Nowadays you seemingly can’t walk more than 15 feet without crossing paths with a CrossFit gym. Along those same lines, you can’t go more than five clicks (it’s like the internet’s version of the Kevin Bacon game!) before you view some iteration of a “core training” article espousing anything from six-minute abs to improved posture to bringing sexy back.
And guess what? Today I’m sharing my own iteration of a core training article!!!
Except, you know, mine doesn’t suck.
Core training means different things to different people.
On one end of the spectrum you have those trainers and coaches who feel all you need is to deadlift and squat and you’ll cover all your core-training bases. I feel this is a bit of a mis-guided POV. Conversely, on the other end, you have those who will spend half a training session “activating” their TA .
The answer to the riddle, as always, usually lies somewhere in the middle of those two extremes.
I prefer to address core training in a multi-faceted manner where I take each and every individual who walks through our doors at the facility through a litany of assessment protocols to figure out what would be the best approach for him or her.
And it’s with this thought in my mind that I wanted to toss my name into the mix and finally write my treatise on the topic of core training.
It’s pretty good (I think). You should check it out.
Note from TG: Still on vacation. Lisa dragged me zip-lining yesterday. I almost destroyed the back of my pants. But it ended up being so much fun!
That is all.
Enjoy this awesome guest post by current Cressey Performance intern, James Cerbie (who happened to write THIS very popular article on push-ups a few weeks ago).
Enjoy!
Conditioning can be boring. Like really boring.
Just think back to high school sports, or really any level for that matter, and reflect on how many times people had you run for the sake of running.
Ugghhh….
Unless you’re a long distance runner (I currently live with two and don’t know how they do it) this was probably about as much fun as repetitively banging your head against a wall.
This isn’t to say that running doesn’t have its place (because it does), but more to bring light to the fact that there are many ways to burn fat, get in shape and all that jazz.
Furthermore, we know from experience that high intensity work (think sprints, circuits, finishers etc) is more effective than slow, steady state cardio when it comes to burning fat, building muscle, increasing VO2 max, and improving GPP.
Enter the kettlebell: one of the greatest and most versatile pieces of equipment of all time. It, by itself, has the ability to take your conditioning and fitness to the next level, so let’s get started.
The Movements
For the sake of today’s discussion, these are the movements you will need to be familiar with:
1. Russian Kettlebell Swing
There are primarily two types of kettlebell swings: Russian and American. In the Russian swing the bell will only reach eye level, while in the American swing the bell will go all the way overhead.
We will be concerning ourselves with the former because I think it’s more user friendly, teaches the hip hinge better, and gets more out of your glutes and hamstrings:
2. Kettlebell Goblet Squat
3. Kettlebell Squat Jump
4. KB Goblet Walking Lunge
5. 1-Arm Kettlebell Push Press
6. KB Snatch
Note from TG: as simple cue I like to use on these is to pretend as if you’re performing a KB high-pull and then the bottom of the KB should face straight a head once it hits about nipple height. From there just think about “punching” the ceiling with a quick, explosive jab.
Look at you! It’s like you’r Thor!
7. 1-Arm KB Reverse Lunge
The Workouts
As I mentioned above, all you need for a kickass “cardio” session is a kettlebell and your imagination. With both of those things you can burn fat, build lean mass and take over the world.
Here are 4 variations to get you started:
1. 100-300 swings
This is about as straight forward as you could ever ask for: pick how many swings you want to do, grab a kettlebell, and start swinging until you finish all the reps.
Side note: I’d recommend checking out THIS piece by Dan John on the 10,000-swing challenge. It just goes to show how effective high volume swings can be.
2. Swing and Squat/Jump Ladder
Perform the following in descending order until you hit 1.
10 kettlebell swings
10 kettlebell goblet squats or kettlebell squat jumps
9 kettlebell swings
9 kettlebell goblet squats or kettlebell squat jumps
8 kettlebell swings
8 kettlebell goblet squats or kettlebell squat jumps
.
.
.
.
1 kettlebell swing
1 kettlebell goblet squat or kettlebell squat jump
I’d recommend sticking to the swing and squat combo if you only have access to one kettlebell because you’re realistically not going to be able to jump with a heavy kettlebell (unless you wanted to do bodyweight squat jumps).
If you have access to a lighter kettlebell, and enjoy having jello legs, then give the swing and jump combo a try. You’ll swing a heavy bell and jump with a lighter one.
3. Squat, Press, Lunge Circuit
Complete as many rounds as you can in 8-10 minutes of the following:
15 kettlebell goblet squats
10 1-arm kettlebell push press with right arm
10 1-arm kettlebell push press with left arm
16 (8/side) kettlebell goblet walking lunge
4. Overhead Nightmare
This variation is only for more advanced personnel that can go overhead safely. Give THIS article by Tony a read over if you have questions concerning whether or not you should go overhead.
Perform as many rounds as possible in 6 minutes of the following:
10 kettlebell snatch on right
10 1-arm kettlebell reverse lunge on right
10 kettlebell snatch on left
10 1-arm kettlebell reverse lunge on left
Rest 1.5 min
And then go for another 3 minutes.
Closing Thoughts
Hopefully this has given you some new exercises to play with and ideas on how to put together a conditioning session with nothing but a kettlebell. There’s honestly an infinite number of possibilities you could throw together just using the 7 exercises I gave you.
In addition, I hope it helps those of you who have really tight schedules.
Just because you can’t go to the gym for an hour, or just because you have access to limited equipment doesn’t mean you can’t get in an awesome workout.
Anyways, thanks for your time and post any questions or comments you have below.
Note from TG: On an aside, my good friend Jen Sinkler just released an awesome new product – Lift Weights Faster – that mirrors many of the same thoughts in this article. Ie: Traditional cardio is about as exciting as watching NASCAR.
In it you’ll find 130+ grab-n-go workouts that will not only improve your conditioning, but also help you burn fat, possibly build a little muscle, move better, and possibly help you look better naked…….with the lights on…..;o)
James Cerbie is a certified strength and conditioning specialist, Precision Nutrition level 1 certified, USA weighlifting sports performance coach, and Crossfit Level 1 certified. He has been blessed to work with athletes from the middle school to professional level, powerlifters, olympic lifters, and Crossfit athletes alike. At the end of the day, James gets no greater enjoyment than seeing people improve, succeed, and achieve their goals. He’s the owner of Rebel Performance and currently works as a strength and conditioning intern at Cressey Performance.
Today’s guest post comes from a very good colleague of mine, Jordan Syatt. Jordan actually interned for us at Cressey Performance a few years ago and since has gone on to do some pretty fantastic things in the industry.
Not only is he one of the more passionate coaches I’ve ever met, but he’s just an awesome human being. There aren’t many people who are more genuine and gracious than Jordan.
I sincerely mean that.
Oh, and he’s also one strong son-of-a-bitch (no offense to Jordan’s mom. She’s wonderful, too). My man deadlifts over 3x bodyweight, and he’s also an IPA World Record holder in the squat.
No big deal.
Jordan’s Elite Performance Squat Seminar went on sale this week, and to speak candidly…..it’s awesome. It’s two hours of anything and everything you’d need to know about the squat from someone who knows a thing or two about squatting.
Jordan was nice enough to write up some unique content for the site regarding some (not so common) tips that will help to increase/improve your squat.
Enjoy!
I struggled with the squat for years.
No matter how hard I tried or how much I read, I just couldn’t pin-point which style worked best for me.
To make matters worse, I was beyond confused with the programming aspect. Some coaches were telling me to squat once per week while others told me to squat every day.
I was lost.
As the years went on, though, I eventually figured it out. Following my internships at Westside Barbell and Cressey Performance, I learned not only how to squat but, more importantly, how to adjust my technique and programming based on biomechanics, goals, and preferences.
Fast-forward 3 years and I’m currently an IPA Powerlifting World Record Holder, I raw squat 2.9x bodyweight, and have helped countless lifters improve their squats by hundreds of pounds.
In this article I’m going to share with you four little-known tips to help increase your squat as quickly as possible.
By the end you will understand the squat better than most strength coaches and be armed with four new tips to help you achieve your ultimate strength potential.
1. Drive the Floor Away From You
We’ve all heard popular squat cues like:
“Head back!”
“Chest Up!”
“Knee’s Out!”
Cues like as these are known as internal focuscues because they force the lifter to focus on how the body moves in relation to itself.
While they aren’t completely useless, internal focus cues have been shown to be drastically less effective than their counterparts: external focus cues.
Note from TG: For those interested, and who want to explore the rabbit hole a bit further, you can check out THIS article I wrote on internal vs. external cues.
Contrary to the former, external focus cues force the lifter to focus on how the body moves in relation to its environment. Take, for example, one of my all-time favorite cues:
“Drive the floor away from you!”
Rather than trying to move your body in relation to itself, this cue allows you to focus on moving your body relative to the environment.
On paper it might seem arbitrary, but research has consistently found external focus cues to be drastically more effective than cues with an internal focus.
So what does this mean for you?
When squatting, think about driving the floor away from yourself as hard and fast as humanly possible.
Don’t think about pushing into the ground or pressing as hard as possible.
Instead, try to push the floor away from you so forcefully that you leave a foot-print in the ground.
2. Nix the Box Squat
The box squat is overrated.
It’s great for geared lifters and doubles as a fantastic teaching tool but for intermediate & advanced raw lifters it’s a waste of time.
With my Westside background I know I’ll get a lot of flak for this but, in my experience, the box squat will not only do nothing to improve your squat…it will actually de-train it.
First and foremost, sitting on a box takes the stretch reflex out of the equation. While geared lifters don’t need to worry about this, raw lifters depend on the stretch shortening cycle (SSC) to rebound safely and explosively out of the hole.
Second, box squatting often changes the mechanics of the lift. Since geared lifters predominantly depend on the posterior chain (hamstrings, glutes, erectors), sitting back to a box is in their best interest. For raw lifters, however, it’s of the utmost importance to squat using a more knee-dominant approach that includes the quads. When performing box squats, though, most lifters focus entirely too much on maintaining a vertical tibia which reduces quad involvement and makes it less specific to raw squatting.
Plain and simple, if you aren’t a beginner and/or a geared lifter…nix the box squat.
3. Grip the Bar As Hard as Humanly Possible
Try it.
Next time you un-rack the bar and let it sink into your traps I want you to grip the bar as hard as you possibly can.
Tony has a great cue for this which works extremely well: “Try to melt the bar in your hands.”
^^^ Yep, I do use that one a lot.
Dean Somerset uses another good one: “Squeeze the bar so hard it oozes through your fingers like play dough.”
I’m more of a simpleton and stick with “Choke the bar,” but they all work.
Regardless of which cue you use, I guarantee if you squeeze the bar as hard as you possibly can you’ll immediately squat more weight.
Don’t believe me?
Give it a shot. I’ll be the guy laughing in the back of the gym saying “hate to say I told ya so!” even though I really love saying it.
4. Grip the Floor with Your Feet
Many powerlifters and coaches advocate squatting with all of your bodyweight centered directly under the heels. Some lifters take this to such an extreme that they literally pick all of their toes off the floor and visibly rock backwards to make sure they’re only on the heels.
I think that’s excessive.
While it’s important to keep some weight on the heels, it’s also important to create a stable base of support through using what’s called an “active foot.”
Watch this short clip to see what I mean: CLICK ME!
As you saw in the video, an active foot only works if your bodyweight is centered on three points of contact: the knuckle under the big toe, the knuckle under the pinky toe, and the heel. This creates a tri-pod, of sorts, from which you can “grip the floor” with your feet.
To grip the floor, imagine centering your weight on the tripod while trying to pinch the floor in the middle of each foot. Done properly, you’ll stimulate the nerves of the feet while improving overall foot position to give you a stable base of support off of which you can squat more weight.
Wrapping Up
I hope you enjoyed this article and were able to take away some valuable information.
If you’re still looking for more information to improve your (or your clients) squat performance, my Elite Performance Squat Seminar covers all the topics mentioned above in more detail…..and then some!
In just under 2 hours I cover everything including:
Self Assessment and Correction
Technique Analysis
Progressions and Variations
Programming Considerations
And much more!
I legitimately cover every single thing you could ever want to know (and then some) related to the squat.
The best part?
For this week only the seminar is on sale for just $29! The sale only lasts until Friday (2/21) at midnight at which point the price will nearly double so if you really want to learn the secrets behind optimal squat performance don’t miss out – download your copy today!
So said George “Iceman” Gervin in the classic mid-90s Nike commercial featuring Tim Hardaway, David Robinson, and pretty much the coolest barbershop known to man.
For a little taste of nostalgia you can watch the video HERE.
Now, I’m not an ex-NBA legend. I might be able to dunk a tennis ball. Maybe. But only if you gave me a running start (and a trampoline). Or a JetPack.
Julia Child was pretty much a boss in the kitchen.
You can’t discuss the history of film and not mention the name Steven Spielberg.
Sandy Koufax had arguably the most devastating curveball in baseball history.
Is there a bigger douche to the douchiest power nowadays than Justin Bieber?
All of this to say: Everyone has their own speciality or a skill that they’re known for.
Me? While I’d like to sit here and say it’s hanging out with Jason Bourne, in reality it’s nothing nearly as badass.
While they’re badass in their own right, I think anyone who’s read my stuff for any length of time knows that I have a particular affinity for deadlifts, and that that’s what I’m known for.
Which is weird because I don’t own any records. Not even close. Heck, I’ve never even competed! Giving a little credit to myself, though, my best pull is 570 lbs (which at the time was 3x bodyweight).
On top of that, if someone triple dogged dared me, or, I don’t know, if Kate Beckinsale walked into a room and said, “Tony I’ll make out with you right now if you lift 500 lbs this very minute,” I’m fairly confident I could do it.
For reps.
On one leg.
Blindfolded.
Standing on a BOSU ball.
More to the point (and a bit less facetious in tone): I know how to coach the deadlift very well. So to steal the quote from the Iceman above.
One thing I can do…..is coach the deadlift!
And it’s with that quote in mind that I wanted to take today and do a pseudo “brain dump” on a few insights and common (or not so common, depending on who you are) mistakes I notice with regards to deadlift technique.
1. Not Choosing the Correct Deadlift Variation
I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again: everyoneshould be deadlifting in some form or another. What other exercise accomplishes so much?
I’m biased. You’d be hard pressed to convince me otherwise that the deadlift isn’t one of the best overall exercises for hypertrophy, not to mention the best functional exercise you can do with respects to posterior chain strength, core stability, glute activation (terminal hip extension), power development, and transference of force throughout the entire body.
Likewise, when done correctly, deadlifts help to prevent shear loading on the spine, help engrain a hip hinge pattern (which spares the spine), and you could make a case plays a role in “preparing” people for life.
Ask your grandmother to pick up a bag of groceries. That’s a deadlift!
My friend, Nick Tumminello, wrote a fantastic post awhile back on assessments and brought up an interesting question:
“What’s the point of doing whatever assessment you’re doing, when you have all your clients squat, deadlift, perform X, Y, and Z anyways?”
I respect Nick a ton. It’s hard not to look up to someone with as much experience as him, and I’ve learned a lot from him.
And while I “get” what he was trying to say, even when I originally read his post (and forgive me if Nick’s perspective has changed since he wrote it) I couldn’t help but cock my head like a curious puppy being asked to fetch.
From my point of view, YES, the goal is to have all my clients squat, deadlift, perform single leg work, crush push-ups, row, bench press, sprint, push the Prowler, arm wrestle a tank, and many other fitness and performance based methodologies.
The point of the assessment – outside of the obvious – is for the client/athlete to prove to me that they can perform said movements correctly and without causing further harm.
With regards to the deadlift, the results of their assessment – outside of providing information on any imbalances or any glaring deficits that may exist – is going to tell me which variation of the deadlift I’m going to start them on.
Not everyone is meant to (or should) walk into the gym on day one and conventional deadlift. Truth be told: the conventional deadlift is the most advanced variation of the deadlift, and I rarely start an athlete or client there.
If someone has a cranky lower back or anterior knee pain (or both), it may be wise to start them on a trap (or hex) bar deadlift. Because the body is placed inside the bar, there’s less shear on the spine. Likewise, the trap bar (like most DL variations) require a more vertical tibia which will feel significantly better on the knees.
Looking a bit deeper, if someone has a deficit in ankle dorsiflexion or needs a crowbar to loosen up their hips, having them attempt to get all the way down to the bar for a conventional deadlift is going to be compromising.
Instead it may be more advantageous to have them perform a Sumo style deadlift – maybe even elevated slightly depending on the severity of their limitation.
The point is: not all deadlift variations are created equal, and it’s important to consider what will be the right fit based off of one’s body-type, experience, limitations, and injury history.
2. Tension, Tension, Tension!
One instantaneous red-flag I’ll notice with many people deadlifting is when I see their hips rise too quickly when initiating the pull. Like this:
Kelly Starrett mentioned this same concept in his book Becoming a Supple Leopard, but when this happens it’s generally a failure to get (and maintain) TENSION!!! You could also make the same argument whenever you see someone initiate their pull and they turn into a “scared cat” with their back rounding like crazy.
The deadlift is a bit more than just “bending over and picking up a bar.” I like to tell trainees that the hips and shoulders should “break” synchronously. Meaning there should be a synergistic dance or interplay between the hips and shoulders. If the hips break first or come up too fast in relation to the upper body, we just need to slow things down a tad and get more tension.
Lack of tension = an energy leak, and that’s the last thing you want when trying to pull heavy things off the ground.
Here’s a checklist I like to follow:
1. Hinge back – pushing your butt back towards the wall – as if you’re performing an RDL – until your hands reach the bar.
2. Once there, you’ll grab the bar with one hand and pull the “slack out.” Basically, you’re going to activate or engage your lat and posteriorly tilt the scapulae, which will provide a ton more stability/tension.
3. You’ll then repeat the same process with the other hand.
Note: a more simplified and less geeky way of explaining things is to pretend you have an orange in your armpit and that you’re trying to squeeze out some orange juice.
This cue will ensure all of the above: lats will be engaged, scapulae will posteriorly tilt, and the chest will be up.
4. In order to maintain tension in the hamstrings (kind of important for deadlifting big weight) the hips should stay somewhat high (this will vary for numerous people, but they should never be above the shoulders), and you should think about “pressing” or “pushing” yourself way from the floor – generating force INTO THE FLOOR. Like this:
Notice how, compared to the first video, the hips and shoulders have more of a timed interplay?
This is what’s “ideal” and will result in better deadlifting performance for most people.
One quick housekeeping item to get out of the way first.
1. Just a reminder from Monday’s post: This is an open invitation for anybody located in or around the Boston area to attend Lisa’s spin class tomorrow (Saturday).
Everyone who attends, if they choose, can introduce themselves to Lisa after the class – I promise she won’t bite – and then give her their email address. From there I’ll send you a coupon code for one FREE month of my Premium Workout Group over on WeightTraining.com.
Even if you’d prefer not to take part in my group, and you just want to head in and get your ass kicked for 45 minutes, Lisa is pretty much the best spin instructor in the city as detailed by this glowing review below:
“Lisa is pretty much the best spin instructor in the city”
Well, shit – that is a fair point. I don’t really have a come back for that one. Oh well, I guess I’ll just move on with my life.
Nevertheless, to make up it I figured I’d 1) type this entire post shirtless (<—- not kidding) while watching GoodFellas (<—- Again, not kidding) in a Blackhawk helicopter (<—- okay, kidding) and post a quick video tutorial on how to clean up one’s carry technique.
I’m a huge advocate of carries as I feel that offer a gulf of benefits. Everything from grip strength to improved hip stability to increased core strength to helping to build a yoked up upper back.
Thing is: most trainees butcher them and often fail to reap all their benefits. Here are some thoughts on common mistakes and how to address them:
First things first: I’d like to thank everyone who chimed in to offer their support and words of encouragement with regards to the Premium Workout Group yesterday.
To say I’m really excited for this opportunity would be an understatement, and I can’t wait to see the results people will get following my programming.
Secondly, I want to extend a huge THANK YOU to those who jumped right in and actually signed up yesterday. It’s my hope that this will be a positive experience for you and that the group will serve as a source of motivation and accountability to keep you on task with your training.
And, you know, to bring back a little sexy too.
While we had a fair number of people sign up I still have some suspicion that an equal number opted not to because they’re on the fence and not quite sure of the type of value that’s included.
Don’t worry my feelings weren’t hurt. I mean, I only cried for like ten minutes. I’m over it now.
No, really, I just have a little something in my eye. Is someone peeling an onion?
I keed, I keed.
I touched on it in yesterday’s post, but I wanted to reiterate that not only will I be providing top-notch, quality programming on a month-to-month basis, but I’ll also be providing unique content solely to the group in the form of tutorial videos covering everything from assessment to exercise technique.
Today I wanted to give everyone a little taste or sneak peek at what types of videos to expect:
Front Squat Benefits and Technique
And that’s just the tip of the iceberg.
For more information on the group you can check out yesterday’s post HERE.Or, you can go directly to the WeightTraining.com site HERE and register.
I took the closing epilogue of an old Looney Tunes cartoon and applied it to an article I wrote on lat training.
Barack Obama ain’t not nuthin on my word play!
Chances are anytime you ask someone what the latissimus dorsi are you get one of two things happening:
1. Someone conjures up their inner Dorian Yates and breaks off a lat spread like like no one’s business.
Or
2. They look at you with a quizzical look – as if you had three nipples – look down, snap their fingers rapidly, and then, in a light bulb moment blurt out, “WAIT……I got it! That’s the name of that one planet that that dude with pointy ears is from, right? You know, in Star Trek?
Alas, the latissimus dorsi or “lats” for short are an often glazed over muscle group relegated to nothing more than “that muscle you work on the pulldown machine.” Which is unfortunate because I’d argue that the lats are one of the more critical muscles in your body in terms of not only aesthetics, but performance as well.
In this article, which went live on BodyBuilding.com yesterday, I up the geek ante slightly and talk anatomy as well as the MANY functions of the lats (there’s a lot more than you think).
More importantly, I discuss strategies one can implement to learn how to “engage” the lats more effectively, which in turn helps protect the spine, which in turn results in more weight lifted, which in turn raises your awesome factor by like a lot. It’s science.
Today’s guest post comes our way from Montreal based strength coach, Rich Thaw. I had the pleasure of meeting Rich several times a few years ago while he was here in Boston interning for Mike Boyle Strength and Conditioning.
We all know the importance of single leg work, and it’s probably a safe assumption to say that it’s something we all love to hate.
While I won’t sit here and say I hate single leg work as much as I hate Jar Jar Binks, I have no qualms putting it in the same breath as poodles or people who don’t turn right on red.
I’m not impervious to the hate. But I still do it.
That said, single leg work is a staple at Cressey Performance and if there’s one exercise which makes our athletes belly ache the most it’s the RFESS, or more popularly known as the Bulgarian Split Squat.
In this post Rich breaks down some technique flaws as well as offers some different variations to try.
Enjoy! – TG
Bulgarian Split Squats have been around for generations (apparently) but only recently have been thrust into the limelight. In recent years Bulgarian Split Squats have been making headlines everywhere from magazines to online publications and even on YouTube (note the sarcasm…everything makes it to Youtube)
Bulgarian Split Squats were outrageously foreign to me until the summer of ’09 when I started my internship at Mike Boyle Strength and Conditioning (MBSC). Although I had seen them before and used them a few times, I had not really exploited them to their full potential.
Long story short, after chasing a 315lb front squat for several months leading up to the internship, I decided to abandon the all-mighty lift in exchange for RFESS.
Fast forward 3 months and back to Montreal where I returned post-internship, I decided to re-attempt front squatting 315lbs.
The most recent experience yielded a mediocre 280lbs for 3 reps.
This time was different, I un-racked the bar and it felt really freakin’ heavy. I sat back and lowered myself to the 12’ box I had as a depth gauge, and then stood up without much difficulty…hmmm.
I decided to go for another, and then a 3rd. Racking the bar I thought to myself; “I have one more in me”. So I took a breath and gave’er for another.
I just front squatted 315lbs for 3 + 1 reps up from 280lbs for 3 reps only 3 months ago. That’s a 35lb increase and a rep to boot in a little under 3 months. WTF!?
What The Heck Is A RFESS And Where Can I Get Some?
Simply put, a RFESS (Rear Foot Elevated Split Squat) is a Bulgarian Split Squat, only with a less cool and more straightforward name.
Besides, I doubt the Bulgarians made up this exercise.
Note: I’m still awaiting conformation from The Bulgarian Government).
Lets start things with demonstration of the difference between a “good” RFESS and a bad one.
RFESS are a tricky beast, but when done correctly, in my opinion, they’re one of the best exercises which gives you the most bang for your training buck.
RFESS Are (Not) Made For You
They have huge benefits if used and loaded correctly, but correctly is a pretty vague term.
However, they’re not the best exercise for everyone – particularly if you’re rocking a solid anterior pelvic tilt (APT).
(Hyper) lordotic individuals usually develop these patterns as a result of breathing mechanics as well as a number of tight and weak muscles most likely set forth by sport, and repetitive, aberrant habits.
Lordotic people usually have a diaphragm that is ‘stuck’, tight lats, Quadratus Laborum (QL), Psoas, and Rectus Femorus, which are also tight/overactive – most notably understood under Janda’s Lower Cross Syndrome.
If You Present with Low Back Pain
The rear foot elevated position sets your pelvis up in a mildly compromised position. If, for example, the surrounding hip musculature is tight, the innominate bone (the hip bone on one side) of the leg that is on the bench will anteriorly rotate while the sacrum and innominate bone of the driving leg stays neutral.
This is not a great loading pattern.
What’s more, if you’re really tight the sacrum could be rotated as well…also not a pattern you want to load.
During a seminar I took with Dr. Stuart McGill back in April of 2013, he mentioned the increase in popularity of sacroiliac (SI) pain resulting from single leg training. All the more reason to make sure your core is working flawlessly.
The idea is that you don’t rely on joints for stability but rely on the surrounding musculature for stability. As it relates to some people, their back pain can very likely be related to some sort of compensation pattern and/or tight muscle(s).
If Your Buns Aren’t Made Of Steel
At CoreXcellence it is of the utmost importance that by the time we progress to RFESS in the program, our athletes and everyday clients have effective and efficient glutei function.
To get buns of steel you need your butt to fire first in hip extension, then the Adductor Magnus, hamstring, and lastly the lower back at the extreme end range. To effectively determine if that is the case on your end, here’s a quick test:
If You Can’t Lock It Down
The ‘proper’ way to do a deadlift used to be to bend down, arch the back and pick up the bar. But no longer.
You need to be able to maintain a rigid torso throughout any movement and keep the ribs locked down.
Think of maintaining the distance between the ribs and the pubic bone the same as when you are standing braced to when you are bent over in a hip hinge (deadlift pattern).
It’s impossible to contract a stretched muscle, and by arching your back (shown in the 1st photo) your entire mid-section is stretched.
That leaves one of two places for a trainee to gain stability:
1) The powerful lats, and 2) The vertebrae, sacrum and sacro-iliac joints. Again, not a pattern you want to load.
The inability to keep the distance between the ribs and pubic bone consistent during a split squat, reverse lunge and a slideboard lunge, in that order, throws up a major red flag.
Sorry, no RFESS for you chief.
RFESS Progression Checklist
#1 – Split Squat
#2 – Reverse Lunge
#3 – Slideboard Lunge
#4 – RFESS
The Set-Up
Grab yourself a good old-fashioned bench. Prop the shoelaces of your left foot on the bench then lower that knee to the ground. You’ll be in a half-kneeling position.
The Right heel should be slightly behind your knee.
Note: This is a great position to assess if you can maintain neutrality in your hips or if you are rotated. If you can get and maintain a neutral pelvis, you’re cleared for takeoff.
At the bottom of the exercise your right femur should be just slightly below parallel with the ground.
It’s set up for RFESS specifically so no tinkering required. It’s much more comfortable on the ankle than a bench. Benches pinch your ankle at times.
If you don’t have access to a Single Leg Squat Stand you can always jimmy a bench to replicate it by attaching a half-roller onto the top with some mini-bands.
Load ‘er up
There are a few ways of loading RFESS. The go-to loading pattern I use with clients and athletes is always the dumbbell goblet. Once they master the goblet RFESS, then they can progress to any number of variations.
Here are a few I use quite frequently:
1. Dumbbell or Kettlebell Goblet
2. Bilateral Dumbbell
3. 1-Arm Kettlebell
The bell usually touches the floor at the exact moment when you reach optimal depth, usually.
4. Front Racked Barbell
5. Back Squat Barbell
My beef with back loading
While it may work wonders for some, I firmly believe that by loading the bar on your back only further reinforces an arched back, stretched abdominals, and recruits the lats & QL’s to act as stabilizers rather than the core.
Sure the first rep or so will look decent, but decent isn’t good enough for the first few reps. Every rep should be flawless. Your last rep should always be your last good rep. It’s also a lot harder to coach this pattern compared to the front racked position because of the pattern it reinforces.
Wrap Up
While there are more than a few contraindications and compensations to look out for in a RFESS, the same principle applies for every exercise.
A stable torso, ample mobility, stability and flexibility are all required to reap the rewards of this exercise with none of the risk. It all comes down to progression. RFESS are an advanced exercise and should be treated as such.
Give yourself a few weeks to perfect a flawless Split Squat, Reverse Lunge and then Slideboard Lunge and then RFESS will be made for you!
About the Author
When he is not working as a Strength & Conditioning coach at CoreXcellence, Rich does extensive work with online training and nutrition consultations through his website titled ‘InnerAthlete’.
Using his extensive knowledge and experience in athletic development, Rich has developed a training system which progressively challenges his clients. To ensure proper postural alignment and injury prevention methods learned from the Functional Movement Screening System, Postural Restoration Institute and Myofascial Techniques have become an integral part of his programming.
When Rich isn’t working you can find him playing hockey, watching the latest Marvel Comics movie, drinking Reeces Peanut Butter Cup inspired smoothies and dreaming about front squats, kettlebells and chin-ups.
He has been found eating cacao nibs and spirulina by the pound and firmly believes that “Everyone should have access to professional grade training, nutrition, & rehab strategies. Everyone can go from an average Joe (or Jill) to looking, feeling and moving like a Pro.”
In keeping with the running theme of past segments like Tony Takes a Yoga Class (Part One and Part Two) and Tony Takes a Pilates Class, yesterday I added another adventure to my on-going exercise bucket list:
Unfortunately, it wasn’t Tony Performs a Cannonball Into the Playboy Mansion Pool.
Tony Takes a CrossFit Class will have to wait for another day (<— But this one is coming soon!).
And sorry, it wasn’t Tony Fights Rambo with a Flamethrower, either.
Instead, myself, Lisa, and our friend Diana headed over into Needham, MA (a few miles outside of Boston) to visit Iron Body Studios – co-owned by Artemis Scantalides and Eric Gahan – to take part in one of their introductory kettlebell classes which are offered every Sunday morning.
Some of you may recognize Artemis’ name because I’ve included a handful of her articles several times in my Stuff You Should Read While You’re Pretending to Work series, and to speak candidly, her and I have been internet pen pals for a while now.
When her and Eric opened their brand spankin new, and utterly gorgeous facility a few months ago they gave me an open invitation to come take a class whenever I wanted, but it was only within the last few weeks that my schedule was free to do so.
Of course kettlebells aren’t some foreign entity to me. We have them at Cressey Performance, and not only use them in our own training, but incorporate them into the programs we write for our athletes and clients.
In addition I’ve written a fair share of articles and posts on the topic:
Admittedly, and thus serving as the main impetus for visiting Iron Body Studios in the first place, my knowledge base and expertise on kettlebell training – while I think is up to snuff – is limited to reading and watching videos from the likes of Dan John, Gray Cook, Brett Jones, Neghar Fonooni (now Romaniello), as well as Artemis and Eric, to name a few.
If anything I wanted to visit them to see if my technique (swing and get-up in particular) was on point, and more importantly to see whether or not the coaching cues I use with my own athletes mirrored theirs.
Too, it served as a nice way for Lisa and I to start the day (we rarely ever get the chance to train together), get the blood flowing, and just feel like a million bucks.
Artemis was a champ and took all three of us through an introductory “history” on the differences between the Russian hard style she advocates and teaches (she’s both a Level II RKC Instructor as well as Level II StrongFirst Instructor: AKA: a badass) and the American style which, lets be honest, sucks (my words, not hers).
From there we went through an extensive warm-up, which felt amazing, and then Artemis coached us through how to pattern a proper hip hinge, which is the backbone for the entire hard style philosophy, and not surprisingly the swing itself.
After that Artemis broke down the swing and I definitely took some mental notes on how I could better cue my own athletes. Of note I’ve always wondered what the deal was with all that aggressive “hissing” noise that many KB enthusiasts practice, and Artemis explained how it’s a simple way to teach tension and to get the diaphragm to better stabilize the spine – which, upon thinking about it, made TOTAL sense.
Then it was game time. Artemis watched us in action and critiqued our swings. I felt a little nervous, and after the first set I looked up and was half expecting this:
But thankfully, I passed with flying colors.
From there we went through the basics of a Get-Up (to the hands), which is an art in of itself. And then Artemis took us through the ringer and had us perform three circuits of get-ups, RKC planks, glute bridges, KB deadlifts, and then KB swings.
I haven’t done that much “cardio” in a while and it was readily apparent that I need to do more. I guess doing heavy triples of deadlifts ain’t cutting it……;o)
All in all, it was an AWESOME experience and I think Lisa and I spent a good hour after the fact discussing how much we’d enjoy doing that a few Sundays every month. In my case I can see unlimited benefits in terms of helping me address some imbalances and weaknesses I have, and I can only assume that learning how to better use “tension” to my advantage will help my deadlift and squat numbers skyrocket.
Nevertheless, you can bet that Lisa and I (and hopefully Diana…….if you’re reading this Diana, you’re doing this!!!!) will be heading back to Iron Body Studios sooner rather than later.
To that end I asked both Artemis and Eric if they’d be willing to do a quick video on swing technique and they were more than happy to oblige.
Six pack abs and biceps don’t really impress me that much. I can walk into any commercial gym in the country or peruse an Abercrombie and Fitch catalog and see plenty of dudes with both.
Not that I go out of my way to flip through an A&F catalog on a regular basis or anything – the chances I’d be able to fit into a pair of their jeans is about as high as me reading a Nicholas Sparks novel or washing all the dishes that are currently in the sink.
Which is to say, HAHAHAHAHAHA.
But not for nothing….cashmere sweaters are on sale this month. Holla!
Speaking candidly: Whenever I see someone with a thick, muscular back I know that they’ve put in their time in the weight room.
Likewise, it’s pretty rare for someone to have an impressive back and be weak. Chances are they’re stronger than a bulldozer.
In any case, in my latest article for T-Nation I dive into some of my favorite back-building exercises. Some you’ll undoubtedly be familiar with – albeit technique may leave a lot to be desired – while others may be a “new to you” variation.