CategoriesAssessment coaching Exercise Technique

“Squat Like a Girl”

I hate the term “girl push-up.” I hate the connotation it breeds; that girls are weak and that they should do these kind of push-ups instead (performed from the knees). Coaches who use it are 1) lazy and 2) are definitely worthy of the stink eye.

But what about squats? Is there such a thing as “squatting like a girl?” Does the term equally make me want to toss an ax into my face? Well, not exactly. In today’s excellent guest post, NY based coach, Meg Julian, provides some insight on why, sometimes, there is such a thing as squatting like a girl.

Copyright: Kurhan / 123RF Stock Photo

“Squat Like a Girl”

I’d like to start off by saying that I’m truly honored Tony named his firstborn child, Julian, after me. I hope to inspire the masses as much as I’ve affected Tony. But I’m not here to talk about Baby Julian; I am here because of Baby Julian (yay!).

We are here to talk about why “squatting like a girl” can be different than squatting like a boy.

After working in a female-only gym for five years and training many females clients during the past seven years (not to mention being a woman myself), I’ve found that we often don’t hear about how tips for men might not work perfectly for women, because our bodies (shocker!) are different.

This is one major reason why when I ask new clients to squat, they often struggle to squat, or even look back blankly (really!) Why? Because squats can be complicated, and most exercise science was developed for men by men.

Photo Credit: T-Nation.com

And that’s no way to live, as a great squat can help women with overall strength and weight-loss, which are frequently among the goals I hear from clients.

So, whether you want to put an Olympic barbell on your back or just get in and out of a chair, you’ll want learn how to properly squat. Here are four important ways that women can improve their squat:

#1: Use Your Butt

Squatting is widely considered a phenomenal exercise for building your butt, but many women don’t effectively engage their glutes when they squat. Counter-intuitive, right?

That’s partly because most people sit for much of the day and thus over-stretch their posterior chain, which is the butt and hamstrings; we also tend to over-work the front of our bodies, rather than the posterior.

It’s no surprise, then, that the little elves in your muscles don’t stand a chance.

This condition is called “glute amnesia,” and it’s a term coined by back specialist Stuart McGill — I’m not kidding! If you don’t engage your glutes when you squat, the connection between your muscles and brain will fade, which will make it even harder to use your bum when you want to. In other words, if you don’t use it, you lose it.

To remedy this, the cue we often hear when squatting  is to “sit back.”

But this often turns into a balancing act of:

  • Gripping the ground with your toes and hanging on for dear life;
  • Sticking your butt back;
  • Leaning forward and hoping to not fall over; AND
  • Doing nothing positive for your body.

Instead, I tell clients to pick their toes up off the ground.

Picking your toes off the ground, and putting the weight in your heels, makes the connection between the brain and posterior chain stronger. This is often what is meant by “sit back,” but our bodies tend to take the path of least resistance, so instead of truly using your glutes, it’s common to become a bit of a surfing expert.  

Note from TG: Nice cue to get people to “feel” their glutes work and to understand their role in squatting. While I don’t want to speak for Meg, it’s not one I’d use long-term, especially if the goal is to lift more weight.

If this seems weird and awful, or you topple over, you’re probably not doing it incorrectly; you just haven’t built the strength yet. Keep trying. And you might want to practice over a bench until you get the hang of it.

#2:  Redefine the Relationship Between Your Knees and Your Toes.

The misinformed cue we often hear is “Don’t let your knees come past your toes.”

The idea, again, is that your weight should be in your heels and mid-foot instead of being perched up on your toes. The cue has it’s heart in the right place, but it’s just misdirected, much like this meme:

But I love home; that’s where I keep my bed, food and dog.

The problem? Again, everyone is built differently. For example, if you have long femurs (thigh bones), it’s going to be better for your squat to let your knees come past your toes.  

The focus, instead, should be on having your shoulders go straight up and down as you squat.

So instead of focusing on your knee placement, double-down on your efforts to keep your weight back, barbell over mid-foot, and your back upright.

#3 And One More Thing About Your Feet.

It’s common to be told “Squat with your toes facing forward,” but most women will feel more comfortable turning their toes out a bit when they squat. The female hips and the way the leg bones fit into them are built to be a little wider; you know, “birthing hips” and all.

So instead of focusing on your feet facing forward, focus on aligning your knees above your toes, and for women, this likely means turning your feet slightly outward — and your knees along with it.

Trying to force a more narrow stance or twist the toes in a direction they don’t naturally want to go will cause a lot of tension in the knees. It’s like trying to jam a drawer shut that’s off its runners — not pleasant.

This may be perfectly fine for some and even how most assessments are done, but it’s possible that this is not the ideal form during every workout. Just look at the way a little kid naturally sits in a sandbox (do they still have those?): knees are wide and toes are turned out.

Not sure how wide to point your toes? I recommend standing barefoot with your heels together on a smooth surface like wood, and squeeze your glutes. Then, separate your feet until your heels are under your shoulders. This is likely the most comfortable position for a squat for your body. Play around and see what feels best.

#4: Show Your Ankles Some Love.

Tight calves can lead to a lack of dorsiflexion, which is the ability to flex the toes up toward the shins. It’s a problem I often see in women who wear high heels or flip flops and never stretch.

Lacking range of motion in your ankles is terrible for nailing a squat. By limiting the bend, your body will find a way to compensate by flattening arches, caving knees in toward each other or leaning too far forward.

Here’s a simple test of ankle mobility: Place your toes four inches from a wall. Without lifting your heel, can you bend your knee until it taps the wall. If yes, you’re good! If no, keep practicing twice a day until you can. Keep it up until you can consistently hit a wall. In a good way.

 

Wrapping It Up

Most women have goals of losing weight, improving their backsides and getting stronger. While these goals are a bit vague, I do have a specific answer: Squat as much as you can handle —  after you master squatting like a girl.

Author’s Bio

If you enjoyed what you read, want to learn more or just need to know where to send the hate mail, visit me HERE, 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 HERE.

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.

CategoriesAssessment coaching Corrective Exercise Exercise Technique

The “My Shoulder Hurts” Checklist

“Wha, what was that? Was that him?”

It was 1:30 AM, maybe even 2:17 (it’s always a blur, sucky, and when it’s that late doesn’t it even matter?) as my wife nudged me to see if the baby was alright. I turned over to my left, peeled my eye open just enough to press the button to turn the screen to the monitor on, and indeed it was our newborn, Julian, making his case for one of the two of us to get our asses out of bed and ascertain the situation.

Julian, during one of his non-Gremlin moments

Our little guy passed the 4-week old mark earlier this week and in that time Lisa and I have had a crash course in sleep deprivation training (I’m basically a Navy SEAL by now) in addition to learning baby-speak, or what I like to call “What are you trying to tell me? Please stop crying. I’ll do anything. No, really, anything………”

[Jumps off roof] 

We don’t have much to complain about in the grand scheme of things. Julian has been awesome. Much like any baby in the history of ever, and as any parent in the history of ever knows, when your newborn starts crying it’s indicative of one or two factors to get them to (hopefully) settle back down:

  1. They need a diaper change.
  2. They need to be fed.
  3. They need to be swaddled,
  4. They need their binkie.
  5. They need to be swung or need movement (or maybe they’re overstimulated).
  6. WILDCARD: They need more cowbell.

 

As time passes you learn to not panic, run through the checklist, and before long you’re a first class baby-calmer-downer.

It’s funny, though.

Since I’ve been neck deep in baby shenanigans the past few weeks it’s been a trip to see how I make connections and correlations between that and stuff I see and come across in my professional life… training and coaching athletes/clients. One of the purest examples is something I witness on an almost weekly basis.

Many of the new people who start with me are beginner or intermediate level meatheads (male and female) who, for whatever reason(s), have been dealing with a pissed off shoulder that inhibits their ability to train at the level or intensity they’d like. It’s frustrating on their end and it’s my job as the coach to try to peel back the onion and see what may or may not be the root cause or causes.

Copyright: staras / 123RF Stock Photo

The “My Shoulder Hurts” Checklist

1) Technique

Most commonly people will note how bench pressing bothers their shoulder(s). Working on their technique is the baby check list equivalent of blow out explosive diarrhea.

I.e., It’s code mother-fucking red.

Following the mantra “if it causes pain, stop doing it” is never a bad call, and I am all for nixing any exercise or drill that does such a thing. However, I don’t like to jump to conclusions too too quickly. Sometimes making a few minor adjustments to someone’s technique or setup can make all the difference in the world.

Almost always I’ll have to spend some time on their set-up. I like to cue people to start in a bridge position to drive their upper traps into the bench and to set their scapulae (together AND down).

We can make arguments as to what this is actually doing. Some will gravitate towards it improving joint centration. Cool (and not wrong). I like to keep a little simpler and note that all it really does is improve stability.

Stability = strength

Another thing to note is many people tend to flare their elbows out too much when they bench which leaves the shoulders out to dry and in a vulnerable position.

 

MINOR NOTE: Since recording that video above (two years ago), I have since changed my views slightly thanks to some cueing from Cressey Sports Performance coach Tony Bonvechio. Elbows tucked on the way down is still something I’m after (albeit some are too aggressive at the expense of placing too much valgus stress on the elbows). However, when initiating the press motion, in concert with leg drive, allowing the elbows to flare out a teeny tiny bit (in an effort to keep the joints stacked and to place the triceps in a more mechanical advantage) will often play huge dividends in performance.

In the end, much of the time it comes down to people not paying any attention to how crucial their set-up is. It’s amazing how often shoulder pain dissipates or disappears altogether with just a few minor adjustments.

2) What People Don’t Want to Hear: Stop Benching, Bro

This is where the Apocalypse begins. Telling a guy (usually not women, they could care less) that he should probably stop benching for the foreseeable future is analogous to telling Donald Trump he can’t Tweet.

The thing about holding a barbell is that it “locks” the glenohumeral joint into internal rotation which can be problematic for a lot of people and often feeds into impingement syndrome.

[The rotator cuff muscles become “impinged” due to a narrowing of the acromion space.]

NOTE: I hate the term “shoulder impingement” because it doesn’t really tell you anything. There are any number of reasons why someone may be impinged. Not to mention there are vast differences between External Impingement and Internal Impingement….which you can read about in more detail HERE.

If bench pressing hurts, and we’ve tried to address technique, I’ll often tell them to OMIT barbell pressing in lieu of using dumbbells instead. With DBs we can utilize a neutral grip, externally rotate the shoulders a bit more, and open up the acromion space.

Or, maybe they can still barbell press, albeit at a decline. When you place the torso at a decline the arms can’t go into as much shoulder flexion and you’re then able to avoid the “danger zone.”

Something else to consider is maybe pressing off a foam roller. Sure, you won’t be able to use as much weight, but as Dr. Joel Seedman explains in the video below you’ll be able to work on better joint centration AND the scapulae can actually move (an important variable discussed more below).

 

If all else fails, sadly, you may have to be the bearer of bad news and tell someone that (s)he needs to stop benching for a few weeks to allow things to settle down.

3) Let the Scaps Move, Yo

Above I mentioned the importance to bringing the shoulder blades together and down in an effort to improve stability.

If you want to lift heavy shit, you need to learn to appreciate the importance of getting and maintaining tension. That said, if lifting heavy shit hurts your shit, we may need to take the opposite approach. Meaning: maybe we just need to get your shoulder blades moving.

When the scaps are “glued” together and unable to go through their normal ROM it can have ramifications with shoulder health. Push-ups are a wonderful anecdote here.

Unlike the bench press – an open-chain exercise – the push-up is a closed-chain exercise (hands don’t move) which lends itself to several advantages – namely scapular movement.

 

4) More Rows

This one will be short and sweet. Perform more rows. Many trainees tend to be very anterior dominant and spend an inordinate amount of time training their “mirror muscles” at the expense of ignoring their backside. This can lead to muscular imbalances and postural issues.

This makes me sad. And, when it happens, a kitten becomes homeless.

You sick bastard.

The easy fix is to follow this simple rule: For every pressing motion you put into your program, perform 2-3 ROWING movements. Any row, I don’t care.1

 

5) Address Scapular Positioning

I’m going to toss out an arbitrary number and I have no research to back this up, but 99% of the time when someone comes in complaining of rotator cuff or shoulder issues the culprit is usually faulty scapular mechanics. Sometimes people DO need a little more TLC and we may need to go down the “corrective exercise” rabbit hole.

The scapulae perform many tasks:

  • Upwardly and downwardly rotate
  • Externally and internally rotate
  • Anteriorly and posteriorly tilt.
  • AB and ADDuct (retract and protract).
  • Will clean and fold your laundry too!

 

They do a lot. And for a plethora of reasons, if they’re not moving optimally it can cause a shoulder ouchie. Sometimes people are too “shruggy” (upper trap dominant) with overhead movements, or maybe they’re stuck in downward rotation? Maybe they can’t protract enough and need more serratus work? Maybe they lack eccentric control and need a heavy dose of low trap correctives?

It dumbfounds me the number of times I have had people come in to see me explaining how they had been to this person and that person and NO ONE took the time to look at how their shoulder blades move.

I don’t like to get too corrective too soon (as I prefer to not make my clients feel like a patient), but if I’ve exhausted all of the above and stuff still hurts….it’s time to dig deeper.

If only there were a resource that dives into this topic in a more thorough fashion.

Hmmmm…………..Sha-ZAM.

Categoriescoaching fitness business Uncategorized

Why an Online Training Business Might be Right For You (and 3 mistakes when building one)

I have a special treat for you today. Jon Goodman, the Godfather of online training, emailed me to ask if he could write a guest post for the site. I was like, “does Dolly Parton sleep on her back? Of course you can.”

Jon knows online training and he’s painstakingly built one of the best online training resources in existence that’ll help anyone build a successful business: the Online Trainer Academy. Enrollment is sparse and only happens twice a year. Tomorrow (3/2) is the LAST day to jump on the train for the foreseeable future. Hell, I’m on the train – come join me in the caboose for a good time.2

Why an Online Training Business Might Be Right For You

ONE DAY I GOT SICK, and I didn’t get paid.

I wanted to see the World, but I knew that if I did, I wouldn’t have a job when I got back.

Soon after turning 26 I decided, much to my surprise, that babies weren’t weird and gross and that maybe one day I’d like to have a few. If I did want a family at some point, I knew that something would have to drastically change.

It became apparent that I had to figure out how to build a business in the fitness industry that works for me even when I’m not around and that I control.

Conventional personal training doesn’t lend itself well to a balanced life. When I was in my early twenties I wanted to train 10-14 clients a day. I made a lot of money — much more than my friends at the time — but the hours were arduous.

By 24 I’d reached my income ceiling.

  • I was charging $97/hr and booked 40hrs/wk. If a client cancelled I’d have another on call with as little as 45 minutes notice.
  • I received a small salary as the senior trainer in charge of the hiring, training, and development of the rest of the team.
  • I received commissions for referring new trainers to the club in addition to referring my overload of clientele to other trainers.

Things were good for a while, but then I got that itch.

I wanted to see the World and I desired to meet a girl (smart, kind, and with legs that scream, “I squat, bro”). With my schedule that just wasn’t going to happen.

Something needed to change. I love the fitness industry and I loved my clients but conventional wouldn’t work. Conventional training in a gym doesn’t work.

Early Mornings, Late Nights, and a Lack of Control

You must avoid spending your life in a reactive state.

Reacting to things like your clients schedules, your gym’s rules, and the economy.

It might seem like you’re busy and I get it, there are only so many hours in the day, right?

Well the CEO of a Fortune 500 company has the same number of hours in a day as you. The difference is that he or she has better systems for making the most out of those hours. With these systems the business works for the CEO, not the opposite.

Most good trainers hit a wall. You can’t possibly work anymore. Look, I get it; I’ve been there.

My wife and I a month ago in Thailand where we lived for two months. We had to come home because she’s now 7 months pregnant. Photo credit: Tida Cha Photography]

If you want to work smarter, not harder, in fewer hours, while still providing your clients with an exceptional service there used to be 2 or 3 potential solutions:

1. You Could Start Your Own Gym.

The dream right? For some, this is a good option. However starting a club is difficult. You’ve no idea the hidden fees. There’s a reason why your gym might appear stingy or has protocols in place that you don’t necessarily agree with. I’m not saying that you can’t do it better. But to be a businessperson is a completely different skillset than being a trainer.

Note from TG: HERE’s a post explaining why this exact “thing.” Why it’s a BIG mistake to think the holy mecca is gym ownership. It’s not.

2. You Could Rise Within the Ranks of Your Club Into Management.

The Peter Principle states that, “in a hierarchy every employee tends to rise to their level of incompetence”.It goes on to state that, “employees only stop being promoted once they can no longer perform effectively”.

Similar to starting a gym, becoming a manager sounds good at first (the power, the ego-drive, etc.) but approach the position with caution. Managing other people is an incredibly difficult job and an entirely different skill set than training and managing a client load.

3. Multi-Level Marketing or Similar.

I’ll take a passage from one of my books, Ignite the Fire, here:

“The idea is attractive but very few are actually successful. You’re often forced to purchase the product yourself and it can be costly. Most people don’t have the requisite hustle, network, or marketing acumen to make a legitimate go of it. Not only that, the supplements are almost always poor-quality.

Read the ingredients carefully and look for independent third-party studies. Even if the supplement is of good quality, I’ve found that multi-level marketing companies sell supplements that are overpriced. It makes sense, and in fact providing such an attractive commission structure requires it. Finally, you’ll feel pressure to involve your close family and friends and this is not a position that I’d want my worst enemy to be in.”

In order to be successful and live a long, prosperous life as a trainer you must become proactive, and in order to do that, you must innovate. You need a new model.

The New Model i.e. The Best Solution That I’ve Found:

Imagine if there was a solution to every problem that is stopping you from turning your job into a prosperous and fulfilling career with ample freedom.

Imagine being in complete control of your schedule, to be able to charge less, make more, and offer just as good (or an even better) service.

Well it exists. But before I discuss it, I want to say something.

I’m not married to any idea. I’m about to discuss why online training or meshed online / in-person training is the best solution. When done right, it’s the solution that you might be looking for.

I came into this search for a solution with an open mind looking for whatever worked best and online training hit all-important points. What followed was 2.5 years of developing, testing, tweaking, and more testing of the best systems for delivering an exceptional online training service.

Since 2013 I’ve been teaching trainers how to either supplement their in-person training with online training or train clients online full-time. The Online Trainer Academy is the most current evolution of this process. Complete with a textbook, workbook, digital portal, and all scripts, worksheets, templates, and anything else that you’ll need, the Academy is the world’s first certification in online training that doubles as a business development course.

 

The physical Online Trainer Academy materials. Not pictured here are all digital materials.

Imagine creating a reliable and consistent source of income — one that you can depend on month-to-month. Or, if you’re a gym owner, imagine being able to attract and keep trainers by offering something different in addition to adding another reliable monthly income stream to your bottom line.

Online training is still relatively new and, like all new things that have tremendous potential, some have already jumped on the bandwagon without much thought.

Whether or not you enroll in the Academy, I want to help you get started with online training. Here’s the 3 biggest mistakes unprepared, yet well intentioned, trainers make when making the transition.

3 Biggest Mistakes (well-intentioned) Trainers Make When Starting or Growing an Online Training Biz-ness

 3 is actually the perfect number.

They are: 1) bad support systems 2) offering too much and 3) taking on the wrong type of clients.

I’ll go into detail on each below. Before I do that, let me say that building an efficient and effective online training business is akin to what we teach our clients: build a strong base and grow from there. Don’t slap on extras before you’ve got your foundation.

Right, here’s a bit more on each of the 3 mistakes and what to do to avoid them:

1) Bad Support Systems

Email will drive you crazy. It sounds nice to offer “unlimited email support” but that doesn’t help the client and wastes your time. It doesn’t help the client because it creates dependence and it doesn’t help you because it takes away your control and freedom – the two reasons why most add online training.

You need to establish a precedent. My suggestion is to tell your clients that they can send you one email a week. That email has to be point form. Each point is one question. And each point is no longer than 3 sentences. They can send as many points as they want. You pick one day to answer all emails – say Sunday morning.

The reasons for this tightly-controlled system are numerous, but here’s a few:

  • Most people aren’t writers. Forcing point form avoids the wall of words.
  • Forcing clients to create a list and send you it at once means that only the important questions get asked.
  • You can block off your time. Setting aside an hour or two once a week to do all email support adds back a level of freedom and control into your life.

You can always offer additionally support if needed on an off-the-cuff basis.

2) Bad Program Offerings

In a similar vein to my point above, online trainers need to think critically about what they are going to offer as part of their training packages.

Allow me to illustrate this with an example:

The first systems I built for online trainers were given to 24 beta participants. One day I got a message saying that a trainer was worn out. He was working more and making less – not what online training is meant to do. We got on the phone. Here’s what he was offering:

  • 1 hour Skype check-in call/week
  • Program design
  • Nutrition design
  • 24/7 email support
  • $199/month

Steve charged $75/hr for in-person training. When we spoke he told me that it takes 3hrs for him to design the program and nutrition. Ignoring the email support, he was offering 7hrs of his time for $199/month, or $28/hr.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1ytCEuuW2_A

 

Because Steve didn’t think critically about his systems he was training at a loss of $329 per client each month. Just because you’re working online doesn’t mean that you’re working smarter. No wonder he was burnt out!

My advice to you is this: when deciding about your program offerings base the pricing off of how much time it will take you per month to deliver the service and go from there.

3) Taking on the Wrong Type of Clients

Maintaining a high quality service online requires more proactive and lateral thinking than training in-person does. The reason is simple: in-person you can be reactive. Online you have to anticipate problems and plan for them so that they never happen.

To do this requires an in-depth knowledge of the client you’re going to train. It means that you need to be a lot more selective of your clientele. It’s also why I don’t recommend trainers who have less than a year’s experience working in-person invest in the Online Trainer Academy.

For example: If I train a 30-35 year old working professional male with no serious injuries I can predict that he probably works at a desk. If I work further down the chain it’s likely that he will have some troubles with the bench press (shoulder impingement). Obviously there are exceptions, but bear with me.

For this client I might substitute an incline neutral grip dumbbell press for the bench press in anticipation of a problem that may arise.

It all comes down to knowing your client. High quality online training is possible but only if you take on the right type of clients for you.

My suggestion is to identify the 2-3 key client avatars that you deal with. Be specific.

Female, aged 30-40 with one client less than 6 months post-partum.

Male 40-55 was a college athlete but let things slide and has some lingering knee issues.

Whatever.

Figure out who you know best and only take them on as online clients. In-person you can take on a wider variety.

Tomorrow is the LAST Day to Enroll

Everything is laid out for you. All the tools you’ll need to help you build a legitimate online training business is here. Nothing shady, nothing nefarious. What have you got to lose?

I don’t point people in the direction of things I don’t believe in or that I don’t believe works, and I get it, some of you may be thinking……”this s*** is expensive!” And you’re right. But:

1) This will easily pay for itself (and then some x a bazillion jillion) if you put in the work.

2) You can write it off.

3) It’s gluten free.

4) Scrumptious.

—-> Online Trainer Academy <—-

Categoriescoaching Exercise Technique Program Design Uncategorized

Box Jumps: You’re Not Jumping as High as You Think You Are. And, You’re Doing Them Wrong

Thump, thud, thump, thud.

“What’s that noise?” I thought to myself. “Thor whacking people’s faces with Mjolnir or a T-Rex break dancing to It Takes Two.”

I turn the corner….”please let it be a T-Rex. PLEASE!”

Nope, just some asshat performing box jumps.

Copyright: ammentorp / 123RF Stock Photo

 

Now, before anyone gets their panties in a tissy….I am not against box jumps. I implement them into my training as well as into the programs I write for other people and think believe they have a time and place (as does most any other exercise in existence3).

I mean, any strength coach or trainer worth his or her weight in paleo brownies understands their role in helping to train explosiveness and athleticism. And, if we were to peel back the onion a bit further, we’d note the REAL benefit(s) of box jumps are:

  1. Force summation, Rate of Force Development, or learning to put force into the ground.
  2. Landing mechanics: or, learning to absorb force.

It’s not to try to jump onto a box at the highest height possible or to perform them for endless repetitions.

Dumb

 

Really Dumb

 

Dumber

 

Commentary on Video #1

Before the record button was pressed you know those two guys were thinking to themselves “Dude, if you hit this jump it’s going viral and you’re totally going to get laid tonight.”

He’s lucky he didn’t break his back or neck.

Commentary on Video #2

Considering the number of banged up knees and scraped shins I’ve come across I really wish CrossFit would begin to understand that box jumps aren’t a great conditioning tool, and that there’s an abyss of better options.4

Hell, running over your right arm with a Honda Civic would be better than high-rep box jumps.

Commentary on Video #3

Yeah, yeah, I get it: It’s JJ Watt, it’s an old video, he’s an elite professional athlete, he nailed it, quit belly aching Tony.

Admittedly that was a baller jump and I too would have full confidence in JJ’s ability to jump over Mordor and then some. However, from a cost-benefit standpoint…..as a coach who’s worked with plenty of high-level athletes myself, I wouldn’t touch that with a ten-foot pole.

I have to wonder, though, did the coaches in that video prescribe or allow this to happen because they felt it would make their athlete better, or because they were chasing YouTube views and likes?

Not worth the risk. Refer to video #1.

My Real Beef: Not Box Jumps, But HIGH Box Jumps

A few months ago I watched a stellar video by Nick Tumminello where he went into detail on why he didn’t like HIGH box jumps, and he made a brilliant point I had never thought of before.

High box jumps reward those people with excellent hip mobility, particularly those with great hip flexion. Here’s an example:

The distance from the bottom of your foot to top of box is the “real” distance you’re jumping. Not so impressive now, huh?

And this is what the same jump looks like when someone doesn’t have the ability to clear ample hip motion:

They start cranking through their lumbar spine, over and over and over and…..”awwwww, goddamit I blew out my back again.”

“Ma, meatloaf! We want it.”

And speaking of the lumbar spine, how many times do you watch someone perform their box jumps and it ends up looking something like this:

Box Jump: Poor Landing

 

Happens all the time right?

Yuck.

If your box jumps look like this you’re using too high of a box and are reaping ZERO benefit from doing them.

How you start (chest up, knees slightly bent and not caving in, athletic position) is how you should end. Like this:

Box Jump – Good Landing

 

Another not so great thing thing many people end up doing is landing too loud on the box. Remember: one of the main benefits of the box jump is absorbing force.

Box Jump – Loud Landing

 

If someone can hear your box jumps in Idaho you’re doing them wrong.

Instead, you want to make sure you land softly, or what I like to tell my clients “like a ninja.”

Box Jump – Who’s the Ninja? You Are That’s Who

 

A Few Other Random Thoughts

  • Even with a (seemingly) low box height, the idea is to cue your clients to jump as high as they can (and then to land soft). External cueing works wonders here:
    • Try to hit your head on the ceiling.
    • Jump away from the ground.
    • OMG, there’s a snake!
  • I like to program box jumps for low reps. Sets of 1-3 are ideal.
  • Moreover I LOVE performing box jumps on lower body days prior to squatting or deadlifting as it serves as a nice way to potentiate or wake up the nervous system.
    • Perform 3-4 sets of 1-3 reps and you’re good to go.
    • Quality over quantity.
Categoriescoaching Conditioning

3 Tips to Make Your Bootcamps More Enjoyable and Badass

I personally hate the term bootcamp as the connotation is that all participants are there to get yelled and screamed at and otherwise Full Metal Jacketed for an hour. 

I find those instructors who rely on the drill sergeant approach tend to be compensating for a lack of differentiating their ass from their acetabulum5  In today’s guest post, Cressey Sports Performance strength camp coach, Frank Duffy, helps shed some light on a few lesser known factors that can help make your large group training classes more effective and enjoyable.

Copyright: racorn / 123RF Stock Photo

 

Large group training classes, commonly deemed bootcamps, often get a bad rap for the training they provide. Injuries and cases of exercise-induced health conditions, like rhabdomyolysis, are more prevalent than ever before. Sleep and nutrition play critical roles, but running ourselves into the ground day-in and day-out with our training is a surefire way to end up on the shelf injured over time.

Your training shouldn’t crush you. Plain and simple.

Quality over quantity, just like anything we do in life, is something I continuously hammer home to our Strength Camp members here at Cressey Sports Performance (CSP). While the program’s variables are entirely in our hands as coaches, there are other ways to dictate the intensity of training environment subtly.

1. Set the Tone Through Music

Nope, this isn’t a joke.

I have zero research to back this up, but I truly believe the music you have blaring through your speakers plays a huge role in regards to the intensity of your training floor. Powerlifters will always love their hardcore metal, the female high school athletes will always love their pop music, Tony Gentilcore will always love his Wu-Tang Clan and Tiesto.

Note from TG: Tony’s Techno Tuesdays will live on F.O.R.E.V.E.R

The CSP Strength Campers I work with are primarily in their late-30’s to mid-50’s, and don’t want Avenged Sevenfold blasting at 5:30 in the morning. Instead, we rock out to Bon Jovi, Bruce Springsteen, Pearl Jam… the list goes on.

It’s much less aggressive and music that most of our clients grew up with, making it much more enjoyable. It also helps that they tolerate my tone-deaf voice whenever Summer of ‘69 comes on.

Target the age range and musical interests of your clientele. It makes the training much more fun and shows them that it’s not about your own personal preference.

2. Preach the Importance of “Filler” Exercises

Our clients come to us for a kickass workout, not to sit through an hour of mobility exercises. However, I make sure that every training session entails one or two unloaded mobility drills as filler exercises to our heavier movements. My favorite way to do this is by implementing Controlled Articular Rotations (CARs) into the supersets prescribed.

I use CARs because they’re bodyweight movements that could be performed every single day without a single piece of equipment. It’s also a great way to learn how to control joint end-ranges of motion, where we typically get injured.

By getting clients to move through their end-ranges of motion in a controlled environment daily, we’re able to maintain and even expand our current mobility. Improved mobility equates to better movement with training and everyday life, why wouldn’t we want this? It’s important to hammer this point across to your clients, regardless of what route you take to improve their quality of life.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IRoIFWyeEII&feature=youtu.be

 

Monday and Friday are our primary strength training days, where we’ll train the squat on Monday and deadlift on Friday. In between our warm-up sets, I’ll always prescribe shoulder or scapular CARs in order to improve our range and control with overhead movements. They’re also a great way to give the lower body rest in-between sets.

 

These slots aren’t just limited to CARs, though. I absolutely love dead bugs, plank variations, kettlebell pullovers, and other drills for core activation in between our heavy lifts. It’s important to avoid exercises that will crush your clients for their squats and deadlifts in these filler spots.

Here’s an example I’ll use for our Friday training sessions:

A1.) Deadlift 4×5

A2.) Standing Scapular CARs 3×2/side
A3.) Plank w/ Full Exhale 3×4 breaths

*A2 and A3 are performed during warm-up sets of the deadlift.

 

There’s a million different ways of going about this. Find what works best for your clients; it helps when they enjoy the exercises.

3. Talk to Your Clients

As cliche as it sounds, communication is key in all aspects of life. An important part of providing a great training experience to your clients is your ability to talk and learn about them. Everybody has a unique voice, and your job should be to listen to what each client has to say.

The ability to hold a conversation throughout a training session is also a great way to gauge how your clients are exerting themselves as well. Anything above 140 heart beats per minute is typically above the threshold in which normal conversation could no longer be held. This is a zone I’ll stray away from for long durations. As fatigue kicks in, form likes to go out the window.

Note From TG: Do you know your client’s spouse’s name? Pets’ names? Do you know their favorite movie or television show? Do they know where the term “cottenheadedninnymuggins” comes from? 

TALK TO THEM!

I try to target 110 to 140 beats per minute with our Wednesday circuit training, which is a sustainable zone for longer periods of time. It’s also what our industry considers the “sweet spot” for improving overall aerobic capacity.

 

Our clients aren’t equipped with heart rate monitors, so assessing their ability to hold small talk is my judgement tool for how they’re exerting themselves. If you don’t have monitors at your disposal, I highly suggest you do the same.

Large group does not correlate with extremely high-intensity training modalities. Just like private, and semi-private models, your large group training service will produce much greater results when you stray away from running your attendees into the ground. Of course, you’ll always have your fitness junkies that want to give 110% effort every session. It’s our job to explain to them the importance of submaximal training’s benefits, and how exercise is only a sliver of the pie.

If you’re not sleeping adequately, eating properly, maintaining stress levels that life’s situations throw at you, can you really overcome these obstacles with a training session that leaves you crawling out the door?

I’d argue not.

Making your clients better isn’t entirely about the time they spend with you lifting iron. Make it a point to talk to them about their sleep patterns, maybe ask what they had for dinner last night, when was the last time they took note of the color of their pee?, or, I don’t know, maybe discuss the last episode of The Walking Dead. All of it is information that not only will help you help them, but will also build a better sense of camaraderie.

Author’s Bio

Frank Duffy is the Head Coordinator of Strength Camps at Cressey Sports Performance. As a Functional Range Conditioning Mobility Specialist (FRCms) and Precision Nutrition Level One Nutrition Coach (Pn1), Frank tries to tailor the program around longevity through optimal movement and nutrition habits. You can learn more though his website, www.frankduffyfitness.com and his Instagram account…HERE.

Categoriescoaching

Coaching With Unconditional Positive Regard

Today’s guest post comes courtesy of central NY based strength coach, Justin Kompf. Justin’s written several guest posts for this site and I always appreciate his contributions.

Today’s post is one that every coach should read. We may feel some athletes are “dogging” their workouts and get mad, and we may not like every client we work with. That’s okay. But that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t treat each person with respect and understand that people are often much more than the behaviors they demonstrate on any given day.

Copyright: melpomen / 123RF Stock Photo

 

Coaching With Unconditional Positive Regard

In middle school I played the trombone (and if you must know had a bowl cut too). In fact, when asked to describe my young awkward years, I often tell a story of carrying my trombone in one hand and a stack of books in the other only to have those books knocked out of my hands by some nice classmate.

I didn’t like playing this instrument, I had been doing it for a few years and just wasn’t having fun. To express my distaste for the trombone, I would intentionally mess up in practice. Rather than play to the beat I would basically play whatever the hell I felt like.

So why do I tell this story?

From the small screenshot of my behavior you might come to the conclusion that I wasn’t putting in any effort. Maybe you would think I was a bratty little kid who was just trying to be funny. But what if, given the situation I was in, I was actually giving my best effort?

When we look at s small screenshot of behavior we ignore the person as a whole. We might ignore the fact that six months prior I had tried to tell my instructor I was not having fun and would like to quit only to be disregarded. We might ignore that I would rather be playing basketball or that I didn’t enjoy being the person that lugged around a 4-foot instrument through middle school.

When we look at the fact that I felt I was being forced to do something I didn’t want to do and wasn’t having fun doing it, my behavior shouldn’t seem surprising. Maybe I actually was doing the best I could with the situation I was in.

The notion that people are doing their best in all circumstances resembles a psychological concept called unconditional positive regard (which is towards others) and unconditional positive self-regard (which is towards oneself).

I believe that holding a mindset of unconditional positive regard (UPR) is a crucial component to being a great coach.

This is especially true when we are working with people who want to change health related behaviors such as exercise and diet. UPR means holding no conditions on acceptance of an individual, caring for people and recognizing that each person is unique with different backgrounds and experiences. It does not mean you have to like everyone you work with or even approve of their behavior, but it does mean withholding judgment.

To me this mindset means the acceptance of behaviors with the capacity to evaluate and then self-regulate to make healthier or better choices.

It is the belief that once you consider an individual’s circumstances, and realize that their observable behavior does not define them as a person, that people are trying their best. This is a mindset that can be accepted not just towards others but towards oneself.

When you experience UPR towards yourself you are able to, in a non-threatening way, evaluate all of your behaviors and feelings. Negative feelings about behaviors can easily threaten our sense of self-worth and cause us to engage in further negative behaviors to avoid self-evaluation.

Being human, every coach has had negative thoughts about their clients or athletes behaviors. Maybe an athlete is having an off day and you become upset about their effort levels or listening ability. You might think, “Why isn’t this kid busting his ass to be a better athlete?”

You might be training a client who consistently breaks their dietary plans and wonder what is so hard about eating a salad or having a protein shake for breakfast rather than a bowl of cereal. You might wonder why you care more about your client’s health than they care about their own.

If you’ve been coaching long enough you’ve inevitably heard the saying “people don’t care about how much you know until they know how much you care”.

Often times when you are coaching you will in fact care more about a client or athlete’s well-being than they care about their own. You will have many occasions where the people you are working with will make mistakes. Your job is to evaluate how you can help without judging these behaviors.

It is your responsibility to look at the people you work with as more than just a set of behaviors.

When an athlete or client fails to give what you perceive to be 100% effort, rather than assuming that they are lazy imagine what could have happened to them that day. Maybe they had two tests, maybe a family member is ill, or they are having relationship problems.

It is your job to listen and show that you place no conditions on how you care about them as a person. Their performance in the gym or adherence to health behaviors should not affect how much you care.

‘Unconditionality,’ then, means that I[you] keep on valuing the deeper core of the person, what (s)he basically is and can become.

Once this sense of UPR is established you can help the person you are coaching work towards healthier behaviors in the face of whatever other struggles they are currently dealing with.

Summary

Accepting this mindset is conscious work and also unlikely to be maintainable every second of the day.

I’ve found working towards owning this mindset makes coaching and teaching more enjoyable.

Every day I work with people that seem to be lacking effort. I have athletes that could work harder, I have students that could listen better and I, like all humans, engage in behaviors that are in conflict with how I see the best version of myself to be. This is human nature, every single person, acts in ways that are in conflict with how their ideal self would operate.

But every person can also work towards pursing their own unique steps towards self-growth. Adopting this accepting and unconditional positive mindset can be helpful in evaluating and changing health related behaviors.

Author’s Bio

Justin is the head strength coach at SUNY Cortland. He is also a lecturer in the kinesiology department at the university. Cortland hosts a health and wellness conference each year, this year on April 8th. Speakers will include Tony Gentilcore, Dr. Lisa Lewis, Brian St. Pierre, David Just and Mark Fisher. For more information go HERE.

Note From TG: The conference linked to above is $60 to attend. That’s a steal considering the quality of presenters coming in and the information that will be shared. Students: you can’t use the excuse of “that’s too expensive” because I know full-well you’re spending that much (if not more) drinking on the weekends. Fitness Pros: this is Cortland, NY, in April, for $60. Shut up and get your butt there…;o)

References and Videos

Italicized quotes extracted from Iberg, A.R. Unconditional positive regard: Constituent activities

Video below emphasizes a strong focus on parenting. But what’s parenting if not coaching?

 

Categoriesbusiness coaching fitness business

The Pros and Cons of Online Training

I started utilizing distance coaching back in 2005 before “distance coaching” was a thing. Hell, Facebook was barely a thing at that point in time, but I managed to survive.

Come to think of it I didn’t get my first cell phone or laptop until 2006, so it’s any wonder how I was able to turn distance coaching into a viable source of income for myself.

Copyright: everythingpossible / 123RF Stock Photo

 

It’s taken years, of course, to turn it into a viable source of income, and, admittedly, there are innumerable coaches out there who have built online training empires that would make what I have built seem like an anthill compared to their Taj Mahal.

Fuck those guys…;o)

Just kidding. It’s altogether impressive to see how successful some people have gotten with their online training businesses. Kudos, and well done.

Nonetheless, I wanted to take today and discuss my experiences with distance coaching: Why I do it, the pros and cons of doing it, mistakes I’ve made along the way, and whether or not you should considering dipping your toes in the water.

Copyright: warrengoldswain / 123RF Stock Photo

 

Above all, when it comes to online training, you need to ask yourself this question:

Are You Doing It For the Right Reason(s)?

There’s a fairly naive notion that those who do online coaching are living the high life. They’re traveling the world on their hovercrafts writing programs and answering emails while sipping Pina Coladas. Indeed, for some, this is very true. I mean, hovercrafts are awesome.

However it’s not the norm.

If you’re entering the world of online training under the guise that that is normal, and that you’re going to be making between a metric boat load and metric shit load of money without any effort, let me say this:

“HahahahahaahahahahaahahahahahaahahhwytZARWQEtwqEagfhagtawrhdAFr5HAHAHAHAHA.”

Personally, I’d make the argument that online coaching is more time consuming and more of a grind than people are led to believe. Then again, those who believe otherwise are the ones who think all you need is a YouTube page, a smart phone, and nice smile to build a bonafide fitness business.

Basically it comes down to this:

  • If you decide to enter the world of online training (only) to make a bunch of money, good luck. I doubt you’ll last long.

  • If you decide to enter the world of online training to actually help people (first), to offer a good service with integrity, and then yeah, eventually, maybe make some decent money, now we’re talking.

Those Who Do Online Training Gooder: A Huge Caveat

I didn’t take on my first online training client until 2005. I had just moved from Syracuse, NY (where I had been working in both corporate and commercial gyms for the previous three years) to Danbury, CT where some guy named Eric Cressey convinced me to move to to start working with him at a local gym in the area.

A client of mine (back in Syracuse), Bobby, emailed me after a few weeks and asked if I’d still be interested in writing his programs? I like to think he couldn’t live without my witty personality and incessant GoodFellas quotes.

Until he had asked it had never dawned on me to write programs in a distance-based fashion. I was like, “uhhhhhhh, sure.”

I had a digital camera, a desktop computer, a sick bicep peak (<– very important), and an Excel spreadsheet.

I made it work.

But how?

Looking back my systems were terrible. But that’s also comparatively speaking. What I had access to back in 2005 in terms of technology paled in comparison to what is available today. I might as well, proverbially speaking at least, have been shucking corn with a scythe. Or, I don’t know, playing video games on an Atari 2600.

Bobby would send me a check via snail mail, I’d write his program, email it to him, and then if he had any questions I’d either have to write a Tolstoy’esque email back explaining every step of every exercise, or attempt to send him an impromptu video, which, honestly, back then, was more of a pain in the ass than writing everything out.

There was no such thing as YouTube. How did we survive?!

But it worked because of one thing, and it’s something I can’t repeat enough: I had years of experience training people in REAL LIFE.

To that end……

I think the best online coaches are those coaches who have experience training people in-person for a few years and then transition to some degree of distance coaching.

“It’s only when you work with people in person, gain a better understanding of their diversity and how to properly cue and coach different people with varying goals, current/past injury histories, and ability levels, and then have experience APPLYING what you read and watch to an actual individual, that you’ll (likely) be more successful virtually.”

In the years since I have developed better systems and my online coaching business is loaded with my own required desiderata – my laptop, PayPal account (to accept and send payments), DropBox (t0 receive and critique training videos), set of questionnaires, intake info, and screens (sent via vide0) to better ascertain prospective clients’ needs, a relationship with Exercise.com and their use of their sweet platform, not to mention my baller Spotify chill mix for optimum program writing prowess and badassery.

But what about the pros and cons (for both client and coach) of online training? What are they?

The Client

Cons:

Since I like to get bad news out of the way first (like, I’m writing this post with no pants on) let’s start with those, in no particular order:

  • Your coach isn’t actually there with you: That’s sort of the point of distance coaching right? But unless you’re highly motivated, you’ll find this as an excuse to not make it into the gym or skip certain parts of your training session. Lame.
  • Feedback comes later than you need it: Since you’re (hopefully) sending videos to your coach you won’t know until after you’re done with your lift if you performed things up to their standards.

 

  • It’s really easy to find a shit coach: If you spend 10 minutes browsing the fitness related hashtags on Instagram, I bet you could find about 50 random guys and gals who just finished training for their first show and are dying to offer you one of the limited spots in their online training group. Who knows what this person knows and where they learned it. If you don’t do your research you’ll end up wasting your money on some random jabroni.
  • It can be tough to form a relationship: If you found your coach online, it can sometimes be tough to form a relationship with them. Really, who wants to keep spending money on someone that they don’t have a great relationship with? And if you haven’t really bonded with them or trust them, why would you keep killing yourself in the gym for them? This is why I always make it a point to send random pictures of my cat here and there. Because it builds rapport, and because she’s awesome.

Pro’s:

Enough of the Debbie Downer talk! There’s a lot to love about working with a coach as a distance client!

  • It’s cost effective: This is just a fancy way of saying cheap! The cost per session of working with most distance coaches is substantially less than paying for them in person and is typically even way cheaper than paying for an atrocious trainer in person. For just a few bucks per lift you can have a great coach write your programming for you; it’s awesome.
  • Low stress: What do I mean by this? I mean that you don’t have to worry about schedules nearly as much as in person. You work weird hours and want to train at 2 am? Sure, pyscho, go train at 2 am.
  • You can work with just about anyone: As long as a coach is taking clients and you can afford them, you can work with just about any coach in any realm of fitness. It doesn’t matter where they are located; you can get a Chinese weightlifting coach, a Brazilian booty coach and a Turkish get-up coach if you want.
  • It can last a lifetime: If you’re lucky enough to find a coach that you have a good relationship with, trust and see results with you can train with them essentially forever. Regardless of where either one of you moves, the training relationship can remain solid.
  • A good community: I’m lucky that my coach (yes, I have a coach) had done such a good job with his distance coaching prior to me hiring him. When I started working with Greg, The Strength House had a vibrant online community where people are able to post videos to get feedback from Greg and Tony B. as well as other clients who may know what they are talking about. It makes a huge difference with staying accountable to my program.

The Coach

To be truthful, a lot of the points that are true for clients are true for coaches. It can be tough building a relationship with someone that you’ve never met.

Cons

  • There is a world of shit out there: People move like crap, and it’s hard to “manage” people from a distance unlike you can in-person. Being able to instantly provide verbal and tactile feedback is what gives in-person coaching a more than slight edge over online training.
  • More challenging to keep clients accountable: Are your clients really doing what you tell them to do? Are they really doing their deadbugs and dedicated warm-ups or skipping them in lieu of extra bicep curls in front of the mirror?
  • It Can Get Weird – Like that one time I started with a new male client and while on a bus on my way to NYC to visit friends I opened up all the postural pics I had him send me. Sorry random woman who looked over at me looking at half-naked pictures of a man. #awkward.
  • There’s a lot of moving parts: To be an effective distance coach means having a few systems in place that work really well and those can be difficult to manage.
    • A good way to track programs and ensure clients get them in time.
    • An effective means of communication, or else you’ll end up with an abyss of emails and texts to answer. Personally, though, I rarely give out my cell phone number for this very reason.
    • A good video library to pull demo’s from.
    • A solid network of coaches and trainers in other cities to be able to reach out to for help (Hey, I’ve got a client in your city, they’d like to meet with you for an hour and work on their hip hinge)
    • A strong system to collect and track payments.
  • Distance coaching isn’t for everyone: Truthfully, some people really just do need one-on-one in person training. Maybe the client isn’t motivated enough, maybe their needs are beyond what you can provide via an email or Facebook message. While it will mean you lose their monthly fee, this is definitely a client you should help find a local trainer to help them with their immediate goals.
  • It’s not all butterfly kisses and rainbows: Despite what the internet tells you, most people who do online training also have another job. Very few can live off their online business alone. It can be a drag to come home after coaching (or working) an 8-hour day only to have an inbox full of client questions and inquiries. As I alluded to above: online coaching, I find, is more time consuming than people think – especially if you lack having systems in place.

Pros

  • You can work with anyone: This is by far the coolest part. Right now I do remote coaching with people all over the world. I have clients all over North America, Europe, and even the Middle East. Many people have limited access to quality coaching and online training allows me the opportunity to work with people I otherwise would never cross paths with. Note to Optimus Prime, I have a few spots open.
  • It’s a decent bump to your income: I’m not going to tell you it’ll make you a millionaire, but I remember when I first started I told myself I wanted online training to help me cover my rent each month (and maybe pay for my then Match.com membership). It did and has since. Pretty cool.

Note: Match.com profile was deleted when I met my wife….;o)

  • Clients for life: If you’re good at what you’re doing, you’ll have clients that you’ll keep around forever. Also, since we in the fitness industry know that word of mouth advertising is more effective than anything else, happy clients will tell their friends and family.
  • It’s honestly fun: I really enjoy this part of my job. It takes me out of the daily routine of local clients that I work with and gives me something else to think about. It has become another skill to try and master and I like that challenge. Figuring out how to get great results with someone training in their home gym in North Dakota is much different than having that same person in front of you in your gym. You learn how to broaden your horizons as a coach and try to always get better and improve your systems.

Ultimately it’s up to you to decide whether or not online training is your cup of tea. I think when done well, for the right reasons, and with the right systems in place, coaches (and clients) can do very well. However, when taken for granted and with little attention to detail, it can be more detrimental than helpful.

Register for the Online Trainer Academy

 

My good friend, Jon Goodman, has developed what I believe is one of the best resources out there with regards to becoming a bonafide online trainer. If I had something like this back in 2005 my systems would have been much more organized, and I’d probably be married to Jennifer Lopez. True story.

Enrollment is extremely limited and only happens twice a year. Enrollment for early birds will begin February 21, 2017 (tomorrow!) and will close a few weeks thereafter. If you hurry, you can go HERE to download the Lasting Laws of Online Training and get onto the early bird list to save $200 off registration.

Do it.

DO IT.

CategoriesAssessment coaching Corrective Exercise Exercise Technique

Porcelain Post: The Birddog Exercise: Please, Start Coaching It Right

NOTE: the term “Porcelain Post” first came to fruition last year between Brian Patrick Murphy and Pete Dupuis. Without getting into the specifics, it describes a post that can be read in the same time it takes you to go #2.

Huh, I guess that was more specific than I thought.

Enjoy.

Copyright: fizkes / 123RF Stock Photo

 

The Birddog Exercise: Please, Start Coaching It Right

The birddog exercise is a common drill used in many components of health/fitness. It’s most commonly utilized within yoga/pilates circles and referred to as either the donkey kick or chakaravakasana. Which, as we all know, is Elvish for, “doing something poorly and making my corneas jump out of their sockets into a fiery volcano.”

Okay, that’s not true.

But we all know that the bulk of people performing this exercise, whether they’re in a yoga class, performing it on their own, or following the tutelage of a strength coach or personal trainer, end up looking like this (not always, but enough to warrant an intervention in the form of this brief post):

Copyright: fizkes / 123RF Stock Photo

The birddog exercise not only targets the back, but also the hip extensors. It also, and more importantly, teaches the discipline of using proper hip and shoulder motion while maintaining a stable spine.

The picture shown above is the complete opposite of that. What we see instead is a gross exaggeration of lumbar (lower back) extension and a lengthening of the rectus abdominus compounded with excessive rib flare and cervical extension.

Essentially this person is tossing up a ginormous middle finger to any semblance of spinal stability.

Now, in fairness, maybe the woman pictured above was coached into that position for a specific reason:

  • Prepping for the World “How to Eff Up Your Back” Championships?
  • Because it’s Wednesday?

I don’t know the true details. Maybe I should lighten up.6 But what I do know is that I find little benefit in performing the birddog, and it’s likely doing more harm than good.

And when I see it performed this way it makes me do this:

via GIPHY

 

Lets Clean Things Up, Shall We?

What’s most frustrating is the reactions I get from some people when I ask them to perform the birddog. I’ll get someone coming in with a history of low-back pain, and after taking them through a series of screens to see what exacerbates their symptoms I’ll then have them demonstrate this exercise.

What follows is typically a few eye-rolls and a seemingly crescendo of “come on Tony, really? I’ve been doing this exercise all along, can we please turn the page?” 

Low and behold 9/10 (if not 10/10), the same person who has been complaining of weeks/months/years of low back pain in addition to a bevy of other fitness professionals espousing the merits of the birddog, when asked to demonstrate it, ends up looking exactly like the second picture above.

Case in point. I had an eval with a new female client last week. She was a referral from another trainer located here in the Boston area and she informed me that this client had been battling some chronic low-back shenanigans for the past few years. To the other trainer’s credit: much of what she had been doing with this client was spot on (and I have zero doubts this client was coached very well). However, the birddog lends itself to be one of those “hum-drum, don’t worry, I got this” exercises where people (I.e., the client), when left to their own devices, becomes complacent and lackadaisical in its execution.

Play close attention to the before and after videos below:

The birddog exercise is a well known exercise to help build core strength/endurance and spinal integrity, and many people do it very poorly. It’s one of those exercises that gets the “yeah, yeah, I already know how to do that one” treatment because it looks so simple and easy. Here’s a new client that came in yesterday for an eval and described a long history of chronic back pain. She actually presented with both flexion & extension intolerance. Sucks. I asked her to show me her birddog because she mentioned she had been performing it all along (top video). I wanted to swallow a live grenade. It wasn’t a great looking exercise. She’d fall into an excessive arch on every rep more or less “feeding” her symptoms. So I took a few minutes and coached her up to clean up the pattern. I got her to find “spine neutral” and cued her to instead of thinking about raising her back (moving) leg UP, to move it BACK instead. To help with this I also had her place her foot on a ValSlide so as she extended her leg back she couldn’t arch through her lower back (sorry my video taking skills sucked here and I didn’t show the ValSlide. I promise it’s there though). Once there, and her leg was fully extended, I had her ever so slightly lift her foot off the slide an inch or two (not much) and then “own” the position for a few seconds. As you can see a HUGE improvement. Talking the time to coach your clients up, even on the seemingly “easy” exercises can make all the difference. I suspect we’ll be able to accomplish a lot in the near future.

A post shared by Tony Gentilcore (@tonygentilcore) on

 

Before = her execution of the exercise was “feeding” into her symptoms and most likely resulted in a kitten dying.

After = ticker tape parade for coaching!

With a just a few subtle cues and a “molding” of the exercise to better fit her current ability level, we were able to significantly clean up her technique and the exercise not only felt more challenging, but she felt better.

  • The difference maker was placing a ValSlide underneath her moving leg so that she’d be less likely to fall into extension.
  • From there, with the leg fully straight, I then had her lift her foot off the ground an inch or two and then “OWN” the movement/position.
  • She then held for a 3-5s count, performed 3-5 repetitions per side, and we then fist pumped to some Tiesto.

Coaching oftentimes involves paying closer attention to the details, even with the more mundane exercise that we often take for granted. With the birddog it often behooves us to slow people down, get a little more hands on with them (provide more kinesthetic awareness), and hold then accountable to be SPOT ON with their technique each and every rep.

This is what separates correctives and programs that work (and serve a purpose) and those that lead to less than exemplary results due to haphazard execution.

Categoriescoaching Exercise Technique Program Design

The Humble Goblet Squat

Last week I broke down one of my favorite variations to teach the squat to beginners. I was expecting some blow-back because I had the audacity, nay, the cojones, to not mention the Goblet squat.

Of course, I love the Goblet squat. As you should too. It’s a wonderful little exercise that serves as a “catch all” to groove a better squat pattern. And on top of that…it’s super versatile.  As you’ll come to realize after reading this excellent guest post from Shane McLean.

Copyright: blanarum / 123RF Stock Photo

The Holy Grail

The Goblet squat has revolutionized the way the squat is being performed and taught throughout the world. If don’t know what a Goblet squat is, I’m getting Dan John to come over to your house and slap you upside the head.  

If you don’t know even who he is, I suggest you Google him.  Pronto.

Dan John stumbled upon this excellent exercise by chance.  

“Years ago, I was faced with teaching 400 athletes to squat correctly. I attempted move after move and lift after lift, yet I failed every time.

I saw glimmers of hope from teaching one kid the Zercher squat and a few picked up the pattern when we lifted Kettlebells off the ground but nothing was really working.

The answer was somewhere in between a Zercher and a Potato squat. It came to me when I was resting between swings with the weight held in front of me like I was holding the Holy Grail.

I squatted down from there, pushed my knees out with my elbows and behold, the goblet squat.” (1)

I guess you can say he choose wisely.

Thanks to Dan’s discovery people in gyms everywhere have discovered the joys of squatting. The Goblet squat is an exercise that’s great for beginners and advanced exercisers alike.

But what makes the Goblet squat so good?

Holding the weight anteriorly encourages you to stand up straighter, get that upper back tight and puff out that chest which sets the table for good squat. Furthermore, the weight acts as a counter balance that encourages you to sit between your legs and not over your knees.  

 

For most gym-goers, the Goblet squat may be the only squat you’ll ever need.  It beats squatting on a stability ball by about a trillion. Why do people do that?

Now that I’ve established the Goblet squat is the bomb, let’s look at some variations so you can squat like a boss.

1. Goblet Box Squat

 

If it’s been a while since you’ve squatted or you’ve never done a Goblet squat before, this variation is a good starting point. Reducing the range of motion combined with a reference point with the box will help you groove proper technique.

Pairing this with single arm press/pull combined with a mobility drill works like a charm. For example:

1A. Goblet Box Squat

1B. Single Arm Row

1C. Half Kneeling Hip Flexor Stretch

 

2. KB Goblet Squat with Lowering

 

Tony calls this lowering but I’d prefer to calling this a biceps curl. Any excuse to work on the guns, right?

 

The pause at the bottom of the squat with the ‘curl’ helps you ‘own’ the bottom position and creates extra tension in the anterior core and the posterior chain. It’s going to tickle the legs a little also.  

Pairing this with a suitcase carry will provide a greater challenge for your lungs and grip strength. Try this little finisher that I borrowed from Dan ‘the man’ John.

 

  • 8 Goblet squat with lowering
  • Suitcase carry left hand 40 steps
  • 7 Goblet squats with lowering
  • Suitcase carry right hand 40 steps
  • 6 Goblet squats with lowering
  • Suitcase carry left hand 40 steps
  • 5 Goblet squats with lowering
  • Suitcase carry right hand 40 steps
  • 4 Goblet squats with lowering
  • Suitcase carry left hand 40 steps
  • 3 Goblet squats with lowering
  • Suitcase carry right hand 40 steps
  • 2 Goblet squats with lowering
  • Suitcase carry left hand 40 yards
  • 1 Goblet squat with lowering
  • Suitcase carry right hand 40 yards
  • Collapse

3. Goblet Squat with Resistance Band

Click HERE

How do you make Goblet squats more enjoyable? By adding a looped resistance band of course. Adding a band to the kettlebell helps you control the eccentric portion of the movement and provides extra resistance on the concentric portion also.

Furthermore, some gyms don’t have big enough kettlebells to challenge advanced lifters and adding a band helps…… or hurts depending on your perspective.

This exercise can be done for straight sets but if you’re feeling ambitious you can pair this with a little exercise called the Goblet lateral walk.  For example

1A. Goblet squat with band 8-12 reps

1B. Goblet lateral walk 8-12 steps each side

1C. Your grip will love you

 

4. Goblet Squat 1 ½

 

 

Adding a half a repetition to this exercise will make you hate life but will increase tension in your legs, anterior core and the posterior chain. These factors will give you a lower body of steel.

This exercise can be used as a finisher at the end of your leg training or can be super-setted with a core exercise for a rousing good time. For example:

1A. Goblet squat 1 ½

1B. Push up position plank

 

5. TG Addition: Goblet Elevator Squats

A nice progression for 1-1/2 rep Goblet squats would be elevator squats. I learned this one from my good friend Ben Bruno.

Here you’ll squat down into the bottom position, come 1/2 way up, back down again, then 3/4 of the way up, back down, and then stand tall. This is a great option for those who A) can’t think of any other way to make them hate life more and/or B) have limited options in terms of load you can use (the increased time under tension is a leg killer).

 

Wrapping Up

The Goblet squat makes it possible for most people to squat with good form and to reestablish the squat pattern for those who have ‘lost’ it. This also doubles as an excellent mobility exercise for the lower body.  

Start choosing squats wisely. Incorporate the Goblet squat into your routine pronto and make Dan a happy man.

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.

CategoriesAssessment coaching Corrective Exercise Exercise Technique

My Go To Squat Progression For Pretty Much Everyone

Teaching a beginner how to squat well can be challenging. There’s no denying there are a lot of moving parts that can derail our best efforts to do so.

Copyright: rawpixel / 123RF Stock Photo

 

My intention of this quick-n-dirty post isn’t to break down the squat in its entirety. For that I’d encourage you to check out Greg Nuckols’ How to Squat: The Definitive Guide.

It’s basically the War and Peace of squat biomechanics and technique. Except, you know, not written by a Russian.

Instead, my goal today is to hammer home a few candid points when working with beginners on their squatting technique.

1. “Beginners” in this sense could mean a 13 year old who’s never touched a weight or a 57 year old who’s had a few decade hiatus. And everything in between. Male, female, athletes, non-athletes, centaurs, you name it.

2. The squat is a basic human movement pattern. Unfortunately, in today’s world, we don’t move as much as we used to, and subsequently many struggle with the movement. Oftentimes one’s only source of physical activity is if or when they get their butts to the gym.

And even if they do that, there’s no guarantee they exercise in a range of motion below a certain degree of hip flexion.

There’s truth to the common phrase “if you don’t use it, you lose it.”

This isn’t to insinuate that everyone has to squat to a certain level or that you’ll lose some street cred if you happen to not squat ass-to-grass. As I’ve repeatedly stated on this blog everyone is different (leverages, anthropometry) and it’s silly, nay, fucking moronic to think everyone has to squat deep.

So whenever I work with a beginner or someone coming off a significant injury it’s on me – the coach – to take the time to groove a solid squat pattern.

This rarely (if ever) involves placing a barbell on someone’s back on Day #1.

Why?

  • Because I said so….;o)
  • Many people lack the requisite t-spine (extension) and shoulder mobility (abduction/external rotation) to hold a barbell in that position without it feeling weird of wonky.
  • Many lack the kinesthetic awareness to sit back (and down) in a fashion that emulates a squat.
  • There’s no Golden Rule that we have to load people right away.
  • I’m more concerned with teaching proper position.

It’s that last point – teaching proper position – that’s a game changer in my eyes. You see, many people tend to “sit” in a state of perpetual (excessive) extension where their pelvis tilts forward, otherwise known as anterior pelvic tilt (APT)

To be clear: APT is not bad or wrong or needs to be fixed. It’s normal. However, when it’s excessive it not only places more strain on the spine (particularly the facet joints), but it also leads to poor alignment where the diaphragm and pelvic floor point in different directions.

Within PRI (Postural Restoration Institute) circles (<— total nerd fest) this is called the “Scissor Position.” What we’d like to strive for is what’s known as the “Canister Position,” where the diaphragm and pelvic floor are aligned or stacked on top of another.

Another way to think of it, is something I stole from Dr. Evan Osar.

“Think of your pelvis as one ring and your rib cage as a bunch of more rings. What you want is to stack those rings on top of one another.”

Mike Robertson is also a fan of this approach and even goes a step further and notes the importance of reaching, and how that can have a positive effect on one’s overall positioning. When we “reach” we nudge ourselves into a little more posterior pelvic tilt (back to “neutral”) and we then achieve proper diaphragm/pelvic floor alignment. Bada bing, bada boom.

If all of that comes across as me speaking Elvish, watch this video.

Plate Loaded Front Squat

 

The plate loaded front squat is now my “go to” squat progression when working with beginners. It’s something I’ve used for years for a few reasons:

1. The plate serves a counterbalance as one squats down towards the floor helping them to learn proper torso positioning and balance. It’s makes things infinitely easier with regards to sitting back & down into a squat.

2. Pressing the plate out front also helps to better engage the anterior core musculature. This is so crucial. I can’t tell you how many times people have come in for an assessment telling me stories of trainer upon trainer telling them how “tight” they are because they couldn’t squat past parallel. Prior to coming to me they had spent years, years stretching and working on any number of hip mobility drills.

Thing is: they weren’t tight. People rarely are. Or, at least it’s rarely ever that cut and dry (tight vs. not tight). In reality most are weak and unstable. For many, their nervous system is putting on the brakes because it perceives a lack stability. By having trainees press the plate out front it automatically forces the core to fire – thus providing more stability. And miraculously they’re able to squat deeper.

And I come across as the next Professor Dumbledore.

Moreover, it was Mike Robertson who pointed out to me the added benefit of the plate loaded front squat. The “reach” results in better diaphragm and pelvic floor alignment.

It teaches people context, and to own the “canister” position (preventing the ribs from flaring out). That way, when they progress to barbell variations, they’ll have a better understanding of what we’re after and what will (in all likelihood) allow them to perform at a higher level for longer periods of time reducing the risk of injury.

Want More Mike Robertson Nuggets of Programming Badassery?

Physical Preparation on Sale

I owe much of my programming savvy to Mike Robertson. It’s little nuggets of wisdom (as demonstrated above) that helps to separate him from the masses. I’ve always enjoyed his approach and way of explaining things. There aren’t many coaches who have the innate ability to take complex topics and “dumb them down” for the masses (like myself).

His excellent resource, Physical Preparation 101 is currently on sale at $100 off the regular price from now through this Friday (2/10).

It’s basically his entire philosophy on program design. 12 DVDs of Mike Robertson knowledge bombs. I have zero doubts the money you invest in this will pay for itself tenfold in client retention.

Do yourself a favor, go HERE and thank me later.