CategoriesProgram Design Strength Training

Pick Things Up – Month #2

I hope everyone enjoyed their extended Columbus Day weekend (for those who had the additional day off anyways).

Mine was lovely. I took Lisa to go see Gone Girl – you know, a nice romantic comedy. And by “nice romantic comedy,” I mean the exact opposite of that.

It was my second time seeing it. You can read my initial thoughts on it HERE.

Lisa and I also spent a fair portion of Sunday taking engagement photos in and around Boston. I know, I know: for most of you the last thing you want to read about is something on our photo shoot, and I PROMISE I won’t be that guy who routinely “vomits” relationship/engagement cuteness stuff your way.

But come on!  You have to admit: we’re so cute you want to punch us in the face.

Did I mention we’re engaged?

We’re engaged…..;o)

I also spent a good portion of the weekend prepping for the new website launch.  I’m soooooo excited for all of you to see the new site, and I about peed myself a little when Jason and the peeps over at Copter Labs revealed the new digs.

I’m still sorta knee deep in website jargon today, and don’t really have a ton of time to put up a content heavy post.

But I do have something cool for you to check out! 

Pick Things Up – Month #2

While it’s technically a deadlift-centric program, in reality it’s a program that will get you strong. If that’s your bag.

You will deadlift, a lot.  But it’s a well-balanced program under the umbrella them of STRENGTH!

Another cool aspect of this program – and something I feel separates it from the masses – is that it utilized the WeightTraining.com platform.

What this means is that not only do you get 24/7/365 access to a 4-month program that I designed, but you’ll also have the opportunity to set your own schedule (with email reminders), log your training sessions online, have the ability to use your iPhone, iPad, or Droid to do so, in addition to having access to WT.com’s extensive video library (as well as other features).

Remember

Hiring me for one month of individualized distance coaching will cost you more than it will to follow this program for FOUR MONTHS.

And, you have the benefit of all the goodies that come with using the WeightTraining.com platform.

For those who missed out on Month #1 go HERE.

But for those who want to continue the awesome, you can purchase Month #2 HERE.

Thanks, and happy lifting!

CategoriesStuff to Read While You're Pretending to Work

Stuff to Read While You’re Pretending to Work: 10/10/14

Anyone go see Gone Girl last weekend? It’s the latest film from one of my favorite directors David Fincher (Seven, Fight Club, The Social Network) starring Ben Affleck and Rosamund Pike, based off the best selling novel by Gillian Flynn (who, in a rare feat, also helmed screenwriting responsibilities for the big picture adaptation).

Unless you’ve been living underneath a rock for the past 1-2 years, it’s the book that pretty much everyone has been reading on the beach or on the train.

It’s about a married couple – Nick and Amy Dunne – who, seemingly have a perfect relationship. That is until Nick shows up to their home on their fifth wedding anniversary and finds Amy missing.

Gone. Out of thin air.

But not without signs of shadiness in the midst.

I read the book last year, and was really happy to hear when I learned that Fincher was going to be the one directing the movie. Gone Girl is a dark, daaaaaark book….and given Fincher’s affinity for dark material (The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo, in addition to his films mentioned above), this pairing was/is a home run.

Without giving too much away – OMG, there’s such an epic twist!!! –  the film lives up to the hype of its predecessor.  Affleck and Pike are both amazing as Nick and Amy. And while this role is serving as sort of a “breakout performance” for Pike, she’s actually been around the block in Hollywood.  She’s no newbie.

But it’s the supporting cast who deserve some major kudos as well.  Carrie Coon, who plays Nick’s sister, Margo, is excellent (and serves as the comedic relief). Kim Dickens who plays Detective Boney is equally as impressive; as is Tyler Perry.  Yes, that Tyler Perry.  Madea Tyler Perry.

Annnnnnnnd, for the guys, if none of the above sounds remotely interesting, Emily Ratajkowski (AKA the hot girl from the video Blurred Lines) gets neked.  So there’s that.

But it’s Fincher who is the real star if you ask me.  The man can do no wrong. The pacing of the story, the cinematography, everything……demonstrates how much of a master he truly is.

For what it’s worth Gone Girl is legit. I give it a solid A, or in nerdspeak, 5/5 Lightsabers.

And now on to this week’s stuff to check out.

The Real Reason Why Tracy, Jillian, Oz, Oprah, Selter, Mercola, Food Babe, etc Are Winning the Information Game – Joy Victoria

I thought this was an excellent post by Joy, and something that I’ve been pondering myself.  I’ll be the first to admit that I’ve done my fair share of mud throwing with most of the names listed above.

Doing so is exhausting, though.  And, really, what’s the point?  The reason why the likes of Oz, Selter, Food Babe, etc are so successful with their message is because the people who listen to them have nothing to compare it to.

Joy digs MUCH deeper into this mentality, and I encourage all of you to read it.

The Science of Steroids – Greg Nuckols

I had the pleasure of meeting Greg in person at the Fitness Summit in KC this past Spring. Very cool dude.  And strong. I saw him pause squat 600 lbs beltless for a few easy reps.  Actually, I take that back. I hate his guts!!

Anyways, I am by no means a steroid expert, but I do feel there is a lot of incorrect information floating out there in the interwebz.  I felt this piece by Greg did a nice job of setting a few records straight.  It’s science heavy, so you’ve been warned.

Post Rehab Essentials 2.0 – Dean Somerset

 

Dean’s Post Rehab Essentials 2.0 is on sale through this weekend. This is without question one of the best resources for fitness professionals to learn more about assessment and programming strategies for many common injuries.

What’s more you can earn some CEUs while you watch!

And Dean will make you a cake!

Okay, I lied on that last one.

CategoriesProgram Design Strength Training

How to Program Farmer Carries

I know Dan John has relentlessly sung their praises. And, after listening to him speak last weekend, I know Gray Cook is a big fan of them too.

What am I referring to? CrossFit? ShakeWeights? One Direction? Bacon wrapped figs?

None of the above.

Besides, everyone knows that Dan is an N’Sync‘er for life. And urban legend suggests the inspiration behind Gray Cook developing the FMS is from him watching Backstreet Boys videos and being in awe of their movement quality.

Clearly none of that is close to being true.

And now that I’ve opened myself up to a libel civil case, lets push all that under the rug and get to what I’m actually referring to (not that the title didn’t give it away or anything).

Farmer Carries

Dan John loves carries. Just last weekend Gray Cook named them his #1 most functional exercise. And while I’m not close to being at the same level as those two – I’m still eating at the proverbial “little kids table” with regards to my place on the fitness authority totem pole – I too am a huge fan, and feel they’re one of the most underrated and least utilized exercises out there.

I’m a huge advocate of carries as I feel they offer a gulf of benefits.  Everything from grip strength to improved hip stability to increased core strength to helping to build a yoked up upper back.

Breaking things down further:

– When performed unilaterally, they’re a fantastic way to train core stability – specifically anti-lateral flexion.  But even when performed bilaterally, they’re still an awesome “core” exercise.

– As noted above, they obviously help improve grip strength.  Taking it a step further, though, they do an amazing job of “activating” the rotator cuff through a process called irradiation.

In non-geek speak, all this means is that when you squeeze something with a death grip, the rotator cuff turns on, and as a result the shoulder “packs” itself.  In a sense, carry variations are a great exercise for those with chronic shoulder issues.

The only caveat would be for those with a depressed shoulder girdle or who present with downwardly rotated scapulae (or, more specifically, those who are symptomatic and have shoulder pain along with the aforementioned criteria). In this scenario, loaded carries may not be a good fit.

– Farmer carries do an amazing job at challenging hip stability – especially when performed unilaterally (one arm at a time).

– They condition the shit out of you. The next time someone asks you whether or not weight training has any cardiovascular benefit, have him or her do a few rounds of carries for 50-75 yds.  And then laugh at them.

– And lets just state the obvious:  they do a superb job of increasing one’s overall sense of badassessey.

How to Program Carries

I received an email from a reader the other day asking how I go about programming carries into people’s programs and figured it was something that could benefit more people if I answered it here.

1. How should one program loaded carries into training? I.e., should it be in an upper body day or lower body? I tend to do farmers walk on lower body days while I do goblet or racked carries on upper body days.

As always, the answer is…….it depends.

Carries can be used for so many different things.  I’ve used them with people suffering from low-back pain; I’ve used them as a conditioning tool; I’ve used them as part of a strength pairing (one of my favs is pairing heavy bench press with carries); I’ve used them as a stand alone “thing” on off-days.

Much of it depends on someone’s goals.  If they’re a Strongman competitor for example, carries could very well be a “main movement” on a given day and will be prioritized accordingly.

Conversely, for the more mortal of us, I like to use carries towards the tail-end of a training session as either a C1-C2 circuit (think: carries paired with Goblet Reverse Lunges. It’s important to think about grip being a limiting factor when pairing exercises with carries. Goblet variations don’t require as much grip), or maybe as a finisher where I want to, you know, “finish” someone.

Try this:

A1.  1-Arm KB Carry – Right Side (30 yds)
A2. KB Swing x 15
B1.  1-Arm KB Carry – Left Side (30 yds)
B2. KB Goblet Squat x 10

*** Perform in circuit fashion and rest for 60-90s at the end.  Perform 3-5 rounds depending on how much you want to hate life that day.

I think the approach you laid out above is spot on.  If I had to choose, I’d place loaded (heavy) carries on lower body days, and maybe some low-level/low-intensity racked or Goblet carries on upper body days as part of an extended warm-up or towards the end of the training session.

Another option to consider, and something that some of us coaches at CSP do on occasion, is to have a dedicated “carry day.” We’ll pick a day of the week after work and just work up to a set TOTAL DISTANCE we want to hit.

Week 1: 160 lbs (per side) x 20 yds per trip.  Work up to 80 yds

Week 2: 160 lbs (per side) x 20 yds per trip. Work up to 100 yds

Week 3: 200 lbs (per side) x 20 yds per trip. Work up to 80 yds

Week 4: 220 lbs (per side) x 20 yds per trip. Work up to 100 yds

NOTE:  I wouldn’t do something this aggressive the day before a significant lower body session.

The weight selection can obviously be tweaked to fit one’s ability, and in between sets we can add in fillers like wall hip flexor mobilizations, band pull-aparts, reverse crunches, deadbugs, or any other low-grade activation/mobility drill that 1) won’t impede performance on the subsequent sets of carries and more importantly 2) helps address and fix shit.

2. Is there a specific weight/timing/distance on how long to walk for different objectives?  If I want to be strong, what kind of weight should I be looking to use and what distance or timing should I be looking at?

And if I want muscle gainzzz, I suppose that would require more TUT and so, what should I be looking for again?

In terms of weight, I feel most people, most of the time tend to be overzealous with their weight selection.

This isn’t to say that every set has to look pristine – heavy carries are heavy, and it won’t look fantastic 100% of the time.  However, I do feel there’s a cost/benefit of going too heavy, which I address in THIS post.

Technique does matter here.

If someone is performing carries with an excessive forward head posture and/or excessively leaning to one side or the other (or rounding their back), are they really gaining any benefit other than bragging rights and a few high fives?

If strength is the goal is you need to make sure you’re progressing in some fashion, whether it’s actively increasing the weight used each week, the distance travelled, or both. See circuit I described above.

I think a bit of variety comes into play here.  I LOVE offset (1-arm) carries. I also like Crossbody carries (assuming one has ample shoulder flexion to do so safely).

And if you REALLY wan to get crazy and inventive, you can do something like this:

So yeah, staying cognizant of factors such as how much weight you’re using, distance travelled, Time Under Tension (TUT)……aim for a total amount of time under tension (say, 3-5 minutes), and even adding in a little variety all enter the conversation.

There’s no right or wrong approach.

3. I always wanted to ask: why 40 yards? I realise unlike normal exercises with sets/reps panned out, loaded carries are more unconventional and I can’t seem to find more info on how to program them to meet specific objectives. I’m hoping you could help me address this issue.

I think we tend to gravitate towards 40 yds as our marker at the facility because we have 40 yds worth of turf we can utilize. Understandably, not everyone has access to that much space in their gym.  Using smaller increments is fine.

Some distance coaching clients of mine have super limited space – I’m talking 10-15 ft, or the equivalent of their living room – and I’ll have them perform toe-to-toe carries where they literally walk toe-to-toe across the floor.  It’s harder than it sounds.

Nevertheless, I hope I was able to shed some light on how I go about programming loaded carries into the mix.  There are a million and one different ways to go about it. What I described above are just a handful of my “go to” strategies.

Cause I want it thaaaaaaaat way……..

CategoriesUncategorized

Bridging the Gap Between Rehab and Strength and Conditioning

Dean Somerset is like Gandalf.

Except Dean doesn’t own a staff (I think), or fight dragons, have a Hobbit for a BFF, or have an affinity for taking long journeys towards mountains with ominous names.

In fact, Dean isn’t even a wizard!!  So what the hell? Why am I making the connection?

Dean’s a good friend of mine. In addition, as many of you know, he and I have collaborated on several projects together – Muscle Imbalances Revealed – Upper Body, and the Spinal Health and Core Training Seminar – in conjunction with our recent adventures traveling North America (and Europe) conducting our 2-day Excellent Workshop High Five workshop.

As an FYI: we’ll be back in DC next weekend (Oct. 17th), and we’ll also be making a cameo in LA this November.

For info on DC go HERE.

For info on LA go HERE.

Needless to say I’ve spend a lot of time around Dean in the past three or so years – both professionally and as buds.  Professionally speaking, I think it goes without saying we both run on parallel tracks with regards to our approach to training people. Why else would we collaborate on so many projects?

But this isn’t to say we agree on everything. We agree on a lot of stuff, but on the off-chance we don’t, we just settle it with a good ol’ fashioned knife fight.

Kidding.

This is where the comparison with Gandalf comes in.  Dean is smart.  Like, really smart. And I’d be lying if I said that some of the stuff that he’s able to accomplish with people in the gym isn’t short of wizardry.

No matter how many times I listen to him talk, even if it’s something I’ve heard him discuss 47 times, I still walk away dumbfounded with some new nugget of information. This is why I love working with him so much. He always makes me better and pushes me to think outside the box.

Too, he has an uncanny ability to take really complex topics – anatomy, fascial trains, movement assessment, nuclear fission, why it is it takes women F.O.R.E.V.E.R to get ready – and water it down so numbskulls like myself can understand.

He also has a gift for being able to dig deeper on certain topics and not resort to haphazard or arcane answers to people’s questions. He’s able to engage people in a way that’s understandable, relatable, and – not many people can do this – in a way that’s entertaining.

I don’t say all of this to blow sunshine up his ass (although, given that Dean lives in Edmonton and only sees two months of warm weather per year, he can use all the sunshine he can get), but rather just to reiterate that I have a ton of respect for him and the quality of the information he consistently puts out.

To that end, Dean has just put his flagship resource, Post Rehab Essentials 2.0, on sale this week to celebrate Canadian Thanksgiving.

This is an EXCELLENT resource for any personal trainer, coach, or fitness enthusiast looking to take his or her assessment and programming skills to the next level. Maybe more importantly, this is a resource that helps bridge the gap between the rehab world and strength and conditioning world.

To save face: This IS NOT something that encourages trainers to diagnose stuff and play physical therapist. There is a scope of practice that needs to be respected. But it does arm them with the tools necessary to assess and write effective, safe programs for the walking wounded, whether it be helping someone deal with lower back pain or programming around a bum shoulder or knee.

Many trainers get stymied or act like a deer in headlights once a client/athlete comes to them with an injury to work around. Post Rehab Essentials 2.o is a great tool to help prevent that from happening in the first place.

Here’s a little taste to wet your palette.  Once it hits your lips………..

—> Post Rehab Essentials 2.0 <—

CategoriesMotivational

Two Ears, Two Eyes, and One Mouth

We’ve all heard the classic saying/joke relating opinions to assholes. For those unfamiliar, it goes something like this:

“Opinions are like assholes. Everybody’s got one and everyone thinks everyone else’s stinks.”

Similarly, I find Stephen Colbert’s quote on fact/opinion hilarious (if not entirely true – satire or not – given the world we now live in where access to information is seconds away):

“You see, the facts can change, but my opinion will never change no matter what are the facts.”

The fitness industry, maybe more so than any other industry, is rife with opinions – on both sides of the argumentative fence, on any given topic – despite the presence of facts, research, and real world application.

Opinions and personal biases always get in the way. More to the point: people tend to be more concerned with proving everyone else wrong and that they’re unequivocally right.

We have those who feel eating animal protein is the key to a lean, well-performing, healthy body (research backs it up). And we also have those who feel eating Bambi’s mom is worse than joining a Satanic cult and is a one-stop ticket to a heart attack (research backs that up too.  The heart disease stuff, not the Satanic cult jab).

Likewise, we have people who feel crushing deep fried Pop-Tarts covered in maple syrup and garnished with rainbow sprinkles is okay so long as if it fits your macros.  IIFYM in the house!!!!!!! I “think” there’s research to back that up.

Bringing the conversation to the weight room, there’s a camp of people who feel all you need to do is perform one-set of any exercise to failure in order to elicit an appropriate training response, and then there’s those on the opposite end who feel that that’s a load of B to the S.  Research backs both.

Sit ups will cause your spine to explode and shit out its own spine! No, wait, sit ups are okay and are actually efficacious for spinal health! Pick your poison, because research backs both cases.

Like the Energizer Bunny I could keep going and going.  Intermittent fasting vs. eating 4 square meals per day, steady state cardio vs. HIIT training, low reps vs. high reps, CrossFit vs. the World, Hulk Hogan vs. Rowdy Roddy Piper.

It doesn’t end. It never ends. Everyone has an opinion on what works and what doesn’t. And everyone – right or wrong – has “research” to back them up.  I mean, if I tried I could probably find research that shows sticking your finger in an electrical socket increases T-levels by 718%.

This isn’t to say that leaning on research is wrong; it isn’t.  It’s just sometimes, as I noted above, people are more concerned with being right than listening to what other people have to say.

I’m not impervious to it either, and know full well that I’m just as much a culprit of it as the next person.

Having said that, no matter what, I always seem to go back to a quote Mike Boyle said a few years back when I first started in this industry:

“You have two ears, two eyes, and one mouth. Use them in that order.”

When I heard that I couldn’t help but think back to something Pai Mei would say to The Bride (actress Uma Thurman) in the movie Kill Bill during her training:

“It’s the wood that should fear your hand, not the other way around. No wonder you can’t do it, you acquiesce to defeat before you even begin.”

Both quotes are an example of colloquialism at it’s finest. Simple, yet profound. And yes, I just compared Mike Boyle to Pai Mei. Who wins the internet today?  This guy!!!!

The point I’m trying to make? Sometimes we just need to drown out the incessant white noise surrounding us, and listen (and observe). Sometimes, we just need to shut-up!

I was in Washington, DC this past weekend for the NSCA Personal Trainer’s Conference. I was invited as a speaker and had the opportunity to represent the governing body that I’m certified through, which was a huge honor. It was an amazing experience, and assuming my 1-2 swear words during my presentation didn’t elicit a lifetime ban, I hope to be invited back.

Outside of meeting all sorts of new people and the plethora of networking opportunities, one of the major draws for me is being able to hang out and chill with some of my colleagues.

Here’s a picture I took during one of the dinner breaks over the weekend:

From left to right: Dean Somerset, Jonathan Mike, Brad Schoenfeld, Nick Tumminello, and Bret Contreras. Batman was in the potty.

It was like our own little wolf pack, and whenever I have the chance to hang with these guys I always come back more energized and invigorated.

Not surprisingly, that’s a table full of not only strong dudes, but strong opinions as well.

And, speaking truthfully, more often than not, I found myself following Mike Boyle’s advice from above. As I was sitting there, I found I spent the majority of the time just listening.

Don’t get me wrong:  I partook in conversation and offered my own insight on certain topics. But it was far more valuable for me to just sit there and listen to what these guys had to say. I didn’t agree with every nook and cranny blurted out, nor did I feel I had to.  But there’s really something to be said for actually shutting the eff up and listening to someone explain their viewpoint and rationale for thinking how they think.  I don’t need a research study for that.

That’s my opinion, and I’m sticking to it.

Feature Photo Credit (above): Steven Shorrock

CategoriesStuff to Read While You're Pretending to Work

Stuff to Read While You’re Pretending to Work: 10/3/14

I’m heading down to Washington, DC this weekend for the NSCA Personal Training Conference. It’s the first time I’ve been invited to speak by the NSCA, and, sheepishly, it’s the first time I’ve ever attended an NSCA event.

I’ve been certified through the NSCA (first as a CPT, and later as a CSCS) since 2004, and I almost feel like them inviting me down to speak isn’t so much about my role as a fitness authority or because they’re intoxicated with my prose, wit, and charm. Rather, it could very well be they’re enticing me down so that they can slap me on the wrist!

Whatever the case may be I’m excited to be speaking and honored that I was invited.  The line-up looks amazing. Fitness celebs like Bret Contreras, Nick Tumminello, Dean Somerset, Alan Aragon, Dr. Brad Schoenfeld, and I think Batman are all slated to drop some serious knowledge bombs over the span of the weekend.

Note to Self: DO NOT use the term “bomb” in any context while down in DC.

Anyways, I’m up early because I had some things to do before heading to the airport and I wanted to get this latest stuff to read list up before I left.

Have an awesome weekend!

Long, Lean Muscles: Oh, the Irony – Bret Contreras

I know it seems like I’ve been linking to a lot of Bret’s stuff as of late, but it’s hard not to: the man has been on a roll lately!

I really have nothing against yoga or pilates. I understand that not everyone is interested in lifting weights and that we’re all unique snowflakes with different goals, likes, and dislikes.

Different strokes for different folks, as they say.

I also recognize that yoga and pilates offer their own bevy of benefits. Heck, rather than come across as the douchey jerk who does nothing but talk smack, I even tried them both myself. And liked them!

Tony Takes a Yoga Class

Tony Takes a Pilates Class

What I hate, nay, deplore…is how yoga and pilates are (generally) marketed, especially towards women. After reading some of the marketing garbage some (not all) yogis and pilatites (??) put out there, one would think riding a unicorn through the Fountain of Youth while playing Patty-cake with a Leprechaun would play second fiddle.

Yes, yoga a and pilates have a ton of benefits.  No, they aren’t the end-all be-all panacea of health.  And no, they certainly don’t lead to long, lean muscles.

Unlock the Power of Your Hips – Matt Vincent

If you want to squat big weights and not move like C3PO’s pet turtle, read this article.  Just adding in a handful of exercises and taking 5-10 minutes out of your day to “unglue” those hips can make all the difference in the world.

The 4 Most Dangerous Types of Training – John Rusin

Don’t read into the title too much. The main point of the article is to highlight some of the more common areas on the body injured during participation in the above modalities, and then offer some ways to help solve or alleviate said injuries.

CategoriesMotivational Strength Training

Lessons Learned Preparing for My First Powerlifting Meet

Today’s guest post is brought to you by a good friend of mine, Ryan Wood.  I first met Ryan back in 2010 when he came up to Cressey Sports Performance from Virginia as a collegiate baseball player.

In the years since he has played professionally, interned at CSP, and since retiring from baseball has moved to Boston to pursue a career in fitness in addition to spreading his love for the word “BOOOOOM.”

Seriously, I’m not kidding. He’ll scream it every time someone hits a big lift, or whenever he walks into a room, or if it happens to be a Tuesday. It doesn’t matter.

Ryan’s gearing up for his first powerlifting meet in a few weeks and I asked him if he’d be interested in shedding some insight on some of the lessons he’s learned in the process. I really enjoyed what he had to say. And even if you don’t compete or have any interest in competing, I feel much of what he says applies to everyone regardless of their goals.

Enjoy!

At the beginning of 2014, I decided to move on from baseball and jumped right into power lifting. For the longest time, I had a burning desire to train the big 3, and train them hard. I wanted to get stronger, and because of  my competitive nature I had to find something to fill the void from no longer playing baseball; I knew I wanted to “compete” at some point, and powerlifting seemed like the perfect fit.

I was a pitcher for many years so my training wasn’t geared towards getting as strong as humanly possible. Due to the nature of the sport, it wasn’t of tremendous benefit to back squat, barbell bench press, or even conventional deadlift.

Once I retired, it didn’t take long for me to decide to register for my first power lifting meet. I started training right away. In preparation for my upcoming meet October 11th, I’d like to share some lessons I’ve learned along the way.

While I have been strength training consistently for the last 4-5 years, my time spent training for powerlifting is fairly limited. My training was geared towards making me a better baseball player, and much of my time was spent training at Cressey Sports Performance in Hudson, Massachusetts.

With limited experience back squatting, barbell benching, and conventional deadlifting, it was time to get under the bar. A lot.

I’d like to thank Jamie Smith and Greg Robins for helping me prepare for my first meet.

1. Experience is Important

To get better with the Big 3, I needed to get some quality training in.  My competition was many months away so my training began more generalized. I started out doing 50 total reps for each lift.

I can remember starting with 135lbs on squats just to get the patterning down and get more comfortable with the bar on my back. I had done plenty of front squats, cambered bar squats, and safety bar squats, but time spent back squatting was very limited since I began training seriously for baseball.

My goal was simply to get more experience with the competition lifts.

I trained four times a week and the bulk of my training time was spent getting better with squatting, benching, and deadlifting. I started light with these movements and increased the weight steadily during the first few months of my training. If you have limited experience with a certain lift, you have to get experience with that movement or else you won’t get stronger. I soon became more familiar with the competition lifts and steadily increased my weights.

Greg’s Building the Big 3 Plan served as the backbone for much of my training during the initial months.

2. Technique Actually Does Matter

Although I was brand new to the world of powerlifting, I was familiar with how the lifts were done. I learned a lot of technical cues from my time spent at Cressey Sports Performance, surrounding myself with guys that were way stronger than myself.

In the sport of powerlifting, technique plays a major role. An individual can get stronger with poor form, however at a certain point the gains will come to a halt and technique will become the limiting factor.

One thing I learned from the very beginning of my training was that good technique from the get go would be crucial to my success. Creating tension will make or break a solid lift.

Here are some key technical points I learned for each lift:

Squat

Photo Credit: Alastair Montgomery

  • Find a bar position that suits your squatting style. I have been experimenting with bar positioning and have seem to found that a slightly higher bar position works best for me.
  • Get tight and stay tight. Drive your upper back and chin back into the bar and fill your belly with air. Keep this tension during the entire squat.
  • Do not worry about “sitting” back so much if you are a raw lifter. Think more in terms of unlocking the hips by pressing the glutes back slightly and then squatting between your knees.

Bench

  • Get as tight as possible through your entire body.
  • Drive your upper back into the bench.
  • Bar speed is important. When I first started benching, I brought the bar down to my chest way too slow. In doing so, I became fatigued by the time I went to press off the chest. Try bringing the bar down with good tempo but not dropping the bar onto the chest.
  • Stay up the entire time. Driving the lats up and keeping the sternum as high as possible will not only shorten the distance the bar has to travel, but will also allow you to press more weight.

Deadlift

Photo Credit: Chris Phillips

  • Get your air before you pull. Some like to get their air twice, others prefer once. Do what works for you. Think about putting air into your abdomen, sides, and lower back.
  • Pull the slack out of the bar and get your chest up. Try to get your shoulders over the bar whether you pull sumo or conventional.
  • Start pulling back as soon as you break the ground. This will create tension in the glutes and hamstrings which will make the lift much smoother and connected.

3. Follow a Plan

My training partners, Jamie and Greg, introduced me to Block Periodization. There are many different programs designed for building maximum strength but Block Periodization is the one they believe in and utilize themselves.

Note from TG:  Triphasic Training by Cal Dietz is a nice introduction to the “idea” of block periodization.

Sticking to a plan is critical to staying healthy while continuing to get stronger in the gym. With block training, there are periods of heavier loading and volume, and times with less volume and lighter percentages.

With this type of training, I was able to hit my percentages during each block, which I feel will help set me up to be successful at my first meet.

Following a plan will keep you honest and keep your ego in check.

Greg Robins always tells me to work on building my strength instead of constantly testing my strength. During the last few months, I have been working on building strength so that I can test it come meet day.

4. Have a Mentor/Coach

Without Jamie and Greg’s coaching and programming, I would have been completely lost trying to prepare for my first meet.

As I progressed with my training, Jamie took over programming for me and set me up with a block periodization plan to help me  prepare. Having someone to help you along the way is crucial.

Jamie gave me cues to help me with proper technique week in and week out. I took his advice seriously because I knew that it would help me immensely in the long run.

With benching in particular, doing pause reps were very important for me. Jamie stressed the importance of doing pause reps because this ensured that I was staying tight and keeping my sternum up throughout the lift.  He recognized a weakness in my technique, kept me honest, gave me feedback and coaching, and I’m all the better for it.

Moreover, a mentor and coach is also a great support system. As weights start getting heavier, having a coach to guide you with cues during a set is priceless. I’ve been fortunate enough to train with Jamie and Greg and have learned many invaluable pieces of information from them both.

5. Build Strength, Don’t Test It

Photo Credit: Greatist

Building strength takes time.

Sometimes several months go by before your strength can come to fruition. With the way my training was set up, I was able to increase my strength over the course of months with the intent of peaking for my upcoming meet. Work on hitting your numbers during training. Do not miss reps.

The preparation I went through was not designed so that I could set gym PRs. It was designed for me to peak on the platform.

I’m looking forward to competing for the first time. I can’t wait for the adrenaline to rush through my body as I step onto the platform. Getting stronger is a hell of a lot of fun, and displaying that strength will be the real test.

Some Other Great Resources on the Topic

All About Powerlifting – Tim Henriques (this book literally covers everything about powerlifting).

2×4 Strength Program – Bret Contreras (this program is basic and boring. But basic and boring is what works!).

Learn to Squat Seminar – Jordan Syatt (<— he holds world records. You should listen to him).

About the Author

 

Ryan Wood is a Certified Personal Trainer through the American Council on Exercise. He interned at Cressey Performance in Hudson, Massachusetts, coaching athletes, professional baseball players, and general population clients for the last several years. He now works as a personal trainer in the Boston area.

He is passionate about about all things lifting and wants to help his clients reach their ultimate goals. He recently began powerlifting and will compete for the first time in October 2014.

You can check out his website HERE or become BFFs with him on Facebook HERE.

CategoriesExercise Technique Program Design

Cueing Posterior Pelvic Tilt When Squatting and Deadlifting? Have I Gone Mad?

One of the more popular cues trainers and coaches use when teaching the squat and deadlift is to arch the lower back….hard.

There’s a legitimate reason why, too. Squatting and deadlifting under load (consistently) into lumbar flexion is a major no-no, and usually results in any number of lower back dysfunctions and injuries. All someone has to do is open up either one of Dr. Stuart McGill’s seminal books on the topic – Low Back Disorders or Ultimate Back Fitness and Performance – to be slapped in the face 10x over with research study after research study proving this point.

Cueing someone to avoid (loaded) flexion and to arch their back while squatting and deadlifting engages the muscles of the back – erectors, iliocostalis, longissimus, multifidi – which not only helps to both stabilize and strengthen the spine, but also aids in offsetting and drastically reducing shear force.

It’s a hard to debate this point and has long been accepted as the “correct” way to cue proper form and technique.

However, the fitness industry runs on a perpetual pendulum of extremes – the middle ground is for pansies – and if doing “x” amount of something is good then doing even M.O.R.E of “x” must be really good. Weeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee.

Arching the back is fine.  Excessively arching the back, long-term, not so much. Just like we would shit an EMG study over excessive spinal flexion, excessive spinal extension is just as deleterious and detrimental to the spine.

In extreme cases:

Repetitive, excessive spinal flexion = disc herniations

Repetitive, excessive spinal extension = end plate, pars fractures.

It’s no coincidence we’ve seen the rise of things like Spondylosis, Spondylolisthesis, and other extension-based dysfunctions in the fitness and athletic realms – in both young and old(er) populations.

In younger populations a large portion of the blame can be pointed to more and more kids being less active, ill-prepared, and/or specializing in one sport too soon (pattern overload).

In older populations the blame can be directed towards some of the same culprits, albeit I’d also argue a major monkey-wrench is how we as coaches and trainers have been cueing our athletes and clients for the better part of a decade (if not longer) into OVER-arching during their squats and deadlifts.

It’s great for lifting a metric shit-load (a shade more than a metric boat-load) of weight, but not so great for long-term back health.

In the video below I break down why cueing more posterior pelvic tilt (in addition to owning your rib position) during squats and deadlifts may be more advantageous in the long run. Remember: All we’re trying to do is encourage people back to “neutral,” from an excessive extension pattern, and to own that position during their lift(s). So, instead of thinking of it as “arch and sit back,” it should be “find neutral, set/own ribs,bace, and sit down.”  I think this not only has merit with regards to back health, but performance as well. Give it a looksy.

Side Note:  Eric Cressey discusses the same concept (in more detail) in Functional Stability Training for the Lower Body if you want to dive more into the topic.

Cueing Posterior Pelvic Tilt During the Squat and Deadlift