You know how when you open up a magazine and read a interview of some random celebrity one of the questions that’s inevitably asked is “what’s your ideal day like?”
I’m not gonna lie: yesterday was that day for me.
Granted it didn’t involve waking up in the French Riviera, lounging poolside eating a plate full of exotic cheeses while high-fiving Matt Damon as we discuss our roles as Master Jedis in the upcoming Star Wars movie being released in 2015.
Nope it wasn’t anything close to that. But it was reaaaaaaaaaally close.
As hinted at yesterday it was Lisa’s birthday, and as such we both played “hooky” from work and well, enjoyed a day of decadence together.
We slept in, headed to the gym and trained together (which we rarely ever get to do), and then followed that with a little cameo appearance at the spa (she got a, well, I don’t know what she got, and I got an “extreme” sports massage).
Going to the spa is always an adventure for me because I always end up feeling like a bull in a china shop. Everything is so pretty and smells nice (a far cry from the facility), and I can’t help but feel self-conscious about what the hell am I doing there?
What do I do? What do I say? Where do I put my hands? Is the cucumber water, like, free? Shit, I need to burp. Am I allowed to burp?
Needless to say the spa was wonderful and served as a gentle reminder that I (we) need to do that more often.
After that the birthday girl wanted chicken wings, so who was I to get in her way!
To my more observant readers out there, yes, that’s a Lulu Lemon bag to Lisa’s left (no woman’s b-day is complete without a little Lulu, right?).
We then topped the day off with a little fro-yo, went home and chillaxed. Perfect.
I’m still kinda in “vacation mode” after yesterday so instead of writing some new content (I do have some doozies lined up), here’s this week’s list of stuff to read……
This was a knockout of a post written by Artemis (with a brief shout-out to who else? My girlfriend, Lisa. Woot woot!).
Artemis pretty much covers all the bases here: everything from why women shouldn’t be reticent to lift weights, why “cleanse diets” are a crock of shit, and eating REAL food is the real key to results.
I loved this comment in the article itself:
MYTH: 700 minutes of cardio per week will help you to achieve the body you want.
FACT: Moving around 7,000 pounds during your daily training session will give you the body you want.
This was an article that was sent my way on Facebook by a lovely women named Kristine who reads my blog (who also qualified for next year’s Boston Marathon!).
I honestly had no idea the original article existed – namely because I don’t read the WSJ (mostly in part because the stock market is Klingon to me).
While I can somewhat commiserate with the original article – and sometimes catch myself throwing the ol’ stink eye to runners myself (much like the kettlebell crowd, they can be an elite group of uppity snobs sometimes – I felt as a whole the “intent” of the article was woefully ignorant.
The retort, however – which is what I link to above – was/is the balls. I don’t think I laughed this hard while reading something in a while.
Today is my girlfriend’s birthday. And anyone who knows Lisa knows she looooooooves her birthday – to the point where it shouldn’t even be considered a birthDAY, but a birthWEEK.
In any case we have a jam packed day today – a late breakfast, a tandem workout “date,” and then we’re heading to a fancy schmancy spa for the afternoon. Holla! Followed by a decadent dinner of chicken wings and pizza.
Yeah, it’s going to be an awesome day.
Thankfully my good friend, Michael Anderson, who’s written several guest posts on this site before, came through in a pinch and sent along this gem.
Enjoy!
The topic of weightlifting (when used as one word it references the sport of Olympic Style weightlifting) has become a hot topic lately and is polarizing in many ways. Some coaches live and die by it and still other coaches won’t touch it with a 7-foot barbell. As usual, the answer lies somewhere comfortably in the middle.
Note from TG: I wrote a post not too long ago on Why I Don’t Use the Olympic Lifts (<—-maybe you should check it out. It’s not as polarizing as the title makes it seem. Promise).
With the popularity of CrossFit rising at a rapid rate, the sport of weightlifting has finally become something that the masses are aware of. For many years it has been the “other” iron sport; hidden behind the behemoths of powerlifting, the veiny striations and posing briefs of bodybuilding and the ESPN coverage of strongman. I myself have been training as a weightlifter with Coach Ivan Rojas of Risto Sports since last April and had been “training” (i.e. dicking around) for another six months prior to that.
The polarizing topic for many coaches is not whether or not weightlifting is beneficial for athletes, but whether or not it is beneficial enough to employ in their programming.
Some coaches, like Wil Fleming have great success with it, while others find it cumbersome to teach and can do a host of other things in the time it would take to make someone proficient in the competition lifts (snatch, clean and jerk).
Note from TG: speaking of Wil Fleming, for anyone interested in learning more about Olympic lifting I can’t recommend his resource Complete Olympic Lifting enough. While I don’t go out of my way to coach the OLY lifts, I still do own this DVD and think it’s fantastic.
I agree with both sides.
For some populations it’s just not worth teaching them all of the steps to have a decent looking snatch, or the stress that the clean and jerk can put on your wrists. Too, some athletes just shouldn’t have a loaded barbell overhead, and to do so would be irresponsible of the coach.
But that doesn’t mean they can’t benefit from some variations of the classic lifts that are both easy to teach and will produce some of the great benefits that you can get from the full variations. One of the marks of a great athlete is the ability to contract, relax and contract explosively all at the exact right moments; this skill is exactly what weightlifting is all about.
NOTE: these are NOT necessarily weightlifting-specific exercises, but variations that are applicable and beneficial to a certain population.
Also, know your population. If you are working with athletes with particular contraindications then don’t force them into an exercise they shouldn’t be doing. There are no contraindicated exercises, just contraindicated lifters (thanks Tony and Eric!).
Note II: I am not a professional weightlifter, I’m quite aware that my form is not perfect. If you have some constructive criticism please let me know, but don’t just remind me that I am painfully slow.
Power Clean
In terms of weightlifting variations that can help create better athletes, the power clean is at the top of the list. There’s not much that I could say about the power clean that hasn’t been said already (and said better than I’m able to), but it fits this list of variations very well.
You produce power, move big weights, get stronger and then dominate the world.
The biggest limiting factor would be the athlete’s mobility to pull off the floor or their ability to get their elbows around to catch the bar in the correct rack position. If your athlete can’t get down to the bar in a good position, then start them from a hang position or from blocks. If they can’t rack the bar due to mobility restrictions, then take some time and work on it; it’s not a particularly complex position and your athlete would benefit from the mobility required to do it.
(For the most in-depth look possible at this exercise, please refer to THISpost by Wil Fleming.
Snatch Pulls
Let me start by saying that I despise snatch pulls.
With Coach Rojas we finish almost every training session with a few sets of snatch pulls; it’s the dingleberry on the ass of a long, hard workout when all you want to do is shower and eat.
However, they are an exceptionally simple and beneficial exercise and are a staple in the program of nearly every weightlifter on the planet.
The snatch pull is the first half (give or take) of the full snatch and ends at complete triple-extension of the hips, knees and ankles. Complete a big shrug and use your hips to absorb the weight when it comes back down. If your athletes don’t have the mobility to get down to the floor with a snatch-grip, you can pull from blocks or from the hang position.
You can also try adding in a pause at the knees to help reinforce this position. This is a great way to develop a strong hinge pattern that transfers into powerful hip extension. It also does a great job of building the entire posterior chain.
Note: I don’t personally find snatch high pulls to be a great lift to teach athletes. If you don’t fully understand how it carries over to the classic snatch then it’s too easy to form deteriorate while they just try and muscle the weight up as high as they can.
Jerk Behind The Neck
The jerk is the most violent and explosive movement in weightlifting and, arguably, in all of sports.
In competition jerks are done from a front rack position, but for training purposes jerks from behind the neck work because they don’t put nearly as much strain on your wrists and elbows.
The pre-requisite for this exercise is being able to support a loaded barbell overhead without putting yourself at any risk for injury. Assuming that, this exercise is a fantastic way to develop leg drive, uni-/bi-lateral lower body stability and a ton of core stability. You can use either a power-jerk (bi-lateral) or a split-jerk (uni-lateral) to complete the lift, and you can either eccentrically lower the barbell to your shoulders or you can use jerk boxes and just drop it to avoid any eccentric stress at all.
That’s It, Yo
At least one of these three variations should fit into nearly any training program for any athlete. The amount of time it takes to coach them is pretty minimal and the benefits that your athletes will be able to see are significant.
Add them into your program as your first exercise after your warm-up and, generally speaking, do 4-6 sets of 2-3 reps.
Do not use weights that require any sort of grind. The name of the game is power production (aka how fast can you be strong); so make sure the barbells are always moving at top speed.
Add these into your programs for a little while and see what kinds of benefits you can get. Have a great day and go lift some heavy shit!
About the Author
Mike is a Boston area personal trainer and also completed a successful stint interning with Boston University Strength and Conditioning.
Mike is also finishing his degree in Exercise and Health Science at the University of Massachusetts Boston. He loves bacon, beer and his 7 year old pit bull Lexi. You can reach him with any questions, comments or notes of affection at [email protected]. You can also visit his website HERE.
I can hear the cacophony of groans now. Agaaaaaaaaaain? What the what Tony……anotherPallof Press variation?
Yeah, sorry. But this one is really cool.
And in case anyone reading right now is new to the site (welcome!) and has no idea what a Pallof Press even is – THIS should help get you squared away.
Oh, and on a completely random and un-related note I wanted to offhandedly share an article that I “stole” from Neghar Fonooni’s Facebook page titled UGGs and Their UGGly. You can check it out HERE (it’s a short read), and if you’re like me you’re going to be really shocked and appalled by it. Sorry to play the Debbie Downer card on a Monday morning, but I felt it was something should deserved to be shared.
Okay, lets get down to business.
Supine Pallof (Belly) Press
And yes, that’s me rocking a lumberjack beard like a boss.
Who Did I Steal it From: I got this badboy from Providence based strength-coach Sean St. Onge who was at Cressey Performance this past weekend for what turned out to be a half coaching session/half shooting the shit type of scenario.
He stopped by to get some coaching and what ended up happening was the two of us exchanging a bunch of ideas, insights, and Predator handshakes.
What Does It Do: Supine is Latin for “doing cool shit on your back” and Pallof is the name of the Boston-based physical therapist – John Pallof – from which the exercise has been attributed to.
Since I’ve done it numerous times before I’m not going to sit here and beat a dead horse and regurgitate all the benefits of a Pallof Press. Besides you can click on the link above! Suffice it to say, though, the Pallof Press (and all it’s variations) is a fantastic way to train the entire core in an anti-rotation/rotary fashion.
In this sense because you’re utilizing a cable pulley system (or band) and setting yourself up away from the anchor, this is the epitome of core stabilization and you’re forcing the internal/external obliques, as well as the rectus abdominus to fire on all cylinders. Too, I find this is one of my “go to” core exercises that’s fairly user friendly and doesn’t require any special equipment.
What’s great about this particular variation, and something that Sean nailed home, is that because you’re on your back this drill will cement the “ribs down” cue that’s been all the rage as of late – and rightfully so! As Sean noted, “keeping your ribs down when performing this exercise – as well as others like plank variations, floor chest presses, and pullovers – simply increases the likelihood of keeping your lumbar spine loaded (glued) into the floor and less likely to hyperextend.
In addition, with this variation the glutes come into play to a high(er) degree in that they too have to fire like no one’s business in order to help keep the spine glued to the floor, as well as encourage a bit more posterior pelvic tilt.
Key Coaching Cues: To a degree this one is self-explanatory, but some attention has to be paid to the details. You’re going to grab the handle of the pulley (or band) and lie on your back – heels to butt – and then try ti ensure that you brace your abs, squeeze your glutes, and attempt to cue yourself to keep the rib cage down.
I’ve used this visual in the past to better explain things, and it seems to work: envision an imaginary line from your nipple line to your belly button. Don’t let that line get longer. There you go. You’re a rock star.
From there you’ll went to tuck your chin and take a deep breath in through your nose trying to elicit more of a 360 degree expansion into your belly as well as the the rib cage (both should rise, and that imaginary line is still in tact) – albeit still keeping your lumbar spine pinned to the floor.
Then you’ll simply “press” the handle or band straight up away from your body, while exhaling your air…..all the while RESISTING the pull of the weight or tension, as well as maintaining spinal position against the floor and keeping the glutes engaged.
If this is easy, an obvious way to make it more challenging would be to move further away from the anchor.
I like to keep the reps in the 6-10 rep/side range, shooting for 3-4 total sets.
Give them a try today and let me know what you think!
I’m in a crap-tastic mood today so I apologize in advance if this post comes across as me being a cantankerous old-man or something.
I don’t know if it’s due to seasonal affective disorder, lack of caffeine, or the fact I just re-watched one of the most depressing movies in the history of depressing movies – Dancer in the Dark – but I’m really trying to fight off the urge to kidney punch a dolphin right now. Dolphins have kidneys right?
Sometimes I think people need a dose of tough love every now and then. Life isn’t always about butterfly kisses and rainbows and teddy bear hugs. Case in point: the movie I mentioned above. I’m not kidding when I say that it’s arguably one of the most depressing movies ever made. It makes Schindler’s List come across as a romantic comedy.
My girlfriend is often perplexed why it is I tend to gravitate towards “darker” movies and television shows. I was watching an episode of The Walking Dead not too long ago and I think Lisa’s exact words to me when she caught me cheering a zombie decapitation was, “I think I love you less for watching this crap.”
Don’t worry, though: I made it up to her by watching an episode of Downton Abbey. One cancels out the other.
I can’t pinpoint the reason myself, but I think part of the appeal of shows like Breaking Bad or movies like Prisoners is that I tend to find those bit more realistic and believable than the typical feel good, lets-all-hold-hands-and-sing-kumbaya fanfare. I’m sorry but Ross doesn’t always end up with Rachel. Lassie doesn’t always find her way home. And dammit, Roy Hobbs doesn’t always hit a walk-off home run.
But giving credit where it’s due: That scene still gives me chills. I can’t tell you how many times I watched that scene when I was growing up, reenacting it in my living room.
Sometimes, unfortunately, it’s cloudy with a chance of rain. And Ross gets hit by a bus crossing the street.
HA – now THAT would have been an ending.
Don’t get me wrong: I like happy endings (get your mind out of the gutter) and I won’t lie and deny that I don’t enjoy the simpler things in life. For example, I’m pumped every time I find a quarter on the street. In fact, I usually end up doing one of these:
I high-five myself every time I wake up a minute before my alarm goes off. My heart melts every time Lisa smiles at me (or cooks me a steak). Who doesn’t fist pump when they make it through a yellow light? I know I do. And, my cat is sitting here next to me sleeping by my arm as I type this post. OMG she is just the cutest thing……EVER!
See I’m not just some cold-hearted Scrooge.
But seriously, though, in real life Ross would NEVER have landed a fox like Rachel. Come on!!!!!!!!!
I also wouldn’t do what I do for a living if I didn’t enjoy helping people and if I didn’t get some sense of fulfillment from it.
I LOVE WHAT I DO!
I mean, for starters I get to wear sweatpants to work every day if I want. What’s not to love? But more to the point, on an almost daily basis, I get to coach people and be there as they shatter personal records, achieve things they never thought possible, and otherwise help them increase their general level of awesomeness.
98.5694% (give or take a few percentage points) of the stuff I write is positive. I wouldn’t write this blog if I didn’t want to help people and do my part in making them better.
But sometimes, on a day like today, I have a hard time playing cheerleader and I just need to tell it like it is.
A friend of mine, Chad Landers, a guy with over 20 years of training experience and someone whom I respect a ton, wrote an awesome article earlier this year that went viral titled Top 5 Reasons You’re Not Seeing Results in the Gym.
I thought the article was boss. I agreed 100% with everything he said and even went out of my way to highlight it here on this blog (as part of an installment of Stuff to Read While You’re Pretending to Work) as well as on my social media outlets.
I felt it was a message that everyone needed to hear and I loved the positive reinforcement he provided.
As I mentioned above I tend to re-watch movies all the time (that’s a pic of my kick-ass movie collection below: Star Wars? Check. Lord of the Rings? Check. GoodFellas? Check. Love Actually? I plead the 5th.), and in the same vein I also tend to re-read articles that I like.
I happened to come across Chad’s article again yesterday, again nodding my head in complete agreement, but then a thought to myself, “what else do people need to hear?”
And this is what I came up with. Again, sorry: I’m really not this much of a prick in real life.
I think Chad hit the nail on the head with regards to all the obvious explanations as to why most people aren’t seeing results in the gym. You know, things like not using progressive overload, program hopping, a raging case of explosive diarrhea (<—-I added that one).
But one major calling card that I feel wasn’t hit on – and something that tend to be the elephant in the room is this:
1. You’re Just Not Working as Hard as You Think You Are
No, really. You’re not! I hate to be Johnny Raincloud and rain on your parade, but this is a tough pill to swallow for most people.
Just because you “show up,” and the clock says you were at the gym for an hour 0r two doesn’t really mean anything. Likewise, it doesn’t make your “workout” any more effective just because you posted it up as a status update on your Facebook page.
As a coach it’s in my nature to observe and watch people. This is absurdly true whenever I happen to train at a commercial gym. I can’t help but watch people train. Sure, there are a few people who get after it and are doing some work, but the vast majority of people are just floating around more concerned with watching updates on SportsCenter or checking their text messages than actually breaking a sweat.
It’s funny, because this shouldn’t come as a surprise to anyone because research as repeatedly shown – especially in nutrition circles – that people tend to UNDER repot how much they really eat, and OVER report how much they exercise.
It’s human nature to “fudge” the facts a bit – yes, I do it too – and it’s uncanny how much we tend to “forget” those five Oreos we had right before bed the other night or that your actual bench press max is 200 lbs and not the 405 (for reps) that the internet says it is.
Just own up to it! You’re not working as hard as you think you are. It’s as simple as that.
2. No Plan, or Purpose
Pigging back on one of the points above: how many of you reading can honestly raise your hand and say, “I’m training for X,Y, or Z? That I have a plan or goal or PURPOSE in my training?”
Better yet, a more germane question to ask would be: “am I actually tracking anything?”
Are you just showing up 0r are you showing up with a plan of attack? Do you show up to the gym and just “wing it,” or do you show up with a purpose?
Another buddy of mine, Bryan Krahn (who’s actually my editor over at T-Nation) had a great quote not too long ago that he posted on Twitter:
Crossfit “works” because it’s competitive. You can do the same with your own training by competing against your training log.
There’s no need to get fancy or get into the mindset that we have to be following some advanced training protocol. I’d much rather see people do the boring stuff (squat, deadlift, chin-ups, bench press, not eat like an asshole) – and do them WITH PASSION and CONSISTENCY – than just throw caution to the wind and haphazardly “do stuff,”
Whether your goal is to get bigger, leaner, stronger, look good for your 20-year class reunion, stop trying to short-change the system. Have a plan, do the boring stuff – eat well, train hard, repeat – that actually works.
3. You’re Not Comfortable With Getting Uncomfortable
When I was in college I would spend my holiday breaks and summers training at my local gym in my hometown. There was one guy who trained there who, I swear to god, did the exact same workout, in the exact same order, with the exact same weights, for four straight freakin years.
He never changed a damn thing, and it’s no surprise that he looked EXACLY the same on day one as he did on day 1,460 (that’s how many days are in four years BTW).
Now I’m not insinuating that people need to be changing up their programs every week or two. Just because you read an article by Jim Wendler or Dave Tate where they discuss the merits of switching up movements every so often doesn’t mean you have to.
Here’s a quick quiz (guys):
1. Can you deadlift at least 2x bodyweight?
2. Can you perform a set of TEN strict, sternum to bar, bodyweight chin-ups?
3. Do you own a pair of chains, yet can’t squat your own bodyweight for ten reps?
If you answered no to any of the questions above, trust me, you have no business worrying about whether or not you should switch from deficit deadlifts with chains in week one to deadstart Anderson front squats to week two.
As I stated earlier: there’s nothing wrong with doing the boring stuff and getting REALLY good at doing them.
Conversely, it stands to reason that if you haven’t changed up your workout routine since Pepsi Clear was considered relevant (was that ever considered relevant???) than it’s probably a fair assumption that you need to change things up a bit.
I get it: it’s human nature to do what’s comfortable and what we’re good at. But the body does a pretty damn good job at adapting to whatever stress we place upon it, and it’s bodes in your favor to challenge yourself in different ways from time to time.
Get comfortable with getting UNcomfortable.
4. Frankly, Your Gym is Sucking the Life Out of You
How anyone can train with the likes of John Mayer or Katy Perry reverberating through the speakers is beyond me.
Moreover, if your gym routinely posts notices like this – and then rewards you by providing you with a “pizza day” every week – than your lack of results is on you.
Just sayin……
UPDATE: I’m feeling better now. After having written that and gotten a little off my chest in concert with watching a few LOLCat videos, I’m good.
Before we get to this week’s list of stuff to read I have a few “house cleaning” items to address.
1. Cool news! I had a video chat** with the guys over at WeightTraining.com the other day about the possibility of partnering with them to a greater extent in the near future on providing some programming content on their site.
Some of you may recall that I’ve done some work with WT.com in the past mostly of which consisted of me logging my own training sessions on their site (which is what they’re about in the first place). But I also provided some of my own programming as well as helped to organize a little deadlift battle around this time last year which, not to brag or anything, made the Battle of Helms Deep in The Two Towers pale in comparison.
Looking into my crystal ball, and assuming things stay on course, it seems I’ll be back on board providing some killer content – specifically monthly programming – for their site soon. So stay tuned for more details on thay front.
[Still waiting to be named to People Magazine’s Sexiest Strength Coaches]
It’s always an honor to be named to lists like this especially given the company I’ve been bundled with. Nevertheless, I just wanted to thank Greatist for their continued support and I encourage all of you reading to check out the list yourself as there’s bound to be some (new to you) people dropping some knowledge bombs.
I thought this was a powerful piece of writing by Nate, and it’s topic that I feel is always on the back of most people’s minds.
People define success in different ways. Not surprisingly, wealth is usually at the top of the list. Some people gauge success by their sense of happiness and self worth; while others gauge it by how many times they went poop this morning. Hey, I’m not here to judge.
I know there are times where I still feel like a fraud. Despite being in this industry for a little over a decade, helping to run a successful business (Cressey Performance), continuing to build my own business/brand (Tony Gentilcore), and appearing in just about every major fitness publication, there are still times where I feel like I don’t know what the hell I’m doing or talking about.
Nate helps to shed some light on this topic, and I highly suggest giving it a look.
It seems you can’t walk more than ten feet nowadays in a grocery store without walking past some display, sign, or advertisement extolling that “x” product is GLUTEN FREE!
Speaking candidly: while I understand that celiac disease is a real thing that real people suffer from – and it’s NO joke (it sucks donkey balls) – and too, while I understand that there are varying degrees of gluten intolerance, I still feel that this whole gluten craze has gotten a bit out of hand. Nothing exemplifies my thoughts on this matter more than this cartoon that my friend, Leigh Peele, made:
Suffice to say: there’s a lot of misinformation (not to mention a bit of overblown propaganda) when it comes to gluten. You would think, after watching the nightly news or perusing Facebook that gluten was the worst thing since Hitler.
Thankfully Steve came through in the clutch and helps to set the record straight.
I’m a visual learner, and this article – on top of providing some awesome commentary – has SIX graphs which essentially dispel many (if not all) of the LIES we were told back in the day on saturated fat being the root cause of everything from heart disease to having a bad hair day.
For realz.
** = Just as an FYI: Despite it being a video conference I did end up wearing pants. You know, to keep it professional.
In any given week I receive a fair amount of emails ranging from readers who just want to say thanks for writing such a kick-ass blog (you’re welcome!) to momma Gentilcore reminding me that 1) I forgot [insert relative’s name here] birthday and that I better get on my high-horse and send a card stat and 2) it’s getting cold outside. Bundle up! Love you!
And, of course, I get a fair number of emails from people asking me anything from programming questions to why does their shoulder hurt? to why it is I am so uncannily interesting, witty, and awesome. And everything else in between.
In every sense, the emails I receive span the entire fitness spectrum – and I try my best to answer every……single…….one. Speaking of which, if you could just hold on one quick second as I answer this one I just got in my inbox :
Dear Victoria Secret Models,
Yes!
It’s silly really, but a group of them reached out and asked if I’d please stay at least 500 yards away from them at all times be their personal oil boy at their next photo shoot.
Anyways, oftentimes I’ll have someone reach out and ask if I’d be willing to take a gander at their technique on certain lifts and to see whether or not I’d offer any insight or cues to help them clean things up.
8 times out of 10, it’s usually the deadlift.
Sometimes it’s easy. I’ll watch a video, things won’t look pretty, and I’ll forward along some simple cues that will help, and then point them in the direction of posts like THIS, THIS, and THIS.
Other times it’s a bit tricker because someone’s technique may need a little more TLC and attention to detail. A great example would be the video below, which was sent to me last week from someone who will remain nameless.
**When I asked his permission to use his video for a blog post he asked if it would be okay if I’d omit his name altogether. I think he was thinking I was going to throw him under the bus and include him on some rolling playlist of epic deadlift fails.
I reassured him that that wasn’t going to be the case, and all I wanted to do was to make this into blog post so that my advice could be read by others who may be making the same mistake(s).
We internet high-fived and well, here we are.
Speaking of which, here’s the video
My Thoughts/Words of Wisdom
1. First and foremost: props for walking onto screen wearing that hat like a boss. I’d almost liken it to a Walter White’esq/Heisenberg fashion prop, but I know all you’re doing is deadlifting and not cooking a vat of meth.
**Bonus points for a Breaking Bad reference!
2. One of the glaring “mistakes” I see right off the bat is setting up too far away from the bar. I like to tell people to make sure their shins are right up against the bar, or at the very least to be an inch or two away (to allow for a little dorsiflexion).
By setting up too too far you’re just going to make more work for yourself and increase the distance the bar has to travel – not to mention we could make a case that you’re going to place a bit more shear load on the spine.
So, for starters: get closer to the bar upon the initial set-up.
3. Another major point to consider is the initial movement upon descent towards the bar. If you pause the video at the 9-second mark, you’ll notice that “Heisenberg” initially breaks with his knees translating forward, essentially squatting down towards the bar.
Instead, what I’d prefer to see is more of a hip hinge/pseudo RDL pattern to start. I like to cue people to push their hips back. But usually a more pertinent EXTERNAL cue is to tell them to try to push their hips back so that their butt taps an imaginary wall behind them.
So, in a lot of ways, what’s going to happen is we’re trying to set up from a “TOP-DOWN” position, which is something Dr. Kelly Starrett discusses at length in his book Becoming a Supple Leopard.
The goal, then, would be to initiate by pushing the hips back and to continue hinging back, performing to what mounts as an unloaded RDL, accumulating massive tension in the hamstrings, and when there’s only a few inches left, THEN you’ll bend over to grab the bar.
Which brings us to the next point.
4. Setting the hips too low
This coincides with the whole squatting vs. hip hinging discussion from above. I think the bulk of this issue will clean up itself once you learn to hip hinge into proper position, so I won’t belabor this point too much. But it stands to reason that a nice “check point” would be to take notice where you feel tension. In the video above, I can guarantee to you feel the bulk of it in your quadriceps. If so, you know you’re setting up with your hips too low.
5. Another key point to consider is getting tension in the lats and upper back.
If I were standing there coaching Heisenberg, 1) I’d tell him to put on some loud, belligerent “my mother never loved me music” to fire the place up a bit more and 2) I’d stand in front of him and have him set up a bit more vertical or upright. I’d want him to make sure that whatever lettering is on the front of his shirt is facing me the entire time.
You can think to yourself “chest up,” “chest tall,” “proud chest,” “arch like a mofo,” whatever works.
From there, I’d tell him to use the bar to “pull” his chest up and to engage his lats. You’ll notice in the video that when he starts his first pull to break inertia his shoulders are still fairly rounded (24-second mark).
Speaking in geek speak for a second: I want him to use the bar to “set” his lats and to get more posterior tilt of the scapulae.
This will work wonders in terms of garnering more tension and to provide more stability to the spine as a whole (as well as placing him in a more ideal position to pull).
6. More tangentially, while I understand that it’s called the “deadlift,” and you’re lifting the barbell off the floor, there’s a bit more to it than that.
I think one major mistake that a lot of people make is that they feel as if the deadlift is nothing more than casually lifting the bar off the floor.
Instead, what needs to happen is that you need to get more tension in your hamstrings and glutes and generate force into the floor, “pressing” or “pushing” yourself away (through the heels), and then focus on driving your hips forward until you lock the weight out.
Again, freeze framing the video at the 26-second mark, you can see that Heisenberg’s shoulders and upper back aren’t “stiff” (shoulders are rounded) and that his knees aren’t locked out. Not to call him out or anything, but he’s just kinda haphazardly lifting the bar as if it were an egg he didn’t want to break or as if he were at some swanky tea-party and didn’t want to offend anyone.
Now, I understand it’s an un-loaded bar. But what the fuck? Lift it!!!!!!
More privy to the point is that he’s seemingly just trying to hoist the bar off the floor without generating any tension or force into the ground.
Finish the lift. Get those hips through! Lock it out!
7. And lastly, to reiterate the point above, he just needs to make sure that on his descent towards the ground he initiates the process by breaking with the hips going back, and not the knees forward.
It’s going to take a little practice, and some attention to detail, but I think all told he’s not too far off from where he needs to be.
Moving forward I’d recommend the following:
1. A drill that I love to use with newbies to help groove the hip hinge is one that Dean Somerset uses quite a bit as well – the KB Behind the Head Hip Hinge
Here the objective is to brace the abs hard and to hinge through the hipsand NOT the lower back. Incorporating this as part of a warm-up or as a filler exercise several times throughout the week would be money.
2. Don’t be scared to load the deadlift. It’s actually going to feel a bit MORE awkward to try to hone in on technique with just the bar. So, don’t feel as if you have to limit yourself to the bar to get better. Sometimes it’s advantageous to load an exercise to get a better “feel” for it.
3. Also, don’t be afraid to deadlift more the once per week. I know it’s in vogue to tell newbies to just perform the major lifts once per week to lessen the risk of injury – and that’s fine – but conversely it’s kind of hard to get better at anything only performing it once every seven days.
I’m actually not opposed to including some form of deadlift technique work every training session assuming someone isn’t going to be an asshat and perform heavy singles every chance he or she gets.
4. Don’t go use a high(er) rep protocol. I think anytime a newbie starts performing high-rep deadlifts, things are going to get dicey real quick from a technique standpoint. To that end, I’d much prefer to keep the reps in the 3-5 rep range (but keep the intensity low).
And that’s about it. A lot to digest, I know – but hopefully this discussion helped to shed some light on how I generally go about cleaning up one’s deadlift technique.
If anyone else has some food for thought, I’d love to hear it.
First off: I just want to take a few moments to say THANK YOU to all the brave men and women (past a present) who, in what’s arguably the most un-selfish act possible, have put their lives on the line to serve this great country.
In the words of a friend of mine, Greg, who stated it about as eloquently as possible: Regardless of the situations our leaders put you in, you handle it so that others don’t have to and I respect the hell out of that. Often thankless, often overlooked, often taken for granted, you persevere to do the duty you pledged, voluntarily, to do and I respect the hell out of that too.
Thank you. Not just today, but every day.
Happy Veteran’s Day.
Secondly: Some of you may recall a video I linked to earlier this year by author Jonathan Bailor titled Slim is Simple. In it, Jonathan discusses why it is we’re fatter and more unhealthy than ever before despite exercising and dieting in record numbers.
It was a message that I enjoyed and felt many people could relate with. Simple, to the point, with no fluff and BS.
In an age where some grown adults are under the delusion that eating baby food is a viable dietary option, and even more nitpick over whether or not a bowl of oatmeal is considered “Paleo,” it’s a breath of fresh air to hear people like Jonathan speak on why it doesn’t always (if ever) have to so complicated.
Not long after I posted my blog Jonathan invited me to hang out on is podcast, The Smarter Science of Slim, where we talked about a handful of things ranging from CrossFit to training athletes to goal setting to LOLCats.
Hence the title of the episode.
It just went live today, and if you have 30 minutes to spare I think it would be well worth the time.
A few weeks ago I had the honor of being asked to take part in an interview for the website BuiltLean.com – a health and fitness site created by Marc Perry which caters to busy professionals and helps provide ammunition to lead a lean, fit, and strong life.
While many people resort to snorting cheese vapors from an empty Doritos bag as “low carb” and view taking the stairs rather than the escalator as exercise, Marc and his team of fitness experts have built a site (and system) which has helped countless people and has gained a lot of notoriety within the fitness community.
With over one-million visitors (and growing) to their site each and every month, it stands to reason they’re doing something right.
Now, with a name like BuiltLean it shouldn’t come as a surprise that their M.O is helping to get people’s sexification on. In other words: the deal almost exclusively in fat loss.
Normally I roll my eyes at stuff like this because a fat loss site is a fat loss site is a fat loss site.
Moreover, typically what happens is the theme music from Jaws starts reverberating inside my head because almost inevitably I’ll be asked questions like, “so, um, what are you thoughts on Paleo?”
Which is why it was such a breath of fresh air when that wasn’t the road taken. Thank god. These guys (and girls) take more of a well-rounded approach and understand that “fat loss” isn’t just about caloric restriction and exercising until you’re swimming in a pool of your own sweat.
Instead I was asked non sequitur things like:
1. Why I feel getting stronger and placing a premium on strength is often the missing link for most people.
2. Why I think the same train of thought applies towards women as well.
Note to Self: be sure to drop Jedi cloak off at dry-cleaners after work.
In short: it was just awesome to see a site
Nevertheless, I had a BLAST doing this interview and I think all of you will enjoy it as well since it’s equal parts me being me and actually providing some good information. Please check it out and let me know what you think!
As far as current fitness debates are concerned the argument over which is better for long-term progress in the gym – bracing vs. arching – is right on par with people arguing over whether or not a potato is considered “Paleo, (1),” whether or not high- rep Olympic lifting (ALA: CrossFit) has any efficacy (2), or figuring out which is smarter: Tracy Anderson or a ham sandwich (3)?
Um, it’s a freaking potato! It grows in the ground. Newsflash: That broccoli you’re eating didn’t exist in the Paleolithic era, and I know for a fact Gronk and his friends didn’t crush “Paleo” chocolate brownies back in the day you uppity douche.
Sorry, but I’d trust a coach who advocates high-rep Olympic lifting about as much as I’d trust Formula One racer you drives a Prius.
Come on, do we really need to debate this one?
Nevertheless, the growing dichotomy between bracing and arching – especially as it relates to hoisting heavy loads and how it parlays into optimal performance – has gained steamed within the last few years.
As a coach and as someone who trains a wide array of athletes and clients for newbie status all the way up into the professional ranks, and as someone who’s job it is to keep people healthy for the long haul, I can say that I tend to lean more towards the camp who advocates bracing.
Today’s guest post comes to you courtesy of Examine.com’s own Sol Orwell. In case you’ve been living in a cave for the past year, Sol and the team at Examine.com have easily become the go to source for anything and everything related to supplements and supplementation.
Whenever I need a quick reference to anything supplement related – whether it’s information on the efficacy of BCAAs, who should be taking vitamin D, or asking the one question that’s on everyone’s mind: will overdosing on creatine give me a third nipple? – I can easily hop on their site and get unbiased, scientifically researched answers.
There’s absolutely no agenda outside of giving people solid information.
What’s more, their resource, Supplement Goals Reference Guide, is undoubtedly the most comprehensive book on supplements ever put together, amounting to over 900 pages, 25,000 studies (including 2000 human studies).
And, just as an FYI: it’s on sale from NOW until Friday (Nov. 8th) at midnight.
With that said, I asked Sol if he’d be willing to write up a quick Cliff Notes version on caffeine and this is what he came up with.
Enjoy!
What is caffeine?
Caffeine is an alkaloid compound that belongs to the structural class of purine compounds. It is found naturally in a variety of plants. Most famously, it is a component of cacao beans, which have found their way into the food supply of most nations. Caffeine can also be found in the camellia sinensis plant, the source of green tea. Usually, caffeine is associated with coffee.
What does caffeine do in the body?
Caffeine is a stimulant and a sleep suppressant. This stimulation comes with an elevated mood state and an increase in physical power output. Its antisleep properties negate side-effects of sedation, improving focus, power and attention, but only if the imbiber is already tired.
How does it work?
Caffeine is a rare kind of supplement, because almost all of its biological effects are linked to a single mechanism: the adenosine receptor antagonism. ‘Antagonism’ refers to caffeine’s ability to block the adenosine receptor. Caffeine also amplifies dopamine signaling, which is responsible for the stimulatory and power increase effects.
Though the adenosine blocking effects persist for as long as caffeine is taken, the effects on dopamine signaling are short lived and eventually stop altogether.
How do I use caffeine optimally?
Caffeine is a performance enhancer. It causes stimulation through its dopamine amplification and anti-sleep properties. It is easy to become desensitized to the dopamine signaling stimulation, which is what leads many people to down several pots of coffee a day.
Note from TG:and, for some, leads to an unhealthy affiliation with energy drinks. Throwing myself under the bus I drink one Spike (300mg caffeine) per day regardless of my training plans. Two if there happens to be a Star Wars convention nearby and I have to pull an all-nighter and watch both trilogies or if I know my girlfriend is going to want to try to talk about our “feelings.”
On one hand I understand that all I’m really doing is drinking a bunch of chemicals (at least with coffee and tea there’s the antioxidant benefits) and that my ‘tolerance’ has definitely increased as the years have gone by. I almost feel like I’m at a point where I need to directly inject Spike into my left ventricle in order to feel anything.
But on the other, like everyone else who prefers to rationalize their actions, it’s my one vice. Some people smoke, others watch way too much internet porn, and some prefer Pepsi over Coke. Hey, I’m not here to judge.
I don’t drink, I don’t do drugs, I lift heavy things, I eat a crap ton of veggies everyday, and I call my mom once a week. I’m allowed one energy drink per day dammit. I said ……..DAMMIT!!!!!
To benefit from caffeine’s anti-sleep properties, take caffeine in a dose that works for you, usually in the 70-200mg range, whenever you want to stave off tiredness.
To benefit from caffeine’s stimulatory and power output properties, dosing needs to be more specific. Stimulation from caffeine is known to possess ‘insurmountable insensitivity’, meaning that not only do the effects of caffeine dull after a while, but just increasing the dose cannot overcome tolerance. Once tolerance is achieved, the only way to become desensitized is abstinence from caffeine.
If you do not already consume caffeine, take a large dose 30 to 45 minutes before a workout. Most studies use a dosing protocol of 4-6mg of caffeine per kilogram of bodyweight. This means a 150 pound person should take between 270-410mg. Anyone weighing more than 150 pounds can dose between 400-600mg of caffeine.
Obese people should not calculate dosages based on bodyweight. Instead, determine what bodyweight you would be at with a normal amount of fat mass and calculate off of that, or stick with 500mg to prevent a potential overdose.
Begin dosing caffeine once a week. Pick a workout that needs the most help, like a killer deadlift session. If you feel yourself starting to become desensitized, lengthen the duration between doses to 9 days.
If you’re already a coffee addict, you will only benefit from caffeine’s power increasing properties if you break your habit. Stop caffeine consumption for as long as it takes to start being stimulated by it. This can take up to a month. Then, follow the dosing protocols above.
What should I expect if I use caffeine properly?
Used properly, caffeine will provide the same kind of stimulation your first cup of coffee blessed you with, every time. This stimulation can be used as an indicator for power output. The less stimulated you feel, the less caffeine is helping you in the weight room.
Like other stimulants, caffeine will increase heart rate and blood pressure. Normally, desensitization to caffeine numbs these effects, but if you are dosing to preserve sensitivity, these effects will also persist.
When used properly, caffeine can provide up to a 10-15% increase in power output.
Who shouldn’t take caffeine?
Anyone with a known hyper-responsiveness to stimulants should not supplement caffeine, particularly not in the infrequent way discussed above. Caffeine should not be used by anyone with known cardiac conditions. If caffeine impairs your function or has ever caused noticeable cardiac arrhythmia, do not use it.
As noted above, the Supplement Goals Reference Guide is on sale NOW through Friday (Nov. 8th) until midnight. It’s a resource that will continue to have a lifetime of updates, and in addition to that, Examine.com just expanded their team to include a medical doctor, two PhDs, as well as a PharmD, so you can expect world domination to follow.
