Here’s an article I wrote for Livestrong.com that went up last week.
SPOILER ALERT: Not to break the suspense or anything – as if the picture didn’t give it away – but it’s about squats.
This was actually one of THREE articles I sent in on the topic, and goes into detail on a few of the many benefits that squats have to offer. Omitted due to word constraints was the fact that squats increase your general level of badassery by 37%. 40% if you do them on Mondays (instead of benching).
In the near future, you can look for installments that expound on some common squatting mistakes (and how to fix them), as well as a few variations that I feel most people can do safely.
For now, though, if you could do me favor and read the article that would be great. And, if you like it, maybe you can click the “Like” button on the actual Livestrong page?
If you don’t like it, no worries, I won’t cry……
……that much.
But if you do, clicking the “Like’ button would be greatly appreciated as it demonstrates to the Livestrong brass that I’m kind of awesome.
This was a fantastic series (there are links to the other parts in the article I provide) by Greg about what goes through his mind when he’s approaching the bar – namely, how to set up properly for the big lifts – and how to mentally prepare yourself to, in my own words, wreck some shit.
This was actually sent to me from another reader of this blog who felt I’d appreciate Chef MacKenzie’s message and writing style – and I did/do!
When was the last time you cooked? And no, toast doesn’t count! Seriously, when was the time you went to the store, bought some fresh ingredients, and you and your significant other (or just a family member) stayed home and cooked a nutritious, homemade meal? Not only that, you then actually sat down at a table and conversed?
In an age where texting takes precedence over normal conversation, ordering a pizza is considered “cooking,” and we have no idea what “real” food actually is, I felt this was a resounding wake-up call posed to us from the good Chef.
Push-ups are like the Rodney Dangerfield of the fitness community – they get no respect.
Often deemed a waste of time, or worse, “too easy,” push-ups are generally an after-thought with regards to exercise selection. I mean, who has time to do push-ups after four sets of bench presses, seven sets of incline presses, and 14 sets of decline presses? Dude, everyone knows you have to hit all the angles!
What’s more, if you really want to blast the pecs, you can’t forget dumbbell flies, cable flies, and the pec dec!!11!1
Sarcasm aside, it’s readily apparent that push-ups aren’t quite as “sexy” as their bench press counterparts, and aren’t considered a high priority for most trainees when it comes to getting their pecification on.
Heck, they’re not even in the same stratosphere as the bench press. I mean, when was the last time you walked into your gym and saw someone rocking some legit push-ups? Let alone perform them correctly, or with any external load?
Yeah, I thought so. You’re more apt to see a Real Housewife win a Pulitzer.
Nevertheless, if I were to make a top five list of exercises that give you the most bang-for-your-training-buck, push-ups would easily make an appearance. For starters, most people can’t do them correctly, let alone do them for reps, so that alone means something.
Ironically, people have a tendency to do what’s easy and what they’re good at. Push-ups, for all intents and purposes, are considered “easy” by most standards…
….but not a lot of people are good at them.
Most of the time you see the following: for the visual learners in the crowd, refer to the picture to the right.
1. Head juts down
2. Excessive lumbar curve
3. No scapular retraction (or protraction)
4. Abs “sag” (rectus abdomimus picks up the slack for woefully weak external obliques)
5. Limited range of motion (it looks more like an epileptic seizure than a push-up)
While I’m not going to break it down joint by joint and cue by cue, here are some standard things to focus on when trying to perform a proper push-up:
Keep chin tucked – don’t poke it towards the ground
Abs should stay tight or braced (sometimes I’ll gently tap the stomach to help the trainee engage their core)
Squeeze the glutes (provides more posterior pelvic tilt and keeps people out of lumbar extension)
Hands/elbows should be directly underneath the shoulders.
Likewise, hands should be around shoulder width apart
Knees should be locked and legs in a straight line.
The backside should make a straight line. Here, I LOVE using a PVC pipe to place on people’s backs so as to teach them what a neutral spine should feel like. There should be three points of contact – the back of the head, in between the shoulder blades, and the sacrum*** Photo courtesy of elitefitblog.
Elbows should NOT flare out during the set. Instead, they should stay tight to the body, or at a 45 degree angle.
Chest touches floor on every rep
NOTE: For those interested, you can check out THIS post where I discuss some push-up variations for women (and men) who can’t yet perform a standard push-up from the floor.
Moving on (because I don’t want to make this a “how to” post), compared to the bench press, push-ups are a closed chain exercise, which offers a gulf of advantages, particularly with regards to scapular kinematics and overall shoulder health.
In short, when you’re lying on your back performing a bench press, your shoulder blades aren’t able to move – they’re stuck in place.
Conversely, with a push-up, the scapulae are now able to move more freely, which has huge dividends towards overall shoulder health.
It’s not uncommon for someone to walk into the facility complaining of debilitating shoulder pain (in no small part to the amount of benching they do), only to realize that they can perform push-ups pain free.
Thirdly, push-ups offer a lot of variety. Whether I’m working with an elite athlete, a newbie, or with someone who has a bum shoulder, push-ups offer me a lot of leeway, and I can make them as easy (or challenging) as I want. Literally, the options are endless.
Lastly, and arguably most important of all, from a anterior-posterior perspective, push-ups are a fantastic way to train the core in a more functional manner, as you have to learn to “engage” all the stabilizers in the lumbo-pelvic-hip area to achieve better pelvic alignment.
With this established, the prime movers now appear stronger because the stabilizers are doing their job and force is more easily transferred.
Suffice it to say, I really feel that push-ups should be a staple in everyone’s programming, and it’s unfortunate that they’re often dismissed altogether.
That said, while the first step is to make sure that everyone can perform a push-up correctly (see points above), lets be honest, they can be about as exciting as watching paint dry. Sometimes we need to kick it up a notch, and with that in mind…..it’s not uncommon for us to make them more challenging by adding things like bands, chains, etc.
When those aren’t an option, here are some other variations I like:
T-Push-Ups (with DBs)
The first point to consider is that DBs aren’t necessarily mandatory here. For some, just using body weight alone will be challenging enough.
Even so, the key thing here is to make sure that the body is locked into place. A HYYYYYOOOOOGE mistake I see is when trainees tend to rotate with their lumbar spine first and then with their upper torso.
Instead, what should happen is that the rib cage should be locked into place with the lower back so that the entire body moves in unison.
From there, I generally shoot for anywhere from 4-5 reps/PER SIDE.
1-Arm Bodysaw Push-Up
This is definitely one of the more advanced push-up variations we implement at Cressey Performance, but one that’s definitely popular amongst our athletes and clients.
Obviously, having access to a slideboard is useful, but not mandatory: purchasing a ValSlide or even a pair of those furniture glider thingamajigs would be advantageous (not to mention cheaper).
Here, all of the same rules apply with regards to push-up technique, but with the addition of the slideboard, there’s a definite increased challenge on core stability (especially with the increased range of motion). Additionally, there’s a bit of a unilateral component which is unique and something I feel is important to consider.
Again, much like the t-push variation above, I like to implement sets of 5-6 reps per side.
Push-Up Kickthrough
Admittedly this is a variation that I’ll only typically use as part of a metabolic circuit, but it’s still kind of badass (despite the Katy Perry playing in the background).
The premise is pretty standard – perform a push-up, and then bring the contra-lateral knee towards the opposite elbow – maintaining a neutral spine as best you can, of course.
I prefer to do this version for time (20-30s) as part of a circuit, but you can certainly shoot for a standard # of reps per side, too.
And that’s it. While I could easily sit here and plow through 20 more variations, those are just a few (hopefully) new push-up variations you can start to incorporate today. Just so we’re clear, though, I still feel it’s imperative that people learn to do REGULAR push-ups correctly. Once that’s in the bag, the options are endless.
I’ve had my plate full the past few days, and hence, explains the lack of blogging prowess recently. As it happens, Tuesday is generally my “off” day where I spend the bulk of it catching up on things that I don’t have time to do otherwise – brainstorming articles, writing programs, answering emails, crushing protein shakes. You know, the important stuff.
Yesterday was a bit of a break from the norm because, for the second week in a row, I made the trek down to Boston University Strength and Conditioning (only like a 20 minute walk from my apartment) to train with former CP intern (and current BU Grad. Assistant Strength Coach), Dave Rak.
Outside of being an absolutely beautiful facility, the staff is equally as impressive, and I can’t thank them enough for allowing me the opportunity to come in, get my diesel on, and then watch them in action.
For those curious, Anthony Renna produced an entire episode on Strength Coach TV highlighting the facility. Check it out below:
Nevertheless, Dave and I got an epic training session in which consisted of the following:
A1. Trap Bar Power Shrug 4×4
A2. 1-Legged Double Tap Skips 4×20 yds
A3. TRX Ys 3×8
*** Sadly, I don’t include nearly enough “explosive” work into my programming, so it was nice to follow someone else’s lead, and step outside my comfort zone. The trap bar power cleans were the shiznit, and something I’m definitely go to implement more often.
B1. Bench Press 5×5
B2. Trap Bar Deadlifts 4×5
*** Yeah, it was meathead central yesterday. I actually performed speed pulls from a deficit the day prior, and questioned myself whether or not it was a good idea to pull “heavyish” two days in a row. Who needs a spine anyways?
Like an idiot, I threw caution to the wind, and deadlifted anyways.
Still, I ended up pulling 495 for an easy 5. I think I need to finally stop being an asshat and shoot for that 600 lb (c0nventional) pull I’ve been talking about for the past two years. It’s on like donkey kong baby!!!!
We finished things off with a quick upper-body finisher:
I actually went to a Q & A last weekwhere he was scheduled to speak for 90 minutes, but ended up throwing down comedic bombs for almost three hours!
It was nerd central for sure, but it was awesome listening to him speak about his film career, why he’s retiring from directing, addressing all of his critics, that whole incident on Southwest Airlines (the one where he was kicked off for being a flight risk for being too fat), and, of course, lots and lots of dick jokes.
As an added bonus, everyone who attended received a signed copy of his book. And, like I said, I’ve been flying through it – I only have like two chapters to go. Anyone who’s a film nerd, or just wants to laugh (or likes a lot of dick jokes), should definitely check it out.
In case you’re wondering, I was still semi-productive yesterday. I’m putting the finishing touches on a new t-nation.com article tentatively titled Strong Eye for the Weak Guy.
I’m approaching it as more of a “passion” piece where I explain why, as a coach, I lean more towards the camp of telling people to stop training in front of the mirror and just focus on getting strong. Put another way: if you train to actually get strong, you may actually LOOK strong, too. It’s weird how that works.
Keep your eyes peeled for that one soon. Likewise, with things dying down a bit at the facility due to the baseball season right around the corner, I should have a fairly good run of writing up my sleeve, and plan on having some good content up on t-nation for the next 3-4 months – which may or may not include a collaboration with Ben Bruno.
Hint: It totally does include a collaboration with Ben Bruno.
Moreover, I’ve been asked to speak at a still super secret event that will be taking place in Toronto in mid- June (I’ll also be speaking in Edmonton the weekend of June 3rd). It’s going to be targeted towards personal trainers and should be an outstanding event once everything is set in place. Stay tuned for more info on that as well.
Basically, what I’m trying to say is……I’m pretty much going to be taking over the world. Canada will be mine. Oh yes, it will be mine!
For those who missed it, last week I opened a discussion on how to go about addressing/fixing the “tuck under” when squatting. For the record, the tuck under (or butt wink as it’s more commonly known) is not some new move that all the youngsters are raging on the dance floor nowadays – similar to the Dougie or the Stanky Leg. Rather it’s a condition that’s infinitely less sexy and hip and basically refers to one losing proper spinal positioning when squatting to a certain depth.
See? Not nearly as cool.
Literally, due to any number of reasons (discussed in the link above and more thoroughly below), the butt “tucks” underneath the pelvis when attempting to go into deep(er) hip flexion. As a result, it causes a boatload of compressive load on the lumbar spine, and to a lesser degree, which I can’t prove with any science, makes my cat cry.
Because, if there are two things in this world she hates: it’s going to the Vet and people who tuck under when they squat.
You don’t want to make my cat sad, do you?
I didn’t think so.
Before we continue on with the show, let me be clear: I WANT people to squat to proper depth. It’s just that, given many people move about as well as a one-legged pirate, it’s not necessarily mandatory one squats to depth (or ass-to-grass if we’re speaking in Bro-science terms) on day one.
I was reading through the comments from last week and noticed that some people were saying how squatting deep is something they’re reluctant to have their clients perform. Just so we’re all on the same page, my “end game” is to work with what I have and to (hopefully) get every single one of my athletes or clients to squat to depth.
It’s just that, sometimes, it’s not always a good idea to “force” someone to squat deep when they just don’t have the ability to do so safely. Hammering a square peg into a round hole isn’t going to accomplish anything, and it’s certainly not going to help the client. As coaches and trainers, it’s crucial that we recognize one’s limitations and try to work with what we have. And, with a little work, maybe….just maybe, we can improve their squatting technique.
With that said, a good starting point – and something I should have touched on in part I, but only thought of after the fact – is how to go about figuring out where proper depth is in the first place for certain individuals?
While it’s something I only use occasionally, one screen I like is the kneeling rock back assessment. Here, I’ll have someone start in the quadruped position with a neutral spine. Slowly, I have him or her sit back towards their heels to see if or when their spine hinges.
Here’s one that doesn’t suck:
As you’ll notice, as I sit back, my spine stays relatively neutral the entire time. As such, it’s safe to assume that squatting “deep” probably won’t be an issue.
Conversely, lets look at this train wreck:
Oh boy. Not good. You almost immediately notice a lumbar hinge, and unfortunately, if this were some random person, I’d probably refrain from having them squat past their point of no return. I mean, if it’s this bad with no spinal loading, can you imagine how much of a walking ball of fail they’d be if I placed a barbell on their back?
Either way, the quadruped rock back assessment will undoubtedly help you better ascertain whether or not it’s safe for someone to go into deep hip flexion without their spine hating them.
Taking it a step further, though, I still like to watch someone in a more dynamic environment, and will ask that they perform a standard body weight squat. Doing so can help me distinguish whether it’s a hamstring issue or a lack of core stability issue.
While I covered the hamstrings in part I – and that’s definitely not a bad place to spend your time – it’s my experience that the larger culprit is lack of anterior core engagement and stability.
Remember what I noted previously – because the anterior core can’t counteract the pull of the hamstrings (and adductor magnus for that matter), the force couple on the pelvis is compromised and squatting may become problematic.
How can you tell if it’s an anterior core issue? If I’m working with someone and I see a tuck under when they perform a body weight squat, I’ll simply hand them a 10 lb plate and have them hold out in front of them with their arms fully extended and perform the squat again. More often than not, the tuck goes away – like magic.
It’s like I’m Gandalf or something!
Okay, not really, but there IS a logical explanation for why this happens.
Think about what happens when you hold a plate out in front of you – what happens? Your anterior core HAS to engage/fire so as to prevent you from tipping forward. In short, you’re MORE STABLE, and better able to control the pelvis.
So, if someone performs a squat and I see the tuck under, and it corrects itself when I force them to engage their core, I can generally surmise that it’s probably a core stability issue. Not always, of course…..but it’s a start.
How To Fix It
While it’s easy to assume that fixing the issue is complicated, it really isn’t. Long division is complicated. Keeping track of all the characters in Game of Thrones is complicated. This? Not so much.
While everyone is different and I don’t like making gross recommendations, I’ve found that the following seems to bode well for most trainees:
1. Of course foam rolling is going to be part of the mix here. I’m not going to belabor the point: just do it!
As well, addressing any deficits in the thoracic spine is going to be kind of a big deal as well: read THIS and THIS for ideas on how to address getting and maintaining a neutral spine.
2. One of my favorite drills to help groove squat technique and help “open up” the hips is the Rocking SUMO Squat Stretch:
While I like the mobilization option (as shown), it’s also efficacious to use this as a standard stretch and just hold the bottom position for a desired time – say several holds throughout the day for 30-60 seconds.
3. As far as grooving proper depth is concerned, again, if someone is tucking under it’s because they don’t have the stability/stiffness in the right areas to pull off a deep squat safely. Overriding this would be the logical recommendation of squatting to a box which will prevent the tucking under in the first place.
Have them squat to a depthwhere they’re successful and work from there. Below is a video a shot a few weeks ago on the difference between box squats and squatting TO a box.
Whatever ROM elicits proper spinal alignment is what I’m going to use. If I have to resort to squatting at or above parallel, than so be it. Focus on the ROM they DO have, and work down from there. If it doesn’t happen, it doesn’t happen. No big deal. Sometimes we have to set our egos to the side.
4. Finally, and more pertinent to today’s post, add in more core engagement/stability work (NOT CRUNCHES…..as a lot of direct rectus abdominus work will only pull you into MORE posterior pelvic tilt).
Like I said, almost always, if you notice someone tucking under when they squat it’s probably a relative stiffness issue, and it stands to reason that their core is weak or unable to stabilize the pelvis. To that end, I’d make a concerted effort to hammer Pallof presses, various planks, stability ball rollouts, as well as half kneeling/tall kneeling chop and lift variations.
And that’s about it, really. Like I said, addressing the issue doesn’t take anything too fancy. Assuming we’ve ruled out more elaborate root causes (FAI, for example), I’d garner a guess that everything covered in both posts will cover most everyone’s bases when addressing the butt wink…..;o)
NOTE (from August, 2014): I wrote this article back in March 2012. When I was an idiot. I still hope you read what I have to say below, because most of what I say still applies.
However, I’ve changed my thought process significantly since I originally posted this article. For a more up-to-date, um, update…check out the following article I wrote on T-Nation titled How Deep Should I Squat?
I.e., the hamstrings have little to do with the tuck under or “butt wink.”
I’ve been trying to improve my mobility for a deeper squat and eventually got there ( I can sit in a squat position all the way down with heels still on the floor) but my problem lays in lumbar flexion at the bottom.
Obviously I’d need an assessment in front of you to pinpoint the issue but is there anything you can recommend for neutral spine. It’s driving me nuts that I cant keep a neutral spine. I’ve been retracting my shoulder blades, squeezing my lats and activating my core but still no cigar. Any common issues you see in this area?
A: Notably, it is completely bat shit crazy to say that everyone should squat to the same depth. Some people picked the right parents, have awesome levers, and are able to squat ass-to-grass with no issues at all.
PS: I hate you.
Conversely, there are others out there who try to squat deep and, well, bad things happen. Not everyone is the same, and it’s important – especially as a coach – to understand this. While admirable, the end goal for every single trainee shouldn’t necessarily be to go ass to grass from the get go – just because some meat head on a random forum who doesn’t know any better told you so.
Instead, the goal should be to teach proper squat mechanics and groove proper technique in a safe range of motion that won’t be overly deleterious to the spine.
As my good friend, Kevin Neeld, has mentioned prior:
Someone with limited hip flexion that attempts to squat deeper than their anatomy allows inevitably tucks their hips under at the bottom. Invariably this leads to lumbar flexion under a significant load.
The question then becomes: how can we remedy this issue? Can we ease our way to a respectable depth without the ol’ butt tuck?
Of course we can!
Since it is a fairly common occurrence in the general training population, to start, we should discuss what causes the tucking in the first place? While there are several things that need to be ruled out which are outside the scope of this particular post (nasty adductors – specifically with regards to sports hernia, and femoral acetabular impingement), one of the major points I want to hit on is that a vast majority of people (not everyone) are sitting in posterior tilt all day, and as a result the hamstrings tend to get stiff(er) relative to the anterior core.
It’s no secret that we spend a lot of time sitting.
In an ideal sitting posture, the pelvis is level or has a slight anterior pelvic tilt. With a posterior pelvic tilt, the PSIS are lower than the ASIS. A posterior pelvic tilt is accompanied by an increased kyphosis. In addition, the ischials travel forward and new pressure points are created at the sacrum and the spine.
For those who are a bit glassy eyed from reading that, try to visualize how you sit in your car, or on the bus, or even at your desk…..right now…..as you read this.
Chances are, it looks very similar to the picture to the right.
Not surprisingly, and as noted above, the hamstrings become short or stiff relative to the anterior core. Because the anterior core can’t counteract the pull of the hamstrings (and adductor magnus for that matter), the force couple on the pelvis is compromised and squatting may become problematic.
With that, I’m going to stop with the technical talk now because it’s making my brain hurt. Besides I’m sure many of you would rather swallow a live grenade than listen to me go on and on and on about PSIS and ASIS shenanigans.
Of course, the issue could be more far more reaching than just looking into the hamstrings/weak anterior core – but for simplicity sake, we’re going to focus our attention there. And, just a heads up, in Part II, I’ll discuss training modifications that can be implemented…..so be sure to check back then.
In the meantime…..
Here’s What I’d Do If I Were You
Incorporate more multi-planar hamstring mobilizations. I MUCH prefer these drills over just telling someone to haphazardly “go stretch.” Moreover, I find that these drills have much more of an effect since they address the hamstrings from multiple angles and not just “what’s easy.”
Note: this last one will be a doozy for most. The key point to consider is to make sure that you rotate through the hip and NOT the lumbar spine.
Other Stuff to Consider:
1. Notice how I don’t flex my lumbar spine when doing these drills? You should do the same.
2. Another thing that can’t be appreciated because of the camera angle is that the toes of my standing foot are pointing straight a head as I perform all the drills
I like to incorporate all of these as part of an (extended) dynamic warm-up, or they’re something that could easily be performed throughout the day in your office or home – all you need is a counter top or desk and you’re all set.
Bonus points if you bust them out during a business meeting!
And that’s it for today. Tomorrow (UPDATE: actually, it’s going to be on Monday. Had too many things to catch up on in the meantime) I’m going to discuss how you would differentiate between whether it’s a hamstring issue or weak anterior core (Hint: it’s usually the latter more than the former), as well as discuss some simple training modifications that can be done to help alleviate the “tuck,” and (hopefully) groove a more conducive squatting pattern.
I’ll admit to two man-crushes: Matt Damon and Jonny Bowden. After this post, however, the good doctor might have just taken the man-crush thing to a whole new level.
In short, there’s this “study” (HEAVY emphasis on the quotations) that came our recently out of Harvard which stated that those who eat red meat will spend eternity in fiery pits of hell…..forced to watch repeat episodes of Keeping Up with the Kardashians.
Okay,that was a slight exaggeration. But needless to say, this so-called study did not have many nice things to say about red meat. And, true to form, much of the mainstream media ran with it citing headlines like: RED MEAT IS GOING TO KILL YOU!!!!!
Inevitably, as a health c0nscious individual yourself – and presumably a meat eater (no offense to any vegetarians or vegans reading) – you’re going to hear some backlash from friends, family, and colleagues chastising you for having the audacity to eat red meat.2
Save your breath, and have them read this article from Dr. Bowden.
And, while you’re at it: have them read THIS article from Adam Bornstein, too.
I was completely floored (and humbled) to be included in such an insightful, honest, and thought provoking post from Bret. Much like Bret, I continue to grow and learn as a fitness professional, but it’s still nice to know that there are plenty of people out there who appreciate my work and don’t think I’m an asshole…..;o)
My “Stuff You Should Read” posts are definitely one of the more popular (running) series that I offer here on this site. And, as such, I do get my fair share of people contacting me to see whether or not I’d be interested in “showcasing” one of their own posts. I’m not going to lie: much of what’s sent to me is poop.
It isn’t so much that their work is sub par – generally speaking most of the content is on point. It’s just HOW people contact me that rubs me the wrong way at times. It’s usually like this:
“Hey….would you be interested in posting one of my articles on your site? I’ll be your BFF if you do!”
There’s no, “hey Tony, I really like your stuff, been a fan for a while now…..”
or
“You’re the smartest, most attractive man I have ever laid eyes on. Here’s an article on fish oil……”
None of that. Oftentimes, it’s just someone writing me out of the blue assuming that I’ll be more than happy to send traffic their way.
Now, I’m not suggesting that they need to kiss my ass (okay, maybe a little), but it certainly wouldn’t hurt to demonstrate that you’ve read some of my stuff and know what I’m all about. Articles on the benefits of crunches – which is something someone sent me – won’t fly.
Anyways, Steve contacted me a while ago and came across like a really cool dude. Not only that, it’s obvious (after perusing a lot of his work) that he knows his stuff and is passionate about what he does. More to the point, the article he sent me – on some common food principles he advocates to his clients – was EXCELLENT!!!! I hope you enjoy as much as I did.
When we were down in Florida a few weeks ago on vacation, even though a bulk of our time was spent vegging by the pool eating honey wheat pretzels (me) and drinking martinis (Lisa), we still made it a priority to find a gym to train at so that we could 1) burn off said transgressions mentioned above, and more importantly 2) get our diesel on.
I know what some of you may be thinking: dude, it’s vacation…….chill out! It’s okay not to train for a few days!
I couldn’t agree more, and if it’s any consolation we did have a “day of beauty” (her words, not mine) at the spa where we enjoyed massages and other “stuff” that I won’t mention here for fear of having my man card revoked.
Truth be told both Lisa and I LOVE training and it just wouldn’t sit right with us if we didn’t move around a little bit and lift some heavy things.
After a day or two of not working out, we’d definitely have some withdrawals!
So every morning we’d wake up and head to the gym.
Now, knowing that we were going to be training at a commercial gym for four days, I had to mentally prepare myself for the incessant bleeding of the corneas I was going to experience. And, as predicted, I wasn’t disappointed. I saw a lot – nay, a shit-ton – of things that made me shake my head is disbelief.
Some guy placed a stability ball in between his legs while setting up to bench press. He’d un-rack the bar, and then proceeded to press and swing his legs simultaneously. That was interesting.
Another gentleman stood on an inverted BOSU ball and performed standing cable bicep curls. Even worse, he was demonstrating to a young, impressionable teenage boy how to do the same. I wanted so badly to walk over, grab the kid by the elbow, place him in front of a bar on the floor, and introduce him to deadlifts.
When all is said and done, I can’t fault random patrons for doing whatever it is that they do. People don’t know any better, and at the end of the day at least they’re doing something.
Where I really get angry, though, is when I watch inept personal trainers completely waste people’s time (and money). Now, I don’t want to make this entire post some diatribe on all the epic fails I witnessed and why a vast majority of trainers have no business being trainers.
That’s been done time and time again and really serves no purpose on making the industry any better.
Although I did watch a male trainer take his female client through some of the worst 1/4 squats I have ever seen in the smith machine, only to load the bar with waaaay too much weight, and then watch as she conveniently crashed to the floor when she made the mistake of going too low on one particular rep.
Clearly embarrassed, he then took her over to the leg press – loaded with FOUR plates per side – and did 1/4 ROM leg presses. Brilliant!
I could easily write 4000 words on all the nonsensical things I saw trainers do while I was down there.
But who am I to judge?
I mean, maybe there was a legit reason why a middle-aged woman who was 30 lbs overweight (and could barely walk without limping) needed to work on her “bicep peak” – which is something I overheard a trainer commenting on as he was showing a client how to twist her wrist a certain way during a rope bicep curl.
I doubt it, but hey, you never know.
While I’m sure you can sense the small tone of cynicism I’m throwing down, again, at least they’re doing something.
What really disturbed me – amongst everything else – was the lack of coaching being done. More specifically, the lack of touching.
Not the Creepy McCreepypants kind of touching.
Rather the kind of touching which demonstrates that some coaching is being done.
As an example, I watched one trainer time a client through a set of prone planks. Easy enough right? It’s a simple exercise that, when done correctly, demonstrates that a client has ample lumbo-pelvic-hip control, in addition to demonstrating that they can resist extension. Normally, it looks like this:
The anterior core is braced, the glutes are squeezed and the entire posterior is in a straight line. If a dowel rod was placed on his or her back, as pictured above, there should be three points of contact: the back of the head, the middle of the shoulder blades, as well as the sacrum. If at any point form falters – whether it be the lumbar spine dipping or the upper back rounding – proper feedback should be given to correct it, and if the client can’t sustain it, the set ends.
In the case above with the trainer, what I saw was anything but.
The client was looking straight a head rather than down, and was literally hanging on his lumbar spine in extension. It was painful to watch. Meanwhile all the trainer was doing was looking at his wrist watch completely disinterested, counting down the seconds blurting out things like “good, only a few more seconds. Keep it up!”
There was no effort whatsoever to correct form. He gave no kinesthetic feedback with his hands nor looked like he could care less that the client was completely butchering the exercise.
Sad.
Compare that to what I would have done, and what I advocate ALL trainers do: GET YOUR HANDS ON THEM!!!!!!!! Or, to be less creepy……use more tactile cuing.
Gently tap the stomach to get them to engage their anterior core.
Gently tap the glutes to get them to fire and to promote more posterior pelvic tilt.
Gently push down on the mid-back to get them into more of a neutral spinal position.
Tell them to tuck their chin. If they don’t understand, use your hands to put them in the position you want them in.
In the end, be PROACTIVE. COACH YOUR CLIENTS!!!!!!
Of course, and this goes without saying, it takes practice and experience to learn how to coach people. Even more time to get comfortable enough to put your hands on them and build a rapport with them to get to that point.
Not too long ago, I had a distance coaching client come to Cressey Performance for an in-house assessment, and one of the things he complimented me most on was the fact that I was very hands on with him. Here’s an email he sent to me a few days afterwards:
One of my pet peeves as a physician is when I see a patient who has been “examined” by another doctor and the patient tells me that previously their doc sat behind his desk for the entire exam and never touched the patient. Unbelievable but it happens all the time to patients I see.
Kudos to you because you were very hands on (appropriately) in our training session. I think touch by the trainer (and ART and massage count here too) is as important for trainers to do as it is for physicians.
Just some positive feedback on one aspect of our session that you nailed.
I think a lot of trainers are unaware or afraid to touch their clients – and there are a minority of them who don’t like/want to be touched – but the majority of us are ‘tactophiles.’ Meaning, a large part of how we learn is through touch.
To help elucidate more on the topic, I leave you with a TED talk that my client sent me by Abraham Verghese which I found hit the nail on the head.
I know, I was pretty lame last week and was only able get a post up three times. And now I’m starting things off with yet another Miscellaneous post. What gives Gentilcore???? Well, for starters, I don’t like that tone of yours.
Secondly, since we’re entering our “slow” time of year with the baseball season right around the corner, I’ve been taking the opportunity to get some extra writing done. As such, you can expect to see some articles on T-nation and Livestrong.com soon. Thirdly, and this is just me being honest, writing these type of posts where I just shoot from the hip and see what sticks is definitely one of my more preferred ways to write.
I mean, writing an 800-100o word post on the supraspinatus is way less cool (not to mention more time consuming) than having what I like to call “diarrhea of the brain” where I can just casually write on several topics that openly come to mind. Maybe not the best analogy in the world, but I’m sure you get the idea.
And on that note, since I can’t really think of any appropriate segue to use, lets get to it.
1. I’m actually making some rounds in the print world this month. In this month’s issue of Men’s Health (pg. 60), I’m featured as the creator of the 15-Minute Workout: Switch Up for Strength, which emphasizes the idea of offset (or 1-arm) loading.
On the other side of the genetic pool, in Women’s Health Magazine, I make my very first cameo appearance in their version of the 15-Minute Workout on page 55.
Hopefully this will be the foot in the door I needed to get more content in WH, as I feel I have a lot to offer in terms of empowering women to lift heavy things.
Note: thanks to Ann for the heads up on this (the link take you to a pic she took on her Twitter page).
2. It’s almost the end of March, which means we’re approaching the 1/4 mark of 2012 , which means that many have already forgotten about their New Years Resolutions.
Not me. Here are some updates.
The Paleo Experiment: both Lisa and I have been toying around with the Paleo lifestyle since the beginning of January, and for all intents and purposes, we’re both holding strong. Admittedly, we like to go out on the weekends and explore new restaurants and eateries in and around Boston, but outside of that, we’re golden.
Every Sunday morning (after laundry) we hit off Whole Foods and Trader Joe’s and stock our fridge and cupboards with lots of greens (baby spinach, broccoli brussel sprouts, etc), fruits, meat, nuts, seeds, pumpkin, sweet potatoes, and even Larabars. I am completely addicted to Larabars.
All in all, we both definitely feel less groggy and bloated due to eliminating the majority of grains (and hence, gluten) from our diet.
Further, having followed this diet for a prolonged period of time, it’s always interesting to (inadvertently) find out what foods tend to be problematic. For instance, being a huge fan of Dr. Jonny Bowden and pretty much taking his word as bond when it comes to choosing what are the best foods to eat, we used to CRUSH beans (black, garbanzo, etc) as they’re all an excellent source of fiber as well as many other nutrients.
The thing is, with the Paleo Diet, beans are generally poo-pooed on, and as such, we eliminated them from our diet…….
Unbeknownst to me, and this is something that only came to fruition following the diet, I DO NOT handle beans well. Not that this is any surprise to most – beans cause gas: shocker – but for me, I really had no idea that this was the case until I started omitting them from my daily diet.
Of course, it’s only through the process of elimination where you can find these things out. On an aside, I also found out that peanut butter is a “problem food” for me, which basically was the saddest day of my life.
Having said all that, though, I’m still often amazed at how dogmatic some of the Paleo bullies can be. For some potatoes are fine. While for others, eating a potato is akin to idolizing Hitler.
At the expense of overgeneralizing things: seemingly, a lot of Paleo followers (certainly not all) will take ANY opportunity to vilify carbohydrates.
Which is why I really liked THIS article from one of my favorite bloggers, Dr. Yoni Freedhoff, touching on the notion that there are a lot of Paleo heroes out there who tend to go a little ape shit for no reason at all. More appropriately, when it comes to relaying sound nutrition advice, the mainstream media – to no surprise to us – is really, really, really, really, douchy.
Speaking Engagements: I have to say: I’m pretty much making this resolution my beeeotch. As I mentioned last week, I’ll be speaking in Edmonton this June with the rest of crew from Muscle Imbalances Revealed – Upper Body (see more below). In addition, I may (or may not…..it’s still in the early stages) have another opportunity to speak up in Canada – this time in Toronto – later this summer.
On top of that, I may have some cool news with regards to super secret, 007, Cressey Performance seminar that we’re trying to put together for the Spring. Like the Toronto seminar, it’s still in the early stages, but suffice it to say, I’m setting myself to take over the world in 2012.
Hydration: I’m happy to report that I’m still rocking Operation Hydration.
To reiterate, here’s my formula for how much water to drink per day. Take your body weight and divide that by half, and THAT’S how many ounces of water you should take in per day…..MINIMUM!
Granted, at first, I was peeing like a race horse every 15 minutes, but my body has finally adjusted to increased water intake.
More importantly, though, I feel great. I have more energy throughout the day, my skin just looks better, and more interestingly, my knees are less sucky.
3. With regards to the Spinal Health & Core Training Seminar I’ll be presenting at this summer, one of the major themes I’ll be covering in my talk is the concept of taking more of a bottoms-up approach to core training as opposed to a top to bottom approach.
A term popularized by Mike Robertson, using more of a bottoms-up approach just means you’re taking into consideration the role the rectus abdominus plays in functional anatomy. What does the RA do?
Trunk Flexion
Posterior Tilt of Pelvis
DEPRESSES RIB Cage
The latter point is important because depressing the rib cage (bringing the sternum closer to the pelvis) is exactly what you DON’T want to happen – especially considering the bevy of research out there demonstrating that repeated trunk flexion (crunches, sit-ups) – and yes, I understand the argument that crunches increase fluid flow and nutrition to the posterior disc, I read Bret Contreras’ article, too – is the exact mechanism for disc herniations.
Improving the force couples on the pelvis (especially with regards to posterior tilt) is still important, but there are certainly better ways to do so than crunches (which is more of a top to bottom approach).
A bottoms-up approach, conversely, takes into consideration the external obliques and how they’re often neglected like a red-headed stepchild.
In this case, by placing more focus on the external obliques – which do not have a direct pull on the sternum, and thus, do not depress the rib cage – and by utilizing exercises like reverse crunches and various chops/lifts, we can encourage posterior tilt without all the detrimental “disc herniation” business.
This is just the tip of the iceberg, of course – I’m going to be talking about deadlifts and squats, too – but hopefully this sparks a little interest.
4. Speaking of Bret Contreras: he wrote an excellent series on happiness that you can read HERE.
I especially loved the video he included showcasing his new digs in Phoenix. One part in particular that I liked was how Bret had a GHR stored in his bedroom. Once I saw that I immediately started nodding my head as if that was the best idea in the history of the world………but Lisa put the kabosh on that really quick.
Nonetheless, Bret’s post really resonated with me and I think you’ll all enjoy it as well.
To say that it struck a chord with a vast majority of fellow introverts out there would be an understatement. I was really overwhelmed with how many people contacted me via my email, as well as my Facebook and Twitter pages expressing how thankful they were that I shared the presentation.
A few days later, I actually went out and bought the book (link above), and it’s been an absolutely eye opening experience. I can’t recommend it enough. Honestly, I wouldn’t be at all surprised if I read it several times, and I’m really hoping that Ms. Cain makes an appearance in Boston soon.
6. And finally, as a cat-owner myself, I couldn’t help by LOL at this commercial. Easily one of the funniest one’s I’ve seen in a while:
Sometimes as coaches and trainers we need to take a step back and really think about why we do things. Why do we prescribe “x” exercise? What purpose does it serve? How will it help any given client become bigger, faster, stronger, or more sexifed? Not only that, why for “x” number of sets and reps? Why does it matter if it’s done as the first movement of the day rather than the third? Is there a specific tempo involved? What type of rest periods are we talking about? Are there any other intricate things to consider like foot stance, hand placement or grip variation?
I mean, these are all important questions, and the list could easily go on and on.
Shirt optional, right?
More to the point, as a coach or trainer, you should be able to explain, definitively, the rationale as to why you programmed what you programmed. What purpose does it serve?
In a like manner, you should also be objective about your programming and not be afraid to admit when you’re wrong or that you possibly overlooked something.
Unfortunately, we all like to think we’re perfect and infallible, but we’re not. We all like to think we’re open minded and adaptable, but really, many of us our set in our ways.
ESPECIALLY, as coaches.
Take for example today’s exercise you should be doing. If you happened to have a few ounces of plutonium on hand (and a Flux Capacitor), and decided for shits and giggles to go back in time two years to ask me whether or not I’d include any direct upper trap work into my programs, you’d more than likely find me laughing in your face.
Given most people are walking around with FUBAR’d shoulders as it is, and that recent research has shown that upper trapezius dominance plays a significant role in subacromial impingement, it makes sense. It’s dumb.
The last thing you want to do with a muscle that’s already jacked up or overactive is to target it even more. This is almost always the case when you’re dealing with someone who spends the majority of their time sitting in front of a computer all day and then heads to the gym, grabs a barbell, and shrugs their face off.
In this instance, they’ll undoubtedly play into the dysfunction (upper cross syndrome, among others), and probably have a pissed off shoulder to boot.
Buuuuuuuut…………..
There are cases where some direct upper trap work is warranted.
See what I just did there? I blew your mind.
With regards to shoulder function we all know that of “stuff” goes down in that area.
The shoulder complex can partake in: flexion/extension, internal/external rotation, abduction/adduction, horizontal abduction/adduction, elevation/depression, and of course, (scapular) upward/downward rotation.
The latter (upward/downward rotation) is what will be highlighted here.
Sadly, due to any number of factors – namely, the ungodly number of hours people spend sitting playing Angry Birds, poor programming choices, flawed technique, etc – we don’t move very well as a society. Further still, we just get in our own way and end up hurting ourselves.
Using an easy example: I remember watching Eric assess an older client once who came to the facility with a litany of shoulder issue. To put it bluntly, the guy couldn’t even extend his arms straight over his head. Yet, the very first question right out of the gate was, “so, when do you think I’ll be able to add snatches and shrugs into my program?”
See what I mean? We get in our own way.
However, given we train a fair share of baseball players at Cressey Performance, and it’s kind of a big deal that they have the ability to throw a baseball (which entails going over the head) without compromising the shoulder, doing some upper trap work may indeed be a crucial component to overall shoulder performance and health.
Up until recently, we’ve done little (if any) upper trap work. Again, as noted above, it’s readily apparent that the upper traps are overly dominant in most individuals (compared to the lower traps and serratus anterior), and haphazardly throwing in exercises like shrugs may only make the issue worse.
That said, we can’t neglect the fact that the upper traps DO play a role in scapular upward rotation, and that optimizing their function is worth some of our time.
Here’s what we noticed, which has been a paradigm shift for us – especially as it relates to our baseball guys (and even some of our general population clients): we are constantly (like, all the time) telling athletes and clients to retract and depress their scapulae. Normally this isn’t a bad thing, as it targets the lower traps more and will help offset upper trap dominance. But sometimes, it can be to the detriment of the shoulder.
Take the following exercises and how we typically like to cue them:
Seated rows: pull the shoulder blades together and down.
Chin-Ups: keep the shoulder blades in your back pocket (depressed).
Deadlifts: shoulder blades “locked” and set (and subsequently the upper traps are on stretch)
Farmer Carries: don’t shrug, set the shoulders (again, upper traps are on stretch).
Those are just a few examples, but hopefully you get the idea. And just so we’re clear: I am in no way saying that these are bad cues to use. Just that, sometimes, we need to be objective. Anyhoo……..
Soon you may notice a downwardly rotated scapula due to a lengthened upper trapezius. In this scenario, the excessive length makes the upper trap weak and a less than effective upward rotator of the scapula. And, I don’t think I need to reiterate that less than optimal upward rotation is a going to be a massive monkey wrench when it comes to shoulder health and performance.
Take me for example. Other than that being the coolest t-shirt ever, what else do you notice about the picture to the right?
See those sloped shoulders? Definitely not ideal, and sets the shoulder girdle a little too low for optimal function. Now, thankfully, my baseball career is long over, and I don’t suffer from any long-term shoulder issues. But needless to say, some dedicated upper trap work would be in high order for someone like me.
Likewise, this is exactly the type of shoulder symmetry (or, more appropriately, asymmetry) we’re more cognizant of at the facility when dealing with overhead athletes.
The key, though, is to step away from the stupid and not hightail it for the barbell shrugs. As both Mike Robertson and Bill Hartman have noted on numerous occasions:
A shrug with the arms at the sides will certainly activate the upper trapezius, however it also strongly recruits the levator scapulae and the rhomboids, the downward scapular rotators. This feeds the imbalance causing the downward scapular rotation dominance.
The key, then, is to perform a movement where the scapulae is already in an upwardly rotated position which places a larger activation of the upper traps, which in turn will help offset the pull of the downward rotators (rhomboids and levator).
Half Kneeling Band Overhead Shrugs
This was a video I took while I was down in Florida last week at the commercial gym I was training at (so you may see some exercises you SHOULDN’T be doing in the background). In it, you’ll see how I use a regular ol’ exercise band and place it underneath my knee.
From there, with my arm fully extended, I shrug and hold for a 1-2 second count. I reset my scapulae and repeat for the desired number of repetitions. Ideally, I’d shoot for anywhere from 8-12 reps per side.
Key Coaching Cues: Squeeze the glute of the kneeling leg to gain more of an active stretch in the hip flexors. Wrist should be neutral. And, you may need to play around with the band tension. I was pretty limited with what I had available at the time, but suffice it to say, you may need to finagle a bit with how much of the band you place underneath your knee.
Additionally, this isn’t the type of exercise where I’m looking to overload the traps, so don’t be too concerned with using a monster band or anything like that. Rather, it’s more of an activation and it’s imperative that you focus on the QUALITY of reps (feeling the actual muscle do its job).
I have some pretty cool news to share today, and I’m not even going to sugar coat it. Instead, I’m just going to cut right to the chase and say it:
I’m going to Canada, baby!!!!!!!
More specifically, I’m heading out to Edmonton to participate in what should be a pretty kick-ass weekend of learning, networking, and immersing myself in Canadian culture. Which is to say, watching hockey and listening to Jagged Little Pill……on repeat. Get it? Canadians love hockey and Alanis Morissette. LOL!!! Okay, I’ll shut up.
In all seriousness I’m heading to Canada to participate in the Spinal Health & Core Training seminar, which is just the abbreviated title. The actual title is a bit too Tolkein’esq to use as the lead for a blog post.
Now THAT’S a title. The only thing that’s missing is a huge neon light and a dancing Ewok (or two).
Much like I was with Muscle Imbalances Revealed – Upper Body, I’m honored to be included in such a cast of other top-notch fitness professionals as Rick Kaselj, Dr. Jeff Cubos, and my brotha from another motha, Dean Somerset.
I like lists, so here’s the general breakdown of pertinent info:
1. As the title suggests, the seminar will cover anything and everything as it relates to spinal health and performance. Furthermore, it will include assessment, programming strategies, exercise technique, and will contain a heavy hands-on emphasis.
2. I really need to update me head shot.
3. The date will be Saturday, June 2nd and Sunday, June 3rd at the World Health Centre Club in Edmonton, AB, Canada.
4. Registration starts TODAY (3/13) and costs $295. We’re limiting this to roughly 30 spots, as we’d really like to make this as intimate (non-creepy) an event as possible.
Everyone who signs up BEFORE Friday (3/16) can save $100 off the regular price by using the coupon code ‘Edmonton.’
Like I said, this should be a really cool event, and a great opportunity for any fitness professional interested in taking their skill set to the next level.
butt “tucks” underneath the pelvis when attempting to go into deep(er) hip flexion. As a result, it causes a boatload of compressive load on the lumbar spine, and to a lesser degree, which I can’t prove with any science, makes my cat cry.
scenario, the excessive length makes the upper trap weak and a less than effective upward rotator of the scapula. And, I don’t think I need to reiterate that less than optimal upward rotation is a going to be a massive monkey wrench when it comes to shoulder health and performance.
