More appropriately this should be titled 2019 Best Exercises (I Stole From Other Coaches) You Should Be Doing.
Nevertheless, I shared a bevy of (new to me) exercises in 2019 that garnered some interest on social media. Here are the ones that received the most traction.
Be sure to click the links so you can not only watch see the exercises in action, but also learn the why’s, key coaching cues, and, more importantly, to see how jacked I am.
The week between Christmas and New Year’s I like to highlight a select number of articles featured on my site during the past 365 days.
First up were the the articles that resonated with you, the reader, as defined by analytics and what piqued your interest…HERE.
Next up were the articles that resonated with me and filled my writer’s love tank…HERE.
Today I’d like to direct your attention to the best GUEST POSTS of 2019.
Copyright: serpiandco / 123RF Stock Photo
Best Articles of 2019: Guest Posts
The State of Corrective Fitness 2019 – Kevin Mullins
This was FOUR part series DC based personal trainer, Kevin Mullins, wrote for the site that, if I were to be honest, is very much a Ken Burns’esque masterpiece.
As we grow older our fitness tends to get more and more robotic in nature. We sit in machines, performing endless, mindless repetitions, all while perusing our smart phones.
Shane showcases some ways to be less of a health/fitness zombie.
Who Did I Steal it From? – My coach, Greg Robins, plugged this into my program this month. When I saw it, at first I was like “tha fuck!?!”
What’s up with this foo-fooey exercise?
But then I performed a few sets and was like “whaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaat.”
I like it a lot
(cue Dumb & Dumber voiceover).
What Does It Do? – Well, like any single leg variation it challenges balance, core/hip stability, and helps to “temper” any strength imbalances between one leg or the other. Too, it gives the spine a bit of a reprieve from aggressive axial loading.
What separates this variation, however, is the addition of the COIL (or rotation of the upper torso). This subtle tweak offers a bit of a varying training stimulus in that it takes us out of the traditional up/down, forward/back nature of exercise we’re accustomed to and adds rotation into the mix; or transverse plane motion.
The twisting action also leads to a bit more internal rotation of the front hip which feels divine (unless you’re someone with a history of FAI; in that you’ll probably want to avoid this one).
As a quick aside I had my wife perform this exercise the other day after she tweaked her lower back/SI joint and she loved it. As noted in THIS article written by Dr. Erika Mundinger on this site a few years back, introducing rotation can be a game changer for those with chronic SI joint issues.
Key Coaching Cues – This exercise is pretty self-explanatory.
A quick heads up: In celebration of its two-year anniversary of being released my good friend Meghan Callaway is putting her renowned Ultimate Pull-Up Program on sale all this week.
You can purchase it at 40% off the original price.
You also have the option of purchasing both her Ultimate Pull-Up Program & Ultimate Landmine Program as a packaged deal at a pretty sweet discount as well.
Also, and don’t quote me on this, Meghan is giving away a free hug/high-five (whichever is less weird to you) to anyone who purchases.
If you’re someone who has struggled conquering the pull-up or you’re a trainer/coach who wants a better understanding of how to program for any of your clients interested in performing their first pull-up (or doing more of them), you’d be hard pressed to find a more thorough resource.
Exercises You Should Be Doing: Hollow Position “Pull-Up”
In light of Meghan’s re-release I wanted to share one of my favorite drills I love using with anyone interested in conquering their first pull-up.
I think there’s a common misconception that the only way to train the pull-up is by doing pull-ups. I mean, yes, that will be a thing – specificity matters – but if someone is unable to perform one, well, what do we do?
I’m a big fan of implementing FLOOR-BASED drills to help build context and confidence.
My starting point for pretty much everyone is to learn the correct way to perform a Hollow Position Hold.
What’s so great about this drill – outside of allowing people a better appreciate of full-body tension and how much it really sucks – is that the position itself emulates how I’d want someone to hang from a bar when they attempt an actual pull-up; as the body is a more “connected” unit.
Again, context.
Now, there are numerous ways to progress the Hollow Body Hold.
Perform for “x” time (and then add more time each week, say 5-10 seconds).
Perform with an emphasis on a FULL exhale (and aim for “x” repetitions).
Juggle chainsaws (but only if they’re also lite on fire)
Perform the hold but add a little flair to it by having people press or rotate things:
Like I said there’s an infinite array of progressions and shenanigans to consider.
To up the “specificity” ante a little more, however, I really like adding a “pull-up” into the mix.
Who Did I Steal It From? – Another good friend of mine, Artemis Scantalides.
What Does It Do? – If anything I feel it provides a bit of an “ah-HA” moment for the trainee. Once they grab the stick or PVC pipe and begin to perform the “pull-up” in the hollow position a light goes off as if to say” oooooooh snap, now I get why we’ve been doing this stuff!!”
Also, context…;o)
Key Coaching Cues – I wouldn’t add this variation until someone is able to hold a strict hollow position for 30 seconds. Once they’re there hand him/her a stick and wammo-bammo…it’s pretty self explanatory.
One thing of note, though, is the breath.
It behooves everyone to start cueing/coaching an exaggerated exhale/snake breath with each repetition. As the trainee emulates the pulling motion (s)he should perform an aggressive exhale; this helps to maintain tension and core recruitment.
Also, because I said so.
2-3 sets of 6-10 repetitions should be money for most beginner and intermediate lifters.
Exercises You Should Be Doing: Quadruped T-Spine Rotation w/ Lift Off
There’s no shortage of thoracic (middle back) mobility exercises out there. I for one prefer to keep a handful – say five or six – in my back pocket to use with the bulk of my clients.
I’d rather keep things simple, not bog people down with a litany of options, and stick with exercises that most people can do with little or no coaching.
I’m sure most people reading are familiar with your standard Quadruped Extension-Rotation drill. Here’s a reminder just in case (that was filmed, it seems, in 1978):
There are a few nit-picky things I’ve changed in how I coach this drill of late:
I prefer the ROCKED BACK version, where one’s butt rests on their ankles (assuming they have access to that range of motion in their hips and ankles). In this case we’re taking joints out of the equation – in this case, the lower back – so there’s less opportunity to “cheat.”
I also try to emphasize “pushing away” on the supporting arm side to help with more Serratus activation.
Too, most people are unable to begin this exercise with one hand behind their head – they may not have access to the requisite external rotation and abduction – and all they end up doing is some sort of elbow going up and down while also doing a bang up job at jacking up their neck. Instead, I prefer more of a “rib grab” where each person grabs their underside and focuses on driving their opposite shoulder towards the ceiling.
But let’s assume we’re working with someone who CAN do all of the above. How can we progress the exercise?
Add a band? Sure
Pants off? Hell yeah.
What about adding a lift-off?
Huh?
Who Did I Steal It From? – Ottawa based personal trainer Elsbeth Vaino.
What Does It Do? – Allows us to use an external focus – in this case a wall – to gain just a bit more ROM out of the exercise and to add more time under tension.
Key Coaching Cues – I can’t reiterate enough that this is a PROGRESSION! There aren’t many people who will be able to be successful with this exercise out of the gate; it is 100% cool if you just stick with the run-of-the-mill, plain ol’ vanilla, Quadruped Extension-Rotation exercise.
That said, this iteration applies a bit of FRC (Functional Range Conditioning, popularized by Dr. Andreo Spina) where we provide a isometric contraction at a joint’s end range (technically a RAIL, or Regressive Angular Isometric Loading) to help nudge more stability in a new ROM (and thus, more controlled mobility within that same ROM).
The FRC system is waaaaaaaaaaaaay3 more detailed and expansive than my simple sentence suggests, but for the sake of this little snippit it will suffice.
Here I use the wall as a guide, and when I reach my end range I “lift off” and hold for a 3-5s count.
Things to watch out for:
Shrugging at the top.
Ensuring client is utilizing scapular posterior tilt as (s)he rotates.
Who Did I Steal It From? – Virginia based strength coach Vernon Griffith. If you’re not following him on Instagram you should be. There aren’t many coaches putting out better content than he at the moment.
What Does It Do? – Well, lets take a look at it in action first, shall we?
See what I mean about coming up with a suitable name now?
Anyway, what I like most about this variation is that I can lean into the plate/bar which provides just a smidge of balance, but still allows me to focus on one leg at a time.
As it happens, when I saw Vernon first demonstrate this exercise he ended up lowering the moving leg to his knee (a gentle tap to the floor) whereas I chose to lower so that my foot contacted the ground.
Both are viable options. However, I’d encourage people to start with my option and progress to Vernon’s.
What I also like about this drill is that because I am leaning INTO the plate/bar I get more (closed chain) hip abduction on the standing side.
End Result?: GLUTE O’CLOCK.
Key Coaching Cues: I caution anyone from using an aggressive weight here. I was only using a 25 lb plate in this video and a part of my soul died it was challenging. I prefer a Zercher (in the crooks of your elbows) hold for this drill, but you could also utilize a supinated or underhand grip too.
From there it’s a fairly intuitive exercise. As noted above the lean helps to provide a bit of balance and because the barbell is situated somewhat in a fixed path, you’ll have all the “guidance” you’ll need to make it pretty smooth.
GO SLOW.
The real benefit here is learning control and to recognize how to move through your hips and not to compensate via the lower back.
Aim for 8-10 repetitions/leg.
You’ll feel things firing you’ve never felt before.
Glutes, deep hip stabilizers, core, your eyeballs, everything.
Before we get to today’s “Exercise You Should Be Doing,” a quick parenting tip:
If or when your two year old wakes up from a nap and says his tummy hurts, and even if he seems in good spirits, don’t assume he’s just hungry (like I did) and then proceed to take him out for ice cream because it’s Easter.
Cause inevitably, what’s going to happen is what happened to me two hours later…..
Who Did I Steal It From? – I honestly can’t remember, but my inclination is to say Chad Rodgers of Show Me Strength.
Or, I don’t know, maybe it was Jesus.
What Does It Do? – Well, before I say anything on that front I should probably show you what the heck it looks like, huh?
Pretty fancy.
I’ve long championed the notion that the single (or 1-Legged) RDL is fairly advanced exercise as it requires a hefty dose of “things” to pay nice together:
– Lumbo pelvic stability
– Core control
– Stable spine
– Balance
– Hip extension
– Lat activation
– Stark’s shaking hands with Lannister’s
Many trainees are unable to perform a traditional single-leg RDL without my corneas resisting the urge to jump out of their sockets, which is why I’m such a stern fan of more “intermediary” variations such as the one that’s highlighted today.
It provides the support/balance many people need, albeit allows an opportunity to load the standing leg making it more or less a “fake 1-legged” version.
Key Coaching Cues: It takes a bit of trial and error and finesse to get the feel down, but one cue that helps a lot is to push the back foot INTO the wall while also pushing BACK with the standing foot.
This way you elicit a bit of a “wedge,” and thus more full-body tension.
From there, simply push the hips back towards the wall. I like to remind people they’re not lowering the weight with their arms, but rather pushing their hips back.
Continue as such until you feel the bulk of the pressure in the hamstring.
NOTE: The other advantage of this exercise is you can go heavier compared to traditional single leg RDL variations.
So, meatheads will love how this torches the hamstrings.
I mean, it pales in comparison to a Wingardium Leviosa spell – or even bacon wrapped dates (magic in my mouth) – but if you’re looking for a drill to add to your squat/deadlift warm-up, or to help with a pair of cranky hips, continue reading.
Giving credit where it’s due, I first learned of this exercise – well, technically, an iteration of it – via Dr. Stuart McGill while attending one of his workshops years ago.
He included it as a form of progression with regards to low back rehabilitation and performance. In his version, you don’t use anything as support and you then hold your arms out to your sides (like an airplane) and perform the drill.
I’m half convinced the only people who can do it well on the first try are 1) Dr. McGill and 2) Cirque du Soleil performers.
Nevertheless it’s a fantastic drill that stresses a “rigid” (or stable) spine while also performing a CLOSED-CHAIN exercise where the acetabulum – hip socket – moves along a fixed femur.
As much as I’m a fan, however, it’s also a fairly advanced drill and often cumbersome to master for many individuals.
Try this instead.
Supported Hip Airplane
Who Did I Steal It From?: My wife was actually given this exercise by Dr. Sarah Duvall a few weeks ago to help her with some annoying hip “stuff” she’s been dealing with for the past few years.
Within days of implementing this drill my wife saw a massive reduction in her symptoms and was also quoted as saying…
“Hip internal rotation is fucking magic.”
More on this in a bit, because it’s not technically working hip IR.
What Does It Do?: As noted above it’s primarily a closed-chain exercise (weeeeeeee) which allows for the more proximal joint (in this case the hip) to move across a fixed femur (the distal joint, the foot, is cemented to the ground).
When I posted this exercise up on my IG account I had several people keep me in check (and rightfully so) when I had mentioned this exercise helps encourage more hip internal rotation.
“It’s actually a discussion of motion vs position. At the top of the airplane the hip is externally rotatED. Then as you return back to neutral, you are technically going through internal rotation but you are still in a position of external rotation. I would actually encourage you to go beyond neutral to get into an internally rotated position.”
So, yeah, do that…;o)
Suffice to say:
1. I like this drill because it hammers home the point of rigid/stable spine while moving through the hip.
2. DON’T EVER SHOW ME UP LIKE THAT AGAIN MOVEMENTS 4 LIFE. I’LL CUT YOU.6
Key Coaching Cues: I cue up a “soft” knee on whatever leg someone stands on. The idea is to extend the inside leg so that the backside is long. If someone is unable to own that position, I’d encourage them to bend the leg at the knee to reduce the lever length.
Rotate up via the hip making sure to minimize motion from the spine. When in the maximally externally rotated position one can control, reverse the action by thinking about driving the top portion of the hip towards the opposite knee.
And, as noted above, don’t be scared to go past neutral and get into more hip internal rotation (that’s what the support is there for).
To progress, let go of the support.
I’ve been including this drill as part my my lower body warm-up for squats and deadlifts and my hips/glutes are thankful.
Anyone who’s visited the Nordic region of the world – generally considered to be Denmark, Sweden, Norway, Finland, and Iceland – knows they’re known for a few things:
Okay, that’s a bit of dearth representation of all the history, art, food, and culture the region has contributed to our benefit. I mean, there’s also Nordic walking, the Nordic Track, as well as the star of today’s blog post the Nordic Leg Curl.7
The Nordic Leg Curl (also known as the Natural Glute Ham Raise) is an awesome exercise that can be used as a posterior chain builder and strengthener, in addition to, when implemented accordingly, being a fantastic “rehab” exercise with regards to working with someone suffering from chronic hamstring strains.
To the latter point, because the eccentric – or lowering – component of muscular action can be prioritized, it’s just a nice way to overload the hamstrings in a way that’s unique to the mechanism of injury for chronic strains (I.e, the bulk of them generally occur when the hamstrings are eccentrically resisting knee extension).
You can read about them more in THIS article, or watch this video (courtesy of T-Nation and Bret Contreras):
Anyway, recently I came across the antithesis of the Nordic Hamstring Curl, and I wanted to share it today because I’ve been playing with it of late in my own training (and with a few clients).
The Reverse Nordic Curl
Who Did I Steal it From? – A few people, actually. Sivan Figan and Nick Tumminello have posted videos of it within the past few weeks, and Meghan Callway was a bit of inspiration as well. She posted a nifty Landmine variation HERE not too long ago.
I know, I know…I’m going to rot in YouTube hell for posting a vertical video. May the comment gods show me mercy.
What Does It Do? – I find it’s an excellent way to train the quadriceps eccentrically and to encourage more length in that area. It’s kinda-sorta a more “joint-friendly” variation of a Sissy Squat.
On an aside, from a rehab standpoint, given the bevy of research showcasing the efficacy of SLOW eccentrics on tendon healing & repair, I can see a lot of value for this exercise when working around knee woes.
Key Coaching Cues: Much like Meghan suggests with her Landmine variation, you want to make sure you ensure a “stacked” position throughout the duration of the exercise. Meaning your head, torso, hips, and knees should be “stacked” on top of one another the entire time.
In this case the band across the chest (cameo appearance of the NT Loop, HERE) adds a bit of accommodating resistance – you want to actively resist the aggressive pull of the band on the way down, as well as overcome the pull of the band on the way back up. I find, too, the band provides a bit more kinesthetic feedback to the lifter to better engage his or her’s core.
Slowly lean back making sure to maintain the canister (stacked) position, then use your quads to “pull” yourself back up. I am indifferent with regards to toes plantar or dorsiflexed. I’m sure there’s a nerdy explanation out there as to why one or the other is good or bad, I just can’t think of one.
Besides, Vikings are awesome.
Oh, lastly: I lean more on the idea that this exercise lends itself to a high(er) rep count, in the ballpark of 8-15 repetitions per set. Too, I’ve been tossing them in as an accessory movement towards the end of a squat or deadlift session. Honestly, I think you’ll be surprised by how much of a quad pump you’ll get from these.
For starters I’m involved with a pretty cool product – The Trainers Toolbox – that’s set to be released next week that’s going to set the fitness industry on fire. I won’t give away too much here, but suffice it to say it’s going to help a lot of fitness professionals.8
Second, we’ve had a cranky toddler on our hands all week this week (wake-up call of 4:30 this morning as a matter of fact), so, basically, FML.
Hence I haven’t had much time to write for my own site this week. Thankfully I have some awesome contributors – like Dr. Nicholas Licameli – who are more than willing to send me articles out of the blue and make me want to buy them a steak dinner.
There are some things that you just don’t hear everyday”
-“Who keeps eating all of the kale!?!?”
-“Of course I understand why my cable bill is $37.97 more this month than it has been in the past 15 months.”
-“I hope I get placed in Ravenclaw or Hufflepuff…please, Ravenclaw or Hufflepuff…”
-“Let’s talk about Fight Club.”
-“A strong core? No thanks, not interested.”
There seems to be a slight stigma surrounding training the abs and core while lying down because, as some say, there are “better” and more “functional” ways to train.
While this may have some truth to it, I don’t mind training the abs and core on the ground. Whether or not something is “functional” really depends on the individual and his/her goals (is a standard plank really “functional?”).
In order to have functional carryover to the task at hand, the training must be specific to the activity (more on this below).
This means that “functional” will be different for everyone.
If you’re a weight lifter or powerlifter, “functional” core strengthening may include tempo reps, pause reps with postural bracing, breathing drills under sub-maximal loads, etc.
If you’re a baseball player (check outMike Reinold and Eric Cressey, if you haven’t done so already), “functional” core strengthening may include plyometric twists, anti-rotation movements, quick accelerations and directional changes, etc. The point here is that “functional” is different for everyone and if the goal is simply to progressively load and train the abdominals, don’t fear the floor.
Today I’d like to share with you an exercise that I call the lying overhead pullover (LOP) (see the video link at the end of this article). I think I invented this exercise, however Chuck Norris and Total Gym do have a variation of it in their manual and let’s be honest, I do not want to get on the bad side of a man who once challenged Lance Armstrong to a “Who has more testicles” contest and won by five.
Other than the Total Gym variation, I have not seen it anywhere else.
How To Do It
Before we dive into how to perform the LOP, let’s have a quick review on what it means to “brace the core:”
“From the top down, we have the diaphragm, from the bottom up we have the pelvic floor, and around the sides we have the deep abdominals that surround the midsection like a corset. To engage the diaphragm, take a breath in through the nose and brace. To engage the pelvic floor, pull up as if holding in gas or urine. To engage the deep abdominals, tighten up the midsection as if putting on a tight belt after Thanksgiving dinner or walking into a cold pool as the water drifts up to your navel.”
It is imperative that you understand how to perform a pelvic tilt and properly brace the core…the entire exercise depends on it.
For more on this, check out my videos right here and here (these are from the archives, so bear with me…but the content is still relevant!).
To perform the LOP, lie on your back in front of a low cable station or a low anchored resistance band. Bend the knees and perform a posterior pelvic tilt by pressing the small of your back down into the floor. Reach overhead and grab the rope or band. Maintaining the pelvic tilt, bracing the core, and keeping the arms straight, pull the rope down toward your knees.
Squeeze the abs for a count, and slowly return to the start position.
Progressions and Regressions
As with any exercise worth writing about, it must have the ability to be modified to better meet individual needs such as level of experience, pain, personal preference, etc. It may seem intuitive that decreasing or increasing the resistance would make this exercise easier or harder to perform, however how changing the range of motion affects the difficulty of the exercise may be less intuitive.
The LOP is an anti-extension exercise, which means it challenges primarily the anterior abdominals to resist spinal extension.
During this exercise, the spine and pelvis collectively become a fulcrum and our arms and legs become levers. The lever arm and extension moment increase simply by stretching out a leg or stretching the arms overhead. As the lever arm increases, it becomes more challenging to prevent the spine from arching off the ground into extension.
By maintaining that pelvic tilt, we are resisting extension.
Looking for a nasty little extended set to take past failure?
Start with the most difficult position and regress in a stepwise fashion to easier versions as muscle failure is reached, again and again.
Another simple way to alter the range of motion would be to add a small crunch to the mix.
This would allow us to not only resist extension, but also overcome it with slight flexion. Be sure to crunch up almost into a 45-degree diagonal as opposed to down toward the feet or straight up toward the ceiling. This will ensure proper tension and alignment with the line of pull and resistance curve of the exercise.
Why I Like the LOP
There is one very important function of the abs that is often overlooked, and that is resisting movement. Sure, everyone knows that the abs flex, side bend, and rotate/twist the spine, but besides causing movement, the abs collectively function to resist movement and stabilize the spinal column.
The LOP challenges that function nicely.
Another reason why I like it is that the LOP trains lumbo-pelvic stability during upper and lower extremity movement.
Why is that important?
In order to perform pretty much any sport, exercise, or functional task, the spine has to provide a stable base for the extremities to move about, otherwise it would be like vertical jumping on sand or firing a bazooka off of a kayak (why you’d have a bazooka on a kayak is beyond me…).
I am not saying that performing the LOP will directly increase power output and safety during running, cutting, kicking, punching, squatting, overhead pressing, etc.
Nope. Sorry, but the principle of specificity still reigns supreme.
If you want to improve your 40 time, better get sprinting! If you want to improve power output when kicking a soccer ball, better get out on that field and kick! If you want to improve your squat, better read this article and of course…squat!
What I am saying is that the LOP is a great way to feel, get accustomed to, and train spinal stability with extremity movement, which is foundational to all of those previously mentioned tasks.
And That’s That (LOP in Action)
So be sure to give the lying overhead pullover a shot. Depending on how it is done, the LOP can be used as a top down ab movement, a bottom up ab movement, or a core stability movement. Feel free to experiment and find what works best for you and your goals.
Enjoy!
About the Author
Nicholas M. Licameli, PT, DPT
Doctor of Physical Therapy / Pro Natural Bodybuilder
Nick believes in giving himself to others in an attempt to make the world a happier, healthier, and more loving place. He wants to give people the power to change their lives in hopes to leave this place better because he was here. Bodybuilding and physical therapy just act as mediums for carrying out that cause. Love. Passion. Respect. Humility. Never an expert. Always a student. Love your journey.
Nicholas M. Licameli, PT, DPT
