Individualizing Your Squat Stance
I’ve often championed the notion that there’s “no such thing as textbook technique.” How we’re taught to execute certain exercises in a textbook often won’t translate to the real world because, well, we don’t live in textbooks. This is a theme that’s hit on several times in The Complete Trainers’ Toolbox. Sam Spinelli, one of… Read more
Struggling to Excel at Pull-ups? These Commonly Made Mistakes May Be Playing a Role.
If I want to learn more about astrophysics I listen to Neil deGrasse Tyson. If I want to learn more about how to to be jacked while rocking a bowl cut I listen to He-Man. Moreover, if I want to learn about or become a legit badass at pull-ups, my go to expert is Meghan… Read more
The Big Toe and the Squat
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. 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… Read more
Deadbugs Are Gucci. However, Pump the Brakes a Little and Try These Regressions First
First off: Yeah, that’s right I just put the slang version of “Gucci” into the title of a blog post about deadbugs. Second: I promise I won’t ever do that again Third: I’ve been swamped with travel the past few weeks (and the subsequent catching up on emails, programs, projects, and life shit-show) and I… Read more
Squat Down, Not Back
What follows is what works for ME and MY clients. This shouldn’t be taken as a personal attack against YOU, your favorite coach, or any methodology that’s seemingly at odds with my point of view. By all accounts you’re still a decent human being, even if you happen to disagree with what I’m about to… Read more
30 Days of Deadlifts: Days 1-10
A few weeks ago I had an epiphany. Maybe I should do a 30-day series on Instagram and cover something cool? 30 Favorite Pictures of My Cat? 30 Days of Omelets? No, no, no…30 Days of Jason Bourne Fight Scene Reenactments? As you can tell, I didn’t go with any of those choices. But if… Read more
Are Compound Movements Actually Making You Stronger?
NOTE FROM TG: I’ll be traveling in Europe for the next ten days and figured this would be a nice opportunity to repurpose some old content that may have been missed the first time around. 1) If you didn’t read this the first time I posted it all I have to say is “pfffffft, whatever.”… Read more
It’s Not What You Do, It’s How You Do It: A Better Plank
I know, I know. Planks. Not the most exciting topic in the world. I may as well post something on photosynthesis trends of oak trees in the Northeast, gas prices, or, I don’t know, what my kid had for breakfast this morning. Everybody performs planks. And 90% of those people perform them incorrectly. Today’s… Read more