Melbourne, Australia: July 19-21st and Melbourne Strength & Conditioning. (<— Includes bonus “Psych Skills for Fitness Pros” pre-workshop with Dr. Lisa Lewis).
NOTE: The Early Bird rate of $100 OFF the regular price ends THIS WEEKEND (May 5th)
Luke and I did this workshop last summer in London and figured it’s only fair to bring it State side.
Combined we have 30+ years of coaching experience (I.e., one Mike Boyle or Dan John) and this workshop will be two days where we uncover every nook and cranny as it relates to how we assess our clients/athletes and how we best prepare them for the rigors of every day life/sport.
This will be a unique opportunity for people to learn from myself, but especially Luke, who is one of the best and brightest coaches I know. This will be his first time teaching in the States.
For more information and to register you can go HERE.
This will be the only time Dr. Lisa Lewis and I will be presenting this workshop together in 2019. In previous years we’ve presented together in Boston, London, Bonn (Germany), and Austin, TX.
This 1-day workshop is targeted towards fitness professionals and digs a little deeper into what really “bogs” them down and stresses them out….
…their clients!
Click THIS link for more details on topics covered as well as date/cost/location.
This article doesn’t really have anything to do with fitness, but it does have A LOT to do with your health. My friend Tessa (who’s the head health/fitness honcho at Boston Magazine) asked my wife, Dr. Lisa Lewis (who’s the head honcho of Jedi mind tricks), to provide some basic suggestions on how people can begin to ween themselves off of social media.
Given how social media, in particular Instagram, has transformed the way we get and digest health/fitness information, this article is never more relevant.
I had a new client start at CORE recently who, before we even met in person, let it be known that 1) he hated techno and 2) he hated squats.
Well, why don’t you let me know how you really feel?
Personally, whenever I email someone for the first time, my approach is to just, you know, introduce myself, say I’m a big fan, and maybe butter them up with a savory compliment like “oh, and your cat’s adorable.”
I generally refrain from taking a proverbial shit on the things the person on the other end enjoys:
“…and while I’m at it, Tony, I also hate 8o’s cartoons, cheese, rainbows, and your kid.”
I’m exaggerating of course, but once I dug a little deeper and had a bit more back and forth with this individual I got a better sense of his lack of enthusiasm towards squatting.1
When “Ken” came in for his initial assessment he noted that he had, at one point, enjoyed squatting.
Admittedly, those days were more than a decade ago, and despite his current disdain for all things squatting, he was still very much interested in putting them back into his training repertoire and giving them a go again.
The obvious question from me was, “why?”
“If you don’t like back squatting and more to the point, they hurt, why insist on doing them? We can also perform other variations – Goblet, Front, Zercher – that may be a little more back friendly.”
“That’s the thing,” he said, “they didn’t always hurt. When I trained all through college and into my early 30s I never had any issues.”
“But then, you know, I became more sedentary due to life, was stubborn and not taking into consideration I wasn’t 25 anymore, and things just fell apart.”
SIDE NOTE: “Ken” is 47, works long hours mostly at a desk, and I can’t stress this enough, hates techno…;o)
To speed things up all I’ll say is that, while Ken isn’t the most supple person in the world, nothing during his initial assessment came up as a stern red flag or required an exorcism. Sure, he had a few aches and pains, but nothing outside of the normal “niggles” that come with the territory of lifting heavy things for a large portion of one’s life.
I did notice with his passive vs. active squat screen that his active ROM was limited (while his passive ROM was pretty darn okay).
Pertinent information. And if you want to know why that’s pertinent information read the article hyperlinked a sentence above this one.
He also noted he had worked with several trainers in the past who, like me, noticed his lack of ROM with his active squat.
Seriously, read the article.
It’ll help.
As a result he was used to being given a laundry list of hip mobility drills in addition to a plethora of aggressive soft tissue “smashes” to perform daily:
A1. Take a 88 lb barbell and roll it over your thighs. Have someone stand on it and jump up and down for added pressure. Doesn’t that feel great!?
A2. Take a lacrosse ball and poke around in your glutes. If you feel nothing, glue on some razor blades to make it more challenging. Splendid!
A3. If neither of those work, go get a chainsaw. RELEASE.
brb
Moreover, Ken was also given poor advice and told to arch his lower back aggressively whenever he squatted because, #powerlifting.
As a result, whenever he hit a certain depth – usually juuuuust as he passed 90 degrees of hip flexion – he’d compensate with more lumbar flexion and exhibit what’s often referred to as “butt wink.”
Photo Credit: GirlsGoneStrong.com
Again, pertinent information.
No wonder his back always hurt when he squatted:
His issue wasn’t a mobility issue, but rather a POSITIONING issue.
Squat cues that work for powerlifters usually don’t work well with non-powerlifters.
Alignment Affects ROM
To be clear: I am not some anti-anterior pelvic tilt lobbyist.
Anterior pelvic tilt is normal.
There’s a natural lordotic curve to the lumbar spine which is accompanied with a slight forward/anterior tilt of the pelvis.
It’s when it becomes excessive – or people are encouraged to seek it out – that it can (not always) elicit negative repercussions.
Ross et al (2014) noted that:
In 3D modeling of pelvic motion from x-rays of test subjects an increase of anterior pelvic tilt of 10 degrees resulted in:
In short: more anterior tilt (may) require more spinal motion during squatting exercises compared to more posterior tilt.
The dotted section(s) to the left represent the acetabulum (or hip socket). As you move down from A to C we lose site of the acetabulum due to increased anterior pelvic tilt. This will incite increased bone on bone contact – or impingement – sooner as we go deeper into a squat.
Now, I am not suggesting we all walk around in more posterior pelvic tilt like a bunch of Ed Grimley wannabes:
However, what I am suggesting is that nudging a little more posterior pelvic tilt so our clients/athletes get out of their aggressive anterior pelvic tilt (and closer to neutral) may be the more appropriate long-term play.
Sure, it may entail “some” releasing of this and “some” mobilizing of that…but not as much as most people think.
Much of the time the more pertinent approach is to have your clients adopt a better bracing strategy in addition to spending more time strengthening the anterior core and glutes (both of which aid in posterior pelvic tilt).
Likewise, I don’t feel cuing people to “arch their lower back” during a squat is beneficial. As pointed out above, increased anterior pelvic tilt resulted in increased impingement of the hip. Once someone runs out of room in his or her’s hips, in order to squat deeper they have to gain ROM elsewhere.
Their soul lower back.
Moreover, the reason many powerlifters adopt a hard arch when they squat is more out of necessity than because it’s better.
They wear gear/squat suits (that require an aggressive arch in order to hit passable depth).
Photo Credit: EliteFTS.com
People who don’t compete, don’t wear squat suits (and “passable” depth is arbitrary and highly individual anyway).
Circling back to Ken (remember him?), all I had him do in our initial session(s) was to appreciate POSITION. I took away the cue to arch his lower back, and instead had him focus more on posteriorly tilting his pelvis to scoot him closer to neutral (which, remember, is STILL an anterior tilted position).
He was able to squat pain free AND was able to squat deeper without “falling” into that butt wink posture.
Today’s guest post comes courtesy of TG.com regular contributor, Travis Hansen.
He shares his approach to core training as well as numerous exercises he uses with his own athlete/clients. I’m willing to bet there’s a number you’ve never seen or tried before.
In the world of core training, there is a vast array of option to choose from and it can be overwhelming perhaps at times to decipher which options are more appropriate for you and your specific training goals.
What’s more, is that there are six sub-categories that absolutely need to be incorporated into your training regime so that you satisfy complete development of your core and all of its specific parts.
Here are the six categories for you:
#1- Prehab/Rehab based drills
#2- Anterior core drills
#3- Lateral/rotational core drills
#4- Posterior chains drills
#5- Explosive core work
#6- Core endurance work
1. Prehab/Rehab
Anytime there is a major weakness in the core there will be both a reduction in the recruitment of specific muscles in the core on outward to the rest of the body.
For example, it has been found that the TVA (Transverse Abdominis) muscle is suppose to be one of the first muscles to fire in the human body upon any movement initiated. This function is concrete enough to warrant a very valuable term/training principle that has been coined its honor.
The term “proximal to distal sequencing” has been adopted by many practitioners in the field on a regular basis, and helps explain how muscles activate inside at our core and then outward to the limbs sequentially. It’s also pretty well understood at this point that individuals with lower back pain tend to present with a timing delay of the TVA muscle which can prose several subsequent problems for you.
As a result, it becomes important that these individuals and even you partake in regular core training to either help remedy a current back issue, or prevent one from emerging in the future. And with 80% plus American who report back pain this issue becomes very urgent.
So in the context of prehab/rehab drills, here is a short list of drills you can include in your program if you aren’t already:
#1- Deadbugs
#2- Plank Progressions<— click to check out some plank progressions that don’t make my corneas bleed.
#3- Quadruped Progressions
2. Anterior Core
The next category on the list involves the development of the anterior core region or everything attached proximally from the lower sternum down all the way to the pubic symphysis. The TVA, Rectus Abdominis, and the external obliques are notable muscles within this sub-system of our anatomy.
This is system is your power pump per se as well, when it comes to core development.
Of course all systems are relevant in locomotion and none should be discounted, however, your individual power potential truly lies in this region along with the posterior chain, since they “co-contract” against one another in the sagittal plane.
If you don’t’ believe this then just witness performances across multiples exercises that are directionally linear dominant in nature versus those that are classified as lateral or rotational based: Squat, Deadlifts, Bench Presses, Jumps, and sprints are going to absolutely trump any shuffle, carioca, hip turn/crossover step, or lateral raise so on and so forth.
There are a few exceptions just like with everything, but overall our species was designed to express more strength and power in an up and down, front to back manner.
Here is a short list of anterior core drills for you:
#1- Reverse Crunches
#2- Stick Crunches
#3- Hanging leg raise progressions
#4- V-ups
#5- Rollouts
3. Lateral/Rotational Drills
The next category carries distinctions, but due to a natural lack of available variation with lateral based core drills, it’s much easier to just merge the two types together into one category.
If you play any sport, whether it be recreationally or what have you, you will need to incorporate lateral/rotational based core exercises into your program. Movements such as throwing, swinging, change of direction, etc. heavily rely on this region of our core anatomy.
Moreover, some of the fibers in the anterior core muscles will possess specific lines of pull that are geared towards rotation, such as the Rectus Abdominis muscle.
That means that by doubling up training to this muscle group and others, you are effectively covering all portions of the fibers within that muscle group and making them more sensitive to contracting in the process.
Some of examples of lateral/rotational based drills are as follow:
#1- Side plank variations
#2- Pallof presses
#3- Russian Twists
#4- Chops and Lifts
#5- Renegade Rows
4. Posterior Chain
The posterior chain has been discussed ad nauseum before just about everywhere on the internet, and it was alluded too briefly earlier, so we wont spend too much time on this one.
The “Deep Longitudinal Sub-System” is the more geeky and technical term for your posterior chain and if you analyze all of the target muscles you will see that it composes a vast majority of gross muscles or more than any other system which implies its extreme value in human movement and the core specifically.
The system begins at the heel then moves up through the shins, continuing up through the hamstrings and glutes, then across the thoracolumbar fascia and then the lumbar erectors, respectively. And if you haven’t heard it enough already, then its worth repeating, that if you aren’t absolutely crushing your posterior chain in the gym your are leaving a lot of strength and power skill in reserve.
Here are some common drills for this type of core training:
#1- Bent Knee Hip Extension Work (glute bridge, slideboard leg curls, stability ball leg curls, GHR’s)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AE3BygMmgzo
#2- Straight Knee Hip Extension Work (Swings, Deadlift variations, pull-through variations, sled sprints)
#3- Lateral/Rotational Hip Work (Jane Fonda’s/hip abductions, clamshells, and bandwalks)
5. Core Power
Core power is next on the list.
As an industry, there would to be more of a focus on promoting power in the lower and upper body regions, with less focus on the middle of the body. Then again, the core is implicated in many of the popular power training methods, like medicine ball throws, jump squats, and swings to name a few.
Truth is it doesn’t matter if you are an athlete who has to change directions frequently, or you’re a lifter or gym junkie whose trying to maximize your strength and power potential or raise your RFD (Rate of Fore Development) to the next level, you have to build high levels of reactivity in your core to initiate, anchor, and even match upper and lower body efforts. Once again you are only as strong as your weakest link.
Here are some core power training exercises:
#1-Standing medicine ball throws
#2- Medicine pullover throws
#3- V-up throws
#4- Rope plank swings
6. Core Endurance
And the final category of exercises is the more slow and higher volume-based approach.
Before we continue though, please understand that considerable research has shown that every possible motion of the lumbar spine is linked to some type of injury.
And if this were the case then we should all act like rigid hot dogs right?
Not a chance.
So what gives?
Well, like most things related to training: injury history, structural variances, program design, age, genetics, nutrition, work capacity, and much more will dictate future outcomes.
Dr. Stuart McGill is one of the best in the world when it comes to spine biomechanics, and he postulated at one time that the spine has an eventual limit to how many times it can bend and extend in a lifetime. Everyone took this information and ran with it. He also understands and appreciates that the rigorous daily demands of an athlete require us to potentially exceed or really challenge thresholds of the spine, so we need to prepare the highly delicate and vulnerable region as best we can.
And it’s inevitable that less than ideal postures and patterns will be produced in training, but managing these potentially threatening scenario’s is the end goal. Also consider that even if someone were to stress the core and spine heavily in their youth, intense activity will eventually decline since this type of activity is inversely related to aging.
As such, it will probably all balance itself out in the end and we shouldn’t worry too much if your training is in order.
With that being said, it’s imperative that you build the work capacity/endurance of your core just like all other muscle groups.
In one study, a timed superman or back extension test that was performed isometrically was useful in treating patients with non-specific lower back pain.
This would make obvious sense since discs have been shown to slightly slip as fatigue emerges in the core.
Endurance training of the local core musculature satisfies this TUT (Time Under Tension) specificity and when progressed properly, may help center the disc more and surrounding structures right where we want them.
Moreover, the core is comprised of a lot of slow twitch muscle fiber which have a tendency to respond better more with longer sets and TUT according to Henneman’s Size Principle.
Last but not least, witness all of the athletes throughout history who regularly performed thousands of crunches over the course of a training cycle with no back issues and stellar performances. How do you explain that one? Maybe there would be a slight link to back health or a lack there of in these instances, but more than likely it’s probably satisfying a psychological compulsion which drives other forces and is important.
Now that you have a compete infrastructure of core training you can effectively design your core training program so that it suits your individual needs and preferences. Just make sure to include all elements of the program. The core is synergistic in nature just like the rest of the body, where one part will fail to match the strength of all the components combined.
Programming Suggestions
I wanted you to go away with some rough parameters on how to program for the various options of core training.
Some methods can be performed in higher quantities and frequencies than others. Again, this is just a general scheme that applies to a majority of clients:
Frequency/Sets/Reps/Rest/Int/Tempo (E-I-C)
#1-Prehab/Rehab based drills 3-5x 4-5 12-24 0-30 sec Mod. 3-1-1
Melbourne, Australia: July 19-21st and Melbourne Strength & Conditioning. (<— Includes bonus “Psych Skills for Fitness Pros” pre-workshop with Dr. Lisa Lewis).
NOTE: The Early Bird rate of $100 OFF the regular price ends THIS WEEKEND (May 5th)
Luke and I did this workshop last summer in London and figured it’s only fair to bring it State side.
Combined we have 30+ years of coaching experience (I.e., one Mike Boyle or Dan John) and this workshop will be two days where we uncover every nook and cranny as it relates to how we assess our clients/athletes and how we best prepare them for the rigors of every day life/sport.
This will be a unique opportunity for people to learn from myself, but especially Luke, who is one of the best and brightest coaches I know. This will be his first time teaching in the States.
For more information and to register you can go HERE.
This is a free self-paced mini-course from Jon Goodman and his team at the Online Trainer Academy. They are the experts who have helped more fitness pros transition to online training than every other company and coach combined.
You will learn:
1. The systems you need to repeatedly generate clients.
2. The marketing know-how to ethically and douchily (<– my word, not their’s) attract the right people.
3. The tools to get high-paying clients.
4. An action plan to make it all happen.
Here’s another compilation article I was part of via T-Nation.com. Some great insights courtesy of coaches such as Lee Boyce, Eric Bach, Nick Tumminello, and others.
That was the message my coach, Greg Robins, relayed to me two weeks ago after our weekly program check in. I had just hit a new squat PR that week and he proceeded to congratulate me on a job well done and then followed suite with his “things are going to get interesting” comment.
My mind swirled.
Like, did “interesting” mean we were going to switch gears and maybe emphasize muscle building over max weight? Did “interesting” mean something sphincter clenching like 5/3/1 or German Volume Training. No, wait, shit, Smolov? Please god, no, not that.
As it turns out, I found out exactly what he meant by interesting when I opened up my Google sheet this past Monday to see what was in store for me this week:
Lifting
a
Metric
Shit
Ton
of
Weight.
I couldn’t help but do a double, nay, triple take when I saw what was on the agenda. I was slated to come close to if not surpass PR’s in the “big 3.”
Squat
Bench Press
Deadlift
I wasn’t expecting that.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a1Y73sPHKxw
I was both excited and defeated.
Excited in that I’m always down to lift heavy things. However, I’d be lying if I said I felt ready. Not to make excuses (even though that’s exactly what I’m going to do), but the weekend prior I was in Philadelphia presenting the (Even More) Complete Shoulder & Hip Blueprint with Dean Somerset.
I always feel like a bag of dicks after presenting for 14 hours between Saturday & Sunday, but that feeling was exponentially compounded due to some hefty travel woes both Dean and I had to deal with making our way to Philly.
My flight was delayed seven hours from Boston on Friday and Dean ended up stranded in Toronto when his flight was cancelled due to inclement weather
Moreover, Dean texted me Saturday morning 90 minutes before our workshop was to begin to say he wasn’t going to be able to get on a flight until the following day which meant it was going to be the Tony Show all day Saturday into Sunday afternoon.
My best bench ever is 315 lbs and it’s been a while since I attempted 300. I was disappointed I missed 290, and felt it prudent to share because, well, you know, everyone uses social media to highlight their wins.
I figured I’d keep it real and showcase a “fail.”
Although my buddy, John Rusin, did a wonderful job at making lemonade out of lemons with this comment:
“This is great for people to see. Not the miss (c’mon mayne!!) but a proper setup utilizing pins the way they were designed for. No horrific bailing, no jeopardized positions, just bar on safeties safely. Nicely done.”
And then today (Thursday) I missed my 605 lb attempt on the deadlift. I hit 585 (kinda-sorta easily) and was supposed to go for 615.
My training partner, Justin, kept it real though. He saw my 585 attempt and when I looked at him and said “what do you think? Should I go for it?”
He encouraged me instead to go for 605 since that would still be a 5 lb PR.
Annnnnnnd, nope.
Goddamit!
Two BIG misses in a week.
Not cool.
A few things to note from this video, though:
1. 0:24s = amazing post-DL fail ups.
2. 0:29s = Tony’s tantrum belt toss.
3. Because I want this to be a somewhat educational post, Justin did point out a great piece of constructive criticism on that particular pull.
If you look real close you’ll notice the bar get away from me a bit; you’ll see the plates roll forward juuuust a smidge as I initiate my pull.
Here, I slowed it down for you:
Full Disclosure: I think I would have missed the lift either way, but it does go to show how meticulous you have with regards to your set-up and execution to hit a big lift.
Nevertheless, I’d like to sit here and chalk up this entire fail of a week to stress, travel, and lack of sleep of late.
If I’m going to be honest with myself, though, I have to call bull to the shit on all that.
You see, I’m just like you dear reader.
There are times where I’m dialed in with my training, sure. But there are also times where I can get a bit complacent and lackadaisical and start to cut corners. I’ll skip my warm-up and there are even times where I don’t work as hard as I know I should be on my accessory work.
Hell, there are even times where I won’t complete all my accessory work.
I’m not perfect nor infallible; and this past week was a stark reminder I need to cut the shit. I need to hold myself more accountable and to DO…THE…WORK.
I want this to be a reminder to some of you reading too, because I know some of you can commiserate. Are you in a bit of a slump or not getting the results you want?
Go to bed. Hydrate. Eat to support you goals. Understand you’re not going to feel like Voltron every day. You’re bound to miss a lift here and there (it shouldn’t be a regular occurrence).
But too, be honest with yourself:
Are you really working as hard as you can in the gym?
Today’s guest post comes courtesy of my wife Dr. Lisa Lewis who, later this summer, will be one of the presenters taking part in the Soul Sista Summit here in Boston the weekend of June 22nd.
As a psychologist, a performance consultant, and a lover of personal evolution and enhancement, I often talk to clients, trainers, coaches, and students about their dreams and their endeavors.
Whether they are personal, professional, or fitness-related…goals shape habits, require focus, motivation, and regulate how we execute all kinds of behavior. Typically, I hear people focus on their “weaknesses” – the barriers to behavior change, the “bad habits” that get in the way of change, the disappointments they feel toward themselves.
This negativity bias is natural.
We are inclined to focus on the negative, and for negative experiences and emotions to weigh more heavily on us than positive ones. Research on negativity bias demonstrates that a significantly higher ratio of positive emotions are required to counter balance negative ones – in other words, we need many, many more compliments than we do criticisms.
We need more pats on the back, and less kicks in the ass.
My clients will naturally beat themselves up, tear themselves down, and be hard on themselves, and have been working hard on those interventions prior to meeting with me. In my years of clinical and performance-enhancement work, I have come to see clearly that I will not add value or help to facilitate change by doubling-down on negative thoughts and feelings, or by centering goals around “weakness.”
Instead, I utilize a strengths-based approach – creating goal-directed action plans around what the client excels at, enjoys, and executes easily.
Because negativity will always creep into our thoughts and color our evaluations in a more intense way than positivity, focusing on strengths and capitalizing on what you do well will correct this imbalance, and allow for a clear, more efficient, and more productive approach to making change and facilitating growth.
Here is an example:
Jeff is 34-year-old investment banker who, when I met him, worked 90+ hours per week, lived alone in his city apartment, and spent Friday night through Sunday morning drinking to excess and using cocaine.
When he first came to see me he had “tried everything” to curtail his drinking and stop his cocaine use.
This included working longer hours, avoiding hard liquor and “only drinking beer” when he would go out out on the weekends, avoiding friends that used cocaine, and carrying around a mountain of guilt and shame wherever he went, because he “deserved it”.
Jeff’s opinion of himself was highly negative, and he explained that he was often “on edge,” irritable and agitated easily, and anxious most of the time. He told me he wanted to “cut the shit” and “grow up.” His approach to addressing the problem had been punitive, and his feelings toward himself and his approach to “fixing” himself were negative.
I proposed a different approach – one that utilized his strengths and would promote feeling good about himself.
As you can imagine, this Type-A, high-achieving client was skeptical. He rolled his eyes at the idea of “positivity” and let me know he had nothing to gain from “going easy on” himself!
But, my persistent, insistent, and consistent collaborative approach focused on negotiating for positivity and strength-building.
In weekly sessions with Jeff, I encouraged adding and then increasing physical activity – something this collegiate athlete had been missing in his professional life. Despite his tendency to focus on negativity, I was persuasive, and eventually, he remembered being strong.
Fast.
Athletic.
I wanted to capitalize on those positive qualities.
First he added two cycling classes on mornings before work, and soon that increased to five days a week. Next, he added boxing a few afternoons, then added in some strength training, and finally a yoga class on the weekend.
The more physically active Jeff was, the better all other aspects of his life.
By adding something he loved (and was good at), other behaviors naturally changed.
He was so exhausted in the evenings that he chose going to bed or watching a movie with a lady-friend over going out to drink and using cocaine. He was so drained from all that physical activity that he felt motivated to improve his nutrition, which also increased his motivation to limit his alcohol use.
He enjoyed improved attention and mental acuity at work, which was noticed by his colleagues, and most importantly, he felt proud, engaged, and “on his game”.
Today, Jeff works a bit less, drinks a lot less, and abstains from cocaine.
He enjoys an even temper, low anxiety, and feelings of confidence and pride.
He is planning to play on a community soccer team this summer, to train for his first boxing match in the fall, and to try the “Whole 30” diet during the upcoming month.
These are goals that Jeff has identified as interesting, meaningful, or just plain fun.
Although they may not look like treatment for substance abuse or anxiety at first glance, pursuing goals that result in positive feelings, behaviors, and self-appraisals led to a decrease in self-destructive behaviors and eradicated a self-reinforcing cycle of negativity.
My advice to you is to adopt a similar approach in pursuit of your goals!
Even though we may not know each other, I assume that, if you are reading this, you are goal-directed, driven, and probably tough on yourself. You have most likely exhausted all possible benefit there may have been from beating yourself up over your “weaknesses.”
What Do You Have to Lose by Trying a Different Approach?
Identify your goal.
Be as specific as possible.
Then, name the strengths and skills that you bring to the table.
They may not seem directly connected in the moment, so think broadly, and then weave those strengths into your action plan. If you love to bake, transfer those skills into preparation for your upcoming triathlon by baking some delicious protein bars.
If you were a dancer or a gymnast as a child, and you miss it, choose a dance-based exercise class to help you get back to regular exercise – don’t stress out about finding the “best” or the “right” workout.
Thank you for reading!
And best of luck in pursuit of your goals. Always remember that you have all of the ingredients you need, they’re inside of you, to make the change you want for yourself. If you want to read more from or about me, please visit my website: drlewisconsulting.com.
Soul Sista Summit
If you are interested in hearing me speak, and learning more about personal growth and a strengths-based approach, register here for the Soul Sista Summit.
This two day women’s only experience is designed for personal growth, and is hosted by Athena Concannon and Lauren Bradley. The summit consists of workshops and workouts, and an exploration into approaches to lifestyle, fitness, and nutrition that facilitate thriving.
At the summit, I provide a 2-hour presentation on using mental skills to enhance motivation, persist in health- and goal-directed goals, and to stop and reframe negative thinking patterns that keep you from your goals. Learn to leverage your strengths and your passion in pursuit of your goals. The Soul Sista Summit is Saturday, June 22nd, and Sunday, June 23rd.
If you are a woman and can make it to Boston this summer, I hope to see you there.
Melbourne, Australia: July 19-21st and Melbourne Strength & Conditioning. (<— Includes bonus “Psych Skills for Fitness Pros” pre-workshop with Dr. Lisa Lewis).
NOTE: The Early Bird rate of $100 OFF the regular price ends on May 15th.
Luke and I did this workshop last summer in London and figured it’s only fair to bring it State side.
Combined we have 30+ years of coaching experience (I.e., one Mike Boyle or Dan John) and this workshop will be two days where we uncover every nook and cranny as it relates to how we assess our clients/athletes and how we best prepare them for the rigors of every day life/sport.
This will be a unique opportunity for people to learn from myself, but especially Luke, who is one of the best and brightest coaches I know. This will be his first time teaching in the States.
For more information and to register you can go HERE.
This is a free self-paced mini-course from Jon Goodman and his team at the Online Trainer Academy. They are the experts who have helped more fitness pros transition to online training than every other company and coach combined.
You will learn:
1. The systems you need to repeatedly generate clients.
2. The marketing know-how to ethically and douchily (<– my word, not their’s) attract the right people.
3. The tools to get high-paying clients.
4. An action plan to make it all happen.
Every night after he eats dinner (when I’m home) Julian and I head out into the hallway to horseplay and to bother our neighbors. Love watching him develop his movement skills in a fun fashion. pic.twitter.com/ukL1cATE2e
The guys who put out the MASS (Monthly Applications in Strength Sports) Research Review – Greg Nuckols, Eric Helms, and Mike Zourdos – are holding a TWO-YEAR anniversary sale (congrats guys!) where all new subscribers save 30% OFF their subscription.
I can attest that this service is the SHIT.
If you’re interested in being a better coach (and saving yourself a TON of time) this is a way to do it.
25 years ago one of my all-time favorite hip-hop songs, Mass Appeal, was released by one of my all-time favorite hip-hop groups, Gang Starr.
Annnnnd, in one of the oddest (or appropriate?) segues I’ve ever attempted, two-years ago one of my favorite research reviews, MASS (Monthly Application in Strength Sport),4 curated every month by Greg Nuckols, Eric Helms, and Mike Zourdos (coaches who actually lift things), came to fruition and saved me from a world of ineptitude.
I’m unabashed in advertising my disdain for reading research.
I hate it.
There are many things I’d rather do than sit down and read an entire research article. Watch NASCAR, stick my finger in an electrical socket, attempt to give my cat a bath, anything.
That’s not to insinuate I don’t feel it’s important or worth my time. A coach (or athlete) who knows and truly understands the latest research has a huge advantage over his or her’s peers and competitors.
I wholeheartedly feel that what separates the average/ho-hum trainers and coaches of the world from the excellent ones is biceps their insatiable desire to not suck and take more pride in their continuing education.
What’s more, as Greg (Nuckols) notes:
“Most people are still quite uninformed about the science behind hypertrophy, strength development, and body composition. We’d never argue that science is inherently better than in-the-trenches experience, but we think science and experience work together much better than having either in isolation.”
What’s more (even morer), trying to keep up with the research on your own is overwhelming.
There’s something in the ballpark of 50-60 journals which publish research that’s relevant to hypertrophy and strength on a regular basis.
Conservatively that’s 1000+ articles per month.
Going through all that and combing all the studies relevant to helping make people bigger, faster, and stronger is time & labor intensive, to say the least.
Personally, the only way you could get me to do that is this:
Which is why I can’t say enough great things about MASS.
It saves you a metric shit load of time5, and it makes you smarter.
2-Year Anniversary Sale
If you’re a coach, physique or strength athlete, or just someone who likes to nerd out and talk about actin/myosin chains at the dinner table this will be right up your alley.
Starting TODAY (Thursday, 4/25) is your chance to take advantage of some BIG markdowns on the service:
$21 monthly subscription (normally $29)
$209 yearly subscription (normally $299)
$699 lifetime subscription (normally $999)
This offer only lasts for a week (5/2).
What Else Subscribers Get
A new PDF issue of MASS every month. Each issue contains s7 articles and access to 2 video presentations.
Mobile friendly versions of every article.
Access to online membership site with back issues.
7 audio roundtable discussions with Greg, Eric, and Mike every month.
Access to the private Facebook Group.
Access to NSCA and NASM CEUs
A movie quality Chewbacca mask
If you’re still on the fence you can check out the goods HEREfor a free sample issue.
Otherwise you can just trust that I have smart friends and excellent taste in the resources I recommend to people and go HERE to subscribe.
A few weeks ago the guys who host the popular Barbell Shrugged Podcast – Anders Varner & Doug Larson – reached out because they were going to be in Boston and were wondering if I had interest coming onto the show?
Anders and Doug showed up at CORE, set up their mics and laptops, handed me a pair of headphones and this is the result…..
None of us have pants on.
Kidding.
It was a treat to be invited onto the show and I think it came out really well. The three of us talk about everything from my start in the fitness industry to my early years writing for T-Nation (and meeting all the O.G’s of the strength & conditioning community) to Cressey Sports Performance to discussing a smorgasbord of coaching topics: training baseball players, adjusting technique to fit one’s anatomy, why most people don’t need to stretch to increase ROM, and how to implement warm-ups into programs.
Before we get to today’s “Exercise You Should Be Doing,” a quick parenting tip:
If or when your two year old wakes up from a nap and says his tummy hurts, and even if he seems in good spirits, don’t assume he’s just hungry (like I did) and then proceed to take him out for ice cream because it’s Easter.
Cause inevitably, what’s going to happen is what happened to me two hours later…..
Who Did I Steal It From? – I honestly can’t remember, but my inclination is to say Chad Rodgers of Show Me Strength.
Or, I don’t know, maybe it was Jesus.
What Does It Do? – Well, before I say anything on that front I should probably show you what the heck it looks like, huh?
Pretty fancy.
I’ve long championed the notion that the single (or 1-Legged) RDL is fairly advanced exercise as it requires a hefty dose of “things” to pay nice together:
– Lumbo pelvic stability
– Core control
– Stable spine
– Balance
– Hip extension
– Lat activation
– Stark’s shaking hands with Lannister’s
Many trainees are unable to perform a traditional single-leg RDL without my corneas resisting the urge to jump out of their sockets, which is why I’m such a stern fan of more “intermediary” variations such as the one that’s highlighted today.
It provides the support/balance many people need, albeit allows an opportunity to load the standing leg making it more or less a “fake 1-legged” version.
Key Coaching Cues: It takes a bit of trial and error and finesse to get the feel down, but one cue that helps a lot is to push the back foot INTO the wall while also pushing BACK with the standing foot.
This way you elicit a bit of a “wedge,” and thus more full-body tension.
From there, simply push the hips back towards the wall. I like to remind people they’re not lowering the weight with their arms, but rather pushing their hips back.
Continue as such until you feel the bulk of the pressure in the hamstring.
NOTE: The other advantage of this exercise is you can go heavier compared to traditional single leg RDL variations.
So, meatheads will love how this torches the hamstrings.
