Categoriescoaching Exercise Technique Strength Training

Stuff I Used to Say, When I Was An Idiot: Squat Edition

I remember the first time I saw Eminem perform. I was at my apartment in between classes watching a little TRL on MTV. It was spring break, 1999. I was in my living room. Many of my friends were somewhere else, not in my living room, galavanting around on some beach in Cancun soaking up some rays and debauchery.

Customary during Spring Break week MTV was also in Cancun, and hoping to catch a glimpse of my friends – and Britney – I tuned in.

“Hi, my name is, what? My name is, who? My name is, chka-chka Slim Shady.“

Mouth agape with a spoon full of Fruity Pebbles I was like, “what in the what is this?”

Eminem something er other now? Trying to impregnate Spice Girls?

“Pfffft, whatever,” I thought. “He won’t last.”

Ten #1 albums, 45+ million records sold, and one not so sucky movie – 8 Mile – to his credit, I guess you could say I was an idiot.

Eminem didn’t do so shabby for himself.

And while I could sit here and reminisce over you1other past pop-culture snafus I made….

  • Chicks will always dig stone washed jeans.
  • Robert Downey Jr will never make it as Iron Man.
  • ABC’s What About Brian? (2006) will become the next Grey’s Anatomy or Lost. It’ll be a sure fire hit.2

…lets not bask too much in my ineptitude.

I mean, Adele?

She’s okay. I guess.

Speaking candidly, my “misses” can extend to the coaching side of the spectrum as well. I can think of a few things I used to think or say back in the day that, upon reflection, were pretty idiotic.

What are some examples you ask?

Good question.

1. Telling People to Arch…HARD.

Like many people interested in lifting heavy things I used to read – and still do – anything and everything by the likes of Dave Tate, Jim Wendler, and Louie Simmons.

All three are strong mofos and have, arguably, put out some of the best training advice on getting strong within the past few decades.

I mean, are you going to argue with this guy?

Or this guy?

Or him?

Uhhhh, no.

They’ve all contributed to the greater good of the industry and many of us owe our PRs to any number of articles or resources they’ve produced throughout the years.

That being said, I had to audit myself a few years ago when it came to coaching the squat. After being introduced to the concepts of PRI (Postural Restoration Institute) and listening to other strong dudes like Chad Wesley Smith speak on the topic, I wondered if cueing people to “arch, hard!,” and to” sit back” were the right things to be saying to the bulk of my athletes/clients when they were getting under the bar?

Copyright: Kurhan / 123RF Stock Photo

Very few were competitive powerlifters and even fewer were geared lifers. I.e., none wore squat suits when training (which require an aggressive arch and sitting back to reap the benefits).

To be clear: There are still many very strong dudes (and coaches) who advocate squatting with a hard arch, and that’s their prerogative. The thing to appreciate, however, is that what works and is ideal for a geared lifter won’t necessarily (read: rarely) ever translate well to a non-geared lifter.

If I were to balance the “I want to be brutally strong AND not shit my spine on this next set” teeter-totter, I’d opt for not arching (aggressively).

The ribs & diaphragm are pointing in one direction (up) and the hips & pelvic floor are pointing in another (down).

Put simply, this is all sorts of fuckeduppery not a stable position.

We’re placing a ton of shear load on the spine.

What’s more, this will invariably force the lifter to initiate the movement by sitting back (rather than down. You know, a squat). As a result, often, the chest will fall forward, and the cue we default to is “arch, arch, arch, chest up, chest up, chest up.”

This only feeds instability.

A better, I believe, approach (again, for non-geared lifters) is to tone down the arch and adopt what’s been referred to as the “canister” position.

Giving credit where it’s due, the first person I ever heard use this phrase was Dr. Evan Osar. A simple analogy he used was to think of your pelvis as one ring and your rib cage as a bunch of other rings.

We want all those rings to be stacked.

This will nudge us into a more stable, joint-friendly environment

Now, a minor glitch in this way of thinking is that some people think this infers going into posterior pelvic tilt, where we flatten out the lumbar spine.

This is not what’s happening. As you can see in the picture above, my hips are still behind the bar (still very important) but there’s less of an aggressive arch. Telling people to posteriorly tilt their pelvis towards spine neutral is different than telling them to flatten out their spine.

From there it’s a matter of owning the canister position and to squat down rather than back.

2. Knees Forward Instead of Knees Out

The “push your knees out” cue is something I’ve slide-stepped away from within the past year.

To defend my position I’ll need to piggy back off my comment above – the squat, for most trainees, is more about “sitting down” than it is “sitting back.”

I want the squat to look like a squat.

This means there will be forward translation of the tibia over the toes (but not so far that the heels come off the ground) and that there is equal parts knees coming forward and hips going back.

The net result = down.

My good friend, smart-as-balls physical therapist, and owner of Resilient Performance Physical Therapy (in NYC), Dr. Doug Kechijian, stated it best in a Tweet recently:

That’s right: it’s okay, nay, better?, for the knees to travel forward.

Cueing someone to break with their knees almost always negates the need to remind them to push their knees out.

They’ll do it automatically:

 

I’m all for using less coaching to clean up someone’s technique. The last thing most of your clients need is you barking a plethora of cues at them: “chest up, knees out, eyes forward, chin tucked, what’s the square root of 47?”

Play around with knees breaking first and then sitting down. My suspicions are that things will feel cleaner, more powerful, and the squat will feel like a squat.

Huh, weird.

ADDENDUM: NONE of this is to say I’m right. These are nothing more than cues and approaches that have worked for me in recents months/years with my clients and athletes. You may think I’m batshit crazy, and that’s cool.

I mean, to reiterate, I’ve been wrong on many things prior.

Amazon.com? Such a stupid idea.

I hope you’ll consider these suggestions however, and play around with them yourself. I think you’ll be surprised.

Categoriescoaching Exercise Technique

2-KB Front Squat: A Simple Looking Exercise That’s Anything But

Being a “good” coach and writing effective training programs isn’t about inserting the most demanding or most obnoxious looking exercises for your athletes & clients.

Peruse social media and you’ll inevitably come across any number of fit pros vying for everyone’s attention with elaborate looking exercises ranging from Quasi-isometric deadlifts vs. chains (from a deficit on one leg) to flag-holds with band abduction (think about it).3

I’m being facetious. But I’m not far off from being dead serious.

I’m lame, and could really care less about garnering “likes” by wooing people with circus acts.

Copyright: vadymvdrobot / 123RF Stock Photo

 

When I watch some of the things coaches put up on their IG feed or YouTube channel I have to wonder if they think about the following:

1.  What’s the likelihood that 3% of their audience can reproduce a modicum of what they’re viewing?

“Look at me, Weeeeeeeeeeeeeeee.”

2. How is said exercise going to help them?

I’m not trying to be a Johnny Raincloud here. I understand that, sometimes, people just want to do shit to do shit.

Great.

Do it.

There doesn’t always have to be a reason or rationale backed up by a Mel Siff quote.

However, too, I feel those who do have an audience and do pride themselves on sharing actionable content (and not just selfies) with the masses, share a responsibility to be practical – more often than not – with the content and information they’re relaying.

Just my two-cents.

Excuse me while I step off my soap-box.

On that note, lets talk about one of my favs.

2-KB Front Squat

I’m not the only coach who’s a fan of this squat variation. Others like Mike Robertson, Artemis Scantalides, Molly Galbraith, and pretty much every coach in the history of ever who’s been affiliated with StrongFirst or RKC certification are fans.

It’s one of my “go-to” squat variations that I use with athletes and general population clients alike for a variety of reasons:

1. It’s un-paralleled with how it helps people learn to appreciate FULL-body tension. The anterior placement of the load forces the core to fire like crazy and helps to promote ideal positioning of the torso:

  • Less rib flair and more of a “canister” position where the pelvis and rib-cage are stacked on top of one another, in addition to the pelvic floor and diaphragm. The abdominals are called into action to resist an excessive arch.

As a result…

  • A more upright torso comes to fruition which helps to offset excessive shearing of the spine. NOTE: this is NOT to insinuate a forward lean is wrong or “bad” when squatting, it’s not. In fact, it’s warranted and needs to happen. However, for a large chunk of people, especially in the beginning stages, it’s more “joint-friendly” to adopt an upright torso, accumulate reps there, and then progress to advanced variations where more forward lean enters the picture.

2. It’s a great way to load someone without crushing them.

To steal a train of thought from Artemis Scantalides:

“The double kettlebell front squat allows you to train a decreased load for the same physiological effect. So even though you are not squatting as much weight, because of the asymmetrical shape of the kettlebell, and the placement of the kettlebells in the rack position, you are able to maintain squat strength by training the double kettlebell front squat regularly.“

3. It humbles people. Even large humans who can seemingly squat Ohio will find this variation challenging. It doesn’t take much. Two, 24 kg bells will make many huddle in the corner sucking their thumb.

Below is a quick video I shot this AM which goes into slight detail on some of the components of the exercise, namely the set-up, how to transition the bells to the starting position, and basic cuing.

Hope it helps.

Quick-n-Dirty 2 KB Front Squat Tutorial

Categoriescoaching Corrective Exercise mobility

My Go To Mid-Back Mobility Drills

Mid-back (or T-spine) mobility drills are one of those things that, much like bacon, Jason Bourne movies, or LOLCat memes, most people just can’t get enough of.

Copyright: lightwise / 123RF Stock Photo

 

At this point I don’t think I need to belabor why t-spine mobility is a kind of important. But if I had to give a quick 10-second elevator pitch I’d say something to the effect of:

“It helps improve performance in sport(s) and in the gym, helps with posture, and also helps offset the likelihood of your shoulder, neck, or lower back from flipping you the middle finger.”

You’re not going to find that explanation on Wikipedia or anything, but it gets the point across. Having the requisite mid-back mobility – 0r, more to the point: having the ability to “access” mid-back or T-spine mobility (via rotation and eliciting an extension moment) as well as nudging more dynamic stabilization – keeps people healthy (namely shoulders and lower back) and not feeling like a bag of dicks.

Note to Self: I totally need to start submitting more often to Wikipedia.

There are a million and one different T-spine mobility drills and rarely is there ever a “bad” one. However, the three shown below tend to be the ones I gravitate towards the most when working with athletes and general fitness population clients alike.

1. Mid-Back Release

A common drill many people perform to improve T-spine mobility (more specifically, extension), especially when they’re more kyphotic and exhibit overly rounded shoulders, is to extend their mid-back over a foam roller.

First: Most people perform it poorly (see below).

Second: We’ve fallen into this trap of oneupmanship where the “harder” the surface the better the drill is.

Is it better?

Ten years ago it was a plain ol’ foam roller. Now people are rolling on lead pipes. Before you know it, the next iteration will be rolling on live grenades.

Regardless, Here’s How Not to Do It.

 

The mid-back area isn’t necessarily designed to have that much range of motion – to the point where someone can extend their shoulders all the way to the ground – and what most people end up doing is exhibiting excessive rib flair and plowing through their lumbar spine (where we don’t want a ton of movement).

The end result is nothing more than “feeding” what’s causing the issue(s) in first place: an un-stable core (lumbo-pelvic area) which forces the mid-back to lock-up for lack of stability where you want it.

Do This Instead (Seriously, I’m Not Kidding)

 

This mid-back release from the people over at AcuMobility.com is a game-changer.

The idea is to train STABILITY (by paying diligent attention to engaging and maintaining core activation) while also working on the areas we actually want to mobilize.

This drill is a catch-all for pretty much everyone: male, female, young, old, likes to deadlifts, hates it, office worker, Klingon….seriously, everyone.

It works – albeit for different reasons – whether you’re a computer guy with Quasimodo posture or someone who’s more athletic and exhibits more of a “flat” t-spine.

Computer Guy = the added extension is postural gold.

Opposite of Computer Guy = these people tend to be “stuck” in extension due to over-active erectors, rhomboids, etc from lifting heavy things repeatedly. Also, much like “computer guy” most people here will exhibit a weak or unstable core, which, for many, may be the culprit for why their mobility is poor to begin with.

The lack of base of support in the lumbo-pelvic region will have negative ramifications in terms of ideal positioning up and down the kinetic chain, and one’s ability to produce and transfer force.

When we dial down tonicity in the mid-back, we’re able to exhibit better positions (rectus abdominus less lengthened and rib flair less prevalent) and we’re then able to express our actual badassery.

I really love the content and material AcuMobility has been putting out over the past year. You can watch ALL their videos for free on their site HERE.

It’s awesome stuff.

Also, because I’m cool, you can get 10% off any AcuMobility orders by using the code “gentilcore” (no quotations needed) at checkout HERE.

2. Side Lying Windmill

 

It…..just…..feels…..so…..good.

Lots of cool things happening here: T-spine extension & rotation, in addition to a nice pec stretch (which is often overactive in many people).

A key point, however, is to make sure you’re not just flailing your arm and making it a shoulder circle thingamabobber exercise.

The motion should come for the scapulae (shoulder blade) itself, so don’t force ROM you don’t have. It’s okay if you’re unable to get close to the floor.4

The more you perform this exercise the better you’ll get

Also:

1. Place a foam roller underneath the top knee (at 90 degrees) so you lock the lumbar spine in place and don’t default into lumbar rotation.

2. Squeeze the glute of the leg that’s straight.

An exercise sibling – if you will – of the side-lying windmill is a variation I learned from Dr. John Rusin:

Side Lying Open Book

 

3. Quadruped Reach Through and Extension

 

I like this drill for a lot of people, but I really like it for rotational athletes (especially pitchers as it’s important for them to be able to follow-through and “access” flexion on their throwing side).

A key aspect of this drill is to sit back onto the calves/ankles (if your mobility allows and it doesn’t bother your knees) and to lock the lumbar spine in place and take it out of the equation.

From there it’s pretty self-explanatory:

1. Slide hand underneath and reach through as you exhale your air.

2. Reverse the action and extend back.

3. I tend to default to more of a “rib-roll” action as I feel it’s allows for less cheating and compensation.

Give these bad-boys a try and let me know what you think. Or, if not, I guess I’ll GFM….;o)

Categoriescoaching Corrective Exercise Exercise Technique

Exercises You Should Be Doing: Off-Bench DB Press

It’s been a few weeks since I’ve graced the internet with a new (to you) exercise, so lets jump in:

Copyright: maximkostenko / 123RF Stock Photo

 

Any bench-pressing variation can be a double-edged sword. On one hand the advantages are numerous:

  • Builds upper body strength.
  • Pecification of pecs.
  • And that’s pretty much it.

So maybe not as numerous as I thought. But there’s no denying the importance of horizontal pressing movements (barbells, dumbbells, people, etc) with regards to building and developing a well-rounded physique and/or athlete.

To their detriment, however, some people take the “well-rounded physique” idea to the extreme and often perform waaaaaaaaaay more pressing movements compared to anything else. Just walk into any commercial gym (literally, any one, just pick), and try sit there for more than five minutes and not see someone start to bench press.

It’s impossible.5

As a result we often see an uptick in shoulder ouchies due to muscular imbalances (over-developed pecs compared to under-developed upper back muscles) and wonky scapular mechanics.

The latter is not an absolute: You’ll often find shoulder blades that are “glued” together or stuck in downward rotation in people who bench a lot. This is good thing in that you WANT the shoulders to be retracted and depressed in order to move a lot of weight.

It can be bad in that you still should be able to “access” upward rotation, protraction, and all the other motions the scapulae are designed to perform in order to keep the shoulders healthy.

Unfortunately, this isn’t the case for many people.

Off-Bench DB Press

 

Who Did I Steal It From: Vin Diesel.6

What Does It Do: Pressing variations involving a bench are open chain and don’t allow the shoulder blades to move. As noted above: this is fine. In order to heave a significant weight off your chest you need to set a stable base. And in order to do so it’s crucial to retract and depress the shoulder blades.

The thing is, over time, this can produce less than stellar scapular mechanics and result in shoulder pain or discomfort.

The scapulae (shoulder blades) need to be able to move.

This variation allows such a thing to happen.

Not only is the shoulder blade now able to move through a more diverse ROM, but this exercise, too, is a great rotary stability exercise (you have to fire your core musculature to maintain a straight torso as to not fall off the bench) in addition to nudging a bit more glute activation.

Key Coaching Cues: There’s not much to it. Lie on bench and scoot over to one side or the other so that the shoulder blade of the pressing arm is off the bench.

And then, you press.

Try to avoid lowering the DB so low that your shoulder “rolls” forward. Also, I like to cue a bit of a PLUS or protraction movement at the top.

Bonus Tip: Make a fist with your free hand to aid in developing even more full-body tension.

Perform 8-12 repetitions and then switch.

Wrap Up

Will this movement help you press 300 lbs? No.

But it will help keep your shoulders healthy in the long-run, and I see no harm in peppering it into programs sporadically just to remind trainees/athletes that it’s okay to let their shoulder blades move and breath a little bit.

Moreover, you know and I know that when someone’s shoulder hurts and you tell someone to stop pressing, that they’re likely going to be an a-hole an press anyways. At least with this variation you can help keep them sane and still press while addressing all the other things they may need to be working on to solve the issue(s).

Categoriescoaching personal training

5 Biggest Learning Curves in My First Year as a Coach

We’ve all been there: Year #1 as a coach and all the “deer in headlights” shenanigans it entails. I look back at my first year as a coach and it’s hard not to cringe. I made a lot of mistakes and did a lot of stupid things.

But I also look back with fondness. 

For starters I had more hair back then, but also it was a year or exponential growth as a fitness pro. Many of the lessons learned in that first year were lessons I still carry with me today. And in today’s guest post by UK-based trainer, Jake Hartley, he shares some of his Year 1 experiences that I’m sure many people reading can glean some insight from.

Enjoy!

Copyright: wayoutwest / 123RF Stock Photo

5 Biggest Learning Curves in My First Year as a Coach

What do you think about when you look back at your first year as a coach? Are you shocked at how much more you now know, your progression since then or maybe you even look back with a little bit of regret?

Last year, with my Sports Science degree in my pocket and a head full of ideas, theories and a little bit of nerves, I started my first coaching role at Strength & Performance. Initially, I thought I already knew a good amount to start off with, but as I soon learned, its not all about telling someone what exercises, weight, sets and reps to use.

By the end of the year I can safely say that the experience I gained and lessons I learned have made me a much better coach. I guess this is what all coaches want, to consistently learn and sharpen the sword so that we are in a better place to best help the people that we train.

Some of the S&P gang during one of our warrior nights last year.

Here are my five biggest lessons from last year and hopefully I can provide you with something that will help you become better:

1. Not One Person is the Same

At S&P we usually train in a group setting, so during a session I can be coaching between 2-10 people.

What I quickly realised is that I can’t use the same coaching approach for each and every person.

One guy will just need re-assurance, encouragement and slight guidance. Whilst in the same session you have someone who is new to the programme and needs constant cues on exercise form and answering questions about why we are doing this and not that.

I’m reading a great book at the moment by Brett Bartholomew called “Conscious Coaching” (If you haven’t added it to your collection yet, I highly recommend it) One of the areas the book discusses is how people are different types of archetypes. The strengths and weaknesses, plus how to best connect with these archetypes when you’re coaching them.

I now know that when working with a person for the first time, I need to try and find out which approach they will learn/work best from.

Remember “one size doesn’t fit all”.

With every person that you train, you need to gain their respect and trust, to do that its going to require slightly different methods for each one.

2. Maintain the Thirst for Knowledge

The job is full on.

Don’t get me wrong, its my passion and I wouldn’t change it for anything, but you will have early starts and late finishes. It is stressful and you need to make sure each and every session that you give your clients the best version of you whether its your first session of the day or your very last.

But despite all these demands, you have to make time for learning new things and developing your knowledge base.

Want to know the good thing? I think its easier than ever!

Living in the UK, a lot of the coaches I look up to are based in America, so getting to a workshop or a course isn’t as simple as I’d like.

Don’t get me wrong, you can’t beat actually attending a seminar or a workshop, I managed to complete the CPPS Level 1 Certification by Joe DeFranco and Jim Smith last year which was a massive help to me.

However, these days there is so much quality information on a range of topics on the internet. Want to know the best part?

Most of it is free.

I’ve developed a lot of great sources which I read/listen/watch weekly.

We all learn differently, if you know you’re someone who prefers hearing information rather than reading it than find more podcasts to learn from. Similarly if you’re someone who loves watching how people coach/train rather than listening about it, subscribe to some good quality YouTube channels.

I’m someone who doesn’t generally have a preference so for every article I read from places like EliteFTS.com and Juggernaut, I’ll probably watch a video from MobilityWOD or Gary Vaynerchuk. Make sure you develop your own set of websites, podcasts and YouTube channels to make sure you keep pushing your knowledge base to the next level.

Develop your learning resources and don’t just think about training. Gary Vee is my go to man for motivation.

3. My Favourite Quote for Clients

“Show me a man who cannot bother to do little things and I’ll show you a man who cannot be trusted to do big things.” – Lawrence D.Bell

This quote came up on my Twitter feed a few weeks back and I think it perfectly sums up people who want the most advanced methods of training and nutrition before they have even done the simple things.

As a coach you will work with people who feel they’re more advanced than they are. You’ll have people who haven’t trained for years and have done nothing but eat microwave meals since college who will want the most advanced programs despite being unable to perform a bodyweight squat.

Whenever I see something like that it makes me want to do my best Farooq impression from back in the day, “Damm!” (How cool was WWE back then!?) before I go over and correct them.

People need to build the advanced methods of training and nutrition on an ALREADY STABLE base of the basics.

For every person who is benching, squatting and deadlifting a lot of weight, they will have learnt how to do the fundamentals (press ups, bodyweight squat and hip hinge) before hand. Without this base, your structure is going to come falling down sooner rather than later.

As a coach it is our role to ensure that each client is educated and takes the logical steps necessary to help them get closer towards their goal.

Yes it may be cool to have your client doing a load of fancy looking exercises along with an in-depth nutrition plan. But, having them do a programme based on the fundamental movement patterns along with having them eat enough protein, drink enough water etc may be better suited to they’re current status and ability.

4. Some of Your Best Results Aren’t Going to be Six Packs

Getting people the aesthetic goals such as bigger arms or that sculpted six pack are very impressive. But sometimes the best results you get with people are the ones you necessarily don’t see.

We work with a range of people on a daily basis, going from people who have never trained before to MMA athletes. This means that each person’s goals or reason for coming to us is going to differ. Some of the best things I heard last year is when people say they can now play with they’re kids on the park without getting out of breath.

As I said aesthetic results are great, but when somebody can now spend more quality time with their children for example it feels great to have played a part in that.

It sounds like a simple thing, but when you hear of results like that or how they can now walk up the stairs without getting out of breath, its just as good a feeling as somebody getting great aesthetic results.

At first, I often felt frustrated or upset that not every client that we train was getting results. But, you quickly learn that by celebrating the different types of achievements that people collect can be great for your mindset.

5. You’re More Than a Coach to These People

For some clients you’ll just be the person who writes the programme and tells them how to perform exercises etc. To other people you’re a source of inspiration or somebody they can lean on during tough times.

First and foremost, I have to be someone who sets the standard for the clients to look up to and follow. I had spells last year where I didn’t train (I honestly couldn’t tell you why) and as a result, inside I just felt like I wasn’t as good as a coach.

This year my trainings on fire, I’m eating well, I’m pushing my self-development and as a result, I feel my coaching is at a decent level (I’m always horrendously harsh on myself!).

As well as setting the standard to the clients, I now realise just how many roles that this job entails. I can go from advising somebody on how to improve their nutrition to speaking to somebody about how bad their day has been and trying to lift them up and get them in a good place.

Don’t just try and be great with the training side of coaching, also be a great person to the people who trust in you. You can be a big difference in these peoples lives and thats not to be under estimated.

About the Author

Jake Hartley is a BSc CPPS certified strength and conditioning coach at Strength and Performance in the UK.

When he isn’t working he enjoys trying to become a better than average powerlifter, holds the UK record for most chocolate milk consumed in one year and listening to the best slow jams the RnB industry has to offer
Any questions that you require an answer to help you in the gym, feel free to e-mail him at jake@strengthandperformance.co.uk
Categoriescoaching Female Training

It’s Time for Women to Buy Into Strength Training

Today’s guest post comes courtesy of NY-based personal trainer, Meg Julian and covers a topic I feel is very important: the notion that some women still have a phobia about walking onto a weight room floor.

It’s gotten better in recent years, but there are still some roadblocks which Meg discusses below.

Enjoy.

Copyright: mavoimage / 123RF Stock Photo

 

It’s Time for Women to “Buy Into” Strength Training

Houston, we have a problem.

Most women understand the importance of strength-training, but there is still a full-blown phobia of the weight room floor.

In case you missed it, strength-training

  • Builds muscles,
  • Increases or maintains bone density,
  • Boosts mood by relieving stress and building confidence,
  • Helps fight against chronic disease and
  • Exponentially increases your awesomeness.

So what’s the hold-up?

This video might offer some clues:

 

Even though most women know they should be lifting, a number of factors inhibit the urge to actually cross over the threshold of the weight-room floor—which isn’t just disappointing, but bad for their health.

So how can we convince women to buy in to the idea of committing to the iron jungle?

John Kotter and Lorne Whitehead have a tremendous book, “Buy-In: Saving Your Good Idea From Getting Shot Down,” about the concept of getting others to buy into an idea. Kotter and Whitehead provide four reasons why a magnificent idea (see: strength-training) gets shut down:

  • Death by delay
  • Fear-mongering
  • Confusion
  • Character assassination

Let’s look at how these issues are often at play in women’s heads when it comes to strength-training.

Death by Delay  

We are great at finding a good reason to put off obligations… until Monday/after exams/once we get past the holidays. This can be a never-ending cycle,  Because a “good time” is never going to knock on the door and offer us Girl Scout cookies. The good news is that we can create “a good time.”  

The more we put off strength-training, the more our muscles, hormones and mind-set get stuck in the same old comfy rut. It doesn’t get easier. On top of that, women reach our peak bone mass in our 30s, which means fighting an uphill against osteoporosis going forward.   

Don’t delay. The time to start is now.

Fear-Mongering

There can be a lot of fear when starting to lift weights.  Fear of the unknown or looking like you have no idea what you are doing is something I often hear from clients, and that’s something that gets its own section, below.

In the meantime, we also might have a lingering fear of being watched or judged by others. I understand, but really, most people are either too focused on themselves to notice you or are praying you won’t take the piece of equipment they want to use. But to be safe, here is a list of gym etiquette rules.

If someone if making your feel uncomfortable, please alert the gym staff and they will handle it… because that’s not cool.  The gym setting shouldn’t be unlike any other public setting.  Think of the grocery store. Yes, there is a chance someone is looking at you and your cart, but so what? You need food and you need the benefits from strength-training.  

Fear of other’s sweat and grossness? Valid. But most gyms have antibacterial spray and paper towels  everywhere —which is better than most public settings. Just sayin’.

Confusion

Back to the fear of not knowing what to do.

I highly recommend hiring a personal trainer, even for a couple sessions, to show you the ropes. Some gyms even offer a complimentary training session or orientation to the facility. The money you invest in your health early on will save you from doctor’s bills in the future, so it’s a positive return on your investment.

If working with a trainer isn’t possible, here are some basic moves I put together to get started.

Character Assassination

This one is a heart-breaker, but I’ve seen it too many times before. It’s when women doubt themselves and their ability to reach their goals despite previous accomplishments or even before making any attempt. You might not believe you can be successful and that you don’t deserve to be on the weight-room floor. Well, consider this your personal invitation… because you do have a place among the bars, bells and cables.

Need more of boost? Again, I recommend a session or two with a trainer to affirm that you are capable of being “Queen of the Iron Throne.” Aside from that, tap into the power of  friends, family, social media or Beyoncé to encourage you to slay. It is essential to be your own cheerleader, rather than your enemy.

With all the benefits of strength-training, it’s time to quit talking yourself out of this wonderful process. Address your concerns and excuses, then move on. You’ll be glad you bought into this idea.

P.S. To crush any lingering concerns: You won’t bulk up, unless you’ve been blessed with the genetics of Xena Warrior Princess.

About the Author

If you enjoyed what you read, want to learn more or just need to know where to send the hate mail, visit me at https://trainermegj.wordpress.com, where you can subscribe to my weekly email dedicated to tips like these and improving technique and strength for obstacle course racing. You can also follow me on Instagram at @TrainerMegJ.

Megan Julian is a New York-based NASM Certified Personal Trainer, with additional certifications such as, FMS L2, NASM-CES and CFSC. She specializes in preparing brides for the big day, helping obstacle course racers improve their times and working with clients of all ages overcome injuries. In her free time, she enjoys running through the woods, jumping over walls and crawling under barbed wire — sometimes at events such as the World Championship Obstacle Course Race in Canada.

Sources

Buy-in Saving Your Good Idea From Getting Shot Down

John P. Kotter – Lorne A. Whitehead – Harvard Business Review Press – 2010

 

Categoriescoaching

Listening: A Lost Skill of Coaching

I had a busy weekend moving and our new apartment currently looks like a HAZMAT scene. My hands are full figuring out where to put my Blu-Ray collection and fancy towels. Luckily my good friend and fellow coach, Kim Lloyd, was kind enough to pinch-write for me today.

How good of a listener are you when you’re coaching?

Copyright: ammentorp / 123RF Stock Photo

I came into this industry later than most. I quit my job to do an internship at Cressey Sports Performance when I was 38 years old – older than all of the coaches at CSP and most of the clients.

Note From TG: ahem, not older than all the coaches.

I spent the bulk of my internship and even my first few months as a coach stressing about how much I didn’t yet know. Periodization, how to do a half-kneeling 1-arm manual resistance with external rotation at 90 degrees, valsalva breathing (wasn’t the valsalva that hangy ball thing in your throat?)…the list went on and on.

As I was busy cramming my brain with the ins and outs of exercise physiology, it became easy to lose track of what coaching is really all about.

Listening.

It isn’t what you say to your client. It’s what your client is willing to say to you. Yes knowledge is important. But that whole business about two ears and one mouth and using them in that order?

That’s coaching.

Sure you have to know anatomy and exercises in order to help clients, but the knowledge does nothing if you can’t get to the heart of what motivates them and what’s important to them.

Listening by itself isn’t an easy skill.

Every morning on my drive in to work I either listen to a podcast or an Audible book (although somedays it’s Whitney Houston, because you know, Whitney Houston.) And without fail, at some point during my 50 minute commute, I’m reaching to hit the 10 or 30 second rewind button because I zoned out.

Recent research suggests that humans now really do have the attention span of a goldfish. According to a 2015 study from the Microsoft Corporation, people now lose concentration after eight seconds, where the goldfish can actually concentrate for nine seconds. Back in 2000, we could concentrate for a whopping 12 seconds. But not any more.

Note From TG: Unless you’re a twelve year old kid.7 I give you exhibit A:

So what does that mean for us as coaches?

We all fall into the trap of constantly “nexting,” as author Daniel Goleman reminds us in the book Primal Leadership. I know I often catch myself in a conversation with a client waiting to talk as opposed to actively listening. She just said something that reminds me of a great post I read about core training and I know exactly what she needs to do.

If she would only stop talking so I could fix it.

Actively listening means responding to the client in a way that makes her feel understood. That sounds easy, but training ourselves to stop, pay attention, and be present with someone is as much a matter of practice and conditioning as any exercise set we assign. I’ve found that the following tips help:

1) Maintain Eye Contact

No, not in a creepy, bug eyed way.

In a way that is absorbing the entirety of what’s being said. You’re looking at the client and watching her facial expressions and nodding when it’s appropriate. Our clients need to know we’re listening.

This can be tough to do if a client decides to divulge some important information to you while you’re in the middle of a session with three other people, but in this case, I try to schedule another time to talk. Hey, you’ve got some important stuff to say and I want to give you my full attention, so let’s talk about this after the session.

2) Don’t Interrupt

Have you ever tried to tell a story and had someone finish your sentence for you? But not in a cute, we’ve-been-married-for-fifty-years kind of way. More in a what-the-hell-I-was-just-pausing-to-breathe-it’s-not-an-invitation kind of way.

Stop doing that. No really. Cut it out.

Listen to the whole sentence. And then listen to the next whole sentence. And wait until there’s more than a 0.5 second break to start talking. In fact, wait several seconds. Make sure you’ve heard her. Reflect what she’s told you to make sure you understand.

3) Don’t Give Advice

This is a tough one and is the staple of motivational interviewing. You’re not so much solving the problem for a client as helping them solve it themselves. You can guide the process, but telling people what to do isn’t the same as having them come up with the solution on their own. To help them get to that solution, you have to be paying attention to the information they give you, and absorbing enough to point out connections they may not have initially recognized.

4) Empathize

Some coaches are naturally empathetic. And some are guys.

Note From TG: ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh8, snap.

Just kidding guys, just kidding.

Empathy comes naturally to many of us in this industry – it’s why, hopefully, we are in the business of helping others. According to Brene Brown, who did all kinds of research on vulnerability and empathy, the very definition of empathy is “feeling with people.”

Rarely does an empathetic response start with the phrase “At least.”

“I just had shoulder surgery.”

“At least you have one good arm.”

Um, yup. Thanks for that. Makes my spending six weeks in a sling and six months doing rehab completely better.

Good coaching has many components, and we are all working tirelessly to figure out what those pieces are. But I know for me as a client or a patient, the most satisfying and important criteria in choosing who I’ll work with is a feeling that I’ve been heard. That you are not just nodding and smiling and waiting for your turn to talk.

And I believe all of our clients want the same.

Author’s Bio

Kim is a former Cressey Sports Performance intern, and currently works as a strength coach at Spurling Fitness in Kennebunk, Maine. Prior to working in the fitness industry Kim worked in college athletics as a softball, lacrosse, and cross country coach. She has a Masters in Sports Leadership from Northeastern University and is a proud graduate of Gannon University in Erie, Pennsylvania.
She maintains a website at www.kimlloydfitness.com
Facebook: HERE
Instagram: HERE
Categoriescoaching

The Other Side of Coaching

Coaching. There’s a connotation that it’s all butterfly kisses, rainbows, wearing sweatpants to work and/or hoisting up a Lombardi Trophies.9

From a fitness pro’s perspective the sweatpants part is true, however the career is anything other than rainbows. It’s an arduous, drawn-out, paying your dues ass-kicking to be truthful. In today’s guest post by Texas based personal trainer, Shane McLean, he sheds some light on the “other” side of coaching.

Copyright: ruigsantos / 123RF Stock Photo

The Other Side of Coaching

You see them on TV. You see them in the gym and you see them at ball games. Coaches, they’ve got it made, right?

They’re strutting along the sideline yelling and screaming instructions at their players. Or it’s the personal trainers at your gym wearing tracksuit pants and checking their social media feed while telling clients what to do.

They don’t seem to be doing an ounce of ‘work’ and they get to wear comfortable pants to boot. Some might say, “That job looks so easy even I could do it.”

When I first started in the fitness industry over 8 years ago, I had no clue what to expect. Sure, I’d been lifting weights for a while, was in reasonable shape and was freshly armed with a personal training certification.

Which meant I knew everything and everybody else knew nothing. I thought coaching would be a walk in the park. How wrong I was.

I couldn’t coach my way out of wet paper bag. I was hurting my clients and they weren’t understanding any of my instructions, cues or programs. Maybe it was my Crocodile Dundee accent?

‘That’s not a knife…….that’s a knife.’

 

It’s one thing to know something, but it’s an entirely different matter to coach what you know to someone else. The history of sports is littered with great players who couldn’t coach to save themselves.

Sorry Magic

So, how did I get better at coaching? I worked my butt off, observed good coaches in their natural environment and read. That has kept my head above water (for now) but I’m still a work in progress.

Coaching is a great profession but I’m pulling back the curtain to reveal the other side. Here are some things that you probably never considered about that coach who is going bananas on the sideline while his/her team is up by 20.

1) People Are Less Than Truthful

 When I first started working as a trainer, a fellow professional said something to me that I’ll never forget.

“People are liars.”

I brushed this comment off at the time, to be honest. I’ve always seen the best in people (rather than the worst) and I’m inclined to believe whatever they’re telling me.

However, over time this statement has rung true. Some clients (in my experience) have been less than truthful about their reasons for cancelling, their old injuries or about general life details.

It’s hard enough to get the best out of players/clients as a coach, but when they’re less than truthful, it becomes more difficult. And when your livelihood depends on results, it becomes a real problem.

2) It Doesn’t Always Pay the Bills

Most coaches get into this business because of a burning desire to help people and they also love telling people what do to. I know I do. Furthermore, most coaches get to wear tracksuit pants to work.

Beats the suit and tie every time.

However, the passion coaches have doesn’t always reflect in their pay check, particularly at the start of their career. I’ve known good coaches who have left the profession or have had to work a second job to make ends meet.

While others have sold a little of their soul to get a decent paycheck.

Hint: none of the trainers (or models hired behind them) got their body by doing the exact thing they’re selling.

I’m extremely fortunate to have a supportive wife who understands but doesn’t necessarily like the up/down nature of the fitness business. For a large part of my career as a coach, I’ve struggled to make a decent living. However, that’s all on me and I’m working hard to rectify this.

There are plenty of coaches who are making a good living because they work their butts off and have figured it out. However, in my experience, that’s more the exception than the rule.

There are lots of good coaches who are still waiting for the rewards of their hard work.

3) There is More to Coaching Than Meets the Eye

Most of the public sees the final product of the coach’s toil, where they yell, scream, motivate and act like a crazy person who’s had way too much caffeine.


What the public doesn’t see is all the hard work that goes on behind the scenes. Good coaches burn the midnight oil planning and preparing to make their clients/teams/players better.

Most coaches I know are happy to do the work. However, at times the consumer only sees the costs but not the value. What a lot of people fail to realize is all the hard work that goes into that final dollar value.

Furthermore, the coaching profession is an ever-evolving industry and if you’re not getting better, you’re getting left behind. The time and money spent on continuing education, industry conferences, coaching and travel adds up to a pretty penny.

Good coaches invest ton to make themselves and their clients better, a fact not seen by most of the non-coaching public.

Wrapping Up

Coaching is not all sunshine and roses. There is a lot of blood, sweat and tears involved. There are far more ways to earn a better living but none as quite as rewarding as affecting people’s lives in a positive way.

Wearing tracksuit pants is just a welcome bonus.

About the Author

Shane “The Balance Guy” McLean, is an A.C.E Certified Personal Trainer working deep in the heart of Texas. Shane believes in balancing exercise with life while putting the fun back into both.

Categoriescoaching Exercise Technique Program Design

The Abdominal Rollout: Common Mistakes and Progressions

Having a newborn at home = I’ve been waking up on the wrong side of the bed lately. A lot. I’m cranky AF and my brain waves aren’t firing on all cylinders this morning so you can blame this lame introduction on that.

Cool?

Awesome. Lets discuss abs. Specifically, lets discuss one of the more common ab exercises out there: the abdominal rollout.

Copyright: georgerudy / 123RF Stock Photo

The Abdominal Rollout: A Complete History (But Not Really)

I’d like to sit here and pizzaz you with some interesting factoids and trivia about the abdominal rollout, like, say, I don’t know, its roots can go all the way back to Mesopotamia and that every male had to perform strict repetitions for 17 hours straight before he was allowed to mate. Maybe the History Channel can back me up on that one?

Who knows, for all I know some guy named Phil was the first to perform the exercise while training in his basement in 1968 while jamming to Hendrix. Phil was cool as shit.

Either way, all I can really tell you is that it’s a staple exercise that trains the anterior core musculature – upper and lower rectus regions in addition to the internal and external obliques – and has long been a “go to” exercise for anyone looking to shred their mid-section.

Copyright: max5799 / 123RF Stock Photo

Specifically the abdominal rollout is an excellent variation that trains ANTI-EXTENSION, and, well, many people tend to miss the boat in this regard.

I see a lot of common mistakes when I watch trainees perform this exercise. In fact, most would be better off pumping the brakes a little bit and mastering something like an RKC plank first.

RKC Plank = a plank (albeit learning appreciate tension).

The set-up is more or less the same a regular ol’ plank, except here you’ll want to flex everything – your abs, glutes, quads, eyelids, everything.

An important cue I use when teaching the RKC plank is to tell the person doing it to pretend as if they’re trying to drag their elbows towards their toes. When done right, it increases the “holy cow, this is really hard” factor by a large margin.

Also, when done right, 10 seconds will feel like torture.

But I’m getting a little off-track. What are those common mistakes of the rollout I was referring to above? The two most common are:

  • People falling into excessive lumbar extension (<– remember: the rollout is an exercise that helps train anti-extension; it defeats the purpose of the drill if you allow your lumbar region to “fall” into extension). The idea should be to maintain posterior pelvic tilt of the pelvis throughout.
  • Not allowing the hips to follow the shoulders.

 

In Case You’re Too Important to Watch the 2-Minute Video Above

1. I like to cue people to start the exercise in a bit more of a lumbar flexed posture (PPT). Relax, it’s unloaded flexion, you’ll survive. By doing so, most will end up in spinal neutral as they draw closer to the floor.

2. My triceps look jacked in that video.

3. Oftentimes as people break toward the floor their shoulders will lead and the hips will tend to lag behind. A cue that often works for me is to tell the person to pretend there’s a rope or chain connecting their hips and shoulders and that the shoulder are “towing” the hips behind them. They should move simultaneously.

Address those two things and technique will clean up nicely.

How About Progressions?

Assuming you’re already pretty good at the standard rollout, what are some ways we can progress the exercise?

Some less sexy alternatives would be:

  • Add a pause at the bottom.
  • Use a slower tempo on the way down and up. Think: three seconds down, pause, three seconds up.

We all know you’re going to skip those however, so maybe consider these options?

Level 1: This Is Kinda Cool, I Guess – Elevator Ab Wheel Rollout

 

Here, the idea is to include some pitstops or “speed bumps” along the way to make the movement more challenging and to increase time under tension.

With the Elevator Rollout I’ll tell people to rollout to three different lengths:

  • 1/2 way out, then back.
  • 3/4 way out, then back.
  • Full ROM, then back
  • THAT’s one rep.

Aim for 5-6 repetitions (which is really 15-18 repetitions when you count all the additional stops).

Level 2: Alright, Now We’re Talking – 2-Way Ab Wheel Rollout

 

All we need to do to make something a little more challenging is to add a change of direction. With the 2-Way Ab Wheel Rollout the idea is to alternate between veering off to the left and to the right. But, really, you can add as many directions as you want. And, if you’re really feeling frisky you can combine this with the elevator variation above.

I like to shoot for 6-8 repetitions per direction with this one.

Level 3: Ohhhhhhhhhhhh, Snap – Band Resisted Ab Wheel Rollout

 

To up the ante even more we can add resistance in the form of a band. With this variation I wrapped two bands around the corner of a squat rack and wrapped the other ends around each handle of the abdominal wheel.

The band will “assist” with the yielding/eccentric component, but you will need to fight and overcome the concentric portion. It’s a pretty nasty progression, so don’t take it lightly.

Aim for 8-12 repetitions.

Level 4: “Whoa, I Know Kung-Fu” – Standing Band Resisted Barbell Rollout

^^ Bonus points for The Matrix reference.

 

Admittedly, this isn’t that baller…but it’s a nice variation for those who aren’t quite able to perform a strict standing rollout (which is next level Jedi shit). With this variation you have to overcome the band as you roll out, however on the way back the band will accommodate or assist you back up to the starting position. Pretty nifty.

Aim for 5-8 repetitions.

And that’s that. I hope those tips to clean up technique help and made sense, and I also hope you now have a few new exercises to try.

 

Categoriescoaching Exercise Technique Program Design

Sport Restrictive vs. Sport Specific Exercise: How to Avoid Damaging Our Athletes

Speed ladders, parachutes, BOSU balls…it’s all nauseating at times. There’s a time and place for all those things – I guess – but when they’re added to an athlete’s (especially young athlete’s) training repertoire I have to wonder if they’re in there because the coach feels it’ll make him or her better, or if it’s the novelty they’re after? Today’s guest post by strength coach, David Otey, tackles the idea of sport RESTRICTIVE exercise and sport ASSISTIVE.

Good stuff.

Copyright: gloffs / 123RF Stock Photo

Sport Restrictive vs. Sport Specific Exercise

In fitness, finding your niche is a major part of making an impact on an individual. Over the last few years, Instagram celebrities and fitness magazines are guiding people on the best “sport specific” exercises for athletes.

If you want to be great at throwing, do this!

If you want to play cornerback in football, do that!

The whole process is very demanding of precise movements. The only issue is, details enhance, they don’t create. Just like a nice tie doesn’t make a cheap suit look better, detail work without a foundational set of athleticism, doesn’t change the athlete.

We can all remember our first intro to lifting weights, like a first date. The first interaction is the most impactful so a shit program can really compromise your results for years to come if you don’t find the right direction.

Ever meet that 50 year old guy that is still doing his HS football team’s lifting routine?? I meet that guy all the time. The issue with this idea is young athletes usually get thrown into a specific rotation of exercises that may be helping tiny details but neglecting overall development.

The fact is, the first 6 months to a year of working out is the most crucial from a muscle mass, neuromuscular awareness, and overall gym knowledge standpoint. Those initial days and exercises really set the table for your future accomplishments in the gym.

Sport specific exercises have been used for years with the intent of developing a particular athlete in their respective competition. Ever hear of the SAID principle? If so, makes sense right?

Sport restrictive exercises is a term I use for any exercise that could hinder the natural athleticism of an athlete.

If we are using sport specific exercises, they should be a compliment to some natural big lifts that are the foundation of our program. Thousands of athletes, right now, are practicing how to make one hand catches like Odell Beckham Jr. While focusing on that, they are neglecting speed, power, route running, catching fundamentals, and more

Athlete programming has two overall objectives: Maximize potential and minimize injury/restriction.

If you are not getting better, you are competing less.

If you are hurt, you are competing less.

We want athletes to compete more, work more efficiently, and stay in the game longer. The idea of sport restrictive exercises is to change the thought process from what things can I do for specific movements to what things should I REALLY not be doing to hinder my development in that sport.

I would argue that the majority of exercises are good for all athletes with a strong foundational level of athleticism (assuming no major injuries). There are a subset of exercises for each sport which should be avoided if you are looking to max out your potential. Here are four of the more common situations we may run into which are holding back our athletes.

Restricted Hip Drive

Restricted Shoulder Mobility

Loss of Rotational Power Generation

Loss of Multidirectional Movement

These four basic areas are really what encompass the attributes that set an athlete apart from the field.

Lacking in one or multiple of these either place you behind the curve or place you on the injury reserve. These for characteristics are also seen in every sport just in varying quantities. Let’s dive into how we can distinguish and avoid sport restrictive exercises going forward. As sport specific exercises are truly movements seen in game situations, I will refer to the exercises below as “sport assistive.”

Hip Drive

Hip drive is one of the most powerful and common strengths of any athlete. Whether you are throwing, blocking, sprinting, hips dominate the motion. Hip drive can be used in many ways but explosion and stability are the key responsibilities of the Glutes. To get the most of your hip drive, it’s important to work in areas that are similar to your sport. The weight room opens us up to a long list of activities that can work on a more powerful looking lower body. Key word is LOOKING. How can we adjust to just flat our powerful.

Sumo Deadlift – Sport Restrictive Movement

Note from TG: Noooooooooooooooo (sad face). I’m still posting a video of myself.

 

Traditional Deadlifts are becoming more common in weight rooms everywhere which is a great thing. The movement is based on full body strength and developing power. With regard to the Sumo Squat, it’s inherently unique set up is unfamiliar to almost any sport we see on a regular basis. Now I know, some people are going to say, “But what about the extra muscles used in the Sumo Deadlift?”

I certainly can understand that, my argument is this is more suited for the athlete geared towards weight-room competitions and less towards indoor/outdoor traditional sports. Building a foundation should be based on movements that are going to directly impact performance, not just look sweet in your Instagram post.

Broad Jump – Sport Assistive Movement

Without hip mobility, you are leaving yourself with a quick road to injury. Restricted hip mobility leaves you in a position to rely on areas to gain mobility that aren’t meant to have mobility. This extra strain, either placed on your knees or lower back, can quickly turn into chronic issues.

 

To avoid this, don’t work on exercises with unique demands that are uncommon to your everyday activity. The broad jump for any athlete is a way to specifically focus on hip and lower body explosion with the outcome of “project myself as far as humanly possible”. All out power is what we strive for. The hip extension utilize in the broad jump mimics almost all lower body locomotive movements we will see more commonly.

Shoulder Strength

Shoulders are the second most impactful joint in the body. Where the hip is mainly responsible for power generation from the lower limbs, the shoulders have the main juncture of the upper limbs. In all throwing sports, the chain reaction between medial foot all the way through the throw, is either amplified or diminished because of shoulder (scapular and glenohumeral) strength and mobility.

Barbell Military Press – Sport Restrictive Movement

 

The traditional Military press is no argument a solid movement for building muscle mass, but not ideal for working with the general athlete. The fundamental difference between athletics and barbells is the level of predictability.

Barbell movements confine the body to accommodate muscle growth and patterning to a restricted path due to the bar. In sports, all movements are unique and the body is better prepared when trained to be strong through its own control of its path (Example: Dumbell Press).

With respect to athletes with large wingspan, shoulder movement independent from one another is also safer than fixated movement. Increased muscle mass restricts in some sports and helps in others, but overall, the barbell is counterproductive for the athlete.

Landmine Shoulder Press – Sport Assistive Movement

The Landmine Shoulder Press is a great method to strengthen the muscle while focusing on glenohumeral rhythm.

 

To build in the body’s capabilities to work at its highest demand, we need to reinforce the body’s desire to work in collaboration with coexisting parts of the system. The Landmine’s free pivoting base allows you to control the weight independently. Along with this, the path of the bar promotes scapular upward rotation along with force angle more appropriate for one of our most unstable joints.

Rotational Power

Power is only as good as it can be transferred. Its tough to turn on a light with a frayed power cord (don’t try that at home). The anterior and posterior core’s primary functions are to maintain spinal stability and transfer power. The inherently awesome part of rotational power is the body’s ability to work together and coordinate multiple segments to maximize output. This doesn’t happen without the core, and doesn’t happen without training the body in its full capacity rather than in isolated segments.

Power Cable Twist – Sport Restrictive Movement

 

Cable twists are commonly seen in gyms around the country as a method to great sick abs. Unfortunately, they aren’t great at that and are more detrimental to spinal integrity. Just as I wouldn’t swing a baseball bat without pivoting my feet, rotation without lower body rotation creates increased stress on the discs, vertebral columns, lumbar spine, hips, damn near everything. Creating rotational power generally starts at the medial foot and transfers up, so training in that manner is most appropriate.

Med Ball Throws – Sport Assistive Movement

 

The Med Ball Throw is one of the most similar movements to translation of rotational power. One key factor of power is the ability to go full throttle. Just like doing sprints on a treadmill is definitely not the same as doing full sprints outside, there is no restriction of full potential. Proper Med Ball throws can teach an athlete full power output, safely!

Multidirectional Movement

Side Shuffles – Sport Restrictive Movement

 

One of the hardest things for me to watch is a coach teaching an athlete to side shuffle. Usually, with the side shuffle, the athlete is instructed to keep their back foot in contact with the ground. This concept is generally contradictory to natural lateral movement. Try running while keeping one foot on the ground at all times. Chances are you are going to lose your race.

Lateral Skiers – Sport Assistive Movement

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aOI1exR6pSk

 

The medial foot is one of the primary points of the body where power starts. Stealing a base, juking a tackle, initial drive in the baseball swing, all start from medial foot. Lateral work is a great translator to rotational power and lower body reactive capability. Lateral Skiers allow you to focus on single leg accommodation and the ability to propel from that loaded position. This is a movement that every athlete should build do and practice.

Summary

Every program is going to be unique because of the athlete and specific coach writing the program. The purpose of this article isn’t to blast certain exercises but to bring up arguments to why other movements may be more appropriate for your athletes.

You don’t need a speed ladder to be sport specific.

The best sport specific movements are those done in practice. Unfortunately, as coaches, we may only work with certain athletes in a weight room setting. It is important to identify which exercises can translate, and which in the long term, could be holding back our athletes. Bottom line: don’t restrict your athletes by refusing to adjust from the status quo.

Author’s Bio

David Otey is a Strength and Conditioning specialist based out of New York City. David is the 2016 Fitness Manager of the Year for Equinox and has been featured in several major fitness publications on the topics of strength and Conditioning.