Categoriescoaching Program Design Strength Training

3 Ways to Improve Your Deadlift Without Deadlifting

For the sake of brevity, this post assumes you can perform a deadlift – trap bar, straight bar, bag of groceries of the ground, person, whatever – without shitting your spine.

If you can’t, go seek out a reputable fitness professional – or Google it1 – to show you how.

Copyright: langstrup / 123RF Stock Photo

Much like if someone wants to get better at writing they should, you know, write, or if they want to get better at not getting laid, they should attend Star Trek conventions…if you want to get better at deadlifitng, you should deadlift.

The more you (purposely) practice something the better you’ll get at it. I understand it’s stating the obvious, but it can’t be repeated enough.

There are many moving parts to executing a pristine deadlift, however, and oftentimes it bodes in our favor to include exercises, drills, and/or movements that compliment the lift or, more germane to the conversation, address a technique flaw or general weakness.

Below are a handful of quick-n-dirty suggestions that may (or may not) apply to you and help increase your deadlift badassery.

1) Deadstart Squats

 

This is one of my favorite deadlift accessory movements for a few reasons:

  • When set up to match your hip position for the deadlift it offers a ton of carryover in terms of both mechanics and musculature targeted.
  • The deadlift is (mostly) a concentric movement. The Deadstart Squat, too, is (mostly) a concentric movement.
  • For people who struggle with keeping their chest up (preventing their upper back from rounding) during the deadlift, this will be a challenge. NOTE: I’d likely revert to a FRONT squat hold for those who really struggle with back position here. Front squat position is also a better option for those who lack the requisite shoulder mobility (external rotation) to perform well. Another great option is using the Safety-squat or Yoke bar.
  • Great option for training power/explosiveness.
  • Because I said so.

As far as sets/reps there are two approaches I like, both of which gravitate more towards the low(er) end of the spectrum.

One (3-5)

Here, reps will stay in the 3-5 (25ish total reps) range using 60-75% of 1RM. A 4-week macro-cycle may look something like this:

Week 1: 5×5 @ 65% 1RM, 90s rest

Week 2: 6×4 @ 70% 1RM, 90s rest

Week 3: 8×3 @ 75% 1RM, 90s rest

Week 4: 3×5 @ 60% 1RM, 90s rest

Idea is to stay tight throughout duration of set. You should always come to a complete stop on the pins, however you shouldn’t relax

Two (Singles)

I love this option as I feel it offers the most carryover to my deadlift.

Because I’m only performing one-rep, I can place a premium on getting as tight as humanly possible and being as explosive AF. In addition I can go a little heavier in weight here (70-85% of 1RM)

A 4-week macrocycle may look something like this:

Week 1: 12×1 @ 70% 1RM, 30s rest

Week 2: 10×1 @ 75% 1RM, 30s rest

Week 3: 8×1 @ 80% 1RM, 60s rest

Week 4: 6×1 @ 85% 1RM, 60s rest

2) RKC Plank

I don’t know about you, but this is what I look like whenever someone brags to me about how (s)he can hold a two-minute plank:

via GIPHY

You might as well be bragging to me about how you can point out the color red or, I don’t know, walk in a straight line.

That’s how many fucks I give about your fucking plank.

Besides, you know and I know if you’re holding a plank that long it (probably) looks like garbage.

NOTE: This is not to insinuate I’m against the plank or find zero value in it.

Au contraire.

Without going too far down the rabbit hole of spinal mechanics, prone (and side) planks (and how long someone can perform them) are a legitimate assessment tool and are staples in terms of low back rehab and performance.

Teaching the RKC Plank offers a quick primer on how to 1) perform the plank right and 2) allow people a window to appreciate what it really feels like to get and maintain full-body tension.

 

The RKC Plank is all about building context.

More specifically it’s about appreciating full-body tension. If someone can’t understand (or feel) what this means while lying on the floor…how in the hell are they going to understand it standing up while attempting to pick up a heavy object off the floor?

Trust me, when done right, 10s will feel like torture.

3) Straight-Arm Band Pulldowns

 

I stole this tip from Dr. John Rusin when I was giving his Functional Hypertrophy Training program a test-drive last year.

For the Record: it’s an awesome program.

The idea is pretty simple (and effective).

Prior to each set of deadlifts you perform a set of 5-10 repetitions of band pulldowns (holding each rep for a 3-5s count).2

This serves a few functions:

  • It allows the trainee to prime or feel his or her’s lats firing. Setting your lats (and subsequently posteriorly tilting your scapulae) as part of your DL set-up will help with leverages and moment arms getting you closer to the barbell. Greg Nuckols does a fantastic job at explaining things more thoroughly and nerdely HERE.
  • Offhandedly, it also helps with anterior core engagement, which in turn aids with rib position. Less rib flare = less lumbar extension = more stable position to lift a metric shit-ton of weight.

Closing Thoughts

None of the above are revolutionary ideas or are going to win be any fitness writing Pulitzers. However, they are exercises/drills I use myself (and with my own clients/athletes) and have found they provide a lot of benefit.

Give them a try yourself and let me know your thoughts/experiences.

CategoriesFemale Training

Strength Training, Pregnancy, and Motherhood

My wife gave birth to our son, Julian, seven months ago. She continued to strength train during her pregnancy and has continued to do so since.

During that time she, along with every other woman who has gone through the joyous albeit intricate and painstakingly “what the **** did we do?” reality check that is having a baby, had to sort out her own unique levels of anxiety, trepidation, and circumstances when it came to exercise.

Below she discusses her experience and sheds light on some common themes many women juggle with and are curious about during their pregnancies.

[ALSO: Lisa is one of 16 contributors to the Pre-and Postnatal Coaching Certification…the new certification course offered by Girls Gone Strong. Today, and for a limited time only, you can register to join the PRE-SALE list and save $200 once it becomes available. It’s really, really good.

It’s not lost on my I’m a little biased, but if you’re a fitness professional and you work with women – which is all of you – then I’d highly recommend giving this a look.]

Copyright: wavebreakmediamicro / 123RF Stock Photo

 

Strength Training, Pregnancy, and Motherhood

As a lifelong athlete and strength training enthusiast, I looked forward to the changes and challenges that training throughout pregnancy would present. I had not heard or read about what training was like for other pregnant women, so I was not sure what to expect from myself.

Fortunately, I have been strength training in one way or another since high school, and working with a world-renowned strength coach for the last eight years – so I felt confident about taking good care of my body and modifying strength training as needed.

(Disclaimer: for those readers who may not know, my strength coach is also my husband, and my husband also happens to be the person who’s site you’re reading right now…Tony Gentilcore).

I am happy to report that, overall, pregnancy agreed with me.

I was able to continue my habit of strength training four days a week at 5:30am, and teaching indoor cycling classes on weekends.

In hindsight, the most important factor that contributed to my strength training throughout pregnancy was having a supportive, flexible, competent strength coach. Although at times I could logically understand the importance of listening to my body when it needed a rest, and staying in bed instead of training when I felt exhausted, sometimes that didn’t feel like the right thing, in the moment.

First Trimester

I needed to dial back training the most during the first trimester, due to feeling exhausted and nauseous.

Note From TG: Here’s a video of Lisa during her 1st trimester performing an “easy” movement day at BU which consisted of some change of direction work and “tempo” (70% effort) sprints.

As I write this, it sounds perfectly reasonable! But at the time I wondered if I was being lazy, thinking to myself, “I’m not even that pregnant yet!”

Being able to communicate with my trainer about how I was feeling helped me to take days off when I really did need it. And that helped me to keep going. I never injured myself, I always felt that my training was supporting my body and my pregnancy, and I consistently felt enthusiastic about training, because I wasn’t dragging myself there when I felt wiped out or sick.

Second Trimester

When I “made it” to the second trimester, I felt significantly better – the sickness went away as well as the fatigue.

Although I thought I could continue to train just as I had before I was pregnant, it felt much different at the gym. I could still exert myself to the same intensity, but I needed modifications on exercises that required lying prone, or on my back.

In addition, my balance was a little off, and I was more clumsy than usual. My trainer was always right on top of this. Thanks to us working closely together, I stayed consistent with training, strong at the gym, and safe with modifications to my favorite lifts and exercises.

NOTE: To coincide with the release of The Pre-and Postnatal Coaching Certification, Girls Gone Strong has also released a few FREE reports. One of which delves into body confidence and the bevy of changes, emotions, and anxiety women often must cope with pre and post pregnancy.

The Get Your Body Confidence Blueprint can be downloaded by going HERE.

Band Assisted Chin-Up (w/ Natural Progressive Overload)

Preggo Friendly Hip Thrusts

Preggo-Friendly hip thrusts!! Feels awesome after a day of sitting.

A post shared by Lisa Lewis (@lilew13) on

Third Trimester

I continued feeling pretty fabulous throughout the third trimester, and trained all the way to the day I went into labor. I was a little more tired and slow-moving, but it felt great to strength train. My trainer and I spoke about how I felt and how work outs were going on an almost daily basis, and it was reassuring to know that I would go into labor about as fit as I could possibly be!

Lisa will be 35 weeks pregnant tomorrow. Forget the idea that we’re quickly approaching the “shit is now getting real” window and that I’m equal parts excited and trying not to destroy the back of pants. How cool is it that Lisa’s still getting after it in the gym? Strength training through pregnancy can be a tricky thing and I always default to how the woman feels and whether or not anything makes her feel weird. Prior experience plays a key role here. In Lisa’s case: 20+ years of strength training prior (and the load used in this video – 155 lbs – is no where near her 1RM). All that said I do find there’s still a lot of stigma with training through pregnancy and unfortunately many women are told to stop lifting weights. Of course no pregnancy is the same, but assuming one is healthy and has experience there’s no reason not to keep up with it. Modifications need to be addressed as a woman progresses (in the case of the video above we elevated the trap bar, even with high handle setting, to accommodate for her belly), but we need to do a better job at relaying the message that pregnancy is NOT a disease and doesn’t mean you have to be relegated to the elliptical and pink dumbbells.

A post shared by Tony Gentilcore (@tonygentilcore) on

Note From TG: During her entire pregnancy Lisa was also performing a litany of positional breathing (diaphragm) drills, core stability drills (birddogs, deadbugs), as well as single-leg work and pelvic stability drills (clam shells, etc).

It’s just, you know, those aren’t nearly as exciting to post on social media as deadlifts…;o)

HOWEVER, I’d argue these drills were more important and integral to her recovery (and ability to bounce back postpartum) than the more traditional strength & conditioning exercises.

Check out THIS free resource from Girls Gone Strong titled “Exercises Your Clients Should Do and Avoid During Pregnancy” for a more detailed look into the types of exercises Lisa performed.

“Go” Time & Beyond

Luckily, I had a straightforward labor and delivery, with no complications.

Although I was dying to get back to the gym and continue training as soon as possible, my body had other goals in mind!

I had mistakenly thought training through pregnancy would be the challenging part – so I was frustrated to realize that I needed much more time and patience after giving birth than I did before, with regard to my training.

Once again, I was fortunate to have a competent and compassionate strength coach, who reminded me to rest as much as possible, be patient and gentle with my body, and remember that there would be plenty of time to get after it in the gym. Even though I understood this logically, I needed the emotional support and reminders about the time it takes to recover.

First Postpartum Workout (Curls, Obviously)

Lisa’s first post-baby workout. BOOM.

A post shared by Tony Gentilcore (@tonygentilcore) on

In addition, I needed to communicate clearly and regularly about how I was feeling, and how different exercises made me feel.

Oppositely, there were some movements and exercises that felt fabulous. For example, my bench press felt great, and I really enjoyed pushing myself on that exercise. The combination of being aware of my body and communicating with my trainer helped me to enjoy the lifts that felt good, avoid the exercises that I wasn’t ready for, and maximize the little bits of time I had at the gym.

Bench Press Badassery

Thanks to the ongoing support of my trainer, regular clear, honest communication about how I was feeling, and sleep training for our little one, I am happy to report that I am training regularly and feeling good.

Tired – but good.

Family selfie at the airport. Complete with baby throw up on my shoulder. Off to D.C. to visit friends.

A post shared by Tony Gentilcore (@tonygentilcore) on

Instead of focusing on my body weight or “getting back” to my weight pre-pregnancy, I’ve been focusing on how I feel, mobility, stability, and strength. These foci have been much more enjoyable, and I believe have helped me to feel as healthy as I currently do!

Closing Thoughts

I realize not all women have the benefit of having a world-renowned strength coach, who also happens to be her husband.

But I do write this post to emphasize how important it was for me to work with a coach who was competent in pre and post natal training, and who understood the importance of constant communication, modification, and flexibility with my training.

I believe that the psychological and communication skills a personal trainer or strength coach has is just as important as his or her knowledge of kinesiology and exercise science. Yes, I needed to know which exercises to avoid and which ones to modify, but much more importantly, I needed someone to encourage me to listen to my body, take time to rest whenever it felt best, and most of all, to be patient.

Become a Certified Pre-and Postnatal Coach

Starting today (9/5), and only lasting for a very short while, you can sign up to be placed on the pre-sale list for the CPPC.

Click HERE to sign up!

Putting your name on the pre-sale list does not mean you are obligated to purchase the cert– but it provides the opportunity to purchase the CPPC at a $200 discount. If you’re a fitness professional who works with women – and I’m 100% certain you do – this resource will undoubtedly make you a better coach and well more prepared to deal with the unique demands and intricacies of the pre and postnatal client.

—> Who Doesn’t Want to Save $200? <—

Categoriespodcast

Breaking Muscle Podcast: Deadlifts, F-Bombs, and Authentic Weirdness

I hope everyone is enjoying their Labor Day weekend, and more specifically their Labor Day. I’m taking it easy today hanging with the family and catching up on life: Trader Joe’s, laundry, and Mystery Science Theater 3000 on Netflix.

It’s amazing.

I wanted to share with you a recent podcast I recorded on Breaking Muscle.

Copyright: dr911 / 123RF Stock Photo

Deadlifts, F-Bombs, and Authentic Weirdness

If you’re enjoying the holiday and are at the beach with headphones or have the worst boss ever and you’re stuck at work and want to pass the time/try not to whack him (or her) ever the head with a stapler…give this a listen.

CategoriesStuff to Read While You're Pretending to Work

Stuff To Read While You’re Pretending To Work: 9/1/17

Wow, I can’t believe we’re in the ‘bers’ already.

It’s September 1st and, right on cue, it’s a bit cold this morning in New England. I’m wearing sweatpants as I type this and am half temped to go grab a skullie (hat) out of the closet.

Alright, I don’t want to be one of those people that moans and groans about the weather on a blog. That’s the worst. Enjoy your Labor Day weekend everyone. See you next week.

Copyright: wamsler / 123RF Stock Photo

CHECK THIS STUFF OUT FIRST

1) Complete Shoulder & Hip Blueprint – Orlando

There’s only a few weeks left to take advantage of the Early Bird rate for Dean Somerset and I’s workshop in Orlando, at Spark Fitness, the weekend of October 21st.

You can go HERE for more details and to sign up.

HEADS UP: We’ve also added Boston into the mix later this year. Not Burlington Boston or Beverly Boston, two cities that are lovely, albeit not (that) close to Boston.

No, this is IN Boston. In the heart of the city Boston, at AMP Fitness.

Early bird rate is in effect now and if you’re super eager to sign-up you can go HERE.

 

2) Elite Fitness & Performance Summit – Chicago

 

I’ll be in Chicago this September alongside some other phenomenal speakers for the Elite Fitness & Performance Summit. The cast includes:

  • Nick Tumminello
  • Mark Fisher (if I have to follow him on stage I’m going to be pissed)
  • Josh Henkin
  • Nick Berry
  • Molly Galbraith
  • Krista Scott-Dixon
  • Ryan Ketchum

And many, many more.  It’s one of the most action-packed fitness events of the year, so be sure to reserve your seat ASAP. You can go HERE to do so.

4) Workout With the Pedestal Footwear Guys

Last week both guys from Pedestal Footwear – Mike and Brendan (Mike actually trains with me every week) – made a cameo a CORE to film some videos for their site. I also took them through a pretty sick full-body workout. You can check it out HERE.

5) I’m, Like, Everywhere

HERE’s an article I contributed to over at STACK on core training for athletes.

And there’s THIS doozy where 5 coaches (myself included) were asked what their favorite Landmine exercises were.

HERE’s a cool article over on MensHealth.com I was quoted in on how a man lost 213 lbs without stepping foot in a gym. I know many people will get caught up on the the number and modality, however the LARGER take-home point is his unrelenting CONSISTENCY.

And lastly, here’s a recent video interview I recorded with Adam Rees from GRIT Gym.

Stuff To Read

Nutrition Is Not a Belief System – Dan Garner

The opening paragraph says it all:

“Nutrition is often seen as a belief system. In other words, the answer to “What should I eat?” is often based on faith, magical thinking, emotional attachments, and/or what feels “truthy”, rather than on real evidence or the scientific method. Until we fix this, nutrition will get more confusing, not less.”

The Best Way To Build Your Butt – T-Nation

The editors at T-Nation asked several coaches (me included) what’s the best way to build badonkadonks?

Here’s what we all said.

Tramp stamp not included.

Should You Work On Your Strengths Or Weaknesses – Mark Fisher

It’s a debate that seemingly never ends.

Should we focus on our strengths? Or spend more time fixing the weak links?

I can think of no one better to listen to on the topic than Mark Fisher. Excellent stuff.

Social Media Shenanigans

Twitter

Instagram

“It has to suck a little bit.”

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CategoriesProgram Design Strength Training

How To Get Strong in 2-3 Days a Week

I have a 7-month old here at home and to say that my day-to-day routine – wake up, casual breakfast, peruse the internet, take a pic of my cat, do a little writing, go lift heavy things, go coach, come home, eat dinner, watch Forensic Files3, repeat – that I like(d) very much and grew accustomed to over the years has been interrupted would be an understatement.

Now my world revolves around diaper changes, eating & sleep schedules, and subconsciously rocking back and forth while standing in place (oddly, many times despite not holding a baby).

I’ve still made my training a priority, though.

xCopyright: improvisor / 123RF Stock Photo

Sure I may bitch and whine about having to be more on-point and expeditious with my training – gone are the two hour bro-sessions – and also be more steadfastly aware that my ability to recover has been compromised (again, gone are the two hour bro-sessions), but it’s all good.

In the grand scheme of things I have little to complain about.

Julian is growing, happy, healthy, and already has his sights on the 2040 Olympics.4

My kid’s cute and stuff and I’d love to talk about him more, but lets get back to topic of training.

The peeps over at BodyBuilding.com knew I had become a Dad recently and asked if I’d be willing to drum up a quick-n-dirty program not necessarily directed towards new parents per se, but more so for people who are busy and don’t have copious amounts of time to get their diesel on.

I was happy to oblige and this is what I came up with.

—> How To Get Strong In 2-3 Days a Week <—

Categoriescoaching fitness business Motivational

3 Tips For Personal Trainer Personal Development

Today’s guest post comes courtesy of good friend and Jedi strength coach, Todd Bumgardner. Many don’t know this, but Todd was one of the people who encouraged me most when I was thinking about leaving Cressey Sports Performance and going off on my own.

He’s a no-bullshitter and someone who tells it like it is. There’s a reason why 100+ fitness professionals trust him and the other coaches of The Strength Faction to help separate themselves from the masses; to get their shit together.

It’s because of articles like the one he’s sharing today.

Copyright: gajus / 123RF Stock Photo

3 Tips For Personal Trainer Personal Development

As personal trainers, we’re like de facto members of the personal development industry. God, it feels weird to say that it’s an industry…almost spewing sacrilege. But it’s a reality. We spend a lot of time, and money, on personal development—and we really should. It’s worth it—it’s the sole reason Chris Merritt, Mike Connelly, and I run Strength Faction.

Commitment to personal, and professional, development has set all of our lives on an upward trajectory, and we want to help as many fellow fitness folks hit that same upward spiral.

I’m sure that you want the same thing for yourself and for your clients—a gradual ascension that carries everyone forward. Well, here’s some pretty goddamn obvious thinking: you can’t help your clients ascend unless you’re committed to the process. It’s a long game, and it’s worth playing. Here are a few tips we’ve found helpful for staying in the game and moving toward the goal line.

1) Realize That It’s Important

Let’s start here.

We love the X’s and O’s of our profession. We want the answer when someone asks us how many sets we should be doing for hypertrophy (there is no real answer, by the way), and we love being able to pontificate with each other on the virtues and vices of a given energy systems development strategy—when in reality ninety percent of our clients wouldn’t be affectively able to use it.

Professional development is important, so please, don’t take that as a slight.

We have to be good at what we do, and we have to get results for our people. But most of our impact, and our money, is made by being a human that’s worth being around. Granted, we all start with different raw materials—some folks have natural propensities for human connection, others have a difficult time. Some, yet, are born assholes and have to learn how to be someone worth being around. I mostly fall into the latter category.

Aw, come on: does this look like the face (or body) of an asshole?

In the context of our careers, personal development is the scaffolding that allows us to display our professional development.

Being a growth-centered human being gives people cause to feel attracted to us—people like people headed in the right direction. It also gives us the chance to actually connect with the people that want our help. The New Zealand All Blacks live by the value that “better people make better All Blacks.” The same is true for personal trainers.

Beyond the toil of our work, personal development, in my limited understanding of life, is what we’re here to do. By the time the casket closes and the loved ones that we leave behind say their goodbyes, we should be the best possible thing that we could evolve into. I believe that’s the most important thing in the world.

2) Decide What You Value

“I really need help with time management. I’m not always sure what I should be doing, and I waste a lot of time. I feel like I never get done all of the things I should get done.”

The quotation is a conglomeration of three common statements I hear on coaching calls. Most folks feel like they need to do a better job managing their time—and they’re not wrong. But I don’t think the main problem is time management, it’s value management.

It’s tough to use time wisely if we don’t know what our aim is, what’s most important to us, where we’re trying to go.

I think we just try to be busy because it seems like everyone else is busy and that’s what we’re supposed to do. It’s the illusion of hustle perpetuated by guys that are really good at marketing on social media. They convince us that if we “grind” and follow their lead, we’ll get all the shit we want.

It’s circular, empty promise.

But it does lead us back to the starting line, the initial question: what do you want, and what do you value above all else?


Having the answer to that two-part question will give you the best insight into how you should manage your time.

Personally, I value human development for development’s sake above all else, so I don’t mind busying myself with it. But it also helps me order how I should spend my time each morning, each afternoon, and each evening.

It decides who, and what, get my time, and most importantly, my attention.

You don’t, however, have to hustle and grind if that’s not what you value—fuck the Jones’. If you value living in rural America and raising chickens, figure out how to do more of that.

If you feel aimless with your time, work through what you value you most. That will give you your aim. Then, when you have an aim to develop yourself toward, you’ll be better able to manage your time doing the little things that take you closer to that aim.

3) Just Have Good Friends (Forget About Your Goddamn Network for a Minute)

Psychological safety, unbridled truth—it’s a concept we use to guide our actions as leaders at our gym and as leaders of Strength Faction. What it means is we create a consistent, supportive environment that allows people to be themselves and feel like they are safe. Once this happens, people usually open up enough to hear the truth—from themselves and from other people. But the environment has to exist first.

That’s what a good friendship is—an environment where you feel heard and understood enough to let people tell you the truth.

And a good friend will tell you the truth, not just pat your ass and tell you that you’re special.

They’ll unconditionally show you that they love you while also holding up a mirror so you can look at yourself, recognize your faults, and do something about them. That’s the community we’ve created in Strength Faction. Our members have become friends. They look out for each other. They support each other.

And they tell each other the truth.

Here’s an example from the Summer ’17 Faction.

One member posted a poll to gather strength coach’s opinions on yoga.

At the end of the questionnaire she included a question that quite a few members thought was off-putting and unnecessary—so they told her about it.

She, then, engaged them in dialogue and explained herself.

The conversation went on, and everyone expressed their opinions, their truths, without attack. They stayed in dialogue. They were friends…even though many of them had never met other than in our private Facebook group and on our weekly ZOOM calls.

That’s what a web of friends does for your development. There’s not a lot of talk about that in our industry. Mostly the conversation centers on expanding our networks.

Don’t get me wrong, that’s important. But if you want to develop, networks need to evolve into friendships, or sometimes you have to prioritize friends over networking. Each needs to exist, but a web of friends in a community that’s moving in a good direction will do more for your life, and development, than an expansive, superficial network.

Personal Trainer, Personal Development

It’s a long game, folks. But when we commit to ourselves, and the process of personally developing over the long haul, this strange thing happens—things get better. Make some time for personal development, prioritize based on values, and make sure you have the right people around you. You’ll keep inching toward the goal line.

Enrollment for the Fall ’17 Strength Faction is currently open!

If you dig learning more, or enrolling, check out the link below.

—> Fall ’17 Strength Faction Enrollment <—

CategoriesStuff to Read While You're Pretending to Work

Stuff to Read While You’re Pretending to Work: 8/25/17

I have to go to a wedding this weekend. In Albany, NY.

Can you sense my excitement?

I can think of a thousand and one other things I’d rather do: watch paint dry, talk about my feelings, jump into a shark’s mouth, anything.

I’ve still got some packing to do and other odds and ends to complete today so lets jump into this week’s list.

Copyright: wamsler / 123RF Stock Photo

CHECK THIS STUFF OUT FIRST

1) Complete Shoulder & Hip Blueprint – Orlando

There’s only less than two weeks left to take advantage of the Early Bird rate for Dean Somerset and I’s workshop in Orlando, at Spark Fitness, the weekend of October 21st.

I’ve never been to Orlando. I bet it’s going to be beautiful in October. Yet, there’s no way in hell I’m visiting Disney World.5

You can go HERE for more details and to sign up.

HEADS UP: We’ve also added Boston into the mix later this year. Not Burlington Boston or Beverly Boston, two cities that are lovely, albeit not (that) close to Boston.

No, this is IN Boston. In the heart of the city Boston, at AMP Fitness.

Early bird rate is in effect now and if you’re super eager to sign-up you can go HERE.

2) Strong Body-Strong Mind – Toronto

For real this time.

This was supposed to happen this past June, but Lisa and I didn’t have a passport for our little guy (then four months old) when we arrived at the airport and we had to cancel last minute.

Our bad.

We’ve re-scheduled for Saturday, September 23rd at Humber College in Toronto, Ontario. I can tell you – and I’m totally not biased when I say this (but I am) – there’s no other workshop like this in the fitness industry.

Lisa and I saw an underserved component within the industry – namely, mental skills – and we’ve combined our superpowers skill-sets to provide a 1-day curriculum that will help fitness professionals develop better skills to build competency, autonomy, and rapport with their clients, in addition to coaching skills (assessment, program design, exercise technique).

You can go HERE to register.

NOTE: the registration process is a little bit tricky and if you get to the point where you feel like you’re going to toss your face into the keyboard, please contact Bradley Corcoran at: [email protected]

Hope to see you there.

3) Elite Fitness & Performance Summit – Chicago

 

I’ll be in Chicago this September alongside some other phenomenal speakers for the Elite Fitness & Performance Summit. The cast includes:

  • Nick Tumminello
  • Mark Fisher (if I have to follow him on stage I’m going to be pissed)
  • Josh Henkin
  • Nick Berry
  • Molly Galbraith
  • Krista Scott-Dixon
  • Ryan Ketchum

And many, many more.  It’s one of the most action-packed fitness events of the year, so be sure to reserve your seat ASAP. You can go HERE to do so.

Stuff to Read

The Best Damn Workout Plan for Natural Lifters – Christian Thibaudeau

Awesome stuff from Coach Thibs.

I’ve had a few of my male clients implement this program and they love it.

It’s Time to Let Your Asshat Friends Go – Louie Guarino

For starters: kudos to Louie for using the word “asshat” in the title.

Second: many, MANY of you reading with fat loss goals can and will commiserate with this article.

F*** Exercise, Try This Instead – Krista Scott-Dixon

Fun Tony factoid: Stumptuous.com (Krista’s site) was one of the first fitness blogs I ever started reading. It’s also where the seeds were planted on this whole idea of infotainment and how I got into writing myself.

She’s an amazing writer and very knowledgable coach. And she swears. She’s good people.

Social Media Shenanigans

Twitter

Instagram

Categoriesbusiness

On Running a Fitness Business: Part 2

Last week I commandeered a Facebook post on fitness business shenanigans from friend, and fellow gym owner, Mike Perry.6

I took his original, bulleted-point list and added my own two cents to each one. You can check out points 1-10 HERE.

Today I want to highlight points 11-20.

Copyright: tankist276 / 123RF Stock Photo

On Running a Fitness Business: Part 2

11. Community is everything.

TG: Mike Boyle has a famous quote that I’ve heard repeated time and time again:

“No one cares how much you know, till they know how much you care.”

I think it’s fucking pimp-level status that you know all 17 muscles that attach to the scapulae, have taken all 417 PRI courses, and can work Dan Duchaine quotes into casual conversation on gluceoneogenesis.

You’re a fitness nerd superstar and we should go practice karate in the garage together.

 

However, it’s likely the bulk of your clients could give two flying fucktoids about the scapulae, breathing patterns, and/or the Kreb’s Cycle.

All most really care about is that 1) you help them get results and 2) you’re cool to hang out with and not a pretentious, uppity a-hole.

Community is huge. People want to be amongst their people. Why do you think CrossFit is so successful? It isn’t the kipping pull-ups – my god, it’s not the kipping pull-ups – I’ll tell you that much.

It’s the immense sense of community and being surrounded by other like-minded individuals that makes all the difference in the world.

This doesn’t always have to be attached to fitness either. I know some gyms where staff or even members organize a book or movie club, where people get together every so often to discuss prose or film.

Organizing day-trips is another fantastic way to build community.

Legacy Strength in Floral Park, NY will organize hiking trips outside the city or other “active” activities for their members. The peeps at Mark Fisher Fitness champion community service, which is amazing.

Dan John stresses “intentional community” where people come in to train, as a group, for free (and to have fun).

There are endless ways to build your community. Be creative. Pants optional.

12. Get everything in writing and NO special deals!!

TG: This is the face I make whenever I inform someone what my prices are at CORE and they shoot back with:

“Ah, I see. Well, do you offer any discounts or maybe a free trial session or something?”

Well first I reply with:

“Hahahahahahahahahahahahaahahahahahahahahahahaahahahahahahahahahaha. That’s precious.”

And then I do this:

via GIPHY

HERE’s a post a wrote not too long ago on why I don’t offer discounted rates or free sessions.

Unless your name is Matt Damon or Rambo (or you have a time machine and can bring back early 90’s Mariah Carey) I’m probably not going to cut you a deal.

You wouldn’t ask a dentist or lawyer for a “free trial run,” so don’t ask me.

13. Get used to working mornings and evenings. The middle of the day is for eating, training, errands and social media.

TG: Or, if you’re stuck as Daddy Day Care…watching The Price Is Right.

It’s a delight.

In all seriousness, I’d also toss in continuing education here: catching up on blogs, articles, research reviews, and, okay, The Defenders.

DON’T JUDGE ME.

14. Keep your gym clean.

TG: My wife and I like to go out to dinner on Saturday nights. Thankfully we live in a great “foodie” city – Boston – which offers an infinite selection of restaurants to visit and try out.

One of the things I’ll judge a place on is the cleanliness of their restrooms. If they can’t bother to keep that area clean, what’s the likelihood the kitchen isn’t covered in Ebola?

Take pride in your space. While I’ll be the first to admit you shouldn’t judge a book by it’s cover, you can be damn sure people are judging you on the cleanliness of your gym.

NOTE: the only exception here are legit powerlifting gyms. I don’t have any Pub-Med studies to back this up, but I’m pretty sure the grungier the gym – and the more tetanus shots required to touch the barbells – the stronger the people are.

15. Word of mouth is often times the best marketing.

TG: Your clients are almost always going to be your best source of marketing.

I mean, if you think about it it makes sense. What’s likely to be more effective at driving more traffic to your gym: a random Facebook Ad that looks and sounds just like every other Facebook Ad? Or the honest endorsement from a spouse, friend, or colleague?

Here are two pieces of advice when it comes to word of mouth marketing:

  1. Don’t be afraid to ask your clients to help spread the word. Ask them to share posts on Facebook. Ask them to refer people your way. It’s likely they’re more than willing to do so.
  2. Reward them for it. I give all clients a 20% discount on their next package if they refer someone to me and that individual ends up purchasing a package him or herself.

16. Your family is more important than your business. It’s very easy to overlook this.

TG: Since January 31st of this past year – when our son Julian was born – this has never slapped me in the face more.

The past seven months have not been rainbows and butterfly kisses. It’s been a crash course on clusterfuckery, time management, and perseverance.

The introvert in me may gripe on the loss of alone time and the universal frustrations that come with being a new parent – sleep deprivation, blowouts, and more blowouts.

However, now that I’m “in it,” how can I look at that cute little munchkin face and stay mad? His adorableness is off the charts and it’s been such a treat to have the daddy-Julian time with him in the mornings.

The “family before business” mantra is a crucial piece of advice I hope never gets lost on me.

17. Networking is huge. Find good people to work with.

TG: I have been so fortunate in my career to be surrounded by such studs and studettes. That and I am just a very cool person to hang out with. 

Going out of your way to reach out to other coaches and health/fitness professionals in your area – physical therapists, massage therapists, physicians, dietitians – is one of the best business decisions you can partake in.

Make appointments to go shadow or observe other people, follow suit with a “thank you” note, and I can almost guarantee you’ll get some referrals out of it.

This is the actual “thank you” card I send people. 

18. You need a ” business person “

TG: This x a bazillion-gazillion “Mmmm hmmm’s.”

One of the aspects that made Cressey Sports Performance so successful at it’s infancy was the fact Pete Dupuis was on board to do all the “businessy” stuff – track sessions, bookkeeping, collecting payments, payroll, taking phone calls & answering emails – which then allowed Eric and I to do what what we did best: assessments, write programs, coach, and argue over who had control of the stereo.

Even if you hired someone as a business consultant to help you set up better systems and organize ways to be more efficient, someone you spoke to weekly or even on a monthly basis, even that, would be money well spent.

19. Less selfies, more emphasis on your clients.

It’s NOT about you. It’s never about you. Stop being douchey.

20. Coffee

TG: Spike.

CategoriesExercises You Should Be Doing

Exercises You Should Be Doing: Offset Shouldering Squat

I’m not someone who feels everyone needs to squat with a barbell on his or her’s back. I kinda lose a lot of respect for those coaches who have a knack for putting their ego and bravado a head of individual variances in anatomy, ability/skill level, injury history, not to mention goals.

Call me old-fashioned but I’d rather STFU and listen to my client/athlete’s preferences and what feels best to them (and what will breed immediate success) than to force my ideologies and way of doing things into their mix….and then expect they’re going to apply to every…single…individual I work with.

They’re not.

Copyright: rawpixel / 123RF Stock Photo

 

That being said I’m still very much a fan of squatting. And yes, a fair portion of my clientele do back squat.

However, a fair portion do not.

And that’s cool.

The world will continue to spin.

There are numerous ways I can have people squat that will take into account the premise of minimal load/maximal training effect. For long-term, consistent progress the idea is to load people juuuuust enough that they nudge the body to adapt, but also take into account it’s ability to recover.

NOTE: Just so the internet doesn’t have a conniption or shit a copy Supertraining, I want to reiterate that I do like traditional barbell squatting (back and front squat) as well as any speciality bar variation that suits your fancy – SSB squat, GCB squat Duffalo bar squat – and feel all should be considered the first “tier” if the goal is to add mass or get stronger.

That said, we don’t always have to crush people. And, to be honest, the more “joint-sparring” modalities I can incorporate or pepper in the better.

Offset Shouldering Squat

 

Who Did I Steal It From? – Aw, snap. I can’t recall. One of my female clients showed this variation to me off of someone’s Instagram account that she follows.

It wasn’t God. It wasn’t John Cena.

Man, I can’t remember.

Sorry whoever I “stole” this from.

What Does It Do? – This variation is a close cousin to the traditional Landmine Goblet Squat – where the barbell is held at chest height right against the sternum. What’s makes that such a nice iteration is that the bar path is somewhat (not completely) fixed which makes the movement easier to control and groove.

In addition, the Landmine Goblet Squat helps reinforce the “chest up” cue and more or less organically teaches people to sit “into” a proper squat position.

By moving the barbell to one shoulder or the other – in an offset position – we now add a significant rotary stability component to the movement.

In other words: your core stability will be like “whaaaaaaaat?”

Key Coaching Cues: You don’t have to use one, but I like to place a squat or hip thrust pad on the end of the barbell so that it can rest on the shoulder without any major discomfort. The idea is to let the barbell rest in place – don’t actively hold it there.

And then, you know, squat.

Like I said, the advantage of using the Landmine is that the bar path is pretty much set. There isn’t much thinking involved and the squat will come instinctively to most.

I’ve been having my clients perform 5-6 repetitions PER SIDE trying to emphasize being explosive with each one. I’ll also add these would probably be best served as a nice accessory squat movement to the traditional back or front squat.

Give it a try and let me know what you think.

Categoriespsychology

The Opportunity Costs of Healthy Living

Today’s guest post from regular contributor, Justin Kompf, discusses a phenomenon everyone deals with on a daily basis: opportunity costs.

For example, the opportunity cost of me posting pictures of my cat in different outfits everyday is that I don’t get invited to public gatherings all too often.7

In the health & fitness realm we battle opportunity costs all the time. It drives why we may hit up the pizza buffet rather than make an omelet, or why we’d choose to go exercise over going out drinking with our friends. Opportunity costs very much play a role in our ability to make healthy decisions and differ person to person.

I hope today’s post helps shed some light on a very important and relevant topic.

Copyright: christianchan / 123RF Stock Photo

 

In college, I had a roommate who would tag along with me to the grocery store. He had this habit of always performing the mental arithmetic to determine how much chicken he could get for the price of any one item.

“Hmm this bacon is $6.00 but I could get 2.5 pounds of chicken for the same price.”

“Well, I like steak but I could get double the amount of chicken for this.”

What my friend didn’t know was that he was demonstrating, nearly perfectly, an economic principle called opportunity cost. The text-book term for opportunity cost is “the unrealized flow of utility from the alternatives a choice displaces” (Frederick, Novemsky, Wang, Dhar, & Nowlis, 2009).

To a money saving 21-year-old, opportunity cost begs the question; is 2 pounds of chicken plus an extra four dollars more valuable than eating steak?

Opportunity-cost dictates that anytime we make a decision between several choices we give up the benefits of the alternative choices.

People do not implicitly think about opportunity-cost when making purchasing decisions (Frederick et al., 2009) and I would argue that they fail to as well with health decisions. Further, most people limit themselves in their decision-making process to usually one of two choices (do this or that, pick this or that).

Identifying the opportunity cost of healthy decisions in a similar way to economic decisions may prove beneficial. In order to do this, one would simply replace a dollar amount with a caloric amount or replace lost time amounts that could be used on activities other than exercise (i.e. family time vs gym time).

Opportunity Cost Application to Health Decisions

It would be useful to identify opportunity cost to help resolve ambivalence in the healthy decision making process. Competing demands often do exist between a person’s desires to be physically active and to be sedentary (Smith & Biddle, 1999).

Similarly, anyone that has attempted to lose weight likely understands the competing demands between the desire to be lean and the desire to eat tempting food.

Taking part in one of these pursuits inherently means foregoing the other (i.e. you cannot be sedentary and exercising at the same time) and therefore not realizing the benefits that each activity provides.

Opportunity-Cost Scenario 1

Take for example, one scenario where an individual has strong beliefs that if they exercise their fitness can improve; thus, reducing the risk for cardiac disease. They also hold a competing belief that if they exercise time will be taken away from their family (Godin, 1993).

Perceived cost: lost health benefits vs lost time with family.

Perceived opportunity: improved health vs more time with family.

Opportunity-Cost Scenario 2

In another example, if a person has the option between a fast food dinner and a home cooked meal they must decide between the hedonic pleasure and convenience of the fast food meal and the health benefits of eating the home cooked meal.

Perceived cost: high calorie foods can lead to weight gain vs loss of pleasure and time.

Perceived opportunity: improved health vs pleasure and more time.

Reframing Choices and Resolving Ambivalence

In scenario 1 it is perceived that time can only be spent exercising OR with family. Pursing one choice will remove the benefits of the other.

Many people examine the decision-making process as the choice between one of two options (Heath & Heath). However, this is rarely ever the instance in any decision.

In the case of the potential exerciser, the opportunity-cost may seem relatively salient (this is likely different in food choice as most people do not naturally consider opportunity cost, Frederick et al., 2009) yet they remain indecisive.

The individual in this situation is likely feeling ambivalent about the decision process. They want to exercise, but at the same time they don’t want to exercise because of the cost.

This person may be falling into a decision-making mistake called the ‘limited search trap’. In scenario one the best solution would be to help this person ‘widen’ their options (Nutt, 2004).

Rather than limit the decision-making process to two options this person should think of other ways they could be active without losing out on family time. Some of these options might include:

Option 1: Exercise with the family by recruiting family members to go for walks after dinner to discuss the day.

Option 2: Exercise for 30 minutes during a lunch break. This time would not be spent with the family anyways so this time is not being taken away from the family.

Option 3: Evaluate how other time is spent. Perhaps this person spends an hour of time before they go to bed watching TV. They can cut their TV time down to 30 minutes and replace the other 30 minutes with 20 minutes of cycling, walking or running and the remaining 10 to shower.

In scenario 2 an individual is faced with the decision of eating a fast food meal or a home cooked dinner. This would be an appropriate scenario to help increase the salience of opportunity-cost to aid the decision-making process.

This person might compare the calories (1,050 vs 550), they might judge what would taste better based on the mood they are in, or they may factor in time constraints. But they don’t see that they could (1) double the healthy meal and still have nearly the same number of calories or (2) save those extra calories for something else such a 300-calorie popcorn during the movies (still 200 calories less).

They were already willing to ‘spend’ 1,050 calories. By utilizing this opportunity-cost strategy they may be able to more readily observe what other foods or ways that they could ‘spend’ their calories on.

Conclusions

If a person is struggling with making the best possible decisions for their health and well-being they may benefit from a thorough examination of the opportunity-cost of their behavior.

In other cases, opportunity-cost may seem explicit, as in the case of the exerciser but only when trapped in limited searching.

For ambivalent individuals who seem to have clear opportunity-cost increasing the number of available options can help in the decision-making process.

About the Author

Justin is a doctoral student at the University of Massachusetts Boston where he is studying health and exercise sciences. Justin writes at www.Justinmkompf.com.

References

Godin G. Theories of reasoned action and planned behavior: usefulness for exercise promotion. Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise 26(11), 1391-1394, 1994.

Frederick S, Novemsky N, Wang J, Dhar R, Nowlis S. Opportunity cost neglect. Journal of Consumer Research. 36(4): 553-561, 2009.

Nutt PC. Expanding the search for alternatives during strategic decision-making. Academy of Managment Executive 18(4), 13-27.

Smith AR, Biddle SJ. Attitudes and exercise adherence: Test of the theories of reasoned action and planned behavior. Journal of Sports Sciences 17: 269-281, 1999.