CategoriesAssessment Corrective Exercise Program Design Rehab/Prehab

The Forgotten, Often Overlooked Cause of Low Back Pain

There are many root causes of low back pain and discomfort, and there are many people who’s day to day lives are affected by it.

In my neck of the woods – Strength & Conditioning – the culprit(s) can often be displayed on the weight room floor. Lifters who routinely default into movement patterns that place them in (end-range) LOADED spinal flexion or extension are often playing with fire when it comes to their low back health and performance.

NOTE: this isn’t to say that repeated flexion/extension is always the root cause.

1) There’s a stark contrast between flexion/extension and LOADED flexion/extension. Many people have been programmed to think that all flexion/extension of the spine is bad. It’s not. The spine is meant to move, albeit under the assumption that one can do so without significant compensation patterns (relative stiffness), limitations in mobility, and with appropriate use of both passive (ligaments, labrums, and tendons, oh my) and active (muscles) restraints.

It’s when people start placing the spine under load in ranges of motion they can’t control – often in the name of social media glory – that bad things end up happening. 

2) However, there are plenty of examples of lifters (mostly elite level, which is an important point) who have been utilizing techniques many fitness pros would deem incendiary with regards to the increased likelihood of spines all over the world resembling a game of Jenga.

A great example is a piece Greg Nuckols wrote HERE, explaining the benefits – biomechanically speaking – of a rounded back deadlift.

But back pain – specifically low back pain – can strike at any moment. I’ve heard stories of people hurting their back during training of course. But I have also, and I think many of you reading will nod your head in agreement, have heard stories of people messing up their back while bending over to pick up a pencil or to tie their shoes.

Or while fighting a pack of ninjas (hey, it can happen).

In pretty much all cases it comes down to one of two scenarios going down:

1. Ninjas attack.A one-time blunt trauma. Think: spine buckling under load, car accident, falling off a ladder.

2. A repetitive aberrant motor pattern. Think: tissue creep into sustained spinal flexion for hours on end at work.

Dr. Stuart McGill and his extensive research on spinal biomechanics has been the “go to” resource for many people – including myself – to help guide the assessment process and to attempt to figure out the root cause of most people’s low back pain.

A term he uses often is “Spinal Hygiene.”

It behooves us as health and fitness professionals to use the assessment as a window or opportunity to “audit” our client’s and athlete’s movement and to see what exacerbates their low back pain.

From McGill’s book Back Mechanic:

“Our approach in identifying the cause of pain during an assessment is to intentionally provoke it. Provocative pain testing is essential and irreplaceable when it comes to determining which postures, motions, and loads trigger and amplify pain and which ones offer pain-free movement alternatives.”

People who have more pain and discomfort in flexion (slouching, sitting, bending over to tie shoes) are often deemed as flexion intolerant. Moreover, people who have more pain and discomfort in extension (standing for long periods of time, bending backwards, excessive “arching” in training), are often deemed as extension intolerant.

Ironically, in both scenarios, people will find relief in the same postures that are “feeding” the dysfunction and their symptoms.

What’s the Fix?

Funnily enough, pretty much everything works. There are any number of methodologies and protocols in the physical therapy world that have worked and have helped get people out of low back pain.

It’s almost as if the appropriate response to “how do you fix low back pain?” is “the shit if I know? Everything has been shown to work at some point or another.”

Active Release Therapy, Graston, positional breathing, stretching, mobility work, rest, sticking needles in whereeverthefuck….it’s all been shown to work.

I’ve had numerous conversations with manual therapists on the topic and the ones who tend to “get it” and elicit the best results are the ones who take a more diverse or eclectic approach.

They’ll use a variety of modalities to best fit the needs of the individual.

That said, I’m a fan of directing people towards therapists who take a more “active” approach as opposed to a “passive” approach.

Both can work and both have a time and place. However one approach is less apt to make me want to toss my face into an ax.

Passive Approach = Ultra sound, electric stimulation, etc. This approach treats the symptoms, focuses on instant relief, and not necessarily addresses the root cause(s).

Active Approach = Is more hands on and more “stuff” is happening. Practitioners who fall on this side of the fence tend to focus more on the root cause – poor movement quality, positioning, muscle weakness, mobility restrictions – and work in concert with the patient/athlete to educate them on how to prevent future setbacks.

Above all, an active approach is about finding and engraining a neutral spinal position, and finding pain-free movement.

I think by now you know my preference.

 

Tony, Shut-Up, What’s the “Forgotten” Cause of Low Back Pain?

Well, to say it’s “forgotten” is a bit sensationalistic. My bad.

We tend to solely focus on either flexion or extension intolerance…and granted those are the two biggies.

However, have you ever had someone come in and pass those “screens” with flying colors only to complain of back pain or discomfort when he or she rolls over in bed, rotates, or maybe experiences an ouchie when they sneeze?

What’s up with that? And bless you.

Spinal Instability – That’s What’s Up.

Instability can rear it’s ugly head with flexion/extension based issues too, but it becomes more prevalent when rotation is added to the mix.

The body doesn’t operate in one plane of motion, and it’s when people meander out of the sagittal plane and venture into frontal and/or transverse plane movements, when they begin to get into trouble.1

The muscles that provide intersegmental stability to the spine may be under-active and may need some extra TLC.

I’ve worked with people who could crush a set of barbell squats (they handle compression and shear loading well), but would complain of l0w-back pain whenever they did anything that required rotation.

 

The fix is still going to be helping them find and maintain spinal neutral – I don’t feel this is ever not going to be a thing. Kind of like too much money in politics or LOLcats.

In addition, gaining motion from the right areas – hips, t-spine, for example – will also bode well.

However, I’d like to offer some insight on what exercises might be part of the repertoire in terms of “pain free movement” when spine instability is a factor.2

The Stuff Most People Will Skip (It’s Okay, I Won’t Judge You)

One word: planks.

Dr. McGill has stressed time and time again that improving spinal endurance (and hence, stability) is paramount when dealing with back pain. They key, though, is performing them in ideal positions.

I chuckle whenever someone brags about holding a 5-minute plank. When in fact all they’re really doing is hanging onto their spine….literally.

This does no one any favors.3

RKC Plank.

1. It’s a bonafide way to help people gain a better understanding and appreciation for creating full-body tension.

2. I like cueing people to start in a little more (unloaded) flexion, so that by the end they’re residing  in a neutral position anyways.

3. When performed as described in the video below, 10s will make you hate life.

To up the ante you can also incorporate 3-Point Planks (where you take away a base of support, either an arm or a leg, and hold for time) or Prone Plank Arm Marches:

 

NOTE TO SELF: do more of these.4

You can also incorporate Wall (Plank) Transitions where the objective is to cue people to keep the torso locked in place. Motion shouldn’t come from the lumbar spine then mid-back. Everything should move simultaneously, as follows:

Deadbugs

I’m a huge fan of deadbugs. When performed RIGHT, they’re an amazing exercise that will undoubtedly help build core and spine strength/stability.

A key component to the effectiveness of a deadbug is the FULL-EXHALE (check out link above). However, one variation I’ve been using lately is the Wall Press Deadbug (for higher reps).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gmtsGHk34C0

 

Here the objective is to engage anterior core (pressing into the wall), to breath normally, and then to perform a high(er) rep set (10-15/leg) making sure motion comes from the hips and NOT the lower back.

If you want to build stability (and endurance) this is a doozy.

Stuff People Are More Likely To Do (Because It Involves Lifting Things)

1. Offset Loaded Lifts

This is an untapped, often overlooked component to back health and performance. Offset or asymmetrical loaded exercises are a fantastic way to train spinal stability and challenge the core musculature.

By holding a dumbbell on one side, for example, you have work that much harder to maintain an upright posture and resist rotary force:

 

Likewise, with offset presses, the core must fire to prevent you from falling off the bench. Unless you fall off because you’re drunk. If that’s the case, go home.

 

And we don’t have to limit ourselves to dumbbells, either. We can use barbells too.

2. Shovel Deadlift

3. Farmer Carries

Farmer carries – especially 1-arm variations – can be seen in the same light. The offset nature is a wonderful way to challenge the body to resist rotation (rotary force) and to help build more spinal stability.

 

4. 1-Legged Anti-Rotation Scoop Toss

Another option is to perform anti-rotation drills such as the 1-Legged Anti-Rotation Scoop Toss. As you can see from my un-edited video below….it’s tougher than it sounds.

 

5. Anti-Rotation Press

 

A bit higher on the advanced exercise ladder, the Anti-Rotation Press is another great drill to help hone in on increased core strength and spinal stability. To make it easier, use a longer stride stance; to make it harder go narrower.

This Is Not an End-All-Be-All List

But a good conversation stimulator for many people dealing with low-back pain nonetheless. Have you got own ideas or approaches to share? Please chime in below or on Facebook!

CategoriesAssessment coaching personal training Program Design Strength Training youth/sports training

Addressing the Stone Cold Facts of Training Athletes

Remember that show diary on MTV? You know, the one that aired back in the early to mid-2000s?

The documentary style show centered mostly on musicians and celebrities and followed them through their daily lives.

Each episode started with said celebrity looking into the camera and saying…..

“You think you know, but you have no idea.”

And then for the next 60 minutes we got a true taste of the celebrity lifestyle, given an opportunity to witness their trials and tribulations with the paparazzi, hectic travel schedules, demands on their time, and what it’s like to demand a bowl full of green only M&Ms in their dressing room (and actually get it), not to mention the inside scoop on what it’s really like to be able to bang anyone you want.

Stupid celebrities. They suck….;o)5

Sometimes I feel like strength coaches should have their own version of the show diary, because when it comes to training athletes I feel like many people out there “think they know….

“…..but they have no idea.”

Oh snap, see what I just did there?

While I don’t think it’s rocket science, I’d be lying if I said there isn’t a lot of attention to detail when it comes to training athletes – or any person for that matter – and getting them ready for a competitive season. Everyone is different, with different backgrounds, ability level, injury history, strengths, weaknesses, goals, anthropometry, as well as considerations with regards to the unique demands of each sport and position(s) played.

By contrast, there are numerous parallels in training despite athletic endeavors or whether or not someone is an athlete to begin with.

We can take the Dan John mantra of:

Push, pull, hinge, squat, lunge, carry

Do those things, do them well, and do them often….and you’ll be better off than most. It’s complicated in its simplicity.

Much like Dan I prefer to train everyone I work with as if they’re an athlete. There’s something magical that happens when I can get Joe from accounting or Dolores from HR to deadlift 2x bodyweight or to start tossing around some medicine balls. Even better if it’s done while listening to Wu-Tang Clan.

They wake up!

They’re less of a health/fitness zombie, haphazardly meandering and “bumping” into exercises. Once they start to train with intent and purpose – and move – it’s game time.

That said, lets be honest: when it does come to training athletes there are many other factors to consider; many more than an article like this can cover. However, I do want to discuss a few philosophical “stamps” that some coaches deem indelible or permanent when it comes to training athletes, when in fact they’re anything but.

1) Strong At All Costs

There’s a part of me that cringes to admit this, but it needs to be said: strength isn’t always the answer.

Don’t get me wrong, I still believe strength is the foundation for every other athletic quality we’d want to improve.

If you want to run faster (<— yes, this matters for endurance athletes too), jump higher, throw things harder or further, or make other people destroy the back of their pants, it’s never a bad thing to be stronger.

When working with athletes, though, there’s a spectrum. If you’re working with a college freshman who’s never followed a structured program and is trying to improve their performance to get more playing time, you can bet I’ll take a more aggressive approach with his or her’s training and place a premium on strength.

When working with a professional athlete – who’s already performing at a high level, and is worth millions of dollars – is it really going to make that much of a difference taking their deadlift from 450 lbs to 500 lbs?

Moreover, we’ve all seen those snazzy YouTube and Instagram videos of people jumping onto 60″ boxes:

 

It may get you some additional followers and IG “street cred”…but man, the risk-reward is pretty steep if you ask me. I’m not willing to risk my career (and that of my athletes) for some stupid gym trick.

Besides, if I wanted to I’d up the ante and have them do it while juggling three chainsaws. BOOM! Viral video.

To that end, I like Mike Robertson’s quote which sums my thoughts up the best:

“I think athletes need to be using the weight room as a tool to improve efficiency and athleticism, not simply push as much weight as possible – MR”

2) You Don’t Have to OLY Lift

Some coaches live and die by the OLY lifts, and I can’t blame them…..they work. But as with anything, they’re a tool and a means to an end. They’re not the end-all-be-all-panacea-of-athletic-and-world-domination.

I don’t feel any coach should receive demerit points – or be kicked out of Gryffindor – because he or she chooses not to implement them into their programming.

Lets be real: If you know you have an athlete for a few years, and have the time to hone technique and progress them accordingly, the OLY lifts are a good fit. It’s another thing, too, if you’re competent.

I for one am never guaranteed four years with an athlete, nor am I remotely close to feeling competent enough to teaching the OLY lifts. And that’s okay….

I can still have them perform other things that’ll get the job done:

Jumps:

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

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kn5v85ekXFs

 

NOTE: both videos above courtesy of Adam Feit.

Starts/Acceleration

5 yd Starts

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TklqD8uN_Ds

 

5 yd Jog to 10 yd Acceleration

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HM-BPJKTslg

 

Change of Direction

Up 2, Back 1 Drill

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YSFDp1QSA2w

 

That One Time I Looked Athletic

Medicine Balls Drills

Scoop Toss

 

OH Stomp

 

Kettlebell Swings

 

Punching Ramsay Bolton in the Mouth

No video available.6

3) Single Leg Work Matters

This is probably the part where some people roll their eyes or maybe scroll past, but hear me out.

I think it’s silly when I see coaches on Facebook argue over bilateral vs. unilateral movements and try to win everyone over as to which is best.

They’re both fantastic and warrant attention.

Where I find the most value in single leg training:

  • Serves as a nice way to reduce axial loading on the spine when necessary.
  • It can be argued all sports are performed – in one way or another – on one leg, so from a specificity standpoint it makes sense to include it.
  • Helps to address any woeful imbalance or weakness between one leg and the other.
  • Places a premium on hip stability and core/pelvic control.

All that said, I do find many people are too aggressive with their single leg training. It’s one thing to push the limits with your more traditional strength exercises like squats and deadlifts, but when I see athletes upping the ante on their single leg work to the point where knees start caving in and backs start rounding that’s when I lose it.

I’m all about quality movement with any exercise, but more so with single leg training. I’d rather err on the side of conservative and make sure the athlete is owning the movement and not letting their ego get in the way.

Like that one time I posted this video and Ben Bruno shot back a text showing me a video of Kate Upton using more weight than me. Thanks Ben! Jerk….;o)

Unfortunately, some coaches are so set in their ways that they’ll never cross the picket lines. They’re either team bilateral or team unilateral.

How about some middle ground with B-Stance variations?

 

4) Recognize Positions Matter

I’m not referring to Quarterback or Right Fielder here. But rather, joint positions and how that can play into performance in the weight room and on the field.

If you work with athletes you work with extension.

As I noted in THIS post, anterior pelvic tilt is normal. However, when it’s excessive it can have a few ramifications, particularly as it relates to this discussion.

Without going into too much of the particulars, people “stuck” in extension will exhibit a significant rib flair and what’s called a poor Zone of Apposition.

Basically the pelvis is pointing one way and the diaphragm is pointing another way, resulting in a poor position; an unstable position.

Anyone familiar with the Postural Restoration Institute and many of their principles/methods will note the massive role they’ve played in getting the industry to recognize the importance of breathing.

Not the breathing that’s involved with oxygen exchange – evolution has made sure we’re all rock stars on that front.

Instead, PRI emphasis the importance of the reach and EXHALE; or positional breathing.

It’s that exhale (with reach) that helps put us into a more advantageous position to not only encourage or “nudge” better engagement of the diaphragm, but also better alignment….which can lead to better stability and better ability to “display” strength.

NOTE: this is why I’m not a huge fan of telling someone to arch hard on their squats.

 

When joints aren’t stacked or in ideal positions, it can lead to compensation patterns and energy leaks which can compromise performance.

5) You Need to Control Slow Before You Can Control Fast

It’s simple.

Learn More With Elite Athletic Development 3.o

Mike Robertson and Joe Kenn released their latest resource, Elite Athletic Development 3.0 this week.

I can’t begin to describe how much information they cover, but if you’re someone who trains athletes then this is a no-brainer.

Many of the concepts I discuss above are covered, in addition to twelve more hours worth of content over the course of ten DVDs

Point Blank: You’ll learn from two of the best in the biz.

The seminar is on SALE this week at $100 off the regular price, and it ends this Friday (7/22), so act quickly.

Go HERE for more details.

CategoriesProgram Design Strength Training

Stronger Back = Better Everything

What’s more impressive or baller than a muscular, strong-looking backside?7

Any Joe Schmo can walk around with decent sized biceps or a six-pack that would make Tyler Durden jealous. Walk into any commercial gym and you’ll see both.

However, it’s a bit of a rarer occurrence to see someone with an impressive upper back. Not JD Salinger making a public appearance rare or even unicorn rare; but rare nonetheless.

It’s a shame, too, because having a strong upper back provides many advantages.

1) It Makes You Look Yoked

Remember that opening scene from the movie Troy when Achilles (<— I know, second Brad Pitt reference in less than ten seconds. Last one I promise) “fights” Boagrius?

To help jog your memory, this is Boagrius:

You can’t technically see his upper back, but do really need to in order recognize he’s a ginormous human being?

Yeah, sure, the fight between him and Achilles was over in a blink of an eye, but we’re still talking about those traps.

And speaking of traps, who can forget Tom Hardy in the movie Warrior.

For starters, it’s a fantastic movie about brothers, fathers, and some of the best MMA fight scenes ever filmed – even my wife liked it.

Secondly, between his role as Tommy in Warrior (as well as Bane in The Dark Knight Rises), Hardy pretty much sealed the title for “Best Traps in Hollywood” and subsequently spawned a tsunami of “Get Traps Like Tom Hardy” workouts.

Traps, indeed, are the new abs.

2) Increased Overall Strength (DUH)

Having a bigger “anything” generally assumes increased strength. Trying really hard not to include a penis joke here.

A larger muscle can generate more force. More force equates to increased strength. Increased strength is never a bad thing.

To be more specific, though, having a bigger/stronger upper back can have huge carryover to improved performance in many lifts – especially as it relates to the “big 3.”

Squat

Having a bigger/stronger backside can translate very well to a better squat.

  • A bigger upper back makes it easier to allow the bar to rest on the “shelf.”
  • The back musculature must fire isometrically during a set to prevent falling forward and to prevent any excessive rounding.
  • Anyone who thinks the lats aren’t involved with squat performance is kidding themselves. The lats have attachment points in the intertubicular groove of the humerus, scapulae, portions of the vertebrae (T7-T12), the thoraco-lumbar fascia, as well as the iliac crest.
  • Activating the lats during squats provides significant more spinal stability and allowance of force transfer between the lower/upper halves of the body. This is partly the reason why people can back squat more than they can front squat.

Bench Press

Ask any powerlifter what’s more important for a big bench press – chest or upper back – and most will likely say “both!,” however default to the upper back (and technique) as being more of a limiting factor.

Chad Wesley-Smith of Juggernaut Training likes to use the analogy of the upper back serving as a “base of support” during the bench press. A thicker/wider upper back will:

  • Get you closer to the barbell (less distance the bar as to travel).
  • Assuming technique is on point, will act as a “springboard” to propel the barbell off the chest.

Deadlift

Similar to what was noted above with squats, a bigger/stronger backside will almost always equate to a better, less vomit-in-my-mouth looking deadlift.

Everything – traps, rhomboids, lats, erectors – work in concert, isometrically, to counteract both compressive and shear forces playing tug-of-war with your spine.

The stronger your back, the stronger your deadlift.

3) Illusion of a Bigger Chest

I work with a lot of men who’s #1 goal is to have more sex have a bigger chest. Common sense tells us that in order to have larger chest muscles (pecs) we need to train them.

And I agree.

Unfortunately, guys tend to be so enamored with training their chest that “chest day”  becomes “chest week.”

52 weeks a year.

As a result, many are left with an overly kyphotic posture (rounded upper back and shoulders) because they’ve developed a muscular imbalance between their front and backside, which ends up “hiding” their chest development.

So what ends up happening?

More chest exercises.

Which only feeds into the problem.

Many are left flummoxed when I suggest the answer is to perform more BACK exercises. Often, the answer is to strengthen and focus more on their backside, which will then “open” things up and give the illusion of a larger chest.

It’s like being Gandalf. Except, you know, not.

Back Strategery

Which leads us to the obvious question: Tony, will you just STFU and tell me WTF do I do?

This is a blog post, not a dissertation on anything & everything back training…but I’d be remiss (and an a-hole) if I didn’t provide at least some actionable advice.

1) Horizontal Pulls vs. Vertical Pulls

It’s generally accepted that back training can (and should) be divided into two camps: horizontal pulls and vertical pulls.

According to lore – and every bodybuilder in the history of ever – horizontal pulling tends to target upper back thickness, while vertical pulling tends to target width.

Bodybuilders are jacked and know a thing or two about putting on muscle, so who are we to disagree?

Horizontal Pulls = deadlifts, bent over rows, Seal Row, Yates row, DB rows, chest supported rows, Batwing rows, inverted rows (which are more of a hybrid, but certainly fall into this category), etc.

 

Vertical Pulls = chin-ups, pull-ups, lat pulldowns.

This is not an exhaustive list, but hopefully gets the point across.

If you’re someone who follows more of an Upper/Lower split during the week (4x per week), it may help to divide your upper body pulling days into horizontal vs. vertical.

If you’re someone who follows more of a full-body split (say, 3x per week) you could approach your back training in an A/B fashion.

A = horizontal pulls.
B = vertical pulls.

Week 1 = A, B, A
Week 2 = B, A, B

So on and so forth.

2) Train Your Back More Often

I honestly feel back training is something most people could get away with doing every training session. This doesn’t mean, of course, you need to go heavy or balls-to-the-wall every time.

On days you squat or deadlift or both if you’re a badass (or Wolverine), your back is getting plenty of work, and it probably wouldn’t bode well to follow suit with some heavy Bent-Over Rows or Pendlay Rows.

 

You can, however, toss in some moderate to high(er) rep (not to failure) accessory work afterwards in the form of DB rows or maybe some Band Face Pulls.

In any given week I like to include at least ONE heavy (3-5 reps) horizontal pulling variation, in addition to a moderate (8-12) and high-rep (12+) variation.

The same goes for vertical pulling – although, options are a little more limited here.

It’s undulated periodization 101.

It may look something like this:

Day 1

A. Deadlift: 3×4-6
B1. Speed Squat: 6×2
B2. Speed Chin-up/Pull-Up: 6×3
C1. Flat Bench DB Press: 3×10
C2. 1-Legged Hip Thrust: 3×8-10/leg
D. Band Face Pulls 3×15-20

Day 2

A1. Front Squats: 3×4-6
A2. 1-Arm DB Row: 3×8-12/arm
B. Speed Bench Press 6×3 OR DB Bench Press 4×6-8
C1. 1-Arm Landmine Press 3×10/arm
C2. Hinge Row: 3×10
D1. DB Goblet Squat: 3×8
D2. Pallof Press 3×8/side

Day 3

A1. Bench Press: 4×5
A2. Weighted Chin-Up: 4×3-4
B. Speed Deadlift: 6×1
C1. Cable Pull-Through 3×10-12
C2. Ab Rollout 3×10-12
D1. Seated Cable Row: 2×10
D2. High Rep Band Tricep Pressdowns: 2×20

And then you can tinker with varying set/reps each week.

3) Sneak It In

You can also “sneak” more back exercises into the mix and increase volume.

  • Pair a light row exercise with all warm-up sets on bench press.

 

  • Every time you walk past a chin-up/pull-up bar during a workout, perform 1-3 reps. Or, perform 1-3 reps every time you go to get a drink of water.
  • One option I like is to combine a unilateral row exercise with any additional speed (or technique) work I have a client perform. So, if I have someone doing 8 sets of “technique” work on squats, I’ll pair that with 8 sets of 1-Arm DB Rows (albeit only 4 sets per side)
    • Set of Squats paired with 1-Arm DB Row – Right Arm Only
    • Set of Squats paired with 1-Arm DB Row – Left Arm Only
    • Fist Pumps x Infinity.

I don’t know, just some ideas.

CategoriesProgram Design rant

Porcelain Post: Exercise Variety

NOTE: the term “Porcelain Post” was invented by Brian Patrick Murphy and Pete Dupuis. Without getting into the specifics, it describes a post that can be read in the same time it takes you to go #2.

Huh, I guess that was more specific than I thought.

Enjoy.

Know what I say about exercise variety?

“Exercise variety, shmeshmercise flafliriety.”

As in, “Exercise variety? Meh.”

As in, “You don’t need as much of as you think you need.”

Or, to put it another way: “fuck it, it’s overrated.”

I’ve reached a tipping point of tolerance, hovering in the vicinity of going bat-shit crazy as it relates to watching people wasting repetitions (and their time) performing superfluous exercises in the name of Likes and Instagram bragging rights.

Don’t get me wrong: I understand that for some of you reading, this comes across as nothing more than me playing the role of ornery, cantankerous strength-coach…hellbent on reminding everyone that, “when I was your age, I worked out without Tweeting about it, barbells were pretty much it, and I didn’t even CrossFit.”

Now, please excuse me while I go yell at the kids to get off my lawn (and then peel out of my driveway in my Gran Torino).

Exercise variety has its place. I want to make that clear. For some people it’s the “variety” that keeps them sane and motivated to show up day in and day out.

Sometimes, it is about having fun, and there’s a degree of excitement and anticipation when we head to the gym to try something new.

I’m all for it.

In addition, exercise variety can also be a valuable asset to help address technique flaws or weaknesses with any one particular lift. It’s that subtle jolt in doing something different – while attacking something specific – that can make all the difference in the world.

Conversely, it’s the vanilla nature of doing the same exercises, in the same order, for the same sets/reps for weeks, months, and years on end that oftentimes derails progress.

So, in many ways, exercise variety is a crucial component in long-term, consistent, and systemic (improved) performance in the weight room.

On the flip side….

Exercise Variety Can Stagnate Mastery

Far too often I find trainees grow infatuated with the “newness” of new. They turn into Dug, the dog from the movie Up:

SQUIRREL!!!

 

Before they’re able to demonstrate any semblance of understanding and “mastery” of an exercise – in this case lets default to the “big 3 (squat, bench press, deadlift) – they’re distracted by the squirrel, or the shiny, gimmicky, whateverthef*** exercise that that guy is doing over there in the corner of the gym.

Weeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee.

I am right there with you: the hip hinge looks boring, and it is boring.

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

 

It’s not a sexy exercise, and it most certainly will not win you any social media followers; but I gotta tell ya, as a coach, nothing is more valuable to me than the hip hinge.

Once someone masters that, their exercise toolbox grows exponentially.

I can more or less do whatever I want with him or her.

Deadlift? Check.

Squat? Check.

KB Swing? Check.

Fight Jason Bourne? Check.

It behooves me to drill the “big 3,” to the point of boredom and nausea, over and over and over and over again.

The Pareto Principle almost always applies here: 80% of your results are going to come from 20% of the work. If someone wants to get strong, more athletic, or even shredded…the basic, boring, “stuff” is going to get the job done.

I mean, if you want to get better at back squatting…back squat!

I know, I’m full of good ideas.

Besides, you can add plenty of “variety” playing with bar position, foot position, stance width, in addition to fluctuating sets/reps, tempo, and rest intervals.

Granted it’s an “old school” approach, but what good does it do to spend a week or even a month on a given exercise only to move on before any level of competence or motor learning has transpired?

What good does it do to add variety for the sake of adding variety?

We are providing a service, and we must take into consideration our client’s goals and preferences. There is a degree of compromise.

However

Mastering the basics, using less variety, at least in the beginning, for most people, most of the time, is going to supersede exercise flamboyance.

CategoriesCorrective Exercise Program Design Strength Training

The Pendulum Swing

I’m still in Europe. Thankfully I have some coaches pinch-hitting for me while I’m away providing some awesome content. 

Today I have a great post from Pittsburgh based strength coach and physical therapy student, Michael Mash.

Užívat si (<— Enjoy in Czech)8

What You Need to Know

  1. With the popularization of core stability training, true rotational movements have erroneously gotten a bad rap.
  2. Mobility and soft tissue work have done wonders for various populations, but if you’re stretching and mobilizing for an hour before you even start your workout, something’s wrong.
  3. Squats and deadlifts are fantastic foundational exercises, but they are simply not enough to effectively train the core.
  4. While it has good intentions, the term “functional training” has recently been abused. Real functional training is actually quite simplistic.
  5. Evidence-based practice has enhanced the way we view clinical practice and strength training, but it is simply a tool in the toolbox.

Fitness trends act like a pendulum. As soon as the newest idea hits the mainstream and peaks, a group of people who adamantly oppose it return it to the other end of the spectrum. What we can learn from this phenomenon is this: the answer often lies right in the middle.

Core Stability Training

Quite possibly one of the most popular fitness buzz words of the last decade, core stability training has made a huge impact on how we train our midsection for health and performance.

Characterized by learning to properly move at the hips and upper extremities while keeping the spine stable, core stability training can be categorized into different planes of movement.

For example, anti-extension exercises such as the RKC plank, challenge the core’s ability to resist extension, whereas the barbell torque, an anti-rotation exercise, involves moving a barbell from side-to-side while maintaining a rigid core.

The barbell torque, performed with arm movement and a rigid core, is a fantastic anti-rotation exercise.

Popularized by Dr. Stuart McGill, while anti-rotation exercises are fantastic for those in both the rehabilitation and performance worlds, they seem to have been associated with the trend to completely STOP doing rotational core exercises.

What gives?

The last time I checked, the torso does actually have the capability to rotate and does so quite frequently on the field. Although, solely training core stability might not directly encourage an athlete to run around the field like a stiff board, promoting movement fluidity and rotational power with TRUE rotational core exercises does have merit.

Barring any contraindications such as previous or current hip/lumbar pathologies, rotation at the core is pivotal for successful sports performance, so let’s train it!

Exercises such as cable chops and medicine ball throws will train core rotation in the standing posture to promote both movement fluidity and increase performance!

 

Mobility and Soft Tissue Work

Oh mobility and soft tissue work!

Can’t live with it, can’t live without it!

The rise of mobility and soft tissue work has done wonders for both the banged-up lifter population and the elite athlete. Mobility and soft tissue work are paramount for success and have helped extend careers and led to more pounds lifted on the platform.

Once again, like core stability training, what started as a great idea to reduce pain and increase performance, now has turned into people flopping around on foam rollers, smashing and flossing each and every muscle, and twisting themselves up into a pretzel for 45-minutes before they even begin their workout!

This is a major problem.

I emphasize, do not take this babble to be anti-mobility work rhetoric, quite the contrary.

In order to set yourself up for success and time efficiency, your mobility and soft tissue work needs to be succinct, effective, and goal driven. Often times, what happens is the complete opposite.

Let me propose to you an example.

You are someone who has “tight” hamstrings. You spend the first 5 minutes of your routine foam rolling.

Next, you get out your spikey ball, because the roller wasn’t good enough, and you start rolling with that. Then you perform some mobility work such as single-leg toe touches, walking kicks, yoga push-ups, and finish off with a healthy dose of static stretching from 5 different angles. Fast-forward 6-months, and guess what? You STILL have “tight” (and I use that word loosely…no pun intended) hamstrings.

My point is this: It is IMPERATIVE that you monitor for results with your targeted mobility and soft-tissue work. Your warmup should be no more than 10 minutes at most, and if you are not seeing the results you want, reassess, or see a qualified professional for some advice instead of endlessly spinning your wheels.

Squats and Deadlifts Only for Core

With the popularization in core training, came a concurrent rise in the notion that it’s all a pile of bologna.

Yep. You heard me right.

“Look at all these wacky core exercises. You don’t need those. Just squat and deadlift. That’s all you need!”

Going along with our pendulum analogy, with the rise of core stability training, came the rise of those who said all you need to do is squat and deadlift.

Again, the answer lies in the middle.

Here’s the bottom line: although you don’t need to perform a million different core exercises, squats and deadlifts alone are NOT enough. I’ve worked with clients capable of squatting and deadlifting a brick house but the second you challenge them in with dead-bug progressions such as the hollow-body hold, they can’t maintain proper positioning without holding their breath or slipping into anterior pelvic tilt.

 

Although you must brace the core in a 360⁰ manner to encourage maximal stability during squats and deadlifts, they essentially only train the in an anti-flexion manner, a.k.a preventing your spine from crumbling into a pile of Lego blocks during the lift.

While the barbell lifts with ALWAYS serve as the pivotal foundation of exercise prescription, adding in a few extra rotary, lateral flexion, and flexion (or “anti” movements, again BOTH have their place), will take minimal time and promote a more complete core training experience to enhance performance and reduce the risk of injury.

Functional Training

What once started as a great idea to promote enhanced daily function, has turned into people single-leg squatting on a Bosu ball while juggling in one hand and reading a book in their other hand to their imaginary friend.

Functional right?

So let me ask you this. What does functional training mean to you?

From what I understand, the premises of functional training is utilizing exercise techniques to promote function in ever day life and sports performance. In life we bend down to pick things up off the ground, reach overhead to reach and cupboards, and carry things around, do we not?

Progressively loading human patterns IS FUNCTIONAL. It literally doesn’t get more “functional” than loading squats, deadlifts, carries, and presses. Barbell training IS functional training.

Teach grandma how to pick a barbell off the ground with a correct hip-hinge pattern and suddenly she has more ease playing with her grandchild who’s sitting on the floor…funny how that works.

Training the Farmer’s Walk suddenly makes carrying groceries in from the car that much easier.

 

I’m not against functional training, I’m against what functional training has become. True functional training entails progressively loading basic human movement patterns to increase quality of life, rehabilitate from injury, and increase sports performance.

Evidence-Based Practice

The rise of evidence-based practice (EBP) has drastically improved the practices of physical therapy and strength & conditioning.

Constantly questioning the methods we employ is paramount to ensure practitioners are constantly learning and providing the best possible care for their patients and clients.

With that being said, we must view EBP for what is it, an important tool in the clinical toolbox, not the end-all be-all solution for everything.

Solely relying on EBP can limit creativity. Suddenly clinicians and strength coaches become hesitant to employ a technique or exercise because there’s insufficient evidence to support its use.

Here’s the truth: strength coaches and rehab professionals in the trenches DRIVE evidence-based practice.

In order for there to BE evidence, someone has to be grinding away utilizing innovative techniques and seeing results beforehand.

Do you think evidence-based practice was a part of King Arnold’s success back in the ‘70s? I don’t think so, but if he had it on his side, he may be done even better (if that’s even possible)!

Incorporate a healthy mixture of your experience, the latest evidence, and your patient/client’s values to maximize outcomes.

Conclusion

The pendulum often swings from both ends of the extremes in the fitness industry, but it ALWAYS finds its way back to the center. When new ideas rise to the mainstream, it is often associated with major backlash by a group of those who believe the complete opposite! Always question the latest and greatest fitness trends, because the REAL answer always lies somewhere in the middle!

About the Author

Michael Mash, SPT, CSCS, FMSC is a physical therapy student and strength coach located in Pittsburgh, PA. He started his company, Barbell Rehab and Performance, with the mission to bridge the gap between physical therapy and strength & conditioning by implementing barbell lifts into clinical practice.

Follow Michael at his website BarbellRehabandPerformance.com and on Facebook and Instagram (@barbellrehab))

Categoriescoaching Exercise Technique Program Design Strength Training

Why Train the Posterior Chain?

Today’s guest post comes courtesy of Zak Gabor, a MA-based physical therapist and strength coach. His alma mater – Ithaca College – also happens to be my alma mater’s – SUNY Cortland – sworn enemy.

But he’s cool…;o)

Enjoy!

Not only can tapping into your posterior chain get you extremely strong, help improve athleticism and give you the butt of your dreams, it can leave you significantly less injury-prone, especially with low back and knee injuries.

Photo Credit: Dr. John Rusin

I am here to discuss how and why posterior chain strength needs to be a priority in training (that is, of course, if you want to decrease your chance of getting injured.)  Training your posterior chain doesn’t guarantee injury prevention but it sets you on the right track for building a strong foundation.

What is the Posterior Chain?

In the strength and conditioning world, the posterior chain consists of the erector spinae, gluteal muscles, hamstrings, and gastroc/soleus complex.

Note from TG: “Posterior Chain” was also the original name of Thor’s hammer.

But it actually wasn’t.

Why is the Posterior Chain So Damn Important?

This is an area that I am extremely passionate about. What can I say, I’m a butt guy, but for good reason.

I truly believe that incorporating posterior chain strengthening into training can save tons of money on healthcare costs for low back and knee injuries, but more importantly, keep you healthy! 

As the PT profession is constantly evolving, my goal is to get clients in the door and teach them ways stay healthier, versus having patients in for rehabilitative purposes.

Lets dive into two of the major joints that are especially vulnerable to injury in the lack of adequate posterior chain strength:

Low Back:

Oh yeah, baby.

Over $80 billion spent each year on low back in healthcare… simply unacceptable. 

To me, if you know how to strengthen your posterior chain, that means you know how to hip hinge (i.e. load the glutes and hamstrings effectively while keeping lumbar spine neutral).  For anyone who knows what a freak I am about preaching this movement pattern, this right here is the primary reason why! 

Am I saying that if you can hip hinge you will never get back pain? No.  I am saying that understanding the hip hinge pattern will give you a much better chance at preventing low back pain.  The simplified reason is two fold:

1) Lifting loads from the ground with a neutral spine= less likely to hurt low back

-Now, now, not trying to be dogmatic, but research don’t lie.

Spines ARE resilient, we need to be able to tolerate both flexion and extension. 

Yet, if you are like me, and respect the work of one of the most influential low back researchers (Dr. Stu McGill) then you know that repeated flexion especially under loads; leave the lumbar spine vulnerable to injury.

Therefore, learning how to properly hip hinge and maintain a neutral, stiff, spine throughout the movement can not only prevent injury, but can also get you the butt of your dreams.  Enter strengthening the posterior chain.

2) Strengthening posterior chain = less likely to hurt low back

Simply put, a strong butt (Gluteals) will decrease your risk of low back injuries. 

There is a ton of research out that indicates how important gluteal strengthening is for low back rehab.  Lets simplify this in the pre-hab lens. 

Glute Max is one of, if not the most, powerful muscles in the human body.  Unfortunately, most individual’s glutes are offline thanks to endless hours of sitting.  If we can strengthen the most powerful muscle in the body (which just so happens to neighbor and play intimately with the lumbar spine), wouldn’t it make sense that it would be good protection for the lumbar spine?  Just sayin’

Knee:

The knee gets a little bit more technical, but I will try to keep it simple.

The knee as a joint is extremely vulnerable, to say the least. 

It is literally two bones sitting on top of each other with little to no bony stability…meaning it gains its stability primarily from soft tissue structures both inert (meniscus, ligaments) and contractile (quads, hammies, and a whole lot more). 

Believe it or not, the knee actually has more evidence online than low back for its correlation of posterior chain strength preventing injuries.

A lot of the research is specific to ACL injury prevention, but honestly, mechanics resulting in various knee injuries are often similar to ACL mechanics.

One of the predisposing factors to knee injury is what is known as dynamic valgus (knee collapsing inward) mostly brought on by quad dominance. 

The other major way it can be brought on is by lack of posterior-lateral hip control. 

Most individuals are quad dominant because of sitting all day, turning off the glutes and hammies, and leaving the quads as primary movers.  Here is a photo of one of my favorite examples of a dynamic valgus brought on by quad dominance (i.e. the quads winning the tug of war on the femur and pulling into dynamic valgus:

This is called “RG 3’ing.” Named after NFL Quarterback, Robert Griffin III.

Notice how his knees cave in as he develops power, this is a great example of when even “healthy” people can be predisposed to injury. Don’t RG 3….

How do we combat this? Well, this answer is multi-faceted, but Ill give you a hint… one of the best ways it to strengthen the posterior chain. 

It’s really that simple.

There are TONS of ways to strengthen and target the posterior chain.  As a matter of fact, just peruse Tony’s awesome website, and you will find tons of exercises… as I did when I was just a newbie in the S&C world.

Here are a few of my favorites:

1) Glute-centric: Bridging, every bridge variation….

2) Hamstring-centric: Nordic Hamstring curls (also AWESOME evidence for preventing hamstring strains)

 

Note From TG: This is an older video. So, relax internet trainer who doesn’t even perform this exercise in the first place, but is quick to point out how it’s not perfect technique. Am I bending a little too much from the waist? Yes. Is the music on point? Yes.

Here’s a nice regression:

3) Compound post chain: DEADLIFT, RDL, KB swings

Conclusion

You still need to train your anterior chain too! However, in a world where we’re stuck sitting for hours on end and prone to training our “mirror muscles,” placing more of a premium on the posterior chain is never a bad idea. For many reasons.

Anyone who might be interested in learning more and truly mastering the hip hinge, we will be hosting workshop July 24th at RX strength training in Medford, MA.

Either way, feel free to email me should you have any questions or anything about this you would like to discuss!

Peace, love, and glutes

About the Author

Zak GaborDr. Zachary Gabor, PT, DPT, CSCS, USAW, is a 2015 graduate from Ithaca College where he earned his Doctorate of Physical Therapy.
Prior to that, he earned his Bachelor of Clinical Health Science degree from Ithaca College in 2013. Zak is also a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist (CSCS) through the National Strength & Conditioning Association (NSCA), and a Sports Performance Coach through USA Weightlifting (USAW).
Throughout his doctorate program, Zak served as a Teaching Assistant for several physical therapy courses including gross anatomy and musculoskeletal examination and evaluation. He also spent over three years providing personal strength training to clients and athletes.
Zak is passionate about teaching and educating, both of which are very important cornerstones to any patient’s plan of care. In addition, Zak’s clinical experience is rooted in sports-based orthopedic rehabilitation and physical therapy, with an emphasis on strength training and sports performance.
A firm believer in continuing education to better serve the patients, clients and athletes he works with, Zak is dedicated to constantly learning. His future post-gradation coursework will include: manual therapy courses, dry needling certifications, and sports certification specialist designation.
CategoriesAssessment coaching Corrective Exercise Program Design

A Thoughtful Discussion on Low Back Sparing Strategies. Actually, Less “Thoughtful” More “Meandering”

I often joke that “lifting weights isn’t supposed to tickle.”

When you’re pushing, pulling, carrying, thrusting, and otherwise hoisting things around for the heck of it…you’re bound to end up with a few bumps and bruises along the way.9

Honestly, I can’t think of the last time my body was 100% devoid of any type of soreness or semi-nefarious “huh, well that doesn’t feel fantastic” sort of vibe.

I’m not referring to pain. Nothing that diminishes my ability to live my day-to-day life. Just, you know, sometimes my first step out of bed or sitting down to drop it like it’s hot isn’t the most enjoyable experience in the world.10

(Anyone who’s performed heavy squats the day prior can commiserate).

A lifetime of playing sports and training will do that to a body.

But that’s the point.

Lifting weights and pushing the body outside it’s comfort zone is what allows us to adapt and come back stronger and more resilient; to take on the world (or the squat rack) and tell it to GFY.

All that said: it still sucks donkey balls when the inevitable happens. We take things too far, go too heavy, or move juuuuust the right way for something wrong to happen.

Arguably, nothing stagnates or deflates progress more in the gym than a jacked up lower back.

Statistics will say that we’ve all been there. Or, alternatively, as fitness professionals, have worked with someone who’s been there.

So I figured today I’d shoot from the hip and fire back some quick-hitting suggestions/insights/alternatives to consider when working with someone dealing with low-back pain.

In No Particular Order

1) Except for this one. This is super important.

I’ll kick things off with the grandiose, off-kilter statement that if something hurts…don’t do it.

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

 

Fucking profound, right?

Dr. Stuart McGill will advocate for provocative tests/screens to be performed – slump test, toe touch, McKenzie drills, etc – in order to figure out the root cause or possible source of someone’s back pain.

The stark contrast should be done outside of that window. It’s imperative as a coach, trainer, clinician, wizard, to demonstrate pain-free movement to the client/athlete. The objective should be to mute or pump the brakes on pain and start to mold more of a “movement quality” campaign.

Dr. McGill often refers to this as “spinal hygiene.”

2) Speaking of Dr. McGill

You should read his book Ultimate Back Fitness Performance. Specifically pages 1-325.

Spoiler Alert: it’s 325 pages long.

A more “user-friendly” text would be his latest book, Back Mechanic.

3) Back to “spinal hygiene.”

The good Doc refers to this as:

“The daily upkeep of your back. It includes your recovery exercise routine as well as changes to your existing daily motions all day long. Success in removing back pain requires removal of the movement flaws that cause tissue stress.”

This could refer to something as simple and innocuous as teaching someone how to sit in a chair properly, or even how to stand up from a chair.

As counterintuitive as it seems, those who have more flexion-based back pain will feel more comfortable in flexion. Likewise, those with extension-based back pain will feel at home in extension.

It’s weird.

So, often, taking the time to clean up activities and endeavors outside of the gym will be of most benefit.

As the saying goes: “we as trainers/coaches have 1-2 hours to “fix” things, and the client/athlete has 23 hours to mess it up.”

Other things to consider:

  • Walking. This is an excellent fit for those with low-back pain. It’s just important to make sure they’re not defaulting in forward head posture and a slouched posture. McGill refers to this as the “mall strolling” pattern. One should be more upright and swing the arms from the shoulders (and not the elbows). This provokes more of a “pertubation” to the body helping to build spinal stability.
  • Grooving more remedial hip-hinge patterns like I discussed in THIS article. Getting someone to dissociate hip movement from lumbar movement is a game-changer..
  • Pigging back on the above, the hip hinge creeps its way into EVERYDAY things like brushing one’s teeth or bending over to pick something up off the ground (golfer’s lift). Anything that can be done to spare the spine (discs) and make it less sensitive to pain is a win – no matter how trivial the activity.

4) Synchronous Movement

Learning to “lock” the ribcage to the pelvis is another key element to managing back pain. The abdominal brace is of relevance here. Basically the entire core musculature – not just any one muscle (ahem, transverse abdominus (drawing in method) – needs to work in concert and fire synchronously to spare the spine and offer more spinal stability.

One drill in particular that hammers the point home is the Wall Plank Rotation.

 

Here an abdominal brace is adopted and the objective is to “rotate” the entire body as one unit, locking the ribcage to the pelvis. Many will inevitably rotate through their lumbar spine and then the upper torso will follow suite.

5) Neutral Spine – Always (But Not Really)

The spine IS meant to move.

Neutral spine is paramount, but it benefits trainees to tinker with end-ranges of motions (in both flexion and extension) if for nothing else to “teach” the body to know how to get out of those compromising positions – especially when under load.

During our workshops together, Dean Somerset will often demonstrate to the trainees how squatting into deeper hip flexion (unloaded, and to the point where butt wink happens) can be of benefit to some people. The notion of learning where a precarious position is (and how to get out of it) is valuable.

I’ll use the simple Cat-Camel drill to teach people that it’s okay to allow the spine move.

 

Also of Note: I’d argue we’ve been so programmed into thinking that all spinal flexion is bad and that a baby seal dies every time we do it, that it’s caused a phenomenon referred to as reverse posturing.

The idea that more and more people are now “stuck” in extension, and thus at the mercy of a whole spectrum of other back issues (spondy, etc).

You can read more about that HERE.

Suffice it to say: we can’t discount Rule #1…helping to build improved spinal endurance/stability.

Plain ol’ vanilla planks come into the picture here.

This:

Not This:

This:

  • Keeping people honest and accountable on proper position (not “hanging” on passive restraints and dipping into excessive lumbar extension) is kinda of important.
  • Rule of thumb is to be able to hold a prone plank 120s, side plank (per side) for 90s. McGill will note it’s a RED FLAG if there’s a huge discrepancy between right/left sides.
  • I prefer more of an RKC style once someone is ready. This helps to build more bodily tension, to the point where everything – quads, abs, glutes, eye lids, everything – are firing. Ten seconds is torture when done right.

However, we can always graduate to less vomit in my mouthish exercises. As much as planks are baller and part of the equation to helping solve someone’s back pain, they’re about as exciting as watching a NASCAR race.

6) A few favs include:

Elbow Touches

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AUgz2U65KPc

 

Progressing lower and lower towards the ground.

Farmer Carries – all of them

 

Offset Loaded Exercises

 

I love offset loaded exercises for a variety of reasons. But most germane to this conversation is the fact that there’s a heavy rotary stability component when performing them.

Getting people moving and performing more traditional strength & conditioning drills – assuming they’re pain free and of high movement quality – will help to get them out of “patient mode,” and more excited to stick to the plan.

7) A Few Other Ideas to Consider

Don’t be an a-hole and marry yourself to the idea that everyone HAS to deadlift from the floor and that everyone HAS to pull conventionally.

The only thing people HAVE to do is sign up for my newsletter. (wink, wink, nudge, nudge)

Sometimes we have to set our egos aside and do what’s best for the client/athlete and what’s the best fit for them. I think the trap bar deadlift is a wonderful tool for people with a history of low back pain.

To steal a quote from Dr. John Rusin:

“Without sending you back to Physics 101, the forward position of the barbell causes a less than optimal moment arm to stabilize the core position in neutral while moving some serious loads off the floor.

During the traditional deadlift, the center of mass (barbell) falls in front of your body, therefore causing the axis of rotation of the movement to be farther away from the load itself.  This all translates into increased shearing forces at the joints of the lumbar spine, putting all the structures, including intervertebral discs and ligaments at increased risk of injury with faulty mechanics of movement.”

The trap bar deadlift results in a better torso position for most people and less shear load in the spine. For anyone with a history of low back pain this is a no-brainer.

Use an incline bench rather than a flat bench when programming pressing movements. It’s just an easier scenario for most people and less “wonky” of a position to get in and out of.

Too, program more standing exercise variations – standing 1-arm cable rows, pull-throughs, landmine presses, Sparta kicks to the chest.

Categoriescoaching Exercise Technique Program Design Strength Training

Row, Row, Row Your Back

I hated P.E. class. I was a skinny, weird and uncoordinated kid.

I was the one who got picked on in the changing rooms about my lack of size, and we’re just not talking about muscles.

Whenever P.E. class was on my schedule, I dreaded it.  I’d rather go to the dentist to get a tooth pulled or talk about my confused teenage feelings.

Our masochistic P.E teacher liked to put us through a series of fitness tests every few months to determine our grades. As far as I was concerned, showing up was an A.

One of the many tests was an isometric chin up hold for time. You were to hold the top position of a chin up for as long as possible.  On this particular testing day, as soon as my name was called, the knives came out.

“You won’t last 10 seconds, McLean. You’re as weak as piss.”  (That’s Australian for not strong and bad tasting beer.)

As I stepped up to the bar, I had a little extra incentive and was determined to prove my doubter wrong.  I willed myself to a 40-second hold which was not bad for a weakling. I even got the nods of approval from the high school meatheads.

Ever since then I could always do a chin up.    

In the gym, chin ups/pull ups are still great test of your relative body strength.  You’ll never hear someone ask “How much to you row, dude?” However, you will hear in gyms around the world “How much do you bench?”

Not everyone can do a chin up (although it should be a goal), but everyone needs to build upper back strength because in today’s society we’re constantly looking down at our smart phones, tablets and computers.

Furthermore, we sit too much and move too little.

Over time this can wreak havoc on upper back strength, posture and spine. For instance, every inch our ears are forward from our shoulders (forward head posture) you increase the weight of the head on the spine by an additional 10 pounds. (Kapandji, Physiology of Joints, Vol. 3).

And while there’s no scientific correlation, forward head posture also increases one affinity for douchiness.

Upper back strength also plays a huge role in the big lifts such as squats, deadlifts and even the bench press, which is big deal for hardcore gym goers and for the everyday desk jockey who wants to look better naked.

That’s reason enough to include some old school and new age rows into your routine. Your back and biceps will thank you, and the chest will just have to wait its turn.

Old School Rows

1) Barbell Bent Over Row

This is the godfather of rows. Not only does this strengthen your upper back, shoulders, biceps and grip, it’s the perfect accessory exercise for improving your deadlift. Bent over row mimics the hip hinge, and holding this for time with help improve your lower/upper back endurance. More importantly, it will improve your ability to keep a neutral spine while pulling heavy.

 

The classic cues of shoulders down, chest up, grow tall or shoulders away from the ears work here. If you feel this movement in your lower back or upper traps, you’re missing something and should check your form.

Note From TG: Check out THIS baller post by Harold Gibbons dissecting a ingenious drill – the hamstring bridge hold – to help people learn to “feel” the hamstrings during a bent over row.

Programming – I’ve found doing this for strength (low reps 3-5 and more sets 5-6) will help improve your ability to pull from the floor and to keep a neutral spine under heavy loads.

If you’ve never done sets of 20 reps before, you don’t know what you’re missing.

2) Single Arm Dumbbell Rows

There’s a multitude of variations to choose from. From the classic single arm bench supported variety to this excellent variation from Eric Bach of Bach Performance.

Or this one from Tony himself:

 

Dumbbell rows in general are perfect for ironing out strength imbalances that often exist between sides and you’ll get some additional core work in the form of lateral stability.

Let’s face it, you cannot get enough core work.

Keeping the spine in neutral and not rowing with the upper traps is the key here. Please don’t go extremely heavy and short arm the weight because you’re not fooling anybody. It’s almost as bad as knee bend squats or poorly performed pushups.

Note From TG: Another point to consider is pinning or “glueing” the shoulder blade(s) in place. The scapulae should move around the ribcage, not stay in place. Read THIS for more information.

Programming – I prefer programming these for higher reps (8-15 range) and lower sets (2-4). Pairing these in a super set with any press variation or including these in a metabolic circuit works well.

Running the rack to murder the upper back is fantastic, if you’re a fan of pain.

New Age Rows

1) TRX Rows

Dan John sums up why we need to do TRX rows:

“TRX single arm and double arm rows target an area of the body that often gets missed or ignored. The whole upper back/rear shoulder area is probably the most underdeveloped area of people I’ve worked with.”

The beauty of the TRX is you can adjust the intensity simply by adjusting the foot position closer or further away from the anchor point. This makes this exercise accessible to almost everybody.

Here’s how to set up for a single arm row, one of my personal favorites.

Keeping your shoulders down and chest up and not shrugging your upper traps to pull yourself towards the handles is the key here, too.

Also, try the Hinge Row (which “nudges” a bit more upward rotation in the shoulders)

 

Or, if you’re really feeling fancy pants you can try this variation, which, technically, isn’t a TRX row, but uses the TRX so whateves:

 

Programming – TRX rows are a great change of pace from weighted rows and I’d recommend training these for higher reps (12-20) and fewer sets (2-4). The TRX makes exercise transition simple, so including rows in a superset or a circuit works like a charm. 

If you’re looking to burn out the back and pump up the biceps, TRX mechanical drop sets are perfect.

2) Single Arm Landmine Row

Single arm landmine exercises such as the row will help reduce joint stress while maximizing shoulder tension and stabilization. In my experience you can use more weight than the traditional dumbbell/cable row set up without any undue stress.

The set-up and cues are similar to a barbell bent over row. A good hip hinge and a neutral spine are essential.

The landmine allows you to row from a variety of positions and grips which is great for hitting the upper back from different angles.

 

Programming – Holding the end of the barbell instead of the dumbbell will provide a greater grip challenge.

Use the same programming guidelines as for the dumbbell rows. Or if you’re hating life, include them in a landmine complex, like this one courtesy of Ben Bruno.

 

Wrapping Up

Just because you cannot see the upper back, shouldn’t mean the chest gets all the love. Keeping the upper back strong is necessity for good posture and healthy shoulders.  Upper strength will help improve your deadlift, squat and bench numbers.

If that’s not reason enough, rows work the biceps. They’re always in need of extra attention.

Author’s Bio

Shane “The Balance Guy” McLean, is an A.C.E Certified Personal Trainer working deep in the heart of Dallas, Texas.

No, Shane doesn’t wear a cowboy hat or boots.  After being told that his posture blows by Eric Cressey, he has made it his mission to rid the world of desk jockeys and have fun while doing so.

After all exercise is fun and never a “work” out.

You can follow Shane on Twitter HERE, and Facebook HERE.

Categoriescoaching personal training Program Design

“How Much Weight Should I Be Using?”

As a fitness professional part of the job description is the ability to answer questions. Specifically those questions posed by your athletes and clients.

This makes sense given, outside of their primary care practitioner, you’re the person your clients are trusting with their health and well-being.

Granted, you’re not curing cancer or writing prescriptions for irritable bowel syndrome or anything11. But it stands to reason that as a personal trainer or strength coach you’re numero Uno when it comes to being most people’s resource for health & fitness information.

You’re it.

You’re the go to.

And like or not…You’re “the guy (or girl)” whenever someone says “I gotta a guy (or girl)” whenever they’re asked a fitness or health related question.

Stuff like:

“Does putting a stick of butter in my coffee make it healthier?”

“Will intermittent fasting help me lose 20 lbs of fat while also increasing my squat by 55 lbs AND give me x-ray vision?”

“Is it normal not to be able to feel the left side of my face after performing last night’s WOD? Also, it stings when I pee.”

I don’t know about you, but it’s a “challenge” I don’t take lightly.

I want to be a reliable and valuable source of information for my clients. They have (a lot of) questions, and I want to be able to answer them to the best of my ability.

I don’t know everything.12 I’m not a pompous a-hole who’s afraid to say “I don’t know.”

It’s rare when I get stumped with a question, but when I do I’m fortunate to have a long-list of people I can reach out to to get the answer(s).

I know when to stay in my lane and refer out when needed. You want to train for a figure competition? Not my strong suit. You need some manual therapy? Definitely not my strong suit. That irritable bowel problem mentioned above? Don’t worry, I gotta guy.

Most questions I receive are generally un-original in nature and something I can handle on the spot.

One question I get on an almost weekly basis, while inert and mundane (but altogether apropos), is this:

“How much weight should I be using?”

It’s a very relevant question to ask. And one that, unfortunately, takes a little time to answer.

To be honest whenever I’m asked this question two things inevitably happen:

1) The theme music from Jaws reverberates in my head.13

2) The smart aleck in me wants nothing more than to respond with “all of it.”

That would be the dick move, though.

Like I said: it’s a very relevant question and one that many, many people have a hard time figuring out on their own.

As it happens I was asked this question last week by a client of mine during his training session. It wasn’t asked with regards to that particular session per se. Rather, he was curious about how much weight he should be using on the days he wasn’t working with me in person.

NOTE: the bulk of my clients train with me “x” days per week at the studio and also “x” number of days per week on their own at their regular gym. I write full programming that they follow whether they’re working with me in person or not. Because I’m awesome.

When working with people in person I have this handy protocol I like to call “coaching” where I’m able to give them instant feedback on a set-by-set basis.

I’ll tell them to increase/decrease/or maintain weight on any given exercise as I see fit.

Sometimes I even give them a sense of autonomy and allow them to choose how much weight to use.

The idea is to give them a maximal training effect using the minimum effective dose without causing harm or pain.

Challenge people, encourage progressive overload, but not to the point where they feel like they’re going to shit a kidney.

Pretty self-explanatory stuff.

Where things get tricky is when people are on their own and don’t have someone telling them what to do.

What then?

Here Are Some Options/Suggestions/Insights/WhatHaveYou

1) Write That Shit Down

In the case of my client above, when he asked “how much weight should I be using?” I responded with “how much weight did you use last week?”

[Crickets chirping]

He hadn’t been keeping track of anything.

He’d simply been putting a check-mark when he completed a set, and then moved on.

I, of course, was like “nooooooooooooo.”

I can’t blame him. It was on ME for not being clearer on the importance of writing things down and being more meticulous with tracking everything.

But the fix was/is easy: write down what you did, and try to do “more work” the following week.

I realize we like to overcomplicate things, but that’s part of the problem.

Write shit down. Really, it’s that simple.

2) What Is “Do More Work?”

What does that even mean? Do more work?

It means that in order for the body to adapt, you need to give it a stimulus and then nudge it, over time, to do more work. There are numerous ways to do this in the weight room, but for the sake of simplicity we can think of “more work” as more sets/reps or load.

Do the math. If you’re keeping track of things take your total sets and reps (and the weight you lifted) and figure out your total tonnage.

Try to increase that number week by week.

One strategy I like is something I call the 2-Rep Window.

If I prescribe 10 repetitions for a given exercise, what I really mean is 8-10 repetitions.

If someone picks a weight and they can easily perform more than 10 on every set, they’re going too light. If they can’t perform at least 8, they’re going too heavy.

The idea is to fall within the 2-Rep Window with each set and to STAY WITH THE SAME WEIGHT until the highest number within the range is hit for ALL sets.

**I’d rather someone cut a set short a rep or two rather than perform technically flawed reps or worse, miss reps.

If I have someone performing a bench press for 3 sets of 10 repetitions it may look something like this:

Week 1:

Set 1: 10 reps

Set 2: 8 reps

Set 3: 8 reps

Week 2:

Set 1: 10 reps

Set 2: 10 reps

Set 3: 9 reps

Once they’re able to hit ALL reps on ALL sets, they’re then given the green light to increase the weight and the process starts all over again.

Another simple approach is one I stole from strength coach Paul Carter.

Simply prescribe an exercise and say the objective is to perform 3×10 or 15 (30-45 total reps) with “x” amount of weight. The idea is to overshoot their ability-level and force them to go heavier, but within reason.

They stay with the same weight until they’re able to hit the upper rep scheme within the prescribed number of sets.

It’s boring, but it works.

Another layer to consider is something brought up by Cincinnati-based coach, PJ Striet:

“I’ve went over and above in my program notes to explain this subject. I used to just give 2 rep brackets, and, like you pointed out here, told clients to increase weight when they could achieve the high end of the range on all sets, and then drop back down to the lower end of the bracket and build back up again.

The problem though, as I soon figured out, was that people were doing say, 4 sets of 8 (bracket being 6-8) with a weight they could have probably gotten 15 reps with on their 4th set. This isn’t doing anything/isn’t enough of a stimulus. This isn’t meaningful progression. Feasibly, one could run a 12+ week cycle in the scenario above before the 4 sets of 8 actually became challenging. And this was on me because I should have realized most people will take the path of least resistance (literally).

Now, in my notes, I tell clients to do as many AMRAP on the final set of to gauge how much to progress. If the bracket is 4×6-8, and they get 8-8-8-9, weight selection is pretty good and a 2-5% increase and dropping back down to 6 reps is going to be a good play and productive. If they get 8-8-8-20, there is a problem and I should either stab myself in the eye for being a crap coach or schedule a lobotomy for the client.”

Brilliant.

3) Challenging Is Subjective

I feel much of the confusion, though, is people understanding what’s a challenging weight and what should count as a set.

Many people “waste” sets where they’re counting their warm-up/build-ups sets as actual sets, and thus stagnating their progress.

A few ideas on this matter:

  • I like to say something to the effect of “If your last rep on your last set feels the same as your first rep on your first set, you’re going too light.”
  • Using a Rate of Perceived Exertion (RPE) scale is useful here. Give them some criteria using a scale of 1-10. A “1” being “super easy” and “10” being “who do you think I am, Wolverine?” Ask them to be in the 7-8 RPE range for ALL sets.

And That’s It

There’s a ton of trial-and-error involved here, but it’s your job as the fitness professional and coach to educate your clients on the matter.

It’s important to consider context and everyone’s starting point, of course…comfort level, ability, past/current injury history, goals, etc.

However, beginners are typically going to have a much harder time differentiating “how much weight to use” compared to advanced lifters. There’s definitely a degree of responsibility on the trainer and coach to take the reigns on this matter.

But the sooner they realize it’s not rocket science, that there are some simple strategies that can be implemented to make things less cumbersome (and maybe even more importantly, that there’s a degree of personal accountability involved), the sooner things will start to click.

Categoriescoaching Program Design Strength Training

Two Dudes Talking Core Training

Regulars to this site are very familiar with the name Mike Robertson. He’s a good friend, but also a coach I respect immensely.

Not only does he produce top-notch athletes who are seemingly bulletproof, but he’s also someone who continuously churns out quality content that helps elevate the strength and conditioning/fitness community.

He also has impeccable taste in old-school hip-hop music.

His latest resource, Complete Core Training, is available starting today. It’s, well, a complete resource on core training. It’s not about six-pack abs or showcasing the latest core exercises that have people balancing on BOSU balls while juggling chainsaws.

It’s a system on how to set people up for success.

Mike was kind enough to take some time to talk some shop and discuss “core training” with me below. Enjoy!

Two Dudes Talking Core Training

TG: Mike, answer this: what in the name of infomercial hell is “the core?” And why should a whole manual be dedicated to it?

MR: Great question – and if someone can tell me, then that would be great….

In all seriousness, the core is literally everything from the feet to the head, because it all ties together, right? But that’s probably not the answer you’re looking for, either.

For our purposes, I define the core as a box:

  • You’ve got the diaphragm on the top,
  • The pelvic floor on the bottom,
  • The abdominals (transverse abdominus, internal obliques, external obliques, and rectus abdominus) on the front,
  • The IO’s, EO’s14, and quadratus lumborum (QL) on the sides, and
  • You’ve got the QL, erectors and multifidi on the back.

This is such a tricky answer, though, because no matter how I answer, someone hates me.

But I guess I’m okay with that at this point

TG: The cliche question here is to pop off your most common core mistakes people make. What do you feel people do right?

MR: First and foremost, you have to know that I live in a bubble at this point.

I don’t train in a commercial gym.

The people I’m surrounded by are generally high-level coaches, and are making strides to get the most out of their clients and athletes.

So with regards to doing things right, I think most are on the right path.

They’re focusing more on core stability versus creating movement at the core.

They’re realizing that flexion isn’t a bad thing, at least with regards to having that mobility through the spine and pelvis.

And they’re including core training in almost all (if not all) of their programs.

So when you factor all that in, it’s probably making quite a difference.

TG: Okay, I lied….NOW you can tell us the most common mistakes people make.

MR: Again, I’m around fairly high-level people so when it comes to mistakes, the devil is often in the details.

First off, I’m not sure most truly respect how important position is. For instance, almost every time I coach a core exercise now, we’re going to exhale to set a better position.

But often, we sell people short – what might seem like enough of an exhale simply is not. So we have to really drive a full exhale to set good position, especially with our more toned up bros and broettes.

 

Another mistake that I see is always leaving the core training to the end of the program. But before I get too deep here, I should probably let you in on a bit of my bias and philosophy…

I firmly believe that the core is a (if not THE) weak link with our clients and athletes. Therefore, it’s something that we have to address and multiple levels across the program.

So just throwing in some “ab work” at the end of a session isn’t enough. If it’s truly a weak link, we need to address it throughout the programming, both in the warm-up and the actually lifting portion. This comes largely through sound exercise selection, progression and regression.

Note from TG: this is why I LOVE deadbugs so much. Not only do most people do them incorrectly, but they can be injected into any portion of a training program to fit the needs of the athlete/client.

So if I could just get everyone to cue their clients into a better starting position time and again, and address the core at multiple times throughout the training session, I’d be a happy camper.

TG: The meatheads out there will say all someone has to do is squat and deadlift and that’s all the core work they need. I think this is a very narrow-minded, nay, moronic approach. I assume you agree. Why is this not a smart or ideal line of thinking?

MR: We’re in firm agreement here. First off, let me throw this back at you…

How many people walking in on Day 1 would you say have great posture, or can hold great position in their training sessions?

Probably none, or next to none, right?

So why do we assume that loading these people up with heavy squats and deadlifts that they’re magically going to “fix” their positional issues?

I’m sorry, but it just doesn’t happen.

Instead, we need to often rebuild our clients and athletes. Again, it happens on multiple levels throughout the program.

Instead of a back squat, maybe we front squat. Or even better, 2-KB front squat.

Instead of throwing in a ton of work for the posterior chain, we actually teach them to load their anterior chain more effectively. (I’m going to get roasted for this, but it’s something I’ll explore in more depth at a later time).

Note from TG: Here, here! We’ve been over-programmed to think that it’s ALL about posterior chain, ALL the time, that I find many trainees have lost the ability to recruit their quads. I’ve been programming more leg extensions recently for some of my clients. How you like dem apples, internet?!

We need to get some isolated core training in the program, just to teach our athletes how to actually use muscles like their obliques and TVA (not via draw-ins), to help control their pelvis and lumbar spine.

We start doing things like that, then posture starts to clean up and we can hold position.

And when we can hold position with entry-level exercises, then we can start getting bigger bang from there.

TG: Love it Mike. I’m totally on par with you. Complete Core Training – 10 second elevator pitch. Go – 

My goal was to take my entire approach to core training and give it to trainers and coaches who want to get more out of their programming and coaching.

Like you mentioned above, even the best coaches and trainers out there are looking for ways to get better. This is something that I’ve studied in depth for years, constantly seeking ways to get better results, and most importantly, to create lasting change in how my clients move and feel.

So Complete Core Training isn’t just a random collection of exercises – it’s a complete training system, where I cover everything from the anatomy of the core, to the mechanics of coaching and cuing, and of course, how to program most effectively.

I think it’s a really solid program, and one that’s going to help trainers and coaches across the world get better results with their clients and athletes.

But I’m also willing to admit I may be just a wee bit biased….;o)

Complete Core Training is ON SALE all this week at 50% off the original price.