CategoriesStuff to Read While You're Pretending to Work

Stuff To Read While You’re Pretending To Work: 9/18/15

Before we jump into this week’s list, as a reminder: Dean Somerset and I kicked off our Complete Shoulder & Hip Training Workshop a few weekends ago up in Edmonton, Alberta and have several stops across North America lined up over the next several weeks.

It’s like a traveling Cirque du Soleil show, except with no tents, flashy acrobatics, animals, or ripped half- naked dudes contorting themselves into pretzels.

So it’s really nothing like that.

We teamed up last year for a handful of workshops that were successful – London, DC, LA –  and didn’t want to kill each other, so we figured we’d do it again this year

This time around we’re going to place a ton of emphasis on the hips and shoulders. One day will be entirely dedicated to the shoulders (me), and the other hips (Dean). We’ll talk anatomy, assessment, corrective exercise, programming, and we’ll also be doing a fair amount of coaching/hands-on demonstrations.

Here’s a nice testimonial we received from the Edmonton workshop:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b78JdzzvARg

CEU’s will be available for all workshops.

ST. LOUIS (next weekend, September 26-27th. A few spots are still available).

CHICAGO (October 17-18th).

LOS ANGELES (November 14-15th)

Hope you see you there!

Effective Warm-Ups to Improve Your Squat, Deadlift, and Bench Numbers – Ryan Wood

Everyone is pressed for time nowadays, and as such…the warm-up often gets the shaft and is axed from most training routines. Or, at the very least is drastically reduced to a few arm circles here and some high knee lunges there and we’re off to the races.

I know I’m a culprit of doing it sometimes.

Ryan offers some quick and efficient warm-up exercises to help prime the body for lifting heavy things.

Understanding and Developing Starting Strength – Bryan Mann

This is a somewhat older article (March 2015), but after listening to Bryan’s interview on Mike Robertson’s podcast (FYI: you should subscribe to it HERE) and getting my face melted with some of the knowledge he was sharing I had to seek out more of his work.

I think many trainers and coaches – myself included- have a (false) idea of what “starting strength” actually is and how to train for it.

This article clears it up.

Strength Training Tricks: What Works? – Travis Pollen

I had the pleasure of helping to contribute to this article expounding on some of the more common coaching cues and methodologies that are tossed around.

Drop down fast (in the squat) to come up fast?

Don’t stretch your pecs before benching?

Touch the tongue on the roof your mouth (while deadlifting)?

Which ones stick and which ones are rubbish? An awesome clan of coaches offer their insights.

CategoriesExercise Technique

A Common Dumbbell Row Mistake: Let the Shoulder Blade Move!

I love training the back. To me nothing sends the message of “I lift weights” more so than someone who has an impressive looking backside.

And one of my favorite exercises to train the back is the 1-arm DB Row.

young woman flexing muscles with dumbbell in gym

 

That said, most people don’t perform it correctly. In fact, I’d bunch both the 1-arm DB row and push-up together as two exercises most people roll their eyes at and think are easy, but fall woefully short in terms of passing the eyeball test.

You know the saying: if it looks like crap….

I’m not going to belabor the obvious talking points here. Most people understand that a good DB Row is performed with:

  1. An anatomically “neutral” spine position: the upper doesn’t round, and the head doesn’t protract forward.
  2. The elbow not going too far back (to the point where there’s excessive glenohumeral extension, and subsequent anterior laxity of the shoulder).
  3. To the point above, the arm should move in more of an “arc” movement (forward to back) rather than straight up and down. While there is scapular retraction happening (more on this below), I feel the 1-arm DB row is more of a lat exercise than it is an upper back exercise. I like to cue people to think about bringing their elbow toward their hip rather than straight up and down.

However, none of this matters if your name is Matt Kroczaleski and you’re a beast:

 

NOTE: don’t hate on me for the music. Chris Howard had control of the stereo during CSP after hours.

As noted above I do feel the 1-arm DB row is a fantastic upper back builder, but that it’s more suited for lat development than it is building superior scapular retractors. This isn’t to say it can’t (or shouldn’t be used) in that fashion, it can! But if we can appreciate the fiber orientation of the lats in conjunction with the actual arm (arc) action being performed with the exercise, we can then better appreciate why it shouldn’t be at the top of the exercise hierarchy with regards to training scapular retraction.

But lets discuss scapular retraction.

A common cue used with the 1-arm DB Row is to retract (adduct) the scapulae (shoulder blade) and then to “pin” it there throughout the duration of the set. Like this:

 

I believe this is wrong and goes against common shoulder joint mechanics. By pinning the shoulder blade in place you’re essentially forcing yourself to gain the brunt of motion through the glenohumeral joint, which can lead to more anterior (forward) translation of the joint itself; causing more anterior laxity.

In addition, keeping the shoulder blade retracted the entire time can lead to rhomboid dominance, which in turn can (not always) result in muscular imbalances such as downward rotation syndrome; a term popularized by physical therapist Shirley Sahrmann in her book Diagnosis and Treatment of Movement Impairment Syndromes.

And as we all know, downward rotation syndrome kills kittens. True story.

You don’t want to kill kittens do you?

Instead I prefer to coach people to allow their shoulder blade to move; or breath. Like this:

The shoulder blade should move around the rib cage.

So instead of gluing it in place, the shoulder blade has room to breath – can move – and can work in a more synergistic fashion with GH joint. You work the scapula both concentrically and eccentrically.

NOTE: you still want to avoid end-range on the way down and control the load. You should feel a nice “stretch” in the bottom position – not to the point where you’re “hanging” on passive restraints – and then return back.

It’s a subtle tweak, but has a profound influence on the efficacy of the exercise and shoulder health in general.1 Give it a try the next time you perform the 1-arm DB row and notice if you feel a difference.

Categoriescoaching

How To Get the Best Out of Your Athletes and Clients: 4 Points For Better Coaching

Today’s guest post comes courtesy of my good friend and phenomenal strength coach, Todd Bumgardner.

Enjoy!

A few moons ago I was a promising high school football player. Quarterback offensively and a defensive utility man. I was good enough to get recruited by schools from D3 to the lower D1 levels—eventually settling on a tiny speck in Williamsport, PA named Lycoming College.

Don’t worry, ladies and gents —this article isn’t going to be a metaphorical showing of my letterman jacket patches. I’m just setting the stage.

I played football, and attended college, in rural, Central Pennsylvania—one of the greatest places on earth. Humbly stated, of course. But for its beautiful ridges, rivers and creeks, it’s also backwards in its ways. People that didn’t grow up here are often thought of as “strangers”, and good coaching often means simply being hard on someone until they rise to an occasion.

In the late 90’s and early 00’s it wasn’t strange to see a kid get ripped around by his facemask after a practice blunder. A few times, after royally fucking up, I was taken on the facemask merri-go-round. I usually responded.

Being hard on me worked.

During my junior year I was the personal protector on the punt team—a position reserved for linebacker/safety types. One particular fall day I didn’t have my shit together, and the 230 pound maniac I was responsible for blocking kept whooping my ass—he nearly drove me into the punter 4 or 5 times.

My coach gripped my facemask, brought his person a few inches from mine, and gave me the business in all kinds of ways. I’m pretty sure I just finished washing his spit out of my eyes. I’m 29 years of age.

But I stepped up.

During the next snap I sprinted at the line like a man on fire and planted my facemask in my foe’s solar plexus. I figured it’d be tough for him to block a punt if he didn’t have any air in his lungs. I was right. I also earned pat on the back and what I’m pretty sure was a concussion. And though I responded, it doesn’t mean his approach was optimal.

Tough Love Isn’t For Everyone

Not every kid handled that type of coaching. My team was loaded with kids that were physically tough. They busted their asses in practice and in the weight-room. They played with zealot enthusiasm on Friday nights. But screaming at them was counterproductive. It either evoked contention or shut them down. Neither reaction was productive for the team, nor the individual.

These kids were often labeled “pussies.” Being the ever-aware and observant youth, I noticed it—but it didn’t seem like a good enough explanation to me. I didn’t know what to do; hell, there wasn’t anything I could do. Besides I was still trying to figure out what to do with all the boners I was getting.

The past ten years of coaching experience, as a strength coach and a sport coach, along with multitudes of continuing education has taught me what to do.

It’s helped me develop a coaching paradigm that I use daily and speak about regularly. It comes in four parts and will profoundly impact the way you interact with your clients. It starts with finding the bright spots and ends in celebration.

Find the Bright Spots

90% of the coaching battle is keeping people open and receptive to what we have to say. But, unfortunately, trainer and coach behavior doesn’t always reflect that.

Show of hands:

How many of you have heard someone immediately begin coaching someone by saying something to the tune of:

“No, no, no. Stop. That’s not it.”

You know, or something corrosively negative.

Second show of hands:

How many of you have done it?

I have.

Guilty. As. Charged.

Note From TG: Yep, me too.

What happens? People clam up.

Immediately finding fault puts someone on the defensive.

We know this, and have known this, for a long time. It’s in the first chapter of How to Win Friends and Influence People. But, as coaches, we’re the punishing hammer that buries the nail. Our job is to find, and correct, fault—so we hop to it.

Here’s the bright reality—it’s rare that someone is performing every part of an exercise incorrectly. They are doing something right. Find that something and tell them about it.

Let’s pose a hypothetical.

Your client/athlete/boyfriend/girlfriend/boyfriend’s girlfriend just finished a set of goblet squats. Their foot position blew, but they did a great job creating upper-body tension. Try saying something like this:

“I loved your upper-body tension, that was great, keep it up! But we need to work on your foot positioning…”

It shows that you want to level with them, that they’re not fucking everything up, that your relationship doesn’t hang on the contingency of them doing everything right. This makes them willing to listen to you.

Find the Bright Spots First

Clearly Identify, Succinctly Communicate

Clearly Identify

Clear identification starts with knowing what you’re looking for. I can’t teach you that in a blog article—it comes from experience. From squatting a lot of times and from watching other people squat that many times. Extrapolate those numbers to every other major exercise and technique you use.

But to effectively, and succinctly, communicate what you want, you have to know what you’re looking for. Learn the patterns and learn how to identify issues.

I can, however, tell you that it helps to work from big to small. See a pattern, then break down the idiosyncratic deficiencies.

Succinctly Communicate

Say as little as possible. If you don’t have to talk, don’t.

Let’s consider what’s happening in the world of the trainee while a coach is watching.

They’re feeling the social pressure of wanting to please you.

They’re telling their body to do something.

They’re body is telling them what is actually happening.

There are noises.

They could potentially have a bathroom emergency.

That’s a lot of info to deal with at once. Dashing a bunch of your sentences into that cognitive soup does more harm than good.

Time for another hypothetical—you’re coaching someone intra-set and need to make a correction. What do you do?

First, try to find a solution that doesn’t involve your words.

Nick Winkelman talks about creating an environment in which the athlete coaches themself. Do you have RNT (reactive neuromuscular training) techniques that can fix the problem? Can you alter the environment safely so the client automatically responds and “coaches” themselves into correction?

If you have to use words, keep the count down. And base those words off of simple cues you introduced early in the training process. One or two words based on information they already relate to make coaching effective. If you don’t have a list of common cues that you teach people immediately, get that list started, fool.

Clearly Identify, Succinctly Communicate

Cue Externally

When I was in college there was a local “speed coach” that screen printed “Fire Your Glutes!” across the back of his promotional t-shirts.

He was creepy.

Not only was he creepy; he was doing it wrong. Body party cueing, in a performance situation, is a bad move. This is another Nick Winkelman gem.

Cueing: Lats! Glutes!—whatever body part you so choose—during an exercise creates cognitive dissonance that decreases performance. The result is more confusion, less force.

The reasoning follows suit for that of succinct communication: load the processor with too much info and you get diminishing returns. Folks spend time trying to identify the muscle that they want to perform rather than performing the exercise.

Direct your cues to objects outside the body like the floor, the implement they’re lifting, the finishing position.

Cue Externally

Dramatically Reinforce Success

We claim stoicism, but we’re all emotional. We learn, change and grow mostly because of emotion, not logic.

Successful coaching relationships also require some kind of attachment. This means people that we influence have to like us in some way, shape or form.

Team sport coaches get results with the respect and not like paradigm, but that doesn’t work as well for personal coaches. People don’t have to spend money with us. Besides…no one ever said that the respect without like paradigm was optimal.

How do we make use of this knowledge? We emphatically celebrate client success.

One of your clients, let’s call her Rhonda, just nailed the rack pull for the first time. Put on your party pants and celebrate! Ladle excitement into your voice. Jump like a Rhesus monkey. Fist bump. Slap hands. Do something emphatic.

Creating an emotional event helps Rhonda remember what she did—emotion imprints the cerebellum with info. She’ll be a better rack puller from now on. The event also strengthens the bond between you because she sees how authentically you care about her. Get ready to be happy, because compliance just jumped through the roof.

Beyond those two points, aren’t we in this to help people realize awesome shit about themselves?

Dramatically Reinforce Success

Four Simple Things

Tomorrow, when you coach, be aware of your coaching in relation to these four simple points and lay this paradigm over your current practice. Keep the expectations high, people will rise to them, but there’s no need to grab a facemask.

About the Author

Visit his website HERE.
CategoriesStuff to Read While You're Pretending to Work

Stuff To Read While You’re Pretending To Work: 9/11/15

I’d like to first take a moment to express my condolences to those people who lost friends, family, colleagues, and loved ones fourteen years ago today, and were most affected by the events of September 11th. I’d also like to extend my sincerest gratefulness to those who didn’t blink an eye to risk their own lives to help others.

Thank you.

Here’s this week’s list of stuff to read while you’re pretending to work….

Fixing Women’s Fitness: Strength Training For a Healthier Body Image – Dana Santas

When it comes to fitness, women don’t need to be “fixed!” The fitness media needs fixing!

Was honored to be asked by Dana Santas to help contribute to this article she wrote on CNN Health on empowering women to have a healthier body image. Women being told that weight training is “bad” or that it’s something they should avoid bothers me.

It should bother you too.

I’m always grateful when I have the opportunity to help spread this message on a much larger platform. Please give it a read, and if you like it please help spread the word.

Complete Program Design – Robert dos Remedios

There’s no ONE right way to write training programs. However, you can bet I’m going to sit down and take notes from someone who has close to 30 years of coaching experience.

‘Coach Dos’ is one of the best, and this is a fantastic resource for any fitness professional looking to add to their programming (and exercise) library.

It’s on sale, too. But it ends this weekend.

The Difference Between Gaining Muscle, Losing Fat, and Toning – Harold Gibbons

They’re all more the same than they are different.

Discuss.

Bonus: Excursions by Mick Boogie

Because, you’re welcome.

CategoriesMotivational

13 Words That May Help Change Your Life

NOTE: if nothing else, if you decide not to read this entire article (don’t worry I won’t cry. Too much), scroll all the way down and read the last quote. It’ll knock your socks off.

13 Words That May Help Change Your Life

Like a lot of  people I don’t like to venture too far outside my own comfort zone.

Of course this begs the question of what each person’s comfort zone actually is? Cause, you know…different people are different.

For some people they’re perfectly “comfortable” jumping out of an airplane at 25,000 feet, climbing a mountain, or hanging out in a shark cage for the fun of it.

I’ll take a pass on all of those, thank you very much.

However, not all examples of comfort zones have to revolve around life or death situations. For some, stepping outside their zone could be something as vanilla and innocuous as saying hello to a complete stranger or just learning how to say “no” to someone, or something.

“No, I don’t want the extended warranty.”

“No, I don’t want dessert.”

“No, I won’t make out with you Jennifer Lopez. Please, stop asking.”

But that’s the thing: what’s vanilla and innocuous to YOU – and no big deal – could be the equivalent of being stuck up on stage talking in front of a bunch of people in your underwear.2

In short: A nightmare scenario for most.

Regardless of the varying degrees of comfortableness from person to person, the important lesson to learn as it relates to continued personal (as well as career) growth is that everyone, at one point or another, should strive to venture outside their zone.

My Comfort Zone(s)

I’m not immune to this message either.

If you would have asked me back in 2002-2003 – when I was working as a personal trainer in Syracuse, NY – if I’d be game to pack up all my things and move to Connecticut to live with and work with some guy I had met on the internet I would have laughed.

First off I would have given you a face like THIS, and then I would have laughed.

Knowing I was feeling complacent with my circumstances and knowing that if I (really) wanted to progress my career I’d have to get the hell out of dodge…that’s exactly what I did.

I packed my belongings3 and moved to Connecticut.

Now, giving full disclosure, the guy I met on the internet was Eric Cressey (not some creeper from Craigslist), and he and I had known each other for a few years via various fitness websites and forums.

He was hired as a trainer at a gym in Ridgefield, CT, had mentioned to me in passing they were looking to hire someone else, and he helped convince me to take the leap.

It wasn’t an easy choice to make, and it was easily the first time I had taken a GIANT step outside my comfort zone. Even more than that one time I took an ex-girlfriend to go see The Notebook.

I could wax poetic on all the other factors that came into play and the ups and down involved.

In the end, though, things worked out.

I could use any number of other examples from my past, too.

It wasn’t an easy thing for me to pursue writing.

I was never an avid writer growing up, and I’m 100% confident my high-school English teacher would shit a copy of For Whom the Bell Tolls if she knew I was a published author today.

However, at the time, I was five years into my career and I knew writing would be an excellent way to get more exposure and to get my name out there. Plus, I felt I had a lot to say and that I could help many more people through writing than I could by only training people one-on-one.

What made things more scary was the idea of putting myself out there. Opening myself up to criticism and internet trolls. It sucked (it still sucks), but comes with territory.

So I started a random blog that four people read.

I’m sure if someone decided to dig they could find it somewhere. Then I started submitting articles to random fitness websites…for free. And that led to getting a break with T-Nation, which obviously opened up some more doors with other reputable publications.

Writing still doesn’t come easy for me. I don’t really consider myself a writer writer. I’m a strength coach who happens to be competent with forming coherent sentences that can break down complex topics…sprinkled with pop-cultural references.

Infotainment if you will.

I have worked hard at it. When I first started dating my wife back in 2009 she’d be the first to tell you I’d bitch and whine about writing a blog post. 500 words seemed like a chore. A insurmountable feat.

1700 blog posts and countless articles later, 500 words is much less daunting.

One of my favorite authors, Steven Pressfield, wrote a book titled Turning Pro that I feel everyone should read. In one passage he describes the point in which he “turned pro,” and it had everything to do with sitting down and doing the work.

To stop bullshitting and to sit down and actually write.

I could (and still can) relate. That’s what stepping outside your comfort zone is all about.

Another anecdote would be public speaking and presenting in general. Again, if you would have told me as a teenager (or when I first started out in this industry) that I’d be traveling the world as Jason Bourne to talk about scapulohumeral rhythm and squat assessment I wouldn’t have believed it.

When I moved to Boston and we eventually opened up Cressey Sports Performance, and things started speeding up for me from a professional standpoint, I saw presenting as yet another way to grow.

At first, it was all I could do to manage my sphincter. As I can recall I was thiiiiiiiis close to backing out of my first speaking gig in Boston the morning of.

I woke up in a panic sick to my stomach. Again, giving credit where it’s due, my wife (Lisa) helped talk me through everything and I did it. It wasn’t pretty, but I did it.

She knew that if I backed out and didn’t go through with it, it would have caused more harm to my psyche than good. I probably never would have pursued it again. Ever.

She’s a psychologist, she’s smart like that.

Do I feel I’m a good public speaker? Hell no. Adequate, maybe. I’m no Dan John or Barack Obama. But people seem to stay engaged and not fall asleep when I do it. I’m also able to spread more of my message and help many more people and fitness professionals along the way.

I stepped outside my comfort zone and am all the better for it.

So What’s My Point?

I’ve been getting a steady stream of emails from young and upcoming fitness professionals asking me advice on their careers of late. Some are queries on how they can go about getting more clients or how they can differentiate themselves from other trainers.

Some are simply to ask how do they get better?

Some are “scared” to work in a commercial gym setting because they feel like a number, or worse, they feel it’s beneath them.4

Well, sorry. You’re not going to work with professional athletes and celebrities on day one.

Besides, it’s not all rainbows and butterfly kisses as many seem to think it is. Don’t get me wrong: it’s awesome working and hanging out with pro athletes. But it’s territory that comes with its own set of pitfalls and frustrations.

I think every new trainer should spend at least 1-2 years working in a commercial gym setting5. That’s the only way you’re going to expose yourself to as many different varieties of people and personalities as possible. It’s the only way you can guarantee you’ll get better. Assuming you actually WANT to get better.

You’ll be forced to step outside your comfort zone, repeatedly.

Others ask me about changing careers altogether. As in, “I work in sales and am a day or two shy from beating my boss senseless with a stapler. Fitness is my real passion, I love helping people. Am I crazy to think I can switch careers this late in the game?”

This is the point where stepping outside one’s comfort zone is going to manifest itself. A perfect opportunity. A daunting as fuck one, but an opportunity nonetheless.

Now, I’m not suggesting someone throw caution to the wind, quit their job tomorrow, go on a hookers and cocaine binge this weekend, and apply for a job at their local commercial gym on Monday.

That may be stretching the comfort zone too far….;o)

But who’s to say they couldn’t seek out a mentorship or “observational internship” on the side to see if this is something they really want to do? To ooch or wet their palette so-to-speak.

Or maybe this is a scenario where they say “screw it” and take a chance.

As my good friend (and strength coach), Todd Bumgardner, recently stated to me:

“Scare the shit out of yourself. It’s the only way to do it.”

Those are 13 words that really resonated with me, and wish I would have heard ten years ago.

What about you?

CategoriesInterview Program Design

Talking Shop With ‘Coach Dos’

I have a special cameo appearance today from one of the best collegiate strength and conditioning coaches on the planet, Coach Robert dos Remedios (or, ‘Coach Dos’).

Coach Dos is someone whom I respect a ton, and someone I feel has forgotten more than many of will ever know. 27 years “in the trenches” coaching, a lot, will do that.

He’s achieved the status of Master Strength & Conditioning Coach by the CSCCa (one of only 100 in the world), is a Nike Elite Performance Coach and was also the 2006 NSCA Strength Coach of the Year.

I once scored 18 points in a JV basketball game. No big deal.

He’s the creator of Complete Program Design, his latest resource which just became available, and was kind enough to take time to answer a few questions for me.

Enjoy.

Tony Gentilcore (TG):I live in Boston. We had THE worst winter in history last year. We had a 30 day stretch where we had 6-7 feet of snow fall. It made the national and world news. You live in California with 80 degree weather year round. Can you please explain to me why I continue to put myself

Coach Dos (CD): HAHA! Well as a Californian who puts on the beanie when it drops below 60 I completely understand where you are coming from. That being said, the beer and Pub game in Boston is second to none….that alone can get me scrape some ice off my car to grab a proper pint :o)

TG:Speaking of misery, as a reputable strength coach yourself, I know you don’t buy into the “I must destroy myself with every training session” mentality: can you give some insight – or at least an umbrella themed review – on your approach to program design?

Maybe some “big rock” methodologies or words of wisdom?

CD: I think I am pretty simplistic when it comes to program design….but it’s important to not associate ‘simple’ with ineffective. If you take an approach where you address all essential movement categories (explosive, push, pull, hinge, squat/step/lunge, and core (pillar and rotational) it’s hard to go wrong.

You won’t have any holes and you will avoid over/under training any movements.

As far as crushing folks every session, it’s a common theme we see these days but the first indicator that the coach/trainer doesn’t have experience in the real-world.

I need my athletes to be able to perform and I can’t afford for them to not be ready to DO WORK in their next session with me. If folks are paying you to train them and you continually crush them each session, you will most likely not be a very successful private sector coach/trainer.

TG:No diggidy, no doubt. What are some of your biggest pet peeves with regards to program design that some fitness professionals make?

CD: The ‘whiteboard workouts’ –  these are the workouts that are generally created on the spot and have little rhyme or reason to the intensity, volume or actual exercises. It’s that random-randomness of these workouts that make them ineffective for most long term goals. Sure it can result in lots of sweat and anguish, but what role does this session play in your big picture?

The other kind of workout that bugs me? The fictional kind.

These are the ones that lots of internet gurus come up with on their computers and have never actually been tested on humans. They are generally characterized by unrealistic volumes, rest periods, or simple things like tri-setting deadlifts, DB walking lunges and chinups (Hint: aint gonna work haha!).

TG:Wait, what? Why?….;o)

With regards to assessment, what are some of the big hitting things you look at with your athletes and clients? Can you give insight on what “markers” you look for and want to improve on with your programs?

CD: We may use the FMS or we may just take athletes through simple movement prep drills and actual exercises to expose some red flags. We obviously want them all to move well and some do immediately while others are a work in progress.

Over the past 5-6 years we have really made mobility a priority with everyone (which is why we incorporate mobility drills within all of our lifting sessions) and we have seen great benefits. Some of the things we strive for are great squatters, hingers, and athletes with great unilateral strength and stability.

TG:Overtraining? Discuss.

CD: I’m a big ‘work capacity’ guy, it has always been the bedrock of my training philosophy.

Because of this we try to push the envelope when we train. I feel like the system we have used allows us to get after it hard, recover, and bounce back to attack the next training session. Our history of building better athletes and resisting injury has been pretty outstanding over the past 17 years at the college.

So in a nutshell can you overtrain? Sure, but if you have proper systems in place and keep the big picture in mind you can easily avoid it.

TG:For general fitness clients with little or no experience with the OLY lifts: what are some of your “go to” drills to help kick-start the process?

CD: The Olympic lifts (and all their variations) are favorites of mine but I am in it for one reason – Quadruple extension (yes I said quadruple, not triple haha!).

Think ankles, knees, hips, and low back powerfully extending. This can be easily accomplished via jumps, Med ball Scoops etc. band resisted jumps of all kinds are big go-to exercises for all populations as they add load and really force this ‘quadruple extension’.

TG:In terms of conditioning, any pet peeves or insights you can offer? How much is too much?

CD: I think people having a lack of understanding of energy systems especially when it comes to specific sport-demands.

I hate it when I see coaches make twitchy-explosive athletes do long, slow, aerobic activity. I call it ‘making joggers out of jumpers’.

If you truly believe that even your explosive athletes with virtually no aerobic demands in their sport need some sort of aerobic work at least accomplish this via fartleks or other aerobic-interval work. Makes me cringe seeing power athletes plodding along a cross country trail or track.

TG:Thanks so much for your time Coach! All useful information and just the tip of the iceberg in terms of your knowledge and how you go about making your athletes (and general fitness clients) savages.

I’m a movie geek, and I like to expose to people that not all us coaches are Terminators (<– See, what I just did there?) and that we have life outside of strength and conditioning. So I have to ask: top 5 favorite films of all-time?

CD: Tough Question so I’ll give you an eclectic mix….Happy Gilmore, Super Troopers, Old School, Vanilla Sky, and Silence of the Lambs.

This should give a little insight into my psyche haha!

Complete Program Design

Is a culmination of 27 years of coaching. 27 years of trial and error, successes, modifications, additions and most important of all…results.

You get a 100+ page manual breaking things down into several 2-3 and 4x per week programs. You also get an extensive exercise database of 130+ exercises and movements. Coach Dos coaches YOU.

It’s impressive to say the least, and something I know will help me step up my own coaching game. It’s an excellent resource for any coach – newbie or experienced – and it’s on SALE this week at a hefty discount.

For more information go HERE.

CategoriesExercise Technique Program Design speed training

3 Exercises To Help You Squat Deeper. Without a Single Mobility Drill

Today’s guest post comes courtesy of fellow Cressey Sports Performance coach, Tony Bonvechio (AKA: the other Tony). He’s got some excellent pointers on squat technique and how you can go about improving squat depth without mention of a single mobility exercise.

Enjoy!

I didn’t like hip-hop music until I met Tony Gentilcore. I’m more of a heavy metal guy, but when TG handles DJ duties during staff lift, I can’t help but get amped up to the sounds of the 90’s Hip Hop or Dirty South Pandora stations.

Note From TG: Tribe Called Quest Radio. You’re welcome.

So when Ludacris poses the esoteric question, “How low can you go?” during a heavy squat workout, it gets me thinking how I can get my clients to safely improve their squat depth.

TG is right when he says not everyone should (or needs to) squat as low as possible. But outside of our baseball players at CSP, I deal primarily with powerlifters who need to squat below parallel in competition. If they can’t get low enough, their squats won’t count, so we prioritize hitting depth in training.

When we combine deep squats with heavy loads and we know not everyone can hit depth (defined as the hip joint passing below the top of the knee joint) easily, how do we get there in the best position possible.

Well, you could stretch, foam roll and mobilize every joint head to toe. Or you could just learn how to squat.

The second option is my favorite. In my experience, nine times out of 10, a person’s inability to squat to depth is NOT a mobility issue but rather a squat strategy issue. Simply picking the right squat accessory exercises to hammer home an optimal squat pattern will almost always improve depth and strength. Here are my three favorite squat exercises to help you drop it low and crush heavy weights.

Squatting: Upright vs. Hip Hinge

First, here’s a harsh reality: an upright squat will always be the most mechanically efficient squat. If you’re pointing your nipples at the floor to use “hip drive,” you’ll never maximize the contribution of your legs and abs. There’s a reason every 1,000-pound squatter (raw or geared) stays almost perfectly vertical through their torso instead of leaning forward.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bSs6_THxn5A

 

Are YOU gonna tell Malanichev to lean forward with 1,036 pounds on his back? Didn’t think so.

Here’s what happens far too often when people try to squat: they puff their chest up (thoracic extension), which pulls the ribcage up. They take a big breath, which is entirely ineffective because you can’t get good intra-abdominal pressure with a poor rib cage position. Then, they push their butt back as they squat down (lumbar extension, anterior pelvic tilt and hip flexion simultaneously).

Like a seesaw, as one side drops (the chest), the other side must go up to maintain balance (the hips). Not surprisingly, you can’t hip depth if your hips are shooting up and back to keep you from falling forward.

This scenario also effectively minimizes the space the head of the femur has to glide in the hip socket while limiting the contribution from your anterior core to keep your torso upright. What happens? Your hips get stuck so you fall forward to try to get lower. All bad news if you want to squat low and heavy safely.

That said, the optimal squat pattern is going to have an upright torso, knees out and slightly forward of the toes and the hips between the knees. This is much preferred to leaning forward with a vertical shin and over-arched lower back if greater depth is desired.

Here’s how to dial in that optimal pattern:

1. Front Squats

Front squats can cure your depth woes by teaching you to sit straight down between your knees instead of sitting behind your knees. You simply can’t sit back and dump your pelvis forward or you’ll dump the bar, so you internalize proper positioning. Carry this same strategy over to your back squat and you’ll be in business.

 

That’s why we use so many front squat variations at CSP. It immediately dials in a solid ribcage position and forces you to stabilize with your anterior core instead of your lumbar extensors.

I’ve lost count of the number of athletes who get stuck above parallel with a back squat or body weight squat but can magically sit their butt to their heels with a front squat. Kind of throws the mobility excuse out the window, huh?

By learning to keep the ribs down, chest up and knees out, you create proper alignment for nailing a deep squat. If you struggle with depth, try front squatting for a few weeks before returning to the back squat and I’m confident your depth will improve.

2. High-Bar Pause Squats

Also called Olympic squats because of their popularity with weightlifters, high-bar squats bridge the gap between front squats and a powerlifting-style back squat.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q6fQ6UPES24

 

A low-bar position (i.e. holding the bar across the rear deltoids instead of the traps) has ruined many a squatter’s depth. You might be able to handle more weight because it keeps the bar closer to your hips, but it doesn’t matter one bit if you can’t hip depth because it pitches you forward too much.

Switching to a slightly higher bar position has helped many of my lifters get lower. Similar to the front squat, it lets you stay more upright so you can lock the ribcage down and stabilize with your abs instead of your lower back.

Adding a brief pause at the bottom position builds confidence in the hole, which eliminates much of the fear associated with squatting low. This also forces the lifter to initiate the reversal by staying tall and driving the knees out.

Try high-bar pause squats as your second exercise on a squat day. Pause anywhere from 1 to 5 seconds and do sets of 3-8 reps. You can pause at the lowest position, right below parallel, or even on the way back up to target specific sticking points.

Note From TG: These suck donkey balls. You’ll hate life, but they work. Get it done.

3. Squat to Pins

Not to be confused with an Anderson squat where the bar starts on the pins, squatting to the pins hammers home the same technique points as a front squat but is even more sinister and unforgiving.

 

By lowering the bar to the pins and pausing, you’ll have virtually no room for error in torso position. If you sit back and lean forward, you’ll immediately get stuck as you try to squat back up. Only by staying tall, driving the knees out and keeping the bar over the mid-foot will you be able to stand up.

Few exercises build control and confidence like squatting to the pins. These not only cured my falling-forward problem, but also eliminated my knee cave issues by forcing me to spread the floor and keep tension in my hips.

Cues to Cure Your Squat Woes

Remember these useful cues as you practice these squat variations:

  • “Belt buckle toward your chin” – This prevents unlocking the pelvis as you sit down.
  • “Take all the air out of the room” – This stabilizes your spine by filling your belly and lower back with air.
  • “Bend the bar around your traps” – This locks in the lats to help you tay upright.
  • “Spread the floor apart” – This tenses up your hips and glutes to keep your knees out.

Notice there’s not a single instance of “chest up” or “sit back” on that list. Ditch these antiquated strategies for the ones above and you’ll be hitting depth more consistently while getting stronger.

Optimizing the “Big 3.”

Want to learn these strategies in person? Come see me and Greg Robins at our Optimizing the Big 3 seminar at Warhorse Barbell in Philadelphia on September 19.

There are only a few spots left, so sign up today.

CategoriesStuff to Read While You're Pretending to Work

Stuff To Read While You’re Pretending To Work: 9/4/15

A few housekeeping things to touch on before I dive into this week’s list.

1. A reminder that next Sunday (9/13) is our 4th annual Cressey Sports Performance Fall Seminar. It’s become sort of a “thing” in the industry. And if you haven’t been to one yet, you’re missing out on not only a bunch of great information from a very knowledgable staff, but pictures of  my cat too.

She’s the cutest!6

2. Dean Somerset and I are hitting up various spots in North America this Fall for our Complete Shoulder & Hip Workshop.

We gave our new material a test-run two weekends ago up in Edmonton, Canada and the feedback we got was awesome. Here’s personal trainer, Erica, of SVPT Fitness & Athletics (which hosted the event) with a brief testimonial:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b78JdzzvARg

 

Next stops on the tour:

ST. LOUIS (Blue Ocean Fitness): September 26-17th.

CHICAGO (Rebell Strength & Conditioning): October 17-18th

LA/ANAHEIM (CrossFit 714): November 14-15th

Also:

3.  I’ll also be doing a super special SOLO (1-Day) workshop in NYC at Legacy Strength located in Floral Park, NY. The workshop is titled Shoulder Assessment 101: Deconstructing Everything From Computer Guy to the Elite Athlete.

Date: Sunday, October 25th

Location: Legacy Strength, Floral Park, NY.

Spots are limited. And I’m not just saying that to give off some false sense of urgency either. It’s being capped at 10-12 people; unless your name is Matt Damon. In that case, there is no cap.

For more information contact: Joey Olivo at: [email protected]

How To Build a Successful and Rewarding Career in Fitness – Nate Green

Here’s an excellent article from Precision Nutrition’s site (written by Nate Green) on what it takes to become a “successful” fitness professional.

A lot of useful tips and insights here. If you’re a young fitness pro this is required reading.

10 Reasons You Should Be Doing Turkish Get-Ups – Monika Volkmar

Very through article on the get-up, from the perspective of a dancer.

Breaking Down Fitness Buzzwords – Part 2: Corrective Exercise – Josh Landis

Ask ten different coaches/trainers their definition of “corrective exercise,” and you’re bound to get ten different explanations.

It’s a buzzword that’s tossed out frequently – and it does mean something – however in this article Josh attempts to help us through the weeds.

Note from TG: If you haven’t checked it out yet, Dr. Evan Osar’s Integrative Corrective Exercise Approach is a fantastic resource (curriculum) for any fitness professional looking to up their game on assessment and program design around many common injuries and dysfunctions.

The difference is that Dr. Osar understands that strength can be corrective. And I dig that.

CategoriesAssessment

Assessment Protocols: There’s No One Right Way

We had a new crop of interns start up this week at the facility, and last night I had the opportunity to spend a little time with them to go over some “big rock” coaching cues and assessment protocols on the squat.

I only had 30 minutes with them and there’s obviously a lot to discuss with regards to the squat. I mean, people pay good money to spend entire weekends geeking out over squat mechanics, lever arms, and arguing over whether it’s better to squat with a low-bar position or high-bar.

So I did my best with the time given. I huddled them up in the corner of the facility, in front of a squat rack, and told them to KNEEL BEFORE ZOD!

 

Okay, that didn’t happen. But it may very well in the future…;o)

However, the whole 30-minute squat tutorial did happen, and one of the very first things that came out of my mouth was:

“There’s no such thing as one right way to squat.”

Some people do better with a high(er) bar placement on their back, some people will squat with a wider stance compared to others, and yes, contrary to what some blowhard coaches on the internet subscribe to…some people, due to their anatomy/hip structure, will not be able to squat past 90 degrees of hip flexion (or ass-to-grass in brospeak).

To hold everyone to such a standard is unrealistic at best, entirely ignorant at worst. That’s like me saying, “everyone should deadlift Sumo style” or “everyone should bench press with their heels down” or I don’t know, “everyone should be right handed.”

It’s dumb.

The conversation got me thinking about the topic of assessment and how, oftentimes, some coaches and trainers will marry themselves to one protocol or “one way” to assess their athletes and clients.

Now, don’t get me wrong: I wholeheartedly understand (and appreciate) that some demographics require specific assessment strategies to best ascertain what they’re unique needs are as it relates to the demands of their sport or profession.

I work with a lot of overhead athletes (baseball players) so it makes sense that, within the realm of their assessment and what’s important for them to be successful in their sport, I place a lot more scrutiny on their ability to upwardly rotate their shoulder blades, how much shoulder flexion they have, and whether or not they have ample segmental rotation.

However, how you go about assessing and what you look for in a gymnast will differ (in some regards) with how you assess a football player. And how you assess your everyday office worker/computer guy will most likely, in some ways, differ with how you assess a bomb sniffing dolphin trainer. It’s science.

In addition, there’s more of an onion to peel back and factors to consider once we start talking injury history (flexion based back pain vs. extension based back pain), training history, and goals.

In all, we could make the argument that no one assessment is the same given the plethora of sports, activities, hobbies, injuries, aberrant movement patterns, and training goals which exist amongst different populations.

Head, Shoulders, Knees Over Toes

I for one use and implement several assessment methodologies. You can plug in just about anything – FMS, PRI, SFMA, NASM – and I’ve likely used snidbits of each with the over thousands of assessments I’ve done throughout my career.

I think all are important, and all have their advantages and disadvantages. And, honestly, one of the advantages of working in the private sector is that I’m able to implement more of a smorgasbord approach to assessment if I so choose.

My assessments are more of a two-part show anyways:

1. The Poking and Prodding Part (which, not coincidentally, and unfortunately, is where many fitness professionals stop).

This is more or less the non-exercise static & dynamic assessment – testing things like shoulder flexion, scapulohumeral rhythm, hip IR/ER, glenohumeral ROM, toe touch, push-up, bodyweight squat, and, if need be, given a unique injury, performing more provocative tests to see what exacerbates their pain/symptoms.

The poking and prodding part (don’t be creepy about it) is an important part. It provides a lot of valuable information. I can implement screens that test passive ROM which essentially gives me feedback on their total ROM; but then it’s equally as important to include screens which test one’s active ROM which gives feedback on their available/usable ROM.

Lack of ROM isn’t always a mobility issue.

 

And while it’s not the case for everyone, many fitness professionals stop their assessment there – at the poking and prodding part.

Giving credit where it’s due: it’s amazing if they actually do this part. Many don’t even bother. It’s unfortunate, though, that this is the point where some stop. It makes me sad.

It’s only half the equation. It’s important to include the second part, too.

2. The “Lets Go Move Around and Lift Stuff” Part.

At CSP we’ll do the poking and prodding part and then go out on the gym floor and see what shakes free. I’ll often stay a fly in the wall and just see what people do without giving them much coaching. I want to see what their default movement patterns are when I say “deadlift that weight,” or “go pick that up.” It’s often uncanny how, what was perceived as wonky movement on the table, clears right up once someone is under load.

Too, the “pick stuff up” part serves as a way to give someone a little flavor for what to expect moving forward and get them excited to train.

How excited would you be walking into a new facility where, on day #1, all you did was stand there while a complete stranger “hmmm and ahhhh’d” for 60 minutes over your Thomas Test, told you how your left big toe doesn’t dorsiflex enough, your Zone of Apposition is all off, and that you’re going to perform a bunch of breathing drills?

Spending all that time telling someone how much of a walking ball of fail they are isn’t going to impress.

So yeah, get them moving!

Assuming they’re in the clear why not take a look at their deadlift (ability to hip hinge)? Or maybe take a look at their squat pattern with a barbell? You don’t need to go heavy, of course. But it stands to reason loading people up will offer a bevy of additional information.

Or maybe take a page out of Dan John’s latest book, Can You Go?, and implement some subtle performance based assessments/markers:

1. Plank – can they perform it (correctly) for two minutes? If not, well, they’ve got some work to do.

2. To the Floor and Back Up (I like this one a lot).

It’s just as it sounds. Tell someone to get down on the floor and back up. What do they do?

From Dan’s book:

Claudio Gil Araujo, who performed a study at the Clinimex Exercise Medicine Clinic in Rio de Janeiro, said being ablt to stand up from a seated position on the ground was “remarkably predictive” of physical strength, flexibility and coordination at a range of ages.

Araujo said, “If a middle-aged or older man or woman can sit and rise from the floor using one hand – or even better without the help of a hand – they are not only in the higher quartile of musculo-skeletal fitness, but their survival prognosis is probably better than that of those unable to do so.”

 

3. Farmer Carry

Have someone perform a loaded farmer carry for max time. Mark it down. When you re-assess a few weeks (or months) down the road and they’re able to carry a further distance, you know what you’re doing is working.

Dan’s Standards (from his Mass Made Simple book)

Bodyweight on left, load on the right:

– Under 135 pounds: 135 pounds.

– 136-185 pounds: 185 pounds.

– 186-205 pounds: 205 pounds

– Over 206 pounds: 225 pounds

For your “non-athlete” general fitness population clients the above suggestions are fantastic markers to get (and improve upon), and they probably won’t even realize you’re “assessing” them in the first place. Plus it adds more variety and fun to the overall process.

So in the end, there’s no ONE right way to assess. In addition there’s more to an assessment than having someone lie on a table and telling them how much their posture sucks.

Get people moving, people.

Want More?

Dean Somerset and I have already kick-started our Complete Shoulder & Hip Workshop tour in Edmonton two weekends ago. The feedback we received was amazing, and we’re excited to be hitting up various spots on North America soon:
ST. LOUIS: September 26-27th.
CHICAGO: October 17th-18th.
LOS ANGELES: November 14th-15th
I’ll also be doing a super special SOLO (1-Day) workshop in NYC at Legacy Strength located in Floral Park, NY. The workshop is titled Shoulder Assessment 101: Deconstructing Everything From Computer Guy to the Elite Athlete.
Date: Sunday, October 25th
Location: Legacy Strength, Floral Park, NY.
For more information contact Joey Olivo at: [email protected]
CategoriesExercises You Should Be Doing

Exercises You Should Be Doing: 1-Arm Low Cable Row

Point to someone with a monster bench press, deadlift, or squat and I’ll point to someone who has monster lats.

They’re a massive muscle with an expansive cross-sectional area spanning the entire (upper) backside. Don’t take my word for it, just peruse any anatomy book and notice all the attachment points: vertebral attachments (T6 to the sacrum), ribs, pelvis, scapula (<– not everyone), and humerus.

Aesthetically there’s no question having a big set of lats will win you a few bodybuilding shows and more than a few glances from onlookers.

However there’s very little talk on how having big lats – or, more to the point, having the ability to activate the lats to increase tension and stabilize the spine – can help improve performance in many of the big lifts.

One drill we’ve been using at Cressey Sports Performance recently to help in this regard is the 1-Arm Low Cable Row.

1-Arm Low Cable Row

 

Who Did I Steal It From: giving credit where it’s due, CSP coaches Greg Robins and Tony Bonvechio were the ones who started tinkering with the standard Standing Cable Row we use often at the facility and lowered the positioning of the (cable) arm to better increase activation of the lat.

What Does It Do: I just told you! It activates the lats to a higher degree. GOSH. It’s like you don’t even listen to me anymore.

You know what, stop. Don’t “babe, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean it” me. You know what you did. You know I don’t like it. And…wait, what’s that? You found a kick-ass, fan made, fake Boba Fett movie trailer?

What were we talking about again? Right, the low cable row.

Key Coaching Cues: Set up as you would a normal standing cable row, albeit in this case you’ll set the “arm” at a lower angle in relation to the body.

From there all the same rules apply: athletic stance, feet shoulder width apart, chest up, don’t allow shoulder to “roll” forward, etc. Think about rowing/pulling your elbow to your hip (elbow still shouldn’t go past the midline) and pause for a 1-3s count. You should definitely feel a difference with the lat turning on to a higher degree.

If you don’t, you’re weird….;o)

NOTE: I also like to cue people to start with a pronated (overhand) grip and as they “row,” rotate the handle to a neutral position.

Return back to starting position, but be sure to allow the scapulae to protract forward around the ribcage. You don’t want to “glue” it down the entire time.

While I wouldn’t go out of my way to use this drill with overhead athletes (who are generally stuck in extension and overly lat dominate, which affects their ability to upwardly rotate the scapulae), this is an awesome drill to use to help people learn to “engage” their lats to a higher degree, which in turn translates very well to better performance with the “Big 3.”

It’s a subtle tweak, but something worth giving a try.