Dr Bret Contreras takes on movement technique, social media and critical thinking
Feb 6, 2024
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Dr Bret Contreras, aka The 'Glute Guy', discusses movement technique, spinal flexion, and critical thinking in the fitness industry. He challenges traditional beliefs on EMG use for exercise selection and emphasizes the importance of individualized approaches to movement practices.
Questioning beliefs and evolving perspectives in the fitness industry through movement optimism.
Limitations of EMG in predicting muscle growth challenge conventional exercise norms.
Deep dives
Brett Contreras's Journey and Innovative Contributions
Brett Contreras, known as the glute guy, shares his journey from a science background to sculpting glutes through research and innovation. Contreras, with a PhD in sports science, delves into how personal experiences shaped his focus on glute research and led to inventing the barbell hip thrust. His passion for training and quest for mastery are evident as he discusses his hands-on approach in two gyms, where he trains people for free to stay current and innovative.
Challenging Dogma in Movement Optimization
Contreras and Greg Lehman delve into movement optimism, questioning traditional injury and rehab models that dictate a single correct way to move. Contreras shares insights on the rejection of former dogmas, emphasizing the body's adaptive abilities and challenging established exercise norms. Referencing his controversial paper on crunches, they highlight the importance of questioning beliefs and evolving perspectives in the fitness industry.
Debunking EMG's Role in Exercise Selection
The conversation shifts to the limitations of EMG in ranking exercises based on muscle activation. Contreras reflects on a study comparing hip thrusts and squats, revealing that despite higher glute activation in hip thrusts, squatting did not yield greater hypertrophy gains. This challenges the conventional belief that EMG accurately predicts muscle growth and emphasizes the need for broader research perspectives.
Navigating the Complexities of Musculoskeletal Modeling and Training Studies
Contreras and Lehman discuss the complexities of musculoskeletal modeling and training studies in understanding exercise effectiveness. Contreras highlights the challenges in interpreting muscle tension, stretch, and passive vs. active tension in various exercises. They stress the importance of critical thinking in research interpretation and the need for nuanced longitudinal studies for a deeper understanding of exercise impacts.
Dr Bret Contreras (The "Glute Guy") sits down with Greg to discuss some of our favourite topics. We dive into Bret being one of the original movement optimists with his wildly controversial article "To crunch or not to crunch" in 2011. Bret took a well thought out position on spinal flexion that was fairly revolutionary at the time.
We get Bret's views on whether and when technique is important for injury, performance and life long lifting.
Bret also discusses his involvement in the Plotkin et al 2023 study that really challenged some of Bret's thoughts on using EMG to select exercise.