CategoriesMotivational rant

I’m Not a Businessman. I’m a Business, Man.

Any hip-hop junkie will recognize the title of today’s post.

It’s a quote from Jay-Z.

I’m in no way putting myself in the same company as one of rap’s biggest historic moguls, but I felt the title was appropriate given the context of what I wanted to write about today.

It’s something I rarely broach on this website, yet it’s an integral component to just about every fitness professional’s day to day life.

Surprisingly, I’m not referring to energy drinks. Or protein.

Let’s Talk a Little Fitness Business Mmmkay?

It’s been a little over two months since I left Cressey Sports Performance to pursue other opportunities and my own “thing” in Boston.

NOTE: I put quotations around “thing” not as some ubiquitous attempt to insinuate I have no plan. I do! But, well, just keep reading……

Since leaving CSP things have been great. Life has had a nice pace to it.

I’ve been able to keep up with writing and running this website while also building whatever it is I’m building here in Boston. I.e., a small army of deadlifting psychopaths…;o)

As it happened, maybe a week or two ago, Pete and I were texting back and forth and he mentioned that it would be interesting if I spoke to what it’s been like for me during this transitional phase in my life. What have been some of the hardships (if any?) and lessons I’ve learned in starting my own “thing.”

Sorry, there’s that word again.

The “Thing”

At the CSP staff Christmas Party this past weekend, Mike Reinold and I were chatting about how hard and impossible it must feel for upcoming fitness professionals to make a name for themselves.

On one side of the fence the internet has made everything – and everyone – more accessible. Fitness celebrities and can be constructed in a matter of months.

On the other side, however, the market is so saturated with Instagram feeds, Facebook likes, websites, blogs, and hashtags that everything – and everyone – is seemingly invisible.

There’s too much noise.

When we opened CSP back in the summer of 2007, I had already been working as a trainer for five years and writing on my own website and sites like T-Nation for a little over a year (my first article on T-Nation was published in 2006).

I joined Facebook not long after with little comprehension of A) knowing what the hell it was and B) definitely not knowing what it would become. Nonetheless I crushed LOLCats on it.

Likewise, I joined Twitter in 2010. Again, not really understanding what the point was. All I knew was that all the cool kids were doing it.

The important thing to consider, though – and this is where many upcoming fitness pros miss the boat – is that I didn’t initially use any of those platforms to build my brand or market myself or use them to build some semblance of “fake experience.”

I spent years training and coaching people before any of that shit entered the equation or even mattered.

Too, I spent over a year writing to the 10 people who read my blog – for free – before I got my first break on T-Nation.

Long story short: I did the work. I worked the long hours, I trained hundreds and hundreds of people, got up early/stayed up late, and I paid my dues. The work is what helped to mold me as a professional. Not the race to accumulate friends and arbitrary “likes” and “shares”

But I also recognize I lucked out to a degree.

I was an early adopter of all those social media thingamabobbers (particularly blogging). Today I’d feel super intimidated if I were to start a blog.

Another thing I lucked out with was having Eric and Pete in my corner….and I feel they would corroborate the sentiment: me being in their corner as well.

Eric: There is only one Eric Cressey. The man is a machine and has the work ethic of a rabid rhinoceros. I don’t even know that means, but suffice it to say that it’s hard to know someone for a decade, live with them for two years, start a business, and not have some of their traits and habits rub off on you.

Pete: Part of what I feel made CSP so successful to begin with was because Pete assumed the role of “business guy” from the start. He was the one responsible for scheduling, invoicing, taking phone calls, ordering equipment, negotiating the lease, and all the other dirty work many people can’t fathom or appreciate.

This allowed Eric and I to do what we do best…..coach!

And argue over the music.

All of This To Say….

I have NO interest in opening or owning my own facility.1

I’ve spent over a decade building my own brand and a “business,” but I am in no way, shape, or form a businessman.

I think one of the biggest fallacies in fitness is thinking that the end-all-be-all destination is to be a gym owner.

Ask ten young trainers/coaches what their end-goal is and I’m willing to bet 80-90% of them will raise their hand and say “to watch Tony Gentilcore train shirtless to own my own facility someday.”

It’s a respectable goal to have; albeit a lofty one.

Strength coach, Clifton Harski, has this to say on the matter (and I tend to agree):

“I would wager that over half of gym owners did it due to their own EGO and an initial goal they had when they started – which they never really thought to reevaluate over time. It seems like the next logical step for someone. However, it’s not – quite often.”

Moreover, I feel there’s an “expectation management” gap that exists when it comes to gym ownership. The expectation is that someone decides to open a gym, they buy a bunch of fancy equipment, and they think that by turning on the lights that a drove of people are just going to show up and hand over their money.

Realistically, someone will come up with the idea of opening up their own facility, buy a bunch of fancy equipment, make sure the electricity is turned on (always an important step), and then are quick to realize it’s not as much of a cake walk as they had originally planned.

(NOTE: there’s nothing I can say with regards to fitness business that Pete hasn’t discussed over on his website. I’d highly encourage you to check it out (linked to above) and thank me later)

This is what I like to call the “Commercial Gym Trainer Conundrum.”

Typically what happens is that someone who’s been working at a commercial gym for all of two weeks thinks they’re getting screwed by the man. I mean, they’re the one doing all the work, right? Yet, they’re only getting 1/3 of the cost of a training session, and the gym is just pocketing the rest. Like a bunch of a-holes.

Um, no.

The “man” is paying your health insurance, taking care of utilities, equipment upkeep and replacement, and ensuring the rent/lease is paid each month. And this doesn’t even take into account paying the salaries of any support staff – janitorial, front desk, etc – in addition to any CAM (Common Area Maintenance) charges that may exist (snow removal, landscaping, building upkeep).

ALL of these will be YOUR problem the second you open up your own facility. In addition to things like lead generation, scheduling, invoicing, bookkeeping, to add on top of your coaching and programming responsibilities (which can vary depending your business model).

Oh, and the case of phantom explosive diarrhea in the bathroom…guess who’s cleaning that up?

Dean Somerset wrote an excellent article on why being a commercial gym trainer isn’t such a bad thing.

I don’t know about you, but none of that sounds fun to me. I’d rather jump into a shark’s mouth. Which is why I had to sit down and figure out what it is I wanted to do for the next 5-10 years of my life and what was going to be right fit.

I had to have a hard conversation with myself and come to the realization that I AM NOT A BUSINESSMAN.

Don’t get me wrong, I run a business – coaching, writing, this website, speaking engagements – but I don’t consider myself a businessman in the sense of having the desire to own and run a facility.

So, To Conclude My Rambling

1.  I’m sub-leasing in Boston at a space called Run Strong Studio. I have no overhead other than paying “rent” for the time I use, and paying for my own liability insurance (via the NSCA).

It’s the right fit for ME.

2. I did purchase around $5000 of my own equipment to get started (which I can write off for tax purposes), but I made sure to give myself a HARD AUDIT as to what I’d really need.

This is a mistake many fitness professionals make. Their eyes are often bigger than their wallets and they end up purchasing equipment that’s 1) cool and only they’ll use or 2) takes up too much space.

Think of if this way: Power rack = something everyone will use. Big, fancy leg press = not so much.

3. And speaking of taxes: GET A GOOD ACCOUNTANT!!! I’ve had the same one for five years and he’s more of less my BFF.

4. My goals at this stage in my career is to coach 20 or so hours per week, which still allows me plenty of time to keep up my writing responsibilities and allow for windows of travel for workshops.

[It’s funny: many trainers/coaches want the same scenario that I am doing right now, but fail to understand I spent 13 years coaching people and writing 1,800 blog posts and countless articles to get there.]

Could I coach more if I wanted? Yes, and, honestly, I could make more money if I did so. However, I love the freedom and autonomy I have now.

I mean, if I want to go to an afternoon matinee or, I don’t know, practice my nunchuck skills, I can.

Autonomy is sweet.

I remember reading something somewhere (<— how’s that for a citation) that many people feel happier and more fulfilled being their own boss….despite making less money.

I have to say, I concur.

5. You’re only as good as your systems.

Knowing my limitations, and after asking several colleagues, I signed up for a service called Front Desk, and it’s been spectacular.

Any peace of mind I can give myself in terms of management of money and “systemizing” things is all good in my book.

My eight years at CSP helped to prepare me (and dampen) the inevitable failures I’ll come across on my own. However, I’m a firm believer that you learn more in failure than you ever do in success.

And in the end, that’s some solid business advice.

CategoriesStuff to Read While You're Pretending to Work

Stuff To Read While You’re Pretending To Work: 12/18/15

Oh, wait….what was that? There’s a Star Wars movie opening today?

Huh, never heard of it.

Okay, I’m kidding.

This was more or less how excited I was when I woke up this morning:

 

Sadly, and I know this going to sound odd and result in me losing some nerd points, but I am NOT seeing Star Wars today (or this weekend for that matter).

Pre-sale tickets were hard to come by and in order for Lisa and I to see it together we had to default to waiting until Christmas Eve.

So NO SPOILERS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Enjoy, though, everyone. I’ve heard great things.

Lets jump into this week’s list of stuff to read.

11 Ways to Goblet Squat – Chad Rodgers (ShowMeStrength.com)

Think Goblet squats are boring? Well, they’re not. THEY’RE JUST NOT OKAY!!!!!!!

ACE Technique Series: The Romanian Deadlift – Pete McCall

I actually feel the RDL is more of an advanced movement than people give it credit for, and there are several nuances to it that many people gloss over.

This was a really nice review by Pete.

The Best Workout Plans: Which Program Is Right For You? – JC Deen

Whoa – this article is a master class in how to provide some KILLER content in a way that’s education and easily applicable.

Kudos to JC for a stellar job.

PS

A quick reminder that I will be in Frisco, TX on Sunday, December 27th at Full Throttle Athletics for a 1-day workshop titled The Athletic Shoulder: From Assessment to Badass.

For more information you can go HERE.

Categoriescoaching Exercise Technique Strength Training

3 Ways the Kettlebell Deadlift Can Improve Your Barbell Deadlift

Today’s guest post comes courtesy of Providence, RI based strength coach, Joe DeLeo. He discusses the kettlebell deadlift and why it can have a lot of influence on one’s performance with the barbell deadlift.

Enjoy!

3 Ways the Kettlebell Deadlift Can Improve Your Barbell Deadlift

The kettlebell deadlift can help you improve your barbell deadlift and the hip hinge.

I know what you are thinking…. “There can be only one!”

Hopefully by the end of this article I will have convinced you of the value of both and how you can improve your barbell deadlift with the kettlebell deadlift.

Key Benefits & Differences

Deadlifts can be performed two ways: conventional and sumo. A conventional deadlift has the feet placed inside the grip and a sumo deadlift has the feet placed outside the grip.

If this is confusing, I highly encourage you to go back and read Tony’s blog “The Deadlift: Beginner Basics” as well as his E-Book Pick Heavy Things Up which can you get for FREE by subscribing at the bottom of this article.

Note from TG: I agree. They’re both life changing. And come with a lifetime supply of hugs.

There are three main differences between the kettlebell and barbell deadlift: Grip, Stance, and The Path of the Handle.

1) Grip

In the barbell deadlift you maintain an overhand grip (palms down, knuckles up) for as long as you can maintain perfect technique or until you get to a heavy enough weight. At this point you will switch to an alternate grip. In the kettlebell deadlift you maintain an overhand grip the entire time.

One of the limiting factors in being able to deadlift heavier weight is your grip strength. Usually a person’s grip will fatigue before their posterior chain does. As Boston based coach, owner of Iron Body Studios, and Xena herself, Artemis Scantalides, notes in THIS article:

“As kettlebell sizes increases so does the thickness of the handle. A thicker handle requires more muscle activation!”

Another added benefit is that when performing the double kettlebell deadlift you will be training the grip of each hand independently while simultaneously learning to maintain equal tension through the left and right sides of your back and latissmus dorsi. You can easily monitor this, by noting if one of your shoulders becomes unpacked or you have greater difficulty maintaining control with one hand over the other.

This really helps to develop the mind/body connection or in scientific terms the neuromuscular connection.

2) Stance

In the conventional barbell deadlift your feet will be about 12 inches apart and toes pointed at about 30 degrees. The handle of the barbell should align over your midfoot as seen in the pictures below.

In the kettlebell deadlift your stance will fluctuate depending on whether you are deadlifting one or two kettlebells and the bell size. The kettlebell deadlift by nature is more similar to a sumo barbell deadlift as your hands are going between your legs and you’re in a wider stance (picture below).

One of the most difficult aspects in the barbell deadlift is finding the correct back position and making sure the chest is ‘up’ (I should be able to see the logo on your t-shirt!).

Mark Rippetoe makes a great point in Starting Strength: Basic Barbell Training:

“Everything else can be wrong with the deadlift and nothing really bad will happen but if your low back is round under a big load, safety will be compromised.”

It is very difficult to round your back with the kettlebell deadlift because the weight is behind you. If you round your back you will shift weight to the balls of your feet and tip over.

3) The Path of the Handle

This is probably where the greatest difference lies and the biggest benefit as well.

The path of a barbell deadlift should be vertical, always. It is the most efficient way to get the bar off the floor.

With the kettlebell deadlift that’s not possible due to the placement of the bells level or behind the malleolus.

The path of the kettlebell takes the shape of a “J” as it travels from the ground through full hip extension.

Now this actually works to one’s advantage because it elicits a stronger stretch reflex in the glutes and the hamstrings. This is because the weight is traveling behind our center of mass. This helps to really groove a solid hip hinge for the barbell deadlift and build some serious strength in the posterior chain, not to mention it makes for a lot of fun picking heavy things up!

Focus on really building control and coordination with the kettlebell deadlift and see your barbell deadlift improve as well.

References

  1. Jones, Brett. Cook, Gray. Kettlebells from the Center: Dynami. Functional Movement Systems. 2010. Print.
  1. Baechle, Thomas R; Earle, Roger W.Essentials of Strength Straining and Conditioning; Page 327. National Strength and Conditioning Association. Human Kinetics. 2008. Print.
  1. Rippetoe, Mark. Starting Strength: Basic Barbell Training 3rd Edition. Page 108. The Aasgaard Company. 2013. Print.
  2. “Scantalides, Artemis. Why I love the Single and Double Kettlebell Deadlift. 12/10/2015. Website.”

About Joe DeLeo

Joe DeLeo is a former collegiate rower turned strength coach. His practice focuses on working with endurance athletes to get stronger so they can perform their best. He also has tremendous experience rehabbing rowing-related injuries and stresses. He focuses on three modalities to train his athletes and clients: bodyweight, kettlebells, and indian clubs.

He is a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist through the National Strength and Conditioning Association. He holds certifications as a Functional Movement Specialist, Rocktape FMT II, and is a Level I Girya with StrongFirst.

He lives in Providence, RI, where he can be found both off and on the water helping his athletes get stronger and faster! You can read his blog posts HERE.

Categoriescoaching Exercise Technique Exercises You Should Be Doing

Exercises You Should Be Doing: Hinge Row

Mike Boyle was once quoted as saying:

“Most trainees can never really do enough (horizontal) rowing.”

I tend to agree.

It’s no secret most guys (and girls) are mirror-centric, often training the muscles most easily viewed when staring into a mirror – pectorals, shoulders, biceps, abdominals, and the tranzipidous2

It’s also no secret most guys (not so much girls) often skip leg day

Whenever I audit a program it’s amazing to me the ratio of pushing exercises compared to pulling. I saw one program recently that, when broken down into it’s parts, looked like this:

Push (benching variations): 45 total sets

Pull: 7 total sets. And none of them were horizontal in nature. All were the obligatory handful of sets of lat pulldowns – more glenohumeral internal rotation – tossed in for good measure.

And this person was wondering why their shoulder was bothering them. Weird.

Horizontal rowing variations (think: inverted rows, seated rows, chest supported rows, 1-arm row variations) do a superb job at targeting the upper back – specifically scapular retraction – which often helps to offset or counteract the muscular imbalances and injuries seen with too much pressing.

Moreover, horizontal rowing offers many aesthetic advantages and I’m pretty sure it’s a well known scientific fact it also cures gonorrhea3. And a bad hair day.

For all the accolades and hoopla, horizontal rowing does have a dark side and is not immune from scrutiny or interrogation from the technique police.

As I covered in THIS article a few months ago, I do feel there’s a common flaw in how many people perform their row variations.

More people are rowing: Yay!

More people are rowing incorrectly:

So today I wanted to share a variation I’ve been using with many of my own athletes/clients which helps to address the technique flaw discussed in the link above (<— seriously, you should read it).

The Hinge Row

 

Who Did I Steal It From: This exercise is nothing new (and it is one I’ve used sporadically in the past), but it wasn’t until I watched a video from Jordan Syatt where I had a better appreciation for it’s value.

What Does It Do: The fatal flaw many people make with their rows is that they keep their scapulae (shoulder blades) “glued” together the entire time. They’ll perform their first repetition by squeezing their shoulder blade(s) together (retraction/adduction) – which is correct – but then keep them there throughout the duration of the set.

You need to let those bad boys move.

By not letting them move – think: shoulder blade should move around the rib cage – the bulk of the motion comes form the glenohumeral joint alone (often leading to anterior humeral translation, and hence instability) in addition to leading to rhomboid dominance and the risk of scapular downward rotation syndrome.

A sort of “reverse posturing” if you will.

As a result the shoulder blades can’t effectively upwardly rotate, which exposes the shoulder to a whole host of other issues and makes performing activities overhead difficult.

And makes this kitten sad.

The hinge row allows for more scapular movement – particularly upward rotation.

Key Coaching Cues: You’ll set up as you would for a normal suspension trainer (TRX, Jungle Gym, rings) row with the body in a straight line. Maintaining a straight/rigid torso you’ll pull the shoulder blades together keeping chest up. On the way down, however, instead of maintaining the rigid torso you’ll allow a “hinge” at the hips when your arms are fully extended and lower them to the ground. Basically, you should feel a subtle stretch at in the bottom position.

This allows the scapulae to upwardly rotate, which is money.

Of Note: This can also be performed if you don’t have access to a suspension system, like so:

 

If you notice, I have a pad on the bar to serve as a target for my chest and to prevent myself from going too far into glenohumeral extension.

I like this variation, but I prefer the former because it doesn’t lock me into a pronated (overhand) grip which then locks me into internal rotation.

The suspension system allows for a little more wiggle room with regards to external rotation of the shoulder.

Of Note (again): you can easily make this exercise more challenging by 1) elevating the feet onto a platform (box, bench) or by 2) adding an external load with either a weight vest or by placing chains across the hips.

Don’t be too quick to jump to the progressions. This exercise is every bit about the QUALITY of movement as it is about anything else. And if I catch wind of anyone adding a “kip” to this, I’ll punch you in the face.

Categoriespodcast

Be Strong: Appearance on PT Pintcast

Sorry for my lack of writing prowess this week, but as you know FREAKIN STAR WARS COMES OUT IN THREE DAYS!!!!!!!!!

And that’s pretty much taking up all my physical and mental fuel at the moment. I’ve been going through my various Star Wars apparel to figure out what I want to wear, and when Lisa heads out to work each day I may or may not be practicing lines with my cat, Dagny.

I play Han (of course), and she’s Chewbacca.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fWsf9-VXcRE

 

Tell me she doesn’t sound like a cute Chewbacca. Tell me. TELL ME!!!4

At least I didn’t dress her up or anything. I mean, it’s not like I’m one of those real losers who’ve been camping out at their local theater for the past few weeks in their Jedi cloaks.

Okay, in all seriousness I’ve been busy with a few other small projects this week and catching up on some article writing. I promise to have some new content up for you starting tomorrow.

I do have a little something for you today, though: my appearance on the PT Pintcast.

Don’t the play on words confuse you. It’s a podcast directed towards the physical therapy crowd, particularly PT students. The cool thing is that it’s recorded over a pint of beer (hence the name) and the host, Jimmy McKay, brings a very approachable and chill vibe to the show.

The only caveat was that I don’t drink, so we had to settle for me guzzling an energy drink instead.

I was honored to be invited on, and little did know at the time I was the first NON-physical therapy guest (episode #40) to ever make an appearance. No big deal.

It’s a brief interview – running a little over 30 minutes – but one I feel sends a great message to both personal trainers and physical therapy students/professionals alike: Know your role.

Go HERE to listen.

Confirmed 2016 Dates For the Complete Shoulder & Hip Workshop

 

Dean Somerset and I are in high-demand for 2016, and we’re happy to announce two confirmed dates for our Complete Shoulder and Hip Workshop. More to come soon.

TORONTO: at The Wreckroom the weekend of March 19-20th.

SEATTLE: at Vigor Ground Fitness & Performance the weekend of April 9-10th.

Early bird specials apply for both (so act now) and CEUs will be available. And hugs.

CategoriesStuff to Read While You're Pretending to Work

Stuff To Read While You’re Pretending To Work: 12/11/15

I’m taking the day off from training clients tomorrow to head to Ranfone Training Systems (CT) to listen to Dan John speak.

My wife had to re-schedule a glass blowing class she had signed us up for months ago, because I was like “babe, it’s Dan John. Come on.”

And I totally got out of it. Thanks Dan John!

1) A quick reminder that I will be in Frisco, TX on Sunday, December 27th doing a 1-day workshop on “The Athletic Shoulder” at Full Throttle Athletics. I’ll discuss things like upper extremity assessment (static and dynamic), why the term “shoulder impingement” is garbage, how to write effective programs around certain shoulder pathologies, coach up a few exercises, and probably talk about Star Wars. Because, Star Wars.

For more information you can go HERE.

2) Here’s your “Save the Date” for the next Motivation and Movement Lab hosted by Mark Fisher Fitness in NYC: Feb 20-21st.

I had a blast earlier this year speaking at this event, and am so honored I was invited back for 2016’s iteration (also featuring Pete Dupuis, of Cressey Sports Performance, Artemis Scantalides of Iron Body Studios, and Steven Ledbetter of Habitry.com)

For more information you can go HERE.

Also, if you attend, be prepared to stay up late. MFF does not mess around.

Lets get to this week’s list:

Pitch-a-Palooza Brain Dump – Matt Blake

Cressey Sports Performance pitching coordinator, Matt Blake, attended last weekend’s Pitch-a-Palooza down in Nashville, TN and shared some things he learned while down there.

Shut Up and Get Strong – Eric Bach

Talk about a perfect title for an article, right? It pretty much reeks “Tony is going to like it.”

Reminds me of some others I read recently I really liked:

“He-Man is Awesome”

“Bacon Is Delicious”

 “A Research Thesis to Discover’s Ice-Cube’s Good Day”

Unapologetically Powerful – Jennifer Blake & Jen Sinkler

TODAY (12/11) is the last day to take advantage of the generous discount (half-off) of “the Jens” thorough strength training program.

Ladies: it has everything you need.

  • Detailed programming
  • Extensive (140+) video/exercise library and tutorials
  • Jen Sinkler’s famous lip gloss
  • And, I can’t stress this enough: what I LOVE about this product is that it’s not pretentious. The idea is to place a premium on strength, and not send a message of “Get leaner! Get toned! Burn fat! Lose weight!” Although, many of those things will happen. It gets people to work, and as a result a lot of cool things end up happening.

So whether you’re looking for a little direction yourself or maybe have someone else in mind who might benefit, take advantage now because UP goes up in price at midnight tonight.

Categoriescoaching

What It Means to “Pull the Slack Out of the Bar”

In today’s brief video blog I discuss what a coach is really saying when he or she says to “pull the slack out of the bar.”

It’s a common cue, and one I feel tends to elicits looks like this from people receiving it:

A blank, emotionless void.

All kidding aside, it’s a cue that does hold a lot of weight (<– sick pun5) and accomplishes many things:

  • Teaches people to get and maintain tension.
  • Teaches people to get and maintain tension.
  • Teaches people to get and maintain tension.
  • Improves your Spanish.

But for real, it’s a good one.

What It Means to “Pull Slack Out of the Bar”

Categoriescoaching Female Training Strength Training

Find a Winning Community: Spandex Optional. Why More Woman Should Consider Strength Training

People tend to perform best and feel their best when they know they’re a part of a community.

This sentiment is true in almost any context whether referring to AA, drama club, team sports, galactic Empires, or hell, even one of those super secret societies, like in the movie Eyes Wide Shut. But it’s especially true within fitness circles.

It’s in fitness where people can commiserate in unison through a brutal squat session, conditioning circuit, or a random CrossFit WOD of muscles ups paired with running over your right arm with a Prowler for AMRAP.

In short: If you’re part of a (fitness) community you’re more likely to see things through, build an increased sense of perseverance and resiliency, and less likely to give up.

Too, you’re more likely to see the fruits of your labor; I.e., results!

I can attest to this phenomenon via my affiliation with Cressey Sports Performance for eight years, as well as my past experience training at South Side Barbell, a powerlifting gym formerly located in Stratford, CT.

When you train around like-minded individuals (or train with a purpose) great things happen.

CrossFit Gets All the Hype

There’s no denying the overwhelming sense of camaraderie and community that CrossFit has been able to establish amongst its fans and members in recent years. It’s something I commend with vigor.

Nothing has gotten the barbell in more people’s hands – especially women – than CrossFit.

However there’s another fitness “faction” that’s been doing the same thing for years, and one I feel is every bit as motivational and a champion of community as CrossFit.

Maybe even better in several ways.

And it’s a community I wish more people – especially women – would consider.

Drum roll please……..

Powerlifting (But Really, Strength Training In General)

Fear not ladies! I know the word “powerlifting” is often synonymous with “I’m not touching that with a ten foot pole.”

Besides, handstand push-ups and cartwheels look a helluva lot more fun than grinding out a heavy deadlift. I get it.

Plus, the word itself – powerlifting – reeks of intimidation and infers something only advanced lifters dabble in.

Relax. Deep breaths. There’s nothing advanced about it. At it’s base level..all powerlifting really means is strength training.

Besides, what follows assumes that you are equipped with some very basic tools: a working knowledge of gym lingo (you know the difference between a set and rep, can differentiate between a squat and a deadlift, and understand that the word “muscle confusion” is moronic). Also: if you recognize that this picture…..

…is of a dumbbell and not, say, a stapler…we’re good, and you can safely proceed knowing you’re not going to be over your head.

Why More Women Should Powerlift/Strength Train

Okay, I lied. There is a teeny tiny degree of intimidation tied to powerlifting. I mean, I felt it the first time I ever visited South Side Barbell with Eric Cressey back in 2006.

I had just moved to Connecticut (where Eric and I were working and living together) and I tagged along with Eric to South Side to get a lift in. Note: Eric was a competitive powerlifter at the time.

I remember walking through the doors the first time into a room full of 280+ lb giants warming up with my 1RM. Intimidation doesn’t begin to articulate what I was feeling. I was trying every trick in the book not to destroy the back of my pants.

Moreover, as the weeks passed, I had to “wear” the not-so-subtle ball-busting…you know, being the skinny, veiny guy and all. But it didn’t take long for me to be accepted and to feel as if I was part of the group; part of a team.

Likewise, it didn’t take long for me to understand that it was one of the most giving and educational experiences in my lifting career, despite not competing.

To reiterate, though, you don’t need to train AT a powerlifting gym in order to strength train. You can do it anywhere.

Also, on an aside: Spandex (those silly singlets) are only needed to compete.

1) Community

This is very much on par with CrossFit. The powerlifting community is a generous one, and one that will always give back (assuming you’re someone who will show up, do the work, and take a role as part of a team). Basically you need to give too, and not just take.

And like CrossFit, when you’re surrounded by like-minded individuals it’s pretty much impossible not to see results.

Cressey Sports Performance coach, Tony Bonvechio, started the CSP Women’s Powerlifting team a few months ago and when I was still there I saw firsthand how empowering and invigorating it was for the women who took part.

 

It was awesome to see them train as a team, and to watch them coach and cheer one another as they continued to hit PRs.

The “community” element can’t be understated, and I’d encourage anyone reading to seek out a facility or group to work with, even if it’s only 1x per week. It’s worth it.

2) Purpose

Admittedly, not everyone is going to have easy access to a facility or group of people who like to powerlift and/or strength train. But that doesn’t mean you still can’t reap the benefits.

Following a powerlifting/strength-centric program gives people PURPOSE in their training; a goal. It helps to take away the notion that progress (or results) is dictated by what the scale says or what the gossip magazines like to portray as the ideal body type.

Instead, powerlifting (like CrossFit) places higher credence on performance-based goals, which to me has a greater carryover to long-term, consistent progress than anything.

It’s funny: when things start to click and a woman latches on to strength as a positive thing – and not something to be condemned – many of the aesthetic markers she may have be working towards for years with little or no result begin to manifest.

It becomes less about “look at me, I’m hot. Do you think I’m hot? I’m hot, right?” and more about “look at me, and this deadlift PR I just smashed.”

3) Technique

By now some of you may be thinking:

“Well, it seems there’s not much difference between CrossFit and powerlifting in terms of advantages. So, why not just CrossFit?”

This third point is where I feel the two start to separate themselves.

Disclaimer: Yes, CrossFit, I know plenty of coaches and boxes you coach their athletes/clients up well, use intelligent programming, and take the time to properly ramp up or progress individuals based off ability level, goals, and limitations.

But lets be real: that’s the exception and not the rule. Because, CrossFit.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=opYj0XICHvQ

 

The overwhelming mentality is “lets do stuff because it looks cool and because it’s hard6” rather than “lets do stuff that will make people better, educate them, and allow them to build some semblance of fitness autonomy.”

As Dean Somerset noted recently:

“The benefits of learning technique for outweigh the benefits of simply doing an exercise. Using powerlifting principles to teach positioning, bracing, and organization to perform a lift helps to limit secondary movement from joints that shouldn’t be causing the movement, and helps reduce the likelihood of problems down the road.”

The principles of powerlifting help to build proficiency in the “big 3,” which makes the learning curve when introducing new movements much less of a barrier.

You learn to become your own coach.

Unapologetically Powerful

Jennifer Blake and Jen Sinkler have constructed a resource – Unapologetically Powerful – I feel will help a lot of women understand the power behind powerlifting. <— See what I just did there. Clever, right?

I mean, why should you have to “apologize” or feel ostracized because you’re strong or want to be strong?

They help to make powerlifting more accessible to women and less intimidating. Here’s what’s in the program

  • A comprehensive training manual that includes Beginner and Early Intermediate 12-week powerlifting programs with a detailed introduction to biofeedback training.
  • An extensive guide on how to compete for first-time powerlifters who want to step onto the platform.
  • A complete exercise glossary with clear-cut written coaching cues and images.
  • A MASSIVE video library of more than 140 exercise demonstration videos. Every movement in the program is in the video library, with detailed coaching cues to walk you through each exercise step by step.
  • A revamped version of Lift Weights Faster geared specifically toward powerlifters.

Unapologetically Powerful is on sale for HALF OFF now through midnight Friday, December 11. For more info, click HERE.

Categoriescoaching Exercise Technique Female Training Strength Training

3 Squat Variations You Haven’t Tried Yet, But Need To

Today’s guest post comes courtesy of Jennifer Vogelgesang Blake – or JVB as she’s affectionately called – a coach at The Movement Minneapolis, competitive powerlifter, and author (along with Jen Sinkler) of Unapologetically Powerful, a new resource designed as a go-to source for learning the “big 3” lifts, and removes the intimidation often attached at their hip.

Or weight clamps in this case.

Anyone can (and will) benefit from this resource – especially beginner and intermediate lifters who are even the slightest bit interested in competing and/or honing their technique.

And, I’d be remiss not to mention I feel this is a home run for any woman who may be on the fence about this whole “lifting heavy things” thing.  

Without further ado, I’ll let JVB take it from here. Enjoy!

3 Squat Variations You Haven’t Tried Yet, But Need To

I’m going to be bracingly honest with you. If I were forced to choose, with my feet to the fire, I would have to own up to liking to squat more than I like to deadlift.

(I can picture Tony Gentilcore’s eyes firing up like Darth Sidius in The Empire Strikes Back and pledging an oath to never host a guest blog from me on his site ever again. This is what they call “going out on a limb.”)

I don’t think it’s unusual for lifters to hold a slight allegiance to one or the other. Both big lifts remind me of a bricklayer laying bricks: strengthening the quads, hams, back, and core are going to construct a house no one is going to be able to knock down. Even so, to me, there’s something really thrilling about loading a bar onto your back and refusing to let it plaster your face into the ground.

 

Squats open up the lifting in a powerlifting meet.

Of the three main lifts (back squat, bench press, and deadlift), squats come first. I’ve come to regard this lift as the party starter—it sets the tone for the rest of the day.

Starting the meet off strong gets your mind in a good place and a great result there infuses confidence into the following two lifts. Feeling strong also improves your mental game.

On that note, make all versions of your squat the same sort of tone-setter.

There are so many riffs on the movement: bilateral variations, such as kettlebell goblet squats and barbell front squats, are excellent for targeting anterior core strength, and unilateral variations such as Bulgarian split squats, skater squats, and pistol squats are key for giving both legs the chance to work, and to even out strength imbalances.

These variations are like the sprinkles on a cupcake, though: while I like to sprinkle that ish liberally, I know that these sprinkles alone do not a great, big, fluffy cupcake make.

I acknowledge that I need to work on my similes, but you don’t have to be a powerlifter to embrace cupcakes and the following three lifts, you only have to be interested in improving your strength everywhere—but especially in your core and in the bottom position of a squat. If you are, chances are good that you could give your current back squat PR a nice bump if you incorporate them regularly.

Barbell Squat-To-Box

First things first: what’s the point of having a big squat if it’s not a big, full-range-of-motion squat? Quarter squats don’t count when you’re going for bragging rights.

Depth issues sometimes come down to a lack of awareness in how low you are actually getting.

Heads up: Don’t confuse the Barbell Squat-To-Box with Barbell Box Squats, a variation in which you actually sit on the box. This is a touch-and-go movement and will help you learn what it actually feels like to squat to proper depth.

 

Zercher Squat

When David Dellanave, owner of The Movement Minneapolis, originally showed me how to do the Zercher squat, I was like, “Really? Why would I want to hold the bar like that?” His answer, “It’s going to get you really f#cking strong, that’s why.”

Zercher squats hammer your quads like crazy, and you’ve never experienced an ab workout quite as intense as a set of heavy Zercher squats. Getting your body strong in weird positions will make lifting in more conventional position that much more lovely.

Zercher squats require that you hold the weight in the crook of your elbows while you complete the movement. The Zercher isn’t just limited to the squat, either: you can also Zercher hold, carry, and deadlift. Because of the position of the weight on your body, this variation is killer for strengthening the upper back.

Hot Tip: Wrap the bar in padding or even a yoga mat for greater comfort.

 

Pause-in-the-Hole Squat

Many lifters rely on the stretch reflex, that rubber-band-like contraction that happens when the muscles stretch at the bottom of the squat, to bounce out of the hole. There’s nothing inherently wrong with taking advantage of this phenomenon, which is particularly handy when attempting to move the most weight your body can handle.

But, there’s something to be said for eliminating the bounce and building strength from a dead stop in the bottom position.

It means you’ll be less likely to stay stuck in the hole.

Pause-in-the-Hole Squats are a favorite for addressing this issue because your position must inherently stay tight from the top position and hold tight throughout the bottom pause (lest you topple) before driving out of the hole. The extra time under tension will fully hammer home the need to keep the upper back tight and entire core braced, as well as build static strength in the lower back, hips, and abs.

Pausing at the bottom is undeniably challenging, even when your form is shipshape, so lessen the weight accordingly.

 

About JVB

Jennifer Vogelgesang Blake’s leggings might be pink but her weights aren’t. A personal trainer at The Movement Minneapolis, she is a powerlifting coach and competitor with a passion for helping her clients discover and grow their strength, inside and out.  She’s here to spread the good word that strong is empowering and because of that, really, really fun.

Unapologetically Powerful is here!

Are you ready to become Unapologetically Powerful? If you’re even just a little bit interested in improving your back squat, bench press, and deadlift, and building lean, beautiful muscle, you’re going to love digging into this program.

Unapologetically Powerful is your go-to resource to learning all about the “big three” lifts, and removes any intimidation from training for and competing, should you decide to, in the sport of powerlifting.

Trainers Jen Sinkler and JVB have teamed up to provide you the answers to all of your powerlifting questions—and get you radically and unapologetically strong. Here’s what’s in the program:

  • A comprehensive training manual that includes Beginner and Early Intermediate 12-week powerlifting programs with a detailed introduction to biofeedback training.
  • An extensive guide on how to compete for first-time powerlifters who want to step onto the platform.
  • A complete exercise glossary with clear-cut written coaching cues and images.
  • A MASSIVE video library of more than 140 exercise demonstration videos. Every movement in the program is in the video library, with detailed coaching cues to walk you through each exercise step by step.
  • A revamped version of Lift Weights Faster geared specifically toward powerlifters.

Unapologetically Powerful is on sale for HALF OFF now through midnight Friday, December 11. For more info, click HERE.