CategoriesProgram Design Rehab/Prehab Strength Training Uncategorized

My Top Shoulder Training Tips Part II

If you missed Part I of Dr. Licameli’s guest post, you can check it out HERE. Now, you could read today’s post and get the gist of what was said yesterday, but you run the risk of missing out on some nitty-gritty details.

Kinda like watching Blade Runner 2049.

You could watch it without watching the original, but you’re missing out on some important context.

Copyright: xmee / 123RF Stock Photo

 

*** This is the part where’d you know what points 1-4 were all about.

5) Don’t Push Through Pain…Not All The Time, Anyway

There is good pizza and there is bad pizza. There is good pain and there is bad pain. Differentiating the difference is of utmost importance when training the shoulders.

We’re not talking about delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS), which is felt 1-2 days after training.

We’re talking about pain during training.

What follows are some guidelines to help you navigate your way through pain.

KEEP IN MIND, THESE ARE GENERAL GUIDELINES. IF YOU HAVE PAIN, BE SURE TO SEE A QUALIFIED HEALTHCARE PRACTITIONER!

I stress finding a qualified healthcare practitioner. A qualified healthcare practitioner will explain all of this, in addition to providing several options to keep you training while recovering from injury.

Let’s face it…not all physical therapists have spent much time under a bar. Some have spent time at the bar or even at barre class, but many have no experience or expertise in weight lifting or bodybuilding. You deserve your goals to be taken seriously. You deserve more than things like, “stop squatting for 4 weeks” and standing internal and external rotation with a band to “strengthen” the rotator cuff…or is it rotator cup…no, it’s rotary cuff…rotary club!

That’s it.

Characteristics of good pain:

-How Does It Feel?: Muscle burn; usually symmetrical right to left.

-Onset: Gradually increases as the set progresses.

-When Does It Stop?: At the completion of a set.

Characteristics of bad pain:

-How Does It Feel?: Sharp, numb, tingling; intensity may be asymmetrical right to left.

-Onset: Quickly; may be felt after only the first few reps

-When Does It Stop?: Days, weeks, months…; stays well after the set is completed, however may also end at the completion of a set.

If you find yourself experiencing bad pain, it may not be the end of the world. Bruce Lee also said, “Be like water.”

Water has the flexibility to take the shape of whatever container it is placed in, while still maintaining its identity…water.

In a similar way, our training can be modified without losing its identity or effectiveness. Try to modify your training. Sharp pain when pressing overhead with a barbell? Try a landmine press. Unable to perform a reverse flye? Try a face pull. Keeping the same exercises and modifying training volume may also do the trick.

 

6) Don’t Overdo It With The Classic “Rehabilitation” And “Injury Prevention” Exercises. There Are Hidden Benefits In Some Classic Movements.

It is no one’s fault but our own that, as a profession, physical therapy has a certain reputation when it comes to injury and injury prevention. The misconception is that in order to reduce pain or prevent injury, a hefty dose of classic “rehabilitation” exercises need to be added into an already packed training regimen.

For me, and many out there like me, gone are the days of separating “therapeutic exercise” from “regular training.” Say goodbye to blocking off a half hour pre and post workout to foam roll and perform straight leg raises and clamshells. If you look closely, you can find what you need for healthy shoulders right there in your existing training routine. Here are some examples:

Face Pull: Trains scapular retraction and external rotation. Great for scapular stability, rotator cuff strengthening, and balancing out internal vs. external rotation.

Farmer Carry/Overhead Carry: Excellent way to train postural, scapular, and global rotator cuff stability, not to mention full body/core strength.

 

Plank on Ball with Protraction and/or the Ab Wheel: Great way to dynamically train serratus anterior, core stability, and scapular stability.

 

Plank with Band Around Wrists with Protraction: Great way to train external rotation as well as dynamically train serratus anterior, core stability, and scapular stability

Landmine Press: With proper scapular movement (more on this to come), this is an excellent exercise to dynamically strengthen serratus anterior and improve scapular neuromuscular control.

 

Pull-up/Pull-down: With proper scapular depression at the initiation of the pull, this is a fantastic exercise to target the lower traps, which play a key role in scapulohumeral mechanics. Full range of motion and a long eccentric will also help lengthen the lats, which can limit shoulder mobility.

 

Squats/Deadlifts: Train “shoulder packing” position. A proper warm-up prior to these lifts will also include thoracic mobility work.

Seek out experts like Tony Gentilcore (obviously), Andrew Millett, John Rusin, Jeff Cavaliere, Quinn Henoc, Mike Reinold, Mike Robertson, Eric Cressey, Dean Somerset, Zach Long, Joel Seedman, Ryan DeBell, Teddy Willsey, and many more.

But if you have pain, GO SEE A QUALIFIED HEALTHCARE PRACTITIONER FIRST!

7) Symmetry…Don’t Forget External Rotation and Thoracic Mobility

As previously mentioned, weightlifters tend to be very “internal rotation dominant,” and for good reason.

Let’s look at the muscles that internally rotate the shoulder.

Just to name a few: pec major, lats, subscapularis, teres major, front deltoid.

Let’s take a look at the muscles that externally rotate the shoulder: infraspinatus, rear deltoid, teres minor.

The muscles that internally rotate the shoulder are of greater number and greater size (the pecs and lats are two of the strongest muscles of the upper body). The external rotators are less in number and much smaller. Give those external rotators a fighting chance to create some balance! Don’t neglect them!

It’s important to note that just performing an equal amount of presses and rows/pull-downs will not improve shoulder rotation symmetry because, as previously mentioned, both the pecs and the lats internally rotate the shoulder. So even though pull-downs and rows are “back” exercises, they still train the lats and therefore still train internal rotation.

Some of my favorite exercises to train external rotation are face pulls, W raises/pulls, reverse flyes with external rotation bias, wall slides with a band, and planks with a band around the wrists.

 

Adequate thoracic mobility is crucial to optimal shoulder function. If the scapulae are the foundation of the shoulder, the thoracic spine is the ground on which the foundation is built.

Thoracic mobility should be included in almost every warm-up, regardless of the body part being trained. One of my favorite thoracic mobility exercises is a kneeling protraction sit-back into a lat stretch with deep breathing. Be sure to check out this video of a sample lower body warm-up routine that includes this exercise.

 

8) Don’t Pin Down The Scapulae

It happens all the time.

An idea comes out and soon gets morphed into an extreme.

“Dynamic stretching may be better than static stretching pre-workout” turns into, “Don’t ever do static stretching because it’s a waste of time.”

“Foam rolling may help improve short-term soft tissue restriction and range of motion” turns into “I have to foam roll for 30 min when I wake up as well as pre workout, post workout, and before bed in order to break up adhesions and prevent injury.”

The idea of “shoulders down and back” seems to have experienced a similar course. Yes, keeping the shoulders in a retracted and depressed position with a properly extended thoracic spine will place the muscles, nerves, and joints in a structurally advantageous position as well as open up the subacromial space by about 30%. It also allows for unrestricted overhead shoulder range of motion.

However, the scapulae must move, and they must move correctly. The scapula is the base and foundation of the shoulder and dysfunction can most certainly lead to injury.

Note From TG: Check out THIS article I wrote a while back touching on the same topic; in this case how it relates to performing a DB Row correctly.

Generally, the scapula remains relatively stationary during the first 30 degrees of shoulder abduction (lifting the arm out to the side as in a lateral raise), with the movement coming primarily from the glenohumeral joint. As abduction continues past 30 degrees, the scapula begins to move and the glenohumeral joint and scapulothoracic joints move in about a 2:1 ratio.

This means that at 120 degrees of abduction, the glenohumeral joint has contributed about 80 degrees and the scapula has contributed about 40 degrees. If the scapula remains pinned “down and back,” range of motion will be restricted and the glenohumeral joint will be forced to overcompensate. This dysfunction will likely limit performance and increase risk of injury.

In addition to upward rotation, the scapula also needs to protract (glide forward) during both overhead and pulling movements. Serratus anterior is one of the main muscles responsible for protraction as well as for adhering the concave surface of the scapula to the convex surface of the ribcage. Pinning the scapulae down and back is not what we need…we need controlled, scapular motion.

I’m Done

If at least one person benefits from these tips, I have done my job. My hope is that you will keep these tips in mind and reap the benefits of strong, healthy shoulders. You’re putting the work in, now let’s capitalize on it.

About the Author

Nicholas M. Licameli

Doctor of Physical Therapy / Pro Natural Bodybuilder

Youtube: HERE

Instagram: HERE

Facebook: HERE

Every single thing he does, Nick believes in giving himself to others in an attempt to make the world a happier, healthier, and more loving place. He wants to give people the power to change their lives. Bodybuilding and physical therapy serve as ways to carry out that cause. Nick graduated summa cum laude from Ramapo College of New Jersey with his bachelor’s degree in biology, furthered his education by completing his doctoral degree in physical therapy from Rutgers School of Biomedical and Health Sciences (previously the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey) at the age of 24, and has earned professional status in natural bodybuilding. His knowledge of sport and exercise biomechanics, movement quality, and the practical application of research combined with personal experience in bodybuilding and nutrition allows him to help people in truly unique ways. Love. Passion. Respect. Humility.   Never an expert. Always a student. Love your journey.

CategoriesStuff to Read While You're Pretending to Work Uncategorized

Stuff To Read While You’re Pretending To Work: 1/19/18

Man am I in a funk. This has never happened before, but I’m struggling to come up with content to write.

I can’t say for sure, but it “may” have something to do with a soon-to-be one-year old that’s growing more and more mobile by the day.1.

In any case I apologize for my lack of writing prowess. Rest assured I’ll be making a comeback sooner or later.

Onto this week’s list….

Copyright: wamsler / 123RF Stock Photo

BUT FIRST…

1) Mark Fisher Fitness Presents: Motivate & Movement LAB

I’ve had the honor of presenting at two previous iterations of the Motivate & Movement LAB (the brainchild of MFF’s Harold Gibbons) and it’s unequivocally one of the most unique events in the fitness industry.

Think: TED Talk, but with deadlifts and lots of f-bombs.

Anyways, the next LAB is this coming February, and will feature myself, Dan John, Pete Dupuis, my wife (Dr. Lisa Lewis), and several of the MFF coaching staff including Brian Patrick Murphy and Amanda Wheeler.

2) Appearance on the All About Fitness Podcast

Host Pete McCall does a superb job with this podcast and keeps things light and entertaining.

In this episode I discuss my journey towards my 600 lb deadlift.

You can go HERE (Episode 85) or HERE (Episode 85) via iTunes.

3) Postpartum Corrective Exercise Specialist

I’ll go a head and say it: I feel this is one of the single most important courses I have ever taken.

If you train women it behooves you to understand the intricacies surrounding this topic: pelvic floor dysfunction, prolapse, incontinence, etc.

Dr. Sarah Duvall covers everything from assessment/screening to corrective exercise (tons of attention to proper breathing mechanics) to training considerations immediately postpartum (1-4 weeks) onward to a year plus.

What’s more, what I truly dig about Sarah’s approach is that she advocates women to eventually “lift shit to fix shit” (my words, not hers). Sooooo, there’s that.

FYI: Use the coupon code TONYG at checkout for an additional $50 off your purchase.2

Stuff To Read While You’re Pretending To Work

10 Nuggets, Tips and Tricks on Energy System Training – Mike Robertson

Per the usual Mike takes a rather complicated topic and dumbs it down for us peons. I REALLY liked his breakdown on the differences in adaptations between aerobic training and anaerobic, and how it’s the former (aerobic) that will likely help with better progress in the weight-room.

Does It Matter If You Can Deep Squat? – Travis Pollen

The deep squat screen can tell you a lot about a person. It can tell you his or her’s ability to achieve adequate ankle dorsiflexion, as well as much hip mobility, thoracic extension, and shoulder flexion they have.

About the only thing is doesn’t tell you is their favorite installment in the Fast & Furious franchise.

But what does the deep squat really tell us? Travis sheds some light.

Everything You Need to Know About Recovering – Dr. Mike Israetel

Very comprehensive article that covers a litany of popular recovery strategies:

– Those that work well

– Those about which science is uncertain

– Those that don’t seem to work as planned or much at all.

Social Media Shenanigans

Twitter

Instagram

CategoriesStuff to Read While You're Pretending to Work Uncategorized

Stuff To Read While You’re Pretending To Work: 1/5/18

Why hello everybody.

I took a brief blogcation this past week because I was down in Dallas, TX visiting family (and eating copious amounts of carrot cake). It was cold as balls down there – in the 20’s, what the hell? – only to return to Boston two days ago to be met with even colder than balls weather…something called a “Bomb” Cyclone.

Parts of downtown Boston flooded and now there’s about two feet of ice in the streets. Thankfully none of that affected us. What’s more, with the wind-chills today, it’s reported we’ll see balmy temperatures of -30 degrees.3

We’re hunkered inside with really nothing to do so I figured I may as well cut  my blogation short.

Copyright: wamsler / 123RF Stock Photo

BUT FIRST

 

1) Mark Fisher Fitness Presents: Motivate & Movement LAB

I’ve had the honor of presenting at two previous iterations of the Motivate & Movement LAB (the brainchild of MFF’s Harold Gibbons) and it’s unequivocally one of the most unique events in the fitness industry.

Think: TED Talk, but with deadlifts and lots of f-bombs.

Anyways, the next LAB is this coming February, and will feature myself, Dan John, Pete Dupuis, my wife (Dr. Lisa Lewis), and several of the MFF coaching staff including Brian Patrick Murphy and Amanda Wheeler.

2) Spurling Spring Seminar

JUST ANNOUNCED: I’ll also be making a cameo up in Kennebunk, Maine this Spring for the Spurling Spring Seminar.

It’s not until April, but you can save BIG now ($100 off) by purchasing an (early) early bird ticket by clicking the link above.

[Link also provides details on all the presenters and topics covered]

There aren’t many industry events that come into this neck of the woods, so hope to see you there!

STUFF TO READ WHILE YOU’RE PRETENDING TO WORK

When To Progress and When To Not Progress Your Exercises – Jarrod Dyke

It can be tricky to figure out when it’s appropriate to progress an exercise for a client/athlete and when they should probably stay put.

Jarrod offers some insights that may help make the water less murky.

How To Fix Your Knee Pain In the Squat – Brad Cox

I always appreciate the content Brad puts together and the cool things that can be done with some of the ACUMobility protocols.

In this article/video Brad breaks down squat assessment and in particular hones in on both one’s ability to rotate their tibia and adductor length and how they can affect squat performance.

4 Ways to Include Density Sets For Hypertrophy – The Strength House

REALLY enjoyed this article from the guys over at The Strength House (Greg and Tony). If you’re looking for some quick-n-dirty ways to add muscle….density sets are a fantastic way to do so.

Social Media Shenanigans

Twitter

Instagram

CategoriesUncategorized

Best Articles of 2017: Guest Posts

The blogcation continues. Today I’m going to highlight some of the best guest posts from this past year.

Guest posts played a crucial role on the site in 2017. Having a kid, while one of the most rewarding things in my life, was also one of the most time-suckiest things too.

For obvious reasons I just didn’t have as much free-time to write as much as I would have liked.4Thanks to everyone who pinch-wrote for me.

Here’s a few curated selections.

Copyright: pixelsaway / 123RF Stock Photo

Maybe Less Isn’t More – Kourtney Thomas

I LOVED this post from Kourtney.

Women are programmed to train to be LESS, as if adding muscle is taboo akin to bacon on a Sunday. Well, that’s a bunch of bullshit if you ask me.

How to Train Around a Groin Strain – Sam Spinelli

It’s one of THE most annoying injuries that can happen to an athlete or lifter. In this post physical therapist and strong AF strength coach, Sam Spinelli, sheds some light on how to conquer it.

The Planet Fitness Myth – Shane McLean

There will always be gyms who compete only on price and price alone. However, most people’s health and fitness is worth way more than $10 per month and free tootsie rolls.

No matter how delicious they are.

Healthy Living Is Hard: Accept It – Justin Kompf

It ain’t easy to be “healthy.” It takes effort, dedication, and consistency. However, there are simple tricks you can use to make it easier and more palatable to fit your lifestyle.

Fitness Celebrity vs. Fitness Pro: Part 2: Shots Have Been Fired – Erica Sutter

There’s a stark difference between a fitness celebrity who has an IG account with lots of selfies and someone who’s actually a fitness professional and knows what the heck they’re talking about.

Erica helps shed some light….

CategoriesUncategorized

Best Articles of 2017: My Picks

Yesterday I linked to the articles that resonated most with my readers and received the most traffic on the site in 2017.

You can check them out HERE.

Today, however, I’m going to highlight MY picks. Because me, me, me, me, and me.

Copyright: pixelsaway / 123RF Stock Photo

 

The Hardest Topic to Write About: Program Design

Whether you’re a fan of undulated periodization, block periodization, or plain ol’ vanilla linear periodization….writing effective training programs is a must if you want to be known as a legitimate coach or personal trainer.

Where to start? Which is best?

I attempt to answer that in this article.

My Wish For Female Fitness: Less Talk About Less

Look at the magazine cover above. What do you see?

Airbrushing, yes.

But look at the words and titles…..lose, lose, slim, guilt-free, sexy…all are words used to insinuate women need to be less or that they’re not good enough now.

I wish it would stop.

The Trap Bar Deadlift Is Not Cheating

I think the title says it all.

If you need a little more convincing please read on.5

How to Fix Scapular Winging

For the record, you’re likely not going to fix THAT (^^^^^).

That’s “true” scapular winging, a neurological issue where the long thoracic nerve is unable to innervate the Serratus Anterior.

What your client, Jake from accounting, has….is NOT scapular winging.

The Rotator Cuff and Boy Bands

Sometimes you write something you feel is going to resonate so hard and be such a hit with your readers you’ll make a draft of your Pulitzer acceptance speech before you click “publish.”

And then there’s articles like this one…..LOLs.

I thought it was going to be hit and I thought I was being clever. Come on….how many people have tried to tie in boy bands when discussing the rotator cuff?

But, well, sometimes you miss.

Maybe this is a perfect example of people not recognizing greatness until after the fact. Maybe I’m a literary version of Van Gogh?

Yeah, that’s it……;o)

CategoriesUncategorized

Best Articles of 2017: Reader’s Picks

Well, that was fast.

2017 came and went.

It was a tumultuous year in many ways – I think many of us are a little fatigued from the events of this past year – but on a personal level quite a profound one too.

I mean, I became a dad.6

Despite the subsequent sleep deprivation – earning my parenting stripes – I still somehow managed to put up 192 blog posts in 2017.7 Today I wanted to highlight the Top 5 posts that received the most web traffic.

These are the articles that resonated the most with you, my readers.

Copyright: pixelsaway / 123RF Stock Photo

 

Sex In the Industry: Why Men Need to Lean In and Listen

This was hands down the most popular article of 2017, and was also the latest entry to make the list (I wrote this in early December).

It all started with the image above of a woman performing a cable pull-through. I used it in a presentation I was giving and unfortunately my immature reaction to it made some women who were present uncomfortable.

It was a hard article to write, but something I felt needed to be done.

Exercises You Should Be Doing: Rack Pull-Up

 

People went bananas over this pull-up progression I posted about back in April.

Click the link to see what all the hooplah was about.

A Lesson to Fitness Pros: You’re Always Being Watched

I guess this was the year of self-introspection and calling myself out. We can always improve, and in this case a slight lapse in customer service led to an embarrassing “call out” by a client of mine.

My Go To Squat Progression For Pretty Much Everyone

SPOILER ALERT: It’s not the variation pictured above…..;o)

The Unsexy, No BS Guide to Actually Getting Results

There’s a notion of late they every workout has to be a ball-buster. That if you’re not swimming in a pool of sweat or if you can’t feel the right side of your face that it was an ineffective waste of time.

THIS…IS….FALSE.

 

Categoriespersonal training Program Design Strength Training Uncategorized

10 Steps To Dominate Your Deadlift Technique

The better title of this post should be: “10 Steps To Ensure You Won’t Destroy the Back Of Your Pants (With Your Spine) When You Deadlift.”

The deadlift, as with any compound movement, requires precision and attention to detail in order to 1) Perform it well 2) Not get hurt and 3) To have any shot at lifting appreciable weight. There are many moving parts to the lift, however, to speak candidly, of the “Big 3,” the case could be made it’s the least technical.8

This is not to insinuate it’s altogether easy or simple. Simple in concept? Yes. I mean, picking a barbell up off the ground and locking it out isn’t rocket science. Simple in execution? Well, that’s where things get a bit more complicated.

Below are some overarching (<—Ha, pun intended) “themes” with regards to setup and execution of the deadlift I feel are important across the board.

Copyright: spotpoint74 / 123RF Stock Photo

 

1) First, Lets Clear the Air

The internet likes to argue. It’ll argue whether or not the dress was gold or blue (remember that stupid debacle from a few years ago?), DC vs. Marvel, high-bar vs. low bar squats, and/or who’s the most bad-ass He-Man character not named He-Man.

Cyclone anyone?

More cogent to the topic at hand, people will also argue on the internet that anyone who SUMO deadlifts is cheating.

The prevailing, uppity, train of thought is that, because one is closer to the ground when performing a SUMO deadlift (compared to a conventional stance) it’s easier and thus it’s cheating…and somehow less relevant of a lift.

To which I say: bull to the shit.

Unless your name is Professor Dumbledore and can somehow make someone’s femur change length when they switch from a conventional stance to SUMO stance…the whole “it’s less ROM, it’s easier” argument is a moot one.

The moment arm (femur) doesn’t miraculously change from conventional to SUMO stance.

It’s just…..different.

What you lose in the sagittal plane during conventional, you gain in frontal plane when performing SUMO style deadlifts.

Generally speaking (due to the moment arms and levers at play):

Conventional Pulls: easier/faster off the ground, harder at lockout.

SUMO Pulls: harder/slower off the ground, all out sexification at lockout.

Stephanie Cohen hit a 525 lbs deadlift at a bodyweight of 123 lbs recently. It was done SUMO.

 

True to form, (some of) the internet projectile vomited all over itself calling her out, saying it didn’t count, and that it’s not real powerlifting (I guess because she was using straps?).

1. Hahahahaha. I have to assume most commenters calling her out couldn’t sniff her warm-up weight.

2. Um, the lift didn’t take place at a powerlifting meet. So thanks for making the stupidest argument you could possibly make.

[For the record: most powerlifters I know are some of the most respectful, courteous, and supportive people I know. They would never turn their nose to such an impressive lift.]

Step one to successful deadlift technique is to figure out what style feels best FOR YOU.

What feels better? What feels more powerful and stable? Which one places you in the best position possible?

Some people will do well with conventional style, while others may prefer SUMO. Both are fine.

Relax internet.

2) Get Your Air, Set Your Ribcage

Gone are the days of cuing people to excessively arch their backs. Gross, repetitive extension can have just as many negative ramifications on spine health as gross, repetitive flexion.

Ideally we want to shoot for more of a canister (or pillar) position where the pelvis and ribcage are “stacked” on top of one another. Most specifically, the pelvic floor and diaphragm are stacked on top of each other.

I like to cue people to get a big gulp of air and aim for 3D expansion (breathing into their stomach, sides, and back) before bending over to grab the bar.

Admittedly it takes a bit of practice but makes a profound difference in how the lift feels.

3) Chest Up, Show Me Your Logo

This is a cue I stole from Eric Cressey and a staple at Cressey Sports Performance. Generally speaking I like to see the following on the deadlift setup:

  • Shoulders above chest
  • Chest above hips
  • Hips above knees.

This isn’t the case for everyone, mind you, but a good rule of thumb to follow. This will ensure most people stay in a “neutral” position and offset the bulk of shear forces on the spine.

I’ll often stand in front of an individual and just say “show me your logo the entire time” as he or she descends down to the bar.

The end result should look like the picture above.

If not, this happens:

4) Armpits Over Barbell, Max Hamstring Tension

Regardless of style of pull, the goal with one’s set up should be armpits over the bar with maximal hamstring tension.

This will help ensure 1) hips are as close to the bar as possible (without making it too squatting. In that case the hips are actually further away….laterally) and 2) people will be less likely to pull via the lower back.

 

5) Turn Lats On

The lats are a big player with regards to deadlift technique. You want to make sure they’re “set” to help with upper back stiffness during the lift itself.

The best cue I’ve used to help with this is to tell someone to “squeeze the oranges in your armpits.”

Works like charm.

6) Pull Slack Out of the Bar or Bend the Bar

7) Push Away

The deadlift is just as much of a PUSHING exercise as it is pulling. You want to generate force into the ground and drive AWAY, thrusting your hips forward as you stand up.

People who solely focus on pulling the weight up – via their back – are often the ones that complain about it low back pain the most.

8) Finish at Top or Stand Tall

A common mistake I see some trainees make is either not getting their hip through at the top (AKA: the sexy stripper butt) or going too far.

“Hump the bar” at the top. Finish. Stand tall. All are cues I’ve used that work and get people to finish with their glutes.

9) Don’t Let Go

On the descent, don’t let go.

Stay engaged.

It’s here where I’ll often see people round their shoulders or lose their upper back position. And it makes me sad.

Keep your abdominals engaged (and keep squeezing that orange), even on the way down.

NOTE: Disregard for max effort pulls….;o)

10) Reset or Peel the Shoulders

There’s a time and place for tap-n-go deadlifts, but I have to admit I rarely use them. Instead I’ll tell people to “reset” between each rep – albeit it’s brief – to gulp their air, “peel their shoulders back,” and to make sure they’re in a good position for the next rep.

The video below is of me demonstrating this with a dumbbell, but you should still get the gist:

 

These Aren’t Set in Stone

None of what I said above is concrete.9 There will always be some slight deviations based off someone’s anatomy, ability level, and goal(s).

However, I have found that for most people, most of the time, they all work really well to get people’s technique in check.

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

CategoriesStuff to Read While You're Pretending to Work Uncategorized

Stuff To Read While You’re Pretending To Work: 11/17/17

I don’t know about everyone else, but I’m sooooo pumped for The Punisher on Netflix. Now, I wouldn’t say I grew up a big Punisher fan growing up (remember that Thomas Jane movie back in the late 90’s early 2000’s?), but I am a big fan of Jon Bernthal and was intrigued by his playing of the character in season two of Daredevil.

Between that and Lisa’s birthday this weekend I’ll have a ton to keep me occupied.

Lets get to this week’s “stuff.”

Copyright: wamsler / 123RF Stock Photo

But First

1) Looking For Strong MOFo’s

Bryan Krahn and I looking for men (and women) who are 40+ (or thereabouts) to test-drive a program he and I are putting together called Strong MOFo

MOFo = Man Over Forty.

You can read all about it HERE.

Of, if you prefer the Cliff Notes version: if you’re a human being and looking to follow a 4-month program that’s designed to get you strong, maybe get you a better bicep peak, not kill you, and take into account you’re not 25 anymore (and written be two competent coaches) this program may be right up your alley.

Direct link HERE.

2) Media Cameos

I was asked to contribute to THIS article on Men’s Health titled “6 Signs You Need to Switch Up Your Workout.”

Okay “cameos” was a lie.

Stuff You Should Read

Complete Core – Mike Boyle

It would be hard for me to think of one coach who has helped shape my career and way of thinking when it comes to training people more so than Mike Boyle.

I remember the first time I met him back in 2005 when Eric Cressey and I drove from Danbury, CT to meet up him, Alwyn Cosgrove, and Valerie Waters at some seedy Irish bar after the three of them had finished presenting somewhere.

Admittedly, at the time, I had zero idea who Mike was. But Eric quickly set me straight and told me he was a pretty big deal. I went home that night, purchased Functional Training For Sport and never looked back.

I’ve watched every iteration of Functional Strength Coach and I still think his book, Advances in Functional Training, is still one of the best books I’ve read in strength & conditioning and one that really “meshed” things together for me as a coach.

So needless to say, here we are with another fantastic Mike Boyle project…this time diving deep into his brain on the topic of core training.

It’s Mike Boyle. This is gooooooood.

And, unfortunately, you only have until the end of today (11/17) to purchase this at the sale price of $50 off regular price.

10 Rules for Building Muscle Without Getting Fat – Eric Bach

Great stuff in this one from Eric – a guy I trust when it comes to adding on slabs of muscle without the belly.

What Is the Keto Diet? (And Should I Try It?) – Aleisha Fetters

Very thorough and a very fair look into the Keto Diet.

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CategoriesStuff to Read While You're Pretending to Work Uncategorized

Stuff To Read While You’re Pretending To Work: 11/10/17

I’ve got a busy and exciting weekend coming up. First off I’m gonna head to the gym shortly after pressing “publish” on this post, go deadlift my face off, and follow-suit with my weekly visit to my favorite pizza place here in Boston – Upper Crust.

Later on I’ll head to the airport to pick my boy Dean Somerset. We’re both teaching the Complete Shoulder & Hip Blueprint to a sold out crowd at AMP Fitness this weekend. It’ll be bitter-sweet because after 20+ times teaching it across the world (LA, Seattle, London, Prague, Oslo, Minneapolis, Vancouver), it’s likely our last “planned” presentation of the course.

We’ll be sad to turn the page, but we’re excited to drum up a new curriculum.10

Lets get to this week’s list.

Copyright: gregorylee / 123RF Stock Photo

But First

1) Looking For Strong MOFo’s

Earlier this week Bryan Krahn and I announced we’re looking for people to beta-test our Strong MOFo program.

MOFo = Man Over Forty.

You can read all about it HERE.

Of, if you prefer the Cliff Notes version: if you’re a 35+ (man or woman) and looking to follow a 4-month program that’s designed to get you strong, maybe get you a better bicep peak, not kill you, and take into account you’re not 25 anymore (and written be two competent coaches) it may be right up your alley.

Direct link HERE.

2) BarBend.com Interview: Training Over 40 and Deadlifts

I was asked by the peeps over at BarBend.com to talk about training over 40 (catching a theme here?) and you know anytime I start talking about lifting things the conversation will gravitate towards deadlifts.

But we also talked about women and chin-up training too.

You can check it out HERE.

3) Latest Men’s Health Article

Men’s Health asked me to comment on what would make most guy’s pecs more “pecy.” HERE’s what I had to some on the topic.

Stuff To Read While You’re Pretending To Work

25 Ways to Eat Well On the Go – Dr. John Berardi

I work with a lot of clients who are on the go and travel a ton for their work. This infographic is going to save me a TON of time.

6 Reasons You Should Never Open Up a Gym – John Romano

Admittedly it’s a liiiiiiiitle bit negative for my tastes in some parts, but as a gym owner myself I was shaking my head in agreement a lot as I was reading this.

30 Thoughts on Life, Strength & Conditioning, and Business – Erica Suter

I always enjoy reading these types of “reflection” posts from coaches. I find they’re often more “raw” and candid writing in this format.

I mean, you have to respect any business tip that says “drink coffee and pretend you know what you’re doing.” Hahahahaha. So true.

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CategoriesStrength Training Uncategorized

The Unspoken Tenets of Strength Training

Full Disclosure: The title of today’s post implies I’m going to be discussing strength training. Jokes on you….I’m actually going to share my top 10 Instagram pics of my cat.

KIDDING…the topic du jour is strength training.

I’m just not going too deep down the rabbit hole.

For that and if you really want to get into the nitty-gritty particulars of strength training and the mechanisms at play go check out Vladmir Zatsiorsky’s Science and Practice of Strength Training.

It’s a light read.11

There you can learn everything as it relates to the scientific facts, including but not limited to motor unit recruitment, rate coding, delated transmutation, and a multitude of other words and phrases that’ll undoubtedly get people strong and make you sound smart.

Admittedly, what follows isn’t all that scientific. However it is rooted in 15+ years of coaching experience working alongside thousands of athletes/clients. I believe these “tenets” work.

Besides, I have big biceps so I obviously know what I’m talking about.

Copyright: maximkostenko / 123RF Stock Photo

The Unspoken Tenets of Strength Training

When it comes to the topic of strength training the internet likes to argue about optimal sets, reps, loading, periodization, low vs. high bar position, exercises to use, in what order, and anything and everything that may fall between the lines.

Pantless preacher curls for the win?

And, to be honest, many people can make a case for why they do this (compound lifts only) and why do that (one AMRAP set per muscle group with machines) and it’s likely they’re seeing results and increases in strength.

Who am I to judge?

That being said here are some additional, dare I say what should be commonsense thoughts for your consideration.

1) Make It a Priority

You’re busy, I’m busy, everyone’s busy.

Those people who get stronger are those who show up.

They make training a priority, not Netflix.12

Nothing so succinctly gets this point across than a quote I came across from Greg Robins:

“Every time someone asks me about a client, or friend, etc. who has made a lot of progress…”How did they get that strong?”…..”What did they do to get there?”…Consistency, is always the first thing out of my mouth. They were consistent.“

I find far too many trainees become paralyzed by too much analysis; too much pontificating and too little action.

Shut up, show up.

Do that, consistently…worry less about the particulars, and good things are bound to happen.

2) Boring Is What Works

I Tweeted this the other day and it seemed to resonate with people:

I’m a bit biased and old-school and feel the best strength programs have their base in compound, barbell exercises.

Or the “Big 3” in bro-speak.

  • Squat
  • Bench Press
  • Deadlift

We could also toss in barbell rows, chin-ups/pull-ups, RDLs, GoodMornings, overhead presses, etc.

However, prioritize the Big 3 and focus on doing more work over time with those and you won’t be weak.13

People rarely need variety, they need to not have a 185 lb deadlift.

3) Technique/Positions Matter

I recently hit my first 600 lb deadlift. A month away from my 41st birthday, thank you very much.

 

I had someone ask me what is the difference between someone trying to improve from 500-600 lbs compared to 400-500 (or even 200-300 lbs)?

Easy…technique.

When someone is strong enough to pull 3x+ bodyweight it’s a safe bet their technique is on point.

When someone reaches the echelon of 700, 800, 900+ lbs…their technique has to be meticulous and razor sharp. By that point, however, more often that not, technique is pretty much on auto-pilot.

It’s like second nature and just happens.

I think why some people have a hard time, especially intermediate lifters who do have experience (and are kinda-sorta strong, but are trapped in “I’ve had the same PR for three years and I can’t seem to get over the hump purgatory”), is that they’re in poor positions.

More specifically they’re in poor positions and are unable to express their true strength.

A lot of people can “muscle” up a 300 lb, maybe even a 400 lb deadlift. They may shit out every single one of their vertebrae, but hey…they lock it out.

500 lbs? Meh, rarely.

600+ lbs? Hells to the no.

I’m a huge fan of using sub-maximal work (65-85% of 1-rep max) and keeping people accountable with their technique. Building volume with sub-maximal work ensures good positions (I.e., canister/pillar position, stacked joints) and also ensures technique will be solid.

The more “good” reps I can nudge out of people, the more likely is is they’ll start blasting through PR plateaus soon enough.

4) Utilize EDM Sets

Pigging back on the point above, another tactic I like to use is the concept of EDM (Estimated Daily Max) sets.

This takes into account how someone feels on any given day.

Some days weights fly up.

Other days, not so much.

Nothing is worse than showing up at the gym, having an epic workout planned, only to feel like a bag of dicks and everything feels heavy.

Well, explosive diarrhea sucks. But feeling like a bag of dicks is not to far behind.

As much of a fan as I am of percentage based training, something I’ve been utilizing more and more (especially with my older lifters) are EDM sets.14

Here’s an example:

Lets use the bench press.

I’ll have someone ramp up to his or her’s 3 EDM (3-rep Estimated Daily Max).

This won’t be a true rep-max remember, but a weight that’s challenging that day for 3-reps.

Ramp up sets are as follows:

95×8

135×5

185×3

205×3

225×3

250×3 <— 3 RM for the day.

I’ll then have them take the same weight (250 lbs) for some additional singles (3-5×1) to get a little more volume in.

Alternatively you can have someone work up to a 5-EDM and follow that with 2-3 additional sets of triples.

In both scenarios you ensure all reps are fast and that technique will be spotless. What’s more, you’re less likely to run someone into the ground and they’re more likely to recover and bounce back faster.

They still get some heavy(ish) work done, but with quality staying paramount.

5) Go To Bed

Go the fuck to bed, people.

You’ll only get as strong as how well you allow yourself to recover.