My latest article via Stack.com discusses something very close and dear to my heart. My cat. I mean, deadlifts1
It was the best of spines, it was the worse of spines.
Forgive the literary pun, but when it comes to the action of deadlifting there’s no denying the fitting nature of the phrase.
Although there are unique circumstances where rounding of the spine is warranted and sometimes encouraged, save for the most elite lifters—who have spent years honing their craft and perfecting technique—for most people, most of the time, including you, rounding your back when performing a Deadlift is, well . . . not a good idea.
If you’re reading this site, you’re probably a member of the former camp.
You love them.
But even if you love squats, I think it’s safe to assume that we all secretly love to hate them.
Squats aren’t easy.
They take a lot of practice, patience, and attention to detail to perform correctly. And even when all of that is taken into consideration – and you’ve anointed yourself the Ambassador of Squatting Badassery – there are still days when you step into a squat rack and it feels like riding a bike for the first time.
The sucktitude is always right around the corner.
I’ve written my fair share of articles on squat technique.
HERE’s one discussing the set-up which, more often that not, is going to be the determining factor on the success of a set.
99.94% of the time, anytime you see a technique flaw or breakdown during a set it can be attributed to a lackluster set-up.
Pigging back on the set-up conversation, HERE’s one where I discuss Active Foot vs. Passive Foot and how getting & maintaining TENSION is a huge factor in squatting success.
Annnnnd, running with the whole “setting up” theme (are you catching onto the gist that the set-up is kind of a big deal yet?) here’s a video where I discuss how cueing more of posterior pelvic tilt can help with squatting (and deadlifting) performance.
And that’s just glossing over the tip of the iceberg. Entire books and weekend seminars have been dedicated to the squat. The technique differences between all the different variations (back squat vs. front squat vs. powerlifting squat vs. ATG squats vs. high-bar squat vs. low-bar squats…..ALL vs. Godzilla), programming considerations, periodization schemes, corrective strategies….you name it, there are any number of resources out there that covers all of it.
I wouldn’t be at all surprised if Bret Contreras has written a 10,000 word blog post on hand position during the squat alone.
If anyone can do it, he can……;o)
There is one “thing,” however, I feel is often overlooked with regards to helping people get better at squatting and feeling more comfortable while doing it.
And yes, I realize that using the word “comfortable” in the same sentence as “squatting” is a bit of an oxymoron. Kind of like “deafening silence” or “random order” or “non-douchey Justin Bieber.”
Work with me for a second.
What’s that one “thing”?
Paused Squats
As in, actually pausing at the bottom of your squat. Not fake pausing. But actually STOPPING at the bottom.
[And maintaining good spinal position]
In Brospeak: pausing in the hole.
It’s by no means an Earth shattering suggestion, and I highly doubt it’s going to win me any “Strength Coach of the Year” Awards…but it is something I find not many people (coaches and trainers included) utilize enough.
Let me ask you this.
1. Where do most people “fail” or dump the weight when squatting?
2. What portion of the squat are most people weakest and feel less comfortable?
The bottom.
Here’s a quick video I shot yesterday of one of our female clients, Emma, who’s training for her 3rd powerlifting meet, performing her paused squats:
A Few Things To Note:
1. Most cogent to the conversation, you’ll note she comes to a complete stop. Kind of a crucial component for paused squats.
2. Generally speaking, a 1-3s pause is the goal. If we want to be super meanie-heads, we can up that to 5s holds.
3. Most important: she MAINTAINS TENSION in the bottom. Far too often I see people just kind of “hang out” in the bottom position and don’t actively use their musculature to do the work. Instead they use their passive restraints – ligaments, tendons, etc – and aren’t really doing much work to begin with.
Not coincidentally these are often the same people who complain of back pain.
It’s important to learn to stay tight throughout the entire set, even in the bottom.
4. Emma was only doing 2-3 reps per set in this case, with a relatively short pause (1-2s) so her breath didn’t play too much of a role here.
However, it’s not uncommon to have people perform paused reps for a longer duration and work on owning the position while maintaining their breath.
This is something Greg Nuckols has discussed in the past:
5. It’s also important to note that paused squats don’t always have to be performed in the lowest position. I’ve played around with having people pause at a certain point on their descent AND/OR on the ascent (out of the hole).
Practicing pauses in the hole is where I feel most people, most of the time should focus their time.
All of this to say: paused squats are an awesome way to not only help people get better at squatting (learning to get and maintain tension, increasing time under tension, even working on breathing) but also to feel more comfortable in the positions where they feel most vulnerable.
Don’t dismiss them.
Yes, you’ll need to use lower loads (I rarely ever go above 80-85% of 1RM with them, and most often stay in the 60-75% range for 3-6 sets of 4-6 reps)….but it’s the notion that paused squats will help you address a weakness in your technique that makes them so valuable in the first place.
It’s hard to imagine a more versatile and “user friendly” exercise than the Goblet squat. I think we should collectively pass it into law that anytime anyone in the fitness industry crosses paths with Dan John, he or she is obligated to give him a high-five for popularizing it.
Or buy him a steak. His choice.
Taking pain, injury, and one’s anatomy/musculoskeletal limitations (FAI, bone spurs, etc) out of the equation, I’d argue there’s no one on Earth who couldn’t learn how to squat correctly within ten minutes of performing their first Goblet squat.
And they’re not just a one-trick pony either.
They also help solve everything from anterior knee pain to global warming to a bad hair day. They even solve bipartisanship. Congress can’t agree on simple things like health care for veterans or making birth control easily accessible for women (or that the number 3 comes after 2), Republicans and Democrats across the board give two thumbs up to Goblet squats.
They’re like magic, Gandalf and Professor Dumbledore approved.
Who Did I Steal It From: I know of several coaches who have used this variation – Dean Somerset, Dr. Mark Cheng, Dan John, and Mike Robertson to name a few. So I’ll give credit to all of them.
And not for nothing: it should give you an indication of the exercise’s validity and overall bad-assery that so many top-notch coaches recommend doing it.
What Does It Do: The lowering component (where you actually lower the KB down to the floor while in the bottom position) adds an additional challenge to the exercise by increasing the lever arm (the actual distance the KB travels as you lower it away from the body).
This forces the anterior core to fire on all cylinders, but also the muscles posteriorly to help resist the flexion moment (learning to stay more upright).
I also love using this variation with people who tend to be hyper-mobile. Whenever I see a client or athlete with a loosey goosey (<- that’s the scientific term) squat pattern, where they can’t seem to control anything – the knees, hips and torso resemble a baby giraffe learning to walk – I’ll have them perform this exercise.
Why?
Because it forces them to concentrate, slow down, and OWN the position, especially in the bottom.
People who are more lax tend to “relax” in the bottom position which places much more stress on their passive restraints – ligaments, tendons, etc.
By adding in the “lowering” component, it forces them to own tension, and thereby helping/teaching them to maintain (hopefully) a more optimal pelvic position. And knees, and torso.
Key Coaching Cues: Slow down. I’ll generally have someone perform a controlled tempo on the way down (2-5s). In the bottom position I’ll have them perform 1-2 “pumps” where they lower the KB down towards the floor, again, in a controlled fashion.
One repetition = squat down, 1-2 pumps in the bottom position, then return back to standing.
That’s pretty much the standard reaction/question I receive every time I have a client or athlete perform a Turkish get-up.
What’s the big deal anyways, right? You take a cannonball looking thingamajig, hold it in your hand, and stand up with it.
La-dee-freakin-da.
There was a time, not long ago (<– I’m trying really hard to refrain from a Star Wars reference here), where I mirrored some of the same sentiments.
I attended a Perform Better conference where one of the presenters took the attendees through some basic kettlebell exercises – namely the swing and get-up – and I thought to myself, “This is so lame. It’s a fad. Can we please go do something cool like deadlift or play Laser Tag or something?”
Then I started seeing the same exercises pop up on various fitness websites – Men’s Health, Women’s Health, even T-Nation. No! Not T-Nation. Dammit!
Additionally I started listening to guys like Gray Cook, Pavel (no surprise there, since he’s essentially the guy recognized as popularizing kettlebell training in the States), Dan John, and many other reputable coaches start to speak to the benefits of kettlebell training, in particular the get-up.
To be honest, Eric (Cressey) and myself held off for as long as we could before we accepted that kettlebells were here to stay. Guess it wasn’t a fad after-all. And it wasn’t until a few years ago when we started making a concerted effort to implement them into our programming for our clients and athletes.
Lets bring this back to the original question: “what does this thing (meaning get-ups) even do anyways?”
Here’s the answer:
What DOESN’T It Do?
I’ve heard Gray Cook refer to the get-up as loaded yoga. He didn’t stand there or drop the mic or anything, but he should have. That’s an excellentexplanation.
Think about it: what other exercise combines the interplay between mobility/stability while simultaneously having people incorporate the lying down, rolling, half-kneeling, and standing positions…..and then reversing those actions?
And this doesn’t speak to its versatility. I’ve used get-ups as part of an extended warm-up, as a corrective exercise, as a strength exercise, as part of a circuit or finisher (shown in the video above), and if I had a kid, I’d use the get-up as punishment for not eating all their vegetables.
In addition, it’s not uncommon to see a correlation between improved get-up performance and improved performance on the sexier lifts like squats and deadlifts.
And it’s here where I wanted to take a few moments to hammer a few bullet points on the get-up. Not so much a “how to” post – there are plenty of those on the internet, and I’d encourage you to seek out all the people mentioned above along with Brett Jones, Steve Cotter, Dr. Mark Cheng, Neghar Fonooni, and Artemis Scantalides – but rather just something to speak to the finer points of the movement that many people tend to gloss over.
1. Grease the Groove
I like Dr. Mark Cheng’s approach to the get-up.
He’s a boss.
There’s a time and place to push the envelop with the get-up, but realistically, it should rarely be a max effort endeavor. I.e., it shouldn’t look as if you’re passing a kidney stone during every transition on every rep.
Dr. Cheng is a guy who could easily use the Beast on his get-ups, but he rarely does. He likes to stick with a weight between 20-24 kg and focus on the QUALITY of the movement rather than making it hard for the sake of making it hard.
I get that sometimes we want to impress our friends or Twitter followers with feat of strength, and I’ve seen many gleaming examples of impressive get-ups. However, I’d encourage most people to err on the side of conservative and use a light(er) KB than they think 95% of the time. It’s only then you’ll learn and (soon) master the movement.
Which serves as a nice segue into my next point.
2. Slow Down, Buttercup
Pigging back off of Dr. Cheng’s sentiments above, the get-up is like a pot roast. Much like we allow the meat, broth, and vegetables to marinate over time; we also need to marinate the get-up.
The objective is NOT to rush2. It’s imperative to OWN every transition and stage of the movement. A common mistake many trainees make is they try to speed up the get-up. Sometimes it’s due to boredom (more on this in a bit) and they just want to get the set over with for….the….love….GOD!!!
Almost always it’s because many lack the stability to do the get-up right. This can be a bodily issue or weakness or, most commonly, they’re flat out going too heavy.
A proper get-up should take a good 45-60s/PER SIDE to complete. This is where those who have exercise ADD may get bored. Sorry, it’s just the way it is.
This is why I tend to program 1-2 reps per side on any given set. Anything more than that and people start to lose focus and/or start getting sloppy with technique.
Slow down. Own every position.
3. Wrist Position
The Turkish get-up is all about stacked joints and locked out joints.
I see it all the time: someone performs their get-up and their supporting shoulder is “shrugging” their bodyweight, the knee on their extended leg isn’t fully locked out, or they’re not getting full hip extension on their high-bridge (more on this below).
All are wrong, and all promote energy leaks which is only going to make the exercise harder to perform,
Another common snafu for a lot people is wrist position. Many will allow their wrist to extend back too far, like this:
1. Ouch
2. That’s a massive energy leak that’s going to make it much harder to control the bell throughout the rest of the repetition.
Instead I like to tell people to point their knuckles to the ceiling at all times. Like this:
1. Way sexier.
2. Less energy leaks.
3. Correct.
4. Don’t argue with me.
Not that I need to say it, but just to cover my bases: this rule applies THROUGHOUT THE ENTIRE MOVEMENT.
4. High Bridge vs. Sweep the Leg
You might have noticed I mentioned the high-bridge above. This is something I believe Dr. Mark Cheng introduced a few years ago, and something that himself and Gray Cook looked to as a way to “clear” someone of hip extension/hip flexor mobility.
We don’t have to be Nazis about it. It’s not right or wrong to include the high-bridge or not as a transition point. It comes down to personal preference. Really, it’s okay.
Although, anytime I can reference The Karate Kid – “sweep the leg!” – I’m all for it.
I will, however, caution fitness professionals to be leery of including this step with anyone who doesn’t have the prerequisite hip mobility to perform it.
5. Transitioning From Half-Kneeling to Standing
Last but not least, in the past I had always coached the “windshield wiper” as the best way to transition from the half-kneeling position to standing.
It works.
A few weeks ago, though, Artemis Scantalides and Eric Gahan of Iron Body Studios (located in Needham, MA), came to Cressey Sports Performance and showed us some cool hacks for the get-up. One of which I really liked and thought was brilliant.
And there you have it. Just a few things to consider to help clean up your get-up technique.
I was teaching a workshop not long ago, and the topic of corrective exercise came up.
It’s a term some fitness professionals live by, and often make their living bastardizing. It’s also a term that makes some fitness professionals – including myself – want to jump into a live volcano.
All you have to do is “Google” the term corrective exercise and you’re flooded with images of people squatting on BOSU balls and performing any number of circus-like feats on stability balls in the name of balance, proprioception, and [cue Jaws theme music]…core engagement.
There is a time and place for such things.
Corrective exercise almost always mirrors the rehab setting when injury and re-grooving motor control are reverberating themes; rarely is it used in the strength and conditioning setting.
When it does, however, corrective exercise simply means doing stuff right.
In other words: Correct movement is corrective.
It’s a running commentary whenever I speak to a group of trainers and coaches:
Q: “what’s the best way to get someone to squat correctly?”
A: “Squat!”
Tah-dah.
There you go. It’s science.
Rather than write the 7,893,904th article on the internet on the finer points of the “Big 3” (squat, bench press, deadlift) and breaking down technique, I’d like to instead spend some time on the importance of accessory work and how we can manipulate it to correct our performance in those lifts.
What Is Accessory Work?
If you ask ten different coaches this question you’ll get ten different answers. But inevitably most (not all) will tip toe around one common theme: accessory work is used to make something harder.
Many will choose an accessory lift – and subsequently the set/rep scheme – based on how hard or challenging the exercise is. I call it the “will this make me shit a kidney” conundrum.
Making a particular exercise harder for the sake of making it harder isn’t a wrong approach, nor do I feel should it be avoided.
Lifting weights isn’t supposed to tickle, right?
However I’d argue it’s not something that’s going to help improve your numbers in the main lifts in the long term.
For me the main purpose or goal of accessory work should be to address a technique flaw or weakness in something. Put another way: there’s a purpose for the liftand a reason why it’s in a program.
It’s not there just to make you feel tired. That’s easy. Go push a Prowler for 30 minutes or attend a CrossFit class and perform 500 burpees…..on one leg. There you go, hard.
As noted above, correct movement is corrective. You’re not going to get better at squatting by riding a bike. You need to squat, and then squat some more. Squatting is the best accessory movement for squatting.
I know, weird.
The same can be said for deadlifting and bench pressing. As much as trainees hate to hear it, you don’t need as much variety as you think.
As a good friend of mine once said, “the hack for performance is mind-numbing monotony.”
Unfortunately boring isn’t sexy, and for many people they’re more concerned with being entertained with their exercise than to actually make progress.
“Look ma……chains on a barbell!” Weeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee.
Put a bar on the ground and lift it. Add weight next week, and lift it again. Repeat.
Repetition with less variety is the key to better performance (and strength) for most trainees.
Is Pausing the Key?
I’m a huge advocate of making people pause their lifts. This isn’t a new concept as competitive powerlifters and numerous strength and conditioning coaches (myself included) have been touting the benefits of paused training long before I wrote this.
The concept is simple: take the range of motion (ROM) where most people are weak or generally “miss” their lifts, and force them to spend more time in that ROM.
It’s not fun, it’s humbling for most trainees (many will have to check their ego at the door and reduce the weight significantly, and it works.
Lets take a look at some basic iterations.
Paused Bench Press
When it comes to complimenting the bench press, I mirror many of the same sentiments as fellow Cressey Sports Performance strength coach, Tony Bonevechio (AKA: the other Tony), in that board presses are an overrated accessory bench press movement for raw lifters.
Don’t get me wrong, I think board presses are an amazing exercise to build monster triceps (which may or may not be a limiting factor for some lifters) and to help supplement the bench press. But for raw lifters – I.e., those who do not use a bench shirt – they take a back seat to good ol’ fashioned paused bench presses.
For shirted lifters board presses make a lot of sense, as there’s a fair amount of technique involved in learning how to use the shirt. You have to actually “pull” the bar to the chest.
For raw lifters, though, using board presses to build the bench press can be a catch-22. They’re great in that they allow guys to “feel” heavy weight in their hands and to help conquer that “holy shit this is heavy” moment that we all go through.
But most tend to “relax” when they sink the bar into the boards. As Tony B notes, “I want guys to learn to maintain tension [in the lats] throughout the lift.”
This is hard(er) to do with board presses.
With board presses, the bar sinks into the boards and guys tend to lose tension because the boards aid with taking the brunt of the weight.
Take the boards out of the equation, and have guys bench to their chest (still using the lats to “pull” the bar down), and then force them to add a pause, and it’s much easier for guys to feel what it means to actually (attempt) to maintain tension.
For me, with the majority of athletes and clients I train (particularly the 99.7% that aren’t competitive powerlifters) this has much more of a carry over to bench press performance.
Here’s a nice video I came across of both Chad Wesley Smith and Brandon Lilly discussing some finer points on benching technique.
Paused Squats
In much the same way, paused squats – where you descend into the hole and pause for an allotted amount of time (anywhere from 1-5 seconds) – is an excellent way to get trainees to learn how to maintain tension throughout the entire lift.
You shouldn’t “relax” in the hole and “hang-out” on your tendons and ligaments. Rather, there should be a conscientious effort to stay tight, upright, and active in an effort to explode out of the hole.
As an accessory lift, paused squats are an excellent way to improve your squatting. Most guys hate paused squats because they have to use less weight. But so what!?
Here, rather than adding more weight or sets/reps we can manipulate time under tension to address a technique flaw (almost always: falling over due to a shitty set-up and lack of tension) and help get trainees more comfortable where they’re weak or when they enter compromising positions; which for most is at the bottom of the lift.
Paused squats help to hone technique (because it forces people to use sub-maximal weight) in addition to helping train power and explosiveness out of the hole.
After a few sets of heavy squats, I love following that with a few sets of paused squats (2-4 sets of 2-5 reps) using anywhere from 60-80% of 1RM. It’s important, however, to be honest with yourself and come to a complete PAUSE. And the pause can be anywhere, really.
In the hole, at parallel, during the descent, on the ascent (out of the hole, pause at parallel)…..back squat, front squat, pin squats, there are a litany of options.
Here’s a video of Greg Nuckols performing a pause front squat for 5s, because he’s a big jerk.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yzwAnDE0KoM
Paused Deadlifts
Admittedly less popular, but paused deaslifts are fantastic for those who tend to be slow(er) off the floor and tend to “grind” their pulls half-way up. Again, the key here is to maintain tension.
Pausing a few inches off the ground will:
Increase time under tension in a ROM where you’re weak.
Help you learn to explode through your sticking point (in this case, a few inches off the floor).
Help you learn to engage your lats to a higher degree (not allowing the bar to get away from you), which is a huge component to pulling big weight and helps to better stabilize the spine.
This is NOT a deadlift variation where you’re going to use max effort weight, so you can relax “guy who is invariably going to scoff at this exercise because I’m going to tell you to use 50-70% of your 1RM.”
Remember: the objective of accessory work is to address a technique flaw (see points 1-3 above), which down the road will (hopefully) improve your 1RM.
To that end, I like using these after I pull heavy. I may work up to a few sets of heavy triples or if I’m feeling good, singles, and then follow those up with 4-6 sets of 4-6 reps in the 50-70% 1RM range.
Note: Yes, I’m wearing shoes in the video above. I know it’s borderline sacrilegious to deadlift with shoes on and that I should hand in my CSCS certification and banish myself to some remote island where people do nothing but squat in Smith Machines and watch Tracy Anderson DVDs.
I was just too lazy to take my shoes off during filming. Sorry.
To Summarize
–Correct movement is corrective. If you want to improve your performance on any lift, you need to perform that lift.
Variety, in this instance, is not the spice of life.
–Accessory movements should address a technique flaw or imbalance with a “main” lift. Their purpose is not to simply make stuff harder. There should be a purpose for choosing your accessory movements.
–Pausing your (accessory) lifts can have a profound affect on increasing the overall poundage you can lift on the main lifts.
– Paused training is one component I utilize quite often with my Premium Workout Group on WeightTraining.com. I write the program, you follow it, and increase you general level of awesomeness. It’s that simple.
– Did you hear it was announced that Matt Damon and Paul Greengrass are going to make another Jason Bourne sequel? OMG – BEST DAY EVER!!!!!!
For many people walking into a gym can be just as confusing as long division, watching a leaked copy of House of Cards spoken in Mandarin (shit!), or a Lady Gaga outfit. I don’t get it.
Lets put it like this: there are a lot of machines, trinkets, and gadgets in the gym and trying to figure out which “tool” to use for whatever goal can be daunting.
We have barbells, dumbbells, kettlebells, suspension trainers, ab wheels, squat racks, power racks, platforms, specialty bars (trap bar), not to mention a litany of different brands such as Cybex, Hammer Strength, LifeLine, and Swole Patrol (<— not a brand, but it should be).
While nothing is set in stone – besides, only Sith’s deal in absolutes – generally speaking we can “pigeon hole” certain exercise/training equipment into categories to better match with certain goals.
My latest article on BodyBuilding.com better elucidates my thoughts on this topic. Check it out…..
T-minus eight hours before Lisa and I hop on a plane and make our way to Australia and never come back.
It’s a 20-hour long trip from Boston to Brisbane (where we land), and then a bit of a car ride to Ballina where I’ll be conducting the first of TWO workshops while there.
One 2-day workshop in Ballina.
One 1-day workshop in Sydney.
If you live in Australia and this is the first you’re hearing about this 1) what the hell? and 2) you can go HERE if you’re interested in attending either of the two.
I wanted to thank everyone who chimed in on Facebook for their suggestions on how to best prepare for the marathon flight. You’ll be happy to know that in lieu of the suggestion to “swim in a bottle of Tequila,” I contacted my doctor and I will be sufficiently drugged up to ensure that I get some sleep.
A few housekeeping points to hit before I sign off:
1. While I’ll be trying my best to update the blog while away (Read: pissing Lisa off that I’m on my computer), I’ve lined up several excellent guest authors to fill in during my absence.
2. For those interested – and why wouldn’t you be? – Lisa will be writing a (hope to be) daily diary on this website highlighting our trip. She’ll be sure to include a lot of pictures – especially of me tweaking out every time I see snake or attempt to enter the ocean – in addition to writing about places we eat and stay.
You can keep tabs on us HERE (<— the Miscellany section of this blog).
On that note I’m out. bitches. I’m done with this snow.
Today’s guest post comes to you courtesy of personal trainer, Travis Pollen.
Are You Part of the Resistance (or Assistance)?
Maintaining a website is a big responsibility. That’s why with Tony headed down under for the ‘Because Heavy Things Won’t Lift Themselves 2-Day Workshop,’ I asked him if he needed anyone to website-sit while he was gone.
If you’re not familiar with website-sitting, it’s about as pointless as house-sitting. Basically, the sitter logs onto the traveler’s website each morning while they’re gone and meticulously checks each post to see if any fitness celebrities have left a new comment.
This task is akin to checking for burglars. There’s rarely anything valuable enough in your house or on your website for anyone cool to actually give a crap.
As with house-sitting, the sitter continues to check in on the website periodically throughout the day, though perhaps more frequently when website-sitting, since ‘refresh’ is never more than a few clicks away.
Additional website-sitter duties include removing negative reader feedback (i.e. “whacking the trolls”), sharing recent posts on various social media outlets under assorted aliases to create the illusion of viral content, and obsessively checking the mailing list for new subscribers.
Depending on the sitter’s virtuosity, they may even perform these tasks sporadically over the course of the night, as well. The Internet doesn’t sleep, you know. Tony has fans all over the world, OKAY?!
Unfortunately, when I asked Tony if he would like me to take on this big job, his response was a little disappointing. He replied, “No, Travis… they actually have Internet in Australia, so I’ll be sitting for my own site remotely.”
Not only do they have internet in Australia, they also have censorship
Thinking back now, disappointed, I console myself by remembering that I made this entire interaction up in an attempt to make the guest blogging process sound more exotic.
The boring, naked truth is that Tony once called me a “one-legged pirate,” and for this he owed me an opportunity to share some knowledge bombs on his website.
Note from TG: [jaw drops] I did!?!?! OMG, that’s embarrassing. It had to have been a Halloween joke. Right? RIGHT??
Well, Travis didn’t send me a bomb in the mail so I guess he wasn’t offended….;o)
For those not privy to the inside “joke,” check out Travis’ Facebook Page or watch the videos below and you’ll immediately understand my reaction, which went something like this:
RIP Spock
Lifting Heavy Things with Bands
Just like Tony, I’m a firm believer in the “because heavy things won’t lift themselves” doctrine. As such, we meatheads must do so ourselves.
But not all of us will be doing every gym movement the same way, at least not a first. That is, some of us may require exercise regressions (i.e. lat pull-downs on the way to pull-ups), and others may require progressions (i.e. pull-ups to front levers).
Here I am showing off a pull-up/front lever hybrid I stole from Max Shank:
While every coach has his go-to progressions and regressions, one particularly handy tool is the giant rubber band known to the exercise world as a resistance band. Resistance bands come in all shapes and sizes (and colors!) and have endless applications to both assisting (regressing) and resisting (progressing) movements.
The best part about bands is that they require little to no change to the way in which the exerciser sets up and executes a movement. This feature makes bands highly specific to the target movement — even more so than the above example of lat pull-downs for pull-ups.
A strategically placed band basically works like magic. For a regression, it can provide maximal assistance in the most difficult phase of a lift and decreasing assistance where the lifter is naturally strongest. For a progression, it can add “accommodating resistance,” whereby the tension in the band increases during the phase of the movement that would normally be easier.
This last part is especially good news if you’re cheap like me, since it means I can simply throw a band onto an exercise and avoid having to purchase heavier weights.
Below are some of my all-time favorite band assistance and resistance techniques. The setup can be tricky on some of them, so be sure to pay close attention to the placement of the band.
Goblet Squat
Band-Assisted
Execution tips: Push back into the band as you squat, and strive for an upright torso position.
Band-Resisted
Execution tips: Load the bell into the goblet position at the bottom of the squat, then stand and rep away.
Kettlebell Deadlift
Band-Assisted
Execution tips: Like a rack pull (elevated deadlift) the band-assisted deadlift allows for the use of a heavier than normal load in order to develop lockout strength.
Whereas the rack pull simply eliminates the bottom portion of the deadlift, the band provides just enough help to break the bell off the ground. The lifter then handles progressively more of the load as he or she approaches lockout. The advantage of the band-assist over the rack pull is that it includes the entire range of motion of the hip hinge movement.
Band-Resisted
Execution tips: Like the band-assisted deadlift, the band-resisted deadlift also overloads the top portion of the movement. If the band-resisted deadlift still proves easy, try your hand (and hips) at a band-resisted kettlebell swing:
Barbell Bench Press
Band-Assisted
Execution tips: Double loop the band around your upper arms just above your elbows. If you’re a girl, watch out for the girls. Or just leave these for the men to inflate their egos by using heavier loads than they could otherwise handle.
Band-Resisted
Execution tips: Un-racking the bar tends to be the biggest challenge here. When working with heavy loads, always use a spotter. Alternatively, forget the bar and grab a set of dumbbells instead.
Barbell Overhead Press
Band-Resisted
Execution tips: Due to the longer lever arms, these get challenging in a hurry. Practice with just the bar at first, and leave a little slack in the band in the bottom position.
(Sorry, there’s no band-assisted version of the overhead press. Deal with it!)
Pull-Up
Band-Assisted
Execution tips: Knee or foot in the band will depend on what band thicknesses you have available and which position you find more comfortable. In my experience, knee tends to be easier logistically.
Band-Resisted
Execution tips: Secure the band to a heavy enough dumbbell on the floor that it doesn’t flop around as you pull-up.
For all of the following row and push-up variations, the position of the band (chest/upper back versus hips/lower back) will be a matter of where the assistance or resistance is desired.
Inverted Row
Band-Assisted
Execution tips: Positioning the assistance higher up unloads the upper body to a greater extent. Assistance lower down provides more support for the core but less for the pulling muscles.
Band-Resisted
Execution tips: Place the resistance closer to hip level to challenge the hips to remain in extension. Place it higher up towards the chest to really tax the upper body.
Beware: if your spot pins tend to pop out when an upward force is applied, make sure you secure them down!
Push-Up
Band-Assisted
Execution tips: Feel free to use a thick band and really go to town with these, even going so far as to incorporate a plyometric component (i.e. a clap).
Band-Resisted
Execution tips: Two options are shown for these, depending on where you want the resistance and how crazy you feel like going with the setup. The band-around-the-upper-back option is quicker but does tend to chafe a bit.
As with the resisted inverted row, be very careful if your spot pins pop out when an upward force is applied.
If you’re still looking for additional uses of bands, you can always make a giant ball.
About the Author
Travis Pollen is an NPTI certified personal trainer and American record-holding Paralympic swimmer. He is currently pursuing his Master’s degree in Biomechanics and Movement Science at the University of Delaware. He maintains a fitness blog and posts videos of his “feats of strength” on his website, www.fitnesspollenator.com. Be sure to like him on Facebook at www.facebook.com/fitnesspollenator.
I wrote it and people loved it. I had no idea so many people would share it.
One of the more comical responses to it was from my boy Dean Somerset:
“If you’re one of those D-bags who bench presses with your feet in the air:
1. Punch yourself in the face. Hard.
2. Read this article and realize that leg drive is necessary (NECCESSARY) to have sufficient stability and neural drive to press up some realistically heavy weights.”
His comment brought up an interesting “debate” (which I don’t really feel is an actual debate; at least to those who put rationale thinking into practice) on the whole “bench pressing with the feet in the air” parade, which led me to write this article for Stack.com that went live yesterday.
It’s a short one (something like 600 words), and may serve as nice ammunition for those reading who have that buddy or friend or colleague or coach from 1985 who’s adamant that doing so is safer or that it isolates the pecs more, and need something to tell them to shut up.
UPDATE: I should mention that there is one thing that’s dumber: bench pressing with a thumbless grip – like THIS. Now THAT’s pretty much like playing with fire.
There’s a lot to think about and that can (potentially) go wrong when you have a barbell on your back.
Photo Credit: Elitefts.com (Julia Ladewski)
Is it better to high-bar squat or low-bar squat?
Big air!
Are my lats engaged? Where are my elbows positioned?
Head position?
On the descent is it hips back or knees forward? (Hint: it’s both).
Are my knees out? Too far out? Or are they caving in?
What about out of the hole: am I maintaining tension, is my core braced, am I leaning too far forward?
Am I getting my hips through at the top?
Shit, did I forget to turn my stove off before I left my apartment?
Goddammit, I totally forgot to pack my protein shake. I’m totally going to lose all my gainz after this workout.
Last episode of The Walking Dead was amazeballs.
Did I get deep enough on that set?
Basically, Squatting Can Be a Mindf*** of Epic Proportions.
What works for one person, may be a disaster for someone else….and there really is no such thing as one right way to squat. Different people are different. Anthropometry, leverages, training goals, and injury history will have an effect on how one person squats compared to the next.
That said: you should pay close(r) attention to detail when squatting. Far too often I see people approach the bar with a nonchalant attitude with nonchalant technique, and not surprisingly they have nonchalant numbers to show for it.
If gym goers put as much effort into improving their squat technique as they did perfecting their “selfie” taking in the locker room or trolling fitness message boards to argue macros we’d probably have many more stronger, leaner, and happier people.
And less douchebags.
However, even for those who consider themselves more of a connoisseur there’s one component to squatting that’s often overlooked or dismissed altogether. And I’d argue it’s one of the most important.
Tripod Stance.
…….or recognizing the difference between a passive foot and active foot.
This is something I “stole” from Chad Wesley Smith of Juggernaut Training a few weekends ago while attending his powerlifting workshop here in Boston.
I’ve always known about tripod stance, and have always incorporated it into how I coach squats with my athletes and clients. However, I never heard the idea described in the same fashion as how Chad described it. And that’s what I wanted to share today.
Passive vs. Active Foot
A Few Things to Consider
1. I’d recommend taking your shoes off to really get a “feel” for what’s described in the video. There’s really no other way to get a firmer grasp of the concept and to get the tactile/proprioceptive feedback than to take those cement blocks you call shoes off.
And yes, this means you too psycho minimalist, I-read-Born-to-Run-and-wear-my-Vibrams-everywhere-I-go-and-make-sure-to-tell-everyone-about-it guy.
2. I look, like, way more intelligent when I wear my glasses.
3. Don’t misinterpret my mentioning of “knees out” when cueing the squat. Telling someone to push their knees out is one thing (and correct), but it’s another thing altogether to tell them to push out so far that they end up on the outer edges of their feet.
4. Practice barefoot with bodyweight only. From there you can put your shoes on and try to get the same pressure points, and then add the barbell.
5. As noted in the video, with an ACTIVE foot you’ll probably notice you won’t be able to squat as deep, and that’s okay. You won’t go to hell. I promise.
6. It isn’t enough to just get the pressure points. Really focus on “corkscrewing” your feet into the ground (and gaining external torque in the hips to improve stability)….this is the final step in gaining the active foot.6
7. It’s amazing how many people who swear they have flat feet and have been told their entire life that orthotics are the only answer who are still able to get an arch and maintain an “active foot” with some practice.
Give it a try today. It will feel weird. It will effect how much weight you can use (at the start). But I promise with a little practice it will make a profound difference in the long run.
In case you missed it, last week I shared a few thoughts on deadlifting. You can check out part one HERE.
In it, rather than regurgitate the same ol’ obvious things most people who write about deadlifts regurgitate (don’t round your back!, good deadlifters don’t “jerk” the bar off the ground, 2+2 = 4, water is wet, Kate Upton is hot, my cat is the cutest cat in the world) I opted to highlight a few things I feel most lifters overlook or aren’t aware of in the first place.
Things like:
– how the lats play a key role in pulling big weight off the floor.
– how to engage the lats more optimally.
– how paying closer attention to your setup may result in better performance.
– and what it really means to pull the slack out of the bar. I promise, despite the nefarious connotation, the explanation is completely PG rated.
A photo posted by Tony Gentilcore (@tonygentilcore) on
As promised I wanted to continue my stream of thought and hit on a few more “habits” of highly effective deadlifters.
4. Think of 315 as 135.
Chad Wesley Smith of Juggernaut Strength hammered this point home a few weekends ago during a workshop he put on here in Boston at CrossFit Southie.
To paraphrase: You can’t be intimidated by the weight. You need to approach the bar on every set and show it who’s boss. Every time.
Like this monster.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q4jO21-a2W0
Setting a little expectation management, though, if you’re training in a commercial gym and acting like this before a set of 225, you’re an a-hole. Lets calm down a little bit and put down the ammonia packets mmmm kay?
Many trainees will attack a lighter load and then turn into Bambi once the barbell hits a certain weight or threshold. Lighter loads will generally go up faster than heavier loads…..duh, I get it. However, this point does speak to something larger, and something that’s a bit more psychological in nature.
If you approach the barbell with a defeatist attitude – oh shit, oh shit, oh shit – before you even attempt the lift, how will you ever expect to improve, much less lift appreciable loads?
If you watch good (effective) deadlifters you’ll notice that every set looks the same. Regardless of whether there’s 135 lbs on the bar, 315, or 600 lbs, everything from the set up to the execution of the lift is exactly the same.
Which is why, flipping the coin, we could also make the argument that 135 lbs should be treated like 315. Getting good at deadlifting requires attention to detail and treating every set the same. Even the lights ones.
5. Don’t Just Think “Up.” Think “Back.”
The deadlift is nothing more than bending over and picking up a barbell off the ground, right?
Well, yes….but it’s a bit more complicated than that.
Many will view the deadlift as a pure up and down movement. Meaning, the barbell itself will move in a path that’s literally straight up and down.
Ehhhhhhhhhhhh, wrong.
23.7% wrong, at any rate (<—- trust me it’s science).
The deadlift is actually much more of a horizontal movement than people give it credit for. To quote my good friend, Dean Somerset:
“Deadlift drive comes from the hips when you start in flexion and move into extension. In other words, deadlift drive comes through hip drive. Driving your hips forward, coupled with vertical shins and a stable core, causes the torso to stand up vertically, pulling the weight with it.”
When people get into the mindset that deadlifitng is more of vertical movement they’ll often resort to initiating and finishing the movement with their lower back rather than their hips. Which, as you can guess, leads to some wonky habits of the rounded back nature (which we’d like to avoid as much as possible).
A cue I like to use to help initiate more of a horizontal vector is to tell people to think about “driving their sternum to the back wall.”
When they initiate the pull, they shouldn’t think up but rather……..BACK!
It sounds weird, but I like to describe this phenomenon by telling people that if they do it right – and think about pulling their sternum back – that they’d fall backwards if they decided to let go of the bar.
6. Deadlifts Don’t ALWAYS Need to be Max Effort, I’m Going to Shit My Spleen, Heavy.
Yes, you’ll need to train with max effort loads in order to improve your deadlift. To quote Ronnie Coleman, you’ll need to “lift some heavy ass weight.”
That’s pretty much a given.
But you DO NOT need to do it all the freakin time.
This is another point that Chad Wesley Smith touched on a few weeks ago. To paraphrase him (again): “I could care less about gym PRs. I want to PR when it counts.”
Understandably, most of the people reading this post aren’t competitive powerlifters like Chad, so how he trains and prepares (and peaks for a meet) is going to be drastically different from most of us.
But the message still resonates and reigns true for most trainees. You don’t need to train balls to the wall 100% of the time.
This is a tough pill to swallow for many people, especially in the shadow of CrossFit where training all out, to the point of exhaustion is not only encouraged but accepted as normal.
Don’t get me wrong: I LOVE when people train hard, and I think CrossFit has done some good in terms of getting more people excited to not run a treadmill.
However it’s also set a dangerous precedent in brainwashing people into thinking that a workout or training session is pointless if you don’t set a PR or come close to passing out.
NOTE: this doesn’t apply to every box or every Crossfit coach. So relax guy who’s inevitably going to shoot me an email saying I’m nothing but a CrossFit hater.
1. I actually have written a fair amount praising CrossFit. Like HERE.
2. I also workout at a CrossFit 1-2x per week – albeit during “off” hours when I have the place to myself along with the other coaches.
3. Shut up.
More often than you think, training with SUB-maximal weight (60-85%) is going to be the best approach for most people, most of the time. Not only does it allow for ample opportunity to focus on and work on technique, but it also allows people to train the deadlift more often.
The best way to get better at deadlifitng is to deadlift. A lot.
If you’re someone who constantly trains with max-effort loads this is going to be hard to do because 1) you’re going to beat up your joints 2) you’ll fry your CNS and 3) this requires more recovery time.
Not every training session requires you to hate life. This is especially true when it comes to improving your deadlift. QUALITY reps are the key. Oh, this is weird…..it just so happens I have a deadlift specialization program that follows this mantra to a “t.”
The deadlift is a pulling dominant movement. But it also involves a fair amount of pushing.
Yep you heard me right, pushing.
Think of it like this: in order to pull an ungodly amount of weight off the floor (or for those less interested in ungodly amounts, a boatload or shit-ton) you need to generate a lot of force into the ground and push yourself away.
I’ve heard this best described as “trying to leave your heel print into the ground.”
It’s a subtle cue, but it works wonders and it’s something that effective deadlifters keep in the back of their mind all the time.
And there you have it. While not an exhaustive list of habits, I do feel the one’s highlighted in both parts of this article will help many of you reading dominate your deadlifts moving forward.
Got any of your own habits to share? Chime in below.
