I’ve been woefully vacant with writing content of late, and I am so sorry.
Life. Is. Busy.
As I type these words I’m sitting in Logan Airport waiting for my flight to Philly where I’ll be speaking at the Mid-Atlantic NSCA Conference this weekend.
Who ever thought that having a 10-month old cruising around the apartment would be time consuming?
Oh, and it’s my Birthday today.[footnote]Cue chorus line from In Da Club by 50 Cent.[/footnote]
So, yeah….unfortunately, writing has been taking a back seat to other shenanigans of late. I hope to be picking up the pace soon though.
All of this isn’t to imply I haven’t been busy in other avenues of fitness. Last week I was invited back onto the Cut the S#!t Get Fit Podcast with host Rafal Matuszewski.
This time, though, there was a special circumstance.
I was part of a DOUBLE GUEST episode alongside my man Lee Boyce.
We had a blast.
We spent the first 15 or so minutes catching up and discussing our favorite movies and tv shows of 2017. You know, important shit that any fitness podcast would want to cover.
But after that we get into the nitty gritty particulars of lifting heavy things and just go off.
So sit back, relax, and listen to the succulent sounds of strength & conditioning’s version of Ebony and Ivory.
Squat technique is a daunting topic to write about. No matter what, despite logic, sound reasoning and the fact not everyone falls neatly into any one way of doing anything (especially as it relates to lifting weights), some people are going to get triggered and go batshit crazy.
This post may rub some people (and coaches) the wrong way, but I beg you to take a deep breath, listen to what I have to say, and understand that this is not an attack against you or your way of doing things.
Rather, what follows is a brief look into what works for me and what I feel works best for the bulk of people I work with on a weekly basis as it relates to coaching the squat.
In short: Making the squat look more like a squat.
Gone, I feel, are the days where we’re overzealous with cueing people to aggressively sit back during their squats.
For competitive powerlifters, who are into powerlifting, and who are wearing squat suits, while they powerlift…the cue to sit back makes a lot of sense.
For everyone else?
Mmm, not so much.
Call me crazy (and some may do just that), but I’d garner a guess that many trainees would benefit from two subtle tweaks to their squat:
No more (or less emphasis on) sitting back.
Finding and maintaining foot pressure.
The former is not to say I don’t advocate to sit back. I do. It’s just I feel there should be a simultaneous break with knees going forward AND hips going back on the descent. The net result is a SQUAT down.
The latter takes a bit more practice, but has a profound effect on one’s ability to have a bit more “umph” out of the hole (quads, baby!) and to stay in a better position throughout the rep/set (I.e., less falling or dipping forward).
Check out the brief video below. Hopefully it’ll make sense and not cause anyone to punch a wall with their face.
The better title of this post should be: “10 Steps To Ensure You Won’t Destroy the Back Of Your Pants (With Your Spine) When You Deadlift.”
The deadlift, as with any compound movement, requires precision and attention to detail in order to 1) Perform it well 2) Not get hurt and 3) To have any shot at lifting appreciable weight. There are many moving parts to the lift, however, to speak candidly, of the “Big 3,” the case could be made it’s the least technical.[footnote]In simplest terms, the deadlift can be described as follows (courtesy of strength coach, Mark Rippetoe): “Bar is on the ground. One bends over to pull the bar, with straight arms, off the floor and up the legs until the knees, hips, and shoulders are locked out.
And then you piss excellence all over the place.”
That last part was added by me.[/footnote]
This is not to insinuate it’s altogether easy or simple. Simple in concept? Yes. I mean, picking a barbell up off the ground and locking it out isn’t rocket science. Simple in execution? Well, that’s where things get a bit more complicated.
Below are some overarching (<—Ha, pun intended) “themes” with regards to setup and execution of the deadlift I feel are important across the board.
The internet likes to argue. It’ll argue whether or not the dress was gold or blue (remember that stupid debacle from a few years ago?), DC vs. Marvel, high-bar vs. low bar squats, and/or who’s the most bad-ass He-Man character not named He-Man.
Cyclone anyone?
More cogent to the topic at hand, people will also argue on the internet that anyone who SUMO deadlifts is cheating.
The prevailing, uppity, train of thought is that, because one is closer to the ground when performing a SUMO deadlift (compared to a conventional stance) it’s easier and thus it’s cheating…and somehow less relevant of a lift.
To which I say: bull to the shit.
Unless your name is Professor Dumbledore and can somehow make someone’s femur change length when they switch from a conventional stance to SUMO stance…the whole “it’s less ROM, it’s easier” argument is a moot one.
The moment arm (femur) doesn’t miraculously change from conventional to SUMO stance.
It’s just…..different.
What you lose in the sagittal plane during conventional, you gain in frontal plane when performing SUMO style deadlifts.
Generally speaking (due to the moment arms and levers at play):
Conventional Pulls: easier/faster off the ground, harder at lockout.
SUMO Pulls: harder/slower off the ground, all out sexification at lockout.
Stephanie Cohen hit a 525 lbs deadlift at a bodyweight of 123 lbs recently. It was done SUMO.
True to form, (some of) the internet projectile vomited all over itself calling her out, saying it didn’t count, and that it’s not real powerlifting (I guess because she was using straps?).
1. Hahahahaha. I have to assume most commenters calling her out couldn’t sniff her warm-up weight.
2. Um, the lift didn’t take place at a powerlifting meet. So thanks for making the stupidest argument you could possibly make.
[For the record: most powerlifters I know are some of the most respectful, courteous, and supportive people I know. They would never turn their nose to such an impressive lift.]
Step one to successful deadlift technique is to figure out what style feels best FOR YOU.
What feels better? What feels more powerful and stable? Which one places you in the best position possible?
Some people will do well with conventional style, while others may prefer SUMO. Both are fine.
Relax internet.
2) Get Your Air, Set Your Ribcage
Gone are the days of cuing people to excessively arch their backs. Gross, repetitive extension can have just as many negative ramifications on spine health as gross, repetitive flexion.
Ideally we want to shoot for more of a canister (or pillar) position where the pelvis and ribcage are “stacked” on top of one another. Most specifically, the pelvic floor and diaphragm are stacked on top of each other.
I like to cue people to get a big gulp of air and aim for 3D expansion (breathing into their stomach, sides, and back) before bending over to grab the bar.
Admittedly it takes a bit of practice but makes a profound difference in how the lift feels.
3) Chest Up, Show Me Your Logo
This is a cue I stole from Eric Cressey and a staple at Cressey Sports Performance. Generally speaking I like to see the following on the deadlift setup:
Shoulders above chest
Chest above hips
Hips above knees.
This isn’t the case for everyone, mind you, but a good rule of thumb to follow. This will ensure most people stay in a “neutral” position and offset the bulk of shear forces on the spine.
I’ll often stand in front of an individual and just say “show me your logo the entire time” as he or she descends down to the bar.
The end result should look like the picture above.
If not, this happens:
4) Armpits Over Barbell, Max Hamstring Tension
Regardless of style of pull, the goal with one’s set up should be armpits over the bar with maximal hamstring tension.
This will help ensure 1) hips are as close to the bar as possible (without making it too squatting. In that case the hips are actually further away….laterally) and 2) people will be less likely to pull via the lower back.
5) Turn Lats On
The lats are a big player with regards to deadlift technique. You want to make sure they’re “set” to help with upper back stiffness during the lift itself.
The best cue I’ve used to help with this is to tell someone to “squeeze the oranges in your armpits.”
Works like charm.
6) Pull Slack Out of the Bar or Bend the Bar
7) Push Away
The deadlift is just as much of a PUSHING exercise as it is pulling. You want to generate force into the ground and drive AWAY, thrusting your hips forward as you stand up.
People who solely focus on pulling the weight up – via their back – are often the ones that complain about it low back pain the most.
8) Finish at Top or Stand Tall
A common mistake I see some trainees make is either not getting their hip through at the top (AKA: the sexy stripper butt) or going too far.
“Hump the bar” at the top. Finish. Stand tall. All are cues I’ve used that work and get people to finish with their glutes.
9) Don’t Let Go
On the descent, don’t let go.
Stay engaged.
It’s here where I’ll often see people round their shoulders or lose their upper back position. And it makes me sad.
Keep your abdominals engaged (and keep squeezing that orange), even on the way down.
NOTE: Disregard for max effort pulls….;o)
10) Reset or Peel the Shoulders
There’s a time and place for tap-n-go deadlifts, but I have to admit I rarely use them. Instead I’ll tell people to “reset” between each rep – albeit it’s brief – to gulp their air, “peel their shoulders back,” and to make sure they’re in a good position for the next rep.
The video below is of me demonstrating this with a dumbbell, but you should still get the gist:
These Aren’t Set in Stone
None of what I said above is concrete.[footnote]Except it is.[/footnote] There will always be some slight deviations based off someone’s anatomy, ability level, and goal(s).
However, I have found that for most people, most of the time, they all work really well to get people’s technique in check.
Today’s guest post comes courtesy of Syracuse, NY based strength coach, Ricky Kompf. Ricky interned at Cressey Sports Performance when I was still a coach there and has been doing a superb job building a reputation as a “go to” coach in the Central NY area.
Today he discusses the importance of community and how building one can make all the difference in the world with your clients/athletes and fitness business in general.
I consider myself a pretty mindful and deep guy. Over the years of working with people I find myself delving deeper and deeper into psychology based reading and realizing what I read to be valuable and applicable to my job as a coach.
Many times that little gold nugget of knowledge in a book on psychology is even more powerful than the knowledge bombs I find in strength and conditioning text books.
I would like to share an experience with you that was pretty excruciating yet gave me quite the breakthrough.
This moment not only gave me confirmation that I am doing the work I was set out to do and I am fulfilling my purpose in life, but also gave me a realization that there are more people out there that NEED our help as fitness professionals but don’t necessarily WANT our help.
That experience was of course while serving for jury duty…
I was in a room filled with 375 random people who live in Central New York waiting to hear if they have to sit in on trial or not. Whatever picture you have in your head right now… Trust me it was worse than that.
People were pissed, impatient and probably a little hungry.
It’s pretty safe to say no one wanted to be there.
I know I didn’t want to be there, but there was no point in stressing over something I couldn’t control. So I practiced some diaphragmatic breathing while sitting in a room for 8 hours waiting to hear my fate.
It was then that I started to look around the room and become the silent observer. This was the perfect sample size of what society around me is like. Many were overweight, seemed slightly depressed, poor posture, and just looked a little run down. I actually counted in the room how many people seemed like they were in pretty good shape.
I could count them all on my hands.
It was then that the lady in charge asked a very important question, “If you have a medical condition that could affect your ability to serve as a jury please come up front.”
Half the room stood up and walked/limped to the front.
That’s right…there were just as much people sitting down as there were people in line waiting to tell this lady about their illness. That was well over 150 people! I’ll factor in that some people were just trying to get out of jury duty but still!
That’s when I realized something, something that really speaks to our society as a whole.
We live in a nation where it is the minority to be healthy and not have issues with your health.
We are fat and depressed; we rely on the drugs of pharmaceutical industries to keep us just barely going. All the while we are living with this belief that this is the norm. We look to the people around us and see that they’re unhealthy and it gives us unconscious confirmation that it is okay to be unhealthy as well.
To me the words healthy and happy are prerequisites to each other.
You have to be healthy to be happy and you have to be happy to be healthy.
The more and more people I come in contact with and work with, I realize it’s not the great physique they’re after or the even the edge on the competition. Even if they really think it is.
It’s happiness.
It’s the feeling you get when you’re in control of your health, the quality of life you have, and most of all control over your own destiny.
As a fitness professional remember you’re not just delivering results, you’re delivering happiness.
Like the feeling you get when you witness two kittens snuggling. That kind of happiness.
So you may ask yourself, I’m a fitness professional but how do we get all these people who either don’t want our help or can’t afford our help to change and become healthier?
It all starts with community.
Have you ever heard the phrase, “you are the average of the 5 people you hang around with most?” The people you hang around with will influence every decision you make.
Well How Do You Use This Information?
As strength coach’s or personal trainers you may notice that you’ve build a mini community around you. These communities of clients are like minded people, they want to become healthier and support each other.
If you’re really good at what you do they even hangout with each other outside of the gym!
That’s your change right there.
You may have even noticed that most of your clients now are word of mouth based, which means people are talking about you outside of the gym and sending business your way.
The more you double down on your community and focus on building a support group of people, the more likely you will make an impact on your community’s health as a whole.
This may even be indirectly.
The larger the community you make the more of an impact you will have. This is also why I think one-on-one training can be detrimental to your business if your goal is to influence as many people as possible.
Community is the secret sauce to your goals.
Mark Fisher Fitness: the epitome of how to build a lasting fitness community.
Community gives people permission to change; or, more to the point, “nudges” people to change.
Having a community of like-minded individuals who implement a healthier lifestyle and share common goals is often the key determining factor that help others change their behavior.
Look at your clientele base now:
Do they hangout with each other?
Do they communicate on social media?
Do you show them off on your social media?
And how excited are they to tell people about what you’ve done for them?
If you’ve never thought to consider these questions, or worse, the answers are a resounding cricket chirp, then I’d recommend getting your butt in gear.
As a fitness professional, you are the mayor in your “health conscious” community. Exercise is a vehicle for a life well lived.
Create a Facebook group that brings all your clients together to support each other and give information to them regularly. Hold special 10-15 minute Live Events that inform them and keep them engaged in the journey. Highlight THEIR videos and exercise accomplishments.
Use your Instagram account to show off how badass your athletes and clients are. Everyone loves recognition.
Plan out events to do as a group that brings people together outside of the gym. This could be Spartan races, 5k’s, team dinners, book and movie clubs, even mass text messages can go a long way.
If you have athletes, go to their games! They worked so hard for you, and they will love to see your support.
About the Author
Richard Kompf, BS, CSCS
Strength and conditioning coach and Internship supervisor for Scollo Strength and Performance. Located inside of Pacific Health Club, based just outside of Syracuse, NY. Specializing in explosive athletes and general population clientele.
I don’t know about everyone else, but I’m sooooo pumped for The Punisher on Netflix. Now, I wouldn’t say I grew up a big Punisher fan growing up (remember that Thomas Jane movie back in the late 90’s early 2000’s?), but I am a big fan of Jon Bernthal and was intrigued by his playing of the character in season two of Daredevil.
Between that and Lisa’s birthday this weekend I’ll have a ton to keep me occupied.
Of, if you prefer the Cliff Notes version: if you’re a human being and looking to follow a 4-month program that’s designed to get you strong, maybe get you a better bicep peak, not kill you, and take into account you’re not 25 anymore (and written be two competent coaches) this program may be right up your alley.
It would be hard for me to think of one coach who has helped shape my career and way of thinking when it comes to training people more so than Mike Boyle.
I remember the first time I met him back in 2005 when Eric Cressey and I drove from Danbury, CT to meet up him, Alwyn Cosgrove, and Valerie Waters at some seedy Irish bar after the three of them had finished presenting somewhere.
Admittedly, at the time, I had zero idea who Mike was. But Eric quickly set me straight and told me he was a pretty big deal. I went home that night, purchased Functional Training For Sport and never looked back.
I’ve watched every iteration of Functional Strength Coach and I still think his book, Advances in Functional Training, is still one of the best books I’ve read in strength & conditioning and one that really “meshed” things together for me as a coach.
So needless to say, here we are with another fantastic Mike Boyle project…this time diving deep into his brain on the topic of core training.
It’s Mike Boyle. This is gooooooood.
And, unfortunately, you only have until the end of today (11/17) to purchase this at the sale price of $50 off regular price.
Very thorough and a very fair look into the Keto Diet.
Social Media Shenanigans
Twitter
Worry less about what correctives/activation/mobility drills you need to do to fix chronic injuries and more about taking a hard look at overall training volume. Maybe that’s the fix. You’re doing too much.
Today’s guest post comes courtesy of strength coach Erica Suter. She discusses a topic that sometimes makes me want to throw my face into an ax: youth athletes and how they should train.
FYI: I agree with everything she says in this post. It’s excellent.
Full Disclosure: I’m an 80’s baby who suffers from childhood nostalgia.
We moved. We played. We frolicked. We skipped. We sprinted.
Gone are the days when we played Capture the Flag, dodgeball, and Hide n’ Seek with our neighbors. And gone are days when we played tether ball at recess, or drew lines of chalk into a four square ball game on our driveways.
If this is happening still, however, hit me up. I’d love to come out to your neighborhood. I’ll be sure to bring my Oshkosh B Gosh overalls too. ;-O
All the memories I reminisce on “back in the day” happened because the times we lived in promoted getting outside, running around, and actually meeting up with friends.
In person.
We called their home landlines and left a voicemail for a play date. And we’d meet on the playground.
Nowadays, we send a convenient text, only to find out our friends would rather stay in playing FIFA and not see us in real life.
To that end, youth activity has gone down to some degree. Whether that is in school or at home, kids aren’t moving as much as they could or should.
I wrote this post because I truly believe strength and conditioning coaches and team coaches have the opportunity to teach kids to move freely and safely again, in the gym, on the field, and at home.
So what do our youth athletes need? Let’s dive right in:
1) Coordination Drills
It’s amazing the lack of coordination I’ll see from kids these days.
As an example, most new athletes who come into our facility are introduced to basic drills, such as skipping, back pedaling, and marching. Most of the time, I will see ipsilateral (same arm, same leg) movement patterns, and then I’ll hear them say something like, “that felt awkward.”
If skipping, running, shuffling, or back pedaling feels awkward, then it’s being done wrong.
Simple movements like these should feel smooth and natural.
Nailing down contralateral patterns early on (ages 8-12) ensures kids are set up for smooth and efficient running mechanics when they get to middle and high school.
Just like acquiring skills with a soccer ball, it’s never too early to teach kids key cognitive skills to improve coordination before it’s too late.
Ladder drills could be a good start, but they’re useless if kids just tap their feet and ignore opposite arm, opposite leg action. Don’t be lazy. Do them with precision and arm movement:
Please keep in mind though: Ladders will not develop maximal speed.
I like to use them as a movement prep warm up or as a fun introduction. Every time I whip out a ladder kids get excited, so it does have its time and place. The world will not go up in flames if you do ladder drills for 5-10 minutes, but don’t make them the entire workout.
Other options to start beginners with could be marching, lateral marching, skipping, and crawling:
2) Strength Training
Strength can be an intimidating component in the youth training world. What most parents envision is their child getting under a barbell, signing up for a CrossFit class, and getting injured.
Rest assured, strength training doesn’t have to mean lifting weights. Let’s teach them to crawl, carry, squat, hinge, pull, push, or hollow hold with core tension and proper belly breathing.
These are all bodyweight movements that can eventually be progressed when ready.
Strength coach Justin Ochoa wrote an excellent article on this HERE.
Since neurological factors play the biggest role in a young athletes’ development, they have to learn to move their bodies first. So you’re better off focusing on form rather than load.
Sure, an 8 year old attached to a weighted sled with an altitude mask may get Instagram likes, but is it effective?
Moreover, is it SAFE?
Note From TG: What’s next…parachute jumping jacks? Bounding over a live volcano?
Needless to say, starting simple goes a long way. If kids master motor patterns young, then once they move into high school, they’ll be the strong badass in the weight room. At this age (14-18), hormonal factors are now the major influencers for muscle hypertrophy.
Now, they’ll be better prepared to gain strength and lift heavier loads:
To this day, Brenna in the video above still crawls, squats, and lunges with bodyweight (as warm up) because it hones in on inter-muscular coordination and allows the body to work as a unit.
The coordination and basics never stop.
3) Proper Landing Mechanics
Hopping, jumping, bounding, and a plethora of other power exercises that involve landing are very popular with youth athletes.
But more often than not, these are butchered.
Secret: No one cares if your kids can jump a 36” box. And no one cares if you can do this:
Photo Credit: Athletes Acceleration
If your goals are slouched posture, inhibited core and glutes, or dying, then sure, have them give this a go.
I can’t reiterate enough how critical it is to hammer home safe and proper landing mechanics. So please: lower the height of the box, check your ego, and care for your youth athletes. Here is a video that talks about proper countermovement and landing technique (which should look the same):
4) Variety
Since we want to ensure our kids are learning as many motor patterns as possible, periodization that reflects a more concurrent style would be best. This way, they’re learning a variety of exercises such as how to squat, hinge, crawl, push, pull, and lunge.
Additionally, they will be doing strength, agility, endurance, and power drills in all planes of motion.
A multi-faceted approach allows kids to learn technique, work multiple muscle groups, evade boredom, and stay excited about performance training without burning out. It’s similar to the early specialization argument when kids should not choose one sport before age 12. The same goes for the gym.
At our facility, we go as far as designing obstacle courses. Kids will crawl under hurdles, climb up ropes, sprint, or dodge cones for the heck of it.
Whether this is for strength based or skills based exercises, cognition is always a must for this population. Strength coach Jeremy Frisch does some cool things with youth athletes to the point it looks like an American Ninja Warrior episode.
If you have any fun ideas on how you train your youth athletes, or other components you feel are necessary, I would love to hear. My favorite part about working with this population is the sky is the limit in terms of programming, and we as coaches have wiggle room to get creative.
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.
I’m a huge fan of the single-leg deadlift (or hip hinge, if we wanted to be technical), and feel it’s an exercise that offers a bevy of benefits.
However, as ubiquitous as the exercise is I do feel it’s a very advanced movement for people to master. Even for trainees with a fair amount of experience under the bar, single-leg deadlifts are about as advanced as they get as far as single leg movements go.
Here, a lot of things have to harmoniously come into play (core stability, hip stability, upper back strength, balance, etc) in order to perform the movement effectively, and it’s not something you just haphazardly throw into someone’s program.
Today I want t break down a regression of the single-leg deadlift I feel works really well.
Skater Deadlift/Hip Hinge
Who Did I Steal It From? – Dean Somerset actually brought this one up during our Complete Shoulder & Hip Blueprint in Boston last weekend.
What Does It Do? – Another name for this exercise could be “Fake 1-Legged RDL.”
It’s a fantastic option for those who struggle with balance yet would still gain a lot of benefit from a single leg deadlift (hip stability, grooving the hip hinge, core engagement/stability, posterior chain activation/strength).
Moreover, holding a load anteriorly (in front of the body in the form of a kettlebell, dumbbell, sandbag, heavy med ball, person) really forces the anterior core musculature to fire and helps to “lock down” the ribs and pelvis.
Subsequently it makes it harder to move through the lumbar spine (which we don’t want) and places more emphasis on the work/stabilizing hip (which we do want).
Key Coaching Cues: Grab something, anything (a boulder for all I care) and hold it in front of the body and think about pushing through the sternum. The idea is to keep the load tight to the body.
Place a ValSlide, furniture glider, paper plate – anything that will slide – underneath one foot and “glide” it back behind the body. I prefer using a straight leg, but I don’t see any major issues with bending the moving leg either.
This is a self-limiting exercise – meaning the ROM used is whatever any one individual as available to him or her. The idea is to HINGE through the standing/supporting leg while keeping the chest up and a “neutral” spine throughout.
Try to “pull” through the heel on the way back up and finish at the top with the same side glute. Aim for 5-8 repetitions per side.
There’s a common theme I’ve seen gaining traction amongst fitness professionals of late – mostly from the young bucks out there, but from some experienced trainers too – stating something to the effect of “online or distance coaching is easy.”
Easy?
Easy.
Pffffffft, riiiiiiggggghhhhtttt.
Beating an eight year old in a game of H.O.R.S.E is easy.
Warming up a Hotpocket is easy.
Swiping right is easy.
Running a successful online training business?
Not easy.
I can understand the delusion, though. We’re seduced into thinking that those coaches/trainers who decide to pursue online coaching will, in a matter of months (or even weeks), be traveling the world enjoying libations on the beach one week and the culinary delicacies of Paris the next.
Their only source of stress….a reliable WiFi connection.
As a matter of fact there are some fitness pros who have built this sort of lifestyle for themselves. But I can tell you with almost certainty it didn’t happen overnight, or in a matter of months.
But lets omit the outliers out of the equation anyways.
Lets talk about you and what it takes to build a successful online business.
I picked up my first online client back in 2006. I was moving from Syracuse, NY to Danbury, CT and a client of mine back in the ‘cuse still wanted to work with me.
He asked if I could just, you know, still write his training programs and send them to him via email.
I was like, “yeah, alright, sure.”
Actually, come to think of it, Bobby K. invented online training! Well done Bobby.
Back then all I did was send out a monthly Excel sheet – the present day equivalent of messenger pigeon – and if Bobby was ever flummoxed by anything I programmed, I’d just record something with my digital camera and send that along as well.
I didn’t know what the hell I was doing and it’s any wonder I was able to send anything over the internet without burning down my apartment.
As I started writing more and getting my name out there, I started receiving more inquiries from people to provide online programs. One client turned to five, five turned to ten, and eventually things evolved to the point where online coaching turned into a viable revenue stream for me.
Mind you, it wasn’t private jet trips across the Atlantic levels of revenue. But, I was able to start using the income I made from coaching people online to help pay for my car and/or student loans.
Fast forward a few years, it wasn’t long before I found myself with what seemed like a second job. I was still coaching people at Cressey Sports Performance full-time, only to come home at the end of each day to an inbox full of questions and programming tweaks from online clients.
It was exhausting.
Demand was high…..cool.
But there was only one of me, and I wanted a life outside of starring at my computer screen for hours on end (answering emails, writing programs, invoicing, developing/updating an exercise database)….not cool.
Something had to change. I had to find some form of distance coaching Darwinian natural selection process that would make my life easier or more efficient.
Full-Disclosure: Most of (if not all) successful online coaches I know were first really good in-person coaches. There are innumerable nuances that go with coaching people in person that it’s almost impossible – I feel – to be a good online coach without having first mastered that.
How are you going to be able to tweak someone’s deadlift technique over the internet if you have zero or little practice doing it in real-life?
Likewise, it’s not as if all you have to do is set up a YouTube of Instagram account and post a bunch of selfies or videos of you breaking down optimal bicep peak exercises and the floodgates will all of a sudden open.
There are a thousands of trainers vying for everyone’s attention, and I wholeheartedly believe that those who do well virtually are those who have experience coaching people in-person and have more of a “feel” (<— non-creepy) when it comes to human interaction.
Having said that…I also believe that those who do well are those who are organized and have their shit together.
They have systems in place.
This can entail everything from:
What sort of liability insurance should you get?
Do you have a waiver system in place? LLC?
How do you collect data to best ascertain if someone’s a good fit for you?
What’s your assessment/screening process look like?
How do you send out programs? How and when do you update them?
How, when, and where do people get a hold of you?
What system do you use to demonstrate to clients appropriate exercise technique?
How do you track and collect payments?
How do you keep people accountable and on track?
How do you gauge progress? How do you know when to make programs more challenging or less challenging?
Why did Carrie break up with Aiden?[footnote]SO STUPID CARRIE. AIDEN WAS THE ONE. HE WAS THE ONE!!!![/footnote]
It’s been more than a decade since I started building out my online training programs. Since then, I experimented with dozens of different systems and programs, finding out what worked and what didn’t work through months and years of trial and error.
I wish I didn’t have to do that back then.
I wish I’d been given a proven system that works.
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That’s the good news. The bad news?
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I’ve got a busy and exciting weekend coming up. First off I’m gonna head to the gym shortly after pressing “publish” on this post, go deadlift my face off, and follow-suit with my weekly visit to my favorite pizza place here in Boston – Upper Crust.
Later on I’ll head to the airport to pick my boy Dean Somerset. We’re both teaching the Complete Shoulder & Hip Blueprint to a sold out crowd at AMP Fitness this weekend. It’ll be bitter-sweet because after 20+ times teaching it across the world (LA, Seattle, London, Prague, Oslo, Minneapolis, Vancouver), it’s likely our last “planned” presentation of the course.
We’ll be sad to turn the page, but we’re excited to drum up a new curriculum.[footnote]Possible ideas: Building the Body: From Assessment to Badass or How To Become a Brick-shit Diesel Motherfucker. Final titles may vary.[/footnote]
Of, if you prefer the Cliff Notes version: if you’re a 35+ (man or woman) and looking to follow a 4-month program that’s designed to get you strong, maybe get you a better bicep peak, not kill you, and take into account you’re not 25 anymore (and written be two competent coaches) it may be right up your alley.
2) BarBend.com Interview: Training Over 40 and Deadlifts
I was asked by the peeps over at BarBend.com to talk about training over 40 (catching a theme here?) and you know anytime I start talking about lifting things the conversation will gravitate towards deadlifts.
But we also talked about women and chin-up training too.
Admittedly it’s a liiiiiiiitle bit negative for my tastes in some parts, but as a gym owner myself I was shaking my head in agreement a lot as I was reading this.
Full Disclosure: The title of today’s post implies I’m going to be discussing strength training. Jokes on you….I’m actually going to share my top 10 Instagram pics of my cat.
KIDDING…the topic du jour is strength training.
I’m just not going too deep down the rabbit hole.
For that and if you really want to get into the nitty-gritty particulars of strength training and the mechanisms at play go check out Vladmir Zatsiorsky’s Science and Practice of Strength Training.
It’s a light read.[footnote]Said no one, ever.[/footnote]
There you can learn everything as it relates to the scientific facts, including but not limited to motor unit recruitment, rate coding, delated transmutation, and a multitude of other words and phrases that’ll undoubtedly get people strong and make you sound smart.
Admittedly, what follows isn’t all that scientific. However it is rooted in 15+ years of coaching experience working alongside thousands of athletes/clients. I believe these “tenets” work.
Besides, I have big biceps so I obviously know what I’m talking about.
When it comes to the topic of strength training the internet likes to argue about optimal sets, reps, loading, periodization, low vs. high bar position, exercises to use, in what order, and anything and everything that may fall between the lines.
Pantless preacher curls for the win?
And, to be honest, many people can make a case for why they do this (compound lifts only) and why do that (one AMRAP set per muscle group with machines) and it’s likely they’re seeing results and increases in strength.
Who am I to judge?
That being said here are some additional, dare I say what should be commonsense thoughts for your consideration.
1) Make It a Priority
You’re busy, I’m busy, everyone’s busy.
Those people who get stronger are those who show up.
They make training a priority, not Netflix.[footnote]An exception can be made if there’s some “chill” involved.[/footnote]
Nothing so succinctly gets this point across than a quote I came across from Greg Robins:
“Every time someone asks me about a client, or friend, etc. who has made a lot of progress…”How did they get that strong?”…..”What did they do to get there?”…Consistency, is always the first thing out of my mouth. They were consistent.“
I find far too many trainees become paralyzed by too much analysis; too much pontificating and too little action.
Shut up, show up.
Do that, consistently…worry less about the particulars, and good things are bound to happen.
2) Boring Is What Works
I Tweeted this the other day and it seemed to resonate with people:
The training programs that tend to work best are often relentlessly monotonous. People rarely need as much “variety” as they think.
I’m a bit biased and old-school and feel the best strength programs have their base in compound, barbell exercises.
Or the “Big 3” in bro-speak.
Squat
Bench Press
Deadlift
We could also toss in barbell rows, chin-ups/pull-ups, RDLs, GoodMornings, overhead presses, etc.
However, prioritize the Big 3 and focus on doing more work over time with those and you won’t be weak.[footnote]Slight downside: you increase your chances of being all your friend’s “go to” when they’re moving.[/footnote]
People rarely need variety, they need to not have a 185 lb deadlift.
3) Technique/Positions Matter
I recently hit my first 600 lb deadlift. A month away from my 41st birthday, thank you very much.
I had someone ask me what is the difference between someone trying to improve from 500-600 lbs compared to 400-500 (or even 200-300 lbs)?
Easy…technique.
When someone is strong enough to pull 3x+ bodyweight it’s a safe bet their technique is on point.
When someone reaches the echelon of 700, 800, 900+ lbs…their technique has to be meticulous and razor sharp. By that point, however, more often that not, technique is pretty much on auto-pilot.
It’s like second nature and just happens.
I think why some people have a hard time, especially intermediate lifters who do have experience (and are kinda-sorta strong, but are trapped in “I’ve had the same PR for three years and I can’t seem to get over the hump purgatory”), is that they’re in poor positions.
More specifically they’re in poor positions and are unable to express their true strength.
A lot of people can “muscle” up a 300 lb, maybe even a 400 lb deadlift. They may shit out every single one of their vertebrae, but hey…they lock it out.
500 lbs? Meh, rarely.
600+ lbs? Hells to the no.
I’m a huge fan of using sub-maximal work (65-85% of 1-rep max) and keeping people accountable with their technique. Building volume with sub-maximal work ensures good positions (I.e., canister/pillar position, stacked joints) and also ensures technique will be solid.
The more “good” reps I can nudge out of people, the more likely is is they’ll start blasting through PR plateaus soon enough.
4) Utilize EDM Sets
Pigging back on the point above, another tactic I like to use is the concept of EDM (Estimated Daily Max) sets.
This takes into account how someone feels on any given day.
Some days weights fly up.
Other days, not so much.
Nothing is worse than showing up at the gym, having an epic workout planned, only to feel like a bag of dicks and everything feels heavy.
Well, explosive diarrhea sucks. But feeling like a bag of dicks is not to far behind.
As much of a fan as I am of percentage based training, something I’ve been utilizing more and more (especially with my older lifters) are EDM sets.[footnote] Quick shout out to strength coach Paul Carter who’s the person I stole this from.[/footnote]
Here’s an example:
Lets use the bench press.
I’ll have someone ramp up to his or her’s 3 EDM (3-rep Estimated Daily Max).
This won’t be a true rep-max remember, but a weight that’s challenging that day for 3-reps.
Ramp up sets are as follows:
95×8
135×5
185×3
205×3
225×3
250×3 <— 3 RM for the day.
I’ll then have them take the same weight (250 lbs) for some additional singles (3-5×1) to get a little more volume in.
Alternatively you can have someone work up to a 5-EDM and follow that with 2-3 additional sets of triples.
In both scenarios you ensure all reps are fast and that technique will be spotless. What’s more, you’re less likely to run someone into the ground and they’re more likely to recover and bounce back faster.
They still get some heavy(ish) work done, but with quality staying paramount.
5) Go To Bed
Go the fuck to bed, people.
You’ll only get as strong as how well you allow yourself to recover.
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.
