CategoriesStuff to Read While You're Pretending to Work

Stuff to Read While You’re Pretending to Work: 1/31/20

Copyright: olegdudko / 123RF Stock Photo

BUT FIRST…I’M LIKE, REALLY, REALLY IMPORTANT

(Things I’ve appeared in, places I’m going, you know, important stuff)

1. (Even More) Complete Shoulder & Hip Blueprint – Athens, Greece: Saturday, Feb 29th & Sunday, March 1st, 2020

It’s official: This marks the sixth year in a row Dean Somerset and I are presenting together. We’re so excited to be coming to Athens to kickstart 2020.

2. Coaching Competency Workshop – London, UK: Sunday, March 8, 2020

3. Strategic Strength Workshop – Detroit, MI: April 5, 2020

This will be my first ever workshop in the region!

I’m expecting ticker tape parades.

4. Strategic Strength Workshop – Washington, DC: May 17, 2020

SOCIAL MEDIA SHENANIGANS

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DEADstart Rows. . I have a crush on them. . ✅ I like the “stretch” in the bottom position, when the arm is straightened out, because it allows the shoulder blade (or scapula for any nerds reading) to move AROUND the rib cage. . This is a game changer for overall shoulder health. . ✅ The path should be more of an arc rather than a straight up and down movement. I like to use the cue “bring your elbow to the hip or back pocket.” . ✅ Notice, too, how my client, @lollercoaster24 , STOPS her elbow at the hip and doesn’t go further? . Going past that point doesn’t make the exercise better or more effective, and in fact ensures the shoulder doesn’t “dump forward” into scapular anterior tilt. . ✅ I’m indifferent when it comes to knees on or off the bench, but if I had to choose I’d choose off as it keeps the hips in better alignment and provides an added core stability component (just be sure not to over arch the lower back). . ✅ SIDE NOTE: For an added core component have your clients/athletes perform while on the balls of their feet. Tip courtesy of @melanieredd1 . . Those with a keen eye will notice my client is letting go of the handle at the bottom of each rep. . I’d like to sit here and say there’s a legitimate reason and rationale for it. . Like it helps increase muscle activation by 87% or that it influences the procreation habits of butterflies. 🦋 . Alas, my bad. I just wasn’t paying good enough attention while filming. . I prefer a firm grip throughout. . Nonetheless, awesome exercise and SICK song in the background.

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STUFF TO READ WHILE YOU’RE PRETENDING TO WORK

“How Often Should I Do This?” How to Answer the Homework Question – Dean Somerset

We’re not talking algebra here.

Nope, this article refers to the “homework” (or drills and exercises) we trainers and coaches give our clients to do at home that help address stuff they need to work on more whether it be motor control. stability, bad breath, etc.

5 Unfriendly Low Back Exercises That Are Actually Good For Your Spine – Lana Sova

Relax: No crunches were harmed in the writing of this article.

Conditioning for Beginners – Mike Perry

You need “to earn your conditioning exercise.” Meaning, conditioning doesn’t have to revolve around near death experiences.

For beginners the main goal is for conditioning exercise to be safe, effective, but still allows them to work hard.

Read this article.

CategoriesMotivational Program Design

Top 4 Mistakes Beginners Make When Starting a Fitness Program. And How to Fix Them

I’m stuck in the midst of an avalanche of entrepreneurial shenanigans this week, so apologies for the lack of content on my end.

I do, however, have a first-class guest post from TG.com regular contributor, Shane McLean today discussing some common mistakes many beginners make in pursuing their health/fitness goals. But unlike a lot of articles with the same theme that go on and on and (and on) about what people do wrong, he actually provides some simple strategies to address things.

Enjoy!

NOTE: Be sure to check below for a special (and FREE) 4-week program offer from Shane.

Copyright: ramain / 123RF Stock Photo

4 Mistakes Beginners Make When Starting a Fitness Program (and How to Fix Them)

Starting something is easy.

This is evidenced by the crowds that pour into every gym after January 1st.And how many of these people are still in the gym after February 1st?

Probably not a lot.

They realize that a year’s worth of debauchery is not undone in four weeks, no matter what Dr. Oz says.

No cleanse, no magic exercise, no magic pill or diet will undo all that unhealthy living.

Like anything worth doing, it takes time and patience.

If this sounds anything like you (or a friend) here are some other mistakes (besides impatience and listening to Dr Oz.) you need to watch out for when starting out your fitness quest.

And if you recognize them and made them before, here’s what to do about it so you don’t do it again. Because learning from your mistakes is a good thing.

And learning about a potential mistake (before you make it) is even better.

1. Changing Too Many Habits at Once

When you’re first starting, your gun-ho to get this show on the road.

You want to hit the gym four, no, five days a week.

You throw away your junk food and buy all the fruits and vegetables.

And you vow to drink more water and less soda. However, the more you try to change, the less those changes stick according to Leo Babauta, the author of ‘The Power of Less.’

He states:

“In order to create a sustainable habit, you need to address one habit at a time.”

His research tells us that you will have an 85% success rate adopting one new habit at a time. Trying to change two habits at once the success rate to 33%.

That’s a huge drop off.

Trying to change more than one habit at a time is more likely to lead to failure than success.

What to do instead

  1. Start small– Most people want to create big change as quickly as possible. For example, if you’re trying to lose weight start with drinking a glass of water before each meal

 

  1. Get hooked on your habit- That’s the point. It takes a little while to make it a habit to stick. Don’t worry if you miss a day. Just don’t miss twice. The only way to fail is to quit.

2. You Think Rome Was Built in a Day

Following from above, because you’re making all these changes at once you (may) expect instant success. You feel the weight should fly off and the scale and mirror become your best friends.

Hold your horses.

Usually, it takes 4-6 weeks to see any visible changes in your body. During this time your nervous system, ligaments and tendons are getting used to the exercise you’re throwing at them.

They’re all busy making new connections and getting stronger.  Once this period is over, you’ll start seeing some changes when you flex in the mirror. The trick here is to stick it out and be patient.

Because it doesn’t happen overnight, but it will happen.

 

What to do instead

Realize it took you awhile to get here and it’s going to take some time to turn this ship around.

You need to celebrate the small wins along the way. Even if you walked for an extra 10 minutes or did an extra rep of an exercise, give yourself a pat on the back. This helps keep you going.

3. Making Vanity Your Only Reason

Self-improvement for whatever reason is a worthy pursuit.

The trick here is to keep it going and to find your why outside of vanity.

For example, training for a 5 k or bending over to pick up your kids without pain.

Because when vanity is your only reason and if your results dry to a trickle, it’s easier to give up and listen to your thoughts that are saying this exercise thing isn’t for you.

That’s why it’s important to find your WHY.

Because when you have a deeper reason for your health outside of vanity, you’re more likely to keep going.

What to do instead

Spend some time in self-reflection and ask yourself the 5 whys.

Here’s an example.

Why do you want to exercise? To lose weight.

Why do you want to lose weight?  Because I don’t like the way I look.

Why don’t you like the way you look? Because I’m 35 pounds overweight.

Why is losing 35 pounds important to you? Because I’m pre diabetic, have low energy and I can’t keep up with my kids anymore.

Why is keeping up with your kids important? Because they’re young and I want to be a better parent to them for as long as possible.

Boom. Now you do the same.

4. NOT Asking for Help

When everything is shiny and motivation is at an all-time high, exercise is easier. You’re going to the gym consistently; you’re eating better and you’re looking sexier.

Everything is going to plan until you hit a roadblock.

It could take the form of:

  • A fat loss plateau
  • Your hours increase at work
  • Your caregiver duties increase because of sickness
  • You get hurt or injured
  • Life and all it entails 😊
  • Bears. What out for those jerks.

Then you either think power through it or you begin to drop off your good habits, little by little. Either way, reaching your goals is more difficult.

But you still got this, right?

What to do instead

I’m all about making it easier, (on myself and clients) not harder. This is why I enlist the help of a friend and coach to write my programs. Because a trainer who has himself as a trainer has a fool for a client.

Please make it easier for yourself by asking for help.

This may take the form of asking the trainer at your gym for tips to work around an injury or exercising when you have limited time. Enlisting help from your spouse or loved ones, so you carve out a little time for yourself for health purposes.

Because when you don’t ask, the answer is always no.

Wrapping Up

Starting something is easy. The follow through and the ability to keep going is more difficult. Especially when things are not going your way.

But, the only way to fail is to quit. And you’re no quitter, right?

Do you need help with your exercise, getting started or overcoming roadblocks to be your best self?

Download my 4-week program here to get you on the road to better health.

About the Author

Shane “Balance Guy” McLean, is an A.C.E Certified Personal Trainer working deep in the heart of Louisiana with the gators.

CategoriesStuff to Read While You're Pretending to Work

Stuff to Read While You’re Pretending to Work: 1/24/20

Copyright: olegdudko / 123RF Stock Photo

BUT FIRST…I’M LIKE, REALLY, REALLY IMPORTANT

(Things I’ve appeared in, places I’m going, you know, important stuff)

1. (De)-Constructing the Deadlift & Squat – Stoneham, MA: Sunday, January 26, 2020

** THIS WEEKEND. Some seats still available if you’re bored…;o)

I’m teaming up with Brad Cox of ACUMobility for this 6-hour workshop where we’ll discuss hip assessment and, you guessed it…

keto recipes deadlifts and squats.

What will be unique about this workshop is the two perspectives we’ll bring to the table; myself as a strength coach in addition to Brad’s background in sports medicine and orthopedics.

EARLY BIRD rate ends in two weeks.

2. (Even More) Complete Shoulder & Hip Blueprint – Athens, Greece: Saturday, Feb 29th & Sunday, March 1st, 2020

It’s official: This marks the sixth year in a row Dean Somerset and I are presenting together. We’re so excited to be coming to Athens to kickstart 2020.

3. Coaching Competency Workshop – London, UK: Sunday, March 8, 2020

4. Strategic Strength Workshop – Detroit, MI: April 5, 2020

This will be my first ever workshop in the region!

I’m expecting ticker tape parades.

SOCIAL MEDIA SHENANIGANS

Twitter

Instagram

 

View this post on Instagram

 

Lower Back Sparing Tip: STAGGERED STANCE. . Left pic: A common “end result” when I watch people perform an overhead press; excessively arching their lower back. . The culprit can be a few things. . 1️⃣ Tight/short lats. . 2️⃣ Weak anterior core. . 3️⃣ “Stuck” in an extension pattern (pigging back on #1). . 4️⃣ Eating gluten. . 5️⃣ Poor technique. . It can be many things, actually. But before I attempt to address anything nefarious and get lost in the weeds in corrective exercise purgatory I’ll try two things: . 1. Simply tell the person to brace their abdominals and squeeze their glutes (it’s miraculous how those two cues clean up a lot of eye wash). . 2. Encourage a staggered stance (right pic), which makes it a bit harder to crank through the lower back. . Nothing fancy or sexy. . However, it works quite well.

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STUFF TO READ WHILE YOU’RE PRETENDING TO WORK

5 Reasons You’re Not Making Gains in the Gym (and How to Fix Them) – Sivan Fagan

I always appreciate Sivan’s “no BS” approach and, well, she;’s pretty diesel…

…so you should listen to what she has to say.

Causality, Correlation or Just Coincidence – Luke Worthington

Before you say something asinine like “performing bicep curls blindfolded will increase your Tinder compatibility by 117%” you should read this post by my good friend Luke first.

The Most Dangerous Gym Equipment of All Time – Nick Tumminello

Nick doesn’t cover what you think an article titled as such covers.

Great stuff as always.

Categoriesmindset

Trashing the Word Can’t: Why It’s Either You Will, or You Won’t

Today’s guest post comes courtesy of TG.com fan-favorite, Justin Kompf. And by “fan-favorite” I mean his one fan, his mom.

Just kidding.

Justin’s my good friend, occasional training partner, and has written a ton of content for this site, but it’s been awhile…

…and I was excited to see this article waiting in my inbox this morning. The title of the email was “really, really good blog,” and, begrudgingly (because Justin is the opposite of modest when it comes to E.V.E.R.Y.T.H.I.N.G), I have to admit, he was right.

It’s superb.

Copyright: rawpixel / 123RF Stock Photo

Trashing the Word Can’t: It’s Either You Will or You Won’t

Only twice in my life have I deadlifted 600 pounds.

I cannot do that now. There remains a plethora of other feats that I cannot do. I cannot run a five-minute mile. I cannot bench double my body weight and I cannot jump four feet in the air.

However, I certainly can deadlift, I can run, I can bench press, and I can jump.

Saying you cannot do a behavior is like saying you cannot ask out a person you like. You can, but for any number of reasons, you’re just not going to.

In fitness, there are outcome goals and there are process goals. Process goals lead to outcome goals. Deadlifting, the process goal, leads to the 600-pound deadlift, the outcome goal. Reducing calories, the process goal, leads to a lower body fat percentage, the outcome goal. Processes cause outcomes.

Outcome goals are not plausible in the here and now.

You cannot achieve them now because they are in the future, and often far away. Process goals are here and now, and they are plausible.

You can do them today.

For process goals, cannot is often a misused word.

It sets up a false narrative that allows for stagnation. Yes, with 100% confidence you can go to the gym and lift. Yes, with 100% confidence you can eat vegetables. Once cannot and can are used properly and the right words are used instead (“I don’t want to”, “I don’t feel like it”) you can actually move forward to different options or maintain the status quo.

Your choice.

A Clear-Cut Definition of Can and Cannot

Any student who has spent a semester in an introductory psychology class has inevitably heard of the importance of self-efficacy, a person’s confidence in their abilities to execute a task. Confidence in abilities plays a pivotal role in whether a behavior is initiated. For example, even if I wanted to Salsa dance tonight, I couldn’t because I don’t have the skills to do so.

I could dance or move my body in a way that someone may be able to make an educated guess that I am dancing. But it’s not Salsa.

In a 2016 paper, Ryan Rhodes, a researcher out of the University of Victoria, dived into how can and cannot are misinterpreted. Participants were asked to rate their confidence that they could do resistance training two times per week for at least 20 minutes on a graded percent scale where 0% meant cannot do at all and 100% meant definitely can do.

After they recorded their answers can and cannot were properly explained.

Cannot was described in a similar way to my 600-pound deadlift or 5-minute mile example. No matter how hard I try, I would have no confidence that I can run a 5-minute mile. Can was explained similarly to the asking a crush out example.

The capabilities are there, you just aren’t going to do it.

Once can and cannot were properly explained, confidence values for resistance training increased. Nothing really changed though, other than the understanding of the word can. They realized they could do it; that is, they have the capabilities.

Prior to the explanation capabilities were considered the same as motivation. Stated otherwise, they had the capability; they just weren’t motivated.

There we have it, can and cannot.

If you have done resistance training or exercised within the last year even once, you certainly can do it. If you have had a single bite of broccoli you can eat vegetables. While the skill set may not be there to do a back squat or make a ratatouille casserole you certainly can do a leg press and put baby carrots into your mouth. It just might be hard, but entirely doable.

Moving on, it’s best to trash the words “can’t” and “cannot.”

What Can I Do That I Am Willing to Do?

As a disclaimer, there are real “cannots.”

You cannot do a back squat unless you have a gym membership or a squat rack. Nor can you go for a run without running shoes.

Limitations are real but only exclude a small percent of us from exercise and improvement.

“What can I do?” is going to be the first question, immediately followed by “what am I willing to do?”

Goals necessitate a willingness for change. An opportunity-cost will always exist in a change effort. What am I willing to give up to get what I want? Drinking 30 beers a week is counterproductive to a weight loss goal. If you are lifting weights for 90 minutes you cannot simultaneously be watching Netflix on your couch for 90 minutes.

Opportunities have a cost.

If you’re not willing to give on anything, be honest with yourself, it’s a motivation issue not a capability issue. If you’re willing to give on something, then it’s time to design your change menu.

Design Your Change Menu

Your change menu is composed of what you can do AND what you are willing to do. If you don’t know how to do certain exercises it can’t be on your menu.

Your menu would need to say “learn how to do X,Y,X” instead.

via GIPHY

If you don’t know how to write your own fitness program you cannot say “write my own fitness program.” It needs to be “hire someone to write my program” or “hire someone to teach me to write a program.”

If you can do it, what are you willing to do? How much time are you willing to dedicate to it? Are you willing to go faster? To lift heavier?

If you can run, what are you willing to do? How far, how fast, how many days?

If you can lift, what are you willing to do? What exercises, how long, how many days?

We often have lofty fitness goals, abstract visions of six pack futures, jaw dropping physiques.

For the most part we are entirely capable of doing the things that would lead us to get there.

  • We can cut calories.
  • We can push ourselves to lift heavier, to accumulate greater training volume, to learn new exercises.
  • We can persist year in and year out.

Match your goals to what you are willing to put on your change menu.

I realize it’s just vernacular, but it’s words that tell us the story we follow. It’s rarely an issue of if you can do it. Arguably, most reasonable fitness goals can be chipped away at with time and persistence. It’s all a matter of picking what you can do right now and choosing goals that match what you are willing to do.

About the Author

Justin Kompf is doctoral student studying exercise and health sciences. He is a personal trainer in Boston at CLIENTEL3.

You can follow Justin here and here.

(He’s obsessed with his girlfriend’s dog).

CategoriesExercises You Should Be Doing Uncategorized

Exercises You Should Be Doing: This Is One That Will Make Your Shoulders Feel Better

When it comes to overall shoulder health there are a bevy of factors to consider:

  • Rotator cuff strength
  • Tissue quality
  • Overuse
  • Programming balance
  • Even exercise technique (and how joints are loaded)

All are important and things I consider myself when working with a new client who’s shoulder isn’t feeling great. However, there’s one “thing” that’s often overlooked in lieu of all the above:

  • Can the shoulder blade move freely on the ribcage?
Copyright: christinkls / 123RF Stock Photo

The Key to Shoulder Health = Scapular (and Ribcage) Movement

The shoulder blades are meant to move, plain and simple. Nothing extraordinary there.

  • Upward/downward rotation
  • Protraction/retraction
  • Anterior/posterior tilt

The ability to perform all of those actions is indicative of a “healthy” shoulder, and the platform for all that movement to take place come courtesy of the ribcage.

The ribcage is shaped in a convex manner.

The scapulae (shoulder blade) is concave, or rounded, in nature. The ability for the two to play nicely together is an often overlooked mechanism of what I like to call “my shoulder fucking hurts syndrome.”

Here’s a common example of what I mean.

The cue “pull the shoulder blades together and down” is a common one we use in the industry. And, you know what? It works splendidly when 1) you’re working with someone who’s stuck in a more flexed/rounded/computer guy posture and/or 2) the goal is to lift as much weight as humanly possible.

I.e., good luck bench pressing (or even squatting/deadlifting) appreciate weight with shoulder blades that aren’t “set” in a more stable position

That being said, too much of anything can have its inherent drawbacks.1.

The “together and down” cue can lead to overactive lats and a more extension-based pattern where the shoulder blades get stuck or cemented together – making it all the more more challenging for them to move about the rib cage.

My shoulder blades basically making out

To that end one of my favorite ways to address this is to include more reaching drills into people’s training repertoire. That and BACK EXPANSION.

More to the point, what I’m really after is targeting the Serratus Anterior, or those finger-like looking thingamajiggies on the side of your ribs.

I’m starting to fall into the camp that addressing Serratus weakness is the answer to everything:

  • Shoulder pain?
  • Neck pain?
  • Back pain?
  • Snowblower won’t start?

More Serratus work my friend!

The power of reaching cannot be understated. That in concert with learning to expand the upper back (getting the ribcage to move, via breathing) can be a game changer for a lot of people.

Here’s an effective drill that addresses both.

Seated 1-Arm Reach-Row

 

Who Did I Steal It From? – Strength coach Conor Harris.

What Does It Do? – Via Conor himself:

“A stiff ribcage is one that lacks trunk rotation and the ability to expand with air. We can free up the ribcage through alternation + reaching of the arms (serratus/obliques) with an intention to pause and expand it posteriorly with air”

The reach engages the serratus/obliques (watch out for that side cramp) and closes off the front side of the body. Air has no where else to go but BACK; it feels wonderful.

Key Coaching Cues: Don’t be a hero. You DO NOT need a lot of weight to perform this exercise, it’s not the point. You’ll pull with one side (elbow to hip, no further) as you simultaneously reach with the other, free hand. From there, inhale through the nose, focus on “breathing into your back,” and then perform a full exhale.

Don’t rush the breaths.

Hold the position for a 2-3 breath count and that’s one repetition.

Perform 3-5 “reps” per side.

No diggidy, no doubt.

CategoriesStuff to Read While You're Pretending to Work

Stuff to Read While You’re Pretending to Work: 1/17/20

Copyright: olegdudko / 123RF Stock Photo

BUT FIRST…I’M LIKE, REALLY, REALLY IMPORTANT

(Things I’ve appeared in, places I’m going, you know, important stuff)

1. (De)-Constructing the Deadlift & Squat – Stoneham, MA: Sunday, January 26, 2020

** EARLY BIRD rate ends this weekend (1/19/20).

I’m teaming up with Brad Cox of ACUMobility for this 6-hour workshop where we’ll discuss hip assessment and, you guessed it…

keto recipes deadlifts and squats.

What will be unique about this workshop is the two perspectives we’ll bring to the table; myself as a strength coach in addition to Brad’s background in sports medicine and orthopedics.

EARLY BIRD rate ends in two weeks.

2. (Even More) Complete Shoulder & Hip Blueprint – Athens, Greece: Saturday, Feb 29th & Sunday, March 1st, 2020

It’s official: This marks the sixth year in a row Dean Somerset and I are presenting together. We’re so excited to be coming to Athens to kickstart 2020.

3. Coaching Competency Workshop – London, UK: Sunday, March 8, 2020

4. Strategic Strength Workshop – Detroit, MI: April 5, 2020

This will be my first ever workshop in the region!

I’m expecting ticker tape parades.

SOCIAL MEDIA SHENANIGANS

Twitter

Instagram

 

View this post on Instagram

 

The first question to ask is “why do people start wearing a weight belt in the first place?” . My guess is most start because they see others using one in the gym and figure that’s just what the cool kids do. . There are, however, legitimate reasons to use one: . 1️⃣ Improved Performance – @gregnuckols wrote a thorough piece a few years ago on the efficacy of weight belts and one of the main points was that a bevy of research shows that wearing a weight belt can allow someone to lift anywhere from 5-15% more weight. . As Greg notes: Yes, there are instances of lifters NOT wearing a belt and still lifting an appreciable amount, but since you’re not them let’s just say that for 99 out of 100 people, wearing a belt will make them He-Man, sans bowl cut. . How? . Improved intra-abdominal pressure. . IAP helps to counter shear load on the spine; a sort of safety net if you will. . This is a good thing. . The drawbacks, though, is that IAP increases blood pressure, which can be detrimental for some. . 2️⃣ Wearing a belt = faster lifts. . 3️⃣ And lastly, a weight belt generally allows for more repetitions (in the ballpark of 1-3) to be performed at a given load. . In concert: more weight, performed faster, and for more reps = a nice recipe for added muscle and strength.. . Personally I don’t start using a belt until working with 85% (and up) of 1-rep max. . But this is just a general rule – kinda like wearing pants on Thursday – that can be a judgement call the day of. . Now, there’s also instances to NOT wear a weight belt. . ❌ For every set, of every exercise, on every day of training. Again, I tend to lean more on the side of saving the belt for high(er) intensity sets. . ❌ In the shower. . And that’s pretty much it. . That being said, I do find value in purposely going though blocks of training where you DO NOT use the belt. . If you swipe to the video you’ll see me pulling 540 x3 without one. . For the past 4 weeks I’ve made a concerted effort not to use a belt for all squat & DL sets. . Why? . Getting comfortable with being uncomfortable. Purposely making training harder – no belt, crappy bars, etc – will make the next phase “easier.” . I hope…😉

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STUFF TO READ WHILE YOU’RE PRETENDING TO WORK

The Body: A Guide for Occupants – Bill Bryson

I’m a huge Bill Bryson fan and his latest book, The Body: A Guide for Occupants, is BLOWING….MY….MIND. I mean, did you know that there’s more information stored & processed in a millimeter sized portion of your brain than the entirety of the history of the internet?

Crazy!

This is a fascinating look into  us.

The Buzz of Variability Training – Lee Taft

The fitness industry in enamored with bright, shiny, new things. We love making things harder and adding in new things for the sake of variability.

Lee reminds us that “variability” can come from simple tweaks…

…and are likely more beneficial, anyway.

15 Kettlebell Moves to Improve Your Grip Strength – Jay Polish

The limiting factor that prevents some people from being able to lift appreciable weight in the gym is their grip strength. Here are some simple ideas, using a kettlebell, that can help.

 

Categoriespodcast

Appearance on the Rebel Performance Radio Podcast

I had the opportunity to make an appearance on the Rebel Performance Radio Show recently hosted by James Cerbie.

James and I have a bit of history because he was an intern at Cressey Sports Performance back in 2014 when I was there, and it was great to sit down and talk some shop.

Copyright: dr911 / 123RF Stock Photo

Rebel Performance Radio Episode 13

I loved doing this episode because not only was it great to catch up with James, but he has a very casual way of interviewing that I enjoy…

…just two dudes talking about dude stuff.

We covered a gamut of topics – everything from my pursuit of a 600 lb deadlift, opening up my own training studio here in Boston, to the differences between working with athletes and the general population.

HINT: There’s not that much of a difference.

Anyway, you can check out:

HERE – on James’ blog.

HERE – Apple downloads

HERE – Spotify

CategoriesExercise Technique

The Benefits of Wearing a Weight Belt: And When Not Wearing One is Beneficial Too

Whether or not to wear a weight belt when lifting weights can be a conundrum. On one side of the fence you have those who swear by it and would never think about lifting (much less looking) at a weight without one.

Not exactly ideal.

And then on the other side you have those people who are “purists” and think wearing a belt should be avoided at all costs and that you’re cheating if you do so.1

Not exactly an ideal train of thought, either.

Sooooo, what’s the deal then?

Let’s discuss.

Benefits of the Weight Belt

The obvious starting point is to ask:

“Why do people start wearing a weight belt in the first place?”

My guess is most start because they see others using one in the gym and figure that’s just what the cool kids do. I mean, if you’re just starting out and new to the gym what other conclusion is there?

– That person over there performing lat pulldowns is wearing one:

– And so is that person over there performing deadlifts who looks and sounds like he’s passing a kidney stone the size of Kansas:

One exercise is pretty inane, the other extreme, and both are utilizing a weight belt.

What gives?

I can understand the confusion and tendency for some lifters to think that wearing a weight belt is somehow unspoken gym etiquette or something that has to be done at all times; you know, for safety.

To be candid: Neither are cemented as fact.

Examples of Actual Gym Etiquette:

  • Re-racking or putting away your weights when done.
  • Clearing the way for others to grab dumbbells from the rack when you’re using dumbbells. I.e., don’t perform bicep curls in front of the mirror directly in the way of the DB rack.
  • Wiping up your sweat after using a bench or piece of equipment.
  • Avoiding direct eye contact (of 3 seconds or more) with anyone when performing Hip Thrusts.
  • Pumping the brakes on the Ax body spray.

There’s no “rule” that states you have to use a weight belt for every exercise.

There are, however, legitimate reasons where you may want to use one:

1. Improved Performance

Strength coach and researcher, Greg Nuckols, wrote a thorough piece a few years ago on the efficacy of weight belts and one of the main points was that a bevy of research shows that wearing a weight belt can allow someone to lift anywhere from 5-15% more weight.

As Greg notes: Yes, there are instances of lifters NOT wearing a belt and still lifting an appreciable amount, but since you’re not them let’s just say that for 99 out of 100 people, wearing a belt will help you lift more weight and maybe even help you win a cage fight.

How?

Improved intra-abdominal pressure.

IAP helps to counter shear load on the spine; a sort of safety net if you will. I’m not going to go into the details here on this post, but I’d encourage you to check out anything and everything Dr. Stuart McGill has written on the topic. He’s the world’s foremost spine biomechanics researcher (and mustache haver).

It behooves anyone interested in lifting heavy things to seek out way to improve their intra-abdominal pressure.

This is a good thing.

That being said, learning how to appropriately push into the weight belt – on all sides – to enhance IAP is key.

 

Conversely, there is a drawback.

IAP increases blood pressure, which can be a contraindication for some.

2. Faster Lifts

No need to pontificate here.

Wearing a weight belt, for all intents and purposes, allows you to perform your lifts faster.

3. More Repetitions

And lastly, wearing a belt allows for more repetitions (in the ballpark of 1-3) to be performed at a given load.

In concert: More weight, performed faster, and for more reps = a nice recipe for added muscle and strength. Not a bad tradeoff if you ask me.

There is a Caveat

Personally speaking I don’t advocate using a weight belt until working with loads approaching 85% (and up) of one’s one-rep max.  I can’t say I have a slew of PubMed articles in my pocket to back up my claim…

…it’s just a combination of anecdote and intuition.

It’s basically a general rule I use – kinda like wearing pants on Thursday – that can be a judgement call the day of. I mean, there are instances where, depending on the exercise, I’ll toss on the belt for my last challenging set (or two) because read above.

Too, I know there’s a myth out there stating that if you wear a weight belt incessantly that you run the risk of weakening your lower-back muscles, to the point where you then rely on it or else your muscles shut down.

I think it’s exactly that…a myth.

But, again, intuition tells me – outside of prior/current injury – you’re likely not gaining anything wearing a belt for non-challenging sets anyway.

via GIPHY

When NOT to Wear a Weight Belt

❌ For every set, of every exercise, on every day of training. Again, I tend to lean more on the side of saving the belt for high(er) intensity sets.

❌ In the shower.

And that’s pretty much it.

That being said, I do find value in purposely going through blocks of training where the belt is not utilized no matter what.

For instance, for the past five weeks of my training I’ve made a conscientious effort to NOT use a weight belt for all my squat and deadlift sets.

Dafuq, Tony?

Here’s me last week performing 540×3 on my deadlift.

 

I think there’s a lot to be said about getting comfortable being uncomfortable.

For example, when my wife and I first started dating, she was studying to be a psychologist, and felt it imperative to the growth of our relationship to talk about our feelings.

I just assumed throw an ax into my face than do that.

It sucked at times and it was hard for me, but I did it…and our relationship (and now marriage) is all the better for it.

Likewise, purposely making training harder – no belt, shorter rest periods, using crappy bars, etc – is a germane way to level up your subsequent training blocks.

I mean, I totally could have done like 31 reps in the video above if I had a weight belt on.

It’s science.

Categoriescontinuing education

Fitness Pain Free Certification: An Interview with Dan Pope

My good friend, colleague, and currently ranked in my Top FIVE of man-crushes, Dan Pope, just released his latest resource: Fitness Pain Free Certification.

NOTE: Dan’s a physical therapist and coach here in Boston who’s one of my “go to” sources when I need to refer some of my more banged up clients to someone with a keener eye than myself. Plus he’s just someone I have learned a ton from throughout the years and his new course is fucking OUTSTANDING.

Dan provided me with a special discount code to my readers to save $200 off the price of course for a limited time.

Use code [TONYGFPF] to save through the month of January.

There’s more about the course at the bottom, but in the meantime Dan was kind enough to answer a few questions I had for him about the resource and his approach to training.

Enjoy.

Copyright: djedzura / 123RF Stock Photo

Meet My Man-Crush

TG: Can you take a few moments to inform my readership how awesome you are?

DP: Sure Tony, I’m not 100% I’d use the word “awesome” to describe myself but I’ll give you a little background on me.

My name is Dan Pope.

I’m a physical therapist and strength coach.

I’ve got a pretty big background in sports, particularly strength and fitness.  I was a polevaulter in college at Rutgers.  After that I got really involved in Strongman and won a state and national title in 2009.  After that I got involved in CrossFit and have competed at the CrossFit Regionals competition twice.  Now I’m a bit washed up but still enjoy lifting heavy things in the gym.

I’ve also always been very involved in the fitness and strength world from a professional background.  I’ve been a personal trainer and strength coach for about 15 years and did that full time before becoming a physical therapist.

I got into the pain and injury game as a strength coach and personal trainer because I was working with people on a very regular basis that had pain and injury.  Every time I was working with these folks I’d refer them to a physical therapist.  The physical therapists I was working with kept on telling me, “Of course your athlete got hurt, you were performing deadlifts.” or “Of course your athlete got hurt you were performing kettle bell swings.”  Basically every exercise in the gym was responsible for injury.

Being a meathead at heart myself, I knew this had to be wrong.  I wanted to learn how to help these people.  So I went on a journey to do exactly that.

Fast forward over a decade of schooling and experience and I’ve found that this old advice was anything but true.

Training is definitely good for you, for getting out of pain and ALSO preventing future injury (duh).

However, there is definitely an art to it.

You can’t go willy nilly with your clients in the gym and expect to never get them injured.  You also can’t go blindly into working with some one who is injured or coming out of an injury.  If you make the wrong decisions you can keep them painful or even make them worse.

Do the right things and you can continue working towards their goals safely and can help them get out of pain as well.  So I’ve basically devoted my life towards helping athletes in pain and also teaching other fitness and rehab. professionals how to safely and effectively work with these folks.

I also love gratuitous amounts of grilled cheese once per week and have a pet snapping turtle named Champ.

TG: For the record, I wouldn’t have had enough eye rolls to give if I had to endure a bunch of narrow-minded physical therapists – who likely never lifted a weight in their life – tell me that deadlifts were the bane of everyone’s injuries.

Anyway, with the particulars out of the way, who is the Fitness Pain Free Certification designed for and what do you feel separates itself from the masses?

DP: I actually created this certification because I feel it fulfills a very specific niche.

I still really feel there are no certifications out there right now that do a good job of preparing fitness professionals to work with individuals with pain and injury.

It used to drive me crazy as a personal trainer back in the day.

I’d be working with people in pain every day of the week and was supposed to know how to deal with all of these people with complex pain problems. The solution for pain was always, “Just avoid doing anything that hurts and refer out to a doctor or other healthcare provide.” Meanwhile as I said previously the healthcare providers were no help and were even more useless than I was.

The truth of the matter is that the good trainers out there would figure out how to work with painful folks over time, but this made no sense to me.  If you want to be a plumber, there’s education for that.  If you want to be a physician there is school for that.  For trainers there was school and certifications but everyone stayed away from pain and injury.  Pain remained this nebulous problem only reserved for healthcare providers and physicians, yet half of my clients had some sort of nagging injury they were dealing with that affected their ability to train on a regular basis.

Meanwhile, the healthcare providers don’t have the knowledge to work with athletes in the gym.  They’re making exercise the villain when we know this anything but the truth.  For this reason there isn’t any good certification out there that shows these folks how to work effectively with powerlifters, olympic weightlifters, CrossFit athletes and really anyone who just likes to train hard in the gym.

With that being said, I made this certification with these two folks in mind.

  • For the fitness professionals I completely demystify pain and injury and show you exactly how to safely and effectively work with people in pain.
  • For the healthcare providers I show them how to effectively get these folks out of pain, back to high level performance and how to keep them pain free for the long haul.

TG: What I respect about you most is that you’re not only an amazing therapist/clinician, but you also practice what you preach. I.e., you actually lift weights. I know you’ve touched in this already, but just how integral do you feel the whole “you gotta lift shit to fix shit” manta plays with helping people get out of pain?

DP: Hahaha, I think it all comes down to the person’s goals and what they’re trying to get back to.

I think there is a trend right now in the physical therapy and strength world that heavy strength training fixes everything.

I’ve got to be honest, I’d love to shout that from the roof tops if that was completely true.

In reality a lot of treatments can be effective for pain.

Back pain is a great example.

We have research to show thats squats and deadlifts are helpful for getting people out of pain.  However, we also have research to show that walking, aerobic exercise, core stability and pilates can help decrease low back pain.  We also have some research to show that sometimes deadlifting is not the best plan of action to get out of pain.

 

I think the best treatment option does two things.

For one, it’s got to be something that the person will actually do.  So it definitely helps if the person enjoys some sort of active exercise.

Secondly, the rehab has to be specific to what the athlete wants to get back to.

If you take a 600lb deadlifter with low back pain and rehab them with pilates for three months, great.  They’re out of pain.  But if you ask them to pick up a 600lb barbell after three months of nothing but pilates you’ve probably got another injury on your hands.  So if you want to get back to weight training then yes, you’ve got to pick some heavy shit up.

The body is very adaptable if we show it the stress it needs to adapt to.  Show it that it needs to be able to lift heavy shit and it will learn and grow.

TG: Since we’re on the topic of addressing and training around injury: Which inane term makes you want to throw your face into a wall more when you hear it: Shoulder impingement or anterior knee pain? I know you’re on the same page as me that those two terms really don’t mean anything (but we have to use nevertheless).

DP: Man, I have a bunch.

I think the term that I’m disliking recently is “balance”.

I.e., The reason why your shoulder got hurt is because you have a poor “balance” of training all of the muscles around the shoulder.

What I will say is that having a comprehensive program for the shoulder is important, so balance is important from that perspective.

However, in other sports we very clearly define “mechanisms of injury” or basically how people get hurt playing their sport.  For ACL injuries in the knee for example it’s usually when an athlete is pivoting and their knee goes in under too much load.

Boom, torn ACL.

So how do we go about preventing future injury?  We work on pivoting and landing without having knee in.  It makes total sense.  However, we don’t always approach injury prevention in the gym the same way.

Let’s say I hurt my shoulder bench pressing.  Now, I can chalk this up to “having a poor balance” of shoulder training in the gym.

But this doesn’t really make sense to me.

The shoulder breaks down because it doesn’t have the strength and integrity to handle the forces of training.  These injuries are typically “overuse” in nature.

This means to me that the shoulder was either:

1) Under too much stress (excessive volume / intensity)

2) Not strong (or prepared) enough to handle the forces of training

3) Not recovering well enough

So if we understand that this is why the shoulder breaks down we can very easily come up with a strategy to prevent future injury.

For the bench presser’s shoulder that may mean:

1) Decreasing pressing volume slightly

2) Strengthening the pressing muscles with accessory exercises to improve the shoulder’s ability to tolerate training

3) Improve sleep, nutrition and stress management

Now, maybe a “balanced” shoulder training program does all of these things but I feel like we’re just beating around the bush.  If we want to prevent injury we need to figure out why injuries are happening in the first place and come up with a comprehensive plan to prevent future injury based on these factors.

TG: I’m constantly asked what are the major differences between writing programs for athletes and that of general population clients.

Do you have any thoughts?

DP: I’m a big fan of writing training plans with end goals in mind.

  • For athletes this is generally optimized performance.
  • For the general population this is usually health, function and looking good naked.

For athlete’s we’ll always be pushing the boundary between doing as much as possible to optimize performance and doing too much and getting injured.

This means there is a lot more wiggle room for general population folks.

For athlete’s we’re constantly pushing the envelope.

TG: With regards to working with athletes, load management is a term that’s grown in popularity of late. Training around injury is something I know you’re fanatical about – in a good way (I refer to it as Trainable Menu) – can you offer some general tidbits for other fitness professionals to consider when working with athletes/clients who are injured?

DP: For sure.

Exercise is an amazing medicine that heals injured structures in our bodies.  What’s important to understand is that this medicine must be dosed appropriately after an injury to have positive effects.  Think of the difference between taking two aspirin and taking the whole bottle.

One is the perfect amount and the other kills you.

The magic is in the dosage. 

After an injury we need to find that right dosage to create a positive effect.

I think step 1 is learning how to dose stress to muscles and joints. For example, if someone has knee pain, what factors increase and decrease stress on the knee in the gym?  Well, technique, speed of execution and load are three easy variables we can use to dose stress.  If we understand these principles we can figure out the right dosage of exercise and then slowly progress this dosage as our clients heal over time.

The other important concept to understand is that a lot of injuries don’t tend to get better unless we stress it enough.  So you get these folks where rest doesn’t help them and they’ve got a bum knee for the rest of their lives because no one ever taught them to load appropriately and they thought loading it was bad.  If you learn these principles you can be the person who finally ends your client’s pain problem.

TG: Let’s end with a bit of fun.

I’ve always kinda bashed on the kipping pull-up. Okay, there’s no “kinda” about it. I know you cover the exercise in your course and I want to learn: Can you “defend” it here?

Why is it a thing? Who does it benefit? What are the training advantages?

DP: You’re right, kipping is terrible for you…

Just kidding!

My views on kipping have been shaped largely by two things.

1) I work with a bunch of olympic level gymnasts that coach CrossFit athletes how to move well.  Kipping is a very common and remedial movement for those guys.  There are certainly good and bad ways to kip and when done well can be a safe and effective exercise.

2) Second, I really don’t see too many injuries strictly from kipping.  Ya, they certainly do happen but I’d say I see more back issues with deadlifting and shoulder issues with pressing then kipping injuries.

If you have absolutely no desire to compete in a competition that allows kipping during pull-ups then I wouldn’t train it.  You can probably build as much muscle and strength (and probably better) with our good old friend the strict pull-up.

However, if you want to perform kipping pull-ups then you probably want to learn how to perform them with solid technique and also how to program them into your training properly.

What I will say is that learning some of the more advanced dynamic gymnastics movements like ring muscle-ups and front uprises is a lot of fun and can be a really cool addition to your normal training.  You should probably learn how to do this properly before going about it though.

Fitness Pain Free Certification

Remember above when I said how this course is fucking outstanding?

That’s an understatement.

You get 20+ hours of lecture and videos of Dan covering a plethora of topics. If you’re a personal trainer/coach in any capacity this is an investment in yourself that will be well worth the price.

Course Curriculum

  • 7 Reasons Why Athletes Get Hurt in the Gym and What To Do About It
  • What is Pain and Why Modification is Essential
  • How to Create Injury Prevention Plans
  • How to Write Rehabilitation Programs
  • Breaking Down the Power Lifts
  • Breaking Down the Olympic Lifts
  • Pull-ups, Muscle-ups and Kipping
  • Handstands and Handstand Push-ups
  • Overhead Press, Push-ups and Dips
  • Shoulder, Low Back, Knee and Hip Pain

All of this on top of endless templates, progressions/regressions, videos on exercise technique, how to develop injury prevention and rehabilitation programs, as well as assessment breakdowns.

To sign-up go ———> HERE.

And remember to use the special discount code – TONYGFPF – at checkout for $200 off the regular price.

Act now because the code only lasts until the next of January.

CategoriesStuff to Read While You're Pretending to Work

Stuff to Read While You’re Pretending to Work: 1/10/20

Copyright: olegdudko / 123RF Stock Photo

BUT FIRST…I’M LIKE, REALLY, REALLY IMPORTANT

(Things I’ve appeared in, places I’m going, you know, important stuff)

1. (De)-Constructing the Deadlift & Squat – Stoneham, MA: Sunday, January 26, 2020

I’m teaming up with Brad Cox of ACUMobility for this 6-hour workshop where we’ll discuss hip assessment and, you guessed it…

keto recipes deadlifts and squats.

What will be unique about this workshop is the two perspectives we’ll bring to the table; myself as a strength coach in addition to Brad’s background in sports medicine and orthopedics.

EARLY BIRD rate ends in two weeks.

2. (Even More) Complete Shoulder & Hip Blueprint – Athens, Greece: Saturday, Feb 29th & Sunday, March 1st, 2020

It’s official: This marks the sixth year in a row Dean Somerset and I are presenting together. We’re so excited to be coming to Athens to kickstart 2020.

3. Coaching Competency Workshop – London, UK: Sunday, March 8, 2020

4. Strategic Strength Workshop – Detroit, MI: April 5, 2020

This will be my first ever workshop in the region!

I’m expecting ticker tape parades.

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Barking Up the Wrong Tree. . We coaches do it a lot. Take for example new clients who come in and swear up and down they’ve got “tight” hamstrings. . I swear a week doesn’t go by where I don’t hear it. What’s with the pandemic of tight hamstrings everywhere you go? . Well, tight hamstrings is rarely a thing I’ve come to find. This, of course, doesn’t imply people never have tight hamstrings – they do! . It’s just, you know, I’d believe Tupac is alive living on some deserted island more than I believe someone has chronically tight hamstrings. . Look at the before/after pictures above. . This was a new client who came in to see me last weekend who, as you can surmise, told me he had tight hamstrings. . I was skeptical (I.e., cue me going all Beyoncé, Lemonade, baseball bat to a windshield……nooooooooo). . 📸 TOP PIC = Initial Active Straight Leg Raise. Not too shabby, but not great. . 📸 BOTTOM PIC = One minute later after NOT stretching his hamstrings (which he had been doing for years). . I concede he’s bending his knee ever so slightly, but you can clearly see an improvement in his ROM. . What did I do? . I worked on his end range ACTIVE HIP FLEXION. I mean, that’s really what the screen looks at: simultaneous hip Flexion/hip extension; not necessarily hamstring length. . In non-geek speak: I had him actively (meaning HE did the work) bring his bent knee towards his chest (hip flexion) and work on ramping up intensity to “own” the position. . Moving forward, we’re going to do more of that rather than endless stretching. . 🥱 Zzzzzzzzzzzzzz . Swipe LEFT to watch a quick video of how you can test and work on this yourself. . Even though we have to work on stuff, the more you make “rehab” look and feel like TRAINING, the more I find clients buy into it.

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Stuff to Read While You’re Pretending to Work

Diastasis Recti After Pregnancy – Zach Long

If you’re a trainer 50% (actually, maybe it’s 51%) of the population you train are women. A vast number of them will give birth and have “complications” postpartum.

And even if they haven’t recently given birth, once a woman is postpartum she’s ALWAYS postpartum and knowing how to detect and address Distastis Recti is integral.

Increase Your Bench Press By Avoiding These Mistakes – Avi Silverberg

I am admittedly the world’s worst bench presser (countered by the mere fact I am one of the world’s best cuddlers), so I was flummoxed with I was asked to contribute a snidbit to this article.

Just a snidbit, though.

Let’s not get carried away.

This is an excellent article nonetheless and if you’re someone who struggles with their bench press this may help.

Scare Tactics – Michelle Boland

The words we use as coaches/trainers matters.

When someone says something like “deadlifts are dangerous,” most of the time it means the person saying it hasn’t done it enough (or with appropriate technique) to perform it safely in the first place.

Just sayin…