Program Design – Tony Gentilcore

Subtle Tricks to Increase Motivation With Personal Training Clients

Being married to a psychologist has it’s disadvantages:

I have to talk about my feelings.
All
of
the
time

There are some perks, however. Most of what “drains” me as a coach isn’t so much the x’s and o’s of writing programs or the ability to figure our what may be the root cause of someone’s shoulder pain. Those are pretty much second nature at this point in my career.

No, what drains me the most is figuring out people.

Specifically, what motivates one person to workout (and stick with it) as opposed to what makes the next person do the same?

It’s a quagmire to say the least, and often takes far too much mental gymnastics for my liking.

Copyright: seventyfour74 / 123RF Stock Photo

Autonomy = The “It” Factor to Getting Results

This is where my wife, Dr. Lisa Lewis, comes in.

Before we met, anytime I worked with someone who seemingly lacked discipline or “chutzpah” to get after it in the gym…I’d often resort to some tough love.

I’d assume (s)he didn’t want it enough and my default was to question their work ethic. I wouldn’t be a dick or anything, but I also didn’t go out of my way to demonstrate much compassion or empathy.

When my wife and I started dating I’d often bring up work with her and I’d attempt to commiserate on how this client wouldn’t work hard during their session or how that client just seemed to not care about getting results or how it just really, really sucked that I had to wear pants.

I’d be all like “what the hell!?!” and then throw a chair through a window or something, and then she’d be all like…

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and then say something like:

…“you know, maybe you just need to do a better job at learning about what actually motivates people?”

And this was when I was first introduced to the Self-Determination Theory.

There’s no need to go too far into the weeds. All you need to know about SDT is that it was popularized by psychologists Edward Deci & Richard Ryan and that it revolves around…

“a macro theory of human motivation and personality that concerns people’s inherent growth tendencies and innate psychological needs. It is concerned with the motivation behind choices people make without external influence and interference. SDT focuses on the degree to which an individual’s behavior is self-motivated and self-determined.”

The three main components are:

Competence
Autonomy
Relatedness

For the sake of brevity I’m going to hone in on autonomy or the power of choice.

In short, people don’t like to be told what to do.

In the fitness industry this comes across as bit absurd given that that’s exactly why most people hire us in the first place.

However, one of the biggest changes I’ve made in my coaching philosophy – in no small part due to my wife’s nudging through the years – is working on autonomy and offering clients more choice in their programming.

It’s not only made a profound difference in helping clients stay motivated to workout, but it’s also helped to expedite their results and progress.

Here’s a few suggestions and examples.

1. Allowing Them to Choose the Main Lift of the Day

I live in a bit of a strength & conditioning bubble. Most people who start to work with me already know what they’re getting themselves into.

They’re going to lift heavy things and they’re going to listen to some EDM while doing it.

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One “trick” I’ll use – especially with beginners – is to let them choose their main lift of the day. If performing some squats will fill their training love tank that day, that’s what we’ll do.

Likewise, if they want to deadlift, we’ll deadlift.

The only exercise I’ll say a hard no to is kipping pull-ups.

I’d rather them jump into a shark’s mouth.

But can you see the inherent advantage this approach provides? If you have a client who’s having a hard time with motivation or just can’t seem to get “jazzed-up” for a particular session, maybe all you need to do is give them a bit more choice.

Assuming, of course, you’re taking into consideration their goals, injury history, and ability level.

2. Choosing the Variation of a Particular Exercise

It’s squat day.

[Cue the cacophony of moans]

Admittedly, not many people – outside of the truly masochistic – draw a sense of butterfly kisses and rainbows from squat day.

That being said, another trick to employ is to allow clients to choose what variation of a particular exercise they’re going to perform that day.

Squat

Box Squat
Back Squat
Front Squat
Goblet Squat
Landmine Squat
2-KB Front Squat

There are many options; and we haven’t even discussed things like ladder sets, drop sets, rest/pause sets, or even tweaks that can be made with stance, tempo, or even utilizing speciality bars (SSB, Duffalo, Cambered, etc).

Giving clients some say on the variation they’re going to perform that day is a game changer in terms of creating more “buy in” in that session.

3. Free Time

Another tactic I use often to help increase motivation is to give clients a 5-10 minute “window” at the end of their session to do whatever they want.

Most of my male clients choose to do some additional arms or “Gun Show” work.

Most of my female clients choose to do some additional glute or “badonkadonk” work.

And, not coincidentally, most of the wizards I work with prefer to use their time pecifying their pecs.

Science.

#dumbledoreisswole

All told, this approach serves as a nice compromise. So long as the client completes what’s on their program – and does what I want them to do – I am more than happy to give him or her some free time and choose their fate at the end of the session.

If they leave with a bicep or glute pump, and are happy, I am down with that.

There’s obviously a lot more that can said here, but I’ll defer to the expert on motivation, my wife!, in this case. Her popular course, Psych Skills for Fitness Pros is now offering open enrollment at $60 off the regular price.

There’s a degree of bias here, so take this however you wish…

…but THIS is the shit most fitness pros need to be educating themselves on. Yes, it’s important to know anatomy, assessment, and the intricacies of effective program design. But what really separates the good from the great is understanding people and how to navigate the human psyche.

Click HERE, choose your preferred payment method, and enter the coupon code PSYCH24 to receive your discount.

April 2, 2024October 17, 2024 Tony

The Illusion of Infinite Progression: 3 Strategies to Evolve Without Increasing Weight

I have an excellent guest post for you today. I was recently invited back onto the More Train, Less Pain Podcast hosted by my good friends Dr. Michelle Boland and Dr. Tim Richardt.

This season on their show they’re focusing on training around injury. This is one of my wheel houses (alongside deadlifts, how to look jacked even while wearing sweatpants, and Ted Lasso), as I am always preaching the benefits of finding each client’s or athlete’s TRAINABLE MENU.

My episode – #13 – dropped today (links below), but in concert with that Tim was kind enough to write a little “companion piece” that ties in nicely with the overall theme of the show.

I hope you check both of them out.

3 Strategies to Evolve Without Increasing Weight

If you’re reading this blog, chances are you’re a big fan of lifting heavy things. On this we can agree, and be friends.

via GIPHY

Think back to the first time you consistently trained a squat- Linkin Park blaring, a thin haze of aerosolized pre-workout and chalk filling the air – and being able to add 5-10 pounds, like clockwork, week after week after week.

It’s the honeymoon phase of strength training- nothing hurts and there’s seemingly no impediment to riding this sweet, sweet train of linear progression to, inevitably, being able to sit down and stand up with the weight of a Honda Fit on your back.

But, like all marriages, reality eventually has to settle in.

Over the years, aches, injuries, and movement limitations accumulate and the simple strategy of adding more pounds to the bar is suddenly not so viable.

What, then, is an iron warrior to do?

I host a podcast called More Train, Less Pain (on which the venerable Tony Gentilcore has guested twice), along with another contributor to Tony’s blog- Michelle Boland- where we dive deep on strategies to keep people training hard in the gym despite injuries and mobility restrictions.

The focus of our current season is on maintaining a strength training practice in the setting of persistent pain, something of personal obsession of mine as I’ve struggled with persistent hip pain due to congenital structural hip defects for virtually my entire adult life. Over the past dozen or so episodes, we’ve talked with some of the brightest minds in the industry (Mike Boyle, Bill Hartman, some schlub we’ll call “Tony G”) about this very problem, and one theme keeps re-emerging over and over. We can’t keep progressing load forever. Infinite progression, in the weight room or any other endeavor, is a myth.

NOTE From TG: You can listen to my most recent chat with Tim HERE – titled “Easy Training, Stoplights, and Making Bigger Cups.”

In order to stay in the strength training game and continue to build muscle, power, and movement quality, we need to find ways to evolve our exercise selection and programming strategies so that we can continue to train without creating undesirable tissue damage or reducing access to comfortable range of motion.

Below are three strategies to do just that, lifted directly from this season’s podcast guests and thoroughly vetted by my own personal and professional experience.

1. Timed Sets

In the most straightforward manner of progressing lifts, we add load to the bar every week, keeping the set/rep/rest scheme the same, essentially the missionary of the strength-training world.

Not THAT missionary. Head out of the gutter

As we stated – this works…until it doesn’t. What if, instead of increasing load, we simply increase time under tension? In fact, what if we throw away the conventional “rep” dosing structure and just endeavor to dose an exercise by time, increasing the time (under tension) over the course of a 6 week training block.

In practice, that progression might look something like this.

Exercise Week 1 Week 2 Week 3 Week 4

Foam Roller Wall Squat 3×1′ 4×1′ 4×90″ 4×2′

In this way, we can accumulate absurdly high amounts of workload (and stimulus) with reduced axial loading. If you struggle with SI joint pain every time you get under a bar loaded with over your bodyweight, give a single set of a 2’ timed Roller Wall Squat a try.

With only a fraction of the loading required for a conventionally-dosed barbell back squat, you’ll still feel every bit as fatigued, and continue to stay engaged with the training process as you build time under tension across a program.

This strategy works particularly well for exercises where increasing weight isn’t convenient due to the nature of the position or loading- think anything with a zercher or goblet hold OR a position that requires a more involved set up.

2. EMOM Supersets

People in our industry love talking s&^t about CrossFit, but they’ve popularized several things that have impacted the general fitness landscape for the better – gymnastics skills, concurrent training, snorting lines of grass fed whey protein isolate before a set of 30 hang snatches, and EMOM sets.

In an EMOM set, you’ll keep the load of an exercise the same but perform a certain number of reps every minute on the minute (EMOM).

In my own training, I’ve found it useful to combine two exercises into an EMOM superset – meaning that every minute we’ll do a predetermined number of reps for each exercise, rest for the remainder of that minute, and repeat. In practice, a 6 week progression might look like this:

Exercise Rest Week 1 Week 2 Week 3 Week 4

A1. Trap Bar DL 0′ 4×3 5×3 6×3 7×3

A2. Alt. 1-Arm DB Bench Remainder of 60″ 4×8 5×8 6×8 7×8

Trap Bar DL EMOM

1-Arm DB Bench Press EMOM

The cool thing about EMOM sets, especially for athletes making the switch from conventional, load-obsessed strength training, is that they possess an entirely novel strategy for dramatically ramping up total load in a program without increasing axial load for any one particular set.

Mathematically, we can contrast a session of EMOM deadlifts with a session of conventionally-progressed deadlifts, which would look something like this:

Exercise Week 1 Week 2 Week 3 Week 4 Week 4 Workload

TBDL 6×3 @ 225 8×3 @ 225 10×3 @ 225 12×3 @ 225 8,100 lbs

TBDL 6×3 @ 255 6×3 @ 275 6×3 @ 295 6×3 @ 305 5,490 lbs

Over time, this may represent a more sustainable long term strategy for continuing to progress workload when absolute loading on any given repetition can no longer be increased. Additionally, plugging a few EMOM supersets into your training each week can serve as a mild conditioning stimulus for those who struggle to fit in aerobic work.

3. Feel-Based Training

The previous two strategies have emphasized unconventional strategies for increasing the overall workload of a training session, but our final strategy is a different beast altogether.

We love to think about increasing an exercise’s output via weight on the bar or overall pounds lifted throughout working sets. But what if we got “stronger” simply by executing an exercise more efficiently, potentially using a larger range of motion, while making no changes to dosing or loading throughout a cycle?

Depending on a client’s goals and injury history, somewhere between 20%-50% of exercises I program will be progressed by “feel” alone. This means they’re not allowed to do anything “more” over their 4 week cycle. Not more load, not more reps, not faster reps, not even more cowbell.

via GIPHY

We’re deliberately freezing these variables to clear cognitive bandwidth for getting as close as possible to *flawless* execution of the drill.

In something like a FFESS, for example, I may stick to 4 sets of 8 reps per leg throughout the entire cycle, loaded with a #25 KB in a goblet hold, but endeavor to improve other aspects of performance. Can a client maintain foot contacts on both the front and rear foot? Does their pelvis stay fairly level in the frontal plane? Do they control the degree of anterior and posterior pelvic tilt at the top and bottom of the range of motion, respectively?

Can they get the back knee further down towards the ground? Are they able to push UP and BACK to take advantage of the retropropulsive, joint-opening qualities of this drill?

In some ways, this is the most boring option for “progression,” but if you can get it into your and your client’s respective heads that we can freeze dosing and simply work on movement integrity and fidelity, a myriad of other training options open.

And options, more than anything else, help folks train consistently for years to come.

If you liked the content in this article, I’d recommend checking out More Train, Less Pain; Engineering the Adaptable Athlete- S3E13 with Tony drops today.

Available on both Spotify and Apple Podcasts.

About the Author

Tim Richardt is a Colorado-based Doctor of Physical Therapy and Strength and Conditioning Coach. He works with runners, climbers, CrossFitters, and tactical/mountain athletes to better help them manage long standing injuries and reach higher levels of physical performance. He also mentors young clinicians and coaches to help them develop their own unique treatment/training model. You can find out more about him at TimRichardt.com or through his IG HERE.

December 4, 2023June 19, 2024 Tony

Program Design Strength Training

Getting Stronger is Corrective

Before you move on, I wanted to let you know that Dean Somerset and I have just put our flagship product, the Complete Shoulder & Hip Blueprint, on sale this week.

You can purchase both CSHB 1.0 and CSHB 2.0 separately this week at 30% off the regular price using the coupon code EVOLVE at checkout.

Or you can purchase the bundle pack HERE which gives you the greatest value.¹

WU-TANG!

Getting Strong(er) is Corrective

“Oh, I forgot to tell you…my previous trainer said I have a winged scapula, my left hip is a bit internally rotated, and that my posture isn’t great.”

This was less than five minutes into an initial assessment with a new client and it took everything I had to prevent my eyeballs from rolling out of their sockets. The snarky side of me wanted to say something like, “Oh my god, yes, I totally see it. Did (s)he also mention how your left ear is lower than the right? That’s messed up. We need to fix that.”

But I didn’t.

Nope, all I did was sit there, nod my head, listen intently, and kept repeating to myself “don’t stab yourself with this pen, don’t stab yourself with this pen, no, Tony, NO!”

People Think They’re Broken

It never ceases to amaze me how some people will harp on the most inane things when it comes to their body and performance and then regale me with stories of how their previous coach or trainer was a “corrective exercise specialist.”

I won’t invalidate their stories or experiences, of course, but it’s hard for me to listen to sometimes.

They’ll outline their “training” for the past few months (if not years), and it’s rife with positional breathing drills (which, for the record, I’m a fan of), postural stretches, and describe a foam rolling series that rivals the length of a Ken Burns’ documentary.

I’ll follow with “So, did you actually ever follow a strength training program consistently?”

“Yeah, sure, we did a bunch of corrective exercises and, after 19 weeks, we finally worked up to a bodyweight squat. I still have to work on my big toe dorsiflexion, though. Fingers crossed I can improve that by December.”

Me…

via GIPHY

As an industry – and I’ll call myself out on this too (particularly early in my career) – we’ve done a splendid job at helping people feel like a bunch of walking balls of fail:

Your shoulders and upper back are too rounded.
Yikes, your pelvis is anteriorly tilted.
Oh…my…god…we need to work on your scapular upward rotation.
Shit, your FABER screen tested positive. How are you able to walk?
Also, FYI: you have Chlamydia.

It doesn’t surprise me in the least why so many people walk around thinking they’re fragile snowflakes who need to correct or “fix” everything before they do any appreciable training.

It’s our fault.

Strength coaches, personal trainers, physical therapists, athletic trainers, sherpas, we’re all culpable.

We can and need to do better.

And it starts with re-acquainting ourselves with what our main role as fitness professionals actually is…

…to elicit a training effect with our clients/athletes.

Again…Getting Strong(er) is Corrective

I say this with a grain of salt because “strong” is subjective, and can mean different things to different people.

Being able to deadlift 2x bodyweight is strong.
Being able to perform 15 pull-ups is strong.
Walking from Trader Joe’s to your apartment without putting down the bags is strong.
The ability to pull off wearing white after Labor Day is strong.
Doing whatever it is Cirque du Soleil performers can do is strong.

However, since I’m a little biased “getting stronger” in this sense – and more cogent to the conversation – refers to TRAINING.

I.e., lifting heavy things.

Unfortunately, many people have been led to believe lifting weights is dangerous. It seems you can’t go more than three clicks on the internet (or investigate certain certifications available) before being told barbells, dumbbells, machines, kettlebells, squats, deadlifts, high-reps, low-reps, and/or kittens are dangerous.

Cute kitten paws and woman making christmas gingerbread cookies in scandinavian room — Who, me? Dangerous? Noooo. I mean, I’ll slit your fucking throat in your sleep if you don’t pay me any attention, but all in all….cuddles.

And just to set the record straight, and to push back with all my will to those people (worst of all, doctors, PT’s, etc) who keep spreading the message that strength training is dangerous (particularly when addressing a current injury)…

…I give you the LAWS of Loading:

Wolff’s Law – Bones will adapt to loads under which it is placed

Davis’s Law – Soft tissue will heal according to the manner which they are mechanically stressed.

For the “you only have one back” guy…is this then not why we train?² Squats and deadlifts, when properly loaded and progressed, will do far more good for someone’s recovery from injury than most alternatives.

I hate the “everything makes you dysfunctional or causes dysfunction” crowd.

To which I say…the fuck outta here.

My friend Bret Contreras has the perfect antithesis to this faulty mindset:

“If you think lifting weights is dangerous, try being weak. Being weak is dangerous.”

And this is why I’m a firm ambassador in encouraging people to get strong(er), or more to the point, helping them figure out their “trainable menu.”³

Rather than pointing out everything that’s wrong with someone, I’d rather use the initial assessment (and subsequent training sessions) to highlight what they can do.

Lets use the classic example of someone who has “computer guy” posture. I.e., rounded shoulders, forward head posture, an affinity for pens.

When someone walks in exhibiting this posture a lot of trainers will write down a laundry list of stretches, thoracic (mid-back) mobility drills, and other “corrective” exercises to do.

Well, first, some will go out of their way to make the person feel like Cersei Lannister during her walk of shame.

Shame, shame, shame….

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And then, you know…lets get corrective, son!

They’re not wrong to do so.

I’m not opposed to utilizing corrective modalities to address postural deficits or mobility restrictions.

But I find when these sort of things are accentuated and serve as the “meat-n-potatoes” of a training program, it often sets people up for failure; they become more fixated on perfection at the expense of progress.

And lets be honest: NO ONE gets jazzed-up at the gym to do more T-spine extension drills.

I don’t want my clients to feel like a perpetual patient.

I want them to train, because training tends to be more palatable than Scapular Wall Slides. It helps people stay on task and not bored to tears.

And on that note, wanna know an excellent drill that helps nudge people into a bit more thoracic extension?

~~Kipping pull-ups.~~

FRONT SQUATS.

As you descend closer to the ground you have to “fight” to keep from folding over. In many ways the proper execution of the exercise itself is self-coaching; or dare I say, corrective.

If you don’t maintain thoracic extension the barbell rolls off your shoulders.

I may come across as the cantankerous strength coach in saying this, but I find more value in having my clients train – in a way that emphatically demonstrates success to them (by matching the programming to their goals and ability level) – than to corrective exercise them to death.

Get your clients strong(er).

Show them what they can do.

And for the love of god get them training.

October 24, 2023 Tony

coaching Program Design rant

Fitness Industry Hyperbole is Exhausting

We all know hyperbole when we see it.

In general, it’s purposeful use of exaggeration as a rhetorical device or figure of speech. It’s often used in writing (and communication as a whole) to evoke strong feelings and reaction from the audience. These reactions can range from a chuckle and an “aww shucks” eye roll to someone getting punched in the throat.

Hyperbole is everywhere (politics, dating, sports, Thanksgiving dinner) – for better or for worse.

More innocuous and inane examples of hyperbole – the “aww shucks” variety – would be:

I’m so hungry I could eat a horse.
“So and so” is about as intelligent as a ham sandwich.
Attack of the Clones is a cinematic masterpiece.⁴

As a writer I love hyperbole because it can be a useful tool to add a bit of panache and entertainment value to a blog post or article in order to maintain people’s attention for more than 27 seconds.

Where I hate it is where this particular blog post comes into play.

Fitness Industry Hyperbole is Exhausting

A few weeks ago I was perusing Twitter when my feed fed me this piece of gargantuan eye wash (because, of course):

“STOP DOING BARBELL SQUATS!!! It’s a useless exercise that does way more harm than good to your body.”

This, my dear reader, is a choice example of the latter example of hyperbole mentioned above. You know, the kind that makes you want to wash your eyes with broken glass.

Now, I don’t know the person who wrote it (I’m choosing not to directly mention them here), and I have zero insights into why this person is so vehemently against barbell squats. What I do know – from checking out this person’s profile – is that they’re a Chiropractor, they seem to build a lot of their online persona around this idea that most people lack mental toughness, and that “bad posture” is the reason why most people are in pain.

Not for nothing, but…

…I’d make the case that the reason why a lot of people are in pain is because they’re chronically weak (muscularly), not because their TL junction needs adjusting every two weeks.

(Which, not ironically, can be improved, drastically – and long-term – with some properly progressed strength training.⁵ If you don’t force the body to adapt to load or stress, then how can you really expect meaningful change? If the only intervention is adjusting and cracking someone’s bones to fit some “textbook perfect posture” narrative, and it’s something that needs to be repeated over and over and over again, to me, this is akin to using nothing but a band-aid to address a knife wound).

But let’s move beyond that.

The thing that rubs me the wrong way with this person’s train of thought is that it’s so egregiously self-aggrandizing. One thing that I despise in this industry – and something that makes me lose a lot of respect for someone when they do it – is thinking that THEIR WAY is the ONLY way to do something.

The easy comparison here is Mike Boyle.

I was in the room when, back in 2005, while recording Functional Strength Coach, he revealed to the strength & conditioning world that he no longer included back squats in his athletes’ programs.

I’m pretty sure this was the collective mood in the room when he said it:

via GIPHY

He wasn’t tarred and feathered by the entirety of the profession, but in the years since he’s routinely received flak for his stance.

However, I’ve always respected his take and have never taken issue with it.

Why?

Because he’s never said:

“Stop doing barbell squats with YOUR athletes.”

He’s only said:

“I’ve stopped doing a barbell squats with MY athletes.”

Moreover, he’s always followed that up with a sound rationale & explanation of why he came to that decision in the first place. And whether or not you agree with him isn’t the point:

They’re HIS athletes.
My man is still producing bonafide beasts in the weight-room and on the playing field.
Hard to argue with results.

Bringing things back to our friend from above.

Where I take issue is the insinuation that barbell squats – of any kind, in any situation, with any person, at any moment in time, even if they’re YOUR client and not mine – is dangerous or turning everyone into spinal compression walking balls of dysfunction.

To steal a quote from strength coach Gerry DeFilippo on that matter:

“How about this. Do exercises that fit your anatomical parameters and needs. More information, less fear mongering/cancelling of exercises.”

No diggidy, no doubt.

March 27, 2023 Tony

Corrective Exercise Program Design Uncategorized

Programming Considerations: Shoulders

Fair warning: This will not be an all-encompassing post on how to train the shoulders or how to program around nagging shoulder injuries.

Frankly, I don’t think anyone wants to read a Dostoyevsky length diatribe on shoulder impingement or how improving scapular upward rotation leaves me sexually aroused.

Yep, I’m weird.

Instead I want to give a quick, bite-sized tidbit on programming for the shoulders that pretty much applies to everyone.⁶

Copyright: maxriesgo / 123RF Stock Photo

But Before I Continue…

Dean Somerset and I have put our flagship digital course, Complete Shoulder & Hip Blueprint AND (Even More) Complete Shoulder & Hip Blueprint – on sale this week at $50 off the regular price.

Why?

We moved both courses to a new platform which will make both the delivery and user experience more enjoyable and seamless.
Dean and I both have a bunch of new followers⁷ since we last put them on sale.
It’s a new year and as such a lot of fitness professionals will need to start thinking about ramping up their continuing education and getting their CEU requirements in order.
Last but not least, we’re awesome.

Go HERE to enroll in one (or both courses).

IMPORTANT: use the coupon code wutang50 to receive your $50 off credit at checkout.

Now to the Shoulder Stuff

We can easily make the case that the shoulders are the most annoying and often injured part of the body for many people, meatheads in particular. And, to be candid, there are any number of things to consider with regards to why:

Rotator cuff weakness
Poor scapular stability (<– better term would be Controlled Scapular Mobility)
Postural considerations
Acromion type
Scapular kinematics (inability to upwardly rotate, for example)
Poor programming choices
Poor technique
Losing an arm wrestling match to a Sasquatch.⁸
To name a few….

It’s weird, though, when it comes to programming for the shoulders there’s this dichotomous yin-yang approach we have to consider:

What’s best for optimal (shoulder) performance?

And.

What’s best for optimal (shoulder) health?

Shoulder Performance

I’m in the business of helping people get bigger, faster, stronger, and generally more dieselfied.

This usually (but not always) revolves around lifting objects of appreciable weight. Watch any strong person bench press, squat, or deadlift a lot of weight and there’s a common theme you’ll notice:

1. You’ll likely have to unclench your sphincter after watching someone do something you never thought humanly possible:

2. With regards to the shoulders – specifically the shoulder blades – there’s meticulous attention paid to their positioning.

Those bad boys are locked down. Retracted and depressed.

Or, in non-geek speak: They’re not moving.

Doing so provides an infinite more amount of stability to the joint and also provides a more stable base of support (particularly for the bench press) to push from. When it comes to the deadlift and/or squat it allows one to maintain a more “rigid” torso, stay tight, and decreases the chance of energy leaks.

Force is more efficiently transferred within the kinetic chain.

Also, in non-geek speak: Just fucking trust me.

I’m no Eric Spoto, but I know how to coach the bench press and what to consider when it comes to performing at a high(er) level and making it so your shoulders don’t hate you.

Bench Press Set-Up: Shoulders Together & Down

Shoulder Health

It’s funny, when Dean Somerset and I teach our Complete Shoulder & Hip Blueprint workshop I’ll spend half a day imploring attendees to adopt the strategies mentioned above.

“Lock them down.”

…is what I’ll tell them. Referring to the shoulder blades and how it’s crucial to recognize ideal placement for performance

Then, after the lunch break, I’ll do a complete 180 and spend the rest of the day saying something to the effect of:

“Let those fuckers move.”

The shoulder blades do a lot:

Retract and protract
Elevate and depress
Upwardly and downwardly rotate
Posteriorly and anteriorly tilt.

It’s imperative to have “access” to the full spectrum of scapular motion in order to obtain optimal shoulder health.

We spend so much time telling people to squeeze their shoulder blades together – which, all told, isn’t a bad cue in of itself, but can cause a whole host of shoulder ouchies; downward rotation syndrome for starters – that it’s no wonder I get a range of quizzical looks whenever I tell people to let them move.

Protraction (or reaching) is a game changer for many.

1-Arm Quadruped Protraction

Easy Scapular Winging “Fix”

To go a step further and outside the “corrective” realm, when I coach people through a push-up or any kind of row variation a common mistake I find people make is keeping their shoulder blades pinned or glued together.

With push-ups I try to tell my clients to push away or “finish” at the top.

I don’t want their shoulder blades making out the entire time.

And with rows…

This Makes Me Sad

You’ll notice my shoulder blade isn’t moving at all; it’s staying in the retracted position throughout the duration of the set. This often leads to bicep tendon issues and anterior shoulder instability, amongst other things.

Instead I try to tell people I want their scapulae to move around their rib cage. After all that’s what they’re meant to do.

That’s More Like It

It’s profound how much this seemingly minor tweak will help with a lot of shoulder woes.

That’s It

Pretty easy, right?

Short, precise, and won’t require a book report.

Making a concerted effort to recognize and address both ends of the shoulder performance-health spectrum can and will make a huge difference and help you write more effective programs.

January 23, 2023 Tony

Program Design

How to Write Effective Training Programs: Foul Shots and Whiteboards

I’ve had a rash of fitness professionals reaching out of late asking the same question in varying iterations…

…a question, mind you, that I think every fitness professional ponders at some point:

When the hell is someone going to green-light a sequel to Over the Top?⁹

Okay, in all seriousness: the real question revolves around writing training programs. Specifically the process and how to do it(?).

Ready?

Here goes…

Writing training programs is a lot like foul shots.

You Do It, Then Do It Again, and Then Again

If you want to get better at hitting more foul shots in the 4th quarter…you practice taking foul shots.

Likewise:

If you want to get better at chess you play more chess.
If you want to get better playing a guitar you play more guitar.
If you want to get better at nunchuck skills you practice nunchucking.
If you want to get better at not getting laid you join a Lord of the Rings reenactment society.¹⁰

I know people reading want me to drum up some esoteric explanation of how to write programs, but really…

…that’s the secret.

You just do it.

And over time, by the mere math of it all, and the repeated exposure to the act, you have no other option but to get comfortable, better, and more competent with the process.

I mean, I can click on the folder affectionately titled “Making People Diesel” (<– I.e., the programs I write for my clients) and peruse thousands of programs.

This isn’t to say there hasn’t been a metric shit-ton of reading, studying, and watching a lot of really smart people talk about program design behind my madness.

There’s inevitably a “backbone” of knowledge that’s (constantly) being updated, expounded upon, experimented with, and altogether reconsidered from my vantage point.

That said, when it comes to writing effective training programs there’s nothing more poignant for me to offer other than to say…

“Write them…that’s how you get better at it.”

Moreover, I’ll be the first to admit I have never written a perfect program. I am constantly x’ing stuff out, changing this to that, and/or doing my best not to be an abject failure.

Stop thinking you HAVE to be perfect (<— which is a barrier I feel intimidates a lot of fit pros).

Have a plan, yes.

But be prepared to change something 100% of the time.

Let that sink in.

Coaching people is about adaptability. I am ALL for having a plan and some semblance of “order” to help someone from Point A to Point B.

However, life has an uncanny way, almost comedically so, of peppering us with monkey-wrenches, curveballs, and tomfoolery that can detail the best of plans.

Work happens. Lack of sleep happens. Shitty bosses who keep you late happen. Holidays happen. Kid’s explosive diarrhea happens.

Life happens.

And that often means switching gears.

Speaking personally, and given I work with predominately general pop clients – who’s schedules tend to be a bit more chaotic and unpredictable than that of a professional athlete – I’ll go off script often.

via GIPHY

Whiteboard Workouts

Every one of my clients gets an individualized program written for them based off their goals, injury/health history, and ability level.

I pride myself on that.

However, sometimes a client will show up late, or maybe will have a sore shoulder, or worse maybe feel like they crossed paths with a Targaryen when they arrive for their training session.

via GIPHY

Plans change.

I’m not doing them any service by forcing them to hit that heavy deadlift triple because the program calls for it. As my colleague, Zach Even-Esh notes:

“Coaches get too caught up in the ‘We HAVE to do it, it’s on the program!’ Autoregulate. Adjust & adapt.”

In this scenario I’ll do what I like to call a WHITEBOARD WORKOUT.

Nothing fancy here.

I’ll just forego their actual program and write something up on the whiteboard instead.

I know in some circles I should spend a life sentence in Azkaban for doing something so blasphemous. I’d argue I’m being a good coach.

And since this is my website (and my blog) I’m totally right….;O)

And That’s That

I had someone chime in with following comment on Twitter:

“How do you silence the voice that says “if you keep changing things your clients will think you’ve no idea what you’re doing!”

Easy.

I turn my hat backwards and tell it to STFU. I change things under the guise I have their best interests in mind, and not my ego.

via GIPHY

October 27, 2022 Tony

Corrective Exercise Program Design

Never Question Your Exercise Selection Again

I’ve been a fan of “offset” loading for a number of years now. Without getting too deep in the weeds on what offset loading is and what the benefits are…

…it’s when you either stagger your foot or hand position on certain exercises OR you load an exercise a certain way (how you hold a DB or KB) to target or overload a specific limb or joint.

It has implications for both rehab (helping people to move better) AND for getting them jacked (self-explanatory). My good friend and Boston-based colleague, Dr. Michelle Boland, elaborates more on offset loading and how you can use it to your clients’ advantage below.

Enjoy.

Never Question Your Exercise Selection Again

I speak from personal experience, as a personal trainer, when I say it can be challenging to navigate through all of your client’s aches, pains, and movement hiccups.

It has caused me some serious headaches in the past.

In a social media guru filled world, there is so much information about magic tricks to FIX your clients movement struggles. These magic tricks are typically called corrective exercises.

We then think we are Harry Potter and build our client’s sessions and training programs around corrective exercises, making the perfect potion to have our clients move perfectly.

BUT, what ends up happening is that our FITNESS TRAINING sessions start feeling like a bad physical therapy experience.

Our clients are not TRULY becoming better movers.
Our clients are not TRULY gaining muscle or looking better in a bathing suit.

They are in no man’s land, not getting results, and being held back from their physical potential.

. Not to worry though!

(Check out THIS blog post to learn more about the mental barriers that may be holding your clients back.)

I am here to help!! Because I made these same mistakes and learned from them!

I am going to provide you with four simple rules to make sure your clients are still achieving their fitness goals while ALSO becoming better movers.

These rules will provide you the ability to build a training program and select exercises without having to choose between a simple corrective exercise that is targeted to help someone move better and a complex lift that is targeted to get them jacked.

Most coaches’ have go-to exercises for getting jacked and strong which is great but these same exercises can also create some movement restrictions due to the high levels of tension they require, such as a barbell back squat or bench press.

However, simple considerations to where the weight is placed, the type of grip, and feet position (stance) can be changed during these typical go-to exercises to prevent some of the possible movement restrictions.

Below, I am going to provide you with simple, practical programming strategies that will allow you to both load AND improve movement quality for all ages and training levels.

The four simple rules allow you to make small tweaks to exercises in order to help people move better, WHILE still getting 80-90% of a training effect from the loading. In other words, we can still get our clients strong and powerful without turning them into walking refrigerators.

(If you prefer to watch instead of read, Check out my video presentation of these Rules HERE.)

Rule 1. Choose Offset Positions

Offset positions include separating hands and feet from front to back. These positions will allow your clients to feel stable, so they can still try hard, without robbing them of their rotational abilities along the way.

Offset positions benefits include:

Improving rotational abilities from separating hands and feet front to back which helps to turn people’s hips and chests
Initiates alternating positions of the hips with one hip more extended and the opposite hip more flexed
Provides greater variation in your exercise selection especially for unilateral loading
Provides more options to add different weight shifting which helps to create unilateral loading challenges

Offset positions include:

1. The Staggered Stance position is standing with both feet flat on the ground and split front to back. Feet are typically hip-width apart from side to side and a half foot distance apart front to back, but the distance can be altered in relation to base of support needs. So, if your client has a difficult time balancing in this position, move their feet wider side to side. The position initiates alternating positions of the pelvis with one hip more extended and the opposite hip more flexed and can also create rotation towards the back side leg.

The Staggered Stance position can also be challenged with a variation called the ‘Loaded Step’. The Loaded Step variation is a weight distribution backwards onto the back leg. The center of mass should be about 80% on the back leg and 20% on the front leg.

Loaded Step benefits:

This position variation encourages rotation through the hips and chest
You can coach it to be a knee or hip dominant exercise (see examples below)
You will feel LOTS of inner thigh (adductor), glute, and hamstring on the back leg
It supports hip mobility and eases tight posterior hips by allowing someone to feel a stretch in the back leg posterior hip, but try to avoid squeezing glutes…I know how tempting this can be 😉
It encourages more single leg loading or shared loading

2. The Split Stance position is standing with a front to back separation of the legs and includes a reduction of foot contact on the back side foot. The leg separation is wider front to back than the Staggered Stance position and there is removal of full foot contact on the back side foot, such that the back heel is off the ground and the weight is rolled onto the ball of the foot. The position mimics (not equivalent to) a top of a split squat exercise.

The Staggered Stance position can be challenged with a variation called the ‘Kickstand Step’. The Kickstand Step Split Stance variation position is a body weight distribution forwards on the front leg with supportive, light weight on the back toe. Body weight distribution should be about 80% on the front leg and 20% on the back leg.

Kickstand Step Consideration and Benefits:

This position variation encourages more single leg loading

This position variation encourages rotation through the hips and chest
You will feel LOTS of inner thigh (adductor), glute, and hamstring on the front leg

You can challenge the position with where you hold the weight:

Holding Weight With Two Hands Will Limit Rotation

Holding Weight In Opposite Hand As Front Leg Will Encourage More Rotation

3. The Staggered Hand position is a front to back separation of the hands on the ground. Staggering the hands can help with creating alternating movement in the ribcage. The side of the ribs of the back hand will be lower and the upper body will be more likely to be rotated in that direction. You can also help target more side abdominal wall muscles by staggering the hands.

Check out some exercises you can start incorporating today with offset positions:

Contralateral Loaded Step Hip Hinge

Loaded Step Ski Erg

1-Arm Kickstand KB Swing

Staggered KB Hang Clean

Offset Pushup

Salamander Pushups For Staggered Hands

Rule 2. Choose Offset Loading

Offset loading involves having your clients hold weight in less than obvious places that will challenge them in different ways. For example, instead of putting a barbell on your back, hold the barbell between your elbows (see Zercher hold below).

Holding a weight in the front will help target more abdominal wall muscles with less low back issues (see Goblet hold below). Instead of holding a kettlebell with two hands, you can also hold it with one hand to create some unilateral loading challenges.

Check out some exercises you can start incorporating today with offset loading:

KB Goblet Split Squat

Contralateral 1-Arm KB Split Squat w/ Opposite Arm Reach

DB Zercher Split Squat

Alternating 1-Arm KB Deadlift

Rule 3. Alternate Grips

Alternating your grip on the weights can improve your client’s ability to rotate, making them super athletes while ALSO being able to pick up heavy things and put them down. Turning one hand into supination and the other hand into pronation causes the upper body to turn towards one side.

Check out some exercises you can start incorporating today with alternating grips:

Jefferson Split Squat

Alternating Grip Pull-Up

Rule 4. Reduce Tension When It Is Not Necessary

Have you ever had a client who picks up five pound dumbbells to do a bicep curl and acts like they are 60 pound dumbbells?

I sure have.

Encourage clients to create tension and substantial effort WHEN THEY HAVE TO.

Other times, encourage them to back off a bit. Exercises that are not too demanding can encourage improvements to joint range of motion and movement quality IF they are performed with low tension, no squeezing, no death grips, or no breath holding.

Your clients do not need to be squeezing all of their muscles, all of the time, to get a good workout. Low tension exercises can stretch tight areas and improve mobility. For example, the Loaded Step RDL can improve hip mobility and stretch the back side of the hip when it is performed with low weight and low levels of tension.

Loaded Step RDL

A great start would be to select warm-up or cool-down exercises that can be performed with low tension!

QUICK Programming Tips To Incorporate These RULES:

Combine: Every exercise within your training session include the above four rules
Pair: Pair a heavy, bilateral lift with an exercise that incorporates the rules
Consider positions in your exercise selection process, to learn more click HERE.

Summary

Incorporating offset positions, offset loading, and alternating grips into your exercise selection will help your clients gain some rotational abilities, gain hip and rib cage mobility, and add some excitement into their training while STILL allowing them to get strong.

To learn more, check out my EXERCISE SELECTION PROCESS which layers positions, fitness qualities, then individualized variations. Position selection is the foundation of my exercise selection and all the information included in this article about offset positions comes from my quick and concise Position Principles course.

The Position Principles course will help you to avoid leaving behind the greatest factor in getting your clients and athletes to move better. The course provides clarity on positional biomechanics, clarity on terminology within the fitness industry for exercises, a downloadable programming template, and easy steps to organize your program design. After this course, you will never question your exercise selection again.

If you have any comments or questions please feel free to email me at [email protected].

If you enjoyed the exercise videos in this article, check out the MBT Exercise Database for 1,200 more videos to use, embed within your programming, and level up your exercise selection game.

Author: Dr. Michelle Boland

Owner of Michelle Boland Training
PhD in Exercise Physiology
Instagram @dr.michelleboland
Check out Michelle’s Free Training Program Considerations Handbook!

September 26, 2022 Tony

personal training Program Design

The Ultimate 5-Step Guide to Progressing a Client Workout

Last week I received an email from Jon Goodman. At first I thought he was going to extend an invite to me to come up to Toronto for a weekend of watching Jean Claude van Damme movies.

But that wasn’t the case.

Fingers crossed for next time.

Nope, instead Jon was curious if I’d be interested in him writing an article for my site highlighting his new & nifty (and FREE) program writing software for coaches.

Uh, hell yes!

Jon is notorious (in a good way) at giving away stuff that he could easily charge good money for. Not only that, there aren’t many people who have had as much positive influence on the industry as Jon…he continuously brings the tide up for everyone.

Check it out.

The Ultimate 5-Step Guide to Progressing a Client Workout

Note From TG: Before I defer to Jon, let’s begin with this: It’s NOT by spotting someone like what’s pictured above. OMG this is one of my biggest gym pet peeves. Well that, and people who refuse to share equipment.¹¹ I don’t know who the person is that gives the okay or thumbs up on all these registered images showcasing a trainer spotting their client this way, but they need to be fired. There’s got to be room in the National Defense Budget to fix this travesty, no?

Workout programs often last a month.

Then, a coach ‘changes it up’ for no reason other than it’s been four weeks.

This is wrong.

My programs don’t start and stop: They evolve.

Every four weeks I’ll review, assess, and adjust the program.

The goal’s to balance fun and progressive overload.

This article shares how I think about progressing workouts.

This is a picture of me in workout attire. I felt like one belonged here but have basically zero pictures of me training. So, here’s one of the few I have. It’s old. K, moving on.

Four-Week Program Assessments Are Based on 5 Questions:

Exercise flow: Did anything not work?
Stalling: Is anything important not progressing?
Limitations: Is anything outside of our control affecting programming?
Boredom: Is the client bored or do they hate anything?
Moving forward: How should I progress the program for next month?

Next, I’ll show ya how I use these questions to evolve my own program.

My goal’s hypertrophy.

The program I’m doing three different workouts repeated twice a week for four weeks (24 total workouts).

The split:

Legs / shoulders
Chest / back
Arms / core

Let’s dig in:

To start, I’ll pull up my list of completed workouts using my free software for personal trainers, QuickCoach.Fit.

1. Exercise flow: Did anything not work?

BB Romanian Deadlifts (RDL’s) are performed on day 1. This thrashes my hamstrings.

Then, on day 2, I perform BB bent-over rows.

While I didn’t get hurt, the idea of loading heavy BB bent-over rows with sore hamstrings isn’t ideal.

The goal’s back training, not core stability.

With that in mind, I’ll switch the BB bent-over rows for a bench-supported DB row moving forward.

My previous plan (with bent over bb rows)

Notice that the sets, reps, and all other variables (I use RPE) stay the same. When evolving a program, things like exercise selection / grip often change but stuff like sets, reps, order, tempo, etc. don’t.

Beyond that, the flow was good.

Moving on . . .

2. Stalling: Is anything important not progressing?

For each program, there’s 2-3 exercises I monitor progress on.

They’re usually representative large multi-joint movements.

I’m currently basing progression on two exercises:

Incline BB Bench Press
BB Romanian Deadlift

To check up on progress, I’ll pop open the Past Performance tab in QuickCoach:

I’ll then search for the exercise I want (BB Bench Press), and click on it to view performance.

Based on this it looks like progress is stalled.

But I also know that I was coming back from a layoff to begin this program so pushed the weights up quickly to start.

With that in mind, I’m not going to change anything for this phase.

The other key exercise in my routine was the BB Romanian Deadlift.

I’m also happy with the progress and will keep it in the program.

Four weeks isn’t a long time with fitness.

Changing it up too quickly is a mistake.

3. Limitations: Is anything outside of our control affecting programming?

With a 5-month year old baby, my time’s stretched.

To save time, I’m training at the community center around the corner.

A downside is that the DB’s max out at 55lbs––not heavy enough for conventional pressing. (#humblebrag)

Instead of a DB press, I’ll do higher-rep alternating DB presses to increase time under tension.

It’s not ideal but it’s necessary.

The right plan for a client should fit their life at that time, even if it’s not the Capital B-Best exercise.

Sub it in, and let’s move on…

4. Boredom: Is the client bored or do they hate anything?

As a trainer, your client is your boss.

Changing a workout because you’re bored isn’t OK.

Changing it because they’re bored is.

That, and sometimes client’s just hate certain things.

There’s usually a change you can make that’s just as good for the client’s goals that they hate less.

Here’s a few things I didn’t like in my previous training phase:

Cable ab crunches feel weird. So I replaced them with ab wheel rollouts.
Russian twists drag on for me. So I replaced them with side planks.
I switched cables for DB’s for chest flyes as noted in a comment I had sent to myself early on in the previous program.

5. Moving forward: How should I progress the program for next month?

I’m following a four week undulating periodization plan.

Week one is a deload. Then volume increases followed by intensity ramp up.

Week 1 I’ll do 3 sets at an RPE of 8 (Using the Borg CR10 scale).
Week 2 I’ll bump up to 4 sets.
Week 3 I’ll increase RPE to 9.
Week 4 I’ll increase RPE to 9.5.

Then I’ll deload again. And repeat the process.

I’ve found this to be a great way to progress without crushing myself.

If my life revolved around training and I didn’t have a family or business to run, I might be more aggressive.

For now, the deload week each month helps keep my body in check.

24 Workouts Cued Up and Ready To Go

Here’s how it looks on my side as a coach.

From this page, I can reorder and edit anything and it’ll change in real time on the client view.

Then when it’s time to train, I pop open the client link on my phone, click the next plan, and I’m ready to go.

Here’s what the client (in this case: me) sees:

Go Deeper: Watch me share my screen as I build this program in real time using QuickCoach (19 mins)

I recorded myself building this entire phase of programming in real time, exercise by exercise, using QuickCoach.

If you’re interested in watching it and hearing me talk through my thinking it as I go

Elevate Your Brand With Professional Coaching Software Today

All screenshots from this email showcase QuickCoach in action, which you can use 100% free with your clients.

QC is professional coaching software, built by coaches, for coaches.

It works for fitness, nutrition, habits, physiotherapy, chiropractic, and running––both in-person and online.

Join 14,000+ others and register your free account at www.QuickCoach.Fit to start playing around.

Also, as crazy as it is, I think that this is the first time that I’ve ever shared my own workout and thought process behind it.

Wild.

Does this officially make me an Internet Fitness Bro?

Do I need to start posting pics of me half-nekkid?

I have so many questions . . .

Anyway, thanks for letting me share my thought process with you. Hope it helps.

About the Author

Jonathan Goodman has 17yrs in the fitness industry and is the author of Ignite the Fire (1,000+ 5⭐ ). His current project is free software for fitness and nutrition coaches: QuickCoach.Fit. Follow him (along with 100k other trainers) on his Personal Instagram where he is very active.

September 14, 2022 Tony

Assessment Corrective Exercise Program Design

Accessing T-Spine Extension For Healthy Shoulders

There are many things that can make your shoulder(s) hate life.

Poor programming balance
Less than stellar exercise technique
Muscular imbalances
Bony adaptations (acromion type
Poor scapular kinematics
Orcs

And, for some, we could even make the case for faulty breathing mechanics and/or contralateral hip/ankle mobility restrictions.

I try not to get that into the weeds when it comes to people’s shoulders, though. It comes across as too voodoo(ish). That’s a word right?

If someone’s shoulders are cranky I like to keep things simple and start where I most often see issues…….

……their left ventricle.

HAHA, just kidding.

It’s the thoracic spine.

Accessing T-Spine Extension For Shoulder Health

Having the ability to extend the thoracic spine is a game changer for many people, especially for those who tend to be sequestered for hours on end in front of a computer on a day-to-day basis.

For lack of a better term, a lot of cool shit happens with extension:

The shoulder blades can retract and upwardly rotate.
It’s much easier to get the arms overhead.
It’s easier to keep the chest up during squats and deadlifts.
It makes for a “better” bench press. I.e., shoulder blades can retract and depress providing a more stable base of support.
It makes you 17.2% more attractive.¹²

The thoracic spine (thorax for the nerds in the room) is the “anchor” of the shoulder blades. Ideally we like to see congruency between the ribcage/thorax/t-spine/whatchamacalit and the shoulder blades.

When someone is a bit more kyphotic (rounded) in that area it makes it almost impossible for this to happen because the shoulder blades will often be more abducted and anteriorly tilted.

This can setoff a domino effect of other shenanigans such as a narrowing of the acromion space (for example), which in turn leads to rotator cuff issues, which then leads to not being able to bench press without pain, which, as we all know, means the Apocalypse is upon us.

Let’s avoid the Apocalypse.

To that end I’d like to take this time to share some of my “go to” T-Spine Extension drills I use with my own clients and athletes on a weekly basis.

1. T-Spine Extension Off a Foam Roller (Performed In a Way That Doesn’t Make Me Want to Swallow Live Bees)

Likely the most recognizable drill many gravitate towards – and for good reason (it’s a good one) – is T-Spine Extension off a foam roller.

However, many tend to go waaaaaaay too far with their total range of motion on this to where it becomes more of a lumbar spine movement.

Here’s how to do it correctly:

2. Prone T-Spine Extension

I reserve “fancy” for choosing a nice restaurant for a date night with my wife.¹³

I don’t feel the need to get fancy with my T-spine extension drills.

The Prone T-Spine Extension drill is a fantastic way to build mid-back endurance.

3. Child’s Pose Back Extension Off Med Ball

What’s great about this variation is that when we adopt the “child’s pose” (knees tucked underneath) we OMIT the lumbar spine.

So now the only area we can get movement is the t-spine.

4. Pigeon Stance w/ Reach Through & Extension

Taking the previous concept and upping the ante a little bit is this exercise I “stole” from Dean Somerset.

If we want to talk about a drill that provides a TON of benefit for our training buck this is it.

Here we get a stellar hip mobility/glute stretch, while at the same time taking the lumbar spine out of the equation (because that’s NOT where we want movement from).

Too, with the reach through (and then extension) we’re getting a double whammy effect of mid-back mobility goodness.

NOTE: I like to add in an inhale (through the nose) on the reach through and then a FULL exhale (out the mouth) as the individual extends back up.

NOTE #2: My tricep looks fucking amazing in this video.

5. Wall T-Spine Extension w/ Lift Off

This drill is a doozy as well.

Pushing the hips back and “settling” into your accessible t-spine extension ROM is money enough for most people. But when you add in the end-range “lift off” (lifting the hands off the wall) at the end, it adds that little “eff you” component not many people will like.

Be careful not to crank through your lower back on this one!

6. Goblet Squat w/ Overhead Reach

You can thank Dr. Quinn Henoch for this one.

This one is more challenging than it looks, so way on the side of conservative when choosing the loads you use.

I’m using a 10 kg kettlebell in this video and am pretty sure I blacked out after shooting this video.

Want More Shoulder Magic?

Join me IN-PERSON for two upcoming Fall workshops I am putting on. I cover shoulder/hip assessment, programming strategies, the concept of the TRAINABLE MENU, favorite Decepticons, and much, much more.

1. Strategic Strength Workshop (w/ Luke Worthington) – October 8-9th @ West Hollywood, CA

2. Coaching Competency Workshop – October 20th @ Rochester, NY

September 6, 2022 Tony

Program Design Rehab/Prehab Strength Training

Knee Pain When Squatting? A Simple, Practical Guide to Resolving It

To mirror yesterday’s conversation on training around pain, today’s post delves a little deeper into a specific area that many lifters tend to have issues with:

~~Not enough bicep curl variations in their program~~
~~Forgetting to remove their shaker bottle from their gym bag for week~~
Knees.

The knees are a vulnerable joint and there are myriad of reasons why they can become achy, sore, cranky, or any other similar adjective you want to put here.

Sydney, Australia based physical therapist and trainer, Dane Ford, was kind enough to write this straight-forward article on some of the root causes of knee pain and ways to address them on your own.

Enjoy!

Knee Pain When Squatting?

Squatting is an essential part of most people’s fitness routine, and it can be extremely frustrating when you experience sore hips or knees when you squat.

Today I’m going to share four killer exercise variations that will help take some pressure off your knee joints!

No matter what level your fitness is at – whether strength training or just getting healthy again after injury – these tips should work their magic in no time flat.

Let’s get started.

The Goods

Box squat.

The first variation for those who experience knee pain when squatting is the box squat. A box squat will strengthen your quads, glutes, and hamstrings. It’s also a great way to improve your squatting technique.

You’ll need a box squat or a bench around knee height to do a box squat.

Start by placing the box behind you.
Then, position your feet shoulder-width apart and push your hips back.
Next, bend your knees and lower yourself until your bottom touches the box. Pause for a second, then stand back up.

Step-Ups

Step-ups are another great variation for people who have knee pain when squatting. This exercise works your quads, hamstrings, and glutes and is a great way to build lower body strength.

To do a step up, start by placing your right foot on a box or bench.
Then, push off with your right foot and raise your body up until your leg is straight.
Pause for a second, then lower yourself back down.
Focus on keeping the hips level.
Start with a smaller step, and increase the step height as your body allows.

Hip Thrusts

Hip thrusts are a great exercise for people who want to build stronger glutes. This exercise can also help relieve knee pain when squatting by taking the pressure off your knees.

To do a hip thrust, start by sitting on the ground with your back against a box or bench.
Place your feet flat on the ground and raise your hips until your thighs and torso are in line with each other.
Pause for a second, then lower your hips to the starting position.
Progress this exercise by adding weight at your hips, like a barbell or plate.

Banded Crab Walks

Banded crab walks are an excellent exercise for people who want to build stronger glutes and legs. This exercise can also help improve your squatting technique by making it easier to push your knees out over your toes. This is a golden exercise for dealing with knee pain when squatting.

To do a banded crab walk, start by placing a resistance band around your feet. (You could place it around your knees or ankles, but the further down your legs, the harder the exercise will be).
Then, step one leg out to the side as far as the band will allow.
Keep the hips level, and the shoulders stacked over the hips.
Next, step in with the other leg.
Repeat.

Causes of Knee Pain

When addressing knee pain during squats, it’s important to understand some of the common causes. This way, you can be sure that you’re taking the right approach to fix the underlying issue. Here are three common factors which can contribute to knee pain when squatting:

Improper Form

Whilst there is no such thing as textbook technique, using ‘adequate’ form allows you to engage the right muscles when you lift and minimize injury risk. If you don’t utilize adequate form when you squat, the load in certain areas like your knee joints will be increased, instead of having the load evenly distributed through your entire body.

Your ideal squat stance will be determined by the bony alignment of your joints and other anatomical factors.

Overuse

Our body’s tissues all have a maximum tolerable capacity. This means that we need to be able to go hard enough in the gym to stimulate adaptation and promote strength, whilst not overloading ourselves to the point of tissue injury.

Giving your body time to recover with rest or a de-load week every now and then is a great start, to allow proper cell regeneration, repair and adaptation to occur.

Adding variety into our movements is another great option to avoid overuse. Beyond the exercises we’ve covered above, mixing back squats with front squats, goblet squats, or other squatting variations will help to strengthen the squatting movement whilst providing a slightly different stimulus to our tissues, and reducing the overload injury risk.

Bad Shoes

If you’re wearing shoes that don’t provide adequate stability when you squat, then this can put unnecessary strain on your knees.

Be sure to wear shoes that provide you with a solid foundation from which to lift.

Health Conditions Related to Knee Pain

So now that we understand some of the mechanisms that can contribute to knee pain during squats, how do we know which structure in the knee is causing pain?

Knee pain can present as a number of different conditions depending on the injured structure. This can include:

Patellofemoral Pain Syndrome

PFPS or patellofemoral pain syndrome is a condition that affects the knee joint. It’s characterized by pain in the front of the knee and around the patella or kneecap, and is common in those who love to squat.

If you have PFPS, you might experience pain when climbing stairs, squatting, or sitting for long periods.

IT-Band Syndrome

ITBS is a condition that affects the iliotibial band, which is a long strip of connective tissue that runs down the outside of the thigh from the hip to the knee, and normally presents as pain on the outside part of the knee. But squatters need not worry too much about this – ITBS is much more common in runners rather than lifters.

Patellar Tendinopathy

Tendonitis is the inflammation of a tendon, which can occur in any tendon in the body. However, Patella tendonitis presents as pain just below the knee cap. If you perform a lot of explosive movements like box jumps, or fast tempo squats, you should be aware of patella tendinopathy.

Arthritis

Arthritis is a condition that causes inflammation in the joints. The two most common types that can cause knee pain are osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis.

Osteoarthritis is a degenerative disease that causes the cartilage in the joints to break down. This can cause pain in your knees, as well as other joints in your body.

Rheumatoid arthritis is an autoimmune disease that causes the body’s immune system to attack the joints. It may cause swelling and pain around the knee, leading to pain, stiffness, and inflammation.

Load management is key in managing arthritis. This is because we want to keep the muscles around the joint nice and strong, without irritating the joint too much.

How to Prevent Knee Pain When Squatting

Aside from performing some of the killer squat variations listed above, you can do a few other things to prevent knee pain while squatting.

Warm Up Properly

A good warm-up will help to increase your heart rate, loosen up your muscles, and make your body’s tissues more elastic. I recommend doing a light jog or bike ride for 5-10 minutes, followed by some dynamic stretching.

Use the Correct Weight

Another important consideration to prevent knee pain while squatting is to use the right weight. If you go too heavy too soon, it will put extra stress on your knees and could lead to pain. Utilize progressive overload by starting with a light weight and gradually increase the amount of weight you’re using as your body gets stronger.

Blood Flow Restriction Training

Another great way to improve strength whilst using light weight is by incorporating Blood Flow Restriction Training into your routine. This involves using a BFR band to reduce venous blood return from your muscles, making them work harder.

This means that you can use lighter loads to achieve the same result from your workout. BFR training can be a great addition if you are struggling with knee pain from squatting or trying to train with an injury.

Use a Smaller Range of Motion

Squatting through a smaller range of motion by reducing squat depth will reduce the load going through the knee joint, and is a great way to modify the exercise if you are struggling with pain.

Listen to Your Body

If you still experience knee pain while squatting, stop the exercise and rest for a few days. If the pain persists, consult a doctor or physical therapist.

Wrap Up

If you’re experiencing knee pain when squatting, try one of the variations I suggested and see how they work for you. Remember to always start light and gradually increase the weight as your body gets stronger.

And, most importantly, have fun with it! Squatting can be a great way to improve your fitness level and get in shape, but only if you do it correctly and safely. Give these variations a try and let us know how they work for you.

About the Author

This article was written by Dane Ford, the founder of Lift Physiotherapy and Performance in Sydney, Australia. Lift Physio aims to help you overcome injury, optimize your health, and unlock your full movement potential.

August 16, 2022 Tony