The same can be said about the bench press. We perform it with our feet on the ground because that’s the way it’s supposed to be done.
To be a bit more colloquial, we perform it that way because:
With the feet on the floor we can defer to a bit more leg drive which can help with lifting more weight; if that’s what you’re into.
Moreover, as strength coach and competitive powerlifter Tony Bonvechio notes, “leg drive can help you get a bigger arch via hip extension.”
Now, admittedly, this last point is catered to more of the powerlifters in the room who are solely interested in one thing (well, two, after “where’s the nearest pizza buffet?”)….bench pressing as much weight as possible.
An arch in the lower back = a more biomechically sound position to shorten the distance the barbell must travel.
Both feet on the ground allows one to solidify the arch.
I love this analogy from Strength House coach Greg Robins:
“Think of it like a structural arch. In order to make an arch you need pressure from two sides. Like if you put a piece of paper on the table, and gently push from both ends simultaneously what do you get?
An Arch.”
A Slight Conversational Detour
For those who are about to hyperventilate into a brown paper bag at the mere notion of arching your back during a bench press, relax.
A kitten won’t die if it happens and it’s not inherently more dangerous to do so. Your lumbar spine has a natural lordotic curve to it anyways (an arch), sooooooo there’s that. And no one is sitting here insinuating you have to adopt a Marissa Inda bench set-up in order to bench press (and to do so with a high degree of success).
Much of what dictates how much of an arch to use is predicated on personal preference, goals, and what feels comfortable to each individual lifter.
Do you have to arch as much as the photo above? Nope.
Are you likely arching your back when you bench press, even if not on purpose, because that’s what your body is designed to do? Yep.
Will you please STFU and stop telling people arching is bad? ——> watch THIS.
Okay, Back to Benching With Feet on the Floor
I don’t have much more to say here.
If you’re interested in benching more weight, putting your feet on the ground is a splendid approach.2
Also, it decreases the chances you’ll drop the barbell on your face.
Why Bench Press With Feet On the Bench?
I’m not kidding when I say there used to be a time where I felt benching with the feet on the bench (or in the air) was one of the stupidest things someone could do, on par with texting while driving, thinking you can read a Thomas Pynchon novel in one sitting, or trying to take a selfie with a panther.
Pretty dumb.
However, we all marinate in our own ignorance sometimes.
As with anything in strength & conditioning there’s a time and place for everything.3
A drill I’ve been using in my own programming (and that of my clients) of late is the Larsen Press.
To explain the advantages of this stellar movement I’ll lean again on the shoulders of Tony Bonvechio and Greg Robins:
Tony:
“The main benefit of putting the feet up on the bench is teaching lifters to maintain their upper back arch and shoulder blade position. One of the biggest mistakes we see lifters make is collapsing the upper back as they bring the bar down, which can tip the shoulder blades forward and push the bar in front of the elbows. If you take away the legs, it’s much harder to keep the upper back arched, especially as you bring the bar down to the chest. Hook lying position, Larsen press and floor press are all variations of a no-legs press that work well.”
Greg:
“The biggest advantage I see to using feet up is to purposefully make the exercise harder. When the feet go up you have more range of motion and more instability which means more work for the muscles that move the weight – pecs shoulders triceps. I think this is really important for those who rely on big arches, and thrusting weights off their chest with their whole bodies.
There are other benefits as well:
– Create higher relative intensities with less weight on the bar. – Awareness as Tony B said in how to stay tight. – Relief on back and hips from being in contorted bench position.”
Anyone who’s read this site for any length time knows I’m not a big fan of exercise variety.
For most people, most of the time, adding in novelty for the sake of novelty often mounts to nothing more than a one-way ticket to Averageville.
My good friend and strength coach, Chris Merritt (founder and owner of BSP NoVa), has an excellent guest post for you today discussing why exercise variety can be detrimental and how, despite popular belief, you can still keep your clients engaged with the same exercises.
His FREE e-book detailing how you can add variety to basic exercises can be downloaded HERE.
“No, get your back flatter … yeah, there you go, but drop your hips … okay, great job, but now get your back flat again … [hm, what the heck is going on?] … maybe set your feet wider?”
Whether you’re the coach or client, everyone is frustrated in a scenario like this, and yet, we’ve probably all been here at some point.
If you’re the client, I’m sorry, it’s not your fault.
If you’re the coach—you guessed it—this falls on you.
When it comes to selecting exercises for our clients, we actually shouldn’t have to coach form all that much. Sure, there’s some base level of teaching that needs to happen on the front end, and occasional cues along the way, but, contrary to what all too often happens across gyms far and wide, people don’t need the newest fancy exercise progression every time they get a new program.
In fact, continually introducing new movements will significantly slow down progress or, worse yet, derail it altogether.
Think about it…
The more time spent on coaching, teaching—whatever you want to call it—the less time the client spends training with appropriate focus and duration to accomplish their goals. Do you think the recipient of the coaching above was able to train with enough intensity (i.e., weight used) and volume (i.e., the total number of sets and reps) to even remotely elicit desired results?
… and we can argue about whether it was an exercise selection or coaching problem some other time.
[the correct answer is both]
Now let’s pretend that four to six weeks later they’re finally getting it, and then BAM!, their coach decides to switch things up to the latest squat variation they copped from Instagram.
… here we go again.
A Better System
At our gym, Beyond Strength Performance NOVA, we use a system of strength standards to determine when it’s potentially time to move on, and a subsequent progression of exercises that layer competency gained from the movement prior.
Let’s unpack what that actually means, using the deadlift as an example…
All our members start their training journey with a personal orientation session, typically done a day or two after their 1-on-1 assessment and goal-setting session, and we accomplish multiple things within the hour:
Teach the warm-ups, providing context for basic concepts (position, breathing, tension, patterning) that carry right over into their everyday training…
Teach them how to deadlift, squat, push, and pull, along with determining what variations and loads are best suited for them from day one…
Teach the language we use to coach and cue across all our staff
Have the new member work with multiple coaches in the session to introduce them to the concept of semi-private personal training
Take them through a short training session with the four movements they just learned, allowing them to train that day and us to see how they took to the information they just learned…
Set expectations for what’s to come…
Make notes about their personality, learning style, and anything else that will help us to coach and connect with them…
Specific to the deadlift, we start the teaching process in our warm-ups by using the cat-cow drill to learn what it feels like to move through our spine and experience two undesirable positions that we refer to as “macho man”—extension, or belly dropped towards the floor—and “sad dog”—flexion, or a big arch like a scared cat.
We then introduce the position of “tall and tight”—ribs down and belt buckle to sternum—using the push-up position plank.
It’s also at this time that we’ll discuss “tall and tight” being our desirable position for all squats, deadlifts, rows, —essentially everything we do in the gym, with one of the only exceptions being the bench press, where we’ll use an arch, or “macho man.”
Finally, we use quadruped rocking to further provide the perception of what it feels like to move with our hips while staying “tall and tight.”
After the warm-ups we teach the deadlift, using a progression of handcuff hinge to barbell deadlift, stopping when we find the ideal starting point for their first program. Rather than write out the whole description of this process, let’s check out a video we filmed in May of last year for a law enforcement group we’re consulting with:
NOTE: The only thing we do differently since this video was filmed is introduce the barbell RDL before progressing to the rack pull, as we have found that folks learn to keep the bar tight to their thighs and groove the pattern with a top-down approach more easily than bending over to find the right position before beginning the movement—much like handcuff hinge before the kettlebell deadlift…
Further, we use a strength standard of EIGHT quality deadlifts with a 60kg kettlebell (132# for those of you searching for a calculator), performed for multiple quality sets, before progressing to the barbell RDL. The new member may clear this and move on during their personal orientation session, or they could require multiple phases of training to build the capacity.
So yes, you read that correctly—if they’re four months into training with us and they haven’t passed the kettlebell deadlift standard, that kettlebell deadlift is staying on every one of their programs until they do so. Then they’ll need to demonstrate proficiency with the barbell RDL before they go to the rack pull, and the proper form and mobility with descending rack pulls before maybe progressing to the floor.
Sounds boring, you say?
Feeling successful is never boring, and the basics allow for our folks to train with appropriate intensity, volume, and positions to crush their goals. But that doesn’t mean you can’t keep things interesting in your application of the basics.
How Many Ways Could You Program the Kettlebell Deadlift?
If you just thought of things like traditional sets and reps, partial reps, varied tempos, clusters, etc., you’re onto what we refer to as loading types.
Rather than just continually throw the kettlebell deadlift at you in the same fashion, month in and month out, we could do something like this:
Elevated kettlebell deadlifts for the first month while we work on hip mobility. Further, we can prescribe more time under tension with the eccentric portion (descent) to really groove the pattern. We refer to this as straight sets with an eccentric focus…
Elevated Kettlebell Deadlift (31X2) 2-3 x 8
(31X2) = each rep performed with a 3 second descent, 1 second pause on the floor, up fast, and 2 second pause at the top. Do these 8 times and you’ve completed one set—one to two more sets to go depending on how you’re holding up with this new training stimulus.
In month two we’re ready to ditch the elevation, however, we haven’t cleared the strength standard, so we’ll program clusters to build our capacity.
Kettlebell Deadlift Clusters 3 x (2, 2, 1)
(2, 2, 1) = 2 reps, rest 10 to 30 seconds, 2 reps, rest another 10 to 30 seconds, and finally 1 rep—all with the same weight. That’s one set, and you’ve got two more to go.
Perform 3 heavy kettlebell deadlifts, right into 2 medium-heavy kettlebell deadlifts, followed by 1 medium-light kettlebell deadlift. That’s one set down, two to go.
In month four we bring it back to straight sets, only this time with no elevation…
Kettlebell Deadlift 4 x 4
… and for example, let’s say you want to test out in week 4. We’ll simply switch your 4 x 4 to 2 x 8. Crush it, and on to the barbell RDL we go…
All For One and One For All
We have strength standards for our core four movements—squat, deadlift, push-up, and pull-up—and progressions/regressions for every exercise we use.
When we put these systems to use in our program design process—appropriately selecting individual exercises and combining them in a manner to work towards the clients’ said goals—coaches don’t need to overwhelm the clients with constant corrections, clients get to see a pathway to success and train their asses off in the process, and decision making with regards to writing one program to the next becomes a simple task.
And if you’d like to come learn this stuff in person—and so much more—join us on Sunday September 9th in Queens, NY at Iron Lion Performance for the Program Design One-Day Deep Dive Seminar. Check out the agenda and get registered here.
Remember that iconic and hilarious scene from the movie Billy Madison when Billy (Adam Sandler), upon realizing one of his classmates embarrassingly peed his pants, attempts to “normalize” the situation by pretending to also pee his pants, thus reframing the unfortunate situation into something that’s not only desirable to do, but something everyone thinks is “cool” and will make you popular.
Remember that?
Well, in fitness, we encourage people to pee their pants.
Now, for those of you who didn’t take my words literally (which I hope is all of you), let me attempt to elaborate further on the point I’m trying to make.
It’s a bit of a reach, but I think it’ll make sense.
Similarly, hitting PR’s every day in the gym (or the expectation that you have to) isn’t normal.
To be clear: I am not saying we shouldn’t work hard or strive to push ourselves in the gym. As I’ve been known to say time or two:
“Lifting weights isn’t supposed to tickle.”
Likewise, it’s that drive to do better or to “do more work” week-by-week, month-by-month, and hopefully, because consistency matters most, year-by-year…that will make all the difference in the world.
Not that it needs repeating to my regular readers, but if you’re new (welcome!), the “doing more work” part is kinda important if you want to see continued progress in the gym. You have to provide enough of a (recoverable) stimulus to the body in order to force it to adapt to the demands placed upon it.
If on Day #1 of your fitness journey you found pressing the 30 lb. dumbbells hard, and here it is, Day #287 (<—no small feat) and it’s still hard, you may want to audit your program (or effort).
There has to be a degree of uncomfortableness and/or sucktitude in the process.
There’s always been this prevailing notion – especially in this social media age – that workouts have to, at all times, be ballbreakers.
We watch these amazing feats of strength on Instagram and YouTube, or read about someone’s insane workout on Twitter, and we believe that’s what we should be doing also. We’ve been desensitized into believing our workouts don’t count or are pointless unless we leave the gym crawling on all four or we can’t feel the right side of our face.
“Average” workouts are dull, prosaic, and for lammos who don’t really want to work hard and can’t hang with the big dogs.
I could not disagree with this viewpoint more.
The only thing I could possibly disagree more with is Becca choosing Garret over Blake in the latest season of The Bachelorette.
80% Workouts and Why Mediocrity Matters
Giving credit where it’s due, I want to point out that what follows is a concept I stole from strength coach/bodybuilder/fellow brother in baldness, Paul Carter.
There’s a time and place for workouts that crush us, and there’s a time and place to push the envelop with training.
In fact if we did the math, 10% of the time you’ll walk into the gym feeling like a million bucks and that you could beat Rambo in a staring contest.
Conversely, 10% of the time you’ll walk into the gym feeling like a bag of dicks and weights you pwned a week ago suddenly feel like they’re being lifted against the gravitational pull of a Black Hole.
I.e., There’s also a time and place to back off, not be a hero, and listen to your body.
The other 80% of the time – which is almost always – you’re going to show up and just do the work. You’re going to hit all your reps, strain (but not too much), and for all intents and purposes you’re going to complete a mediocre workout.
These are the workouts that matter most.
These are the workouts that build the grit, resiliency, and the base for pretty much all future outcomes.
My friend, Ben Bruno, reverberated a similar message a few days ago:
Remember that behind every impressive physical feat you see are hundreds of basic workouts that person did behind the scenes to build up to it. Displaying strength is very different than building strength, and real results come from consistent hard work over time on the basics.
Battling through the mundane – and accepting it as a necessary component of progress – is a tough pill to swallow for many trainees.
I can’t tell you how many conversations I’ve had with athletes and clients over the years trying to make this concept stick.
“That workout was easy,” for some coaches, is the last thing they want to hear.
For me it’s a sign we’re headed down the right path. A path everyone, in the history of ever, has also travelled and navigated to get where they are today.
Show up, do the work, strain (but not too much), and don’t think you have to pee your pants…;o)
Few things are more annoying than a nagging (sports) injury.
Okay, I can think of some:
A piece of popcorn lodged between your teeth during a three hour long movie and no floss in sight.
Flat Earthers.
Poodles.
Talking about feelings.
Outside of those things, having (and trying to train around) a nagging injury is the worst. I live in Boston which has a thriving endurance training-centric community. As it happens I’ve seen my fair share of people walking through the doors of CORE suffering from shin splints.
Not in the sense that having shin splints is a shit show. Hey, they happen. Rather, it’s a shit show with regards to how most people (not all) tend to address the issue.
Shin splints (or, for the more hoity-toity in the crowd, Medial Tibial Stress Syndrome) is a common injury found in endurance athletes (namely runners) as well as those who engage in a lot of jumping activities, and is often described as “my fucking shin hurts”“pain or discomfort along the inner edge of the shin bone (tibia).”
As far as the root cause?
It can be left up for debate, but the consensus tends to point towards increased activity that overworks the muscles and soft-tissue surrounding the area of the lower leg leading to swelling and pain.
In short (and more often than not): It comes down to someone doing too much, too soon.
OMG, I Have Shin Splints. Am I Going to Die?
No
Whew, Okay, How Do I Address It?
There are a number of obvious, if not overly simplified approaches that are worthwhile and can get the job done.
Commonly these range from rest (from the problematic activity, not just Netflix and Chilling) to stretching your calf muscles (Gastrocnemius & Soleus) and Achilles tendon to implementing some additional manual therapy in the form of massage, Graston, and/or self-“release” with The Stick or foam roller.
Like I said, these are all fine and dandy….albeit a bit reductionistic in nature; or a quick Band-Aid if you will.
Some other poignant options to consider:
1) Reduce Training Volume
Hey, here’s an idea: If shin splints are often the end-result of overtraining or surpassing one’s ability to recover, why don’t we, you know, latch onto the crazy idea of reduce training volume?
Weird, I know.
But something to consider and not to be trifled with.
2) Strengthen Anterior Musculature of Lower Leg
Namely, this means strengthening the Tibialis Anterior.
A popular exercise prescribed in this case is something like standing upright and “pulling” your toes towards your knees for “x” sets and reps.
Okay, cool.
I prefer something like ACTIVE ankle dorsiflexion vs. a band.
WARNING: Possibly the most boring video on the internet.
Here I’ll have the person pull his or her’s toes towards their chest against a band, but instead of mindlessly performing reps, I’ll have them actively pull against the band for 5-10 seconds for 5-8 repetitions.
It sucks.
3) Follow a Ketogenic Diet
Hahahahahaha. Just kidding.
Jumping into a shark’s mouth would be more worthwhile.
4) Emphasize Deceleration/Landing Tactics
Taking the time to coach people on how to LAND properly and to decelerate their bodyweight can have a huge impact on the reoccurrence of shin splints.
Meaning, when they master a good box jump (for example), and it doesn’t sound like an elephant being suplexed off the top rope of a wrestling mat when they land, the likelihood of shin splints rearing their ugly head is drastically reduced.
NOTE: This would also be an opportune time to address gait and running mechanics too. Not my area of expertise, but worthwhile to mention.7
But Wait, There’s More (The Really Important Stuff)
One of the major “drivers” of shin splints is thought to be over-pronation of the feet. It makes a lot of sense, but I’m often flummoxed as to how archaic the fitness industry can be in addressing this issue.
Orthotics are often seen as the end all-be all fix.
Full Disclosure: I am NOT a doctor and understand there are many people out there who benefit mightily from being prescribed orthotics.
However, for the bulk of people trying to conquer shin splits I do not feel what follows is the most germane approach. A few years ago I remember reading something physical therapist, Bill Hartman, wrote on the topic that really resonated with me and helped to shape my current thoughts on the topic.
Think about what happens when someone (over) pronates:
If we were to reverse engineer the anatomy/biomechanics it would look something like this:
Do More Anterior Core Work & Butt Stuff (Glute Work) —-> Nudge Posterior Pelvic Tilt —-> Femoral External Rotation —-> Tibial External Rotation —-> Supination of Foot.
I explain things a bit more in this quickie video.
To that end, below are a handful of exercises I feel should take more precedent when addressing shin splints.
Hammer anterior core/glute strength and hip stability.
Deadbugs
I think Deadbugs are a vastly underrated exercise, which is a shame because they’re an MVP when it comes to developing anterior core strength and pelvic control.
And while many people will scoff at how “easy” this exercise is, I’d argue that if it’s done RIGHT (as discussed in the video above), they’d have a newfound affinity for it.
Active Foot Squat w/ Band
Passive Foot = Deafaulting into a pronated (flat foot) position.
Active (Tripod) Foot = Maintaining three points of pressure in the heel, pinky toe & big toe.
Placing a band over the feet is an easy way to provide kinesthetic feedback to the trainee so (s)he can stay more cognizant of their foot position.
I.e., Resist pull of band, supinate, get an arch, and then maintain position throughout set.
Standing KB Swap
Popularized by Dr. Joel Seedman, this is a fantastic drill that provides a ton of value for our training buck. The idea is to GO SLOW and to “own” each transition. If you have to speed up in order to stay balanced that defeats the purpose.
It hammers home the concept of active foot.
It lights up the glutes and surrounding hip musculature.
It will humble the shit out of you.
I like to have trainees perform 3-4 sets of 6-8 reps/side with this drill.
1-Legged RDL KB Swap
This is more or less a progression to the KB Swap above. All the same benefits apply, except now you’re upping the ante in an RDL position (and really challenging hip stability).
Glute Bridge w/ Band Abduction
When it comes to the Glute Bridge I’d encourage everyone to experiment to see where they feel these these the most.
#1 you want to FEEL YOUR GLUTES WORKING.
You’d be amazed how many people come into my studio telling me “yeah, yeah, yeah, I do glute bridges, whatever,” only to find out, after watching them perform a few reps, they don’t even feel them in their glutes.
I’ll often play around with foot position – narrow stance vs. wid(er) stance, heels close to tush vs. heels further away from tush, pants on vs. pants off – to see when and where they feel their glutes the most.
Everyone is different.
But yeah, first and foremost, make sure they actually feel their glutes when they perform this exercise.
Once they master that, if you want to make their glutes feel even juicer, add a band and have them perform a few hip abductions at the top of each rep.
This is a double-whammy on glute activation.
Side Plank Hip Clam
This is one of my favorites, and admittedly a very advanced drill. I think Bret Contreras was the first to popularize this drill first and it’s definitely one that targets the glutes in a way not many exercises can.
I think many of us get caught up in the sets x reps trap.
Meaning, we’re so focused on the number of sets and reps we perform in any given set or workout, that we often forget there are many other components to garnering progress in the gym.
In today’s guest post by Upstate NY based trainer, Matt Phelps, he reminds us of a facet of training often neglected…Time Under Tension.
Think back to when you very first started training.
To when you very first got into this stuff.
I mean like, REALLY into this stuff.
If you were anything like me, you fanatically researched what the best routines were to get bigger arms, a fuller chest, monster traps, diesel delts, and the elusive “wings” that belong to those with huge lats.
PS: I hate you.
Once I found the magical exercise that would grant me super powers, and the 21 inch pythons that came with them, I immediately asked the same question you have asked yourself, countless times:
“How many sets and how many reps do I do?”
Exposing a Flaw
It was not until recently, in the past couple of years, did I realize how flawed this question actually was.
Let’s say I prescribe 3 sets of 10, the classic set and rep scheme for most beginners.
Those 3×10 sets can look DRASTICALLY different from one individual to another. But if all we do is prescribe “sets x reps” then we are presuming the quality of work is the same. What if it takes one person 20 seconds to do 10 reps, and another person 40 seconds?
Will this have the same response on the body, over time?
I highly doubt it.
When it comes to muscular adaptation, most of us know that in order to induce change, and keep progress coming, there needs to be a system of progressive overload. We know that over time, we need to train with the same load for more “reps” or a heavier load for the same “reps”, in order to see the size and strength gains coming.
While in theory, this makes total sense, the application get messed up.
Many of us are smart from years of having read the awesome content available to us from resources like this website.
However, because we are so educated, so wise in the weight room, whether it is conscious or not, we “cheat” the system.
We chase reps.
We let form breakdown so we can say we got a “rep”.
We take the emphasis off of the eccentric to gain the ability to do more concentric contractions.
We use inertia and momentum to help us get those “reps.” Like I said, this is quite often unintentional, but the fact remains, it happens.
To Rep Count, or Not to Rep Count?
The fact is, our muscles do not have a “rep counter” that figures out training volume so neatly, like it does on many of your excel spreadsheets.
While volume can most easily be identified and tracked through load x reps x sets, this presumes that all sets are the same, not only within one individual’s training program, but also from person to person.
Our muscles know time under tension and load.
These factors elicit the metabolic damage needed to grow, adapt, and get the results we’re looking for.
I really think it is that simple.
What is a drop set doing?
It is increasing the Time Under Tension (TUT).
What is a rest pause set doing?
It is increasing the TUT.
What is a superset of 2 exercises using the same muscle group doing?
It is increasing the TUT.
So why, then, wouldn’t we place a huge emphasis on doing sets for TUT, rather than just counting reps?
Making the Case For TUT
Look, I get it.
Sometimes it is fun just to lift heavy shit, and not give a damn about tempo.
Guilty as charged.
I love that style of training too, and always will.
HOWEVER, I think, as with most things, there is a time and place for it.
You could easily perform a “5/3/1”, 5×5, or any other of the myriad of powerlifting programs out there, before an “accessory block,” where the goal is to build size and repeated effort strength.
While I will admit, strength gains come from a lot of neurological adaptation, size gains will come from breaking down the muscle fibers, and that is where TUT reigns supreme.
Don’t believe me?
Let’s say you perform Hammer Strength Chest Presses after a heavy Bench Press session.
Instead of doing your typical 4 sets of 10-15, perform 4 sets :45 of work, STICKING to that 10-15 rep speed.
I can promise you, 99% of you will be forced to slow it down, place a peak contraction on the targeted muscle, and dramatically increase the metabolic “bang for your buck” that the set is providing.
Here are several reasons why all of us should make TUT training the focal point of our resistance training programs:
1. It Makes Your Training Efficient. MUCH More Efficient
When you train with TUT, you will quickly realize that it forces you to cut through the bullshit and white noise that a lot of high volume training programs encourage, and allows you to get right down to business.
You will find yourself getting what you used to get out of 4-5 sets, in 3-4 sets, and that, my friends, is amazing.
By timing your work and rest periods, you can hold yourself accountable, and also receive a great cardiovascular benefit as well. This principle forms the cornerstone of my training philosophy, Metabolic Training.
Time is the most valuable asset you have (I am not laying claim to this statement, it has been said many times before), so make the most of it.
2. It Makes the Strength Gains More Genuine
When you add reps and set PR’s, particularly for higher rep sets, there are SO many factors that go into your performance from one day to the next.
Maybe the week before you rested for 5 seconds between reps.
Maybe you used a faster eccentric and “bounced” out of the hole.
I have seen many people in the gym train with weights they have no business training with, and guess what?
Their “sets of 10” usually last for :17s.
If I had walked up to these same people, whose intention was to get 10 reps, and made them do the same 10 reps over the course of :40, they would have failed miserably.
When you train for TUT, you can be certain that you placed your muscle under a certain amount of mechanical tension, and that when you progress in load, you are doing so at an appropriate rate.
When you go from floor pressing the 80s for :40 to the 95s for :50, your pecs will most certainly feel the difference, and you can confidently know that you are, without a doubt, stronger.
3. It Forces You to Use an Appropriate Load, Increasing Safety
Tying into the previous point, if you need to perform a set for :35, and get 8-12 reps in that time period, with a full ROM, it is almost impossible to use an inappropriate training load.
If you can only get 6 reps in this time period, or fail before the time lapses, then guess what?
The weight is too heavy.
If you get 23 reps, it is far too light.
If we simply prescribe a set number of reps to do, often times we start seeing a lot of the crazy shit we see in most commercial gyms, with terrible technique being implemented just to “get the reps.”
TUT is incredibly humbling, but your joints will feel better, and your muscles will be fuller. Sounds like a win-win to me!
4. It Is Never Boring
With TUT, the possibilities are endless, and the different combinations you can deploy will keep you excited to train, and isn’t that what this is all about?
With the new focus being placed on TUT, you can start to take a ton of creative liberty with your programming.
If you are a sadist, you can do Tabata Front Squats, Ben Bruno style, :20/:10 for 4:00.
If you want to do something completely different, perform a set for :90.
It will rock your world more than it did the first time you….well, you know.
Training will become FUN again, and when you do something you love doing, you are always more likely to get more out of it.
5. It Emphasizes QUALITY
This is crucial for eliciting the needed metabolic damage to occur on the cellular level.
Training for TUT takes the emphasis OFF of the actual performance (i.e. rep count), and ONTO the muscle (more controlled reps, squeezed contractions, full ROM).
If you start using a tiny range of motion, and spastically blast through your sets like a jackrabbit in mating season, you will be punished, because the clock doesn’t stop even though you got your “reps”.
6. It Increases Intensity
By using TUT, the focus shifts from ending the set as soon as you can, to getting the most out of each set you do.
You will find yourself slowing down on your rows, going deeper on your squats, and really squeezing your glutes at the top of a hip thrust.
For those of you who are former athletes, or are competitive, TUT will challenge you by pitting you against the clock, daring you to survive the duration of the set.
For those of you who have what it takes to make it, I can assure you that this “set” will feel far different than anything you have done before.
TUT In Action: Matt’s Chest & Back Blitz
I don’t expect all of your to become instant converts to the world of TUT, but I encourage you to give it an honest chance.
Fitness is all about balance.
I still use components of “rep counting” in my training, but these days, 90% of it comes from TUT, and I have never felt better.
Here is my favorite Chest & Back routine, using TUT.
It only takes 35 minutes, so if you are hesitant or skeptical, you have nothing to lose, just try this out…your pecs and lats will thank me later.
Block 1
Incline Bench Press x :25, utilizing a “smooth” tempo (this should land you around 8 Reps)
Rest :25
Barbell Row x :25, utilizing a “smooth” tempo (8 Reps)
Rest :50, Repeat for a TOTAL of 5 cycles
Rest :90
Block 2 “747 Jet Sets”
DB Bench Press, 3 Second Eccentric x :30 (7 Reps)
Rest :30
DB Bench Press, 3 Second Eccentric x :18 (4 Reps)
Rest :30
DB Bench Press, 3 Second Eccentric x :30 (7 Reps)
Rest 1:00, Repeat for 2 Cycles
Rest :90
Block 3
Incline DB Row, 3 Second Isometric Holds x 1:00 (15 Reps)
Rest :20
Incline DB Row, 3 Second Isometric Holds x :50 (12 Reps)
Rest :20
Incline DB Row, 3 Second Isometric Holds x :40 (10 Reps)
Rest :20
Incline DB Row, 3 Second Isometric Holds x :25 (15 Reps)
Rest :90
Block 4
Med Ball Pushups, “Smooth” Tempo x :30 (10 Reps)
Rest :10
DB Fly, “Smooth Tempo x :30 (10 Reps)
Rest 1:00, Repeat for a total of 3 cycles
Rest :90
Block 5 “Crazy 5’s”
TRX Strap Row “5 Second Concentric/5 Second Isometric/5 Second Eccentric” x 1:15 (5 Reps)
Rest 1:00, Repeat for 2 Cycles
Notes
– You will notice certain “rep recommendations” in parentheses next to the TUT. If you are finishing your rep counts 5 seconds before your time is complete, or 5 seconds after, you need to adjust your tempo accordingly.
– The first 1-2 rounds of Block 1 should be light, as you “ramp” the weight up.
– On the “Jet Sets”, it should be relatively “easy”…until the 1-2 reps of the 3rd set. You may need to decrease load on the 2nd round, that is absolutely acceptable
– Drive with those ELBOWS on the rows, and put those lats to work! Resist the urge to pull with your hands, and over exert your biceps and forearms
– Lastly, have fun.
About the Author
Matt Phelps is the owner and founder of Metabolic Meltdown, a fitness business with 6 locations in Upstate New York that specializes in Metabolic Training.
Matt is on a mission to educate the world about Metabolic Training, which is a unique training philosophy that combines strength training with cardiovascular training in an efficient full body workout that delivers more muscle, less fat, and pretty much makes you invincible.
Matt’s work can be found on www.trainmetabolic.com and www.metabolicmeltdown.com. He welcomes you to come check out his content, and reach out to him with any questions you might have. To see specific examples of Metabolic Training in action, along with as many photos of German Shepherds and 18 month old babies that you can handle, you can check out his Instragram account HERE.
The traditional front plank is one of the most well known and least useful exercises we have available to us.
There are various figures but the world record for a plank hovers between eight and ten hours. There are exactly zero useful strength exercises that you can do for eight hours.
The plank makes sense in theory: In that position you’re forcing your anterior core musculature to support your spine in a way it isn’t used to and will result in strength and stability increases.
Truthfully, it can be useful for this purpose, but it gets out of hand really quickly.
People always think that adding time to their plank is the right thing to do, but end up with some horrific Gollum-esque posture; neck cranked forward, low back sagging, butt up in the air just grimacing their way to an extra 5 seconds on their personal record.
I’m here to tell you that there are much better ways to train core stability (anti flexion / extension) than just hanging out watching the timer on your phone. In fact, I’ve got eight better planks you can try instead of the normal plank. I’ll even be a sweetheart and list them in what I believe is the easiest to hardest.
1. Foot March Plank
I like this as one of my first progressions from a static plank because it’s a very familiar position to most people.
Marching your feet just an inch or so off of the floor adds a substantial anti-rotation component to the exercise, and your client will recognize it very quickly.
2. Elbow Tap Plank
Like the foot march plank, this increases difficulty by taking away a point of contact but feels much more difficult than moving your feet.
I like to make my clients move through this very slowly and deliberately to help reduce the amount of hip swinging they get. I find it helps to keep your hands centered on your chest and adjust the width of your feet to increase or decrease difficulty.
3. Bent Knee Side plank with Clamshell
I actually think I dislike static side planks more than static front planks because people end up in really dog-shit positions really quickly.
A good “hack” to fix this is utilizing the bent knee side plank, which makes it easier to stay in a good position by shortening the length of the lever (your body).
To get even more out of this exercise, throw a band around your knees and hit a clamshell. You’ll be training anti-lateral flexion as well as a few aspects of your hips while you’re at it. I utilize these as both a core exercise and as a filler/activation exercise paired with squats or deadlifts.
4. Plate Drag Plank
This is very much a progression of the elbow touch plank and allows you to load it externally.
There are lots of other videos of people using kettlebells, sandbags and even heavy ropes to do these.
5. Side Plank with Wall Slide
The first time I did these was during Eric Cressey’s “Show and Go” program.
I saw them on the program for that day and watched his video and thought it would be no big deal.
Got set up for my first rep and as soon as I lifted my leg I folded like a chair.
My athletes have given this exercise various names like “The Devils Exercise” and “if I see this again next month I’m gonna punch you in the junk”.
But give them a shot, I swear you’ll like it…
6. Bench Plank with Row
This gets really brutal really fast.
I personally don’t really chase the weight of the row portion of the exercise as I prefer the plank to be the emphasis and to be controlled perfectly. It’s nice to get a little extra rowing in with this exercise, but always be in control of the dumbbell.
7. 8 Point Plank
I thought I’d throw a curveball at you by making the two most difficult variations here static planks!
I just learned this variation recently and it’s really pretty amazing.
I underestimated it at first and then found myself shaking like a leaf in a windstorm within five seconds of starting it.
Putting your knees on the ground and posteriorly tilting your pelvis will help to remove your quads and hip flexors from the equation and then moving your elbows out under your eyes lengthens the “bridge” a little more.
If it feels not so hard to you, then you really need to focus on that pelvic tilt!
8. RKC Plank
This is a static plank, but barely.
The technique described in the video is called the “Zip Up” technique and I like to go through those steps before every rep of this plank.
I typically ask my clients to do three, 10-second holds with a quick break in between each rep.
You end up with a 30 second plank, but the most intense 30 seconds possible. If you don’t say “holy shit” as soon as you finished, then you did it wrong.
Final Word
If you’re going to train your core, you might as well be doing something that’s legitimately effective and won’t take up 7 minutes per set.
Try these out and let me know how they go for you.
About the Author
Mike is a personal trainer and strength coach living in Cleveland with his fiance and adorable pit bull.
He is the owner of Anderson Strength and Fitness, the strength coach for Healthy Green Athlete and is an all around badass dude. You can follow him on Instagram HERE or shoot him an email at [email protected].
Two weekends ago I was in London teaching a workshop with my friend Luke Worthington.
We had a group of 35 trainers from across the UK (and Europe) eager to learn more about assessment, program design, coaching up common strength movements, and how I rank the Bourne movies.8
One of the main umbrella themes we kept hammering home was that, contrary to popular belief, “tight” hamstrings isn’t really a thing.
Labelling the hamstrings as “tight” is often the default scapegoat and blamed for everything from butt wink to low back pain to male pattern baldness. So it wasn’t surprising to see the flabbergasted reactions from the majority of attendees when Luke and I kept repeating our message.
You would have thought Gandalf rode in on a Unicorn yelling “You shall not stretch the hamstrings!” based on people’s facial expressions.
What’s next: Water isn’t wet? Grass isn’t green? Ryan Gosling’s gaze doesn’t penetrate my soul?
Listen, I’m as skeptical as they come whenever anyone in the health/fitness industry uses the words “everyone,” “always,” or “never.”
Those are three words, when used ad nauseam, immediately scream “shady motherfucker with an agenda,” whenever I hear them.
It’s never the hamstrings. OR You should never eat past 7 pm.
Always avoid gluten. OR If you’re serious about fat loss, always avoid carbs.
Everyone must deadlift from the floor. OREveryone who reads this site is clearly off the charts intelligent and attractive. (<— 100% true).
There are nevertheless exceptions to every rule and circumstance. I’d be remiss not to tip my hat at the notion there are, indeed, people out there who have legitimately tight (or, more to the point, anatomically short) hamstrings.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a1Y73sPHKxw
That being said, I doubt you’re one of them.
I’m not going to sit here and say it’s never the case, but it’s such a rare occurrence that you’re more likely to win an arm wrestling match vs. a grizzly bear than actually having tight/short hamstrings.
Take butt wink for example.
The common culprit is tight hamstrings (photo on the right).
But if we were to discuss (and respect) basic anatomy we’d note the following:
The hamstrings are a bi-articular muscle group that cross both the hip and knee joints.
My pecs can cut diamonds.
As we descend into deep(er) hip flexion – I.e., squat – the hamstrings lengthen on one end (hips) and shorten on the other (knee), for a net change of nada.
#itsnotthehamstrings.
But How Can We Tell?
It’s uncanny how many people I’ve interacted with in my career who describe having tight hamstrings, and after telling me they’ve been stretching them for 43 years (<— only a slight exaggeration), are still looking for that one magical stretch to cure them.
My first step is to plop him or her on an assessment table and ask them to perform a simple screen to ascertain whether or not they do, in fact, have tight hamstrings.
It’s called the Active Straight Leg Raise.
You lie the individual supine and ask them to slowly, while keeping one leg cemented to the table or floor, elevate the other off the table while keeping it as straight as possible. They keep going until they feel the first smidgeon of resistance (or you start to see compensations like the pelvis rotating, the foot rotating, and/or either knee start to flex).
An acceptable ROM is anywhere from 70-90 degrees of hip flexion.
A funny thing almost always happens.
Most people pass the screen with flying colors.
Me:“You don’t have tight hamstrings.”
Them: “The fuck outta here! You mean, there aren’t any other stretches I should be doing?”
Me:“Zero.”
Them: “Zero?”
Me:“Yep, zero.”
[Cue crickets chirping]
This finding doesn’t, however, dismiss the fact said person’s hamstrings still FEEL tight.
So, W……..T……….F?
Something is awry.
To peel back the onion a bit more I’ll then implement a brilliant trick I was reminded of by Ottawa based personal trainer, Elsbeth Vaino.
The Bridge Test
I’ll have the same individual perform a standard glute or hip bridge. They’ll get into position and then I’ll ask “where do you feel that?”
Many will immediately say “hamstrings.”
I’ll then have them perform a 1-Leg Glute Bridge and ask them to hold that position for 10-15 seconds.
Most don’t last five.
“YOWSA…..my hamstrings cramped up.”
Why?
The body’s #1 hip extensor is the glute max, and if it’s not doing it’s job well the body’s #2 hip extensor, the hamstrings, will pick up the slack.
In all likelihood, for most people most of the time, the hamstrings feel tight because 1) they’re overactive and doing double the work and/or 2) pelvic alignment needs to be addressed (more glutes and anterior core = more posterior pelvic tilt = hamstrings are put on slack).
NOTE: the latter point – hamstrings lengthened due to (excessive) anterior pelvic tilt – is why stretching them only feeds the issue. The tightness many feel is neural in nature, not because of true shortness. Stretching an already lengthened muscle only exacerbates things.
Something Else to Consider: Active End-Range Hip Flexion
To add another nail into the “it’s not the hamstrings” coffin I’ll also take a gander at one’s ability to move their hip into (active) end-range flexion.
This “trick” digs into some of Dr. Andreo Spina‘s work on Functional Range Conditioning (FRC) and is another splendid way to gently tell someone to stop stretching their hamstrings.
No diggidy, no doubt.
Final Word
The sensation of tight hamstrings is less about an anatomically short muscle which requires endless hours of static stretching, and more about improving:
Position/alignment of the pelvis via nudging people into a little more posterior pelvic tilt by hammering glutes and anterior core.
Active end-range hip flexion. Allow people to experience this position more often and good things will happen.
Fear not. I’ve still managed to queue up some stellar content for you in my absence.
Today Dr. Sarah Duvall is pinch-writing for me talking about a topic that’s relevant to anyone who likes to lift heavy things: Squats (and how to make them feel better).
Her new resource, which she developed alongside fellow coaching superstars Kellie Hart and Meghan Callaway – Glutes, Core, and Pelvic Floor Workout System – is on sale starting today (6/28) and runs through 7/2.
Are You Engaging the Right Muscles When You Squat?
Several months ago Tony and I met at Caffe Nero to talk shop.
After a combined 30 + years of working with people, we have both come to the conclusion that strength is your friend!
It’s your friend for rehab, for life and for aging.
In other words,
“You need to lift shit to fix shit.”
It can get a little tricky, because I’ve often found for patients with tightness or pain that we have to first make sure the right muscle is doing the work before overloading.
A great example of this is doing squats but primarily loading quads and low back instead of balancing the lift with glutes and abdominals. Or doing deadlifts but primarily feeling them in your back, never your glutes or hamstrings.
So you’re lifting and trying to get stronger, but in reality if you’re experiencing the above you’re overworking a subset of muscles instead of the intended target.
That’s why you should always know what muscles you want to work and where you should feel it.
Educated lifting!
Let’s take a second to break down the ever-elusive squat a little further. There are so many varieties from goblet to back to front squats and everything in between.
You’ll want to pick a variety that feels best for you, but I’d like to share a couple tricks for squatting in a way that targets your glutes and abs. This will be especially helpful if you primarily feel squats in your quads and low back.
Let’s work from the ground up at 4 key areas of the body.
#1. Keep Your Toes Firmly on the Ground
Somewhere along the way the cue to lift the toes got popular.
This is an easy way to shift your weight back to help get the squat more into your hips instead of your knees.
When we make cues too easy they often miss the mark. It’s true that you want to sit back into your hips, but the body follows patterns and when you pick up your toes you set off a flexion chain in your body that can increase hip flexor activation and decrease abdominals.
Give it a try now.
Pick up your toes for a squat and focus on how much you feel your abdominals. Now, give me a nice short foot (big toe down, arch engaged, weight spread evenly between the ball and heel) and see if this grounded foot turns your abs on more.
Those hardwired neuro patterns are hard to break, and having great foot placement sets the tone for the rest of the body.
So how do you sit back instead of coming forward onto your knees? Try practicing your squat by sitting back to a box or chair.
This will help train the pattern without picking up your toes.
#2. Sit Into Your Glutes
You want to feel your glutes lengthening for your squat.
It’s not a deadlift, your knees will bend, but it shouldn’t be all knees.
Two signs you’re not lengthening and sitting into your glutes:
You have to fold in half to sit back. (Now, if you have really long femurs or a narrow stance, you’ll need to lean forward a bit more. But if you widen your stance and you still find yourself bending over at the waist, it might be a good idea to check your rockbacks.)
You start with a neutral spine but then overarch your back to sit into the squat. Overarching the back and lengthening the hamstrings is a great way to look like you’re sitting back into your glutes when in reality you’re just going into a big anterior pelvic tilt. If this is the case, your low back will often feel tight after your squat.
To fix the folding in half, try holding on to something when you squat, like suspension straps. Then you can practice sitting back and down into those glutes.
#3. Neglecting to Keep a Neutral Spine
How we initiate a motion sets the tone for that exercise.
So if you arch your back to start, then your brain gets the signal, “this is a back exercise.” If you lengthen your glutes to start, then your brain gets the signal, “this is a glute exercise.”
Sitting the tone is important!
It’s much easier to do something right from the start than it is to play catch up. Wait, are we talking about life or squats?
See if you can spot the difference between initiating for the glutes lengthening vs the low back overarch?
#4. Head Alignment
Let’s do a test.
Look up at the ceiling and squat.
Did you feel how you wanted to overarch your back?
Now, put your chin to your chest and squat.
See how you wanted to tuck your bottom?
Our body follows our head. You’ll never see a gymnast look the opposite way for a flip.
Playing around with head positioning and where the eyes are looking can dramatically change a squat. If someone is having lots of trouble keeping their abs engaged, I might have them look down just a pinch more. If they are really having trouble sitting into their glutes, I might have them look up a pinch.
The real takeaway from this is to know where you should feel an exercise and make sure that is what’s working. When you’re doing squats, you should feel both your glutes and quads working, as well as your abs and low back. A balanced squat works everything, and working everything means you’ll be able to do more and get stronger without getting hurt because the effort is shared.
Want to learn more about where you should be feeling an exercise and which muscles should be working?
Three expert coaches in the fitness and rehab industry came together to build an incredible 12 week workout program to help you reach your fitness goals.
Everyone – women AND men, powerlifters AND CrossFitters, Batman AND Care Bears – can spend more time developing their glute, core and pelvic floor strength and integrity.
Sarah, Kellie, and Megan are phenomenal coaches and have put in a ton of work to make this a resource that can equally help (and be applied) fitness professionals and general population alike.
Fitness Professionals: to be able to assess and write effective corrective and training programs to address things like pelvic floor dysfunction, rectus diastasis (which effects males too), incontinence, and many other “intricate” issues that aren’t easy to train around (much less talk about).
General Population: to show you the basics needed to feel great and to set yourself up for as much success as possible if or when you choose to attack the iron.
Batman (in case you’re reading this): to fight crime in a more efficient and timely manner.
This program is thorough AF and the beauty is that it requires minimal equipment and can be done at home or in a gym.
I’ve performed a few of the workouts & movements myself and lets just say its highlighted a few glaring weaknesses on my end. What’s more, I’m learning a lot. This WILL make me a better coach.
The price is heavily discounted – $200 OFF – for two days only (6/28 and 6/29).
It increases $100 on June 30th – July 1st.
And then increases to full price on Monday, July 2nd.
You don’t have much time to take advantage, so I encourage you to do NOW.
There are no “hacks” to getting strong. I’m a firm believer you get out of it what you put in.
It’s hard, and it takes a lot of hard work; oftentimes over the course of several years.
That said, below are a few “quick” tips that can help expedite the process. Admittedly there’s nothing profound or elaborate included, but I felt it important to suggest things that are easily accessible to the bulk of people who read this site.
Hope they resonate and help.5 Quick Tips to Increase Strength
1. WARNING: Captain Obvious suggestion of the day: Creatine
It still dumbfounds me to think there are people out there who train on a consistent basis, yet are still not taking creatine (and yes, this includes you as well ladies). It’s the most researched supplement in human history and it’s efficacy has been proven time and time again.
*It’s safe
*It works
*It’s NOT steroids
Just take five grams of creatine monohydrate (no need to buy the expensive brands that are laced with rocket fuel) per day and that’s that.
ADDENDUM: This is a suggestion. Not mandatory. The first step to addressing lack of progress is to audit your program and nutrition. If those two factors aren’t getting the job done, no one supplement is going to be the panacea.
That said, you still need to go train like a savage. Taking creatine alone isn’t going to mount to much.
2. Deadlift Barefoot
Everyone who trains with me here in Boston is told to take their shoes off when (s)he deadlifts.
To quote a new client I started with the other night
“Why?”
BECAUSE I SAID SO. HOW DARE YOU QUESTION ME. KNEEL BEFORE ZOD!!
Just kidding.
Well for starters, by taking your shoes off you’re now 1-2 inches closer to the ground, which is 1-2 inches less distance the bar has to travel.
Secondly, and more germane to the point, by taking your shoes off you’re now able to push through your heels. As a result, you’ll recruit more of your glutes and hamstrings to help out.
It’s not uncommon for some people to see a significant increase in how much weight they can pull off the ground from a little more posterior chain recruitment.
Thirdly, people will automatically think you’re badass cause you’re training with no shoes on. Of course, this is contingent on whether or not your feet smell like you’ve been walking through a sewer all day.
In that case, it’s your call.
3. Glute Activation
If your glutes aren’t able to fire full throttle, the hamstrings and lower back have to do more work than they’re accustomed to doing.
So from that standpoint paying more attention to glute activation can have positive repercussions for those suffering through chronic low-back pain.
However, people often forget the badonkadonks are not only the body’s dominant hip extensor which play a key role in athletics and strength, but are also a fairly large muscle that’s aesthetically pleasing to look at (cue obligatory fitness Insta-celebrity pic here).
Don’t worry, I got you too ladies:
By “turning on” the glutes with some simple activation techniques beforehand, you will undoubtedly be able to handle more weight when you squat and/or deadlift.
To that end, while I don’t have any PubMed research articles to back this up, more weight=more strength=more people want to see you naked.
Here are some of my favorites:
Up 2, Down 1
I like this variation because it allows for more eccentric overload on the lowering leg. Obviously one will need to master the two-legged variation first, but this is a nice progression to consider.
Band Resisted 1-Legged Hip Thrust
This is an ingenious variation I stole from Dean Somerset. If you’re looking to progress you’re 1-Legged Hip Thrust and having a hard time figuring out a way to do so, give this a try.
Creepy McCreepypants Frog Pumps
Popularized by none other than Bret Contreras, Frog Pumps are another fantastic exercise that aid in getting the glutes nice and juicy.
Thing is, they’re awkward as fuck to perform in public.
So, there’s only one way, and one way only, to perform them….
…..by copying Bret and Dr. John Rusin’s lead and making direct, intense eye contact with someone and making things creepy AF.10.
Reps can range anywhere from 15 to infinity.
4. Stop Testing Strength and Build It
I’m not the first to say this.
Many other coaches stronger than I – Chad Wesley Smith, Greg Robins, Julia Ladewski, Pavel, to name a few – have reverberated this quote on repeat throughout the years.
Far too often trainees head to the gym week in and week out and “test” their lifts rather than actually build them.
Now, mind you, lifting heavy things (90% + of 1 rep-max) is a non-negotiable factor to getting strong. However, as I noted in THIS blog post sub-maximal training (I.e., predominately using loads in the 65-85% range) is much UNDER-valued component to strength training.
In other words: loads in those ranges help one to BUILD strength.
Moreover, utilizing more sub-maximal training – while having an obvious muscle building effect (bigger muscles often equate to more force output) – also allows trainees to hone their technique and to get into (and maintain) proper positions to exhibit their strength more effectively.
5. Use Novelty Sparingly
Unlike coaches Dan John or Mike Boyle, I don’t find myself to be a very quotable person.
However, I am proud of this one:
“Look, I’m not bashing exercise variety. Variety has a time and place. However, the greatest gap in most people’s training isn’t lack of novelty, but rather lack of mastery.”
Many trainees have what I like to call “Squirrel Syndrome” when it comes to working out.
They start doing an exercise (or in most cases start an exercise program) and before they’ve put down the dumbbell on their first set they’re distracted by a new “squirrel.”
In this case the squirrel is an entirely new exercise program or a bright, shiny, new exercise.
– “Jumping Jack BOSU Bicep Curls?”
– “Sweet Christmas, I need that in my life.”
Want to get stronger?
Stop hopping exercise to exercise or program to program. It’s almost impossible to see steady progress if you’re heavy-handed on the novelty.
I like Jim Wendler’s approach to programming for strength:
“The boring shit works.”
Observe anyone who’s strong or has a physique you admire and almost always they’re doing very vanilla things in the weight room.
Contrarily, watch most other asshats who cry afoul about hitting their genetic ceiling11(or something equally as lame):
I always like to say the progress you make in the gym are the direct result of how well you allow yourself to recover.
As counterintuitive as it sounds you break muscle down in the gym, and it’s the time away from deadlifts, squats, and daily WODs that your body recovers and bounces back stronger than before.
Today’s guest post from TG.com regular, Dr. Nicholas Licameli, expounds on some of the best (and simplest) ways you can get a little more recovery in your life.
It’s not as easy as telling someone to “go to bed.”
As soon as a training session ends, the goal should be to start the recovery process.
In order for us to consistently make improvements in our bodies and our training, we need exercise that overloads our current tolerance AND adequate recovery. In other words, we need to challenge, break down, and fatigue our muscles as well as recover from that challenge, break down, and fatigue.
There are many ways to look at fatigue. One common breakdown is peripheral fatigue and central fatigue. Peripheral fatigue is simply the physical stress, break down, and depletion of glycogen that muscles experience during training. This decreases strength, power, and performance and causes muscle soreness.
Central fatigue is a bit different.
Without going too in depth (that’s for another article), I introduce the autonomic nervous system, made up of the sympathetic (SNS) and parasympathetic (PNS) nervous systems. The SNS controls our stress response, or “fight or flight.”
SNS controls our bodies when we come face to face with a grizzly bear. We’re going to sweat and our heart rate, blood pressure, and respiratory rate will increase. During this state, we are essentially mentally and physically breaking down our bodies. The PNS controls the recovery response, or “rest, digest, and recover.” During this state, our blood pressure, heart rate, and respiratory rates all decrease.
It is in this state that we mentally and physically rebuild and recover.
Interestingly enough, the brain’s mechanism for learning works similarly to the mechanism by which muscles grow and become stronger.
Muscles do not grow in the gym.
Training causes muscles to be broken down. It is during recovery and sleep that muscles make adaptive changes.
Similarly, we do not learn while we attend a lecture.
The lecture is like a training session because we do not make adaptive and lasting breakthroughs while in class. Our brains make new connections and truly absorb new knowledge during the rest, digest, and recover phase, which occurs after the lecture and usually during sleep.
I Sleep Every Night, Isn’t That Enough?
Not quite.
Imagine this sample day:
Alarm goes off (for the 5th time…thanks a lot snooze button) and you jump out of bed feeling like you’re running late. You go into the bathroom, get washed, get dressed, sprint down the stairs, grab some coffee and a quick to-go bite to eat, and you get into your car.
Some traffic, nasty drivers, and frantic lane changes later, you make it to the office a few minutes late. With no time to prepare, you dive right into your daily work duties.
After a stressful day at work (and getting yelled at by your boss for being late) and four cups of coffee, you rush to get home to pick up the kids from school. The commute home is no better than the morning, but you manage to get there on time. You make it home, give the kids a snack[/efn_note]As if I know anything about childcare. Sorry parents, this article is written by a young man without children…yet.12 and head out to the gym.
After taking a pre workout with enough caffeine to give heart palpitations to a Clydesdale horse, you manage to get psyched up for your workout. After a great workout, you jump in the car newly energized and ready to make dinner for the family and help the kids with homework. After collapsing on your bed and staring blankly at your Instagram feed until you can’t keep your eyes open, you manage to somehow fall asleep.
What’s the point of this example?
This is an entire day spent in a sympathetic state!
Remember, the sympathetic system is the fight, flight, and physical breakdown system. There is no time allotted to the parasympathetic system: rest, digest, and recover.
Things like stress, caffeine, and training are all highly sympathetic.
Here’s the good news!
A day like this can be easily changed for the good. All it takes is a few minutes of actively disconnecting from the grind. My favorite (and in my opinion, the simplest) way to accomplish this is simply breathing.
That’s right. Good ol’ breathing.
Inhale deeply and exhaling slowly. Let your shoulders drop down on the exhale. Redirect your mind away from the day-to-day and focus on your breathing (more on this below).
In my office, we set an egg timer for one hour. When the timer goes off, everyone stops and takes a deep breath. It takes maybe 6 seconds and has had a significant impact on staff and patients alike. No egg timer? Every time you slip away for a bathroom break, try making it a point to take a deep breath. It may even be a good idea to bring along loved ones. What could be a better way to end the day than a couples breathing session in bed?
Actually, don’t answer that.
Note From TG: BOM, CHICKA BOM BOM
It seems logical that a proper recovery plan would target both types of fatigue. The following is a list of some recovery techniques that research has shown may be effective.
The techniques will target both types of fatigue and keep you on your way to achieving and surpassing your goals. Before we go on, it is important to note that no recovery technique, including the ones below, will be effective without proper sleep and nutrition. Getting your Z’s and eating properly to fuel and refuel our bodies are most important.
That being said, let’s get to it!
In an already packed schedule, it is not feasible to think you will be able to set aside time to do each technique, so I’ve numbered them from 1 (most important) to 4 (least important), in my opinion of course.
My opinion is based on the current research, effectiveness, convenience, and anecdotal experience both personally and professionally. It should be noted that although there is some research supporting the use of these techniques, many of the mechanisms and overall effectiveness still warrant further study.
For more information about specific parameters and references (and if you want to feel really insignificant about yourself and the quality of your own content), be sure to check out Chris Beardsley’s work at strengthandconditioningresearch.com right here.
1. Deep Breathing and Meditation
What Is It?
Using deep, controlled breathing and meditation to induce a state of physical and mental relaxation.
What Does It Do?
Deep breathing and meditation increases parasympathetic nervous system activity (rest, digest, recover) and decreases sympathetic nervous system activity (fight or flight).
How to Do It?
Choose a relaxing environment (an empty room, out in nature, etc.) and position yourself in a comfortable position (I prefer lying on my back with a pillow under my head and a pillow under my knees). Breathe in deeply through your nose and imagine the breath filling up and expanding your abdomen and lower back.
Hold for a few seconds and then exhale through your mouth in a controlled manner (don’t just blow the air out). With each exhale, imagine your body melting into the floor. Keep your mind focused on your breathing. “Is this an ‘in’ breath or an ‘out’ breath?” is the only thinking that should be happening.
If you hear a car horn and your attention goes to the car, redirect your mind back to your breathing. If your mind drifts to that report you have to write at work today, redirect your mind to your breathing. Some types of meditation actually involve allowing those intrusive thoughts in, and accepting their presence. If they are of significance, take moment to write them down.
If they are insignificant (be honest with yourself), push them away and redirect your mind to your breathing. Meditation takes practice, but as you train your brain to control intrusive thoughts and focus on the moment, you’ll see drastic changes in your recovery as well as your life.
2. Active Recovery
What Is It?
Active Recovery involves performing light resistance training or cardio either immediately following a workout or between workouts.
What Does It Do?
May reduce muscle soreness, limit strength losses, and even improve mood.
How to Do It?
Perform active recovery by using a light load (30% of 1 rep max) for about 20-50 reps for less than 60 minutes or using an active cool down such as a stationary bike for roughly 15 minutes.
Note From TG: Check out my Bloop, Bloop, Bloop Workout HERE which touches on the same idea a Nicholas describes and gives you some ideas on what to do.
3. Foam Rolling
(For an in depth look at foam rolling, be sure to check out my previous article here and my podcast here, which are much more comprehensive than what is described in this article.)
What Is It?
Foam rolling involves lying on a roller and using gravity to apply pressure to a muscle. The roller is pressed into the muscle belly and the user rolls up and down the length of the target muscle.
What Does It Do?
Like deep breathing and meditation, foam rolling can tap into the parasympathetic nervous system (rest, digest, recover) and reduce sympathetic nervous system activity (fight or flight) by inducing a global short-term decrease in muscle tone.
Muscle tone is the continuous passive contraction of a muscle controlled subconsciously by the brain. In other words, it’s a muscle’s resistance to passive stretch.
Tone is created by a constant subconscious message from the brain telling a muscle to contract. Many times the sensation of muscle “tightness” has more to do with tone and less to do with actual muscle length.
How to Do It?
1. View video above.
2. Or, if you learn better by reading:
Start off with a slow, steady roll covering the entire muscle group, scanning the area for tender spots. Think of scanning the area as a blind person would scan a new environment. Once you find a tender spot, pause and hold on that spot until a release is felt and the tenderness lessens. Add some deep breathing while holding on the tender spot to further assist in the release. Follow this up with another slow, steady roll over the entire muscle, just like how you started. It is true that foam rolling should be a bit painful, but too much pain will cause an increase in muscle tone, which, as previously mentioned, is exactly the opposite of what we want to do. More pain is not better.
Better quality is better.
4. Water Immersion
What Is It?
Water immersion is the use of ice baths or hot tubs.
What Does It Do?
May reduce muscle soreness and limit losses in performance.
How to Do It?
Use cold-water immersion (8-15°C/46°F-59°F) for 5-15 minutes or alternate 1-4 minute bouts of cold and hot water (38°C-42°C/100°F-108°F). Be sure to be submerged to shoulder height.
Where to Start?
A great place to start is with (1) deep breathing and meditation.
Start small.
Try devoting a few minutes each day to disconnecting and breathing. Work up to longer durations as you start to get the hang of it.
This will help in all aspects of life.
Once you’ve successfully made it a habit to disconnect and breathe for a few minutes each day, try adding in some (2) active recovery days.
After you have a solid daily breathing and meditation routine and you’ve managed to add in some active recovery to your week, consider using a foam roller combined with deep breathing for a few minutes after training and maybe even before bed. Once you have all these in place, feel free to give (4) water immersion a shot if you have the time and resources.
Use these techniques, along with proper sleep and nutrition, and you will soon reap the physical and mental benefits of proper recovery!
About the Author
Nicholas M. Licameli
Doctor of Physical Therapy / Pro Natural Bodybuilder
Every single thing he does, Nick believes in giving himself to others in an attempt to make the world a happier, healthier, and more loving place. He wants to give people the power to change their lives. Bodybuilding and physical therapy serve as ways to carry out that cause. Nick graduated summa cum laude from Ramapo College of New Jersey with his bachelor’s degree in biology, furthered his education by completing his doctoral degree in physical therapy from Rutgers School of Biomedical and Health Sciences (previously the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey) at the age of 24, and has earned professional status in natural bodybuilding. His knowledge of sport and exercise biomechanics, movement quality, and the practical application of research combined with personal experience in bodybuilding and nutrition allows him to help people in truly unique ways. Love. Passion. Respect. Humility. Never an expert. Always a student. Love your journey.
You can learn all about 20+ loading types, providing YEARS of near infinite variety on the basics by picking up my free e-book, 
Matt Phelps is the owner and founder of Metabolic Meltdown, a fitness business with 6 locations in Upstate New York that specializes in Metabolic Training.
Nicholas M. Licameli
