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There’s a Time and Place For Everything. Kettlebells Included.

I like to consider myself as an even keeled person who tries to see the comedy in life and not to take things too seriously.

I’m originally from Middle of Nowhere, NY where I grew up in a small town with no traffic lights and no fast food restaurants.  Just to be clear though, yes, we had running water. And the internet for that matter. But barely.  My parents had been using a dial-up connection up until last year, which is considered child abuse in some states.

Love you mom!!!!!

Anyways, life moves a bit differently where I’m from.  Where I’m from people don’t slam on their car horn and go bat shit crazy if you don’t move within one-hundredths of a nanosecond of a red light turning green. Here in the city?  Different story.  Everyone is the most important person in the world, and is apparently in some dire emergency to get somewhere.

Likewise, there aren’t many things that really bother me.  Okay sure, some people can go out of their way to be “kinda douchy” and do something really irritating like talking, going to Maroon 5 concerts, or taking up two parking spots and blocking me in.

Hey dude: this isn’t Dukes of Hazzard, and I don’t drive the General Lee, so I shouldn’t have to do a window stunt just to get into my own car. Capiche?

But those are usually few and far between.

The internet, though:  now THAT’S a whole new ball game, and a place where my pet peeves seem to increase exponentially.

Given the safe domain – not to mention the anonymity – that the internet provides, it’s not surprising how it often brings out the “inner expert” in people.

And why not?  One of the advantages of the internet is the profound profoundness of it all.  Never has information been so easily accessible. And never has there been a time where people can learn everything on anything with just a simple click of a button.

Which is also it’s drawback.

Just yesterday I read an article over on Livestrong.com by a buddy of mine who described a brief, albeit effective, metabolic type workout that could easily be followed by the masses and maybe provide a nice change of pace to someone looking to shed a little fat.

As is the case with any “universal” article geared towards the general public, it had to be watered down to the lowest common denominator so that the information could be easily followed. It was a slideshow piece which provided still-frame pictures (and descriptions) of each exercise.

For those interested, go HERE.

Apparently PJ (the author) made the mistake of using dumbbells in his pictures – which makes sense given that the majority of people out there don’t have access to kettlebells.

I thought it was great and provided a solid routine for a lot of people reading.

But wouldn’t you know it, the first comment – as well as a few others that followed – were from the kettlebell nazis, trying to convey to the world that kettlebells are the only form of exercise everyone should be doing.  EVER.

The very first comment:

The swing is a great exercise………when performed CORRECTLY…….WITH A KETTLEBELL! Do not use a dumbell as it is a different and less effective move and more likely to recruit the low back for power production.

The same person, then finished with these great words of wisdom:

nice technique………..NOT!

For starters:  it’s a freakin STILL FRAME picture.  Lets get off our high horse for a second.  How can you judge one’s overall technique by one still frame shot?

Here’s a picture of Jim Wendler squatting:

Using the same logic, we could argue that his squat technique sucks because he’s not hitting at least parallel.  We all know this is bullshit, because this is a STILL FRAME shot of him either descending or coming out of the hole during a max effort attempt.

Going back to the article, I have full confidence that a dude who trains HUNDREDS of people a month, has been published in several reputable magazines, and not to mention has a pretty smart editor at Livetrong who’s job it is to make sure that high quality content makes it to the site – knows how to perform a proper swing.

Relax.  Deep Breaths.  The World Won’t End.

Secondly, while I won’t argue that using a kettlebell over a dumbbell “feels” better when performing a swing, as I noted above, not everyone has access to kettlebells in their gym.  Using a dumbbell is fine.

No, really.  It is.

And since when does a dumbbell recruit more of the lower back?  I have a hard time figuring this one out.  If one is performing a proper swing pattern, snapping their hips, “attacking their groin,” and keeping the weight close to the body, I don’t see how if someone uses a dumbbell that it’s somehow is more detrimental to the back.

Further down the comments section, there are several other readers who state that the same workout is, like, waaaaaaay more effective if done with kettlebells.

Kettlebell squats are better than dumbbell squats.  Kettlebell rows are better than barbell rows. Kettlebell swings cure cancer. Kettlebells make the best salt and pepper shakers!!

Okay, I get it already:  you like kettlebells.

And that’s cool.  I do, too.  I consider coaches like Pavel, Dan John, Mike Mahler, and Gray Cook (all of whom are “kettlebell guys) mentors. Moreover, I have a high respect for people like Neghar Fonooni, Jen Sinkler, Steve Cotter, and Batman (I think) – all of whom utilize kettlebells to a high degree as well.

I use them myself – heck, I’m even contemplating going for my HKC.  I use them with all of my athletes and clients.  But as with anything else, and I think all the peeps I mentioned above would agree – whether we’re talking about  kettlebells, TRX, yoga, deadlifts, or anything else you want to throw into the mix – they’re a tool in the toolbox, and need to be used at the right time, with the right person, for the right job.

People are entitled to their opinion, of course. Everyone shouldn’t have to sing Kumbaya and hold hands on everything, and I think it’s great when people from different view points can have a civil discussion – even if all they do is agree to disagree.

But I just get flabbergasted (yep, that’s right: flabbergasted) when people go on and on and on and on and on*about how kettlebells are the shiznit (and they can be) and have to be used for E.V.E.R.Y.T.H.I.N.G. That’s not necessarily the case.

End rant, exit stage left.

Anyone agree?  Disagree?  Am I off base?

 

* = and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on.  You get the idea.

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Exercises You Should Be Doing: Kneeling Overhead Press to Standing

Quick Update:  1. I want to first thank everyone who chimed in on yesterday’s post (as well as sent me personal emails) offering their advice this whole car buying process I’m going through. I’m not one for confrontation, so the whole idea of walking into a car dealership to negotiate a price makes me a bit skittish.

It’s funny:  ask me to deadlift 500+ lbs, I won’t bat an eye. I’ll crush, and then some.  Ask me to sit down with a salesmen and negotiate paint trim, I’ll start hyperventilating into a brown paper bag.

Anyways, to make this short – because I know people don’t visit this site to listen to me talk about buying a car – after several people suggested I do so, I logged onto FightingChance.com and decided to ask for their help during this process.  Outside of actually handing me a Lightsaber, these guys are going to arm me with all tools I’ll need to get the right price for the car I’m looking for.  Thanks again everyone!

2. As many of you know, I’ve been banged up as of late dealing with some lower back issues, and it’s only been within the past few weeks that I’ve been able to train with any ounce of intensity.  My Canadien half-brother, Dean Somerset, has been helping me out with some programming the past few weeks, and I couldn’t be happier with my progress.

A few weeks ago sucking my thumb would make me wince.  Yesterday I was able able to work up to a 315 lb deadlift with an additional 150 lbs of chain weight for sets of five.

Holla!

While I still have a ways to go, I just want to send a huge debt of gratitude towards Dean and to note to everyone reading that, more often than not, it’s about what you NEED to do and not necessarily what you WANT to do that’s going to get you better.

Which is as good of a time as any to discuss today’s exercise you should be doing:

Kneeling Overhead Press to Standing

Who Did I Steal It From:  Dean.

What Does It Do:  the question should really be:  what DOESN’T it work?

For me this exercise is challenging because I don’t have great active t-spine extension, which wreaks havoc down the kinetic chain – especially as it relates to hip extension and not compensating with HYPERextension.

In this case I’m able to work on my t-spine extension (going overhead) while trying my best to control my lumbo-pelvic-hip area so as to not compensate with any shimmying, shaking, or lateral shifting from side to side.

Digging a little deeper, we can see a other benefits as well:

1. There’s a definite anti-extension/anti-lateral flexion component for the core.

2. Obviously we’re working some overhead pressing into the mix (while I keep me arms extended throughout, you could just as easily “tweak” the exercise to press in the kneeling position on every repetition).

3. Assuming one is “packing” their shoulders appropriately (not shrugging), this is a fantastic exercise to work scapular stability.

4. In addition, there’s a significant hip stability (and mobility for that matter) component compounded with a fairly challenging single leg strengthening component as well.

Key Coaching Cues:  I’m telling you right now this exercise is humbling, so don’t go playing a hero and think you’re going to be crushing this exercise with 50 lb DBs over your head.  If you do, you suck, and really hate you.

Start conservative – say, 10-20 lb DBs – and be sure to “set” your scapulae so that you’re not actively pressing the weight throughout the entire movement.  Too, it’s IMPERATIVE that you DO NOT compensate with any lateral shifting or hyperextending of the hips/pelvis in any way.  Tighten your core – or brace (whatever term works for you) – and try to stay as stiff as possible throughout the duration of the set.

In particular, on the descent, try not to allow your butt to stick out as you go back into the kneeling position.  This is going to be a real challenge for many reading – so again, start conservative with the weight!

I’ve been implementing this exercise into a lot of my own client’s programs, and I prefer to  perform these for sets of 3-5 reps/per side, with a 30s-60s rest in between left and right sides, possibly even pairing this with another exercise in such a way:

– 5 reps on the RIGHT leg.

– 8-10 push-ups (grip is going to be a factor here, so if you’re going to pair this exercise with something, you’re best to use an exercise that won’t require a lot of grip).

– 5 reps on the LEFT leg.

And there you go.  Try it out today, and let me know what you think!

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Miscellaneous Miscellany Monday: Car Shopping, Common DL Mistake, Secret Project, Etc.

1. Okay, the time has come. I need a new car. I’ve held off for as long as I could, but my car is on its last legs (er, wheels???). I’ve had it – Hyundai Elantra GT – for ten years and coming up on 186,000 miles, so I don’t have too much room to complain.  That said, I’ve had to put a fair amount of money into it to fix a broken radiator here, a timing belt there, and most recently to fix a faulty firing pattern with one of the gas lines.  As much as I LOVE not having a car payment, I really can’t say that when I’m taking it into the mechanic’s shop every few months to get something addressed.

It’s gotten to the point where the running joke at the facility is that the mechanic has me on his speed dial.

Anyways, I’ve officially started my quest for a new car which I’ve appropriately titled “Car Shopping Sucks Donkey Balls.”

I just don’t like dealing with shady people. And car salesmen – even though I may be unjustly lumping them under the same roof – are the epitome of shadiness. I just don’t like their incessant word play, hustling theatrics, and Shooter McGavin-like hand gestures.

“Hey there big guy, looking to buy a new car??  Pew Pew Pew”

If anyone is going to Shooter McGavin anyone else, it’s me.  Except in my case, the second he tries to sell me a car at MSRP, I’ll just Shooter McGavin my first into his face.

LOL!!  See what I just did there?  I reversed the Shooter McGavin!!!

So yesterday Lisa and I went out and test drove a few cars:

– Hyundai Elantra GT (hatchback)

– Mazda 3 (hatchback)

– Batmobile (ejection seat and missles come standard!!!!)

It was a close race, but so far, the Elantra is winning.

I’m still going to experiment with a few more models, but I’d really love to hear any sage advice anyone has to offer in terms of how to go about negotiating price, discussing trade ins, not wanting to throw myself through a pane glass window, or really ANYTHING as it relates to buying a new car.  Please.  I’m all ears!

2.  I’ve been getting a lot of emails recently from people asking me to look at their deadlift technique, and one thing I’ve been noticing is that people spend waaaaaaaaaaaay too much time setting up.

What I mean is that some will bend over to the grab the bar and then proceed to spend upwards of 10-15 seconds kinda hovering, fidgeting, adjusting, and otherwise thinking too much.

We’re not baking cookies here, people!!!!!  Spending THAT much time setting up is really going to dissipate the stretch shortening cycle (elastic energy of the muscles) and as a result have detrimental affects on performance.

Using a great example, check out Eric here on a MAX EFFORT attempt:

  • First off, I don’t want to hear from anyone about Eric’s back position. It’s a MAX EFFORT attempt, and things aren’t always going to be butterfly kisses and rainbows when you’re hoisting 660 lbs off the ground.  Even still, if we were to take a closer look we’d note that he’s still easily staying out of end range of motion (in terms of flexion) in the lumbar spine, and it’s still a helluva lot better looking than what most people do with 225 lbs.
  • But lets not get too far off track here. After the Trademarked EC arm swing, note how long he takes from when he initially grabs the bar to his initial pull: It’s like two seconds.  Max.

He’s not checking his foot placement, fiddling around with bar placement, running a mental checklist on his back position, or doing long division.  All that is done BEFORE he bends down to lift the bar.

It’s literally grab the bar and go.

Granted, those just learning the lift need to be a little more diligent on mastering the basics – I’d NEVER advocate that they “speed things up, ” but for everyone else, this is just some food for thought.

Seriously. Grip it and rip it!

3.  A few months ago I wrote an article over on Greatist.com titled The Reasons You’re Not Getting Stronger.

It turned out to be a fairly popular piece, and since then I’ve had a running relationship with them as well as several of their staff.

I’m not going to go into too many of details just yet – we’re still in 007 territory and can’t reveal too much – but Dan Trink and I are are going to be teaming up with Greatist.com on a pretty cool project that should 1) win us the Nobel Prize for Being Awesome, and 2) help A LOT of people take their health and fitness to a whole new level.

Stay tuned……….

4.  I live in a really cool city – Boston. Outside of the obvious – unparalleled history, great food, lots of entertainment, and the RedSox – Boston is also home to a plethora of outstanding fitness professionals.

In the years since I’ve been here and have seen my own career kinda take off, I’ve also had the opportunity to meet a lot of passionate and awesome people who are making a name for themselves in their own right.

One such person is Sirena Bernal.

Sirena and I are actually “neighbors” in a sense – we both live in the same neighborhood, and often joke about giving one another a high five at the local Trader Joe’s – and I  actually met her in person for the first time when she came to hear me speak to a group of personal trainers at a local Boston Sports Club this past spring.

Since then, she and I have kept in touch here and there, and she’s basically blowing up right before our eyes and becoming a superstar.

I read my fair share of blog post, and this one by Sirena:  My Healing Journey Part I and Part II, is easily one of the best I’ve read in a while.

Do yourself a favor and read them both. They’re hands down two of those most real and “ballsy” posts I’ve ever read.

Awesome stuff Sirena!

On that note, I’m going to go get my deadlift on. I feel like a kid on Christmas morning because I’m going to work up to a “sorta heavy” single vs. chains today, which will be my first attempt at anything baller in like two months. Fingers crossed my back doesn’t explode!

 

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Deadlifts and Foot Placement

The deadlift is arguably one of the more technical strength movements to master, and it’s no wonder that it oftentimes takes trainees months, years (maybe even more) to really hone in on the technique side of things.

So many variables and factors come into play, and if we were to make an impromptu checklist it may look something like this:

  • Can you demonstrate proper spinal position, or what we like to call “neutral spine”. This also includes packing the neck and not destroying the back of your pants.
  • Do your hips come up too quickly on the initial pull?
  • What about on the descent:  do you tend to sit back and engage more of the hips and glutes, or do you use more of a squat pattern?
  • How about bracing and intra abdominal pressure: can you get and maintain ample (360 degree) expansion?
  • Do you have sufficient ankle, hip, and t-spine mobility to maintain proper position throughout?
  • Are you “finishing” with your hips/glutes at the top?
  • Do your socks match your shirt?  Oh, god….they don’t!  Shit, now everyone’s going to think you’re an idiot and are going to laugh at you!  Hahahahahahahaha.

No one is the same, obviously. What works for one person, may be a recipe for disaster for the next. But one common mistake I see many trainees making when setting up to deadlift – especially with regards to conventional or trap bar style – is placing their foot stance too wide.

Hopefully this video demonstration – done on ONE TAKE, thank you very much – helps shed some light on the topic.

Enjoy.  Have an awesome weekend!

Note: My apologies for the picture quality.

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Stuff to Read While You’re Pretending to Work: 7/5/12

Hope everyone (here in the States) enjoyed the 4th! Mine was pretty uneventful all told, and was actually the first time in the six years I’ve lived here, that I actually spent it in Boston – in years past, I’ve always gone up to Maine to enjoy the fresh air and EC’s grandma’s carrot cake.

This year, though, Lisa and I elected to stay in the city and went and bought a new air conditioner instead – cause we’re romantic like that  – and then went to go see the movie Ted, which was freakin hilarious!!!!!

Go see it.  Now.

30 Years, 30 Health & Fitness Tips – Jon-Erik Kawamoto

Part I, Part II, and Part III

Jon-Erik and I have been stalking one another on the internet for the past year or so (the guy is literally EVERYWHERE now: Men’s Fitness, T-Nation, Oxygen, lurking outside your kitchen window) and I finally had the pleasure of meeting him in person a few weeks ago at the PTDC seminar up in Toronto.

I’ve had my fair share of instantaneous man-crushes in my day – Matt Damon, The Rock, to name a few – and Jon-Erik ranks right up there.  He’s one of the most humble guys you’ll ever meet, and he’s just someone who’s passionate about this industry and just “gets it.”  He’s already blowing up, but I expect even bigger things for him in the near future.

Do yourself a favor and book mark his website. You won’t be sorry.

And, for those interested, I did a similar piece back when I turned 34 titled 34 Years, 34 Favorite Things.  It’s the exact same things as Jon-Erik’s post, except with four more years of asskickery (and hair loss) added in.

The Surprising Science of Motivation – Daniel Pink

This is an older TED talk that I came across recently, but the title says it all: despite what we’ve always been told, it’s surprisingly surprising what actually motivates us to succeed.

While many are quick to point to incentive based programs as the impetus that really motivates us to meet certain deadlines or attain high quotas, Dan Pink – author of the phenomenal book, Drive: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us – flips it around and states that such things do nothing but IMPEDE progress and dulls our minds and creativity.

Pretty fascinating stuff if you ask me:

Have I Convinced You to Strength Train Yet? – Monika Volkmar

One of – if not THE reason – why I like to do this weekly “stuff you should read” series is that it allows me the opportunity to relay quality content from other health and fitness professionals that otherwise wouldn’t get too much exposure.

Granted, I link to a lot of articles from other really smart people that are way more of a bigger deal than myself, but I also like to “pay it forward” and help bring some lesser known personalities to the forefront as well.

Monika’s a dancer and she trains a lot of dancers.  Unlike many dance coaches, however, she actually understands that strength training can be an important fail safe to not only improve their performance, but prevent their bodies from breaking down at a break neck pace.

While the post is geared towards dancers and may turn people off from reading it, I’d encourage you to read anyways for the message alone.

 

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Have an Awesome 4th!

Do me a favor:

1.  Eat copious amounts of dead, furry animals.

2. Dominate some potato or macaroni salad.

3.  And more importantly, please, for the love god, don’t blow your hand off with an M-80.

Note:  there’s a lot of poo-poo language in the video below, so you might want to grab your ear-muffs if you have them close by. NSFW!!!!

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19 Tips for the Deadlift

1. Read THIS.  It will change your life.  Well, not really.  But at the very least it will (hopefully) clean up your technique.

2. Wolff’s Law and Davis’s Law. You can’t discount physics. The former states that bone in a healthy person or animal will adapt to the loads it is placed under. The latter states the same thing, except with regards to soft tissue.

Deadlifting = strong bones + soft tissue. You need a minimal essential strain (MES) in order for tissue to adapt. Likewise, in order to strengthen tissue, you need to load it. Sorry, but your cute little leg extensions and leg curls aren’t going to get the job done.

3. I’m biased. You’d be hard pressed to convince me otherwise that the deadlift isn’t one of the best overall exercises for hypertrophy, not to mention the best functional exercise you can do with respects to posterior chain strength, core stability, glute activation, power development, and transference of force throughout the entire body.

And lets not forget: a heavy set of deadlifts will make any woman within a two-block radius spontaneously conceive. True story.

4.  Deadlifts done incorrectly are horrible for your spine. I can’t argue with that.  However, when done correctly – with a neutral spine and proper hip hinge – they’ll do more as far as “bullet proofing” the body than any other exercise.

5.  Speaking of the hip hinge.  This is an excellent drill to learn to groove it.  Just make sure to maintain three point of contact throughout – back of the head, between the scapulae, and the sacrum.  If at any point the stick comes off loses contact with the body, you’re doing it wrong.

6.  Make sure to finish with your hips (hump the bar) with every rep.  One of the biggest mistakes I see trainees make is that they don’t finish the rep with their glutes – their butt just kinda sticks out J-Lo style.

Squeeze those bad boys at the top.  Deadlifts teach the glutes to share the load which will also help spare the spine.

7.  Conversely, at the other end of the spectrum, you have those who compensate with lumbar hyperextension for hip extension:

Yeah, um, don’t do that.

I like to tell people to “finish” with the glutes or to “stand tall.”  Those cues seem to work well for most, but not everyone.

In any case, here’s what a proper “finish” should look like.

Very sexy.

8.  Not every deadlift variation is created equal.  Pick the one that’s right for you.  What’s so great about deadlifts are that they can easily be conformed or “tweaked” to fit the needs of the lifter, and not vice versa.

Trap Bar Deadlifts

– Fantastic for beginners due to less shear loading on spine (center of gravity is INSIDE the bar).

– Elevated handles make it easier for those with hip flexion/ankle restrictions

– MUCH easier to maintain neutral spine due to the bar placement.

SUMO Deadlifts

– Excellent choice for those with mobility restrictions.

– Guys who are built to squat and bench (alligator arms, long torsos) like this version – because they don’t have to work so hard to get as low.

– Wider stance, toes out = easier to maintain neutral spine.

– CAVEAT:  these tend to eat up people’s hips, so I’d be reluctant to include them for more than a few weeks at a time.

Conventional Deadlift

– Although it’s the most recognized, it’s also the most advanced variation (more shear loading on the spine, center of gravity more anterior).

– Trainee MUST have ample ankle, hip, and thoracic mobility in order to get into proper position. If they don’t (which is a lot if you), then tweak the lift as needed either by elevating the bar on mats or maybe reverting to rack pulls.

– Lack of the above will inevitably lead to lumbar flexion, which is a major no-no when using significant loads.

9. I really feel the ideal rep scheme to teach deadlifts is in the 3-5 rep range.  Anything more and technique goes to the crapper and it takes every ounce of will power I have not to want to throw myself in front of a bus.

Stop…………..programming………….high…………..rep…………….deadlifts.

Seriously, stop.

10.  For those who have a little more experience, 5×5 ain’t gonna cut it forever.  If you want to get strong – I mean REALLY strong – you HAVE to include more singles and doubles into the mix.

More specifically, including more lifts at or above 90% (of 1RM) will almost certainly help.

In a nutshell, lifting maximal weight (90%+) has a number of effects:

– Maximum number of motor units are recruited.

– Fastest MU’s are activated.

– The discharge frequency (rate coding) is increased.

– Activity is synchronous.

– Improved coordination between synergistic muscles.

– Potential for future hypertrophy gains. Ie:  loads that used to be heavy are no longer heavy.

– Increased serum testosterone levels.

– Girls will want to hang out with you.  Not proven by science, but it just makes sense.

11.  As far as how to go about setting up a training session utilizing the 90% protocol, here’s the general idea:

Assuming original PR is 300 pounds, the goal for this training session is to get five lifts at 90% and above.

135×5
185×3
225×3
275×1
305×1 (PR! But it was a grinder. The girl on the elliptical is impressed though.)

At this point the trainee has already gotten two lifts above 90% (275, 305), which would mean he needs to get three more lifts in to get to the goal of five. The objective now is to stay at or slightly above 90% (usually in the 90-92% range) and focus on bar speed and NOT missing any lifts.

280×1,1

Follow this with a few fist pumps, pound a protein shake, and then hug someone.

12. Take your shoes off when deadlifting.  Doing so will get you closer to the ground (less distance the bar has to travel), as well as help engage the glutes and hamstrings more (which is what you want anyways).

13. I’ve stated in the past (HERE) that when it comes to weight belts, they should be reserved for more maximal effort lifts. I’m starting to change my mind on this one a bit.  With regards to teaching trainees to “feel” what it’s like to increase intra-abdominal pressure – as well as to teach them get more of a 360 degree expansion – I think utilizing a (loosely fit) weight belt would be ideal here.

Bill Hartman explains this in a little more detail here:

14.  Do you have a hard time deadlifting without rounding your back?  Maybe you need to stiffen it up! Read THIS.

15. For those too lazy to click the link, essentially all I said was to implement more upper back work – horizontal rows – into your weekly repertoire.

Oftentimes the back rounds because it’s weak.  Fix it!

16.  Along the same lines, we can’t discount poor t-spine mobility.  You need to HAMMER it on a daily basis – especially those who are sitting in front of their computers upwards of 10+ hours a day.

17. Include more single leg work into the mix as well.  Oftentimes, especially when working with beginners, a huge monkey wrench that becomes readily apparent is that they have poor kinesthetic awareness.  You can tell them to arch their back all you want, but if they don’t have proper body awareness, you might as well pound you head into a brick wall.

To that end, when coaching cues don’t work, maybe it’s wiser to take a step back from deadlifts and just throw in more single leg work.  Doing so will undoubtedly help get them stronger, but also improve hip stability and core stability to boot.

After a few weeks, try deadliftng again, and I can almost guarantee they’ll nail it.

In reality, though, including more single leg work in general is never a bad idea.

18.  Slow people down!!!! When performing deadlifts, I like to tell people that each rep is its own set.  Meaning, when they pull the bar off the ground, lock it out, and then descend back to the floor, tell them to rest for a second or two (after all, it is a DEADlift, not a bouncelift) and re-adjust their spinal position, get their air, and properly set up for the next rep.

Instead of thinking of it as a set of five repetitions.  Think of it as a set of five separate singles.

19. And finally, watch this video.  I wore my glasses, so I obviously know what I’m talking about.

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12 Epic Movie Scenes

When I was in Vancouver a few weekends ago for a friend’s wedding, the groom and I started chatting about movies (cause we’re both nerds) and he mentioned that he and a bunch of his friends often get together and show 5-15 minute clips of their favorite scenes from their favorite films.

I think that’s the coolest idea ever, and am dumbfounded that I never thought of that myself.

If girls can have their stupid tupperware and Avon parties, why can’t us guys have parties where we watch stuff explode and give one another high fives?

Speaking personally, outside of lifting heavy things, watching movies is my second passion and something that’s always been a part of my life since a young kid.

I still remember the afternoon seeing Return of the Jedi for the first time when I was seven years old and thinking to myself, “Wow.  Just wow.”  And I’m pretty sure that was the official start of me not thinking girls were “icky.”  I can thank Leia in a bikini for that one.

And, you know, the space stuff was cool too.

Anyways, it got me thinking: what scene(s) would I pick if given the same opportunity to showcase my movie going prowess?

It’s a tough call, and this is by no means an exhaustive list, but off the top of my head here are twelve selections.

Enjoy.

Also, just a fair warning:  most of the clips below aren’t safe for work.  So, unless you have the coolest boss ever, you might want to put on some head phones.

The Pub Scene from Inglorious Basterds

I’m a Quentin Tarantino guy through and through, and I could have just as easily made this entire list clips from all of his various movies – Reservoir Dogs, Pulp Fiction, Jackie Brown, Kill Bill (vol I and II), Death Proof, and  Inglorious Basterds.

Anyone who says they don’t like or care for Tarantino movies:

1. Probably sucks at life.

2. Hate movies in general.

Seriously, how can anyone say something like that with a straight face?

At a time when Hollywood is releasing heaping piles of crap like 21-Jump Street, Battleship, or any other example you can think of referencing cheesy 80’s tv shows and board games, at least Tarantino writes his own stuff and comes up with original content.

Which is why I also like guys like Paul Thomas Anderson, Christopher Nolan, Wes Anderson, Darren Aronofsky, and Woody Allen.  They rarely (if ever) regurgitate old material.  An exception could be made with regards to Nolan and the Batman franchise, but at least he had the gonads to do it right and stay true to the material, which is a far cry from the previous Batman films.

Anyways, I’m getting off track.  Where was I again?

Oh yeah: Tarantino.

Picking a favorite scene out of his body work is like picking your favorite Victoria Secret model – a daunting task to say the least.  But if I HAD to pick one, I’d pick the “Pub” scene from Inglorious Basterds.

I LOVE listening to good dialogue, and this scene is quintessential Tarantino, using a steady crescendo – highlighted by a brilliant performance by Michael Fassbender – culminating into one of the best “OMG…..this is freakin awesome” shoot outs of all time.

The clip below isn’t even the full scene (from start to finish), but it’s the best one I could find that had decent quality.

“How Am I So Funny” Scene from GoodFellas

Hands down, without question, there’s been no one movie I’ve watched more than GoodFellas.

I’m pretty sure I could quote the entire movie without batting an eye, and it’s one of those movies that, no matter how many times I’ve watched it, if I happen to come across it on television, I’m going to put the remote control down and watch it again.

This scene gets me every time, and as a funny aside:  my mom didn’t take too kindly when, at 13, I attempted to reenact it at the dinner table.  Sorry Mom!

“Rudy Gets Into the Game” Scene – Rudy

I can think of two other cases where I weeped like a teenage girl at a Justin Bieber concert.

– When Old Yeller got rabies and had to be taken out back to get shot.

– When Rose told Jack she’d never let go.  Whatever.  Don’t judge me.

This scene from Rudy probably takes the cake, though. And don’t play it off like you don’t get teary eyed every time you watch it you son of a bitch.

The Last Fifteen (or so) Minutes of Seven

Or what I like to call – “hooooooooooolllllllyyyyyyyy shit.  Did that just happen?”

I don’t think any one movie has ever made my brain melt as much as this one did.

I saw this in the theater – TWICE – when it first came out.  And the final 10-15 minutes still ranks up there as arguably one of the more intense, WTF is going to happen, I swear to god I’m going to pee my pants, oh my god, oh my god……..what’s in the box.  WHAT’S IN THE BOX???????????” moments I’ve ever watched.

Though, to be honest, pretty much ANY scene where Gwenyth Paltrow dies is cool in my book.  Sooooooo, yeah, I just gave away the ending.  Sorry.

“How You Like Dem Apples” Scene – Good Will Hunting

Given I’ve lived in Boston for the past six years, it goes without saying that I HAD to include this scene on my list.  Awesome.

The Final Scene in The Usual Suspects

I should have put this above Seven, because NO movie has ever had a better ending than this one.

For those who’ve never seen it:

1.  Shame on you.

2.  You’re officially banned from this site until you walk down to your local video store and rent it or queue that badboy on Netflix.

Get it done.

I’m not going to include the clip here because I don’t want to spoil anything, but suffice it to say, it’s pretty freakin epic.

“Now F**k Off and Die” Scene – Closer

This is not an easy film to watch, and much of that is a testament to the diabolical bastard that Clive Owen plays.

Side Note:  he won the Golden Globe for Best Supporting Actor for this role, as did Natalie Portman for her role in this film.

Relationships aren’t always about butterfly kisses and rainbows, and I think what I love most about this scene is that it showcases EXACLY that.  It’s primal and “real,” and is just brilliantly acted by both Clive Owen and Julia Roberts.

A close second would be the scene between Clive Owen’s character and Natalie’s character (Alice) as she strips for him in the nightclub.  Rumor has it that the director, Mike Nichols, shot a take of Portman topless, but then chose to not use it and destroyed the only copy.

Rumor has it that 99% of the male population thinks Nichols is an a-hole for doing such a thing.

Anyways, this is a pretty graphic and dirty scene. Note:  DEFINITELY NSFW.

Trinity Escapes – The Matrix

I picked this not necessarily because it was the best fight scene ever, but because up until that point, nothing (NOTHING!!) compared to it.

The Wachowski brothers’ seminal masterpiece literally changed the way movies are made, and prompted dozens upon dozens of posers to copy their vision.

I throw this scene under the same umbrella as when Darth Vader told Luke he was his father or when we watched the first victim (the female swimmer) in Jaws bite the big or when Jack Nicholson chopped through the door with an ax in The Shining or when Halle Berry showed her boobies in Swordfish…….

……movie moments we’ll never forget.

Opening Scene – Boogie Nights

Fun facts:  This is probably my favorite movie of all time, and I actually took my (then) 15 year old brother to go see this when it first came out back in 1997, which basically makes me the coolest brother ever.

Arguably one the best tracking shots (no breaks in camera work) in movie history.

As soon as we see the words “Boogie Nights” get thrown into your face in bright neon lights, you know it’s going to be quite the ride.  (<—-completely aware that that sounds a lot like a cheesy porno description.  HA!).

Wilson Floats Away – Cast Away

Yet another tear jerker (that is, assuming you have a soul); this scene gets me every time. How Tom Hanks was able to pull off such an emotional scene with a freakin volley ball is beyond me, and is something that only proves he’s a once in a generation actor.

Star Wars vs. Lord of the Rings – Clerks 2

Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaaha.

It’s funny because it’s true.

“Bikers vs. Mobsters Bar Fight” Scene – A Bronx Tale

The only way this scene could have been more badass is if it also had ninja’s vs. pirates.

The part where Sunny locks the door, turns around, and says, “Now you’s can’t leave” is so freaking badass I can’t even stand it.

Do you have any favorites of your own?  Share them below in the comments section!

 

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Exercises You Should Be Doing: 2-Bench Plank/DB Row

As some of you may or may not know I’ve been banged up as of late, and haven’t really been training up to my normal standards. I’m still heading to the gym everyday, of course (I work in one, so I have no excuse not to), but it’s been a bit of a downer the past few weeks knowing that I’m unable to do many of the things I’d really like to do.

Sometimes, though, we have to follow our own advice.  I’ve been quoted as saying that part of the job of a strength coach and personal trainer is to play the bad guy sometimes and force our clients into doing what they need to do, and not what they want to do.

Using myself as an example, I want more than anything else to head to the gym, load a metric shit ton on the bar, deadlift that sucker from the floor, and then get so fired up that I tear infants in half.

Okay, I got a little carried away there. Admittedly that’s a bit much………..

……..but I DO miss heading to the gym and training with some gusto and panache in my step.

Call me crazy, but performing endless repetitions of supine dying bugs is about as exciting as watching paint dry. But, unfortunately, that’s what has to be done at this point in time.

The good news: My back is feeling better. The bad news: It’s just a slow, mind-numbing process and I’m bored to tears.

Goddammit – I hate taking my own advice.  I want to lift heavy stuff!!!  You’te ruining my life Tony, I hate you!!!!!!!!

*turns around, stomps up the stairs, and slams door*

All theatrics aside, a few weeks ago I asked my good friend, Dean Somerset, if he’d be willing to help me out and write up a little sumthin sumthin for me to follow to hopefully get myself back on track sooner rather than later.

He came through with flying colors and I’ve been following his program for the past week.  I’ve often been quoted as saying you can ALWAYS train an injury, and Dean certainly concurs!

While I won’t give away all his trade secrets, I will say that he’s definitely provided a nice mix of the corrective stuff I need to be doing in conjunction with some cool stuff I’ve never done before.

Which brings us to today’s exercise you should be doing:

2-Bench DB Plank/Row

What Does It Do:  Before I get to that, I have to say that I’ve done my fair share of exercises that make me hate life – bulgarian split squats, turkish get-ups, high rep squats, Prowler pushes, etc – but as simple as this one looks, it’s about as enjoyable as setting your face on fire.

To that end, this is an excellent exercise that trains both core stability while simultaneously allowing for one to get a bit more horizontal pulling into their repertoire.

The added “row” component really pushes the envelop in terms of making this a brutal core stability exercise, though.  That’s where the true benefit lies.

Key Coaching Cues:  Again, this looks simple and I know there are going to be a lot of people who are going to scoff when they watch the video – how hard can it be Gentilcore???? – but I’m telling you when it’s performed correctly, it’s brutal.

Start with a lighter DB than you think – in the video I used a 30 lb DB, and that was plenty – and assume the starting position with your opposite forearm resting on one bench and your toes on the other.

As with any plank variation you want to make certain that the body is in a complete straight line from your head to the toes, so you’ll need to make a concerted effort to not poke your head forward or allow the hips to hike or sag.  If you do, lower the weight being used.  And, after that, if you still can’t perform the movement correctly without compensating, it’s too advanced you need to take a step back and regress as needed.

In addition, you’ll want to brace your abs, squeeze your glutes, and don’t forget to breath!

Perform 5-8 repetitions on one side, and repeat on the other.

Good luck.

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Stuff To Read While You’re Pretending to Work: 6/21/12

So the last two days I’ve put up some rather lengthy blogs – one over 2000 words, and the other just a shade over 1000, which by blogging standards is a lot.  Especially when you consider that many of the “experts” will tell you that the ideal word count for a post should be anywhere from 600-800 words.

I woke up this morning and knew I had to hunker down and write several programs and wasn’t quite sure whether or not I’d be motivated to do any writing.  As it turns out, my assumption was correct.  Instead I tried to occupy myself with more productive things such as piling all the coasters, organizing my DVD collection, and trying to eat a potato chip without chewing on it, which is actually more difficult than it sounds.

Above all else, it’s freaking gorgeous outside and I’d much rather be outside enjoying the nice weather than sitting here tapping away on a keyboard.

To that end, I’m bidding everyone a fair farewell today and leaving you with some cool stuff to read.

Beautiful Badass Pillars – The Simple, No Nonsense Guide to Being a Beautiful Badass – Nia Shanks

Whenever it comes to women and training, I often defer to Nia, and this post is the reason why.  She just “gets it.”

I particularly love her thoughts on isolation exercises. You know, things like isolation bicep curls, tricep kickbacks, and the like.  Whenever I work with a woman and she starts asking me if or when we’ll start including some direct arm work into the mix I point out two things:

1.  Chin-up variations and row variations will usually be all the “direct” arm work one will ever need.

2.  If she can’t perform at least two (un-assisted) chin-ups and/or ten clean push-ups, then we’re not going to waste our time with trivial exercises.

Sure there’s a time and place for them, but as Nia points out……you have to EARN the isolation exercises.

Fillers: Pairing Strength and Mobility – Todd Bumgardner

This was the feature article over on t-nation.com yesterday, and I thought it was fantastic.

A large portion of my talk last weekend in Toronto dealt with this whole notion of fillers and how integral they can be in terms of covering or “corrective exercise” bases.

Here, Todd does an awesome job showing the reader how to implement them into one’s programming and offers a lot of cool variations to boot.

9 Deadlift Corrections to a Safer and Stronger Life – Dave Thomas

This article has been all over Facebook and Dave actually sent me a note saying how I was a huge inspiration for him writing this article.

It goes without saying that I love anything and everything deadlifts, so it should come as no surprise when I say I read this and immediately peed myself a little.

This one definitely receives the Tony G seal of approval.

Check em out, and let me know that you liked them!. Show the authors some props as well!