Julian has officially been home for a week, and Lisa and I have officially turned into zombies. I’m not complaining, though. I recognize lack of sleep is what every (new) parent must endure and understand it’s a right of passage.
Doesn’t make it any less sucky mind you. I feel like I got hit over the head with a bag of dicks.
Enough about dicks, lets get to this week’s list shall we?
Half the reason most peoples skip their warm-up prior to training is because most take way too long Here’s the “perfect” warm-up done in just five moves….HERE.
2. Early bird registration for the Online Trainer Academy is now open.
I started doing online training back in 2005 before it was a thing. I had no idea what the hell I was doing back then. All I had was an Excel spreadsheet template to write programs on and a flip phone. One of my most vivid memories is when my then ex-girlfriend thought it was weird that I had all these pictures of half-naked people on my computer.
Pffffft, whatever.
Nevertheless, today, online training is a big deal. If you’re someone who’s thinking about it, but having a hard time developing the systems to make it a viable way to make money this is definitely something you should considering investing in.
You can take advantage of the early-bird registration and receive $200 off the regular price. Check it out HERE.
3. 2 Workshops Coming Up
Complete Shoulder & Hip Blueprint – Vancouver, April 1-2nd.
Dean Somerset and I will be in Vancouver that weekend to talk shoulders and hips and to start a tickle fight.
For more information and to sign up you can go HERE.
SUNY Cortland Health & Wellness Conference – Cortland, NY, April 8th
I’ll be at my alma mater the weekend of April 8th speaking at what I believe is the 4th or 5th annual SUNY Cortland Conference. Other guest speakers include my wife, Dr. Lisa Lewis, Mark Fisher, Brian St. Pierre, and Dr. David Just.
Unstable surface training, more often that not, comes across as gimmicky. Sure, there’s a time and place for it, especially for those coming off injury, but most people use it as a way to garner Instagram views.
However, this was an awesome article. And, Meghan is a beast.
Mike’s 11 DVD set on anything and everything covering his approach to assessment, program design, and helping people increase their general levels of badassery is currently on sale at $100 off the regular price.
This is easily one of the best resources out there, bar none.
Social Media Shenanigans
Twitter
Deadlift Tip: it’s called a DEADlift (not a bounce lift). Come to a complete stop on the floor…;o)
Teaching a beginner how to squat well can be challenging. There’s no denying there are a lot of moving parts that can derail our best efforts to do so.
My intention of this quick-n-dirty post isn’t to break down the squat in its entirety. For that I’d encourage you to check out Greg Nuckols’ How to Squat: The Definitive Guide.
It’s basically the War and Peace of squat biomechanics and technique. Except, you know, not written by a Russian.
Instead, my goal today is to hammer home a few candid points when working with beginners on their squatting technique.
1. “Beginners” in this sense could mean a 13 year old who’s never touched a weight or a 57 year old who’s had a few decade hiatus. And everything in between. Male, female, athletes, non-athletes, centaurs, you name it.
2. The squat is a basic human movement pattern. Unfortunately, in today’s world, we don’t move as much as we used to, and subsequently many struggle with the movement. Oftentimes one’s only source of physical activity is if or when they get their butts to the gym.
And even if they do that, there’s no guarantee they exercise in a range of motion below a certain degree of hip flexion.
There’s truth to the common phrase “if you don’t use it, you lose it.”
This isn’t to insinuate that everyone has to squat to a certain level or that you’ll lose some street cred if you happen to not squat ass-to-grass. As I’ve repeatedly stated on this blog everyone is different (leverages, anthropometry) and it’s silly, nay, fucking moronic to think everyone has to squat deep.
So whenever I work with a beginner or someone coming off a significant injury it’s on me – the coach – to take the time to groove a solid squat pattern.
This rarely (if ever) involves placing a barbell on someone’s back on Day #1.
Why?
Because I said so….;o)
Many people lack the requisite t-spine (extension) and shoulder mobility (abduction/external rotation) to hold a barbell in that position without it feeling weird of wonky.
Many lack the kinesthetic awareness to sit back (and down) in a fashion that emulates a squat.
There’s no Golden Rule that we have to load people right away.
I’m more concerned with teaching proper position.
It’s that last point – teaching proper position – that’s a game changer in my eyes. You see, many people tend to “sit” in a state of perpetual (excessive) extension where their pelvis tilts forward, otherwise known as anterior pelvic tilt (APT)
To be clear: APT is not bad or wrong or needs to be fixed. It’s normal. However, when it’s excessive it not only places more strain on the spine (particularly the facet joints), but it also leads to poor alignment where the diaphragm and pelvic floor point in different directions.
Within PRI (Postural Restoration Institute) circles (<— total nerd fest) this is called the “Scissor Position.” What we’d like to strive for is what’s known as the “Canister Position,” where the diaphragm and pelvic floor are aligned or stacked on top of another.
Another way to think of it, is something I stole from Dr. Evan Osar.
“Think of your pelvis as one ring and your rib cage as a bunch of more rings. What you want is to stack those rings on top of one another.”
Mike Robertson is also a fan of this approach and even goes a step further and notes the importance of reaching, and how that can have a positive effect on one’s overall positioning. When we “reach” we nudge ourselves into a little more posterior pelvic tilt (back to “neutral”) and we then achieve proper diaphragm/pelvic floor alignment. Bada bing, bada boom.
If all of that comes across as me speaking Elvish, watch this video.
Plate Loaded Front Squat
The plate loaded front squat is now my “go to” squat progression when working with beginners. It’s something I’ve used for years for a few reasons:
1. The plate serves a counterbalance as one squats down towards the floor helping them to learn proper torso positioning and balance. It’s makes things infinitely easier with regards to sitting back & down into a squat.
2. Pressing the plate out front also helps to better engage the anterior core musculature. This is so crucial. I can’t tell you how many times people have come in for an assessment telling me stories of trainer upon trainer telling them how “tight” they are because they couldn’t squat past parallel. Prior to coming to me they had spent years, years stretching and working on any number of hip mobility drills.
Thing is: they weren’t tight. People rarely are. Or, at least it’s rarely ever that cut and dry (tight vs. not tight). In reality most are weak and unstable. For many, their nervous system is putting on the brakes because it perceives a lack stability. By having trainees press the plate out front it automatically forces the core to fire – thus providing more stability. And miraculously they’re able to squat deeper.
And I come across as the next Professor Dumbledore.
Moreover, it was Mike Robertson who pointed out to me the added benefit of the plate loaded front squat. The “reach” results in better diaphragm and pelvic floor alignment.
It teaches people context, and to own the “canister” position (preventing the ribs from flaring out). That way, when they progress to barbell variations, they’ll have a better understanding of what we’re after and what will (in all likelihood) allow them to perform at a higher level for longer periods of time reducing the risk of injury.
Want More Mike Robertson Nuggets of Programming Badassery?
I owe much of my programming savvy to Mike Robertson. It’s little nuggets of wisdom (as demonstrated above) that helps to separate him from the masses. I’ve always enjoyed his approach and way of explaining things. There aren’t many coaches who have the innate ability to take complex topics and “dumb them down” for the masses (like myself).
His excellent resource, Physical Preparation 101 is currently on sale at $100 off the regular price from now through this Friday (2/10).
It’s basically his entire philosophy on program design. 12 DVDs of Mike Robertson knowledge bombs. I have zero doubts the money you invest in this will pay for itself tenfold in client retention.
People should be proud of their credentials. I am of mine: Tony Gentilcore, CSCS, FMS, OPP (down with it). You earn what you earn. No one can take them from you. However, what do they really mean? Do they mean you know more than someone else or carry more expertise? Do they allow you to jump the line at Disney World?
In today’s guest post by NJ based physical therapist, Dr. Nick Licameli, he breaks things down and explains his interpretation of what having credentials next to your name means.
Credentials are important. There is no denying the fact that having professional credentials increases the likelihood of expertise and professionalism, however it is a mistake to put too much emphasis on the letters surrounding a name rather than the heart and mind of the one possessing the name.
I am a doctor of physical therapy and a professional natural bodybuilder. What does this mean?
This simply means that I have completed the necessary undergraduate, graduate, and clinical course work from an accredited physical therapy program and passed my licensing exam. This says nothing about how well I did in school or if I ever failed a class or had to retake something.
Remember, there are doctors out there that got B’s and C’s in school.
As the saying goes, “C’s get degrees!” That being said, I feel compelled to mention that I graduated Summa Cum Laude with a bachelor’s degree in biology and graduated in the top ten of my class in physical therapy school.
Does having the title of “Doctor” make me better than anyone else? OF COURSE NOT! There are many older and more seasoned physical therapists out there without doctorates that are light years ahead of me in terms of knowledge and skill set. It’s not about what you graduate with or a title before or after your name. It’s about what you do with that title.
Formal education does not make an expert, it teaches how to become one. Real learning does not happen during school or during a credentialing course. It happens after school hours. It happens when no one is watching. It happens when you sacrifice your own free time to pursue a burning passion within yourself.
Much like bodybuilding, no one sees the daily grind of work that it takes to create the finished product.
The majority of my knowledge of exercise, nutrition, and bodybuilding has been obtained through hours spent furthering my education outside of the classroom, learning from experts and relating the information back to the content I was learning in physical therapy school.
This blending of the two worlds made my job and my passions one in the same. It is important to learn from experts, but it is more important to take that information and apply it to your own deep burning passions.
As the eastern philosophy says:
“We seek not to imitate the masters, rather we seek what they sought (Covey, 1989, p.281).”
I’ve made my degree my own.
There are many doctors of physical therapy that don’t know the things that I know because I pursued my passions on my own.
Here’s a good example of what I mean.
Maybe a physical therapist is passionate about animals. In his free time, he obtains knowledge about therapy dogs.
He dives into the research on therapy dogs until he’s blue in the face. He seeks out experts in the use of therapy dogs and learns from them. This person would be a physical therapist with expert knowledge on the use of therapy dogs. Because he didn’t learn that information from school, he has something unique that other physical therapists do not.
Certainly not all doctors of physical therapy are experts on the use of therapy dogs, but it’s where his passion lies so he has molded the two worlds together. He has made his degree his own.
Being a Professional Natural Bodybuilder:
This simply means that I was the best, according to the judges, at a particular competition. While turning pro has been a goal of mine for years, it’s important to remember what it means and what it doesn’t mean.
It does not mean that I am in some way better than competitors without a pro card. There are many, many competitors out there who would blow me away, but have not been able to turn pro yet. I could have brought the same physique to five different shows and received five different placements.
The placing in a competition has to do with who shows up to the competition on that particular day. If aces show up, you may get 5th place with a killer physique. If beginners show up, you may take first with an average or below average physique. Just like how having a doctoral degree or extensive credentials doesn’t always equal a quality practitioner, having a pro card doesn’t always equal a quality physique.
To my fellow competitors from that night, I say keep working hard. Keep at it and don’t get discouraged. I know the feeling. Don’t let your placing in a competition define your self worth. I am honored to have shared the stage with such a great group of guys.
Conclusion
Judging someone’s worth based on credentials is like judging a quarterback based on number of Super Bowls won.
It’s an inaccurate measure of talent, ability, experience, and expertise. The point here is that the doctorate, the pro card, or any other credentials are not what make me special.
Don’t get me wrong, I am proud of my accomplishments in both academia and bodybuilding, but I understand that they do not make me better than anyone else. Where I excel is having a strong passion for science, education, training, nutrition, and helping others.
No title or degree can create that. Yes, I use my titles in my signature, but it is not meant to gain undeserved trust, respect, or prestige from others. They’re simply my titles.
Again, there are physical therapists, trainers, coaches, and bodybuilders out there with barely any credentials or letters surrounding their names who know much more than I do. I can only hope to seek out those individuals and soak up as much knowledge as possible from them to better myself.
Always seek first to understand, then to be understood. Be humble, be open, and never stop learning. My goal is to earn respect because of my actions, heart, and knowledge, not my titles or degree.
About the Author
Nick Licameli is a doctor of physical therapy and professional natural bodybuilder. He graduated summa cum laude from Ramapo College of New Jersey with his bachelor’s degree in biology, then furthered his education by completing his doctoral degree in physical therapy from Rutgers School of Biomedical and Health Sciences (previously the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey) at the age of 24.
His knowledge of sport and exercise biomechanics, movement quality, and the practical application of research combined with personal experience in bodybuilding and nutrition allows him to help people in truly unique ways. He views bodybuilding through the eyes of a physical therapist and physical therapy through the eyes of a bodybuilder. His passion lies between his love for the journey of bodybuilding, education, and helping other.
Back pain can be tricky. First off, anyone who’s ever dealt with it (pretty much everyone) knows it’s no fun. Second, there’s no overwhelming agreement as to what actually causes it. One person says weak glutes, another says tight hip flexors or hamstrings, and yet another may point to a bad hair day (NOTE: read this footnote, it’s a doozy —>).2
Third, if the stock photo I chose below is any indication, back pain can also put a real damper on what can only be described as an Old Spice or Abercrombie & Fitch ad shoot.
In my career as a personal trainer and strength coach I’ve worked with dozens and dozens of athletes and clients battling low back pain. It comes with a territory as a fitness professional. I’ve tried my best to arm myself with the best skill-sets possible (within my scope of practice) to help my clients work through their low back shenanigans. I can assess – not diagnose – and try to come up with the best game plan possible to address things.
And, to be honest, addressing one’s lower back issues can be mind-numbingly simple.
In short:
“Find what movements hurt or exacerbate symptoms, don’t do those movements, and then find movements that allow for a degree of success or pain free training.”
I’d be remiss not to mention Dr. Stuart McGill’s work here. Not only is he one of the world’s Godfathers of spine research, but he’s also one of the world’s best mustache havers.
He’s co-authored hundreds of studies and written several books on the topic of low-back pain – with Ultimate Back Fitness & Performance (now in it’s 6th Edition) and Low Back Disorders being his flagship pieces of work.
Speaking of Ultimate Back Fitness & Performance, look who makes a cameo appearance on pg. 289 in the latest edition:
BOOM
For the Record: TG Life Bucket List
Get to a point in my career where Dr. Stuart McGill not only knows who I am, but emails me out of the blue and asks permission to use a picture of me in his latest book update.
Appear in a Star Wars movie.
Become BFFs with Matt Damon
Own a cat.
I’d have to say, however, that his most “user friendly” book is Back Mechanic. In it, he breaks down his entire method for “fixing” low back pain covering everything from spinal hygiene, assessment, corrective exercise, and strength training.
I’m not going to belabor anything, you can purchase the book and peel back the onion on his protocols (seriously, the assessment portion is gold).
I’ve noticed a trend in recent years, though. Dr. McGill has done so much for the industry and his work is so ingrained in our thoughts as fitness professionals that I feel the whole idea of “avoiding spinal flexion (sometimes at all costs)” has bitten us in the ass.
Yes, avoiding spinal flexion is a thing, especially if someone is symptomatic and flexion intolerant.3. It’s that point, though, “avoiding spinal flexion” that has gotten the best of us for the past decade or so.
We’ve done such an immaculate job at coaching people to know what “spinal neutral is” via prone planks, side planks, and birddogs, and then used strength training to engrain that motor pattern, that (some, not all) people transitioned into more extension-based back pain because they lost their ability to move their spine into (pain free) flexion.
Dr. Ryan DeBell discussed this phenomenon recently where he discussed his own back pain history. He started as flexion intolerant, trained himself into “spinal neutral,” (which is what you should do), started to avoid all flexion like the plague, and after awhile, extension-based movements & positions started to hurt…because he was locked into extension.
As a corollary, I see this quite often myself: someone comes in to see me and both flexion and extension based movements hurt. It’s so frustrating for the person and I can understand why.
My job, then, as the coach is to garner confidence and self-efficacy with my client/athlete and work with him/her on what I know tends to work….find movements that do not hurt and work from there.
Dr. McGill has his own version of the “Big 3,” or his go to exercises when first starting with a low-back person:
The Curl-Up (I.e., not a sit-up)
Side Bridge or Plank
Birddog
Even when we master those movements, which are often very challenging for people when performed right, I’ll stick with them for a couple of months and just up the ante with appropriate progressions. Lets take the birddog for example.
Birddog w/ RNT
The band adds an additional kinesthetic component where increased stiffness or engagement occurs in the anterior core and glutes. Truthfully, it’s not uncommon for me to START with this variation so the person can feel what their limbs are doing in space.
Birddog – Off Bench
I “stole” this one from Dr. Joel Seedman and feel it’s an ingenious progression. Doing the birddog off the bench takes away a component of stability (feet off the floor) and forces people to slow the eff down and learn to control the movement. If they don’t, they fall of the bench. And I laugh.
Your Spine, Move It!
Going back to the assessment for a quick second, it’s not uncommon for me to assess someone and to find that their spine doesn’t move. Whether it’s because of a faulty pattern or they were coached to avoid flexion at all costs (even when asymptomatic) it’s as if their spine is Han Solo frozen in carbonite.
One screen I like to use is a the toe touch drill. When someone bends over to touch their toes there should be a consistent curvature/roundness of the spine. Often, what I’ll see is more of a “V” pattern where they’ll bend over, but instead of seeing a nice curve I’ll see their lower back stay flat throughout the movement; as in zero movement.
This can be just as detrimental as anything else. It may or may not be a root cause of their low-back pain, but I know it’s a red flag I’d like to address.
Segmental Cat-Cow
Below is a drill I’ve been using more and more with my low-back clients. We’re all familiar with the Cat-Cow exercise, where you round and arch your spine moving through a full-ROM.
Cool, great. The human body is great a compensating, and unless you have a keen eye for detail it’s easy to assume that if someone can round and arch their back they’re good to go. But
But are they? Often, if you SLOW PEOPLE DOWN it’ll become abundantly clear that they may move well in certain areas of their spine (thoracic), but not in others (often lumbar).
Coaching them through the movement – point by point, segmentally – is a fantastic way to hammer this point home and to help nudge them to move their spine in a slow and controlled fashion.
Give this one a try with some of your clients. COACH THEM. This drill doesn’t require more than two passes (up and down) per set, for a total of 3-4 sets. Helping them understand that they are allowed to move their spine – assuming it’s pain free – is a sure fire way to set them up for long-term healthy spine success.
Meet Han Gandalf Gentilcore Julian Lewis Gentilcore. Born 1/31/17 at 12:22 PM.
Lisa and I are so happy, excited, and tired….;o) Lisa, by the way, was a CHAMPION. Thanks to everyone who sent well-wishes via email, social media, and texts.
And so it begins…..
2. Appearance on Ben Coomber Radio
I had the pleasure of being invited onto the Ben Coomber Radio Show recently.
In typical fashion I was witty, intelligent, and cunning. But that’s just my own assessment. Ben’s a pro and has one of the most successful health/fitness podcasts over in the UK. We dive right into things and start talking about “effective” gym training. At about 30 minutes, it’s the perfect thing to listen to on your commute. Or to pass time as your significant other watches The Bachelor/Walking Dead (depending on gender).
3. Latest article on MensHealth.com: 4 Push-Up Mistakes You’re Making
Despite it’s popularity and recognition as an exercise staple, nothing gets more eye-rolls when I plan them into a program (especially from guys) than push-ups.
Complete Shoulder & Hip Blueprint – Vancouver, April 1-2nd.
Dean Somerset and I will be in Vancouver that weekend to talk shoulders and hips and to start a tickle fight.
For more information and to sign up you can go HERE.
SUNY Cortland Health & Wellness Conference – Cortland, NY, April 8th
I’ll be at my alma mater the weekend of April 8th speaking at what I believe is the 4th or 5th annual SUNY Cortland Conference. Other guest speakers include my wife, Dr. Lisa Lewis, Mark Fisher, Brian St. Pierre, and Dr. David Just.
The combined years of experience of the coaches who contributed to this article is 5,798. Give or take. With that much experience giving their insights, you should listen.
Soooo, I’m a dad now. Lisa was a CHAMP all throughout, and I’m confident we’ll be heading home today from the hospital. As a heads up, you can expect just as many pics of my kid as my cat…;o)
I’m still a little busy, so please enjoy today’s guest post from strength coach Erica Suter.
Every time I write an article, I may sound like I want to chop everyone’s balls off. Truthfully, I get fired up with certain themes in the strength and conditioning world, making my prose honest, raw, and at times, harsh. My article on fitness celebrities, for example, was one of those topics I approached with fervor and sass.
Today’s topic is no different. So let’s dive in:
Sport Specific Training
For the past 5 years, I’ve been lucky to work in both the strength and conditioning, and skills-based realms of performance enhancement. I’m a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist who helps athletes get strong, but I’m also a licensed USSF soccer coach who teaches technical soccer skills. I keep my CSCS side separate from my technical side. I’m either in the weight room blasting Skrillex, or out on the soccer field working on my tan:
Knowing both worlds certainly makes me aware of the distinction between strength and skill work.
But alas, confusion still arises. Especially amongst parents, I get questions like:
“So do you do sport specific training for soccer players?” “Can you get Little Johnny to have a stronger throw-in with medicine ball work?” “Can you do female soccer specific ACL injury prevention?”
Full disclosure: Getting kidnapped by orcs from the Lord of the Rings sounds way cooler than explaining sport specific training to parents.
Note From TG: Hahahahahahahahaha. That was good. I’m stealing it.
I do, however, want to play the part of the understanding strength-skills coach and share some knowledge on this topic. Here goes nothing.
What Is Sport Specific?
Sport specific has been sensationalized in the strength and conditioning industry as a method of training that mimics a specific skill of one’s sport in the weight room. Often, strength coaches are pressured to train sport specific, especially because they have access to a plethora of fancy gadgets and gizmos.
However. Advanced equipment can be more problematic than effective.
We do not have to kick a heavy medicine ball to build a stronger soccer shot. Nor do we need to tie a golf club to resistance bands to generate a more powerful swing. We do not need a baseball attached to a sling shot to improve pitching speed. And we do not need to strap a spontaneously combusting jetpack to a track athlete to get them to sprint faster. Sorry if that was extreme.
Put simply, the more flashy tools we add, the quicker faulty motor patterns arise and skills-based mechanics go down the drain. Not to mention, an athlete will not be able to perform a skill based movement through it’s full range of motion. This can lead to decreased skills performance, weakened neuromuscular firing, less power output, and increased chance of injury. I get it: cool equipment makes parents “oooh” and “ahhh” and makes strength coaches look like magical fairies that shit sparkles. Alas, I digress. Some things to consider: – Practicing a sport with a weighted vest doesn’t allow for pristine sprinting mechanics. – Performing soccer 1 v. 1 moves with a resisted harness does not allow players to explode with the ball at maximal speed to beat a defender. – And running sprints with a Bane Mask while holding a football and wearing your helmet and pads is well… stupid.
Two Different Jobs
The strength coach’s role is to get athletes stronger and less prone to injury through proper strength, power, and energy systems training.
In the other corner, the skills and team coaches help with improving the soccer kick, the bat swing, the golf swing, the hockey shot, and the tennis serve. It is not the strength coach’s job to bring the court, field, or ice rink into the weight room and duplicate these actions with loaded contraptions. That is why we have distinguished differences between Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialists and licensed sports coaches.
Strength coaches don’t mimic skills in the weight room. Rather, they mimic movement patterns that will enhance a skill.
As an example:
Skill: Shooting a soccer ball
Movement patterns: hip extension, hip flexion, core stability, hip stability, ankle stability, plantarflexion, transfer of force through the trunk. Planes of motions: frontal (plant foot and hip stability), saggital (kicking leg), transverse (transfer of force through core and hips for shot accuracy). Weight Room “Sport specific” exercises: Dead lifts, hip thrusts, single leg hip bridges, plank progressions, psoas activation, lateral step ups, medicine ball rotational slam, single leg bridge variations, to name a few. Single Leg Bridge Progression:
Lateral Step Up:
Psoas/Core Activation:
What we do in the weight room is already “sport specific” to some degree, as strength coaches provide athletes the fuel that is needed to powerfully and deliberately execute skill-based movements.
But if we reallyyyyyyyy want to be sport specific, then the athlete must PLAY MORE OF THEIR SPORT. Going to drop the mic right there. Thanks.
About the Author
Erica Suter is a certified strength and conditioning coach, soccer trainer, and fitness blogger who has worked with athletes and non-athletes for over 5 years. She is currently a strength coach at JDyer Strength and Conditioning, and also runs her own technical soccer training business in Baltimore, MD. Her interests include writing, snowboarding, and reciting Lord of the Rings quotes to her athletes and clients.
.jpg?format=1500w)
