People tend to perform best and feel their best when they know they’re a part of a community.
This sentiment is true in almost any context whether referring to AA, drama club, team sports, galactic Empires, or hell, even one of those super secret societies, like in the movie Eyes Wide Shut. But it’s especially true within fitness circles.
It’s in fitness where people can commiserate in unison through a brutal squat session, conditioning circuit, or a random CrossFit WOD of muscles ups paired with running over your right arm with a Prowler for AMRAP.
In short: If you’re part of a (fitness) community you’re more likely to see things through, build an increased sense of perseverance and resiliency, and less likely to give up.
Too, you’re more likely to see the fruits of your labor; I.e., results!
I can attest to this phenomenon via my affiliation with Cressey Sports Performance for eight years, as well as my past experience training at South Side Barbell, a powerlifting gym formerly located in Stratford, CT.
When you train around like-minded individuals (or train with a purpose) great things happen.
CrossFit Gets All the Hype
There’s no denying the overwhelming sense of camaraderie and community that CrossFit has been able to establish amongst its fans and members in recent years. It’s something I commend with vigor.
Nothing has gotten the barbell in more people’s hands – especially women – than CrossFit.
However there’s another fitness “faction” that’s been doing the same thing for years, and one I feel is every bit as motivational and a champion of community as CrossFit.
Maybe even better in several ways.
And it’s a community I wish more people – especially women – would consider.
Drum roll please……..
Powerlifting (But Really, Strength Training In General)
Fear not ladies! I know the word “powerlifting” is often synonymous with “I’m not touching that with a ten foot pole.”
Besides, handstand push-ups and cartwheels look a helluva lot more fun than grinding out a heavy deadlift. I get it.
Plus, the word itself – powerlifting – reeks of intimidation and infers something only advanced lifters dabble in.
Relax. Deep breaths. There’s nothing advanced about it. At it’s base level..all powerlifting really means is strength training.
Besides, what follows assumes that you are equipped with some very basic tools: a working knowledge of gym lingo (you know the difference between a set and rep, can differentiate between a squat and a deadlift, and understand that the word “muscle confusion” is moronic). Also: if you recognize that this picture…..
…is of a dumbbell and not, say, a stapler…we’re good, and you can safely proceed knowing you’re not going to be over your head.
Why More Women Should Powerlift/Strength Train
Okay, I lied. There is a teeny tiny degree of intimidation tied to powerlifting. I mean, I felt it the first time I ever visited South Side Barbell with Eric Cressey back in 2006.
I had just moved to Connecticut (where Eric and I were working and living together) and I tagged along with Eric to South Side to get a lift in. Note: Eric was a competitive powerlifter at the time.
I remember walking through the doors the first time into a room full of 280+ lb giants warming up with my 1RM. Intimidation doesn’t begin to articulate what I was feeling. I was trying every trick in the book not to destroy the back of my pants.
Moreover, as the weeks passed, I had to “wear” the not-so-subtle ball-busting…you know, being the skinny, veiny guy and all. But it didn’t take long for me to be accepted and to feel as if I was part of the group; part of a team.
Likewise, it didn’t take long for me to understand that it was one of the most giving and educational experiences in my lifting career, despite not competing.
To reiterate, though, you don’t need to train AT a powerlifting gym in order to strength train. You can do it anywhere.
Also, on an aside: Spandex (those silly singlets) are only needed to compete.
1) Community
This is very much on par with CrossFit. The powerlifting community is a generous one, and one that will always give back (assuming you’re someone who will show up, do the work, and take a role as part of a team). Basically you need to give too, and not just take.
And like CrossFit, when you’re surrounded by like-minded individuals it’s pretty much impossible not to see results.
Cressey Sports Performance coach, Tony Bonvechio, started the CSP Women’s Powerlifting team a few months ago and when I was still there I saw firsthand how empowering and invigorating it was for the women who took part.
It was awesome to see them train as a team, and to watch them coach and cheer one another as they continued to hit PRs.
The “community” element can’t be understated, and I’d encourage anyone reading to seek out a facility or group to work with, even if it’s only 1x per week. It’s worth it.
2) Purpose
Admittedly, not everyone is going to have easy access to a facility or group of people who like to powerlift and/or strength train. But that doesn’t mean you still can’t reap the benefits.
Following a powerlifting/strength-centric program gives people PURPOSE in their training; a goal. It helps to take away the notion that progress (or results) is dictated by what the scale says or what the gossip magazines like to portray as the ideal body type.
Instead, powerlifting (like CrossFit) places higher credence on performance-based goals, which to me has a greater carryover to long-term, consistent progress than anything.
It’s funny: when things start to click and a woman latches on to strength as a positive thing – and not something to be condemned– many of the aesthetic markers she may have be working towards for years with little or no result begin to manifest.
It becomes less about “look at me, I’m hot. Do you think I’m hot? I’m hot, right?” and more about “look at me, and this deadlift PR I just smashed.”
3) Technique
By now some of you may be thinking:
“Well, it seems there’s not much difference between CrossFit and powerlifting in terms of advantages. So, why not just CrossFit?”
This third point is where I feel the two start to separate themselves.
Disclaimer: Yes, CrossFit, I know plenty of coaches and boxes you coach their athletes/clients up well, use intelligent programming, and take the time to properly ramp up or progress individuals based off ability level, goals, and limitations.
But lets be real: that’s the exception and not the rule. Because, CrossFit.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=opYj0XICHvQ
The overwhelming mentality is “lets do stuff because it looks cool and because it’s hard2” rather than “lets do stuff that will make people better, educate them, and allow them to build some semblance of fitness autonomy.”
As Dean Somerset noted recently:
“The benefits of learning technique for outweigh the benefits of simply doing an exercise. Using powerlifting principles to teach positioning, bracing, and organization to perform a lift helps to limit secondary movement from joints that shouldn’t be causing the movement, and helps reduce the likelihood of problems down the road.”
The principles of powerlifting help to build proficiency in the “big 3,” which makes the learning curve when introducing new movements much less of a barrier.
Jennifer Blake and Jen Sinkler have constructed a resource – Unapologetically Powerful– I feel will help a lot of women understand the power behind powerlifting. <— See what I just did there. Clever, right?
I mean, why should you have to “apologize” or feel ostracized because you’re strong or want to be strong?
They help to make powerlifting more accessible to women and less intimidating. Here’s what’s in the program
A comprehensive training manual that includes Beginner and Early Intermediate 12-week powerlifting programs with a detailed introduction to biofeedback training.
An extensive guide on how to compete for first-time powerlifters who want to step onto the platform.
A complete exercise glossary with clear-cut written coaching cues and images.
A MASSIVE video library of more than 140 exercise demonstration videos. Every movement in the program is in the video library, with detailed coaching cues to walk you through each exercise step by step.
A revamped version of Lift Weights Faster geared specifically toward powerlifters.
Unapologetically Powerful is on sale for HALF OFF now through midnight Friday, December 11. For more info, click HERE.
Today’s guest post comes courtesy of Jennifer Vogelgesang Blake – or JVB as she’s affectionately called – a coach at The Movement Minneapolis, competitive powerlifter, and author (along with Jen Sinkler) of Unapologetically Powerful, a new resource designed as a go-to source for learning the “big 3” lifts, and removes the intimidation often attached at their hip.
Or weight clamps in this case.
Anyone can (and will) benefit from this resource – especially beginner and intermediate lifters who are even the slightest bit interested in competing and/or honing their technique.
And, I’d be remiss not to mention I feel this is a home run for any woman who may be on the fence about this whole “lifting heavy things” thing.
Without further ado, I’ll let JVB take it from here. Enjoy!
3 Squat Variations You Haven’t Tried Yet, But Need To
I’m going to be bracingly honest with you. If I were forced to choose, with my feet to the fire, I would have to own up to liking to squat more than I like to deadlift.
(I can picture Tony Gentilcore’s eyes firing up like Darth Sidius in The Empire Strikes Back and pledging an oath to never host a guest blog from me on his site ever again. This is what they call “going out on a limb.”)
I don’t think it’s unusual for lifters to hold a slight allegiance to one or the other. Both big lifts remind me of a bricklayer laying bricks: strengthening the quads, hams, back, and core are going to construct a house no one is going to be able to knock down. Even so, to me, there’s something really thrilling about loading a bar onto your back and refusing to let it plaster your face into the ground.
Squats open up the lifting in a powerlifting meet.
Of the three main lifts (back squat, bench press, and deadlift), squats come first. I’ve come to regard this lift as the party starter—it sets the tone for the rest of the day.
Starting the meet off strong gets your mind in a good place and a great result there infuses confidence into the following two lifts. Feeling strong also improves your mental game.
On that note, make all versions of your squat the same sort of tone-setter.
There are so many riffs on the movement: bilateral variations, such as kettlebell goblet squats and barbell front squats, are excellent for targeting anterior core strength, and unilateral variations such as Bulgarian split squats, skater squats, and pistol squats are key for giving both legs the chance to work, and to even out strength imbalances.
These variations are like the sprinkles on a cupcake, though: while I like to sprinkle that ish liberally, I know that these sprinkles alone do not a great, big, fluffy cupcake make.
I acknowledge that I need to work on my similes, but you don’t have to be a powerlifter to embrace cupcakes and the following three lifts, you only have to be interested in improving your strength everywhere—but especially in your core and in the bottom position of a squat. If you are, chances are good that you could give your current back squat PR a nice bump if you incorporate them regularly.
Barbell Squat-To-Box
First things first: what’s the point of having a big squat if it’s not a big, full-range-of-motion squat? Quarter squats don’t count when you’re going for bragging rights.
Depth issues sometimes come down to a lack of awareness in how low you are actually getting.
Heads up: Don’t confuse the Barbell Squat-To-Box with Barbell Box Squats, a variation in which you actually sit on the box. This is a touch-and-go movement and will help you learn what it actually feels like to squat to proper depth.
Zercher Squat
When David Dellanave, owner of The Movement Minneapolis, originally showed me how to do the Zercher squat, I was like, “Really? Why would I want to hold the bar like that?” His answer, “It’s going to get you really f#cking strong, that’s why.”
Zercher squats hammer your quads like crazy, and you’ve never experienced an ab workout quite as intense as a set of heavy Zercher squats. Getting your body strong in weird positions will make lifting in more conventional position that much more lovely.
Zercher squats require that you hold the weight in the crook of your elbows while you complete the movement. The Zercher isn’t just limited to the squat, either: you can also Zercher hold, carry, and deadlift. Because of the position of the weight on your body, this variation is killer for strengthening the upper back.
Hot Tip: Wrap the bar in padding or even a yoga mat for greater comfort.
Pause-in-the-Hole Squat
Many lifters rely on the stretch reflex, that rubber-band-like contraction that happens when the muscles stretch at the bottom of the squat, to bounce out of the hole. There’s nothing inherently wrong with taking advantage of this phenomenon, which is particularly handy when attempting to move the most weight your body can handle.
But, there’s something to be said for eliminating the bounce and building strength from a dead stop in the bottom position.
It means you’ll be less likely to stay stuck in the hole.
Pause-in-the-Hole Squats are a favorite for addressing this issue because your position must inherently stay tight from the top position and hold tight throughout the bottom pause (lest you topple) before driving out of the hole. The extra time under tension will fully hammer home the need to keep the upper back tight and entire core braced, as well as build static strength in the lower back, hips, and abs.
Pausing at the bottom is undeniably challenging, even when your form is shipshape, so lessen the weight accordingly.
About JVB
Jennifer Vogelgesang Blake’s leggings might be pink but her weights aren’t. A personal trainer at The Movement Minneapolis, she is a powerlifting coach and competitor with a passion for helping her clients discover and grow their strength, inside and out. She’s here to spread the good word that strong is empowering and because of that, really, really fun.
Unapologetically Powerful is here!
Are you ready to become Unapologetically Powerful? If you’re even just a little bit interested in improving your back squat, bench press, and deadlift, and building lean, beautiful muscle, you’re going to love digging into this program.
Unapologetically Powerful is your go-to resource to learning all about the “big three” lifts, and removes any intimidation from training for and competing, should you decide to, in the sport of powerlifting.
Trainers Jen Sinkler and JVB have teamed up to provide you the answers to all of your powerlifting questions—and get you radically and unapologetically strong. Here’s what’s in the program:
A comprehensive training manual that includes Beginner and Early Intermediate 12-week powerlifting programs with a detailed introduction to biofeedback training.
An extensive guide on how to compete for first-time powerlifters who want to step onto the platform.
A complete exercise glossary with clear-cut written coaching cues and images.
A MASSIVE video library of more than 140 exercise demonstration videos. Every movement in the program is in the video library, with detailed coaching cues to walk you through each exercise step by step.
A revamped version of Lift Weights Faster geared specifically toward powerlifters.
Unapologetically Powerful is on sale for HALF OFF now through midnight Friday, December 11. For more info, click HERE.
I’ve been fortunate enough to be invited onto several podcasts in recent weeks, and all of them have been unique in the sense of their general flow, topics covered, and conversational approach of each host.
Earlier this week I was invited onto the Strength Doc Podcast with Dr. John Rusin.
It only makes sense our world’s would eventually cross paths. Doc and I have a lot in common.
1) We’re both bald.
2) We’re both jacked.
3) And we’re both doctors. He = a doctor in physical therapy. Me = a doctor in being awesome. Same difference.
John’s a very smart guy, genuine, and someone who’s been providing a ton of excellent content over on T-Nation for the past year or so – to the tune of 1-2 articles per week attimes.
The two of us had been going back forth about coming onto his show and the stars finally aligned earlier this week. Funnily enough, after recording the show he was like “dude, I’m so back logged and a head of schedule that my plan is for this to go live sometime in February.”
Later on that day he emailed me and was like, “I sent this to my guy (who’s a strength coach and physical therapist too) to be edited, and he’s so hot on it that we’re pushing it to THIS Friday.”
Me: “holla.”
Being invited onto the show was an honor in of itself. But even more of an honor was the unsolicited remarks I received afterward from other coaches who listened in on the episode:
“Tony I cannot tell you how much I am enjoying your interview with John!”
At the end of the day I just try to come across as someone who’s genuine in his own right, transparent (not pretend I know all the answers), and as someone who gives a shit about this industry.
I seem to be succeeding.
I’d love for you to take a listen, and, if you enjoyed the episode, please give Doc some love on iTunes and toss him a 5-star rating. He deserves it.
A few housekeeping things to hit on before we dive into this week’s list.
1) A quick reminder that I will be in Frisco, TX on Sunday, December 27th doing a 1-day workshop on “The Athletic Shoulder” at Full Throttle Athletics. I’ll discuss things like upper extremity assessment (static and dynamic), why the term “shoulder impingement” is garbage, how to write effective programs around certain shoulder pathologies, coach up a few exercises, and probably talk about Star Wars. Because, Star Wars.
2) Eric and Chris Martinez – AKA: the Dynamic Duo – who have written for this site several times, just released a FREE 2-week mini course directed towards newbies (or those who are inundated with too much information) breaking down everything from training and nutrition mistakes to how build better adherence.
3) Lastly, I made a recent appearance on The Fitcast where Kevin and I spoke about my recent transition from Cressey Sports Performance to doing my own thing in Boston. And Fast 7.
Mike is known as one of the more analytical lifters out there. The guy is super meticulous when it comes to mapping out his training and he’s famous for saying smart things like “what gets measured gets managed.”
In this article he discusses the “grind.” Good? Bad? What does it mean?
Kale. Freaking KALE is bad for you? It’s absurd to think, right? Well, apparently some journalist wrote an article on why it’s bad. Or, rather, what we put on kale is bad. But the damage is still done.
Adam thinks it’s a shame (and I concur) that someone would write this, and here’s why.
In anticipation of the release of Unapologetically Strong next week, “the Jens” have been sharing a ton of excellent information this week detailing the ins and outs of the “big 3” and getting women fired up to powerlift!
I love it.
NOTE: you’ll need to provide your email in order to watch the video above. But 1) I promise it’s worth it and 2) “the Jens” aren’t a-holes. They won’t spam you.
For those of you reading who’re familiar with the movie Napoleon Dynamite3, today’s post will have a subtle Uncle Rico flavor to it.
To help refresh people’s memory Uncle Rico was Napoleon’s estranged uncle who, outside of living in the most baller van ever, was obsessed with his glory days playing high-school football.
According to him he would’ve “taken State” if only he was given the chance by his coach and put into the game in the 4th quarter. He also claimed that back in ’82 he “used to be able to throw the pigskin a quarter mile.”
We all know or have an Uncle Rico in our lives.
And I think for any former athlete reading – including myself, writing these words – it’s safe to say each and every one of us has a degree of Uncle Rico inside just itching to get out and brag about past athletic experiences, endeavors, and accomplishments.
I mean, not for nothing, back in high-school, during the sectional playoffs, my fastball was once clocked at “supersonic.” And I’m pretty sure the Matt Christopher classic, The Kid Who Only Hit Homers, was an unauthorized biography on my life as a Little League all-star.
Yep, true story.
Okay, not true at all. But I was a pretty good athlete – especially in my sport of choice, baseball.
I grew up in a small town in central New York and since the internet didn’t exist way back then, I spent the bulk of my time – particularly during the summer months – playing baseball; much of the time by myself.
I had the luxury of having a massive yard as my playground and I can’t begin to tell how many miles I must have walked back and forth hitting a baseball. I’d hit a baseball, chase after it, and then hit it in the other direction. Over and over and over again
I’d also long toss with myself in the same fashion. Throw a baseball, chase after it, and throw it again in the opposite direction.
If I had a FitBit to track things it would have been equivalent to walking across the country and back.
Also, I grew up on a lumbar yard so there were always stacks of boards or pallets lying around for me to toss a tennis ball or rubber ball against to practice my fielding.
And I even had a tire I hung from a tree I’d hit with an aluminum bat. As you can imagine, I was a blast to hang out with.
I played at the Junior Varsity level as an 8th grader, and was “called up” to Varsity as a Freshman at the end of the year to fill out the playoff roster. I even made it into a game, playing a half-inning at third base where 1) I was thiiiiis close to destroying the back of my pants and 2) assisting in a putout.
I played three years of Varsity baseball and had the honor of making it to the Sectional Finals twice (one step away from States) as well as being named Honorable Mention All-Star once (10th grade) and League All-Star twice (Junior and Senior seasons).
I have proof, too (from one of my old scrap books):
All along I had aspirations of playing at the collegiate level – Division I, of course. Thing is, my hometown was (and is) pretty tiny and smack dab in the middle of no where. Not many kids went on to play sports in college, let alone have the opportunity to play Division I from such a little known area.
I can probably count on one hand the total number of kids who went on to play any sport at the Division I level in my town’s history.
And I Was Somone Who Turned the Opportunity Down
Looking back as an adult I can pontificate on why it was the right move and why it was the right fit for me. More on that below.
However, if I went back in time and told 13 year old me the news I’d envision the interaction as follows:
“Wait, what? You mean we didn’t end up playing at Stanford? You played Junior College and Division II instead? And you choseto do that? WHAT THE HELL?!?! I HATE YOU. YOU’RE RUINING MY LIFE!!! [slams door.]”
I wouldn’t have been happy. Such is life.
Eric Cressey Tweeted this a few months ago:
Players need to get over D1 love affair. Many D2/D3 programs have produced big leaguers. It’s just a number; go where you can play/develop.
Coming out of high-school I was good, not great. I think you can tell from the pictures above I wasn’t a “beefy” kid. I was pretty ripped, though….;o)
I was skinny, not fully developed (athletically), and while a big fish in a small pond, raw and unchallenged as a whole.
Playing Division I right out of high-school wasn’t really an option, mostly because zero D-1 coaches came to see me play. Or D-II or D- III coaches, for that matter. One coach did however: Coach Joe Antonio of Onondaga Community College in Syracuse, NY.
NOTE: you can read more about my experiences there (and why Coach Antonio was a huge influence on me with regards to work ethic HERE).
At the time OCC was a Division I JUNIOR college and recruited many of the top high-school baseball players in the central NY region. Coach came to watch me, told me I’d have the opportunity to play every day if I made the team, and that I’d be offered a “book scholarship” to help sweeten the pot. I.e., via a grant I’d have my academic books paid for.
Long story short: I played two years at OCC, was named team MVP-Pitcher both years, and made the All-Conference and All-Region team my sophomore year. And I kissed a girl once.
After two years there I was offered a full scholarship to Marist College (Poughkeepsie, NY), a Division I school in the MAAC conference, but turned it down in lieu of heading to Division II Mercyhurst College (now University) in Erie, PA.
What the What!?!
Why, Tony, Why? (To All Of It)
First off: kudos to any athlete who’s talented and fortunate enough to have the opportunity to play at the Division I level. That’s no small accomplishment and is to be commended.
That said, I do find it’s woefully OVERrated for many athletes.
1) I choose OCC mainly out of necessity (they’re the only ones who recruited me, and, admittedly, I was slightly terrified to leave home. Syracuse was only a 45 minute drive away). But also I knew I’d have the opportunity to play, and hence get better.
Going to OCC would allow me two years to accumulate playing time, experience, and build a little resiliency…
…something I feel is woefully lacking in many – not all – of today’s young athletes, who are told they’re delicate, special snowflakes who deserves to play, and if not, mommy and daddy will bring a firestorm of batshitcraziness.
On an aside: for those who feel it’s beneath them to play at the Junior College level, my first collegiate start was down in Florida against West Palm Community college who, I was told, 8/9 players in the starting line-up were drafted by an MLB team out of high-school.
For the record, I lost. And that team was stacked.
I can’t speak for other sports, but many, many coaches from 4-year schools prefer recruiting guys out of JUCO schools due to the maturity level and experience of the athletes.
On an aside (Part II): going to a community college out of the gate saved me (and my family) a ton of money. Two years at OCC was cheaper than ONE SEMESTER at most four year schools.
On an aside (Part III): despite what the internet – or weekend showcases tell you – most kids do not get full rides to play sports in school – there’s only a finite number each school/sport is allowed and the money is divided amongst all the players.
So there’s an inherent advantage in going to a place where you know you’ll play and where it’s cheaper.
Not paying off student debt for the next 10-20 years is worth it in my book.
And while a little off-topic, to all the Millenials boo-hooing over paying student debt: no one put a gun to your head to go to Harvard or Ithaca College or any other expensive school. Go where you can afford it. And if you do go to an expensive school, get a job and pay it off like everyone else.
I can’t reiterate this enough: if you’re good enough, you’ll get discovered – especially this day and age where players are more “accessible” via YouTube and social media outlets.
What’s more, as Eric’s Tweet noted above: there are plenty of examples of DII/DIII programs who develop Major League talent.
Case in point, Cressey Sports Performance, Jack Leathersich, who was drafted out of UMASS-Lowell (then D-II) in the 5th round in 2012, who made is MLB debut with the New York Mets this past season.
2) When it came down to choosing between Marist (D-1, full-scholarship) and Mercyhurst (D-2, half-scholarship) I had a few things to think about:
The coach. Marist’s coach, to me, seemed like a dick. Mind you, Coach Antonio (my junior college coach) was a hard-ass so I wasn’t ambivalent to that point. Contrarily, Mercyhurst’s coach seemed like a genuine guy and someone who was responsible for building a program from nothing to a D-II powerhouse. I liked that.
Mercyhurst was coming off a great year (40-6, and a national ranking of #5), and all signs pointed to an even more successful few years to come…maybe even the program’s first appearance in the World Series? Marist, on the other hand, was struggling. And even though it was Division I, I liked the idea of possibly playing in a World Series.
Two of my teammates from OCC were also considering Mercyhurst.
Marist didn’t have any of my majors (Being Awesome, Education), and Mercyhurst did.
Not that it’s any surprise by now, I chose Mercyhurst4
Hindsight
I still feel going to OCC was 100% the best route for me to take, and I’d be lying if I said there wasn’t still a small part of me that wonders “what if I did go to Marist? What would have happened? Where would I be now?”
As luck would have it, when I arrived at Mercyhurst in the fall of 1997 the coach who recruited me to go there left to pursue another coaching opportunity. Awesome (<– that’s sarcasm).
Which then started a cascade of players leaving and the school scrambling to hire a new coach. I won’t go into the details, but suffice it to say, I was there for two years without a pitching coach and the team hovered around .500.
It was what it was.
The assistant coach at the time, Joe Spano, was hired as the head coach a year after I left and is now the program’s winningest coach (and fresh of the program’s first appearance in the World Series this past spring).
I was still fortunate enough to play collegiate baseball at a high level, and stuff that happened at the ‘hurst (not getting drafted) provoked me to pursue a different degree and finish school back in NY at SUNY Cortland.
I think things turned out okay.
But there’s still a little Uncle Rico in me that wonders “what if…….?”
I guess before we dive into the cues it may be cogent, first, to discuss what the squat is…especially for those reading who may be hearing/learning about this for the first time.
Squat – noun [skwot]
1) A weightlifting exercise in which a person squats and then returns to an erect position while holding a barbell at the back of the shoulders.5
2) A place occupied by squatters. Not to be confused as a place occupied by people literally squatting – like a gym, or a really cool house filled with squat racks – but rather, a place where a person settles on a land or occupies property without title, right, or payment of rent. Basically, an a-hole.
3) Nautical. The tendency of a vessel to draw more water astern when in motion than when stationary. Huh, I never knew that!
4) Slang. As in, “you don’t know jack squat about squats.”
For the sake of this post, however, we’re going to stick with example #1. I.e., this:
What Is a Squat?
Squats were invented by bears (citation needed), and have long been a staple in weightlifting, strength and conditioning, and powerlifting circles for years and years and years. There’s a reason why most (if not all) successful training programs include squats. They work!
You’d be hard pressed to convince me otherwise that the squat isn’t THE king exercise (definitely top 3) out there that plays a role in helping to increase strength, increase muscle hypertrophy, as well as helping to improve athletic performance. Too, I’d make the case that the squat, when performed correctly to fit one’s unique anatomy, anthropometry, and goals, is one of the best exercises to help “bulletproof” the body and to help offset many of the postural imbalances many people accumulate on a day-t0-day basis from sitting at a desk all day.
Unless you work at the coolest place ever, like in the pic above. Or in space.
Think about what’s required and “needed” in order to perform an acceptable squat (and hit acceptable depth):
Depth (via Mark Rippetoe in Starting Strength) = anterior (front) surface of the thighs dips below knee level.
To help elucidate my point (regarding depth) lets use the ol’ tried and tested Mike Boyle method of coaching. The this-not this-this method.
This:
Not This:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OPfRacm6Jxc
This:
Of course many people can hit appropriate depth yet still have all sorts of things go awry.
Too much knee valgus (or in some cases, varus).
Too much rounding of the upper back (spinal flexion for the snobs out there).
Face planting the floor.
Also, we have to be cognizant of any pre-existing injuries or anatomical limitations that may prevent someone from getting to depth in the first place.
Without getting too deep into the biomechanics – if that’s your bag I’d suggest Starting Strength or heading over to Bret Contreras’ blog – lets just all agree (I hope) that there’s a degree of ample t-spine extension, shoulder external rotation, scapular posterior tilt, core stability, hip/knee flexion, adductor extensibility, ankle dorsiflexion, and attitude required to perform a good or “passable” squat.
Likewise, while this topic could easily spin into a I’m right/you’re wrong/my way of squatting is the only way to squat everyone, ever diatribe….I want to do my best to avoid the mental gymnastics involved with that. But mostly because it’s dumb.
A case can be made for low bar vs. high bar, wide-stance vs. narrow(er) stance, hands wide vs. hands close, arched back vs. “canister” position for the ribs, and zombies vs. vampires. Everybody is different and different shit is different.
Moreover we could also make arguments for foot flare, shin angle relative to the floor, torso angle, head-neck positioning, and where the eyes are pointing.
A good coach will always place what’s best for the athlete/client before defaulting to his or her’s personal biases with any one way of performing a lift.
With that out of the way…..
What Is Nota Squat?
To steal a train of thought from one of my new favorite books, Guys Can Be Cat Ladies Too, I feel it’s important to take things a step further and discuss what is not a squat.
Not a squat – noun [nat] [a] [skwot]
1) Anything that is not a squat.
2) A deadlift, a person, a cheese sandwich, a Ford Focus, a Blu-ray player, a baseball, a picture frame — none of these things is a squat.
3) Anything else that is not a squat.
I think that’s settled.
Lets Get To Those Cues
As much as my job revolves around improving the performance of the athletes and clients I work with (Example: lets squat a shit-ton of weight), it’s equally important that I play the role of educator and extinguisher of bad habits.
Read: I fix stuff and make it look better.
It’s not that hard to look at someone’s squat and think to yourself:
A) Does that look good?
or
B) My eyes! MY EYES! MAKE IT STOP!!!!
Step #1, oftentimes, is to put on the brakes and clean up someone’s technique before we begin to worry about increasing load or hitting some kind of tangible number.
What follows are cues that have worked for ME and the clients/athletes I’ve worked with in the past (and present). I am in no insinuating that they’re cemented as “all encompassing,” (for all I know I may very well change my approach next week), but I do feel they bode well for most people looking to hone their squat technique.
What’s more, I also find that if I’m able to get someone to “buy” into these cues that a lot of other things tend to take care of themselves without me even addressing them. Kinda cool.
1) Point Belt Buckle Towards Chin
Admittedly, this is the one cue I may get the most flack for and one which may make people shit a weight belt and un-friend me on social media…but whatevs.
Paying meticulous attention to the set-up is going to make or break your squat. More to the point, paying meticulous attention to getting and MAINTAINING tension is going to make or break your squat.
Getting people to appreciate the importance of a “canister” position with their torso and relying less on an aggressive lumbar arch is, in my opinion, crucial.
I don’t like seeing this:
You’ll notice how there’s an aggressive rib flair in tangent with an aggressive lumbar arch. In PRI (Postural Restoration Institute) circles this is called a “scissor position,” where the two are pointing in opposite directions.
This is not a stable position to be in (and, honestly, open’s up a box of other issues that may need to be dealt with down the road with regards to extension based back pain, Spondy, etc).
Ironically, for the majority of trainees/coaches who adopt this approach – and I used to be one of them – when someone inevitably begins to fall forward on the descent or out of the hole the cue always used is to “arch, chest up, arch, chest up, ARCH.”
Which just feeds into the problem. They’re not stable to begin with!
Now, I am not implying not to arch (nor am I implying not to keep the chest up) The lumbar spine has a natural lordotic curve to it, and I’d prefer to maintain that. All I am saying is that it often works in people’s favor to not OVERarch, cue them to posteriorly tilt the pelvis (belt buckle to chin), and then lock the rib cage down to help maintain anatomical neutral throughout their set.
If I can get someone to accomplish this out of the gate, it’ll make a lot of other things fall into place.
2) Rip the Floor Apart
Whether you’re a wide-stance squatter or narrow-stance squatter the cue to “rip the floor apart” applies.
Why?
Truth be told: it lends itself to a better and more efficient bracing strategy, which in turn helps with the whole “getting and maintaining” tension thing.
Not only does it help clean up technique for those who are hyper-mobile or lack motor control with their squat6, but it’s also a nice way to address that annoying “butt wink” or tuck under many people exhibit as they go into deep(er) hip flexion.
Cueing someone to “rip the floor apart” and to gain more external rotation torque in the hips is generally a good strategy for most.
Another way to cue people and get the same effect is to say “spread your sit muscles apart,” which is one I stole from Todd Bumgardner. This way people understand that they should be feeling tension in the hips.
Miscellany
Other ones to consider that I’m not going to elaborate on (because I’m hungry):
Point elbows towards the floor and “set” lats (which is really pulling elbows towards one another and attainting scapular posterior tilt. Cranky elbows generally mean you’re not moving through the scaps).
Push knees out. But not to the point where your feet come off the ground. Think: knees track in line with the direction toes are pointing (which is 15-30 degrees of ER). It helps to open up the hips more and allow for better depth.
Take some weight off the bar. It’s not a cue, but seriously, take the weight off. Try not to sacrifice technique for more weight.
For any ladies reading, as it happens, next week Jen Sinkler and Jennifer Blake (JVB) are releasing their Unapologetically Powerfulresource to help people learn the ins and outs of powerlifting and how accessible it really is for women.
All this week, to help build buzz, they’re releasing a bunch of FREE videos that are excellent resources in of themselves. Today’s video, coincidentally, is on the squat and three variations that can help make it more fail proof.
I just watched it myself and it gets the TG thumb of approval, which looks like this:
All you have to do is go HERE and enter your email (no spam) and you’re good to go.
Relax. My ego hasn’t ballooned to the point where I now refer to myself (and my posts) in the third person. Although I do kinda like the sound of it:
Tony is critical of washing the dishes and putting them away, but should he be?
Tony thinks Audi should sponsor this website, preferably by giving him a car.
Tony’s birthday is today, and he’s going to deadlift and eat bacon. He feels November 30th should permanently be referred to as National Deadlift and Bacon Day.7
As it happens today’s post is a guest post by personal trainer, Travis Pollen, who used me as his subject matter (hence the title).
FYI: Travis recently released a new e-book, 50 Fit Tips (available for free HERE), in which he advocates for a unique blend of powerlifting, bodybuilding, kettlebells, and CrossFit to help readers look, feel, and move better.
Tony is Critical of CrossFit, But Should He Be?
The short answer to the question posed in the title of this post is yes. Of course Tony should be critical of CrossFit. Exercises like rebounding box jumps, GHD sit-ups, and overhead kettlebell swings have no place in most people’s training, and Tony deserves a good baseball-slap-on-the-rear for his uncompromising viewpoint.
This is the greatest photoshop picture ever. Gentilcore printed onto an MLB jersey?! 13 year old Tony would have a raging boner right now if he saw this.
But a simple yes doesn’t make for a very compelling blog post, does it? Let’s dig a little deeper.
Oftentimes, fitness professionals adopt a polarizing stance on a topic in an attempt to keep their pupils safe. In general, this is a good thing. Sometimes, they’ll even flip-flop sides later on when new evidence is presented. After all, changing one’s mind is a sign of maturity, right?
Note from TG:Maturity is my middle name. Which is why I wrote THIS article a while back defending CrossFit.
Practices like long distance running, yoga, and, most recently CrossFit have all, at some point, been the subject of fitness floggings. The truth, however, is that there are pros and cons to every flavor of fitness (except the Tracy Anderson method), and program design doesn’t have to be an all-or-nothing proposition in terms of their inclusion or exclusion.
None of this.
What I mean is that we don’t have to choose just powerlifting, bodybuilding, CrossFit, strongman, kettlebells, or yogalates (unless we want to). Instead, we can analyze each modality, incorporate the elements we like, and ditch the ones we don’t.
Being critical is beneficial; being absolutist is not.
For instance, although both Tony and I love powerlifting, it doesn’t mean we totally reject things like bodybuilding and kettlebell training, for elements from these domains can help our clients and athletes excel. We would be negligent if we didn’t throw in some curls and KB swings every now and again.
Even better, here’s trainer and Men’s Health fitness expert, BJ Gaddour, doing both curls and kettlebells at the same time!
One of the aspects of CrossFit that I’ve chosen to adopt is its varied set and rep schemes, and I encourage others to do the same.
To appeal to authority8, Tony has already embraced at least one of them, even though he might not know it yet.
Read on to find out more.
It’s important to point out that CrossFit didn’t invent the set and rep schemes I’m about to discuss. However, it has popularized them over the last decade, so it does deserve some credit.
Here are a few of my favorite protocols, their benefits, and examples of how I implement each.
1) Every Minute on the Minute (EMOM)
Description: Set a clock for a specified period of time, and perform a set number of reps at the beginning of each minute. Rest, breath, or do some mobility work for the rest of the minute.
Primary Benefit: Strength and power. This framework is a good alternative to simply timing rest periods since the lifter is penalized (by a reduced amount of rest) for dilly-dallying during the actual set.
Example: 3 dynamic effort deadlifts at the top of each minute with a 10RM load for 10 minutes, resting for the rest of the minute.
2) 21-15-9
Description: Perform 3 sets of two exercises with a descending rep scheme, alternating between exercises. Minimize inter-rep and inter-set rest in order to complete the work in the shortest amount of time possible.
Primary Benefit: Hypertrophy/pump, density (work divided by time).
Example: A couplet of curls and skull crushers with a 15RM load (i.e. 21 curls, 21 skull crushers, 15 curls, 15 skull crushers, 9 curls, 9 skull crushers).
3) As Many Rounds/reps As Possible (AMRAP)
Description: Set a clock for a specified period of time, and perform as many rounds or reps as possible of the given exercise(s). Rest as little as possible.
Primary Benefit: Density, analogous to sports in which work is done for a set period of time, as opposed to a specified number of sets and reps.
Example: As many rounds as possible in 10 minutes of 5 reps each of bench press, pull-ups, and squats using 12RM loads.
4) Chipper
Description: Lay out the desired implements in an obstacle course fashion (because who doesn’t love an obstacle course?). Move across the physical space performing the exercises for a specified distance or number of reps, aiming to complete the course as fast as possible.
Primary Benefit: Conditioning and work capacity, plus the feeling of completing a badass obstacle course.
Example: 10-yard tire flip, 50-yard farmer’s carry, 10-yard seated sled pull, 50-yard overhead walking lunge — all while listening to John Mayer.
Proceed With Caution
With all these schemes, the most important thing to remember is never to sacrifice form for reps. Watch the best CrossFitters on TV, and you’ll see that the ones who consistently win do so with beautiful technique – even under distress.
Of course, the problem of lousy form isn’t unique to these protocols or to CrossFit. (Just visit any globo gym, and you’ll quickly realize it’s an epidemic.) It’s just a little harder to control when the clock is running, as with CrossFit-style training.
Although I am endorsing some of CrossFit’s set and rep schemes, I’m not saying that your next workout should consist of a 30-minute AMRAP of kipping pull-ups and high-rep Olympic lifts (scoliosis for AMRAP, as Tony might say).
Again, be critical. Although I don’t have a problem with those practices for competitive CrossFitters, you must apply the protocols judiciously based on your own level of fitness.
Do this properly, and you’ll reap far greater benefits than if you were to completely ignore them simply because they came to you via CrossFit.
About the Author
Travis Pollen is an NPTI certified personal trainer and American record-holding Paralympic swimmer. He recently completed his master’s degree in Biomechanics and Movement Science at the University of Delaware. He maintains his own blog and is always posting fitness tips and videos of his “feats of strength” on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.
Soooooo much food yesterday, as I’m sure many reading can commiserate with.
But so worth it.
I’m going to keep this one short today because Lisa and I have a full day a head of us…starting off with a big lift at my Alma Mater, SUNY Cortland, to help offset the insulin shock my body is in at the moment.
And then, lets not kid ourselves, today is all about Thanksgiving dinner leftovers
“The painter’s house is always the last one to get painted.”
I can’t say I know many painters personally to know for certain that this is true – which sorta makes the saying moot – but it serves as a fitting metaphor to today’s post.
I guess I could have just as easily said:
“The carpenter’s house is the last one to get carpeted.”
Or
“The landscapist’s house is the last one to get landscaped.”
Or
“Whatever it’s called when someone installs a customized gold plated Han Solo frozen-in-Carbonite fridge in your kitchen. That guy. He’s always the last one to get a gold plated Han Solo frozen-in- Carbonite fridge.”
Note to my wife: like I have to say anything here.
So what’s the point I’m trying to make?
You’d be surprised as to how many coaches, personal trainers, and other fitness professionals put themselves second and don’t care for themselves as well as they should.
“The coach is often the last one to get coached.”
Even Coaches Need Coaches
Reversing time about a year ago, my back was flipping me the middle finger and my training was a complete train wreck.
It wasn’t just a “oh my back is a little sore today, so I think I’ll just move around a little bit and see how I feel tomorrow” kind of thing.
No, this was more along the lines of “holy mother shit balls, it hurts to sneeze, and I’m walking around like an 80 year old man” kind of sore.
Something was up, and I needed some help. I was still training, but it lacked any semblance of structure and all I was really doing was going through the motions.
Not to sound overly dramatic or anything, but I was thiiiiiiiiiiiiis close to walking into the local 7-Eleven to grab a pint of Ben & Jerry’s and then spending a solid week watching lame Julia Roberts movies while I drowned myself in a pity party.
Unfortunately, like the painter analogy above, I came to the realization that I had made a bad habit of putting myself second. I came to the conclusion that I spend so much time writing programs for other people, that the last thing I wanted to do is write one for myself.
But there was a problem. I LOVE to train. More specifically, I LOVE to deadlift.
It’s Monday? Deadlift. Only have a half-hour to train? Deadlift. Someone wore a blue shirt today? I’m going to deadlift baby!
Newsflash: I like to deadlift.
The obvious conclusions were two-fold:
1. I was a hurtin puppy.
2. It’s generally not a good idea to deadlift when you’re in pain. And more germane to the point: I was an asshat for trying.
3. Rather than rely on myself, I needed to swallow my pride and ask someone to take over my programming. As I often say: “the hardest person to train is yourself.”
So I ended up hiring Cressey Sports Performance coach, Greg Robins, to write my programs.
And I haven’t looked back since. He’s been writing my programs for the past year and I couldn’t be more appreciative.
Why?
#1. I’m Stupid
Well, at least when it comes to writing my own programs. Oh, and rocket science. I’m pretty horrible at that too.
#2. Accountability
It’s a powerful thing when you’re held accountable to someone else’s expertise and programming. It’s a tough pill to swallow for many.
There’s a lot of trust that goes into the process, and it’s that trust, I feel, that helps keep people more accountable and on task. It did for me.
We’re more likely to follow through when there’s a plan in place. A direction. We tend to shut up, do the work, and as a result…magical things begin to happen.
#3. I Got Out of My Own Way
We’re creatures of habit. We tend to watch the same television shows, listen to the same music, eat the same foods, and when it comes to exercise, perform the same exercises or routines.
In short: we like to do the things we’re good at.
And we tend to ignore the things we ought to be doing to get better. Just because you’re good at something, doesn’t mean you should be doing it (much less more of it). Sometimes it’s that one thing that could be feeding into why you’re hurt in the first place.
Much of the value in following someone else’s lead or plan is that it often forces you to address your weaknesses and technique flaws.
It forces you to do more of what you’re NOT good at.9
#4. It Helps To Turn Off Inner-Dialogue
“What should I do today?”
“Bench press? No, wait, maybe decline bench press? Should I go with a narrow grip or wide grip?”
“GODDAMMIT….Eff it, I’ll do bicep curls.”
Following a preset plan takes the thinking away – which is a HUGE hurdle for many people to conquer.
I recently started working with a woman who’s a personal trainer herself. She came to me with some nagging injuries and too, a deflated ego due to sub-par, aimless training in recent months. Basically, much like me a year ago, she was just going through the motions and not getting much out of anything.
In less than two weeks she’s reported back with 1) less pain and 2) an invigorated sense of excitement and purpose towards her workouts.
All because she allowed someone else to do the thinking for her, and alleviate any self doubt or negative inner dialogue related to her training.
Having a plan and purpose made all the difference in the world.
And Yes, the Same Applies To Pre-Set “Recipe” Programs Too
Not everyone can afford to hire their own coach or personal trainer to write individualized programs. And even if they could, due to location, not everyone has access to a “GOOD” personal trainer or coach to begin with.
Thankfully someone invented the internet.
Don’t get me wrong: I feel in-person training trumps distance coaching any day of the week. In addition, there’s no shortage of “shady” internet trainers out there. These are the people who make a name for themselves on social media by uploading scantily clad pictures of themselves and/or by posting videos of themselves squatting a BOSU ball while juggling chainsaws.10
For whatever reason both give the illusion of legitimacy and authority, and many people are snagged – hook, line, and sinker – into the facade.
As it happens, many of these so-called “fitness celebrities” rarely train anyone and have no education and/or certification in the field.
However, not everything on the internet is garbage and devoid of decency and integrity. I mean, look at LOLCats!
Also, hello….I make much of my living off of my writing and other endeavors on the internet.11
In that vein I also like to think I’m able to direct people towards programs and products I feel are worthwhile and not in the slightest sense…”shady.”
It’s a 6-month, semi-customizable (<— meaning, there are assessments involved) training program that’s designed to help get people stronger, more mobile, and able to beat up a Transformer.
Except Optimus Prime.
Of more value, I truly feel it’s a program that will give people the STRUCTURE many covet and will allow everyone who tries it the opportunity to know what it feels like to “trust the process.”
With 200+ videos and various training templates to follow based off one’s goals, training schedule, and specific needs, I’d be surprised if someone followed this program to a “T” and didn’t make profound progress.
It’s on sale all this week at 50% off the regular price. Soooo, yeah, what are you waiting for? Check it out HERE.
