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Exercises You Should Be Doing: Band Assisted Push-Up

Today’s guest post comes from former CP intern, and current Boston University assistant Strength Coach, Dave Rak.

Dave likes deadlifts, Jason Bourne, and Chipolte.  He’s also single.  Ladies?

Push-ups are a main staple in any strength and conditioning program.   They are a great body weight exercise that can get you really strong, and in case you didn’t already know…strong people are harder to kill and just flat out more useful in general. When that Zombie Apocalypse happens you can thank me.

For those of you who struggle with push-ups don’t worry Tony and I got your back!

Note from TG:  I’ve actually written on push-up progressions in the past.  THIS one was targeted towards women, but can easily be applied to men who struggle with push-ups as well.

THIS one just talks about the general badassery that is the push-up.

Okay, I’ll stop interrupting Dave.

Some people lack the core strength and upper body strength to bang out a perfect push-up.  A typical regression is to elevate the hands to make the push-up easier and then progressively lower the angle of the hands until you reach the floor.  Often times the second you go to hands elevated push-ups it’s like you hit the self-destruct button and your athlete just falls apart.  Elbows flair out, the hips drop, and your eyes start to bleed from witnessing this debauchery.   For the visual learners, just check out the picture above.

An alternative to elevating the hands (typically on aerobic steppers or the pins of a power rack) would be to use a band as assistance on the way up from your push-up.  The band takes some of the athlete’s body weight away and allows them to complete the push up in its natural position. When you elevate the hands the shoulder is in a more flexed position compared to a standard push-up, it’s not the same pattern and it changes the exercise.

Now I’m not trying to split hairs between the two, but to me the simple fact that the athlete can go through the exact motion of a push up is important.  I look at it the same way as if you were to unload a squat with a TRX, you are just grooving that pattern.

Go through the movement pattern, get comfortable, get strong, and then dominate the world!

Another benefit of using the band for assistance is it is easier for the athlete to create tension in their back and glutes compared to a hands elevated push-up on a box.  The athlete will be able to “pull the ground apart” and then if the band is placed at the hips it can even have an RNT (Reactive Neuromuscular Training) effect for the hips.  Peep the video and you’ll see what I mean.

Band Assisted Push-Up

Also, what’s one reason that people suck at push-ups?  A weak upper body (and core, yes that too).  The band will allow you to load the upper body while doing your push up without compromising form.  On the flip side, elevating the hands will take more of the load away, yes you can work on core stability but it is more difficult to load the upper body.

Who Did I Steal It From:  I saw a coach at Mike Boyle Strength & Conditioning doing this with a private client waaaaayyyyy back in the day when I was an intern.  So, whoever that guy was, high five!

What Does It Do:  Allows you to the go through the correct movement pattern of a push-up and strengthen that pattern.

You can teach the push-up easier.  It reduces the “oh-shit” factor during the exercise so it shifts the focus from not falling on your face to actually engaging the proper musculature.

The band allows for a RNT effect to teach keeping the hips extended and how to engage the glutes/maintain pelvic positioning.

Progress the movement and add more resistance.

Change the location of the band to add more load to the upper body.

Give your athlete confidence because they are actually doing a push up with the rest of their team.  Having them do a hands elevated variation may make them self-conscious.  You put the 45lbs plates on the bar and not the 25 and two 10lbs plates on right? Same idea, look like everyone else and build confidence.

Coaching Ques: The thicker the band the easier the push up will be. Start in a prone position with the band in the crease of your hips. Hands under your shoulders, pull your shoulder blades into your back pocket (thanks for the cue Tony!)

Open the pickle jar with your hands (stole cue that from Jill Zeller) meaning pull the ground apart with your hands to engage your lats and create torque/tension in your back.

Squeeze your butt and don’t let the band push your hips back, body in a straight line.

Pull yourself down to the floor and drive away.

Notes– Move the band to the quads to load the upper body more, you can also play with the height of the pins/J-Hooks for more or less band tension.

Give these a try, and remember Chuck Norris does not do push-ups he pushes the Earth down.

Author Bio

David Rak is a Certified Strength & Conditioning Specialist through the NSCA (CSCS).  He is currently a Graduate Assistant Strength & Conditioning Coach at Boston University pursuing his Master’s Degree in Coaching.  Dave oversees Wrestling and Women’s Golf, also assists with Men’s Basketball and Men’s Soccer.  He received his Bachelor’s in Exercise Science at the University of Massachusetts Lowell and completed internships at Mike Boyle Strength & Conditioning and Cressey Performance.  Upon his completion of his internship at MBSC, he continued to work part time at Mike Boyle Strength & Conditioning for 2 and a half years while he finished his undergraduate degree.

Dave can be reached at [email protected]

 

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7 Simple Ways to Become a Better Coach

The other day while sitting through a staff meeting, we were discussing the incoming intern class and how we want to approach this summer’s staff in-service schedule.

Every week one of the staff members sits down with the interns to talk about “stuff.” This can range from anything from exercise technique to troubleshooting program design to why listening to techno during a squat session increases one’s testosterone levels by roughly 317%.

Give or take a couple of percentage points.

In an effort to “open up” the discussion, we often ask the interns what they would like to see covered.   Almost always, they’ll want to discuss assessment straight away.

Not that this is a bad thing, of course.  Assessment is an important component of what we do, and it’s undoubtedly a key factor in terms of molding an individual’s training career. But lets be honest: for most incoming trainers, at least in my eyes, it’s more crucial to learn how to actually coach before we start discussing the variables behind femoral acetabular impingement.

Having the ability to coach someone through a proper push-up or trap bar deadlift – at least in the beginning stages – is far more important to me from a mentoring standpoint than having the ability to discern whether or not someone has ample ankle dorsiflexion.

To that end, today I have a guest post from another former Cressey Performance intern – now strength coach – Dave Rak (AKA:  Rak City) who, after discussing this topic with him the other day, decided to write a post on it.  Enjoy/Yankees suck!

7 Simple Ways to Become a Better Coach

Strength & conditioning is an amazing career field.  We get to go to work everyday and positively impact peoples lives by getting them healthier, stronger, and eventually turning them into unstoppable finely tuned killing machines.  Basically, its the greatest job in the world (well the guy who takes pictures of hot chicks for Sports Illustrated has sweet job too, but I digress).

The unique things about strength & conditioning is that it’s an ever evolving field where we are constantly learning and trying to get better at our profession.  There are thousands of books, DVDs, seminars, and conferences dedicated to continuing education.  What was the last book you read, DVD you watched, or conference you attended about?

I’ll take a wild guess and say it was about training, anatomy, or something along those lines.  Let me ask you another question, when was the last time you read a book, watched a DVD, or went to a conference that was dedicated strictly to the art of coaching?

If you can’t answer this question put down the book on training for a second and go read some coaching books.  I’m not saying don’t educate yourself on exercise science and training but find a proper balance between your strength training education and your coaching education.

Don’t forget our job title is strength & conditioning COACH (I used capital letters there so you know it’s kind of a big deal).  Sometimes we get so wrapped up in the science of strength training that we neglect the fact that we are still coaches and we have to deal with our athletes in a practical setting.

You can have all the knowledge in the world, but if you can’t coach yourself out of a wet paper bag then what good is that knowledge?  Bottom line, you have to be able to flat out coach, if you can’t, then all those seminars and certifications won’t do you and your athletes any good.  Here are 7 simple ways to improve your coaching.

1. Observe Other Coaches

Working at Boston University I’ve had the opportunity to observe our varsity coaches during practices and I am grateful because it’s given me the opportunity to learn a lot from observing so many different coaching styles.

Just go to a practice and bring a note book.  Forget about the athletes for a second and watch the coaches carefully.  When I observed our men’s basketball coach I left with two pages of notes, and that was just from one short practice.  Pay attention to how other coaches cue their athletes, how they gain and keep their athletes attention, even how they change their tone of voice in certain situations.  You can learn a lot from closely observing others.

2. Remember It Is About More Than Just Strength Training

As a coach you can interact with hundreds of athletes everyday.  You will have an impact on these athletes lives whether you realize it or not.  Are you going to make a positive impact or a negative impact?

If I can help an athlete feel better about themselves, gain confidence, and instill some positive character traits as a result of my coaching then I did my job.  To me that is just as important as increasing their physical ability.  Nothing is more satisfying then an athlete giving you a card or emailing you to thank you for influencing their life in a positive way.

Note from TG:  It’s as Mike Boyle has famously said:  no one cares how much you know, till they know how much you care.

3. Videotape Yourself Coaching

This is an exercise I performed in one of my graduate classes at BU and found it very helpful.  Have someone video tape you when you coach so you can see how you are perceived by others.

Watch yourself carefully, you may be surprised with what you see.  Ask yourself, do I look angry when I coach? What does my body language say? Do I look nervous or confident? Do I have a strong presence and command the room, or do I blend in with my athletes? Do my biceps look big in this shirt? How do my athletes see me?  Getting feedback on your coaching “etiquette” will be a huge factor on improving how you actually coach.

4. Don’t Be One Dimensional/Know Your Athletes

Some athletes need to be yelled at and will respond well to authoritative coaching, while others will shut down.  Know what way is best to interact with your players.  Do they respond better to verbal cues or visual cues, what motivates them?

How will you get the most out of your athletes when they walk into the weight room exhausted from a long practice and difficult day at school?  This is the art of coaching.  A good coach knows his team and is able to use many different coaching styles throughout a session to get the most out of their athletes.

5. Read More Coaching Related Material

At the end of the day you’re a coach, and to be an effective strength & conditioning coach you need to find a healthy balance between reading material as it relates to program design and making better athletes as well as reading books that will hone your coaching skills. By learning more about the art of coaching you’ll be able to compliment your exercise science knowledge and become a well rounded coach.

Recommend reading:

My Losing Season– it’s a great book that basically shows you what not to do as a coach.

The Skillful Teacher: Building Your Teaching Skills – this book is full of attention getting moves, learning principles, and numerous learning models that can easily be implemented in your coaching.

Understanding Sports Coaching: The Social, Cultural, and Pedagogical Foundations of Coaching Practice 2nd Edition – the title says it all, nuff’ said.

6. Get Out There And Coach!

The best way to become a better coach is to actually coach and learn from your experiences.  The more experience you accumulate the better you will become.

 7. Give Back

This is something every coach needs to do.  You do not become a better coach by yourself.  Yes, you put the effort into becoming better, but don’t forget about the coach that let you into their practice so you could observe and learn.

This is an example of giving back.

I have been mentored by several great coaches and I would not be where I am at today without them.  Guess what? My mentors where mentored by someone when they where younger, too.

Pay it forward.  When you make it as a coach and are approached by

Author’s Bio

David Rak is a Certified Strength & Conditioning Specialist through the NSCA (CSCS).  He is currently a Graduate Assistant Strength & Conditioning Coach at Boston University pursuing his Master’s Degree in Coaching.  Dave oversees Wrestling, Women’s Golf, and Women’s Novice Rowing and also assists with Men’s Basketball and Men’s Soccer.  He received his Bachelor’s in Exercise Science at the University of Massachusetts Lowell and completed internships at Mike Boyle Strength & Conditioning and Cressey Performance.  Upon his completion of his internship at MBSC, he continued to work part time at Mike Boyle Strength & Conditioning for 2 and a half years while he finished his undergraduate degree.  This summer Dave will be interning with the South Carolina Gamecocks Football team before returning to Boston University for his final year as a Graduate Assistant.  Dave can be reached at [email protected].