CategoriesExercise Technique Program Design

The Deadlift: Beginner Basics

I came across this comment yesterday on Twitter from a friend of mine who’s an accomplished trainer and someone I respect a lot:

How many articles can be written about the deadlift? And when writing, does the author ever say to self, “maybe I should wait on this one.”

I can’t say I disagree with his tone. I mean, I get it. There are metric shit-ton1 of deadlift articles out there, and I’ve helped contribute my fair share.

Sorry!

The way I see it: Michael Bay keeps making those god-awful Transformers movies due to popular demand. Deadlifts are popular. So, yeah, there’s the correlation.

Just run with it.

I’ll admit that there’s really nothing new to say about deadlifts (except that they’re not god-awful), and I can understand the degree of eye-rolling by some coaches when the internet is hijacked for a few days with a flood of articles and blog posts on the topic; not coincidentally all of which happen to coincide with the revamped re-release of a stellar resource like David Dellanave’s Off the Floor: A Manual for Deadlift Domination.

For what it’s worth: there are a lot of people who stink at deadlifting and are eager to learn how to perform them right and learn how to implement them into a well-structured, properly progressed program.

I like to think of myself – and this website – as a resource that helps point people in the direction of quality information. Information from friends/coaches I trust (and more often than not have a personal relationship with) and information I know will help many people.

I can do it in a way that’s non-douchy and provide unique, useful content – because I know what I’m talking about – as an adjunct to the material (like I will do below).

Or I can do one of two things:

1. Be annoying internet marketing guy

“HEY EVERYBODY BUY THIS MANUAL/DVD BECAUSE I SAID SO, AND BECAUSE I LIKE DEADLIFTS (even though I don’t train anyone in real life). AND BECAUSE I HAVE A TRIBAL TATTOO ON  MY ARM! “

2. Stay silent and rely on videos like this to educate people

 

I choose neither.

And on that note here’s some words I put together for you to read.

The Deadlift: Beginner Basics

The deadlift is a “simple” movement, and I’d argue the least technical of the “big 3” (squat, bench press, deadlift). Which isn’t to say it’s easy to perform nor doesn’t require some attention to detail. But for all intents and purposes we can describe the deadlift as follows (courtesy of renowned strength coach, Mark Rippetoe):

“Bar is on the ground. One bends over to pull the bar, with straight arms, off the floor and up the legs until the knees, hips, and shoulders are locked out.

And then you piss excellence all over the place.”

That last part was added by me.

Another perspective is that of Dan John:

Squat = maximal knee bend and maximal hip bend. In other words, the squat is a squat.

Deadlift = minimal knee bend and maximal hip bend. In other words, the deadlift is a hip hinge.

[NOTE: for some ideas on how to groove a solid hip hinge before adding an external load, check out THIS article on How to Hip Hinge Like a Boss.]

 

Benefits of the Deadlift

  1. It Gets You Stronger

Deadlifts have been around since the beginning of time. And while I can’t back that up with any scientific evidence, it’s true.

Of Note: I can’t tell you how many times I’ve trained at a gym other than my own and after a set of deadlifts someone will approach me and comment: “hey, that thing you’re doing. Is that, like, CrossFit?”

I’ve grown out of my hatin on CrossFit phase – I recognize the good it’s done with getting the masses excited to exercise, and better yet, lifting weights – so I generally just chuckle it off and inform the commentee that, “No, I’m not CrossFitting,” and that “No, CrossFit didn’t invent lifting weights.”

Anyways, deadlifts have been around for a while and there’s a reason why they’re a staple in every single successful strength-training program ever written, ever. (citation needed).

They work.

If strength is the goal, you need to incorporate movements that allow you to lift a bulldozer boatload of weight. Deadlifts fit that bill.

  1. It Builds Muscle

A funny thing happens when someone starts deadlifting consistently. They add muscle to their frame. More specifically they add muscle to the areas which can’t be scene by the mirror and are often most neglected – the posterior chain (glutes, hamstring, erectors).

Which serves as an appropriate segue to the next benefit…

  1. It Improves Performance

What kind of performance? I don’t know…any kind of performance.

Hitting a baseball or golf ball further, dunking a basketball, improving running efficiency (the more force you can develop and put into the ground, the more efficient you are at propelling yourself towards the finish line), the ability to walk down a flight of stairs and not break your hips in half, making yourself harder to kill, the bedroom (BOM CHICKA BOM BOM), it’s all fair game and part of the conversation.

One of the best explanations I’ve ever heard comes, again, from strength coach, Dan John. He was asked one time by an athlete of his “what muscle does (insert name of any exercise you want here) does this exercise work anyways?”

I don’t recall he was being asked about the deadlift, but his answer is fitting nonetheless:

“You know that muscle that allows you to jump really high, over the defending cornerback, to catch the football for the game winning touchdown? That muscle.”

Fuckin A.

In reality, however, we don’t have to correlate the deadlift to just athletic performance.

It carries many other “real life” benefits with it outside of the football field, baseball diamond, soccer pitch, or basketball court (to name a few).

Anything that requires a basic hip hinge pattern – while maintaining a neutral spine – can be labeled a deadlift.

Grandma bending over to pick up a potted plant? That’s a deadlift.

The random woman picking up her child at the local playground? A deadlift.

Franco Columbo moving his father’s car out of a cramped parking space in the documentary Pumping Iron? You guessed it, deadlift.

  1. It Makes You Bulletproof

Now just to be clear, that’s a metaphor. Deadlifts won’t actually make you bulletproof. Don’t be stupid. Bullets hurt. And will kill you.

Bulletproof in this context is just a more nerdy way of saying “prevent injuries.”

From an athlete’s perspective: Deadlifts will (hopefully, nothing is guaranteed) help prevent injuries like ACL tears as well as nagging injuries to the knees – like tendinitis (acute inflammation) and tendinosis (chronic inflammation or actual degeneration of soft tissue) – due to the fact the posterior chain is so heavily activated and strengthened.

From a non-athlete’s perspective: Deadlifts will help to “offset” many of the postural imbalances and dysfunctions that tend to manifest when forced to sit at a desk all day in front of a computer.

Think of what’s required in order to perform a deadlift: ample ankle dorsiflexion, hip extension, thoracic spine extension, and pelvic control, amongst other things…all of which tend to diminish when seated for long periods of time.

Plus, deadlifts help to address any pent up aggression that may spill over from work. I.e., they’re a much better alternative to stabbing your boss or annoying co-worker in the neck. Unless they deserve it.

In that case, stab away.

Note: video below doesn’t include any stabbing, but it’s hilarious nonetheless.

 

One last thing to consider is Wolff’s Law and Davis’s Law.

You can’t discount physics.

The former states that bone in a healthy person or animal will adapt to the loads it is placed under. The latter states the same thing, except with regards to soft tissue.

Deadlifting = strong bones + soft tissue. You need a minimal essential strain (MES) in order for tissue to adapt. Likewise, in order to strengthen tissue, you need to load it. Sorry, but your cute little leg extensions and leg curls all in the name of “being more spine friendly” aren’t going to get the job done.

Key Coaching Cues and The Importance of Getting (and Maintaining) Tension

David actually nailed all the key cues to use with regards to cleaning up deadlift technique in yesterday’s post.

To repeat:

These probably aren’t going to be groundbreaking, but time tends to prove out what works best, and these have been around for a while.

  • Chest up – let me read the writing on your shirt.
  • Pull the bar into your shins, you’re going to keep contact with your body through the entire pull.
  • Take the slack out of the bar by making it “clink”.
  • Pull your shoulder blades down into your back pockets.
  • Push the floor away, and stand up tall.
  • Optionally, if someone over-extends or arches, I like to explain that you want to try to cinch your ribs down to your pelvis. I don’t like “ribs down” as this never seems to make sense to people.

That’s it. I found that those five or six cues fix 99% of the issues I see.

Another component to consider – and one I feel is crucial – is the idea of getting and maintaining tension throughout a set. Many people lack the wherewithal to engage their lats from the start, and hence lack upper back stiffness. One of two things inevitably happens: they round their upper back or the hips shoot up first.

 

To counteract this I like to cue people to pretend as if they’re trying to squeeze an orange in their armpits. Research backs up the efficacy of using more external cueing when coaching clients, and this cue works like magic much of the time.

However, in the event that that doesn’t jive, a simple drill I’ll use is to attach a band to the barbell itself and the trainee/athlete must learn to pull the bar close to the body AND KEEP IT THERE the entire time.

 

The band will want to pull you forward, and the objective here is not to allow that. That thing you feel? Those are your lats.

Get More Juicy Information

That is no where near everything I’d like to cover with regards to the deadlift for beginners (the part where I explained the benefits is section of a treatise I’m writing for the Personal Trainer Development Center that I hope will serve as “go to” source on anything/everything deadlifts,” but hopefully it gives you some insight and “ammo” as to why it’s an excellent exercise to include in your training and that of others.

I’d encourage you to check out Off the Floor: A Manual for Deadlift Domination for more similar content in addition to a full manual, programs, a video library, and a bevy of other goodies.

It’s on SALE this week only and you can go HERE for more information.

CategoriesProgram Design Strength Training

Two Dudes Talking Deadlifts

My good friend and fellow colleague, David Dellanave2, was kind enough to sit down and talk deadlifts with me today.

Deadlifts? SQUIRREL!!!

He’s just released a revision of his amazing resource, Off the Floor: A Manual for Deadlift Domination today with all sorts of add-ons and bonuses that will, well, help anyone dominate their deadlift.

Specifically, though, his goal was to write a manual that could be handed to a beginner, and it would help them get started with a deadlifting-based strength program.

He succeeded.

Tony Gentilcore (TG): We’re both bald strength coaches who love to deadlift. We also both married up (for those who don’t know, David is married to Jen Sinkler making them one of the industry’s strongest – and most lovable – fitness couples). I think there’s a correlation there.

David Dellanave (DD):  Basically what people can learn from this is that the quickest route to a smart, hot wife is by shaving your head and deadlifting a lot.

TG: I think what I respect the most about you is that you don’t fluff anything and aren’t afraid to call BS when you see or hear it. What are some of the things happening currently in the industry that grinds your gears? Or, if we’re going the non PG-13 route, drives you bat fucking shit crazy?

DD: Oh. Dear. I wrote about this recently but I think one of the most fundamental issues, that goes beyond the specific things that it’s applied to, is that people can’t seem to think of things in anything but black and white terms. I called it the false dilemma problem.

Note from TG: Ooooo, I like that. I’m totally stealing that.

Either you’re full-on Paleo and you’re convinced that it’s the end all be all of human nutrition, or you’re IIFYM and it’s pop tarts for every meal.

Can we please just acknowledge that everything between and including the two extremes of any topic are probably going to be exactly right for someone?

A couple years ago errybody was all like “all the fish oil all the time!” A paper came out last month that discovered that the Inuit have specific genetic adaptations in fatty acid metabolism which could explain the benefits of fish oil IN THOSE PEOPLE. One of the study authors literally said, “The same diet may have different effects on different people.”

Turns out fish oil might not be so good for people with other genetic phenotypes.

Could it also be that for some people a high fat diet is going to work better, and for others a high carb diet is going to be more suitable? That’s a rhetorical question. Every time we investigate these things we end up finding out that the answer is “both” (and/or all of the above) more often than not.

I think the point is we get deep in the weeds on stupid mechanistic explanations and arguments while forgetting the big picture that it all varies from person to person and THAT is a fact.

TG: Men’s Health ran a story not too long ago titled “Normal-Sized Guys Who Are Freakishly Strong Tell You How They Did It,” which featured you. 1. Were you pissed they called you “normal sized? And 2. It is pretty impressive how strong you are (deadlifting 3x bodyweight in three different deadlift variations)…has relative strength always been a priority for you?

DD: I hung up the phone with Michael (<– MH author who wrote the article) and immediately considered going to Sam’s Club to buy food and steroids in bulk, but turns out they don’t sell steroids.

The truth is I just don’t have the nutritional stamina or discipline to eat big like you need to really grow. There’s a part of of me, like any meathead, that always wants to be just a little bit bigger, but it seems like when it really comes down to it, it’s not a big enough priority to actually pursue it. That’s something I talk about with clients often.

Is losing that last little bit of body fat really worth not having a couple drinks a week or enjoying a macaroni and cheese pizza? (The latter is something I would actually never condone because I’m Italian and I think words like pizza mean something.)

That being said, yes, relative strength has also been important to me. To me both the physique and capability of the lightweight strongman (say 180-200lbs) is the sweet spot of form and function and is one of the most versatile and useful tools you can carry with you every single day.

TG: Lets talk beginner deadlift basics. Do you have any criteria as a coach that people need to meet before they can start deadlifting? What about deadlift order or progressions? Do you prefer to start everyone off the same way (trap bar vs. sumo vs. conventional) or do you have a specific system you like to stick to?

DD: This is one area where I take a bit of a different approach than many. As far as I’m concerned, with only rare exceptions, everyone can deadlift from day ones – it’s just going to vary what kind of deadlift they do.

TG: Nope, I agree 100%!

So for some people that may look like a single kettlebell suitcase deadlift, with yoga blocks raising the handle up above knee height to raise the pick height. For others it might be a classic two-handed kettlebell deadlift from the floor, between the feet.

And others yet might even start with the barbell right away depending on how they move.

One of my favorite movements for people who might not move very well and have had some prior back issues is to use a high pick with two kettlebells, but offset the weights. If you give someone a single 8kg bell in a suitcase position, there’s a 8kg asymmetrical load, which isn’t insignificant, but it’s not a lot of load in general. So you give them a 16kg in one hand, and 8kg in the other hand.

The offset is still 8kg, but now you’ve got a total of 24kg. It’s almost certainly not more load than they deal with in daily life, but it’s creating more total overload and demand on the tissue, plus you get more of an “anchor” effect from the higher load. This is one of those cases where less weight is not always better, and in my experience this is a neat trick for better results.

That being said, the single biggest thing I’m looking for (besides being pain free) is the ability to maintain back position from top to bottom of the movement.

Lots of people can’t pull from the floor because if you watch their back position as they go down to meet the implement it changes. Likewise if it changes on the way up, but the problem starts at the bottom. If you can maintain that, we can progress. If not, we have to figure out how you can do that first before moving on.

TG: I always love listening to other coaches explain or articulate their approaches to coaching the deadlift. I know it’s a topic that entire books have been dedicated towards – you’ve written one (hint, hint, nudge, nudge) – but what are 2-3 of your “BIG ROCK” cues you feel carryover to most individuals?

DD: These probably aren’t going to be groundbreaking, but time tends to prove out what works best, and these have been around for a while.

  • Chest up – let me read the writing on your shirt.
  • Pull the bar into your shins, you’re going to keep contact with your body through the entire pull.
  • Take the slack out of the bar by making it “clink”.
  • Pull your shoulder blades down into your back pockets.
  • Push the floor away, and stand up tall.
  • Optionally, if someone over-extends or arches, I like to explain that you want to try to cinch your ribs down to your pelvis. I don’t like “ribs down” as this never seems to make sense to people.

That’s it. I found that those five or six cues fix 99% of the issues I see.

TG: For me, the best way to get better at the deadlift is to deadlift. A lot. That being said, we’d be remiss as coaches not to appreciate that accessory work plays a huge role in addressing/improving technique flaws in various portions of the lift. Can you elaborate?

DD: Agreed. Practice, practice, practice. Both for technique and volume overload.

But I’m also a big believer in upper back exercises to improve the ability to keep the spine stable so it moves at the fulcrum of the hips. Zerchers, front squats, and even specific upper back exercises like Bret wrote about in THIS great article.

One of the biggest reasons I think people fail at the upper end of deadlifts is because the back starts to flex or round and driving the hips forward harder just makes that problem worse right up until the moment you fail.

A more specific simple drill I really like for the common issue of letting the bar drift out away from the body is to setup bands on rack to pull the bar forward slightly. In that way you can practice generating a little more shoulder extension and tension with your lats to keep the bar in tight.

TG: Awesome stuff, I love using that drill too. What do you feel are the biggest faults in trainees who have issues off the floor, mid-range, at lockout?

DD: Off The Floor – Either you lack the mobility to be pulling off the floor in the first place (you can usually find out if this is the case by using biofeedback testing) or you’re just weak in that range. Personally I don’t think you can do better than deficit deadlifts to improve strength off the floor, but you ONLY need an inch and a half or two of deficit. A standard iron 25lb plate is the perfect thickness.

Mid-Range – I think this is where the glutes really come into play, and Bret’s favorite hip thrusts and glute bridges can help a lot. The caveat is always that if the back isn’t strong enough to keep the lever acting as a lever, it doesn’t matter how strong your glutes are.

Lockout – This is where you really see the back strength issue become the point of failure. When the back starts to round, you only have a certain range of motion before you get too close to end range and the body just shuts down power output. Driving the hips forward harder here just causes failure more quickly as you push the spine to end range. So this is where the upper back extensions and upper back rack pulls can help you both overload and learn to maintain back position through the finish of the pull.

TG: What would your cousin, Dellanavich, say to anyone who states the deadlift is bad or dangerous for their spine?

DD: In Russia, deadlift is not bad for back, back is for deadlift.

 

I’m so over beating the dead horse on this topic. The back pain statistics in the U.S. are absolutely outrageous, and the vast majority of these people certainly aren’t doing any deadlifts.

The point you’ve correctly made before is that doing crappy deadlifts is bad for your back. Using your body as it was intended to move and doing it against progressive resistance is exactly what keeps you healthy, not hurts you.

TG: I know you’re a big advocate of using biofeedback to compliment programming strategies. Do you have any new thoughts on this topic? How can people use this to better improve their deadlift performance?

DD: Biofeedback has been such an integral part of training for me and the people in my gym it’s hard to even know where to begin. Last year Jen basically won a powerlifting meet because she used biofeedback to decide how to change her stance during the meet.

Here’s my suggestion: use biofeedback to test a couple variations every time you deadlift. Go with the one that tests the best for 4 weeks, and see what happens. You’ll be pleasantly surprised.

For people who have pain or functional issues, biofeedback can be even more useful because it really allows you to see what you can and can’t do.

Go back to the mobility example earlier in this post. I find tons of people for whom deadlifting from the floor doesn’t test well, but raise the bar 2-3” and suddenly it tests great for them. Lo and behold, they usually have back pain now and then before, and after a few sessions of doing what tests best they have no problems at all.

TG: Okay, outside the box, but I have to ask: favorite movies you’ve seen this year?

DD: I should be asking you, so I’d know what to go see. I legit think I’ve only seen one movie in the theater this year and it was that crappy Amy Schumer one. Was Lone Survivor this year? That was pretty good.

TG: No, David. No it did not come out this year.

Off the Floor

For less than what it would cost you to hire a sub-par trainer for an hour here’s what you get with the revised version of Off the Floor:

All the goodies from before (Off the Floor manual, programs, video library, Biofeedback Training Guide, etc)

PLUS

– A new section in the beginning that sets the tone and an understanding for newer lifters.

– Entirely new section for beginners, to coach them through their first deadlifts and get them to feel confident pulling.

– Two guest articles from Dean Somerset and Tony G (<– THAT’s ME!) on deadlifting with disc hernations, and how deadlifts are horrible for you (not) respectively.

– Almost completely redone layout and formatting of the book to make it easier to print.

– Printed version available via Amazon.

ALL of that – and more – for a heavily discounted price (over half off) for this week only. If you’re not doing cartwheels down the sidewalk from sheer excitement I don’t know what to tell you.

Click HERE for more details.

CategoriesMiscellaneous Miscellany

Miscellaneous Miscellany Monday: Stuff I’m Wearing, Reading, Watching, and Pontificating

I hope everyone had an enjoyable weekend and have had ample time to recover from their Halloween candy induced insulin coma.

Don’t worry, I’m not judging. If you want to dress up as a Stormtrooper or slutty vampire and walk to a party while double fisting Butterfingers, have at it. This needs to happen more often if you ask me.

I for one DID NOT dress up for Halloween. It’s not my bag. Well, I didn’t dress up in a costume anyways. We went out to dinner with another couple at a fancy schmany place near our apartment and I wore jeans and a blazer. A BLAZER!!

That in of itself is a costume. I could make the case I dressed up as “non-strength coach.”

Anyways, it’s been awhile since I’ve done a Miscellaneous Miscellany Monday post so lets jump right into the nuts and bolts.

1. I’ve Teamed Up With Pedestal Footwear

I’m only two weeks into my new venture as a solo “gig” in Boston and I’ve been fortunate enough to have the opportunity to team up with a really cool company called Pedestal Footwear.

As the name implies they’re a Boston-based company that specializes in socks (and helping to make people into savages).

But not your every day run-of-the-mill white socks like the lame ones you get for Christmas or from your significant other because all your other pair have holes in them.

No, these socks are more baller because they’re made by people who lift for people who lift.

For starters they’re super comfy and look cool (just look at Exhibit A above). More to the point (speaking to why they’re made for people who lift)…have you ever tried to deadlift in socks on a lifting platform or something equally as slippery?

It’s annoying.

On a scale of how annoying with a 1 being “a pebble in your shoe” and 10 being “Kanye West,” it’s around a 5. So, yeah, annoying.

Pedestals are made with these sticky thingamajigs on the bottom that prevent your feet from sliding around as you train.

^^^ Sticky thingamajigs ^^^

They’re also made with a fabric that reduces the “your feet smell like a fart passing through an onion” phenomenon by a factor of ten. It’s science.

Last but not least: they’re packaging is so on point. If you’re someone who appreciates packaging, Pedestal Footwear is basically the Apple of the sock industry.

Nonetheless, all new clients who start working with me at my studio in Boston will be given a complimentary pair. Holla!

And even if you’re not a client of mine I’d encourage you to check them out anyways because 1) if you lift weights you’ll appreciate the quality 2) I really dig the product and 3) I said so.

Full Disclosure: I am NOT receiving any affiliate income for promoting this product.

Full Disclosure II: I am not at all opposed to considering sponsorship from other companies too. Especially Audi.

2. Beast Sensor

Autoregulation in training (and keeping tabs of velocity and bar speed via bio markers) is all the rage nowadays, and rightfully so. There’s a ton or efficacy, anecdotal evidence amongst coaches, and research to back it up.

Just a few gleaming examples:

– Bryan Mann, university of Missouri and NSCA, “Developing Explosive Athletes: Use of The Velocity Based Training in Training Athletes”
– Carmelo Bosco, Muscular Strength, Physiological Aspects and Practical Applications
– Jidovsteff et Al, Inertial Muscular Profiles allow a more accurate training load definitions,
– Rontu, Pekka et Al, One – Repetition Maximum Bench Press performance estimated with a new accelerometer method
– Gonzalez-Badillo and Sanchez-Medina, movement Velocity as a Measure of Loading Intensity in Resistance Training
– Jandacka and Beremlisjski, Determination of Strength Exercise Intenisties based on the Load Power Velocity Relationship
– Verkhoshansky and Mell Siff, Supertraining
– Zatsiorsky, Science and Practice Of Strength Training

Products like Gymaware, Push, and Tendo have made velocity based training more accessible to the general public at a fraction of the cost compared to years past.

Another cool app/product that’s grown in popularity and is fast gaining traction as of late is the Beast Sensor.

 

I’m only just getting acquainted with the product myself, but so far I really like it and feel it has a lot of uses outside of the “it looks cool” factor. The Beast can help with motivation, adapt lifting to daily conditions (depending on how you feel you may need to tweak optimal loading per day), help organize data via their WebPortal, in addition to more advanced analytics that are outside my scope of experience because I’m not a NASA rocket scientist.

Needless to say: you can do a lot with the data and get instant feedback on your daily performance. Check out their website if this has piqued your interest and let me (and them) know what you think.

And again, I receive NO kickbacks for recommending this product.

3. “Work Smarter, Not Harder”

My boy Tony Bonvechio wrote a great article yesterday titled 20 Frustrated Fitness Thoughts that I feel everyone should read.

In it he had the following gem of a quote:

“Work harder, not smarter” doesn’t apply if you’re not working hard in the first place.

Let that marinate for a moment and think twice before you send out that Tweet this AM that you’re “rising and grinding.”

No one gives a shit. Really, I’m not kidding. No one.

 

As a frame of reference I just listened to the latest episode of Mike Robertson’s Physical Preparation Podcast where he interviewed his business partner, Bill Hartman.

Bill noted that he had worked every Saturday from 1998-2013. For those who suck at math that’s 15 consecutive years of working six days a week.

You’re bragging about getting up at 5AM two days in a row to train clients? That’s cute.

4. Two Books I’m Reading

Back Mechanic – by Dr. Stuart McGill

Dr. McGill is more or less the Godfather when it comes to spine mechanics.

Consider this the layman’s version to his overall approach on assessing, addressing, and eliminating low back pain.

Strong – by Lou Schuler and Alwyn Cosgrove

New Rules of Lifting for Women is still a book I refer women to all the time. It’s saved me innumerable hours trying to explain why Tracy Anderson is a moron in addition to counteracting many other myths and fallacies with regards to women and strength training.

I was sent an advance copy of Lou and Alwyn’s latest book geared towards women and it’s nothing short of amazeballs3

I believe it’s slated for release on November 10th, so it’s right around the corner. Keep your eyes peeled and make sure you purchase a copy for your mom, girlfriend, aunt, best friend, sister, or your old 11th grade Enblish teacher. Cause, that’s not weird at all.

5. Actually, I Lied. I’m Reading Other Stuff Too

My wife likes to pick on me because I tend to read 3-4 books at a time. I’ll read a few pages or a chapter in one book and then move onto the next.

What If – by Randall Munroe

Ever thought to yourself, “in the movie 300 they shoot arrows up into the sky and they seemingly blot out the sun. Is this possible, and how many arrows would it take?”

This question is answered (and many more like it) in this book. It’s basically nerd heaven.

I’d like to make a submission: “why can’t my wife go more than five minutes without giving me the look of death whenever I leave a dish in the sink without washing it?”

Oh, hey babe! I didn’t realize you were standing there behind me as I wrote that. I love you. What’s with the lead pipe? Babe? BABE????? Ahhhhhhhhh…..

6. Did You Know I Dabble In Movie Reviews?

I have a silly day dream that I’ll one day be paid to write movie reviews. I can think of nothing more that would make up the most perfect day than going to the gym and then spending the rest of the day watching movies.

Okay, maybe diving into a swimming pool of Honey Nut Cheerios or playing Laser Tag with 100 clones of Olivia Munn would rank up there too. But after that, I’d watch the shit out of movies.

I wrote some reviews for the following movies recently:

The Martian

Sicario

Mission Impossible: Rogue Nation

Check them out and let me know what you think (and whether or not I’m delusional for thinking I could write movie reviews).

CategoriesStuff to Read While You're Pretending to Work

Stuff To Read While You’re Pretending To Work: 10/30/15

I kid you not, as I type these words I am sitting in my apartment waiting for the delivery guys from Sleepy’s to drop off the new mattress Lisa and I bought the other night.

Not that any of you reading are in any way interested in mine and Lisa’s sleep quality4, but she’s had the same mattress for about a decade (and we’ve been together for six years), so it was time to upgrade.

We walked to the local Sleepy’s down the street from our apartment and spent a good two hours test driving a few mattresses5 and narrowed it down to the one that’s supposed to be arriving between 8-12PM today (or when hell freezes over, whichever comes first).

We’re totally going to be asleep at like 6 tonight. Can’t wait!

A few things before I get to this week’s list of stuff to read:

Last weekend marked my official “start date” for my new solo venture.6 I’m sub-leasing space from Run Strong Studio in Brookline, MA (Boston) and training people out of there. Here’s a little flavor for what it looks like:

A little flavor for what the new studio space looks like. Meeting clients for first time this AM. Hope they like 90s hip hop.

A video posted by Tony Gentilcore (@tonygentilcore) on

Rebecca – the woman who owns the studio – has been awesome. She’s a doctor who trains people on the side (mostly runners) in a rehab setting. When we met for the first time in person I saw she had a copy of Gray Cook’s Movement on her desk and she also dropped a few Mike Boyle and PRI references. I knew right away she was eating at the cool kids table.

Since our first meeting to now she’s allowed me to “vomit” strength and conditioning and bring in a bunch of equipment into her space. The result is what you see above.

It’s nothing fancy pants, but it’s perfect for what I’m looking to do: coach people, write awesome programs, and make them into badasses.

The first week has gone well and I’ve already had several people perform their initial assessment and are primed to get after it. If you’re in Boston and want to check things out for yourself you can go HERE.

ALSO

As a reminder: Dean Somerset and I will be in Los Angeles (Anaheim) at CrossFit 714 for our Complete Shoulder and Hip Workshop the weekend of November 14th.

 

That’s in two weeks, yo. For more information you can go HERE.

[Cue obligatory “this is why Tony & Dean are the awesome” testimonial here]

“Being cynical of the workshop frenzy in our industry has made me extremely picky with how I spend my time and money with my educational efforts. Tony and Dean presented our group with simple and concise information that will be easy to implement into my business’ daily operations.

The assessments and corrective strategies that I learned this weekend will be very useful in any size setting which translates to me being able to spend more time growing my business while delivering an effective product. If you value your time and the quality of your work, this is a must-attend event.”

5 Pitfalls (and Fixes!) for the Barbell Back Squat – Jennifer Blake (via JenSinkler.com)

We like to get overly technical when it comes to the big lifts, often to the detriment of looking past other commonly made mistakes.

This was an excellent watch from Jennifer and I recommend you watch it too.

Scientists Just Found That Red Meat Causes Cancer…Or Did They? – Kamal Patel (Examine.com)

It’s articles like this as to why I consider Examine.com one of my GO TO resources for un-biased nutrition and supplementation information.

They rock.

Last week (another) major story broke reminding everyone that red-meat is going to kill us all. It happens every year, it’s nothing new, really, it’s not, and the mainstream media latches onto it and apocalizes (<– Yep, I just made up a word) it.

RUN EVERYONE. BACON IS GOING TO KILL YOU. AHHHHH……….

Deep breaths, relax, and read this.

We Waited 7 Years to Open a 2nd Location…Here’s Why – Pete Dupuis

Cressey Sports Performance business director, Pete Dupuis, explains why we waited seven years before pulling the trigger and opening a second location.

CategoriesProgram Design Strength Training

Exercise Variety Is Making You Weak

The term “muscle confusion” is, well, confusing to me. I understand in the most general of context it refers to muscle building and growth. Cool. Getting strong is part of building muscle as well, and I feel too much exercise variety is hurting everyone’s gains.

Don’t get me wrong: I’m not adamantly against the idea of switching things up and implementing new exercises for the sake of variety. I mean, not everyone wants to eat vanilla ice-cream every day, right?7 It’s not a bad thing to spice things up and try new things. Oftentimes it helps keep people motivated to workout.

However, where it becomes problematic is when people start adding variety for the sake of adding variety – with no plan or intent to work on or improve something.

Like I said, exercise variety can be a good thing. But I find that many (not all) trainees view adding variety (or the idea of muscle confusion) as necessary for getting results in the gym. I’d argue the opposite to be true.

Less variety – and “owning” your exercises, is a major factor in long-term success. It’s not a idea cemented in stone, but just a conversation to consider.

In my latest article on T-Nation I explain my rationale.

Continue Reading….

CategoriesAssessment coaching Exercise Technique rant

Why I Dislike the American Kettlebell Swing

To any overly patriotic or political zealots out there who may have misread, note the title does not say “Why I dislike America.”

To everyone else, notice too that the title doesn’t say “I hate the American kettlebell swing.”

Hate is such a strong word anyways; more appropriately reserved for things like Hitler, ebola, global warming, Gwyneth Paltrow playing the role of a health & fitness authority, poodles, and skinny jeans.

Oh, and side walk solicitors.8

No, I dislike it. Or maybe, “mildly need to resist the urge to jump through a glass door whenever I see it done.”

But not hate.

I’ll explain why below.

What’s a Kettlebell?

It first may be prudent to get some particulars out of the way. Like, for instance, explaining what a kettlebell is in the first place?

Well, that’s what’s Wikipedia is for:

The kettlebell or girya is a cast-iron or cast steel weight used to perform ballistic exercises that combine cardiovascular, strength and flexibility training. They are also the primary equipment used in the weight lifting sport of girevoy sport. Russian kettlebells are traditionally measured in weight by pood, which (rounded to metric units) is defined as 16 kilograms (35 lb).

In other words: it’s one of those “cannonball with a handle” looking thingamajigs that you see all those people at your gym pushing, pulling, hoisting, and tossing every which way in an effort to 1) perform a legitimate exercise such as a swing, get-up, snatch, clean & press, Farmer carry, amongst many, many others 2) perform an exercise that makes absolutely no sense for its intended design and/or use.

Like this:

Although, giving credit where it’s due, this is kind of badass. Albeit from a cost-benefit standpoint I see little upside.

And 3) to look cool. <— Research backs this up.

Kettlebells are a very useful piece of equipment, a piece of equipment I use often with my own athletes and clients, but I do find some people take an elitist attitude towards them to the point where things like barbells and dumbbells are considered obsolete or inferior (which I feel is an absurd stance to take).

It’s a minority take, but a take nonetheless.

The Kettlebell Swing

Splitting the conversation further is the swing; one of, if not the most popular exercise performed with a kettlebell.

FMS and Strong First instructor, Brett Jones, showcasing the Russian Style (and I’d argue, correct) swing.

I’ve written several articles in the past expounding my take/approach to the swing and I’m not going to belabor my point(s) here. If interested you can peruse THIS, THIS, and THIS article. We can high-five later.

I’d also encourage you to seek out information from the likes of Dan John, Dr. Mark Cheng, Jen Sinkler, Neghar Fonooni, Gray Cook, and Iron Body Studios (Artemis Scantalides and Eric Gahan):

 

All the coaches/peeps mentioned above advocate the “Russian” style swing as opposed to the “American” style. To which I say, “Samsies.”

What’s the Difference?

Russian Style = less ROM, more vodka.

American Style = more ROM, because, why not? And, America!

 

There are adamant supporters in both camps, and both make solid cases for why their style is the style everyone should be using.

And, as far as internet pissing contests are concerned, it’s an “argument” that ranks right up there with the low bar squatters vs. high bar squatters, steady state cardio vs. HIIT cardio, meat eaters vs. vegetarians, and you better bet your ass this calls for a Rocky vs. Drago reference.

I have to say, though, the “American” advocates have a far less stellar rationale (it’s just my opinion of course) for their style.

Let’s discuss shall we?

My Case Against the American Style Swing

I posted the following question on Twitter yesterday:

Little Help: can anyone provide benefits/advantages for the “American” KB swing?

I received this well-thought out response (which made me chuckle):

“Looks more hardcore in METCON.”

However the bulk of responses fell in the line with:

“To practice the movement for CrossFit competition. Sport specific practice, in essence.”

“It is measurable in the context of the bell has to be fully extended overhead to be a rep is the only thing I can think of.”

It’s hard for me to counterpoint that train of thought. I get it, I respect it, and I can appreciate any “specificity” that’s involved. You don’t get better at swimming by riding a bike just like you don’t get better at American style swings by not doing American style swings (for competition).

CrossFit competitions are one thing (and even then, why?). Where I feel things get dicey are for those CrossFitters who don’t compete and when personal trainers/coaches start using the American style with their regular clientele who, again, don’t compete and more importantly, have poor movement quality…all because they watched the wrong YouTube video, or Jillian Michaels DVD.

Mind you, there are plenty (not a lot) of people who can perform an American style swing and not make my corneas bleed.

It’s a learned skill just like any other exercise – with a right way and wrong way to do it (I think) – and I’m sure it’s not too hard to find passable images on Google.

However, lets not kid ourselves…most people who do it end up looking like this:

Or this:

Maybe it’s the cynical coach in me speaking, but all I see is forward head posture, excessive lumbar extension (both primarily compensation patterns for limited shoulder flexion mobility; or the ability to get your arms over your head, and lack of lumbo-pelvic-hip control; or limited anterior core strength/stiffness), and a local physical therapist salivating.

And who knows: maybe the pics taken above were rep # 117 of a WOD, where technique is bound to take a hit. Either way, my back hurts looking at it.

I am not at all against people training overhead.

I just feel the vast majority of people need to earn the right to do it.

(Check THIS out for more details on that front).

Many people just don’t have ample enough shoulder flexion and/or lumbo-pelvic control to get their arms overhead without blatant compensations and (potentially) serious ramifications down the road – much less be competent enough to add load and repetitions (unfortunately, usually both).

Someone was kind enough to link to THIS article on Twitter written by CrossFit serving as a rebuttal to everyone else’s rebuttal that, for 90% of people 90% of the time, the American swing, and I’m paraphrasing here, fucking stupid.9.

See! An example of a better, “passable” American swing where the hips get through into more terminal extension. Understandably the criteria for a CF competition isn’t to get the hips through, it’s just whether or not the arms get overhead.

From the article itself:

“On first being introduced to the kettlebell swing our immediate response was, “Why not go overhead?” Generally, we endeavor, somewhat reflexively, to lengthen the line of travel of any movement. Why? There are two reasons.

The first is somewhat intuitive. We don’t do half rep pull-ups, we don’t do half rep squats, and we don’t do half rep push-ups. If there is a natural range of motion to any movement we like to complete it. To do otherwise seems unnatural. We would argue that partial reps are neurologically incomplete.”

I’ve already pointed out my disdain for assuming everyone can train overhead. It’s just not true, and I applaud any CF box or affiliate who take the time to properly screen their clients beforehand to better ascertain who can and cannot perform movements overhead…safely.

Shout-outs to Coolidge Corner CrossFit and CrossFit Resilience (two boxes I know screen their clients).

I almost shit a kettlebell when I read that second paragraph.

First off, every gym does half rep everything. Walk into any gym, anywhere, and you’re bound to see people “cheating” their lifts. Some lifts warrant partial reps – block pulls, Anderson squats, board presses, etc. There’s a ton of efficacy for partial ROM lifts, typically to address a technique flaw or weakness in one of the “big 3.”

But I’m sorry, CrossFit isn’t anything special, needs to be held to the same litmus test, and recognize that people cheat their lifts just as much there as in any other gym (commercial, collegiate, private, or otherwise).

All of that comes down to coaching anyways.

Secondly, You don’t do partial rep pull-ups?

Um, what the hell are kipping pull-ups then? They’re certainly not full- ROM. Puh-lease.

 

Here’s another doozy from the same article:

“From physics we know that the higher we lift something, and the more it weighs, the more “work” we are performing. Work is in fact equal to the weight lifted multiplied by the height we lift the object. Work performed divided by the time to completion is equal to the average “power” expressed in the effort.

When we swing the kettlebell to overhead, the American swing, we nearly double the range of motion compared to the Russian swing and thereby double the work done each stroke.”

Who says you have to increase ROM (and do more work) to make an exercise better? It’s the American way I suppose. We work more, take less vacation, and are otherwise stressed to the gills because we’re a-holes like that.

More is better, right?

With the swing – as with more conventional exercises like the bench press, squat, and deadlift – it’s not (always) about how much more work you can do (by increasing ROM) to make it better or harder or more effective. With the latter examples it’s about doing LESS work to improve efficiency and to take better advantage of one’s unique anatomy and leverages.

This is why many coaches advocate a low-bar position when squatting or why we tinker with deadlifting style to get the hips closer (laterally speaking) to the bar. Some do better with conventional deadlifts while others do better with Sumo. It depends.

Lastly, with regards to the American swing being more “powerful” compared to the Russian style I’ll defer to THIS excellent post by Mike Young on why that’s not the case.

I’ve also seen it argued that the American swing produces more force due to the increase in ROM. Sorry, but force output is more about forward motion, not up (the bell actually slows down the higher you go).

Not to mention – from a personal standpoint – I feel there’s more room for error with the American style swing. Taking compensation patterns and physical limitations out of the discussion, the increased ROM often lends itself to the bell traveling well below the knees for most people, which can lead to much more “stress” to the lumbar spine – something I’d like to avoid altogether.

Although the KB snatch is very similar, so I guess the real culprit is one’s ability to “clear” the hips and get overhead.

Additionally, I’ve heard stories of people losing the bell overhead, where it ends up flipping over and the bell falls.

In the End

This is not an attack on CrossFit or any coach who uses this particular style – relax. Far be it from me to tell any coach what he or she should be doing with their clients. If they want to coach their swings American style, have at it. They have their reasons.

It’s also not about pandering to which style is right or wrong. However I do feel the Russian style is more optimal and a better fit for most people. Why fix what isn’t broken?

All of this is my opinion – one it’s hopefully coming across in a respectful, “huh, that makes sense” kind of way – and as with anything in this industry the right answer as to whether or not the American style swing is a good fit for you is…it depends.

It depends if you compete in CrossFit. If so, I get it. I guess.

It also depends on whether or not you have the requisite shoulder flexion and anterior core stability to go overhead. Most people don’t.

It also depends on the cost-benefit. I argue there’s little upside to performing it. It does make your METCON finisher look more hardcore. Yay?

CategoriesNutrition

Diet vs. Habit Based Nutritional Coaching

Today’s guest post comes courtesy of Missouri based personal trainer, Stevan Freeborn. I don’t provide nearly enough nutritional content on this site, so it’s nice whenever I have the chance to have someone with more experience on topic shed some light.

Enjoy!

Restriction, Restriction, Restriction.

That’s the name of the game for most people when it comes to eating healthier.

Just about everyone has had that experience where they have bought the latest trending diet book, threw out everything in their pantry, restocked it with whatever buzzwords the expert author used (organic, gluten free GMO free, zombie proof) or claimed was “clean” or “healthy” and then proceeded to prepare a week’s worth of “healthy” and “clean” meals that will help you lose that excess belly fat you have been carrying around for the last couple years.

Note from TG: on the topic of GMO’s, I really like THIS article via Precision Nutrition.

But what follows this experience is never what we all hope for.

Usually it consists of several days filled with frustration, self deprivation, and envy followed by a quick and swift return to your old diet and grocery store list.

So the questions we need to be asking ourselves is why does this happen?

Why do we start off so motivated and excited to start something new, yet quickly lose our dedication to the cause? Why do we keep repeating this chain of events that always ends in a crash and burn scenario?

I think the answer lies in the approach we are taking in regard to how we are taught and teaching how to make food choices. I think if we can change the way we coach people to change their diet we can dramatically improve the outcomes for those people who want to eat better, fee better, and look better.

In my mind there are two different approaches for nutritional coaching and food choices.

One is habit-based and the other is diet-based. I will spend time later in this post explaining more about each concept, but it is important to remember that both are tools that can be used effectively with or by the right person in the right situation.

SPOILER ALERT: I think you are going to find that I personally have a huge biased towards one approach over the other because of my own personal experience and logical conclusion about its practicality.

Diet-Based Nutritional Coaching

This is the approach everyone has been using for the past 20 years. The experience I initially described to you is a product of this kind of approach.

Someone teaching or practicing a diet-based nutritional approach focuses on the things they can and cannot eat.

They create list of foods that are “good” or “clean” and a list of foods that are “bad” or “dirty” and make all food decisions based on where the foods fall on these master lists.

This approach can be done on a macroscopic scale looking at whole foods or it can be done on a microscopic scale looking at the macronutrients which make up the foods. Depending on which scale or combination of the two the foods that make up the lists can be greatly varied. Good examples of this approach are the popular ancestral diets (Paleo) and the “If It Fits Your Macros” approach.

Pros

This type of nutritional approach sets very clear and defined guidelines as to what should be consumed and what shouldn’t be consumed leaving no room for interpretation or time spend worrying over what food to pick.

It allows people to make comprehensive grocery lists and meal plans that gives them peace of mind that they are making healthy choices. It provides people with a system to categorize and label foods which as we all probably know by now is something the human brain loves to do.

Cons

On the flip side this approach often creates a restriction mindset (except if you are practicing a macronutrient based version).

It tells people they can’t eat any of their old foods and requests that people change their entire way of eating overnight.

It typically is centered more about what you are not supposed to eat than what you are supposed to eat. It requires incredible levels of organization, dedication, self discipline, and motivation to stick with it long enough to have this way of eating become a way of life. It places labels on foods such as “good” or “bad” and thus creates negative connotations toward foods and subsequently negative emotions when these foods are consumed.

Habit-Based Nutritional Coaching

This is the approach I prefer and have had great success with clients.

In this type of approach we are focusing on what exactly you are eating. We aren’t concerned with the minutia of where it was grown and how it was grown. Habit-based nutrition is about using what we know about human psychology to better leverage our efforts to change.

We focus on creating a singular habit which we perceive as super duper easy to do and than practicing that habit for two weeks becoming the master of whatever this habit makes us do.

Note from TG: I LOVE The Power of Habit by Charles Duhigg.

The habit will be different for each person depending on where they struggle more with their diet and how far off they are from a complete and nutritious diet. Once someone has successfully mastered a habit for two weeks you simply add another habit which again we perceive to be super duper easy. This process continues in piece-wise fashion until we are eating a diet that supports the person’s overall health and specific performance goals.

Pros

This approach gives people action.

It focuses on what a person can do to eat better than what they can’t do. It applies the power of less, which means that by focusing on one change instead of several the likelihood of success significantly increases.

It provides direction, but allows the person to take ownership over the specific execution of the habit. It meets the person where they are at currently with their way of eating.

It focuses on creating lasting and sustainable change. It acknowledges the fact that the action of eating is rather complexed and is preceded by a crap ton of other behaviors all of which influence the likelihood of actually eating what you are suppose too.

It acknowledges the scientifically validated concept that self-discipline is a depleting resource and can’t be used endlessly. It is scalable to the person’s level of commitment and motivation meaning the habits can be made incredibly specific or broad with a lot of room for improvisation. Most importantly to me it eliminates the self deprivation attitude towards eating better.

Cons

Honestly from a personal and professional standpoint I really see no downsides with this approach other than it won’t sell a lot of books or allow for the development of niche food brands that can profit off of someone’s dietary restrictions.

*Cough, cough, cough* Food Babe.

Like I said I am biased towards one approach over the other I acknowledged that at the beginning of this discussion as well as the fact that both approaches can be used successfully with the right people in the right situation.

We have to see these differing approaches as tools and use them for the correct job. I think we have to stop trying to use one size fits all models for trying to improve our health and rather tailor the approach based on the individuals psychology.

For example, if I had a client who was 40 years old morbidly obese, recently been diagnosed with hypertension, diabetes, and hypercholesterolemia, prescribed several different medications to treat all these health problems, and still had a family to take care of and look after…my approach would be to use a diet based approach.

Why?

First this client is probably highly motivated. He knows that if he can lose this weight he will be able to stop taking all these expensive medications he is buying every month and that he will be able to live long enough to take care of his family and see all his children become adults. Second he really doesn’t have the rest of his life to figure all this nutritional stuff out. He needs to lose weight now and the best way to do this is to create an energy deficit which will require coaching him on specifically what foods and how much of these foods he is allowed to consume.

Conversely, if I also had a 25 year old female who was 50 pounds overweight with no medical conditions or injuries and just wants to be able to walk around in a bikini and feel like a rockstar I will more than likely try to start her on a habit based approach.

In this case for two large reasons.

First this lady is young and she needs to develop a relationship with food that will contribute to long lasting and sustainable results both in her overall health, but also in the way her body appears. Second I have found that women practicing diet based approaches often develop some serious dysfunctional eating patterns specifically, being over restrictive on food intake and/or practicing binge-purge cycles.

You see the approach has to fit the clients situation not the other way around.

These are just a couple of examples of how you could decide on which approach is better than the other. You could also look specifically at each persons level of commitment and motivation in order to select an intervention that fits where that person currently stands in both areas. You could also ask the person or yourself how much success in the past have they had with dieting.

I hope this helps you find a way of approaching nutrition that best fits your needs or the needs of your clients and leads to increased success in the long run.

About the Author

Stevan Freeborn B.Sc. ACSM-CPT is a trainer from Joplin, MO. He trains clients both in person and online. When he isn’t, he enjoys picking up heavy things, crushing trail mix, and being a coffee snob. He would love it if you would connect with him on Instagram, Facebook, or Twitter and spend a few minutes getting inside his head at Freeborn Training Systems.

CategoriesStuff to Read While You're Pretending to Work

Stuff To Read While You’re Pretending To Work: 10/23/15

Some big things happening in the next 48 hours.

For starters I’ll officially be open for business and taking on new clients at my new spot in Boston. I’ve spent the past few weeks getting my ducks in a row purchasing equipment and getting some semblance of “systems” set in place to help organize things.

But mostly it’s been all about taking this:

Special delivery from @roguefitness. Now the question is how long will it take me to put everything together?

A photo posted by Tony Gentilcore (@tonygentilcore) on

To  this:

 

Time to get to work. Wish me luck. A photo posted by Tony Gentilcore (@tonygentilcore) on

And turning it into this:

 

BOOM.

 

A photo posted by Tony Gentilcore (@tonygentilcore) on

It’s like my very own Transformer!

I’ll be updating the website soon to better highlight what services I’ll be offering in Boston, but for now if you’re reading this and wondering to yourself, “huh, I wonder what it would be like to have Tony train me10” you can shoot me an email at: [email protected] (or use the Contact function on the homepage).

UPDATE: actually, you can go HERE for more information.

Also, I’ll be making a cameo appearance at Legacy Strength in Floral Park, NY on Sunday (10/25) to do a 1-day workshop on shoulder shenanigans for a group of personal trainers and coaches. It’ll actually be my first time driving to NYC (and not taking public transportation), so FML.

I am, however, really looking forward to Sunday.

And lastly, speaking of speaking engagements, I’d like to run something past all of you.

Lisa, my wife, is an accomplished psychologist (with a doctorate in Sports Psychology) and she and I have been toying with the idea of offering a 1-day workshop tentatively titled “Kick It Up a Notch.”

[NOTE (slight brag fest): she actually jumped in when I was down in Australia this past March and spoke to the group of trainers/coaches on mindset and how to better communicate with clients. They ate it up. She’s also speaking alongside Artemis Scantalides in a few weeks at the I Am Not Afraid To Lift (Boston) Workshop. There are a handful of spots still available. Hint, hint].

Helping athletes/clients on the physical component is one thing – most trainers and coaches are well prepared for that. However, it’s a whole different ball of wax when mindset and the mental component is thrown into the mix.

What the two of us have been thinking is combining a workshop where I speak to how to progress our clients in the weight room (discussing exercise progressions/regressions, performance on key lifts) and Lisa speaks to how to help our clients with mindset, inner dialogue, and the mental component.

Do you feel there would be ANY interest in something like this?

I do. But I’d like to see if I’m right or if it’s just wishful thinking on my part.

Without further ado, lets get to this week’s list.

Head & Shin Position In the Deadlift – Tim Henriques

Tim’s an excellent coach and wrote one of the best books on powerlifting I’ve ever read titled, coincidentally enough, All About Powerlifting.

This was a fantastic article breaking down two often debated cues on the deadlift concerning ideal chin and shin position. Really, really good stuff.

The only way this article could have been more good is if it won an arm wrestling match vs. Zeus.

5 Critical Coaching Cues, Confused – Greg Robins

Keeping with the “lifting heavy stuff” theme, in this article Greg discusses five common coaching cues with the Big 3 that are often misunderstood or confused.

I particularly liked #1.

Why Strength Training Is Crucial For Me – Lindsay Somerset

Somerset? That name sounds familiar.

Lindsay is Dean’s wife, and an accomplished endurance athlete. In this very important post she describes why strength training has been a crucial component to her success as a competitive athlete.

Some Bonus Stuff

1. I’m really excited about the upcoming release of Strength Expert Secrets.featuring the likes of Dan John, Tim Henriques, Matt Kroc, Jordan Syatt, Dean Somerset, Josh Bryant, Bud Jefferies, and me.

As part of the pre-launch you can sign up to receive 8 FREE preview videos of the product. All you need to do is provide your name and email address HERE.

To serve as a teaser, here’s my video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EsT_9x18_C4

 

I really hate watching/hearing myself speak.

2. For anyone looking to improve their writing skills, I picked up a really good book yesterday: Everybody Writes: Your Go-To Guide To Creating Ridiculously Good Content.

Categoriescoaching personal training

Where Fitness Professionals Go Wrong When Training Women

Anyone’s who read TonyGentilcore.com for any length of time knows I’m passionate about a number of things:

1. Deadlifts

2. Beef Jerky (or any dead animal flesh really. Except eel. Or octopus. Or snail. Basically it needs to have legs if I’m going to eat it).

3. Star Wars11

4. My Cat

5. Helping to reverse the toxic trend predicated by the mainstream media that women shouldn’t (or worse, can’t) strength train and/or lift appreciable weight.

I’ve tried my best to do my due diligence to fight the good fight and to take on the role as an ambassador who advocates for women to lift heavy things, and to shed light on the absurdity that they should refrain from it.

Posts like THIS (where I pwn Vogue Magazine), THIS (where I speak to the main stream media’s message towards women), THIS (where I highlight a few of my favorite “go to” women’s sources), and THIS (which is hands down the most popular post ever in this history of this site) help to elucidate my thoughts on the topic.

Of course, I’d be remiss not to mention the overall “tone” conveyed by the media in recent years has relented and has gotten a bit less vomit in my mouthish – in no small part to the popularity of CrossFit and sites like Girls Gone Strong.

To speak to that point, recently I let it be known that I left Cressey Sports Performance to pursue other opportunities and that I’m now training people at a small studio space in Boston.

NOTE: I will be updating my services page soon, but if you’re interested in getting more information – where the studio is located, the basic format, what the cost is, as well as the secret handshake involved to get in – shoot me an email (via the contact page).

As such, I’ve had numerous people reach out to discuss working with me, some of which have been those from out of town with future travel plans to Boston.

Today I wanted to share an interaction I’ve had with a woman who lives near the NYC area.

From her first email:

“I’m in desperate need of a trainer. Since July I have tried two different local trainers (Nyack, NY) and I am really not happy – lots of light weights, no emphasis on compound movements (and when I insist we squat, deadlift or bench they never even discuss form/technique with me and just let me do whatever I want).

They tell me things like a body part – even glutes – can only be trained once a week, I should be eating only tilapia, broccoli, and six almonds, and I want to just run screaming out of the gym.”

I wrote back saying how sorry I was she had been having such bad experiences working other trainers and that I hoped I could try to break the trend.

After a few more emails back and forth she sent this gem:

“I still have several sessions with my current trainer which is driving me nuts because he says things like “people – and especially women – can’t build muscle after the age of 40” and I’m 50, building muscle, and really don’t like to hear I can’t do something especially when he has no evidence to back this up.”

I wrote back:

“What’s up with this guy? He’s pretty outdated in his train of thought. Is he living in 1919? Does he expect you to make him a sandwich? No, wait, he still thinks women can’t vote, right?”

Alas, sadly, this is the type of information (and message) that’s being relayed to women from fitness professionals – not all of them – who should know better.

The exchange got me thinking on where many (again, not all) fitness and health professionals go wrong when it comes to women and fitness.

1. Catering the Toxicity In the First Place

You see the messages all the time on magazine covers when you walk through a checkout line at a grocery store, and can’t help but feel saturated by WTF’ness of it all:

“Lose 1o lbs Fast. Without Dieting!”

“Get a Lean and Sexy Figure With These 4 Moves.”

“How To Get Toned for Summer.”

“The New Low-Carb, Guilt Free Diet Food: Sawdust!”

I understand marketing and know full-well that words like “strength, squats, muscle,” and “it’s going to take more than a month of dedicated, consistent, hard work to get the results you want” won’t sell women’s fitness magazines.

But come on: as a fitness professional you should know better than to pander to the BS.

And it’s not only fitness professionals – personal trainers and strength coaches – who are to blame. I’ve heard stories of FEMALE high-school athletic directors and coaches dismissing strength training for their FEMALE athletes because, to quote one of them:

“There isn’t any female-friendly equipment for them to use anyways.”

What the what??????

Mind you this was in reference to a very well equipped high-school weight room that had 6-8 full power racks and platforms.

The “female friendly” equipment she was referring to were treadmills, ellipticals, and pink colored frisbees for all I know.

That’s a hell of a crappy message to be conveying to an entire demographic of impressionable teenagers. The guys can use the squat racks; you ladies should be over there on the cardio equipment.

Chop, chop…off you go!

I for one like to educate my young female athletes and adult woman clients on why strength training is a good thing, and how it can empower them to accomplish many things outside of sports.

Although, admittedly, I prefer to get every woman I train to “buy” into more performance based goals rather than focusing on losing 10 lbs or trying to emulate an unrealistic, photoshopped societal expectation on the cover of a magazine.

It’s amazing how much of a confidence boost and overall sense of accomplishment that arises when a woman I work with finally hits a bodyweight deadlift (for reps), destroys her previous best on push-ups, or can do something as baller as this:

 

Rather than continuing to pick the scab and telling a female athlete or client what they can’t or shouldn’t be doing based off archaic, out-dated, and overall damaging information regurgitated by a complacent media, why not instead help them to explore the amazing opportunities, autonomy, and empowerment strength training provides?

I dare you.

2. Thinking Women Need To Train Differently In the First Place

Men have boy down there parts.

Women have girl down there parts.

It’s a big difference, but it doesn’t mean that because you have one instead of the other you need to train differently.

Actually, scratch that.

I don’t mean that entirely.

Need and should are two different things.

I don’t feel women need to train differently than men. I mean, the human body is the human body. The female body reacts to progressive overload in much the same way the male body does.  And, quite frankly, as a fitness professional, I don’t want to set the expectation that women should train “x” way while men should train in stark contrast to that.

I very much treat the women I train like the guys, and I think most – whether they realize I do this or not – appreciate it.

However, I do feel women should train differently.

What the what???

To put it another way: women should train differently compared to men, at times.

As an example, hormones do play a major role here. When a woman his having her period I can’t hold her to the same (performance) standard compared to other times outside that window. She’s going to feel like garbage (<– for lack of a better term) during this time, and I’ll almost always reduce her training volume to coincide.

Moreover, a lot of research (and anecdotal experience) backs up the notion that women don’t get sore as easily, are less quick to fatigue, can handle more training volume compared to men (maybe due to less overall muscle mass?), and that they can train closer to their 1RM more periodically comparatively speaking as well.

As we like to say in Boston, “how you like dem apples?“12

NOTE: for more information and insight you can check out THIS webinar I recorded last year on the topic.

3. Trying To “Win”

“But I don’t want to get big-and-bulky.”

Whenever I heard a woman say this to me in the past whenever I broached the words squat or deadlift I used to always try to “win” the argument.

Well, first I’d roll my eyes and then jump into a live volcano. And then I’d try to win the argument by countering with something like this:

 

Mind you, I still LOVE the above commentary, but I have since rescinded this approach to a large degree.

Why?

In large part because it doesn’t work and does nothing to build a meaningful, initial rapport with a prospective (female) client.

Don’t get me wrong: I still play devil’s advocate at times and relay to some that, contrary to popular belief, you won’t grow an Adam’s Apple overnight because you happen to lift something heavier than 50 lbs.

Likewise, I let it be known that saying you’re going to get big and bulky from strength training is like me saying I’m going to win the gold medal in the Olympics because I went out and did some sprints yesterday.

But I digress.

Instead of going on and on about women’s limited testosterone levels and how they’ll never attain the results of elite female bodybuilders, yada yada yada…I steal a page from local Boston-based trainer Lauren Perrault, dig deeper, and ask more questions.

“Why do you feel strength training will make you big and bulky?”

“Is this something that happened in the past?

“What exercise(s) in particular do you feel cause this?”

Maybe their train of thought projects that of a trainer they worked with previously. Maybe they never took the time to learn nor where they shown proper technique. Or, I don’t know, maybe they have a hard time letting go of certain myths and think the Abominable Snowman exists.

Either way…

Sometimes it’s more helpful to take some time to peel back the onion and to ascertain someone’s root cause for thinking they way they do, rather than chastise them out of the gate for the sole purpose of proving them wrong.

Categoriescoaching

The Low Bar Squat

Today’s guest post comes courtesy of Thomas Campitelli, a Starting Strength Coach and one of Mark Rippetoe’s lead lecturers for his Starting Strength Seminars.

A Brief Backstory: A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away Back in early September, Cressey Sports Performance coach, Tony Bonvechio, wrote THIS article for my site explaining some of CSP’s general philosophies with regards to squatting (and in particular some useful drills to help people squat deeper).

A disagreement followed. An internet scuffle if you will.

(You can read the article then peruse the comments section if you’re curious.)

It seemed some people took issue with Tony’s view on torso angle during a squat. It was interpreted – falsely – that Tony was against a forward lean (which he is not). He, I, and the rest of the CSP staff just prefer that people not fall forward – and “fight” to try to maintain more of an upright torso  – when coming out of the hole.

NOTE: much of the fault was my own. I had used a picture – without permission – from a Starting Strength seminar showcasing what I believed to be proper depth for a squat (Tom, the author of the article below took the pic). Given some of the messages in Tony’s article, however, and the fact that Starting Strength takes a slightly different approach (maybe 5-10% different) to the squat, some people were irate. And that’s their prerogative. Upon request I took the picture down, but it did open up the floodgates for a few commenters on what I felt, was a non-issue.

For his part, Thomas chimed in and he and I were able to keep things civil without ad hominem attacks or making fun of each other’s moms.

He offered to write a guest post to elucidate more on his side of the “debate.” I was down with the idea because 1) I’m awesome and 2) I feel it’s important as a fitness professional to stay cognizant of insights or opinions that may not necessarily jive with mine. Too, I feel it’s important to relay good information – whether I agree with it 100% or not – so that people reading can make up their own mind(s). 

This is an excellent read.

The Low Bar Squat

The barbell squat is a foundational lift for the acquisition of total body strength. Although the squat can be described as “sitting down and standing up again,” its performance with a heavy weight is both physically and technically challenging.

There are three main variants of the barbell squat: the front squat, the high bar back squat, and the low bar back squat. Leaning over during the low bar squat helps to make the movement more effective. Further, for most purposes and trainees, the low bar squat should be your movement of choice.

Strength is your ability to exert force against an external resistance. It is the most general and fundamental of any human physical or athletic characteristics. Everything you do with your body requires force production at some level and without adequate strength a given physical task cannot be accomplished.

If you wish you train for strength, the movements you choose should embody the following criteria:

  • Utilization of the most muscle mass possible
  • Employment of that musculature over the longest effective range of motion
  • Usage of the heaviest weight you can handle with good form

By combining these elements together, you can become stronger in a way that is unrivaled in its effectiveness.

The low bar squat fully meets these criteria.

Let’s begin the discussion of how to do it.

Where you place the barbell determines a number of things about how you squat, specifically how much you will lean over during the movement. Forward lean in the squat is a misunderstood concept and one that is often equated with poor outcomes–injury, inflexibility, lack of athleticism, and hurt feelings– none of which need actually occur.

Every squat variant utilizes some inclination of the torso with respect to the ground. In the low bar squat, leaning over is fundamental to the movement. It is not a form fault. Instead, it is desirable–an expression of good technique that allows you to meet the criteria above.

To squat a weighted barbell safely, you must be in balance. The center of mass of the barbell and your body’s center of mass must be directly in line with your balance point–the middle of the foot.

If you move the bar down the back so that it sits in the shelf formed between the contracted posterior deltoids and spines of the scapulae, this will affect what you do to stay in balance. To keep the bar over the middle of the foot, you will need to lean over as you descend.

How much you lean over depends upon the relative lengths of your torso, thigh, and lower leg to one another. These relationships, called anthropometry, and how much forward lean is required will vary from lifter to lifter.

If you move the bar about two inches up the back so that it sits on top of the trapezius, as is done with the high bar squat, the amount you need to lean over is less than before. Further, if you move the bar in front of the neck so that it rests on the anterior deltoids, as is done in the front squat, the torso angle is more vertical yet. You cannot lean over very far in a heavy front squat, or you will dump the bar on the ground.

These differences in torso angle affect joint angles and how the muscles must act to produce motion around those joints.

Placing the barbell lower on the back requires an active contraction of the musculature of the upper back and torso to hold it in place. Leaning over on the way down also elongates the adductors, or the groin muscles, and hamstrings in ways the other squat variants do not. Muscles only produce motion around the joints through contraction, or shortening.

If groups of muscles are already shortened, they cannot be as effectively used to extend the hip during the ascent of the squat. Leaning over produces more leverage against hips as the torso acts like a wrench against the hip joint.

In order to maintain the normal anatomical relationships between the vertebrae and avoid flexion, the erector spinae are called into hard isometric contraction. By keeping the pelvis locked in place with respect to the spine and driving the knees out, the forward lean elongates the adductors while preventing the hamstrings from shortening during the descent of the squat. The inclination of the torso required by the low bar squat forces the lifter to utilize the most muscle mass possible.

The bottom of the low bar squat occurs when the adductors become fully elongated. For just about all people, this happens when the crease of the hip descends below the top of the knee cap by approximately one to three inches.

Full depth in a properly done low bar squat is determined not by powerlifting judges, but by anatomy.

Going deeper, such as continuing to descend until the hamstrings touch the calves, will force some of the musculature to relax when performing a low bar squat. The knees will travel further forward, shortening the adductors and hamstrings, or the spine will flex as the pelvis rotates downward.

Perhaps some of both will occur.

In either of those cases, you lose control of your back position and probably your back angle, too. Muscles shorten without moving the weight up and tightness is lost. This violates the first criterion mentioned above. Going too deep in the low bar squat requires some relaxation and therefore prevents the full utilization of the musculature.

Safety and efficiency align perfectly here.

When the muscles do not manipulate the skeletal levers effectively, poor positioning results. Spinal flexion and relaxation under a load are the frequent results. Good technique not only allows you to lift more weight through the recruitment of the most muscle mass, it also keeps you safe.

This is why the second criterion above uses the qualifier “effective” when describing the longest range of motion. You do not want to sacrifice muscular involvement in the squat for a slightly longer range of motion. You need to go below parallel.

Every time.

However, you do not need to touch your hamstrings to your calves if doing so necessitates relaxation and poor positioning.

There are volumes more to say about squatting and low bar squatting in particular. However, this is merely an introduction. Leaning over in the low bar squat is both essential and beneficial.

It allows for the most muscle mass to be used over the longest effective range of motion. This enables the lifter to handle heavier weights and to increase their physical strength both efficiently and safely. Next time you perform a low bar squat, lean over while keeping the bar in balance over the middle of the foot.

You will be doing it right.

About the Author

 

Thomas Campitelli is a Starting Strength Coach and photographer who lives in Oakland, CA. He is a lecturer and platform coach for Mark Rippetoe’s Starting Strength Seminars and travels throughout the North America and Europe teaching others to lift. When not on the road, he maintains a barbell training practice at CrossFit Oakland where leaning over during the squat is encouraged.