King Sports International

Observations from Austria

by Andreas Scheicher, KSI CIP Coach, Austria

Since working in a commercial fitness club I have the chance to watch many people training. By doing this I noticed an interesting phenomenon: At a moment in training, a lot of people reach a certain point where the progress stops or even declines and injuries occur. Now, to reach a sticking point and to get injured is not a big surprise when watching them, because it is predictable when you know what to look at. But it's interesting that all this unwanted situations (stop in progress, injuries etc) seem always to occur SIMULTANEOUSLY!

I started working with some of them, analyzed their training and found a concept that I could explain to them in simple words as to what the problem might be. Here I share it with you too:

When building your body, compare it with building a house. The training you do are the bricks and the height of the house is your performance, level of hypertrophy, leanness... (whatever your goal is).

You have two ways of doing it: You either build a house that looks like a pyramid, with a broad base. This takes some time to do, since you put the first bricks side by side to each other and only when one floor is completed start building the next floor.

Or you build all your bricks on top of each other, like a thin, shaky tower. This is what I see most people doing, because it produces visible results faster.

Take as an example the loaded squat: the ‘tower’ would be to start with loaded squatting and instantly increase your load, even if form and squat depth decreases. It's the instant gratification way. Or you use your first bricks to build flexibility, technique and muscle recruitment. You see, there is not even a lot of squatting at this stage. But you build a foundation, and this foundation opens a potential to build a huge pyramid from!

Back to our phenomenon: My theory is that those people build towers. This wobbly building stands as long as everything is normal and as expected. As soon a there is an unforeseen challenging situation in the training career that breaks one brick somewhere, the whole tower comes down at once!

I suggest to build your house on a firm base, and if you already have a not optimal construction go back to rebuild the base NOW, because later might be either too late, or very hard on your ego since the higher you already are, the further you have to go down.

How long should you stay on each floor? I wouldn't orientate on time, but results. If you use the brick’ ’technique’ from the squatting example you work on that until you have it perfected. If you improve fast and/or have high quality coaching this might happen fast. But if you need more time then take your time. Staying healthy will still be less work than getting healthy!

Andreas will be travelling to the US in August 2008 to complete his KSI CIP coach education program.

Physical Preparation for the Health & Wellness Professional

by Ashleigh Gass

Physical preparation coaches and clients work with a range of “Health and Wellness” professionals such as Physical Therapists, Chiropractors, Massage Therapists, Physicians, and others who actively strive to improve the health and well-being of their clients and patients.

The aim of this article is to give health and wellness professionals an insight into physical preparation the KSI way.

Physical preparation may be a term that is unfamiliar to you. Phrases and titles such as “strength training, cardio, sprints, strength coach”, etc may immediately come to mind when you think of physical preparation. Typically one thinks of physical preparation as one-dimensional, ie, ‘physically preparing an athlete to be stronger’. While this is a component of physical preparation, the KSI approach offers you a more holistic view.

Let’s start with understanding what the components are in physical preparation. We’ll call these The Physical Qualities.

1. Flexibility
2. Speed
3. Strength
4. Endurance

(Foundations of Physical Preparation, Ian King, 2000)

Of these 4 components, we’re willing to bet you are most familiar with #3 and #4. No surprise here, since you and your clients live on these islands 90% of your training life.

Now that you have a better understanding of the Physical Qualities, let’s review The Athletic Qualities.

1. Physical
2. Psychological
3. Technical
4. Tactical

(Foundations of Physical Preparation, Ian King, 2000)

#2, #3 and #4 may have raised a few eyebrows. Often times these qualities are thought to be outside the realm of the Physical Preparation coach.

Thus, physical preparation is defined as the integration of Physical and Athletic Qualities in a manner meant to reduce injury potential and maximize performance in athletes (and all people interested in active lives).

So, we’ve discussed the components of Physical Preparation, and clarified what the term means. Next time you hear the phrase “Physical Preparation Coach” you may have more clarity and appreciation for what this truly involves.

At this point, you may be thinking “Well, that’s nice, but how would this information add value to my clients/patients?” Read on!

This is how: I'm willing to bet that many of your clients are repeat customers. Ok, of course your clients love you and couldn’t imagine life in your absence, but we’ll postulate that the main reason for repeat visits is because their injuries never quite, well, resolve.

If you are humble enough to admit that there may be some truth to this – read on. If you’re in the middle of throwing a fit and writing a nasty email in response, well, this newsletter may not be for you!

You’re still reading – fantastic learning opportunities await!

Typically when you treat clients, you are using a symptom-based approach. Client comes in with pain, you treat pain, pain goes away for a couple days, pain comes back, client comes back. Cycle continues until you and your client get fed up, and they go somewhere else – only to receive the same course of action!!

What can you do to stand out from the rest, and empower yourself to heal clients once and for all?

Gain a greater appreciation of the relationship between the Physical Qualities (remember those?)

1. Flexibility
2. Speed
3. Strength
4. Endurance

Learn to understand the balance (or, more appropriately lack thereof) of these qualities in your client’s training program (you know, all the stuff they do when they aren’t in your office). Take the time to study information that will guarantee long-term results with your clients (and will add to the prosperity of your business like you’ve never seen before)

There are a couple of resources that will be key components to your journey:

DVD: Flexibility Specialization Series

Think your knowledge of Yoga and Pilates is enough? Think again……..

DVD: Injury Prevention and Rehabilitation Series

Convinced that a little bit of rubber tubing will solve all shoulder problems? Not quite…..

I commend those of you who are willing to go the extra mile in your practice. This information will add value to your clients/patients for years to come.

Ashleigh Gass
KSI CMP Coach

Athletic Golfers?

by Jason Pobega

The game of golf was revolutionized in 1996 when a certain golfer came on the scene. Forever changing the way golfers, and the game itself was viewed, Tiger Woods not only gave a new look, but a new philosophy to the sport that many called a ‘pastime.’

But it wasn’t the lucrative endorsements or countless titles and trophies won by Tiger that made the most impact. Those were just examples of the fuel that stoked the fire. Sure Tiger was scoring better than the average Joe at the age of 3, but is it only talent that created this epiphany?

Never before had anyone treated golf as a sport, or a golfer as an athlete. Today, if you aren’t an athlete in golf, you’re not even a blip on the leaderboard. Competitors flocked to find the trainer, the perfect way to get into ‘Tiger Shape.’ But it wasn’t just the competitive golfer that saw this attention to physical preparation as an asset.

The average Joe saw an opportunity to improve their game as well. And so the commercial boom of Yoga for golf, Golf-Fit classes, and specialized DVD’s made their way into the world. But like a lot of things in the physical preparation world, dollars came before sense.

One of the negative sides to a unilateral sport is the imbalance it creates in the body. The force generated in a golf swing is incredible when you figure that the average speed of a swing is in the vicinity of 105mph! Like tennis or racquet sports, a lot of emphasis was put on strengthening the muscles used to create more force-but at the expense of rest of the body parts that were compensating for the tremendous movement that is the golf swing. In this, the expense turned into repetitive injury, which turned into surgery, which turned into therapy, which was unilateral in nature, which leads to….well you get the picture.

So I ask the question, if athletes are treating golf as a sport and taking the dedicated time and cost in preparing themselves in a way that sets them up for success, why would they want to subject themselves to a less than optimal program or system?

The answer is simple: education or lack there of. Many athletes, not only in golf, but other weekend warrior scenarios search for the quick fix to the symptom.

Example: A golfer has a wicked slice that keeps going right.

Solution: Let just compensate to the left so that it evens out at the end!

Now let’s say that by looking at the way the golfer’s body stood still, walked, and then swung the club, could we find any imbalances that may be causing the slice rather than just hiding the symptom just like in the Injury Prevention and Rehab series http://kingsports.net/products-ksi-dvd-injpre.htm. What if this analysis in the long run created a better and healthier set of habits that then created the golf swing the athlete had been searching for? Oh, and what if from that analysis the athlete, stood, walked and did anything in their everyday physical life that had an impact on their life in general?

Which route would you choose? If you are receiving this newsletter, I’d wager that you’d pick the latter.

By visually assessing an athlete that plays a unilateral sport, you would find imbalances in both joint and muscle. Eversion or inversion of the feet, knees locked, hips posteriorally rotated, and shoulders rolled forward, etc, etc. Addressing these imbalances is crucial to building an optimal foundation on which an athlete can build a blueprint of success.

Techniques used in Injury Prevention and Rehab, Flexibility Training http://kingsports.net/products-ksi-dvd-fletra.htm, and How to Write http://kingsports.net/products-ksi-book-htw.htm offer incredible insight into not only addressing the challenges that may be evident, but to also plan, and create a program best suited to getting your game on track and down the fairway.

Jason Pobega
KSI CMP Coach

Of course it works - science says so....

During a recent World Cup in a certain sport I listened as the commentator, a recently retired player, was asked by another commentator if hyperbaric chambers work. This topic came up in a spare moment, and as the former player had battled a chronic injury it was expected or known he had used the hyperbaric chamber in his quest to overcome hin injury.

I listend to his response with great interest. Hyperbaric chambers are true boast material as they are large, expensive an high-tech rehab tools.

The athlete hesistated, and said words to the effect:

"I don't know - I guess you are willing to try anything."

This was a polite way of saying perhaps 'I am not convinced.'

Reflecting on his words, a moment later the former athlete added:

"There are a lot of studies showing its benefts, so I guess, yeah, it does work."

That politically correct addendum didn't salvage his position, unless of course the listener was one of the many who, like the athlete, felt the need to bow down to 'science'.

Well, of course it works - science says so (and that must be more powerful than my own conclusions...).

The only thing I am interested is what you, in an objective state of mind, in the absence of any compulsion to conform with what you think you are meant to beleive - believe in. And why. Because science says so doesn't cut it on my list of supportive conclusions.

Multiple knee ligament reconstruction - update #1

It's been approx 1 month since Ian's initial post and my initial interview with this former athlete for rehabilitation of his seriously challenged knee (2 x ligament repairs and meniscus trim on the one knee).

My initial contact with him was 14 weeks post surgery, up until that time, his physio (for the past 10+yrs) had been rehabbing him with very limited success. This measured by his lack of range at the knee, pain, swelling, altered gait via a large limp, recommendation of further surgery to the knee, muscle atrophy and a compromised life style with very limited signs of any improvement up until that 14 weeks!

So the first 'shift' had to take place. I had to learn why he likes to partner/associate with total incompetence and see if he was willing to break this tragic pattern. In other words, find out how willing he was to change. He passed the tests there, so on to the next step with the interview and assessments complete.

The next step was to get hands on and test my hypothesis as to the reasons why he had such limited improvement after 3 and one half months. Knowing the (lack of) competence of most therapists and the paradigms they subscribe to, we measured a few aspects of his current knee status then I spend maybe 30 mins all up working on some things and re-tested.

The changes were definitely in the right direction and in 30mins we were able to get more improvement than in his previous 14wks combined! That also carried through to the next day, with him saying it’s the best his knee has felt since the surgery!

This had a huge impact on his belief as to what is possible, as previously his belief (and therefore results) were reflective of the competence he chose to engage - low!

Additionally, while I was working with the client, Ian was busy creating an electronic version of a 'monitor' he has successfully used over the years with numerous athletes, that I can't talk too much about it here. This was another responsibility the client had and monitor continues to guide us in his rehabilitation daily.

So for the past 4 weeks he has happily made the 3 hour round trip (that's just the driving time, not including his time with me!) a number of time each week to get serviced to the level he deserves and continue to move forward in improvement.

Earlier this week Ian set our client up for a meeting and second opinion based on the apparent need for further surgery, with possibly Australia's leading sports surgeon who Ian knows well. This was another great learning experience for our client as the surgeon was able to share the grim long term realities for his knee if he continued on his previous course.

This was another wake up call for him, giving him greater appreciation for straight/blunt communication Ian and I use with him when it appears he is (or in the past was) selling himself short, expecting too little, and using blame or lack of control over life’s events as excuses…

More updates to follow...

Mitchell Kochonda

Body shape, posture and strength training

It has become clear to me many times over the impact strength training exercises have on body shape and posture. Not just the exercise, but also the way the exercise is conducted.

Most of us would be familiar with the typical rounded shoulder shape brought by an imbalance between say benching and rowing. (despite the number of 'know' about this, it is still appallingly common).

Injuries to the shoulder and associated connective tissue are too many to mention.

But I want to take it a step further.

Take shape. Even if bench pressing is balanced in volume and sequence by rowing movements (rare), note the shape of the body during the row. If it is anything less than optimal, you will see the same shape in posture - less than optimal. The opportunity to counter the bench has been lost.

The most common flaws in share in rowing are rounded upper back, rounded from shoulder to shoulder (protracted scapula), lower back arched (anterior rotated pelvis) combined with the rounded upper back.

Another example in shape is excessive (over-frequent) use of the arch in the bench.  There is one particular athlete who from a distance appears to stand in the shape an arched bench press. Not good for lower back. I believe an review of his training would support my observations/conclusion that he over-uses the arch in the bench press.

Further to that, and this again is tragically common - either the deadlift and related lifts (e.g. power clean) are inadequately present in his workout, or his shape in them is far from satisfactory.

The role of the deadlift and related double joint/off ground lifts is a critical one, one I have not found any acceptable substitute exercise for. I am going beyond the performance and size benefits of this lift - I am speaking of its role in correcting and maintaining appropriate shape and its contribution to posture.

Note the existence in the program of the deadlift is not sufficient - the relative sequence and volume is critical, relative to the current shape of the body. And the following is non-negotiable - the posture/technique used - this is FAR MORE important than the loading in the first instance. There is no excuse for inadequacies in the shape used in the lift. The most common reason poor shape is used is lack of knowledge/value placed on this lift and shape by the physical preparation coaches advising the athlete.

This is good news for those wanting a competitive advantage. Simply study and implement the recommendations for this lift in my DVDs (see below for options) and you can be ahead of 99% of professional athlete guidance.

Ian King's Guide to the Deadlift;  How To Teach Strength Training Exercises (both are based on same footage, the HTT contains over 100 lifts for the whole body)

Have you changed your view on flexbility?

I recently received an email from a client asking if I had changed my view on stretching, considering my Flexibility Training DVD was shot in the 1990s.

This is what I told him:

Boringly so my view are still the same on flexibility. I work on what are called generalized principles – things that don’t change. Not on trends or the latest ‘science;, which is little more than controlled (usually by commercial interests) thinking labeled as science (because saying ‘it says so in the bible’ has now been replaced by ‘research shows’ as the way of controlling human thinking and achieving social conformity).

I am not sure if this question was because he thought time may have changed my views in general, or if he was referring specifically to my view on flexibility. Considering the trend of thinking in this decade, he was probably shocked to hear my advice on footage. After all, what idiot would go against the dominant paradigms of the 'everyone' in this decade?

The same idiot who went against many different paradigms during the 1980, 1990 and the 2000s when they were against the trends of each decade.

Flakes change with the season. This idiot finds out what is optimal for the results and refines these conclusions. Hang around if you want to find out what works based on long-term objective application in the real world where the expectation is 'It can be done'.

Move on if you are bound to be just like everyone else at any given point in history. For the world is full of sheep like this.

The 'good' limb no longer...

I was watching a game of contact team sport on the TV tonight. I noted one of the players with his knee heavlity bandaged, and the commentator stating he had come into the game with that knee injured. He was walking with a limp. Unless the bandages were too tight and altering his gait, he was favoring this leg. Which meant he was putting more than 50% of his weight on his other leg.

I cringed at the thought of what might happen.

Guess what - about 30 minutes later, assisted off with a damaged 'good' knee....tragic.

Remember - if you load the joint when it is doing more than 50% of the word, due to say an injury to the other limb - you are heading towards an injury on your 'good' side. Soon you will not know which is your good side....

Rising above the masses level of commitment to learning...

I received a question in an email recently (that is not uncommon), and the content was probably fairly common. But it doesn't need to be, if one rises above the masses.

The writer, to their credit, was making an effort to learn, but had limited their research of my approach to training to date to free on line articles.

They said I was the person who first exposed them to horizontal/vertical pull/push etc (sure hope so, because it was my original idea, no doubt been plagiarized extensively by keyboard warriors devoid of the ability to create their own material).

He felt he had a handle on the upper body balance (which I doubt, but let's not try to change the world in one) but expressed confusion about the lower body balance.

He wrote: 

"My primary exercises for quads include squats, lunges, and step ups.  My primary exercises for hams include stiff legs and legs curls with a stability ball.  I typically do the leg curls with one leg and a cable strapped to my ankles for added resistance.

Given the hams involvement in moves like the squat and lung and step up, I'm not sure about how to balance my loads between my quads and hams.  Currently to do on average 10 sets of quads and 6 sets for hams."

Well...so here's what I said:

"... it may be time for you to commit beyond free online articles! I would recommend my books

Get Buffed! I or How to Write Strength training Programs (now don't get my book mixed up with some imitators knock-off). I would probably say go with the GB book.

I generally give more time to answering questions from my clients, on our KSI Forum, so I would encourage you (if you were serous about learning my approach) to get to this level.

Here's a tip – any free weight leg exercise where the trunk is above 45 degrees to the ground is a quad dominant exercise. Your three favorites are all quad dominant….your comment about hamstring involvement is wishful thinking regarding balance – like the chicken and the pig. When it comes to bacon and eggs, one is involved, the other is committed….

Then you do 100% more on quad exercises than hamstring exercises. And you probably do the quad ones first…all the time…

Now whilst you are simply copying the masses, if you want to avoid injury, you had best become more educated than the masses. Now its your turn to make an effort – educate yourself, through my books or anyone else’s who you feel attracted to.  But stop being average, researching at an average level, and getting average, injury related results!"

Athlete injured for 2 years?!?!

I read in a newspaper this morning of an elite athlete who had been out of his game for 2 seasons with injury! He missed 2 complete seasons! His last game was at the end of the 2004 season!

I struggled to believe it possible, but knowing what I know about the situation in specifics and the global sporting perception about injuries, I should not be surprised.

This is ridiculous however. Totally unnecessary. I am not sure who to direct my disappointment and dismay to mostly - the sports medical, support and coaching staff for allowing it, or the athlete for not looking beyond the limiting beliefs of those who in theory are entrusted to advice him.

There are some things I am sure of however including:

1.    The athlete was the victim.

2.    His team would have been disadvantaged also.

3.    The sports medical staff kept themselves in work by allowing/creating this.

4.    The support staff would have no idea about their contribution to this situation.

5.    The coach had an excuse in advance for failings (e.g. too many of his team were out injured)

6.    It would not have happened if my approach to training, or my coaches or I personally, were involved.

7.    It is going to happen again - time and time again - because the world is committed to the belief that sporting injuries are inevitable.

As an athlete, DO NOT accept the standard line from those 'entrusted' to look after you! Look beyond and avoid being their bitch in the injury stakes!