A few weeks ago, in THIS Miscellaneous Miscellany Monday post, I linked to a random CrossFit video that was sent my way from another reader. I thought it was funny. I posted it. I moved on with my life.
Maybe a day or two later, someone by the name of Pete made the following comment – apparently he wasn’t too happy with my facetiousness:
“Tony Gentilcore on the crossfit slating bandwagon! You do realise that a lot of your websites traffic comes from people who got into the big lifts after being introduced to Crossfit? I am one of many who did Crossfit, fell in love with the big lifts and moved on. Training large multi-joint movements is hugely popular now, thanks to them. Like I said, I don’t do it, but laugh when I hear it mocked because nobody can ever give a genuine reason as to why it’s shit, and usually collapse on their ass if they try it.”
My response (with Rocky music playing in the background):
For the record, Pete, I’ve also put videos on this site that have shown powerlifters spliting their pants during a meet, guys passing out while deadlifting, and people failing on bench press attempts, etc……so I don’t really feel posting a (funny to me) video on Crossfit is anything to get all huffy about. Funny is funny. Period.
Are there things about CrossFit I disagree with? Absolutely! I’ve personally trained people who were seriously injured following a WOD – in one instance a female client was hospitalized with Rhabdomyolysis for a week – and subsequently started training at my facility instead.
There’s this weird thing called coaching, and we pride ourselves on the fact that we actually teach our clients how to perform movements correctly and not to kill themselves. More to the point, there’s some semblance of individualization with their programming.
For the most part – and there ARE exceptions – CrossFit’s programming is a joke. There’s no rhyme or reason to what they do.
They have awesome attire, though
Do they make people work hard? Yep. But priding yourself on your ability to make people shit their kidneys doesn’t really impress me.
But, that isn’t to say that there aren’t affiliates who do it right. My friend, Jen Sinkler, has written several times on how her affiliate has more of a strength focus, and actually coaches their clients on how to lift properly. Great!
That’s an exception rather than a rule, though. It’s unfortunate, but sadly the truth.
In the end, I’m sorry if you took offense to the video. Get over it.
To his credit, Pete did respond back with: A rational and comprehensive reason as to why Crossfit is no good.
I thought so, too. But lets not throw the baby out with the bathwater here. While there certainly are a host of things about CrossFit that I don’t agree with, to say that it’s entirely “no good” is a bit harsh. They make people work hard, they place an emphasis on compound movements, and you certainly would be hard pressed to find a better environment of teamwork and camaraderie
For a better perspective, though, check out this article.
I thought this was an excellent piece of writing that gave some semblance of equal weight to both sides of the coin – although, to be fair, it has a bit more of an anti-CrossFit flavor to it. Read it, and you can decide for yourself.
While I don’t necessarily agree with Coach’s assertion that any trainer who can’t get his female client to perform twelve unassisted chin-ups doesn’t know training, and is therefore a bad trainer – I can’t say that I disagree with the rest of the article. Excellent advice!
Unlike The Matrix Re-Loaded, this sequel doesn’t suck. In the few months since we originally released MIRU, we’ve received a ton of positive feedback and we’ve gone a head and added some extra material into the mix.
The coolest addition, though, at least in my eyes, is the fact that MIRU 2.0 is now available in DVD format! What’s more, it’s on sale for the rest of the week at $70 dollars off the original price. No diggidy, no doubt!
Don’t miss out on this awesome opportunity, and keep your eyes peeled for an announcement of a possible live event that’s in the works for sometime next summer. OMGOMGOMG!! I peed myself a little, I’m so excited.
And finally, I stole this video from the Weighty Matters blog, and thought I’d share it with the rest of you because I thought it was awesome.
If that doesn’t make you appreciate the smaller things in life, I don’t know what will.
Last week, both Joe Dowdell and Dr. Mike Roussell shared some pretty sweet webinars discussing a few of their thoughts and philosophies on topics ranging from career success to fat loss to whether or not Kim Kardashian should give back her wedding ring.
Okay, that last one was thrown in there for comedic effect, but if you’re like me, while you found both presentations very insightful and well worth the time invested, you wanted there to be more.
……….A lot more.
Well, as you might have surmised, there is more. And not just a lot more, but a boatload more.
Did I mention there’s more?
A few months ago, I had the opportunity to travel down to NYC to attend The PEAK Diet & Training Summit in the flesh. It was two days of Joe and Dr. Mike dropping knowledge bombs and essentially turning my brain into a bowl of gluten free mush.
For those interested, I actually wrote a recap of my experience HERE.
It was a lot to take in, for sure, but it was easily one of the most comprehensive and thought provoking seminars I had attended in a while.
And now, starting today (Tuesday, 11/15), you can actually watch the entire seminar for yourself, as Joe and Mike have just released their 15 – yes, you read that correctly, 15 – DVD set at a sale price of $100 off.
If the sale price alone doesn’t strike your fancy, how about any of the following:
Did I mention it includes 15 DVDs, covering eleven presentations in all?
Kim should totally give back that right, by the way.
298 page Training manual & appendix (which includes the 650 exercise database, sample programs, and programming templates)
286 page Nutrition manual & appendix (including 37 recipes to use with clients, 21 ways to eat more vegetables special report for clients, and more)
2.0 NSCA continuing education credits
I wanted to provide some unique content and showcase just how valuable I think this product is for any coach, trainer, or regular Joe out there reading. So with that in mind, I asked Joe if he’d be willing to sit down and answer a few questions about it.
Enjoy!
TG: Okay Joe, first things first, you’ve invited me down to your gym numerous times, and you’ve even let me crash on your couch (sorry about spilling that protein shake all over your kitchen counter!) – so while I know you fairly well, I know there are some people reading who haven’t the faintest idea how awesome you are. Can you give them the Cliff Notes version? How did you get started in the industry? Who were (and currently are) some of your main influences? Why do you have to be so good looking?
JD: I sort of backed into the fitness industry via the modeling world. I worked as a model, all over the North America and Europe, for about 10 years. As a result, I was always training in order to stay in shape for work. I was looking to get out of the modeling world and do something different with my life. An ex-girlfriend of mine, at the time, was working with a personal trainer. One day, after one of her training sessions, he and I got to talking about personal training. Up until this point, I didn’t know much about the industry and I didn’t even know it was a viable career option.
After a pretty extensive conversation with him, I decided to do some investigating. I ended up enrolling in the ACE Personal Trainer certification course later within a few days just to see if I liked it. After about a week of reading and studying the materials, I was totally hooked. I decided to completely immerse myself in learning as much information about strength and conditioning as I could possibly cram into my brain.
Over the last 17+ years, I went on to take the NSCA CSCS, NASM CPT, USAW Club Coach and another dozen certifications. I’ve attended multiple internships with Paul Chek, Charles Poliquin, Mark Verstegen, Tom Purvis, PT and I even slept on the late Dr. Mel Siff’s basement floor for four days in order to learn from him.
Some of the weekend seminars that I had the honor of attending were given by people like Dr. Vladimir Zatsiorsky, Dr. Tudor Bompa, Dr. Steven Fleck, Dr. William Kramer, Dr. Fred Hatfield, Dr. Mauro Di Pasquale, Dr. Eric Seranno, Dr. John Berardi, Dr. Perry Nickelston, Dr. Craig Liebenson, Donald Chu, Vern Gambetta, Louis Simmons, Dave Tate, Ian King, Greg Roskoff, Gray Cook, Eric Cressey, Mike Robertson, Robert Dos Remedios, Josh Henkin, Mike Mahler, etc.
I guess the point I’m trying to make is that I made it a point to learn from everyone regardless of their ideological philosophies.
As for my looks, LOL, I have to thank my Mom and Dad.
TG: I know how well-read you are, and it’s abundantly clear (from the list above) that you don’t corner yourself into any one methodology, which is what I dig most about you. Having said that, Peak Performance NYC has grown into one of the most successful gyms in the country (if not the world) – yet, despite what many current experts advocate, you still ONLY do one-on-one based training there. I’ve seen the “system” in action, and it obviously works. How did you pull it off….what gives?
JD: Yeah, this is a very hot topic in the industry and I guess I’m a bit of a pariah to the commonly held belief that the one-on-one business model is outdated. The bottom line is I believe wholeheartedly that the highest quality of training is provided when a coach is able to work with a single client at a time.
And, before everyone goes bananas, I’m not saying that you can’t provide quality training in a small group, or perhaps even in a larger group, like a college team, etc. But, if all things are equal, and two coaches have the same abilities, and one coach gets to work with a single client while the other coach has to work with 10 or more, who is going to have the greatest potential to make a greater impact on their client? I believe it’s the guy conducting the one-on-one session. I’ve never wavered from this belief and I made sure that I (and my brand) was the best at delivering that impact. In NYC, we deliver the best training results, bar none.
TG: You’ve trained a wide variety of clientele – from your regular Joe Schmo’s to numerous professional athletes ranging from NBA players to MMA fighters to Victoria Secret models (I hate you). Obviously, when dealing with such an eclectic mix of people, training variables and parameters are going to change depending on one’s goals and needs.
However, personally, I’ve found that there are quite a few commonalities (regardless of who I’m working with) when it comes to program design, and I’d be curious to hear your thoughts on the matter. Do you agree? Disagree? It’s okay, I won’t cry.
JD: Yup, I agree. It’s funny, Nick Tumminello just wrote an article called, “Here are the results to 90% of Your Functional Movement Assessments… Sight Unseen!” Basically, he outlines many of the commonalities between most clients (and even athletes) and I’d have to agree with him. Specifically, I find that most people have the following issues:
Weak upper back musculature (Rhomboids and mid & lower Trapezius).
Weak external shoulder rotators (Teres Minor & Infraspinatus).
Weak Glutes, especially the Glute Medius and Minimus.
Weak Core musculature, especially in the frontal and transverse planes.
A lack of mobility in the T-Spine.
For males, a lack of hip mobility.
Women tend to need more stability in their hips.
Ankle mobility issues especially in females because they tend to wear high heels, but I see it in guys as well.
From a nutritional perspective, I’d say about 80-85% of the general population does not know how to eat properly. And, poor sleep seems to be a universal issue.
TG: So, you and Dr. Mike (Roussell) have been in cahoots for a while now. What made you two decide to join forces, and can you go into a little more detail on who the Peak Diet & Training Summit is designed for?
JD: Well, to be honest Tony, I kind of felt bad for the guy. He lives in the middle of nowhere in Pennsylvania; he’s got three kids; spends his spare time at Home Depot and I just wanted to help him out a bit. You know, drag him out of the boonies (i.e., AAA ball) on occasion and get up to NYC for some excitement. J
No, but seriously, Dr. Mike and I connected via some mutual friends in the industry, he is so well respected, and I really liked his philosophy so we started to work together on some projects. While working on one project, we decided that we wanted to do a seminar together and that led to the development of the PEAK Diet & Training Summit.
And, in reality, it’s designed for anyone who’s interested in learning anything and everything with regards to program design – whether it be on the training side of things, or the nutritional side of things. We left no stone unturned, and I defy anyone to find a more comprehensive product that covers both ends of the spectrum.
TG: I certainly can’t argue with that! Although there were many (believe me, I was there), what do you feel are the Top 5 Knowledge Bombs a fitness professional will take from this product?
JD: It’s hard to narrow it down to just five, given there are 15 DVDs (not that I’m bragging), but here you go
1) It’s all about the client and their goal(s)!!!
2) How to properly structure a training session. I travel quite a bit for work and it always amazes me when I go into gyms (sometimes for an entire week) and see what these places and their trainers are trying to pass off as quality training. The lack of structure to the training session; the total randomness of the sequencing of exercises in the sessions and they fact that most of the trainers are not even writing anything down is just mind boggling.
3) How to properly manipulate all of the different acute training variables in order to safely and effectively help your client or athlete get to their goal.
4) That you need to meet the client where they are nutritionally and develop their habits from there.
5) There are a core set of foundational nutrition principles that you need to have mastery over in both communication to and manipulation for your clients.
And, that’s all she wrote folks!
Remember, be sure to click the link below in order to take advantage of the sale price. Considering the information involved, the knowledge you’re going to gain, and the fact that you’re getting a host of additional bonuses – like 2.0 CEUs through the NSCA, it basically pays for itself!
1. Two weekends ago I had a photographer come out to the facility to take some action shots, in addition to a few heads shots, for some upgrades I’m going to be making to the site in the near future. In no uncertain terms, I just feel the site needs some aesthetic spicing up (sorry ladies, no shirtless pics), and I certainly wasn’t going to attempt to do it all myself. Given I can barely run a toaster without breaking at least 17 fire codes, I thought it was best to contact a professional to come in and do her thang.
Luckily, I was able to touch base with one of my girlfriend’s past colleagues who happens to own a camera (score!), and who also happens to run her own sports photography business (double score!).
Warning her a head of time that I was pretty much the most un-photogenic person this side of that kid from the movie Mask, Kim showed up with all of her gear and I basically just followed her lead for the next two hours.
I busted out my iPod, flipped to my “When Hip Hop Didn’t Suck” playlist (all 90s rap), and we went to work. We took several “action” shots of me deadlifting (exhibit A to the left <——-) where she played with various lighting and camera angles.
In addition to that, we also decided to take some shots of me pushing the Prowler, thinking that that may serve as a cool background header for the site. When Kim sent me some of the principal photography over the weekend, I was floored with the effects she added.
Who’s Faster: Me or the Millennium Falcon?
All in all, it was an awesome experience. Kim did an amazing job, and I can’t wait to see everything that she sends me. So, um, yeah……be on the lookout for some cool changes to the site soon (wink wink, nudge nudge).
2. Almost without fail, on a weekly basis I’ll have one of our athletes walk up to me and ask how (s)he can go about improving their vertical jump. It’s a dicey question because, as with most anything, the answer is going to be “it depends.”
Most of the time my answer is simply “get stronger,” as maximal strength is the foundation for every other strength quality imaginable.
In terms of any plyometric and/or jump training – it comes down to strength. Simply put: you can’t have things like agility, power, endurance, strength endurance, and the like without first having a base of strength to pull those other qualities from. Strength is the basis of everything. Without it, you can perform all the ladder drills, sprinting drills, jumping drills, and agility training you want, it’s really not going to mount to much.
It’s akin to giving your 1994 Honda Civic (as an example) a sweet paint job, some spoilers, Mag tires, and a sound system that makes your ears bleed in the hopes that, by doing so, it will win the Daytona 500. Unless you actually do something about increasing the horsepower of the car, you can add all the bells and whistles you want, it probably ain’t gonna happen.
Interestingly, Mike Reinold put up a post today that dives a little more into the topic, but addresses it more from a “should we stretch or not stretch?” standpoint. Not that this will surprise many of the trainers and coaches reading, but it seems that static stretching before attempting an explosive movement is, well, dumb.
3. I received a question the other day asking me what I felt was the biggest training mistake that intermediate lifters make. It’s a simple question, for sure, but not an easy one to answer since there are so many variables that come into play. I’m sure if I put more thought into it, I could up with something more sexy, but at the top of my head here it is:
You’re not that special.
I know that despite what your mom told you, this may come across as a little harsh, but it’s true. Seriously, you’re not that special.
The thing about intermediate trainees (not all of them, mind you) is that, while they’re past the beginner “why should I deadlift when I can curl in the squat rack” phase, many feel as if they’re more advanced than what they really are. I’ve had people in the past who couldn’t even squat 1x their body weight for reps proceed to ask me when they could start adding chains into the mix.
Likewise, I’ve had people who couldn’t even perform a proper push-up, approach me to ask whether or not they should start implementing some Russian sub-prime utilization pseudo wave loading bench specialization program. You know, to blast their pecs.
This isn’t to say that there aren’t any intermediate trainees out there who could (and maybe should) utilize more advanced protocols. All I’m saying is that perfecting the basics is almost always the safest – and most effective – course to take.
For beginners it’s about learning the basics.
For intermediates, however, it’s about solidifying the basics.
4. I’m pretty sure anyone who went and saw Adam Sandler’s new movie this weekend – Jack and Jill – are most likely still dead inside.
0% rating on Rottentomatoes.com. Just sayin……
Conversely, if you’re looking for a good movie to watch, I’d highly recommend Martha Marcy May Marlene.
I’m not going to lie – it’s DARK and contains some fairly explicit material that might not sit well with a lot people. But then again, what do you expect from a movie about a cult and the ramifications it has on a young girl’s life?
It’s good, though. You might be depressed as shit for like ten minutes afterwards, but it’s a movie that makes you think (and I like those kind). If it’s playing near you, I’d highly recommend it!
5. And finally, here’s a video of CP athlete, Becca R, who’s been training with us since she was in 8th grade (she’s now a junior), performing supine barbell bridges with 345 lb on the bar for eight reps!!!
Take that fellas.
Becca trains for two reasons: 1) to prepare for the softball season, and as a result, possess the ability to throw a ball through a cement wall and 2) because she’s absolutely addicted to getting stronger.
With it being Veteran’s Day today, I just wanted to give a heartfelt THANK YOU to any current (or past) servicemen or servicewomen who may be reading this. Your courage, bravery, and dedication to keeping us safe is unparalleled – again, thank you!!!!
I don’t really have any content planned for today since a bunch of the CP crew have a shortened day today and we’re all heading down to the South Shore for a client’s wedding. And yes, in case you’re wondering, that totally means I’m busting out my robot on the dance floor.
Luckily, though, my good friend Dr. Mike Roussell just released a FREE webinar yesterday titled,7 Fat Loss Essentials. Now, if that title doesn’t pique your interest, I don’t know what will. Well, okay, it could have said something like 7 Reasons Why Kate Beckinsale Should Challenge Jessica Alba to a Mud Wrestling Fight, but that’s just crazy talk and totally not even relevant.
……but I digress.
I’ve known Dr. Mike for a few years now, and have grown to really appreciate his approach to nutrition. In fact, not too long ago I asked if he’d write up a personalized nutrition plan for my girlfriend before we headed down to Florida for vacation. Not only did he write it, but he aptly titled it The She-Ra Diet Plan. Awesome.
Anyways, Dr. Mike knows a thing or two about fat loss, and I think he provides some useful information that can help a lot of people and provide some great insight as to why many never get the results they want. Check out the link below (dude, it’s free).
I had an interesting conversation with one of our female clients the other day. No, it had nothing to do with why women have such an affinity for Grey’s Anatomy; or better yet, why women tend to do that weird squinty thing with their face when applying mascara. Seriously, I don’t get it. In actuality, it had everything to do with a conversation she (Chris) had with an acquaintance of hers (another woman) a few days ago.
A little back story first, however. Chris started training with us about a year and a half ago. Ironically, she never knew Cressey Performance existed – despite literally living a hop-skip-and-jump away – until one Mr. and Mrs. Eric Cressey moved in across the street from her. After making nicey-nice and presumably borrowing a few cups of sugar from one another, Eric and his wife (Anna) eventually talked Chris into stopping by the facility to check it out.
Like I said, it’s right across the street.
A long-time fitness enthusiast – having been an avid biker for years as well as having hired numerous personal trainers in the past – Chris reluctantly showed up.
I did her initial assessment, and to say she was a little overwhelmed and little out of her element would be an understatement. First off, I don’t think she had ever stepped foot in a facility where there were more squat racks than treadmills. Secondly, it didn’t help matters that there were a bunch of dudes walking around lifting weights with chains attached and stuff, pushing sleds, throwing med balls, grunting, and doing manly things like re-enacting the This is Sparta Kick.
Then, to top it off, here was this big, beefy, obviously way intelligent guy (my words, not hers) telling her that she should nix all the steady state cardio she had been performing for years on end, drop the pink dumbbells, and start training with some intensity and purpose. In short, I told her she would essentially have to do a complete 180 in terms of how she trained.
I remember it vividly. “Give me three months,” I said. “Do what I say for three months, give it your all, and if you don’t see a change in your body, you can punch me in the face…..like, really hard.”
She was down with that.
…….and she did it (not punch me in the face, though. She just did what I told her to do). And has never looked back since.
I know my friend, Nia Shanks, will nod her head in agreement when I say this, but a funny (albeit predictable) thing happened with Chris. Once she started training at the facility and I started stressing to her the importance of getting stronger and how she shouldn’t equate “success” or even progress by what the scale told her, good things started to happen.
Once Chris started noticing incremental improvements in the amount of weight she was lifting, and proved to herself that she could do it, it was like a switch was turned on.
In a way, she was addicted to getting stronger. Every week she would come in and want to put more weight on the deadlift bar, try to eek out one more rep on the bench press, or try to push the Prowler with just a little more gusto. And you know what? She got leaner!
She had done every fad diet, tried every fitness gimmick, hired numerous trainers, and none of them could trump simply telling her to knock it off, put down the yoga mat, and focus on getting stronger.
Sure, we had to make some dietary changes here and there, toss in some metabolic ass-kickery from time to time, but really, she just needed to take a step outside her comfort zone and lift heavy shit.
And, to her credit, ever since, she’s accomplished every goal she’s set out to do.
Deadlift her body weight for reps? Check (and then some).
Perform an unassisted chin-up? Check (and then some).
Be able to fit back into her “butt jeans”? Ladies, you know what I’m talking about. Check (yeah baby!!!!!).
Which brings us to that conversation I alluded to above. The abbreviated version is this: the woman, whom Chris hadn’t seen in a while, and after a few minutes of casual talk, basically came straight out and said this:
Don’t you think you look tiny?
As if, in her own backhanded way, to imply Chris didn’t look normal or somehow unhealthy.
I think Chris would have arm wrestled her right there to prove a point, but she didn’t.
Now, comparatively speaking, given that a vast number of Americans are walking around looking rather rotund (to put it lightly), I guess one’s perspective of what looks “normal” is a little skewed. I’ll give her the benefit of the doubt there.
But I don’t think that was the case. I kind of think the comment – in a way – was a dis towards Chris. Sort of like this acquaintance was a little jealous and was attempting to bring Chris down a peg or two.
All told, Chris has lost 20 (net) lbs and seemingly looks like a different person compared to when she first walked into the facility a year and a half ago. But she’s NOT tiny. She looks, well, normal. At least to me, anyways. She has shape. She has contour. She has freakin muscles!
Moreover, she’s worked her ass off to get the body she’s always wanted, and I kind of feel like this other woman was somehow intimidated – if that’s even the right word – by Chris.
I don’t know, maybe I’m reading a little too much into it, but I’d definitely be curious to hear from any other women who may be reading and get their thoughts on this. So, what’s the dealo? Am I off-base, or did I hit the nail on the head?
I’m going to keep this one as succinct and “to-the-point” as possible today, because well, I believe the information that follows will speak for itself. Two guys whom I respect a ton in this industry – Dr. Mike Roussell and Joe Dowdell – will be releasing FREE webinars this week.
Yesterday, Joe Dowdell, author of the best selling book Ultimate You and owner of one of the most successful gyms in the country (Peak Performance NYC – twice voted one of the top ten gyms in America by Mens Health), not to mention one of the prettiest men I know, released his webinar which goes into detail on how he went about growing Peak into what it is today.
I’ve been there numerous times, and trust me when I say this: Peak Performance is like catnip for trainers. Anything and everything you could ever want – from equipment to camaraderie to atmosphere to Victoria Secret models (totally not kidding) – is there. They’re obviously doing something right!
The kicker? He’s done all of this without offering semi-private training. To learn more, click the link below to watch Joe’s webinar. I promise it’s worth your time!
Okay, I have some pretty cool news to report before I kick things off. Starting next week – November 14th to be exact – we’re going to be re-launching Muscle Imbalances Revealed – Upper Body. I know what you’re thinking: What could possibly be different this time around?
A few things, actually:
New content! Nothing major, but we’re going to be adding a few goodies here and there to up the badass factor of the product.
You’ll now be able to attain continuing education credits for purchasing the product. How G6 is that? I know as a CSCS, I’m due to re-up my certification through the NSCA within the next few months, so anyone looking for CEU’s for whatever certification they have, MIRU can help in that regard.
Lastly, and I think this is the coolest part, you’ll now be able to purchase MIRU in DVD format (picture to the left). In a nutshell, as Dean (Somerset) noted, not only will you be able to listen to my voice in full surround sound, but you’ll also be able to watch me in high def. Maybe even 3D! No diggidy, no doubt!
To help raise a little excitement for the re-launch (again, it starts NEXT week, 11/14), and to show my appreciated for all the support with the product with the original launch, I’d like to give away a free DVD copy. So, for those interested, leave a comment below – with your email address – and at the end of the week, I’ll do a random drawing. Yeah, I’m pretty awesome.
It takes a lot of balls – or in this case, fallopian tubes (?) – to delve into past personal battles, and I give Nia all the credit in the world for throwing something so intimate out there to share with the rest of the world. Many are quick to point the finger at “regular” people, but as Nia poignantly describes, this condition can affect fitness professionals too. Well done Nia. You’re awesome.
Still benching the same weight as you were two years ago? Still only able to see an ab (okay two….with proper lighting) after “dieting” for what seems like forever? Knee still hurts? Are you still wondering why your +1 Shield BoE can’t be traded for an Invisible Cloak spell in World of Warcraft? I mean, WTF, right?
Okay, Mike can’t help you on that last point (nerd), but he does have a thing or two to say about why you’re not progressing in the gym, whatever your goal(s) may be. As always, he hits the nail on the head.
Okay I know the title is blasphemous to say the least, but after you’re done hyperventilating into a brown paper bag, just sit down and read the article and let Dave explain. It’s actually one of the more comprehensive articles I’ve ever read on deadlifting, containing TONS of useful cues and tips on how to improve one’s deadlift technique.
And that’s it for today, folks!
Remember, if you’d like to be entered in a drawing for a FREE dvd copy of Muscle Imbalances Revealed – Upper Body, leave a comment below with your email address.
This past Saturday night marked the end of “daylight savings,” which meant we had to turn our clocks back an hour, and in the process, gain an hour of sleep on Sunday (score!). Although, subsequently, it also means it will start getting dark by 4:30 in the afternoon (bummer).
Anyways, Lisa and I are huge fans of getting up early(ish) on Sunday so that we can get a head start on “life” and all the fun activities we have in store: namely – laundry and grocery shopping. But, just so we’re clear, “fun activities” can be interpreted in any number ways, because doing laundry is about as fun as knitting a sweater or passing a kidney stone in my book. Nevertheless, it’s stuff that needs to get done, and I’d rather do it early and get it over with than procrastinate and wait until later in the day.
You know, when football is on. And naps need to be taken.
So, I turn over on Sunday morning and look at the clock and it says 7 AM, which is really 6 AM because like an asshat, I forgot to set my clock before I fell asleep.
We’re awake, give each other a high five, and with that we both get out of bed, and decide to strip it and gather up all the laundry and trudge down the street to the coin-operated laundry mat.
We have it down to a science, and it’s really impressive when you think about it. While I still haven’t quite grasped on to the whole concept of separating the colors from the whites, Lisa and I are able to load the machines and are out the door within five minutes. Knowing that the timers are set for 25-30 minutes, we hop in the car and drive to Whole Foods, which is roughly a mile away.
There, we like to buy some of our high(er) commodity items, or stuff that we only have to purchase once a month, or maybe every other week. Things like: chia seeds, cacao nibs, ginger, various spices, soy and/or coconut milk, unsweetened coconut, Larabars (when on sale), or various fruits and vegges that are in season (yet on sale). And, too, Sundays tend to be sampler days, so if I’m lucky there are several platters of free cheese out in the open. #Winning!!!
Once we leave the Whole Foods parking lot, it’s back to the laundry mat to switch the clothes from the washing machines to the dryers. I slowly approach the building, Lisa sniper rolls out of the car, and I wait as she does her thing. We have thirty minutes until the clothes are dry.
……and then it’s off the Trader Joe’s to do the bulk of our weekly grocery shopping.
The doors open at 8 AM, and I think we were there by 8:45.
I won’t bore you with the details, but suffice it to say, we heart Trader Joe’s, and we’re lucky to live in a neighborhood which has one within such a short distance of our apartment.
We head back to the laundry mat, pick up the clothes, and we’re back inside our building by 9:30 AM – laundry AND grocery shopping done. What’s up!?!
I say all of this, because we’ve made it a routine. It’s part of what we do. Laundry aside – seriously, I’d rather drink battery acid – getting the grocery shopping done for the week is important to both of us, and it’s something I feel more people need to try to make a habit of doing.
I mean, if’ the (right) food is there to eat, you’re less likely to be tempted to eat for convenience, or worse, order out.
Of course, you then have to take the time to prepare those foods – which is exactly what we do for the next 2-3 hours once we’re home.
I made some homemade apple-cinnamon protein bars from the Gourmet Nutrition cookbook.
Lisa went for broke and made spaghetti squash, roasted butternut squash, apricot squash soup, delicata squash (I guess someone likes squash), roasted carrots, brussel sprouts, and sweet potatoes, and roasted chicken to last us the week.
She then prepared meals for the week and placed all the containers in the fridge.
In fact, I’m pretty sure we have the most diesel fridge in Boston right now:
So, I ask, what does your fridge look like? Is it full with fresh produce (eggs, yogurt, milk), veggies, fruits, and meat? Yes, there’s some bad stuff in there, too – I just made sure to place it in the back (HA!). Or, is it filled with nothing but processed crap?
I say all of this not to showcase my laundry doer prowess (although, it served as a nice segue)….
…..but rather to demonstrate that food prep is kind of a big deal.
Taking the time to buy and prepare foods a head of time speaks volumes for setting yourself up for success throughout the week.
The inside of one’s fridge says a lot. What does yours say?
Yesterday, in Part I, I started things off with some basic spinal anatomy (nerd alert) and then discussed how imperative it was to hone in on any postural deficiencies or imbalances that may be present in order to teach someone to get into a more neutral (ie: normal) spinal position when training.
Today, I want to delve a little more into the coaching side of things, and offer a few ideas/thoughts/suggestions that you may be able to either use yourself or with your clients and athletes.
Before we begin, however, I just have to get one teeny-tiny thing off my chest. No one has perfect posture – ever. Not even RoboCop.
Although, I have to say, after seeing this picture of myself from this past summer (where I was part of the “Expert Panel” at the Peak Performance Program Design Seminar), I come pretty darn close.
Not to brag or anything, but my posture is straight-up PWNING.
Anyhoo, with regards to perfect posture, one of my biggest pet peeves is when trainers spend an inordinate amount of time in “corrective” mode. And what I mean by this is that they’ll take a client through an assessment, whatever that may be, and then proceed to spend 45 minutes trying to correct the fact that their right big toe doesn’t dorsiflex three degrees.
Don’t get me wrong, I think it’s admirable that there are trainers out there who care THAT much to want to fix everything, and they they’re willing to actually assess people beforehand. But, lets not get too carried away here.
At the end of the day people also need a training effect, and in my experience, I can get much more done from an assessment standpoint getting people out on the floor moving around a bit. Seemingly, things tend to “shake free,” and I can better ascertain one’s overall movement quality when I have him or her out on the floor “doing stuff” than just having them lying down on a table for an hour bored out of their mind.
*steps off soap box*
Okay, with that out of the way , lets get started!
When I’m working with an athlete or even a general population client, I’m a pretty hands-on coach. I call it Play-Doh coaching, and all it basically means is that I’m not hesitant to place my hands on people and poke and prod (sometimes drop kick) to get them into the positions I want them to get into. This is especially true when trying to teach neutral spine to someone.
Take the prone plank, for example. Everyone knows what a prone plank is, and everyone does them at some point or another. Thing is, many trainees tend to epically fail when trying to perform it.
That’s intern Kyle you see up there in the picture. I asked him to drop down and get into a plank position that would make me cry. Fantastic job on his end, but truth be told, that’s what many people look like when they perform the exercise. Not pretty! In a perfect world the dowel rod would have three points of contact: the sacrum, the middle of the back, as well as the back of the head.
As you can see, that ain’t happening.
The dowel rod is a great tool because it provides fantastic kinesthetic feedback to the client so that they can “feel” where I want them to be.
Now as a coach, to start, I’d use my hands to “mold” him into the position I’d want. I’d tell him to widen his feet to give him more of a base of support. I’d tap his glutes to get them to fire, as well as his stomach to engage his core more. I’d gently push down on his upper back to get it into the proper position, and then I’d take my hands and place his head where I wanted it to be.
Ideally, it would end up looking something like this:
Much better. Again, the dowel rod is key here because it’s providing all the feedback Kyle needs to feel that he’s in the proper position and to maintain more of a neutral spine.
So, if you’re not quite picking up what I’m putting down, head down to your local Home Depot and purchase a dowel rod.
But what happens if we’re trying to teach something a bit more complicated – like the deadlift? It’s no surprise that I’m a huge fan of deadlifts, as I feel it’s a valuable exercise to learn no matter what one’s goals are.
As such, the dowel rod can be a useful tool in helping to groove proper hip hinge mechanics while simultaneously teaching trainees to pattern the deadlift with a neutral spine.
In much the same way, I’ll have the client place the dowel rod behind their back making sure to maintain three points of contact (sacrum, mid-back, and back of the head). From there, I’ll simply have him or her perform a hip hinge, like so:
Darth Maul re-enactments aside (you’ll have to watch the video to see what I mean. Unfortunately it was cut-off early), if at any point they lose contact with the rod, they know they’re not maintaining a neutral spine. To that end, this is a fantastic drill in of itself, and is something that can be used as part of a general warm-up or even as a filler exercise in between sets.
Taking it a step further, sometimes, and this doesn’t happen often, someone will smoke the dowel rod patterning drill, but when I have them attempt an actual deadlift, they turn right back into Quasimodo. When in the bottom position, they just can’t seem to differentiate between a neutral spine and what they’re back is actually doing.
In this instance I’ll use something as simple as the Cat-Camel drill.
Normally used as a t-spine mobility exercise, I’ve actually used it as a teaching tool to help people understand what it is I want them to do.
Literally I’ll have someone drop down into the quadruped position and have them purposely round their back (like a scared cat). I’ll have them note how that feels and say something along the lines of “feel that? Yeah? Well, stop it.”
Then, I’ll have them arch their back into a more neutral position (camel). Similarly, I’ll have them note how that feels, and tell them that I want them to repeat that same feeling when they set up t0 deadlift. For many, it works like a charm.
For those wondering: sexy tiger is optional.
Lastly, another simple drill that I’ve utilized in the past to help teach someone neutral spine, is to have them place their hands on their knees – kind of like what I basketball player does when he’s tired.
You’ll note that most will automatically maintain perfect spinal alignment. KA-CHING!!! From there, just have them inch down a bit further to grab the bar.
No one said we’re doing long division here, so there’s no need to make it more complicated than it has to be. It’s brutally simple drill, but it works.
And that’s about it. Of course, if you’re a trainer or coach, coaching your ass off is part of the equation. All of this is fine and dandy, but if you’re allowing sloppy form on everything, then it’s a complete waste of time (and you suck at life).
Collectively, between the drills I highlighted in part one, in addition to the drills discussed above, teaching someone how to attain a neutral spine should be within the realm of possibility.
I’d love to hear your thoughts on the matter. And ladies, for the record, Kyle is single. MEOW!
The spine contains over 120 individual muscles, 220 specialized ligaments and over 100 joints.
Cartilage makes up roughly 25% of the spine’s total length.
It can be sub-divided into three main “sections,” the cervical spine (neck), thoracic spine (mid-back), and lumbar spine (lower back).
The lumbar spine consists of five vertebrae (L1-L5), and each one elites roughly 1-2 degrees of total rotation, for a total of 10-13 degrees of total motion. Conversely, the thoracic spine consists of twelve vertebrae (T1-T12) that can elicit 7-9 degrees per segment. Rounding up the numbers, our t-spine accounts for roughly 70 degrees of spinal rotation.
In terms of the lay population: men have roughly 3-5 degrees of anterior pelvic tilt (APT), whereas women generally hang out at around 5-7 degrees of APT.
Sorry to jump straight into hard-core spinal biomechanics talk without buying you dinner first. But there’s a lot of “stuff” going on in our back and this serves as a great primer for today’s topic, which is: how to teach trainees to achieve (and maintain) a neutral spine.
So, what the heck is neutral spine anyways? Well, it’s a bit of a misnomer, because many people believe that a neutral spine means that it’s completely straight, which couldn’t be further from the truth. As alluded to above, the spine has an acceptable range of anterior pelvic tilt; or lordotic curve. Similarly, it also has an acceptable range of kyphosis (or rounding) in the upper back. And, of course, the cervical spine also has a certain degree of lordosis as well.
So, in essence, a more appropriate term might be to say “normal” spine rather than neutral spine, but you get the idea.
Unfortunately due to the fact that we’re a much more sedentary society compared to just a generation ago – it’s not uncommon to hear about people spending 15-18 hours per day sitting in front of a computer – it’s often a challenge for someone to actually attain (let alone maintain) a neutral spinal position. What’s more, it could stem from a multitude of reasons, ranging from either a structural abnormality (scoliosis), a functional abnormality (hyper-lordosis or hyper-kyphosis), or even from a lack of kinesthetic awareness.
My job as a strength coach is to figure out the root cause, and fix it. Like a ninja. Here’s how.
Disclaimer: I’m going to skip over the whole structural abnormality business (scoliosis) because it’s a fairly deep topic and something that deserves much more than just one simple blog post. That said, with scoliosis, almost always, it really comes down to managing the issue at hand and trying not to make it worse. Some can handle spinal loading, some can’t. Some need a little more TLC, others don’t. Single leg work will obviously be prioritized, as will core stability. Moreover, we’re most likely going to be aggressive on the manual therapy side of things which is outside of my scope, and why I refer out to people smarter than myself.
Either way, much of what we do is still going to be covered in the pointers below.
Functional Faux Pas
In this category will be those with just plain bad posture – plain and simple. Here, in order to teach neutral spine, it’s imperative to hammer away at the root cause, which for many, will consist of trying to improve either their hyper-kyphotic upper back, hyper-lordotic lower back, or both! In the end: unless you take strides to improve their posture, neutral spine ain’t gonna happen.
Oh, before I continue on, it’s important to note that the spine is going to compensate. Meaning, for those who have significant kyphosis in their upper back, the spine will often compensate by going into more lordosis in the lumbar spine; and vice versa. So, much of the time, by addressing one aspect, you’ll invariably address the other as well. But, just to cover our own basis, lets go over a few drills for each.
Kyphosis – Upper Back
It goes without saying that some aggressive foam rolling is in order. Mike Reinold actually put up a video the other day which demonstrates how to go about doing this, so I’ll defer to him here:
Once you’ve broken up any trigger points or grimy tissue that exists, it’s crucial to mobilize that area in both extension AND rotation.
In terms of drills that promote t-spine extension, I love the Bench T-Spine Extension Mobilization:
Note: you don’t necessarily need the dowel rod in order to do this drill. I just wanted to show off the guns, I suppose (shrugs).
As far as rotational type drills, the possibilities at endless. Some of my favs include:
Those should be a good place to start for many. And, as a corollary, not only will will most see vast improvements in their posture implementing these drills into their repertoire, but they also see marked improvements in scapular kinematics which will pay huge dividends in terms of their ability to perform any overhead pressing without making my eyes bleed. It’s a win-win, really.
Lordosis – Lower Back
While I should have mentioned this above in the upper back section, I’d be remiss not to comment on Janda’s Upper/Lower Cross Syndrome to some capacity.
Cliff Notes Version? You stretch what’s tight; or, more appropriately, what’s stiff or short – in this case the hip flexors for the lower body. Likewise, you also strengthen/activate what’s weak or inhibited – in this case the glutes and anterior core.
While some dedicated stretching and activation work is in order in the hip flexors (stretch) and glutes (strengthen) respectively, I do feel there’s an often vastly overlooked area that many trainees (and coaches) tend to dismiss altogether.
In terms of dealing with a hyper-lordotic back, I like to take the same path as Mike Robertson and use more of a bottoms-up approach, where I try to teach improved pelvic control through diaphragmatic breathing techniques, as well as hammering the external/internal obliques.
It’s true, one of the main roles of the rectus abdominus is to posteriorly tilt the pelvis, but it does so at the expense of pulling the sternum closer to the pelvis, which, as we all know, is a big no-no (most of the time). In that vein, things like crunches and sit-ups are probably the last thing I’d do with a client.
Instead, and this is something we’ve been using more and more with our athletes at Cressey Performance, you can hammer the external/internal obliques (which also posteriorly tilt the pelvis) with reverse crunches.
Again, here, we can still get all the benefits of trying to bring someone back to “neutral,” albeit without all the drawbacks of performing a traditional crunch or sit-up.
In addition to those, we can still utilize many of the exercises I’ve highlighted here in the past.
And even things like Slideboard Bodysaws would be fantastic options (although, this one can be considered fairly advanced)
And that covers at least some of the things we can do from the functional side of things that will help teach someone how to get to a neutral spinal position. I’ll be the first to admit that it’s not an all encompassing list, and it definitely doesn’t cover all the bases, but it definitely gets the ball rolling. Not bad for under 1300 words.
Tomorrow, in part II, I’m going to cover the coachification (made up word) side of things. Or, to put it another way: sometimes it’s not one’s posture that’s the issue, but rather they just have poor kinesthetic awareness (body control) and are unable get into proper position in the first place.
Check back tomorrow. Until then, feel free to comment below and let me know if this was helpful!
