Conditioning Research

Inflammatory Response to a High-fat, Low-carbohydrate Weight Loss Diet: Effect of Antioxidants I know that there are people out there reading this blog that are a lot more intelligent than me and also more familiar with science. However, here is how I read this research: In a previous experiment these researchers found that a high fat low-carb diet was inflammatory; They came up with the hypothesis that this inflammation was due to oxidative stress; They decided to test this idea by putting some overweight people on a high fat / low carb and seeing what happened when some of them were given antioxidant supplements; The diet worked in that the overweight people lost weight; The antioxidant supplements did not make the diet more effective in terms of weight loss; The diet caused a reduction of some but not all markers of inflammation; A role for oxidative stress in causing inflammation was not confirmed. So, a high fat diet can make you lose weight and reduces some markers of inflamma...

The Ramsay Round is a classic Scottish hill run, a distance of 56 miles with 28,400 feet of ascent, over 24 Munros. There is a good account here of a recent run by two guys from Edinburgh's Carnethy Hillrunning Club.

A group of Toronto researchers with a new study that indicates that nuts help reduce insulin spikes (if you want to know why this is important in this context, check out this post ). UPDATE - as several commenters to this post point out, things are not quite that straight-forward. OK, we may like nuts but this study does not look well designed. Comparing the effect of almonds to the effect of muffins seems a bit confused! Effect of almonds on insulin secretion and insulin resistance in nondiabetic hyperlipidemic subjects: a randomized controlled crossover trial. Nuts appear to have a marked effect in cohort studies in reducing the risk of coronary heart disease (CHD), but their demonstrated ability to lower cholesterol can only explain a proportion of the reduction in risk. Our aim was to assess whether improvement in carbohydrate metabolism provides a further explanation for the effect of nuts in reducing CHD. The effects of whole almonds, taken as snacks, were compared with the ...

On Monday I went along to Rannoch Donald's Combat Ready Class and really enjoyed it. It was great to train with other people and be pushed through a hard bodyweight workout. Hindu pushups, squats, lunges, bunny hops etc At the end of the class there was a few minutes of punching and kicking against pads held by other member of the class. Very hard work. We've probably all messed around trying to punch like a boxer before, but the idea of a proper kick was new to me. The particular kick used was the Switch Kick, quickly shuffling your stance to bring your lead leg back and allow a powerful strike. I had a search round youtube to try to find out a bit more about the technique:

I wonder what we make of this one? A few times on this blog I've mentioned the role of stress and psychological factors in health. Labour while exhausted may be unhealthy - Perception of work a key factor Working hard when fatigued may be admired by many Americans, but it is a virtue that could be harmful to one's health, according to new research by psychologists at the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB). The research supports a theory which suggests that exhausted individuals' cardiovascular systems are forced to work harder when they attempt to complete tasks, such as those encountered on the job or at school. The research, published in the July issue of the International Journal of Psychophysiology, found that fatigued individuals had larger blood pressure increases than rested individuals under conditions where they viewed success as both possible and worthwhile. Investigators believe the effects were determined by effort on the part of the study participant...

This study gives some guidance on putting together complex training sessions: Apparently....if you are doing sprints, plyometrics and resistance work you should do the sprints in a separate session because the plyos and resistance work will slow you down on the sprints. Then again maybe that is ok? If training is to mimic the game surely sprinting when already tired is the appropriate, functional way to train? Effect of order of exercise on performance during a complex training session in rugby players In this study, we examined the acute effects of manipulating exercise order when combining countermovement jumps and loaded parallel squats in a complex training session, and the acute effects of countermovement jumps and loaded parallel squats on sprinting performance. Eight rugby players participated in five trials, including two that involved performing loaded parallel squats followed by countermovement jumps or vice versa in a randomized cross-over design. Peak rate o...

An assessment of training volume in professional rugby union and its impact on the incidence, severity, and nature of match and training injuries. This study looked at the way in which training influenced injuries for professional rugby (union) players. Some interesting findings: Higher training volumes did not increase the incidence of match or training injuries. However, higher training volumes did increase the severity of match injuries, particularly during the second half, and consequently resulted in a significant increase in the number of days' absence due to match injuries. So training more didn't necessarily lead to more injuries .....but it meant that when there were injuries they were worse. The least number of days lost due to injuries occurred during weeks of intermediate training volumes. So there was a "sweet spot" / goldilocks position of just enough training where there was a reduction in injuries. Training volume was not correlated with final leag...

John Kynaston reports on his experience running this year's West Highland Way race. As I walked up the Devil’s Staircase my thoughts returned to the possibility of running a sub 20hrs. It still felt unobtainable but realistically it was within reach if I could keep going. I was well aware that there was a long way to go and so much could go wrong. I felt like a carrot being dangled ahead of me that I could never reach!

The IF Life has a great post on running - naturally, outdoors, in nature: Enjoy what you do….and whatever you do….get out in nature…leave the Ipod at home…..run….walk…..hike…..but don’t “jog” please.

This takes quite some balance, not to mention leg strength (spotted on Chasing Strength )

Every now and again I post something about intermittent fasting (different approaches to which include Leangains , Eat Stop Eat and Fast5 ) There is also a fair bit of research out there about resveratrol Here is a fresh study from the International Journal of Obesity (17 June 2008) Low Sirt1 expression, which is upregulated by fasting, in human adipose tissue from obese women. Objective :Calorie restriction increases the life span in a number of different organisms. This effect is dependent upon activation of the Sirt1 enzyme, and many of the beneficial effects of calorie restriction can be mimicked using resveratrol, which activates the Sirt1 enzyme. Nothing is known about this system in human adipose tissue; therefore, we investigated this system in human adipose tissue. Design :Sirt1 mRNA was measured in adipose tissue biopsies from human volunteers before and after 6 days of total fasting. In addition, adipose tissue from lean and obese individuals was compared and in vitro inv...

A few days ago I mentioned the West Highland Way Race - a 95 mile ultra marathon through the heart of the West Highlands of Scotland from the suburbs of Glasgow to Fort William - was held this weekend. John Kynaston has been posting details of his preparation in a blog and he has just reported that he finished in sub-20 hours!! What an amazing race. The basic details .... I finished 11th in a time of 19hours 59mins 33secs!!! I can't begin to describe what it feels like but I will be trying over the next few days. I set off aiming for 21hrs 30mins and thinking that if all goes well I might be able to achieve 20hrs 30mins but never in my wildest dreams did I think a sub 20hrs was really possible. Amazing. I will be looking forward to reading his detailed race report. Sadly not everyone finished - this guy is gutted that he had to pull out after 27 miles .

Way back, Art Devany had a post about two twins who, while having very similar genes ended up looking very different. One trained as a long distance runner and one in field events. One looked, well like a marathon runner and the other like a bodybuilder. He explains: Genes are not destiny; they are if/then off/on switches capable of enormous variation in output (proteins) when combined in signal cascades; Rob Wolf commented on this idea Exercise and Gene Expression We are not only born into this world with genes wired for certain types and ratios of foods but our genes are also best expressed when we are active. VERY active. I recalled these posts today when I saw this story: Lifestyle Can Alter Gene Activity, Lead To Insulin Resistance A Finnish study of identical twins has found that physical inactivity and acquired obesity can impair expression of the genes which help the cells produce energy. The findings suggest that lifestyle, more than heredity, contributes to insulin resista...

There was a post a little while ago - which led to some debate in the comments - about the full contact twist and then alternatives to it. Here is another alternative from Will Heffernan. Plate Twisting This is the first time James had done this exercise and he didn't do a bad job at all. You should try it...I like this exercise for a lot of reasons...it sort of combines a 'wall sit' without the wall...I like the resisted rotation...it is a great way to load the trunk. We pull the shoulders blades back and down and keep a good tight lower back arch. As the athletes get better we both increase the loading and hold the plate further from the body...try it and tell me what you think. Single Sided Double Sided

From Nick McKinless Ghetto Jump Training ........... I'm finding that I don't have the time or the access to the equipment I would like sometimes. This means I have to be innovative in getting the training I want into my routine. The following video is a simple way to implement jump training into your routine no matter where you are. The 'luxury' p1 I have is a small fitness gym in the basement of our apartment block. I also have stairs, kettlebells and a weight vest. Here's what I came up with. Goblet Squat Jumps with a 28kg KB and a 30lb weight vest or around 90lbs in total. The idea is that it takes the arms out of the movement. I squat below parallel mainly to take the full impact with maximum cushioning. This will save your knees. I like sets of 5 but anything from 2-10 reps will work well. This puts most of the stress on the legs rather than the back and legs as the Goblet Squats force you to stay upright. Plyometric Pushups. Hand speed and power in the tricep...

The classic paleo diet stresses meat, eggs, fish, non-starchy vegetables, nuts and low GI fruit. Excluded are grains and dairy. The theory is explained - in a simple fashion - here . Tamir Katz' pages are also useful. I don't claim to eat a strictly paleo diet - I eat a fair bit of butter and cream and the occasional spud - but I quite enjoy reading how others implement these rules. Two blogs you might like to check out: Feel Good Eating - in which Marc posts photos and recipes of his mouthwatering diet. My Paleo Kitchen - where Naomi does something similar There are probably other blogs out there doing the same thing, but these are two I look at a lot - particularly Marc's. In terms of the science, I fid two other blogs very helpful: Scott's Modern Forager site and Stephan's Whole Health Source

How can we tap into this power of the mind? Placebos work. Can we get the effects without the placebo? Athletic benefit of growth hormone doping: Is it all in the athlete's mind? If athletes believe they are using a performing-enhancing drug, they may think their athletic performance improves, and in some men it can, even if they are actually taking a dummy drug, a new study has found. Results of the study will be presented at The Endocrine Society's 90th Annual Meeting in San Francisco.

Is it time to revisit the current protein recommendations? Many Americans may benefit from eating a higher-protein diet, says a summit of protein experts Interesting press release. What is funny though is that they give a quote: How to Get More Protein - and the Best Kind Protein supports growth and repair of muscle, bone and other body tissues and can help to promote satiety. While looking for protein choices, it's important to know that animal sources of protein, such as dairy, meat, eggs, poultry and fish, are defined as high-quality or "complete" proteins because they contain the right proportion of amino acids essential for the body's functioning. One easy way to increase protein intake - and high-quality protein intake at that - is to eat the recommended 3 servings or more of dairy products like milk, cheese or yogurt each day. "Taking simple steps such as choosing a glass of low-fat or fat-free milk at a meal, or eating a piece of low-fat cheese with fruit...

Researchers have found a possible way to overcome the common problem of dieters eventually abandoning their diet and regaining the weight they lost. Eat a big breakfast packed with carbohydrates ("carbs") and protein, then follow a low-carb, low-calorie diet the rest of the day, the authors of a new study recommend. New Weight Loss Diet Recommends High-carb And Protein Big Breakfast Or maybe not. There have been a couple of bloggers critiquing this study: Oh, Fercryinoutloud! The "Big Breakfast" Study A High-Carb, Protein-Packed Breakfast For Weight Loss? Not In This Lifetime!

I don't deadlift much any more, but this is a superb article: How to Lower The Bar Correctly on Deadlifts How to Lower The Bar Correctly on Deadlifts. Move your hips first on the way down, not your knees. Push your hips back as far as you can. Flex your knees once the bar reaches knee level to bring the bar back to the floor. Keep Your Chest Up. If your upper-back is straight, rounding your lower back gets harder. Chest up, shoulder-blades back & down. Head up. Looking at the ceiling will hurt your neck. Looking down rounds your back. Keep your neck inline with your spine. Don’t look at your feet. Bend Your Hips First. Lower the weight by bending your hips first, not your knees. Use the same technique as when you Squat down. Push Your Hips Back. Think of sitting on a toilet. Push your hips back as far as you can. Flex your knees once the bar reaches knee level. Check the video below. Hips go back first on the way down. Knees flex once the bar reaches knee level. The bar doesn’t...

I saw this post today: BMJ editorial casts doubt on the notion that sunlight causes malignant melanoma Interesting.....but also very telling that Barry Groves has been saying this for years! Have a look at these articles: Sunlight Information: Skin Cancers and Vitamin D Polyunsaturated Oils Increase Cancer Risk

......here is a study for the Crossfitters: Effect of Concurrent Endurance and Circuit Resistance Training Sequence on Muscular Strength and Power Development. The purpose of this study was to examine the influence of the sequence order of high-intensity endurance training and circuit training on changes in muscular strength and anaerobic power. Forty-eight physical education students (ages, 21.4 +/- 1.3 years) were assigned to 1 of 5 groups: no training controls (C, n = 9), endurance training (E, n = 10), circuit training (S, n = 9), endurance before circuit training in the same session, (E+S, n = 10), and circuit before endurance training in the same session (S+E, n = 10). Subjects performed 2 sessions per week for 12 weeks. Resistance-type circuit training targeted strength endurance (weeks 1-6) and explosive strength and power (weeks 7-12). Endurance training sessions included 5 repetitions run at the velocity associated with &OV0312;o2max (&OV0312;o2max) for a duration equ...

High-sugar diets increase cardiac dysfunction and mortality in hypertension compared to low-carbohydrate or high-starch diets. OBJECTIVE: Sugar consumption affects insulin release and, in hypertension, may stimulate cardiac signaling mechanisms that accelerate left ventricular hypertrophy and the development of heart failure. We investigated the effects of high-fructose or sucrose diets on ventricular function and mortality in hypertensive Dahl salt-sensitive rats. METHODS: Rats were fed chows that were either high starch (70% starch, 10% fat by energy), high fat (20% carbohydrates, 60% fat), high fructose (61% fructose, 9% starch, 10% fat), or high sucrose (61% sucrose, 9% starch, 10% fat). Hypertension was induced by adding 6% salt to the chow (n = 8-11/group). RESULTS: After 8 weeks of treatment, systolic blood pressure and left ventricular mass were similarly increased in all rats that were fed high-salt diets. Hypertension caused a switch in mRNA myosin heavy chain isoform from al...

I spotted this review that is worth a read (the full article is available ) Arguments In Favor Of Ketogenic Diets Abstract Many negative comments have been made about the use of ketogenic diets (KDs) and experts today believe that the best way to lose weight is by cutting back on calories, chiefly in the form of fat. The international consensus is that carbohydrates are the basis of the food pyramid for a healthy diet. However, this review will clarify that low-carbohydrate diets are, from a practical and physiological point of view, a much more effective way of losing weight. It is also argued that such diets provide metabolic advantages, for example: they help to preserve muscle mass, reduce appetite, diminish metabolic efficiency, induce metabolic activation of thermogenesis and favor increased fat loss and even a greater reduction in calories. These diets are also healthier because they promote a non-atherogenic lipid profile, lower blood pressure and decrease resistance to insulin...

A study that says that those who are "less stressed" respond better to weight training. These sort of issues are very important. We think about diet and exercise, but things like minimising stress or getting enough sleep are not discussed enough. Strength gains after resistance training: the effect of stressful, negative life events. This study was designed to examine the effect of self-reported, stressful life events on strength gains after 12 weeks of resistance training. Participants were 135 undergraduates enrolled in weight training classes that met for 1.5 hours, two times per week. After a 2-week period to become familiar with weight training, participants completed the college version of the Adolescent Perceived Events Scale (APES), the Social Support Inventory, and one-repetition maximal lifts (1RM) for the bench press and squat. Maximal lifts were repeated after 12 weeks of training. Median splits for stress and social support were used to form groups. Results ind...

This is a bit different for this blog, but I thought I'd point to one of the blogs that I read regularly. Called My Training for the WHW Race 2008 it details the preparations of John K as he gets ready for this ultra race. The race happens next weekend along the West Highland Way - Scotland's most popular long distance footpath which stretches from the outskirts of Glasgow up to Fort William in the shadow of Ben Nevis, through some great mountain scenery. Walkers tend to do the route in about 6 days. Not bad for its 95 miles. The runners take around 21 hours! The record is unbelievable: The current male record holder is Jez Bragg from Solihull with a time of 15:44:50 set on 24 June 2006. The female record holder is Lucy Colquhoun with a time of 17:16:20 set in 2007. John's planned times are as follows: 95 miles in 21:19. Amazing. John is a great guy and while I'm not personally convinced that this race is healthy, I am in total admiration for these guys. Good luc...

.....in some passionate corners of the internet, there is a strange and at times almost theological debate ongoing regarding the "correct" way to lift a kettlebell. The standard (hard style) swing is as follows: The other (GS) swing is as follows: Scott Sonnon has posted quite a nice balanced analysis of the different approaches Round or Flat Back to Lift? Moynihan Institute makes some typically robust comments: Apparently some of the kettlebell enthusiasts from the salad days traveled to Eastern Europe only to discover that people there lift kettlebells differently, maybe even more efficiently than they were taught by Pavel. This set off a revolution of sorts. Some have chosen their camps and gotten on with life. Others are not content unless they are flinging shit and prodding the monkey with a sharp stick. Most rational people don’t give a flying f*** because they realize that kettlebells are simply 1 out of about 9,000 different tools at their disposal to get fit. The...

This looks like fun from Virgil Aponte

This is quite disturbing...... Junkfood science points out an effort by scientists specialising in......obesity ......to have it classified as a disease. · Obesity is a complex condition with many causal contributors, including genetic ones and many environmental factors that are largely beyond individuals’ abilities to choose or control. · Obesity causes much suffering. · Obesity causally leads to many aspects of ill health, to functional impairment and reduced quality of life, to serious disease, and to greater mortality... · Obese persons are subject to severe societal discrimination.. That doesn't make it a disease!

Straight to the Bar pointed this out, but I thought I'd highlight it too. Some ideas that Rannoch would like I think.......

Both Regina and Stephan have some good commentary on this recent study: Daily energy expenditure and cardiovascular risk in Masai, rural and urban Bantu Tanzanians Regina's first post is really worth reading here Here we have evidence that a high-fat, low-carbohydrate diet, consumed habitually does not lead to obesity, high blood pressure and dyslipidemia, and it may, in fact, lead to beneficial long-term health and increased levels of activity in those habitually eating such a diet. She also comes back to the topic here . there is a simple explanation for why the Masai do not develop atherosclerosis despite consuming a high-fat diet that the authors did not consider: high-fat diets (not containing man-made fats) are not atherogenic. Stephan also examines the study really helpfully in this post: What to do if your study contradicts conventional wisdom.

I've written about the importance of sleep before , as have others (e.g. here and here ) Here is another good one: Extra Sleep Improves Athletic Performance Getting extra sleep over an extended period of time improves athletic performance, mood and alertness, according to a research abstract that will be presented on June 9 at the SLEEP 2008 22nd Annual Meeting of the Associated Professional Sleep Societies (APSS) in Baltimore, Md. Participants in this ongoing study were five healthy students on the Stanford University men’s and women’s swimming teams. For the first two weeks of the study, the students maintained their usual sleep-wake pattern. The athletes then extended their sleep to 10 hours per day for six to seven weeks. Athletic performance was assessed after each regularly scheduled swim practice. After obtaining extra sleep, athletes swam a 15-meter meter sprint 0.51 seconds faster, reacted 0.15 seconds quicker off the blocks, improved turn time by 0.10 seconds and increa...

I've posted before about the idea that we may not need as much water as is sometimes prescribed. This 8 glasses a day thing is a myth and in fact thirst is the best guide to how much you need. Mark Sisson has put up a good article on this idea - Drink Less Water? It got me thinking that when I am hillwalking, water is the heaviest thing in my pack. I know someone that sets off with 4 litres - and that is a huge extra weight. Personally, setting off with 2 litres of water, it is rare that I will have drunk it all even at the end of an 8 or 10 hour walk unless it is really hot. So it is just extra weight to heft around. Of course I could drink from streams but I've not got that hardcore yet. I also remember once seeing some guys camping near a stream and taking water from it, then 100 yards away, seeing a rotting dead sheep lodged in the rocks at the bottom of a waterfall just upstream. I'm sure they were ok but the memory of the smell of that sheep still lingers.

Davie from CrossFit Central Scotland pointed this out. Try to ignore the commentary and watch the race!

Some more research on interval training: Brief, intense exercise benefits the heart Short bursts of high intensity sprints—known to benefit muscle and improve exercise performance—can improve the function and structure of blood vessels, in particular arteries that deliver blood to our muscles and heart, according to new research from McMaster University. The study, lead by kinesiology doctoral student Mark Rakobowchuk, is published online in the journal American Journal of Physiology. Regulatory, Integrative & Comparative Physiology. The findings support the idea that people can exercise using brief, high-intensity forms of exercise and reap the same benefits to cardiovascular health that can be derived from traditional, long-duration and moderately intense exercise. "As we age, the arteries become stiffer and tend to lose their ability to dilate, and these effects contribute to high blood pressure and cardiovascular disease," says Maureen MacDonald, academic advisor and ...

Amby Burfoot's blog at Runners' World often picks up some interesting research. Like this: Low Carb, High Protein Diets Get High Marks, Especially In One Unique Child Study A review of low carb, relatively high protein diets received high marks in a nutrition journal article. The article says that the low carb diets have generally produced more weight loss than higher carb diets, primarily because the protein seems to increase satiety (appetite satisfaction). A more startling weight-loss study among obese elementary school children showed that their total cholesterol and triglycerides dropped significantly when they were put on a low-carb but otherwise-all-you-can-eat diet. She is actually pointing to these two studies: The role of protein in weight management. Several studies have shown that high protein meals and foods are more satiating than high carbohydrate or high fat meals when assessed by subjective ratings of satiety. Few of these studies were able to control for pot...

This is a strange study. Or rather there are potentially some strange implications to this study. The inference is that black guys respond better to weight training that whites. Resistance training differentially affects weight loss and glucose metabolism of White and African American patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus. OBJECTIVE: We aimed to identify whether racial differences in body composition and glucose metabolism occur in response to exercise and determine whether aerobic and resistance exercise modalities bring about differential changes in these parameters in African Americans and White persons with type 2 diabetes. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS: Participants included 36 African American and 23 White men and women with type 2 diabetes who were randomly assigned to eight weeks of either resistance or aerobic exercise. Before and after this intervention, each participant underwent a series of measurements that assessed anthropometrics and glucose metabolism. RESULTS: African...

I've posted before on research that highlighted the importance of balance training in preventing injury. Here is another study on the same topic from the British Journal of Sports Medicine. the balance training it seems helps to prevent injury by improving your sense of where your joint is..... Effect of proprioception training on knee joint position sense in female team handball players Background: A number of studies have shown that proprioception training can reduce the risk of injuries in pivoting sports, but the mechanism is not clearly understood. Aim: To determine the contributing effects of propioception on knee joint position sense among team handball players. Study design: Prospective cohort study. Methods: Two professional female handball teams were followed prospectively for the 2005–6 season. 20 players in the intervention team followed a prescribed proprioceptive training programme while 19 players in the control team did not have a specific propioceptive training p...

We've talked a fair bit on this blog about intermittent fasting / IF - there are lots of styles from Fast 5 to Eat Stop Eat . Anyway, this study - Effect of fasting on young adults who have symptoms of hypoglycemia in the absence of frequent meals - indicates that while fasting might makes people feel irritable - this is generally subjective not a physical event.....Interesting - some of these feelings may be in the mind...... Conclusions : Adults, despite subjective signs of hypoglycemia, can fast without any metabolic or endocrine derangement.

Stephan asked about alternatives to the full contact twist. I think that the key thing is that you need to think of movements that will involve some rotation. Too often, movements are forward and backward ( in the sagittal plane) - think the bench press - or side to side (in the frontal/coronal plane) - e.g. the press or squat. However, in real life, Every muscle and joint in the body functions in three planes of motion simultaneously. If we are goign to be fit for real life then we need to work in those three planes and that will mean introducing some motion in the transerve plane - twisting with a strong core at the centre. ( Gambetta explains much of this stuff here. ) The full contact twist does that, but it is not the only such movement...you can think up your own, but try some woodchop variations: or with a med ball or use a hammer and shovel..... The important thing is to rotate a bit. It is where the power comes from. Think of a punch - the power is in the twist not the...

Mark Sisson has put up a really good post that deserves to be read and re-read. Building on the premise that if we are to be healthy - with all that goes with that - then we need to live in the way that we were designed to live: 1. Eat lots of animals, insects and plants. 2. Move around a lot at a slow pace 3. Lift heavy things. 4. Run really fast every once in a while. 5. Get lots of sleep. 6. Play. 7. Get some sunlight every day. 8. Avoid trauma. 9. Avoid poisonous things. 10. Use your mind

I saw this on lifehacker and it is quite instructive. The page has a series of photos of 300 calories worth of different foodstuffs.... Check out 300 Calorie Food Picture Gallery for example..... or

Conclusion : The results from this large multicenter study suggest that there is no association between dietary fat and prostate cancer risk. Well that is a relief..... The abstract is here

In the l ast post on EvFit there was a picture of Keith doing a "Full contact twist". This is a move popularised by Pavel and described here It is a good move that involves a twist one of the key patterns for functional movement, but one that is rarely trained in most exercise. Paul Chek's article here - I am sure I've pointed to this before - is a very informative piece on movement and what he calls the Primal Patterns: I’ve proposed that any primal man or woman who could not perform any of the primal patterns (squat, lunge, bend, push, pull, twist and gait) from a standing position, would have perished. Based on countless clinical examples of people that were not successful with the traditional approach to conditioning or rehabilitation, I have found that their ability to perform one or more of these Primal Patterns? was notably deficient and/or dysfunctional. I have surmised that most all sports or work activities can be broken down to any single Primal Patter...

Keith Thomas keeps a great site at EvFit.com looking at a whole range of issues in the evolutionary fitness field - the sort of terrain occupied by Art Devany , Loren Cordain and the paleo diet . I read through the whole site a few years back and really got a lot from it. While I did not agree with everything, he certainly got me thinking. He hadn't updated the site for a couple of years - he blames problems with his internet host - but I just noticed that he has added to the site. Have a look at Physical activity basics - May 2008 where Keith talks about his current exercise programme. Good thought-provoking stuff.