CategoriesStuff to Read While You're Pretending to Work

Stuff to Read While You’re Pretending to Work: 4/15/16

FINALLY…I weekend of no travel.

Not that I’m complaining. I actually like to travel and enjoy the opportunities I get to visit various cities and towns, meet new people, and catch up with old friends/colleagues.

It’s just, you know, sometimes you feel like you’ve been run over by a Mack truck.

So I’m really looking forward to a weekend home with my wife and enjoying the beautiful weather we’re expecting to have in Boston.

After that, though, it’s game on:

PHILADELPHIA – Sunday, April 24th @ War Horse Barbell

KANSAS CITY – April 29-30th, The Fitness Summit

In addition to Dean Somerset and I taking our Complete Shoulder & Hip Training Workshop to both PRAGUE (Czech Republic) and OSLO (Norway) in May.

It’s going to be a whirlwind to say the least for the next several weeks, but, again, nothing t0 complain about.

I mean, I’m going to freakin Europe!

Without further ado, lets get to this week’s list.

Smarter, Faster, Better: The Secrets of Being Productive in Life and Business – Charles Duhigg

I thoroughly enjoyed Mr. Duhigg’s first book, The Power of Habit, so it wasn’t a hard sell for me to swipe this book off the bookshelf when I saw it a few weeks ago.

We all know someone in our lives who can seemingly juggle responsibilities of work and home life, yet still have time to coach three different youth teams, read poetry to orphans, and still workout 5x per week.

It’s nuts. How do they have the time to do it?

Read the book….;o)

10 Random Thoughts on Fitness Industry Success – Eric Cressey

Eric first spoke on the Perform Better Tour when he was 25.

Unreal.

Another fun fact about Eric: when he and I lived together, while I’d be in the living room watching Lord of the Rings for the 47th time, he’d be in his room writing Maximal Strength.

The man had unparalleled work ethic even then.

This was an awesome read by Eric, and something I hope the bulk of fitness pros reading take the time to read themselves.

Deadlifts: Which Type is Best For You? – Mike Robertson

I posted a video on my IG account a few weeks ago of a woman I had just started working with – literally, it was her first session with me – and I was able to get her to deadlift from the floor without any pain for the first time in years.

I had her perform a modified sumo-stance deadlift.

She crushed it. It looked good, it was pain-free, and I was able to show her SUCCESS on day #1. Win-win-win.

Of course, several coaches chimed in questioning my coaching abilities because I didn’t have her perform a conventional deadlift. Apparently they deemed me an inferior coach because of it.

It’s the internet. It’s to be expected.

Anyways, this is why I LOVED this article by Mike. Not everyone HAS to deadlift conventionally, and not everyone HAS to deadlift from the floor.

At the end of the day: any competent coach will understand that the BEST approach is one that’s best suited for the individual, and not to stoke his or her’s ego.

Categoriescoaching Program Design Strength Training

Two Dudes Talking Core Training

Regulars to this site are very familiar with the name Mike Robertson. He’s a good friend, but also a coach I respect immensely.

Not only does he produce top-notch athletes who are seemingly bulletproof, but he’s also someone who continuously churns out quality content that helps elevate the strength and conditioning/fitness community.

He also has impeccable taste in old-school hip-hop music.

His latest resource, Complete Core Training, is available starting today. It’s, well, a complete resource on core training. It’s not about six-pack abs or showcasing the latest core exercises that have people balancing on BOSU balls while juggling chainsaws.

It’s a system on how to set people up for success.

Mike was kind enough to take some time to talk some shop and discuss “core training” with me below. Enjoy!

Two Dudes Talking Core Training

TG: Mike, answer this: what in the name of infomercial hell is “the core?” And why should a whole manual be dedicated to it?

MR: Great question – and if someone can tell me, then that would be great….

In all seriousness, the core is literally everything from the feet to the head, because it all ties together, right? But that’s probably not the answer you’re looking for, either.

For our purposes, I define the core as a box:

  • You’ve got the diaphragm on the top,
  • The pelvic floor on the bottom,
  • The abdominals (transverse abdominus, internal obliques, external obliques, and rectus abdominus) on the front,
  • The IO’s, EO’s1, and quadratus lumborum (QL) on the sides, and
  • You’ve got the QL, erectors and multifidi on the back.

This is such a tricky answer, though, because no matter how I answer, someone hates me.

But I guess I’m okay with that at this point

TG: The cliche question here is to pop off your most common core mistakes people make. What do you feel people do right?

MR: First and foremost, you have to know that I live in a bubble at this point.

I don’t train in a commercial gym.

The people I’m surrounded by are generally high-level coaches, and are making strides to get the most out of their clients and athletes.

So with regards to doing things right, I think most are on the right path.

They’re focusing more on core stability versus creating movement at the core.

They’re realizing that flexion isn’t a bad thing, at least with regards to having that mobility through the spine and pelvis.

And they’re including core training in almost all (if not all) of their programs.

So when you factor all that in, it’s probably making quite a difference.

TG: Okay, I lied….NOW you can tell us the most common mistakes people make.

MR: Again, I’m around fairly high-level people so when it comes to mistakes, the devil is often in the details.

First off, I’m not sure most truly respect how important position is. For instance, almost every time I coach a core exercise now, we’re going to exhale to set a better position.

But often, we sell people short – what might seem like enough of an exhale simply is not. So we have to really drive a full exhale to set good position, especially with our more toned up bros and broettes.

 

Another mistake that I see is always leaving the core training to the end of the program. But before I get too deep here, I should probably let you in on a bit of my bias and philosophy…

I firmly believe that the core is a (if not THE) weak link with our clients and athletes. Therefore, it’s something that we have to address and multiple levels across the program.

So just throwing in some “ab work” at the end of a session isn’t enough. If it’s truly a weak link, we need to address it throughout the programming, both in the warm-up and the actually lifting portion. This comes largely through sound exercise selection, progression and regression.

Note from TG: this is why I LOVE deadbugs so much. Not only do most people do them incorrectly, but they can be injected into any portion of a training program to fit the needs of the athlete/client.

So if I could just get everyone to cue their clients into a better starting position time and again, and address the core at multiple times throughout the training session, I’d be a happy camper.

TG: The meatheads out there will say all someone has to do is squat and deadlift and that’s all the core work they need. I think this is a very narrow-minded, nay, moronic approach. I assume you agree. Why is this not a smart or ideal line of thinking?

MR: We’re in firm agreement here. First off, let me throw this back at you…

How many people walking in on Day 1 would you say have great posture, or can hold great position in their training sessions?

Probably none, or next to none, right?

So why do we assume that loading these people up with heavy squats and deadlifts that they’re magically going to “fix” their positional issues?

I’m sorry, but it just doesn’t happen.

Instead, we need to often rebuild our clients and athletes. Again, it happens on multiple levels throughout the program.

Instead of a back squat, maybe we front squat. Or even better, 2-KB front squat.

Instead of throwing in a ton of work for the posterior chain, we actually teach them to load their anterior chain more effectively. (I’m going to get roasted for this, but it’s something I’ll explore in more depth at a later time).

Note from TG: Here, here! We’ve been over-programmed to think that it’s ALL about posterior chain, ALL the time, that I find many trainees have lost the ability to recruit their quads. I’ve been programming more leg extensions recently for some of my clients. How you like dem apples, internet?!

We need to get some isolated core training in the program, just to teach our athletes how to actually use muscles like their obliques and TVA (not via draw-ins), to help control their pelvis and lumbar spine.

We start doing things like that, then posture starts to clean up and we can hold position.

And when we can hold position with entry-level exercises, then we can start getting bigger bang from there.

TG: Love it Mike. I’m totally on par with you. Complete Core Training – 10 second elevator pitch. Go – 

My goal was to take my entire approach to core training and give it to trainers and coaches who want to get more out of their programming and coaching.

Like you mentioned above, even the best coaches and trainers out there are looking for ways to get better. This is something that I’ve studied in depth for years, constantly seeking ways to get better results, and most importantly, to create lasting change in how my clients move and feel.

So Complete Core Training isn’t just a random collection of exercises – it’s a complete training system, where I cover everything from the anatomy of the core, to the mechanics of coaching and cuing, and of course, how to program most effectively.

I think it’s a really solid program, and one that’s going to help trainers and coaches across the world get better results with their clients and athletes.

But I’m also willing to admit I may be just a wee bit biased….;o)

Complete Core Training is ON SALE all this week at 50% off the original price.

CategoriesStuff to Read While You're Pretending to Work

Stuff to Read While You’re Pretending to Work: 6/5/15

 

Physical Preparation 101 – Mike Robertson

The best coaches are the most efficient coaches. They’re able to assess their athletes/clients and “streamline” the program writing process.

It doesn’t have to be like rocket science or solving long division.

TODAY (6/5) is the last day to purchase this fantastic resource at a significant discount ($100 off the regular price), and learn from one of the best coaches I know.

In addition, there is a 2-pay option, so that’s something to consider for those who are a bit more price sensitive.

That said, I can pretty much guarantee PP 101 will pay for itself 10x over from all the things you’ll learn, not to mention be able to immediately apply on Day #1.

This is not a cost, it’s an investment…….in yourself.

Todd Bumgardner’s New Site – Todd Bumgardner

I’ve featured many of Todd’s articles on this site in the past, so for some of you he’s nothing new. He’s the awesome.

But for the many of you who are new to the site, Todd’s someone whom I respect a ton and he’s someone I feel you should be listening to and reading.

I mean, he’s bald, he likes to lift heavy things, what’s not to like?

He just made his brand spankin new site live and it’s the shiz. I encourage you to check it out and bookmark it, cause you’re going to learn.

Pete Dupuis’ New Site – Pete Dupuis

Cressey Sports Performance’s business director and Vice President, Pete Dupuis, has finally stepped into the 21st century and started his own website.

You won’t find articles on the best set/rep schemes or how to measure glenohumeral internal rotation deficit or anything of that nature here.

What you will find is real advice and logic on how to run a fitness business, sans the cheesy buzz words (TOP SECRETS!!!!) that many internet gurus like to use.

If you’re a current business owner or an aspiring one, I’d bookmark Pete’s site too if I were you.

CategoriesProgram Design

3 Program Design Failures Young Coaches Make

As you’re reading this I’m either lying out on the beach reading a book, crushing the all-you-can-eat ice cream bar, or not swimming in the ocean.

I hate getting wet. I know, I’m weird.

In any case, I’m in beautiful Nassau, Bahamas, enjoying my honeymoon.

Which is to say: Naaah, nah, nah, nah, naaaaaaaaah.

However, I prepared a head of time (you didn’t think I was going to go a week straight without posting anything did you?) and today I have guest post from my good friend and superhero strength coach, Mike Robertson. His latest DVD set, Physical Preparation 101, was released today (at an unreal discount), and he was kind enough to help fill in for me this week and offer some insight on the concept of program design.

More specifically, some common mistakes many young coaches tend to make.

To give a quick plug: the 12-DVD set is baller, and goes into great detail on Mike’s overall approach to program design. One day covers program design. And another day covers coaching. No shadow puppets.

It’s an amazing resource and something that would be an excellent addition to any coach or trainer looking to take their program design/coaching skills to ninja, nay, Jedi level status.

Enjoy Mikes wisdom!

Writing your first program may be one of the most challenging things you ever do.

The first program I ever wrote was for myself. I’d been training for powerlifting for about a year, and I figured that if I was going to be a great coach (someday!) that I needed to start writing my own programs.

Needless to say, it was quite the experience.

In 17 years of playing organized sports leading up to this point, I had never thrown up in a practice or conditioning practice.

But when you’re banging out four sets of ten squats with a minute rest, and then moving immediately to Bulgarian split-squats right after that, well, things get real – fast!

Over the years, I’ve learned a ton about programming. And while I’ve been fortunate to learn a ton from books, seminars and DVD’s, one of the best things you can do once you have that programming knowledge is to go out and actually fail.

That’s right – you need to make mistakes to get better.

With that being said, here are three common fails I see when coaches first start writing programs.

Programming Fail #1 – Trying to be too “cute”

When you first start writing programs, it’s easy fall into the trap of being “cute.”

You’re throwing in all these random exercises that no one has ever seen before, but hey, it’s on the Internetz so it must be legit!

Instead of being cute, focus on the 80/20 principle, and realize that 80 percent of your training results come from 20 percent of your actual programming.

Dan John uses the analogy of being in prison. If you only had 15-20 minutes to work out each day and wanted to get bigger and stronger, would you spend that time curling your arms into oblivion, or doing something big and basic like bench presses or chin-ups?

So being cute and pulling random exercises and set/rep schemes is obviously a problem. But there’s an even bigger problem that I see now, which leads me to my next point…

Programming Fail #2 – Being too complex with your programming

One of the arts of program design is finding the appropriate program for the person in front of you.

Appropriate is the key word here – when someone is just getting started, you can do just about anything and help him or her get stronger.

Simple programs like 5×5 or 5-3-1 have done this for years. By waving volume and intensity, throwing in deload weeks, and promoting high quality technique, beginning lifters can see gains on programs like these for years.

The goal is to match the program to the lifter. A beginning lifter should follow a beginners program.

An intermediate lifter should follow a more intermediate program.

And an elite lifter needs to bring out the big guns to continue to see success.

I hate to break it to you, but unless your male clients are squatting and deadlifting 2.5x bodyweight, or bench pressing 1.5x their body weight, they’re not advanced.

Part of the problem is that deep down, everyone wants to think they’re advanced.

But really – they’re not.

So why on Earth should they following a triple block, Russian super squat specialization program to take them from 180 to 200?

Go back to basics here. Find the least advanced program you can have them follow, which still creates a positive adaptation.

Doing this not only ensures that they see success now, but for years to come as well.

Programming Fail #3 – Making every program a Mona Lisa

There’s definitely an art and science when it comes to program design.

You need to know the science to write a program that will give the desired training effect, but at the same time, there’s an art in figuring out how to shape and mold the program to the client or athlete standing in front of you.

If you’ve been writing programs for a few years, after a while all your programs start to look very similar.

Maybe there are subtle differences between variables (sets, reps, exercise selection, etc.), but there is a lot of similarity in the bulk of your programs.

Why do you think that is?

Hint: Because a lot of our clients move similarly, and have the same underlying issues!

Furthermore, if you’re writing programs that are rooted in the basics, then you don’t need a ton of variability in a program (especially early-on) to see success.

The analogy that I always use is this: New trainers and coaches want every program to be a Mona Lisa.

They agonize over it, labor over it, and ultimately, what should be a very simple program quickly becomes far too advanced or complex.

Instead, remember that the goal isn’t to spend oodles of time writing a program – but rather, to simply ensure that the program elicits the desired adaptation.

In other words, don’t make a basic fat loss program a Mona Lisa, when it should really be paint-by-numbers!

I think there’s wisdom in making something as simple as possible, but no simpler.

Do what you need to do to get your clients and athletes the results they want, while helping them move and feel better along the way.

At its root, what we do really is that simple.

Summary

As a young or new coach, I made more mistakes in my programming then I care to remember.

However, with trial and error, plus a ton of learning along the way, I’d like to think that what was once a weakness is now one of my ultimate strengths.

If you take nothing else away from this post, do your best to simply make your programs as simple and easy to use as possible.

By doing so, chances are you’ll strip away a lot of the fluff, and end up with a program that’s razor sharp in the results it delivers.

All the best.

Again, Mike’s newest product, Physical Preparation 101, is on SALE ($100 off the regular price) starting TODAY (6/2) and will run through Friday. He’s a coach that even I still learn from and someone I respect a ton, and if you found yourself nodding your head in agreement from reading above, this may be something worth investing in. 

CategoriesStuff to Read While You're Pretending to Work

Stuff to Read While You’re Pretending to Work: 4/10/15

Before I get to this week’s list of stuff to read while you’re pretending to work, I wanted to toss some love towards a new show that Lisa and I just finished watching on Netflix….Bloodline.

The show revolves around the Rayburn family….Mom, Dad, four siblings, and the dynamics – past and present – between each member as they run their family owned beach resort in the Florida Keys.

The Rayburns are your classic American, small town, successful, happy family. Or so it seems.

John (played by Kyle Chandler, best known for his role as coach Eric Taylor in Friday Night Lights) is a local detective and moral compass for the family.

Older brother Danny (played by Ben Mendelsohn, who will assuredly win many awards for his role) is the family outcast and black sheep.

Youngest siblings, Meg and Kevin (played by Linda Cardellini and Norbert Leo Butz) are stuck in the middle of all the drama.

And rounding out the all-star cast, the patriarchs – Robert and Sally Rayburn – are played by none other than freakin Sam Shepard and Sissy Spacek.

The Rayburns have their demons to contend with…deep, dark, family secrets that would make an episode of Forensic Files seem like a Care Bears movie. To that end, it’s right up my alley. But I can’t speak highly enough of how well written and acted the show is. Not to mention how well it’s shot.

My fiance, Lisa, who is from Florida, ooo’d and aaah’d watching all 13 episodes and it reminded her of how much she misses it down there.

Suffice it to say if you’re looking for a new show to binge watch, and show that’s dark, supremely made, and is smart….Bloodline would get my vote.

Losing Fat Without Macro Counting: 10 Strategies – Anyman Fitness

We have the IIFYM (If It Fits Your Macros) crowd, we have the intermittent fasting crowd, we have Paleo, we low-carb/high fat, low fat/high carb, and we have any number of “fanatical” approaches on how everyone should eat to lose fat.

I’m sure somewhere out there in the world there’s a group of people who will say to avoid all foods beginning with the letters C, K, M, P, and Q on Thursdays, except for in months that end with the letter E and/or if it’s a leap year.

Then it’s all months that end in Y.

The point is: there’s a lot of information out there with a lot of different view points and it’s hella confusing. I felt this article was pretty level headed and “accessible” with its message. The less minutia the better in my book.

How to Bulletproof Your Hamstrings – Mike Robertson

It’s Spring time – tis the season for an epidemic of hamstring strains and tears.

This post by Mike is excellent.

One Movement That Will Help Your Pull-Up – Artemis Scantalides

As someone who works with a lot of female clients who’s goal it is to finally conquer their first chin-up/pull-up, I can’t approve of this article enough.

If I could make out with it, I would. I like it that much.

CategoriesStuff to Read While You're Pretending to Work

Stuff to Read While You’re Pretending to Work: 5/30/14

A few housekeeping items before we begin.

1.  Can you freakin believe we’re two days away from June already?  This year is flying by!

2.  Lisa and I saw X-Men: Days of Future Past last weekend, and I have to say I liked it didn’t love it.  I still feel my favorite film in the series is X-Men: First Class with X2 right on its heels.

Don’t get me wrong, I was every bit as excited to go see this latest version (I was thiiiiiis close to buying a pair of toy Wolverine claws to wear to the theater, but Lisa put a stop to that thought immediately), we both enjoyed it and I’d have no issues with recommending it to everyone, but it just didn’t live up to First Class which I feel is what set the bar in the entire series.

I will give it props for one of the best overall scenes this year in any movie.  The scene where Quicksilver helps break Magneto out of jail is every nerds wet dream.

3.  Spots are going fast for mine and Dean Somerset’s Excellent Workshop in London this September.  Also, we finally locked down a location for the same workshop in Washington, DC this October….at Underground Athlete in Sterling, VA.

For more information on either of the two – price, itinerary, accommodations, whether or not shirts are optional – you can go HERE.

 Is Bacon Healthy?  Don’t be Stupid – Skip Hill

I love bacon as much as the next person.  It’s technically “Paleo,” and it’s gluten free – so it’s got those two things going for it.  What’s not to love?

But to say that it’s a “healthy” food, like many nutritional gurus are spewing out lately, is a bit extreme.

CrossFit: Movement, Strength, Skill, and Fitness – Todd Bumgardner

I respect Todd a ton as a coach, and it shouldn’t come as surprising that he and I think along the same lines on many topics.  I mean we’re both bald strength coaches, so we’re practically brothers!

I know the word “CrossFit” is generally seen as a click grabber, but I felt this was one of the best and more fair posts on the heated topic I’ve come across yet.

Bulletproof Athlete – Mike Robertson

I wrote a post earlier in week detailing how I’ve gone about tweaking my own programming now that I’m no longer 25.  I still act like I’m 25 mind you (boobies!!!!), but for the record I’m 37.

For those that missed it the first time around you can check it out HERE.

I had several guys reach out to me asking me if there were any programs out there on the internets that I’d recommend for those in the same boat.  Yes, Bulletproof Athlete.

As it happens I’m a FIRM believer that most people can (and should) still train like an athlete regardless of how old they are.  What it boils down to is where someone’s starting point is and making the appropriate progressions moving forward.

The cool thing about Bulletproof Athlete is that you can choose between different programs depending on your goals and needs:

– The Fat Burner
– The Weekend Warrior
– The Monster

And each program comes with an extensive video library on top of weekly nutritional and recovery challenges.  Put another way:  there’s some checks and balances involved, and it prevents guys (and girls!) from getting in their own way.

The even cooler thing is that Mike placed BPA on sale for $50 OFF the regular price for this week only.  Holla!

The sale actually ends THIS Sunday (6/1), so if there’s ever a time to give it a go, it’s now.

—-> Bulletproof Athlete <—-

 

 

CategoriesStuff to Read While You're Pretending to Work

Stuff to Read While You’re Pretending to Work: 2/7/14

Before we get the ball rolling on the good reads for the week, I wanted to briefly share an email exchange I had with a colleague who happens to a diesel mom to boot.

Q: I wondered what your thoughts are on all of these youth plyo and conditioning classes popping up all over? I’m at my daughter’s dance class and they offer them here. My gut sat in my throat as I watched a 10 year old perform DB overhead presses LA Fitness style with his arms wobbling all over. I swear he was either going to dislocate his shoulder or knock himself out.

Anyway, this is the first time I’ve watched this. I always balked at the Gym Dad who put their sons through shitty workouts, but these are coaches apparently trained to teach these things. These coaches work with kids in off season and in season to condition them for sports. They sponsor most of the games too.

A: Yeah, the whole idea suspect to say the least. I don’t agree with them at all  <—- and I’m being really good in restraining myself here.

Whenever I have a parent ask me about agility/plyo/conditioning training or how I’m going to make their kid faster I just use my trusted Indy 500 analogy, which is this:

If I were to take a Honda Civic and give it a sweet paint job, new wheels, a spoiler, and make it look fast……would you expect it to win the Indy 500?

Um, no. Unless you increase the actual horse power of the engine you’ll have a better shot at punching a Yeti in the face while on riding a Unicorn.

[Okay, I don’t usually use the Yeti and Unicorn reference, but it worked well here.]

Getting stronger is like increasing the horse power. You get stronger (and focus on movement quality), you’re able to generate more force into the ground, and you’re then able to run faster, throw harder, jump higher, and increase your general level of awesome.

Strength is the basis for everything. It’s really, really, REALLY hard to have agility, power, endurance, speed-endurance, or any other “quality” you can think of (invisibility?) without first having a base of strength to “pool” everything from.

All these “speed camps” and youth conditioning classes, in my opinion, are nothing more than a ploy to give the illusion that *something* is being done and to make the parents go “oooooo” and “ahhhhhh.”

And of course, to make money.  I can’t fault the latter point (I guess).  But, come on….does a twelve year old really need to be doing foot work drills?

And what the heck does a “youth conditioning class” even mean?

Tell your kid to go outside a play some pick-up basketball. Play some kick-ball. Climb a tree.  Anything!

Anything outdoors will be a helluva lot more beneficial than some speed camp that makes kids perform those silly cone drills or ladder drills that most aren’t remotely prepared enough to be doing anyways

Plus, you’ll save yourself $99.

Just my two cents.  Which, coincidentally is a lot cheaper.

Do any of you have any thoughts on the matter???  Sound of in the comments section.

My Experience at the Assessing Movement Conference – Kasey Esser

Recently both Gray Cook and Dr. Stuart McGill sat down to discuss their “differences” in opinion on movement, assessment, and whether or not the second season of House of Cards is going to live up to season one.

This was like the fitness industry’s equivalent of Gandalf and Yoda squaring off.

Kasey was kind enough to send me his review on the weekend, and I thought it was fantastic.  Plus it served as a nice appetizer for when the DVD is available – I can’t freakin wait!

3 Overrated Supplements – Examine.com (via Adam Bornstein)

I really liked this post over on Adam’s site which took to task a handful of supplements that tend to get a lot of press for how beneficial they are, when they’re anything but.

The next time someone asks you your opinion on raspberry ketones (something Dr. Oz made popular) you can refer them to this post.

The Secret to Ab Training – Mike Robertson

Many of Mike’s thoughts on this subject mirror many of the same thoughts we use at Cressey Performance.  As always, Mike drops some knowledge bombs and helps to elucidate on how important EXHALING his to core performance and training.

I know it sounds weird, but it’s definitely worth the read.

Enjoy the weekend everyone!

CategoriesAssessment Corrective Exercise Exercise Technique

The Perfect Assessment Tool?

Lets be clear from the start: there’s really no such thing as a “perfect” assessment. I’ve seen coaches and trainers spend as little as ten minutes assessing their clients, as well as those who take roughly the same time it would take to read the Harry Potter series, and both have been equally as successful with getting results.

Although, in the case of the latter, I’d argue that some fitness professionals spend an inordinate amount of time assessing things that don’t really matter and/or are outside their scope of practice in the first place.  Big toe dorsiflexion?  Really?

The person standing in front of you is 25 lbs overweight and moves about as well as a one-legged pirate.  It’s not rocket science. Get them moving.  End of story.

Nevertheless when it comes to assessment I’ve always lived by the mantra of “different strokes for different folks.”  As an example, at Cressey Performance, we work with a metric boat load of baseball players which is a unique population with regards to the demands placed on their body.  Much of what we look at with them – comparing total glenohumeral ROM between dominant and non-dominant sides, for instance – may not be relevant to someone that walks into the facility who’s just looking to get a little stronger, fix their nagging lower back pain, or not be embarrassed to take their clothes off with the lights on.

That said, how we go about assessing our athletes and clients at Cressey Performance suits our needs, our facility layout, and our business model.

Put another way:  how we go about doing things isn’t to say that we’re right and everyone else is wrong; nor is it to imply that our way is the end-all-be-all of assessment; nor is it suggest that everyone should kneel before us General Zod style:

It all mounts down to what we’ve found works for us. It’s as simple as that.

However, I will say that I do (and always will) feel the push-up is an unsurpassed assessment tool that should be a staple in most assessment protocols.

Not many “tools” can give as much information and feedback to the fitness practitioner than the push-up, and it behooves anyone to dismiss it.

Did you hear me?  I said it behooves you!  I’m bringing back old-English people, so you know I mean business.  You’re just lucky I didn’t grab a white glove, slap you across the face, and challenge you to an old-fashioned bare knuckled boxing match.

Taking actual technique out of the equation (it amazes me how many guys come in to see us with cranky shoulders, only to have some of the worst push-up technique this side of Charlize Theron in the movie Prometheus), the push-up assessment parlays very well to a variety of populations.

With our baseball guys – and even our general population clientele – it gives a good scope to see how well their scapular stabilizers (particularly the lower traps and serratus anterior) are working – if one or both are weak, the scapulae will be more anteriorly tilted and abducted (not “hugged” against the rib cage) which can result in compromised stability.

Too, and an often overlooked component, is anterior humeral glide.  You can see this in someone’s standing posture very easily, but it also becomes very pronounced when you watch someone perform push-ups, or just hold the push-up position isometrically.

This can be detrimental in that if it’s not corrected or just left to it’s own vices can lead to increased anterior instability of the shoulder, which as we all know, not only kills baby seals, but also makes your shoulder hate you.

Using a more glaring and obvious anecdote, push-ups are also a fantastic assessment tool because they make it abundantly clear where someone’s weak points are.  And almost always, many are going have weak lumbo-pelvic-hip control – to the point where they’ll be hanging on their lumbar spine as well as rocking a nasty forward head posture.

On the flip-side many may also demonstrate a dominant rectus abdominus pattern, which typically means their external obliques are non-existent and they probably spend way too much time in front of a computer stalking people on Facebook.

Again, in both scenarios it’s just valuable feedback for you which will dictate that person’s programming moving forward.

Another dimension of the push-up assessment that I never really thought of before – and something I stole from Mike Robertson – is the concept of ‘core delay.’

In short, instead of starting someone in the standard push-up position – away from the floor with arms fully extended – you start from the floor.

In this way you can see whether or not someone has adequate stability or if there’s a delay in firing, and the hips come up first.

The key is to make sure that whoever it is you’re testing is completely relaxed on the floor, and then you just observe and make a judgement call from there.

The first rep would be considered a “passable” rep and shows that the person (me) has good core stability.  They (me) were able to keep the spine in a “neutral” position and everything seemed to fire simultaneously.

And, not to mention their (um, me) triceps were gunny as shit……;o)

With the second rep, though, there was a little wackiness, and you’ll notice how my hips shoot up first and my lumbar spine goes into immediate hyperextension.  This shows a ‘core delay,’ which is just a fancy way of saying “dude needs to work on getting his glutes to fire to posteriorily tilt the pelvis more, along with the external/internal obliques and RA.”

In the end I just feel utilizing the bottoms-up push-up is another great way to evaluate clients and to better ascertain where their weaknesses lie and how their programming may manifest moving forward.

Agree?  Disagree? Tell me more below.

CategoriesMotivational Strength Training

Spark Notes For “Hard” Gainers

I’d say that on any given day I receive close to 50+ emails from people around the world asking various things ranging from programming advice to book recommendations to sharing —-[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[= (<——oops, my cat just pounced on the keyboard and says hi) their shared affinity for Jason Bourne.

Probably one of the more common “themes” that gets sent my way are emails from guys looking for advice on how to add muscle to their frame or how they can go about adding on any weight in general.

Much of the process entails asking a few key questions like, “what does your current training split look like?” or “how long have you actually been training?”

If someone retorts with something like, “well, on Mondays it’s chest and back, on Tuesdays it’s bis and tris, Wednesdays I hit up some posterior delts and tibialis anterior, and then I’ll maybe toss in some legs for good measure,” I know that it would be in their best interests to point them in the direction of the squat rack or deadlift platform and tell them not to leave until they’ve put on 25 lbs.

And then there are those who’ve only been training for two months and are worried that they don’t look like Mr. Olympia yet.

In this scenario I’ll roll out a generous dose of “expectation management” and inform them that it’s going to take a lot of time, hard work, and CONSISTENCY (for years on end) in order to see the results they’re after.

Much of the time I’ll point them in the direction of sites like T-Nation and tell them to absorb as much as they can – especially stuff written by Chad Waterbury, Joe DeFranco, and Jim Wendler.

And it isn’t just about reading either.  One of my biggest pet peeves is when some internet hero brags about how many times he’s read SuperTraining and that he has like 20,000 posts on some forum, yet, can barely crack a 1.5x bodyweight deadlift.

Reading and educating yourself is cool and all, but you also need to practice what you preach. It amazes me how people can quote Zatsiorsky, yet seemingly can’t manage to weigh more than 150 lbs soaking wet. Despite having been “training” for five years

Just shut-up and lift!

And now I’m just getting fired up and angry for no reason.  Deep breaths, Tony. Deep breaths

One such email I received a couple days ago went something like this:

I  have been working with 2 different online trainers which provided me with my diet and workout plan but unfortunately I did not get visible changes compare to the GREAT amount of work and dedication. I am a really HARDGAINER and I have a small frame with really small legs (chicken legs 🙂 ) Is there something different that you can provide me in your services that could make a difference in my body composition (muscle growth)?

Do you provide any nutritional advice? What supplements would you recommend I take?

My response:  CALORIES!

My facetious tone aside, I did write back a more thorough response, I didn’t hold back in letting the guy know that it’s not rocket science. No pill or powder is going to trump lack of calories.  You can’t just magically make muscle appear out of thin air.  The body needs calories to grow.

But all of this got me thinking: What are some other tidbits of advice I could throw down to other “hardgainers” out there?

Well, here you go:

1.  Calories

Seriously, eat!  I know, I know, you eat like, all…….the……time.  Actually, no, you don’t.  My litmus test for most self-described hardgainers is this one simple question:

What did you eat for breakfast this morning?

More often than not I get s bunch of “ums” and “uhs,” with a really long pause mixed in and it just gets awkward.  The word “supplement” shouldn’t even be a part of your vocabulary if you’re not even making an effort to eat breakfast.

And I’m not just referring to an apple and a glass of OJ either.  You’re a human being not a hummingbird.  Be a man, and don’t make the lame excuse that you don’t have time. Get up earlier, and make some eggs.  And don’t you dare toss away the yolk!!!!!  I can’t back this up with science, but an angel dies every time an egg yolk is throw into the sink.

If eggs aren’t your bag, it takes all of two minutes to make a bowl of oatmeal.  I don’t care, just eat breakfast for the love of god.

One of the best weight gaining pieces of advice I give guys is one I stole from Dr. John Berardi. Buy a bag of cinnamon-raisin bagels, slather each one with a boat load of peanut butter, and eat one of those in between each meal.

And if you don’t like cinnamon-raisin bagels, who the hell are you???  It’s like I don’t even know you anymore.  Who doesn’t like cinnamon-raisin bagels?!?!

The point is, you need to eat, and you need to eat a lot.

Eat.

2.  Less Volume?

Yes, you read that correctly.  Less volume.  It sounds counterintuitive but I’d make an argument that most hardgainers perform way too much volume and that’s what’s preventing them from packing on any weight.

While admirable, many will spend 2-3 hours in the gym per day, and on the off chance they do take a day off, that “off day” turns into 400 m tempo runs at the local track.  Or they do a Tough Mudder just for the fun of it.

Stop it already!

How can you expect to put on any weight if you’re constantly burning off calories?

When I start working with a hardgainer I typically limit his training days to THREE, full-body workouts per week.  Depending on the individual I may add in a day (maybe two) of GPP or movement, but for the most part I’m going to significantly reduce their training volume.

It’s a mindf*** at the start, especially for those who are used to heading to the gym everyday to blast their biceps, but it’s uncanny how often they start to see the scale ooch in their favor when they cut out all the extraneous fluff in their workouts.

3.  Focus on the Big Rocks

For those who are familiar with the Pareto Principle this next point will hit the nail on the head. For those who are scratching their heads here’s a brief explanation:

It was named after an Italian economist, Vilfredo Pareto, who demonstrated that 80% of the wealth in Italy was owned by only 20% of the population.

Taking it a step further, many have described it as a Law of Unequal Return, whereupon certain activities tend to give more return on investment than others. Incidentally, it should come as no surprise that many (if not all) aspects of fitness, can be applied here.

I know this comes across as preaching to the choir, but it bears repeating:  focus on the bang-for-your-training-buck exercises like deadlifts, squats, bench press, chin-ups, rows, push-ups, and single leg work and you’ll see good things happen.

If all these so-called hardgainers spent 80% of their time focusing on the big rocks (and understood that progressive overload is kind of an important thing), they probably wouldn’t call themselves hardgainers anymore.

I’d go so far as to say that if more guys started their workouts with a squat or deadlift variation and just alternated between the two week in and week out for a straight year, they’d see marked improvements in their physique.

Trust me, ditch the arm day and go lift something heavy…..;o)

4. Train Like an Athlete!

I like to play a game with people.  When I start with a someone who refers to themselves as a hardgainer I like to ask them to bring in a picture of a physique they admire.  Much of the time they’ll bring in a picture of guys like former NFL wide received Terrell Owens.

Now, I can’t speak to Terrell’s training, but can almost guarantee that he didn’t build that physique by crushing tricep kickbacks and worrying about carb cycling.

A lot of guys want to look like athletes, but they don’t come remotely close to training like one.  Of course there’s a lot that comes into the picture.  We have to take into consideration one’s injury history, experience, and if someone has the movement quality of a Sasquatch I don’t feel sprinting is a wise choice.  It ALWAYS comes down to progressions.

That said, I do feel a lot of people train themselves as if they’re covered in bubble wrap and fail to elicit any form of training effect

If you want to look like an athlete, you need to train like one!

Which is why Mike Robertson’s Bulletproof Athlete is an excellent choice for hardgainers as well as those looking to take their training to the next level.

It includes four months of customized programming, and there’s even several options to choose from depending on your schedule.  What’s more it comes with an extensive exercise database, as well as weekly conditioning and nutritional challenges.

Sometimes it’s just a matter of getting out of your own way and allowing someone else to do the thinking for you.

The manual is currently on sale NOW for a bargain price of $97.  But that ends THIS Saturday (August, 3rd), so if you’re going to take advantage of the savings you need to act quickly.  Ya heard.

—> Bulletproof Athlete <—

And that’s that.  I know I could keep going and speak to sleep, recovery protocols, 10×3 instead of 3×10, and did I mention deadlifts?  But hopefully a few of the points I did hit up resonated with a few people out there.

CategoriesProduct Review Strength Training

Five Reasons Everyone Should Train Like an Athlete

In light of his brand spankin new product being released today – Bulletproof Athlete – Mike Robertson was kind enough to jot down a few words and underline a few reasons why everyone (yes, even YOU) should take some time out of his or her’s training year to become more athletic.

Offhandedly I myself have been placing a bit more of an emphasis on “athletic” training in my own workouts and I can attest to how great I feel and the results I’m seeing in the weight room.

But this isn’t about me.  Mike’s spent a good 1.5 years tweaking, poking, prodding, and experimenting to bring this project to fruition and I can say with full confidence (and as someone who’s read it) it’s A to the wesome.

Not to play brown noser or anything but it includes 16-weeks of programming, three programs for one price, a 160+ video database, and weekly nutrition and recovery challenges.

All for the bargain price of $97.

And on that note I’m going to allow Mike to take it from here. It’s always a treat to have Mike share his knowledge on this site, I hope you feel the same.

Enjoy!

Training like an athlete is awesome.

While I’m a powerlifter at heart, I’m also a life-long athlete. I love the competitive nature of sports, but I think there’s something even more basic to it than that.

When you train for sports, you feel like an athlete. This feeling is indescribable. You just feel lean, athletic and strong.

So whether you’re a lifelong athlete or someone that thinks training like an athlete sounds cool, I’m here to sway your decision.

Here are five reasons you (yes YOU!) should train like an athlete, even if it’s one for a couple of months every year.

#1 – You’re More Well-Rounded

The first reason you should train like an athlete is simple:

If you’re an athlete, you need a balance of physical qualities to be successful.

The fact that you can deadlift 500 pounds means nothing if you’re slow as molasses, have the cardio of a sloth, or the mobility of a stone golem.

Think about the best athletes in the world: They are strong, fast, explosive, and have the energy system development to go for days on end.

Sounds pretty awesome, doesn’t it?

While I’m all for strength, it’s just one piece of the athletic puzzle.

If you take a step back and train in a more well-rounded manner for a few months, I have no idea you’ll love how you look and feel.

#2 – Power Training is Fun (and Awesome!)

I’d put cash money on the fact that everyone reading this likes getting stronger.

Virtual high-five right there – you kick ass.

But you know what’s really cool? Adding a little power training into the mix.

I don’t care if you want to do the Olympic lifts, jump, sprint, throw med balls, or just do the most ballistic version of “The Carlton” known to man. If you’ve got an awesome base of strength, why not spend time on a yearly basis to convert that strength into power?

To further my point, there’s more and more research out there that leads us to believe that power is one of the first physical qualities we lose as we age.

By all means, spend the bulk of your time every year getting bigger, leaner and stronger. But take 3-4 months every year and dedicate that time to power training.

You can thank me when you’re 80!

#3 – Planned EST is Important

Let’s think about how most people plan their energy system training (EST).

“Well I’m here, and I just lifted heavy things. Now what do I do?”

And there are basically two options:

1 – “Meh, I’m tired. I’m going to go to Chipotle and crush a bowl with triple meat,” or

2 – “Sure I’ll do some EST today. You know, just to preserve my sexy.”

So in reality, there is no plan. It comes down to if you have the time/energy to do it, and even if you do, it’s not planned or periodized.

Imagine if you treated your strength training sessions like that. How successful do you think you’d be?

Instead, start planning your EST just as you would your strength training. Have times of higher volume and lesser intensity.

Then flip flop it, and get aggressive with intensity while backing off the volume.

It’s not rocket science, but actually taking the time to plan your EST and integrate it with a sound strength-training program can take your performance and physique to the next level.

#4 – Variety is the Spice of Life

If you do anything for an extended period of time, it can start to wear on you, both mentally and physically.

In late 2010, I did the math and realized I had been pushing the max strength envelope for close to 10 years.

Now some of the seasoned powerfliting vets hear that number and roll their eyes. But when I got into the sport of powerlifting, I had no intentions of being a lifer.

But here I stood 10 years in, and while I wasn’t beat up by powerlifting standards, I had my share of little aches and pains that were holding back by performance.

When I switched things up completely and focused on athletic development, the results were nothing less than amazing.

First off, training was actually fun. I love lifting heavy things as much as the next guy, but that training can wear on you mentally.

Instead of feeling tired and lethargic walking into the gym, I came into each day fresh and ready to train.

When I backed off the loading just a bit and cleaned up my movement (and regained athleticism), all of the little aches and pains just faded away as well.

So this was pretty cool – I was enjoying training again, I didn’t feel beat up, and I looked and felt more athletic.

But you want to know the really cool part? Here goes…

#5 – You’re Stronger Going Back

Let’s say you take a break from the heavy weights for 1-2 months, and then slowly ease yourself back in.

But now you’re armed with a better movement foundation and a more healthy and resilient body.

You know what happens?

When you re-focus your efforts on squatting and deadlifting with weights the size of compact cars, you actually end up far stronger!

Case and point – after I ran through my athletic development cycle, I ran a powerlifting cycle and lifted in a meet.

In that meet, I hit an all-time PR in the deadlift of 545, which gave me my first ever 3x body weight deadlift. I also hit a PR in the squat at that lighter weight class.

So while I’m sure you’re worried about getting weaker, that’s only a short-term thing. When you back to lifting heavy things with better mobility, a more athletic body, and improved technique, you will absolutely crush your old PR’s.

Summary

I don’t know about you, but I’m torn between two loves in my lifting career:

1 – Training for max strength, and

2 – Training like an athlete.

In my case, I’m going to get the best of both worlds. Every year from here on out, I’m going to spend 3-4 months focusing on maintaining and improving my athleticism.

And if you’d like to join me, be sure to check out my Bulletproof Athlete program. It covers all of the bases in your training, and I guarantee you’ll love the program.

—> Click Me (That Tickles) <—