I’m excited to announce that I’ll be one of 40+ industry leaders taking part in Kabuki Education Week that’ll be taking place February 1-7, 2021.
Kabuki Education Week – Hosted by Kabuki Strength – is a unique opportunity to attend 40+ live hour-long lectures (with Q&A) presented by the most respected and well established educators, coaches, clinicians, and athletes in the strength & fitness industry. This event brings together a wealth of knowledge across multiple domains; all condensed into week-long virtual format that allows you to attend as many courses as you choose with the added opportunity to purchase recordings.
You can register for my presentation (and save 50% through the end of the year) – The Hip: From Assessment to Badass – HERE.
Alternatively you can register for the ENTIRE event at the Early Bird rate – HERE.
This will undoubtedly be an event you won’t want to miss as the line-up, speaking as a fan boy myself, is one of the most impressive I have ever seen.
You can now purchase CORE @ Home for whatever you want to pay.
During the first quarantine I started a platform where I’d deliver 20-40 minute workouts that could be performed in everyone’s living room using minimal equipment.
In all I filmed 36 workouts using nothing but bodyweight, bands, and kettlebells and/or dumbbells. With many people still reticent to head back to their regular gyms (not to mention the scarcity of gym equipment out there to purchase) I figured this would be a nice opportunity to help.
Now that many parts of the US (and world) have started to implement a second wave of shut-downs, this resource is timely.
Whether you want to spend $1 or $99 (FYI: the latter enters you to win a 5×7 shirtless pic of me), the workouts are ready and available to start.
One of my favorite exercises is the 1-Arm DB Row. One way I’ll make it more challenging is to add an RNT effect with a band. This helps reinforce the forward-back arc (rather than straight up & down)…placing more emphasis on the lats.
Outside of the three workshops I got to teach earlier this year in Europe before 2020 turned into a HAZMAT commercial, the PPSC was the first time I had the opportunity to sit in a (socially distanced) room with “my people” and marinate in topics such as squat assessment, scapular kinematics, and protein powder.
More importantly, it served as an opportunity to network and see friends/colleagues I hadn’t seen in a while.
During the lunch break on Day #2, David asked myself and AMP Fitness owner, Steve Bergeron, to sit down and have a chat for his soon-t0-be-released Pain-Free Performance Podcast
I was perusing Instagram a few months ago when I came across my friend’s, Andrew Coates, feed. He had just posted a video of himself performing an impressive set of Supported Bulgarian Split Squats.
Or, Hatfield Squats for the meatheads in the house.
It was something like 365 lb for 5 repetitions.
As I said, at first I was like “huh.”
Then I was like, “damn, that’s strong.”
And then I was like, “pffft, whatever, I want in on this parade.”
At that point I was roughly 5-6 weeks post Achilles repair surgery and was training pretty aggressively in the gym. That said I was still looking for ways to expand or improve upon my Trainable Menu.
I.e., Focusing on stuff I could train rather than stuff I couldn’t.
A day or two later I posted a video of myself performing a set of close to 300 lb for 6-8 reps on my NON-affected leg. I tagged Andrew who then tagged a few other colleagues who were also inspired by his escapades; one of whom was Luka Hocevar, owner of Vigor Ground Fitness in Renton, WA.
Some good ol’ fashioned friendly competition ensued.
Each week we continued to post our progress and I enjoyed it, which was weird because, despite what coaches on the internet like to pretend, I fucking hate performing single leg work.
1. Nazi’s
2. Kipping pull-ups
3. People who wax poetic about keto.
.
.
.
44. Single leg work.
45. Talking about feelings.
Anyway, as it happens, myself, Andrew, and Luka teamed up to write an article for T-Nation.com that just went live today. In it we break down anything and everything as it relates to the Supported Bulgarian Split Squat and why you should consider adding it to YOUR training arsenal.
Most people – but especially fitness professionals – are boneheads (or dare I say: dumbbells) when it comes to financial savviness and literacy.
It’s just a topic we’re never taught.
Ever.
Most fit pros have more knowledge in how to transcribe their latest Reels video into Klingon than understanding the difference between a SEP and Roth IRA.
More to the point, when it comes to debt (specifically: how to get and stay out of it), many people prefer to treat it like a toddler having a temper tantrum.
(puts fingers into ears)
La-la-la-la-la-la…I can’t hear you.
It’s intimidating, scary, and sometimes can be a real asshole (to put it lightly)
Today, in PART TWO of fitness financial expert Billy Hofacker‘s THREE part series, he provides some helpful insight on debt and how to approach it responsibly and within reason.
Coach & Grow: Part 2: A Simple Plan For Debt Destruction
Part 1of Coach and Grow Rich was all about developing a money mindset. This post will deal with a topic that may be uncomfortable for some, debt.
It’s an area that I know all too well as my wife and I scraped our way out of a massive amount (more than 100K) of debt 10 years ago. I’ve since helped hundreds of Fit Pros get on a plan to destroy their own debt. I’m not going to lie to you and tell you it’s easy but neither is losing weight, getting stronger, or building a business.
It takes time.
It takes hard work.
Mostly, it takes being consistent with a simple plan.
You’ll hear financial “experts” talk about good debt vs. bad debt. An example of “good debt” would be a business loan because you can potentially earn more as a result. “Bad debt” would be something that goes down in value, like a car.
My opinion is that all debt carries a risk and for that reason I consider myself a “no debt” guy.
If there is anything the pandemic has made clear to us, it’s the importance of having our financial house in order. Does the debt you have (personal or business) make you feel as though you are stuck in the middle of the sea with no life preserver?
That’s exactly how I felt.
Then I started learning more about finances.
What’s worse than being in debt is working exceptionally hard to get out of it only to fall back into it. It’s like someone gaining and losing the same 50 pounds repeatedly.
One of the ways to avoid staying in debt is to understand why it happened in the first place. Of course, we can agree that it’s the result of poor money management. That’s the first step – taking personal responsibility.
However, it goes deeper.
Like I described in Part 1, we all have root beliefs about money that stem from our upbringing and experiences. Here are some examples of beliefs that will keep us stuck.
“Debt is normal. How else would I buy things?”
“I don’t even know how much debt I have so I guess a little more won’t hurt.”
“This is just the way it is for me. Getting out of debt isn’t a reality for me so I might as well embrace it.”
“I have so much debt already so an extra $100 wouldn’t really matter, would it?
These distorted beliefs are similar to the ones our clients have about their fitness. We need to uncover them and label them for what they are, false!
If you have debt, there is no reason to be ashamed.
The average person carries a credit card balance of $6200.
If you’re like me, you’ve looked at people with big problems and wondered how they got there. The solutions seem so obvious: “Stop eating gallons of ice cream at a time” or “Get out of that unhealthy relationship.” When it comes to our own problems, the solution doesn’t seem so clear. That was the case with me. It all started with one bad decision, putting a household item on a credit card and not paying the bill.
From there it snowballed into a massive problem.
With that said, people who are financially successful know that one of the keys to building wealth is to get and stay out of debt. The good news is that there is a way out regardless of your current situation.
Hopefully, you already understand the value of moving towards financial freedom by becoming debt free. Just in case you’re not convinced, let me ask you a few questions:
❓ If you didn’t have to make any debt payments, how much money could you save every month?
❓ If you weren’t strapped with debt, how much better could you live with the same income?
❓ How quickly could you become wealthy?
❓ How much would you be able to impact others?
The Top 2 Methods
There are generally two schools of thought when it comes to paying down debt.
The first is known as the higher interest or avalanche method.
The second is known as the debt snowball.
With the avalanche method, or the higher interest method, the debts would be paid down in order from highest to lowest interest.
With the debt snowball, the debts would be paid in order from lowest to highest balance.
So which is better?
At some level, comparing debt elimination plans is like comparing nutrition plans. The one that works best is the one you follow.
With that said, the debt snowball allows you to rack up wins quickly, which helps create positive momentum. This is a huge advantage for someone who may already feel a little discouraged by their financial predicament.
Here are the steps to applying the debt snowball.
1️⃣ Stop Borrowing Money
If you continue to borrow money while trying to eliminate your debt, you’ll be fighting an uphill battle.
2️⃣ List Your Debts From Lowest to Highest Balance
Pay special attention to this step. Don’t leave any debts out and let them slip between the cracks. Arrange your debts in ascending order with the smallest remaining balance first and the largest last.
You would ignore the interest rate.
3️⃣ Pay All of the Minimum Payments on Each Debt Listed
4️⃣ Throw Any Extra Money Above Toward the Minimum Payments at the Next Lowest Balance
Ideally you would have a timeline for when each debt will be paid off. Accelerate you debt elimination plan by looking for any extra money to pay towards your focus debt (i.e. the one with the lowest balance). If you can’t find extra money, think of ways to increase your income.
5️⃣ Set Your Debt Elimination Date
Write down the date you will be debt free (other than a possible mortgage).
Visualize it.
Keep moving towards your goal no matter what.
Many people who use this method get excited as a result of the early wins and end up finding additional ways to put more money towards their snowball. The key is using the minimum payment you had for an eliminated debt and adding it to the next one, thus creating your debt snowball.
Regardless of the method you choose, the first step is to get clear about your reality. It’s astonishing how many people have no idea how much debt they have.
If you want to throw up, visit bankrate.com/brm/calc/minpayment.asp and see how much of your minimum credit card payment actually goes toward the balance and how long it will take to pay off.
What’s cool is you can adjust the numbers and see what a difference lower APRs (interest %) and higher monthly payments can make.
In some cases you can save years of payments and thousands in interest.
Business Considerations
Many people who agree that personal debt is destructive believe that business debt is different. The truth is, business debt can be just as harmful and the same rules should apply.
Don’t fall into the lie that you need to carry a credit card balance or borrow money to grow your business. Having a debt free business allows you to designate some of your cash for future growth, take advantage of opportunities that present themselves, and be more generous.
You may think that it’s better to prioritize paying down your business debt if you have both business and personal debt.
Actually, one of the best things you can do for your business is to improve your personal finances. Many businesses suffer or even go out of business because an owner’s personal financial house was not in order.
The bottom line is that you need a plan to eradicate both personal and business debt.
One consideration with business debt is you’ll want to make sure you pay attention to your cash flow. Covid-19 has reminded us of the importance of having “cash on hand.”
I would recommend saving at least one month of business reserves before aggressively paying down business debt. Once you have your one month of reserves, you can allocate a percentage of extra income (after paying yourself) to debt elimination and the rest toward building the reserves further.
You’ll need a lot; think 3-6 months.
Wrapping Up
While it may sound unsophisticated or outdated, personal finance and business are much simpler than people make them out to be. If you do the basics with focus and consistency, over time you’ll be amazed by what you can achieve.
*A helpful tool – One of the keys to achieving financial success is tying your debt destruction plan to your entire Financial Freedom Plan. Whether or not you have debt, the Power Spending Plan makes the whole process less stressful.
About the Author
Many fitness professionals get stuck in the day to day and have little to show for their hard work. Billy Hofacker helps them get on a plan to achieve financial freedom. You can learn more by listening to the Your Fitness Money Coach podcast or visiting www.yourfitnessmoneycoach.com.
1. You can now purchase CORE @ Home for whatever it is you want to pay.
During the first quarantine I started a platform where I’d deliver 20-40 minute workouts that could be performed in everyone’s living room using minimal equipment.
In all I curated 36 workouts using nothing but bodyweight, bands, and kettlebells and/or dumbbells. With many people still reticent to head back to their regular gyms (not to mention the scarcity of gym equipment out there to purchase) I figured this would be a nice opportunity to help.
Too, now that many parts of the US (and world) have started to implement a second wave of shut-downs, this resource is timely.
Whether you want to spend $1 or $100 (if the latter, we’ll be BFFs forever), the workouts are ready and available to start.
I don’t know who’s more annoying: People who brag about how early they get up (#grind) or people who email you two hours later asking if you saw their original email yet?
Wrong.
It’s any CrossFitter currently 1-2 weeks into the Whole 30 challenge…😉😂
What’s unique about the deadlift – as opposed to the squat or bench press – is that it begins with a concentric, or overcoming, movement.
For a variety of reasons like leverages, mobility restrictions, it’s Tuesday, etc., starting from the floor can be problematic for some people. One simple way to build context, especially as it relates to the starting position from the floor, is to start at the end (or top) with an eccentric, or yielding/negative, movement.
You’ll essentially be performing an eccentric deadlift (RDL) until the barbell reaches the ground. When I have my athletes do this drill I’ll stop them once they hit the floor and say, “Feel that position you’re in right now? That’s what I want to see and for you to feel when you begin from the floor.”
Hi, my name is Tony and I ruptured my Achilles tendon earlier this year.
It was the first significant injury of my life and one that, as it happens, happens often (and without warning). Since my injury six months ago I’ve met numerous people who have gone through the same dumpster fire of an experience.2.And as a result I’ve documented my rehab and post-surgery training via my IG account using the hashtags #findyourtrainablemenu and #achillesgate2020.
However, I figured something more in depth and robust with regards to explaining the mechanism of Achilles rupture (as well discussing prevention) could be of benefit to the masses. To that end, my fellow coaches and colleagues – Dr. Bo Bobenko and Shane McLean – offered to write something for the site to cover exactly that.
For what it’s worth: I peppered in a few comments myself along the way.
Measures to Strengthen & Prevent Achilles Injuries
When admiring yourself, flexing away, do you ever give thought to the unsung hero of muscle? You know, the things that attach the muscles to your bones: the tendons. You probably don’t give much thought, until it’s too late.
Unless you’ve had your head in the sand, you know our resident funny man and light saber fighter extraordinaire, Tony Gentilcore tore his Achilles tendon while hanging out with the in-laws in Florida six months ago
NOTE FROM TG: It’s important to remember that correlation doesn’t equal causation here. My in-laws didn’t cause my Achilles rupture…;o)3
Tony, a big strong guy with no history of serious injury performs a drill he has done before and boom, suddenly it’s not his day, week, month or even his year….
NOTE FROM TG: For those interested, HERE is a great depiction of the exercise (and mechanism) that served as the impetus to my injury.
The “Jump Back” Start
This video almost exactly showcases what happened. The only difference is that I didn’t preload my sprint with a three-hop thingamajig (just one), and in my case, once my back leg planted, I fell immediately to the ground.
Plus I may or not have been wearing a cape.
A Little Background On The Achilles Tendon
The tendon is named after the ancient Greek mythological figure Achilles (and not Brad Pitt) as it was the only part of his body that was still vulnerable after his mother had dipped him into the River Styx. Plus, we all know where he got shot with an arrow, at least in the movie.
The Achilles tendon is the thickest and strongest tendon in the human body. It’s the tendinous extension of the three-headed calf muscle soleus and the two-headed gastrocnemius and it inserts on the calcaneus (heel).
The contraction of the calf muscles transfers a force through the Achilles tendon, which enables plantar flexion of the foot and allows for actions such as walking, running, jumping, bounding, sprinting, and skipping.
During these movements, the Achilles tendon is subject to the highest loads in the body, with tensile loads up to 10 times the body’s weight.
The reasons for this are twofold: First, the Achilles consists of type II fast-twitch fibers, and this elasticity allows for rapid forward and backwards movement. Secondly, the tendon type I fibers of collagen and elastin which are lined up parallel from calf to heel, are responsible for the Achilles tendon strength. (1)
The Achilles due to its strength and its ability to handle high loads makes it a resilient tendon, which is good and bad. Good because it can handle lots of load and bad because it’s not always going to send pain signals to the brain every time something goes wrong.
This is one reason why Achilles tears can happen without warning.
Types Of Achilles Injuries
When your achilles hurts or you feel pain you’ll often be told ‘You got tendonitis bro’ But there are few different types of Achilles injuries besides tendonitis.
1. Achilles Tendon Tears
This is the mack daddy of all tendon injuries and like with Tony, it often happens without warning. If you hear a pop and a pain that radiates up your lower leg, there’s no second guessing what you’ve done.
NOTE FROM TG: The best way I can explain the sensation is that it feels like someone taking a sledgehammer right to your ankle. It doesn’t tickle.
2. Achilles Tendinopathy
Tendinopathy is a degeneration of the collagen protein fibers that form the Achilles. Its symptoms include increasing pain at the heel, stiffness, swelling at the back of your ankle, and a grating noise or creaking feeling when moving your ankle.
3. Achilles Tendonitis
Tendonitis is acute inflammation of the tendon and its symptoms include pain and stiffness in the morning, pain that worsens with activity, extreme pain the day after exercise.
There are two types of Achilles tendonitis: insertional and noninsertional.
Insertional Achilles tendonitis affects the lower portion of your tendon where it attaches to your heel bone often caused by bone spurs.
Noninsertional Achilles tendonitis involves fibers in the middle portion of the tendon.
4. Achilles Tendinosis
Tendinosis is the non-inflammatory degeneration of the collagen fibers of the tendon. This includes changes to the structure or composition of the tendon that results from repetitive strains without proper healing.
Achilles and calf tightness are common causes of Achilles tendinosis. Plus insertional Achilles tendinosis is often associated with heel spurs as it rubs against the achilles causing small tears.
Activities That Cause Achilles Tears
Achilles tendon tears happen to people who do things where they quickly speed up, slow down, or pivot, such as:
Running
Gymnastics
Dance
Football
Baseball
Softball
Basketball
Tennis
Fighting Zombies, Salsa Dancing, Talking About Feelings (<— things added by Tony)
Achilles tears tend to happen when you start moving suddenly as you push off and lift rather than land. Sometimes these abrupt actions can be too much for the tendon to handle.
Here is the statistical lowdown on how tears happen.
90% of injuries occur with an acceleration/deceleration movements mentioned above
Only 15-20% of men reported any sort of heel pain/tendinosis before the injury
50% of men who have an Achilles Rupture had tissue degeneration before the injury
Typically occurs 30 minutes after moving around
Research has shown Achilles tears include clear degenerative changes before the rupture but many of the Achilles tendon ruptures occur suddenly without any preceding signs or symptoms. (2)
For instance, Tony’s tear was caused by aggressive eccentric load (jump back start) combined with poor load management and then “jumping” right back into sprinting.
NOTE FROM TG: Exactly. Part of the problem was sheer bad luck. But too, up until that point – eight or so weeks into pandemic quarantine – I hadn’t been doing much (if any) plyometric activity.
In his mind it was all systems go. The main point here is there’s not one definitive “cause.” of Achillies tears. It’s equal parts shit-happens and bad luck.
Big Picture With Tendon Pain Modulation
1. CNS Response
The CNS is incredible at responding to and adapting to pain modulation. This is a good thing to keep going and for our survival but makes understanding our tendon health much trickier because damage can exist without pain.
2. Load Management and Exposure
This is probably the single most important component to tendon health that we should seek to understand and pay attention to. It can be intimidating to truly track your loads/exposure, but the better we get at it, the more we increase our chance of avoiding injury.
All of the research continues to bear out controlling the load on tendons is the best way to make any kind of change. The analogy I often use when explaining this to patients is the comparison to a wall that continues to take damage or have a crack and we need to keep adding spackle to it every 48 hours to reinforce it and strengthen the overall structure.
How To Prevent Achilles Tears
The experts and research are a bit mixed on this therefore the safest approach in my mind is to increase the variety of loads you place on the tendons.
Unless training for a specific sport or activity, then we should focus on preserving the natural capacity of what the tendon is meant to do, which is to absorb and transfer forces effectively in the simplest of terms.
Pogo Jumps
Heel Taps
A Daily Routine to Incorporate Into Your Movement Prep
You need tendon loading with multiple angles and a plan for tempo for the long term. My go to is often for heavy slow resistance, four seconds eccentric, three seconds concentric, carefully plotted over 12 weeks. There is strong research to support this concept.
A quote I really like about this:
“We start dying when we stop jumping.”
Assessment can be vital, but there is no Gold standard. Personally, I use my hands to assess pain tolerance to pressure at the tendon as one way to track progress of tendon health, but this is not well supported by research and requires me to have physical access to you which can be limiting indeed.
If you haven’t loaded the tendon recently, some easy options are
Calf raises with full range of motion, faster up slower down, aiming for 20 reps per leg as a baseline for tendon health. This allows us to look for asymmetries as well as an overall deficit based on training age.
In terms of a plan to increase your activity tolerance:
Firstly, I like to think of the principle of 10% per session as a safe progression. Meaning, in terms of a weekly volume a nice progression is to add 10% to the previous week.
Secondly, the quote that drives me here is:
“We tend to overestimate what we can accomplish in a month and underestimate what we can accomplish in a year.”
Therefore, a long term strategy for tendon health should be implemented.
Exercise Is Important But So Is Diet
It goes without saying reducing stress, sleeping soundly, and eating nutritious foods not only helps you…
…but your tendons specifically.
But I said it anyway.
However, there are a few supplements on top of eating and sleeping well, reducing stress and moving better which help heal and keep tendons resilient. Notice the word supplement. These should NOT be your priority to help your tendons stay healthy or heal after an injury.
Primary should always be eating real high quality foods.
The first and most obvious supplement is Vitamin C.
Vitamin C is absolutely essential for synthesis of collagen which makes the tendons type 1 slow twitch fibers strong. Pre clinical studies have shown vitamin C has the potential to accelerate bone healing after a fracture, increase type I collagen synthesis, and reduce oxidative stress after a tendon injury. (3)
Supplementing with Vitamin A helps the process of forming new tissue (collagen) and your immune system. A stronger immune system can prevent microorganisms from further damaging your tendons.
Vitamin E has anti-inflammatory properties which helps reduce tendon inflammation, and helps the healing of damaged tendons which can lead to a reduction of tendon pain. (4)
The science and research is limited on diet and tendon health and there are probably other things out there that can help. It is an ever expanding field so stay tuned.
NOTE FROM TG: At the moment, I like the Collagen Peptides from Momentous because they use Vitamin C, and FORTIGEL® , which is a formula designed and tested to promote collagen synthesis in tendons and ligaments.
(👆👆👆 Discount:GENTILCORE25 gets you 25% off your first order when you sign up for a subscription 👆👆👆)
Most collagen out there is basically like buying a pack of J-E-L-L-O, focusing on hair, skin and nails, but this stuff is solid and provides a bit more heft.
Here’s the daily “Wolverine Cocktail” I’ve taken every day since my surgery on June 1, 2020:
Tendon tears often happen without warning and it doesn’t discriminate on whether you’re fit or not. One moment you’re about to move quick and the next you’re on the ground.
The best things you can do before engaging in risky tendon activities:
Warm up properly
Load the tendon appropriately
Reduce stress, eat and sleep better.
But as you’ve seen by Tony’s experience, there are no guarantees. Please do your best so you don’t hear the pop from hell.
Authors’ Bios
Shane “Balance Guy” McLean, is an A.C.E Certified Personal Trainer working deep in the heart of Louisiana with the gators.
Dr. Bo Babenko is the owner of FitCare Physio focusing on virtual health coaching and helping people attack the 5 pillars of health: movement, nutrition, recovery, mindset, connection.
References
Michael Wong; Achraf H. Jardaly; John Kiel.Anatomy, Bony Pelvis and Lower Limb, Achilles Tendon.
Nicholas N DePhillipo et al. Efficacy of Vitamin C Supplementation on Collagen Synthesis and Oxidative Stress After Musculoskeletal Injuries: A Systematic Review. Orthop J Sports Med 2018 Oct 25;6(10)
Christopher Tack,Faye ShorthouseLindsy Kass. The Physiological Mechanisms of Effect of Vitamins and Amino Acids on Tendon and Muscle Healing: A Systematic Review. Int J Sport Nutr Exerc Metab 2018 May 1;28(3):294-311.
1. You can now purchase CORE @ Home for whatever it is you want to pay.
During the first quarantine I started a platform where I’d deliver 20-40 minute workouts that could be performed in everyone’s living room using minimal equipment.
In all I curated 36 workouts using nothing but bodyweight, bands, and kettlebells and/or dumbbells. With many people still reticent to head back to their regular gyms (not to mention the scarcity of gym equipment out there to purchase) I figured this would be a nice opportunity to help.
Too, now that many parts of the US (and world) have started to implement a second wave of shut-downs, this resource is timely.
Whether you want to spend $1 or $100 (if the latter, we’ll be BFFs forever), the workouts are ready and available to start.
This resource is designed for serious gym rats (or for those who’s livelihood is to breed competent gym rats) on how to use the barbell – and not an endless parade of corrective exercises – to prevent/reduce pain & to improve performance.
Dr. Mash goes out of his way to cover everything, from assessment to troubleshooting the most popular lifts, with pristine precision. It’s undoubtedly a wonderful resource for anyone interested in lifting heavy things.
He’s offering my readers a $50 discount off the regular price this week only.
And the offer ends TOMORROW (11/21).
Go HERE and enter the coupon code TONYG50 when prompted.
1. Writing Periodized Programs for Gen Pop Clients
I know this may ruffle a few feathers out there, but I really struggle with the idea of writing periodized (meaning, several weeks or months in advance) training programs for the general population.
When working with a competitive athlete who has their year broken up between an “off-season” and “in-season” as it relates to their respective sport…
…yes, it makes sense to write a more detailed, thorough, and robust plan to prepare them for those rigors
Being more meticulous with managing stress, ascertaining precise volumes & loads, managing rest periods, and possibly even going so far as to measuring things like bar speed are all appropriate when preparing an athlete for a competitive season.
Tom, who’s 49 and works in Human Resources, has two kids at home, a cranky left shoulder, and is just looking to lose a little fat and maybe match his squatting numbers from college isn’t Bo Jackson.
He doesn’t need to prepare for Sunday or hit a 400 ft home runs.4
This is NOT to insinuate I don’t feel general pop clients don’t require planning or structure within their programming. I just don’t feel having them follow a Block Periodized program so that their bench press peaks to coincide with their kids clarinet recital in the Spring is really the panacea for progress.
What’s more, “life” just has a knack for getting in the way:
Kids get sick
Work piles up
Vacations get planned
Fucking global pandemics happen
Certainly, I’m not suggesting to take a haphazard (or “winging it”) approach, but writing training programs several weeks – or more aggressively: months – in advance, while well-intentioned, is rarely going to “stick” with most gen pop clients.
The more cogent approach will almost always be to write 2-4 week micro-cycle programs, but under the assumption that on any given day “Tom” is going to show up for a session and need some tweaking done.
2. Speaking of Athletes Though
My friend Mike Perry, owner of Skill of Strength here in Massachusetts, posted this hilarious (albeit 100% appropriate) meme on his feed today:
I see this happen often: Someone will go on and wax poetic about how “so and so” does “such and such” in the weight room so why can’t I?
To steal a few examples from Mike:
1️⃣ A loaded valgus knee is not dangerous, just look at Chinese weightlifters!
2️⃣ GSP does a ton of gymnastics, that’s what I should be doing!!
3️⃣ Tom Brady only uses bands and look at his success.
4️⃣ Lebron has amazing balance from standing and kneeling on stability balls
There’s one thing that all high-level athletes have that you don’t.
And it’s untrainable.
Natural selection.
Nature picked for them their parents and not yours.
They have superior genetics and would be elite at their sport despite some of the questionable things they do in the weight room.
One athlete may post something on social media where they’re performing some circus-trick exercise and another may post something about how they avoid foods that are colored red.
Don’t do it.
Stop it.
STOP.
You’re not them.
So I guess what I’m struggling with here is resisting the urge to jump into a shark’s mouth every time I see someone – whether a coach or just some rando – attempting to make this borderline moronic argument.5
3. Spelling Calander Calendar Correctly the First Time
Dammit!
Every…single…time.
4. Convincing Fit Pros That Rotator Cuff Training Is So Much More Than Band Exercises
I know some will see this and read the following:
“Tony Gentilcore hates band work for rotator cuff exercises. He also hates bacon, oxygen, and kitty cuddles.”
To set the record straight: I have nothing against band work for the rotator cuff.
They’re splendid (when performed correctly, of course).
In terms of EMG activation, band work (as well as Side Lying External Rotations) have been shown to be top dog.
That said, there’s so much more to rotator cuff training and shoulder health in general than just standing (or lying) in-place performing endless repetitions of external rotations.
The shoulder is a dynamic joint and if we wanted to be nit-picky it’s main job is to maintain joint centration where the humeral head stays “centered” within the glenoid fossa.
I’ve long championed the efficacy of implementing rhythmic stabilizations as part of a rotator cuff training strategy.
Note to Self: This video is a decade old for crying out loud; update it.
However, taking things to the next level, my friends at Back Bay Health – Laura & Tim Latham – posted this fantastic idea on their IG today:
Exercises You Should Be Doing: Wall Press Rotation
When it comes to dealing with hip shenanigans6 I think we’ve done a pretty solid job as an industry at prioritizing OPEN chain exercises.
For those not in the know, open-chain exercises are where…
“…the segment furthest away from the body – known as the distal aspect, usually the hand or foot – is free and not fixed to an object.”
This would make a lot sense given the hip joint – which is a ball and socket joint – is an area designed to be mobile. I don’t need to belabor the point here as there’s an abyss of exercises & drills to choose from.
But you can also peruse Instagram and it won’t take long before you find someone contorting themselves like a pretzel in the name of likes and five seconds of fame.
Which leads to a not-so-obvious digression.
Lately, after having listened to and corresponded with a few of my colleagues, I’m beginning to realize that open-chain exercises are just HALF the answer.
Closed-chain drills need some love too.
Wall Press Rotation
Who Did I Steal It From? – A rockstar (metaphorically speaking): Katie St. Claire. You should give her a follow. She’s legit.
What Does It Do? –
1️⃣ This drill works on pelvic range of motion, but as the preface implies…in a closed chain fashion. The advantage here is that it emphasizes acetabulum motion over a fixed femur.
It feels amazing and serves as a nice drill to implement before some squats or deadlifts.
2️⃣ Too, and as Katie has pointed out, this drill also hammers home foot mechanics. As I flex into hip internal rotation I drive more foot pronation. Conversely, as I extend into hip external rotation I drive more foot supination.
A splendid drill that marries together hip-foot mechanics.
Key Coaching Cues – I’m holding onto an EZ-curl bar, but anything similar – PVC pipe, light barbell, Nimbus 2000 – will do. Be sure to press the rear foot into the wall. You’ll then flex/rotate into hip IR on the standing leg while also accentuating a full exhale.
Exhale into the stretch.
Reverse your action, rotating back/extending as you inhale.
