Filling my wife’s love tank by making the bed every morning.
Few things give me as much jubilation as deadlifts, though. I like performing them, I like coaching them, I like dreaming about them, and I like writing about them.
I did a series on Instagram not too long ago called “30 Days of Deadlifts.”
Each day, for 30 days, but not necessarily in a row, I provided a quick 60 second programming note, technique consideration, and/or general piece of advice on the deadlift.
It was a big hit.
So much in fact that T-Nation.com asked to repurpose the whole enchilada to use on their site; albeit I’d expound on things a bit more in exchange for them tidying up my prose.
I’m always asked what’s the main difference between training professional athletes and those who think they’re still an athlete.
Not much, really.
I still very much prefer to treat my general population clients like athletes – encouraging them to lift, hoist, push, toss, and drag things every which way – if for no other reason than they can.
However, part of my job as their coach is to know when to pump the brakes and to keep their ego in check. In today’s guest post, California based strength coach Scott Hansen discusses some subtle nuances and tweaks that can be made to a strength & conditioning program catered to the more “mature”” crowd.
Favorite Movements For Athletes and Modifications For Adult Athletes
When I was 20 years old, I could do just about anything.
Squat 10×10, sure.
Hell, we did that a for a few months out of each year back then.
Deadlifts so heavy you could feel your soul cracking?
Check.
And with ugly technique that would make the Diesel Weasel blush.
Note From TG: 10 points to Gryffindor for the Diesel Weasel reference.
With time, experience, injuries, and spending a solid percentage of my yearly income over the last decade plus on learning from people smarter than me, I’ve come to realize a few things:
1) Young athletes need load and stress to build strength and physical resiliency.
I.e., Full ranges of motion and big lifts that require a lot of work. Cleans, snatches, barbell bench presses, chin ups, front squats, deadlifts, etc.
Planet Earth is trying to make you small, frail, and weak from the time you turn about 20 years old onward
Unfortunately, after you’ve spent a couple of decades on the planet, you’ve accumulated some wear and tear.
It’s kind of like an apartment: You might take pretty good care of it for the most part, but every now and then you throw a ripper and the carpet gets stained. Over 20 or more years, there are lots of little stains and dings on the walls.
The stains and dings aren’t necessarily bad enough to knock the building down, but it’s certainly not in the kind of shape it was in when you first moved in.
Well, that beat up apartment is more or less your body.
The way we trained when we were young might have been the best possible way to train then, but we probably need to make some modifications to it as we get a bit older. I’m not saying to train solely with resistance bands and shake weights in group exercise classes. I’m just saying that we can train hard and more intelligently to respect how our bodies have changed over time.
The same qualities still have to be trained, mind you. We still need to get strong and train to build and maintain muscle. We need to be mobile, athletic, and not gas out walking down to the mailbox. As a matter of fact, we can still thrive and be better than we were in our younger years, as long as we’re smart.
Here are my favorite lifts for each movement pattern/quality for those under 25 years old, and how things should be modified for the slightly more, uh, mature crowd.
Power
Athlete: Hang Clean
Adult Athlete: Box Jump
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xbg7sxs_Auc
I love Olympic lift variations.
From creating power to absorbing force on the catch, hang cleans can be a great tool for a younger athlete. They also require a ton of wrist and thoracic mobility, and an awkward catch might just make you have to call out of work the next day.
Replacing cleans with box jumps means you get a huge percentage of the pros, and none of the cons, so I use it as a main power exercise in my adult athlete programs.
Just make sure to do them right!
Squat
Athlete: Front Squat
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9xzNc–18as
Adult Athlete: Double Kettlebell Front Squat
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8bx9IP49B-w
I’m a big front squat fan.
You really can’t do them wrong, you have less shear stress on the spine, and you get a ton of good stuff expressed: thoracic spine mobility, upper back and core strength, hip mobility, and of course lower body strength.
Similarly to cleans, you need solid wrist mobility, and since the majority of adults have spines that look like question marks, I don’t love front squatting for most adult athletes, most of the time.
Rather, I like hammering double kettlebell front squats.
Similarly to box jumps and cleans, I feel like you get a huge chunk of the benefits of front squatting without the learning curve or discomfort on the wrists, and you can keep the spinal loading down.
Deadlift
Athlete: Trap Bar Deadlift
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T_1CdItspHk
Adult Athlete: Trap Bar Deadlift/Kettlebell Deadlift
Note From TG: That time when I thought it would be cool to grow a beard.
Trap bar deadlifts are a great full body lift, and I tend to prefer them over conventional pulls. With the weight evenly distributed around you, you can load these up pretty heavy and get a huge training stimulus without having such high prerequisites as barbell deads.
I certainly employ these for my adult athletes, and heavy, but I’m even more diligent on technique than I am with any other exercise, which means I tend to progress it a little more slowly. Wendler’s 5/3/1 works great here, just stop on the top set at 10 at the most.
Otherwise, you’re liable to take a nap for 3 days.
For the much older athlete, I just go back to the question “how strong is strong enough?” If I can get that with a kettlebell instead of a trap bar, then I’ll go with that, but that might come down to how heavy your bells go.
Split Stance
Athlete: Rear Foot Elevated Split Squat with Front Foot Elevated
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6_4AoHwncBI
Adult: Rear Foot Elevated Split Squat OR Double KB Front Rack Split Squat
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WJxBWyfc1Iw
RFESS have a special place in my heart after coaching them at Mike Boyle Strength and Conditioning for so long, and because getting brutally strong on these is vital to being able to perform on the court, field, ice, or mat.
By elevating the front foot as well, you get an even bigger range of motion, and moving big weight through big ranges of motion is how you get strong.
Adult athletes can certainly do these as well, but sometimes are a bit limited with ROM for the front foot elevated version. I also like to keep them with split squats to allow for some extra big toe mobility work built into the lift, as so many people tend to get stiff there over time, and stiff toes lead to balance issues and falls.
By front loading it, we can get more core work in and reinforce thoracic extension as well.
Horizontal Press
Athlete: Close Grip Bench
Adult Athlete: Low Incline 1-Arm DB Bench
I’m a big advocate on narrower grips on presses for most people, so naturally I love close grip benches. They’re a little easier on the shoulders and you still build the same upper body strength as with a wider grip.
I like index fingers on the edge of the smooth part of the bar, so not crazy close.
The wrist and shoulder issues with the aging athlete play a role here, and I prefer to see them doing more one-arm pressing, and on a low incline. This is more shoulder friendly, brings a bigger core component into the mix, and allows for asymmetries to be worked through, rather than around.
I know, I kind of copped out here and picked two.
Sue me.
Vertical Press
Athlete: Standing DB Press
Adult Athlete: Landmine Press OR Half Kneeling 1-Arm Bottoms Up Kettlebell Press
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ev9yVuAfeiY
I know a lot of people love the press done traditionally with a barbell, and I do too. If you put a gun to my head and ask me what my favorite vertical press for athletes is, I’m going with the dumbbell version, though.
Again, I don’t have any problems with barbell pressing, I just like the more natural rotation in the shoulders with dumbbells, and as we see more and more young athletes developing nasty forward head postures and stiff thoracic spines from all the phone and video game time, the dumbbells just seem to be a better fit.
Most adult athletes would benefit from spending the majority of their “overhead” work in a more “high incline” space, which the landmine allows. It all comes back to shoulder and thoracic spine health, and life just tends to cause us issues over time.
One caveat to this is the half kneeling bottoms up kettlebell press. The bottoms up bell triggers the rotator cuff to work to a greater degree, and the half kneeling position keeps from being able to use lower back extension as a replacement for the arm to move overhead.
I’ve seen a lot of people who couldn’t go overhead without pain, but the bottoms up press felt great, so it’ll depend on the individual here.
Chalk this up to cop out number two.
Horizontal Pull
Athlete: 1-Arm DB Row
Adult: TRX Inverted Row
DB rows should be a staple in every program, and especially so in those of our athletes. Building a big, strong back helps us obviously in sports, and helps to keep our shoulders strong and healthy as well.
I have no problem with doing these with adult athletes at all, I just like to slow down the tempo and try to get more out of less load. Body English tends to be a factor in these as the weight goes up, and even a little bit with someone who’s got a history of lower back crankiness can cause issues.
This is why I love TRX inverted rows for this population. They allow for a natural rotation on the shoulders, you can load them up with vests or elevate the feet, and people can generally do them more frequently than more traditional heavy rows.
Vertical Pull
Athlete: Heavy Chin Up
Adult Athlete: Ring Chins
Mike Boyle has talked in the past about how he likes athletes to have at least a 1-1 strength ratio of chin up strength to bench press strength to mitigate shoulder injuries, and I concur on that wholeheartedly.
When we start getting older, though, shoulder issues can lead to elbow soreness on chins, so if people have the ability to go overhead, I prefer they do their chins on rings for better shoulder mechanics, and if that’s still too much, X pulldowns are a great solution.
Much like landmine presses, they aren’t 100% overhead, but still get a lot of the benefits.
Core Anti Extension
Athlete: Medicine Ball Rollouts
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iYslVkCzvUk
Adult Athlete: Bodysaw
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ON54UuYBycc
Loading rollouts takes some creativity.
Sure you can use a vest, but eventually, when you’re wearing 2 or 3, they can get cumbersome and they’re a pain in the ass to take on and off between sets. I’ve found that using a heavy slam ball is a great way to continue challenging rollouts and it’s become my favorite variation.
Much like a lot of the other modifications, the overhead movement for the aging athlete can be problematic, so hammering bodysaws is my preference.
Locomotion
Carries are great, and there are a ton of variations on these, all of which are great. Farmer’s walks, suitcase carries, overhead walks, and the like all have their benefits, but I don’t think any of them quite give the same bang for the buck as heavy ass sled pushes.
There’s no eccentric component, so they’re great for people with knee issues, and give a huge single leg strength benefit. And since there’s no eccentric, they don’t need a ton of recovery, and can be used more frequently.
I’ve found that farmer’s walks, when done really heavy, can kind of fry people’s nervous systems more, so, while I use them frequently, if I had to choose, I’d go sleds.
Obviously, the issues that tend to limit our adult athletes are things that we want to address in our programming and improve upon, but we can still be safe and train hard given the circumstances, and not be relegated to endless hours of correctives and foo foo exercises.
Don’t stop challenging yourself or your clients, but keep them challenging in ways that make sense so they can keep excelling for many years to come.
About the Author
Scott Hansen is a Bostonian transplanted in Southern California, a strength/fitness/wrestling coach, educator, sub par surfer, and die hard New England sports fan.
He works with adult athletes, as well as an assistance wrestling coach and strength and conditioning coach for La Costa Canyon high school wrestling in Carlsbad, CA.
Today I wanted to share some quickie thoughts with regards to pull-up/chin-up programming. I firmly believe possessing the ability to perform a pull-up, if not multiple pull-ups, is one of the most rewarding and worthwhile achievements to accomplish in the weight-room.1
Pull-ups are a fantastic way to measure and gauge relative strength; I.e., your strength relative to your bodyweight.
Pull-ups are great for overall shoulder health; I.e., help to offset muscular imbalances and/or strength asymmetries from pressing too much.
Pull-ups make you look yoked.
Pull-ups don’t require expensive equipment to perform.
There are an infinite number of variations you can play around with.
Uh, if you ever find yourself climbing a mountain, pull-ups help you from falling off it.
When it comes to programming the pull-up/chin-up here are some things to consider.
1. All Rows Count
I think where a lot of trainees (and even coaches) go wrong is falling into the trap that in order for someone to perform their first pull-up/chin-up that they have to do pull-ups/chin-ups.
My friend Meghan Callaway did a great job of extolling why this is not necessarily the case in THIS post.
That said, I think all rowing movements count and should be utilized in this scenario.
Yes, specificity matters and takes precedent.
However, building pulling strength in general – incorporating row variations from varying angles with varying implements with varying set/rep schemes – is going to have a profound carryover for pretty much everyone.
What’s more, and as my other good friend, Bryan Krahn, has noted on several occasions…building a muscular physique can take years (if not decades).
As such, “its best to use joint friendly exercises as your training “cake” with other effective yet potentially problematic moves serving as “icing.”
When it comes to back training:
Cake: Rows (ALL FORMS <— seriously, use them all)
Icing: Pull-ups
Pull-ups can (not always) beat up people’s elbows – particularly when volume is cranked up and someone’s not prepared for it.
To that end, be intelligent and don’t downplay your rows.
2. Do More
Now, forget what I just said about volume.
I think one of the biggest mistakes I see most people make with their pull-up/chin-up programming is that they simply don’t train the pattern enough.
Most people will train their pull-up once, maybe twice per week.
This isn’t enough.
Strong First coach and pull-up badass, Artemis Scantalides, will often advocate a frequency of 4-5x per week.
To mirror what I mentioned above, though, when Artemis says 4-5x per week that includes a hodge-podge of ground based drills like push-ups and hollow holds, pull-up assistance drills such as band-assisted pull-ups, eccentric pull-ups, and flexed-arm hangs, in addition to TRX row variations or even hybrid drills like a Rack Pull-Up.
So, not just pull-ups/chin-ups.
Starting to catch a theme here?
One day may include nothing but Hollow Hold drills; the next Flexed Arm Hangs for time; and the next Band Assisted Pull-Ups.
Later in the week you toss in some high-rep TRX Rows.
All told that’s four separate “exposures” during one training week that either hit the pattern itself or have a favorable carryover. You can bet this will be a far superior and time efficient manner to finally conquer that pull-up/chin-up conundrum.
3. Easy Training Is Good Training
I’ve championed this saying before, but it bears repeating. I’d rather my clients leave the gym feeling refreshed and wanting more than feeling like the lost an arm-wrestling match to a tank.
That doesn’t even make any sense, which is precisely my point.
Neither does it make sense to train to failure every…single…set…of…every…single…day.
Missing reps routinely does you no favors. Straining, fighting, and clawing for every rep does you no favors.
By contrast, hitting your reps helps you. Ensuring the bulk of them are clean, “fast,” and performed with pristine technique helps you.
With regards to increasing the total number of pull-ups you can perform this is key. It’s called greasing the groove, and it works.
Lets say you can currently perform four pull-ups and you want to be able to do more. Stop TESTING the total number you can do and actually BUILD it.
Every few hours, perform HALF that number; in this case two.
This will ensure each rep is textbook. Jesus himself will weep because these reps will be so immaculate.
If you do this 4-5x per day that’s 8-10 immaculate pull-ups.
Over the course of a week that 56-70 immaculate pull-ups.
Over the course of a month that’s 216-280 wet dream inducing pull-ups.
You will be able to perform more than four pull-ups after all that.
If you’d like more similar insights on the topic I’d encourage you to pick up Meghan Callaway’s fantastic resource.
It’s impressive, thorough, and something she put a ton of work into. I can’t say enough good things about it.
Whether you’re a male, female, beginner, or elite lifter…this manual will have something to offer you. It’s currently on SALE for half-off the original price and the sale ends TONIGHT (10/27) at midnight.
We just returned from Slovenia where we taught the course to 40+ fitness professionals from across nine different countries. We received amazing feedback
With this iteration, though, we’ll be going a bit deeper into the coaching and programming side of things:
How to program around common injuries.
How to “connect” the appropriate exercises to the client/athlete.
How to squat and deadlift like a boss.
All who register will:
1. Receive free access to the digital version of the first series.
2. Receive 1.4 continuing education credits via the NSCA.
3. You also get a super secret bonus we won’t reveal until the weekend of. HINT: Attendees are blown away by how cool is is.1
I’ll be back in the city that never sleeps this Fall to put on my popular Coaching Competency workshop. Albeit this will be condensed version (five hours instead of seven); a fitness amuse bouche if you will.
Honestly a better title for this workshop would be: From Assessment to Profits.
I’ll go into detail on how to create better “buy in” with potential clients, in addition to creating a better (current) client experience.
Full details (itinerary, location, and cost) can be found HERE.
SOCIAL MEDIA SHENANIGANS
Twitter
Think of “novelty” exercises as the cherry on top of a sundae. Basics (squat, hinge, row, press, single leg, core, carry) = the ice cream. The ice cream is great. The ice cream is delicious, and will almost always get the job done even without the cherry.
If you’re someone who’s been struggling to get over the first pull-up conundrum, or someone who’s looking to take their pull-up prowess to the next level, to be blunt…
….the program is…the….shit.
Meghan has gone into superb detail with this resource and has added 40+ pages of additional content to the original version. I’ve used it with my own clients and I can vouch that it works.
It’s currently on SALE at 50% off the original price and it ends tomorrow (Saturday, 10/27).
You’ve got a little over 24 hours to take advantage.
Some are fun to do, while others make me want to voluntarily commit myself to Azkaban Prison. This most recent one I did with Vermont based strength coach, Casey Lee, definitely falls under the umbrella of the former.
I like a more casual, conversational approach. Sorta like two people hanging out and talking about whatever happens organically.
I also like chats that are short and to the point. I’m cool as shit, but no one – not even my mother – wants to listen to me talk for an hour.
This episode of “3 Things” is less than 30 minutes and Casey and I talk about everything from building a brand to dad life to Tiesto.
It’s common practice to think the only way to get better at performing pull-ups (especially more of them) is to only do pull-ups.
While specificity is important, there’s more than one way to Rome.
It’s today’s guest post by The Ultimate Pull-Up Program creator, Meghan Callaway, dives deep into some alternative exercises to add to your exercise repertoire.
If you’re looking for a baller (<— who isn’t?) program to help turn you into a pull-up Terminator than Meghan’s your coach. It’s incredibly thorough and has already helped thousands of people. It’s on SALE at a heavily discounted price this week and now includes 40+ pages of new content and material.
When it comes to excelling at pull-ups, many people have fallen prey to the mindset that in order for them to get better at pull-ups, they have to do pull-ups, and literally nothing but pull-ups. A lot of coaches even dole out this unhelpful advice.
Unfortunately, this shortsightedness has led countless people down a path of endless frustration, and has definitely driven a lot of extremely capable individuals to abort their pull-up mission before they have achieved their goal.
Make no mistake, pull-ups are an extremely technically demanding full body exercise that involve so much more than simply propelling the body to and from the bar.
In order to excel at pull-ups, you need to possess a strong upper body, be able to control the movement of your shoulders and shoulder blades, and generate enough tension and stability in your lumbo-pelvic region and lower body so you can maintain a body positioning that will help you travel to and from the bar as easily as possible.
Even if you aren’t able to perform a regular pull-up just yet, do not despair. There are many other components of the pull-up that can be trained.
The exercises I am about to describe are absolutely beneficial for individuals who can already perform one or many pull-ups. Without further ado, here are 5 of my favorite exercises for improving pull-up performance that don’t involve performing actual pull-ups.
While some of these exercises are unique, they are very effective.
#1) Inverted TRX/Ring Rows With Feet Elevated On Wall
Key Points:
Set your grip so your palms are facing away from you (pronated), and are slightly greater than shoulder width apart. You can also use a neutral grip where your palms are facing each other.
Place your feet up a wall. Make sure the TRX/rings is stable so it does not slide on you.
Set your body so your head, torso and hips are in a stacked position. Aim to keep your knees as straight as possible, but due to your feet being up the wall, you might need to keep your knees slightly bent.
Before you go, take a deep breath in (360 degrees of air around your spine), brace your core (360 degree brace around your spine), tuck your ribs towards your hips (close the space in your midsection), and squeeze your glutes. This will help stabilize your pelvis and spine.
Initiate the movement by using the muscles in your mid and upper back and bring each shoulder blade in towards the spine (retract). Do not initiate the movement with your arms. The main focus here is scapular retraction.
In the top position, do not allow your elbows to flare. If you are using a neutral grip, your elbows will be closer to your sides.
Lower yourself to the bottom position with control. During the lowering/eccentric component, do not keep your shoulder blades pinned. They are meant to move, and should perform the reverse movement (protraction) as they did during the ascending/concentric component.
In the bottom position, your elbows should be close to fully extended, but not hyperextended.
For the duration of the exercise, your head, torso and hips should remain in a stacked position. Do not allow your lower back to hyperextend, or ribcage to flare.
Exhale just after you have initiated the scapular movement and as your body is traveling towards the top position; you may inhale and “reset” as you are descending, or do a full reset when you are in the bottom position. Figure out what works and feels best for you.
Do not use momentum.
This innovative horizontal rowing exercise is more challenging than your traditional TRX/ring rows, including when the feet are elevated on a bench, box, or other surface. Like all inverted rowing variations, this exercise develops upper body strength, shoulder and scapular controlled mobility, and lumbo-pelvic stability.
Regression:
Make this exercise easier by walking your feet lower down the wall so your body is in more of a horizontal position, or by performing regular feet elevated rows, or rows where your feet are on the floor.
Progression:
Make this exercise more challenging by walking your feet higher up the wall so your body is in more of a decline position, or by performing negative reps and taking 3-5 seconds to lower yourself.
#2) Dead Bug With Single Arm Landmine Presses
This exercise combines dead bugs with single arm landmine presses, and develops lumbo-pelvic stability, shoulder and scapular controlled mobility, and to some extent, upper body strength. With the landmine presses, I was using a negative speed so I could maintain the slow tempo of the leg lowering.
Key Points:
Set up a barbell so it’s lengthwise and is in line with your armpit.
Lie on the floor. Lift up your legs so they are in a vertical position, straighten your knees, and point your feet towards you (dorsiflex). If you cannot fully extend your knees, or if you are unable to maintain proper form, you can keep your knees bent at a 90 degree angle. Make sure they remain at a 90 degree angle for the duration of the exercise.
Keep your chin tucked and neck in a neutral position, extend your arms so they are above your chest, and tuck your ribs towards your hips (close the space in your midsection).
Before you go, take a deep breath in (360 degrees of air around your spine). Now contract your anterior core muscles as hard as you can, and slowly ‘’row’’ the barbell down towards your body and simultaneously lower the leg that is on the same side of the body as the barbell, and to a range where you are able to maintain proper form. Return to the starting position.
As you are lowering your leg towards the floor and are lowering the barbell, I like to steadily exhale through the mouth. That being said, figure out what breathing works and feels best for you.
For the duration of the exercise, make sure the barbell stays in line with your armpit.
For the duration of the exercise, your head, torso and hips should remain in a stacked position. Do not allow your lower back to hyperextend, ribcage to flare, or pelvis to move.
Keep your legs relaxed so they do not dominate.
Make sure that your knee remains in a fixed position and that the movement occurs from your hip.
Pay attention that you are not “cheating” by using the muscles in your neck and/or upper body in place of the muscles of the anterior core.
You may also perform this movement by lowering the leg that is on the opposite side of your body as the barbell. While I chose to keep my non-working arm in a fixed vertical position, you may also lower your arm towards the floor while you simultaneously lower your leg and the barbell. This will be even more advanced.
Regression:
Make this exercise easier by using less resistance, by decreasing the range of the leg lowering, or by bending your knees.
Progression:
Make this exercise more challenging by using more resistance, by increasing the range of the leg lowering, or by lowering the non-working arm towards the floor versus keeping it in a fixed vertical position.
#3) Dumbbell Overhead Loaded Carries + Band Resisted Scapula Retraction
This unique loaded carry variation develops shoulder and scapular stability (both remain in a fixed position for the duration of the exercise), lumbo-pelvic stability, and to some extent, grip strength. With the addition of the band and the scapular retraction, you should really feel the muscles around your shoulder blades more than during traditional overhead loaded carries.
Key Points:
Place a resistance band around your wrists.
Grab a pair of dumbbells and press them into an overhead position. Once the dumbbells are in an overhead position, lightly press your wrists out against the band and draw your shoulder blades in towards your spine (retract). Maintain this position for the duration of the exercise.
Now perform a loaded carry and walk 25-50 meters.You can either walk in a straight line, or walk halfway and turn around.
For the duration of the exercise, your head, torso and hips should remain in a stacked position, and your hips should remain level. Do not allow your lower back to hyperextend, ribcage to flare, or body to lean to the side.
Make sure that you press evenly through all of your toes on the side that is pushing off, and maintain a tripod base on the side that is planted (weight on the mid to back of the foot and toes in contact with the floor, especially the big and baby toes).
Figure out what breathing works and feels best for you.
Regression:
Make this exercise easier by using lighter weights, or by using a band with less tension.
Progression:
Make this exercise more challenging by using heavier weights, or by using a band with more tension.
#4) Band Resisted Scapula Pull-Ups
Scapula pull-ups are a great pull-up specific regression that develop shoulder and scapular controlled mobility, lumbo-pelvic stability, and grip strength. Adding in the band resistance challenges the muscles that control the movement of the shoulder blades even more.
Key Points:
Place a resistance band around your wrists.
Grab onto the bar and adopt your preferred hand width. While I prefer going just outside of shoulder width apart, figure out what works and feels best for you.
Adopt a slight hollow body position. Your head, torso and hips should be in a stacked position, your knees fully extended, and feet crossed one over the other and dorsiflexed. If you don’t have the space to fully extend your legs, keep your knees bent, and feet behind you.
Now lightly press your wrists out against the band and maintain this tension for the duration of the exercise.
Before each rep, take a deep breath in (360 degrees of air around the spine), brace the core (360 degree brace around the spine), tuck your ribs towards the hips, squeeze your glutes, and contract your quads.
Now initiate the movement by using the muscles in your mid and upper back and draw each shoulder blade in towards the spine and down towards the opposite hip. Do not perform the movement by pulling with your arms. As you do so, your body should elevate a slight amount. Once you reach the top position, pause for a count and return to the starting position.
During the lowering component, do not keep your shoulder blades pinned. They are meant to move, and should perform the reverse movements as they did during the ascending portion of the movement.
In the bottom position, your elbows should be close to fully extended (but not hyperextended).
For the duration of the exercise, your head, torso and hips should remain in a stacked position. Do not allow your lower back to hyperextend, or ribcage to flare. Also, do not allow your elbows to move. This is a telltale sign that you’ve performed the movement by pulling with your arms.
Do not use any momentum.
I prefer to exhale immediately after I have initiated the scapular movement and as my body is elevating, and I will inhale as my body is returning to the starting position. Figure out what breathing works and feels best for you.
For the duration of the exercise, do not allow the band to lose tension.
Regression:
Make this exercise easier by using a band with less tension, or by using no band.
Progression:
Make this exercise more challenging by using a band with more tension, or by performing negative reps and taking 3-5 seconds to perform the lowering component of the movement.
#5) Scapula Push-Ups From A Bear Crawl Position
This extremely challenging exercise develops shoulder and scapular controlled mobility, and lumbo-pelvic stability.
Key Points:
Get into a bear crawl position. Your head, torso and hips should be in a stacked position, your thighs in a vertical position, knees several inches above the floor, and hands directly below your shoulders. Spread your fingers and pretend to suction or screw them to the floor.
Before each rep, take a deep breath in (360 degrees of air around the spine), brace the core (360 degree brace around the spine), tuck your ribs towards the hips, and squeeze your glutes.
Now perform the movement by drawing your shoulder blades in towards your spine (retract). As you do so, your body will lower towards the floor. After you hit a range where you are able to maintain proper form, perform the reverse movement with your shoulder blades and move them away from your spine (protract) and press your body away from the floor.
For the duration of the exercise, your head, torso and hips should remain in a stacked position. Do not allow your lower back to hyperextend, ribcage to flare, torso or hips to rotate, weight to shift from foot to foot, or hips to collapse or pike.
Regression:
Make this exercise easier by performing the exercise in a regular plank position, or by performing the modified variation where the body is in a regular plank position and the hands are elevated on a box, bench, or other surface.
Progression:
Make this exercise more challenging by adding band resistance, by performing negative reps and taking 3-5 seconds to perform the lowering component of the movement, or by performing the single arm variation.
If you want to become an OG of pull-up badassery you’d be hard pressed to find another coach more knowledgable on the topic than Meghan Callaway.
In short: she’s the shit.
Plus, you know, she’s a little bit obsessed with pull-ups. My brain doesn’t operate like hers and another reason why I appreciate her so much is because she’s willing to challenge conventional wisdom and think outside the box.
Her Ultimate Pull-Up Program is excellent and a great fit for anyone – XX chromosome or not – looking to either perform their first pull-up or many.
I’ve used the program with several of my own clients and have seen excellent results. This is an UPDATED version of the program and Meghan’s added 40+ pages of additional content and upgrades.
It’s currently on SALE and you’re silly if you pass on this; especially if you’re a coach interested in getting your clients results.
Maybe I should do a 30-day series on Instagram and cover something cool?
30 Favorite Pictures of My Cat?
30 Days of Omelets?
No, no, no…30 Days of Jason Bourne Fight Scene Reenactments?1
As you can tell, I didn’t go with any of those choices. But if you want me to let me know.
I went with deadlifts.
And I took 30 – admittedly not in a row – days to cover everything from technique tips and troubleshooting ideas to program design and different deadlift variations I like.
It was a huge hit and people seemed to get a lot out of it. And it just so happens T-Nation reached out and asked if they could publish the series on their site.
Days 1-10 were posted today and they include all the videos I filmed in addition to some added (written) commentary.
I’m currently in Ljubljana, Slovenia. I’m here teaching the (Even More) Complete Shoulder & Hip Blueprint with my brother from another mother, Dean Somerset.
Man, this is a beautiful country. I mean, take a look at THIS. (<— FYI, not a pic of my biceps).
Anyhoo, we’re taking a brief hiatus from walking around and I figured I’d post a quick Stuff to Read post.
….It’s the (Even More) Complete Shoulder & Hip Blueprint.
A bunch of wordsmiths we are.
With this iteration, though, we’ll be going a bit deeper into the coaching and programming side of things:
How to program around common injuries.
How to “connect” the appropriate exercises to the client/athlete.
How to squat and deadlift like a boss.
Los Angeles, CA – November 17-18th. (<— EARLY BIRD rate still in affect)
All registrants to this course (as well as future dates in 2019 in Detroit, Philadelphia, Edmonton, Minas Tirith) will receive a free download of CSHB 1.0 so that you’re up-to-speed on the content Dean and I will be covering.
I’ll be back in the city that never sleeps this Fall to put on my popular Coaching Competency workshop.
Albeit this will be condensed version (five hours instead of seven); a fitness amuse bouche if you will.
EARLY BIRD RATE ends next week.
Full details (itinerary, location, and cost) can be found HERE.
SOCIAL MEDIA SHENANIGANS
Twitter
You don’t HAVE to squat, deadlift, bench press, row, OLY lift, powerlift, do Turkish get-ups till you’re blue in face, participate in bodybuilding or CrossFit in order to see results.
All are fine, none are the “x” factor.
You DO need to train with INTENT and with purpose.
If you work with women the odds are you have a number who, whether you’re attune to this information or not – have negative feelings about their body, their sexuality, and/or have been assaulted.
NOTE FROM TG: I’m traveling this week – in Europe (if you live Munich, Ljubljana, or Vienna hit me up) – and figured I’d take the opportunity to re-purpose some old content.
This week I’m stealing an idea from Eric Cressey. It’s cool though. When we were both bachelors and lived together back in 2005-2007 he used to steal a teaspoon here and there out of my peanut butter jar all the time.
It takes a bit of courage and moxy for someone to be so transparent and admit when he or she is wrong. And for whatever reason, compared to other professions, seemingly, the strength and conditioning community has a really, really, really hard time admitting when it’s wrong.
And I shouldn’t toss the whole industry under the bus. That’s unfair and shortsighted. But I’d be remiss not to say there are a fair number of people within the industry who are stubborn and refuse to admit when they’re wrong.
I mean all you have to do is spend ten minutes on Facebook and you’ll come across any number of petty arguments and dick measuring contests as to who’s right. The steady state cardio crowd argues with the HIIT crowd. The total calories are the only thing that counts crowd argues with the IIFYM (If It Fits Your Macros) crowd. The strength coaches argue with the yoga instructors. The powerlifters argue with the bodybuilders. And everyoneargues with the CrossFitters.
And NO ONE admits when they’re wrong. Ever.
It’s like the ultimate starring contest…..
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bAvU64ciKuo
Which is why I felt Eric’s post was so refreshing and something that NEEDED to be said. It’s actually okay to admit when you’re wrong. You’re not going to get stoned and the Mayan Apocalypse isn’t going to start.
All the cool kids are doing it.
And I’d even go so far as to say that admitting when you’re wrong is mandatory for personal growth and development.1
Unless your name is Gandalf or Dan John you can’t expect to be right 100% of the time. Admitting when you’re wrong takes balls (and ovaries!), and I feel most people respect those who are confident enough to accept that they’re not infallible more so than those who pretend to be know it alls.
Which brings me to the other three words.
When I was in London last fall for a workshop I was teaching, I had a few days to walk around and take in the sights and sounds.
I LOOOOOOOVED London. It was my first trip to Europe, and being a nerdy history buff I was excited to see many of the historical landmarks and architecture that you just don’t come across here in the states. You know, like a 10-11th century castle (The Tower of London) right smack dab in the middle of a city:
Moreover it was bit of a culture shock to have people smile at you and say “good morning.” Likewise, it was equally “shocking” to get used to some of the British slang.
Me: “Can you point me in the direction of Trafalgar Square?”
Brit: “You’d be bloody barmy to go there this time of day. If you fancy it and you’re full of beans, I’d suggest the South Bank. Cheerio. Spot of tea. Winston Churchhill.”
Me: “Uhhhhh, I don’t know?”
Facetiousness aside, this was an easy example of a time where I wasn’t scared to say the words, I don’t know (what you’re saying!)
Or take a few weeks ago when Lisa and I were down in Florida and we met with our wedding planner.
Lisa: “Babe, which DJ did you like better?”
Me: “I don’t know.”
Lisa: “Babe, do you want a photo booth during the reception?”
Me: “I don’t know.”
Lisa: “Babe, which table cover do you like best?”
Me: “I don’t know.”
Lisa: “Babe, I swear to god I’m going to punch you in the mouth if you say “I don’t know” one more time.”
Me: “I don’t kn…..wait, huh? OWWWWWWWWWWWWW.”
The point is, there are plenty of incidences in everyday life where we don’t tip-toe around the phrase I don’t know.
Yet in the strength and conditioning world those three words are almost considered taboo. It’s as if admitting you don’t know the answer to something is cause for handing in your man-card.
And that’s unfortunate.
I’d like to think I know the answer to most gym-related things I’m asked…but even on the off-chance I’m flummoxed, I’m not afraid to say it……..
I don’t know
If anything I think the person asking respects the admission MORE than if I tried to pawn off some BS diatribe.
What’s more, I come across as a jerk if, down the road, the person finds out the actual answer and realizes I just made something up on the fly. How am I supposed to build trust – and more importantly, integrity – as a fitness professional if I’m pretending to know the answers?
Listen: It’s impossible to be an “expert” in everything. Ask me how to deadlift, and I’m your man. Ask me to explain the Kreb’s Cycle and you’ll get nothing but crickets chirping.
That said, I do feel it’s in every fitness professional’s best interests to own a niche or topic. Cressey Sports Performance owns baseball training. Mark Fisher Fitness owns Broadway. Molly Galbraith, Nia Shanks, and Joy Victoria own female training. John Romaniello owns fat-loss (and dick jokes). Jon Goodman owns personal trainer development. And I could go on and on with examples.
This isn’t to say that none of the above don’t have experience outside their niche – they absolutely do!
But I guarantee they’re not afraid to say “I don’t know” and are willing to 1) own it, 2) say something along the lines of “give me some time and I’ll find the answer for you,” and/or 3) point people in the direction of someone within their network who DOES have the answer.
Rule of Thumb: don’t pretend to be something you’re not. Accepting your limitations as a fitness professional – and saying I don’t know – is just as valuable as being able to regurgitate all the insertions and origins of every muscle…..in Elvish.
Both are impressive. But it’s the former that separates many of the good trainers and coaches from the great ones.
NOTE FROM TG: I’ll be traveling in Europe for the next ten days and figured this would be a nice opportunity to repurpose some old content that may have been missed the first time around.
1) If you didn’t read this the first time I posted it all I have to say is “pfffffft, whatever.”
Understandably, the title of this post suggests some nefarious agenda where my goal is to spend the next few minutes explaining why we’ve had it all wrong the entire time.
“You mean to tell us, Tony, there’s a chance compound movements don’t make people stronger?”
“What’s next: telling us water isn’t wet, the Earth isn’t round, the zombie apocalypse won’t happen?”
Relax. Deep breaths.
Just so people don’t think I’ve lost my marbles or are already tapping away on their keyboard drafting their hate mail before actually reading what I have to say below….the short answer to the title of this post is:
“Yes, I do feel compound (multi-joint) movements – think: deadlift, squat, bench press, rows, overhead midget pressing – make people into beasts, and should lay the foundation for any well-rounded strength training program.”
However, I fear many trainees (and coaches) often fall into the same trap where we’re programmed into thinking compound movements, and onlycompound movements, should be utilized 100% of the time…no exceptions.
A thousand years of no gainz and incessant internet trolling to the person caught using the leg curl machine or, the horror, performs a few sets of tricep kickbacks.
Shut Up
No, really…shut up.
Of COURSE compound movements make you strong(er). If you want to get strong, it only makes sense to perform those movements which will allow you to use the most weight and force the body into a state of adaptation to get strong.
Granted a lot of other things need to fall into place in order for “strong” to happen. Just because you place a barbell on your back and meander up and down doesn’t mean you’re the second coming of Ed Coan.
Technique, frequency of training, addressing weaknesses, technique, and technique consistent progressive overload all need to be taken into consideration.
What’s more, if strength is the goal – particularly with the big 3– compound/multi-joint movements performed in low(er) rep ranges (1-5) is kind of important.
Why?
Cliff Notes Version: Lifting maximal weight has a number of effects:
1. Maximal number of motor units are recruited.
2. Fastest MU’s are activated (high-threshold motor units).
3. The discharge frequency (rate coding) is increased.
4. Activity is synchronous – both inter and intra-muscularly.
5. Potential for future hypertrophy gains (especially when you revert back to a “hypertrophy” specific training phase).
6. While some argue whether or not the research is efficacious – it goes both ways – lifting heavy things helps to increase serum Testosterone levels.
7. Girls will want to hang out with you (<=== it’s science).
But It’s Not All PRs and Butterfly Kisses
While all the above is true, focusing solely on compound movements (and lifting maximal weight all the time) does have its pitfalls.
1). There’s an inherent likelihood of increased wear and tear on the joints over time (Yes, even with “good” technique).
2). Compound movements = produce/accumulate more fatigue (particularly neural fatigue). And if it’s not managed appropriately, one may see a decrease in strength/performance over time.
And finally, something not many people consider:
3). We’re Really Good at Compensating.
You may have noticed that I drilled the idea of “technique” earlier. It’s that important.
As a coach I find many people are unable to express their true fitness/strength level due to faulty joint positions (misalignment, such as excessive lumbar extension/APT), and, honestly, not “earning the right” to increase load.
I.e., they haven’t performed enough reps at “x” weight in order to go up.
To that end, drilling technique – and respecting each individual’s anthropometry – is always going to be of paramount importance.
Due to our ability to compensate well, the likelihood you’re leaving poundages in the tank are very high.
As well, when we start talking accessory movements, I’m always in the camp which takes the approach they should generally be used to address some form of technique flaw or weakness with the main lift in question.
For Example
If someone is struggling with their deadlifts off the floor – meaning, they’re super slow – some viable accessory movements to address this would be:
1). Limiting tap-n-go reps (bouncing off the floor).
2). Deficit pulls (2-3″ elevated) to generate more quadricep recruitment.
3). More squat variations such as Safety Squat Bar squats and front squats (again, to generate more quadricep recruitment).
4). Anderson Squat – performed from a deadstart, emulating one’s deadlift stance.
Note: Notice my hip placement above. When I was pulling conventional style (the video is four years old) this variation of Anderson squat very much mirrored my deadlift stance, which carried over well.
Back To My Point
Oh yeah, my point.
Listen, it’s okay to perform isolation work or more bodybuilding-specific exercises. A more “hybrid” approach – strength and hypertrophy – is going to bode well for most people anyways.
Case in point: my bench press sucks. There are days where I’d rather wash my face with broken glass than bench press.
One of the things my coach – Greg Robins – has been implementing into my programs of late is more isolation work to address muscular issues.
Think about it: expressing strength is (mostly) about generating force. Hoisting big weights helps in this regard. However, a bigger muscle – almost always – is going to produce more force than a smaller one.
Indeed, I’ve been hammering away at my bench press technique – even implementing accessory movements like paused bench presses and Spoto Presses to address my weaknesses.
But guess what? Lately – for the past two blocks of training – I’ve been performing a TON of dumbbell chest flyes. You know, those “wimpy” things guys use to train their chest cleavage.
Funnily enough my bench press has seen it’s best jump in a while since incorporating more isolation type work for the pecs and triceps.
Too, my DL has gone up since tossing in some leg extensions; and I have to assume the chest flyes play a role too…;o)
Read: It’s not only about compound movements. Don’t be so dogmatic.
True, they serve as the staple for any strength-based program…but try not to neglect the importance of choosing the correct accessory work – even if it’s isolation exercises – to compliment your goals.
Scott Hansen is a Bostonian transplanted in Southern California, a strength/fitness/wrestling coach, educator, sub par surfer, and die hard New England sports fan.
