. Tighten up your vest so it sits close to your body and won’t bounce or shift noticeably when performing exercises. The more it fits like a second skin, the less likely you are to make changes to natural movement economy.

Start with basic body weight exercises. We’ve all seen the crazy weight vest workouts where people perform insane plyometrics while wearing a vest. If one of your ultimate goals is to follow suit with your own awesome plyometrics, great, but start with the basics and focus on form. If you add weight to a challenging move and your form isn’t perfect? You’re only going to mess up your form more, opening yourself up to a greater likelihood of injury.

Weight Vest Workout Routine #1: 30 Second Cardio Circuit

This warmup routine should be done when you’re about to perform a running or sprint-based cardio workout. Give yourself about 20 yards to work with and perform each exercise for 30 seconds before continuing to the next exercise. Repeat the circuit four times.

High knee running: Run forward at a steady pace, pumping your arms and bringing your knees as high as you can in front of your body with each step.

Grapevine: Perform this classic warmup exercise by traveling laterally. Start by stepping laterally with your right leg, then cross your left leg behind it. Step your right leg out laterally again, then cross your left leg in front of it. Continue this lateral movement, traveling as fast as you can, swinging your arms as you go to help support the movement. Alternate sides after every circuit.

Lateral slides: Again working laterally, squat low to fire up your glutes and quads, and stay light on your feet to move quickly. Step your right leg to the side, bring your left leg to meet it, then step out to the right again. Don’t cross your legs as you slide. Switch your starting leg after every circuit.

Power burpee: For this burpee variation, you’ll start in a ready position before squatting down and planting your hands on the ground. Jump your feet behind you to a high plank and lower your body all the way to the ground. Press yourself back to high plank and jump your feet back to start. If you can, leap up into the air, pulling your knees high in front of you, touching your knees with your hands before landing. If the jump is too much, skip it and simply return to standing.

Mountain climbers: Start in a high plank position and draw one knee toward your chest, planting the ball of your foot on the ground. Hop your legs up and switch their position. Continue this hopping-switching movement for the 30-second split.

Weight Vest Workout #2: 60 Second Basic Burner

This series of warmup exercises is perfect before a strength training workout as it’s designed to target all of your major muscle groups through dynamic, functional exercises. Perform each of the following for 60 seconds. Repeat the circuit twice.

Stair climbs or step ups: Using a set of stairs or a single step, simply walk up the stairs or step up and down off the step for the first 60-seconds.

Prisoner squat: With your hands behind your head, your feet shoulder-width apart, perform a body weight squat for 60-seconds, focusing on keeping your weight in your heels, your torso tall and upright.

Spider pushup: Fire up your upper body and core with 60-seconds of spider pushups. As you bend your elbows and lower your chest toward the floor, draw your right knee to your right elbow. Place your right foot back on the ground as you press yourself back to start. Repeat on the other side and continue for the duration.

Side plank hold: Set up in a side plank, your right forearm under your right shoulder, your feet stacked and your hips lifted so your body forms a straight line. Hold the position for the full 60 seconds. If you must, release and rest every 20 seconds before continuing. Switch sides on the second circuit.

Modified pullup: Using a low bar for support, grasp the bar and step your legs underneath it, extending your arms and legs fully so your shoulders are under the bar. From this position, bend your elbows and squeeze your shoulder blades together to pull your chest toward the bar. Lower yourself steadily to the starting position and continue for the full 60 seconds.

The post 10-Minute Weight Vest Workouts to Maximize Your Results appeared first on Onnit Academy.