Categoriescoaching Exercise Technique Strength Training

3 Ways the Kettlebell Deadlift Can Improve Your Barbell Deadlift

Today’s guest post comes courtesy of Providence, RI based strength coach, Joe DeLeo. He discusses the kettlebell deadlift and why it can have a lot of influence on one’s performance with the barbell deadlift.

Enjoy!

3 Ways the Kettlebell Deadlift Can Improve Your Barbell Deadlift

The kettlebell deadlift can help you improve your barbell deadlift and the hip hinge.

I know what you are thinking…. “There can be only one!”

Hopefully by the end of this article I will have convinced you of the value of both and how you can improve your barbell deadlift with the kettlebell deadlift.

Key Benefits & Differences

Deadlifts can be performed two ways: conventional and sumo. A conventional deadlift has the feet placed inside the grip and a sumo deadlift has the feet placed outside the grip.

If this is confusing, I highly encourage you to go back and read Tony’s blog “The Deadlift: Beginner Basics” as well as his E-Book Pick Heavy Things Up which can you get for FREE by subscribing at the bottom of this article.

Note from TG: I agree. They’re both life changing. And come with a lifetime supply of hugs.

There are three main differences between the kettlebell and barbell deadlift: Grip, Stance, and The Path of the Handle.

1) Grip

In the barbell deadlift you maintain an overhand grip (palms down, knuckles up) for as long as you can maintain perfect technique or until you get to a heavy enough weight. At this point you will switch to an alternate grip. In the kettlebell deadlift you maintain an overhand grip the entire time.

One of the limiting factors in being able to deadlift heavier weight is your grip strength. Usually a person’s grip will fatigue before their posterior chain does. As Boston based coach, owner of Iron Body Studios, and Xena herself, Artemis Scantalides, notes in THIS article:

“As kettlebell sizes increases so does the thickness of the handle. A thicker handle requires more muscle activation!”

Another added benefit is that when performing the double kettlebell deadlift you will be training the grip of each hand independently while simultaneously learning to maintain equal tension through the left and right sides of your back and latissmus dorsi. You can easily monitor this, by noting if one of your shoulders becomes unpacked or you have greater difficulty maintaining control with one hand over the other.

This really helps to develop the mind/body connection or in scientific terms the neuromuscular connection.

2) Stance

In the conventional barbell deadlift your feet will be about 12 inches apart and toes pointed at about 30 degrees. The handle of the barbell should align over your midfoot as seen in the pictures below.

In the kettlebell deadlift your stance will fluctuate depending on whether you are deadlifting one or two kettlebells and the bell size. The kettlebell deadlift by nature is more similar to a sumo barbell deadlift as your hands are going between your legs and you’re in a wider stance (picture below).

One of the most difficult aspects in the barbell deadlift is finding the correct back position and making sure the chest is ‘up’ (I should be able to see the logo on your t-shirt!).

Mark Rippetoe makes a great point in Starting Strength: Basic Barbell Training:

“Everything else can be wrong with the deadlift and nothing really bad will happen but if your low back is round under a big load, safety will be compromised.”

It is very difficult to round your back with the kettlebell deadlift because the weight is behind you. If you round your back you will shift weight to the balls of your feet and tip over.

3) The Path of the Handle

This is probably where the greatest difference lies and the biggest benefit as well.

The path of a barbell deadlift should be vertical, always. It is the most efficient way to get the bar off the floor.

With the kettlebell deadlift that’s not possible due to the placement of the bells level or behind the malleolus.

The path of the kettlebell takes the shape of a “J” as it travels from the ground through full hip extension.

Now this actually works to one’s advantage because it elicits a stronger stretch reflex in the glutes and the hamstrings. This is because the weight is traveling behind our center of mass. This helps to really groove a solid hip hinge for the barbell deadlift and build some serious strength in the posterior chain, not to mention it makes for a lot of fun picking heavy things up!

Focus on really building control and coordination with the kettlebell deadlift and see your barbell deadlift improve as well.

References

  1. Jones, Brett. Cook, Gray. Kettlebells from the Center: Dynami. Functional Movement Systems. 2010. Print.
  1. Baechle, Thomas R; Earle, Roger W.Essentials of Strength Straining and Conditioning; Page 327. National Strength and Conditioning Association. Human Kinetics. 2008. Print.
  1. Rippetoe, Mark. Starting Strength: Basic Barbell Training 3rd Edition. Page 108. The Aasgaard Company. 2013. Print.
  2. “Scantalides, Artemis. Why I love the Single and Double Kettlebell Deadlift. 12/10/2015. Website.”

About Joe DeLeo

Joe DeLeo is a former collegiate rower turned strength coach. His practice focuses on working with endurance athletes to get stronger so they can perform their best. He also has tremendous experience rehabbing rowing-related injuries and stresses. He focuses on three modalities to train his athletes and clients: bodyweight, kettlebells, and indian clubs.

He is a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist through the National Strength and Conditioning Association. He holds certifications as a Functional Movement Specialist, Rocktape FMT II, and is a Level I Girya with StrongFirst.

He lives in Providence, RI, where he can be found both off and on the water helping his athletes get stronger and faster! You can read his blog posts HERE.

Categoriescoaching Exercise Technique Exercises You Should Be Doing

Exercises You Should Be Doing: Hinge Row

Mike Boyle was once quoted as saying:

“Most trainees can never really do enough (horizontal) rowing.”

I tend to agree.

It’s no secret most guys (and girls) are mirror-centric, often training the muscles most easily viewed when staring into a mirror – pectorals, shoulders, biceps, abdominals, and the tranzipidous1

It’s also no secret most guys (not so much girls) often skip leg day

Whenever I audit a program it’s amazing to me the ratio of pushing exercises compared to pulling. I saw one program recently that, when broken down into it’s parts, looked like this:

Push (benching variations): 45 total sets

Pull: 7 total sets. And none of them were horizontal in nature. All were the obligatory handful of sets of lat pulldowns – more glenohumeral internal rotation – tossed in for good measure.

And this person was wondering why their shoulder was bothering them. Weird.

Horizontal rowing variations (think: inverted rows, seated rows, chest supported rows, 1-arm row variations) do a superb job at targeting the upper back – specifically scapular retraction – which often helps to offset or counteract the muscular imbalances and injuries seen with too much pressing.

Moreover, horizontal rowing offers many aesthetic advantages and I’m pretty sure it’s a well known scientific fact it also cures gonorrhea2. And a bad hair day.

For all the accolades and hoopla, horizontal rowing does have a dark side and is not immune from scrutiny or interrogation from the technique police.

As I covered in THIS article a few months ago, I do feel there’s a common flaw in how many people perform their row variations.

More people are rowing: Yay!

More people are rowing incorrectly:

So today I wanted to share a variation I’ve been using with many of my own athletes/clients which helps to address the technique flaw discussed in the link above (<— seriously, you should read it).

The Hinge Row

 

Who Did I Steal It From: This exercise is nothing new (and it is one I’ve used sporadically in the past), but it wasn’t until I watched a video from Jordan Syatt where I had a better appreciation for it’s value.

What Does It Do: The fatal flaw many people make with their rows is that they keep their scapulae (shoulder blades) “glued” together the entire time. They’ll perform their first repetition by squeezing their shoulder blade(s) together (retraction/adduction) – which is correct – but then keep them there throughout the duration of the set.

You need to let those bad boys move.

By not letting them move – think: shoulder blade should move around the rib cage – the bulk of the motion comes form the glenohumeral joint alone (often leading to anterior humeral translation, and hence instability) in addition to leading to rhomboid dominance and the risk of scapular downward rotation syndrome.

A sort of “reverse posturing” if you will.

As a result the shoulder blades can’t effectively upwardly rotate, which exposes the shoulder to a whole host of other issues and makes performing activities overhead difficult.

And makes this kitten sad.

The hinge row allows for more scapular movement – particularly upward rotation.

Key Coaching Cues: You’ll set up as you would for a normal suspension trainer (TRX, Jungle Gym, rings) row with the body in a straight line. Maintaining a straight/rigid torso you’ll pull the shoulder blades together keeping chest up. On the way down, however, instead of maintaining the rigid torso you’ll allow a “hinge” at the hips when your arms are fully extended and lower them to the ground. Basically, you should feel a subtle stretch at in the bottom position.

This allows the scapulae to upwardly rotate, which is money.

Of Note: This can also be performed if you don’t have access to a suspension system, like so:

 

If you notice, I have a pad on the bar to serve as a target for my chest and to prevent myself from going too far into glenohumeral extension.

I like this variation, but I prefer the former because it doesn’t lock me into a pronated (overhand) grip which then locks me into internal rotation.

The suspension system allows for a little more wiggle room with regards to external rotation of the shoulder.

Of Note (again): you can easily make this exercise more challenging by 1) elevating the feet onto a platform (box, bench) or by 2) adding an external load with either a weight vest or by placing chains across the hips.

Don’t be too quick to jump to the progressions. This exercise is every bit about the QUALITY of movement as it is about anything else. And if I catch wind of anyone adding a “kip” to this, I’ll punch you in the face.

Categoriescoaching

What It Means to “Pull the Slack Out of the Bar”

In today’s brief video blog I discuss what a coach is really saying when he or she says to “pull the slack out of the bar.”

It’s a common cue, and one I feel tends to elicits looks like this from people receiving it:

A blank, emotionless void.

All kidding aside, it’s a cue that does hold a lot of weight (<– sick pun3) and accomplishes many things:

  • Teaches people to get and maintain tension.
  • Teaches people to get and maintain tension.
  • Teaches people to get and maintain tension.
  • Improves your Spanish.

But for real, it’s a good one.

What It Means to “Pull Slack Out of the Bar”

Categoriescoaching Female Training Strength Training

Find a Winning Community: Spandex Optional. Why More Woman Should Consider Strength Training

People tend to perform best and feel their best when they know they’re a part of a community.

This sentiment is true in almost any context whether referring to AA, drama club, team sports, galactic Empires, or hell, even one of those super secret societies, like in the movie Eyes Wide Shut. But it’s especially true within fitness circles.

It’s in fitness where people can commiserate in unison through a brutal squat session, conditioning circuit, or a random CrossFit WOD of muscles ups paired with running over your right arm with a Prowler for AMRAP.

In short: If you’re part of a (fitness) community you’re more likely to see things through, build an increased sense of perseverance and resiliency, and less likely to give up.

Too, you’re more likely to see the fruits of your labor; I.e., results!

I can attest to this phenomenon via my affiliation with Cressey Sports Performance for eight years, as well as my past experience training at South Side Barbell, a powerlifting gym formerly located in Stratford, CT.

When you train around like-minded individuals (or train with a purpose) great things happen.

CrossFit Gets All the Hype

There’s no denying the overwhelming sense of camaraderie and community that CrossFit has been able to establish amongst its fans and members in recent years. It’s something I commend with vigor.

Nothing has gotten the barbell in more people’s hands – especially women – than CrossFit.

However there’s another fitness “faction” that’s been doing the same thing for years, and one I feel is every bit as motivational and a champion of community as CrossFit.

Maybe even better in several ways.

And it’s a community I wish more people – especially women – would consider.

Drum roll please……..

Powerlifting (But Really, Strength Training In General)

Fear not ladies! I know the word “powerlifting” is often synonymous with “I’m not touching that with a ten foot pole.”

Besides, handstand push-ups and cartwheels look a helluva lot more fun than grinding out a heavy deadlift. I get it.

Plus, the word itself – powerlifting – reeks of intimidation and infers something only advanced lifters dabble in.

Relax. Deep breaths. There’s nothing advanced about it. At it’s base level..all powerlifting really means is strength training.

Besides, what follows assumes that you are equipped with some very basic tools: a working knowledge of gym lingo (you know the difference between a set and rep, can differentiate between a squat and a deadlift, and understand that the word “muscle confusion” is moronic). Also: if you recognize that this picture…..

…is of a dumbbell and not, say, a stapler…we’re good, and you can safely proceed knowing you’re not going to be over your head.

Why More Women Should Powerlift/Strength Train

Okay, I lied. There is a teeny tiny degree of intimidation tied to powerlifting. I mean, I felt it the first time I ever visited South Side Barbell with Eric Cressey back in 2006.

I had just moved to Connecticut (where Eric and I were working and living together) and I tagged along with Eric to South Side to get a lift in. Note: Eric was a competitive powerlifter at the time.

I remember walking through the doors the first time into a room full of 280+ lb giants warming up with my 1RM. Intimidation doesn’t begin to articulate what I was feeling. I was trying every trick in the book not to destroy the back of my pants.

Moreover, as the weeks passed, I had to “wear” the not-so-subtle ball-busting…you know, being the skinny, veiny guy and all. But it didn’t take long for me to be accepted and to feel as if I was part of the group; part of a team.

Likewise, it didn’t take long for me to understand that it was one of the most giving and educational experiences in my lifting career, despite not competing.

To reiterate, though, you don’t need to train AT a powerlifting gym in order to strength train. You can do it anywhere.

Also, on an aside: Spandex (those silly singlets) are only needed to compete.

1) Community

This is very much on par with CrossFit. The powerlifting community is a generous one, and one that will always give back (assuming you’re someone who will show up, do the work, and take a role as part of a team). Basically you need to give too, and not just take.

And like CrossFit, when you’re surrounded by like-minded individuals it’s pretty much impossible not to see results.

Cressey Sports Performance coach, Tony Bonvechio, started the CSP Women’s Powerlifting team a few months ago and when I was still there I saw firsthand how empowering and invigorating it was for the women who took part.

 

It was awesome to see them train as a team, and to watch them coach and cheer one another as they continued to hit PRs.

The “community” element can’t be understated, and I’d encourage anyone reading to seek out a facility or group to work with, even if it’s only 1x per week. It’s worth it.

2) Purpose

Admittedly, not everyone is going to have easy access to a facility or group of people who like to powerlift and/or strength train. But that doesn’t mean you still can’t reap the benefits.

Following a powerlifting/strength-centric program gives people PURPOSE in their training; a goal. It helps to take away the notion that progress (or results) is dictated by what the scale says or what the gossip magazines like to portray as the ideal body type.

Instead, powerlifting (like CrossFit) places higher credence on performance-based goals, which to me has a greater carryover to long-term, consistent progress than anything.

It’s funny: when things start to click and a woman latches on to strength as a positive thing – and not something to be condemned – many of the aesthetic markers she may have be working towards for years with little or no result begin to manifest.

It becomes less about “look at me, I’m hot. Do you think I’m hot? I’m hot, right?” and more about “look at me, and this deadlift PR I just smashed.”

3) Technique

By now some of you may be thinking:

“Well, it seems there’s not much difference between CrossFit and powerlifting in terms of advantages. So, why not just CrossFit?”

This third point is where I feel the two start to separate themselves.

Disclaimer: Yes, CrossFit, I know plenty of coaches and boxes you coach their athletes/clients up well, use intelligent programming, and take the time to properly ramp up or progress individuals based off ability level, goals, and limitations.

But lets be real: that’s the exception and not the rule. Because, CrossFit.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=opYj0XICHvQ

 

The overwhelming mentality is “lets do stuff because it looks cool and because it’s hard4” rather than “lets do stuff that will make people better, educate them, and allow them to build some semblance of fitness autonomy.”

As Dean Somerset noted recently:

“The benefits of learning technique for outweigh the benefits of simply doing an exercise. Using powerlifting principles to teach positioning, bracing, and organization to perform a lift helps to limit secondary movement from joints that shouldn’t be causing the movement, and helps reduce the likelihood of problems down the road.”

The principles of powerlifting help to build proficiency in the “big 3,” which makes the learning curve when introducing new movements much less of a barrier.

You learn to become your own coach.

Unapologetically Powerful

Jennifer Blake and Jen Sinkler have constructed a resource – Unapologetically Powerful – I feel will help a lot of women understand the power behind powerlifting. <— See what I just did there. Clever, right?

I mean, why should you have to “apologize” or feel ostracized because you’re strong or want to be strong?

They help to make powerlifting more accessible to women and less intimidating. Here’s what’s in the program

  • A comprehensive training manual that includes Beginner and Early Intermediate 12-week powerlifting programs with a detailed introduction to biofeedback training.
  • An extensive guide on how to compete for first-time powerlifters who want to step onto the platform.
  • A complete exercise glossary with clear-cut written coaching cues and images.
  • A MASSIVE video library of more than 140 exercise demonstration videos. Every movement in the program is in the video library, with detailed coaching cues to walk you through each exercise step by step.
  • A revamped version of Lift Weights Faster geared specifically toward powerlifters.

Unapologetically Powerful is on sale for HALF OFF now through midnight Friday, December 11. For more info, click HERE.

Categoriescoaching Exercise Technique Female Training Strength Training

3 Squat Variations You Haven’t Tried Yet, But Need To

Today’s guest post comes courtesy of Jennifer Vogelgesang Blake – or JVB as she’s affectionately called – a coach at The Movement Minneapolis, competitive powerlifter, and author (along with Jen Sinkler) of Unapologetically Powerful, a new resource designed as a go-to source for learning the “big 3” lifts, and removes the intimidation often attached at their hip.

Or weight clamps in this case.

Anyone can (and will) benefit from this resource – especially beginner and intermediate lifters who are even the slightest bit interested in competing and/or honing their technique.

And, I’d be remiss not to mention I feel this is a home run for any woman who may be on the fence about this whole “lifting heavy things” thing.  

Without further ado, I’ll let JVB take it from here. Enjoy!

3 Squat Variations You Haven’t Tried Yet, But Need To

I’m going to be bracingly honest with you. If I were forced to choose, with my feet to the fire, I would have to own up to liking to squat more than I like to deadlift.

(I can picture Tony Gentilcore’s eyes firing up like Darth Sidius in The Empire Strikes Back and pledging an oath to never host a guest blog from me on his site ever again. This is what they call “going out on a limb.”)

I don’t think it’s unusual for lifters to hold a slight allegiance to one or the other. Both big lifts remind me of a bricklayer laying bricks: strengthening the quads, hams, back, and core are going to construct a house no one is going to be able to knock down. Even so, to me, there’s something really thrilling about loading a bar onto your back and refusing to let it plaster your face into the ground.

 

Squats open up the lifting in a powerlifting meet.

Of the three main lifts (back squat, bench press, and deadlift), squats come first. I’ve come to regard this lift as the party starter—it sets the tone for the rest of the day.

Starting the meet off strong gets your mind in a good place and a great result there infuses confidence into the following two lifts. Feeling strong also improves your mental game.

On that note, make all versions of your squat the same sort of tone-setter.

There are so many riffs on the movement: bilateral variations, such as kettlebell goblet squats and barbell front squats, are excellent for targeting anterior core strength, and unilateral variations such as Bulgarian split squats, skater squats, and pistol squats are key for giving both legs the chance to work, and to even out strength imbalances.

These variations are like the sprinkles on a cupcake, though: while I like to sprinkle that ish liberally, I know that these sprinkles alone do not a great, big, fluffy cupcake make.

I acknowledge that I need to work on my similes, but you don’t have to be a powerlifter to embrace cupcakes and the following three lifts, you only have to be interested in improving your strength everywhere—but especially in your core and in the bottom position of a squat. If you are, chances are good that you could give your current back squat PR a nice bump if you incorporate them regularly.

Barbell Squat-To-Box

First things first: what’s the point of having a big squat if it’s not a big, full-range-of-motion squat? Quarter squats don’t count when you’re going for bragging rights.

Depth issues sometimes come down to a lack of awareness in how low you are actually getting.

Heads up: Don’t confuse the Barbell Squat-To-Box with Barbell Box Squats, a variation in which you actually sit on the box. This is a touch-and-go movement and will help you learn what it actually feels like to squat to proper depth.

 

Zercher Squat

When David Dellanave, owner of The Movement Minneapolis, originally showed me how to do the Zercher squat, I was like, “Really? Why would I want to hold the bar like that?” His answer, “It’s going to get you really f#cking strong, that’s why.”

Zercher squats hammer your quads like crazy, and you’ve never experienced an ab workout quite as intense as a set of heavy Zercher squats. Getting your body strong in weird positions will make lifting in more conventional position that much more lovely.

Zercher squats require that you hold the weight in the crook of your elbows while you complete the movement. The Zercher isn’t just limited to the squat, either: you can also Zercher hold, carry, and deadlift. Because of the position of the weight on your body, this variation is killer for strengthening the upper back.

Hot Tip: Wrap the bar in padding or even a yoga mat for greater comfort.

 

Pause-in-the-Hole Squat

Many lifters rely on the stretch reflex, that rubber-band-like contraction that happens when the muscles stretch at the bottom of the squat, to bounce out of the hole. There’s nothing inherently wrong with taking advantage of this phenomenon, which is particularly handy when attempting to move the most weight your body can handle.

But, there’s something to be said for eliminating the bounce and building strength from a dead stop in the bottom position.

It means you’ll be less likely to stay stuck in the hole.

Pause-in-the-Hole Squats are a favorite for addressing this issue because your position must inherently stay tight from the top position and hold tight throughout the bottom pause (lest you topple) before driving out of the hole. The extra time under tension will fully hammer home the need to keep the upper back tight and entire core braced, as well as build static strength in the lower back, hips, and abs.

Pausing at the bottom is undeniably challenging, even when your form is shipshape, so lessen the weight accordingly.

 

About JVB

Jennifer Vogelgesang Blake’s leggings might be pink but her weights aren’t. A personal trainer at The Movement Minneapolis, she is a powerlifting coach and competitor with a passion for helping her clients discover and grow their strength, inside and out.  She’s here to spread the good word that strong is empowering and because of that, really, really fun.

Unapologetically Powerful is here!

Are you ready to become Unapologetically Powerful? If you’re even just a little bit interested in improving your back squat, bench press, and deadlift, and building lean, beautiful muscle, you’re going to love digging into this program.

Unapologetically Powerful is your go-to resource to learning all about the “big three” lifts, and removes any intimidation from training for and competing, should you decide to, in the sport of powerlifting.

Trainers Jen Sinkler and JVB have teamed up to provide you the answers to all of your powerlifting questions—and get you radically and unapologetically strong. Here’s what’s in the program:

  • A comprehensive training manual that includes Beginner and Early Intermediate 12-week powerlifting programs with a detailed introduction to biofeedback training.
  • An extensive guide on how to compete for first-time powerlifters who want to step onto the platform.
  • A complete exercise glossary with clear-cut written coaching cues and images.
  • A MASSIVE video library of more than 140 exercise demonstration videos. Every movement in the program is in the video library, with detailed coaching cues to walk you through each exercise step by step.
  • A revamped version of Lift Weights Faster geared specifically toward powerlifters.

Unapologetically Powerful is on sale for HALF OFF now through midnight Friday, December 11. For more info, click HERE.

Categoriescoaching

Why I Turned Down a Division I Scholarship

For those of you reading who’re familiar with the movie Napoleon Dynamite5, today’s post will have a subtle Uncle Rico flavor to it.

To help refresh people’s memory Uncle Rico was Napoleon’s estranged uncle who, outside of living in the most baller van ever, was obsessed with his glory days playing high-school football.

According to him he would’ve “taken State” if only he was given the chance by his coach and put into the game in the 4th quarter. He also claimed that back in ’82 he “used to be able to throw the pigskin a quarter mile.”

We all know or have an Uncle Rico in our lives.

 

And I think for any former athlete reading – including myself, writing these words – it’s safe to say each and every one of us has a degree of Uncle Rico inside just itching to get out and brag about past athletic experiences, endeavors, and accomplishments.

I mean, not for nothing, back in high-school, during the sectional playoffs, my fastball was once clocked at “supersonic.” And I’m pretty sure the Matt Christopher classic, The Kid Who Only Hit Homers, was an unauthorized biography on my life as a Little League all-star.

Yep, true story.

Okay, not true at all. But I was a pretty good athlete – especially in my sport of choice, baseball.

I grew up in a small town in central New York and since the internet didn’t exist way back then, I spent the bulk of my time – particularly during the summer months – playing baseball; much of the time by myself.

I had the luxury of having a massive yard as my playground and I can’t begin to tell how many miles I must have walked back and forth hitting a baseball. I’d hit a baseball, chase after it, and then hit it in the other direction. Over and over and over again

I’d also long toss with myself in the same fashion. Throw a baseball, chase after it, and throw it again in the opposite direction.

If I had a FitBit to track things it would have been equivalent to walking across the country and back.

Also, I grew up on a lumbar yard so there were always stacks of boards or pallets lying around for me to toss a tennis ball or rubber ball against to practice my fielding.

And I even had a tire I hung from a tree I’d hit with an aluminum bat. As you can imagine, I was a blast to hang out with.

I played at the Junior Varsity level as an 8th grader, and was “called up” to Varsity as a Freshman at the end of the year to fill out the playoff roster. I even made it into a game, playing a half-inning at third base where 1) I was thiiiiis close to destroying the back of my pants and 2) assisting in a putout.

I played three years of Varsity baseball and had the honor of making it to the Sectional Finals twice (one step away from States) as well as being named Honorable Mention All-Star once (10th grade) and League All-Star twice (Junior and Senior seasons).

I have proof, too (from one of my old scrap books):

All along I had aspirations of playing at the collegiate level – Division I, of course. Thing is, my hometown was (and is) pretty tiny and smack dab in the middle of no where. Not many kids went on to play sports in college, let alone have the opportunity to play Division I from such a little known area.

I can probably count on one hand the total number of kids who went on to play any sport at the Division I level in my town’s history.

And I Was Somone Who Turned the Opportunity Down

Looking back as an adult I can pontificate on why it was the right move and why it was the right fit for me. More on that below.

However, if I went back in time and told 13 year old me the news I’d envision the interaction as follows:

“Wait, what? You mean we didn’t end up playing at Stanford? You played Junior College and Division II instead? And you chose to do that? WHAT THE HELL?!?! I HATE YOU. YOU’RE RUINING MY LIFE!!! [slams door.]”

I wouldn’t have been happy. Such is life.

Eric Cressey Tweeted this a few months ago:

Coming out of high-school I was good, not great. I think you can tell from the pictures above I wasn’t a “beefy” kid. I was pretty ripped, though….;o)

I was skinny, not fully developed (athletically), and while a big fish in a small pond, raw and unchallenged as a whole.

Playing Division I right out of high-school wasn’t really an option, mostly because zero D-1 coaches came to see me play. Or D-II or D- III coaches, for that matter. One coach did however: Coach Joe Antonio of Onondaga Community College in Syracuse, NY.

NOTE: you can read more about my experiences there (and why Coach Antonio was a huge influence on me with regards to work ethic HERE).

At the time OCC was a Division I JUNIOR college and recruited many of the top high-school baseball players in the central NY region. Coach came to watch me, told me I’d have the opportunity to play every day if I made the team, and that I’d be offered a “book scholarship” to help sweeten the pot. I.e., via a grant I’d have my academic books paid for.

Long story short: I played two years at OCC, was named team MVP-Pitcher both years, and made the All-Conference and All-Region team my sophomore year. And I kissed a girl once.

After two years there I was offered a full scholarship to Marist College (Poughkeepsie, NY), a Division I school in the MAAC conference, but turned it down in lieu of heading to Division II Mercyhurst College (now University) in Erie, PA.

What the What!?!


Why, Tony, Why? (To All Of It)

First off: kudos to any athlete who’s talented and fortunate enough to have the opportunity to play at the Division I level. That’s no small accomplishment and is to be commended.

That said, I do find it’s woefully OVERrated for many athletes.

1) I choose OCC mainly out of necessity (they’re the only ones who recruited me, and, admittedly, I was slightly terrified to leave home. Syracuse was only a 45 minute drive away). But also I knew I’d have the opportunity to play, and hence get better.

Going to OCC would allow me two years to accumulate playing time, experience, and build a little resiliency…

…something I feel is woefully lacking in many – not all – of today’s young athletes, who are told they’re delicate, special snowflakes who deserves to play, and if not, mommy and daddy will bring a firestorm of batshitcraziness.

On an aside: for those who feel it’s beneath them to play at the Junior College level, my first collegiate start was down in Florida against West Palm Community college who, I was told, 8/9 players in the starting line-up were drafted by an MLB team out of high-school.

For the record, I lost. And that team was stacked.

I can’t speak for other sports, but many, many coaches from 4-year schools prefer recruiting guys out of JUCO schools due to the maturity level and experience of the athletes.

On an aside (Part II): going to a community college out of the gate saved me (and my family) a ton of money. Two years at OCC was cheaper than ONE SEMESTER at most four year schools.

On an aside (Part III): despite what the internet – or weekend showcases tell you – most kids do not get full rides to play sports in school – there’s only a finite number each school/sport is allowed and the money is divided amongst all the players.

So there’s an inherent advantage in going to a place where you know you’ll play and where it’s cheaper.

Not paying off student debt for the next 10-20 years is worth it in my book.

And while a little off-topic, to all the Millenials boo-hooing over paying student debt: no one put a gun to your head to go to Harvard or Ithaca College or any other expensive school. Go where you can afford it. And if you do go to an expensive school, get a job and pay it off like everyone else.

I can’t reiterate this enough: if you’re good enough, you’ll get discovered – especially this day and age where players are more “accessible” via YouTube and social media outlets.

What’s more, as Eric’s Tweet noted above: there are plenty of examples of DII/DIII programs who develop Major League talent.

Case in point, Cressey Sports Performance, Jack Leathersich, who was drafted out of UMASS-Lowell (then D-II) in the 5th round in 2012, who made is MLB debut with the New York Mets this past season.

2) When it came down to choosing between Marist (D-1, full-scholarship) and Mercyhurst (D-2, half-scholarship) I had a few things to think about:

  • The coach. Marist’s coach, to me, seemed like a dick. Mind you, Coach Antonio (my junior college coach) was a hard-ass so I wasn’t ambivalent to that point. Contrarily, Mercyhurst’s coach seemed like a genuine guy and someone who was responsible for building a program from nothing to a D-II powerhouse. I liked that.
  • Mercyhurst was coming off a great year (40-6, and a national ranking of #5), and all signs pointed to an even more successful few years to come…maybe even the program’s first appearance in the World Series? Marist, on the other hand, was struggling. And even though it was Division I, I liked the idea of possibly playing in a World Series.
  • Two of my teammates from OCC were also considering Mercyhurst.
  • Marist didn’t have any of my majors (Being Awesome, Education), and Mercyhurst did.

Not that it’s any surprise by now, I chose Mercyhurst6

Hindsight

I still feel going to OCC was 100% the best route for me to take, and I’d be lying if I said there wasn’t still a small part of me that wonders “what if I did go to Marist? What would have happened? Where would I be now?”

As luck would have it, when I arrived at Mercyhurst in the fall of 1997 the coach who recruited me to go there left to pursue another coaching opportunity. Awesome (<– that’s sarcasm).

Which then started a cascade of players leaving and the school scrambling to hire a new coach. I won’t go into the details, but suffice it to say, I was there for two years without a pitching coach and the team hovered around .500.

It was what it was.

The assistant coach at the time, Joe Spano, was hired as the head coach a year after I left and is now the program’s winningest coach (and fresh of the program’s first appearance in the World Series this past spring).

I was still fortunate enough to play collegiate baseball at a high level, and stuff that happened at the ‘hurst (not getting drafted) provoked me to pursue a different degree and finish school back in NY at SUNY Cortland.

I think things turned out okay.

But there’s still a little Uncle Rico in me that wonders “what if…….?”

Categoriescoaching Strength Training

2 Squat Cues That Pretty Much Work For Everyone

I guess before we dive into the cues it may be cogent, first, to discuss what the squat is…especially for those reading who may be hearing/learning about this for the first time.

Squat – noun [skwot]

1) A weightlifting exercise in which a person squats and then returns to an erect position while holding a barbell at the back of the shoulders.7

2) A place occupied by squatters. Not to be confused as a place occupied by people literally squatting – like a gym, or a really cool house filled with squat racks – but rather, a place where a person settles on a land or occupies property without title, right, or payment of rent. Basically, an a-hole.

3) Nautical. The tendency of a vessel to draw more water astern when in motion than when stationary. Huh, I never knew that!

4) Slang. As in, “you don’t know jack squat about squats.”

For the sake of this post, however, we’re going to stick with example #1. I.e., this:

What Is a Squat?

Squats were invented by bears (citation needed), and have long been a staple in weightlifting, strength and conditioning, and powerlifting circles for years and years and years. There’s a reason why most (if not all) successful training programs include squats. They work!

You’d be hard pressed to convince me otherwise that the squat isn’t THE king exercise (definitely top 3) out there that plays a role in helping to increase strength, increase muscle hypertrophy, as well as helping to improve athletic performance. Too, I’d make the case that the squat, when performed correctly to fit one’s unique anatomy, anthropometry, and goals, is one of the best exercises to help “bulletproof” the body and to help offset many of the postural imbalances many people accumulate on a day-t0-day basis from sitting at a desk all day.

Unless you work at the coolest place ever, like in the pic above. Or in space.

Think about what’s required and “needed” in order to perform an acceptable squat (and hit acceptable depth):

Depth (via Mark Rippetoe in Starting Strength) = anterior (front) surface of the thighs dips below knee level.

To help elucidate my point (regarding depth) lets use the ol’ tried and tested Mike Boyle method of coaching. The this-not this-this method.

This:

Not This:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OPfRacm6Jxc

 

This:

Of course many people can hit appropriate depth yet still have all sorts of things go awry.

  • Too much knee valgus (or in some cases, varus).
  • Too much rounding of the upper back (spinal flexion for the snobs out there).
  • Face planting the floor.

Also, we have to be cognizant of any pre-existing injuries or anatomical limitations that may prevent someone from getting to depth in the first place.

Without getting too deep into the biomechanics – if that’s your bag I’d suggest Starting Strength or heading over to Bret Contreras’ blog – lets just all agree (I hope) that there’s a degree of ample t-spine extension, shoulder external rotation, scapular posterior tilt, core stability, hip/knee flexion, adductor extensibility, ankle dorsiflexion, and attitude required to perform a good or “passable” squat.

Likewise, while this topic could easily spin into a I’m right/you’re wrong/my way of squatting is the only way to squat everyone, ever diatribe….I want to do my best to avoid the mental gymnastics involved with that. But mostly because it’s dumb.

A case can be made for low bar vs. high bar, wide-stance vs. narrow(er) stance, hands wide vs. hands close, arched back vs. “canister” position for the ribs, and zombies vs. vampires. Everybody is different and different shit is different.

Moreover we could also make arguments for foot flare, shin angle relative to the floor, torso angle, head-neck positioning, and where the eyes are pointing.

A good coach will always place what’s best for the athlete/client before defaulting to his or her’s personal biases with any one way of performing a lift.

With that out of the way…..

What Is Not a Squat?

To steal a train of thought from one of my new favorite books, Guys Can Be Cat Ladies Too, I feel it’s important to take things a step further and discuss what is not a squat.

Not a squat – noun [nat] [a] [skwot]

1) Anything that is not a squat.

2) A deadlift, a person, a cheese sandwich, a Ford Focus, a Blu-ray player, a baseball, a picture frame — none of these things is a squat.

3) Anything else that is not a squat.

I think that’s settled.

Lets Get To Those Cues

As much as my job revolves around improving the performance of the athletes and clients I work with (Example: lets squat a shit-ton of weight), it’s equally important that I play the role of educator and extinguisher of bad habits.

Read: I fix stuff and make it look better.

It’s not that hard to look at someone’s squat and think to yourself:

A) Does that look good?

or

B) My eyes! MY EYES! MAKE IT STOP!!!!

Step #1, oftentimes, is to put on the brakes and clean up someone’s technique before we begin to worry about increasing load or hitting some kind of tangible number.

What follows are cues that have worked for ME and the clients/athletes I’ve worked with in the past (and present). I am in no insinuating that they’re cemented as “all encompassing,” (for all I know I may very well change my approach next week), but I do feel they bode well for most people looking to hone their squat technique.

What’s more, I also find that if I’m able to get someone to “buy” into these cues that a lot of other things tend to take care of themselves without me even addressing them. Kinda cool.

1) Point Belt Buckle Towards Chin

Admittedly, this is the one cue I may get the most flack for and one which may make people shit a weight belt and un-friend me on social media…but whatevs.

Paying meticulous attention to the set-up is going to make or break your squat. More to the point, paying meticulous attention to getting and MAINTAINING tension is going to make or break your squat.

Getting people to appreciate the importance of a “canister” position with their torso and relying less on an aggressive lumbar arch is, in my opinion, crucial.

I don’t like seeing this:

You’ll notice how there’s an aggressive rib flair in tangent with an aggressive lumbar arch. In PRI (Postural Restoration Institute) circles this is called a “scissor position,” where the two are pointing in opposite directions.

This is not a stable position to be in (and, honestly, open’s up a box of other issues that may need to be dealt with down the road with regards to extension based back pain, Spondy, etc).

Ironically, for the majority of trainees/coaches who adopt this approach – and I used to be one of them – when someone inevitably begins to fall forward on the descent or out of the hole the cue always used is to “arch, chest up, arch, chest up, ARCH.”

Which just feeds into the problem. They’re not stable to begin with!

Now, I am not implying not to arch (nor am I implying not to keep the chest up) The lumbar spine has a natural lordotic curve to it, and I’d prefer to maintain that. All I am saying is that it often works in people’s favor to not OVERarch, cue them to posteriorly tilt the pelvis (belt buckle to chin), and then lock the rib cage down to help maintain anatomical neutral throughout their set.

If I can get someone to accomplish this out of the gate, it’ll make a lot of other things fall into place.

 

2) Rip the Floor Apart

Whether you’re a wide-stance squatter or narrow-stance squatter the cue to “rip the floor apart” applies.

Why?

Truth be told: it lends itself to a better and more efficient bracing strategy, which in turn helps with the whole “getting and maintaining” tension thing.

Not only does it help clean up technique for those who are hyper-mobile or lack motor control with their squat8, but it’s also a nice way to address that annoying “butt wink” or tuck under many people exhibit as they go into deep(er) hip flexion.

Cueing someone to “rip the floor apart” and to gain more external rotation torque in the hips is generally a good strategy for most.

Another way to cue people and get the same effect is to say “spread your sit muscles apart,” which is one I stole from Todd Bumgardner. This way people understand that they should be feeling tension in the hips.

 

Miscellany

Other ones to consider that I’m not going to elaborate on (because I’m hungry):

  • Point elbows towards the floor and “set” lats (which is really pulling elbows towards one another and attainting scapular posterior tilt. Cranky elbows generally mean you’re not moving through the scaps).
  • Push knees out. But not to the point where your feet come off the ground. Think: knees track in line with the direction toes are pointing (which is 15-30 degrees of ER). It helps to open up the hips more and allow for better depth.
  • Take some weight off the bar. It’s not a cue, but seriously, take the weight off. Try not to sacrifice technique for more weight.

For any ladies reading, as it happens, next week Jen Sinkler and Jennifer Blake (JVB) are releasing their Unapologetically Powerful resource to help people learn the ins and outs of powerlifting and how accessible it really is for women.

All this week, to help build buzz, they’re releasing a bunch of FREE videos that are excellent resources in of themselves. Today’s video, coincidentally, is on the squat and three variations that can help make it more fail proof.

I just watched it myself and it gets the TG thumb of approval, which looks like this:

All you have to do is go HERE and enter your email (no spam) and you’re good to go.

Categoriescoaching Program Design

How and Why I Don’t Write My Own Programs

There’s a popular saying I use often:

“The painter’s house is always the last one to get painted.”

I can’t say I know many painters personally to know for certain that this is true – which sorta makes the saying moot – but it serves as a fitting metaphor to today’s post.

I guess I could have just as easily said:

“The carpenter’s house is the last one to get carpeted.”

Or

“The landscapist’s house is the last one to get landscaped.”

Or

“Whatever it’s called when someone installs a customized gold plated Han Solo frozen-in-Carbonite fridge in your kitchen. That guy. He’s always the last one to get a gold plated Han Solo frozen-in- Carbonite fridge.”

Note to my wife: like I have to say anything here.

So what’s the point I’m trying to make?

You’d be surprised as to how many coaches, personal trainers, and other fitness professionals put themselves second and don’t care for themselves as well as they should.

“The coach is often the last one to get coached.”

Even Coaches Need Coaches

Reversing time about a year ago, my back was flipping me the middle finger and my training was a complete train wreck.

It wasn’t just a “oh my back is a little sore today, so I think I’ll just move around a little bit and see how I feel tomorrow” kind of thing.

No, this was more along the lines of “holy mother shit balls, it hurts to sneeze, and I’m walking around like an 80 year old man” kind of sore.

Something was up, and I needed some help. I was still training, but it lacked any semblance of structure and all I was really doing was going through the motions.

Not to sound overly dramatic or anything, but I was thiiiiiiiiiiiiis close to walking into the local 7-Eleven to grab a pint of Ben & Jerry’s and then spending a solid week watching lame Julia Roberts movies while I drowned myself in a pity party.

Unfortunately, like the painter analogy above, I came to the realization that I had made a bad habit of putting myself second. I came to the conclusion that I spend so much time writing programs for other people, that the last thing I wanted to do is write one for myself.

But there was a problem. I LOVE to train.  More specifically, I LOVE to deadlift.

It’s Monday?  Deadlift.  Only have a half-hour to train? Deadlift. Someone wore a blue shirt today? I’m going to deadlift baby!

Newsflash:  I like to deadlift.

The obvious conclusions were two-fold:

1.  I was a hurtin puppy.

2. It’s generally not a good idea to deadlift when you’re in pain. And more germane to the point: I was an asshat for trying.

3. Rather than rely on myself, I needed to swallow my pride and ask someone to take over my programming. As I often say: “the hardest person to train is yourself.”

So I ended up hiring Cressey Sports Performance coach, Greg Robins, to write my programs.

And I haven’t looked back since. He’s been writing my programs for the past year and I couldn’t be more appreciative.

Why?

#1. I’m Stupid

Well, at least when it comes to writing my own programs. Oh, and rocket science. I’m pretty horrible at that too.

#2. Accountability

It’s a powerful thing when you’re held accountable to someone else’s expertise and programming. It’s a tough pill to swallow for many.

There’s a lot of trust that goes into the process, and it’s that trust, I feel, that helps keep people more accountable and on task. It did for me.

We’re more likely to follow through when there’s a plan in place. A direction. We tend to shut up, do the work, and as a result…magical things begin to happen.

#3. I Got Out of My Own Way

We’re creatures of habit. We tend to watch the same television shows, listen to the same music, eat the same foods, and when it comes to exercise, perform the same exercises or routines.

In short: we like to do the things we’re good at.

And we tend to ignore the things we ought to be doing to get better. Just because you’re good at something, doesn’t mean you should be doing it (much less more of it). Sometimes it’s that one thing that could be feeding into why you’re hurt in the first place.

Much of the value in following someone else’s lead or plan is that it often forces you to address your weaknesses and technique flaws.

It forces you to do more of what you’re NOT good at.9

#4. It Helps To Turn Off Inner-Dialogue

“What should I do today?”

“Bench press? No, wait, maybe decline bench press? Should I go with a narrow grip or wide grip?”

“GODDAMMIT….Eff it, I’ll do bicep curls.”

Following a preset plan takes the thinking away – which is a HUGE hurdle for many people to conquer.

I recently started working with a woman who’s a personal trainer herself. She came to me with some nagging injuries and too, a deflated ego due to sub-par, aimless training in recent months. Basically, much like me a year ago, she was just going through the motions and not getting much out of anything.

In less than two weeks she’s reported back with 1) less pain and 2) an invigorated sense of excitement and purpose towards her workouts.

All because she allowed someone else to do the thinking for her, and alleviate any self doubt or negative inner dialogue related to her training.

Having a plan and purpose made all the difference in the world.

And Yes, the Same Applies To Pre-Set “Recipe” Programs Too

Not everyone can afford to hire their own coach or personal trainer to write individualized programs. And even if they could, due to location, not everyone has access to a “GOOD” personal trainer or coach to begin with.

Thankfully someone invented the internet.

Don’t get me wrong: I feel in-person training trumps distance coaching any day of the week. In addition, there’s no shortage of “shady” internet trainers out there. These are the people who make a name for themselves on social media by uploading scantily clad pictures of themselves and/or by posting videos of themselves squatting a BOSU ball while juggling chainsaws.10

For whatever reason both give the illusion of legitimacy and authority, and many people are snagged – hook, line, and sinker – into the facade.

As it happens, many of these so-called “fitness celebrities” rarely train anyone and have no education and/or certification in the field.

However, not everything on the internet is garbage and devoid of decency and integrity. I mean, look at LOLCats!

Also, hello….I make much of my living off of my writing and other endeavors on the internet.11

In that vein I also like to think I’m able to direct people towards programs and products I feel are worthwhile and not in the slightest sense…”shady.”

High Tensile Strength

Dean Somerset’s latest resource is a doozy.

It’s a 6-month, semi-customizable (<— meaning, there are assessments involved) training program that’s designed to help get people stronger, more mobile, and able to beat up a Transformer.

Except Optimus Prime.

Of more value, I truly feel it’s a program that will give people the STRUCTURE many covet and will allow everyone who tries it the opportunity to know what it feels like to “trust the process.”

With 200+ videos and various training templates to follow based off one’s goals, training schedule, and specific needs, I’d be surprised if someone followed this program to a “T” and didn’t make profound progress.

It’s on sale all this week at 50% off the regular price. Soooo, yeah, what are you waiting for? Check it out HERE.

Categoriescoaching Conditioning Program Design

The 3 S’s of Hybrid Training: How to Increase Speed, Size, and Strength

There aren’t many coaches out there who are as “diverse” as Nick Tumminello. He’s equal parts meathead and evidence based, which basically means he can sit at any table he wants to in the proverbial high-school cafeteria.

It doesn’t matter if it’s with the cool-kids, football players, hipsters, Honor Society, or theater nerds…Nick’s “in” with them all, just like in the fitness community.

  • Bodybuilders, powerlifters, CrossFitters, Olympic lifters, barbell lifter uppers, you name it, he’s always invited to the party.

I respect Nick a ton. He’s someone I’m always learning from and someone who always keeps things in perspective. What’s more, he’s never dogmatic in his approach to training people. If something works – and can be backed up with a rationale explanation (whether anecdotal or backed by evidence/research) – it works.

There’s a reason his Twitter profile says the following:

“I train the trainers.”

His latest resource, S3 Training Method: A Programming Framework for Improving Speed, Size, and Strength, is a doozy (<– it will rock your world it’s so thorough, and is an excellent addition for any trainer or coach looking to add a little “kick” to their programming for the new generation of clients looking to have it all), and is available starting today at a heavily discounted price.

He was kind enough to contribute a stellar guest post today.

Enjoy!

The 3 S’s of Hybrid Training: How to Increase Speed, Size and Strength

Is it possible to get stronger, enhance your performance and get bigger all at the same time?

I’d say yes…

Training through a spectrum of movement speeds and loads will enhance your explosiveness, improve your strength, and increase your muscle will leave.   Gone are the days where you must focus on one specific goal and ignore the others.

The Three S’s

Let’s explore the three S’s—speed, strength, and size—to help you understand exactly what each quality is.

Movement-Speed Training

In the context of this article, movement-speed training focuses on improving your rate of force development—that is, how quickly you can use your strength.

Remember: power = strength × speed. Therefore, exercises used to improve your movement speed are total-body power exercises. The heavier the load you’re working against, the slower your movement becomes. For this reason, the principle of specificity dictates that, in order to do all you can to improve your explosive power, you don’t just do exercises that involve moving against high loads (i.e., strength exercises). You also do exercises that require you to move at high speeds.

Adaptations to training are specific to the demands that the training puts on the body. Therefore, regularly performing exercises that require you to move fast in certain directions makes your body more capable of moving fast in those or similar directions.

With this principle in mind, you should include exercises for each of the three pillars of power—vertical (or diagonal), horizontal, and rotational—in order to improve your functional capacity by enhancing your capability to move fast in multiple directions.

Since the goal is to move fast, the exercises improving total-body power (i.e., movement speed) use loads that are not heavy (relative to the loads used to improve strength). In fact, they should incorporate very light loads (sometimes just body weight), but demand that you move at high speed – as fast as you possible can.

In addition to training movement speed, we also need to better adapt to and potentially refine the tri-phasic muscle-activation pattern used only during fast, ballistic athletic movements.

One of the best workout methods to achieve both of these goals is to perform medicine-ball throwing exercises.

 

When throwing the ball, unlike when lifting weights, you don’t have to slow down at the end of the range of motion; you can just let the ball fly. Therefore, simply throwing the ball in different directions (power is direction specific) trains your body to generate explosive power without putting on any brakes.

Also, whereas Olympic weightlifting can be difficult to learn and trains only in the vertical or diagonal power pillar, explosive medicine-ball throwing exercises are easy to learn and require you to move fast and explosively in all three pillars of power.

To do so use a variety of medicine-ball throwing exercises—throwing either against a wall or into open space (e.g., field or parking lot)—to help you become more explosive and therefore more powerful and athletic.

Movement-Strength Training

Training for improved strength means improving one’s capability to produce force in various movements. Put simply, the more force you can produce in a given movement, the stronger you are in that movement.

Like power, strength is task specific; therefore, the further an exercise gets away from the specific force-generation and neuromuscular coordination patterns of a given movement, the less directly it carries over to that movement. This fact in no way makes the exercise bad, and it certainly doesn’t make it nonfunctional. It simply means that the less specific an exercise is, the more general it is.

You should incorporate a wide variety of cross-body and compound exercises to help you improve your functional capacity by developing strength in various movement patterns, directions, and body positions.

Remember, if you can perform a broader range of specific tasks, you possess a higher functional capacity. This relationship is crucial because you don’t want your body to be merely more adapted to a limited number of gym-based exercise movements (only Olympic lifters and powerlifters need to specialize in specific exercise movements).

Instead, you want your body to be more adaptable so that you can successfully take on a variety of physical demands.

 

Although training for strength gains and training for size gains (i.e., hypertrophy) are certainly not mutually exclusive, the size–strength continuum is characterized by some important differences between the two.

Although both involve creating mechanical tension on the muscles, strength training is geared toward increasing force production. Size training, on the other hand, is geared toward getting a muscle pump and creating microscopic damage in the muscle, which causes the muscle to repair itself and grow larger.

If you think of your body as a computer, then strength training is geared more to upgrading your software (your central nervous system, or CNS) than to upgrading your hardware (your muscles). In contrast, training for size is geared more to upgrading your body’s hardware—bones, connective tissues, and, of course, muscles.

Muscle-Size Training

The rule of thumb in training for size calls for using more reps and lower loads than when training for strength. In practical terms, this approach means using a weight load that allows you to perform about 9 to 15 reps per set; performing 6 to 8 reps per set serves as a nice middle ground between the general strength.

Although all types of training can provide neurological benefits—especially early on—the goal of training for size is more physiological than neurological.

In fact, contrary to popular belief, increasing muscle size depends not on the specific exercises you do but on the specific physiological stimulus you create. To build muscle, you need to create a training stimulus that elicits the three mechanisms for muscle growth (i.e., hypertrophy): mechanical tension, metabolic stress, and muscle damage (Schoenfeld 2010).

In short, there are two ways to get stronger and build a great-looking body that can get things done: neurologically and physiologically. Both approaches are addressed by the S3 Method: A Programming Framework for Improving Speed, Strength & Size, which helps you reprogram your body’s software and improve its hardware for more muscle and better performance capability.

References

Adam, A., and C.J. De Luca. 2003. Recruitment order of motor units in human vastus lateralis muscle is maintained during fatiguing contractions. Journal of Neurophysiology 90: 2919–27.

Baechle, T.R., and R.W. Earle. 2008. Essentials of Strength Training and Conditioning. 3rd ed. Champaign, IL: Human Kinetics.

Cheung, K., P. Hume, and L. Maxwell. 2003. Delayed onset muscle soreness: Treatment strategies and performance factors. Sports Medicine 33 (2):145–64.

Grant, A.C., I.F. Gow, V.A. Zammit, and D.B. Shennan. 2000. Regulation of protein synthesis in lactating rat mammary tissue by cell volume. Biochimica et Biophysica Acta 1475 (1): 39–46

Millar, I. D., M.C. Barber, M.A. Lomax, M.T. Travers, and D.B. Shennan. 1997. Mammary protein synthesis is acutely regulated by the cellular hydration state. Biochemical and Biophysical Research Communications 230 (2): 351–55.

Miranda, F., et al. 2011. Effects of linear vs. daily undulatory periodized resistance training on maximal and submaximal strength gains. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research 25 (7): 1824-30.

Mitchell, C.J., et al. 2012. Resistance exercise load does not determine training-mediated hypertrophic gains in young men. Journal of Applied Physiology 113: 71–77.

Prestes, J., et al. 2009. Comparison between linear and daily undulating periodized resistance training to increase strength. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research 23 (9): 2437–42.

Rhea, M.R., et al. 2002. A comparison of linear and daily undulating periodized programs with equated volume and intensity for strength. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research 16 (2): 250–55.

Santana, J.C., F.J. Vera-Garcia, and S.M. McGill. 2007. A kinetic and electromyographic comparison of the standing cable press and bench press. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research 21 (4): 1271–77.

Schoenfeld, B.J. 2010. The mechanisms of muscle hypertrophy and their application to resistance training. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research 24 (10): 2857–72.

Simão, R., et al. 2012. Comparison between nonlinear and linear periodized resistance training: Hypertrophic and strength effects. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research 26 (5): 1389–95.

Stoll, B. 1992. Liver cell volume and protein synthesis. Biochemical Journal 287 (Pt. 1): 217–22.

Werner, S.L., et al. 2008. Relationships between ball velocity and throwing mechanics in collegiate baseball pitchers. Journal of Shoulder and Elbow Surgery 17 (6): 905–8.

Categoriescoaching Female Training psychology rant

Stop “Should-ing” All Over Yourself

This past weekend I attended the I Am Not Afraid To Lift Workshop at Iron Body Studios in West Roxbury, MA. It’s an event created by Artemis Scantalides geared mainly towards women – although men are encouraged to attend too – that teaches strength training as a form of empowerment, a road to improved confidence, and a less arduous avenue towards increased autonomy.

(In addition to giving the attendees any excuse to flex their biceps whenever possible).

It shouldn’t take more than 1.7 seconds to find where I’m located in this picture.

What made this past weekend particularly special for me was that my wife, Dr. Lisa Lewis (located front row, 3rd from left, next to Artemis, on her right), was a co-presenter invited to speak on the topic of mindset, dealing with negative self talk, and to elucidate further on some of the psychological hurdles that many trainees tend to encounter in the weight room…and in life.

As someone who works with a lot of women and who has long championed the idea that strength training is a good thing and something that should be embraced and not euthanized in lieu of buzz words like “toned,” “long,” “lean,” and “sexy”…I felt this was a perfect melding of worlds, and something there’s a massive need for.

Artemis speaking to the intricacies of the deadlift, squat, swing, press, and chin-up/pull-up – both from a coaching/cueing and program design perspective – and Lisa speaking to many of the pervasive mental road blocks many women and men battle on a daily basis which CAN be managed with some easily implemented drills and strategies.

“Should-ing” On Ourselves

While speaking with an attendee about her anxieties and frustrations about not being able to hit a specific fitness goal, Lisa commented, “It sounds like your “SHOULD-ING” all over yourself, instead of feeling energized by your goal.”

The entire room erupted in laughter12. I’m lucky I wasn’t drinking anything at the time, because this totally would have been me:It was an awesome line, but not a Lisa original.

She borrowed it from Dr. Albert Ellis who’s the man responsible for something referred to as RET, or Rational Emotive Therapy. RET was popular decades ago, before CBT (Cognitive Behavioral Therapy) came on the scene. Ellis would focus on “irrational thoughts” as the source of our anxieties and negative emotions.

I have to assume there’s a book somewhere out there with big, fancy words or entire courses describing this type of therapy in more glamorous detail, but in other words it can be broken down like this:

The origin of your problem isn’t actually the problem… it’s how you’re thinking about the problem.

Some common health and fitness examples may include:

“I’m not fit until I can run a marathon or deadlift 2x bodyweight.”

“I’m not in shape until I have a six pack or I’m “x” dress size.”

“I have to workout every day.”

“If I don’t achieve my goal of hitting a bodyweight chin-up, I’m a failure.”

Lisa interviewing an attendee on her “mental roadblocks” and anxiety about hitting a specific fitness goal.

Many of us form these beliefs and inevitably turn them into doctrine:

Who says they’re real in the first place?

Who says you have to deadlift 2x bodyweight?

Who says you have to train everyday?

Who says you have to lose 10 lbs. in order to look good in a bikini?

Who said that? Who says these rules?

A trainer? An article your read on the internet? Some magazine cover? A Kardashian?

Even me?

Even if a reliable source makes a professional recommendation about what you “should” be doing – does that mean it’s come down from the mountain? No13. My goal as a fitness professional is to help – offer ideas, alternatives, new ways to approach your strength goals. But if something I (or anyone else) recommends doesn’t help, and in fact makes you stressed, feel bad, or NOT WANT to pursue your fitness goals, THROW IT OUT!

Try a different approach.

It’s All Made Up

The thing to point out – especially as it relates to YOUR goals and YOUR happiness – is that there are no rules. Everything – more or less – is someone else’s belief. Someone else’s opinion.

[Not coincidentally to help sell an ebook, or DVD, or Gluten-free, GMO, organic, Acai Pills soaked in Unicorn tears.]

That doesn’t mean it’s right for you.

As Lisa notes:

“Buying into a “rule” that makes you unhappy is the problem.”

And this is something that permeates into other aspects of our lives as well; not just fitness.

We make rules for ourselves – often irrationally and without much thought – and make a habit of measuring our happiness, sense of well-being, and worse, our overall sense of self-worth on our ability to successfully cross these rules off like a checklist:

  • I have to – should – be married by the time of 28.
  • I have to – should – make Dean’s List every semester.
  • I have to – should–  be making “x” amount of money per year.
  • I have to – should – get caught up on Game of Thrones14.

Bringing the discussion back to health and fitness, according to Lisa:

“If “shoulding on yourself” is messing you up and makes you feel upset, then it’s time to reevaluate.”

That’s not the point of fitness. Don’t should on yourself.

If you can deadlift 290 lbs and your goal is 300, are you any less accomplished or less of a person? Does all the hard work you put in for the past few months (or years) all of a sudden become moot or negated because of 10 lbs?

It’s true: we celebrate growth and progress in the gym by how much weight is on the bar. We take before and after pictures. We set goals and standards for ourselves, which is fantastic.

However, once we allow someone else’s arbitrary (even if well intentioned) rule from a magazine or book affect our well-being – I should be avoiding carbohydrates after 6PM (even though I feel lethargic and want to drop kick everyone in the face), I should be back squatting (even though it never feels good, despite good coaching) – and it becomes more toxic than helpful… it’s time to change your mindset.

In the end who cares? What matters and what’s important is that you recognize the process is every bit as important as the outcome.

It’s time to stop SHOULDING all over yourself.

How about you? Any “shoulds” out there that you’d like to share? Lisa says it can help to acknowledge and “put it out there” to help yourself start to reevaluate what really matters…

Thanks for your thoughts!