CategoriesStuff to Read While You're Pretending to Work

Stuff to Read While You’re Pretending to Work: CrossFit “Elitism,” 10 Do’s of Mass, and Superhuman Strength

I wanted to start things off today with an interesting conversation I had with a friend/colleague of mine concerning CrossFit.

I can sense the eyes rolling already.

There’s enough CrossFit bashing on the interwebz to feed a small country (<—- that doesn’t make sense but I’m rolling with it), and I’m certainly not immune to my share of criticism. To that same tune, however, I feel like I’ve held a fairly “middle-ground” stance.

I’ve long noted my “qualms” with CrossFit, and I’ve also championed its many merits.  I see the good and bad in just about everything.  Except Justin Bieber.  He’s a douche.

And sushi.  I can’t get into sushi.  Sorry.

I’m not one of those people who talks a bunch of smack, yet has never been to or walked inside an actual CrossFit affiliate. My experience with CrossFit lies outside of watching YouTube videos which make my corneas bleed and playing internet hero on an anonymous fitness forum

As it happens, I train at an affiliate 1-2 times per week – albeit in an “open gym” format – so I feel like I’m able to give my perspective and it has some context.

Does CrossFit “Bullying” or “Elitism” Exist?

Here’s an email I received yesterday from a friend (sadly, not IronMan):

“Hope things are well my friend! I had a question and potential favor to ask from you. For the past 1.5ish years I’ve been battling with how to run our CrossFit gym as well as possible, to the point of even receiving criticism from “elite” CrossFit gyms saying we have too much of a bias towards classic strength training. 

What I have found extremely challenging is trying to establish an effective assessment system that carries over well to the CrossFit movements with which individual correctives can be prescribed.

What I was hoping to do was pay for some of your time in a consult to get some help in this area. I have tremendous respect for what you’ve done in the field, especially related to movement correction and know you would be a huge asset for us.”

My Response:

(And let me preface everything by saying I understand that CrossFit is a BRAND and that certain things are expected of its affiliates).

UPDATE:  To say that I was wrong.  Kinda.  In actuality, as another friend of mine pointed out to me via Facebook, “What many people don’t understand about CrossFit is that it is anything but a franchise that enforces uniform standards. In some ways, it is an anti-franchise. Affiliates are free to set their own fees and programming, buy the equipment they prefer, and even sell T-shirts with their affiliate name on it and keep all the money.

What I have heard is affiliate owners argue passionately for their vision and try to build their business on that basis.”

I’m honestly at a little loss for words that “elite” CrossFit gyms are criticizing anything? Why?

What makes them “elite” anyways? Total number of members? Revenue? Number of members who compete in the Games? They’re somehow more “paleo” than the next affiliate?

Who cares if someone chooses to take more of a “classic” strength and conditioning approach with their programming? 

And what does “classic strength and conditioning” even mean? Is it bad or frowned upon in the CrossFit community to help get their members stronger, to move more efficiently, and, god-for-bid, actually progress (and regress) people appropriately?

If so, I think Kelly Starrett just shit a copy of Becoming a Supple Leopard!!!

What concern is it of their’s how someone else runs THEIR facility?????

I would think, if anything, one should be applauded for actually giving a shit and taking the time to properly assess/progress his or her clients!

Are these “elite” affiliates upset that he’s not putting in enough “Kool-Aid” (high-rep OLY lifting, kipping pull-ups, WODs which make no sense) into the juice?

(Yes, that’s a bit of a generalization. But lets not delude ourselves into thinking that that’s NOT what a vast majority of people feel embodies the CrossFit brand).

I don’t get it. There are some things I like about CrossFit, and I’d be remiss not to tip my hat to them for helping to get people excited to move.

But I have to say: this elitist, holier-than-thou attitude doesn’t do it any favors.

This topic led to a ton of great dialogue on my Facebook page, and since the whole impetus behind it was assessment I wanted to share a link someone else posted which I feel points the conversation/debate in the right direction.

Can FMS and CrossFit Coexist? – Gray Cook and Kelly Starrett

If you have fifteen minutes to spare I HIGHLY recommend watching it.  Two brilliant guys talking shop. What’s not to like?

10 Must-Do’s For Mass – Bryan Krahn

Bryan has over 20 years experience in this field – both as a lifter and writer – and it’s uncanny how often I find myself nodding in agreement whenever I read some of his articles.

Guys like to make things more complicated than they have to be.  Adding mass doesn’t entail following some advance algorithm that would confuse a NASA scientist.  It doesn’t require some super secret, Eastern-Bloc periodization protocol you had translated from some Russian textbook. And it certainly doesn’t entail any deer antler powder.  Is that trend over yet by the way?

What it DOES require is some common sense and accountability.

Superhuman Strength – Artemis Scantalides

“You can’t rush strength.”  And in this article, Artemis explains why.

CategoriesUncategorized

The Greatest Push-Up Article in the History of Ever

Today’s guest post is brought to you by strength coach and current Cressey Performance intern, James Cerbie.  I first met James last year when he came to observe for a few days at the facility, and then again late last summer when he attended mine and Dean Somerset’s Boston Workshop.

Note:  Dean and I are in talks at bringing our little “show” to several other destinations in North America later this year, as well as London.

By that point I believe Star Wars will already be filming in the U.K’s Pinewood Studios, which basically means I’ll be packing my movie quality Chewbacca mask for the trip.  And my Jedi cloak.  And I might as well bring my vintage Empire Strikes Back lunchbox while I’m at it. OMG – it’s going to be awesome! NINTENDO 64!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Nonetheless, stay tuned for more info coming soon.

Crap, this is about James, not me.

James is a former collegiate baseball player and up and coming strength coach in his own right.  I’m excited to have him on the site today, and I hope you enjoy his contribution.

My good friend the push up seems to get no love these days.

He’s been degraded in many circles to mere punishment, and often gets overlooked by gym goers for being “too easy” or not as sexy as the bench press.

Well I’m here to take a stand for my good friend the push up.  He’s plenty sexy and deserves your attention.

What Is A Push Up?

That may seem like a stupid question, but most people don’t know the difference between a push up and the bench press.  At least they don’t know the difference from an anatomical standpoint.

So a push up is a closed chain horizontal press (distal end of extremity is fixed), while the bench press is an open chain horizontal press (distal end of the extremity not fixed).  Here’s why that’s important:

An open chain movement “allows any one joint in the extremity to move or function separately without necessitating movement of other joints in the extremity,” while in a closed chain exercise “movement of one joint cannot occur without causing predictable movements of the other joints in the extremity.”[i]

In plain English, this means open chain exercises tend to isolate one segment of the kinetic chain and closed chain exercises work the entire kinetic chain.

For an easy example of this just consider what happens to your scapulae while performing either of these movements.  In the bench press, your scapulae are pinned (at least they should be) and don’t move.  While in the push up, however, your scaps move freely on your rib cage and go through retraction and protraction as you move up and down, respectively.

From an athletic standpoint, that’s why closed chain exercises can be more beneficial:  it forces you to coordinate movement throughout the entire kinetic chain, as opposed to isolating part of the kinetic chain.

Here are a few other reasons why the push is so awesome:

1.  Teaches you to posteriorly tilt your pelvis by activating your glutes and core.

2.  Teaches you to maintain a posterior tilt and “neutral” lumbar positioning because you’re basically holding a moving plank.

3.  Reinforces proper head posture via making and holding a double chin.

4.  Teaches proper scapulohumeral rhythm as you retract and protract your scapulas in coordination with your humeral head.

5.  And much, much more.

Ultimately, this is why you’ll see people who can crush the bench press struggle with push ups, and vice versa. They are similar movement patterns but vastly different from the principle of specificity.

Technique

Like everything else, an exercise is only as good as its technique:  bad technique = bad exercise.

For example, my friend in the picture below (she’s not really my friend) is getting pretty much nothing out of these push ups:

Does that mean we can’t have her do push ups?  Absolutely not.  It just means we have to find the right variation for her.

Well what’s so bad about her form anyways?  To answer that question, let’s go over the initial set up:

Feet:  Can be together or slightly apart

Lumbopelvic region:  Butt squeezed, core tight, and pelvis posteriorly tilted.

Shoulder/thoracic region:  Engaged and actively pressing the ground away from you.

Hands:  Underneath shoulders or out slightly wider than shoulder width.

Head:  Making a double chin.

Once the set up looks good, you’ll want to execute a rep in the following manner:

Keeping your head back and pelvis posteriorly tilted, actively pull yourself down to the ground by activating your upper back.  Once your chest and nose hit the ground at the same time, then press the ground away from you as hard as you can.

To help tie all that together, check out this video on how to do a push up properly:

Where To Start?

As awesome as it would be if everyone could drop down and start banging out push-ups like Sylvester Stallone in Rocky, we all know that’s not the case.

A lot of people struggle with push-ups and need to regress the movement to set themselves for success.

As opposed to doing push ups on your knees, which I personally think is a waste of time, either of the following variations will be a great place to start if you’re a beginner.

1.  Elevated Pin Push Up

This is usually my first go to on the regression front, and I’ve found it works really well.  For starters, it keeps the kinetic chain in tact by having the contact points be the feet and hands.  This allows people to train the movement pattern as similar as possible to the real thing.

Also, this regression actually allows people to see results (#winning).  For example, if someone starts off doing push ups on the 15th pin whole week 1, but moves to the 10th pin whole by week 4, we know they are making progress.

2.  Band Assisted Push Up

This is a great option for someone who’s right on the edge of doing real push ups because it gets them all the way down to the ground.  It can also be adjusted in a snap by changing the band tension.

Where To Go?

“But James, I’m already like super awesome at push ups.  What should I do?”

Don’t worry, I once made the mistake of thinking I was too cool for push-ups too, but I’ve got you covered.

Here’s how to progress push ups in a way that would make Chuck Norris proud.

1.  Add Chains or Bands

Wanna make anything harder?  Add more resistance.  It’s that simple.

Throw some chains on your back or wrap a band around yourself and go to work.  Please note:  you can use chains and/or bands for every variation I’m about to go over.

(apologies for the dreaded Iphone vertical youtube video)

2.  Elevate your feet

By changing the angle you completely change the movement and its demands.  Feel free to elevate your feet for any of these variations.  It’s a quick, simple, easy and effective way to make things harder.

3.  1 Leg Push Up

By taking away one base of support you make the movement much more challenging.  In particular, you introduce a rotational component, as you must resist the urge to let your hips rotate, drop or move out of position.  Like the two options before this, changing to a 1 leg stance can be used with pretty much any and every push up variation around, so don’t limit yourself.

Now it’s time to go rapid fire.  Here are 7 other variations to challenge your push up prowess with:

4.  Embrace Your Inner Spiderman

5.  T Push Up

6.  Yoga Push Up

Side note:  awesome option for people who are working on getting upward rotation out of their scaps.

7.  Bodysaw Push Up

8.  1-Arm Pin Push Up

9.  Reverse Ketllebell Push Up

Side note:  please don’t be that person who tries to load these up like crazy and breaks their wrist.  If you do, however, be sure to video it because it would go viral on youtube in a second.

10.  Plyo Push Ups

Wrapping Up

Well that’s about it for today kiddos.  I think there should be enough there to keep you busy for a while.

A few things I hope you’ve taken away would be:

  • Push-ups are a closed chain exercise and different than the bench press.
  • Your scapulae should move nicely on the rib cage throughout the entire range of motion.
  • You should think about pressing the ground away from you when pressing yourself up.
  • It’s really just a moving plank
  • Push-ups can be as hard or as easy as you want.  It’s all about using your imagination and finding ways to challenge yourself.
  • On the programming front, I personally like being in the 3-5 set range and using between 6-10 reps.

If you have any questions please post them below, and I’m sure Tony would love to see some videos of people doing it big (if he doesn’t then I do).

About the Author

James Cerbie is a certified strength and conditioning specialist, Precision Nutrition level 1 certified, USA weightlifting sports performance coach, and CrossFit Level 1 certified.

He has been blessed to work with athletes from the middle school to professional level, powerlifters, olympic lifters, and CrossFit athletes alike.

At the end of the day, James gets no greater enjoyment than seeing people improve, succeed, and achieve their goals.  He’s the owner of Rebel Performance and currently works as a strength and conditioning intern at Cressey Performance.

Come hang out with James on Facebook, Twitter, or drop him a line at Rebel Performance.

[i] Thompson, Clem W., and R.T. Floyd. “The Kinetic Chain Concept.” Manual of Structural Kinesiology. 14th ed. New York: McGraw-Hill, 2001. 103. Print.

 

CategoriesProgram Design Strength Training

CrossFit and Baseball: The Two Don’t Mix

Some things are just made to complement one another.

Will & Grace

He-Man and BattleCat

Boston & Red Sox

Peanut butter & jelly, peanut butter & chocolate, peanut butter & well, pretty much anything.

Hint: I really like peanut butter.

It goes without saying we could fill an infinite abyss of “synergistic” pairings that play off one another, of which one component helps to enhance or harmonize the effectiveness of the other.

One pairing that doesn’t belong on that list is CrossFit and baseball.

We work with a crap ton (just a shade under a boat load) of baseball players and one of the more common themes or questions we receive on a weekly (if not daily) basis is our opinion on CrossFit.

It seems you can’t walk more than 20 yards nowadays without crossing paths with a CrossFit gym – or someone bragging about their Paleo lifestyle.  And, for better or worse (mostly better, it’s hard to dismiss anything which gets people excited to grab a barbell), it’s abundantly clear it’s been tattooed into our popular culture.

As such, many people – athletes in particular – are curious about its merits.

CrossFit is a great fit for a small percentage of people, an okay fit for a slightly larger percentage, and an absolute ball of walking fail for an even larger percentage.

Baseball players fall into the latter category and in my latest article for Stack.com I explain why.

Is CrossFit a Good ‘Fit” for Baseball Players? (<—- Spoiler Alert:  No.)

CategoriesMotivational

Bus Bench vs. Park Bench Workouts

I hate doing laundry.

Lisa and I moved in together coming up on three years ago now, and as much as we love our apartment and the neighborhood we reside in – Coolidge Corner – the one major drag about the place is that there’s no laundry room on premise.

It’s certainly not the end of the world, and I don’t like to consider myself someone who complains about trivial things – especially when there are people out there suffering FAR worse than myself.  But still, I think I’ve come to conclusion that I hate doing laundry more than I hate a dumb Tracy Anderson quote.

And that’s saying a lot.

Lisa and I have an understanding, though, and we’ve done a really good job at “divying” up the chores around the house. She does the bulk of the cooking and food prep (okay, she does ALL of it), and I wash the dishes and make the two block trek down to the laundry mat – colors and whites in tow – every Sunday morning.

I’ve been doing it for a while now, and I still somehow manage to mess it up occasionally.

To quote her, “if it’s silky, satiny, or sexy…..it DOES NOT go into the dryer. FOR. THE. LOVE. OF. GOD.”

In three years I’ve managed to completely destroy only two blouses, two pair of dress pants, and a baker’s dozen of Lisa’s fancy underwear.

Not the greatest batting average in the world, but it’s definitely above the Mendoza line.

But no one reading really cares about mine and Lisa’s laundry woes. The point was to serve as a segue to today’s post.

Lately, to help pass the time in the laundry mat, I’ve been happily enjoying my copy of Dan John’s Intervention: Course Corrections for the Athlete and Trainer.

I’ve been enjoying it like I enjoy a cup of delicious chai tea……………………Slowly!

I haven’t devoured it in one sitting, but rather, just reading at my own pace – namely, between spin cycles – taking in all the savory components as they come.

Yesterday I read the section where Coach John discussed the concept of Bus Bench Workouts vs. Park Bench Workouts, and thought it was one of those brilliant analogies/points that never dawned on me until that very moment.

To reiterate his point:  the fitness industry does a bang-up job at selling full-throttle, death-march, total-commitment training concepts.  And frankly, most of us can’t do that day in and day out.

To help elucidate his point, Dan referred to the Tale of Two Benches, by Archbishop George Niederauer.

Bus Bench

Anyone who’s familiar with “city life” knows how much public transportation can suck the life out of you.  The Bus Bench fills us with expectation. We wait for the 5:13 bus, and if the 5:13 bust doesn’t arrive precisely at 5:13, we get anxious.

We….want….the…5:13….bus…..now!!!!

And if it doesn’t arrive at 5:13, but instead at 5:17……our day us ruined.  Grab the Ben & Jerry’s!

Far too often this is how most people train. With too much urgency and a “I want it now” attitude. It has its place, mind you, but shouldn’t be a priority.

Park Bench

Conversely, the park bench is more casual, and goes with the flow.

We can relax (so-to-speak) and enjoy the ride.

We can sit and people watch if we want, or just sit and read a book, or just sit.  There’s nothing wrong with that.

As Coach John noted in his book, most athletes (and non-athletes) tend to take the bus bench route. For athletes it goes like this:

On Saturday the 26th, I will defeat all who show up, break all my personal records, find perfection in all I do, and meet the person of my dreams.

For non-athletes it goes like this:

I have a class reunion/vacation/World of WarCraft Convention in July and I need to look gooood.  I will go to the gym six times per week, train for a marathon, maybe hit up a CrossFit class or two when I can squeeze them in, between yoga class of course, omit all carbohydrates, find perfection in all I do, and meet the person of my dreams.

This approach rarely (if ever) works out in the end.

Instead, for most athletes most of the time, and for most of us for most of our lives, the park bench model is much more appropriate.

As Coach John states, “When you compete or train, take time to enjoy the view, breathe the air, and don’t worry about the minutia! Whatever comes along during your competition or training should be viewed through the lens of wonder and thanks.”

Fitness doesn’t have to be a ball buster all the time. And, not coincidentally, taking the park bench approach is often what yields better, long-lasting results.

CategoriesUncategorized

Stuff to Read While You’re Pretending to Work: 2/21/14

I think I’m in heaven right now.  Unfortunately, no, I wasn’t invited by JJ Abrams to his hidden lair to proofread his screenplay for the next Star Wars movie.  And no, this version of heaven doesn’t include me driving a tank to work, which is still on my bucket list.

Nope, it this sense there’s a lot mess machismo involved.

Due to some foreseen circumstances – namely, Lisa had to borrow my car today –  I had to hop on the “T” early this morning and head in to my old stomping grounds – Davis Square, Somerville  -to hitch a ride into Cressey Performance with Pete.

I decided to come in a little early so that I could hang out at the local Starbucks here.  It’s Starbucks so it’s like every other Starbucks out there filled to the brim with Apple laptops and Norah Jones playing in the background.  But this one is a bit unique in that there’s this huge fireplace right smack dab in the middle of the floor space, which makes for perfect chill-out writing ambience.

So I am here sipping my Chai tea while writing this blog post and catching up on some other things.

Heaven.

Coffee: Healthy or Not? – Patty Rivas

Since I’m sitting in a coffee shop I figured it was as apropos as a time as any to post up a link to a some literature on coffee.

I’m not a huge coffee drinker.  Actually, I hate it….and prefer to get my caffeine fix either through tea or by injecting Spike directly into my left ventricle.

I should at some point switch to coffee because at least in that context, instead of a bunch of chemicals and artificial sweeteners I’d get the benefit of some antioxidants.

Either way, I felt Patty’s post on the topic was a nice succinct summary.

5 Back Squat Hacks – Greg Robins

Fellow CP coach, Greg Robins, hits the nail on the head.  Here are a handful of tips, suggestions, and insights on how to better improve your squat technique and performance.

Speaking of squats:  Jordan Syatt’s Elite Performance Squat Seminar is still on sale through TODAY (Friday, Feb. 21st) at the discounted price of $29.  For what mounts to two tickets to go see Endless Love (I won’t judge) you can learn all the tricks to dominating your squat from someone who’s a world record squatter.

After today, the price jumps up to the regular price of $49.

Big. Scary. Delts – Ben Bruno

I really enjoyed this article by Ben namely because not having “meaty” shoulders is one of my own personal weaknesses.  Well that, and ice-cream.

CategoriesNutrition

Meathead Fro-Yo (Yo!)

Lisa and I are heading on vacation to the Dominican Republic in 23 days, 17 hours, and 43 minutes (but who’s counting?), and as such have both been “dialing it in” on the nutrition side of things.

We haven’t been depriving ourselves too much. We still venture out into the city every weekend to find a new restaurant to try out and raid their bread basket, but she and I have definitely been a bit more “strict” during the week.

Lately, Lisa’s been making this cool low-carb/low sugar concoction every night that I thought I’d share with all of you since I’m sure many are similarly looking for healthy snack alternatives that don’t taste like sandpaper.

Meathead Fro Yo

1 Scoop Vega Chocolate Protein Powder, or Biotest Metabolic Drive Chocolate Protein Powder.

Note:  Any brand of protein powder will get the job done. But for those with gluten or dairy allergies, VegaSport would be the best option.

1 TBSP Spectrum Decadent Mix Blend (this stuff is delish —->)

2/3-1 Cup Unsweetened Almond Milk

1/2c Cup Canned Pumpkin (Note:  this is just regular ol’ pumpkin.  NOT pumpkin pie mix.  Nice try).

Some Ice

Blend it up! (Magic Bullet or some kind of serious Vitamix or Ninja recommended)

Choose a topping (or two…)

1 TBSP Cacao Nibs

1 TBSP Unsweetened Coconut Flakes

1 TBSP Chia seeds

It’s Creamy. It’s a little crunchy. It’s the perfect way for a meathead to end the day!

Give it a try and let me/Lisa know what you think.

CategoriesExercise Technique Product Review Strength Training

4 Little Known Tips to Increase Your Squat

Today’s guest post comes from a very good colleague of mine, Jordan Syatt.  Jordan actually interned for us at Cressey Performance a few years ago and since has gone on to do some pretty fantastic things in the industry.

Not only is he one of the more passionate coaches I’ve ever met, but he’s just an awesome human being.  There aren’t many people who are more genuine and gracious than Jordan.

I sincerely mean that.

Oh, and he’s also one strong son-of-a-bitch (no offense to Jordan’s mom.  She’s wonderful, too). My man deadlifts over 3x bodyweight, and he’s also an IPA World Record holder in the squat.

No big deal.

Jordan’s Elite Performance Squat Seminar went on sale this week, and to speak candidly…..it’s awesome. It’s two hours of anything and everything you’d need to know about the squat from someone who knows a thing or two about squatting.

Jordan was nice enough to write up some unique content for the site regarding some (not so common) tips that will help to increase/improve your squat.

Enjoy!

I struggled with the squat for years.

No matter how hard I tried or how much I read, I just couldn’t pin-point which style worked best for me.

To make matters worse, I was beyond confused with the programming aspect. Some coaches were telling me to squat once per week while others told me to squat every day.

I was lost.

As the years went on, though, I eventually figured it out. Following my internships at Westside Barbell and Cressey Performance, I learned not only how to squat but, more importantly, how to adjust my technique and programming based on biomechanics, goals, and preferences.

Fast-forward 3 years and I’m currently an IPA Powerlifting World Record Holder, I raw squat 2.9x bodyweight, and have helped countless lifters improve their squats by hundreds of pounds.

In this article I’m going to share with you four little-known tips to help increase your squat as quickly as possible.

By the end you will understand the squat better than most strength coaches and be armed with four new tips to help you achieve your ultimate strength potential.

1. Drive the Floor Away From You

We’ve all heard popular squat cues like:

“Head back!”

“Chest Up!”

“Knee’s Out!”

Cues like as these are known as internal focus cues because they force the lifter to focus on how the body moves in relation to itself.

While they aren’t completely useless, internal focus cues have been shown to be drastically less effective than their counterparts: external focus cues.

Note from TG:  For those interested, and who want to explore the rabbit hole a bit further, you can check out THIS article I wrote on internal vs. external cues.

Contrary to the former, external focus cues force the lifter to focus on how the body moves in relation to its environment. Take, for example, one of my all-time favorite cues:

“Drive the floor away from you!”

Rather than trying to move your body in relation to itself, this cue allows you to focus on moving your body relative to the environment.

On paper it might seem arbitrary, but research has consistently found external focus cues to be drastically more effective than cues with an internal focus.

So what does this mean for you?

When squatting, think about driving the floor away from yourself as hard and fast as humanly possible.

Don’t think about pushing into the ground or pressing as hard as possible.

Instead, try to push the floor away from you so forcefully that you leave a foot-print in the ground.

2. Nix the Box Squat

The box squat is overrated.

It’s great for geared lifters and doubles as a fantastic teaching tool but for intermediate & advanced raw lifters it’s a waste of time.

With my Westside background I know I’ll get a lot of flak for this but, in my experience, the box squat will not only do nothing to improve your squat…it will actually de-train it.

First and foremost, sitting on a box takes the stretch reflex out of the equation. While geared lifters don’t need to worry about this, raw lifters depend on the stretch shortening cycle (SSC) to rebound safely and explosively out of the hole.

Second, box squatting often changes the mechanics of the lift. Since geared lifters predominantly depend on the posterior chain (hamstrings, glutes, erectors), sitting back to a box is in their best interest. For raw lifters, however, it’s of the utmost importance to squat using a more knee-dominant approach that includes the quads. When performing box squats, though, most lifters focus entirely too much on maintaining a vertical tibia which reduces quad involvement and makes it less specific to raw squatting.

Plain and simple, if you aren’t a beginner and/or a geared lifter…nix the box squat.

3. Grip the Bar As Hard as Humanly Possible

Try it.

Next time you un-rack the bar and let it sink into your traps I want you to grip the bar as hard as you possibly can.

Tony has a great cue for this which works extremely well: “Try to melt the bar in your hands.”

^^^ Yep, I do use that one a lot.

Dean Somerset uses another good one: “Squeeze the bar so hard it oozes through your fingers like play dough.”

I’m more of a simpleton and stick with “Choke the bar,” but they all work.

Regardless of which cue you use, I guarantee if you squeeze the bar as hard as you possibly can you’ll immediately squat more weight.

Don’t believe me?

Give it a shot. I’ll be the guy laughing in the back of the gym saying “hate to say I told ya so!” even though I really love saying it.

4. Grip the Floor with Your Feet

Many powerlifters and coaches advocate squatting with all of your bodyweight centered directly under the heels. Some lifters take this to such an extreme that they literally pick all of their toes off the floor and visibly rock backwards to make sure they’re only on the heels.

I think that’s excessive.

While it’s important to keep some weight on the heels, it’s also important to create a stable base of support through using what’s called an “active foot.”

Watch this short clip to see what I mean:  CLICK ME!

As you saw in the video, an active foot only works if your bodyweight is centered on three points of contact: the knuckle under the big toe, the knuckle under the pinky toe, and the heel. This creates a tri-pod, of sorts, from which you can “grip the floor” with your feet.

To grip the floor, imagine centering your weight on the tripod while trying to pinch the floor in the middle of each foot. Done properly, you’ll stimulate the nerves of the feet while improving overall foot position to give you a stable base of support off of which you can squat more weight.

Wrapping Up

I hope you enjoyed this article and were able to take away some valuable information.

If you’re still looking for more information to improve your (or your clients) squat performance, my Elite Performance Squat Seminar covers all the topics mentioned above in more detail…..and then some!

In just under 2 hours I cover everything including:

  • Self Assessment and Correction
  • Technique Analysis
  • Progressions and Variations
  • Programming Considerations
  • And much more!

I legitimately cover every single thing you could ever want to know (and then some) related to the squat.

The best part?

For this week only the seminar is on sale for just $29! The sale only lasts until Friday (2/21) at midnight at which point the price will nearly double so if you really want to learn the secrets behind optimal squat performance don’t miss out – download your copy today!

Never Minimal. Never Maximal. Always Optimal.

CategoriesMiscellaneous Miscellany

Miscellaneous Miscellany Monday: Premium Group Update, House of Cards, and Arm Care

1.  Month TWO of my Premium Workout Group over on WeightTraining.com was just went live this morning.

I’ve been placing an emphasis on strength training or what I like to call “getting into Beast Mode” with this first block of workouts, and all the feedback I’ve been receiving from all the participants has been awesome. It seems like everyone is enjoying the journey.

But we’ll see what they have to say after this month….;o)

Just as an FYI:  for those reading who may have never heard of this group before, you can read more about it – what it is, how it works, and how to join – HERE.

And, for those reading who may have balked at joining from the start, you should know that even if you joined TODAY or later down the road, you’ll still have access to ALL the routines (past and present).

So you’ll have the opportunity to start at your own pace and discretion.

And as I noted from the start, this Group is something that’s always going to be evolving.  As it happens, as of the tail end of last week, we introduced a DISCUSSION tab to the group page where members can leave comments, post updates, videos, and pictures of their pets (if they want) for others to chime in on.

It’s just another way to build the camaraderie of the group and for people to have more access to other people taking themselves through the same torture program.

2.  Raise your hand if you binged watched season two of House of Cards this weekend like no one’s business??

*Sheepishly raises hand*

Once Lisa and I sat down on Friday night to watch episode one (well, 14 to be exact if you count season 1) it was over.

And once that “thing” happened  – you know, that HOLY SHIT moment (spoiler at the bottom*) – at the tail end of the first episode, Lisa and I looked at one another and knew we were going to crush the entire season over the weekend.

We came close.

We got all the way up to the second to last episode last night before I puttered out.  We’ll watch the season finale tonight, though.

I can’t wait to see what happens.  Let me guess:  Frank turns into RoboCop and takes out Tusk?  No, no….that’s a bit too farfetched.

Okay, how about this: Legolas from Lord of the Rings makes a cameo appearance, seduces Claire, and he becomes President!

Yep, nailed it!

3.  I had one of my blog posts “syndicated” over on the MensHealth.com website over the weekend which was a cool surprise.

Check out 3 Surprising Reasons You Aren’t Seeing Results in the Gym.

4.  One of the “go to” exercises we use at Cressey Performance with regards to arm care is the supine rhythmic stabilization.

In short, when we’re referring to how to go about training the rotator cuff in a more “functional” manner, we have to respect that the rotator cuff’s job isn’t to necessarily externally rotate and abduct the humerus like all the anatomy books will tell us.

In fact, it’s TRUE role is to keep the humeral head centered in the glenoid fossa.  The last thing we want for an overhead athlete – or anyone for that matter – is to have their humeral head clanging around like a jellybean in a jar.

As innocuous as the exercise may look – there is a fair amount of “progression” that needs to be considered.

First and foremost a general rule of thumb to follow is to start more PROXIMALLY to the body.  Meaning, when starting this exercise with someone it’s better to perform GENTLE pertubations closer to midline of the body – in this case the elbow – where they’ll have a bit more control.

From there, the way you’ll progress the drill is to move more distally – away from the midline – towards the wrist (as Eric demonstrates in the video above).

It seems borderline trivial, but it’s an important factor to consider when implementing this drill into someone’s arm care repertoire.

 

* = ZOE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Holy fuckballs, he killed Zoe!!  I think both Lisa and I literally jumped off the couch when Frank pushed Zoe in front of that train.  This show is freakin amazing.  It’s like they’re not scared to go all Game of Thrones on us and kill off important characters in the blink of an eye and without warning.  I love it. 

CategoriesStuff to Read While You're Pretending to Work

Stuff to Read While You’re Pretending to Work: 2/14/14

Happy House of Cards Season Two Release Day on Netflix Valentine’s Day, everybody!

It’s a miracle that I’m even writing right now given there are thirteen brand spankin new episodes sitting in my “watch instantly” queue as type these words.

Can you tell I’m a little excited!?!  But I promised Lisa I wouldn’t touch an episode until we were both home tonight. That’s how we’re going to spend our Valentine’s: Watching House of Cards and eating chicken.

Who says romance is dead?

PS: Dieting sucks.

On that note, I do wish all the lovely couples out there a happy Valentine’s Day.  Eat some steak and carrot cake for me will ya?

Is Your Vitamin D Supplement Helping Or Hurting You? – Bryan Walsh (Precision Nutrition)

Hands down this was the best article I’ve ever read on vitamin D supplementation.  I can’t imagine how much work went into writing this.  Well done!

67 Tips on Happiness, Fulfillment, and Life – Jason Ferruggia

I really liked this list written by Jason and it’s really, really hard to say which handful resonated with me the most.  Honestly, all 67 tips hit home.

It’s a quick read, and I guarantee you’ll be nodding your head in agreement.

High Performance, No BS Correctives – Dan John

Once people see the word “corrective” associated with a strength and conditioning article the eyes start rolling. What now, Tony – an article telling me to perform more knee break ankle mobilizations??

I’d rather watch NASCAR, thank you very much.

Touche.

But this is Dan freakin John we’re talking about here.  You should know better. Read it.

CategoriesExercise Technique Strength Training

Two Components to Deadlifting Success

– “One thing I could do….was finger roll.”

So said George “Iceman” Gervin in the classic mid-90s Nike commercial featuring Tim Hardaway, David Robinson, and pretty much the coolest barbershop known to man.

For a little taste of nostalgia you can watch the video HERE.

Now, I’m not an ex-NBA legend.  I might be able to dunk a tennis ball.  Maybe.  But only if you gave me a running start (and a trampoline). Or a JetPack.

Julia Child was pretty much a boss in the kitchen.

You can’t discuss the history of film and not mention the name Steven Spielberg.

Sandy Koufax had arguably the most devastating curveball in baseball history.

Is there a bigger douche to the douchiest power nowadays than Justin Bieber?

All of this to say: Everyone has their own speciality or a skill that they’re known for.

Me?  While I’d like to sit here and say it’s hanging out with Jason Bourne, in reality it’s nothing nearly as badass.

While they’re badass in their own right, I think anyone who’s read my stuff for any length of time knows that I have a particular affinity for deadlifts, and that that’s what I’m known for.

Which is weird because I don’t own any records.  Not even close.  Heck, I’ve never even competed! Giving a little credit to myself, though, my best pull is 570 lbs (which at the time was 3x bodyweight).

On top of that, if someone triple dogged dared me, or, I don’t know, if Kate Beckinsale walked into a room and said, “Tony I’ll make out with you right now if you lift 500 lbs this very minute,” I’m fairly confident I could do it.

For reps.

On one leg.

Blindfolded.

Standing on a BOSU ball.

More to the point (and a bit less facetious in tone):  I know how to coach the deadlift very well.  So to steal the quote from the Iceman above.

One thing I can do…..is coach the deadlift!

And it’s with that quote in mind that I wanted to take today and do a pseudo “brain dump” on a few insights and common (or not so common, depending on who you are) mistakes I notice with regards to deadlift technique.

1.  Not Choosing the Correct Deadlift Variation

I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again: everyone should be deadlifting in some form or another.  What other exercise accomplishes so much?

I’m biased. You’d be hard pressed to convince me otherwise that the deadlift isn’t one of the best overall exercises for hypertrophy, not to mention the best functional exercise you can do with respects to posterior chain strength, core stability, glute activation (terminal hip extension), power development, and transference of force throughout the entire body.

Likewise, when done correctly, deadlifts help to prevent shear loading on the spine, help engrain a hip hinge pattern (which spares the spine), and you could make a case plays a role in “preparing” people for life.

Ask your grandmother to pick up a bag of groceries.  That’s a deadlift!

My friend, Nick Tumminello, wrote a fantastic post awhile back on assessments and brought up an interesting question:

“What’s the point of doing whatever assessment you’re doing, when you have all your clients squat, deadlift, perform X, Y, and Z anyways?”

I respect Nick a ton. It’s hard not to look up to someone with as much experience as him, and  I’ve learned a lot from him.

And while I “get” what he was trying to say, even when I originally read his post (and forgive me if Nick’s perspective has changed since he wrote it) I couldn’t help but cock my head like a curious puppy being asked to fetch.

From my point of view, YES, the goal is to have all my clients squat, deadlift, perform single leg work, crush push-ups, row, bench press, sprint, push the Prowler, arm wrestle a tank, and many other fitness and performance based methodologies.

The point of the assessment – outside of the obvious – is for the client/athlete to prove to me that they can perform said movements correctly and without causing further harm.

With regards to the deadlift, the results of their assessment – outside of providing information on any imbalances or any glaring deficits that may exist – is going to tell me which variation of the deadlift I’m going to start them on.

Not everyone is meant to (or should) walk into the gym on day one and conventional deadlift.  Truth be told: the conventional deadlift is the most advanced variation of the deadlift, and I rarely start an athlete or client there.

If someone has a cranky lower back or anterior knee pain (or both), it may be wise to start them on a trap (or hex) bar deadlift.  Because the body is placed inside the bar, there’s less shear on the spine.  Likewise, the trap bar (like most DL variations) require a more vertical tibia which will feel significantly better on the knees.

Looking a bit deeper, if someone has a deficit in ankle dorsiflexion or needs a crowbar to loosen up their hips, having them attempt to get all the way down to the bar for a conventional deadlift is going to be compromising.

Instead it may be more advantageous to have them perform a Sumo style deadlift – maybe even elevated slightly depending on the severity of their limitation.

The point is: not all deadlift variations are created equal, and it’s important to consider what will be the right fit based off of one’s body-type, experience, limitations, and injury history.

2.  Tension, Tension, Tension!

One instantaneous red-flag I’ll notice with many people deadlifting is when I see their hips rise too quickly when initiating the pull. Like this:

Kelly Starrett mentioned this same concept in his book Becoming a Supple Leopard, but when this happens it’s generally a failure to get (and maintain) TENSION!!!  You could also make the same argument whenever you see someone initiate their pull and they turn into a “scared cat” with their back rounding like crazy.

The deadlift is a bit more than just “bending over and picking up a bar.”  I like to tell trainees that the hips and shoulders should “break” synchronously.  Meaning there should be a synergistic dance or interplay between the hips and shoulders.  If the hips break first or come up too fast in relation to the upper body, we just need to slow things down a tad and get more tension.

Lack of tension = an energy leak, and that’s the last thing you want when trying to pull heavy things off the ground.

Here’s a checklist I like to follow:

1.  Hinge back – pushing your butt back towards the wall – as if you’re performing an RDL – until your hands reach the bar.

2.  Once there, you’ll grab the bar with one hand and pull the “slack out.”  Basically, you’re going to activate or engage your lat and posteriorly tilt the scapulae, which will provide a ton more stability/tension.

3.  You’ll then repeat the same process with the other hand.

Note:  a more simplified and less geeky way of explaining things is to pretend you have an orange in your armpit and that you’re trying to squeeze out some orange juice.

This cue will ensure all of the above:  lats will be engaged, scapulae will posteriorly tilt, and the chest will be up.

4.  In order to maintain tension in the hamstrings (kind of important for deadlifting big weight) the hips should stay somewhat high (this will vary for numerous people, but they should never be above the shoulders), and you should think about “pressing” or “pushing” yourself way from the floor – generating force INTO THE FLOOR. Like this:

Notice how, compared to the first video, the hips and shoulders have more of a timed interplay?

This is what’s “ideal” and will result in better deadlifting performance for most people.

Just two things to ponder.  Cheerio!