There’s a common theme I’ve seen gaining traction amongst fitness professionals of late – mostly from the young bucks out there, but from some experienced trainers too – stating something to the effect of “online or distance coaching is easy.”
Easy?
Easy.
Pffffffft, riiiiiiggggghhhhtttt.
Beating an eight year old in a game of H.O.R.S.E is easy.
Warming up a Hotpocket is easy.
Swiping right is easy.
Running a successful online training business?
Not easy.
I can understand the delusion, though. We’re seduced into thinking that those coaches/trainers who decide to pursue online coaching will, in a matter of months (or even weeks), be traveling the world enjoying libations on the beach one week and the culinary delicacies of Paris the next.
Their only source of stress….a reliable WiFi connection.
As a matter of fact there are some fitness pros who have built this sort of lifestyle for themselves. But I can tell you with almost certainty it didn’t happen overnight, or in a matter of months.
But lets omit the outliers out of the equation anyways.
Lets talk about you and what it takes to build a successful online business.
I picked up my first online client back in 2006. I was moving from Syracuse, NY to Danbury, CT and a client of mine back in the ‘cuse still wanted to work with me.
He asked if I could just, you know, still write his training programs and send them to him via email.
I was like, “yeah, alright, sure.”
Actually, come to think of it, Bobby K. invented online training! Well done Bobby.
Back then all I did was send out a monthly Excel sheet – the present day equivalent of messenger pigeon – and if Bobby was ever flummoxed by anything I programmed, I’d just record something with my digital camera and send that along as well.
I didn’t know what the hell I was doing and it’s any wonder I was able to send anything over the internet without burning down my apartment.
As I started writing more and getting my name out there, I started receiving more inquiries from people to provide online programs. One client turned to five, five turned to ten, and eventually things evolved to the point where online coaching turned into a viable revenue stream for me.
Mind you, it wasn’t private jet trips across the Atlantic levels of revenue. But, I was able to start using the income I made from coaching people online to help pay for my car and/or student loans.
Fast forward a few years, it wasn’t long before I found myself with what seemed like a second job. I was still coaching people at Cressey Sports Performance full-time, only to come home at the end of each day to an inbox full of questions and programming tweaks from online clients.
It was exhausting.
Demand was high…..cool.
But there was only one of me, and I wanted a life outside of starring at my computer screen for hours on end (answering emails, writing programs, invoicing, developing/updating an exercise database)….not cool.
Something had to change. I had to find some form of distance coaching Darwinian natural selection process that would make my life easier or more efficient.
Full-Disclosure: Most of (if not all) successful online coaches I know were first really good in-person coaches. There are innumerable nuances that go with coaching people in person that it’s almost impossible – I feel – to be a good online coach without having first mastered that.
How are you going to be able to tweak someone’s deadlift technique over the internet if you have zero or little practice doing it in real-life?
Likewise, it’s not as if all you have to do is set up a YouTube of Instagram account and post a bunch of selfies or videos of you breaking down optimal bicep peak exercises and the floodgates will all of a sudden open.
There are a thousands of trainers vying for everyone’s attention, and I wholeheartedly believe that those who do well virtually are those who have experience coaching people in-person and have more of a “feel” (<— non-creepy) when it comes to human interaction.
Having said that…I also believe that those who do well are those who are organized and have their shit together.
They have systems in place.
This can entail everything from:
What sort of liability insurance should you get?
Do you have a waiver system in place? LLC?
How do you collect data to best ascertain if someone’s a good fit for you?
What’s your assessment/screening process look like?
How do you send out programs? How and when do you update them?
How, when, and where do people get a hold of you?
What system do you use to demonstrate to clients appropriate exercise technique?
How do you track and collect payments?
How do you keep people accountable and on track?
How do you gauge progress? How do you know when to make programs more challenging or less challenging?
It’s been more than a decade since I started building out my online training programs. Since then, I experimented with dozens of different systems and programs, finding out what worked and what didn’t work through months and years of trial and error.
I wish I didn’t have to do that back then.
I wish I’d been given a proven system that works.
That’s why I love the Online Trainer Academy’s in-depth program materials. Developed with input from 40+ professional online trainers, marketers and business owners, it’s perfect for you if you’re tired of chasing tips and tricks and feel energized by the idea of finally learning everything you need to know to build your own profitable online training business.
That’s the good news. The bad news?
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Plus, next year the cost goes up by $500. But if you register today, you have lifetime access to all future updates at today’s price!
You have just hours left to get in, get access to the business-building materials, and become one of the first certified online trainers (OTC) in the world. It all comes with a 90-day, 100% satisfaction guarantee.
Today’s guest post comes courtesy of frequent contributor, Dr. Nicholas Licameli. He covers a topic that’s sometimes controversial:
Neck position when lifting heavy things.
Some people play close attention to it (as they should), while others play it off as “no big deal” and point towards really strong people who seemingly have never had any issues with their neck(s).
“See! They do it.”
Yeah, well, you’re not them. And most other people aren’t either.2
Plan On Lifting or Squatting Something Heavy? Check Your Neck
One of the most common issues I see in the deadlift and squat (and plank, push-up, bent over row, etc.) even in experienced lifters, is forgetting to “set” the head and neck.
Feet gripping floor with 3 points of contact? Check.
Shoulders and scapulae tucked down and back, squeezing the armpits? Check.
Neck straight and chin tucked?…
The hip hinge is the foundation to all movements that involve bending over or squatting. A proper hip hinge starts at the hips (naturally) with your spine in a neutral position.
But “spine in neutral position” does not just refer to the lower back. It includes the often-neglected cervical spine, too.
Too often I see the head and neck extended in an otherwise perfect hip hinge (see image below). I lie awake at night wondering why we lose so many good men out there (playing for the Yankees?3) to poor mechanics and why this mistake is so common…here’s what I came up with.
The extended position of the cervical spine can be very dangerous.
It is akin to having a hard arch in the lower back (the facet joints and neural tissues become compressed) except that the joints, muscles, nerves, and other structures of the neck are smaller and more delicate.
Add the maximal contraction of pretty much every muscle, as seen when performing a deadlift or squat, and it is clear to see why this can be dangerous.
So why do so many of us assume this faulty position?
Part of the reason is because our heads always want to be looking upright. Our brains subconsciously want to position our heads so that we are looking at the horizon.
We all know that the end goal is to stand up straight. We feel as if “looking where we’re going,” will help us get there. In order to maintain proper cervical positioning, we have to fight our subconscious, which is never easy.
[Another reason could be that we want to catch ourselves in that perfect lighting for that perfect selfie…]
But I think a big reason why extending the head and neck is so common is because it creates a shortened lever arm, which improves the biomechanical efficiency of the lift.
Let me explain.
When you bend forward in a proper hip hinge, the hip becomes a fulcrum. As a result, a lever is formed from the hip to the top of the head. The longer the lever arm, the harder the load is to move.
Think of the difference between picking up a dumbbell out to the side of your body (as in a lateral raise) versus tucked into your side (as in a shrug).
When lifting out to the side, the shoulder joint is the fulcrum, the lever arm is the arm, and the load is in the hand at the end of the lever.
Lifting with your arm straight out to the side produces a longer lever arm than lifting close to the body, which makes the load more difficult to lift. This is the same reason why many coaches cue lifters to keep the load as close to your shins as possible during a deadlift. The further the load is from the fulcrum (your hip), the harder it is to lift.
It means that extending the head and neck during a deadlift may be the body’s subconscious attempt to improve the biomechanical efficiency of the lift. It essentially shortens the lever arm by about a “head’s length.” (see images below).
Shortened lever arm by about a “head’s length
To ensure proper positioning, tuck the chin and align the neck with the rest of your spine before lifting the load (see image below).
So next time you deadlift, yes, make sure your hip hinge is on point (and you get that perfect lighting for that selfie), but don’t forget about your vitally important and often neglected head and neck.
Resist the urge to look up!
Your discs, joints, muscles, and nerves will thank you.
Video Explanation
About the Author
Every single thing he does, Nick believes in giving himself to others in an attempt to make the world a happier, healthier, and more loving place. He wants to give people the power to change their lives. Bodybuilding and physical therapy serve as ways to carry out that cause. His knowledge of sport and exercise biomechanics, movement quality, and the practical application of research combined with personal experience in bodybuilding and nutrition allows him to help people in truly unique ways. Love. Passion. Respect. Humility. Never an expert. Always a student. Love your journey.
As coaches we can’t be everything to everyone. However, that doesn’t mean we should avoid making our coaching gaps less “gappy” altogether.
Throwing myself into the fire I’ll be the first to admit I’m garbage when it comes to coaching the Olympic lifts. In fact I wrote an entire article on why I don’t use them in any of my programming.
A few weeks ago I had a client ask me if I could coach him up on the ballistic KB movements: I.e., kettlebell cleans and snatches.
[Cue crickets chirping]
I was honest.
I told him I could probably finagle my way through it and demonstrate a competent clean and snatch, however I knew he’d benefit from keener eyes on the matter. So I set my client up with a few sessions with Coach Justice Williams, a local StrongFirst certified coach here in Boston.
To that end, I wanted to narrow my own coaching gap and asked Justice if he’d be willing to film a few videos with me breaking down the clean and snatch.
He enthusiastically agreed.
Today is video #1….breaking down the swing/hip snap. Because, first and foremost: if you don’t own the swing/hip snap, you will not own the clean or snatch.
In this short tutorial we go through his coaching tips as well as common mistakes people may make along the way.
Not long ago I had a female client come in for an initial assessment and she divulged to me the previous coach she had worked with, in not so many words, inferred she was “dysfunctional” and that she’d likely never be able to perform a decent squat.6
What kind of BS is that? Within ten minutes of the first session you tell someone how much of a walking ball of fail they are? Awesome business model, dude.
I took it as my mission to use that initial session with her and demonstrate to her success; to prove to her she could squat. Maybe not with a barbell on her back, ass to grass, but I wanted to show her that 1) not many people are able to do that in the first place and 2) there are many different iterations of the squat and it was my job to showcase what her best options were given her ability level, injury history, and goal(s).
The interaction above took place several months ago.
And, not to be too braggadocious, I was able to successfully get her to “squat” within that first session after taking her through a thorough screen and using more of a bottoms-up approach to pattern her squat.8
It all came down to getting her nervous system comfortable in the bottom position and to own it.
Cliff Notes Version:
Perform a hip scour to ascertain general anatomy limitations
Assess both passive AND active squat pattern(s).
See if active “matches” passive ROM (Range of Motion).
If so, do they demonstrate enough motor control to, well, control that ROM?
If not, is it a mobility or stability issue? I find it’s rarely the former. However mobility tends to be everyone’s “go to” scapegoat.
Implement appropriate patterning drills that match the trainee’s ability level and don’t bore them to tears with too many corrective drills that don’t accomplish much of anything.
Using the BOTTOMS-UP approach to introduce specific movements – in this case, the squat – is a foolproof way help build your client’s confidence in the movement and to start to nudge a training effect.
NOTE: a baby dolphin dies every time you default to 30 minutes of “ankle mobilization” drills.
This past weekend I was fortunate enough to attend the Clinical Athlete Workshop in Springfield, MA with Dr. Quinn Henoch, Dr. Zak Gabor, and Matthew Ibrahim.
Quinn brought to light two more drills I’m immediately going to add to my arsenal and I wanted to share them with you here.
Check these bad boys out.
Quadruped Rockback Squat Patterning
Tall Kneeling Squat Patterning
Pretty cool, right?
Play around with them yourself. Use them with your clients. Demonstrate to your clients that they can do stuff, and that oftentimes it’s just a matter of breaking down movements into more digestible parts to show them success.
It may come as a surprise to some reading, but I have a coach, someone who writes my programs and to whom I’m accountable towards. It’s one of the best things I have ever done.
Likewise I have a number of coaches as clients myself, and I feel it’s one of the highest compliments I can receive. One such individual is Shane McLean who’s a personal trainer in Texas.
He took the time to write up this short summary of why he chose to hire a coach and why he feels it’s an important component for anyone to consider, coach or not.
It was the middle of July in the sweltering, unforgiving Texas heat and my football coach was making the team run 200-meter sprint repeats at the END of practice. As you can imagine, we were all thrilled and no one complained at all.
After a few intervals, most of the team was gassed and we still had a few more to go. When my turn came around, I took off sluggishly and the coach was none too pleased. He started to scream a few choice words in my direction.
It was nothing that bears repeating here because what’s said on the field stays on the field, just like what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas.
However, among the expletives, he dropped a pearl of wisdom.
“Practice should be harder than the game, so the game is easy.”
That was all the motivation I needed. I sucked it up, dug deep and ran out my final intervals without compliant.
That’s the beauty of having a coach.
The coach picks you up when you’re feeling down and makes you dig deep when you’re spent and can still see the good in you when nothing is going your way.
Coaches Need Coaches Too
Being a personal trainer, I see the value of coaching from both sides of the fence. I coach clients in a one-on-one setting and I also reach out to fellow professionals for advice when I’m struggling with my own progress.
Because there are times when coaches need coaches.
You can benefit from having a coach in your corner at some time in your life, whether you’re already a coach or you’re looking for something bigger and better in your life.
A little of Drill Sergeant Lou (or Tony Gentilcore) can be just what you need.
He’s a thinking man’s coach.
And because Lou was busy, I reached out to Tony (lucky for me he responded) because I was struggling with my own progress. My goal was and still is to deadlift twice my bodyweight.
However, after a back injury and long break from deadlifting, I had no clue where to start.
Tony loves to lift heavy things and I wanted to lift heavy things, so doesn’t this sound like the start of a beautiful bromance?
However, I was in a bit of a pickle because I couldn’t afford to pay him what he’s worth, so we came to another arrangement.
That tells you what kind of person he is.
He’s not only a man who makes people suffer for a living, he has a heart also.
After a year of online training with Tony, I realized what good coaching is and I decided to share this bromance knowledge with you.
Now, if you’re on the fence about hiring a coach, hopefully my experience with Tony will push you over the edge.
1) Coaches Bring Out Your Best
I’m a believer that you already have the tools inside of you to be a success.
You weren’t put on this Earth to be ordinary, you’re put here to be extraordinary. You may feel like this is new age mumbo jumbo but bear with me for a moment.
Like a lawyer who represents himself has a fool for a client, you fail to look at yourself objectively. You’re either too hard on yourself or fail to see the good inside of you. You cannot see the forest through the trees.
This just makes us human and not Sheldon Cooper.
However, do you know who can help you access those tools and bring out the best in you? A good coach, that’s who.
Several times during the year, I got down on myself because I was either injured, not lifting what I thought I was capable of or struggling with certain lifts that I suck at, like squats.
The moment I’d express this sentiment to Tony, he would quickly turn the tone around and offer me encouragement, advice and exercise cues to help me keep crushing my workouts.
Being on the receiving end of a pep talk is very empowering.
2) Coaches Provide Knowledge
After 25 years of lifting and over 8 years of coaching clients, I thought I had my shit together.
However, after being exposed to different programs, philosophies and training techniques, I realized that my way wasn’t the only way of doing things.
Imagine that?
Every new program and interaction I had Tony was like a sponge moment. All I needed to do was soak it all in.
3) Coaches Provide Accountability
One of the reasons why people hire coaches is to provide them with accountability because they’ve made an investment of money and time in the pursuit of better health and fitness. It always helps to have some skin in the game.
However, if they don’t show up, they’re wasting their money and the trainer’s time. This can result in one pissed off trainer. Trust me, you don’t want to upset the person who writes your exercise programs for a living.
Before Tony I had the dreaded case of do as I say, not as I do and I was accountable to no one. Now I feel accountable to Tony because he has eyes everywhere (like a ninja) and I also report in every week.
A good coach will help keep you on the straight and narrow.
Wrapping Up
You cannot go through this life alone. At some stage, you’re going to need some help. That’s what a good coach will do, help you be more awesome than you already are.
And who doesn’t want that?
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.
I’ll just come right out and say it: Feelings are a motherfucker.
NOTE: “motherfucker” in this sense can be used interchangeably here: good or bad.
“Did you just see how far I hit that baseball?
Motherfucker!
I.e., Good. You know, you’re happy and excited you hit the baseball a long ways.
“I had to take my car in, again, to get the transmission fixed.
Motherfucker! (punches the wall).“
I.e., Bad. Sucks, dude.
Hopefully you get the gist.
They (feelings), as we all know, encompass a wide range: from how we feel when we first fall in love to what happened a few days ago in Las Vegas. They cross a spectrum: from warmth, empathy, and unconditional positive regard on one end…to how I feel whenever I see someone perform a kipping pull-up on the other.
Annoyance peppered with spontaneous rage.
Feelings aren’t right or wrong.
How you feel at any given moment, under any given circumstance, is how you feel.
Who am I – or who is anyone, really? – to disregard or question how you feel?
That said, facts matter.[/efn_note]It’s not lost on me, given the current political environment we live in, that this point (facts matter), unfortunately, can (and is) debated. Climate change isn’t real, 3,000,000 people voted illegally, Unicorn tears are an excellent aphrodisiac…whatever. Who needs facts?[/efn_note]
I mean, I feel like leaving the toilet seat up is perfectly fine and no big deal. The facts – my wife’s dropkick to the side of my face – state otherwise.
I feel like early 90’s Mariah Carey and I were meant to be soul mates. The facts – hahahahaha – state otherwise.
Feelings vs. Facts In Fitness
A few weekends ago Lisa and I were in Toronto presenting our Strong Body-Strong Mind Workshop when one of the attendees, a local personal trainer, shared a story.
She went into detail on how a client of her’s, another female, had been giving her a hard time. You see the client was a perpetual pessimist and had a hard time deflecting negative self-talk.
This trainer even went so far to say that her client admitted to her that the only reason why she even signed on to start training in the first place was to prove to her that personal training didn’t work.
That she was a lost cause.
A failure.
As I was listening to the story I couldn’t help but think to myself, “man, that’s horrible. Who’s got time to deal with that? Fire the client!”
Lisa, to her credit, made a beautiful reframe and rebuttal:
Lisa: “How long as the client been working with you?”
Attendee: “Over a year.”
Lisa: “How many times per week?”
Attendee: “At least twice, if not more.”
Lisa: “And she’s making progress?”
Attendee: “Yes, although in her eyes she hasn’t.”
Lisa: “Hmm, interesting. She’s obviously getting something from her time with you. What she’s focusing on are feelings and not facts.
The facts demonstrate your client has been consistently training for over a year despite her initiate “goal” to prove to you personal training doesn’t work.
The facts state otherwise.”
*Smoke bomb, smoke bomb, exit stage left.*
We see this all…..the…..time in fitness and the strength & conditioning world: people allow their feelings to convolute the facts.
Take my client, Alexandra, for example.
I get that we’re all our own worst critic, but she’s made amazing progress since we first starting working together. Back when we first started working together she came to me with some chronic shoulder and low back pain, and was frustrated with her lack of progress in the gym in terms of some strength markers she wanted to hit.
Namely: deadlifting over 200 lbs and performing her first strict chin-up.
She’s been working her tail off.
She no longer has shoulder or back issues, she hit her DL goal (and then some), and she’s thiiiiiiiiis close to hitting her chin-up goal. Yet, sometimes, like everyone, she has a hard time with allowing her feelings to override the facts.
A post shared by Tony Gentilcore (@tonygentilcore) on
The cool part was Alexandra’s response in the comments section:
“Thank you Tony!! It’s so awesome to see this cause in my head I’m not making much progress and then I’m ok like damn okayyy haha. 💪🏽💪🏽💪🏽💦 It’s so close i can taste it!”
Taking things a little further we can see the same parallel in other aspects of fitness.
Some coaches feel everyone should squat the same way – same foot spacing, same stance, same depth, etc – but the facts state otherwise.
Likewise, some coaches feel everyone must squat or deadlift with a straight bar, but the facts – not everyone is a competitive power or olympic lifter, you asshat – state otherwise.
You feel as if you’re 7% body-fat, but the facts, well, you’re not.
You may feel you’re better off jumping into a live volcano than eating any gluten, but the facts are against you my friend.
Feel the Feels
I am not insinuating you should avoid or disregard all your feelings. By all means love your spouse, enjoy that succulent steak, feel anger whenever someone performs a KB swing overhead, don’t be shy to cry it out when you binge watch This Is Us.
Let your feelings marinate.
However, when it comes to you and your fitness/health goals be cognizant of facts and learn to boycott your feelings when necessary. You’ll be better off for it.
One of the biggest honors for me is when other fitness professionals take time out of their schedule to come shadow me or observe what I do at CORE.
Truthfully I don’t feel what I do on a day-to-day basis is altogether revolutionary or going to win me any Nobel prizes in coaching badassery. I mean, I have people deadlift, squat, throw things, and carry stuff, all while listening to some sick techno beats.
No biggie.
However, this was pretty cool and a nice surprise.
Below is a nice write-up by UK based trainer, Stuart Aitken, describing his experience observing me for a few hours a few Saturdays ago.9
I walked into CORE, Tony’s small private gym in Boston, for a day of shadowing a few weekends ago.
Here are a few of things I saw within the first 30 minutes of being there:
Accommodating resistance.
Accentuated eccentrics.
Advanced periodization.
Complicated exercise terminology.
Of course, this wasn’t what I saw and truthfully, there was was nothing special about the way Tony coached, what was special was HOW he coached.
I often think us fitness professionals can be a bit hypocritical.
We tell clients “play the long game,” “stay consistent and good things will happen” and “don’t search for the magic pill, it doesn’t exist,” yet we think we’re one book or course away from solving all of our career issues.
Tony doesn’t programme any differently than I’ve seen him write about, nor does he have a cueing roster that addresses every single movement issue a client has. He still has clients who don’t push their knees out and who need a quick reminder to squeeze their glutes at the top of a hip extension movement.
Perhaps this is what makes Tony, and really any other coach I know, excellent – the basics, done brilliantly.
1) Client-Centered Coaching
I’m a huge fan of constantly checking in with myself about whether I’m being client or philosophy centered.
Lisa, Tony’s wife, talks about this heavily in her work, but for anyone who is reading who hasn’t heard of this before, client-centered coaching would be where you’re taking into the client’s needs and wants into account.
Philosophy-centered would be where you’re putting your philosophies first and forcing square pegs (clients) into round holes (your programming). An example in my career would be when I started to enjoy some gymnastics and started to ‘push’ gymnastics onto the people I work with.
It’s so easy for us to start pushing clients towards what we think is best for them, but when we think about what encompasses effective coaching, this couldn’t be further from how we know clients are likely to respond best.
Think about someone telling you how to do something – how does that you feel? Yes, at times this type of coaching may be necessary, but for the most part, you should be focused on guiding clients towards the decision that is best for them.
Jenny, who is a mum of three and simply wants to feel better, might enjoy doing some deadlifts, but she probably doesn’t want that deadlift to be the only thing she does in her training. Tony loves deadlifting, but not every single one of his clients is going to deadlift, nor will they all “need” to deadlift.
2) Window Coaching
I learnt this off of Tony at a shoulder workshop he ran in the UK earlier this year. Essentially what it means is if you worked in a facility where everyone who walked by could look in and watch, how do you look?
Are you active or are you passive? Are your arms crossed and are you looking disinterested? Is it your tenth session of the day and you look like the last place you would rather be is in the gym?
At one point Tony was dancing to some 90s rap, and at other points, he was either laughing with clients or actively coaching, if you walked past it would look like the kind of environment his type of client would enjoy being in.
Potential clients are always watching.
3) “Move Well, Move Often, Move Under Load”
It wasn’t actually Tony who said this quote but rather my colleague at Lift the Bar, Gregg Slater, but it sums up how I viewed the way Tony has progressed his clients. All of them could hinge, they all knew how to brace, and breath and they all came in early and got on with their warm-ups.
Before you throw a barbell onto a new clients back for squats, do they know how to create tension in their body? Do they know how to disassociate between their hips and upper back so they can hinge effectively? Can they get even MORE out of their sessions by doing their own warm-ups?
Teaching clients how to move well before you start loading them up will not only have a positive effect on their results, but it’ll also decrease the risk of injury.
4) Communication Skills
One of the brilliant things I watched Tony do with each of his clients was the way he related to them. Whether that be in the type of language he used (swearing vs not swearing for example), how much he listened vs spoke, the type of feedback used or right down to the choice of music, his communication skills were appropriate to the client who was in front of him.
I think this is such an under-appreciated aspect of effective coaching; the ability to wear different coaching hats dependent on who you are communicating with.
You know how Susan loves knitting? Make sure you ask about that new scarf she’s working on.
You know how Jonny is a huge football fan (that’s not American football, by the way, that’s good old British football where you kick the ball with your foot)? Make sure you have a glance at the latest football scores.
This kind of stuff matters and to quote Seth Godin:
“A small thing, done repeatedly, is not a small thing.”
If you’re relating to clients, creating an environment that leaves them feeling great, keeping their goal in mind and delivering a quality service, you’ll do well in this industry.
Tony Changed My Life (<– Note From TG: I Wrote That)
Overall I had a fantastic five hours at Tony’s gym, and I can’t recommend doing this kind of thing more often.
There are always others coaches, who are often more experienced, and within a few hours of you, who you could go and shadow.
An afternoon spent with another coach can keep you fresh, allow you the space to level up your coaching and network with other trainers in and around your area, (and it doesn’t even cost anything!) I can’t see any reason why we shouldn’t be doing more of it.
About the Author
Stuart Aitken is the head of member support at Lift the Bar and host at the LTB Podcast, which are both educational services for Personal Trainers. He also works as a Personal Trainer out of Good Health and Fitness in Dundee, Scotland.
When it comes to neck pain, as a strength coach, I (generally) don’t touch that with a ten-foot pole. It’s case dependent of course, but more often than not, if someone I’m working with walks in with a some significant discomfort in their neck I 1) start hyperventilating into a paper bag and 2) immediately refer out to a someone who has more diagnostic and manual therapy skills.
This is not to say, however, that there aren’t any avenues to take if you’re a personal trainer or strength coach. It’s not like you can’t do anything. In today’s guest post physical therapist, Dr. Michael Infantino, goes into great detail on some things to consider if you ever find yourself in this predicament.
The Gym Is a Pain In My Neck: Two Movements To Cure Them All
Are you struggling with neck pain?
Does the gym make it worse?
Do you find yourself looking at a lot of informative websites for ways to resolve these issues, but wish it were compactly put in one place?
Does this sound like an infomercial?
Well it’s not!
But for just $29/month you can… just kidding.
This article is here to solve all of those problems. Neck pain is often blamed on poor form when exercising. This is absolutely true. Unfortunately this does not answer a crucial question, “why?” Discovering WHY your form is poor is the goal. On top of that, people often fail to recognize other human errors that are contributing to their symptoms. We will provide a guide for figuring out why you have neck pain and how to resolve it.
In most cases, pain attributed to the gym can be tied to the following:
Limitations in the necessary mobility to perform a movement
Limitations in the skill needed to perform a movement
Limitations in the capacity to perform a movement (Strength and Endurance)
Human error [Electrolyte and Fluid balance, Self-Care, Rest, Sleep, Breathing, Posture, Medication and Fear.]
Limitations in MOBILITY: 2 movements to cure them all!?
Limitations in your ability to put yourself in optimal positions during almost any upper body movement are a result of two movement limitations.
Limitations in these positions can lead to a host of different complaints. For the sake of time we are going to pick on NECK PAIN. If you are struggling with one exercise you are likely struggling with another, you just might not realize it.
Position #1: Shoulder Extension Test
Movements: Push Up, Pull Up, Row, Dip, Pull Up (top), Jump Rope, Punching someone in the nose because they have one of those weird miniature poodle mixes.
Attempt to perform the ^^THIS^^ motion
Instructions: Keep the neck retracted while extending the shoulders just beyond the trunk without the following:
Increased forward head position
Forward shoulder translation
Shoulder shrug
If you are unable to replicate the picture above you likely have a MOBILITY problem.
If you can’t perform this motion when you aren’t under load, you will definitely struggle when you are. Especially with repeated repetitions and the addition of weight.
Target Areas for Treatment
Soft Tissue Mobility
Pecs
Serratus Anterior
Upper Traps
Stretches and Joint Mobilization
Chin Retraction
Thoracic Extension (arms overhead)
Open Book Stretch
After working these bad boys out I want you to RE-CHECK the test position.
Is it better?
If not, you need to keep working on it.
Assuming you now have the necessary MOBILITY to perform this motion, we need to make sure you have the required SKILL with the particular movement you are interested in.
Skill: the necessary strength, stability and coordination to perform the most basic form of a loaded movement (pull up, push up, dip, row, etc.).
Are you able to maintain a good position in the:
Bottom of your push up
Row
Top of your pull up
Bottom of your dip
Jump roping
As you load the arm for a hay maker!
We aren’t as complex as you might think. Many of our daily activities are broken into a few movement patterns.
Follow this sequence:
Create the mobility necessary to perform the pattern in its most basic form. (In this case, Position #1 and #2).
Ensure you have the skill needed to perform your desired movement (Push Up, Pull Up, etc.)
Build capacity with that movement (Endurance and Strength).
If you don’t have the skill to perform a specific exercise or movement, you need to practice. Look at the above definition of skill to make that judgement. If you don’t have the baseline strength to perform one good push up, pull up, dip or row, see below for regressions that will allow you to maintain good form as you work your way back to mastering these moves.
Here are some ideas:
Push Up: Inclined position (Ex. against weight bench or counter), knee push ups
Pull Up: Assisted with a band, inverted row
Dip: Assisted with a band, bench dip
Row: Kind of an outlier since this move typically doesn’t require body weight. Use a weight that allows good form. TRX Row and inverted row are body weight options. Adjust the angle of your body to reduce the difficulty.
The goal here is to demonstrate the ability to maintain proper form throughout each movement with a regression that is appropriate for you.
Joe Muscles next to you may need to take 50 lbs. off his 200 lb. weighted belt during his pull-ups to maintain good form. You may need to work on getting one pull up with good form without any extra weight.
Most of us have one or two good pull ups in our bag of tricks to whip out for an “impromptu” Instagram post. Preventing injury is going to require you to build the strength and endurance to exceed Instagram’s one-minute time cap. DAMN you Instagram!
Adding repetitions and weight to the regression will help you work your way back to a standard pull up, row, dip, push up, etc.
I can’t emphasize this point enough.
We all have high expectations of ourselves. Neck pain after 10 reps is not necessarily a “push up” problem. It may be the fact that you did three other exercises before push ups that started to fatigue the neck. The push up was the breaking point. You need to have a realistic expectation of your current ability, or capacity.
Position #2: Overhead Test
Movements: Overhead Press, Pull Up (bottom position), Snatch
Instructions: Lie on your back with knees bent. Tuck chin (neck flat to ground) with arms flat to the ground in the start of a press position. Press arms overhead by sliding arms along the ground.
Common Faults:
One or both arms come off the floor at any point in time.
Compensatory forward head or extended neck position to keep arms on floor
Compensatory spine arch to keep arms on the floor
Assuming you repeatedly tried to replicate this position without success, once again we have a MOBILITY PROBLEM.
Target Areas for Treatment
Soft Tissue Mobility
Pecs
Lats
Rhomboids
Stretches and Joint Mobilization
Chin Retraction
T-Spine Drop In (or T Spine Extension)
Open Book Stretch (Add: External Rotation at Shoulder)
1st Rib and Scalene mobility
After finding the weak link, it is time to RE-CHECK. If it looks better, great let’s move on. Similar to Position #1, assuming you now have the pre-requisite MOBILITY to perform this motion we need to make sure you have the SKILL necessary.
*If you are having trouble improving your mobility or resolving pain, seek the advice of a qualified medical provider or fitness professional.
Can you maintain the same control and form during your overhead press, snatch, hang position of your pull up (or any variation- kipping pull up, toes to bar)? If not, we need to REGRESS the move. Unlike the shoulder extension position, many of the overhead exercises can be regressed by reducing the weight or working on single arm presses instead of two arms. Other regressions include:
Regressions:
Overhead press: Landmines (Tony goes into more depth in this article).
Snatch: Cleans, Single arm overhead kettlebell squat, single arm overhead lunge
Pull up (bottom): use a resistance band for support, inverted row
Human Error
Now that you have mastered Position #1 and #2, it is time to make sure that you are limiting HUMAN ERROR.
I think everyone should have someone in their life that serves as an extra pair of eyes. Even the best fitness trainers and medical providers in the world have a hard time being objective toward different areas of their own life. Barbers don’t cut their own hair, right? Not positive about that one. Either way, you can’t go wrong with some quality feedback!
Most of us are quick to blame the boulders in our life when it comes to pain, but we overlook the pebbles.
With pain we can’t overlook the pebbles.
The pebbles are diet, water intake, sleep, and self-care habits.
Patients usually tell me that they are doing “better than most” or that they are “pretty good” about optimizing these areas of their life. It isn’t until their spouse shows up to the appointment that we get the whole truth.
I love it!
Proper Fluid and Electrolyte Balance
Paying attention to what you consume pre and post workout is important. Proper fluids and electrolyte intake prior to exercise can help delay muscle fatigue and cramping.
Many people can get by with less than optimal effort when it comes to this category. However, if you are having neck pain you need to give yourself the best chance at success.
“At least 4 hours before exercise, individuals should drink approximately 5-7 mL·kg−1 body weight (~2-3 mL·lb−1) of water or a sport beverage. This would allow enough time to optimize hydration status and for excretion of any excess fluid as urine” (Sawka, 2007).
This is not always possible, I understand. Do your best. Some is better than none.
Warm Up
Proper warm up is also important.
Engaging in a warm up that gradually increases heart rate and muscle flexibility is a great way to prime the muscles. Dramatic increases in blood pressure and heart rate can lead to less than optimal muscle performance and increased risk of exertion headache during your workout.
Your warm up should be focused on getting the heart rate up; along with preparing the body for the movements you are going to perform during your workout (squat, push up, deadlift, clean, etc.).
Taking the time to stretch and do some soft tissue work after exercise will help reduce muscle soreness in the days following your workout (Gregory, 2015).
Leaving your body more prepared for the next workout. It is a great way to improve muscle extensibility and eliminate trigger points that aren’t allowing your muscles to perform effectively (Lucas, 2004).
Adequate rest is also important for recovery.
Going hard every day and not getting adequate sleep does not allow your body to grow and repair itself. Neglecting proper recovery leads to a less than optimal immune system and central nervous system.
Sleep deficits can also lead to an increase in the intensity of pain and alterations in mood. This is some serious shiznit. Can’t express enough how important this category is. I am a huge fan of the “grind.” It just sounds cool. You aren’t meant to grind everyday though, so please take some time to recover.
Breathing and Posture
Proper breathing is something that is often overlooked, but may be contributing to neck pain.
Gritting it out is cool, I highly recommend it. It builds character.
However, regularly holding your breath or clinching of your teeth when exercising can lead to increased tension around the neck. This could end up resulting in tension headaches as well.
Many of us without realizing it spend most of our day performing shallow breaths. We often over utilize the neck musculature. Shallow breathing into the chest can increase tension in these muscles and even increase feelings of anxiety.
It is recommended that people learn how to perform relaxed diaphragmatic breathing to reduce tension in the neck muscles. Staying in sustained postures throughout the day can also be contributing to your neck pain.
Many studies continue to show that sustained postures throughout the day (typically with office workers), especially with a forward head position, can increase neck pain and headaches (Ariëns, 2001).
Symptoms are also more common in people that hate their job.
Really off topic, but it is true …
Consider how stress in your life (emotional or physical) is amplifying your feelings of pain. Emotional pain and physical pain are HEAVILY connected. Check out this video by Tony to learn a little more about proper breathing strategies.
The Advil Fix
This may not seem to fit with the other categories.
Nonetheless, it is super important.
Side effects related to over the counter anti-inflammatory use are becoming common knowledge. Every now and then I run into someone that isn’t aware of the potential risks of regular use.
Popping over the counter anti-inflammatories (i.e. advil) before or after your workouts IS NOT recommended.
It’s like sweeping the dirt under the rug.
“The most common side effect from all NSAIDs is damage to the gastrointestinal tract, which includes your esophagus, stomach, and small intestine. More than half of all bleeding ulcers are caused by NSAIDs, says gastroenterologist Byron Cryer, MD, a spokesperson for the American Gastroenterological Association.”
Fear
One of the reasons that I started RehabRenegade.com was to help share information like this with as many people as possible. Many of the complaints I get in clinic can be fixed SUPER QUICK. Having a basic understanding of how to care for yourself and knowledge of the body can remove the “threat” of pain.
Red flags (serious pathology) represent less than 2% of the cases that are seen in a clinical setting (Medbridge, Chad Cook: Cervical Examination).
The Internet can be a blessing and a curse.
It can either lead you down the right road or scare the living crap out of you. We all know that any injury or illness is usually presumed to be cancer after a late night search on WebMD. Here are some discussions and advice I found on the inter-web related to neck pain in the gym.
Great intentions, but poor advice.
We tend to blame everything on a “pulled muscle,” whatever that means.
Rest?
What year is it?
We stopped recommending straight rest in like 1902.
By all means, take time off from the gym.
This doesn’t give you free rain to lie in bed all day watching re-runs of Game of Thrones.
It’s true… you may have over done it. Your muscles were overworked. Likely leading to a nice amount of local inflammation and some trigger points. The more constructive advice would be to perform some soft tissue work, light stretching and low intensity non-painful exercise to keep that area mobile.
Resorting to pain medication is not a healthy option. Last but not least, mentioning damaged discs and compressed nerves never makes someone feel at ease. Trauma to the neck may be a reason for disc injury. Overdoing your push ups and pull ups is NOT.
Fun Fact: The prevalence of disk degeneration in asymptomatic (without symptoms) individuals increased from “37% of 20-year-old individuals to 96% of 80-year-old individuals. Disk bulge prevalence increased from 30% of those 20 years of age to 84% of those 80 years of age” (Brinjikji, 2015).
Positive findings on MRI are common in people without pain. Don’t get too caught up in images and diagnoses. Do the things we know are healthy. If you hit the gym hard this morning and then followed that up with a CROISSAN’WICH from Burger King, and a cigarette at lunch we have bigger fish to fry.
First and foremost, muscle and joint strain at the neck commonly refers pain to the head. We call this a cervicogenic headache. Rest assured that it is very rare that you have a more serious pathology requiring immediate medical attention. Give the tips in this post a shot, if it doesn’t help by all means see a medical professional. The worst thing you can do is show up to your medical provider without attempting to improve your flexibility, tweak your form or get adequate rest.
If I had a dollar for every time a therapist told someone they had the tightest (fill in the blank) they have ever seen I would be a little better off.
If this poor girl wasn’t worried enough… Now she has the tightest back he has ever seen… really?
As providers we need to be very careful with our words. It is really easy for us to turn neck pain into chronic neck pain.
It is called an iatrogenic vortex.
When people get tied up in the medical system too long they often see symptoms worsen or develop other unexplained diagnoses.
Overview
In most cases, pain attributed to the gym can be tied to the following:
Limitations in the necessary mobility to perform a movement
Limitations in the Skill needed to perform a movement
Limitations in the Capacity to perform a movement (Strength and Endurance)
Human Error [Electrolyte and fluid balance, Self-Care, Rest, Sleep, Breathing, Posture, Medication and Fear]
You could be one small modification away from eliminating your neck pain.
The big takeaway here is to make sure you have the ability to perform various exercises with good skill.
From there, you need the knowledge and self-awareness to know when you have exceeded you capacity.
You also need to look at the big picture to ensure that you are checking the boxes when it comes to living a healthy life. If you are someone that often finds yourself worried or anxious when injury sets in please take a step back and look at the big picture. Use this article to see where your gaps are. If you still can’t get relief please see a medical provider. Nothing makes medical providers happier than working with patients who demonstrate a willingness to learn and grow.
About the Author
Dr. Michael Infantino is a physical therapist. He works with active military members in the DMV region. You can find more articles by Michael at RehabRenegade.com.
References
Ariëns GAM, Bongers PM, Douwes M, et al
Are neck flexion, neck rotation, and sitting at work risk factors for neck pain? Results of a prospective cohort study. Occupational and Environmental Medicine 2001;58:200-207.
Brinjikji, W., Luetmer, P. H., Comstock, B., Bresnahan, B. W., Chen, L. E., Deyo, R. A.,Jarvik, J. G. (2015). Systematic Literature Review of Imaging Features of Spinal Degeneration in Asymptomatic Populations. AJNR. American Journal of Neuroradiology, 36(4), 811–816. http://doi.org/10.3174/ajnr.A4173
Gregory E. P. Pearcey, David J. Bradbury-Squires, Jon-Erik Kawamoto, Eric J. Drinkwater, David G. Behm, and Duane C. Button (2015) Foam Rolling for Delayed-Onset Muscle Soreness and Recovery of Dynamic Performance Measures. Journal of Athletic Training: January 2015, Vol. 50, No. 1, pp. 5-13.
Lucas KR, Polus BI, Rich PS. Latent myofascial trigger points: their effects on muscle activation and movement efficiency. J Bodyw Mov Ther. 2004;8:160-166
Sawka MN, Burke LM, Eichner ER, Maughan RJ, Montain SJ, Stachenfeld NS. American College of Sports Medicine position stand. Exercise and fluid replacement. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2007;39:377-90.
Today’s guest post comes courtesy of regular contributor and San Antonio based personal trainer, Jonathan Acosta.
The fitness industry is rife with people who use hyperbole, quick fixes, and instant gratification tactics to “woo” other people into their web of deceit and mindfuckery.
Whether one’s goal is fat-loss, muscle gain, or to have a pecs that can cut diamonds…more often than not people default to the “I want it and I want it now” mentality. And it sets people up for failure.
Jonathan uses a brilliant metaphor/analogy to break this train of thought.
In the movie TheMatrix Revolutions, Neo gets trapped in a train station that’s basically a border world between the matrix and the machine.That station is essentially limbo…
Why am I telling you this?
Because even the great Neo gets stuck in limbo.
We all do from time to time.
A lot of times it isn’t this permanent stuck here forever type of thing that we are led to believe.
Sometimes we have to ride it out until the train arrives to the station.
Note From TG:I still don’t know WTF this scene was all about.
When it comes to this fitness journey, those of us in this profession know all too well about this limbo and what to do about it. We know that results aren’t linear as we’d expect and hope them to be.
Its not a magical rainbow of results just shooting straight upward.
Luckily the fitness industry has done a good job at getting people to understand this and snapping them out of the “I want it now” mentality.
Sure, we still have to battle the inevitable BS such as same-day liposuction or the latest and greatest Cryo-Fatloss-Mega-Blast-Infrared-Sculpting procedure. But as a whole, I think we’ve done pretty well at giving clients the truth and helping them understand that this isn’t a quick and easy fix.
BUT…
What happens when you’re in this shit period? (The shit period is when progress flat lines to where progress seems non-existent?……………AKA: Limbo)
Now for some, it’s easy to just look down and put in the work day in and day out until they finally see the shimmering light.
But for most, especially ones who haven’t ever prioritized health and fitness in their life, the shit period is so discouraging that quitting is inevitable.
Now you and I both know the cycle.
Three months (if that) of hard work, followed by quitting for six months, only to restart again, usually in worse shape began than before, until the process repeats itself…or they opt for the “instant fixes:”
Liposuction
Cryo-Fatloss-Mega-Blast-Infrared-Sculpting®
Tapeworms
If Only…
If only there was a way to get them to see the 1000 ft. view like you see it right? To get them to see the big picture and the timeline if they stuck with it in the long haul.
I haven’t figured out the answer myself so don’t get your hopes up this is that kind of article.
However, I like metaphors and believe many people learn best this way; they allow an opportunity for a person to connect with a topic.
I can’t remember for the life of me where I got this quote from but its pretty true.
“When it comes to fat loss, you’re going to be in a plateau 80% of the time.”
That means you might be in limbo for a good while.
So where were we?
Oh right. Limbo.
We’ve all been there.
Grinding day in and day out.
Keeping meticulous attention as to what we put in our mouths and staying on point only for nothing to budge.
First of all you should have the help of a competent coach who’s able to recognize “limbo” and guide you through it
Two coaches that come to mind that are exceptional at this are Bryan Krahn and John Meadows.
Even if you’re a coach yourself it would benefit you a ton to hire one of them and learn from them as much as you can.
Next thing is understanding and explaining this curve to them.
I like to give this scenario…
Lets say you’re minding your own business and out of the blue a man comes up to you with a briefcase in hand.
Picture Leonardo DiCaprio as Jay Gatsby. He gives it to you and tells you open it.
You’re confused but you open the briefcase and all you see is stacks upon stacks of $100 bills.
It’s Leo so you know its legit and not monopoly money.
It’s one million in cash.
You can have it if you want. No strings attached.
Now hold on, before you close the suitcase and run. (I did that in my head mentally the first time I heard this analogy).
He says you can have it no strings attached…Or, you can have this…He then pulls out a penny from his Armani suit pocket (they had Armani back in the 1920’s right?).
He says, “I’ll put this penny into your bank account and I’ll double the money in the account once a month for three years.”
[By the second month you’ll have two cents. The third you’ll have four cents. The fourth you’ll have eight cents and so on.]
Before you start trying to do the math in your head, Leo quickly distracts your thoughts and says, “Which one do you want: The million, or the penny?”
You have 5 seconds to answer…
He literally starts counting down 5, 4, 3,
Now if you suck at math like me, that problem would take you 15 min to figure out let alone five seconds.
So you shout your answer.
What’d you answer?
Its ok, were all friends here. There’s no right or wrong answer.
1 Million or 1 Cent?
In the heat of the moment and with the small time frame given, most would choose the million up front.
Its cold hard cash given right there and then.
Sure we’re all smart and have already witnessed trick questions like these before, so we kind of assume already that the penny would be the better choice.
But since we don’t have time to do the math, or are not able to see the outcome, we choose the quickest, right in front of you, results right nowoption.
Instant gratification.
Does that sound familiar?
Clients really do know the answer to their riddle.
They know their penny option would probably be best.
But since they can’t see the outcome or the answer, and since they have a five second countdown in the form of social media bogus two-month transformations and extremely high expectations…they too succumb to the “I want it and I want it now” mentality where 1 million dollars up front is quick and easy.
Kick Instant Gratification In the Dick
Now this is where you explain to them what they’d get if they chose the penny.
If they chose the penny. The first year would total a whopping $20.48.
That one million is sounding awfully good isn’t it?
It’s ok, this is that limbo period where seemingly nothing is happening.
But slowly and surely you’re depositing into your “fitness account” with dedication, consistency, and day in day out on point eating and workouts.
After two years your bank account should be better right?
The second year puts you right at $83,886.05…
WTF! That’s still not even close to the one million cash.
Its ok, this is STILL limbo.
At this point you have two different types of people.
People that see no end in sight and either quit or go for instant gratification.
And those that figure F- it I’ve already gone this far might as well just keep going and see it through.
By the end of the third year…your account will have a total of $343.5 Million dollars.
Now I’m not good at math but even I know that 343 million is wayyyyyyyy more than 1 million.
And all it took was having patience and to keep depositing throughout that shitty limbo period.
Fat Loss is Just Like That.
If you were to see it as a chart graph, it would seem as if results were slow or practically nonexistent, until out of nowhere… boom!
A huge spike and results soar for a short period of time until you “graduate” to the next level of limbo.
That huge spike is more than enough to get you where you wanna be; it’s just a long and slow process at times.
Seriously.
If you think of body transformations in terms of yearly, in a three-year period it’ll feel and possibly seem like the first year and maybe even two will have been a waste.
Pump the brakes. Chill out.
It’s completely normal to feel frustrated, like you’re stuck in cement, and that progress is moving at a snail-like pace.
The metaphor above puts things into perspective: it assures you that if you’re crossing your T’s and dotting your I’s it’s not a waste…and your day in the sun will come soon.
I’m a huge Bruce Lee fan.
He liked to use water in a lot of his quotes so I’m gonna use one too.
If you’ve ever boiled water and stared at it while it boils you’ll notice that it just simmers for a good while till seemingly, out of nowhere, bubbles erupt and its boiling.
What if you change your mindset about limbo and that shit period and see the parallel to the simmering water?
Realizing that things are actually simmering and leading up to that huge skyrocket of success makes the mundane, daily grind seem much more worth it.
About the Author
Jonathan Acosta is the founder of Underground Performance Center and head trainer at Get Sexy San Antonio and is a certified personal trainer though both ISSA and the NCEP, as well as Precision Nutrition Level 1 certified.
He likes lifting heavy things, reading books with big words in them, his steaks rare, funny stuff, writing stuff, hanging out with friends, and laughing.
For the sake of brevity, this post assumes you can perform a deadlift – trap bar, straight bar, bag of groceries of the ground, person, whatever – without shitting your spine.
If you can’t, go seek out a reputable fitness professional – or Google it10 – to show you how.
Much like if someone wants to get better at writing they should, you know, write, or if they want to get better at not getting laid, they should attend Star Trek conventions…if you want to get better at deadlifitng, you should deadlift.
The more you (purposely) practice something the better you’ll get at it. I understand it’s stating the obvious, but it can’t be repeated enough.
There are many moving parts to executing a pristine deadlift, however, and oftentimes it bodes in our favor to include exercises, drills, and/or movements that compliment the lift or, more germane to the conversation, address a technique flaw or general weakness.
Below are a handful of quick-n-dirty suggestions that may (or may not) apply to you and help increase your deadlift badassery.
1) Deadstart Squats
This is one of my favorite deadlift accessory movements for a few reasons:
When set up to match your hip position for the deadlift it offers a ton of carryover in terms of both mechanics and musculature targeted.
The deadlift is (mostly) a concentric movement. The Deadstart Squat, too, is (mostly) a concentric movement.
For people who struggle with keeping their chest up (preventing their upper back from rounding) during the deadlift, this will be a challenge. NOTE: I’d likely revert to a FRONT squat hold for those who really struggle with back position here. Front squat position is also a better option for those who lack the requisite shoulder mobility (external rotation) to perform well. Another great option is using the Safety-squat or Yoke bar.
Great option for training power/explosiveness.
Because I said so.
As far as sets/reps there are two approaches I like, both of which gravitate more towards the low(er) end of the spectrum.
One (3-5)
Here, reps will stay in the 3-5 (25ish total reps) range using 60-75% of 1RM. A 4-week macro-cycle may look something like this:
Week 1: 5×5 @ 65% 1RM, 90s rest
Week 2: 6×4 @ 70% 1RM, 90s rest
Week 3: 8×3 @ 75% 1RM, 90s rest
Week 4: 3×5 @ 60% 1RM, 90s rest
Idea is to stay tight throughout duration of set. You should always come to a complete stop on the pins, however you shouldn’t relax
Two (Singles)
I love this option as I feel it offers the most carryover to my deadlift.
Because I’m only performing one-rep, I can place a premium on getting as tight as humanly possible and being as explosive AF. In addition I can go a little heavier in weight here (70-85% of 1RM)
A 4-week macrocycle may look something like this:
Week 1: 12×1 @ 70% 1RM, 30s rest
Week 2: 10×1 @ 75% 1RM, 30s rest
Week 3: 8×1 @ 80% 1RM, 60s rest
Week 4: 6×1 @ 85% 1RM, 60s rest
2) RKC Plank
I don’t know about you, but this is what I look like whenever someone brags to me about how (s)he can hold a two-minute plank:
You might as well be bragging to me about how you can point out the color red or, I don’t know, walk in a straight line.
That’s how many fucks I give about your fucking plank.
Besides, you know and I know if you’re holding a plank that long it (probably) looks like garbage.
NOTE: This is not to insinuate I’m against the plank or find zero value in it.
Au contraire.
Without going too far down the rabbit hole of spinal mechanics, prone (and side) planks (and how long someone can perform them) are a legitimate assessment tool and are staples in terms of low back rehab and performance.
Teaching the RKC Plank offers a quick primer on how to 1) perform the plank right and 2) allow people a window to appreciate what it really feels like to get and maintain full-body tension.
The RKC Plank is all about building context.
More specifically it’s about appreciating full-body tension. If someone can’t understand (or feel) what this means while lying on the floor…how in the hell are they going to understand it standing up while attempting to pick up a heavy object off the floor?
Trust me, when done right, 10s will feel like torture.
3) Straight-Arm Band Pulldowns
I stole this tip from Dr. John Rusin when I was giving his Functional Hypertrophy Training program a test-drive last year.
For the Record: it’s an awesome program.
The idea is pretty simple (and effective).
Prior to each set of deadlifts you perform a set of 5-10 repetitions of band pulldowns (holding each rep for a 3-5s count).11
This serves a few functions:
It allows the trainee to prime or feel his or her’s lats firing. Setting your lats (and subsequently posteriorly tilting your scapulae) as part of your DL set-up will help with leverages and moment arms getting you closer to the barbell. Greg Nuckols does a fantastic job at explaining things more thoroughly and nerdely HERE.
Offhandedly, it also helps with anterior core engagement, which in turn aids with rib position. Less rib flare = less lumbar extension = more stable position to lift a metric shit-ton of weight.
Closing Thoughts
None of the above are revolutionary ideas or are going to win be any fitness writing Pulitzers. However, they are exercises/drills I use myself (and with my own clients/athletes) and have found they provide a lot of benefit.
Give them a try yourself and let me know your thoughts/experiences.
the world a happier, healthier, and more loving place. He wants to give people the power to change their lives. Bodybuilding and physical therapy serve as ways to carry out that cause. His knowledge of sport and exercise biomechanics, movement quality, and the practical application of research combined with personal experience in bodybuilding and nutrition allows him to help people in truly unique ways. Love. Passion. Respect. Humility. Never an expert. Always a student. Love your journey.
Dr. Michael Infantino is a physical therapist. He works with active military members in the DMV region. You can find more articles by Michael at 
