CategoriesExercises You Should Be Doing

Exercises You Should Be Doing: Rotational Deadlift

Anyone who’s ever dealt with Sacroiliac (SI) joint dysfunction or pain knows how much of a soul suck it can be.

It’s something that’s very common, but altogether mysterious because it’s such a tricky joint to begin with.

This isn’t going to be a post on SI joint dysfunction. There’s really nothing I can say or add to the conversation that hasn’t already been stated.

HERE’s an excellent post by my boy Dean Somerset which breaks down the anatomy and some programming considerations.

And for the more clinically minded, HERE’s a post by Mike Reinold on the assessment side of things.

Suffice it to say, when it comes to SI joint shenanigans there’s no one universal approach or train of thought as to the best way to rehab it or resolve it.

It’s kind of like driving through Boston. No one really knows what the heck is going on.

Last weekend at The Fitness Summit I had the opportunity to listen to Dr. Erika Mundinger speak on the topic, and really liked what she had to say.

One “delicious Bon Bon” (< – to steal a quote from Mark Fisher) of information I gleaned from her talk was the idea of including more rotational movements as part of SIJ dysfunction rehab/treatment.

Specifically she talked about the Posterior Sling and how, for many suffering from SIJ dysfunction, it’s often neglected. Or, rather, it’s addressed from the wrong vantage point.

For most, sagittal plane movements are going to be money. Most will be able to handle sagittal loading via bilateral squats and deadlifts fairly well. This will generally always be the starting point.

Where that starting point actually is…depends. Some people will be on one end of the spectrum and need to learn how to perform a basic hip hinge and hammer floor based core stability (deadbugs, quadruped drills, etc).

Others will be able to be more aggressive and perform more traditional DL and squat exercises.

 

HOWEVER, as Dr. Mundinger noted, it’s these very sagittal plane (flexion/extension) dominant exercise that may be jacking up people’s SI joints further.

Sometimes people gain too much rigidity in the sagittal plane and it causes it’s own set of issues.

Hypermobility and laxity is a common “correlation” with SIJ dysfunction, and it makes sense to build more stability in that area with said movements. But Dr. Mundinger’s commentary about including more transverse plane (rotational) movements made a lot of sense to me.

Which serves as a perfect opportunity to introduce the next Exercise You Should Be Doing.

Rotational Deadlift

 

It’s no secret I love me some deadlifts. There’s no one exercise that gets me pumped up or gratifies me more than the deadlift.

In every sense: it’s you vs. the bar.

It helps build bulletproof athletes and makes men out of boys (women out of girls?).

Either way, it’s a staple movement and one I feel is about as versatile as they come, whether you’re an athlete or regular Joe/Jane, someone interested in powerlifting or just looking to move well and feel better……..

…..the deadlift can accomplish a lot.

FULL DISCLOSURE: Rotational Deadlifts WILL NOT get you yoked.

Sorry meatheads.

[Cue hilarious video I found on the internet now……NSFW]

 

For those still reading….lets continue.

I do feel it’s a variation that many people can incorporate into their training repertoire injured or not, but one that obviously has increased merit with those suffering from SIJ pain.

What Does It Do: As alluded to above it gets you out of the sagittal plane, and as Dr. Mundinger suggested (much to the GASPS of her colleagues), it relieves some of the stress off of the SI joint and challenges it in the transverse plane.

Of course this is going to be a case-by-case scenario, and it’s important that someone OWNS sagittal plane before introducing rotational movements.

But it makes sense – at least to me – that constantly hammering the same pattern(s) over and over and over again could be detrimental. Adding in (some) rotation can be exactly what the doctor ordered.

Pun intended.

Dr. Erika Mundinger

Key Coaching Cues: for some, you’ll have to tame your inner meat-head. This IS NOT going to be an exercise where max-effort is the goal.

Start with a KB on one side and sit (rotate) INTO the hip. Grab the handle as if you were trying to melt it in your hands (this will force the shoulder to pack itself through a process called irradiation) and then “deadlift” the bell up to waist height.

For some people I may even have them “hover” the bell above the floor a couple of inches for a few seconds to help them maintain tension and to keep proper spinal position.

You’ll then reverse the action and rotate into the opposite hip, coming to a complete stop on the other side.

(Again, sometimes, I’ll have people hover for a few seconds above the floor).

And that’s pretty much it.

There are ways to progress this movement. You can perform with TWO kettlebells or you can even perform it as a 1-legged variation.

Give it a try and let me know what you think.

UPDATE: scratch that, you can go beast mode on rotational deadlifts. You win this time David Dellanave.

CategoriesExercise Technique Exercises You Should Be Doing

Exercises You Should Be Doing: KB Goblet Squat w/ Lowering

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.

There are a number of iterations:

1. Regular ol’ Goblet Squats – DB or KB.

2. Goblet Squat w/ Pulse

 3. Goblet Elevator Squats

 

And one I’m going to propose today…..

Goblet Squat w/ Lowering

Gold star to me for the sick t-shirt.

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.

Have fun.

CategoriesExercises You Should Be Doing

Exercises You Should Be Doing: Prone Sphinx

If you were talking to twelve year old Tony, the Prone Sphinx sounds like some sweet WWF Wrestling move that Hulk Hogan or Jimmy “Superfly” Snuka would perform on one of their opponents during WrestleMania.

Alas, I’m not twelve, and don’t watch WrestleMania on Mondays anymore, so in this context it refers to the mythical creature that has the head of a human and the body of a lion. You know, real life.=

Kidding aside, the Prone Sphinx is the name of an exercise I feel has a lot of merit and usefulness.

Who Did I Steal It From: Dr. Mark Cheng in his Prehab=Rehab 101 DVD.

What Does It Do: It’s an awesome drill that helps to improve scapular stability in addition to core stability, and with certain progressions works on t-spine mobility and pectoral length.

Key Coaching Cues: Due to the position of the exercise you’d have to clear someone of extension-based back pain before implementing it, but assuming there’s no issues some things to consider:

1. It’s important to reset the scapulae prior to each rep. This ensures that no shrugging occurs and that the shoulders are packed.

2. The non-moving side must remain packed throughout!

3. Don’t rush through the progressions. This drill is a lot harder than it looks.

4. Probably best used as part of an extended warm-up or as a filler exercise for most people. But I could see this exercise being used as a “main movement” for some.

Prone Sphinx

 

CategoriesExercises You Should Be Doing

Exercises You Should Be Doing: Birddog With Band RNT

I have two words for you: Jet Lagged.

After three movies, a Twin Peaks marathon (because, why not?) and far too many Tim Tams to count1,Lisa and I made it back to Boston from Sydney after a marathon 27 hour travel extravaganza.

We landed at Logan at 7 PM, were in our apartment by 8, and in bed by 9.

Not too shabby, right?

Except now I’m on “Sydney time” and was wide awake at 2:30 AM this morning. I tried to fall back asleep, but decided it was a pointless endeavor and opted to get up and tackle my inbox and catch up on some programs I needed to write.

I have to apologize to the clients who’s programs I wrote at 4AM. I was cranky, which may explain the inordinate amount of squatting you’re doing this month. Sorry (but not sorry).

Anyhoo: as much as I’d like to sit here and wax poetic about my Aussie trip, I know this isn’t the section where people want to read about that.2

SIDE-NOTE: HERE’s a nice write-up about my workshop in Ballina, though.

I’m still easing my way back to my regular schedule. Or as Lisa would put it, “hatching.” To that end, I’m going to keep things simple today and share a nice birddog variation. Because, you know, people go bat-shit crazy for birddogs.

(Emphasis on the slight exaggeration)

Birddog With Band RNT

 

Who Did I Steal It From: Brett Jones

What Does It Do: Birddogs aren’t anything new (or exciting). Watching paint dry, or grass grow, or an episode of Downton Abbey is Mardi Gras compared to birddogs.

That being said, any fitness professional would be remiss not to recognize they’re an integral drill/exercise that provide a lot of bang for our “core-training-motor-lumbo-pelvic-hip-control-OMG-BIRDDOGS-ARE-THE-SHIT buck.”

Not only that, birddogs are an excellent way to train rotary stability in addition to helping people learn to dissociate their hips from their lumbar spine. I.e., learning to gain movement from the hips and NOT the lower back.

Besides, if Dr. Stuart McGill says to do birddogs, we all better sure as shit do them!

In terms of this particular iteration, the band helps to kick in a little RNT (Reactive Neuromuscular Training) action which, by and large, helps the trainee to better perform the movement.

Speaking candidly: most people BUTCHER birddogs. To the point where their performance and execution is more counterproductive than helpful, often feeding into many of the mechanisms that cause one’s back pain in the first place.

I like using the band because it instantly gives the trainee feedback which forces him or her to clean up their technique.

Key Coaching Cues: using a PVC stick is fine (where you lie it lengthwise and tell the person to keep three points of contact: back of head, between shoulder blades, as well as their sacrum), and I’ve seen some trainers and coaches opt for placing a foam roller on the lower back telling their athlete or client to “balance” it during their set.

I don’t like this latter approach. I find that far too many people end up “balancing” the foam roller by defaulting into lumbar hyperextension, which defeats the purpose of the drill in the first place (which is to try to ensure spinal “neutral” throughout the set).

Adding the band does a few things:

1. It provides a very slight resistance, almost “feeding” the dysfunction, so the trainee is better suited to counteract it.

NOTE: don’t be a hero and be too aggressive with the band selection. As you can see in the video above all I’m using is a 1/2 inch “easy” band.  Save the max effort work for squats and deadlifts chief.

2. The band also forces people to SLOW the EFF DOWN and think about what they’re doing. This isn’t an exercise you want to rush in the first place; so anything that allows me to slow people down is gravy in my book.

3. I also find the band allows for a little diversity. I can regress the exercise as needed and have people ONLY perform with the legs moving or the arms; and the resistance of the band makes it easier to use the cue “get and keep your spine long.

4. Lastly, the band encourages more anterior core activation which helps to keep things in line, literally. Many will fall into anterior pelvic tilt on this exercise – a big no no – and the band will encourage more posterior pelvic tilt and help to maintain neutral.

Use these as part of an extended warm-up or as a “filler” exercise for sets of 5-8 repetitions per side. Quality reps are paramount!

Give it a try and let me know what you think.

CategoriesExercises You Should Be Doing

Exercises You Should Be Doing: Core Engaged Active Straight Leg Raise

Many people are familiar with the active straight leg raise. For those who aren’t, it’s exactly as it sounds.

You know how when you look at someone’s last name, it’s spelled weird, and in your head you’re all like “nope, not even going to try to pronounce that,” and then the person looks at you and says, “it sounds exactly how it looks.”

Come on, use your big words, try it. S.M.I.T.H. 

That’s the active straight leg raise. Try not to overthink it. You’re actively raising your leg. It’s science.

Conventional wisdom will tell you that the active straight leg raise is a great way to test for hamstring length and to see whether or not someone is stiff or short in that area.

And you’d be correct.

Conventional wisdom will also tell you that sticking your finger in an electrical socket “just to see what happens,” is pretty dumb. And you’d be right in that context too. People still do it, though.

The active straight leg raise IS NOT (technically) a test for hamstring length.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a1Y73sPHKxw

 

While I understand why most people would opt to graze on that side of the fence, it’s overlooking the big picture. That, and as the saying goes…“the grass is always greener on the other side.”

The active straight leg raise is really a way to test one’s ability to control their pelvis. Can they flex one hip (the leg raise) while maintaining hip extension on the non-moving side? And can they do so without any major compensations and/or asymmetrical measurements (I.e., one leg is far better than the other)?

The active straight leg raise is actually one of the “Big 7” of the Functional Movement Screen, and it’s the first one that will be attacked if someone either scores a “1” or an asymmetrical “2/3 – right vs. left” on it.

Long story (20 course hours) short: if you can clean up someone’s ASLR, chances are you’ll be able to clean up many of the prominent movement patterns up the functional chain.

Core Engaged Active Straight Leg Raise

 

What Does It Do: this is an excellent drill to help “groove” the active straight leg raise and to teach people to extend/flex their hip while simultaneously dissociating hip movement from lumbar movement.

Moreover, adding in the band for additional core engagement helps “stiffen” things up and get the anterior core to fire to better place the body in alignment. This is especially helpful for those who live in a more extended (anterior pelvic tilt) posture.

Key Coaching Cues: lie supine with your feet together and toes pointing up while grabbing a band placed over your head. It’s important to NOT pull the band too far towards the floor. The idea here is to maintain tension and to keep everything “engaged” throughout the set; if you pull the band too far you lose this advantage.

From there it’s all about pacing: pull, leg up, leg down, reset, pull, leg up, leg down, etc. Get the motion through your hips and learn to dissociate from the lumbar spine.

Go SLOW!

This isn’t a race and it’s crucial to do this drill correctly in order to reap the benefits.

This would be an excellent drill to include as part of an extended warm-up prior to training, or as a “filler” exercise within the training session itself.

Reps of 6-8 PER SIDE would suffice.

Now I’m just going to sit back and wait to see how long it takes for someone from CrossFit to put this into some kind of METCON finisher where the active leg is dragging a Prowler or something.

Just kidding.

But I’m not.

CategoriesExercises You Should Be Doing

Exercises You Should Be Doing: Core Engaged Slideboard Leg Curl

As a a predominantly sports training facility it’s no secret that we place a premium on training the backside of the body at Cressey Sports Performance.

While the “mirror muscles” (chest, biceps, quads, abs) get most of the love, what separates the athletes who get cut from the Varsity team to those who earn scholarships and maybe even play professionally are the ones who, outside of having natural ability, understand that training the backside – hamstrings, glutes, erectors, lats, rhomboids, trapzipidus3, etc – is what allows them to run faster, jump higher, and be more explosive.

Photo Credit: Greatist

Not to mention increases your intelligence by 717% in addition to improving your chances of dating a Victoria Secret model by 312%. Trust me, it’s science.

Even if you’re someone who’s not remotely concerned with developing athleticism and all you care about is aesthetics and not being timid to take your cloths off with the lights on, training the non-mirror muscles can have a profound effect on how you look.

Whether we’re talking about helping to offset the deleterious effects of sitting on all day (posture) or just building a well-rounded physique, training the backside of the body is where it’s at.

To that end exercises like deadlifts, squats, RDLs, hip thrusts, glute-ham raises, pull-throughs, and KB swings get a lot of play at CSP.

Another exercise we like to use is the slideboard leg curl. As opposed to the traditional prone 0r seated (machine) leg curl, this variation trains both (main) functions of the hamstrings – knee flexion/hip extension – simultaneously.

One variation of the slideboard leg curl we’ve been playing with recently is the core engaged leg curl.

Core Engaged Slideboard Leg Curl

Who Did I Steal It From: fellow CSP coaches Greg Robins and Miguel Aragoncillo.

What Does It Do: I’ll admit it comes across as a bit gimmicky, but the band does serve a purpose.  Bilateral arm (shoulder) extension forces trunk flexion, which is just another way of encouraging a little more posterior pelvic tilt.

By engaging the core, we can keep people from defaulting into too much lumbar extension during the exercise. Since we work with a lot of people who are stuck in extension, this is an exercise that fits very well with our population of athletes and clients.

You can perform this both bilaterally (two legs) or unilaterally (one-legged). As you can see (and hear) from the video, the one-legged variation is hard! I did shoot this video AFTER a training session, so cut me some slack….;o)

Both variations are superb and a great way to train the hamstrings and glutes.

Key Coaching Cues: I like to use a controlled eccentric and extend my legs to the point where my butt just baaaaarely touches the floor. Finish with the glutes at the top!

This is a somewhat self-limiting exercise, so if you’re unable to extend your legs out all the way that’s okay. You can use what ROM you do have and build from there. You also have to consider that the exercise may be too aggressive compared to your current ability level.

Shoot for sets of 8-10 reps if performing with two legs; 4-5 per leg if performing one at time.

Let me know what you think!

CategoriesExercises You Should Be Doing

Exercises You Should Be Doing: Split Stance 3D Hamstring Mobilization w/ Reach

Once a week I head over to Boston University to fiddle around in the strength and conditioning center. I’ve been going there for well over two years now, and as much as I love training in a state-of-the-art facility – if for nothing else for a little change of scenery – I think the greater benefit is the opportunity it allows for me to hobnob with some other really smart, forward thinking coaches.

Yesterday was a classic example.

I had just finished my bench workout (I know! Benching on a Tuesday! Blasphemy!) when coach Jill Zeller asked if I’d take a few moments to look at her hip. Her left side had been bothering her as of late, and she was curious to get another set of eyes to take a peek and to see if I picked up on something she hadn’t.

In the process fellow BU coach, Will Turner, joined the festivities and before you could say Minas Tirith three times really fast, the three of us were geeking it up talking about acetabulum anatomy, Left Anterior-Interior Chain (<– Postural Restoration Institute shenanigans), and pelvic alignment.

Oh my god, get this….at one point Jill was like, “dude, if it’s a Left AIC, why would my left hip hurt?” And Will was like, “anterior humeral glide syndrome?” And I was like, “and that’s why the honey badger can’t have gluten!!!”

It was hilarious.

Whatever. You had to be there.

Anyways, it was a good brain dump and after the fact Jill and Will started chatting about some new fancy schmancy warm-up drill Jill had picked up the previous weekend while out in Denver working with University of Denver strength coach, Matt Shaw.

Split Stance 3D Hamstring Mobilization w/ Reach

What Does It Do: This actually hits a number of cool things:

1. The “3D” part refers to the multi-planar aspect of the mobilization. I.e., by reaching in a variety of directions (forward, left, and right) we then hit the hamstrings in all planes of motion – not just sagittal.

2. As such we also get a fantastic glute stretch/mobilization because we’re grooving a hip hinge pattern.

3. In addition, with the bent leg, there’s a significant ankle dorsiflexion component.

Key Coaching Cues: I feel this one looks fairly self-explanatory, but there are a few points to hammer home.

– It’s important to maintain a neutral spine and to try to avoid going into excessive lumber extension on these.  A lot of people are going to want to crank through their lower back on these rather than through the hips.

– Too, you need to own your rib position (something I explain in more detail HERE).

– To prevent any HYPERextension of the knee, rather than locking the knees out I’d advocate for “soft knees” instead (just short of locking out).

– Be sure to “push” your hips back while performing the reach in the opposite direction.

– Shoot for 3-5 reps per direction.

– Use these as part of an extended warm-up, or as a nice “filler” in between exercises.

CategoriesExercise Technique Exercises You Should Be Doing

Exercises You Should Be Doing: Core Activated Deadbug w/ KB

I know for some reading, the idea of reading another post on deadbugs is about as exciting as watching paint dry, or worse, listening to Taylor Swift’s new album. I can commiserate to a degree.

I can hear the cries now:

“I mean really, deadbugs? Come on Tony, I thought you liked to lift heavy things and stuff?! Deadbugs are for pencil necked personal trainers who like to pretend they’re physical therapists and masturbate to their NASM workbook.”

Photo Credit: Studio 950

First off: ^^^^^ Those aren’t the deadbugs I’m talking about. Not to mention, for all I know these bugs are still alive. Cool pic though.

Second: That’s just mean. I’d never say anything like that quote above, or make that sort of correlation or accusation! Maybe 83% of the time. But outside of that, never.

Third (and most importantly): there’s a reason why I continue to sing their praises.

Deadbugs (and in the same ballpark, Birddogs) Work! Like, A lot

Just ask the group of coaches Dean and I took through the gauntlet this past weekend. I think 100% of them had a new found appreciation for how challenging the two can be. When done correctly.

I’m not going to reinvent the wheel. I already wrote an extensive post on deadbugs HERE that you can check out. Namely, I go into a bit more detail on their benefits and demonstrate where most people go awry in their execution.

I’ll give you a hint: back position and BREATHING!!!

And to toss another talking point into the fire: we can break breathing down into two separate categories. How I teach someone to breath as it relates to force development and performance (sympathetic activity) is 180 degrees the polar opposite compared to how I go about coaching someone to breath for stability, alignment, and relaxation (parasympathetic activity).

This is something I plan on delving a bit more into at a later time. There’s a ginormous onion to peel back with that discussion!

Stay tuned.

Photo Credit: postbear

Nevertheless, I wanted to share a new deadbug variation that I came across recently that I think you’ll all enjoy.

Core Activated Deadbug w/ KB

Who Did I Steal It From: Crossfit Coolidge Corner coach, Andrea Rodgers

What Does It Do: Assuming you’ve got your deadbug technique down like a boss (for the love of god, just read THIS), this variation serves as a nice progression to further engage the core, which in turn helps to encourage more posterior pelvic tilt, but also adds a nice scapular stability component into the mix as well.

Key Coaching Cues: It’s important to start from the fetal position as shown in the video to help get the KB into place. Using a lighter load won’t be that much of a deal breaker – I don’t care how you get the KB into place – but the heavier you go, the more likely you’ll put undue stress on the shoulder (especially anteriorly) if you DO NOT start on your side and roll to your back.

I know it seems borderline nit-picky, but it does make a huge difference.

The arm holding the KB should be locked and in a straight line (be cognizant not to hyperextend your elbow).  You don’t need to “pack” your shoulder per se, but rather just think about “setting” it in place (scapular posterior tilt). Knuckles should be flush to the ceiling to ensure a neutral wrist position.

From there you’ll perform your standard deadbug keeping the arm holding the KB in place and lowering the same sided leg and contralateral arm. As always, be sure to keep the lower back against the floor, inhale before you start (both your belly AND ribcage should move), and then exhale your air as you lower your limbs.

Once fully extended – your lower back should still be flush against the floor – the heel of the lowered leg should “hover” an inch or so off the floor, and you’ll hold that position for a 2-5s count.

Return back to the starting position, inhaling as you do so, and repeat for a total of 5-8 repetitions. Perform the same process on the opposite side.

Give it a try today and let me know what you think!

CategoriesExercises You Should Be Doing

Exercises You Should Be Doing: Band Horizontal Abduction with Press

What’s up everyone!?  I enjoyed a nice, relaxing, extended Labor Day weekend, hence the reason why I didn’t post anything yesterday.

Did you miss me?  I didn’t think so….;o)

But in case you’re wondering, I was able to catch up on some reading over the past few days and in addition, did what every other guy who’s in a relationship was inevitably dragged into doing yesterday………

……following his girlfriend around as she attacked every Labor Day sale within a ten mile radius.

The Container Store, Macy’s, Limited, Sephora, and I don’t remember  what else. I blacked out after a point.

As you can see Lisa was in seventh heaven.

I, on the other hand, was a beacon of palpable enthusiasm.

Enthusiasm to want to throw an ax into my face.

Looking at the picture now, and noticing the gentleman to my right, I can’t help but think of that bench as a some sort of shopping island purgatory for boyfriends/spouses. Hahahaha.

It wasn’t all that bad, though.  I planned a head and brought some reading material to help keep me occupied – the Kama Sutra Starting Strength 3rd Edition.

I’ve read the previous two editions of the book and have to say that this third edition is the bomb diggidy and blows the other two out of the water.

The original(s) were already towards the top of my list of books I routinely recommend to fitness professionals, but this third edition is absurdly good and has now taken the #1 spot.

In any case, shopping nightmares and book recommendations aside I wanted to share a quick video with all of you on one of my new favorite exercises.

Band Horizontal Abduction with Press

Who Did I Steal It From: I first read about (and saw) this exercise over on Mike Reinold’s site when former Cressey Sports Performance intern and now Sayco Performance owner and renowned swimming strength coach, Tad Sayce, wrote about it.

When I first saw it all I could think to myself was 1) this is brilliant and 2) why the hell didn’t I think of that!?!?!

What Does it Do: First and foremost it should be noted that it’s important to get comfortable with and master each component alone before combining the two.

With the obvious out of the way, what I like about this exercise is that it helps reinforce many of the things we try to ingrain with our overhead athletes – as well as those with chronic shoulder issues – which is, proper scapular movement, scapular stability (in both retraction and posterior tilt), and as Tad notes, “the ability to maintain position in the presence of increasing tension.”

And it’s with that last point why I feel this is such a rad exercise. The “press” component adds an anti-rotation component that’s unique to any other exercise of its kind.

Key Coaching Cues: It (should) go without saying, but I have to say it nonetheless.  This IS NOT a max effort exercise you big meathead!  So lets save the super bands for things that actually warrant their use.

I’m more concerned with the QUALITY of this movement, and it’s important to keep this as the running theme while performing it.

Brace the abs and be sure you’re not cranking through your lower back as you perform the abduction component. If you do, the resistance of the band is too much.  The movement should be initiated by retracting the shoulder blade and then abducting the arm until it’s in the “T” position. Another thing to note is to make sure you don’t go too far to the point where the humeral head translates anteriorly.

Once the arm is in the “T” position, gently press with the opposite arm until it’s fully extended out in front of the body.  Pause for a 3-5s count and repeat.

I like to use sets of 5 here.  5 reps of 3-5s holds.

Give it a try and let me know what you think!

CategoriesExercises You Should Be Doing

Exercises You Should Be Doing: TRX Anti-Rotation Press

Peruse any Facebook wall of someone who’s into fitness and you’re bound to see any number of running themes, status updates, or stories on:

1.  CrossFit, CrossFit, and more CrossFit (and with it endless Paleo recipes).

2.  Intermittent fasting, still (<— that was so 2012).

3.  “Do you even lift?” jokes. LOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOL.

4.  Non-stop shirtless gym selfies. I get why people do it.  We all want to show-off our hard work. But sometimes I wish people would just get over themselves and understand that just because it was “arms day,” and you happen to be walking past a mirror, and you happen to have your smartphone with you, and you also happen to have an Instagram account, doesn’t mean you have to snap a pic and share it with the world.

I don’t care how your shoulders look in “Hefe” or how your back pops in “Toaster” or how your pecs look so “pecy” in Kelvin.  WHEW. My my my, is it getting hot in here or it just me?

God, your abs, along with that post-workout sweat, just glisten like diamonds when you use the Earlybird filter……..

But, um, yeah, where was I?

Interestingly, I came across THIS article this morning which I felt was a fantastic reality check on the topic of gym selfies.

5.  And then there’s this recent Star Wars footage that was released which basically made me destroy the back of my pants.

Okay, so maybe most people aren’t Star Wars nerds like myself…but you have to admit the guy who made that video is pretty baller.

Anyways, it only makes sense that if someone’s interests gravitate towards fitness that they’ll be inundated with more fitness themed stories on their Wall.

But even if that’s not the case, almost always, the topic of core training is covered by the mainstream media and it stitches itself into our psyche

What are the secrets to a chiseled mid-section?

What exercises are best if someone’s goal is to get a six-pack?

Do “X” to get a beach ready body!

And, almost always, at least when it comes to the actual exercises/movements recommended, we get any number of ab crunches, sit-ups, rotations, leg throws, and infomercials advertising these balls of fail: weeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee.

I guess you could make a case for all of it.  While none of the above would be my first choice, especially when you consider Dr. Stuart McGill’s research on spine biomechanics and the notion that repeated flexion is the exact mechanism for disc herniation, there are certain situations where they can be a decent fit and I certainly don’t feel anyone will do irreparable harm performing a few crunches or sit-ups here and there.

Having said that….while trunk flexion is one of the functions of the abdominals (along with lateral flexion, contralateral rotation, posterior pelvic tilt, to name the big players), it’s main ROLE is stability.

Stealing a great line from my pal Mike Robertson:  “if the main job of the abdominals was to flex the trunk – bringing the sternum closer to the pelvis – by crunching all the time, they’d be hamstrings.”

In looking at the actual anatomy of the torso you can clearly see varying muscle fiber pennation, as well as a web-like appearance of the connecting tissue.

All of this to suggest that the main role of the abdominals or “core” is to stabilize and help better transfer force from the lower body to the upper body (and vice versa). The better someone is able to stabilize, the less likely they’l have force leaks.

It should come as no surprise, then, that the bulk of the core training I recommend is to prevent motion.  I.e., anti-rotation, anti-extension, anti-flexion.

TRX Anti-Rotation Press

Who Did I Steal it From?: I think I originally saw this exercise performed by strength coach and resident guy “I would never want to fight…..ever,” Dewey Nielsen.

What Does it Do?: Similar to things like Pallof Presses, chops, lifts, loaded carries, and the like, this is an excellent exercise that trains rotary stability.

Key Coaching Cues: You’ll need a TRX or any suspension training tool to perform this exercise.  Assuming a split stance – with the inside foot back – angle yourself at roughly a 45-60 degree angle.

Starting with the handle against your sternum, “press” it away from your body fully extending your arms and come to a slight pause…..all the while resisting the urge to move.  There should be very little movement here, and you’ll need to fight hard not to compensate in the lumbo-pelvic-hip area.

Go slow!  The objective here is controlled movement, so don’t spaz out.

If you need to make it less challenging, use a more conservative body angle.  More challenging = more aggressive angle.

I like to shoot for 3-4 sets of 8-10 reps per side.

Give it a try and let me know what you think!