The most cogent place to start is to (briefly) explain what a hip hinge is. And to that end I often like to steal a train of thought from renowned strength coach and writer, Dan John:
“The Hip Hinge = Maximal hip flexion with minimal knee flexion.”
Well, that was easy.
Now that we know what it is, why do we care?
In my neck of the woods – strength & conditioning – the hip hinge is the precursor (or base) for a lot of what we do to help make people stronger, faster, and more athletic.
Deadlifting = hip hinge.
Jumping = hip hinge.
But in everyday life, too, the hip hinge pops in to make a cameo appearance:
Bending over to pick up your child.
Picking up anything off the ground, really.
Sitting down.
Assuming an athletic position in your recreational basketball league. You know, the same league a bunch of your friends asked you to join because it was going to be fun, but then you went a head and missed those two foul shots to lose the championship game, and now everyone hates you. That league.
Photo Credit: STACK.com
Whether you realize it or not, and whether or not it involves lifting heavy things (or your recycling bin), you likely hip hinge many, many, many times per day.
And you’re likely more than proficient at it.
Some (not all) fitness professionals like to make things more complicated than they have to be. When it comes to the hip hinge, really what we’re after is the ability to dissociate hip movement from lumbar movement.
We want to be able to move from the hips with little (if any) movement from the spine; especially when we’re under significant load.
Some fit pros will assess the hip hinge and if it seems wonky or awry they’ll automatically transform into “corrective exercise” mode where said individual will be put through a hefty 17-week program complete with dowel rods, bands, breathing drills, and maybe a Shaolin monk (in worst case scenarios) to set them straight and to fix things.
Now, I am not here to bemoan corrective exercise or to belittle those who take the time to coach up their clients with hip hinge drills.
I mean, I’ve written several blog posts on the topic HERE and HERE, so I’d be a major asshole if I did that.
But, what I would like today’s post to do is to provide a bit of context and to remind coaches that sometimes all people need is a slight nudge or reminder that “x” is what you want them to do.
Again, with a hip hinge, all I’m after is dissociation of hip movement from lumbar movement. If I can get an individual to create tension – or a “flexion moment” – in the anterior core so that they can’t move through their lower back, then my job is done.
In the last article – HERE – we looked at how we would address the issues that occur at the shoulders and thoracic spine. We discovered that optimal shoulder function comes from a healthy scapulohumeral rhythm, a mobile thoracic spine and humerus, and strong scapula and core muscles. In the end we identified common problems and proposed unique exercise solutions that can not only correct issues when they arise, but also strengthen the capacity of the joint altogether.
That followed my opening article in which I discussed my stance on the current state of our industry and how we’ve gone overkill in regard to corrective exercises. You can read that HERE.
Which brings us here to the next installment of the series – a similar dive into the lower back and hip joint, an anatomically different, but physiologically similar region of the body.
You’ll discover how lower back pain isn’t simply the lower back, how hip dysfunction or immobility requires more than flexibility and blood flow, and that integrated three-dimensional movements are the key to unlocking the hips and core.
As Shakira sings, “hips don’t lie”.
We are going to dive into the anatomy of the region, the physiology of the segments, and biomechanical implications that must be considered by any professional worth their salt.
We are going to unlock our, and our client’s, potential by adding another five great exercises to the equation too. But first, I want to take a moment to clear the air and amend a point I made in my previous post.
An Amendment on the FMS
In my last article I made a bit of a blunder when I described an issue that I have with the Functional Movement Screen. In my efforts to write a short, and interesting, piece of literature that covers a complex topic I did not effectively communicate my viewpoint on the matter. My claim that “the FMS puts the fear of God into trainers” isn’t quite accurate.
Brett Jones of FMS and I had a call on the matter and enjoyed an outstanding conversation on the FMS, how trainers are using it, and my specific area of concern.
Brett Jones (Note From TG: NEVER make Brett angry. Ever. Just kidding. Brett’s as professional as they come and one of THE best presenters I have ever had the pleasure of learning from. But seriously, don’t feed him past midnight.
He drew to my attention that the FMS, when taught properly and used properly, especially after the level 2 certification, provides trainers a lot of tools to correct and address issues that are present in the screens.
And he is spot on.
In my experience with the Functional Movement Screen, and the literature it publishes, I’ve found tremendous success in identifying, addressing, and correcting flawed patterns. The tools are present for a trainer to succeed.
So, to that end – the FMS itself is not an issue, and in fact, the certifications and resources that Gray (Cook) and Lee (Burton) provide are high on my list of recommended education for trainers. Simply put, much of the responsibility lays on the trainer performing the assessment to ensure they understand what they are screen, why they are doing it, and what it all means regarding the client’s exercise program.
And so, my point is really this:
“The FMS can put the fear of God in trainers who haven’t invested enough time to understand its purpose and nuance. This can be avoided by investing in your education and diving head first into new information.”
Basic Hip and Lower Back Anatomy – Skeletal
When looking at the skeletal anatomy of the spine and hip we find that it is quite simple. There are four major considerations:
The thoracic spine – capable of flexion, extension, and rotation. In an ideal world the thoracic spine handles the bulk or rotation and extension of the spine.
The lumbar spine – capable of flexion, extension, and rotation. In an ideal world the lumbar spine serves more as a stable base for movement that allows the pelvis to move underneath, and the thoracic spine to move above.
The pelvis – capable of anterior tilting (pouring water out of our belly button), posterior tilting (pouring water out of our back) and lateral tilts to either side (pouring water out of our sides).
The femurs – capable of internal and external rotation, flexion and extension, as well as abduction and adduction. Each of these movements are necessary to generate the variety of locomotion patterns we execute daily and for the specific movements we perform in training.
The ankle and foot are also capable of impacting health of the hips too, especially in the running community. Issues in these lower joints can cause negative effects to move upwards in the kinetic chain and begin causing negative adaptations in the hip joint or lumbar spine. We will address these correctives in the final part of this series, Hip-Knee-Ankle-Foot, so stay tuned.
For now, simply acknowledging their role in the process is enough.
Under the same principles, the shoulders can also impact the function of the hips. A dysfunction in the shoulders, such as upper cross syndrome, impacts the T-spine, which disrupts the lumbar spine and pelvis. Improving the health of the shoulder joint can help alleviate the poor postures that stress the lumbar spine and allow for a better functioning pelvis that experiences the ranges of tilt patterns because the lack of tightness in the lower spine. The scapula specifically should be considered (and will be in our correctives).
Basic Anatomy of Spine and Hips – Muscular
There are muscles that could be mentioned in this section that run very deep in the body and have very specific function.
The multifidus for example is a muscle that runs along the spine and has an important function; yet, our training practices aren’t exactly targeting it.
It is always good to know these types of muscles, such as the quadratus lumborum, obterus group, gemelli2 , and the aforementioned multifidus. Still though, this article is meant for our day-to-day efforts and most trainers simply don’t need to consider these things
There are some major players that you need to know though:
The abdominal wall, specifically the transverse abdominus, rectus abdominus, internal and external obliques, and psoas muscles. These muscles flex, extend, and rotate the spine and some act on the hip as flexors.
The gluteus maximum, minimus, and medius. These muscles act on the hip as external rotators and hip extensors.
The four muscles of the quadriceps, three muscles of the hamstrings, the tensor fascia latae as well as your abductors and adductors all act on the hip and knee joint. These muscles drive motion of the femur in the hip socket in a variety of ways that are unique to each pattern. In the next section we’ll isolate the specific motions and what muscles are involved for bookkeeping purposes.
The erector spinae, the quadratus lumborum, lattisimus dorsi, and lower trapezius muscles function on the thoracic and lumbar spine from the posterior of the body. These muscles are critical for putting the T-spine in the right place and stabilizing the L-spine during movement.
Basic Movement Physiology
Knowing what is in play is only half of the battle.
Note From TG:Goddamit Kevin. Rule #239 of being a nerd is that whenever the phrase “only half the battle” is used it must always be followed with GOOOO, Joe
In fact, knowing the structures and muscles involved is irrelevant if we don’t understand how they create movement in the body. To avoid blowing this article out into a thirty-thousand-word book on physiology we are going to have a down and dirty list of functions and the muscles that do the work.
I implore you to read and learn more about the muscular physiology that drives these movements from other resources. Play with things at the gym and try to “feel” what you can. I felt obligated to include this information in an honest effort to create the best free guide to hip correctives you’ll find. What you do with your education from there now rests in your hands.
Spinal Rotation or Lateral Flexion – Any of the core muscles mentioned above when functioning unilaterally. If one side of the rectus abdominus fires, then you’ll see lateral flexion and some rotation. Other rotators include the internal and external obliques and serratus anterior.
Hip Flexion – psoas major, iliacus, rectus femoris, sartorius, tensor fasciae latae, adductor longus and brevis, gracilis, pectineus. Some fibers of the glute minimus and medius engage here.
Hip Extension – glute maximus, biceps femoris, semitendinosus, semimembranosus. Some fibers of the glute medius engage too.
Hip Abduction – the glute maximus, minimus, and medius as well as the tensor fasciae latae. The piriformis functions when the hip is at 90 degrees.
Hip Adduction – adductor longus, brevis, magnus, pectinius and gracilis
Hip Internal Rotation – tensor fasciae latae, adductor longus, brevis, and magnus, pectineus, sections of glute medius and minimus
Hip External Rotation – piriformis, gemellus superior and inferior, obturator internus and externus, glute maximus, minimus, medius, psoas major, sartorius, quadratus femori
Now, I realize that this list reads like the appendix of a textbook, but don’t get lost in the noise. Notice the tremendous amount of overlap. You’ll see that the glutes have multiple functions as do the adductors and the TFL.
This sort of information at least shows us what the major players are going to be.
The Fascial Integration
We must also give attention to the intricate layers of fascia that are found in the core, hip, and thigh. Whether we address it through myofascial release or integrated non-linear movements, we must give it attention.
As noted in the previous edition, fascia is a highly communicative tissue that can arrange our body and its structures at a speed that is closer to the speed of light or sound than it is the speed of our cognition.
Fascia adapts, positively or negatively, to the stress placed upon it. Sit in a chair all day? Well, your fascia is likely bound up and dehydrated. Exist in a world where yoga, integrated movements, and sports are a major focus? Chances are you have healthy fascia.
The utilization of non-linear movements is one of the best ways of to improve fascia.
The Major Issues
The issues that occur at the spine and hips are almost always interconnected. A client could deal with just one or all of them.
Chances are that you’ll deal with all of these issues in some point in your career.
It is important to read and learn each of these as their own issue while also understanding that a client could show up to you with a Royal Flush of dysfunction. Luckily, the correctives we’ll discuss at the end are Swiss army knives – they are great for everyone.
1) Desk Posture
Once again, our lovely desk posture makes an appearance on the list. It is important to acknowledge the impact that upper cross syndrome (UCS) can have on core function, and thus hip function. If someone is slouched over with internally rotated shoulders, a kyphotic thoracic spine, and weak abdominal muscles, then we can very likely ascertain that their hips aren’t going to function optimally.
The lack of thoracic extension, poor function of the core muscles, and the overextension of the erector spinae and trapezius muscles dramatically impact the way someone can function up and down the length of their spine.
Ironically, many of these same flaws are also present in lower cross syndrome (LCS), which involves the muscles of the lumbar spine, abdominal wall, and the hips. Dysfunction caused from sitting all day can make the muscles involved weak (glutes and abdominals) or tight (muscles of the lower back and the hip flexors).
When a client presents these issues, especially together, it can be hard to prescribe any challenging exercises because their entire torso is locked from neck to butt. It is important to spot these issues early and begin implementing a corrective strategy that gets that client on the right path.
Thankfully, we’ll have some exercises below that will be great for both UCS and LCS issues.
2) Excess Anterior Tilt
When the pelvis is stuck in its “tipped forward” position for too long there are issues that can present themselves at rest and during exercise. In fact, continuing to exercise, especially with exercises that promote even more tilt, can cause damage to the vertebral discs.
In this position the erector spinae and QL are pulled tight while the anterior core is left in a lengthened and overstretched state. This sort of weakness in the abdominal wall makes optimal hip function harder to achieve and can lead to injuries at the spine.
Another unfortunate consequence is the overextension of the spine, or flaring of the rib cage, which can create the appearance of a midsection that is holding excess bodyfat. This bulge is simply a result of poor posture and would disappear once the pelvis is set back to neutral.
It should be noted that though that the pelvis should be able to anterior tilt through a full range of motion – it just shouldn’t be stuck that way.
3) Excess Posterior Tilt
The exact opposite of anterior tilt is the posterior version, which is when the pelvis is tilted back too far. This “belt-buckle to nose” condition is often found in individuals with lower cross issues since their abdominal walls are weak and their hip flexors overactive.
This position pulls the glutes completely in line with the body and flattens out the lumbar spine by ridding of the natural curvature of that region. This is not only “less attractive” due to the appearance of having no ass, but it also dangerous to load someone who can not achieve even low levels of hip extension and hip flexion. When someone is stuck here – they effectively have no idea of how to move their hips.
The corrective strategy here requires specific interventions that improve the awareness of the client as well as the strength of the glutes, hamstrings, abdominal wall, and even latissimus dorsi muscles. Additional efforts can be spent to improve external rotation of the femur and abduction too.
Once again, the hip should be able to posterior tilt during some movements and to help create stability.
4) Sticky Femurs (no, this isn’t technical)
One of my favorite terms for someone lacking the ability to rotate their femurs in their hip sockets (internally or externally) is “sticky femurs.” What I mean by this statement is nothing more than the image of having gum stuck in the joint that prevents optimal movement.
This is a combination of a lack of mobility in the joint due to not experiencing enough movement variation. Very active people could have “sticky” hips if they don’t cross train or experience movements in all three planes. Many “big” lifters struggle with external and internal rotation at the hip.
The other side of the coin is weak external or internal rotators that are incapable of owning the position that we put the femur in with excellent mobility. This is very common in dancers, those who practice yoga, or others who don’t actively strengthen these muscles. Detrained individuals fall into this category too. The mobility is there, but strength at end ranges is not.
5) Poor Coordination
Sometimes the issue is simply getting people to start exercising more and feeling their body move in a variety of ways. Frequent exercise, especially when done with coordination as the end goal, can improve a lot of functions of the hips on its own. It is amazing just how bad things can get when someone is rusty or de-conditioned.
Of course, you’ll need to spend time mobilizing and strengthening the various elements of the hip joint, but you’ll likely see increased output by simply exposing clients to new forms of movement and exercise. Any training program that features unilateral, contralateral, ipsilateral, and bilateral movements in all three planes is ideal.
6) Weak Core
Lastly, poor strength in the core itself can cause serious issues. It can derail any segment of the body since the primary function of the core itself is force transduction – AKA – translate forces from the limbs to each other and to the external environment.
A strong core is capable of remaining stable as the limbs create and accepts force. We must ensure our clients can move through all three planes of motion, with optimal function at the joints, with a variety of loads and challenges, because they possess a strong core. For this reason, most of our programming for the core should emphasize creating, and maintaining, tension.
The Corrective Exercises
Once we dive into the corrective strategies it is important to acknowledge that all these movements can be used to help with each issue. All these movements in some way will impact the ability of the client to succeed in overcoming hip dysfunction.
Each are also excellent in isolation as warmups, isolated correctives, and “fillers” between primary movements (as Tony often discusses). The Sumo deadlift, obviously, is a primary movement that should occur early in a program, especially if we are loading it up.
1. Glute Bridge Pullovers
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=744uVr_qbqM
This simple variation of the traditional glute bridge accomplishes two major things:
Drives all the major benefits of the traditional glute bridge
Incorporates lat tension into the glute bridge – a key point for deadlifts and squats
You can strengthen the lats, glutes and abdominals while also addressing coordination issues. This exercise can help with every problem listed above except for “sticky femurs.”
2. Foot Elevated Glute Bridges
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uB_OanZw_Js
Another glute bridge variation that can dramatically improve the strength of the hip muscles (both flexors and extensors). By elevating the feet, you can increase the range of motion you’ll experience and improve your ability to drive into the bridge.
The key is to manage the lumbar spine and avoid overextension. The sort of exercise is great for strengthening the core, improving pelvic tilt issues, addressing coordination, and improving posture.
3. Cossack Squats
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XC0InYzYb00
A highly advanced variation of a lateral squat – the Cossack squat asks for an incredible amount of external rotation from the femurs. It targets the muscles that drive abduction and hip flexion and extension while moving through the frontal plane.
You can use your arms to help counterweight your body as you go down and find depth. Ease into the motion and look to improve your depth and mobility over time. This is an advanced exercise that can be regressed to holding onto something like a squat rack to help with weight transfer.
4. Copenhagen Side Planks
For some reason we love naming exercises after places – this side plank variation being no different. However, this is one of the most incredible ways of working the adductor grouping without needing to add external load. You’ll also integrate your internal rotators and the muscles of the rotary core. This sort of combo lends itself to improving strength and coordination.
Your goal should be to squeeze the bottom leg towards the bottom of the bench without rolling over and dumping the tension in the side plank.
Drive yourself to maintain an ideal side plank posture the entire time.
5. Loaded Marching Carries
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JuHCDH1T43E
Loaded carries are a movement pattern all their own. Few things can rival the simple effectiveness of grabbing heavy weights and walking around with great posture. This variation though, greatly improves the function of the hips by incorporation intentional hip flexion through the march.
Focus on driving the knees perfectly vertical, play with your speeds, and always emphasize a tight upper back, strong core, and depression of the scapula.
This exercise addresses every single problem mentioned above.
6. Sumo Stance Deadlifts
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XhxviMQEWOM
The validity of a medicine is always in its dose. Sumo stance deadlifts are one of the best corrective exercises you could program assuming:
You or your client are ready for the stress of loaded hinges
You choose the appropriate version for where you are in your training routine
You have earned the right to be here by exercising pain free with less aggressive modalities.
The reason that the sumo stance is so great is that you are literally working all of the muscles of the thigh, hip, core, and upper back at the same time. The external rotation and abduction of the femurs improves the strength of the muscles involved while also helping clients discover new mobility and neuromuscular coordination. This pattern is especially useful for those who spend most of their days sitting.
7. Loaded Beast to World’s Greatest Hip Opener
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=spt_l-XhZRE
An interesting cross between a traditional mobility exercise and one of the loading phases in Animal Flow – this is one of my go to exercises for increasing the dynamic ability of my clients.
This version allows you to go fast or slow depending upon skill set while also loading the hips through a full flexion and extension cycle, improving coordination, and integrating the upper body and lower body together in a mobility movement.
You can use this as a “energy system” filler if you so choose (and your client is ready).
BONUS:
8. Hinge Position Face Pull
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JibVKRxbgAs
A lot of clients need help discovering how to hinge. Those same clients also struggle with maintaining tension in their cores and lats too. This exercise combines an active movement of the shoulders (great for shoulder health) with a passive hip hinge to improve core and hip strength.
Add this into any of your programs as a variation of the face pull that challenges your clients do more than just yank on the cable.
Wrapping it Up
Your ability to improve your client’s function around their hips depends on your ability to address the mobility and stability needs of the segment while also ensuring they are getting enough of a training stimulus to cause change. Understanding the nuances of the anatomy and physiology is a critical step in developing progressive programs that correct issues and cause a training effect.
The final part of the series will discuss the relationship of the hip-knee-and ankle.
I already wrote similar posts covering how I implement fillers with deadlifts and squats, so it only makes sense to finally follow suit with something discussing the bench press.
As a quick refresher for those first tuning in: “Fillers” are low grade exercises that address a specific mobility or stability issue – lack of glute activation, tight hip flexors, poor scapular upward rotation, as examples – which are performed during rest periods of a main exercise.
Fillers could also be a simple stretch.
In short the idea is do something productive during your rest periods – other than stalk your ex on Instagram – that’s not going to affect or deter performance on subsequent sets of deadlifts, squats, bench presses, and the like.
Another way to look at it is this: I know it, you know it, your parent’s mailman’s second cousin’s godfather knows it, we all know it…
…you’re (probably) going to skip your warm-up.
Fillers are the compromise.
Instead of giving people a laundry list of warm-up drills they’re not going to do, I’ll sprinkle fillers in as PART OF THE PROGRAM.
So in no particular order here’s a quick-n-dirty rundown of some of my go to fillers on bench day.
1. Rows
Okay, I’m cheating a little bit here.
I’m only speaking for myself, but I find rows are something most people can’t include enough of in a program. Many of us are so overdeveloped and/or tight in our anterior chain – namely pecs – that it’s not uncommon practice for me to pair a rowing variation with EVERY set (including warm-ups) of bench press to help offset the imbalance
I don’t care if it’s a DB row, Seated Cable Row, Chest Supported Row, Seal Row, TRX Row, Face Pulls, or Band Pull-Apart…I want some kind of row tethered to every set of the bench press.
And then I’ll include 1-2 more rowing variations later in the session too. The whole notion of a balanced approach to program design – where you attempt to include a 1:1 (press:row) ratio – while noble and good place to start, tends to be a bit underwhelming.
I’ll often say it’s more beneficial to UN-BALANCE someone’s program (to the tune of 2-3 rowing variations for every press) to to better “balance” them.”
So, as more of an umbrella theme to consider, just staying cognizant of rowing volume (and adding more of it into someone’s program) is going to be leaps and bounds more effective for long-term shoulder health and training domination than the litany of correctives that can be substituted in.
2. Band Posture Corrector
This is a drill I stole from my good friend and strength coach Jim “Smitty” Smith of Diesel Strength.
Sitting at a desk all day, every day, can be brutal.
The muscles on the back side (namely, rhomboids) get long and weak, while the muscles on the front (namely, pecs) get short and overactive.
A good bench press requires a fair amount of scapular retraction and depression to help protect the shoulder joint and to provide a more stable “surface” to press from.
This drill targets those muscles involved.
Simply grab a band, loop it around your shoulders, and “reverse” the posture.
I like to perform 10-20 reps with a 1-2 second hold on each rep.
3. Foam Roller Snow Angel
Likewise, the bench press also requires a decent amount of thoracic extension (which makes it easier to retract and depress your shoulder blades).
The Foam Roller Snow Angel allows for a few things to fall in place:
A nice pec stretch.
Nudges more thoracic extension (by lying on the foam roller).
I like 10-12 reps here.
4. Child’s Pose – off Med Ball
Pigging back off the above drill, this one also helps to improve thoracic extension in addition to strengthening the scapular stabilizers when you add a static hold at the top of each rep.
Adding the medicine ball into the mix along with flexed hips helps to keep the lumbar spine out of the equation.
Excellent strength coach, and outstanding Canadian, Dean Somerset once stated in an internet post, or maybe it was a blog, “there is always a cost of doing business.” He meant it as a point of emphasis when talking about the various effects of training programs and specific exercises. But he also could have extrapolated it outwards to reflect the stresses of our daily lives.
Poor posture while seated for twelve hours is going to have a cost associated with it just as German volume training.
Note From TG: OMG, German Volume Training brings back the worst memories. I don’t know which was worse: getting kicked on the balls or GVT?
For this reason, the fitness industry has made a major shift towards corrective exercises. Once seen as the tools of progressive physical therapists – these mobility, stability, and integrated exercises have become critical elements in training programs for elite athletes, nimble geriatrics, and the average Joe and Jane alike.
The growth of corrective modalities in conventional personal training is a good thing overall. However, as I pointed out in the introduction to this article series – HERE – there exists a very big downside to the obsession with movement perfection and body correction.
There needs to be a better way of correcting people’s movement flaws, overcoming their specific weaknesses, and getting them to a place where they can safely train hard. Far too many coaches are “under-training” their clients because they are investing too much time “correcting” things. At some point we need to get people training hard towards their actual goals.
Using Your Head For Their Shoulders
There may be no part of the body more susceptible to under-training than the shoulders. With multiple skeletal structures, a bunch of muscle attachments, and a relationship with the spine – there are a lot of reasons that someone wouldn’t be “allowed” to train hard with their shoulders.
Training them includes more than the traditional bodybuilding approach too.
The glenohumeral joint is involved in all upper body pushing and pulling motions as well as the specific isolation exercises that are popular in bodybuilding programs (such as lateral raises or chest flyes). The scapula and clavicle are too, but their positioning on the body also impacts movement such as the deadlift and squat.
Because of their high level of integration with every exercise we do, the shoulders are often the most banged up part of a client’s body. Our poor postures and ill-advised training programs aren’t helping us. Often the two compound each other and only worsen any dysfunction that exists.
Hence the need for correctives.
Really though, the shoulder itself is a bit of a miracle joint – with all the muscles that cross it, the fascia, the nerves, blood vessels, and obvious skeletal structures – it is amazing that it functions as well as it does.
But there can be a whole host of issues going on, or there can be just one. And that is what is most challenging about assessing and correcting shoulder dysfunctions.
It could be as simple as improving someone’s ability to retract and depress their scapula, such as when someone’s posture isn’t where we’d like it.
Or as complex as improving external rotation of the humerus while also stealing more extension from the thoracic spine and stability from the scapula during upward rotation and elevation, such as when a client wants to get better at pull-ups.
No matter how intense the problem is it is important that we as coaches keep our processes simple.
Removing the Restrictions
Yet, simple is not how most coaches approach shoulder health.
In fact, if you were to follow many of the conventional prescriptions that are floated through the industry, then you’d avoid many of the things that produce big results for your clients in favor of small correctives that make small changes. While some clients do need more intervention with these corrective methods – most simply need enough to create an opportunity for more intense training.
If you were to follow many of the guidelines that accompany something as notable as the Functional Movement Screen (the FMS), then many of your clients would not be allowed to press, or pull vertically, or load up abduction or adduction in the frontal or transverse planes until they were able to get a “2” on the shoulder mobility assessment.
While Gray Cook and Lee Burton did an incredible job creating a screening tool that helps coaches discover dysfunction and lack of movement prowess – they also created a system that is preventing a lot of clients from actually getting better.
Note From TG: For anyone interested (I.e., everyone) I wrote about my experience taking the FMS and what I took from it HERE.
The protective measures and governing principles of systems put the fear of God in personal trainers who use them. Many are afraid of loading anything until they see a two on the scoreboard. It is a steady dose of low intensity or no intensity correctives until that day.
Which is where the problem with corrective exercises starts:
Low to no intensity corrective exercises aren’t why clients improve over time. Instead, it is the strengthening exercises that come after these correctives that matter most.
If we are to improve how we utilize corrective exercises in our programs, then we must be willing to accept that what we now know isn’t perfect. We must be willing to entertain the idea that there is a better way of doing business. It is this exact mentality that drives innovation in technology.
It will drive innovation in fitness if we let it.
—-
(It is important to pause here and make a statement – this article is not meant to treat, diagnose, or prescribe methods or modalities for someone who is dealing with diagnosed injury or dysfunction in their shoulders. Traumatic injuries, conditions such as frozen shoulder, cervical kyphosis, and others require a finer touch from qualified medical professionals.)
If Not This, Then What?
Corrective exercises are like the bore that drills tunnels in the side of a mountain. They create the space for the construction to take place, but they aren’t the construction. You wouldn’t want to drive through a tunnel that hasn’t been reinforced with steel supports and millions of pounds of concrete, so why do you think that corrective exercises are enough to create a finished product in fitness?
The mobility and stability exercises that we define as “correctives” simply create the space for more optimal change to take place. They create the opportunity for well-selected strength exercises to change the tissues for the better.
For shoulder health we find that the classic approach of wall-angels, thoracic roll-overs, and cat-cows are simply creating the opening for which exercises like loaded carries, supinated pulldowns, and banded retractions fill with strength and stability. Our goal needs to be to do enough to get to the exercises that stimulate adaptation and create positive change; in the shoulders and in the rest of the client’s body.
Our responsibility as trainers is to help our clients overcome dysfunctions and improve their movement quality – sure. But our job also implies that we help our clients burn calories, build muscle, and come just short of conquering the universe.
Before diving into the actual corrective exercises that will open the gates for us to train with the intensity our client’s want and need, let’s ensure that everyone reading is on the same page on the anatomy and physiology of the shoulder joint.
The Basic Anatomy and Physiology – Skeletal
When looking at the shoulder joint you are presented with three major bones: the clavicle, the scapula, and the humerus.
The clavicle (or collarbone) is the most stationary of all of these structures, but its lateral aspect does elevate and depress in reaction to movements of the other bones. The humerus, the upper arm bone, is designed for external and internal rotation within the socket – known as the glenohumeral joint.
The humerus can move through flexion, extension, abduction and adduction, and horizontal abduction and adduction by rotating around the glenohumeral joint in each of the three planes (sagittal, frontal, transverse). These movements are aided by the function of the scapula.
The scapula (or shoulder blade) is the large bone in the back of the body. It is capable of six motions: elevation, depression, upward rotation, downward rotation, protraction, and retraction. These movements are also correlated to the three planes of motion too – sagittal, frontal, and transverse respectively.
The spine is also involved in shoulder mobility and stability is often left out when looking at function. We will explore this relationship in the next section when we begin looking at how core function can impact shoulder mobility as well as how thoracic extension is necessary for optimal function of the shoulder joint.
The Basic Anatomy and Physiology – Muscular
The human shoulder functions as incredibly as it does because of the incredible number of muscles that are involved. Some control the humerus, others control the scapula, and others control the spine.
Most of these muscles are found in the back.
When looking at the muscles that contract at the shoulder, we must separate the muscles that control the external rotation and internal rotation of the humerus from the muscles that create the six motions of the scapula. While some muscles share functions – it is important to identify its primary action and what it acts upon in order to better understand how the shoulder wants to function.
The four muscles of the rotator cuff are most responsible for the external and internal rotation capacity of the humerus.
There is evidence to support that the triceps are involved in external rotation, especially under load (just turn your arm around as far as you can right now, and you’ll feel the lateral head of the triceps contract). Therefore, the triceps join the supraspinatus, infraspinatus, and teres minor as external rotators of the humerus.
With that claim we can also ascertain that the biceps and pectoralis group are involved to some degree in internal rotation (although there is significantly less IR available at the shoulder joint). The subscapularis is the internal rotator of the cuff.
When examining the muscles that move the scapula, we are simply looking at the muscles of the upper back; the lats, teres major, rhomboids, trapezius, levator scapulae, the serratus and the three external rotators of the cuff. Each of these muscles have specific functions on pieces of paper, but it is imperative as coaches that we realize that most exercises performed in a gym setting involve more than just one of these muscles doing one of these functions.
It is easy to point at the traps and say “oh, they are elevators and contribute to upward rotation.” It is less easy being able to look at a flawed motion and know exactly what is wrong:
For example, many coaches will point at someone having issues with retraction and think “ah, the upper traps are overactive and the teres major/minor need strengthening.” They could be right and probably are in a population of people who sit with rounded thoracic spines and internally rotated shoulders.
Add in forward neck and shrugged shoulders and this “diagnosis” seems spot on.
However, getting just the teres group to fire without activating the infraspinatus or supraspinatus is nearly impossible in a traditional training setting. Getting someone to stay out of their upper traps sounds like a great coaching cue, but that requires getting them to fire the muscles that contribute to scapular depression; the lower traps, pectoralis minor, and latissimus dorsi at the same time – something most clients (or you) can’t do consciously.
In fact, a lot of scapular depression comes from the ability to put the thoracic spine into extension. Doing so involves activation the lowest fibers of the traps, the lats, the upper abdominals, and a whole host of muscles that are so deep and connected to the individual vertebrae that considering them in training is pointless.
When these muscles contract and thoracic extension takes place, you find that the scapula better slide into the depressed position.
The Core Connection
Yet, thoracic control isn’t completely isolated either.
It is very hard to contract the thoracic muscles without some level of core control. In this instance, the core includes the anterior muscles of the core that we know (rectus and transverse abdominals, internal and external obliques, and Psoas Major.
It also includes the muscles of the posterior core: the quadratus lumborum and the erector spinae.
Conscious contraction of these muscles allows for the core to hold tension, which better stabilizes the lumbar spine, which better allows the thoracic spine to go into extension, which better allows the scapula to depress, which better allows the humerus to externally rotate. As you can see, everything is connected, which is why we can’t use such generic correctives to solve complex problems.
A Less Important Factor?
You’ll notice that we haven’t yet mentioned the deltoid – the most known shoulder muscle. For all the attention it gets in bodybuilding circles its function is not as critical to shoulder function as you’d believe. The anterior fibers assist in internal rotation and drive flexion of the arm while the posterior fibers aid in external rotation and initiate horizontal abduction. The lateral fibers function to create abduction of the arm in the frontal plane.
From a corrective standpoint, it is very rarely an issue with the deltoid that proves to be the problem. In fact, it is often the overdevelopment of the deltoids and upper traps and underdevelopment of the rotator cuff muscles that create impingement issues in dedicated lifters. Great corrective exercises keep the deltoids involved and avoid shutting them out.
The Hidden Gem
In recent years we’ve come to learn that the fascia in our bodies is more than just a covering and more than just extra tissue that gets cut through in surgery. It is a living tissue that is involved in our function on a day by day and minute by minute basis.
In fact, research from Michol Dalcourt and the team at the Institute of Motion have proven that the fascia can communicate information across the body faster than any muscle tissue. Its ability to compress and expand is crucial for athletic development.
Unfortunately, many fitness professionals see it as tissue that is addressed with foam rollers, lacrosse balls, and other release methods. This isn’t wrong of course as these implements can do well to increase blood flow, increase hydration of the fascia, and improve mobility of the joint in question. However, we can also train our fascia just as we train our muscles. We must look to incorporate the variety of slings that Thomas Meyer’s discusses in his text Anatomy Trains.
In our solutions section we’ll explore a few ways to do that to improve the function of the shoulders and truly correct any issues that exist.
But first, we must identify a few of the most common problems.
Common Problems
1) Desk Posture (UCS)
The most common problem that a client will present in regard to their shoulder health is the classic “desk posture”. The scapula sits in protraction and elevation while the humerus’ are internally rotated. This posture is held for eight, ten, and twelve hours a day. Over time the pectoralis muscles get tighter, the trapezius muscles lengthen, the muscles of the scapula and glenohumeral joint get weaker, and the client continues to worsen.
The most advanced form of this condition is known as Upper Cross Syndrome (UCS) – a severe condition of immobility that usually involves additional intervention with physical therapists, and sometimes, orthopedic surgeons. This posture often presents forward neck as a well – a dangerous condition of the cervical spine.
The treatment for individuals in this position is to correct their posture and work to move them in better retraction, depression, and external rotation. However, many of the common methods do not provide enough intensity to stimulate muscle growth or strength adaptations in the muscles of the upper back. It is crucial for trainers to invest time in building their clients upper backs and coaching optimal patterns if the corrective interventions are ever going to stick.
2) Poor Scapulohumeral rhythm
For many people the pain they experience in their pressing and pulling motions is a result of a poor pattern being present. Of course, there are others who have legitimate issues such as shoulder impingements, strained muscles of the rotator cuff, or overactive trapezius muscles that make doing certain movements nearly impossible. The rest though, simply need help reworking their patterns and an emphasis on strengthening the muscles that control those patterns.
The scapulohumeral rhythm refers to the quality of movement that occurs when we consider the scapula and glenohumeral joints interaction. People with great rhythms typically an exercise pain-free while people who lack control and patterning struggle to accomplish even the most basic tasks.
This topic is quite deep, but in short realize there is a relationship between the position of the humerus and where the scapula “should” be.
For example, in a traditional dumbbell overhead press the scapula should be upwardly rotating and elevating as the humerus adducts towards the midline at the top of the press. Many people will execute their press and have little to no movement out of their scapula, thus causing increased stress on tissues that shouldn’t need to encounter them.
3) Lack of External Rotation
One of the issues many clients face is the inability to rotate their humerus back. This is more than just the presence of too much internal rotation (such as with U.C.S.). The muscles responsible for external rotation of the shoulder are powerful muscles that also engage in the motions of the scapula. Lacking strength in these tissues can cause someone to become more internally rotated, but also makes it incredibly hard to achieve external rotation at the glenohumeral joint.
This matters for more than just mobility.
Popular exercises such as pull-ups require a person to own a certain amount of external rotation in order to execute the motion. So too does the overhead press. Lacking the ability to achieve optimal end range of E.R. makes both movements, and so many others, hard to accomplish.
It is important to understand that the exercises we use to improve external rotation put the humerus in a greater rotation than we would normally encounter in traditional lifting. But, this sort of work is necessary to strengthen and stimulate the muscles that create E.R. and maintain it in an isometric contraction (such as during a overhead press).
4) Weak Core and Poor Thoracic Extension
As stated earlier, the core and spine play a major role in whether the shoulders function optimally. A lot of lifters never develop optimal shoulder health because they create mobility by overextending their lumbar and thoracic spine to compensate. This is especially prevalent in ego lifters performing an overhead press with a massive amount of “layback”.
Lacking the ability to contract the anterior core and stabilize the lumbar spine makes it significantly harder for someone to master true thoracic extension. The ability to lift the ribs and extend the thoracic spine allows for better depression, retraction, and downward rotation of the scapula. These motions are direct opposites of the posture that many fall into as a result of upper cross syndrome or “desk posture”.
Strengthen the abdominal wall and muscles of the T-spine is imperative to optimizing shoulder function. Much like the foundation of a skyscraper must be firm and set underneath the construction, so too does our core and spine for our shoulders.
5) Weak Upper Back and Lack of Awareness
In a lot of cases, especially in individuals who do not regularly engage in an exercise plan, there is simply a lack of proprioception and strength in the muscles that control the scapula and glenohumeral joint. Often, there is nothing “wrong” with this population other than their lack of sensory awareness and force production capabilities.
Clients like this require more exposure to well-coached patterns and a progressively overloaded strength program that allows their muscles to adapt over time. It may be beneficial to use low intensity correctives to prime a specific pattern and create mobility in the joint prior to loading the muscles with traditional methods.
It is critical that we stop seeing all clients as wrecked when they are unable to perform a specific task. For many people, especially with something as obscure as the FMS, it is simply an unfamiliarity with their body and the demand you are placing upon them. Increase their exposure to well-coached exercise instead of trying to fix something that isn’t broken.
New Solutions
As we dive into the specific movements it is important for us to realize that these are just a few examples of great movements that can be used to strengthen and stabilize the shoulder joint. Some of these movements are common and others are painfully boring (in a sense that we aren’t shaking the Earth).
However, simplicity is often the fasted route to success.
A few of these movements are going to be outside the realm of normality for some coaches. Many traditional strength coaches would look at Animal Flow as a weird form of yoga and dancing, but it is that arena that brings the fascia into the fold. Other movements are simply manipulations of variables in the training arena, such as the angled press, that most people aren’t considering.
1) Dual Kneeling Band Pull Apart
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3rrHNDcVa9s
The band pull apart is nothing new.
However, adding in the kneeling position asks us to contract our core and our glutes – two major parts of our foundation. In doing so we can better extend our thoracic spine, which in turn allows for better retraction of the scapula.
2.1) The Full-House (2 Cables/3 Motions)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=COSRT7nPTPc
This multi-pattern movement asks for retraction of the scapula, then retraction into downward rotation and depression (with external rotation of the humerus). Lastly, the overhead press asks for elevation, upward rotation, and forces the external rotators to fire hard to prevent the arms from collapsing forward of the line of gravity.
This sort of movement is incredible for grooving the scapulohumeral rhythm, improving upper back strength, and increasing external rotation of the humerus. It is quite the challenge and needs to be done extra light. Five pounds was the resistance in the videos.
2.2) Second View
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qt8ex9TL8GQ
3) External Rotated T, Y
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Juj1iYiJFE
A simple variation of traditional T and Y – this a movement that can be used to improve retraction of the scapula while strengthening the external rotators. It forces the trainee to own their humeral position and originate movement from the glenohumeral joint while remaining set onto stable scapula.
This exercise also promotes additional thoracic extension.
4) Angled Press
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FVPsVXWXds0
Far too many people contraindicate the overhead push pattern when someone is dealing with shoulder dysfunction. If we were to listen to the FMS, no one who can’t get a two on the shoulder mobility exam should ever press overhead. Yet, tons of people can press pain-free without getting a two.
This exercise helps bridge the gap between overhead pressing and not. The slight angle (about 15 degrees) allows you to load up the deltoids a bit without creating a perfect opposition to gravity. The neutral grip, forward elbow, and emphasis on tempo allows us to focus on scapulohumeral rhythm. Use this as a primary exercise after preparing clients for their workouts. This will correct a lot of flaws so long as the movement remains pain free.
5) Supinated Pulldowns
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TbIy3pH0nlo
At first glance this looks like a standard, boring pulldown.
Yet, it is the dramatic emphasis on depression and elevation of the scapula that makes this one stand out. Far too many folks get on the pulldown and just start yanking on the bar to get their set done. The motion becomes about completion instead of optimization.
The supinated hand grip helps keep the humerus in a slightly more externally rotated position while also prevented much of the internal rotation that happens with heavy pronated pulldowns. The focus here is to emphasize absolute end ranges. Feel the scapula elevate while maintaining control and then drive them downwards into full depression at the bottom.
6) Simple Animal Flow (Beast Hold to Scorpion to Alternating Crab Reaches)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x27wT-nxUkg
A lot of you will look at this and wonder – why in the heck am I going to do all that flailing? Yet, animal flow is an incredible discipline that emphasizes loading of a lot of our passive structures – the fascia, the connective tissue, the skeletal system. Strengthening these things is imperative to the absolute realization of healthy shoulders. Specifically, the external rotation of the humerus in set crab position is a great tool to have in your arsenal.
7) BONUS: New Way to do Chest Flyes
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hcRTVz4aWOE
Lastly, I want to share the new best way for you to execute chest flyes.
See, the chest flye is one of the most favorite exercises in bodybuilding culture. It causes a tremendous stretch of the pec fibers and can help the person doing them build the muscle they crave. Yet, there is a ridiculous amount of sheering force placed upon the shoulder joint when the dumbbells reach the bottom of a traditional flye.
So, instead of using dumbbells and pissing off your shoulders – integrate this band only variation. The key is to press out into the band for the entirety of the movement, thus keeping a high level of tension on the working muscles without stressing the shoulder joint against gravity. As you fatigue shorten the range and focus on the squeeze.
Putting It All Together
You can correct someone’s shoulders and move their fitness forward at the same time. Your job as a fitness professional is to drive your clients towards the results they want and the results they didn’t know they need. You can still use low intensity correctives in your programs, of course, but it is imperative to go forward understanding that they are simply a very small piece of a much larger puzzle. Your client, if they are to improve, must begin strengthening the muscles by training the appropriate patterns that address shoulder health.
Next: The Lower Back and Pelvis
In the next article we’ll explore the lumbar spine, pelvis, and anterior core and how we can better correct chronic low-level back pain, coach better hinge patterns, and improve our client’s ability to move with confidence.
Two things with regards to the title of today’s post:
I’m thinking it could pass for the title of the next big children’s book.5
Searching stock images for “big toe” pretty much made me want to throw up a little in my mouth. I’d place it somewhere between kipping pull-ups and gonorrhea in terms of stuff I’d rather not see with my eyes ever again.
There’s a lot to consider and that can go awry when discussing the squat. To say there’s a plethora of moving parts – not to mention positional considerations (hand position, stance, bar position, etc) – would be an understatement.
One of the last things you’d probably ever consider when it comes to your squat performance is your big toe. Well, I’m here to tell you that it’s a pretty damn important and something you should consider considering.
Also, this is about as non-pukey of a picture as I could find of a toe.
What inspired this post was an interaction I had with a new client recently. During his initial evaluation I had him show me his squat because he had mentioned the movement has always bothered his lower back.
He’d worked with previous trainers in the past who had attempted to “fix” things, more often than not resulting in him stretching this, smashing that, performing a cornucopia of positional breathing drills while repeating the Elvish alphabet backwards, and otherwise being over corrective exercised to death
In fact, I’d be surprised if I’m not nominated for a Nobel Prize for how revelatory what I did was.
Are you ready?
Wait for it…
Wait for it…
I watched him squat.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a1Y73sPHKxw
I’m flummoxed as to why this seemingly obvious “intervention” is often overlooked. I think a lot of it has to do with something John Rusin spoke about during his keynote talk at the SWIS 2018 Symposium:
“We’re in an industry that gets too distracted by bright, shiny objects.”
Watching someone squat is boring.
Having someone stand in a zero gravity chamber while a bunch of lasers attempt to release their psoas isn’t.
We’ve become infatuated with gadgets and gizmos so much so that it’s become much harder to galvanize the masses into trusting what it is they do best……
………..COACH.
To that point, I’m old school and I just wanted to watch my man squat.
I had him take off his shoes and pants, and it’s here where I noticed something.
I watched his feet and saw that with every repetition his toes would come up off the ground, like so:
FYI: this is a picture of me doing a reenactment. See you in a few weeks at the Oscars.
Now, for the sake of brevity, it is a conversation to have as to whether or not he was cued into lifting his toes off the ground or not? I’ll nip this in the bud and say for the record that he wasn’t.
He was just never coached on how to squat properly.
As such, it became glaringly clear why his back had always been flipping him the middle finger whenever he attempted to squat (Goblet, front, back, all of them).
When your toes – most often the big toe – comes off the ground you lose your core.
Bullet Points (for those of you too lazy to watch):
When toes come up, you lose canister position (ribs stacked on pelvis) and thus lose your core and stability.
When toes comes up, you crank into lower back.
Think more about foot pressure (pushing into floor and even weight distribution on big toe/metatarsal, small toe, AND heel).
Cement toes to the floor.
Take your clients’ shoes off when they squat. It will tell you a lot.
My biceps looks amazing in salmon colored t-shirts.
But Wait Tony, Some Coaches Cue People to Squat With Big Toe Up on the Way Down, and Then to Push It Into the Ground on the Way Up. Are You Saying They’re Assholes?
No.
Coaches such as Mark Cheng and Cal Dietz – who are both the shit – often advocate the big toe stays up on the way down during a squat (but the ball/metatarsal still stays glued to the floor) and then press the toe down on way up.
I find this to be okay – and far be it from me to say they’re wrong. They’re both developing outstanding athletes and making people better.
I just find that with all the other mental gymnastics that come along with the squat – big air, ribs down, sit down, not back, spread the floor, drive your chest into the bar, hips through, don’t poop your pants – that it gets a little crowded when you add in the “toes up on the descent, toes down on the ascent” cue.
As I note in the video above I like to cue the idea of foot pressure – with three points of contact – and to cement the toes down during the squat.
Moreover, the objective is not to grip or dig into the floor with your toes.
“I don’t like “digging” because you don’t want to press the tip of the toe to the ground, more the pad of the toe. Big toe, ball of the foot, 5th metatarsal, heel. Pressing big toe helps the windlass mechanism as well.“
Here’s a nice demonstration of everything in action by Essex, Vermont based strength coach, Jess Voyer (who was kind enough to refer to me as a genius in her IG post. 4,000,000 points to Gryffindor):
My friend and colleague (and author of the brand spankin new book, Day By Day: The Personal Trainer’s Blueprint to Achieving Ultimate Success), Kevin Mullins, reached out to me recently and asked, “Tony, why don’t you wear pants when you coach can I write a series for your site that covers joint/segment-by-segment breakdown and how to train to improve those regions WITHOUT going too far down the corrective train?”
Kevin understands people don’t have 40 hours per week to train and he’s found a sweet spot with his clients that improves function, hacks away at pain and immobility, and delivers results.
And, he wants to share that shit with the world (<– my words, not his).
Today’s post sets the tone on the over-inundation of corrective exercise (something I wrote about recently HERE), and each week (or two) after that, he’ll discuss a part of the body – shoulders, mid & low-back, and ankles, knees, & hips – and smack everyone in the face™ with how to improve function in that area.
Every year seems to bring a new set of ideals into the world of fitness. On one hand it is exciting to see that there are constantly new ideas, concepts, and tactics being brought into play. Much like living in a city with a lot of construction going on – it’s a good sign when the economy can support growth. The fitness industry, like a budding metropolitan area, is on the upswing.
Demand couldn’t be higher for products in the health and wellness field – as the modern world continues to gain weight and lose function. Millions of people around the world are ready to spend their hard-earned money on anything that will be a solution. It doesn’t matter if the goal is to lose weight, build strength, improve athleticism, get out of pain, or simply recreate the dance battle from the end of Step Up 2 – there is a product out there for them.
Having “money-on-the-table” is key in commercial real estate; a contractor must be confident that someone can afford the building project that is being proposed. When a company, such as a wealthy investment firm, wants to build a high rise and can prove they have the capital, the flood gates open and the contractors start fighting each other for a seat at the table.
In fitness, the “money” is on the table and the eager fitness professionals out there know it.
Personal websites and social media profiles have made “internet-fame” possible for anyone with a camera, microphone, and a desire to make money and be heard. This sort of opportunity has brought forth a litany of incredible fitness professionals that we might not know of otherwise. Just as the music industry found Justin Bieber on YouTube, many great coaches have been found in blogs and videos.
(I know this because I’m one of them).
Yet, with all things that are good in this world there exists the potential for them to turn bad. In this instance the unflinching availability of fitness advice makes it easy for bad information to get out, poor ideas to propagate, and for biased, and unfortunately dense, coaches to steal the spotlight.
In 2018 that spotlight was on all things corrective exercise.
It seems like everyday brought a new way to mobilize this joint, stabilize that segment, and improve breathing capacity by .00002ml.
Coaches from the furthest reaches of physical therapy school began talking about the need to invest hours on mobility, stability, and corrective work each week. Products began flowing into the industry like candy out of torn bag of skittles. Before long everyone was tasting the proverbial rainbow with their favorite flavors in hand: foam rollers, lacrosse balls, Theraguns, foot straps, mini-bands, mobility towels, and specialized assessments derived from the ancient wisdom that powers the Iron Fist.
Note From Tony: ^^^ This show is not as good as Punisher, DareDevil, Jessica Jones, Luke Cage, or watching a dog take a shit in a yard for that matter.
It’s open season on corrective exercise in the fitness industry – a modern day gold rush of fitness equipment designed to drain your wallet and decorate your home with odd instruments of pain and pleasure.
What a glorious time it is…
Let’s Be Clear Though:
Developing one’s mobility – especially in troublesome joints such as the shoulders, thoracic spine, hips, and ankles is never a bad thing. Most people spend twelve hours a day sitting at desks, in cars, and on couches, all in poor posture that stresses their spine, weakens their bodies, and causes long-term health risks to take hold. Every person reading these words can benefit from working on their mobility, except for Kelly Starrett (if he’s reading this) since the guy is a Supple Leopard.
Improving your segmental stability is also important.
Many people struggle with maintaining tension in their core, their mid-back, and their hips and legs. This lack of tension correlates to weaknesses that cause posture to degrade over time. Lifting heavy gets harder too. Weak muscles and poor neural connections make force production elusive.
Specific corrective exercises have their place too.
We are all a little messed up.
Some people have whacky shoulders, while others experience low back pain. Runners often have achy knees and tightened fascia in their shins and ankles. Other folks are pretty jacked up head to toe. For any and all of these people there are certainly movements and therapies that can be done to improve their condition and inch them closer to optimal performance capacity.
But:
A personal trainer’s job is to accomplish these things while also moving the ball forward in terms of their client’s fitness level. Far too many coaches obsess over the missing ten degrees of mobility in someone’s scapular downward rotation and depression while ignoring the additional forty pounds hanging out in their midsection.
Other coaches refuse to load a client even a little until their form in a movement is beyond perfect.
Even then they’ll question whether the client can repeat the performance in future sessions and insist on three more workouts with just an unloaded barbell to make sure. Meanwhile, no sweat has been released and no forceful stimuli are placed against the body. The client might end up with the best looking back squat form in the world (with a forty-five-pound bar), but that is about it.
This sort of absolutism and obsession is not good for a client and not good for the fitness industry either. If a client’s issues are so severe that any sort of intensity causes a series of negative events in their kinetic chain, pain, or lingering discomfort, then they must be referred out to physical therapist, or whatever medical specialist could heal their ailing.
Again, on one hand it is awesome to see so many coaches taking their client’s joint health, core strength, breathing quality, and fascial integrity so seriously. It is much better than an undereducated jack-wagon haphazardly throwing intensity at people in hopes that it gets them in shape and they keep paying. Nothing is more disturbing than a coach who lets their client put themselves at risk of serious injury repetition-after-repetition and session-after-session.
Yet, the coach who spends forty minutes of a sixty-minute session on a variety of implements meant to “improve” a person’s health is still quite the foul. People are paying for the results they want while also experiencing the growth that they don’t know they need, and our job is to give it to them.
Our job is not to force our obsessions upon them while completely ignoring their goals and needs.
A great fitness professional is someone who understands that self-myofascial release and zero-intensity correctives are just tiny pieces of a much larger puzzle that they must solve.
This series of blogs aims to bridge the very gap that has formed in the industry over the last few years. Over the next three installments you’ll find very specific methods of integrating new and better corrective strategies in each of the important joint segments of the body.
Those segments are:
Scapulothoracic Region and Glenohumeral Joint (Shoulder/Shoulder Blades and T-Spine)
T-Spine, L-Spine, and Pelvis
Ankle to Knee and Knee to Hip
Each one will work to answer the following question:
“How do we as a profession properly apply all of the information and modalities that emerge while still honoring the primary function of our profession (deliver a fitness stimuli to create a fitness result)?”
Our job as fitness professionals is to deliver the results our clients want while also giving them what they don’t know they need. As stated earlier, this sort of juggling act is hard to accomplish in a world where some trainers are exchanging thrash for cash and others are acting as extensions of physical therapy (when they aren’t qualified to do so).
The fact that you are already here on Tony’s site demonstrates that you aren’t like a lot of the “noise” of the industry. You realize that heavy things need moving, that the body needs a little oil and grease every now and again, and that hard work is the only pathway to really cool results. The fact that you clicked on this article demonstrates that you are looking to improve your methods, clean up your practices, and deliver better results for your clients.
Some of you might be shaking your head and clenching your fist right now.
You are thinking, “who is this Kevin Mullins guy and why in the hell does he think he can tell me that corrective exercises are a waste of time.” If that is you, then I want to say that I’m sorry if that is how you are reading this – it certainly isn’t my intention.
My goal is to help, in whatever way I can, move the ball forward so that we can continue to deliver better results to our clients in a variety of ways. In my opinion, absolutism is never good practice. It doesn’t work in politics and it doesn’t work in fitness. We must be willing to accept that there is always a better way to do something or else innovation will cease to exist.
Others of you might be wondering where I’m going with this piece.
Heck, you might even be a little irritated that you’ve read this much and didn’t access the secrets to hacking the body and winning the lottery every day. I apologize to you too. I just wanted to set the table for the first of three mega articles that are going to dive into the anatomy, physiology, and practical exercise and program design.
And so, I conclude our teaser with this important quote that I’ve taught every client, and fellow trainer, since I concocted it a few years back:
“It is important to always remember that strength causes stability – stability allows for mobility – and mobility improves the speed and accuracy for which strength can be executed.”
See you next time for a deep dive into the scapulothoracic region, the glenohumeral joint, and the core.
About the Author
Kevin Mullins, CSCS, is a personal trainer and group exercise instructor at Equinox Sports Club in Washington D.C.
Kevin utilizes a listen first, coach second strategy to ensure his clients, and programs, are exceptional…and not his ego.
When he isn’t training clients or writing content Kevin can be found deadlifting, Bicep curling, or finding new, corny ways to emphasize squeezing the glutes. Kevin maintains his own personal site HERE.
We live on a busy street here in Boston so it’s more of less toddler catnip for him. It’s impossible to go for a walk and he not be transfixed with every Hyundai and Honda that whizzes by. Likewise, every book we read together he points out every car,
The concept of Controlled Articular Rotations is nothing new to the industry. Coaches like Pavel Tsatsouline have been singing their praises for decades.
However, there’s been a bit of a renaissance and cacophony of interest within the industry of late due in no small part to Andreo Spina and his Functional Range Conditioning (FRC) courses.
Full Disclosure: I have not taken any of the courses myself, and my only immersion with the concepts are through various colleagues of mine – Dean Somerset, Frank Duffy, Matt Crush, to name a few – who have taken the courses or who have been certified.
FRC is a system of joint health and mobility, and CARs are just one branch underneath the FRC umbrella. Or maybe I should use tree in this analogy?
Anyway, whatever, you get the idea.
CARs are active, rotational movements that explore the outer limits of articular (joint) motion. To steal a frame of thought from Long Island based strength coach Chris Cooper:
“Stretching and other mobility drills are great, but if you can’t control your body in that new range, then what’s the point.
Explore how your body moves, and then push its limits.”
Too, another component of CARs that’s important to respect is the idea of irradiation, which is just a fancy schmancy way of saying “tension.”
When CARs are done well they incorporate an immense amount of tension in the body so nothing else moves (spine, pelvis, etc) so you can capture as much range of motion possible in that one particular joint.
To borrow another scientific word, they fucking suck donkey balls when done correctly.
Here two of my current “go to’s” when it comes to how I’ve implemented CARs into my programs:
Scapular CAR
This is a fantastic option on upper body days before any heavy bench pressing. Moreover, in terms of overall shoulder health these are stellar. Many trainees have gotten into the unfortunate habit of “locking” their shoulder blades in place (most germane to the conversation: scapular downward rotation syndrome) and this drill is a great way to “unglue” everything.
Key Points to Consider
This is NOT a passive position. Glutes on, abs on, make a fist with non-working side.
Place side you’re working in scapular plane
Pretend as if there’s a glass of water on your arm you don’t want to spill.
Protract, shrug (elevate), retract, depress shoulder blade in a deliberate manner.
My cat is such a diva.
Seated 90/90 Hip Switches
I like this drill a lot because it trains both hip internal and external rotation simultaneously.
NOTE: After I posted this my boy Frank Duffy chimed in to say this:
“From a hardo FRC standpoint 90/90 transitions aren’t CARs because they’re focusing just on the IR/ER component of the hips in flexion whereas CARs address all the joint motions. What’s demonstrated is technically considered an Isometric Movement Path (IsoMP).”
Note to Frank: Don’t ever embarrass me on my blog again.9
This is also a good choice to get the hips nice a juicy before a squat or deadlift session. I prefer to start people ground-based (sitting) with hip CARs before I implement quadruped and then standing variations.
Key Points to Consider
My bad for the blatant crotch shot.
Make a fist with both hands – squeeze coal into diamonds.
Both feet must stay in contact with the floor at all times.
Try your best to stay as upright as possible.
If you need to regress, place hands on floor behind you.
The Warm-Up Blueprint For Lifting
Looking for some more ideas to spruce up your warm-up?
Listen, we all go through the motions when it comes to warming-up. I find most people fall into two camps:
Team “nope, I’d rather walk over broken glass.”
Team “the workout is the warm-up.”
You’re either someone who doesn’t do a warm-up (and likely always has achy joints and sub-par lifts), or someone who does warm-up, but then takes 45 minutes to go through a laundry list of “correctives” (and likely has achy joints and sub-par lifts).
It shows you how to design your own customized warm-up using the concepts I discussed above and then some. It takes you through soft tissue release, dynamic stretching, CARs, and targeted muscle activation techniques to better prepare you for squatting, deadlifting, bench pressing, and overhead pressing.
What’s more it’s all done with a British accent.
Jack could read The Silmarillion or, I don’t know, the Wikipedia page for the Kreb’s Cycle and I’d pay to listen to it.
The best part is that this is a home study course. So you can go at your own pace.
Two weekends ago I was in London teaching a workshop with my friend Luke Worthington.
We had a group of 35 trainers from across the UK (and Europe) eager to learn more about assessment, program design, coaching up common strength movements, and how I rank the Bourne movies.10
One of the main umbrella themes we kept hammering home was that, contrary to popular belief, “tight” hamstrings isn’t really a thing.
Labelling the hamstrings as “tight” is often the default scapegoat and blamed for everything from butt wink to low back pain to male pattern baldness. So it wasn’t surprising to see the flabbergasted reactions from the majority of attendees when Luke and I kept repeating our message.
You would have thought Gandalf rode in on a Unicorn yelling “You shall not stretch the hamstrings!” based on people’s facial expressions.
What’s next: Water isn’t wet? Grass isn’t green? Ryan Gosling’s gaze doesn’t penetrate my soul?
Listen, I’m as skeptical as they come whenever anyone in the health/fitness industry uses the words “everyone,” “always,” or “never.”
Those are three words, when used ad nauseam, immediately scream “shady motherfucker with an agenda,” whenever I hear them.
It’s never the hamstrings. OR You should never eat past 7 pm.
Always avoid gluten. OR If you’re serious about fat loss, always avoid carbs.
Everyone must deadlift from the floor. OREveryone who reads this site is clearly off the charts intelligent and attractive. (<— 100% true).
There are nevertheless exceptions to every rule and circumstance. I’d be remiss not to tip my hat at the notion there are, indeed, people out there who have legitimately tight (or, more to the point, anatomically short) hamstrings.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a1Y73sPHKxw
That being said, I doubt you’re one of them.
I’m not going to sit here and say it’s never the case, but it’s such a rare occurrence that you’re more likely to win an arm wrestling match vs. a grizzly bear than actually having tight/short hamstrings.
Take butt wink for example.
The common culprit is tight hamstrings (photo on the right).
But if we were to discuss (and respect) basic anatomy we’d note the following:
The hamstrings are a bi-articular muscle group that cross both the hip and knee joints.
My pecs can cut diamonds.
As we descend into deep(er) hip flexion – I.e., squat – the hamstrings lengthen on one end (hips) and shorten on the other (knee), for a net change of nada.
#itsnotthehamstrings.
But How Can We Tell?
It’s uncanny how many people I’ve interacted with in my career who describe having tight hamstrings, and after telling me they’ve been stretching them for 43 years (<— only a slight exaggeration), are still looking for that one magical stretch to cure them.
My first step is to plop him or her on an assessment table and ask them to perform a simple screen to ascertain whether or not they do, in fact, have tight hamstrings.
It’s called the Active Straight Leg Raise.
You lie the individual supine and ask them to slowly, while keeping one leg cemented to the table or floor, elevate the other off the table while keeping it as straight as possible. They keep going until they feel the first smidgeon of resistance (or you start to see compensations like the pelvis rotating, the foot rotating, and/or either knee start to flex).
An acceptable ROM is anywhere from 70-90 degrees of hip flexion.
A funny thing almost always happens.
Most people pass the screen with flying colors.
Me:“You don’t have tight hamstrings.”
Them: “The fuck outta here! You mean, there aren’t any other stretches I should be doing?”
Me:“Zero.”
Them: “Zero?”
Me:“Yep, zero.”
[Cue crickets chirping]
This finding doesn’t, however, dismiss the fact said person’s hamstrings still FEEL tight.
So, W……..T……….F?
Something is awry.
To peel back the onion a bit more I’ll then implement a brilliant trick I was reminded of by Ottawa based personal trainer, Elsbeth Vaino.
The Bridge Test
I’ll have the same individual perform a standard glute or hip bridge. They’ll get into position and then I’ll ask “where do you feel that?”
Many will immediately say “hamstrings.”
I’ll then have them perform a 1-Leg Glute Bridge and ask them to hold that position for 10-15 seconds.
Most don’t last five.
“YOWSA…..my hamstrings cramped up.”
Why?
The body’s #1 hip extensor is the glute max, and if it’s not doing it’s job well the body’s #2 hip extensor, the hamstrings, will pick up the slack.
In all likelihood, for most people most of the time, the hamstrings feel tight because 1) they’re overactive and doing double the work and/or 2) pelvic alignment needs to be addressed (more glutes and anterior core = more posterior pelvic tilt = hamstrings are put on slack).
NOTE: the latter point – hamstrings lengthened due to (excessive) anterior pelvic tilt – is why stretching them only feeds the issue. The tightness many feel is neural in nature, not because of true shortness. Stretching an already lengthened muscle only exacerbates things.
Something Else to Consider: Active End-Range Hip Flexion
To add another nail into the “it’s not the hamstrings” coffin I’ll also take a gander at one’s ability to move their hip into (active) end-range flexion.
This “trick” digs into some of Dr. Andreo Spina‘s work on Functional Range Conditioning (FRC) and is another splendid way to gently tell someone to stop stretching their hamstrings.
No diggidy, no doubt.
Final Word
The sensation of tight hamstrings is less about an anatomically short muscle which requires endless hours of static stretching, and more about improving:
Position/alignment of the pelvis via nudging people into a little more posterior pelvic tilt by hammering glutes and anterior core.
Active end-range hip flexion. Allow people to experience this position more often and good things will happen.
Fear not. I’ve still managed to queue up some stellar content for you in my absence.
Today Dr. Sarah Duvall is pinch-writing for me talking about a topic that’s relevant to anyone who likes to lift heavy things: Squats (and how to make them feel better).
Her new resource, which she developed alongside fellow coaching superstars Kellie Hart and Meghan Callaway – Glutes, Core, and Pelvic Floor Workout System – is on sale starting today (6/28) and runs through 7/2.
Are You Engaging the Right Muscles When You Squat?
Several months ago Tony and I met at Caffe Nero to talk shop.
After a combined 30 + years of working with people, we have both come to the conclusion that strength is your friend!
It’s your friend for rehab, for life and for aging.
In other words,
“You need to lift shit to fix shit.”
It can get a little tricky, because I’ve often found for patients with tightness or pain that we have to first make sure the right muscle is doing the work before overloading.
A great example of this is doing squats but primarily loading quads and low back instead of balancing the lift with glutes and abdominals. Or doing deadlifts but primarily feeling them in your back, never your glutes or hamstrings.
So you’re lifting and trying to get stronger, but in reality if you’re experiencing the above you’re overworking a subset of muscles instead of the intended target.
That’s why you should always know what muscles you want to work and where you should feel it.
Educated lifting!
Let’s take a second to break down the ever-elusive squat a little further. There are so many varieties from goblet to back to front squats and everything in between.
You’ll want to pick a variety that feels best for you, but I’d like to share a couple tricks for squatting in a way that targets your glutes and abs. This will be especially helpful if you primarily feel squats in your quads and low back.
Let’s work from the ground up at 4 key areas of the body.
#1. Keep Your Toes Firmly on the Ground
Somewhere along the way the cue to lift the toes got popular.
This is an easy way to shift your weight back to help get the squat more into your hips instead of your knees.
When we make cues too easy they often miss the mark. It’s true that you want to sit back into your hips, but the body follows patterns and when you pick up your toes you set off a flexion chain in your body that can increase hip flexor activation and decrease abdominals.
Give it a try now.
Pick up your toes for a squat and focus on how much you feel your abdominals. Now, give me a nice short foot (big toe down, arch engaged, weight spread evenly between the ball and heel) and see if this grounded foot turns your abs on more.
Those hardwired neuro patterns are hard to break, and having great foot placement sets the tone for the rest of the body.
So how do you sit back instead of coming forward onto your knees? Try practicing your squat by sitting back to a box or chair.
This will help train the pattern without picking up your toes.
#2. Sit Into Your Glutes
You want to feel your glutes lengthening for your squat.
It’s not a deadlift, your knees will bend, but it shouldn’t be all knees.
Two signs you’re not lengthening and sitting into your glutes:
You have to fold in half to sit back. (Now, if you have really long femurs or a narrow stance, you’ll need to lean forward a bit more. But if you widen your stance and you still find yourself bending over at the waist, it might be a good idea to check your rockbacks.)
You start with a neutral spine but then overarch your back to sit into the squat. Overarching the back and lengthening the hamstrings is a great way to look like you’re sitting back into your glutes when in reality you’re just going into a big anterior pelvic tilt. If this is the case, your low back will often feel tight after your squat.
To fix the folding in half, try holding on to something when you squat, like suspension straps. Then you can practice sitting back and down into those glutes.
#3. Neglecting to Keep a Neutral Spine
How we initiate a motion sets the tone for that exercise.
So if you arch your back to start, then your brain gets the signal, “this is a back exercise.” If you lengthen your glutes to start, then your brain gets the signal, “this is a glute exercise.”
Sitting the tone is important!
It’s much easier to do something right from the start than it is to play catch up. Wait, are we talking about life or squats?
See if you can spot the difference between initiating for the glutes lengthening vs the low back overarch?
#4. Head Alignment
Let’s do a test.
Look up at the ceiling and squat.
Did you feel how you wanted to overarch your back?
Now, put your chin to your chest and squat.
See how you wanted to tuck your bottom?
Our body follows our head. You’ll never see a gymnast look the opposite way for a flip.
Playing around with head positioning and where the eyes are looking can dramatically change a squat. If someone is having lots of trouble keeping their abs engaged, I might have them look down just a pinch more. If they are really having trouble sitting into their glutes, I might have them look up a pinch.
The real takeaway from this is to know where you should feel an exercise and make sure that is what’s working. When you’re doing squats, you should feel both your glutes and quads working, as well as your abs and low back. A balanced squat works everything, and working everything means you’ll be able to do more and get stronger without getting hurt because the effort is shared.
Want to learn more about where you should be feeling an exercise and which muscles should be working?
Three expert coaches in the fitness and rehab industry came together to build an incredible 12 week workout program to help you reach your fitness goals.
Everyone – women AND men, powerlifters AND CrossFitters, Batman AND Care Bears – can spend more time developing their glute, core and pelvic floor strength and integrity.
Sarah, Kellie, and Megan are phenomenal coaches and have put in a ton of work to make this a resource that can equally help (and be applied) fitness professionals and general population alike.
Fitness Professionals: to be able to assess and write effective corrective and training programs to address things like pelvic floor dysfunction, rectus diastasis (which effects males too), incontinence, and many other “intricate” issues that aren’t easy to train around (much less talk about).
General Population: to show you the basics needed to feel great and to set yourself up for as much success as possible if or when you choose to attack the iron.
Batman (in case you’re reading this): to fight crime in a more efficient and timely manner.
This program is thorough AF and the beauty is that it requires minimal equipment and can be done at home or in a gym.
I’ve performed a few of the workouts & movements myself and lets just say its highlighted a few glaring weaknesses on my end. What’s more, I’m learning a lot. This WILL make me a better coach.
The price is heavily discounted – $200 OFF – for two days only (6/28 and 6/29).
It increases $100 on June 30th – July 1st.
And then increases to full price on Monday, July 2nd.
You don’t have much time to take advantage, so I encourage you to do NOW.
