CategoriesProgram Design Strength Training

Getting Stronger is Corrective

Before you move on, I wanted to let you know that Dean Somerset and I have just put our flagship product, the Complete Shoulder & Hip Blueprint, on sale this week.

You can purchase both CSHB 1.0 and CSHB 2.0 separately this week at 30% off the regular price using the coupon code EVOLVE at checkout.

Or you can purchase the bundle pack HERE which gives you the greatest value.[footnote]May or may not come with infinite kisses from Dean’s new puppy, Bruno.[/footnote]

WU-TANG!

Copyright: noname3132

Getting Strong(er) is Corrective

“Oh, I forgot to tell you…my previous trainer said I have a winged scapula, my left hip is a bit internally rotated, and that my posture isn’t great.”

This was less than five minutes into an initial assessment with a new client and it took everything I had to prevent my eyeballs from rolling out of their sockets. The snarky side of me wanted to say something like, “Oh my god, yes, I totally see it. Did (s)he also mention how your left ear is lower than the right? That’s messed up. We need to fix that.”

But I didn’t.

Nope, all I did was sit there, nod my head, listen intently, and kept repeating to myself “don’t stab yourself with this pen, don’t stab yourself with this pen, no, Tony, NO!”

People Think They’re Broken

It never ceases to amaze me how some people will harp on the most inane things when it comes to their body and performance and then regale me with stories of how their previous coach or trainer was a “corrective exercise specialist.”

I won’t invalidate their stories or experiences, of course, but it’s hard for me to listen to sometimes.

They’ll outline their “training” for the past few months (if not years), and it’s rife with positional breathing drills (which, for the record, I’m a fan of), postural stretches, and describe a foam rolling series that rivals the length of a Ken Burns’ documentary.

I’ll follow with “So, did you actually ever follow a strength training program consistently?”

“Yeah, sure, we did a bunch of corrective exercises and, after 19 weeks, we finally worked up to a bodyweight squat. I still have to work on my big toe dorsiflexion, though. Fingers crossed I can improve that by December.”

Me…

via GIPHY

As an industry – and I’ll call myself out on this too (particularly early in my career) – we’ve done a splendid job at helping people feel like a bunch of walking balls of fail:

  • Your shoulders and upper back are too rounded.
  • Yikes, your pelvis is anteriorly tilted.
  • Oh…my…god…we need to work on your scapular upward rotation.
  • Shit, your FABER screen tested positive. How are you able to walk?
  • Also, FYI: you have Chlamydia.

It doesn’t surprise me in the least why so many people walk around thinking they’re fragile snowflakes who need to correct or “fix” everything before they do any appreciable training.

It’s our fault.

Strength coaches, personal trainers, physical therapists, athletic trainers, sherpas, we’re all culpable.

We can and need to do better.

And it starts with re-acquainting ourselves with what our main role as fitness professionals actually is…

…to elicit a training effect with our clients/athletes.

Again…Getting Strong(er) is Corrective

I say this with a grain of salt because “strong” is subjective, and can mean different things to different people.

  • Being able to deadlift 2x bodyweight is strong.
  • Being able to perform 15 pull-ups is strong.
  • Walking from Trader Joe’s to your apartment without putting down the bags is strong.
  • The ability to pull off wearing white after Labor Day is strong.
  • Doing whatever it is Cirque du Soleil performers can do is strong.

However, since I’m a little biased “getting stronger” in this sense – and more cogent to the conversation – refers to TRAINING.

I.e., lifting heavy things.

Unfortunately, many people have been led to believe lifting weights is dangerous. It seems you can’t go more than three clicks on the internet (or investigate certain certifications available) before being told barbells, dumbbells, machines, kettlebells, squats, deadlifts, high-reps, low-reps, and/or kittens are dangerous.

Cute kitten paws and woman making christmas gingerbread cookies in scandinavian room
Who, me? Dangerous? Noooo. I mean, I’ll slit your fucking throat in your sleep if you don’t pay me any attention, but all in all….cuddles.

And just to set the record straight, and to push back with all my will to those people (worst of all, doctors, PT’s, etc) who keep spreading the message that strength training is dangerous (particularly when addressing a current injury)…

…I give you the LAWS of Loading:

Wolff’s Law – Bones will adapt to loads under which it is placed

Davis’s Law – Soft tissue will heal according to the manner which they are mechanically stressed.

For the “you only have one back” guy…is this then not why we train?[footnote]Thank you random Twitter used, Johnny_cage for that gem[/footnote] Squats and deadlifts, when properly loaded and progressed, will do far more good for someone’s recovery from injury than most alternatives.

I hate the “everything makes you dysfunctional or causes dysfunction” crowd.

To which I say…the fuck outta here.

My friend Bret Contreras has the perfect antithesis to this faulty mindset:

“If you think lifting weights is dangerous, try being weak. Being weak is dangerous.”

And this is why I’m a firm ambassador in encouraging people to get strong(er), or more to the point, helping them figure out their “trainable menu.”[footnote]Shout out to fellow coach Chris Chase for the baller term.[/footnote]

Rather than pointing out everything that’s wrong with someone, I’d rather use the initial assessment (and subsequent training sessions) to highlight what they can do.

Lets use the classic example of someone who has “computer guy” posture. I.e., rounded shoulders, forward head posture, an affinity for pens.

When someone walks in exhibiting this posture a lot of trainers will write down a laundry list of stretches, thoracic (mid-back) mobility drills, and other “corrective” exercises to do.

Well, first, some will go out of their way to make the person feel like Cersei Lannister during her walk of shame.

Shame, shame, shame….

via GIPHY

And then, you know…lets get corrective, son!

They’re not wrong to do so.

I’m not opposed to utilizing corrective modalities to address postural deficits or mobility restrictions.

But I find when these sort of things are accentuated and serve as the “meat-n-potatoes” of a training program, it often sets people up for failure; they become more fixated on perfection at the expense of progress.

And lets be honest: NO ONE gets jazzed-up at the gym to do more T-spine extension drills.

 

I don’t want my clients to feel like a perpetual patient.

I want them to train, because training tends to be more palatable than Scapular Wall Slides. It helps people stay on task and not bored to tears.

And on that note, wanna know an excellent drill that helps nudge people into a bit more thoracic extension?

Kipping pull-ups.

FRONT SQUATS.

 

As you descend closer to the ground you have to “fight” to keep from folding over. In many ways the proper execution of the exercise itself is self-coaching; or dare I say, corrective.

If you don’t maintain thoracic extension the barbell rolls off your shoulders.

I may come across as the cantankerous strength coach in saying this, but I find more value in having my clients train – in a way that emphatically demonstrates success to them (by matching the programming to their goals and ability level) – than to corrective exercise them to death.

Get your clients strong(er).

Show them what they can do.

And for the love of god get them training.

CategoriesExercise Technique Strength Training

3 Reasons You Need More Front Squats In Your Life

Front squats are like kittens.

You need more of them in your life.

Copyright: leaf / 123RF Stock Photo

 

Now, before people reach for their pitch forks, or, I don’t know, call their local IPF director to blacklist me, let me be clear: this is not an attempt or diatribe to dissuade anyone from back squatting.

I like back squats.

Back squats are awesome.

I still have my clients back squat (and perform the exercise myself, even though the video below is of me using a Safety Squat Bar).

Team groutfit for life.

A post shared by Tony Gentilcore (@tonygentilcore) on

So, deep breaths. Relax.

This is a back squat “safe space.”

However, You Should Be Doing More Front Squats

The irony here is that I used to hate front squats. Almost as much as I hated Jillian Michaels’ kettlebell swing tutorials.

On a scale of 1 to 10 (1 being a tickle fight with Gizmo from Gremlins and 10 being feeling like you’re getting choked out by Chuck Liddell) front squats were around an 8 for me.

Whenever I did them they always felt, well, unpleasant.

They didn’t hurt or cause physical pain or anything. They just, you know, sucked a bunch of donkey balls whenever I did them.

So I didn’t.

Then I had an epiphany of sorts:

  1. I noticed that once I hit 40 back squats weren’t feeling all that spectacular. I found my hips and low back weren’t tolerating the consistent loading and it took longer to recover.[footnote]To be fair, being a sleep-deprived Dad of a newborn during this time certainly didn’t help matters either.[/footnote]
  2. I had always been slow off the floor with my deadlifts and wondered if it was due to lack of quad strength (pushing away from the floor)? After listening to Chad Wesley Smith pontificate on the topic and mention how much of a fan he was of front squats to help with this issue, I was sold.
  3. I needed to stop being such a pussy.

 

So I made a concerted effort to prioritize front squats in my training.

And wouldn’t ya know…

I started getting better at them. They sucked a little less. And some good things happened.

1.  I Hit a 300 lb Front Squat. Not Too Shabby.

2. Fast Forward a Few More Months…I Finally Hit a 600 lb Deadlift

 

But, Tony, Why Should I Front Squat? It’s Not All About You. Gosh.

1. They’ll Likely Feel Better

Again, I want to remind anyone who’s contemplating throwing their face into their keyboard at the mere hint of me suggesting people not back squat….

…….that’s not what I’m saying.

We’re on the same team.

However, there’s likely a fair number of you reading who have had a rocky time with back squats. Or maybe you have a client who’s lived through a maelstrom of on-again/off-again relationships with them?

Hey, it happens…and there’s nothing wrong with it.

Back squats aren’t bad, and front squats aren’t some end-all-be-all panacea.

In fact, front and back squats are more similar than they are different – both require massive amounts of strength/stability in the hips and core, as well as requisite “access” to hip flexion, knee extension, and ankle dorsiflexion – so I really see little need to get all territorial about which one is better.

In the end, as far as which is better, it depends. It depends on someone’s goals, preferences, anthropometry and injury history.

I will say this: Unless you’re a competitive powerlifter (or just solely interested in lifting as much weight as possible), no one has to back squat.[footnote]Okay maybe Captain America. And Jason Bourne. Oh, and ninjas (true story).[/footnote]

It’s my opinion, though, that for most people, most of the time, given most goals (and taking into account the cost-benefit of exercise selection) front squats will likely be the best option and better fit.

NOTE: you can send all hate mail to igivezerofucks@sorrynotsorry.com

 

For those reading who, while respecting anecdotal examples, are more keen on evidence-based data, I’d point you towards the renowned Gullet, et al study – A Biomechanical Comparison of Back and Front Squats in Healthy Training Individuals – which compared EMG activity between the two variations.

Are they dramatically different? Nope.

This study compared 70% of 1-rep max of the back squat to 70% of 1-rep max of the front squat and showed that EMG activity on the quadriceps, hamstrings, erectors, even the eye lids were overall the same.[footnote]Which goes to show it’s incorrect when we say things like “front squats hit your quadriceps more and back squats hit your hamstrings more. The literature doesn’t back this up. Wanna know what it does back up? That my pecs can cut diamonds.[/footnote]

Biomechanically speaking most people can back squat more than they can front squat, so 70% of back squat was heavier than 70% of front squat in the study.

However, as Dr. Mitch Babcock pointed out in a recent video of his I watched:

“If someone has a compressive type problem (knees achy, maybe their spine feels like linguini)…we can get equal EMG activation with less load by utilizing front squats”

Some trainees may think their world is going to end and that they’ll lose strength in their back squat, but hopefully you can see the value in leveraging the above information.

We can still elicit a high training effect on the legs with front squats. 

2. Front Squat = Deeper Squat

There’s a massive caveat here.

A deep squat isn’t always better nor is it something that should be the end-goal of every individual.

Please read THIS post for a little more detail on the topic.

That being said, because of the bar placement (anterior on the shoulders) and because one is able to maintain a more upright torso during its execution, most people will be able to achieve a much deeper depth with a front squat.

Why is this good?

1. The internet trolls won’t judge you as much.

2. A deeper squat = more glute max recruitment.

I like to use this tidbit of info with many of my female clients who are a little more badonkadonk obsessed compared to their male counterparts.

Thanks in no small part to Bret Contreras and his popularization of the hip thrust, many women (guys too) have been placing more emphasis on their derriere in recent years.

Results have been fantastic.[footnote]OMG….sooooooooo good.[/footnote]

That being said, there has been a trend of late where many women perform only hip thrust (as well as a cornucopia of band exercises – band hip abductions, kickbacks, side raises, lateral stepping, etc) to target their glutes.

[My good friend Lee Boyce noticed this trend too and wrote about it HERE.]

If you want glutes perform your hip thrusts and the litany of other exercises that target that area. However you still need to build them with some good ol’ fashioned strength training.

Front squats can help immensely in this department.

3. Better Posture

I saved the boring one for last.

Come on, if I started with posture this would have happened:

This will be short.

Front squats nudge people into more thoracic extension which is going to be a game changer in terms of helping to improve posture.

As you descend closer to the ground you have to “fight” to keep from folding over. In many ways the proper execution of the exercise itself is self-coaching.

If you don’t maintain thoracic extension the barbell rolls off your shoulders.

And when that happens a baby seal dies.

You are such an asshole.

CategoriesStrength Training

Making the Squat Look and Feel More Like a Squat

Squat technique is a daunting topic to write about. No matter what, despite logic, sound reasoning and the fact not everyone falls neatly into any one way of doing anything (especially as it relates to lifting weights), some people are going to get triggered and go batshit crazy.

This post may rub some people (and coaches) the wrong way, but I beg you to take a deep breath, listen to what I have to say, and understand that this is not an attack against you or your way of doing things.

Rather, what follows is a brief look into what works for me and what I feel works best for the bulk of people I work with on a weekly basis as it relates to coaching the squat.

In short: Making the squat look more like a squat.

Copyright: Kurhan / 123RF Stock Photo

 

Huh, Come Again Now?

Gone, I feel, are the days where we’re overzealous with cueing people to aggressively sit back during their squats.

For competitive powerlifters, who are into powerlifting, and who are wearing squat suits, while they powerlift…the cue to sit back makes a lot of sense.

For everyone else?

Mmm, not so much.

Call me crazy (and some may do just that), but I’d garner a guess that many trainees would benefit from two subtle tweaks to their squat:

  1. No more (or less emphasis on) sitting back.
  2. Finding and maintaining foot pressure.

The former is not to say I don’t advocate to sit back. I do. It’s just I feel there should be a simultaneous break with knees going forward AND hips going back on the descent. The net result is a SQUAT down.

The latter takes a bit more practice, but has a profound effect on one’s ability to have a bit more “umph” out of the hole (quads, baby!) and to stay in a better position throughout the rep/set (I.e., less falling or dipping forward).

Check out the brief video below. Hopefully it’ll make sense and not cause anyone to punch a wall with their face.

Making the Squat Look and Feel More Like a Squat

Categoriescoaching Exercise Technique

Why I Love These 2 Simple Cues to Clean Up the Front Squat

There was a time in my training career when I despised front squats. I hated them in fact. They never felt good.

Copyright: gekaskr / 123RF Stock Photo

 

But when does any form of squatting feel “good?”

I mean, that’s the last adjective I’d use to describe them. A back massage feels good. Hitting a walk-off home-run feels good. Hell, I’d argue getting kicked in the balls feels good compared to a heavy set of front squats.

The set-up is kinda wonky and you’re always at the risk of suffocating yourself – not the greatest feeling in the world when you’re trying to lift heavy things. Then there’s that annoying part where the barbell inevitably starts to roll off the shoulders.

Each repetition is a battle against gravity (and patience).

It sucks.

The front squat JUST SUCKS.

That said, I’d be remiss to ignore the front squat is still a staple exercise I prefer to incorporate myself and something I have most of my clients perform as well.

Why?

  • They’re joint friendly – almost always a better option for those with a history of lower back and knee pain.
  • They allow most people to attain a deeper depth.
  • They’re (arguably) easier to perform compared to back squats. They allow a more upright torso (which plays into the deeper depth thing), and for anyone who lacks the requisite upper back and/or shoulder mobility (abduction/external rotation, T-spine extension) front squats are a superb option.
  • They help build a monster set of legs, help bulletproof the core, and turn your back into the size of Rhode Island.

I’d go into more of the particulars but 1) I’m lazy and 2) my good buddy, Eric Bach, already did and wrote an excellent article on the front squat HERE that I could’t possibly top.

Go read it, seriously.

Anyways, as much as I tend to belly-ache about how much the front squat makes me want to slam my face into a brick wall, I do prefer performing them over back squats.

Mainly because, and I can’t believe I’m about to say this…

I’m 40 now, not 25.

It’s not lost on me that my 25 year old self would Sparta kick my 40 year old self in the pancreas for uttering the “I’m 40 now” line.[footnote]Hey 25 year old self, you also thought Applebee’s counted as a romantic date night. So, STFU.[/footnote]

However, while I don’t expect my N=1 anecdote to reflect everyone else’s experience, if I were a betting man I’d put everything on black that a vast majority of people reading feel the same way.

Stuff just feels different at 40 compared to 25.

Relax internet, I still back squat.

But not as much as I used to, and not nearly as heavy. If I were to be honest, I back squat juuuuuuust enough to maintain a decent enough number in addition to having enough of a carry over to my deadlift. After that I don’t give a shit.

I’m not a powerlifter, so who cares?

Besides I DO feel I get more out of the front squat (see reasons above), and more importantly it just feels better and doesn’t beat me up as much. And while I’m not winning any internet dick measuring contests by posting this, I have worked up to a 300+ lb front squat which is nothing to sneeze at.

My 2 Favorite Front Squat Cues

The biggest issues I find with most trainees with regards to the front squat is bar placement on the shoulders and the fact the bar has a tendency to roll off the shoulders. Both are annoying, but both have a simple solution.

Check out this video below – it’s short – to find out my two “go to” cues for cleaning up front squat technique. I hope it helps.

NOTE: T-shirt game is on point.

CategoriesExercise Technique Exercises You Should Be Doing Strength Training

The Most Underrated Exercise in Strength and Conditioning? It’s Not Deadlifts.

While I can’t say it’s always been the case (I’ve grown less dogmatic and immature as a coach the older I’ve gotten[footnote]Not counting the incessant poop jokes and affinity for pop culture references in all aspects of my life.[/footnote], I operate under the guise that every exercise has its time and place.

Except for maybe this one.

If she were juggling a pair of chainsaws while standing on the BOSU balls I could see myself giving a nod of approval.

I used to scoff at any coach or trainer who had the audacity to have his or her client leg press instead of squat.

Roll my eyes whenever I saw leg extensions or leg curls programmed.

And don’t even get me started on the gym coat rack Smith Machine.

I was a gym snob through and through. Borderline douchey. I still am to a small degree. But I’ve toned it down considerably as the years have passed.

I mean, for what it’s worth: I’ve actually been including more low intensity aerobic training in my own training (and that of my athletes), which is something I would have punched myself in the face for in the not so distant past.

I’d like to think of it as a form of evolvement on my end. More to the point, I’m not so singular in my train of thought on any given topic[footnote]Except for when it comes to movies. I’m still rip-shit that Shakespeare in Love won Best Picture over Saving Private Ryan during the 1998 Academy Awards.[/footnote] In short: I’m more open and less of a dick.

In fact, my thoughts on the topic mirror that of Bret Contreras (in THIS post):

“If there’s one movement that I absolutely loathe, it’s the “movement” that attempts to convince readers to avoid certain exercises altogether.”

Flipping the script, though, rather than waxing poetic on exercises not to do, today I wanted to instead discuss an exercise I feel is vastly underrated and underutilized.

Dare I say…most people reading should make it a point of doing it more often.

(Double) Anterior Loaded KB Front Squats

 

This is an exercise I’ve been using for years at Cressey Sports Performance and have always understood its benefits. I’ve used it with many beginner and intermediate lifters, and for those who feel they’re above this exercise and think they’re “too elite,” I’d defer to strength coach, Joe Kenn, who uses it exclusively with many of his NFL athletes too.

Side Note: I’d encourage you to listen to his interview on Mike Robertson’s Physical Preparation Podcast HERE.

Why I Heart This Exercise

1. I’m not an anti-back squat guy. We incorporate it – and it’s many iterations – at CSP often. I do feel there’s a cost-benefit to the exercise and that it has to be paired well to the athlete/person given their injury history, training experience, and overall goals.

Having said that, the Anterior Loaded KB Front Squat (from now on referred to as ALKBFS because I’m lazy and don’t want to type it out every time) lends itself to be a much more “back friendly” variation that most anyone can do on day #1.

The fact the load is more anterior (and not directly over the spine) seems an obvious advantage.

2. The ALKBFS elicits an almost unparalleled “core” challenge. Because the load is more anterior, one must fight like crazy not to tip over.

I.e., this is an excellent drill to help teach/coach people to maintain t-spine extension. You’ll still want to encourage a flexion moment, but because this variation encourages more extension it allows people to stay more upright.

It won’t take much to humble even the strongest back squatter. I’ve seen numerous trainees (both male and female) second guess their weight selection.

3. Moreover, for those with upper body imbalances or mobility issues – which may make back squatting difficult – the ALKBFS is great option. If someone doesn’t have the requisite shoulder abduction/external rotation ROM it doesn’t make much sense to slam a square peg into a round hole.

Of course we can utilize a Safety Squat bar, a giant cambered bar, or even have them perform a traditional barbell front squat, which makes the aforementioned imbalance moot. However, I encourage you not to disregard this movement just to be a contrarian.

4. Another reason why I like the ALKBFS so much is that it can transform or melt itself into more of a “hybrid” exercise if one so chooses.

Who’s to say we couldn’t transition from a KB clean to a squat? Or a KB clean to a squat to a press? Or a KB clean to a squat to a press to an overhead farmer carry? Or a KB clean to a squat to a press to an overhead farmer carry to sniper roll off a loading dock, Jason Bourne style?

The possibilities are endless.

You could even perform them offset style:

 

Give them a try today and let me know what you think.

CategoriesExercises You Should Be Doing

Exercises You Should Be Doing: 1-Arm Kettlebell Front Squat

I had the opportunity of being invited to a local CrossFit affiliate here in Boston yesterday to spend an hour or so taking their staff – as well as a handful of other trainers from local commercial gyms – through an informal staff in-service on assessment.

I say “informal” because I wore jeans and a t-shirt and swore like a sailor. And I chewed gum the entire time.  I basically broke every rule there is when it comes to public speaking.  It was awesome.

While the main “theme” of the talk was shoulders, shoulder assessment, and how we can make things in CrossFit a bit more “shoulder friendly,” on more than one occasion I made the following point:

An assessment (or screen, which is a more appropriate term I feel) should serve a few functions:

1. To gather information and find out where a person’s Point A is.

2. Give them an opportunity to prove to YOU (the coach) that they can do “stuff.”

I’m a strength guy, and in my eyes everyone I work with is going to squat to some capacity, deadlift to some capacity, bench press to some capacity, and inevitably end up listening to Tiesto to some capacity.

Sorry, if you train under my roof, it’s my rules…..;o)

Where the assessment/screen comes in is to serve as a litmus test to tell me which VARIATION of the squat or deadlift or bench press or whatever the client will start with.

Not everyone can walk in on day one and conventional deadlift from the floor. Likewise, depending on one’s past or current injury history, training experience, goals, and postural imbalances (to name a few), maybe something as innocuous as a standard bench press will be too advanced for them.

With that in mind, today’s exercise you should be doing falls underneath this people-are-going-to-do-stuff-just-not-the-advanced-stuff-they-think-they-should-be-doing umbrella.

1-Arm Kettlebell Front Squat

Who Did I Steal It From:  I have no idea, so I’ll just say Professor Snape.

What Does It Do: This is a fantastic squat variation which, after mastering the Goblet Squat, still allows the trainee to groove their hip hinge pattern, engage the anterior core, but with an additional component:  ROTARY STABILITY.

By holding one KB to one side of the body, it forces the body to further stabilize itself and to resist the rotational forces placed on it.

Furthermore, this also serves as a nice variation which is a bit more shoulder friendly in its own right.  Back squats for example may be problematic for some due to the “at risk” position the shoulder joint is placed in (maximal abduction + external rotation) during its execution.

The easy fix would be to use specialty bars such as the Giant Cambered bar or Safety Squat bar – or to just front squat – but not many people have access to them.

Hence, why this is yet another viable option.

Key Coaching Cues: It sounds borderline trivial, but picking up the kettlebell correctly matters.  I see a lot of people just kind of haphazardly bend over and pick up the KB with a rounded back and this is something you don’t want to make a habit of doing.  For starters, a kitten dies every time it happens. Secondly, your spine will thank you in the long run.

I like to tell people to “straddle” the KB standing roughly an arms length away. Reach down with a neutral spine, and “set” the lats and then pretend as if you’re trying to “hike” the kettlebell through your legs.  Essentially you’re starting off the whole shebang by performing a 1-arm KB swing.

Clean the KB to one side of the body.  The KB itself should rest in the nook of your pec muscle and shoulder.

From there place your free hand out in front of the body to act as a counterbalance and make a fist.  Squeeze hard.  This will elicit much more tension in the body.

Now….squat.  All the same rules apply.  Initiate by pushing the hips back, pushing the knees out (I like to tell people keep the knee cap in line with their middle toe), and keeping the chest up.

I’ll typically shoot for 6-8 reps per side and then switch sides.  Give it a try today and let me know what you think.

CategoriesExercise Technique

Front Squat: Benefits and Technique

And we’re off!

First things first:  I’d like to thank everyone who chimed in to offer their support and words of encouragement with regards to the Premium Workout Group yesterday.

To say I’m really excited for this opportunity would be an understatement, and I can’t wait to see the results people will get following my programming.

Secondly, I want to extend a huge THANK YOU to those who jumped right in and actually signed up yesterday.  It’s my hope that this will be a positive experience for you and that the group will serve as a source of motivation and accountability to keep you on task with your training.

And, you know, to bring back a little sexy too.

While we had a fair number of people sign up I still have some suspicion that an equal number opted not to because they’re on the fence and not quite sure of the type of value that’s included.

Don’t worry my feelings weren’t hurt.  I mean, I only cried for like ten minutes. I’m over it now.

No, really, I just have a little something in my eye.  Is someone peeling an onion?

I keed, I keed.

I touched on it in yesterday’s post, but I wanted to reiterate that not only will I be providing top-notch, quality programming on a month-to-month basis, but I’ll also be providing unique content solely to the group in the form of tutorial videos covering everything from assessment to exercise technique.

Today I wanted to give everyone a little taste or sneak peek at what types of videos to expect:

Front Squat Benefits and Technique

And that’s just the tip of the iceberg.

For more information on the group you can check out yesterday’s post HERE. Or, you can go directly to the WeightTraining.com site HERE and register.