CategoriesExercises You Should Be Doing

Exercises You Should Be Doing: KB Lateral Lunge with Pulse

Some of you may recall an exercise I featured a year or two ago that I stole from Dan John called the Goblet Squat with Pulse.  For those who may need a gentle reminder you can click HERE to get the gist.

Similarly, today’s exercise takes the same “pulse” concept yet adds a slight modification in the form of a lateral lunge (and some pretty sweet techno in the background).

KB Lateral Lunge with Pulse

Who Did I Steal it From:  Well I guess by extension Dan John, but given I haven’t yet seen this tweak anywhere else on the interwebz, Cressey Performance is calling dibs on this one.

Bitches!

What Does It Do:  I love this exercise for people with short or stiff adductors for obvious reasons, but really this is a fantastic exercise for just about anyone as it gets them out of their comfort zone in the sagittal plane. Moreover, the pulse component adds a significant anti-flexion flavor into the mix that Ben & Jerry can’t touch, not to mention, by association, helps encourage people to maintain more t-spine extension which is never a bad thing.

Key Coaching Cues: First of all don’t be a hero and automatically reach for the 24 kg kettlebell, because that ain’t gonna happen. As far as weight selection goes, I’d start on the conservative side – the lighter the better.

One major point to dive into is how to perform a lateral lunge.  Many people make the mistake of stepping to the left or right and allowing their knee to translate too far forward over their toes.  Now I’m not one of those alarmist who feels that the knees should never go past the toes (try walking up a flight of stairs without that happening, or play a sport), but in this scenario I coach people to make their step/lunge to either side and to SIT BACK into the hip.

The knee is obviously going to come forward slightly, but the heel should stay DOWN and glued to the floor at all times. If anything, the tibia (lower leg) should stay a bit more vertical, but if you’re making an effort to sit back into the hip this shouldn’t be an issue.

Once in the bottom position, press the KB out in front of you until your arms are fully extended (elbows locked out), and pause for 1-2 second count.

Bring the KB back towards your torso, return back to the starting position and repeat for the desired amount of repetitions.

I generally shoot for anywhere from 6-8 reps per side.

For those who don’t have access to kettlebells, you should still be able to perform this exercise with a standard dumbbell.  Except in this case you’ll have to hold the DB with both hands wrapped around the handle.  It’s a bit more cumbersome, but doable.

And there you have it.  Try it today and let me know what you think!

CategoriesExercises You Should Be Doing Strength Training

Exercises You Should Be Doing: Half Kneeling Vertical Pallof Press

It’s no secret that I’m a huge fan of Pallof presses – and all their variations. While I’ve definitely curbed my views with regards to core training and the whole anti-everything mantra most of the fitness industry adopted in recent years (lets be honest:  it’s perfectly okay for the spine to go into flexion every now and then. Loaded flexion is one thing, but lets try not to shit an EMG every time someone has the audacity to bend their spine.  Life……will…..go…….on), I’d still be remiss not to note that the bulk of my core training, and that of my clients, revolves around stability and preventing “unwanted” motion.

Maybe a year or two ago my good buddy, Nick Tumminello, described a cool Pallof variation called the Vertical Pallof Press, which I thought was a simple – albeit brilliant – twist into the genre.

Fast forward to two weeks ago, another buddy of mine, Philadelphia based strength coach, Andrew Zomberg, asked my thoughts on half-kneeling or even tall-kneeling Vertical Pallof Press variations.

In a nutshell he was curious as to whether or not I’ve tried them or if I saw any efficacy in including them into my programming.

Of course!

Half Kneeling Vertical Pallof Press

What I like most about this variation are a few things:

1.  It trains anti-extension.

2.  With the half kneeling version, you can “encourage” a bit more posterior pelvic tilt by squeezing the crap out of the kneeling side glute.  And when I say “squeezing the crap out of the kneeling side glute,” what I really mean is “squeeze that badboy as if you’re trying to crack walnut.”

3.  Additionally, we get an awesome active “stretch” in the kneeling side hip flexor.  I put the word stretch in quotations there because for those people who feel as if they have chronically tight hip flexors (despite going out of their way to stretch them to death with little or no improvement), it’s more likely the fact that the hip flexors are pulling “double duty” for an unstable spine.  Hence, they feel tight because they’re firing 24/7 to prevent the spine from wrecking itself before it checks itself (Ice Cube fans will enjoy that reference).

In a sense, we could make a solid argument that the reason why many people feel as if they have “tight” hip flexors is NOT because they’re short/stiff, but rather their core is weak and unstable.

If I just blew your mind or if that piques your interest at all, I’d HIGHLY encourage you to check out Dean Somerset’s post on Reasons Why You Should Stop Stretching Your Hip Flexors.

If you’re too lazy to read it:  just know that working on core stability could help resolve those “tight” hip flexors of yours.

Outside of those key points, I’d note that the other things to consider would be on the technique side of things:

– Keep your chin tucked (make a double chin).

– As you extend your arms above your head, try to prevent your rib cage from flaring out.

– For those who need to work on improving scapular upward rotation (especially overhead athletes), once your elbows hit shoulder height, you could  lightly shrug at the top of the movement.

– Try not to make this a tricep exercise.  Those who tend to feel it more in that area are pressing the cable too far outward and focusing on elbow extension.  Instead, you need to literally press straight up, preventing the cable from pulling you backward.

For an additional challenge, you can try a one-arm variation

Half Kneeling 1-Arm Vertical Pallof Press

All the same benefits apply here:  it trains anti-extension, but because you’re using one arm at a time there’s also a significant anti-rotation component as well.

Too, it’s great for glute activation, encouraging more posterior pelvic tilt, and serves as an active hip flexor “stretch” (seriously, read Dean’s post).

About the only thing it doesn’t do is multiplication tables and buy you dinner.

And there you have it.  Try it out today, and let me know what you think!

 

CategoriesUncategorized

Exercises You Should Be Doing: Kneeling Overhead Press to Standing

Quick Update:  1. I want to first thank everyone who chimed in on yesterday’s post (as well as sent me personal emails) offering their advice this whole car buying process I’m going through. I’m not one for confrontation, so the whole idea of walking into a car dealership to negotiate a price makes me a bit skittish.

It’s funny:  ask me to deadlift 500+ lbs, I won’t bat an eye. I’ll crush, and then some.  Ask me to sit down with a salesmen and negotiate paint trim, I’ll start hyperventilating into a brown paper bag.

Anyways, to make this short – because I know people don’t visit this site to listen to me talk about buying a car – after several people suggested I do so, I logged onto FightingChance.com and decided to ask for their help during this process.  Outside of actually handing me a Lightsaber, these guys are going to arm me with all tools I’ll need to get the right price for the car I’m looking for.  Thanks again everyone!

2. As many of you know, I’ve been banged up as of late dealing with some lower back issues, and it’s only been within the past few weeks that I’ve been able to train with any ounce of intensity.  My Canadien half-brother, Dean Somerset, has been helping me out with some programming the past few weeks, and I couldn’t be happier with my progress.

A few weeks ago sucking my thumb would make me wince.  Yesterday I was able able to work up to a 315 lb deadlift with an additional 150 lbs of chain weight for sets of five.

Holla!

While I still have a ways to go, I just want to send a huge debt of gratitude towards Dean and to note to everyone reading that, more often than not, it’s about what you NEED to do and not necessarily what you WANT to do that’s going to get you better.

Which is as good of a time as any to discuss today’s exercise you should be doing:

Kneeling Overhead Press to Standing

Who Did I Steal It From:  Dean.

What Does It Do:  the question should really be:  what DOESN’T it work?

For me this exercise is challenging because I don’t have great active t-spine extension, which wreaks havoc down the kinetic chain – especially as it relates to hip extension and not compensating with HYPERextension.

In this case I’m able to work on my t-spine extension (going overhead) while trying my best to control my lumbo-pelvic-hip area so as to not compensate with any shimmying, shaking, or lateral shifting from side to side.

Digging a little deeper, we can see a other benefits as well:

1. There’s a definite anti-extension/anti-lateral flexion component for the core.

2. Obviously we’re working some overhead pressing into the mix (while I keep me arms extended throughout, you could just as easily “tweak” the exercise to press in the kneeling position on every repetition).

3. Assuming one is “packing” their shoulders appropriately (not shrugging), this is a fantastic exercise to work scapular stability.

4. In addition, there’s a significant hip stability (and mobility for that matter) component compounded with a fairly challenging single leg strengthening component as well.

Key Coaching Cues:  I’m telling you right now this exercise is humbling, so don’t go playing a hero and think you’re going to be crushing this exercise with 50 lb DBs over your head.  If you do, you suck, and really hate you.

Start conservative – say, 10-20 lb DBs – and be sure to “set” your scapulae so that you’re not actively pressing the weight throughout the entire movement.  Too, it’s IMPERATIVE that you DO NOT compensate with any lateral shifting or hyperextending of the hips/pelvis in any way.  Tighten your core – or brace (whatever term works for you) – and try to stay as stiff as possible throughout the duration of the set.

In particular, on the descent, try not to allow your butt to stick out as you go back into the kneeling position.  This is going to be a real challenge for many reading – so again, start conservative with the weight!

I’ve been implementing this exercise into a lot of my own client’s programs, and I prefer to  perform these for sets of 3-5 reps/per side, with a 30s-60s rest in between left and right sides, possibly even pairing this with another exercise in such a way:

– 5 reps on the RIGHT leg.

– 8-10 push-ups (grip is going to be a factor here, so if you’re going to pair this exercise with something, you’re best to use an exercise that won’t require a lot of grip).

– 5 reps on the LEFT leg.

And there you go.  Try it out today, and let me know what you think!

CategoriesUncategorized

Exercises You Should Be Doing: 2-Bench Plank/DB Row

As some of you may or may not know I’ve been banged up as of late, and haven’t really been training up to my normal standards. I’m still heading to the gym everyday, of course (I work in one, so I have no excuse not to), but it’s been a bit of a downer the past few weeks knowing that I’m unable to do many of the things I’d really like to do.

Sometimes, though, we have to follow our own advice.  I’ve been quoted as saying that part of the job of a strength coach and personal trainer is to play the bad guy sometimes and force our clients into doing what they need to do, and not what they want to do.

Using myself as an example, I want more than anything else to head to the gym, load a metric shit ton on the bar, deadlift that sucker from the floor, and then get so fired up that I tear infants in half.

Okay, I got a little carried away there. Admittedly that’s a bit much………..

……..but I DO miss heading to the gym and training with some gusto and panache in my step.

Call me crazy, but performing endless repetitions of supine dying bugs is about as exciting as watching paint dry. But, unfortunately, that’s what has to be done at this point in time.

The good news: My back is feeling better. The bad news: It’s just a slow, mind-numbing process and I’m bored to tears.

Goddammit – I hate taking my own advice.  I want to lift heavy stuff!!!  You’te ruining my life Tony, I hate you!!!!!!!!

*turns around, stomps up the stairs, and slams door*

All theatrics aside, a few weeks ago I asked my good friend, Dean Somerset, if he’d be willing to help me out and write up a little sumthin sumthin for me to follow to hopefully get myself back on track sooner rather than later.

He came through with flying colors and I’ve been following his program for the past week.  I’ve often been quoted as saying you can ALWAYS train an injury, and Dean certainly concurs!

While I won’t give away all his trade secrets, I will say that he’s definitely provided a nice mix of the corrective stuff I need to be doing in conjunction with some cool stuff I’ve never done before.

Which brings us to today’s exercise you should be doing:

2-Bench DB Plank/Row

What Does It Do:  Before I get to that, I have to say that I’ve done my fair share of exercises that make me hate life – bulgarian split squats, turkish get-ups, high rep squats, Prowler pushes, etc – but as simple as this one looks, it’s about as enjoyable as setting your face on fire.

To that end, this is an excellent exercise that trains both core stability while simultaneously allowing for one to get a bit more horizontal pulling into their repertoire.

The added “row” component really pushes the envelop in terms of making this a brutal core stability exercise, though.  That’s where the true benefit lies.

Key Coaching Cues:  Again, this looks simple and I know there are going to be a lot of people who are going to scoff when they watch the video – how hard can it be Gentilcore???? – but I’m telling you when it’s performed correctly, it’s brutal.

Start with a lighter DB than you think – in the video I used a 30 lb DB, and that was plenty – and assume the starting position with your opposite forearm resting on one bench and your toes on the other.

As with any plank variation you want to make certain that the body is in a complete straight line from your head to the toes, so you’ll need to make a concerted effort to not poke your head forward or allow the hips to hike or sag.  If you do, lower the weight being used.  And, after that, if you still can’t perform the movement correctly without compensating, it’s too advanced you need to take a step back and regress as needed.

In addition, you’ll want to brace your abs, squeeze your glutes, and don’t forget to breath!

Perform 5-8 repetitions on one side, and repeat on the other.

Good luck.

CategoriesStrength Training

Exercises You Should Be Doing: Band Lateral Lunge with OH Driver

I wish I were more like Ben Bruno. Sure the guy is a freak of nature when it comes to feats of strength, but even more admirable is the uncanny ability he has when it comes to thinking of cool and innovative exercises that I’ve never seen before. It’s like the guy has a perpetual light bulb above his head 24/7.

Just check out his Youtube page (HERE) if you don’t know what I’m talking about.

It’s almost like he lives in his very own evil strength and conditioning lair doing nothing but 1-legged squats and stroking his evil strength coach beard while he conjures up exercises that will make people hate life.

Okay, that’s unfair to Ben.  He’s actually a much more well rounded person than that, and  probably one of the most decent hunan beings I’ve ever met.

But dammit, two can place this game. I’ve been coming up with a few of my own diabolical exercises, too.  Albeit instead of a lair, I work out of  an evil strength coach volcano. That’s surrounded by sharks with freakin laser beams on their heads.

PEW PEW PEW

Take that Ben!

All tomfoolery aside (and yes, I just used the word tomfoolery in a sentence), one of the exercises we’ve been using a lot lately at Cressey Performance is something I kind of haphazardly came up with when discussing both the Pallof Press Band Squat and Split Squat HERE.

Band Lateral Lunge with Overhead Driver

What Does It Do:  This is one of those exercises that provides a lot bang for our training buck.

1. There’s a definite Pallof press “vibe” going on, so it’s safe to say that we have a strong rotary stability component in the mix.

2. Simultaneously there’s also a decent anti-extension component coming into play as the arms reach overhead.

Which is to say, with both elements combined, it’s an awesome “core” exercise that plays very well into what the core’s actual role is:  stability and subsequent transference of force between the lower and upper body.

3.  Too, there’s a fantastic lunge pattern involved that helps increase adductor length (something most people woefully lack), which in turn helps improve hip mobility in the frontal plane (but I guess you could argue the transverse plane as well when you factor in the pull of the band).

4.  I could probably come up with a few more benefits, but those are the ones that pop out at the moment.  It’s still up in the air whether or not doing this exercise increases the chances that girls will want to hang out with you.

Key Coaching Cues:  It’s important to note that those with limited shoulder flexion (whether it’s due to stiff lats or an overly kyphotic upper back) may not be the best suited for this exercise as they’ll inevitably compensate by going into excessive lumbar extension.

Another thing to consider is the lunge pattern itself.  Many trainees will make the mistake of lunging with more of a “quad dominant” pattern (knees translating forward over the toes) rather than sitting back into the hip and keeping more of a vertical shin angle.

This isn’t to say that it’s wrong (or bad) that the knees go over the toes; it’s just not ideal in my book. Especially when we’re trying to place more of an emphasis on the glutes and hamstrings anyways.

Lastly, it’s important to not allow the rib cage to flair out at any point – especially during the overhead portion.  Try to think about “locking” your rib cage down throughout the duration of the set.

And that’s about it. I usually shoot for 6-8 reps per side for a total of 2-3 sets.  Try it out today and let me know what you think.

 

CategoriesUncategorized

Exercises You Should Be Doing: Tall Kneeling Landmine

You may be wondering why I’ve been out of commission since like the middle of the last week. For starters, Joe’s post – Just Because a Doctor Said It: A Response – was such a huge hit, and got such a great response, that I wanted to keep it up for a few days to maximize the total number of people who would read it.

Secondly, my girlfriend was out of town for a day and half and I took every opportunity to catch up on some of the manly things I never have a chance to take part it.  You know stuff like growing a beard, staying up past midnight, and chopping down trees just for the hell of it.

Of course I didn’t do ANY of those things. Instead, all I did was use the time to be as productive as possible and spent my entire Friday afternoon (and night) catching up on programs that needed to be written, doing some (pleasure) reading, and then hanging out at Panera where I put the finishing touches on another article that I just submitted to T-Nation.  Oh, and I ate a lot of bacon.

And, just like the rest of the free world (or at least the parts that have an IMAX), I also went to see The Avengers. All I have to say is holy epicness.

What’s more, did you happen to see how much freakin money that thing made this past weekend?  It SHATTERED the previous opening weekend record – previously held by Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2.  I think it made something like a kazillion bajallion dollars.*  Crazy.

With money like that, I wouldn’t be surprised to hear about Joss Whedon – the director – taking a martini bath every two hours.**

Anyways, it’s a gorgeous day here in Boston and we haven’t seen the sun in like a week.  Coincidentally, both Lisa and I have the day off and we’re going to take full advantage of it and walk around and enjoy the sites.  But, before I leave, here’s an exercise you should be doing.

Tall Kneeling Landmine

Who Did I Steal It From:  No one, technically.  But I know it’s been made popular by the likes of Mike Boyle and Gray Cook.

What Does It Do:  Since “core” training is all the rage just about everywhere you turn, it’s important to train it in a manner that it’s designed for. While there are several applicable “actions” of the core, this exercise specifically targets both rotatary stability and anti-extension.

  • Rotatary Stability:  Essentially this is akin to preventing unwanted motion – especially in the lumbo-pelvic-hip area. With this exercise it’s important to lock the center in place and to have as little motion as possible in that area.  Of note, when done correctly, this exercise also HAMMERS the external obliques.
  • Anti-Extension:  Again, while locking oneself into position, another key component of this exercise is to resist extension.

Key Coaching Cues:  One of (if the THE most) benefits of this movement is that it can be done anywhere, at any gym.  There’s no special equipment necessary. All you need is a barbell and a corner.  While you can’t see it in the video above, all the setup requires is placing the opposite end of the barbell in a corner so that it doesn’t slide around.

In terms of execution, the main point to consider is to emphasize a LONG-lever. In other words, try to keep your arms as straight as possible (maybe a very slight elbow bend) and focus on making as large of an arc as possible WITHOUT compensating.  Trust me, it’s much harder than it looks, and you won’t need a lot of weight to feel the effectiveness.

Furthermore, I like to tell people to dig their toes into the ground (more dorsiflexion) and to squeeze their glutes as hard as they possibly can.

I tend to shoot for anywhere between 5-8 repetitions per side, usually using the lower end with newbies and those who are generally weak.

Try it out today and let me know what you think!

* = rounded up.

** = you know, because that’s what rich people do. Right?

CategoriesUncategorized

Exercises You Should Be Doing: TRX Busdriver

While the world is currently at a standstill over the Royal Wedding pukefest coverage, I for one have stayed true to my word, and haven’t watched one single second of it.  And, despite their efforts to the contrary – I wouldn’t let any of the women in this morning’s womens group talk about it, because frankly, I didn’t want my sperm count dropping.

Nevertheless, I’m going to keep this one short today unfortunately, because I’m in scramble mode trying to find another apartment.  I’ve spent the past few days on Craigslist searching for apartments for my girlfriend and I, and I’ve been meeting with realtors all week trying to find a place that doesn’t smell like wet dog.  It’s getting somewhat comical, though, because this will be the seventh year in a row that I’ve moved.  Thankfully, I travel light, and all I have to pack are my books, a couch, my tv, and a vintage Star Wars poster.

Anyhoo, lets get to the meat and potatoes.

What Is It:  TRX Busdriver (or, for something less lame, you can call it the TRX Kid-n-Play:  as a tribute to the early 90’s dance masters, Kid-n-Play, ohhhhh, ohhhhh, ohhhhhh).  If you don’t get the reference, then shame on you.

Who Did I Steal It From:  strength coach and guy who can kick my ass with both hands tied behind his back, Dewey Nielsen

What Does It Do:  While this is a fantastic exercise to work core stability, what’s often left un-noticed is the fact that this is also a superb way to train ANTI-EXTENSION as well.  So, in a sense, you kill two birds with one stone here.

Key Coaching Cues:  Making sure not to hyperextend the lumbar spine, simply move the TRX (or blast straps for that matter) from shoulder to shoulder maintaining as little movement as possible in the hips and pelvic area.  Another point to consider, is to make sure that you squeeze your glutes the entire time, and to recognize that the narrower your stance is, the harder the exercise will be.

You can do this for time, but I prefer something along the lines of 2-3 sets of 6-8 repetitions PER SIDE.

Give it a try, and let me know what you think!