It’s been over 18 months since I’ve announced any IN-PERSON workshops. I’m elated to announce that I am coming to Philadelphia to put on my 1-day Strategic Strength Workshop
*Cue the trumpets*
My friends at Warhorse Barbell Club have agreed to host and I am so pumped.
The event will be in late September and you can take advantage of the early bird rate up until September 1st. For all the details and to register you can go HERE.
Hope to see you there!
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Started with a new high school aged client today. His session included:
– Goblet Squats
– Pallof Presses
– Trap Bar Deadlifts
– Push Ups
– Inverted Rows
– Hip Thrusts
– Sick 90’s Hip Hop Beats.
Key point: AMRAP (As Many Reps As Possible) is not the same as training to failure. Nevertheless, AMRAP sets can be a very key component to most training programs.
Tony gives you the details on how and why in this short read.
Do you exhibit a hip/weight shift (swaying to the left or right) when you perform a squat? It’s one of the more annoying things that can happen in the weight-room.
It ranks somewhere in between people who don’t re-rack their weights and kipping pull-ups.
Admittedly, it’s rather common and almost always a benign occurrence; most people never even notice it unless they’re routinely filming their squat sessions.
And when that is the case, I can understand someone’s “itch” to want to solve the conundrum. I mean, things could go awry down the road and manifest into pesky hip or knees issues.
A Case Study: How to Address a Hip Shift During the Squat
I received the following email earlier this week:
“I was looking to see if I might be able to send you some videos for a squat assessment. I have been having issues leaning to my right for some time and cannot for the life of me figure out what is causing the issue. I’ve followed you for years and trust your judgement!”
I responded back with a “sure, I can take a quick look,” and in swift fashion I got this in return:
“Some initial feedback would be great.
Some things to note before watching:
Though subtle, I find my left hip lower than my right on both the descent and ascent of the squat (as you can probably see).
My right hip flexor/quad tends to be tighter than my left usually.
My left glute has always been tighter than my right
History of SI joint hypermobility (in the past) but has not caused me issues for over a year. I used to have issues with my sacrum shifting around and causing misaligned hips which was quite painful.
I do not have any pain barbell squatting or semi sumo deadlifting but I do feel the unevenness when I squat especially.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-OGaW1JmADw
For Starters
That’s a pretty good lookin squat if you ask me.
After reading her “heads up” commentary before watching the video I was half expecting a dumpster fire when I pressed play.
Au contraire – all things considered, that’s a very passable squat.
However, given her past injury history, her own words of feeling the “unevenness,” not to mention you can see a subtle weight shift to the right with each repetition, I had some thoughts.
It’s funny, I perused my blog archives to see whether or not I had written on this topic in the past, and as it happens I did!
Back in 2015 I wrote THIS post where I discussed the idea “feeding the dysfunction,” a concept taken straight from renowned physical therapists (and creators of the Functional Movement Screen), Gray Cook and Lee Burton.
The gist goes like this:
You see a weight shift, say, to the right. In this scenario you grab a band and wrap it around the individual’s waist and as he or she squats, you pull the band in the direction of the shift, essentially “feeding the dysfunction.” The idea is that reactive neuromuscular training (RNT) trains the nervous system to recognize a faulty movement and to encourage body to correct course.
In the broader consciousness of health/fitness it’s an okay approach. It 100% works. In the years since writing that blog post, however, I’ve gone out of my way to reduce my use of the word “dysfunction” with clients. I don’t like the connotation the word breeds; that the individual is in some way broken or needs fixing.
Some people hear or see the word dysfunction and they’re ordering an exorcism.
Myself?
I hear or see dysfunction and I think “well, outside of extenuating circumstances (past/current injury history, whether or not there’s pain present), it’s fairly normal.”
Everyone is a bit different and moves in different ways. What’s more, there are, what, seven billion people on this planet currently? Is the expectation that everyone, everywhere, in the history of ever, is going to squat (or move) the same exact way?
Okay, Tony, We Get It, Personal Growth, Blah Blah, Blah…WTF Did You Tell Lisa To Do?
This, I said this:
“I totally see what you’re saying when you say your left side is lower than your right. I don’t think we need to get too far into the weeds as to whether or not that “needs” to be corrected (or even if it’s bad).
While slight, the hip shift IS there, and I think there are one of two things you can try”
1) Lean Into the Asymmetry
(NOTE: I actually wrote my thoughts on asymmetry HERE a few years ago).
I asked her to externally rotate (open up) her right foot more and to take note whether or not that improved her weight shift?
If so, there’s her answer.
People are built differently and what this would suggest is that her right hip socket is likely more retroverted compared to her left and that that side requires a bit more ER.
For many, using a “symmetrical” stance is akin to attempting to fit a square peg into a round hole. We don’t live in textbooks, so we shouldn’t train like it either.
She tried it and (no surprise to me) saw an improvement:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CcKlqEkC8EI
But Tony, Won’t Having Her Squat With An Asymmetrical Stance Lead to More Issues Later? What’s Next: Telling Her to Club a Baby Seal? No, Wait, To Go Keto?
Relax.
I truly don’t feel having someone perform a handful of sets with an asymmetrical stance is going to cause irreparable harm. I mean, I’d make the case that forcing symmetry is leading to more issues. Besides, if a certain stance feels better, feels more secure, stable, and powerful…why wouldn’t we want to lean into that?
Furthermore, the human body is a bit more resilient than that. If it can survive plagues, saber-toothed tigers, and Michael Bay Transformer movies, it can withstand a few sets of asymmetrical squats.
Further furthermore, this is why we use things such as single leg work to help fill in the gaps. There’s a reason why we write well-rounded training PROGRAMS. You know, to address stuff.
So anyway, moving her foot out a bit seemed to have solved the issue. This strategy will work for most people, but what happens when it doesn’t?
2) Listen to Katie St. Claire
This scenario reminded me of something my colleague, Katie St. Claire, discussed last year. She showed a video of one of her clients who also had a hip shift to the right on her squat.
Katie recommended the woman perform 15 hip bridges (off the wall) on her LEFT side only.
Now, why the LEFT side only in order to fix a RIGHT sided issue?
“To allow more posterior rotation and nutation on the left side so she can load the right side correctly.”
In non-Elvish, as you squat down into deeper hip flexion (most often in Stage 2: 60-120 degrees of hip flexion), the inability for the LEFT side to internally rotate and compress essentially “pushes” you to the right.
I don’t know, maybe that still sounds confusing.
Try this: Whatever side you shift to, perform a boat-load of bridges on the OPPOSITE side. Chances are you will see an improvement.
Cool?
Cool.
Give both options a try and see if one of them solves the issue.
Strategic Strength Workshop Is Coming to Philadelphia
It’s been over 18 months since I’ve announced any IN-PERSON workshops. I’m elated to announce that I am coming to Philadelphia to put on my 1-day Strategic Strength Workshop
My Strategic Strength Workshop is an opportunity for fitness professionals (or those who just like to lift heavy things) to gain better understanding and insight into how I structure assessments and subsequent training programs to help people get stronger, move better, and, I don’t know, arm wrestle a lumberjack (and win!)
Topics Covered Include:
1) Upper & Lower Extremity Assessment – A Deep Dive
2) De-constructing common strength exercises (deadlift, squat, bench press, pull-ups, etc). Namely, why it’s crucial to find the VARIATION that best fits your clients’ goals, injury history, ability level, and anatomy.
3) Finding the Trainable Menu for your clients/athletes. Highlighting what they CAN do, rather than what they cannot.
4) A teeny-tiny dabble into psych skills for fitness professionals that will help improve motivation (and results) with your clients.
5) Top 5 Netflix shows I’ve watched during the pandemic (Lupin = the shit).
Ask 99 out 100 people what’s their “marker” for success in the weight room and they’re likely to say something related to how much weight is on the bar.
How to Build Success In Your Training (Other Than Just Adding More Weight)
I can’t disagree with the above logic.
If someone is lifting more weight on a particular lift this week compared to the previous week, and is following that mantra on a consistent basis, you can bet they’re going to make significant progress in the gym.
This approach is an easy, straight-forward, and fool proof way to “build” success into any program.
Right behind the “lift more weight” mentality – and serving as yet another fool proof way to champion progress – is the idea of manipulating the total number of sets and reps.
Add in an additional set or two2 and/or perform more repetitions of an exercise at a given weight and you’re doing more work.
Lift heavier loads or lift “x number” of weight for more repetitions and you have yourself some progressive overload.
Wash, rinse, repeat…….F.O.R.E.V.E.R
I think both approaches are spot on, and something I’ve discussed in past articles like HERE and HERE.
However, as much as I want to kiss that train of thought on the mouth without buying it dinner first, it does have its limits.
A recent exchange with a client of mine got me thinking: Are those two approaches, truly, the only way(s) to ensure success in a program? Is telling someone “just suck it up and lift more weight” the unequivocal best idea or approach?
I mean, how would you answer the following comment?
“So I totally understand why I shouldn’t add more weight if technique isn’t great, but what am I supposed to do if you’ve decreased the overall load?
If I’m doing less reps or less sets of a similar number of reps from the previous week and I don’t increase the weight, I’ve done less work than the week before. How will I see/get gains?”
I can’t say for sure, and my translation could be a little fuzzy, but if I were to open up my client to strength coach dictionary3 I’m pretty sure she’s insinuating that I’m trying to steal her gainz!
To me, another way to build success into anyone’s training is something not many people take notice of or even consider in the first place.
And that is……
“Feel” of a Set
To me, technique is paramount.
Especially when working with newbies or even intermediate lifters.
The reason why many tend to hit a speed bump or fail to make continued progress in their training is because their (shitty, or less than exemplary) technique doesn’t allow them to express their full strength.
Too many energy leaks due to form breakdown and, subsequently, poor alignment up and down the kinetic chain, leads to stagnant, sub-par progress.
Most have a hard time making any progress.
With regards to my client I broke it down like this:
“The reason why you crush 105 lbs. on the front squat and technique breaks down when you increase the weight to 115 lbs. is because you haven’t taken enough reps with 105 (or lower).
You need to build your volume with QUALITY reps, and earn the 115.”
Also “feel” of a set/rep matters.
Let’s say in Week #1 I call for five repetitions at “x” weight. I’d rather you stop your set at three repetitions than perform two reps with crappy technique. How are those final two reps going to make you better?
Grinding out some reps here and there is fine – and at times I’d encourage it. But I wouldn’t make a habit of it, because it doesn’t allow you to groove good technique.
Another way to think about progression is like this.
Week #1
Rep #1 = solid.
Rep #2 = pretty solid.
Rep #3 = meh, I got it, but that wasn’t solid.
Rep #4 = oh shit.
Rep #5 = I think I just destroyed the back of my pants.
Week #2
Rep #1 = dead sexy.
Rep #2 = dead sexy.
Rep #3 = solid.
Rep #4 = pretty solid
Rep #5 = okay, that wasn’t fun.
The idea here is to judge the feel of a set, and to take into account that that DOES MATTER.
If in Week #1, with a certain weight, a few repetitions make you hate life (or are not doable with passable technique), your “progression” is going to be to ensure that ALL repetitions are on point before you even think about increasing load.
That’s another way to build success into your training.
My good friend Bryan Krahn and I are going to be drumming up a little sumthin, sumthin in the coming months. It’ll be a training program for dads (and moms) that’ll take into account that:
1) Your time is limited.
2) You’re not 25 anymore.
3) You still want to be the most diesel looking parent at your kid’s daycare/school.
Before he and I dive into the nitty gritty, though, we’re interested in what YOU want to see from this sort of program. If you have a few minutes to kill can you maybe take some time to fill out THIS form?
It’ll only take the amount of time it takes to warm-up your kid’s Hot Pocket and it’ll help us tremendously.
Thanks!
Copyright: conneldesign / 123RF Stock Photo
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Not sure what irritates me more:
1. Client not showing up at 8:30 am (when they were the only one scheduled and I came in early just for them).
95% of lifters – at some point or another – will have a cranky shoulder to work around. This article provides some valuable insights on how to re-introduce pressing when your shoulder hates you.
This article is not going to dive into the x’s and o’s of program design.
For that you can peruse my Resources Page and find plenty of options to fit your fancy. Instead, today, I wanted to peel the onion (so-to-speak) and discuss the layers of program design that rarely get discussed.
How to Make Your Programs Programs Your Clients Will Actually Follow
This post is going to hit on the more nitty-gritty and nuanced stuff.
The stuff that is the culmination of equal parts time under the bar, experience, and not sucking. The stuff that, while I feel are very important and what helps to separate the great coaches from the sub-par ones, might come across as trivial or inane to some, and certainly won’t win me any additional Instagram followers.
Wow, I’m really selling it here aren’t I?
Lets dive in.
1. It’s Not About You
No, really, the programs you write have nothing to do with you.
Sure, you’re writing them and it’s your expertise and coaching people are paying for. However, the program should be about your client/athlete and reflect their needs and goals.
I think it was Alwyn Cosgrove who first coined the phrase
“You should write programs, not workouts.”
On top of that, and equally Earth shattering, is a common quote I often defer to from the great Dan John:
“The goal is to keep the goal, the goal.”
Any Joe Schmo with biceps and a weekend personal training certification can write a hard workout that will make someone hate life.4
Writing a program – one that’s individualized – serves a purpose, addresses one’s unique injury history, caters to his or her’s goals, takes into account ability level, and on top of all that, is flexible, takes some thought, professionalism, skill, and attention to detail.
Listen, I am all for getting people strong (which, granted, is subjective) and I can appreciate anyone who places a premium on having their clients squat, deadlift, bench press, and deadlift.
Deadlift is listed twice….because, deadlift.
However, if your client is a newbie or is just looking to lose 10-20 lbs, or could care less about benching 2x bodyweight, the program should reflect that.
There’s two extremes that generally end up happening:
1. Trainer/coach doesn’t give a shit. Client shows up, trainer is ill-prepared, and what follows is some smorgasbord of laziness, complacency, and fitness industry cliches. I.e., client is paying for a babysitter who just so happens to show them how perform a shitty looking lunge.
2. Trainer/coach does give a shit. Albeit is too much of a narcissist to recognize that because he or she prefers to train like a powerlifter, Olympic lifter, bodybuilder, or CrossFitter, doesn’t mean ALL of their clients need to train the same way too.
Before you know it you have:
14 year old’s who have never mastered a squat performing Tri-Phasic 1-Legged Pistol Squats vs. Bands while dragging a sled
35 year old house wives working on their quad sweep
55 year old CEOs with poor shoulder flexion performing kipping pull-ups for AMRAP.
Makes sense.
At the end of the day people are more apt to follow and stay invested in a program – long-term – if they know it’s catered to them and has their best interests in mind.
Like it or not, this is a SERVICE industry….and while I recognize there’s a bit of head-butting between what people need to be doing and what they want to do, it’s your job as the fitness professional to find and include that balance.
2. Avoid Fitting Square Pegs Into Round Holes
Yo, check it.
1️⃣ No one HAS to back squat. And if they do, no one HAS to use the low-bar position.
2️⃣ No one HAS to pull from the floor. And if they do, no one HAS to use a straight bar.
3️⃣ No one HAS to bench press. And if they do, no one HAS to use a crazy excessive arch. Or use a barbell for that matter.
4️⃣ No one HAS to listen to A Tribe Called Quest radio on Pandora. But you kinda do. Trust me.
Another “trap” I see a lot of fitness professionals fall into is marrying themselves to any ONE way to do or perform anything.
For lack of a better way of putting it: I fucking hate this way of thinking.
I lose a lot of respect for coaches who are that narrow-minded and unwilling to understand that there are other coaches out there getting just as good (sometimes better) results not doing what they’re doing.
Piggy backing on what was mentioned above (on individualization) – everything kinda falls under this umbrella…from exercise selection, order, and even the variation.
I mean, if someone has the shoulder mobility of a pregnant rhinoceros it makes zero sense to force them into back squatting, let alone using a low-bar position.
Photo Credit: Menno Henselmans
It won’t do them any favors and will likely frustrate them as it will feel weird (possibly even hurt) and will do little in building a greater degree of competency.
If I felt squatting was still important for them and it fit into their goals, a better way to build success (and competency) would be to use a SSB (Safety Squat Bar) variation or maybe even Anterior Loaded KB Front Squats:
Here I can still groove a sexy squat pattern but take the upper body restrictions out of the equation.
Likewise, with deadlifts, no one outside of a powerlifter or weightlifter must pull from the floor. It’s a rare instance – kinda like a Centaur or a vegan dish that doesn’t taste like wallpaper – when someone walks into my gym on day one and can demonstrate the mobility (and stability) requirements to do so safely.
Honestly, my first order of business with many people is to help them find their hip-hinge before I worry about lifting anything heavy off the floor.
To that end, if someone lacks the ankle dorsiflexion, hip flexion, or t-spine extension to get into proper position, maybe a trap bar would be a better option?
I find it’s a more “user-friendly” way of introducing the deadlift.
What’s more, in terms of stress and sheer loading on the spine, the trap bar will be a better option for most people anyways. With a straight bar the center of rotation is further away from the bar, whereas with a trap bar it’s right smack dab INSIDE.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p-sA3PG1kGY
Want to make your programs programs your clients will actually follow?
One of the best strategies is to include exercises and movements that best fit their ability level, shows them success, and helps to build competency.
Everyone is different. Respect that.
3. Other Stuff I Was Going to Elaborate On But This Post is Already Long Enough
As in, write down and keep track of what your clients are doing per session (and encourage them to take ownership and do it themselves).
A funny thing happens when people start to keep track of what they do session to session. This little thing called progressive overload manifests and people start seeing results.
It motivates them.
Soon they’re lifting weights (for reps) they couldn’t sniff three months prior.
And it’s a beautiful thing.
2. Experiment with Semi-Private Training
My good friend and former business partner, Pete Dupuis, wrote a fantastic article on this topic that you can read HERE.
It’s not for everyone, but I find the semi-private training model works like a charm to help motivate people. There’s a lot to be said about being surrounded by like-minded individuals and training amongst a group of people who will push you, encourage you, and call you out when you skip sessions.
3. Know When To Back Off
This coincides with what I mentioned above when I said a program should be flexible.
You may have programmed for a client to work up to a few heavy sets of triples on their deadlift on a particular day, but they show up and it’s readily apparent they had a horrible night’s sleep, or maybe they’re just mentally exhausted from resisting the urge all day to Sparta kick their boss in the throat.
Regardless, whatever was planned is…just…not…going…to…happen.
You better have a plan B in your back pocket.
4. Don’t Forget To Put In Stuff They WANT To Do
It bears repeating, this is important: I’m all for playing the “there’s a reason why you’re paying me, I’m the expert” card.
But it’s only going to work in your favor to toss your clients a bone and not take yourself so seriously sometimes.
My female clients love it when I put in some extra glute specific work at the end of their training sessions. My male clients are 100% down for a quick 5-minute “Sun’s Out, Guns Out” arm finisher.
Pants optional.
5. Sprinkle in Some Markers
As in, don’t be afraid to write in prescribed loads you want your clients to hit.
I find many people are notorious for underestimating their ability (or maybe hesitant to push the envelop) and need a little nudge from their meanie head strength coach.
Here’s an example of what I mean, a snidbit of a program I wrote for one of my female clients last month:
Week 1: Trap Bar Deadlift
3 sets of 5 reps @ 155 lbs
Week 2: Modified Sumo Stance Deadlift
Warm-up
Hit 200×1
Then 3 sets of 4 reps @ 180 lbs.
Week 3: Modified Sumo Stance Deadlift
Warm-up
Hit 205×1
Then 3 sets of 2 reps @ 190 lbs
Week 4: Modified Sumo Stance Deadlift
Warm-up
Hit 215-220×1
Fist pump x infinity
Then 3 sets of 5 reps @ 160 lbs
One of her goals, before the end of the year, was to hit a 200 lb (straight bar) deadlift. She crushedthat goal, a few months early mind you, because I didn’t baby her and gave her some markers to hit.
UPDATE: After posting this yesterday it was brought to my attention that a Diesel Dad resource already exists! My friend Anders Verner (of Barbell Shrugged) texted me and was like:
“I’ll see you in court.”
Just kidding.
He said,
“Diesel Dad is a rad idea, and I truly hate writing this, but we already created this branding, own the copyrights, Diesel Dad Mentorship, Mastermind Diet, and training programs.”
I was bummed to hear this news and certainly respect the fact that Diesel Dad is already in excellent hands. To that end, Bryan and I are still going to be running a similar program and just need to come up with another appropriate name I suppose:
DadStrong?
DadBuilt?
Brick Shithouse Diesel Motherfucker Club?
Nevertheless, we’d still very much appreciate your feedback (continue reading below).
👇👇👇
My son, Julian, was born just over four years ago.
In his first year of life my workouts had to be modified quite a bit. For starters I was a very sleep deprived dad who couldn’t tell the difference between 7 AM and 7 PM.
I still made training regularly a priority, but gone were the days where I hung my hat on 90 minute gym sessions. I needed to be more efficient with my training.
Get in, get out, go take a nap.
Secondly, the year he was born was also the same year I turned 40.
Now, to offset any eye-rolls heading in my direction: Age is just a number.
I’m not one of those people who feels that just because you turn a certain age that that automatically means you have to completely overhaul your workouts or training approach. I mean, granted, at 40 I wasn’t disillusioning myself into thinking I’d be jumping off any top ropes like Randy Macho-Man Savage or sprinting down the track like the T-1000.
However, I also wasn’t going to be reaching for the walking stick any time soon. I still had aspirations of training fairly aggressively.
As it happened, that year ended up being one of the best and most productive training years of my life. I was consistent, stayed healthy, kept my body composition in check, and was finally able to hit my goal of a 600 lb deadlift:
Furthermore, in the years since, I’ve been able to maintain (most of) my strength as well as bolster my admittedly childish goal of being the most diesel looking dad at my kid’s daycare.
It sounds silly, but I know there are many, many dads over 40 out there who are interested in the same thing.
They recognize they’re not 25 anymore.
However, they still want to get after it in the gym.
They’re also strapped for time.
Yet, they still want to look and be strong.
About a month after Julian was born the phrase “Diesel Dad” popped into my head. I thought to myself, “that’s a killer alliteration.” But more importantly that it was a baller idea, and in a rare occurrence of proactiveness I did a domain search and was pleasantly surprised to see that it was available to purchase.
I bought it thinking that maybe, at some point down the road, I’d put it to use.
That Time Is Now
My good friend and colleague, Bryan Krahn, and I have been tossing around the idea of putting together a program for Jason Bourne wannabe’s dads for a number of years now. I mean, we both became dads at relatively the same time and we’re both, at this point, approaching our mid-40’s.
(And, not coincidentally, we are both still pretty diesel).
We’re living, breathing, epitomes of our target market.
All that said, while we have a good idea of what we want to accomplish with the program, we’d be remiss not to do our due diligence and ask, specifically, what do YOU, dear future diesel dad want?
A Little Help?
If you’re a dad (or mom) who’s 35+ and interested in a program that will help you get stronger, satiate your inner meathead, help navigate around common injuries, and take into account that your time is valuable…
…can you help us out?
Can you take a few minutes to complete THIS questionnaire?
It’ll help Bryan and I figure out what Diesel Dad can and should be, as well as possibly highlight things we haven’t thought of yet.
Like, do we include a litany of dad jokes? Steak recipes? Nunchuck training?
Help us, help you.
Go HERE (👈 seriously, it’ll be immensely appreciated)
As this post goes live, I am on a plane on my way back to Boston.
It’s sad leaving Florida…especially given how scorching hot the rest of the country is at the moment (100-115 degrees on BOTH coasts).
It’s quite ironic that, of all places, Florida has arguably the best weather in the country right now given we’re entering the heart of the summer. I mean, I’d have put my bets on the inside of a live volcano being a better place to be at this point in the year.
Nevertheless, weather notwithstanding, my good friend and colleague, Shane McLean, came through and delivered a sweet guest post for me to post during my travel day.
You can pair almost any exercise together to build muscle, lose fat or bring up body parts that are lagging behind. Plus, you’ll do more work in less time and hit the showers early while the Instagram stars are still taking their selfies. Don’t you love how they hog all the mirror space?
If supersets are NOT a part of your routine, you’re truly missing out.
And you don’t want to miss out, do you?
Here is the lowdown on supersets and why they should be a part of your training.
Advantages Of Supersets
Increase the efficiency of your training because you’re reducing the rest intervals between exercises. Making sure you have all the equipment you need beforehand works best
Having reduced rest periods will increase intensity of your training by performing more work in less time.
Increased fat loss potential because the shorter rest periods between exercises and back to back contractions in supersets can help promote an additional stimulus for fat loss.
Increased fat loss because of the reasons above when you use it in combination with a caloric deficit.
Tony contemplating performing a superset
However, supersets are not great for every goal.
Disadvantages Of Supersets
The increase in intensity can lead to a drop off in exercise performance and technique. This may lead to injury.
It’s difficult to juggle different weights for different exercises. Monopolizing the equipment in a busy gym may lead you to be the unpopular person who hoards the dumbbells.
As good as the they are for hypertrophy and fat loss, they’re not the most ideal way to build strength because you cannot go as heavy and the limited rest between exercises compromises recovery.
They’re difficult for beginners when they’re unfamiliar with both movements which lengthens the learning curve and may lead to injury.
5 Superset Types With Training Examples
The types of supersets you use depend on your current goals, whether it be fat loss, hypertrophy or bringing up a lagging body part. And it also depends on whether you’re a beginner or advanced trainee, and on how much time you must train or how much pain you’re willing to stand.
Here are five superset types that you can use now to take your training to the next level.
1. Post and Pre-Exhaustion Supersets
These take muscle discomfort to a new level.
With post exhaustion you combine a compound exercise with an isolation exercise afterwards to exhaust all the muscle fibers in a certain muscle group. This way you get the greatest strength benefits from the compound movement.
A pre exhaustion superset is the single joint movement that is done before the compound exercise. This produces a higher level of muscle fatigue and damage to the targeted muscle group.
Both are great for bringing up a lagging body part. However, make sure the compound move trains the muscle you’re going to isolate.
Post Exhaustion Superset Examples
1. Quads
1A. Squat variation 6-12 reps
1B. Leg extensions 12-20 reps
2. Hamstrings
1A. Hip hinge variation
1B. Stability ball hamstring curl 12-15 reps
3. Biceps
1A. Chin up variation 6-12 reps
1B. Zottaman curl 10-15 reps
4. Triceps
1A. Push -Up variation 8-15 reps
1B. Overhead triceps extensions 12-20 reps
Pre-Exhaustion Supersets Examples
5. Biceps
1A. Barbell biceps curl 8-15 reps
1B. Supinated Lat Pulldown 8-12 reps
6. Hamstrings/Glutes
1A. Seated Leg curl 8-15 reps
1B. Barbell Hip thrust 6-12 reps
7. Triceps
1A. Triceps push down 8-15 reps
1B. Single arm floor press 6-12 reps
8. Shoulders
1A. Dumbbell front raise 8-15 reps
1B. Dumbbell seated overhead press 6-12 reps
2. Compound Supersets
A compound set trains the same muscle group, where you can hit the group from different angles to achieve more muscular tension.
This is a time-efficient way to train for hypertrophy of a muscle group, if you can stand the pain. And for this reason, these should be at the start of your training when you have the most energy.
However, this is an advanced method because heavier weights are used in both exercises on the same body part which can lead to muscular fatigue and drop in performance and technique.
For example,
1. Chest
1A. Barbell bench variation 6-8 reps
1B. Single arm floor press 8-12 reps
2. Back
1A. Seated row 8-12 reps
1B. Single arm lat pulldown 12-15 reps
3. Legs- squat focus
1A. Barbell Front squat 4-8 reps
1B. Dumbbell jump squats (use 10-25% of your body weight) 3-6 reps
4. Legs- Hinge focus
1A. Romanian deadlift 8-12 reps
1B. Barbell hip extensions 6-8 reps
3. Isolation Supersets
You can save time because you’re working a smaller muscle group in the same amount of time as one exercise and all the focus is on the one muscle, helping you feel the burn and for flex appeal
These are great for bringing up a lagging body part or a weaker muscle that could be hindering your performance in a compound exercise. For example, weaker triceps hindering lockout in the bench press.
These supersets are best done at the end of your training because you’ll want to save your energy for the larger compound movements.
1. Biceps
1A. Incline biceps curl 12-25 reps
1B. Concentration curl 12-25 reps
2. Shoulders
1A. Dumbbell lateral raise variation 12-15 reps
1B. Band pull aparts (high reps) 25 reps
3. Triceps
1A. Triceps (rope) pulldown 12-25 reps
1B. Skull crushers 8-12 reps
4. Glutes
1A. Single leg hip extensions 12-15 reps
1B. Lateral band walk 12-15 reps on each side
4. Lower/Upper Body Supersets
This is the least taxing of all the techniques listed so far because you’re working two completely unrelated muscle groups. These are great for full rest and recovery of a muscle group and for full body workouts when time is an issue.
They’re best used for full body workouts or full body splits and are ideal for beginner trainees. However, if strength is your goal, give these a wide berth.
And they’re great for fat loss because alternating blood flow between your upper and lower body makes the heart and lungs work harder, helping you burn more calories.
Note – There are lots of examples here. This is only a few suggestions.
For example:
1A. Squat variation 8-12 reps
1B. Barbell bench press 8-12 reps
1A. Barbell squat variation 6-12 reps
1B. Chin ups 6-12 reps
1A. Barbell hip thrust 6- 8 reps
1B. Floor press 6- 8 reps
1A. Barbell push press 6-12 reps
1B. Chin ups 6-12 reps
5. Strength/Mobility Supersets
A strength exercise done for heavier weights combined with a mobility exercise will help improve your exercise technique and recovery when strength is your focus.
Let’s say you’re having a little knee discomfort with the squat and your knees are going excessively over the toes. Plus, it is hindering your squat depth and you’re not strengthening all parts of the movement.
Don’t go into corrective exercise purgatory, pairing an ankle mobility exercise with your squat may help solve this problem. And you can follow this logic with all strength exercises that need mobility.
Note – This is just one method you can use when a strength move causes you discomfort.
For example,
1A. Deadlift variation 3-6 reps
1B. Hip flexor mobilization 8 reps
1A. Shoulder press variation 8-12 reps
1B. Forearm wall slides 8 reps
1A. Barbell squat variation 3-6 reps
1B. Rocking ankle mobilization 8 reps
1A. Barbell bench press 3-6 reps
1B. Thoracic extensions 8 reps
Wrapping Up
Supersets are an efficient way to train and are used in many ways to match your goals. Pair exercises wisely for great results and more flex appeal.
Make it #flexfriday every day.
About the Author
Shane “Balance Guy’ McLean” is an A.C.E Certified Personal Trainer working deep in the heart of Louisiana with the gators.
I had the lovely opportunity to make another cameo appearance on the All About Fitness Podcast hosted by Pete McCall.
Pete’s a fantastic interviewer and has built one of the most popular health/fitness podcasts out there because he makes it his mission to invite intelligent, jacked bald dudes on his show relay actionable and relatable content on his show.
No fluff.
No BS.
No keto recipes.
This episode was recorded live at my studio in Boston and I think you’ll dig it as Pete and I discuss everything from why strength training doesn’t differ that much between athletes and us normal folk, as well as a bevy of other topics.
I’m on vacation this week, and as a result I told myself I wasn’t going to do much of anything other than take many napsand eat a metric boat load (which is a shade more than a metic fuck ton) of honey wheat pretzels.
(Mission accomplished on both fronts).
I didn’t want to leave my readers hanging for a whole week, though, so I took it upon myself to schedule a few posts of repurposed content this week.
If you’re new to the site, it’ll be a new article.
If you’re a veteran of the site (and you missed it the first time around)…IT’S LIKE YOU DON’T EVEN PAY ATTENTION TO ME ANYMORE! WE USED TO BE ABLE TO FINISH EACH OTHER’S SENTENCES. NOW WE DON’T SAY MORE THAN THREE WORDS TO ONE ANOTHER. I HATE YOU. YOU’RE RUINING MY LIFE!5
What’s our obsession with making things hard or complex?
I remember when I was a kid all I needed to entertain myself was my bike. I’d ride around pretending I was Knight Rider talking to my bike as if it were KITT.6
“Turbo boost KITT.”
And then I’d pedal faster.
“Oh snap, we’re under heavy fire and need to perform counter measures.”
And then I’d swerve back and forth between trees avoiding every heat seeking missile sent in my direction.
“KITT, eject, eject.”
This is when I’d point my bike in the direction of some sweet jump I’d have constructed, and, well, this would happen:
Nowadays you ask a kid to go outside and play and they’re looking at you as if you have three heads and wondering how that’s even possible without an iPhone in hand. It’s almost as if there has to be some form of technology or gadgetry involved.
A frisbee? No way.
A wiffle ball and bat? Pfffft, whatever.
A tree? Hahahahahaha.
The simple days of simple games are long gone. I mean, I know they exist, and I know there are kids out there still playing hide-n-seek, kickball, and pick-up basketball.
But it’s few and far between. Pokemon Go, seemingly, has replaced the playground.
I can’t help but notice the same parallel in the fitness industry. People (on both sides of the fence: fitness pros and non-fitness pros alike) seem to be under the impression that fancy or complex is somehow better than simple. And maybe even more tragic: many believe that better results are always a result of adopting complex methodologies over the simple ones.
Sometimes this is true. Oftentimes it’s BS.
Since I’ve opened CORE I’ve had several coaches come in to shadow and observe for a few hours at a time.
It’s always an honor and I am more than willing to accommodate. Sure they could spend their time reading Mike Boyle or watching Kelly Starrett videos, but no, some choose to come in on a Saturday to watch people deadlift and listen to Annie Mac on BPM radio.
One theme I am becoming more cognizant of is how surprised some coaches are about how “simple” my programming is.
There’s very little glitz and glam or shiny bright objects to pivot from the fact that all I really want is for my clients/athletes to become unapologetically brilliant at the basics.
People squat, people hip hinge, and people perform these things called rows, push-ups, and Farmer carries.
You may have heard of them.
Antiques to some, I know.
Furthermore, is my assessment process.
The idea of simple starts there. Unless someone is coming in with a lengthy injury history or is training for something super specific like, say, I don’t know, the Mime Bombsniffing Olympics, what advantage is there in making the assessment more complicated than it has to be?
Taking a more global approach is a fantastic starting point for most people. There’s no need to put them under a microscope. If anything, for most people most of the time, their “assessment” is nothing more than an opportunity to weed out “red flags” by taking a quick peek at hip IR/ER, hip flexion/extension, and other things like overhead shoulder mobility.
In a sense I’m trying to see what their passive ROM is, are there any limitations, and if so, 1) does it match their active ROM and 2) are there any test/re-test strategies I can implement to see an improvement?
To a larger degree (and stealing a quote from my friend, Roland Fisher):
“Can you do the thing that you want to do? Yes. Good. No. Let’s fix that.”
Here’s the Thing: 80% of my assessments are done on the gym floor. There’s only so much poking and prodding I can do on table before A) shit starts getting weird and B) the client starts feeling like a patient.
In reality the assessment should be a watered down training session.
I want to see them squat.
I want to see them hip hinge.
I want to see them Dougie.
I can glean way more information watching people move. And too, they get a taste of what a typical training session will be like with me.
It’s a very simple procedure that, when some coaches observe, comes across as super-duper minimal, and it throws them off, as if to say, “Really? That’s it?”
Yep, that’s it.
People want to train.
They could give two flying shits about their big toe dorsiflexion. Trust me.
Funny Side Story: I was once given a “bad” review at a conference I spoke at because in my topic, “Shoulder Assessment,” I didn’t demonstrate anything “new and innovative.” To which I was like, “Well, since when does shoulder assessment need to be new and innovative?” Why not take the mindset of doing the “boring” screens well?
Note to Self: Bring a flame thrower to next speaking engagement. That will add some innovation.
Going Back to Programming.
This is another component where I feel simplicity has its benefits.
The never-ending game of oneupmanship on social media many fitness pros play is exhausting. This is a conversation for another day, but the LOOK-AT-ME, performative vibe many take is absurd. I watch some of the videos people put up and all I want to do is say “Riiiiiigggghhhhttt.”
I also want to throw an ax into my face, but that’s besides the point.
Comparatively speaking my Instagram feed is probably batshit boring to some people.
A video posted by Tony Gentilcore (@tonygentilcore) on
I can hear the cacophony of “BFD” comments now. “Wow, cool Tony. You have your clients squat. What’s next: A set of chin-ups?
No, wait, Pallof Presses!?!?!”
Actually, yeah. Probably.
Call me crazy, but I’d rather educate and provide a rationale for putting up certain videos/pictures (cute cat pictures aside) than worry about whether or not I’m earning some fleeting social media credibility.
What’s more, you wanna talk about boring and vanilla? Grab two back-to-back programs of any client of mine and it’s a safe bet you’ll see more of a linear periodization approach, which is about as vanilla as things gets. Take my client Sara for example (the woman in the video above).
On the days she trains with me at CORE we tend to focus more on the coaching-intensive exercises like squats and deadlifts. We’ll first hit one of the two hard (generally, lower reps/mid to higher intensity loads) and follow suit with “everything else.”
Here’s how we approached her squats and deadlifts the past two months.
October
Sumo Deadlift (Weeks 1,3), Back Squat (Weeks 2,4)
Week
Sets
Reps
Load
1
5
2
85%
2
Hit 135×1
then
3×5
115 lbs
3
3×1 @90%
then
3×5
75%
4
Hit 140×1
then
3×5
120 lbs
November
Sumo Deadlift (Weeks 1,3), Back Squat (Weeks 2,4)
Week
Sets
Reps
Load
1
4
5
75%
2
135 x (2×1)
then
3×3 @
125 lbs
3
5
5
75%
4
145×1
then
3×2 @
130 lbs
If you pay particular attention to her squat progression, it’s more or less me ensuring she was doing more work each week.
Nothing magical or advanced at all.
And it worked.
She smoked a PR of 145 lbs this past Monday. While listening to Lil Kim. Because that’s how we roll.
Program design doesn’t have to be complex.
All it really comes down to is ensuring you’re coaching your clients well (<– a lost art in of itself) utilizing stances and grips and bar placements that suit their goals and anatomy…
…and that they’re placing a premium on doing more work over the course of several weeks/months.
Simple and Boring. It Works
I’m willing to bet your clients will prefer a simpler approach (if not thrive on it) once you give it a fair shot.
People tend to not need as much novelty as they think. Muscle confusion is a stupid concept. People need consistency in order to master movement.
You don’t always need to increase load. People need to earn the right to increase weight on the bar. Staying within a certain range for several weeks and accumulating volume is often a undervalued way to progress.
Try not to make assessment to much of a thing. Granted, if someone has a lengthly injury history you may need to go down some sort of rabbit hole to figure out what exacerbates their symptoms. And then attempt to address it. But more often than not people will appreciate you not putting them under a microscope. If you treat the assessment as more of a training session and not some sick game to point out every miniscule dysfunction and how much of a walking fail someone is, they’ll be less likely to think you’re a douche.
Shut Up and Take My $$ Tony – Register 
