CategoriesExercise Technique Strength Training

3 (Not So Common) Mistakes People Make (That Many Don’t Think About) When Trying to Improve Their Deadlift

I don’t claim to know everything.

Sure I can regurgitate all the muscles that attach to the scapulae, list all the muscles involved with posterior pelvic tilt, name all the members of the starting line-up for the 1990 Oakland Athletics, recite line-for-line the “I will find, and I will kill you” monologue Liam Neeson uses in the movie Taken, and, on a good day I can crush my multiplication table.

I know stuff, but I don’t know everything.

One of the exceptions, however, is the deadlift. I know the deadlift. As a strength coach it makes sense. I mean, it’s my job to help get people freaky strong, and it’s kinda hard to do so without at least a casual relationship with the deadlift. Don’t worry I always buy it dinner first….;o)

Moreover, most serious weightlifters recognize that the deadlift is what often separates the men from the boys.

As an example here’s Cressey Sports Performance athlete, Dave Stanton, deadlifting 600 lbs for an easy set of three.  With no belt (at a bodyweight of 192 lbs).

Yes, we recognize he’s bouncing the weight off the floor a little bit.  Relax, internet.

David is a bit of an outlier. A freak if you will. We often joke at the facility that he’s a deadlifting savant because he’s always been good at it. It’s as if he was built to deadlift – look at those leverages!

But that doesn’t mean he hasn’t had to work his ass off in order to get to this point.

He’s been training with us for over four years, and has spent a lot of time working with us under our supervision.

Using David as our inspiration and model, I wanted to discuss what I feel are some things that a lot of trainees overlook when it comes to their approach to the deadlift.

1. Not Placing a Premium on Technique, Technique, Technique

Playing the Captain Obvious card, it goes without saying that in order to get better at the deadlift, you need to deadlift. It’s the Law of Specificity played to it’s most specific tune.

Quarterbacks don’t get better at throwing a football by playing Madden.

Chefs don’t get better at food preparation by watching Top Chef.

And you don’t get better at deadlifting by watching Youtube videos or by just “showing up” at the gym and doing leg curls.  YOU NEED TO DEADLIFT!!!!

More to the point, you need to hone technique. Technique trumps everything.

Not all deadlift variations are created equal. When most people think of a deadlift they automatically leap to the conventional deadlift, which, by all accounts, can be argued as the most advanced variation.

Not everyone can show up on day #1, walk up to a bar, pick it up off the ground, and make it look passable. I.e., not make me want to pour battery acid into my eyes.

Which is why it’s important to regress the movement to fit the current ability level and needs of the lifter. Learning the hip hinge pattern is vital and serves as a precursor more advanced exercises down the road.

There are a million and one different ways to regress the deadlift to help someone learn to hip hinge, which is why I feel it’s such an invaluable exercise.

At the lowest level we have drills which help engrain the motor pattern we’re looking for and to teach “neutral” spine:

Wall Tap Hip Hinge

KB Behind the Head Hip Hinge

Band Lat Activation w/ Hip Hinge

Once we’re confident they’re able to groove the hip hinge and control their spine, we can then start adding load with more rudimentary deadlift exercises like kettlebell deadlifts, suitcase deadlifts,  and “potato sack” or DB deadlifts.

From there, when we want to start adding more appreciable load the order we typically use at Cressey Sports Performance is Trap Bar Deadlift —> Sumo Deadlift —> Conventional Deadlift —> Dude, you’re like Han Solo now.

And, to be honest, it’s not until someone has a good 1-2 years of solid, legit training that we start implementing more superfluous things like chains, bands, and the like.

There’s plenty we can do with JUST a barbell.

Below is a video I originally shot for the release of Mike Robertson’s Bulletproof Athlete, which goes into more detail on some of the ways I progress (and cue) the main deadlift variations.

So to reiterate – TECHNIQUE is kind of important.  Learn it. Also, take into account the importance of properly placed progressions. Not everyone is Gandalf and can walk into a gym on day one and crush a perfect deadlift.

Also, if you want to read something that will give you a deadlifting boner I’d suggest reading THIS magnum opus by Mike Robertson, or check out any of THESE 22 articles listed by T-Nation as the best deadlifting articles on their site.

2. Speed Work? Technique, Technique, Technique (Part II)

Listen, most people who train don’t need to worry about “speed work.” Yes, getting faster and honing bar speed is a factor in improving strength, but for most people, most of the time, it’s a complete waste of time.

Let me explain.

First off, unless you’re pulling (at least) 2x bodyweight I don’t feel adding in speed work or a dynamic speed day – or any other connotation you use to pretend like you train at Westside Barbell – into your training repertoire is going to serve as the x-factor.

Lets just call it what it is.  TECHNIQUE WORK!!!!

Using sub-maximal loads forces people to dial in their technique, and THAT’S where I feel the true value of “speed work” lies.

Instead of calling it a speed work, I just call it a technique work and I try to implement it into most people’s programs at least once per week (especially if they’re trying to work on a specific movement, like the deadlift).

It may look something like this:

Week 1: 12×1 @ 55% 1RM

Week 2: 10×1 @ 60% 1RM

Week 3: 8×1 @ 65% 1RM

Week 4: 6×1 @ 70% 1RM

I’ll typically allot 30-45s rest between each rep.

Another approach I use (with more intermediate and advance lifters) is to have someone use 70% of the 1RM and to then set a timer for 10-15 minutes and they perform ONE rep every minute, on the minute for the allotted minutes.

Week 1: 65% at 10 Min

Week 2: 65% at 12 Min

Week 3: 70% at 12 Min

Week 4: 70% at 14 Min

Either way the idea is to use lower loads to HAMMER technique (which in turn is going to help with bar speed and overall performance in general).

3. Lack of Upper Back Strength

Like it or not, most people have weak upper backs and they don’t train it enough. I’m a HUGE proponent of adding in some form of dedicated upper back work in every training session.

I think this serves several benefits:

1.  It will undoubtedly help with deadlift technique in the long run.

2. From a posture standpoint, it will help to offset the endless hours we all spend in front of our computers watching LOLCats working.

3.  A thick, wide, upper back just looks badass.

To that end, I feel most trainees should go out of their way to add in some upper back work – both horizontal AND vertical – into their programs.

Now, this doesn’t mean you have to go balls to the wall and load yourself heavy every session, but it stands to reason most people won’t be doing themselves a disservice by incorporating this mindset.

I like to add in some high(er) rep TRX Rows or face pulls on my lower body days, and I’ll sometimes perform heavy chin-up variations too.

On upper body days, I’ll almost always be including some form of heavy barbell row or DB row.

Make no mistake:  a strong upper back will help you deadlift more weight.

Pick Things Up and Put Them Down

And it’s on that note I want to remind everyone that my new Deadlift Specialization Program hits on all the above points (and then some).

It’s a FOUR-month program that will not only turn you into a deadlifting Jedi, but you’ll get hella strong to boot.

What’s more, not only do you get a program written by me, but you also get the advantage of using WeightTraining.com’s user friendly platform to receive workout reminders, track and log your workouts, and watch videos, all by using your smart phone.

I also included a 30% discount that will last for the next 24 hours (through Wednesday, September 10th), because I’m cool like that  All you have to do is type in IncreaseDeadlift30 within the Coupon Code area at checkout.

For more information and to get your deadlifting on go HERE.

CategoriesProgram Design Strength Training

Introducing My Deadlift Specialization Program: Pick Things Up and Put Them Down

Name a celebrity – any celebrity – and it’s not hard to list off a handful or a few dozen adjectives or associations often tethered to them like white on rice or a ball to a chain.

Jennifer Lopez: fashion icon, badonkadonk, the impetus behind the media’s fascination with coming up with corny nicknames whenever two famous people start dating:  Bennifer (back in the day when she and Ben Affleck dated).

Matt Damon: Jason Bourne, Boston, my best friend (he just doesn’t know it).

Miley Cyrus: shock value, famous dad, and of course, twerking.

Matthew McConaughey: cowboy, free spirit, and his incessant use of the phrase, “well, alright, alright, alright.”

Everyone can be described in the same vein. We all have words, phrases, and associations that people automatically identify or link our name to. Take me for example. While I’d love to sit here and pretend that whenever the name Tony Gentilcore is uttered people gravitate towards words like intelligent, witty, charming, and People Magazine’s Sexiest Man Alive…I know that that’s wishful thinking.

Instead, a more accurate portrayal is something like this: “Tony Gentilcore? Hahahaha. Isn’t that the fitness dude with a funny last name, who’s bald, drives an Elantra, and talks about his cat a lot?”

Ding, ding, ding, ding. Nailed it!!!!

Well, all of that is true. But self deprecating humor aside and given the theme of this website is “because heavy things won’t lift themselves,” I think you’d also be hard pressed to see my name mentioned somewhere and not notice one word in particular following suit:

Deadlifts

I love deadlifts. I love deadlifts almost as much as I love ice-cream.

I think what I love most about the deadlift is that in the most primal way, and as cheesy and cliche as it sounds, it’s literally you vs. the bar.

You can’t cheat the deadlift. Either you lift the bar off the floor and lock it out, or you don’t. It’s without question one of the best movements to build muscle, overall strength, and athleticism, in addition to helping “fix stuff.”  And by that what I mean is the deadlift is an excellent corrective exercise.

Correct movement is corrective.

I always laugh whenever someone chimes in with a comment like “deadlifts are going to make your spine explode” or something equally as idiotic.

These are the same people who believe squats ruin people’s knees, bench pressing destroys everyone’s shoulders, pilates builds “long & lean muscles,” and that I rode into work this morning on a unicorn.

For all intents and purposes, we might as well never load anyone and just make people lay in bed all day in zero gravity so that they won’t exert their body in any way.

What’s more, what I also love about the deadlift is its versatility. I can tweak, regress, and progress the movement based off one’s current goals, needs, injury history, and experience level.

And it’s on that note I want to introduce something I feel is going to help a lot of people:

My Deadlift Specialization Program: Pick Things Up and Put Them Down

Many like to deadlift, and that’s great. It makes me happy. Unfortunately, when it comes to getting better at it – and subsequently lifting more weight – many don’t understand how to design a well-rounded, specific, properly progressed, and safe program to get the job done.

Well, I do.

I’ve partnered with my friends at WeightTraining.com to offer a new FOUR-month Deadlift Specialization Program.

How does this program differ from many of the other one’s you can follow?

1. I wrote it. So there’s that.

2. Unlike a lot (not all) of the programs you can find on the internet, I not only practice what I preach (HERE’s a video of me pulling 3x bodyweight), but I actually train people. Like, in real life. I don’t just write about it.

Much of this program is based off protocols and concepts I use with many of the athletes and clients I train on a daily basis.

3. In partnering with WeightTraining.com on my Deadlift Specialization Program, the platform itself is its own unique experience:

  • 24/7/365 Access: Once purchased, you will always have access to the program.
  • Schedule & Receive Workout Reminders: You will be able to schedule the workout program on your calendar and will automatically receive workout reminders every day you have a scheduled workout.
  • Easy Logging with Scheduled Workouts: Your scheduled workouts will automatically come up within your workout logger making it very easy for you to see your workout for the day and log your progress.

  • Available on the web, iOS, & Android devices: The workout program will be available on all of the WeightTraining.com apps allowing you to take your workout into the gym with you on your phone for easy viewing and logging.**NOTE:  the app for the Android will be available starting later this week!
  • Printable Workouts: If you still like taking a piece of paper into the gym, you will have access to the printable version of the entire workout program and individual workouts.
  • Automatically Track Progress, Records, and Totals: You will receive your own personal profile where your logged workouts will automatically track your progress, records, and overall totals.
  • Video Exercise Demonstrations: If you do not know how to do an exercise, don’t worry. You will have an exercise video demonstration for every exercise within the workout program.
Here’s a quick video explaining all the advantages:

I know what some of you may be thinking: $49 for one month of programming ($196 if you decide to follow all four months)!?! What the heck Gentilcore!

Consider I charge $279 (and up) for one month of individualized distance coaching. Here you’re getting FOUR MONTHS for less than it would cost for ONE if you were a personal distance coaching client of mine, and you get the ease of using the WT.com platform.

To help sweeten the pot I’ve decided to offer a limited time discount code for 30% off the first month.

To take advantage of this offer all you need to do is type IncreaseDeadlift30 within the Coupon Code area upon checkout. It’s that easy.

This offer is only going to be available for 48 hours (through this Wednesday, September 10th), so I’d act quick if I were you. Are you ready to dealift!?!?

—> Pick Things Up and Put Them Down Program <—

CategoriesStuff to Read While You're Pretending to Work

Stuff to Read While You’re Pretending to Work: 9/5/14

You know the saying  “the calm before the storm?”  Yeah, well I’m experiencing the opposite of that right now.

I leave for London in the middle of next week for mine and Dean Somerset’s 2-day workshop, and while I’m super excited for my first trip to Europe – Note to self: DO NOT, for the love of all you can eat buffets, forget your passport!! – I’m not super excited about all the work that needs to be done before I leave.  Programs need to be written, article deadlines, so on and so forth.

Instead of the calm before the storm, it’s more like the maelstrom of chaos before the epic shit-storm.

Alas, it’s the epitome of a first world problem. Oh, woe is me:  I’m going to Europe next week and I have a lot of things to get done before I leave. Boo-hoo. Next thing you know I’ll be complaining about knee space and getting into a fist fight on my flight over because someone has the audacity to recline their seat.

Seems to be a lot of that going around lately…..;o)

Oh, before I forget. Speaking of mine and Dean’s workshop, the early bird special for our event in Washington, DC in October ends this weekend. After this Sunday (Sept 7th) the price jumps $100. That’s money you could be saving for a date night, gas, or, I don’t know, The Tower of Orthanc LEGO set.  Hey, I’m not judging.

Dean and I feel this workshop is a perfect fit for any coach or trainer (or serious fitness enthusiast) who’s looking to take his or her skill-set with regards to assessment, program design, and coaching to the next level. We purposely cap the total number of attendees to a few dozen because we prefer to keep the setting as personal and intimate as possible.

Don’t worry, there’s no Sade or candlelights involved.

You can click on the link below to find out more information as well as to register (and take advantage of the early bird discount).

Click Me

Lets get to this week’s list.

Nutrition Debate: Are Eggs Good For You? – Dr. Mike Roussell

It’s always an adventure whenever Lisa and I go out for brunch. Almost always I’ll inevitably order an omelet, and sometimes, just to see the reaction of the server, I’ll DOUBLE my order.

Server: “That’s six eggs sir, which is a lot. Are you sure?”

Me:  “Hmmm, you’re right.  Better triple that order.”

I have to chuckle to myself that ordering six eggs is somehow considered “a lot” of food and that it merits Man vs. Food kind of reaction.  It’s not really that much.

One egg = 60 kcals

Six eggs = 360 kcals, in addition to whatever accoutrements or sides I decide to toss in (a litrle cheese, some bacon, onions, etc).

Compare that to the traditional pile of pancakes, French toast, or waffles that most people order which can easily tally up to 800-1000+ kcals.

Even funnier is when I go through the line at the grocery store and the cashier shows concern over my cholesterol levels because I have four cartons of eggs in my cart.  Mind you, they never say anything to the person a head of me who’s cart is full of chips, cookies, mac-n-cheese, and other processed garbage.

Anyways, I LOVE articles like this which help explain that eggs – whole eggs, none of this egg white crap – are one of the most nutritious and healthy foods out there.  And even if you don’t agree with that assertion, at the very least, it helps dispel many common myths.

A Woman’s Worth – Molly Galbraith

To celebrate the 3rd anniversary of Girls Gone Strong, Molly gets a little personal and shares her story of struggling with self-esteem and trying to “fit the mold” of what society deems is the ideal female body type.

In reality it’s all BS.

Humbling Exercises for the Egotistical Lifter – Chad Rodgers

There’s without a doubt a spectrum of exercises that I range from “oh, that’s cute” to “OMFG I hate life.”

The guys over at Show Me Strength break down some exercises that, if you’re up for it, will make you lean towards the latter.

Bonus

T-Nation recently released their list of 22 Best Deadlifting Articles. I’m honored to have three of my own on that list (and Eric has four, always the one-upper!!).

If you happen to have a hankering for deadlifts, this would be a great start.

Categoriespersonal training

Your Career in Fitness: A Guide to Professional Success

I get asked all the time from new and incoming trainers and coaches what they can do to better position themselves for (long-term) success in the fitness industry.

Statistics show that most trainers burn out within a year and a half to two years. Granted there are many, many trainers who have long, prosperous, and fruitful careers teeming with PRs, inches melted away, pounds lost, boundless interpersonal relationships, and client success stories. And maybe, just maybe a 401K or SEP IRA you can brag about.

In the fitness industry, however, that tends to be the exception and not the rule.

I don’t feel many people enter this industry under the impression they’ll make a ton of money and that they’ll end up living an MTV Cribs lifestyle. I’m sure they’re out there, but it’s rare.

Rather, most dive in because 1) pretty much anyone can become a personal trainer, so why not? 2) they’ve always been passionate about health and fitness and have a genuine interest in helping others OR 3) they’ve always been passionate about health and fitness and have a genuine interest in helping others. Oh, and they hate their current job and are thiiiiiiis close to grabbing a brick and knocking their boss’s teeth out.

To Point #1:  It is what it is. For better or worse the barrier to entry into the fitness industry is low.  You don’t need a four-year degree to train someone, and you could make the argument that taking the time to do so does nothing but teach one to get really good at memorizing answers and not preparing him/her for any application of “real-world” skills like movement assessment, coaching, and writing a competent training program that makes sense and doesn’t require a drunk pirate to decipher.

There’s that and the whole thousands of dollars of debt thing.

This isn’t to say I don’t advocate one get a degree, but in this day and age it’s definitely a discussion worth having and weighing one’s options.

To Points #2 & 3: I’m lucky in that I know dozens – if not hundreds – of top notch trainers and coaches who are really good at what they do, and have been doing it for a long time. Likewise, I’m also friends with a know of several people who started off in one career only to perform a 180, take a real risk, and enter fitness.

My good friend Roger Lawson (Rog Law) comes to mind first. He was living in Michigan back in 2008-2009 and graduated school with an English degree, only to realize that that wasn’t what he wanted to do.

Instead he took a chance and applied for an internship at Cressey Sports Performance. Admittedly we were skeptical, but he was persistent (even making the trip from Michigan to Massachusetts just to introduce himself), and we accepted.

The rest, as they say, is history. To this day he’s still considered one of our most popular interns/coaches we’ve ever had.  And, to top it all off, he’s amassed his own cult-following and successful fitness career since leaving.

He didn’t take the traditional route, but he’s done a litany of things right which has allowed him to become successful.

Look, anyone with biceps, a cute smile, a casual interest in fitness, or six-pack abzzz (<— 3 z’s for emphasis) can sign up for a weekend personal training course and become certified.

That’s all fine and dandy, but unless you arm yourself with the tools necessary to separate yourself from the masses – a competent understanding of anatomy, nutrition, business, and even psychology (how to deal with and motivate people to change) – like I said, statistics prove most trainers burn out within a year and a half to two years.

At best, taking the time to implement the steps necessary to actually have a fitness career – and a successful one at that – is hard, takes effort, and isn’t for everyone.

At worse, you take the easy route, embrace your overwhelming sense of entitlement, putter out like I said you would, and end up living in your parent’s basement managing all your different Fantasy Football teams while working at Applebee’s.

So What Can You Do?

I don’t do this often. In fact, I don’t think I’ve ever done it – link to a singular article. But if any of what I said above strikes a chord with anyone reading, I’d HIGHLY encourage you to read the article below written by Nate Green for Precision Nutrition.

I read it this morning and felt compelled to showcase it on my site today because I think the information provided is priceless.

There are no gimmicks. You don’t need to sign up for anything. It’s just an article. A really good one that provides a ton of direction and resources. Enjoy!

Your Career in Fitness: A Guide to Professional Success

CategoriesFat Loss Strength Training

The Tenets of Fat Loss

UPDATE:  The original title of the post was The Tenents of Fat Loss.  As in “tenents,” a word that doesn’t even exist.  I meant to say tenets. My bad (and thanks to the 17 or so people who pointed out my mistake.).  There I go again making up new words!

I don’t claim to be an “expert” in anything.  Actually, that’s false.  I am an expert in somehow forgetting to clean all the dirty dishes in the sink before I leave for work every morning, much to my girlfriend’s annoyance.

Oh, and I can crush 90’s movie trivia.

But other than those two things, I don’t claim to be an expert in anything.

Which is why I’m amazed as to how often that claim – being an expert –  is tossed around. Especially in the fitness industry. I once had a 20 year old – Like, still an undergraduate 20 year old –  email me and claim he was an “expert” in lumbo-pelvic-hip anatomy and rehab.

Okay dude, calm down. How bout you pass Kinesiology first, and then we can talk.

And of course the internet is rife with Paleo experts, low-carb diet experts, kipping experts, heart rate variability experts, strength experts, body recomposition experts, experts, experts, experts.

Maybe it’s just me, but unless you’re a NASA rocket scientist, or a medical researcher, you’re not an expert, mmm kay?

Thanks to Dean Somerset for the hilarious pic!

Alas, we can talk all we want on what it actually means to be an expert – they do exist – whether it’s education, years of experience, real-world application of said education, but it’s not going to prevent people from putting the term into their bylines.

With that teeny tiny rant out of the way, I’m going to take a little time this morning and discuss fat loss.  More specifically what I feel are the main tenets, criteria, or components of effective, efficient, and long-term fat loss.

Note: I am not an expert (but I play one on the internet)

In my defense: while I don’t claim to be an expert, this isn’t my first rodeo, and I do train people – in person – on a daily basis, so I do feel that gives me some degree of credibility.

I guess the first point to tackle is to make the differentiation between fat loss and weight loss.

Weight loss is easy.

Don’t eat or drink for a day, go take a dump, cut off a limb……..SHA-zam, you just lost some weight.

Fat loss on the other hand, is a different ball game and takes a little more attention to detail.

Granted I’m playing with words, but it’s technically true.  I won’t belabor the point here, but if you’re interested I wrote on the topic of Weight Loss vs. Fat Loss HERE.

Some people do need to lose weight.  If we’re referring to a morbidly obese person, then I’m not going to be overly concerned with the ratio of muscle loss to fat loss. This discussion changes for someone who’s 50 lbs overweight – who runs the risk of developing a plethora of markers which can affect their health and well-being – as compared to someone who’s 8% body fat and four weeks away from a photo shoot or from stepping on stage.

For the sake of this blog post, lets assume we’re not referring to the morbidly obese person.

If that’s the case……

Make no mistake, regardless of the end game (photo shoot, content, or you’re just looking to bring sexy back), MAINTAINING AS MUCH MUSCLE MASS AS POSSIBLE – especially when dieting  – IS THE KEY TO FAT LOSS.

You do not want to sacrifice muscle mass.  Or, at the very least, you want to minimize its loss as much as possible.  More on that in the link I provided above.

Stealing a funny anecdote from my buddy, Mark Young, coach at Lean Body Consulting, the keys to physique improvement (in order of importance):

Makes a ton of sense to me, and I doubt there are many reputable fitness professionals who would disagree.  Although, admittedly, we LOVE to argue about the minutia.

Take nutrition for example.  Everyone knows – or, they should know – that in order to promote fat loss you need to elicit some sort of caloric deficit (calories in vs calories out).  It’s science, there’s a law to back it up (Law of Thermodynamics.  And yes, I realize there are 4, and one is called the Zeroth Law, which is snarky. For simplicity I’m referring to the 1st Law and maybe elements of the 2nd Law, and even then I understand that even those can be interpreted into a million and one different things. Why don’t you just get off your high horse, huh???), and I find it comical that people debate it as if they’re the one example unique flower in all of recorded human history to defy it.

Calories count

^^^^ I understand that the above article doesn’t make the distinction of fat loss vs. weight loss, and I also understand there are other variables that come into play, but I do feel that the first talking point comes down to how many calories someone is eating on a given day.

If someone isn’t losing weight/fat, the obvious starting point is a discussion on their nutrition and whether or not (s)he is ingesting too many calories.

If you have 20 or so minutes to spare you can check out the EPIC thread that started on my Facebook page with people arguing over the article HERE (just scroll down a bit).

As the saying goes:  you can’t out train a poor diet.

Dieting for fat loss can bite the big one at times. It sucks.  Some days you’re going to want to stab someone in the throat.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B80r9rE-DXg

But it’s a moot point, I feel, to argue that a caloric deficit isn’t what’s needed or that calories somehow don’t matter so long as it fits your macros, yo!  Yes, other factors come into play once someone is already pretty lean, and looking to get leaner – meal timing, meal frequency, the interplay of hormones, even macros!

But for 90% of the people out there reading, 90% of the time, calories in vs. calories out matter.

And it should be said:  just telling someone to eat less and move more defeats the purpose and is borderline counterproductive. As fitness professionals it’s our job to educate our clients and to arm them with the skills necessary to succeed. It’s imperative that we teach them habits that will stick and help them not only get from Point A to Point B, but to stay there.

People aren’t dumb. They understand that crushing Taco Bell every night isn’t the best choice, and it certainly won’t help them attain their goal(s). It’s our job to figure out WHY they’re going to Taco Bell and to set up preventative strategies to help them avoid it.

It could be something as simple as outlining an alternate route home from work.  Or maybe it’s coaching them on better food choices. I don’t know, it could be dozens of things.  The point is: WE NEED TO DEVELOP HABITS.

And lets briefly discuss lifting heavy things.

As I noted above, the key to fat loss it to limit the amount of muscle loss.  What makes muscle, keeps muscle.

Lifting heavy things provides the stimulus the body needs to keep muscle.  One of the biggest mistakes I think many people make when following a fat loss plan is ramping up their training volume to ungodly levels.

The mentality that more is better takes over, and it’s just not true. I’m actually more of an advocate for dedicated strength training when dieting for fat loss.  Sure, other things like finishers, circuits, medleys and what not can help expedite the process….but for all intents and purposes, training should be geared towards MAINTAINING MUSCLE MASS. And low(er) rep, non-sadistic volume strength training is often the right course of action.

Not always, but kinda always.

In Closing

I’m in no way insinuating that my way is the only way, and I realize that this is a far-stemming topic that entire books, DVDs, and television infomercials have been dedicated towards.

I just wanted to hit on a handful of “big rock” talking points – namely, that calories do in fact matter and strength training is an often overlooked component – I feel are important to the discussion.

There are many, MANY other things tethered to fat loss – not to mention subcomponents that can (and should) be tweaked depending on one’s needs/goals/experience level/progress.

Have your own points to sound off on?  Share them below.

CategoriesExercises You Should Be Doing

Exercises You Should Be Doing: Band Horizontal Abduction with Press

What’s up everyone!?  I enjoyed a nice, relaxing, extended Labor Day weekend, hence the reason why I didn’t post anything yesterday.

Did you miss me?  I didn’t think so….;o)

But in case you’re wondering, I was able to catch up on some reading over the past few days and in addition, did what every other guy who’s in a relationship was inevitably dragged into doing yesterday………

……following his girlfriend around as she attacked every Labor Day sale within a ten mile radius.

The Container Store, Macy’s, Limited, Sephora, and I don’t remember  what else. I blacked out after a point.

As you can see Lisa was in seventh heaven.

I, on the other hand, was a beacon of palpable enthusiasm.

Enthusiasm to want to throw an ax into my face.

Looking at the picture now, and noticing the gentleman to my right, I can’t help but think of that bench as a some sort of shopping island purgatory for boyfriends/spouses. Hahahaha.

It wasn’t all that bad, though.  I planned a head and brought some reading material to help keep me occupied – the Kama Sutra Starting Strength 3rd Edition.

I’ve read the previous two editions of the book and have to say that this third edition is the bomb diggidy and blows the other two out of the water.

The original(s) were already towards the top of my list of books I routinely recommend to fitness professionals, but this third edition is absurdly good and has now taken the #1 spot.

In any case, shopping nightmares and book recommendations aside I wanted to share a quick video with all of you on one of my new favorite exercises.

Band Horizontal Abduction with Press

Who Did I Steal It From: I first read about (and saw) this exercise over on Mike Reinold’s site when former Cressey Sports Performance intern and now Sayco Performance owner and renowned swimming strength coach, Tad Sayce, wrote about it.

When I first saw it all I could think to myself was 1) this is brilliant and 2) why the hell didn’t I think of that!?!?!

What Does it Do: First and foremost it should be noted that it’s important to get comfortable with and master each component alone before combining the two.

With the obvious out of the way, what I like about this exercise is that it helps reinforce many of the things we try to ingrain with our overhead athletes – as well as those with chronic shoulder issues – which is, proper scapular movement, scapular stability (in both retraction and posterior tilt), and as Tad notes, “the ability to maintain position in the presence of increasing tension.”

And it’s with that last point why I feel this is such a rad exercise. The “press” component adds an anti-rotation component that’s unique to any other exercise of its kind.

Key Coaching Cues: It (should) go without saying, but I have to say it nonetheless.  This IS NOT a max effort exercise you big meathead!  So lets save the super bands for things that actually warrant their use.

I’m more concerned with the QUALITY of this movement, and it’s important to keep this as the running theme while performing it.

Brace the abs and be sure you’re not cranking through your lower back as you perform the abduction component. If you do, the resistance of the band is too much.  The movement should be initiated by retracting the shoulder blade and then abducting the arm until it’s in the “T” position. Another thing to note is to make sure you don’t go too far to the point where the humeral head translates anteriorly.

Once the arm is in the “T” position, gently press with the opposite arm until it’s fully extended out in front of the body.  Pause for a 3-5s count and repeat.

I like to use sets of 5 here.  5 reps of 3-5s holds.

Give it a try and let me know what you think!