The Strength & Conditioning Research Rundown February 2020

By Thomas King, MSc, CSCS, CEP

After the positive reception to part one of this blog post, we thought it would be a good idea to introduce part two. Below you will find some good information in a rapid-fire format. Without further ado, let’s get started!

Stay Out Late? Lift Less.

photo credit: Thibaud Saintin Me, herself and them via photopin (license)

Ever tried to workout hard the day after a late night of partying? Probably wasn’t a fun experience, was it? Thanks to a research team from Brazil, we now know that this isn’t a good idea. In their experiment, participants were given alcohol and forced to stay up late. Lo and behold, when they were tested the next morning, their performance suffered! [1] So, if you still want to workout the day after a big night, try to keep it light.

They See Me Rollin’

photo credit: Mark Burnham Photography

Have you ever been foam rolling and wondered how much pressure you should be applying? I know I have. Well, it turns out, to help increase your range of motion (RoM) it really doesn’t matter. A research team right here in St. John’s examined three different levels of applied roller force and found neither one to be better than the other. Who would have thought? So, maybe don’t worry too much about going hard with the foam roller and just do it. [2]

Play Late, Sleep Poorly

photo credit: Kevin McShane Self Portrait In Bed via photopin (license)

To all those reading this, if you play a game of your favourite sport at night, how would you rate your sleep quality that night? For me, it takes a long time to unwind for bed after being highly stimulated for an extended period. It turns out; even professionals are affected by evening games. In a study of professional soccer players, 90% of those who played in games starting after 6:00pm reported sleep disturbances. So, if you are hoping for a good night’s rest, maybe rethink that 10pm hockey game. [3]

Is It The Shoes?

When it comes to deadlifting, what do you prefer shoes or no shoes? Personally I prefer a nice flat shoe with a minimal heel. Well, it turns out that it may not even matter. In a study examining shod (with shoes) versus barefoot deadlifting, researchers from Australia found that there was no difference in rate of force development or peak vertical force between the two conditions. [4]

Better Grip, Better Golf?

photo credit: manoftaste.de Golf via photopin (license)

Looking for a quick way to improve your golf performance? Researchers from the United States may have just what you are interested in. They tested the effects of training using fat gripz (a rubber attachment that increases the diameter of a barbell) on ball speed, driving distance, and driving carry. Interestingly, training with fat gripz increased these parameters significantly more than a group who did not train with fat gripz. [5]

That’s a wrap! I hope you enjoyed this look at some of the research coming from the strength and conditioning world. As before, if any of this piqued your interest, I have included the links to the studies cited in the article below.

References

Rodrigues, R., Franke, R.dA., Teixeira, B.C., Macedo, R.C.O., Diefenthaeler, F., Baroni, B.M., Vaz, M.A. (2019). Can the combination of acute alcohol intake and one night of sleep deprivation affect neuromuscular performance in healthy adults? A cross-over randomized trial. Journal of strength and conditioning research, 33(5), 1244-51.

Grabow, L., Young, J.D., Alcock, L.R., Quigley, P.J., Byrne, J.M., Granacher, U., Skarabot, J., Behm, D.G. (2018). Higher quadriceps roller massage forces do not amplify range-of-motion increases nor impair strength and jump performance. Journal of strength and conditioning research, 32(11), 3059-69.

Nedelec, M., Dawson, B., Dupont, G. (2019). Influence of night soccer matches on sleep in elite players. Journal of strength and conditioning research, 33(1), 174-9.

Hammer, M.E., Meir, R.A., Whitting, J.W., Crowley-McHatten, Z.J. (2018). Shod vs. barefoot effects on force and power development during a conventional deadlift. Journal of strength and conditioning research, 32(6), 1525-30.

Cummings, P.M., Waldman, H.S., Krings, B.M., Smith, JE.W., McAllister, M.J. (2018). Effects of fat grip training on muscular strength and driving performance in division I male golfers. Journal of strength and conditioning research, 32(1), 205-10.

Nizar Ladha

Personal Strength Training by Thomas King

I am the oldest client at JKC at 79 years, soon to be 80. I started training at JKC July 2021. I started at JKC because two of my three sons Justin and Michael and their partners Andrea and Keir and one of my doctors recommended JKC. They all train at JKC Now my wife Linda trains at JKC too. My third son Jonathan lives in Kingston. There is a congenial community atmosphere at JKC. People are introduced to each other. There is effective personal training at JKC.

Lloyd Hussey

Personal Strength Training by Jon-Erik Kawamoto

I started at JKC in January of 2014 and I’m 67 years old. When I had my Initial Assessment, I knew – almost immediately – that Jon knew what he was doing and what he was talking about. I was overweight, out of shape, and in serious need of someone, like Jon, who could get me back on a fitness/conditioning routine that suited me, my age, my less than acceptable physical condition, my sometimes intermittent RA, and my need for a structured, consistent and yet flexible training and conditioning program that would work for me.

Fundamentally, if I made a choice at all with respect to JKC – it was to continue to come back each week. I have not been in a lot of gyms. To be honest, they used to intimidate me. What makes JKC different is their approach to each and every one of their clients. Jon and Thomas – and now Craig – tailor each training regime to the particular needs of each client. That ensures that the training regime will suit each client upon the start of training and changes as the client improves. It adjusts for any physical setbacks such as injuries and it adjusts for success. It is just that simple.

It is also the consistent encouragement that comes from Jon, Thomas and Craig. That voice that comes to you while you are in the middle of a particularly difficult set – rear-foot elevated split squats comes to mind immediately – that says “good job” or “keep it up” or “just a couple more reps.” To know, in that moment, that you are not alone and the trainer is paying attention to what you are doing. That is priceless for me.

Lisa Dobbin

JKC was recommended to me by a fellow runner. I was experiencing injuries, and feeling weak and fragile. When I started with JKC, Jon asked me about my goals and my focus. I wanted to concentrate specifically on running, and preventing injury. Jon developed a program for me that has enabled me to focus on my form and strength and has been flexible enough to enable me to train for many different races. I have been training with JKC for six years, and during that time I have enjoyed Jon and Thomas’s expertise in a very warm and supportive atmosphere.

Dane Woodland

I came to JKC through recommendations from my peers from lululemon. As a current ambassador, I’ve been introduced to legacy ambassadors, like Jon, and I knew a bunch of other people from the store were working out here so I wanted to give it a go. I often dread lower body workouts so I started coming here to do legs. I’ve had such great progress that I now come twice a week— and, I no longer hate leg day!

I’ve never experienced this sort of hybrid between group workouts and personalized service. Many group strength training services offer a sort of one-size-fits-all workout for the general population, which has never been of interest to me, because I want my workout tailored to my needs! I LOVE that you can be in a group setting while doing your own personal program; I love the camaraderie and community at JKC, and, I’ve seen incredible results thus far! Jon is always so attuned to what I need.

Phyllis Swyer

My initial goal was to find qualified personal training services in a personalized small gym setting. I have never been a fan of large gyms. JKC offers a friendly, happy gym experience that motivates me to strive for bigger and better results every week. Jon, Thomas and Craig are genuinely talented and always excited to celebrate everyone’s success.

I have a passion for challenging myself to achieve or beat goals. My favourite memories take me back to greater wins than I ever imagined with deadlifts and after a lot of determination and hard work, being able to do multiple chin-ups. Training at JKC has been one of the best experiences of my life – thank you for your commitment to helping me stay fit!!💪🏼😅

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